Melanie
Rayi, I summon thee to do my bidding.
The words chanted around me, my head feeling like it would split. I had just finished recovering from Father's "training", though my scars ached some. The contract would give me some time to myself, at least.
"Open." The floor left my feet, leaving me in black nothingness for several heartbeats. With a bang, the ground was beneath my bare feet once more. I opened my eyes and inhaled deeply.
The air was sweet and warm. It was summer, I realized happily. My favorite season. I wriggled my toes, feeling the dirt and grass beneath them. I couldn't stop the grin that covered my mouth. All those months in the darkness and finally I was back in the sun.
A throat cleared itself and I looked at my Summoner, an older man who was leaning against a cane. He stared at me amusedly and seemed almost unwilling to interrupt my basking.
"You summoned me?" I asked, turning to face him fully. I schooled my features to a neutral mask.
"You are Rayi?" His voice was croaky and I briefly wondered how old he was. He didn't seem much older than fifty.
I nodded. "What is it you want?"
"I am an old man with no family nearby. My son went to the city to seek his fortune, but has yet to return for me. I can no longer work and I have no money to my name."
"I cannot make you rich," I cautioned, ready to terminate the contract if that was what he was asking of me.
He scowled lightly at me. "I'm not finished; you kids are so impatient."
I gave him a flat look. "I am old enough to be your great grandmother fifteen times over."
He had the grace to look surprised before continuing, "There is a large boar that has been tearing up the crops of the town and killing the people. A large bounty has been put up; the reward is large enough I can live the rest of my days comfortably."
So much for taking it easy during this contract, I thought grumpily.
"You want me to go kill the boar and bring it to you." I guessed, already wishing I thought to quickly change out of my floor length frock.
"Yes."
"And what will you give me in return? Nothing is free, you know." I said ominously. Perhaps I would take the human's soul after all.
Instead of looking fearful, the man looked amused. "A traveler spoke of the 'benevolent Rayi' who asked for things that didn't require much sacrifice. I am not afraid of you."
I felt a little put-out and entertained the idea of requiring my Summoner to give me his soul. The humans were beginning to forget themselves. Rayi was less enthused than I was about the title.
Benevolent Rayi? You're turning us into a laughingstock! She snarled.
"So, will poppy rolls suffice?"
My mouth watered at the thought and I nodded, quickly forgetting my ire. "We have a deal. I will return to this spot with the boar when I have killed it. In return, you will have the payment ready."
His face wrinkled with his mirth. "Very well."
I turned into a raven and took to the sky, flying high above the treetops. I scanned the open plains for any boars, remembering the old man's description of it being the "largest boar I would ever see in my lifetime."
I must have flown for half an hour with no luck until my sharp ears heard the unmistakable squealing of a boar. I dived back into the trees, changing form as I landed on a branch.
Directly below me was in fact an impossibly large boar. It was snuffling around, its sharp tusks digging at the earth. Grateful that I thought to have my dagger on me, I quietly unsheathed it and prepared myself.
Its hide was no doubt tough, especially around its shoulders. I would have to put all my power into my attacks if I would even hope to take it down. I was hoping to surprise it and kill it quickly with one stab to the back of its neck, severing its spine. I jumped and took aim, thrusting my blade into its throat.
It screamed and began to buck, my attack not going as I planned. Its hide had been thicker than I initially believed, my blade only half in.
"Shit!" I swore, hanging onto my hilt as the boar ran around, desperately trying to dislodge me from its back.
My weapon gave way and I rolled off the large animal's back. It turned on me and charged, its head lowered to gore me with its tusks. I dodged and ran towards it before it could recover, swiping at it. It jerked its head, getting me with its tusk. I gasped in pain and surprise when it managed to slice my hip, some of the fabric from my frock fluttering to the ground. I sheathed my dagger and got ready for its next attack. I bent my knees and lowered my head somewhat, elbows locked to my sides.
It turned on me again, but I caught its tusks with my hands. I struggled to hold its head steady as it sped up into a gallop. Its rancid breath washed over my face unpleasantly and its beady eyes, bloodshot with rage, glared at me. It slammed me into a tree, knocking all the breath out of me. It backed away from me when it felt my grip slacken. I leaned against the tree, wheezing heavily, astonished by the power of the animal. My freshly healed stomach wound was throbbing.
