The Chronicles of the Four Heirs: WAR

Chapter 1

Day 113 in heavens holding cells on this remote island, I’m told this used to be a prison before the fall of the United States of America, but it is just a remnant of history. I feel like an animal trapped within these mossy walls with the echo of water dripping somewhere but I can’t quite pinpoint its location. I can barely see inside of my cell with the only light that comes in is from the window at the top of my cell.

 There was no breeze and the stale air smelled like salt, mold, and mildew. The summer heat made the cell almost unbearable to be in, but I had to endure it. Each day brings its own challenges for me to stay alive, but at this point I feel almost broken, I haven’t had any communication with anyone other than the occasional guard who checks on me and the one that delivers my food. When I first came too, I screamed myself hoarse trying to figure out where I was and why I was being held, but my cries fell on deaf ears Just like everyone else being held captive in this hellish place. I know I’m not alone by the anguished cries from the cells that surround me, after some time I did find out that this prison is for the Holy 56th Division prisoners containing all the humans and Angels that commit monumental crimes and I discovered that I’m being accused of stealing Angel Wings for some odd reason.

I don’t remember even finding angel wings, let alone putting them on. I wouldn’t do it anyway, from what I understand putting on angel wings is a painful process almost like being electrocuted and drinking a 5th of tequila. That got me wondering though, Heavens 4th divisions’ entire purpose during this conflict is to collect angel weapons, Wings, and halos because humans who use them go bad, and I mean monumentally bad. How did a pair of wings slip under the radar it’s hard just to find a dagger or knife let alone some wings? I’m Just happy I didn’t end up like lieutenant Adams at the beginning of the war. 

         We only know about him because we are taught about angel weapons at the Academy. Lt. Adams was something called a Marine. In our history books his unit was being attacked by an Empyreal class Demon and an angel tried to aid them but was struck down. Seeing the angel fall Lt. Adams picked up the angels’ sword and struck down the demon in one swift strike. However, after striking the demon down, his eyes went black and his Veins bulged from his body as he swelled to 3 times his normal size. He then began attacking his own unit speaking in a mesh of English mixed with Deemori and stuck down all but one. He was only stopped after the Arch Angel Michael came and destroyed him with holy fire. After that incident the angels began researching what happened to humans who used an angel’s weapon in rage.

 They discovered a human could pick up an angel’s weapon and he would be fine but as soon as he struck down an enemy he would turn into a husk. Being human we are f*******n to use angel weapons. So why am I different how come I had angel wings and didn’t change into a monster. I have pondered these thoughts for three and a half months while I sat in this dark hole with the only light being the bars at the top of my cell. So, I go over what happened that day again in my head.

Before I woke up here the last thing, I remember was flying over Dubai doing a recon mission: 

“Sidewinder 1, Sidewinder 1, this is overwatch, Eyeball are you there?” I heard command buzz in my helmet as I passed over the desert keeping an eye on the ground for activity.

          “Overwatch this is Sidewinder 1, nothing to report for right now, ground is quiet,” I replied, this was the 6th time I was in my F-27 this week.

These missions are grueling and long even though the 27 is fast enough to rival the Angels in speed. These new planes were designed to withstand almost anything and even though they have only been in service for a year my plane was still covered in patches and dents, but it was my plane, even with the scratches and the mismatched red and black paint. The cockpit was cramped but the seat was comfortable at least but being a pilot in the new F-27s we also had a Muse assigned to us in order to help process battle data and evaluate combat situations.

Muses were lower tier Angels that interacted with humans to give guidance and help inspire. most great literary works were created because of muses’ interactions with humans, but now the arch angels have cleared muses for combat and allowed direct contact instead of whispers in the subconscious. It was almost like having an AI on board the aircraft. We called her Norma Jean, and she had been my muse for two years. It took some getting used to; having someone in my head and having to share thoughts, knowing everything I had ever thought or said. But Norma and I have become very close and at this point I couldn’t think of losing her. 

“Captain” she said,” if I might suggest something.” 

“You already know what I’m thinking Norma Jean just say it,” I replied 

“John, get some sleep you’ve been up for 34 hours straight I will handle things until you wake up or I need you.” She said softly. One of the abilities of the muses was to allow the human consciousness to enter sleep while the muse has limited control of the body, it really comes in handy when flying these long missions and allow a person to get some sleep.

