The Devil’s Intern Part 10

Day four of Internship Week was nothing too hectic (all things considered). Joshua was sitting inside Lu's office, listening to the boss negotiate a bargain with a potential client. Another lesson that Joshua had to learn was that while there are demons that make deals with most humans, some wish to speak directly to the source. 

While the negotiations seemed to go on forever, Joshua was lucky that he brought his prized notebook along so he draw more action-packed doodles. His little cross was placed comfortably between the pages, serving as a marker for when he wishes to continue his work. His pencil as mighty as a sword obeyed him as he etched out new figures and characters in his ongoing artistic crusade.

The client didn't seem too interesting. Just another young, up-and-coming athlete looking for a way to boost his reputation. He heard from a buddy of where he can summon a demon that can grant him his greatest desires, with a cost of course. The specifics of the cost was not disclosed but the young man found himself within one of Inferno Tower's office spaces; and then he was talking to the man in charge.

"Just sign on the dotted line," the devil persuaded. His smirk sinister as ever. "and your success shall come to you—give or take a few days. But you'll be the biggest MVP this north of the states!"

The client smiled and shrugged, taking the pen and ready to sign the mystic paper contract. When he pressed on the ball-point, he felt a quick pinch like a needle tapped through his thumb. The vial inside pen filled itself with the client's blood. Blood was far more permanent than ink.

The athlete signed the paper and the deal was sealed. He was then transported back to where he had came through the enchanted elevator that transported anyone of Joshua's world to the demon world.

"Another day, another sucker," Lu flinched and then looked back to Joshua, "I mean, another satisfied customer!" He nervously smiled.

BLEEP! BLEEP! Saved by the intercom. Lilith's voiced echoed through, "Boss, you got a call from the President."

Lu pressed the button to answer. "President of what?"

"America."

"Must be asking for another extension on his deal. Hey Joshie, could you run a quick errand for me?"

"Sure," Joshua replied, closing his notebook, "What do you need?"

"I need you to pick up something from the front desk on the ninth floor."

"The n-ninth floor?" Joshua stammered, "W-where all the prisoners are?"

"They're in the secure cages designed by the best." Lu assured. "You'll be just fine. Just don't interact with any of the prisoners. Now hurry along, and don't keep me waiting."

Joshua was afraid but he still obeyed. He walked out of Lu's office, waved at Lilith when he walked by her desk, and entered in the lengthy hallway filled with detailed history. Painted in the walls were all the names of the devils before. Each had a short poem depicting their reign. 

Joshua stopped, gazing up at the horrific but stunning paintwork of each of the seven kings. The first one he saw was that of a demon with a man's body and the head of a dragon. Different hues of red, yellow, and orange wrapped around the body like it was bathing in a pool of fire. The scripture read:

             Satan, the first of our kin 

             To unite the World of Sin

            He sought to conquer the souls up high

            His wrath bled his enemies dry

            Death came sudden on the darkest day

           In his honor, his name, for eternal, we pray

The next one Joshua say he thought it looked disgusting. It depicted of a large, blob-like mass much like a snail or slug with the head and limbs of a fly, or maybe a cockroach. What kind of demon looked like that? In its foreground was mountains of food that the ancient demon seemed to be stuffing into its mandibles. This one read:

          When our King fell in flame

          Beelzebub, The Glutton, took His name

          He left no spoils or waste

         For his gluttonous taste

         He wished to be forever fed

         Until he ate himself dead

The third looked more humanoid compared to the others, with the exception of his massive horns above the brows and lion-like main around his neck. Naked men and women seemed to dangle around his arms like drunken monkeys on tree branches. It read:

          Asmodeus, The Lustful King

         Fathered many bastards—the Lecherous Offspring

         This would sing his claim

         Forever of his self-righteous fame

        The name of every lover, lady and lad

        Boasting about the best he ever gave and had

The fourth one was another humanoid creature with big fangs, hoofed feet, large eyes like an owl, and even a bird's beak for a mouth. Like the second king before him, there was a mountain in the foreground. But this mountain was made of gold. Even the small throne he sat in was gold too. The paint was sure enough to make sure the gold looked genuine—or maybe it was real gold they used. The scripture for this king read:

