King Lycus was racked with his violent coughing. Blood splattered on the floor; the pope rushed to his side, calling out to the guards who had long gone and escaped in fear of the colossal monster standing in the colosseum.
The queen and the prince were escorted out by Cardinal Demetrius. Eros peeped at the king, waving at him with eyes as big and sparkly as a newborn's.
"Hurry up, father, you don't want to die, do you?"
Pope Uri and Rorik tried to use their joint force to move Lycus, yet he didn't budge from his spot. "Your Majesty, we have to leave, it's no longer safe here! Rorik, carry him if you have to!"
"Papa!" Theo warned.
A holy magic circle spread underneath their feet on the floor of the royal box. Salem jumped from tier to tier until he reached the cubicle where the king, pope, Theo and Rorik were. Uri glowered at him, cursing him to the very depths of hell.
"Why did you summon Behemoth?"
Salem shrugged. "I was hoping it would execute the prince in my stead. The prince seemed to be a spawn of one of the seven devils. I theorized it."
Rorik nearly went bald from hearing that. "You THEORIZED it? You mean to tell me that this mess you made was born from your ungodly speculations?"
"Should I repeat myself, cardinal? Besides, are you turning a deaf ear to what that monster behind me said? The king of this country is parasitized by one of the seven rulers of hell."
Lycus took in a sharp breath of air, grabbing Salem who stepped down from the balustrade. His skin was pale and clammy.
"I shouldn't have trusted a damn rat like you!"
Salem nodded, holding his shaky hands. "I agree with you. Who is stupid enough to trust a convicted murderer that easily?"
Lycus was attacked with another hack with heaves in the middle as a momentary break. Salem's hold on him tightened. "But you know, Your Majesty? Canaan still needs you. I'll let you live and suffer a bit more."
Rorik couldn't hold his temper any further, he hauled Lycus' shoulder back, directing the head of his hammer to Salem's head. Theo, understanding who the enemy was, brought out his pocketbook and pocketwatch, casting a spell to slow down Salem's movements. Pope Uri wheeled his scepter in between his fingers, light beams shot at the convict's direction. Salem fully squatted, extending his arms to Uri and Theo with two of his fingers up. He broke Theo's spell and deflected Uri's beams of light before spinning on his feet and tripping Rorik. He grabbed the king and leaped out of the box, tossing the man as if he wasn't wearing weight-bearing clothing and armor. His golden crown shimmering with exorbitant and precious gems fell off from his head. The mesh covering his face fluttered away, exposing his spellbinding features despite being pale and sickly in appearance.
Behemoth's eyes slanted in amusement. He pointed at Lycus' shivering form, deciding to help Salem one last time before heading off to his sanctuary. The zap of cleansing light reached the king. A shadow separated from the king's shadow, slithering away and acting as a watery black goo at the corner.
"Asmodeus, return to hell with your brothers. You know very well that this is not your land to walk upon."
Rorik jumped off the box, catching the king before he became a mere splatter of blood on the ground. His weight caused a slight tremble on the floor.
The shadow chuckled and slowly built the form of a man. Sunkissed skin surfaced from the lean flesh. A young man with rabbit ears and a pair of goat horns nestling on a bed of light coral hair continuously snickered. His wings had red feathers similar to a peacock's. He was wearing a red skirt tunic fastened by a golden belt with dangly golden straps. The tip of his swaying mischievous tail was shaped like a heart. He had a golden metallic forehead protector that glimmered despite the lack of light. There was a red sash hemmed with gold running diagonally over his muscular torso.
"Behemoth, dear, why do you have to severe the fun?"
Behemoth's nose released a strong and hot steam from his nostrils. "I'm thousands of years early to be here. The next time you see me, it'll be when judgment day comes upon this planet."
He glanced at the king and then at the pope before landing his frown at Salem. "I won't forget you, human. Let this be the last time I'll see you."
A fiery magic circle dispersed Behemoth into tiny orange glitters. Asmodeus flashed his fanged grin at Salem. Uri and Theo managed to come down the stairs. Bishops, pastors, priests and deacons who had strong holy faiths gathered around them. The others had either escaped or fainted.
