Shurod and the blood rock prophecy book 2
Chapter 1

Shurod

(And the Blood Rock Prophecy)

Dedicated to Christine Cornell Lerma

Chapter 1

Dan Clifton had completed his training in the ancient art of demonic warfare and embraced his destiny as a champion of the Shurod Bloodline. The Shurod was the noble bloodline created by God to be the “Door Keeper”, a sentry responsible for the security of the doorway between the natural and the supernatural realm. This sentry guarded the prison gates that housed the fallen angels. The Shurod was endowed with limited angelic powers to defeat the demonic hoards. To be more specific; Dan was 50% human, 50% angel and 100% demon slayer.

Dan, fighting alongside God’s angelic army, destroyed the main sintenna which fueled the cannon used by demonic forces to weaken the prison gate.

Joe Miller had been thinking for months on how to capture and kill the Shurod. He spent many hours researching old manuscripts and scrolls trying to replace another way to breach the prison gates and free all the evil angels. He came across and old piece of scroll, that gave him an idea on his next strategic move against the Shurod.

The sound of Jerom coughing echoed in the Shurod’s lair, he in fact had not been killed in the battle of the Sintenna but was wounded severely. Dan was lying down on a goatskin pallet, watching the fire flicker in the darkness giving off little light. He gazed upon Jamie sleeping across from him as the light from the fire casted shadows on her face. His mind wondered and he began to stare at her. He thought to himself. “She is an odd person but not afraid to fight.” He cracked a small smile. Jamie sensed that she was being watched and woke up and looked Dan right in the eyes.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Ah, nothing, just thinking about the battle that we won and father.”

“Well you had a great victory against those nasty demons.”

“Yeah, but by the sound of Jerom’s cough; I am worried that he isn’t going to make it.” “Shut up, don’t talk like that!” Jaime snapped back.

“I better go check on him and doctor his wounds.” Dan started to get up.

“No, let me do it.” Jamie threw back her goatskin cover and walked down a narrow hallway into Jerom’s room. Jerom was turned over on his right side facing the cave wall. Jamie walked into the room and immediately felt excruciating pain in her back. She dropped down on both knees and cried out. Dan heard her, jumped up, and ran toward Jamie yelling, “What’s wrong?” Dan’s heart pumped wildly with fear of what he was about to witness. He made it to Jamie and saw her on her knees. “What happened? Are you alright?” Jamie turned her head to the left barely able to speak. “My back is pulsing with pain.”

Dan was in disbelief and said, “What does it fell like?”

“Like thousands of daggers piercing my back.” Dan looked at Jerom’s back and said, “This isn’t possible.” Dan began to feel the presence of evil in his back also but this time it is different. He opened his wings and walked towards Jerom’s body. Jerom’s body shook violently and he was making weird noises. Dan approached cautiously. Dan placed his hand on Jerom’s body and turned him over so that he can look at his face. Dan gasped and backed away slowly. “Who are you?” Jerom’s body began to move and stand up with his head facing the floor. Dan yelled again, “Who are you?” Jerom looked up and said in an evil voice, “Well your father of course.”

“You are not my father, where is he?” Dan demanded.

“I am he that comes to smite the Shurod with extreme vengeance and without mercy.” Jerom’s skin began to melt off his face then shoulders, and his body took on a new form. It began to grow muscles. Jerom’s outer flesh fell to the ground like a suit, with a splat. Dan looked at the flesh suit of Jerom lying on the ground and was extremely disturbed by the sight. He picked up Jamie and ran out towards the main area where all the Shurod’s weapons were kept. He threw Jamie down onto the ground and looked for the Shurak-mi-da, which was the sword that helped him fight demons months earlier. Jamie was moaning in pain the entire time. Dan searched frantically for the sword. Then stopped and looked towards the opening of the small hallway and saw what appeared to be an angel. The dark figure moved slowly towards him, pulled out a sword, and scraped it against the cave wall causing sparks. He said, “Shurod, I come for you. You are the key to releasing my brethren.”

Dan looked around for a moment and found the Shurak-mi-da sword that possessed special powers, which aided him in the past fighting evil forces and went into a defense posture. The angel laughed and said, “Poor ignorant apprentice, don’t you know that sword has no effect on me, I’m an angel.”

