(Just a little something I started writing out of boredom. Not done yet.)
Angelis stood atop the Church’s steeple, long, thin sword in hand. Her robe and wings were already slightly stained with the black blood of the demons below her. Her halo floated, slightly crooked, over her head.
The road below her was naught but a writhing sea of black demons, twitching and clamoring for a chance to scale the Church’s walls to get at the last body of meat in a hundred-mile radius. Some had already started the treacherous climb upwards, throwing aside any brother or sister who got in the way. The ones who were thrown got the privilege of falling 30 feet to the ground below.
Angelis’s wings unfurled and she held her blade out in front of her as it began to glow with an unearthly white light. She stepped off the cross and plunged downward, wings outstretched, sword already arcing towards the black sea.
It was Moses all over again.
Haelion nearly flew across the battlefield, arms flinging back and forth as the endless wave of demons rushed forward. With each stroke, another stream of black struck his body. They didn’t stop. They wouldn’t stop.
“So why are we still fighting?” he asked himself as his short sword tore open another throat.
His wings, already black, were now wet with the blood of these demons. But they weren’t demons, were they?
Haelion leapt up onto a nearby building and stared over the vast expanse of this level of Hell. No one had control over them, not even the Greater Demons. Not even the Devils, in fact, who were supposed to have ultimate power over anything that lived in this realm, could control these monstrosities.
Most of Hell had fallen into a Dark Age, where every soul inhabiting this place could feel nothing but dread for the coming tide of these beasts. They had attained a level of evil that even those living in this place could barely understand.
Haelion leapt off the building, back into the ocean that awaited him.
The Angels called them demons.
The Demons called them Damned Souls.
They called themselves Fate.
The clouds above Angelis’s head thickened in the aftermath of the slaughter. Her wings, now indistinguishable from those of a true Demon, folded up behind her. She straightened her halo, which was still emanating a golden glow. A bright yellow bead flew around her halo, and then engulfed her in light. When it was dark again, she was cleansed.
Her eyes darkened as she looked behind her, at the total destruction that had to recently been wreaked upon this innocent city. Buildings fallen, families slaughtered, beauty lost. A stream of red and black blood flowed past the soles of her shoes as she stood in silent fury.
Angelis’s footsteps went unanswered as she continued down the road, sword still ready, muscles still weary, hope still fading.
The steeple of the Church cracked and fell to the road behind her. She did not look back.
Haelion couldn’t keep it up. Two hours of straight fighting would take the energy out of anyone. He backtracked to the old building and jumped on top again. His wings shot straight out, scattering a miniature wave of black liquid in either direction. With a running start, he leapt off the edge of the building, falling towards the endless mass of Fates before his wings caught the air and carried him towards safety. If such a thing still existed.
There were no other signs of life to be seen. The horizon was completely flat, as anything that stuck out was quickly brought down by the Fates. ‘Something drastic will have to be done if this eternal flood is to be dammed up.’
As soon as the thought was completed, a bright golden light opened up and enveloped Haelion in a blinding flash.
And before he could regain his thoughts, he was face-to-face with Gabriel.
“Well, never thought I’d see you again.” Haelion said, managing a half-smirk.
“Did you mean what you thought just now?” The Angels face was quite serious.
Haelion’s face fell. “It depends. What did I think? That light…”
“Your thought was ‘Something drastic will have to be done if this eternal flood is to be dammed up.’ Ring a bell?” Gabriel was still sincere, despite the obvious joking tone in his voice.
“Yes, I meant it. Do you have something in mind?”
“Would you object to working alongside an Angel?”
Haelion sighed. “If the situation were not so dire, then perhaps I would. But under the circumstances, I’d be happy too.”
Gabriel nodded his approval. “Finally, a wise Demon. All of the others were so filled with hatred of Angels that many refused to even talk to me.”
“I knew you meant no harm.”
“I know you knew. That’s why I needed you. Perhaps, after this-“ Haelion raised his hand to stop his words.
“Save it. Time is quite short, if you didn’t notice. I’d rather not waste it on small talk.”
