Rise of the Fallen

Chapter 10: Prelude to Darkness

Under the sound of crickets and the light of the moon and stars, I awake to smell of pine and oak. My shoulder still numb with pain is bandaged and wrapped. “Julius!” I call out
Looking around, I see my bow at my feet and my quiver next to it. I grab both of them and struggle to my feet. “Julius!” I call out again as I make my way through the forest.
I approach an open clearing, with a river, as blue as the sky, gently flows against the riverbank. Something calls towards the water. The river rocks and pebbles, shifting from beneath my feet as I walk, line the riverbank like the cobble stone roads back in France.
I kneel down and gaze into the river as it reflects the moon like a flawless mirror. Cupping my hands, I dip my hands into to river and then up to my lips. As I drink the icy water, not only does my energy comes back, the pain in my shoulder vanishes.
             I unwrap the bandage, but the fresh wound was gone and only a faint scar remains.
             “What the hell?”  I say as I stumble back into water.
               “Oh, now that’s interesting.” a beautiful and bubbly voice comes from within river.
                “Who is that?”  I ask, looking around as the water starts rise around me.
                   The water forms into a beautiful woman with hair and eyes as blue as the river itself. “It’s been so long without having anybody to talk to. Especially a child of the water, I remember the last time I talked to someone.” She rambles.
“Hey, slow down please. Who… what are you, and child of the water? I ask
“What does it look like to you?” she answers
“A water goddess?”
“Oh, no! I wish, but thank you, I’m just your regular old river spirit.” She says, “But, you child of the water, are something different.”
“More different than being able to breath water and heal by drinking water?” I ask sarcastically as I walk out of the water and sit down in the grass.
“Well, what I mean by that is that your more connected with the sea, no with water in general, than any human I’ve seen. Even more than some spirits.” She explains
I let out a deep sigh, lay back in the grass and say, “That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want to be this… thing. These Fallen, they call me a weapon.” I say frustrated as the water spirit looks with concerned but confused eyes.
She walks out of the river with her legs forming as she steps onto the river bank. She sits next to me and says, “Well, what does it matter if you are what they say you are. Nobody chooses who they are. Not humans, spirts, gods, or even monsters. We all are born the way we are.”
“But, if I’m their ultimate weapon, then why not just take me?” I say as tears well up in my eyes.
“I can’t answer that, but I can tell you that we often have more control over our fates than we think.” She says, “I sense what kind of person you are. You’re a sweet kid, even when you’ve obviously gone through a lot. Just follow what you believe in. Do what you want to do?”
“Really?” I ask as tears roll silently down my face.
She nods and says, “You have a lot of power, but with most of us connected with the water, the water is also connected to us. An unsettled mind makes it harder for us to use our abilities and the first step is to accept who you are.”
She kisses me on the cheek before she says, “Stay true to yourself and the water will always be with you.”
The water spirit stands up and walks back into the river. She waves, before disappearing just as suddenly and as gracefully as she appeared. I grab my bow and walk across the river to find Julius. I have to tell him about everything. 
As I run through the forest the smell of smoke chokes my lungs. Coughing, I keep running until I reach a camping trail that leads back to the main road. I follow the road all the way down to the source of the fire, the airport.
Everything from the building to the planes on the run way are up in flames. “You gotta be kidding me?” I say looking on in disbelief.
“Danny? Yo D!” Julius yells from behind me.
Turning around Julius runs up with what looks like the rest of our gear, dropping a few things in the process.
“I’ve been looking for you. When I woke up you and the Fallen were gone. I headed here and everything was on fire. What happened? And what was all the stuff that he was saying while kicking our ass?” he says as he puts down a huge box.
“It’s a long story.” I answer
Julius points behind him and says, “Pretty sure we aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.”
I turn around and see our only way back home in middle of the inferno. Looking back at Julius, I take a deep breath and ask, “I have good and bad news.”
