Mikael stared hatefully at his brother, forging his dark aura into a weapon of his own. A long, spiked whip grew outwards from his fist, dangling down from the sky. Just before Gavriel could reach him, Mikael spun his hand and hurled the whip at his brother’s feet. Gavriel was thrown off balance as the whip’s spiked cords wrapped around his legs and cut into his body. Gavriel used his wings to regain his balance and severed the cord with a swing of his blade, causing the restraints to dissipate. He swung at Mikael, but before he could strike, another dark, serrated cord spun around his arms, clinging them together.
“You have grown weak, brother,” Mikael snarled. “You are, and always will be, my inferior.”
“With the Whip of Order, you were tasked with commanding the angels,” Gavriel replied, his hands clenched to fists. “But the Sword of Justice was put in my hands, and today, justice shall be served.”
Gavriel roared, his arms glowing with energy as he burst free from the shackles and swung his mighty blade at Mikael, cutting a gash down his side before he managed to dodge. Mikael cried out in pain and rage.
“YOU SHALL BOW TO ME, GAVRIEL, JUST AS THE REST OF OUR BROTHERS!”
Chapter Nineteen
The Chosen Two
The day of destruction
“Sir, the walls have been breached!”
“Sir, enemy troops have flooded the main gate!”
“Sir, I’m receiving reports of six collapsed buildings near the gate.”
“Casualties?” Rio asked as he was bombarded through a small communication device in his ear with status reports from all throughout the Dinges. He stood by a desk in the center of the chamber, aided by dozens of assistants who worked tirelessly from their desks to filter out the important bits of information and send them to his transceiver.
“We have three thousand men down, Sir.”
“Three thousand,” Rio repeated slowly and painfully.
“Sir, troops near the gate are reporting the sighting of a second angel, this one hostile, as well as hundreds of demons.”
“Demons…” Rio’s head spun as the word spun softly from his trembling lips.
“It isn’t lookin’ too good, Rio,” Pete said grimly beside him, shaking his head.
“We prepared for half the royal forces,” Rio said pensively. “Heck, we even stood a chance against the entire army. But no one said anything about angels and demons…”
“Sir, the demons are cutting down our men like sheep at the slaughter,” another dispatch described.
“What about our angel, where is he!?” Rio fumed desperately.
“Gavriel is engaged in combat with the second angel. Our greatest defense is currently the Prince. The demons are especially interested in the gemstone around his neck, which seems to render him resistant to their attacks.”
“The gemstone…” Rio thought to himself. “Get Raiden over here,” he ordered Pete. “He’s got one of those too.”
“But Sir,” Pete protested. “Gavriel said-”
“I don’t give a damn about what Gavriel said!” Rio yelled. “That angel brought his bloody celestial vendetta to our doorstep, and it is my men who are paying the price! Now bring me Raiden!”
“Yes, Sir,” Pete said quickly. He rushed out of the chamber to carry out the order, returning after a few minutes with Raiden, Kiara, and Sable.
“Pete filled us in,” Raiden said as he jogged up to Rio’s table, Skarai following in the air above him. “You want me to go out there and help?”
“Someone’s got to take out those damn Decrepit,” Rio declared with a grimace. “I was told your amulet could help.”
“It’s helped me beat them in the past,” Raiden confirmed. “But Gavriel said I should stay away from Suriel.”
“I won’t just allow my men to be slaughtered. If we don’t do something, in a few hours, there’ll be no place left in this city where you could hide. I can send you a protective escort if that helps.”
“He’s already got one,” Kiara said, glancing at Sable. Skarai cried out in agreement, landing on his shoulder.
Raiden turned anxiously to Kiara, struck by flashbacks of the last time they faced Decrepit together.
“I’d feel better knowing you were safe. I lost you to them once, and I don’t want to lose you again, not when I’ve finally gotten you back.”
Kiara took Raiden’s hands and gazed into his eyes.
“I’m not the same girl I was before. I’m stronger now, and I don’t want us to get separated again. Plus, Mama would kill me if I didn’t look after you.”
Raiden chuckled, unable to argue with that.
“We’ll be fine,” Sable assured him.
“I’ll have a car waiting for you outside, along with a strike force of ten men I’ll send to assist and guard you.”
