The darkened night sky twinkled above the crowd of devils as they stood under the dim illumination of imposing stars and fire. Torches were lit amongst the audience of awaiting demons as the energy buzzed within them all. It had been some time since they had heard from their leaders, and the threat of God had only gotten worse amongst the tribes. Rogue attacks of holy light had descended upon various tribes, completely obliterating them. It was as if God and his army were sending warning signals, and they were only becoming more and more frequent.
The demons waited for the ceremony of their leaders to begin, time was running out and it was only becoming far too obvious to all of them. Even now their patience was drying out awaiting to hear from Lord Satan, their king, and The Devil himself.
At last, a hush fell over the fleets of devils as one of the king's many subordinates came out to start the event. He presented the differing demonic tribes and all their commanders as they each came on stage one by one. Soon enough the whole platform was full of the highest-ranking authorities known to demonkind, the only three missing were of course saved for last.
From backstage, Amon waited along with the boastful king and the poise angel. Jenny stood beside her master like a dutiful schoolgirl, eyeing up to the lord periodically. Amon really couldn't care less; he would much rather have this all over and done with. In his personal opinion, they should have started their offense long ago, but for whatever reason, the king had been insisting they push it back. That reason, if rumor proved correct, would be answered on this very night.
"Prepare my brothers in arms, for tonight we will make history," Zennon spoke out. Satan nodded his head in comradery with the king and even appeared to slightly smile with him. As for the fabled devil, he did his best to show he had absorbed what was said but little more. Zennon noticed.
"Come now Amon, show your cheer. You are the main event, after all, you'll hear them roar your name and sing your praises!" he encouraged.
Amon nodded his head and lifted his spirits half-heartedly, "Oh, yes of course. Forgive me, my focus has just been a bit, well, preoccupied."
The smirk on Zennon's face and the calculating look in his eyes was one the red devil had become all too accustomed too. The king paused like that for some minutes before pulling back and returning to his amusement.
"Ah, that's much-understood Amon. We all know how hard you've been working," the huge demon started to laugh. "Hell, recently you're hardly the Amon we've come to know. You're all serious and dutiful. Not that that is unappreciated, it comes with much gratitude from us all, but there was no need for you to sacrifice your enthusiasm."
The beastia had to fight to keep the grimace from his features. He could have spat back then and there and told the two-faced devil what for. How dare he act as if this newfound behavior was instilled by Amon's own choice and not from his insistence? Still, as much as the moon devil wanted to say something, he refrained and instead forced up a grin.
"I understand, I suppose my enthusiasm has been somewhat extinguished by the severity of the situation."
Zennon appeared to take that in as he carefully shook his head, "You make a very good point. And I just want you to know how proud and thankful all of demonkind is for your efforts. You truly have grown into a strong, noble, and honorable devil."
Amon stayed put but every muscle inside him was begging to punch the sly smile right off the king's smug face. What would he know of honor? There was nothing honorable about him, the beastia thought sourly.
Of course, Zennon would refer to him so highly now, he's taken on the same position as any of his stooges, just another cog in the system. He hated doing this, he hated degrading himself like this, but he hated the thought of his demons suffering worse for it. The beastia couldn't keep down his frown this time, but he was able to control the rest of his body for the most part.
The only response Zennon reserved further was a slow tip of Amon's head. He seemed to be able to tell the conversation had finished there and thus the king retreated and returned to his position awaiting his call, with a high chin.
Amon remained silent and still as he gave Zennon a side-eye glare.
At long last, their cue was heard and the beastia couldn't have been more relieved. They stepped out to a barrage of chants and calls, much to be expected by Amon at this point. It was like looking out over a sea of demons. Tribes from far and wide had gathered for this one event, this one momentous occasion, where demons would fight together against the common enemy.
Amon searched for his own army, and without fail, he could see the brimming faces of his very own men. Nix, being at the front of the troop, led the celebration of his whole group. The beastly devil smiled back at them. Allowing his eyes to scan over the stage itself he saw all his familiar comrades, Sirene particularly was looking him over. He offered her an acknowledging tip of his head but not much further. Even still the gesture made her swoon.
The elite demon, at last, turned his attention back to the event before him. The feel of the arena was alive, and all eyes bore into those on stage.
