Dark Angels
Hey guys, this is an original story I wrote for a community I joined recently called brigits_flame. Thought it would help spur on my original creativity a bit. Hope you guys enjoy it! Please don't hesitate to give me feedback. It's EXTREMELY rough, so it's probably not any good, but I enjoyed writing it. It was sort of something I had in mind for a while, and wanted to put it into a story. Let me know!
Dark Angels
Claire stared at Zander as if he'd morphed into another being entirely right before her eyes.
“What are you?”
Zander, with his hand clasp behind him and his eyes fixed in another world, quietly smiled at her query.
“My name is Alezander - ”
“I don't mean your name, what are you?”
He slowly turned his eyes to her and studied her face.
“Given time, your questions will be answered.”
Claire relaxed slightly and waited for him to continue.
“My name is Alezander. We have had many surnames, but Medici was the first.”
“Medici! You mean the Italian family?”
Zander cringed at the reference and replied, “That was much later, and the family you refer to is an extremely watered down branch. Medici's go very deep into history. We never wanted to be remembered, but one particular sect, after mating with humans, insisted on making our name a public figure. It is why those of us that do not wish to be known have changed our names. It is why today I am known as Zander Michaels. It's much less noticeable, and I can blend easier.”
“Why do you have to blend though?”
He paused for a moment, apparently trying to decide what to tell her.
“Do you know much about Biblical stories?”
“Like angels and Noah and the ark?”
“Exactly, at least the angels part.”
“I have a respectable grasp of the stories, why? You're not going to tell me that Noah really did build a giant ark and saved all the animals in the world, are you?”
“No, this has nothing to do with Noah. But what do you know about the origin of angels?”
“Um...huh. Nothing, really.”
“Well, that's really where my story begins. You see, if you remember the part about the fall of Lucifer and his angels, you'll have an idea where I'm coming from. The story goes that Lucifer was, in a sense, the head musician in Heaven. It's said that the musical pipes were embedded into his very makeup. He was the music of Heaven. He had a lot to be proud of. Except, pride is a fine line to walk; too much of it can ruin you. Which is what happened to Lucifer. He became proud. And that pride led to lust for power. It started small, rationalizing, reasoning, until he came to think that he deserved to be equal with his Creator. Instead of being thankful for what his Creator had given him, he lusted for more.
"He began to gather together angels and convinced them to join with him. The lust growing inside Lucifer was like a disease, and it spread like one, infecting those he had convinced, and they became sick and consumed with lust themselves. They foolishly thought they could overthrow the God of Creation, that they could defeat the one that created every one of them.
"Of course, they themselves were defeated and cast out of Heaven to live in the depths of outer darkness (for the Universe and Earth hadn't been created yet). These fallen angels had who knows how long to seethe and lose themselves in their anger, lust, and bitterness for what had happened, what they themselves had done. When the world was created, they stood outside the gates of Eden, ravenous to get inside the gates. However, the archangel Michael guarded it fiercely, and none dared challenge him. His strength was unmatched.
"The only one who dared sneak over the high garden walls was Lucifer himself, disguised as a serpent of sorts. They all cried in great victory when the humans were cast out of the garden, out of its protective walls, and into the vast world inhabited by Lucifer's minions. They watched the human race grow and prosper, and they began to lust once again.
"One thing you must understand, lust is a disease, and it's not just lust for one thing, once you let the virus in, it can mutate into any form it pleases. First, it was lust for power, but as humanity grew, it was many different lusts. One lust in particular was lust for the humans themselves. Lucifer knew that though they had been cast out, they were still being watched. They were not permitted to do anything to the humans without the assent of the Throne itself. So, they were forbidden to touch the humans, only to influence them.
“However, there were four of these angel-demons that refused to heed these orders. They sneaked away from the rest and slipped into a small village close to the mountains.
“One important thing to understand about these creatures was their appearance. They weren't ugly, and not exactly fearsome, at least not if they didn't want to be. They were, of course, originally angels, so they still held an angelic air about them, but it was shrouded with something. The disease they had let consume them had beaten them down. They were no longer white, beautiful and pure-looking. Their once vast, beautiful wings had become tattered and dark. Their once luminescent skin had become pallid, their countenance haggard. Their eyes were sunken, with circles darkening their once bright, shining eyes. They were thin and almost sickly.
"However, despite that, they still had unmatched beauty, though their eyes were dulled with sickness, they still had a light that isn't possible with human eyes. Though their skin was pale, it still carried a beauty and softness that would cause anyone envy. Furthermore, they had a magnetism about them. With one smile, they could draw any man or woman to them.
“This is what happened the day these four made their way into a village, disguised as humans. They had each decided on a woman they would seduce and then kidnap. They were all young, maybe eighteen or so. Once they had them completely under their spell, they kidnapped them and stole away to the mountains. They raped the poor girls mercilessly. When they had finished with them, they left them where they were and disappeared. When Lucifer found out of their treachery, he destroyed them. He would have sought out the young women and done away with them as well, but the Creator refused his request, protecting the girls from any further harm.
