Story: The Chaos Gate (all chapters)

As always, I think this story is best viewed as I wrote it; in Open Office, 15 point font, with a black background and light red text.

The Chaos Gate

Chapter One: The Servant Girl's Fate
Demon of the Sky

   The young woman entered the room as quietly as the old cottage door would allow and was assured she had avoided notice when the five men continued their discussion undisturbed and quickly hid herself behind a few mead barrels to listen in. “This information should fetch me some decent treatment from the Mistress, maybe even the leftovers from her meals,” the servant girl thought, rubbing her stomach in anticipation.

   Being a servant in a country Manor, she was treated and even fed according to the value of her services. She had seen others starve and die under such a system, unable to properly please their Mistress or Master. Information on, or rather the secrets of, opposing or important parties was often a viable source of appeasement and servants were often sent directly for spying purposes.

   “Are you mad? You actually wish for me to patrol that cursed place?” one of the men said, his voice trembling slightly.

   “Are you turning tail, Mardigan?” another chimed in, a sneer in his voice.

   “You dare suggest cowardice when you're so quick to volunteer another mans' life!” The first man shouted, banging his fist on the table so hard the servant girl had to fight down a surprised squeak. An argument erupted between the the two men and it seemed as if they were close to coming to blows. The servant girl was absorbing every bit of it with a pleasant smile.

   “A rift between the Five Keepers! To the abyss with her leftovers, I'll be dining with her, maybe even share her quarters once more!” Another loud bang on the table shook her from the pleasing reverie.

   “Cease this useless fighting at once! You're quickly losing sight of the purpose behind this meeting and I will not stand for it!” The heated breaths of the angered men slowed and eventually turned to grumbles of acceptance as they slid their chairs back up to the table. “These are dark times we face gentleman, let us do so with calm and dignity.”

   “My apologies, Gaza.”

   “My apologies as well, the tension seems to be getting the best of us.”

   The servant girl shuddered. “Dead Steps Gaza...” Leader of a five man band of mercenaries known simply as the Keepers. While he was revered by the common people who knew only of his protection she knew the truth behind the facade. Everything she had learned from late night deals in the beds of his maids had painted a picture that was anything but heroic. She would have been sick at the thought of her village being protected by such a bloodthirsty man if he didn't do such a good job of it.

   “It's understandable given the gravity of the situation, however we cannot afford to make rash decisions in these trying times.” Gaza pushed his chair back from the table and stood, stroking his hairless chin. “Things certainly have been getting worse in recent years have they not?” A general murmur of consensus rose from the men at the table. “At the rate the occurrences are increasing the five of us here will no longer be enough to protect this town, even using the more able villagers as reserves.” The silence from the men at the table was deafening. “I submit to you gentlemen, that if the occurrences do not cease after the Blood Letting on tomorrows eve, that we abandon this village and head for Cartha.”

   The servant girl's gasp was far louder then she would have liked but thankfully it appeared to have gone unnoticed. “Abandon! Without the Keepers we have no hope of lasting a month!” Another thought struck as the information she had just gleaned was absorbed. “Blood Letting? I've never heard of such a thing.” She was quickly beginning to wonder if she was getting more information then was wanted and she would have fled if it would not mean a swift and brutal punishment from her Mistress.

   “Ah yes, it is that time of year, I'd nearly forgotten... or wish I had rather. My sleep is still haunted from that poor girl's screams,” one of the men commented. She could hear him shake himself for composure. “Ah, that reminds me, who is it to supply the offering this year?”

   “It falls to Lady Maxima this year, she tells me she's already chosen one of her servants for the sacrifice,” Gaza answered in a flat, emotionless voice. “The girl should be arriving here tonight.”

   The servant girl was struck cold as the words of her Mistress telling her of the meeting and that she was expected to attend repeated over and over in her mind. What she had mistaken as a request for secrets had really been an order to go and be taken for some cruel ritual. “Mistress... how could you... I must flee from here!” All pretense of stealth left her as the fear gripped her heart. She quickly gathered herself up and made for the door and her freedom, but it was not to be. The instant her hand found the latch she could feel the presence behind her.

   “Or perhaps she's already here.” Gaza's words drifted lazily over her shoulder. She didn't even have time to wonder how he had come to be so close so quickly before a blade passed within a hair's breadth of her neck, the tip coming to rest against the door. “Why do you run girl?” His voice was like cold steel.

   A single tear slid down her cheek as she answered simply, “You mean to kill me.”

   “That's simply not true my dear girl. You are to die, that much is certain, but with a glorious purpose, one far beyond that which a servant such as yourself could dream. As a sacrifice to the darkness that stalks these lands, your flesh will pay for the lives of all that live here. Is not a death such as this something to be accepted with pride and dignity?”

   His vainglorious words rang on deaf ears, and only served to add fire to the cornered girl. “You dare speak of pride when you have every intention of running like a coward and leaving innocent people to die!” Her tears now streamed freely down her face and she began to tremble with anger as the idea of what she had to do resounded within her. She turned slowly, eyes trailing along the blade at her neck to it's source at the back of the man's gauntlet. She did not meet the mans' eyes out of fear of showing him her intentions. “However, I will not run like you.” She held her hands in front of her to show her submission.

   “Though I do not appreciate your tongue, servant, I deeply respect your resolve.” He lowered his arm and retracted the blade back into his gauntlet. The servant girls heart was threatening to beat out of her chest as his arms came up to capture her wrists. The moment before he could grab them, she made her move.

   She looked up into his eyes and screamed as she brought her hands up to rake her nails down his face as hard as she could, feeling his flesh peel away under the attack. The man reeled back and she threw all her weight into him, taking advantage of his lack of balance to send him crashing backwards over the barrels she had used for cover. Without daring to glance at the other men in the room, she turned and threw open the door and fled into the night, a single thought on her mind.

   “Mistress...”

~

   Entering the Manor without being seen was easy enough for the servant girl, her duties had regularly forced her to move about without being noticed by others. She quickly made her way to her chambers and cast herself onto the worn pile of straw that was her bed and began to weep bitter tears.

   “Ten cycles of my life I devoted to her.. every day, every night, every hour I have served her as best I could!” She pounded both her fists against the straw. “I taught myself to read just so I could speak to her of sweet stories and poetry!” Again she slammed her fists into the makeshift bed. “I-I let her break me before I was ready... and she!” slam “sends!” slam “me!” slam “to be slaughtered!” She lay trembling there, the moon casting an eerie light to her lowered face.

   “They'll be coming here to get me,” she said, voice hallow. She reached deep under the straw to remove something and tuck it into the folds of her sleeve. “I want answers before I die.” She stood to leave but paused and turned to a small wooden pedestal and bowed her head to the small carved figure of a winged woman that stood atop it. She raised her head and turned to leave but stopped once again and glanced sideways at the figurine for a long while before walking over and tucking it too into the folds of her sleeves. She took a deep breath and whispered, “protect me,” before stepping out into the hall and towards her former Mistress' chambers.

