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“Hold the line!!!!”
With a thunderous roar, the numerous battered shields were raised into a high wall as the soldiers on the other side continued to slash at them, hoping for a way inside. Lucifer, the chief of the Devildom clan, stood at the center of it all with his shield raised high. It was painted completely black with the blood of his enemies splashed across it as a warning to anyone who tried to come near him.
“Argh, Lucifer, I don’t think it’s going to hold for much longer! What do we do?!” Mammon shouted in Lucifer’s ear as he struggled to hold his golden shield up as a soldier on the other side continued to knock against it. Lucifer swung his head around, glancing at his brothers next to him. Asmodeus and Leviathan were in an even worse state as the soldiers snuck their daggers through the cracks and swung at them.
Belphegor and Beelzebub on Lucifer’s right were just barely keeping it together, but Lucifer knew Mammon was right. It wouldn’t hold for much longer. It was always how Vikings started a battle because the other side never knew how to anticipate it, but unfortunately, the Devildom clan had fought these men before.
Lucifer had been confident that they would easily succeed after their last victory, but for once, his pride was his downfall. As soon as they landed at the shore of this land and saw the countless soldiers at the top of the hill awaiting them, he knew they wouldn’t come out of this battle as victors, much less alive.
However, he couldn’t let his men that vowed to fight by his side know that. Even though they would all meet in Valhalla, he wasn’t ready for that yet. They had to fight.
“Hold it until I give the signal!!” Lucifer shouted as he turned to the archers behind them. They nodded at his warning gaze and lit their arrows on fire and threw pouches of ale simultaneously. As soon as the pouches flew over the shields, the arrows struck them, causing explosions of fire across the front lines. The soldiers screamed as they ran around wildly, hoping for a release from their fiery death, but Lucifer wouldn’t let them.
“NOW!!”
His men all lowered their shields and ran at the enemy with roars that Lucifer was sure could be heard in Valhalla. Asmodeus and Leviathan, alongside their men, began mowing down the enemies to their left while Belphegor and Beelzebub along with their brothers in arms handled the right. Mammon stood confidently next to Lucifer as they headed straight for the lord awaiting them at the top of the hill.
As Lucifer fought with his brothers by his side, he body moved without a thought, relentlessly waving his sword at anyone that stood in his way. He began to lose track of time and only realized that the battle had been going on for much longer than he planned when the clouds that weren’t seen before completely covered the sky in an ominous gray. He tried wiping at his eyes but the blood on his gloves only mixed with the blood splattered across his face.
“Mammon, how are-” His voice broke off as he realized his brother’s long white hair was painted red as well as his golden brown armor. Mammon was panting with shuddering breaths as he held his side with a barely opened eye.
“W-We can still push through…” It was all Mammon could manage to say before he fell onto the ground, his sword clattering loudly amid the chaotic battlefield. Lucifer raced to his brother’s side, trying to move him out of harm’s way but there wasn’t a safe spot. There wasn’t anywhere they could run.
“Asmodeus-” Yet again, he couldn’t finish his words as he stared at the enormous spear stuck in Asmodeus' shoulder as he kneeled on the ground with an earth shattering scream. His tears mixed with the blood running down his face as Leviathan struggled to protect him. Lucifer’s vision began to blur as tears began to form in his eyes. As he struggled to rise to his feet, he heard another scream and whipped his head around to discover Belphegor holding Beelzebub close to his chest as a pool of blood began to form around them on the ground below.
As Lucifer watched his brothers and all of their men begin to fall down one by one, Lucifer knew that it was inevitable that this would be their last battle. They wouldn’t live to fight another day. Although Simeon loved to give the speech of how honorable dying in battle was to the gods, Lucifer cursed them. If Simeon wanted to die, then he should’ve brought them reinforcements like he agreed instead of abandoning them. If the gods really cared, they would save his clan.
Even though Lucifer knew it was hopeless, he prayed to every last god he knew was celebrating in Valhalla as he raised his sword for the last time. He pointed it at the lord still waiting for him at the top and began to run. Even when he was cut, punched, kicked at, or knocked over, he wouldn’t let this man go. This was going to be their land. No one deserved it except for his brothers that fought so hard for it. Even when he was thrown to the ground and an axe pierced his chest, he cried out his hatred for these men, cursing them to a tortuous death by Thor himself.
“Wait!” The lord called out before the soldier swung the axe straight for his heart. “I want to give this fool the death he so obviously desires.”
Lucifer coughed up blood as he burst out in laughter. “Y-You’re the fool for making an enemy of my clan.”