“Just tell me the good news first.” Julius says as he digs in the box.
“Well, they aren’t allowed to kill us for one; and I think I know why we’re… different.”
“Ok? That’s good I guess, what’s the bad news?” he says as he unwraps a granola bar.
“The reason they won’t kill us and the reason we’re different, I think, are the same. We’re weapons. Me more so than you though.”
“Oh. Thanks, that last part makes it a little bit better.” He says in a solemn, but sarcastic tone
“And I’m not a hundred percent sure on this but, I…I think that’s also the reason our parents were killed.” I stay stumbling over my words.
“So, what are you saying, Danny? That our folks were killed because I’m a little strong and you can breathe underwater?’ he argues
“There’s has to be more to it, but that’s all I got right now.” I say
“So, what makes us these weapons?” Julius asks
“Well when we were in that cave in the Nether, I saw a painting with three beasts.” I explain as I continue to tell him about the prophecy and the scroll, “So when I saw the scroll I pieced together that your strength, stamina and durability, probably come from the Behemoth and mine the Leviathan. It makes even more sense with my middle name being as it is; but after you were knocked out, a girl with wings came down and ordered the Fallen to leave. Saying you and me both were needed alive. Then, while looking for you, I came across a river spirit. She..”
“Ok, hold on. A river spirit? I mean I believe what you’re saying, but a river spirit?” Julius interrupts
“Yes, a river spirit.” I respond, “Like I was saying, she helped me out with understanding everything.”
“Ok, so what now?” Julius asks as he walks back and picks up the things he dropped, “I grabbed all of our ammunition and most of the weapons before the fire spread to the jet.”
“You think the Fallen did it?”
“Looks like it. You thinking about going after it?” Julius says as he walks back and drops the items in the box.
“Yea, it’s too dangerous to just leave it as is. Plus, do you really want to go back empty handed?”
“Yea I see your point. Where do we start looking?” Julius asks
“Hmm, that I don’t know. He couldn’t have gotten far.” I say thinking, “What direction you think he would go.”
Julius looks around and says, “Well, what if the Fallen used this as a distraction and went straight through the woods possible to the next town over. It’s just a guess but that’s the only idea I have.”
I nod my head and look down at the box. “Let’s get ready then.” I say
As Julius and I resupply ourselves while the fire dies down, leaving the airport a smoldering mess. We walk through of what was left of the airport and head into the woods. After a couple of hours, the town comes into view.
Greene Ridge, Oregon. A small rural town with the bustle of a city. As Julius and I walk through the town. The people we pass by welcome us and tell us the best places to go while we were here. The B&B Inn, they said, is the best place we can rest.
We get to the Inn and the clerk smiles and says, “Welcome to the B&B Inn, how may I help you two boys today?”
“Uhh yes, we were travelling with, our… uncle, but got lost. We don’t have any money, but could we stay here for the night? We can call him and tell him that we were here.” I ask.
“She looks at us and sighs, “Just for, tonight right?”
We nod as she starts to type on the computer. Five minutes pass and she hands us two key cards and says, “Room 123, and I need these back by the end of the weekend.”
Taking the key cards, I say, “Thank you so much, we really appreciate it.”
The lady smiles as the phone rings. “Let’s go.” I say to Julius as we turn around and go to our room.
“The people are mice.” I say as I sit at the edge of the bed.
Julius sits down in the chair at the desk and says, “Yea, hope it stays that way.”
“So, what do we look for while we’re here?” I ask as I turn on the tv and start flipping through channels.
“Hm, I’ve been thinking about that,” he says, “you said he was hurt right?”
I settle on animal planet and say, “I think so, I don’t know if he’s healed or not.”
“Well, it’s s start. We can ask if anybody saw him. He has gray skin so that’ll make him stand out.”
“Ok, sounds good.” I say nodding, “You know what else sounds good?”
“What?” Julius asks.
