Monday, early the sun shone in through the spaces between the windows. Such a day could hold countless possibilities. Death being one of them, the classroom was silent, a few days ago some girls had come in with scratches, and one even had a sprained wrist. Most people were thinking they had run afoul of something wicked prowling the night, more rational people suggested a dog attack was several times more likely. The class was bursting speculations, except Navix a skinny, brown-skinned boy who hardly talked in class, always seeming occupied with the goings on outside the window or caught up in his own world. The occurrences had a common factor, all were out at night , but no one ever realized that whoever was killed or injured was out after the curfew of sundown. Navix kept silent, despite everyone was in a total uproar, spewing nonsense theories. He wished to show them what really went on in the night, the real reasons of the happenings, but he could not. Few would believe and fewer trust ‘that strange kid who never talks’. Everyone knew at least one person who had been killed, often friends or in some cases siblings. He sighed, bored wishing to fall asleep and forget where he was.1

It was a similar story every few days; the injuries never seemed to get old. That is until someone died, the community where they came from would be in full witch hunt mode for the following few days, resulting in several more deaths.2

Will they never learn? He asked himself, a few people twitched their heads in his direction. I won’t be missing them. He joked. Navix spend his days idling from class to class, hardly looking as though he cared, and spat out semi-excellent grades when it came time to be tested. He spent his time hating the day, waiting for its polar opposite, but then dreading its arrival. Having friends was very difficult for him, knowing they could die overnight and never be seen again, most of them only used him as a way to vent their feelings and frustrations, though he was often met with ‘Are you listening to me’ his detailed response of what they said quieted them, often ended with the answer ‘I’m waiting for you to finish, I’ll tell you what I think when you’re done.’ His days at school, felt as though he wasted them, weekends were far more enjoyable if not only due to the freedom of being able to go where he wanted and when. Saturday, he sat alone at a table in the mall not far from his home, listening to music in vain hopes of tuning out the outside world.3

We walk amongst you feeding; raping must we hide from everyone … everyone!!! A voice exploded in his mind. Navix looked up.4

Sun was rapidly setting; there was total peace in this island’s suburban streets. Children were being rushed inside; doors slammed shut, locked and bolted. Life ceased within a few minutes. No details to say people were once there, cars were locked in the garages, no light no miniscule detail saying any life could have once been there. There was just an unnerving silence all about, one neighborhood.5

Tales of ‘Do not go outside after dark, demons, monsters and all messengers of the devil lurk about’ were common in such households, it kept wise children inside, other who went out learnt a harsh lesson, smarter ones who stood inside managed to catch a glimpse of the nightly goings on. They never did dare look outside once more.6

“It’s a little close to sundown for you to be lazing around isn’t it?” Talir asked. 7

“I’m fine; I know my way around here Talir.”8

“You live far from here Navix, do not do anything stupid.” Navix looked up to his friend. She was short, had dark skin and hair that was cut just above her shoulders. He couldn’t find the will to look at her clothes. He was hearing more voices now.9

He made a gesture to say goodbye and ran from the table at the mall. He went down the sidewalk, running on the grass instead of the pavement, darkness was coming on too quickly to pay attention to the rules this society. A few guards attempted to stop him as he sped, blowing whistles and shouting descriptions of him to comrades. He could hear the conversations with increasing clarity despite being at least fifteen meters away from them. He wished they would flee to their houses like good cowards.10

His speed was picking up, Navix was afraid the last rays of sun would down before he could escape. A black-uniformed guard was now tailing him; he was now desperately scrambling through the parking lot. Any Good Samaritan would attempt to stop him, a brown-skinned kid with a dark-blue hooded jacket drawn close, running from a guard. Navix cursed the perfection of it all.11

“Listen punk, stop or I’ll have no choice, but to shoot.” Navix turned back and hissed at him, he was slowly losing control. They were drawing close to a fence, gunshots were fired. Though Navix remained unhurt, he bounded up the ten foot tall barrier, covering half of it in one bound, locking his foot into a space between the wire netting and covered the remainder of the fence. The guard lost sight of him amongst the treetops. “What do they feed these kids?” He asked in awe.12

Navix did not stop fleeing for a while, he ran amongst the bushes, shrubs and leaf-litter. He vainly wished to oust the voices from his skull, though the swirled around like a maddening tornado each time he tried to be rid of them. Some called his name, some seemed concerned with matters of their own, and most of them were gibberish, unintelligible amongst each other’s chatter.13

Kill, hunt kill, the angels wait for you … Hunt, Kill. We know you hear us Navix, hunt kill, the angels come now.14

“Shut up.”15

Do not resist 16

“Shut up.”17

It is either you kill the angels or they kill you. 18

Navix had enough, it was dark now. The primal urges would take over quickly, not that he had a say in it. Navix gave up getting onto all fours he walked in circles like a forest-creature. His nails lengthened to talons with which he used to rip his clothes away, fur sprouted from every inch of his body which elongated and turned black. He was no longer human. He was a bat-creature, standing seven feet tall at the shoulder, with a large clump of messy hair like a lion’s mane around his upper torso. His wings were long to the point of being stick-like, and at the first joint thin fingers protruded from them. His eyes were a glowing red and his maw was filled with saliva-covered teeth, reminiscent of swords. His lengthy sinew-like tail had a few sharpened bones jutting from it. He was a complete beast of war.19

Crawling like the enraged beast he was, stalked through the forested region looking in every direction for a clearing, so he could take to the night skies. Navix enjoyed flying, but the demon’s impulse was always a looming threat to him. He cruised over nearby districts, scanning the ground for movement; it took a few minutes to find what he looked for. His wing membranes flapped like sails as he rode the night air.20