“What clan?” The lord asked with a loathsome smile as he peered down at Lucifer from his horse. “There isn’t anyone left but you. Although, in another minute you’ll also perish, such is the fate of heretics.” Lucifer spit blood at the lord’s shoe, causing him to glare at Lucifer with hatred. “I was going to give you a simple death, but I’ve decided against it. Men, bring any of his brothers that are still moving to me. I want to show him a fate that’s truly worse than death.”
A fear and hatred Lucifer had never known welled up inside of him. A filthy man like that doesn’t have the right to lay a hand on any of his brothers. He should be the one on his knees begging for their forgiveness. Every single one of these bastards should have their limbs torn from their sockets and sent to their families, one piece at a time. They had to die.
They must die. I must kill them. But Lucifer couldn’t move a single muscle in his body. The pain from his injuries was so excruciating that he could barely keep himself from passing out. But he couldn't let them hurt his men. Hurt the brothers that he fought, sailed, and drank with for as long as he could remember. Someone please..
Hel, I pray if you can hear me, deliver your punishment onto these bastards. Take them to the underworld so I can personally tortue them myself when I meet them there.
With that final prayer, Lucifer opened his eyes one last time to watch his brothers all shake with fear as the lord raised his spear.
An ear-splitting roar rang across the battlefield. It was so thunderous, it shook the very ground Lucifer was lying on top of. He winced as he attempted to turn his head towards the roar. He widened his eyes as he watched a mound of corpses begin to topple over. One body after the next was thrown aside as a single hand and broke out from the decaying flesh.
The hand reminded Lucifer of a newborn child’s because of how its pure white appearance was not covered with scars from the battlefield. The person continued to roar as they flung another corpse aside and broke out from the pile. It was a tall man with broad shoulders and beautiful, long golden hair, and exquisite green armor that only the gods could afford.
The man’s appearance reminded Lucifer of the descriptions of Hel, but he knew it was impossible. Hel was the goddess of death, not a god. Yet this strange man stood tall with a shining double-sided sword and a cruel smile that promised violence.
“Who are you?” The lord shouted, and Lucifer felt relief flood through him as he realized the stranger was not one of these bastards. Maybe, just maybe, he could save their clan. “State your name and purpose here-” The lord’s voice cut off with a cough as in the blink of an eye the stranger's sword was now stuck in his chest.
He fell to the ground with a cry as his soldiers raced towards him. However, they weren’t fast enough. The stranger sprinted faster than any human Lucifer had ever seen. He reached the lord before his men could and slowly pulled out his sword with a shit-eating grin. He grabbed the lord’s collar forcing him to rise to his feet.
“P-Please don’t kill me! I’ll give you anything you want! Please spare my life-”
“No.” That single word reverberated across the battlefield. The hatred was so palpable that Lucifer could almost feel it. The stranger pushed the man back against the tree behind him and swung his sword with a devilish laugh as he cut the man’s head clean off. The stranger picked it up with a sneer as he threw it towards the lord’s men who all cried out in grief and anger.
“You won’t get away with that!! For our lord!!”
Lucifer tried to shout a warning to the man, but the stranger faced the incoming army with a wicked grin that even frightened Lucifer. He thought the chief, Diavolo, was a devil, but this man was purely wrathful as he slaughtered every soldier that came running towards him. As Lucifer watched the man sever limbs, break bones, and decapitate them with a never-ending vengeful laugh, Lucifer swore his man was Lucifer’s living rage.
It was as if he was staring at the fury, hatred, and vengeful feelings that were overwhelming him earlier. It was like they had become a living person. This man embodied every ounce of wrath that Lucifer had felt and was using it to defeat their enemy. Although Lucifer knew it shouldn’t be possible, he couldn’t stop believing it.
He’d never seen this man before in his clan and he knew every last one of them. No, this man had never existed until today. Lucifer was sure of it. After the stranger slashed at the last remaining soldier's chest, he kicked the body off of his boots with disdain. The man tilted his head towards the sky, taking such a deep breath that Lucifer could’ve sworn he was swallowing their souls.
Even though Lucifer knew his wounds were life-threatening, he couldn’t let this man leave. He knew from the minute he broke out of the mound of corpses. This man had to join their clan. Therefore, he coughed blood as he rose to his feet, leaning on his sword as he held his side. He limped his way over to the man with shuddering breaths, and the man watched him silently until Lucifer stopped right in front of him.
He threw his sword aside and grabbed the man’s shoulder and stared into the man’s glowing green eyes that were filled with endless rage. “Join my clan. Fight by our side. Become my brother.”
