Chapter 1

“Welcome back, Blaze. Did you miss work?” Algeron smiles. “You don’t have to answer that. I know you didn’t, not where you’ve been.”

He is right. Work was far from my mind when I was at the Throne, just like everything else except the glory, power and holiness of The One who had summoned me. However, now I am glad to be back and eager to serve. I am also quite curious about another agent I see standing next to Algeron, holding a case folder in his hands.

“I am ready to serve,” I say.

“Good. Let’s get to it. I want you to meet Temerlin, he is from the Judgment Department.”

The other agent nods. Oh yes, I can tell he is a warrior. All of us can fight, but the Judgment guys are professionals, they are the strongest and the best. I wonder what brings him here. Must be some special case.

“You will go on the next assignment together,” Algeron proceeds. “You will do the work, Blaze, and Temerlin will stay back, under invisibility.”

“As potential reinforcement?” I ask. This new case sounds exciting.

“No, he will not get involved.”

“I am here to learn,” Temerlin says, stepping forward. “I’ve been studying some of your cases, Blaze, those that involved delivering judgment. I think you can help me.”

I am even more intrigued. “A JD guy wants to learn about judgment from me?”

“No, I got that part down. What I struggle to understand is… mercy.”

I smile. “We all do. Don’t we, Algeron?”

The latter chuckles.

Temerlin looks surprised. “Even you, here at the GSF?”

“Imagine that.”

“But you deal with it all the time!”

“Nevertheless. We’ve given up trying to grasp why mercy is granted. Sometimes it’s clear, other times not. We have accepted it, learned how it works, and we work with it.”

“Well, that’s what I lack. I don’t know how to work with it. Obviously, mercy is not something I often encounter in my line of duty; I am sent to bring judgment – I go and do it, no ‘ifs’. But sometimes – sometimes there’s still room for it, it appears. I find it confusing.”

“And a bit inconvenient, I’d venture to guess?” Algeron puts in.

“That, too. So what I’m asking you to do, Blaze – and I’ve already got the approval – is to take on one of our cases.” Temerlin steps closer and hands me the folder. “I want to see how you’ll handle it.”

“All right…” I take the folder. “So this is my next assignment?”

“All yours,” Algeron confirms. “Work as you normally would, pretend Temerlin is not even there.”

I open the case. I don’t know whether I’ll be able to ‘work as I normally would,’ given that it’s a JD case, which is different by definition. Let’s see…

Geldor, a ruthless game master who loves nothing better than seeing men fight, preferably to the death. He is best friends with the governor, who is also a big fan of the games, so Geldor thinks himself above rules and laws. His gaming arena is his kingdom, and he sees himself as nothing short of a king, sending men to fight and die. Always in need of new fighters, he sends scouts to search the land for strong, capable youth. Those who won’t be lured in by promises of big money get persuaded with the help of wine, gambling, or being framed for a crime and threatened with prison. Geldor has no scruples about working with slave traders and arranging kidnappings, either.

Up until recently, the man thought himself invincible, well protected by his money and connections. Now his confidence has been shaken. So much that he has turned to prayer. Not real prayer – he has no real faith; no, it’s more like negotiation attempts. He is treating the Almighty as any other authority he’s come in contact with, trying to pay his way out of trouble.

I shake my head. “What is it with humans and hoping to buy forgiveness?”

“Oh, it’s not forgiveness he’s after,” Temerlin corrects me. “Look closer, there is no remorse. All these offerings to the poor and churches, they are just –”

“Bribes to get what he wants, I see that. I was just wondering in a general sense.”

“So… Are you ready? Or do you wish to study some more?”

I can tell Temerlin is impatient to see me take care of this fellow.

“Yes, give me a moment, please.”

I go through the case again, checking all the details. Seems rather straightforward… But you never know what can come up. I want to be fully prepared.

***

I rarely materialize right in front of a human, but this time I do, causing him to stagger back and start gasping for breath. I give him a moment to recuperate, then deliver the judgment.

“Your prayers have been heard. The answer is No.”

The man stares at me in sheer horror. He is big, strong, used to power. No is not a word he has heard a lot throughout his wicked life.

“No?…” he asks, lips trembling. “But… I’ve done everything! Everything I promised! Tell me what else I must do to save my son!”

“There is nothing you can do. Darryl will die.”

His face twists in pain. “No! Please!”

I take a step closer. “Tell me something. All these years you’ve been taking sons away from their parents. Has it never occurred to you, not even once, that a day may come when the same happens to you?”

It has not.

“I have always given generous compensation…” he whispers, his pleading eyes locked on me.

I produce a money pouch tightly stuffed with coins. “I am willing to provide compensation for the loss of your son, as generous as you wish. How much?”

He shakes his head. He cannot speak, his legs refuse to hold him. He falls down and weeps.

“Kill me instead! Take my life!”

“No.”

“So you’re punishing the lad for my sins?!”

“I am not. Darryl’s life story is separate from yours.”

He glares at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your prayers are answered the way they are because of how you’ve lived. He is not paying for your sins. You are.”

