Never did occur to the people of Rhodes that it will be the longest night of their lives. The truth is, maybe it will be the last night they will experience for their entire life.
They call it by many names. Night Stalkers, Demon of the Night, The Winged Ones. It can make a long list of obscure and terrifying names. Nevertheless, when the "creature" visits their humble town, only the name the Devil echoes among the fear-driven people.
Spears and swords are useless with the Devil. Nor fires can make it stop grabbing all the things it can see. Animals, children, women and men of varying ages. For the Devil, everyone and everything is just the same; foods that it can devour especially their souls.
Massive stampede rage in all the streets and corners of Rhodes. Screams that never been heard are heard. Loud wails of helplessness synchronized with a shrill laughter from the dark predators from above. Toying his prey is how it enjoys its meal that time. It's a pleasure they indulge themselves with much gusto.
Albeit, this winged damnable didn't even give their attention to the one figure in center of the town. A single individual who is standing in the centre of a circle filled with unidentified runes and symbols. In the midst of harrowing voices of despair and pain, a repetitive chant runs along the tongue of the mysterious man.
"I invoke you in the name of the seal of King Solomon, Azrael, bringer of Deo Ire"
The runes and symbols glows with faint colour of blue. First it glows, then as it gain a momentum of some sort, it shone and send a straight shaft of light towards he sky.A pillar made of arcane and divine power surge throughout the entire town.
Few of the demons begun to startle as they recognize the heavenly aura that surrounds the light. Some flew away like a cowardly dog. Others freeze as if a bolt of ice hit them. Pinning each of them like a deer who got nowhere to run from a hunter's rifle.
The tables have turn.
As the light grew powerful, the figure in the centre of the town begun to tremble for a bit. Swear from his brows trickle his eyes and its whole face. Invocations are not a trick that can be pulled off easily. Right words, right symbols and right state of mind as well of the heart is needed to be able to accomplish it. And he knew that already even though he is still in his youth.
His purple eyes did not even blink from the blinding light. A sign of even the slightest weakness can ruin his spell. That's the least thing that he wanted to happen. Not now.
Every life is at stake and he can't afford to lose this battle. Even if the way he help this people are considered as forbidden, dangerous...
Heretic and Diabolic. Those two words suddenly ring in his ears together with the crackle of unknown energy that surrounding him and the circle where he is standing. People will never learn to accept nor understand the art that he practice. But it doesn't matter to him anymore. All that he knows is that he needs to stop these Devils no matter what the cost. Losing his dignity and right as a human is just a part of it.
After all, it's a curse i have to bear until he comes again. He says on his mind as he remembers the vow of every magi that dedicate their lives to this art.
Up above the sky, a swirling cloud begun to form at the end of the pillar of light from below. The seal of Solomon begun to flash in the heaven and then two strong wings begun to descend. Its feathers have a sharp features, making it an ominous appearance compare to the cherubim in medieval paintings.
The sight of the wings is enough for the winged creatures to shook with fear and panic. They flew in an erratic and confused pattern. They even crash with one another, making them stumble upon concrete infrastructure. Others instantly meet their end when they didn't see the iron spired at the top of tall structures that impale their bowels
Finally, he comes. The magi whisper as he chant a short phrase that made the pillar of light to disappear slowly to reveal the winged entity that he summon.
"Azrael, angel of wrath. I'am Ash Ketchum. Magi of the Ancient Order of Orei'narath. I summon you to aid-"
He stopped his words and froze when his eyes met the face of the angel. Black sclera and red iris, the two eyes of Azrael exude a sinister aura that gives a tremendous chill in Ash spine.
No...it can't be...this is not happening. Why?!
The bluish glow of the runes and symbols he etch begun to change by a new color. It becomes a sickly crimson; the color of fresh blood from warm slaughtered bodies. Those flying Devils before are now gone as well as their traces. And so does the people too.
"You're one of the Fallen now?" fearing that what he asked is the truth, Ash readied his wand just to anticipate the worse.
Yet instead of a clear answer from the angel, Ash received a reply that is more horrible than what he expected
"I am not a fallen mortal, I am one of the Elders" the winged creature said in a voice that no mere human mind or magic can describe. It's a sound of eerie nature like it was spoken by something that does not belong entirely to any entity in this universe.
But it only just began as the supposed angel begun to transform. Its wings twisted like broken cords and its body bend and undergo frenzied seizure until something long and tentacle like objects begun to grow in his back and rip its body apart.
For a minute, Ash is stunned as he watches the strange and grotesque tentacles devoured the angel's body until there's nothing left.
Shaken, he did not realized that he fall down into his knees out of fear and frustration as more and more tentacles begun to come out of nowhere.