“Good luck,” Pete told them, forcing a supportive smile.
Raiden nodded, then headed out of the bunker with the others, where a hovercar waited for them at the edge of the garbage dump. They stuffed themselves into the car beside ten other rebels, and the vehicle sped over the road, flying above piles of scrap and debris. After only a few minutes of driving, the signs of war became apparent. Rebel ground troops sparred with Shadow hunters all around, and the hovercar turned sharply to avoid oncoming dinosaurs on the road. As they drew nearer to the crux of the battlefield, huge crashing noises and explosions sounded in the distance, and Raiden even glimpsed a T-Rex down the block knock a building to the floor.
“Brace yourselves!” the driver warned as a troop of six enemy Chargers dropped down from the sky above them, gliding on metal rafts. The Chargers focused their power on the hovercar, bending the magnetic field around it. The rebels screamed as the car spun out of control and slammed down onto the street below. The vehicle’s occupants pushed open the doors and dove out onto the street as the car’s ceiling caved in on itself. As the rebels scrambled to their feet, the Chargers lifted the car’s remains and threw it onto their position, crushing two rebels who didn’t manage to flee on time.
Kiara released a plume of fire at the Chargers, and Skarai joined in, releasing a barrage of projectiles. While they managed to avoid Kiara’s flames, one of Skarai’s swift, thin poison darts struck a knight through his glove, and the man toppled down from his glider. The other rebels joined the defense, and the remaining Chargers backed off, flying off in search of an easier target.
“Nice one, Skarai,” Raiden complemented as the bionic eagle landed contently on his shoulder.
“The front lines are about a kilometer from here!” one of the rebels shouted to Raiden. “Let’s move!”
They broke out into a brisk jog on the side of the road, taking alleys and sidestreets when available, attempting to stay out of sight. As they moved through one of the alleyways, a platoon of seven Shadows emerged unexpectedly from the ground behind them and assaulted the rebels in the back, quickly slaying two of them.
“Get down!” Kiara cried, and together with another rebel Burner, she flooded the alleyway with fire. A few of the Shadows managed to dodge the flames in the second dimension, but two rebel Shadows confronted them on the surface, allowing the rest of the group to escape.
Raiden’s heart pounded as they picked up the pace, not knowing what the next surprise would bring, or who it would kill. However, as anxious as he was, the fear also focused him, forcing his mind into an instinctual mode of survival.
“We’ve arrived at the front line!” the front rebel announced, but it wasn’t necessary. They turned out of a side street onto the main road, which hosted the most chaotic and violent battle Raiden had ever seen. Entire blocks had been flattened to ground level. Homes and buildings crumbled in all directions, accompanied by panicked screams and explosions. Giant dinosaurs trampled over fleeing Enlai, crushing all in their path. Lasers, fireballs, stars, electricity, and bullets lit up the battleground like lethal fireworks as hundreds of rebels fought desperately to hold back the invasion of thousands of royal troops.
; Soul-thirsty Decrepit haunted the combatants, feeding on their life source before moving on to the next victim, hardly discriminating between sides. In the air, Enlai, pterodactyl, and Decrepit alike swooped out of the way as Gavriel and Mikael hovered in the sky above them with their respective sword and whip, engaged in an intensely heated battle.
“Over there,” Sable pointed as she scanned the battlefield with hawkish eyes, spotting Suriel engaged in a skirmish with ten Decrepit all at once. Although his body surged with power from his amulet, his skin was torn and bloodied, and he didn’t seem to be winning.
“I’ll go help him out,” Raiden told the group despite every sense in his body warning against it. “You guys should find a safe position and fight from a distance.” He looked out at the outnumbered rebels on the front line, bravely fighting a battle they could never win. Raiden sighed. “There’s no point in you all coming. Nobody out there’s gonna make it out alive.”
“What about you!?” Kiara exclaimed angrily. “You don’t wanna lose me, but it’s fine if I lose you!?”
“You’re not gonna lose me,” Raiden said, narrowing his eyebrows to a determined gaze. “We don’t have time to argue about this. Skarai,” Raiden turned to his loyal friend on his shoulder, petting the bird’s neck. “Go with Kiara and Sable; keep them safe.”
