The Whispers of the Fallen

by J. D. Netto

  “Brave ones that have come here to bring the Diary to its rightful place. It might be a surprise to the both of you, but we have been guarding you for eighteen years.”

  I surveyed the dinner guests and Adawnas’ fearful expression caught my attention. She sat quite still, her eyes fixed on Athalas.

  “Through our mighty gifts, we have been able to protect you and the safety of the Diary.”

  “Yeah…they have done a terrific job. Look at where our parents are…” Demetre mumbled.

  “In order to honor you, we have personally prepared a rare delicacy. It is the Purple Soul, the purest wine you will ever find!” Two servants approached us. They brought in two golden grails with the emblem of a dark lion and handed them to Demetre and me.

  “Now a toast—to the brave ones!” He lifted up his glass of wine; the other members raised their glasses in unison.

  “Do not drink it!” Adawnas shouted suddenly.

  Everyone froze.

  “Do not drink it,” she repeated.

  “I beg your pardon, Adawnas.” Athalas spoke in a harsh tone, completely opposite from the soft, kind voice I had heard before.

  “I will not allow this to take place, Athalas,” she explained.

  “Are you to do something you might come to regret later?” His voice was dark and foreboding. His face had become flushed; the veins on his neck were now visible.

  “I am not going to regret this in any way.” She turned to face Demetre and me. “This wine is poisoned. He—they want to destroy you. You are here because they want to destroy you both!”

  “That is absurd!” Athalas fiercely pointed his finger at her. “How dare you come against us in such a way? You should know better, Nephilin. No wonder your kind has been hiding in the shadows of the world for all these years. Guards!”

  Guards clothed in black armor marched in the moment Athalas was done speaking.

  “Tell them first! Tell them how you have fallen,” she yelled as the guards surrounded her. “Tell them how you sold your soul years ago!”

  “Why must I do anything you order me to do? Who are you before me, incompetent creature? Have you not seen or understood that you are an aberration? Your kind was never meant to be born.” As Athalas spoke, his teeth clattered. His hands moved in a strange, serpent-like manner.

  I was in a complete state of shock. Not only was Adawnas a Nephilin, but the place I had thought to be safe was the darkest yet.

  “You will regret this choice, Athalas,” she said as the guards pressed her down. I looked closely at them. There was something familiar about them. I realized they were also Nephilins. Their vibrant blue eyes were the clearest evidence of this fact.

  “Regret? Do you not see the ones that hold you down? They are just like you!” Athalas contested.

  “Other Nephilins in Justicia,” Devin mumbled in a somber voice.

  “Yes, servants of the Dark One,” Athalas roared.

  “What are you doing?” I protested, rushing toward Adawnas.

  “You better stay where you are,” Athalas commanded with a hiss. The other members that were seated rose up quickly and charged toward Demetre and me. My teeth cringed with desperation.

  The color of Athalas’ face changed to ashen gray, and his eyes turned a crimson red. Slowly he reached out for the knife that lay on the platter of pork roast.

  “You know, Adawnas,” he spoke, slowly moving toward her, measuring every word. “Your beauty is indeed something out of this world, but it is nothing that I cannot destroy. You should have been wiser.” He held the knife near her throat. His other hand caressed her face.

  I looked around and noticed the other members of the Council as motionless as the statues in their grand halls. I looked at Devin as he stared at the scene in shock.

  “Do something.” I mouthed the words to him but there was no response.

  Adawnas let out a terrifying scream. Athalas held the knife against her shoulder, deliberately carving deep into her flesh.

  “Immortals only until something wounds this pale, silky skin…unlike me, of course,” he spoke as she shrieked in torment.

  “Stop it!” I yelled in agony.

  Athalas’ gaze met mine.

  “Guards, take her to prison. I believe she will be tantalized by the entertainment we offer in the dark places of this castle.” Athalas scoffed as he approached Adawnas’ wounds and kissed them.

