Ava yelps at the loud noise. It was from her front door. Before she can investigate, the room is filled with a sound like a raging waterfall. Then a bright light forms a few feet from her bed. The light and sound both grow more intense until she has to shut her eyes and cover her ears.
Then, suddenly, quiet. She opens her eyes and screams. Standing before her is a six-foot tall man. He looks like a Greek god, all chiseled angles and well-defined muscles. He is also completely naked. His skin is golden and has a soft glow. Not like the glow after sex. His skin literally is glowing, like there is a light bulb inside his body. His eyes are also golden. He looks down at Ava, cracks his neck, and then a pair of wings unfold from his back.
Ava screams and backs up against the wall. Only now does she realize that she is naked as well. It’s the middle of summer in New York, and it’s hot as hell, so she has been sleeping in the nude. How was she to know that a naked angel would appear in her room?
“What do you want?” Ava forces herself to say, her voice cracking.
There is another loud thud at her door. The naked golden man does not flinch or look towards the noise.
“Ava. In ten minutes a demonic creature will break through your door and kill you.” His voice is like an angel. She almost laughs.
“W... what are you talking about? Why are you here? And why are you naked?” Ava blathers. She then inadvertently makes eye contact with his penis.
He smiles and looks her naked body up and down. “I’ve never been with one from this realm...” He says, looking right through her. It’s like he is talking to himself. He shakes his head and frowns. “The denizens of Hewin do not wear clothes. But, we do not have time for this. The war has begun. You must choose, become a soldier in the name of the holy land, or die by the claws of hell. Your choice.”
To punctuate his sentence, something slams into her door. The wood around the hinges cracks. Then a claw explodes through the door. A glowing red eye glares at her.
Ava screams again. “Okay, yes, fine! I’ll be a fucking soldier, just help me!”
The angel, or whatever he is, reaches into the air and pulls a glowing white sword out of nothingness. He turns the blade around, so he is holding it by the edge.
Ava reaches out to take it, but he draws it back.
“By taking this sword, you are bound. This sword to you, and you to Hewin.” He says in a deadly serious voice.
A large chunk of the front door is torn away.
Ava stands up, not caring anymore that she is naked. She reaches out again. He places the hilt of the sword in her hand. As soon as it touches her hand, it feels like her brain is stabbed with hundreds of needles. She screams and tries to drop the sword. But her hand won’t let go. Then the pain stops as suddenly as it started.
“It is done. You have awakened the spark of Divine within you. Welcome, Holy Soldier. This sword will grow in power as you do. Treat it well, and it shall return the favor. Now, prove your worth.” He smiles at her and then wraps his wings around his body. The waterfall noise and blinding light return, and then he is gone.
“Are you kidding me? Did he just leave me with a demon outside my door?” Ava stares at the place where he was a moment ago. Movement catches her eye, a deformed black dog head with red eyes squeezes through the broken door. The sword in her hand seems to come to life and urges her to swing.
Acting on pure adrenaline and not wanting to be eaten she swings the glowing white sword at the charging,
Hell Hound - Beast
Infernal - First Circle
Rank 2, Pain
Ava blinks, there is a translucent name tag hovering over the dog’s head.
Her swing goes wild and almost cuts her leg. The dog barrels into her, knocking her down. It snaps at her, spraying hot, foul spittle. Instinctively, she raises her arm to protect herself. The Hell Hound latches onto her arm.
Ava screams and drops her sword. The dog shakes it head back and forth, while still latched on. Ava had never felt so much pain in her twenty-five years of life. She vainly punches it in the nose, to no effect. Where did her sword go?
She sees it to her right a few feet away. Reaching out, her hand falls short. Then she feels a tingling in her fingers, and the sword moves to her hand like a magnet. Gripping it, she skewers the dog right in its red eye. Black sludge oozes out and has a violent reaction when it touches the sword.
