Angel Mine

by Vijaya Schartz

  A heavy silence followed the tirade of the Chief Archon. The Azurans shuffled their feet, crunching the gravel.

  Fianna felt the moment when the crystal burst Acielon’s bubble. A great weight was lifted from her. In her mind she could see the Sacred Crystal beating and pulsing with blue waves of energy.

  Her mind’s eye showed her the black angel wielding red energy to reconstitute the bubble, but the Sacred Crystal pulsed brighter, preventing him from shielding Acielon.

  The people in the square exclaimed. “The Prince of Darkness!”

  “Look!” A tall Azuran pointed to the terrace. “Brother Acielon is badly hurt!”

  A cry of disapproval welled and grew in intensity.

  An Azuran deployed his wings and fluttered off the ground, hovering above the crowd. “The Archons lied to us!”

  Confusion reigned in the ranks of the Avenging Angels lined up behind the Archons. They stared at each other, looking for leadership. Their general issued a curt command and the legion quieted and straightened, immobile, waiting.

  “What else are the Archons hiding from us?”

  A woman stepped forward. “Why do they want us to condemn one of our own to death? Angels do not kill.”

  “Who made the rules? The Formless One, or the Archons?”

  Lord Abraxas knocked his staff on the stone of the esplanade, but the crowd did not quiet this time.

  A loud roll of thunder overhead made all the faces turn upward. Fianna’s heart pounded as she recognized the roar of mechanical engines, and an entire fleet of vessels approaching fast. They slowed as they flew by, so low they skimmed the forest canopy. They bore the red and black logo of the Trade Alliance. How had they found Azura?

  The fleet passed them then veered back. Fianna could see bombs falling. Triblets! The sound of explosions and the smoke of incendiary bombs filled the atmosphere and shook the ground.

  Not what Fianna expected, but she could use the distraction.

  The Archons vanished instantly, as if they’d never been there... but not the Prince of Darkness. He remained behind the stone seat, his red bursts of energy now surrounding Acielon like an ominous bubble the color of blood.

  Shofars blared. The Avenging Angels flew up to meet the invading fleet and retaliated with blasts of their own. A new legion of Avenging Angels flocked to join the fight in the sky. The crowd scrambled in every direction seeking shelter from falling projectiles.

  Fianna rushed toward the esplanade. “Come on, Sheba. We have to rescue Acielon, now!”

  “Sheba help.” In two leaps, the cat caught up with Fianna then ran ahead, scaling the steps to the terrace.

  As Fianna climbed behind the cat, she fired her percussion gun at the dark angel, in hopes to prevent his departure with his prisoner. Her bullets bounced off the crimson sphere. Triblets!

  The Prince of Darkness laughed. The infernal sound echoed with the roaring ships and the aerial battle overhead.

  When Fianna reached the bubble, a bomb from a ship fell on the terrace, exploding on contact. The stonework rocked under her feet. The dark one stumbled and lost control of his red shield. Fianna rushed to Acielon and placed her pendant into his bloody hands. She pulled on the chains... in vain. She shot at the metal, but the bullets bounced off it.

  Acielon raised his head and whispered, “There is power in the chain.”

  Fianna wouldn’t let that stop her. “Sheba! Help!”

  The cat bit into the metal restraints and pulled with all the obstinate might of her titanium-lined bones and muscles. The chains rattled but did not budge. Fianna could see no lock, no end to any chain, just flawless continuous loops.

  The dark one threw a red bolt of energy at Sheba, who flew backward and fell to the side like a sack of flour. The cat shook her head, stunned.

  Acielon offered a pitiful smile to Fianna. “The Sacred Crystal... is the only weapon against the Prince of Darkness.”

  “Really?” Fianna doubted she could control the big chunk of blue ice, but it helped her once, and she trusted Acielon.

  “I am the Prince of Darkness.” The dark angel’s voice thundered. He straightened with righteous wrath in his flaming eyes. “I do the bidding of the Formless One... I chastise the guilty, and this prisoner is in my charge. You may not oppose me.”