“Sadly, this wasn't to be the last of the girls' problems. They soon discovered they were pregnant. They knew they would be killed if they returned to their village, pregnant and unwed. So, they did the only thing they knew to do. They stayed in the caves in the mountains and lived together. They clung together for survival, and miraculously, they all lived through their pregnancies to birth four beautiful children. Sarai and Mari gave birth to baby boys and named them Gabriel and Michael for the archangels, in hopes that they would protect them. Amira and Elianah gave birth to girls and named them Nadia and Liliana, for hope and peace.
“The children proved to be very gentle and loving, growing quickly (quicker than a normal child), and showing far advanced intelligence for a human child. It was quite apparent that they would not be normal. They hunted food for their mothers expertly and efficiently at very young ages, both the boys and girls. An interesting after effect for the mothers was their long and sustained lives. They never grew sick, and they lived for many, many years past the deaths of those they knew and grew up with. No one wanted to draw the attention of others, so they stayed secluded in the mountains for decades.
“Unfortunately, they became sort of foreboding legends to the local villages, and when Sarai was at the river one afternoon, some young men found her. They didn't understand how she could still look so young, and yet be so old. They assumed that surely she was evil. Consequently, they murdered her out of fear.
"This sent Gabriel into a rage. Sarai was a gentle, loving woman, possibly the gentlest of the four. She had been the one the children ran to when they felt they were being treated unfairly by the other mothers. While she would never undermine the mothers' authorities, she still had such a wonderful way of reassuring the children and comforting them. To murder such a kind and loving woman was unthinkable.
“Gabriel had always been the one quickest to anger, frequently starting fights with the others. He didn't take cruelty or unfairness well. To have his mother taken from him in such a horrific way was the breaking point for him. He made a choice that day, and he chose vengeance. That's what triggered the blood lust. Remember, lust is not prejudice. It will take any form that will best serve its purposes.
"Gabriel made his way to the village in the daytime. Previously, they had never gone out for extended periods during the day, because they would become weak and sickly. Secluding themselves in the darkest parts of the caves helped them recover, but if they had stayed out in the sunlight for long periods, it would take much longer.
“For Gabriel to run to the village in full exposure to the sun was dangerous. By the time he arrived, the sun had set, but he was much weakened. However, his anger far overshadowed his physical state. In light of his lust for revenge combined with his drastically depleted strength, a new lust formed in him: blood lust. Instead of simply killing the murderers, his sucked them dry of their blood, tearing them to shreds, along with much of the village. That's why we are known to suck blood. Not all of us do so, just those that allow ourselves to be given over to that animal inside us.
“Gabriel had done something that we had sworn we would never do. He drew attention to us, first, but most of all, he killed innocent people.”
“You say we,” Claire interjected, “You mean your ancestors, correct?”
Zander smiled mildly.
“No,” he said, “I mean we. You see, Michael and Liliana are my parents, and Gabriel and Nadia my aunt and uncle. At least that's how we choose to see it, though they are no blood relation. Michael, my father, confronted Gabriel about his actions, and advised him to turn away from the path he was headed down, but he refused. The blood lust had already consumed him. Michael told him he would not allow him to do this to their family. They fought and both nearly died, but neither were willing to kill the other, so Gabriel was banished. Nadia, heartbroken, didn't know what to do except follow her mate. You see, one interesting fact about us, when we find our mate, we're together for life. Nothing can separate mates from one another. Some are even able to read each other's thoughts.”
“So do you have a mate?”
Zander looked at her for a moment before replying.
“No. I have yet to find someone I feel I trust enough, nor someone I would be happy with for eternity.”
“So you are immortal?”
He smiled, “Well, so far, yes. Even my parents and aunt and uncle are still living, though they are extremely excluded somewhere. They still do not wish to be part of the human world. Though I believe Gabriel still kills, he does it it wisely at least. As wise as murder can be,” he finished with a bitter tone.
“So...who do you mate with, then? Since you're all family...wouldn't you be mating with your sisters or cousins?”
Zander laughed at that a bit.
“First, Gabriel and Nadia's children wouldn't be truly cousins. My brothers and sisters mated with their children when we were still small in number. Now we're so vast, it wouldn't matter who's family we mated with, as we don't see age the same as humans do.”
“Ok...last question, I promise. What do you call yourself? Vampire? That's what the myths and stories have always called you.”
“Well, that is derived from the ancient civilizations. No one really knew what we were, because we never wanted to be known. It was only after Gabriel went on his rampage that humans really became aware of us on a larger scale than the little village at the foot of the mountains. Until then, we were just stories told by fathers and sons coming back from hunting trips, unsure if they had actually seen us or not. My grandmothers had a much different name for us. It is one that we have given ourselves, in remembrance of them. We are angels. Dark Angels.”
