Chapter 1: On the road
(Highway to Hell)

(2 months later)
August 27th, 2009
London, along the Thames

I was freezing. Well, it was raining cats and dogs, even though it was the end of a -very short- summer, so no surprise there. But I didn't have an umbrella -or shoes, for that matter- and my earlier soak in the Thames were not helping me to stay warm. But as much as I longed for shelter, I just couldn't. Not without my aura attracting all the demons of the city to me, and if I made the mistake of creating a barrier, the results would be the same, but with exorcists this time. I still wasn't sure which one I would chose if I absolutely had to. I couldn't use my powers to go faster, and yet I couldn't wait somewhere for the weather to calm out. I had never seen a storm like this in Gehenna, probably because my home had been so secluded from the rest of the world, and somehow protected by the Tartarus. Yes, it was cold there, but here, in Assiah, it was even worse. Because it was also wet, windy, and that the rain felt like a swarm of CoalTar hitting me in the face. And my bare feet were not helping. I looked up: the bridge was driving near. Only a few hundred steps and I would be able to cross that awful flooding river. Then I would just have to find the airport, hop on the right plane, and say goodbye to the country of rain and puddles. A sigh escaped my blue-tinged lips, creating a silver mist in front of my face as memories rushed in my mind.

***
This body was almost too tempting when I first saw it, and I couldn't believe my luck. A young male, seventeen years of age, unusually small and frail -about 1m 60 if I guessed correctly- dying of leukemia on a hospital bed. I could feel that the cancer was in its terminal stage, leeching the life off him in his very blood. He couldn't have more than a few weeks -if not days- to live, so he was probably ripe for a demon like me.
I had appeared to him as he dreamed, a blue-green orb in a sea of pain-filled red, and proposed him a contract: if he gave me his body, mine to possess and to use, I would make sure to leave his soul intact inside, and when I left him, he would be cured. At first, he was sceptic, but upon learning that a demon's word was absolute, excitement started to leak in his voice as he asked me to explain. Once I was in his body, my powers would start destroying the damage done to him and change his sick body to a healthy demonic one. His leukemia would be cured. His immortal soul would be in a deep sleep for as long as I inhabited this body, so he wouldn't see the years pass. In return, I would live in there for as long as I saw fit, and that could be months, years, or centuries. He would awaken, perhaps centuries later, without having aged a day.
When I finished, there was a long silence filled with thoughts. I was about to ask him what he thought when he asked me 'Why did you choose me of all people?'. So I frankly answered: 'Because you are dying, and so I wouldn't steal your life like I would if I had chosen someone at random.' And so he accepted my deal.
As I progressively possessed the boy, his features began to change. His wheat blond hair became black as a raven's wing, with blue and green highlights, and the light tan on his skin disappeared, leaving a new shade of 'pale' behind. As I finished settling in, I felt the boy's soul fall asleep, and the hairs of my newly-formed tail brush my thigh. I tried moving my arms, testing my body, wiggling my toes and counting my fingers, breathing the hospital's air experimentally -and yuck, did it stink! It was weird, having a body in Assiah. Everything was... louder. More detailed than as a pure spirit, but less sharp than in Gehenna. I opened my eyes, feeling my pupils adjust to slits to accommodate the sudden light. I then rose on the bed, absently removing the various needles and tubes stuck in my veins - whatever they were supposed to put in my blood was not needed anymore- got on my feet and left the room. An alarm must have rang somewhere because of that, because shouts reached me not three seconds later, and getting closer. I hid in a closet as soon as I saw it, and used my powers to blend in the darkness, and waited for the humans to leave. At a moment, one opened the door, but closed it immediately when he realized there was nothing there. If only he knew... Once the quiet came back, I exited the closet, and followed the signs towards the exit. As I passed the entry hall, I sent a sharp fang-filled grin in the dumbstruck secretary's direction before passing the glass doors. By there, I could already feel the sick boy's rotten blood boiling in my veins, my aura burning away the illness, and the cramped muscles of my back gaining strength.

Careful of my manners, I had hidden my tail as soon as I had left the hospital room, and my wings would be coiled under the skin of my back until I summoned them. But as soon as I put a foot outside, I was blinded with the whitest, hottest light I had ever felt. Dear Gehenna, so this was the Assiah sun? No wonder it was so famous, it really lived up to it's tale: white, blazing, and so warm it made you want it to stay there forever. Not even Father's blue flames were that bright. I closed my eyes and let myself bathe in the sunlight for a few seconds. So nice... Too bad it was also deadly for me. I such a warm embrace, one could easily forget there was no place to hide. In plain sight, you could see so many things, and so many things could see you, exposed, and with no place to hide... So I ran away in the cold shadows of the nearest building.

Over the following months, I had managed to find -read steal- as well money as clothing and enough human food to keep me walking. It's about then that I decided that I didn't like jelly, any tea that had synthetic aromas in it, or cucumbers, and that peanut butter was a pain to remove from the palate. I had, in the first few days of my wandering, stolen a grey shirt, a dark purple and aquamarine hoodie, and a pair of denim jeans -belt included. With my backpack slung over one shoulder, hands in my pockets, tail tightly wrapped against my waist and my fringe concealing my eyes and pointed ears, I didn't look normal, sure, but I still looked human.

