Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ An Angel's Remains ❯ Chapter 7

 

In the morning, they packed up their tents and split up into groups. Myara joined everyone from her group, yawning.

 

Lilac pulled on her pack and asked, “Is everyone here?”

 

Myara looked around at all of them, counting in her head.

 

Jordan said, “Except for Dalziel, Miss…er.. Lilac, he said he had to double check with the other group leaders.”

 

Sabin pulled on his pack as well and went to stand with the protector for their group, Fae, speaking softly.

 

Dalziel joined them not long after and asked, “Is everyone ready?”

 

Myara picked up her own pack as the other students also did. All of them nodded or answered with a quick yes.

 

Dalziel hefted his pack up and pointed to a trail leading off toward the east. “We're going this way. Stay close everyone, and keep your eyes open. These trails can get dangerous.”

 

As they crossed the rough terrain, they stuck close together for the most part. Occasionally their protector would range ahead, but he always returned after a short time had passed.

 

Chad asked Jordan. “What is he doing?” Chad seemed to have decided he would be best off sticking close to Jordan.

 

Jordan stepped over some stones in the path and said, “Well, he is our protector. He's probably just making sure there isn't anything we can't handle.”

 

Ylona, walking beside Myara, leaned close and whispered. “Don't you think Chad seems nervous? Do you think he's scared?”

 

Rick, directly behind them, demanded before Myara could reply. “Hey, what are you two whispering about?”

 

Ylona half turned and stuck her tongue out in a fairly childish manner. “It's girl stuff. You wouldn't be interested.”

 

Myara found the exchange interesting, perhaps even a little funny. “Ylona, watch your step. A fall around here would be bad.” She cautioned.

 

Ylona turned back around. “All right. I hear you,” she replied. She leaned toward Myara and lowered her voice to a whisper once more. “So have you thought about your date with Sabin?” Ylona glanced back where Sabin was following to the rear and giggled.

 

Myara shifted her pack to cover her slight embarrassment and replied softly, definitely not wanting the guys to overhear. “That? Come on Ylona. It was a joke.”

 

Ylona demanded indignantly, walking closer to keep their conversation private, “Don't tell me you're not going to follow through with it?”

 

Myara glanced over at Ylona and had a feeling her cheeks were flushed from more than just carrying her pack in the heat.

 

“I… well… Yeah, of course I am.” She finally managed.

 

Ylona grinned. “I knew it. Who wouldn't? You're so lucky. How'd you win that bet anyways? Are you really that good?” Ylona nudged her playfully.

 

Myara told her, hoping she didn't sound overconfident. “I wouldn't put it that way exactly. It was sort of an educated guess.” She wanted to quickly change the subject so she asked, “Aren't you nervous at all, in a place like this?”

 

Ylona looked around a bit and replied, wrinkling her nose, “It is a pretty nasty looking place, but I came here last year so I was prepared for this.”

 

Rick came up and joined them. “No fair, the two of you sharing secrets. Girl stuff my ass. What are you talking about?” he demanded. He looked at Myara suspiciously and she felt just a little guilty. But there was no way she'd tell him the conversation.

 

“It was really just girl stuff,” she told him.

 

They came to a narrow part of the path and Ylona danced ahead of them, turning to face them as she walked backwards. “See, I told you it was just girl stuff.”

 

Myara watched Ylona with growing concern. “Ylona, please be more careful.” She reached a hand out.

 

Ylona rolled her eyes and nodded. “Yeah, yeah. I get it.” She turned but on the narrow path her pack threw her off balance and she stepped a little too close to the edge as she turned.

 

Myara dropped her pack as Ylona's foot slipped and reached for her hand. She caught Ylona's hand but the weight was too much and she was immediately dragged forward as Ylona slid right off the edge. She felt Rick's hand brush against her arm too late. Her eyes met Ylona's as she was pulled over. Ylona looked scared. But this wasn't the time to be scared. If she didn't do anything, they would slide down the cliff and be torn to pieces before they ever reached bottom. Myara pulled herself closer to Ylona and clasped an arm around Ylona's shoulders, aligning her body with Ylona's and hastily throwing Ylona's pack off her shoulders as they slid along the cliff face. The jagged rocks biting into her shoulder.

 

 

“Hold on!” she told Ylona, gritting her teach. She released her celestial power in a burst, wanting nothing more than to cushion their ride to the bottom. Silently she prayed to Sabriel. If she were a celestial, she would have been able to spread her wings and fly, but she wasn't. The celestial power surrounded her and Ylona, swirling around them, consuming them in a light that didn't belong in a place like the demon world. Myara felt right for the first time since coming to this place, even facing possible death.