The man widened his eyes just a fraction as he stared at Lucifer’s pitiful state. For once, he didn’t give a mocking laugh but instead leaned his forehead against Lucifer’s. “Very well, brother .”
As the group of men finished patrolling the area and returned on horseback, the commander of the group gazed up at the sky in thought. As he watched the glittering stars above, he remembered how the sky looked just like this a year ago, the night he agreed to join the Devildom clan. He hadn’t even realized it had already been a year since he became one of their brothers. It only felt like it was yesterday when he first opened his eyes and was only met with darkness. He tried to move but was held down by a suffocating weight. No matter how much he shifted, he couldn’t do anything. However, the only thing he knew was that there was this never-ending roar near him that fueled him with an unknown emotion.
Yet it was so overpowering that he began to summon every ounce of his strength to move. He shoved away everything on top of him until a bright light shone down on him. As soon as the roar stopped, he broke through and was hit with a wave of eternal wrath.
Even now he still didn’t understand what had happened, but he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. For that was the start of his life with his brothers. At first, he didn’t understand the meaning of the word, much less what a clan was. But once he started battling by their sides, and seeing them jump into harm’s way to protect him, he finally did. Therefore, he never stopped trying to try and return the favor by protecting them and fighting for them even if every limb of his body was broken and bleeding.
Even though it didn’t take long to become part of this Viking clan, there was still one thing that set him apart from everyone else. The shining pictures the stars created above were all given names and yet he-
“Commander, thank you for your hard work!”
The commander shook his head out of his thoughts and glanced towards the outlook tower outside of their camp. The warrior atop pounded his chest in salute to which the commander nodded. “We couldn’t find anything unusual. Everything’s safe for now.”
“And now we can finally drink that mead we made!!” One of the commander’s men cheered alongside the rest of their group. Even his brothers Belphegor and Leviathan seemed excited about it.
The lookout smiled at them but gave Belphegor and the commander a remorseful look. “Yes, you all can and I’ll be joining too because the chieftain said that Beplhegor and Fourth Brother will be taking over for me for the rest of the night.”
The fourth-born brother and Belphegor both threw their weapons down in anger as they dismounted their horses. Their men clapped their shoulders with awkward apologies before returning to the camp where a large bonfire surrounded by many warriors drinking and singing was. Belphegor and the commander watched their men walk away with a forlorn sigh before climbing up the tower to watch the perimeter.
“I guess Lucifer was actually angry. He didn’t seem that bothered though.” Belphegor grumbled as he began removing his armor.
“That’s only because this time we managed to take some of that pride of his down a notch.” The brother glanced at each other before breaking out in laughter as they remembered what happened yesterday.
Lucifer had been getting on Belphegor and Fourth Brother’s asses too much lately so they decided to team up again and set up a trap while he was exploring their newly conquered territory. They baited Lucifer to travel deep into the woods where their trap was set. Sure enough, he walked into it, literally, and was pulled up by a rope and hung upside down. The weight keeping him up was a net full of fresh deer meat that attracted the numerous wolves within seconds.
They purposely made sure the rope holding him carried the scent so once they finished the meat and Lucifer fell to the ground, they moved onto him next. When Lucifer returned to the camp with his clothes torn to pieces, bloody scratches and bite marks all along his body, and a expression that screamed murder, everyone couldn’t hold back their laughter. Especially Belphegor and the fourth born.
When the commander was still getting to know each of the clan leaders, he watched as Belphegor purposely switched Lucifer’s beer to a mug of filthy pond water. After watching how enraged he was, the fourth-born couldn’t help but ask to join Belphegor next time.
Even though they knew they were going to be caught, the fourth-born rather enjoyed spending time with his brother, Belphegor, just as much as messing with Lucifer. However, he was still jealous of him as well as the rest of his brothers. Because they were born and grew up together. They were given names and called each other by it.
Because the commander wasn’t, he was called by whatever was convenient. Their men called him by his title, his brothers called him either ‘Brother’ or ‘Fourth-Brother.’ The people of their homeland as well as their enemies knew him as ‘Hellraiser’ or ‘Harrow-Bringer.’ However, all he wanted was a real name. A name was bestowed upon by the father and although everyone liked to tease that Lucifer was his father, no chance in hell would he ask that-
“Hey Brother,” the commander broke out of his thoughts to glance at Belphegor, “do you think he’ll notice if we sneak away for a minute?”
They grinned at each other mischievously. “Now that I think about it, he’s still resting from the “wounds,” so maybe he’s already gone to sleep.”