"What have I done, I called the monstrosity that no one should ever known"
+++++++++
Yeah. I know what happened there is pretty damned twisted. But I guess that's how the world really rolls somehow. You wanted this and you end up getting something you don't want to have. Some say it's a bad karma but I think life need's a little bit chaotic and randomness somehow. Not for fun of course, but of a reason that no one must question for the sake of their wellbeing.
Believe or not, I always see that vision on a daily basis. And today, it just suddenly flashes in my brain just in time when I'm going to cross the pedestrian lane in the middle of the rushing cars.
During my first time seeing that vision, I nearly gone mad and it took 10 people to wake me up. That was when I'm still a 7 year old ankle biter. Since then, that vision always occurs each day of my life.
Of course it really put a strain to my relationship with other people. That includes my family. I know ever since that they are ashamed of their one and only son. They've got no choice but to send me to a special school for mentally challenged kids.
Everybody thought I'll be cured after a year of staying there. The universe proves them wrong. I end up worse as the vision begun to become vivid and my condition become worse. As I reached the age of 13, I did one of the best decisions of my life: I leave all the people I knew and restart my whole life.
That was time I met a man name . Let me note you first that he is not a real professor. This man of medium height and solid facial feature never attend a class to talk with troublesome teenagers about Galileo or the Pythagorean Theorem for 3 hours.
That's not his thing. Prof. Oak is a scholar wherein his expertise revolves around the movement of celestial and heavenly bodies. "It's called Astrology, not Feng Shui."He said to me with a smile as he introduce me to a world where stars and planets are not just a mere gases floating in empty space.
"The truth is, they hide so much secret. Secrets that will lead us to a better understanding of reality. Every movement they made will affect the fate of nut just one but all of the people in the cosmos. That's why I'm studying them in hope that someday...someday I can change the world we are living now". Prof. Oak said with a serious tone as he explains why these stars matter to him much.
Honestly, I didn't get all the rambling he says that time. Yet after years of training with him with the way of stars, I finally realized how important Astronomy is. In the end, I discovered that my vision is sorely connected with the way of stars and the mystery that it hide.
That was the time I begun studying the esoteric part of Astronomy. After 5 years, I become a scholar of Astronomy, as well as an initiate of The Art. The good news is, it helps me to not startle every time that vision visit me unknowingly.
The bad news is when that vision occurs, it always happens at the right place and time. No, that was just a joke. I think I just love making an irony out of everything in my life.
When I came back to my senses, all hell break lose as cars, trucks and motorcycle crash into the streets and loud horns and angry voices flooded the whole city.
"Damned freak!" someone cursed right in front of me. A bloodied man in coat and tie as he tries to apply pressure on his lacerated arms. His eyes, if you could see are glowing, glowing with burning coals of rage. If looks could kill, then probably I'm already dead by now.
That night, I endure the abhorrence of humanity. Curses of biblical proportion ring my ear. I even didn't believe that a innocence looking girl spat in my face. How on earth a sweet looking girl can be disrespectful? Ah, such irony never failed to make me think if sharks can kiss instead of bite
The the police came and starts to question me. Though no one died that time, nearly 20 are wounded badly. Accusations that I am mad and crazy begun to surface. Nothing really new about that. I've heard them all before since I begun to have this annoying visions.
But before they put a handcuff and throw me in the bars, I quickly take an action to avoid spoiling this night.
The stars are countless and visible in the sky...I can feel their power ebbing within me.
"Officer" I called the big fat police.
"Ok kid, you should come with us and..."
The rotund officer didn't finish what he is saying as he stares right in front of my purple eyes. Chanting an ancient tongue, the crowd begun to fell in silence. Waves of darkness begun to unfold in every part of the street until the whole people succumb into eternal starless sky.
In a minute, all them are scratching their head and begun to curse once more.
"What the heck are we doing here?" the guy in suit begun to mutter once more. After 5 minutes everyone leave the area. The injured ones are helped by the police in the area. Their faces, all of them mixed in strange disbelief and bewilderment.
As of me, I just walked away with nothing but heavy hard bound books in my bag that pulls my weight back. You might ask if I'm not hurt with all the loathing I get from the people.
I know I should feel a pang of hurt but dabbling with The Arts comes with a price whether you like it or not.
Just like the frigid coldness of the void, you will never feel nothing at all. In time, all the things human will slowly fade in you.
Suddenly I feel scared. Then I smiled. To fear about something is a good thing. Thank goodness I'm still human.
But how long. A vicious voice suddenly whisper softly in my ears as I found myself in front of the abandoned observatory I am looking for.
"Shut up" I whisper to myself. Sometimes I wonder who's going to fade first: my humanity or my sanity.