  Ignoring her trembling legs, Fianna hurried to the glowing crystal on its low pedestal then laid her hands upon it. The wave of well being crashing upon her almost distracted her from her goal. “Please, protect Acielon from the Prince of Darkness.”

  The crystal hummed and vibrated in such a way that the stone seat disintegrated under Acielon. His chains came loose. The Angel of Darkness rounded his orange eyes in surprise, batted his black wings and whisked himself away from the crystal, so fast he lost several black feathers.

  Fianna couldn’t believe it worked. Free of his chains, Acielon crawled toward her and the crystal. Sheba helped him, dragging him along by the waist of his pants.

  But the dark angel hadn’t given up. He returned as quickly as he had fled. His face tensed with a sneer. Rage burned in his flaming eyes.

  “You may not use the crystal against an Archon.” He fired red bolts straight at them.

  Closing her eyes to focus better, Fianna channeled the incredible strength the crystal gave her to imagine a shield around the crystal, enveloping the three of them.

  The repeated assaults of the Prince of Darkness bounced on the blue bubble of energy surrounding them. A few of these bolts returned straight to the dark angel himself. He flinched under the destructive effect of his own fire. Then he flew up and vanished.

  “Coward!” Fianna breathed easier.

  Overhead, ships and angels battled in earnest. A large piece of metal fell from the sky, disrupting the invisible wall. Frightened animals rushed through it in a frenzy. The fleeing Azurans’ cries reached Fianna’s ears. Smoke from many fires obscured the sky as the aerial battle moved over the jungle, in the direction of the sacred caves.

  Sheba offered her back as a seat, so Acielon’s hands could reach the crystal. He couldn’t even stand. Shocked at his condition, Fianna didn’t want to touch him for fear of causing him pain.

  “What have they done to you?” Her voice came as a whisper.

  “Thank you for your help. I grossly underestimated your abilities.” Acielon smiled at her, and all the hurt and tension vanished from his face.

  “What can I do?” Fianna never felt so helpless.

  “Just wait while I regain my strength.”

  “How long will it take?” Fianna could only stare as pink color returned to his skin. The scrapes, cuts and bruises slowly faded from his torso.

  “I feel better already.” He stood up and embraced the chunk of blue crystal in a big hug. He sighed, his relief palpable. “For a while, there, I thought I would never feel whole again.”

  The hanging strands of rotting flesh dried out and fell off his body. New tissue and skin grew, leaving no trace of his injuries... not even a light scar. His bare feet regained their healthy appearance. Even his loose white pants looked new and clean, free of blood stains.

  When Acielon gazed down at her, his eyes had the luminous turquoise glow she had come to love.

  She took a slow breath, taking in the miracle she had just witnessed. “How do you feel now?”

  Acielon deployed his majestic white wings. “Good enough to fly and join the fight for Azura.”

  “But they wanted to kill you. You still want to fight for them?” The explosions of the battle, muffled by the jungle, punctuated her words.

  “They are my brothers and sisters. The Archons are to blame for the injustices, not the Azurans. Besides, the Trade Alliance is a disease. They should not be allowed to spoil Azura.”

  “All right.” Fianna grimaced. “But I can’t fight in the sky without my ship.”

  “Then that’s where we must go.” Acielon turned to the cat. “Sheba, come between us.”

  The cat purred and wiggled betw
een the two of them, bumping her big head on their hips. Fianna reached and scratched Sheba’s strong shoulder.

  Then Acielon took Fianna in his arms and wrapped his wings around her and Sheba. Fianna never felt so safe in her entire life.

  In a wink, the three of them took off into a whirlwind.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Acielon landed the three of them on the command deck, inside the Silver Angel. Then he retracted his wings with a twinge of regret. He missed the sensuous feel of his feathers enveloping Fianna. She shivered in his arms as they stood. Did she miss it, too?

  The teleport cost him some energy, but he could regain strength from the original chunk of crystal embedded into the bulkhead of the ship. It beckoned to him. Acielon could feel its regenerating pulse pervading the entire craft.

  “Wow!” Fianna looked around with awe in her bright turquoise eyes. Her recent use of the Sacred Crystal against the dark angel had changed her eye color. “What a thrilling way to travel.”