Belphegor laughed along with him before they moved to climb down until a head popped up, making them both jump. “Heresh your mmphinner..” Beelzebub's glowing orange hair shone in the moonlight and they both immediately relaxed as he rose to hand them a platter full of food. A large piece of bread was already lodged in his mouth.
Belphegor patted Beelzebub's back before taking some food for himself. “Thank you, Beel, we owe you.” Fourth-Brother also gave his thanks before snatching some grilled meat for himself.
“Lucifer asked me to bring it to you.”
Belphegor and the Fourth-Brother both paused before throwing the food over the railing. “We’re actually not hungry.”
“Ahh, c’mon Beplhie at least have some. Brother, this bread is fresh, just how you like it.” Beelzebub tried tempting them both but they rejected it. Instead, Belphegor began removing particles of food from Beelzebub's long hair. The roots were braided into a ponytail that followed down to his knees with several feathers and shells tied into it. Beelzebub always wore thick-fur lined clothing that always managed to catch food that Belphegor had to wipe away later.
He couldn’t help but watch Belphegor and Beelzebub fondly. Even though they were completely contrasting personalities, there was no denying they were twins. Belphegor only wore dark, loose armor and his long purple and white hair was braided into a knot that held the upper half of his hair while the rest flowed down his back.
Fourth-Brother touched his hair reflexively, remembering how short it used to be until his brother, Asmodeus convinced him to let it grow and that he would help take care of it. He smiled fondly as he ran his fingers through the braid Asmodeus had done earlier.
“..But I promise you that Lucifer wants you to eat. He is worried about you.” Belphegor and Satan both rolled their eyes as they tuned into the conversation again. “Don’t look at me like that, just eat something, please?”
Fourth-Brother thought for sure that he was the last thing Lucifer was concerned about, but little did he know he was completely wrong.
Asmodeus, Lucifer, and Mammon were sitting around a fire at the back of the camp, away from the usual nighttime revelry at the large bonfire. Leviathan had already retired to his tent, but everyone knew that he wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon. He just had to find another set of novels from the latest town they pillaged and couldn’t put them down. Therefore, they ate their dinner much quieter than normal.
“I wish Fourth Brother was here!” Asmodeus whined as he took another bite of the freshly barbecued meat. “Did you really have to punish him like that, Luci?
Lucifer sighed as he stared into the fire. “If he and Belphegor didn’t trick me, then I wouldn’t have to punish them. You shouldn't be angry with me.” Mammon chuckled down at his loaf of bread, recalling just how frightened and disheveled Lucifer was. “Is there something funny, Mammon?” Mammon quickly quit laughing and bit into the bread before he incurred Lucifer’s wrath as well.
Lucifer gave him one more long look before glancing at Asmodeus’ pouting face. “Since you want to be with him so badly, why don’t you take Belphegor’s place at night-watch?” Asmodeus immediately grimaced with a shake of his head. “That’s what I thought.”
“But still, there’s still much I want to do with Fourth Brother and learn about him. I mean, he’s only been here for…” He broke off as they tried to remember just how it had been since their brother joined their clan. “A year. Wow, it’s already been a year, and yet it feels like he’s always been here.”
Mammon and Lucifer both nodded with fond smiles. Although there had been many disputes and arguments in the past, they truly adored their brother and couldn’t imagine not fighting by his side.
“We should have a party!”
Mammon immediately jumped at Asmodeus' idea. “Yeah, let’s do it! We shoulda had one when he first joined, Lucifer. But as always, you wouldn’t lend me some treasure to throw him one.”
Lucifer instantly glared at Mammon. “We didn’t have a celebration when he first joined because we were in the middle of a war. And I won’t give you any treasure because you always waste it-”
“But we should’ve thrown a festival for him after it was over.” Asmodeus cut in before Lucifer began lecturing Mammon on his spending habits again. “Instead we just had one and it was a victory celebration for the clan. We’ve never had one just for him.”
Lucifer was about to refute Asmodeus, but as he thought over it, he realized that his brother was right. Even though their Fourth Brother had turned the tide of the war around all on his own, they still hadn’t given him a proper party. How could they be so foolish?
“You’re right, Asmodeus. But what kind of festival do you think we should throw? He doesn’t enjoy them most of the time, much less stays until the end.” Their Brother always attended parties with them but as soon as Leviathan excused himself, so did he. It was either to read, study, or feed the kittens he thought no one knew about. (They did. They were just too stunned to tease him about it.)
