Devil's Workday (Devil Aster Days Book 1) Read online

  The boy who’d been in the madman’s clutches timidly approached Aster, tugging on his hand. Aster was quite surprised, as he wasn’t expecting to have to interact with the child. He hadn’t been around many children in his life and felt very awkward communicating with one.

  “Excuse me, mister,” the boy said. There was a heavy amount of stuttering and pausing and umms and ahhs.

  “Yes?”

  “Mister, when I grow up, I want to be just like you!” the boy said in admiration. He couldn’t have been any older than ten. Aster looked to his Captains for guidance, but they both only laughed, knowing how he felt about children. Strange how he could fearlessly do battle with demons, but when faced with making conversation with children he became petrified.

  “What’s your name?” Aster asked. This was his best attempt at conversation.

  “Sepultura Stryd,” the boy replied.

  “Well, maybe someday we’ll all call you Commander Stryd.” Aster remembered to smile, and then awkwardly set his hand on top of the boy’s head. Stryd wiped some snot from his nose, smiled back, and ran off. Aster felt the exchange had went extremely well.

  His Captains would have liked to laugh and make fun of him some more, but they were too soon interrupted. Another member of the Royal Guard flew in and landed near them, shouting “Commander!” He was panting heavily and drenched in sweat; Upon touching ground his wings drooped lifelessly. “Commander, I’m glad I found you! There’s been a cave-in in the West Section! A lot of people are trapped!”

  “Lead the way at once!” Aster said.

  “Wait Commander,” the soldier interrupted, “there’s more sir.”

  “What is it?” Aster asked in a hurry. A cave in was quite the critical situation, and every second counted when people’s lives were on the line.

  “All soldiers have been ordered to inform you to return to the castle immediately.”

  “Castle? What for?”

  “King Satan is requesting an audience with you.”

  Part Four: Conversation With Satan

  It was a little after noon and Aster was rushing back to the castle for an audience with King Wilhelm Satan. This didn’t happen often, but when it did he’d try not to make his King wait. The cave-in in the Western section was still weighing on his mind, but all he could do for now was dispatch his Captains to the area. He had confidence in them; they’d take care of it for now.

  Aster’s stomach rumbled and he remembered that he still had not eaten yet. He was beginning to really feel the hunger. As soon as he landed at the castle, he reached into his side pouch and pulled out a ration. As Commander, he rarely found time during the day to take his meal breaks. He’d begun to carry around a small ration pouch that he’d keep stuffed with biscuits, crackers, and sometimes cheese. It wasn’t even close to a full meal but it kept him going through the day.

  He entered the castle nibbling on a dry biscuit (not the tastiest thing to eat) and luckily bumped into Royal Advisor Silva. As the title suggests, Silva was Lord Satan’s Royal Advisor. Collecting information and keeping Satan up to date was his job, and currently, so was looking for Aster.

  “Commander,” Silva greeted him, “Have you returned for your audience with Lord Satan?”

  “I have,” Aster replied, “let’s go.” The two walked side by side through the hall on their way to Satan’s chamber. They didn’t speak to one another; Aster had attempted to make small talk with Silva in the past, but nothing would ever come of it. It seemed as though Silva was devoid of any personality; Probably a useful prerequisite for such an important (and stressful) job. Along the way, Aster continued to quickly and quietly choke down his dried biscuits. Silva noticed, and looked as though he’d like to comment on it, but said nothing.

  They arrived at the entrance to Satan’s chamber: Large, steel doors guarded by two of Aster’s subordinates. Another reason they were so short-staffed was because of the large number of soldiers they had simply reserved for guard duty around the castle. It was a tough situation, maintaining balance while delegating which men should be out on foot patrol and who should remain as sentinels.

  The two guards immediately recognized their Commander as well as the Royal Advisor. They grabbed the large, steel ring handles and pulled the doors apart for their superiors. Aster and Silva only had to stop briefly before the doors were completely open and they stepped inside where King Satan was waiting for them.