~

   “That little bitch!” Gaza roared, glaring at his marred reflection in the mirror. The servant girls nails had made a mess of his once handsome face. Eight very deep, angry red lines trailed from his forehead to his chin. “When I get my hands on that little bitch she's dead!” he screamed, throwing his arms downwards, causing the blades concealed in his gauntlets to slide free.

   “Silence you fool.” Gaza whirled around to glare at the old man who had spoken.

   “Watch your tongue old man,” he hissed, extending his arm so the tip of his blade lay inches from the mans throat, “Village Elder or not, I'll take the head of any man who stands between me and my vengeance!” The old man didn't even blink.

   “You'll do no such thing.”

   “Oh, and why is that?” Gaza sneered.

   “There are worse monsters then you out there, Gaza, and you know what they do when someone interferes with their sacrifice.” These words stopped Gaza cold. “You will not touch a single hair on that girls head lest you and the entire village pay the consequences.”

   Gaza chose his words carefully before speaking again, much calmer then before. “Has she been found?”

   “I sent the other four to retrieve her while the healer tended to your wounds. They should be arriving at Maxima's manner as we speak.”

   “Good,” Gaza said, jerking his shoulders to retract the blades back into concealment and turned back to the mirror, “if I can't kill her myself I'll simply enjoy the next best thing.” His ruined face a perfect reflection of the blood lust he felt inside.

~

   The servant girl took a short rest outside of her Mistress' quarters to prepare herself for what she was about to do. She took a deep breath, pushed open the doors, and walked into the dimly lit room.

   Even in the flickering light of a few near dead candles, the fine quality of the furnishings of the house Mistress' room could easily be seen. Everywhere a person could sit or lay was covered in a thick purple colored silky material that the Mistress adored so much. The writing desk, bed, chairs, everything made from the finest quality wood, and of the best craftsmanship. The bed was especially incredible, it was the softest, most wonderful place the servant girl had ever been. She would have been lost in her memories at the sight of it if not for the nightmare that lay atop it.

   “How could you...”

   At the foot of the bed, trembling and naked, lay a small, much too thin girl who couldn't be more then fourteen cycles, a small pool of blood had formed between her legs. Leaning against the headboard of the bed lay her sleeping Mistress. Blood, the young girl's virgin blood, was smeared across her perfect breasts and left to dry in the night air. The memories... the nightmares of her own breaking ceremony came fresh to her mind but she shook them away. She did not have time to mourn her broken past, and the horrors before her only furthered her resolve.

   Reaching into her sleeve she pulled the curved dagger she kept hidden under her bedding. She screamed like a wild animal, the pain of a lifetime of injustice shattering all restraint. She leaped onto the barely waking Mistress and drove the dagger into the womans stomach all the way to the hilt and twisted it hard. The woman's eyes shot open and a low chocking scream tore through her. The woman's hands made for the knife in her belly but the servant girl grabbed them and pinned them against the headboard.

   “Why! Why did you send me to die!” the servant girl screamed, burying her face into the womans neck. “I loved you, I would have done anything for you! Why did you send me to die?!” The woman, seemingly resigned to her fate, took a few ragged breaths, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, and spoke.

   “You have become so very old, I could not lay with you anymore.” The servant girl lifted off the woman so their eyes could meet.

   “So you send me to die and take her to your bed... she's but a child!”

   The woman smiled grimly. “You should know by now where my desires lay, and that you can no longer fill them. Using you for the Blood Letting was the only way you could continue to ser..” she coughed up a large amount of blood, her eyes beginning to dim, “the only way you could serve me. I thought it would make you... happy.”

   The large doors behind them burst open, the servant girl turned to see four of the keepers rush into the room. The man leading them blanched at the sight of the young girl and averted his gaze. “You two, get her off of the Mistress!” one of them directed, “and you, fetch the healer, tell her Lady Maxima has been wounded grievously!” The servant girl was lifted from the dying woman's body and forced onto her knees in front of the bed.

   “Tell me girl,” the leading man said, moving around to stand in front of her, his back to the bed. She looked up to see Mardigan, the most reserved of the five, looking down on her. “Do you intend to resist further?”

   “No,” the servant girl said quietly, “I told Gaza before, I will not cower from what fate has handed me. There is no longer anything for me here, take me to be sacrificed or whatever, it no longer matters.” The man's eye twitched.

   “Very well,” he said, “take her away.”

   “Oh, one more thing,” the servant girl managed as she was hauled to her feet, her eyes looking past the man to the bed. “The healer's services will not be needed.” And with those final words, she was dragged from the room, an empty smile on her face.

   Mardigan turned to the bed and blanched. The young girl had crawled atop the Mistress' body and was repeatedly plunging the dagger into the womans chest, tears rolling off her cheeks into the wounds.

~

   The hard ride while bound and thrown over the back of a horse should have been painful but the servant girl could feel nothing. Worry, fear, pain, she doubted any of those things could lay claim to her anymore. Her whole life had been one form of torture after another and she was beginning to feel that this was how it should end. One final act of cruelty.

   She stood now, shackled to a post in the ground at the edge of a massive clearing surrounded by trees. She was looking upwards and standing very still, appearing almost as a statue. So captivated was she by what she saw that everything else seemed as a blur. After all, she had never seen it so close and it took but a quick glance to decide that the stories of those that had completely failed to ascribe the amazement she felt now.

   The Chaos Gate. A massive tear in the sky. The swirling inky black pit from which all that was foul came to be. The breeding ground of fell beasts and dark spirits. No common person knew how, why, or when it had appeared, only that it was the source of the misery that gripped them and the madness that threatened to tear the world apart.

   Gaza's final words as he had tightened the locks to their limits around her ankle drifted aimlessly in the back of her mind. "I'm going to enjoy watching this. You'll pay for scarring me in a most... delicious way." The memory shook her enough to pull her eyes away from the swirling darkness and noticed that the day had started to wane into the twilight hour. She looked to the edges of the clearing, and could just barely make out the five men laying in wait. Her eyes narrowed.

   “Keepers of peace.. such foolishness!” she thought to herself bitterly. “If I wasn't bound here I would..” The thought would never be finished.

   A flash of dark purple light emanated from the Gate and spread across the sky around it. The servant girl's eyes locked onto the void, her whole body trembling as the swirling darkness slowed to a halt and a low hum filled the air around her. Brilliant white cracks began to spread across the darkness, a stark contrast against the deep black. The girl's skin prickled and sweat formed on her brow as the hum grew stronger and stronger, vibrating through her body as if to shake her to pieces. She gritted her teeth and forced her gaze to stay on the sky, the cracks now glowing so brightly it hurt to look at them but she had to know what was coming.

