Chapter Twenty-Six - The Beginning of the End
Maggie's eyes watched, although her brain couldn't comprehend what she was seeing, as the massive comet slammed into Purgatory, sending the specked, gray souls scattering, roiling into a huge plume, only to calmly resume their eternal hover in the void of equally gray space. Upon impact, Corvino shielded Maggie under his wings, which she was unfortunate enough to not see make their appearance. The fiery mass instantly shattered into billions of pieces, exploding into countless numbers of smaller yet still equally bright flames. Maggie, through a crack between Corvino's black wings, watched as the billions of demons burst out from what once seemed to be a comet.
Tumbling to the grayness which made up the ground, most of the demons and creatures simply stood, as if none too concerned or even shocked by their tumultuous landing, brushed themselves free of any remaining embers, and quickly raced for form rank. More and more, the scorched demons fell, landing with sickening thuds and grunts, a few even unable to help but slam into Corvino's hunched back. Those that did quickly apologized to Corvino, bowing before dashing off to find their spot within the masses.
Finally, the raining demon horde subsided, only a few making their final descent as Corvino unfurled his wings and set Maggie free from his protection. As the last member joined his fellow demons among the countess rows of the solitary army, the entire group stood in perfectly silent attention. Maggie could feel Corvino's hand tighten on her shoulder, warning her in silence, but of what she couldn't know. As far as Maggie's eyes could take her vision, all she could see were the infinite number of charred, black bodies that were known as Legion.
Without any sign, other than Corvino's silent warning, Legion bowed as one, Maggie unable to see a single demon out of step or lagging behind his other members. As Legion rose, standing back to attention in Corvino and Maggie's direction, Corvino thought it best to cover Maggie's ears with his cold hands. "We are Legion. We are One. We Live to Serve. We Serve the Crown." Even with Corvino's hands covering her delicate and already ringing ears, the sound reverberated, shaking the very air with its clarity and strength. Each demon spoke exactly as the others, as if it were only one voice, although there were billions.
Once the silence returned, Corvino let go of Maggie, giving her another squeeze to try to relay her safety and comfort. Turning, Maggie's eyes glittered with fresh, terrifying tears as she tried desperately to hold on. "Calm down, Margret." Corvino said, brushing a stray tear from Maggie's cheek with a cool finger. "They won't harm you."
"But . . . But there are . . . so many!"
"Yes Dear. This is Legion; Mikhail's army. It's just over six trillion strong, if I've done my math correctly." Looking back carefully to the thousands that were close enough to actually see with clarity, Maggie only saw desire-filled eyes staring back. Feeling a chill run down her spine, she quickly realized that they were all staring straight at her.
"Why are they looking at me, Corvino? Make them stop." She whispered with fright.
Cocking his head to the side, much like a child unable to understand his parent's instructions, Corvino only raised a curious eyebrow to her before answering. "They are here to serve you, Princess. At least until the true crown arrives, which shouldn't be much longer. There are only several hours before Mikhail's battle."
"I don't want them serving me." Maggie answered, shaking her head with dread. "I don't want anyone serving me. I just want them to go away, leave me alone, and let Mikhail deal with them."
As the words escaped her lips, the enormous horde broke, sending up the loud clanging of swords and the deafening roar of footsteps as the billions of demons took their leave. After moving a respectable distance away, the horde descended into smaller groups, most only a hundred or so each. Tents were pitched, fires lit, swords sharpened upon whetstones, the war dogs kenneled, and the revelry began as the great arena began to be built. "A wise choice, Princess." Corvino mused quietly as he broke from Maggie's side.
"Stop calling me that, Corvino. I am not your princess."
"The crown upon your head would tell me otherwise, Madam." And with that, Corvino disappeared, moving into the throng of demons and vanishing amongst the vast numbers.
As if daring it to be there, Maggie tried to lift her eyes and glance at the top of her head, only unable to do so. Bringing one hand up, Maggie gently smoothed down her hair, feeling nothing but her own damp curls run between her fingers. Sighing at her own disbelief, Maggie dug into her forgotten purse which she unknowingly had been clinging onto for dear life. Finding her compact mirror, she lifted it, guiding its reflection to her hair, and gasping as the image met her stare.
