Risen: Beginning of a Legacy

Chapter Thirty: Morgana

Easter was Morgana's favourite holiday. Her only weakness, well 'acceptable' weakness was chocolate. Only a few days away now, Morgana chose to focus on the swift arrival of chocolate instead of the upcoming exams once the Easter break was over. which, was causing her more stress and worry than any other exam period in her life of education. She smiled to herself at the irony of how no matter the subject, schools in every realm of the world put upon students pressurised two hour blocks of time to prove what they were learning went in. As if in her future she would sit down and battle a Horde by using a multiple-choice test.
     She hurried around the dorm, multiple books in one arm and a cup of extra strong coffee in the other. She barely noticed the bells alerting her that she had missed breakfast and should be, if not in class, at least en route to it.
     'Oh bugger it,' she muttered into the empty dorm.Her headache hadn't let up and she ached all along her spine. The training session the previous afternoon must have taken more out of her than she thought.
     Her phone went off as she rushed out of the dorm and headed down the stairwell. She shifted the books and dug out her phone, smiling at the device as she saw the flashing message on screen. Orion... His message was short. A simple challenge informing Morgana that they would have quite a sparring session later.
     She pocketed her mobile, smiling as she hurried along a maze of corridors until she reached the History classroom. She ducked her head at the teacher, already beginning to talk at them, and slipped into the seat next to Blair. Subtly taking a sweep of the classroom she noticed Eros in the far corner, his stormy gaze fixed on the rainy weather outside.
     'Cutting it more than fine today huh, Morgana?' Blair muttered, taking the necessary book from her pile and opening it up for her.
     'Ahhh, its fine, history will always be there. It can't really go anywhere now can it?!' she teased and grabbed one of his several pens.
     'So, what's on the agenda today?'
Blair gave her a withering look as a paperclip collided with her temple. On glancing to her left, she saw Heca poke his tongue at her and motion her to shut up. She scrunched up her face and peeking out her tongue at him back, shook her head back and forth, before finally settling down to their class.
     'Today is your last lesson of term, and final exams begin after the Easter holidays. However, before we recap your studies, I want to introduce you to the topic which you will research over the summer break in preparation for next semester.' their tutor explained.
     Morgana rolled her eyes towards her notebook. They hadn't even got through final exams and already the Masters wanted to waste brain space with second year information? As if studying for the current exams wasn't time consuming enough?
     Morgana doodled on her pad, refusing to look at the information sheet she had been passed. Silence filled the room while the class waited for the topic to be announced.
     'Elysium Fall.'
The silence continued as the class took in the words. Morgana straightened in her seat, sensing every student in the room had done similar.
     The fall of The Unspoken One.
     The part of history that began it all.
Morgana had only heard half stories and rumours of his life before the Fall. The life this evil deity had lived before he gave it all up; for power and desires too selfish and devastating Morgana didn't like to dwell on, the rest did however, interest her. As equally as it awed and terrified.
     'Elysium Fall; the core reason we hybrid of souls are called on to defend Earth from the horror of his realms,' she paused as a few students muttered displeasure. They instantly fell silent when her gaze turned to them. 'It is a part of our history you should become well versed in. For only in knowing the past and its mistakes can we forge a better future.' Master Lilith continued.
     Her sharp eyes flicked around the students, watching for reactions. Morgana furrowed her brow a little. What was it that she seemed to be searching for in her students faces?
     'If, as you just said, it's that important to our training, our studies, why did we not start our learning with it? Why bother to start us with the origins of Heh-el and the other three playnes? Which one affects Reckoning more?' Heca's voice, tumbling from thought to thought, was too loud in the hushed classroom.
     Morgana glanced at Blair and she saw his gaze was as glad of Heca's questions as Morgana. Like most demi god candidates she knew a little more than most on Reckoning or Judgement as followers of The Unspoken One called it.
     The Three Alliances had confirmed that only the vessels Death and War were at the Unspoken One's side. Death, the ArcAngelus Lucifer had fallen soon after his Master. Morgana didn't know how much the Angyali were taught on that fallen ArcAngelus' history, but Morgana had only learnt the bare minimum.
     His notoriety, his legend seeped into most of Earth's history, even the history that regular humans learn. Some even believed him to be the evillest Daemon the world had known... If only Death was the worst of the four Vessels.
     Almost 19 years ago, during the last uprising attempt, their world had learned that the vessel of War had been awakened. However, even the most experienced Intra Terci had never seen War in the flesh. Only the aftermath of that Vessel's power had been witnessed.
     '--It had always been said that once the final disciples were found; his third and fourth vessels of Darklore, The Unspoken One could manipulate himself freedom from the Primordial's contract. And the four chosen vessels would unleash Reckoning.'
     Master Lilith had been talking, and Morgana refocused, aware she needed to take in every word whatever, in reality terms, Reckoning meant, she thought to herself.
     However, in the oldest families of their world, the closeted Judgement prophecy was sometimes shared with candidates when they began at Warriod. Morgana wondered if Master Lilith, as a Warrior, would impart the same words to the class Morgana received when she was about to join the school. She seriously doubted it.
     Master Lilith was looking hard at Heca as she drew in a breath to continue. Her face only just showing the internal debate going on. She was a Master unlike any other, a rare blend of Fallen Angelus and Horde nearly three hundred years old. Her history almost as rich as the history of Warriod itself.She had fought beside ArcAngelus Uriel and Angelus Marguerite at the last major uprising. Her daemonic side a wild card that, after proving herself in control of the Horde within her soul, the Elysium Conclave granted her amnesty from the usual penalty of such unions.
     'Reckoning; the oncoming apocalypse. If legend is to be believed; the Elysium Conclave, who foresee all in matters of this playne and the ones not under Darklore control, foretold that one day, the evil filling the dark and sinful realms of Heh-el, will force the rise of four ultimate Horde. Four vessels that the Unspoken One will claim as his own and fill each with his malice, his rage...' their History Master paused. The uncertainty in her eyes faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. For one quiet moment she looked at the students in front of her in thoughtful silence. However, she had started her speech, all that Master Lilith could do now was finish it.
     'In most singular God religions these are known as Pestilence, War, Famine and Death. The Vessel of Death, Lucifer, is known to be claimed and most Intra Terci are certain War is also awakened, although as I'm sure you know, none have seen the vessel in the flesh. All I want to you be concerned with today, is that Reckoning is a puzzle not yet whole, and perhaps it is destined to never be, in my view the world is run by balance. Sadly, evil must preserve to balance the good and that is all we can truly be, Warriors of keeping balance. Others think differently...' her voice faded for a moment and then Master Lilith came out of her private thoughts and her vision cleared of personal pain, 'The only full part of this prophecy that has been agreed upon without doubt is this; once the final Herald awakens, Judgement begins.'

