Thump, thump. It calls out. Thump, thump, thump… It screams to come closer. The dark form crawls forward, slipping through the shadows and mist of the forest. It moves with frantic steps, muscles and bones working together as one, as the scent of decay trails behind the form. The devil peers through hooded eyes, dark and hollow. There is a glimpse of nutmeg hue, but it is mostly lost in the swirl of shadows and hunger. Its eyes search across the forest quickly; it is a hellhound sent on a trail to hunt. It weaves through the ancient pine trees with ease as the mist blinds the decomposing creature from the path set in front. It did not matter though; the dark form knew exactly what direction it was heading to. The absence from this land did not allow for the devil to forget. Once, long ago, it had been a native dweller of the Chamber. It had been something special to this land, a king, but always a servant to hell, chained to the very epitome of darkness. THUMP, THUMP. The sound is closer now. It beckons the creature of the night like a temptress during the hours of the wolf. Oh, how the devil answers to her through disagreement. A familiar hunger for blood fills the animal’s eyes. It is so strong, an instinct that cannot be denied for much longer. However, it could never resist the calling, not even when it lurked within the very depths of the devil’s own soul. As the forest trees begin to dwindle away, the land opens before the hellion. A repugnant smirk grows across its tattered lips. It steps forward into the light, revealing a disaster, an old fable told to scare young children before bedtime. The heathen is strung together by bones and muscles. Cartilage, ligaments, and tendons are the only thing that hold it in one peace. Rotted flesh hangs in strips and patches all over the creature’s body. As it moves forward, bones crack, rattling against one another. The devil’s eyes are sunken, hollowed, and lifeless. It is only a hunger that fills and gives life to the decomposing body. “There,” it coos softly with a deep, raspy voice, “Th-There you are.” It stands beneath the heart of the kingdom. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. The heart rattles underneath the devil’s body.   “I’ve come back… for you.”

Rodrik

angels banished from heaven have no choice but to become devils