Freshly Fallen (battle clip)

Gregory’s Perspective

            I’d been thrown aside by the arch angel, the dark warrior with the gold circlet on his brow. I was not of interest for him, and he only wanted Stellafer.

            “You have let yourself be degraded, Stellafer.” Michael said in his booming voice, his circlet glinting in the evening sun and hurting my eyes. “Your wings were hacked off, your strength is gone.  I expected more of you.” He let out a rich chuckle from deep in his chest.

            Stellafer tried to get up, wincing, her blue eyes closed and watering. Watering, I thought, her tears were silver- but maybe Michael was right, that she was becoming more human… I wanted to help her, every neuron telling me to get up- but I couldn’t feel my legs yet, just a dull sting like they were asleep. She managed to get to her knees, her palms to the asphalt and her black hair matted and obscuring her face from me.

            “You claim I’ve degraded myself? After what you and yours did to me?” She said lowly, voice dry and cracked. Yet her voice climbed, raising just a tad- emotion. “You did this to me!” She screamed. “You flung me from my home and it’s about time all of the fallen came home,” she paused, standing to her full height. “All of them.”

            From behind her, out of the rubble, rose the Morningstar… my dad. He stretched a hand out and placed it on Stellafer’s shoulder, making anger rise in my throat. He leaned in and said something to her, then turned back to Michael, who stood dumbfounded.

            “Must say Michael, the years have been kinder to me than you.” A smirk curled his light lips. “And I can’t agree more with what Stella’s saying, but first…”

            The light around my dad shimmered, closing in on him and blocking him from view. The brilliant light faded and he cracked his neck. “Feels good to be back in uniform, must say.” He ran his hands over the newly re-forged heavenly armor which rested on his frame perfectly, amplifying each muscle and curve. “But I think, if I do say so myself, you owe me a re-match Michael. The last time we fought I ended up on this God-forsaken lump of rock.” He laughed, the corners of his mouth pulling up.

            Michael loosened his shoulders, looking about him and opening his right hand, waiting for a sword a-flame to appear.

            I found my legs. “Morningstar don’t do it!” I stumbled, trying to make my way to Stellafer and the Morningstar. “Morningstar! Dad!”

            His blonde head turned toward me with a snap and his dark eyes bore in to me. “M’boy, I must say you’re out of your league. This is angel’s play. Not for a Nephilim.” The Morningstar smiled with his teeth and started striding toward the arch angel.

            Stellafer grabbed me, her grip harder than I’d ever felt. “Stay out of this. This is between Michael and the Morningstar.” Her eyes looked brighter, iridescent like abalone. Her skin glowed with a moon-like luminescence. She was amplified, heavenly.

            “What’d he do to you? You’re different.” I asked lowly, watching out of the corner of my eyes as he got closer to Michael. She looked better than ever. “What’d he do?”

            The corners of her lips turned up, and her voice hardened angrily but with a touch of gratitude. “He kissed me. The kiss of an angel, fallen or not,” her voice began to turn into a gravely tremor, “brings you closer to God.”

            She dipped out of my grasp, touched the ground with her fingertips and drew herself up, shining with new armor that snaked up her skin. A blade of steel and the fires of heaven burned in her hand. She charged into battle, passing me and heading to back up my father.

            Michael spun, pushing the Morningstar away, turning to find himself in the throes of grappling with Stellafer. I ran to help any way I could, but Michael grabbed Stellafer around the ankles and waist and plummeting her into me. The Morningstar looked back to see Stellafer’s landing into me and smiled coyly, spinning to Michael and locking back in combat.