The story of the FALLEN

4. Demonology

“Drop that!” Layla shouts, all grossed out.

“It’s food.” Nakir replies. He is holding a tiny, scroungy ball of fur in his hand and the look on his face tells her he is serious about eating it.

“Drop the cat! Just look at it. You have no idea where it’s been. It’s all scroungy and ill looking.” Layla slaps his hand, but he is stronger than she is. He spins out of her way and the evil smirk on his face angers her even more.

“It’s food.” Nakir repeats. Basically, everything is food for the angel of death.

“It’s still alive, barely.” Layla adds while she tries to rescue the tiny kitten.

“Spoilsport! Now you have to buy me lunch.” Nakir glares at her, but hands over the kitten.

“Ahem?” Zack clears his throat. He’s standing by the door with Father Simon in tow. The scene would be hilarious if he didn’t know that Nakir meant it. Everything is food. “We have company. Try to behave for one day.”

“Maybe.” Nakir and Layla respond as he realizes what the gagging sounds coming from Father Simon meant.

“Second door on your left.” Zack tells the priest and walks over to the bickering angels. “Hand over the kitten.”

“You’re not eating it.” Layla growls.

“Of course not. Layla, you can go buy some cat food. What do kittens this small eat, anyway?” Zack smirks at Nakir. “You, my dark friend, have a job to do. Simon found a book on demons.”

“Why me?” Nakir rolls his eyes. “I’m not a demon expert.”

“Neither am I, but you read Aramaic. I don’t.” Zack hands over the book and grins.

“Spoilsport.” Nakir grunts, but he opens the red-bound book all the same. He’s carefully turning the pages and murmuring to himself. Zack sits on the other chair and holds the tiny kitten in his lap. The cat is barely moving at all, but it’s alive.

“Where did the pretty lady go?” Simon inquires when he emerges from the bathroom.

“To buy cat food.” Zack answers. “Here. Take the kitten. You’ll feel better if you know the munchkin is safe.”

“Did you just name the thing?” Nakir looks up from the book. “I think Asmodeus would be better. It’s black.”

“So you think a black cat should automatically have a name with a negative or evil meaning?” Simon asks.

“No. There is nothing evil about Asmodeus. The Prince of Hell just is. He’s mostly indifferent about everything.” Nakir shrugs. “His minions, the Ashmodi, though, are pure evil. And they have wings.”

“You think that’s what Layla and Tammy saw? One of the Ashmodi?” Zack leans in to see if the book has illustrations or not.

“Maybe. We can ask Layla when she comes back.” Nakir says. He keeps looking over to Simon and the kitten.

“Stop eying the cat. I’ll order lunch.” Zack shakes his head.

“What? I was looking at Simon here. I wish he was a Templar, that’s all.” Nakir responds.

“There are no more Templar Knights. The pope will never allow that order to be reestablished.” Simon replies. “I thought you needed a researcher?”

“ The Templars were fun.” Zack answers. “Can you fight?”

“Fight? You mean like fists and … ?” Simon wonders.

“Martial arts, swords, guns,... heck, bows and arrows for all I care.” Nakir scoffs.

“What about bows and arrows?” Tammy inquires. She comes with a stack of pizza boxes and Zack swings out of her way to get plates and beer.

“Trying to find out what kind of skills Simon has.” Nakir tells her. “It was about time for the pizza to get here, I’m starving.”

“This time I believe him.” Zack laughs. “He tried to eat Munchkin.”

“What is Munchkin? Sounds like food to me.” Tammy perks up.

“It’s the cat. And we’re not naming it Munchkin.” Nakir glares at Simon.

“Not my call. I’m just guarding it.” Simon mumbles.

“That lil’ ball? I thought you had one of those fluffy keychain thingies?” Tammy pokes the kitten with her finger.

“That’s not important right now.” Zack, insists. “Someone needs to teach Simon how to fight. I’d hate to lose another researcher.”

“This time I actually agree. Simon found a book on demons.” Nakir nods.

“Oh! Great! We have a book.” Layla shouts and scares Simon out of his chair.

“Where did she come from? Are you a witch? Can you teleport?” Simon looks at Layla with wide eyes.

“Through the door. Not a witch. And they can’t teleport either.” Layla answers with a grin. “I like this one. Let’s keep him.”

The casual lunch quickly turned to messing with Simon and a vote on the cat's name. The little rescue will be called Asmodeus. And Tammy was volunteered to be Simon's fighting instructor. He will learn how to fight or die trying. Zack really hopes that she doesn’t kill the priest. That would be hard to cover up. Especially with the fresh murder of Father Angus still unresolved.

“Let’s get this show on the road.” Nakir suddenly declares. The drapes on the windows close on their own and the dim light from outside is just right for a demonstration.

“What do you have there?” Layla inquires.

“The book our dear Simon here found. Demons 101 according to some ancient Zorastrian scholar.'' Nakir chuckles. “Is this the demon you saw?”

