Darksiders: Age of Creation (Book 3)

Chapter 16:Corrupted Hearts Pure Minds (Part 2)

"So...this Mark Of Cain...can it be transferred?" Death lowered down to Ilyea's height and gave her a steady gaze.
"Well-" Ilyea started.
"I think I should take on this Mark...she doesn't deserve this...torment." He said, hesitantly reaching over to gently caress Damiana's damp hair.
"Yeah but-" Ilyea piped up.
"Why is it only you that should take this burden, brother, why not I?" War interrupted Ilyea, stepping up to his brother.
"Because I said so. I've murdered our Kin so, that makes me more eligible for this-"
"You're not the only one who rode against the nephilim!"
"You say the name as if you aren't one." Death looked up sharply at his youngest brother.
"UH, EXCUSE ME!" Ilyea snapped, grinding her teeth together in growing agitation.
"What the hell do you want, runt, we're discussing things far beyond your comprehension!" War hissed, giving the maker a cold eyed glare.
"And obviously above yours as well."
Ilyea growled angrily to herself as the two brothers bickered amongst themselves, of both the past and the present. One with tempered fury and the other with unwavering ire.
As the horsemen argued, words becoming more and more drenched in poison, Damiana seemed to awaken by the growing strife in the air.
"J-Janelle?" Her bright red eyes fluttered open and rested on the maker sleepily.
"Horseman...?!" Ilyea mumbled, soft voice being drowned out by harsh words spewed through the air.
"You're not..." Damiana gasped and screamed out, writhing about on the ground.
Instantly, the brothers stopped arguing and in unison looked over at the wailing girl.
"Oh nononono-" Ilyea grasped the sides of Damiana's face and brought it close to her own.
The Rider only made weak hisses and her thrashes became less intense. Ilyea looked into her eyes and felt her heart sink into her stomach. Deep in the depths of Damiana's red eyes, Ilyea could see the edges turn a dull grey.
"She's...dying?"
"WHAT?!" War and Death called, one with quiet despair and the other with unwavering fury.
"She's dying from the list of blood, her body is...consuming itself from hunger..." Ilyea muttered, feeling as if she were going to cry herself.
"I had no idea it would advance this quickly..."
"We need blood, correct? Let's go War, no arguments, we'll look for an animal." Death pulled War to the side gruffly.
Ilyea watched the horsemen go and went back to Damiana, who was mumbling incoherently to herself.
"Just hang in there, horseman, please." Ilyea found herself begging Damiana as if she knew her.
               **************
"Mommy, I'm sorry..." Came a small squeak of a voice.
    Ilyea sighed impatiently and waited for the horsemen to return. It had been 20 minutes since she last saw the two, and their youngest sibling seemed to be getting worse and worse with each passing minute.
"I'm so sorry, I should've been faster..."
   Ilyea raised an eyebrow and edged closer to Damiana, whom was rocking herself in an almost gentle, disturbing manner.
"Demetrix, Dante, it hurts..."
"What hurts?" Ilyea reached out to touch Damiana's arm.
"NO!" She roared, back in away like a wounded animal.
"Damiana, is it? Does it have to do with your mark?" Ilyea took Damiana's arm into her hand and gazed down at the mark.
"They said I would feel better..." She whimpered, looking up at Ilyea with scared eyes.
"The Generals of Hell...? Of course! They're your brothers...they can- oh no..." Ilyea sighed sadly and shook her head, allowing the long lock of white hair to fall over her left, blind eye.
    Damiana blinked and sat up to her knees, easily reaching the young makers height while sitting down. She moved the strand of hair away from Ilyea's face, making her blood run cold. Cupping one hand on the side of Ilyea's face, Damiana tilted Ilyea's head back, exposing her neck.
   She smiled devilishly, showing her sharp fangs, and lowered her head to the maker's soft skin.
"You're a...maker, YUCK!" Damiana recoiled, hissing and spitting out the small droplets of blood from Ilyea.
    Ilyea took a sharp intake of breath and gently touched the faint puncture wounds from Damiana's fangs.
"You...bit me..."
"You allowed me, ew!" Damiana spat and coughed some more, glaring at Ilyea.
    Ilyea smiled uncertainly and looked away from Damiana's piercing eyes.
"Who are you? Where are my brothers!" Damiana growled, standing unsteadily on her two feet.
"I'm Ilyea...and you should sit down!" Ilyea stood up with the Anti Christ as she wobbled, threatening to fall over.
"Don't tell me...what to do!" Damiana grumbled, turning around to limp the other direction.
  Before Ilyea could utter another word in protest, Damiana fell to the ground with a loud thud and laid still.
"I thought you were to watch our sister, Ilyea,is it?" Death grumbled, appearing behind Ilyea along with his brother War.
"It-It TOOK you long enough!" Ilyea growled, feeling herself blush.
"Silence, Runt," War pushed past Ilyea and went over to help Damiana up.
'Don't have to be so mean...' Ilyea thought in quiet disdain, glaring at the back of War's head.
   Death made a curt sigh and brought up an oddly shaped cylindrical container.
