Diamond Wings

Chapter 3 Betrayal

   Like the wind blowing through the trees, Sarena makes her way to the clearing under the moonlight and the stars. Landing gracefully before the grand oak, she glances around, before calling out to him.
   "Arthur, I'm back."
   The forest is still and quiet, as she stalks the oak, peering around it. While approaching the white tree, red catches her eye, a red smear across the oak's face. Fear and anxiety grips her, as she examines the tree more closely, in the eerily silent woods. Hacks or cuts in the tree accompany what she can only surmise is blood.
   Maybe by an axe or sword she wonders, as panic and terror set in. Maybe Arthur's sword and an attacking animals blood, she hopes.
   Taking a step back from the crime scene, trembling, she places a hand onto her sword, and her gaze around the clearing. More blood on the ground, catches a scan to the right.
   Closing in on the crimson stained grass, reveals more of it heading into the moonlit forest. More cuts and gouges in the trees ahead, as she moves into them. Hoping to come across Arthur hunched over an animal of some sort, she presses on. More sanguine breadcrumbs confirm her path foward. Past a few more trees, the moonlight reveals something on the ground ahead.
   Pushing past them, her nightmare comes to life, as she recognizes Arthur's fallen corpse. Rushing down to him, tears and terror exploding from her eyes, she rolls him over in her arms. The nightmare intensifies, as she confirms his cold and bloody body is lifeless.
   Grief and sorrow set in, as her heartbreaks and tears stream down her grieving face. Wails and weeping echo throughout the haunted moonlit woods.
   Checking his wounds, reveals slashes and stabs, by what seems to be a sword. Questions and conspiracies fill her brain.
   Not knowing what else to do, overcome with heartache, she lifts him in her arms, launching up and through the trees. Leaving a wake across the treetops, and a blur up the mountainside, as she takes a blistering and panicked flight back home.
   Bursting into the main hall, through one of its many large open windows, she crashes and collapses to the ground. Yelling and screaming in agony for somebody to help, as she weaps over Arthur's dead body.
   Countless brothers and sisters begin pouring into the great hall, among them, her closest brother Ba lin. As they all start to surround her, and hang their heads in sadness for their sister's pain, Ba lin approaches. Placing his hand on Sarena's shoulder, he attempts to comfort her.
   "I am truly sorry for your loss Sarena. I know you loved him, and my heart breaks for your pain."
   She springs to her feet, wrapping her arms around him, and sobbing on his shoulder. He squeezes her back, and tries to be there in her time of need.
   "What happened Sarena? How did he die?" he inquires, holding his grieving sister.
   "I don't know what happened!" She sobs and screams. "He was waiting for me in the woods when somebody attacked and killed him! He was already cold when I found him. I had only left him an hour before, it had to of happened as soon as I left. Somebody must have heard us or was watching us. It's all my fault for making him wait for me, alone in the dark!" With tears racing, her emotions and thoughts now turning to guilt.
   "I swear, I will find out which one of those violent monsters killed him, and make them pay Sarena," he promises his distraught sister.
   "Maybe you were right Ba lin. Maybe they are monsters. I'm sorry I doubted you," she declares as her faith in humanity dissipates, despair and doubt consuming her.
   As the two hug each other tightly, their father enters the sad room.
   "Sarena my child, are you OK? What has happened? I heard the commotion."
   Leaving her brother's embrace, she turns to find comfort in her father's.
   "Father!" Sarena sobs and hugs him. "Those monsters killed him!"
   Taken back and by surprise from Sarena calling the humans monsters was something he expected from Ba lin, but not her.
   He glances over to an angered Ba lin, before turning back to Sarena. "Tell me what happened my daughter."
   She explains again, this time to her father.
   "How do you know, Arthur was attacked by another one of his people?" he asks.
   "There's no other explanation for his wounds. Those were definitely done by a sword, an animal could not of done that," she explains.
   "Well maybe we should have him explain what happened himself."
   A puzzled look comes over Sarena's face. "But father, he's dead."
   "After everything you have seen my daughter, you do not think it is within my power to bring him back to life? I brought you to life, did I not?"
