by Karen Swart
Some form of credo I assumed.
“How many cities?” Chax asked.
I found him looking at Amon.
“Fifteen when I left,” Amon replied.
My jaw almost hit the ground. We were so screwed, the wall hadn’t even been breached and we had a huge freaking problem.
“Maia, Claire, take the young ones to the Hellhouse. They will be left in your care,” Chax instructed them.
With a lot of fuss Raven agreed and went with them.
I watched the females shift with concerned faces, but I also saw in their eyes that the young ones would be protected to the very end. I wouldn’t let the enemy get close to them. Today or whenever the time came, I would make sure they all survived this.
“We won’t be able to use the extra aid we have prepared. With humans among us, we may injure them,” Chax said, rubbing his chin.
Oh double crap, there goes our bombs.
“I'm afraid we will have to fight hand to hand to avoid hurting humans,” Vulcan agreed.
Chax lifted his head and viewed all of us. The Fallen all stood there listening and waiting.
“Prepare for war,” Chax said and with that, everyone shifted.
“Come on Kas. We need to get dressed. Michael, begin your assault we will join you shortly,” Chax continued.
Michael nodded and all the angels disappeared. Chax nodded to all the others still there, and shifted taking me with him. We ended up in my room.
“Be quick. We don't have much time,” Chax encouraged me.
He was about to shift out when I grabbed his hand.
“I am so sorry for the hellhound thing. I didn't know what was happening.” I still didn’t understand what had made me do everything.
“Kasadya, you spared me something dreadful today, for that you will always have my gratitude. Now, we have a war waiting. Ready, my hellhound.” He smiled and shifted out.
I sprang into action and grabbed my leather gear. Within five minutes I was dressed and ready.
“Everyone report to Amon's compound,” Chax voice sounded, using corra. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath.
This was it, my nightmare was about to look me straight in the eye and say hello.
So be it. I shifted and landed in the training area we had used for planning.
Chapter 16
“Amon we need an update,” Chax began.
Amon rumbled off the city names and I tried my best to absorb as much of the info as I could. With each city he named, I started to feel more and more lightheaded. There were so many now.
“It's a global attack,” Don made sure to brand into my mind.
I was shaking a little. I hadn’t expected this; this had not been in my visions.
“Team leaders, we need to try and take one city at a time. There are not enough of us to take on all of them simultaneously. Amon, you will dedicate a city to a team, and that team will try and secure the city.” Chax was leaving the room, so I hurried after him.
“How are we going to stop all the attacks and stop the one when the wall is breached?” I asked.
Chax didn't stop to answer me; he kept marching down the halls.
“We can't Kasadya,” He finally replied and my heart fell straight to my stomach.
We had just reached the worst case scenario. He turned into a doorway, so I kept following. We entered what looked like another hall, filled with more doors. But I hadn’t seen this part before. Intrigued, I wondered what Chax was doing here. He stopped and pulled open a door, inside was his brother and a female.
“We have a situation. They have attacked globally and not at the destined location. Is there something you can tell me to ensure victory?” Chax didn't even greet him.
His brother jumped up when he started to speak.
“I am afraid I do not. This is a first for me too.” Chax nodded and turned around.
Once outside the door, he stopped and turned to look at me.
“Kasadya, this is not good. Our chances are slim. You must stay near me at all times. Do you understand?” He was seriously scaring me, but I nodded, understanding his concern for more than just the fight.
He closed his eyes and we shifted. Landing in chaos, the team regrouped and looked around. People were running everywhere, screaming and crying. As we stepped onto the main street, bodies were sprawled on the ground everywhere, surrounded by blood. A fight in the air had me looking up. An angel and a demon were fighting above us. Blood sprayed down from the sky. I wiped my face and pulled on everything I had in me. I didn't even wait for Chax to sound the attack. I shifted to my full born and pulled out my swords.
“May God be with you my brothers and sisters,” Vulcan's voice sounded through corra.
With that we roared and stormed into the chaos.
I grabbed the first two demons I could get my hands on. With a clean swipe from my sword, one’s head went flying. The other one put up more of a fight. We sliced at each other, and I ducked as he swiped at my thigh. Turning at the same time, I angled my swords and took his head. I walked forward engaging the next demon who was grabbing a young girl. I ripped her out of his claws, her scream almost that of a harpy’s. Making sure she was far away, I gave her a push towards the wall of a building. The demon didn't have any weapons ready so it was an easy job taking his head. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a struggle. I turned towards it and marched forward. A female angel was struggling with three demons, who were trying to pull her down. With a jump, I brought my fist to the ground and slamming it hard. The earth shook and the demons lost their footing. I stormed forward and sliced at the first head. The other demon still struggling to get up, met my boot. With a twist of my foot, I heard his skull crack beneath it.
Stepping off his head, I took a clean swipe to make sure that no healing would take place. The female angel finished off the last one. She regarded me and nodded, then turned around and flew to the next demon.
“Kas, your left!” Max yelled and I turned around, just in time to see a demon being pushed in my direction.
