The Phoenix Series: Sacrifice

Chapter 4: Wheels of Fate

                All around you can hear weapons clashing, people screaming, you can see blood seeping into the clouds, no doubt dripping through to the earth below. The temperature has drastically increased in the matter of a few hours. People are fighting above, below and on the clouds while some even on the ground. Everywhere you go, you can see fighting, pain, and death. Shivers crawl up my spine at the sight of my people slowly being killed off. Everyone is giving their all to win against the Mara, even the birds.

I don’t need visions to know how this war will end; we fight, people die, the Mara normally leave and come back later to finish the job; it’s like a reoccurring dream. I’m tired of the same thing happening day in and day out, our people are slowly being killed off. I don’t want to have to make this decision, but there’s no other choice. Raising my arms, I get ready to make a heartbreaking choice, when I feel a slight tingling in my back, flying upward and jerking around, I get into a fighting stance to prepare for the attack.

My feet leave the sturdiness of the clouds as a breeze brushes past me. Fully aware of her now, I grumble, “I was wondering when you were going to attack.”

When she doesn’t respond I begin to wonder if there’s a reason. Turning around, I find Joseph standing with his back to me. I land on my feet and slowly walk over to him and ask as a chuckle escapes my lips, “Joseph, what are you doing?” Temporarily forgetting about the feeling of her presence.

As I approach him, I notice someone else behind him. Tilting my head to the side, I notice Lilith, smirking at me. Completely shocked, I grab a hold of Joseph’s shirt. At the same time, Lilith jerks her hand back covered in blood and simply stares at her hand then up at me in pleasure as she starts licking the blood away.

Seraph blood is basically food for the Mara’s. Maras have stooped so low that they are unable to rely on their own power to survive, thereby taking ours.

As I attempt to take in everything around me, I just stare at Lilith.

She looks the same as always, she has red/gold hair that reaches her shoulders, green eyes with a reddish glow, and 3 burgundy wings. As I’m examining her, my eyes again fall upon her hands covered in blood.

Staring at the blood, time slows down and the next thing I know, Joseph crumples to the ground. My body stiffens as my eyes make their way to Joseph’s body.

His body is limp and his face is tilted to the side, out of my line of view. Slowly bending down, I grasp his shoulder and start shaking. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as my body grows cold. Everything around me is blurred and all I can hear is the sound of my heart beating in my chest and lots of muffled sounds that could be a variety of anything at this point. My heart feels tight and hurts to the point at which I feel like it may burst in my chest from the overpowering feeling threatening to stop it. Lifting my hand from his shoulder, I reach for his head and tilt it so that I can see his face.

The second my eyes fall upon his ghostly white face, my world crumples apart. Everything around me tilts to the side; I reach my arms out, attempting to stop the motion. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and realize I’ve been holding my breath the entire time.

Opening my eyes again, I stare at the ground. When I don’t feel as if I’m going to puke, I raise my head only to come face to face with Joseph. Immediately my breathing quickens, I grab my chest and squeeze as hard as I can, trying to make the pain subside, to wake myself up from this horrific nightmare.

But to no avail, it feels like all the weight in the world just came crashing down on my shoulders, pulling me further and further down. So far, that I don’t feel like I’ll be able to stand back up again. My mind is so jumbled I can barely think, like I’m swimming through an ocean of darkness; making me unable to see, feel, hear, breath, or anything for that matter.