Author’s note: Well, here you go. The next installment in the Guardian Saga. Have fun.
Watch. It was all he could do. Just watch as shadows covered the once beautiful earth, strangling and destroying it as demon and vampire alike swarmed the land. An indescribable taint filled the land, dimming its vibrancy and destroying its rich, alluring luster. Myrandel grimaced as he watched the destruction, watched the helpless humans fight without hope for the homeland they couldn’t save. He brushed his wild black hair out of his face, unable to bear watching the scene any further. So he had been right. His prophecy of the coming darkness had occurred just as he had predicted. Myrandel shivered.
In all truth, the young angel had never understood his strange gift. Unlike the rest of his peers, he had somehow inherited the rare gift of ‘seeing’, a power that was highly revered and treasured among his race. In fact his prophecies were so accurate they frightened many of heavens angels.
The blue-eyed angel stood, walking towards the door. He should report to the high angel, and inform him of the occurrence.
The high angel sat atop a silvery-gold throne-like structure, his long blond hair waving in the wind. Sea-blue eyes watched the young angel before him closely. The youngster was only around two centuries old, much younger than his near 4,000 years and yet had one of, if not the most powerful seeing gifts in heaven. The high angel sighed, focusing brilliant blue eyes on the dark haired angel before him.
“Continue Myrandel,” he said. Myrandel nodded in respect.
“You highness, as I have said before, the prophecy of the celestial decedents made over 300 years ago has begun. I have seen the coming of the Guardians myself and as I predicted, the battle for earth has already begun. The nine Guardians will be born within the next four hundred years,” he said. The high angel blinked.
“Only seven maidens were sent to earth. How are there to be nine descendants?” he asked.
“Twins,” Myrandel stated. “The Guardians of Light and Death, and Darkness and Life will be born twins.” The high angel bowed his head, thinking quietly. They had never meant for any of the children prophesized to save earth to have such unpredictable powers. Ceres and Jai, the celestial descendants of these four had been chosen for their powers over Light and Life. None had suspected that they harbored such dangerous powers in addition.
“Very well, Myrandel. You shall be sent to earth so that this prophecy of yours may be passed on with the surviving humans.”
“What?” Myrandel asked, shocked. The high angel nodded to him.
“The humans must know the prophecy so they can protect these women until they are old enough to accept their powers. You are the only one in heaven with enough knowledge of the prophecy to tell them.” A ball of light appeared in the high angel’s hand, showing the figure of a young man with pale brown hair and green-blue eyes. “This young man is the youngest surviving member of the Corsia clan, a long standing family of humans with telepathic and or prophetic powers. The prophecy should be safe in their hands. Your mission is to seek out this man, Kevin and provide him the knowledge of the prophecy. I wish you the best of luck Myrandel.” Myrandel nodded to the high angel and excused himself. Tomorrow morning, he would begin a mission that would change his life forever.
Brilliant, mismatched eyes glowed through the darkness, an evil grin almost apparent in them.
“So the foolish celestials have sent a messenger. No matter, with their pet prophet out of the way, their race will fall in tomorrow’s attack. Jayne!” cried a harsh voice. A scarlet-eyed demon woman stepped into the light. She was small, almost delicate looking, with deep olive colored skin and brilliant scarlet eyes. Her tattered wings and short black hair gave her a deadly, feral look.
“Yes brother?” she asked. Regent smirked, his sister’s deadly yet obedient nature was far to amusing to him. He glanced into the dark pool of liquid before him. In the liquid, Myrandel’s face appeared.
“This angel poses a threat to our plans. He must be eliminated. I trust you will take care of this problem?” he said. Jayne smirked, red lips giving her smirk an evil gleam.
“As you wish, brother,” she said, and faded back into the shadows.
Myrandel’s arrival on earth was so abrupt it was almost rude. He scoffed, brushing himself off and sitting up. The blue-eyed angel looked up at the slowly clouding sky.