Once the onlookers had settled, Zennon cleared his throat and put on a large knowing grin.
"My fellow demons, we are assembled here today to rally our troops, prepare our ammunition and share our tactics with all of you. We know how serious the threat of God has become, and we are aware it is time for us as demonkind to begin planning a counterattack together!" the king's voice boomed. Another round of applause followed, deafening everyone else for those few moments.
"I see before me the greatest and strongest tribes this Earth has to offer. With all of you, our commanders, our very own angel, and The Devil himself!" another energized uproar proceeded. Admittedly, Amon knew it was for him but something about it still made him recoil slightly. He waved and put on that cocky and confident face, even if beneath it he felt nothing of the sort.
"...I am sure we will not lose easily!"
His statement was punctuated by yet another cheer of eager devils.
"We will train together, fight together, and win together!" the thunderous chant of the devils persisted.
At this point, Amon would expect a reaction from the crowd after every sentence.
"None of us are aware yet when God will make his ultimate strike, but when it occurs, we will be ready. After this speech here today, you all will be recruited into the army, and we will not waste a single second to train with you all!"
An applaud of acceptance brought an affirming look to Zennon's expression. He glanced back at Satan who in turn tipped his head. With that, the large hulking mass of a devil sent his attention to his subjects yet again.
"Now without further ado, we have one more final showcase for you all! Our very own Amon has brought to my attention the importance and value that can come from unlikely places. These can be found in the smallest of us, what might seem the frailest of us. It was by his brilliant and groundbreaking suggestion that I present to you our secret project!" his arms flew up. "I had left this incredible task to our very own Lord Satan himself, and I feel it best he takes it from here."
Zennon relaxed and stepped back to allow for Satan to take center stage.
Amon was surprised by the sudden declaration and the mentioning of his hand in such a project. Frankly, he hadn't expected much to come from his qualms, but now it seemed, maybe perhaps it would all be for the better. His head rose in genuine intrigue, and he'd be lying if he wouldn't admit he felt a twinge of pride for what he had done.
"Greetings my comrades! It is with great pleasure I am able to face you all tonight and unveil our secret war plan!"
The higher-ups were encouraged to clap along as the crowd made their noise of exhilaration. Amon did so with earnest interest as he felt his winged ears rise evermore.
"We picked through the smallest, the frailest, and the weakest of the demons in our ranks, and we wanted to make something of them. We wanted to make great use of them, not to just toss them aside as measly grunt workers!" the angel shot a glance down at Jenny. She seemed to take that as a single. She acted and moved back to take hold of a curtain not too far away.
"It was by the great Amon's very own suggestion, and my planning that this project has become a reality. I utilized the weak demons by taking advantage of the one quality all devils have in common, your merging abilities!"
Suddenly the righteous feeling Amon had in his gut suddenly felt empty and cold. Something about how he said that didn't sit well with him.
"After these few months, I was able to make use of their lackluster bodies and create warfare super weapon!"
Just as he finished suddenly the curtain had been yanked down, completely exposing the project.
Amon felt his eyes widen in utter horror. There, assaulting his vision was a massive hulking monster of a demon. It seemed in pain to just simply exist, and it didn't seem to have one singular consciousness, nor a conscious at all for that matter. It was a writhing mess of arms, legs and various other appendages none of it looked coherent or natural in any way.
The sound of a collective gasp filled the area, and silence followed after as every demon in the place attempted to make sense of the creature.
"What you are all witnessing here is the amalgamation of the useless, being turned into something useful. Demons will fight and merge to become better devils. In this case, I removed the fighting entirely. Here you see all these devils merged together in one attempt. I combined them myself with my own power so that they may aid us in our battle against God. I am confident with all the strength on our side, we shall win and fight and defeat such a tyrannical ruler. With my lead and command, devils will prevail!" he shouted successfully.
A massive cheer backed him up, the largest of that whole night. All we're completely thrilled, elated, hopeful, that was all except one.
Amon watched from afar, he was completely disgusted, completely repulsed. He felt the stiffness of the shock in his body boil away as he stormed from his spot to confront Zennon and Satan.
