The Raven (Prototype)

A Little idea I was playing around with. It's actually a prototype for a different story I've been working on for a while.

Persephonie

Everything is so… white. Where…  am I? I feel like I have so much to do, but… the feelings are slowly slipping away. I am slowly slipping away. It’s so calm and quiet here.

‘You’re in your mind, trapped for now. I told you we should have merged. You may have beaten that army, but at what cost?’ Oddly, the voice in my head seemed to come from a strange raven bird that materialized into the light. He feels so very familiar.

“Who are you-” before I could get that sentence out, a girl appeared in front of me. She seemed familiar as well, extremely familiar. She had her back to me, and it didn't seem like she was aware of me or the raven bird. I walked around to her front to see she was a child. She had two swords, both covered in blood. I could barely make out the grip, pommel and crossguard making a raven type shape. They were very familiar?

As I examined the girl, she couldn’t have been more than seven years old. Her eyes were crimson, and she was dressed in an all black one piece that molded to her body. She looked like she wanted to cry, but wouldn’t let the tears shed. She was breathing hard, her caramel skin dampened with sweat, and her jet black hair cascaded down to her shoulders in a mess of waves. Her left eyebrow had a deep gash down to her cheek bleeding dangerously. One of her eyes was damaged severely.

I was about to touch her to check the wound when it started healing, all on its own, gone in under a second. The blood was there, but the cut had gone. She stopped breathing so hard, and just stared.

“It was either kill or be killed.” she muttered. I didn’t understand what she was talking about, but slowly, the light atmosphere evaporated to pure heat and bodies surrounding us. The smell of blood attacked me as the metallic smell filled the air. There was an orange, menacing sky with demanding red clouds. The raven bird flew onto my shoulder.

“What happened here?” I asked it. I felt like I should know this place, but I can’t.

‘They came for her, killed her family, tried to kill her. If she were any other Eliquera, they would have succeeded in killing her. She was unstable and untrained. Her blades appeared, and though she had never seen them or held them before, she knew them. Somehow, an untrained little girl took out an army of soldiers with only one cut.’ The way it was phrased gave me the impression of pride and satisfaction from the raven bird. I looked up from the girl and into it’s crimson eyes.

“Is that … you?” I asked slowly. The eyes were the exact same. Looking back at the girl, she fell to her knees, her eyes turning into a regular red color, not nearly as dark as before.

‘No-’ started the raven bird. It was interrupted by two dark figures materializing. They were covered in black clothing, so I could tell nothing about them. They approached the girl whose head was to her chest.

“Child, it is going to be okay now,” started the first figure, sounding like an elderly Asian male,”we will take care of you and help you understand your power.” He went to examine the child. The second figure went to examine her swords. She saw the design. There was a,“Wait!”  from what sounded like an elderly African women.

“Her swords, they are of the Raven. Look into her eyes.” she demanded. The male elder looked into the girls eyes and sighed.

“They are red, but not crimson, they must have died down as she calmed,” he stated, “What is your name?”

The girl had been disconnected to the world, showing no signs of actual life other than standing. The female elder came up to the girl and stared down at her. She did that for a while. Time went by before she put her hand on the child’s head. It looked as if she was concentrating.

“I can’t access her mind, she’s too strong and unstable. Let’s take her back and examine her. We’ll decide what to do then. Make sure to seal her swords” she sighed. They started to walk, but the girl heard death’s purr. She ran to someone on the ground, surrounded in blood. It was a light skinned man, he was shot. Not going to make it. The light took him, and all that was left was a corpse.

The girl stayed silent, and the air grew dangerous. The entire place started to shake very dangerously, the ground was splitting. The two elders ran to the girl, but they couldn’t reach her before there was a glint in her crimson eyes and an explosion of power that disintegrated any and everything. The two elders disappeared before it hit them, but the girl just sat there. The eye of the storm.

Somehow, I appeared in a facility. The girl was there, she was sitting in the corner of the room with a blanket. She was facing me, but didn’t seem to see me again. This room was just four walls of steel and nothing else, a prison. The girl was very silent, but there were tears sliding down her face.

