Rabdos, now a full-fledged demon, turned to face his new cadre of minions. The lemurs kept their maggoty faces pushed into the sooty soil of Hell as befit their station. As the absolute lowest caste in Hell the lemurs, the hideous cross between maggot, insect, and lizard, knew their place well. Two of the imps stood as fully erect as their slight eighteen inch forms would allow, hiding their fear behind false bravado. One imp cowered as the lemurs did, though his face peaked out from behind one leathery wing to observe his new master. This one was crafty. He would be the example.
Before Rabdos could make any move a third of the lemurs exploded off the soil in a cloud shrieking in anger and leapt at him. He smiled as he adjusted his stance and brought his axe up as he had been taught. He ducked and rolled to one side as the cloud of lemurs passed him by. The roll brought him to his feet to one side where he brought his axe up once again leveling it at the attacking lemurs just as they landed. A crackle of red electricity shot out catching half the group as they rebounded, launching another attack. Those lemurs caught by the electricity exploded in wet clouds of gore, but their fellows continued on undaunted. Rabdos calmly began swatting the attacking lemurs with his axe, shifting his position in a circular fashion as he did. After only three steps he had dealt with nearly all the remaining attacking lemurs. Another burst of electricity finished off the stragglers.
The commotion on the floor of Hell did not go unobserved. While Satan and his riders had left the dais they had not fully departed the area, rather retiring to a balcony above. The riders paused to observe the commotion, but the black smoky cloud that housed Satan continued to move to the back of the balcony and a separate vantage over another portion of Hell. Something large and scaly moved in the darkness below Satan.
“He does well, Master,” the Red Rider said in a firm, authoritarian if not gravelly voice.
“Someone has instructed him in the use of an axe,” the White Rider said still bristling at losing so valuable a prize.
“Perhaps,” Satan said, gazing into the darkness beneath him.
“Will you not seek out the transgressor for punishment?” the White Rider asked, shifting his gaze to the Red Rider.
“War does not disobey the master,” the Red Rider announced emphatically facing his antagonist. “Perhaps Conquest who seeks victory at all costs was preparing the imp for greater deeds?”
“I did not have the vision,” the White Rider of Conquest responded.
“In all battles there are generals and soldiers. The generals give the orders and the soldiers follow them. I am a staunch soldier for my general,” the Red Rider of War said turning to face Satan, drawing his sword, and dropping to one knee as he buried the point in the stone of the balcony.
Both the Black Rider of Famine and the Pale Rider of Death took cautious steps back. The twin points of light in the oily cloud turned to regard the kneeling rider. Satan moved from his view toward the kneeling rider and noted with satisfaction a subtle tension as the rider realized he was coming. However, rather than stopping at his kneeling minion Satan continued to the opposite balcony rail and watched as Rabdos finished off the last of the lemurs with his final burst of red electricity.
“Rise. You have not disobeyed me,” Satan said and waited until the rider of war started to rise before finishing. “This time.”
The voice of Rabdos rose from the floor of Hell below.
“You seek to test me before all. Now you see I am physically your better. See also I have out thought you as well,” the new demon said. Without another word he turned to face the still cowering imp. The imp realized his feigned fear had been seen through and launched himself at his master. Rabdos was fully ready for the attack bringing the axe up and arching down to intercept the attacking imp. The blow severed the imp’s right arm fully, dropping the creature in a heap of dark fluid and twitching limb.
Rabdos brought the axe down again three more times in quick succession severing all of the imp’s remaining limbs. Just as quickly, Rabdos produced a ball of hellfire in one clawed hand and began to press the burning substance against the spurting stumps that had been the imp’s arms and legs. With the blood flow staunched Rabdos placed his clawed hand on the imp’s chest and infused the creature with life force to replenish that which he was rapidly losing.
“He saved him,” the Pale Rider of Death said in slight confusion.
“No, not saved, I think,” Famine said.
“Certainly not,” Satan added.
“I would seek compensation for such a loss, master,” Conquest said in overt deference.
“Hmm, we shall see,” Satan responded.
“He is mine,” War said staring flatly at Conquest.
“Yes, indeed he is yours. I don’t think I’ve seen such a creatively cruel spirit since you engineered the Second World War, but then who is that creative, hmm?” Satan said returning his gaze to the scene below as the observing demons of Hell began to gather around their newly risen peer.
Guardians of the Herald is a weekly serial published and copyright by The Cavalier, Mark Malcolm. For more information about this story please join us on our Facebook page community at www.facebook.com/firstchevalierbooks.