"What is this!?" the great demon hissed. At first, the king and the angel didn't even seem to register him. They were both far too caught up in the festivities to have heard him. Anger forced the crimson being to grip the ruler by his shoulder and make him turnabout.
"I said what is this!?" he barked louder, addressing both the offenders. Suddenly everything pittered out as all the interest in the arena fell to the drama unfolding before them. Zennon glanced around confusedly and even a tiny part of him may have been just a bit frightful, but it didn't last. His expression soon tighten up.
"Amon, what are you doing?" he tried to scold under his breath.
"Did you know about this!?" his volume did not diminish as he pointed up to the abomination. "This is not what I meant when I said there was value in even weaker devils. This is just wrong, it's sickening!"
"Okay, Amon you're creating a scene. How about you head back, and after we'll discuss it further-"
"No! I don't care! I've listened to all of you long enough, now you'll hear me!" the beastia shouted. He could hear the calm and calculating manipulation in Zennon's voice. He could hear the condescending tone he actually had, and he was tired of it. He wouldn't even give him the chance to start. He didn't care if his words spilled in front of everyone, as far as he was concerned, they needed to hear it.
"You forced them together, without even giving them an opportunity to naturally fight and merge together and become stronger, themselves!"
"Amon, stop this now," the king continued to try and regain control in a hush, but it wasn't proving effective. It was obvious the anxiousness the three-headed devil was undergoing, he hated the feeling of losing control, especially to the great Amon himself.
"My army has proved great things to me, and I didn't have to make them into a mutant monster to do so! I wanted to uplift and give worth and meaning to other demons alongside us, but all you did was use them. You used them and killed their spirits to make this!" he gestured flippantly to the blob of deformed demons.
The crowd was completely silent being wholeheartedly enthralled in the events taking place before them. Amon's own army was just as captivated but simultaneously terrified for their very lives.
The great red devil's awareness soon turned Satan himself. He had been unphased seemingly this whole time, his features remaining cold and thoughtful.
"And you, you claim to care about demonkind? Hmph, see how much you care," his eyes flicked to the horrendous creation. "What do you care? If memory serves you were one of the leading causes of our demise not just a year ago. What changed?" he asked rhetorically. Amon's brow and winged ears soon rose in a mocking manner. "Oh, I think I recall, you were rejected. You didn't come here because you cared about the plight of demons, you couldn't give a rat's ass, you just allied yourself with us because you needed an army!"
The crowd was beginning to gasp and mummer. Amon didn't pay them any mind as he brushed past the king and walked closer to the unbudged angel.
"Yeah, that's right, you're only doing any of this to reach your real goal, to beat God because he threw you away, and it eats you alive!"
It was then the first time The Devil could see he had struck a chord, even if in the tiniest of ways. The angel's eyes had spread, and an overall foul look came to him.
"That's enough," his tone sent a chill through the surrounding demons' spines.
Before Amon could even have the chance to react, the angelic being had lifted his hand and gotten the better of him by a split second. The next thing the great demon knew he was slipping into an inescapable slumber. All his thoughts and all his anger were forced away into dreams as his body fell limp to the ground.
The first thing the devil could tell was the hefty weight of his head and body. The thoughts in his mind had a thick haze to them. When he finally started to flutter his eyes open, the world was a blur of dim color that became shaper the longer he attempted to view it. He could tell he was no longer out on stage but in the back of it, hidden away. The first thing that came into his vision was the sight of the demonic king, glaring down at him with daggers.
Instantaneously the wings on Amon's head folded back as all his wrath from before had come surging back. He leaped up to his feet, with only a bit of a wobble as he retook his balance and footing.
"You've ruined everything. I sure do hope you're proud of yourself," Zennon spoke with a sickened tone.
"Don't blame me for your horrid display, you should be ashamed of yourself!" he spat back. His winged ears twitched, and his head followed after to view the angel. He was standing there with the same stiff posture with his arms across his chest and a high head.
"And you, how could you? You tricked our whole kind for your own selfish gain!"
"Did I? I believe all I did was capitalize on the demon's natural abilities. I took the weak and I made them strong in the fastest and most efficient way possible to help protect the whole of demons," he responded bluntly.
"What do you understand of our natural abilities? You did it cruelly. They never had a chance; it was just as bad as making them slaves. You robbed them of a just battle, there was no fight, no will, no honor!"
