Chapter 6 Handed Down

The next thing I heard was the hissing, the glow of yellow eyes in the corner of my eye, rotting stench of corpses. I felt the pressure of Nathan's hand on my face dash away and to his gun, he was careful to keep it to his side between me and him. The heavy metal music continued, pondering away and hurting my brain, the once peaceful love ballad was now shouting unrecognised words down the speakers.
            I heard Nathan shout "Go!" and all the clan was jumping high on tables, holding up crossbows and daggers. I seen Clair jump on a table, her knee boots look hellish with her blue shorts and black ruffled blouse, black hair straight and curled at the ends, he black cloak flowing like a cape. She caught my eye and winked at me, holding up her shotgun.
            I gripped my pistol at my thigh, getting my fingers tangled in the chain hooked on the loop belt. I smelt alcohol everywhere, knocking the senses of the demons. But they were easily spotted. Their glowing yellow eyes attracted many club goers, they're own eyes sparkled with shock and excitement. I even heard a dude exhale and whistle, "Man, they even do glow in the dark eye contacts!" I was bewildered, since the lighting isn't so dark, just the strobe lights and little lamps attached to the walls, giving off a orange glow all around.
            Nathan looked at me and shouted. "Are you going to be okay?" He quickly put his hot hand on my hip, then let go and glanced at the demons that were quickly grabbing people.
            I took out my pistol and grinned back, my smile must look deadly cause Nathan just smiled back even more greedily. "I ain't a girl." I felt the rush of adrenaline soar through my blood, my stomach forming sickness at the back of my throat. But I just hopped onto a table, the smell of sweating bodies flew around me, the party people still danced and yelled at eachother over the music.
            My clan began moving along the people that just danced and partied. Ourboots clanged on the table tops, knocking drinks over. I eventually joined Clair on a table. Then, since we started a revolution on tables, people began to jump up too. Their feet stomped on tables along with the heavy beat of music, their heads in full swing, hair flying.
            We finally hopped off the end of tables and onto the floor. I was wedging through bodies, their smiles looked sloppy and hands were in the air. I had one girl smack me in the face, but when I turned to give her a dirty look, she stared at me with pleading eyes and cried a mumbled "Sorry!"
              The demons in front where festering on limp bodies. We had to stop before they drained them dry.
Sarah and Danny started to boot a couple in the head, standing on chairs to get a better level. I heard gasps and "oh my gods", but we didn't let that affect us.
              Amy was pushing the party people away, trying to divert their attention by dirty dancing on a table to the right.
             Mike had to strain his eyes away from her while he shot a demon in the heart with a crossbow, the demon's yellow eyes turned blue and rolled back into the females head.
           Alyson was in full on combat with two demons, kicking their face while another tried to grab her long, straight ponytail. Not straight for long. I smiled to myself.
             Nathan had a silencer on his large shotgun and hit a male demons face, sticking the gun under his chin and firing. Blood exploded and I had to do a full on spin so I didn't get covered.
            "Guards!" Clair yelled over the blistering music, her black hair swooshing to one side as she turned to our little battle, even though I just watched all the demons fight Sarah, Danny, Alyson and Nathan. Me and Clair were just like watchmen.
             "D-nip!" Amy shouted, finaly jumping off the table, her forehead glistening with sweat. The heat in this cramped space casuing everyone to sweat like fat men in a race.
             D-nip was just like Catnip, but of course, this was for demons. It was some sort of powder that made demons go crazy for, our labs confirmed it was just like the cat stuff.
             Luckily, I had a tub full of it. I dug in my jeans and pulled it out, but my hands slipped on it from being too sweaty. "Ugh!" I gulped, feeling for it, I seen it roll under feet and next to Amy.
             "Amy!" I pointed to her feet, her face ducked down, but before she whisked it up. She gripped a dagger at her side, then forcefully threw it at a camera, causing sparks to fly. The demons hissed at the fighting part of our gang while I just watched, even a demon went for Clair.
             Amy gripped the tub, popped the lid off and piled some in her hands. I spotted a window which was already being broken by Danny with the end of his gun. The window was thankfull in front of us, we were undergroud, so the window was facing a sloped alley. Blue powder filtered the air. The D-nip had no mental effect on humans, but it did make us sneeze, which I seen Alyson and Clair do.
             Demons stopped and tried to grab the, licking their sticky fingers. I grimaced, feeling sick. I turned to see big men in black shirts stampede towards us, pushing people away like empty Coke cans.