The Angel nodded. “Understood. I will take you to her, if you are ready.”
“Does she know, this Angel I’m supposed to meet?”
Gabriel shook his head. “No. We were lucky to get in contact with Hell. Just after we sent Angelis in, the Fates took absolute control of Earth. We can’t get her back, or tell her anything. The same will be true for you, once you’re in there.”
Haelion waved his hand in dismissal of this hitch. “If it will help, I will do it.”
There was another burst of light as Haelion was once again lifted out of his body and transported.
Angelis heard the thud, the splash as something landed in blood. She quickly spun around as she drew her sword.
“Satan Almighty! Does the light really have to be that harsh?” It swore out loud.
Angelis silently skirted the distance to where source of the commotion. She hid behind a tree that was, remarkably, still standing. She peeked out from behind it.
The demon was brushing himself off, black wings wet and pants dirty from the blood on the ground.
“Couldn’t have picked a better spot to plop me down either, could he?”
Angelis had heard enough. He deserved to be killed, for foolishly giving his position away. She leapt outwards and charged at the demon, sword cleaving the air.
The demon put up his arms and blocked the incoming blow. Her sword clanged off his steel bracers.
“Dear Lord, woman! Watch where you’re swinging that thing!”
Haelion jumped backwards, reaching down for his short swords. Gone. He stared up at the sky and flipped off the clouds. “Curse you, Gabriel!” He spat at the ground. Angelis charged him again. He jumped up and over the Angel as she tried to pierce his heart.
“Gabriel sent me!” Haelion blurted out when he landed.
Angelis looked startled, but she didn’t say anything, and remained on-guard.
“I’m unarmed, as you can see. I never intended you harm until you attacked me, and that was for self-defense. Are we clear?”
She nodded. She let her guard drop a little.
“I got snatched out of Hell by Gabriel. Seems to think we can somehow put a stop to all this. I hope he’s right.”
Angelis pointed to the bodies on the ground, then pointed at Haelion, shaking her head with a questioning look on her face.
“What? Oh, no, they aren’t like me. Us. Demons.” He licked his lips. “They call themselves the Fates. All this is happening in Hell, too. It’s almost as bad there, that’s where they came from.”
The Angel placed a palm over her eyes and shook her head.
“Hey, the Demons hate these things too. It’s not like we asked them to destroy all of Hell.”
Angelis stared up at him in alarm.
“Ya, Hell’s nearly gone, lady. The entire place looks like a great black ocean of Fates. There might be a few towns left in some of the volcanoes, but not much else. Most of our skyline is totally flat.”
She dropped her sword, shaking her head again.
Her silence was starting to irk Haelion. “Um…can you say something? Please?”
Her glare was icy. Nothing but another shake of the head.
“Uh…are you mute?”
The Angel picked up her sword and nodded.
“Are you seri-urk.”
Angelis had her sword to the Demon’s neck in a flash. She drew her finger across her throat.
“I get it. No talking about it. I get it.”
She sheathed her sword back into her belt and started walking.
Haelion followed behind.
They stopped to rest as the Sun began to set. Haelion had taken the lead sometime during the afternoon, and almost kept going after Angelis sat down. He was almost out of sight when he realized she was missing, and walked back to her.
He tossed a rock near her feet as he approached. “That wasn’t very nice.”
She simply smirked and shook her head, drinking a glass of water.
“We here for the night?”
She nodded.
Haelion stood up. “Fine. I’m gonna ransack a few houses.”
Metal struck wood, hard. The Demon spun around to see Angelis with her sword stuck in a log a few inches from his leg. She shook her head.
Haelion sighed. “I need a weapon, Miss. I can’t kill those bastards without it. I’m not going to kill you. I want them gone as much as you do. Maybe more than you. I’ve seen firsthand the damage they are capable of. And if my knowledge serves me right, the Fates probably haven’t touched Heaven yet.”
Both were quiet.
“May I look for a weapon?”
Silence. Then the Angel pulled her sword free and sat quietly. She nodded.
Haelion bowed slightly. “Thank you. I trust you to still be here when I get back.”
