An Angel's Wings.

Ch. 40 The Wolf.

That morning as we packed our things I was more than reluctant. Yes Twelve, procrastinate, even on the world ending prophecy, I thought to myself, walking to the others, my hand resting on my sword hilt. Raven looked extremely calm but determined as she spoke to everyone. "We can all expect an ambush when we leave here. But it's time for us to stop waiting around. Everyone needs to be on high alert, I'm sure as long as we all believe and work together, we can do this." Her gaze drifted to mine as she said believed. Raven believed everything would work itself out, Angel seemed to share her opinion. Her gaze flitted around to meet everyone. "Whatever we do needs to be done with precision, we don't have the wiggle room to be indecisive. So after talking to Jessica, and having her look as far she could, we decided we need to head to the Temple of the Oracle. Maybe get a reading for each of us, some advice on E. This will be our stepping stone." Her voice was firm.

Angel and I made eye contact. He gave me a small nervous smile. Tension decorated the air. Raven inspected us like a general would inspect his soldiers. "Now, I need to know there are no misunderstandings about what we're doing." Something was off about her voice, but it was still so resolute that I agreed. However, part of me sensed something else was going on. Angel gave my hand a squeeze as we ascended, leaving The Archives. Before we stepped out Jessica and Raven exchanged a look.

As soon as we were on the jungle of an island, everyone had their weapons out. I summoned as much power as I could. Some of my Halfling kicked in as I softly heard heartbeats and my sight got better.

But nothing could prepare me for what was about to happen.

Out of no where, my heart nearly stopped in fear, and my whole body let out a shudder. My eyes widened in horror. Turning around shakily I realized what I was sensing. In the forest behind us was hordes upon hordes of demons. With black, soulless eyes, staring back at me.

"RUN!" My voice was scratchy and strangled, but contained more fear than I'd ever felt in my life. It was like running into a beehive, except it was a forest of camouflaged demons. No one hesitated, everyone set off. Angel turned as we ran, cutting down demons who got close. Raven fearlessly used her spear, killing demons left and right. Jessica used a gleaming dagger to cut demons who were close. My sword morphed itself to be extremely long and it was glowing white. Slicing behind us, demons dissolved. Angel looked surprisingly fearless as the never ending stream of demons attacked us. I knew who was behind it.

Nix.

This was all my fault.

Angel's wings erupted from his back, slapping demons behind us and sending them sailing. Some of them went flying, like pesky insects getting swatted at. Occasionally he hit more back, and I took mine out too. Ignoring the blood leaking from a wound on my bicep and the new cuts from my wings. "Twelve I love you." Angel stated, I stared at him in surprise but also horror. He wanted those to be his last words if he died. "Angel -" I cut myself off, an arrow pierced my forearm, I nearly dropped my sword. Savagely ripping it out, I ignored the pain in my arm, stopping my run, I threw my blade down in an arch. The light exploded from it, demons all around us disintegrating. Weariness laced through my skull from the effort of the move. 

Even that wasn't enough. You could still hear the thundering footsteps of the demons approaching.

Something was blocking me from transforming.

All of us ran with all our might, and we reached a small clearing, even for Halflings, we needed to stop for a breath.

After getting distracted by running for my life, and killing demons, I tuned into an argument. "JESSICA YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO DO!" Raven yelled, Angel was tearing up. "No Raven, you can't." Jessica's voice was shaky from crying, tears spilled from her eyes. "No, I have to." Raven stood up straighter. Jessica nodded. Angel hung his head. "Raven if you do this, it'll push you over the edge."

She smiled sorrowfully, "I know little brother," walking over, she ruffled his hair, and he looked up at her. "I'm so sorry for not talking to you, rejecting you for what you've done. I love you Raven, I love you as my sister." His voice was breathy from the tears the cut across his face. Raven nodded, tears leaking from her eyes too. Raven grabbed the sides of his face and planted a kiss on his forehead. Then she turned to me. "Twelve, complete this prophecy, promise me." She said. I nodded, not knowing what she was planning, but I had an idea of it. "I never meant to scar you Twelve, and I know you can do this."

The pounding was getting closer.

"Angel you stay four miles away to kill whatever is left. Jessica, you get Twelve to the temple." Raven stated. Taking a step back, before Raven could turn to the demons, Jessica grabbed her hand. "I know you probably don't return this, but Raven I-" The pounding was extremely close. Jessica grabbed the sides of Raven's face and kissed her.

Surprise raced through me and I remembered what I said when I asked Jessica if she'd ever fallen in love. As far as I knew Raven was straight.

Still, I'd never seen a kiss filled with more desperation or raw passion as Jessica pressed her whole self against Raven. As if to make them one being, so they could go down together. And Raven kissed her back. Jessica pulled away, both of them breathless. "I've loved you since the day I met you." Jessica whispered, now Raven cried. "Jessica," she trailed her fingers down the side of Jessica's face, "Gylledha." Raven murmured more quietly.

"You need to run."

Raven turned around and Jessica shakily straightened herself out, then looked at me. "Let's go." Jessica grabbed my wrist, and we started running. Sobs racked Jessica's body but she didn't stop. I heard shouting behind me, Raven's voice boomed out across the island.

A latin incantation.

"Ubi ad quas eieci te te pertinent ? Infernum !"

I banish thee to where you belong! Hell!

I made the mistake of looking behind me. We were barely exiting the field, but what I saw was horrifying. All of Raven's veins were pure black, and she let out a gut wrenching scream, falling to her knees, the ground ripped itself open like a gaping maw. Screams from the hole in the ground inspired fear in me, and smoke and orange flames licked upwards, along with gnarled hands attempting to claw their way out. The demons yelled out as they fell through the tear in the ground that swallowed everything. A tongue of flame swept out, licking up and taking whatever was left. A wolf lickings its fangs after biting into it's prey. Raven was licked up in the tongue of flame and I screamed in horror. Jessica still dragging me on.

The maw of the hell closed it's mouth, and everything was back to the way it was, except for one thing.

Raven was dead.