Black Crusade

Chapter Four - Of demons and angels.

It lit up the mountain side, the little rocks on the ground shook and rattles in fear. Sapphire turns to Bori who was covering his eyes with the the meat of his arms. " How can you look at something so bright?" She shrugs. " I don't know, It is beautiful though ."

" Best keep that to yourself girl, only powerful beings or those protected by magic can stare at something of this size and not be blinded."

Sapphire spun around to look at Bori. He was telling the truth- the light was blinding him but not herself. The pillar of light dissipated to the wind. The town; gone. Only the figures of the hunters remained. They were together- except Carrus who had his arms open to the sky.Then she could see him help the others up and them heading towards the lake. " Was it Carrus that did that?" Bori says nothing.

The hunters arrived at Bori and Sapphire not long after the blast. Araneas ran to her.

" Are you okay lass?" he says grabbing her shoulders and checking her eyes. " I'm fine." shyly, trying to look away. Fairi sat beside the lake staring into, he seems a bit heavy handed as he just down onto the soft earth. Dun gro and the others carry on - further into the woods.

" Were are they going?" Araneas says turning to Carrus.

" They are heading to Northwatch keep. To secure safe passage through the Cinderlands."

The Cinderlands... A harsh strip of land that seperates the great white north from the lush perky south; the west and east are blocked with mountains ranges spanning Horizons, dangerous forests too. The ground is hard and the sun, usually blocked by ash and sand. Sapphire remembers how her caravan had to persevere through it.

" Is there not another way?" Sapphire moaning at the hunters. All of them sigh " Sadly not lass. The rest of the way has to be through the Cinderlands or we could risk going through the old dwarf tunnels..." Carrus and Fairi turned to him, both looked as though they were going to scold him. " Okay, okay, It's a stupid idea."

Sapphire looks at them. " Whats so bad about the dwarfs? I heard they were quite nice."

Carrus answers her. " Most of the dwarfs on the surface are 'nice' but underground they do as they please- it's their laws down there. Beside stubborn dwarfs, there is monsters- The Insidia, creatures of the deepest depths."

Fairi dropped something from his horse, it got Carrus' attention for a moment. Fairi nervously picks it back up; it was a elven heirloom he kept with him-always.

Carrus turns back to Araneas and Sapphire. " Thats why it's a stupid-and a foolhardy idea, up here we can atleast gain safer passage." he turns and walks away from the two to his horse, grabbing some provisions. Araneas stuck his tongue out at him then turns to Sapphire, he smiles. " Don't you worry it will be no problem for us." she smiles back; slightly convinced.

" It's only a few hours passed dusk, we should get the sleep while we can." one of the lackey hunters say. Most already pitched their tents up . Sapphire was sharing tents with Araneas, he was sitting up reading a book- it was far beyond old; it was ancient. " What's that your reading?" she says leaning in and over his shoulder to see the book. It was written in a language she didn't know. " Im not sure myself what it's called, but it's about the higher beings, you know Demons, Angels and Gods." he sighs and looks longingly into the book. " It's written in the untold tongue, the same that demons would speak."

Sapphire gasps. " Does that mean your a demon Aran?"

"Of course not" he chuckles, "If I was I'd be dead already. Decent hunters should be taught how to speak and read Demonic and also Angelic." He looks at the artful writing that scrawls across the page.

"However only a sparse few know how to read Advent- the langauge of the angels; even less know how to speak it." he says turning the page to reveal a grandiose illustration of a demon and angel in combat. He points to the demon. " Him there, thats Abbadon. He's is one of the lord demons- very picky about how he likes to conquer people. "

He then shifts his finger to the angel. " Thats Aronis, he was the idol of all angels- even of some of the archangels but sadly he fell from his status, banished from Highdawn; the kingdom above the stars."

She looks at the angel. " Hey Aran, he looks like you kinda, doesn't he?"

" Yea, I suppose he does" he says closing the book over and settling it beside his hunter attire. " We should both sleep." Sappphire nods and smiles grabbing her covers and pillows and setting them down to sleep. She turned around to Araneas who appears to already have snuggled into his own covers, fast asleep. She lay down on the pillows wondering what happened to Aronis...

Carrus was outside his tent, looking out to the moon. " I still haven't figured out who I am even after years of being here" He whispered to himself.

Bori came out his tent which was beside Carrus' " Are you still having those dreams Carrus?"

"Yes" he said sharply, surprised by him. " The same dream, every time. I am walking up steps to a grand palace, the writing I can't understand but I feel like I know what it means. getting to the top I see into the palace, past the golden court yard. I see him and a throne."

" The dreams you've had have always been the same, Im not sure what to tell you.." Bori says looking up to the moon aswell. "It could be a hint to your past, maybe you are a king in a far off land."

Carrus shakes his head. " No, it can't be... The sky had two suns. Land was beautiful beyond mortal comparision." Bori looks stumped, glancing to the ground. " Well you better not dwell on dreams, better grab sleep while you can." he says changing the subject dubiously and disappears into his tent.

" I am not tired, Bori- I've hardly been tired." he whispers looking down to his sword.

Carrus looks up to the sky. The moon looks curiously down upon him.