Heaven and Hell

Two days after Serena had returned from her battle with Alvora, she was released from the Medical Centre, back to her peak condition. Physically, she hadn’t suffered any serious injuries, however her chi had been significantly drained after her powerful final attacks. Once the adrenaline had left her system, Serena had found herself drained to the point of passing out. She had slept for most of the two days that she was getting treated. Today she had finally awoke and was pronounced fit to return to her usual activities, but was told to take it easy for awhile.

Word had spread quickly around the Great Monastery of Serena’s incredible feat. Defeating a Greater Demon was a huge accomplishment that few within the Order had claimed, and none of them had done it on their first mission. As she walked down the halls over the next week or so, people would often stop to congratulate her, ask for the details of the battle, and ask several questions, some of which had nothing to do with the mission at all. Someone had asked about her guns and how they worked, she did her best to explain, but she felt she may have confused them more than inform them.

A few of the men within the Order had tried to impress her by telling stories of their own, most of which she figured were exaggerated or lies all together. Some were making romantic gestures and just out right making idiots of themselves trying to impress her. One guy, who she didn’t even know, thought he could impress her with his large muscles, claiming he had taken on ten demons at once, barehanded. He put his arm around her, and she flipped him over her head and threw him to the ground and left him there stunned. The entire room burst out laughing. Men, she thought to herself, shaking her head in annoyance as she left the cafeteria. Even here they seem to be after only one thing.

She tried not to let them bother her too much. She knew there were plenty of good men out there, both in the Order and out. She didn’t really have time for a relationship anyway. Since returning from her mission her training had increased tenfold. Li Yung was teaching her advanced techniques, most of which involved her channelling her chi. She found she had gotten quite good at those, thanks to his help she had further increased her speed, strength, reflexes and endurance. She found she could fire more rounds from her guns without tiring, and she had even learned to block and deflect magical barrages by channelling her chi into her different limbs like Li Yung had demonstrated against the Witch. This greatly impressed Li Yung as it took most people several years to accomplish. He said she was not quite perfect yet.

Ms. Henslenger had Serena study more powerful demons and other supernatural threats and how to combat them. She even began to learn some of the names of the well known Greater Demons, past and present, as well as the abilities they possess. She learned that the Greater Demons were sub categorized in three sections; A, B and C class. Alvora had been a C class Greater Demon, meaning that he was weak by Greater Demon standards, but formidable to most other adversaries. The Fiend, she found was unclassified for the only two to face him and live either died or vanished mysteriously. He never left any witnesses to his power. Most speculate him to be in the A class.

Serena would occasionally see Maria and Dalton, but they didn’t converse very much. Maria had resumed her duties as Head of Security, and Dalton was on the night shift of the guard perimeter patrol, so he slept most of the day. Though the times Serena was actually with Maria, she found that she wasn’t quite as cold as she used to be, though she was taking Colleen and Rene’s deaths very hard. She blamed herself for their deaths and kept focussing on her work to keep her mind occupied.

Three weeks after Serena had defeated Alvora, Serena sat in Father Stephens’s study once again. The small rectangular room looked the exact same as it had the last time she had visited it when she had received Demon’s Bane and Divine Retribution. The desk in the centre of the room was still as cluttered as ever. Father Stephens sat across from her, deep in thought, as if he was trying to figure out how to start this conversation.

Serena hadn’t seen the priest very much since she had returned. He visited her the day she awoke in the Medical Centre where he had congratulated her on her fine work and handed her the new schedule. After that he seemed to have disappeared. She didn’t even see him at meals and their lessons on the Order had ceased. This struck her as odd. Li Yung and Maria had told her it was strange for him, but they figured he must’ve been working on something big.

Father Stephens looked rather ragged and worn. His normally clean and pressed uniform was looking rather shabby. His thin hair was a mess. He had dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, which suggested he hadn’t slept in at least a few days, maybe longer. Serena’s apprehension grew as the priest continued to stare off into space, seemingly oblivious to her presence. Serena cleared her throat and brought Father Stephens out of his trance like state.

“Ah, yes my apologies Serena,” he said, “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve called you here.” Serena nodded in affirmation then Father Stephens continued,

“First of all, what I am about to tell you is highly sensitive, only the highest members of the Order are privy to this information.” Again, Serena nodded.