Asmodeus rolled his eyes. His heart shaped pupils gleamed red. Salem wasn't expecting Behemoth to be this stingy with helping them. But with humans screwing up their chances, Behemoth must have gotten exhausted from lending a hand.
The men, bearing their sworn faith to Elysia, prepared to lunge at the demon lord with their weapons without waiting for the pope's or the cardinal's command.
"Wait, don't get close to him!" Rorik screamed.
They didn't hear him. There was something loud about the demon lord's face that consumed their focus and occupied their thoughts. Asmodeus' smile widened, winking at them which stopped them at their toes. The king slapped away the pope's hands, charging ahead and grabbing his sword from the sheath hanging on his belt. He slashed the enraptured and aroused men without second thoughts, stabbing the last one in his back and clobbering his face with his raging fists.
"He's mine! Get away from him, you dirty muppets!"
Asmodeus couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. This time Uri nudged Salem.
"We have to save him, grab the king."
Salem nodded. Uri clasped his hands together, praying as he sprinted nimbly towards Asmodeus. Uri's body oozed with sweltering mist.
Asmodeus grabbed the bow and an arrow from his back. He stretched the string with the arrow attached, gathering swirling dark winds at the tip of the arrow. The moment he released the string a wave of sandstorm blew away the corpses that the king killed and shook the entire structure of the coliseum, spilling sand everywhere. Pope Uri enclosed the living with holy bubbles, preventing them from being carried away by the violent sandstorm.
Salem took a hold of the sickly king, handing him over to Theo who emitted healing green light from his palms. The skies remained gray. Uri staked his scepter on the layers of sand; his mouth continuously muttering his prayers with closed eyes.
"God the Father, lead us with your guiding light.
The earth is scorched by the sins of your children.
The devil walks upon the land to corrupt our brethren.
Hear me, oh dear Father, bless us with your divine waters.
Fill this land, extend your mighty hand, and do not let us waiver."
Fountains of water blasted holes around the battle area, quickly congesting the coliseum. Asmodeus flapped his wings, troubled by the sight of water.
"You got me with water, dear, how did you know I despise it?"
The pope slightly smiled. "You may have overcome your abhorrence with birds, but I know that water will always remind you of the Heavenly Father who gave you life."
Asmodeus stared at the pope curiously but decided to dwell on it later.
"I'll leave you a parting gift. I am a generous lord, after all. Like Father, I know how to make rain."
There was a piercing drop from the skies which they easily spotted. The gradual pitter patter wasn't a raindrop, but rather, thousands of arrows. Asmodeus playfully twirled around like a bird waking up to a nice morning. Lycus stared at him blankly, blood dripping from his chin.
"Asmodeus, break whatever curse you put on me. I don't want this repulsive affection I have for you anymore."
The demon lord's grin lessened. "Believe it or not, I didn't put any spell on you, my dear king."
Lycus loured. Asmodeus vanished after giving him one last wink, leaving red and sparkly glitters in his place.
Salem whistled. "Uh oh, that's a lot of arrows."
Rorik grabbed Salem's shoulders and shook him like a bottle of salt.
"Do something you moron!"
Salem glanced at the bewildered Lycus. "I'll do something if the king promises to leave me in peace and to give me fifty cows as payment for terrorizing me."
This convict was as unbearable as a demon lord.
A few families of Hiraeth embraced each other in preparation for their inevitable end caused by the raining arrows. Most of them believed it was God's punishment over their misdeeds therefore they stood with pride in acceptance, holding each other's hands to face the consequences of their transgressions.
Gasps and murmurs spilled in the air and a set of gigantic hands covered the city like looming clouds. The citizens fell to their knees, intertwining their hands together with glee and gratefulness.
"It's God's protection! We're saved. We're saved!"
The man who screamed that praise screamed again but for a different reason. Adonis, who was as white as paper, gripped his arm tightly. His stomach was swollen as if it would burst any moment.
"Help me…Get this thing out of me!!!"