Chapter 2- The Legionnair's Sin
The rain poured down my face and body like sharp frozen daggers that desired nothing more then to tare apart my already shattered soul. The wound in my gut was deep...so deep, that any normal person would have succumb to the massive blood loss by now...but I am not to lucky.
I lay there, leaning against the last remaining pillar of the now rumbled sanctuary that now housed only the broken chains of a demon and the body of my beloved Seila, with my best friend, sword in hand, ready to finish the task he had set himself out to do...see to my death personally.
'So this is how it ends...death at the hand of my comrade...my ally...my best friend...'
The thoughts of Victor Delacroix's sword driving itself through my flesh and bone, piercing my heart was the least of my worries... Seila was dead...and it was my entire fault. Death right now would have been a merciful blessing, my psychological, spiritual, and emotional damage was only mounting my ever grown physical pain. It may not have been my sword that took the heavenly maiden's life...but then again...I did nothing to stop it...
We were sent to seal a forgotten and powerful legion, a summons that was so powerful, the heads of the church decided to send their three most powerful warriors to send the demon to the depths of hell, to never reek havoc on our world again. Myself, the best Legionnair and warrior of the Order had to offer, Victor Delacroix, my best friend since childhood, and the most prestigious swordsman and nobleman I've ever seen, and Seila...beautiful, radiant, and gentle Seila...a childhood friend of both Delacroix's and mine, engaged to him and the most powerful magic user of the order. The three of us were inseparable since kids, invincible as a group, and thought to be together forever...but fate...is never so kind...
Though my head was hanging low, I could see Delacroix's boots come closer to me, barely disturbing the puddles on the ground as he walked through the black rain, his sword...blooded with my own crimson life, held fast in his right hand. It wouldn't be long now...soon the pain of this mortal body would end...but my soul...my soul would feel this pain for eternity.
Suddenly Delacroix stopped in front of me. Only the rain made any sound for a long while, and not only could I not physically bring my head up to face him...but I was to devoid of feeling to do so...how could I face my best friend's face after his accusation...after what I had done...after my sin?
"Why...why Sieg...why do you do it?" Delacroix demanded in a voice fit for a demon, not an aristocratic nobleman like the Victor Delacroix I knew.
I remained silent. Not that I wanted to speak anyway...but I didn't see the point in pleading for forgiveness if the ending result would have been the same...my death.
"Why don't you answer?" Delacroix asked venomously, "Confess your sins before God...before me...BEFORE SEILA!" He screamed as he thrust the sword just inches past my head into the marble stone behind me.
I did not flinch nor move away from the blade...I remained silent and passive...if I was going to die, then I was going to die excepting my fate like a man...not a coward. But why was Delacroix hesitating? Why was he dragging this out? Does he really want me to confess that I killed Siela, when it was his own blade that drove into her heart? How could I tell him the truth? He was right there...we both saw it...I didn't kill Seila...but I didn't save her either...
We approached the old sanctuary, the three of us, with Delacroix, the strongest of us all, in the lead, followed by Seila, then me. We found the alter room, the black marble walls, ceiling, and pillars that held chains hanging from them in a gothic display of bondage and a prison...a prison housing the most powerful Legion in the world...the legion with a mind of it's own.
The beast must have been massive, but not one of us could see it, for the black and raging flames of fire surrounded the screaming beast as it fought and raged for freedom.
I held back with Seila as Delacroix stepped towards it, preparing to release the seal on the beast so I could summon my SWORD legion to hold it down as Seila preformed the sealing ceremony...but just as Delacroix finished the incantation, the chains suddenly released and Victor screamed for Seila to stand back and for me to protect her...bracing for the beast to charge at us we all stopped. Time Froze. My blood froze. My heart just stopped. Then, in one swift motion time sped forward to Seila now standing in front of me, in a vein effort to protect me while Delacroix sword was hilt deep in her chest, a blow meant for me.
I couldn't move. How could this have happened? I looked at Seila as she fell in a daze of horror and shock, her blood covered my body, hands and unsheathed sword...Siela was dead...Seila...my Seila...our Seila. I turned to Delacroix and the first thing I saw were his eyes...no longer a magnificent and spine chilling blue...but a dark crimson red. Suddenly his blade was harshly ripped from his beloved's body and launched forward in another attack at me. I blocked but his blade sliced into my left arm causing me to scream out in pain and back away quickly, only to recover again, blade raised in defense as I now gazed upon a horror and tear stricken Delacroix...the same Delacroix who had murdered his own fiancée, was now in a pool of her blood holding her tightly in agonizing internal pain. I stood unmoving, covered in my own blood as well as Siela's...and that was the first thing Delacroix saw...Myself and my sword...covered in his soul mate's blood.
"Murderer...YOU MURDERER!"
Delacroix had been possessed by the legion...that fatal blow that pierced through Siela's heart was meant for mine...but she protected me and I did nothing to stop her. I promised to protect her...to keep her safe...to watch over her should anything happen...and I froze...the shock of my best friend lunging towards me with he intent to kill me was to much of a shock to handle in a moment's notice...But Siela knew...Siela had saved my life...but her death killed my soul.
"Why won't you confess? I want to know...I demand to know why you killed her!" Delacroix hissed as he edged the side of the blade against my face causing a small cut and blood to flow.
"..."
No...I didn't kill Siela...but her blood was on my hands...I didn't protect her...I promised, and failed...that is my sin...I failed to protect her.
"...Just get it over with..." I replied emotionless and calm, nothing mattered anymore...not my life or my mission, I just wanted to die, "...kill me now and be merciful enough to end my suffering and avenge 'her'...that is what you want, isn't it?" I replied closing my eyes and waiting for my physical anguish to end...but it never did.
Delacroix was silent and unmoving for moment, and then pulled the blade away and out of the stone, "No..." He said in a low and scornful hiss, "You will not escape this suffering you have caused me by death...you will live...live with your sinful guilt, Sieg Wahrheit. Live with her blood on your hands for eternity, live with her dying gasp on your mind forever, and live...live with the knowledge that after I feel you have suffered as much living hell as I have...live knowing that that is the moment I will avenge Siela..." The silver haired swordsman replied with only insane hatred and malice in his voice as he sheathed his sword and turned away...disappearing into the rain and the night.
Alone...I was left alone there, unable to heal myself or take my own life. I would live with my sins for eternity...but I was not going to waste this life that Siela had sacrificed so much to give me. Slowly, I willed myself to stand. Agonizingly slow, my hand twitched to life and I brought my sword up and jammed it into the ground...slowly I used all of my strength to pull myself up and stand on my own to feet. Finally I was standing...alone...wounded...and broken hearted in the rain of this eternal night that would engulf my life forever. Though the rain had washed away most of my blood, and that of my silent guardian...her blood will forever stain my hands and skin...for as long as I live...and for as long as my death.
For the rest of my life...I would never tell a single soul what happened that night...I didn't report it to the Order...or any living soul. If the truth was to be told, and my innocents proven...it would not come from my voice...but from the maiden who lost her life that night...from the angel who had given her life for me...an angel...called Siela.