Angel Master~ Chapter 2
“Hurry! We must take the perimeter before they wake up! Sleeping spells don't last long! Control of the Slumbering Lord must be ours, for Alexzai-sama's sake!” a voice hissed, as quiet footsteps pattered around the ruins of the once glorious Grand Hall of Archangel Palace.
“Alexzai-sama would be pleased if we captured the Betrayer alive for him . . . . If he were here . . . .” another voice, feminine and lithe, purred with mirth.
“Xyver-sama, we've locked down the parameter.” a new voice said softly.
“Excellent. Now-” Xyver, a tall dark-haired angel with pretty violet eyes, started, but was cut off as lights flared up all around him and his small party of ten.
“So, Xyver! Did you really think that I would just give you control of the place where Roshiel-sama sleeps?! Ha! I didn't think you were that stupid!” a mocking voice called from above.
Xyver glared upwards, his silvery/gray wings spread in frustration and hatred.
“Shiva . . . .” he hissed, violet eyes burning into the black winged angel who was the current leader of Roshiel's followers.
Shiva grinned idiotically, his ice blue eyes glittering with amusement, long white hair flowing gently with the breeze.
“Alright, Shiva, what do you want? You would have attacked us by now if you didn't have something to say. So spit it out, Shiva.” Xyver spat, launching himself into the air, so he could gaze at the white haired, black winged angel levelly.
Shiva's stupid grin twitched.
“So you noticed. Sharp as ever, Xyver. Yes, I do have something to say. The conditions of your surrender.” he laughed evilly, quite psychotically.
Xyver's eyes narrowed, “Well, what do you want?!” he snapped over the outraged cries of his party below.
“We'll let you all go, unharmed and unperturbed, and release ten prisoners as a gesture of goodwill. . . . In exchange of the Sealed Crystal.” Shiva giggled insanely, quite pleased with himself.
Xyver spat at Shiva, “Never! The Sealed Crystal contains the body of Alexzai-sama! The likes of you shall never lay your hands upon it's splendor!” he snarled back, his statement echoed by his party, all fellow followers of Alexzai.
Shiva's grin vanished, and he shrugged, “Suit yourself.” he murmured, raising his hand in signal.
Twenty magic archers burst from the ruins and surrounded Xyver and his party, gleaming magic arrows drawn and ready.
“Defenses!” Xyver snapped, diving down to the ground, landing as his companions erected a defense barriar.
“You'll all die here. Your deaths will bring honor to Roshiel-sama . . . .” Shiva smirked, his wicked grim returning.
“Archers! Ready!” he yelled loudly.
“Ready!” twenty voices yelled back in reply.
“Aim!” Shiva ordered.
“Aim!” the archers echoed again.
“Fi-!” Shiva started to screech, but was cut off by the overpowering sound of a massive CRACK~!
All eyes turned towards the source of the cracking sound.
All froze.
The great blue orb floating in the center of the hall, containing one flame-haired Roshiel, now had a long crack in it, from top to bottom.
Water was dripping from the crack and the orb's normal rotation had stopped.
CRACK~! Another huge crack split the surface, this one going around the circumference, shattering the golden ring, causing it to fall to the ground in various sized chunks.
CRACK~! Another crack branched off.
CRACK~! And another.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
More and more cracks appeared on the surface, as if it were a window that had just been shot with a high caliber round.
And then, after a few moments of suspenseful silence . . . .
The whole orb shattered, in a flood of sweet-smelling water and sharp, jagged shards of gleaming blue glass.
Roshiel's limp body fell onto the sparkling shards of blue glass as the enchanted water burst from it's glass confines, and he continued to lay still, his dark wings heavy, and dripping.
Silence claimed the entire population of angels, wither of Roshiel, or Alexzai.
A few minutes passed by, and no one dared move.
The sudden, tiny movement of the figure lying in the glass shards seemed enormous.
The flame-haired angel started to breathe again, and he let out a low moan, as his amber eyes blinked open, momentarily blinded by the bright white fel-orbs illuminating the entire Grand Hall.
Roshiel struggled to his hands and knees, unharmed by the sharp pieces of transparent blue glass.
His wings felt as if they were made of stone, heavy and stiff, and he was vaguely aware that he was soaking wet, which explained the weight in his wings.
“Wha . . . ? Where am I . . . ? Alexzai?” Roshiel called weakly, confused and disoriented, and his head was pulsing with pain, making it difficult to think clearly.
Shiva was the first to recover from the shock.
“Roshiel-sama!!!!!” he cried, obvious joy in his voice.
Roshiel's head jerked in the general direction of Shiva's voice.
“Shiva? . . . That you, featherbrain?” he called, still slightly disoriented, but gradually regaining awareness.
Shiva dropped out of the air, landing beside Roshiel, his black boots crunching on the broken glass.
“Roshiel-sama! You're awake! Finally! We didn't know if you were ever going to be free of that glass prison!” Shiva murmured, pulling off his black over-coat and covering Roshiel with it, almost like a concerned parent caring for his child.
“Glass? . . . . Oh.” Roshiel echoed, confused at first, but then he remembered.
A small distance away, Xyver and his group still stood frozen, not with astonishment, but with horror.
'Roshiel is free?! And still, Alexzai-sama's soul has not been found!' Xyver stammered in his head.
The female angel beside him whispered, “What do we do, Xyver-sama?!”.
He could feel her trembling.
Xyver swore under his breath, “Disappear.” he gave the command.
The Alexzai angels fell into formation and cast their spells, and were gone.
Roshiel blinked, and did not react when Shiva helped him to his feet.
'Where is Alexzai . . . ? What happened to Alexzai . . . ?'
~
Sleeping.
