Introduction:
Chaos. That was all that remained in this God forsaken place – the heart of Zion. There once was a time when tall buildings and majestic establishements had been abundant, shining like diamonds when the sunlight touched their intricate dimensions. Now, they crumbled to pieces in an ugly array of metal and stone. Raging fires dotted the city, unholy and destructive, but somehow still aesthetically beautiful. It was the beginning of the end, or rather, the end of the tribulation. An infernal war was on the edge of the horizon; a war between good and evil.
What humans still populated the earth chose to dwell in anarchy; inflicting bloodshed on one another while their United Nations desperately attempted to abolish the reign of unending terror. Lucifer danced in jubilation at the site of his handiwork, celebrating while God and His Son had not yet returned because of their committment to ready a celestial army of angels and the like up in Heaven.
For now, I, along with several others stand the last defenders of the righteous in this world. Christ had sent us to protect the born-again Christians who have survived the Apocalypse and corrected their ways. But time was running out for the rest of them, and not all would accept the Lord as their Savior. I could already feel it – the soul of the Old World slipping away, like the morning mist on an autumn's day. It was a slumber; peaceful, but inevitable.
Body:
A lone figure clad in white, fluidly stalked the pathways of the broken city, Zion. Scattered debris crunched underneath his boots, and his pale breastplate casted beams of ethereal light in every direction. He walked with the grace of a dancer; perhaps the most beautiful dancer in the world, and then some. Metal clinking noises softly accented the air as the hilt of his sword rubbed against his gilded belt. The armor seemed to be made of a heavenly material; almost like milky diamonds assorted with silver. If he was trying to be inconspicuous, he failed, miserably.
The man's face reflected a sort of surreal sadness as he took in the dying metropolis. Crippled beggars shrank away from him, attempting to disappear into the tiniest crevices they could find. They seemed afraid of the man, and his ultramarine eyes brimmed with tears, cloaking his lashes in liquid. He gazed once more at them and pressed on.
Starlight beat down on him; the misty clouds forming an overhead canopy in the night sky. He ran a hand through his golden hair, exhaling forcefully and allowing the waves to settle on his ears. He was almost at the central plaza when a hand clasped his arm.
"Please, sir…"
Gabriel spun around, his muscles tensing in shock. A man stood before him, his cheeks hollowed out in hunger. Green eyes echoed years of pain and sorrow, and he was hunched over with the weight of an invisible burden. Darkened skin stretched tight around his prominent bones and patches of hair were missing from his scalp. Gabriel's gentle gaze swept over his forehead, which remained unmarked. This man was a Christian.
He spoke again. "You… you're Gabriel – right?"
Gabriel nodded wordlessly.
"Oh!"
With an exclamation, the man fell to his knees; weeping and kissing the feet of the archangel. He sobbed uncontrollably, shuddering with spasms and clutching onto the angel's legs with all his might. Gabriel felt a pang of sorrow for this man and kneeled down, softly grabbing his shoulders and helping him upright.
"What is your name?" Gabriel retracted his arms, smiling in hopes that it would comfort the tortured soul.
With an effort, he brought his eyes to the angel's and ignored another spasm that overwhelmed his body. "My Christian name is Samuel, sir, and that's the only name I reckon is mine."
"Samuel, you have received the Lord as your Savior. Is this correct?"
Samuel's eyes lit up with an unexplainable fever, and he nodded ardently.
"Praise be to Heaven. My fellow brother, you shall find food and shelter at the tavern in the next city to the west. Someone will be waiting for you and welcome you with open arms."
"Th-thank you! Thank you so much. The Lord is truly merciful!" He began weeping once again, kissing Gabriel's cheeks before embracing him.
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Gabriel placed his palm on Samuel's forehead, closing his eyes as brilliant light engulfed the area. The world silenced at once, and Samuel grinned widely, walking away with what seemed like more life in his steps than before.
Gabriel smiled to himself and spun on his heel, heading once more for the city gates. He felt warm inside and knew that the angels in heaven were rejoicing at the prospect of a newly born-again follower. He could imagine the otherworldly chorus singing in perfect harmony with their golden trumpets. There was sure to be a celebration, and he would've given anything to see it.
"I won't let you down," Gabriel thought to the heavens. He knew that God had heard it.
