Rise of the Fallen Read online

  First published by Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation, Broome, Western Australia in 2013

  Website: www.magabala.com Email: [email protected]

  Copyright © Text Jillian Boyd, Illustrations Tori-Jay Mordey

  All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process whatsoever without the written permission of the author, the illustrator and the publisher.

  Magabala Books receives financial assistance from the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts advisory body. The State of Western Australia has made an investment in this project through the Department of Culture and the Arts in association with Lotterywest.

  This manuscript was developed through the support of the State Library of Queensland’s 2012 black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowship, part of the State Library’s black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project. black&write! gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the CAL Cultural Fund. Thank you also to Boori Pryor who launched the black&write! Project at the Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair in 2010.

  Designed by Tracey Gibbs

  Printed in China at Everbest Printing Company

  Cataloguing-in-Publication data is available from the National Library of Australia ISBN 9781922142009

  For my Mum, Grandma and Samantha. I love you.

  THE SEVEN LEGIONS OF THE DEMONIC REALM

  For centuries they have dwelled in the shadows, waiting for their chance to rise. The demonic underworld has always been chaotic. The first of the fallen angels immediately rose to power – alone, ruling the hundreds of thousands of demons. Under Lucifer’s reign the angels and the demons were able to enter the human realm freely, but, before the Dark Ages began, a new order had commenced. This new order shattered the unspoken truce between the angels and the demons, causing chaos and fear among the humans. After countless attacks and many human deaths, the angels disappeared from the human realm. Samael, The Angel of Death, murdered Lucifer and took the throne for himself, and the first demon, Lilith, rose alongside him. Under their influence the demons began to rise from the underworld, walking among humans in disguise, bringing violence and chaos to earth.

  THE SEVEN LEGIONS OF THE DEMONIC REALM

  The underworld has seven layers and each layer has a legion of demons. The layers are organised according to the demon’s abilities.

  The first is inhabited only by the strongest of the demonic world and this is followed by the second, containing the legion of high-level demons.

  The third layer is the most intriguing, as it is here that the shapeshifting demons dwell. Almost all demons have the ability to shift between human form – which they use when they enter the human realm – and their demonic form, which is different for each demon. The shapeshifters are the exception to this rule – they can change into the form of anything, or anyone.

  The fourth and fifth layers are made up of lower-level demons who spend most of their time with humans or with high-level demons. They feed off the powers of the high-level demons and perform menial tasks for them. The sixth layer of the underworld consists of the demonic children. These children are considered to be among the lowest demons as they are so simple to kill. Lilith, the first demon, cherishes them. The final layer consists of the weakest of all demons – the vampyres. The vampyres are the only demons that are directly related, by blood, to Lilith and she takes credit as the creator of their species.

  In each legion of demons there exists a hierarchy – the two strongest demons are called princes and dukes. Historically, duke is a higher rank than prince. The princes and dukes of the underworld are notorious for being cruel and deceitful, yet they are fiercely loyal to each other. Although the ultimate power over the underworld is changeable, the position of princes and dukes remains the same – unless they are challenged from within.

  As a fallen angel, Samael is not a true demon, but he stands above all others. His black-eyed wings appear broken and mischievous, and his bandaged face maintains his status as the only anonymous demon. Samael has never adapted to the language of the human realm and still speaks an ancient dialect. He alone has the power to destroy any demon permanently. But he is just and right and he never kills unless he finds it necessary. He has been ruling the underworld alongside Lilith since the dawning of the Middle Ages when the legendary war began. Despite this, Samael carries the stigma of being easily manipulated, but his powers are enough to keep all demons in line.

  The two demons that rule over Legion One are Lilith and the duke, Soul. Lilith is, and always will be, known as the first demon and vampyre. Her reputation as being a seductress is legendary. Lilith has the powers to turn her enemies to stone, glass or ice. While other demons travel through smoke and flames, Lilith is the exception. She alone has the power to travel through mirrors – it is through mirrors that she can enter and possess a human body faster than any other demon. Typically, with the exception of Lilith, demons do not set out to possess humans, as their influence is enough to cause havoc, and demons find possessions messy.

  In the beginning, Lilith was a lower-level demon, despite being the first of her kind. Legend has always surrounded her, and some believed she was a succubus – but upper-level demons know that she started as a vampyre. It was not the sustenance she craved from the consumption of human blood, but the power that she held over her victims and the fear she saw in their eyes during their final moments. It wasn’t until she joined Samael that her powers were fully unleashed, and her sadistic tastes were heightened. Manipulating Samael into overthrowing Lucifer, she rose to the highest legion, ruling the demonic realm alongside her lover.

  Soul is the highest level of duke. He is considered to be one of the most powerful of demons after Lilith, for he is the only one who has the ability to rob other beings of their power. Soul’s demonic form is one of the most horrifying – he resembles a decomposed corpse with sharp, white teeth. He is the only demon who doesn’t use his powers to kill humans; instead he uses his powerful teeth to tear them apart. As Soul gains more power he becomes a bigger threat to himself and others because the stronger Soul believes he is, the more reckless he becomes. Knowing this, Lilith struggles to keep him under her control.