“By seeing him die!” He slams his fist on the ground. “You are punishing him instead of me! It’s not fair!”

I am not punishing Darryl at all, I am actually about to deliver him. But, just like I said, that’s a separate story, one that his father cannot understand.

“I am not here to discuss fairness with you,” I say. “You have caused much suffering. Somehow you thought it’s all right, you won’t have to answer for it. Today you have learned that it is not so, and if you think the judgment is harsh, think again. Believe me, it’s nothing compared to what will come if you don’t repent and change your ways.”

“Nothing? You call it nothing? And you think I’ll do anything for you after you kill my son?!”

“Not for me. For yourself, while you still have a chance.”

“Greetings!” says a low, rumbling voice.

It’s Erfagor, my old acquaintance. The warrior of the darkness shows up just several steps away from the human, wearing full armor. His gloved hands rest on the hilt of the long black sword he has placed before him. He knows he will need the sword, if he dares to attempt what I suspect he is here for.

The man recoils in fear.

“I represent the other side, as you might have guessed,” Erfagor says, his narrowed yellow eyes fixed on the human. “The one you are naturally closer to. We are willing to give you what they deny. What will you offer us in return?”

Wrath flares up within me, and it’s not only my wrath, it is also His, holy and just, intolerant of the unspeakable deception taking place. How dare they?! The darks know very well that when His judgment is pronounced, there is nothing – nothing! – they, or anyone else, can do. They have no power to heal Darryl, no way to preserve his life, but the desperate father doesn’t know any better, and so they are lying to him, trying to pull him in even deeper than he already is.

“Anything!” the man cries out. “Take all I have, take my very –”

I snatch my sword and attack before he can finish. Erfagor is ready for the first blow, but not for the force of it. His black sword meets mine, he parries but staggers back, nearly losing his footing. Neither does he expect the speed and power of the next blow, and the next. Erfagor’s eyes widen first in surprise, then in fear as he realizes it’s not just me he is messing with.

“Whoa… Easy, I’m leaving!” he hisses, backing away.

Too late. I strike again, breaking his armor and knocking him down. He vanishes from the physical world before hitting the ground, trying to save what’s left of his dignity.

I turn to the mortal. He wasn’t supposed to witness this battle; I try to assess what effect it has made on him. He looks terrified. Seeing a glimpse of both the darkness and the wrath of the Most High is too much, for any human. You’d think he is ready for redemption now… but no.

“What have you done?!” he shrieks. “He was going to save my son!”

I have destroyed his last hope. That’s all he cares for.

“He was not going to save your son,” I tell him. “He has no such power. He lied, just to lure you in. Not much different from you lying to inexperienced youth, making them sign a contract supposedly for just one match while in reality it binds them to the arena for many years.”

My job is done here. On to the next task.

I leave and a moment later appear in Darryl’s room. The young man is asleep in his bed; so is the nurse in the armchair at his bedside. I make her sleep deeper and approach.

Darryl is seventeen, but he looks somewhat older. Growing up without a mother, and with a father like his, he had to mature early. His short blond hair is damp from sweat, the pale, thin face is tense; even in his sleep he feels some of the pain.

I touch his arm. “Darryl.”

The young man opens his eyes, winces, and moves his hand to his right side as pain grips him harder. He notices me and looks in amazement. Since he is about to step into our realm, I wear no disguise, only dull the light of my Master’s glory that shines through me; otherwise, no human eye would be able to stand it.

“Are you – ?” Darryl asks.

“Yes. I am a servant of the Most High, sent to escort you home. Are you ready?”

He hesitates for a moment. “Yes… There will be no more pain, and I will see my mother. I think I am ready.”

“You are not certain?”

“No, I just…” He searches for words. “I didn’t think it would happen so soon. I haven’t accomplished anything I dreamed of.”

I ease his pain so that we can talk better. “What did you want to accomplish?”

“I wanted to leave the games and become a scholar. I wanted to study medicine… Although my father probably wouldn’t allow it.”

“He would not. He would continue to bend you to his will, caring nothing about your wishes, and if or when you’d find the strength to protest, he would disown and disinherit you.”

Darryl gives a weak smirk. “I thought as much. In that case, I am ready to go. It’s still sad, though, that my short life has been in vain.”

In vain?? If only he knew! But that’s exactly it: he doesn’t. Like all mortals still in the physical world, he only sees things from his own, very limited, perspective.

“It has not been in vain, Darryl,” I say. “Far from it. You have saved three lives. Many people don’t get to save even one in their lifetime.”

He puckers his brow, trying to understand. “I did? When?”

“Remember the two young boys you secretly released?”

“I do. They were cousins, I think. Father thought they would make excellent fighters, but they were only ten… I couldn’t bear the idea.”

“Both would have been killed in their first fight, in less than a week.”

Darryl looks at me. “Oh… But you said three? Who else?”

“Betsy, the cook.”

Once again, he is confused. “Betsy?”

“Remember how you met?”

“Yes, I saw her at the market. She was looking for work, and I offered her a cleaning job in our kitchen… That’s all I did. Paid for it, too. Father was so mad about me trying to run the household, even though we did need a cleaner, and she was good.”

