Davariel stared at the icy fall of water, watching as the image of his home in Sjoria faded away. He could still see Luciel's screaming face in his mind. How happy they had been. How little it had lasted. At least his sons were safe. Now he needed to finish his task—kill the fallen angels that had traversed into this realm and finish closing the rift.
He turned to Abdiel. "We need to head out to the frozen ocean."
Abdiel had cocooned himself with his wings. He shivered once and then nodded. "Climb my back Dava. I'll fly us there."
Abdiel turned and Dava hopped onto his back.
The boy was tall and well built like most young Seraph's. Carrying Dava was no burden to him.
It was cold and Davariel had no clothing. He kept his head low to Abdiel's shoulders, gripping him beneath his wings and arms, so that his arms hugged the young reapers chest. His legs wrapped around Abdiel's hips.
The young reaper fly in haste to where Davariel had instructed.
"I don't see the others," Abdiel said over his shoulder as he circled the funnel over Hell's gate.
"They've crossed over. Land at the edge. Don't go near the center."
Abdiel obeyed, his wings fluttering rapidly as he landed toes first. Davariel slipped off his back and looked out toward the center.
"It smells bad here, Dava."
Davariel looked at the boy. "Yes. It does." He paused studying the young reapers face. Abdiel was maybe sixteen sun orbits. He had run away from Seraphia, aided by a group of Merulians. Davariel did not want the young boy to find his death here. "Abdy?"
The boy's eyes lit up as he grinned, "yes, Dava?"
Davariel took a deep breath, and cupped his face between his palms. "I'm sorry little one."
Abdiel pouted, his eyes searching Davariel's. "W-what are you sorry about?" he asked in a small voice.
Davariel leaned in and kissed him softly—a sweet, chaste kiss on his petal-soft lips—and then he looked up to the sky.
Abdiel frowned and looked up also. Davariel took the opportunity to land his fist into the boys chin, rendering him unconscious. Abdiel went down. Dava, leaned over him, stroking his sweet face. "I'm sorry, little one, but this is for your own good. Ashriel will be here soon, and he'll take you back home...where you belong, sweet child."
He looked up and around. The devils wouldn't come near the young reaper. They were that stupid. Abdiel could kill just as well as any reaper. Only a Demon could harm him and at the moment, the demons were busy trying to avoid the horde of reapers that had crossed the portal.
Davariel stood and began walking over the shimmering surface that covered the portal. When he felt he'd come in far enough he whispered the incantation that allowed him to breech the portal and cross over to the other side.
The shimmering barrier bubbled beneath his feet and he was submerged into darkness. Swimming downward until everything shifted, he came out on the other side—the caverns beneath the surface.
His body felt heavy, cumbersome. With a frown he looked at his back and gasped. His wings. His black wings were on his back again, making Dava scowl. With a frustrated huff, he dragged himself out of the pool of water. Had his divine sword been restored to him as well?
Davariel closed his eyes and called to his long lost sword, given to him by a Dominatio as his right as a reaper. The air sparkled before his face until the sword materialized.
Eyes wide, Dava wrapped his fingers around the jeweled hilt of the blade. Immediately he felt the rush of divine power infuse him.
His reflection glimmered back at him from the gleaming blade.
"Yes," Davariel hissed with a grin. He began to run.
The corridors were empty, but after a while he began to hear the sound of clashing metal. He picked up speed.
The antechamber to hell was full of reapers fighting fallen angels.
Davariel tried not to gaze upon the few reapers lying slain on the ground. Instead he focused on the fallen angels trying to kill the ones still standing.
With three weeps and hacks of his shimmering sword, he headed one angel and cut two others in half at their waist.
Three fallen angels came at him. He hacked, jabbed and swiped at them. They returned his blows with bone jarring force. When a forth joined them, Dava began to fear he'd be overtaken. He managed to knock one away with a wing swipe, but two replaced that one. One was fool enough to come within reach of Dava. The fallen angel's sword bashed Davariel's and would have delivered a killing blow, but Davariel gripped his throat and the angel turned to ash. The tip of another angel's sword pierced his side and Dava hissed in pain. Five fallen angels. He hacked away, giving his all. The safety of his family depended on his surviving this.
Eriel was battling three fallen angels himself, and then he killed one as Davariel looked.
"Erie," Davariel called out.
"A little busy here, Dava," Eriel answered tersely cutting another angel, but unfortunately not seriously.
"Flee."
Eriel laughed. "No."
Davariel swung his sword in wide sweeps but could not catch any of the five angels left battling him. He needed to open the portal to the Realm of Shadows.
"Erie. You can out fly them."
"I'm not leaving you."
