CHAPTER 2 (Rock and Roll)
Thomas left to find Lou. Samuel volunteered to find the “Keys.” I went into Tyler’s bedroom. Hell it is night time, I blend. I have exceptional hearing, to I listened. I heard Thomas find Lou, she fainted, yeah I called it. At least she was out. Next the boys, I moved from room to room, the third floor was in total darkness. So I listened. I heard Samuel talk to a boy, then things got out of hand, so I flew down the staircase, and we were lucky to find them all alone, watching a movie. Samuel begged them to come with him, the sixth name is Tal Tanner, he would not listen.
“Samuel, I say, grab them and get out, even if they scream, Abrux can’t fly, we can get them far enough, then decide what we need to do next, extract, and go, now! Samuel.”
“Well-well, if it is not my favourite Angel and his lap dog. Samuel, long time no see my brother.”
Samuel glared at Abrux. “I am not your brother.” I knew Samuel could get us out, all he had to do was speak Gods word, and they would be blinded, and we could get out, alive. I had the dagger, however, Abrux had the Curen, and they don’t negotiate, I actually don’t think they have brains. The Poltergeist crawled out of the walls. The Baels appeared, they are large horned monsters that do not fear, God nor Angels. We were surrounded. I know the others can clearly hear what is going on, and I also know, Samuel had told them to stay-put. This was a Mexican standoff, and we aren’t even Mexicans. I tell you. I have been in some really hair raising situations, but this, I had no idea how this will go down. Samuel and Abrux, loathed each other, I mean the dude is responsible for Thomas death, and not to mention the hell he put Tyler through. And then the obvious, distinction, the one was an Angel and the other a blood Demon. This war the apex of the war in heaven, how the Angels fell to earth. And this war will not be over, until someone put’s a permanent lid on Hell.
The six-keys had no intentions of following us. Whatever Abrux sold them, they bought, hook line and sinker. Samuel looked at me, and we were going to wing it, literally. Abrux can’t read our minds, he is a demon. Shit we had to be fast. Samuel gave the nod, and we tried to go up. All the exits were barred. The Curen, dug its talons into my foot, and flung me to the ground. A Bael grabbed hold of Samuel, as Samuel was about to open his mouth, he shoved his paw into it. We were forcefully, dragged to the dungeon, dudes, really, wine-cellar. People, please, dungeons are now totally out dated. Damn this place smells like old socks, I mean gym socks. They had us strung up, our feet barely touching the ground. This was going to be bad in so many ways.
“Spread your wings, all mighty, Angels”, commanded Abrux.
“No.” said Samuel and I simultaneously. I had the dagger in my back pocket, but swinging like an ape from a rafter is going to make it fall out, if I can’t stop moving. I tried to stand on my big toe, just to hold still. Samuel read my mind. Again they had not gagged him, he was about to open his mouth when Abrux stuck something in it, it is really dark down here. I tried to connect with Thomas, and I told him where we are. He knows his home. I was still standing balanced on my big toe, when Abrux grabbed hold of me, and shouted at me to open my wings. Lights came on just as the dagger clanged to the floor. I looked at Samuel. He pushed whatever out of his mouth, and he said Gods word. Even I had to close my eyes. I kicked Abrux in the head, he was on all fours reaching for the dagger. Then I got him in a head lock, but the Curen were biting me. Samuel had to deal with a Bael. He swung and kicked him right through a wall. Thomas flew in, and he spoke the word of God, I would rather live, and be blind than be dissected by a demon. Thomas cut us loose, and we flew out, well I kind of collided with a few walls, and we grabbed the six.
I need to invest in a pair of shades. We took the six-keys to my home. Tal spoke up. “You are too late, we have conjured Azazel.” That was news to us all. We exorcised the boys, returned them to their parents. Abrux had no use for them. I looked at Thomas. “Who was the blood-sacrifice?”
Lou lay on my couch, clearly dead, they drained her, but Thomas took her before she became dinner.
“Samuel, this is out of control, and it will only get worse. How many of your friends up high are willing to help us?” I need to make a statement, no brother goes into a forest alone after dark, no that is what white folks do, have you watched Friday the thirteenth? And the moral of my story is, they all die.
“I have a few friends that are willing to help, however, you have the best friend ever, one that cannot be killed, not by an Angel, a human nor a demon.” I rubbed my chin, then I thought of my very short list of friends. “Ryan?” I asked. Samuel nodded. “Yes, Hunter, he is as old as creation, one of the last gods to roam the earth, his name is Death.”