The boar charged me again and I held my hands out, catching it by its tusks once more. My back hit the tree hard, but I didn't relinquish my grip.
"I've had enough of this." I gritted out before beginning to power my lightning.
The boar shrieked and struggled to get away from me as the force of my lightning surged through it. I released one of its tusks and unsheathed my dagger once more. With a yell, I thrust the blade into its eye, the only soft part of its body. The creature gave a dying squeal as the dagger destroyed its eye and pierced through its skull to impale the brain. It toppled over, the body twitching for a couple heartbeats before going limp. I straightened up, wrenched my dagger from its eye, panting.
"Now I have to carry this thing back to the agreed meeting point." I groaned, now wishing I led it closer to the rendezvous.
Nearly an hour later, I got to the location, sweaty and red in the face. The old man was sitting on a log, a box sitting on the ground at his feet. He got up rather nimbly when I came into sight with the body. He rushed over and laughed happily, "Look at the size of that monster! I hope he didn't give you too much trouble."
Glaring down at my torn dress, I deadpanned, "No, not at all. Now, we agreed on the method of payment in the form of poppy rolls."
"Ah, yes. They're by that log." My Summoner patted the boar's head, grinning stupidly.
I grabbed the box and opened it, shoving a whole roll in my mouth, my stomach growling powerfully. I groaned blissfully and chewed it quickly. He hobbled back over to me and bowed his head at me.
"Thank you for helping this old man." He said gratefully.
"I'm a demon, old man, you shouldn't thank me. I did what you wanted and nothing more." I said around my last roll, my words coming out muffled.
He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You could have refused and simply killed me, Rayi of Benevolence."
I gaped at him, ignoring Rayi's groan. He rubbed his hands together. "Now, shall I send you back?"
I opened my mouth to answer before I froze, suddenly alert. I could smell Luke's scent coming from the west quickly. I turned to my Summoner and quickly told him the chant to send me back.
"Rayi, I send thee back-" A burst of ice shot out from the tree line, the spike hitting the ground inches from my feet.
I cried out in surprise, hopping back a few feet. I could smell Death. He was approximately ten seconds away. The old man looked alarmed and took a step toward me, but I snarled at him, "Get out of here!"
"You cannot take a hint, can you, Demon?" Luke landed a couple feet from the old man. "Well, this time you will not escape me."
"Rayi, who is this?" My Summoner put several steps in between him and Luke when the other turned to appraise him.
"William Slight. 56 years of age." Luke murmured, moving his mask to the side.
It took me a moment, but then I realized what Luke was about to do. I warned, "Run, old man!"
Before the man could flee, Luke had him by his arm and leaned lovingly close to him. He exhaled into the man's face. My Summoner went limp almost immediately, his eyes staring unseeingly up at the sky when his head fell back.
An ache I hadn't felt since Mother's death pierced through my chest like an arrow. I growled, "Bastard."
I got to my feet and pulled my dagger out. Holding it low, I sprinted toward Luke, shouting, "I'll kill you!"
Rayi warned, Wait, don't, Melanie!
Her warning came too late. Luke grabbed my wrist and bent it until my dagger clattered to the ground. I dropped to a knee from the pain, his icy grip tight.
"It is a shame I cannot simply kill you and be done with it. Are you or are you not an Optima?" He asked, using his free hand to slide his mask back into place. He stared at me flatly with his colorless eyes.
I stiffened in his grip. How did he know that word? I felt a wave of betrayal, wondering if Will had in fact spilled what I had told him in confidence. More important, though, was why the Angel of Death would ask me such a thing. My stunned silence didn't escape him and he seemed to take it as a confirmation. "I see. You are coming with me."
He grabbed my upper arm and spread his wings. To my horror, he took to the sky with me in tow. I shrieked and kicked my legs wildly as though that would do me any good. He glared down at me for a moment before turning his focus straight ahead again.
"H-hey, let me go!" I screamed, struggling in his grasp.