“We’ll see about that” Dan snapped back.

Dan started to question the swords power because he knew that it worked on the demons but he has never fought an angel before. The angel stepped closer towards Dan and the light from the cave revealed the angels face. The angel had the black mark of disobedience in the form of a lightning bolt on the right side of his face. It ran from the top of his forehead to the bottom of his jaw line. He had long black hair with stained white garments that appeared to be soiled with blood and dirt and walked with a small limp. His eyes were full of hate and discontent as Dan looked upon the angel.

Dan was confused about an angel attacking him, he never thought that he would have to battle an angel and he had no idea what to expect. Dan yelled, “Who are you and what do you want?”

“I want your blood,” replied the angel.

“We are on the same side, why are you trying to kill me?”

The angel laughed and made a clicking noise with his mouth, “Same side, I think not.”

“You’re an angel of God aren’t you?”

“Well technically yes, but you see, I choose to side with Lucifer many centuries ago.”

“How is that possible? All the angels are imprisoned”

“Well not all of them.” The angel lunged at Dan and swung his sword at him with impressive speed and force. Dan blocked the attack but was sent flying through the air and crashed into a table and chairs.

Jamie took a deep breath and tried to regain some sort of composure. She saw the angel walking toward Dan ready to strike again. She stood up and ran towards the angel, picking up a sword along the way. The angel heard her coming but didn’t turn around. He twirled his sword around and turned his sword around with the sharp end pointing toward himself. He looked out of the corner of his eye and waited for Jamie to get closer. Jamie raised her sword and was just about to strike the evil angel when the angel thrust his sword through his own body impaling Jaime in the chest. Dan saw what happened and yelled, “NO!” The sword went through her entire body. Jamie’s mouth drooped opened and she made a few gurgling noises, she looked at her chest with the sword in it and said softly, “Dan?” After a few seconds the angel pulled the sword out and Jamie’s body and she fell to the floor dead.

Dan became furious when he saw Jamie’s body lying on the ground. He said, “You are about to die you evil beast.” Dan’s body begun to glow and the angel stepped back and gripped his sword tightly, “Come little one.” Dan jumped in the air and flew at the angel. The angel held out his sword in front of his body with both hands. Dan hit an invisible barrier with the Shurak-mi-da and it shattered into pieces, which caused a small explosion sending Dan back in the opposite direction. When he hit the barrier, it hurt him pretty badly. The angel laughed once again, “You should’ve known that you were no match for me Shurod.” Dan looked up at the angel with blood on his face barely able to speak, “One thing I know.” he coughed, “At least I can get into heaven.” The angel screamed in anger and shoved his sword into Dan’s chest. Dan yelled for a split second.

Just as Dan was about to die he was awaken with Jamie shaking him asking him if he was alright.

Dan was snapped back into reality and said, “Father, where is Father?” Jamie said,

“Back in his room lying down.” Dan got up quickly and headed for Jerom’s room. Jamie gave chase wondering what was happening. Dan saw Jerom lying in his bed. Jerom turned over because he heard someone enter into his room. “What is it son?”

“I had a dream about you and.” Dan shook his head a few times.

“What was the dream about Dan?” Jerom asked.

“It was nothing but it seemed so real.”

Jerom became more insistent, “What was it about?”

“You!” Dan said with a waiver in his voice.

“Me, what happened?”

“You turned into an evil angel and killed Jamie and was about to kill me.”

Jamie looked at Dan, “What a horrible dream.”

Dan shook his head, “Yeah I know.”

Jerom shifted his weight, “Tell me more about this dream.”

Dan replied, “Ah it’s nothing”

Jerom said angrily, “Tell me boy, God speaks to the Shurod in dreams a lot, what did this angel look like?”

“Man, he was huge and unlike any angel I have ever seen. He was very powerful and fast and he had a black mark on his face in the shape of a lightning bolt.” Jerom looked at Dan dead in the eye and said, “Are you for sure that was what you saw?”

“Well, yes of course I just had the dream about a minute ago.” Dan said in a sarcastic tone. Jerom let out a moan and rolled back over. Dan looked worried and said, “What does this mean father?”

Jerom sighed a few times, “This means that my worst fear is revealed.”

