In the oppressive silence that accompanied the appearance of the colossal snake the world seemed to stop and all eyes were drawn to the top of the Citadel gates.
Angels and Guardians alike could only stare in horror and amazement as the serpents gigantic mouth opened wide, revealing rows of massive fangs longer than a mans arm. Those burning crimson eyes seethed with hatred as its jaw began to snap shut.
The golden haired Angel began to spin around and raise the flaming sword it carried upon realizing the peril it was in, but it was too late. Half way through the turn the tremendous maw clamped down, splitting the angel in two and producing a shower of crimson blood and viscera.
The Angels that had been fighting so savagely began to retreat after witnessing their leader torn apart so viciously. They scrambled to take flight and regroup while the Guardians slashed and pressed forward, as much to get as far away as possible from the walls as to continue the fight against the horde of Angelic assailants.
The monstrous snake crashed through the gate with its momentum and left a pile of twisted stone, wood and metal underneath it. The oppressive silence began to evaporate as the snake began to glow and shrink, until it had gone away completely. In its place stood a wingless Angel with a crooked halo.
Lucifer walked toward the group of Guardians that had formed the courtyard defence and through the gate came rushing dozens, if not hundreds of young women. Each of the women had on a dull brown cloak and their own twisted versions of Citadel augments glowed with sickly reds and purples, greens and blues.
Each holding up a white handkerchief and arms spread wide the young women formed a protective barrier between Lucifer and the wary Guardians. Thorns of the Rose Garden, protecting their Gardener.
When one of the Guardians within the group, one with a grade five halo, stepped out of our protective circle and approached Lucifer the young women began to part as The Deceiver did the same.
The two met in the centre of the courtyard and I could overhear Lucifer exclaim that “The enemy of my enemy is my friend!”
With the exchange in the centre of the courtyard taking place the rest of the Guardians warily began to take stock of the situation that was left to them.
Bodies piled high, both Angel and Guardian, and I went about the grim work of incinerating the dead. Careful not to burn the bodies of the Angels, I believed that their blood would be needed much sooner than later.
The battle may have been won, but the war was just beginning.
Alexander Motus, Guardian # 51
