Angel Wings

Chapter 4.1~Roses are Red

EVABELLE

"Guys!" Evabelle screamed.

At her cry, both Lucis and Del jumped to their feet, as though filled with a sudden adrenaline flow. Aza on the other hand blinked blearily around. "What now?" She yawned. Then she glanced up at the figure in crouched position, and groaned, plopping her head back down on her bag. "And so it begins."

"Girls," Lucis began. "You need to move now!"

Evabelle ran to Aza and dragged her to her feet, right as the monster screeched a high blood curdling scream, and dove for them. Evabelle ducked, closing her eyes tight, waiting for those long claws to start tearing her open.

Suddenly a large shadow passed over her and her friend. Evabelle opened her eyes to find Del hovering over them, his enormous black wings creating a shield between the girls and the monster.

He glared at the two of them. "Move!" He shouted.

Aza put her hands on her hips. "You can't tell us what to..."

Evabelle shook her head, grabbed Aza's wrist, and yanked her across the room, ignoring her protests, to the opposite wall, under the broken staircase. "Must you?" Evabelle gasped, glaring at her friend.

"Sorry, it's just whenever that guy speaks, I'd like to punch him right in the nose."

Evabelle glanced out as Del swung his arm around, and slammed it into the Annihilator's face. The thing spiraled backward screeching, but quickly spun around, returning with a new force. Evabelle was amazed that neither Del's hand, nor the creature's face was severely injured.

Suddenly Lucis flew to them, literally. He reached out behind him and plucked a feather from his own wings. Evabelle gasped, for just then the soft harmless feather lengthened into a glowing white, deadly-sharp dagger. Then he opened his mouth to speak, but another caterwauling shriek echoed out, and they all looked up. Two more Annihilators flew in followed by an enormous one, its cry seeming to shake the whole building, making both Evabelle and Aza clap their hands over their ears.

Quickly, Lucis grabbed Evabelle's hand and placed the blade in her palm. "Protect yourself." He told her firmly then took off to fight the oncoming monsters.

Evabelle stared numbly at the glowing weapon in her hand. Protect yourself. Did that mean... she would have to...? She glanced up at the terrible battle unfolding before her. Del was not far from her, fighting closer to the floor. One monster lay in an unconscious heap just a few feet from him. Now he was fighting another beast. It was huge, but Del just danced around the creature swiping at it with another glowing blade she had not seen before. He was so graceful it was almost like watching a strange yet beautiful dance. Never had she imagined fighting looking so beautiful. Up above them, near where the bell should have been, Lucis fought the humungous Annihilator, the one who had shaken the building. Just like his brother he glided around his opponent, but Evabelle's heart pounded as the beast's swipe nearly took off Lucis's head.

A sudden blur of movement drew her eyes away from the clash above, back down to Del's fight, but that wasn't what had caught her eye. She felt herself begin to quiver, the blade was gripped tightly in her hand, but she was shaking so badly she doubted she would be able to do anything if one of those things came at her. Evabelle glanced over at Aza, and felt her heart skip a beat. Aza was gone.

"Aza!" Evabelle yelled looking around frantically. With no time to react Evabelle was slammed into the stone wall behind her, her breath in her lungs, gone. The blade clattered to the floor as she struggled for air, but a large leathery clawed hand pressed hard on her throat.