Skarai cawed in protest.
“I’ll be okay, buddy, but I need you to watch over them.”
Skarai hopped from Raiden’s shoulder onto Kiara’s. Kiara opened her mouth to protest again, but Raiden silenced her with a rushed kiss and sprinted out into the open towards Suriel.
“What are you doing!?” Suriel roared as he ducked under a Decrepit’s blade and slammed his glowing fist into its face. “Gavriel told you to stay away!”
“By the looks of things, you needed backup!” Raiden shouted, his own amulet shining as he guarded Suriel’s back.
“I was doing fine on my own!” Suriel replied stubbornly as he struck another Decrepit.
One of the creatures swung its clawed hand at Raiden’s side, but the attack bounced off his skin like a forcefield, leaving only a mild scratch.
“You’re immune too!?” Suriel asked, surprised.
“Seems so!” Raiden replied.
As the Decrepit closed in around him, Suriel extended his arms and clapped his glowing hands together, releasing a powerful burst of energy in a circular radius around him. The Decrepit tumbled tumultuously backward as the pulse hit them, clearing the area in front of Suriel.
“How’d you do that!?” Raiden asked in awe.
“Gavriel began teaching me to control the energy in the bunker,” Suriel replied. “He said that only the chosen one could bend the power to his will.”
Further demonstrating his control, Suriel weaved the energy into a dagger and whipped the weapon at a Decrepit, piercing its chest.
Raiden cried out as four of the creatures attacked him at once, using the abilities they’d gained from their victims to shower him with fire and electricity. Although he rolled out of the way of the lightning, the fire struck him, and he felt his entire body light up in flames, accompanied by searing pain. The ground beneath his feet curled upwards and fastened around his feet, trapping him in place as the Decrepit moved in for a finishing blow. Just before they could reach him, a blast of energy shot outwards from Raiden’s amulet, extinguishing the flames and hurling his foes back. Then, seeing what Suriel had done, Raiden imagined a dagger in his hands and focused the energy he felt surging through him. To both his surprise and Suriel’s, the dagger appeared in his hands, and he whipped it into one of the startled Decrepit.
“Did you see that!?” Raiden exclaimed excitedly, this time imagining a pistol. Suriel glanced up from his own battle, his eyes burning with jealousy and anger as Raiden fired a barrage of shimmering, blue bullets at the hordes of Decrepit, tearing holes straight through their dark, terrifying figures. When the Decrepit saw the amount of control Raiden held over the amulet, they backed off and circled around him, as if confused about what to do. Their strange behavior caught the attention of the angels above.
Mikael’s whip wrapped around Gavriel’s sword, and before the golden angel could react, Mikael yanked the weapon from Gavriel’s grasp and flung it miles away from the battlefield. As Gavriel gathered the energy to produce a new one, Mikael peered down at his corrupted brethren, noticing the two amulets shimmering beneath them.
“Ah,” Mikael sneered, charging at Gavriel before he could rearm himself. “The true champion has arrived.”
Gavriel’s expression turned to dread as he glanced down at Raiden and Suriel, seeing the two amulets side by side.
“You are wrong!” Gavriel swung his half-formed sword as Mikael reached him. The immature blade penetrated Mikael’s ribcage but then shattered into sparks of golden dust. Angel blood oozing down his bare skin, Mikael ignored the wound and pounded his fists into Gavriel’s chest, sending him tumbling towards the ground. As Gavriel flapped his massive wings to cushion his fall, Mikael lashed his spear-tipped whip at Gavriel’s exposed stomach. The weapon shot through the air like a bullet and struck its target, piercing straight through Gavriel’s body and out his back.
“No!” Suriel cried out as Gavriel’s wings gave in, and he crashed down onto the splintered street below, burying dozens of fighters beneath his tremendous, golden body.
“Now, my loyal ones,” Mikael called to his Decrepit. “Go and show your rebellious brother what happens to those who betray the family order!”
Raiden and Suriel watched in horror as the Decrepit flooded away from them and flew to Gavriel with their claws extended, tearing at his golden flesh as he struggled to stand. As Gavriel made it back to his feet, Mikael dropped down closer and flung his whip down again, this time piercing Gavriel’s chest. The angel of justice dropped down onto his knees, defenseless against the onslaught.
