Half Angel
January 14th, 2008, 12:42 PM
Prologue: Dividing Souls
There she was, watching, waiting. I knew she could feel our presence, any half trained monkey could sense one of us. She knew we were there yet she stayed in her place. Neither looking for an escape route nor shuffling in a panic. She remained still, calm and collected. As long as I could remember, that was how she was. Her ruby eyes focused on one thing: the temple shrine.
I crept further into my hiding place; far enough out that I could pounce out at the slightest sign of trouble, far enough in that she couldn’t see me. My dark, leather clothes tugged on me, asking me to rise. I was crept down, resting the weight of myself and the weapons on my ankles and shins. She was there, not moving though soldiers surrounded her. How could she feel no fear? She ran her long hands down the black coat which covered most of her body. It seemed as though she was searching for something until she shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, “Come from your hiding places!”
My head darted to the left seeing one of my fellow soldier's eyes light up with fear. No sound travelled through the large, dreary temple. You could sense the terror in the eradiating from the soldiers but none stirred. The stain-glass windows let in the only light, just enough light for us to keep an eye on her.
It wasn’t our time to go. The signal did not occur yet still they jumped out at her, sword in hand. We were ordered to wait until she had made her way down the temple, when she was off-guard. Then and only then would we had stood a chance. The captain, wielding a large broadsword and wearing the same dark leather clothing as we did, stood in front of her. “You are under arrest through My Lord Derrasa’s holy decree. Come peacefully or we shall take you by force.”
The soldiers stood in a battle stance, with their swords up to protect their body from any swift attacks.
“Take me,” she half-whispered, only loud enough for the captain to hear.
I grabbed my sword and ran from behind the altar from which I was crouching. Others, who did not come out with the first wave of soldiers, ran out. They barely restrained themselves from screaming, crowding round the woman. All different sizes, shaking together as one united by fear.
“I shall give you one final chance: come or be taken,” he leered at her as she didn’t even flinch at their numbers. There were twenty of us; twenty versus one.
“Foolish, arrogant human!” she flicked her long, lush flame red hair.
Her hands flew to the inside of her coat causing five of the men to come charging at her. She jumped and twirled round, lashing the whip out of its hiding place. The men were shredded, falling to the floor, covered in blood. There, gripped in her gloved hands, was the weapon which brought fear into the soldier’s hearts. A whip with the lash spiked with devilish horns. The hilt was a picture of a lion and the lion’s jaw opened at the lash. When it was released, it never seemed to end. The soldiers closest to her stepped back, glaring at her.
She lashed her weapon out, tearing apart any that got in the way. Those that tried to run and attack her from behind were caught before they got within a yard of her. Soon enough, the temple floor was littered with bodies and drenched in blood. The only ones that remained were the captain and I.
“What are you waiting for private?” The captain swung his broadsword through the air, “attack her!”
“On my own?! I don’t think so,” I protested, staring at the murderous whip.
“Come let us attack together! You shall fight well by my side!” following his orders, we both ran at her.
She swung the whip at her lightning fast speed, yet the captain caught it with his blade. He lunged at her but she jumped in the air and lashed her whip again. This time, she aimed for the broadsword. The barbed lash tangled round the blade of the sword and, with what seemed like minimal effort, she yanked the sword from his hands. As the sword fell to the ground it split in two. She landed behind him and with one final attack, she swung the whip and it wrapped around his legs. She heaved the whip and curled him round to smash him against one of the pillars supporting the temple balcony.
“You should have left when you could human,” she then turned to me. I had stopped when the captain deflected the woman’s blows, “and you shall survive today.”
“What… a…are you…?” the captain muttered in deep pain.
“I am no human. That is what I am.” She turned to me again, “You are but a private? You are capable of far greater things. The ignorance of the humans shall not affect you anymore.”
I couldn’t speak, her eyes were so penetrating that I felt my very soul cowering in fear at her sight.
“Ellia! Why have you done this?” I blurted out, finally gathered enough courage to speak again.
“It was for the best. It is what your father would have wanted,” she began to stroll away, walking up the stairs, “Do not follow me for I may have to kill you. Leave the army for if your life is wasted, many more shall die.”
I didn’t follow her up the stairs. I just watched her go away and find whatever she was looking for. Only the captain knew and he was, for all I knew, dead.
“Private…come…” the captain called and so I briskly walked to him.
He reached into his pocket and pulled a blood dampened parchment.
“Take and…protect it,” he coughed, more blood coming from his mouth.
He laid himself on the floor and closed his eyes. He was not yet dead but he waited it to take him from this world.
I took the parchment and ran from the temple doors. The last image I saw wasn’t the golden shrines which dotted the temple. It wasn’t the statues or the silk curtains. No, it was Ellia. Ellia with her body full of flames.