Sitting neatly on top of her head, a delicate, golden crown perched, mocking her from the mirror as she continued to try and locate it with her fingers. Every time the mirror told Maggie she should be touching it, Maggie felt only her own head; her fingers seeming to simply slip right through the golden band of intangibility. Maggie's knees went weak, forcing her body to slump to the grayness below. It was simply too much for her mind to wrap around all at once. Too much had happened in such a short period of time, too much information, too much knowledge, too many questions still unanswered.
Not too far off in the distance, the arena rose higher and higher and Legion pieced it together bit by bit. Not even half done, the make-shift coliseum was massive beyond belief. Far higher than any skyscraper Maggie had ever seen, and longer than imaginable, it was to house the battle and seat every single demon and angel in attendance. The clangor and noise was enough to drive anyone mad but at least it was better than the absolute silence that had been there not an hour before.
Maggie lay and watched without watching as the arena grew even larger. Several demons shyly neared, seemingly frightened to get too close to the human who lay slumped in a bed of souls. Still covered by the tiny, gray spectra, Maggie could easily have been lost in a blanket of never ending nothingness. "Princess." One brave demon hissed out, inching ever closer as he continued on. "Princess, please get up. Master will be here soon, don't be afraid. He will be victorious. Please don't be sad." Lifting her head, Maggie blankly stared at the charred demon, squinting her eyes as she tried to remember.
"I know you." Maggie whispered, wishing her mind would just give up already and leave. Surely insanity had to be better than all of this. Still, her inquisitive mind drove her forward, refusing to give up and quit.
"Yes Princess," The demon smiled, somehow able to do so without any sign of ever owning a mouth. "You protected me from Master. You held me against your breast and wouldn't let him hit me. Do you not remember?"
Sitting up suddenly, Maggie realized that this was the same demon she had met on her front stoop only a night before. This was the same creature who had delivered Mikhail the message of the upcoming battle. "I do remember you." Maggie said, trying to smile but unable to will her legs to stand. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess; I'm only tired and completely lost here."
"It's easy to do, Princess. Do not apologize to me, please."
"What's your name?" Maggie asked, wishing she knew what to call the creature in front of her and assuming that 'Creature' wasn't proper nor kind.
"I am a Lesser, Ma'am." The demon answered, tilting his head much the same way Corvino had done only moments before.
"Yes, I know that. But what is your name?"
"I am a Lesser." His head simply tilted even more in regard to her question. "I don't have a Christian name, Princess."
"But then what should I call you?"
"A Lesser."
"But there must be thousands of you, I cannot call you all Lesser, can I?"
"There are hundreds of thousands of Lessers, Princess. We are all called as Lessers."
"I'm going to call you Darcy." Maggie answered, thinking back to her love of books and picking out one of her favorite characters. The demon blinked hesitantly, unable to grasp the proper response. Bowing deeply, the standard act for Mikhail when was he in a rare, fine mood, Darcy slowly backed away, truly hoping he hadn't just done something terribly wrong.
Maggie stayed seated, ignoring the millions of tiny souls which still wafted to and from her body with excruciating slowness. Instead, she focused on the army camp which now blanketed Purgatory like a sea of blackness. Roars and cheers from the camp would randomly rise up, all of which were shouted in Mikhail's name and for his impending victory. Still, with as many demons as there were, the horde seemed quite calm and organized.
A flickering of bright lights off in the horizon caught Maggie's eye. Within seconds, ten more comets, these all minuscule compared to Legion's, quietly crashed down, sending up their own small plumes of souls within their wake. As the souls settled back down, Maggie caught the glimpse of the Sin's brightly colored dresses and the sight of the other three Horsemen as they dismounted their horses and dusted each other off.
Legion's cheers again rose up as the horde quickly passed the news of their arrival down into the ranks. Corvino quickly joined them, completing the group of eleven, and shaking his brother's hands before politely bowing to the Sins. As welcoming exchanges were made, Maggie found herself standing and walking towards the group. Colonel Connor caught sight of Maggie first, rushing to aid the poor woman as she nearly collapsed a few feet away from where they were grouped. "Margret, are you quite alright?" He asked as the rest of the Sins and Horsemen caught up. Maggie could do little but stare back, her voice already lost as her mind began to slowly drift away.