 

They fell off a drop and landed hard on the ground. They still had their arms around each other, and Myara sat there stunned for a moment before releasing Ylona and sitting up.

 

Ylona groaned and sat up, she looked at her shoulder and arm, where some fairly nasty cuts were starting to ooze blood and bruise up. She looked at Myara and asked, “How exactly did we not die just now?”

 

Myara breathed a deep sigh of relief, despite the pain in her side and shoulder that no doubt matched Ylona's. Humans didn't normally see celestial light all that well. So, of course, Ylona would wonder why they hadn't been harmed. She however didn't wonder and was extremely tired. Using that much power all at once, it wasn't something she did regularly, even when fighting. “Does it matter?” She asked, and then warned. “Next time, please keep your eyes on the path.”

 

***

 

Sabin stared down over the edge, feeling like he might be sick for a minute. Everyone else was just as pale as he was at the moment. Chad looked like he might faint. That was what forced him to pull himself together. The students were watching. It was no time to panic.

 

Lilac was the first to ask, “Do you think they survived?”

 

Sabin dropped to his knees and touched his hand to the ground. “I'll see if I can sense anything.” He sent his senses out. There had been a flash of power before they had reached the bottom. Surely Myara had done something, anything, to save the both of them. This after that confession from her the night before, it was too much. The others waited breathlessly. He finally was able to sense at least Myara`s presence. It was too unique to be mistaken. But there was something else there too, something that he didn't quite recognize but didn't really want to at the same time. “I can feel at least Myara's presence,” he said finally.

 

Derek asked, his voice strained, “What about Ylona? You can't feel hers?”

 

Sabin got to his feet, feeling a sense of urgency as their protector came back to the group and demanded, looking at all their faces, “What happened?”

 

Dalziel told him so he could understand, motioning to the edge of the trail. “The girls fell over the edge.”

 

Fae, their protector, frowned. “They're probably already dead.”

 

Lilac shook her head. “They're not,” she told him.

 

Jordan looked at Rick, exchanging a glance that said neither of them understood enough of the conversation. Jordan asked, “What are you saying? Are we going to go get them?”

 

Dalziel turned to the students. “Of course we are, as soon as possible.” He looked to Sabin and Fae. “The two of you should go. Lilac and I will take the rest of the students to the camp site. We'll wait for you there.”

 

Lilac asked, “Shouldn't I go with them? They should have any injuries treated immediately.”

 

Dalziel looked at her and shook his head. “No, at least two of us should stay with the remaining students. Come on.” He glanced at Sabin and nodded before ushering the others on ahead of him.

 

Sabin looked to Fae, who hadn't understood the exchange with the students. “We're going to go and get them as soon as the other students are out of sight.” Sabin took off his pack and then pulled off his jacket and began taking off his outer shirt as the students reluctantly and solemnly began to leave with Dalziel and Lilac.

 

Fae only had to take off his jacket. Underneath they both wore long sleeved shirts with open backs. As soon as the students were out of sight Sabin released his wings and Fae did the same.

 

***

 

“Ylona, stay back!” Myara hissed sharply. Something about the dark cave entrance they'd fallen so close to gave Myara chills.

 

Ylona paused several yards from the cave entrance and turned. “Why? What's…?”

 

A low rumble from the cave caught their attention and Ylona turned back to the cave in alarm. She backed away slowly, her hands clenched tight into fists. There were no instructors around now. That alone made the demon world ten times more daunting. Ylona reached Myara's side and took her arm. “What was that?” She whispered.

 

Myara shook Ylona's hand off her arm and brushed her back. “Stay behind me,” she told her. She herself was shaking a little. Was this what she was afraid it was? If it was then her flagrant use of celestial power had probably woken it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What would Sabriel do? She asked herself. At first she had been upset that this place brought so many of Sabriel`s memories to the fore, but now she could only be glad. In this situation, they were the only thing between her and death. She didn't bother to draw her blades, since they'd be useless. She clasped her hands together in front of her and began mentally preparing herself. She'd used so much power before, it was going to be important to draw in what she had left and use it carefully now. She drew in a breath as a creature that was a demon's nightmare stepped out of the cave entrance into the dim light that typified the demon world.

 

 

“What is that?” Ylona clasped Myara's shoulder's from behind, causing her to wince as pressure was put on the cuts and bruises.

 

Myara told her softly, “They`re called Death Dragons. They eat anything, even their own kind.”

 

It's eyes stared down at them, empty holes that seemed linked to darkness. It's body was nothing more than a shell. Shreds of darkness clung to it's bones as if they were trying to draw it back into the depths of some unknown abyss.

