The Divine War: Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Flight to Fall

    A black furred paw crashed onto the lifeless ground.  The sun had set but twilight still illuminated the Woldaren's shape amongst the growing darkness.  He was becoming impatient and began thrashing at the trees surrounding the circumference of the clearing around the portal.  Garul had ripped up three trees from their roots before he felt something slam into his back.

    The demonic beast turned around to see Rhos glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

    "You fool, what in Hell's name are you doing?  We don't want to attract attention to ourselves, not yet!"  Rhos yelled.

    Garul made no movement and they continued staring at each other.

    Rhos let out a sigh.  "Well luckily you weren't seen.  Now listen carefully.  I'm going to Rasteil to kill the Priestess," he said.  He paused for a moment and looked at the ground before adding, "And her guardian."  He looked back at the wolf and told him, "Now listen, there won't be any reinforcements.  There was an...unforeseen intervention.  I want you to stay here and guard the portal for a while.  My brother Lindael will come through and hunt for me.  Delay him, but don't kill him for he may yet be turned.  Give me a few hours, then we will meet again in the Barren Lands."

    Garul nodded his head but said nothing.

    "Good," was all Rhos said in response.  The sky was now almost completely dark as he jumped into the air.  The moonlight shone upon his black scales and revealed two shadowy blobs on his back that vaguely looked like wings.  Garul lost sight of him for a moment as he seemed to merge with the night.  As Rhos flew higher, the long necked wolf saw him for one last moment before he flew out of his field of vision.  

    Once Rhos had disappeared from his sight, Garul muttered a deep rumble, "Hmph, I will kill whoever I wish."

    A few minutes passed before he saw a bright blue light streak across the sky.  He abandoned his post and chased after it.  The forest did not hinder him as he crushed whatever nature dared to put in his path.

    Aralim awoke barely ten minutes after she took flight in Kelev's arms.  The cool flowing wind and the light of a full moon revitalized her enough look at the forest pass by beneath her.  The sensation of flight astounded her and somewhat frightened her at the same time, but her fears were alleviated by the dragon's strong arms.

    As Kelev flew higher, the air became colder, but Aralim found enough warmth from the dragon's body that the wind's harsh chill didn't bother her; instead the mix of heat and cold invigorated her enough that she found the strength to move her head and look down at the flowing forest.  From such a high vantage point, Aralim could barely see ahead towards all the tiny little obstructions and difficult terrain that the former trio had to pass through on their way down to Westholme's forest.  She looked up and saw the stars zooming by the dragon's head.  

    It was only a few hours ago that Aralim thought she understood the world.  Yet now she was flying in the hands of a Divine Dragon!  Her stirring didn't go unnoticed and Kelev tilted his draconic head downwards so that the two's gazes met.

    "Ah, you've awoken much sooner than I thought you would, Priestess," the dragon said.

    "Awake?  So this isn't a dream then?" she replied with a hint of sarcasm.

    "Nope, everything you remember did indeed transpire," he replied.

    She stared at him for a moment before asking, "Okay, what do you mean I woke up much sooner than you thought I would?"

    "Well, considering this evening was the first time you've utilized magic, I thought you'd sleep through the night."

    "Magic?  Ah, I remember.  That purging light took a lot out of me.  It felt like I had run a hundred miles!  But I wonder, why do the words invoke such power now?  When my mother was the High Priestess, she would often recite the incantations to me, but they would do nothing!"

    Kelev looked forward and responded, "A good question, Priestess.  I expected as such from one as logical as you.  Your magic is channeled from Melian's own power.  The incantations will not do anything unless her power is truly needed.  For example, your offensive spells will do nothing unless it is targeted against supernatural and demonic beings."

    She replied, "Well that explains a lot."  She thought for a while longer and spoke again, "So, uhh, your holiness dragon Kelev, umm, actually what do you want me to call you?

    "You can call me whatever you wish.  I'm here to protect you, Priestess, and I'll do as you will."

    "Okay, just Kelev, if that's fine with you."

    He responded only with a nod.

    "And you don't have to call me Priestess.  You don't have to be so formal, Kelev."

