The cold bit at my ears as we marched through the night streets. I fought the urge to jump whenever a new sound broke the silence; Drunken men talking outside a bar, a trash can falling over as someone rummaged through it. We trekked in silence as Asterion led the way to the portal they had crafted when they first came to Portland almost ten years ago.
As street lights flickered to maintain life I instinctually gripped the hilt of Argo. I had no idea how to use the sword, but just having it gave me a sense of security. I knew I'd have to learn to use it eventually, I just wished I had more time.
"Do be careful with the wishes, you never know when one might come true." Lucifer warned as we walked, I struggled with the urge to roll my eyes.
"How do I protect my thoughts again? No offense, but having some of my privacy might be nice.." I inquired keeping my tone as passive as possible. No reason to anger Lucifer so soon after departing from the bar. Though I supposed that if the question was going to anger him, so too would my current thoughts and wasted attempts at subterfuge.
"I suppose now is as good a time as any to discuss it." Lucifer answered, ignoring my rambling anxious musings. "I think of it as erecting a barrier over ones mind, one that keeps away all other outside suggestions and holds in all internal considerations. I imagine it will be difficult at first, but an endeavor well worth practicing." His placid tone was instructive and to the point, which I appreciated.
I immediately put myself to task, needing the privacy to explore my own ideas without Lucifer's input. The sooner we could view each other as equals with equal say, the better. I first imagined a thick white barrier over my head, it felt foolish, almost like I was daydreaming. I shrunk the image until the white barrier melted through my hair and skull. I wondered if perhaps this was what he meant, and wondered if he could even hear me now...
"Yes, I can most certainly still hear you, fool..." Lucifer chastised, I got the sense he was rolling his eyes as well. "I told you, its difficult, you will not get it on your first tr-"
"We are almost there" Asterion whispered back to the rest of us as he led us down yet another street. He had explained as we were leaving the bar that we would take a left from the bar, leading us down to the river. Once we reached the river we would take yet another left and travel till we reached the bridge, and the portal would be underneath it.
"What does a portal look like?" I asked Lucifer as I peered out into the darkness of the river. soft ambient light reflected off its surface not just from the large sliver of moon that peeked through clouds, but also the thousands of streetlights that illuminated nearby roads and the bridge that stood just a short ways ahead of us.
"They look like shimmering waves of light, just like what you would imagine. What else would they look like?" He answered, posing the question back to me.
"I don't know, a door? Or yeah, a shimmering wave of light I guess..." I continued, feeling foolish. "So we are really going to just find a big glowing wall of light and that is the portal? Do humans ever find it?"
"No, of course not. A portal needs to be activated with magic or divinity. Otherwise any human would wander into the realms of pantheons, where beasts and gods would flay limb from bloody limb." His cold retort was both callous and informative.
I was going to reply when the hairs on the back of my neck bristled and stood to attention, a feeling I had now come to understand for danger. Asterion blew hot steamy night air from his nostrils as he halted. The bridge could not have been more than two or three dozen yards from where we stood, but already I could sense malice in the air.
Clouds moved from the path of the moon and illuminated the space before us. At the base of the bridge stood none other than Yarhibol. He looked different now, no glamour in effect. His white wings folded behind his back and his spear plunged into the bloody corpse of some poor man who had been unlucky enough to cross his path. His tan skin matched Lucifer's and short blond hair hugged tightly to his skull. I could not see him well, given the distance between us, but his once white tunic, now stained with bright red blood seemed to dance with the cold breeze that buffeted us.
"Oh, don't tell me you're the only one who came to the party!" Lilith roared across the vast distance, her copper dagger appearing in her hand with a subtle flourish.
"Do you really think I'd be so foolish?" Yarhibol's icy shout was almost as cold as the winters breeze. "No. I brought a few of my brothers to finish you off once and for all, demon wench." As if to punctuate his threat, four figures fell from the clouds above. Soft white light streaming too fast for me to see. they landed with a dull crash, dust and debris obscuring them from sight.
"Lucifer, little brother... Surrender peacefully and perhaps Raphael can talk Michael into only casting you back to hell." Yarhibol taunted, the malicious and murderous intent that filled the area around us was palpable, my head swam with dread.
"You tell him Yarhi that he can save his piteous offers for when we send his sorry hide to my other brothers in hell, they will enjoy toying with that precious tongue of his which he loves to wag so much." Nervously, I parroted the statement.
