Nakoma

The old woman had nothing to offer me besides countless stories of a ghost that followed her from Germany to Ireland. And, while interesting, it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. I squint at the afternoon light as I emerge from her home. I look around for Colt, but he doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight.

“Colt?” I call for him as I begin to walk through the town. No one responds to my call, but I know he had to be close by since there’s a limit to how far away from me he could get. Gingerly, I stroke the front of the collar. He had to be around here somewhere. I call out for him a second time and still no answer. I grumble darkly to myself and continue searching for him. Suddenly a cry reaches my ears. It sounds like someone… sobbing. I listen a moment longer and I know for certain that’s what it is.

I follow the noise until I come to a few abandoned homes. Tucked in between two dilapidated frames was Colt, hunched over and crying in front of someone I had never seen before. He was tall, probably because he wore platform boots, and he had the same white hair as Colt, but his was shaved at one side. He was pale and had a scar under his left eye. I realize instantly that he must be a demon.

“What do you mean you’re king now?” Colt asks the demon.

“I’m Lucifer’s oldest living son,” he explains. “What were you expecting?”

“But I was… never mind…”

“You were supposed to be the heir, right?” the demon mocked. “Looks like daddy forgot to write you into his will.” Colt growled and staggered to his feet. I sensed a fight bubbling under the surface of the tension so I decided to step in.

“Colty?” I stepped forward. Both demons look over at me, and Colt’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Nakoma!” He exclaimed and suddenly reached over to grab the other demon. “This is my older brother, Dica!” He smiled widely at me while Dica looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I start before mentally offering up a prayer to God. I blink and once my eyes open everything is the same light blue as before. Dica flinches away from me, crying out in pain. I seek out his name. “Dicaxstupriculus.”

He freezes in place, amethyst eyes wide. I sprint over and yank out the collar before snapping it around his neck. A warmth floods through me from the one around mine as I step back.

“What the Hell?!” He exclaims. He reaches for the cross on the front of the collar but he instantly recoils.

“That’s why I couldn’t come home…” Colt says sadly gesturing to his own.

“What is this?” Dica asks.

“It cancels out your powers unless I say otherwise,” I say smugly. Dica looks both horrified and annoyed at the thought.

“Oh, you bitch. What the fuck is this for?”

Colt answers for me. “Nakoma is trying to collect the Seven Deadly Sins!” He sounds way too happy at the prospect of being turned into a blade.

“Why the hell would she want to do that?” He questions. Colt’s smile falls.

“To… make the Angel Blade…” He trails off.

Dica squints at me. “What’s the point of that?”

“The Pope told me to,” I try to explain but he interrupts.

“What does the Pope want with the blade?”

“To aid mankind in the upcoming apocalypse,” I snap back.

Dica laughs. “I’d hate to break it to you, but Lucifer’s dead. There isn’t any apocalypse coming.” The devil was dead? I guess it made sense that the world wasn’t going to end yet, but why hadn’t anyone told me? Wouldn’t the whole point of me making the Angel Blade be for nothing?

“I should call George…” I mumble.

“Listen, Nokama,” he starts.

“Nakoma,” I correct him.

“Nikoma, whatever, I have a kingdom to run so if you could kindly remove this… thing. I’ll forget this ever happened and we can both be on our way. Oh, and I’m going to need to take Colt with me too, I need him.”

“Nakoma. And I can’t help you, not until the church says I can let you go.”

“Then why don’t you call someone?” he taps his foot impatiently.

“Fine,” I agree. “Let’s head back to the inn and I’ll borrow a phone.”

The three of us walk back to the inn, getting odd looks the entire way. Once we enter the inn, the tavern man looks up at me.

“Looks like you found another white haired pretty boy, huh?” He cracks a smile.

“I need to use your phone,” I say, ignoring his comment. He nods and points to a phone mounted on the wall.

“Be my guest.”

I leave Colt and Dica to themselves and pull out George and Martha’s number. I dial it quickly and hold the phone to my ear. It rings thrice before a familiar feminine voice picks up.

“Hello, Martha speaking.”

“Martha, it’s Nakoma, I have something to tell you.” Sucking in a deep breath, I drop my voice to a whisper and continue. “I found another one of the Sins, Pride, and he claims that Lucifer is dead.”

Martha is silent for a moment. “Hang on…” The line goes quiet. As I wait, I overheard Colt and Dica talking.

“So, Colty, how’d you end up becoming the Saint’s bitch?” Dica asks.

“I’m not her bitch,” Colt snaps. “And well… I was trying to get that Saint Soul you asked me for… and the Saint I found… punched me really hard and captured me…” Dica laughs loudly.

“Punched you really hard and captured you?”

“Yeah… I tried really hard, Dica…”

“Apparently not hard enough since Lucifer died anyway.”

Colt shut up after that comment and I heard noise on the other line.

“Hey, Nakoma,” Martha says. “I’ve just talked to the Pope and… There’s been no news of this from Heaven.”

“What do you mean?”

“Until Heaven sends a message saying otherwise, you’re to continue your mission to forge the blade. But if something does change, we will find you.”

“Alright, sounds like a plan, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she chirps then hangs up. I turn to the two boys and give them a sad look. I honestly felt bad for them in a sense. Sure, they were demons that plagued humanity but they seemed so… human.

“Well?” Dica asks approaching me.

I sigh. “Until Heaven sends a message my mission still stands.”

“Heaven hasn’t said anything…?” Colt looks confused. “I thought they would know.”

“They do know,” Dica says. “I sent a message to the angels the moment Lucifer passed away. The only reason why they wouldn’t tell the church is because God doesn’t want them to.”

“Why wouldn’t he?” I ask. Dica shrugs.

“Beats me. Grandpa has always been weird like that.”

“Well, until things change, you two are sticking with me.”

Dica groans and Colt gives me a sad smile.

***

Colt

Later that night, Nakoma slept on the bed while Dica and Colt both sat on a pile of blankets scattered about the floor. The night was silent save for Nakoma’s gentle snores and the whirr of a fan somewhere nearby.

“I really messed up…” Colt muttered partially to himself. Beside him Dica snorted.

“You really did, and you just had to drag me down with you.”

Colt shot Dica a dark look.

“I don’t have to be lectured by a whore!” Dica’s aura grew dark at the use of the word.

“And I don’t have to listen to a pathetic mutt bitch and moan about how he fucked up!”

“I am not a mutt!”

“My apologies,” he sneered. “What are you then, an abomination?”

“I’m not an abomination either!”

“Then what are you, a dirty nephilim?”

“...I’m not… dirty…” Colt mumbled.

Dica chuckled darkly. “Whatever you say, mutt.” Colt growled and flopped over onto the plush blanket beneath him. Miraculously, Nakoma had been able to sleep through their little spat and was still snoring peacefully, blissfully unaware of the conflict lurking on her floor. Colt curled up and buried his face in his arms.

“Stupid whore…” he mumbled. If Dica had heard him, he made no comment. Eventually Dica fell asleep while Colt quietly fumed thinking about everything Dica had done to antagonize him.

“Solis…” He whispered the name to himself before falling asleep, dreaming of love once lost.