The Hell Hound yelps and jumps back. It is now blind in one eye. It looks at her sword and then glares at her. Then it turns around and tries to escape through the hole in the door. Ava hesitates for a moment, thinking about letting it run away. But, then she thinks about the family in the apartment next door. They have a five-year-old girl. Cute as a button.
“Damn.” She says and then runs at the dog. She runs her sword straight through the dog. It spasms a few times, then falls dead. Light blossoms from the dead Hell Hound and then flows up into her sword. A single glowing rune appears near the hilt of her sword.
"Who's there?" Ava backs away from the door while keeping her eyes on the dead Hell Hound.
Ava drops the sword and backs away. "Okay, this is crazy." She runs over to her phone and plugs it in. Nothing. She tries the light switch. No power. "Awesome." She says as she runs her hand through her hair. She opens her laptop, and it also is dead. She throws it on the floor in frustration.
"Ava? Wha... oh Jesus, what the hell is that?" A man's voice says from the doorway.
She looks up and her neighbor and friend, John is standing there staring at the dead Hell Hound. Then he looks at Ava, and his eyes go wide, and he blushes. Ava covers her breasts and lady parts with her hands.
"Do you mind?" She asks him.
"I... but... what is going on?" He stammers. They have been friends for five years, and she knows he has had a crush on her the whole time. He is just not her type. Ava's sure John will keep the image he just saw locked in his mind for all of eternity.
"John! Turn the fuck around so that I can get dressed." Ava yells at him, as his eyes drink in her naked body, like a man dying of thirst, and Ava's body is water.
"Sorry." He turns around.
Ava goes to her bathroom, the sun has risen more and is shining through the window. She tries the water, which still works. Grabbing a towel, she wipes black sludge off her chest.
"Ugh, this stuff stinks." She mumbles.
"What?" John says. She can hear him messing with the door.
"Stay in the hallway, John," Ava says, annoyed.
She slips into her bedroom and quickly gets dressed in some jeans, a tee-shirt, and tennis shoes. She looks at herself in the mirror. Ava is five feet and six inches tall, and one-hundred and twenty-nine pounds. She has shoulder length wavy black hair, brown eyes, and a spattering of freckles on her small nose and cheeks. She has been described as 'girl next door' pretty, but she has always hated that term.
Ava grabs a hair tie and puts her hair in a ponytail. Then she grabs her wallet, keys, and phone. She steps into the front room.
"Okay. You can come in." She says to John.
He opens the door, but it will only open part way because the dead dog blocks it. He steps over the carcass and walks over to Ava.
"What is that? What happened?" He asks her, putting his arm around her, trying to console her.
Ava shrugs his arm off. She is not in the mood to be touched.
"Do you have your phone with you?" She asks him.
"Yeah, but.."
"Just give me the phone!" She yells at him.
John flinches at her anger, then pulls his phone out of his pocket and gives it to her.
"Sorry. I'm just a little on edge." She presses the home button on his iPhone, but nothing happens.
"I tried to tell you. It's dead. Nothing works. I even have an old landlin
e phone, but it doesn't work. Will you please tell me what is going on?" He says to Ava.
"Not here. I need to get out of here. We need to get in contact with the police." She says walking towards the door.
"Wha... okay. Wait up. Hey, is that a sword?" He asks.
Ava stops. She turns around and looks at the sword. "Dammit." She says under her breath. She kind of wanted to leave it here. But what if there are more of these creatures? "Will you hand it to me please?" She asks John.
"Yeah, sure." He reaches down and touches the hilt. His hand smokes, and John yells, quickly pulling his hand to his chest. "It burned me."
Curious, Ava walks over and reaches down and touches the sword. It is not hot at all. She picks it up. John looks at the sword and then at her, fear in his eyes. She then sees a floating name tag above Johns' head.
John Cutter - Human
Infernal - Earth
Rank 0, Dormant
John follows Ava's eyes.
"What? Do I have something in my hair?" He asks, messing with his hair.