As all three of them racked their brains for a festival idea that would keep Fourth Brother from leaving, Beelzebub returned from the watchtower. “How about a naming ceremony?” They all paused as they glanced at Beelzebub's innocent expression. “What? That’s not any good? But he looks like he really wants a name-”
“That’s perfect, Beel!” Asmodeus cried as he ran to give Beelzebub a tight hug. “I guess you really do have a brain in there.”
“Thank you.” Beelzebub mumbled, bashfully, unaware of the fact that he was just insulted.
“It wasn’t a compliment.” Mammon mumbled before turning to Lucifer with a serious expression. “I agree with ‘em. We should give him a naming ceremony. Doesn’t matter if he came from Hel or somewhere else. He’s one of us and he deserves his own name.
Lucifer couldn’t agree with them more. In fact, he couldn’t wait to see the look on their brother’s face as he is anointed with water and bestowed upon a name. “But who will give it to him?” They all gave him flat looks as if to say, who else?
Lucifer chuckled as Asmodeus returned to his seat and began planning the ceremony. “Why not keep it a secret? Like a surprise? We’ll keep him away from the camp tomorrow during the day while we set everything up in time to celebrate tomorrow night.” They all nodded in agreement and began divvying up the work. They were so focused on preparing every last detail that they didn’t realize they had stayed there until the sun rose.
“Hey wake up….wake up!!”
The blonde jolted at the shout, almost falling out of his bed. He glanced around his tent with bleary eyes and could barely make out Asmodeus standing in front of him. He didn’t even bother cursing at him as he turned the other way and pulled the wolf-skin blanket over him before closing his eyes to go back to sleep.
“Brother, please, c’mon!” Asmodeus kept shaking his shoulder and whining in his ear, and he realized any chance he had at falling back asleep had disappeared.
“What’s so urgent that you had to wake me up so early-” The blonde rasped as he turned back towards Asmodeus and squinted at the bright morning sun shining through the cracks of his tent. He sat upright immediately, realizing he had slept in far too long. Although he was on watch last night, his and Beplhie’s shift was only a couple of hours. He was supposed to be up early the next day for another punishment task from Lucifer.
“How could you let me sleep in?! What time of day is it?” He asked as he hurriedly pulled out his armor and prepared to change. However, Asmodeus blocked his way with a smile and firm hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry about whatever Lucifer assigned for you today.” Fourth Brother gave him a suspicious glance as Asmodeus gave him a cheeky grin. “I talked him out of it, especially after punishing you last night. I thought you deserved a break.”
“Huh??” It’s not that he didn’t appreciate Asmodeus’ kindness, he just didn’t understand why this was happening all of a sudden. He and Belphegor were caught all of the time by Lucifer and the other brothers simply let them be punished. Why now? “Lucifer would never-”
“Well he did, so just sit down and relax.” Confused, the blonde let Asmodeus force him to sit on the chair behind him. “Now I’m going to fix your hair first. How could you already let it become this messy?” Without letting him ask what was happening or protest to it, Asmodeus had already begun pulling out his braids and letting the long blonde hair fall down his back.
Many would never consider that the Harrow-Bringer would sit compliantly for his brother, close his eyes, and let himself be cared for. When he was first getting to know Asmodeus, it was the most difficult for him. Asmodeus was the only one that invaded his space, embraced him, touched his hair, and always offered to wash his back.
The Fourth Brother didn’t understand it. He didn’t comprehend why Asmodeus had to always be so close and always had to touch him. He never saw the need for touching anyone unless it was to pull them close so you could dig the knife deeper into their back. However, one night he finally explained all of this to Lucifer and was surprised by his brother’s response.
Touching is Asmodeus’ form of love. It’s how he shows he cares for you. Everyone is different here, Brother, which is why it only makes sense that everyone loves in different ways. Lucifer reminded him that even though he thought it was uncomfortable at the moment, he should just relax. He would eventually get used to it.
At the time, he didn’t believe Lucifer, but now? Now he couldn’t imagine not being comforted by Asmodeus’ affectionate touches.
It had definitely taken some time to get used to, but like Lucifer said, he could feel just as much Asmodeus cared. After a while, the feared Hell-Raiser grew so used to it that he became out of sorts when he was separated from Asmodeus for too long. Although there were times where it became too much, he began to learn how to stop Asmodeus without hurting him.
Even though he would’ve told Asmodeus to wait until later, once his brother’s fingers ran along his scalp as he began braiding his hair, he immediately closed his eyes and began to relax. Asmodeus would hum songs or relay the latest secrets he overheard while the Fourth Brother simply sat and listened.