              The group spilled out with the demons. First was Sarah and Alyson, on their heels was Mike and Danny, then crawling through was Clair and Nathan. I felt bile rise up my throat like vomit.
              Someone grabbed my hand, tugging me to the fresh but smelly air from the broken window.
"You okay, Ammie?" Amy had shouted at me over the thunder of loud music. "You look like you're gunna pass out!" She dragged me outside, I carefully dodged my way from the broken glass around the edge of the window frame.
             The dark alley smelt like piss and mould, the walls covered in graffiti. The cracked pavement littered with puddles of who knows what, bins over filled, spilling rotten contents onto the ground and I even spotted a homeless man near a bin wrapped in shredded coats. A cardboard box under him and a bottle of Vodka in his hands. Every time someone came across a homeless person, people would give them change they could spare. Yet the homeless people would mostly (not all of them) spend it on any kind of drink or drug.
             Amy dragged me further and I seen down the alley. The moonlight offering assistance to the bobbing heads in the fighting crowd. I managed to see everyone fight the demons.
The furthest person away was Danny and Sarah, figthing back to back, smiling like wild predators. Then Mike by Nathan, shooting and laughing while jumping over body after body, he even jumped on a bald demon's head and shot down at him. Then Alyson fending off demons that straddled at her ankles, she clicked the blade button by kicking a demon in the nose, extracting the blades. She kept glancing at Nathan and made little shrieking sounds. I shook my head, it was quite obvious she wanted his attention. Clair was the one closest to me, beating a demon with her fist while she swiveled and shot one with her shotgun. She was more like a smokey blur.
            Amy let go of my hand which felt groggy and dove into the sea of demons. The clan was slowly filtering down the alley while still fighting. I seen demons drop from the rooftops of the buildings in the rat infested alley.
            I spotted a blonde blur in the corner of my eye, long greasy hair flew like a bird. I turned on my heel, snapping both boots blades out and my pistol in my hands, I raised it.
           The blonde demon was female and smelt faintly of perfume. Bile roared up my throat I had to spit out the acid before I wretched. She was petite but hands out like claws, she had dropped right infront of the homeless man, he was asleep.
           I dropped my hand with my pistol to the side, my heart lurched protectively to him, as did my body which moved straight for him. I did a roundhouse kick from the back, the blade just grazing the oily skin of the female demon.
          She turned tome slowly. All I could hear was hissing, grunts and body slams or the tearing of clothing or skin, along with blade swooshes and shots. All I heard now was the demons hissing as she lunged for me, teeth bared likea cannibal.
           "S**t!" I lifted my pistol, shooting anywhere before she landed on me. I just managed to shoot her arm while she knocked me, my whole body swinging to the left. My wrist bashed of a bin, sending my pistol flying into a puddle of some liquid which I didn't want to know. She jumped to the side, crouching like a cricket ready to pounce. "Damn damn damn!" I lurched to the other side of the alley as the demon face planted the brick wall, hissing in pain. I was, too. My wrist killed, I couldn't use it properly.
            The demon backed up and forgot about me, crawling back to the sleeping homeless man slouched by the bin. She hissed again. "Oh, your life looks very bleak." She peered at him, I knew she could peer through his helpless soul.
             "I don't think so!" I huffed as I went in for another kick, this time, I felt the blade grind against bone, ripping through flesh like paper. I squinted, the sound of her shrieks making me sick. "Oh God." I mutter when I bring her down onto the ground. Once pinned down, I turn so the other boot with the front blade sticking out and drived it into her heart. Her yellow glowing eyes lolled back into her skull before turning into their original blue.
             I heard a grunt from behind me, I instantly ducked and flashed my head to the side.
I seen Clair struggle with a teenage boy demon. Her long black hair tangled in stick like fingers of his hand, her body twisted backwards, facing the salivating boy that drooled on her face.
             I raced over to her, my legs crumpling as I dive towards his legs. He smelt rotten and I feel like being sick all over his feet. "Son of a b***h, let go!" I punched the back of his knee, causing him to falter, I managed to spin on my back and kick his arm. He fell back, dragging Clair with him.
             I stepped up quick, faced the smelly demon and hauled Clair up.
"Ow!" His hand still gripped her hair, I pulled her arms again. "Ow! Stop pulling!"
            "No!" Me and the snarling demon said in unison.
Damn! I shouted to my mind. He's not going to let go, and I'll rip of Clair's skull if I keep pulling!
             I started to think of options. Clair's sour face looked riddled with anger, her muscles in her arms tensed and twitched. My boots where by Clair's, I figured it out.
