by J. J. Egosi
Down in all the rubble, he spotted Isabella and Julianna lying unconscious, covered in scars and ash. He flew down and returned his scepter as he landed by their sides. It was all he could do to hope he wasn’t too late.
He shook both their bodies, yelling their names over and over. Their eyes never opened, his own filled with tears. His heart shattered.
“Isabella. Julianna. I tried my best, but I still failed you.”
Michael dropped to his knees in defeat and in sorrow. He cried over the loss of the friends he could not save.
Why. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn’t I save my friends? Who am I? Why did I say I was an archangel? Why did I have to hurt for all those years?
He fell into the debris between the girls. So many questions and no answers. Just who am I, and why did it have to end like this?
He lay there, covered in ash with tears rolling down his face, knowing it was all for nothing. He closed his eyes and shuddered a final breath.
Meanwhile, for only a moment, Julianna and Isabella regained their vision. They saw an angel lying beside them in the debris, joining them in their ruin.
“Michael, is that you?” Isabella asked, struggling to keep her eyes open.
“Those wings…is he?”
The wings of an archangel.
Chapter 8
Worlds Apart
M
ichael lay in the center of what was once the Light Realm amid the ruins. He had a drooling smile on his face that told of a pleasant dream.
“Just one more beer. I promise I’ll pay for it this time. Just put it on my tab…” Michael murmured. Isabella and Julianna watched as he tossed and turned with an imaginary bottle in hand.
“When do you think he’ll wake up?” asked Julianna.
“That depends on how many imaginary drinks he’s had.”
Julianna patted him across the chest to wake him up, repeatedly and without success.
“Damn it, just put it on my fucking tab, already! I’ll pay for it when I pay for it!” Michael shouted as he startled awake.
It took him a moment to figure out where he was. He was met with his friends’ joyful faces, who were both now trying to hold back their laughter.
“So I guess Isabella was right. You’re an alcoholic,” Julianna sighed.
“Yeah, he’s always been a drinker. He’d come back to the estate late each night, reeking of beer.”
“Um… Does anyone want to fill me in?” He took in their current states, their wounds had healed, and they all wore different clothes.
“We were hoping you could. All we can remember is being on the brink of death, finding ourselves here, and watching you bitch at a bartender for booze in your sleep. While you were having that little discussion with yourself, we decided to strip out of our clothes and into some new ones,” said Isabella.
“You mean you were both naked?” Michael blushed at the thought of the two of them stripping down beside him.
“We healed ourselves shortly after. Don’t worry. That’s all we did,” said Julianna.
“Here’s your sword, by the way,” Isabella handed him his blade. “It landed not too far from here.”
Michael hadn’t the slightest clue how they’d all ended up in this position. He looked at his reflection in his blade and sighed with relief.
“Well, I do appreciate you not violating me in my sleep.” Michael sat up and looked at his chest. The wounds were gone. “Thank you for that.”
“It wasn’t easy, but you’re welcome. The not stripping you, I mean, the healing was easy,” Isabella replied.
“Of course.” Michael shook his head.
“Just so I understand, you’re poor, even in your dreams? You really need to set the bar higher,” Julianna said.
“I think bars are the problem,” Isabella said.
Michael tried to recall what had happened. “I think I was down to my last breath. I can’t remember anything else. How did we get here?”
He looked at all the nearby debris.
“I can’t say I have any idea. Looks like being a lousy drunk is contagious. The forgetting everything afterward part anyway,” said Julianna.
“I don’t have a problem, you know. I can quit whenever I want.”
“We never said you did, but now that you bring it up, maybe you do,” said Isabella. She and Julianna laughed.
Without warning, Michael got up. “I think I remember now. It was those damned elementals and that merchant! Where did she go?”
“Merchant? Oh, right!” Julianna’s memories rushed back. “The thief who took my cores and used them to wreck the city.”
“Yes, I remember too. I think she told us to meet her on the outskirts of the Light Realm. Does that sound right?” asked Isabella.
“You’re right. Let’s go. That way!” said Julianna.
The three of them ran towards a large mountain which towered over the misty horizon. They passed through the tarnished remains of the Light Realm’s once flourishing city. There was a sinking feeling in their guts that this was only the beginning of the merchant’s destruction.
Something about waking up and not remembering how we all avoided death at the hands of the elementals isn’t adding up. Why do I keep getting this feeling? It’s like a chunk of my memory has been wiped out. Michael thought back to when he first saw the wanted posters. He still didn’t understand those either.
After nearly an hour of running, they stood before a massive mountain. They all looked up in wonder.
“Shit. We don’t have to climb up that thing, do we?” asked Michael.
“No. Everything you need is right here.”
The three of them spun around to see the merchant standing in the distance. She beat her wings against the cold air.
“I’ve been waiting for you. Welcome.”
“Who are you, and why have you brought us here?” Julianna vehemently demanded.
The merchant removed her cloak and tossed it into the wind. Beneath it was a young girl with blonde pigtails. “My name is Hecate, and I am what many refer to as a witch.”
