The Fall

Chapter 5

After several days of resting in the hut, Nimue finally allowed Laney and I out.

Over the time we had spent together, I told Laney about a plan I had come up with for this new area we had fallen into.

The plan is to create and sustain this area. Even with Laney's abilities to create water and greenery, I know it will take a while for everything to go into complete effect and be fine. For now, though, it will be enough.

Laney stays close to my side as we walk a fair distance away from the hut, towards where the ashes of our comrades are scattered. She clutches my arm, still unaware of what happened to the bodies.

"Wh-where did they all go?" She asks, her voice small.

"They are in a better place now, Laney," I tell her, already feeling my voice taking on a monotone level.

She looks up at me as I turn my face away.

"We will start with a pool of water here, and spread outwards with greenery in a fairly large area," I tell her, making gestures of where to begin and end.

She nods her head, mapping out the area in her head, I'm assuming. Taking a few steps forward, she lifts her arms.

Within moments, the dirt begins to sink, as water replaces where the dirt previously had been. Grass and flowers pop up around the edges of the pool, swaying softly as they flourish outwards.

Laney stumbles a bit and I catch her quickly, propping her up against my side.

"D-did I do a good job?" She asks, panting softly.

I nod at her. "Of course you did. You did excellent."

She smiles at me. "Is it enough or do I need to do more?"

I shake my head. "We can wait a few days for you to recover. I should have known you would still need time."

She grabs my hand. "I am okay! I promise I am! Do not push me to the sidelines. I wish to help." Determination burns brightly behind her eyes.

"Do not worry, you are the only one capable of creating more of this," I tell her. "You just need to rest to regain the energy you lost doing this."

She nods, leaning heavier on me. "That really did take the wind from me."

"I know. It will be like that until you get used to it."

"Thank you for letting me help, sister" she says.

I just smile softly at her.

"Miss Lana!" I hear a familiar voice calling.

I turn my head in time to see Shiva and their friends running towards us.

"Hello, Shiva, Baphomet, Ishtar, Thoth, Naamah," I reply, waving at them.

They all squeal with excitement as they run past us to the pool.

"What is this?" Ishtar asks, looking over at us. Their curly black hair hangs around their soft blue eyes.

"That is called water. It is a resource that humans always need," Laney says, kneeling next to them.

"What are humans? Are they the little spirits that drift around aimlessly here?" Baphomet asks, their large murky brown eyes looking up at me.

I nod. "Yes, those used to be the precious humans that God loves. Although, a lot of these humans look like ones that I have seen taking dark paths."

"Oh, that human over there told me that he killed his family because he said he heard God say to do so," Thoth tells me, their hazel brown eyes staring up at me from behind stringy brown locks.

I ponder this carefully, looking over at the human. "That is quite interesting to hear," I say, tapping my chin.

"A lot of these humans have said some things that are really, really weird," Naamah says, grabbing onto my leg. They look up at me with one silver eye and one green eye through their bouncy curled blond hair.

Shiva approaches the water and dips a hand into it, in awe of the texture and coolness, I am sure.

"This is so pretty and weird!" They say, turning to look at Laney. "This is really what water is?" The excitement on their face brings a small smile to mine.

Laney laughs, which sounds like soft bells in the wind. "Yes, this is what water feels like. What we are standing on is called grass. It is very soft."

Ishtar rubs their hands against the grass, giggling at the feeling.

The others each touch the grass as well, clearly enjoying the feel of something new and not wasteland turf.

Laney smiles, watching over the children playing. "This reminds me of watching the human children playing in the fields. I think I will miss that part of being an angel," she says with a heavy sigh.

"I do not miss being an angel," I reply back, lowering my voice. "We are only used to make the humans live. That is not how I want my eternity to be."

Laney blinks at me, surprised. "That is...quite harsh to say," she says, slowly.

"I do not want to be a crutch for those who will only abandon us when something goes wrong. Humans change so easily, that might be why the original god rescinded their immortality."

"I thought it was because of the first humans eating that apple," Laney says, looking up at me.

"I am sure that is what God wants us to believe. Yet I believe it is because God does not want them to stay there forever and cause more problems," I reply, watching as the children roll around on the grass. "God is petty, and I know that no matter what anyone does, no one will ever be good enough. Not even the angels will be good enough. Look at where we have landed. Do you think God cares about anyone other than God?"

Laney stares at me, her face lined with shock.

I clear my throat and look away from her. "Forgive me. I shall not speak of this any further."

"O-OK," she replies in a small voice.

"Lana, Laney, your brother wants to speak with you both. Now," I hear Nimue call.

I turn in her direction, only to feel a small sense of dread filling my bones. I quickly grab Laney's hand. "Hurry, we must get to Amon. Now!" I run for the hut, dragging Laney behind me.