It's been a several years since my parents death. Another year, another day , we're starting our first day of summer, and it's on a cruise. Packing my suitcase, I made sure to get clothes, swimwear, and other necessities.
Knocking, Anne's dad opened my door. 'Almost ready champ?'
I smiled, 'In a second, just need to grab my phone.'
'Well,' he studied me for a bit, 'Well we'll be downstairs, and don't keep Anne waiting.' He said with urgency.
'I won't Mr.Sullivan.' Finishing packing, I grabbed my bag and my suitcase. Going out my room, down the hall, then the stairs, I was greeted by a hug.
Anne was never not in a dress. Giving me a great hug, she seemed afraid to let go. Letting go, she seemed dazzling. With a plan white dress, her shoes were mere slippers, but they went perfect for her look. Her hair was breathtaking. Long, drooping down little past her waist, it was strong blonde.
Putting his hand out, Mr.Sullivan looked at me, 'Let me load up your stuff, and we'll be waiting in the car kids,' taking my bags, he did excatly that.
'You're always in a dress Anne.'
'And your always in black Zen,' she smirked.
'Ha ha,' I felt a sudden pain in my heart. Falling over, I held myself up with my left arm, right on my heart.
'Zen!' Anne leaned down to me.
Standing back up, I reassured her that everything was fine.
With a sad nod, she lead me to the car.
With the both of us climbing in the back, we buckled in.
'Good morning Zen,' Mrs.Sullivan told me. Anna and her mother shared many physical traits, from eye colour to hair. While that be said, Anne had many personality traits from her father, caring and putting others before her, not afriad.
'Morning Mrs.S,' I rested my head backwards.
'You ought to get up ealier, jobs and school require you show at a certain time you know.'
'I know, I know,' peering out the window, looking at the cars and trucks we passed, I swore I saw a man with wings. Alas, I must be seeing things.
We finally arrived. Hordes of people swarmed the ship from check in. Just like them, The Sullivans and I checked in, and boarded. Going to our rooms, Mr and Mrs.Sullivan shared one, Anne and I in the other.
Unpacking, I felt a sense of....trouble. I felt as though I was being watched, stalked, about to be preyed on. I ignored it.
Anne pranced around the room, as if it was a trip to Hawaii, but it's a cruise, no more, no less.
Slipping into bed, I looked over at Anne. 'Make sure to not be loud forever, I'm still tired,' I faked a yawn.
'What!?' She crossed her arms, 'But we just got here, let's look around, get some fancy people food.'
I sighed, getting out of bed, 'Fine, where off first?'
She grabbed my hand and we sprinted out the room.
Making our way to the main hall, lots of dishes rested on the many tables, some shrimp, others cheesecake. Looking out the closet window, we've made great distance from mainland, for I could no longer see it no more. Joing Anne again, I looked at her plate of food. 'How are you not fat?'
'Hey!' she said muffled from the cheesecake she shoved on her mouth. Swallowing it, she pat her stomach, 'Eat something!' She shoved a spoon of rice I'm my mouth.
Not wanting to be rude, I chewed and swallowed. 'Yum,' I said sarcastically.
'Go outside.'
I spun in circles. A voice spoke out to me. Looking to see who said it to me, it did sound out of body, ghostly, far from human. 'Did you hear that?'
'Hear what?'
'Nevermind. I'll be back.' Heading out the main hall, a storm loomed over us. 'What is th-' before very eyes, a man flew past my eyes and into the deck floor. Looking to see where he came from, a bunch of winged people came flying out the storm. They wore white dresses, wings big and white, but swords bigger than a motorcycle, they seemed to be like angels. 'Those angels?'
I felt someone touch my shoudler.
Turning, it was the man, but not a man. 'What are you?'
'You will-' he coughed blood on me, 'Protect people, Zen.'
'How do you know me?'
'I know all-' His wings, tattered, slowly fell apart, like a puzzle piece being taken apart. Weakly, he touched my chest. 'When time comes to it, use this po-' he fell over.
Checking his pulse, he was dead. Looking at the "angels" again, they started flying above the cruise. Looking up, they started fighting others. Wings, red and pointy, claws more menacing than those of a blade, horns that make a bull seem like nothing in comparison, those were devils for sure. Like fairy tales, I was witnessing it in real life. Angels vs Devils.
