Fan Fiction ❯ An Angel Falls ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

An Angel Falls

Prologue: The Decisions we make shape the future we create

The sun rose up in the sky and shinned with all its glory. Not a single cloud in the sky impeded the sun's rays from shinning through. The leaves of the trees glistened with the moist of a recent shower of rain. A particularly large tree stood alone, surrounded by smaller trees, yet cut-off from them. In the middle of the trunk, carved with a knife, were the words, `S & K'.

There was a young man and his beloved one, side by side.

He had long, black hair, which was pulled back into a ponytail; and big brown eyes that seemed young and innocent. He wore white trousers and a blue t-shirt. At first glance he seemed like the sort that liked getting dirty. His trousers had dirt on them all over.

She had long, blonde hair that cascaded freely down her back like a golden shower; and deep blue eyes that held a lot of love in them. She wore a blue dress that reached her knees. She didn't seem to mind the fact that her dress was getting dirty from sitting on the ground.

They sat together under the tree. A warm feeling of happiness and joy had spread over their faces. They enjoyed being in each other's company, and it showed.

"It's moments like this that make life worth living. That makes you feel glad to have been born. It's moments like this that I wish would last forever. Do you agree with me, Kriss?" She stared at the forest in front of her, her blue eyes taking in the romantic spot her and Kriss had claimed as their own.

Kriss nodded in agreement, even though he knew she couldn't see him, "It's times like this that make me thank the queen of the gods, Esmeralda, for creating me, and for creating you with all her love and care." He bended his head lightly and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you Sarah."

"I love you too, Kriss," she said, interlocking her fingers with his and holding his hand.

They remained like this for a few blissful minutes. He smelled the fragrance of her hair, it smelled of lilies, fresh lilies that had just been under the spring rain. She smelled the musk of his cologne; the aroma was something she couldn't quite place, but it smelled wonderful all the same.

The snap of a twig broke the happy silence the couple was sharing with each other and alerted them to an alien presence in their midst. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my sister, and in the hands of her husband no less," the intruding party was a little kid. He had short brown hair and big blue eyes. His entire posture spoke of the energy of youth.

"What is it, Joseph?" Sarah asked, annoyed of the interruption.

Joseph knew whenever his sister called him by his name; it meant she was either annoyed with him or very angry at him. He wasn't sure which one she was right now, so he decided to be blunt and straightforward, "Father sent for you. He hasn't told me why yet. Oh, and he also said to bring Kriss with you."

"Why does he want me to be there?" Kriss cocked his head in hope of a clear answer.

Joseph sighed in frustration. Sometimes Kriss would act or say things that made him seem a bit stupid. "Didn't I just say, `He hasn't told me why yet'?" Joseph made sure to draw out every single word, to make sure Kriss understood.

Sarah glared at her brother. Kriss wasn't stupid, just a bit air-headed.

Kriss shrugged off Joseph's tone of voice and, still holding Sarah's hand, got up and dusted himself off. "Lead the way, little bro."

"Don't call me that!" Joseph was younger than both his sister and Kriss by a few years. He didn't like being called little, which is the reason why Kriss called him that every chance he could get.

Sarah laughed at her brother's antics. Sometimes he could be very annoying, and sometimes he could be very amusing. This time he was being amusing.

"Laugh it up sis. I can always get back at you later by dumping a bucket of cold water on you while you take a bath."

Sarah stopped laughing and glared at her brother. She had forgotten how quickly he could go from amusing to annoying. "I still have to get back at you for doing that last time."

Kriss grabbed them both and joked out, "Come on guys, let's try acting like a happy little family."

"Don't call me little!"

***************************

Sarah's father sat pensively in his study. His short brown hair was a little rustled and his blue eyes were still wide in shock from the news he had received. His confident poise shrank beneath the gaze of his only companion; a short, bald man of seemingly inoffensive nature. "Do you really need to do this, Sir Spencer?" Sarah's father was usually a man of action, full of confidence, but he seemed meek in the presence of such a powerful political figure as Sir Spencer.

"The decision has already been made. I'm just here to make sure it gets carried off, Jim," if Sir Spencer had any remorse for what he was about to do, he hid it very well.

Jim shrank even more beneath Sir Spencer's gaze. "I just hope it didn't have to be my only daughter," he said lamely.

"Be assured that the selection was made entirely at random," Sir Spencer's words were anything except sympathetic.

`It's nigh impossible to get sympathy out of this man!' His thoughts centered on the man in his company, Jim barely heard a knocking on the door to the study. "Who is it?"

A voice on the other side of the door gave a simple answer, "Father, we're here."

