The Seven Seraphim

Chapter SEVEN

The next day, Jake crept out of the window early in the morning to go visit his brother's grave. Sam was still sleeping, and he wanted to keep it that way. He had taken the "booster" for three days now, and didn't feel a difference. Maybe it was there, maybe it wasn't. It didn't matter. He looked at the sun, its head peaking over the horizon, waiting to warm the city with its magnificent color. He smiled at the symbol of his brother's life, and leaped into the air. 

The Stag watched the Seraphim from below. It had not noticed him, but he wasn't going to take any chances. The cossacks were hungry, but he still feared the Seraphim. He watched the Alpha lick his lips at the sight of the Seraphim. Cossack were engineered specifically to kill the Seraphim. Once it was out of sight, he motioned for the attack on the target. 

Jake landed in front of his brother's headstone. The other Seraphim that had gone chaotic was refused burial, but he demanded that Jak be buried. He knelt down in apology and wept for the first time in three years. "I'm sorry, Jak." He said to the ground as the tears poured down his face and gave instant life to the grass around him. "I've always forgiven you. Jak, I need you. I'm...empty. Forgive me, brother. Please. Please forgive me." 

A distant cry caught his attention, and he looked toward Sam's apartment. He derided himself for allowing emotions to get in the way of his assignment, and then took off, his dark red wings revealing his anger. He would not lose Sam. He loved her.

Sam was woken from a peaceful sleep by a huge, green monster, and four ugly bests. She screamed in surprise, then tried to remain calm and wait for Jake. Unless he was dead. That would explain how they got in. No, she said to herself. He can't be dead. He's coming for me. The huge green monster got into her face, then tried to bite her. She punched its nose.

"I may not be an angel, but I'm not going to go easily." She told them. The Stag looked at her confused, then went to try again. Jake's sword flew into it's body, killing it instantly, and pinning its body to the wall. she smiled. The four hulking beasts made their way out the door, and she was left alone, shocked and happy, and paralyzed by fear. 

Jake saw the four huge beasts exit Sam's room and groaned. Three was hard, four, may be impossible. He made eye contact with one and kept it until they started to circle him. He was so ticked off that they treated him like prey, his blood started to boil, and he noticed that he grew hotter. A mirror across the room showed his wings getting brighter, and fiery armor starting to surround his torso. So, that's the boost, he thought. He began to ask questions, giving himself time to reach the full potential of his upgrades. 

"What are you? Who sent you?" He challenged viciously. 

"Shut up, Hot One!" Came the reply in his mind. "Hot One's pain will be over soon." He didn't like the sound of that, but he decided to chase it from his mind.

"What are you? Why are you here?" He asked, more angrily. He could feel his wings now, hot and true. He looked down and smiled at his body armor. 

"Cossack was told to help Stag." Came the reply. "Cossack is hungry, Hot One. Time to die." The one who had been communicating lunged, and Jake jumped over him, kicking another in the side. Before he could regroup, one of the beasts sank its teeth into his leg, and he felt his blood being drained. He realized the purpose of the beasts now. They were made to kill Seraphim. Specifically engineered to have a taste for their blood. His fury grew, and his temperature soared. 

He grabbed the one that lunged for his neck, and used both hands to crush its windpipe, making it die a slow, painful death. Three to go. He felt his new power, and his tactics changed. He no longer avoided close contact, but went for it. He allowed one to clamp down on his protected forearm, and stared hatred into its eyes as he fried its brain with his. Two to go. And no understanding of armor...Cool.

He quickly spread his wings, making a protective cover against the one free cossack, and giving his full attention to the one eating him alive. He channeled his pain into anger, and tried to pry open its jaw. He got one hand inside, and it was pinned to his leg by the cossack's incredibly strong teeth. He stuck his free hand over its mouth, bearing the pain while closing it completely. White fire shot down its nose, and the cossack unattached it's teeth and back away, trapped in the fiery circle of the blazing wings.

"That hurt, Hot One." It spoke to him. "Please leave cossack alone. Cossack was just following orders. Hot One knows orders. Please Hot One. You burned poor Cossack's nose." 

"Is that your master?" He asked with a threatening hand. "Cherry?" 

"Yes, Hot One." Came the reply. 

"Who is Cherry?" He interrogated. The Cossack didn't answer, and so he made a flame appear in his hand. It yelped and gave in. 

"Cherry is Mean One's master. Big, ugly, Mean One." Jake understood. The Stags. He nodded, and it kept going. "Cherry wants Charde. Charde made Cherry mad. Please, Hot One." It begged. "Not Cossack's nose. Cossack helped. Helped, now Hot One, let Cossack go." He looked dead at its eyes, and sneered. 

"Time to die." He said, and white fire blazed down the beasts nose, and he pushed down the charred body. He looked for the fourth one, afraid now. He had ten minutes before he died. Maybe nine, but he was faster now. Blood poured onto the floor as the cossack spoke to him, biding time. 

"Play fair, Hot One. Don't burn Cossack's poor nose. Play fair. Cherry said Hot One wasn't gonna cause trouble. Play fair, Hot One." It said, while slowly moving closer. Jake had no time to think. He had to kill it before he died. Time was running out.

Sam finally broke out of her state of shock and was able to assess the situation. Jake was out there, with four beasts, when last time, three almost killed him. She shed a tear at the thought of losing him. No. She was save him or die trying. She went over to the Stag body, and slowly and pulled the heavy, burning blade from its neck and stepped out her door with confidence. She froze when she saw the pool of blood around Jake's feet.  

The cossack saw Sam enter the room and came up with an idea. He would kill  the Hot One's she. It had done it before, when Cherry wanted cossacks, she had them fight for their spot. And cossack had lost once, but demanded a rematch the next day. That night, it had killed the other's she, and it broke the cossack. So, that's what it would do. Cossack was kill Hot One's she, and Hot One would be killed inside. Then, Cossack would feast one the warm  blood of the Hot One. It made its way to Hot One's she while the Hot One knelt down, fighting to stay awake. 

Sam watched in horror as the beast spoke to her inside her head. "She will die, now." It moved slowly toward her, and she struggled to get the sword up and between her and it. It was extremely heavy. When she did raise it, the animal paused. 

"Put Hot One's fang down, She. She will die soon. Jake saw the cossack walk toward Sam, and gathered all his strength for one last attack. He burst into fire, flahing acroos the rooma nd tackling the animal. The two wrestled for a minute, each one hurt, and each one determined not to lose. The cossack rejoiced when it clamped down on the Hot On'e hand, and then screamed as searing lava fried its body. Jake removed his hand, looked at Sam apologetically for leaving her, then collapsed