Espial

by Nikita Francois

  “I know I haven’t been easy on you,” she began. “But it’s because I expect a lot from you. Your great-grandfather is legendary. I wrongly assumed that you would be too weak and frail to handle what lies ahead. But I know I was wrong. I apologize.”

  “Apology accepted.”

  “Let’s see what you’re like with a sword.” She made her way toward one of the many sword racks when we heard a loud explosion, and the floor shook violently.

  “What was that?” I asked, panicking.

  “I think Rider must have detonated the dynamite within the grotto. Come.”

  We ran out of the room and straight into the lobby. We heard a second explosion and again the entire building shook. The chandeliers above us swayed dangerously. Ace looked up at them worriedly from the welcome desk. Div pulled me into the defense department and we watched on the security feed as Rider, Luke and Alex ran down one of the grotto’s tunnels, smoke chasing them. They ran out onto the beach just when it looked like the smoke would overpower them. All of the other tunnel entrances were blocked with boulders that had collapsed in the blast. The only tunnel remaining was the one leading into the ARC. The three of them ran down it and stopped outside the ARC’s main door. Rider mouthed the password and the door began to open. Div and I left the room and met them in the lobby.

  “Quick! We need to blast this tunnel now,” said Rider, running to the welcome desk. Alex and Luke ran with him. He typed several codes into the hologram screen while Div closed the main ARC door. We heard the dynamite go off down the tunnel, its sound approaching the door. One of the massive chandeliers came crashing down, sending glass flying around us. Alex pulled me in and opened his wings to block the shards from hitting us. Smoke and dust began pouring in just as the door shut. All of us took a second to look around.

  “Is everyone alright?” asked Rider.

  “Yes,” we all replied.

  “Alright. Alex, please escort Luke through the emergency tunnels. Luke, you will be in charge of watching over Ruth.”

  “I can find my own way,” said Luke, who began walking off.

  “Alex, please go with him. If you see Sacra and Glinda, have them come back with Celeste.” Alex nodded and chased after Luke into the tunnels.

  “Who’s Celeste?” I whispered to Div.

  “She’s an angel. All purple. I believe she was at your unsheathing party.”

  “Oh I think I remember her.”

  “Sol, we have an exit from the emergency bunkers, but no one will be permitted to access it until we have secured this end of the ARC,” said Rider. “The only other passageway down there leads to the ATS room. In the event that our emergency exit is compromised, we must begin transporting everyone. Los Angeles knows what we’re facing here and have begun preparations in the event we need to head there. I have only one request of you moving forward.”

  “Yes?”

  “Worry about yourself. Protect yourself. You are the most valuable being here and Sato will stop at nothing to capture you. I don’t care what may be happening to me or anyone else, your survival is our priority. That being said, I must implore you to turn a blind eye if you see any one of us in distress. Coming to our aid could be the very worst decision as it could jeopardize your safety.”

  “Are you asking me to leave you behind if something happens?”

  “Yes,” he said intently. “Every moment you are exposed to danger is a moment too valuable to waste.”

  “He’s right, Sol,” said Div, nodding. “Your great-grandfather died trying to save us all. And he did save us, but at great cost.”

  “So what do you want me to do for the next day and a half? Just sit here and think about all of the ways you could be dying while I yawn and brush my hair?”

  “No. While we’ve done everything we can to secure the ARC, the fact is it has been compromised. I have a feeling this fight will only be the first of many, and we will need you highly skilled. Continue training with Div and just be as prepared as possible.”

  Alex returned with Glinda and Sacra. An angel followed them closely behind, skin and hair violet with matching wings.

  “Luke is with Ruth in cabin eleven,” said Alex. “What can we do to help?”

  “I will need Ace and Celeste in the defense department with the angel agents. Alex, you will work with Glinda in maintaining order in the bunker. Sacra, you will stay here in the lobby. And Div, you must begin showing Sol how to access some of her special abilities. I will head to the ATS. I fear we may need to evacuate some of the populace to Los Angeles.”

