The Angel & The Demon

+1+ MSR BONES

It was quite

Dark green grassy hills and flat wooded landscape stretched in all directions. It was all so vast and wild. An ancient place untouched by time.

There was always something hazy in the air like fog or smoke, except it was more pleasant.

The architecture was archaic but beautifully detailed. Tall intricate black stone buildings sparsed out across the fields to form a city center.  In the center of it was the spiraling obsidian towers of King Lucifer’s Citadel. Home.

My home. My Father's Citadel.

There were no oceans. I don’t think our world was large enough to have oceans, but there were clear lakes and streams throughout the forest.

I smiled, getting lost in my daydream of Homeland. Of tall slim Demon  women with wide eyes and thick curled horns. Dark wild hair and Small pale lips with thick hot skin. I can picture long slim fingers yielding sharpened axes and scythes.

Out the corner of my eyes something white flashes in my perfect daydream, a flash of molting feathers. The impression of a lace veil and colorless eyes---

        +++Pompeii VSQ

What a dream !

I could hear my footsteps pounding against the stone as I ran through the Citadel. Footsteps were important. Remembering to hear footsteps is what made a dream feel real.

Lucifer’s Citadel is empty and I’m free to run along the halls with youthful abandon. My father, the king, would have never permitted me to do such a thing but it didn’t matter because I was an adult.

I could almost imagine my Father away on some noble quest, leaving his eldest and least favorite adult son in charge.

I slide to a stop as I run past a mirror.

I marvel at my reflection. Large deep pupils and violently bright irises. A strong cut jaw and skin that seems matte and chalky  tinted with something to add a slight blush. My smile scar is gone, a product of a thing that never happened in this dream. I was handsome.

A pair of beautifully twisted horns burst from around my princely crown. I am solid and strong.

I continue my exploration down the spiral staircase and open the double doors to the back courtyard.. The forest and setting  of my childhood calls to me. I want to see the river, eat the food  and watch the borealis.

It’s beautiful and wonderful.  I am home.

When I reach the tree line I feel as if I’m being watched.

I turn to see a tall thin white figure several feet away from me. It the only thing in the open field just before the wild untamed forest.

The willowy  figure is as whispy and tall as a young tree, nearly 7 feet. It has long straight colorless hair covered by a thin off white lace veil  The figure’s dress is a volume of delicate white fabric. It’s  wise eyes are small and whitish-blue, its lips a warm pink. I don’t think I’ve ever seen skin that clear and porcelain.

The air shifts as a pair of large white wings open behind the tall willowy woman.

An Angel

Why would I dream such a thing ?

She looks wise and pious. Like something sacred I shouldn’t touch. Holy but not in a traditional sense. Her dress is etheral. A structured white gown that touched the ground. It was solid and soft giving her the illusion of a large puppet.

“Angel”, I say in a rough language, “This is Demon land. You should not be here.”

I say this even though it is a dream. No one else is even around and I can’t even hear the birds or animals unless I think about it.

“Your highness”, she says

I find it hard to believe such a ethereal looking figure can bend to bow to me. It’s as if imagining a great and old tree bending at your will.

There is an odd detail though. The top of the Angel’s wing is an off putting black. Its been charred.

I hold out my hand to the unearthly creature, even though it is several feet away from me. This creature is all there is to inhabit this place. I think I’d rather not be alone in my dream.

                                +++ coldplay - midnight

The river is exactly as I remember it. I step on what look like carved wooden squares with glyphs engraved on them. They are  children’s toys. I recognize them from my childhood. They look exactly like the ones from my childhood.

Perhaps I left them there thinking I would get to comeback and play with Jona  under the trees and thick canopy of the woods until the sun set.

I hear the  strange Angel moving behind me. I watch the forward bobbing motion of her structured skirt as it touches the ground. I imagine the inside frame a mess of wires and wood. Yet her movement seems far more delicate than that, maybe she isn't walking at all. . . could she be floating ?

I stop once I see the river ahead. The water is a crystal clear blue, brightly colored plants show underneath the surface. The image is so comforting it makes me smile, the familiar tug of my scarred tissue is a thing of the past.

The Angel looks in awe at the stream, closing its eyes to hear the sound of nymphs whispering and laughing in the grove. The Angel looks up trying to find the source of the sound. Her wise eyes finally resting on me..

It glides past me and towards the lake still fully dressed. The edges of her delicate skirts touch the water first. She continues, a small sound of surprise, I assume, when the water touches her legs. She goes out further into the current.

I watch as the water nips at her wing. I think they must be heavy, it seems burdensome. Following the smooth feathers I  take better notice of the one blackened corner  of the feathers. The Angel's been burned.

