Fallen Ascension

Shelter and Capture

I eventually found an abandoned place and we both entered it. The Nephilim was soaked and shivering violently when he moved. He spotted something that meant nothing to me and instantly began searching for something that would burn. After his confusing adventure was complete I watched as he once again tried to start a fire. I wondered if he would be able to succeed this time and eventually grew mildly irritated when his attempts failed. I pulled him back from whatever the device was, ignored his protests and used a small amount of my Spiritual Energy to start the fire. It instantly blazed to life.
I was immensely satisfied with myself and pretended I didn't hear the Nephilim sigh.
"I'm going to be able to make a fire one of these days," the Nephilim commented as I heard him discard the matches. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. My obvious thought being I doubt that. The Nephilim's eyes narrowed slightly and he quickly looked at the fire blazing in what I now knew was a wood stove. The Nephilim searched for and found a few blankets. He put them close to the wood stove so he could remain warm throughout the night and almost instantly fell asleep when he got comfortable.
I watched the Nephilim sleep for a while, making sure that the fire would burn through the night. After I grew bored watching the Nephilim sleep, I turned my attention to the flames dancing beautifully in the wood stove. Eventually though, I grew bored with that as well.
I decided to explore the abandoned place and after I entered another room I noticed a thin blue rope that was obviously Spiritual Energy slowly forming around my neck. I was silent, wondering why there was a noose forming around my neck and then realized that the Reaper who was working with the Archangel Michael and who had once worked with me, was now tracking me. More than likely the Reaper had been able to track the Nephilim in this exact manner.
No, that's impossible. After all, Seal Master Nathaniel was the one protecting the Nephilim when we found him. I mentally reminded myself. I wondered if I could destroy the now fully formed noose around my neck and swatted it. It didn't have the intended effect. Instead, the rope of Spiritual Energy tightened around my throat and gave a bright blaze of light. I knew that flash of light had alerted the Reaper exactly where I was.
I stared at the rope, now thick with interlocking ropes of Spiritual Energy and felt a rush of pure fury sweep through me. Unaware of the surrounding building I let the fury grow. Until I felt the walls begin to shake slightly. I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself and slowly reigned in my urge to destroy the only shelter that would keep the Nephilim alive throughout the night.
It took a lot of self control to not destroy the abandoned place and I studied the steadily tightening noose around my neck.
I wonder if I'm able to track the Reaper with his own rope. I thought and felt a small smile creep across my face as that thought entered my mind. I glanced at the fire in the wood stove and nodded with approval at the flames that would last until morning, at least and then left after making sure the Nephilim was still asleep. I had to admit that the Nephilim was still asleep in the first place.
I followed the rope and after some time, my question was answered. The Reaper had discovered that I could track him the same way he could track me. I stopped and glanced around the area, searching for the Archangel Michael. I wasn't able to find him.
"Where is he?" I asked. The Reaper was silent and the noose vanished. I took a mental note that if I left now, the Reaper might not be able to track me again. I decided to wait patiently for the Reaper to answer my question.
"It's pointless to hide Michael, he's not going to stay too long if you don't show up," the Reaper sighed. The silence that followed was tense. I raised an eyebrow and decided that I had enough waiting. I turned around to leave and that was when the Archangel Michael decided to show up.
"Where is the Nephilim?" Michael inquired when he noticed the Nephilim wasn't with me.
"I wouldn't know. He has a poor sense of direction," I responded with a shrug. Michael studied me as the Reaper cautiously me. I hissed as the Reaper carefully scanned me. The Reaper swallowed nervously and carefully extracted some lingering wisp of gold that I knew was the Nephilim's lingering presence.
I lunged at the Reaper, hoping to scare him so he would release the lingering presence of the Nephilim. The Reaper took a hurried step back as I did this and my fangs nearly grazed the Reaper's throat as my jaws snapped shut. I chuckled at the Reaper's nervous and frightened expression.
The Reaper took a few more precautionary steps back, keeping an eye on my tail for whatever reason. I snickered and turned my attention to Michael as he shifted from one foot to the other.
The Reaper took advantage of my obvious temporary distraction and I heard the whispered spell. I swiftly focused my attention back to the Reaper, a furious hiss escaping from me as the rope of blue Spiritual Energy began to form and head to where the Nephilim currently was.
I struck the Reaper and he barely managed to duck my attack. He expertly moved away from me, managing to not trip over his feet. I was about to advance to attack the Reaper again and was forced to shift the focus of my fight to the Archangel Michael. I watched as the Reaper began to follow the rope of Spiritual Energy after a quick hesitation.
I growled and attempted to go around Michael. Michael obviously anticipated this tactic and I was thrown to the now snow covered ground. I quickly recovered and Michael somehow managed to make sure I wouldn't be able to go around him.
Michael watched me silently and I mentally noted that Michael knew that I was holding back. I hissed softly and decided that the best way to end this was to poison Michael as my tail raised in preparation to do this.
I felt the venom gland near in the scorpion like tip of my tail prepare the poison to be injected into Michael's bloodstream. The venom glands near my elongated pointer nails also prepare the venom in case Michael dodged my tail.
I attempted to go around Michael again, inching forward one unnoticed step. I struck then. Michael barely dodged my strike and blocked the attack from me when I used the split second distraction to advance.
