CHAPTER 2
There was something in the night that made Marione’s hair stand on end. The last time she had felt this was so long ago she only remembered the scent of the night air and the five dead fallen by her feet. She tersely cracked her neck and watched Maha kick the animated dummy around her training floor.
“I’m getting bored here, Maha. If I were a Nepher I would’ve killed you already. Don’t play with your food.” Marione called out pulling out her trusty pack of cigarettes and lightening one up.
Maha glared at her from her position on the floor. Marione knew the young one hated when Marione corrected her so she took special care to correct her whenever possible.
“If you were a Nepher you would already be dead!” Maha dealt a powerful blow to the dummy and made it wobble.
Marione chuckled, letting out a cloud of smoke. “Perhaps but then again I’d be the best looking Nepher that ever died.”
Maha ignored her taunt and with her spear sliced the dummy’s head off. Marione nodded and pressed the button next to her chair. The dummy stood once more, collected his head and hit Maha on the head with his own. Maha jumped, startled and started the fight once more.
Marione, amused with herself as she often was, sat back to enjoy the show. It would’ve been a nice slow training session had not a powerful chill gone up her spine.
Dammit. She hated when someone tried to inter-connect. But then again no one would try inter-connect unless they were dying. She braced herself for the light feeling that would follow and closed her eyes to accept the message.
“Take care of my sons.”
Rafael’s distinct voice came to her and it was gone as soon as it came. Marione dropped to the floor, chest heaving, Goosebumps on her white arms and eyes clear mint green.
“No!” she screamed, leaping to the fight floor, taking the dummy Maha was playing with and with her sword cut it swiftly in half.
Maha turned to look at her, eyes wide and surprised. She had never Marione loose it that way.
“Marione?” Maha asked tentatively. Marione’s hair was wild and unruly her eyes were sparking near white. A look she only got when she had the most enormous pleasure or the most agonizing pain.
“The Ginorios are dead.” She stated, her eye color slowly returning to a deep green.
“Rafael and Shannon?” Maha asked, strapping her spear on her back.
“Yes. We will go to
“Tonight.”
“I sense the wind changing. There are multiple extractions happening.”
“How many?” Maha insisted.
“I don’t know!” Marione shouted, walking out of the play room. “I’m not all knowing, you know! I know what I know because I’ve lived as long as I have not because I’m more special or above any of you.”
Maha followed her, obediently. Marione walked into her room of the palatial palace she owned in
“Do you want me to call Stevens?” Maha asked, tentatively.
Marione pulled out her black leather bag and stood in silence for a moment. “Yes. Call Steven. Tell him to meet us at the west end.”
Maha nodded, tossing her long braided hair behind her, her dark skin shinning with sweat. Marione turned to stare at her for a moment, watching her closely. The young Fallen was but forty years old – still too young to know anything of anything. Maha was strong, she reminded Marione a lot of her when she was still a young Fallen. But then again how many had reminded her of herself? Too many and she had to watch them all be extracted. Always missing her own funeral. And now Rafael and Shannon were gone. She always thought that as long as they remained in
Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!
“Marione, you’re not well.”
“Call Stevens! And try not to get killed!” Marione shouted at the younger one, watching her run out of her room.
She knew she felt something off but this was much more than just feeling two extractions. She deftly took out her cell phone and dialed Pratap’s number. She waited until it took her into voicemail.
“Pratap… if you hear this call me the instant you get it. Rafael and Shannon have been extracted.” It took her a moment to say it but it came out. Rafael and Shannon were gone. After her, they were the two oldest left. “Fuck, Pratap pick up the bleeding phone!”
She hung up, angry fingers found Rufino’s number. Also led her to voicemail. “Rufino, carajo. Soy yo, Marione. Llamame cuando cojas el maldito telefono.”
She look up, startled, as Maha re-entered her room, hands wriggling before her.
“Steven got a call from
The thunder inside Marione started quicker and faster.
“Pratap and Rufino didn’t pick up their calls.”
“You think they’re dead too? Are they trying to exterminate us in one night?” Maha’s voice faltered, her wide black eyes searching Marione’s just like they had so many years ago in Ethiopia when Marione first went to see her.
“Most likely. The last time they tried it was in 1556. Five Fallen died. Only I and Gunther lived. Gunther died a year later.”
“1556?”
“We were in
“Nothing major has happened. The news are silent.”
“Ah… you see they learned. The trick is not to get us all together and attack. We’re more powerful when we’re all together. The trick is to get us individually. It’s far more easy to kill a Fallen when they’re alone than when we are united. Took them a few centuries but they learned. They’re slow creatures.”
“Are they coming after us next?” Maha’s voice was strong but Marione could see courage faltering in her eyes.
“My guess is that they’re already here.”
Maha’s dark face seemed to pale and she pulled her spear out. Marione always had a way of saying things the way they were. She didn’t worry about Political Correctness, didn’t worry about offended feelings, about saving purity or anything that had to do with controlling ones words or actions. It was part of the reason Maha liked her. It was refreshing to meet someone who was so blunt but at times like these she wished Marione would sugar-coat things a bit more. If only to stop her from trembling.