“For the past few weeks I have been investigating a rogue member of the Order of the Holy Light named Diego Garcia. About three years ago, Diego had vanished without a trace during a mission involving a pack of Feral Demons terrorizing a small village in Brazil.”

“This sort of mission would normally take an agent of Diego’s caliber a few hours to accomplish, though normally we don’t send an agent of his caliber to handle such a mission, but he volunteered as it was his home village the demons were attacking. He went on his own to Brazil, but never reported back to us. After three days of no contact and no signs of his return, an investigation team was sent to find and possibly retrieve him.

“I was part of the investigation team. We discovered the bodies of the Feral Demons on the outskirts of the village, but no sign of Diego. Until now.” He turned the computer screen, so it was facing Serena. On the screen was a picture of a man roughly the same age as Father Stephens. His hair was short and dark, and he was clearly Latino. There was something strange in his eyes, almost like there was something dark hiding in them. Stephens clicked the mouse and a video began to play.

“Hello Darren old friend, do you remember me? Well I hope so, because I remember you, you who betrayed me! You who left me to die!” Diego began to laugh hysterically. Still giggling, he continued,

“If you are seeing this then I have just stolen something very precious from the Vault. Oh don’t give me that look, you know it exists! The Order has kept it very hush, hush, but it’s mine now! Soon, no human or demon will be able to stand in my way! Try and stop me if you can Darren! See you soon!” Diego waved at the camera and the screen went black. There was a long silence as Serena digested everything she had just seen.

“He seems... deranged,” she said slowly. “What’s this Vault he is talking about?”

“That’s nothing for you to worry about right now, Serena,” he replied. Serena bit back a retort. The look in the priest’s eye, a glint of something she had never seen in him before, fear, stopped her. It made her decide that now wasn’t the best time to ask.

“Why does he have such a grudge against you? Can you at least tell me that?”
“Diego and I were rivals in our younger years. We both had been with the Order since we were very young. We were the top students in each of our classes. We were pretty much even. But we weren’t just rivals, we were also best friends.

“A few years before he left on the mission in Brazil, we were on a mission together fighting against a Greater Demon by the name of Ragar, an immensely powerful demon. He had greatly wounded Diego, left him near death. In my anger I left Diego to fend for himself while I chased after Ragar, but the demon had escaped.

“When I had returned, Diego was gone. After some investigation I found him in a local hospital, apparently a couple jogging together spotted him and called an ambulance. They had saved his life, while I....I left him. We never spoke again.” Father Stephens’s fists were clenched and Serena could tell he was fighting back tears.

“I was so arrogant and stupid! I was blinded by my rage. I couldn’t think straight...” his voice trailed off. Serena touched his hand lightly with her own. He started to relax and regain his composure.

“I have been trying to track him down on my own for the past few weeks and I think I may have found him,” he said, “and I’d like it if you’d accompany me, Serena.” Serena was taken aback.

“Why me?” she asked. The priest smiled.

“You performed very well against Alvora, so this will be a good opportunity for you to hone your new skills,” he replied. “It would be foolish of me to go alone, who better to accompany me than the Bellator Dei?”

“I won’t let you down, Father,” she said, bowing her head.

“I know you won’t child. Go, gather what you need and meet me in the Archangel, we leave within the hour.” He stood up and turned his attention to his archives while Serena left his study. She headed to her room. The only thing she needed to do was prepare her supply belt, which would hold things like food, water, first aid supplies, her communicator, and a small mask for breathing underwater to name a few things.

On her way to her room, George came up beside her and started walking with her. He had recovered much in the last few weeks. The only thing that was still wrong with him was his left eye, which he kept a patch over, but other than that he was as fit as ever. He had even begun to train and study with the other members of the Order. He joined the Warrior’s Caste and was excelling at it.

“Hey Serena, where are you off to in such a hurry?” he asked.

“I can’t talk about it, but I’m going on a mission,” Serena replied, barely glancing at him.

“A mission eh? Think they’d let me come with you?”

“Doubtful. It’s high priority.”

