Azrael:Leon Devereaux

Prologue: Under the Burning Sky

Numb...

That is what I am right now.. N-U-M-B..

I am unable to move..

Unable to feel..

My arms and my legs have obviously failed me..

My mouth, couldn't even produce a sound.. Not a word, nor a whimper..

Here I lay on the ground, like a spineless worm..

I don't even have the strength to open my eyes..

Footsteps..

I hear heavy footsteps surrounding me..

The sound of explosions filled the air..

I could hear lots of screaming, lots of crying..

Cries of Sorrow, cries for help.. Lamentations filling my ear..

WHAT IS GOING ON???

Why can't I move?

Why can't I speak?

What could be happening while my eyes are shut tight???

I am beginning to lose hope.. What if I die here? Or what if I'm already dead?

Just as I was becoming more hopeless, a feeling of warmth then covered my body.. 

Beginning from my chest, traveling down all the way to my toes then going back up to my head.

I started to feel the hard ground pressing my back. Slowly, I tried to move my toes. To my surprise, I successfully moved it. I flexed the muscles in my arms and legs. I buried my fingers in the soil.

Finally! I am starting to feel again..

When I had fully regained control of my body, I began to open my eyes..

At first, everything was bright and painful to the eyes. But as my eyes got used to the light, a picture of the sky was slowly coming into clarity.

But unlike any other day, this sky was "different."

Instead of the blue sky and white clouds, I saw a mixture of orange and yellow hues with flames covering the entire horizon! The sun was not present and neither was the moon..

Burning rocks were raining down upon us. Causing strong tremors on the ground.

As I turned to look at the other surroundings, I was shocked to see a devastated city not far from me. I noticed that the flames of the sky were more concentrated on the city. The number of rocks crashing down was much more numerous there.

I also found the source of all the cries I heard earlier. They were from the group of injured people watching from a safe spot near my location.

And I have yet to find the heavy footsteps that bothered me.

They were from a large group of armored men with swords and staves in their hands.

"He's awake!" One of the soldiers said. We're they referring to me? Or am I just mistaken?

"Hurry!" Another shouted. "Bind him immediately! That man is very dangerous! How was he able to move? I thought we paralyzed him already!"

Wait-----Me??? Dangerous??? And paralyzed???

Now I am really confused! Err I mean more confused!

The soldiers then surrounded me, and the ones with the staves drew a circle on the ground with me at it's center.

Okay? What's happening here?

They began to chant a prayer of unknown language. I could see the fear in the soldiers' eyes. They were terrified.

Terrified of me.

All of a sudden, I began to rise up in the air. My eyes watched in shock as my hands were slowly being bound by a strange chain of light.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled at them. "What have I done wrong?!"

Then another soldier approached me. From what he's wearing I can tell that he's the captain.

"That" The captain said as he pointed at the devastated city and the burning sky.

Tears then started to form in my eyes...

Slowly I am beginning to realize that..

That...

All this destruction, was caused by ME..

I had lost all intentions to break free from these binds. Escape is not an option anymore.

The soldiers then put shackles on my feet. After that, they placed me inside a large cage.

As we were about to depart, the survivors of the city suddenly arrived..

I can feel the rage in their eyes. They were not afraid anymore. It seemed as if they had lost the will to live. Emptying their hearts leaving only vengeance behind.

Each of the survivors carried pieces of stones with them while others were carrying sticks. Then altogether, they began to throw the stones at us. Particularly me.

"Demon!" They screamed.

"Spawn of hell!"

"Die"

These were some of the words they threw at me. While some of their stones were repelled by the cage, there were some that had successfully passed through, hitting me. It was painful. So painful that I almost lost consciousness. Luckily, none of the long sticks managed to get through.

I could see blood pouring from my head. Dripping at my hands like a leakage from a bucket. The pain was excruciating, but nothing was more painful than to see the tears that were falling down from the eyes of all these people.

Their hearts were screaming justice.

There is nothing more I can do than to accept what may happen to me.

I am a demon. I am a killer.

That's just how it is....

----END OF PROLOGUE----

Hello there.. If you were reading this, I would just like to give you my utmost gratitude..

Things are still much confusing.. But don't worry, everything will soon get much clearer in the next few chapters..

What you had read is only a significant part of our Hero's identity..

In the next chapter, he will finally be named.

So thank you very much for reading. I hope you continue with the succeeding chapters..

~~~CL Rodriguez