Captured

Captured
Lucifer

Traveling as a group, we all held onto each other’s shoulders. The darkness between realms was chaotic compared to the normal stillness one could find here. The silence was no longer that greeted us, as we ascended to the highest realm. We all tried to break free from the darkness as the wind blew through the crowd.

Growls and grunts came from monsters as their grips loosened, their eyes widening at the cold, harsh wind. “They won’t make it,” Poseidon yelled out. His voice was barely heard over the wails of the wind. “There is too many and there is a ward only letting gods through.” Ares gripped Mariah tighter, a Minotaur holding steadfast to Ares’ other arm.

“Send them back!” I yelled. “We do this alone.” Before Poseidon’s power had us reach the ceiling of the blackness, all of his creations let go, falling back into the darkened abyss. Poseidon wielded his Trident, the blast coming forth mightily as it tried to capture the monsters slowly fading into the darkness. The grip on his Trident wavered, the wind pulling it from his hands.

Taking his other arm, latching onto it, lightning struck the base of the three prongs, causing it to burst into bright light. The weight of the reddened lightening had Poseidon fumble, his Trident now falling into the darkness of the abyss.

Ares pulled Mariah tighter by the waist. I pulled my sword from my back. Vulcan grips hold of me, shielding the sword from any prying eyes, until the bright light of the Celestial Kingdom came into view. “Put it behind your back,” Vulcan ordered as we landed.

It was just the five of us. Vulcan carried his ax in front of him as we graced the steps leading up to the pearly gates. The sky cracked with bright red and blues of electricity. The apocalypse was already upon the Celestial realm. The palace continued to crumble, darkness covering the clouds into a dark grey.

Poseidon looked back over the steps, back down into the black abyss that separated his creations and us. His throat bobbed, his fist tightening with the lack of his Trident. “I will forge another,” Vulcan put his hand on his shoulder, pulling him away. Wind upheaved, pushing Poseidon back.

“I don’t care about the Trident. What of them?” His voice was barely above a whisper. “They are my family.” Mariah pulled Poseidon away, just like Vulcan.

“They are still there, we will find them,” she patted his arm. “But we won’t find them until we fix this.” Mariah’s glare went to the tops of the crumbling towers. Ares pulled his weapon as his mate did the same. The sword given to me hung on my back, clear from view, until it was absolutely necessary.

All of us, in our donned traditional armor, walked forward. My body is covered in black leather bindings. The corset-like vest sat low in the back for my wings to spread. They came out without me thinking, the deep black and the red embers dripped up the granite steps.

“Looking badass, little nephew.” Ares looked me up and down. “Never thought I would see the day where you could control it,” I grunted in agreement.

“All thanks to my mate, she is what calms me,” I muttered, my eyes not leaving the unhinged doors of the once magnificent palace. My mark grew hot as I entered the doorway, we were becoming sacrifices ourselves. We had no other plan than to face Zeus head-on. Even without Poseidon’s Trident, we hope to succeed. This many gods fighting against him at once should surely beat one of the original twelve.

As we walked forward, the crumbling walls and the cracked floors all held black ash. The entryway is completely dark as we edged towards the throne room. If Zeus was going to be dramatic about all of this, of course, he would sit on his high and mighty throne to try and belittle us.

Angels stood still by the walls. They no longer held the bright white wings, their attire that of grey robes and darkened skin. As I saw Gabriel, the light faded in his once golden eyes. My fists clenched the dagger on the outer part of my leg. They had all succumbed to whatever evil Zeus let take over his body.

“I’m waiting!” The taunting begins as we entered. The strongest of the gods all were held in chains and bolted to the floor. My father, being the one next to Zeus’ throne, was chained with both hands on the floor, hunched over. My father’s red eyes blazed with fury, trying to pull himself from the shackles.

“Curse the fates,” Ares growled. “What the fuck happened? Something isn’t right,” he whispered harshly. “Mariah, get out of here.” Mariah, as stubborn as her mate, shook her head.

“Through thick and thin, my love.” Her hand reached for his, squeezing it tightly.

“This feeling,” Poseidon clutched his heart. “I’ve felt it before.” Poseidon tried to stand back, but I pulled his arm closer to me.

“Where is Uriel?” Zeus waved his hand, standing. “This trial is about her parent’s treatment to her, I would expect to see her since she is a prime witness.” Zeus descended the throne, his blackened robes skimming each step.

“Why are they chained?” Vulcan spoke up. Holding his ax close to his chest, Zeus walked toward his son.

“My son,” his hand went out to cup Vulcan’s cheek. Vulcan only ripped it away and spat at his feet. “Hades is more of a father than you.” Zeus’ eyes didn’t even acknowledge the statement, only chuckled as his attention went back to me.

“I’m waiting,” Zeus hummed.

“And I want answers,” I growled. “Why is my father chained to your throne and why are all the gods being held against their will?” Zeus stepped back, snapping his fingers. A light hit the darkened corner of the room. My mother sat in a cage with Lillith in her arms.

“Luci,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Don’t bring her here,” she sniffed. “Don’t bring Uriel or it will be death,--” Zeus hit the cage with a bolt of lightning. The cage rattled, causing electricity to go up my mother’s body. Lillith screamed briefly at the intensity, but mother’s scream didn’t falter.

“You bastard, leave my mate alone!” Father rattled the chains, dark smoke pooling down the stairs. “I’m going to rip you to pieces,” he hissed. Hair tried to sprout from my father’s back, but his shift was incomplete, he could not shift into the animal mother had graced him with.

