I
AUGUST, 1676
The winds blow through the dusky leaves of a brisk fall in Autumn, as two men walk along the riverside, laughing and chortling to themselves.
The first is a tall, lithe man, in his mid-20s. He is not terribly muscular, his frame appearing somewhat emaciated, his face highlighted by the shock of white hair pulled back in a simple ponytail.
His name is Gabriel, and he is not of this Earth.
The second is a shorter man, but with a far more muscular build. Long, dark locks of hair drip over his pale face, a sickly pale young man of only 17 who has an incredible destiny.
His name is Stefan, and though he is of this Earth, he has abilities beyond them. Stefan is an Earthborn Angel, one of many, destined to guide humanity through its darkest hour.
Gabriel has done this several times: sent to Earth by forces above him, he will guide this newest Angel through his trials, teach him of his legacy, and show him the way to save the world. But Gabriel cannot help but fear the recklessness of his newest ward. He has shown remarkably little restraint, and seems to be losing himself in the thrill of his power.
The two walk on, entering an old wooden shack, where a feeble man lies in bed. He is weak, and does not have much time left. His body is withered, his soul is fleeting, and he knocks feebly on death’s door. Some years earlier, the man had been badly beaten after he was accused of raping a small girl, but Stefan and Gabriel came to his aide. Stefan, in his budding powers, reached out and felt the old man was telling the truth. Despite this, it was far too late. After the beating, he never fully recovered.
The old man’ name is Gustav, and he is the father of the Earthborn Angel, Stefan.
And Stefan will not rest until his father is saved…
II
The walls of the temple shattered as Gabriel flew through it, his cloak covered in dust.
Chasing after the limp body was Vilnias, the self-proclaimed King of Fallen Angels, a monstrous demon with charcoal skin and blood red wings. He screams with rage, his claws extended, as he moves forward for the kill.
But Gabriel is stronger, smarter, better than this. He regains himself in mid-air, adjusting his body, moving the sword forward, countering and deftly avoiding this monster before grabbing him by the arch of his wings and slamming him hard into the ground. Vilnias howled in pain as he skidded along the dirt.
Among the trees on the outskirts of the city, the two dart back and forth, Gabriel’s sword reflecting the moonlight as they clashed. Had it really come to this? After all the years, had this monster really chosen to end their relationship on these terms?
Vilnias smiled, licking his lips. Flicking his claws together, he charged forward, rushing at Gabriel.
All he could do was brace himself.
III
JULY, 1677
“What’s the point of all this, Gabriel?”
The question seemed like one he could not answer correctly. The simple wooden casket was dropped down into the grave below, softly thudding against the freshly dug dirt. Stefan had tried quite literally everything in his power, but the old man just did not seem to respond. Instead, after nearly a year of withering and wasting away, he had finally crossed over.
But Stefan would not accept this. He continued searching for some means to revive his father, and was more distant than ever from Gabriel.
Months passed before Gabriel finally decided enough was enough. He walked the mile to Stefan’s house and knocked, waiting to hear the younger man scurry over to the door, but heard nothing. He knocked once more, rapping louder against the wooden door, but again heard nothing. Finally growing tired of this, he threw open the door and marched in, to find bloody stains on the floor forming a crude pentagram.
In the middle of it all stood Stefan, his eyes burning a pure white, and large fiery wings sprouting from his back.
“Gabriel…look!” he screamed, a sick delight in his voice. “I did it…I tapped into the power that fuels me…its so strong, so pure…I have powers beyond comprehension!!”
Gabriel shielded his eyes, his heart dropping as this man he was sent to train tapped into forces not even Angels themselves were meant to touch.
As the lights swirled and Stefan’s laughter filled the room, Gabriel stepped forward. “Its time to end this.” He said, his rapier forming quickly in his hand.
“Gabriel! Don’t you see!” He screamed, the power rising up, his skin beginning to glow with the same aura as his eyes. “I’m all powerful! Look at me, look at this!! We can do…anything! We can save the world, stop all evil…Gabriel…I can raise the dead…”
Gabriel readied his sword, ready to charge and attack him in a heartbeat.
“I can feel it Gabriel…my father’s soul…I can touch it…”
Stefan reached his hand out as if to grasp at something. His eyes grew wide as he laid his hands forth into nothingness, his head snapped back and he gasped for breath…
“Gabriel…what…what’s going on!”
Gabriel stepped forward, but found the energy burning backwards, pushing him away. “Stefan!” he yelled, hoping to catch his attention.
“Gabriel! My God, Gabriel…he really did rape that girl.”
As Stefan pulled his hands back, the energy begin to crack and blister at his hands. Stefan dropped to his knees, his skin disfiguring as the darkness of the soul he had tried to grasp reached out and claimed him for his own. As the light was extinguished and Stefan’s body was destroyed, his own soul corrupted and shattered, he looked up at Gabriel, blood vessels bursting and turning his eyes red, that same blood running into the fiery wings which now corrupted and were coated with the deep, dusty brimstone that coursed through his own dead father’s soul.
“Gabriel…I was wrong. Why didn’t you know it?”
“Stefan…I…”
“WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME?!!”
Stefan raged, the building around them exploding in a blinding light. Stefan’s eyes narrowed, his rage now personified in the dark energy which surrounded his body.
“Damn you, Gabriel. Damn you, and all you stand for. Stefan is dead.”
With a final, sickeningly gleeful laugh, he kicked the fallen body of Gabriel.
“You can call me…Vilnias. And you can spend the rest of your days knowing that you created the King of Fallen Angels.”
Vilnias walked away, his freshly burning skin searing the grass as he walked. He would not stop until all that this angel Gabriel stood for was destroyed.
Only then would he kill him.
IV
Back in the present day, Vilnias’ skin no longer burns quite as hot, but his rage is as sinister as ever.
The battle of these two warriors has taken its toll on the landscape, as Gabriel stands beaten and bloodied on the outskirts of the city. Somewhere, among all this wreckage, Connor was hiding. Gabriel didn’t hate him for it. He feared for Lea, and knew Vilnias would use her to get to him. He knew Connor was doing what was right. But as he found himself dying yet again, he couldn’t help but feel that maybe, just maybe, it was okay to feel a little upset.
Vilnias picked Gabriel up by his long, silvery hair and struck him hard against the jaw, the claws taking more of his flesh with him.
“This is how it ends, Gabriel…” he sneered, pulling his wings in close to his body. “I vowed to destroy everything you were long ago, and today I do it. That boy in there…is the last one. And I will make his death the most painful.”
Gabriel laughed and tried to raise up to his feet. “Won’t be that easy, I’m afraid…you can’t exactly find him…can you…?”
Vilnias laughed, his demonic chortle filling the air. “Fool. Who said I had to find him?!”
He spread his arms and howled at the sky. The void above the city opened wide, allowing larger chunks of brimstone to fall through, and allowing those that were falling through previously to produce faster.
“I don’t intend to kill him personally. I will level this city and destroy everything he stands for. Even if he survives, between the brimstone sapping his strength and the heartbreak over losing everything he has, it should make for a very easy kill for you to enjoy.”
Gabriel watched in fear, the city erupting in fiery explosions all around. “And what then? You kill me?”
“Oh no, dear Gabriel.” Vilnias said through his wide smile. “I’ve got another little trick. When all that is over, when you’re broken and defeated, I’m going to turn you over. You’ll become a demon…just like me.”
TO BE CONTINUED
NEXT IN ORIGINS
ACT X
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