War of Hearts

16 - Children of God

The old, yellow and brown leaves hustled in the wind, as the sounds of dead, weak trees, creak at every push the wind gave. It's the end of fall in Rizrana and the air is colder than an ice cube, as it climbs through Basilia's jacket to the bottom of her spine. Most of the leaves were already gone. And the sight of every living thing coming to an end, depressed her. The crumpling of the brown stiff leaves creates a home to many animals that need a place to hid during this time of empty sorrow. The birds have ceased to sing no more.

"I've heard there's a common Angel living here," Atlas murmured.

"Marina Roosevelt," Basilia said, walking through a trial that has been created by many footprints.

Atlas kneeled on to the ground and took a glimpse at the footprints. "Wolves," he whispered. "Not one but four."

Basilia closed her eyes and concentrated. She heard a beat, four unique beats beating to an unusual rhythm. 'They are close to us," she whispered.

Atlas stood up from the ground and held out his hand; blue sparks grew from his fingertips.

"We have less time," Basilia said and took a deep sigh. "Whether they like this or not we have to take one of them to the Capital, alive."

Atlas saw a bright blue light. He wondered how he saw the light when his eyes were closed. He saw his mother in the distance, she was smiling at him. He clenched his fist and determined to protect his mother and his land. He opened his eyes and his Angels wings appeared at his back, cracking his shirt. With his Angel wings Atlas looked like a God.

From the shadows came four wolves running toward Basilia and Atlas. Basilia held out her hand and pressured the air around them. The air created a storm so the wolves could not reach the Angels. The four wolves backed.

"Fight mode or discussion mode?" Basilia asked.

Atlas took a moment to respond, his mind had been busy replaying the scene in slow motion. "Discussion mode."

Basilia snorted, "I'll do the talking."
Atlas rolled his eyes. "Okay but control your temper."

"I'm Basilia Angel Air," Basilia shouted.

The four wolves walked circles around them silently; the only audible sound of the environment was their heavy breathing.

'I'm Basilia Angel Air," Basilia repeated. "I really you would cooperate with us or I'll turn you into dust within seconds."

"Basilia," Atlas hissed.

Three wolves walked away and the last wolf gestured Basilia and Atlas to follow them.

* * *

The water tumbled down the hillside in a series of mini-waterfalls. The water tinkled in a laughing sort of way and Cedric remembered that once when they were children he, Ever, Julian and Elizabeth imagined that this was the sort of places faeries might live. The rocks were slippery as they crossed the stream but there was an iron rope to hold on to. As they walked on that music of the woods became ever quieter until they could hear it no more

Derath was not the gentle sort of waterfall you might see in a stately home garden, it was the kind where torrents of water are poured over rocks hard enough to crack your skull and mash your brains on the way down, then swirl in a plunge pool below deep enough to drown you if you survived the fall. From the bottom it was awe inspiring, from the top it was brutal and terrifying.

Cedric reached for another hand hold. The rock was slippery with water from the plunge pool mist. One miss placed hand or foot and his lifeless body would be dragged around in the circular current until it rotted away. He dug his fingers into the crevice and pulled, this is where all those mis-spent hours climbing trees would pay off. The noise pressed in on him, pounding at his thoughts. This waterfall that had inspired Julian's poetry now scared him senseless. Cedric turned to look at Alexander who was following him.