             I brought my right foot up and lodged it into the demon boy's thigh, making him spasm and let go of Clair's clumpy hair. She scuttled free, grabbing her shotgun and standing in a graceful swoop, she brought the gun to his chest.
            "B*****d, touch me and it's the last thing you'll ever do!" She aimed and fired, blood splattered on my face and clothes. The demons body jolted, eyes losing their yellow glow into a dark brown, finally soaring into the back of his head. The smell of rotten, moudly food died down... Just a little.
            "Good shot?" I mumbled, flicking off a part of flesh from my coat.
"I know, right?" She scoffed, looking at me with gleaming eyes. "I'm just too good-Ammie, look out!" Clair for a second looked distraught, her facial features contorting into horror.
            I whipped around, pistol in my hands. My arms felt too heavy. I managed to see what was coming for me. A male demon, large and eyes glowing insanely yellow. His tongue out and teeth bared. I flared my nostrils having the sharpest intake of a sewery smell, tickling my nose. I was about to gag until the large rock pounded into me, crashing my body onto the floor with him on top. My head hit concrete and I was out for the count, I heard the distant voice shout my name.

I awoke to smell strong bleach filter around my nose, along with antiseptic and material for bandaids. I slightly opened my eyelids to peer at the creamy or white ceiling. A pretty glow came from the side of the room, a window. I was on something very hard and a thin cover was over me.
            I struggled to move every single limb, muscle and tendon in my body refused to cooperate. A little buzz somewhere in the room began to bug me, so I made myself sit, even though it was so very painful to my arse and head. I lifted my hand to my skull, a huge, fist sized lump was at the right side of my head. I gasped and felt my eyes bulge.
           "Ah," Lil pushed through the heavy door, grabbing my hand away from my lumpy head. "Don't, I've just cleaned that, it got infected a little where it was cut. You and your Clan do missions in the most dirtiest places." Lil giggled, handing me an ice pack. It was cold to the touch, making me shiver since I was really warm. I realised someone changed me into my fluffy pajamas.
           "Who chanegd me?" I asked, placing the large pack on the bump.
"Clair, she didn't like the thought of Alyson doing it when she 'sarcastically' offered." Lil smiled, walking to a bench where bandaids and plasters where stuffed into cupboards and plastic drawers. She brung over thin strips with new sterile blue gloves on.
           She picked up my other hand (that wasn't supporting the ice pack) and I felt my chest jump forward when I seen a bloody bandage covering my wrist, blood seeping from the back of my thumb.
           "Oh my God, what happened!?" I snapped, Lil's delicate fingers tightened around my wrist, steadying me.
           Her face was sympathetic. "It's okay, just a little cut." She removed the medical tape and white bandage.
           "Little cut, you say!" I scoffed, seeing a pinky sized gash from the middle of the back of my thumb to the end of the bone. It was extremely sore when Lil began prodding it like a dead frog for a science experiment. "Ow!" I winced.
           "Sorry!" Lil grimaced.
           "How'd it happen?" I breathed deeply, the pain becoming hard to deal with.
"Well," Lil dabbed at the open wound, I kept making 'ah' and 'ooooh' sounds as she poked at it. "Apparently you where knocked down by a demon and he almost got to you. Clair knocked him off and Nathan killed him, but before he did, the demon stood on your hand. Unfortunately, there was a broken vial of D-nip under the back of your hand. He sliced you hand through it before Nathan shot him." Lil looked at me with a smirk, her eyebrows flicking up.
             "How did I get here?" I asked, pressing her.
"When you were hurt, Nathan picked you up like a demsel in distress, telling everyone to finish the rest of them off while he ran to the car a few blocks away." Lil's smile a little too happy.
             "Okay, why are you smiling?" I questioned, raising a slight eyebrow.
"Oh, I just find it cute how Nathan keeps saving you-" Lil's face twisted when I whispered harshly.
             "Why do you always say that when I come in here?" I whispered harshly.
"Well, it's always why you're here. Either you two bicker to much and you come to me, or you're hurt and he brings you here either unconscious or bleeding..." Lil stared at the floor in deep thought and looked at me without moving her head. "Sorry, just you always complain how annoying Nathan is, and yet he most times carried you in here." She smiled at me, her lips curling like a little girl.
             "Alright, Lil." I moaned.
The door burst open and a large man stood in the doorway. I smelt saw dust and strong after shave waft over, it tickled my nose. The large man's face was wrinkled and he wore dark sunglasses which he quickly withdrew and placed in his head. His ash blue eyes were staring at me. He also had a loose dull green jacket on with dirty ripped jeans, elephant sized combat boots on with a weapon at his side.