  It was not the first time Aster had been inside Wilhelm Satan’s chamber. Not surprisingly, nothing inside had changed. There were steps going up the platform where at the top in lavish thrones sat King Wilhelm Satan and The Prince, his son, Al Satan. Once inside, Satan beamed down at Aster with authority.

  While King Wilhelm was known as a powerful and peaceful man, his son Al appeared to have fallen far from the family tree. The Prince was a much-less intimidating person, not just because he was a child, but also because of his weight. Unlike his muscular father, Al Satan had the misfortune of being born chubby. Aster had always wondered how this boy would eventually rule over Hell, but the thought always made him cringe.

  “Commander,” King Satan spoke. “Do you know why I’ve called you here?”

  “No, my Lord,” Aster said.

  “I was informed we lost several men this morning,” Satan said. Aster’s heart sank.

  “My Lord, I-” He began to say, before Satan cut him off.

  “Commander!” he shouted. Both Silva and the young Prince were taken by surprise; they rarely heard Lord Satan shout.

  Satan turned his attention to Silva now. “Silva, please take the Prince out for his afternoon walk.” The Prince and Silva were both disappointed at their dismissal (they wanted to see Satan yell at Aster some more) but they understood orders were orders.

  The young Prince stood slowly and waddled down the stairs to join Silva. Silva took the Prince by the hand, and together they glumly exited the chamber. He didn’t enjoy their walks; they were painfully boring, neither of them spoke, and it was somewhat embarrassing for him. But his Lord commanded it, afraid the Prince would grow up and not lose his ‘baby fat’. So, a daily walk was required. Though Silva couldn’t help but think the walk was ineffective, as the young Prince would simply eat junk food the entire time.

  Now just the two of them, Satan turned his attention back to the worried Aster, who’d never been alone with him before. The previous Commander Honore had always been by his side when meeting with Satan. Aster was a nervous wreck, knowing the topic at hand would be his early morning mistake. He tried not to look Satan directly in the eyes, but it was difficult when he was expected to give him his full attention. He couldn’t look away.

  “Well now,” Satan began, “why don’t you tell me about this morning?”

  “My Lord, I accept full responsibility for my actions this morning!” Aster was quick to take the blame for what he’d done, after all there was no point in trying to justify his actions. They were reckless. They were stupid. They were his.

  “Calm yourself, Commander,” Satan told him. “You’re not on trial.” Aster was confused, but at the same time relieved. He thought Satan would be angry with him. “Please, explain. What happened?”

  Aster took a moment for composure and figured out what he was going to say. He started at the beginning of the day. “Demons attacked at first-light. They appeared at the South section gate. I got there as fast as I could, but we’d already lost some men. I wanted to beat’em back. That’s all. I didn’t realize my men had followed me out there. Not until it was too late for them.”

  As he told his story, Satan listened intently. It was much easier to talk to his King than he had originally thought it would be. There was not a trace of judgment in his eyes. “A most unfortunate incident, indeed,” Satan replied. “Still, you were quite the distance out of the city.”

  “Yes, my Lord,” Aster replied, “I was merely pushing the demons as far out as possible.” Satan could tell by the way that Aster was shifting his e
yes that he was hiding something from him.

  “You were quite the distance out there, Commander. Perhaps more than necessary, even.”

  “I made a terrible mistake, my Lord. One that put the lives of my men in jeopardy. There was something out there that I wanted to see.”

  “You neglected the safety of your men to see the sights? What could be so important?”

  “A sword, my Lord. Commander Honore’s sword.”

  “I see… You were in the area where…” Wilhelm could not finish his sentence. Commander Honore had not died peacefully. Different pieces of him had been found in many different locations, some as far out as the desert beyond the city gates. How could Wilhelm remind Aster that’s where they’d found several of the former Commander’s body parts?

  “I wasn’t thinking, my Lord. It was a moment of selfishness on my part, and I will accept any punishment you seek to bestow upon me.”

