Cora. She was a minute old when we met. Born a quarter after midnight; white skin, 118 ounces.
She looked weird. But I soon figured that it was normal when they put her in the nursery with other babies. I stood closer to the viewing glass, peering at her in awe. That human was my purpose.There were other Guardians behind me, agitated. It was something about me, hogging the view.The nurses took over feeding for the first few hours. I saw the other angels following their babies around, so I did the same."Watch it!" I worsened my case by stepping on a few toes.Unlike the others, Cora was quiet. She wouldn't open her mouth to take the bottle or show distress. The nurse shimmied her with care. "Don't be picky little Miss. You'll have your mother's milk in the morning," said the nurse. Her name was Elizabeth- her Guardian said she was good.Soon, morning arrived. A big bright bulb hung in the sky outside. The heat was mild, but I saw why people likened it to the Creater's face. It was difficult for humans to stare at it without burning their eyes.Cora's mother, Janet, had visitors. Two women who would not stop giggling and complimenting the baby. "She's a beautiful angel," they said repeatedly. I strongly disagreed since that was far from the truth. I doubt Janet herself believed that; she did not smile or look at her daughter for more than a minute before passing her on."Congratulations Levickamon!""Ack!" I crouched when something slammed into my back. My eyes grew wider as I turned. It was a heavenly being covered in skin the colour of moss, with eyes that resembled blue waters. On his hand were seven thick fingers. I saw the bands on his wrists; they bore the badge of Arioch."Did I take too long to show?" He looked at me with his Neanderthal features. "Madon is the name. I will be teaching you how to defend that bundle of joy." He pointed at Cora."You're a Chaperon?" I wanted to believe so."No, I'm a Tartys. And you're in luck! I love a good challenge." He stomped around the hospital bed, humming.Holly Cow! I was standing face to face with a Power. In the hierarchy and ranks, Tartys or Powers were of a higher level than Archangels. They possessed great dominion over evil and could snap an underling like me in half. Despite their abilities, Tartys allowed themselves to be controlled by the Archangels; to prevent them from causing harm. That bracelet on Madon's arm should have given me a hint."Best be prepared! Tonight you meet her mother's angels." Half of Madon's bulky head went through the closed door. He said he had to assess the conditions in the hospital. Come to think of it, I was beginning to wonder why Janet's Guardian missed the entire delivery.More people came in to visit. Uncles, Aunties, and friends. The day fleeted like the wind before I knew it. The doctors confirmed that Janet was responding to treatment and that Cora could stay in her room that night. So it was safe to say they would be sent home soon.Like clockwork, night fell upon us, and the shadows were born. Madon remained by the window, his gaze fixed on the door the entire time. He did not blink or speak a word.I, on the other hand, was trying to calm the baby while Janet lay in bed. "She's crying. You must feed her," I said. My words would drop into her mind like a distant whisper. But Janet turned the other cheek and covered her ears with the pillow.I went to Madon after failing to convince Janet to tend to my person. "What do I do, teacher?""Sit and wait." That answer did not sit well with me."But my human is in distress. How do I ignore her?""..." Madon chose not to respond. My skin began to itch as Cora wailed and shrieked in her little voice. My insides began to pound, my ears grew irritated at the sight of a neglectful mother."Please, Madon, how do I help her?""Patience. That is the first virtue a Guardian must learn. It comes with non-existent torture, anxiety, and fear of what's to come. But it also gives you insight." Madon veered his neck. For a moment, I witnessed a strange frown on his face. I became more concerned that my persistence had offended him."Levickamon.""Teacher.""Look behind you. The solution to your problem has arrived." His voice was eerie and estranged.I did as told. I turned and looked. There was black smoke beside Janet. A hollow demon disguised as a hag in tattered clothes. It caressed Janet's head, encouraging her indifference towards Cora."It's enough that you gave birth to this child. Why must she disturb your nap?" It had a comforting voice.Dare I say I could have been swayed if it did not bear the aura of a fallen?"Get thee