  “Celeste and I will monitor our hidden bunker exit,” said Ace. “We will sound the ATS evacuation alarm if needed.”

  “Perfect. Let’s move.”

  Everyone began running off to their designated locations. Alex came over to check if I was alright. He gave me a quick kiss, and then disappeared down the tunnels with Glinda, who wiggled her eyebrows at me. Div recommended that we stay in the lobby for training.

  “You already know how to open doors. There are really only a few special abilities we have. They include telekinesis, flight, wing regeneration, invisibility, and teleportation. Our purpose as angels is to guard and protect humankind. So in putting all of our gifts to use, we are capable of either saving the world or destroying it. Hence, you must learn to control your powers and use them precisely.”

  “What are we going to do first?” I asked.

  Div then disappeared. I looked around unable to spot her.

  “Up here.”

  I looked up and saw her standing on one of the tiers of a chandelier. She outstretched her wings and drifted down, landing in front of me.

  “I’m going to show you how to teleport. Remember the second rule I taught you? Sometimes in order to see, you must remain unseen.”

  I nodded, recalling that disastrous training. “Wait. What was the first rule?”

  Div rolled her eyes. “Always be prepared to meet your worst nightmare.”

  I nodded, wincing as I remembered.

  “Teleporting is actually quite simple. Close your eyes.”

  I did as she said and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.

  “Imagine yourself sitting in a small, dark cupboard. Now see the walls slowly coming in on you. Fold your body into yourself as tightly as possible. Now picture a spot within the lobby we’re standing in. Once you have a clear image of that spot, imagine yourself exploding open into it, knocking down the tight walls of the closet.”

  I followed her instructions, creating very clear and specific mental images. I envisioned the welcome desk. I then imagined my arms exploding outward, catapulting the walls of the tiny closet outward. The walls shattered into millions of pieces.

  “Now open your eyes.”

  When I did, I found myself standing on top of the welcome desk.

  “Oh wow! That was incredible! I did it!” I shouted, my wings flapping excitedly.

  “Excellent,” smiled Div. “The more you practice, soon you won’t even need to close your eyes. You’ll be able to simply think it, disappearing then reappearing somewhere else.”

  I jumped down and walked over to her.

  “Try again, but this time think of someplace high.”

  I followed her instruction like before, this time envisioning the chandeliers. When I opened my eyes, I was hovering next to one of them. Panic set in and I began to fall.

  “Use your wings!” shouted Div from far below

  I was panicking and couldn’t gain control over them, so began to scream.

  “Think about flapping them!”

  “Flap! Flap!” I shouted. My wings jerked and then began flapping, slowing my fall. I hovered a few inches off of the ground. “Stop flapping!” I shouted, and they immediately folded, causing me to land with a thump on the floor. I looked up to see Div covering her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking up and down. She was laughing at me, along with Sacra who had been watching from behind the desk.

  “That was the
funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time,” Sacra cackled.

  I rolled my eyes. “Can we work on something else, please?”

  “No. You need to get better control of your wings. You should be using them like your hands; with minimal thought, yet they should know exactly what to do.”

  Div had me run numerous flight drills from various heights within the lobby. We realized it was nearly midnight by the time we finished. Rider came in with three cots and told us we would be sleeping by the welcome desk. Div, Sacra and I settled ourselves in. Sacra passed me a silver goblet with the wing vibrancy beverage.

  “The last time you you’ll need to drink this.” She said.

  I finished the drink and fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 18

  The demon began plucking the feathers off of the wings of the angel slowly and causing the angel much pain. The angel shrieked as the demon laughed. It began picking its teeth with the point of one of the feathers. Lightning cracked, illuminating where it stood. It was in the rooftop café.

