The Shivered Sky

by Matt Dinniman

“That's because it sucks,” Dave said. “It's not really fair.”

  “I suppose it isn't.” The angel shrugged. “In addition, there was no room for this great multitude of people suddenly pouring into our world. The angels were unwilling to expand the width of the city, and the Seraphim forbade humans to venture past the walls. Therefore, great underground caverns were erected. Below Cibola is a city to rival the one above it. The living quarters were sparse, and the rules were strict.”

  “My father,” Dave said. “I was hoping he was here somewhere. I haven't seen him in a long time, and I would really like to just ... talk to him again.”

  “If he's alive, he's likely a slave.”

  Dave walked away at that, turning his back.

  Gramm wanted to go to him, but his sense told him to stay off. He shook his head. It was unbelievable. He couldn't imagine how crushing it would be to learn all your loved ones had lived great lives, only to end up caged like animals. It made him want to vomit.

  In addition, Gramm also learned much about the demons who had invaded. Like the Powers, these angels didn't really seem to care much why the demons had attacked. Though Xac and a few of the others had a few casual theories. Jealousy. Pillaging for human slaves, etc. None of which even remotely satisfied Gramm. The monsters were just an evil they had always known. When the beacons had been built, small groups of demons started emerging from the ether, raiding. The groups started getting more numerous, but they were always easily thrown back. Until that one day.

  Xac tried to explain the size of Cibola to them, but it was still difficult to fathom. Even prepared by his dreams, the size of the city was overwhelming. This whole area, including the forest and the Tree of Eternity, the beach and the millions of pyramids, was nothing but a fingernail of a peninsula of the whole. Though it was an important area. All life sprang forth from the tree, Xac said, and even the demons feared harming it. The blue ether, that stuff Gramm had thought was an ocean, surrounded the whole angel world.

  Their time went like that. Practicing their periscepters in the cramped, thin hallways. Talking with Xac, learning more and more about the angel world and demons. The angels had a meager supply of tasteless food that they shared. Apparently, they still needed to eat, but only once a year or so it seemed. Gramm slept when he could. Dave refused, however, and it started to take its toll. Rings had formed under his eyes.

  Gramm hadn't consulted Dave on the plan before suggesting it, mostly because he was afraid if he said something about it out loud before he presented it to Ashia and the others, he'd realize how asinine it was. And even though Gramm saw the fear and surprise register on Dave's face, his friend quickly added that he would join Gramm, too. There wasn't a moment's hesitation.

  He would never forget that. Not even if he lived forever.

  Using the communicators sewn into their shirts, they contacted Colonel Yehppael and told him of the plan. Yehppael seemed relieved when they called. “Are you okay?” were his first words. Though they were fairly close, the radio was thick with noise.

  Yehppael and the other two Powers were awaiting nearby, hidden underneath the wreckage of a demon transport. The three would be instrumental in their escape.

  Yehppael was jubilant at the news other angels were alive and fighting. They had thought they were the only ones, he explained over the radio as Ashia and the Principalities listened. Dave and Gramm learned the Hashmallim were dead, but he didn't give any details.

  Ashia told him an active resistance fought against the occupation, at least there had been one—before the unfortunate circumstances that had caused them to be trapped here in the first place. He asked question after question of her, so much that Gramm took off his shirt altogether and handed it to her. Some of the Principalities wondered openly about the Dominion's chances of intercepting the communications, but Yehppael didn't seem too concerned when asked. It's a short-range band, he said. They can only track it if they've equipment in the area.

  They hadn't counted on the mechanical spiders. The machines had come out of nowhere, entering the maze and discovering previously unknown rooms at an alarming speed. Two angels were sent out to destroy them, one of them Xac. And after two of the four spiders were blown to scrap, Ashia decided it was time to implement the plan.

  She called all of the angels together, minus the two currently out in the maze. About forty in all. They were all packed in their gear and weapons. A familiar scent rose thick in the room. Gramm had smelled it before, once, when a group had marched past at the other base. Fear.