“I can handle it. Come on Serena, I’m itching to get out there and do something! I’ve been cooped up here too long!” he exclaimed. Serena stopped and turned to her friend. She knew he wouldn’t give this up very easily. He could be stubborn at times. She also knew how he felt. he’d been cooped up too long with nothing to do but sparring and studying. Though she was worried he would get hurt again, she knew he could probably handle himself. George had become one of the top fighters in the caste in a short amount of time.

And it would be good to have him watching my back, he’s never let me down before, she thought to herself.

“I’ll talk to Father Stephens about it, but no promises,” she replied. George smiled his silly half smile.

“That’s all I ask Serena,” he said.

“I’m meeting him in the Archangel within the hour, meet up with us there, ready to go and we’ll see what Father Stephens thinks.” George gave Serena one of his famous bear hugs. She welcomed the embrace, even though she could barely breathe.

“I’ll see you there,” he said excitedly. And with that he left. Serena watched him go, chuckling silently. She hadn’t seen him this excited since before they joined the Order, which felt like a lifetime ago.

Serena continued to her room and gathered her things, trying to plan for what she might face, but she didn’t really know so she tried to plan for everything. There was a knock at her door. Serena turned to see Li Yung standing in the doorway. He bowed in his customary fashion, which she returned. She motioned for him to enter. He did, but not very far.

“I hear you’re going on a very important mission Miss Serena,” he said. Serena nodded.

“How did you know?” she asked, still packing what she needed.

“Father Stephens told the members of Buddha’s Fist that you and him were leaving the Monastery for awhile on a high priority mission and that he was leaving Maria in charge of the Monastery,” Li Yung replied. “I came to wish you luck and see you off... and to say good bye.” Li Yung’s voice grew quiet at the last words. Serena looked up to see that his head was facing the ground, something was not right.

“What do you mean Li Yung? I’m only going to be gone a short while. It’s not really good bye you know,” she said in an attempt to cheer him up.

“It will be, I have been summoned back to the Great Temple. I leave in two days, you will not be back by then, and I don’t know if I’ll be back to the Monastery anytime soon.” Li Yung explained.

“Why have you been summoned back?” Serena inquired.

“The Grand Elder wishes an audience with me to discuss my future. He wouldn’t say anything else other than that, but I must return. They will probably have some new assignment for me.” Li Yung’s voice held a great sadness.

“I have been here for so long, it will be strange leaving. I will miss everyone, especially you, Miss Serena.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll see each other someday, even if I have to come all the way to Tibet to find you,” Serena replied smiling, which Li Yung returned.

“It has been an honour to train you and to fight by your side. I hope our paths cross again someday soon.”

“As do I, Li Yung.” The two embraced and Li Yung bowed once again, and with that the young monk left, leaving Serena alone with her thoughts. She was thinking back to the first time she had met Li Yung, and all that they had been through in such a short time together. She realized that aside from George and perhaps Father Stephens, Li Yung was the only other person she knew she could completly trust. She hoped that she would see her friend again, sooner rather than later.

Serena glanced at the clock and noticed that it was almost time for her to leave. She quickly grabbed the rest of her supplies and bolted out of her room, down the many staircases(and cursing each one) to the launch bay.

When Serena finally made it down, Father Stephens was in a heated discussion with George. Serena groaned inwardly, she had hoped to make it to the Archangel before George so she could try and convince Father Stephens herself. When she approached, the two men turned to her.

“Did you tell him he can go on this mission?” Father Stephens demanded. He sounded more annoyed than angry.

“No, I said I’d talk to you first and I was hoping to get here before him, but I got distracted and I-” Father Stephens held up a hand for silence.

“Alright Serena, take a breath,” he said sighing. “Well George, since you’re here and seem determined to come you might as well join us.”

“Alright! I won’t let you down, Father!” George said excitedly. Father Stephens just nodded his head and gestured for George to board the plane before him. George strode by, winking at Serena as he passed. Serena couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Your partner can be very persuasive, you know that?” the priest said shaking his head. Serena’s smile grew broader.

“You don’t know the half of it.” And with that she boarded the plane. Aside from her, George and Father Stephens, there was only one other person aboard the plane, the copilot, Dalton. He gave Serena a curt nod as she sat down next to George. Father Stephens took the pilot’s seat.

“Where to Father Stephens?” Dalton asked.

“Saudi Arabia,” he replied. And with that, they were off.