“Flown to close to the sun ?”, I ponder aloud

She walks out to where  the water meets her chest then splays her long fingers and straight sharp gold painted nails  across the waters surface. She plunges her hands deep in the water and then back out. She does it again quicker and her wise eyes  turn childlike.

I laugh as she splashes in the stream again. Her white-blue eyes catch my gaze beckoning me to come forth with those long talons.

I take off my tunic, it’s leather and father would scold me if I ruined such a fine garment.  He would slaughter me alone for spending so much time with a female Angel or all thing.Of course father was. . .on a raid. No he was dead. No he was away. No I’m dreaming--

When I reach her in the water it was goes up to my neck. She splashes water at me and I do the same. The Angel didn’t laugh so much as give sound of approval.

A spot of red drops n the water. I look up and feel my own face sting. I touched it and the familiar lines of my second smile have comeback. I look up at the Angel to see if she could see my scars and she lifts her delicate hand to her cheek.. The way children sometimes did when they saw my face.

Then she jerks back and nearly falls over. She starts to thrash violently  her thin delicate arms flailing in the water. She tries to reach for me but the entire stream is  suddenly churning with her effort pull her under. She screams a loud piercing scream and I grab her arms, pulling  as hard as I could

She sinks down lower and lower. Something was pulling her under and I could not let it take her away. I didn’t want to be alone in this beautiful dream--

“No”, I shout

Now, whatever had her had me as well, and we were both going under.

The last thing I saw was the boriealis as we fall beneath the lake.

+++

I opened my eyes underwater.

I could see dancing brightly colored aquafoligae and tiny fish swimmng around me. With a burst of upward momentum I broke through the surface of the water. Relived to see I am no longer being pulled under.

I welcomed the sound of the stream and the forest around me. I turned back to the shore to see the Angel by the tree line. It looked smaller and I realized it was kneeling or sitting but the structured dress still kept its solid form. Giving the illusion she had sunk into her dress. Her veil fluttered in the wind as she watched me.

I swim back to the river’s edge to catch my breathe, pulling myself out the water.

I laid on my back and let my tough skin dry in the sun. After several minutes A shadow comes over me and I see the Angel has moved to hover over me. Her long fingered hands holding my tunic. I sit up realizing I am still shirtless.

She dropped the tunic and turned to  pick up the wooden children toys with her long nails. I watched with fascination as she tried to grasp and study them. Her long clawed nails making it very difficult

She set them up and I found  I didn’t  have to search my memory to remember how to play. A numbered tile game if I remembered correctly.

“Where exactly did you come from ? We don't see many Angels around here.”

She set down one of the tiles and pointed a long talon to the south. The south was where the Angels lived.

“Why did you come here ? “

She ran two fingers across the ground.

“You ran from something ?”

She nodded.

“Something so terrible you would run into the outskirts  of Lucifer’s Citadel ? Do you know what horrible things happen to  Angels who wander out this far ?”

She nodded meaningfully. She turned suddenly, her dress and all in a quick seamless movement. One wing fluttered and a blackened burnt feather floated to the ground from where her wings were burned. She turned back around eyes wide. Whatever she was running from. . . it had burned her.

“The thing. . . . the monster you are running from. . .could it come here. Could it attack the Citadel.”

The Angel dropped the tiles and gracefully rose to full height. She reached down for me and she began to move quickly taking tiny steps.

“No, no”, I protested, “We can’t run. I can’t run away from it.”

The Angel stop and like a clockwork figure turned slowly back around.

“I have to find this. . . thing. .  and destroy it. After all I am the prince. If you haven't noticed.”

Her pale eyes are wide, but she does not continue to flee. she scratches out a simple image of people and homes and as soon as it is done she slashes through the people and homes as quickly and furiously as she had created them.

“You can try and run if you’d like. . but there is nothing past the Citadel but Demon land and The Badlands. You know what will happen if you are discovered by someone less. . . understanding."

She flexed one hand, indicating the razor sharp talons.

“Those won’t protect you from everything.”

She turned back to runaway. My next words stopping her.

“To be honest my father doesn’t think to much of me. I think perhaps  If I could do something great, like kill this creature maybe he would. I have no  idea where to start looking for this thing. Perhaps you can help."

She had turned back around.

“If you helped me. . . I promise I won’t let it hurt you. Think of it. Our respective rulers may see the advantages of our races working together. I’m sure you tire of this war as much as I do."

I reach out my hand.

"Let's kill the beast. Perhaps unite our kingdoms at last."

She studies my hand for a long time, turning her head and then very slowly. She takes it.

+3+

where do we go from here

We head south, back to where the Angel had come from.

Our trek across terrain is quiet. Once we clear Citadel limits there is nothing but rolling hills and clear sky. It’s so vast, but dangerous because this empty space between enemy lines was lawless. The land is beautiful; nothing but fading blue sky and green grass for miles and miles

There had been a preliminary stop at my Father's armory where we liberated a bow and quiver of arrows, short arm scythe and axe. The weapons seemed ancient somehow but I didn't know what to expect from this monster.

