Fallen

by R C Knight

  “Something wrong, Keira?” he asked. Her hands froze at the sound of his voice. She looked up at him with a sad smile on her face.

  “I don’t suppose you’ll let me spend the night with you?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Keira,” he sighed. “Why do you torture yourself like this?”

  She let out a small sigh and looked around the bar. “I don’t understand what is wrong with me. It’s obvious I want you, Zane. Yet you always say no. You never let anyone close to you.” She looked up at him, tears forming in her blue eyes. Zane pulled her into his chest and ran his hand up and down her back.

  “It has nothing to do with you,” he sighed. “It’s just better for me to stay unattached. It helps me focus. Attachments just lead to heartache and pain.” He continued to hold her as he looked around the bar. Some of the couples having sex had invited more to join. He sometimes envied their immorality. It would be easy to not have to care about the consequences of one’s actions. Zane gently pulled Keira from his chest and stared into her eyes. “Go back to the hotel, Keira. You won’t find what you’re looking for with me.”

  Keira wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed. She looked longingly at him before she turned away and walked out the door. Zane looked around the bar one last time before he walked out into the cold night.

  ~~~~

  Zane woke up in a cold sweat. The nightmare had come back again. Visions of his father chained and trapped filled his mind. He shook his head and reached for the glass of water he kept on his nightstand. He had this nightmare almost every night for the last six years. His father had left on a mission and never returned. Everyone thought he was dead, but Zane knew better. He had had premonitions before and these nightmares of his were proof that his father was very much alive and was suffering.

  He downed the water in the glass and placed it back on the nightstand. He wasn’t going to be able to sleep any more tonight. He lit the candle on his nightstand and picked up the Bible that he always carried with him. He turned the book over in his hands, scrutinizing the cover and the binding. The book was worn and tattered, to the point that Zane was surprised it hadn’t fallen apart.

  He wasn’t a religious person. Long ago he had given up on the fantasy of angels coming to Earth. He no longer believed that there was a god that cared about them. He had seen the destruction and havoc their departure had caused. Zane’s father had tried to get him to believe. He had said that the angels had simply lost their way, but they would soon realize their errors and come to the rescue. Eventually, Zane grew tired of waiting. He scoffed as he set the Bible back onto his nightstand. If he wanted a better world, he was going to have to change it himself. There were no heroes here, it was a man eat man kind of world.

  Zane looked around the barren room. He was getting tired of going from one village to another, staying in these run-down hotels. He glanced at the clock on the wall, two hours until he had to meet up with the rest of the group. He groaned as he got up from his bed and went into the bathroom. Five minutes later he came out with damp hair, wearing a loose pair of linen briefs.

  A silver tattoo covered his left pectoral. The middle of the tattoo was faded, the ink becoming more prominent as it spread across his chest. A small star was at the center, elegant swirls connected to the star and spread out like vines. The thin lines formed various spirals and circles, wrapping around each other with grace. The elegant swirls and flow of the tattoo were a sharp contrast to his rough face. Zane walked over to his dresser and opened the middle drawer. He rummaged through his few possessions and pulled out a partially worn shirt. He pulled the shirt on and grabbed a pair of jeans. He looked around the room, grabbed his room key from the nightstand, and walked out the door.

  As he stepped out, he locked his door and turned down the hallway. He glanced at the other rooms, positive that the rest of his group were either still asleep or just waking up. Zane went over to the staircase and headed down. He walked into the hotel’s foyer and looked over at the dining area. Mikayla was already awake, sitting at the table reading one of her medical books while drinking some coffee. She was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her leather jacket was hanging off her chair and her bag was sitting on the floor next to her feet.

  Zane walked over to her table. “Hey. I didn’t expect anyone else to be up yet.”

  Mikayla let out a soft sigh as she set her book down. “You know me,” she replied with blatantly fake enthusiasm. “I can never sleep when there’s something this significant happening in the morning. Bishop, on the other hand, could fall asleep anywhere.”

