Uriel (The Hallowed Chronicles Book 1) (14 page)

Chapter Twenty Six

The world remained in ashes from the day it fell apart under our feet, letting in the flow of demons and their darkness. Very few things were still standing, desperately clinging to the memories of its past. As Raphael and I walked through the abandoned city, it felt like even the demons were hiding, knowing what was to come. My eyes traveled along every street we passed, taking in the abandoned cars and blood splattered against the ground. I began to see the ghosts of the once flourished human race still moving as if they were living. I knew it was just a residual memory of the world I woke to because the souls of the fallen humans either found their way to Heaven's gates or were dragged into Hell the very moment they were killed. A sigh escaped my lips and I returned my attention forward, trying to ignore the haunting feeling of eyes following us. "Why aren't we flying?" I asked him, not trying to be rude. Raphael had been dragging his claymore against the ground, stopping to look back at me. "If we fly there, it could see us. It is expecting us to get there quickly," he replied over the unbearable silence.

He was right; surely the fear dragon would be waiting for us, especially because it had taken one of our own. We had barely spoken since we left the house and the people we protected. Gazardiel remained at the house, calling for help from above so they would continue being protected until our battle was over and we would return... if we even lived through the fight. Jenna's tears remained wet on my clothes and her sobbing plea for me to stay echoed in my ear for the thousandth time.
Please, don't leave again, Uriel. I hate to think that you may never come back.
Though I remained strong in both physicality and mentality, even I started to doubt I could ever beat something that would make me see the very thing I fear. Shaking my head to rid it of its thoughts, I pushed past Raphael and strode toward the hill where the dragon had taken Jophiel and ran up it. Crawling into the crater I created, I pulled his sword from the bag I carried and struck it into the ground. "This is where my brother was killed," Raphael stated plainly, looking around the crater. I could only nod when he stood beside me, touching the sword sticking from the ground. "And you made this crater?" he asked.

"I was... overwhelmed with every emotion known to Man and it just made a bigger mess of what was already done."

"Impressive. Jophiel would be proud."

We were silent for a moment, taking in our own memories of him. When I stood, I put my hand on Raphael's arm. "He would be proud of you, too. I don't know the pain and the battles you have fought, but clearly, you have remained yourself like you promised him," I assured. Without answering, he climbed out of the crater with me behind and we continued our way to our destination. The wind was calm and through it, I found Nikita's presence beside me, though we said nothing. I could only feel her serene energy beside me. I had come so far since the day she brought me in and cared for me as if I were her own daughter and I had to wonder if she could truly see the person I have become because of her. My thoughts were taken from me when Raphael stopped in his tracks, forcing me to bump into him from behind. "What?" I asked, only to be shushed. I opened my ears and heard muffled screams and clangs of metal. Tilting my head, I pushed my energy outward and the screams stopped. I turned to Raphael who motioned me to follow him and we made our way off our path and into the town we were passing. "Are any survivors here?" Raphael yelled into the dead streets. Silence. "We are here to help. You can trust us. God is leading us to you," he said again, walking in a daze past boarded up houses to a single house nearby where the presence of human energy rolled off in waves.

Instead of waiting for him to make his own way up to the door, I ran toward it, stopping short when I stepped on something strange beneath my feet. I remained still at that point and Raphael ran toward me. "Don't move," he said. "That's why I didn't just run up here. You're on a damned land mine." My heart stopped for a split second and I kept still. I knew what I had to do at this point and it wasn't going to be easy. Summoning my energy into my hands, I let the ball of light float in front of me, expanding into a dome shape around me until it connected with itself beneath my feet and above the land mine. "Good, now try to keep your energy shielding you as you lift yourself off it. Just, not now... Wait for me to get away," Raphael said quickly, taking to the skies. When he was out of reach, he called down to me. "Take to the skies, but keep your shield up!" he yelled.

Taking in a deep breath, I focused on the energy shielding me and began pushing my wings. My heart was racing as my wings, pushed me off, immediately triggering the land mine and I braced myself, forcing my focus onto my shield as the explosion hit, sending me further into the sky instead of tearing me to pieces. My wings caught themselves in the air, keeping me up when I would have plummeted to the ground. From the sky, the explosion died down and my energy rushed back into me and an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion followed. The house now had a black scar along the sidewalk and front yard, and saw the door open. Huffing, I plummeted, and landed in front of the door, causing a woman to shriek. "You're lucky I didn't get killed," I said breathlessly to the man who was now pointing a gun at my face. "I don't know how you didn't die, demon, but now you will," the man threatened. I had forgotten I tucked my wings behind me and pushed them out. The man stepped back with wide eyes.

