The Rise and Fall

17 - The Right Direction

All of the Fallen angels in the medical tent had become used to the permanent scowl that sat harshly across Emiliana's face as she sat awkwardly on her campbed with her arms crossed over her chest. Although Emiliana was defenseless and out of action, a lot of the Fallen angels dared to go near her, often leaving her alone unless it was absolutely necessary - checking that her wound was healing, or if she howled at one of them because she was hungry or wanted to get up and get out before the fighters did something they really regretted in hindsight. 

The fighters that had ambushed the Risen platoon had disposed of them a long time ago, but one had escaped. The leader of the platoon, Ramiel, had fled the scene when he'd realised that the Fallen fighters were incredibly advanced in fighting, but the angels were worried that he'd fled back to the castle to rally more troops. They were now sat outside around a table, discussing theories and strategies to invading the Crystal Palace without drawing attention from the angels on the outside. 

Emiliana was almost kicking herself inside the medical tent. She could hear snippets of the conversation that the fighters were having and they were going to get mowed down the minute that they became visible through the trees of the forest at this rate. She let her head fall into the palms of her hands as a deep, slow breath blew from her lips. They were just planning to get themselves obliterated. 

Four times she'd attempted to leave the tent and tell them what they were doing wrong, but every time, someone had stopped her, ignored her pleas - which were a few words short of threats - and had placed her back on the stupid, lumpy campbed that she was coming to hate now. 

"Emiliana?" A young, dark eyed angel with flowing black hair that was tied smoothly just at the nape of her neck. She looked slightly worried and seemed to hold back with her movements as though she was expecting Emiliana to pounce. 

"What?" Emiliana's reply was quick and harsh and resulted in the angel jumping a little in fright, rattling the medical equipment that lay on a silver metal tray that she held firmly in her hands, so tightly that her knuckles were whitening. "Sorry." Emiliana tried to soften her voice, but frustration refused to back down so her voice was a raspy whisper instead. 

"I'm just going to check the stitches on your wound, it may need cleaning again," the angel set down the metal tray on the little table that stood next to Emiliana's camp bed. They both were afraid of the cleaning process now. When they'd first brought Emiliana in, who was then semi-conscious, they'd attempted to clean the wound, but shots of pain were like kicks to Emiliana's head and she'd lashed out at the nearest person, resulting in them needing three stitches across the top of their cheek just beneath their lower lashes on the right side. 

"I'll just go and get some assistance," the young angel gave Emiliana an apologetic smile and disappeared behind the curtain again. Emiliana breathed out again and set her palms down on the railings of the bed just next to her knees. Her eyes darted over the room and landed on the shiny, silvery medical equipment that lay waiting in the metal tray. The scissors seemed to be calling her name as she got down, carefully, on her knees that picked them up, examining them in the half light that the small lamp, that sat on the bedside table, emitted. They were elongated and slim and when Emiliana opened them, she could see the thin razors on the inside, glinted mischievously to be used. 

She quickly but carefully jumped over the campbed, where the thin canvas wall of tent flapped in a soft rhythm with the wind outside. Without any hesitation, she plunged the scissors into the canvas and dragged them down so that a large slit slithered down the beige fabric. She threw the scissors down onto the bed and squeezed through the slit, that ripped even more when she pressed her body through it, but she didnn't look back once. When she first emerged, only trees surrounded her vision, the greenery fading to black the further she attempted to see. She rounded the corner of the tent and saw about ten of the Fallen fighters all crowded over a table, arguing about some stupid strategy about taking hostages. 

"No way!" Emiliana shouted as she moved on over to them. Leo wasn't among them; something that creased her eyebrows together. They all turned in her direction and she watched as their eyes widened. "You can't take hostages." 

"And why not?" A tall, young looking boy seemed to be the only angel not in awe as Emiliana pushed several out of the way so that she could lean on the table. 

"You're getting away from the real object," Emiliana rolled her eyes as though it was obvious. "Get rid of the Highest angel and the Risen will fall. They're not like you, they don't live in a democratic society with a chosen leader. They live in a dictatorship, serving one person."

"So, we take down the leader and they'll all back down?"

"Yes. The Highest Council is just a name. No one's ever seen the Council altogether. It's just a cover-up name to give Gabriel even more power." Emiliana pressed on.

"The bast-"

"Yes, call him what you want, your plans will all be futile because you don't know what goes on on the inside." 

"You're saying we have to include you?"

"No, I'm saying you need me," Emiliana let her palm hit the table and lie flat just as her name rang through her ears. 

"Emiliana!" Emiliana turned to see an older looking angel stalking towards her, the younger angel who'd arrived to treat her following behind looking a little guilty. "How dare you run away!"

"I wasn't running away," Emiliana rolled her eyes and let out an over-reactive sigh as she glanced back at the fighters with a bored expression plastered on her face. "I could hear these idiots planning your obliteration and thought I might just point them in the right direction."

"Emiliana, you have just destroyed our medical tent!"

"No, I have not!"

"What did she do?" The young male angel piped up, stepping next to her and looking straight at the whiny woman. 

"Haven, she slit the tent wall apart!"

"You have needles and thread, just sew it back together," Emiliana whined as though she was making a big deal out of nothing. Haven looked down at Emiliana, trying to keep the smile off of his face. 

"Well, just have some of the nurse sew it back together and it'll be fine," he ordered the woman and she simply turned on her heel and stomped back into the tent, ignoring the fact that Emiliana was still due her examination. Emiliana didn't care much for that though. 

She helped to plan to the attack, sending herself forward first with one Fallen angel and then the rest would wait for her signal before they ambushed the castle, coming in through the kitchen - taking no prisoners or harming no one unless they made a pass at them - and then they would attempt to corner Gabriel before disposing of him. 

"Seems like a plan," Haven nodded at Emiliana who rolled her eyes and turned away from the tablel to see the young angel who'd tried to treat her coming out of the tent. 

"Haven?"

"Mira?" Haven ran to her and set his hands on her elbows. Emiliana tilted her head at the affection that was running through both of them and emanating off of them like radiation. 

"He's awake now," Mira whispered, looking up at him, seeing his widening eyes and crooked smile. "But..." She trailed off when his smile disappeared, replaced with a look of puzzlement. 

"But what?" A little fear and dread crept onto his face as Emiliana peered back at the other fighters who were watching just as intently as she was. 

"He's asking for Emiliana." She whispered, her head moving to the side a little until she was looking at Emiliana. Emiliana didn't need to be told who 'he' was. She rushed forward to Mira and grabbed her shoulders, not noticing how wide Mira's eyes were. 

"Where is he?" 

"Inside. A bed away from you," she answered, flicking her eyes back from Haven to Emiliana. 

Emiliana didn't even realise how confused Haven looked. Why would his best friend ask for her before him?