Heca jolted awake as he felt someone brush past his bed. Blair was sneaking out of their room. Stood by the door, Gabe motioned Blair to join him, but as Heca struggled up, the two warriors froze.
'What are you two doing?' he asked.
His suspicions rose further as Gabe failed to reply with a witty remark. 'I'll only ask once more.' Heca warned.
As he pushed his duvet away, Cay grumbled and then the light flickered on.
'No more night drills, term hasn't even started yet.' he moaned.
Blair and Gabe swapped concerned looks and then Gabe opened the bedroom door. He motioned for Cay and Heca to get up.
'Something's up at Angelus. I came for Blair because I was planning on investigating.' Gabe confessed.
In a rush of movement that lasted less than a minute, Heca and Cay were dressed, their uniforms for once correctly assembled. As Cay went to rouse Proteus, his cousin grumbling as adamantly as Cay had, Heca felt unease wrap around his muscles. He spared a glance out their dorm window, a dark smoke and occasional flicker of amber flame was visible even from their castle.
'That does not look good.' he muttered as the five of them snuck out of their dorm.
On the stairwell, they were practically mowed over by Adonis and Morgana. The two Demi-Gods-to-be came charging down from the dorm above the warriors' one. Heca spotted the look the two swapped with Gabe and Blair.
He knew exactly what the four were worried about. The same fear had leached, unbidden, into his mind since he had seen the smoke curling up from Angelus Academy's courtyard.
No words were spoken but as Adonis punched Heca in the shoulder, he relaxed little. A good little band of rebellious students. The seven of them moved with the shadows of the keep, racing towards First Hall. As they reached it, an intimidating voice stopped them dead.
'More students out of their dorms after hours I see,' Headmaster Thantos strode towards them, Heca waited as the headmaster turned his gaze over each rule breaker in turn, 'get inside then.' he finished gesturing to the First Hall.
A handful of students were already inside, Heca hovered near the Masters as Angelus Marie entered the room. The Angelus raised her hands and created a mirror in the air. It stretched out like a TV screen and after a moment a picture flickered, it looked down on the keep of the other academy. The room fell deathly silent.
The accumulated students and Masters waited, and soon enough their worst imaginings appeared within the vheil. There was fire in the courtyard, Horde littered the surrounding woods and attacked at the walls of the keep. Luckily most of the Pheral Horde seemed to be working on destroying the imposing oak doors, closed against them.
Only a few were impatient enough to scale the walls and force themselves into the courtyard. Their strength would diminish in doing so.
As what they were watching dissolved into the keep itself, the image in the vheil fell on the Angyali tutors, who were all fuelling protection summons to the dorms in the turrets and the inner oak doors to their entrance.
With a flicker, the vheil shuddered and left scene within the Sanctum of Angyali abruptly. The Masters glanced at Marie; their gazes sharp.
'I'm not doing that, the mirror chooses its focal point for the portal... Something powerful is drawing its point of conveyance.' she murmured, her eyes never leaving the screen.
The image refocused and Angelus Marie gasped. Four students were running along the North West corridor, heading for the levanto marble staircase. Pheral Horde, the most volatile and distorted of daemons were forming, beginning to ooze out of the shadows within the keep entranceway. Although they were struggling to manifest, the protection barrier weakening them, distorting their form... Their numbers rose as they were getting through.
The Angelus candidates reached their destination of the main staircase, which was as yet empty of Horde. The group watching the scene saw them swap caring glances, before seeming to centre themselves. One of the candidates mutely summoned weapons, the male in question handing them to the remaining candidates as he summoned, the rune on the back of his hand glowed in the dimly lit main hallway.
Then the four dived forwards. Heca baulked as the image sharpened. One of the students was a raven haired beauty he had not been able to stop from filling his thoughts and had been praying was not in harm's way.
He watched as they began cutting down and destroying the first wave of forming daemons, who were an obvious message from their only master, they cleared it quite swiftly but already more were forcing their way through the defenses. His mind focused. Heca had to get to the other school.
'Headmaster Thantos we have to help them.' he remarked, turning to Thantos. The Headmaster had been watching the screen, a dark storm growing on his face.
'Those mentees? Who are they?' he asked in a commanding voice.
