~~**~~
Amongst the dead silence, with nothing but the crackling of fire, day broke. The soft light of the sun gently kissed away the darkness which engulfed the tall pine trees and Ana slowly turned toward face the sun as it seemed to emerge from the vast oceans deep.
Whenever she watched the sunrise and sunset, she'd always felt happiness and an amazing feeling that today would be better than the last. But now watching the sunset, she wasn't so sure. She couldn't even bear to look at it without crying again.
The sun's rays nonetheless, continued to steadily seep through the spaces of the pine trees. It looked so beautiful and yet the moment wasn't, her thoughts drifted back to the argument she had with her mother a day ago.
That same night, she met Zapphira and her life was suddenly, turned upside down. Then, she met Sméagol, her brothers whore of a girlfriend, got raped and now, her mother is dead. The worst part was that she'd killed a man with her bare hands and felt no remorse, no guilt, nothing!
Any normal person would have freaked out but, then again, she wasn't normal. That night, something was born inside her, and as much as she wanted to know what it was, the same way she was afraid to find out. Then something clicked something that trumped all her thoughts, something that brought with it all of this madness.
'Zapphira,' she exclaimed as the veins in her neck bulged.
All this happened because of her. She was the one that meddled with her life and caused all this grief-all this...all this..."You Bitch!" Ana swiveled around and pointed her finger at Zapphira as she spoke in an accusing manner, her voice close to a whisper. Rage burned in her eyes as her nostrils flared, "This is your fault!"
"Me?" Zapphira looked at her shocked, as she pointed to herself.
Ana stood there as her eyes turned red. The water pooling in them shone, as the sun's rays rose higher. Zapphira gulped and raised her head, "How is this fault?"
Ana rushed towards Zapphira with swift fierceness but before she could make contact with her nose, Simion held her back. She struggled against him and continued her argument.
"If you hadn't showed up in the first place, none of this would've happened! My mom would still be alive today. I went through hell because of you! I was raped, by one of the world's most disgusting and vile creatures in the planet." She paused to catch her breath, "You should've kept your ass in Zappirenos, or wherever the hell it is you came from!" Hatred and murder glimmered in her eyes, as a tear cascaded down her cheek.
Zapphira stood stunned for a while as she looked at Anadron, seeking his aid, but even he seemed to be paralyzed as Ana continued her threats. Before she could open her mouth to speak, a coldness wrapped around the words which Ana spoke.
"I will never forgive you for this," more tears escaped, "both of you." Her eyes locked onto her father's for three seconds before turning to Zapphira. "Mark my words, I will kill you."
Despite Ana's heated gaze and threatening words, Zapphira scoffed and there was a twinkle of amusement in her eyes that fueled Ana more.
She broke free and went for another attempt, but her father stepped in front of Zapphira, the punch landing on his chest instead. "Ana, this isn't Zapphira's fault. This is fate this-this is what was meant to happen."
Her eyes widened as she gasped looking up at him. How could he after all these years and after all this time...come back without so much as an explanation as a-wait. Did he just protect her?! She stared into his eyes, her emotions gone haywire, but finally it stayed true to one: anger. Her gaze hardened, as she gulped removing her hand as it dropped to her side. Both of them now balled into fists so hard that she felt blood trickling down.
"You need to understand that everything happens for a reason. We must all accept that and there is nothing we can do to change what has been done. All she did was warn you, and regardless of the harm that it may have caused, it had to be done," he made a move to cup her cheek; his voice lowered as he tried to make her understand. "It wasn't her fau-"
"No! You're right dad. It wasn't her fault."
Anadron's face relaxed, thinking he got her to calm down, but to his surprise, she shoved his hand away and stepped back to look at him harshly. "It's your fault! If you hadn't gone on that stupid expedition years ago, I'm sure things would've been different. You sent her here to deliver that message. One that was wrapped in death and now one of us is dead! How can you be so-so emotionless about this right now? Not even an apology?" To further cause more pain, she took one step towards him and said, "God...I can't even look at you right now. You're a disgrace to the Fatherhood name."
A sword plunged in his heart as he stumbled to gain his balance. "Ana..."
Ana huffed and turned away from him, while running her fingers through her hair. After a few seconds, she swiveled around, "And you're supposed to be dead! Why the hell are you alive Dad!?"
Simion visibly flinched at her words and averted his eyes. His sister was right but...
"And the secrets and you have wings? I mean-I-we- ugh... we're your family! We were a family and you two hid things from us. We were born into this world, only to know now that we will never be safe! Why didn't you'll say anything-why didn't you tell me anything?"
His eyes averted as he shifted on his feet. She grabbed his shoulders, her voice lowered and hurt, "I thought we were close Dad. I thought we told each other everything. Shouldn't I have been told since I was older?"