“I don’t have much time,” he muttered to himself, standing. “I need to find this human and give him the prophecy. Then I can go home.”
Jayne smirked as she caught sight of her target. The stupid creature. He’ll never save himself from my brother’s wrath. Not while I live, she thought.
Regent himself was also smirking. Those foolish angels had sent the only one of their kind with the power to warn them of his coming to Earth. Jayne will take care of him shortly. And now heaven shall fall to my mercy!
Myrandel’s eyes went wide with shock as a sharp sounding noise echoed through his head. He collapsed on the road, clutching his head in pain. Images flickered before his eyes and through his mind, images of mass chaos, of suffering and slaughter, and of a taint that never should have existed. No! I shouldn’t have left! Not heaven, no! his mind screamed, but he knew the truth. Heaven, the only home he’d ever known, had fallen to the growing shadow on earth.
An old man, sitting in darkness, meditated carefully. Twinkling blue-green eyes snapped open, awakening the seemingly lifeless wrinkled face.
“It has begun,” he whispered. Another man, this one only on the verge of adulthood, raised his head to look at him.
“Grandfather?” he asked. The old man sighed and closed his eyes.
“The battle for Earth, that which will decide the future has begun. The world may very well end in these next few days,” he said. The younger man’s eyes widened.
“Grandfather, what are you saying?” he asked. The old man fixed his brilliant eyes on the younger.
“Kevin, you are the last born of the Corsia clan. You have the gift of prophecy as we all do. I have seen the coming apocalypse, and there is nothing we humans can do to stop it,” he said. Kevin bowed his head.
“Yes Grandfather,” he said. He bowed to the old man and stood, walking out of the tent.
Kevin sighed, watching the dark clouds gather near his village, his dark cloak gathered tightly around him and his hood raised. So Grandfather was right. It has begun, he thought sadly. He began to trudge slowly back to his cottage, head bowed in depression. I can’t just accept that the world is going to end.
“If we’re lucky it won’t,” said a musical voice behind him. Kevin turned, green eyes flashing. Behind him stood a creature unlike any he’d ever seen. Bright blue eyes shown through the bangs of his long, windswept black hair. The pale skin of the strange man’s face seemed to almost sparkle in the dying light despite his sad expression, and from his shoulder blades rose four feathered wings seemingly cut from pure crystal.
“Who are you? And how could you know what I was thinking?” The man, no angel, frowned, seemingly uncomfortable in the situation.
“My name is Myrandel,” he said, fidgeting slightly, a large digression from his confident greeting. Kevin raised an eyebrow.
“You… you’re an angel aren’t you,” he said. Myrandel nodded slightly, a little more relaxed.
“Is this your village?” he asked, gesturing towards the small cluster of buildings.
“Yes,” Kevin replied. Myrandel gazed out at the village, dull smoke rising from a few of the stone chimneys. Few, if any, signs of life could be seen. The village was silent, a shroud of fear swirling through the dim, narrow streets.
“What happened?” the angel asked. Kevin’s emerald eyes lowered.
“Grandfather had a vision. He told us heaven had fallen,” he said. Myrandel flinched and lowered his head.
“Even though I both felt and saw it, I didn’t want to believe…” his voice cracked and he broke off his words. “The high angel sent me to earth on a mission a few days ago. I should have been there to warn them. I could have been there.” Cobalt eyes narrowed with pain and loss, the angel holding back tears of regret. Kevin’s head remained lowered in respect for the dark haired angel’s loss. Then something of what he’d said sparked his curiosity.
“A mission? They sent someone your age on a mission?” asked the green-eyed man. Myrandel nodded.
“I was supposed to find someone,” he said. “And I’m only 200!” Kevin laughed at the angel’s indignant glare.
“Well I’m about 18 and you look no older than me. Who are you looking for anyway?” he asked. Myrandel shrugged, a globe of ice blue energy appearing in his hand. Kevin gasped, eyes wide when he saw the face of the figure within. Then he remembered that he was still obscured by his hood. Myrandel tilted his head to get a better look at him.
