CounterPoint (16 page)

“Ariel you don’t have the power to destroy me. I’ve been fighting the demon war since time began and more. I’m no desk boy,” said Uriel coldly, getting ready for a duel to the death.

The blizzards winds from outside were intensifying and light snow showers were filling the interior cabin. The main front door blasted open, flying off its hinges.

“He may be a desk boy,” shouted the character standing at the door front, “but
I
am not.” Rapidly, violent shards of crystal ice flung through the door frame and encircled Uriel instantly - just leaving his face visible. Uriel tried to struggle, but each time he did he was sliced by one of those jagged shards. Ariel stepped back, thankful for this friend’s late, if not appropriate, arrival. The look on Uriel’s face showed he had finally pieced it together. There were very few things that could ever harm an angel, especially one as high ranking as himself, except perhaps another angel.

“Manakel,” Uriel growled, again slicing himself with the shards as he struggled to contain his rage. “You have no right; when Michael finds out he’ll have you put at the bottom of one of your damn oceans and kept there for all eternity”

“Maybe so. But not today. And he won’t hear it from you. Not where you’re going,” replied Manakel ever so calmly. “Ariel, if you could please step back. I’d hate for you to get dragged along by accident.” The female human walked forward, her white flowing gowns rippled majestically in the 100mph winds. Her eyes turned baby blue and she raised her arms to the air loudly enchanting an old spell in an ancient language. The winds began to intensify. Everything was done with such ease.

Uriel could feel himself lifting off the ground, and the sensation of water at his feet and salt in his mouth. His last sight was looking down at Manakel and Ariel as he was projected miles above the house at warp like speed before descending into one of the world’s deepest oceans soaring towards the mantle of the planet.

Ariel, with relief pouring over himself, thanked Manakel profusely for answering his call for help and for taking care of the angels outside on the perimeter. She looked at him fondly knowing that she had been of help for the right cause, a first in a long time. Manakel herself was a very high ranking elder angel in control of the world’s oceans and anything related with water. She made a formidable enemy on the battlefield and was credited with extinguishing the fires in Hell when they were started by demons after the crucifixion of Christ. Legend held that she had almost drained an entire ocean and flooded Hell with its cooling properties.

“Ariel,” said Manakel, “Michael will realise what has happened to Uriel and release him. He will be coming.”

“I know, but the next time we’ll be ready. I’ll be ready.” They nodded in agreement, knowingly.

Ariel walked over to the Bassett family and explained what had happened. He told them how he had been contacted by one of God’s closest agents and how he sensed something was very wrong. They still did not know why Michael and the rest of upper management wanted them excluded from this coming war but Pravuil was sure it was not for good intentions. They suspected the war itself was not righteous and that this family held the key to stopping it. It was therefore necessary that they find a place to hide them, from both angels and demons.

“People, if you would follow me to just beyond the perimeter of the house we can get you out of here,” said Ariel, walking towards the family who were all standing around the fireplace with Mary between them.

“What the Hell is going on?” shouted Mary.

Ariel could immediately tell where David got his temperament and blunt conversational skills from. Ariel knew he had to find the balance between conveying a sense of urgency to these people and also accepting they needed answers. None of that, though, could nullify the fact that a squadron of angels would soon be on their way. Explaining to them briefly that there seemed to be some corruption at the very top of the celestial chain of command, he then tried to impress upon the need for speed.

“And who is she?” barked Mary, giving Manakel a death stare.

“She is what you might call a specialist. She is responsible for the water of this world,” said Ariel who then asked Manakel would she mind tampering with the weather to ensure they had safe and easy passage to just beyond the perimeter. Dutifully obliging, with only a moment’s thought, the wind, snow and ice stopped instantly.

