When Angels Fall In Love

Chapter 6: Demonic Encounters

Erelah had been stalking the hoard for a while now. Her movements akin to a soundless shadow in the trees while the demons hissed and growled on the forest floor below. They were oblivious to her presence, Erelah maintaining a healthy distance away while still keeping her eyes trained on them and ready to pounce.

She had a count of five demons, all of them ranging in size and grotesque nature while their energies scraped like a blade against her senses. Three of the five were quiet weak, most likely imps while the other two had caused Erelah to pause in shock when she came across them. They were old, not ancient thankfully, but old enough cultivate a foul aura that screamed wrongness and destitute. It made a slight fear creep up her spine but she had pushed it down to focus on the task at hand. The demons were fast approaching a village mere miles ahead and were covering ground fast, Erelah needed to act soon or there would be human casualties.

What if he lived in the village?

The thought came to Erelah like a slap to the face as her concentration stumbled and broke altogether. Her grasp on her power slipped from her fingers as her vision dimmed and she lost sight of the demons. The quick release of energy made her gasp in surprise, almost losing her balance on the tree branch as a wash of dizziness blanketed her senses. Erelah cursed under her breath managing to catch herself before she tumbled off her perch and made a less than graceful plummet to the forest floor. When she had control over her erratic breathing, Erelah took hold of her power once more tightening it in her grip before searching the darkness for any movement. She cursed to herself once more before unfurling her wings and taking flight.

Thankfully it didn't take long to find her target again, her eyes tracking the demons dark forms through the tree canopy. Erelah realized she didn't have much time now, they had almost reached the edge of the forest and would reach the village that glowed in the distance. In an instant her mighty blade manifested in her hand, heavy and thrumming with power while she took on last look at the bright full moon above her. Erelah took a deep breath and dived.

It wasn't her most graceful dissent. Branches ripped at Erelah's wings and scratched her skin but within a split second she was on the ground and swinging her sword at the nearest demon. Black ichor sprayed across her face as the blade sunk into the demon's scaly flesh. A high-pitched squeal erupted from the demons toothy maw before it turned and swung it claws at Erelah's face. She dodged, dislodging the sword from its torso as she took a step back and assessed the demons now circling her. They growled and she caught snippets of words whispered in demonic tongue as they clicked their black teeth at her and saliva dripped from their deformed mouths.

"So much power for such a little angel...it makes me hungry..." Erelah was surprised to hear one of the demons talk in the common tongue. She was able to single out the eldest demon now, the one that had caused the hair on the back of her neck raise when she identified their energy signatures.

"Your hunger will not be sated this night." Her words dripped with venom and promised violence as she launched herself at the eldest demon. Erelah was a flurry of movement, dealing blow after blow as demonic blood splayed across her skin and splattered the grass.

Sudden pain made Erelah falter. A scream of agony shattering her throat as she looked down to find her side sliced open by one of the demons sharp claws that managed to get past her defenses. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she snarled at the demon who was now gurgling with pleased laughter. Erelah clutched her side, cursing herself for her carelessness as her vision darkened around the edges. The venom from the demons claws was working fast, coursing through her veins fast than her accelerated healing could keep up with. She felt her grip slacken on the hilt of her blade, blinking awfully slow while the world around her swam and her breath seemed all too loud in her ears. The sounds of the demon's pleased screeches drifted through her thoughts and for a moment she lost sight of the world.