   It all came to a crescendo with the sudden stop of the vibrations. The silence only lasted a few short seconds before an ear shattering shriek tore it's way from the void and the darkness shattered. The servant girl stared, awestruck, as massive shards of what looked to be black glass riddled the clearing in front of her. Before her mind could wrap itself around the fact that she'd nearly been dashed to pieces, the shards of the black sky melted into an inky pool and dissolved into a thick layer of dust. The shock of even this was not to last as a loud, bestial roar echoed through the sky.

~

   “I don't have time for this!”

Thump Thump

   'Damn you'

Thump Thump

   'This can't be happening... this can't be happening!'

Thump Thump

   'How can it be so fast! I can't break away!'

Thump Thump

   'If I can just reach the Gate!'

Thump Thump

   'There! There it is!”

Thump Thump

   'Why.. why can't I move! How can I be so overwhelmed!'

Thump Thump

   “First you steal something precious and then you flee like a coward. You will pay for your insolence!”

Thump..

~

   The waning light caught her executioner perfectly for just a moment before it crashed to the ground, sending up a massive plume of black dust and obscuring it from view. However, that seconds long sight was more then enough to take the breath from her lungs and shatter her resolve. She collapsed to her knees, trembling to her very core as her oldest nightmare flashed before her eyes.

   Her executioner, a towering beast the size of a small cottage. It's body rippled with thick cords of sinewy muscles that it's torn, rotted flesh and scattered clumps of gore matted fur did little to conceal. The monster had four massive legs, as thick as tree trunks, it's huge paws ending with five long, razor sharp, black claws. Most horrible of all were the beasts three snarling wolf heads, each baring fangs like daggers and glaring, hatred filled red eyes, each shedding scarlet tears.

   She hugged her arms tightly to herself, only to recoil them as something sharp jabbed her chest.

   “Protect me..”

   The memory fell like a hammer blow on her mind and she frantically searched the folds of her sleeve for the figurine. “You've given me strength so many times before...” Now free from it's confines she held it with one hand and stroked it lovingly with the other. “Please!” she said, closing her eyes and thrusting it towards the fading cloud of ash, “protect me once more!” If the tiny statue planned to do anything, it did so silently, the only sound that could be heard was a deep panting sound coming from the monster. When nothing happened for some time, the servant girl dared open her eyes and saw something she did not expect to see.

   The monster had landed on its back and was pawing at the air, groaning pitifully. Seeing it so close she realized that the beast was grievously wounded. A myriad of deep cuts lined the beasts' left side, its front left paw appeared to have been smashed and several of the claws seemed to be hanging on by mere threads of sinew. Most severe of all was the left most head, it's eyes were dim and it's tongue lulled limp into the ash beneath it. Its skull appeared to have been crushed inward into its brains and a large bone stuck out from its neck as if the head had been forced inward until it snapped.

   “MERCY!” The beasts two living heads howled in unison, the voices booming and guttural.

   The girl, frightened from the beasts outburst tried to jump backwards only to be forced down by the shackle on her leg, slamming her head against the ground in the process. She lay still, eyes closed, waiting for the shooting pain to cease. She began to wonder if the blow had knocked her senseless when the clear and melodious voice of a woman called out from the sky above.

   “There will be no mercy for stray dogs tonight, I've long yet to pay you back for what you stole from me!”

   The girl opened her eyes, bleary from the impact, and searched for the source of the voice. She found the figure above her and squinted, waiting for her vision to clear. When at last she could see her breath caught in her throat and she gripped the figurine tight to her chest, tears sliding down her cheeks.

   Descending from the sky was a woman with beautiful black feathered wings.

Sorry about the ugly formatting, it was the best I could get it to look with this file upload process.

Chapter 2

As always, I think this story is best viewed as I wrote it; in Open Office, 15 point font, with a black background and light red text.

Silvi would like to apoligize for any confusion the people who read Chapter One before this was posted might have. The two were supposed to be posted together but she was called away for an emergency and likely won't be back for a few days so I'll be posting this in her place with her full permission.

The Chaos Gate

Chapter Two: Wrath of the Black Wings
To Sacrifice One's Soul

   The flames licked at the cloth covering my legs and my back but I was too scared to feel it. I simply stared forward out my window, vision blurry and unfocused because of the heat and the smoke. Something deep inside me told me that I should run from the burning cottage but I couldn't listen to it. Mommy had told me to stay inside no matter what happened so that's what I was going to do. Even though I would die from the flames, even though right outside the window my mother was being torn to pieces by a monster. It looked at me then, six red eyes burning into mine, telling me that I was next. I closed my eyes and waited for it to come.

   A bright flash of light, three howls in unison, splintering wood, arms wrapping around my body, something silky against my cheek, a feeling of weightlessness, then only cold air and the sound of beating wings. I opened my eyes and saw only silver, then darkness.

   I awoke to the sound of screaming and sat upright quickly to see who it was. I looked around myself and found that I was not in my bed but rather in a small clearing of trees, wrapped tightly in a blanket. A pair of thin, but strong arms wrapped around me from behind, rocking me back and forth and making soothing sounds into my ear. I relaxed into the embrace but when I tried to speak I realized that my mouth was already open and that there was no breath in me. It was me that was screaming.

   “Stay right here baby, no matter what happens you stay right here!”

   My screams were replaced by sobs as I recalled my mother's final words to me. I broke down completely into the arms that held me as the memories of what would become my nightmares for so many years returned unbidden. The intense heat of the flames, the roars of the monster, the screams of my mother, it was like I was still there. I don't know for how long I cried, but the comforting arms never left me. Eventually the tears began to slow and the person holding me finally spoke, it was a woman's voice, sweet and melodious, but thick with emotion.

   “I'm so sorry sweet child... if only I had noticed the smoke sooner then perhaps I could have...” The voice paused, unable to continue.

   I tilted my head backwards to try and see who was holding me, my eyes were met with a pair of luminous silver orbs that gazed down on me with warmth and compassion. I had never seen eyes like those before, there was something different about them even apart from the color which I had never heard given to someones eyes. There was something special about this woman.

   “Who are you?” I asked, finding my voice weak after the screams and the sobbing.

   “My name is Saria,” she said simply.

   “How am I still alive? The fire.. and the monster...” I somehow managed to fight back the tears that wanted so badly to fall from the memory. Her eyes flickered nervously, and it was some time before she responded.

   “I was passing nearby when I noticed the smoke from your cottage and decided to investigate. I came upon that monster and your...” she closed her eyes for a moment and took a slow breath, “I managed to drive the beast away and noticed you there in the window and managed to pull you from the flames as the roof was collapsing. I then brought you here and did my best to treat your injuries,” she finished somberly.

   Something tickled at my spine as she told her story. “How did you chase away the monster and save me? It was so big and scary and the fire was...” She sighed as if resigning herself to something and cast her eyes sideways.

   “Do you promise not to be afraid of me?”

