Angel Monarch

As the door closed of behind them Sera looked around the large basement. The first thing she spotted was the large table at the far end of the space. Around it four people stood.

They didn't wear the robe that Lilith had, but all their faces were obscured by their armor.

As they saw Sera moving in their way they turned towards her and went down to one knee. None of them said anything and they lowered their heads, like they dreaded to stare at her.

"Rise." She spoke with just enough satisfaction, to flatter her soldiers.

They stood up instantly, and nodded towards the rest of the cohort. While standing Sera made sure to look each of them up and down once.

Two were male and two were female, but each had very similar armor. Its material was metallic monster skin, every Angelic Order member had one given at their initiation. They were painted white, with a gold seven pointed star in the middle.

They were also made into items, with attributes that were wearer specific.

Their weapons were special too, but not as uniform as their armor. Each used weapons that they were best with, and some didn't even get weapons. Instead they opted for charms or other items that could increase their magical fighting potential.

The cohort members, Kathy and Percy all were on edge seeing the gear of the four of them. They looked at Sera and David with curiosity. Neither seemed surprised, but they didn't say a word about it to them.

The distrustful atmosphere lasted until Lilith came back. She looked at the cohort once, then pulled down her hood.

Even Sera got shocked by this. She didn't expect her to reveal her appearance to anyone outside of the Order.

"Nice to meet all of you! We haven't met yet, but I'm a confidant of both Lady Seraphine and David. These four are my fellow Brothers and Sisters who will help you take this city. If after the battle you have any questions about who we are, we welcome anyone at the church of Angelic Order."

Her voice sounded commanding and authoritarian, like a preacher in front of a large crowd. It made a strange sight in comparison to her small stature and adolescent face.

Without the hood Sera could see her features more clearly. Her hair was longer since they last met, and it was painted to a similar color as Sera's own, the only difference being the few dark point at their root.

Sera once heard that it was supposed to symbolize her closeness to her deity, but the darkness is the reminder that she is just a mere follower. It was strange, but Sera didn't mind it. Until they didn't do anything too weird or harmful, she would let them do whatever they want.

The cohort seemed to calm down a bit, and they even looked quite curious. Everyone wanted to know more... Everyone except Kathy, who looked a bit terrified. Her eyes kept glancing at Sera, like she was silently asking for help.

Lilith spoke a bit more, but Sera's attention was elsewhere.

Sera:

What's wrong?

She sent the message to Kathy. Her eyes lit up as she read it, and for a moment a pained expression appeared on her face.

Kathy:

Don't let her reveal anything important! There is something inside me! I can't lie to it, and it constantly asks questions about you! I will explain it further after the siege, but make sure she stays silent about anything out of the ordinary!

For a long moment Sera stared at Kathy, watching her every move. Every once in a while she seemed to spasm and her face turned pained.

Lilith was still speaking when Sera raised one fist into the air. Her speech instantly stopped and she looked at Sera piously.

"Tell me... Have you brought The Oracle here?" Asked Sera. Lilith's eyes widened for a moment. She turned towards one of her Brothers, and without a word he went away to fetch her.

"Yes we did, My Lady. What do you require it for?" She asked with a small tremble in her once monotone voice.

"One of my people has a small problem. Someone implanted a spyworm in her. You know the drill!" Answered Sera and next to her Lilith nodded.

She raised her hand, closed her eyes and concentrated until Kathy suddenly passed out. Before she could fall to the floor one of the Sisters phased through space and caught her. She then placed her gently on the ground.

The cohort members went to full alarm in that exact moment, but they didn't draw weapons yet.

The remaining Brother and Sister just stared at this with amusement, but their body posture was only a ruse to hide their alertness.

David just looked at all this with confusion and he wanted to ask for an explanation, but before he could the Brother came back carrying something very weird.

It was a small cage with a tiny humanoid inside. She looked like a hundred year old hag, with an ugly face, long bulbous nose and wrinkles everywhere. Her hair was short and few, it was colored metallic gray. She wore a long cloth that served as a black robe to her, hiding every part of her small body, except her head and hands.

Her eyes were the most disturbing part since she didn't have any, but that didn't stop her from staring at everyone. When her empty sockets landed on Sera a large wicked grin appeared on her face. She had no teeth in her mouth, but that didn't impede her speech at all.

"Oh my! I didn't know I will meet royalty,

If I've known I clean up appropriately.

But since there was a lack of knowledge,

Their shall be a lack of courage."

At the last word her eyes snapped to Percy for some reason.

He trembled under her gaze, but luckily it only lasted for a second. She looked Sera up and down once before giggling to herself. It was similar to the sound of drawing on a chalkboard with nails.

"The Angel Monarch herself attends me,

What a pleasure this will be.

What does she want to know future, present, past?

Does it matter since she is near her end!"

She giggled to herself after that, but Sera showed no emotion to anything she said.

"I forgot how annoying she is. Let's hurry this up!" Said Lilith and she motioned for the Brother to place the cage next to Kathy.

"Oh... What you got there?

A dessert crawling in someone's hair?

Come to mama and lets feast.

I got something much better than kids."

At the last word her head snapped towards David, which caused him to take a step back.

The old woman reached outside of the cage and touched Kathy's head. Suddenly her whole body started to shake, like she was having a seizure.

Everyone looked at her with concern, and Conrad –the weapon enthusiast– even tried to approach her. As he took one step forward, the Brother and Sister –who stood idly up until now– moved as well.

On the ground Kathy started to trash around more and from one nostril a small trickle of blood flowed out. She started to moan and groan in pain.

Conrad was at the precipice of attacking the Order members, and most of the cohort seemed to support him on this decision.

David looked between Kathy, Sera, his soldiers and the Order members with desperation. He hadn't got the slightest clue of what was happening, so he couldn't determine a correct response to the situation.

Lilith looked the calmest out of everyone, but even she fidgeted with her hands from stress.

Just when Conrad was about to summon his towershield and spear, Kathy's movements stopped abruptly. From her bleeding nostril a fat grub-like worm crawled out. It moved straight into The Oracle's hands and she gobbled it down quickly.

The Brother next to the cage lifted her up instantly. The only sound in the room was the loud chewing as The Oracle ate the grub. After a few seconds she swallowed, then loudly burped.

She had a satisfied smile on her face, but it soon turned into desperation.

"More... I need more for my meal!

A small grub contains nothing, I need the real deal!

Give me more, I need her brain.

An old lady needs sustenance to see who shall be slain!"

Her head snapped towards the Brother carrying her, then she began to trash trying to reach Kathy's still unconscious form. When it was clear that she wouldn't reach her she began to scream and wail.

Lilith raised her hand and used all her power to shut her up. The Oracle didn't go to sleepy, but her erratic movements and loud screeching stopped.

While the Brother carried her away, she stared at Sera intensely.

"The time is neigh, the end is near.

What shall remain isn't clear.

Gods will fall, gods will rise.

It will happen, before you realize

But after comes the tragedy.

The fall of the great, the death of many.

Will she survive, time will tell,

But to you, it shall be hell.

The Monarch rides, as the universe trembles.

Where she will land, lives will crumble."

Her poem sent a shiver down everyone's spine, but she wasn't yet finished. Just before she was carried away, the last sentences of her rhyme echoed through the large basement.

"When darkness prevails and worlds die.

The two shall meet at the end of time.

Which will win, no one knows.

Where heaven is, hell follows!"