Thantos caught Heca in a stern glare but Heca merely shook his head a fraction. After a beat of silent observation, the stern gaze moved on. Heca glanced at Adonis and Gabe as the pair shifted. They, along with Blair and Morgana came forward their faces proud and ashamed in one.
'We have been meeting with them since last term in the valley. Teaching them...' Morgana offered watching the Headmaster.
'They must have felt the duty to fight.' Adonis muttered.
His gaze was locked on the screen, and Heca felt his need to get to the Academy matched by the look Adonis wore. There was someone of importance on that screen for Adonis also.
In the image, the two girls and infamous male angelus candidates continued trying to stop the entrance hall of their castle from becoming overrun. They were putting up a good fight, even Heca could see that, but they were going to be overwhelmed, soon.
'Evangeline!' Master Rivas shouted as he hurried into the room with Master Elroy and Kleio jogging up behind him.
Heca watched Morgana clap Kleio on the back, he was instantly glad he wasn't that close yet with her as the girl shot Morgana a look that bellowed why-in-Heh-el-did-you-leave-me-?!
Clearly a little ashamed she had not woken her up when they first left, Heca watched as Morgana nudged her friend and put a most apologetic face on. Gabe had been watching too, they grinned at each other, as Kleio scowled for a moment then let out a quiet scoff, which Heca took to mean, yeah, you're an idiot but I forgive you. Then everyone returned their attention back to the Headmaster.
Thantos took one final look at the mirror, before turning to the congregation behind him. Heca met his gaze as it fell on him again.
'Okay; Rivas. Take your best combat students and this mirror vheil to Angelus. Delacruz send a summons to your sister and her Intra Terci-- ' glancing at the screen again a tight smile flashed over Thantos' features '--It seems they have already arrived.'
Delacruz turned to the screen and smiled.
'Of course. I'll go with Rivas.' he stated.
'Fine. Farrow, Elroy awaken the rest of the students who are back and weapon up. Take the quickest route from here to Angelus Academy. You have at most fifteen minutes to get there.' Thantos commanded as Masters' Elroy and Farrow sprinted from their First Hall, 'Rivas have you chosen your students?' he questioned.
'Only ten can use this type of vheil.' Angelus Marie murmured; her eyes still focused on the image above them all.
Thantos motioned for Master Rivas to move towards him and Angelus Marie as Masters Delacruz and Hallow rushed for a weapons rooms hidden behind one of the artwork hangings in the entrance hall.
'Heca, Adonis, Gabe, Morgana, Kleio, Blair, Proteus and Cay. To me.' Rivas ordered.
The names seemed to come on instinct as he didn't shift his gaze from the vheil. Heca grinned at the others, glad it was the eight of them picked. When Hallow and Delacruz returned with a weapons chest, Heca moved to pick up his usual sword but Headmaster Thantos stopped him. The intimidating man grabbing hard onto Heca's wrist.
'Take the falchion.'
Heca felt pride swell as he was handed the weapon. That Thantos felt he deserved to wield it made him determined to destroy every last Horde in the Angelus keep. Heca held the blade reverently and nodded towards Thantos, his gaze thankful and humbly moved.
Heca made a quick promise to himself, his fingers running over the tattoo shapes on his arm. His angelus was in danger, it was time to show that the tattoos she had gifted him were not ill placed. Thantos looked at the handful of students as they took their places on the podium at the end of the room.
'This is your first true test. Stay safe, good luck.'
*
Heca had never vheil shifted before. As they landed heavily at the top of the marble staircase in Angelus Academy, he had to resist the biggest urge to chunder. With a brief 'eugh' noise escaping him, he cast the feeling aside as the ten of them pounced into action.
'Heca, Adonis! Get the girls out of here! Blair help Zeru. Morgana! Gabe! Try cutting off their entrances. Kleio, help protect Aurelia while she summons! Delacruz, you and I will help Orion. Proteus, Cay do a perimeter sweep, see how many have slipped through!' Rivas yelled orders as they barrelled down the staircase.
Every person the Master had just commanded shouted some form of yes sir just as chaos erupted.
The second, much larger wave of Pheral Horde was upon them. Noise and chaos filled the entrance hall; wood buckled and groaned, howls crashed with growls and the battle soundtrack rumbled deep in every chest.
