Chapter 20

The Seraphs Fall

Some deemed it impossible, some may call it heresy. A Daeva and Arael too bear children hybrids of dark and light has never been attempted until now. Arael has, to them, a soul. Only unique to them they reside a essence of their light, Grace. It is there genetic makeup and what they use to fuel their healing strength and life force. It is also used to burn Daeva to the touch as once there blood is exposed to the elements a nit of their grace intertwines with it. That is why it burns Daevans to the touch. Haliel and Maz, though not married shared a bond so great they would never be thought apart, but they hold to their beliefs and they are, as by name, a family of sorts. Perhaps, it is that bond that helped create their offspring. Children fused with Daevan and Arael Blood, unknown to what their potential will bring.

Now with twins they are of four. A son named Sariel Ma'ul and a Daughter Named Azriel Ma'ul their last name bared of their father's, their firsts, given by their mother. Maz begins to prep the venison as Haliel tends to her children. Both children being a great challenge for her as they fuss. she talks to them in celestial to soothe them. While she pays attention to one, the other begins to fuss. Even as young babies Arael begin to compete with their kin. As soon as they can crawl they begin Military Training. For in their eyes, 'If a Arael is strong enough to crawl, then they are strong enough to fly'. Every single Arael is put to the test and the strongest will fly. the weakest, well, you get the idea. This is one of the reasons why their military is so powerful, structured. and strict. With their integrity do solid and sound, even the strong however, can become independent at times and that independence is not tolerated within the ranks.

The skies are supposed to be fairly clear this winter day but a dark and grey cloud looms over the valley suddenly. Maz drops his tools with a clatter and his eyes widen as he stares at the table seemingly frozen and tensed. He has never felt this before in his entire lifetime though it has been a century since he had any feeling of fight or flight. His body is overwhelm with a urge to move. To get as far away from where he is as possible for the aura that he feels is so vast, so intense. It feels like ton of weight surrounding him. He slowly turns trying his best to walk outside. His legs feel like they been on a long hike and can no longer move. He pushes forward and exits the front and looks to the sky. The clouds above him are swirling like a cyclone directly above the house. Lightning and thunder reverberate around the radius of the cyclone and it begins to turn into a inverse cone as the sky opens up in its' center. The sun's rays directly pointed at the cabin as a being is seen in the middle of the eye of the storm.

Maz is in disbelief as the being bares 2 sets of wings that are massive and are not flapping. The being hovers over and then begins to decend, dispersing the weather all together as they land infront of the cabin. They are massive. Maz has never seen an Arael like them. They are nearly 12 feet tall it seems more than twice the size of any Arael that he has ever witnessed. The wing span is so wide it nearly eclipses the cabin he stands infront of. The being is basked in white and silver armor mostly cloth and leather but on top of that is pieces of metal. But they look to be male and his hair is short and still showing of white. His eyes, however, glows with white. Maz looks up to the giant arael man and as he stares the beings' arm raises with the backhand facing the sky and he spreads his fingers and speaks. His voice booms and vibrates the very air. "Fall." Sound seems to cease, The air around Maz is cold and his body gives out as it falls on its own to the ground he struggles to lift his head as an invisible force is pushing him down. "There is only darkness for you, You are strong, child, but I am beyond strength. I am the end, and I have come for you" Maz's body lifts off the ground and gets pulled to the face of the being. The man hand does a motion that resembles a closed fist as Maz stops right in front of him floating in midair.

