Of Angels and Demons (Book 1)

Chapter 13

The blue skies were covered by a layer of gloomy clouds. Moist air hinted that it will rain soon. The wind was blowing a cool breeze that chilled the skins humans and animals.

Miranda and her two companions were on their way to the walled city of Ivydown. They set off from Hollowcliff early that morning so they can cover much grounds. They were able to walk for miles thanks to their demonic stamina, and after a few hours, the city was in their sight.

Ivydown was a circular city painted in white. It had tiny, little houses within it and a tower exactly on the opposite side of the entrance.

"There's our destination," Miranda said. "Ivydown." She was supposed to meet Atlas again and begin training in the ways of the seraphim.

Xanun and Jynera looked onto the city that lay before them. They seemed pleased and excited to explore new surroundings. They headed down the hill they were standing on to the entrance that was protected by a portcullis.

"What's your business here?" one of the guards on top of the wall called in a loud, audible voice.

"Visiting a friend," Miranda said, replying.

The guard used a hand gesture and his friends lifted the heavy iron gate.

Miranda, Xanun and Jynera walked through to the crowded city streets. People's chatterbox travelled through the air and in to their ears. Though it wasn't that loud and deafening, it's still enough to make them feel annoyed.

They went straight, ignoring all the turns and alleyways along with the people and their chit- chat until they reached a wide, open, town centre with a large, circular, white fountain in the middle.

Miranda scanned the crowd for Atlas, but the city centre was so populated that she would come across the same face over and over again. Her problem increased when people around her became more and more chatty, and in addition to that, the gurgling of water in the fountain.

"I'm over here, Miranda," a man's voice called. She looked over to the fountain. Her field of vision saw a black man on the right side. She smiled at his sight and waved her hand.

She approached him with Xanun and Jynera behind her. She gave him a hug and that's when Xanun caught a look of his face and frowned. He turned his back and looked like he was ready to leave, unpleased with the presence of that man.

"Hold on Xanun, what's wrong?" Jynera asked, grabbing his shoulder to try to stop him.

"I don't want to see that him ever again," he said in a toned down anger. He was right to be angry, especially when it was Atlas who had put him in that damned cell.

Jynera got in front of him and looked deeply into his eyes. "Xanun..." She lost the words which were right on the edge of her tongue and sighed.

"Xanun," Atlas called him. Xanun looked back at his ex-jailor and saw the black man walking towards him. "Thank you for training her. You are free now, you may go wherever you please."

"Thank you." Xanun's face grim. He turned to walk in the opposite direction and after taking just one step, he turned around and punched Atlas' face. He felt good after doing it, his vengeance has been fed by that act. "That's for imprisoning me."

Thud!

Everyone's senses alerted. Their sights flew to the noise. Their eyes saw what they couldn't believe - a chunk of the wall collapsing and smashing down onto a house. Some of the women screamed out of fear.

Xanun sprinted to the entrance to investigate what was going on. He mounted the walls all the way to the top. Once he saw it, he immediately sensed an imminent danger.

Three brass coated tanks along with an entire platoon of seraphim. Xanun widened his eyes on the sight. He ran back to Jynera who happens to still be with Miranda and Atlas. "Jynera we have to go!" he said in the screaming panic of the crowd. She didn't move, frozen in fear while looking passed him. "Jynera!" He tried to get her attention. No response. He looked behind him to find out what captivated, or in this case, scared her. To his greatest surprise, the seraphim brought one more weapon to complement their arsenal.

Standing for about a hundred feet, it was made of white marble sculpted to look like an armored soldier. Its eyes glowed a blue light and it trudged the wall like it was made of sand.

In all his life, Xanun never thought he would be seeing one of the destructive marvels of the seraphim. But that day, fate introduced him to the colossus.

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Uh oh. Looks like Ivydown is in for trouble. Wanna know what will happen? Find out in the next chapter. If you enjoy this chapter, don't forget to vote and leaving feedback is always much appreciated.

-Zyrofern