   The question itself seemed odd, but the deep sense of worry in her voice was even more so. I was struck by the sadness reflected in her eyes and something deep inside me wanted to make that sadness go away. Without realizing it I was nodding my head. “I promise.”

   “Very well then,” she said, releasing me from the embrace. She stood, eyes locking with mine and never leaving, she walked around to my side and took a few steps back.

   Still mesmerized by those beautiful silver pools it took a moment for my view to expand and take in more of my savior. The skin on her face was flawless if not a bit pale, high cheekbones accentuating her somewhat thin nose and lips. Framing her face and trailing down to her waist like a waterfall of silk were thick, lightly curled, locks of hair of the same brilliant silver as her eyes. Clasped around her slender neck was a blue traveling cloak but it looked as if all but a few feet of it had been torn away. Left to cover the womans body lay little more then a pale blue sleeveless tunic and a loose fitting pair of trousers that cinched at the waist. Her body, while slender and feminine still managed to display an aura of strength that was both intimidating and comforting at the same time.

   A sharp gasp left my lips as my view drifted outward yet again. From just beneath the womans shoulders sprouted a massive pair of wings, folded gently against her back. The feathers were the purest shade of white I had ever seen. She saw me staring at them and turned away her face.

   “Please know that I don't mean you any harm. I know that my appearance can be frightening but I'm not a monster. I swear to you I'm not a...”

   “You're the most beautiful thing I ever saw!” I told her, my amazement unable to be contained. She peeked up at me with one eye.

   “You.. you really mean that? You're not afraid of me?” I shook my head and a smile spread across her lips. “Such a sweet girl... it's been so long since I've heard words like those directed at me,” she said, spreading her wings outward with a flourish.

   “C-can I touch them?” I asked, awestruck at the sight of them spread so wide.

   “Of course you may..”she started then shouted for me to stop as I pushed off the blanket I was wrapped in.

   “..did my best to treat your injuries.”

   The words she had spoken finally found meaning with me. I looked down to see that most of my body was wrapped tightly with strips of a blood spattered cloth, blackened flesh peeking from beneath the makeshift bandages. The skin that wasn't bound was littered with cuts and tiny splinters of wood. Looking down further I saw that my legs seemed to have suffered the most, not a single inch was spared. It dawned on me that even with all this damage I couldn't feel a thing. My body was ruined. I had truly lost everything.

~

   The black winged woman was descending slowly, the gusts created by her wings causing her blood red cloak and torrent of silver hair to swirl wildly. The tight fitting black leather bustier with matching short skirt and heels she wore left most of the woman's flawless body uncovered. The sight of her there, supported by those massive wings against the broken sky was awe inspiring, like something from a dream.

   The woman lowered herself to a reasonable height and positioned herself over the fallen monster before locking her wings and dropping knee first onto the beast's chest with a sickening crack. It howled in pain, a froth of blood and spittle spraying from it's rotten lips. She stood slowly on the beast's heaving belly and started stepping her way towards the monsters heads. Spreading her wings out for balance and digging her heels in with every step. She made her way down to its collective throat and stopped.

   “Why were you so desperate to come to this place?” she asked quietly.

   The beast gurgled low in it's throat and rolled over onto it's paws, attempting to throw the woman off. Seeing through this, she simply hopped into the air and with a few flaps of her wings landed lightly on the beast's back.

   “Bad dog,” she said, smashing her heel down into the ruined left head, causing the monster to yelp and topple over. “Do I need to ask again?"

   “S-SACRIFICE!” the beast groaned.

   “Oh?” the woman said, “The Fates must be watching me close today. To have something precious taken from me only to be led to another, sweeter prize.” She looked around the clearing and easily spotted the trembling girl shackled to the post. Leaping from the beast's neck she made her way to stand over the trembling servant girl. “Come girl, let me have a look at...” her words trailed into silence when she saw the wooden figurine.

   “Have you come to save me again?” the servant girl managed, eyes downcast.

   “Show me your face, girl.”

   “Do you not remember me?”

~

   My mind was fuzzy as it made the slow return to wakefulness, I could just barely make out some muffled conversation between two women above me.

   'It .... weaken ... considerably, ... . cannot guarantee ... results, ... not meant for healing'

   “Please try, old friend.” I dimly recognized this voice as Saria's, the other sounded strange, like it was coming from all directions.

   '... other ... try .. take control'

   “It is worth the risk. This child has suffered enough.”

   'Very well'

   A warm glow settled through my body and it felt as though I was being lifted from the ground and carried by a gentle current. A small pinpoint of light appeared in the distance, and I willed myself to move towards it, stretching out my hand to take it for myself. The heat and pain in my body became greater and greater the closer I came but when at last I cupped my hands around it every last bit of it drained away, leaving a calm and soothing sensation throughout. The strange woman's voice, barely more then a whisper, brushed against my ears.

   'Take this gift child, and live well'

   I awoke suddenly, sitting bolt upright, breath coming in ragged gasps. I took a moment to calm myself and loose the dream from my memory. When my breathing finally calmed I looked around to find myself in the same clearing of trees as before. Saria was sitting on an old fallen tree a short distance away, working at something I couldn't quite make out with a small knife. I was about to call to her when I noticed something was different, a few scattered feathers on her wings were now pure black, a sharp contrast from the perfect white of the ones surrounding them. As if feeling my eyes upon her she turned to face me.

   “Oh, you're awake!” she said with a smile, quickly hiding what she was working on and coming over to my makeshift bed. “I've been wanting to check your bandages but didn't want to wake you. Lay back please.” I did so without hesitating. She removed the blanket and went to work removing the bandages she'd fastened from strips of her cloak. I noticed deep lines set under her eyes that I was sure weren't there the day before, and her skin looked slightly pale and drawn.

   “Saria, are you well?” I asked. She paused a moment to think before resuming her examination.

   “I'm just a little tired, why do you ask?” she queried, then added, “do I look so unpleasant that I should worry?” she finished, grinning and cocking one eyebrow upwards.

   I blushed and shook my head. “I saw that some of your feathers have turned black and you look so tired, I thought maybe it meant you were ill.” She was about to respond but stopped, her eyes lighting up.

   “Well, would you look at that!”

   “What.. what is it?” I asked, frightened.

   “See for yourself,” she said, grinning.

   Afraid of what I might find I slowly raised my head to peer down at my uncovered body, what I saw was the last thing I had expected. Nearly half of the burned flesh and every last one of the cuts and splinters had vanished, leaving behind nothing but healthy pink skin. I touched it timidly, finding it to be perfectly smooth.

   “H-how can this... did you do this, Saria?” She smiled and unclasped the cloak at her neck. She tore most of the remaining garment into strips and soaked them with water from a skin before rebinding them to the still burned areas of my body. Realizing I wasn't going to get an answer I laid my head back down and rested until she finished. I waited until she was pulling the blanket up around me and took her hands between my own and whispered my thanks.

