Angelic: The Chest of Souls

By Élias Marumo

Elm, Wyatt, Grayson, and Romy don't know each other

or why they have glowing birthmarks

- until they go to The Angelic World, learn devinic,

and evade capture from an evil prince.

The reason: THEY ARE ANGELS!

But not just any angels: THE GUARDIANS!

"Everyone in the world has a divine bond with a ch

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Regency Publishers, US
• Release date: Jun 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781958517093

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Four Who Fled

Long, dark clouds were brooding over the black surface of a starless sky. A cold sliver of moonlight was shimmering like a forged python. It was the only light in the sky, a weak glow from a scared moon that was hiding away, but still present. Yet it wasn’t a benevolent light - its malevolence foreshadowed darker events on their way.

A slithering trail of black dust was flying in and among the clouds. It seemed to have come from above, so suddenly and silently, you’d have thought it was one with the darkness. And when the dust started to drift away like sand, vast black wings emerged.

Now, a man in black cobra skin armor appeared between the wings, and passed between the rows of ghostly clouds, just visible enough for someone watching to see this creature was a dark falwick – a male dark angel.

Behind the dark falwick, a second figure came into view, then a third, a fourth, a fifth. When the sixth figure appeared, a frightful flight of dark angels flew. These angels were soldiers, six soldiers of the Dark Lands; three falwicks and three leffits. Their plumage, especially that of the dark leffits – the female dark angels – was thundery…

mBbOOOmMM! BOOM! bOM!

Their wings rumbled, as they gathered speed and intensity. They started to drift apart from each other, always taking sharp looks down to scan the wood below – for anything and everything that moved.

Where do you think the new Guardian will be taken? whispered the second falwick soldier in line, worried.

Taken?!? spat the falwick in front, It’s no coincidence these events have unfolded in favor of the enemy. The new Guardian wasn’t taken – hA! They planned to hide the new Guardian long ago before the birth.

The third falwick soldier sniffed angrily.

That sounds very unlike our enemies! he exclaimed. But we’ve pushed them far enough for them to act outside their nature – very sneaky, very sneaky indeed, like us! I’d expect a Dark Lander, our kind, to act this way.

Oh yes! I agree, said a leffit soldier. That sly Dyami – I knew he was clever, the cleverest Guardian we might have faced so far, but now he has really done it! Out of all the Guardians that have ever lived, ever been crowned, and protected the Angelic World – the master, He-The-Dark-One, despises him the most.

They all allowed themselves to growl inside.

He must be the reason behind everything that’s happened, and has befallen us, the second leffit pressed on. Hiding those traitors, the Faust Brothers…the creation of the Infernal Instruments…this war we are in…the four archangels we’re chasing…the new Guardian they’re helping to flee…and, now I’ve heard He-The-Dark-One has fallen – imprisoned!

They all growled again, more furious than before, a noise a bulldog might make when another is trying to steal its treat.

Can we please focus?! And not think too much about things that are irrelevant? The third leffit soldier’s voice trembled as she went on. We’ve only one task to do now, at this very moment. Nothing could be as important as now, and if we fail, it’ll cost us our lives! Let’s just hurry up to find the four archangels before they succeed in hiding the new Guardian.

They all nodded, taking deep breaths to calm down. But after a long pause, the falwick soldier at the front jerked his head to the others behind him and was unable to keep silent any longer.

"So, the rumors are true? I’ve heard them and so have you. All the angels in the Angelic World have heard it and are saying it…saying that – that – but I can’t believe them. Are they true?"

The others remained silent, their wings the only things causing noise, and the silence answered the falwick’s question. A question they themselves wouldn’t dare answer, because of how unbelievable it was. Or rather just astounded themselves that the rumor of this question could be possible, and they dared not entertain it.

It’s true then, oh my! He-The-Dark-One has fallen, faltered the falwick under his breath. He feared being heard saying this, as if not even the clouds or the air or the hidden moon must hear him.

And wha-what, what a-about his brothers? What happened to the Princes of the Dark Lands? Our other lords?

