Disgraced Piety: Chapter 2 – Going for the Throat

Chapter 2 – Going for the Throat

Two figures walk out of the red and blue flames in front of me, and for some reason, I recognize them despite not seeing them in years or really having to remember them for their importance.

“Thaddeus? Tanith?” I say.

“Terah! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Thaddeus says with his arms open.

“What are you two doing here, and why do you look so different?”

Thaddeus doesn’t look much different than he usually does with his black jacket, red shirt, and black pants and boots, but his red, orange, and yellow eyes are supernatural, and Tanith is different in that her skin is grey, her hair is white, her eyes are white, and she isn’t dressed like a hooker. Instead, she’s dressed mostly conservatively with a grey shirt, grey skirt, and dark grey thigh-high boots.

“Don’t look so defensive. We’re not here to fight you. I must admit that when our guardian angels told us to find you, we were doubtful of it since we heard you died, but I guess you should never doubt a messenger from God, right?”

“I haven’t seen you since I arranged a group of promiscuous nuns for you to have an orgy, Thaddeus. What happened to you both?”

“We’ve changed because of our guardian angels,” Tanith explains. “I know that may seem hard to believe, especially since I was arranging your clergy and nuns to fulfill their fetishes in Exquista Caro, but believe us when we say we’re different now. We even destroyed that hive of demonic degeneracy together.”

“I heard that through my sources, but thought you would be dead, and Thaddeus would’ve been brought in by the Dominion by now, and yet, here you both are.”

“They’re telling the truth, Terah. They aren’t agents of our enemy and will be our most trusted allies from now on,” my guardian angel says.

“My guardian angel tells me to believe you, so I will. Mind explaining what that explosion you both caused was about?”

“Our guardian angels made our presence known and brought us to you,” Tanith explains.

“It probably caused quite a stir in the city.”

“We did? What about what you did?” Thaddeus asks.

“The authorities in the city are slower to respond to incidents like this because they allow them to get away with crime, and if something does happen at one of their events like this, then their onsite security can usually deal with it. Since I’ve dealt with them, the authorities are trying to figure out if this was intentional before sending in law enforcement, which is why they haven’t shown up yet.”

“We shouldn’t wait around for them, unless they’re a target,” Tanith says.

“Agreed. If you go where I tell you, we can expunge the corrupt rulers and demonic cultists from the capital in minutes.”

“I’ll allow it, as the leader of our trio,” Thaddeus says.

“You’re the leader?”

“Yes, he is,” my guardian angel confirms as Thaddeus says much the same thing with pride. “I know it may seem hard to believe, but you know God allows even the most idiotic people a seat of power.”

Yes, but Thaddeus of all people?

“He’s a changed man. You’ll see how useful he is in the coming fight.”

Accepting Thaddeus’s role as leader of our trio, I tell him where to go, and we fly to the neighboring rooftop of the location. This place has various expensive stores, concert venues, luxurious halls, and hotel rooms designed for kings.

“This is the part of the city they call the royal quarter,” Tanith says.

“Yes. The capital city of Adamas doesn’t have the most crime and corruption under the streets like most cities. Instead, it happens in its official buildings, in plain sight, but behind closed secret doors,” I explain.

“Makes sense. I can already hear the whispers of demons. Can you, Tanith?” Thaddeus asks, which Tanith confirms.

Listening closer, I can hear indiscernible whispers behind me.

“Try not to listen to those creeps too much. All they do is complain about other people’s sins and whine about how horrible their lives are. Let me give them a real reason to cry,” my guardian angel says.

Go ahead and handle the demonic threat. I’ll handle the people here.

“Sir, yes, sir!”

I point Thaddeus and Tanith to the buildings they should focus on and set them loose. In an instant, they change their appearance. Thaddeus looks like a flaming devil with horns on his head and two crimson swords for arms, and Tanith, who looks a lot like my guardian angel, is dressed in black and gray with a spear-like right arm and blue flames coming from her left arm. The two leap into action, entering buildings and burning them from the inside out. Meanwhile, I bring down green lightning on the buildings, creating holes in them, allowing them to burn and vaporize, and giving me control over the people I’m allowed to. Law enforcement, both those on the payroll of the corrupt leaders, politicians, and businessmen, and those not technically on it, finally arrive and provide more active targets, more people to control. Huh? Why would I want that?

