The Basil Children

Chapter Five

Everyone gathered in a large room, its walls lined with bookshelves and cases filled with ammunition, and every weapon known to man and angel. There were three doors leading to conjoining rooms- one that was separated by a glass pane, showing what looked like a room specialized for blacksmithing.
The angels were overwhelmed. Candace seemed nauseous at the sight of having to use weaponry, while Winston, Delilah, and Paris were geeking out in awe. Tess didn't really know how to explain the weapons, (or much else, for that matter) so she just started encouraging the angels, hoping they would understand.

"We gotta take out the enemy. So we are going to have to utilize some weaponry."

"Do we have licenses for these?" Candace asked, concerned.

"No, and there's no time for stupid questions," Tess asserted. "According to what the guys upstairs have told me, all seven of us can learn how to yield weapons quickly, and train quickly. Just as we learn and grow incredibly fast. Obviously, some are more accustomed to certain weapons than others. We've got all sorts of firearms, swords, daggers. We can learn some spells, but I'm not even strong enough to use most of them. Knives require good combat skills..." The dark-skinned angel gestured to all the examples of weaponry that were laying out on a table in the middle of the room. "Forging your own weapons is also an option," She continued, pointing a thumb behind her at the blacksmithing room. "Archery is a skill I can't be accustomed to, so you guys probably can't either."

Tess only received blank stares in return.

"Clearly, I'm not reaching anyone. I didn't want to do this..." Tess hesitated, running her polished fingers through her long dark hair.

She hoped that Heaven would give her strength enough to conduct this spell. Even though she received no instructions in doing so. Tess sighed, and strolled over to a bookshelf, skimming through the various books until she found a withered, tan colored one.

Winston, unlike many of the others, was having a geek attack. He planned to ride this apocalypse shit out Harry Potter style, despite his disappointment of not being on his way to Hogwarts. He watched as their self-proclaimed leader set down the book onto a nearby counter and flipped to a page.

Tess hesitantly read the words of the temporary mind meld spell, hoping she wouldn't harm any of the fallen angels.

Indignam quaestuum

Per the opstium

A tenebris ad lucem

Ex I tibi

"Show them," Tess whispered before darkness flashed and the message replayed in her mind, sending the same one to everyone else's.

A force, God, rose eight great beings from the clouds. Of course, God's true form wasn't shown because those winged bastards couldn't get the good answers.

God gave instructions:

Protect humanity. Watch over them on their own Earth. The other Angels will be watching from above. You shall be great warriors, skilled, cunning, but most of all caring and brave. You get the great honor of living as a mortal. Be grateful.

Flashes of the eight beings came in by a fast forward of unfamiliar humans, over decades and decades. One angel with jet black, greasy hair showed up in the message. Everyone could feel his anxiety, his madness, with his burdens of being human. Depression, dissatisfaction, complete betrayal. Memories of Heaven, and having it all. Powers, and riches. The black haired angel turned darker and darker. He slaughtered human after human, and his own angelic brethren. Everyone in the mind meld felt horribly, almost guilty. The feeling of the snap of a person's neck between your own two hands, the slicing of flesh. The worst being the unstoppable instinct to kill, to do whatever it took to get yourself out. Each viewer of this insanity had the screaming urge to get out of their own heads, but they were forced to watch. A single word rang out; a single name.

Kesair.

Kesair sank down into the Earth. God swarmed the planet with earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, anything to try to find his enemy.

God resented all of the fallen angels. But, the angels, still remaining in Heaven, created seven more of these heavenly humans, to defeat the eighth warrior. Each one marked with God's Green Earth, green hair, and green blood, in remembrance of what they were sent to protect.

There was a gasp for air as the fallen angels gained control of their own brains once more. They all understood now. They shared a look of agreement, and dispersed, pouring over weapons and books.

Candace however, was confused and hotheaded, still angry at that James guy for being rude to her. "To hell with this!" She screamed, running down the hallway. She heard footsteps come after her, and felt a hand tug her body back. Candace slipped, right into James' arms. She flushed bright red, and against her own will, she found herself becoming fond of this angel in particular.

"Don't you want to make a difference in the world? Isn't that the dream?" James said, his eyes soft and genuinely inquiring.

"Yeah, but..."
"Well you saw what happened! We gotta live out what other normal people can't!" James exclaimed, gesturing Candace back to the main room.

She followed, silently deciding to not touch a weapon quite yet, to just follow James.

---

Delilah ran her fingers over a bow laying on a rack. Its grip was black, the limbs tinted with a gold sheen. Delilah had gone to an archery range quite a few times before, and she didn't think she was too bad of a shot.

She grabbed the bow and its quiver, and snuck into the shooting range.

Before she could let an arrow fly, a hand grabbed her shoulder. Tess's familiar voice warned, "You shouldn't try that. That bow kicked my ass so-"

Delilah pulled back on the loaded arrow, the draw weight and size meant to be for her. Tess jumped back and the arrow flew hitting the bright red center of the closest target.

"Hm. Lucky sho-" She began, but Delilah was having none of this shit.

She let four more arrows fly, hitting four more bullseyes. To her satisfaction, Tess gawked, her eyes showing admiration. It was then that she knew Delilah would be a good friend to have.

Delilah gave a look showing every ounce of wisdom she had.

"Anyone can be a hero, Tess."

---

Art slowly walked into what seemed to be a forge. He gazed at the many materials that were at his disposal. Suddenly, images flashed through his brain. He knew what to make and how to do it, and grabbed an ingot of what seemed to be a holy metal, almost like platinum.

Art began to heat it over the fire, then poured the molten metal into a mold. He stuck the sword into water to cool it. Working vigorously, Art hammered the blade into a curved, almost crescent-shaped blade. He then noticed a vat of blue-green liquid.

He guessed it was a poison. He dipped his newly forged sword into the liquid and pulled it out, blade hissing. Sweat pouring down his back and face, he examined his work, pleased. Realization of what was happening hit him like a brick to the face. I don't know if I can handle this burden.

James popped his head into the room. "Tess's explaining some stu- oh my god that's cool! You did that?"

Art nodded, smiling proudly, and followed his newfound friend out of the door.