The Angels' Pride

by Steven Lindsay

  And yet she hadn’t even sparred with Nemesis or anyone else, just exercises. It had been exercise after exercise, punishing her until her body adapted and healed before starting the cycle again. There had been such pain, driving her to her knees only to have Nemesis hauling her to her feet again. She had been driven beyond her natural abilities or motivation. Had it been a spell of some sort? She wouldn’t put it past Nemesis, from what she gathered Nemesis was capable of anything. But then her nature demanded it, she was the Goddess of Vengeance. But then again it seemed her entire family was capable of anything, God or Angel. The only exception was herself, but that seemed to be changing. Whoever would have thought that she could ever lift a sword let alone begin to use it?

  “She pushed you hard today. You bled, which is a good sign.” Nyx had appeared again, but her presence was a comfort, her shadows wrapping around the sore muscles, slipping deep into them to ease the pain. Her hands were warm as they slid along her back, flitting between her wings with efficient ease.

  “She cares. It is why she pushed you so hard. She is not used to attachment and the few that she is attached to are very powerful. We are all ancient Gods of great power and physical strength. You disturb her because you are so untested. You powers are so new to you and currently unshaped, and your physical strength or lack of it annoys her the most. You are so weak, so…Human. And yet she strives to improve you, to quicken your Divine blood. She will continue to push you hard Sariel, but she will not be alone. Hecate and I will push you hard in your magic training when it properly begins. But remember love drives us.”

  Sariel gave a sudden gasp as she was transported into the bathtub. The warm waters swirling around her and pulling her down into its embrace. She opened her eyes to see Nyx’s shadows were in the water, twisting around her muscles drawing out the pain. She saw swirls of silver blood in the shadows, but she wasn’t worried, she at least knew her Divine blood healed haemorrhaging if not aches. Her concerns faded away as the water and shadows helped her drift off to sleep smiling. Her great grandmother’s words had truly put her at ease.

  She was loved.

  Nyx watched as Sariel drifted off to sleep, her heart heavy. She loved her great-granddaughter, against all reason and Divine nature. She was truly attached to Sariel, but she knew what had to be done. Sariel had to go into Hell. It was why they were all training her so hard, they all loved her, an Angel, and wanted to keep her safe but she was the key to winning the War.

  The Old Order had failed, the Gods had been blind in their power and games. The Angels had taken advantage of these power games to conquer Heaven and cast out the Gods. The New Order of the Angels had been strong, but they had become weak from within, the Fall had devastated their numbers and power base. The New Order was weak with their lack of numbers, but they too had fallen into the same traps as the Old Order. What was needed was something new and different from what had been before.

  Sariel offered a new future. She was an Angel, the daughter of Demons and Arch Angels. She was a demigoddess, descended from different pantheons and even held Primordial blood. She pulled on the heartstrings of Gods and Monsters, unsure of her power but she had managed to temporarily lift the curse on a Demon. She represented something new yet still held her innocence.

  She would shape the world, Mortals and Divine alike. Sariel held possibility, her young powers resonated with her own ancient Primordial powers. They also resonated with her brothers’ Primordial powers as well. The three of them were ancient and strong, yet she enlivened them, making their magic quicken. She was an oddity that fascinated them.

  With her magic, she lifted Sariel from the bath, dried her then deposited her gently onto the bed. She settled down next to Sariel brushing her hair and preening her feathers until both shone glossy black. The night was coming, she could feel it as she had not in hundreds of years. It had been so long since she had felt the night in the Underworld, it was a place of perpetual twilight and darkness. She felt the need, the drive to celebrate the night, to join with it, such as it was in the Underworld. How she longed to join with the true night, to see the stars, to feel the sun set and the light fade. To encircle the skies in glorious soaring freedom.

  She kissed Sariel on the forehead before dispersing in a drift of shadows.

  Hecate stood on the battlements, feeling her powers wax as the realm descended into darkness. Sweeping across the ‘sky’ of Hades was as close to true night as possible that black-indigo spreading shadows and darkness over everything. The lights faded until they were but soft pinpricks of torchlight or flowers. Even the magma’s glow was banked down low.

  It had been centuries since Nyx had given herself into the night, true night had not touched Hades, or the rest of the Underworld, for a very long time. She had a feeling that night would spill out of Hades and throughout the whole Underworld.

  She raised her face to the night as she felt the power wash over her, it had been so long since she had embraced the night. It was a part of her own powers, tonight they would be the strongest they had been in a while. Fortunately, much of her power was tied to the Underworld, being sealed within it had not overly affected her powers. But she would be revitalised and stronger after this night.

  But what had caused Nyx to recognise and embrace the night?

  Sariel. It had to be. She was the only thing different. Something she had done had affected Nyx enough to be able to sense the night despite the spells separating it from the world above.

  She turned when she heard footsteps. Erebus walked out onto the battlements, more darkness than man. A moving patch of darkness, darker than the night sky. He nodded to her and she to him, then he walked forward his arms raised to the sky. His darkness swirled around him, drifts and tendrils bleeding into the night. “Drink well tonight Hecate” he whispered as his form blended into the night, darkening the night sky, overwhelming the torchlight. Now the only lights were the asphodel glowing softly, just like stars would be in the sky.

