Camael's Battle
A battle royale…
Cam ran the rest of the way up the stairs. He drew the sword always sheathed invisibly at his back as he did. He tucked the Blade of the Morning Star into his belt, and when he gained the floor, saw Gabriel in a fierce battle with two Dark Ones, both familiar.
“Helion and Piras!” He shouted as he charged, roaring like a lion. Cam ducked the swing of Gabe’s axe and came up on the right side of Helion. The dark-haired angel turned his attention away from Gabriel, arcing his sword down and jabbing out at Cam. Sparks flew off the weapons as they collided.
Camael countered with a left-hand swing forcing Helion back further away from Gabriel who was now concentrating solely on Piras. The Dark One’s blade flamed, licked by lethal blue fire. If the sword found its mark, it would burn its victim to cinders in an instant.
“Give us the blade, archangel, and we might let you live!” Helion snarled as he twisted, faked right, and then lunged forward bringing his weapon down hard. It bounced off Camael’s sword which was now glowing bright white.
“Over my dead body!” He swung around and brought his sword up knocking Helion’s weapon high.
“If that’s the way you want it, then I’m happy to oblige.” Helion recovered and gripped the heft with two hands parrying, and then began pile-driving the hits.
The battle raged on, and just when Gabriel and Cam gained the upper hand, cornering the two fallen, a voice rang out behind them. “Ah, just in time for all the fun.”
Dagon ran up behind them.
Cam pivoted, kicking out and sending him flying. Dagon got up and charged again. Cam, recognizing Hannah’s kidnapper, saw red.
“You! Where is she?” He parried, then slashed, his sword sweeping out and nicking Dagon’s thigh.
The Dark One jumped back, grinning. He’d been cooped up too long, and a good fight was in order. He circled Camael who matched his steps. “She’s where she needs to be, angel.”
“You will tell me, fallen scum, one way or the other. Please choose the other because ripping you apart is my priority right now.” The snarl Cam emitted let Dagon know he was serious. Only one of them would be walking away with their life.
“I thought your priority was rescuing Hannah. She’s quite something. So very… sweet.” Dagon grinned, knowing his comment would send his opponent over the edge. He was right.
Cam lunged, thrust, and missed as the Dark One faked right. He quickly recovered, feigning left, then swinging hard. Steel clashed, and the sparks flew. There was no holding back.
In the far corner of the chamber, Gabriel fended off both Piras and Helion with his axe and short sword. The two lesser angels struggled to slow him down. As one of the first created, Gabriel wielded tremendous strength and power. Worse for them, he was enjoying himself.
“Is that all you’ve got? It’s like you’ve never stepped onto the field of battle before, Helion.” The dark-haired fallen angel swung and missed. His anger at not being able to best the archangel was making him reckless. Gabe took full advantage and raised his axe high with his right hand. Helion glanced up and in that split second, Gabriel drove the short sword deep into his foe’s heart with the left. He pulled back, and the chest wound bled profusely before Helion’s body disintegrated leaving only glittering particles floating on the stale air.
Gabriel now turned his full attention to Piras, grinning wickedly. “You’re next.”
Sweat gleamed off the warriors’ brows as they battled. Gabriel found a slightly more worthy opponent in Piras who was once of a higher level of host than Helion. He barely missed the flaming blade but lost a lock of hair. The burnt smell reminded him not to become too sure of himself.
Camael and Dagon were evenly matched in strength. The tipping point would be who had more to live for, and Dagon didn’t feel ready to give up when what he wanted most was almost within his grasp. The sound of steel violently crashing against steel filled the room. Destruction rained down as a sword failed to connect to a body and instead tore down stones from ancient walls. Embers from metal striking rock showered upon them, burning skin. Cam brought his sword up with all he had. It struck close to the heft knocking it out of Dagon’s hand. As it went flying, Cam charged the Dark One who ducked, spun, and came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Cam’s waist. He lifted him high and threw him to the ground. Camael’s sword was dislodged from his hand. The two angels went at each other now in hand-to-hand combat. Fists flew. Grunts erupted from punches to the ribs. Elbows cracked jaws.
Gabriel could hear the commotion but kept his sights squarely on Piras. “How does it feel knowing you’ll soon join your brother in oblivion?”
Piras smirked. “You tell me.” He arced his sword out cutting a swath through the air, heating it.
Gabe could see the heated space as if viewing Piras through a mirage in the distance. As the hot air stung his eyes, Gabe blinked back the tears that were desperately trying to moisten the dry corneas. Piras took advantage and thrust his blade.
Gabriel jumped backwards and stumbled over the debris and bones littering the floor. He fell onto his back. Piras leapt forward for the kill and stopped midair. He hung there, suspended as if impaled. Gabe watched, confused, but then understanding slowly dawned. “Materialize, Michael.”
The light shimmered, and Michael appeared, transparent at first, then solid. He stood with a golden pike gripped in his hands holding Piras off the ground. The life seeped from the Fallen’s eyes, and his body broke apart into chunks of smoldering embers that quickly burned to ash. Within moments, all evidence of the Dark One was gone.
