The wind crashed against the dead trees, forming a huge moving funnel. As the wind began to die down, four knelt figures began to appear. It was not long till the air became still, and smell of rotten flesh began to rise from the ground.
"The air smells like death and decay!" said Cathasch as he began to cough at the smell that enter his nostrils.
Raquel pointed to all the corpus that were all scatter around, she stood up to adjust her eyes to this horrific scene. Michael pulled out his broad sword from the back of his greyish armor he had on, cautiously began to walk over the remain and began to scout the surrounding; for a few minutes he did this then put back his sword.
"No one's around," Michael said in strong voice.
Chamuel was still kneeling with her hooded clock and was heard praying for the soul of the dead, when she was dawn she propped herself with her two katana like swords she had lying next to her.
"Can any of you get connected with the others, I can't get of hold of any one," Raquel stated while touching behind her ear.
"It seems like something is interfering with the connection magic that we had place, and I don't know what can cause this but we have still look for the girl," Chamuel replied at the same time as she placed her swords in the scabbards she
had on each side of her fit thighs.
"How will be able to find her without the guidance of the Seven Princesses?" Cathasch said in an unease way.
"We know two things; first she seems to have power of a star and second there seems to be two stars but of a different color, meaning she is not alone. With that I think we are not just looking for a normal being, we looking for something that stands out for the rest of this darkened world," Raquel said while putting on a white cloak she had on her side covering up her chain mail armor and red tight pants that match the color of her long hair.
"The idea was two split into two teams, yet with no connection back home I think it is better if we stick together," Chamuel stated while covering up the rest of herself with a black cloak and with gold trim.
Michael nodded his head in agreement, as he began to move forward. The rest began to do the same as they zig and zag passed the remains of dead creatures and human bodies.
"If we were taking to this position, I'm guessing they're not far from here so we must keep are eyes and ears sharp," said Cathasch.
The four walked out the dead trees and into the wide field area. Cathasch did not like be out in the open because there was no cover but only a few houses like structure that were all in color of ash. Raquel looked on with dismay and wonder what could have done such a thing to this world, they passed a field where all the remain of dead cows half eaten gave way to flies and maggots all around the earth.
"We must stay sharp," said Michael as he signals the group to keep on moving.
Cathasch look at Chamuel as she walked tall with he hands on each side of her sword scabbard. Her walk gave way to aura of great warrior, Cathasch remember many songs were sung of The Warrior of Life. He then glanced at Raquel and also marveled at her grace when she walked in her white clock and with glimpse of pure red hair that could be seen as she sways back and forth while she moved, this was The Warrior of Love.
"What are you looking at, I can feel your stare in the back of my head," she said while pointing with her right hand on ahead.
Michael was not much for words but he chuckled a little, this help release the tension in the group. Michael suddenly put his big left arm up while the other was place over his shoulder to reach for his sword. They all stop as from a distant they could hear laughing, yelling and load erratic music.
Cathasch could see a cluster of building surrounded by burning barn fires in the streets, he could make out people dancing in circles. He stood still and was frozen waiting for the order from Michael on what to do, but who spoke was Raquel:
"Let survey the surround and avoid any unnecessary attention."
"Yes that is wise, we must not move to action until we have grasp of this dying world," Chamuel whispered.
Michael signal to move around to get a better look, so they began crouch down and move quickly through the field of dead animals. Within in a few minutes they were near the edge of the outer building, back against the building they moved into the first side alleys to get a better look. To their surprise they were many out walking out in the streets in yelling in joy not pay any mind to them when they walked out the alley. Some were drinking while fornicated with animals other were stuck in yelling at each other in tongues unheard before, like pig being slaughter, ;what shocked the four of them that they were perfectly beautiful, each person with endless beauty.
"This is insane…" murmured Cathasch.
"This makes no sense," replied Raquel.
"There is something wrong with this world, it seems as if these perfect being do not know what is right and wrong," said Chamuel with concern.
"Or they don't care!" stated Michael in a firm voice.
The four stood at the edge of the chaos in the shadows looking on to all the insanity that went on, the barn fires burned bright and the flames dance with the music that was heard from people playing all types of instruments. It was like they we stuck in endless party with not a care in the world.
Yet from a distance in front of them, they heard load chaotic movement as they saw a group of men carrying a young naked girl over their head. The girl was frantic and yelling for help, trying to break free by kick all who try to carry her away but only laughter was heard as they grabbed her legs. The group of men carried the girl threw the screaming mob and threw the naked girl into the barn fire like, causing the girl to scream as she was consumed by fire. Chamuel and Raquel reach for their weapon and moved closer but Michael extended bought of his arm and took hold them by the arms.
"We must not move with haste, it would be foolish to attack this craze mob," he said while let their arms go.