             "Grandad?" I breathed, my heart skipping beats as I took in his rock build and cute grey beard.
"Amelia!" He rushed over in a rush of tobacco smoke and after shave that was really musky. His arms outstreched and he embraced me in a hug. His strong chest hurt against my bruised collar bone.
             "Hi, um, what are you doing here?" I laughed shakily.
"I'm here to give a lecture the the fifth floor students." He stepped back and looked me over. "And I came to look at your results table. I heard you killed a demon in Stealth Practise?" He grunted and patted his weapon at his side.
             "I know, I didn't mean it, but I was getting good at killing demons." I gushed, feeling hopeless that my Grandad doubted my attempts here.
             "I know, I heard about that, too." He smiled a crooked smile. I felt my chest rise, now feeling pretty good about myself, and even better.
            "So I wanna give you this." He pulled the weapon from his side, unhooking from it's cradle. It was a sword in a beautiful sheath. The black fabric was embroided with white, tiny wings travelling all the way down. The pommel was shiny and silver, as well as the thick handle. He drew the sword and the blade glinted from the light outside the window. I seen the thin blade was engraved with amazing angel wings starting from the base and reaching the tip of the blade. It was perfect.
            "Grandad, it's brilliant!" I urged, my bones rattling as I gaped at the beautiful sword.
"And it's yours." Grandad's eyes got a little teary, he sniffed and handed it to me.
             I took it with great care as if it where a baby. I felt the power as soon as I held it, the feel vibrating through my entire body. My head buzzed and hands shaked, my smiled couldn't have gotten any bigger. I looked at him briefly.
             "Thank you, but why, Grandad, why?" I chirped, giggling with extreme excitement. I was almost bouncing on the leather chair.
             "Because," He made a deep intake of breath, leaning on a counter and eyeing the sword. "You need it more. This sword is really special, magical, even. It's been handed down for generations in our family, even your mother fought with it." His eyes got even more watery, even my heart dulled and drooped. "But, since she can't give you the gift, I would have no objection of handing it down to you." He smiled.
             My breathing softened, my grin a little sad. The talk of my mother was a bit suprising, but I guess it was meant to be said.
             "Why is it so special?" I stared at the hard blade, my eyes roaming up and down the curve of angel wings.
             "It was given to the Hales from angels. The Arkilete angel family are the royals at their kingdom. And this blade is tainted with the blood of their royal blood. It even created the engravement of the angel wings on the surface. It's very powerful, Amelia, don't do anything silly with it." He spoke as is he where teaching a history class.
             Think it's hard to believe angels exist? Well, they do. If demons could roam the earth doing what they like, angels had to be real. We where always taught the Arkilete angel family are the highest of their people.
             "Wow, seriously?" I heard a voice exclaim from the doorway. "Alexander Rodney Hale?" Sarah burst in, her graceful steps trekking around to face my Grandad. Her dark brown hair fell in curled waves down her back, her hazel eyes almost brimming with happy tears as she peered at him. She held out her hand when he just smiled kindly at her.
             "Hello, and you must be apart of Amelia's Clan?" He shook her hand.
"We all are!" Amy crashed through, dragging Mike in after her. Even though he didn't need to be dragged in since he was tripping over his own feet, gobsmacked seeing Grandad here.
             "Oh my God...!" He laughed in suprise. Also shaking his hand.
I looked at Alyson, Danny, Sarah, Mike and Amy who wondered inside, staring at my Grandad with bewildered eyes. Even though they are my group, I did feel left out.
             "What are you guys doing here?" I smiled awkwardly, sheathing my sword.
"Here to check on you." Clair strutted in, smiling her excited smile. "Grandad!" Her eyes bulged as she spotted him leaning on the counter. He smiled a approving grin while opening his arms, Clair dove into them, eyes brimming with tears.
              Clair never got to see her grandparents because they died before she was born. And me and Clair became bestfriends since we started at the academy, we did everything with eachother. With me being looked after my Grandad for the last five years, Clair always came over my house where I lived with Grandad. He treated her like he treated me.
               "Hello, Clair," He chirped. "How have you been? Taking care of Amelia for me?" He smiled at her. I always got jealous of Clair's attention from Grandad, but I know he loved me just as much.
               "Yup!" She grinned at me, then her eyes looked horrified. She dawdled over to me, her head down.
"You don't look so good." She smirked sadly, probably seeing my frightening cuts and bruises that could be scattered all over my body. I felt every sore ounce of them. And I mean all of them.
