chapter three

Chapter 3
Troop moral
Angel cycle
Heaven: year 1602
“Is this all of them? Is this all that we have to fight a war?” Calanthe looked at the elite squad remembering when she had once been standing were standing. She had gone through the same inspection that they were. She wished Cadoc had not fallen they could use his leadership now. They could use all of the Fallen right now. But she only had these few to defend the pass. Tahir was finding the best aerial warriors in heaven and trying to make an aerial squadron to face whatever was flying in that cloud. Abiel was off in the north trying to find out where in the forest the stronghold was.
“Lady Calanthe would you like to address the troops before they depart?” Alaric had come up behind her. He was too quite for her liking, too sneaky. “Yes of course” Alaric pointed towards the railing. “Elites” no sound came from the troops no shields clashed. “Today is a sad day for today the war between heaven and hell commences. We have been dealt the first blow, in which a great and honorable angel fell. I do not ask you to fight for me against Cadoc for I would lose.” The shields clashed once an ominous sign. “I ask you too fight for your homes I ask you too fight for the brother to your left and the sister to your right. I ask you too fight for heaven and God.” Shields began too beat in a slow but steady rhythm. “I once stood where you stand looking up at Cadoc and wishing I could be like him. But now that I stand in his place my heart is heavy with the task we are to complete. Cadoc has spent millennia’s and more training a special demon Elite. And he has trained them well. I do not tell you it will be easy or that we will be home in time for dinner. Many will fall into the eternal sleep. But for every one of us that falls we will take as many demons with us as we can.” The shields beat at a fast pace. It sent chills up Calanthes arms and back. “Now we march on the greatest threat heaven has ever faced and we face some of the best commanders that heaven has ever seen. And we will have to fight long and hard. I am not the commander that Cadoc was and I am not the warrior that Maeve was. But in every battle we face I promise you I will lead you, from the smallest skirmishes or the thickest of battles.” The shields beat faster and faster. Calanthe was crying remembering the battles she and Maeve had fought with these angels and the ones that Maeve would never see.
Calanthe stepped onto the railing and spread her wings. “All of you who would follow raise your spears and let heaven hear how terrifying we are so that they may take hope as we leave!!!” It is said that a demon is the most frightening thing to see. But as the angels let out their war cries not a soul in heaven could say they didn’t feel a chill up their spine. “Now Elite will you follow me?” The war cries grew louder as the angels gave their response. Calanthe jumped her wings folded until she was a few yard above the soldiers then spread her wings and straightened out just above their reach. The army took off row by row and started soaring down the pass to the plains and Sorin.

The sun had just begun to set on the plain as the elites arrived. The construction of the wall had already begun and it was looking strong. Bricks from heavens quarries had been carried down by teams of angels. In a little over a year over forty-three thousand blocks had been carried and put in place. They averaged one hundred and nine blocks a day and would need another year to complete the wall. It would have no door and would be perfectly flat on one side going up to one hundred blocks high and more than four times that across. Each brick was a ten foot by ten foot cube. And with double rows the angels were convinced that as long as they could destroy any of Fabers siege machines before they got within there range that they could hold the demons here. Calanthe and the elite flew over the wall they could see a series of trenches and tunnels being dug some had spike on the bottom other would have angel archers in them the trenches spread out in a half circle defending the pass and would be filled with anything from flammable oil to archers.
The odds of success seemed to be increasing with every day. There would be five thousand angels defending the wall spread out both in front and behind the wall. As her and the elites flew over the gate the other angels sent up cries of both victory and of warnings. One in particular troubled Calanthe there were rumors of a strange cloud moving on the winds towards the desert. They made camp out side the wall and after all of the camp duties were taken care of Calanthe went to the wall to find the commander there. As she flew up the wall she noticed spikes pointing up towards the defenders. Probably in case a demon got on the wall and fell off. Clever she thought. As she landed on the wall an older looking angel came forward “My name is Maverick I am in charge f the wall and the demon fort is two days to the east of here in an old mine. The demons have always had secret ways in and out of them it only used to be small numbers though. We never considered them a threat they left us alone and we left them alone. You have the answers to your questions now leave so I can get some sleep.”
