"Evie is a strong warrior," Ash remarked, as he and Eve finished off the last of the Templar guard, the men falling to the floor, "I think perhaps she could even best me in a fight."
"Yes," Eve breathed, watching the flurry of attacks and parries from Evie, her concentration never waning: she truly was in her element, "perhaps you should have picked her over me."
The statement came out before she could stop it, and then it hung in the air like her own unspoken feelings.
Although she did admire Evie, Eve was jealous of her upbringing, which seemed to have given her so many more advantages.
"You're being ridiculous in this moment of panic," Ash responded, as another wave of enemies flooded into the room, "you know we don't have time for this."
He clashed swords once more, and began fighting. A Templar knocked the sword from Ash's hand, and he winced as it flew across the room. Even as he tried to chase it, it skidded away from him, and he became surrounded. Without hesitation, Eve hacked her way into the circle, and threw him a sword she had grabbed off a fallen soldier on the way past.
He caught it diligently, swinging it in an arc to test its weight before clashing swords once more with the angels.
"We don't have time for this," Eve murmured, her tiredness showing through as she stumbled slightly and nearly impaled herself, "Is there not an easier way to defeat them?"
They were back-to-back, and a sea of aggravated faces glared them down, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Eve trembled slightly, with exhaustion more than anything else, and this made her appear an easier target. She was rushed by a group of soldiers, who jabbed their spears towards her. Quickly, she angled her blade up to parry them and ducked out of the way, separating herself from Ash and leaving her back exposed. Taking advantage of this, another soldier rushed at her, thrusting his blade out towards her.
Spinning around, she looted another sword off the ground and deflected the blade with one hand whilst keeping her right flank defended. Already, she was at her limit. She had never been a warrior, and it was too stressful to try and challenge the numerous men in front of her from all angles.
"Eve! Outside!" Ash howled to her from the crowd in a panicked tone, and she glanced outside while hacking another foe down, only to witness something terrible.
Just above the mountain which cradled Adam's palace, a tremendous rumbling shook the very foundations of the earth to its core, and Mother Nature shook in terror, aware of what was about to commence. Darkness covered the sky slowly, rolling across the land. Even as they fought just below the clouds, a rift was being ripped through worlds, a seam unravelling thread by thread. A yawning, gaping hole stretched its mouth wide, revealing a dark, fiery land beyond.
But that was not all. Even as Eve and the others continued fighting, a piercing shriek erupted from the hole, filling the ears of mortals with the sound of death and destruction. The wailing sound split eardrums, causing men, women and children alike to cry out in pain. Everyone in the land was staring up at the monstrous hole, wondering what was to happen next. They didn't have long to wait; all too soon, a huge, skeletal hand gripped the edge of the tear, holding it so tightly that parts of the sky around the rift cracked and shattered, falling down to earth and piercing naked flesh like glass. As bits of the sky rained down, so did blood onto the streets of Adam, as countless citizens were struck down by the strange material, dead before their contorted mouths could utter a scream.
"Make it stop!" Ash yelled across the room at Kieran. "Make it stop, Michael! You'll kill everyone!"
Eve could hear laughter from across the room.
"Why should I? Dirty peasants should die as they're told, and pay the price," Kieran responded, as he struck out at Evie.
Her blade pinged across the room, and she raised her fists defensively. Eve fought her way slowly across the room, getting nearer and nearer to Evie, as Kieran flew at her again. She rolled out of the way, but he managed to slice a shallow wound into her cheek. Evie panted with exhaustion; she could feel her vision going hazy, and sweat dripping down her forehead. But she could not give up on the most challenging opponent she had ever met, even if it cost her her life. That was the gift and curse she carried to uphold her clan's honour.
Ash finished his opponents, coming over to aid Eve in defeating the last dozen knights which still defended the kingdom against intrusion. The earth shook as the skeletal monster outside, as tall as a mountain, ripped through the rest of the fabric connecting earth and hell, and began walking on earth. Each bony footstep echoed ominously, causing miniature earthquakes which ruptured the land around it.
"Why is this happening?" Eve hissed at Ash. "I've agreed to be your consort."
"You don't have feelings for me, though," Ash replied, sighing, "which causes the hell sentinel outside to become uncontrollable, as my ties keeping him contained are now split between my duties and yourself."
A soldier threw his blade at Ash's legs, and he leapt over it, plunging his long sword between the man's eyes.
"So, if I don't reciprocate your bond for me, your control over Hell becomes weak?"
"Exactly. And he is only the first one to pass through the rift; if we don't regain control, there will be others."
The castle shuddered, as the monster approached it. The air thickened, and it grew harder to breathe. Eve clutched at her throat as she felt the impressive force exuded by the sentinel. She could see Evie across the room clearly now that they had defeated the Templar knights; she was on her knees, and Kieran stood before her. His sword pointed downwards at her heart, and Eve screamed, just as he skewered Evie with it.
A/N:
Hey everyone!
Glad you're keeping up to date with the story! It became even more intense (if that's even possible?!)
I've had a crazy time today; my sister was actually hospitalised after someone spiked her drink, and she stopped breathing, so I've been travelling to the hospital today to see her. Luckily she's fine, but it was very worrying! Please if you are a woman and reading this, be careful on a night out. My sister only took drinks from the bar and someone still managed to slip a cocktail of drugs into her drink(enough to stop her heart for a good minute).
Anyway, enough of that negativity! Thank you so much for reading this chapter, and I hope you're looking forward to the next one!
Stay safe my beautiful readers. X
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Lady in the Iron Mask
Historical FictionIt is 4761BC, and 17 year old Eve is an ordinary peasant, just trying to make her way in life by a few coin, which she gains out of stealing from rich townspeople. Suddenly, when she is caught and taken in with interest by King Titon of the Land o...