The Angel leads the way showing me from where she came. I’m  hoping the thing is still in her village or maybe hiding out here. Occasionally there is the sound of a bird or creature and we both stop to marvel at it.

I do most of the talking, mostly to distract myself from this nagging feeling that this is something I should have done a long time ago or something I did a long time ago. Or something I’m not doing at all.

The Angel could speak of that I was . . . sure ? It was Angel custom for the females to be quiet, modest, docile and submissive so I did most of the speaking.

Occasionally her steps would slow and she would turn almost as naturally as she walked, rotating like a toy caught in a singular draft. I carefully study the hem of her dress expecting  to see the kick of feet or something to hint at what causes her grace.

I gather she must notice me watching this because the next time she spins she does it again this time she encircles me. It's make me laugh.

"How do you do that ?"

She doesn't respond and the wise expression never falters.

Up ahead clouds are starting to darken, but it should not get dark for a few hours. I studied the weather, It was going to rain soon and there was nothing for miles and miles except flat grasslands. We couldn't escape the downpour and it would be coming soon.

Suddenly we reached the end of the world, or what seemed like it. The land just split in half and spilled into a large canyon.  There might have been a bridge but it was gone now.  The only way to cross it was to have wings, we were close to Angel territory.

I turned to see the Angel had her back to me,  her head tilted up causing her veil to drag on the grass. I followed her gaze and  see what looks like a flat topped mountain at the far end of the canyon.

I squinted making out small white buildings on the flat mountain surface.

"A village?"

“Is that your village ?”, I asked.

She shook her head her whole body moving with it. Then she pointed further south, past the canyon indicating her home.

“It’s going to rain soon. We should stop at that village until the storm passes. I am a royal, they have to grant me quarters. They won't like it, but there is a storm coming--”

Her wings ruffled a bit, clearly put off put off by my show of privilege.

“Can you make it”, I ignored her disposition. The village looked  far away and one of her wings was damaged.

She looked up at the distance and gave one fierce nod and her wings spilled open. A few downy feathers fluttered loose. She gestured me with the slight head movement, kneeling down into her skirts.

I approached her thin figure with trepidation. Could she possible be stronger than she looked ? Her talons scratched my arms as she pulls my arms around her neck. I maneuvered my legs around her stiff skirts carefully keeping my hands in appropriate places.

Before I could even fathom what to do next she shoots off at an impossible pace.  I let out a yelp of surprise and suddenly my feet are off the ground. The wind howls past me as we soar farther into the clouds. I feel like I’m going to fly right through the world.

Her veil catches in the wind and blows off her head. I reached for it with one hand and hold on to it tight. The unbalancing causing her to shift.  I curse as the silk blows past me and the veil disappears into the clouds.

“Sorry”, I whisper.

I try to hold up as much of my weight as possible the speed is incomprehensible. The village becomes more and more clear.

“Amazing”, I manage as I make out the white flat top buildings.

In seconds we crash land on the smooth marble surface of the mountain village. I tumble off the Angel's back and she rolls a few inches away, landing on her side.

I pick myself up and  gently take her by shoulder sand help her stand back up.

“You did well”, I said, "Are you alright ?"

Yes

She nods

Angel villages were picturesque. They were a vain race and liked everything to have artistic merit, but this particular village was a step above. The buildings and roads were paved in shiny marble with gold accents. Door ways marked extravagant merchants and luxuries. Every building and statue was a work of the most intricate detail and artistic endeavor.

It was lovely and quiet. Very very quiet.

The Angel peered into a shop just off the white marble road. She put her hand around her eyes and then slowly tapped on the window with her nails.

She pushed the door open and stepped in. The door frames were so high up she didn’t have to duck.  I followed, feeling as if i was a little to small for this world.

The shop was covered in mirrors and reams  of lace, chiffon and chartreuse covered the walls. The Angel reached up and picked up a sheet of interwoven lace and chiffon. It was a veil.

This was a veil shop.

“Hello”, the Angel called. Her voice was like a soft song, like single note on a violin. I stiffened for a second, the sound was piercing. I turned to see my reflection in the hundreds of mirrors on the walls. That's when I saw it.

“Angel”, I said. Calling her as if it were her name.

I pointed down to where the edges of her skirts were tinted with red blood. She stepped back noticing the thin stream of blood pouring out from a backroom and into the room,  seeping into the tiles.

She left the shop at once,  the stolen veil still in hand.

“It twa’s here”, she said

We continued down the marble road, encountering quiet homes and city blocks. Up ahead the red continued to flow out of doorways and  through the spaces inbetween  the marble tiles. After searching house and after house it became undeniable.