Gabriel jumped up. “I could’ve handled him, you know.” He dusted himself off and picked up his axe.
Michael turned and smiled. “I know. But I owed you, brother.” He held out his hand.
Grudgingly, Gabriel reached out and shook it. They turned to watch the battle between Camael and Dagon. The two were facing each other like Roman-Greco wrestlers, neither willing to relent.
Michael leaned on his pike and called out to Cam. “Time’s wasting, Camael. Can’t you hurry this along?”
Cam kept his eyes on Dagon as he answered. “What do you think I’m doing? Dancing?”
“Well, yes. I’m just not sure which one of you is leading.” Gabriel sat atop a crypt while catching his breath.
Michael’s eyes twinkled. He was ready to stir that pot now. “Well, it surely can’t be Dagon. I hear Astarte calls all the shots in their relationship which effectively makes him the woman.”
Gabe stopped grinning and looked at his brother. “What do you mean “in their relationship?”
Dagon threw a quick glance at Michael also wondering just what he was up to. “You know nothing. I am to be high general in Lucifer’s army, angel.” He sneered the last word. “When that happens, if you’re still alive to see hell unleashed on Earth, you will eat your words.”
Michael was not phased. “Is that so? How will Lucifer feel about that? Has he no say in who leads his army? I would think he wouldn’t choose the demon with whom his beloved has been cavorting. But then, she’s quite good at playing the men around her.” He ticked off a list on his fingers. “Lucy,” he paused. “Yourself.” He tipped his imaginary hat at Dagon who was trying to watch Camael while fighting the urge not to be distracted by his words. Then Michael turned and placed an arm around Gabriel’s shoulders. “And, of course, Gabe here. I mean, that’s why this whole event is happening anyway. You see, they had a lovers’ spat.” He waited for the pot to boil.
Gabriel and Dagon locked eyes. The angel’s were narrowed to slits and seething, and the Fallen’s were wide with surprise.
“You’re bedding Astarte?” Dagon knew something had just changed, and not in his favor.
Gabriel hopped off the crypt and hefted his axe. He stalked Dagon’s flank while Camael stayed directly in front of him. “You’re a dead man.” It had all been fun and games earlier for Gabriel, but now it was personal.
Dagon shifted to divide his attention between the two angels. His mind was reeling as he went over all that led him to this point. He’d put up with Astarte’s jealousy and instability. He’d gone along with her plans after she’d bedded him because of her promise of the position of power, but he knew he risked much. He knew that their relationship, if discovered, would infuriate Lucifer. He was aware he’d been used to help bring about this ritual sacrifice to free him, but he wasn’t aware until this moment how twisted Astarte really was. He thought he’d been the only one sharing her bed. Even though he, himself, backed away from that part of their dealings, somehow, that didn’t make him any less angry to find out she’d been sleeping with Gabriel too. He didn’t have to worry about the jealous lover still in the pit. He had to worry about the one glaring at him now as well as the love-sick angel before him, intent on ripping him apart. He was in a no-win situation.
“You want to find your woman, Camael?” He addressed Cam while keeping his attention on Gabriel who now had murder in his eyes.
“Speak.” Cam was in no mood for dumb questions.
“About five miles west in the mountains. There’s a cave nearly a thousand feet up. You can’t miss it. It’s the one that stinks to high heaven of pregnant human.”
“Take that back!” Cam charged, but Michael’s voice stopped him.
“Camael! His insult is unimportant.”
Dagon felt only a moment’s relief. “You need to hurry. Even without the blade, Astarte will still kill her, if for no other reason than she didn’t get what she wanted.”
Cam looked at Gabriel who concurred. “He’s right. She’s not one to tolerate being denied. Look what she started over our own squabble.”
Knowing it wasn’t wise, Dagon still couldn’t resist a last dig. He addressed Cam. “Looks like you can thank your friend over there for Hannah being kidnapped in the first place. If he could handle his woman better, this never would have happened.”
“Why you—” Gabe raised his axe.
“Enough!” Cam stepped forward. He grabbed his sword off the ground and pointed it at Dagon, blue eyes blazing. “You are the one who took her, Dark One! If I find she’s been hurt by you or if I’m even too late, I will hunt you down and take you apart piece by piece with my bare hands. Understood?”
Dagon felt a new respect for the blond angel. “I never mistreated her. If you arrive in time, she’ll tell you so.”
Cam turned to leave intent on getting to Hannah before the lunatic goddess finished what she began. Michael followed him. Gabriel stayed behind.
“I make no such promise to wait. You’ve caused nothing but pain to my friend, and you had the nerve to sleep with my woman!” He geared up for battle once again.
Dagon bent down and grabbed his sword knowing he would have to fight until the death now. “To be fair, I didn’t know she was yours. She came on to me, by the way. Perhaps if you’d done a better job of it, she wouldn’t have felt the need to go seeking out both a new and an old lover.”
Gabriel spit, and then pointed a finger at him. “You’re going to pay for that one.” He charged.
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