The Revealing

Raindrops fell like miniscule fists upon the city of New York, washing away the grime and filth that caked the streets and alleys. It was quiet on this late-spring day, with the hammering rain forcing people to stay inside. Even the roads were mostly quiet, while engorged with cars as usual. But while it was a quiet day, it was by no means a peaceful one.

Up at the very top of the Empire State Building, at the very tip of its spire, there was a low red flash in the grey sky. From this flash, a glowing orb came into existence, resembling a crimson light bulb. It was not bright or powerful enough to draw attention from the people below and it was completely masked by torrential rain. The raindrops that passed by this burning flash were turned into hissing steam from just the intense proximity and the unnatural heat being given off by coal-like sphere.

The orb did not fade after the initial flash; instead, it grew in intensity and size while becoming darker in shade. Initially the size of a human fist, it began to expand into an undulating vertical disk as large as a dinner table. There was a second flash and the disk became still, having completed its metamorphosis. It became solid like glass, with shifting hues of red swirling within.

Black mist spewed out from the bottom of the disk, pouring out slowly and streaming down like thick tar. The mist washed over to the spire of the top of the building, causing the metal to rust and deteriorate as if exposed to acid. Echoing from this ominous curtain of red light was a choir of agonizing screams and cries of pain, pouring out from the depths of the blood-red light. Were the weather clear, the people down in the streets would instantly gaze up in horror at the source of this bone-chilling orchestra and cover their ears to try and protect their souls from its ravaging tone. The sound radiating from this dark apparition was one not meant for mortal ears, a sound that was never intended to be set loose upon the earth. Only through the purifying drumming of the rain were the people of New York spared the mind-scarring chorus.

A ripple stretched out from the center of the disk and a shadow came into view from its depths, like a sea beast slowly rising to the surface of the ocean. Slowly, a figure stepped out onto the top of the spire, standing on the tip of the radio tower on one foot. The figure was a tall young man with a lean but muscular build, garbed in brown boots, grey baggy pants, a black sash, and a black hooded shirt with a vest. Wrapped around his wrists were two rosary bead cords and two metal shackles. The man had medium-length dark hair that was slicked back, a gray complexion, piercing blue eyes that could almost glow in the dark, and hidden under his hood were two horns that protruded just past his hair line and reached back across his scalp almost aerodynamically.

As he fully stepped out of the fiery doorway, a burning halo came into view, hovering above his head, as well as four massive wings that grew out of his back. Each was more than twice the size of his body when fully unfolded and stretched, with the lower set of wings resembling bat wings but with scales instead of flesh, and the upper wings like the wings of an eagle, but were whiter than pearls. Protruding from the back of his pelvis was a long black tail with a rope-like length and flexibility and a bladed stinger on the end like a butcher knife, but with a tearing barb. His fingertips were armed with triangular claws that tapered down with razor-sharp edges.

His name was Baltoh, and his arrival was an omen in every sense of the world.

The crimson portal disappeared and Baltoh looked out over the city, standing on the tip of the radio tower and wrapped in his wings. His bright grey eyes scanned the city below, taking in the view. It hadn't been very long since his last visit to the human world, as he traveled there frequently.

"I'll find you, just you wait…" he muttered with a voice that was as clear and unwavering as it was deep.

He then opened up his wings and elevated without a single flap, slowly rising higher into the sky. He then pushed off the air with the muscular sails and took off across the sky, invisible to everyone below.

Selene Kurland walked down the sidewalk with her eyes focused on the book of crossword puzzles in her hand. Even with her mind completely focused on figuring out a seven-letter word for "energy spreading", she skirted through the crowds of daily commuters and the erratic flow of traffic.

Selene was a beautiful woman in her mid twenties with a chocolate/cinnamon-shade complexion, long black hair that was straight yet wavy, and bright green eyes. Matching her beauty was her hourglass figure, with d-cup breasts, a slender waist, an ass and pair of thighs that were toned with muscle, and hips that swung like a clock pendulum with each step. Her figure was a mixture of good genes and a nearly religious devotion to her gym. Not surprisingly, the results came together literally without a flaw.

She was wearing black high-healed shoes that gave a very sexy tap with each step, a black skirt that tightly held to her smooth thighs, and a tan business coat with her purse hanging from her shoulder. Secured in her purse and leaning against her shoulder was an umbrella, deflecting the torrential sheets of rain. Maybe she should have driven today…

Selene loved puzzles, but not because of a specific affinity for the mental exercise. She liked them because they posed a challenge, something that allowed her to push herself to her limits. She was always searching for a challenge, something to break the boring routine of life, it was why she moved to New York in the first place (where unfortunately the only job she could get was a soul-sucking one in a cubicle). In this case, her challenge for today was to get to work without putting down the crossword book or getting run over.

As she walked past the tent-city of Zuccotti Park, she raised her free hand and gave a thumbs-up.

"Occupy!" she called out without looking up from the puzzle.

"Occupy!" several of the protesters cheered in return, glad for the small piece of support.

"Entropy!" she exclaimed with a smile as she finally caught the word she was looking for. Hearing her ringtone sounding off in her purse, she quickly scribbled in the word before pulling out her cell phone.

"Hey Molly, what's up?" she asked as she waited at the street corner for the chance to cross.

"You had better get your ass over here, because if your desk is vacant when Mr. Reed passes by, you'll really have to get on your knees and "beg" to keep your job," her coworker and good friend warned jokingly.

Selene chuckled as she and the crowd of commuters walked across the street with the legion of cars humming just a few feet away. "Don't we have this same conversation every day?"

"If we didn't, you would permanently got lost on the path of life," Molly remarked.

Selene laughed again. "Ok, you're right on that one. Relax, I'm just one block away, meaning that I'm about to get splashed with the dirtiest puddle any second now. I'll be there in a minute. By the way, do you know a twelve-letter word for a high school math class?"

She walked past a group of protestors with republican candidate signs, shouting for people to vote out Obama, even with the elections months away.