To Kill a Guardian

Trey sighed as his pet chased after the loose end. “Such a waste of beauty.” He said with disgust as he turned to face the remains of Havell hanging up in the tree. “Useless waste of flesh too.” He approached and cut the rope, letting the half eaten body fall with an ungraceful thud. Nature will run its course. 

He thought to himself before turning and meeting the direction of his Bane Wolf as one of them returned. It held a small piece of white cloth, which Trey retrieved from its mouth and studied it. “Good, take me to her.” He says and the Bane Wolf started back the way it had come, leading Trey to the location of where it had gotten the cloth. 

Unlike Silvina, the forest did not light up for Trey. Instead it got darker as if trying to hide its secrets. 

It was afraid. 

When the creature reached the end of it’s path, Trey was met with a glorious sight which made his eyes go wide and his grin twist viciously. 

Kneeling before him was a woman. A young looking woman with beautiful flowing blonde hair that washed down over her shoulders and hid her gorgeous face. The most striking thing about her though was not her hair, but the magnificent white angel wings attached to her body. They were extended out and perfectly intact. Her head was bowed and her arms were restrained by two of the Bane Wolves who had her wrists clamped within their jaws. Trey could hear her blood dripping down into the grass and soaking into the earth, causing him to feel mildly aroused the longer he thought about it. 

He circled around her like a hungry predator, still relishing her beautiful wings. “You have given me the slip one too many times.” He chuckled at the thought as he drew the sword on his hip. He brushed the edge along the joint of one of her wings. “I have no use for your body. Only the wings.” He said as if that wasn’t much to ask for at all. 

He raised his sword but then paused. “Oh wait...you’re divine. That’s right. Silly me.” He chuckled as he examined the blade of the sword, whispering words of death upon it to cause a black flame to engulf its edges. 

Feeling satisfied now, Trey raised his sword and brought it down swiftly and accurately, her scream of agony and attempts to escape falling on deaf ears and blind eyes. The wing fell from her back gracefully. 

Trey laughed a little as the flames licked at the divine blood staining his blade now. He leaned down so he was directly next to her ear. 

“Where is your goddess now…Angel?” 

She grit her teeth, clenching her fists as she tried to summon the last of her strength. Her silver sword materialized in her hand, ripping her arms free of the wolves jaws as she spun to meet Trey’s blade. 

They were face to face now, her bright eyes like blue flames as she tried to keep the light of her soul alive just a little longer. “You will not prevail.” She hissed, pushing him back with the flat of her blade. 

Trey stumbled a bit as he laughed, dismissing his wolves now as he started to circle her. “I already have, but if you want to draw this out…” He spread his arms out in a welcoming gesture. “Be my guest.” 

Angel immediately advanced, their blade’s colliding with a shower of sparks. Trey couldn’t hesitate in his fluid movements of defense. She struck hard and she struck fast, every blow meaner than the last. 

Angel stepped into him, as he blocked her blade again and slid the tip of her sword above his edge to catch his shoulder tendon. He hissed in pain and clutched his shoulder as his arm went limp. 

He stumbled back again over her severed wing as she tried to deal the finishing blow but his form flickered as he was enveloped in shadows. His foreign words were familiar enough that Angel knew he was trying to get away. She made another lunge for him, prepared to strike directly through his heart but the tip of her blade was met with air this time.

She stumbled to the ground, bloody and alone now as he had managed to escape with one of her wings. 

Angel’s sword disappeared from her hand, now slick with the blood draining down from her wrists. She was feeling lightheaded and dizzy now. 

“Etris...please…” She cried out. Her whole body was trembling in pain and she finally collapsed. “Help me...please…” She started to drag herself across the clearing as it was now stained with her blood. 

Even in her dazed and desperate state though, she could sense her surroundings change. 

“My child…”

The voice of her goddess filled her ears and she forced herself to lift her head to meet a pair of large green eyes embedded into twisted and woven foliage formed into the muzzle of a dragon. 

Angel reached up and rested her hand on her muzzle and closed her eyes as the life was fading from her. 

“Rest. For our time is done…” 

The forest dragon circled around her faithful child. Her light too, was dying. 

“One day there will be a reckoning…and the forests shall be green again…”