The Land of Aurelius had always been seen as a place holding mythical magic and was a safe haven away from the dangers of evil. This was where one woman, an angel named Ysoriel took refuge from the chaos that the world had found itself in. Here she was granted peace from the man himself God who decided to give a little back to the wounded soldier who had more than proved her loyalty to him and all things divine.
It was here that Ysoriel sought solitude away from the burning fires that she had long put behind her. She had been at the forefront of many battles and now in her late life, she was not at liberty to take part in the on-going battle between good and evil. For she had been marked and was on the hit list of many demons alike, so here in Aurelius, she was safe, nothing dark could harm her, and as long as the stronghold of the boundaries of Aurelius remained intact, then she along with her loyal servants would remain safe.
Yet the darkness had been looming. She could sense the increasing heat and the smells that accompanied it were sulphuric and burned the back of her nostrils. Standing on her tower, she looked out across the wild and beautiful land that had become her home. She saw the beautiful sun, its yellow glaze gently rested over the hills and shores of the lakes, it sparkled and gleamed and the reflections were magnificent, but still, lurking in the background, a shadow had begun to descend upon her fine kingdom. Her heart sank knowing that it was probably coming close to a time where she would have to step back into battle and take on the task of saving those around her, but all of it would come at a cost.
***
From beyond the boundaries a lone man approached the stronghold and with a gentle tap from a single finger the wards that had once kept all evil out had finally been weakened. Casually he walked in through the vines and palms that hung low over the beautiful assortments of flowers and wild creepers. Strolling along he hummed to himself and smiled at the beauty of the land he found.
His dark black hair shone brilliant in the rays of the sun and his electric blue eyes blazed with a tinge of copper whenever the sun flickered through them. He saw for himself the pull of the land and instantly found it captivating, but underneath the rows of flowers and lingering scents, he could feel the increasing atmosphere, and a bad feeling ran through him.
It was then he saw her standing under the willow tree, her luscious long raven hair and pale complexion pulled him towards her. He had heard so much about her beauty, yet he never believed she would be this beautiful; in fact she was even more radiant in the flesh. This instantly made him desire more than just a glimpse of her, he desired something from her and the thirst was gripping him from deep within his throat.
From behind her, Ysoriel could clearly see the sky darken and in place of the penetrating sun, came a force of evil she had not encountered before. She knew at best that today would probably be her last, but with a clad ironed will she was determined to fight to the end.
Beneath her feet the ground shook, and grasping a hold of the willow tree that stood between her and the four walls of the grey stoned tower, she fought hard to regain her balance.
The air around the once beautiful land became stagnant, once where plum trees and exotic ferns stood, now rows of depleted foliage lay in their place. The ground had dried up to an inch of its life. Nothing would ever grow there again, and the pain of such knowledge was strewn across Ysoriel’s face.
This place, this piece of heaven had been granted to her before time begun. Ysoriel was an entity of the divine, a force of pure good. Now the damned had been released and it was her battle; a war between good and evil.
She sensed him before she saw him.
From the shadows, he eyed the beautiful aura that shone like a thousand stars hiding behind the tree. Her pale blue eyes scanned the area around her, unable to see through the increasing fog. Appearing from behind the looming darkness, she saw his blood thirsty eyes. He moved forward with speed that would leave any man dizzy, and stood before her, with bulging eyes blazing red. He smiled and for a moment, time stood still, nothing moved; there was not a sound. She knew exactly what he was, and by looking at the sapphire ring he wore on his left hand she knew he was royalty, but still, his kind were not welcomed here, no matter what.
From within her body, he felt the throbbing heartbeat, her pulse increasing and this alone excited him. The fear was something he fed off, he craved her and all her divinity. To kill an angel would be the ultimate achievement in his long life as a hunter and now he was ready for the kill.
They stood inches from each other staring hard. Ysoriel drew in her breath and moved forward, resting her hand on her abdomen.
“Leave this land now before you are returned to your maker,” she calmly spoke.
Laughing, Antoine pushed the hair out of his eyes and ran a long finger nail down Ysoriel's cheek, “But I want to have some fun.”
“I don't have time for this,” she said as she anxiously looked around.
“How funny, I always thought you divine ones had all the time in the world.”
Apprehensive, Ysoriel moved away from Antoine and walked further from the tree. All her senses told her this man was of no threat to her; even he would not be foolish enough to try to spill the blood of an angel. But nonetheless, his presence was irritating and clouded her mind when she needed all her sensibilities for what was coming.
Moving back from him, Ysoriel closed her eyes and chanted some words, on opening her eyes again her aura got brighter, and continued to lighten until it was almost blinding. Squinting his eyes, Antoine shielded his face from the bright light and swore under his breath.
“Leave now, before...” Ysoriel paused. From beyond the boundaries of Aurelius, came a crashing noise, the sounds of galloping hooves and the blaring commands of a deep voice.
Her glow dimmed and turning her head towards Antoine the reality of the situation hit her hard in the face, “You must leave now, I cannot have your death on my conscience.” She sincerely said.
Antoine looked over in the direction of the thunderous noise approaching the great castle. Its stone towers shook from the tremors of the chariot and in the back, fire spread throughout the decaying plush land.
“I assume you are expecting other company!” Antoine blurted out as he casually rested his back against the trunk of the willow. “Bizarre how all this works isn't it. Here I stand, smack in the centre of some kind of war between you, an angel and him, the dark one. This I cannot miss.” He laughed as the chariot came in full view of them.
***