Upon approaching the edge of the gates, he began to feel slightly uneasy. His muscles coiled in knots and he felt like he'd been drenched in ice water, a sort of numbing, incapacitating feeling. Adrenaline rushed through his veins.
"I thought that you'd choose to stay away from this one, Legion."
Gabriel clenched his jaw and halfheartedly turned around. "And here I was, thinking that you had an ounce of self-preservation."
A demon stood about a foot away from Gabriel. He tilted his head, revealing razor sharp teeth behind a wicked grin. His features were just as his teeth; pointed and inhuman like, yet brilliantly exquisite. His hate-filled eyes were as black as the midnight sky, but the tiniest glint lay hidden within the iris. "I couldn't resist, my old friend. "Testing your "soldiers of faith" is just too much fun for my own good."
Legion was known not for violent behavior towards the Christians, but rather for the torture that he inflicts. His main purpose is to break their spirit and tear their love for God away, a much crueler fate. Gabriel had lost more than one Christian to Legion in the past.
"They're not my soldiers, Legion. They're Gods'." The muscles in his jaw began to twitch.
Legion rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Yes, well, whatever the case may be, that doesn't excuse the fact that they are indeed fun to play with."
With one sharp movement, Gabriel unsheathed his sword. He felt at ease with the weapon in his hand, and gently fingered the decorated pommel. This, too, was made of celestial material.
"You'll never get to him."
Legion eyed the sword appreciatively and shook his head in mock disappointment. Onyx hair fell around his temples, lightly brushing the handsome leather adorning his shoulders. "Already reaching for the weapon? Correct me if I'm wrong, which I highly doubt - I assure you, but I thought we were being civilized. This reflects how barbaric you angels really are - resorting to violence on the first chance they receive. What would your Father say? I thought forgiveness was somewhere in the Bible. Ah... well, I apologize for not knowing the verse offhand."
Gabriel's brow furrowed in concentration. He analyzed the change in Legion's position. The demon seemed to be shifting his weight to the balls of his feet, gradually, but enough where Gabriel was sure of his intention to strike. "My command is as follows: protect the Christians from any harm, malice, or acerbic objectives. I find that a demon follows under those specific guidelines, and I suspect my heavenly Father would as well."
Legion shrugged, withdrawing his own blade. It was in perfect contrast to Gabriel's; made of the darkest metal available in Hell. Long and curved, it had a double-edged tip while Gabriel's was pale and sturdy, embellished with a delicate design of ivy vines curled around a cross.
"Fine, Gabriel, have it your way. But, I don't have all night." His full-shaped lips lifted at the corners. "Catch me if you can."
Legion took off sprinting in the opposite direction from whence he came. His movements were inhumanely fast, and his entire outline blurred with the quickness of his strides. He disappeared within a matter of a second, leaving a trail of dust in his tracks.
Gabriel looked up towards the stars. The sky had never been completely the same since the seventh vial opened of the Tribulation. The moon had been red for years, but recently there were days when the moon shone more clearly than before. Granted, it wasn't enough to be considered moonlight, but it was still worth noticing.
He continued to stand there, breathing as evenly as he could. Legion wanted Gabriel to chase after him; that was why he had run. This was a test of faith, wasn't it? He shook his head and exhaled, shuffling once more towards Zion's gates.
Suddenly, a voice spoke within his mind. It was clear and stern; one that he had heard daily, even. It made him stop dead in his tracks.
"Gabriel – I am with you."
Fire started to build within his soul as the words of his Father started to dissipate. He recognized it to the similar power the apostles of Christ experienced after he had risen to Heaven. It was a godly fire, one that gave you strength and courage.
Gabriel stiffened, pulling his arms in a cross over his breast. White, angelic wings sprang forth from his shoulder blades, and Gabriel let out a cry of fervor as sheer power rippled through his body. The wings spanned at least seven feet in diameter and curled around his torso, quivering with energy while Gabriel panted for breath.
Not a moment later, his wings contracted, pushing him off the ground with force that propelled him beyond the hazy clouds. This battle was meant to be fought in the sky; the first of many battles to come; a testament of the power of all that is good.
Gabriel's sword erupted into a frenzy of flames as his eyes burned brightly with the intensity of his Father.
"Give me strength," he prayed once more to the heavens.