  “Punishment?” Satan chuckled slightly. “I didn’t call you in here to punish you, Commander. I’ll suffice to say you must be more mindful of your men. Not everyone is as strong as you are.”

  “Thank you, my Lord. It will never happen again.” Aster could hardly contain his bewilderment. Did Satan just compliment him? He tried his hardest not to show his confusion and relief.

  “I understand your desire to go out there,” Satan began, “and if you must, I cannot stop you. I only ask in return, two requests of you: first, never involve your men in unnecessary dangers.”

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  “Second, and most importantly, always come back alive. That’s an order.”

  “Yes, my Lord!” Aster responded with gusto. He was beginning to feel somewhat better about the day.

  “I believe you’ll be a great Commander, like Clarus was.”

  “If that is all, my Lord, I believe I am needed in the field.”

  “Certainly, Commander. You may take your leave now.”

  Aster approached the steels doors and gave a small tap, alerting the guards he was ready to leave. He turned around for a last minute glance of King Satan. He could swear in that moment he felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time: the kindness of a parent. He hadn’t felt that, since, well…Commander Honore.

  As Aster hurried down the hallways exiting the castle, he crammed some more biscuits and cheese in his mouth and pondered why he’d ever been fearful of his Lord.

  Part Five: A Devil’s Workday

  Aster raced to the Western Section of the city. Flying in the air, it was easy to spot the cave in. Large quantities of people were gathered around trying to dig at the rubble. Several injured people lay at the sidelines recovering. Not too far from where they were, several more bodies covered in sheets lay motionless on the ground. Aster ignored that for now and located Captain Archen, dropping to the ground nearby.

  “Dig carefully! There’s still a lot of missing people!” Archen shouted to the men digging. Some were using pick-axes; others were moving the rubble with their bare hands.

  “What happened?” Aster asked.

  “Commander, two of the housing units collapsed on top of the public units below. There are still people unaccounted for.”

  The Western part of the city was by far the smallest section. They had expanded the kingdom until they couldn’t anymore; an enormous rock formation blocked their advancement. But the devils, being a cunning race, began building their settlements right into the side of the rock cliff and across the canyons and valleys. Eventually, their dwellings spread all the way up the formation, creating an entire city section suspended above the city. It was a marvelous sight, when it wasn’t falling apart.

  Aster was never content to stand idly by while his men did all the work. He approached the pile of rubble and started picking up debris. He went for the largest rocks, the ones other men couldn’t lift. One by one, the Commander gently lifted the stones and set them aside. Archen helped as much as he could, but he wasn’t as strong as Aster. After a few minutes of excavating, they heard a tired and weak cry for help coming from beneath them. The men worked as quickly as they possibly could, but they had to be careful not to cause the debris to collapse any further.

  Meticulously, the crew toiled until Aster finally removed a stone concealing a man underneath. They pulled him from the wreckage, discovering that he was acting as a shield for a woman carrying a baby. The man was clinging to life. “How’s my boy,” he kept asking, “How’s Gio?” Luckily, the woman (his wife) and baby Gio were just fine, besides the few cuts and bruises on the woman.

  “They’re going to be just fine,” Aster reassured the man. The man never replied, but he did manage a weak smile as the light in his eyes extinguished and he passed away.

  It wasn’t made completely apparent that the man had died until his soul was released from his body. Everyone watched as a translucent orb floated out of his body, rose upward through the sky and eventually faded from sight. The man’s wife broke down crying, which caused baby Gio to awake and start crying as well. It was moments like these that reminded Aster that life in Hell was difficult enough without the demons intervening.

  “Commander…” Archen began, noticeably distraught.

  “The man did a great deed, sacrificing himself for his family,” Aster proclaimed. He couldn’t let it get him down. He had a job to do. “Continue digging for survivors,” he ordered his men. To change the subject, he brought up another topic. “Where is Captain Fayth?”