  Zane chuckled, “Lucky him.” He looked around the dining area and located the food. “I’m going to grab something to eat quick.” He walked over to the small buffet and grabbed some stale bread and a cup of coffee. He walked back to the table and looked at Mikayla. “I won’t be recommending this place to anyone,” he murmured as he sat down with his meager breakfast. “I don’t know how they expect anyone to live off this.”

  Mikayla laughed as Zane took a bite of the bread and gagged. “Their actual breakfast doesn’t start for another hour. This is just the crap they leave out for early birds like us.” She sighed and took another sip of her coffee. “This is going to be a long day.” The small talk continued while Zane ate his breakfast and Mikayla nursed her drink. The grandfather clock in the corner began to chime. Zane looked over, noticed the time, and quickly stood up from the table.

  “Looks like it’s time for me to get ready.” He looked over at Mikayla. “I’ll be back down in a few. I’m sure the rest of them will be down as well.” He turned and made his way to the stairs. Bishop was already on his way down. He wore a leather vest with a dagger sheathed by his left hip. His sword was in its sheath, hanging off his belt. His brown hair was still damp, and his hazel eyes looked around groggily. “Morning Bishop,” Zane greeted as they passed each other. “Mikayla is waiting in the dining area.”

  “Ah, thanks,” Bishop mumbled as he continued down the stairs. Zane stopped on the stairs and watched as Bishop reached Mikayla. She stood up and greeted him with a kiss. Zane couldn’t help but smile as he watched the love between those two. He turned and continued to his room.

  He entered his room and went straight to the dresser. Opening the top drawer, he pulled out a blackened leather plate carrier and two ornate metal plates. He ran his finger along the various engravings in the worn metal before sliding them into the vest. These plates had been a part of his father’s armor. His father had given them to him as a good luck gift before his first real battle. Zane slid the vest over his head and tied the straps around his waist.

  He pulled the dresser away from the wall and grabbed his sword, pulling it out from its sheath. The blade was almost as long as Zane and nearly as wide as his waist. It had a faint glow from the holy light it had been enchanted with. This sword was another gift from his father, it was one of the few swords remaining that still had some holy light left within it. He set the sword down on his bed and strapped the sheath onto his back. Zane carefully picked up the sword and ran his finger along its edge. It was still as sharp as the day it was made. According to his father, these enchanted blades would never dull as long as they had holy light in them. He placed the sword into its sheath and grabbed his leather jacket from the chair. He pulled on his jacket, walked out the door, and locked up his room. Zane smiled; it’s going to be a good day.

  Chapter Five

  Heaven

  Aria walked quickly down the hallway with Ryder by her side. Today’s the day! she thought with excitement. In a few short hours, they would be on their way to Earth. She turned left and knocked on an ornate, golden door. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the door to open.

  “Would you calm down?” Ryder asked as the speed of her foot increased. “That’s really annoying.”

  Aria closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and stopped tapping her foot. She glared over at Ryder. “They are taking for
ever.” She knocked on the door again, the sound echoing down the empty hallway.

  The door opened slowly, and Michael stood in their way. “Ah, Aria. I’m surprised you weren’t here earlier. The rest of your team was here an hour ago.” He looked at her and Ryder. “Come on in.” He moved out of the doorway and allowed them to enter.

  Aria looked around the weapons vault. Open shelves displayed the various swords and daggers. She walked over to the third shelf on the right where her daggers were kept. She smiled as she examined the smooth curves of the daggers. Symbols of protection, fortitude, speed, and strength were elegantly carved across the middle of the blade. As she picked up the daggers the symbols began to glow with power. She picked up their sheaths and attached them to her belt. Carefully, she slid each dagger into its sheath and looked over at Ryder.