  #

  I awoke slowly, my body aching from the intensive training the day prior. Div and Sacra were at the welcome desk discussing locations ideal for fighting off the demon army. I walked over to get a better understanding.

  “Oh wow!” said Sacra when she noticed me. “Div look!”

  “Oh look at that!” exclaimed Div.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, concerned that something nasty had grown on my face overnight.

  “Your wings and your hair!” said Sacra. “Here take a look at yourself.”

  She enlarged a hologram screen in front of us. She typed in a short command, and the screen displayed a mirror. I stepped forward and did not recognize the reflection looking back at me.

  “Oh! What happened?” I asked in shock. My hair had grown a few inches and was completely blonde, just like my mother’s. Dark brown highlights wove their way throughout my hair. My wings had also turned fully platinum. Both my hair and wings were extremely shiny, glittering in the light.

  “The elixir must have recoded the genetic makeup of your hair,” suggested Div. “My hair was dark brown before I began unsheathing. Then it turned green to match my wings.”

  “This is…great,” I said. “I actually look good.”

  “Good? You look stellar!” exclaimed Sacra. “Your hair and wings are gorgeous! And perfect timing for this.” She reached down and pulled out a white leather catsuit. It was form-fitting from the neck to the ankles. Red stripes lined the outer seam of the outfit. She then pulled up a pair of matching white leather boots. They too had a red stripe along the seams of the soles.

  We were giggling when Rider came out from the defense department.

  “Sato has found out that we intercepted his four spies. He has mobilized his army and they are coming earlier than we had anticipated. They should be reaching us by midday.” He turned to me, his eyes widening. “Sol. You look beautiful, just like your mother.”

  “Thanks, Rider,” I replied beaming.

  An emergency alarm began ringing, red lights flashing throughout the building. Bouncing off of the chandeliers, the room lit up terrifyingly.

  “Oh no that’s the alarm for the bunkers,” said Rider, running back over to the defense room. “Wait here!”

  As he took off, the ARC’s invisible army appeared surrounding the welcome desk.

  “What happened, General Matthews?” asked Div, unsheathing her sword. The same angel leader from yesterday took a step toward her.

  “Sato sent a small troupe over night,” he reported, voice rumbling. “They knew the location of the bunker’s emergency exit and blocked it off. They were questioned then exterminated.”

  “He’s keeping us trapped within the ARC,” stated Sacra.

  “Yes,” replied Matthews. “We sent two of our own to assess his army’s positioning. They are on the move and will be here within three hours at 12:00.”

  Rider ran back into the lobby followed by a few agents from the defense department.

  “I alerted Los Angeles: we must begin transporting everyone immediately. Get everyone out then come back here to prepare for a fight. General, unfortunately the day has come to initiate code white.”

  “Yes.” His aura brightened and the army of angels all nodded. They then disappeared.

  “What’s code white?” I asked.

  “Complete evacuation of the ARC with the knowledge that the ARC will be destroyed,” he replied grimly. “Our defense agents will take over here, Sacra. The three of you, head to the bunkers and help transition everyone into the ATS.” He took Sacra’s place behind the desk and shut down the hologram interface. Rider unsheathed his sword and began speaking a range of incantations while swinging it in various formations. The generator stopped running and the only light came from the chandeliers. “Descendo y vivirae!” said Rider. The chandeliers slowly descended from the ceiling. When they reached the floor, each bulb opened up and I saw that electricity was not what kept them lit. Yellow orbs floated from all of the open bulbs towards the center of the lobby. They hovered in the air and turned red. Rider continued his chants and the welcome desk began sinking into the floor. It stopped halfway when sword handles began pushing through the top. Hundreds of swords lined the circular desk. The chandeliers retracted back up towards the ceiling. Iron spokes slid down in front of each doorway in the lobby. The murals decorating the lobby turned bright. The skeletal samurai angels depicted in each painting began to move. They slowly stepped out of their frames and floated down to the floor, their armor clanking. They brandished the very weapons they were depicted fighting with. These angels did not speak, just floated toward the welcome desk, nodding at us in greeting. They then turned and faced the ARC’s main door.

