by Tim Hawken
“Once Charlotte and I have dropped the legions in position, we’ll fall back to a vantage point where we might at least be able to assist the fight from a distance,” I said, not liking having to pull back from the heart of the battle. “As soon as there is any sign of Asmodeus and his Seraphim moving towards the city, we’ll fall back to stop them. Marlowe, Mary and Phineus. Can you make your way to the castle and do your best to fortify it in the meantime? Azazel will be able to help you. I’m sure that house has a few tricks hidden inside that may help.”
“I’ll make sure we get there,” Marlowe said, looking pleased to have a specific mission.
“Now, Mary,” I said, turning to my flame-haired companion. “Tell me everything you know about these different kinds of angels. You have ten minutes, then it’s time for war.”
SEVENTEEN
CHARLOTTE AND I STOOD ON THE ROOFTOP of Satan’s tower alone together. Looking down to the other buildings below we could see that demons had already begun to assemble on the other roofs. They were watching the skies, waiting for their transport to the pending battle. If I looked with elemental vision, I could literally see the mixture of tension and excitement that rose from them all.
The constant hum of trucks flooded upwards, with every vehicle on hand starting to exit the city. It was an organized flow, using every street available to avoid the bottleneck that would normally occur. Mack had coordinated it well. The stream of traffic curved around the base of Mount Belial and onto a new roadway which had been sliced through the jungle. The legions were moving to war.
Leaning in close to my wife, I took both of her hands in mine. I noticed she still wore the diamond engagement ring I had proposed to her with. It was bordered by another white gold wedding band. I squeezed her fingers tightly and looked into her deep blue eyes.
“No matter what happens,” I said to her, “I will always love you with all I have.”
“I’ve never doubted that,” she whispered.
Hugging each other tight, I gripped her back like she was my anchor in this universe. Through everything, every twist of fate, painful setback and joyful moment, this woman had been the reason I wanted to go on. Even though we had been through Hell and back, I found myself thinking how lucky I was to have her. Not everyone had this kind of passion to draw upon when their spirits were low. Together we could conquer the universe. Together we would.
The buzzing of planes made me turn my head. A squadron was approaching from the back of the city where Smithy’s airfield had been. I don’t know how he’d done it, but there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of different crafts blanketing the sky. Planes old and new flew alongside helicopters and zeppelins. Winged demons streaked between them, zipping like huge birds among the machines. Seven planes led the formation, trailing long ropes from their undercarriages. Clinging to a rope on each plane was one of The Pure Seven. As they neared the first row of buildings with people on them, the evil angels let go and took flight, screeching orders down at the demons gathering. The planes dipped low, letting the rigging attached to their fuselages drag downward onto the buildings. In swift movements, demons ran forward, hitching rides with each passing jet. It was mesmerizing to see. Every aircraft that flew by snagged at least a dozen soldiers onto their ropes. The Pure Seven circled back, unfurling ropes of their own to carry some to the battlefield. Within minutes half the rooftops were emptied. The plan was something only Smithy could have cooked up. His fleet now had strands of demons dangling beneath it, sweeping through the air in a stunt that defied common sense. It took a full ten more minutes for the air force to fly over. By the time they were done, Charlotte and I only had the equivalent of one legion to carry between us. The rest were streaking toward the desert. It looked like hundreds of metal jellyfish were flying away, with tentacles of warriors to dispatch in the field. I gave Charlotte one last kiss and held her tightly.
“You gather them up,” she said in my ear. “I’ll take us forward.”
Lotte let me go, focusing her attention back to our remaining soldiers scattered below. Sweeping the two of us upward, I sent out a signal of light so those who remained would know we were taking them with us.
“I’ll carry you as well,” I said back to Charlotte as we started to circle the city in a long arc, building a line of elements to draw up as we went. “You just concentrate on making us move.”
Snapping my vision now to a pure elemental view, I pinpointed the brighter sparks of the souls I would need to gather. The technicolor personality of Hell itself swarmed below, ever-moving like a living creature. Letting all air exit my body I drew my lungs full, summoning further gas molecules along with it. Imagining each soul was as light as pure thought, I plucked them one by one into the sky with us. As hundreds became thousands in my grip, and thousands became near a million, I felt myself sag under their weight. Wavering slightly, I renewed my efforts, telling myself that I was a god. I could hold humanity in my hands with ease. The power was there, I just had to use it. Mastering as many elements as I could, I let the atoms work for me. They took away the strain from my being. Lifting higher, I climbed up. They came with me willingly, making the burden easier to bear.