“Your worst fear?” Dan said.

Jamie stepped closer to listen in to the conversation. Jerom continued, “We took a chance on using the blood of the Shurod to destroy the sintenna. Dan this dream you had was a glimpse into the future.

“How can this be? We won.”

Jerom coughed harshly, “There are many more battles to be fought with the enemies of God, and this was just one of them. Dan looked discouraged, “So what does it mean?”

“It means that our actions have weakened the prison gates and some of the angels were set free.”

“What!” Dan yelled “How many?”

“Hard to say, could be one to ten I am guessing. This means my son that, you are going to be facing an enemy like you have never encountered before.”

Dan began to feel very inadequate about his abilities and power. “I know nothing of fighting angels”

Jerom took a deep breathe, “I know, I hoped that it wouldn’t come to this but it appears that you are in need of some additional training from some of God’s elite angels.”

“Oh great, now I have to battle angels and demons at the same time.” Jerom nodded his head, yes. Jerom sat up in the bed, “This training, I cannot give you; it must be taught by another.”

“Who can train me father, besides you?”

Jamie listened to the conversation between Dan and Jerom and was trying to make sense of all that she had learned recently of the supernatural side of life. Jerom looked at Jamie then back at Dan. Jerom smiled, “You will be able to defeat your enemies, have faith my son for there is another like you. This is a special time in the history of the Shurod, never has there be three Shurod’s in one room at the same time. Dan started to think that Jerom was losing his mind, “What do you mean three?”

Jerom pointed to Jamie, “Sister.” Dan couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and Jamie couldn’t either. Jamie exclaimed, “No, no I don’t want to have any part of this.” Dan began to recount some of the instances when Jamie had displayed some of the characteristics of the Shurod. He began to remember his dream and said, “Of course!” Jamie looked at Dan, “What”

“Remember the pains that you were having in your back when you sensed that demons were around.”

“Yeah, so!”

“That is one of the signs that you are hyper sensitive to evil and demonic forces.” Jamie began to realize that Dan was right and overcome with emotions. She turned around and threw up.

Dan laughed, “I remember when that happened to me, when Sephri told me what my destiny was.” Jerom smiled for a moment, and then the pain began again in his chest. Jamie wiped off her mouth, “This can’t be happening to me!”

“Jamie, sister, this is only the beginning of what is to come.”

Jamie had a blank look on her face. “You are going to face some real challenges, not only physical, but spiritual and emotional. You are going to face some tough decisions in the very near future and I pray that you make the correct decision.”

“What does that mean Dan?” Jerom motioned for Jamie to come closer. Jamie did and got closer to Jerom because he was weak and barely had the strength to talk. Before Jerom can speak, Jamie said, “So does this mean that you’re my father?”

“Yes is does.”

“Where is my mother?”

Dan butted in, “Our mother passed away many years ago. I had the privilege to know her but I didn’t know that she was my mother until it was revealed to me a few months ago when I became aware of my purpose in life.”

“So you knew our mother?”

“Yes but only for a short time. She was a very caring woman who was always looking out for me when I was in the orphanage. Jerom grunted and pointed at a small box and coughed. Dan said, “Do you want that?” Jerom nodded his head, yes. Dan got the small red velvet covered box and opened it. A swirling mist arose from the small box and began to take form of a female figure. Dan and Jamie stared in amazement at the sight. Jerom said, “Your mother has a message for you. I have kept this for many years and never thought that I would ever get to open it. God has a plan for all of us in the fight against evil. For all three of us to be alive at one time means that we have a very important task awaiting us.”

The swirling mist formed into a silhouette of their mother. Dan said, “That’s her!”