                                                             *

Morgana's aching limbs had not been soothed from spending the morning in classrooms. The discussion from their morning History class hung in the air, so much so that Morgana barely registered Sociology.
     The lesson passed in a blur of revision and prep for the upcoming exams. Although Blair had departed for unarmed combat after their eventful first period, Heca sat beside her now, a mirrored far off look in his gaze as well.
     As the lunch bells rang out, the classroom seemed to jolt back into the present. Morgana collected her things and gripped onto Heca's wrist. She tugged him into a shadowy curve of the corridor as they moved with the many others towards First Hall.
     'What we learned this morning, I doubt all the History groups will receive quite the same lecture,' she began, trying to order her thoughts into coherent sentences.
     'Agreed, we are still being shielded from something.' Heca muttered.
Both he and Morgana paused talking as Adonis doubled back. He had spent most of their last class trying to get the two of them to engage. Neither had been able to stop themselves from drifting back into the thoughts left to them after their first lesson. As he reached them now, a question in his eyes and the grin dropped into a firm line, Morgana glanced at Heca then signalled Adonis to follow her into an empty classroom, where she took a deep breath and prepared to relay the latest update to him.
     Adonis sank onto the desk, his bag slipping off his shoulder and thudded to the floor.
     'I kinda knew Reckoning coming to pass hinged on four of our kind choosing team evil... but still... How can we know so little about how to stop this oncoming genocide?' he muttered, one of his hands rubbing over his face. 'We should tell the others, I mean, if Master Lilith believes War is definitely awake, I'm inclined to believe a Horde slash Fallen on this. And we all know our folks are feeling a shift in everything to do with this Legacy thing.'
     Adonis flicked his gaze between Morgana and Heca. For a moment they were all quiet. Since Heca had collected his dorm and most of Morgana's together, to ask about Legacy information for the Angyali candidates, they'd all started to pay attention and something was stirring in the long war that the hybrid world had been fighting.
     'Or at least, tell those we trust.' Adonis added into the silence.
Morgana had to agree with him on that proviso, Darklore had already broken into their valley twice, spreading this knowledge too quickly could cause panic.
     In Warriod alone there were close to a hundred candidates. Most from dwindling bloodlines and minimal ties to the ethereal world, hidden within Earth's humanity. Although all within its walls could take up the war ahead, not all remained part of this fight. As was their right, their choice to make.
     The Primordial had lost his own blood because, above all else, he believed in free will. His one unyielding rule. Each must choose for themselves how to live. Morgana chewed at her nail as the two boys debated who to update first.
     'Evangeline needs to know,' Morgana cut in. 'We all know that there is something about that girl. As insane as it seems, she ties into all this somehow.'
     When Heca and Adonis nodded without hesitation. Morgana would have smiled at their obvious connection to the girl; if the weight of their lesson hadn't been so heavy in her blood.
     'I'll talk to Orion during my lesson with him later. The group of Angyali that signed up for 'Combat Boot Camp' over the break will undoubtedly contain Evangeline and co. I say we get them all in one place maybe the warrior's dorm and tell them then. See if they can add to this jigsaw.'
     The boys nodded and Morgana felt a deep breath escape. She rolled out her shoulders as they exited the dim classroom and moved fast towards lunch and good food, and for Morgana; an afternoon with her favourite Cherokee descendant.