“Do you know this person?” he asked. Kevin hurriedly removed his hood, still staring at the globe.
“Unless I have an identical twin I don’t know about…” he murmured. Myrandel’s cobalt eyes widened when he saw Kevin’s face.
“Then you’re…” he smiled slightly. “Fate plays strange games doesn’t it.” Kevin nodded, eyes still wide. Was this angel really looking for him? “Well, if you’re the youngest member of the Corsia clan, then I have a message for you.”
“Kevin, my name is Kevin,” he told the angel. Myrandel nodded.
“Is there somewhere more private we can speak?” he asked. “I feel like we’re being watched.” Kevin nodded.
“This way, my Grandfather and I live in the center of the village,” he said, guiding the angel into the town. A soft, ice blue glow caught his attention. Kevin glanced back to see a tiny glimpse of Myrandel’s glowing wings before they disappeared. “In here,” he said, holding the door to one of the central cottages. Myrandel had to duck when entering the small home. How do humans live in these conditions? he thought.
It was to dark to make out much detail in the room, small rugs that were most likely very colorful in the light were scattered about the hard earth floor for some comfort and in a corner stood an old wooden table and various household appliances.
“Kevin, who is this?” an elderly voice asked. Kevin turned sharply and bowed his head in respect to a hunched figure on a pile of rugs near the back wall.
“Grandfather, this is Myrandel,” he said. Myrandel nodded to the older man, grateful that Kevin had not explained what he was.
“Sir, I was hoping to speak with your grandson. Forgive my intrusion,” he said. Kevin looked up at the tall angel.
“Do you mind if he’s here when you tell me?” he asked. Myrandel shook his head.
“No, I don’t. Though you may want to sit,” he suggested. Kevin nodded, settling on the floor beside his Grandfather.
Jayne’s scarlet eyes narrowed. Damn it! This would be easier if that damn fool didn’t involve humans in this as well! Now I’ll have to kill all three of them! she thought angrily. Her scarlet nails clicked against the dull stone of an old bridged that served as her hiding place. Fool angel, she thought. Humans didn’t need to be brought this deeply into the situation. My brother will rule this earth, and the humans will accept him as a fit leader. There is no need to delude them with evil thoughts towards him. These two were foolish for harboring an angel, this village must be destroyed before the celestial’s taint spreads more ill will towards Lord Regent. She raised a scarlet clawed hand to the dark sky and snapped her fingers, setting the nearest house aflame with her infernal magic.
Kevin and his Grandfather stared at the angel in shock.
“Guardians?” Kevin asked. Myrandel nodded, fixing Kevin with a determined stare.
“Nine women will be born of celestial decent to protect earth. I don’t know when, or where, but they’ll come,” he told them. Kevin fixed his blue-green eyes on Myrandel.
“So you’re entrusting me with this slim hope for the future,” he stated. Myrandel nodded.
“You were the one the High One chose,” he answered. A loud commotion interrupted their conversation.
“Elder! Elder! Come quick, fire!” a voice from outside yelled. Fists pounded on the door in urgency. Kevin and Myrandel leapt to their feet and yanked the door open. Kevin caught the exhausted young woman as she collapsed. Myrandel’s eyes narrowed as he watched the tainted fire lap at a set of cottages. Ice blue light collected about the flames, dousing several as more sprung up.
“There you are, celestial,” a female voice spoke. Myrandel looked up only to see a black blur hurling towards him. Summoning his wings, Myrandel leapt away, a sharp blade slicing off a few locks of long raven hair. The demoness stood, scarlet eyes fixed on his blue-violet ones. “My name is Jayne, the one who will kill you.” Myrandel glared at the demoness.
“Stop this! You’re destroying the village!” he yelled.
“Only because of your folly, how dare you delude these creatures with ill thoughts towards their lord,” Jayne countered. Myrandel shook his head.
