Rebellion

by J. D. Netto

  “His aloofness is growing every day,” Demetre complained, walking next to me.

  “Isaac has a lot on his mind, Demetre.” I kept my eyes on the trees ahead of me. “Let him be for a while.”

  The wind picked up. Demetre rubbed his hands against his arms. His eyes carried an empty stare.

  “Sometimes I feel as if I do not belong here with all the others.” He raised both of his shoulders. “I am not the bearer of any book. I do not have any special abilities of my own.” He lifted his eyes, meeting my gaze. “Am I just a burden?”

  “What do you think?” I lowered my head, avoiding the thorn-covered branches that hung ahead of me. “Are you worthy of being on this quest?”

  He pressed his fingers against his lips, considering his answer.

  “A man is as a man sees.” I rested my hand on his shoulder. He lifted his eyes to me as his lips curved into a thin smile.

  “I remember the day I first met your parents,” I said, seeing their faces in my mind. “They were some of the first Council members to welcome me. At the time, they were not yet in love, but their friendship was strong.”

  Demetre watched me with curious eyes.

  “They never seemed to object to the fact that I was a Nephilin and wished to do harm more than good. At that time, I had already lived in Elysium for a thousand years, and never had I found anyone that accepted me as much as they did. ‘Be strong, Devin,’ your mother said. ‘We all struggle with the desires of our hearts. We just need to find ways to strengthen the desires that are pure and righteous.’”

  His right eyebrow rose up, hiding behind his dark hair. “She said that to you?”

  I let out a brief laugh.

  “Yes, she did.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” he asked. “Why is this relevant to me?”

  “Your parents made wrong choices, but these choices do not erase the righteous deeds they performed in the past. I am not sure how much a Nephilin’s life is worth, but they helped me—saved me. I want to show you that no matter how weak or unworthy you might feel, these feelings cannot erase the fact that you belong with this company. And though we might not see the reason now, we will find out soon.”

  Demetre gave me a half-hearted smile.

  “Thank you,” he said after a brief moment of silence.

  We continued making our way through the valley. The snow fell once again. A thick mist settled as the frigid temperature continued to drop.

  “Look out!” Ballard shouted at the top of his lungs, his finger pointed toward the sky.

  Something fell from the tree branches above us. It thudded on the soft snow, squirming blood on the thistles that covered the ground. I lost my breath when I saw that it was the lifeless body of an old man. He had a rope tied to his neck. The smell of decayed flesh brought tears to my eyes. Xylia and Adara covered their noses, staring at the corpse in horror.

  “Look up,” Isaac whimpered, his eyes fixed on the branches above us.

  Ten naked bodies hung above us. Two of them were children—a boy and a girl. Four were young women who seemed to be no older than thirty. The other four were men. They were missing their toes and fingers; their jaws had been ripped from their faces.

  “What is this place?” Petra stumbled back, trying to catch his balance as he stared at the dead bodies.

  The sound of hoofs thundered in my ears. I unsheathed my sword, positioning myself for an attack.

  “Get your swords ready.” My eyes froze inside their sockets, looking for whatever being approached us.

  We waited in silence, expecting an attack. The sounds of beating hoofs grew louder. What devilry had come to encounter us? After a while, no one appeared.

  “Where is it?” Isaac asked, standing next to me, his eyes surveying the landscape around us.

  “I am not sure,” I replied, feeling the frigid wind brush against my face.

  I was startled by the sound of a loud neigh. I squinted my eyes in an attempt to better see through the blinding mist. With careful steps, I walked in the direction of what sounded like a horse, and the others followed. Walking through this mist set my teeth on edge. I fidgeted at the sound of every branch I trampled upon. My eyes glanced over my shoulder. Adara held her sword with trembling hands. Petra walked beside Ballard, their eyes set on me. Xylia and Demetre hastened their steps, following alongside Isaac.

  From the mist emerged an old stall and, from afar, I caught sight of the distressed animal. I let out a quick breath, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand.

  “It is just a horse,” I said, lowering my sword. The others followed my action.