 

It opened it's mouth and Myara closed her eyes, trying to transpose Sabriel's memories over her own. There was one thing that Sabriel could do that could save them, but only if she could copy it. She spoke the first word, the word that started every invocation and then she called out. “Esperia!” That one word was enough. It seemed like it lit a fire inside her. Her celestial power, Sabriel's celestial power, responded. This was Sabriel's gift. The greater the darkness she faced, the stronger her power could become. Like the small flame of a candle that was useless in the sunlight, but could drive away the darkness of night.

 

The Death Dragon released a cloud of misty darkness and Myara and Ylona were surrounded by a brilliant light that drove it back. Myara felt her hands begin to shake as it released another explosion of deadly mist. It moved forward, letting out a low growl as it lowered its head to their level.

 

Myara was starting to sweat.

 

Ylona leaned against her back, clutching her shoulders painfully hard.

 

 

“What is it doing?” she asked.

 

Myara wished she could tell her to shut up, but that would have disturbed her focus even more.

 

The Death Dragon considered them and then Myara saw it raise it's heavily spiked tail. Did it sense her weakness? Somehow, she felt that it was laughing at her. It drove that heavy tail straight at them. Myara focused all her energy on the shield that was protecting them as that tail hit right before her eyes.

 

She stumbled back, her concentration broken. Ylona somehow managed to cushion her fall. Before she could pull herself together, it raised its tail again, ready to crush them. It struck.

 

Myara closed her eyes. The clang of bone on metal surprised her into opening her eyes and she saw Fae standing in front of them with his sword drawn. Sabin was beside him, forming an invocation that Myara hadn't learned yet, but that she vaguely recognized as something Sabriel would know. Sabin finished and raised his sword, which now glowed with flame. A fiery spear of light burned forward, driving the Death Dragon back into the cave with a high pitched hiss of anger.

 

It retreated Sabin breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Fae stood staring at the cave entrance as if he didn't believe it had truly retreated.

 

Ylona got to her feet with Sabin's help. “Thanks,” she managed to say.

 

Sabin looked her over. “No serious injuries?” he asked.

 

Ylona held out her arm. “Just some small cuts and bruises. I'll be okay.” She smiled in relief. “I'm so glad you came.”

 

Sabin nodded. “Of course, you're our responsibility.” He motioned to Fae. “Take this one.”

 

Fae nodded and came to stand by Ylona, taking her by the wrist and holding up her arm to give it a quick look over.

 

Sabin crouched beside Myara. “How about you?” he asked softly.

 

Myara managed a faint smile. “I'm fine,” she told him. She started to get to her feet but fell onto her hands and knees before she could even stand. She laid her head down on her arms.

 

“Myara?” Ylona sounded worried.

 

Sabin motioned for her to stay back and Fae kept a loose hold on her to make sure. Sabin said, “I'll take care of it. She's probably just tired. Shielding from those attacks must have been tiring.” He slid an arm under her and she sat up willingly and let him pick her up in his arms.

 

Fae glanced back at the cave. “It seems it really has retreated.” He looked at Myara thoughtfully and commented. “She's either very lucky or very skilled.”

 

Myara smiled faintly but she didn't have the energy to do more than that.

 

Ylona asked, looking to Sabin, since she didn't understand Fae. “How'd you get here so fast?”

 

Sabin told her, able to tease a little now that danger was past, “It's a secret technique, and to preserve it, you're going to have to sleep while we take you back to the others.” He looked to Fae and told him, “Put her to sleep and carry her.”

 

Ylona protested. “What? I won't tell anyone, I want to know.”

 

Fae placed a hand on the top of her head. Celestial power leaked through his fingers and suddenly Ylona's eyes were closing. Fae caught her as she fell and picked her up. He looked to Sabin and Myara and asked, “What about her? Shouldn't you do the same with her?”

 

Sabin smiled faintly and told him as his wings grew from his back and unfurled, “She's known our secret for a long time. There's no point.”

 

Fae frowned but extended his own wings.

Myara closed her eyes and fell asleep.

 

***

 

Lucas stepped out of the shadows as they disappeared. He hadn't expected to run into Sabin so soon. But it was just as Councilor Victor had said. He was in the company of celestials and humans. The Death Dragon beside him snorted and lowered its head. He patted it on the nose. “Good job my pet.”

 

The human girl though, she was something he hadn't expected. That incantation, Esperia, no human should know of it, let alone be able to use it. That power very much reminded him of someone they'd all thought dead long ago. She was dangerous, that human girl.