There was a noise, and three people came into the room. There was no door. They were all males and dressed in white. I wasn’t paying to much attention to them, the girls eyes turned crimson again, preparing to fight. One of the men put his hands up in a peace sort of way.

“We’re not here to hurt you, we just want to help,” they said. She looked them over, her eyes slowly going back to their regular red.  It felt like she was just giving up. She was hollow now.

One of the men took her arm and injected her with a shot. The girl didn’t react, soon she grew unconscious. A different male went over to her and sat beside her. He concentrated on her, while the other two left. The man who stayed looked to be in pain. He was probably there for around three hours. Finally, he got up looking half dead. He took out a phone and dialed someone.

“It’s done, she won’t remember anything from that day or before. She will only remember here and forward. I’ll take her to the base and we’ll teach her control,” he hung up and waited.

The girl woke up slowly. She looked confused.

“Where am I?” she asked.

“You’re safe. You got into some trouble. Your parents were killed in an accident,” he said.

The girl just stared into the nothing. “No sacrifice, no victory,” she said.

“That’s important, Persephonie,” said the man. I was with the raven bird in the light again.

“You didn’t answer my question,” I said numbly. He didn’t need to.

‘You already know the answer, Persephonie.’ The Raven is right. I remember everything.

“Why didn’t you stop them from taking my memories? Why didn’t you tell me-” Raven croaked at me silencing me.

‘I tried to stop them, you were drugged to make you weak. Your body wasn’t strong enough to be immune yet. I didn’t tell you because it was not time for you to know. That memory is the key to getting you to feel again. We were merged. We were one’. We were one? How is that possible. At one point, I actually cared… ? Those swords looked like my blades but miniature.

“Do it,” I said. I can’t keep running from myself.

‘Persephonie… please wake… need you… war… broke … Darred might die!’ Alexandra. Darred. My family.

‘Your body is extremely damaged and weak right now, if we do this, it will hurt,’ Raven said. I closed my eyes, and open them to see I’m in the facility with an inhuman scream.

---

~17 Hours Before~

‘Why do people care? If they would just let go of their humanity, life would go easier. Things would finally get done. No fear would stop them, and no love would influence them.’ This has plagued my mind for many years.

‘There are people who try to do that. They are hollow inside, no soul. You need to care. What you care about gives you strength and a purpose.’

‘I have unlimited strength and a purpose written in the scrolls. I am to lead all of the Eliquera. Emotions could give me weakness. Isn't that why they give me the medication, to keep me impassive?’

‘That is what they tell you, yes. You know what my feelings are toward the elders. Never trust them…  For some people, it is better if they don't feel anything, it is more of a weakness for them then a strength-’

‘Exactly,  a weakness to me-’

‘But, for others, they need to be able to feel in order to remain on this world. Young Persephonie, I believe that is you.’ The Raven always says that.

‘It used to be simple. I believed in getting the job done no matter what. Emotions would cloud my judgement and lead me into the nothing. But now, something is different.’

‘I believe that the time is coming for us to be one. Whatever secrets there are will be revealed. There is a reason your meds aren’t working as strongly.’

‘You have never lead me astray, but I'm not ready to feel.’

‘You will be forced to soon. I have had a vision, and coming events will have us uniting or you dying.’ The warning did not go on deaf ears.

“Hey you, are you just gunna to stand there like the freak you are, or are you gunna let me go?” Why are all humans so whiny and impatient. I almost forgot, lost in my conversation with the Raven, that I’m in the middle of a… stand down.

The elders appointed me to reconnoiter a new facility that appeared in Tennessee. We have been trying to find the HQ of the American agency that has been abducting many Eliquera. I was supposed to appear here and  pick through their minds for any information.  Unfortunately, there was no new information to acquire from them. It seems the agency is becoming more specific about who they let aware of information of value.

