When Angels Fall In Love

Chapter 12: Ancient Intruder

"You seem quite off lately, Erelah." Amnayel announced. Her sister's voice fell on deaf ears as Erelah stared out over the vast landscape before them. From a top the cliff, the whole world stretched out before them. Endless trees and rivers etched throughout, then just beyond the forests the plains rolled with grassy nulls until the land met the horizon and the blue sky above. It was peaceful and serene, that was until her sister interrupted again. A hand now waved in front of Erelah's face, forcing her attention away from a meadow she could spy in the not too far off distance. "Erelah! At least acknowledge my existence."

"You make it hard not to," Erelah grumbled, pushing Amnayel's hands away.

"You could make an effort to be the slightest bit happy. I've barely seen you in the last few months, you've been spending all your time down here, taking every possible scouting mission Michael can give." Erelah's heart clenched. Had it really been that long? Had months already passed? A handsome face appeared in her mind before she pushed the image away, turning her attention to a very annoyed Amnayel.

"Why didn't you ask to come with me?" Amnayel immediately sulked, her frustrations melting into a look of displeasure and disappointment as she sat back on her legs.

"Michael says I'm not old enough yet to go on scouting missions, even chaperoned missions." That was right...It took Amneyal's childlike expression to remind Erelah just how young she still was. Erelah remembered being that young and asking Michael the same thing and getting the same answer..."No, not yet...you're still too young."

"So, you're here why? Did Michael send you to check up on me?" Amnayel's lips pressed into a thin line and gave her a defiant look.

Erelah sighed. "I'll take that as a yes..." Amnayel harrumphed before falling silent.

"He's worried about you..." She said quietly after a few minutes. Erelah knew this already, everyone, including Michael, had been worried about her lately, especially after the report she gave a few months ago. She had detailed the demons and her sustained injury, notably leaving out her plummet and her meeting with the human. Since then she had become noticeably distant and like Amnayel said taking any and every scouting mission she could just so she could be down here. It was an excuse, tracking demons and killing them just so she could fly and feel the strain in her wings. There was an itch she couldn't scratch, something should couldn't decipher and it was gnawing at her insides insistent to get her attention. It made her want to scream, taking it out on demons was the only way she could ease the pressure. Then there was the hole she could feel in her chest, making her feel empty and alone...

Is this what they call loneliness? It was such a harsh feeling...Erelah could only imagine what Samuel was feeling. A surge of emotion had tears pricking her eyes before quickly blinking away the wetness.

A flock of disturbed birds taking to the sky caught Erelah eyes. Watching them intently as they distantly chirped in distressed trills. The hair on the back of her neck rose and on instinct tapped into her power. Immediately, it hit her...Demons...

"Amnayel." Erelah said sternly. "Get back to Heaven and alert Michael, we've got trouble." The energy she could sense was strong and deep down it scared her. When she turned to her sister, Amnayel's face was pale, her pretty green eyes thrown wide as she looked toward to forest and saw the noticeable black smudge energy Erelah knew was there. There was no time to waste...Her sword manifested, a heavy reassuring weight in her hand as she turned back toward the forest and stretched her wings.

"Erelah, no!" Amnayel hastened, her dainty fingers grasping Erelah wrist to stop her. "You can't go alone! I've never seen a signature like that...it's so dark."

"I know it is, but I have to at least slow it down. I need you to go get Michael, Amnayel. You need to go now!" Finally Amnayel nodded, spreading her own wings and launching into the sky with rushed speed. Erelah waited until she could no longer see the other angel before looking back towards the forest. Her heart was hammering against its cage in her chest, the dark energy was overwhelming and foul even from so far away. She knew then...what she was about to do could cost her her very life. Erelah would have been stupid to say she wasn't scared, in fact she admitted it. She was scared, wholeheartedly but she didn't let it consume her...If this is was to be her last day, then she would go down in a blaze of heavenly glory. So when Erelah dove from the cliff, she let fear be her driving force as she fell before shooting her wings out and catching the wind at break neck speed.

Then she saw it...

Through the canopy and down to the forest floor, Erelah saw the portal. It dark maw opened like a deep and vast crevice as it stretched unnaturally from the ground and high into the trees. Out of the depths of its opening, two pale arms reached out it, the size of tree trunks and impossibly long as gnarled fingers sunk into the soft earth. Ancient...The word sung through head like someone had rang a bell.

Erelah kept to the skies, circling as she watched the arms struggling for purchase as the portal became stretched and torn at the edges. She was gathering energy as fast as she could, taking just enough time to pull on the tethers of the angelic bonds that tied her to her siblings. A warning, a distress beacon, anything that could get their attention before she plunged through the trees, heavenly blue flame trailing off her raised sword.

Erelah's first strike landed with a satisfying squelch of metal meeting flesh. An inhumane sound caused the portal to quiver around the stretching arms, the screech loud enough to make her ears ring as she dodged a grasping flailing hand. She only took a breath before rushing in to strike, again and again, the force of each blow shaking the ground and trees as Erelah swung her sword in blazing arks.

Something wrapped around Erelah's ankle, catching her off guard. Inky black shadow had wrapped itself around her leg before it gave a fierce tug and sent her tumbling to the dirt. Energy crackled in her hand, amassing in a bright sphere before Erelah blasted it at the shadow. It thankfully disintegrated but it had taken Erelah's attention away from the real fight at hand. She was grabbed quicker than she had time to react. The bloodied gray hand squeezing her tight as she struggled to get free. A deep rumble sounded from the portal, resembling that of a demonic chuckle as two smaller hands emerged from the depths and pulled at the edges of the gateway...

She was panicking now...unable to free herself as ink black tendril of shadow reached for her.  Finally, she screamed...

A/N:

Its a double update! Enjoy you guys <3