“Don’t worry. They can’t enter. My land is hollow land.” Marione told her, not one ounce of pity in her voice. It was not a statement of comfort but as a matter-of-fact.
“Then we stay here.” Maha stated, standing a bit taller.
“Like cowards? I’m leaving and I’m leaving fast. Rafael asked one thing before he left. I intend to go to
“I’ll come with you. I told you in
Marione nodded, not touched at all – like Maha knew she’d react. After all, if they hadn’t been able to kill Marione in over seven hundred years they wouldn’t be able to kill her now – that was Maha’s comfort.
By the time they made it to the airport Maha couldn’t help but shiver in her seat. The shadows were all around them and the air was so full of death that it made it hard to breathe. Next to her Marione calmly drove without a care in the world. Almost as if she was tempting them to attack her. Maha almost felt sorry for the Nepher who dared attack them – the way Marione felt inside was enough to destroy them with a single glance.
Maha looked out the window and saw little red eyes staring at her from everywhere.
“We’re going to have to fight to get to the plane. They’re already here.”
“Stevens must be shitting his pants.” Marione chuckled.
“I’m shitting my pants!” Maha exclaimed, annoyed that Marione could be so flippant.
“You shouldn’t. We’re stronger than they are. We’re wiser and we’re faster.”
“But what is strength, knowledge and speed of two against the fury of thousands?”
“In any case, today is a good day to die,” Marione shrugged her shoulders and pulled the truck next to the plane.
Maha watched Marione strap an extra knife onto the inside of her tight and grab Excalibur. The sword shone like it wanted action, like it wanted blood on it. Maha pulled her own spear her father had made for her since she was a child and stepped out of the car.
Marione hefted her bag over her shoulder and walked carefully to the plane, as if her body was absorbing her environment.
“Stevens!” she shouted. They waited, Maha next to her looking every which way. Slowly the door to the private plane opened.
“Jesus, Marione! Are you mad? They’re all over!” Steven exclaimed, his tiny head coming into view. The man was as pale as God made him and as frightened as ever.
“They can’t touch you, Steven, so grow some balls.” Marione tossed him her bag and he caught it, still keeping to the plane.
“Marione,” Maha whimpered next to her as she watched the Nephers begin to materialize. There were so many of them. So many. Maha had never seen so many together. It was a sea of them. Shinny teeth, deep red eyes, hallow wings.
Marione remained impassive, grabbing Maha’s bag and tossing it to Stevens who desperately wanted to be anywhere but there.
The ones that spoke for the Nephers came forward. It was three of them, which told Marione that they were 300 of them. With every hundred came a Wasp; one who would speak for them. She’d never had this many wasps address her. Tonight was surely different.
“The young one” the first Wasp said.
“…has the right head,” the second continued.
“… to be afraid, Marione the Great.” The third finished.
Marione smirked. She loved when they did the chorus.
“Tonight is a night to,” the first began again.
“remember amongst us Nephilim,” the second chimed in.
“The creator has abandoned you.” The third smiled.
Next to her Marione saw Maha get into fighting position, her wings were out and ready to attack.
“As he has you, Wasp.” Marione slowly took off her long overcoat and gently placed it over the stairs of the plane.
“We accept our fate,” the first began again.
“… when will you,” the second put in.
“… accept yours.” The third flashed his pointy tiny teeth.
Marione smiled at them, that charming smile that had gotten her countless things in her long life.
“Let’s establish some rules before we do this, ok. Rule #1 – don’t mess with the hair. You fuck with the hair and you’re a dead’pher. Rule #2 – never take your eyes off the sword,” she pointed to Excalibur shinning on her hand. “If you do, I guarantee it’ll kill you. Homicidal little fucker, but hey – matches my personality. Then,” she walked closer to them. “the most important rule of all – rule #3. The Holy Number. The Mother of all bleeding rules.” Her smile grew wider. “You ready for it? After I kill you make sure you pass this on to your boss.”
Standing before the three Wasp she began scraping her throat, pulling snot from the very back of her. The Nephers watched her with fascination, Maha and Steve grimaced. When she was satisfied Marione reeled her head back and spit one large ball of mucus on the Wasp but before the snot could get to them she lifted Excalibur and swung it neatly, perfectly and precisely decapitating all three of them. The snot ball fell on the Nephers standing behind them.
“Fuck, I missed!” Marione smiled at them as the bodies of the other three lay on her feet still twitched and glowing with the extraction process.
Maha had seen her do enough stunts like this to know that the rumble had just started. She fell right on step with Marione and the fight commenced, they began slicing Nephers in waves. Steven re-entered the plane and began to pray.