The wings on the angel's head rose, and for a moment his rigidness broke. He recognized that statement, it was so long ago, from the mouth of someone he thought long since dead. Someone he once fought beside, someone that he once may have referred to as a friend. It was like hearing the voice of a ghost.
Still, he threw away that vulnerable instance of sentiment. He swallowed the lump of guilt that formed in his throat. Taking a breath he recomposed himself, standing straight and formal.
"Honor has no meaning to the individual, only the army and the war. Sacrifices will have to be made, and whether you like it or not the largest expense will come from the weak. The weak ones die. In my eyes what you do is crueler, you brighten their spirits only for them to inevitably fall trap to reality. You spin them an idealistic lie. The worst of it is you believe it yourself."
Amon's face was traced in rage and distraught, "I've seen it! My men have strengths you would dismiss! It is no lie!"
"But even with that, a devil like yourself could kill them with barely even the slightest effort."
The beastia stuttered for a moment. He had to pick his words carefully and the worst of it, his words were failing him.
"W-well yeah. I could take just about any devil or army, what's your point?"
"What about Zennon, myself, Jenny, or any of the king's own soldiers? Would they not easily kill any of them?" the angel's voice became even harsher.
The moon devil was beginning to feel flustered and cornered. The fur on his back started to rise and his nostrils flared defensively.
"Uh, W-well, most likely, but it's not impossible for them to-"
"Amon, do you believe the war will be easy on them? Our opponent is ruthless. You have to see this realistically. We are fighting for our survival, some of us will die," he finished sternly.
Feeling dismissed and small, the red demon pulled back ever so slightly. He'd never admit to defeat, especially about this. He was revolted by their stance, their contempt, and their apathy. Amon's eyes darted to the king, who scorned at him in the same way.
A grimace came to the beastia's face, "We are supposed to do all that we can to protect our devils. I know not everyone will make it, but the way you speak of those who will perish is without any semblance of loss. I am here for them, for all those who stand out there and depend on me!"
"Oh, yes Amon. Of course, of course," Zennon's voice slunk its way back into the conversation. The great devil felt the king's hand slap down on his shoulder and try to bring him in. "We all know that's what you want, the protection and survival of all demons. Do not worry our goals are the same, perhaps we don't agree on the best route, but they need us all of us, right?"
Amon could see the grin the king wore. A disingenuous grin, the same one he had flashed him nearly every day he had known him.
"Come Amon, we'll let this bump in the road pass. After all, none of it matters much at all anyways," he felt Zennon start to usher him out. Nothing about this felt right. Never had any of this ever felt right to him, and he had always suppressed that inkling. The beastia's steps no longer came easy as he started to plant his feet. His winged ears pinned back as his face crumpled into a resistant expression.
"No! No, I've had enough! All this time I've been a fool. I've trusted you when you had no trust to give. All you've ever done is lie to me. Lie right to my face! You promised me things you had no intention of giving. You don't care about demonkind, you only care about the parts that aid you, which is why you wanted me around so badly. I'm strong, and perhaps mightier than you could ever imagine, of course, you'd want to trick me and keep me where you wanted me. Well, I've had it! If I am to be a god as I have been told, then I will no longer live as another of your slaves!"
Suddenly Zennon's features lit up in a way Amon had never seen before. The demon king's eyes were spread wide open with a look of absolute terror. As if he were living his deepest and darkest nightmare. That look in his eyes did not disappear, even after he helplessly attempted to regain control of his own face. His smile was cool, and his skin eased into a nonchalant complexion as he replied.
"Oh, Amon come now don't be ridiculous. Everything is just as it should be, there's no reason to act out-"
"I'd say I have every right to, and it's been a long time coming!"
Another pang of fear bled through his stare, "Amon, please come to your senses. You need us, we need you."
"No, I don't need you. I don't need anybody!"
"Amon," another voice reentered the conversation. It was completely dry and unfeeling in sound. "If you make us your enemy, I do not foresee the victory of demonkind."
Zennon seemed to have nearly leap out of his skin, as his brow furrowed to the angel, "Now, now there's no need for those extremes. No one needs to be making any enemies!"
