Angels of War (Angels of War Trilogy Book 1) (23 page)

Okura turned to the table with his weapon ready. “Daisy, It’s a map, on a stretched human skin.”

“Kill me please.” A weak plea rose from the table. “I’m in so much pain, and they keep me alive. I’m a Marine general. They made me into this thing, and I’m still alive. Please kill me.”

Daisy started at the voice. The head with thin white hair trembled. “You talk. Tell me, and I will grant you your wish, you will live in our Father’s kingdom forever?”

“Anything,” the general moaned. “Please.”

Daisy neared the table as Okura stood watch. Seconds for them ticked away. “Where is the Key? Have they talked about a Key to the back door to Hell?”

“Yes, a young girl. He dragged her into his chamber.” General Wells shifted his red teary eyes at the ironwood doors ten feet to their front. “Beyond those doors.”
 

Daisy recognized a human soul in great torment. Some how General Temeculus kept this man alive. The general’s hair fell out in patches upon his head. His flesh still rotted and the stench knotted her stomach. Tears welled up in her eyes. She reached out and touched his rough face. “Be at peace.”

“Thank you,” the general spoke.

Daisy lifted her beautiful sword above Wells’s head. She laid a hand over his weak eyes with black circles underneath. In one merciful stroke, she chopped off the general’s head. The head tumbled to the floor with a soft thud and came to rest at her leather bound feet. She looked up at the doors to where Temeculus dragged the Key.

Okura replaced his Samurai sword and headed to the doors. With both hands, he grasped each iron handle and pulled. The huge doors swept open to reveal a larger room with a transparent glass floor, and walls made from black volcanic glass. Beneath the floor, roiled flames and the souls tossed into Hell. Across the room sat a tremendous throne made from bones.

Upon the throne sat the nine-foot giant, General Temeculus. The Key sat on the floor before him, with eyes half-mast and her long black hair splayed over her face.
 

Daisy’s breath caught in her throat. The huge general glared down at the angels akin to an adult facing children. Daisy stepped into the black throne room with Okura. By some unseen power, the heavy doors closed behind them.
 

40

Daisy steadied her sword and nerves. “General Temeculus, by the Kingdom of Heaven, and the power of Jehovah, you and Satan have violated the sacred laws of God. Hand over Lucia and return to Hell posthaste.”

Temeculus stood from his throne. His eyes flashed red sparks and flames. He clapped his hands upon his muscled thighs covered in the blue jeans he wore.
 

The general stepped down from the throne and stood above the Key who sat on the floor in a trance. “You dare come into my house without saying hello, and demand I turn over something I worked hard for, Daisy Lane.”

General Temeculus ambled forward like a bow legged cowboy, a thin straw appeared between his lips and he flicked his long white hair from his face. “…and, Okura. I thought you Japanese believed in honor, you of all people. I expected this blond haired biddy to be more ornery than you.”

Daisy’s thighs stiffened. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her powerful legs. For a moment, she thought her lower body plunged into quicksand. She opened her eyes. Temeculus’s red eyes pulsed, a thin smile played over his angular face.
 

Daisy tried to take her eyes off him, but couldn’t. His voice slowed down the dangerous reality around them, and inhibited her reaction time to his planned attack. Her legs tingled, and pain exploded from her ankles up, as if a thousand needles pricked into her flesh. She wanted to scream but the muscles in her mouth clamped down like a vise. Her heart rate pattered in quick beats. She fought to remain calm and regain control.
 

Satan perfected the black art Temeculus applied on her. With words, he reached into the victim’s subconscious mind and numbed the thoughts. She needed to deal with General Temeculus before her head ended up on a plate before him.

Okura drew his katana and attacked. General Temeculus changed into his black armor in a mad blur. With his right hand, he slid his sword from its scabbard and drew the serrated weapon across his wide chest and over his left shoulder to strike down the angel who went after the Key.

Daisy sensed Temeculus’s power over her waver as he turned upon Okura. The invisible concrete he encased her legs in cracked. She moved in as Okura diverted Temeculus’s attention. She raised her blessed blade and slipped between Okura and the general. She blocked the general’s serrated sword and redirected the blow to her left. She drove her blade towards his chest covered in thick black armor.
 