Jamie begun to feel saddened because she had never known what became of her mother. The image of their mother began to speak, “My dear husband I long to see your face again. I will miss you terribly but stay strong and finish the race my beloved. If you are seeing this then you know that I have already passed into eternity and you must carry on without me doing the Lord’s work.” The image paused for a moment and looked off to the right. Dan and Jamie began to well up with tears. “Dan, my son I enjoyed the time that we shared together, I wish that I could have told you who you really were, but there are evil forces at work that want to harm you, so I had to restrain myself many times from telling you the truth. You are going to be a great leader one day and win many victories in the name of the Lord. Remember son who you are and what you have accomplished. Always stay true to what is just and righteous and you will never fail.” The mother got choked up and took a deep breathe. “Hopefully by now you should know that there is another, Jamie, my precious daughter I remember holding you in my arms when you were born, and you looked like an angel.” There was a faint baby cry in the background. “That is you my dear telling me you’re hungry.” The figure smiled softly. Suddenly the familiar sounds of demons screaming alert the mother and she turned swiftly. You could see her pick up the baby and wrap it in a metallic blanket. She opened her wings and reached behind her and pulled out the red colored feather that the Shurod’s use to notify angelic forces of their whereabouts. She placed it in with the baby, opened a small secret soundproof door, and placed the baby in it. She looked to her right and she said, “Nostros! You filthy demon from the bowels of hell.” She drew her sword and attacked. The sounds of fighting lasted for a few moments and it appeared that the mother was holding her own against Nostros. Nostros howled a few times in pain and said, “Shurod, your days are over!” You could plainly see the mother as she was ran through with a sword. Dan, Jamie, and Jerom all looked upon the image of her as she fell to the floor; the mother looked at the small box and pointed at it and mouthed the words, “I love you” then died. Nostros saw the small velvet case and knew what it was. He leaned down so that his face was directly in front of it and said, “This is what will happen to all the Shurod bloodline. Even your offspring will taste the edge of my sword.” Nostros laughed evilly and slammed the velvet case shut.

Jerom was crying because he never knew how his beloved wife met her fate. Dan and Jamie were both in tears. Anger swelled up from the depths of Dan’s soul and yelled, “Nostros killed my mother?” Dan started to pulse with an intense light around him. Jamie backed away slowly not knowing what to expect. Dan breathed heavily and looked at Jerom then Jamie. Jerom mustered the strength and said, “I never knew how she died, I have been waiting many years to view this message, but I wanted to wait until the time was right.

After a few moments Jerom tears turned into anger, he remembered how beautiful she was, and the good times they had while she was alive. His face became hardened and his eyebrows pointed downward. His lip started to quiver and yelled, “MY WIFE!” His outburst sent a tremble through the cave causing small pieces of rock to become dislodged and fall onto the cave floor. Jamie stood motionless not knowing what to say or do. She looked at Dan and started to move to console him. Dan backed away threw his hands up and shook his head, no. Jamie with tears in her eyes said, “Dan it’s alright.” Dan snapped back, “NO it isn’t!” Dan pushed out his wings, looked at Jerom with tears in his eyes, and darted out of the cave in a flash.

Jamie said, “I will go after him”

“You can do nothing for him right now; you both have some emotional things to deal with now, as well as me. Besides you would not be able to replace him, he needs to blow off some steam.” Jamie agreed and walked out towards the front of the cave entrance. She fell to her knees and started to weep intensely under a full moon. Jerom could hear her from in the cave and he began to weep.

Dan flew to a remote location and landed, he was so overcome with emotion that he began to throw his diamond shards at pieces of rock causing the rock to explode into thousands of pieces. He then pointed his arm in the direction of a tree, and shot fire from his hand, which consumed the tree in an instant. Dan was beginning to feel better but he was a long way from being over, the news that he just learned about his mother. He said to himself, “Nostros I will replace you and you will be sent back to hell with you own kind.” Dan rocketed into the air doing all sorts of aerial maneuvers trying to displace some of his anger. He broke the sound barrier a few times. His body was still glowing with an intense light. As he shot through the night sky, many Sheppard’s saw what resembled a shooting star piercing the darkness. Even some of the Kinsmen, who were dedicated to helping the Shurod noticed the event and went to report it to their leader, Anar.

