Fatal Faith

Chapter 5 - The Sacrifice

Chapter 5 → The Sacrifice

She watches carefully as the corrupt humans depart from their Holy grounds, scattering like pollen in the winds. The poor young ones don’t even seem to notice the masses of negative energy surrounding their loved ones. How can they be so blind to the stifling aura of that place? she shudders at the thought. She’d been watching this town long enough to see that the corruption was rampant. If the Moirae hadn’t told them that this place would be the center of the coming disasters, she’d have departed the moment she stepped foot over the boundary of the town.

Noticing one of the heads of the church break off from the masses and head towards a vehicle, she treads closer, careful to remain out of the corrupt human’s sensory range. She notices the mortal tampering with something on the vehicle and attempts to adjust her vantage point without crossing paths with any of the other individuals. Before she can determine what the human was doing, they stand and stroll away from the vehicle, grinning hysterically.

Following the human, she notices him approach the head of the church and whisper in the other man’s ear. As she creeps closer to the duo, a flash from behind them causes her to halt mid-stride. She glances over their shoulders to see a flurry of midnight wings and a sinfully handsome face. Making eye contact with him, she nods to the side, away from the general mass of humans. He nods back and she sees another flash before he disappears, reappearing beside the tree she had indicated. Choosing to take a less dramatic route, she walks over to join him by the tree, shaking her head at his foolish grin.

“Belial…to what do we,” she nods to the human around her, “owe this honour?” His grin widens at her question as he decides to encroach upon her space.

“Ah, huntress. I could ask you much the same question.” She quirks an eyebrow at the useless statement, causing him to chuckle in amusement. She notices him scanning the humans, almost as if he’s watching one of them.

“My query still stands, Belial,” She states, narrowing her eyes at him. He turns to her, looking her up and down before nodding his head and speaking.

“I’m following orders. Since your kind refuse to take active part in this war, I am reduced to guarding the offspring of these silly beasts. And you, dear Artemis, what reason have you for being here? Surely you’d much rather be hunting the scum of the Earth?” With a huff, she turns away, throwing her parting words over her shoulder at his back.

“I’m simply following orders, much like you, my Fallen friend.” Disappearing with a flash, she can’t help but smile at this new turn of events. Perhaps if the Fallen Lord is here, she’s in the right place after all.

~~~

As Trisana gets in her car and drives away, she can’t help but wonder what she should wear to the prom. She whips out of the Church parking lot, eager to get home and tell her sister the news. Squealing in glee once more, she closes her eye for a moment, enjoying the wind whipping her hair through the open window.

Opening her eyes once more, she sees a flash in her periphery. Glancing over to see what caused the disturbance, she sees a deer running, darting out into the roadway. Slamming on her breaks, Trisana panics when her sleek little Toyota doesn’t slow at all. She tries pressing on the breaks once more, only to look up and meet the eyes of the deer through the windshield.

She collides with the poor beast, her vehicle making sickening noises, the metal grinding and bending with the force of impact. Her seatbelt snaps, almost as if cut, and she goes flying through the windshield, her body colliding with the asphalt and making a sickening crunch. Agony blazes through her whole body as the deer and car roll over her, impaling her stomach on the torn metal and pulling her over the edge of the cliff with them. Tumbling down the hill, each new bump bringing new waves of anguish, Trish can’t help but wonder if this is the end.

Once the mangled car stops rolling, Trish tries to get up only to be bathed in new waves of misery, causing her to lose consciousness temporarily.

When Trish comes to, she see two beings looking down at her, smiling gleefully as she moans in agony. She reaches slowly out to the closer of the two, mind begging for help. His grin widens as he steps closer and she recognizes the face of one of the Townsmen. He wags his finger at her when she whimpers, trying to ask for help once more. Tears begin streaming down her face as she tries to convince herself that it’s simply a nightmare.

The man and his companion laugh sinisterly at something one of them said and she coughs, blood coating her chest and bringing with it new surges of torment.

The townsman moves closer to her and holds his hand down, as if reaching out to her; she tries to take his hand only for him to pull it away, laughing as she groans in distress. He approaches her once more and places his foot on her chest, his lips moving in words foreign to her mind. She licks her lips and braces for the coming pain as she attempts to speak once more.

“H…Hel…Help me…P…Please.” She chokes again, blood gushing up from her insides, coating her being in fresh waves of torment. He smiles again at her words, his foot beginning to put pressure on her already agonized body.

“No.” He speaks with a sort of revolting glee in his voice, his eyes sparkling happily at the word. With the word, he pulls a knife from his back and puts unbearable pressure on her stomach with his foot, crushing already-broken bones and causing searing rays of pain to radiate out from where his foot is planted. More tears flood her eyes at his callousness as he raises his knife and slashes down across her throat, laughing joyously as she bleeds. He turns to his companion and bows, holding his arms out and gesturing to her quickly-dying body. Just as she fades from this world, she hears the disturbing words he says to the being, fear curling in her stomach for her friends.

“Your sacrifice, my Lord. I hope it is to your liking.” As the last breath leaves her mortal body, she sends a simple prayer out to the universe. Please, save them.