Chapter Five
Since his unexpected encounter he had remained in the shadows, making haste towards her crystal tower. It had to be on this wretched night of nights that the oblivious citizens of her New World would celebrate, their fireworks in the sky illuminating a city that already bears no shadowy refuge, where everyone is put on centre-stage and it’s all you can do to remain inconspicuous. She had tried to rob them of their individuality but all she had succeeded in doing was force them to hide their twisted – human – desires. And so it was that he nimbly ran his way through the sewers so as to not draw any undesired attention, eyes shifting rapidly through the black should any more guardians present themselves.
He soon arrived at the ladder leading to the surface near her chambers, and carefully he gripped the cold steel, silently making his way to the surface. The cover of the manhole was easily lifted out of place, and careful so as to not drag it across the brilliant sheen of the city floor placed the cover a short way behind him. Slowly he rose, deftly observing his surroundings; the walls of the city lay behind him and to his right, the conveniently placed vine-like growth running up the entire length of her crystal tower, long since planted for his benefit, lay to his left, and a short way into the distance the citizens were still present. Even though their fireworks had ended and dawn would soon break they remained as emphatic in their relentless quest for self satisfaction; so enamoured with their own selfish desires that the illuminated distance between him and the foot of the tower would go unobserved.
Leaping out of the sewers he darted for the tower, jumping onto the long green vine, moist to the touch and precariously stretching under his weight, he deftly scaled the smooth crystal walls, fearful should someone discover his large frame. He allowed himself a brief respite and looked out onto the citizens below, driven by such simplistic and mundane desires and yet, those same urges irrelevant on the scope of time offers them solace and fulfilment in their lives. Perhaps she was right to keep so much from them; let them remain blissfully ignorant of their origins, for he doubted many amongst them knew how close they came to extinction at their own hands. Refusing to get lost in his own thoughts he sprang back into life, scaling the towers side once more and scrambling into the balcony, crouched against the side, he gazed into her bed chambers and saw Tenshi lying motionless on the cream carpet floor.
Throwing caution to the wind he charged into her bed chambers, the gently flowing waves of her robe dangling motionless on the floor and the dishevelled feathers of her partially extended wings hanging limp, through a teary eye he raised her up and wrapped his muscular arms around her in a teary embrace. She was as much a mother to him as his biological descendant, caring for him when nobody else would; somehow capable of seeing beauty in even the lowliest of creatures. Lifting her fragile body into his arms he walked over towards her regal bed, and carefully lay her down upon its soft surface, allowing her radiant hair to flow down onto the pillow. Despite spending a solitary lifetime in the darkness, it was only now that he felt alone in the world, and so kneeling by her side, quietly he wept into the soft silky robes of his Angel.
As the dawn began to break upon the New World, the morning light simmered on the horizon, seeping through balcony, gently dancing against the cream walls and the disfigured creature remained motionless at Tenshi’s side. She slowly opened her eyes; her head was still in turmoil, a pulsating pain resonating throughout her body still recoiling from the shock at such a surge in philotic energy. Gently she stroked the bald scaly head of K’mtar, faithfully knelt at her bedside, and watched as he slowly rose his weary head; a fearful look in face, he wiped his reddening eyes and clutched at her hand, as though if he let go she would be lost to him once again.
“And so the saviour has become the saved,” she softly whispered, allowing a weak smile to emerge from her face, and looked at the worried expression in his gaze. “My body is healing, and I shall soon regain my strength,” she continued, the look of concern slowly began to fade from K’mtar’s face.
“Who did this to you? I’ll –” he spluttered.
“I do not know,” Tenshi interrupted, “it would seem there is a lot I don’t know any more.” A small look of disbelief emerged on K’mtar’s face; he was not used to hearing this from someone as wise as herself.
“Then how did they attack –”
“I do not know,” she lied, “but I sensed a power I haven’t felt in a long time, and it is coming.” Anxiously he began to pace, carefully thinking about the situation and what should be done. Suddenly he spun to face her once more, a look of determination in his posture.
“We must prepare, you need to gather the guardians to man the walls; I’ll scout out ahead and –”
“No!” she barked derisively, K’mtar recoiled, even despite her angelic appearance and weakened gait her eyes showed fear at the unknown. “The guardians are equipped with their primitive weapons for show; barely capable of wielding them properly they will be ill equipped to survive the storm that is coming.”
“Was that the purpose of the guardians in the sewers? To search for –”
“Guardians in the sewers?” Tenshi exclaimed. Alarmed, she sat up on her bed, “there is no reason for them to be there, you must have been mistaken.” K’mtar remembered the bright blue uniform and hulking boots; it was no mistake. In a panic K’mtar began to pace once more, desperately trying to decipher the situation.