Back at the lair, Jamie was gazing into the night sky, wondering what to think about this new chapter in her life. She turned around and looked into the cave. She swallowed hard and walked back in to see Jerom. She walked by the same weapons that Dan saw when he first arrived in the cave months earlier. She also saw the archery range that was used to practice the art of honing ones skills with a bow and arrow. She walked by a massive cage that once belong to a demon named Dargis, until he was defeated in the great battle at the Sintenna. She saw something that grabbed her attention. It was a book that was oddly shaped. Her curiosity got the best of her and she opened the book and flipped through some of the pages. She saw different types of demons and weaponry that were used against demons and angels. She read a few lines of one of the pages aloud, “If the gates are breached and the angels of the Lord that were punished escape. There would be a great battle for the Shurod and humankind. Only the blood of the Shurod will be able to reseal the gate and restore balance between good and evil.” Jamie closed the book said, “Whoa that’s intense.” She placed the book on the table and walked towards Jerom’s bed. As she approached him she said, “Father”

Jerom opened his left eye, “Come here my daughter we have much to discuss.” Jamie pulled out a small stool and sat by his bed.

“What does all this mean for me?”

“There is much to discuss, but first things first. Jamie listened carefully. Jerom sat up in his bed and explained to her the role that the Shurod played with the supernatural realm. Jamie’s eyes widen as she heard tales of battles between good and evil.

Jamie said, “Ok, I know about the invisible battle of the supernatural, how does this impact me as a person?”

“My child, do you recall any time where you thought that you had some sort of supernatural ability that didn’t seem natural?” Jamie ran her hands through her hair, sighed and began to think. “As a matter of fact I have, many times in fact.”

“Did you ever wonder why things happened to you?”

“Yes, of course, doesn’t everyone?”

“It is different with us and more meaningful. You are about to go through a spiritual battle like the one you have never faced. There is a decision that you are going to have to make very shortly.”

“About what?”

“Your decision about trusting in God and becoming his bond servant to do his will.”

“I’m no slave,” Jamie barked.

“It’s not about being a slave; it’s about doing the right thing for yourself and mankind.” Jamie looked at Jerom with a puzzled expression. “You have very little time to choose whom you will serve, the creator of the universe or the very existence of evil. Choose wisely my daughter for both ways have consequences, but this is your destiny, as well as Dan’s. Stand up and let’s have a look at your back.” Jerom managed to muster the strength to sit up on the edge of the bed. He pulled a small dagger out from beneath his pillow. Jamie looked over her shoulder and saw the dagger in Jerom hand. “What are you going to do with that?”

Jerom said, “Be still.” Jerom pulled on Jamie’s shirt and cut the back out of it so that he can see her bare skin. The sound of clothing being ripped away made Jamie uncomfortable. Jerom placed his palms over each of Jamie’s shoulder blades. Light started to form around his hands. Jamie saw a glow of light behind her and she turned her head around to see what was going on. Jerom said harshly, “Face forward.” Jamie turned her head back around. “This is going to be a little painful at first.”

“What do you mean?”

“Take a deep breath,” Jerom whispered.

Jerom took a dagger and made a two-inch vertical incision into Jamie’s skin on her left shoulder blade. Jamie let out a small yelp. “What are you doing to me?”

“Silence! Face forward.” Jerom made another incision on the right shoulder blade and Jamie began to cry out in pain. “Are you almost done?” she whimpered.

“Yes, just one more thing?”

“Are you going to cut me again?”

“No.” Jamie started to feel the pain going away rather quickly.

“It is different with females”

“How so?”

“The female Shurod’ s are like butterflies.”

“English please.” Jamie said with a huff.

“You wings are buried deep within your body. The two incisions that I made will help them mature.” Jerom placed his fingers into one of the incisions and spread it apart to look and see if he saw the beginnings of wings forming.

Jamie said, “Well what is it?”

“We wait a few days and see what happens.”

“Huh, that’s all you can say after you sliced open my back?” Jerom laid down on the bed and closed his eyes to rest. Jamie shrugged her shoulders a few times and walked out of the room and said to herself, “Wow I don’t feel any more pain, weird.” She walked back towards the main part of the cave and looked at the empty cage where Dargis was housed for many centuries. The cage had a horrible smell. She ran her finger across the bars on the cage wondering what Dargis the blue-eyed demon was like. She stopped at the door opening and gazed into the cage. She began to feel strangely and stepped inside the cage. She looked all around the cage and picked up the chain that had been around the neck of Dargis for many years. In a flash, she saw glimpse of the face of Dargis and let out a small shriek. She dropped the chain and walked out of the cage swiftly.