“Because it’s your role, Terah. It’s your purpose in life to control people and their lives, especially your own,” I hear a voice in my head that sounds like mine.

Demons. I focus on the task at hand and pray Hail Marys to keep my mind off their temptations.

“God knows your place is in a position where you have reign over people’s lives. You gave up the power you had, and He gave you even more. What more proof do you need that you’re a truly pious man?”

I am powerless without God. He is the only good I need, and the greatest power He could give me is control over myself to never sin again. A loud screeching sound comes from behind me before going suddenly quiet. I’m expecting to hear more, but I don’t hear a word. That can’t be it. From what I know, demons don’t give up that easily. Perhaps, they’re affecting me in what I’m feeling with these powers. The lightning coming from me and the power I feel over others is an ecstasy unlike anything I’ve felt before. I have to remember my guardian angel’s advice and not indulge in this power, lest I let it rule over me and I fall to sin again.

“Good job, my friend! I know you knew the right words and method to get rid of those demons,” my guardian angel says.

I was a bishop, and even though I didn’t care for those prayers before, I remembered how to turn away the temptations of demons just in case. Around me, I see the ruins of the buildings, hundreds of dead and burned bodies, and red flames intermixed with icy, blue flames and electrical green flames.

“The fight is already over?” I ask as if disappointed.

“Yeah. I’m just as surprised as you are. Even though we were right on the money because of the many satanic worship sites behind closed doors and encountered temptations from demons, we were able to overcome them and destroy everything and everyone in our path,” Thaddeus explains.

“I’m sure we couldn’t have done it without you,” Tanith adds.

You’re right about that. Before I say anything, Thaddeus looks above him and then says, “My guardian angel says our job here in Adamas isn’t done yet.”

“Really? This was the most secure and central for all demon worship and cultist activity,” I say.

“There are other places that must be purged so that the capital can be cleaned. I’m sure with your help, we’ll get this done in no time.”

I look up to my guardian angel, who nods in approval, so I tepidly do as Thaddeus says. Along with Tanith, the three of us go from place to place in Adamas, causing death and destruction, and getting into fights with its defenders and an escalating, but rapidly depleting, law enforcement. It’s during one of these battles that I get attacked and discover that I’m unharmed by most attacks, like my body is some kind of stone wall, and adding to my feeling of invincibility. None of my attackers can land more than one or two hits before my green lightning kills or lets me take control of them. Not even the demons who continue to tempt me can bother me or break my concentration away from the fight at hand.

These powers were exhilarating at first to have, but now, I’m starting to get bored. All I’m doing is sitting on the sidelines, letting my powers do their thing, and sometimes giving commands to people who die or rarely get knocked out soon after. Thaddeus and Tanith have immense power as well, but they at least seem to be challenged in their fights, despite probably doing the same thing as me.

“You’re too good for them,” a voice in my head says.

“You’re too powerful.”

“You always were.”

“That’s why you’re being kept back. You need to take back control.”

Ah, pride, the first of all falls to happen when a sin is committed. Should’ve known to keep a better lid on my thoughts. No matter I can-

“You can do anything you put your mind to.”

“You’re amazing like that, Terah.”

“You can be ruler of the capital if you want to.”

“You were already its governor, and its people will have to listen to you since a majority of its law enforcement is dead or knocked out because of you.”

Flashes of green lightning unintentionally come out of me, hitting the bodies on the floor. The bodies get up and start attacking Thaddeus and Tanith. What is going on? I can’t control them!

“You were never in control, so go on and take control for yourself!” the demons say.

“You’ve gotten control over hundreds of thousands of people. Why can’t you do it to a few?”

“Why can’t you control yourself?”

I try to take control of the walking corpses, but then find myself uncontrollably flying and spinning in the air, and away from the area. I’m better at controlling myself than this! My prayers should be helping me, but nothing is happening the way it should! Agh! Is this God humbling me, or have I already outlived my purpose? Have I done something wrong? I need answers. Guardian angel! Where are you?

As I uncontrollably spin in the air, I see a large shadowy figure form where I am heading as if I’m being sucked into it. The figure smiles and says, “Take control, Terah. You can do it.” It then opens its mouth, and I fly into its body.