"No. You're fine. Um, John do I have a name tag above my head?" She asks him.
"A name tag? What are you talking about? Are you okay? There is blood on your arm, did that thing bite you? It might have rabies. Maybe we should take you to the hospital?"
Ava looks down at her arm, and the bite marks are gone. How is that possible? That thing had left horrible wounds on her arm.
"I... no, I'm fine. Can we just go please?" She says walking back to the door.
Ava stops suddenly, causing John to walk into her back.
"What's wrong?" John asks her.
"Nothing. I thought I heard something." She walks down the hall. A few of the neighbors have their doors open and are opening staring at her. She has blood on her arm and a sword in her hand, she doesn't blame them for gawking at her. Every person she looks at has a name tag and info above their heads. "Go back inside. There was a wild animal loose, and it may not be safe." She says as she passes them.
There is the sound of someone running behind them.
"What the fuck is this?" Ava hears down the hall where her apartment is.
She stops and turns around. It's Bob the Slob, the super of the apartment building. That's not his actual name. It's just what she calls him in her head. He is always wearing a stained white wife-beater. He is in his late forties, single, and a sleaze. He always makes crude sexual jokes and is continuously leering at Ava.
Ava sighs. "There was a wild animal loose in the building. It broke my door."
Bob, looks through her door and then at her. "Where do you think you are going? You can't just leave this here."
"I'm leaving, Bob. I'm going to the police station to make a report." Ava turns to leave.
"Oh no, no, no. You are not going anywhere, missy. If you had some animal in here, you would be fined, and you need to clean up this mess. You will have to pay for that door too." He walks up and grabs her arm. He tries to pull her, but oddly enough, Ava feels power in her and does not budge.
Bob looks at Ava confused.
"Let her go," John says.
Bob looks John up and down, observing his skinny form and hipster persona, and laughs, "Get out of here, this doesn't concern you."
John gets in front of Ava and pushes Bob. Ava inwardly cringes, John probably is only one-hundred and twenty pounds at most. He is lanky and looks like a nerdy hipster. Bob's acne-scarred face turns red.
"Bob..." Ava starts to say, and then John is laying on the floor, blood gushing out of his nose.
"I told you! This is not your concern." Bob yells at John. There is now a small crowd of people in the hallway.
Ava brings the sword that she had been hiding behind her back forward. Bob's eyes go wide.
"Alright, honey. Put that thing down before someone gets hurt." Bob backs away while putting his hand behind his back.
"Don't call me honey, you piece of shit! You just broke his nose." Ava points the sword at Bob.
Bob steps back, almost falling. He then pulls out a handgun he had tucked in the small of his back. "I said put that thing down."
"What the hell, Bob?" A man in a doorway yells.
There is a scream from a woman when she sees the gun and then a door slams.
Ava helps John up. "We are leaving." She says to Bob.
"Stop," Bob yells at her.
Ava has had it with this redneck asshole. She takes a step forward, not feeling any fear. *Click*
Both Ava and John flinch. Bob had pulled the trigger, but the gun did not go off.
Bob looks pale. "I... I didn't mean to. My... finger slipped." He stammers.
Ava is furious. She walks right up to Bob and hits him in the face with her fist. Bob flies ten feet down the hallway and then lands on the floor with a thud. Ava is shocked, she looks down at her fist and then at Bob. How did she just do that? Everyone else in the hallway is staring at Ava open-mouthed.
The guy that had yelled at Bob walks over and puts a finger to Bob's neck. "He is fine, just knocked out." He looks at Ava. "That is one hell of a right hook you have." He picks up Bob's gun. "I'll keep this safe until the police get here."
"I..." Ava doesn't know what to say.
"Just get out of here." He winks at Ava.
"Come on, Ava," John says, holding his head back, trying not to bleed everywhere.
John and Ava take the stairs down four flights, as the elevator is not working. Once on the street, Ava stands there in a daze.
"Ava? Are you okay?" John asks her. "Ava?" he asks again when she doesn't answer.
