Justice for the Fallen
19.1 Melkyal

The world around me shattered. I was pushed off the ground and thrown back like a rag doll. I crashed into the mass of people behind me and stopped at the nearby building wall in a tangle of limbs and painful moans.

When I managed to get back to my feet, my heart sank. In the middle of the plaza was a small crater. The cobblestones were ripped out and scattered all around. Mangled cage bars were tossed away as if they were made of straw, not iron.

And in the middle of this wreckage, surrounded by dark flames, stood Sanna. Her eyes became dark empty pits, and the way she smiled sent a shiver down my spine. She was no longer an insolent demon I fell for. The stench of dark magic hit me together with the flames’ heatwave. My insides clenched painfully. That was the sight I expected when I was called down to this city to deal with a demon on a rampage.

The Wrath Demon smiled and raised her hands. The dark power swirled around her, ready to do her bidding. She pointed her clawed finger and the luxury pavilion the nobles erected to themselves erupted in flames. The screams and repugnant smell of burned flesh filled the air as humans who were too slow to flee died a horrible death.

There was nothing I could do for them now, so I looked away, focusing on people around me, who slowly got their bearings, still in shock.

“Get away from here, right now,” I prompted, helping them to their feet. “Run as fast as you can. Leave the city. It’s not safe now.”

“SO, YOU CHOOSE WAR,” the Mighty One thundered. He raised Omael’s hand, and a flaming sword appeared out of thin air. “I CALL UPON ALL ANGELS. COME DOWN TO EARTH TO STAND AGAINST THE THREAT OF THE FALLEN. WE WILL NOT LET THE DARKNESS FLOOD THE HUMAN REALM. BRING DOWN THE LIGHT AND BURN THOSE FIENDS IN HOLY FIRE!”

The sound of thousand trumpets filled the air, followed by the rustle of hundreds of wings. The sky filled with the angels descending to earth with their weapons bared and the battle cry on their lips. Their beautiful faces were grim but determined and ready to heed the call of their god.

“No,” I gasped. I still had a hard time believing it came to this. An all-out war between Heaven and Hell. I didn’t have time to get over my shock as more demons released their power.

Zurgrun disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke and walked out a moment later in his full demon glory, with enormous dragon-like wings sprouting from his back and a viciously looking double-bladed sword in his hands.

“Rise, demons!” he bellowed. “The time has come to a stop grovelling and bending our necks under the tyranny of angels. It was not enough for them to see us on our knees after losing the war. They decided to spit on the Peace Treaty and eradicate us, even though we weren’t the ones breaking the mutually negotiated laws. It is time to show them that we are a force to be reckoned with!”

The demons roared with a strength that made the ground tremble. I swayed on my feet as another wave of dark magic from combined Fallen powers rolled through the city, almost setting the air on fire.

“Let’s give them Hell!” Zurgrun finished with a cruel smile.

“SLAY THE DEMONS! SHOW NO MERCY!” the Mighty One thundered, his flaming sword slashing and turning the closest demons to dust before they uttered a sound.

The roaring demons raised their weapons and rushed like a wave at incoming angels, who struggled to form the ranks. A clash of steel and crackling of magic filled the air as darkness and light collided in an ancient dance. It was tempting to stand there and watch the epic battle unfold or even join in. Maybe if it had happened a month ago, I would be there, leading the charge with my flaming sword. Doing what I was best at─killing the rampaging Fallen.

But I was no longer part of the Mighty One’s servants.

My heart pulled me towards Sanna. She was in the middle of it all, and I had to bring her back before it was too late. But the plaza filled with a mass of fighting creatures, so we could as well be miles away.

People screamed in fear and pain when the stray projectiles started hitting bystanders. Mortals scrambled away from the fight, trying to find a safe hiding spot. I feared that the whole city was no longer safe. Not when Heaven and Hell chose it as their battleground. I unsheathed my sword. I had to evacuate innocents from this madness before they all became collateral damage.

„Stop staring and get out of here!” I roared at still petrified humans, pushing them to move away from the market. “Come on, if you stay here, you’ll die!”

Then the building next to us exploded.

I was pushed to the ground by the sheer force of the blast. My back burned from the close encounter with flames. I was stunned for a moment and lay motionless in the rubble, surrounded by a dull silence. The sounds slowly trickled back to my ears as if I were in a deep cave, away from everything. I gritted my teeth and tried to get back up again.

“Melkyal!” The voice was small, as if someone was calling me from far away, but firm hands gripped my arm and helped me to my feet. I looked up at Milla. She was wide-eyed, her face covered in soot and scrapes.

“You have to get to Sanna,” she insisted, trying to outshout the screams of injured and dying. “The longer the Wrath Demon is out, the harder it would be for her to come back!”

“I know! But first, we must get people out of here! We must─” I never finished the sentence because I saw a hulking mass of muscles charging towards us in the corner of my eye. I pushed Milla away but didn’t have time to raise my sword when the demon rammed at me at full speed.

Once again, I sailed through the air to crash into the burning rubble of the ruined building. I groaned in pain and tried to tap into my magic to heal, but I found nothing. The fear and desperation had taken root in my mind. It was a full-blown war against the mad demons, and I was powerless.

The demon laughed. He was huge, with bulging muscles and bull-like horns protruding from his broad skull. The heavy, double-edged axe looked like it weighed nothing in his effortless grip. He bared his sharp teeth in a creepy smile. “Come here, you holy bastard. Let’s see how far you can fly if I cut off those wings!”