On my way out an agent tried to stop me. He is now pinned up against the wall to my right by my power. More guards appeared and six guns were surrounding me in a circle. In all honesty, this was not even a warm up for me. In under half a second they too were pinned to the wall as I started my walk out the front doors of the building.

“Hey… you! You… you think you’re so much better than us? You’re just another species on this world just like we are, and… just like all things, you are soon to be extinct. We will kill you and all that you-”. He wasn’t able to finish that statement, it seemed his neck snapped on itself.

‘So, another victim.’ the Raven’s pleasure from my ‘incident’ is not a stranger. Anytime I defy the elders, the Raven is the first and only to show satisfaction from it. I can hear the thoughts of the other five guards still pinned to the wall, now in fear. I sigh and wait for my punishment. Eliquera do not kill unnecessarily.

‘You know what’s coming’, thought the Raven.

‘Yes, I do.’I sensed her presence in my mind before she spoke.

‘Persephonie Mors Mortis, you were not to kill the mortals in this area. The elders have requested your presence, now.’ Sweet, innocent Alexandra. How she lives the life of an Eliquera is still a mystery to me. She is still so innocent, she hasn’t even killed once.

‘Understood, I will appear in the palaver room as soon as possible.’ I know she was going to question that because I was the only one with teleportation, but I was not in the mood to hear it. I shut my mind from her.

‘Technically, you should not have moods? Another symptom of your body finally healing itself.’ questioned the Raven.

‘The meds can’t seem to keep the feelings away anymore. I’ve been having a bad feeling about future’s past. It has forced me to feel… unease,’ I answered, walking out of the building. I released my power on the agents on my way out and could hear that someone was calling more agents to the scene, they should be here in a few seconds. They would be seconds too late.

The Raven was silent in my head, I could feel it contemplating my account.  As I walk down the street, I teleport myself to the hallway leading to the elder’s palaver room. I always like to see how the trees and shops around me blur into steel walls and the air goes from humid to brisk and cold. To my left and right, instead of the beautiful scenery of Tennessee trees and little shops, there were steel walls.

‘You know I would tell you if I could, but there are still rules to this world. What is to come to past is going to test you and your devotion to the Eliquera. Try to find a purpose in this world. I fear you try to get yourself killed sometimes,’ I was known for throwing myself into danger.

‘They fear us you know. As soon as we unite, the elders will try to dispose of us. They fear what they can’t understand. The emotions you are starting to feel will increase. Let it go. You can’t remain hollow forever.’ The Raven has always been so very segacious and calm.

I had long ago sensed the fear deep within the cryptic souls of the elders. For some reason, I never trusted the elders. I have no memory of my childhood or how I got here, but I never trusted them. I’ve never completely trusted anyone but the Raven. I got the feeling that they never trusted me either, but regardless of that, we are the same species.

They Eliquera are not supposed to take any sort of satisfaction from killing, and yet I couldn’t help but feel pride when I killed agents. Not all of them deserved it, but most of them did; it’s habit. No sacrifice no victory, that’s my whole life. That saying meant that people needed to die, even unnecessarily, in order to get victory. Even with emotion, sacrifices needed to be made, even if I don’t like it. No matter how much I get punished, that’s always how I’ll feel. The one thing I will never do is use my blades on innocents. I would truly be a killer then, and for some reason the image seems to make me feel something.

As I reached the end of the hall, I stood there for a moment. The entrance to the palaver room could only be found by accident, or if you knew where it was. The hall comes to a dead end, but the dead end is really a portal like wall, all the doors here are like that. Slowly, I walked through the wall and into the dark. The palaver room is always in pitch black, candles lit here and there. There are two high podiums of marble where the two elders sit. I bow down on one knee and face down in there presence.

“Persephonie,” started what I guessed was the female African,”once again you have killed when not necessary. Everytime you go out, someone dies like it’s a habit. Have we not punished you enough for you to stop. Killing will not stop them, it only makes them more determined-”.

