Authors: Darcy Town
Dahlia scratched her head.
“Not planning on it.”
“Good, sorry about dropping you.”
He picked her back up.
She looked around.
Andy pointed.
“The outpost should be coming up soon.”
“I smell smoke.”
“Yes.”
Andy looked grim.
Helion dropped beside them with Whitney on his shoulders.
“There’s a building.
It’s still smoldering.
Nothing moved but crows.”
“Crows?”
Whitney shook her head.
“If they were crows, they were freaking huge.”
Andy grinned and took off running.
Dahlia hung on for dear life.
“I take it that’s a good thing?”
Andy stopped at the foot of the outpost.
The building looked like an ordinary cabin, or would have if not for being burnt down.
Six ravens hung out in the trees and watched them.
Andy eyed the ravens.
He set Dahlia on her feet and held up his hands.
“I am under no compulsion, I speak and act feely.
You recognize me as Andrealphus of the Fallen, this is the Mother.”
The ravens oriented on Dahlia.
Helion landed in the clearing with Whitney.
The ravens squawked and took off.
Andy pointed at Helion.
“Wait!
He’s Fallen too!
He just lost his other wings yesterday.
He’s new!
Just look at him!
Come back!”
One raven veered back around and landed.
The bird shifted.
In its place was a white-haired girl with pitch-black eyes.
She wore the black armor of the City Guard.
She looked at Helion and Whitney.
“You carry a half-blood.
No angel would touch Lilliam with kindness.”
She bowed to Andrealphus.
She walked up to Dahlia and dropped to her knees.
“Mother.”
Dahlia gaped.
“Uhm.
Hi
, I’m Dahlia.”
The girl touched the ground at Dahlia’s feet.
“We offer our lives.”
Dahlia stared at the girl.
“Thanks?
Who are you?”
The raven girl stood.
“I am Nukka of the Chulyin Far Patrol.”
Andy folded his arms.
“You’ve come a ways.
Why are you here?”
“Have you not heard?”
She looked him over.
“The lanes are closed across North America.
There are many patrols gathering those stuck on the outside.
We volunteered to come south to help.”
“Wait.”
Andy gaped.
“
All
of the lanes are closed?”
Nukka nodded.
“Yes.”
Andy made a face.
“Then everyone’s travelling on the Old Road?”
“Everyone that can get to an entrance.”
Andy pointed towards the ruins.
“What happened here?”
“An attack.”
Nukka turned to look at the burnt outpost and snapped.
Five other ravens dropped into human form, four adults and a child.
Whitney grinned.
“
Cool
!”
A boy looked at Helion.
“He’s a Magpie!”
Nukka ignored them.
“We do not know the specifics, but the burnings are occurring everywhere.
We have found corpses from both sides here, though it looks as though most Lilliam escaped before the entrance closed.”
Dahlia walked up beside her.
The raven girl and her soldiers showed her deference.
Dahlia looked into the rubble.
“That would explain why they attacked the house, right?
It wasn’t because they were after
me
or working with the Archangels, the Solomon Soldiers are attacking every place Lilliam are gathering.”
Nukka nodded.
“First night was the outposts.
But attacks on meeting halls, the bars of Paimon, and even individual homes have been occurring all throughout the day.
It is genocide.”
Andy paced.
“Can you spare anyone?”
Nukka nodded.
Andy pointed at their group.
“We have three other groups out, we split up.
Princess Appleadris is with Berith and Lucifer and Lucifer is badly injured.
They were to take the mountain pass, but I doubt they will go there now.
Paimon and Furcas are heading south if they’re still on course for Portland.
Belial was with Prince Tokala last time I saw her, but I do not know what their status is.
She was supposed to head east.”
Nukka nodded and turned to three of her soldiers.
“Priority is on the Princess and the Father.”
She looked back at Andy.
“We cannot give them any more escort inside than the Princess can, but we can add strength and send a message.”
Andy nodded.
“Let them know that we are safe and finding alternate passage to the City.”
Nukka bowed.
“Understood.”
Dahlia raised her hand.
“Can I add something?”
The Chulyin turned to her.
She blushed.
“Tell Lucifer I love him and to not worry about me.
I’m safe.”
Nukka nodded.
Three men dropped into raven form and took off, heading south.
Nukka saluted them.
A man and a boy were left.
Nukka pointed to the boy.
“This is Sinaaq.
He is my younger brother and an apprentice.”
She pointed to the man.
“My mate Tonrar.”
Dahlia grinned.
“Nice to meet you.”
The boy ducked his head.
The man bowed deeply.
Nukka pointed to Sinaaq.
“Patrol with the magpie.”
Sinaaq leapt into the air and shifted to raven form.
Nukka stood near Dahlia and addressed her and Andy, “We three will stay with you.