"I'm afraid she's had a tough time of things today." Corvino said with sincerity.
"Has she eaten?" Carns butted in, pushing his way into the growing group of concerned witnesses.
"She's only had a cup of coffee." Corvino again answered. "We had little time to stop for a meal." He added, noting Carn's frown. The women held back, watching with amusement as the Horsemen hoisted Maggie up and headed straight into camp in hopes of finding Maggie something with which to revive her back to her normally spirited self. If Mikhail were to arrive and find Maggie in such a state, there would be Hell to pay.
After several bowls of piping hot soup were shoved down her throat and a warm fire was created to aid in relieving her chills, Maggie finally felt as if she could entertain the idea of going on. Rubbing her eyes with sore and tired fingers, she blinked away her fogginess long enough to recognize the company she was with. All four Horsemen sat in a semi-circle, staring at Maggie with concern and fret. "Sorry." Maggie mumbled softly, hearing her own voice raspy and thick. All four men exhaled, lowering their tensed bodies down onto the pillows that were piled upon the ground.
"Nothing to be sorry for, Margret." Cole spoke first. "Purgatory is a strange and eerie place, to be sure." The other three Horsemen nodded in unison, still watching Margret for any sign of trouble. "If you need to rest then by all means, Mikhail has not arrived yet, nor has Israfil, or any of God's army. You are safe here." Too tired to laugh at Cole's ridiculous statement, Maggie glanced wearily around and found them all to be hidden well inside a large, animal-skinned tent.
"I don't want to sleep here." Maggie's voice again warbled as she spoke. "I think I should go home."
Sighing, Corvino answered her plight once more, repeating exactly what he had told her earlier. "I'm sorry, Princess. Mikhail needs you here." As if on cue, the ear-splitting roar which buffeted the tent hearkened the arrival of the Crowned Prince himself. Quickly, the Horsemen stood, bowed, and excused themselves from Maggie's presence, all vowing to come and retrieve her when the time came. "Get some rest, Margret." Corvino added, sticking his head back into her tent. "The day has just begun." Ignoring Corvino, Maggie stood on her still unsteady feet and exited the tent as well, keeping in pace with the Horsemen as they wove their way back out of the camp to welcome Mikhail.
Barely able to see over the sea of demons that swarmed all around her, Maggie could just make out Mikhail's fiery comet as he hurled himself down into Purgatory. Suddenly bursting through the throng of Legion, Maggie gasped at the sight as the fires died from Mikhail's body, leaving nothing but his immaculate figure for all to witness. It wasn't his royal dress, it wasn't the golden crown that sat upon his head, and it wasn't his masculine, taut muscles that bulged tight through his black and red uniform. It was simply his stance which left Maggie once again feeling light-headed and woozy.
As if being transported back into her home office, Maggie's vision was filled with nothing but the painting that still covered her wall. As Mikhail's body landed into yet another plume of souls, wafting and hovering in the air, the dust died down to reveal Mikhail on one knee, his head tucked down, both hands resting on the ground, his wings splayed out for everyone to see. It was identical save for the color of his wings and the way he was dressed. Realizing now, just who exactly was painted on her wall at home, Maggie's urge to return there only grew deeper as she watched Mikhail rise from his crouched stance and tower over his minions.
Without warning, Legion, who was now standing directly behind Maggie, came to attention; their sharpened stance turning the air palpable as they once again rang out in one voice. "We are Legion. We are One. We Live to Serve. We Serve the Crown." Whimpering from the soul-crushing deafness of it, the only thing that kept Maggie on her feet was the sight of Mikhail being once again near to her.
