Chapter 21
Michael looks over his shoulder at us. “I’m sorry, Evander, that I couldn’t get here sooner,” he says, gazing at Frida’s body. He takes one look around the battlefield and sighs.
“I will handle things from here. You have already done more than you know.” With those words he draws his sword. Holding it vertically in front of him, he slides his hand up the blade and it is coated in a brilliant white light.
With one swing of his sword the entire battlefield is covered in a white flame.
As it engulfs me I don’t feel heat, but a soothing presence.
A horrible scream rings out from the demon horde and after only seconds the flames vanish.
The only things left standing are the Hell beasts, the Knights, Beelzebub and us.
Did he just wipe out thousands of demons with a single swing of his sword?
I notice my wounds have healed too and I have recovered a bit of stamina. Looking at Beelzebub, he has a few burn marks and his wings are charred to the root. The Hell Beasts and the Knights are writhing around in pain, screaming and howling.
Lilith is no better, looking like she has third degree burns covering her as she rolls around screaming.
“Evander, get the others back to Heaven while I finish this,” Michael commands, as he takes off toward Beelzebub. They engage in a fierce battle, while I rush to get everyone back to Heaven.
First I reach Achilles who, like me, is a bit healed. “Can you walk?” I ask.
He nods. “I’ll manage, let’s help the others,” he responds as we reach Perseus and Lucius.
They are in worse shape than I thought, the Hydra burnt both of them badly. As we pick them up they let out painful groans, so we throw them over our shoulders. We rush them back to the gate as fast as we can.
Once we reach it I give Lucius to Achilles. “I need to get Frida,” I say. Without giving him a chance to speak I run back out into the battlefield. Michael has the upper hand against Beelzebub as I see Michael cut off his left hand.
Just then the Leviathan attacks Michael. Without hesitation he decapitates it with one stroke of his sword. Its body twitches about on the ground, as its head is still trying to bite anything it can.
He then turns his attention to the remaining Beasts and Knights. He charges the Cerberus and cuts it clean in half, then severs the Knight’s left arm and leg. As the dead Cerberus falls, its rider falls off to the ground, trying to crawl away.
Michael jumps and lands on his back. He stomps his spine into the ground; as the Knight arches up Michael plunges his sword through the back of his skull.
Without missing a step he darts at the Hydra, cutting off every head, then drives his sword into the center neck. The Hydra bursts from the inside and falls to ash.
Grabbing the rider by the head, he crushes their skull into a bloody pulp. He sees me running back to Frida and dashes over.
Just as I get there he does too. “Do not pull Rathor’s arm from her chest,” he warns. I look at him, confused. “I don’t have time to explain now, but I will. Just make sure that you do not remove it. I will ensure you make it back to Heaven,” he says as he vanishes from sight.
I scoop her up and run back toward the gate as fast as I can. Looking back I see Beelzebub grab Lilith and they appear at Hell’s gate before Michael can reach them.
He looks back and only one Knight is left on the field that he quickly dispatches by hacking it into pieces.
When I reach the portal, Michael is right behind me and we pass through it together. As soon as we get to Heaven, Michael takes Frida’s body from me. “Follow me,” he says as he quickly runs ahead.
We arrive at the training ground. He flares his wings out and with a mighty flap takes off. Shifting I follow and after a couple minutes we land in front of a large black marble door with a huge sigil covering it.
He speaks something Enochian and the sigil vanishes and the door opens. Walking in there is a large circle on the floor with a seven pointed star and angelic symbols all over it. He places Frida in the middle of the star.
“Evander, come here,” he commands. I walk up to them. “Kneel down, place your hands here and repeat after me, Atha Mehelah,” he says, as he pulls Rathor’s arm free of her chest, laying it down across her. He puts one hand on her stomach and the other on her forehead.
“Atha Mehelah, what does that mean?” I ask.
“It means release her in Enochian, say it together with me.”
We began to chant, “Atha Mehelah…Atha Mehelah…Atha Mehelah.” The sigils begin to glow and a loud humming noise fills the room as we continue to chant.
“I need you to give full control to Fenrir,” he shouts over the hum. I follow command and let Fenrir take over as we continue chanting. Soon we feel a familiar presence, as a soothing warmth begins to envelop us.
Rathor’s arm disintegrates and a golden ball of light slowly rises from the ash and we hear a voice.
“Fenrir,” it says.
“Serafine is that you?” Fenrir replies.
“Yes, what happened, where is Frida?” Serafine asks as the light takes the form of a large wolf.
“She has passed on to stand before God for resolution,” Michael says.
“I need to be with her, Fenrir we will meet again, know that I will always love you,” Serafine murmurs, walking over to us and kissing us on the cheek.
“And Evander, I will let Frida know that you survived and it was you who freed me,” she says as her light brightens and her form compresses into the ball and vanishes.
An overwhelming sadness washes over Fenrir and yet also a calmness, knowing that his soulmate is free and at peace.
“How was this possible?” I ask Michael, shifting back.
“The only reason we were able to free her is your love for her, Fenrir. That bond is the only thing that was strong enough to free her soul from Rathor’s soul trap,” he mutters.
“If you two weren’t soulmates she would have been lost forever.
And the only thing that prevented his arm from getting destroyed was the fact that it is what held all of the souls he absorbed.
So without knowing it you did exactly what you needed to in order to save Serafine,” he finishes.
“So what happens with her now?” I ask.
“Serafine will join Frida in whatever decision they make,” he replies.
FRIDA
A bright light assaults my eyes. I am in a beautiful garden, full of flowers and trees. It’s peaceful here, but something isn’t right. I feel as if a part of me is missing, but I can’t put my finger on it right away.
It doesn’t take long for the flashbacks to hit. I wander aimlessly as scenes play out in my mind. The battle, Rathor’s arm, Evander, Sera. My chest tightens and I fall to my knees, gasping.
Sera is no longer with me. She sacrificed herself just so I could say goodbye to my soulmate.
“Hello?” I mumble, looking around for anyone else. But I am alone. Sighing, I plop down onto the ground, and lift my face to the light. I never imagined myself here.
I never wanted to leave Evander the way I did, but dying in battle again is the only way I would’ve wanted to go. It’s an honorable death. One my people would have been proud of.
I was one of the lucky ones to be chosen as a warrior for God.
But losing Sera…
“Frida,” someone nearby says in a booming voice.
“God?”
“Yes, my child. You have been a valiant warrior for centuries but it’s time for you to move on.”
“Move on? No, I wish to return to the fight.”
“You have done exceptionally, Frida. You have proven your loyalty time and time again. You’ve sacrificed enough, my child. It is time for you to be at peace.”
“Please, I need to go back. I need to help. This war is not over.”
“This war is endless,” he sighs.
“Why is this happening now? I have been brought back many times before.”
“You have more important things ahead, my child.”
My heart races and tears fill my eyes. I’ve lost everything. Sera, Evander… I know what I have to do.
“Save Serafine. Send me back to the fight and save her soul,” I plead. He begins to laugh, and I frown.
“Frida,” someone says and I turn around. She’s here. Well her spirit.
“Sera. I thought I’d never see you again. How?”
“Evander. He freed me.”
“He’s okay?”
She smiles. “Yes, he and Fenrir are fine.”
After Sera fills me in with everything that happened I feel the weight on my heart lift and reluctantly agree.
I’m surrounded by a blinding light that envelopes my soul and then in a flash I come to, with the sound of the woods all around me. I realize that I’m now laying on a bed of soft grass, and I’m not alone.