behind her!" I yelled."Levickamon...pipe down," Madon said."What?" I peered at him in utter shock. Was Madon not here to assist me? Was this false training? I had enough reasons to distrust and disobey that order. Cora was my priority.Things became critical when Janet lent an ear to the deceptive spirit. When she sat up abruptly, I froze.It was how she approached the crib that made me suspicious. Janet tiptoed to the baby, holding a pillow.Cora had not calmed down. Where were the damn nurses when you needed them?"Madon, please do something!""Okay," Madon tilted his head. "If it bugs you that much, why don't you do something? She is your human, after all." I received a jaw-dropping response and it shook me to the core.Janet crept silently to the baby and stood there. Her hands ploughed into the sides of the pillow as she gathered her troubling thoughts. Janet then let out a shaky breath, slowly reaching down into the crib."Don't do it...Janet!" Her name slipped out of my mouth. The shadow jerked sharply in my direction. It flinched backwards as if it had no idea I was in the room, but then it darted towards me with speed.Out came a long set of claws swinging violently at me. I fell after the first blow, with four slashes across my chest. Looking up from the ground, Janet still had that pillow in her hand. Everything about it showed she wanted to cause harm."Help me, Madon!" All I could think of was my human. My teacher was silent.My body began to move across ther floor, but it was not my doing. I had barely made it through the second day, yet here I was, getting dragged away by a demon who could truncate my purpose.Madon reserved his comments. It was only a few minutes, yet his pupil seemed done for. At least Levickamon was smart enough to block with his arms when the foul creature aimed for his face. That would have been hard to heal overnight. "This is your second lesson." Madon crossed his legs and enjoyed the show. "Second? What was the first?" Levi was trapped. "Were you not paying attention when I talked about Patience?" Madon said. "This situation does not call for patience, Madon. Help, please." Levi did not have much to sustain the blows. The hag was on top of him, chanting in other tongues. "Oh-oh, better hurry, kid. Our fallen friend here is not just a lower-class demon, after all. She wants your heavenly fire." "What!" Levi was aghast. An angel's core is forged out of heavenly flames. In human terms, his heart was a fireball that could empower a fallen. Things were not looking up for Levi at all. On the other hand, Janet had not snapped out of the trance. "Cora will perish i
"Welcome home!" Janet was not expecting that wholesome cheer. There were about thirty people in her living room with balloons and confetti, celebrating her return home from the hospital. "There's our little angel." Again with those false claims! It was the two women who visited Janet at the hospital. I later learned their names; Kate and Lucy. They belonged to Janet's side of the family. Kate took Cora off Janet's hands, passing her around like an offering. I did not like that, so I got her to cry. Then there was Leah, Janet's sister. Now that is a creature I could call an angel among men. She had an older Guardian by her side, passed on to her by her great-grandmother. Surprisingly, that exists. Madon suggested that Leah may have been reincarnated or was an answered prayer. Leah was our saving grace, not just on that fateful day. She insisted that Cora was tired and took her to the nursery. The way Leah put the baby to sleep melted my fears. I was grateful she chose to help J
There was another thunder blast but no lightning. "That was close. I didn't know this was a lightning-prone zone." Janet closed all curtains and covered every glass or mirror in the living area. "Me neither. The antenna must have drawn in it or something," Leah said. "You think so?" Janet giggled. She put the bassinet in front of the sofa and got cosy herself. Leah dished out lunch, settling beside her sister. "Could be so." She handed Janet a plate. They watched a movie, not letting the natural commotion outside force them to sleep. Meanwhile... It was heated outside. I took cover after the third blast. Madon carelessly took a swing at Elijah, sending a string of lightning with it. The latter did not budge, waiting for the blow till it was an inch close. But there was no fatal crash. The cell-like beam seeped into Elijah's weapon as it met with the blade at the last breath. White sparks glazed the edges as the Archangel hovered forward. "Stealing energy from my strikes.