Dark Angels
Claire stared at Zander as if he'd morphed into another being entirely right before her eyes.
“What are you?”
Zander, with his hand clasp behind him and his eyes fixed in another world, quietly smiled at her query.
“My name is Alezander - ”
“I don't mean your name, what are you?”
He slowly turned his eyes to her and studied her face.
“Given time, your questions will be answered.”
Claire relaxed slightly and waited for him to continue.
“My name is Alezander. We have had many surnames, but Medici was the first.”
“Medici! You mean the Italian family?”
Zander cringed at the reference and replied, “That was much later, and the family you refer to is an extremely watered down branch. Medici's go very deep into history. We never wanted to be remembered, but one particular sect, after mating with humans, insisted on making our name a public figure. It is why those of us that do not wish to be known have changed our names. It is why today I am known as Zander Michaels. It's much less noticeable, and I can blend easier.”
“Why do you have to blend though?”
He paused for a moment, apparently trying to decide what to tell her.
“Do you know much about Biblical stories?”
“Like angels and Noah and the ark?”
“Exactly, at least the angels part.”
“I have a respectable grasp of the stories, why? You're not going to tell me that Noah really did build a giant ark and saved all the animals in the world, are you?”
“No, this has nothing to do with Noah. But what do you know about the origin of angels?”
“Um...huh. Nothing, really.”
“Well, that's really where my story begins. You see, if you remember the part about the fall of Lucifer and his angels, you'll have an idea where I'm coming from. The story goes that Lucifer was, in a sense, the head musician in Heaven. It's said that the musical pipes were embedded into his very makeup. He was the music of Heaven. He had a lot to be proud of. Except, pride is a fine line to walk; too much of it can ruin you. Which is what happened to Lucifer. He became proud. And that pride led to lust for power. It started small, rationalizing, reasoning, until he came to think that he deserved to be equal with his Creator. Instead of being thankful for what his Creator had given him, he lusted for more.
"He began to gather together angels and convinced them to join with him. The lust growing inside Lucifer was like a disease, and it spread like one, infecting those he had convinced, and they became sick and consumed with lust themselves. They foolishly thought they could overthrow the God of Creation, that they could defeat the one that created every one of them.
"Of course, they themselves were defeated and cast out of Heaven to live in the depths of outer darkness (for the Universe and Earth hadn't been created yet). These fallen angels had who knows how long to seethe and lose themselves in their anger, lust, and bitterness for what had happened, what they themselves had done. When the world was created, they stood outside the gates of Eden, ravenous to get inside the gates. However, the archangel Michael guarded it fiercely, and none dared challenge him. His strength was unmatched.
"The only one who dared sneak over the high garden walls was Lucifer himself, disguised as a serpent of sorts. They all cried in great victory when the humans were cast out of the garden, out of its protective walls, and into the vast world inhabited by Lucifer's minions. They watched the human race grow and prosper, and they began to lust once again.
"One thing you must understand, lust is a disease, and it's not just lust for one thing, once you let the virus in, it can mutate into any form it pleases. First, it was lust for power, but as humanity grew, it was many different lusts. One lust in particular was lust for the humans themselves. Lucifer knew that though they had been cast out, they were still being watched. They were not permitted to do anything to the humans without the assent of the Throne itself. So, they were forbidden to touch the humans, only to influence them.
“However, there were four of these angel-demons that refused to heed these orders. They sneaked away from the rest and slipped into a small village close to the mountains.
“One important thing to understand about these creatures was their appearance. They weren't ugly, and not exactly fearsome, at least not if they didn't want to be. They were, of course, originally angels, so they still held an angelic air about them, but it was shrouded with something. The disease they had let consume them had beaten them down. They were no longer white, beautiful and pure-looking. Their once vast, beautiful wings had become tattered and dark. Their once luminescent skin had become pallid, their countenance haggard. Their eyes were sunken, with circles darkening their once bright, shining eyes. They were thin and almost sickly.
"However, despite that, they still had unmatched beauty, though their eyes were dulled with sickness, they still had a light that isn't possible with human eyes. Though their skin was pale, it still carried a beauty and softness that would cause anyone envy. Furthermore, they had a magnetism about them. With one smile, they could draw any man or woman to them.
“This is what happened the day these four made their way into a village, disguised as humans. They had each decided on a woman they would seduce and then kidnap. They were all young, maybe eighteen or so. Once they had them completely under their spell, they kidnapped them and stole away to the mountains. They raped the poor girls mercilessly. When they had finished with them, they left them where they were and disappeared. When Lucifer found out of their treachery, he destroyed them. He would have sought out the young women and done away with them as well, but the Creator refused his request, protecting the girls from any further harm.