“Thank you Maverick.” Calanthe turned and stepped off the edge making sure to jump far enough to clear the spikes. As she landed on the ground two swords appeared on either side of her neck. Looking from side to side Calanthe could see to demons in the dark. They were hooded and cloaked but they had no smell and their breath if they breathed at all could not be heard. These were obviously trained assassins hired for a specific job. “Well looks like we can end this war sooner than we thought. I have to admit we were expecting a something a little better for an Archangel.” said the one to the left. “But why would an archangel waste her energy when she has us?” this came from the shadows from behind the demon on the right. A red hand closed over the demon on the lefts face and the demon was pulled back into the darkness. Although she could not see what was going on she could hear the demon scream as Sieghard beat the demon to death with his giant metal hand. The demon on the right had turned around to face the threat behind him. There was nothing there. “Not to smart are they?” said the voice from beside Calanthe this time. The demon turned around surprised at the new comer. Alaric smiled “Hi there”
“No not you. Oh please not you.” The demon started to run
“Oh good I love this game.” said Alaric as he took off after the demon.
“What game?” Calanthe asked out loud to no one in particular.
“He calls it “troop moral” tomorrow the troops will be assembled and will get to watch Alaric torture the demon then he randomly selects an angel to do some creative thinking of his own.” Sieghard said coming up behind Calanthe who stood transfixed. “That’s brilliant” was all she said.
As Sieghard has said Calanthe awoke to the sound of Alaric calling out “Troop Moral time” as loud as he could. And on the far end of camp he had a giant wooden bored with a sheet over it and had a table with all kinds of torture devises on it. As the crowd assembled he began pacing back across the stage practically exploding with energy “Now how many of you know and love our great fearless leader Calanthe? Give a big HAWOOH if you do!” the entire assembly started screaming hawooh over and over to show their support. “Lord almighty he really enjoys this it’s a performance for him” Calanthe thought another voice entered her head. “Do not be afraid it is me Sieghard. And yes he does but this is the only time besides when he’s fighting that I see him truly happy.”
“Well Sieghard and I saw her leave the camp alone last night.” This was followed by a series of boos and “No not our leader!”
“Yes I assure you it was and so I turned to my friend Sieghard here and said “that’s no right” and so we followed her to the wall and sure enough when she was done up on the wall she jumped down. And did not check the area and was attacked.” The soldiers gave cries of mock horror and distress. “But never fear Sieghard and I saved her and we got a bonus prize.” With that he ripped off the sheet revealing the demon that now had no clothing on. Calanthe jumped up on the platform “I cannot permit this” the angels booed and Alaric glared at Calanthe as she walked over to the sheet and tore a piece off
“Alfwin I will not tolerate demonic nudity” She said wrapping the cloth over the demons exposed body. “Now you may continue commander” the angels were silent for a moment then started to cheer and laugh. Alaric walked over and gave a very over dramatic salute “Thank you Commander. I shall do as you say.”
I leaned in close to his ear so that only the demon could hear “Now you piece of shit I have been doing this for myself up until now but now it’s an order which means this is business.” He looked at me and said “I have been tortured by Cadoc what can you do to me your just God’s little bitch.”
“Well if there is one thing I hate it is taking fathers name in vein.” The angels prepared for a very bloody show. As Alaric reached over to an assortment of needles “Well “D” can I call you D? Ok well D here is the deal I got something Cadoc cant get in hell. Holy Water.” I shot a bit of it on his face and as his skinned burned he smiled “Is that all?” he asked. I smiled back “No but see how this feels” I took the needle and stuck it in his vein injecting the whole thing. He grimaced as the holy water traveled through his blood stream to his heart. “Now” I said taking a dagger off the table “this is a holy blade blessed Michael himself.” The demon cut me off “Is it now?”
