The Enlightened

By Max York

Most people go about their lives never having come close to knowing what truly goes on around them, but there is more to this life than what humanity is meant to see. There is parallel dimension built right around our very own, and it is on the verge of war.
A line has been drawn in the sand between Heaven and Hell, those who serve the King and those who would see Him undone. Caught in the middle of the epic fight is humankind. While most people go about their lives with little knowledge of the spiritual battle being waged all around them on their behalf, a teenage girl named Sarah Lyn is about to get an up close and personal look at it, but she is not alone. An elite guardian angel named Nathaniel will be with her every step of the way to protect the teenage girl from a ghastly demise at the hands of the various demons hunting her. To save Sarah from a grisly fate at the hands of these vile enemies, Nathaniel will have to wage a war unlike anything this world has seen and stray further into darkness than he ever perceived possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Max York
• Release date: Nov 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301834594

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The Enlightened

By: Max York

Copyright 2012 Max York

All rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition

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Dedication

To my loving mother who stayed with me every step of the way.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: The Guardian

Chapter Two: The Child

Chapter Three: The Retriever

Chapter: The Interlude-1

Chapter Five: The Interlude-2

Chapter Six: The Fallen

Chapter Seven: The School

Chapter Eight: The Tragedy

Chapter Nine: The Shadow

Chapter Ten: The Conversation

The Guardian

A single drop of blood slid to the tip of Nathaniel’s sword and fell to the cement like a crimson tear, then came another and another after that. Soaked in the blood of the King’s enemies, the blade had plenty of tears to give.

His eyes closed tight, Nathaniel breathed in deeply through his nose. Tainted with the smell of sulfur, dried blood and rotting flesh, the odor nearly overloaded his senses and blotted out any other smell permeating the area. No matter, it was a good smell. Any other sentient species on the planet that has had the misfortune of encountering it would disagree, but the odor made Nathaniel feel right at home.

Nathaniel opened his eyes and scanned the surrounding area at what was creating the odor. The King’s enemies, more popularly known as Fallen, lay dead on the ground around the guardian, each of them bearing a wound from his blade. There were no more than a handful of the beasts lying where they were felled. At first glance, the life in their bodies appeared to have long since departed.

Kill all they send until they can send no more.

Next came the quintessential question, Where is Sarah?

He looked left to right and spotted the teenager walking not ten yards up the street, completely unaware of the battle that had just occurred. She was safe, for now. As the guardian prepared to make his way back to Sarah’s side, he heard a sadistic laugh coming from one of the nearby Fallen. One of the beast yet lived.

Sword still in hand, Nathaniel took a step towards the beast and knelt beside it, What may I ask is so funny?

The Fallen looked up at the guardian for a moment and smiled, revealing his yellow fangs. An ominous, red glow filled the beast’s eyes as it held Nathaniel’s gaze.

The unnamed Fallen coughed as it struggled to speak, They are coming for her. That pathetic whelp will be ours.

Nathaniel lifted his sword and placed the tip directly above the Fallen’s heart, They might be coming, but you will not.

The guardian thrust his sword through the beast’s sternum and heart, killing it instantly. With no enemy left to fight, Nathaniel wiped the blood off of his sword and hurried back to Sarah’s side.

As he caught up to her, a single thought came to mind, Was that Fallen swine telling the truth?

If the beast was not lying, then there were more enemies coming for Sarah, but it was not his job to speak in what ifs. No, he was only charged with protecting her, but it seemed these days that protecting the teenager was growing harder and harder. So much had gone so wrong in the past few years.

A blackened cloud of depression lingered in the air above Sarah Lyn as she made her way home from another day at Aleon High School. It had been there for some time. Strong enough to prevent any of the King’s light from reaching her body, the cloud worked to corrupt her thoughts and weaken her will. Given life inside her mind, the depression attached itself to her thoughts and held on tightly. No matter where she was, the cloud remained with her leaving a darkened haze in its wake.

Walking peacefully at her side, as he had done for so many years, was the Enlightened being known only as Nathaniel. Immersed within the same dark cloud that surrounded Sarah, he remained unhindered, even as the haze tried to choke the air from his lungs. Assigned to keep and protect the young girl, there were no powers on earth capable of stopping him. Through strength of will, he put aside all discomfort caused him by the darkness’ presence.

Nathaniel stood just over six feet four. A dazzling white cloak covered his body from shoulder to toe. Hidden beneath the garment lay a golden suit of chainmail, only visible at his wrists and ankles as the white cloak flowed with his movements. Two wings, attached to either scapula and covered in silver-lined, white feathers, protruded from his cloak. Folded behind his back, they reached from the base of his neck to the bottom of his ankles. Hung around his left waist by a golden belt was Nathaniel’s sword. Sheathed in bronze, the blade remained hidden from sight, but the gold and ruby encrusted, two-handed hilt shown brilliantly in the sunlight as it lay dormant at his side.

