What is a Gargoyle? (Part One)

Trinity couldn't believe what she was seeing right now. Anger filled her as she looked at the demon boy who stood in front of her.

Trinity took a step back, but she was still frozen in place from shock. "No, you followed me!" she shouted.

The boy arched an eyebrow at her and smirked. "Followed you?" He laughed at her comment. "I've been waiting up here for you since I jumped out your window." He nodded his head in the direction of the doors. "Listened to quite the interesting conversation from you in the garden though. The old lady is right, you really didn't do anything wrong."

"You've been up here for two hours?" Trinity shook her head. "No! This is a church!"

The demon boy stared at her in puzzlement, a crease forming across his forehead. "What does that have to do with me not being able to enter in here?"

Trinity scoffed at the question. "Are you kidding me? You're a demon!"

The demon boy stared at her without saying a word. His eyes surveying her, contemplating her words. He walked up to her as he circled around where she stood, his eyes traveling up and down her body.

Again Trinity wanted to turn and run, but her body wouldn't let her.

Finally, he turned on his heels as he walked back towards the open french doors. "Humans, they've changed so much throughout all these years." He replied without answering her question. Turning his head slightly, he glanced in her direction. "Follow me," he spoke as he stepped through the doors, motioning with his pointer finger to follow.

Surprisingly, Trinity found herself following him, despite the urge to flee as fast as her legs would allow. She opened her mouth to argue about whatever spell he cast over her, but before she could speak, he asked the oddest question that she never expected to hear him ask.

He casually went to stand next to one of the stone statues on the balcony. "What is a gargoyle?" the demon boy asked, as he brushed a finger across the back of the statue.

"A gargoyle is there to guard and protect the church. Warding off evil from the devil and his demons." Trinity answered as a matter of fact, as if this should have been an obvious answer.

Then she thought that maybe he was asking this strange question because this gargoyle must be what was causing him some type of pain and he was trying to figure out why. Maybe this was why he was trying to ask for her help.

But seeing him touching the stone gargoyles, without harm made her second guess her thoughts.

"Incorrect," he snorted back, shaking his head. "What do they teach you these days? It's no wonder that priest refused my request."

"'That priest' is my father!" Trinity replied angrily. "And he refused whatever your request was, because he has dedicated his life to serving the Lord and not giving in to evil." She took in a deep breath, her chest swelling with pride at defending her father from this monster. She would not allow this demon to defile her father's good name.

The demon boy turned to face Trinity as he sat on the balcony. "What a strange and twisted way of thinking humans have come to develop. Why would humans ever do such a silly thing like that?" he scoffed at the thought and shook his head.

"Well, if I had known how warped your way of thinking was, I'd have had you meet me sooner, but it just so seems that we don't have that kind of time to go into that kind of detail right now. For now, you are going to help me."

"I will not help you!" Trinity declared.

She couldn't believe the things he was saying to her. No, this was definitely a mind game that he was playing with her, trying to make her doubt her faith. She wasn't going to allow him to trick her a second time. This time, she knew what to expect. This time, she wouldn't let him win.

"This isn't a request, and you won't be able to refuse." he spoke nonchalantly, with a wave of his hand.

Trinity stared at him in confusion. 'Is that what he said to me in that demon language of his?' she wondered.

Before she could ask another word, his skin began changing. His feet elongated into talons, and the soles became slightly more arched. His tanned skin became red and scales began forming over his smooth skin, like a dragon. From his back, two very large wings began to emerge; as well as a long, pointed tail.

Trinity held her head high. She would not give him the satisfaction of showing fear. Though strangely enough, she didn't feel afraid.

'This has to be due to that spell he placed on me,' she immediately thought to herself. 'Then I will use his own tricks against him. He wants to make me so I am not afraid of him. Well then, that only makes it so that I can think more clearly. I will figure out what I need to know, then I will send him back to Hell where he belongs!'

Once he had finished transforming, showing his true nature, he turned to gaze back at Trinity. "Gargoyle Lesson 101," he spoke in a serious manner. "Gargoyles represent 'Sanctuary'. They were stationed not just at a church, but can also be found around different locations that are dedicated to providing sanctuary. Granted, many of these locations has long since been destroyed now."

Trinity scoffed at his answer. Isn't that what she had just said? They warded against evil so that no evil can enter into their sanctuary. "Uh, yeah! That's what the church does! It's a sanctuary for people who request our help. It is not a sanctuary for a demon!" She rolled her eyes at the twisted information he was spewing at her. If he was trying to get her to doubt her faith, he was failing pretty miserably.

He looked at her again with a curious gaze and chuckled. "That is where you are wrong. You see, a gargoyle is a symbol that lets us know where we can find sanctuary. They are a marker to show us where we are safe."

'This demon has lost his mind!' she thought.

Placing one hand to her forehead, she shook her head in disbelief. "You really expect me to believe this garbage?"

He gazed sideways at her and smirked. "Do as you wish, believe it or not. That is for you to decide. But for the next few hours I will need you to stay by my side."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen!" she argued back.

He chuckled at her comment, but did not reply back to her. Instead, he then proceeded to jump up on top of the roof, directly over the french doors. Standing tall and holding his head up high, he squared his shoulders back and stretched out his wings far and wide. His tail pressed against the roof, but not deep enough to puncture.

He welcomed the sun as it rose over the horizon; and as the sun shone down upon him, the red scaly skin began turning into a hard grey stone.

Trinity stared, wide mouthed and shocked at the sight. She stumbled back against the stone balcony railing, and collapsed into a heap, not able to believe what she just witnessed.

The demon boy who had stood before her, just turned into a stone gargoyle!