“Now!” I managed to say to Lotte, keeping my eyes on the vast weave I had curled around the masses ready to fight for us.
A movement at my side signaled that she was doing all she could to sweep us forward. A breeze brushed my cheek. It started to grow to a wind, then a storm. The storm began to shift. In a lumbering movement we rocked forward. My muscles were burning from the strain of my concentration. My mind was on fire with meditative focus. The shift started to go faster. The ground surged below us. Still I held firm, like trying to grasp a memory for as long as I could, before the oceans of time washed it backward. My body was weakening. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold. Closing my eyes, I let my sense of feel take over completely. I became lost in the effort. Not seeing the masses that I held in my grip helped. They became one with my life force, hanging like raindrops beading at the bottom of my soul. Every single person there touched my core on a personal level. I felt their fears and their dreams. The united emotions threatened to overwhelm me and blackness began to form at the fringes of my mind.
“Lower,” I heard Charlotte say next to me in a reassuring way. “We’re here. Ease them down.”
Blinking my eyes, I emerged from my internal fog to see with surprise that she was right. Beneath us were millions of demons, looking like ants, falling into rank. They formed vast units, square by square of military power. Trucks roared out to add to the army. Planes touched down on a makeshift airfield at the back of them. It was a testament to the unity of purpose we all held that this could be possible in such a short time. They all believed and, because they had faith, mountains had been moved to make way for our hordes. Inching downward, I lowered the souls in my grip so their feet touched the ground. All eyes looked up to me in wonder, witnessing mine and Charlotte’s combined power to carry so many. It would give them courage for the fight ahead. Finally touching down ourselves, I collapsed in a sweating heap; Charlotte slumped down next to me. It was like I had just run a marathon with no training. Opening my pores to the elements of healing, I let my ragged breath soak up the welling energy of the army around me. Their collective zest made my recovery easier. Charlotte also seemed to be recouping well next to me. Still, we stayed seated, a wide ring of demons all around, leaving us breathing room for the moment.
“Lord Michael!” a growling voice said, as Marax pushed his way through the crowd to approach. “I have never seen anything like that in all the years I have been in Hell. You just dropped a million souls from the sky! With you at our backs, we will be unstoppable.”
“Remember, our enemy will have Asmodeus at their backs,” I said to Marax, tempering his pride, so he would be sure to fight with the desperation of someone who could easily lose.
His face set in determination at my comment. This demon responded to challenges more than praise.
I got to my feet, Charlotte doing the same at my cue.
“If Phineus was right, it won’t be long before they arrive,” I said to him with urgency.
“We are ready, Lord,” he snarled.
“You have been leading this army from the start,” I continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “I want you to make sure they know what is at stake.”
His face fell, as if to question what I was saying, but I ignored the look. I turned my head to the side to see over the heads of our army, back to the city. A few miles off, I spotted a gigantic black dune, rising higher than the rest. The last of our army were gathered in front of it, ready to move forward. That was our fallback point.
“We need to create a line of extra defense between here and the city,” I said sternly, turning back to Marax. “Phineus has foreseen that we will be needed on Mount Belial. We will stay as long as we can to assist, but it must be you who takes control of our force on the ground. You are our backbone. Make sure you stay strong.”
“But I…”
“I will magnify your voice loud enough so all can hear. You will make a speech to quake the souls of Heaven. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Lord!” He snapped a salute and turned to go.
“And Marax,” I said, stopping him before he left. “Do not disappoint me.”
I watched the red demon march away, hoping I had used enough of the right motivation to spur him to greatness. The desert around us was abuzz with movement. People were taking their stations. Orders were being barked by a chain of command I didn’t even know existed. Others had done that work for me and they’d done it well. A truck rumbled by and then another. I would have stayed to watch my warriors assemble, but Charlotte tugged at my sleeve. She didn’t need to say anything; it was time we took our place behind the army.
I let Charlotte take us both. She lifted us together and we flew with ease over the heads of the legions. Some stared upwards as we passed by, but most had their attention forward to the commanders bringing them into rank and file. We swept backward, onto the towering dune that overlooked it all. From that height, it looked like a carpet of demons had been laid over the desert. Stretching for miles on each side, the sands were teeming. However, it was organized. I peered down, using the elements to assist my eyes, so I could see all the details. At the head of each square was a commander, holding everyone in place. Some legions had guns, others swords and knives. I spied Kahn, shouting words I couldn’t hear to a frenzied group of warriors in front of him. Away to the side and back, I could make out Smithy, huddled with his pilots and flying demons, speaking in a measured way. I searched to the front to find Marax. He had walked out alone so he was separated by at least twenty paces from the very front line. I saw his mouth move as he went to speak. He furrowed his brow before trying again. This time, I sent a spiral of molecules whipping down to help him.