   “Such a sweet child,” she said, silver pools glistening with tears.

   “Celes.”

   “Hm?” she said, tilting her head a little.

   “My name is Celes.”

~

   “It's me,” the servant girl said, looking up into the deep scarlet eyes of the winged woman, “Celes...” Cold, uncaring, scarlet eyes. “You're not my savior, are you?” The woman took the figurine from the girl, running her fingers down the smooth wood before dropping it to the ground and catching Celes once more with her scarlet gaze.

   “You may not know me but I know you very well, dear Celes. I was there the entire time she cared for you, just waiting for my chance to awaken and snatch you up for myself. Then, to my great surprise, the fool..“

   The servant girl screamed, eyes focused somewhere behind the woman. The woman turned, scarlet eyes flashing, to find the monster in mid pounce, claws extended, teeth gnashing hungrily. She raised her right hand towards the beast, palm open. A scarlet Infinity symbol blazed to life on the back of her hand and the very air around them began to vibrate with unseen energy. A mere instant before the monster's claws sank into her a perfectly clear female voice rang out as if from all directions..

   -Iron Cross-

   A sound that could only be likened to thunder directly overhead tore through the clearing. The center head of the beast was crushed inward, the force of the blow sending it crashing backward into the trees on the other end of the clearing. The impact of its massive body was so great that it uprooted several rows of trees before skidding to a halt in a broken heap.

   The vibrations slowed and finally ceased as the echo faded into silence. The woman lowered her hand, the Infinity symbol dissolving back into the skin. She shook the hand lightly and then flexed it before lowering it and turning back to the servant girl.

   “As I was saying..” she continued as if nothing had happened.

~

   I think she sensed that I wanted to be left to my thoughts because she didn't say much to me outside of what was needed. I spent the day quietly mourning the loss of my mother, the only family I had ever had. Sleep didn't come easy that night, and it was restless when it did. Much like the night before I heard voices through the haze and again I could only recognize one of them as belonging to Saria. The second voice, however, was different this time but still familiar in some strange way.

   “I want this one.”

   “You will never have her!” Saria answered, fury in her voice.

   “And how do you plan on stopping me, eh? You're growing weaker by the day. Your only chance is to abandon the child.”

   “I cannot!”

   “Then what do you intend to do? You can't have it both ways.”

   “One will be enough for me.”

   “Oh?”

   “A truce...”

   “Oh I like the sound of this! Name your terms.”

   I would not hear her answer as sleep claimed me once more. A dream, very similar to the one from before and the same feeling of heat draining from my body washed over me. However, the light was much brighter this time and when I took it into my hands it felt solid and seemed to move of it's own power. After a particularly hard pull my eyes came open to see a bleary outline of Saria, silvery light shining from her hand against my body. I suddenly felt dizzy, and collapsed backward, asleep before my head hit the blanket.

   I awoke to nearly the same view as the day before, Saria turned away from me on her log, working something with the knife. My eyes trailed across her magnificent wings to find that nearly half the feathers had turned black. She noticed me awake and followed the same routine she had yesterday of changing my bandages with what was left of her cloak. She looked even more exhausted then the day before, almost appearing frail as she worked on me. Upon finishing with me she returned to her log and picked up whatever she was working on..

   “You have more black feathers now.” I said quietly. She turned and smiled, but it seemed strained.

   “Don't worry yourself with it, sweet Celes, it is simply something that happens from time to time,” she said, her eyes falling slightly. “I need to talk to you about what is going to happen now that you are nearly well,” she said, sounding very sad.

   “You're leaving, aren't you?” She seemed a little surprised, but nodded.

   “Staying with you past tonight would not lead to good things for either of us. Please do not ask me why and accept this as the way it must be,” she was nearly pleading with me, begging me with her eyes to not make fuss.

   I nodded. No matter how badly I wanted to tell her that I didn't want her to go, that I didn't want to be alone again, I knew deep down that it would hurt her to do so.

   “There is a village not far from here, I'll take you there and leave you in the care of one of the Manor Houses. They should take you in as a maidservant and while it is not the most wonderful of lives, at least it will keep you with clothes on your back and food in your belly.”

   “My mommy taught me how to take care of things around the house, I can even cook a little. Do you think that will help them like me and take care of me?” I asked hopefully.

   “I'm sure it will, sweet Celes.” With a final waning smile, she turned around and left me to my thoughts of my new life.

~

   “She found you, the sweet little injured girl and made a deal with her own inner darkness in order to save you. Doesn't it just break your heart?” the woman said mockingly. The servant girl stiffened visibly but managed to hold the woman's scarlet gaze.

   “What have you done with Saria?”

   “Why nothing at all of course! She's perfectly safe, right in here,” she said, tapping the side of her head with a finger, “although,” she added with a wicked smile, “she'll scream herself hoarse telling me to stay away from you at the rate she's going.” Noticing the girls confusion she explained. “We're something like sisters you see, but born into the same body and always fighting one another for control. Whoever is stronger gains the body while the weaker one gets forced into the back of the mind.”

   “How can such a thing be?”

    "Because of our wretched mothers!” she said angrily, practically spitting out the final word in disgust.

   “Mothers? You have... two?” Celes asked, interest overriding her fear.

   “There are two species of Sky Maiden, those with white wings and those with black and neither possess any males like your kind. The two have very different lifestyles and customs and rarely interact with one another outside of the holy days which both honor. We are the result of a crossbreeding between the two, something unheard of before our birth. The fools in power, fearing what our creation might bring about between the separated clans, banished us from both homelands and...”

   “Die bitch!” The servant girl turned just in time to see a blade descending towards her face.

~

   “No!” Gaza thought angrily, pounding his fist into the ground. “Why won't this woman die! First they stop me from giving chase at the meeting, then the old fool holds me from pursuing her at Maxima's, and now the beast was cast away like trash by this devil woman who looks like she'd sooner mate with her then kill her! How many times can this girl cheat death! This is madness! I will not let it continue!” He stood and flung his wrists down, unsheathing his blades. “I'll kill her myself!” he screamed.

   “Have you lost your damn mind, Gaza?! You saw what happened to that monster!” Mardigan called to him but the man didn't listen and started his charge into the clearing.

   “What do we do Mardigan? He'll die for sure if we let him go alone!” The man to his left said, the other two nodded in agreement.

   “There'll be no stopping him, support the damned fool if you wish, I'm staying here and thinking of a plan.” The other three looked at each other, nodded, and ran off after the man. “Damned fools...”

~

   The healing dream came once more but it was quite unlike those before it. The current that carried me was rough and choppy, the light awaiting me no longer a pinpoint in the distance but a massive flare that enveloped the horizon. The most frightening change however, was the feeling of eyes upon me that left me with a cold and terrible chill. There was a consuming hunger in that feeling, making this journey feel more like a race for survival then a healing sleep.

   I was roughly shaken into wakefulness, Saria's tired face coming into view.

