Opening A/N: Welcome back everyone! This is the last of the trailers before the series officially starts. And what better way to cap off this marathon of introductions than with a chapter created by my good friend, Shimmering-Sky? Please enjoy and let her know what you thought of it.
She wakes to the smell of something rotten and the feeling of wind on her bare arms. Her nose twists in protest at the smell, the wind is uncomfortable, and she does not know why. She should not feel so… so off from the wind. Cold? She feels cold? And the smell. There should not be a smell like that here.
…Here?
She sits up, crushing leaves underneath her bare feet, and looks around. All she sees are trees, thick-trunked and woven together in such a way that the moonlight barely peeks through the leaves. Feeling strangely drawn to the trees, she takes a step closer to examine them. Instinct seems to take over as she presses her palm against the trunk of one of the trees, examining it like a doctor.
Northern flamesap pine. Most of them approximately four-hundred years old by the look of them. But the leaves look withered and the bark isn't running with sap like it should. Could it be diseased?
Without even having to think about it, her hands immediately work at the bark of one of the trees, hands gingerly peeling away a strip of bark before her fingers touch the soft wood beneath.
The wood is far too soft. Spongy even. Could it be a fungal infection?
She presses her nose to the wood and inhales.
Not fungus. But something is affecting the tree…something horrible.
Slowly, she presses her hand more firmly against the trunk of the tree. Instantly, she feels as if she is absorbing the tree's current sensations, as if her mind and feelings have become one with the mortal organism.
Pain…madness…rage…fury…insatiable hunger…growing…consuming…corruption…it's too much! Too much!
She withdraws her hand with a gasp, before looking at her palm. There is a faint pink glow on her palm, which quickly fades away as she brushes a strand of her immense pink hair from her eyes, feeling a sheen of liquid forming on the skin of her head.
What was that? Why did I feel that way all of a sudden? Why does this whole place feel as if it were…?
She shudders, gripping the thin gown clinging to her skin, as the wind beats against her again.
Where is… here? Why is everything so diseased and rotten? What am I doing here?
The trees provide her no answer, nor does the wind. The only think she know is that she should not be here. This is not her home. Her home is…
…is…
…
"Where am I…?" she whispers, voice much more gravelly than she was expecting. "Where am I and… and…!"
It suddenly dawns on her that she does not know her own name.
She knows that the place she is in is called a forest, that the ground is what is beneath her, that the moon is the light illuminating the area, and yet she doesn't know her own name.
No! No this isn't right! I should know… I should know!
There is another rushing of freezing wind. Instinctively, she wraps her arms around her freezing body as it begins shaking like the withered leaves of the forest.
I can't stay here. I have to get out of here. I have to find…to find…
She wants to tell herself to find home, but she does not know where that is. Instead, she begins walking in a random direction, bare feet sensing even more rot within the moss-covered roots and the dusty ground. As she continues walking, small plants, insects, and other forest animals catch her attention.
Male damselfly, fully grown. Appears to be healthy. Wolfsbane. Flowering, but appears to be wilted. Female shrew. About one year old. Appears to be pregnant. Something seems to be agitating it. Could it be?
A whooshing of wind causes her to nearly jump from her skin. Above her head, a snowy white owl swoops down and grabs the unfortunate shrew before landing on the limb of a nearby tree, shrew squirming in its talons before the owl brings its beak down on the creature and begins eating.
Feeling unnerved, she takes a moment to calm herself before approaching the perched owl and examining it while it consumes its meal.
Northern frost owl. Female. Approximately four years old.
Something else catches her attention. Something strange. Cautiously, she steps forward, taking a closer look. The owl does not seem to know or care that she is there, too focused on eating its catch to pay her any mind. Something about the way the owl is eating its prey disturbs her.
Its behavior is strange. Frost owls mainly hunt in the daytime, unlike most owls. More than that, it doesn't even seem to be eating most of its prey. It's just…tearing it apart and licking up the blood.
