The Whispers of the Fallen

by J. D. Netto

  “There is no one left,” Devin whispered. The feeling of a causeless death and of an ever-growing will for power filled my cup. No longer was my heart beating for fear or because I thought I was too fragile to face the darkness. My heart was now beating for justice.

  “Did you know about the offers I was going to receive?” I asked as I wiped away the last tear.

  They looked at each other silently.

  “Yes, Isaac. All along I knew you were going to receive the offer. I was almost lured into letting you drink the wine, but I simply couldn’t.” Adawnas was the one to respond. She sounded shameful and disgusted. “I have been with the Council for many years. The moment my heart felt the Darkness enter Tristar through Justicia, I had to pretend to be like them. Otherwise, spears and swords would have been used against me.”

  I sighed.

  “And you, Devin…Did you know?”

  He walked closer, laying his hand on my shoulder.

  “All along…” He could not look me in the eye when he answered.

  “Did any of you ever think about mentioning that to me?” I was trying really hard not to doubt them anymore. I longed to know that I could trust them. After facing death right in the eye, having gone through so many perilous moments, and witnessing my best friend become one of the Fallen Stars, I would have appreciated some type of warning.

  “We couldn’t, Isaac. The decision needed to have been wholly yours, and no one else’s,” Devin replied.

  “And how did you know about all of this?” Instantly I wondered if they had any special gifts similar to mine.

  “Well…Devin was…visited,” Adawnas mumbled.

  I turned to face them both.

  “The day I came to you in the forest, Ely had warned me about the future…and of the urgency of finding you before your natural abilities were awoken. How do you think we have been able to withstand all of this for so long?”

  Truly I hadn’t thought of this concept before. They were both beautiful and perfect Nephilins, with many abilities. Yet, neither gave in to what the others said.

  “By doing what we did—leaving our…hiding place and coming to the Council, we felt as if we could possibly be redeemed from being who we are. Hope was stirred inside of us,” said Adawnas.

  “Hope of what?” I asked ingeniously.

  Adawnas sighed.

  “Hope of salvation, Isaac,” she responded.

  “Even though evil runs through our veins,” Adawnas continued. “I refused to take part of their plan—to have creation die without knowledge, thus creating a gigantic, thoughtless army that would be able to strike Tristar and dethrone the Creator.”

  “The Shadows…” My voice trailed off as the grotesque image of their faces invaded my mind.

  “And what of Demetre? What did they do to him? He did not choose such fate,” I asked. The tears tried to return.

  “They performed the Soul Exchange. Demetre was offered to the Darkness when he was an infant. This offer gives liberty for any chosen Fallen Star to take over his body upon his blood maturation. Therefore, Demetre’s fate was chosen for him.” Devin sighed. “This is a dangerous thing, given that a Fallen Star is now hosted in a human body. Their tissue, skin and blood have intertwined. They are one.”

  I placed both of my hands on my face, closed my eyes and once again cried bitterly. Demetre, the person I had known throughout my entire life, the person that knew me best, died without having a choice. A part of me wanted to refuse to believe that this was true, but deep inside I knew the truth had to be embraced now.

  “I am sorry, Isaac,” Adawnas whispered.

  “And what of his soul?” I replied in a hoarse voice. I feared the answer to my question.

  “He died knowing the truth. One must assume that he will not become a Shadow, but I cannot answer that question for you, I’m afraid,” Devin replied. “Our kind has caused great damage to this place. We are an abomination to the laws of the universe. We were never meant to be born or created. Our race is doomed by birth.” He scoffed. “I am sad to say that what happened to Demetre is a small part of the many things already taking place in the deep places of this world.”

  He turned to face me once again. “Still, I promise you, even if I am already doomed to an eternity of darkness, I will protect you. I will not be one to give in to the disorder that has come.”