‘It is the only way they seem to listen, we have put the fear into their souls, and it is only a matter of time before the end is upon us,” interrupted the Raven. I always make sure that my mind is completely locked down when in their presence, it keeps them from hearing the Raven’s thoughts. She was still going on about the same thing, hoping for a different result from me. Insanity.

“There will come a day where you will be forced to stand down by us. We can not let this continue on,” said the male,"You need to behave like an Eliquera.” Well then.

"Dear elders, do you want me to stop taking the medication you prescribed for me?  I questioned. I don’t want to, but they seem to have no effect anymore.” Hopefully, they will give me something stronger.

“No, instead we would like to give you another drug as well accompanying the usual. We just created it specifically for your situation,” said lady elder.

‘Doesn’t that sound suspicious to you,’ the Raven said. It did, but I’m not ready to deal with my emotions so I’ll follow their orders.

“As usual, you will be punished, a week in confinement. We shortened the punishment by weeks because this is a difficult time,” said male elder. Something must be different, it is always a difficult time for the Eliquera.

“May I ask what is so difficult?” I inquire. In their silence I make my exit. Darred and Alexandra are waiting for me. They had my regular blue pill, but there was also a new red.

“They said the blue pill should be a little stronger, your brain is growing immune rapidly, this is your third upgrade in two weeks. The red pill is supposed to boost the stimulation of the blue pill.” That’s Alexandra, always informing me of everything. Hastily, I swallowed them both.

“They shortened my punishment to one week,” I explain. Were going to our usual spot, I have an hour before my confinement starts. Usually, I go straight to confinement to be alone, but sometimes we like to go to the roof of the facility.

The facility is located deep within the Himalayan mountains. The founders disguised it so that it looked like a regular mountain, but in reality it’s our base. The Russians have been prying around her a lot looking for us. They captured some of us around here many times, they’re convinced our base is here. Slowly, the Americans have been catching on as well. There are others, but they are not as much of a threat.

“Perse, why do you continue on doing this. Do you not want peace?” said Darred. His tanned face held confusion. He sees me as a younger sister, though he will never be able to defeat me. He will also never understand me, neither of them will. I don’t understand me.

“It’s what I always say, is it not? No sacrifice, no victory. People in this world only understand when the things they love are hurt due to their own ambitions. It may be cruel and unfair, but it is. I grew up with it.” I truly can only remember that from my childhood. The Raven refuses to tell me anything.

‘It’s not time-’

‘I know, if I cared for anyone, then they would be a weakness, or a loss I forgot to mourn.’ I know that’s not what the Raven meant. Whatever is in my past may be the key to making me heal completely. I would feel again, and be weak. No doubt, Darred and Alexandra would become my weaknesses.

Darred is my lieutenant, and Alexandra is my second. She views me as her big sister. They say we are each other's family. We form the Alpha squad. The top elites. We are a team, put together at the age of nine, together ever since.  

I wouldn’t give my life for them, I train to not care, so why would I. Want’s, desires, there is no need for them. They don’t hear me, they keep believing in the hope that I will be fixed. Feelings are just a distraction. I warn them that I am not able to feel, that I can’t care for them as they want, and I don’t want to.  

‘You don’t believe in that anymore. If you did, then the medication would still be working. You wouldn’t feel uneasy. You wouldn’t question the elders,’ the Raven is always right, even if I wished other. My meds haven’t been working, I have begun to care. I’m and idiot like them, I to have started to believe I can be fixed. My ear twitched as I faintly heard barking.

“Did you hear that?” I asked. Darred and Alexandra shook their heads no. My hearing is more powerful than theirs though, and what I hear is a threat. I inform them that I’m going to go analyze the other side of the mountains. They’re faces expressed concern, but I was already teleported to the other side of the mountains. Or at least, I thought I was.

‘I warned you about those pills.’ My powers were weakening!  I appeared behind a tree, steps from the campsite. My senses were dulled, I was practically a human. My blades appeared in my hands, what was left of my power went into summoning them. I was still wearing clothes from Tennessee, luckily my immune system is exceptional, even by Eliquera standards. The silky, jet black, long-sleeved one piece would have to do. Sadly, I won’t last  five hours in this temperature without power to strengthen my immune system, my combat boots flimsy material is already losing heat.