Shadows begin dancing on the white drapes and form a very odd looking figure with leathery wings and deformed hands. Long beak-like protrusion in the front of the head and horns growing in different directions.

“No. It looked more like a giant bat with humanoid hands.” Tammy shakes her head.

“Let me see.” Nakir murmurs. He flips a few pages and commands the shadows to re-form. “Like this?”

“Yes!” Layla shouts. “That thing is gross. What is it?”

“It should be a harmless night demon. They are guardians of the cemeteries. The entities are called Daevas and they are never alone. They can lure humans to their deaths, they can whisper evil thoughts and doom someone. But I don’t see why they would attack you.” Nakir explains.

“Are you sure you have the right ones? It was vicious. It tried to bite me.” Tammy asks Nakir. “Is there another winged creature in there that looks similar, but nasty?”

Nakir flips the pages and curses in four ancient languages as he does so. Zack would be amused, but he’s not sure how well versed Simon is in long-dead languages. Judging from the serene expression, not much. Simon has his gaze fixed on the show. The shadows on the curtains dance around and form random creatures. He can recognize a few, but what in hell does a Pegasus have to do with demons? Or is that just Nakir venting his frustrations?

“There are no more winged demons in this book. I think I remember one from long ago, maybe it’s that one?” Nakir shrugs. He closes the book carefully and the shadows form a new creature. Leather wings and human-looking hands. Long body and flowing hair. Beak instead of a mouth and horns on its head.

“That looks more like it. What is it?” Layla whispers.

“That is an Aeria. They are winged demons of the air that live just below the moon.” Nakir explains. “They are not supposed to be on this plane of existence. They can’t thrive here, so that would make them vicious and aggressive.”

“It looks right.” Tammy says. “Where do you know it from?”

“I saw them a long time ago.” Nakir tells her. “They mean trouble.”

“I can look for more books.” Simon suddenly reminds them that he’s still there.

“Can you get your hands on a demonology book by Psellos? He was a Byzantine monk, who lived around 1000 a.d. I think?” Nakir asks Simon.

“I will see what I can do. We have a good network, maybe one of the other houses could help out. I don’t have to say why I need it. I’m a researcher, we exchange books all the time.” Simon tells them.

“That’s good to know.” Zack nods. “So? Who is trolling demons in the park tonight?”

“That’s a loaded question?” Nakir glares at him. “What’s the other job?”

“Let me tell you!” Tammy laughs. “Someone needs to drive Simon home.”

“Where does Simon live?” Nakir inquires.

“Simon is right here.” Simon holds his hand up. “It’s really uncomfortable the way you talk about me as if I’m an object. I have feelings, too.”

“Get used to it.” Layla smiles and drapes herself all over Simon’s back. “You will go through your share of hazing and ridicule, before you become a temporary member of our team. Learn to deal.”

“Temporary?” Simon whispers. He is red as a tomato and clearly very un-accustomed to a woman's hand anywhere on his body. And there is still the back of the chair between them. He would probably die of a stroke from the direct contact of skin on skin.

“Guys? Remember, we need him alive.” Zack punctuates the words clearly. He’s not an exception, he will mock and haze him with them, but in moderation. There is only so much a human can take, and they only just got him.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Simon.” Layla smiles at him. “You are mortal, we’re not. That is why your membership on our team is temporary.”

“I get it now.” Simon nods. He still hasn’t regained his color. The shock was too great for him.

“Who is driving Simon back to Oxford?” Zack asks his team.

“I will.” Nakir declares. The bored expression on his face is a front, he is clearly up to something. “And I promise to keep him alive.”

Zack can’t stop thinking about Simon, but he knows he can trust Nakir to get the priest back home in one piece. Will his mental health be intact is another thing? Hopefully. The rustling of the bushes brings him out of his thinking and all his attention is on the said bush. What will it be? A demon or just an animal? He can see Tammy looking at the same bush from a few meters away. Will it move? Or not, because they are both staring at it? What is in there? He can’t smell anything, so maybe just an animal?

Zack flies backwards fast and his wings flap in reaction, before he can fold them in. He was surprised out of his skin, but he recovered in no time. The black mass he is looking at has leathery wings, long arms and a terrifying beak. And the demon is not alone. Tammy is running the few steps to get to him and they both draw the swords out. She can’t do anything at this close range with her bow.

“I believe you. These are vicious!” Zack shouts and slashes at the demon.

“They don’t look right. Not like the one Nakir showed us.” She responds.

“Similar, but not the same. What are they?” He asks her.

“Don’t know. Kill them first, we can discuss them later.” Tammy grunts. She is doing her best to subdue the demon and that is saying a lot for the thing. They never had much trouble eliminating demons before, but this is a workout. Is someone messing around with genetic experiments? Is someone creating these? He tries the trick they all learned early on and sets his blade on fire. The demon is not scared of it at all.

“Definitely not air demons. They would shy away from fire, not be drawn to it.” He shouts to Tammy.