That murderous aura surged from all five of the angels that stood before us. they were all visible now that the dust had settled. Each of them similarly garbed with equally similar visages of anger, all save for Yarhibol that is. His face contorted in an ugly smile, his eyes seeming to curve into a smile all of their own. I wondered who the true demons were here. Lucifer and Lilith, or him.
"I was hoping you would say something like that." He growled as he lifted his spear from the human corpse beneath him, the loud squelch of blood filling my ears. My teeth grit in anger. What could that human have possibly done to deserve that fate? Simply exist in proximity? Did he truly have to kill him? My mind roiled with theories that served to only fuel my anger.
"Be ready everyone, it appears we are in for a fight." Theseus exclaimed as he unsheathed his sword with a wide flaunting display. Asterion let out a thunderous battle cry as he brandished twin axes that had been hung from hooks at his side. Lilith entered a battle stance, her copper dagger angled threateningly at her side.
I drew my own sword, Argo, and took a deep breath just as Lucifer and I had practiced earlier while within my soul. It was time to put all that practice to use. Yet even so, my heart raced in my chest as fear screamed at me to turn tail and run, and my breath quivered through my lips as I struggled to maintain my nerve.
With another deep breath in my lungs, I searched for Lucifer in my chest. He held his power out for me to take, offering it to me freely. While in my soul, we had discovered that even though he could not manifest without doing considerable and potentially fatal damage to me, he could offer me pieces of his divine energy to use. When we had successfully completed the maneuver for the first time, I had first noticed the significant change in my emotive state. Emotions such as fear, anger, joy and humor had dulled. They were not gone completely, but I could more easily focus on logical thinking and pragmatism unburdened by guilt or swayed by emotion.
The second and more immediately critical discovery we had made, was despite the incrementally minuscule amount of divinity I could currently hold, my strength and endurance already compounded ten fold, resulting in a far more physically capable version of myself than I had ever considered possible before today. My reflexes and physical capabilities were likely on par or greater than even a specially trained human soldier.
Aware of Lucifer's offered power, I gripped at the sensation. Similar to an internal handshake, the two of us connected on a deeper level and his divinity surged into me. Despite still being unable to hear Lucifer's thoughts, while under the influence of his divinity, I did get impressions of his thoughts or feelings. As if the barrier over his own mind waned during this period of connectivity.
Bloodlust. I could prominently sense his desire to kill, but not just to kill, he wanted Yarhibol to come to his end slowly and painfully. My train of thought was interrupted as the angels all stretched their wings wide in unison, leapt into the sky and cut through the air towards like blurred knives, their identical spears sought blood, and I knew that one way or another, they would find it.
Yarhibol was clearly the strongest and the fastest. He dove in a straight line towards me, his intent to pick me off first and end this once and for all. My deadened nerves allowed me to prepare myself for his attack. However as his spear thrust forward, aiming for my heart, it clashed against a blades edge other than my own.
Lilith's copper dagger held back the spears tip with unwavering efficiency. I was stunned, I had not seen her move, my attention had been so focused on Yarhibol.
"Quit gawking and pay attention!" Lilith cursed as a wave of red energy crashed into my chest from her outstretched hand; her magic sending me sprawling backward awkwardly just as another spear slid into the earth directly where I had been standing.
"Focus Desmond. On your left." Lucifer's voice rang out in my mind and I followed the command. Spinning to face another angel who had landed between Theseus and I.
Theseus was on him first, his sword dancing across the angel's weapon with a practiced precision that I knew came from hundreds of years of experience. Solely focused on parrying and deflecting his masterful blows, I knew that now was my opportunity to strike the distracted angel, however the suppressed fear of harming another living being reared it's head and I knew my momentary hesitation had cost me my chance.
"Damn it, Desmond! We can not afford you to lose what little nerve you have now!" Lucifer chastised angrily.
The spear that had stuck into the ground behind me lifted with a loud squelch, I ignored Lucifer's words and returned my attention the the threat behind me, spinning on my heels I barely managed to instinctively block a jab to my mid section.
The force of the attack threw both my sword arm and balance wide. The angel, a superior warrior seized the opening and dashed forward his weapon already mid swing on what could easily have been a killing blow. The angel had miscalculated though. My reflexes were enhanced by divinity now, and though my inexperience was apparent, I was able to dodge out of the way with a panicked scramble to my left.
Momentarily surprised, the angel scowled as he swung his spear back handed to my mid section. Learning my lesson, I blocked the attack with Argo firmly gripped with both hands. The vibration of the blow echoed up my arms, numbing them to my commands.