  VII

  We kept on walking around Billyth under the cold torrential rain. The air had become very moist and thick and the atmosphere felt even heavier. The architecture of this place was breathtaking. The houses seemed to have been taken from a painting. They were stacked up like stepping stones, one on top of the other. The city had been built upon many small hills, making the cobblestone streets uneven.

  As I walked along the masterfully constructed streets, I heard the distant growls of Aquilas. Adawnas and Devin were immediately on high alert. I spotted their shadows in the rainy sky. The flock flew together, crossing over the city. While my eyes followed their every movement, I gazed at something majestic. As they flapped their wings, small light particles scattered in the air like dandelions carried by the wind. The lights hovered and then slowly disappeared. From where we were standing, the twinkling lights looked more like stars. Soon, other black figures appeared in the sky. Their silhouettes were so dark, they merged with the dim clouds, making them difficult to see.

  I was startled by the roaring sounds of thunder. A dreary feeling overtook me. It was something I had not yet experienced. Like in a vision, I watched Shadows marching in our direction. They were gathered in massive formations, heading toward us with one purpose.

  “Corbin did not spare us.” I sighed with trepidation. “They were going to destroy the city.”

  The dark figures approached the Aquilas. They collided and instantly, a fight broke out. With every strike incurred by the Aquilas, more particles of light were emitted, sprinkling the sky with golden colors.

  My mind filtered the thoughts of the Shadows as they approached us. Every impulse from these beings was transmitted to me; I could feel every urge they had.

  “We have to leave now…please…I see the Shadows. They are coming to annihilate this city. We cannot withstand this onslaught,” I declared.

  Devin and Adawnas looked startled.

  My eyes were firmly fixed on the battle between the Aquilas and the shadowed beings.

  “Damn traitors!” Devin shouted. “Now that the Council has fallen, the Gates of the Fourth Dimension are unguarded and Fallen Stars and Shadows can freely cross over.”

  “We can make it to the mountains. We can take the river and head to Mag Mell,” Adawnas said.

  Devin seemed to disapprove of Adawnas’ idea. I had never heard of the Kingdom of Mag Mell, but right now the only thing that concerned me was leaving.

  We tried to make our way out of the city, hoping to go about unnoticed. At that moment, a mighty growl echoed, one that sounded extremely close, causing Devin and Adawnas to stop.

  We all fell silent, trying to listen closely. All I could hear was the rumbling thunder of the rain clouds in the sky. At once, the loud sounds of the battle vanished. No longer could I hear the Aquilas or the shadowed beings.

  As we continued our effort to escape the city, we reached a small courtyard surrounded by many houses. There were four benches, arranged neatly in a perfect circle around a tree. Underneath the tree, water flowed from a beautiful water fountain. The beauty of the courtyard faded against the stark sight of the numerous dead bodies of its citizens.

  From the street that was directly before us, I heard a predatory roar, followed by pounding thuds on the ground. The houses around us were being destroyed as the creature’s wings toppled them all to the ground. It was one of the shadowed beings that fought with the Aquilas. The stench of putrid flesh that came from the creature was unbearably nauseating. Its black skin glimmered in the dark. Six small horns protruded above its eyebrows. A seventh horn grew right above its nostrils. The creature’
s teeth were long and unevenly shorn. We all remained very still as it sniffed the corpses around us. I tried to read its soul, but the creature did not seem to have one. Adawnas stood right next to me, frozen like a statue. From the sky another beast swooped down, this time right next to me. Neither creature seemed interested in us; the corpses were what grasped their attention. Violently, they shook them around, tearing them into pieces and devouring them. As I watched them feast on human flesh the sight repudiated me. Blood gushed from their mouths and trickled down their thick necks, coating their claws with the sticky thick substance.

  After they had satisfied their hunger, they took flight.

  “What was that?” I asked as I tried to breathe, which was almost impossible, due to the intensified stench of human remains. I was surprised with the vivid impressions of the Shadows clouding my mind, their evil presence once again capturing my heart. They were coming fast, now approaching the mountains.

  “We have to keep moving on, Devin. They are pretty close,” I declared.