"Well, come on Jim, be a gracious host and open the door for your guests," Sir Spencer tapped on a medallion hanging from his neck; it let Jim know who was in control here.

Jim got up, scowled at Sir Spencer, and opened the door. `It really seems weird that my daughter gets chosen when Sir Spencer's daughter is up for election too… and she's more qualified for the position anyway.'

When the door inched open, Sarah could be seen holding her little brother in a headlock. Kriss stood with a grin on his face behind her. He waved hi to his `father-in-law', ever the picture of cheery disposition.

`Poor lad,' Jim thought when he saw Kriss.

"Are you just gonna stay there all day staring at us, dad, or are you gonna let us in?"

His daughter's question shook Jim out of his reverie. With a half-hearted wave of his hand he motioned them in.

Sir Spencer quickly got up and shook Sarah's hand. "A pleasure to finally meet you, miss Archer." Sir Spencer secretly ogled Sarah's body. `She's only 18, and she's already grown into a beautiful woman.'

Sarah quickly remembered the rules of courtesy when addressing someone superior to you on the society list. She did a little curtsy and said, "The pleasure is mine, Sir Spencer."

"You have manners. I like that." Sir Spencer gave Sarah a warm smile, which hid a lecherous grin behind it.

Kriss threw an arm around his girlfriend and asked, "So, why are we here anyway?"

Sir Spencer glared at Kriss; he didn't like being spoken to without the proper respect. Sir Spencer took a quick peep at Sarah's dress, which was obviously dirty on the back. Shaking his head in obvious disdain of the stain, he took a seat on a chair that was against the wall, and showed off his medallion.

"By order of Lord Pyrus and the Big Four, Sarah Archer has been chosen to become this generation's sacrifice to Dark Drake, the king of demons."

"WHAT!"

The shocked looks on Sarah's and Kriss's faces spoke volumes of what they thought of that decision.

Sir Spencer stared at everyone in the eyes and said, "The decision is irrefutable."

************************

Consciousness returned to him little by little. A sharp pain in the back of his head throbbed every time he breathed. Blinking his eyes painfully, he sat up and tried to remember what happened. Last he remembered, Sir Spencer had just announced…

Kriss quickly bolted upright and shouted, "Where is she?!" Blinking his eyes in confusion, he looked around him. At first he didn't recognize the place, but the iron bars where a dead give-away. "I'm in prison… How'd I get here?"

An old man sat in the corner; he was bald and had a long, white beard. His only clothing was rags that had seen better days. Looking at Kriss, he answered his second question, "You were dragged here by four Iron Knights. Must have been some crime you pulled to get four Iron Knights to escort you."

Kriss blinked at his companion in confusion, not sure what he meant by `crime'. Then, he remembered what happened very vividly…

*Flashback*

Kriss looked at Sir Spencer square in the eye and said through clenched teeth, "You can't take her… I won't let you."

Sir Spencer laughed at Kriss and said, "You really think you can stop this, boy? You have no say in the matter."

"I can do plenty to stop you," Kriss hissed at Sir Spencer.

Sir Spencer laughed again and said, "I should be the one saying that to you. I can do plenty to stop you from stopping us."

Kriss inched closer to Sir Spencer until they were inches from each other and hissed out, "You and what army?"

Sir Spencer smirked at Kriss and snapped his fingers. Like an earthquake dozens of heavy footsteps could be heard as they thundered into the library. Within seconds, they were surrounded by Iron Knights. "This army, boy," Sir Spencer smiled at Kriss. He always got his way… this time would not be any different.

Kriss growled and lunged at Sir Spencer, anger clouded his vision as he attempted to hit him. But before he could even touch Sir Spencer…

*WHAM*

…one of the Iron Knights had dashed forward and had smashed the back of Kriss's head with the butt of his sword. Before he hit the floor, he could clearly hear Sarah's voice as she screamed his name… Then darkness came.

*End Flashback*

Kriss held his fist up in anger and growled out, "That bastard, I'm gonna kill him for doing this."

The old man looked at Kriss and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Sir Spencer took my girl and threw me in here. I'm gonna kill that bastard!" The old man gasped when he heard Sir Spencer's name. He said something, but Kriss couldn't hear him through the red haze of anger. "Speak up old man, I can't hear you."

The old man took a deep breath and said again, "You can't speak like that about a member of the Big Four; you might get the axe for doing so."

"Why can't I speak like that? The Big Four don't have the right to control our lives."

The old man stared at Kriss incredulously. "Did they not teach you anything at home, boy?"