But Lady Luck is, as you all know, not so kind. One month of wandering the streets of London had been enough for me to learn the language, and the main habits of the population, such as: sunset was usually the time when demons started to come out. So if I wanted to avoid runs-in with any of my kind, I would have to move by daytime. And because I cannot bear even the thought of going under the spotlight, I started learning the art of staying unseen. Hide in a second's time, moving silently, blending in a crowd or acting exactly like a human would... I learned to keep my eyes from crossing anyone else's. I didn't know why, but I had a feeling that... I would need it soon. And I was right. For soon enough I would realize that my fellow demons were not the only ones I should be worried about.

It was barely one week ago, I was resting in a room in that old, dusty, abandoned building in the East End that I had found barely six weeks ago and had dared to call my hideout. I was just writing in my diary journal everything I had found out that day about humans -it was something about the those horsemen with the funny black hats and scarlet uniforms- and scribbling some notes to myself -mainly: that's not because they don't react when you poke one that you can do it repeatedly- and sketching some very nice places and people I had come across. I was so deep in thought that I didn't realize that I had company until the trio of humans was at my door. I didn't have the time to hide. Me as well as my stuff were in plain sight. I just had enough time to conceal my tail in hope to appear human. The men opened the door. Came in. Three males, all between thirty and fifty, covered in a long, black trench coat, two of them armed. One had guns. The other a freaking RIFLE. The last one was carrying a big leather-bound book that looked a bit like a Bible. Well, sh*t! I put down my diary, slowly, and put my hands up to show I wasn't armed. It didn't faze them in the slightest. On the contrary. I had only half a second to duck before the firearms went off. What the heck were those guys, burglars? Or were they in some kind of gang? I jumped away as soon as the second wave of bullets hit and rolled under the bed. It wasn't until the man with the book started reciting some kind of Latin verse that I realized I was in trouble: Exorcists.

I hadn't had a choice. I'm probably the most peaceful demon -aha, bad pun- in Gehenna, but I still can't let myself be shot at without doing anything! I still know how to fight, and when I have to. Taking down the two shooters was easy: I rolled out of under the bed, did a handspring to avoid a bullet, and dived in the shadows in a corner of the room. I reappeared in the opposite corner and took advantage of their surprise to knock them unconscious. The chanting one, though... Well, I must admit, I was curious. So I politely waited until he had finished his psalm, trapped him between the wall and me, and asked him how they had found me. Poor guy, I think I terrified him so much he started talking without even taking time to breathe. Apparently, since I had settled in that building, the neighbors had made up a rumor, saying it was haunted. And eventually, Exorcists had been called. I could hear in the man's voice that they had been expecting a nest of low-level demons, and so the people they had sent were not the highest ranking ones they had. Heh. I bet they had been rather surprised to run in one of the Baal, a Demon King, instead. As to why they had started shooting on sight, well... No comment.

While I was musing, the exorcist decided to make a break for it and, no matter how stupid the thought, threw a can of 'something' at me. I dodged the flying can, but couldn't avoid the liquid that started burning like acid at my skin. I snarled in pain and punched the man in the jaw, the strength of the hit projecting him against the wall, and making him unconscious. I then shook my head to get rid of the droplets still caught in my hair and assessed the damage, a sad look on my -slightly burned, but rapidly healing- face.

The walls, the bed, the floor... everything had been cribbled with bullet holes. My bag and my diary were relatively unscathed -though a little whitened by plaster powder- but unfortunately, I couldn't say the same for the rest. The jacket I had found three weeks ago had more holes in it than some cheeses after a mouse's passage. Well, I still had to leave this place before other Exorcists got there, so I just threw all the important stuff in my backpack and turned to leave. As I was exiting the room, a sensation of déjà vu came over me. I paused, turned around, and took a circular glance around the room. A golden glint on the ground caught my eye. I crouched next to one of the Exorcists, noticing for the first time, under all this holy stuff, the faint smell of ancient magic. It came from the big ring of keys at his belt! I took a key between two fingers and immediately recognized it, and my eyes widened. Time-Space magic! And more precisely, the King of Time and Space, Samael's, trademark! So, my big brother Sammy has sided with the Exorcists, now? Or more likely he was captured when visiting a random game store, knowing his obsession with entertainment... And pink... Maybe he hadn't been caught, after all. But then, why would a key he personally enchanted get in the hands of a low-level Exorcist? I was sure it was his work, the smell of Space magic, and my Nii's personnal touch were unmistakable. I glanced at the pin on the sleeping man's left breast pocket: a heart -shaped, blue and red, silver-lined insignia with a knight's helmet and a christian cross on top... Interesting. I hesitated a second before snatching it from the man's coat and left quietly. I had a feeling I had just found a clue as to where to search next.