    He looked down at her again and replied with a light smile, "Okay, Aralim.  Is there anything else you wish to know?  I know everything has happened very quickly."

    "Actually, there is something else.  You said earlier that you knew I didn't believe in the Gods.  You also knew Sara's name.  How?"

    Kelev closed his eyes and smiled as if he knew this question would come up.  "I am your guardian.  Of course I know almost everything about you."  He looked forward again.

    "Well that doesn't answer my question," she said.

    The dragon grinned before he replied, "Well, as your guardian I am tasked to protect you in secret.  To fulfill this duty, I must always keep an eye on you.  And not just you either.  Your mother, your grandmother, your great-grandmother, and every Priestess before her.  Believe me, I've had centuries to learn how to keep myself hidden.  In fact, I probably know more about you than Rei or Sara."

    By now they were flying close to the edge of the forest towards the Loring Pass.

    "So you've been watching me since I was little?"

    "Yes, since you were born I have watched and protected you as I have done with every High Priestess."

    This revelation caused thoughts to stir in her head.  It felt odd for her now to know that a secret protector had guarded her since before she was even born.  Something compelled Aralim to ask, "Do you like me?  I mean, like I didn't turn out like one of those pretentious priests so, uhh, I mean like do you approve of how I turned out?"

    The dragon blushed a little, his soft silver scales only amplifying the redness around his snout.  He managed to say, "Umm, yes, I like you.  I mean you turned out fine.  There've been some priestesses in the past with personalities that made me wish I didn't have to protect them..."

    They flew along quietly for a while.  Aralim was amazed at how soft the dragon's hands were despite what a potent weapon they could be.  Eventually she worked up the courage to speak again. "I thought you said you never talked with us, so why me?  Why now?"

    "Well, if you recall, Melian wanted as little external influence on Earth as possible.  In that spirit, me, my brothers, angels, and celestials do not interact with humans.  Only my brother, Lindael, and I reside on Earth.  We are only allowed to protect humans as a counterbalance to the invading demons.  I had to reveal myself to do my job since you were in mortal danger from a demon.  But I also speak to you now because something is terribly wrong.  Demons have not entered this world for almost a millennia thanks to the vigilance of the army of Heaven.  Two demons passing through at the same time is unhea-"

    Kelev roared in pain as a black dart pierced his right wing.  Aralim noticed how his wings shimmered like light, but the dart seemed to pierce it as if it were solid.  The light seemed to be swallowed by the shadow of the dart as Kelev quickly descended into the Loring Pass.  

    He managed to fly down close to the ground before his right wing completely dispersed into the darkness of night and fell the last few feet to the foot of the chasm while using his left wing to flip himself over so that he crashed onto his back with Aralim safely in his arms.

    If any humans were near the clearing around the portal, they would have seen a hooded man robed in light grey emerge past an invisible wall.  Lindael took a few steps forward and looked around the empty circle.  A bright full moon illuminated his surroundings as he saw the trampled foliage that formed a thin trail.  Once he was sure nobody else was nearby, he unfurled Onorus's parchment and thought of his silver brother after removing his hood.

    "Trovare quelli che si sono smarriti!"

    The paper began glowing and flew straight ahead of his face.  An image began to form on the parchment.  He saw the shape of the top of two massive cliffs and then the image panned to the ground.  He recognized the cliffs as the boundaries that formed the Loring Pass.  The image then zoomed out quickly to show the entrance to the Loring Pass.  It continued zooming out slowly until he saw his brother lying on the ground with a human girl he didn't recognize in his brother's arms.  Her eyes were clenched shut and his brother's face contorted in pain.

    Lindael looked at the glowing parchment for at least another ten seconds as he tried to process what he was seeing.  The paper then grew as bright as flame before it suddenly dispersed as quickly as dying firework.  But even before the last flaming shard of fire faded, white light lit up the ground as Lindael released his wings.

    A leaf fell from a nearby tree.  Lindael was gone before it touched the ground.

    The trail of trampled trees headed towards the direction of the Loring Pass.  He flew as fast as he could to the Pass using the trail as a guide.