Kriss couldn't help but blink in confusion. He thought long and hard and answered, "My parents told me I should respect the Big Four and their Knights, but they didn't tell me why."

The old man sighed. He wasn't used to telling this to people of Kriss's age, so he had to think about where to start. "Here's a history lesson for you, boy. Sit down."

Kriss did as he was told and sat down in front of the old man. He got comfortable and gave his undivided attention.

"Two thousand years ago, the war between the demon race and the human race raged on incessantly. That is, until under mysterious circumstances, The King of Demons and a fallen angel who was fighting on behalf of humanity agreed upon a peace treaty." The old man took a deep breath and then continued speaking, "The fallen angel had an affair with a human female and fathered a son… that son is the direct ancestor of Lord Pyrus."

Kriss gasped in total surprise, it amazed him that something of such historical value was never told to him. And yet… something didn't seem right when he heard the story.

The old man continued the story, "Over the course of time, the angel blood that runs through the royal line has been diluted and has even branched out. So you see… all past, present and future members of the Big Four are indirect descendants of the angel."

This revelation brought a gasp of shock to Kriss. "How could members of the Big Four be descended from angels? They're a bunch of self-righteous bastards that care more about themselves than about the wellbeing of others!"

The old man shushed Kriss and whispered as loud as he could, "I told you to keep words like that quiet, you're gonna get us both the axe."

"Wait a minute," Kriss interrupted. "There's something that doesn't make sense. If there is a peace treaty, why are there sacrifices being made to the Demon King?"

The old man breathed out a sigh of defeat and whispered, "The sacrifices are what keep the peace treaty intact." Wiping a tear from his eye, he added, "Without them, the war would begin once again and the world would plunge into darkness."

"That can't be true!" Kriss could not stop the tears that his eyes shed, nor could he control the anger he was feeling at the moment. "It can't be true!"

The old man slapped Kriss to get him to compose himself. "Shut up, boy!" Then he sat down and said calmly, "You're not the first one that has had to give up a loved one for the good of the people."

Kriss looked at the old man incredulously, and then a look of understanding crossed his face, "So… you too, huh?

"That's right boy. It would've been our fortieth anniversary tomorrow had they not taken her from me."

Kriss began to hit the floor in anger. He spat down and cursed Sir Spencer for coming into his life and ruining it, he cursed the Big Four for making a deal with evil, but above all, he cursed himself for not being able to stop them.

The old man put a hand on Kriss's shoulder and said, "It's not the end of the world. You're still young; you can find a new love and live a happy life."

Someone that was in the cell next to them yelled, "Is that old man spreading his lies about Lord Pyrus and the Big Four being the descendants of angels again?"

"They're not lies Ricky!"

Ricky chuckled and joked, "If they are angels, why don't they have wings?"

"That's just because their angel blood has been diluted over the cen..."

Ricky scoffed and interjected, "Spare me the drivel old man. The whole angel thing was just a lie their ancestors created to keep a tight grip on our lives. I wouldn't be surprised if they believed the lie they themselves created."

"It's not a…"

Before the old man could say anything Ricky cut him off again, "If it is true and they only work with the good of their fellow men in mind… Then why was I thrown here in jail?"

"You killed your family," the old man whispered.

Ricky ran up to the wall that separated the two cells and growled out, "Don't you DARE speak about my family like that ever again. Sir Jonathan of the Big Four was their killer. I was just framed to hide his true self."

"You believe your own fantasy, don't you?"

Before the two could continue arguing, the jailer opened the door and walked in. He made his way toward the cell that housed Kriss and the old man. Staring straight at Kriss, he said, "You're not gonna be a visitor in my house for much longer."

"Then I'm free?" Kriss seemed hopeful. Maybe he could start over. Just forget about Sarah and fall in love again.

The jailer laughed when he heard Kriss's question. "No stupid, Sir Spencer has ordered us to give you the axe tomorrow morning." He then tossed a piece of meat into the cell and added, "Enjoy your meal; it will be your last." The jailer then walked away, his laughter echoed back in Kriss's cell.

"You gotta love those Big Four acts of kindness!" Ricky threw his hands into the air for emphasis.

Kriss slumped down in shock. Not even a day ago, he was with Sarah enjoying life… and now he was in a cell in wait for his death to come.

"Look kid," Ricky felt sorry for Kriss, and had only one thing he could say that he knew would cheer up Kriss, "I was planning on escaping this prison tonight. If you want, you can join me in my escape and help me in my battle against Lord Pyrus and the Big Four. So, are you in?"

Kriss's eyes seemed to burn with a new fire. He didn't have to think twice before responding, "Count me in."

End Prologue