                                                         *

After her classroom heavy Thursday, Morgana felt an odd relief to have a Friday full of physical activity. She enjoyed a lie in, because who, in all honesty, wouldn't skip Self Revision class every now and again.
     Especially in favour of an extra hour in bed?!
As she hurried down the marble staircase towards the courtyard, she grappled with her damp hair and didn't see Eros and Alecto until she nearly bumped into the pair of them.
     'Oops, sorry.' she smiled.
Her nerves suddenly wary, she paused and watched the pair of them. When they had first started at Warriod, she had hoped to find a kindred spirit in Eros. She had only known him a little before Warriod. His family had moved from Japan several years back, and he'd come to her college, transferring into the year above.
     Despite knowing they were the only two destined for a very different 'university' from their friends, he had always given her space to enjoy the final two years as a normal teenager, before their full entrance into their birthright and destiny happened.
     Alecto, too, had seemed like a harmless child that had, although good intentions, not been raised preparing for Warriod, but Morgana had been excited to connect with others of her Demi God strand. Both of them had been approachable at the start, but as the year had worn on, the two of them seemed to be closing off.
     Alecto and his light honey gaze, always hid an angry storm. The very aura around him, coming off in grumpy waves even now, cautioned Morgana. She looked from one to the other; they both seemed to have dark smirks etched onto their faces.
     'Want to share the joke boys?' she asked.
In a vain attempt to try to get her tone to come out light, teasing, she instead sounded strained. Morgana ground her molars, sometimes she had the poker face of a moron.
     'Oh, we're just amused at the sense of urgency, of panic bubbling under the skin of all the students these days.' Alecto smiled. 'Strange, don't you think? I mean it's like--'
     '--Like the Darklore attacks have put everyone on edge. Got them running scared,' both males scoffed, 'it's not like anyone got hurt.' Eros concluded.
     Morgana let her hands drop from trying to tie up her hair. She searched Eros's face for some sign he was kidding, that the disappointment lacing his last comment was a figment of her imagination.Out of the corner of her eye she saw Alecto's face light up with a smile that disturbed her more than she'd ever been by him before. A shudder slid down her back. He was enjoying Eros and his cruelty.
     'Eros, that's not funny. What's gotten into you?'
She wanted to punch him. The Eros she had known in college hadn't been like this; callous and eager for Darklore to manifest.'Nothing. I am merely curious as to why the concept of Darklore is treated like some fearful animal. If we control Darklore, we control Satan.' he replied.
     Morgana stepped back a little; he just came out and said the Unspoken One's true name. That was the biggest red flag. Eros was walking dangerous ground. Morgana clashed her gaze with his, for a moment the eyes looking back at her were veiled with a shadow Morgana didn't know how to interpret.
     Loud, bickering voices broke the cold isolation that had fallen over the three candidates.
     'That isn't the point Gabe!'
     'Yes, it is. And you know it. Damn it woman!'
Morgana sidestepped Eros and, hurrying to the bottom of the staircase she saw Gabe stomp off towards the fitness room, tucked into the east corridor of the courtyard.
     Kleio let out a huffing noise and turned on her heel, stopping short when she stood in front of Morgana. Morgana felt her eyes widen in shock as she took in her roommate's flushed cheeks and eyes that were oddly shiny.
     'Kleio what...?'
     'Never mind, stupid Warrior, I gotta get to class.' Kleio ranted, making to pass Morgana and start up the grand entrance stairway.
     'Hang on.' Morgana chided.
She hooped her arm around Kleio's neck and tugged her friend into a swift hug.
     'Morgana, I--'
     '--Don't let that stinky boy upset you,' she murmured into Kleio's dark auburn hair.
     Her friend spluttered, but unlike the first time Morgana had tried to hug her, Kleio brought up her arms and squeezed back. Kleio let out a sigh and when they broke the hug, Morgana saw the ghost of a smile on her friends' face.
     'Yeah, yeah. I hear ya.' she said.
As Kleio moved up the stairs, Morgana whipped her head back to where she had been confronting Eros and Alecto. But of course, the two snakes had gone.
      'Stupid demi gods as well.' she whispered.
Worry settled on her face as she made her way to her own lesson and the learning ahead.

