"Hello, Carson. I am Almorach."
I looked at him for a moment. "Err... Hello...?"
Was he another minion of Callahan? The vibes he was giving weren't really setting my heart in peace. What made me put off was his evil smile. I could look into his dark intentions through them. My insides were screaming at me to go away and all of my alarms were blaring loudly in my head.
But I knew even if I tried to run, it was impossible unless Callahan somehow came.
"You might haven't heard of me, but I used to be a good friend of Devionth." He looked hesitant but added, "Close even."
I looked at him with puzzled eyes as I asked, "Used to?"
He smiled again as the question left my mouth and it felt so scary that I wanted to run away.
"Yes but he tricked me!" He hissed as his facial muscles shifted all of a sudden. Anger was rolling off of him as I stepped back instinctively.
He must have sensed my fear as his expression changed again and he said, "I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He smiled.
Okay! This was getting pretty scary and funny at the same time. One moment he was angry and the next, he was smiling. His smile wasn't even reaching his eyes. He seemed like one of those psycho killers from those Hollywood movies.
I shrugged still wary of him. "It's okay. I can understand because he tricked me too."
"Oh!" He displayed a little shock but it vanished immediately.
He read my face probably thinking that I was bluffing. But I wasn't. Callahan did trick me to get a contract. I didn't know that time, words mattered when dealing with devils.
"That's sad." He portrayed a sad smile which didn't look like a sad smile at all. "How did he trick you?" He asked.
"Well, I didn't know that he was forming a contract and I said yes." I replied.
"Do you want to break the contract?" He asked with another evil smile as if he really wanted me to break the contract. I shuddered at the thought of breaking the contract. I didn't want to.
"Is there any way to break the contract?" I asked instead. I wanted to divert him from that topic.
"Of course." He nodded. "There are a few..."
He scratched his chin with his long nails which looked more like claws. Then he said, "Such as: if the contract wasn't fulfilled, the contract breaks. Or, if you die before completing the contract, the contract breaks."
Okay, that wasn't pretty assuring at all.
"Or, if you formed another contract with another devil." His eyes glinted evilly as he mentioned that.
I could already tell which option he chose and now I was hundred percent sure that this person was that enemy. If he was the one who was trying to attack on Callahan's subjects that meant he just wanted to either kill me or snatch me away so Callahan felt broke. That was what he wanted.
The way he said Callahan tricked him meant he only wanted his revenge.
Which I couldn't let happen.
I nodded. "I see."
I needed something to get him distracted so Callahan would come in the meantime because I knew he had already sensed Almorach even if he was far away. Like he sensed his presence when he attacked Avaloth.
"So... What did Callahan do?" I asked .
He looked at the ground as he let out a sigh. "We were friends when we were kids. His brother, him and I were the strongest after Lucifer gave us powers. We trained together and then I was chosen as the general of Seven Hells."
There was a proud smile on his face as his chest puffed with pride and ego. It was as if he was watching those moments in his mind again.
"I was the general where he was my right hand man. Both Gretarioth and Devionth were." He said.
"Oh!" I said. Gretarioth used to work? But it didn't seem like he worked at all. Even Callahan said he was lazy. Then did it mean it was because of Almorach he didn't want to work under Callahan?
I felt something must have happened. Or maybe, Almorach had done something that made a solid distance between the brothers.
"We ruled everything together." He continued, "But one day, he tricked Lucifer into believing that I was doing bad deeds under his nose and my post got snatched away from me."
His voice rumbled with malice. His anger could be seen from here as his hollowed eyes burnt with fury.
"I said that I wanted a duel to prove myself because if I win, then hell will be mine but if he wins, it will be his." He said, "I knew I was powerful and I could beat him but he, that bastard!" Almorach growled as my heart pumped in my ears and my knees felt weak.
I sneakily looked around if Callahan was coming but immediately my attention was grabbed by Almorach as he exclaimed.
"He tricked me again!" Almorach looked at me, "His brother came, one day before the fight and gave me a knife, telling me it was going to give me some powers because Devionth had prepared a great weapon."
I nodded still listening to his story and begging Callahan to come but there was no sign of him.
"The day we fought, I was having illusions and my greatest fear was coming back to me in each moment and even if I fought, I lost. Because of that knife!" He growled.
"When I told everyone that it was because of a knife they laughed at me saying I was going insane because of power. Then Devionth was chosen as the general of Seven Hells while I got sentenced to go to the dungeons."
"I knew then Devionth sent his brother to give me that knife." His body shook and then the whole ground shook beneath me.
Wow! His anger was even giving earthquakes!
Then I saw Almorach stiffening in his place as he mumbled, his face twisted in anger, "This is his power! So has he grown this much?"
Oh! So, Callahan was making earthquakes!
He looked at me and said with a smile, "I recalled that there is another way to break the contract." His smile broadened. "If Devionth dies, the contract will break."