  We moved hastily, crossing through the city as fast as our feet allowed. I was amazed by the stamina I had to race alongside the Nephilins. This served as more proof that I was no longer the same boy. I was still astonished as these visions and other powers awoke within me, but I knew this was only the beginning. The adrenaline rush that pumped through my veins as we ran was incomparable to anything I had previously experienced. With each step I took, I could sense that I was evolving.

  It was foolish of us to think that the beasts had disappeared before trying to get rid of us. Shortly after we began to run, the beasts were right at our backs. Their yellow eyes glowed eerily in the darkness and their teeth glimmered like the moon.

  “Separate!” Devin ordered.

  I immediately fled to my right as Adawnas veered to the left. Devin continued on, going straight ahead of us, toward the mountains. One of the beasts charged at me while another darted toward Adawnas. Through my new powers, I was able to see all the houses and judge with precision how I was going to jump over and dodge the oncoming structures. The beast flew above me, attacking savagely. Its movements reminded me of an eagle diving down from the sky to catch the prey it spotted from above.

  I continuously swerved, dodging its every move. From tree to tree and rooftop to rooftop, I leaped as I tried to escape its attack. Though the beast was amazingly swift, I was faster. Just as the creature thought it was gaining on me, I turned and with a simple thought, I was able to dominate the beast, making it come to a brusque stop. The beast let out a mighty growl.

  My eyes were transfixed on this abominable creature. Issuing another order with my mind, I inflicted lethal pain into its heart. The beast howled as the pain consumed its body, causing it to thrash about as it fell to the ground moments later.

  Without delay, I went to Adawnas’ aid. After a quick search, I spotted her and the beast fighting. When I approached her, I discovered that Devin was already there, fiercely thrashing the beast. The grotesque creature howled as its body landed with a heavy thud to the ground, dilacerated due to Devin’s violent attack.

  Devin took out his sword and decapitated the beast. A foul smell erupted from the blood that spewed out of its body. Despite the treacherous state we were all in, Adawnas mustered the strength to gracefully stand up.

  “What are they, Devin?” I asked as my eyes remained fixed on the body.

  “Desert Dragons. That is why Corbin did not want them to remove the bodies from the city. The stench of dead flesh is guiding them here.”

  With increased urgency we continued our escape. The marching sounds of the Shadows were audible now. The sounds of thunderous stomping from a great army mightily shook the ground. Their growls rang out; the roar of more beasts resounded around us. The rumble of the crashing of buildings collapsing filled the atmosphere. I could feel their anguished souls as they commenced to destroy the city. I tried to avert my focus away from them, but it was extremely difficult.

  As we fled deeper into the mountains, I could still hear their souls crying out. I stopped and turned around, but Devin quickly rebuked me.

  “Are you insane, Isaac?”

  I ignored him. Something was drawing me to run back to Billyth, against my will.

  The impulse was unexplainable. Somehow the tormented souls of the Shadows were fascinating as well as horrifying to me. I hastily turned back, without understanding why.

  In a dark corner at the foot of the mountain I stopped where I could watch the city burn. It was intriguing to see the Shadows screaming, growling, howling and destroying everything within seconds. What took men many years to build had quickly been turned to ash and dust. The stench of burnt flesh was everywhere. Ahead, I could see dark figures in the sky; Desert Dragons roamed throughout Billyth making sure none were left alive.

  “Have you gone mad, Isaac?” Adawnas whispered from behind me. I was so caught up watching, I had not noticed I had been followed.

  Silence overshadowed.

  “I can see every thought their souls are having, every idea…is loud and clear to me now,” I said in a quivering voice. “They are lost inside of themselves, being controlled by other forces. It is indeed sad to see them like this—an army of the living dead.”

  She walked closer.

  “So now you understand why the Diary must never be opened. This is just the beginning—the beginning of the destruction that is to come upon Elysium. Even though you refused to give your blood to open the Diary, they will destroy the kingdoms. One by one they will fall to the Darkness. They will try to seduce kings, queens, stewards and armies of this world into joining them.”

