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A long time ago……when the world was wrought with strife and despair, when humanity had forgotten faith and repentance…..when the seeds of sin and greed took root among the once peaceful and pure land…..when men fought and harmed and killed each other out of selfishness and destructive pride…..the Heavens decided that humanity's punishment was long due.
Descending from the golden skies were the four knights sent by God, the four horsemen of apocalypse, each armed with a tool to judge, without mercy, the consequence of humanity's sins.
Piety, Tranquility, and Satiety went ahead, brandishing their weapons as they rained down divine punishment unto the sinners, indifferent and unshaken, sparing not a moment for futile cries or prayers of mercy. For the judgement had been given, and it was only the duty of the knights to follow it accordingly.
Alas, unlike her brethren, there was one knight who could not find it within herself to be as heartless as the rest of God’s angels. Eternity, the manifestation of death. Fair and dutiful, she had never faltered in her commandments. Except on that fateful day of judgement.
Her heart wavered, and with this hesitance, calamity struck. In the end, when the silver box dropped down towards the surface of the earth, was the final gift left behind by the knight of death a last dwindling hope or more impending doom?
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It was a story she had read a long time ago, in a forgotten tome, from a forgotten time. She had never been one to believe in gods or angels, so she had dismissed it as a mere fantastical tale of yore.
But now, as the witch stood in front of the frozen statue, she wondered– was the tale not as fictitious as she had initially thought it to be after all?
For the statue in front of her, a woman with her eyes closed, teardrops running down her cheeks, dressed in a grand gown lined with pearls and beads, a spiked crown atop her head and a silver box clutched tightly in her hand, looked so life-like that it had the witch wondering if it was a statue at all.
Hidden away in a cave forgotten by the world, unreachable by mere mortals, surrounded by freezing ice all over…….it was impossible to think about who could have even sculpted and stored away such a statue in such a remote location.
The witch watched the woman’s face for longer than she usually would have…..for no doubt the beauty of the knight of death was beyond the mortal world, even with a face twisted in mourning and grief, and her lips downturned and a teardrop running down her cheek…..she stood as regal and magnificent as an angel would, as beautifully tragic as one too.
The witch stepped closer, curious and fascinated. She reached out, towards the face of the woman, hesitant, but so intrigued. Her fingers were nearly touching the frozen surface of the statue’s face when she stilled, realising something with bewilderment.
Alert, the witch backed away, lifting her staff as she did so, watching carefully. Nothing changed, but the witch remained wary. Lifting her silver staff towards the statue, she merely tapped the top of the open silver box.
Another silent moment passed, and the witch waited with a bated breath.
And then it began. First as a single crack on the frozen side of the woman’s face, and then several more cracks following behind, as it spread from her face down to her neck, then her arms, and her clothes, the silver box in her hand, down to her legs. Little by little, the stone and ice faltered and fell to the ground, splintering into rubble and crystals.
Then…..she opened her eyes. And by god, were they divine, reflecting the very light of heavens, harboring a wisdom far preceding civilisation itself, and a gaze filled with grief, sorrow and pity. She looked down, at the startled witch standing before her podium, face unreadable due to the veil atop her head, but her lips, an unusual lavender shade, hanging open in shock, as Eternity herself descended from the pedestal and approached her.
“Is it time?” She asked, and as she spoke, her voice carried with it the melody of ancients, a voice so low yet so authoritative, a voice gentle yet divine, a voice that reached into the very depth of one’s soul and vibrated within your bones.
The witch shivered under her emotionless, yet kind gaze, “Pardon?” She asked.
“Is it the day? The Day of Judgment?” Eternity asked her, leaving behind trails of icy footsteps as she approached closer.
The witch stepped back, a little bit intimidated, “I….don’t think so…not yet….” She answered, quite unsure of the reply herself.
Eternity paused, an uncertain expression ghosting across her face, “Then why did you wake me?”
“It was an accident,” The witch admitted, feeling a little bit guilty, “Forgive me, lord of death, I did not quite expect you to actually be asleep inside the statue.”
Eternity frowned, “So it is not the Day of Judgment?”
“No…..I don’t think so.” The witch answered, now a little bit embarrassed.
Eternity looked down, perhaps unsure, “My brethren? Are they still asleep?”
The witch wasn’t quite sure if she was fit to answer that question, “Forgive me….but I only found you here. I am not aware of the whereabouts of your brethren.”
“I see,” Eternity closed her eyes, and then when she opened them again, a golden glow emitted from her eyes, and her body hovered above the icy floor as the silver box in her hands shone with a blinding brilliance.