  “The time is now,” Ashia said, her child frame heavy with this burden. “They are likely certain of an angel presence by now. If we delay, we will have to fight.”

  “It's too late,” an angel called. “They've called a platoon. They are assembling outside at this moment.”

  “All right then,” she said. “It's not too late. But it will soon be.” She reached up and put her small hand on Gramm's arm. “Are you ready?”

  “No,” he answered, smiling weakly.

  She smiled in return. “That's the spirit. Remember, alternate shots and stick together.” Pulling from her own holster, she shoved a heavy rifle into Gramm's hands. She took one from another angel and gave it to Dave. They were more cumbersome than the demon weapons, but also better built, more solid. “Keep them holstered,” she said, tossing them leather straps to put over their shoulders. “Only use them when you've absolutely run out of energy for the periscepters.”

  Xac and the other angel burst back into the room. His face and white robes were covered with char, and he breathed heavily. He looked terrified. Gramm was glad he was okay.

  “Are we all ready?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Then go,” she said. She turned to Gramm, Dave, and Xac. “May He bless your swords,” she whispered. She and the other angels rushed out the door single-file. They were headed for the exit of the maze, the place only one angel had ever found before on his own. But the instructions were laid out here in the sanctuary, along with an incredibly intricate map of the entire complex. Gramm had once tried to count the rooms, but it was like trying to add up all the stars.

  They headed in the opposite direction from the others, toward the danger. With the control room empty, they now didn't have any guidance as to where the spiders or the demons were. But they did have a map of the labyrinth.

  Gramm threw the gun over his shoulder and clutched onto his periscepter. He had two of them, but this particular one seemed to work better. It was his lifeline. He called it Ra, after the Egyptian god of the Sun.

  “If we see something, you go first,” Dave said, a quiver to his voice. If they both fired at the same time, their recovery time would be twice as long. If they alternated, then there would hopefully be a fresh burst of light available at all times. He was glad for Xac's presence. But the angel looked just as terrified as Dave.

  “Okay,” Gramm said, stepping forward. For each room they entered, he cautiously peeked his head inside to make sure it didn't hold a demon or spider. Each time he just knew he was going to find himself facing ten gun barrels. But so far, nothing.

  “Stay together,” Xac warned. “Hold hands if you have to.”

  The others had a long journey to get to the main exit. Gramm hoped they wouldn't run into trouble. Something else disturbed him, too. What had they found in this place? Only other angels. He had been so sure that there would be more to it. He expected this place to hold those who could help them, but it turned out they were actually the ones doing the helping. Without the periscepters, this plan would never work.

  “Be wary,” Xac said. “The next room is where we destroyed both of the demon mechanical scouts.”

  “Is there any way around?” Dave asked.

  “We're trying to find them, remember?” Gramm said.

  “I know, I know,” he said miserably.

  Gramm led with the periscepter and his eyes. The two machines lay on the floor, one of them still smoking. The other wa
s half in another room.

  “It's safe,” he said, pulling himself back into the room. He slowly stepped inside. Xac gave one of the machines a good kick, and it clanged loudly.

  “I wish you wouldn't do that,” Gramm said as he approached the next room. Xac smiled sheepishly. This room also held some spider wreckage, like it had tried to crawl away. Dave, in charge of the map, sighed loudly.

  “We need to speed this up,” he said. “I'm on point now. Here, take the map.”

  “Not yet,” Gramm replied, irritated.

  “Please do not argue,” Xac said. “We need to...”

  A cat demon, a whole head shorter than Gramm, walked right into the room and into Gramm's chest. It was like walking into steel. They stared at each other for a fraction of a moment, surprise registering in the demon's eyes.

  It shouted, raising its gun. Gramm pulled his periscepter forward, but everything seemed to be going too slow. Dave's foot flashed, and the cat's gun flew upwards as it fired, the bolt sailing over their heads.

  All three of them fired at the same time. Gramm and Dave's light ripped through the demon. Xac's blast was a second too late. The bolt filled the air with a choking, acrid smoke.

