A Peaceful War

"Long ago devils and angels fought a great war. Neither willing to surrender.

Why did the fighting start? That is something long forgotten through the passage of time.

One would think that fighting such a meaningless quarrel was was not worth the lives lost. Yet the fighting continued. For decades it raged on: a never ending storm that destroyed everything in its path. The angels saw endless devastation on the land that they were meant to protect and sought to end the war.

One thing led to another and the two races signed a truce. We are gathered here today to commemorate the union between our two people and celebrate the 10,000th anniversary of said truce," the archangel says.

"May we live in peace for another 10,000 years!" the devil announced, raising his glass.

***

While the war may have ended, it did not mean that the hatred accumulated through generations would just disappeared. No, it instead intensified having no outlet. Wanting to keep their people in check, the two leaders turned their attention toward humans, creating a game of influence. The race who lured more souls toward their respective realm would win. As for when this game would end, it was never determined.