Heaven's Bane

Excerpt from Tomas Williams' Memory 1

PART 1

"And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me"

- Psalm 50:15

With a grunt, twenty years old Tomas Williams hurled his spear as hard as could toward the foam dummy 50 metres away. From the moment the spear left his grasp, he knew he would miss. The spear struck the soft ground a few metres in front of the dummy and stuck there.

He cracked his knuckles and tried again. The task was more frustrating because he had done it once before, during his skills testing at the Emerald Haven. It was the major reason he was counted as a Level Four Warrior. If he didn't accomplish this, then he was only fit to be Level Three.

Ten tries later, he was even more frustrated, especially as a painful blister was developing in the soft spot between his thumb and forefinger. He wiped the sweat off his face with the little towel he carried and moved to pull up the spears impaled into the ground. As a Level Four Deception artist and Warrior, he was eligible to become the Head Ward Creator, if he was appointed by God. But he had a whole lot of competition from people who were better Level Fours.

He glanced up at the sky to gauge the time –he had left his watch in his quarters. With a shock, he realised he had spent more time in the training arena than he had wanted. This training arena was massive, with different centres for different activities. Each centre was walled off to give a sense of privacy but there was no roof so everyone got a share of the beautiful sky. The sight of the sky usually helped calm him but this time it served no purpose.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where the Astynomia stay in this City?" A soft feminine voice asked.

"Why? You want to join their ranks?" Tomas asked, sarcastically. He did not look up from his arduous task. The spears were really buried in deep.

It was common knowledge that only the best of the best could enter the Astynomia. They were the elite police force of all Children of God. Each city had its own Astynomia segment. It was an honour to be a member of it.

"Answering a question with another question is considered rude in most cities." The voice had a haughty tone now that irritated Tomas.

He was having a bad day with his talents. He was frustrated and tired. He did not need an ignorant lady scolding him for bad behaviour.

He managed to hold his annoyance in check and focused on pulling out a particularly stubborn spear.

"Are all the men of Pella like this? You cannot help a stranger find her way? You are not walking in Love."

"Look lady, I've felt a lot of emotions today and love... love wasn't one of them."

Tomas looked up and his eyes clashed with beautiful light grey eyes. He gulped as he realised he was talking to the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. The woman had long black hair and a beautifully constructed face. There was a delicate air about her that was opposed by the steely nature of her gaze on him.

He gulped again and tried to back track. "I'm sorry for acting in such a rude manner, Miss. I would be honoured to show you to the Astynomia headquarters."

Her lips pursed as she scrutinised him. Her eyes took in everything and he flushed as he realised how incompetent he must look with all his failed attempts at spearing the useless dummy.

"You are a Level Three warrior?" Her voice was melodic to his ears but still managed to be authoritative. It was clear that she was an official of some kind. He stood a bit more upright and yanked the last spear out of the ground.

"Level Four, miss."

She nodded and strode forward, picking a spear from the weapon rack. He found it impossible to turn his gaze from her. She was shorter than him, with a slender but strong physique. Her outfit was a simple but classy ensemble of a loose shirt, tight trousers and lace up boots.

He silently made room for her as she lined up the target and hurled the spear. It whistled through the air in perfect position before impaling the dummy. The spear had nearly passed through it entirely. And it had been right where the heart was supposed to be. She had done it effortlessly. Tomas was awed.

"What are you?"

"Level Five. Come, pick your jaw off the floor and show me where the Astynomia is supposed to be."

She was already on her way out, long hair flying behind her.

Tomas returned the spears and hurried after her.

Two days later, he spotted her in the training centre using whips to fight. She looked like a dominatrix. Demons beware. They started talking and he asked her out for dinner. She accepted.

When Tomas' best friend, Mark, asked about her, Tomas looked at him with a bright twinkle in his green eyes.

"Mark, I believe I just found the love of my life."