The Fallen

Gerard's P.O.V

It was dark out now. Quiet and dark. I landed heavily on the soft ground, looking up at the massive silver gate in front of me. I forced my form to flicker and disappear, so the young angel guarding the gates wouldn't see me pass. I woke Frank with a gentle prod of my tail, he woke and started to mumble something, but I pressed my tail into his slightly open mouth. He got the message, but I still heard him gasp quietly as he saw the beautiful place.

Frank watched our surroundings curiously as I approach the gates. The angel guard can sense my presence, he looks around carefully, not seeing me. I see his eyes go gold as he ignites an angel power, the ability to see the charmed invisible.

It won't work on me, the power I have is too strong. When he is done looking around and sees nothing, he settles on the ground, closing his eyes. He can still sense the dark aura, but because he failed to see me, the angel gave up.

I stayed still a moment before proceeding past the gates and into the “city”. Frank watches the buildings as we pass, his eyes glazed as he studied the work of God's followers. I, much to my own distaste, could not take to the air any longer. They would sense me immediately, and all hope of rescuing my brother would be lost.

The winding paved road took us deep into the heart of Tannin, I knew very well they'd have close watch on my brother. At this time of night, all citizens were asleep. If there was one part of the order in this place I was thankful for, it was the scheduling. Every angel was to do everything at the same time every day, all at the same time.

I was beginning to pick up faint traces of his scent. I pressed my nose to the ground, walking slowly and quietly as possible. Every here and there, there would be a slightly stronger trace. I had hit a trail.

As I continued, the trailed straightened into a line, a trail that he must have set down on purpose. It wasn't fresh, which worried me, but the last time he had laid down a fresh scent was at least six days old.

At last, I reached a small building into which the trail led. I analyzed the entire building, looking for a way in other than the great golden door. Walking around the perimeter of the building, there was a place where the walling was falling away. I considered the combined weight of Frank and myself, but I thought I could scale it.

Taking several steps away, I rushed forward, snapping my wings open and thrusting downward powerfully as I leaped, sending my body upwards along the wall. Several more wing strokes later, I was on top of a sagging roof, a small window leading down into the room. Looking down into it, I could see my little brother dressed in the classic angel's white robe.

I let out a short hiss. How misplaced he looked in a place like this, for he had been here once before, back when I was an equal member of this land. Suddenly, he looked up to the window were I was crouched.

“Mikey!” Frank hissed, trying to get my brother's attention.

Mikey looked confused before he whispered, “Frank? Gerard? Is that you guys?”

Mikey, it's us. We're here for you. We'll get you out of here, come over to the window.

He stood and walked over to stand under the small window, staring up at nothing. I let my form flicker so he could see me before swinging my head around and, as gently as possible, pulling Frank off of me and setting him down on the roof. He blinked questioningly, but said nothing.

I leaped lightly through the window, causing Mikey to gasp and jump back. I landed like a cat, flicking out my tail to hit his leg, Get on my back.

He nodded and proceeded to mount me, his hands gripping the black horns on my head. Bending my legs, I gathered all the power I could into my back legs and leaped without opening my wings. One clawed hand managed to attach itself to the edge of the window, pulling my body up. Almost as soon as I was out of the window, there was a creaking and the noise of breaking metal. My tail lashed out and wrapped around Frank's waist, pulling him on top of me.

Within moments, I launched myself into the air, only just managing to escape being caught in the rubble of the suddenly collapsing roof.

Shit. We have to get out of here! So much for a quiet get away, right?

I had become accustom to flying with Frank on my back, but the boy was only 120 pounds. Mikey wasn't heavy, but he weighed more than Frank, and it was getting difficult to support my own and both of their weight.

I climbed, working my wings and willing them to let me get higher. I was a good thirty feet up, but I needed to be higher.

Come on! I said to myself this time, rather than to them Come on! Please! Just... a... bit... more...

After five agonizing minutes, I reached fifty feet in the air, the perfect height for what I was planning. My sharp eyes singled out the hustle of angels running about, gathering armies. Of course they were going to fight for Mikey.

Of course, we may die here.

I circled again, my eyes searching for one in particular. Mikey! Quickly, describe to me the Archangel!

“Silver hair!” He shouted over the wind, “A girl, tall thin and older looking, long sliver hair!”

I nodded, my eyes singling out the angel dressed in golden robes with long, flowing silver hair.

Hang on tight, guys.

