Ishi'vanah
In Service of Heaven and Hell Chapter One: Where Grace LeadsScene One: Maine Forest Land…
There was a silence that seemed to cast the world into darkness for a split second, the freezing Maine night was haunted with the powerful demonic auras that ranged about the ancient churchyard. The stone walls of the ruined church trembled, rattling the stone remains like a child would a doll house. Bricks where sent tumbling downward, the old bell half dangling by frayed ropes from its lofty tower, which clanged as it swung precariously.
The earth cracked apart, revealing a deep pit shimmering with the powers of hell. The intense heat made the grasses shrivel around the deep chasm in the earth. Heaven called downwards to draw up a flaming form from the great gap in the earth, outcast from Pandemonium yet embraced by God… For this being didn't belong in the demons' realm or the celestial ranks. The Angel of Death, a servant of two powers in the age old duty of cutting the ties of all beings souls from their mortal bodies. He carried many names, some forgotten over time, others remembered and written down in every Scripture of the world. Mythology called him both a Demon and an Angel, a being more often cursed then loved. How could the Death Bringer be loved?
A growl of pure annoyance came from his throat as he crossed his arms defiantly and glared down into the pit from where he had come… "Oh, would you shut up!" And instantly it fell silent again, why had he lingered so long in that run-down place? Why live in the chaos and have to deal with Devils wanting to best him? They wouldn't win against him… His anger however was more directed at the thief of his Sword… Samael was far from in a good mood. He had enough work as it was to complete now that Aion was having quite a party in the human realm.
"Much better." He huffed grouchily, turning his back abruptly on the pit, his four wings unfurling to stretch around his broad shoulders, the feathers a pure white where they came from the main support and greyed as they grew towards the earth into a pitch black. Jade-azure eyes gazed from underneath his long raven bangs that drifted down into his face, shadowing the furious rage roiling within him.
His clawed fingers curled into a fist, his pale skin like alabaster as he moved out from beneath the shadows of the hall-ruined bell tower and into the silvery glow of the half moon. "Time to go hunting…" And his form was wrapped in the folds of his two pairs of wings… as he faded into the deep night.
Scene Two: Portland Docks
"Oh, your crazy Zakk." Keziah rolled her eyes as she trotted along to keep pace with the taller teenager, her eyes flickering over his face as she chuckled. "I mean seriously what got you started in getting into his lab in the first place?" Poking him lightly in the shoulder, the grinning Keziah pushed back curly indigo bangs that had decided that was the best moment to flutter right into her face. "Seriously, you know he would skin you alive if he found you in there again…"
The youth just smirked. "But he didn't, did he, Keziah?"
Shaking her head, Kez just turned on him sharply, planting a hand in the centre of his chest. "Just wait, I bet he will work it out you were in there… I can imagine him snarling and pacing like a caged animal just waiting til you get back… Then pounce on you and tear you to bits."
And all Zakk did was raise a light brown eyebrow in question. "You sure he will ever figure it out?" The boy's blue eyes sparkled with the thrill of success at some odd accomplishment that made her wonder what exactly he had been up to in that old Laboratory. "Dear White Raven, I highly doubt he will ever know if is missing, considering the state of chaos his workshop is always in."
That comment made the older girl freeze and stare at him, her yellow-silver eyes blinked in surprise at that, her partner always seemed to be getting into things. No matter how reckless they were. "So… you got it?" The smile slowly spread across her lips at his slight nod, she had been dying to get her hands on this... "Really? I mean since the Order did commission me to trace down the supposed 'Angel of Death'… I would need this even if it is a fake."
The long package was held up in his right hand, a smug self-confident grin flared to life on his handsome face. "You think I couldn't get it?" He held his free hand over his heart, giving a dramatic 'wounded' look. "How could you doubt me? Me of all people?"
"Yes Mr Dramatic, considering some of your stunts have ended up with both of us stuck in rather odd situations, including you being superglued to certain objects… yeah I could doubt you not finding it." Reaching out to take the cloth bound blade, the Mercenary grinned wolfishly, hugging the light haired teen cheerfully. "BUT thankyou anyway…"
Though unallied with any force, the girl was still a prominent player in dealing with the Devils that popped up around the forested state of Maine, besides the Magdalan Order. Shivering a little, when she pulled the trench coat tighter around her body, Kez held it up, carefully pulling the sheathed weapon from the cotton bindings. The cool metal was smooth under her fingers as she traced the hilt of the long sword, her familiarity of the more archaic weapons showing as she hefted the length before her. Eyes travelling down its covered length, while her gaze flickered out into the harbour, following the line it drew down the centre of the landscape. "Its meant to be a few thousand years old… yet it looks like it was forged yesterday." The Mercenary mused lightly, flipping it around to stow it in the spare belt loop beneath the heavy black coat that she quickly tied back around her thin frame. "It's not evil."
