[BOOK TWO]
"Anniversaries to some are like counting the years spent doing something great, years spent together, or years spent alive." I started slowly, voice dropping to a drawl as I peeked cautiously out of my bedroom blinds, scanning the road to...
I FELL INTO the arms of Fabian midair, just a fraction of a second before he teleported us to the ground by the riverbank. I was nowhere even near the water when I felt Fabian wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me towards his warming embrace before we blinked to safety.
When our feet had finally touched solid ground, my arms were still wrapped around his neck, his resting on the curve of my waist with a tight grip. For a silent moment, our gazes met, and though I saw him for who he was, I was certain that he faced Ida instead of me. It took him some time before he finally snapped back into reality, which prompted him to drop his grip on my waist, allowing his hands to fall to his sides.
"Thanks," I breathed, the adrenaline of the fall still fueling my energy.
Fabian looked as though he was about to reply, the words at the tip of his tongue before he clenched his jaw shut. He nodded once, just the smallest sign of approval before he took another step back away from me. When we stood close enough so that our breaths mingled, I thought I saw a bit of pain and longing in his eyes. For that, my heart broke for him. Just like his had broke for the fact that while Ida and I were one of the same, we still had two very different memories and personalities. Two very different consciences.
"We have to get back to Hell. The place is utter chaos when we heard Lucius breaking in the borders with his angel army. Calvin, Wilhelm and Dimitri are back in the castle, preparing the soldiers for battle and defending the lands."
"No offense, but why did they send you?" My implications were simple, 'why isn't Dimitri here?'
If the comment had offended Fabian, he did not show. Instead, he simply turned his back before trudging almost blindly in no specific direction. I scurried after him, legs working twice as fast to keep up with his fast strides.
"Dimitri and Wilhelm can't get too close to Heaven. It drains them of their energy and power. Only Calvin and I can make it here."
"And why is that?"
"Dimitri is death himself, and Heaven is a realm for immortals. There is no place for death there. Wilhelm represents war. Long ago, it was something in which angels never believed in, hence it will weaken his powers as a sign that they were rebelling against his presence. Though their values had changed, the rule hasn't. He tried. Calvin is the personification of conquest, while I am famine. Both of which do happen even in the realm of angels. That's why we can get close enough. However, Calvin is otherwise occupied at the moment. Wilhelm insisted that he was needed for battle strategies. Hence I am the one sent here." Fabian took no time in explaining his reasons, rapidly speaking as his eyes darted back and forth for any signs of danger. And he spotted it immediately.
His hands shot out just as we were behind a well-placed bush, just enough to stop me in my steps as he crouched down to a squatting level. Eyes squinting, I could practically see calculations and plans flying over his head in rapid motion, as if examining which is our quickest way about.
"I heard that Lucius was placing guards, but I thought he meant in Heaven. Why would he place them in Paradise?" I questioned more to myself than to Fabian, nose wrinkling in utter confusion.
Though the question was not directly posed to him, Fabian still replied. "Probably to prevent any escapes if you actually dared to jump down the waterfall. Which you did. Stand back."
Following his orders without question, I watched in horror and fascination as Fabian's eyes rolled to the back of his head, the black irises disappearing as white overtook everything. All too slowly, a dark mist practically evaporated off of the surface of Fabian's skin, floating just high enough to form into a humanoid shape but not yet enough to draw the attention of the angels. Trepidation drenched me from head to toe when I realized what exactly was Fabian doing, and I could already see memories of the boathouse flashing before my very eyes.
The monsters of my past were back to haunt me. The soul-sucking creatures, cloaked and hooded in tattered robes had hands of bones. Its face could not be seen, and yet the surroundings turned a chilling winter weather. Nearby plants immediately started to shrivel and freeze, frost covering most of the leaves too soon as I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to warm my body temperature as best as I could.
Once the detachment was complete, Fabian sighed once before speaking in a foreign tongue. It sounded vaguely like Russian, and yet still different, almost alien. The figure simply hovered, receiving its orders. It was when Fabian finally stopped speaking had it flown away, towards the direction of the angels.
Since his attention was no longer on the dark creature, Fabian turned back to face me. I was still shivering from the fearful memories, all silently haunting the back of my mind yet not creeping loud enough for me to cripple and break.
"What was that?"
"The personification of our powers," he simply replied.
I watched in awe and paranoia as the angels started to attack the wispy figure, yet most of their spears and weapons were easily dodged. The creature flew above the heads of the angels, sucking their very life force out of them. Since there were only two positioned on guard, it took no time for the monstrosity to finish its job, soon dissipating into midair in a puff of black smoke.
"Come on."
As we walked past the angels, I cringed a little at the sight of their corpses. Shriveled little things. They looked as though someone had inserted a straw into their bodies and sucked their organs and muscles dry. Their figures had too little of flesh and too much of skin and bones, almost making them appear as a human skeleton with spare skin hanging over them like a cloth.
"My personification starves them to death before taking their life force," Fabian explained. "It's a painful process, but faster than Calvin and Wilhelm's personifications."
I nodded weakly. In the angels' places, I thought I saw Minnie and Gabriel for a second. Both lying on the ground dead and shriveled, drained of life as their eyes stared blankly ahead. When I blinked, they were back to the nameless angels.
Yet, it will still be another two dead bodies to the long collection I've seen this past year.
"Come, we are close to Hell. I'll be able to teleport us soon. Though you must find Dimitri and your friend Minerva alone. I have to aid my brothers in battle." Fabian instructed clearly, his eyes stern as we broke into a forest. The spot was familiar, well enough to be the one in which Dimitri had picked me up from what seemed like a lifetime ago.
Again, Fabian's arms were wrapped around me as he drew my body close to his own. I in turn placed the palms of my hands on his broad muscular chest, bracing for the gut-wrenching feeling of teleportation that I had not yet gotten too used to.
As it came and the world became a blur, I could slowly feel Fabian's body leaving mine. His hands around my waist soon became nothing but the air's touch, and my palms were against nothing but the cold void.
When the world finally shifted into a clear view again, I was only greeted by chaos.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