  He was holding his sword across his hands, testing the balance. The light from the runes on his blade illuminated his face. His green eyes expertly examined the sword, going over every inch. Once he was satisfied, he placed the sword into its sheath that was attached to his belt. Next, he walked over to another shelf that had silver bracers. He picked one up and slid it onto his left forearm. A look of concentration filled his face. Suddenly holy light shot out of the bracer, forming a giant sigil in front of him. The sigil of protection created a curved shield that was almost as big as Ryder. He smiled with satisfaction as he let the shield disappear. He looked over at Aria. “Are you done staring at my ass?” he asked with a laugh.

  “You just wish your ass was worth staring at,” she giggled.

  “Aria,” Michael interrupted, “I have something for you.” He walked up to her, carrying a velvet case. He set the case down on the table and opened it. She looked down and gasped.

  “I couldn’t possibly take these,” she whispered.

  “What is it?” Ryder asked as he ran over to the table. “Oh,” he paused, looking at Aria then Michael. “Are you sure she should take these?”

  Michael looked at them, a sad smile on his face. “I cannot think of a better person for this honor.”

  Aria reached into the velvet case and pulled out a small throwing knife. The silver blade was elegantly curved, similar to her daggers. Golden vines had been engraved into the metal, curling along the blade in a delicate harmony. She put the knife back in the case, where there were nine more identical to it. She looked up at Michael, a tear silently rolled down her cheek. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “Raphael would have wanted you to have them,” Michael responded sadly. “You were like the daughter he never had. These were the last blades he made before he died. I’m sure he would have been honored to have you take them on your first mission.”

  Aria closed the lid and pulled the case into her chest. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I will use them well.”

  Michael placed a hand on Aria’s shoulder. “Raphael was a good angel. One of the best, in my opinion.” He let out a soft sigh. “You remind me of him sometimes. He would be proud of you.” Aria nodded as Michael squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. “Come on. The rest of your team is waiting for you.” He led Aria and Ryder to the door and out into the hallway.

  Aria looked around in confusion as they made their way through a maze of hallways. “Where are we going? I’ve never been here before.”

  “The portals to Earth were closed after the Battle of Armageddon,” Michael explained. “Since then we had to create a new way to get to Earth. Only the Archangels know about this portal and it will remain that way until you return with the status report on the humans.” He stopped at the end of the hallway and stood in front of a wall. He placed his palm on a small, gold leaf that had been engraved into it. A light began to shine beneath his palm, forming a golden sigil that spread across the wall. An archway appeared, through which Aria could see the rest of her team waiting with Gabriel and Selaphiel.

  “That is so cool,” she whispered to Ryder. “We need a secret room.” Ryder chuckled as Michael led them into the room. Myra, Kai, Eliza, and Selaphiel were sitting at a table in the corner. Gabriel stood next to Eliza; his arms crossed over his chest.

  “It took you long enough,” he said as he glared at Aria.

  “That would be my fault,” Michael responded as he closed the archway behind him. He looked around the room. “Good, everyone is here.”

  Aria examined her team. Myra and Kai were wearing their fighting gear, which was made of dark red leather identical to hers. Kai’s vest had two ornate metal plates on the chest, that were engraved with various symbols for protection, strength, and speed. His two-handed sword was strapped to his back. Ryder’s vest was identical to Kai’s, because they were both trained in heavy armor. Myra was wearing a dark red leather bustier similar to Aria’s. Her bow was leaning against the wall and she had slung her quiver across the back of her chair. She had her platinum blonde hair pulled back into a braided bun. Eliza wore a dark red leather bustier with a white sash across her waist. The sash indicated her position as the healer of the group. She carried a silver staff that had a blade attached on one end.

  Aria’s eyes focused on the far side of the room. A swirling vortex of silver light was illuminating the room. “What is that?” she asked Michael.

  “That,” he responded with a smile. “Is how you’re getting to Earth.”

  Aria walked towards the vortex; her face filled with fascination. The rest of her team joined her, clearly fascinated by the portal. Michael, Gabriel, and Selaphiel grabbed some leather satchels from the corner of the room and brought them over.