  “I was supposed to fire first!” Gramm said.

  “No, we switched!”

  “No we didn't.”

  “It doesn't matter now,” Xac boomed. “This way, fast!” He moved left. They had to quickly follow, turning several times. Finally they stopped.

  “Why'd you do that?” Dave said. “Now we're lost.”

  “So that was a Shishi,” Gramm said. “They're short.”

  “They are fast. They fly twice as swiftly as angels. Do not underestimate them.”

  “Do you think they'll send more into the temple now?” Gramm asked.

  “Yes,” Xac said. “Undoubtedly.”

  “Then we don't need the map anymore really, do we?” The original plan was if they got discovered, allow the Spire to fill with as many demons as possible.

  Xac nodded.

  “That was the easy part,” Dave said, gripping his periscepter tightly. He patted Gramm on the shoulder. “What was it, go right seven times?”

  “Yes,” Gramm answered quietly. No matter where we are in this place, we're always just a few turns from the exit. “Dave...”

  “What's the matter?” He cocked his head to the side. “Are you okay?”

  “You've been a good friend.”

  “Don't get all mushy on me, man. That shit with the giant army attacking us? Remember? That was 100 times worse. We'll be fine. Remember, we have Colonel Yehppael coming.”

  The radio on Xac's side squawked. “Set,” crackled out in Ashia's voice.

  Xac sheathed his gun and put his hands on both their shoulders. “The others are waiting for us. The demons have likely filled the Spire by now, and if we wait much longer, they will find us. Let us move.”

  * * * *

  Ko watched the progress of the raid nervously. Above, the Charun and Pazuzu buzzed around the Spire like bugs on a flower. The workers paused to watch. Quite a few had found structures to stand near, in case they had to suddenly jump behind cover. Ko searched miserably for something that would conceal his bulk.

  “Picked up a short transmission,” a Flamen said. “It was a single word in Angel.”

  “The computer translates it as ‘fixed,'” said another. “The speaker was either a human child or an angel Virtue.”

  Uzkiev hissed. The scales on the side of his head had turned a shade darker, almost black, since the report of the Shishi. They found its bloodied armor and weapon in one room and half its head on the floor in another.

  “Another transmission,” the Flamen reported. “From a different source, much closer to us.”

  “What was it?” snapped Uzkiev.

  “A single word again,” the second Flamen answered. “Definitely an angel. A Principality or Power.”

  “What was the word?”

  A short pause. “Detonate.”

  “I want the soldiers within the Spire recalled at once,” Uzkiev screamed at Ko. “Call their commander on the radio now.”

  “Sir?” The vehemence of the command caught him off guard.

  “Do it you fool!”

  As Ko wrestled with his giant-sized radio, several things happened at once. The Pazuzu and Charun flying around the Spire began to fire their weapons at something on the far side. A fraction of a moment later, a loud concussion filled the area. He felt it rather than heard it. He stumbled backwards again, the radio slipping from his hand.

  Then he realized he hadn't dropped the radio. His hand just wasn't there anymore. His lifeblood spewed freely from the open wound against the wall of the marketplace booth. The feet of all four Flamen stood where they had been seconds ago, but the heads and bodies of them were just gone. Their robes fell.

  Ko fell too, pain blinding him. The cries of a thousand demons filled his ears. “Help us!” they cried. “Please. It hurts like no other.” His vision flashed, and a Baka stood before him. The old bird demon cawed.

  “Flee,” it cried. “Do not suffer our fate. Flee.”

  Another explosion ripped him back into reality. What had happened? Who was that Baka? His arm pumped blood. Uzkiev and Ascot were both on the ground, hiding behind panels set up by the Flamen. They stared at the blood pooling around Ko.

  Death won't be so bad, Ko thought. I won't be shot at anymore.

  Three angel Powers streaked through the air above them, from behind. Where did they come from? They hadn't come from the Spire. They laid a path of destruction and fire all around him.

  A third detonation pierced through the air. The ground shook, and the burnt-out husk of a merchant's shop toppled over him. The entire Spire was imploding from the inside. Ko curled up into a ball.

