Gods Can Fail (Book 1)

Chapter 12 - A Pact?

Bloody clouds were weeping over the dead army of angels....

"HHAAAAA!"

Tarnael awoke from a haunting nightmare, his heart pounding beyond its usual rhythm, and his breaths coming quicker than he had ever known.

"What was that?" he muttered to himself between gasps, still not fully recovered from the thrilling experience.

Struggling to get out of bed, he rushed to the sink in the room to splash water on his face. With each splash, vivid details from the nightmare flooded back - the lifeless bodies of angels, a macabre feast for ravens, the nauseating scent of blood permeating the air, and a brown-haired angel drenched in blood standing behind Tarnael just as he was about to leave.

"God? More like a worthless fucking coward..."

Tarnael was once again gripped by fear at the recollection of the mysterious angel's words—or was it really him? It felt otherworldly, detached from Tarnael himself.

"Uanamangura..." Tarnael whispered, contemplating the unsettling truth that lingered in the echoes of his vivid nightmare.

He opened the window and gazed at the three moons illuminating the starry sky of this world.

"I will not allow such a beautiful world to be destroyed by you, Uanamangura," he declared to himself with determination.

Four hours ago, at the Information and Research Center in Tamasi...

"Hmm?! Stravna! Come on, come on," Kaies exclaimed in a playful tone to her colleague.

"Um, boss?! Atbara and Aldes have come here to the center," reported Stravna.

"Amazing. You don't see them here that often. What do they want?" Kaies inquired.

"They have an angel's wing with them and want to diagnose it. Also, they were called here by order of Queen Kaliga herself, as they say," explained Stravna.

"Bring them here," ordered Kaies.

"Yes, immediately," acknowledged Stravna as she hurried to fulfill Kaies' request.

After two or three minutes, Atbara and Aldes arrived at Kaies's office. Aldes cradled the angel's wing in his arms, immediately piquing Kaies's curiosity.

"Head of research, Kaies Friola, I believe you know who we are. We haven't seen each other for a while, but Aldes and I are so special that it's hard to forget," remarked Atbara.

"I remember you, of course. I see that you have brought something unusual with you, something we don't see here every day," noted Kaies.

"I obtained it from an angel whore far away. It's worth next to nothing, but who knows, it might change our bloody perspectives," said Aldes.

"Hmmm... I see. And? What exactly do you want from me?" Kaies inquired.

"We want you to examine it and find out who might have helped Prince Oriel in his infiltration, using this trick," explained Atbara.

"It will be a little difficult. If you have something from this prince, things will be simplified," noted Kaies.

Atbara conjured a tree trunk, extracting from it the severed part of Oriel's head.

"You killed him, huh?! I see that you also came prepared at the same time," remarked Kaies.

"You're not even freaked out that we brought you something like that?" Aldes asked, a smile playing on his face.