  I turned my gaze to her. “What is the purpose of destroying the kingdoms of this world?” I asked.

  “To rid the world of the Creator’s creations, and now it has become a relentless chase for blood…your blood…your kin.”

  My blood and kin? Did I have any other relatives I was not aware of? I wondered what remained of my bloodline, besides my now dead parents. The thought of their death was still difficult for me to comprehend.

  Devin approached from the woods.

  “Are you two in the mood to die tonight? We must hurry,” he said, walking closer to us.

  “But there is no one left, Isaac,” Adawnas continued. “Since you refused to give your blood, they will have to wait for your human will to be at its highest again. They have tried this in past ages, but never with this intensity.”

  “Tried in past ages?” I asked as I turned my eyes away from the burning city.

  “They have searched for the one to open the Diary before, but never with such vigilance.”

  “Will these powers ever leave me?” I asked as I made my way back into the forest.

  “They will never leave you, but they cannot contain your human will. Even though your inner man is strong, you won’t be able to completely rid yourself from desires such as pride, greed and the longing for power. They may be sleeping within you now, because of your excitement for being so powerful, but soon they will spring forth. You are still human nonetheless,” said Adawnas.

  Devin sighed.

  “We should not linger here. Why are we here anyway? If I am not mistaken you are the one that urged us get away from this city,” Devin alleged as his eyes were fixed on the burning buildings.

  The thought of succumbing to temptation seemed incomprehensible. After seeing all of this, living, and breathing these abilities, why would I want to give in to Nephele and Azaziel?

  “Are we leaving?” Devin was getting irritated.

  Somehow, I felt a certain satisfaction while looking into the tormented souls as they burned the city with their bare hands. Their minds were locked in a constant battle. I knew they were being controlled by evil, but at the same time, they wanted freedom from this control. Sorrow filled them with a constant void, possessing every member of their decayed bodies as they destroyed everything along their path.”

  “I am not waiting on either of you any lon
ger. Let’s go!” Devin was enraged.

  “Isaac, we have to leave. They will see us here…” Adawnas motioned gently.

  “Yes. Let’s,” I mumbled.

  The moment we started to head back toward the forest, I was able to refrain myself from watching the Shadows destroy the city. The farther we distanced ourselves from Billyth, the easier it was for me to block out their feelings from my mind. I figured I could resist reading Adawnas’ and Devin’s souls, because I hadn’t yet been curious enough, but I found the thoughts and feelings of the Shadows fascinating.

  “Let us rest awhile,” Devin said the moment we were at a safe distance from the kingdom. I supposed even those with great powers still needed to rest. I reclined near a tree, Adawnas sat next to me, and Devin sat next to a small river that was nearby.

  “What if the Shadows come back for us here?” I asked.

  “I am sure you will be able to see them even with your eyes closed,” Devin replied as he made himself comfortable near the riverbank.

  From where I was sitting, I saw the thick darkness of the night sky hovering above us through a small gap in the tree branches ahead of me. As I gazed into the sky, I heard a tune coming from the river. I lifted my head to see Devin looking at the darkness that hovered over us. He was softly humming a song. He sang of a woman from the past that had lost her heart in war and lived forever in grief.

  …Dear one who has walked by

  My heart you’ve stolen, it is no longer mine

  From the shadows you came,

  but I shall not come to thee in vain.

  One day I hope to find the heart,

  the heart that was once mine.

  As he sang, my eyelids grew heavier.

  I saw a staircase that led to a long dark hallway. I was chained to two gigantic pillars and my body was completely bruised. A snake was wrapped around me; its eyes were as yellow and bright as the morning sun. Its tail rattled as its tongue touched my face.

  We are coming from the shadows. We have risen from the ashes to find you. I heard many voices whispering as the snake tightened its grasp around my chest. I was unable to move and my mouth refused to obey my command to speak.