When he first came into this world, all he saw was bloodshed. All he yearned for was battle. All he was guided by was wrath. And yet after living with his brothers for some time, he realized there are other moments in life to enjoy. There was more to live for.
“Okay, it’s all done.”
The blonde broke out of his reverie as he stared into the mirror. His long hair was braided into tight, thick braids that ran towards the back of his head where it was tied into a ponytail, except for his bangs that hung in the front. Asmodeus tied it back so that shaved parts above the Fourth Brother’s ears were exposed, showing the numerous tattoos that were imprinted there.
He was surprised by just how handsomely it was done. It was almost like Asmodeus was getting him ready for a celebration. “Asmo, what’s going on? How come you’re fixing me up so nicely? Is there an event I forgot was happening today?”
“No.” Asmodeus chuckled while avoiding his brother’s eyes. “I just wanted to do something nice for you. Anyways, you have to try this new outfit I bought in town the other day. I thought it would be perfect for you.”
“What? I can’t accept something so-”
“Don’t worry about it.” Asmodeus patted his shoulder as he placed the finely made outfit on the Fourth Brother’s lap. “It really wasn’t that much, so please try it on.”
He couldn’t find the words to reject Asmodeus, which resulted in him trying on the outfit and immediately yearning to keep it. The tunic was a very dark green that somehow made his emerald eyes shine brightly, and the black slacks were tight but the material was so soft that he rather enjoyed the snug fit. He slid his armor on top of it and turned back to Asmodeus with a gracious smile.
“I can’t thank you enough, Brother. I will wear it until I can’t wear it anymore.” He patted Asmodeus’ shoulder before patting his cheek to which Asmodeus beamed.
“Like I said, you deserve it. Anyways, our friend just managed to return from his scouting trip and is wanting to spend some time hunting with you. He discovered these beautiful long bows that he thought you’d like to try.”
After he released the arrow and watched the deer fall over, the commander and his friend, Solomon, both rose from where they were crouching and slowly walked over to it. As the blonde gazed at the forest around him, he was reminded again of just how much was out there in this world he didn't think about before.
The mundane act of catching up with a friend as well as hunting for fun was something he used to think was so trivial. But now, he was grateful for these calm, quiet moments where he could appreciate the beauty around him with a friend by his side.
Asmodeus had introduced him to Solomon months ago and although the Fourth Brother was wary of him at first, he was pleased to have met him. He didn’t know what a friend was, much less the need for one until he met Solomon.
“I guess they aren’t as hard to use as I thought.” Solomon remarked as he removed the arrow and closed the deer’s eyelids. His striking white hair was tied towards the top of the back of his hand and ran down his back, stopping at his waist. The Fourth Brother knelt down beside him, preparing to carry the animal back to where the rest were. “I’m sorry it wasn’t as exciting to use as I hoped it would be.”
The blonde shrugged off his apology. “You don’t need to apologize. I did enjoy learning how to use it. If you find more, I’d like to keep one of them for myself.”
“You can keep the one you’re using now.” He immediately began to refuse, but Solomon raised his hand to stop him. “Please just take it as a gift.”
The commander gave him a confused glance. “How come everyone is giving me gifts today? Am I missing something?” Solomon only chuckled as he patted the Fourth Brother’s shoulder.
They both made their way back to the clearing where the rest of their game and supplies were. After he set the deer down, the Fourth Brother debated whether to use their game as food, clothing, or trade. However, his thoughts were broken off as he heard someone shouting at them.
They both turned to discover that Mammon was jogging towards them. Once he caught up to them, he immediately turned to Solomon in anticipation. “Well?”
Solomon held his chin with a grin before pointing at all of the trophies in front of the Fourth Brother. “He was able to hunt much better than I was. All of those are his and this is mine.” He pointed at a rabbit, causing Mammon to groan.
“I can’t believe ya! I just earned this, too!”
The blonde didn’t even have to ask as he realized Mammon must’ve proposed another bet that he inevitably lost. He could never understand Mammon’s obsession with wealth, but no matter how hard he tried, Mammon would never change.
After Mammon handed over a bag of coins to Solomon, he turned to his brother with an embarrassed look. He turned away, rubbing his neck as he began to mumble, “Here, this is for you.”
The blonde gave him a surprised glance as he noticed the small box in Mammon’s hands. He suspiciously glanced at his brother’s face to discover there was a tint of scarlet dusted across his cheeks. Mammon rarely ever blushed but anytime he did, it was genuine.
Therefore, the Fourth Brother rose to stand and took the box and opened it slowly to find a beautiful silver ring with an emerald set in the center. Along the sides were intricate drawings of the clan’s symbols. He glanced back up at Mammon, and his voice choked with emotion as he tried to reject this priceless gift.
