Chapter 15~~~ To be Generous
Lucia's POV
I wake up, for what seems like the first time in forever, peacefully with dawn. As the glow of the day slowly pushes away the darkness some of the fear seems to dissipate with the gloom and I am left with a peaceful clarity; a certainty I have never believed could feel. We can stop Lucifer.
"So, what's the plan from here?" Carli said
"You don't have a plan? Didn't Ahreal tell you what we need to do or something?" Zak asks.
"I only know what she told all of us, I assume she has more of a plan than 'let's destroy Lucifer' otherwise we might as well give up now. Unless we want to give ourselves away and hope the demons get here before the angels there's no way we can even get into hell. Getting out may be one thing, but other than the fact its underground does either of you know where it is?" Carli replies. Zak and I both shake our heads.
"Just because we don't know now doesn't mean we can't find out. We will stop Lucifer. I know we can, we just need more information and a plan. We can do this," I said.
"Well at least there is some determination in you, even if it is a bit misguided," the new voice sends all of us into fight mode in seconds, wings flaring and blades in hand, as our eyes scan the forest around us for the source.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" Zak says and a deep sigh slips from the trees.
"I am here to help you in this, might I say ridiculous task, in which we all will probably die. Bur I owe Ahreal a favor for services rendered to my siblings and so I am here helping as usual." As the deep tone continues a figure slips from the shadows.
The looming figure steps before us the only thing visible beneath his hood, the burning yellow eyes, appearing to glow even in the early morning light. All of us take steps backwards as we stare at the figure, taller than any human or angel I have ever seen before.
"I can't read him, Luc?" Zak ask not taking his eyes off the stranger.
"Nothing," I realize as I attempt to find the truth.
He lifts his hands slowly until they reach his hood and draws back revealing what lies underneath it. A face pale as the moon appears. Snaking veins appear to shimmer yellow as they crawl their way up his neck, matching the vibrant color of his eyes, but despite the odd coloration he is more attractive than anyone, angel or human, I have ever seen before and we take a collective step back as we take in the creature before us. My eyes flicker to Carli and then to Zak, then my eyes move back to the stranger. I see recognition flash across Zak's face before it is replaced with confusion.
"I didn't think you actually existed. He was obsessed with finding you, finding all of you. He thought you had the ability to resist angel powers. Thought he could use you against the angels so they wouldn't stand a chance against him." a smirk creeps on the strangers face.
"And how do you think he was going to achieve that? I may be generous, but we don't join in on wars unless we have to, and most of you don't even know we exist." He struggles to words out as the laughter continues to tumble out of him. My eyes meet Carli's, confirming I am not the only one confused.
"He said that as a half human and half demon your allegiance would lie with him and his new creations." A noticeable silence fills the air as the laughter stops too suddenly.
"Nephilim does not take side. And if we did it certainly wouldn't be Lucifer's version of demons that we sided with." Anger glints in his yellow eyes, glowing brighter with every word, as he spits to the sides in disgust. "There are only seven real demons in this world, eight if you count Death but we see him as something entirely, not even the seven will go near him."
"Seven?" I ask, "As in the seven who were created by humans with no morals?" they are what the humans call the seven deadly sins, but in heaven they are known as simply The Seven.
"That would be them." He growls. "Best to be avoided you ask me. I'd rather face the horde of Lucifer's demons than one of The Seven, and that's saying something considering Avarice is my father." Seeing the confusion written on our faces he gives a deep sigh and waves a hand to us, "Maybe you should all get comfortable and I can tell you what you need to know and then we can get on with Ahreal's plan. Whatever it may be." He takes a seat on the twisted root of one of the larger trees, his black cloak fanning out on the ground around him. if it wasn't for his eyes he could be mistaken as a human.
"Relax, like I said I am here to help you. Angels cannot find me so while I'm here they can't find you, and Carli's shield will let us know if the demons are getting closer, I can lend you some power to broaden the area if it makes you feel better." With a nod Zak grabs Carli's arm and leads her over to the stranger. He lifts his hand and removes his gloves removing a hand covered with spidery yellow veins, before racing up to place two fingers on her forehead. Barely three minutes passed before he gives a nod and removes his fingers, replacing his glove and waiting once more for us to take our seats. Carli's shocked expression the only thing proving that something happened in that short space time.
"My name is Carita, first and only child of Avarice or Greed as some call him. Each of the seven has one child. They each took a human partner not long after they were first created and produced a child in attempt to increase their numbers and power. But by breeding with humans they altered their genes they were passing on and we ended up developing traits the complete opposite of theirs, as well as being immune to both demon and angel abilities. We are known as Nephilim, half human, half demon creations that probably are the most powerful beings on earth, though you two half Archangels come close; if we weren't resistant to your skills you may even be stronger." He looks at me and Zak. "It is difficult to say which one of you have the greater strength. Ahreal said as much, but I would have thought…. Never mind." He shakes his hands and clasps his hands on his lap leaning forward slightly as he does. "Ahreal found me yesterday with her vision, not long after she left you and shook off the angels who were after you. For some reason our kind are not resistant to her ability to see and it allows her to find us where all other angels will fail. Anyway, she found me and said that she knew you would need me if you are going to succeed. I owe her a favor foe showing my siblings and how to escapes the family many years ago and I suppose this should make us about even. She told me when and where I would find you and all I had to do was be here on time and there you all were waiting for me to arrive."
"So, does Ahreal have a plan? Obviously, she knows something if she tracked you down and sent you to us, right?" Zak asks.
"If she has a plan, she certainly didn't share the details with me. She gave me two locations, the place where I would find you, and the place where I have to take you. We have a bit of a hike where we are heading to, so let's be on our way shall we?" he rises to his feet and strides back into the forest where he came from.
We have been walking all day and night, and already the darkness is slowly turning grey as the sun brings another day to life. Before the sun reaches its apex in the sky as he brings us to a halt by some of the largest trees I have ever seen. Carita pauses for a few minutes body tense as if he is waiting for something to happen. He moves another two steps forward and rest the tip of his left-hand fingers on the rough bark of the tree before us. We wait, static tension fills the air and the three of us gravitate toward one another, eventually clasping hands as we wait, with every moment that passes nothing happens.
After what feels like forever, he steps back from the tree and face us. O shock jolts through me; his previously youthful, powerful features are pale and aged; his body no longer tall and strong but hunched, almost weak. Instantly we run up to him and Zak places his hands-on Carita's chest.
"What happened?" I whisper, "heal him Zak. What did he just do?" Zak presses his hands more firmly on his chest but Clarita lets out a weak chuckle.
"That won't work on me, resistance remember?" in frustration I place my hands above Zak's trying to force his healing ability to work.
As soon as our hands come into contact, color returns to Clarita's face and the power had the steadily returns to him, he stares blankly at us before glancing at our joined hands on his chest and back up.
"That's impossible." He breathes and there's something like terror in his eyes. He jolts back, leaving our hands to drop back to its sides as he slowly backs another step away his eyes finding Issa's as if in question, "How is that possible?" Carli, herself, stands to the side in the middle ground between us and him and her gaze drifting from the shocked Nephilim to Zak and I, looking almost confused as the rest of us.
"I have no idea." I whisper my eyes stuck on my hands, "I didn't know we could do that. I'm not a healer; I shouldn't have been able to help."
"The two of you could probably take down Heaven on your own, Lucifer had both of you in his grasp and he had no idea what you are capable of together." Carita lets out another booming laugh and shakes his head, clearly having to come to terms with the situation already, "well this should make my job a great deal easier."
And then he moved to the next tree.