 

Councilor Victor was right to suspect Sabin and it was good he'd reported his suspicions to the Demon Lords. That celestial might still be able to cause them trouble, despite having been kept ignorant of their plans, even as a fallen angel. His return to the white-wings had been unexpected and unpleasant. Demon Lord Lairn had railed about it for days.

 

Lucas snorted in disgust. Damn that Sabriel. She'd taken so many useful servants from them. Since she'd died there had been fewer obstacles and the celestial world was slowly decaying from the inside. It wouldn't be long before the illusion of perfection that sustained the city and its residents crumbled. Once the celestial world crumbled, the demons could freely monopolize the human and spirit world. Everything would belong to the demons.

 

***

 

She climbed out of the tent that she shared with Ylona and Lilac, rubbing her hand over her eyes. Even when she was totally exhausted, again that dream about her death. Before Sabin had arrived at her side, she remembered there was something more this time. There was something important that had happened, important to Sabriel at least. The remains of the memory were already gone though. She was lucky she remembered as much as she did.

 

Myara went to sit by the remaining embers of their fire. She jumped when Dalziel joined her silently, sitting on one of the conveniently placed rocks around their fire pit.

 

“You finally couldn't sleep any more?” he asked, referring to the fact that she`d spent nearly all of the previous day sleeping, and then had gone to sleep at the same time as everyone else.

 

Myara nodded and stretched her arms over her head, wincing a little as she moved her left arm. When she was done, she slumped her shoulders stared into the embers from the fire.

 

Dalziel told her in the eerie quiet of darkness, “You know. Fae was pretty impressed by you. He said you were able to shield from several of that death dragon's killing blows. I'm rather curious myself, as to how you were capable of such a thing. Even the best students are rarely able to…”

 

Myara sat up and tilted her head back, feeling slightly annoyed. Perhaps she was still tired because she didn`t really want to listen to him. She interjected in celestial, in case the students should wake. “You mean the best humans right? I already know what you are. Surely you`ve realized that?” She sighed and rotated her neck. She felt stiff still, probably from avoiding sleeping on her left side.

 

Dalziel seemed stunned at the change in her usually polite tone. He asked, switching languages as well, “Fae mentioned something about that, but how long have you known?”

 

She glanced over at him and told him, “Since about when I met Sabin. When I met him, I already knew who he was.”

 

Dalziel took a deep breath and sighed, leaning forward. “Can I ask how you knew him?”

 

Myara finished stretching and rubbed her neck. “I don't want to say. I know you have to report on these things and I'd rather keep it to myself.”

 

“Does Sabin know that you he was familiar to you?” Daziel inquired, raising a brow.

 

Myara wasn't sure how to reply to that. If she said yes, Sabin might be asked questions he'd rather not answer. She was surprised when she heard Sabin's voice in celestial.

 

 

“She has the memories of the retriever who brought me back from the demon world, from when I was fallen.”

 

She looked back towards the tents. Sabin was coming from the tent he shared with two of the boys.

 

Myara frowned at him. “You shouldn't blurt out things like that Sabin,” she scolded.

 

He came and sat down on a rock to Myara's left. “He has a right to know, especially since you're adopting so much of her personality at the moment. You don`t seem to remember that you`re just a student now.”

 

Myara was a little disgruntled to hear him say that. She scowled and looked up at the sky, putting her hands behind her and resting her weight on her arms.

 

“So those dreams, they were all… memories?” Dalziel asked.

 

Sabin nodded. “Yeah, exactly.” He adopted a slightly teasing tone as he went on. “That's why our little princess here seems like a prodigy. She's got about a hundred years more experience to draw on, plus the benefit of Sabriel's celestial gifts.”

 

Myara felt her irritation receding a little. It was hard to be upset with Sabin, because she liked him so much.

 

She scolded again. “It's not like I remember everything all that well. After all, I'm not her.”

 

Dalziel rubbed his forehead. “That is somewhat unusual. The Chairman is likely to be very curious.”

Myara turned her gaze onto Dalziel and asked, “He's going to be curious, but what is he going to do about it? I fully intend on making Sabriel's strength my own. Is that going to bother him?”

 

Dalziel looked a little caught of guard by the question but then he managed a smile and told her, “No one is going to prevent you from getting stronger. The Chairman will likely keep the information to himself, since he's in charge of affairs here in the human world.”

 

Sabin laughed slightly. “You really are starting to sound like her Myara. Not that I mind, but I think I'll be glad to see you back to yourself.”

 

Myara looked over at Sabin. He looked, perhaps, a little bit sad. She felt sort of bad, since she was probably the one making him feel that way. She told him, “Sorry. I'll try to be a bit more like myself.” She leaned forward and lowered her head, staring into the fire.

