Crawly had decided to camp out on the mountains surrounding Isreal's tribes when he sensed an angel. He looked over and couldn't help but half-smile when he saw Aziraphale helping an old man with his donkey and carriage over some boulders. He slowly slicked over the rocks like a lizard careful not to give himself away. Once the man was gone he proceeded to hop out from his hiding place and Aziraphale jumped and immediately unfolded his giant white feathers and began to glow with a heavenly glow in order to smite the demon.
"Wait! Aziraphale! It's just me!"
Aziraphale quickly folded his wings back into his celestial form. He stared at Crawly with caution surrounding his eyes. He looked tired. No exhausted. His face was twisted from what could only be assumed was chronic worry. He looked so tired and like he was about to topple over right there. He obviously hadn't sleep in forever and they didn't even need to sleep.
"Just relax."
"I am relaxed!" His voice echoed through the mountains.
Crawly raised his eyebrow at him. "Yes, angel. Because relaxed people scream so that all of heaven and Hell can hear them."
Aziraphale's face filled up with regret and his face got even more anxious and worry-filled than Crawly thought possible. He really hadn't intended for that.
"I am sorry Crawly. It just...has been...a long few years..."
"I know but I heard you smitted a demon."
Aziraphale looked down at his hands and twisted his fingers nervously into each other.
"Yeah he was attacking the people. I had no choice."
Why was he acting like he had done something wrong? Any angel would have been extremely glad to have gotten the chance to smit a demon and as powerful as Asmodeus too.
"What are you acting all nervous about? This is great news for you. Real feather in your wing."
"But Crawly I only acted when he came after me."
"So? You still smitted him and honestly, Asmodeus needs to be taken down a few pegs."
"But still it wasn't purely selfless actions."
"So? Who cares?"
The stupid things this angel worried about. He figured Heaven was stoked about him defeating his first demon all by himself. Crawly was honestly proud of him and had no idea why Aziraphale was acting like he just killed a demon. Asmodeus wasn't although he won't have had any qualms with that.
"Angel come on. Get out of the deeps of despair and be proud of yourself for once."
"But you're a demon. Shouldn't you be upset that I smitted one of your own?"
Damn this angel and his stupid questions that made him question his entire existence.
"Asmodeus? Nah. You know he eats children right?"
"I know." Aziraphale looked nervously behind him slowly turning but the corner of his eye focused on Crawly as he was a demon and angels don't trust demons. This was when Crawly saw the flesh exposed bite on his neck that was red and agitated.
"Aziraphale!"
"What!" He jumped as though ready to fight another demon crawling out of the mountains.
"It's okay. Just standstill." He gently placed his hand on the mark and his heart churned when Aziraphale flinched violently. The angel grabbed his wrist and tried to push him away but Crawly continued to gently push into the skin. He gently disinfected the area and healed the mark. He then removed his hand quickly. Aziraphale quickly ducked his head down like Crawly was going to attack him. The poor thing was shaking like a leaf.
"There are new laws on sacrifices and offerings. Been a bit hard to keep track of them all but I've managed. Also, Aaron and his sons have been consecrated although that is more bad news than good news for your kind. There are also some new laws of purity as well and punishments and regulations that are new as well because well you know humans. The Almighty also added some new feasts and jubilee to celebrate as well. I am pretty excited about them. The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The Festival of Weeks. The Festival of Trumpets. The Day of Atonement. The Festival of Tabernacles. Also, a census of the people will be taken soon so I was told by head office to leave so that way I wouldn't get in the way of that. The tribes are being formed and different duties will be distributed soon-"
"How are you feeling Aziraphale?"
"What? I'm fine. Everything's fine."
Crawly saw more bruises on Aziraphale's face. His hand had been beaten so badly it was almost broken. He was barely able to stand and Crawly could only imagine what injuries he had sustained from his robes were hiding. He assumed his brush with Asmodeus had not been a nice one and felt the sudden urge to throw him into a vat of Holy Water. Thinking about killing your demonic counterparts wasn't supposed to be something Crawly should be thinking about.
Aziraphale probably just didn't heal himself because he felt guilty for doing it. Or maybe he had been scared. Hell, some of the demons were so sick and twisted they scared Crawly sometimes and they hadn't even done anything to him yet.
He reached out and attempted to grab Aziraphale's face to heal him but he jumped back.
"Relax angel. I am just trying to heal you."