The king may have attempted to redirect the conversation, but the tension remained strictly between The Devil and Satan. Amon stalled as he glared down at the angel with a fiery intensity.
"It was not as if it were guaranteed even when I stood beside you, and I have no faith in the world you desire after the war anyway…"
His final statement hung in the air and became the lingering set piece of the environment as slowly his feet began to back away. There was nothing left for him to say, and as disappointed as Satan looked, he was not surprised.
Amon continued to back away as his frame fell further and further into the shadows with only the desolate glow of his yellow eyes being visible. Even then that too fell into darkness as at last, the great demon had turned away.
Zennon was completely on edge and his body had hopped up the second Amon had vanished from his line of sight.
"Amon, no wait! You don't understand!" the king tried to yell. His teeth clasped together as he whipped around to curse at the angel. "What were you thinking!?"
He didn't have time to wait there for a real answer, nor did he want to hear one. Zennon began to storm off after the savior of their kind in a fretful pursuit.
"Amon please! We can fix this!" the king called out. His hooves clomped along the ground trying to keep up with his target. "Where will you even plan to go?! Amon!"
After countless failed attempts, Zennon could begin to feel his pulse of worry quiver within his very veins. He'd need a new approach and soon.
"You're really just going to leave them, Amon? You're really just going to abandon all those that rely on you!?"
Out of all the words Zennon threw at him, those ones in particular always messed with him. For a single moment, Amon lost his footing and stumbled feeling the sting pierce his chest.
The king watched this and felt that old familiar sense of relief begin to rise up once again. However, just as things seemed to turn around and Amon would return to him, he witnessed the demon unfurl his wings.
The features on Amon's face were pained, but even still he forced his body to continue to move. He had to get out of there, it simply was a must. He couldn't remain there only to help hurt other devils worse. He couldn't stay there doing the king's dirty work in the hollow name of others. Cringing his expression, the beastia opened his wings and with all the strength he possessed he beat them down, sending him high into the sky. The king watched him away, with horror encasing his very being.
From afar, a pair of demons had caught sound of the confrontation. They had not heard everything, but they had heard enough. The female in an act of pure impulse opened the wings on top of her head and was setting up to take off after him. Only she didn't get far before she was stopped in her tracks.
A huge body came between her and the sky, the sky that held her promised mate as he was becoming further away.
"Kaim, get out of the way, he's getting away!" she hollered.
"No Sirene, you can't go after him. He's sorely lost, and you will be too if you go. We need you Sirene, you're one of the best fighters we have!" he argued.
"He is the best fighter we have! He's noble and strong, we can't lose him either, even if he is confused! I can talk some sense into him, we are to be mated!" she spoke in a hast.
It was at this moment Kaim turned from his side to face the frantic harpy himself. She looked hurt as if she'd bargain away her own life if it meant she could get the great devil to stay. In return, the dinazo softened his face and stared into her gaze gently.
"No, Sirene, there's nothing you can do… There's nothing any of us can do. If you go after him, we're at more risk than ever. If he wants to fess up to his duties then he will, but it is no longer in our hands to make sure he does. We can only do what we can."
The white feathered demoness could only stand there shaking her head. Deep down though, Kaim knew he had gotten to her as much as she'd insist on denying it.
"I-I'm sorry Sirene…"
She swallowed hard and steadily she lowered her defenses. She looked as though she was riddled with cracks, doing everything she could to keep from breaking down right then and there. She pulled her head back and rose it high, wearing a false sense of pride.
"You're right, it's no matter. He'll come back, when he finally see's the fool he's been he'll come crawling back to me. It's not worth my troubles now. It'll be his regret, and he'll be lucky to have me back when he, at last, comes to his senses," she nodded her head surely. She didn't stay there another moment as she flipped around and began to stride off in the opposite direction.
The hulking tank-like demon watched her away. Knowing full well the aching she was undergoing, perhaps even better than she herself did. There was nothing he could do for it though, as much as he'd like to. So instead, he did the one thing he always knew he could do. He picked up his feet and followed after her, staying close and well within reach for her sake. As Kaim advanced, he took a moment to take one last look behind him. High above, the one that carelessly handled Sirene's heart was now nearly out of sight. A disdainful appearance crossed Kaim's features, as he stared up into the darkened stary void. A piece of him, admittedly hoping The Devil would never return.