At that Brother Zakk jerked his head up, head cocked to the side in question at her odd statement. "How can a 'sword' said to belong to the Angel of Death not be evil? Come on, he severe people's spirits from their bodies. He kills people, or that is what they say…"
The girl touched the worn hilt gently, her mind trying to decide why she had said it wasn't 'evil'. "I guess, 'he' isn't evil. He simply is doing the duty God and Pandaemonia set for him. Consider, how could spirits rejoin the Astral Lines if their energy couldn't properly be released to allow them to return from the mortal plain?"
Before the Brother could reply, Keziah grabbed his hand, dragging him along the dockside as she stared down at her pocket watch, "Ack! We are going to be late!"
Scene Three: Magdalan Order Headquarters, Portland Branch
"Keziah Aaron. It has been a long time since I have seen you enter this office." Father David gave her a stern doing over, eying the youth with a rather disappointed look from behind his large gold rimmed frames.
"Yes, two years since I quit the Order. Now don't even start with me over that, Father Dave." She retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring straight back at him, while poor Zakk wanted to sink deeper into the large chair he now occupied in the office. "I don't give a crap about you, I get the job done, okay! I ain't for killin' Devils, cause I got other ways of dealin' with them… Plus I ain't a murderer."
There was a kind of odd respect now in the old man's grey eyes, his shock of greying hair made him look far older than his forty-five years. It was the stress of the job as Kez knew quite well. However he want not above wanting to beat the child into respect for his position. Considering that she had even agreed to assist the understaffed Order, he would not go too far about the fact that she had indeed left the Order… because the girl had found a different way of dealing with the problems of Demons instead of bullets. Whatever way that was… he still had no clue… she was a secretive one…
"True, that is why I chose to ask whether you would accept a Mission with Brother Zakk Bellamy, since you two seem to get along." Yeah, and his also your Nephew, she added mentally, so you can get all the bloody facts. "I want you two to track down the Devil, who calls himself Samael, he claims to be the Angel of Death… though that has never been confirmed. He's been sighted upstate near the town of Lewiston… I want him tracked and taken care of. We don't need another one running around upstate and causing massive panic… like they are currently dealing with over in San Francesco."
Zakk nodded slowly, his messy brown hair making him look about twelve right then as Kez just stared at both of them for a long moment, absorbing the information and also the name of the supposed 'demon'. It was him. The one being she had been trying to trace through history had just turned up right on her doorstep. This was called irony.
"So… we get to go on a good old Devil hunt?" The large blue eyes twisted to train on the bearded Father slouched over in his big wooden chair behind his enormous desk, which dwarfed him and also played home to a massive about of paperwork. "Cool."
She felt sorry for the Father, only because of the towers of papers that seemed to want to fall over on top of him. The dimly lit little office was too cramped for the paperwork, and the three of them… "As long as the little Raven agrees…" The strong French accent made Keziah want to cringe, how was anyone meant to even understand what the hell he had just said? "So Miss Aaron, what do you say?"
Rolling her yellow eyes at him, from where she had been standing on the other side of the desk, she took a step back. "You're blackmailing me and you know it." Canadian family… French home grown… And not a bit charming. "Enough from you, Father Davie…. I don't wanna start on this now. I have clearly plenty to worry about with my new 'mission'." A flash of her hand as she waved at him, her other ruffled Zakk's hair as she passed… "I can't stand him okay Zakk… You can have a family reunion. I have to pack for our little trip."
And the door slammed behind her leaving the two men wondering just what exactly had gotten the Mercenary so damned worked up.
"Wonder what her problem is?" Zakk said softly, gazing back at the Father for answers. "You know don't you? Was she right about the blackmail, Uncle?"
With a groan from the chair when he leaned forwards to rest his elbows on the hard desktop, The greying Canadian nodded slowly. "We need her, Zakk. For all her skills and talents, she was the best Militia we had… He was the source of her gifts. We need Samael alive to help with certain research we are preforming, and the only one really capable of handling him and being able to contain him is Keziah."
'Him?"
