The Dragon's Descent (4 page)

“Oh . . . sorry,” Vero stammered, rubbing his forehead. “Do we have to keep doing this? Can't you just text me when you want me?”

“Let's go,” Raziel sternly said as he snapped around.

As Vero followed Raziel, he slowly began to realize he was walking through C.A.N.D.L.E., the Cathedral of Angels for Novice Development, Learning and Edification, otherwise known as the guardian angel school. He recognized the impressive front hall of the massive Greco-Roman temple. It was jaw-dropping due to its walls of gold mixed with spectacularly shinning diamonds. The domed ceiling was so tall that Vero had to crane his head back to see all the way to the top. Yet, despite the distance, somehow his eyes could make out every intricate and colorful tile pattern on the dome and in the rows of columns that lined the walls and held up balconies. C.A.N.D.L.E. looked the same, but yet something was different.

“Where is everybody?” Vero panicked, noticing that the place was empty.

“There is no one else,” Raziel said, picking up the pace.

“But the others are coming? Right? Greer, Pax, Kane—”

“No one is coming,” Raziel said harshly, cutting him off.

“I'm not here for training?”

Raziel did not answer. He led Vero underneath a balcony then down a dark, narrow staircase. With each step, Vero grew more and more uneasy. Where was Raziel taking
him? Raziel had never warmed up to Vero. The other archangels had always seemed to like him, but not Raziel. Vero could never make any inroads with him no matter what he tried. As they walked down deeper into C.A.N.D.L.E., Vero's heart began to race, but he dutifully followed.

They entered a room—an empty space not much bigger than the inside of an elevator. Perspiration formed on Vero's forehead as he noticed that the entrance they had just used seconds ago was now a wall. As a matter of fact, as his eyes scanned the room he realized four white walls surrounded them, and none had any doors.

“Why isn't Uriel here?” Vero nervously asked, his eyes looking for an escape route.

Vero desperately wished the archangel Uriel would show up. Vero looked to Uriel as his mentor and protector. Uriel had watched over him ever since he was a baby, and it was Uriel who took Vero to the Ether for the first time.

“This is something between you and me,” Raziel harshly said.

Vero gulped, knowing anything between him and Raziel was bound to end badly.

“No one will be joining you. No other fledglings have been called back. This one is all you.”

Vero's eyes filled with confusion.

“Time runs short, and we need to know for whom you fight. Darkness or the light.”

“Of course, the light,” Vero blurted out, hurt that it was even a question.

“Prove it.” Raziel looked hard into Vero's eyes. “Find your way out of the maze.”

“A maze?” Vero asked while scanning the solid walls. There was no way out. Panic came over him. “How?”

“If you truly believe faith can move mountains, then four walls should be no big deal.” Raziel smirked, then simply walked through a wall and disappeared.

Vero stood there, considering what Raziel had said. “Time runs short? What is that supposed to mean?” Vero ran his hands over the walls, hoping there was some secret door, a way out. He'd even settle for a doggie door. But the walls were solid stone.

“Ahh!” he screamed in frustration and banged his fists on a wall. “How the heck did he just walk through the wall?!”

Vero slid to the floor. He put his head in his hands.

“There's got to be a way out of this,” he mumbled to himself.

But then he had another thought.
What if there isn't?
Raziel had never liked him. What if Raziel had called him back to the Ether without the others knowing? What if Raziel was trying to do him in?

Vero lifted his head out of his hands. Were his eyes playing tricks on him or did the wall across from him suddenly seem closer? He jumped up, and the top of his head scraped the ceiling. Then it dawned on him—the room was closing in! He began to shake with fear. He was going to be squished to death, and end up in the choir of angels—if that was even still a possibility for him! He was completely distraught. But then Vero remembered his Vox Dei—the voice of God. He could always rely upon it no matter what the situation.

As the walls grew closer, Vero closed his eyes, placed his hand over his heart, and began to pray with such intensity that beads of sweat dripped down his face. With all his heart, he beseeched God to guide him. After a few moments, a
confident smile formed on Vero's lips. He stretched out his arms. His fingers spread apart on the dense walls and then he simply pushed.