“Then fight just me, don’t get them involved!” Myrandel yelled back. The woman Jayne glared at him, glittering dark fire collecting in her hand.
“Since when does an angel care for a mortal soul? You arrogant fools, always lying in your luxurious celestial palace, letting these creatures harm themselves through their failures. Whether or not these ones live depends on whether you surrender to me,” she snapped.
“So you can continue persecuting and controlling them? Never!” Myrandel screamed. Scarlet eyes narrowed.
“Then they will die with you!” A ball of fire was throne from Jayne’s fingertips to glance off Myrandel’s ice blue shield. The flames hit another cottage, setting it aflame. A sharp cry echoed through the chaos, as the woman Kevin was holding broke free and ran towards the house.
“Taris! Taris!” she screamed. Myrandel dodged another ball of flame and ran to the woman, hearing a child’s cry from with in the house. Ice blue light blew the door to nothing and a mall boy ran out from the flames. The woman picked up the child, hugging him close and ran to the safety of the protective circle created by Kevin and his grandfather.
“Why save the child angel? He means nothing to you,” Jayne asked Myrandel. The raven-haired angel glared.
“How twisted are you that you think I’d sacrifice an innocent boy? Do you really think humans mean nothing to me?” he yelled.
“They never had! Your kind has always let humanity suffer and only used it for your own purposes! You care for no one but yourselves!” Jayne screamed. Myrandel stared at her. Did the demoness really think that? Was she that misguided, that manipulated? The crumbling building behind her suddenly collapsed into a pile of burning rubble, knocking her over and crumbling around her leg. Jayne fell to the ground, tugging at her ankle as the flames licked at her dark skin. Myrandel snapped to attention, running towards the demon woman. He pulled at the scorching ruble, tearing it away. As soon as her ankle was free, Jayne leapt to her feet, favoring her leg slightly. She stood over Myrandel, who was still kneeling, watching him with dagger hard ruby eyes.
Myrandel began to stand, but then stopped sharply as the sound of cracking wood filled the air. Before he had time to react, a large beam of wood collapsed from the burning building, hitting him square in the back and knocking him unconscious. Jayne just continued to stare as the flames licked at hair and clothes.
“Are you just going to stand there!” a sharp, angry voice asked her. Jayne turned to find herself fixed with a pair of angry blue-green eyes.
“My mission is complete,” she said, turning her back and beginning to walk away.
“He saved your life! Are you so heartless that you’d refuse to help him when he helped you!” Kevin screamed at her. Jayne turned, stopping, to look at first the defiant human, then the unconscious angel in flames. His hair had now burned nearly to his shoulders and his clothes were only ashes.
“I must do what my brother commands, for this world’s sake,” she said.
“So you’ll become a heartless assassin to save this world? It’s you’re kind that are destroying it in the first place!” Kevin yelled. Jayne stopped dead, scarlet eyes widening. She raised a hand and extinguished the flames, then gave Kevin a harsh look.
“My kind are saving this world from the angels who will have nothing to do with it! My brother and I left hell for this world and found it a place with more potential then anything we had seen. But the angelic race just stands by and lets humans devour one and other in wars and violence. By brother’s rule will bring peace to this world,” she told him. Kevin shook his head.
“Peace through fear and oppression is not peace! Don’t you understand? Wars and violence are sad, yes, but will oppressing people end them? Humans won’t sit idly by while you destroy them!” he shot back.
“We’re not destroying you humans, sacrifices must be made to turn this world into a happy one!” Jayne yelled, frustrated.
“Is your brother trying to gain peace or control, tell me!?” Kevin said sternly. Again Jayne stopped, her mind swirling with newfound doubts and ideas.
“Regent would never betray me like that. We came here to find a place where caring for other creatures wasn’t forbidden, where we wouldn’t be persecuted for believing in love, that’s why we left hell!” she exclaimed, hands clenched firmly at her sides.
