Mavobella: The Angel Of Death

Chapter 14

My grip tightened around the ebony handle of Ye, the blade curved like the crescent moon. She shimmered with a cold, ethereal light, her edge sharp enough to cut through the air with a soft hiss. My wings, faintly glowing with divine energy, were folded tightly against my back as I moved silently between the trees, the underbrush crunching lightly beneath my boots. I was ready for whatever was coming, even if I knew the air around me was all but on my side—the intoxication would gnaw at me alive if I overdid my energy.

The girl, on the other side, watched my every move, meticulously. She did not run. She did not twitch. Yet the zombies were not interested in her. If anything, they seemed to be utterly unaware she existed. It wasn't because of her cloak, or hood that did not allow me to visualize her clearly. It was because of her indistinguishable aura.

Suddenly, a low growl rippled through the woods. It was deep, guttural, and too close. Then came the stench. It hit me like a wave, thick and rotten, the unmistakable scent of death mingled with the sharp tang of demon energy. I grimaced.

From behind the trees emerged another figure, staggering through the fog. Its body was a twisted, mangled version of its former self, tainted by the necrotic energy that clung to it like a second skin. The two in front of me were angels, their wings torn and withered, feathers falling away in clumps. The other, hulking and monstrous, was a demon, its fiery eyes now cold and dead, its skin mottled and cracked.

Zombie angels and a demon. My stomach churned at the sight, but I did not hesitate. I knew there was no mercy left in these creatures, no spark of divinity—only the hunger to destroy.

The angel zombies hissed, their gaunt faces twisted in silent rage. The demon zombie’s eyes locked onto mine, and it let out a bloodcurdling roar that echoed through the woods. They charged.

I steadied myself, my wings unfurling in a burst of radiant light. I gripped Ye with both hands, feeling her cold weight as an extension of herself. The wind whipped around me as the first angel zombie lunged, its skeletal wings beating furiously as it slashed at me with elongated, claw-like fingers.

I parried, spinning Ye in a smooth arc that cleaved the air with a whistle. The blade connected with the zombie’s arm, severing it cleanly at the shoulder. Pitch black, coagulated blood splattered across the forest floor, but the creature didn’t scream—it simply reeled back, unfazed by the loss of its limb.

The second angel zombie was faster, darting toward me from the side. I pivoted just in time, bringing the handle of Ye up to block its claws. Sparks flew as our weapons clashed, and I could feel the raw, chaotic energy coursing through the undead creature’s veins. It snarled, baring jagged teeth, before leaping back into the air, circling above me.

My breath was steady, body fluid and controlled. The demon zombie moved now, crashing through the trees with terrifying speed, its massive form almost twice my size. It swung a heavy, bone-crushing fist toward me. I dodged, my wings propelling me out of the way just as the demon’s fist shattered the trunk of a nearby tree, sending splinters flying.

I was on the move again, my feet light and quick as I circled the trio. The first angel zombie, still missing an arm, lunged at me again with renewed fury. I spun low, slicing upward with my scythe. The blade connected with the creature’s midsection, splitting it in two with a sickening crack. Its torso slumped to the ground, writhing in the dirt as its lifeless wings twitched in death throes.

But there was no time to rest. The second angel zombie swooped down from above, its wings cutting through the air like knives. I leapt, my wings propelling me upward in a surge of divine energy. I met the creature head-on in the air, our bodies colliding with a force that sent shockwaves through the trees. The impact knocked Ye from my grip, sending her spinning into the underbrush below.

For a brief moment, I was unarmed, but I had mastered—or at least tried—a telepathic communication with Ye. I sent her to server the head of the demon zombie wide eyed waiting for me on the ground. It didn't go exactly as planned but she managed to get the zombie's twisted shank.

With a sharp flick of my wings, I dove toward the forest floor, twisting and rolling as I hit the ground. My fingers found the handle of Ye, and I whipped her back into my hands just as the demon’s massive fist came crashing down.

I rolled out of the way just in time, the earth trembling beneath my feet as the demon’s fist left a crater in the ground. Without hesitating, I sprang to my feet and slashed upward with Ye. The blade sang as it connected with the demon’s arm, severing it at the elbow. The demon let out a howl of rage, staggering back as black energy spilled from the wound like black smoke.

The second angel zombie descended again, but I was ready. With a quick, fluid motion, I twirled Ye and brought her down in a powerful arc. The blade cleaved through the zombie’s neck, severing its head in a single stroke. The headless body crumpled to the ground, its wings folding inward as the light in its eyes flickered out.

It was dead, but not for long.

Only the demon remained now, its once-terrifying presence reduced to a limping, one-armed monstrosity. It snarled, its cracked lips curling back to reveal sharp, broken teeth. But there was no victory in its eyes—only a desperate, animalistic rage.

I felt the surge of divine energy coursing through my veins, my wings pulsing with radiant light. I raised Ye, the blade glinting in the pale moonlight. The demon lunged, but I was faster. I moved with the grace of a dancer, dodging its attacks with ease as I waited for the perfect moment.

And then, with one final, powerful swing, I brought Ye down with all my strength. The blade sank deep into the demon’s chest, splitting its torso in two. The demon let out a gurgling roar, utterly black energy pouring from its mouth as it crumbled to the ground in a heap of twitching limbs.

Silence fell over the woods. I stood over the fallen bodies, my chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. The once-ferocious zombies were now nothing more than lifeless husks, but only for a moment.

I wiped my brow with the back of my hand, my wings folding once more against my back. The battle had been swift, but it had taken its toll. My muscles ached, and the weight of the cold war’s endless conflict pressed heavily on my shoulders. Air, my worst enemy at the moment, was draining me as much as it could.

The girl was staring all along, but as soon as I faced her, she began sprinting.

I was tired of all this hide and seek, but my wings were too fragile to fly. It was as if they were only there for me, just when I needed them to fight.

I sprinted after her, leaving behind reassembling pieces of zombie flesh. The girl was swift, almost too swift to escape me. But it took me one fling of Ye to stop her. She cringed at the scythe that dug deeply into a tree right next to her face. I could swear she saw her reflection on the blade.

“I need answers!” I demanded, stretching my hand for Ye. But the answer was clear even before she had spoken. Her leg was bleeding and it was human blood, indubitably.

She gave me enough time to digest the reality with the silence drifting between us but I still couldn't.

A familiar growl on the other end of the forest interjected. Dicky McDoggy's family members were pissed. I was about to make a move until she spoke. “I am Marion and I'm human.” Here comes the person that left the blood in Caketopia.

She pulled back the hood at last, revealing her face. Golden strands of hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her features. Her ocean-blue eyes shimmered with a depth that seemed to hold the sea's endless expanse within them, drawing you in with their haunting clarity. Her lips, a soft blush of pink, contrasted with her sharp, defined nose. It was only when the light shifted that I noticed the faintest shadow marring her cheek, a bruise barely visible beneath the surface, the blood beneath her pale skin quietly betrayed her. It was as if the wound was not meant to be seen, a secret even her beauty couldn't completely hide.

“Give me one good reason I shouldn't consume your soul.” Trust me, one soul was enough to give me energy I hadn't felt in my veins for days.

“I know a way out of this island.”