Celestial Hunt

022/365

Fallen

The angelic shadow follows Sebastian through the alley. ‘Celestials’ they’re called. The wingspan of these "heavenly" creatures tends to be greater than fourteen feet on average. Their body, the size of a human. Paler skin.

Sabastian’s been around the block before. He might only be nine, but he knows what to do when angels fall. He’s trying to corner himself… To corner her.

Celestials are ruthless and merciless. Biblical texts were altered by them long before humanity came to be. They rewrote themselves in the bible in order to come off as holy creatures of pure goodness. But there are some that know the truth.

Sebastian is coming to the end of the alley. This celestial hasn’t come down for a friendly conversation, yet. This one is smarter than she looks. She’s avoiding narrow areas. Range is where she thinks she’ll have the best advantage. She sees the child and thinks “child’s play.”

Range is what Sebastian will provide. He races out onto the street. The shadow glides over him the entire time. He stops to watch the shadows move on. The celestial twists midair and faces Sebastian while she hovers in place. Wings viciously flap pressure down and keep her up.

“You going to keep hiding up there, lady?” Sebastian taunts the celestial.

She smirks, “The name is Selaphiel.”

“There is no way you’re winning this one. This is where you die!” she saBrown curls bounce as her body jumps up and down with each flap of her wings.

“Umm, sure. Okay. I’m fine with that. Come down here and make me dead, why dontcha?” Sebastian mocks the Selaphiel.

“FUCKING BRAT!” she says aiming her spear before her and darting down at Sebastian.

After the initial reveal of what celestials really were humanity became divisive. Those who believe the celestials are holy beings and the curious who've eaten the fruit of knowledge and knew they weren't.

Revising biblical texts revealed that a snake which had eaten the fruit of knowledge did in fact taunt Adam and Eve to eat from the tree. The goal was to be enlightened and know truth. The designer, known to most people as God, had a plan for the fruits. They were intended for all mankind to consume and be able to identify evil. To know the truth about celestials. After the humans ate from the tree and learned of the celestials both the tree of knowledge and the tree of life were taken away from the reach of the humans. None has since learned the truth of these "angels" until recently years. The designer only created celestials with the intent that they'd guide the humans on the right path until they're ready to rule over the earth. But the celestials couldn't accept their purpose being less great than the humans.

Selaphiel falls from the sky.

Sabastian unwraps both of his hands revealing tattoo like Holy Scripture marked on his skin. His eyes turn white and glow as Selaphiel closes in. “AHH!” he yells and purple and black spiral beam explode from the space before his hands. It slams into Saraphiel knocking her to the street.

The tree of life was only eaten from in recent years. It was discovered hidden in a protected garden in Israel. The garden was disguised as a private temple and protected by priests convinced the celestials were messengers of God. When the first bite was taken by a human who'd tasted the fruit of knowledge power to defend against the celestials was granted through prayer and scripture.

But this was just the beginning.

Seraphiel retracts her wings, appearing just human. A yellow aura begins to surround her. Her bare feet lift from the street. She raises her hands high above her head and makes fists. As she drags those fists down against the air a large bolt of lightning pierces through the heavens, then the atmosphere and land right on Sebastian. Where it lands it explodes and launches him half a block down right into the 20th story of a sky scraper. A hovering start, she releases her wings and takes off after Sebastian while he’s still midair, catching up with him as he slams through the building. She grabs him by the ankles and tosses him further into the building. Then repeats this until they’re on the other side and she flings him through a window right down to the street below. 

His body and the glass from the shattered windows rain down and spread across the New York street.

Before she’s jumped from the building to the street, Sebastian’s life energy revives him.

The tree of life also grants a version of immortality where an intact body will always be a suitable vessel for the soul. Only when the brain or heart are damaged can someone with life energy die. And it takes a lot for a body with life energy to be harmed.

People who haven’t eaten from the tree of life are not yet alive. People who’ve not yet eaten from the tree of knowledge are not yet conscious. That’s why those like Sebastian who’ve done both have set out to protect the world from the celestials. To share the fruit from both trees with humanity. So they may rise to defend themselves against the control of these unholy monsters.

Sebastian reanimates and kneels. He whispers an energy chant, his hands in prayer pose. Selaphiel lands ten feet ahead of Sebastian. She retracts her wings and walks in.

“FIRE!” he says.

Fifty feet in every direction, everything is plunged into darkness. The sky is black, the buildings vanish. Only the street and the fire surrounding them remain.

“HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS PRAYER!?” Seraphiel panics because of where she’s been taken.

“I win!” Sebastian says.

“You haven’t won, yet!” Seraphiel’s voice quiets in anger. She grabs Sebastian by the neck. “You will get me out of here, or I will kill you,” she says.

“You won’t because then you’ll be stuck here for sure. Your best bet is to torture me into getting you out,” he tells her.

“And why don’t you think I’d do that?” She smile back at him.

“Oh… Simple,” Sebastian smirks. “Because I came to this cell beforehand and engraved a control transmutation circle right where you’re standing.”

Seraphiel looks below her. He’s telling the truth. The entire place is inside a control circle. Some of the most advanced magic known in the universe.

“You’ve only got me because I haven’t told you to drop me. Oh, and drop me,” he explains.

Seraphiel lets go of Sebastian.

“Now stand still and don’t move until I’m gone,” he says. He then whispers the same chant and appears back on the glass riddled street without Saraphiel.

It turns out hell was accurately depicted. It was a prison for the celestials. For these "heavenly" criminals. They convinced humans they’d be trapped there but that was never true. Humans weren’t meant to die. They were meant to expand and explore the cosmos.

“That’s one out of the ten Celestials I’ve detected in this area. Nine more to go,” Sebastian says covering the scripture around his hands and arms.