They fell away easily. The sidewalls crumbled upon the ground, yet the ceiling held above him. It had stopped moving. Vero had no idea what was holding it up, but he was grateful. He climbed over the rubble for a few feet then stood and looked around. Before him was a narrow space, wide enough that maybe only three people standing shoulder to shoulder could pass through. Dark, curved stone walls—easily fifteen feet tall—stood on either side of him. Somehow, this place felt very surreal to Vero. As if he were inside someone else's dream . . . a feeling he was familiar with. During the angel trials, Vero and his fellow fledglings—Greer, Pax, Kane, X, and Ada—had all been inside one of Greer's dreams. Vero remembered how quickly things could change in that sleep-induced world; how frightening it could be, and how not everything made perfect sense.

A short distance ahead, he saw that the walls formed multiple pathways—here was the maze that Raziel spoke of. When Vero looked up, he saw that terrifying gargoyles lined the tops of the walls, appearing to leer down at him. The pathways were so narrow that the stone creatures nearly touched one another overhead. He could see slivers of sky sneaking through, enough to provide light below. Only a few inches separated the frightening statues, which meant Vero could not fly out. His only way out was to find his way through.

As Vero walked ahead, he stared at the gargoyles. It appeared to him that no two were alike. Some were winged.
Some were half human, half animal. Others resembled human ghosts. One appeared to be a dragon while another looked like an oversized bat. All were grotesque, with distorted human or animal forms. Each was scary, especially the monkey with sharp, webbed wings that held a dagger in its paw while baring its teeth. Vero shuddered.

After just a few yards inside the maze, he came upon a fork in the path. Vero had no idea which way to turn, as both options looked the same. Vero looked left, then right, and left again, totally perplexed. Then he saw something out of the corner of his eye. As he turned his head toward it, a shadowed blur quickly disappeared. Were his eyes playing tricks on him?

Vero then heard what sounded like the slow inhale and exhale of a person. A blast of hot air hit the back of his exposed neck, sending chills down his spine. He spun around, looking for the source, only to see a shadow that flickered out of his peripheral vision. Vero was suddenly overcome with the unsettling feeling of impending doom. He needed to get out of there! Again, he considered left, then right, but when he looked back to the left, fear seized him. A strange, human-shaped silhouette with glowing green eyes stood staring at him from only a few feet away.

The decision resolved, Vero sprinted down the path on his right. As he ran, he continuously glanced over his shoulder, catching glimpses of darker-than-night shadows pursuing him in earnest. He couldn't outrun them, but after several minutes the shadows disappeared. Vero's legs burned, and he needed to stop for air. He turned his back to the wall for protection and put his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

Moments later, Vero lifted his head. His eyes drifted up to the eerie gargoyles above him, then suddenly he felt ice-cold hands closing around his neck. They felt bony, yet Vero could only see dark shadows tightening around his throat. The hands squeezed harder and harder until Vero thought he'd pass out. Losing air, he jerked away from the wall and landed in a heap on the ground. His eyes caught a black mist disappearing back into the wall, and a different shadow drifted down the path above him. Its green eyes illuminated the horrific faces of the gargoyles as it passed. Nowhere was safe. Vero leaped to his feet and ran deeper down the path.

The faster he ran, the more shadows appeared and pursued him. Soon, the path behind Vero became a sea of burning green eyes and dark apparitions. Vero was already badly outnumbered, and he realized that running only made it worse. He came to an abrupt stop, taking the shadows by surprise. They too stopped, malevolent eyes watching for his next move. Vero closed his eyes, and instantly his sword sprung forth from the palm of his hand. He grabbed it by the hilt and swung the blade at the dark entities, slicing one from head to bottom. Vero's eyes widened when he realized that his blade had passed right through it, the entity unharmed. A sinister laugh echoed through the hallway. His sword was useless against these things. His weapon disappeared back into his palm as he momentarily considered his options. There weren't any, so he turned and ran again.

