“Those wolves are… glowing.” Liam murmurs. Giving a tilt of his wings, he swoops down lower to get a look. They are scrambling over each other, fighting and scratching as though not willing to share their kill.
Cass follows and is once again thankful that his angelic abilities allow him to see in the dark. “Not wolves,” Cass snaps and pulls out his blade.
“What are they chasing?” They stare at each other for a fraction of a second before Liam yells for Apollyon.
Apollyon stumbles as his leg give out. The pain from his damaged wing is raging through his body and the creatures have almost reached them.
“Zachariel, you must keep moving. I will buy you some time.”
Zach rushes to his side to help him. “We are nearly there, Apollyon. Get up,” he demands as he struggles to lift him up from his knees.
“I am the Destroyer! Leave me to my fate little brother and go protect the gate.” He pushes to his feet just as the first demon leaps at him.
Zachariel leaps into the air as Apollyon lands a blow that sends the creature tumbling across the rocky terrain. The creature rolls and skids to a stop and Apollyon watches with an odd fascination as the creature begins to change. Where before it was a faceless, hairless demon, now… It becomes something more lethal. Large bones shoot out from its back and it arches as if it is in pain. The skin stretches over its mouthless face and it breaks open with a shrill shriek. Apollyon staggers under the power of the sound wave hitting him.
Liam and Cass hear the scream and are stunned when Zachariel shoots up into the night sky in front of them. He spins and flies back down toward a group of three more demons. “Feel free to help us!” He yells.
Zach’s cracks a whip tipped with silver spikes that are curved. It wraps around the neck of a demon and lifts it from its feet. He flies down swiftly dragging the creature and slams it into a group on the ground. Apollyon hears the call of his brothers and sags in relief.
Wriggling on the ground the beast is still changing as more bones shoot from the ones on its spine. It is forming wings! “That cannot be allowed,” he snarls and lifts both of his war hammers. They are a beautiful instrument of destruction. Their heads are forged of the purest metal and the etchings engraved into their sides flare with a fierce white light as he swings them.
The creature screams again and this time, all the demons fall to the ground writhing in pain. “They are all changing!” Apollyon warns before swinging his hammer. He brings it straight down on top of the leader’s skull flattening it against the ground. The power of the hammer burns the creatures wound closed, preventing it from spawning more of its hell sent brothers. “You need to go now!” He yells again.
“We aren’t leaving you behind,” Liam lands and Zach joins him on the opposite arm. Together they lift the massive angel into the air and fly with Cass following. Apollyon glances down as they fly away. He watches the mass on the ground. Bones explode from their backs and burnt leathery skin stretches across their backs. Snouts appear from their faces with angry looking fangs. Helpless to stop them he can only watch as they fly to the Lava Creek Bridge.
Below them, the earth takes on an eerie vision. Steaming geysers release their misty breath into the night sky. Two mountains loom connected by a swaying steel cable bridge. One side of the bridge is the barren mountain face now a scarred reminder of the volcanic eruption that formed this land. On the other side is a thick new growth forest. It seems simple enough to cross the bridge and access the gate. But these warriors know nothing is ever as easy as it looks.
“Land, over there,” Apollyon points to a clearing near the entrance to the bridge. The four drop to the earth and Liam immediately turns to look at his brother’s wing.
“Why didn’t you heal this?” He demands as he begins to circle around his brother. Cassiel gives him a drink and helps spread the wing out behind Apollyon to allow access to the bones.
“I tried…” Apollyon’s voice fades to the darkness and Zach takes in the scene about them.
Geysers continue misting the ground with steamy breaths and the stench of rotten eggs fills the night. Steam, humidity, and the constant beat off… “What is that noise?” He asks no one in particular. A crashing sound echoes out as one of the large creature’s lands in a tree breaking it in half.
Suddenly, like bombs dropping from the sky, the creature’s crash to the earth with a thud. Apollyon is healed now allowing Liam and Cass to join him in facing the horde of monsters moving towards them.
“To the gate, now!” Apollyon screams and they all turn and skid to a stop.
Caius is standing on the bridge and he is not alone. His creatures flank him to either side and they appear to be enhanced. He holds up his hand and the beasts behind him, stop moving and wait.
“Welcome, brothers! You are the final four. I see you have met my new creations. I call them the Baku. Do you wish to join me as your brothers did or shall I order them to finish you?”
“Our brothers are all dead because of you!” Zach snarls and attempts to run at Caius, but Apollyon stops him.
“That is not entirely accurate, Zachariel. You see they knew what you all know deep down. You are all fallen. It is too late to save your souls. Do you wish to return home and be punished for this failure? Or would you rather take your
