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Malakim
Chapter 1: Exile

              A darkness filled the air as Ada ran her lithe and soft amber hand through her jet black hair. She leafed through a book of poems she had written in her exile. She was torn from the world she once cared for and forced to be trapped within these walls. For the first time, she was being allowed outside of these castle walls, and allowed to flourish.
              She pressed the book to her chest as she looked around her, she was being called for. She stood and walked from the room, her heals clicking as they hit the tile of the floors. “Ada, my daughter, why are you so sad?” The man who was calling for her asked.
              She looked up with her dark brown, mournful eyes and sighed. “Why was I sent in exile? Why could you not do anything to my brothers? They were aloud to see the world while I was trapped in that hell?” She wiped her glassy eyes as she blinked only to be forced into the arms of the burly man.
              “Daughter,” He began with his bellowing voice, “You know that I care, in due time, you will understand why you had to do this until now” How could he tell her that her fate would force her into a new sort of exile. Her destiny would tare her from these walls and show her that the world is black, and that humans have no sway over their own preordination.
              She simply sighed and pushed away, taking over her shoulder her things and then walking down the hall, rubbing the duct of her tears as she thought about what may transpire in this coming world they were going to. She was afraid of what the world may be like beyond these protective walls, and she would learn that it was far from kind, and that it would take her and it would break her.
              As she wiped her eyes she looked up and recognized the hall she walked down. These stones, these bricks, they haunted her mind. “Ada” She heard her name called down the hall, whipping her head back as her ebony hair followed suit. She looked behind her to see her elder brother, Nicholas, standing at the other end of the hall. He looked to her through his bright blue eyes and ran a hand through his deep brown threads of hair before he ran up to her and placed his hands upon her shoulders, looking down and wiping his sweat covered brow. “Ada, I was worried I wouldn’t get to see you off, now...” She raised her hand and silenced him.
              “Nick, you know that I’ll be careful, plus dad will be with me, don’t be so worried, I’ll be safe” She said with a false smile. She then lowered her hand, placing it within her other hand as she looked to Nick and embraced him. “I’ll be safe, plus, you’ll meet up with us later, right? It’s only temporary that you won’t be with us. So please, stop worrying so much” She let go of her brother and looked to him, continuing her fake smile.
              “I’ll meet up with you as soon as humanly possible, trust me, I won’t take long to get there, and then you’ll have me for support” She groaned as he continued this lecture about her safety and held her hands up to his mouth and held it shut. He simply stuck his tongue out causing her to withdraw her hands.
              “Ew!” She shouted as she used his long, button down t-shirt to wipe her hands of his saliva. “Don’t do that”
              “I know, I know, but still, Ada, this is your first time out of the palace, so, ya know, I’m just worried about my little sister” She knew Nick’s worriment was founded, but she just wanted to finally get to experience the pleasures this world had to offer. In all of her life, she was yet to know anything other than the bellowing laments of these walls which enclosed her.
              She opened her mouth to speak, but as she did, a servant tapped Ada on the shoulder and beckoned her off to leave. She took one last look to her brother and raised her small and delicate hand and waved to him. She felt like someone or something meant her harm. She just simply sighed and allowed the servant to guide her. This would be the first time she left her small, Mediterranean nation of Sevah, which took its name from her family name, and she was afraid of what awaited her on the other side of these walls.
              As they left into the suns blinding light, Ada for the first time laid her eyes upon something of such stunning design; it was monstrosity of metal and paint, with a length beyond that of its height, and it had at least ten eyes, two of which looked back to her, and two larger than the others on its front and the other backside, before its two mouth, one of which ingested her personal belongings. She saw the side of the metal beast open, her father within its stomach. She trembled at the coach as she looked to its glistening red paint and chrome toned rims, she was unsure of what to make of such a contraption, it’s workings and everything about it eluded her. Ada pressed her hands and the book which they clutched against her twenty year old chest and heaved a sigh as she bent down and entered this machine of mans defiance.
              “Now, Ada, don’t be afraid, for this is simply a creation known as a car” The king of Sevah attempted to reassure his princess, though she seemed no less unnerved, especially as the contraption began to move without the power of many men, she could only see one, far in front of them and on the other side of a window, but she knew he had the underbelly of the beast under him as well. What moved this creature alluded her, but she could already tell in personal disdain that this would not be the last new thing she would see.