       Mammon, The Accountant

       Give him all the treasures, he'd rant

       Locked forever in this keep

       Locked forever away in the deep

       Mountains of Silver and Gold

       Forever hidden within his stronghold

Joshua was astound by all the paintings. As he walked further down the hall he saw the fifth king. A rather fat demon with a long mouth and large horns above his ears. This one seemed the least interesting because it depicted him sleeping on a wide bed. Even his scripture seemed dull:

      Malbolgia, had the shortest reign

      By birthright his throne claim

      The sloth would lay in his lair

      Letting others carry his affair

      He'd lie cozily in the Abysmal Deep

      Until killed by his Brother in his sleep

The next one gave Joshua chills. The detailed artistry of dead angels at the feet of this demon. The demon looked to be covered head to toe in armor as black as tar. It was difficult to tell if there was a man or monster underneath; but the piercing gave of its hellish red eyes and fiery, gaping maw was enough to scare anyone. 

It looked as though every one seemed to be afraid of this one. He noticed that some worker demons and a few souls refused to look or glanced away from this one. Its scripture read:

      Baracrus, the one who craved power

      Ruled Inferno the long, dark hour

      Feared by angel and demon alike 

      Slayed enemies through sword and pike

     The cruelty and malice he ordered in each breath

      Finally silenced, the War ended, with his death

Finally he had come to the current king, Lucifer. Not much was depicted other than he looked as he does now, but he wore a crimson armor instead of his red suit. But something in the background caught Joshua's eye. It looked as some monstrous dragon-dinosaur hybrid was shadowed by Lu. Lu's scripture read as it was:

      Our king, Lucifer, once God's angel

      Once was of the Heavens, cast into Hell

      He rules our realm with justly pride

      Yet beware, The Beast, locked inside

      The blood of the First Devil in his vein

      He'll carry with him until his last reign

The Beast. He had remembered the warnings of the Beast from his church sessions. But what did this mean? He had remembered that Rosie once told him that he saw another side to Lu. A side so menacing that it had once frightened her. But she said it, or he, saved her. Yet another tale was told about how it had attack his brother in a predatory rage. Joshua wasn't sure what to believe.

More history was graphed into the walls. A large, black mass crashing into a field of green. A heart forged in a sea of fire. Then there was one where demons were battling against some winged people on top of city in the clouds, and another where demons were dissolving in a large body of water where in the distant background some sort of boat or box was floating on top. The most disturbing Joshua saw was the graphic depiction of a burned man being transfigured into the hideous monster he saw inside Lu's painting.

"Quite marvelous, isn't it?" a low, haunting voice bellowed, forcing Joshua to jump. He turned to find Lu's adviser Legion was also looking upon the artwork. "Such craftsmanship. Such defined detail."

"These were all kings?" Joshua muttered nervously. "They were all devils?"

"Indeed." the ancient one answered. "Some were good kings, others not so much. He was the worst of them." Legion tapped his old staff on the painting of the sixth king, Baracrus. "We had many disagreements, him and I. What was to be done with prisoners of war. What was to be done with souls. His spiteful experiments."

"You served them all?"

"I did. I was also involved in some of the history depicted here."

Joshua looked around the mural some more. Then he spotted something that seemed off from the others. "What's the history behind that one?" he asked, pointing at a corner of the wall.

One of Legion's six eyes blinked at stared in the direction the boy pointed toward. "I believe Lord Lucifer has given you a task, Master Wordsworth." he bellowed. "It would be wise not to procrastinate so long on it."

Joshua hesitantly agreed. He walked away from the old demon sorcerer and entered inside the elevator down the end of the hall. He pressed the button that would ascend him to the ninth floor and the doors close behind.

The mortal boy was gone. Legion was now alone with the ancient history painted all over the hall. His round, hidden head rotated to way Joshua was pointing at earlier. It wasn't anything secret to the demons, but it was not something that a mere mortal needed to know. Legion looked and saw the piece of history he would never forget. A small patch where a cloaked spider-demon, extending a decrepit hand to three individuals with light surrounding them. The light seemed to be attached to the backs of the three figures like wings of bird—or wings of an angel.