Chapter 44- Ismailia Loucelles

Chapter 44

 

Ismailia Loucelles

 

           

            Ismailia looked around her destroyed room. When did everything fall apart? She picked up a piece of broken mirror and gazed at it. It was strange to see someone other than the Azure Angel on the other side. She was wreck. Her eyes were red from crying, her makeup was all smudged, her hair looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in weeks, and her cheek was still slightly bruised and swollen from when Dumas hit her. I guess this is what mortals look like.

            She dropped the piece of mirror and walked up to the window to watch the sunlight slipping passed Yggdrasil’s branches. Will this be the last daylight I ever see? Tonight is the full moon. The world outside looked so at peace that it was hard to grasp the reality. People were going to die today. A lot of people. Possibly even her father. But what about me?

She recalled what Dumas had told her. The next time he would come for her, they would be escaping the Azure Palace together. It was surreal. She couldn’t imagine what a life without the Azure Kingdom would be like. Where would she go? What would she do? Everything she had, everything she was, was because the Azure Kingdom gave it to her. Her father’s empire. An empire based on lies.

            The resentment she had towards her father had not yet come to pass. Her whole life she had waited for the day she would be reunited with her mother. An Archangel. The most beautiful woman alive. An individual chosen by God. Someone worthy of standing beside her father. But all that was a lie. Now for all she knew, her real mother was a w***e.

            Ismailia returned to her bed, unsure of what to do next with herself. She heard doves singing outside and was inspired to do the only thing she knew how to do.

 

Wrap your arms around me

Oh holy angel,

Take this shattered doll

And fix me for I am yours,

Make something of this broken soul

And give meaning to this hallow shell

My life is yours to guide

My body yours…

 

            Knock! KNOCK!

            Ismailia jumped up, startled. “Who’s there?”

            “You know who it is,” answered Dumas.

            Ismailia picked up a comb from the floor and quickly brushed her hair before going to open to the door. Dumas looked as unfriendly as he did the previous day. There was no trace of his usual charismatic face. His expression was stern and his eyes looked angry. Even like that though, the man still had an irresistible charm. Not that Ismailia would ever let him know that. The man was a womanizer and unworthy of a true virgin Angel.

            The irresistible painter walked inside, looking around the room. “I assume you won’t be taking any of your belongings.”

            Ismailia had no items of sentimental value. Just a bunch of expensive jewels and accessories. “Are we really running?” she asked.

            “Why else would I be here?”

            “I don’t know…” she replied, somberly. “I thought maybe you might’ve came to tell me that my father changed his mind.”

            “Sorry to disappoint you, princess. But unless Caelum Infinitum and Judicium suddenly reach a truce, this fight is inevitable.”

            “Where will we…go?”

            “I have somewhere safe I can leave you for a while.”

            Ismailia looked at him, puzzled. “Leave me?”

            Dumas nodded, humorlessly. “I still have some business to take care of. It shouldn’t take me long, but I can’t risk you getting in my way.”

            “But Father wanted you to protect me. How are you supposed to protect me if you’re not with me?”

            Dumas was having none of it. “Your father ordered me to get you out of this place and that’s what I intend to do.”

            Ismailia nodded, reluctantly. She didn’t like this side of Dumas. He was forceful and inconsiderate. Sadly, she knew she had no choice but to listen. These were her father’s orders, and the last thing she wanted was to get hit again. That was the first time anyone had ever struck her. She never knew something could hurt so much.

            Ismailia followed him obediently as the two walked out without saying a word. As they walked through the halls she saw a lot of her father’s men running around and carrying stuff. They’re all getting ready for battle. The imminent fight was starting to seem more than just an unlikely premonition. This was happening. The Azure Kingdom was going to war.

            Dumas walked her down the hall, passed the spiral stairs, and turned the corner. “Where are we going?” asked Ismailia. “We just skipped the stairs.”

            Dumas looked at her like she was an idiot. “You want to walk out the front door? We can greet the enemy on the way out.”