“We must hurry, please come with me,” ushered Ariel managing them out of the half-destroyed cabin. Manakel would stay behind and head off any squadrons that were due to appear any time now.  They rushed down the slight incline, shoes and boots trotting into the snow.  Ariel ensured that each footstep into the snow was subtly erased. Mary was having a hard time keeping up with the pace and it took the efforts of Claire and Catherine to ensure she made it to the perimeter border. Once there he slowed the group down. Instructing each to each place their hand on him they would soon find themselves in an area filled with near blinding white light but it would only be momentary. They were not to move an inch and would soon find themselves in their final destination.

“Okay, ready?” asked Ariel, looking round and receiving nods from each of the three, “Okay, three, two, one.” The five vanished without sound or physical impact.

Chapter 20

Pravuil was not used to checking his attire before a meeting. While there was no protocol for him to do so, he was meeting the leader of one billion humans across the world. That deserved respect. He doubted Michael or Raphael would care about such details but that was the difference between the elder angels and them. 

“Camerlengo,” said Pravuil deeply as he entered, addressing the frail looking man sat behind the late pontiffs imposing papal desk. The Camerlengo helped run the Vatican while a new Pope was elected and was the main point of contact. “I bring bad tidings that you must be aware of.” Upon his first meeting with any new Pope, as with all the others, he informed him of one simple fact: the less they saw of each other, the better.

“His Holiness spoke of you before,” was the reply that greeted Pravuil, “along with another gentleman who visited me earlier. He told me to be weary of those entering these palaces to guide me.” The Camerlengo looked tired, nearing the end of his human existence on Earth.

“Raphael has no jurisdiction to address you about me Camerlengo” replied Pravuil firmly, now facing the dark wooden desk, before taking a seat. “I bring you counsel and ask for your permission to enter the deepest vaults of the Vatican.”

“Sir Raphael has made it clear speaking to anyone but him could incur the wrath of evil upon the world.”

“I have, without the knowledge of Heaven, introduced myself to each Pope since this Church began. You have no doubt been made aware of me by the deceased Pope.”

The Camerlengo looked at him silently, and this alone answered Pravuil’s question. It was clear his mind had suffered from age. A flash of knowledge sparked in his eyes.

“Pravuil?”

“Indeed,” replied Pravuil in a grandiose tone, emphasising his position. “We do not have a lot of time. The world is in danger, as is the six billion humans who reside upon it. If we do not act now, this Church will never see a new Pope.”

“What would you have me do?”

“Allow me into the vaults. I desperately need to find the location of an artefact. Before I commit treason and go against the might and power of Heaven I need to be absolutely sure. Lives, billions of them, will depend on it.”

“Who am I to stand in the way of an angel as close to the Almighty Father as you?”

“Camerlengo. I am not in contact with God. He will not come to save this planet. We are alone.”

“Then you better move fast,” the Camerlengo murmured, the weight of what he was being told crushed down on him. This was the oldest Camerlengo in the history of the Church. Pravuil needed to track down this elusive artefact immediately if they were to help stave off disaster. The sections of the vaults available to the public and to scholars were ‘organised’. The private secure vaults buried deep below the Vatican itself hadn’t been touched in hundreds of years and were a complete disorganised mess. Even with all his powers and abilities, the vaults were considered ‘divine’ and no angel could use their angelic capabilities in them.

What alarmed him though was Michael. He would be informed when someone entered the vaults and would no doubt dispatch angels to investigate. Pravuil knew he had made the decision to cross the line when he contacted David in that London nightclub. Now he was sitting in the Pope’s office telling him that the Catholic religion and indeed the planet was under the threat of annihilation. Time moves fast. The future was now being rewritten. No matter who would win in this upcoming cosmic battle, in the end he would certainly cease to exist. It worried him less than it would most. He had been alive for a very long time, had seen so many things. Ultimately, he served God and therefore the human race. That was the instructions God had issued to all his other creations, to care for them more than anything else. He did, and would ensure they came to no harm.

Pravuil gripped both hands of the Camerlengo tightly and pledged that he would do everything in his power to prevent anything from happening. He left the room silently, heading towards the archives and wondering if he would ever see the frail old man again.

