A Boy Named Nicholas/Part 4

And so Empath, Tapper, and Duncan started back out into the forest with Nicholas following behind them. They were heading back to the same place where they found the boy in the hopes of accomplishing something that only Empath knew how to do.

"Why are we heading back out into the forest if we don't know how to head back to the village I came from?" Nicholas asked.

"I only wish that I knew firsthand, my young Nicholas," Tapper said.

"Aye, I agree with you there, laddie," Duncan said. "I have no idea what our purpose is for smurfing this way, unless Empath knows something we don't."

They soon reached the spot, and the four of them stopped as Empath touched the ground and scanned it with his telepathic abilities. The three of them waited for what seemed like minutes. And then finally Empath said, "This smurf now knows the path we must take to reach Nicholas' village, my fellow Smurfs."

"You do?" Duncan asked. "Then you should lead the way for us."

"Indeed you shall, my friend," Tapper said. "Hopefully we may reach where we would need to go to smurf the boy home."

They soon treaded on through the snow for what seemed like miles. And then they came across a stranger that was walking towards them. "Nicholas! At last I have found you!" the sranger said.

"You found me?" Nicholas asked, sounding curious. "But I don't know who you are!"

"I have been sent by your father to look through the forest to find you," the stranger said. "You must come with me if you want to live."

"He's not smurfing anywhere without us, to make sure you're smurfing the truth," Duncan said.

"Indeed he is not," Tapper said. "I sense in my spirit that you're not who you claim to be."

"Just who are you exactly?" Empath asked the stranger.

The stranger laughed as he revealed himself. "I am Belial, a servant of the noble lord Lucifer, who has been sent to gather the young boy to my master."

"Belial?" Tapper said. "So it is you that I have been sensing in my spirit that was smurfing after the boy."

"But what do you want with me?" Nicholas asked, sounding fearful. "I'm just a young boy from the village in the north, born the son of a toymaker."

"There's nothing ordinary about you, boy," Belial said. "You will grow up someday to become the greatest toymaker and deliverer of toys to make the children of the world happy around this time of year. You will interfere with my master's plans to ruin the lives of many children and make them miserable."

"Well, you numpty stranger, I sure hope that he smurfs up to smurf just that," Duncan said.

"Nicholas is going home, and you're not going to stop us," Empath said.

"No...he is coming with me, and not any of you are able to stop me," Belial said. And as soon as he spoke, a ring of fire surrounded the five of them as Belial raised his hands and began to summon a portal to the nether region of Tartarus.

"Michty me, laddies, how are we going to stop Belial now?" Duncan asked.

"Do not fear, my friends, for our help smurfs from the One who has smurfed over us during our journey here," Tapper said.

And as soon as Tapper spoke, a whirlwind began to surround the five of them and cause the ring of fire to dissipate. Then as they continued to look, the whirlwind itself dissipated, and they were now surrounded by an army of angels on horseback, each pointing their gleaming swords at Belial.

"Belial, servant of the evil master Lucifer, the Most High bids you to depart and leave this young boy alone, for he is under our protection," one of the angels said in a commanding tone.

Belial looked at the army of angels that surrounded him and began to feel fearful of their presence. "Very well, then...let the Most High have him. But don't think that you have seen the last of me before the Day of Judgment." And with that, Belial wrapped himself inside his cloak and then disappeared.

To be concluded.