With my inner vision, I was able to see beyond the wall. With a simple thought, I saw the lock that stood on the other side. I focused on the old rusty lock until it moved, opening the door from inside. The moment I unlocked it, the stones began to shift violently.
A sudden glare of red light stenciled a pattern on the stones: three straight lines surrounded by a perfect circle. Never had these lights appeared before.
“Intriguing,” Mordred said in a low voice. “What is this symbol?” He approached the wall.
Stunned, I gazed at the symbol, trying to figure out what it meant. “I have never seen such a thing,” I confessed, a bit confused.
We all studied the symbol, bewildered. The glare of red light vanished from the moving stones. As soon as the door was wide open, the symbol disappeared.
Though the symbol was a surprise to me, it did not impede my insatiable desire to find the book-bearers.
In haste I charged down the dark passageway. Our footsteps were loud as we sped down the stairs. Gargoyles were scattered throughout the place. The smell of mold fumigated the atmosphere. There were no windows on the walls and no other light, only the burning torches. All were silent.
“Where are the other Nephilins?” Mordred’s voice was broken and agitated. “Why here? Why did they have to hide here?”
“Do I sense fear, Mordred?” Adawnas chuckled in amusement. “The brave Fallen Star fears the entrance of the Prison of Despair?”
Faint voices sounded around us.
“I see Isaac has come to us,” Azaziel implied, unaware that Mordred had taken over Isaac’s body. Azaziel’s hair was so blond that it glowed, even in the dark. His eyes absorbed the soft light of the flames, making them lighter than usual.
Mordred grunted and rushed toward him.
“I am not Isaac,” he said with a robust grin. “I am Mordred—a Fallen Star.”
“Is he the one, Nephele? Is he Duane’s father? Is he the one you spoke of in the past?” Azaziel asked. From behind him, the other Nephilins appeared.
“The…one? I am not…” I muttered in confusion.
“One of our makers?” The weight the words carried was undeniable. It forced me to relive the memories of Mordred and myself in my mind once again.
My breathing faltered. “Yes, he is one of them,” I said in a somber tone.
Mordred’s eyes gazed upon every Nephilin with a commanding presence. Slowly, one by one, they knelt before him. A huge smile spread across his face.
“It is an honor,” Azaziel whispered. “We have only heard the vague tales of our makers, but to actually be in your presence…”
My heart was used to pain and betrayal, but it was not accustomed to the surrender of a vulnerable and weak nature. I felt as if Mordred’s presence uncovered my nakedness to all.
“It is
my
honor to be here to do the bidding of the Dark One,” he said as he paced about the darkness fuming with hostility, searching the loyalty of every Nephilin. “I must say I am truly proud to be one of the creators. Of course glory must also be given to Nephele. She chose me on that day and I chose her…” His voice trailed off.
“Can we move on to the task at hand?” I said in a loud voice. “We need to find the remaining three book-bearers!”
Their attention was immediately drawn to me.
“It was said by the guards that the three were spotted near the Court of Many Meetings earlier today. We must find them,” Adawnas alleged.
“Easy for you to say. There is a massacre waging outside. We may live forever but our bodies can still die by the sword,” Duane said as he stepped forward. After all these years, it was still an awkward moment to lay eyes on him. I could never forget the day I gave birth to him; the day my human body changed and I became what I was—a Nephilin.
His words caused me to become possessed with repulsion. How could he be this meek and insecure? Pain would be the only way to bring him back to the reality of what needed to be accomplished. He fell with a loud thump onto the cold floor; his teeth were clenched and his whole body contorted.
“The time to hide in the shadows of this world is long gone. The time has come for what humans believe to be a myth to become a tangible reality. The Nephilins will come out of hiding and the Dark One will reign,” I challenged, hostility ringing in my voice. “If we are to achieve this goal, we must all band together. Nephilins, we are brave and made for greatness. Let our courage not be crushed.” I released Duane. The dark leather vest he wore had bloodstains on it. Blood ran out of his nose and his eyes changed to crimson. He stood to his feet and shot me a piercing look. His eyes were moist with tears.
“Your lack of courage is dishonoring, Duane. Refrain from speaking if you are not encouraging any of us,” I said coldly.
He retreated back into the shadows, hiding from my sight.
“Very nicely done. I think we are all on the same page now?” Mordred bantered with a sneer. Silence overtook the prison.
“Nephilins, the time has come for the dominion of the Fallen. Let us go and kill as many humans as we can,” Mordred’s voice exclaimed mightily. I looked at him only to see his lips were not moving. His voice had penetrated our thoughts. “But remember, our main focus is to find the book-bearers. Be not mistaken, they will know who you are. Once they see you, they will either fight or try to flee from you. Be ready to capture every one of them.
Do not kill them.
”
Loud shouts and shrieks sounded. Some of us expanded our dark wings and flew while others took their shadowed shapes and made their way out. The gargoyles were crumbled to pieces as they floundered about.
“Victory!”
we alleged repeatedly.
We departed from the cathedral with great fury, destroying any object in our path.
“Since we will not be returning, what say we destroy this cursed place? There is no need for this cathedral anymore,” Duncan shouted the moment we were out of the cathedral. “Justicia has already been taken and we can enter the Prison through there!”
Others that had the same ability followed. From the sky, they expelled fire from their wings while the remaining Nephilins on the ground used their powers to aid in destroying the massive monument.
Around us, bodies lay scattered, and Shadows infiltrated everywhere, fulfilling all of Lucifer’s requests.
“
The war against Elysium begins!”
Mordred shouted.
I killed every child, woman and living creature that stood in my way. I hunted them with all the power I had fueled by my hatred for the humans. I eagerly inspected every crook and cranny of every corner, in every house, and every small room to find them. Bodies were being tossed all around; screams of terror intensified with every moment.