“Hurry up with those tanks, and don’t drop the ammo crates!” It seemed I was right, I did hear dogs. “Keep those dogs on their leashes!” I presume from the massive amount of weaponry and people that this is an army. From the looks of it, it seems to be about four hundred and fifty of the Chinese. It surprises me that the Chinese came out to track us down. That bad feeling I had seems to be full force now.

‘I sense a soldier approaching  from behind,’ came the Raven. When I felt the gun push my head, I turned and grabbed it, spinning him until his back was to a tree and the butt of the gun was being pushed into his neck. He was scared, around his forties.

I heard the clicking of a gun. I turned slightly and saw that I was surrounded by men. While assessing my options, the man I had pinned pulled out a knife on me. I dodged it, switching the gun around and pulling the trigger. The familiar presence of death was smiling down on me, the air now heavy and filled with the familiar metallic smell.

“I always knew you people were powerful, but do you think you are that powerful little girl” came a thick chinese accent. Judging by the clothes of this man, I’m guessing he is the general. He continued on,”Take me down, sure, but can you take down my army, can you take down all of these men? Do you think us so weak!” His army started to yell around me, the dogs started to bark, true chaos began. This is where my home is.

“AHH!” They came in on me, dogs and all. I couldn’t explain why, but this felt so familiar.

‘Left, down, dog on your ten. Above you, there is another helicopter with machine guns.’ Following the Raven’s instructions, I did as told. I ran up a tree, and jumped backward off of it, throwing my left blade at a helicopter that appeared. There was an explosion as the helicopter came tumbling down. Sliding between two soldiers on the ground, I broke one ankle each and reached the wreckage, obtaining my knife.

‘We must merge now!’ I’ve never heard the Raven yell before. I should give in, but, everything I did, all the discipline I went through. All the feelings I will be forced to confront. The feelings that will weaken me. I won’t be able to do my job correctly, risking my life for others. ‘You’re barely living, You won’t survive this if you don’t. Your hollow, you have no actual purpose-'.

"I got you little girl!" I was snapping the neck of another soldier. As his body fell, a knife came down on me. I barely stopped it with my blades. It slashed from my eyebrow to my cheek. I was half blind. I grabbed the arm behind the knife and twisted it with all my strength. The cries of the general were ecstasy. Some of his men came behind me to stop me, I still had the general’s arm, so I twisted kicking them unconscious and hurting the general even more.

A missile was shot at me. I back flipped over it, releasing the general. He was hit right in his side, a bloody scream accompanying a roaring boom. I wasn't able to avoid the blast completely and was knocked through a couple trees, barely conscious, and pretty sure the missile took out everyone. I laid there. I had major injuries, but my face held the most important. I wasn’t healing, and my body was freezing. The only warmth came from the body now on top of me with a dagger.

"You killed my brother! I'll kill you," it was a survivor. He had the dagger over my chest. With no power, I could die. Calling on whatever strength I had left, I was about to flip us when I caught his eyes.

‘See how he is broken and hollow now. The hollowness, that is what they see when they look at you. Throwing your life into danger all the time. No true purpose because you don’t care. This is you Persephonie Mors Mortis,’ The Raven’s words cut deep. I stared into his eyes. The man raised the dagger, about to strike down.

“No sacrifice-,” as the dagger went down I flipped us, my blade through his heart,”no victory.” I killed him. He wanted me to, he didn’t want to live on like that. Hollow.

I rolled off the body and faced the sky. My blade is covered in blood: innocent blood. A casualty of war. A sacrifice. The snow beneath me is now tainted in my sins just like my dagger. The purity dying away, never painlessly. This all feels familiar. The blood looks like it was home on my blade. A souvenir from a distant past. I was losing consciousness, and slowly freezing.