“Sadly, this wasn't to be the last of the girls' problems. They soon discovered they were pregnant. They knew they would be killed if they returned to their village, pregnant and unwed. So, they did the only thing they knew to do. They stayed in the caves in the mountains and lived together. They clung together for survival, and miraculously, they all lived through their pregnancies to birth four beautiful children. Sarai and Mari gave birth to baby boys and named them Gabriel and Michael for the archangels, in hopes that they would protect them. Amira and Elianah gave birth to girls and named them Nadia and Liliana, for hope and peace.
“The children proved to be very gentle and loving, growing quickly (quicker than a normal child), and showing far advanced intelligence for a human child. It was quite apparent that they would not be normal. They hunted food for their mothers expertly and efficiently at very young ages, both the boys and girls. An interesting after effect for the mothers was their long and sustained lives. They never grew sick, and they lived for many, many years past the deaths of those they knew and grew up with. No one wanted to draw the attention of others, so they stayed secluded in the mountains for decades.
“Unfortunately, they became sort of foreboding legends to the local villages, and when Sarai was at the river one afternoon, some young men found her. They didn't understand how she could still look so young, and yet be so old. They assumed that surely she was evil. Consequently, they murdered her out of fear.
"This sent Gabriel into a rage. Sarai was a gentle, loving woman, possibly the gentlest of the four. She had been the one the children ran to when they felt they were being treated unfairly by the other mothers. While she would never undermine the mothers' authorities, she still had such a wonderful way of reassuring the children and comforting them. To murder such a kind and loving woman was unthinkable.
“Gabriel had always been the one quickest to anger, frequently starting fights with the others. He didn't take cruelty or unfairness well. To have his mother taken from him in such a horrific way was the breaking point for him. He made a choice that day, and he chose vengeance. That's what triggered the blood lust. Remember, lust is not prejudice. It will take any form that will best serve its purposes.
"Gabriel made his way to the village in the daytime. Previously, they had never gone out for extended periods during the day, because they would become weak and sickly. Secluding themselves in the darkest parts of the caves helped them recover, but if they had stayed out in the sunlight for long periods, it would take much longer.
“For Gabriel to run to the village in full exposure to the sun was dangerous. By the time he arrived, the sun had set, but he was much weakened. However, his anger far overshadowed his physical state. In light of his lust for revenge combined with his drastically depleted strength, a new lust formed in him: blood lust. Instead of simply killing the murderers, his sucked them dry of their blood, tearing them to shreds, along with much of the village. That's why we are known to suck blood. Not all of us do so, just those that allow ourselves to be given over to that animal inside us.
“Gabriel had done something that we had sworn we would never do. He drew attention to us, first, but most of all, he killed innocent people.”
“You say we,” Claire interjected, “You mean your ancestors, correct?”
Zander smiled mildly.
“No,” he said, “I mean we. You see, Michael and Liliana are my parents, and Gabriel and Nadia my aunt and uncle. At least that's how we choose to see it, though they are no blood relation. Michael, my father, confronted Gabriel about his actions, and advised him to turn away from the path he was headed down, but he refused. The blood lust had already consumed him. Michael told him he would not allow him to do this to their family. They fought and both nearly died, but neither were willing to kill the other, so Gabriel was banished. Nadia, heartbroken, didn't know what to do except follow her mate. You see, one interesting fact about us, when we find our mate, we're together for life. Nothing can separate mates from one another. Some are even able to read each other's thoughts.”
“So do you have a mate?”
Zander looked at her for a moment before replying.
“No. I have yet to find someone I feel I trust enough, nor someone I would be happy with for eternity.”
“So you are immortal?”
He smiled, “Well, so far, yes. Even my parents and aunt and uncle are still living, though they are extremely excluded somewhere. They still do not wish to be part of the human world. Though I believe Gabriel still kills, he does it it wisely at least. As wise as murder can be,” he finished with a bitter tone.
“So...who do you mate with, then? Since you're all family...wouldn't you be mating with your sisters or cousins?”
Zander laughed at that a bit.
“First, Gabriel and Nadia's children wouldn't be truly cousins. My brothers and sisters mated with their children when we were still small in number. Now we're so vast, it wouldn't matter who's family we mated with, as we don't see age the same as humans do.”
“Ok...last question, I promise. What do you call yourself? Vampire? That's what the myths and stories have always called you.”
“Well, that is derived from the ancient civilizations. No one really knew what we were, because we never wanted to be known. It was only after Gabriel went on his rampage that humans really became aware of us on a larger scale than the little village at the foot of the mountains. Until then, we were just stories told by fathers and sons coming back from hunting trips, unsure if they had actually seen us or not. My grandmothers had a much different name for us. It is one that we have given ourselves, in remembrance of them. We are angels. Dark Angels.”