Mikhail stood firm, watching as a wave of unending bows surged through Legion. Sweeping his gaze across the masses, his eyes halted their progress as they landed on the sight of a shivering, soul-coated, frail, sick-looking Maggie. His heart flip-flopped, a feeling he had never experienced before. It was scary. Just looking at her was enough to bring all these foreign feelings back. Damn it! This was why he had separated from her in the first place! He couldn't let her distract him from the day. He kept his gaze level and continued the sweep of his army, spanning out as far as the eye could see. Hopefully she hadn't noticed his awareness of her. It would just be easier if he kept her at arms length for the day.
"Welcome, Sire." Colonel Connor spoke as he approached. His white uniform nearly lost within the gray. General Cole came near as well, keeping one hand on the hilt of his great-sword while he and his brother bowed deeply.
"Sire, we need to get ready." Cole was nervous. "I don't feel comfortable about this."
"Where is my enemy?" Mikhail asked, sneaking another quick glance towards Maggie. She looked as though she'd collapse at any minute. He really was worried about her. "Have they not arrived yet?"
"No Sir." Cole answered, fussing with his bright red jacket. "There has been neither sign nor word from Heaven as yet. They still have almost an hour, however."
"I swear if Israfil is late I'll spend the rest of my days making him regret it."
"He will show." Connor cut in, assuring Mikhail before he became too enraged to think properly. They all knew how dangerous Mikhail could get when he was enraged. Sighing, Mikhail turned back to Legion, forcing his eyes to stay away from Maggie.
"I simply hate waiting. Especially for something like this." Mikhail excused himself "But if I must wait then I will do so with my team." And with that, Mikhail descended into the throng of Legion, creating a wave of followers in his wake as he strode through.
Entering into the army's main tent, Mikhail sighed deeply as he settled himself down against a mound of pillows on the floor. Maggie waited for him to motion her over, but he never did. Instead, she found a spot near Corvino and settled in. "Apologies for my lateness." Mikhail began, waving his hand into the air with unimportance. He was ignoring her on purpose, although now that she was so near it was impossible.
"Sir," Cole interrupted, bowing deeply before continuing on. "I am deeply concerned that there has yet to be a single word from Heaven with regards to this battle. Do you not find it strange as well?"
"I leave little concern for Heaven, Cole. Strange yes, concerning no. Does it not take Legion only minutes to set up? No doubt God's army is uniquely the same."
Maggie tried to focus on their discussion, finding it extremely hard to do so as the minutes wore on. Every possible strategy was gone over with tedious care; Cole being the one to offer up the best scenarios for each, as was his job. Once Cole had said his peace, the man retreated to prepare Legion for the battle. Legion itself was growing restless. The noise outside the tent was turning deafeningly loud as the six trillion strong army waited out their enemy. Waiting was the worst and even Maggie could see Mikhail's body tense more and more as everyone sat quietly, lost in their own thoughts. Feeling the need to break such eerie silence, Maggie turned to Mikhail and smiled weakly. "Can I ask you something?"
Mikhail turned his head slowly and stared at her blankly. He was being so cold and distant. "What is on your mind?" His voice was level, uncaring despite his seemingly warm answer.
"Why did you leave?" Her tone was honest but Mikhail could hear the hurt behind them.
"I told you, I needed some time to clear my thoughts. A clouded head in battle is one too easily removed."
"You wanted time away from me?"
Mikhail paused, wondering what she was trying to get at. "Yes." He answered truthfully.
"But then why bring me?"
"Because you said you wanted to come. Margret, you are tumbling with contradictions lately."
"Do you want me here?" Maggie's question caused Corvino to lift his head and watch his master for a response. Even the Sins silenced their quiet chatter to listen in.
"Not particularly, no. But not for the reasons I believe you are thinking. I do, however, believe this is a conversation we should have later." His normal warm features were etched with stone-like coldness. He was uncaring, unmoving and Maggie had her answer. He didn't want her at all. She would be right to end things with Mikhail after today. Before he hurt her. Before he turned her into another Nora.
"I'm sorry I came then." She snapped back, feeling more hurt by the minute. Here she was, in an alien world, traipsing around the cosmos with the Devil. And for what? To be turned from? To be treated like a disease? It was obvious, even by the way he now kept her physically distant, that things between them were over.
"Don't be. I am looking forward to seeing the look on Israfil's face when he finds out you're here."