I felt my body being thrown with such a powerful thrust, I landed on top of one of the destroyed homes. Disoriented, I picked myself up.
“Who dares?” I hollered.
“Your kind has done much damage already. Did you think your deeds would go about unnoticed?” a voice spoke, but I could not see through the dust that rose from the roof I had fallen upon.
“
This is just the start of what is to come!
” I warned.
“It is folly for you to believe that you and your kind could roam these lands, searching for the book-bearers and we would do nothing to stop you.” The voice sounded closer. Out of the rising dust, he appeared. I could see the silver armor shimmering with golden stripes. Slowly, the dust dissipated from his face.
“Alexander,” I moaned.
“We will not forsake Elysium to be taken over by Lucifer’s torment.” His blue eyes gleamed.
As I rose from the ground, my eyes were pinned on his.
“So the Underwarriors
have
come? I am afraid your arrival here is a bit too late. What happened? Did you forget the Gate of the Fourth Dimension?”
“We have not forgotten anything, Nephele. Do not be so foolish and presumptuous to believe that you know our strategy.” Wings sprang out from his back, with feathered plumes of the purest white.
I did not hesitate; I hurled myself upon him with fury. I feverishly attempted to punch and kick him, but he was amazingly fast. With a firm grip, he grabbed my shoulder and flung me with great force; my body bounced against a column. With my powers I concentrated my fury and cast paralysis upon him. Unexpectedly, he was able to elude my attack.
“I can see your attack, Nephele!” he yelled.
“Bastard.
Dodge this!
” I shouted as I released a sphere of pain in every direction. I did not care who or what it struck, I wanted him to suffer. I heard screams coming from somewhere close. It was apparent the attack hit some of the humans that ran.
It was silent. I checked my surroundings.
“You really believed that we were going to forsake the other book-bearers? We have come to rescue them, even if it means death.” Alexander’s voice was a simple gesture that broke through the silence.
“I hope you are ready to die!” I would not allow them to take the book-bearers.
Faint voices could be heard in the distance; red lights reappeared followed by the beating drums.
“Whispering Lights,” I mumbled as I watched them approach one another and take the shape of the one we had been waiting for.
It was Corbin. His hair was tied back and he was clothed in battle garments that resembled a snake’s body. Dark silver metal covered both of his arms and chest. There were small spikes protruding throughout his armor.
Out of the dust, Alexander stepped forward. “You,” he said. “You may be hiding inside Demetre’s body, but I would not have easily forgotten how oppressive your presence has become”
“I do recall our last encounter. I believe it was on the day the Creator doomed us all for simply discovering our true potential,” Corbin related as he approached Alexander.
“You got what you deserved—you all did.” As Alexander spoke, a light shone around his wrist, moving over his hand. From out of the brilliant light appeared a shining sword. In an instant, the light disappeared.
The blade was made of pure silver. The golden handle had the face of a lion engraved right in the middle. Red rubies were inlaid around, shimmering as the sword moved.
“You took them away, didn’t you?” Mordred’s voice deepened. “Where are they?”
Alexander was quiet. He did not move a muscle. Beyond him, I counted four shadows. They made their way through the rubble. Could it be that Petra escaped the Prison of Despair? That was impossible.
“
There they are!
” I shouted as I shot in their direction. Corbin vanished, his body transformed into a shapeless shadow that floated in the air. Battle cries were heard from the sky, followed by an ambush of more Underwarriors. As they headed toward us, Nephilins appeared and attacked them. There was a clash in midair. Grunts and groans of pain arose from the battle. I maneuvered away from the fight trying my best to keep a sharp eye on the four shadows as they fled.
I heard the clinking of swords and the clamor of bodies being struck down. In a matter of seconds, Shadows arrived to the scene. There was no way they could have gone far—of that I was certain. There were too many Nephilins and Shadows for them to escape unnoticed.
“
Death to all the Underwarriors!
” Mordred’s cries were deafening. The Shadows swarmed around the Underwarriors, making it all the more difficult for them to see us.
Ahead of me stood the Over Hall of Aloisio, engulfed in flames. Part of the ceiling had crumbled and two of the five front columns had fallen. I hurried inside.
“
Are you here?
”
I yelled out. My voice was loud enough to be heard from afar. “You cannot hide from us. We will find you—all four of you.” The fire seemed to be dancing as it consumed the curtains and the furniture in the room.
I waited but there was no response. I heard the screeching of Desert Dragons close by. They were probably hiding outside, waiting to feast on the putrid flesh of the human remains.
They cannot outrun me—not alone at least,
I thought.
I closed my eyes and sent out a field of pain in the area. If they were in here, at least one of them would be inflicted with agony. To my right sounded a bloodcurdling scream. I headed in the direction of the scream, and when I reached the burning curtain I discovered a girl. Her flaming red hair covered half of her face. Her skin was pale and her lips colorless. Her clothes were worn out, along with her boots. She had an old leather bag hanging from her shoulder.
“You are one of them, aren’t you?” I said as I penetrated her mind, inflicting excruciating pain. She screamed.
“Answer me and I will make the pain go away.”
She dragged herself on the floor, wriggling about in circles, shrieking; her hands were firmly pressed against her head as her body contorted from the pain.
“
Alright,
” she yelled. I stopped her pain; she breathed heavily, sweat dripping from her forehead.
“What is your name?” I asked, kneeling down next to her. Her eyes were steadily fixed on me as she crouched back in fear.
“Xylia…Xylia Justine,” she responded in a hoarse tone.
“Xylia, do you happen to have what I am looking for?” Blood dripped from her blouse sleeve. “You know, if you tell me what I want to know, I might be able to help you.”