Zemoculus sat on his throne muttering to himself. The gathered demon nobility said nothing for fear of retribution, but they watched him. Searching for signs of any weakness. Weakness that could be exploited and used to throw him from his throne. Everyone watched, but fear of retribution stayed their hand. Retribution, which in this case, would be Zemoculus tearing them apart limb from limb.

  Zemoculus had been gone for a long time, even by immortal standards. His battle with Arigulius was legendary. Zemoculus had battled an Arch Angel of the highest battle order to a standstill for over 10,000 years. This was a feat that had never been accomplished since the beginning of time. Battles between Demon Lords and Arch Angels happened, but were normally short, lasting only 100 years or so. One or the other would gain an advantage, and the other would flee. This was the pattern, the way of things, the Eternal Battle. Arigulius and Zemoculus had shattered that perception.

  Now, Zemoculus sat on his throne because someone had interfered in his battle with Arigulius. A pathetic human. This human had scratched Zemoculus, upsetting the delicate balance and causing him to flee. This human was the reason Zemoculus was sitting on his throne, allowing Arigulius free reign in the multiverse.

  Zemoculus looked at the scratch. It was nothing, but it was everything. A small insignificant wound that slowly wept blood and would not heal. He had brought in the best healers in the Demon realms. None could fix it. Every attempt ended in failure. The wound never changed. It didn’t grow or shrink. Blood oozed out slowly. By all measures it was insignificant, but Zemoculus knew it made all the difference when he had to fight Arigulius. This small insignificant wound would prevent him from not only winning against Arigulius, but would result in his losing. They were so evenly matched, that any detriment would shift the balance.

  Not only the balance between them, but the balance in the eternal battle between Angels and Demons. Arigulius would be free to roam the multiverse, aiding other angels, shifting the odds for their battles, helping them win and force the demons to retreat.

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  When that happened, it would no longer be individual battles that never resulted in death on either side. Both sides would escalate. It would begin a real war. A war that would kill demons and angles by the millions. The war would rage throughout the cosmos. Planets, at first, then entire solar systems would be destroyed. Material plane, ethereal plane, and even Heaven’s Path could be affected.

  All because of a lowly human.

  Zemoculus stood up and the demons all knelt with their heads down.

  “Zeddicus. Attend me.”

  Zeddicus moved rapidly to the throne and knelt before Zemoculus. “How may I serve, Lord Zemoculus”, he said.

  “Find the human that interfered in my battle with Arigulius. Find him. Don’t hurt or kill him. That is only for me. Find him quickly.”

  “Yes, my Lord Zemoculus” and Zeddicus quickly left the room on his new mission. Zeddicus already knew the human’s name. Zeddicus had a unique talent for finding people, no matter where they were. He could be the best manhunter in the cosmos. Still, he wondered how he would find this one human in the entire cosmos.

  “The rest of you find me a cure NOW”, Zemoculus roared.

  Every demon scrambled to leave the throne room, desperate to be the one that found the cure. The rewards would be incredible, while the consequences for failure would be calamitous.

  *-------------*

  Arigulius floated lazily in the clouds of the gas giant. The gentle breezes slowly moving him around the planet. It had been over 10 millennium since he could enjoy this simple pleasure. Now he was making certain he could revel in every second of it. He knew that soon the Angel Elders would be asking him to return to the Eternal Battle. Now that he was a free agent, and not fighting Zemoculus, he could be used to provide a sizeable advantage in currently stalemated conflicts.

  That was what worried him. He knew that any significant shift in the balance of power between Angels and Demons would lead to an actual war between them. The Eternal Battle, for all its violence and destruction, was more of a coupe counting exercise rather than a ‘real’ war. A ‘real’ war between Angels and Demons would destroy both races and most of the cosmos.

  Arigulius decided he would wait until summoned by the Elders. No reason to upset the balance. Besides he was enjoying his time floating lazily, drifting with the breeze. Simple pleasures are often under appreciated.