She nodded again. The Demon left.
Angelis stood atop the Church’s steeple, long, thin sword in hand. Her robe and wings were already slightly stained with the black blood of the demons below her. Her halo floated, slightly crooked, over her head.
The road below her was naught but a writhing sea of black demons, twitching and clamoring for a chance to scale the Church’s walls to get at the last body of meat in a hundred-mile radius. Some had already started the treacherous climb upwards, throwing aside any brother or sister who got in the way. The ones who were thrown got the privilege of falling 30 feet to the ground below.
Angelis’s wings unfurled and she held her blade out in front of her as it began to glow with an unearthly white light. She stepped off the cross and plunged downward, wings outstretched, sword already arcing towards the black sea.
It was Moses all over again.
Haelion nearly flew across the battlefield, arms flinging back and forth as the endless wave of demons rushed forward. With each stroke, another stream of black struck his body. They didn’t stop. They wouldn’t stop.
“So why are we still fighting?” he asked himself as his short sword tore open another throat.
His wings, already black, were now wet with the blood of these demons. But they weren’t demons, were they?
Haelion leapt up onto a nearby building and stared over the vast expanse of this level of Hell. No one had control over them, not even the Greater Demons. Not even the Devils, in fact, who were supposed to have ultimate power over anything that lived in this realm, could control these monstrosities.
Most of Hell had fallen into a Dark Age, where every soul inhabiting this place could feel nothing but dread for the coming tide of these beasts. They had attained a level of evil that even those living in this place could barely understand.
Haelion leapt off the building, back into the ocean that awaited him.
The Angels called them demons.
The Demons called them Damned Souls.
They called themselves Fate.
The clouds above Angelis’s head thickened in the aftermath of the slaughter. Her wings, now indistinguishable from those of a true Demon, folded up behind her. She straightened her halo, which was still emanating a golden glow. A bright yellow bead flew around her halo, and then engulfed her in light. When it was dark again, she was cleansed.
Her eyes darkened as she looked behind her, at the total destruction that had to recently been wreaked upon this innocent city. Buildings fallen, families slaughtered, beauty lost. A stream of red and black blood flowed past the soles of her shoes as she stood in silent fury.
Angelis’s footsteps went unanswered as she continued down the road, sword still ready, muscles still weary, hope still fading.
The steeple of the Church cracked and fell to the road behind her. She did not look back.
Haelion couldn’t keep it up. Two hours of straight fighting would take the energy out of anyone. He backtracked to the old building and jumped on top again. His wings shot straight out, scattering a miniature wave of black liquid in either direction. With a running start, he leapt off the edge of the building, falling towards the endless mass of Fates before his wings caught the air and carried him towards safety. If such a thing still existed.
There were no other signs of life to be seen. The horizon was completely flat, as anything that stuck out was quickly brought down by the Fates. ‘Something drastic will have to be done if this eternal flood is to be dammed up.’
As soon as the thought was completed, a bright golden light opened up and enveloped Haelion in a blinding flash.
And before he could regain his thoughts, he was face-to-face with Gabriel.
“Well, never thought I’d see you again.” Haelion said, managing a half-smirk.
“Did you mean what you thought just now?” The Angels face was quite serious.
Haelion’s face fell. “It depends. What did I think? That light…”
“Your thought was ‘Something drastic will have to be done if this eternal flood is to be dammed up.’ Ring a bell?” Gabriel was still sincere, despite the obvious joking tone in his voice.
“Yes, I meant it. Do you have something in mind?”
“Would you object to working alongside an Angel?”
Haelion sighed. “If the situation were not so dire, then perhaps I would. But under the circumstances, I’d be happy too.”
Gabriel nodded his approval. “Finally, a wise Demon. All of the others were so filled with hatred of Angels that many refused to even talk to me.”
“I knew you meant no harm.”
“I know you knew. That’s why I needed you. Perhaps, after this-“ Haelion raised his hand to stop his words.
“Save it. Time is quite short, if you didn’t notice. I’d rather not waste it on small talk.”
The Angel nodded. “Understood. I will take you to her, if you are ready.”