  The guards bound her with thick metal chains. I looked into her frightened eyes as the tears were streaming down her face. Devin’s eyes glimmered as he bowed his head and closed his eyes.

  “Pity…I did not want you to find out like this. I swear I was going to be somewhat merciful, I really was,” Athalas uttered in a malefic tone.

  “My chest…my chest…” Demetre screamed without warning. I shot him a look, only to find him pressing his hand on his chest once again.

  “Long have we played this game, haven’t we, Demetre?” Athalas growled menacingly and then hissed once again.

  “Please, stop! He does not need this!” I tried to go to his aid but one of the Council members violently grabbed my arm and held me back. I did not struggle for I knew it was useless.

  “Long have I watched you, chased you in your dreams, and taunted you. But the time has finally come. Bring the box.”

  One of the human servants that had helped serve the food approached Athalas with a box that looked very similar to the box that housed the Diary.

  “Where did you get that?” I questioned.

  “Remember, you all came here seeking a safe hiding place for the Diary? Well, Devin handed it to me the moment after you were accompanied to your rooms,” Athalas answered with a peculiar smile. “Have they told you yet, Isaac?”

  I was very confused. “Told me what?”

  “Nephilins are damned. There is no redemption for their kind whatsoever. They were conceived because a human and a Fallen Star had lain together. In their veins, betrayal runs freely. Devin and Adawnas are what I call ‘peculiar exceptions.’ They seem to struggle against the will inside of them to serve the darkness daily—especially Devin. He has wanted to kill you both since the first day he found you in the woods. That is why they were the only Nephilins here. Because I had to pretend to believe that their souls could actually be saved.”

  The screams coming from Demetre grew louder.

  “My beautiful puppet here has kept me much informed.” He approached Demetre and gently laid hands on his shoulder. “Oh, how I love you like a son, young one. For eighteen years we have been apart. I had to stay here, isolated, waiting for your blood to mature so it could be shed.” Athalas’ eyes narrowed. “Your parents were really special.” He emphasized the last word with a malevolent tone.

  I could see Demetre’s gaze. Utter horror consumed him. He struggled unsuccessfully, trying to get out of his grasp. Athalas continued to caress him, but not long after, Demetre fell unconscious.

  “You look so much like your father, it really is a shame he died,” he hauntingly spoke.

  Died? I was shocked, frozen. I felt anger rising up in me, but I was held captive by its power, unable to release its sting

  “Died? How? When?” I cried.

  Athalas chuckled. “Don’t worry, Isaac, you are no exception. They all died peacefully together in the fields near Agalmath. Their bodies were well hidden from all of you.”

  Time stopped. I stopped. Thoughts rushed into my head—confusion became resident in my mind. Sorrow fought the rage within my heart. Both of these emotions were demanding my attention, controlling my whole body.

  “You…in…insolent…coward!” I screamed. I could not control myself. I wanted to kill him, chop him up into pieces and throw them to some wild beast.

  “Why are you doing this, Athalas? I thought you were a protector, a lord!” I exclaimed adamantly.

  Athalas’ expression was undecipherable momentarily, until suddenly it came forth.

  “I simply realized eighteen years ago that
the enemy is stronger than any power in this universe,” he said, his voice booming throughout the hall. “I realized that if the Creator is as powerful as they proclaim, then how come not all of this is gone?” His voice intensified. “How come evil has been allowed to thrive underground for so long without any…intervention?”

  “Mankind suffers now through their own choice. Humans chose to surrender to the darkness the day they betrayed the Creator,” I contested, struggling to break free from the grasp of the one who had ahold of my arm.

  “It was the best choice they ever made,” Athalas replied; his eyes were red with fury. “I will show you what a foolish thing it is to oppose us.”

  Athalas got ahold of the box. His eyes widened and a dim light shone from his pupils. The box cracked slowly until it violently exploded. Athalas let out a perplexing laugh.

  “Beautiful! We have done well, men. The fake Diary worked wonders, wouldn’t you say?” He clapped his hands. His sinister sneer sent chills down my spine. The other seven laughed in unison.