Azazel shrunk to the size I knew. He wasn't pleased. It showed on his 'angelic' face. "Hey, Azazel, you're here!" Madon scratched his head, beating out a nervous laugh as Azazel lent him a hand. Elijah chose to look away, dead silent, when he was reminded of how his actions could influence me negatively. I must confess I had never seen that side of my Chaperon. I always pictured Azazel as one without a voice. He rarely spoke much back in Arioch. "If Esme had not swallowed that bolt, you two would have single-handedly ended Levi's calling, along with his soul! Not to talk of the great suffering you would have caused this community. Shame on you...both of you!" Azazel did not sugarcoat it. The cape that saved my soul floated around. As I stared at its hollow parts, a crystal-like figure filled in the space. In a matter of seconds, another celestial was peering at me. The cape folded around her body, hiding her true form and leaving behind a face patterned like a mosaic painting. It
The cobbled streets were empty, lit dimly by makeshift streetlights put up by the locals. A cold wind swept through, carrying leaves from the nearby cemetery. It rustled through benches and cars, making a whistling sound on the tarred road.Trailing behind this spectral breeze was a demon, standing upright on two feet- a hideous imitation of a man. Its eyes were like sandpaper, and its skin bore the scars of some otherworldly fire. The streetlights flickered in a feeble protest as it passed, a couple of them exploding in a burst of sparks when the creature stopped in the middle of the road.It surveyed the row of houses in what seemed to be a peaceful neighbourhood, locking its gaze on a window with the lights on. It approached the chosen household, emitting an ominous hum that resonated through the air.The hum had a rusty sound to it, like an old song. Stomping onto the porch, its bony fingers extended towards the lock, seamlessly slipping through and turning it with a mysterious gr
A thick mist began to slither through the narrow streets of Weidweg, cloaking the town in an otherworldly haze. The air shimmered with an eerie, lavender glow.Azazel remained calm, his eyes narrowing with an electrifying glare as the mist thickened around him. This energy he sensed was no ordinary one. If they could present themselves in such a ghoulish way, then they had to be bad.From the heart of the fog emerged a silhouette. This form was ever-shifting, a legion of shadows and whispers making it impossible to discern their true nature. The fog clung to it, surging with every step they took."Show yourself," Azazel commanded."And if I don't?" The velvety voice of a woman resounded. "You act as if I intrude on your property when you are overstepping my domain.""Who are you?" Azazel asked."If you do not know who I am, perhaps a kiss from my butterflies will teach you." Before that statement was complete, bright fire freckles shot into the sky. They were nothing simple specks tha
It started as a beam, spreading over my eyes at great intensity. It burned. I remember the sound of my teeth gritting like rocks as I stared directly at it. There was nowhere else to look. "Levickamon... Can you hear me?" There was a voice in the white void, and it said a name I instinctively knew was mine. "I am Azazel, your Chaperon. Can you see me?" The light slowly faded, revealing a form I would come to know for the rest of my life. I must say, I was surprised. Azazel's heavy vocals did not match his skinny physique and friendly smile. Behind his ears were two tiny wings, coloured cloud pink. I must have stared at them too long because he hid them bashfully. Azazel was not the only mystery I had awoken to. There was a whole chamber of contraptions and capsules. I sat up while he fiddled with buttons and screens on the left side of the room. There I was, clueless and dumb. "Where am I?" "You will learn all you need to. Just sit tight and let me log your details into the system.
The ceremony was short-lived. No one said anything, but I was escorted to a waiting area, and the others dispersed. The Archangels pooled into Marmaroth's office, raising their voices in a heated debate. Azazel was there too. He was queried about his work- whether he made a mistake while extracting me from the heavenly crates. I was not supposed to hear that, yet their voices invaded my head. "This has never happened before." One elder said. "In our line of work, one has to bear in mind; that there is a first time for everything." Another responded. "Not this! This is sending an ignorant babe to the battlefield." The third was rather screechy. "It is not our place to question that." They went on and on. "Be still, all of you!" That voice, I knew it well. It was Marmaroth's. "I see why this new development has us in a frenzy, but we do not make the rules. Our purpose is to lead the angels to their destiny, so that balance will be maintained. If Heaven has a different role for A