Demons don’t chuckle. Or at least that’s what AsmodeusComb i n thought when he heard the

booming laugher of MammonComb i n, the Demon of Avarice, echoing through the barren halls

of the nearly-unoccupied castle. He frowned as the sound continued, reverberating off of the black limestone walls. Hands placed regally at his back, the King of Demons made his way calmly towards the source of the sound.

At the end of the hall, there was a door that was open wide enough for a triangle of black light, if there was such a thing, to shine through, if it could shine, being as dark as it was. There was the sound of a shower of coins – very much sounding like a landslide of coins – and then more chuckling.

Nudging the door open as wide as it would go, Asmodeus entered the room quietly, making his way around the chests of gold coins and ridiculous amount of gold statues that seemed to be all of the golden statues to be found in all of the worlds in Existence. The man at the far end of the vast cavern-like room, lit with torches that glowed with black flames, didn’t look up.

In fact, his attention was too preoccupied with the ancient tome he held in his manicured hands. Shifting himself again on his gilt throne, which caused another landslide of gold coins to spill from his lap, he laughed again as he turned a page delicately with a finger.

“It seems like every time I enter this room, there seems to be more gold and more statues,” Asmodeus grumbled as he climbed over a pile of gold coins in a very unregal-like fashion after he gave up making his way around the piles, seeing as it would take hours to get to where Mammon lay on is golden throne.

Sliding gracefully down the small golden hill, he brushed his simple robes free of any straying coins and dust that might have made their way onto his spotless garments. Unlike Mammon, who was now scrambling to his feet as he finally noticed the King, he wasn’t dressed in flashy and bright clothes and bejeweled on every digit and limb with as much jewelry he could wear, as would have been his right, seeing as he had a high status among the demons.

“Apologies, my King, I will have the servants clear a path to make visits much easier,” Mammon mumbled, going down onto one knee and bowing his head low before Asmodeus. He was the very image of a subservient Demon to the King of Demons.

“We no longer have any servants, do you not remember, Mammon? You found one of them had stolen a coin and you gave all of them to AmonCom

b i n to deal with, afraid that if one had stolen from you, then all must have stolen from you,” he reminded the other Demon. Mammon sank even lower onto the floor as if in embarrassment for forgetting this little thing.

Asmodeus sighed. “Rise, Mammon. I have only come to see what amuses you so, not for formal visits,” Asmodeus told the other Demon offhandedly, eyeing the large tome which lay facedown in a pile of yet more gold. “Your laughter is hard to miss when walking down the halls these days. I had no idea that Demons were capable of producing such merriment, seeing as we have been banished from Heaven.”

Getting up, Mammon hurried to pick up the ancient book and turned to the right page, a smile coming back onto his handsome face. Despite their immortal state, the Demons tended to take on the forms of humans – mortals. Why that was so, even

1. Asmodus is the Demon of Lust and the King of Demons. He is often associated with one of the Seven Deadly Sins – Lust.

2. Mammon is the Demon of Greed or Avarice. He is often associated with one of the Seven Deadly Sins – Greed.

3. Amon – more commonly known as Satan – is the Demon of Rage or Vengeance. He is often associated with one of the Seven Deadly Sins – Rage.

Asmodeus wasn’t sure, but that was another question to ponder another day. Right now he had a laughing Demon to see to.

“I found it very amusing as to what the humans think of us and refer to us as,” Mammon said with a grin. He pointed to a part in the passage and Asmodeus bent to the book for a moment to scan the passage.

Asmodeus straightened when he finished and regarded Mammon with unreadable golden eyes. “And you find this verse from the Bible, the book of our Banisher, amusing,” Asmodeus stated steadily. Slowly, Mammon shut the book, keeping a finger in between the pages to mark his place, and tucked it under his arm.

“Well, Asmodeus, it is technically not the book of God. It was made by men – mere mortals,” he explained nervously, backing slowly away from Asmodeus.

Asmodeus was the most mild-tempered of all the demons and he rarely ever showed his anger to anyone. But when he was angry, his steady calmness was just as unnerving as Amon’s bellows of rage. “And who gave these ‘mere mortals’ the words of God?” Asmodeus’s legendary velvety and seductive voice, said to have seduced over a hundred women to their doom, was as steady as ever.

The book fell from Mammon’s grasp for a moment and he grabbed at it. “G –”“GOD HIMSELF!” Asmodeus thundered. With a gulp, the book fell from his hands

and vanished in a puff of black smoke. The lights in the room flickered. It was probably the first time in millennia since he had heard Asmodeus raise his voice. “Go find yourself something more productive to do, Mammon, or by the fires of Hell, I will!”

Mammon bowed deeply to Asmodeus once before he turned around and seemed to run into the wall but instead, he passed through it and was gone. Asmodeus, left alone in the black-lit room of gold, sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back.