“M-Mammon, this is too much. I could never-”
“Ah don’t worry about it.” Mammon shook his head with a bright grin. “I ordered this a while ago, but it kept getting delayed because we’ve been needing more weapons created. Now that there weren’t many demands, it was finally ready.”
“But still I can at least pay you back for-”
“Just stop already.” Mammon interrupted again as he raised his hand, displaying his ring with a shining yellow gem at the top. “You’re one of us so you deserve our clan ring. Just accept the gift already, will ya?”
As the Fourth Brother glanced down at his ring, something strange happened. His eyes began to burn and then become blurry. He quickly blinked away the wetness at his eyes, panicking that he had caught some sort of illness. However, when he glanced back up at Mammon’s face, he widened his eyes at Mammon’s fond smile as he blushed.
He raised his ring and tapped it against the Fourth Brother’s. “Remember, you’re my brother. You’re our family. And that was expensive so don’t lose it!”
The blonde’s eyes began to burn again and he quickly turned away to rub at them, praying that he wasn’t dying. He didn’t understand why water was trying to leak from his eyes, but no one seemed to notice his panic. Instead, Mammon slung his arm around the Fourth Brother’s shoulders while chuckling. “I’m the best brother, aren’t I?”
Before the commander had the chance to agree or deny it, Belphegor and Beelzebub suddenly showed up. “Sorry Mammon but it’s our turn now.”
“O-Oi! He was just about to tell me-”
Belphegor and Beelzebub simply grabbed their brother’s arm and pulled him away from Mammon and Solomon. “You’ll see him later!” Belphegor laughed at Mammon’s protests behind them but the twins never slowed until they reached their horses and gestured for their Fourth Brother to get on.
“I really don’t understand what’s happening today-”
“Don’t worry about it.” Beelzebub interrupted as he jumped on the back of his horse and with a flick of his reins began leading them down a beaten path. Belphegor followed behind him, trotting alongside the Fourth Brother.
“Beel and I were in this town the other day and found a place we thought you’d like to go.” The blonde gave them a quizzical look. It didn’t make any sense why all of this was happening. Suddenly every single one of his brothers were giving him gifts, taking him places, and doting on him. He was sure that they were keeping something from him, but he knew it wasn’t anything that would hurt him so he followed along.
He vowed to interrogate them later because Beelzebub was an easy one to crack. However, once he arrived at the small cottage, all thoughts of interrogation dissipated.
As they led him inside, he realized that it was a small restaurant with its walls lined with bookshelves. He immediately began skimming over the titles, eager to read every last one of them. As he turned to ask Belphegor how he found this place, something rubbed alongside his boot.
He glanced down to discover the most adorable little calico kitten with light green eyes. He could never understand what it was about these creatures, but his entire self became weak when he saw them. Therefore, he bent down to lightly pick up the kitten and hold it in his arms. In an instant, it was purring and rubbing against his fingers.
He didn’t know that he was chuckling until he heard Belphegor laughing at him and felt his face flare with heat. “See, we knew you’d love this place. Do you want something to eat or drink?” He nodded and let Belphegor order for him as he grabbed a book and sat in the corner where a mound of comfortable cushions were set.
As soon as he opened the novel, all sense of time was out the window. He didn’t even know that his other brother Leviathan had stopped by until he sat down next to the Fourth Brother and laid his head on his shoulder and read next to him.
He was so stunned by the sudden touch and presence of Leviathan that he was pulled out of his book. He thought that Levi would be like the rest of the brothers and bestow some priceless gift, but he simply sat next to Fourth Brother and read his book. After a moment, the Fourth Brother realized that for Levi, leaving his tent and making an effort to spend time with someone was a precious gift. Therefore, he leaned against Levi before turning the next page and letting the time fly by.
He didn’t even know that the sun had already begun to set until Belphegor nudged his arm, letting him know it was getting late. As they all rode back on their horses together, the Fourth Brother watched as the sun dipped beyond the horizon and honestly couldn’t have had a better day than this. He had never known just how precious having a family was. Even if he truly wasn’t one of them. Even though he had no name, they never treated him anything less than their brother, as if he was born right along with them. He couldn’t ask anything more.
Yet as he finally reached their camp, he definitely didn’t expect what was waiting for him. Every single warrior in their clan was lined on either side of the entrance awaiting his arrival. As soon as he dismounted his horse, they all began to cheer and shout. They raised their drinks, splashing it everywhere but as he walked through, he didn’t mind as they all patted him on the shoulder and back. Every single one of them told him just how proud they were and how grateful they were that he joined their clan.