“Attention!” his growl rumbled up and over the legions. His call was greeted by a single foot stamp from the entire army, which itself sent a tremor through the sands below. “Today, we will do something many of us have only dreamt of doing since our deaths,” Marax said, clenching both fists and shaking them above his head. “We will see justice!”
A short, sharp cheer of two syllables went up from the legions. The word rang from everyone’s lips: “Jus-tice!”
“We have been living in suffering and guilt for centuries in this pit,” the Wrath demon went on. “We have struggled against an oppressive system, which keeps us down by law!”
Again the two syllables beat out in a chorus that gave me goose bumps: “Jus-tice!”
“Lord Michael has stripped away the barrier which held us down. It was that same barrier which forced guilt upon our heads. Now we raise our heads high and we look up to Heaven and we say, No more! Today is the day to claim our rightful place, to be whoever we want to be and live where we want to live. Today we tear our enemy apart, so they cannot hold us down any longer. Nothing can stop us! We. Will. Rise. Up!”
A seismic roar came up from the legions, filling the sky with its clamor. The noise lifted my own spirits and made me look up to the black hole above. As if it had been scripted, a flash of white light and another splintered down. A different roar burst down into Hell. It was the sound of the militia of Heaven. Angels of every shape and size swarmed outward into the sky, like hornets from a stirred up nest. They had heard the call of Hell and answered. Jihad had come to our fiery shores.
EIGHTEEN
THE POPULATION OF HEAVEN POURED THROUGH TO HELL. The masses shot downward, thundering into the sands. Their numbers blotted the sky, streaming outward like a billowing cloud of locusts. Every kind of angel Mary had described to me spun downward. Cherubim like fierce children flew into Hell. The Thrones were glowing wheels of flesh, covered in eyes, clattering down onto the desert floor. The Principalities were living rays of light, streaking in a burst of illumination. Their smaller cousins the Virtues were blue sparks of energy, darting to the battlefield. Not all of them could fly. The Archangels emerged and behind them, the fearsome Seraphim. They were giant beasts with six wings and four faces, seeing every angle of attack. Their bodies were bulbous, like swollen white bumblebees. The Archangels themselves were clad for battle in silver armor with blades attached to the edges of their wings, which made them look as though they had scythes protruding from their backs. The Dominions were last: worker ants with weak wings. They dropped from the sky, ready to meet our foot soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. The army of Heaven formed ranks of its own, squaring off against our legions. Not hesitating for a moment, the Archangels called for the charge forward. The demons responded, roaring a battle cry in return. The crunch of bodies colliding beat the air around us.
Behind the army of Heaven another flash of light struck and I saw the Chinvar bridge form into a long arch. Different colored gases started to leak through the atmosphere of the void. It was the Powers: insubstantial angels that could choke you with their wispy souls. Emerging behind them, the human portion of God’s army thundered down. We were being matched soul for soul. It was almost like Asmodeus had created more soldiers for this fight and had flung them down. I could not see my evil father, but my attention was drawn back to the battle as our forces clashed. Kahn had broken forward, taking the ranks of the Dominions in a cry of hatred. I saw his warriors unleash metal on wings, tearing at the flesh of their attackers like butchers to squealing pigs. Our air force had taken flight, planes scrambling and firing rounds of searing lead into the Cherubim, who screamed in a flash of blood. The Archangels burst upward and their evil opposites, The Pure Seven, shot in to meet them. Their collision exploded in a puff of feathers and scales.
It was utter chaos. Screams and shouts of death rose to meet my ears. Hammering shots from machine guns mixed with the ringing of steel on steel. The light beings of the Principalities and Virtues engulfed the Legion of Lust on the far side. Bodies burst into flames as they touched. Terrified screams of agony cried from bleeding souls. The Legion of Gluttony went to their aid, but was also consumed by the light. Both sides were burying deep inside the other’s lines. The armies were like two hands, with stretched fingers interlocking and combating each other.
From the back of the charge, I could see still more of Heaven sweeping in.
“We have to do something!” Charlotte shouted, witnessing the same thing.
I moved to call the elements, but my attention was diverted again as I saw a gigantic Seraphim burst right through the balloon of one our of air force’s zeppelins. The tearing turned to an explosion. The flames engulfed angels and planes alike. The first Seraphim pressed onward, joined by its three brothers. They bullied their way through the air, scattering planes and demons in their wake. It was clear they were looking to break away from the fracas and head toward Mount Belial, as Phineus had predicted. We would have to fall back, but I couldn’t leave without doing something to help. Enwrapped with each other as our armies were, we couldn’t do much for the main fight in a single sweep.