“If you didn’t send them,” he began, struggling to think of a solution, “then they are working for another! If they are working for the enemy then surely New World is to fall, you must survive, flee and –”
“Unthinkable,” she interrupted once more, in a firm tone. “My own loyal subjects working against me? If the New World is to fall then I shall fall with it.” She looked into the soft eyes of the creature before her, a single tear rolling down the hard skin of his cheek. Desperately she thought; she could not fight this war alone, and would need an ally. Ashiya! She would surely have sensed her philotic distress and would already be on her way! Gradually a thin slither of a smile came to her face at the sudden revelation. “Of course that isn’t plan a,” she stated with a gentle and comforting tone, belying her true worries in a façade of faith. “I need you go down into the sewers, past the old library following the river out to the mouth. It is here that you shall find Ashiya, you are to tell her –” she stopped abruptly, seeing the fear emerge on his face like a wave at the mention of her name. K’mtar quivered slightly.
“Ashiya the Destroyer?” Tenshi recoiled slightly, taken aback at the title. “I read of her in the old texts in the library,” K’mtar continued.
“I thought all the texts were written in my native tongue,” Tenshi began, “you must mean the religious documentation?”
“She’s the reason the world nearly came to end, she returned and treated the world like a plague to be eradicated, taught them to fish and hunt only to cruelly try to take away our ancestors right to live. What evil do we face that requires such a demon?” Tenshi smiled slightly in amusement.
“Ashiya is no destroyer,” she calmly responded. “She did indeed teach them of agriculture millennia ago, rapidly spurring on their journey to a more civilised life, but when she returned the war had almost begun.”
“But why would a god leave her people?” K’mtar exclaimed.
“She was no god, though many came to believe she was. Ashiya belongs to an ancient race from deep beneath the western ocean and came to teach them the foundations of civilisation against the wishes of her own kind, wishing to let them develop without interference. When she was finally able to return she discovered a world torn between those who worshipped her and those who denied her existence. Her arrival was seen as proof of their beliefs, and those opposed to their way of life only strengthened their resolve. Her presence would prove to be the catalyst for their nuclear destruction that she would be powerless to prevent.” K’mtar growled like nervous dog, angry at the thought of requiring the assistance of such a disreputable being.
“I still don’t trust her; if she was worshipped as a deity then surely –” K’mtar barked only to be interrupted by Tenshi, the argument slowly re-invigorating her, now clearly with more strength than before.
“I do not know what became of her, only that she escaped. What I do know, is that there is a dark power pushing the gears of this rapidly approaching war, and if we are to survive we shall need allies.”
“You’re being deceived,” K’mtar cried. “Ashiya has fooled you into thinking –”
“ASHIYA IS NOT A DESTROYER!” Tenshi roared with a dark, booming ferocity the likes of which K’mtar had never heard before, and he recoiled, cowering away from the dark angel before him; her own abilities suddenly made all too frighteningly apparent. Tenshi looked down onto her robe solemnly, she had hidden her dark past from the world for a long time. She felt the tears begin to well up inside her, and through blurry eyes the distraught figure stared into the eyes of the beast she had frightened. Lip quivering, she softly spoke “I know Ashiya is not responsible for their deaths, because I am,” her gentle, sorrowful words resonated around the room, lingering in the air and oozing with feelings of regret. “I was young and –” she was interrupted by the loud sound of knocking at the door. Instinctively she rubbed her eyes of the tears streaming down her face – she could not be seen upset and needed to maintain her illusion of grandeur or all she had worked for could be lost.
When she opened her eyes once more, K’mtar had disappeared into the morning light, the curtains on the sliding door to her balcony gently blowing in the wind. Rushing to her feet she darted for the balcony door, scanning the horizon for any trace of her adopted son, only the faintly visible claw seen shifting the manhole cover on the distant ground giving any indication of his presence. The knocking at the door persisted, more distressed and emphatic in their tone; darting back inside she quickly clutched the glass still on the floor, the wine long since seeped out and embedded deep into the carpet, and rushed to the door. Taking a moment to compose herself, she opened the door to the concerned guardian who stood awaiting her answer. Tenshi beamed at him, an expression belying the true emotions she had been forced to dredge up, and handed him the empty wine glass. The guardian – seemingly content that she was fine – slowly begun to walk back to his post, and delicately she shut the door.