                                                               *

The storm clouds dispersed overnight. Morgana waved Evangeline, Tien and DeeDee towards her, having searched them out in the crowd of Angyali candidates jostling a little together in the Warriod courtyard.
     'Finally, hello hello folks!' Morgana beamed, hugging around the three.
     'Where's Brianna?'
     'Her family had plans to visit Greece so she couldn't come.' Evangeline replied, hulking her very large rucksack into place on her back.
     'Ah, that's a shame, although I think Cay and Proteus said they were having to go and visit the family in Athens too. Lucky for them, huh!?' Morgana replied.
     She motioned for the three girls to follow, bumping into Orion's large chest as she went.
     'Oh hey, Gabe should be around here somewhere, you and Zeru are crashing in their dorm.' she informed him.
Trying not to blush, she looked over his low-slung jeans and dark green jumper, snugly hugging the corded muscles of his arms.
     Orion grinned at her as he turned to glance over the heads of the students milling around and Morgana got a moment to stare at his dark tattoos. They intertwined together along half his temple and down his cheekbone. Morgana traced her lips with her tongue, aware that she was considering tracing said markings with her mouth.
     Someone prodded her back and she coughed in embarrassment, and flushing a deep crimson, ducked away from him. The term oh-my-god didn't even remotely cover the brain thoughts of last few minutes. Her cheeks warmed and she ducked away from him.
     She and Kleio chivvied the three girls through the keep, others helping the angelus candidates staying to their respective dorms. As the group dropped their stuff into the living area of the dorm, Morgana glanced between the three Angyali to be.
     'So how are you planning on settling the 'who gets the single room' argument?' she asked joining Kleio on the sofa, ready to watch the antics surely about to begin. The three Angelus Academy students each drew breath ready to stake their claim, when a very male voice chuckled and said,
     'Don't I get a say in who snoops around my room? And sleeps in my glorious, almost, but not quite double, double bed?' Adonis grinned at the three girls, leaning back against the breakfast counter and finished, 'and most importantly, what will you give me for it?'
     His eyes focused in on one angelus in particular and Morgana swapped a look with her roommate. There had never been many girls who had resisted, or even put up a fight when it came to Adonis and his seductive wiles, but DeeDee seemed immune.
     Somehow, she either hadn't realised yet his rising, genuine interest in her, or she knew and was much, much better at playing his game than he realised. Either way, it was a fun thing to observe. Tien didn't even bat an eyelid but threw up her hands.
     'Out. So out!' she smiled, coming to perch next to Kleio.
     'Well the big bed does sound appealing...' Evangeline began, swapping a mischievous look with DeeDee, 'but, I feel it's high time DeeDee threw Adonis a bone so...'
     At DeeDee and Adonis's splutter of surprise, all the other girls in the room laughed. Evangeline knuckled Adonis on the jaw, nudging him with her hip, their closeness sending out a very sibling aura Morgana couldn't be the only one who noticed it.
     'Name your terms Demi God.' DeeDee said.
She stressed out his title and gave a theatrical sigh as if pained by the situation.Adonis seemed to light up at the words and as if no one else was in the room he stepped into DeeDee's personal space and said softly,
     'I'll think on it and get back to you Angelus. When I decide on a fitting proposition.'
A warm silence filled the room as Adonis exited swiftly, leaving his comment hanging in the air, DeeDee pushed her tongue into the side of her cheek and glanced at the girls.
     'Too sure of himself that one,' she informed them, before, in a rush of blonde hair the girl rounded on Evangeline, 'and you! You're so dead!'
     'You're welcome.' Evangeline teased.