 

Fae climbed out of one of the tents behind them and stretched before coming to the fire. “Are we going to follow the original plans today?” He asked, looking at Dalziel.

 

Myara asked Dalziel curiously, switching back to English now that Fae was there, “Original plan?”

 

He told her, “The usual plan for these outings is that we set up camp and then one celestial stays in the camp while the students go out with the rest and do a little bit of exploring, looking for some smaller demons to rid this world of. Since we ran into that beast yesterday though…”

 

Fae looked from one of them to the other.

 

Dalziel sighed and went back to celestial, likely for Fae's sake. “This is a problem. Any ideas Sabin?”

 

Sabin raised a brow and asked., “Why would I have anything to do with this decision? I'm not the one in charge.”

 

Fae took a seat next to the fire. He glanced at Myara curiously, studying her when he thought she wasn't looking.

 

Dalziel frowned at Sabin. “Come on, you have to have an opinion. You know this place better than most of us. What do you think?”

 

Sabin rubbed his forehead and looked mildly annoyed. “Personally, I don't want to agitate anything. If we stay in one spot long enough, something is bound to come. We might as well wait for it. And it will be better for us to all be together if that Death Dragon decides it's hungry.”

 

Fae stopped his observation of Myara and joined the conversation long enough to say. “We may want to send a warning to the other groups, so they know something like that is in this area.”

 

Dalziel nodded. “I feel the same, I'll see to it shortly.”

 

Fae looked pleased that his suggestion was well received. He even smiled, which made him look much younger than he had at first.

 

Sabin glanced at Myara. It looked like he wanted to say something but he stopped himself. He glanced at the others present and then got to his feet. “I'll see about planning breakfast, since everyone else will probably wake soon.”

 

Myara wondered what was on his mind.

 

***

 

Myara was a little tired and not in so great a mood. She walked at the back of their group with Sabin.

 

He looked over at her gloomy expression and smiled. He seemed fairly amused. “You could look happier we're leaving this place, since you hate it so much.”

 

Myara looked up at him and realized she had been scowling. She tried to relax and sighed. “Sorry, I had that dream again. I'm hoping it doesn't continue when we get home.”

 

Sabin clapped her on the shoulder gently. “Don't worry, even I feel uneasy when I'm in this place. Did you remember more of that dream while we were here?”

 

She shrugged and glanced at the others not far ahead.

 

He glanced up and then released her shoulder and walked at a slower pace, motioning with his hand for her to slow down a bit.

 

Myara matched him and they fell back from the others a little further.

 

“So tell me,” he told her.

 

She wondered why he was so particularly concerned. “I really didn't remember much. I wish I did. I got the feeling that Sabriel was betrayed by someone she trusted. If I could just fully remember, I think I'd stop dreaming about it all the time.”

 

Sabin looked a little disappointed. “It is difficult that you don't remember.” He looked like he might have said more, but he stopped suddenly.

 

Lilac dropped back to join them. “What are you two talking about so secretively?” She teased.

 

Myara didn't take the joke too well, and she wasn't in a good mood to begin with. Obviously when two people were talking quietly together, it was a private conversation. Rather than opening her mouth and saying something rude, she gave Lilac a cold look. She told Sabin. “I'll tell you if I think of anything else.” She quickened her pace and joined her fellow students. She didn't hear what Sabin said to Lilac. She didn't really care. She joined Rick instead. He'd seemed unusually quiet on the trip back so far.

 

He looked over at her. “Not going to stay with your boyfriend?” he teased gently.

 

Myara raised a brow at him. “You shouldn't joke about things like that. You know it could never happen.”

 

Rick told her, his tone barely apologetic. “Sorry, it's just that you two are always off talking in celestial together and somehow it seems like even the other instructors don't know what you're talking about most of the time.”

 

Myara had to wonder if she'd been a little rude to her friends on this trip. That might explain Rick's teasing. “I guess I should apologize then. It's hard to explain, but Sabin and I had a mutual acquaintance. She's someone we both knew very well but neither of us has been able to talk to anyone else about her until now.”

 

Rick asked, leaning over. “So who is this mysterious person?”

 

Myara sighed and hefted her pack up. “His real girlfriend. So let's talk about something else.”

 

Rick was silent for a long, heavy moment. It seemed she'd managed to surprise him. Finally he said, “Sorry, I didn't realize that's how it was.”

 

She glanced back at Sabin and Lilac. Perhaps it was her jealous streak, but she was glad to see they weren't talking much. She told Rick, “He's a person with a painful past. I don't want to be one more thing for him to get over.”