Bending down I swiped and took a clean cut, his head bouncing to the ground. A light bomb went off right behind me. Spinning around, I saw the demon flying backwards and Nanini swooping down to take his head midair, before he reached the ground. The air rippled around me; Chax had just punched a demon and he flew backwards into a building, where another angel made quick work of him.
“Abby, watch out!” I yelled, noticing the two demons in the air coming at her.
She dove and almost hit the ground in her attempt. Then screamed, immobilizing them and watched as they fell towards the earth. I was already moving, and when the first one hit the ground, his head was sliced off. The second one met the same fate. Max stormed past me in his born form. He grabbed a few demons, ripping them apart with his hands. He turned and looked around, then shifted. Another demon reached me, so we engaged each other. This one matched me in height. We circled each other, waiting for the first one to make a move. He was stupid enough to be the first one. Storming forward, he swung what appeared to be an axe. I ducked and turned at the same time and watched him hit the air, falling forward with the momentum. Standing up, I regarded him. I hadn’t seen this type of demon before. He had huge wings, tipped with bones and sharp edges. His head resembled a hyena and his body was covered with spikes. I backed up a step, trying to figure out how to get to his head. He stormed forward again, his axe swinging through the air. I leaned back and watched it narrowly miss.
My swords were no match for the huge axe. I placed them back in their sheaths and cracked my neck and shoulders. This time I stormed him, and before he could swing the axe, tackled him to the ground. We fought and rolled, while fist after fist were exchanged. He lost his axe in the process. His fist came down towards me and I whipped my head away. He roared as his fist met the concrete instead. Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed his neck and used my strength. His hands grabbed at mine in an attempt to get me to release him. Digging my nai
ls into his flesh, I got a good grip and then let it rip. Blood spattered everywhere and coated my face. Luckily, I had learned to close my mouth in time or I would have been drinking blood now. Throwing his now headless body off of me, I jumped back to me feet and drew my swords. Ben sent a few light bombs at demons which were swarming towards us. As they hit, Lotan was on them, taking their heads.
Lada and Nanini were working together, doing the same thing. Something slammed into me and sent me forward. Before hitting the ground, I flipped around and rolled over, getting back on my feet. I was up and ready for battle. A werewolf lay unconscious in front of me, and just beyond it, a huge demon, standing three stories high, was stomping towards me.
Oh man, why do I always get the big ones?
I shifted to his left leg and swiped both swords; its roar shook the air around us. Shifting quickly to the right leg, I did the same. I repeated it three times before the demon finally came crashing to the ground.
Now, for its head.
I moved quickly and jumped on its massive chest. Bringing both swords down, I swiped at its thick neck. Blood spurted from the new wounds. He hit me with a huge fist and I was slammed into a building, the walls cracking around me.
I shook my head and looked back. This was going to hurt, big time. Shifting back, I repeated my attempt to take its head. This time I saw his fist coming from the right and jumped back just in time. He missed and roared with frustration.
Just one more swipe.
I jumped forward again and sliced across, giving it all my strength, it seemed. His neck burst open and blood sprayed everywhere. I shifted away and turned around, making sure the job was done. Finally, its head lay just above his body.
Phew, that was a workout.
Looking to my left, I saw a group of demons attacking; Chax had his back to them. I moved forward and punched the air. The group was flung backwards and landed in a mess on the ground. I was on them and slicing and dicing like mad. One demon stabbed a knife in my leg, and I grabbed his head and hit it against another.
With a few more swipes and wounds of my own, the group was eliminated. A loud crash sounded above me. I looked up and found Raphael and another angel fighting a large group of flying demons. It was a new thing, seeing demons fly like that. Apparently the angels were used to it. Their fight in the sky was effortless, but their numbers were not in their favor. I grabbed a few short knifes, which were strapped to my lower back and aimed. Sending out one knife at a time, I hit the demons above me. A few crashed down to earth, other’s attention were deflected with the knife now in them. The angels used the opportunity and took their heads. I shifted at lighting speed, taking the heads of the one’s that came crashing down.
Seeing that the shifting and taking heads was working more effectively, I started to do this. I locked down on demon after demon, shifted and took their heads, surprising them. This was working; I was taking demons down faster this way.
“Shift and take their heads!” I yelled to the others around me.
We all started to do this and soon we were on the other side of town. I breathed hard; the strain of the fighting was starting to exact its toll. Stopping, I looked back at the bodies littering the street behind us.
“Well done, Kasadya,” Chax said between breaths.
We were all tired, covered in blood and gore.
“Is that all of them?” Zurita asked behind us.
I turned around, looking at the streets; it looked clear.
“Fallen!” Raphael yelled above us.
We looked up at him.
“To the next city.” He shifted in midair.
We had a long day ahead of us. Chax shifted us all to the next city after a quick talk with Amon.
We landed in New York where a few other Fallen teams were struggling with huge numbers of demons. We walked into World War Three. Fallen, angel and demon were engaged in battles all around us. Light bombs and lighting lit up the sky above. Roads and buildings were covered in roots from earth fae. Roars and screams echoed in the city.