No ways. “Ryan is a Reaper?” I asked and Samuel nodded. Cripes, I have had tea with Death. Well that can explain his so called connections, he is the ultimate threat, who does not fear death?
We were pouring drinks, when I noticed the Beetles on the windows. I told Thomas to take a look. Yeah they found us, and we are surrounded. What wards off a Beetle-demon, I cannot say, I have never dealt with one, during my hunter days. So bug repellent it is. “I have a tunnel that leads into the woods, we can get out, through the basement. And Thomas your cat, Sam is safe, he in next door at a loving elderly lady, that calls him the weirdest names, I shan’t repeat it, however, he is loved, and taken care of.” The woods, you do know the legend of Billy? Well he never made it. So we went in to the basement, sealed up the trap door, and crawled our way out. I was in the middle, no thank you, I was not leading this expedition.
We sealed the exit, and covered it with shrubs. Samuel and Ariel scanned the woods, thus far, it was all clear. So we entered the great unknown. Once we got up a hill. I looked down upon my house, it was covered in beetles, but that was not what frightened me. Azazel was standing looking into my window. Telepathically I told Samuel, we need to get to Ryan, he lives on the other side of the woods, and we will be safe there, for now. So we ducked over the hill, and flew our butts off to reach Ryan. He was waiting for us and was holding the door open as we approached.
Thomas and Samuel greeted Ryan as an old friend, I guess that should be too strange, should it, seeing that the Fallen were on earth when the first murder took place, so yeah, in lay mans terms, I guess that was the birth of Death. Thomas was asking the god of death, how to kill Abrux.
“Thomas, you do know there is no final death until Judgement Day, all you boys can do is exorcise them, send them back, and lock the doors. All the doors. But if you boys want to catch Azazel, you have to be ready for war, not that little squabble you had, before your deaths. He is angry, and he will unleash all the principles, he has not done so yet, I can feel a great amount of strange beings, but he is keeping them down there, until he can capture all of you.
And then he will unleash them upon earth. He has unleashed the Dybbuks, they will haunt and possess the humans. You had your run in with the Baels and the Curen, not to mention the Beetles. The Dybbuks are angry demons, they have no off switch. I tried to kill one a few thousand years back, but as I said, they cannot be killed. Now if I can’t kill them, then you can’t.”
“We are the Anthropoid, we witnessed Creation, but we never received a memo, on those things. Yes we all know the Lore surrounding Azazel, “the scape-goat,” but we thought he was locked up for good? There is too much, we don’t know Ryan. We, the Fallen, were cut off from heaven and all its knowledge. We need you to throw us a dinosaur bone here, give us some advantage.” This was me pleading for my life. “Ryan, what about the first, mark of a trapper, the Six?” I know Ryan knew exactly what I meant, so did the others. The first Six, was in the form of the Star of David, it had Six sides, and Six spots, or dots, the dots used to represent Six mighty Angels, whom where the first trappers. Since then, things have changed, the Angels, use the number Seven, and the demons turned to Six.
However, I was thinking, if we can create, a new Six, as in a trapping device, and it is used by an Angel, that will turn that frown upside down, right? I need to add, if Azazel thinks of this before we do, we are screwed, he has Six-keys, all he has to do is round them up and bleed them, that is so gross, but when dealing with a demon, expect the worst, they do not care about, children. To them they are easily corrupted, you see a child is born with an open third eye, so they see both demons and Angels. Those imaginary friends, might be as real as the pimple on your butt, just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it ain’t there.
They were all in agreement with my thoughts, the only being that knew how to create the perfect Six-trapping device is Ryan, he had lived through it all, the war in heaven and the Flood. I knew he was the best alliance I have ever had, however, he is still known and revered as the god of Death. Believe me, I look at him with utter respect, and a dash of fear, okay, tons of fear.
We placed salt all over the entrances, try it, it has been done and dusted. It works, then we needed a drink, oh I know, I don’t drink so I made an extra strong cup of coffee. “I was under the impression, that Azazel was buried, in some deep pit, covered by sharps rocks, that were supposed to keep him down for eternity.”