   Shock and disbelief accompanies her confusion. "I guess, I thought that reversing death is much different than creating life."
   "It is much different in many ways, but it is also the same in many ways. Everything is energy. Being able to manipulate and understand that energy, is how I am able to do what I can do. I added this world's energy to things from this world to create all of you. This man has only lost what he had, I need only return it," he explains.
   "But will he be the same? Don't you need to return the exact energy he lost?" she questions.
   "This is true, I need to find his spirit instead of just finding something new. But, you know this man, you know his energy. With your help, I believe I can find it."
   "What do you need me to do?" she offers.
   He takes her hand as they walk over to her fallen love. Countless brothers and sisters watching intently, preparing to witness something amazing. He kneels beside the fallen man, as Sarena kneels on the other side of him.
   "First we need to heal his wounds. That is a pretty easy one."
   Closing his eyes, he lays his hands over Arthur's wounds. Hands begin to glow bright as he concentrates. White and yellow light consume his hands, and starts to fill the air around them. Light begins to cover Arthur's body, emanating from the Allfather's hands. Sarena's eyes grow wide with hope and wonder, as she feels the warmth radiating from the miracle before her. The light in his hands start to fade, as the light in Arthur's body absorbs the rest of the glow. Wounds begin to slowly close, skin fuses back together, light glows from within.
   The light eventually fades and the cuts seal, as the healing finishes.
   The Allfather opens his eyes and smiles. "Now time for the hard part."
   He takes one of Sarena's hands, and places his other on the body. "Hold my hand, and place the other over Arthur with me. Close your eyes and think of him, feel him, and concentrate."
   He closes his eyes, and begins another miracle, as his children look on in amazement.
   Sarena closes her eyes and dreams of him, pouring her heart into her thoughts. Thinking of his warm embrace under the oak, his breath as they caress. She feels his love, and his soul. The air around them grows warm. A soft red glow begins to emanate from Sarena's heart, starting to spread throughout her body, and down her arms.
   A similiar blue glow begins to consume the Allfather. Air starts to swirl around them, as the hall fills with static electricly charged air. Feathers and hair become alive and chaotic in the room.  
   The ruby and sapphire light climbs across arms to their locked hands.
The light merges and intensifies into a blinding amethyst glow, engulfing them both. The now purple light, racing through their bodies, to meet at their hands over Arthur. The swirling air turns to gusts, light and wind surround them. Arthur's body joins them in the majestic sun, as it pours from their hands to consume him as well, and radiate from all three of them.
   The royal radiance glows brightly, before it explodes and dissipates, in a blinding flash and hurricane of wind, causing everyone to look away.
   A stillness sets in, eyes reopen and things return to normal.
   Sarena opens her eyes, and notices Arthur's begin to move. As if from a long sleep, his eyes strain to open, but manage to come to life.
   "Sarena?" he asks in a state of confusion. "Where am I? What's going on?"
   She smothers him in a hug as he lays there, puzzled, her tears exploding again.
   "Arthur! I can't believe it. Your alive! I'm so sorry."
   "Of course I'm alive, why wouldn't I be? Why are you sorry? Can somebody please tell me what's happening?"
   "We were hoping, you could tell us what happened," her father says, smiling from their success.
   "We had to bring you back to life, after I found you cut down in the woods," she explains, helping him to sit up. "This is my father, and my home. These are my brothers and sisters." 
   Arthur, in confusion and bewilderment, looks around the room. All of Sarena's colorful siblings look on in amazement.
   "What do you remember Arthur. Try to remember," she pleads.
   Arthur, rubs his head and tries to recall memories, as he continues to pan around the room, taking in his incredible surroundings and company.  
   Suddenly, freezing in terror, his gaze makes it's way to Ba lin.
   "You! I thought it was a nightmare, but you're real? I, I think I'm starting to remember."
   Ba lin scowls and glares back at Arthur. Everyone else brandishing a puzzled look, as confusion fills the room.
   "Ba lin? Why does he recognize you? And, why is he frightened of you?" she asks slowly, not wanting to believe it.