Marione was a master, her body was a dance in motion, knowing full well her opponents moves before they thought of them. She had fought too many of them for too long for her not to know this. The anger and fury she felt was gone, all that was left was the thrill of the kill. Her body began to sizzle with joy as she continued killing them, her wings spread and shivered in ecstasy as more and more Nephers died. She was so consumed with her own pleasure that she didn’t see Maha behind trying to keep up with her shadow.
By the time Marione turned around to save her from a particularly large nasty Nepher … Maha was run thru.
Marione shouted, jumped in the air, hundreds of Nephers under her and then dove in, picking up Maha’s dead body. She pulled the youngling closer, her wings circling them in a protective manner and placed her on top of a rock, away from them. Maha was dead, her body began shinning in a soft green glow. Marione shouted once more, turning away from Maha and looking into the crowd of Nephers that were slowly approaching her. Their scaly gray bodies shivered with anticipation, their tiny teeth clinked in the night.
Marione’s chest was heaving. Once more she was the last one left. That night in the back of Marione’s mind flashed something that had never flashed before. It was exhaustion. She was tired, she realized. She was so very tired. Tired of fighting (not the fucking, of course), tired of watching generation after generation of Fallen dying. All died but her.
She was completely ready to loose herself in the
In other times she would’ve cared, she would’ve not even dreamt of giving them the satisfaction. Tonight was different.
She closed her eyes and re-opened them, lifting Excalibur and pressing him against her forehead. The image of
Fuck this, she thought, I will not die in a night when all others have died.
“That’s the spirit,” a quiet, powerful voice came from behind her. She didn’t have to open her eyes to know that the Nephers were fleeing like God had just beamed in.
Slowly she opened her eyes, watching the Nephers run for their lives, all looking at her new companion with terror. Some shouted for mercy, others simply ran as fast as they could or flew as fast as their tattered wings could carry them.
“And you wonder why you have no friends,” Marione chuckled, turning around to look at him.
Michael was not what one would consider a handsome man but he was handsome none the less. His human visage was breathtaking. Marione attributed to the aura that fell around him.
“You had me scared there for a second,” Michael walked around Maha’s dead body and knelt by it.
“You know no fear.” Marione reminded him, watching Maha’s body finish the extraction.
“That is true.” Michael meant less words than he said them – which decreased his overall talk by 100%.
“Are they all dead?”
“You know the answer.” He told her, placing his hand over Maha’s forehead and bending his head down.
“Why? Why does he permit this?” Marione knew this answer as well but to speak it made it a fear within her.
Michael glanced at her, telling her she also knew that answer. She knew it because she had asked it before.
“I’m going to
Michael stood and looked over her. “Why do you care?”
Marione strapped Excalibur behind then her kneeled over Maha. “No one ever had children before. The boys are special aren’t they?” She took Maha’s wallet from the back of her leather trousers and stuffed it in her side sachet then reached for Maha’s discarded beautiful lance and took it.
“They are,” Michael agreed, watching her stand and begin walking to her plane. Michael followed her.
“Prophets?”
“Fallen.”
Marione stopped mid-stride and faced him, face closer to him than she’d ever dared, Maha’s lance at hand.
“Fallen?”
“Fallen.”
“Fallen. You piece of shit!”
Michael sighed, used to her character. “You’ve often wondered if it was all about you. Well it isn’t. It’s about them.”
“Is the time coming?”
“Gabrielle nor I knows that.” Michael told her, walking next to the plane and looking over her.
“Are we the last?” Marione asked, almost fearfully.
“Perhaps.”
“That’s the same thing you always tell me – you also told me the same thing back in
Michael showed no emotion, face blank just looking at her.
“What am I supposed to do with them? Breast feed them.”
“I’m sure they’d love that but they’re grown men.”
“They’re boys, they’re children.” Marione grabbed her long coat from the stairs and put the lance down. “They’re all children.”
Stevens popped his head back out. “Are we safe?”
Marione put her coat back on and glared at him. “Start the bloody engine.” He handed him the lance. “Put it inside.”
“Yes, boss.” Stevens grabbed the lance and disappeared from view and Marione turned to Michael.
“I won’t stay for long. Just to tell them who and what were their parents. I wont train, I wont baby-sit –“
“You won’t get emotionally involved,” Michael finished for her.
“I never do,” Marione glared back at him. “You make sure Gerontius is there.”
Michael looked up at the night sky, a short smile forming on his lips. “You sense that?”
Marione didn’t answer him.
“The time is changing. The extractions are over. No more nightmares and soon – very soon six more will be chosen to perfect the seven.”
“Do me a favor. When you stop speaking in riddles then come and see me. If you have something to say that makes sense and stops my doubts then look me up. And next time I’m about to fight a heroic history-making battle don’t drop in and save my ass. If it’s my ass’ turn to go then it’s my ass’ turn to go.”
Michael gave her a full smile this time. “You were always charming.” And then he disappeared.
Marione studied the spot he left vacant for a moment and she cursed, running up the steps to the plane. From outside you could hear her shouting at Stevens to make a beeline to
No comments:
Post a Comment