Death always wanted to taste my soul the most. That’s why it always hovered around me. I feed it, but it’s never satisfied with the taste; it begs me. I can feel it caressing my face, licking my soul, preparing for a treat.

'It's finally time." The Raven clawed at Death, taking me away. They never play well together.

---

Darred

“Alexandra. Where is Perse, we need to protect her now, she is too weak,” my voice is foreign to myself. We never predicted the day would come where she would be this weakened, but it is confounding she is not dead.

“She lies in the underground hospital for her protection. She was still unconscious, she isn’t healing. I think the drugs stripped her of power temporarily.” The sound of a massive explosion grounded us. The alarms went off, and the Eliqueras were now fettered into war. Looking at Alexandra, we deviate into telepathic mode.

‘Persephonie shows no signs of waking,’ started Alexandra, ‘I fear she really did it this time. The gash on her face is healing very slowly, a little faster than human pace. And her eye is-’ I can feel her fear. Looking into Alexandra’s green eyes, I make the decision.

‘All Eliquera, this is Darred Maleric of the council speaking. Stop. Me and Alexandra of the high council will handle this, and you will all stand down.’ Eliquera’s do as they are told.

“Alexandra, go and guard Perse. No matter what, do not leave her,” it’s the voice of acceptance I hear myself use. Her golden blonde curls are flowing back as the gust of unsaid blows by. She is still innocent, and nobody wants to take that from her.

I can see her green eyes wanting to cry so much, I wish she could, but I’m glad she won’t. With a nod and a quick kiss on the cheek for good luck, she leaves. I get a glance of her eyes, and what I see is what I feared. Her age is shining through, and innocence was just cut with reality.

“Who here is the person to talk to. In all of my battles, never has my opponent just stopped fighting,” thick russian accent fills the silence. I look over in the direction of the unwanted. The Russians all looked tough and down to business while the Americans had the looks of  impatience. I walk slowly and go through my life. By the time I reach the two apparent leaders, I was ready.

“You will talk with me,” my voice sounds stark.

“You are just a boy, not even twenty yet, this is the best you can offer?”The American seemed to underestimate people a lot. His tanned face portrayed disbelief with his bushy eyebrows and long face.

“In my country you would’ve killed at least one man by that age, he is man enough to face us alone, then he is good enough to talk to. You Americans have no faith in each other, прогресс (dang),” came the Russian, who can be explained as the opposite face as the American with pale skin.

"The Raven. Give them to us," the impatient one was getting straight to the point," we will let you all go in peace."

"I’m the Raven" I can feel the pain of the upcoming events within the Eliquera as they stay silent.

“Very well then, though I must inform you the Raven has been deemed too dangerous to contain," started the American," so you are to be terminated as soon as possible," finished the Russian. We all already knew that from their loquacious thoughts. They knew that the brain was the key to an Eliquera’s power, so they know how to kill us. I let them force me to my knees. Two Russians came towards me with a sword.

“Okay then, lets finish this,” said the American with a wave of his hand.

---

Alexandra

If he thinks I’m going to do nothing, he must've lost his damn mind. Running down the halls I ended up in the underground tunnels. Hastily I went to an opening to the right where Persephonie lied.

She was still unconscious, but her body was emanating power. She was surrounded in red energy. I reached for her, but my hand was stung by the power. It was like flames. I tried to connect to her telepathically, but the red power interfered.

‘Persephonie, open your eyes, please wake up, we need you. There is war upstairs, and the Russians and Americans are here. Do you hear me, Darred might die!’ I’m not sure how much of that she got, but the red flames are growing. Her body was floating upright now, she was still unconscious, and the power was surrounding her.

I was reduced to yelling.” Persephonie-”

“Alexandra, I’m sorry I never told you how much I care for you. You are my little kid sister, and I love you too,” she was looking at me now, her eyes darker than I had ever seen before. Crimson. Her weapons appeared, but they weren’t blades anymore. They were swords.

“Stay here where it is safe.” She looked to be in so much pain as she struggled to just stand, using her swords to stand straight, her good eye not once leaving mine now blurred in tears. She never looked stronger than in that moment. She vanished.