   “Time is running short, sweet Celes, we don't have time for you to rest,” she said, breathing heavily.

   “Are you...”

   “I'm fine!” she snapped, raising her voice to me for the first time. There was a flicker across her eyes and they softened. “Forgive me,” she said somberly, “I've not yet slept and there is much to do. Do you think you can stand?” she asked, offering her hand. I nodded and took it.

   She raised me to my feet slowly and I expected them to give out on me at any moment but instead found my footing to be firm. I tested their strength by crouching lightly and then finishing with a hop and a little spin. She laughed when I had finished, bringing a blush to my cheeks. I looked around the small clearing with my new perspective and noticed for the first time that Saria had a small satchel laying next to the log she had been sitting on, a tiny wooden hand peeking out from the opening. She collected the bag and tucked the contents deeper before cinching it to her waist.

   “Come,” she said, holding out her arms, “time is short.”

   I walked to her waiting arms and stopped, tilting my head a little. “Saria, how would be...” my words faded gradually into a startled scream as she placed one hand behind my back and used the other to sweep my legs from under me. Wasting no time she crouched low before jumping high into the air, beating her massive wings for lift. In a matter of seconds, she had carried me into the sky.

   “Hold around my neck for support,” she grunted, “if you thrashed like that the whole way we'd both be in a lot of trouble.” I did so with fervent abandon, wrapping my arms around her neck as tight as I could. “But not that tight or we'll be no better!” she gasped.

   “Sorry..” I muttered, loosening my hold to what seemed comfortable for us both. With my newfound sense of balance I chanced looking down and instantly regretted it as the trees below seemed to spin wildly and fly up towards my face. I closed my eyes and buried my face into her neck, finding the warmth of her presence so close to be a balm on my nerves. I wasn't sure if I had dozed off or if the village was really so close but the flight didn't seem to last very long.

   “We have arrived.”

   Not wanting to miss the opportunity to see my future home from above I allowed my eyes to open briefly to take in the sight of the myriad of thatch roofed cottages and ample fields. Spread out across the village were a few bulky estates, one of which would hopefully take me in. Saria chose the one that lay furthest from the others and landed lightly a short distance from the front entrance. Unexpectedly however, I noticed that Saria had dropped to one knee. I started for her but she stopped me short with an outstretched hand.

   “I have something for you,” she said, breathing very hard while she reached into the satchel at her waist. “This,” she said, presenting me with a small piece of parchment covered in unfamiliar scribbles, “should fully explain what has happened and what you are hoping for.” Once again she stopped me from giving my thanks and reached once more into her bag. “And this...” she said, producing a tiny wooden figurine of a winged woman, arms and wings spread outward, standing atop a small pedestal.

   I took the beautiful carving as delicately as I could into my hands. I ran my fingers over the pale wood and found it perfectly smooth. I had never in my life seen such craftsmanship or been given so wonderful a gift. The tears welled up in my eyes and I threw myself at her, burying my face in her neck and weeping.

   “Thank you so much Saria, for.. for everything.” She held me there, rocking me back and forth and gently rubbing my back until my tears ceased.

   “Carvings like this are very rare,” she said quietly. “It will show you as a dear friend of the Sky Maidens, an honor very few are given. If there is a lady of the house it should help them come to accept you and,” she said, holding me at arms length to look me in the eyes, “and help remind you of a friend should you be lonely. Now, you should go before I'm...” her words sputtered into a chocking gasp as she collapsed forward onto all fours, tremors racking her body.

   My mind was screaming at me to go to her aide but I was transfixed on the sight of her wings which had been brought to eye level by her posture. The swirling darkness of the black feathers was spreading rapidly across the remaining white ones. It was like a shadow blotting out the light of Saria's being and it scared the breath out of me. A low growl emerged from her throat and I looked down to see that her eyes were tinted scarlet and she was clutching the ground so hard her knuckles were white.

   “S-Saria?” I managed. The spasms slowed and eventually stopped, allowing her to rise shakily to her feet, facing away from me. Only the very last feather on each wing remained untouched by the spreading darkness. She turned to face me, her now scarlet hued eyes shedding bloody tears. She approached me with slow even steps and cupped my face with both hands, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on my forehead. A soothing warmth flowed into me from the point where her lips met my skin, and remained there until she broke the contact.

   “A final gift,” she whispered before standing and turning away from me. “Farewell, sweet Celes.”

   With those final words she crouched low and leaped high into the air, her wings quickly carrying her out into the darkness of the night.

~

   A few seconds passed but the blow did not come, slowly, Celes opened one eye to see the blade caught against the top of one of the woman's wings, feathers fanned out, edges glistening like daggers.

   “I grow weary of these interruptions!” The woman screamed, arcing the wing upwards to send the man's arm back and following through the motion by stepping forward and grabbing the man's face. She placed one of her feet behind his legs and pushed hard, toppling him over and smashing his head into the ground. She glared past the now unconscious man to see three others charging with weapons drawn. “I'll be but a moment my dear,” she said to Celes and let out a savage growl that was quite unfitting of her appearance

   The men, the Keepers of peace who had fended off countless attacks from fell beasts, warriors hardened from years of combat. They never had a chance. With one great flap of her wings for momentum she was right in the midst of them. Taking advantage of their surprise she took one's head in her hands and snapped his neck before he even knew what was happening. The other two, having found their bearings, brought their weapons to bare and began circling as she let the limp body of their comrade drop to the ground.

   “Hm, which one should it be?” she said, pointing from man to man, smirking as their faces paled. “You,” she said, focusing her scrutiny to the man at her right and opening her palm towards him, “let's see how you stand up to my magic!”   The man, clearly remembering what had happened to the monster, flung his hands up in front of his face and awaited the deathblow. “Fool!” she shouted, closing the distance between them and hoisting his sword arm above his head. Wrapping her left wing around to the front of her body she tensed the feathers at the tip and dashed it across the mans belly while lifting her right wing high into the air to slash the man downward from forehead to groin. Catching the sound of approaching footsteps she glanced over her shoulder and smirked. She quickly lowered her right wing and spun causing the charging man's outstretched sword to glance off and bury itself in the garroted man's chest.

   Before the remaining man could even utter a curse she had sidestepped around him and caught him under the arms. Crouching low she jumped hard and flapped her wings, sending them soaring into the air. The man, realizing what she intended, started thrashing like mad trying to break free but her grip remained firm. Having reached her desired height she tilted backwards, locking her wings to enter a free fall, the man began to scream. Seconds before colliding with the ground she spread her wings to break from the fall. The man's screams doubled as he saw that the trees at the edge of the clearing were rapidly approaching. With all the speed and power gained from her descent she hurled the man face first into the side of a massive tree, his screams stopping abruptly as his body crumpled with a wet crack around itself before sagging to the ground in a lifeless heap.