“Betsy had been looking for work for two weeks. She had no place to go, no money left, nothing to feed her little daughter. She had decided to kill herself if she didn’t find work by the end of that day. And she would have followed through with it.”

“I had no idea…” A smile comes to Darryl’s lips. “I did save three lives… It’s amazing to know. Thank you for telling me.”

“And that’s not all. There were little things, too. Remember?”

“Yes. My mother had taught me. ‘If you cannot do much, do little things,’ she would say. ‘Little acts of kindness.’ I never forgot.”

“And you did, many of them. Each one had consequences. When you come home with me, you will be able to see the whole picture, the impact of your life. Believe me, you will be impressed.”

“Take me home, then!” Darryl reaches out his hand to me. “I am ready.”

I take his hand. His body goes limp on the bed as the real him comes out, weightless and radiant. Still holding onto me, he hovers in astonishment, trying to take it all in – the freedom, the sharpened senses, the ability to float.

“Everything is so different,” he says, looking around. “You are different, you are so bright!… Is that… me on the bed?”

“No. Only your body. Come, follow me.”

I take him up, higher, through the thick wooden roof that is no longer an obstacle, to the sky, and to the heavenly realm.

***

“I have so many questions,” Temerlin says when we are back at the headquarters.

“Ask away.”

“First of all, I want to tell you that I am very impressed with how you handled the case. Impressed and amazed… absolutely amazed.”

I am pleased with it myself, but not to that extent. Nothing unusual, except Erfagor’s sudden interference. Yet the look on Temerlin’s face tells me he thinks differently.

“Now you’ve got me curious,” I say. “Why don’t you tell me how you would have handled it?”

He lowers his eyes. “Swiftly. Too swiftly, I’m afraid. I would have told Geldor that his son will die and then taken Darryl home. Two minutes at most, human time. I wouldn’t have done much talking.”

“Oh. Well, given your line of work, you probably don’t get to speak as much as I do.”

“True, but… I want to do better. Tell me: why did you try reaching out to Geldor? You warned him that future judgment will be much worse, told him to repent.”

I shrug. “Well, the judgment was not final. I wasn’t ordered to take his life, only to tell him about his son. And as long as humans draw breath, there’s a chance of repentance, you know that.”

“Do you honestly think he will use that chance?”

“Based on my experience, I have to say it’s not likely.”

“Yet you still tried.”

“Not likely, but not impossible.”

Temerlin thinks for a moment. “You even fought the dark one for him.”

“Not so much for him, I just couldn’t stand Erfagor’s audacity.”

“Oh, I was itching to step in and let him have it!… But don’t tell me you didn’t want to protect the human as well. You struck right when he was about to offer his soul.”

I smile. “I see you were paying attention.”

“I was. So you went all out for that man, even though he is an unredeemed evil-doer.”

“Well, you remember how redemption was first offered. Our Master went all out for the unredeemed, evil-doing humankind.”

I’m not telling him anything new, but Temerlin is listening very intently, clinging to every word.

“Look, I don’t like evil any more than you do,” I say. “I don’t like humans who choose it and cling to it. I don’t like Geldor. But… The Almighty cares for them all, Temerlin. His redeeming sacrifice is our eternal reminder.”

He nods. “Yes. Yes, I see that. Now, going back to the case… Darryl.” He pauses and shakes his head. “Let me tell you, Blaze… I have seen death many times, and of many kinds. But Darryl’s passing – it was unlike anything I have ever witnessed. It was… beautiful. You turned it into a beautiful thing.”

“Thank you. I did my best.”

“You did. You did your best again, and this human deserved it…” Temerlin pauses again.

“You have a question.”

“Yes. I’m trying to find a better way to ask it, but I can’t. So, here goes. How did you come up with it? Why did you start talking to Darryl about his life? I mean, yes, I saw how it went. You asked whether he was ready, and he was a bit hesitant. But if you just took him home, he would have seen his life’s impact from here.”

I see what he means. “That’s right, he would have. But I didn’t want him to go until he knew. Most of the time, humans don’t have a chance to evaluate their life right before they die. I saw that Darryl did have that opportunity, and I saw that he needed it.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love what you did. I just wish I could learn to seize a moment like this.”

A rather unusual desire, for a JD guy, but commendable.

“I hope I have been of help,” I say.

“You have, very much so.”

“Do you have any more questions?”

“Just one… Would you take me with you on your next case? And allow me to participate this time?”

This is unexpected. I suppose my surprise shows, because Temerlin hurries to add, “You’ll be the boss, I’ll do everything you say. I figured I’d learn much more about mercy from the GSF cases, working instead of just watching. Algeron knows. He is fine with it.”

“Well, as long as it’s Algeron-approved… What about your own superiors?”

“I’ve got their approval as well.” Temerlin looks at me expectantly. “So? What do you say?”

I don’t mind the idea, I’ve worked with partners before. Not from the JD though. This can prove to be interesting.

“Very well. Let’s do it.”

***