An Enlightened being, Nathaniel’s very presence was a daunting experience for his foes. He possessed striking physical features unmatched by any of His Children in any age. Shoulder length blond hair swayed carelessly across his fair facial features and skin tone as he walked beside Sarah. A gentle glow emanated from his flesh, a mark of the true perfection granted him by his Maker. Nathaniel’s blue eyes radiated excellence unseen in any of the oceans and skylines crafted by the King’s hand. Permanently affixed to Sarah’s side, he watched her every move. It was his calling to protect the young girl from any that would harm her beyond the rules set forth by the King.

Nathaniel did not see her as one of the King’s Children might. Sarah’s physical features made no impression upon his alluring eyes. All the guardian could visually perceive was the state of her inner being and soul. The outer appearances of the King’s Children mean little in His eyes and the eyes of His soldiers. Blind to all of the beautiful features Sarah possessed, Nathaniel only saw the dark-blue, glowing depression coursing through her veins.

Untouched by human emotion, an overwhelming desire to carry out his orders captivated his being. He could not feel as she felt, mourn as she mourned, but he longed to see Sarah happy again. Her smile always warmed Nathaniel’s heart, along with the knowledge that one of His Children is enjoying the life He gave.

Nathaniel observed Sarah while she slowly made her way home. Lost somewhere in her mind, Nathaniel could see her thoughts. So much was focused on sorrow and despair. He watched as she drowned slowly in a torrent of tainted memories. The pain they caused was unmistakable. She was slowly losing control.

For some time now, sorrow has played a significant role in Sarah’s existence. It dictated how her mind interprets thoughts, sensation and the actions of others. Tainted by the grip of despair, everything that enters her mind now seems dull, lifeless, and without meaning. Nathaniel sensed that Sarah had long since removed all hope of ever returning to a state of joy or even simple contentment.

How could this be fixed?

Nathaniel wanted to take away Sarah’s pain. He longed for a time when she would again embrace life and all it had to offer. Most of all, he wanted her to feel the comfort given in His presence, but fixing Sarah’s problems was beyond the limits set forth by the King. He wants free will to exist amongst His Children. He wants them to choose. So, Nathaniel can do little more than stand by Sarah’s side and offer what comfort he can.

Nathaniel watched and listened as Sarah’s thoughts flowed from her mind like little, black lines swimming through the air. They were becoming more frantic and chaotic. She bounced from one memory to another without control, growing sadder with each shift. She was reliving the tragic events of her life while paying little attention to the present. Nathaniel knew the risk of this behavior. Each memory darkened her soul and further weakened her will to keep going. Focusing on the past can only ever invoke pain. To live in it is utter folly.

Sarah stopped suddenly. Her mind was completely detached. Nathaniel listened to the broken sounds emanating from her shattered heart and observed the lines of thought flowing from her mind. Her thoughts again strayed to the dead Child, Zachary Lalen. Her life was built around his. The Child was everything to her, but this world is flawed, and His Children bear the mark of its weakness.

The guardian knew all too well the reason for Sarah’s anguish, her fragile state of mind. As Zachary’s flame was blown out, it took most of Sarah’s with it. Now she lived with little desire to continue doing so. All her hope died with that Child, and Nathaniel did not know how to help fix it.

It was getting worse. Even now, as Sarah wanders from reality into the mental prison she has unknowingly constructed, Nathaniel sensed the pain inside her growing ever stronger. This was going to take her if something was not done. His Children’s minds are fragile things, not meant to be abused and tormented. Everyone has a breaking point, and Sarah was reaching hers. Nathaniel wanted to prevent this.

The guardian stood just behind her, placed his hand upon her back and pushed gently. It was just enough to casually send Sarah to her knees. The landing woke her from the waking nightmare that held sway within her mind. At least she was back in the present, for now.

Sadly, the damage to her psyche had already taken hold. Her desperate thoughts echoed through Nathaniel’s mind as though they were being screamed in a cave. Despair’s noose tightened its grip around Sarah’s throat as thoughts of sadness and hopelessness blended into something more, a desire.

It was a whisper, nothing more, almost inaudible in Nathaniel’s mind. A fleeting sound caught amongst a cacophony of emotional turmoil bleeding into Sarah’s thoughts, but it was there, and that is all it took.

Nathaniel watched as the cloud’s putrid haze descended further, surrounding Sarah and filling her mind with a nearly unbearable desire to die. The darkness veiled her body from any light and all notions of hope within the world. As it did this, the cloud served as a conduit for all the sorrow felt from the loss of Zachary. The boy meant so much to her, and now she struggled to find a purpose without him.