  The sound of shofars, thunderbolts and exploding cannons rumbled outside. Acielon sensed the battle between the Avenging Angels and the Trade Alliance ships. More Avenging Angels than ships dropped to the ground. He could feel their distress. “They are fighting above the sacred cave.”

  Sheba squeezed out from between Acielon and Fianna. “Sheba help?”

  “Not at the moment, girl.” Fianna detached herself from Acielon but her soft hand lingered on his bare arm.

  The cat sneezed. “Sheba not like noise. Sheba close ears.”

  “You do that, girl.” Fianna walked to the command console.

  The feline purred and trotted to her favorite gel box, tail up, then sat and licked her paws.

  “I need to operate the arsenal manually.” Fianna crouched and reached below the gel cover of the command console.

  Acielon could not believe she had risked her life to save him. “I can fly the ship. We do not need the engines.”

  “Good.” Fianna pinched her lips as she reached inside the console. “Where is that handle?” Her face lit up. “Found it.” Then she frowned. “I wonder how the Trade Alliance found the planet.”

  Acielon closed his eyes and visualized the inside of the closest enemy ship. He read the mind of their captain... so much pride and greed... and blood lust.

  He shuddered with disgust as he searched for information inside the captain’s muddy mind. Here it was. “They discovered the security breach and reconstituted their stolen archives from an old backup file.”

  “Triblets!” Fianna’s head came up from the side of the console. She brandished a round, smooth metallic object in her hand. “And I just discovered a tracking device. They must have placed it here while the Silver Angel was docked on Byzantium-5.”

  Acielon confirmed that information from the enemy captain’s mind and nodded. “Theirs is a secret mission. No one else in the Trade Alliance knows about this raid. This faction knows all about the properties of Azura’s crystal. They intend to exploit it themselves. They also know how to circumvent the planetary defenses... except one.”

  Fianna’s eyes widened. “Which one?”

  Acielon smiled. No matter what, the enemy would not win. “They do not know they can only carry a limited quantity of crystal off planet.”

  “How much is that, exactly?”

  “A little more than the chunk imbedded in our bulkhead.” Acielon shook his head. “Given their greed, they’ll fill their holds and their ships will disintegrate upon leaving orbit.”

  Cannon fire cracked like thunder outside. An explosion on the ground shook the mountain.

  Fianna grabbed the console for balance. “That’s all good, but right now, they are winning.” She returned her attention to the trigger handle now protruding from the console. “The way this battle is going, it won’t matter if they get their comeuppance in the end. We’ll all be dead anyway.”

  Acielon admired the stern determination in the set of her shoulders. She would never give up, despite ominous odds. “Keep hope. Do not underestimate the Azurans. They are resilient.”

  “Why do you want to help them? They were going to execute you.”

  “The people of Azura are innocent. The Archons manipulated them.”

  Fianna’s lovely face tensed and her mouth set into a thin line. “I only have primitive cannons to use against the Trade Alliance.”

  “So do they.” Acielon smiled to himself. “Besides, they cannot use their shields, and we have the home advantage.”

  Fianna frowned as she fit the trigger handle to her hand. “How do you know so much about battle strategy?”

  He smiled. “The library. From the military manuals seized from previous invading fleets. And from this fleet’s records.”

  Fianna glanced up at the clear titanium window. “There are more enemy ships than Avenging Angels, and more angels are dropping from the sky every minute. How are we going to save the Azurans?”

  “Have faith, beloved. Nothing is ever as dark as it seems.” Acielon focused upon the crystal embedded in the bulkhead. “Let me fly the ship. You aim at the enemy.”

  Fianna offered a strained smile. “I forget I have a miracle worker onboard.”

  Acielon levitated above the deck then called upon the power of the crystal. The surge of energy warmed his skin and penetrated his body like a soothing balm. A euphoric feeling welled inside him. Focusing on the ship, he lifted the Silver Angel off the ground and flew it up into the fray.

  Fianna blinked. Her eyes turned green again as she stared through the clear bulkhead. “I can see these suckers. Here we go!”

