Blaze of Glory

Imagine it, if you will. The end of the world has come. It was left hung in ambiguity as good and bad decided to duke it out differently than what’s been foretold. God, in their royal glory and Lucifer in their dark glory appears on a neutral zone.

The end of the world came with no blaze of glory and no perilous trumpets of doom. The world would still remain, but those that have succumbed to their fate are what hangs in the balance. Will humanity lose as a whole and either join one faction of light or darkness?

“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, Hashmel, old friend.” Lucifer says.

“You didn’t win that day you were cast out, what makes you think you’ll win now?” Hashmel says.

“Oh-ho. Look who’s trying to play the-all loving and endearing monarch. Admit it, Hashy, you got off on torturing your “children” as much as you loved saving them. What a hero complex you’ve got.” Lucifer says.

“I’ll not trade barbs with the likes of you.”

“What will you trade with, Hashy?”

“Don’t call me Hashy. We are not close friends, you moral-less excuse of a bitter squash.”

“Aww, so mean, Hashmel. We were once the same.”

“We were not.”

Behind each of them is their large army. Demons on one side, ready to devour the souls of the people while the angels on the other side to save the souls. They are all ready to fight.

“We shall play a game to see who wins the lot.” Lucifer says.

Lucifer is clearly more man than demon. He has horns on his head that resembles a ram and there is black on his hands that goes up his arm to the middle of his forearm. His nails are a reflective red color.

Hashmel is a rather tall man with his long ginger red hair in a loose bun and braid. He has a halo of golden light around him.

There’s a table and chairs. They walk closer to the table. Lucifer’s right hand follows along. A gender neutral demon warrior, that likes to dress slightly more feminine. A bulky, armor clad angel steps up with Hashmel.

They sit down.

There is some tension building up between the two of them. A form begins to appear, moving towards them. Lucifer sighs lightly. The form appears and Lucifer groans, looking away. She grabs the back of the chair and pulls it out and sits down.

She sighs lightly. “Hello, boys. I told you this day would come.”

“What’re you doing here, Beast?” Lucifer asks. She smiles lightly.

“I’m throwing my hat into the ring as it were.”

“What’re you talking about, Knight?” Hashmel asks.

“Well…” she crosses her legs. “You are fighting for the lives of earth. So, I want to fight you for the souls of earth as well.”

“You never cared before. Why start now?” Lucifer asks.

“I have my reasons.”

“Of course you do. The souls of your musicians.” Hashmel catches on.

“Take your people and go. This is a game for men.”

“Then both of you are disqualified.”

“This has been our realm—”

“Let’s be honest here. I’m more of a man than both of you and I belong to this world way more than either of you. Have either of you willingly walked on the surface without interfering with the lives of humans? Have either of you actually just walked amongst them?”

“Not willingly.” Lucifer says.

“Of course. They’re my people.” Hashmel says. She scoffs.

“They’re just disgusting mud walkers in your eyes.” She says. Hashmel is already annoyed by her presence. She has never done anything to him, but he has seen his fair share of meddling from her, but without consequences.

“Will you fight us, if one of us wins?” Lucifer asks.

She looks over at him and smiles evilly.

“I think your demons know what I’m capable of.”

“I’ll not lose to you Beast.” He says. She smiles, excited to get the game going.

Knight has more of a beef with Lucifer than she does Hashmel. He’s often opposed her in all of her moves, but she’s been able to knock him off his throne. There were several times that she had almost taken over his realm, but she didn’t want such a dank realm.

“If you win?” Hashmel ask, he’s gonna play the advocate.

She smiles lightly. “Earth is mine and you both have no claims over the souls that are or have been.”

“Your taking our…”

“Oh by the gods no. You keep those. I don’t want them.”

“Then…we just watch?” Lucifer asks. She looks at him.

“Can you do that?” She smarts. He scoffs and looks away.

“Don’t let her talk to you like that.” Lucifer’s warrior states. Knight looks over at the snooty demon.

“Such words coming from a half demon.” She says.

“I’ll teach you a thing or two—” the demon says and starts for her, but Lucifer stops her. That hook earring has been covered by his demons blood many times before. The demon groans and grumbles and backs away.

“I’m not much of a spectator.” Hashmel says.