“My brethren…..” This time when she spoke, her voice echoed off the chambers of the underground cave, “......where are you……”
The witch felt a bone-deep chill as the horseman of death spoke, clutching her staff tighter as the warm glow somehow made her feel colder. She wasn’t quite sure of what was happening. Had she committed a grave mistake? Was she due for divine punishment? If so….then she must be prepared…..the witch wasn’t one to go down without a fight–
Just like that, the golden light dissipated, and the blinding light was gone. Eternity stepped back onto the floor, eyes no longer emitting divine brilliance, but face twisted in confusion, “It seems….” She spoke, voice no longer echoing like before, “My brethren are awake…..they have been awake for a long while now……but have not been performing duties of judgment.”
The witch raised her eyebrows, not that it was visible underneath her veil, “What have they been doing?”
“I am not quite sure…..” Eternity mumbled, brow furrowing, “The Day of Judgment is not here, yet they must have forgotten— the duty of an angel. Perhaps….” She looked up, a determined look in her eyes, “.....this is why the heavens willed me to wake up…..to find them and remind them…..our duties as angels.”
“Oh?” The witch was intrigued, “Are you going to look for them?”
“Yes. I must, it is my duty.” Eternity looked at her, “May I know your name, benefactor?”
Benefactor? It certainly was something to hear the angel of death call you a benefactor.
Miss Ghost Candle, as the witch called herself to avoid revealing her true name to strangers, considered introducing herself the same way to the entity in front of her….but decided against it at the last moment…..for lying to a divine being might have consequences even she wasn’t sure of.
“Melly. Melly Ndolvu. That is my mortal name.” She answered truthfully.
“Melly,” Eternity repeated it, “I sense that you are no ordinary mortal….far older and wiser than a typical human. Would you like to be my guide in traversing the earthly realm? Far too many centuries have passed since my descent, I believe the world must have changed and evolved considerably in the time I was asleep.”
“M-me?” Melly wasn’t one to actually be taken aback by anything easily…..but being asked to guide the angel of death through the mortal world was certainly something even the most stoic being would stare in shock at.
“Yes,” Eternity answered, “You are a witch, are you not? Surely you must have lived and learned longer about the human world than a regular mortal?”
“I wouldn’t deny that,” Melly said, composing herself, “But I doubt I have the qualifications to serve you, lord of death.”
“Then it is well and good that you will not be serving me,” Eternity answered, lips curving into the faintest of smiles, “You will merely be my guide. I will treat you as my equal throughout this period of wandering, for I am a fair being, and believe in treating every other being with the same fairness.”
Melly blinked, a little bit unsure, but also a little bit curious, “If you are sure of it, my lord. I will vow to be as sincere a guide to you as will be within my powers.”
“Excellent,” Eternity said with a smile as she held out her hand, the back of her palm facing Melly, who hesitated, unsure of what she was supposed to do.
But Eternity was waiting, watching her with expectant eyes. Melly stepped forward, taking Eternity’s partially frozen hand in her own, leaning down, as careful and reverent as possible, pressing her warm, soft lips against the cold skin of the divine being, and resisting the urge to shiver as she pulled away and stepped back, internally sighing with relief as she watched Eternity withdraw her hand with a satisfied look on her face.
Melly looked down at her own hand, the tips of her fingers, and the back of her palm now coated in a thin layer of frozen ice. Worried, she wondered if it would be rude to shake the frozen crystals off her hand. Discreetly, she stole a look at Eternity, who was still watching her.
“Does it worry you? The ice?”
Melly hesitated, “I do not mind it,” She admitted, “But it is certainly something I have not experienced before….will it go away?”
“Yes,” Eternity reassured her, “As long as your contact with me remains minimal, the ice will stay at bay. Do not worry.”
Melly swallowed, “I see.”
Eternity nodded and walked ahead, “Shall we be off, then?”
“Right away?” Melly asked, surprised, “Don’t you wish to rest?”
“I have been resting, for centuries,” Eternity told her, “The heavens have woken me up to fulfill a duty. I mustn’t delay it any longer.”
Melly wondered just what in the world she had gotten herself into. She turned around and rushed to keep up with the pace of the angel, “Do you know where you must go first?”
“To the West. The Kingdom of the Red Dragons. I will find the first of my brethren there.”
“The Kingdom of the Red Dragons,” Melly mumbled, trying to remember the exact location of the place, “Ah I remember…..there is a way through the Enchanted Forest to reach there sooner than the roads through the towns.”
“Oh?” Eternity looked at her, “You are an intelligent woman. I am glad I chose you as my guide, I am sure you will lead the way perfectly.”
Melly opened her mouth, unsure of a reply to the compliment, but finding a strange feeling welling up inside her as Eternity looked at her with a trusting gaze. Her cheeks felt warm….how strange, given they were in an underground labyrinth of frozen caves.
The witch cleared her throat, walking ahead, “Follow me. The way out begins here.”
“As you wish, my guide.”
Melly’s breath stuttered. She wondered……how sinful would it be to find an angel of God this endearing?
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