Below a group of armored teenage-looking girls and boys stood in neat rows and columns, ten by four foot shields out in defense of them all as a barrier to the creatures facing them. Pale, eyeless, four legged monsters so wrinkled their flesh seemed to be a crumpled amalgam of skin and fat, basic demons. Navix vaguely remembered what it was like to be one of them, it was disgusting. Alongside the basic demons, crimson-skinned jackal-like creatures, with slavering mouths, vicious teeth and a high-pitched cackle which broke the night, clearly audible from Navix’s height, advanced demons his attempts to remember what that was like was thwarted by their what their minds processed.21

Within moments the basic demons tossed their bodies onto the shield-wall the metal of their suits grinded against the asphalt beneath their feet as they were pushed back by the creature’s hard skulls, like clockwork the advanced demons hopped over the first line moving with such elegance and speed shields could not be raised before the angels were down. Ranks broke into chaos as the basic angels stepped away from their fallen allies and the first line was decimated as they tripped over the bodies of the dying. Basic demons clawed and smashed. They lingered over the corpses, mangling them beyond recognition as a humanoid. The advanced demons hopped over the angel’s defenses once more, a boy tapped a dark-brown wooden staff on the floor. Lightning surged across the demon’s bodies and sent them reeling back. The angels regrouped while the demons licked their wounds and the basics ripped out and pleasured themselves on the waste-ridden entrails of the down angels.22

Navix dropped from the sky, his back legs snatched two basic angels by the throat and his tail sliding forward and back, giving concussions to those who survived the neck-slitting bones. He raised his wings at a high angle to keep them out of the swords and pike’s reach. As he rose again he clunked the captive soldiers’ heads together and discarded them, before reaching to snatch another from the ground. She screamed and stabbed vainly with her sword, missing with each shaky flap of Navix’s wings. He used the nearby mansion as a perch, tossing her from his leg to one of his hands before landing, jarring her sword from her grip as a side-effect.23

He felt his human side creep back into power, Navix found himself in her shoes, staring at this bat thing that could scarcely control the slobber flowing from its jaws, finding its piercing contorted stare a horror. The effects of killing angels ran their course on his body, curved black spikes jutted from his wings. He held the girl out and severed her throat with them, he let go but grabbed her by the leg as she fell, softening her landing. Her body was still in the shape of a human; though her neck was ripped open to the point her vertebrae were quite visible. A meteor of white gas struck Navix, sending him off balance, and numbing his left wing. His human part was knocked out of control, he pounced off of his perch and dove into the ranks of angels, streamlining his body and aiming the strikes directly for the one who attacked him. More meteors flew from the dark, Navix extended his good wing and span around them, but the focus was still on him. He tried to gain altitude with his right wing, speeding out of range.24

Heavy footsteps coming at a galloping pace turned their attention back to the basic demons that were done feasting. Their skulls crashed against the steel shields, cracks were heard, and doubt began to set it. The remainder held their shields horizontally and gave the rows the impression of an armored beetle. Advanced demons hopped the first row of shields and clambered around on the shields. From the night a black wolf, nearly invisible as it ran it would be if not for the red ended hairs around its face and most of its torso. It howled, a long horrific note, basic angels could feel it cool down their blood; some could even feel their heart-rate slow. The ones with demons atop their shields gave way to their weight. Collapsing to the ground within seconds, the jackal-like demons ripped at their throats and commenced to attack those around them. Resulting in their deaths, via impalement, the front lines painted a better picture for the demons. The pressing basics had pushed back the defense and sent them to the ground. The wolf around them began barking savagely, almost to the point of roaring at the angels. Several of whom began to bleed from their eyes and nose, and it became more profuse as it continued to bark, many began backing up, now entirely afraid.25

Navix was not to be left out, swooped back, his left wing only had enough feeling for him to outstretch it and draw it into him. As he approached, his vision changed he could see auras emanate from the angels, a light blue hue, but among them a nature-green hue stood out … two those who had attacked him. He flapped with his right wing and extended his legs, ripping apart shields and scattering them as he aimed for the advanced angels. 26

Far too easy to snatch. 27

He had them in a moment, a simple task in the retreating crowd. As he had them, he tried to pull up and escape. It was a difficult task and he could feel his tendons wish to give way, a heat, then wetness. He was being attacked.28

The source was his felt leg. The angel still had his staff and was jabbing wildly as his leg. Navix dropped low, raising his right leg so his other captive would survive. Then smashed his attacker into the floor, he was a hideous pile of crushed meat and bone. 29

Whatever was used to numb his left wing wore off as the angel died. He picked up and drifted amongst the sky. You are noticeably silent, are you that afraid?30

“I do not fear you, dark creature.”31

My girl, I am not dark … only misunderstood. After all it is you who persecute us, we would fight among ourselves if not for you.32

“Stop trying to draw sympathy from me, it won’t work.”33

I do not care, if you showed less disdain I would possibly spare you , but even now your hatred speak volumes though you are … silent!!! Navix tossed her, down to the floor. Enjoying her strident screams, he waited for her to begin crying before falling to reclaim her. I will no longer prolong your suffering now your time is at its end. He landed atop a bell-tower raised her to his mouth, and crunched on her body.34

Dong, dong , and dong the clock sounded.35

“Three … and I’m wasted already … I must be losing my touch.” Navix said in a gravelly tone, before flying off to his home to rest.36

Navix landed and turned back to human outside of his house, one of the town houses that looked exactly like its neighbors, a white two storey brick house, attached to a chain of others. He turned the knob, only to find it was locked, without a movements thought he stepped back and ran at the wall, before jumping to his bedroom window on the second floor. He opened it, and slid through before going to his bed.37

“Navix!!!” “You’re home late again you haven’t been attacked nor do you believe in demons, but if I catch you coming in once more before twelve so help me …” Navix slammed the door and went back to sleep.