The owl pulls out a hunk of entrails, stretching them out before letting them go and licking inside the mouse. Taking a slow step closer, she notices something on the owl's chest.
It's wounded…severely wounded! There's an immense gash just beneath its right wing! The wound is red and swollen with infection and…are those roots inside of it!?
She lets out a small gasp when she notices the blood-red roots writhing against the owl's feathers like wormy veins. Suddenly jerking its head up, the owl turns its head around ninety degrees to face her, its right eye glowing with unnatural yellow light as it stares at her. Slowly, its grip on the mouse loosens, and the dead creature falls to the ground.
She takes a step back, heart hammering against her chest.
Lunging forward, the entire face of the owl suddenly splits open into a flower-shaped fang-filled mouth before letting out an immense shriek. Covering her ears and screaming, she feels instinct instantly take ahold of her as she begins sprinting away from the creature as fast as she can. With a flap of its wings, the monster owl flies behind her, monstrous shrieks echoing throughout the dark forest. From the foggy depths of her mind, she suddenly remembers something. A voice speaking to her.
"Corruption befouls the mortal world once again. It grips at nature itself, twisting mortal life forms into malformed abominations."
Corruption.
She knows that she has to get away from the unnatural creature, to find safety, but she has no destination in mind, so she continues running, blindly, recklessly, on and on through woods and meadow.
To her left, something snaps and she jumps, her back pressing up against a tree. Above the canopy of trees, the owl is circling, now suddenly silent. Through a thicket of dense bushes, she hears something rumbling towards her.
"Wh-Who's there?!" she demands, gripping the tree for comfort and for balance.
The bushes part, and she screams when she sees her answer.
Charging out of the shadows, running directly at her is a deer. But it is no regular deer. Its lower jaw is split in two, a massive, fanged proboscis sliding in and out of its unnaturally bulging throat. Its antlers are large, sharp, and entwined with a layer of flesh-like roots. A half-dozen eyes bulge out of its face, wide and red and seemingly glowing. Sprouting from its back and exposed rib cage is a dead desiccated shrub, roots and branches writhing in the air like dead tentacles. From the depths of its throat and bulging lungs, it lets out a wheezing guttural groan.
She knows she has to run but she can't, her legs won't move. Instead she just hides her eyes and screams.
CRASH!
…
…
…
When nothing happens, she slowly opens her eyes.
There is a young human male, approximately seventeen years old, towering over her. One of his arms is pressing against the tree behind her, so as to not crush her, the other is gripping a large rune-decorated sword that has caught on the monster's antlers, keeping the corrupted animal at bay.
"Run!" he instructs her as he pushes against the monster, sending it stumbling back before delivering a slash to the creature's face. "I'll finish this thing off! Just get to somewhere safe!"
The man lets go of the tree and pivots, the blade of his weapon severing the beast's antlers at the base. Obediently, she slides past the man and makes a dash several paces away from the fighting as he sends another slash into the deer's face as it makes a lunging bite with its fanged proboscis. The creature rears on its legs before slashing at the man's cheek with one of its clawed hooves. Undaunted, the swordsman swishes his rune-decorated sword through the air, making contact with one of the creature's legs. The runes flash with white light, pale as the moon, and one of the monster's legs comes flying off. With a heavy crash, the creature falls to the ground, chest collapsing against the dirt as its three legs fail to support its weight. Lunging with a battle cry, he pierces the beast through its exposed rib cage and deep into its heart. There is another flash of light from the sword's runes as the beast goes limp, and she sees his face illuminated as he turns towards her, the runes of his sword still glowing.
His eyes, narrowed in worry, are the most stunning, vibrant green she has ever seen, shining like emeralds against the pale light of his sword. His face, though wounded and bloody, is fair and healthy. The black hair that frames his pale face seems to shimmer in the waning moonlight.
Like an angel.
…Angel. She knows that word. She… she is an angel. Yes. She's an angel. This man is…she glances at the blood still flowing from the wound on his cheek…not. He is human. A brave human.
A thought suddenly comes to her.