People panicked and screamed. Some devils crashed on the ship and started to eat them.
Clicking back to reality, I need to find everyone. Running into the main hall, it was covered in blood. Devils laid dead, their blood spilt by those "better" than them. Not all the blood belong to them though, some was from humans caught in between or eaten.
My heart beat raced.
Searching the bodies, I looked for Anne.
Sweat came down my face, blinding me.
I checked under and over corpse.
My breathing became erratic.
I heard someone call me.
'Zen!'
Facing it, Anne ran at me.
Standing, I opened bloody arms and hands.
Leaping into them, Anne's clean dress, not stained with blood. 'What's going on!' She cried in my shoulder.
I wasn't entirely sure either. I just held onto her. Looking up, I saw a shadow covering us. Looking at it, an angel stood there.
Raising its blade, it planned to kills us.
Lifting Anne in my arms, I dodge the blade. Running with her in my arms, I bursted through the double doors.
Anne held tigther to me. She was weeping.
Doing my best to avoid the combat, I've reached her parents room. Releasing Anne, she stood on her own, shakened up. Opening the door, I looked inside, it was empty. 'Anne wait here,' she grabbed my arm.
'Where you go,' she let loose her stiff posture, 'I'm going.'
Knowing she'd argue, we made our way. Crouched, we kept a low profile. The sky that was once clear and blue, now covered in clouds, raining blood and providing screams. Heading to the captain's quarters, we had found them.
Mr.Sullivan's body, torn in half. His guts sprawled everywhere, arms torn at, jaw detached.
Covering Anne's eyes, I looked at her mother's body, it was far from being recognizable. To describe it, I didn't know where to even begin.
Then I felt Anne slip out my grasp. 'Anne!?' Turning, an angel grabbed and threw me aside. Before my eyes, Anne turned into a bright white light, then her body dropped.
With a sudden boost of adrenaline, I raced to her, barely dodging the Angel's blade, I picked Anne, now unconscious, and jumped off the boat. Not long after, I had lost consciousness as well.
Coughing out chunks of water, I looked around. It was dark, must've been night, and all that stood was a building, dimly lit by one red light. Below me, Anne resided. Without thought, I begun giving her CPR. Before making contact with her lips, she raised her head into mine.
'Ow!' She held her forehead.
'Your welcome,' standing, I rubbed my forehead. Lowering my hand, I helped Anne up.
'Where are we?'
Something got knocked over.
Holding onto me, I held onto Anne as well. 'I'll protect you,' I whispered under my breathe.
Coming out the building, dog like creatures. Appearance wise, they looked nearly identical to any ordinary dog, but what made them different was the fur colour. A black fur, tipped with flames. Fangs sharp enough to break a bone in half, these weren't no ordinary dogs. Three I could count.
'Kill her,' the one in the middle spoke.
'As the chosen champion, you'll save and lead our kind,' the one to my right growled.
'Just kill the girl in your arms,' the one left of me sounded to inhuman for me.
'I would never hurt Anne,' looking into her scared eyes, I brushed her hair from off her eyes, 'Never.'
The dogs started to us.
Pushing Anne behind me, I didn't know how I was gonna stop these dogs. As I stood there, my body felt like unsheathing a blade from my waist. Placing my hand against a sheath, a katana appeared at my side. With my right hand, I grabbed the handle of the blade and drew it. Dropping the sheath, I held the katana handle with both hands and stood still.
The dogs now cowered.
From behind, Anne stared at me, from once torn up clothing covered in blood, to a sleek black full body suit, no mask. With a scarf wrapped around my neck, it had a red highlight streaked on it.
Taking a deep breathe, I closed my eyes, letting my blade be consumed by darkness. At once, I ran at the dogs with incredible speed. Before colliding into them, I slowed myself and took a horizontal strike at all three. With one cut, a flightless strike, in the shape of a crescent, left my blade and hit the dogs. Standing straight now, I held the blade with one hand now.
From Anne's perspective, I had moved from one point to another without warning and cut three dogs in half.
Looking at my left hand, also not covered by my suit, it was marked. It was in Japanese. I only spoke and read english, but for some reason I could read this and it said, "Demons Champion."