  The emergency lights stopped flashing and the room remained lit by the red orbs floating all around. I felt a strange sense of both fright and comfort when taking in this new setting.

  “Come. Let’s hurry,” said Div. She led me and Sacra towards the tunnel entry. Sacra leaned forward and dove down, wings pressed tight against her back. “Go!” said Div.

  I leaned forward and dove down, making sure to keep my wings flat against me. The tunnel slanted and I turned my body so that my legs led the way down. I landed next to Glinda in a brightly lit hall. It was a smaller version of the lobby, but without a welcome desk. Numbered doors indicated the cabins in which everyone was residing. All of the doors stood open and I could see angels preparing to evacuate. Alex was standing in the hall with Glinda, and came over to greet us, pulling me into a hug.

  “You are absolutely stunning,” he whispered into my hair.

  “Thanks Alex,” I replied, pulling him tight.

  We stepped apart and I remembered that Luke was with my mother.

  “Let me check on my mother,” I said to Div.

  “Quickly. I will begin with cabins one through thirty. You’ll help me with those while Sacra handles the rest with Alex and Glinda.”

  I rushed forward to cabin eleven where I found my mother talking with Luke, seemingly concerned.

  “Oh Sol you look incredible!” said my mother, rushing over to hug me. I held her tight, knowing that it would be some time before I saw her again.

  “Mom, I can only stay to help evacuate. I need to head back upstairs to stop Sato from destroying everything.”

  “I know, sweetie. I’ve always known that there would come a day where I’d have to let you go for this very reason.” She began tearing. “I’m ready. I have everything set up at the Los Angeles location, so don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  I pulled her in for another tight hug. She picked up a small sack and left the room. I then turned to Luke.

  “Luke, I hate that we’re not ok.”

  “I know Sol. You’ve made your choice and I’ve made mine.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m here to help get everyone through the ATS. When this is all over, I’m going to stay and work at the Los Angeles center
for good.”

  “You’re never going back to Terredome?”

  He shook his head.

  “Are you doing this just because of Alex?”

  “No,” he replied, looking down. I wasn’t entirely convinced. “It’s what I want.”

  I reached up and gave him a light kiss.

  “What was that for?” he asked, searching my eyes while still holding me close.

  I couldn’t find the right words, so I simply looked down. He ran his fingers through my hair and left the room. I headed back into the hall to find Div and Glinda lining everyone up in front of a blank wall with no door.

  “I thought we were heading to the ATS?” I asked.

  “Hee-hee,” giggled Glinda. She then waved her hand in front of the wall. It wobbled and disappeared.

  “I should have known,” I said.

  Div began calling out cabin numbers in groups of ten and showing them down the short hallway and into the ATS. She turned to me, asking me to run ahead and begin activating the launch codes on all of the pods, including the large emergency one. I followed her orders as everyone began filing into the room. She and Glinda joined me at the desk. “There are two hundred and fifty angels and Espials that need evacuating from the one hundred occupied cabins. I’m going to initiate an access sequence that will keep the pods activated so that we don’t have to keep re-entering the codes.” She quickly typed a series of commands onto the screen. “Cabins one through twenty-nine, please board an available single pod or the mass transport one,” she called out.

  Angels began stepping on the pods and disappearing instantaneously. The lights around the standing pads stayed green after each transport. The large one made a slight hum when it transported the group standing on it. My mother boarded one closest to the desk and waved before disappearing in front of my eyes.

  “Cabins thirty through fifty-nine,” she called out again. The process repeated itself. Flash after flash of various colors occurred each time an angel disappeared. A confirmation message popped up on the hologram each time Los Angeles received a transport. Soon everyone was gone except for me, Luke, Sacra, Div, Glinda, and Alex.