She paced over onto the balcony once more, the rapidly rising sun shimmering an effervescent glow on the citizens of the new world, blissfully unaware of their rapidly approaching fate. Their celebrations had finally begun to dwindle, and whilst some had returned to their homes many still remained, talking amongst themselves in merriment. It had been a long time since her future was so ambiguous, and the thought of the unknown petrified her; but it was not her own fate that she concerned for, but the fate of her loyal subjects. She would not fail this world again.
He soon arrived at the ladder leading to the surface near her chambers, and carefully he gripped the cold steel, silently making his way to the surface. The cover of the manhole was easily lifted out of place, and careful so as to not drag it across the brilliant sheen of the city floor placed the cover a short way behind him. Slowly he rose, deftly observing his surroundings; the walls of the city lay behind him and to his right, the conveniently placed vine-like growth running up the entire length of her crystal tower, long since planted for his benefit, lay to his left, and a short way into the distance the citizens were still present. Even though their fireworks had ended and dawn would soon break they remained as emphatic in their relentless quest for self satisfaction; so enamoured with their own selfish desires that the illuminated distance between him and the foot of the tower would go unobserved.
Leaping out of the sewers he darted for the tower, jumping onto the long green vine, moist to the touch and precariously stretching under his weight, he deftly scaled the smooth crystal walls, fearful should someone discover his large frame. He allowed himself a brief respite and looked out onto the citizens below, driven by such simplistic and mundane desires and yet, those same urges irrelevant on the scope of time offers them solace and fulfilment in their lives. Perhaps she was right to keep so much from them; let them remain blissfully ignorant of their origins, for he doubted many amongst them knew how close they came to extinction at their own hands. Refusing to get lost in his own thoughts he sprang back into life, scaling the towers side once more and scrambling into the balcony, crouched against the side, he gazed into her bed chambers and saw Tenshi lying motionless on the cream carpet floor.
Throwing caution to the wind he charged into her bed chambers, the gently flowing waves of her robe dangling motionless on the floor and the dishevelled feathers of her partially extended wings hanging limp, through a teary eye he raised her up and wrapped his muscular arms around her in a teary embrace. She was as much a mother to him as his biological descendant, caring for him when nobody else would; somehow capable of seeing beauty in even the lowliest of creatures. Lifting her fragile body into his arms he walked over towards her regal bed, and carefully lay her down upon its soft surface, allowing her radiant hair to flow down onto the pillow. Despite spending a solitary lifetime in the darkness, it was only now that he felt alone in the world, and so kneeling by her side, quietly he wept into the soft silky robes of his Angel.
As the dawn began to break upon the New World, the morning light simmered on the horizon, seeping through balcony, gently dancing against the cream walls and the disfigured creature remained motionless at Tenshi’s side. She slowly opened her eyes; her head was still in turmoil, a pulsating pain resonating throughout her body still recoiling from the shock at such a surge in philotic energy. Gently she stroked the bald scaly head of K’mtar, faithfully knelt at her bedside, and watched as he slowly rose his weary head; a fearful look in face, he wiped his reddening eyes and clutched at her hand, as though if he let go she would be lost to him once again.
“And so the saviour has become the saved,” she softly whispered, allowing a weak smile to emerge from her face, and looked at the worried expression in his gaze. “My body is healing, and I shall soon regain my strength,” she continued, the look of concern slowly began to fade from K’mtar’s face.
“Who did this to you? I’ll –” he spluttered.
“I do not know,” Tenshi interrupted, “it would seem there is a lot I don’t know any more.” A small look of disbelief emerged on K’mtar’s face; he was not used to hearing this from someone as wise as herself.
“Then how did they attack –”
“I do not know,” she lied, “but I sensed a power I haven’t felt in a long time, and it is coming.” Anxiously he began to pace, carefully thinking about the situation and what should be done. Suddenly he spun to face her once more, a look of determination in his posture.
“We must prepare, you need to gather the guardians to man the walls; I’ll scout out ahead and –”
“No!” she barked derisively, K’mtar recoiled, even despite her angelic appearance and weakened gait her eyes showed fear at the unknown. “The guardians are equipped with their primitive weapons for show; barely capable of wielding them properly they will be ill equipped to survive the storm that is coming.”
“Was that the purpose of the guardians in the sewers? To search for –”
“Guardians in the sewers?” Tenshi exclaimed. Alarmed, she sat up on her bed, “there is no reason for them to be there, you must have been mistaken.” K’mtar remembered the bright blue uniform and hulking boots; it was no mistake. In a panic K’mtar began to pace once more, desperately trying to decipher the situation.
