Instability

Everything hurt.

Alric began to feel like an old man every time he finally managed to peel himself off the mattress. His muscles were sore from two weeks' worth of night shifts. But at least the pain made it very obvious that he yet lived. The pay was phenomenal, and he was able to purchase a used tablet and skim through the news while drinking measly brewed coffee. Really, he had to teach Aodhan how to do it properly.

Most of the news was focused on The Underworld, but Alric was able to read up on a few headlines from the other two realms. It seemed that both he and his brother were still considered missing. Samael seemed to prefer to use the past tense whenever he talked about him. At least his father had officially stated that he still believed his two sons were still alive. Alric wondered whether Gabriel had foreseen any of this to happen.

"Probably knew from the start where I'd end up in, that's why he didn't care," he muttered to himself with a displeased voice.

"Who didn't care?" Aodhan had entered Alric's room unnoticed. He was already wearing their working uniform.

"Nothing." Tossing the tablet on his bed and finishing his brown brew with one big gulp, Alric proceeded to quickly get dressed, making sure the executioner blade was tucked in his pocket.

It may be he would never be able to use it fully. But its basic form was powerful enough to help slice through the neverending mobs of hellspawn.

The two made their way to the main building, greeting the nightly inhabitants wherever they went. If there was something the Fae and the angel had in common, it was that they had a certain appeal. No matter how menacing a person may be, they could always manage to tickle out a friendly chat. Within just a few days, they became known as the 'Heavenly Duo' of the Pride pack, willing to help out for some coin or a warm meal.

"Evening, Wafi," Alric greeted the Feline, who always watched the scene. Wafi merely growled back. Aodhan nodded, slightly intimidated.

"I'm surprised you managed to be on good terms with him," he whispered.

"How am I on good terms? I barely know him. I just smile, and he transfers the money onto my card."

"I dunno, he makes cat noises at least. Don't see him do that a lot around other people."

"You're imagining things." Alric activated the executioner blade and prepared to slice a rabid hellhound in two.

Soon, the two were lost in combat, doing their best to survive. While Alric relied on his weapon, Aodhan employed illusion magic to trick the hellspawn into fighting each other instead.

They were joined by several humans, two Felines, and a Naga on this night's shift. It was exceptionally peaceful compared to other days, allowing for simple banter.

"We're basically just cannon fodder," one of the humans complained as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hey, at least we are expensive cannon fodder," Aodhan tried to console.

"The casssh is my only motivationnn," the Naga hissed while releasing a gargoyle from her deadly embrace. She slithered to the humans to provide them a place to sit on her muscular snake body.

Alric wanted to join in on the conversation, but he was just as out of breath as the humans. Using the Enochian weapon drained him fast, making him thankful he hadn't figured out how to properly activate it. He sat down on the cold ground and watched Aodhan continue to brave the beasts. The Fae was indeed very skilled, and it was highly likely he had experienced a lot of unpleasant encounters. Something Alric had the luxury of avoiding up to losing his wings. After all, there had never been the need to train except to keep his physique.

"Here." One of the other humans handed him a can of energy drink. Alric disliked its taste but had always accepted their offer out of courtesy. If there was one thing that made this nut job slightly more pleasurable, it was the friendly company. Alric surmised that they all came from desperate backgrounds and were willing to do anything to have a chance at a better life. Heck, some, like Wafi, had families to feed.

"Thanks." Alric opened the can and nipped, trying to hide his displeasure as the beverage reminiscent of liquified gum drops ran down his throat.

He was about to take another sip when suddenly, a heavy tremor shook everyone to the core. Alric spilled the sticky substance all over his hand, making him curse.

"What in three realms was that?" Earthquakes were relatively rare in these parts. He looked around to see everybody looking alarmed.

The hellspawn they had been previously fighting suddenly looked terrified. Some cowered, growling. Others took off in fear, only to be torn apart by Wafi and another large Feline.

"Guys.... guys!" The female human from earlier pointed at the seal. It had changed its color, emitting a bright purple glow. A giant claw emerged from it. One moment later, a second claw appeared, helping a gargantuan gargoyle pull itself out of the light. It roared loudly, forcing everybody in the vicinity to cover their ears.