When there was no reply, she turned away from him and walked closer the cliff's edge. Her eyes locked onto the ocean and fresh tears glimmered in the light. There was complete silence as the question hung in the air, and the sound of solemn waves crashing against rocks. Then, with a soft voice, she concluded, "If you had told me...then I would have looked out more for my brother. I would have been prepared. I could've saved mom, I-I would've..." and her voice trailed off into silence.
"She's right Dad," Simion took over. "I mean don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're not dead but...you could have at least told us-"
"Told you'll what," he said exhaustedly. "That we were being hunted by creatures who want to tear us apart?"
"Yes because we were blindly walking this world not knowing the darkness lurking in every corner!"
"Ignorance is bliss..."
"Is that what you would you call being safe? Living in ignorance? Is that... what you tell yourself at night to justify your reason for leaving us?"
"You'll were children and we-I, didn't want to take the best moments of your lives away, by constantly instilling in you that you should trust no one? It was my decision to wait until you were old enough, it didn't seem fair." Anadron spoke those words defensively as he gave his son a slight profile view.
Simion took a step forward with a firm and confident voice, "What if Zapphira hadn't come in time to warn us. What if you came back home only to find us dead-"
"But you aren't dead-"
"What if - I mean you can't just waltz back in here with your little Barbie doll warrior," he gestured to
Zapphira -who scoffed - "and expect us to just...I don't know...forgive you? You've been gone for years, Dad. Why'd you choose now to come back when we were near death? Do we mean so little to you?"
Anadron thought that his children would have welcomed him home lovingly. He thought he would have gotten home in time to prepare them and answer all the questions that they'd have... but he was wrong. They were wrong on so many levels. They thought they were doing right by them but, the end result only seemed to have turned them...bitter, to some extent.
He understood that he was supposed to be dead like his wife claimed, but he wasn't. Yes he kept secrets from them, but he had no choice. If he hadn't done what he'd done they'd be dead right now.
'Would they? I should have-'
No. He couldn't live with himself if he'd taken that risk. He looked at his son and then to his daughter, the image of their bodies soaking in blood surfaced in his mind. He did the right thing and he would do it again regardless.
"Ana...please look at me. I know you're upset-both of you are," he looked at Simion," but you need to think with a clear mind ok? If I hadn't sent Zapphira to deliver that message, or done the things I'd done, you and Simion would be dead."
"Except you're forgetting one thing...father, or have you already forgotten her?" Simion said.
"She- is dead," Ana finished, her back still turned to them. The wind blew a vicious tune to which her raven hair danced to.
"No, I have not forgotten. She herself vowed to protect you two with her life if it came to that. We both care for you deeply and would easily choose your lives over ours."
"He's right," Zapphira dared to chime in, "I know you don't like me that much-"
Ana growled, "I understand that you're trying to make peace, but would you be so kind as to shut your trap?" Ana's head turned back slightly, "This is family business and you're not family. I'll bet it was even you who kept my father away for all these years and I would like to know why-"
"Look, I get that your mother dying makes you feel like Hulk-and that's understandable- but I sure as hell won't stand here and let you blame me for it." She sighed and straightened up before
turning around and walking away, "Because of her, you two are alive and instead of thanking her, you want to lay blame on people. You are ungrateful."
Ana swiftly turned around and was ready to pounce but was stopped when her father stepped in between, "Enough both of you!"
All eyes fell on him and Ana folded her arms.
"We do not have all day to bicker about the dead. Let the dead bury the dead-we are alive and as far as I'm concerned? I'd like to stay that way. Now," he poised himself shifting his weight onto his right leg as his left foot came forward, "we don't have to like each other, but we do have to work together in order to stay alive. Agreed?" He looked at them all.
"Agreed," Zapphira said still looking at Ana.
"Agreed," Simion followed.
They all looked at Ana now, waiting for her to agree.
"Agreed," she muttered through clenched teeth as she exhaled and unfolded her arms.
Now that everyone was on good terms, Anadron opened his mouth to speak, but the words never left him because Zapphira filled in for him.
"Come on guys, we have to go. It's not safe here and the Demon's King or Queen might have sent their henchmen after us already, seeing as their nitwits haven't reported back to headquarters." Her eyes fell on the charred remains of the house and smoke ascending to the sky.
"Most likely," Anadron agreed.
Before Ana could protest about going with them, she sensed a vibration in the air. There was no doubt in her mind about it. The sensations were auras checking in on her radar one by one. She turned to face them as her eyes met the sky, "Guys..." she said in a monotone voice.
On point with Zapphira's suspicions, there were multiple Demons flying their way. Some of them had already begun launching arrows at them too.
"Run to the woods!" Ana screamed and everyone broke into a run. Arrows continued to rain down like blessings. Some Demons happened to have already landed and were in pursuit as some kept to the skies.