  “There was a house fire in the Eastern Section. She took a group of men to handle it,” Archen informed him.

  “It shouldn’t be too big a problem, if it’s in the East.” Indeed, if a fire were to occur anywhere in the city, the Eastern Section would be the place for it. That is because the Eastern Section bordered the Great Ocean, the largest known body of water in all of Hell. The devil’s only method of putting out fires was to carry water from the ocean in large buckets, dousing the flames from above. The Eastern Section had the obvious advantage, being right on the ocean. “Even so, I’ll go see how she’s handling it.”

  It was early evening now, and as Aster flew across the city the artificial sun was beginning to diminish. As he drew closer to the East, he saw what was left of the smoke and flame shooting out of a home. He set down on the ground further back then he normally would, so as not to interrupt the bucket team. On the ground, Captain Fayth was pointing and directing her men to the spots that needed water the most. Very few actual flames were still burning, as the fire was nearly extinguished.

  “Looks like you have everything under control here,” Aster unintentionally complimented her. She blushed, taking it as flattery.

  “I learned from the best,” she smirked.

  “Were there any casualties?”

  “None, Commander.”

  “Well done, Captain.” He actually smiled. He was tired of losing innocent lives for the day. As the bucket team dowsed the house for one last round, it appeared the job was done. Aster did a quick walk-through of what remained of the house, to make sure all fire was put out. Everything checked out, and Aster went over the usual information with the house owner. He had the option of rebuilding within thirty days. If he failed to do so, the property would be forfeited and sold. It wasn’t an easy speech to give to someone who’d just lost everything.

  After that was done, the sun was nearly gone. The day was coming to a close, and Aster was grateful. With everything that had happened that day, he was ready for a warm meal followed by punching out for a few hours of sleep. Then he’d have to get up and do it all over again. A devil’s workday was never easy.

  “So, Commander,” Venus began, “Archen is doing the overnight shift tonight, which means I’m free for dinner.” Ah, the dinner request. She had been asking him for dinner for years now, and every time Aster would make an excuse as to why he couldn’t. This time, however, dinner sounded wonderful. He even began to think that sharing it with Venus wouldn’t be half-bad, either.

  “I think that’d
be alright,” he said. Venus, who’d been used to his excuses and rejections, fully intended to be shot down. Upon hearing his unexpected approval however, her heart leapt up into her throat with excitement. She tried her hardest not to show it though.

  “Let’s head back to the castle, then.” She smiled at the thought of finally sitting down with her beloved Commander and sharing a meal together. Unfortunately, it was not to be. At that moment, a Royal Guard member fell from the sky, a bloody and tired mess. “Commander!” He weakly shouted, as Aster and Venus rushed over to him.

  “Commander…Demons invading…” He managed to choke out. At that moment, another soldier must have received word of the invasion, because the loud siren that signaled a demon attack began to scream.

  “Where?!”

  “Southern…Section.”

  “I’m going!” Aster announced, leaving the injured man in Venus’s care. She could see the fire in his eyes and knew he would go no matter what. Their dinner would have to wait. Without another word, Aster brought out his wings and launched himself into the sky.

  “I need someone to assist this injured man,” Venus ordered. “The rest of you are coming with me! We’re going to back up the Commander!”

  Part Six: Demons Invade

  A soldier was cornered by a wolf demon. What does a wolf demon look like? Very much the same as an Earthan wolf. Only bigger and much uglier. Its snout was already covered in blood, as it’d been snacking prior to its arrival in the city. The soldier was unarmed and the wolf had him pinned down. He couldn’t even raise an arm to shoot a flame at it. This seemed like his last moment of life.

  Eyes closed, the man screamed, waiting for his life to end. He cursed his bad luck for being on patrol in that area at the time. Several seconds had passed, but he was still alive. He felt something splash on his face and opened his eyes to see Commander Aster, sword piercing through the beast’s torso. Aster put his foot on the wolf and pulled his sword out, causing even more blood to gush out of the beast’s wound and mouth.