"Come on men. Out this way, quickly," Nix ordered in a hush. He stood holding back an old, tattered drape located at a hidden nook by the stage area. All of Amon's soldiers piled through as the second in command counted and made sure each and every one was through and accounted for. He knew after viewing what the council had in mind for devils like them, that sticking around was no longer an option. When the last of the men had snuck through, Nix gave one last good once over making sure they had gone undetected. Luckily for them none of the other demons paid them much mind, considering all the chaos that had suddenly been going on.
Finally, Nix went through himself and guided the rest of the devils out and away from the presentation section. He heard their many concerns and woes, much of them he himself shared, but he would not let his worries show. Not when he still had a mission. Nix knew more than anything they needed to find Amon again and get as far away from the council demons as possible. They had been hiking away for some time, enough that Nix felt he could at least somewhat relax now but not completely. He knew Amon would eventually find them, but it was all a matter of when.
The icy demon could see the rest of the team looking to the skies every now and again, hoping to see their just leader. Nix admittedly had participated in this practice as well.
After what felt like an eternity, one of the men perked up, and a gapping smile came to his face.
"Hey! Hey, guys look! It's him, Amon!" he yelled out giddily. All the gazes of the troop followed this one member's finger viewing the same silhouette in the sky he had. Nix laid eyes on this allowing the sweet relief to pool up inside him. It was mist certainly Amon and when he landed the entire group cheered in elation.
"Amon, you're here!"
"You're back!"
"That display was magnificent, you really showed them!"
Their voices came one after another, as the commander could hardly keep up with any of them. He couldn't be gladder to see them, and yet his body language and expression did not show it. He stood with little movement and somehow despite his massive size, seemed smaller than normal. The troop could almost immediately tell something was wrong, creating a cascade of discomfort throughout them all.
Nix was the first to step outside of the mass group and look to Amon on an individualistic level. His head tilted to his master as he stared up sympathetically.
"Amon, what is it?"
The beastia appeared in agony just from the one question alone. His whole face was troubled, and it seemed a struggle just to speak at all.
His winged ears pinned back as his head lightly shook, "I-I'm sorry… to all of you. I'm sorry to have brought this upon you. You all need to run and stay as far away from the council as possible. Do not let them find you ever!" he iterated vehemently.
Nix now looked more anxious than ever, "A-Amon, what happened? What's gonna happen to us? Do you have a plan for us?"
Their commander repulsed in pain, as if hearing their worry and confusion physically harmed him. He took another breath and couldn't look any of them in the eye, especially not Nix. However, he could not remain silent either.
"No, no I don't have a plan, I don't know what's going to happen. All I know is you all must run and hide. There's nothing more I can do for any of you. I'm the biggest target for the council now, and I couldn't live with myself if they threatened your lives just to get to me. I want you all safe! Therefore you must go and never return, and so must I…"
With every last piece of dignity Amon possessed he faced his army for the very last time. Every one of their hurt and fearful faces pierced him like a knife and there was nothing he could do to mend it. He sucked in his breath as his final gaze landed on his very own best friend. The look on his face was crushing, and the beastia couldn't stand it any longer.
"I'm so sorry," he spoke to them all, but his eyes remained glued to Nix. "Take care of them," he whispered so only the ice devil would hear those parting words.
Nix wasn't sure how to react or how he could even take all this in, but instinctively he nodded. With that, Amon knew his time there was over. He stepped back a few times taking in the eye full of his troop, knowing deep down this would very well be the last time he'd ever see them all again.
With a shaky and hollowing breath, he began to lift his talons, preparing to take off for good. He couldn't linger any more he had to get this over with, he had to end this. His wings burst from his back as he hauled himself into the air.
From the ground, his troop watched him off. None of them knew what to do, as the uncertainty encased and strangulated their innards. Nix perhaps felt the worst of all. He experienced the same emotions as the others, but also he knew this would most likely be the last glimpse of his friend he'd ever witness.
The silence of those that depended on him as he disappeared was harrowing. Amon did everything he could to tune it out, he stared forward and just kept going. He didn't know where he'd end up, but at this point, he simply couldn't care.