               "Thanks." I chuckled.
"Wow, new sword?" She whimpered, eyes growing wide as she gaped at my new sword.
               "Picture time!" Lil appeared with a new looking camera. I forgot she was in the room until she spoke up, I thought I seen her leave. "Huddle together everyone! Even you Mr Hale." She said kindly.
               "Hang on." I jumped free from my group that crowded around me, firing questions at Grandad. I sweeped across the cold floor, my feet where bare. I knew what I felt, it was like a tugging of my heart. My eyes wondered at the hall attached to the back of the dorm to the front of the infirmary. The hall was all brick with large windows scattered down the walls.
               I walked into the hall, the smell of light body spray hit me and I smiled to myself before hearing him.
               "Shouldn't you be resting?" Nathan came from the wall behind me. I turned on my sore feet to face him. His black hair fluffy against his pale face. Lips upturned into a lovely smile, blue eyes soft as he stared at me. Hands stuffed into his old, ripped jeans, a dull blue shirt with a leather jacket on. He swooshed his hair to the side so he could see. I found that totally sexy.
               What...The hell. I told myself calmly, trying not to explode. I shall never think of him as sexy ever again.
                "Wow, them cuts look pretty bad." He reached for my forehead and I automatically retracted away from his hand. I felt dumb and pathetic at why I did that, but seeing Nathan's hurt expression pained me a little.
                "Sorry." I breathed. "I guess I'm not fully healed yet." I winced, lacing my fingers together and peering at the ground awkwardly.
                "So, your Grandad, huh?" He smiled, his expression happy but eyes sliced with that hurt.
"Oh, yeah." I chimed. I nearly jumped on the spot from the grateful change of subject. "He's here to give the fifth floor a lecture and me a new weapon!" I giggled happily, my grin a little too toothy. Damn it.
                "Nice." He drew the 'ce' and made a toothy grin of his own.
I strained myself not to shudder in my own thought. I instantly felt awkward again from being in his presence. "There's a photo being taken with the clan and my legendary Grandfather!" I beamed, leaning over (quick to inhale a whip of his body spray) and grabbed his wrist. The feel of his hot skin on mine made my whole body tingle, I had to bite my own tongue from not smiling like a creepy stalker girl.
                "Oh?" He breathed, gasping as I dragged him into the infirmary.
My Grandad eyed him with confusion, then it all cleared up. "Oh, son!" He came over to me and Nathan and proudly patted on his back. "I hear you are a great clan leader, and you take very good care of everybody!" He chuckled hoarsly, his chest rising and falling.
                "Er, yeah," Nathan chuckled slowly, almost worried for a moment. He glanced at me from behind, looking confused and as if he wanted help. I just giggled to myself, covering my mouth. Clair came by my side and ushered me to the leather bed.
                "C'mon, we need our photo!" She grinned, sitting by my side as soon as I jumped on. She smelt fruit and her hair tangled in my hands which. Lil smiled at me.
                "Hold up your new sword, chika!" Lil beamed, kneeling and holding up the silver camera.
I frowned but did as she said, even my Grandad looked at her weirdly. I unsheathed my sword and everyone stared at the blade. Sarah and Danny stood behind me, smiling happily together. Then Mike and Amy kneeled at the front, arms draped over their shoulders. Of course, Clair was lying on my lap, a duck pout on her lips and hippie peace with her fingers. Grandad stood at the top of the bed, arms crossed and smiling proudly. Alyson stood at the end of the leather bed, arms crossed but a smile on her face. Nathan was beside her, I guess that's why Alyson stood there a bit too victoriously and smug. I hate her staright hair that fell like a wooden plank.
                 But Lil didn't think so. "Oh no no no no no," She exhaled, standing and biting her bottom lip.
She moved over to Nathan and pushed him gently to my side, I was nearly cross-eyed by the time she made him stand behind me. The fact that I couldn't see him, I knew he'd either be smiling or gritting his teeth. But since I couldn't here the grind of his teeth, I was happy. And feeling his warmth hover at my back made my inside turn to water, even feeling the hot burn of Alyson's glare didn't make me waver.
                 "Say, cheese!" Lil chimed.
"Cheese!" Everyone cheered in unison, waving their arms and giggling like kids. For once in a long time, I've never felt closer to my clan.
                 Before Lil pushed the button, I felt Nathan's strong hand on my side as I hoisted my sword up shakily. Since the feel of his hand made me shiver and smile like an absoloute doofus.
                 The click sounded as well as teh flash.

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