By the time he reached the center of the camp where the bonfire was, his eyes were beginning to water again. He quickly blinked the wetness away as discovered the long table filled with every kind of food and drink he ever liked. Lucifer and his brothers all came up next to Satan, gesturing for him to take a seat at the center. Wordlessly, he sat down as they began to serve him.
“Brother, you may not know this but it has been a year since you’ve joined our clan and become our brother.” Lucifer began as he poured the blonde a large amount of ale. “We usually throw a celebration when a warrior joins but as you know, we were in the middle of a war. I’m sorry we didn’t hold a festival for you sooner, but I hope you enjoy what we have put together. And I hope you know just how much you mean to everyone here.”
The Fourth Brother was speechless as gazed at his brothers’ smiling faces as well as the many warriors that had fought by his side. An overwhelming wave of emotions flowed through him, making him unable to say anything. He needed them to know just how much of an impact they’ve had on his life. He would be living a life of nonstop bloodshed until he was finally cut down if they hadn’t shown him what else there was to this life.
After coughing through the lump in his throat, he raised his glass. “I want to thank each and every one of you. Here’s to many more years together!”
Everyone cheered as they raised their glass and soon enough the celebration began. Numerous warriors pulled out their instruments and began to sing and dance while others filled their bellies with all of the delicious meals prepared. The Fourth Brother simply sat in the middle of it all and watched with a fond smile. Sometimes his brothers would sit next to him and remind him of the past year spent together.
Other times they would drag him out of his seat to dance with them. Asmodeus tried to push him to the dance circle even though he couldn’t move the Fourth Brother very far. But once he saw Leviathan getting up to dance with him, he couldn’t protest anymore.
He had never had so much fun at a party as he did that night. For once, he didn't feel the need to leave early. Being by his brothers’ side made that intense emotion swell up again. He didn’t know the name of it, but he knew it was something deeper than fondness or adoration.
He couldn’t dwell on those thoughts long as Lucifer suddenly popped out of nowhere and raised his hand, silencing everyone. The Fourth Brother glanced at everyone, confused as to why the atmosphere changed from festive to serious. The tables with food were moved out of the way and everyone knelt to the ground on one knee except for Lucifer and the Fourth Brother.
“What-”
“Brother, as you’ve seen today, each one of your brothers has given a gift. A gift that symbolizes they are forever grateful you were born as our brother. Now it is my turn.” Lucifer gestured towards Mammon to bring out a chair for the Fourth Brother while Asmodeus handed Lucifer a chalice of water. Belphegor, Beelzebub, and Leviathan started singing an ancient song that he had only ever heard at a naming ceremony.
But this couldn’t be- could it??
Lucifer held the chalice as he walked over to him and dipped his hand inside. “My gift to you is a name.” He pulled his hand out to sprinkle water over the blonde’s forehead. He closed his eyes, and although it was only droplets of water running down his face, he felt like he was being born again.
“As a blessing given to us from the goddess Hel, the ruler of the dead, I think a fitting name for you would be, Satan. No longer shall you live nameless, but instead as Satan, the Fourth Born of the Devildom Clan. Everyone rise to greet Satan!!”
All of the warriors rose to a stand and chanted his name as they stomped their feet against the ground. That intense emotion that never stopped churning inside of him continued to grow and before he knew it, water was streaming out of his eyes and down his face in tandem. No matter how much he tried to wipe it away, it wouldn’t stop.
Until suddenly, all of his brothers surrounded him and wrapped him in a warm, comforting embrace. “Satan! I love that name!”
“Finally we can call you by your name!”
“Satan, let’s drink until the sun rises!”
“Satan, when you finish that novel from earlier, will you lend it to me?”
Satan chuckled as every one of his brothers kept talking into his ear simultaneously. But he wasn’t annoyed by it because he could feel their love from the embrace.
Love… So that’s what this is…
“I hope you enjoy your gift, Satan.” Lucifer remarked as he held Satan tightly, and Satan squeezed back gratefully.
“I love it, thank you. And..” He gazed at every single one of his brothers’ hoping they would truly understand just how much they meant to him. “I love all of you.”
They all gasped before their eyes filled with tears. They tried to get closer to him, to squeeze him tighter, but it inevitably pushed them all to the ground. They began to bicker and shove each other away so they could be closer to Satan. As they fought like usual, Satan realized that he wouldn’t want this day to go any other way.
He loved them dearly and only prayed that he would be blessed to spend many more years like this with them.