The Shattered Night

20| Darien

The cacophony of fractured glass and the warning of a raging storm in the wake came in a sudden instant. The melody was so high pitched and demonic, that Darien knew immediately that it was no good sign. If something like this could be so erratic and unpredictable, not even a hawk with the keenest eye would at first know how to react or think. If you weren't trained to watch out for sudden movements and weren't always prepared for a coming blow, you would not be able to react quick enough. Every movement counted, and each second wasted was a risk.

The answer was clear that something bad had happened. The Commander of the Guards himself had just been in his quarters, planning his own risk taking route out of the palace to the one and only forgotten land, where his family stood. Even if Darien was part of the court, there were much more important things on his mind. Never would he give a damn on how the king was feeling, or how he would run his court. After all, no one could change the manipulator's mind. This was how the commander was feeling in the darkness of evil, his heart weighing down with heaviness.

But then of course, at the very right moment, the crash had to come barging in.

Then everything froze.

Although the sudden timing was startling at first, Darien then realized the sound wasn't coming from the king's banquet he had missed, so his training instincts kicked in immediately. What could have possibly made such a racket that even someone from a place as far as here could be able to detect it?

Who would be out in the kingdom at this time?

That was the better question. Honestly the commander had thought he had been the only singular person to have possibly missed the so called "anniversary." Who else would not want to have a luxury life with all their worries away. Sure the king and his wife had just passed their long and happy new years of marriage, but the commander knew that the real reason was so His Majesty didn't have to worry about the Angels. What a responsible ruler indeed.

It was obvious that the king wanted to get the warning of their fallen enemies off the palace, just so he could have the pressure lifted off his shoulders. The idea would work for a short term length, but soon enough, the king would realize that doing so wouldn't be enough. The Angel's were not someone to be playing jokes with. Ever since the day they had come to their official warning, everyone had the fact engraved within their mind.

There were more important things to be done. Planning that was. Thinking and deducting the correct strategy. Not throwing lavish, useless, parties.

The thing is, everyone secretly knew that deep down the chances of stopping the Fallen Angels were slim. It was just the sad and bitter truth that not even fate could deny. Not even a manipulator like the king could sway the ones defied by the gods. The strongest of the weak could never even stand on the same ground on those who towered over him.

Darien put his pen down and shook the thoughts out of his head. With one last glance at the map he was planning out, he swiftly turned on his heel, dark cape swirling behind him and entered the fully made, disastrous new realm.

_

"Move away! Call for the king now!"

The screeching of the marble floor and scatter of black, feathered wings covered the palace halls like a blanket of pure midnight. The Supreme Commander didn't even get a moment to react before a dagger swiftly grazed the surface of his left cheek, sending a streak of red blood flying past his vision. Dodging the next storm of arrows sent his way, he took the hilt of his sword and slashed it through the Angel's mass of black feathers.