All gone…all imprisoned…imprisoned by use of the Infernal Instruments, said the second falwick. Guardian Dyami is the one who imprisoned them, and no one knows where….

Their hearts sunk horribly.

Some good news for us, though! One of them tried to lighten the mood. If our enemies are rejoicing our downfall, we ourselves must cheer at another rumor I’ve heard – Guardian Dyami is dead. He died in the fighting, after defeating He-The-Dark-One.

They enjoyed a tiny celebration, rejoicing in whispers at this small victory for themselves, something that sounded like, Yaas! Horai-horay!

It ended, and the moment passed so fast, it was as if they had never celebrated anything. How could they though, when they’d lost so much that the death of one legendary angel, Guardian Dyami, couldn’t make up for the entire toppling of their empire? Some bowed their heads, gasping.

Then the third falwick soldier said, Surely Guardian Dyami will be famous – what am I saying, is famous for this!! They call him Nesting Two-headed Eagle, Dyami the Undying, for his many achievements. His crowning glory is defeating He-The-Dark-One. I can already hear the stupid songs they’ll sing about him, ringing in my head, the endless festivals and parades made in his honor! How they’ll call him a legend – I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Guardian Dyami Day, from now on.

Stop! You’re giving me a headache, cried another leffit, blocking her ears with both her hands clasped against the sides of her helmet.

Doesn’t matter now, with He-The-Dark-One gone and his brothers the Princes of the Dark Lands following. So much we have built will vanish…and so must we. said the second falwick soldier sternly.

A discussion like this, expressing fear and disloyalty, was dangerous to have. There’s no sense in remaining loyal to the Dark Lands anymore. Our home nation – our whole empire is no more. We must all disappear!

The rest flinched. This sounded like treachery to them – treachery so early and so soon, so soon after their lord’s demise. Clearly, this was a discussion that must be had, but they had been avoiding it, since it would be wiser not to touch the subject.

"You think it – wise – to do that, or suggest…" said a leffit, amazed at his comrade’s bravery that he would voice or even conceive to think such a notion.

You would betray our lord! The nerve! gasped a third leffit soldier, sounding half-impressed, half-admiring, and flew at the soldier who had spoken, as if he was some sort of fool. "He might have fallen, but if his soldiers remain behind to fight, to keep the Dark Lands banner waving high, he’ll reward us for our loyalty – one day – when he returns, that’s if he returns."

We cannot bet that He-The-Dark-One will return, said a leffit soldier heavily.

"Will he though?" asked two other soldiers quickly, their tone doubtful but filled with a bit of relief, and glee.

We can only guess, said the leffit, and continued, rasping, Besides, if we stay loyal, we risk being killed, and worse, exposing our secrets to He-The-Dark-One’s enemies. THAT IS TREACHERY HE WILL NEVER FORGIVE!!!!

NEVER! the others yelled.

Our lord has shown us more than once the absence of his mercy both to his enemies and followers. He is not a forgiving lord. And say we do leave; we’ll likely die anyway! However, if I may be so bold as to speak truthfully, I’d rather take my chances on the other side, where mercy and forgiveness are practiced. Many Dark Landerswill turn to the other side or will hide in the deepest parts of the Angelic World until He-The-Dark-One returns, and heaven knows when that will be?!

They all took some minutes to think on the grievous situation.

Out of all the conquests we’ve made with He-The-Dark-One, the places we’ve colonized, the armies we’ve raised, the enemies we’ve defeated – it’s hard to believe that master is gone – never to soon return, or not at all!

Some of the others nodded glumly (in disbelief).

Things will change from today on; nothing will be the same anymore, said a falwick soldier darkly, not for us anyway.

"I cannot help but wonder and I must ask. This new Guardian we’re chasing – who is he, or she? Remember what He-The-Dark-One said to us before his orders to chase after the four archangels? His last words to us?" asked the third leffit soldier mysteriously.

The five soldiers each muttered with the same level of curiosity, and just like that, they stopped saying anything else that sounded unpatriotic. Because it was plain to see – this mission was the most important thing right now – perhaps the most important thing of all things, to their lord, He-The-Dark-One that any soldier of the Dark Lands had ever been tasked with before.

