"Kaiden! Where is that damn boy?" the Devil screeched through the manor and down the hallway, his rough voice echoing off the walls.
The Demons in the hallway moved quickly, pressing their backs against the bricks. If they were too slow, they would be shoved against it by Kaiden as he stormed through, needing to get to the Master before he lost his sanity.
Lurking eyes watched the handsome demon, examining him with their lustful thoughts and judging gazes. Kaiden had a higher power invested from the devil, and nobody dared to challenge him out of fear that he would snitch and get them into trouble. He was intimidating, even on a good day, which was rare for him to have.
"KAIDEN!" his master snarled, just as he slipped through the grand door.
"I'm here Master." As always, the Devils eyes attracted Kaiden's gaze. There was something about the way they looked that always interested him. Often, they were like a black hole, sucking everything in, crushing it, killing it. Occasionally, there were fleeting moments and only split-second chances that Kaiden detected his thoughts. When the Devil was quiet, his eyes leaked lucidity, almost like he realised what kind of a creature he had grown to be.
"I have a mission." The Devil stood up; his thin framed body was easier to detect as he moved swiftly down the black marble steps, keeping his eyes on his best soul-catcher. When only a few feet lay between them, Kaiden smelt his rotten odour. Trying not to screw up his nose, he wondered how his mother managed to put up with it every day. "You have to catch an angel of a higher power."
Kaiden very nearly coughed from the smell of his breath. His eyes even watered but only very discretely.
"Of course, tell me more."
The demons detected three types of angels. First, there are low ranked angels. They are usually young, innocent and very delusional to the horrors of the world that they visit. There are a lot of low rated angels in hell, enough to have a chamber dedicated to them. Their cries are the worst, begging to be set free from the utter torture. Kaiden never adventures near it; it makes him feel a little uncomfortable.
Then, there are angels of a higher power. These are usually the ones who train the low ranked angels with jobs in heaven. They guard the gates and manage the souls who are lucky enough to live an eternity of luxury.
Lastly, there are the elder angels. These are very wise and often old angels who have a greater understanding of the world. They can foresee historical events and find influential people to guide and to help. They are presumed to have the whisper of God in their minds, but nobody knows if that is true. They are very good at avoiding the subject and not giving fulfilled answers.
The Devil looked up, hating how Kaiden was taller than him. The demon was much more muscular, and if he were not only eighteen, he would look rather dominant in the Master's presence.
"There is one who allows a low ranked angel to shadow her duties as a guardian angel. She is teaching him how to deal with humans in horrific accidents without raising too much of a distraction. Now, we can't have her saving human lives." The Devil shined a sinister grin, flashing his grim teeth at Kaiden. "The pair have been spotted around England for the past hour. I believe they will be performing their duties all day, so there is no reason why you should return to me empty-handed."
The demon nodded, accepting his orders.
"Understood Master. If possible, would you like me to catch the low ranked angel too?"
"Surprise me." The devil's red-tinted eyes turned to the darkest shade of black. Kaiden flashed his dark soul too as a sign of respect.
"Yes Lord, you can put all of your faith in-"
Lucifer lifted his hand and smacked Kaiden hard across the face, forcing him to turn his head and stumble backwards. A sharp pain surged through his jaw and the skin on his cheek stung from the contact.
"Do not dare to talk about faith in the grounds of Hell!" he roared and shoved him with both hands. Kaiden very nearly fell to the floor but swiftly saved himself. "Now, get out!"
With no emotion, the young demon turned and avoided eye contact with his mother, who found it hard to ignore his punishements. He walked out, knowing that his right cheek was red from the abuse.
The Devil spat on the floor and returned to his throne, still in a terrible mood from the demon who had let his elder angel escape.
Kaiden hurried back down the hallways, now in a foul mood too and slammed anyone and anything into the walls if it got in his way. He had to reach the gates of hell and enter earth, so he could stalk out the two angels.