“Negative,” I replied as I returned my focus to the ground noting possible enemy positions.

I wasn’t tired I was just trying to finish the mission. I had left my home base in the American Territories Midwest Region 2 hours prior and was already in Dubai, I had met up with the recon group of the holy 56th division somewhere over England with my wingman “Blackout”.

“Sidewinder 1, Sidewinder 2, eyeball do you think Christ is even here?” He said as we rotated over the city looking for signs of life. 

“Sidewinder 2, I don’t know blackout this all just seems odd to me,” I replied as I hit the scanners on my HUD looking for any demonic traces.

It’s old technology but it works, during the 21st century many people had unknowingly developed a way of tracking demonic energy by detecting fluctuations in electromagnetic fields and as the century’s passed we enhanced on it. I just thought to myself that this was dumb why were we looking for someone who hasn’t been seen in 125 years.

“I’m not picking up anything on the scanners Captain,” Norma Jean said into my head, “it doesn’t look like there’s been any activity here for at least a month.”

At least, I thought to myself

“Sidewinder 1, this is Halo Prime we have you on our scope we’ll be ready to fire the cannon on your command should you need it,” I heard in my headset. 

“Roger,” I replied Sarcastically knowing full well the cannon they strapped to a satellite in space was only going to get in the way.

“We’ve been circling the city for 20 minutes Eyeball can we go home, scanners aren’t picking up anything,” blackout said through his radio, “you know I’ve got a girl waiting for me back at base and she’s got a friend”

“Negative,” I barked, “until commander Marreq says so we stay here,” 

I wanted to go home to, something was making me nervous and I was unsure of what it was, “keep your eyes peeled somethings not right,”

“Roger,” Blackout replied, I could hear him whining even though he wasn’t on radio.

         I looked over towards the horizon thinking about how much I couldn’t wait for my 2-week pass. I had not had a vacation in over a year and a little R&R was in order. As I was dreaming about being on a beach a call rang out over the radio.

“Sidewinder 1, Sidewinder 2, Hell Flyer hostile inbound hot on my six,”

I snapped my head over to where blackout was and saw him being chased by a Hell Flyer, I rolled in and began pursuit pushing my throttle forward and feeling the engine spool up and scream as I got pushed back into my seat.

         Hell, Flyers were large Empyreal Class Demons that were very nasty. Their exoskeletons were almost impervious to gunfire until the United Earth Military combined nuclear fission into small caliber rounds. The first time I saw one I felt fear I never thought possible. It reminded me almost like a flying tyrannosaurus rex. 

“Sidewinder 2, Sidewinder 1 I’m inbound hold on,” I shouted calling out to my wingman,

“overwatch, Sidewinder 1, hostile engaging Sidewinder 2 moving to engage, inform 56th holy of movement,” 

“Switching ammunition’s hot and preparing evasive maneuvers and possible battle scenarios,” Norma Jean said calmly.

“Sidewinder 1, overwatch, 56th holy is inbound hold on.” I heard over my headset as I fell in line with blackout while the Hell Flyer flew behind him closing the gap between them.

The smell of Sulfur and Brimstone quickly filled my cockpit and made me shiver as he clawed at the air behind blackouts plane. While the new F-27 could travel as fast as an Angel they were not as nimble trying to outfly a Hell Flyer which was next to impossible. They were very nimble and even the M276 guns on these planes it felt like they did nothing more than leave welts on them. 

“Sidewinder 2, Sidewinder 1 I’m hot on your 6, we need to figure something out, climb blackout,” I shouted across the radio.

 I knew that as soon as the Hells Flyer caught him it would tear the plane apart. The Flyer demons stood 19 feet tall with a 34-foot wingspan and could rip our planes in half if they wanted too.

” Roger Sidewinder 1” blackout replied as he began to pull his plane towards space. The extreme cold of the upper atmosphere slowed them down just enough to allow an F-27 to escape.

“Overwatch, Sidewinder 1, where is our support,” I yelled as I chased blackout into his climb pulling back on my stick and adjusting my trim. My targeting systems began beeping as it turned green attempting to lock onto the Hell Flyer.