“Yeah, that was the theory, but humans worshipped him, they made offerings to him, so when things got bad, they will turn to anything for help, the fact that he is here, is proof, you know how little faith they can have, just ask Moses, he spent forty years with them, the second he turned his back, they made a golden idol. No I am not saying humans don’t have faith, they believe in what they see. We did the same thing, Hunter, we rebelled, against our Father’s rules, and look where that got us.” I nodded at Samuel. This was all too serious for me. I wish I could drink, but my need to go home, is deeper than my need to get drunk. The longer you stay on earth, the more you pray to get home. Things where really bad when the Anak ruled earth, however, technology, has opened a portal, too everything. Either good or bad, all with the click of a button. The bad outweighs the good.
Ryan had left, I am sure to go and make the Six, so we hid in his home. I told Thomas about Tyler, and how well he adjusted to his Santa Claus life. I could see how proud, and relieved he was.
“He really is safe, Thomas. The fact that he defied Abrux, man that is colossal. We will not go to him, he needs to be a boy, if we lead Abrux and his ungodly followers to Tyler, it will only start the viscous circle all over. So we do not call, and we do not visit, don’t try and find him, Thomas, the Guardian Angel that is watching over him, will keep his, and the other demons at bay.” Thomas thanked me and Michaelus. I have been a hunter long enough to know when I am being watched. So I closed the drapes. And I pointed to a tree. Samuel went out the back door, inaudible.
“There are two Curen’s in the tree. Does Ryan own any pets?” I shook my head no. Samuel was unsettled. We all listened to his thoughts. “They do not possess the ability to track us, so how did they find us?” Everyone looked at me, oh hell no. “I don’t know, Samuel, do you honestly think I want those things on our doorstep?” He shook his head, we were all on edge, our lives literally were in danger. We heard it. The approaching footsteps. The only thought that came to mind was that Abrux, was outside that door, and no, salt will not stop him. Thomas handed Samuel the dagger, I am so relieved he had retrieved it, when we ran for our lives. “We messed up, you all do know that, right? We need to get them back to the manor. That is their base. If we can lure them back, we can defeat them all at once, but having them divided will get us killed.” Italy is my home, there are humans here I watch over. I will be the bait. You all get the Six, and we need to do a mass-exorcism. They all nodded. We would not utter a word, words are too powerful, when it falls into the wrong ears. “Samuel, get your friends, now.” That was my last thought before I walked out the front door. I closed off my mind, got their attention, and I flew like lightning, I had to hide inside the manor, before they caught up with me. Then we can rock and roll, literally. There are crystals that repel demons, and as for the rolling, that will be straight into the pit of hell where they belong.
I stopped at my place, grabbed a bag full of crystals, then high tailed it out of there. I did reach the manor, before Abrux and the Curen. My heart was beating so fast, I sat inside Tyler’s closet, regulating my breathing and my heartbeat. I wish I could be invisible for five minutes, I need to trap them here, on these grounds and in this house. I listened. Abrux was talking to Azazel. Now was my chance, before sun up. I need to seal, and have this area on total lock down. I had less than an hour to do this. Thank God for my wings. I grabbed a long pole on my way down. I placed the crystals, then I drew the seals in the sand, as long as it doesn’t rain, or the wind comes up, we have a fighting chance. I placed rocks around the seals, just for good measure. The sun would be up, real soon. I flew back into Tyler’s room. It was on the top floor, the one they had no interest in, so I listened. I had to have a double take on the last exchange between Azazel and Abrux. “Find Tyler Lane, bring him to me alive.” That was the order Azazel gave Abrux. Now I have two effing problems, Abrux will know, if he can’t leave that one of us are here, and they will be out for blood, secondly, I am alone. I can’t fight them all. Shit. I looked around for any of the weapons Samuel had handed us, but I guessed that was a onetime offer, it had all disappeared. I climbed up onto the roof, and I lay down.
I watched Abrux, talk to one fugly dude, then he walked to the perimeter of the estate, and he got stuck. “Why are the others so late?” I nearly said that out loud and I bit my tongue. I watched Abrux, he was spitting mad. He conjured up, the biggest snake in the history of man-kind, and sent it searching. If I tied to fly, they will see me. I can take the chance, but the whole idea is to trap them here. I moved around the roof, watching the lakes and the mountains. There was no sign of the others. I am on my own. Brother did I pray, that snake couldn’t find me on the roof. I could hear it hiss, so I followed the sound throughout the manor. They were in Tyler’s room. Oh dear God. I listened, then moved away to the furthers part of the roof. I jumped onto the stables, and lay down, as that thing spiralled unto the roof. I moved into the shadows. Hell I was scared, and I wasn’t even wearing my brown pants today. I listened, it was on the ground, so my next jump had to be the distillery.