“Why you left hell?” Kevin asked, kneeling beside Myrandel’s scorched body. Many of the burns on his skin would leave life long scars. Jayne wrapped her olive tanned arms around herself, confusion and frustration written across her lovely face.
“We left hell to escape the heartless demons living there, or that’s what Regent said. I’m barely a century old, but even I can’t sit here and watch creatures suffer. I thought that getting rid of this angel would stop the ill will towards my brother so we could create a happy world, but now…” Jayne glanced around at the scorched and burning buildings. “What have I done?” Kevin smiled slightly.
“You’ve realized that you were wrong, and you feel remorse for it. And from what you’ve said, you’re barely an adult by demonic standards; you can’t help being manipulated by a most likely far older and more dangerous demon than yourself,” said a shaky voice. Myrandel’s cobalt eyes, creased with pain, looked out from under the charred ends of his bangs. Kevin’s eyes widened.
“You should barely be alive, let alone awake!” he screeched. Myrandel smiled.
“It takes more than a fire to kill me. I am an angel after all,” he replied.
“And arrogant as they come,” Kevin muttered, frowning. Jayne covered her mouth to hide her smile. Humans, she was finding out, were quite powerful creatures. Myrandel smiled at Jayne.
“I don’t know what your brother told you to make you think this way, but it’s nice to know that not all demons are heartless,” he told her. Jayne’s eyes widened, then softened as she edged closer to the two males.
“Most are. I thought my brother was different until now, but no creature with a heart would force this kind of pain on another. I should have realized that the minute I felt heaven fall,” she said. Myrandel winced, eyes slowly blinking open and closed.
“I should have been there,” he murmured. Kevin rolled his eyes.
“You need to stop blaming yourself. It wasn’t your fault. If you had been their you would have died as well, and then you’re prophecy would be lost,” he said. He focused his teal eyes on Jayne. “Can you help me get him inside the cottage and bandaged up? Angel or not, his wounds are serious.” Jayne nodded, helping the young psychic lift the scorched and moaning celestial from the ground. Various towns people gave the demoness wary looks as the two carried Myrandel towards the hut. Jayne shot Kevin a confused glance.
“You spoke of a prophecy, is that why he is here?” she asked. Kevin nodded, glancing at Myrandel, who had fallen unconscious again.
“Yes, Myrandel was sent by the High Angel with a prophecy of hope, that someday the rule of these demons and vampires will end,” he said. “No offence to you of course,” he amended swiftly. Jayne smiled slightly. Myrandel, huh? she thought. She refocused her attention on Kevin.
“None taken,” she said quietly. Kevin’s grandfather held the door to the hut open, as the woman who had warned them, and her son, watched the demoness fearfully. Jayne smiled sadly at the woman. “I’m sorry for my actions,” she told the woman. “If possible, would you allow me to help you rebuild this village? I’d like to amend for the damage I’ve done,” she said. The woman’s eyes widened slightly in confusion and fear. She glanced towards Kevin’s grandfather, who nodded, then smiled warily at the demon woman and nodded. Jayne nodded her head. “Thank you.” She and Kevin carried the unconscious angel into the hut, guided by the dim candle held by Kevin’s grandfather. They laid him on the pile of blankets and stray mattress that Kevin used as a bed and stepped back. Kevin smiled at Jayne.
“You know, for a demon, you’re not that bad,” he told her. Jayne smiled and blushed slightly, looking down at Myrandel. Kevin’s eyebrow rose when he saw her train of vision, but he said nothing and left to find bandages and medicine for Myrandel’s wounds. When she thought he’d gone, Jayne knelt beside the wounded angel, brushing a lock of his scorched midnight hair from his face. She smiled at the inhumanly beautiful contours of his face.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for showing me the truth.” From the darkness beyond the candlelight, Kevin smiled slightly. A demon and an angel, who ever would have thought…
Author’s note: And so begins Prophecy’s Angel, the story of the Myrandel, Rhodry’s father who guides the Guardians throughout the story Before Light. I hope you’re enjoying!
-Cat