Dan was beginning to calm down a bit, but he was deeply wounded about the recent information he had learned about his mother’s death. He took a deep breath and flew back towards the cave. As he was getting close to the cave, he noticed what appeared to be an angel sitting down on a rock below him. He flew down toward the figure and approached it with caution. He comes up from behind the dark figure and said, “Hello. Who are you?” Immediately the figure began to cry into its hands. Dan is surprised to see an angel cry and was intrigued. He stepped closer to console the angel. When he did, the angel stood up and swung a sword at Dan, then disappeared into a cloud of mist. It happened so fast that Dan didn’t have time to react. Dan saw the face of the angel and remembered the angels face from the dream that he had. Dan was greatly disturbed by the sight of this angel and flew up to the mouth of the cave.

Jamie was standing outside the cave trying to make sense of all the she had encountered in the past few weeks. Dan landed behind Jamie; she had no idea that he was there. Dan said, “Boo!”

Jamie jumped back and said, “Don’t do that.”

“Just having a little fun sis”

“Well don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Sorrryyy”

“What happened to your shirt?” Dan asked.

“Father was checking on my wings?”

Dan nodded his head, “Have you thought much about your spiritual life?”

“Father mentioned that I have to make a decision on what path I will choose.”

“Yes, that is true.”

Dan took a deep breath, “Jamie there are many different religions in the world but there is only one true God. This is very important for you to realize that you are loved by a holy and loving God who only wants the best for you, but you have to make up your own mind. No one can do this for you. I went through the same thing months ago and it was very difficult for me since I didn’t believe in God. The things that I have seen and the transformation that I have gone through has convinced me that the choice I made was the right choice. Jesus is the only true way to God the father. He has chosen us to assist him in his battle against evil.”

“Yeah, but I’m not anybody’s fool Dan.”

“It’s not about being a fool Jamie, it’s about surrendering your will to God’s will, and doing what he asks of you. God wants you to come to him with an open heart and accept him in all his goodness and mercy.”

“But how do you do something like that?”

“You have to admit that you are a sinner and ask Jesus to come into your life.”

“That’s it?” Jamie said.

“Yep, that’s it, but you have to believe in your heart what you are committing to or you are fooling yourself. You will know once you have given your life to Christ. It changes your way of thinking, how you talk to people and your thought process. You will see evil for what it really is.”

Jamie bowed her head and kicked at the dirt with her feet. “So, I just ask for forgiveness and God snaps his fingers and then I can go to heaven?”

“Well sort of, he doesn’t snap his fingers per say, but once you give your life to him, he will cause a great change in you.” Dan grabbed both of Jamie’s hands, “Are you ready for this?”

“Yes, Dan I think I am.”

“Bow your head and repeat after me. Lord Jesus please forgive me of all my sins.” Jamie repeated, “I know that I am a sinner and that you are the only way for me to be freed from my sin. I asked you now Jesus come into my heart and make me whole.” Jamie repeated and then broke out in tears. Dan pulled Jamie close and hugged her tightly. “Why am I crying?” Jamie said.

“It happens sometimes, some people are so overcome with emotion that they cry. It’s the realization that you are no longer a slave to sin.” Jamie sniffed a few times and wiped the tears from her eyes. Dan looked at Jamie with compassion knowing that she had made the right decision for herself.

“I do feel different, what is that tingling sensation in my back?”

“Follow me, you must come now.”

“Why what’s going on?”

Dan led Jamie back inside the cave and through the secret passage. “You must stay out here tonight”

“Why, I don’t want to sleep outside”

“Trust me it for your own good” Dan glanced at Jamie’s back and noticed that the wing bones were beginning to shift and force their way toward the surface of her skin, “I will be back for you in the morning.” Dan turned around and disappeared behind a stone door.

Jamie gazed into the night sky and marveled at the stars. The sound of coyotes filled the night air. She looked around on the ground and noticed that the rock around her feet was stained with blood. She rolled her head around a few times popping her neck. She reached back and felt one of the incisions. She stopped for a moment and said, “What is that?” Then she felt the other side and soon realized that she was about to sprout wings. “Wow that is cool.” After she said that, small shooting pains began to shoot around her shoulder blades. “Ouch!” Jamie said aloud. Just then, she got a good jolt of pain, which caused her to fall down on her knees. “What is going?” She cried out, “Dan!” Dan heard her cry of pain as Jerom did when Dan’s wings were forming. Dan walked back out and watched Jamie for a moment concealed by the shadows.