"You have something of mine, someone that has lost their way. I can see it now. Your people think of us as myths, non-existent, hiding. Well. We are very much alive. We exist. We Thrive." The man closes his eyes and breathes in deep than breathes out and opens his eyes and looks directly into Maz's. "I can smell her on you. You fornicated with her... Mother had told us it was possible to cross but we never thought mortals could as well... Fascinating." He slams Maz to the ground Maz groans from the impact and pressure, unable to move his body on his own, he iseemingly is being crush by an invisible force. "You will suffer for your heresy Daeva" The man says with a grin. The door is violently hit of it hinges as Haliel burst through the opening charging at the man. He points at her and with just a flick not even looking at her as he still gazes at Maz she is Violently thrown off course by The same unknown force into a tree. The snow on the canopy hitting the floor and her body as the trunk shakes. The man looks to her slowly "Little girl... did you really think that would work?" Haliel stands and spreads her wings to get the snow off her. "Wrath, My Grace! Please let him go!" She says pleadingly, panting from the pain. The man tsk and throws Maz's body into a tree causing the tree to splinter and fall. The giant ariel looking man known as Wrath then hovers over to Haliel and grabs her face with two of his fingers and easily lifts her off the ground. "Who are you to give me a plea my girl? Did you think we would not seek you out ourselves?" He squeezes tightly on her face as she screams in pain "You're treachery is with no bounds" His voice is seething with a bit of anger. "You failed to kill your targets then you get captured" He throws her at the cabin breaking the porch with such force. He heads over to her again and picks her up by the hair which makes her wail in pain. "You get captured and subside with this Daevan filth. I am disgusted by your presence" He flings her at the ground and she leaves a crater and a impact path as she is battered and bruised. Maz tries to stand but his body is again taken into the air and he drifts infront of Wrath. "I do not know how you did this Mortal. But I will see too it that your death will be swift." He begins to raise his hand and place it on the head of Maz gripping it, and seemingly trying to rip his head from his body "I will have your skull as a trophy..." but before that could happen a spear flies in-between them.

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Wrath hmphs and looks to Haliel who is standing, panting, and an arm outstretched as she is the one who threw it. "Go to twilight—... I said leave him alone." Wrath drops Maz like he is nothing as Maz gasps on the floor. Wrath stands over Haliel once more and points his pointer finger up in the air as Haliel grits her teeth as her body floats and her muscles are tensed. "Your insolence is now no longer needed." He outstretched his hand and seemingly phases through her body right in the middle between her chest and stomach. Haliel's Eyes are wide and veins begin to show as she grits her teeth groaning from what is happening. Wrath smirks as he clenches his fist inside her body and slowly pulls out something that glows blueish white. It seems to take the form of Haliel but it's being pulled put of her body like a string. Maz screams shouting Haliel's name. "Stop! what are you doing?! You're killing her!" Wrath laughs evilly and looks at Maz as he continues to pull at this ghostly image from Haliel's body. Haliel eyes begin to roll back as her arms begin to dangle and as if a string being snapped the glowing like spirit of Haliel exits her body and swirls around Wraths hand. the physical body of Haliel starts to grey in color and the color from her skin and feathers fade to a monotone grey. Her lifeless shell of a body thuds to the floor. Wrath looks to the swirling spirit as it orbits his hand.

"A pity... her grace is just as stubborn as she is powerful. You should feel grateful I didn't rip her to shreds..." He begins to walk over to Maz who is just in shock and in great anger and pain staring at the lifeless husk of the body of his lover... the one thing that gave him the will for change. She is gone. "Now now... you will be with her in twilight fairly soon." Wrath grins. Maz however is shuddering in malice he clenches his fist and transforms into his armored form and charges at Wrath. Wrath scoffs and with his other hand grabs Maz by the neck with great speed and lifts him up holding Haliel's Grace in the other hand. "Now, I'll be taking your children. I am quite fascinated how they are able to survive being halflings... Grace and Daevan blood should not mix.. which leads me to this, 'experiment'. Since you love this traitor so much. Here, you can have her back." Wrath grabs Haliel's grace and condensed it into a single sphere he places it in just his thumb and index finger and shoves it into Maz's mouth forcing him to swallow. The glowing sphere enters Maz body as he begins to convulse. Wrath drops Maz as he turns back into his normal form.

He can feel his insides burning from the inside out as his lovers grace is violently tearing into his body. Wrath makes a hole in the cabin and the twins that were in their cribs begin to cry and wail. They float towards Wrath and he holds them lightly. "There there children... Mother and Father will no longer be in your care." He begins to float and the children cry even more. Maz extends his arm to call out to his children but his body is not working in his interest anymore his vision going in and out as his body seems to flake and burn within. He looks to Wrath who ascends into the heavens and with his last bit of strength he crawls to Haliel's body a single tear exits his eye as his body hardens and smolders turning into dust he places his hand onto her cheek on her face and slightly rubs it. "I... am.... sorry" He collapses and his body turns into dust and floats into the air. The lone couple, The semblance of Peace as we know it. The peace of Darkness and Light are no more. What of their children..? What will they become as they are now subjugated into the Guardians hands.