  There was an old two-story house on our far right. It had a large front window with two horizontal shutters next to the door, which lay on the ground, broken into pieces. Some of the roof shingles were missing.

  “I am assuming those people lived here,” said Xylia, glancing in the direction of the bodies.

  “What happened here?” Adara had her fingers over her mouth, and was staring at the old house.

  I paced toward the animal and the sound of its neighing increased the moment it laid eyes on me. My right hand stretched as its dark eyes bore into mine. The horse was a dapple-gray stallion.

  “There, there,” I whispered as I approached it. I saw its wounded hind leg—the injury stretched all the way up to its thigh. The horse tried to escape from the stall by casting its body against the walls. I rested my hand on its head. At my touch, the horse fell silent, its leg twitching.

  “What was that?” Adara asked, approaching the animal. Her hands were curled into a ball, resting on her chest. “How did you get him to stand so still?”

  I gave her a closed smile. “I can communicate with some animal species—call them when I need them.”

  “Can you call us some horses so we do not have to walk in the snow?” she inquired, her eyes demanding that I give her the answer she expected.

  “I tried the moment we left the valley. Unfortunately, I did not feel any horses nearby,” I said.

  “Then I am assuming your gift is not that effective,” Xylia noted, walking toward the horse. Petra, Ballard, Isaac, and Demetre had their eyes set on the old house.

  “Why do you say that?” My eyebrows tightened.

  “This horse has probably been sitting here for a while. If you can feel and call them, how come you were not aware that this animal was here?” She petted the gray stallion.

  She was right. I had used my gift to search for horses just moments ago. Why had I not been able to feel his presence?

  “Over there!” I heard Ballard shouting.

  Startled, I looked and saw the boys running.

  “Where are you going?” I stepped away from the horse, following them. “Wait!”

  My body froze in shock when I saw a child walking out of the house and descending the two shorts steps that led out the door. The girls flocked in his direction. The boy closed his small eyes and fell to the ground, smashing his face against the snow.

  Isaac knelt next to him. He removed his coat and wrapped the boy with it. He seemed to be around six years of age. His brown hair was covered in blood, his feet were bare, and his chest was exposed.

  “Can you hear me?” asked Isaac as he reached under the boy’s head, holding him against his chest. Blood dripped from the small cuts on his chapped lips.

  The young boy grunted, gulping his throat.

  “Mom…Dad…” he whispered in a low voice. He opened his eyes, looking at every single one of our faces.

  “You will be alright,” Demetre affirmed with a deadpan smile.

  The boy raised his left hand, touching Isaac’s cheek. His arms were covered in bruises. Isaac wrapped the boy’s hand in his.

  “Don’t worry. We will take care of you,” he said, running his hand through the boy’s tangled hair.

  “Should we check inside the house?” asked Ballard, looking at the boy. “There might still be other survivors.”

  “I think that is
a good idea,” Demetre said, looking at me.

  “I agree.” I turned my gaze to Isaac. “Stay with the girls and the boy.” I pointed to Ballard, Petra, and Demetre. “You three, come with me. Let us search the house.”

  “Be careful.” Adara darted us a worried stare. The boy let out weak moans as we strolled toward the house.

  With swords in hand, we walked through the doorway.

  Shards of clay were scattered on the ground. The shelves on the walls had been smashed to pieces. A putrid stench invaded my nostrils when we approached the kitchen. I absorbed the sight of the eviscerated body of a woman torn in half; her upper body lay atop the table while her lower part was on the wooden floor.

  “Are you sure we should continue searching? I don’t see how there could be any survivors inside this house.” Demetre covered his mouth with the back of his hands as he walked away from the kitchen.

  “We search upstairs,” I ordered, covering my nose as I followed Demetre.

  There was a stairway on the right side of the house that led to the second floor.

  “Come on.” Demetre turned his eyes to us. “We should not linger for long. Let us search for other survivors and leave this place.”