I froze. I didn't like it where it was going.
He asked, "So what do you say?"
"Err... Well, I..." I tried to find some excuse but this time I ran out of it.
"Don't be shy. If you form a contract with me, you will be free."
Which meant I would be stuck with you. No thanks.
"Or, we can just kill him."
I didn't say anything because I knew better that words mattered when dealing with a devil. I wasn't going to make the same mistake.
He waited but my answer never came as he finally realised I didn't want to end the contract.
"Is that so? You weren't going to break your contract with him, did you?"
I looked up although I was scared but I looked into his deadliest eyes as I said, "No. I would never end the contract with Devionth."
His body shook in anger as he fisted his palm and his claws grew out and my body froze. I knew what he was going to do.
"It seems like Devionth is also very fond of you. He even left his mark on you." He smiled as I recalled they could smell the marking. Shit!
"But I'm afraid, I'd have to kill you, little human." He smirked. "Otherwise Devionth wouldn't be broken."
And he launched at me as I knew this was it. I couldn't even tell him that I loved him. Callahan... Where are you?
I closed my eyes shut tightly as I waited for Almorach to finish me but his blow never came.
"I am right beside you, Darling." A voice said and I snapped open my eyes and saw Callahan held Almorach's hand whose claws were just a few inches away from me.
****
"Urgh... This is too much!" Miorith kicked the ground--or, better say, the demon with a frustrated growl. She had been angry since Devionth said to cut her payment.
That stingy devil! She kicked another monster believing it was her boss's face.
Gretarioth scoffed, "You look funny."
Miorith looked at him with anger filled eyes. "You wouldn't be saying that if half of your payment would be cut!"
Gretarioth shrugged. "Well, I have enough money to care about half of the payment." A few devils came as Gretarioth's long swords slashed them through.
Miorith spinned as she missed a mace point and her sais stabbed the devil. "Honestly, how do you even get money when you don't even work?!"
"Lazing around is a unique kind of work."
She scoffed and shook her head. Honestly, she had seen his house and it wasn't big but a medium room with a small kitchen and a veranda and a bathroom. That's all. Well, he had a beautiful garden and a soft bed. Enough for two. Her face heated as images flashed through her mind.
To make them go away, she stabbed some more devils. "Die! Die! Die!"
Gretarioth chuckled. "You hate my brother that much?"
Miorith looked at Gretarioth as her nose twitched in anger. "He is just a stingy devil!"
"That he is." He smirked.
Well, she didn't hate Devionth exactly. One couldn't ask for a good boss like Devionth and she was glad that he was their ruler. Droy, Miorith and others, everyone felt that way. He was maybe a bit overbearing and sometimes stingy but he always watched out for all of them.
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't see Igrun come sneakily behind her. He was about to give a big wound on her when a sword flew past her cheeks missing by half an inch and hit the pitchfork with a clang.
She looked with wide eyes as Gretarioth came near her with his demonic speed and grab the pitchfork with his bare hand. He hissed as it burnt and Ignur laughed as stepped back probably to find another chance to attack.
"That pitchfork is-"
"I know." Gretarioth said with a growl as his eyes moved toward her, pinning her with their darkened gaze. "Keep your eyes at your enemies."
She nodded as she felt the intense power before her which made her knees wiggle. It was Gretarioth's. She knew he was powerful but he wouldn't show it.
Gretarioth flinched as he took his sword but he kept a strong face even when Miorith knew it hurt.
"I think there is someone who might be doing some rituals or something that is why they keep coming." She said.
"I can't sense anyone like such." K'han said as he kept blowing off the enemies.
"They don't have to be powerful to perform this kind of spells or rituals because their motive isn't to finish us off." Gretarioth said. "They just want to tire us."
Gretarioth's eyes narrowed down. "Or, maybe they don't want us to go to Devionth..."
Suddenly, Gretarioth called "K'han!"
"Yes, My Lord?"
"Go run toward the south. I think I felt someone there." He instructed as K'han gave a curt nod and ran toward the direction smashing the enemies in his path while Gretarioth kept slashing the enemies behind K'han to give him protection even though his hand hurt.
Miorith's face fell as she saw Gretarioth was struggling. She knew it was her fault as she went near him and protected his back.
"Well, thank you for the privilege." Gretarioth said with a smirk.
Miorith said with a curt voice as her cheeks grew red, "Thank you for saving me."
"Always." He muttered but Miorith could hear it even though there were noises around them. Her heart skipped a beat but this time she didn't let her mind wander off.
"If I give you the money back which my brother cut from your payment, will it be enough to build that house?" Gretarioth suddenly asked as Miorith's brows knitted on her forehead. Why would he want to give her back the money? Did he really want to-
"No." She answered.
"Too bad then you are stuck with me for another month."
Well, that she was...