  There was a noise, one she had not heard for a very long time, of gates grinding slightly open. There was a screeching of rock, metal and souls. Fire bloomed from the magma fields in great plumes that suddenly turned dark. Tartarus had opened his Gates to the under-darkness of his realm, his true essence. He too would join the darkness of the night.

  For the first time in a very long time, three of the children of Chaos would dance together. All that was missing was Gaia, who was trapped in her sleep. For she was the Earth itself, Chaos’ oldest child and its only possible heir. She held more powers of Chaos than any other, and more than most of the other Primordials combined. But she was trapped until the Curse was lifted and the Lifestream quickened once again.

  There were more footsteps as Persephone, Demeter, Hades, Thanatos, Nemesis and even Hypnos walked out onto the battlements. Racing behind them was Cerberus and Charon, not exactly Gods but Divine nevertheless. All of their eyes were wide in wonder at the deepening darkness. The last time the three siblings had danced was before the Fall when Nyx could still embrace the real night sky.

  The women raised their arms to the sky, baring their necks in an act of offering as the darkness thickened and even the lights of the flowers were overwhelmed. As one they poured forth their magic into the darkness, sensing it drift around them lazily. Then the dance changed, and the powers were washed away, blending into the swirling ocean that was the three siblings. Yet their actions were not in vain, for they had all been Mother Earth Goddesses at some stage of their lives and their powers changed the rhythm. Green lights flared in searing lines across the ground. Sigils of life bloomed in ornate dances before fading into the darkness.

  A softer tone filled the air as there was a deep resonating shudder from the ground. Every Divine being, except the slumbering Sariel, was amazed and stunned. For the first time in eons, Gaia had added to the dance. She hadn’t risen from her slumber, and she had not physically joined the dance, but parts of her magic had seeped out of her confinement to join with
her younger siblings.

  How was it possible? Had Brigid and Hera sufficiently quickened the Lifestream enough that some of Gaia’s powers could leak out? Had it been the three of them adding to the darkness? Had it been the siblings dancing for the first time in centuries that had called to her?

  Who knew but it had happened.

  The darkness deepened, from black to ebony, swirling like a storm. Green flashes streaked through the darkness before disappearing. There was great joy among the siblings, it had been so long since they had danced and even longer since they had felt Gaia’s magic. Their powers blended and intertwined, feeding each other’s strength and building upon it. The dark maelstrom rolled around all of Hades, pouring through the Gates of Tartarus and into the Underrealms before roaring back up and out the Gate of Hades, intertwining with the Rivers of Death before surging through them like blood in veins.

  Darkness poured through the whole Underworld, invading each of the other realms, even Hell. Its powers enough to overwhelm all light, even the bright lights of Purgatory. For the first time since the Fall, the Angels of Purgatory were embraced by Darkness, and they sighed in relief. Even in the depths of Hell the burning lights were overwhelmed temporarily.

  It even had such strength to escape the constraints of the Curse and flow out onto the Surface.

  The last vestiges of light disappeared as twilight turned into night over Greece and all the countries sharing the same longitude, but if was from Greece the darkness spread. From the Surface connections to the Rivers of Death poured forth the dark power, swirling up into the sky and empowering the night. It shot north and south, blanketing the lights of Egypt and Russia as it went. As the planet turned the darkness spread west as more of the Earth turned to night, and was plunged into a darkness it had not seen for a very long time.

  As it swept across Europe and Africa, the night stripped every light of its power. Whole cities fell into darkness, every TV screen, computer screen and mobile screen fell dark, their noises still continuing. Every light, electrical or flame fell dark. Far above the satellites orbiting saw whole sections of the earth turn dark. The bright lights of the hundreds of large European cities disappeared. Even the lights on cars, planes and ships fell dark

  Humanity for the first time since centuries before the War lived in true darkness and they were afraid. The Daemons took to the streets, opening themselves to the darkness and adding their powers to it urging it onwards.

  And so it rolled ever westwards across the Atlantic Ocean sweeping over the islands and plunging the Americas into darkness. In New York, the city that never sleeps, darkness fell. Times Square fell dark, all its iconic screens still. The Humans were afraid because they didn’t understand, this was no ordinary blackout. But it was nothing compared to the fear the Angels that had invaded the city felt. Thousands of Lesser and hundreds of Ascended were plunged into a darkness they didn’t understand. They couldn’t reach Heaven, for its portals were made of light. They were left cowering in the dark fearing for their lives.

  It swept further west darkening the bright lights of hundreds of cities. Even Las Vegas for the first time in living memory was plunged into complete darkness. In San Francisco Hera felt the darkness rolling past her, felt all the lights be swallowed. Tonight belonged to complete darkness, but she couldn’t fathom why. Nyx was trapped in the Underworld, how was she bonding with the night? Surely Sariel hadn’t already unlocked the Underworld, she felt sure something more dramatic would have happened. She also added her powers to the darkness but with a twist using it to spread her essence all over the United States, spearing all the way back to New York. San Francisco to her surprise liberally lapped it up, this city was desperate for her. Its demography unknowingly hungered for her attention.