"Humanity is weak and fragile. Angels are strong and immortal. As superior beings, it is our divine duty to shelter and protect them."
She blinks at the memory, realizing how ironic it sounds now.
If I am an angel, why aren't I protecting him?
Breathing heavily, the young man wipes his cheek, wincing at the motion. The cuts aren't deep, but they look painful and will likely scar. He turns to her with a comforting smile on his face and she finds herself enchanted by his eyes again.
"Are you alright, Rose Angel?" he asks, bowing his head in respect. "Forgive me for not arriving sooner, you could have been gravely injured."
Rose Angel.
Rose Angel.
"Rose Angel!" she blurts, before clamping a hand over her mouth. She is making a fool of herself in front of this human and she feels heat run to her face in embarrassment. "How… How do you know my name?"
"Just a moment, I must dispose of this creature," the man says, rummaging through a pouch he has withdrawn from inside of his thin, leather armor. A case bearing some sort of liquid within it is pulled out, which the man proceeds to shake out in a circle around the beast's twitching carcass. He mutters something that sounds like a prayer, then quickly rubs the lid of the case against itself. A spark jumps onto the liquid, and in a flash the entire beast is engulfed in flames.
Rose Angel stares at the fire incredulously. "It was already dead. You killed it."
"It would just come back again if I didn't burn it," he says, staring back at her with a curious sparkle in his eyes. "Don't tell me you feel sympathy for the beast that nearly killed you…"
"N-No, nothing like that!" she retorts, fervently shaking her head. "I didn't realize that setting it on fire was necessary. …Um…"
"Ah, forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Alfonse of Timberholm," the man offers. "I was sent here by Archbishop Iudex to look for any of the angels that had just been cast down from Elzya by Archangel. Your hair… well, it completely gives away that you're one of them, and I figured you were Rose Angel since roses are often pink…"
He blushes suddenly, looking a bit embarrassed.
Alfonse… that is a nice name.
…What am I thinking?! There's something much more important right now, like -
"What do you mean by 'cast down from Elzya'?" Rose Angel asks. "Did I do something…? Is that why… why I can't remember anything?"
Alfonse gives her another long look, and she isn't sure why this one makes her hurt the way it does. "…I'm afraid I don't know all the details," Alfonse admits, "although Archbishop Iudex should."
He offers his hand to her and she stares at it. Is she supposed to… take it?
The faint sound of a wingbeat catches her attention and she looks up, eyes widening with horror.
Silent as a shadow, the corrupted owl is swooping down towards the back of Alfonse's exposed head, vicious talons outstretched and head opening up into a fanged mouth as it comes within a foot of its prey.
"LOOK OUT!" Rose Angel suddenly exclaims, instinctively throwing out her hands to push Alfonse out of the way.
There is a flash of pink light from her palms, and Alfonse is suddenly engulfed in a pink barrier of light, which the corrupt owl bits down on, fanged mouth wrapping around Alfonse's head as its talons rake at the barrier over his shoulders. There is a muffled groaning coming from Alfonse as he drops his sword and struggles to pull the monster off of his head. The monster doesn't let go, but no harm seems to come to Alfonse as Rose's hands continue to glow and the barrier remains.
Recovering from her shock and surprise, Rose dashes forward, grabbing Alfonse's sword from the ground before facing Alfonse and the attacking owl. Folded over Alfonse's head, the owl's eyes stare at her malevolently, as if daring her to strike.
I can't just stab the owl. Alfonse is under there. I might hurt him if I'm not careful. But if I don't do anything…
She feels the light on her palms fading as her strength begins to fail her.
I have no choice. I need a clear strike. Sorry Alfonse.
Rushing forward, she tackles Alfonse to the ground before pressing her hand against the owl's and Alfonse's head. Relentless, the owl keeps its mouth clamped over Alfonse, determined to bite through the man's neck. Using the monster's persistence to her advantage, Rose stabs the sword into the owl's neck, over and over again. There are repeated flashes of moonlight from the sword's runes as the creature writhes and struggles, until finally, the owl ceases to fight and goes limp.