“Yes now don’t interrupt or you’ll miss the lesson. Now since this wasn’t blessed by God it can’t kill you but it can hurt like hell I’m told. Would you care to participate in a free random toll?” he went to say something but I cut him off “Yes? Good!!!” I said cutting his arm he gasped. “I’ll make you a deal I’ll stop and you tell me about the base in the mine. How about that D?”
“Tempting… but you can still go screw your mother.”
“Well since you asked so nicely.” I stabbed the blade in his stomach. Twisting it all the way around “How about now?” the demon spat a bunch of blood on the ground. “It tickles” it said as the angels laughed.
“Well it’s got balls” Sieghard said. Then it hit me “Yes, yes it does. Tell me did Cadoc ever do this” I said grabbing his balls and squishing them. The demon screamed. The angels exploded in laughter and applause. I raised my hand silence fell. “Now you stupid little asshole, how does that feel?” the demon didn’t say anything. “What lost your voice have you? What happened did your balls drop right off. In hell you were in Cadocs court but now you’re in my mine” I said refilling the needle with holy water “And in my court I strive to come up with new things and I just thought of one.” I took his shaft in my hand and injected the needle halfway through and poured the holy water into him. The demon started to convulse and scream. “Tell me about the mines. And I’ll stop.”
“I don’t know about the mines I just got up here to kill Calanthe then I was to retreat back to hell. I swear on a hundred years of Lucifers rack.”
“You’re lucky I believe you and so” I turned to the angels who were in the full swing of things now. “Who wants to be creative!!” I yelled the angels went into a wild frenzy. I took a ball off the table and threw it into the crowd.
Calanthe flew from her seat and caught the ball. Again Alaric shot Calanthe a look to kill. Calanthe went up to a soldier. It was the one from the gate office all those years ago. The one she had told to be honorable. “Go serve heaven in your way.”
As the angel climbed up onto the platform the demon looked at Alaric “You liar you said you’d stop.” Alaric took back his energetic personality “And I have. But now this good soldier gets a turn. So what do you want to use soldier? Sword, needle, whip what’s your candy?” the soldier just stood there staring at the demon. “What the matter boy afraid?” the angels gave a hawooh challenging the soldier to do something. Then the demon twitched, its eyes rolled back and it started to foam at the mouth. Alaric and Sieghard both stared at the soldier as he did nothing but the demon stared to scream as the soldier tortured it mentally the angels started to hawooh to the sound of the demons pain. Calanthe went up to the soldier that’s enough finish him.” She said casually like she was bored. The demon twitched once and then did not move or make any noise. Blood dripped from its ears, nose and eyes. The angels cried out praise for their brother, some others yelled that he ended it too soon. But none would object. The angel got off the platform and the crowd began to disperse.
Alaric and Sieghard came up to Calanthe “What the hell was that?” Sieghard demanded. “Yes you ruined the show it was over too quick!” Alaric added. “That is Michaels little brother Solomon. He is destined to be a great Archangel one day until then he serves me in a special squad of my own.” Calanthe waited for their response. “What does this special squad do?” Alaric asked intrigued by what he had seen. “A squad for the worst kinds of deeds, it’s a tortured squad. They take the one thing no creature can build up a pain resistance to break the mental barriers and torture their victims for information.”
“That goes against God Calanthe.” Alaric spoke in a hushed tone. “So does putting holy water in a demons dick.” Calanthe shot back. “Enough. Both of you” Sieghard commanded “I may not be your superior technically but remember who really leads these men. Now never again will you interfere with Alarics show and Alaric you will cover up the next demon. Now I’m going to bed goodnight.” “Goodnight Sieghard” Calanthe and Alaric said. Calanthe and Alaric looked at each for a second then walked off in opposite directions.