"The future of the Dark Lands, the end of the Dark Lands, and the glory of the Dark Lands lie in the hands of the new Guardian."

They all repeated their lord’s last words in unison.

Whatever could that mean? murmured the second falwick soldier.

"Master didn’t say. He never explains orders, said a leffit firmly. Only that, from now on today, every dark falwick and every dark leffit has one purpose and one purpose only – to capture the Guardian."

Another soldier continued, finalizing, Every Dark Lands soldier that marches – marches to capture the Guardian. Every Dark Lands citizen that lives – lives to capture the Guardian. Every Dark Lander that breathes – breathes to capture the Guardian. Every Dark Lands believer – believes to capture the Guardian. And, everyone born to Dark Lander fathers and mothers – is born to capture the Guardian!

Then, suddenly, the falwick soldier in the front turned forward with a swish of his wings.

SHHH!

He hushed them, and gazed down, scanning the woods below carefully, bowing his head so low, and his helmet nearly fell off.

You’d believe he could hear everything scurrying and scuttling across the woodland floor, the way he was so intent on listening. Then he sharply buffed his mighty wings, as if his instincts were telling him something…that what they were chasing after was nearby.

"They are – are – close, murmured the dark falwick. Can you sense them?"

I--can, whispered back a dark leffit, craning her head down.

The dark angels immediately soared from on high to down above the wood, diving in close and skating just above the dense canopy.

"I CAN FEEL THEM!" yells a dark falwick, so excited he momentarily lost control over his wings.

The four archangels are near…and the Guardian! confirmed a dark leffit soldier.

"Do you sense that!?!" barked a dark falwick.

I DO! rejoiced a dark leffit.

"THEY ARE OVER THE MOUNTAIN! said a dark falwick. QUICKLY!"

GO! ordered a dark leffit.

*

Far over the great mountain lay a forest. The flight of dark angel soldiers glided down into it, their instincts leading the way, as they scanned for anything that stirred among the towering, shadowy trees.

Feet sprinted over the forest floor, leaping over gullies, dark hills, boulders and rivers full of rushing twists. Tired breaths hung in the air. Falwick and leffit bodies were sprinting in prominent gallops, capable of being heard for miles, like African drums. Four archangels ran, hooded in their long angelic-white robes, which gleamed through the shadows as they rushed along.

The first was Archangel Meggie, who ran far ahead. She looked so pale you’d think she was ill, under a stream of sweat cascading down her face. Well, all of them were pale, the corners of their eyes leaking blood, but yet they arduously continued running, before the dark angels could find them (and they weren’t far behind).

Meggie had a huge, rich afro, with wavy ringlets squeezed inside her hood, and when she ran down the steep side of the mountain, she found the footing slippery with wet leaves. She skidded and started tumbling all the way down until she was stopped by hitting her head on a spiky rock. She rested a second, clasping her hand to the side of her head where she had hit it, rubbing the sore spot to relieve the pain.

But she ignored the pain. What was of most concern to her was the bundle of white blankets she held closely to her chest, which she now checked to see if the baby inside was unharmed.

Inside, the infant slept; apparently it hadn’t felt the fall or the force of the blow when Meggie bashed her head on the rock. She hoisted herself up, spitting out the leaves in her mouth and kept on running, as the other three caught up to her and they went on together.

The second archangel, Lerato, ran behind Meggie, just fifteen steps behind her, utterly exhausted, but utterly fast, and utterly persistent. Her feet bled and stained the bottom hem of her robe. She was the shortest among them, making her the fastest. She, too, held a bundle of white blankets, cradling it as tenderly as she could – but strongly moving on.

She ran and ran, her feet bleeding through the sandals, momentarily soothed and cooled by the water of a pond.

The third archangel was Thomas, a burly falwick, and he was surprisingly far back. He was helping the fourth angel, Sina – who had fallen behind on the impossibly long journey. Yet Thomas was steadfast. He held his bundle of white blankets close to his chest, and assisted with Sina’s bundle when she needed to take a rest. But there was no time to rest.

