Fallen Ascension

Monsters, oh My

I had convinced Michael to help me find Serena's home. She had a small one bedroom apartment with a small kitchen, a bathroom and a closet that had every odds and ends trinket that seemed like it fit. There was no evidence of Kris in the apartment and Serena had work. I rummaged silently through the piles of collected receipts.
"Why are we doing this again Demon?" Michael questioned for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Best to keep track of potential allies," I replied, not pausing in scouring through the receipts. Michael fell silent again, obviously hating the fact I had a point. I found nothing of interest. And there was still no sign of another individual residing in the apartment.
I closed the drawer containing the receipts and then felt...something. It was an odd presence; not human in nature, nor Demonic and certainly not Angelic. I knew Michael sensed the odd presence, his sword had appeared by his side and he was prepared to fight whatever had arrived.
I glanced around the room we were in, which was the small kitchen and then carefully extended my senses to the entire apartment to locate whatever this presence belonged to. I located the essence of thirteen souls on the back porch. Whatever it was, it had sensed us as well. I noticed the outline of a human where the thirteen essences were and became slightly confused.
Michael had noticed the direction of my gaze and slowly headed in the direction of the back porch, making sure he wouldn't be seen when he arrived at the targeted destination.
I pulled my extended senses back and after a quiet mumbled curse, I headed to the back porch as well. I knew Michael had purposely made sure that I would be the one to be seen by the creature I assumed was Kris.
Kris naturally saw me and I opened the door with mild annoyance. He made no move to enter the apartment that he only began to recently reside in. Instead he studied me and then stepped away, silently ordering me to follow him. I carefully watched him and then followed him. He stopped suddenly and glanced over his shoulder.
"Your partner too," he said, his voice more a hiss than an actual voice.
"Partner?" I repeated with feigned confusion and actual shock. Kris studied me and I wondered if he could see through my illusions.
"He comes with, or I rip your throat out. Not that you would scream, your kind tends not to," Kris stated with an eerie smile.
"My kind?" I repeated, this time with actual confusion. I was growing certain now that Kris could indeed see through my illusions. Kris snorted and turned his attention to the vacant road before him. I suddenly had the feeling that Kris wasn't human even though he looked human.
"I'm bored," Kris sighed and then he unexpectedly struck, catching me by surprise and moving far too fast to be human. I was thrown to the ground and Kris was expertly making sure that I would be unable to strike with my nails, wings or tail. Michael had witnessed the event and had emerged, placing his sword against Kris's throat.
"Release him," Michael ordered and I saw that his sword was gleaming gold in color. He had every intention of destroying the individual that had caught me off guard. Kris glanced at Michael and lifted his hands from my shoulders, freeing my arms and wings. Michael made sure that Kris wouldn't be able to strike me again. It was pointless though for me to attempt to throw Kris off of me. He hadn't completely freed my wings and I wouldn't be able to move until then.
"I said release him," Michael repeated, his eyes now completely gold in color. "Lower your sword first and I may consider doing as you say," Kris hissed, his voice sounding like the wind whistling eeriely over a barely populated landscape. I decided that Kris couldn't possibly be human. I didn't know what he was though. If not human, one would think either Angel or Demon and Kris was neither.
Michael studied Kris and lowered his sword, though the intent to annihilate still remained within his weapon. Kris cautiously proceeded to release me. I sat up and then carefully got to my feet, keeping a wary eye on Kris.
Kris didn't seem to care about the fact that he was in mortal danger. Michael obviously still wanted to kill Kris and I wouldn't object or stop Michael if he decided to act upon that urge.
"So, what are you doing in Serena's apartment?" Kris asked. "Also, wouldn't it have been easier if you just told him to come on out?" Kris added as he gestured to Michael. "The previous situation would have been avoided if you had done so," Kris pointed out. I narrowed my eyes. Kris seemed bored by my reaction.
"Just searching, keeping an eye on a potential ally," I reluctantly answered. Kris glanced at me with what appeared to be mild annoyance.
"A potential ally for who's benefit?" Kris pressed.
"Does that matter?" I countered. I knew Kris knew whose benefit Serena's possible alliance would benefit. He thankfully remained silent as he peeled his upper lip away from his teeth. They seemed longer and sharper than I had noticed them to be earlier. He lowered his upper lip and studied me. I suddenly wished that I could do more than just observe and draw conclusions based on a person's behaviors and actions. Kris glanced at Michael, who had withdrawn the overflowing amount of power. He briefly glanced at Michael's sword, which still was gleaming with the intent to destroy. Kris then shifted his attention to me and I knew that Kris was going to make sure that Michael's sword and Michael's intent to destroy would be inserted into my chest.
"Wait, Kris, maybe we should talk," I offered as Kris continued to stare at me. Kris didn't appear to be interested. I prepared myself to fight as quickly as possible. Kris still seemed to move at a speed that was impossible for a human, Angel or Demon. I had anticipated Kris's attack and parried, only to feel Michael's sword, intent to destroy and all bury itself in my chest. I had anticipated Kris's strike and had thought that Michael was far enough away to not be worried about him. Kris had expertly made sure to dodge Michael's attack and leave me wide open.
I noticed that my hands had reflexively wrapped around Michael's wrist. Michael realized that he had struck me rather than Kris, whose rapidly receding blurred and darkened form was escaping. I blinked and then felt Michael's sword withdraw from my chest just as the intent to destroy began to do as Michael had willed it. Only he had gotten the wrong target. I knew that Michael was trying to make sure that I wouldn't be destroyed. The pressure of his hands on my chest told me that.