Shock and surprise invaded his cold eyes. She knocked the giant off balance, giving Okura room to maneuver.
 

Okura seized the Key by both arms and shook her until her eyes fluttered open. Above, General Temeculus engaged in a fierce duel with Daisy Lane. The two fought hard against each other, red sparks flashed from their swords as they lunged, parried, ducked, and tried to cut each other down. Okura yanked the Key to her feet and hauled her to the closed ironwood doors.

Daisy swung her sword against the giant demon. Her blade glanced off his armor. Her face twisted in a grimace, her golden braided hair underneath her helmet whipped about as her sword crashed against his. With her left hand she drew an axe and plunged the bladed edge into Temeculus’s side.
 

Temeculus grunted from the blow. He fought on with a crazed energy. Anger poured from his body in hot waves.
 

Okura pushed open the massive double doors and dashed into the war room with the Key. He ran full tilt towards the balcony, dragging the dazed Lucia along the way. Behind him, Daisy remained locked in battle with the general. He stared into the Key’s glassy eyes. “Can you fly?”

“Yes,” she said. “But I’m frightened, Okura. They might chase me down.”

Okura pursed his lips. He held his left hand out and cupped the palm. A silver tipped golden spear flashed into his grip. He drew back his arm, aimed for the space between Temeculus’s helmet where his red eyes sat, and threw true.
 

Daisy ducked a blow from the general’s heavy sword. A golden spear cut the air above her head with a musical whistle. The silver warhead plowed into the general’s right eye socket and broke through the skull and out the back. The silver tipped spear dripped Temeculus’s foul blood.
 

The general yowled in pain and dropped his sword. The weapon struck the glass-covered floor with a heavy clang. He grasped the spear shaft with both hands. The spear turned black once Temeculus touched the Heaven made weapon. His voice rose so loud Hell’s Cathedral shook from the foundation.
 

A hundred undead Roman soldiers rushed to the scene from a hidden entrance behind the hideous throne. They paused, drew their swords, and rushed Daisy Lane.
 

Daisy drove her sword into Temeculus throat. “Now you die, general.”
 

She twisted her wrist to make the cut to decapitate him. A cathedral guard crashed its muscled body into hers. Daisy Lane absorbed the hard blow. Her nostrils inhaled the strong musky scent from its hairy body. She hurtled through the air, struck the glass floor, slid, and came to a stop near the throne room threshold.
 

The guard lay sprawled on the floor near its wounded master. The other soldiers went straight for Daisy.
 

Daisy leaped up. With sword in hand, she dropped to one knee and jammed her bright blade into the glass floor at her feet. The glass cracked and popped like ice, a long jagged fracture extended from her sword driven into the floor, and headed towards the cathedral guard who rose to his iron shoed hoofs. The crack went between the guard’s legs, its many eyes glanced down, and its bovine mouth fell open to scream.

A powerful blast broke into the chamber. So strong, the concussion knocked Daisy to the floor. Flames shot upwards and hit the ceiling in a geyser. The undead Roman soldiers and the cathedral guard vaporized into a crimson spray. A hideous red light splashed the entire room as tortured souls lifted into the air from the destroyed floor.

Daisy Lane scrambled to her feet. Her heartbeat pounded in her chest. The tremendous heat singed the hairs on her arms. She spun away from the insanity and ran. Temeculus, his throat clogged with blood, attempted to shout in fury at her escape. A few feet before her, Okura and Lucia faced the balcony.

“Go. Stop enjoying the view and jump,” Daisy said. Okura wrapped an arm around Lucia’s waist, his wings spread out behind him and the two leaped from the balcony and into the pitch night.

Daisy reached the bone built balcony and jumped. She cleared the rail and dove like a base jumper. Her wings spread wide from her back as she dropped towards the ground.
 

An incredible screech erupted from behind her. The fanged horrors, the Screamers, cried their displeasure at the thieves who stole the Key and wounded their master.
 

The Screamers charged down like angry hornets. Close behind the swarm raced Lord Wrath. He rode her down upon his steed. Red flames shot from the warhorse’s flared nostrils as its legs galloped against the foul air.
 

Daisy pumped her wings harder. Still the Screamers plunged ahead to close the distance at a dangerous pace. A heavy hum rose up behind her. Several thousand wings beat against the tepid air like locust. Below, both dead and alive soldiers covered the ground.
 

