Lady fell like lightning from heaven. Falling and falling through the night's sky as she saw the heavenly realm conceal itself from her sight. As she fell she closed her eyes and knew that death would receive her yet again. But this time the pain would come as she fell through a building's rooftop and into a barn where her body collapsed on the hard cold ground with a fresh sword wound still apparent in her chest.

  Lady should have known she would be no match for an archangel. Especially one of Michael's experience. She had failed her new master and now didn't know the result of the battle as the demons continued to wage war against the heavenly realm. Lady merely focused on healing the wound in her chest taking advantage of her new found powers as a demon.

  While she was healing she heard a noise in the shadows of the barn. She looked forward still dressed in her Hellspawn armor, and called out:

  “Who goes there!?”

  She half expected it to be the archangel Michael descending from heaven to finish the job he started at the heavenly gates. But instead it turned out to be a mere child. A little girl with long brown hair and blue eyes. Dressed in a white dress with a long skirt and brown shoes. The little girl smiled at Lady and the child's innocence shined like a beacon of light in the presence of the demon Lady Hellspawn.

  “Who are you?” asked Lady.

  The child smiled big. “I'm Esther. I live just north from here.”

  Esther. A biblical name. The child continued, “You fell from the sky. Are you an angel?”

  Lady merely chuckled at the thought. “No, my child. I am no angel.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Lady finished healing over her wound and climbed up to a stand. Esther remained standing there smiling warmly at her in a way it touched Lady's heart.

  “Aren't you scared of me?” asked Lady.

  Esther gave Lady a curious look. “Should I be?” asked the child.

  “You aren't afraid of anything are you?” asked Lady.

  Esther smiled so big you could see her big white teeth. “I want to be an adventurer like my father.”

  “An interesting choice of occupation for a woman,” said Lady.

  The child merely giggled. “If you say so.”

  Suddenly, while the two continued to speak a portal opened up behind Esther and out came the demon known as Zandu with his eyes burning red as he approached Lady.

  “General Zandu,” said Lady now kneeling.

  “Lady, what are you doing wasting time with this child?” asked Zandu. “We have a war to win.”

  “I am sorry,” replied Lady.

  Esther looked up at Zandu who glared down at her through terrible red eyes. Now the child appeared scared as the demon gazed upon her.

  “She would make a good sacrifice for our lord,” sand Zandu.

  Zandu reached down to grab the child, but Lady quickly got up and blocked his hand. Zandu looked at her angrily as Lady glared back at him.

  “You dare defy me?” asked Zandu.

  “I will not allow you to harm a hair on this child,” replied Lady.

  Esther hid behind Lady as Zandu backed away and glared at Lady.

  “Do you think protecting this little girl will redeem you, Lady? You already renounced your former master. Do you really think you can renounce another?” said Zandu.

  “There may only be two masters,” began Lady, “but that doesn't mean I have to be obedient to either.”

  Zandu growled and snarled at Lady before opening up a portal back to the demon world.

  “So be it, Lady! You are now a nomad. A being that belong to neither heaven nor hell. When the war is finally won you will have no place in our new world. I hope you're happy about that,” said Zandu.

  Lady said nothing further as she kept Esther safely tucked away in her blue cape as Zandu stepped through the portal that quickly closed after he stepped through it. Lady then turned to face Esther who was still shaken up by the sight of the demon she just saw. Lady knelt down beside her and removed the face mask from her face so Esther could see her true face. Lady placed a hand on the child's shoulder and spoke:

  “My dear sweet Esther, you have shown me a courage few have ever shown. I may not be a guardian angel, but I swear by my blood that I will spend the rest of my lifetime watching over you and your descendants from now until the end of days,” said Lady.

  Lady stood up and then Esther took her gloved hand and the two walked away from the barn and into the horizon.