“Some food I’m starving,” I say
“Yea you not the only one.” Julius agrees, “I’m really missing Henry’s cooking right now. The man is a chef.”
“Yea, what do you think their doing back at the academy?” I ask
“Hm… I thought about that too. Probably regular school stuff.” Julius says as he picks up the room service pamphlet, “What’re you in the mood for? They have Barbeque, hamburgers… oh they have Chinese too.”
“You forget we don’t have any money.” I say, reminding Julius.
“Damn.” He groans, “What are we going to do then?”
I sigh and say, “Find the Fallen as soon as we can then go back.”
Julius lays back on the bed and I say, “how much food do we have left in the stuff you saved? “
“Not much.” Julius says.
“How much is not much?”
“Maybe, two days if we eat twice.” He answers.
“Ok, so we have two or three days to figure things out and track him down. Let’s try asking around tomorrow if they’ve seen anything then work from there.”
Julius nods and says, “Sounds like a plan.”
Julius and I spent the rest of the night planning and preparing for tomorrow. When day broke, we ate and began asking the anyone if they’ve seen an injured man with grey skin, and to no surprise the only thing we have left after about twelve hours is a day full of ugly looks and sideways glances. With the sun and temperature dropping, the fall winds feel ice like, but comforting at the same time. Julius and I walk across the street and back to the Inn for the night.
“Yea, I’m definitely gonna crash when we get back to the room, not even gonna eat first, it’s just me and the bed.” Julius says as we walk through the lobby and down the hallway towards our door, passing a person in black sweats.
“Finally.” Julius says as we approach the room door, only to find the door cracked open, “What the…”
Julius walks into the room and starts looking around. Following, in after him I do the same, however, nothing seems to be missing or moved.
Julius motions his hand and points to the bathroom door behind me swaying. I grab one of Julius’ pistols from the foot of the bed and carefully walk towards the bathroom. My grip tightens around the pistol and I move my finger onto the trigger. I place my hand on the door. It’s heavy, like someone pressing up against the door.
Holding the door open, I turn on the light and quickly turn into the room before the weight of the door swings it shut. I check the shower, the tub, and the towel closet and there’s nothing to be found. As I turn around to leave, the body of a shapeshifter lays at my blocking the door.
“Julius!” I yell, “You might want to come see this.”
I move the body out of the way just as Julius opens the door.
“So, what’s …up?” he says as he looks at the demon, “Somebody had fun while we were gone,”
“Yea, but it didn’t look like the fight started in the main part of the room,” I say looking over the body.
The demon’s slightly warm when they’re usually cold, the body is riddled with cut marks especially around the joints.
“Hey, you see these cuts?” I ask Julius
“Yea hard not to, but what’s up?” he says as he looks closer to the body
“I’ve seen these before, believe it or not.” I answer
Julius looks at me curiously, almost raising an eyebrow and asks, “Oh, do tell where?”
“In the Nether during the exam. We split up to get firewood remember?” I say as Julius nods, “So after walking for about five minutes and there were Nephilim corpses with wounds just like these.”
“So, someone who took the exam is out here is what your saying?” Julius asks
“At the least, but I’m thinking one of our classmates.”
“Really? I mess with everybody from class and all but let’s be real, I don’t anyone of them could do this.” Julius says
“Well, they aren’t exactly hard to kill.” I point out as I pry the demon’s mouth open, “What’s in here?”
A piece of paper falls out of it’s mouth and onto the tile floor. Reaching down, I pick up the paper and uncrumple it.
“722 Pine Boulevard tonight.” I read aloud.
“What does that mean?” Julius asks as he steps out of the bathroom
“I guess we’ll see tonight.” I answer as floor behind him and close the door.
“What do we do with you know what?”  Julius asks
“We’ll figure it out later let’s just get ready to head out. I got a bad feeling about this.” I say just before a loud crash echoes through the room.
Julius and I look at each other and rush out of the room and into the lobby.