  From his position, all he could see was smoke. A flash of light tore through the cloud like a spotlight. Pazuzu and Charun scattered, most not fast enough. The True Light. That's what hit my hand and killed the Flamen.

  A flaming hunk of something burned near his head. With the little strength he had, he took his stump and thrust it into the fire. The heat was soothing as the blood flow abruptly cut off, but the pain suddenly tripled as his pulse pounded against the wound.

  Another crash filled the air, and the smoke was suddenly sucked away as the wreckage of the Spire fell downwards. The blast had been enough to blow a hole all the way to the undercity. As the fog of consciousness fled him, he watched a single angel leap into the air. Demon fire erupted at him. Under each arm was a human slave, and both fired guns in different directions. The angel dove for the gaping hole in the ground. A Charun bolt struck him in the back. As the angel and his two humans spiraled toward certain death, darkness descended on Ko as well.

  “Qulp,” Ko whispered into the crackling air. “My son, please forgive me.”

  Uzkiev was suddenly beside him. “Hang on, big friend,” the Nidhogg said, his voice uncharacteristically warm. “You stopped the bleeding yourself, yesss. You are going to be fine.”

  Just my luck, he thought mournfully as the sleep finally came.

  The Dance

  Tamael wept.

  The Fall. The day they poured from the ether, filling the sky like a terrible plague, completely surrounding her entire world and swallowing it whole.

  It all came back to her like demons from the shadows. She clutched Yehppael's helmet. How I wish you were with me, beloved.

  She had been a lieutenant colonel, sent to the Athenaeum to collect a history that was supposed to have been compiled by a Cherub for some project or another a Hashmallim was working on. She didn't mind getting sent on these errands so much, and she truly enjoyed seeing the Tower up close. From her post far to the north at the battalion headquarters, the Tower was nothing more than a needle against the red sky. And this time she was actually going to go inside of it.

  The Tower was a work of art. Made entirely of an obsidian substance. Indestructible. If one s
tared at the Tower while moving, it would appear to be shimmering brilliantly. Sometimes it seemed as if the building was alive, pulsating with raw power. No other buildings were like it. The exterior walls were smooth to the touch, like marble. She landed upon the thirtieth-story perch, and the walls were warm too. Like it was a living thing.

  Diameter wise, the Tower wasn't much bigger than some of the other gigantic buildings in her own county, but this pinnacle shot into the red, higher than any angels could fly. His abandoned throne was up there at the very top. It was said from those great heights, He could look upon the entire world.

  She wondered where He was now. He'd been gone a long time, taking only the Ophanim with him. Creating the new world, they said. He'll be back, the Seraphim reassured them all. He was still protecting us from the darkness.

  She wanted to believe that. Desperately, she did.

  At several intervals, about every fifty stories or so, relief images were carved in life-sized, grandiose scenes that circled the Tower like rings. One could lose herself inspecting just a tiny portion of any of the carvings. The images were places that didn't exist at the time except in the mind of the artist. Trees and flowers of odd shapes and sizes grew in wild tangles, and creatures of the most unimaginable anatomy cavorted on grassy plains. Now, she realized, many of these places might be recreated on the various human worlds.

  If she could, she would've spent much more time drinking in the wonderful images surrounding the Tower, but she was on duty, and the Hashmallim weren't known for their goodwill toward tardy officers.

  The actual Athenaeum was a staggering sight, especially for someone who was experiencing it for the first time. The main entrance on the thirtieth floor led to a massive, domed room. Tall as eighty angels at least. The floor and walls were made of the more common marble, but still of an exquisite quality.

  Far above, a mosaic sparkled. It was an image of a Seraph in one of their many forms. An enormous dragon, completely and utterly white, stared down at her with fiery eyes like eternity. She had never seen a Seraph take that form before (she'd only actually seen one of the angel leaders twice before in her entire existence, and both times it was from quite far away), and she knew that she was fortunate. The sight of such a beast would be soul-wrenching. Petrifying.