My eyes were drawn to the fast approaching support of the humans and Powers of Heaven, who had descended on the Chinvar Bridge.
“The sand!” I cried to Charlotte, hoping to slow them. “We need to build a wall!”
She immediately understood my idea, reaching outward with her mind toward the small desert space between the main army of Heaven and their reinforcements. It was as if Lotte and I were dancing, spinning our talents as one to lift the black desert upward in a cresting wave. The molecules of the universe sparkled as we manipulated them. The dunes became a tsunami, rolling together like liquid, rising up and then crashing down, enveloping our target. In a dust storm they disappeared, their frontrunners buried completely. I would have let out a yell of triumph, but the sound was caught in my throat as I saw the Seraphim rush across the last line of the air force and into free space. We might have bought our own army some time, but we had left our retreat late. I took one last look at the battlefield and saw unending violence.
On the ground we had regained an upper hand. Kahn had cut a swathe of destruction inside the ranks of Heaven and was now hacking back out. Marax, in the centre with his Legion of Black, was splitting the enemy forces in two. Above, the colorful Pure Seven had locked horns with the Archangels, grappling each other in an even match. Smithy’s planes were shooting and rolling every which way, with angels and demons darting amongst them, ripping wings from aircraft or biting down into heavenly flesh.
“Come on!” Charlotte pulled me away, forcing me from the scene.
We rose up in unison, hot on the wingtips of our quarry. The Seraphim were already making haste towards Hell City. Their multiple wings pushed them faster than I could have thought possible. The faces on the backs of their heads looked back at us with contempt. If we wanted to stop them before they reached Casa Diablo, we would have to hurry.
Charlotte held next to me, matching the pace I was able to whip at our backs. Side by side we shot forth, jetting through the skies. We gave chase over the dunes and toward the jungle, which lay between the desert and Mount Belial. As we reached the first trees of the jungle we began to gain on the pack of fleeing Seraphim. Mount Belial was in clear view. Holding my speed as much as possible, I unleashed a spray of liquid fire ahead of us, trying to clip the back of the last Seraphim in the group. Because of its three hundred and sixty degree vision, the monster angel saw the blast coming. Pulling up, it beat its wings to fan the blaze away. My attack was swept away in the wind it created. I smiled inside, however. The maneuver had caused it to slow. With a body that size, it would take precious moments to regain its momentum. The thing seemed to realize its dilemma the same moment that I did. The face pointed toward us, which looked more lion than human, twisted into a snarl. Instead of retreating with the other three monsters, it started to advance. Its six wings locked together propelling it towards our approach. I started to draw up the elements to fling an attack its way, but in a blast of breath the monster had unleashed a wave of inky blue gas at us. The gas reacted with the air around it, causing the atoms I had tried to pull together to drop lifeless from the sky, or slide off each other so they wouldn’t connect. I saw Charlotte next to me struggle to draw a weave together herself, but she failed as well. In the momentary confusion, the Seraphim struck. Its body hit Charlotte and sent her plunging downward. One of the side wings caught me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I span away, avoiding the swipe of the next wing that tried to connect with my head. The sight of Charlotte dropping caused an anger to well up in me that pushed my pain away. With a growl of rage I whirled around, charging right at the Seraphim. Its forward face opened its mouth as if to send another cloud of gas toward me, but I swung out with my fist, cracking it square on the chin. My forward movement sent me colliding into the beast’s underbelly and it grasped me in its massive human arms. The Seraphim squeezed its meaty hands, gripping me by the torso as I swung my own fists into its body. I laced my punches with hateful emotion to spike into its skin. The attack fell useless. Every element was simply absorbed into the soft flesh of its swollen gut, as if giving it more strength. I let out a cry of agony as it started to crush my ribs. I kicked with my feet, again and again, trying to break free from the leviathan’s death grip. I felt a rush of wind to the side and saw a flash of energy ripple up beside me. With a wail of four voices, the Seraphim let me go. A putrid smell invaded my nostrils as its body started to fall down onto mine. Rolling to the side I steadied myself in the air. Limp, the Seraphim slid past, spiraling downward into the jungle below. I looked up to see Charlotte. She hovered in the air, covered in angelic blood, clutching three severed wings in each hand. Lotte had torn them clean out of the Seraphim’s back. She let them drop. The fluttering appendages scattered away as she spread them apart with the elements.