“Did you say witch?” Julianna’s eyes widened; everything was suddenly coming together.
Michael had his suspicions, but he still couldn’t bring himself to believe it. “So you’re the witch from the fairy tale? The one who forged the elementals in the ritual.”
“That’s right,” Hecate replied. “And now, they’re right where they belong. With me.”
With a snap of the witch’s fingers, everything around them began to change. The trees, the fields, the mountain, anything around them that resembled nature vanished. Their hearts raced as their surroundings morphed into something they’d never seen before. It looked like a green and blue grid. Everything blended like waves in a cyber ocean that was unknown to any of them.
They’d been transported to another world - a world deep in the outer reaches of time and space. Michael’s body trembled.
Hecate was the powerful witch worthy of being inscribed into fairy tales.
“What the fuck is happening? Where are we?!” Julianna exclaimed, wide-eyed and bewildered.
“Unreal…” Isabella said, looking down at the stars they stood above in mid-space. She was disoriented and felt as though she might plunge into infinity. Somehow, she maintained her ground amid the cosmic grid.
“Are we in space? How?” Michael asked, watching in awe as a comet soared over their heads, shooting in the opposite direction from the planet on which they dwelled.
There’s no doubt about it, Isabella thought. Her breathing fell heavily as she curled her hands into fists. She’s a witch, an incredibly dangerous one.
“More importantly, what the hell have you done with my elemental cores?” Julianna demanded, unamused by the otherworldly sights around her.
“Patience, dear,” Hecate calmly replied. “Let me explain.”
“Explain what?!” she refuted.
“Eons ago, before the concept of time and civilization e
ven existed, there lived two mighty rulers. An archangel created this world in his own image, and a powerful demon king sought to destroy it. That archangel is you, Michael.”
The three of them were as mystified by this detail as they were frightened.
“Demon king? I’ve never heard of anyone by that name,” Isabella replied.
“I have,” said Julianna. Her blood ran cold at the sound of it. “He’s rumored to be the most vicious demon to ever disgrace the world, at least in the world of the church. Though the Dark Realm dismisses him, I can assure you he’s certainly feared in the Light Realm. No one even dares to speak his name.”
Julianna remembered her first time hearing of the demon king. She had only been a child. She’d asked the local townspeople to tell her stories, but they’d looked away and ignored her. It was like she’d been dealing with the plague. She’d spoken his name aloud, and she’d been mercilessly beaten for it.
That had been the last time she’d set foot in a church. She bit back her resentment as the memory of being exiled for heresy consumed her.
“So you’re saying that this demon king, this terrible threat, stands as a rival to Michael?” Isabella asked.
“The stories also tell of demons and angels alike taking powerful forms. Forms reserved for only an elite few, but that’s all just speculation and a discussion for another time. Assuming any of you survive long enough to hear it,” Hecate added. Her eyes were narrowed in a most sinister fashion, fixated on a trembling Michael. “What’s for certain is that you, Michael, are the archangel.”
After a moment of silence, Michael laughed. “Me? You must be mistaken. I’m just a servant.”
“I’m not mistaken. Nor am I ever,” Hecate’s tone left little room for argument. “You may not remember your life from before, but believe me, you’ll remember him soon enough.”
My life from before?
Michael’s laughter quieted as he looked into her cold, red eyes. “I’m worried you might be serious here.”
“I am.”
An archangel. Why does that sound so familiar?
Isabella and Julianna vaguely remembered the sight of his feathered wings beating under the morning sun just before he collapsed.
Michael took a deep breath. “Look. I appreciate the show you’ve put on, but don’t you think this sounds a little farfetched? I mean, angels and demons? They aren’t real.”
“Ironic that you’d say that with so many demons around you,” Hecate said.
“What are you talking about?” Michael looked at his friends. They both avoided making eye contact with him.
“Aren’t you wondering why they’ve been so quiet ever since I mentioned you were an angel? Why don’t you ask them why? I’ve been watching you all for quite some time. I know your secrets,” Hecate said.
Secrets? Michael shook nervously.
Julianna stepped forward. “Michael, I don’t know if what she said about you is right, but you should know that I am a demon,” Julianna said, releasing her wings.
Michael was shocked by the revelation, as was Isabella.
Julianna’s a demon? she said to herself.
“I thought…”
“You thought this was just an enchantment I put on all the time? Sadly, that’s not the case. It’s a burden that I carry with me, much like the burden of not telling you until now. I am sorry for my betrayal,” Julianna said remorsefully.
Michael was stunned. “When I first saw those wings, a part of me believed you could be something of legend. But I thought a legend was all it was. You’re really a demon?”
“Yes. I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. I hope that you can forgive me.”
Isabella then stepped forward.
“I know you already hate me for keeping so many secrets from you all these years. This probably won’t make things any easier, but I really hope that revealing my true nature to you will show you how willing I am to start over,” said Isabella. A black set of wings sprung from her back, just like Julianna’s. She beat them back and forth as they spread open.
“You…you’re both?” Michael was bewildered.
They both nodded solemnly.