"So I'm your trophy." It was a statement, not a question. Maggie already knew the answer.
"Yes."
Ouch, Mikhail. "You really know how to make a girl feel special."
"All of Legion would not be here if I didn't find you special."
His answer shut Maggie down for a moment as she tried to piece him together. One minute he was being standoffish, the next, honest and kind. Did he really bring his entire army out here just to keep her safe? Something in Maggie told her the answer was yes.
"Can I ask you something else?" She spoke after inwardly ceding to Mikhail.
"Of course."
"I don't want this crown." She said, once more lifting her hand up to feel nothing but hair. She didn't dare to pull out her compact mirror again to check on the crown's status. She knew it was still there. "I don't want to be a princess."
"That wasn't a question, Margret, but I'll allow it. But, understand that you are my princess, in more ways than one, and that no harm will come to you today or any other day as long as I stand alive to protect you. I have chosen you and I am the Crowned Prince. Your crown is a mere reflection of that title and it is nothing to be concerned over. You have worn it since the night of our dinner party and will continue to wear it as long as I am Prince of Hell."
"And what if I don't want your protection? What if I don't want to be your Princess?"
Her question made Mikhail pale slightly but he forced himself to remain composed. This was why he had wanted time to himself. Her constant questioning was difficult all on its own. But, when her questions made him question himself . . . nothing good would come of it. "Your opinion matters little at this point, Margret. I suggest you simply accept your fate. At least for today."
Did she not realize what she was saying?! Did she not understand the gravity of her remarks?! Here he was, willing to risk life and limb for her and she was questioning his commitment to her? All Mikhail wanted to do was push everyone out of the tent and show Maggie just how committed he actually was. He had never had sex before battle. Though he doubted exhausting himself before a fight would help him during one. Still, she was earning herself one long lesson later on.
Maggie flustered a little in her seat, drawing Mikhail from his darkening thoughts. Without thinking of it, she brushed off several souls from her legs as they had come to rest upon her with interest. It was useless, however, as the souls simply drifted back down to rest on her again. They were drawn to her for reasons she hadn't yet come to understand. Mikhail knew why the souls were so curious and by the looks of Corvino's sly smirk, he knew why as well. Perhaps it would be best to keep that part of their argument for another day. "Come here." Mikhail ordered. Maggie's head snapped up from her grooming, her face pained by his barked command.
Still, she stood and came near, kneeling down beside Mikhail still seemingly wounded by his mood. "You could try to be nice to me today." She spoke quietly enough the others wouldn't hear.
"Not today, Margret. Today I need my space. Today I am a killer, a beast, with no emotion and no kindness. Tomorrow . . ." He shrugged his shoulders. "Tomorrow we'll see. Now be quiet for a minute. I want to help you before I go to war." Taking his hands and gently placing them on either side of Maggie's face, Mikhail muttered something of which Maggie couldn't understand. Calming warmth spread though her quickly, rising from her stomach and seeping all the way up through her body. As quickly as the warmth had come, it disappeared, leaving Maggie feeling only that much colder as Mikhail's hands slipped away. Slowly, the souls dispersed from Maggie, wafting back up into the air and hovering at a respectable distance away. "How did you . . . no, I don't want to know. I seriously don't think I can take another explanation from anyone else today."
Out of the corner of his eye, Mikhail caught Corvino shaking his head in disappointment. Well Corvino would just have to deal with it. It wasn't any of his business anyway.
"Master!" A rasped voice shrilled out from the outside of the tent. "Master, angels approach!" With a most wicked grin, Mikhail stood and stepped over Maggie. The three Horsemen and the Seven Sins stood as well. Mikhail took Maggie's hand in his own and strode out of the tent.
"Come Margret, I want you to see this. I very much hope it will shed some light on some of your questions and curiosities. Let us see how many we are up against."
The sea of Legion parted in two as the small troupe marched out to its edge. Expecting to see another army marching their way, everyone was stunned to silence as two faint, shimmering bodies broke through the mist of souls. As if lit by a nonexistent sun at their backs, the two approaching winged beings were only visible thanks to their shadows as they quickly closed the gap.