I dove, causing both boys to scream. Mikey's hands tightened on my horns as I tucked my wings into my sides, falling steep and fast until I was ten feet from the ground, and I snapped open my wings, thrusting downward several times until my decent had slowed enough for me to circle and land.

The angels all around me were frozen in shock and fear, watching me. I turned to face the silver-haired Archangel, staring her dead in the eyes.

We are leaving here with my brother.

“I'm afraid,” she said menacingly, “That is not acceptable. He belongs to us, and you will not take him without a fight.”

I temporarily cut off connections to the angles' mind's so I could speak only to Frank and Mikey.

Mikey. You know this place, take Frank and hide, somewhere, anywhere.

Mikey growled and Frank whispered, “We aren't leaving you here to fight alone, Gee. You brought weapons, we'll use them. You can fight in this form. We trained a bit, remember? Mikey can fight, I'm sure. Come on, Gee. We love you, and neither of us is going to leave you here.”

Alright. Frank, I want you to take the sword. It'll be difficult to use, but Mikey can help. Mikey, the Phoenix Feather bow. I can fight with my natural weapons.

In an instant, Frank and Mikey both grabbed the two weapons hidden on me, leaping off of my back and standing, weapons poised.

I lifted the barrier keeping their thoughts from mine.

We'll fight you.

The Archangel sneered, “You think you stand any chance against us? Our entire army?”

We'll sure as fucking hell try.

The she-angel leaped at me, pulling a sword from her belt. And with the one move, the battle began. She raised her sword high above her head, but was jostled when she dodged a blow aimed at her ribs. Hissing like some feral animal, she brought the sword down. I reared back onto my hind legs, catching the blade and yanking on it, unbalancing her. She was skilled, and caught herself, twirling and jabbing at my side.

I leaped back, hearing a scream as I snapped the spine of a fighting angel. Her anger grew as she saw this, and her aimed jabs and thrusts of the tempered steel became faster and harder to avoid. One hard slice sent the blade bouncing off my scales, causing her to hiss something in her language.

I decided I was tired of being on defense, so I switched to offense, so I launched myself at her. I was so close to clawing her face off when two angels blocked me, falling as I slammed into them and tore them apart. She retested several steps, notching an arrow in a leather bow.

I ignored this, arrows were no threat to me, and turned to see Frank and Mikey back to back, Frank slashing and hacking at any angels that came his way, though I could already see cuts on his neck, arms and face from where angels had slipped beneath his guard. Mikey, on the other hand, had several felled angels scattered around his feet, and was preparing to launch another fire arrow at a burly angel approaching.

There were so many of them. Was it even possible for us to escape alive?

I thrashed my tail out, the spiked tip connecting with the heads of two male angels, bringing them to their knees with wholes in their heads. My head snapped back around to find myself face to face with the Archangel. She attempted to stab the sword up through my chin, but my tail whipped around and caught her shoulder, raking open the skin there.

She leaped back, striking me again and severing my tail. I roared, shooting a foreleg forward and attempting to harm her again. I was distracted by three angels throwing themselves at me and sending me sprawling onto my side. One was hacking at my ribcage with a knife, it shouldn't have harmed me, but he got the knife under my skin and slashed it open.

I convulsed, throwing him off me, and I quickly struggled to my feet and ripped his head off, doing the same to the other angels I could reach. I quickly licked the wound, sighing as the numbing properties became effective.

Most unfortunately, I began to feel something else. Something very, very bad. My body was beginning to change, to turn back into the defenseless human form that would surely be the end of me. I looked around, managing to take a bloody robe from one of the dead angels just as my body finished the change. I yanked it on just as I felt the sword point on my back.

I turned slowly, falling back onto the dusty ground. The battle continued around me, though now I could see dark shapes clashing with angels, shapes of cats and dogs and birds. Demons. And they were fighting for us.

My gaze returned to the silver-haired angel in front of me. Her hair was wild and her eyes blazed, a sinister smile spread across her face, “Are you ready to die for real, Gerard?”

She put her long sword to my throat, applying pressure. She was going to kill me. “Wait.” I croaked, “Tell Frank I love him.”

She snorted, “Your dying wish? Too bad. You have ravaged my people and our place of haven, and now you have ignited a war between the angels and demons. Your crimes are insufferable. There is no afterlife for things like you. Your time is up, Way. Goodbye.”

She pressed the blade forward, and I could feel it beginning to cut into my jugular. And I was going to die.