   She landed lightly near the shuddering servant girl just as Gaza regained consciousness and staggered to his feet. He jabbed one of his blades towards the woman, swaying a bit as he did so. “Why do you protect this girl, devil woman? She needs to die, I need to see her die for what she did to me!” He shouted, bringing his free hand up trail fingers down his ruined face.

   “So you were not always that hideous? I had figured you were simply born that way,” she said with a smirk. The man screamed and lunged but it was slow and weak in his barely conscious stupor and the woman easily caught his wrist and twisted it behind his back. Gaza struggled to break free but to no avail.

   “I have four good men with me! They'll be here any moment to cut the wings from your cursed hide!”

   “Had four good men,” she said with a little laugh, extending a wing tip past the mans face to point at the three corpses one by one. “Now you have one and it looks like he is smart enough not to come and die for you so in a sense you have nobody but your own foolish self. You idiots interrupted my private moment, and being as you were leading that charge I shall punish you more severely then your cohorts. They received death, you shall long for it.”

   Bringing her extended wing around the mans face she fanned the feathers out wide and raked them across it, adding six deep horizontal slashes to the man's already ruined face. Still not finished she shoved him forward, extending his trapped arm, and swung her wing downward, lopping it off at the elbow. Gaza screamed as he stumbled forward, clutching the bloody stump with his remaining hand.

   “You bitch! You bitch! My arm! I'll kill....” he stopped cold as his eyes met with hers, scarlet orbs burning.

   “Run along before I take the other one,” she said simply, holding his gaze.

   “Damn it! I'll get you someday!” he shouted, words sputtering through the blood flowing down his face. With one final glare, he turned and fled into the woods.

   The woman kicked away the severed arm and turned to the servant girl. “Forgive the interruptions my dear, this was supposed to be a tender moment,” she said, placing her hands on the girls shoulders.

*

   “What is to happen to me?” I asked, wanting to avert my eyes from the woman but finding that I could not do so no matter how hard I tried. The woman stepped closer, wrapping her arms around my neck and leaning in so close that her breath tickled my ear.

   “I'm going to bind you to me, and absorb your essence into myself,” she whispered softly before backing away slightly. I was about to ask what she meant but was silenced when her massive wings came over her shoulders and wrapped themselves around us, encasing us in a sort of cocoon. I looked into the womans eyes and saw an immense passion and hunger deeply set into those scarlet orbs.

   Images slowly began to appear and dance across the back of my mind by the dozen. They were set to many different places and times of day but they all featured a similar scene. Young women, near my age, locked in the same embrace of the arms and wings of the scarlet eyed woman, their lips pressed together in the most intimate of kisses. At first a fluttery feeling began to spread through my belly at the sight, but then the images began to change. The girls began to grow thin and pale, their eyes becoming dull and faded. In the end the woman would pull away from the kiss and place her lips upon the girls brow, a blaze of scarlet light would engulf them, leaving only the black winged woman when it faded. When the images had ceased I placed my head against her chest and closed my eyes

   “Why are you not afraid?” she asked quietly, “all those before you have tried to flee after witnessing my memories.”

   “I cannot flee,” I said simply, rattling the shackle that bound my leg, “but even if I was not chained here I would not try to escape. The only reason I still live is because of Saria and, if what you say is true, you as well.”

   “What foolishness is this?”

   “Knowing what I do now, when last I saw her there was so little of her left, it appears to me that you could have wrested control from her at any moment but you did not, and even after you had you did not return to do so. Whether it was out of respect for her or pity for me you chose to honor whatever bargain was made between you. From my eyes, I owe you my life as well so why should I not give it to you now that you have want of it?” She appeared struck by my words and her eyes softened slightly.

   “You really are a sweet girl,” the woman said, stroking my hair with one of her hands. “You have earned my respect, Celes, and so I will tell you something I have told none before you. I want you to know that I do not do this out of some vile lust or insatiable need to destroy life. It is simply a part of the nature of my people and it would be unnatural for me to go against it.”

   “I understand Sa...” I tilted my head to the side slightly, “I suppose it would not be right to call you by her name. What am I to..” my words were silenced as she pressed her lips to mine. The feathers surrounding us began to vibrate and emit a low humming sound. The most curious sensation began to spread through my body, like the whole of me was being pulled into her through our joined lips.

   “My name is Serenia,” she said softly, her voice seeming to appear from within my mind.

   “A beautiful name,” my voice echoed, surprising me with it's clarity. “Will this be painful Serenia?”

   “I do not know, but it will be over quickly.”

   “Thank you, Serenia.”

   “An odd thing to say,” she replied, her voice becoming so quiet towards the end that I could barely hear the words.

   “You've given me a purpose in a life where I thought none existed. For that, I am so very grateful...”

   My eyes fluttered open as she removed her lips from mine and an immense fatigue set over me. My body seemed barely able to support itself and if not for her arms around me I was sure I would have fallen. I slowly tilted my head upwards to see her staring down at me, compassion had rooted itself amongst the hunger in her eyes.

   “Farewell Celes,” she said quietly, leaning down to place her lips against my brow. Something burst within me.

   My forehead was burning white hot and my whole body was shuddering as if under some tremendous pressure. Serenia's arms around my neck became slack as if she was struggling to maintain her hold on me and a low growl came from her throat. The vibrating black wings were thrown back and her lips were torn from my brow. I looked down at my hands to see them encased in a silvery light, my fatigue washing away within seconds. I looked back up to see Serenia struggling towards me, only to be thrown backwards by a bright flash. The light surrounding my body eventually faded away to nothingness, just as Serenia was returning to her feet.

   “Curse you Saria! Even after all these years you still guard her!”

   “Saria did this?” I asked, wrapping my arms around myself to savor the feeling.

   “I can see her silver mark as clear as day on your brow!” she shouted, pointing to my forehead. I placed my fingertips against the skin and found a pattern of warmth, tracing it with my fingers I found the symbol for Infinity etched into my flesh.

   “A final gift...”

   A tear slid down my cheek from the memory of our parting. Even as she left she had given me something to protect me for years to come. If my leg had not been shackled I might have tried to run so as not to waste Saria's parting gift but it was not to be so.

   “No matter,” Serenia said with some finality, fluttering her wings as if to shake them awake. “Saria was quite weak when she placed that protection upon you and it's power has been drained. I'll not be denied twice.”

   I lowered my gaze, finding the figurine Saria had given me near my feet and bent to retrieve it. Clutching it to myself I met her scarlet eyes and nodded, signaling that I was ready. I closed my eyes. She came so close that I could feel her strained breaths against my face. My body tightened reflexively, expecting her draining kiss to take me once more but it did not come.

   “Why do I hesitate?” she said, voice trembling. “So many times I've done this and it has felt as natural as breathing. What makes you so different, Celes? What did Saria see in you that I seem to know by instinct? Why do I make war with my own body? I think...” I could feel her hand cupping my cheek, “I think I should...”