The thing had killed an entire village. What was utterly terrifying is that no matter where we searched there were no bodies, no feathers. It had simply eaten them all up, leaving nothing but the blood.

-4-

I see fire

After finding another house empty, the Angel had wandered away and I found her back by the village entrance. She was lining up candles she had pilfered from homes and shops. Hundreds of looted  candles were lined up on the street.

“We must go”, I said, “There is nothing here. We need to find this thing. If it reaches the Citadel it will kill everyone”

She kept to her work, silently and dutifully. Lining each and every candle up individually. She counted to ensure the rows were even. The stolen veil was now safely affixed to her hair.

“The souls of Angels find their way to eternal  peaceful rest by candle light”, she said. Her words sounded more like song than speech.

She shakes her head and counts the candles.

“There are not enough.”, she says wistfully, "Some will not make it"

With that she begins the slow work of lighting each and everyone of the hundreds of candles.

I end up falling asleep when she is about the light the 100th one. When I awake I see another couple hundred flames are dancing now.  There are still so many more left to light. This will take forever.

I pull myself off the ground and pick up one of the candles, using it to help her light the remaining. She stops and  watches me for several moments.

“Is this alright ?”, I asks realizing it could have been seen as disrespectful.

She says nothing so I continue. We reach the last candle at the same time and I graciously make way for her. She hesitates before lighting it, but does so slowly.

Despite what it means the candles look beautiful. She leans down and blows out the candle in my hand, with a quick wave hers goes out as well. We turn at the same time to face the road of glowing candles.

If this thing could do this to an entire village, what hope did the Citadel have ? What hope did I--we have of stopping it ?

"We need to kill this thing", I said watching the flames flicker over her face, "If this thing is caught or worse trained by either Angels or Demons it could mean extinction."

She nods.

At first I ignore the spritz of perspiration that runs down my forehead, but it is followed by another. I wipe my forehead but I’m not sweating.

The Angel looks up as a thin mist of rain begins to fall. Her eyes go soft and glassy as the candles go out one by one. She runs to the candles knocking them over.  Pushing them to the ground with a few grunts of anger as the rain picks up.

“Stop”, I say suddenly and she freezes.

I bring my fingers to my lips and listen. Something low rumbles beneath the rain. Something not quite like thunder.  Her head cocked up hearing what I heard. A faint scream. The Angel reached back for the bow and arrow on her back. A  sythce burning in my hands.

From the other side of town a spherical cloud of smoke and clouds is barreling towards us. It was a swift gray  cloud with sparks of thunder and electricity sparking inside it. It made a horrible gargling noise, like the screams of an entire village. The Angel opened her mouth and pulled the arrow back her hands shook.

The arrow sailed right into the creature, but did not make its way out.

We had found the thing we were looking for.

It was still here

And it was still hungry.

+++

The cloud creature screams and a bolt of lighting makes the night temporarily day.  The Angel faces the creature head on in the middle of the road. The smoke spherical shaped thing barrels towards her at a remarkable speed.

I jolt out of my haze and rush towards The Angel, using all my strength to shove her out of the path as the creature rolls over where she was just standing. We collapse under an awning being blown and whipped by the wind.

‘“Is that it”, I ask. Cold sharp rain whips around us., “Is that the creature that you are running from ?”

“Yes”, she says

The cloud creature undulates on the edge of the town, almost like it is peering down over the cliff. The wind and rain beat against the awning we are under, threatening it to break. I hope. I pray that the creature will tumble off the cliff and kill itself.  The rain picks up and the Angel’s hair and veil cling to her face.  

“We need to go”, I say

“We kill the beast”, she her voice sings, “It was your will.”

It had been the deal I made. I had said killing this creature could be good for both our Kingdoms. When I said that I was expecting some one-eyed giant or a rabid animal, but this creature was other worldly. It was like a living breathing storm.  It was a force of nature.

The contained storm moves turns, then rolls towards us. I can smell the blood, feathers and wind in the air.

We are as good as dead.

The Angel towers over me, flinging her wings open to block the blow of the creatures coming to consume us.  I keep my eyes open, watching her serene eyes closed in anticipation. It's a peaceful final image. I wait for death, but all I see is the placating Angel. Her eyes suddenly open  wide.

She slowly turns in her clockwork way, and with her wings withdrawn I see a wall of clouds just centimeter from us. The creature waits on the edge of the paved road as if there is a thin force field around us. It’s so close I can almost touch it. It see us, it knows we are there but for some reason it does not gather us up.

I look up and see a  decorative torch glows above me. It's a marble cup with a flame encased in a glass orb. I look to see the the other decorative torches lining the street had been destroys by the wind and rain. My mouth breaks into a smile.

