Hi guys. We're getting pretty close to the end here. I'm not sure what to think about that... Well anyways, read on!
"What do you mean, you refuse to allow us to slaughter the humans!" The sound of a demon's shout caused Sada- Satan, he had to remember he was King Satan again, to cringe inwardly.
"Exactly what I said," He replied coolly, "I heard your plan, and I refuse to allow it." He'd been sitting in the room for hours, listening to the demons go over every inch of their gruesomely detailed plan. What they'd wanted to do to the humans was absolutely horrifying, especially after having lived as one.
Cries of outrage echoed across the room at his statement. Satan shot them a glare, and the voices calmed down somewhat. Finally, one voice spoke up again.
"So what do you suggest we do, oh great King?" The demon sneered. Satan paused, carefully considering, before speaking. The idea had been there, in the back of his mind, since the discussion started, but would the demons go along with it? Would the humans? With a heaviness in his heart, he began.
"I believe that the humans should be relocated. I think you need to hear about where I've been all these years."
…
Emi woke up the next morning to the sound of crying. Though she denied it to herself as she changed into a pair of relatively clean clothing the woman, Mia, had lent her, she had a gut feeling she knew why. All that she could see was the image of that child, barely able to breath. She had to get to the place where most of her people took refuge. She'd been gone so long, but now more than ever they needed her.
Carefully packing up the few of her things she had out, she cautiously made her way out of the room she'd slept in. The house had gone silent. Venturing farther from the room, the open front door caught her eye. Letting out a shaky breath, Emi stepped through the doorway.
Mia's form was easy to miss at first. Hunched down in the yard, her small frame barely moved. Only the sound of scraping drew attention to where she crouched. Emi's eyes, however, could not miss the tiny form wrapped in a light colored sheet that lay next to Mia. Careful not to disturb the woman's grieving, Emi slowly walked up behind her.
"Do you need any help?" She asked, keeping her gaze on the deepening hole in this woman's yard. Mia shook her head.
"This- this is something I need to do myself," Mia rasped out. Even as her hands shook, she kept digging. Emi took a step back, unable to look away but unwilling to interfere. It would be wrong to interfere. The silence stretched on for what felt like hours, before Mia finally stepped back from the hole she'd dug. Not 6 feet, it would be impossible to dig that deep with the limited tools she had with her, but deep enough.
Emi closed her eyes, suddenly feeling like it was wrong to impose herself on this moment, as the woman wrapped her arms around the contents of the wrapped up sheet. She felt sick. She'd know hardship before going to earth, known death, but her time among the much more peaceable humans there had lessened her ability to push the emotions away.
Finally, the sounds of scraping brought her back to reality. She turned around, ready to leave the woman in peace, but Mia's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.
"I-I need a little time, but..." Mia took a shaky breath before continuing, "You asked me to show you how to get to where the humans are. I'll- I'll do better. I'll bring you there myself. Just promise to help me keep my remaining children safe," Emi nodded; first hesitantly, then resolutely. She wouldn't let this woman down.
…
It hadn't been as hard to convince the other demons to go along with his plan as he'd thought. They'd been so ready for revenge for the years of defeat they'd suffered that it seemed impossible for them to want to settle for anything other than death. The plan had actually gone over quite well with the demon army. By the end of the night, everything was in place. They'd begin their march to the last human stronghold the next morning.
The sun rose far too soon. Satan forced himself to his feet, donning the armor he'd not worn in years. Everything since he'd arrived at Ente Isla felt like a blur. Time was moving so fast. He let out a deep breath, trying to numb his mind to the memories of the humans he'd known on Earth. He stepped out into the sunlight; his army was waiting. Everyone had been up for hours, preparing to move out. As he came into view, the demons stopped what they were doing. He had their full attention.
His throat felt dry. It'd been so long since he'd done this, but… They needed to hear him speak. He cleared his throat, and began. "The day had come," His voice rose, booming out across the crowds as he finally found words, "The day we've been waiting to see for years. After today, the humans will be gone from Ente Isla for good. After today, Ente Isla will be ours!" The roaring cheers of the troops in front of him couldn't quite drown out the guilt he felt. Despite his guilt, as soon as the cheers died down he sealed the humans' doom. "Get ready to move out!"
…
"I think- I think I'm ready now," Mia murmured, slowly getting to her feet from where she sat by the tiny grave. Emi nodded at her words. Despite her earlier intentions to leave the woman to her grief, after being told Mia and her two remaining children would be accompanying her she couldn't bring herself to leave the woman alone.
In silence, the two made their way back into Mia's home. Mia began to pack, ignoring the questions from the son and daughter that hovered around her. Something had gone from the woman, something that had been buried underground with her child. Emi could see it in her eyes. All fear was gone. It had been replaced instead with determination. While she knew ignoring the pain of grief would just bring more pain to this woman in the long run, Emi couldn't bring herself to comment on it. She knew this new sense of determination would help Mia get herself to a place she would be safe to grieve. It may have been unhealthy, but it would work.
"Let's go," Mia said, carefully grabbing her children by the hands.
"Alright," Emi responded, following the woman as the group of four took their first steps on the road to humanity's last stronghold.
So I said last time that there were only three chapters left including this one, but there's a possibility the next chapter might be split in two... It's looking like it'll turn out quite long. Either way, we'll see. And to clarify, the last chapter is technically an epilogue. We're so close to the end of this thing now. I've loved writing this story, no matter how chaotic the years since I first started the original have been. But no, I'm not going to get all nostalgic quite yet. I'll save that for when I post the last chapter. If you have time, like always I'd love to see people's comments. Until next time!