A chill ran down her back as the screams increased and drew closer. She doubled her speed to divert the pursuing horrors from Okura and Lucia.

Daisy gritted her teeth. The Screamers closed the gap. When she turned to steal a glimpse behind her, their horrible teeth flashed and glinted. She readied her ancient sword in her right hand. In her left hand a round golden shield appeared, embossed with the Judea Lion in silver.
 

Daisy Lane sucked in a deep breath and prepared her mind for battle.
 

41

Okura turned his head to search for Daisy. From his position he witnessed the enemy close in on her. Soon, they would rush after him and his precious charge. He pumped his wings until sweat broke across his forehead. The sweat surprised him. He thought angels never sweat.
 

Okura refused to leave the Key, or leave Daisy Lane. She saved his life in Japan and his honor forbade him to abandon her. He found a simple answer to his difficult decision. “You must fly hard, and get away.”

Lucia blinked, tears burst from her eyes. “Please, I can’t fly as fast as you…they will overtake me.”

Okura squeezed her hand. She winced and whimpered in pain. “Don’t lose faith on me now, child. You will keep this entire universe alive. You will escape. I cannot let Daisy go like this. Do you understand me?”

The Key nodded her head. Tears streamed down her face. Her coltish wings worked hard to keep up with Okura’s speed. “I understand,” she said.
 

Okura pulled his katana from its white lacquer scabbard. “Go. We will catch up with you.” He released her hand. Lucia fluttered away like a moth, awkward and alone.

Daisy Lane pushed herself hard as the Screamers gained on her. She glanced back and stared into their black bulbous eyes. Thick saliva dripped over her beautiful armor. She gaged from the sulfur and rotted flesh they breathed out. Ahead, Okura raced to her aid with drawn sword and lips pulled back over white teeth.
 

Okura opened his mouth and unleashed a shout. Daisy spun in midair and lifted her shield to face the horrors.
 

Screamers crashed into the shield. She shouted and sliced away at the monsters in midair. White pain exploded in her left wing, she cried out. On her left, two Screamers gnawed on her wing, blood oozed from the wound, bones crunched in her ears. She withdrew her wings to plummet towards the earth below.
 

Okura shot in above Daisy. He cut his way through the Screamers. Their foul blood splashed his white armor with gore. A grunt came from above, he caught Lord Wrath’s sword bearing down upon his head. He rolled away in midair.
 

The blade sliced by him and tousled his once white hair now speckled with filth from the dead Screamers. He drove his Samurai sword into Wrath’s armor. The monster’s steed slammed its hindquarter into Okura’s body. He took the impact from the horse’s powerful rump and hurtled through a glassless window, slammed into the floor and rolled to a dead stop. Okura took to his feet as Wrath and his steed blew pass the window towards the embattled Daisy Lane.

Daisy hit the ground hard, so hard the black macadam cracked underneath her armored body. The fast drop dazed her for a precious second, her armor kept her conscious. When she rose to her unsteady feet, the Screamers fell upon her along with their dismembered clan. She dashed away from their onslaught and bumped into a few human soldiers who took her on. They died the instant her immortal body touched theirs.
 

She slipped her shield upon her back and ran the distance from Hell’s Cathedral towards a battered office building. She dodged destroyed vehicles. Black arrows whisked by her head from the undead Roman archers perched on the cathedral’s battlements. She entered the same building Wrath’s steed knocked Okura into seconds ago.
 

Daisy stumbled into the building. Her lungs burned as she breathed with effort to fill her strained body with oxygen. She did not realize how much strength she used in fighting the winged monsters. She fought to steady her labored breath. Tears ran from her emerald eyes.
 

The Screamers paused at the office doorway. Once they gathered the courage and numbers their mouths opened to release a horrible screech, a wretched din doomed to haunt Daisy for all eternity.
 

Okura stiffened once the high-pitched screams reached his ears. The remnant windows within the building shattered to powder. Another yell rose from the floors below, a war cry. He recognized Daisy Lane’s powerful voice. He unsheathed his sword and dropped down into the concrete and steel until he landed on the first floor covered in white plaster dust. The Screamers swirled around him in a frenzied blur. Without a second thought, he hacked into their Hell born bodies.