After climbing a series of mountainous humps and crossing three deep rivers, Sina collapsed, coming out of the water. She fell on the wet grass on the other side, close by the hundredth hillside made of stones. It looked like all the others, but this was the one they were trying to reach. The fourth river was the boundary between the fallow part of the forest they were in and the next, overgrown and much darker.

I can’t, Sina cried, out of breath. She pushed Thomas away, as he tried to lift her up. The way she was sprawled on the ground, you could believe she wanted to lie down and die, but Thomas wouldn’t allow that.

We’re almost there, we can’t stop! bellowed Thomas.

Sina simply didn’t have the strength to continue. Thomas grabbed her arm, the arm holding her bundle of white blankets. From inside, came the soft low-pitched cry of a boy. Thomas showed her the infant, rolling over in his blankets, sleeping so peacefully. His sleep seemed undisturbed by Sina jolting him up and down, all over the place.

We’re almost up this hill. Come on, keep on fighting, Thomas pleaded. For Grayson…he needs you now, more than ever…now get up!

When Sina heard this, she quickly summoned the last bit of her strength. There was something commendable about her refusal to give up, as she heaved herself to her feet and continued.

Meggie and Lerato turned back to help Sina, determined that she not give up.

COME NOW – LET’S GO! Meggie threw in words that fuelled her courage.

They soldiered on once more, not prepared to leave any angel behind, no matter how drained and bruised they were.

Archangel Sina was tender, and her body willowy, which meant she was not built for high endurance. She carried her bundle of blankets gently against her chest, running beside Thomas, as they entered the blacker part of the forest, climbing the stones to the hilltop.

On the run, they listened to the trees − their warnings sounding like the softest and frightened, stammering whispers:

"Go-o, G-o!"

"Ov-e-e-r th-e-re…"

"Wat-t-ter…r-fall- nn-ear by."

"Dar-rk an-g-ge-ls-s fa-r-r!"

"Ss-s-a-fe! Yo-u’re ss-afe."

"Fo-r-r n-o-w!"

"Re-ss-st…"

They soon found themselves in a ravine, where it was darkest. Also, they were girdled all around by the moving trees, which spoke and danced in whispers, shielding them so they wouldn’t be easily discovered. The four archangels moved to a small waterfall, and rested for a while, as the trees whispered to them, S-a-afe, For-rNo-ww, Ressst.

Tell me again why we can’t fly? asked Lerato, gulping mouthfuls of water.

Because the dark angels… said Thomas, in between gulps of water as well, even though he was aware Lerato knew the answer, will find us… faster than if we stay on the ground…we have to stay hidden…our wings will give us away in the sky.

Thomas held Sina’s bundle of blankets, as she knelt to drink. She gasped for air and gulped the water at irregular intervals.

Meggie sighed, washing the sweat off her face. We can’t stay here for long though.

We’re running out of time, and options! said Sina, Lerato, did you just hear me now,

They were getting frustrated now.

Lerato murmured in paranoia, You don’t think I know that, we’ve got to see this mission through! In her weariness and fear, she asked more questions they all knew the answer to. What was that place Dyami spoke of? Where was it he said we should go to hide them?

Somewhere ‘unwonted’, an unwonted place, Thomas sighed in confusion, sitting back, relaxing to refuel, as he knew they must be on the move again soon.

Good heavens, what does that mean? barked Meggie.

Perhaps a place unfamiliar to Dark Landers, said Sina, though that didn’t help much. They had gone over this many times, without finding any answers. Is there such a place? I mean, He-The-Dark-One has colonized nearly every corner of the Angelic World.

Thomas, Meggie, and Sina jerked their heads towards Lerato, gawking at her.

Don’t look at me as if I have the answers under my wing!

When they turned away, she goggle-eyed them, …got no clue what Dyami meant.

There are any number of places where we can hide the Guardians, but how can we know which will be safe? I can’t deal with ambiguity now, said Thomas, annoyance in his tone.