"Jesus. Give me a minute. A naked horny angel just visited me. Was given a magic talking sword. Attacked by a hellhound, and I was almost shot by Bob the Slob." Ava rubs her eyes in frustration.
John looks at her with concern. "I... what? A naked angel?"
"Never mind." Ava pulls her keys out and clicks the unlock button to her car. People told her she was silly for owning a car in New York City, but she likes the freedom. Even if it costs her a third of her salary. She bought her parking spot outright, and it was not cheap. But, she makes good money as a storyboard artist for a successful video game company.
Nothing happens. She clicks the button again. "Dammit." She says and then walks up to her car and unlocks it manually. Placing the sword in the back seat, she puts the key in the ignition. The car is dead. John gets in and looks at Ava.
"No power?" He asks.
Ava nods.
"I was afraid of this. I think there may have been some kind of terrorist attack. Something that knocked all electronics out. Did you hear those explosions earlier?" John asks.
"Yeah. I'm not sure this is the act of a terrorist. There is a police station six blocks south of here. Let's check it out." Ava says. She grabs the sword and gets out of the car.
"Ava, why are you carrying around a sword? Where did you get that anyways? It's pretty badass looking. Are you into larping?" He asks as he runs to keep up with her.
"An angel gave it to me. And what the hell is larping?" Ava notices how quiet the city is. It is eerie. This is supposed to be the city that never sleeps.
John laughs and then looks at Ava's serious face. "Uh, an angel?"
"Yeah, I already told you. Keep up." Ava says walking faster.
A couple of people run past her and John. They look terrified and keep looking back. Ava glances back but doesn't see anything.
"Hey! Are you guys okay?" Ava calls after them. They ignore her question and keep running. "What is happening in this city?" Ava asks out loud.
Twenty minutes later they are standing on the outskirts of a large crowd of people. Everyone is trying to get into the police station. There is a barricade around the entrance and officers with shotguns and full body armor standing around.
"ATTENTION!" An office on the steps says with an old-timey megaphone, and it looks like something from the 1920's. Ava wonders where he even
got such a thing. "We will try and help as many people as possible. If you have an actual emergency, please step to the desk and take a number. If you are seeking shelter, temporary locations are being set up right now. I have a pamphlet that lists all shelters that my officers will hand out. At this time we do not have any information as to what is happening. All communications are dead. The best thing we can all do is remain calm and wait. I have mounted officers on horse right now seeking information from the mayor's office and the governor. I would advise everyone return to their homes and lock your doors. Looters will be arrested."
The crowd does not seem to like his suggestion of remaining calm and waiting. They all start yelling at him. Some try to get past the barricade, only to be hit in the face by the officers.
Someone screams. "Oh my god! Look!" She points to the sky.
Everyone in the crowd turns and looks up. John and Ava do as well. There is a flying golden person, they are very high up and look small from this distance. The golden person angles down and flies at an incredible speed. They land on the concrete like a rocket, causing a small crater. It is a woman, and she is nude. She has long white hair, golden eyes, and a perfect body. She stretches her wings and looks at everyone. A few people in the crowd get on their knees like she is a god. Others back away, looking like they are going to run.
Ava sees a name tag above the angel's head. She was never told precisely that they are angels. But, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well, you know.
Sachael - Angel
Divine - Hewin
Rank 115, Water
The silence is thick, and everyone watches her. The angel seems to be looking for something in the crowd. Her eyes stop on Ava. Her mouth cracks a hint of a smile. Then she moves on. Then she pulls out a glowing golden bow. She pulls back the string and many arrows form, then she releases. Arrows slam into many different people in the crowd. It is chaos. People are screaming and running. The police try to use their guns, but they do not fire.
Ava grabs John's hand and runs. Her heart feels like it is going to explode from the adrenaline, fear, and exertion of running. They stop five blocks away. John leans over and throws up.
Synthesis Page 18