"I'm not here to hurt you and I'm not a demon."

"Y-you're an angel!"

Raphael descended beside me and the man took us both in. He seemed at a loss for words and we bowed to him on instinct. "We felt you were here," Raphael said. "Preventing herself from being exploded into pieces has wiped her energy. Would you mind if we stay and rest? I will protect you while she gains her energy back." The man opened the door wide, revealing a young woman in her teenage years who was shaking like a scared animal. I didn't blame her; humans weren't supposed to witness a demon invasion, nonetheless the war between Heaven and Hell. "Thank God for our miracle! Of course you can stay, please," the man said beckoning us inside. "Mary, can you show er--" I bowed again as he stumbled over what to call me. "You may call me Uriel," I said.

“Yes, please show Uriel to a bed for her to rest."

I followed the young girl into a bedroom and immediately noticed it was her own. She was quiet and scared, but stood perfectly still when she motioned toward her bed. "You can sleep in my bed," she said shakily. Walking to the bed, I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry you and your father had to go through this," I said. She walked to a chair and collapsed into it. Rolling my shoulders back, I stretched and fell into the bed, sighing with relief. As I waited to drift off into sleep, I stared at the ceiling. "Ever since they came and took my mother, we had barely any food to eat. We couldn't sleep. Each day, we lost hope, but we still prayed for our safety. And here we are," she said. My eyes closed as I took in her words.

"I am sorry for your loss. However, I can give you a peace of mind and tell you there is a place where there are other survivors being protected. Raphael and I left there to pursue the dragon that has been terrorizing this world, but we can tell you where to go if you would like to leave here and be around others who have survived."

"I will have to talk to my dad. Your names; they are familiar. You two are Archangels, aren't you?"

"Yes, but not in the way the bible states. We are human like you... kind of."

"I get it. You should rest, but I am glad you found us. It means God is listening."

"He is always listening. This world has gone through too much, but we have woken to save it and give it another chance."

"I hope you succeed. I will talk to my dad about this place you told me about. Thank you."

As her footsteps faded, my mind wandered to the image of Jophiel and it disappeared as I drifted into sleep.

I woke to a peaceful silence and stretched in the bed, dragging myself up and through the house to the voices coming from the front door. Wiping my eyes, I found myself staring at the three sitting around a table drinking coffee as if it was just another day. "Well, good morning," the man said nodding to me. Smiling, I sat down next to Raphael and nodded to everyone. "Thank you for letting me rest," I said thoughtfully. Raphael passed me his full cup of coffee and I sipped from the mug gratefully. "We were just discussing the way to get to the house," he said looking me over.

"That's good. So you decided to go then?"

"Yes, but what means of protection do we have to get there?"

It was a good question. Raphael and I were supposed to fight the dragon together, but how could we assure them they would be safe on their trip there? I stared at the ceiling, pondering my thoughts. "Well," I said. "On our way here, we encountered no demons, but if you want to kill them, you must use a weapon made of silver. It is protection." I then remembered Jophiel's sword I dug into the crater and looked to Raphael who was staring at me, understanding. When he nodded, I turned back to the man. "We lost one of our own on a hill not too far from here. On the hill is a crater and in that crater is a sword-- his sword. You may use it, but please, do not lose it," I said, almost begging them not to misplace it. The man nodded and took out a knife, handing it to his daughter. "The knife is made of silver and was passed down from my father to me. We will find the sword and I will have my weapon. Don't worry, I won't lose the sword and I will give it to the man you call Gazardiel," he said boldly.

Humans, they were marvelous creatures. In times where survival is a must, their need to carry on was intense and impressive. I had heard many stories of humans in near-death situations getting out alive by themselves in a need to survive. We nodded to him and stood, knowing we couldn't stay here much longer. "We must leave in search of this dragon," Raphael said. "If we come across demons on the outside, we will clear the way and you may leave whenever. Our Father is with you; keep Him in your hearts." Without another word, we left, closing the door softly behind us. Outside, the world was still silent and there were no signs of demons searching for surviving humans and it worried me. Taking a deep breath, we decided to finally take to the skies and made our way to the dragon's hiding place.