"Look, foul fiend, this is none of your concern and I would heal myself if I wanted to-"
"But you haven't? Why?"
"i just said it was none of your concern."
Alright then. That was that. Although he couldn't say he blamed Aziraphale as he didn't like opening up about his problems either and especially not to his enemy. He decided he would change the subject as if there were suddenly new more descriptive laws and ceremonies there must have a reason. Perhaps the Christ was already on Earth or closer to arriving then Hell thought. Then again all this stuff was hidden from them within reasonable cause so the residents of Hell were just through darts in the dark at this point.
"So why all the new rules? Seems a bit odd God didn't include them the first time around."
Aziraphale looked up and shook his head.
"Well, it was because two idiots got themselves burned alive by Heavenly fire."
Crawly's eyes widened. How was that even possible?
"How?"
"They didn't do the incense ceremony right and set themselves ablaze. Their names were Nadab and Abihu. The rules and instructions had only been gone over about a hundred times but some people just like to take the easy way out and demand everything go their way. I still felt bad for them though. Even though they did something stupid I still felt slightly responsible."
"But doesn't sacred ground only affect demonic forces though?"
"Well, there are different levels of scarcity within grounds. This level will purge any sin from it. This means anyone who has not done the rules just right and is not considered clean in their soul will have this happen to them. It has been warned time and time again. As I said before just people assuming they can get their own way without trying. Foolish really."
"So now there are extra steps and precautions to make sure Israelites don't have this happen?"
"Well not so many new rules but repeating the rules already put in place and just elaborating them and also explaining in fuller and more easier terms so exceptions and outliers are covered. We do this all the time in Heaven to make sure all angels stay holier than thou and that there is minimal accidents within the It is entirely the whole point."
"I see. But why would you blame yourself for another person's wrongdoing?"
"I don't know. I suppose it is because I am a creature of habit and when I see something going wrong I do my best in my abilities to try and fix it while at the same time staying within the bounds of free will for the humans. Don't want to go holding their hand too much now. They have to make their own choices. They choose that knowledge and now they have to deal with the consequences."
Just then Crawly felt a volt of electricity like power surge through him from his feet upwards to his head causing him to make a groan in displeasure.
"Are you alright?" Aziraphale said backing up with caution. It may have been a demonic trick of some kind to try and get his guard down.
Crawly lifited his head and said "Yeah. Just another assignment I have to do back on the other side of the world in the rainforest. Our lot have two sides warring down there and need to make sure it goes on for as long as possible."
"I see. Well I will let you get to it then."
Aziraphale waited and looked as though he really wanted Crawly gone.
"Before I pop over to see what all the commotion is about would you like to grab a drink in Greece during the census?"
"What? Why?"
"Well as you know I am the only constant demon up here. Sure others pop in and out for a couple of years but I am the only one who has stayed consistent in keeping up the temptations and misdeeds although I have to admit I can never think up anything more evil than the humans themselves. I suppose the other demons may have had something to do with it or perhaps the human's own bastard instincts are making them behave so vile and cruel to each other."
"So why should I care? You make it sound like such a big deal that you are the only consistent demon on Earth. The same goes for me and you don't see me asking you to go to places to conspire with the enemy."
"I wasn't asking for conspiring angel. I was asking for a drinking mate. Humans aren't as fun when it comes to this sort of thing. If they drink too much they risk overworking their kidneys or losing consciousness. Plus it can take hours for them to sober up which becomes dreadfully boring especially when you can just hit the switch on and off on how drunk you want to be."
"I see. So this is purely social?"
"Yes."
"No corruption."
"As long as you don't try and soften me?"
"Alright then. I suppose we shall do that. But only because I have nothing better to do."
"Agreed. The horseman War has it mostly covered in the rainforest. Literally. Woman really knows how to start a fire of hatred in the souls of man where there isn't one."
"And what would your side do if they found out you were interacting with someone from the Heavenly forces?"
"Well obviously I would be tortured until the end of time or until the demons run out of ways they can think up of for fun and try their hand at a new play thing. Yours?"
"I would get demoted for sure."
"But aren't you already the lowest ranking angel hieracrchy?"
"Well, not the lowest per se. That spot belongs to Azrael."
"The angel of Death. Makes sense."
"Exactly. Now if you don't mind I have merchants to help cross the mountains and protect from wayward lions and theives."
"And I have a War to help carry out."