  “Fake?” I fell short on words as I tried to understand what was happening.

  “This box was cursed by me the day I sold my soul to the Dark One. Your parents carried a fake when they left to go to Agalmath. I kept the real one here because I knew one day you would walk up to my doorstep and come to me. Bring in the real Diary,” Athalas commanded with a hiss.

  The room grew darker, the candles went out and a very dim light emerged. My eyes were fixed on the light, trying to comprehend its source. My breathing accelerated as I saw the light shaping itself into what appeared to be a man. Of course, I would be fooling myself if I really believed that this was an ordinary human. It did not take long for me to see who it was.

  “Athalas, I must say after waiting all these years, my heart rejoices on accomplishing our first task.” Cyro’s voice echoed as the light revealed his distinct figure. He glared at me coldly.

  “So this is why you showed ‘mercy’ unto us—you knew we were going to come here,” I retorted. He ignored me.

  Cyro cleared the table of all food and utensils with one swipe of his arm. Gently, he bent down and picked up Demetre and laid him on the table. Athalas seemed ecstatic.

  Demetre’s voice ripped through the atmosphere.

  “No!” he cried, writhing in pain on the table with eyes as black as the night sky.

  “Finally, he will come to us in flesh and blood.” Cyro rubbed both of his hands as his eyes examined Demetre. “Long have we waited, long have we stayed in the shadows of the Abyss—but no more.” Cyro removed the dagger he carried on his waist.

  I closed my eyes. Memories flashed in my mind. It killed me to know that I was defenseless and could do nothing to help Demetre. Despite my fear for my dear friend, I could not understand one critical fact: how could they have the real Diary?

  Everything came to an abrupt halt when the walls began to shudder. I heard bangs and thuds coming from the outer parts of the castle.

  “What is going on?” Cyro questioned.

  I looked up to discover the ceiling cracking slowly. The walls whirled, trembling violently. Large portions of the ceiling began to crumble and crash down on us. At that moment, I saw an animal crawl through the opening. Its eagle-like wings fluttered around, its face resembled a lion’s. By the looks of the animal, it seemed to be an Aquila, a legendary creature believed to be nothing but a myth.

  It flew directly to the table where Demetre lay. The moment its eyes met Cyro’s, the animal hissed and leaped upon him. He tried to flee from its grasp but the Aquila had Cyro by the throat, detaching his head from the rest of the body. I knew he was not going to die, I knew this was just going to be a delay, but it was one that had come at the perfect time.

  “Isaac, make for the hall!” Devin yelled as he deviated from the falling debris. I looked around and tried to locate the door. The dust rose like mist on an early morning. I glanced back and noticed Demetre’s body was no longer on the table.

  “Devin!” I called repeatedly but there was no response. More and more Aquilas came crashing through the ceiling and attacked the other Council members. I slipped out unnoticed through the same wooden door I had entered from just hours before.

  Running through the hall of the castle, my rapid footsteps echoed amidst the loud sounds of rubble and muffled screams that came from the dining hall.

  “Devin!” I shouted, running frantically in search of my ally.

  I looked over my shoulder only to see an evil black shadow taking Athalas’ shape.

  “Yes, run, little boy. You cannot hide!” he shouted ferociously as his body disintegrated like a black vapor back into the air.

  My arms were restrained and I could feel my face being held by a firm grasp. My feet abandoned the floor beneath them as the nerves of my body were in excruciating pain. Out of the dust of the falling debris, he appeared.

  “Please, we both know it only takes a wink for me to destroy you,” Athalas spoke. “Had you not had a greater purpose, I would have killed you the moment you set foot in Justicia.”

  My breathing got heavier, my heart pounded violently, and my hands trembled from fear. I looked deep into his eyes only to find that they were as dark and void as the midnight sky.

  “At least you have already destroyed your own self,” I muttered with difficulty.