Chapter 21

Now back in Wales, the storm that had been raging across the globe seemed to be ever most intense here. David stared out the window at the lighting and the wind playing with the rain far up in the sky. The huge, bombastic sound of thunder was on constant repeat in the background, like war drums before an ancient battle. He couldn’t help but think of the families, old people and children across the country that were simply riding this storm out, no idea what was in front of them. Not only this country, but every country on Earth. This oncoming war would not heed diplomatic ties or alliances. It would transcend national borders and wouldn’t be stopped by natural obstacles such as oceans and mountain ranges. Every single human on the planet was going to feel this war in one way or another. He couldn’t help but groan that this little cottage and its surroundings really didn’t help his mood much either. Hidden deep in the Welsh countryside, it even ran on an electric generator. This one storey house had been in the family for generations and was the only place they could think of going. David was glad now more than ever that his mother and uncle had always insisted on renovating and maintaining it.  Ariel had said he couldn’t risk taking them to any of the safe locations he knew as they were now compromised. He was now compromised. Thankfully, his access to the Bassett family archives showed no knowledge of this little cottage. It was virtually humming with the many enchantments, spells and symbols cast upon it over the years. Certain religious symbols were even carved into the foundations of the house to ward off all kinds beings. But according to Ariel, angels were not the only thing they now had to fear. Heaven truly going to war meant it unleashing an army never seen by human eyes. The same could be said for the demons and the other Gods.

“I am aware,” said Ariel, choosing his words carefully as he walked around the terracotta coloured living room where they had all assembled, “that you all have no reason to trust me. But my intentions are to protect this family. You may very well be the key to saving humanity. I do not know why my colleagues want to capture you, but I will try my very best to thwart their plans. I have been contacted by a very old, respected and powerful individual who is directly linked to God. At this very moment, he is trying to figure out exactly what is happening. Until then, we need to make our stand here. There is little time to discuss this unfortunately.”

“He was there today trying to defeat that monster,” conceded Mary, sitting in her armchair. She didn’t trust others easily, especially this one, but at the moment their backs were against the wall. Who could they turn to for help?

“Why would you help us? You’ve been trying to kidnap us since this whole fucking thing started,” seethed David. He was angry, damned angry. Their life had been turned upside down, his grandmother put in danger and his partner had seemingly disappeared. He just wanted answers, which Ariel was not providing.

“I can’t give you answers. My bosses seem intent on tearing this planet apart. Myself and a few others are going to try and stop them.”

“Can you?” asked Mary.

“Most likely not. We shall all probably be dead before the sun rises, but that is irrelevant.”

You could well hear a pin drop in here after that statement, thought Mary.

“Do we even have a chance?” said David, sitting down in one of the plush cream coloured armchairs.

The front door swung open and Amber strutted in, carrying what David thought looked like a silver office briefcase. It certainly matched her office attire.

“Chance is irrelevant. We shall succeed,” said Amber confidently. “And it’s platinum, not silver” she said, turning round to look at him as if reading his mind. He replied with an empty stare. She looked like quite a fiery individual, a lot more alive and verbally combative than the demure and broody Ariel.

“Meet Amber, my deputy,” said Ariel to the room.

“Evening everybody, these are certainly interesting times,” she said with a spark.

“Did you get them?” enquired Ariel, leading her into the small dining room table.

“Yes, sir. I got them all, along with whatever information I could get quickly, including the latest deployment registers. The status now is extreme but controlled. Specialist angelic security forces from Heaven had just arrived when I was leaving to bolster internal security. They will thwart the invasion but the price will be high in both angels and equipment.”

Placing it on the mahogany dining table, the platinum briefcase opened with Amber placing her palm on it. It hissed, and white gas escaped. Ariel turned to look at the front door – his staff still stood, ready for action. Amber took numerous angelic swords and blades out of the case. More than any conventional case could store. A small red medallion detailed with a simple cross caught Ariel’s eye and he took it off Amber.