  “Here,” Michael said as they started handing them out to the group. “There are human clothes in each of these bags for you. We’ve also included some supplies you might need as well as some human objects for bartering.” He handed the final bag to Aria. “Raphael informed us that it is better to dress like the locals to avoid detection. Apparently, angels are considered a high commodity, and any human that finds one and turns them in to the demons will be rewarded handsomely.” He made eye contact with each member of the team. “I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to blend in and not get caught.”

  “Was there any other information from Raphael?” Aria asked.

  “The demons have created a slave trade with the humans. If you see any humans selling their peers to demons, you must leave it be. There is nothing you can do about it at this time. He also mentioned that some humans were forming small resistance groups. But those seemed to be destroyed as quickly as they were formed,” Michael continued. “We can’t rely on any help from them. They are more likely to turn you in for that reward.” Aria nodded in understanding.

  “If we need to blend in, why don’t we change here?” Kai asked.

  “Selaphiel, please explain,” Michael responded.

  Selaphiel stepped forward. “The power of the portal will destroy those clothes. Your armor is protected and so are the leather satchels that your clothes are in. We will be sending you into a field a few miles away from the closest village. No one should be around, so you’ll be able to change there and then head out. I also need to talk to you about communication. Aria, please open your satchel and look for a gold book.”

  Aria looked through her satchel and pulled out the book. “Very good. Now open it.” A soft, yellow light illuminated her face when she opened the book. The parchment had yellowed with age, silver scrollwork lined the edges of the paper. A silver feather laid on top of the page.

  “The demons have done something to block our communication between realms,” Selaphiel explained. “That is the Book of Whispers, it is as old as time itself and its power cannot be recreated. To use it you will need to prick your finger with that feather and write out your message. It only responds to the blood of an angel. Humans and demons won’t even be able to open it.” He pulled an identical book from his robes. “This is your book’s sister. We will be able to receive your messages and respond back to you. We’ll also be able to send communications t
o a specific angel, just in case there is something private we don’t want the others to see.”

  Aria looked at the two books, closing hers carefully she placed it back into her satchel. “Is there anything else we need to know?” She looked back at Michael.

  “No,” he replied. “That is all the information we have. The demons have been blocking us, we can’t even check on the humans from here. Get in quickly, find out what you need to, and return as soon as you can.” Aria nodded and looked at the swirling vortex.

  “So, are you going to show us how this works?”

  “Yes.” Michael nodded towards Gabriel and Selaphiel. “Let’s begin.”

  The three Archangels pulled out their swords and walked towards the vortex. They created a triangle and plunged their swords into the ground. Michael looked over at the group. “This can be done with one of us, but it is a lot easier with three.” He nodded at the other two. In unison, they began to chant quietly. Sigils began to form around the vortex, creating a circle of golden light. As their voices rose, the vortex began to spin faster as sigils continued to form, covering the ground. The Archangels continued to chant, shouting over the wind from the vortex. Suddenly, the sigils compounded together with a loud crack. A flash of light filled the room and then it was silent. The vortex had stopped spinning, its crystal-clear surface shimmered. As Aria looked down, she could see the stars floating in the emptiness of space.

  “It is time.” Michael nodded at Aria. One by one her team walked up to the portal, stepped in, and disappeared.

  ~~~~

  Cordelia bolted upright from her bed. Her hair fell in front of her face, a tangled mess from sleep. She brought her shaking hands up and tried to push the hair away. This cannot be, she thought as the visions replayed through her mind. Raphael’s warm, blue eyes filled her mind’s eye. Slowly his face came into view, his bright smile filling her vision with joy. Lightning flashed abruptly and thunder rumbled through the air. Raphael’s face turned to one of panic and fear. He looked down at his hands and watched as blood dripped off his fingers. Another flash of lightning and Raphael looked back up, his eyes filled with evil. Their color slowly changed from their bright blue to a dark blue-hazel. He began to laugh as blood started to fall down his face. Cordelia shook her head as tears fell from her blind eyes. She whispered into the empty room, “Raphael, what have you done?”