That explains Julianna’s human remark earlier. And even though Isabella never led me to believe for certain that she could be something like a demon, she bears the cruelty of one for sure. I’ve heard stories passed through the Dark Realm of vicious beings with seductive habits and crimson eyes. It all makes sense. They’re both demons.
“You forget about me,” said Hecate.
Startled, Michael looked up. Overwhelmed and hurled from his train of thought, he gazed over at Hecate. She released her wings for all of them to see. “I’m a demon too, an ancient one. I’ve existed in this world for several millennia.”
Michael stumbled backward. His arms and legs shook.
“Demons and angels. The creatures of legends I heard as a child. They really exist, and I’m one of them?” Michael said, looking down at his hands. He saw flashes of an angelic figure slaying the elementals with a scepter; it began to look more and more like him now.
“Indeed, you are, Michael. Surprised?” Hecate said.
They both knew they were demons, and they kept it from me. What else are they hiding?
His fists clenched in anger. Isabella and Julianna looked away. They both wished they’d been honest from the beginning, and both knew that they were still keeping things from him.
Michael took a deep breath. “You’ve got your precious elementals back. So what do you want with us?”
“I’m so glad you asked. What I want is you, Michael. I was given strict orders to capture you, dead or alive.”
“For what purpose?” Michael asked.
Julianna and Isabella gave Hecate hateful glares.
“Let’s just say a certain demon would like to have a little chat with you.”
“Really?” Michael smirked.
He walked over and grabbed Hecate by the front of her shirt, lifting her a foot off the ground. They were all taken aback. Michael’s eyes were full of rage as they stared into Hecate’s.
“I’ve had enough of deceitful girls not giving me a straight answer!”
“Take it easy, Michael. She may be a thief, but she’s still just a child,” Isabella said softly.
Tears of desperation escaped him. “This isn’t fair. It’s like every time I climb a mountain, there’s another one behind it that’s ten times bigger. I feel like I’ll never understand what’s going on.”
“Michael…” Isabella and Julianna’s hearts ached for him, wishing there was something they could do that would help.
Michael couldn’t take much more deceit. He wanted answers. His blood boiled for them. He tightened his grip on Hecate. “Tell me what you want from me, Hecate. Right now, or so fucking help me-”
“Calm yourself.” Hecate placed her finger over his mouth. “What a nasty boy you are, picking on a little girl.”
Michael studied closely and noticed bruises covering her arms, legs, and face. His rage subsided.
It seems that she gets enough of a beating as it is for causing trouble. And honestly, I’m not that kind of guy. Whoever did this to her, he refused to let himself become someone who’d do the same, no matter how angry or betrayed he felt. Michael put her down and turned away.
“Sorry for grabbing you,” he said.
Isabella and Julianna looked at one another. They smiled just the slightest at the sympathy he had demonstrated towards her and felt somewhat hopeful for themselves.
“I’ll tell you what I know,” Hecate said in hopes of keeping his hands away with whatever information she felt would satisfy his curiosity as she dusted herself off. “The group I belong to goes by the name of the Legion of Morningstar. We’re an elite group of dimension walkers who seek to-”
“What the hell is a dimension walker?” Isabella asked.
“Oh, little girl, surely you jest? Dimension walkers are demons who travel from one dimension to an
other, usually in search of something great and powerful,” Hecate explained. There was a smug arrogance to her grin, like the knowledge she carried made her superior in every way.
“Dimensions? What the hell are dimensions?” Julianna was quickly losing her patience.
“And who are you calling a little girl? You may claim to be thousands of years old, but you barely seem to be in your teens,” Isabella snapped.
Hecate sighed. “Let’s see if I can explain this in a way that even you two can understand. Dimensions are different worlds, worlds with bold new possibilities for those who hunger for riches and adventure. Each world contains its own societies, people, lifestyles. More importantly, they each contain a dimension titan.”
“A dimension titan?” asked Michael. His anger morphed into bewilderment. These were things he’d never heard of in any legend or tale.
“Yes, seven destructive beasts created with the sole intention of guarding the seven dimensions. However, I have different plans for them.” Hecate’s eyes shone with malice.
“What does that mean?” asked Isabella.
“Remember when I said dimension walkers travel across dimensions in search of riches and adventure? Well, in the case of the Legion of Morningstar, what we seek are the dimension titans, which can all be found sealed away in rings.” Hecate explained, tapping her fingers lightly across her knuckles.
Michael’s legs weakened at the thought of what the consequences could be if such words held true.
“Why would you want such powerful creatures?”
“No one’s ever heard of titans or titan rings, so unless you have a damn good black heart opportunity up your sleeve, you can’t hope to make any money selling them on the black market,” said Julianna.
Hecate laughed. “Money? Our goals are far greater than something so petty. What our legion wants is power. Respect. Vengeance.”
“Vengeance for what? I don’t even know this fucking guy,” Michael snapped.
“That’s for you to discover when it’s already too late,” Hecate continued. “Because once we have all seven titans, there’ll be no stopping us. Not from you or from anyone across the entire omniverse.”