War of Hearts

27 - The sword of life

The blood didn't gush in a constant flow, but in time with the beating of the queen's heart. At first it came thick and strong, flowing through her fingers as they clasped the ripped flesh. She felt the blood move over her hand, the thick fluid no warmer or cooler than her own skin. After a few moments more the blood was still leaving her rapidly paling flesh, but the pulses were slower, weaker.

Ever ran toward her bleeding mother. "What the hell happened here?" She screamed and took hold of her mother before she fell on her knees.

Ever held her hand to the slash, but no matter the pressure she applied the blood had still gushed between her fingers and oozed under her hand. It had spread into her mother's rain-damp dress, the bright red quickly darkening, taking on a brownish hue. Those moments she spent pleading with her to look at her, to stay with her, feeling the very fluid of the queen's life drain away over her cold hands, she felt nothing at all. Time itself had become irrelevant; the seconds could have been hours, or hours mere seconds. In that suspended moment she was the eye of her own storm; but for that moment of perfect calm and mental clarity, she paid over and over in the years to come. Every quiet moment was spent watching her mother die again, "Mum, I love you," Ever murmured, tears were pouring down through her cheeks.

The queen tried to speak to her daughter but she failed. Nobody spoke, everyone inside the cave watched the queen and her daughter in silence.

The pain that once burned like fire had faded away to an icy numbness. Black filled the edges of the queen's vision and the only thing she could hear was her own heartbeat. Her breath came in ragged, shallow gasps. Seconds passed as she lay there, in her daughter's lap, then, she heard voices. People swarmed all over her, trying to help her. They wanted to save her. Surely they could tell that it was far too late for her to be saved, yet they were like children, naive to the darkness of the real world. The despair and suffering of the world that took everyone she loved away from her. She would be joining them soon though. She would be able to leave all the pain behind. She closed her eyes, she could die happily now. Her daughters met their long lost brother. Ever will be able to create the sword of life from her blood and save Angelic. She smiled one last time. The last thing she saw was her beautiful daughter. Her fragile, Angelic heart beat one last time.

Julian hugged Ever from her behind and whispered, "It's alright, Ever."

Ever kissed her mother's forehead and slowly placed her head on the ground. Ever expect her to fall apart but she didn't. She stood up with a single target in her mind and that is to protect her land from the blood drinking monsters.

"What happened?" Ever asked, directing the question at Cedric Roosevelt.

"She sacrificed herself for the creation of the sword," Cedric said.

She walked toward the structure of the life sword on the rock plate in the bottom of the cave. Cedric placed a sword on the structure and turned to face Ever. "Do you know how this works?" He asked.

She shook her head. Julian collected the queen's blood into his palms and took himself closer to Ever.

"Let's make it quick," Aiden Wolfsbane said. "Kill all of us and stop this massacre."

"De royals sunt plus quam daffodils," Ever said and spilled the blood in Julian's palms into the sword which was placed on the structure. "Bring more blood," Ever ordered. Julian and Cedric went toward the queen to take all the recquired blood.

"What did you just said?" Aiden asked.

La also helped Julian and Cedric to carry the blood of the queen.

"The royals are stronger than the daffodils," Ever said, spreading the blood all over the sword so it covers the sword with the red liquid.

"What do you mean?" Aiden questioned, confused.

"The Queen's life worth more than the life of the commoners," Ever explained.

"What did you mention 'daffodils'?" Aiden asked while La, Julian and Cedric poured the blood into the sword structure.

"Daffodils are the common angels," Ever said.

She took her hands off the sword structure. They were scarlet and sticky. Her hands were shaking so badly.

She closed her eyes and she saw the image of her dead mother. She was burning with rage and pain. She struggled to control herself and then she felt Julian's hand on her shoulder, her hard mind loosened. She opened her eyes, her emerald eyes were fire red.

"Deus, creator noster. Ego Ever Angel, peto ut det mihi potestas ad imperium gladio vitae.

Deus, animam meam a me auxilium terram filios tuos in terra," Ever screamed with all her might.

Everyone one was looking confused other than Cedric.

Cedric translated Ever's words for the others. "God, our creator, I, Ever Angel, request you to grant me the power to take control of the sword of life. God, help me save my land, the land of your children."

Ever's fire red eyes emitted red light rays. Ever's back ripped and her wings appeared. She twirled her head and stopped her head, facing the rocky roof of the cave. The red lights produced from her eyes smashed the top part of the cave and a blue sparks entered into the cave from the sky above them. The blue sparks travelled to the sword. Ever placed her right hand on the sword and took hold of it. As she touched the sword, her red hued eyes turned gold.

It was Excalibur, shining in the blue rays as if it was fashioned from the brilliant rays themselves. The broad silvery metal was warmed, as was the rock it rested upon. It was like a symbol of the kind of bravery that enables others to find their own courage, to be more than they thought themselves able to be.

Ever weighed the sword in her right hand, slashing it delicately at the air with a novice-like apprehension, and as she did so the reflection of the orange torch flame danced warmly within the cool steel.

"Let's go and support the others," Cedric said and everyone followed him except Ever and Julian.

"Is everything alright?" Julian asked.

"I'm alright." She gave a warm smile. "Go and join the others."

"You?"

"I have something to do."

Julian placed a kiss on Ever's forehead and walked his way out of the cave.

Ever placed the tip of the life sword on her forehead and murmured a low pray. The tip of the sword lighted up and showed her the image of Cael Angelo Fire. His eyes were pure black instead of his usual fire red eyes. Cael Angelo Fire was murdering the Angels instead of the blood drinkers.