  Legion Two is the home of the “child” of Lilith, and the duke Dorian. Zaida is the only blood child of Lilith, a product of a demon and an angel. Though her powers – inherited from both mother and father – are still weak due to her youth, they are the biggest threat to the natural order. Zaida is one of the few demons that is capable of possessing another body at the exact moment of the death of her previous one, effectively switching to and from bodies throughout eternity. Her powers continue to grow and, with added protection from Lilith, she is virtually untouchable. Her shapeshifting mastery is unparalleled, providing another shield for her protection. Only a select few demons know she exists, and even fewer know how to destroy her.

  Dorian was one of the most respected of all demons in and below the second Legion, and held the position of a prince. But when he failed to capture two elementals, under the instruction of Lilith, he was the first to be demoted to the rank of duke. Ever since, Dorian has become obsessed with recapturing them, and any other elementals he meets. Dorian’s powers are not as strong as others in this legion, but his charisma is second to none.

  Legion Three has two dukes of equal power: Bato and Andre. Bato rarely uses his abilities to shift; he finds them unnecessary. Bato is only ever in the human realm when his girlfriend from Legion Five is with him. Andre is constantly shifting between forms and is one of the most volatile demons in the underworld. In comparison, Legion Three has far
fewer demons than the others, as pure shapeshifting demons are rare.

  The lower-level demons of Legion Four and Five are mischievous and conniving. Each demon of these legions has a reputation for feeding off the power of high-level demons. Lower-level demons constitute the majority in the underworld, and spend most of their time delivering evil and temptation into the human realm. The ancient tales of the Seven Deadly Sins are based on the influence of these demons.

  Legion Six is the dwelling of the demonic children. Demonic children are unique as they are the only demons created through possession. When a newborn child is shown the reflection of their face in a mirror, Lilith shares her essence and destructive powers with the child. No other demon has yet discovered the secret to these possessions. The children age normally, but Lilith never allows them to age past ten years old, because then they are too difficult for her to control. The demonic children are in the second lowest legion because of their unpredictability and inevitable mortality. They spend almost all of their lives in the human realm – with their human parents – unless summoned by higher levels to the underworld. The higher legions of demons fear the children, as their inexperience and powers are an unstable combination. This fear puts Lilith at a distinct advantage. Other than Samael and vampyres, Lilith is the only demon capable of killing the children.

  Legion Seven is home to the lowest level demons ever to have existed. The first vampyres created by Lilith were unintentional, and messy. Much to the disgust of Lilith, the fledgling vampyres did not have the restraint that she herself possessed, nor did they have the same needs. The vampyre species requires blood to survive and can not travel for more than a few hours in the sunlight without becoming weak and easy to destroy. Unlike all other species of demons, once the human shell is killed, so is the essence of the vampyre. In the first decade after creating them, Lilith attempted to destroy them all, but either gave up or failed. The vampyre population grew, but not rapidly, their low numbers ensuring the species remains in the lowest legion. Their only remarkable abilities are their speed and strength – and vampyres are still the weakest demons.

  DEMONS

  The exact moment of birth of demons is uncertain, but Lilith is known as the first true demon. A demon is able to enter a human body through possession, the human body is simple to kill. The essence of the demon survives until it finds a new body. The only sure way for one to die is by the hand of Samael. He alone has the power to kill instantly both the human shell and the immortal essence of a demon. Legend has it that the angels have a secret weapon that captures the essence of a demon and can trap it for as long as necessary.

  ANGELS

  The angels have always maintained balance, being the role of the good over the demonic “evil” After Samael destroyed Lucifer and the unspoken treaty was dismantled between the angels and the demons, the appearance of angels became rare. In the beginning they attempted to protect the human realm, though as time went on demon attacks on angels grew more frequent. The angels still maintained the hope that humankind would not fall prey to the manipulation of the demons. However, whether it was fear for their own kind, or impatience with the human race, the angels soon disappeared into nothing but myth.

  ELEMENTALS

  There are neutral beings, which are called elementals. They are coveted by the demons and live in the human realm. True to their name, elementals have the power to control the four elements. There are only four types of elemental: fire, water/ice, earth and air. Fire and ice are at the greatest risk of capture by high-level demons –these two elements are of greater use to the underworld. Elementals begin their lives in the human realm where physically they age to early adulthood, then growth stops. An elemental lives for centuries, though when they die they are reborn as a human baby to begin again. The anonymity of the elementals helps keep them safe from demons whilst they spend their lives in the human realm. Of all the elementals that have been captured by the demons, only two have ever escaped: a fire elemental named Emilie and a water elemental named Cael. These two are the most hunted and searched for.

  CHAPTER 1

  There was nothing but silence as I lay back on the soft, green grass of the oval. It was a clear day; the clouds that usually speckled the bright sky were missing. The leaves of the eucalyptus tree ruffled in the wind. Occasionally, a crow or magpie passed overhead – other than that, the world seemed lifeless. For a very brief moment, I felt at peace. I felt as if the whole world had stopped around me. Of course, it wasn’t long before my peace was broken. I didn’t even hear Cael approaching, which was probably why I nearly jumped out of my skin when he spoke.