His mission was to get the angel of a higher power, but if he could catch the lower ranked angel too, the Devil would be proud of him, and Kaiden could put his status to good use. They don't call him the best soul-catcher in Hell for no reason.
It took him merely minutes to reach the massive gates. There were two blacked out metal doors, keeping back the strange atmosphere. Skulls were carved into the metal, scaring new souls who filtered through into their rightful chambers.
"Kaiden," a growl escaped a man who stood next to the ten-foot tall gate, keeping guard. He wore a long cloak with a deep hood, covering his dirty face. Only his mouth was showing, giving the demon a good look at his unwashed beard, "where to?"
"England."
The man nodded and turned a dial, embedded in the metal.
"Good mission?"
"We'll see."
When there was a faint click, Kaiden stood back and watched the grand gate begin to open. On the other side showed only darkness but a spine-chilling breeze floated through him as he stared into the black pit.
"If you come back empty handed, should I even consider letting you in?"
"Not if you want me dead," Kaiden muttered and ran a hand through his hair, showing a deep scar before his black hair covered it again.
"I'll let you in then."
Kaiden smirked before stepping away from the comforts of hell and into the loneliness, also known as the route to earth. It was always an odd feeling but a very quick one. He felt like he was surrounded by cold water until he blinked and was suddenly standing in a huge field.
The light from the sun pierced his eyes, causing him to flinch and look at the ground. The grass reached just below his knee, covering his black worn out boots. He could hear birds in the sky and had an instant thirst to kill them. He ignored it and focused on the whistling of the wind instead. His thirst for death would pass, he was saving it for the angels.
* * * * *
Before he looked for the feathery beings of hope, he found demons who had spotted them in areas called Manchester, Darby, and London. Kaiden didn't know how far away they were from each other, but he did know that it wasn't to the north of England. So he tried to stay central to the country and waited for life-threatening accidents.
So far, he was bored of sitting in the shadows, watching humans roamed aimlessly around, trying to find the meaning of life. A lot of them walked in a monotone-like manner down the street like they had done the same thing for years.
He exhaled with irritation, unamused and not enjoying the chaos of the busy town. The noises were unfamiliar and maybe even a little daunting. He was in a strange place, full of strange people and couldn't wait to get back to the comforts of the underworld.
Suddenly, the phone in his pocket started ringing. The vibrations made him jump, but he answered it quickly. Carrying a phone around was a very human-like thing to do, but he had to stay in touch with other demons to find out if anyone saw the angels. Of course, he would ditch the device before going home.
"Kaiden, there has been a crash on a country road, fifteen miles from your location. Go east, and quickly." The demon hung up while Kaiden stood up tall. He glanced around the alleyway and not a single soul was around to see his magic act. He closed his eyes, focused on travelling east and in a matter of seconds, he vanished, leaving behind a ruptured pile of dust, floating in the air.
A few minutes went by until he landed in yet another field.
Cows instantly separated the herd and started galloping across the grass, getting away from what spooked them. Kaiden's cold amber eyes focused on his surroundings and saw white smoke in the distance. The world around him was quiet, apart from the screaming of those who were injured in the accident, apparently in a lot of pain and a lot of distress.
The demon smirked, enjoying the sound as he kept low and moved across the field like a lion stalking its prey. His big frame was hard to disguise but he was quiet and barely disturbed the natural environment.
"Please! Somebody help!" screeched a woman and pushed a hand through the broken glass of a back window. The car was upside down and an animal lay on the road, which is what caused the vehicle to flip.
"You can cry all you want to," Kaiden murmured, his mouth twitching with satisfaction.
After wondering whether the humans in the car were worthy of being saved, two creamy glows made him stop and crouch, hiding in the bushes. His stalking eyes caught a glimpse of huge, white, and perfect wings. To his demon cursed delight, he had found the angels, and he was ready to hold their souls in his sinful hands.