When we were close, we descended and stuck to the ground, summoning our blades in anticipation. The ground began to tremble beneath us, throwing us off balance. It was as if we rang the doorbell; it knew we were here and it knew what we wanted. A roar erupted from the top of the mountains in the near distance and acidic substance came barreling out at projectile force. My heart began to race again, pounding against my chest from the inside. "It's now or never, Uriel," Raphael said taking my hand. "Remember who we're doing this for." Swallowing a lump in my throat, I nodded and forced the bile creeping up back down as the dragon parted the clouds above us and landed heavily on the ground, knocking us off our feet. I stared in horror as it opened its jaws and let out its battle cry, black tar splattering our faces. We found ourselves staring Death right in the face.

Chapter Twenty Seven

Through the dragon's eyes, I saw our faces of fright and straightened up, not allowing myself to show the fear it wanted me to. My heart was racing as its legs stretched, making itself taller, and its wings spread wide. Raphael immediately ran at the dragon, yelling at it when he swung his blade, only to grow silent when it went through its shadowed flesh. The dragon roared loudly and swatted him away. My gut wrenched and I ran to him. "Raphael!" I yelled, throwing myself over him. He pushed at me, trying to get me off, but I wouldn't let him. "Uriel, stop. Don't worry about me, we need to fight it," he said through clenched teeth. Nodding, I stood and slashed my blades at the air.

Its head lowered and I stared into its eyes, seething with rage. The world went black and I found myself surrounded by four angels; their faces were blacked out, but I knew they were the other archangels. I reached out to the girl who I knew was Gabriel and my hand passed through her shoulder, making her disappear. "No," I said and I ran to the next, watching the other go up in flames. Each one went a different way until I was alone and desperate to find a way out. "Uriel!" I heard Raphael's worried scream over the roar of the dragon. He was trying to get me out of the trance it was putting me in. I closed my eyes and opened them again, bringing the world back to me. The dragon made its way to Raphael who stood like stone with his weapon ready and I summoned my energy, blasting it into the dragon and making it roar violently, its cry shaking the ground.

Howls erupted in the air and my heart sank, finally putting the pieces together. The roads we traveled were empty because they were all in one spot to protect the dragon from us. My eyes traveled to the horizon where the horde of demons began to appear, running straight at us. The dragon reared toward me and ran at me, lowering its head to present its horns and I braced myself, tucking my body beneath me and rolling under its massive body before it could hit. "Raphael, the demons!" I screamed, drawing his attention from staring at the dragon. "Don't worry, I'll get them. I may be his brother, but it has always been you that must defeat it," he said, turning his body to the oncoming army. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to the dragon that had inhaled
. I would never let you go through this alone.
Jophiel's voice stopped me in my tracks and I looked around, remembering that it was only just a memory of a past conversation.

Its jaws opened wide and released the acidic liquid I had come in contact with in my mind and I rolled away, remembering the pain it had caused me. Even if it happened in my mind because of the councilman, I didn't want to experience it ever again. I summoned the rage that had consumed me when I first woke. I now had power over it more than ever; it seemed the more powerful I got, the more power I had under my control. Screaming, I released it, letting the rage engulf me and surge at the dragon who roared in pain. I realized then that my swords would never do harm; I had to use my energy. It was made of Light, my blades were not and only Light could destroy a powerful creature like the one before me.
I think I love you.
Jophiel's voice only strengthened the power surging into the dragon, causing it to rear back and spew its acid into the air. As it rained upon me, I let my energy be my shield, feeling myself weaken with every use. How was I supposed to defeat it with my energy when I would be so easily drained from using it so much?

My eyes became unfocused and when I forced myself to see clearly, the dragon was already standing over me, looking down on me with its eyes.
Your biggest fear has come true; they have abandoned you.
A whispered voice clawed at me from the inside; it was talking. "No, they would never abandon one of their own," I yelled back at it, letting my energy explode between us. It was pushed back and it growled, shadows coming from its nostrils.

Where are they then? Where are your kin?

They are with me in my heart. Stop trying to get in my head!"

They were supposed to be here; every day, I felt your hope dwindle when they didn't show.

