Alcingeria Volume Three

Chapter Fourteen: Despondency

Chapter Fourteen Despondency:

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We found our way to the 66th Plane and found it a little different from the 67th. The scenery was similar, mostly consisting of the same colors of black, white, purple, blue, the like. Just like the previous Plane it was easy to tell things apart despite everything being the same set of colors.

It was also more dangerous.

"What are these things?" I demanded, positioning myself behind the other two after failing to grapple one of them and having it attack me as a result.

"Some form of lesser imps," Anariel said, bashing one with her large shield and slashing it with her longsword.

"May Tolene's blessing be upon us!" Giovanni cried as a shimmering wall appeared in front of him just in time to stop the imp's lunge, shattering as a result.

I had learned that Giovanni wasn't really channeling Tolene's power, but he had woven his prayers into pre-existing spells. Whether or not that strengthened them, I didn't know, and he didn't feel inclined to say when I asked him.

Anariel rolled into position behind the now-stunned imp and stabbed it through the back, killing it.

"Thanks," he grinned, then turned to me. "Are you hurt, Redmond?"

"A little," I nodded, feeling a dent in my energy level, but no physical injuries.

"Here," he said, uttering a healing prayer/spell and I began to feel better.

"Thanks," I sighed, stepping forward. "I need to get myself a weapon that works on these things."

"You need a weapon made in the Astral Plane," Anariel answered as we carried on.

"How'd you get yours?" I asked. "A shield and longsword don't seem very angelic. I'd have thought you'd have gone with a spear or something."

"I did have one at one point, funny enough," she laughed genuinely. "Before I fell from grace. While I was a Guardian Angel, I heard stories of chivalrous knights on the Mortal Plane and I became enthralled. After I fell, I scraped together enough souls to buy these, seeing as I couldn't use my spear anymore."

"Why not?"

"Any non-angelic being who touched an angel's weapon is smited from above."

"Wow. I wonder how many souls it'd cost me to get a weapon of my own?"

"More than you have," she said delicately. "What are you thinking of?"

"A gun, preferably. Do they have those here?"

"If it's been invented somewhere in the universe, it exists here. We'll have to swing by Cordell's place at some point."

"Who's Cordell?"

"He's, well," she paused as though looking for a way to better phrase her answer. "He's a pawn broker of sorts."

"'Of sorts'?"

"What he does isn't exactly legal, not that there is any real law here, but the big man upstairs has sent archangels after him more than once now to stop his dealings."

"What in the hell has this man done?" I asked incredulously.

"It'll be a lot easier to explain when we get there. If I can find him again, that is. He changes spots at random intervals, but I think he's got one on the next Plane."