As with all Shurod’s over the centuries, all have made their final transformation in this very spot male and female alike. This place is called “Blood Rock”. Every Shurod that has ever been in existence had received their wings in this very place. The blood that spilled from Jamie’s back mixes with the blood of her ancestors on the ground. Jamie groaned in pain and as her flesh was being ripped open and her wings were starting to emerge from her back. She flipped around on the ground in a wild manner, thrashing around uncontrollably. She laid flat on her stomach and passed out from the pain. Her mouth opened and salvia creped out from the side of her mouth onto the ground. She started to breath in a shallow pattern, moving the dirt that was on the ground in front of her with each breath she took. Dan watched Jamie for a few more minutes and then went back inside the cave to check on Jerom. Meanwhile Jamie drifted off into a deep trance like state; she started to see visions of angel and demons engaged in fierce battle. She looked upon the scene with intense amazement and awe. Demons were being slaughtered by the thousands, but when one was killed, another was there to take its place. It seemed to be a never-ending battle that could never be won by either side. Jamie saw a vision of the prison gates with the blood of the Shurod spread on the top and the sides of the gates. She knew that only with the blood of the Shurod the evil angels could be released from their eternal prison. Then she saw a vision of Jerom being impaled by a fierce demon and killed, but then she noticed that it was the same demon that killed her mother. She yelled, “Nostros!” when she yelled, the demon looked at her and started to come at her. His eyes were filled with hate and sword still dripping with the blood of her father. Jamie opened her hand and the diamond shards appear in and instance. She threw the shards at the demon and they cut deep into his scaly flesh. He howled in pain. Jamie said, “That is for killing my parents you filthy demon.” Nostros said, “Well it is not over Shurod!” “We will see about that” Jamie replied. Nostros looked off to his left and Roebarg the demon commander watched the battle between them with great interest. Nostros snorted and fire and smoke bellowed out of his nostrils. Roebarg said, “Kill her now.” Nostros eyes became red as blood and he opened his mouth showing his five-inch teeth. Jamie was frightened at the sight of this creature that wanted to kill her. Nostros jumped into the air with his wings spread and flew at Jamie with great speed with his sword in front of him. Jamie also jumped into the air to meet her attacker. They both clashed and both are sent flying in opposite directions. Jamie slammed up against a rock while Nostros slides on the ground with a thump.

Dawn was about to break and Dan walked back out to check on Jamie. The cool of the morning was refreshing and Dan took a deep breath and sighed. He looked in the direction in which Jamie had been lying and there was no sign of her. All he saw was a pool of blood mixed with the dirt on the ground. Dan began to get worried and looked around frantically for Jamie. Dan sensed that something was above him and he looked up to see Jamie hovering above him. Dan was in shock and said, “You’re already flying?” “It’s not that hard” as she circled around Dan.

“It took me a little longer to figure it out”

“Well it comes more natural to the female Shurod’s” she said in a sarcastic tone.

Dan huffed, “Whatever”

“How is father doing?”

“He isn’t doing well” he said with a frown on his face.

“What else can we do for him?”

“Pray, just pray” Jamie hovered above Dan.

“Man you really got the hang of it already.”

“Yup, like father said, we females are like butterflies”

“So how was your night?”

“How do you think?” she rolled her eyes.

“Well I know that it was painful for you.”

“It was very painful but these wings are so cool.” she flapped her wings a few times and looked at them.

“This is just the beginning of a new chapter in your life as well as mine.” Jamie landed and looked very disturbed about something.

Dan noticed the mood and said, “What’s wrong?” Jamie started to cry into her hands. Dan stepped closer to her and gave her a hug, “What is it?”

“I had some visions during my transformation about father.”

“What was it?”

“He was killed by Nostros”

“No not possible, where was I?”

“You were nowhere in the vision.”

“Well I will make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Remember what father said to us about God speaking to us in dreams and visions?”

“Yes, but that was just a nightmare”

“I hope you’re right”

“I am.” Dan changed the subject, “So have your figured out how to make your wings fold into your back?”