  Fianna fired the cannon. The recoil shook the command deck, and the noise of the explosion rang in Acielon’s ears, but he kept the Silver Angel steady. The targeted vessel burst open. Smoke escaped from its hull. The enemy ship rolled in mid air and wavered before losing altitude, headed for a rough landing.

  “Ha!” Fianna exclaimed. “You are not that strong without your electronic gadgets!”

  Multiple salvos from the surrounding enemy ships rained upon the Silver Angel. Acielon mentally strengthened the protective blue shield surrounding his ship. Explosions shook the deck. The ship rocked under the shocks, then another, then another.

  Sheba’s head came up, ears straight up. “Sheba help?”

  Fianna pulled another lever from inside the console. “Hang on, girl.”

  Acielon stabilized the ship. “Our hull remains intact.”

  “Good. My turn.” Fianna fired several salvos and hit three surrounding ships. One dropped straight down and two others fell in zigzag, like falling leaves in the wind. “Four down, one hundred to go.”

  With his mind, Acielon reached out to the Avenging Angels. We have to coordinate our defenses, or this will be the end for all of us. Where are the Archons?

  From the battlefield in the air, a female voice contacted his mind. “I am Urielle. The Archons have fled. Our general has fallen. I am in charge, but our powers are fading. We are all exhausted and cannot fight much longer. Who are you, brother?”

  “I am Acielon.”

  Silence. Then Urielle’s voice again. “How can I trust a prisoner, a brother who broke all the rules and probably caused this attack?”

  “I stand for Azura against all its enemies, including the Archons and the Prince of Darkness, if they act against the Azurans. You know I cannot lie.”

  Another silence. “I consulted the other high-ranking Avenging Angels. Our situation is desperate. If you save us from this calamity, we shall support your cause and demand your sentence for previous infractions be softened.”

  Acielon released a deep breath of relief. “Synchronize all your minds and focus on the crystal inside the sacred cave. Upon my signal, visualize as many enemy ships as you can.”

  “The others are hearing you, and find hope in your words.” Urielle’s voice filled with wonder. “What do you expect to achieve?”

  “I can ask the crystal to act as a weapon to strike the enemy.”

/>   “Will the crystal oblige?”

  “I believe so.”

  “How do you know so much?”

  “The crystal speaks to me.” Acielon thanked the Formless One for the ability of angels to only speak the truth, so they could always trust each other.

  “Then you truly are the chosen one, and we shall follow your guidance. Thank you, Brother Acielon.”

  Acielon focused his mind on the crystal aboard the ship. “Please, O powerful instrument of the Formless One, protector of Azura and its only hope, make contact with the crystal heart of this planet and save your people.”

  “The Avenging Angels are ready upon your signal.” The resolve in Urielle’s tone warmed Acielon’s heart.

  “Sheba ready, too. Sheba help.”

  “Thank you, Sheba.” Acielon took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Let the Azuran crystal strike its enemies and save Azura and its people from utter destruction.”

  A loud rumbling resonated through the atmosphere. The mountain below them shook. The air electrified around the ship. Lightning bolts from the crystal cave struck the enemy vessels in mid air, no matter how fast or slow they flew. The atmosphere sizzled with sparking energy.

  Powerful blue waves from the Silver Angel radiated outward and struck the ships in its immediate vicinity. Fianna kept firing at enemy targets. The din and chaos of battle filled Acielon.

  He could feel Sheba visualizing enemy ships, and the lightning hit her targets as well. “Good job, kitten.”

  For Acielon, time slowed as if he swam through molasses. He could clearly see in his mind the entire battlefield in minute details. Some enemy ships still fired at the Avenging Angels. Some angels avoided the projectiles, but others did not have the strength to duck or fly away fast enough. They dropped like wounded doves, wings twisted at odd angles, in a shower of white feathers.

  Acielon’s heart clenched in his chest. He had never seen such carnage. Even the souls of the wounded and dying enemy called to him for mercy. But mercy would come later. Right now, he must win the battle, shoot down every enemy ship from the sky. Only total victory mattered. Anything less could spell future disaster.