Easy laughter filled the dorm and Morgana patted Kleio's hand. The girl wasn't used to such warmth and laughter in her home, and Morgana could see her friend wasn't sure if she should jump in and join the relaxed conversation. The fear she might ruin it was thick in her eyes. Before Morgana could say something to help, Evangeline plonked herself down next to Kleio.
     'Kleio, I've been working on my sai blade combat for several sessions now, and I seem to be sucking more than when I started. Gabe told me you were beyond badass with weapons combat. Any chance you'll give me some tutoring this week?'
     Kleio blinked at the candidate next to her, Morgana waited, unsure what her friend was thinking. Then, a huge smile; one Morgana had rarely seen on her roommates' face broke over her features.
     'Badass, huh? I suppose I could share some of that around.' Evangeline laughed, giving Kleio a one arm hug before bounding out the room with Tien to drop her stuff into the vacated bedroom of Alecto and Eros.
     Morgana followed the pair into the room, while Kleio helped DeeDee with her bags; she seemed to have brought enough for five weeks not five days.
     'Tien, I've been meaning to ask you,' Morgana paused, watching as Tien ran her hand over a jumper strewn over the desk on Eros' side of the dorm. 'Have you noticed anything strange about your boyfriend lately?'
     Evangeline shot Morgana a warning look, crossing the room to grip Tien's hand. Which, Morgana noticed, was shaking. Evangeline signalled Morgana to close the door, before Tien opened her mouth to speak.
     'He's not the guy I fell for. Something's wrong with him.'
     'Part of the reason we've agreed to come here is to look into it.' Evangeline murmured. Her own eyes scanning the room intently. 'He dumped Tien a few weeks back, he was so cruel about it I finally took notice and now I'm sure something is majorly wrong with him.' she continued.
     'What do you mean?' Morgana asked.
     'It'll sound insane but for one, this room, it's so cold, and the dark corners of it give me the shivers.' Evangeline replied.
     Morgana took half a beat to just blink, then slumping back against the door she let out an exhausted laugh.
     'Thank gods, Eros and Alecto share this room, something is up with the pair of them, but I haven't had the courage to face them... or talk to anyone else about it.' Morgana admitted.
     'Alecto too?' Evangeline asked, her gaze coming up to Morgana's.
     'I think he is the cause.'
     'What? That seems unlikely, Alecto might be growing confidence, but the kid was like me, hardly aware of this world...'
Evangeline seemed to catch herself and a strange look passed over her face, as if she wasn't quite sure why she was so defensive of the demi god candidate. 'Whatever the cause, we'll find it.'
     Evangeline moved back to Tien who hadn't taken her eyes off Eros' jumper. Taking her friend into a hug Evangeline looked to Morgana, her eyes pleading with her to drop the subject for now.
     'It's going to be fine, Tien.' she consoled.
A loud rap on the door had all three jumping out of their skins. DeeDee and Kleio stood shoulder to shoulder with their arms folded against their chests as Morgana opened the door to them.
     'Thanks for remembering our existence.' DeeDee pouted.
Her blonde hair now pulled up into a ponytail and bright workout clothes clung to her body. She marched into the room and gave Evangeline a tap on the back of the head. To which the girl merely laughed, hurrying into her own workout attire.
     'If we don't hurry, Master Delacruz will have us doing push ups for the rest of the day.' Kleio informed the group, taping her watch ominously.
     Evangeline nodded and Morgana saw her personality shift. Up came her determined, focused look. Morgana grinned, one day Horde everywhere would have to watch out for that fire in Evangeline's eyes.
     Morgana just hoped she looked half as powerful when she switched to battle mode. From the look Kleio shot her as the five girls filed out of the dorm, perhaps she did.

                                                       ~