---

Persephonie

Before today, I wouldn’t have done it, but I care now, so I did it. When I saw Darred, a sword was heading  for his head. I reacted instinctively.

Everybody had froze when I appeared. Sadly, the sword had not. It went as far through me as it could, and it was far enough. Through my body it went, and still, it made its mark through Darred's head. My body was already under such duress. The pain, emotionally and physically was too much. I couldn’t control what happened next, but all my emotions and power snapped and came out all at one.

It was reported later on the news that the Himalayan mountains had an appalanche of magnitude never seen on this Earth, and the aftershock caused an earthquake destroying surrounding civilizations.

---

“You are a dark creature. You alone have murdered more people than I have ever seen. If you kill one more time, we will be forced to take severe consequences. You have one mission before a year in confinement.” The elders thought they were dismissing me now. I don’t think so.

‘It’s all you, kid. Let them have it,” said the Raven with pleasure.

“If I may, I have been taking your lies my entire life, and now, I want to leave things between us with truth. Firstly, I know that those pills were meant to keep my brain damaged so that I wouldn’t remember  my past. It may have started as keeping me from the feelings of that memory, but then you just started to try to make me your puppet. I am not a damn puppet. I put up with your bull because I couldn’t find it in me to care, but now I do. You’ll know what that feels like in the future, but for now, I’m done.” As I walked out, they threw threats at me.

---

We got them, secured in a vault. The head of the Russian and U.S. military force that day now there for the taking. I could have teleported my way there, but I wanted them to know I was coming. Rushing forward, my swords appeared in my hands. The Eliquera tried to stop me; it was protocol. I used my new power to force them against the wall, red flames extending from me to them, pushing them against the wall. I walk on and the door to the vault they were being held was ripped from its place by my red flames.  The five guarding them met the same fate as the others. It was necessary. If I was going to leave the Eliquera and break my one rule, then I wanted it to be their blood I spilled.

The flames formed a raven around me, the tail holding Eliquera to a wall. Looking down on the men I was about to pass judgement on, their fear encompassed the air. Intoxicating. I forced them to the wall, my power choking their necks. I took a running start, jumping in the air and twisting, my swords spinning in a circle, cutting through their souls. Their blood spattered across my face and down my swords. I released my power on the lifeless bodies along with the Eliqueras.

‘Very well done Persephonie,’ The Raven’s pleasure mixed in with mine. I stared down at the four pieces of human body on the floor. The blood was all I could smell, and I wasn’t going to wipe it off my face or swords. Slowly, I turned to walk out of the building.

The Eliquera were all bent on one knee as I walked by. They would always view me as their true leader, even if I didn't want them to. I could never lead them, but I would always protect them. It’s why I restrained them. They wanted to do it. If they were to do it, the elders would punish them. They can’t punish me more than I already punish myself, they won’t even be able to find me. I did it for them… and Darred.

“The elders will want you exiled or terminated, what should I tell them?” My new lieutenant was meant to keep me in line. Based on her words, she knew there was no keeping me in line anymore. The blood dripping from my swords made a trail behind me. They disappeared back to there holding place, and I stared down onto Alexandra’s eyes. I bent and gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead before raising. I will miss my kid sister.

Looking away, I can feel the blood drying on my face and a smirk forming. Walking out without a glance back, I teleported away. ‘Tell them I said sorry, but I’m a creature of habit.’ It was a message to all the Eliquera.

The reply was from them all,’No sacrifice, no victory.’

Author's Note

The Italics are when they are speaking telepathically. In case this isn't clear, the Ravne is in her head and is basically her power. She was born with the power of the Raven, an old war demon, and it is constantly wanting to merge with her to use it's full power.

Reviews

[Alex Cook]

Great writing, great imagination. I would love to read more of your work.
If you would like to submit any stories to my new web site. I may post them for you.
http://alexdeancook.wix.com/cooksworld-sci-fi