Above the Clouds: Night

Chapter Two: Cave Falls

I reached Cave Falls first, spinning mid-air to whoop in victory at an approaching Terence. Mistrival arrived a few minutes later, Vivian at her wingtip. We all turned to look at Cave Falls as Sonnaya arrived behind.

A dark obsidian mountain was just visible in the sunset. More easily spotted was a crystalline river, flowing and winding down the rocky slope in a mass of lapis coloured water. It continued on its course until it reached the sharp drop off on the edge of the mountain, where it became a single sheet of water shimmering in the last rays of light. From here it looked like a solid obsidian wall behind it, but we all knew otherwise. The water shielded the entrance to a cave. Hence, Cave Falls.

This mountain, the caves inside it, and river twisting atop it were all made by angels. It was a haven for us, created by us, known of only by us. The Fallen Angels had decided that the sky wasn't the limit as much as too small. They'd made several places accessible only by angels, known as havens, and Cave Falls was one.

'Lets go! Something feels off. I wanna know what it is!' Sonnaya was right. There was something different. Vivian lost all vestiges of the shy, meek, quiet person she usually was. This was our place, no one else should be here. We advanced.

.::..:<Ash's/ Third person P.o.V>:..::.

Ash ran. He'd never been on the top of the sport team at school, but now he wished he was faster.

Fast enough to leave behind his family.

His life.

No, it wasn't life, what he had to go through. It was merely existence.

Ash had seen the dark mountain from afar, with a pure blue sheet across it. He had nowhere else to go. Nothing to lose. Ash's siblings blamed him for the loss of their parents, to the point he'd had enough. He'd left without looking back.

Sprinting through the forest, he heard wing beats and a shadow, followed by another, then another three joined, fell across him. Ash looked up, but saw nothing.

Suddenly, he reached a pool. Looking up, he saw a spire of obsidian, nearly touching the moon, it seemed. Below it, a mass of pure black mountain stood firm. But what caught his eye was the ribbon of water, flowing into a river, then a torrent as it reached the wall behind the pool and a spread of cerulean as it flowed over. The pool was a deep aquamarine, with rocks illuminated at the bottom by the moon. It cast a flickering reflection on the wall of water and the obsidian far behind in the cave...

Wait, what?

Ash looked again. Yes, there was definitely a cave behind the water. Feeling like he was breaking a rule, and being watched doing so, he cast a furtive glance around before slipping between a gap in the wall and the water into a cave.

.::..:>Ava's P.o.V<:..::.

I slowly drifted into the tree line, my friends beside me.

'Avy, are you seeing this?' Terence asked me in disbelief.

'I'm seeing this Ter,' I replied, shock clearly etched on my features.

'He just walked in!' Sonnaya disapproving awe making itself known.

'I saw that too, Sonny.' I had indeed.

'Avy how?' Mistrival asked. 'I thought it is safe!' Her accent showed through her fear.

'I don't know. But by Hell and Heaven, I will find out.' I swore to myself.

Humans had long hunted angels, after the disappearance from their world of the Fallen Angels.

I considered the threat. The human boy looked young, about 16, our age. Dark hair whipping as he ran, laying messily on his head reaching his eyes and licking at his neck. He looked thin to the point of slightly undernourished, as though he'd not had enough to eat. My sharp eyes had seen his as he ran, pale green eyes filled with desperation. I hadn't spotted any human weapons. Maybe he wasn't a threat?

' He doesn't seem dangerous. Maybe he is escaping from something?' Vivian voiced my thoughts.

Sonnaya tossed her golden blonde hair, scoffing.

'I agree with Viv,' I say quickly, knowing that if she wasn't backed up, Vivian would go with what we said.

'Me too.' Said Terence.

'Third that,' Mistrival quickly input before Sonnaya could speak.

'Fourthed.' Sonnaya said, sounding beat. We had made a pact, and one of our rules was to always stick together. People say three's a crowd, we say five's a family. And so it was.

'I vote we should go see what he wants.' Terence said.

There was a unanimous agreement to that. Bracing ourselves, we landed by the pool and folded our wings.

/-\\//-\ Could that pass as Ava? for my own A/N? It'll do for now.