  Demetre started making his way up the stairs, resting his right hand on the rail while holding his sword with the other. Ballard walked behind him, followed by Petra. Once we reached the second floor, the smell of burnt flesh brought tears to my eyes.

  “Apparently, something died up here as well,” Ballard mentioned, covering his nose.

  There were three doors in front of us. An old puppet in the likeness of a girl hung on the doorknob in front of me.

  “How are we going to do this?” Petra’s chest heaved with heavy, panting breaths.

  “We each check a room, and then we leave.” I turned my face toward Demetre. “Would you mind checking this room with Petra?”

  “No, not all,” Demetre replied.

  I stepped to my left, standing in front of the other door while Demetre and Petra entered the room.

  A shiver shot down my body once I turned the cold knob. To my left was a bed that had been made out of brown oak. Three frames hung from the white wall—all had their paintings destroyed, leaving just the remnants of the canvases. A brown rug sat at the foot of the bed.

  “Ballard, did you find anything?” I asked in a loud voice.

  “There is nothing here!” he replied from the other room.

  “Petra? Demetre? Anything?” I shouted.

  “Nothing,” Demetre answered.

  I was about to head out the door when a chill shot up my leg. There was a cold grasp around my ankle that pulled my body. I thudded to the floor. My eyes darted over my shoulder and saw a black shadow shaped like a man. My heart skipped a beat as I caught sight of its skeletal hands tightened around my left ankle.

  I tried to land a kick on the creature, but my feet sank under its shadow. With great strength, it lifted me off the ground and cast my body against the roof. A sharp pain spread through my back. Ballard, Demetre, and Petra flocked into the room.

  The grotesque being released a growl once it saw them. I managed to stand to my feet as fast as I could.

  “What in the name of Elysium is that?” Ballard unsheathed his sword.

  I limped my way to my companions, feeling a sharp pain in my chest. I watched as both of the creature’s skeletal hands turned into arms, each equipped with four-fingered hands. At the tip of each finger was a sharp, curved claw. The creature’s bones slithered beneath its brown skin while its body took a shape similar to that of a dragon. Its elongated skull had a thin snout. Wings appeared on its back, expanding to almost twice the size of the creature’s thin tail.

  The creature lowered its head, growling as it crawled to its left. Its golden eyes trailed across the room. The pain in my leg worsened as I watched it raise its body. It let out a loud roar.

  I jumped in the direction of the creature, attempting to bury my blade beneath its thick neck, but it dodged my attack. The wooden floor trembled as it rushed its way toward Demetre. The dragon-like beast catapulted in his direction with its teeth in view. Demetre leaped to his left, swerving from its attempt to sink its teeth into his skin. With his sword held up in the air, he managed to land a cut on the creature’s thigh. A loud hiss followed his attack.

  Quick footsteps echoed behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Petra fleeing.

  “Where are you going?” I shouted, watching him run down the stairway. The creature raised its head, drawn to the sound of his footsteps. The beast narrowed its glowing yellow eyes. It leaped out of the room, pursuing Petra.

  “Coward!” Rage burned inside of me like a furnace. I turned my attention to Demetre and Ballard. “Follow the creature down the stairway.”

  “What about you?” Ballard asked between heavy breaths.

  “I will warn the others.” I pointed my finger toward the stairway. “Go. Now.”

  I faced the closed window in the room. It was locked. Without much thinking, I flung my body against it, breaking it into pieces. The cold wind touched my face as my wings expanded. Isaac, Xylia, Adara, and the boy were still in the same place.

  “Run!” I shouted, flying my way toward them. Seconds after, Petra ran out of the door, screaming at the top of his lungs. Coward, I thought. The animal was at his heels, sprinting out of the house.

  The moment Isaac caught sight of the creature he drew his sword, standing in front of the girls and the boy. The dragon-like monster flapped its wings, letting out a deafening growl. When its feet left the ground, I rushed in its direction. As fast as a breath, Isaac’s wings appeared. We both tackled the creature in mid-air, piercing its body with our swords. Isaac wounded it on its ribs while my blade entered its skull. It let out a blazing screech as its body plunged to the ground. The animal’s body touched the snow, assumed its previous shadowed shape, and dispersed itself like smoke. Moments later, its body vanished.