"Is this in the job description?" Alric asked, trying to be funny. But he, too, was terrified like everybody else. Hellspawn creatures of this magnitude had just been a footnote at the Academy, something he never really paid attention to. After all, he wanted to hunt down fugitive angels, not monsters from some unknown dimension.

The beast crawled out of the seal, grabbing the next closest thing. Within the blink of an eye, it tore the female human in half, gobbing up the upper part and discarding the legs like trash.

As soon as the pack member had died, a weird sensation ran through Alric. It felt as if his entire body was crawling with ants. He looked at his hands, but he could not see anything. A wave of grief swept over him, tears rolling down his eyes.

"Look out!"

The Naga's snake body hit him hard in the gut, forcing air out of his lungs. Alric tumbled a few meters backward and narrowly dodged the gargoyle's attack. Instead, it picked up the Naga by its tail and looked at it with interest before Aodhan could switch her out using an illusion copy. The Naga slithered into position, ready to attack him. Venomous saliva dripped down her fangs. She was enraged.

Alric felt powerless watching the others fight. He was the angel in this scenario, regardless of his wings. He was the son of an archangel. Surely he must be capable of something? He stared at his executioner blade.

And just like that, it began to vibrate. The Enochian script glowed up more brightly than before. Alric felt energy course through his right hand, creating veins of light that traveled towards his torso. Before his eyes, the shape of a composite bow began to form.

"Begone!"

Fiera's voice interrupted Alric's commune with the weapon. Her eyes and tattoo lit up as she formed spikes from the rocky underground, firing them at the monster. Zan howled, transforming completely into an oversized wolf and shooting past his matriarch. He went straight for one of the claws, sinking his teeth into its flesh. The gargoyle gave an ear-shattering cry and began thrashing around. Everybody tried to dodge as best they could.

Except for Alric. Paralyzed by the entire experience, he could only watch the tip of the monster's claw come for him. It hit him bluntly before he could even think of moving out of its way, smashing him to the ground like a doll. The last thing he saw was Fiera moving her lips as if she was frantically calling out to him. Then everything turned black.

The sensation of cold and wet brought Alric back to life. Upon opening his eyes, he found himself back on his bed. Fiera had just put a towel on his forehead.

"I'm quite impressed you're still alive," she said when she noticed him awaken.

"Guess you gotta bear with me longer, despite me being as useful as a wet noodle."

"Oh yes, that you were. But you survived quite a while being a wet noodle." Her voice sounded soft. Alric found himself wanting to listen to her more. However, another part of him was irked by this feeling.

"Next time, be quicker to respond."

Fiera's face turned sour. "I'm not your shadow. I have other things to attend to."

"What's the point in saving my life when you'll just put me there where I can easily die?"

"It was not my idea. I have had stern words with Zan earlier."

"Probably better to keep the reins on him, then."

Fiera took the towel, dunked it in the water bowl, and slapped it unwrung into his face. "Probably better to keep that angel mouth of yours shut, or else I'll be the one personally organizing your demise."

She then got up and marched out, almost overrunning Aodhan, who had come to check on his roommate.

"What did you do again to make her mad?" Aodhan asked, shaking his head. His left hand was bandaged, and cuts and bruises were on his face.

"Nothing." Alric decided to sulk. The water seeped onto his face, but he couldn't be bothered to take the towel away. Sighing, Aodhan came over and took it off.

"Nothing? How is it that you get along with a gruff like Wafi, but the moment you see Pride, you guys are almost at each other's throats."

"Whatever." He turned around, signaling he was not in the mood to converse with Aodhan. The Fae sighed again.

"Alright. I guess I'll be eating her homemade soup alone."

"Huh??" Alric turned around in astonishment.

Aodhan smiled, seemingly satisfied he was able to attract Alric's attention. "Yes, I was surprised myself. I didn't know Pride cooked for her pack."

"And I didn't know she could even cook..." Alric muttered quietly. Was there something she was not capable of doing? Looking at things, she seemed like the perfect match for his brother.

"I'm guessing you'll have some food?" Aodhan continued to smile cheekily.

"Fine, yes." Alric got up. "And wipe that grin off your face."