“The light”, I realize, “It can’t stand the light.”

I remembered the rain before the monster appeared. It had rained out the Angel’s candles so it could come. The creature feared the light. I watched the rain slide off the flame, safe inside its glass orb.

I reach up and remove the glass orb from the marble cup and hold it out to the creature, the cloud  ebbs away and screeches at me. Suddenly angry, the cloud grumbles and shoots out the Angel's arrow it had swallowed.

“Gr”, I let out at grunt as the arrow sails into my side. The pain is striking and I fall to my knees The Angel is swift and catches the glass orb before it can break.

Black blood seeps from my wound. Something was certainly torn or ruptured.

She breaks the arrow, but thinks better of pulling it out of my side. She opens her hands around the wound and seems lost on how to handle it.

“I’ll be. . . fine”, I say but I can't be sure.

She turns her back to me and kneels down, prompting me to climb on her back. She wants to try and fly away. She holds up the glass orb, as if that little flame could protect us.

“No”, I say, “We can’t. The glass orb could break or fall. . . and the creature will eat us”

She looks at my wound again and puts the glass orb in my hands, the heat from the flame stings my palms. Her eyes are set and I realize there is no other way.  If we wait until morning I might bleed out. I climb on, my side burns in pain from the wound.

I hold onto the the glass orb like it's life itself.  I brace myself as she soars through the monster. The little flame does keep us safe. Inside the creature it smells like sulfur and rain. Parts of the creature break open when it senses the flame.

The air is clean when we come out the other side. She soars to the edge of town and when we reach the cliff, the wind causes the glass orb to slip and fall from my hands. The flame flickers out as the orb falls to the ground so far below.

“You must want to go home”, I say “Is it cold . . . your home ? Are all Angel Villages made of marble, ice and snow."

She nods.

“Your wing”, I say, “The burned one. . . that is  why you escaped the massacre of your village. Your wing caught on fire during the attack, that's why that creature spared you. . . I apologize if I talk to much. . . I don't want to fall asleep until I'm sure this wound won't kill me."

I inspect my wound again, the bleeding has stopped but it still didn't look good. She flattens her palm to my forehead, careful not to nick me with her talons then brings her hands down to my wound.

“I should live then. You saved me”, I tell her, "I thought I was going to fall to my death."

The Angel seems pleased and helps me to sit up. She kneels down in front of me and watches me with her wide pale eyes.

“That thing. . .”, I start

“The Tempest”, she whispers in her sing song voice giving it a name.

“Alright. The Tempest. It seems very powerful, I think we will need more than what we have to defeat it. Unless you have something magical.”

Her dress bobs as she shuffles forward, eyes knitted both offended and confused.

“It’s just you look like something.. . someone who would be magical is all. Don't Angels have special abilities ? Magic ?”

She carefully brings the pads of her finger to my head, slowly tracing where the calcified bone of my horns meets my skull. She traces the darken curves slowly then back down.

“I suppose I look as if I could be magical to, but alas I am not.”

She quickly takes her hand back and touches her nails together, they make an excited noise.

“What ? You  know magic ?”, I ask.

She slowly opens and closes her eyes as an answer.

The Angel gently taps on my side, which while not painful still burns a little to the touch. She moves her hands in a way to mimic something has gone missing.

“You can make my pain disappear ? How ?”

She shuffles over to me, I can see dirt being kicked up by her skirt. The way the creature moves still mystified me. She kneels down into her skirts so she is eye level to me. She draws a long talon from my head to the thin skin under my eye and to my chin.

My chin is pointed up on her long talon, I can see into her pale eyes and I realize she is about to  pierce my throat. I realize I'm useless to her injured. Now that she knows the creature--The Tempest-- weakness is fire she doesn't need me anymore. Just a quick motion and my throat would be cut. My pain would certainly be gone then.

“Please, don’t--”

Then her soft lips meet my rough parched ones. For a moment there is a stillness in the forest beyond the cave, even the rain seems to quiets and when it seems right our lips open. Her timidness and inexperince are obvious but I linger on the  taste of  the rain and saltwater on her.

There was something electrifying and daring in the act, it was daintier than kissing a Demon woman. . . although when I thought about it I couldn’t recall any certain memory of--

I pulled away.  I found I  had enjoyed the kiss much more than I had expected. I let out a sort of breathy laugh, this delighted the Angel. . . I think. I didn't think she had done it before.

“Ah. . . so you can do magic.”, I whispered. Because in that moment I truly had forgotten all about my pain.

This did delight her, she tapped her talons together.

“You should rest. . .we can hide from the tempest in the daylight and head back to Citadel. I think I may know a way to destroy the creature."

I settle against the cave wall and feel a shock of pain. The Angels busies herself trying to make me comfortable, but our supplies are limited.