   “YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE PUNISHMENT!”

   My eyes flew open at the voice of my nightmares, Serenia's face was inches from mine with her lips pursed but she had stopped. Inside her eyes burned a most terrifying hatred.

~

   Feeling a renewed strength in my body I wiped away my tears and walked the short distance to the doors of the massive house. I had to stand on my tip toes to use the knocker and it sounded much too loud when I released it. I waited for what seemed an eternity, almost fearing that it had gone unnoticed when the door was suddenly thrust outward, a grumpy looking woman in a worn nightdress had appeared in the entrance.

   “Wha' you want at this hour of the night?” I found my tongue thick in my throat and was unable to answer. “Go on, b'gone with you then! The Mistress don' give handouts to beggars!” the woman huffed, turning to go back inside. Even without the return of my voice I still managed to stop the woman by tugging on her dress. “Wha' now you little..” she stopped when she saw me holding the piece of parchment Saria had given me. She took it and looked it over, her face scrunching up at the sight of the characters, clearly she was unable to read it any better then me. “You wai' here then while I bring the Mistress.”

   I passed the time by running my fingers over the tiny statue Saria had given me, marveling at it's beauty. At the sound of approaching footsteps I hid the figurine behind my back. The grumpy woman had returned with a very tall and heavy chested young woman with long black hair and dark eyes. She carried herself with an air of quiet dignity and was wearing the finest night clothes I had ever seen. She looked at me then, eyes lighting up at the sight of me.

   “Hilda, where are your manners, the poor thing must be freezing out here! Please, come inside dear child,” she said in a smooth and loving tone, offering me her hand. I hesitated at first, but took it and was led inside. I was shown into a small sitting room, made very cozy by the fire that warmed it. “Please, sit and warm yourself while I read your letter.” I nodded slowly and sat in one of the chairs by the fire, watching from the corner of my eye as she sat at a small desk to read through the letter.

   Without thinking I placed the figurine on my leg and was drawn once more to it's beauty, made even more brilliant by the flames dancing behind it. I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me and turned to see the Mistress, eyes locked onto the figurine.

   “Where did you get that, dear child?” she asked, breathing deeply. I pulled it close to me, fearing she would take it. “Oh no no no,” she said hurriedly, “you need not fear child, I would never think to steal such a token. To do so would bring great misfortune to my house.” The fear in her eyes told me that I could believe her words.

   “My friend gave it to me, she brought me here.” Her eyes flickered before settling into a loving stare.

   “What is your name, child?” she asked, smoothly taking my hand and helping me to my feet.

   “Celes,” I said, watching transfixed as she lowered herself to meet my eyes straight on.

   “A beautiful name,” she said quietly. “I am called Maxima but you may refer to me as Mistress or My Lady from this point onward.

   “You mean..?” She nodded.

   “Welcome to your new home, my dear Celes.”

~

   “You should have allowed me to continue thinking you were dead,” Serenia said, voice low and steady while still managing to be more menacing then anything Celes had ever heard. “The moment you just ruined was one unlike any I had ever thought to experience and you will suffer dearly for it.” She turned and faced the monster.

   The center head had been completely crushed, a massive concave-cross shaped scar ran up and down to the beasts shoulders and throat, and sideways to where the beasts other heads sprouted. Every last bit of fur and most of its rotten skin on it's right side had been sheared off by it's impact with the trees and forest floor leaving the majority of it's putrid insides exposed. It's one remaining head, completely toothless on the side that had been rubbed raw, drooped pitifully, it's once burning red eyes dim and half lidded in their sockets.

   “I AM THE CHAOS GATE GUARDIAN CERBERUS! IT IS YOU WHO WILL SUFFER FOR YOUR SINS AGAINST ME!”

   Serenia did not respond with words, instead she slowly raised her hand to the sky, the scarlet Infinity raising from the skin to burn brightly in the night. The familiar vibrations from her last attack returned but more powerful by a vast margin. As unfamiliar as Celes was with this bizarre magic she could tell that this attack was going to be a world apart from the one from before. The strength of the vibrations, the hum of power in the air, the fact that the very ground was struggling to remain firm under the weight of it. Something massive was coming.

   The monster began its charge, it's speed was deceptive of it's worn appearance and it closed the gap between the two much quicker then expected. Serenia finished her preparation just as the beast came within reach, the perfectly clear female voice ringing out once more.

   -Judg

   The monsters putrid teeth sank into Serenia's shoulder, the power dissipating from around her like a clap of thunder as her blood spurted in all directions. Memories of her mothers death flashed before Celes' eyes and she screamed. Serenia seemed to recover from the shock at the sound of the scream and thrust the tip of a wing into the crushed center head. The beast howled, loosing it's fangs enough for Serenia to wrestle her shoulder free and step back. With a low growl she rammed her hands into the beast's eyes, crushing them in her fingers. The monster's howl turned into a gurgle and it reared backwards to free it's ruined eyes, its claws slashing up her body in the process.

   Serenia staggered backwards, spreading her wings out for balance, slowing herself enough so as not to knock Celes over from the impact. The girl caught her and held her steady, trying not to blanch at the fetid stench coming from the teethmarks in her shoulder.

   “Thank you Celes, I did not expect it to be so swift.” Celes meant to respond but was cut off by the beast.

   “YOU TOOK MY EYES WITCH!” the beast roared, thrashing around wildly.

   “Help me stand, I need to finish it before..” The beasts eyeless glare had settled on them and it's remaining pair of lips curled into a cruel snarl.

   “YOU HAVE RUINED ME BEYOND WHAT CAN BE HEALED!” An inky black mist began to seep from the monster's body and started to swirl around its rotten form. “IF I AM TO DIE..” the swirling black mist began to pulse wildly, the winds shrieking through the clearing, gaining speed and strength with each rotation. “I SHALL TAKE YOU WITH ME!”

   “You need to run Celes!” Serenia screamed over the maelstrom.

   “I cannot, I'm shackled to the post! Leave me!”

   “Damn it, no choice then!” she shouted, raising her palm in front of her, Infinity symbol flaring into life.

   The beast raised it's head and howled to the night sky, the swirling black torrent exploded outwards, engulfing the clearing in darkness. Celes clutched tightly to Serenia, burying her face into the soft feathers of her wings and closing her eyes. She could hear the shredding winds tearing towards them and prayed she would feel little pain as they tore her to pieces.

   A flash of scarlet light so bright it pierced her lidded eyes enveloped her as a calm female voice clearly rang through the screaming winds.

   -Paling Aegis-

   A gentle warmth washed over her, easing her into what she thought was an eternal sleep.

Random Tidbit: Serenia (Seh-reh-nee-ah) and Saria (Sah-ree-ah) are named after our twin daughters.

Chapter Three: Crescendo of the Inner War, is about halfway finished but I've noticed her interest in this starting to slip a little. If you like the story, please give her some encouragement to keep her going!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2