“Nope, how do you do it?”

“Watch and learn little bird.” Dan shoved his shoulders back, his wings fold up, and then shoved them forward, and they popped back out.

“That looked easy, let me try.” She tried to do it but it took a while for them to retract and emerge again.

“You have to be able to do it like this.” Dan forced his wings out and caused Jamie’s hair to move because of the wind. “Whoa, that was fast”

“Yes, and you will need to master this technique, it can be the difference of life and death. There are some more surprises in store for you sis.” Jamie had a puzzled look on her face, “Like what?”

“Well if Nostros killed our mother, why didn’t the prison gates fly wide open when she was killed? Although you are a Shurod, only the blood of the male Shurod has the power to release the angels from their bondage.”

“That sounds a little sexist doesn’t it?”

“Sexist?”

“Yeah, I mean only your blood can free them, what wrong with mine?”

“You’re kidding right?”

“Well, what are us females not good enough?”

“Come on” Dan said not believing what he was hearing.

“We are just as good as you, aren’t we?”

“Well of course, consider it a blessing that you won’t be drained of your life’s essence” “Well since you put it that way, I guess, good luck.” Jamie laughed.

Dan glared at her. “Are you ready?”

“For what?” Jamie said.

“Well follow the leader of course?”

Jamie got excited, “Lead the way big brother”

Dan laughed and turned around and pushed his wings out, which was very impressive then turned his head to look back at Jamie, “Try to keep up” Dan blasted straight up into the air leaving Jamie in a dust cloud. Jamie waved her arms in front of her face and spit dust out her mouth. “He’s gonna pay for that.” Jamie forced her wings out, leaped into the air, and gave chase after Dan. Dan stopped and hovered about two thousand feet in the air and waited on Jamie. He looked down toward the earth and saw a little spec coming at him fast. Dan’s eyes got big and Jamie flew by him almost hitting him. “What are you doing?” Jamie turned around looked back at Dan. She tried to slow down but she lost control and was spinning out of control. Dan saw what happen and thought to himself, “Got to push the bird out of the nest sometime.” Jamie began to tumble towards the earth screaming at the top of her vocal range. “Dan, help!” Dan watched Jamie fall in front of him and he just looked at her with his hands on his hips and yelled, “Try regaining your balance”. Jamie became frightened because she was just seconds from slamming into the earth. The wind was blowing in her face so hard that it caused her eyes to water. Dan dipped down and caught up with her as Jamie tumbled out of control. Dan shouted, “Try to regain your balance”

“I can’t” she yelled back.

Dan fell with her trying to get her to use her head. “Open your wings; you have them folded up around your body”

“I can’t”

“You can, now do it” Jamie’s fear turned into determination and she pushed her wings out and started to regain some control but was still falling. “See you’re doing well”

Jamie screeched, “What!”

Dan stopped and watched her continue to fall. Jamie saw Dan stop as he begun growing smaller with each foot she fell. Dan yelled, “You can do it” Dan smiled sarcastically. Jamie was about to hit the ground, she closed her eyes. When Dan swooped down and saved her from becoming a permanent resident of the earth. Jamie opened her eyes slowly, looked around, and patted her body. “I’m alive!”

“Yes of course sis” Dan landed and placed Jamie’s feet upon the ground. Jamie stood there for a second shaking. Dan looked at her and smiled. Jamie lunged at Dan hitting him in the chest, “What are you doing, I could have died” Dan laughed again, “Yes you could have”

“That’s not funny Dan”

“You have to learn” he said with a chuckled.

“By almost dying?”

“You needed to experience being out of control when in the air. You have to learn how to recover quickly” Dan began to get serious on her, “This is not a joke Jamie, we are in a very real battle and if you are hit by a demon or an arrow or whatever, you need to be able to regain control quickly.” Then he loosened back up, “Anyway, father told he to do this, he knew that you would follow me because you are so brave” Jamie started to calm down, “He said that, really?”

“Yes, he said that you are just like our mother, brave and bold and a little feisty.” Dan chuckled. Dan stepped closer to Jamie, put his arm around her neck, and said, “You still have much to learn, as well as me. I got you back, what do you think family is for?” “I always wanted a big brother,” Jamie said with a smile on her face.