Fan Fiction ❯ The Waging of Wings ❯ Prologue: Death to the Start ( Prologue )

The Waging of Wings

By: RayJay

Prologue: Death to the Start…

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The night, black and cold threatened to swallow the whole village that sat atop a hill above a shallow trench below. A young woman stepped outside of her small hut and inhaled deeply, her eyes closing with the peace the action brought her. Her long hair waved softly in the cool breeze as she turned and re-entered her humble house and returned to the thick blackness of the outdoors carrying a small human bundle. A few whimpers escaped from the woman's precious cargo and she quieted the baby and kissed its forehead softly.

"You must be silent, little one," she whispered, raising the child to lie against her chest and shoulders. "He is coming. He will come to take you," the young woman added as she pulled her over cloak tighter to herself and began to travel as fast as she could with the baby clutched to her bosom. She took a deep breath and continued on through the blackness of the night, fearing what she could sense lurking behind her. She badly wanted to stop and fall to her knees and cower but the baby was in jeopardy all ready.

I need to get to Soaris's house, she thought in panic. I am almost there. I cannot look behind. Just over the hill, to his hut… She was knocked off of her feet by a gust of wind and nearly collapsed onto the child but rolled to the side, cracking soundly to the ground on her hip. She opened her mouth to voice her pain but no form of sound escaped her lips. The baby wailed from alarm at the sudden jolt its carrier had taken and its volume grew when the young woman clutched the babe closer to her body when she saw the source of the strong wind.

"I've come, Henna…" A deep voice came from the figure cloaked in black behind her. His red eyes fixated on her and narrowed as he spread enormous wings and hovered over her slightly. "You will come with me," he told her forcefully. "Bring the child here."

Henna's body was in tremors from fear and from unforgotten feelings from the past. She shook her head, the only true way she could show her defiance. She dropped the child unceremoniously when the man with wings hefted her into the air by grabbing her arms. She struggled against his impossible strength, her gaze going to the screaming baby on the ground. Her attacker grasped her under the chin and forced her to meet his cruel and hard gaze. "Leave it. I will be taking it either way…" he growled in her ear, releasing her arms and let her pool in a heap on the ground. He leapt on top of her to cut off her path of escape and spread his large golden wings wide.

"Henna…" he whispered, his voice somewhat softer. His massive wings helped to drown out the cries of the abandoned baby. "Why do you act this way? I thought… I thought we cared for each other…" he finished, his red eyes fading to emerald briefly. The tension and fear loosened from the tight knot they had formed in Henna's chest at the change in the man's voice and eyes but she quickly shook it off, realizing it was a trick he was probably playing.

"You are not yourself, Aerose. I went to the man I loved with an open heart and a pure body… to see that you had turned into this creature!" she finished with a sneer. "A creature who then raped me against my will!" she screamed, her voice broken and pain stricken." I cared for you Aerose… but not now. Not after what you've turned into!"

With a snarl, Aerose picked Henna up, grasping her around her slender neck tightly, his eyes like sparkling rubies once again. The young woman, being very stubborn, fought against him again, one arm trying to pry his fingers away from her throat and the other reaching in the direction of the product of his lust, who was still screaming with very exhausted vocal chords.

"You think you would be able to protect the child?" He whispered angrily in her ear, sending chills down Henna's spine. "No one would ever be able to accept a human with wings. You know I never was…" He trailed off through grit teeth. Pity flashed through the young woman's eyes but she did well to conceal it and she felt his grip on her neck grow slack to the point that he was merely holding her in the air.

"You didn't…" Henna started and continued on when his gaze fell upon her in curiosity. "You didn't have to sell your soul for power…" she whispered, "to get revenge," she added, watching his brows fixate together at her words. "I loved you as you were. Good, sweet, kind-"

"Stop it!" Aerose shouted, throwing Henna onto the ground, his voice filled with remorse and unbridled pain. The young woman gathered her bruised body up and stared at him, feeling courage rise in her chest.

"Why? It's the truth! You may have been an outcast and you may have been hated, but I loved you! A part of me still loves you, Aerose!" She snapped at him, silence developing between them. Even the baby who was lying a short distance from them had taken into silence as well.

"That part… Is no longer here," he whispered, turning to look her in the eyes. Eyes that were a misunderstood and tortured bloodied color of hate that sought revenge towards humankind.