  “Are you dead?” Cael whispered, trying not to laugh. Before I could reply he yelled out melodramatically, “Oh dear God! She’s dead!”

  I sat up while he burst into hysterical laughter. “You’re so immature sometimes,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  “That’s why you love me,” he said between laughs.

  Cael’s been my best friend since before I can remember. He’s never changed much, except perhaps he’d lightened up a little over the years.

  “Help me up, would you?” I asked, holding out my hand. He pulled me up quickly, almost causing me to fall over. “Nice,” I muttered.

  “Haha I know, right?” he laughed again. He was still the immature little boy I had met so long ago.

  “So, just curious, but are you dating Soul?” Cael said casually, his sandy blond hair blowing across his face. Now, that question was extremely odd. Usually Cael didn’t ask questions like that. I was shocked.

  “Uh … What?” I managed in a whisper. Cael’s blue-green eyes flashed to mine for a second before he looked away, shrugging his shoulders and murmuring, “Don’t worry.”

  In mere seconds our barely-a-conversation conversation had turned awkward. Then the morning bell rang out in the background.

  We began walking in silence to the school buildings, Cael’s head was down and his hands were in his pockets. I bit my fingernails as we walked. The silence gave me opportunity to think about what he had said. Why on earth would Cael think Soul and I were going out? More importantly, why would he even care? We reached our building and I broke the silence as we walked along the corridors of the east block.

  “What’s up, Cael?” I said, punching him playfully on the arm. A small smile appeared on his face.

  “Not much kid, what about you?” he laughed loudly and I smiled.

  “Yeah not much, just the sky.”

  Cael laughed at my lame excuse for a joke as he’d done for years. When we arrived at our classroom we were the only ones there. We stood across from each other in the narrow corridor, not breaking eye contact for even a second. There was a look in his eyes that I didn’t understand. Cael’s eyes were so expressive and usually they showed some sort of emotion. As I looked into his eyes, there was a longing that I couldn’t grasp.

  “What’s wrong, kid?” he asked softly, his eyes gentle.

  “Nothing,” I replied quickly – obviously too quickly because he shot me a disappointed look. Kicking myself, I couldn’t believe I didn’t take the opportunity to ask him some questions. I just didn’t want to risk another awkward silence, even though I knew something was up.

  We stopped gazing at each other and soon students began filling the hallway. Our history teacher, Mrs Lewis, arrived and ushered our small class inside. Other classes remained outside, waiting for their teachers to arrive. Cael stopped in front of my desk and looked around.

  “Are you going to sit down, Cael?”

  He looked at me for a moment but didn’t answer.

  Soul walked into the classroom, his short, dark hair spiked up at the back and wearing baggy black jeans and a neatly ironed white dress shirt.

  “No. I’m not.” The anger in Cael’s voice brought my attention back to him in an instant.

  “What?” I asked, surprised.

  He scoffed, growling a reply, “I’m sure you’d prefer to sit with Soul.”

  W
ithout another word Cael went and sat in the back row. If I didn’t know better I would have thought Cael was jealous. But I knew better … didn’t I?

  Well, I didn’t exactly have much time to think about it all before Soul sat down beside me.

  “Hey Emilie, how are you?” Soul asked in an offhand way.

  “I’m okay, you?” I replied, smiling. He smiled back and pushed his long side fringe out of his eyes.

  “Better now I’m with you,” he teased.

  I laughed and looked down at my book. He reached over and took my notebook from under my hand. He tore a piece of paper from the back. He wrote something and slid the piece of paper under my hand. I was tempted to look, but my instincts told me to wait until later.

  “So what’s up with Cael? He looked pissed off,” Soul said, leaning in close to my ear.

  The teacher’s monotone voice droned on and faded to background noise.

  “Uh … I don’t know,” I said quickly, slightly confused as to why he was asking about Cael. I mean, it was no secret that they hated each other. I looked up into Soul’s grey-blue eyes and he looked into mine.

  “Well I think you do know. I saw your little argument – it only started when I showed up,” he said it quickly, his voice slightly irritated.

  I couldn’t speak. “Does it have anything to do with me?” Soul asked abruptly.

  I shrugged and looked away. I heard him sigh. I looked out the window for a distraction, but there were only a few old trees and a crow. How dull. I felt a hand on my arm but I resisted the urge to look up, even when I sensed a pen moving on the back of my wrist.

  “Emilie,” Soul said, softly tapping my arm.

  I looked at my wrist and saw that in neat cursive letters Soul had written “I’m sorry”, followed by a small love heart. I smiled and he smiled back.

  “Call me when you read my note.”

  I automatically turned my attention back to the teacher at the front of the room, who was still droning on, as she continued writing on the board. I opened my book and began to write down all the homework, using it as an excuse to turn around and look at Cael. His head was turned towards the boy next to him and he was talking in an angry whisper. I desperately wanted to walk over and ask what was wrong, but I knew that it wasn’t the time nor place. I looked away quickly when Cael’s eyes met mine for the briefest of seconds. Soul put his hand on the back of my chair.