Chapter 1: Angel in Disguise
"She is a beautiful child, Engracia!" a long haired woman exclaimed as she fawned over the sleeping baby girl that lay in a basinet next to her exhausted mother. "What is her name?"
Engracia smiled weakly as she stared at her child. "Mercedes Engracia Angelus."
The woman, Tina, smiled in approval. "Just as beautiful as she is."
Engracia smiled again and stared down at her child. The baby girl was now awake, thanks to Tina gushing, and she stared up at her with bright silver eyes that reminded her of the moon. They seemed almost transparent, and they were gorgeous. Just as she was. Suddenly a loud banging from the front door of their small Spanish home, along with loud banging footsteps on the stairs, caused the baby to whimper in fear. Engracia glared at the man who trudged into her room without invitation.
"Now could you be any louder, Gregorio?!" Engracia said, picking up her child. "You could wake the dead!"
The tall and gruff man gave a grunt in response as he stared at the child in his friend's arms. "Cute kid. Is she the one?"
Tina rolled her eyes at her husband and kicked him hard in the shin as she carried more wet towels to the birthing bed. "Geez Greg, she hasn't been in the word for an hour and you're already on about that stupid prophecy. Straight to business as usual!"
Greg shook his long dark bangs from his brown eyes. "It's why you married me, remember?"
Engracia scoffed at the couple and covered her daughter's ears. "Get a room you two! Mercy doesn't need to hear that!"
Greg turned from his wife and raised an eyebrow. "Mercy?"
"Mercedes Engracia Angelus." Tina announced happily. "Beautiful huh?"
"Very." Gregorio said in a barely audible whisper. "Does she have the…"
Engracia's happy face turned serious and she nodded. Pushing her blanket down a little, she revealed the star shaped birthmark on Mercedes shoulder. All stiffened slightly at the sight. Mercedes squirmed in her mother's hands, making gurgling noises from her small mouth. Engracia looked at her daughter and let a small and pained smile grace her beautiful features.
"You'd do your father proud." she whispered, cradling the baby closer. "Imagine, the look on his face if he knew his daughter was the Pure Elemental…"
Tina sighed and leaned against Engracia's bed post. "The power to control Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Light… It all belongs to her." Mercedes cooed, making everyone smile at her. "And she's not even aware of how powerful she is."
"Well she…" Gregorio trailed off as his face grew into confusion. He cocked his head to the side, as if trying to hear something better. "Did you hear that?"
Tina scrunched her eyebrows. "What?"
"It sounds like-" Suddenly, the wall behind Gregorio was blasted apart, rubble flying everywhere. Tina screams echoed through the room, as well as Mercedes. Engracia followed her first instinct, and raised a shield of fire around she, her daughter, and an unconscious Tina, smoke blocking her view. A single figure could be seen through the smoke, it was something or someone big. Someone who's posture said that they were here for a fight.
The figure emerged from the smoke and Engracia's eyes widened.
"No…not you…"
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I ran along a dark alley, my breathing unstable and ragged from running for so long. I thought I should stop but found myself debating it, what with the dangers she was running from. My side was bleeding, badly, and it began to leak down my leg and soak my jeans. Not being able to stand the pain anymore, I collapsed to the ground and leaned against a brick wall. It felt good to sit down for awhile, to catch my breath.
"What the hell have you gotten yourself into now Mercedes." I mumbled to myself, wrapping my tattered jacket tighter around myself.
Rain started too pour down on me, and I shivered from the harsh cold that had suddenly came over me. I have no money, no job, no home, and really no identity. My chest heaves as I hold my tears in.
'If I wasn't such a freak none of this would have ever happened.…' My self-pity is cut off by a loud angry booming voice.
"There she is!" I turn around to see two large ogre looking men running into the alley.
"We've got you now." The hideous man snarls and chuckles a smoke damaged chuckle.
I run as far back into the alley hoping for means of escape. No dice, it's a dead end. I turn around to see the hideous men chuckling with clubs in hand.
"Hey, hey, hey… Don't you think we can pull off some kind of deal?" I say smiling politely hoping to god they just want my money.
"You couldn't possible match the amount of bounty on your pretty little head." I cringe as he smiles a pedophiles smile and beats his fist into his sweaty palm.
Within a blink of an eye the ogre man's friend swings his club which out of dumb luck misses my head and makes contact with a dumpster smelling of twelve day old tuna and sour sweat. I try to run for the exit but the ogre man swings his mighty meat mitts in my direction, I doge every punch but just barely. Even though I'm new to this game at least I'm not dead yet.
He throws another punch at me and hits me directly in the chest causing me to fly into a wall. The pain causes my chest to give off large dry heaves as if I were to cough up my nearly crystallized lungs. I roll out of the way just quick enough to no get my face smashed in with ogre mans friends club. I can taste the blood rise into my mouth. Ogre man must have hit me pretty severely. My eyesight begins to fade and I can feel myself slip into darkness.
'God damn it… Don't give up without a fight… Die trying…' I say as I move my arms to push myself in a kneeling position.
I was about to get up and take another swing when I see a flash of red and gold above my head. But this time I can see a vague outline.
'That looks like a dragon… Silly me…' And with that the darkness prevailed.