I couldn't let the dragon's words get to me; that's what it wanted. Though tears fell from my eyes, I pushed more energy at it, forcing it back. My head turned to Raphael who was struggling to fight off the horde of demons.
He is running out of time. He won't survive Hell's Army alone.
My teeth ground against each other as its words bore into me, holding a sense of truth. "No, shut up!" I screamed, causing my energy to cause a bigger explosion between us.
The more energy you use, the weaker you get. Face it, angel, you will not defeat me.
My hands clenched at my sides and I huffed a huge breath, trying to steady my heart.

"You're wrong! I'll defeat you because I'm no longer afraid."

I didn't realize angels were liars. We both know that is not true. What you are afraid of cannot be formed through images. No, let me tell you what will become of you.

"I don't want to hear it. This ends now!"

With a push of my wings and a surge of power, I flew at the dragon, letting my energy form a blade in front of me and swipe at the dragon, tearing through its shadowed flesh. It roared in anger and swiped at me, its claws sinking into the flesh down my face and chest. A scream escaped me and tears of pain fell from my cheeks.
Yes, scream. That is what I love! I will end you and you will never see the boy again. Which, by the way, he tasted the best out of all that I have eaten.
Though I knew it was toying with me, I couldn't help but let my guard down. I died inside at its words. Its mocking laughter brought me back and Jophiel's face came to mind. His laugh, his eyes, his touch; all were residual memories, but they made me strong -- they gave me the will to keep fighting. So I did.

Screaming with rage, I forced my energy into an arrow. My body acted as the bow and forced it from me and the arrow sped from me and at the dragon's head. It roared as the arrow shot into its neck, leaving a gaping hole. Breathing heavily, I watched as it reared in pain, lifting up on its hind legs before dropping back to all fours. Pain stabbed me in the chest and I froze.
Two can play at that game, little angel.
My eyes traveled to my chest where a crystalline shard of shadows had pierced through me. Blood seeped from the edges, staining the white fighting gear I wore and I was forced to my knees. "Uriel!" Raphael's voice boomed like thunder over the battle cries of the horde he fought. His eyes found mine and I curled my fingers over the shard of darkness and wrenched it from my chest, screaming in pain as it coursed through my veins like wildfire. My body erupted into flames and I cried out, watching as my body began to disappear into ashes and the world turned black.

Though the world had been taken from me, I knew I wasn't dead; it would have been different and I would have felt different. I was stuck standing alone in blackness until a light appeared in front of me, growing stronger and stretching into a doorway. Stepping inside, the top pair of wings shielded my eyes instinctively. "Uriel," a man's voice said calmly. Taking a wing from one eye, I noticed another angel standing before me. It was none that I had seen before, yet he had struck a familiar chord in my memory. His chest bore a sigil that emitted light from its discolored lines. "Chamuel, you are alive?" I asked. My heart sank when he shook his head.

"No, but you still are. I have saved you, but only for this moment alone."

"Why? Why in such a dire time?"

"That is exactly why. Horrifax is made of pure darkness and the only way to win is through pure Light."

"Horrifax... You mean the fear dragon?"

"Yes, that is its name. I stand here before you in the name of Our Father to help you defeat it."

My mind was racing at an immense speed, trying to put together the pieces so I wasn't still blinded with questions. If Chamuel was dead and I wasn't, where exactly were we? "How will you help me?" I asked. He held out his hand and I took it without question. His eyes closed and his energy pushed through my veins. The power I was receiving was immense and it felt as if it would burst from me if I did not let it out. "When you return, you will be nothing but Light. There, you are to fight Horrifax and defeat it. Your body on Earth has dissipated and will not come back until this is done," he said.

"Where will my body be until then?"

"Here. When you have triumphed over Horrifax, the balance must be kept and therefore, the form you take on will disappear and leave you back in your original form. This is a gift from Our Father, use it wisely. We have faith that you will do so."

He wouldn't say anything more about it and I knew it. Instead, I prodded at him, trying to find out what I could. "Who else did not make it?" I asked, trying to find out who else we had lost.

"Jophiel, as you know, Zadkiel and I have not made it. Instead, we have taken our place beside Our Father and attend to our duties there. Heaven is in trouble if you do not succeed to prevent this world from falling apart and under Hell's control."

Nodding, I stepped back from him, letting him know I was ready to return. My shoulders rolled back and I held my head high, knowing I would be leaving with more than enough. Not only would I have enough power to defeat Horrifax, I knew it was now up to Gabriel, Michael, Raphael and I to stop everything and save the human world.

"Goodbye, Uriel. It was nice to see you. Now go kick some
Dark butt like I know you can."