Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 

Dark One…

 

Celestaria flew off the bed towards the door as another explosion rocked the castle. Pere’ was right behind her as she ran through the door into the corridor beyond. More students spilled from their rooms a few becoming hysteric.

Pere’ brushed past Celestaria and headed down the corridor toward the stairs to the main hall. Celestaria followed after her trying to keep up. A few of the students followed their example.

As they made their way down the stairs people called to each other trying to yell over everyone else and effectively drowning out anyone. Celestaria kept her eyes on Pere’s form using her higher agility to keep up with the girl. She slid to a halt when the two of them reached the main hall.

An explosion rocked the castle and blew them sideways. Celestaria skidded across the ground getting scrapes from the rough stones of the floor. Tears fell down her cheeks from the stinging pain of the scrapes. Getting to her knees she glanced around her at the bodies of the students around her.

Catching sight of Pere’ Celestaria crawled over the rubble ignoring the pain from the cuts. Shaking her shoulders she screamed her name as the cries from those students that woke up rose around her.

“Pere’!” Celestaria shook her harder, “Come on get up!”

“What?” Pere’ groaned as she rolled over.

Blood oozed from a gash above her right eye. She winced, gripping her side as she sat up with Celestaria’s help. Looking around she cursed as she got to her feet. The castle shook again but thankfully no explosions hit them again.

“What’s going on?” Celestaria asked following after Pere’.

Pere’ shook her head, “I don’t know. We need to find a Matriarch.”

Just as she said that Matriarch Bari stumbled from a side corridor. Pere’ was about to call out to her when something jumped from the corridor and decapitated the Matriarch. Celestaria stood in shock and horror as the Matriarch’s body crumpled to the ground. A student to their right screamed attracting the monster’s attention. It roared and attacked the screaming student.

Pere’ grabbed Celestaria’s hand and pulled her down a corridor away from the hall. Trying to shut out the screams of the dying, Celestaria concentrated on keeping her feet under her. The two of them ran out into the courtyard, rain pouring around them.

Stopping to catch their breath Celestaria emptied the contents of her stomach. Pere’ didn’t give her much time as she grabbed her hand again and pulled her to the front gates. Before they could reach them a monster jumped in front of their path.

Pulling up short Pere’ drew a spell and shot a fireball at the monster. The monster screamed as it took the fireball full in the chest. More monsters took its place, Pere’ cursed and pulled Celestaria after her to their right.

Panic started to grip her heart as the monsters gave chase. Pere’ was running toward the field gate and Celestaria knew she planned to escape out the west gates.

“Duck!”

Pere’ and Celestaria dove forward onto the ground, sliding in the mud, as an ice spell flew over their heads. Glancing over her shoulder the monsters were frozen in place. Looking toward the direction their savior’s voice had come from Aerem grinned down at them.

“Aerem!” Celestaria cried as she climbed to her feet, “I’ve never been happier to see you in my life!”

“Yeah,” Aerem laughed, “I’m sure, now back to business, you two come with me. I’ll take you to the gates.”

“What’s going on?” Pere’ asked trying to wipe the mud from her robes.

Aerem shook his head, “I haven’t the foggiest.”

Without further explanation he headed in the direction of the western gates. As they neared them they met up with a few more students and Matriarchs who had managed to escape the slaughter in the castle.

Suddenly pain erupted in Celestaria’s skull. Pain so intense she gripped her head and fell to her knees. Falling to the ground she could do nothing else but scream. Pere’ stopped and tried to get her up. Aerem turned back demanding to know the problem.

Pere’ looked up at him just as an arrow landed in his forehead. Celestaria continued to cry in pain as Aerem crumpled to the ground and chaos erupted around them. Monsters poured from all directions attacking anything that moved. Pere’ stood over her novice and shot spell after spell at anything that got close. Celestaria stared up through the pain at her acolyte, thanking the Mighty for her friend.

The monsters backed off slightly, wary of Pere’. Pere’ breathed heavily and held her side waiting for them to make a move. Celestaria had stopped screaming but still couldn’t move. Someone drew Pere’s attention but Celestaria couldn’t see who it was. Dread filled Pere’s face and she began to shake.

Celestaria watched in horror as an arrow embedded itself in Pere’s chest. Blood trickled out her mouth as she fell no longer able to hear Celestaria’s screams. An explosion caused stone to fall on top of Celestaria pinning her to the ground.

More explosions rocked the field sending monster parts flying. Celestaria waited for death lying in the cold mud staring at her friend’s corpse as the rain drilled into her. Tears fell mixed with the rain from her eyes.  

As the explosions subsided a pair of boots stepped into her line of vision and prodded Pere’. Following the leg to the face of a man in his early twenties Celestaria glared at him. His silver eyes stared down at her in curiosity. His hood was down revealing a strong jaw, straight nose and long haired tied in a short pony-tail.

“Are you Celestaria Gamestein?” The man’s baritone voice mocked her.

Celestaria thought for a moment, “If I’m not are you still going to help me?”

“No,” The man replied coldly, “I’d leave you here and continue my search.”

“What’s to keep me from lying to you?” She spat back.

He shrugged his broad shoulders, “Perhaps the promise I’d kill you for wasting my time.”

Celestaria clenched her lip as she began to try to claw her way out from under the stone. Thankfully the mud made it slightly easier to move.

“Not going to answer me?” The man smirked.

Shaking her head she pulled her body with her arms, “No, I figure if you don’t know you’ll help on the off chance I am Celestaria.”

“Brat.” The man laughed as he lifted on the stone pinning her to the ground.

“A*s.” Celestaria spat back pulling her legs free.

She stood up shakily, bleeding freely from cuts and scrapes all over her arms. Staring down at the body of her friend she bit her lip to keep from crying.