“Does she know, this Angel I’m supposed to meet?”
Gabriel shook his head. “No. We were lucky to get in contact with Hell. Just after we sent Angelis in, the Fates took absolute control of Earth. We can’t get her back, or tell her anything. The same will be true for you, once you’re in there.”
Haelion waved his hand in dismissal of this hitch. “If it will help, I will do it.”
There was another burst of light as Haelion was once again lifted out of his body and transported.
Angelis heard the thud, the splash as something landed in blood. She quickly spun around as she drew her sword.
“Satan Almighty! Does the light really have to be that harsh?” It swore out loud.
Angelis silently skirted the distance to where source of the commotion. She hid behind a tree that was, remarkably, still standing. She peeked out from behind it.
The demon was brushing himself off, black wings wet and pants dirty from the blood on the ground.
“Couldn’t have picked a better spot to plop me down either, could he?”
Angelis had heard enough. He deserved to be killed, for foolishly giving his position away. She leapt outwards and charged at the demon, sword cleaving the air.
The demon put up his arms and blocked the incoming blow. Her sword clanged off his steel bracers.
“Dear Lord, woman! Watch where you’re swinging that thing!”
Haelion jumped backwards, reaching down for his short swords. Gone. He stared up at the sky and flipped off the clouds. “Curse you, Gabriel!” He spat at the ground. Angelis charged him again. He jumped up and over the Angel as she tried to pierce his heart.
“Gabriel sent me!” Haelion blurted out when he landed.
Angelis looked startled, but she didn’t say anything, and remained on-guard.
“I’m unarmed, as you can see. I never intended you harm until you attacked me, and that was for self-defense. Are we clear?”
She nodded. She let her guard drop a little.
“I got snatched out of Hell by Gabriel. Seems to think we can somehow put a stop to all this. I hope he’s right.”
Angelis pointed to the bodies on the ground, then pointed at Haelion, shaking her head with a questioning look on her face.
“What? Oh, no, they aren’t like me. Us. Demons.” He licked his lips. “They call themselves the Fates. All this is happening in Hell, too. It’s almost as bad there, that’s where they came from.”
The Angel placed a palm over her eyes and shook her head.
“Hey, the Demons hate these things too. It’s not like we asked them to destroy all of Hell.”
Angelis stared up at him in alarm.
“Ya, Hell’s nearly gone, lady. The entire place looks like a great black ocean of Fates. There might be a few towns left in some of the volcanoes, but not much else. Most of our skyline is totally flat.”
She dropped her sword, shaking her head again.
Her silence was starting to irk Haelion. “Um…can you say something? Please?”
Her glare was icy. Nothing but another shake of the head.
“Uh…are you mute?”
The Angel picked up her sword and nodded.
“Are you seri-urk.”
Angelis had her sword to the Demon’s neck in a flash. She drew her finger across her throat.
“I get it. No talking about it. I get it.”
She sheathed her sword back into her belt and started walking.
Haelion followed behind.
They stopped to rest as the Sun began to set. Haelion had taken the lead sometime during the afternoon, and almost kept going after Angelis sat down. He was almost out of sight when he realized she was missing, and walked back to her.
He tossed a rock near her feet as he approached. “That wasn’t very nice.”
She simply smirked and shook her head, drinking a glass of water.
“We here for the night?”
She nodded.
Haelion stood up. “Fine. I’m gonna ransack a few houses.”
Metal struck wood, hard. The Demon spun around to see Angelis with her sword stuck in a log a few inches from his leg. She shook her head.
Haelion sighed. “I need a weapon, Miss. I can’t kill those bastards without it. I’m not going to kill you. I want them gone as much as you do. Maybe more than you. I’ve seen firsthand the damage they are capable of. And if my knowledge serves me right, the Fates probably haven’t touched Heaven yet.”
Both were quiet.
“May I look for a weapon?”
Silence. Then the Angel pulled her sword free and sat quietly. She nodded.
Haelion bowed slightly. “Thank you. I trust you to still be here when I get back.”
She nodded again. The Demon left.