I was about to jump, when the snake reared its ugly head inches away from me. I froze, yeah I think I wet myself a little. Then I flew. It got hold of my foot, really, can they leave the feet alone. Hell I crash landed hard. I was winded. It pulled me off the roof, and I ate dirt. Abrux was standing by my feet. “Let’s make an example of him, tie him to a tree, and pull out his wings. Do it, I don’t care if you need to do it with pliers, get those wings out!”
They tied me to the tree. Azazel was watching me. “Where are the others?” What an idiot question.
“Well, Azazel, they are not here, if that is not apparent to you, then I honestly don’t know. If they were here, I would not be tied to this tree, now would i?” I really had to wonder, where they were.
Sunlight reflected off the descending dagger, it hit Azazel in the head, Samuel drove it right through his head. Thomas freed me, but one of the Baels was holding on to my wing, it had ripped free from my back. Shit it hurt. I kicked it so hard, my boot got stuck in it. Devils-traps appeared all over the ground. Well I was grounded for now, my wing hung limp on my back. But I could fight.
There were other Angels amongst us, no not Fallen. Their glory was blinding. I pushed Azazel into a trap. His head started looking like a mushroom, so I went after that horrid snake, if Azazel was going to explode, I would not be anywhere in the vicinity. I grabbed the pole I had used earlier on and I impaled the demon-spawn with it, then I fetched a sword, and I beheaded it. This was not flesh and bone, it was made up, of an awful smelling dark matter, and it disappeared. We got Abrux and the Baels into the manor, the Curen and the Poltergeist where being exorcised, they are mostly spirit-forms. As for the darn Beetles, they tried to burrow into the ground. Ariel threw a flaming sword my way, and I diced like a pro. We all fought, Ryan was with us, and I could see him, cull, or exorcise, by touch. That is some mystical shit. Samuel was working on the portal to hell. Thomas stabbed Abrux, and he exploded, Azazel was still holding on tied to the tree. Inside the house was utter chaos. Things were being exorcised, or culled, by now I could not tell the difference. They Beetles scurried all over the house, trying to hide, I grabbed hands full, and the suckers bit me, to Ariel, whom exorcised them in mid-air. The place smelt terrible. It looked even worse. This home was destroyed, rather build a new house, than a new world? Right.
Azazel was the last one to reach the pit. What was left of Abrux has been fried. I never thought Azazel could look any scarier, his head was completely misshaped. Before Samuel could throw him in, he looked at Thomas. “I know where he is.” Before he could finish the sentence, Samuel pushed him in, and sealed the hole. There were no relief, no joy, Azazel robbed us of a victory with his last statement, whether true or not. We could not prove it, nor did we know what he meant, or what his plans were for Tyler.
“Sorry about your house, Thomas.” I had to say something.
“Only bricks, my brother”, said Thomas trying to lighten the atmosphere. But the damage was done, Ryan said we should meet up at his place. He left, and we made double sure there were no traces of demonic energy to be found. Thomas air lifted me, back to my home, my wing was badly broken. Samuel did what he could, it will have to heal naturally, it hurt, and I could not retract it, so it hooked in everything, I sat on it and cussed. Samuel handed me a brandy. “Drink, even the Lord tuned water to wine, it will numb the pain.” I drank, hell it tasted foul, and it numbed the pain, wow my head spun. Ryan returned. He placed the Six that opened the portal, on my table.
“It is not over.” Ryan retorted. We assumed that much, as long as there are living Keys, they will be back. “That is not what I meant, Hunter. Two of the Curen where not in the circle when we started, the crawled away. I have no idea where they are, we got busy, and they got away. If they make contact with a Key, it will start all over. Where is the closet Key?”
“Dennis Wellington, he lives in a mansion near the coast, it will take them a few days to track him down. I thought they had an inability to track?”