“Sidewinder 1, holy 56th is in route estimated 3 minutes,” I heard calmly 

“Overwatch, Sidewinder 2 doesn’t have 3 minutes I’m engaging,” I stated as I started flipping weapons switches arming my missiles, “Norma prepare for combat maneuvers and make sure Blackouts muse is in sync so there are no mistakes.”

“Already done captain, Del is formulating evasive actions now,” she replied

“Sidewinder 1, Halo Prime Targeting Hell Flyer, maintain distance to target,” I heard.

“Negative, Halo Prime Sidewinder 2 is too close to blast radius, Sidewinder 2 be ready I’m engaging,” I said over the radio as the computer locked onto the Flyer, as soon as the HUD showed target lock, I pulled my trigger, “FOX 1,” I shouted watching my missile chase down the Flyer.

I counted the seconds until impact watching the missile sail towards the Flyer. Right as it neared him the Flyer grabbed the missile and tore it in half as he turned towards me flaring his wings and diving, letting out a ground shaking roar. 

“NORMA JEAN EVASIVE MANEUVERS NOW,” I shouted, “Sidewinder 2, Sidewinder 1 hostile has switched targets get out of here.”

         I pulled back on the throttle and stick allowing me to drop nose first towards the ground. We were at close to sixty thousand feet according to my altimeter. I was hoping gravity would help me and get me faster than the Hell Flyer. As soon as I was nose down, I punched the throttles and hit the afterburners. The plane began shaking violently from the speed. “Hold together old girl,” I thought as I was racing towards the ground.

“Eyeball he’s on you, preparing to engage,” Blackout stated over the radio. As we leveled out just above the ground.

“Negative,” I said, “disengage and link up with the 56th we’ll draw it to them.” 

“Fine,” he said through the radio

“John if I may we have a better chance if he stays,” Norma Jean said.

“I understand but we need the Flyer Alive,” I replied as I raced through the sand dunes skimming just over 50 feet off the ground hoping that the increased speed would allow me to keep just forward of the demon.

At that second the Hell flyer grabbed the tail of my plane crushing the engine as he ripped off the stabilizer. Alarms and buzzers began going off 

“Hull integrity comprised, control limited,” Norma Jean said, “stabile flight not possible eject.” 

“Not yet,” I replied switching my weapons system active arming my missiles and activating the self-destruct sequence. I pulled back on the stick to go back into a climb and hit the afterburner again.

“Self-destruct activated, detonating in 10 seconds,” Norma Jean said as the explosive device began to whir as it charged.

“Overwatch, Sidewinder 1 is ejecting my altitude is 48000 feet, self-destruct activated I’m punching out,” I said as I pulled the ejection handle shooting me out of the plane. 

As my seat flew out of the plane carrying me on a rocket propelled escape making my mind go blank, the Hell Flyer grabbed my seat and pulled me away from the plane, his claws digging into my shoulder and my side. This was it I thought, this was how my years of service ended by being thrown from airplane and having some mindless demon crush my ejection seat.

Right then the Holy 56th arrived and engaged the demon. Commander Marreq unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the Hell Flyer, flaring his Angel wings as the sun illuminated behind him like a halo, Slicing the Hell Flyers arm off. I was free but didn’t have any time to celebrate I was probably still some 40000 feet off the ground but the demon losing his hand allowed me to fall. As I plummeted with my back towards the earth, I was able to see the battle raging above me, but it was over in a second as Commander Marreq subdued the Flyer.

Recovering my thoughts, I remembered I was falling without a parachute. For some reason I couldn’t get the Chute to open, Panicking I reached for my emergency chute which should have opened as soon as I reached 2000ft, but it wasn’t opening either, the Hell Flyer must have damaged my parachutes when he grabbed me. As I rolled forward facing the ground, I began realizing this was it I closed my eyes and radioed my wingman. 

“Sidewinder 2, Sidewinder 1, blackout this is it my chute wonts open you’re in command now.” I said calmly 

“Roger,” he replied softly, “safe travels eyeball, we’ll see you again soon,” 

         As I neared the ground my thoughts rested on my parents who would be getting a visit from the chaplain. My father a Colonel would know exactly what had happened and I decided to say one last message to them on the flight recorder stapled to my seat.