We Are The Archangels

Chapter XIII - Midnight

<>------<>Midnight<>------<>

I have to admit, I panicked. A lot.

Nero, one of the most powerful Archangels, adopted son of Chaos, prince of Aurae, survivor of countless treacherous fates, slayer of a thousand monsters, loyal protector of the innocent, was cut down by a head cold.

You know, I just defeated the purpose of my own rant.

Okay, so maybe it was a bit more than a head cold. If it could take out the gods and an all-powerful Archangel, we were in a really bad state.

The winds picked up and threw us around as we attempted to fly back to the ship. I shivered as harsh, icy gusts slapped at every bit of exposed skin. Lightning flashed somewhere high above, throwing staggered bolts of light across the valley below.

‘Aeras,’ I yelled over the winds. ‘You gotta get this under control.’

‘I-I’m trying,’ came his hollow reply.

The storm lessened, but only slightly. The air was responding to Aeras’ frightened mind, throwing caution to the wind, quite literally. Thunder still crashed, the lightning was blinding, the atmosphere was so cold that frost began to form on my wings, crystalizing the black feathers with tinges of icy white.

‘Aeras,’ I said again, slowly.

‘Don’t rush me, Midnight! I’m trying my best!’

I risked a glance behind me, peeking over my shoulder as I shielded my face from the piercing wind and pelting rain with my wings. Aeras was pale, to say the least. His eyes were scrunched shut and he was tossed left and right by the wind.

‘Aeras, you’re losing altitude!’ Destiny screamed.

I realized with horror that she was right. Aeras was concentrating too hard on calming the air that his wings were beginning to fail him. Aeras ignored Destiny’s warning and he dropped a few more feet, coming dangerously close to spiralling completely out of control.

‘Aeras!’ I snapped. ‘Okay, I’m sorry! You have to stop! I’d rather fly through a storm with you than have you kill yourself trying to stop it!’

‘I’ve almost got it!’ he yelled back, his voice nearly lost to the winds. ‘Just give me a-whoa!’

He wobbled dangerously and then fell. We stopped flying in the middle of the storm.

‘No!’ Destiny shrieked.

A shape flashed past me, something lithe and silver. Arrow dove towards her brother who whipped around limply, like he’d lost the energy to save himself.

‘Midnight,’ Destiny warned. ‘We have to get out of this storm, before we freeze!’

I glanced at my wings; she was right. The frost has spread to cover my wings in a white sheet of ice. Already it was becoming difficult to fly, taking more strength just to hang in mid-air.

‘Down below,’ I agreed.

We both tucked in our wings and dropped like stones. The wind curled up around me like a spiral, blasting me with arctic air. Below, I could see Arrow grip Aeras and fly him down towards the strawberry fields, not too far from the ship.

‘There,’ I pointed and Destiny nodded, following my finger.

The storm followed us, a branch blown up by the winds caught on my hood and blew it back. In a panic, I seized it in a death grip and pulled it forward again.

We finally burst from the edge of the tempest and the wind stopped screaming in my ears. I shivered, drenched and cold from the freezing rain.

‘Come on,’ Destiny chattered.