And there you have it. Now I know that in Assiah, only the ones that won't recognize me, either as a demon or as a Hell King, will not try to kill/capture me on sight. Geez. Stay away from the night, stay away from the black coats...That's pretty ironic, considering that I'm the Master of Shadows. But as long as I will see the black coats, see the golden pin on their chests, and smell the faint aura of my brother's magic under all that holy-water-and-blessed-steel stuff, I will know to be extra careful. I don't want any trouble with humans, but I know that in order to reach my goal, I will need the help of someone that has lived in Assiah for a long time, and someone beyond Father's rule. My brother Samael just happens to fit this description, and if I play my cards correctly, he may even take me right to my target.

And so, after my musings brought me back to my current situation, I found myself past the bridge and into an alleyway, following the signs towards the airport. I would have to sneak in and wait for the morning, then take the right plane and get in unnoticed. Piece of cake. So I shook the water out of my hair and ears, and started running towards the shining lights of the airport. At this hour and with this weather, I would be sure to pass unseen, even with my bare feet leaving a small squelching sound at each step. As I passed the security, and started slaloming between regular people and the staff, memories rushed again in my head.

It had been two days since the attack. I had been moving ever since, never staying in one location more than two hours to avoid other Exorcists coming after me. Almost an hour ago, I had come to a computer shop and spent my remaining money on a tablet and an USB flash drive for emergencies. Later, on the roof of a Starbucks, I started my research. It didn't take long. One just had to type 'exorcism' to get on the website of the True Cross Order. I immediately knew I had found the right place, because I found the pin on top of the page. With a little time and hacking, I got my information. I needed to get in Japan, and search for Johann Faust V in True Cross Academy. Why my brother decided to get buried in a school is beyond me, but I don't think I'll ever understand what goes on in this overgrown, purple head of his.
A few hours later, I had downloaded all I needed to know on Japanese -and I would need to be fluent in this language at the very least- and on the London and Tokyo airports in my search for a London-Tokyo flight. I had also deepened my search on the Exorcists of the True Cross Order, only mildly surprised to find that they were obeying to the Vatican, although not directly to the Pope. Just under the highest rank in their hierarchy, I had found a strange position on the side. Mephisto Pheles, Honorary Knight? If my assumptions were correct, and it was my brother up there, then he was some kind of... Exception to the rule? Prisoner and granted a position? And of course, he was also director of the True Cross Academy. Even more curious, though knowing my brother's way with the words, I shouldn't be surprised. So I began preparing, carefully, a plan to meet with him.

And here, nearly three weeks later, with a good knowledge of the Japanese tongue, and a carefully-prepared plan, I had found -read stolen- enough money to keep going, and even if I wasn't counting on buying a plane ticket (what's up with all this security things and papers to have, anyways?), I had enough to keep me going. I had no idea of what I would find there, but I knew the only way to find out was to go there.
So, using a little -oh, just a little spark, just enough to light a candle- of my powers, I sneaked past the glass gates of the metal detector without setting off the alarm, and slipped in to the waiting area. I gave a glance to the board. The flight for Tokyo was scheduled for 8 am. Another glance at my watch told me it was 9pm. I had all the night to rest. I found the sanitaries with ease, and slipped in one of the cases. I locked the door, magically dried my hair and removed my drenched clothes, only keeping my shirt on. Then, I curled up in a ball, tail coiling around my thighs, and drifted off to sleep...

_10 hours later_

I was awoken by a ray of light on my eyelids. Instantly remembering where I was, I shook off the sleep and scanned my surroundings. Still in the restrooms. My clothes were dry, so I coiled my tail around my waist and slipped on my clothes. All this time, my overly-sensitive ears were catching the sounds of muffled chatter, footsteps and ruffling cloth. I checked my watch: 7:14 am. I got up silently and stretched, cracking my shoulders. A yawn escaped me, and my fangs glinted like the pearly white weapons they were. I then put my backpack on a shoulder, unlocked the door and got out, slipping in the -rare- shadows that still lurked in the corners. A quick check to the board told me my flight was scheduled in half an hour. And I would be on it.

I sneaked in through the baggage entrance, and put a bag on each arm like most of the staff there. They -surprisingly- didn't all have uniforms. All the better for me. I mimicked the motions of the man in front of me, followed the little troop to a trolley, dropped my load, and using a moment of inattention -provoked by my magic-, slipped under the trolley and caught... whatever I could, to keep me from falling. Then, the trolley began moving towards the planes, and at each one, I tried to read where they came from, and where they were going. Finally, I caught sight of a plane sporting an array of kanji, and a 'Japan Airlines' underside it. Bingo. Unnoticed, I slipped in the baggage hold, and hid behind a wall of bags, baggages and cases. There, I made myself small and blended in the countless shadows, silent as a breeze. It's only when they closed the door that I dared breathe again, and only when I felt the plane move that I finally relaxed and made myself comfortable. I was going for a long, long flight, and each hour was driving me closer to an explanation. I sighed deeply, and as I mulled over my memories, I felt my body slowly becoming numb until I was gone in a trance.

Kage's Journal, entry 2

Next chapter: Back in Gehenna, Satan's Wrath