Resting.
Growing stronger . . . .
This body is a good place to rest and recover. . . .
Alexi Solderra . . . .
I will be with you, for always . . . .
~
“Alexzai-sama would be pleased if we captured the Betrayer alive for him . . . . If he were here . . . .” another voice, feminine and lithe, purred with mirth.
“Xyver-sama, we've locked down the parameter.” a new voice said softly.
“Excellent. Now-” Xyver, a tall dark-haired angel with pretty violet eyes, started, but was cut off as lights flared up all around him and his small party of ten.
“So, Xyver! Did you really think that I would just give you control of the place where Roshiel-sama sleeps?! Ha! I didn't think you were that stupid!” a mocking voice called from above.
Xyver glared upwards, his silvery/gray wings spread in frustration and hatred.
“Shiva . . . .” he hissed, violet eyes burning into the black winged angel who was the current leader of Roshiel's followers.
Shiva grinned idiotically, his ice blue eyes glittering with amusement, long white hair flowing gently with the breeze.
“Alright, Shiva, what do you want? You would have attacked us by now if you didn't have something to say. So spit it out, Shiva.” Xyver spat, launching himself into the air, so he could gaze at the white haired, black winged angel levelly.
Shiva's stupid grin twitched.
“So you noticed. Sharp as ever, Xyver. Yes, I do have something to say. The conditions of your surrender.” he laughed evilly, quite psychotically.
Xyver's eyes narrowed, “Well, what do you want?!” he snapped over the outraged cries of his party below.
“We'll let you all go, unharmed and unperturbed, and release ten prisoners as a gesture of goodwill. . . . In exchange of the Sealed Crystal.” Shiva giggled insanely, quite pleased with himself.
Xyver spat at Shiva, “Never! The Sealed Crystal contains the body of Alexzai-sama! The likes of you shall never lay your hands upon it's splendor!” he snarled back, his statement echoed by his party, all fellow followers of Alexzai.
Shiva's grin vanished, and he shrugged, “Suit yourself.” he murmured, raising his hand in signal.
Twenty magic archers burst from the ruins and surrounded Xyver and his party, gleaming magic arrows drawn and ready.
“Defenses!” Xyver snapped, diving down to the ground, landing as his companions erected a defense barriar.
“You'll all die here. Your deaths will bring honor to Roshiel-sama . . . .” Shiva smirked, his wicked grim returning.
“Archers! Ready!” he yelled loudly.
“Ready!” twenty voices yelled back in reply.
“Aim!” Shiva ordered.
“Aim!” the archers echoed again.
“Fi-!” Shiva started to screech, but was cut off by the overpowering sound of a massive CRACK~!
All eyes turned towards the source of the cracking sound.
All froze.
The great blue orb floating in the center of the hall, containing one flame-haired Roshiel, now had a long crack in it, from top to bottom.
Water was dripping from the crack and the orb's normal rotation had stopped.
CRACK~! Another huge crack split the surface, this one going around the circumference, shattering the golden ring, causing it to fall to the ground in various sized chunks.
CRACK~! Another crack branched off.
CRACK~! And another.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
More and more cracks appeared on the surface, as if it were a window that had just been shot with a high caliber round.
And then, after a few moments of suspenseful silence . . . .
The whole orb shattered, in a flood of sweet-smelling water and sharp, jagged shards of gleaming blue glass.
Roshiel's limp body fell onto the sparkling shards of blue glass as the enchanted water burst from it's glass confines, and he continued to lay still, his dark wings heavy, and dripping.
Silence claimed the entire population of angels, wither of Roshiel, or Alexzai.
A few minutes passed by, and no one dared move.
The sudden, tiny movement of the figure lying in the glass shards seemed enormous.
The flame-haired angel started to breathe again, and he let out a low moan, as his amber eyes blinked open, momentarily blinded by the bright white fel-orbs illuminating the entire Grand Hall.
Roshiel struggled to his hands and knees, unharmed by the sharp pieces of transparent blue glass.
His wings felt as if they were made of stone, heavy and stiff, and he was vaguely aware that he was soaking wet, which explained the weight in his wings.
“Wha . . . ? Where am I . . . ? Alexzai?” Roshiel called weakly, confused and disoriented, and his head was pulsing with pain, making it difficult to think clearly.
Shiva was the first to recover from the shock.
“Roshiel-sama!!!!!” he cried, obvious joy in his voice.
Roshiel's head jerked in the general direction of Shiva's voice.
“Shiva? . . . That you, featherbrain?” he called, still slightly disoriented, but gradually regaining awareness.
Shiva dropped out of the air, landing beside Roshiel, his black boots crunching on the broken glass.
“Roshiel-sama! You're awake! Finally! We didn't know if you were ever going to be free of that glass prison!” Shiva murmured, pulling off his black over-coat and covering Roshiel with it, almost like a concerned parent caring for his child.
“Glass? . . . . Oh.” Roshiel echoed, confused at first, but then he remembered.
A small distance away, Xyver and his group still stood frozen, not with astonishment, but with horror.
'Roshiel is free?! And still, Alexzai-sama's soul has not been found!' Xyver stammered in his head.
The female angel beside him whispered, “What do we do, Xyver-sama?!”.
He could feel her trembling.
Xyver swore under his breath, “Disappear.” he gave the command.
The Alexzai angels fell into formation and cast their spells, and were gone.
Roshiel blinked, and did not react when Shiva helped him to his feet.
'Where is Alexzai . . . ? What happened to Alexzai . . . ?'
~
Sleeping.
Resting.
Growing stronger . . . .
This body is a good place to rest and recover. . . .
Alexi Solderra . . . .
I will be with you, for always . . . .
~