Immolation Ex: The Knower (COMPLETED)

Chapter LX

Fiery ejections burst from the horses' nostrils with each breath like the exhaust from a drag racer's engine. Onward they raced, ever approaching the golden menace known as Holok. Michael the Archangel maintained a solemn expression upon his beautiful face as he guided the beasts toward their collective fates. With one hand he grasped the reins; with the other he held his Father's sword above his head. Michael pointed the tip of the flaming blade toward his brother, the golden cloud once known as Uriel. The battle worn angel's wings opened...he was now ready for the fight of his existence. For today was the day that one of these two ancient brothers were going to meet their end.

Dustyn stood by Michael's side, Angel next to him. The trio's gaze affixed on the brilliant pulsing center of the billowy former Archangel.

"Ready?" Michael asked, "That's our destination...where the core of Holok's energy exists. His soul."

"What about the shield?" Dustyn asked.

"It's there. Its energy is what is protecting him from harm," Michael replied and then glanced back over his shoulder. "Angel?"

The young woman looked up. "Yes?"

"Here," Michael said and handed the Sword of Wrath to her.

Dustyn and Angel looked at each other and then at Michael.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Angel asked, taking the weapon's leather-bound handle. She found the sword surprisingly light for its size.

"Plunge it through the shield and destroy Holok. Dustyn and I will keep him busy, but only a perfect, pure soul can wield the sword's true power."

Angel looked down at the glowing blade. "I don't understand..."

Michael snapped the reins. "Do you remember when you drained the energy from that Grigori back at the hospital?"

"I do," Angel replied. "Mrs. Dunlop..."

"You negated Holok's energy as if it were nothing. No one outside of Heaven or on Earth can do that."

"But, I just saw Danny. He's normal again."

Michael nodded. "And it took the power of Heaven itself to do that. At the hospital, when I witnessed what you were capable of, I realized you were the only one that could stop Holok. With Father's sword in your hands, that shield is essentially useless to Holok. It was only meant to protect him from anything tainted...not pure. Archangels are by default imperfect, regardless of our exterior."

"Never thought of that," Dustyn said with a nod of his head. "That makes sense. Still, why is it you need me...?"

"Whether you know it or not, you are one of the most powerful beings in the universe. You contain the soul energy of the most powerful Watcher ever to have existed and now the energy of an Archangel, all within the body of an Original Soul. I can guarantee you Holok is more frightened of you than anything else in this plane of existence...next to Angel, of course."

Angel produced a cheesy grin. "I told you the day I met you I would get something special in Heaven..."

Dustyn laughed. "You did, didn't you!"

Michael nodded. "Alright, we are nearly there and I am not sure how Holok is going to react. We need to be vigilant and watchful of whom he lashes out at first, King David. Remember, our lives mean nothing without Angel's."

Dustyn looked over at the woman he loved. "That is truer than you know..."

________________________________________

"Oh no! They've killed another Cherubum! It's like we're fighting an army of Archangels, never mind those damn Grigori!" Carter shouted.

Louisa pulled the trigger on her rifle, disintegrating an approaching Holok clone's head. "I know! I don't know how long we can hold them off!"

Dante ducked as a golden sword flew over him. He dodged to the left and drove the blade of his sword into another clone's chest, dispatching it into an explosion of sparkling gold glitter. "We need reinforcements or we won't last much longer!"

"Over there!" Danny shouted. "I think your wish just got granted!"

Azazel streaked across space toward the celestial battle with over two dozen Archangels and an army of human angels behind him.

"That's the most impressive angel formation I think I have ever seen, even more so than the Blue Angels down in Pensacola!" Danny exclaimed. "Dammit!"

Carter laughed and squeezed the triggers on his weapons. Energy bolts erupted from the barrels of the two God Guns and vaporized a pair of descending Grigori. "Yessir, the cavalry has arrived! Yee haw!"

"That's what I'm talkin' bout!" Danny added and sliced through the body of another Holok clone. "Apparently Holok sees 'em, too! His cloud army is retreating."

"Or Michael's getting close to his center!" Carter shot back. He pointed at the gleaming chariot in the distance.

"Well then, we can't let any of Holok's clones get away! Destroy them and the Grigori as they run! The less of them the better the odds Michael, Angel, and Dustyn have!" Louisa shouted.
______________________________________

"Grab an Original Soul and any Cherubum as we pass by. We'll take the fight to Holok if that golden coward wants to run!" Azazel barked to the other Archangels racing up behind him. "Get ready, Carter!"

The sniper nodded as the winged Azazel streaked overhead and grabbed Carter around the chest.

"Destroy them! Kill them all, human!" Azazel said as the dark grin of a Watcher stretched over his pretty angelic face.

Carter shuttered at the thought that some of Azazel's darkness remained crawling around inside of his soul, hidden by his newfound beautiful exterior. But for now, this was the time and place for such energy. The sniper shrugged off his thoughts and began firing on Holok's minions as Azazel commanded.

________________________________________

Holok's golden surface rumbled as the chariot neared. A large section of it rose vertically like the wave of a tsunami and threatened to consume the vehicle.

"Oh, no you don't!" Dustyn said as his eyes became beams of energy. He lifted his hands out in front of him, Lightning discharging from his fingertips. The burst of energy crackled against the cloud of golden mist and sent the wave retreating away from the chariot.

Holok howled in pain. "You will all be destroyed...your energy will become mine!" he boomed.

Dustyn looked over at Angel crouching low in the back of the chariot, nervously gripping the sword's handle with two hands. He glanced up and noticed a glimmer of concern appear on Michael's face, the expression slipping through the Archangel's stalwart gaze. Dustyn knew what he needed to do.

Angel watched Dustyn stand just as he did earlier when he launched from the chariot to fight Attilla the Hun. "Oh, hell no!"

"Holok, you Galactic Addict...!" Dustyn figured Danny would have been proud of him at this moment. "You want me? Then you got me!"

"What are you doing, Dustyn?" Michael asked in confusion.

"What needs to be done! Trust me, Michael, there is no other way,  I feel it," Dustyn said sincerely and bent over to kiss Angel on the lips. He smiled. "I love you."

"No!" Angel said as the man stood and produced his energy wings. He crouched and flew from the back of the chariot toward Holok.

Angel popped up and with an open hand reached out to stop Dustyn, but the former King David was gone. "Come back...please Dustin, come back to me."

Dustyn did not hear Angel's request to return, his demon rage had consumed him. He grinned as he streaked toward the former Archangel. "You wanna hit, you bastard? Let's see if you can handle my special blend!"