She scoffs. “Since when?”

He looks over at her, surprised.

“That’s all you ever do. Your “people” have cried to you for help, but you remained silent. Or worse yet, you send one of your rejects to visit upon them and judge if they’re worthy or not. As if you and your angels are above judgement.”

He swallows hard.

“She’s got you there, Hashy.” Lucifer chuckles. He looks over at the Devil, Lucifer and then at her.

“Let’s play, shall we?” Hashmel asks.

Mahjong tiles appear and they mix them up and start setting them up.

“Need the rules explained to you, Lu?” Knight asks, teasing. He huffs, but doesn’t answer. They start playing. It’s an intense game. Both sides are quiet. The tension is thicker than pea soup.

Hashmel and Lucifer, both, don’t want to lose to the Beast. She doesn’t originate in their realm, so she is impossible to control. She does as she pleases on their realm, but they have no access to hers. That’s what she finds hilarious.

This game of mahjong is different.

“I see your strategy, Hashmel.” Lucifer says. Neither of them want to be defeated by this creature called the Beast. She had inserted herself into this world and made a major dent in life here. Almost made themselves irrelevant in their own home.

The world’s natural order is destruction and rebirth. Lucifer and Hashmel no longer have the power to sustain the earth. The strength of destruction is so strong. Half of the population has perished. The other half hangs in the balance.

“What’re your plans with the earth, Beast?” Lucifer asks.

“Worried?” She looks over at him.

“You are evil.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment coming from you.” She smarts. He scoffs. The game continues. The armored angel slyly moves to try and look at Knight’s tiles, but something attacks him. He screams and moves back and eventually falls to the ground. A little black mist swirls around her and forms into a black fox with a kitsune mask. Hashmel is a little freaked out by it.

“My Lord, I can’t see!” The armored angel yells. “Please! Heal me!” He yells. He can feel it eating away at his optic nerve. Hashmel can’t leave the table or he forfeits.

“What did you do to him?” Hashmel asks. She smiles a crooked smile and looks at him.

“Cheating is a horrid habit. Even in angels. So, I dealt with it in the best way possible.” She explains.

“He needs to be taught consequences otherwise he’ll end up like me.” Lucifer says.

“You were one of the greatest creations he ever made and yet you went against him.” Knight says. He huffs at her. They continue to play the game. It’s getting to the end. The tiles are being built, discarded and added.

Knight puts her tiles down. The two groan. They really don’t want to lose to her. She laughs lightly and the points are tallied by a third person party. The woman herself, mother nature. The two men look at her as she tallies the points and awards Knight with the winning hand. She smiles and stands up.

“No! I demand a recount!” Lucifer says.

“You lost fair and square, Lucy boy.” Knight says.

“Don’t call me that. I demand another game. She must have cheated.”

“You cannot cheat with nature tiles.” Mother nature says. The tiles disappear. Knight claps lightly.

“I’ll not lose to a Beast!” Lucifer yells. Hashmel stands up. The table disappears. Lightning strikes, making the demons and angels move back. Lucifer cannot be killed because he is the other scale of balance to earth. Mother Nature just watches in silence.

Lucifer looks at Knight. “I may be a Beast, but you’re the true animal.” She says.

“The souls that have perished. Where shall they be directed?” Mother Nature asks.

“I’ll decide that with a simple game. Greed or charity.” She walks away. Mother Nature follows behind. Lucifer and Hashmel have lost. They don’t even get to have their apocalypse like they wanted. Now…now, they’re just dethroned figureheads. She didn’t take their power or their place in the world, but she humbled them. All these years of her playing games on earth, even mother nature wants her to win, and now she has her chance. She’s the queen of two worlds.

“I don’t know about you, Hashmel, but I don’t like this.” Lucifer says, standing up.

“What can we do about it?” He’s ready to just deal with the cards that fate has dealt him.

“If you are just an enraged as I am, then meet me on the Paolba plane.” He walks away. The demon army and Lucifer return to their underworld. Hashmel and the angels are left in confusion. They eventually retreat back to their realm. The field is emptied.

The human race is saved…

For the time being.

Who knows…? She may allow the humans to go the way of the dinosaurs. Giving them a nudge along the way.

End