            Ismailia put her head down, feeling stupid. She followed him into a library room she never even knew existed. There were a couple workers here and there but none of them acknowledged them when they entered. Dumas guided her to the deep back, between two aisles. He scanned a bunch of books for a brief couple seconds before slightly pulling one out causing the whole shelf to shift. Ismailia was in awe. She knew the Azure Palace was filled with secret routes, but having never seen one, this was quite the site to behold. She couldn’t help but be proud of her father.

            Unfortunately, the rest of the secret route was far from a marvelous sight. The walls looked like they were badly made, the stairs were lopsided, it was hot and musty, there were spider webs everywhere, and it reeked. It reminded Ismailia of the Cruorian’s underground city, Elysium. Come to think of it, what happened to the Cruorians that Father was hiding out here? Ismailia got the urge to ask Dumas but concluded it was probably best if she didn’t bother.

            They finally reached the bottom to a torch lit dungeon-like room. The ceiling was really low and there were thick roots ripping through pieces of the wall and floor. “Are we below ground?”

            “Not far below,” answered Dumas. “This small route only has a direct link to a small church nearby. Yggdrasil’s roots prevent us from making any real underground passages like we had in Lumina.”

            “Thank God. You’ve never been down those vile corridors.”

            “Those vile corridors help save our lives. If we had them here, we would’ve never been quarantined inside Eden.”

            They continued onward down the dark underground passage until they reached another set of stairs. When they came up, Ismailia could tell instantaneously tell that they were inside a church. Not one of the bigger ones, of course. The walls were made of wood and everything looked dull. There were no colorful artistic windows, only a giant cross and altar to truly signify that this was a church.

Before stepping into the main hall where mass was held and regular inhabitants were present, Dumas stopped her and handed her a hooded mantle. “Wear this over your dress. You’re a known figure and someone might recognize you. That’s the last thing we want.”

Dumas put on his own mantle over his frock coat and the two were soon out of the church. Outside the streets weren’t exactly desolate but there was a strange tense air. You could feel the fear and anticipation in every person that walked by. Ismailia noted the large amount of Black Coats patrolling around. She wondered how many were still loyal to them. She had overheard Gravur speaking with her father once about how Judicium’s Shadow was weeding them out one by one. She prayed only a couple had actually been disposed of.

The further she followed Dumas, the worse the scenery got. Before long she realized that they had entered the slums. This part of the city had a lot less Black Coats and a lot more questionable individuals. Murderers. Thieves. Addicts. Individuals that likely had no side in this battle. It was these types of criminals that her father always made sure to keep out of the Azure Kingdom.

Ismailia couldn’t help but feel worried every time she caught a menacing glance from one of the lowlifes sitting around. She grabbed Dumas’s hand for assurance, which he didn’t seem to mind. He doesn’t seem afraid at all. Somehow that made her feel significantly safer.

            They reached a small pathetic looking home. Ismailia looked at Dumas to ask why they stopped here and quickly realized that this was their destination. They stepped inside and Ismailia looked around, appalled. “This is safe? What if one of those criminals comes inside while you’re gone?”

            “You’ll be safe,” assured Dumas.

            “How do you know that?”

            “Because I’m from these parts. I didn’t grow up in paradise like you did. These people know and respect me.”

            “Respect? You mean you paid them off.”

            Dumas snapped, “Who cares what I did? You’re safe, that’s all that matters.”

            Ismailia felt far from safe. “I don’t know about this? Maybe I should just go with you. I promise I won’t get in the way.”

            Dumas pulled out a gun. “I won’t willingly put you in danger. Stay here and I’ll be back before you know it.”

            Ismailia looked at the gun, her fear steadily growing. “You’re going to go fight, aren’t you? You’re going to help my father. What if you die? Who will come for me then? How would I even know?”

            “I’m not going back to the Azure Palace.” He pulled one of the curtains to the side and looked out the window. “Keep the curtains closed and don’t make any noise. If I’m not back by sunrise tomorrow, leave. I have money under the bed in that room. With that, worst case scenario you should be able to buy your way out of this forsaken city.”

            “This is a bad idea, Dumas. Please don’t leave me here by myself.”

            He shook his head. “I don’t have a choice. And neither do you.” And with that, he walked out the door.