"But Michael, that could have been the girl we were searching for," Raquel snapped back.
"I think she is not the one, her power is connected to The Princess of The Star and that power is too great to grasp by mere mob."
As Michael said this in a stern voice the poor burning girl began to wail in pain as she began to crawl out of the roaring fire, with this the group of men began to beat the girl with broken tree bark while laughing with joy. Chamuel turned with disgust and made her way behind Cathasch, and began to hand her head low while reciting a pray for lost soul. Raquel eyes burned bright with hatred but deep down she knew that this was risk to engage such numbers, they were here for one purpose to save the girl that could unknowingly change the outcome of this world. She slowly loosens her grip and turn her back to the mob who did not even take a second glance at them.
Michael decided it was best to avoid any large group but he said they eventually will have extract some kind of information. The four slowly fell back in to the darkness of the flickering fires all around them and disappear back to the non-living fields that only hosted remain of the dead.
***
The grasp of day and night was no more, as the world was slowly consumed by the darkness that brought forth the Moon of Abyzou, her cursed light made way to horrific scenes, endless towns and city burned to the ground riddle with corpus caused by the chaos of these marked beautiful being. These being that accepted the terms and let demon share their bodies to walk once again in this new black world that was almost complete.
Not far from the newly cast down warriors, Azriel could be seen huddle in and old barn holding Providence in his arm. The barn was half torn down and Azriel held Providence close to him in the far right of the barn, next to rubble of the torn barn that hid them somewhat from the evil light of this deadly moon. The wind blew fierce cause the hanging wood around to give up a since of evil melody that became the soundtrack to this ungodly time. Azriel exhausted stared at Providence as she slept in his arm, she was young had a slight tan as if her summer job was under the sun making him chuckle a little, thinking when was the last time he saw the sun? This question swirled in his head until he hunched over and fell in to a deep sleep that he could not escape.
Providence grey eyes opened slight and saw this sleeping man holding her, she didn't remember him and was scared. She slowly moved away from him and she began to hold head, the headache was intense making her through up on the side barn as she began to get up. Next to her stood Azriel who gently held her up and began to speak in soothing voice:
"I think you should get up slowly."
"Who are you…?" she cautiously said.
"Remember my name Azriel, I found you on edge of the water I think you hit your head pretty good, you also ask me about what I was carrying," Azriel said while handing her The Bible.
Grasping The Bible her memories began to flooded in all at once about her parents, escaping a beast like creature and running for her life. Now she met this man who was dress in a black robe.
"Yes, I remember all of it," saying this her nails dug into the book. "Here take this back, I told you my parents had faith and look what they were bless with." She looked to both of hands and remember what had happened to beast when she touched it with her hand.
"Providence, right?"
"Ye… yes," she murmured as if she came back to the reality that was now.
"Well Providence, I have a few bits and pieces of what the hell is happening, if I told you my story of the last day you wouldn't even believe me."
"Try me."
So, then Azriel began to tell his story of how he met a beautiful goddess and how she told him head to The Mountain to the west, he also stated how The Book help escape him from some mutated birds of some kind. Providence paused after his story as if trying swallow with caution what he said but to her after she saw what happen to the beast, and also running in to that fragile old man who rose into the sky, she did not question any of Azriel story. For her it seems like a crazy nightmare mixed with dark fantasy, Providence looked up to the darken sky and did not know what to say and kept all that had happened to her to herself. She did not know this man and also did not know what was going to her.
"Don't be scared, if I was going to have done anything I would have done it while you were knocked out, I'm man of The Book so you can be at ease," Azriel said because her felt her uneasiness. "I'm not a man that would leave a lady alone but I must head west, I think it is better if you stick with me."
Providence stood looking deep into his dark brown eyes, sensing the trouble she would face if she went alone into this darkness that was slowly eating away at the light.
"There is much I don't know, but you have helped me so far so… I will go with you and search for this mountain you told me about."
"Ok then, I think the next thing is to search for something to eat and drink, which I think is going to be a problem with the state of this world," Azriel replied as he looked at Providence and what she was wearing. "I know you are wet and cold, also you pretty tall so take my robe."
Without wasting a moment, he had taken of his rob and was wearing a long white sleeve shirt with black pants. He gentle cover Providence and knelt on one knee tared bottom part of the rob that was too long for her, showing off her Nike shoes. Azriel stood looking at her and pulled the hood over her face.
"I think you would be safer, if you keep your face covered. Something tells me traveling with a young beautiful woman might catch unwanted attention, so lets' keep a low profile until we get a better understand of what the world was becoming."
Providence felt a little warmth in his words, lowering down a little the hood, she began to follow Azriel out of the broken-down barn and into the abyss, into the darkness that will soon close in on them both.