********************************************* Authos note: I have nothing against any religion- I myself am a strong protestant christian- I have absolutly nothing against anyone- that part of the story just seemed to fit well with the theme so I put it in- no offence is to be taken. *********************************************
That was the moment that would forever change me, change my being, change my ways, thoughts, and feelings. It would change my life.
The world changed around me and the fires licked up my spine as I was left standing on a hill overlooking the thousands upon thousands of tombstones.
"Go ahead, take a seat I doubt they would mind." The man with the black eyes barked with humor. He pulled his backside up to lightly perch on the corner of a rather large and crumbling grave. It had to of least been 200 years old.
This strangers hands were gracefully gripping the underside walls of the marker while one barefoot rested against it and the other below in the frivolous grass. It seemed natural, as if he had spent almost every day taking the time to just sit there. Looking down I noticed that there seemed to be deeper indentions into the grass where his rather large foot laid and I wondered just how far my assumption was from the truth.
I didn't notice his gallant wings splayed back at first. I suppose I was so used to the idea that they almost seemed petty compared to everything else. Almost.
I stood my ground; I was already dead and standing amongst the graves of others. I didn't need to be sitting among them too.
"The whole learning how to transport to a magical world comes later. I brought you here to explain a couple of things. Kind of fitting, don'tcha think?" His full lips parted into a deathly grin and for a moment I thought I saw hatred in his eyes.
The handsome stranger hopped off the grave marker and leisurely walked over to where I was standing. Extending his hand, he took mine in his and paused. This angels hands were like ice, engulfing my arm in a cool blaze. His fingers wrapped around my entire hand, they looked like talons and were spidery with long fingernails. I felt like if he really wanted to, he could kill me in an instant with these weapons.
"... My name is Rowland. Benedict Giles Rowland, but if you call me Benedict I will put you in your grave where you belong. Same goes for Giles." His eyes bore into my soul and I took his words to heart.
"You're being awful quiet. Don't you know its rude for company not to talk to their host? This is my first time acting as a guide and I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. I've heard that most of the time the souls just run away screaming their heads off and we have to have the tiring task of hunting them down, but then they are usually dead because they didn't bond with a body soon enough. You are special Nora Grey." Bene- or Rowland's eyes swept up and down my body silently appraising. I curled in on myself suddenly feeling very, very naked.
"Nora Grey, I am an Avenger of the Night. YOU, are an Avenger of the Night. WE, are Klyplo." This handsome devil pronounced each word slowly, as if I were a new child that couldn't process things very fast.
"We have existed for centuries, as long as the Fallen and the Nephilim have existed. We were created for balance, which hasn't been succeeded yet. The Fallen are allowed to possess a body for two weeks out of the year, the body of a Nephilim. As I'm sure you know, the Nephilim aren't too thrilled about this and they try to strike out at the angels in any way possible. It is our job to make sure they don't kill an Angel, although what they do is wrong. If we didn't stop the Nephilim there would be a war and innocent lives would be thrown away." Rowland tensed and braced his arms, as if expecting me to feint and fall into him.
With my thoughts mulling around and about in a frenzy, the only thing that I could say was, "Okay." As soon as I did the fires licked up and burned my throat, it felt as if I had caught a really bad case of strep.
Rowland's booming laugh filled the yard and he began to speak with a slight short of breath, "oh I like you very much Nora! Very much indeed!"
"I suppose I better explain to you how we are created now, hm?" Rowland leaned over me slightly and winked.
"You are of the blood of a Nephilim, tainted blood as I like to put it. You have a link to the Fallen, but you cannot put it to use. Only your father can. Your human blood ran through those veins and masked the power of the Nephilim, making it inaccessible. It is only when you are dead, that you can finally hue into them, which very soon you will be able to do with your body. You see when Nephilim blood, any Nephilim blood denies the help of a Guardian they accept their fate as a host of the Fallen. Or, in instances like you," Rowland pointed his slender, knife like finger at me.
"Know they will die and not be ferried onto the next world or "Limbo" as some would call it, for they have no guidance. After you die and no escort comes then myself and a few others get the unfortunate job of hunting you down and changing you. Of course if you do not wish to change you may burn away from your body permanently and be put to rest, but never have peace. You'd be surprised how many take up this offer without even knowing it. When they run and are away from their body for too long their soul burns and takes over itself, breaking the bond between body, mind and soul." He made gestures with his hand, touching his right shoulder and crossing to his left, then up to touching his forehead before he finally made contact with where his heart lay.
My captor seemed to smirk lightly at a memory, "Those Catholics saw us and thought we were Angels when we used to perform old ceremonies. They liked to copy people and that's how they got their little gestures"
"For some strange reason, Boss thinks you're special! So now I have the special privilege of training you to be like me. The Avengers/Watchers slash whatever we need to be. Got it?" He wrapped one arm around me and looked at me the way a father looks over a child, or the way a friend looks at you in comfort. It felt odd coming from him and I was beginning to see that Rowland wasn't as scary as I once thought he was. That didn't mean he wasn't plenty frightening.
Upon Rowland's contact with me my whole body began to taper down until the fire was barely a simmer. I felt myself craving more, anything to quench my thirst from the fire and my body of its own will slightly turned into his embrace.
"Oh Patch, get me out of here! Help me!" My thoughts broke through the surface and I felt the tears welling up, but never being able to spill over.
"You will be a Kyplo, an Avenger. One of the fiercest Guardians out there." Chills rocked down my spine from his cool breath against my ear. This seraph had pride in his voice and I knew that even though he made descending comments about his job, it was one of his biggest honors.
He suddenly took three sudden strides away from me, and I was left feeling breathless as my body welcomed back the searing pain as it's host.
Rowland's eyes turned down with guilt and hardened, I was once again reminded of his demonic nature. He spoke softly. "The transformation process... is not one that you would ever want to repeat. It is in no way a pleasurable experience. Your soul, must heal the bodies wounds on its own. That alone is enough to kill you, it leaves your soul weak and not prepared for the connection. If you make it through, your soul must bind to your body and its new blood. But, when you are done, your hair will be longer. Your fingers will become deadly, your eyes black as coal and soulless. Your veins will be dry and your skin cold to the touch, like stone and marble. You will grow, and become one of us."
He looked up and his eyes met mine. Soulless. I was to become soulless.
Rowland's black orbs once again raked over my body, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable. "Of course, you're gonna be smokin hot afterwards and have an awesome bod, so that's one thing to look forward to. But for now, I'm gonna let you go. Roam where you want and see who you want to see but just know, they cannot see you or hear you. Do as many things as you want, if you can deal with the pain." My angel of death grew dark and impatient. It seemed as if he knew he had somewhere to be and was in a rush to get something done. He turned up to the sky and opened his valiant wings.
With a tremor he was gone leaving a single feather behind.