"Here." He muttered, grabbing Damiana's head.
     Clasping both her cheeks with one hand, Death forced open Damiana's mouth and poured the red contents of the container in her mouth. Coughing, Damiana spat and kicked at Death, making muffled screams.
"If you don't take this, you'll die, does that mean anything to you?!" He hissed, feeling his temper waver into a state of rage.
"Stop!" Ilyea cried when she noticed Damiana choking.
"You'll kill her like that!" 
"This is the way you told us to do to ensure her life,"
"Brother, I think she's choking, ease up." War mumbled, grabbing Death's shoulder.
Death growled something unintelligible and threw the capsule to the side.
"I don't think she can consume animal blood...I think she needs, like, human blood...or anything but animal." Ilyea speculated, looking down.
"She hates me blood, however..."
"I don't have any blood." Death hissed, more angry with himself than anything.
Death and Ilyea slowly looked back at War, whom was staring at Damiana in quiet sadness.
"What?"
"War...you have blood...don't you?" Ilyea took a cautious step towards the red horseman.
"Of course..?" War answered.
"Oh...I see where this is going.." War sighed to himself, shaking his head.
***************
"Just get it over with." War shuddered to himself, removing his hood to reveal his mess of white hair and his exposed neck.
"Afraid, are you?" Death joked darkly, clearly smiling behind his mask.
"No!"
Damiana opened one eye and weakly snapped at War, eye looking bright and glassy.
"Maybe...she can't smell the blood...maybe we need to entice her." Ilyea snuck up behind War and made a small incision into his neck.
"What the hell?!" War snapped at Ilyea, who skipped away with a faint smirk upon her lips.
As soon as War's blood collected at the cut and slowly dribbled down to her forehead, both of Damiana's eyes flashed open. Without hesitating, Damiana lunged forward and chomped down on War's neck, making him recoil and grunt in pain.
"Painful isn't it?" Death muttered, watching in morbid curiosity as Damiana hungrily lapped at War's blood.
"How long am I to stay like this?" War said, voice unusually high.
"Only a few moments...I believe." Ilyea said quietly.
The group sat in silence, save for Damiana, who was growling in slight happiness and hunger.
"You are...interested in us." Death stated after a long silence.
"Yes...I am very interested in you guys." Ilyea mumbled, looking up at Death.
"What do you wish to know about us...or are you more interested in the nephilim?" Death asked, sighing while looking at Damiana.
"The Nephilim...and of course, Damiana."
"Well..." Death started, "The Nephilim was a...confused race...we didn't have a home or a place to call our kingdom. We fought relentlessly and blindly, driven by bloodlust, killing off way too many to count." His voice turned hallow with despair.
"That's...interesting." Ilyea mumbled to herself, feeling herself become drawn to Death's melancholy filled voice
"Interesting? INTERESTING?! Us killing thousands-" War stopped and winced as Damiana chomped down harder.
"I don't think that's what she means." Damiana said quietly, releasing War from her death lock.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Damiana rested her head against War's chest and listened to his heartbeat, red eyes glistening towards Ilyea.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you, War..." She mumbled, sighing to herself.
"I don't get hurt." War's entire demeanor changed from grumpy to slightly cheerful, making Ilyea be intrigued even more with the one named Damiana.
"Sure you do!" Damiana laughed weakly, punching War in the chest lightly.
Death looked over at Damiana and got up soundlessly, motioning for War to follow him.
"I'm lazy as hell...carry me." Damiana mumbled into War's chest.
"I am not doing that again."
"I'll do it." Death gently took Damiana into his arms and carried her oddly close to his chest.
'As if she were his child...hm.' Ilyea thought, trotting besides the horsemen.
"And if her?" She voiced while Damiana fell asleep against Death's shoulder.
"Her true name is Aloxsunamoon, the Moon of Thieves. However...we call her Damiana...she's...well I'm not too sure how old she is, truth be told." Death looked back at War, who was falling behind.
"Is she really...a Nephilim?" Ilyea asked.
"Technically, yes, her mother is an archangel, well was, and her father is Lucifer...I would never want her to be the type of Nephilim we were." Death finished, looking as if he wanted to change the subject.
"If you didn't tell me this or call her your sister...I would think she was your child." Ilyea mumbled, looking at the two in distant longing.
"Oh?"
"You care deeply for her...I know that much...and the way you look at her, almost like a father would."
"You gathered this much from just a short hour?" Death laughed humorlessly.
"I'm good with these types of things."
Death looked as if he wanted to say something else, but simply shook his head and mounted Despair, who grew increasingly impatient with his rider's absence.
"It was...interesting to have met you, maker, my brothers and I can't thank you enough for what you've done for our sister today." Death looked back at War and Ruin.
"Yeah, thanks." War said begrudgingly, heaven himself into the saddle.
"Anyway, goodbye." Death steered Despair around and galloped off.
War scoffed at Ilyea and took off after Death, making sure to make Ruin flick a few tongues of fire her way as he passed.
Ilyea watched them go and sighed contently.
Today was a good day....