"Is there no hope for you then?" Henna whispered also, her voice becoming thick as she wobbly got to her feet. She reached out and tentatively touched his strong arm, both of their eyes going to look at it. Pensively, the two of them gazed up at each other's faces, slowly and unsurely and Aerose's massive hand covered Henna's small and delicate one. "Why did you do this? We could have gone away. Far away where no one would have known about your wings," Henna asked softly, her voice shaking. "You let your hate consume you and not even my love for you was able to penetrate it… I feel so worthless…" she finished, choking on a sob. She bit her lip and met his crimson stare again. "Did you even love me, Aerose? Even though you said you cared for me… Did you or could you?"

A pregnant silence followed as the pair held each other's eyes for the longest time. "I will need the child to finish my plans for revenge," Aerose stated, pulling himself distastefully away from her. Henna fell down and created a cage like shape with her body over her now sleeping baby.

"Aerose, no!" she pleaded, crouching closer to the slumbering babe.

"Why must you make this difficult? Give me the damned child!" Aerose roared, the gold of his wings shining brightly as his red eyes flared. Henna clutched her baby to her and stumbled quickly up the hill and saw the hut she had been seeking. She sent one last look to a very angered man with wings and then went back to staring at the small house.

"SOARIS!" she screamed as loud as she possibly could, waking her child and it started to wail. She cried out and lost her footing when Aerose attempted to grab the baby by flying over the top of her. An elderly man rushed out of his house to see a young woman being attacked by a `fallen angel.'

"Aerose… what have you done?" he whispered as he clutched his mid-length staff in hand. He flew swiftly using his teleportation skills and tried to create a barrier around himself and Henna who was holding her child.

"Take her! Take her and go!" Henna cried, pressing the small bundle into the old wizard's arms. He grasped her hand, the barrier now surrounding them both.

"Come child! Come! I can protect you!" he offered, his concentration focused on maintaining the barrier as it was being assaulted by Aerose. He was deflected back but came again, this time, the old wizard's breath started to grow ragged.

"Protect her… Please… don't let her know about any of this. Take her far away where she won't be found. Good bye, old friend," Henna told him and took the hand that he had been grasping back, her body now was away from the protection of the magical wall.

"Henna!" Soaris called to her, reaching for her hand gain. "You'll be killed!"

Henna's azure eyes looked to the wizard in determination and she spoke strongly. "It's better than living in fear and in hiding with this monster at my back!" she told him fiercely, her eyes going up just in time to see the `monster' swoop down and grasp her around the waist.

"You fool! You could have been with me. You could have been my queen…" Aerose snarled in her face, his visage of a hate filled and wretched beast. "You would sacrifice your life to keep my child away from me when it will most likely turn to mean such as I have when the world does not accept it?"

"She's NOT an it!" Henna screamed at him, but was silenced when a strong hand clenched over her throat again.

"Yes… She truly is and just you wait. When you are rotted in your grave, your daughter will help me to extract my revenge upon this harsh world," Aerose hissed at her as he held her face, his hand not wavering until a tear splashed on his hand. He stared down at it and then to Henna's face in angry confusion. "Why do you cry?" he snapped in impatience.

"Aerose… You will never find happiness in murder…" Henna whispered, more tears of pity spilling from her eyes. The young man's eyes were wide at her tone of voice and his grip tightened causing her to make choking and gagging sounds.

"Pitying me? You waste your time! It's too late, Henna," Aerose sneered but his eyes softened momentarily. "This is your last opportunity," he whispered, his harsh voice now mellowed. He moved the hand that had been grasping her throat down by the other that was resting around her waist and brought her close to his body. "I don't want to have to kill you, Henna," he told her softly.

Henna let out a shaky breath and raised her hand to touch his face gently. "Don't do this," she whispered, closing her eyes, leaning her forehead into the dip of his shoulder. Aerose brought her head up and kissed her lips softly, his hand going to thread through her long hair. Henna felt the warmth she had always felt around Aerose but suddenly knew she was giving him what he wanted. He was going to soften her and make her give up her child and make her give into his evil wishes. She was falling into his trap! She pulled away from him and cried, "No! I won't fall for this!"

In his anger, Aerose went to snatch her neck again but whip lashed her instead. Henna's form fell limp in his arms and his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Her chest was very still and he couldn't hear the soft thudding of her gentle heart. He cradled her broke body to himself, feeling the two different sides of his mind colliding with each other until they came to one agreeable conclusion.

Destroy… And take the child…

~End Prologue~

(A/N: What do you think? This is the first non-anime story I've written in about four years. It's a bit confusing but everything is going to come together. If you've read any of my other stories you know it does eventually. That's just my style of writing! Yay! Well, if you read this please review or I won't update! MUAH HA HA!)