              She then inched away from her father, drawing out a pen as well as her book from a handbag which the beast had not devoured like her other things of personal effect. She then opened to a clean page and began to move the ink along the paper, writing:

To this world which always sobers
I look to you in wonder
Of the lips of lovers
And all that tares you asunder
What lies beyond the stars
A fools quest is to know
As they stare up from prison’s bars
What tapestry Fate does sew
What lies beyond the sea
For all I know is Poseidon
And what not what he keeps from me
As his water cover the pillow I lye on
What lies beyond these fields
Are there others like me
Will I know what this world wields
I just do wish to see

              Ada simply placed the cover back where it belonged, placing her things back to her bag as she waited to learn of the world’s offerings. She simply wanted knowledge that had been kept from her while she was hidden from sight in a castle of great expanse. She hated everything she had come to know, what as it that would shape her? This world which held her in chains and slavery, would be forsaken for that of the world she dreamt of, of a world where everything was new, and where she could relinquish her self from this bind.
              She looked out the eye of the beast to the passing world and in her mind she saw all she had not known, yet felt so familiar. This warmness in her heart as she looked to a church was something she felt as though she had long known, yet she had never seen such a thing. Ada’s mind was filled with wonder, and with innocence, despite her age. She had the wide-eyed innocence of a child, yet she had the body and the mind of a twenty-year old woman. With the needs of a human that had lived longer.
              She just looked to the quiet skies above her as they told her she would be alright, though she did not understand their words. She just looked to them and their quintessence as she wished for a light to guide her, and that light did come. This was such a unique freedom to her, and she was not afraid of what she may find, though as she saw the people on the streets, she felt their malevolence.
              Humans, unlike this inspiration of the skies and the trees, were malevolent. She could feel that, she knew that humans were imperfect. Yet she loved all that walked this earth. Despite the vengeful feelings of these humans, she need not hate them, she empathized them, and wished she could do something for these humans. They were among the creations of the earth, and for that, she did love them.

              Far away from this confused girl, was an equally, if not more, confused boy. Tabris was what the boy was called, and he had grown quite used to it. He just was not used to himself. He disliked the person he had become and had always been. He felt so flawed. Jaded beyond his years, he had seen the worst of self loathing, and whether he had lived to talk about is something that cannot be judged by an existent pulse. It was a black miracle that he was still alive in the state of mind he put up with for what was inching on twenty-one long years. He could not wait to let the bottom of the bottle be his solace, though he had come to despise drinking, growing up near a bar and seeing his sister fall into alcoholism and drug abuse.
              Tabris simply hummed along with the music as he had his speakers playing “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” while driving down Frankford Avenue late at night and in the rain. Not many people came out on this damp and cold of a night. The cold of the night could pierce a man’s flesh, as the moon’s light cut into his soul. The moon was unusually visible for this violent of a thunder storm.
              The boy simply headed for Wawa food market, ignoring the foreboding air of the night, he needed fresh milk and a Snapple Venom. He stopped at the Lyndon light as he saw Wawa on the nearby corner. At the light seemed to become green, he couldn’t really tell through the torrential downpour, so he simply ignored the possibility of a red and pulled to the parking lot and promptly parked.
              As he stepped out of the car the rains pounded his messy black hair and in the window pane and the puddle beneath him, his gaunt expression was quite noticeable. He quickly got into the convenience store and once there, he raised the collar of his black cotton trench coat and then let it drop to his shoulders. The weight of the already soaked cotton nearly bought him down with it, but it did alleviate a portion of the weight to do this, and in the entry way was a large pool of runoff from his coat.
              His black boots hit heavy upon the ground as he pushed upon the brown metal bar of the otherwise glass door. The darkness of the night had crept into the dimly lit convenience store as he walked toward the beverage coolers, his cold and steely blue eyes looking straight to his prize. He opened the door which was held in place by rubbed and acquired the milk before grabbing his drink. He was down to his bottom dollar, so despite the temptation of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or Lay’s Chips, he had to abstain from taking more than what he needed, though the Venom was not required to live at the means he had become accustomed to.