"Don't absorb the force of his blows you fool! Direct it away from you and create an opening for a counter strike." Lucifer barked, his frustration evident.
I nodded as I took the note, having no time to contemplate it's meaning as another attack was incoming. The angel swung through his attack, accepting my block, and using his superior stance and balance to bring his weapon up and down for a diagonal slash at my exposed side.
My eyes spun to my left, trying desperately to keep up with the spears bladed edge. Releasing my right hand and using my left as my sword arm, I followed and I swung with the intent to do just as Lucifer suggested.
Our blades clashed, however my left hand was not the dominant force of the exchange, so his spear rode the edge of my blade as I sidestepped under my arm. His spear missing the top of my head by mere inches.
Once again I was left in an unbalanced and open position. What was the point of power if you didn't know how to use it? I cursed at myself as I rolled backward, just managing to avoid another stab.
"Focus, Desmond. You do not need to win, you need to survive until the others can defeat their foes or find a point of escape." Lucifer's wisdom was on the nose. I did not need to win, only not die.
Guilty confidence swelled within me. I was guilty to have to rely on everyone else, but I would return the favor later once I was more capable. Once I was stronger. The battle continued, I dodged and blocked where I could, but kept on the defensive. I was tiring, huffing gulps of air in between each strike. My arms were still taking the majority of the force of each block, rendering them effectively useless for anything other than a last minute and desperate block.
Each second passed like a thousand, as if this battle had begun an eternity ago, and would go on into infinity. That is, until the tide changed.
A triumphant roar broke through all our fights as Asterion pulled one of his axes free of a now limp angel. White glowing blood splattering across the grass and pavement around us. Ace had been facing two foes, and was the first to fell one.
The change in the aura of the battlefield was palpable. Theseus echoed the roar and soon his foe was felled with a sword stuck through the angels chest.
Lilith fought using a combination of her dagger and magic to keep Yarhibol from entering any other fights. His frustration evident on his hateful face. He attempted to fly upward into the sky, only to be met with a misty red force field. Arrows of dark red spikes appeared and flew at him from all directions. He retreated to the ground and engaged Lilith in melee combat. Her agility matched his own as she spun, twirled and leapt around his attacks.
Theseus's hand gripped the back of my collar, yanking me backward as an attack that would have cut me down unawares, swung past me harmlessly. I realized I'd let my guard down watching her, leaving myself open for an easy attack.
Suddenly Lucifer's voice, who I realize I had been ignoring came to my attention.
"-doing? Never turn your eyes away from your foe! Damn it, Desmond, you're lucky Theseus was here to save you this time…" his words were laced with anger and frustration.
"I'm sorry…" was all I could manage to eek out as I assessed the battlefield. Asterion clearly had an advantage against his angel, as did Theseus. They were both pushing them back. The two angels they faced both seemed uncertain now, each making quick glances at Yarhibol, as if hoping for some kind of direction.
The direction never came as Asterion finished his foe with a sickening crunch. His axe merging with the angels collarbone. The angel made a guttural and sputtering attempt to speak, but the words were unintelligible.
"Ace! Take Desmond through the portal!" Theseus shouted to his companion. "We will be right behind you!"
Asterion simply nodded, his heavy footsteps racing toward me, his eyes locked on me in serious determination. Scooping me up in one arm, he turned and began sprinting for the unseen portal.
Arriving at the underside of the bridge, graffiti scrawled over every once blank surface. Asterion slowed to a stop and searched the wall for something, not even bothering to put me down while he did so.
He must have found it, for he repositioned himself, and spoke clearly. "καλέστε το μονοπάτι". his words were still unknown to me, but they reverberated with power, warping the scene before us.
A brilliant blue light swirled to life, spinning faster and faster until we were looking into a whirlpool in the wall. I searched behind us to see how Lilith and Theseus were faring. I did not see the other angel, as it was not just Theseus and Lilith fighting together against Yarhibol. Their strikes bounced off his spear in quick succession. It was clear they were over somehow powering him. Yarhibol's gaze met mine as he parried both of my companions weapons', his eyes seethed a glowing white hot as a murderous intent so strong it caught my breath expelled from him.
"In we go my friend. I suggest you hold your breath." Asterion's deep voice whispered to me, dragging my attention back to him. Hold my breath? I pondered quizzically.
"Wait, wh-" I started to say as he stepped into the portal. The sound of Yarhibol screaming behind us rang in my ears before the sensation of water enveloped me and I began to choke, seemingly drowning in the portal.