"I will be fine", I assure her, "Although I found you earlier remedy. . . quite helpful in making me forget the pain."

The Angel touches her lips at the memory and moves beside me, her dress falling like a tent as she settles down next to me. I turn to face her and her wise expression has the shyest of smiles.  She turns her face to delicately kiss me again.

I feel the tips of her longs pointed nails and cool palms dance across my clothed chest and bare arms, her small hands hesitantly explore my chest and face as we kiss.  Her talons curiously pull apart the buttons and explore the warm skin beneath. She looks me in the eyes then down at my still hands. I realize her  hands' exploration  came with an invitation to reciprocate.  An invitation I was to polite and curious to refuse. Her wise, innocent and piercing eyes close when my hands make purchase on her slight waist.

The creatures--The Tempest-- howled outside beating down fierce rain and wind. The fire inside the cave kept us warm and the Angel slowly remedied my pain until morning.

It’s like a mirror

The water in the lake is so clear and hit by the sun in just the right way that it reflects everything around it, giving the lake the illusion of a mirror. The morning sun is a safe haven from that terrible creature--The Tempest. Even though we have less than a day to warn The Citadel for the creatures return at nightfall, there was something mesmerizing about the lake that made us become idle

The Angel moved silently beside me as we walk the perimeter of the lake for the second time. I study our reflection in the mirror, she is beautiful and larger than life almost fantastical creature and I for my part seem to be the completed opposite. A darker version of her light

"Light.”, I said, “Fire. I think it’s the only way to stop The Tempest. It is intelligent, it causes the rain and winds upon arrival to dowse out all candles before it begins to. . . attack."

She nods

“That little light fixture back on in the village. ”, I say, “It was a. . .a flame enclosed inside a glass orb. The glass protected the fire from the creature's rain. If we can gather more of those I think we can use them against the creature."

+++

We head back up the Angel Village, The Angel tells me it has an ancient name that I can't even begin to pronounce. I instruct her to scour every home and building for the decorative glass orbs. Most were broken in The Tempest's early attack but some are intact in the wealthier homes. The villages had turned them off when they went to sleep.

We start a steady pile of the glass orbs. It's hard to believe something so beautiful and fragile could save us all.

I hold one of the orbs in my hand. It's unbroken but the flame is not lit. The entire thing is solid spherical glass except for a bit of gold on the bottom.

"How do we light it ?"

The Angel emerges from a nearby house at the sound of my voice and I hold my breath for a moment. Her elaborate structured gown had been replaced by a shimmering gown of fabric that draped l from her shoulder down past her feet, still giving the illusion she was floating. Her modest veil was still in place over her pale hair. 

She picks up the fragile bulb and  I remembered why I'd called her in the first place. She gently turns the gold end on the orb and there is a click as the fire snaps to life.

"Brilliant", I feel the warmth around the glass globe, then add it with the others in the sack, "The way I see it we alert the Royal armory. The king recently commissioned a catapult and once The Tempest is in sight we launch the fire orbs into the creature followed by a series of arrows to break the glass. All that fire should destroy it."

The Angel seems to approve of my plan and gives one last look at the deserted village as we turn to leave. This plan has to work if not to save the Citadel then for vengeance for the home she lost.

+2+

The trek back to the Citadel takes the entire day and most of the night. Our steps are light and slow to keep the glass from shattering. Night had fallen log before we reached the Citadel. It was only a few moments until daylight. A part of me hoped the creature wouldn't show at all, but something in the air hinted that something was following us. The Angel keeps her eyes up on the stars the entire time.

I let out a sigh when the tall spires of the Citadel come into view. Everything is at peace, we still had time. The Angel stopped as we approached the clipped dark grass that indicated the entrance to Demon lands.

"It's alright", I said, "As long as you are with me no harm will come to you. It's almost morning perhaps the creature--"

The shimmering material on the Angel's dress begins to blow lightly in the wind, suddenly there is a hint of moisture in the air. The wind begins to pick up whipping the fabric around, clouds were starting to move in.

"It's here", I said looking back and hand the sack to the Angel, "I'll run to warn the armory and tell the King to prepare the catapult. Stay here"

She nods and I head to the Citadel. The entire blackstone fortress is silent. Not even the guards stand at their post. I stop for a moment to take in the silence. The Citadel is empty. Father must be away on campaign. He must have taken all the forces with him. I run up the stairs to the tallest spire in the Citadel. I step out onto the ledge and take in the view of the city below.

I see only a few glowing lights from the village below. Row upon row of squat buildings and houses encircle a series of dirt roads. The village is quite, most villagers must be asleep. They probably think the howling wind and heavy clouds are nothing but a summer storm. In the distance I see the Angel waiting for me, her gaze on the approaching creature.