He seemed unfazed by my squirming and flew higher, taking us above the clouds. I stopped my futile fighting and opted to save what little strength I had left. There would be no chance for me to survive if he decided to drop me. I wouldn't be able to shapeshift in time.
A large, golden gate and an even larger white palace loomed into sight. He dropped me in front of the gate. I tumbled and landed roughly on my backside. The Angels guarding the gate pointed their spears at me, staring at me in disgust. I eyed them nervously, wondering if they were Anti-Demon weapons, and held my hands up in surrender. Luke landed beside me and grabbed a fistful of my hair and the other hand forced my wrists behind my back. I hissed and got to my feet, unwillingly allowing him to parade me into the palace past the gate.
There were Angels everywhere, gaping at me like they had never seen a demon before. Perhaps they never had. The human souls ran out of the way, probably locking themselves in their rooms.
We entered the large open archway that led into the palace. There were hundreds, if not thousands, stained glass windows along the eggshell white walls. The porcelain floor was smooth and cold beneath the rough pads of my feet and they sparkled so brightly it hurt to look at them for long. Will was right: everything about Heaven was bright. My eyes were beginning to ache.
After five minutes of silently marching down the corridors to who-knows-where, Luke yanked me to a stop before a white wooden door.
"Before we enter..." He pulled out a long, glowing, white cord from his pocket. I regarded it warily, struggling only briefly when he placed it around my wrists. It was rough like rope.
I winced as he tightly bound my wrists together. "These are power neutralizers. You will not be able to produce your lightning."
He also grabbed my sheath before hiding it on his body. "And I will be confiscating this."
I didn't bother telling him my true strength lay in fleeing and not my attacks.
He took me into what looked to be a throne room where there were dozens of Angels with large wings standing around. They grew hushed when we entered, staring at me with a mixture of disbelief and stoicism. Their scents were overwhelming, creating a nauseating combination. One reeked of blood and the other of old books. Another smelled like herbs and yet another's odor was powerfully reminiscent of Man. One thing they had in common, though, was the icy under-scent of an Archangel. A thrum of fear had me halt and attempt to retreat. I bumped into Luke and he shoved me forward with a sound of revulsion.
With no way of catching myself I fell, jamming my knees painfully before I hit my forehead on the earthenware floor. I hissed through my teeth, my face burning with embarrassment when I heard several Archangels chortle. I could have sworn I heard one sigh exasperatedly. I attempted to straighten up by sitting back on the balls of my feet. I could feel a bump forming on my forehead. In my line of sight I saw a pair of white boots lined with blue. Slowly, I lifted my head up to gaze upon the face of God.
He was beautiful. Long, white hair with a shine Mikayla would be envious of, intelligent blue eyes, and a gentle looking face. The only odd things I could see about him were his ears, which were pointed, and his needle thin pupils, both traits reminiscent of a demon. He was adorned in a long, light blue tunic with black trousers and a blue shawl, which he kept around his thin shoulders. God was perched on a golden throne, his legs crossed in a figure-four. His face was cold, contrasting with the gentleness of its contours, as he blinked appraisingly at me.
"My Lord, I have brought an Optima to You, just like You wished." Luke said from somewhere behind me. I didn't dare turn around to see where. The animosity in the beautiful man's face prevented me from even daring to move a muscle.
But not my tongue.
"Y-you ordered me here? Why?" I yelped when a steel boot kicked me in the gut. I pressed my forehead against the cold tiled floor, my arms instinctively attempting to wrap themselves around my stomach.
"You do not address God in such an insolent manner, cur!" A harsh voice barked before I was kicked again. A rib crunched unpleasantly as I rolled onto my side. I attempted to curl up as best I could to shield my stomach from the harsh kicks. I saw the steel foot come for me again and squeezed my eyes shut.
"Amir." The foot paused inches from my side. "That is enough."
"...Apologies, God." The voice reluctantly said before they shuffled away from me.
I clenched my teeth through the pain of the rib healing, breathing deeply through my nose as I reopened my eyes. A warm hand grabbed my wrist. I lifted my head and to my astonishment, Will stood in front of me.
The last several months or so had been about as kind to him as they had been to me. His plaited hair was longer, tied back with a black ribbon that ended at his waist. The plait spilled over his shoulder, inches from my nose. Bleary eyed and unshaven, his eyes stared firmly at the spot directly above my head. I noticed the glow of his skin seemed weaker.