Heca heard Evangeline scream as a Horde landed on top of her, knocking the weapon from her hands and making to rip her throat. His beautiful new weapon sliced through the scum with such ease he didn't feel any resistance.
The tarlike gunk that spurted from the dead Pheral carcass informed Heca of two things;
1- these Horde were somewhat advanced.
2- As he had always been warned: they were disgusting.
Heca pulled Evangeline to her feet, pushing her cleaving quarterstaff back into her hands. She, already splattered with the black slime, shouted over the noise.
'Gods, the smell, right? Odour de perfume; burnt rubber and dead fish!'
Her smile at registering him threw his mind for a nanosecond, as did her joke. Then, seeing the beginnings of fear in her eyes, his job hammered his thoughts.
'Come on! We gotta get you out of here!'
'No way, I'm not leaving the others.' she retorted.
The look in her eyes stamped out her panic. She slashed the edge of her blade across the torso of a Horde forming in the shadows beside her as Heca felt his temper flare.
'I don't have time to argue with you!' he growled.
'I agree.' she smiled.
A deep gash on her hairline made a trickle of blood curve down her face. She suddenly shoved him right and her quarterstaff went straight into the gut of a Horde hurtling at them.
'Shit!' he bellowed.
'Stay safe warrior boy!' she shouted tiredly back.
With a whirl of her staff, it came around slashing another daemon running towards the back of another fighting candidate.
Heca blinked, taking a second to admire her courage, then returned to the battle in hand. He watched out for Evangeline, parrying around her so she was never exposed. They fought hard and the onslaught of Horde – like ants pouring from an anthill – began to lessen.
Heca and Adonis had both been unsuccessful in removing the two girls from battle but as they bore the scratches, grazes and gashes of the fight, none of the candidates wavered. The girls fought hard and although far less skilled than the Warriod students and impressively Orion, both managed to stay out of real harm.
Heca focused on his talent for combat and hardly noticed the swiftness of his attacks, but in a moment of respite, he caught Evangeline's impressed face watching him. A glowing pride erupted in his chest; she felt protected because of him. The thought thundered through his mind and his chest puffed out in delight.
Locking eyes with her for a moment, the beaming smile she gave him made his gut clench and other areas inappropriately flare to life.
A Horde latched onto his back and the moment passed, Adonis hacked the Horde off him, narrowly skimming Heca's skin.
More minutes passed and the Horde battalion seemed eradicated. Evangeline collapsed onto the floor, breathing hard; she tossed aside her weapon searching for some non-splattered piece of clothing to wipe the blood and Horde remains off her face. Heca kept his defensive stance but looked her over subtly, allowing himself a moment to feel relief. Yep, she was safe and mostly unscathed.
'Holy crud, intense!' she commented.
Morgana and Blair tumbled down next to her, both laughing at her quip. DeeDee slumped down on Evangeline's other side pulling Adonis with her. Heca noticed that all the people in the grand entryway gravitated to where Evangeline had plonked herself after the fight. Even the Intra Terci moved towards the group of students.
'Thank gods you lot showed up, it was getting a little close for comfort.' DeeDee smiled, flicking Adonis's hair from his face.
'Aurelia it's great to see you, but did it have to be such a dramatic entrance?' Evangeline was asking the Angelus, panting nearby.
Her Warrior and Demi God were seemingly unscathed but she had a few scratches and seemed exhausted from the protective casts she must have placed on the lot of them.
'Ahh, I had to try and top your drama.' she smiled at Evangeline.
Heca felt there was more to that comment than met the eye. He observed the big sisterly look on the Angelus' face as she gave Evangeline a quick squeeze.
'Got a long way to go. . .' Evangeline grinned.
Her glance fell then on Heca and the smile he was beginning to see as his personal one, came to him across the group of them.
She motioned for him to come and sit with her, but he shifted his weight and shook his head, his eyes returning to sweeping the keep.
'The fire outside is nearly dealt with, Master Elroy and most of the students arrived a few minutes ago eradicating the remainder of the battalion. Farrow and the final group of students are just clearing the surrounding forest, but it's nearly under control.' Master Delacruz murmured to Master Rivas who was checking over the area as well.
'Inside seems clear.'
'Next move?' Delacruz asked.