  The darkness kept on rolling westwards, swamping the bright lights of Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, and Shanghai. Even the technological powers of Japan and Korea were no match for the darkness. Their brightly lit city streets and shopping malls were plunged into complete darkness.

  Everywhere the night touched complete darkness fell, Angels cowered in fear while the Daemons flocked to the streets to add their powers to the rolling surge. It swept over India, darkening its bright lights and reacting with the lingering traces of the Hindu Pantheon. They had been the last of the Gods to fall, and their people had not turned away from them. Indeed, faith was very strong despite the Gods being dead. In the Sacred Rivers, the darkness flowed awakening powers long latent.

  Above India Brigid sat in the aeroplane, amused at the Human panic resulting from the darkness. All lights had gone out but the plane was still flying, everything else worked, though they would have to stay in the air until day break. She too added her powers to the darkness, hoping for much of her powers to rain down on India. It would be so much easier if it were primed for her claiming.

  As every minute passed the darkness retreated from the rising sun and chased the setting one. The Darkness did a full circle of the Earth plunging nearly half of it into utter darkness until the night, and the Darkness once again returned to Greece and the three siblings were released from their dance.

  Heaven was not untouched either by the night and Darkness. Heaven was in a state of ever day, keeping back the natural tide of night but it was not designed to withstand such an attack by the night. Darkness crept around the edges of the sky forming long shadowy fingers into the floating islands that made up Heaven. All of the Outer Islands fell into darkness, but most of them had been abandoned since the War. It was only the Citadel and Palace that held back the night.

  But not without a fight.

  Gabriel marched along the corridors separating the Divine prisoners. Not all of them were Gods, there were many Angels, Daevas, Nephilim, Nymphs and even some Monsters imprisoned in the bowels of the palace. Each corridor housed beings of particular natures. The corridors she sought were the sun, moon and light. The Citadel would not fall to darkness. What in the name of Hell was going on? The entire Surface was shrouded in complete darkness at night-time ending only at daybreak. Scared Angels had started appearing as soon as the light returned and they were able to teleport back up to Heaven.

  Fortunately, the Citadel was relative to the Middle East region on the Surface, as such they had had time to prepare for the rising darkness. Nuriel had been sent out on mass with as many of the Seraphim that were not Elders to find the source of this aberration. All the Elder except Nuriel and those currently trapped on the Surface had been summoned to the Palace to receive the gift of light.

  Which was why she and the other Arch Angels were currently racing along the three corridors.

  She stopped at the door reading the plaque Helios. She smiled despite being mostly forgotten Helios was still very strong. He was one of the first Gods to attune to the sun, but his Roman name lived on in everyday life. Sol formed the basis of the name The Solar System, a fact most Humans were completely ignorant or the fact that they empowered him with such open use of his name. It was one of the reasons he would not be executed. He was far too valuable.

  The doors swung open as she marched into the room. As she had expected, he sat bolt upright waiting for her presence. All the Sun Gods and Goddesses had been the same. As the darkness spread people prayed for the return of the sun, not to God but for the sun. Such open prayers were empowering all the Sun Gods.

  “Back so soon Gabriel, this is a pleasant surprise” the man breathed sarcasm because he knew his value. She regularly robbed him of his excess power to supplement her own. It was the right that only the Arch Angels had, to strip a God of their power to supplement their own. There had been incidents in the past of Gods being lost because of overzealous Angels.

  “Of course, Helios I just couldn’t stay away.”

  “Like the flame to the moth. But this time, you have a desperate reason. The Darkest Night is coming to the Citadel, and you want to stop it.” He sneered “do you know the power behind this night?”

  No, she didn’t, but she was
going to damn well find out. This couldn’t be either Hera or Brigid. Neither of them were Sky or Chthonic Goddesses. And this was beyond their power limits even if they suddenly had a whole nation praying to them.

  He smiled savagely as she walked forward “You don’t do you?”

  “The threat to Heaven is irrelevant, but it will be dealt with” she grabbed his head roughly, he was starting to annoy her.

  “Not all the Primordials faded back into the Lifestream. Nyx is once again one with the night.” Her blood ran cold even as she savagely pulled out his magic, she felt the heat rise through her, coursing into her own power.

  Damn it a Primordial! That was the last bloody thing they needed. Was she in the Underworld, did the Curse even contain a Primordial? There was no telling what could contain those freaks. Power beyond reasoning but so undefined, so narrow in its application and yet so amazingly broad. Their powers were immeasurable though highly unpredictable, they were even less predictable than their progeny the Titans or the Gods. They had no need for prayers, their powers naturally waxed and waned, a gift they had passed onto many of their offspring particularly the sun, moon, sea or seasonal Gods.

  If Nyx was once again with the night, what did it mean? Was she going to attack Heaven, was the darkness a build-up of her power before she was going to smash against the strongholds? The Citadel had been built by some air Primordials and their air gifted progeny. Could it withstand a direct assault from undiluted Primordial power? She had no idea, they had to keep away the night.