"What do we do now? I mean we can't out run them can we?" Simion yelled.
"No, we can't that's obvious. There's only one solution. We fight back!" Ana came to a stop as did everyone else.
"No Ana, there are way too many of them and we can't all take them on. It's too risky, best we can do, is run till we find a safe place to hide."
"How…? Like Simion said we can't outrun them and even if we managed to find a safe place they have men scouting the skies. They'll find us either way."
"Ana's right," Zapphira said.
"Guys..." Simion said trying to catch their attention.
"So how do we do this? How do we prevent them from following us?" Ana asked ready to take action.
"Guys..." Simion tried again.
"It makes no difference which one we choose," her father debated, "For now, I say we keep moving. You and Simion are not well versed enough in combat to take them on."
"I killed a Demon," Ana countered as she puffed up her chest.
"That's not enough Ana. These Demons may be worse off than the one's you've had to deal with last night. Killing one Demon does not guarantee that you will be able to kill several others."
"No, but together we can try."
"Ana, you're not listening to me."
"And you're not listening to me!"
"Ana, you are asking for suicide when we can have a chance to escape...however slight it may be!"
"Guys for fuck's sake you're wasting time they're gaining on us!" Simion barked fed up as he could see their silhouettes approaching.
"Watch your language young man."
Suddenly, an arrow shot past Ana's head and then someone shouted, "Over here, we found 'em!"
Simion made a gesture which said 'See what I was talking about?' They looked in the direction it came from and figures became visible through the tree lines.
"Really, Dad we're about to die and language is all you can think about?"
Arrows were being loosed from the skies and they started running again. Dodging trees and jumping over logs, they tried getting away. A bridge came into view and their spirits soared, only to be crushed when other demons emerged from their hiding places.
Everyone came to a sudden halt, and in that opportunity a spear penetrated Simion's hamstring, instantaneously gluing him to the ground. "Ah, shit!" He cried in agony.
"Simion," Ana called out as she hurried to his aid.
"Ana look out!"
An arrow was headed straight for her heart and what she did seemed to have happened in slow motion. She ran a few feet closer to Simion, skidded to a stop and then leaned to the left. She felt a whiz of air kiss her arm, as the arrow head zipped past her and lodged itself into a tree instead.
"Ana are you mad!" She heard her brother yell, as she knelt before him. Before she could attempt to help him, an arrow shot him in his thigh.
"Seven hells," he shrieked.
Anadron moved to help him but Zapphira held him back, shaking her head. Her brother's cries caused her adrenaline to surface along with anger. Sharply, she looked up at them and snarled. Something like a growl emanated from her throat. Her heart beat began to slow down, allowing her to hear her brother's as well. The noise around her grew softer, muffled even.
She could make out the faintest chirp of the birds, as well as the arrows that left their bows from the sky, heading straight towards them. Ana took in a deep breath as her eyes closed. Her lungs were slowly being filled with air, as she eased into her crouched position. When she opened them again, they were crimson.
Unable to contain the air that she retrieved so diligently, Ana let it go as she screamed. Fire shot out from every joint in her body. She'd burnt every single arrow launched from above, and the demons heading their way, leaving nothing but ash.
More of them flooded through the trees and didn't think twice about running over their colleagues remains. As if she felt constricted, her wings and tail broke free, giving her a lighter and clearer feel of her surroundings and she ascended into the air. Ana felt the quality of the wind and the way that the leaves moved slowly, hypnotizing her.
"Ana! Have you gone mad! You'll get killed, we'll all get killed! Hurry get your brother and let's go!" Anadron pleaded, but Ana paid him no mind.
It was as if she were in her own world. The winds picked up, as energy from the earth seeped into her veins, tingling with its every touch. Simion helplessly glanced back and forth from her to the
demons approaching, as that did not deter them.
"Ana-fuck it," he wrapped his hand around the arrow embedded in his leg and agonizingly began pulling it out. He'd rely on her, but it seems like she was too wrapped up in whatever the hell she was doing to help him.
Slowly, the crimson in her eyes turned white as pearl. Just like that, without any hand gestures, her enemies on ground were lifted up into the air. They along with those in the air seemed to be paralyzed as no one moved. With every inch they ascended, the air grew thinner and their eyes grew wider at their failed attempts to breath.
With swiftness, she raised her hands higher and swiped them across to form an 'X'. All the bodies tumbled down in weird positions with their heads cracked. Anadron stood paralyzed and Zapphira's eyes slowly moved from the bodies on the ground to Ana.
"Holy shit," Simion replied.
"Ana how in the..." Anadron tried to ask but the words escaped him.
"Fascinating," Zapphira said as she glanced around them in awe.
Ana took in a sharp breath and tumbled to the ground as her tail and wings vanished.
"Ana? Ana!"