“Time is wasting,--” before Zeus could finish, I slung my arm behind my back bringing out my wielded sword. My hands heated, causing the iron to burn as I pushed it into Zeus’ chest. Every bit of my power was now concentrated in the hole of his heart.

Cracking a smile, Ares pulled his sword from his sheath, only to be slung to the floor by a snap of a finger. Darkened angels pulled Ares and Mariah away as my sword stuck firmly into Zeus’ gut. Vulcan going for Zeus’ legs was pulled away also by the darkened angles by surprise.

The angels’ eyes had glazed over black, not in control of their bodies as they wrestled with the strongest of the gods. My mind angered by my sword not being able to be dislodged from Zeus, I let go to let my claws lengthen and my wings grow to their massive height. What was left of the light that hung in the room now was darkened by the massiveness of my burning feathers now hovering over the God of the Sky. He only looked up at me as I floated over his body.

My claws ripped through the air, leaving a high-pitched whistling. My wrist caught mid-air as Zeus rose above me. His hand was powerful enough to crack my wrist, but not enough for the red plasma that ran through my veins to stop singeing his hands.

“My, a strong one you are,” Zeus muttered. “Your power exceeds of your father,” he tutted. “I guess it isn’t so surprising though, since you are to cause the end of all the realms.” Growling, I pulled my hand away, but the wrappings of red plasma lightning gripped my wrists so heavily it made me fall to the floor.

“But not strong enough,” he chuckled. My wings lay across the floor, my mother crying in the corner with Lillith clinging to her tightly. Breath heaving ragged, my thoughts went to every plan we had.

While Uriel slept in my arms, we thought and we planned every movement of what could happen with Zeus. He only carried so much power, he was just one god. If even three gods stood together, surely we could take down one, even if he was the highest. My own father, stronger than that of all the gods now sat on his knees. His fangs dripping with black venom as he watched Zeus, his younger brother sit back on his throne.

Zeus pushed his robes away, hitting my father in the face. He chuckled, dragging his index finger mindlessly on the arm of the chair. The unamused face had me seething. Poseidon was still standing beside me, doing nothing, paralyzed in fear. Zeus rolled his eyes, flicking bits of electricity toward Poseidon’s way.

“Such a scaredy cat, aren’t you?” The dark angel, Gabriel, gripped his arms to pull him away. “Or maybe you are like one of those creations you have that couldn’t even make it up here?” Zeus laughed loudly, black tears running down his face. Flinging the tear toward Poseidon, Poseidon growled. Fangs descending reminded me of a shark.

“You won’t get away with it,” Poseidon yelled. “Hurting them, hurting us, you won’t!” Gabriel, his black eyes blinking twice before his hand covered Poseidon’s mouth. All around the room, angels were covering gods that sat on the floor. Hecate, her eyes brimming with tears at the sight. This evil, this power too powerful for even her to control.

“What the fuck happened to you?” I snapped. “What happened with being happy and ruling over the sky? Why do you have to go and fuck with people’s lives? What the hell happened?” I rattled the heavy bolts of electricity holding me down.

“Uriel healed you of that burden, you should be fine.” Zeus’ eyes narrowed, pounding the armrests. “Enough!” His body lay back on his throne. “Maybe I was tired of not having a mate. Maybe I was ready for a change. No longer the ‘lost god’ that takes orders from some woman who seems to have her life in order.” Zeus’ hand waved, beckoning for a changed woman and angel to enter.

Hera and Michael.

They were worse for wear. Their bodies were blackened with lightning marks, tortured and humiliated with their nakedness. Once Michael got closer, he tried to shield Hera, to keep her body covered, but his wings had been charred, not doing much good.

“Now that the goddess of Marriage and Family messed up not once but twice,” he paused for effect. “One not able to please her partner and two, not able to protect their daughter. I think it was time for her to face a better punishment. I just need the girl of the hour and then we can see Hera’s third failure.” Hera’ sobbed in the corner, looking to the ground.

“The daughter she couldn’t control, couldn’t keep hidden away so that the innocent souls of the realms could still live. The lives of every creature lay in her hands and I will give her the ultimate choice.” Zeus threw his head back to laugh.

“Save the gods, her family, or save the helpless humans or supernaturals. It will be the most exciting thing to witness.” Zeus rubbed his hands.

“You have gone bloody mad!” I roared. “What the fuck happened to your twisted—” slap of lightning ran through my face. My mother screamed for Zeus to stop. The bolts rained down on my face, blood pooling to my collarbone, now dripping down my torso.

“In fact, I’m going to give you a choice.” Zeus pulled me up by my neck. Darting his head to my mother in the iron cage and back to me, his grin leaked an oozing black tar from his lips. “Summon Uriel here, if you don’t…” he paused looking at my mother. “Your sister and mother will pay the consequences.”

Father’s chains rattled, howling in pain. “Don’t you fucking touch my mate!” Part of the chain ripped from the bolted floor. Five angels hurdled towards him, pushing him down, muzzling the snout he now spouted. Gritting my teeth, I rumbled through my own thickened chains. It sizzled, burning deeper into my flesh.

Zeus bent down, looking me in the eye. “Summon her.”

“Don’t you do it!” Mother screamed. “Don’t! We will be fine!” Mother’s cries were silenced, and the lightning struck the cage, causing a loud crash.

“The choice is yours,” Zeus hummed.

“I’m here,” the soft voice echoed through the busied halls. All eyes turned behind us. Fates don’t let it be her. Not her, not here, not now. Why the fuck didn’t she listen to me?

“You wanted to see me?” Her voice rang out quietly as Zeus’ grin widened on his face.