Falling further to her hands and knees, Sarah was quickly losing the will to pick herself up again. It was a concerning sight for Nathaniel, and he felt something needed to be done. Smiling, he slowly knelt down on one knee, pushed a hand through the darkened cloud, and placed it on her shoulder. The haze stung his unprotected hand as the presence of evil gnawed at his flesh. Nathaniel ignored the pain and focused all his attention on Sarah.

In the darkest moments of mankind, sometimes all that is needed is an inkling of hope to appear through the night. A feeling of warmth and kindness streamed from Nathaniel’s fingertips and into the desperate girl, trying to combat the notion of helplessness. He then blew gently on the air surrounding her, scattering the darkness to the wind. In the presence of Nathaniel’s glory, the cloud receded and loosened its grip on Sarah’s thoughts. Still, tears streamed down Sarah’s face and gathered at the bottom of her chin. Her heart stayed broken while her thoughts remained fixed on depraved notions of desperation.

Nathaniel pushed his hair behind his ears and embraced the young girl.

Dry your eyes child, there is no need for this sorrow. Nathaniel held onto the girl, transferring as much strength as he could to help her regain control. Sarah’s breathing had degenerated into short, sporadic breaths hindered greatly by her body’s crying. Vibrant memories marked with remorse coursed through her mind, furthering the sense of worthlessness that held sway over her soul.

Nathaniel continued in a low, comforting tone, Our Creator watches you now, and smiles. He shall always be within your reach, and I at your side. I promise I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

Nathaniel broke his embrace and returned to his feet at Sarah’s side, Now get up.

Sarah’s emotional being steadily returned to a controlled state. Sadness still permeated her senses, but the feeling of utter desperation began to recede from her mind. Gathering the strength to wipe her eyes and return to her feet, she leaned forward and placed her hand on the sidewalk to help lift herself off of the ground. The movement was slight, but it was enough to free a single tear drop from her chin.

There are few instances in this world that can cause tension in an Enlightened. Armed with the King’s good graces, there is little in existence that can hope to do them real harm. Death can make no claim and pain is an afterthought. Yet the simplest of human occurrences can cause untold dismay.

Nathaniel watched as the teardrop, glowing blue from the sorrow of Sarah’s soul, fell helplessly to the ground. It appeared to him as though in slow motion. A simple drop of moisture mixed with salt from the body carried more potential for destruction than any of His Children could hope to imagine. On any other occasion, it would have just been a teardrop, but charged with the pure despair emanating from Sarah’s being, it held the potential to wreck havoc on the spirit world.

This gave cause for alarm. Nathaniel dropped down into a strengthened stance and folded his wings in front of his body for protection.

King, grant me strength, he said while ducking his head.

Upon impact with the ground, all the passion and sorrow of Sarah’s existence was unleashed into the air. The teardrop’s impact erupted into an immense shockwave of emotion sent in every direction. Trapped in the blast’s oncoming path, Nathaniel could do nothing to evade it. He grunted loudly as the energy struck his body with an undiscerning ferocity. The impact lifted him off of his feet and slammed him head first against the pavement some distance away.

For the briefest of moments, Nathaniel forgot who he was. The impact left his head pulsing in agony with each heartbeat. The wind in Nathaniel’s lungs had been violently taken from him, leaving him gasping for air while trying to regain his senses. An unending ringing filled his ears and prevented any other sound from entering. His vision blurred, Nathaniel watched with his back to the pavement as several silver-lined feathers fluttered carelessly through the air, swaying back and forth in the wind.

Nathaniel’s senses returned to him in a flash.

Sarah! Nathaniel yelled as he hurriedly regained his feet. Removing the pain from thought and ignoring any other effect of the blast, he quickly found Sarah standing in the same position she was in before the teardrop fell, trying to regain her composure. She was still safe, and the Fallen had not yet come.

Nathaniel retook his position at Sarah’s side and placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword and began scanning in every direction. A row of pleasant little houses on a happy little neighborhood street waited on either side. Seemingly harmless, every house posed a threat.

The Fallen are remarkably good at concealing their presence, a skill developed from a millennia of fighting with His soldiers. Where the Enlightened, such as Nathaniel, prefer to make their presences known to the world, the Fallen favor a more cunning tactic. More destruction can be readily fashioned from the shadows than in the light. Striking when least expected grants an advantage, and every advantage is needed when fighting an enemy that is destined to win, but the Fallen cannot hide their craving for His Children’s pain. They yearn for it, need it, hunger for it. It is the only thing that grants them the strength to go on.

The teardrop served as beacon, and it hit with enough force to wake up every Fallen