"What a pity to watch you, Yuriel," Zagan spitted in disgust. His lifeless eyes looked as black as coal, revealing his handsome face as the scorching sun above him pierced brightly in the middle of the day. "It's only thirteen days but I'm already getting bored of this game."
"How about I rip him into pieces, my king?" the general of the fifth legion said.
Without waiting for Zagan's words, slowly the general flew to the air and drew his sword. His golden aura illuminated while his long curly blonde hair shimmered like the light of the day. His white wings covered with golden feathers flapped elegantly in the wind as two of his subordinates, Bathin and Eligos stayed close behind him.
Quicker than the ray of light, the fallen swung the sword towards Yuriel who tried to block the blade with his copper hands.
Loud clanging sounds of metal reverberated throughout the town and the earth started to shook. When Yuriel looked up, he saw a familiar figure of a man standing right in front of him. It was Kahil- the chief prince of the East.
"Chief, you are right on time," he said. Yuriel turned around and behind him were two other guardians clothed in white linen. They both stood still as they watched the chief in his fight with the fallen.
The general grasped for breath and gripped his sword tightly with both his hands. "Kahil, it's been a while.." he said trying to find an opening as their swords clashed violently at each other. The chief's flaming sword easily blocked all his blows and when he felt a twinge in his hands, he was surprised to see his golden sword slowly melting on his palms. He hesitated for a second and as he lose his focus on the battle, Kahil's sword struck his back cutting off his left wing. The general howled in great agony as golden feathers dropped and burned on the ground. He fell wounded, unable to fly again and so, the earthquake stopped.
Kahil turned to Yuriel with face as bright as lightning, eyes like a burning coal and body like an emerald. "I'll take it from here," he told him, his voice like the sound of a roaring waterfall. "Go and guard the little child well. The faithwalkers are on their way."
"Then I shall take my leave," Yuriel nodded. Swiftly, he ascended into the air leaving the battle to the chief prince and the two guardians.
When Yuriel left, Zagan who was watching from afar spoke in a loud voice, "So you have come, my chief prince. Did you really come to stop us?"
"The righteous cry out and Elohim hears and delivers them from all their troubles," Kahil answered. "Zagan, today you will be chained in the Abyss like the rest of the principalities who came before you."
When the legions heard this, they all roared in anger. King Zagan, in all his pride stood tall, his handsome face transformed into a bull's head and huge griffin wings sprouted from his back. At his command, the thirty-three legions charged at the chief prince with all their might.
As the legions fought against Kahil, Eligos- one of the general's subordinate commanded his demons to follow Yuriel. As they secretly left the battlefield, the two angels who were standing behind Kahil noticed them. In the blink of an eye, the two guardians disappeared and left the chief prince alone to deal with Zagan and his legions.
Yuriel, who was riding fast in the wind suddenly stopped as he felt an evil force following him from behind. When he looked back, he saw dark clouds had already formed where the battle was taking place.
"Hurry and leave it to us," he heard a voice said. Suddenly, in front of him were the two guardians clothed in white. From afar, he could hear the sound of thousands of demons in uproar. He left without saying a word while the two angels waited for Eligos and his army to arrive.
When the fallens came face to face with them, the two angels transformed into their true form. One change into the face of an ox and the other the face of an eagle, with eyes all over their body and six wings coming out of their back. Their feet turned into burning coal as they faced the host of unclean spirits in front of them.
* * *
When the guardian arrived at Northex Children's Hospital, he headed straight to room 1416 of the East Tower. He saw Judith and Ethan sitting on the bed beside Cara- their three year old daughter who was hanging on for her dear life. She had an oxygen tube in her nostrils and her hair was covered with a white cloth.
Cara blinked as she watched the other four elders and her grandma who were standing near her bed. Beside her Uncle Jared, was an old man who was speaking with his eyes closed. His voice was so gentle she felt her eyes started to get heavy.
The guardian went closer to the bed and watched the little girl. Cara looked up to him and smiled. When she closed her eyes, she fell asleep.
* * *
When Ethan returned to Cara's room, her wife who just finished crying seemed to have fallen asleep beside their daughter.
He sat on the couch and watched them both. He remembered, Judith was already thirty-one years old when they learned she was pregnant. He was thirty-six and had already given up since he knew that something was really wrong with him. Her wife, who really wanted to have a child, was so envious of others that she almost hated God. For four years, she stumbled and fell away from her faith. That was why when they heard Cara's heartbeat on the Doppler monitor, he was overjoyed. But only after one year of living a healthy and happy life, Cara was diagnosed with an acute leukemia. He was scared as he watched Judith grew weary and exhausted each passing day.
When Judith opened her eyes, she sat on the bed and turned to him, "Ethan, I can't take this anymore."
"Ma.."
"Why? Why should I continue to live when she's about to die?"
Ethan noticed that the circles around her eyes looked even darker while her hair was more messy and dry. "Calm down. I think you need to rest. Why don't you go home first and I'll watch over her for tonight," he continued.
Judith stood up and began shouting, "You expect me to calm down and relax? Can't you see? What I feared the most is now happening? I am too upset to rest! Why won't he give what I had I asked for, huh? Why won't he just give me what I want? I wish he would just go ahead and kill me--"
"Stop it! Do you hear yourself? You are talking like a foolish woman! Should we take only good things from God and not trouble?"
"No! I will not be quiet! I will let my suffering spirit speak! I will let my bitter soul complain!" Judith shook her head as she walked back and forth, "All my strength is gone, I have no more hope to go on living. With nothing to look forward to, why should I be patient? I hate my life- I give up."
Ethan stood up and placed his hands on Judith's shoulders, "How could you say all these things? What do you take me for?"
Judith pushed her away, "You! You have already accepted it right? But guess what? I can't and I won't!" She cupped her face with her palm as tears suddenly fell from her eyes. "My life means nothing, so just leave me alone.."
Ethan was shocked and chose not to say anything. He walked away and slammed the door in frustration.Yuriel who was guarding the door from outside watched Ethan as he stomped away in despair. The guardian entered the room and saw Judith on the floor crying.