Gasping, Alphonse pulls the folds of the creature's immense mouth off of his face before standing up and panting for breath. His face is flushed and wet, but there are no wounds, other than the gash he has already received from the deer.
"Are you…alright…Alfonse?" Rose asks, gasping for breath.
"I'm okay…thanks to you…thank you, Rose Angel." He pants before pouring some liquid from his flask onto the owl, muttering another silent prayer, and burning the unmoving carcass. For a few moments, there is silence, broken only by the crackling of burning feathers and the heavy breathing of Alfonse and Rose Angel as she stares at him to make sure he is okay.
The wound from the deer could be infected. It will have to be washed quickly. Hopefully whatever was afflicting those creatures didn't spread to him. Either way, something must be done as quickly as possible.
"Your wound." Rose Angel pants, approaching Alfonse as he gets up from the ground. "Please, let me look at it."
"I'll be okay." Alfonse reassures her with a smile. "I'm more worried about you."
There is the sudden sound of a high-pitched shriek in the distance.
"We shouldn't stay here, there are likely more monsters prowling these woods," Alfonse says, taking his sword from Rose Angel and sheathing it before offering his hand once again to her. "Please, Rose Angel. Come with me to Angel's Haven and we'll figure out just what's going on."
She hesitates, a twisted feeling that she can't place a name to settling in her chest. She swallows, the feeling goes away, and she takes his hand. The hand is warm to the touch, and she feels comforted by it.
"Alright. Lead the way, Alfonse."
Ending A/N: So what do you all think of these characters so far? If you had to rate the angels with 5 being your least favorite and 1 being your favorite, which angels would receive which rating?
Thank you all for your continued support for this series. I look forward to diving right into the boring slice of life tea making and cake eating you have all been waiting for next chapter, especially Epsilon Tarantula. With that, it's time to respond to your reviews!
ThePLOThand chapter 4 . 4h ago
I have a Feeling that you looked up a page on dangit Grand Paul memes just to type your answer, Am i correct? Imagine Hunger games as a murder Mystery and you have a slight grasp on it. Thats why I would use music from this game during a Body discovery.
And dont Forget the despair bear!
Since this time, I am not reading at midnight, I Can provide music again and for the Special Occasion, I only picked themes from Danglin Ron Pal:
Start: DRtA OST: -1-09- HOTEL Hope's Peak
for the Im no Angel discovery: [Music] Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc New World Order Extended
For the fight with the farmer: Dangan Ronpa OST - Discussion -HEAT UP-
And the angel of this chapte is obviously Lycoris!
The farmer clearly took 200 damager of putting that scythe in his hand.
Just so everyone knows, I have no idea what dangit Grand Paul or its memes even are, so, no, that did not play any factor in what I wrote. I have been told not to look into it unless I wanted despair, so I think I will refrain, since, as you all know, the stories I write are replete with nothing but joy and peace and love and happiness and butterflies and rainbows, like this series will be.
Farmer: I draw…my scythe!
Scarlett: EFFECT DAMAGE! *Stabs him repeatedly*
Farmer: So…broken! Please…nerf!
Epsilon Tarantula chapter 4 . 17h ago
*Reads over previous review response* *Remembers Kyoko* (No, not the one from Dennou Coil).
Welp, Scarlett is clearly much more violent than her kin and definitely anti-human from the looks of things. She's very trigger-happy...best to stay far, far, far away from her.
Akato: Oh come on! She's hot! And violent! Just what I like in a woman!
The short chapter only tells me this: Scarlett is dangerous.
Which Kyoko then!? WHICH!?
Scarlett: Ah, but I'm a really sweet and loving girl when you get to know me.
Sunny: Really?
Scarlett: No. *Stabs a human before putting on sunglasses and a "Thug Life" cap.*
Thank you all for your reviews! I'll be working on the next chapter of YGO Vrains Abridged and SoR next. Once I am done with those, I will resume work on this series. Let me all know what you thought of these intros so far and what you are looking forward to seeing.