Davariel cursed under his breath and then hissed when one of the angels cut his thigh. There were too many against him. He needed to open the portal now.
A blur of black and gold sliced through the fallen angel that had cut Dava, and then rammed into one more, knocking him away.
The confusion startled the other three left and Dava uttered the incantation to open the portal, only he opened a smaller one than he would have liked.
Seeing Abdiel viciously engaging the fallen angel, Dava scowled and decided he needed to kill the three left to him before the boy got seriously hurt.
He could slow down time, not for long periods of time, because it drained his strength, but just enough to tip the odds in his favor.
The air distorted around him as he let his power bloom out. The air became gooey like gel as he swiped his sword sideways toward the waist of the closest fallen angel. As his blade swept through the fallen angel's flesh and bone, another sword appeared sailing out of nowhere to cut another one in half. Davariel spun and delivered a killing blow to the third one.
He looked across the bloodied cavern to stare in wonder at Luciel. She'd found him. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. All he needed to do was help Eriel and Abdiel kill the two remaining fallen angels and they could go home while he sealed the rift.
***
"Davariel...I love you." She screamed from the other side of the cavern.
His smile lit his breathtaking face. She suddenly realized he had his black wings once more as he opened them and flew straight toward her; such a beautiful sight, with his enigmatic blue eyes and blonde hair billowing behind him.
There was a rushing in her ears, like an approaching wave of immense magnitude. Davariel was engulfed in a horde of hundreds of thousands of devils, too many for Eriel and Abdiel to be able to dispose of with their reaper powers. They flew toward the portal, taking him with them to their deaths...or whatever lay beyond the portal. Luciel locked onto his life force and teleported herself behind him.
They were falling. She was trying to hang onto his waist, attempting to lock onto the familiar surroundings of the cave, but it was no longer there. There was nothing around them. Even the Devils had evaporated without a trace.
Somehow, Davariel managed to grip and haul her up into his arms. His beautiful black wings began to hum behind him, halting their fall.
He looked around the swirling dark purple mist, and then looked at her. "Luci. Why, my love? Why did you follow me in here? There's no way out."
She buried her face in his neck sobbing. "I can't live without you, Dava. I just can't."
His hands caressed her back as he kissed her hair. "It's alright, my love." His kisses feathered across her cheek, licked the tears that flowed from her eyes. "I love you. Just hold me, baby."
Luciel sighed when Davariel's petal soft lips caressed hers. She touched her tongue to his upper lip when he bit down on her lower one. They both groaned in unison. Davariel kissed her as if sampling the sweetest fruit, the tip of his tongue delving repeatedly into the heart of her mouth. Luciel wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and braced her feet against the backs of his thighs. Her heart beat frantically as she angled her hips and then pushed herself down onto him. Davariel arched his back in pleasure and broke the contact of their lips to look into her eyes.
Her eyes roved over his face as her fingers tangled in the wealth of gold that spilled down his back. "We go as one, Davariel."
His bright eyes shimmered and a few tears spilled down his flushed cheeks. "Yes, my love."
His wings stopped and his mouth fused to hers as they dropped. Luciel linked her mind deeply to his, experiencing his life and allowing him to experience hers, all the while their souls sang to each other an ancient song of eternal love.
Then there was nothing. Only darkness...silence.
A soft glow began illuminating, growing so bright, she felt blinded. She panicked until she felt the familiar warmth and texture of Davariel's body still wrapped around hers. His wings pressed her tighter reassuring her that he could feel her too.
"My love," he whispered.
Her eyes finally adjusted to the brightness and she realized that it was coming from Davariel. He glowed like golden fire, even his wings.
They were lying in the middle of a field. The tall grass shimmered with iridescent colors and strange orbs floated in the air around them.
"Where are we?"
He looked around, then back at her. "I don't know, my love." His hand caressed her cheek. "You're glowing. Like fire, Luci."
Raising her hand, she saw that she was surrounded by light also. Good-god. Were they dead?
He helped her stand. Now she saw a few trees and flowers. They shimmered in colors she couldn't quite make out. They were colors she'd never seen. How could that be possible? In the distance there were hills and not far from where they stood was a river. It looked shallow and wound around some trees before disappearing into a bright blue-white light in the horizon. The color of the sky was indescribable with large planet-like objects floating high above. Part of the sky was covered with deep purple clouds that rumbled and flashed.
"Did we fall from up there?" Luciel pointed toward the clouds, remembering the purple mist.
Davariel looked up and shrugged. Luciel felt captivated watching his hair billow around him like flames. Reaching out, he caught one of the floating orbs. Holding it with both hands he looked at it.