I hated the stab of worry I felt.
He helped me to my feet, all but lifting me up rather than wait for me to move myself. He released me quickly and stepped back into his place. The whole time he was helping me up, the throne room had grown quiet. Many of the Archangels had unreadable expressions on their faces, but most were slack jawed at the sight of one of their own helping a demon back on her feet.
God cleared his throat, snapping everyone back to attention.
"I apologize for Amir; he can get overzealous. As for your question earlier, yes, but I didn't order you specifically. I wanted an Optima here." He said, his voice, though unfriendly, was lovely to listen to. It was silvery and deep, yet not quite as deep as Will's or my brother's voices.
My eyes met Will's. "Why?"
He towered over all the angels, even the huge steel-toed angel that bruised me. He stood to the side of God, his arms folded across his chest. His black wings quivered slightly, whether out of anxiousness or something else, I wasn't sure.
He was the first to look away.
"As an Optima, you are the third most affluent group in Hell. I am sure you have heard of an Angel being captured in the last four months?"
Alarms rang in my head as my mouth formed an "O." God smiled venomously at me. "So, you know the Angel of whom I speak."
"...Yes. I remember seeing him being led down the street to the palace. I know no more of it than that." I replied truthfully, fidgeting nervously.
His smile fell and his eyes narrowed into icy slits. "Why is it I do not find myself inclined to believe you?"
Some of the Archangels made noises of agreement. The steel-toed angel, Amir, murmured, "A wise decision, My Lord."
"Believe me or not, it is the truth. Why would I lie when my situation is as precarious as it is now?" I questioned, my heart in my throat.
"Tell me, Optima, of which line do you descend from?" God asked, drumming his long fingers on the armrest of his throne.
I so badly wanted to know how they knew so much about Optima. The more I studied Will's reactions, the less I believed he was the one to tell them. He seemed just as uncomfortable as I felt.
That would-be assassin, Justin. Rayi sneered, speaking for the first time in hours.
"God has asked you a question, wench!" I looked up in time to see Amir back in front of me, smacking me across the face with his armored hand.
I grunted, my cheek stinging something fierce. When he lifted his hand again, I flinched and stammered, "A-Amdusias! I-I'm from the Amdusias family l-line."
"The King's Adviser." My head snapped up to stare at God as he uttered my father's title.
"H-how do you-"
God stood gracefully and walked over to me. I kept my eyes on him though every fiber of my being begged me to avert my eyes. My body subconsciously began to duck to make itself smaller. He stopped before me and scrutinized my bruised face. His expression changed into something else.
"What is wrong with your eyes?" He asked, his voice strained.
Not sure why he wanted to know, but not wanting to get hurt anymore, I replied quickly, "Genetic deformation."
"I've only seen eyes like yours once before...a demon by the name of Mahin." He murmured so softly I was sure I had been the only one to hear him. "My mother. I heard about her death some centuries ago. It seems she met the same fate as my father...an Angel."
He's lying! Rayi screamed as my eyes widened. The implications of his words struck me like a punch to the gut, almost taking my breath away. I shook my head slowly, disbelieving.
Semifacta, half breed, abomination. They were nearly unheard of. I never thought I'd ever meet one, let alone meet the one Semifacta who became God.
I whispered, "...No. No, that isn't possible. You're lying!"
His thin nose—not Mother's—wrinkled with distaste. "Why would I slander my own reputation by saying I am a Semifacta? As if I would want any part of your filthy race."
Rage surged through me as I narrowed my eyes. It bubbled inside my chest and I felt my ribs vibrate with the force of the snarl that escaped my lips. The anger was not from him insulting my race, but because he insulted my mother.
I lunged at him, not knowing how I was going to harm him, but just knowing I had to do something to him. To cause him pain, make him cry out from it. He simply leaned back as I snapped my teeth at him, his mien flat.
I could hear Rayi screech with her own fury and felt it wash over me like my own. There was a brief moment where God's and my eyes met and he took in my expression before I was suddenly on my back staring at the tips of several swords.
ns 15.158.61.52da2