"We call him a Devil, Samael… she knows him by a different name. She can track him, Keziah Aaron is not entirely human because of what that Devil did to her… For all that demon blood in her veins, she is still mortal."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The girl in question leaned against the wall in the shower block, having taken to returning there when no one was about in this cold afternoon weather, since the tiles and heavy stone were freezing to the touch. Numbed by the cold, she had hidden in there… not wanting to face anyone at that particular moment. Her fist slammed into the mirror, shattering it under the deadly force behind the blow, the shards cutting her skin as she watched the droplets splatter down into the basin before her. The shower of glass shards around her tinkled when it hit the tiles and her leather trenchcoat which thankfully repelled it.
"Devil and Demon he calls you. Father David hasn't got a clue." Slender fingers gently traced over the hilt of the sword, now with this proof in her possession, she knew she could find him. "Devil Samael? Or is it Azrael as you should be… You granted me a second chance at life, yet these gifts have cost me too much."
Silver gold eyes stared back at her, the first visible sign of the blood rushing around in her veins… "Was it a kind of Contract between us? It turned me into something I don't even understand." The pointed ears hidden by her long mane of indigo hair was one reason she had dared not to stay in the Militia. Many humans called her a Devil too… She was… not a hybrid, was not completely human. Only Azrael had the answers to her questions. "Why did he let me live?"
Everyone was born to die. It depended how much Astral energy was in their soul… She had nearly nothing when born… so young and damaged, blind and helpless. Yet… "Without darkness, there can be no light…" His voice rang through her head, her clawed hands resting on the smooth sink left claw marks as they clenched in remembrance, red trails also stained the shattered mirror before her.
"I finally understood what that meant." An anguished chuckle rose from her as she stared at the fragments of herself reflected in each facet of splintered glass. "I understood what I was doing to the Demons… and changed my ways… the Order is wrong. No one has the right to kill another living being. No matter what the crime, there is always a better way then killing."
"Because everyone has their time to die…" Yet, another thought fluttered into her mind when she simply looked at herself in the broken mirror and a warm smile came to her lips. "Because fate given by God has determined where we must travel upon this earth and into the next." A few simple words and she had been taught a lesson in faith. There was a form in the glass behind her, a dark shadow clinging to the stones over her shoulder…
Spinning around, uncertain what she would see. There was no one there… Shaking her head, Keziah leaned forwards to run her injured hand under a stream of warm water, which made her numbed fingers tingle….
"You should go around breaking mirrors, Kezzy…" A soft tenor voice said from behind her, making the hybrid jump in surprise. "You will get seven years bad luck…"
"Jamie?" The Mercenary stiffened at the familiar accented statement, this one Brother drove her over the moon. "What is it with you and the Girls' Bathroom?" Smirking at seeing the other blush fiercely at that, she had to retort again to make sure he understood she didn't like him scaring her like he did. "You perverted?" Why did she say it?
"Yep." The dark-haired Brother grinned in that way that said he was quite guilty of that crime too… "But I was sent to find you, the stuff yah ordered from the Professor just got dumped in your room. So I was told, 'Go find Miss Aaron and tell her its done! And that yes he did figure out where the sword went.'" The rather good impersonation of the 'nutty professor' had the both of them cracking up…. Until Zakk poked his head around the corner again, large blue eyes blinking at her again… wondering what the hell was funny this time.
"You perverted too, Zakk?"
The sandy brown youth blinked once at his partner, then stammered, "No… I don't… think I am…"
Keziah put both hands on her hips, gazing steadily at him. "If your not what are YOU doing in the girls bathroom?" Both eyebrows raised in question, vivid yellow orbs peering at him from under indigo bangs. She swore he paled significantly at that statement and bolted out the door, dragging the grinning Jamie with him…
Wrapping a clean handkerchief around her bloodied hand, shaking her head with a laugh she followed after the pair. Before Keziah got two steps, a warm touch ghosted over the back of her neck. Instantly she stiffened at the contact, "Do you remember me?"
Samael… Azrael…
"So you do… White Raven…" The title was given affectionately, it was her name as a Devil Hunter, most knew her by that alone… "Hunting a Devil again." He haunted her sometimes like this, always when she was alone… To make sure no one ever caught her… "Now who is it your chasing, my pale Raven?"
How did he always know? He knew… the future in some ways, predicting a course of events. She had seen his dark form at every major disaster, every image in history she saw him, where no one else could. His odd half Demonic, half Angelic aura pulsing around him even in photos she had managed to find of him. She had trailed behind him as a child… across the country in his footsteps, going where his voice called her too… Only a step behind him, but unable to reach him. She was a 'savour' to many, chosen to live by the grace of God, directed to her by her Angel… He was a Guardian of a sort… if you could call him that…
Now it was time to find him, for this strange Contract between them to be explained…
"I am chasing you."
I know short chapter… written in one day… BUT I wanna know what people think of it before I continue on with them… Please review!