His level of fear rose as the number of shadows continued to grow. The swarming mass of black chased him, pushing him deeper into the maze. Vero's heart skipped when he saw the original lone shadow standing a few feet
ahead of him, blocking his way forward. He was trapped, in front and behind. Sweat ran down his flushed face as he turned to the tangled mass of black clouds and green eyes. He was sick of these creepy shadows. He realized he was powerless and could run no farther. The thought made him angry, and that anger spurred a moment of courage. Vero stood tall before the charging mass and bravely faced them. As an angry pair of glowing green orbs darted at his face, Vero refused to blink. The shadow stopped and inched away, staring deep into Vero's unwavering eyes.

“What?” Vero screamed. “C'mon . . . let's see what you got! Do it . . . I'm not afraid!” For a split second, the brooding green eyes gave a look of surprise, and then,
poof!
—the dark entities all disintegrated and disappeared.

Vero turned. The lone creature was also gone. Vero let out a sigh of relief and looked up at the gargoyles. No black shadows clouded their faces. As he headed down the path encased by walls and towering gargoyles, Vero wondered what had caused all the shadows to vanish. The thought of the solitary black figure sent a shudder through his body. As he looked down the path, he once again saw a pair of the green eyes staring menacingly at him. “Oh, man! Not again!” Vero yelled.

Vero turned and ran back the way he had come. He glanced over his shoulder. The figure slowly and methodically followed him, as if it knew Vero could not escape and so there was no need to rush. Vero's fear spiked. Suddenly, scores of the black shadow creatures streamed from the mouths of the gargoyles. He ran even faster.
What had made them vanish before?
Vero wondered.
Had they just been messing with me?

But then a thought occurred to him. They had disappeared the moment he stood his ground—when he stood tall, and his fear had vanished. And they had reappeared when his fright had returned. Was it his own panic and lack of confidence that drew the black shadows to him?

Vero looked every which way for an out—every single inch of the narrow path was dark with the entities and their glowing eyes. And then one grabbed Vero around his neck with both hands and lifted him off the ground. Vero gagged as he struggled for air. An angry mob began to swarm beneath him, clawing at him, each one trying to take a piece of him away. As the hands around his neck tightened, Vero eyed the shadow creature. Once again, his fear gave way to anger. His defiant resolve returned, and Vero spat at the creature. “Get off of me . . . now,” he said calmly and firmly. His fear abated, Vero again produced his sword. Looking the creature in the eyes, he fearlessly cut the shadow hands from around his neck. This time, his sword had power.

The creature's eyes went wide as it vaporized into thin air. Vero fell back against the wall and watched as the swirling horde of shadows vanished. Moments later, he stood. There was no sign of the entities anywhere. He retracted his sword. His theory had been correct—his fear of the shadows was what drew them to him. And it was his own lack of confidence that had initially rendered his sword powerless. Vero straightened his back and raised his head high, determined to no longer fear the shadows, or his ability to vanquish them.

As Vero continued down the path, he glanced up once more at the rows of gargoyles. He had read about them last
year in his seventh-grade World History class. Placed on top of cathedrals and castles, they served as waterspouts that directed rain off the roofs through the gargoyles' mouths, but no one really knew the exact reason why the statues were so unappealing and frightening to look upon. Some historians felt they were placed to ward off evil spirits. Others claimed the gargoyles were evil themselves and were meant to frighten people so they would run into the church for protection. Staring up at a particularly scary statue with a distorted, angry, ape-like face with horns protruding from its head, Vero hoped the former was the correct explanation.

As he walked, Vero noticed that sparse clusters of grass broke through the stone ground like weeds clinging to life between cracks in the sidewalk. He started to hear the song of crickets and he crinkled his nose. The musty-smelling air gave way to the smell of a barnyard. Vero was suddenly reminded of the small petting zoo that had taken over their backyard for Clover's ninth birthday. As he rounded a corner, Vero was faced with another split in the path. Taking a step toward the right side, he heard the faintest sound of a running river. Thinking of the three beautiful waterfalls in the far more forgiving region of the Ether, where souls cleansed themselves before meeting God, he decided to follow the sound. Vero's excitement increased as the sound grew clearer and louder with every step he took. As he rounded a corner, he stepped out into a wider, taller corridor.