You take priority over any remaining Lilliam in the region.
There are no second outposts here, only the Road.
There is an entrance a day’s walk, but I have heard of your speed, it is legendary.”
She eyed Andy.
Andy shrugged.
“I have some speed, yes.”
“So do the Chulyin.
I will scout, Tonrar will stay by your side.
Follow.”
She drew two rapiers and dashed into the undergrowth.
Andy picked up Dahlia and ran after her.
Tonrar flew through the trees in raven form.
Sinaaq, Helion, and Whitney followed above them.
***
Unnatural storms brewed in the atmosphere.
Uriel and his elite soldiers flew above the Earth’s surface, skimming over the barrier between that realm and theirs.
Out in space they could stay ethereal, unseen and unheard by humans, Lilliam, or Fallen.
So they flew and watched as they had done since the Fall, their baleful glare on the planet unrelenting.
Uriel focused his gaze on a continent below.
Clouds roiled and grew dark to match his mood.
He was the only Archangel that could make his will manifest on the planet below without having to cross the border.
Berith always thought it was because Uriel had too much self-righteous hate to contain inside.
Uriel touched his face, recalling the beating he had taken from Paimon.
He had not felt pain in quite some time.
Thunderheads massed below, obscuring his view.
Wind picked up and a storm front moved over the western seaboard.
Lightning rippled in the dark mass.
Uriel circled, waiting for one of the Fallen to give themselves away.
***
Belial checked her map and gazed at the truck-stop diner critically.
She’d parked their small car out of sight from the main door.
The pre-dawn air outside throbbed storm-dark, electric, and heavy.
The clouds above their car threatened rain, rain which would no doubt turn the flat desert around them into a swamp of mud.
Belial disliked mud.
The weather ruined her morning.
“We’re stopping, so take the chance and eat something.”
Jacob, Celeste, and Tracy blinked awake.
The clock had not quite turned five AM.
Despite the hour, the three were quick to get unbuckled and out of the car.
Tracy and Jacob ran for the diner.
Belial and Celeste helped Tokala stand.
He was weak, but awake.
Tokala smiled at them both.
“Thank you.”
Belial shook her head.
“You don’t need to.
Just rest, we’re going to get you food then I want you back to sleep got it?”
Tokala nodded.
Tracy held the door open and Belial stepped into the restaurant, her arm around Tokala’s waist.
The walls were covered in kitschy art, the booths a bright red, the tile black and white.
Belial eyed the restaurant patrons, a smattering of truckers, state patrol troopers, and a few road tripping college students.
Those that looked up looked away just as quickly, uninterested in their tired looking group.
Jacob found an empty booth and flipped through the menu.
Tracy slid in across from him and looked out the window.
Celeste took a spot next to Jacob and helped Tokala sit.
The prince blinked to stay awake; he used Celeste as a focal point and watched her open a menu.
Belial sat on the edge of her seat.
She scanned the room, ignoring the waitress that automatically poured them coffee.
Tokala glanced over the menu and pointed at an item.
Celeste looked at what he pointed at.
“The waffles?
What kind of eggs?”
“I don’t like eggs.”
Tokala smiled and slipped back into sleep, his head fell on her shoulder.
Celeste blinked, a little shocked, but she let him rest there.
Belial took the menu from Celeste.
“Right.
Waffles for the prince.”
The others looked at Tokala.
Celeste frowned.
“Prince?
Prince of what?”
Belial sniffed her coffee.
“Of the Lilliam.”
Tracy sipped on her water.
“So Nodin’s a prince too?”
Belial nodded.
“Yep.”
Tracy smiled.
“Neato.”
Jacob scratched his head.
“Wait what does that even mean?”
Belial gave their orders to a waitress and waited until she left.
She folded her hands.
“They’re the first family among the Lilliam.
Tokala’s father is the king, and the king is Gaea’s grandson.
As such, his family is seen as royalty.
Mostly just means they maintain and defend the City as custodians in Lucifer’s stead.”
Jacob frowned.
“Who’s
Gaea
?”
Belial looked at them like they were stupid.
“Lucifer and Dahlia’s first child.”
Celeste and Tracy were shocked silent, but Jacob continued questioning, “Then all the Lilliam come from Gaea?”
Belial sighed.
“
No
.”
Jacob blushed.
“I’ll shut up.”
“No, you should know.”
Belial waved his concern aside.
“Lucifer and Dahlia had
eight
children.
Gaea is just the eldest.
Lucifer’s other children and their progeny could rule too, but the first and second generations generally don’t hang around in physical form.
So, the responsibility of day-to-day activities falls to Lilliam of the third generation, and since Tokala’s dad is the first-born son of Ceres who is Gaea’s first-born, the responsibility falls to him.
Got it?”