  “Let him go, Athalas!” I heard Devin’s voice boom. As I looked over my shoulder, all I was able to see was Demetre’s body lying on the marble floor. Seconds later, my body landed with a thud as Athalas’ body was tossed halfway around the hall by Devin’s merciless attack.

  Soon after, they broke off with powerful attacks. My eyes struggled to keep up with their swift and agile moves.

  To my surprise, three Aquilas had found us. They watched the fight and positioned themselves very close. They were alert, poised and ready for an attack. Devin had a grip on Athalas’ arm and with a simple twist, he tossed him upward. A vicious attack followed. The Aquilas immediately attacked his body as it was suspended in midair.

  “What happened?” I asked with heavy gasps.

  “I had to call some friends,” Devin said with a grin.

  Devin carefully picked up Demetre’s body. Bruises and cuts were scattered all over his face; his shirt was ripped right above the shoulder. My heart ached to see my friend going through such distress.

  “You called the Aquilas?” I asked, surprised.

  “Yes. I was lucky that these Aquilas were here still. Now, let us go. Adawnas is being held captive in the prison of the castle. We must get to her and make our way out of Justicia immediately.”

  The agonizing screams of the other Council members had grown fainter. The Aquilas destroyed the hall as we made our way down a flight of stairs. I glanced at Demetre only to see that he was still unconscious.

  “Why would they need a prison on this side of Tristar?” I asked.

  “I would assume that after the fall, precautions were necessary,” Devin responded.

  Not long after, we stood in front of an old iron gate with the word “Justice” engraved on its corroded surface.

  “Is this it?” I asked. Fear slowly crept in as I stared at the gate.

  “Yes, this is it.” He carefully laid Demetre on the floor, opening the gate with his bare hands.

  “Couldn’t she do that herself?” I asked in disbelief, seeing how easy it was to open the gate.

  “I am assuming that this will get a bit more complicated,” he replied, picking Demetre up from the cold floor.

  A putrid odor permeated the atmosphere. The prison was dark and one could hear the never-ending drops of water that dripped from the ceiling. There was also a river inside the prison. The sound of the flowing waters resounded all around the place.

  “Adawnas!” Devin shouted as we ran through the winding chambers, desperately searching inside every cell. I was astounded to see torture chambers and chastity rooms here in the castle.

  We stumbled across a gigantic cell;
its bars were wrapped in a red, incandescent light.

  “What do you suppose is this foul smell?” The pungent smell made my eyes water.

  “Who is there?” a broken voice spoke from inside. “Devin?”

  “Adawnas?” Devin shouted vehemently. “Is that you?”

  I heard her rapid footsteps approaching the red bars. The moment she touched them, she was brusquely thrown back, hitting the wall.

  “It is protected,” I muttered.

  “I must find a way,” Devin said, decidedly.

  He laid Demetre on the cold floor. The moment Demetre’s body was laid, the bars quaked and the red light vanished within seconds.

  “Did you see that?” I asked in surprise.

  “Yes, but I don’t understand…” As he pondered on the reason the bars had trembled, I pushed Demetre’s body closer to the cell.

  “It’s his body…I suppose it is the energy inside of him,” Adawnas spoke in a quivering voice. “Devin, we must leave. They are building an army. The bodies are all in here, rotting in this dark hole.”

  “Bodies,” I mumbled. “Try breaking the bars now, Devin,” I said as I looked at Demetre’s unconscious body and the effect it had against the red lights. What kind of strength was in him that could cause the bars to weaken?

  Devin tossed his own body against the lightless bars. They broke apart instantly. Adawnas was free.

  “The stench is of human corpses. The Council was secretly murdering humans from small villages in Elysium in order to build a Shadow army. That is why Athalas was out of Justicia for so long. They have been left here to rot,” Adawnas sobbed.

  “Killing humans,” I mumbled. “The Council was murdering them…and bringing them here…my parents….” I was slowly overshadowed by my thoughts when I felt Devin’s hand pressing on my shoulder.

  “Now is not the time. We must flee from this place. Demetre needs aid.”