              The cashier gave him a glaring stare as he placed his things upon the counter and looked to her despite downcast eyes. Despite her purple spiked Mohawk and pierced lip and eye brow, he could tell she was thinking “freak” when she saw him. Maybe she was right, Tabris did consider himself a freak, but unlike her, he did for the fact that he could feel something changing within him, she was just intolerant of others. Everyone was either a freak or a conformist, and no one wins in the world of someone who hate everyone for no good reason. Tabris could not say he did not loathe these meat bags called humans.
              He ignored the girls glaring and payed, taking his things with him back through the pounding droplets of rain that punched the skin like fist. As he walked out he heard the gutter break above him, and just as the fates tested his patience, the water it had a acquired dumped onto him. He simply dropped his plastic bag, luckily the milk did not break open, and he smiled sarcastically. He had an expression as if to say “What else ya got?” to the whole world. He then kicked the water and began to laugh in his frustration.
              He took up his bag over his shoulder and finally got into his car, though not before fumbling with, and dropping, the keys. This was just another in a series of unfortunate events, early that day, a dog peed on his leg while he was waiting for a light to change while walking from his parking space to his college and its owner conversed on her cell phone, ignoring the poor pooch. He was frustrated with living. He really did not envy God, though, it must suck to have to live forever with nothing to do but plot the end of the apocalypse, since all God probably does otherwise is sit in a recliner scratching himself. God obviously does not help humans.
              A man who was watching Tabris as he drove from the parking lot could not help but laugh. It was far from ironic that someone like Tabris to question God, but that would be his undoing, though as of now, there was already nothing Tabris could do to save himself from his fate. Even God wanted him dead. To be wanted by Satan for his jihad, and wanted by God to be executed was a cruel fate, this man knew that as he looked to the boy. The man knew that he also needed to give Tabris’ destiny a push as he saw the plane from the Sevah kingdom landing in the Philadelphia Northeast Airport for an emergency fuel and repair landing of his accord.
              Tabris looked to see that someone was landing in the airport as he drove by. As the plane landed, his luck spiked again. Of course, since it was his luck, the car began to sputter and cough as he came to a stop. “Just fuckin’ great” he exclaimed in a moderately deep voice as he slammed his head upon the horn. Luckily it was late on weekday, so no one was out. He immediately took out his phone, the battery had died in it, it was obvious God hated him for the Sins, though he was sure plenty of people in the country were worse than him, then again, maybe it was the blasphemy in questioning God. He looked around, the gas station was closed, so he would be unable to get there. He put on his hazard lights and took a spare key as he locked the doors and kicked the door shut with authority and an anger absolute
              Jesus must have been pissed off with him, Tabris had decided in his blight as the rain began to fall even harder though the silver rays of moon light still cut each droplet of water. Tabris was simply frustrated as he walked to the airport to see if they had a phone in service, they had to be open if that plane he just saw was landing there. Once he got to the opening doors he noticed that it was locked though a light was on. He knocked on the glass pains of the doors, trying to get someone’s attention. There was no one, just as around him, their was nothing. Within the building, though, he heard a woman scream, he did not know what had happened, but the chivalry and heroics within him forced him to do something to check it out.
              He dropped his soaking trench coat to the ground, revealing the black denim which covered his legs and black cloth which clung to the skin of his chest. He also wore around his waist a sheath, with a sword held in it. In one swift move his sword came from its hibernation in his sheath and the glass fell to the ground like the rain outside. The shimmer of the lights upon the glass reflected in Tabris’ eyes and something change within him in this instant. Something that he had hidden from himself, as well as had been hidden from him, broke free. He knew well what he had to do.

              Ada had made the emergency stop in Phildelphia, a portion of the metal bird she was flying in whith her father while they were on there way to see the newly elected American president Xel’Urth Caldwell. She had left the plane for an instant while they were there, just to set foot on this new nation for the first time, and something went wrong. Men in fatigues of greys and whites and blacks descended upon them, pointing thing she had seen the guards of the castle carrying, called guns, at them.
              She had managed to get away from the brunt of the danger by running from them as quickly as she could, holding her little black book tightly to her chest as she ran. It was hard to run in high heels and a skirt though, but she had to manage. She had tripped and some of the soldiers had came upon her, pointing their firearms at her and smiling sadistically.
              She rolled on her back and she looked up in fear with shrunken pupils as she lay upon the cold white tiles, screaming a shrill cry in horror. She could not have been more afraid of them, she did not know what they wanted of her. Her brother Eric, the middle child in the family, had warned her that some men in other nations lack sexual restraint and would force themselves upon women, she had also read about this in books. She was afraid that was what she would become to this group of men, nothing but a sex toy.
