Devil's Workday (Devil Aster Days Book 1) (2 page)

It wasn’t even afternoon, and they’d already been through a demon attack. To make matters worse, they’d received word that Captain Venus Fayth was in the middle of handling a hostage situation in the Northern Section. This was the first time that she had been in charge of one, and admittedly she wasn’t quite prepared for it. As they had little on their plate, Aster and Archen headed to the North.

They traveled quickly, using their wings and flying low. They didn’t want to fly too high and draw attention to themselves, as their armor basically alerted everyone of their rank. They arrived on the scene to find a very tired Venus, whose eyes lit up at the arrival of her Commander. She rushed towards him with arms wide open. Aster quickly raised a single arm, halting her.

“No hugs,” Aster told her sternly.

She retracted her arms, disappointed but not deterred. “I thought we had agreed the opposite, but whatever
Commander,”
she greeted him.

“What’s the situation?” Aster was not in the mood to put up with her flirty banter today.

“One lunatic inside. He claims he’s become an
angel
,” she explained.

“Hostages?” Archen asked.

“Four,” Venus replied. “I managed to persuade him to send out the one wounded man inside.”

“What building is this?” Archen asked, noting the size of the building.

“It’s a school,” Venustas replied. “There are children inside.”

It was common for the citizens of Hell to break down mentally. You would too if demons were constantly knocking on your door. For this guy to be claiming he had become an angel must have meant his mind was long gone. For him to have taken children hostage meant he was expecting to die. It was a general rule in Hell that the more despicable your deed, the greater the punishment. Threatening the lives of children was death penalty worthy.

“Where are they?” Aster asked.

“They’re on the second floor. He blocked all the windows and the rear entryway. Do you want me to call to him?” Aster nodded, giving her the go-ahead. Venus raised the megaphone to her lips and shouted, “The Commander is here, and he’d like to speak with you!” After a little rustling, the large wooden cabinet that was blocking the window slid over revealing a man that looked very much the part of a criminal. His shiny bald head was covered by a large and intricate tattoo. He was wide-eyed, and holding a little boy with a knife pressed against the boy’s throat.

“
I’m an angel, I tell you
!” he shouted out the window. “
I’m the only one that can save us all
!” The child began to sob loudly, and so the madman tightened his grip on the boy and shook him until he quieted down again.

“What are your demands?” Aster shouted up to him. All eyes were on the criminal.

“
I need to see King Satan
!
I gotta talk with him
!
He needs to step down and make me the king
!
That’s the only way to save everyone
!
Make me king
!
I’m an angel now, so I should be the king
!
I’m the…
“ A knife suddenly appeared in the middle of his forehead. He fell deadly silent as a steady trickle of blood dripped down his face. His grip loosened on the boy, and he then fell over dead.

All eyes were on Commander Aster again. No one had even seen him move, but they could tell by his stance that he was most definitely the one who threw the knife. “I’m going to need that knife back,” Aster said.

The crowd that had gathered to watch the situation erupted with cheers of joy and victory. Moments later, a few members of the Royal Guard knocked in the door and secured the children. The two Captains had never been more proud of their Commander.

“Well done, Commander!” Venus congratulated him, wrapping him in an unnecessary, unwanted embrace.

“
Don’t hug your Commander
!” Aster told her, pushing her away.

“
Come on
! I didn’t get one earlier! Besides, its completely normal for one to hug their
mate
.”

“
We’re not mates
!” Aster shouted, tucking his throwing knife back into the concealed holster on his armor.

“Not
yet
anyway.”

“We’ll see,” Aster replied. It wasn’t that Venus was unattractive; just the opposite, in fact. She was
extremely
attractive. Tan skin, black hair, and despite her strength and superior combat abilities, she maintained a very feminine appearance. Though she was not the first woman to make the rank of Captain, there were rumors that she required a brand new set of armor be made specifically for her. Apparently, none existed with a big enough chest plate to fit her.

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.” 

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 eyes 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.