“This is all your fault!” Suriel screamed wildly at Raiden, unable to control his rage.
“I’m not the enemy here!” Raiden yelled back. “We need to work together and save Gavriel!”
“THERE IS NO WE!” Suriel roared, his eyes glowing a terrifying red. “I AM THE CHOSEN ONE! YOU ARE NOTHING!”
Before Raiden could react, Suriel pounded his fist into Raiden’s unexpecting face and ripped the amulet from his neck. As Raiden crumpled to the floor unconscious, Suriel stuck the two halves together, and they locked into place around his neck. His eyes returned to their usual color, but his body glowed ten times brighter, matching the celestial aura of an angel.
“So, the Electus Prime has been restored at last, but by the wrong man,” Mikael said as he landed in front of Suriel, standing between him and Gavriel. The Decrepit left Gavriel bleeding on the floor and joined their master, hovering in a menacing black cloud above his head.
“I am the chosen one!” Suriel cried. “I will destroy you, then claim my rightful place on the God Throne!”
“The chosen one,” Mikael cackled. “The only one you were chosen by was me. I created you with a drop of Agius’s blood.”
“Liar!” Suriel raged. “I was born by destiny!”
“You were born by a genetic experiment implanted into your mother’s womb,” Mikael hissed harshly. “You were the reason she died during childbirth, you see. I placed you in her womb. I put your father on the throne, to build you an army. Without me, your life is meaningless! And to think I did all that, only to find you are not the real chosen one!” Mikael shouted, pointing at Raiden’s limp form. “He is!”
As Suriel’s mind whirled with fury and disbelief, one of the Decrepit carried a wrapped object into Mikael’s open palm. Mikael pulled off the sheet, revealing the head of Suriel’s father.
“You see!?” Mikael yelled demeaningly. “How can you save the universe if you could not even save your own father!?”
“FATHER!” Suriel screamed in anguish and agony. “YOU KILLED MY FATHER!”
The glare returned to Suriel’s eyes, this time spreading
throughout his entire body and overcoming the previously light-blue aura with a dark and vengeful red. He ushered a raging battle cry as he charged at Mikael, shaping the energy around him into a fiery blade between his hands. Mikael twirled the deadly whip above his head, preparing for battle as his Decrepit poured down into Suriel’s path.
Gavriel turned his head to the side, watching the battle with a heavy heart. He frowned as Suriel burned a hole through the Decrepit horde with his fiery blade, surrounded by an aura of hatred and rage.
“I have failed you, Harmonius,” he whispered. “I chose the wrong champion, and now everything you built shall be destroyed.”
Suddenly, Gavriel felt a tap on the arm. He turned around to see Kiara crouched down beside him, tears in her eyes.
“You need to get back up,” she cried. “Suriel’s gone mad, and Raiden isn’t breathing. You have to do something.”
“There is nothing left I can do,” Gavriel replied weakly. “My life force has been depleted. I am dying.”
“You can’t die!” Kiara cried. “We need you!”
Gavriel hesitated, gazing into her small, yet fiery mortal eyes. He reached into his wing and pulled out a shining, white feather.
“Place this over Raiden’s heart,” he said, handing her the object. “The last feather of Rafael, it can heal any mortal. As long as the true chosen one lives, there may still be hope.”
“Thank you,” Kiara nodded gratefully before scurrying around the battlefield towards Raiden.
Suriel broke through the Decrepit, charging at Mikael. Mikael flung his whip at the Prince, but Suriel flipped over the spear-tipped cord and swung at Mikael, slashing a line down his torso. Mikael spread his wings and leaped up into the air to create distance for another attack, but Suriel flew up after him with twice the speed and swung his sword through Mikael’s right arm, severing it and freeing the whip within its grasp. Mikael pounded his tremendous wings, flying rapidly backward, but Suriel shot after him like a missile, striking him again in the shoulder. Not giving him a moment to recover, Suriel struck again. Mikael grabbed onto Suriel’s sword arm, resisting desperately as the blade inched closer and closer to his chest.
The Chamber of Genesis Page 29