Sina repeated the word ‘unwonted’ over and over to herself, hoping for some idea to pop into her halo.

Thomas is right; we can’t count on Dark Lander ignorance to save the day, said Meggie despondently. The Angelic World’s enslaved! Colonies are all over the place, He-The-Dark-One and the Princes of the Dark Lands might be gone, but their work still makes it hard for us to succeed.

Everything was getting gloomy now.

We have much to be thankful for, though, Sina said, trying to lighten the mood. He-The-Dark-One or any of his dark angels, in fact, no angel, good and bad, knows that the new Guardian, in this case Guardians, is four babies.

She smiled round at the others.

Such a secret gives us an edge. Little do they know if it’s a he or she; they’re still under the impression the new Guardian is a grown adult angel, and singular. We can work with such a mystery.

Don’t scream it out loud! barked Meggie. But yes, this secret is advantageous. When dark angels are now on the hunt, they won’t know exactly what they’re hunting.

They all relaxed on the damp grass, having a chuckle, but they knew there was no time. The dark angels were still chasing after them, and they needed to protect their little secret before their enemies could get near.

I do believe we’ll find something; it’s just where to look that bothers me! Lerato said, patting her crying bundle.

He-The-Light-One, help us please, prayed Thomas, out loud. Whatever an ‘unwonted’ place is, there must be something in that we’re missing, something we’re not seeing…

Dyami seemed pretty clear when he tasked us to flee with the babies, after He-The-Dark-One destroyed their parents’ house, and murdered them, said Lerato, sounding as if she wanted to cry.

I can’t believe they’ll grow up orphans, Meggie wept quietly. And they won’t know how much danger they are in, until they’re told what they are and what it means to be a Guardian.

I know, Thomas said, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder.

It all seems so unfair for such things to happen to new-born babies! howled Sina. Their parents are dead…they don’t know who they are or what destiny awaits them…oh, He-The-Light-One, help us!

Lerato shuffled next to her to share some tears.

Yes, yes, it’s very sad, but we have no time to weep. We have to hide the children, get a grip on yourselves! whispered Thomas, trying to keep them quiet.

The archangels stood up and gathered around, huddling together like a sports team recollecting their thoughts that had gone blank. They needed to think hard, because of the grueling task they had been given, to hide the new Guardians, who were unexpectedly new-born babies. Being the only four angels to know this was a heavy burden.

Placing hands on each other’s shoulders, the archangels shot a glance at their bundles. The infants swaddled inside slept quietly, unaware that they had been jostled and carried for miles.

My suggestion is to hide the babies somewhere the Dark Lands haven’t conquered – perhaps the fifth and sixth realms of the Angelic World, Tiané and Shinta, suggested Sina.

That’s not a bad idea, since the other realms have more colonies than we could count, said Thomas. Problem is they might stand out.

Meggie then fell silent, deep in thought.

What really happened to the Princes of the Dark Lands, and to He-The-Dark-One? Are they really gone and imprisoned, like the rumors say? Obviously, Guardian Dyami is dead, since we are carrying the new Guardian, sorry, Guardians, Meggie continued, sadly. We just flew out the second the new Guardians were born.

Dyami imprisoned those scum using the Infernal Instruments; each one of them defeated a lord of the Dark Lands, and hid their locations, explained Thomas.

He died fighting them. You’d think he’d be wise enough not to do so alone! said Lerato, caught in-between a pleased grin at the victory and sadness at their loss.

He knew he’d die -- said Thomas.

At great benefit to us, interjected Sina.

Every Guardian has a doom set upon them, the moment they are chosen; even these poor infants we carry that never got to taste their mother’s milk, said Thomas.

We may love them, love them very much, but our love won’t be enough to protect them – protect them from their own destiny. I believe we must all come to that horrible conclusion.

They will die all the sooner, if we let them go, said Meggie. These new Guardians’ parents are dead, all of them! No one can protect them but us --

We cannot hold their hands, hoping to shield them from every possible hazard that comes with what destiny holds for them, interrupted Thomas. "We cannot prevent ‘life’ from happening to anyone, not even our own children. That is why