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"Hello, puppy," a voice said, hanging in the air. Caelen jumped, hand on his holster as he turned around.
"You..." his eyes narrowed, teeth gritting, as he saw the owner of the house, the house of the god the man once served. Ashkariel, the fallen angel, is his fallen angel. He didn't want to say anything, not now, not ever, but as soon as Ashkariel met, with that...that thing, he was never the same.
"What does my puppy owe me, this humble meeting?" Ashkariel bent down slightly to be eye to eye with the police. A soft, hostile growl came from Caelen’s throat. He saw that the once clear, green eyes were tinted with pink and black, a sign of the thing taking its mark on the once-holy man. Before the police could even answer, the thing stepped out. A demon, one by nature, but an incubus by name. He, that was the thing that took over Ashkariel, broke him.
"Why, hello, it seems we have a guest on our hands." The police took a step back, his hand tightening on his holster,
"Demon..." he shuddered out, his eyes darting between Ashkariel and the demon,
"I'm an incubus, darling." His voice was like honey and velvet, twined together.
"Puppy," Ashkariel had stepped away from Zanny, stepping closer and closer to the police K9, who kept moving back. The police knew Ashkariel was under some spell? Temptation? he didn't know for sure, but his eyes gave it away.
"H-hey...please...stop- mm!" Caelen was cut off by Ashkariel, who grabbed his chin roughly and angled it up so their eyes met.'
The police's eyes shifted to Zanny, and he had amusement written all over his face.
"It's ironic, honestly," Zanny spoke, still standing at the doors of the house of the god Ashkariel once served in,
"Ashkariel, there, in front of you," the eyes of the police flickered quickly to Ashkariel before returning to Zanny. The demon walked out of the doorway and stood right behind Ashkariel,
"This one," he jested to Ashkariel,
"It was very easy to convince him to make a deal." A sinister smile graced Zanny's lips,
"And angels are said to be God's strongest warriors," as Zanny kept speaking, the soft, hostile growling resurfaced, but it was louder.
"Cute," Zanny said, and he placed a hand on Ashkariel's shoulder.
Ashkariel released his grip from the police and stared idly blankly—nothing behind his eyes. Caelen examined his friend, wondering how to break him out of this contract, out of this daze.
"...release him..." the police muttered quietly, the smile on Zanny's lips grew.
"Pardon?"
"Release...him..."
"And why should I?" The question, while simple, made the police's blood run cold,
"It isn't right! It's illegal-"
"Like you're righteous?" Ashkariel spoke, Caelen looked to him, his eyes, no longer pink and black, it was red and black.
"I'm a police officer, I uphold the law", Ashkariel's voice filtered in rage with each word.
"You aren't righteous, nor do you do any good." he was seething, soft whimpers came from the police, his once high ears dropping.
"You allow people to get away with things, and only catch bad guys if it benefits you!" he yelled.
"I- ...no...i..." There was a scoff from Ashkariel as the police tried to form words of defence.
He grabbed Caelen's face again, his long nails pressing marks into the police's jaw and cheeks, drawing blood,
"Puppy, think about it," Ashkariel smiled, with no warmth or genuine happiness.
"You aren't a good boy," the whimpering started again, but the police didn't know if it was from Ashkariel's words or the pain of his nails piercing his skin.
"And, it's cute that you think I need saving," Ashkariel let go,
"But," he walked back to Zanny, and Zanny smiled as he wrapped his wing around Ashkariel,
"I don't need saving, if anything, Zanny."
"He is saving me from you."
And with that, Ashkariel and Zanny walked back to the house of the once served god, and the doors closed behind them. Leaving the police outside.
"Please..." Caelen begged, not like they could hear him,
"Please...come back," he was begging Ashkariel,
"Come back to me...don't..don't..." his words became more coherent.
"Don't leave me...for him..." tears fell from his eye; it was ironic, as the rain soon fell too.
"Hush, enough of this. Come with me..." a voice came from behind the police. He looked up. It was a shikigami, Shiki, Caelen. Now, a void of emotions listened. He followed Shiki, returning to the nearby temple, far from the house where Ashkariel stood, now under a contractual spell by Zanny.
Incubi, succubi… pitiful little things, scrambling for whatever they desire. Laughable, really," Shiki told Caelen, but the police weren't listening, still in his own head. Shiki took notice and sighed,
"The world gives little, and even less reaches those unworthy… not that it matters to me," he said, and stopped walking to stand in front of Caelen. He looked up with a blank-nothing stare,
"Do as you will, as you uphold the rules. The rest? Pitiful, fumbling, chasing ends they cannot command."
"I'm not the law," Caelen said, dejected,
"He said I'm not a good boy, I'm not righteous," he said, walking ahead. Shiki quickly got ahead of Caelen, but he spoke some words that stuck with Caelen.
"Can any of us call ourselves righteous… or are all just playing the game to reach what we desire?"
They had made it to the temple, where two other men sat. Shiki continued on, but Caelen stood at the gates, thinking of what had just been said.
Was anyone truly righteous?