I step off the window and back inside, then head to the armory myself. King Lucifer's newly furnished catapult sits on on the lawn of the armory. The wooden structure on wheels. It  is a series of wheels and gears that can launch stones or sharp rocks at the enemy from a  deep basin. It's archaic but will do the trick.

I began pulling the catapult by its ropes, and the wheels began to turn. Pulling the machine is generally a two man job but it moves easily the wet clipped grass. I dig my heels in moving pace by pace. I slow down thinking the plan is falling apart when I see the Angel gliding towards me. She watches me then picks up the other rope and helps me pull the machine several paces.

"Stop", I say looking at the sky. The Tempest is almost over us, "I think this is good."

The Angel take a moment to find her breath and begins placing the orbs in the basin. The wind picks up at the Tempest gets closer, a current blows so hard the Angel and I topple over. I pick myself up and offer a hand to help The Angel.

"It sees us", I tell her, "It knows what we are doing. Let's hurry"

Once all the orbs are placed into the basin, I move to set the tension in the machine. Careful to direct it toward the monster.

"As the orbs hit the target we--"

I'm cut off by a gust of wind that throws us the ground, the arrows fly and scatter into the air. We now have no way of breaking the orbs once they are in the creature. No matter. Maybe we can at least weaken it.

I drag myself back over to the catapult but the machine is rocking as The Tempest is growing larger and darker. A final gust of harsh wind throws the catapult over sending the orbs scattering into the foundation of the Citadel. They smash and break on contact.

The glow of the village dims as the wind knocks out all the torches, and the Tempest begins its descent. I gesture to the Angel to move towards the Citadel. We push through the wind and I pull her inside the main entrance. I don't think hiding will save us, surely the fog formed creature could go through windows and doors. The creature left no survivors.

"It's too late", I tell her, "I'm sorry. At least the King is not here, when he sees what happened here he will take vengeance on this creature."

The Angel keeps her grip on a column and watches the creature approach. She looks down the main hall and then back outside.

"What is it ?"

She looks at me, her pale eyes focused  on the hall. In a flash she moves down the hall faster than I'd ever seen her and picks up one of the torches.

"What are you--"

"I'm. . . sorry", she says

She raises the torch behind her back and I realize what she is going to do.

"No", I yell, "Don--"

The Angel raises the torch to her burned wing and the flame catches instantly like a wick. The flame burns down her back and all of her feather are alight.  She hovers above the ground and gently soars through the main hall past me and outside into the torment.

I run out to stop her but all I can do is watch as she flies higher to meet the creature, with her wings on fire. For a moment she turns back and I think she is looking at me.

"No", I whisper

She throws herself into the creature and at first nothing happens. Then the creature begins to glow from the inside. The creature stops moving and begins to darken. The creatures' anger picks up and wind and rain crash down on the Citadel.

The creature begins to slowly expand, it howls unlike anything I've ever head just before the creature explodes. The sound is deafening and the sky is filled with tufts of black clouds and fire that fall to the ground.  When the sky clears I can see dawn on the horizon and the ground is covered in dark fog.

I also see two things at once in the early morning light.

On the cliffs over looking the Citadel I see My Father, King Lucifer, watching the entire event from his perch. I also see the Angel's body hovering in mid air, crooked burnt wings stuck out at all angles. Her body hangs in the air for several seconds before plummeting into the river below as dawn approached.

I wade  into the fierce current as far as I can and  turn her around properly, she felt lighter than I would have thought. Damp light hair stuck to her forehead. Her lips and eyes were cold and closed.

I settled the candle I had bought with me into her lifeless hands. The flint from my pocket was wet and my hands were clumsy. All the while I was aware my Father was watching me, judging me. The candle slid from her dead hands and dropped into the water.

I cursed and rooted around for it.

I gave up and pressed my forehead to hers. I willed myself not to shed a tear over an Angel.

"Thank you" , I said, "For saving my--"

A tight pressure on my arm jolted me. I looked up  and saw the Angel’s long elegant hand clamped to my arm. The Angel's eyes fluttered open and I immediately helped her stand up.

“You’re alive. I . . . you’re alive. . . ", I can feel the thrum of a pulse on her wrist, "Your wings. . . I'm sorry"

“They’ll grow back “, she said if she hadn’t been almost dead.

“What ?”

“They can grow back”, she said “As long as I’m home. ”

I broke into a smile.

“We must go.”

“Go ?”, The Angel says.

"There is someone I want you to meet."

I look towards the cliff where my Father is watching this scene play out. The Angel gasp when she catches sight of the infamous Demon King.

“My Angel you saved the Citadel. You saved my kingdom. The people here owe you their lives. The king will be so  pleased to meet you. You will be honored and maybe one day an alliance can form between our people. "

“ An alliance ?”

“Yes,. I hope our new found friendship grow into a more formidable alliance for our people."