“Now,” The man gripped her arm jerking her to face him, “are you Celestaria Gamestein?”

“Yes,” She spat jerking her arm free, “I am, who are you and why do you want to know?”

The man seemed to sigh in relief that his search was over. Taking her by the wrist he headed for the west gate, walking at a brisk pace. Celestaria was dragged along behind him unable to break free from his grip.

“Let me go!” She cried dragging her heels into the mud, “Who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter.” He spat over his shoulder.

“It damn well matters to me!” Celestaria cried, “Let me go.”

She balled her fist and swung for his ear. He ducked and scooped her over his shoulder without breaking stride. Surprised by the change of orientation to the world it took a second for Celestaria to process what just happened.

“Put me down!”

“So noisy.” The man grumbled ignoring her demand as he lit a cigarette, “Quite your griping. I’m saving you.”

“Like hell you are!” Celestaria aimed a good whack between the man’s shoulders causing him to stumble.

As he fell to the ground Celestaria kneed him in the stomach. Loosening his grip on her she broke free and tore off back toward the castle. He called for her to stop and chased after her. She beat her legs to the ground harder calling on her half-elf heritage. She rounded the corner of the castle wall heading for the front gate. She heard foot falls behind her. Glancing over her shoulder she saw the pissed off face of the man uncomfortably close behind her.

Crying out she faced forward again a picked up speed. Not looking where she was running she hit something solid and fell back onto the ground. Looking up at what she had hit she saw the most gorgeous man she had ever seen.

He was gorgeous till she saw the horns, tail, and claws. He grinned down at her as the Death Walker that had been chasing her cursed.

“What’s this sweet thing?” The demon asked as he squat down to her level, “Aren’t you just a tasty looking morsel.”

His voice was deep, melodic, Celestaria was finding it hard to breathe the longer he stared at her. Finally his gaze shifted to the Death Walker behind her and Celestaria gasped in the air her starving lungs demanded.

“Ah, if it isn’t my little brother.” The demon smirked as he stood up, “How have you been? You never wrote, made mother so sad.”

The Death Walker glared at the demon who claimed to be his older brother, “Shawren, didn’t take you long to fall did it?”

The demon known as Shawren threw his head back and laughed, “Lot of faith you had in me, I see.”

“I always knew you were evil.” The Death Walker hissed as he inched toward Celestaria.

Shawren, quick as lightning, grabbed her by the throat and held her facing the Death Walker. The Death Walker stopped moving, grimacing slightly.

“You interested in this girl, little brother?” Shawren asked looking at the girl in his arm.

Celestaria held as still as she could trying to not give in to panic as the demon liked her cheek. She couldn’t help a small squeak escaping from her lips as he groped her breast. The Death Walker could do nothing to help her and she could see it was killing him. She didn’t understand why this guy was willing to help her.

“Stop it, Shawren.” He demanded, “Let her go.”

“Or what?” The demon teased but he stopped messing with Celestaria, “What are you going to do, Eshen?”

Eshen smirked, “This.”

Faster than anyone Celestaria had ever witnessed before, Eshen drew a spell and shot it right for Shawren’s head. The demon didn’t have time to react and the spell hit him full in the face causing him to let go of Celestaria. As soon as Celestaria hit the ground Eshen scooped her into his arms hauling butt toward the front gates.

Celestaria had enough of her wits about her to draw a speed spell onto Eshen. Glancing back over his shoulder the demon howled and tore off after them. Celestaria held onto Eshen with all her strength as he kept running.

“Gamestein, shoot something at him!” Eshen screamed at her as he jumped dodging a shot from Shawren.

Celestaria tried to do as he demanded but couldn’t draw a spell due to being jostled around so badly. When she finally got one drawn it missed by a few feet.

Eshen kept running down the mountain path that led to the city, “You suck!”

“Oh shut up!” Celestaria yelled back at him, “I’m still a novice!”

“Well you better get better quick or this is going to be a real short escape.”

Eshen drew a spell, shooting it at a tree trying to slow their pursuer down. The demon didn’t even bat an eye as he crashed through the tree. Eshen cursed as he began to draw another spell.

“Keep shooting, novice!” He spat at her.

Celestaria glared at him but did as told. A few of her spells did manage to hit their target but weren’t powerful enough to do any significant damage. The demon howled again and this time was answered by more howls. As she watched monsters from the castle poured down the road after them.

“Eshen!” Celestaria cried in panic, “Eshen, do something!”

“Shut up!” Eshen yelled back at her, “Hold on tight!”

He finished drawing the spell and suddenly his back sprouted wings. Celestaria cursed as he realized what he was about to do. Before she could react he lept off the edge of the cliff road. She screamed as she slipped from his hold to his hands.

Death gripping his hands Celestaria continued to scream as Eshen tried to hold onto her and navigate flying at the same time. The demon stopped on the edge of the cliff glaring after them. A hooded female stood next to him with a bow. Without instruction she took aim and let loose an arrow.

The arrow flew true to its mark and lodged in Eshen’s right shoulder. He cried in pain and surprise accidently letting go of Celestaria. She fell screaming toward the ground. Eshen shot after her reaching out with his hand for hers. He caught her just before the ground and the two of them skimmed along at break neck speed.

“I’m sorry, master.” The female archer turned to the demon.

The demon smirked, “Oh, that’s quite alright, this way is more interesting.”

As he watched his brother and the girl escape into the night the demon grinned. The archer watched her master turn back toward the castle to continue the massacre of humanity’s only defense against the coming horrors.

Author's Note

this is darker than most of my works, hence the teen rating, i'm not completely sure i'm happy with this direction. I'd appreciate feedback on if it's worth pursuing.