However there was nothing but white hot searing pain coursing through my veins. It was worse than the racks had ever been. It was the sensation of every molecule of myself being horribly torn apart and shredded to pieces.
For the first time in seven long years I couldn't hold back the horrible whimpers and airy screams of anguish. I desperately fought to remain conscious as Michael called someone. My already bleeding form began to bleed from the ears and I tried to gather myself to speak, to tell him to stop only to hiss, grit my teeth and loathe the whimper that escaped from my lips.
Another Angelic figure appeared and then I reluctantly lost consciousness, fighting it every step of the way until I could no longer hold the blurriness and growing darkness at bay.
I was gone, destroyed of that I was certain. I heard a somewhat familiar female voice desperately trying to wake me and then I felt my eyelids flutter slightly. "Wake up!" The female voice ordered. My eyes snapped open and I realized that I was somehow still alive. Serena, Michael, the Archangel Raphael and even Kris were there. I blinked with confusion as I looked around Serena's small living room.
"I'm in my personal mental hell," I deduced as I remembered what had happened.
"No, you're not. As ironic as that would be," Serena told me. I blinked and looked at her, then realized that my illusions would have dropped, revealing what I was. I studied Michael and Raphael.
"She insisted that we reveal ourselves after discovering us making use of her couch when it came to making sure you were not destroyed," Michael reluctantly told me.
"Great, I really am in a personal mental hell," I sighed with sarcasm. Serena frowned slightly, glanced at Kris and sighed when he shrugged with indifference. I sat up, ignoring the dull pain that surged through my shoulder. I was glad that I didn't whimper or remarkably so, wince with the persistent throbbing pain.
"Seems like you're better," Serena stated.
"He is far from better. He may not be showing it, but he is horribly weakened and attempting to ignore the steadily growing persistent pain where Michael accidently stabbed him," Raphael informed Serena. I glared at Raphael, resisting the urge to growl at him. I knew my glare proved him right however and I swiftly turned my attention to my feet, which were covered by a thick, warm blanket. Serena sighed and studied me as I glared at Raphael again.
She placed a hand on my forehead and I felt an odd calm surge through me as she checked for any signs of a fever. She somehow managed to convince me to allow her to check the wound so Raphael could see if there were any signs of infection. Raphael inspected my wound as Serena continued to check for signs of fever. Raphael seemed satisfied as he gave a small nod.
"My job is finished here. There are no signs of infection within his wound or lingering intention to destroy," Raphael said and then vanished with a faint breeze. Serena blinked with obvious amazement and then turned her attention to me.
"That's good," Serena said with a glance in Michael's direction. Michael nodded with agreement. I wondered just how long I had been unconscious and how long Raphael had been making sure that I wouldn't be destroyed on Michael's behalf.
"How do you feel Demon?" Michael cautiously asked me. I gave him the middle finger with a quick glimpse of my fangs. Michael sighed as I lowered my middle finger and placed my hand on my covered legs.
"How long did you insist upon my non destruction?" I questioned, glaring at Michael.
"Raphael understood the importance of making sure you would not be destroyed. Though it took some time to completely remove that intent from your body and slightly longer for the infection to disappear," Michael replied. I snarled softly and stood up, feeling disgusted as sudden weakness forced me to collapse onto the couch again, gasping for air and trembling slightly.
"You are weakened Demon, horribly so as Raphael said," Michael reminded me. I hissed at him with a glare that I had hoped would destroy him. It didn't have the intended desire.
"What do you need in order to regain your strength?" Serena asked with curiosity.
"I'm fine," I spat, the raspy inhalation that followed obviously disproving my obvious lie.
"I know you're obviously not fine. Point proven by the ragged breaths you're taking. What do you need in order to regain your strength?" Serena repeated. I noticed Kris watching me with what I realized was protectiveness over Serena. Considering that it was Kris who had managed to dodge Michael's attack and catch me off guard, treating Kris with respect, even grudging respect was a much better option than being destroyed.
"I can find it on my own," I mumbled as I slowly rolled onto my side, making sure not to show pain as I did this.
Serena was silent.
"Well, let me know if you two need anything. Breaking and entering to guests, go figure," Serena sighed and I heard her leave the living room. I could sense Kris lingering behind, making sure I wouldn't suddenly change my mind about finding my meal elsewhere. When he was satisfied that I wasn't going to do this, he made his exit.
Michael was the only one remaining in the living room with me and I wondered if he would leave as well. He did after a while and I closed my eyes to meditate in a vain attempt to gain some of my strength back.
When I was finished meditating, no strength had returned and I was hungrier than I had been before I had meditated. Michael had not returned. Serena was apparently at work and Kris was watching me.
"What are you doing here?" Kris inquired. Though he kept his voice a careful blank, I could tell that he was curious as well as aggravated with my presence as well as Michael's; wherever he was.
"I fail to see how that concerns you," I replied, my voice raw. Kris was silent and I debated on whether or not I should look at him. He didn't seem thrilled by my response but judging by the sound of the door opening and closing, Serena had arrived back home. "Why is she so important to you?" I questioned as I did turn my attention to him. Kris narrowed his eyes and glanced at Serena as she slowly made herself a microwave dinner. He then turned his attention back to me. His eyes, which had been dark brown gleamed with red pupils and silver whites before becoming dark brown again.
"I fail to see how that concerns you," Kris responded and then made his exit.
He's definitely not human. Though his appearance seems to be that of a human. Angel is off the list and I don't recall a Demon like him. I thought. Does that make him a type of Monster? I mentally questioned.