  Ballard pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, resting his body against the doorpost. Demetre sat on one of the steps of the stairs with a gaping jaw. His elbows rested on his knees, and he supported his chin on his hands.

  I flew down, landing next to Ballard.

  “You…ran,” I said behind gritted teeth, shooting Petra a cold sneer. “You abandoned us in that room.” My eyebrows tightened when I saw him with his head bowed, biting the nail off his left thumb.

  “What do they mean, Petra?” Isaac set his eyes on him. He remained silent.

  “Will you not say something, coward?” I marched in his direction, tightening my fists. A sharp pain shot up my leg, causing me to lose balance. I fell to my knees, containing my urge to scream.

  “Devin!” Adara ran in my direction. “Are you alright?”

  I recoiled from her attempt to lay her hands on me.

  “Leave me,” I said, darting her an angry stare. She took three steps back, a surprised look stamped on her face. I wanted to kill that boy. How could he have left us? The thought that he was one of the book-bearers enraged me. This boy was not worthy of such a task.

  “You left us, Petra!” Demetre shouted. “We could have all been killed by that creature and all you cared about was your own life.”

  “What did you expect me to do?” Petra yelled in response, spreading out his arms.

  Ballard shook his head. “You could have used your sword. You could have tried to kill the creature.”

  They all stared at Petra in anger. Petra covered his face with his left hand, turning his back to us. Silence lingered for a while. Xylia stood next to the young boy, who seemed to be unconscious.

  I failed in my attempt to stand on my feet as the pain continued to spread, reaching my lower back. With my hands, I grasped at the snow on the ground, tightening them with great strength.

  “Devin, are you alright?” Isaac rushed his way to me.

  “I just need to rest for a while.” My teeth clenched while my eyebrows pinched together.
“The house is empty. We should be safe here…for now.”

  Demetre and Isaac grabbed my arms, helping me stand. I attempted to move my left leg but the pain was too strong to bear.

  “Damn creature,” I said, limping as we headed to the house. I looked back to make sure we were all safe. Adara carried the young boy. Xylia had her sword in her hand; her eyes trailed across the trees. Ballard followed behind me. Petra strolled behind them with his hands inside his pockets.

  “I have never seen anything like it.” I cleared my throat, taking in a deep breath.

  “Was it a dragon?” Isaac asked.

  “Dragons do not turn into shadows. That beast was not from here.”

  I recalled the frightening words Raziel had spoken after the attack of Mag Mell: “The gates between Elysium and the Fourth Dimension now lie unguarded.” He had warned us that beasts had infiltrated our world. Was he still guarding the Gates with the remaining Underwarriors? We had not seen or heard from him ever since. Nathan had returned, but had not mentioned anything about the others.

  “I think that beast—” I grunted due to the pain. “I think that beast came from the Abyss.”

  Isaac shot me a frightened stare. I struggled to walk up the two short steps in front of the doorway. I could no longer move my left leg. Drops of sweat beaded down my forehead.

  “Let’s put him by the staircase, Isaac.” Demetre cocked his head, showing Isaac the location of the staircase.

  I lifted my arms from their shoulders, limping on my right leg as I tried to sit on the first step.

  “Adara.” Demetre turned his eyes to her. “Let’s lay the boy in one of the rooms upstairs so he can sleep.”

  “Alright.” She gave the unconscious boy a tender look.

  “Let me see your leg, Devin,” Ballard requested, kneeling in front of me.

  “I will be fine,” I retorted with a weak and tremulous voice. My head reclined against the wall while I grimaced—the pain grew stronger.

  “Sure you will,” Ballard said in a snide tone.

  I screamed when his hands touched my leg.

  “Hold him, Isaac,” he ordered, keeping his eyes on me. “Petra, please go outside and bring me some of the snow. Look for a bucket in the kitchen.” He pointed to his left.