, I helped her to land and  she knelt forward to kiss me but I turned away and looked up to the cliff where the King was waiting.  She saw him too and looked at me, her eyes wide with worry.

"He will want to meet you", I said, "He saw your act of bravery. It would be honor to introduce you."

+++

“Almost there.”

The Angel's arm is in  mine as we reach Father's position. The remains of her wings washed away in the river, a swath of draping from her dress covering her burned wings..

I can see Father's strong posture as we reach him. When I gaze upon him it’s as if I haven’t seen him in ages. He looks more supernatural.

“What is this ?”, he says. His voice is gruff and familiar. I feel so at home hearing it.

The Angel bows respectfully.

“This Angel. She saved us, Father. She saved the entire Citadel.  She is my friend", She laced her finger with mine, "I hope to form an alliance with the Angels through her. We can top this madness, stop this feuding."

“What filth is this you spew, my son. You say an Angel saved the village ?”

“Yes--”

“Lies"

“Father, she was magnificent. She nearly sacrificed her herself. You saw, you watched from this cliff--”

"No.”, he said, “She did not. Unspeakable. A Prince defends his Citadel. It was you who defeated the creature. You  launched yourself  into the storm and destroyed that creature.”

"That is not what happened. . . Father."

"Renounce this madness, my son."

"No", I said, "Never..."

Father walks away, clearly done with my madness. I watch the village below, wondering how he can be so selfish.

The Angel's grip on my hand tightened, her eyes go wide and she is very still. A small stream of red blood drips from her mouth. I look past her vacant expression to see Father had turned around and plunged  his sword through the Angel’s back. The tip going  all the way through her back and out her stomach, spearing her to the hilt.

"No", I say my voice trembling.

“She”, Father twist his sword and the Angel gasps

“Did not”, he tries to pull it out but it’s stuck inside her.

“You will stand in front of your people  tell  them people it was you who saved them."

The Angel's body was beginning to slump. She was going to fall off his sword and into the river below. I move in front of her doing my best to keep her upright, her weight hard against me.

Outraged Father jerks the sword out and plunges the sword into her again, this time the blade going in her back through her belly and into mine, binding us together on his sword. I felt blood pouring from my wound, the pain is unbearable.

"Weak, Prince", Father said

He twisted the blade and put his foot on the Angels back for leverage and pulled the blade out of us with a ragged ugly jerk.  I stumbled back, the dead Angel's weight on me as we fall off the cliff and plummet to the water below.

+++

There is a Heaven and there is a Hell. I was quite surprised to end up in it. Hell that is.

For a time I remembered my soul searching for my Angel's along the river. The rocks and current had separated our bodies from one another and our souls along with them. Until I ended up here.

In Hell.

The only place for Demons.

Heaven is for Angels.

Heaven is beautiful temperament and opulent. It is a place for Angels to find rest and comfort one another. It looks like a plush palace of luxury. From what I've seen from down here, anyway.

Hell  is hot and smells of sulfur and death. It's cavernous and one wants for nothing, but to wander the dank caves with the other Demons and question this fate.  It's dark and filled with hopeless pitiful Demons like myself.

Our bitterness comes from watching the Angel's in Heaven above.

I was dismayed to realize Heaven and Hell are in quite close in proximity. Heaven is separated from Hell by a thick glass ceilings. Or as the Angels would see it--a thick glass floor.

In one section the glass ceiling is so low you could spend a day looking up at the Angel's feet and see them walking about. Heaven looked pristine and from what I glimpsed the Angels seemed. . . content up there.

I spend days with my head craned up watching the Angel’s from above. Looking for just a glimpse of my Angel.

Occasionally an Angel would look down and see Hell beneath their feet, sneer and be thankful to be on the side of Angels. I watched so many Angels shuffle in and out, tilting my head at odd angles to catch a face.

After what felt like eternity I saw my Angel, I'd know those wise eyes anywhere. I stood on the raised rock and banged my fist again the glass ceiling an uncouth thing to do. To the Angels it was nothing more than an upset animal in Hell below.  The Angel halted and peered down to see me. She dropped to her knees and pressed her hand against the glass. I pushed my hand up against the glass ceiling..

The glass was unbreakable.

We had time. I’d stay there forever with my hand pressed against the ceilings and hers to he floor for hours. Those around thought us mad. To interact with those above or below.

I’d likened that thick glass to purgatory

The Angel tapped on the glass with her talons, the tiniest of fractures appeared. It would never break though, not today anyway. Only millions of those fractures could even crack the glass. Still she tapped and still I pushed and pushed.

I realize the glass might never break, I may never hold her again. I watch her tapping and I know it may it may take 10,000 years but one day I hope we will break through.

Now that we had found one another nothing could keep us apart, not even death.