“Not anymore, Hunter. They are evolving, and they now follow a distinct human scent. If they accomplish this task, they will have a way of tracking Tyler, don’t even think. We need to keep him safe. He has the blood in his veins they need, to live here, permanently, that means, they will not be exorcised, we will lose all power over them.” Thomas sat down, and poured a drink. He shook his head in disbelief, yeah, I knew exactly how he felt. Demons were never our equal. They were not created by the Creator, they merely came into existence.
“It all started with blood. sacrifices, and forgiveness of sins. It will end in blood. AS long as the Fallen have offspring, it leaves us all vulnerable. The blood-line has to end, and that won’t stop the war between Angels and demons, however, it will keep the humans safe.” Explained Ryan.
“Ryan you are metaphysical. Check on Tyler. Thomas and I will track down the Curen, we shall re-group within twenty-four hours. Hunter, heal. We need you.” I nodded at Samuel. They left, and I went to shower. Ariel stayed to bandage my wing. She cooked for us. We are not great at small talk, but we made due. We ate. She placed the dishes in the washer, and I had it, I lay on my bed and I slept, they pain woke me from time to time, but I was too exhausted.
When I woke up, the house was quiet, I knew I was alone. I had a shower, and gave up on trying to bandage my wing. I made coffee, it was close to dawn, I really did sleep for a long time, and I am under house arrest due to my wing. I really needed to see my cat. I made breakfast, and I felt really under the weather. I heard the sound, but before I could react, one of the Curen was at my feel. I grabbed a meal cleaver, and went to work, but these things do not easily die.
I tried to run for my book, so I could exorcise it, but it grabbed my wing. It hurt like hell, I kicked it repeatedly, but it held on. I tried to move, but the pain momentarily immobilized me. I kicked again, with bare feet, I did no damage. So I dragged this thing along with me, praying it won’t pull my wing right off. I grabbed the salt, it still held on. My book was in my coat pocket. I reached the door to the closet, by the entrance of my house. The damned book fell from my hands, the perspiration accompanied with the pain, had weakened me.
I kicked the book out of reach. Then I dove for it. My head hit the side of the table, and I saw stars for a second. I then stated the exorcism, through tears and spots, I could hardly see what I was reading, but once I was into it, the Curen released my wing, I limped away, and exorcised the thing in my living room. I was in bad shape. I know I blacked out. I woke up, from the pain, my head throbbed, and my wing now hung worse than before. I was thinking of the humans I could trust, I needed an antibiotic, this body has been on earth for too long. Then I took a chance, and I limped over to my neighbour. At first she stared at me. I begged her not to scream. Sam was curled around my legs.
“Mrs nunubunz, please, help me.” And I blacked out again. I woke up in a hospital bed. That shocked the hell out of me, and my monitors went ballistic. A doctor ran into my room and closed the door.
“Hunter, calm down, I am here to help. Your wing is severely broken and you suffered a concussion. Please trust me, your neighbour is my mother, I got you in here under false pretence, that someone glued your Halloween costume to your back. They will not trouble you, I made sure of that, only I and a nurse will tend to you.”
I read his nametag, doctor Andrea Russo. “When can I leave, doctor?”
“Hunter, in a few days. The break in your wing, well it’s a clean break, and whomever attacked you, nearly ripped it off your back. Hunter forgive me, but what are you?” I told Andrea to sit down, and I thanked him for saving my wing.
The door and the curtain around my bed were drawn. I told Andrea what I am. He sobbed, not the reaction I had expected. I took out the other wing, and I comforted him. “I swear, if you and your kind need my help, I will be there, I promise before the Holy Mother.”
I believed him. He was a healer, sworn to help, besides that, he is a good man.
Mrs Nunubunz came to visit me, her real name is Giula Russo. She brought the best meals I have ever eaten, now I fully understand what they mean by a Mother’s cooking. We spoke openly, and she accepted me. I found more than friends in Giula and Andrea, I found trust and family. By the third day, Andrea started physio on my wing, it is made up of muscle, blood and bone. It hurt, however I did everything he told me to do. By day four, I could move it. Giula brought me lunch, and we spoke about Creation, and the rise and fall of the Fallen. “No, my boy, you will go to heaven, any man that will defend a stranger, as you did for the world, me and my son, will have a place in heaven. You are my hero. When I was discharged, Giula drove me to her home, and mothered me to back to health. I asked the others to come over to Giula, so I could introduce them. Giula stared at Samuel, then sobbed. Her respect and her faith were tangible, we found an ally, and we had to protect her.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbosXpC5Ky