I’m all alone. He left me all by myself. Ismailia sat on the couch and hugged her knees. What am I supposed to do now? Wait? And that was precisely what Ismailia did. Wait and continue to wait as she watched the sun set. Once the full moon rises, the fighting will start.

Hours continued to pass and there was no sign of Dumas. Ismailia no longer knew if he was even alive still, but she had to believe he was. She couldn’t bear the thought of being by herself. She had never been alone before. Her father made sure of that. Her father that she so willingly abandoned when he needed her most. Suddenly Ismailia was consumed by guilt. What am I doing here? My father is about to fight a war for the sake of this world and I’m here hiding.

            She walked up to the window and pulled the curtain to the side slightly. The sun is almost gone. The streets are quiet. Too quiet for a city. The eerie silence made her Ismailia tenser than she already was. She returned to the couch and decided to sing to herself to block out the silence.

 

When darkness falls,

Seven heavens open

And the Archangels descend

‘Cry mortals

Burn for your sins’

The sky burst bright in flames

As fire comes raining down

‘Judgment, oh holy judg…

 

            Off in the distance, Ismailia started to hear an organized march. No…it’s more like a chant. She walked up to the window again. She couldn’t see anything but she could hear certain words. “For this…ever…rder. All…ail…cium.” Ismailia’s curiosity got the best of her and she decided to step outside. Aside from the fact she was closer to the noise, Ismailia could tell that the chanting itself was getting louder. “We are th…orious. We a…the…un.” It’s singing…

            As Ismailia walked further and further from the house, she realized she wasn’t the only person chasing the sound. All the people in the slums were running towards whatever it was. She decided to follow the crowd, assuming they had a better understanding of the landscape in this part of the city. She noticed a couple sitting on top of a roof that was higher than the other structures in the area.

            “So are the rumors true?” asked a junkie to one of the people standing in the roof. “Is Judicium going to war against the Church?”

            “I can’t tell if it’s the Church,” answered a man above. “But they’re certainly going to war against someone.”

            Ismailia pushed people out of the way to climb the ladder to the roof. “Get out of my way. Let me see!” She climbed all the way to the top and pushed passed all the other people standing in her way. “Oh my God…”

            The darkness had fallen indeed. Beneath the full moon, Black Coats were marching directly towards the Azure Palace in accumulation. It was happening. The war everyone dreaded so much was finally about to start. And Judicium was making the first move. Now she could hear the singing loud and clear.

 

All hail the Fuhrer!

For this everlasting peace and order

All hail Judicium!

The land where all is one

United we stand

We are the proud and glorious

We are the Sun

Our light is the justice

We are the Moon

In every shadow we see truth

We are the proud and glorious

All hail Judicium

For this everlasting peace and order

All hail the Fuhrer

All hail the Fuhrer

All hail the Fuhrer

 

            “Father, no!” I won’t let you die!

Author's Note

So the next couple chapters will be shorter than your usual perhaps but that also means I will be releasing them quicker. There's a lot of POVs to cover and a lot going on now that we're in the climax. Anyways, just give me your thoughts as usual as you go along the chapters :)

Reviews

[Dark Rider]

Dumas got an attitude adjustment with his sister being held hostage. XD But I liked this chapter. It was a nice change having this chapter in Ismalia's point of view. It was interesting to see how all these other characters are reacting/are affected by this oncoming war. Can't wait to see the next chapter. :)

[Cynical_Art]

Yeah, I wanted to use her POV for the initial start of the battle since out of all the characters she was kind of in the air as to what her fate would be and what she would be doing when it all started. By the way, did you read the chapter prior to this? I assume that's what your first comment is in reference to, and yes he did lol

[Dark Rider]

How on earth did I miss miss Dumas' chapter?! I've been waiting for it, and I missed it! XD I'll go back and read it tonight.

[Cynical_Art]

lol it's fine, though I guess some of the things from Ismailia's chapter might've seemed a little more random XD Either way, I'll wait for you to read it before posting the next chapter since it's kind of essential.

[Dark Rider]

Okay, then I'll make sure to read it as soon as I can! XD