There she was, watching, waiting. I knew she could feel our presence, any half trained monkey could sense one of us. She knew we were there yet she stayed in her place. Neither looking for an escape route nor shuffling in a panic. She remained still, calm and collected. As long as I could remember, that was how she was. Her ruby eyes focused on one thing: the temple shrine.
I crept further into my hiding place; far enough out that I could pounce out at the slightest sign of trouble, far enough in that she couldn’t see me. My dark, leather clothes tugged on me, asking me to rise. I was crept down, resting the weight of myself and the weapons on my ankles and shins. She was there, not moving though soldiers surrounded her. How could she feel no fear? She ran her long hands down the black coat which covered most of her body. It seemed as though she was searching for something until she shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, “Come from your hiding places!”
My head darted to the left seeing one of my fellow soldier's eyes light up with fear. No sound travelled through the large, dreary temple. You could sense the terror in the eradiating from the soldiers but none stirred. The stain-glass windows let in the only light, just enough light for us to keep an eye on her.
It wasn’t our time to go. The signal did not occur yet still they jumped out at her, sword in hand. We were ordered to wait until she had made her way down the temple, when she was off-guard. Then and only then would we had stood a chance. The captain, wielding a large broadsword and wearing the same dark leather clothing as we did, stood in front of her. “You are under arrest through My Lord Derrasa’s holy decree. Come peacefully or we shall take you by force.”
The soldiers stood in a battle stance, with their swords up to protect their body from any swift attacks.
“Take me,” she half-whispered, only loud enough for the captain to hear.
I grabbed my sword and ran from behind the altar from which I was crouching. Others, who did not come out with the first wave of soldiers, ran out. They barely restrained themselves from screaming, crowding round the woman. All different sizes, shaking together as one united by fear.
“I shall give you one final chance: come or be taken,” he leered at her as she didn’t even flinch at their numbers. There were twenty of us; twenty versus one.
“Foolish, arrogant human!” she flicked her long, lush flame red hair.
Her hands flew to the inside of her coat causing five of the men to come charging at her. She jumped and twirled round, lashing the whip out of its hiding place. The men were shredded, falling to the floor, covered in blood. There, gripped in her gloved hands, was the weapon which brought fear into the soldier’s hearts. A whip with the lash spiked with devilish horns. The hilt was a picture of a lion and the lion’s jaw opened at the lash. When it was released, it never seemed to end. The soldiers closest to her stepped back, glaring at her.
She lashed her weapon out, tearing apart any that got in the way. Those that tried to run and attack her from behind were caught before they got within a yard of her. Soon enough, the temple floor was littered with bodies and drenched in blood. The only ones that remained were the captain and I.
“What are you waiting for private?” The captain swung his broadsword through the air, “attack her!”
“On my own?! I don’t think so,” I protested, staring at the murderous whip.
“Come let us attack together! You shall fight well by my side!” following his orders, we both ran at her.
She swung the whip at her lightning fast speed, yet the captain caught it with his blade. He lunged at her but she jumped in the air and lashed her whip again. This time, she aimed for the broadsword. The barbed lash tangled round the blade of the sword and, with what seemed like minimal effort, she yanked the sword from his hands. As the sword fell to the ground it split in two. She landed behind him and with one final attack, she swung the whip and it wrapped around his legs. She heaved the whip and curled him round to smash him against one of the pillars supporting the temple balcony.
“You should have left when you could human,” she then turned to me. I had stopped when the captain deflected the woman’s blows, “and you shall survive today.”
“What… a…are you…?” the captain muttered in deep pain.
“I am no human. That is what I am.” She turned to me again, “You are but a private? You are capable of far greater things. The ignorance of the humans shall not affect you anymore.”
I couldn’t speak, her eyes were so penetrating that I felt my very soul cowering in fear at her sight.
“Ellia! Why have you done this?” I blurted out, finally gathered enough courage to speak again.
“It was for the best. It is what your father would have wanted,” she began to stroll away, walking up the stairs, “Do not follow me for I may have to kill you. Leave the army for if your life is wasted, many more shall die.”
I didn’t follow her up the stairs. I just watched her go away and find whatever she was looking for. Only the captain knew and he was, for all I knew, dead.
“Private…come…” the captain called and so I briskly walked to him.
He reached into his pocket and pulled a blood dampened parchment.
“Take and…protect it,” he coughed, more blood coming from his mouth.
He laid himself on the floor and closed his eyes. He was not yet dead but he waited it to take him from this world.
I took the parchment and ran from the temple doors. The last image I saw wasn’t the golden shrines which dotted the temple. It wasn’t the statues or the silk curtains. No, it was Ellia. Ellia with her body full of flames.