Chapter 22

Numbness and the cold feeling of drowning surround me. I'm trapped, in a surrounding vortex of water before... before nothingness. It's difficult to breathe, surrounded by infinite consuming darkness as all I can do is think. Memories of home, my mother holding me as I listened on and on about how father talks about the new world beyond the walls. 

It all seemed so peaceful, I think... that's why I hate this new world. They took them, made to delusional into leaving the walls, into leaving me. This is what happens but it's all behind me now.

Light... it was there, beyond the ceaseless veil of pitch-black void around me. Stretching my arm out, struggling so helplessly before... before... what? 

With the sudden grey light, I was in a grand hall. I was sitting on a chair, a table filled with desserts and tea, and someone sitting across. Her form I couldn't comprehend but it looked grey. A mix of grey and white was blurry to me before it settled on a somewhat perfect form. A young woman, with black hair that complimented her long dark dress. Her eyes looked like the void, ever-consuming but comforting at the same time. She had three black wings on each side of her head. Despite her gloomy appearance, she gave me a curt smile. 

I had so many questions in my head, where was I? What happened and if I...

"You're correct." She speaks, somehow reading my mind. "You died, and now you are here."

"What is here?" I shift in my seat, trying to get settled in. 

She proceeds to explain to me in the most simple of explanations to mortals like me. I died, back there in the forest. My chest was caved in with three puncture wounds as I was left there bleeding out. As for the others, I wasn't told anything about them. 

"Then, who are you?" I asked, obviously knowing what she was. 

"Thana, the goddess of death." she took a sip from her teacup. She set it down as she placed her hand onto mine. "you are not meant to die yet."

I didn't say anything, she knew by my expression and the swirling thoughts occurring in my head.

"I can't say much but there are plans made by the higher powers. they had to pull some strings to get me to do this but you will survive but will suffer permanent damage."

"What about the curse? will it leave?" 

"Unfortunately no. Baros isn't so forgiving," she stated, her voice sounding sad. 

"Who-" I couldn't finish before falling through the grounds, returning to the dark abyss once more. 

***

Screaming, the sharp feeling of being cold, and more screaming. I gag and continue to hyperventilate as I let myself get grounded. I opened my eyes slowly. I was still missing an arm but I was alive. Lying on the forest floor still covered in blood as fighting was still heard. I tilted my head to see Estellia, her only hand glowing, as her palm hovered over my chest. 

"Please...please..." she mutters under her breath. Her expression is filled with panic and erratic as she tries to heal under these conditions. She noticed that I was awake but doesn't stop her healing. 

"...what took you so long...b-bugger?..." speaking was rough, words were barely above a whisper. 

She didn't say anything at first, looks of guilt filled her face before speaking. "I...uh tripped when trying to run over here" 

'fucking idiot.' 

"Don't give me that." 

"...Give you what?" 

Her voice sounded offended. "That attitude. Try to run in a forest at night during this stressful situation" 

I couldn't help but laugh, but now it sounded like a mixture of painful coughing and delirium. After regaining my sense of smell I noticed it. The smell of burning, smoke was starting to fill the air now. Burning leaves filled the night sky around us as the heat was growing apparent. What ran through my mind was the explanation Hera gave me when I originally asked her about it. 

"Why do you want to know?" Slurring over her words after her twentieth drink in a row. She was making quite a commotion at the tavern we stayed at a while ago. She gives a suspicious look before smiling slyly. "Fine I'll humor you, since now you're actually out of your room now"

she patted the barstool next to her, wanting me to sit. I do so to which she took out her hilt. "You see Jamie boy... this is just a golden hilt, no blade attached to it...hic...until I uh...will it" A sudden burst of fire brightens the room, the pillar of flame hits the ceiling but strangely doesn't burn through nor catches ablaze like initially thought.

After getting scolded by the bartender for doing that I promptly return back to my room to start the first steps of making the T-Blade. 

Heras blade doesn't burn things, only those who have committed grave sins. Thus I don't understand why the forest around us is burning and so does Estellia, her face grew more serious after witnessing such things that I'm physically incapable of seeing. Her hand trembles before continuing to work on repairing my broken body. 

"What's happening?... Estelle?" 

She couldn't speak at first.... no she didn't want to speak but after trying to pry the information out of her so finally cracked. Her voice was quiet, scared even but forced herself to finish 

"Hera has... changed her form... it's burning..." 

'The hell? what does she mean by this?' I initially thought before thinking more into it. The academy had a whole course about angels yet how did I forget such crucial details. Essentially they have three types of forms. Physical, Heras current form. True form, where she was only able to use it in her original plane of existence, and finally Heresy. 

When the war between the Demon Kings and Gods started the angels were stronger, that was until the age of the second Demon king. Their power increased exponentially and were far stronger than the angels. The Gods and their wisdom did not see this happening which led to drastic measures to keep the realms intact. This is when the first chair, Avera decided to mix demonic power with her angel form. This form of heresy had stripped her of her wings but in turn, granted her power she could never imagine. She had great horns protruding from her head, eyes bleached white from her original golden hue, and her black as night. Claws grew from her perfect hands, and two bat-like wings ripped from her back and were now glowing with a flaming aura. 

After pushing back the demons successfully and to which the Second hero had successfully slayed the new demon king, but punishment had arrived for Avera and those who had committed heresy to her own kind. They were banished to Eryndor and fated to roam until the new rise of the next demon king. Thus concludes the first fallen angels. 

"Did Hera do it?" I ask, my voice hoarse and tired "Tell me did she commit heresy?!" 

"No...she did something else...I never seen this before..." The fire grew more intense as Estellia's features were now visible due to the bright hue of the fire that surrounded us. I forced myself to get up despite her protest. I need to see this, to see what's happening with the angel assigned to me. 

I stood up slowly, almost falling over. For the next few seconds, I witness something truly beautiful. A fiery inferno, constantly shifting flames as it hovers above the trees. Six wings coursing with an orange glow as it burns anything that touches it. She was fire itself. Hera was brimming with fire, no... she was living with it. 

Her armor was still on but her helmet was off, instead shielded with a mask of fire. She holding something, the hunter or the burnt remains of it. The burning body was held by the spear she wielded in her arm. She didn't speak nor show any emotion but merely tossed the body away. The mask that covered her face turned into small embers before turning to me. 

Void of emotions she disappears before appearing in front of me. "So...this is the mortal my aunt is so interested in..." she walks around me, ignoring the scared Estellia. "He's a bit sore on the eyes but the fire inside him is quite bright. Maybe given a few more kindling he could be something interesting to watch in the foreseeable future" 

It's obvious then. This thing was using Heras's body. "Who...who are y-" she silenced me, placing a finger on my lips, the heat emanating off it was intense but luckily she took it off before causing serious harm

"I won't tell. but I'm someone who loves fire" She smiles before fainting on top of me. 

It wasn't one of those romantic falling, nah imagine a six-foot-tall lady clad in armor falling on you. Keep in mind I'm also in bad shape due to earlier.

Estella comes over, trying her best with her only arm to push the behemoth off me. Some of the wounds from earlier open up before Estellia finally gets Hera unconscious body off. She checks on Heras's condition before healing me once more. 

"You're not that bad...Bugger" I croak out weakly. 

"Quiet," she spoke. 

"yeah..." I manage to spit out before losing consciousness once more.