I stabbed Michael with a nail, injecting my venom into his bloodstream and watched as he became confused when I took a few swift steps back. I watched Michael and felt a sadistic smirk spread across my face as confused pain flickered across Michael's face.
The Reaper returned as Michael staggered a few steps in obvious agony. I looked at the Reaper and saw that he was carrying the Nephilim, who had shackles around his wrists and an executioner's hood over his head. The Nephilim had obviously put up a fight and the Reaper had been forced to knock the Nephilim out. The Reaper put the Nephilim down as I stepped around Michael who was slowly writhing in confused agony.
The Reaper's weapons appeared and I studied the ninja claws made of blue Spiritual Energy on the Reaper's hands.
"You're too young to fight me Reaper. Just hand the Nephilim over and I won't hurt you," I stated as I stopped walking towards him.
The Reaper was silent and I patiently waited for him to give up the Nephilim back to me.
"You're right, I'm definitely too young to fight you," the Reaper agreed. I studied the Reaper and realized that there was an addition to that comment.
"But?" I pried with a raised eyebrow.
"I can't hand him back to you," the Reaper replied. I watched the Reaper with raised eyebrows. The Reaper prepared himself for me to attack.
"Well, it seems as if we've come to an impasse. You know you're too young to fight me and I know what will happen if the Nephilim is brought to Eden to face trial before the Creators. No situation winds up with a happy ending," I commented with a dismissive wave of my right hand. The Reaper was silent and glanced at the unconscious Nephilim.
"What do you mean? The Creators always give fair trials," the Reaper said as he turned his attention back to me. I stared at the Reaper with disbelief and couldn't help the incredulous laugh that escaped from me. I knew that would my harsh laugh would catch the Reaper's curiosity. It had the intended effect, but the Reaper quickly erased his curious expression with what I assumed he hoped to be a blank expression.
"You have a lot to learn little Reaper," I told the Reaper with a purr of underlying triumph. The Reaper had thought the curiosity had been erased, but I saw the deadly seed of curiosity take root in the Reaper's hazel eyes. The Reaper glanced at the unconscious Nephilim again, back to me as I continued to patiently wait as the Reaper turned his attention back to the Nephilim again. I saw that the Reaper was internally debating with himself and decided that I would continue to wait for him to reach a decision.
The Reaper looked back at me and I saw his eyes briefly flicker to something behind me. I realized that the only significant the Reaper would glance at would be the Archangel Michael. I turned my attention to Michael and darkness instantly blanketed my vision.
I felt myself fall, but I never felt myself hit the ground.
I regained consciousness and instantly noticed that I was in a cell. The next thing I realized was that I was horribly weak and that I was in Eden's prison. I looked around my cell and saw someone who I had been hoping to never encounter. Her name was Princess Ariel of the Angelic Order. She was outside of my cell and I glared at her.
"Did you mark the Nephilim?" Princess Ariel of the Angelic Order inquired. I was silent, feeling the chains of Enochian Seals slowly draining what energy I had.
"No, I did not mark the Nephilim," I spat. Princess Ariel of the Angelic Order studied me and then left. I assed that she was making sure I was speaking the truth.
After a short amount of time, Princess Ariel of the Angelic Order returned. I glared at her with pure hatred and resentment at her as she stood outside of my cell door.
"You spoke the truth," she reluctantly admitted with a sigh.
"Not everything that comes out of my mouth is a lie," I said. "Contrary to your popular belief," I snarled. Princess Ariel of the Angelic Order watched me in silence.
"My apologies for not taking your word. You have every reason to want to lie though. I had to make sure that you truly did not mark the Nephilim," she commented. I stared at her with undiluted fury. Princess Ariel of the Angelic Order studied me with continued silence.
"The Nephilim has a name, yes?" Princess Ariel of the Angelic Order inquired.
"Yeah," I answered, confused by the sudden change of topic.
"What is the Nephilim's name?" She pressed.
"Ask him," I hissed.
"He is currently unconscious and unable to answer because of it," she informed me. I gave slight consideration to a response and decided that giving her the Nephilim's name would be best.
"His name is Payne. P-A-Y-N-E," I replied.
"My...thanks for allowing me to know the Nephilim's name," she said. I imagined that she wanted to rip her tongue from her mouth for having to thank me. I was amused by that image but nodded once to let her know that I would observe common courtesy.
"I will give my name, in case something arises where you have need of me. I do not expect you to return the favor. However, while the Archangel Michael may have captured you with the help of the Reaper Norman, you are my captive until you stand trial," she explained.
"I am Princess Ariel of the Angelic Order. Both you and Payne are my captives until you both stand trial. I do hope you survive until then Demon. You and Payne both will hopefully make it through your stay here," Princess Ariel of the Angelic Order said. She then politely dismissed herself and headed upstairs to where Eden's prison held the less dangerous prisoners.
I was silent and knew that I didn't really stand much of a chance in Eden's prison. Not in the means of survival anyway. I then became thoughtful and realized that both Payne and I more than likely wouldn't survive.
"Dammit," I whispered when that fact settled in my mind. As much as I already knew that, I had stupidly hoped we had a higher chance of surviving in our unwanted and extremely unwelcome captivity.