“If you didn’t send them,” he began, struggling to think of a solution, “then they are working for another! If they are working for the enemy then surely New World is to fall, you must survive, flee and –”
“Unthinkable,” she interrupted once more, in a firm tone. “My own loyal subjects working against me? If the New World is to fall then I shall fall with it.” She looked into the soft eyes of the creature before her, a single tear rolling down the hard skin of his cheek. Desperately she thought; she could not fight this war alone, and would need an ally. Ashiya! She would surely have sensed her philotic distress and would already be on her way! Gradually a thin slither of a smile came to her face at the sudden revelation. “Of course that isn’t plan a,” she stated with a gentle and comforting tone, belying her true worries in a façade of faith. “I need you go down into the sewers, past the old library following the river out to the mouth. It is here that you shall find Ashiya, you are to tell her –” she stopped abruptly, seeing the fear emerge on his face like a wave at the mention of her name. K’mtar quivered slightly.
“Ashiya the Destroyer?” Tenshi recoiled slightly, taken aback at the title. “I read of her in the old texts in the library,” K’mtar continued.
“I thought all the texts were written in my native tongue,” Tenshi began, “you must mean the religious documentation?”
“She’s the reason the world nearly came to end, she returned and treated the world like a plague to be eradicated, taught them to fish and hunt only to cruelly try to take away our ancestors right to live. What evil do we face that requires such a demon?” Tenshi smiled slightly in amusement.
“Ashiya is no destroyer,” she calmly responded. “She did indeed teach them of agriculture millennia ago, rapidly spurring on their journey to a more civilised life, but when she returned the war had almost begun.”
“But why would a god leave her people?” K’mtar exclaimed.
“She was no god, though many came to believe she was. Ashiya belongs to an ancient race from deep beneath the western ocean and came to teach them the foundations of civilisation against the wishes of her own kind, wishing to let them develop without interference. When she was finally able to return she discovered a world torn between those who worshipped her and those who denied her existence. Her arrival was seen as proof of their beliefs, and those opposed to their way of life only strengthened their resolve. Her presence would prove to be the catalyst for their nuclear destruction that she would be powerless to prevent.” K’mtar growled like nervous dog, angry at the thought of requiring the assistance of such a disreputable being.
“I still don’t trust her; if she was worshipped as a deity then surely –” K’mtar barked only to be interrupted by Tenshi, the argument slowly re-invigorating her, now clearly with more strength than before.
“I do not know what became of her, only that she escaped. What I do know, is that there is a dark power pushing the gears of this rapidly approaching war, and if we are to survive we shall need allies.”
“You’re being deceived,” K’mtar cried. “Ashiya has fooled you into thinking –”
“ASHIYA IS NOT A DESTROYER!” Tenshi roared with a dark, booming ferocity the likes of which K’mtar had never heard before, and he recoiled, cowering away from the dark angel before him; her own abilities suddenly made all too frighteningly apparent. Tenshi looked down onto her robe solemnly, she had hidden her dark past from the world for a long time. She felt the tears begin to well up inside her, and through blurry eyes the distraught figure stared into the eyes of the beast she had frightened. Lip quivering, she softly spoke “I know Ashiya is not responsible for their deaths, because I am,” her gentle, sorrowful words resonated around the room, lingering in the air and oozing with feelings of regret. “I was young and –” she was interrupted by the loud sound of knocking at the door. Instinctively she rubbed her eyes of the tears streaming down her face – she could not be seen upset and needed to maintain her illusion of grandeur or all she had worked for could be lost.
When she opened her eyes once more, K’mtar had disappeared into the morning light, the curtains on the sliding door to her balcony gently blowing in the wind. Rushing to her feet she darted for the balcony door, scanning the horizon for any trace of her adopted son, only the faintly visible claw seen shifting the manhole cover on the distant ground giving any indication of his presence. The knocking at the door persisted, more distressed and emphatic in their tone; darting back inside she quickly clutched the glass still on the floor, the wine long since seeped out and embedded deep into the carpet, and rushed to the door. Taking a moment to compose herself, she opened the door to the concerned guardian who stood awaiting her answer. Tenshi beamed at him, an expression belying the true emotions she had been forced to dredge up, and handed him the empty wine glass. The guardian – seemingly content that she was fine – slowly begun to walk back to his post, and delicately she shut the door.
She paced over onto the balcony once more, the rapidly rising sun shimmering an effervescent glow on the citizens of the new world, blissfully unaware of their rapidly approaching fate. Their celebrations had finally begun to dwindle, and whilst some had returned to their homes many still remained, talking amongst themselves in merriment. It had been a long time since her future was so ambiguous, and the thought of the unknown petrified her; but it was not her own fate that she concerned for, but the fate of her loyal subjects. She would not fail this world again.
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