He ruffled Evangeline's hair as he passed. Heca's back stiffened, the easy intimacy between the two irked him somehow.
'Send Master Elroy to the Sanctum of Angyali, let the tutors know it's okay to pull back the new protection casts. Then he can join you to go with the Intra Terci and sweep the entire keep. I'll take the students back and report to Thantos. Did he go to the council yet?'
'I don't think so; he sent a message then helped Marie place protection on Warriod. In case this was a distraction.' Master Elroy interjected.
He had entered the hallway, passing through the keep and sauntered towards the staircase leading to the sacred Sanctum of Angyali after swapping inaudible words with Delacruz.
'This wasn't an attack with a purpose... I think it was a warning.' Aurelia told the group at large. 'Or, and this is worse; it was just a reminder of His power.' she conceded.
Heca glanced at the others, all of whom had grown quiet listening to the teachers' discussion. Master Delacruz rolled his shoulders out and followed the Intra Terci towards the staircase to begin their sweep. Heca watched them until a raised voice drew him back to the group collected in the entrance.
'What the hell were you candidates thinking?' Master Rivas roared, gripping Evangeline in particular and giving her a shake, 'You could have been killed!'
'Get off! They were not getting into our school. We had to fight.' Evangeline snapped as she shrugged out of his hold.
The Warriod students were collectively stunned. Master Rivas was never riled up. Moreover, no one snapped at him. Ever. Like seriously, never ever!
'You are an Angelus in training NOT a Warrior or a Demi God. It was idiotic and naive to take on a Horde battalion! Your wings could be at risk! '
'Don't throw purity bull at me. I know the gamble but I trust my actions. I'm hardly injured, and without us stalling them here, you would have had a much bigger issue on your hands!' Evangeline shouted.
Her hands fisted and found their way to a stubborn position on her hips.
'Why's Master Rivas going off at a candidate he doesn't know?' Blair muttered behind Heca.
Zeru laughed softly and everyone closed in on him as he whispered.
'I think any uncle would react that way when their only remaining family behaves so recklessly.'
'Evangeline is related to Master Rivas?' Cay choked.
Heca felt the same shock and horror drench him. He was suddenly very guilty about the not so innocent, but completely unavoidable thoughts he'd had about said future Angelus.
'God help the poor buggers who form an Intra Terci with that girl.' Kleio smiled.
A look of amusement passed between her and Morgana. Heca nodded at her words, watching as their Master continued to bicker with Evangeline.
*
Almost half an hour later, the group that had come by vheil were ready to leave.
Master Rivas dismissed them and after warning Adonis, Morgana, Gabe and Blair that a meeting about their unauthorised trips to Angyali Valley was imminent, he then gave them a rare piece of praise.
'You all did your bloodlines proud tonight.'
All of them knew it would be unwise to try to speak with the Angelus candidates, currently being chewed out by two of their tutors. Heca and the other seven Warriod students left the keep, still armed, the group headed towards the battered oak doors of its entrance.
A soft call from the keep made Heca throw a look over his shoulder. Evangeline was hurrying down the keep steps, so he hung back, curious. A beautiful smile broke over her face as she saw him stopping, so she slowed and seemed, almost, to saunter towards him.
'You should be at the infirmary.' he scolded.
His fingertips brushed over the gash at her hairline before he could stop them. She smiled. Then leaning forward she made a soft noise between a chuckle and a disbelieving exhale of breath, which Heca had no idea how to interpret. As he tried to form a thought on what the sound meant, she pitched closer and kissed him.
Heca was not the type of person who got shocked around women. But with a silly manic flutter of his eyelashes, he was thrown.Her lips were velvet soft against his, the gentle pressure against his mouth faded then returned as she melted into the kiss. His hand came up to cup her face, his brain screaming to return the embrace, but as he did, the hand on his chest pushed him away.
'For saving my life. . .' she whispered.
With that she stole away from him. Heca waited for her to turn and look back, she didn't and he was more than a little disappointed.
~
YOU ARE READING
Risen: Beginning of a Legacy
FantasyHidden within the world of mortals, the offspring of legends, of immortals and those beings thought to be only myth, begin to join the war. An ongoing secret battle between two ancient brothers, who keep the entire world in balance. Legacy; a fragme...