I tried to get up, but a searing pain in my chest indicated I had already suffered a few broken ribs. My heart raced as I raised my sword in a meek defence against a looming monster. Without my god’s support, I was nothing, not much stronger than a regular mortal. My body was frail, and all it would take to kill me was one decisive blow.

The one that was coming right now.

The Fallen stood over me and raised his axe with a mighty roar.

But the triumphant howl quickly turned into a painful cry when the light strike pierced his back. The demon turned to see what hit him, but it was too late. His legs buckled under him, and he collapsed, making the ground shake under the impact.

A blue-feathered angel landed gracefully next to the body and wrenched the spear out of it effortlessly, spilling black blood. She looked at me with disbelief in her clear blue eyes.

“What are you doing, Melkyal, sir?”

“Amitiel! Oh, was I ever so grateful to see you!” I said and tried to smile.

She was unimpressed; her eyes narrowed. “Why are you not fighting? Why haven’t you healed yourself?”

I sighed. We didn’t have time for this. As we talked, the clear blue sky turned black and red, and thunders rumbled very close. I had to get to Sanna and stop this madness before it was too late. I gave Amitiel a once-over. She was a fierce warrior and a perfect soldier of the Mighty One. She might not like what I had to say, but convincing her to help me was my only chance now, so I decided to come clean. “Because I can’t. I lost my powers.”

“You what? Why would you….” Her eyes widened in realisation, and she gripped her spear tighter. “You defied the Mighty One?! You joined the Fallen?”

“I didn’t join anyone.” I tried to stand, but the pain in my ribs was too much. “You saw the trial, Amitiel. It was not the Fallen that started this massacre.”

There was a quick flash in her eyes. Doubt. Everything we saw today was a groundbreaking revelation. But it would take time to process and draw conclusions according to our conscience. Time we didn’t have. She pointed her spear at me. “But they are the ones destroying everything. They always were. If we defeat them, we can finally have peace once and for all.”

“And for what cost? How many will have to die in this war so you can eventually have peace? And how long will it last?”

“It is not for us to decide!”

“That’s enough!” A new voice cried over the commotion. Anauel landed and kneeled at my side in the flurry of grey feathers. “Why are you fighting each other? He’s hurt, can’t you see?”

“He no longer serves the Mighty One!” Amitiel protested. “Step away, Anauel, right now!”

“I will not!”

I looked surprised at the young angel. I’d never heard her gentle voice laced with so much conviction. She was an attendant, not a warrior. She shouldn’t even be here, but her dress was torn and burned in places, her face desperate.

“If we want to stop this madness, we must work together!” She hovered a hand over my chest, and the light illuminated her fingers. The warmth spread through my body, taking away the pain as if it had never been there.

“Thank you.” I squeezed her hand gratefully and could finally get back to my feet. My body felt strong as if I hadn’t been thrown all over the place in a matter of minutes. I turned to Amitiel. “I need your help.”

She raised her spear again, her body tense and ready to attack. “You’re a traitor to the Mighty One. I will not help you.”

“Do you think you can stop all the Fallen then?” I prompted. “Are you going to stand against both Wrath and Pride demons?”

As on cue, another building exploded in flames, forcing us to dodge a rain of jagged stones.

“And you can?” Amitiel shouted, her wide eyes full of fear and desperation, her knuckles white on her weapon. “You don’t even have your powers!”

“True, but he has something better,” Anauel interjected and put her hand on my chest. “He has Wrath Demon’s heart. If someone can drag her back from this path of destruction, it’s him.”

I covered her hand with mine, smiling, and turned to Amitiel again. “If we can get Sanna back, she can help contain Zurgrun. But without my power, I can’t get to her. I need you and other angels to escort me close enough so I can talk to her.”

“You’re insane!” the Angel of Courage gasped, but she lowered her spear. “She will strike you down the moment you show your face. Whoever she was before, whatever you two had, she gave it up once she released her powers. You know that, Melkyal. You hunted down hundreds of rampaging demons. There is no turning back for them.”

“Yes, but I never tried hard enough to get them back,” I said quietly, regret filling my soul at the realisation. It was true. I was always a dutiful pawn in the hands of the Mighty One. He pointed, and I killed. I wholeheartedly believed in his every word. That the Fallen are the plague of this word, the taint that could only be cured with holy fire.

But it was all a lie.

The Fallen, just like us, were servants of a cruel and vicious god who made them his tools. But they were not necessarily evil themselves. It took me a while to understand that, and I could never undo what I’d done. But I can at least try to repent by doing the right thing now.

I gave Amitiel a pleading look. “Please, I can’t do it alone.”

She scoffed and looked at the city turned to smouldering ruins. At the bodies scattered on the ground. “Fine. But this is madness. If you fail, I’m taking down the Wrath Demon myself.”

“Thank you.” I bowed my head. “A chance is all I ask.”

“Wait here. I’ll rally a unit so we can push through to the centre of the square,” the Angel of Courage demanded and jumped into the air.

I turned to Anauel. “I need you to gather as many people as possible and take them out of here. Try to find Milla. She’s been hiding people most of her life. If someone knows safe ways out of here, it’s her.”

“May the light guide you, Melkyal.” She bowed her head. “I can’t help you in battle but accept my blessing. Hopefully, it will help you endure some of the blows.” The light engulfed me again, making me feel calm and at peace. I knew the protection would not hold against the dark magic for long, but it was something.

“Thank you, Anauel.”

Before she could respond, heavy raindrops started to lash down. I hissed in pain. It was not a regular storm, as the droplets left scalds every time they touched my skin.

It was acid rain.

Anauel touched my arm gently. “You need to stop her before it is too late.”

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