“Alright team. Let’s make it count,” Chax said, shifting on the last word.
I joined in, locking down on two demons attacking an Impon female. With two quick swipes, their heads rolled into the street as I searched and locked down on my next target. I shifted in and was surprised to find him already waiting for me. His swords were traveling through the air. In a split second maneuver, I brought my own swords up and blocked his. Our dance with our weapons started as we swiped, ducked and fought each other. He lost his balance when I ducked away from one of his blows, and I took my chance and shifted to his back. With a roar of my own, I took his head.
In my search for another target, I saw two more demons shift in.
They are shifting in?
This had me worried. Sure, we could keep fighting until the end of days, but something was bugging me. I shifted to them and quickly took their heads. Turning around, my eye caught something at the top of a building. The skinny demon prince was standing at the roof top and looking down with a pleased expression. My internal alarm went off.
Something is wrong.
I looked around at the scene. It was a full out street war. Humans ran for their lives. Fallen and demons were engaged on the ground. In the air, more Fallen and angels were fighting even more demons.
Something isn't right.
I studied the prince for a few seconds more and then it hit home. I shifted, leaving my team and landed on the battle ground I remembered from my visions. And sure as hell, there were already three relics locked into the wall. The fourth one was just starting to appear at the top right corner. My mind raced.
It was a distraction! They were distracting us in the cities!
I shifted back to New York, searching franticly for Chax. Shifting, and taking heads at the same time as I searched for him. I couldn't find him in all the chaos. I reached for my necklace and closed my eyes.
“It’s a distraction, the wall is almost breached!” I sounded as hard as I could.
Opening my eyes I saw the Fallen's reaction. My message had gone out to everyone. They looked around, uncertain of what to do. We had a huge dilemma. Leave the cities and humans unprotected and stop the Apocalypse, or stay here and loose the battle in total.
“To the battle grounds!” Chax, Vulcan, Thonyn and a lot of other team leaders sounded at the same time.
I could see the despair in the Fallen's faces as the words tore their hearts apart. A lot of human lives would be lost; we were unable to save them all. Fallen started to shift out one by one.
“Go, Fallen, the angels will try and protect the cities,” Michael voice sounded, but unlike corra it didn't sound through our necklaces. This message was delivered through our heads.
Okay, so the angels had the cities, so it would be up to the Fallen to protect the entire world. I shifted to the battle ground. Fallen were still shifting in and Chax and the others began shouting orders. I needed to find Ben and Nina. My eyes landed on Ben a few yards away. I shifted to him and grabbed his arm.
“Did you make it?” I asked while looking at his shocked face.
“Yes, of course. They are on my table in the lab. You can’t miss them,” He reassured me.
I released his arm and nodded. Shifting to the lab, I looked around, searching for my very own weapons. There, on the table in some sort of a container, were two huge balls that looked a lot like the smaller ones. I walked over and opened the container. Reaching for the first one I closed my hand around it. Or rather tried to close it. It was bigger than my born hand. Good, that means they would do the job. I held the first one in my hand, trying to think of a place to put them.
Crap!
I looked back at the container and placed the bomb back in it. It would be easier to carry them in the container. Now I just needed a place to put it in. Grabbing it, I held on and looked at myself trying to find a safe spot.
Crap! Crap! Crap!
My body was exposed. I shifted to my
room and ripped open my closet. Throwing stuff around, I searched for something. There, in the back of the closet, I found a strap-on pouch. I grabbed it and looked at it. The strap had enough length to go around my waist. But the balls still needed to be secured, and away from blows. My leather jacket caught my eye. Hell yeah! That just might work. I stood up and strapped the pouch around my waist, making sure the container with the balls was at my lower back. Then, grabbing my jacket, I flung it over myself. This way no one could see I had something strapped to me. With a deep breath, I shifted back to the battle ground where the others had started to take formation. Chax and some of the other Custose were yelling orders, making sure everyone was ready and in place.
I noticed that Ben and Abby were running around giving something to the Fallen. Walking towards them, Abby eyes were huge with fear as she looked at me.
“Kas... here we have some balls for you.” She handed me a black strap with the small balls inserted into small pouches.
My hand rubbed over the pouches and I smiled. Raven had found a way to protect the balls and us. They weren’t pouches; they were small metal containers keeping the balls safe and secure. At the top of each one was a lid that had to be flipped open, but with that the balls pops out and into your hand.
Good girl. I thanked her and searched the crowd again. I found Nina talking to some other Fallen and shifted to her.
“Nina,” I said, landing behind her.
She turned and looked at me.
“I'm ready Kas, the moment you need it done just yell my name as loud as possible,” she replied, sadness in her eyes.
“Thank you, Nina.” I said, hugging her.
She hugged me back and for a moment the world dropped away for us.
“No, thank you, Kas. I will make sure that your name is spoken in honor and respect.” I stepped back from her and blinking my eyes rapidly to prevent the tears from falling.