              One of them kneeled to her with a sadistic looking grin upon his face. He was still carrying his gun quite  proudly as he put a hand upon her face, inspecting her until she bit into his finger, causing him to bleed. “You little bitch!” He said as he raised his hand and smacked her with the butt of his gun. She was lucky that nothing was broken, but it was enough of a hit to cut into her cheek and cause her to slide into a “wet floor” sign, knocking the bright yellow sign down.
              She could taste the man’s blood in her mouth. It was quite unpleasant, to put it mildly. She spit to the ground, just to get the taste out of her mouth, but she could tell that they saw this as a sign of defiance as one of the men ran at her and grabbed her around the throat, lifting her with only the strength of his arm and slammed her into a wall as her head bobbed forward after hitting it and became bruised under her hair. The man just smiled as he steadily tightened his grip upon her fragile form until the arteries in her neck were quite prominent.
              She kicked and struggled as she began to cry, but the truth was, more than anything, she was worried about whether or not her father was safe. She had no idea how he was making out, if he were even still alive, or if her were enduring a similar torment at the hands of some sick bastard who was just trying to get some bizarre recognition for the murder of a political figure. She knew that Nick would be a competent king when the time came, but she did not want her father to die like this, it would not be right.
              Her face had turned purple as she gasped for air, her white folded skirt up around her knees from her kicking, though it was quickly weakening. Her arms had been trying to claw into the man’s arm, but her half inch long nails were making no effect on him. Her black hair was wild from her struggling, some of it had even gotten into her mouth, mixing with her saliva and the continued taste of blood. She felt pretty damn ugly at this instant, but there was nothing she could do, this may be her last moment on earth.
              Ada’s tears were streaming from her eyes readily and she could not help but offering a prayer to God. She wanted for God to protect her brothers, to allow her father to be safe, as she did every night, she prayed her mother was well in heaven, adding that she would see her soon on this of all nights. and she even wanted for God to forgive this man who was trying to kill her, as well as for her father not to condemn him. With what little breath she had, she let out these final words before passing out “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do”. It may be ironic that she was quite ignorant of scripture.
              Blood began to spurt from the back of one of the men as his spine was ripped from his back. Ada’s body fell limp to the ground, gasping for air as her attacker went for a new adversary who had just killed his comrade. With his sword pointed to them, a man with large, black feathered wings, stood, glaring through his bright icy blue eyes that held nothing but death in them. His body was surrounded by a black aura, like a shadow, and he stared to the assailants, taking his sword in both hands. He turned the upon it’s side, pointing the tip of the folded steel at the men.
              He just stood there, looking to the men, standing over the spineless corps of their comrade. They all snarled at him and in the seconds that had passed, raised their assault rifles and began to fire at the mysterious man. His movement was the stuff of movies, his sword slicing each and every bullet before it neared him. He was a human hurricane, decimating each volley shot toward him until their clips began to run out.
              The men stood in horror as they looked to the split bullet shells that lay on the ground. The one that had held Ada looked to him with malice and disgust as he dropped his now spent gun. “What the hell do you want?” He asked in distaste for this enigma that stood silent and stolid. He had not moved since he killed his one victim so far. The group of mercenaries held a standoff with this man for what seemed like an eternity, neither the group or this man willing to make the first move.
              And so, the man broke his silence. “I am here to save that woman. I heard her scream, and I can see that she is innocent” He held his sword out from his side as he looked to the men while he continued to speak in a confident and calm voice. “Your blood is tainted by the touch of demons. You are willing to kill, though you have no reason to. You’ve sinned. I am here to kill sinners like you” A feather fell from his wing as he finally made a move, lunging at them with his sword scraping the ground, causing sparks to rise from the beige tile with a trail of blood following from the mans previous murder.
              The mercenary who was choking Ada smirked and revealed a large knife, and as the man came upon him, he tried to stab him. The man ducked under then knife and his head butted into the mans stomach as he drove his sword into between the mercenaries leg bones. The sword twisted between the tibia and fibula, scraping along the bone. The mercenary screamed out in agonizing pain as the man then pulled his sword so that it broke both bone as well as severed half of his calf. The soldier fell to the ground with his hands folder, begging to be let to die in peace, but the man would not have it. The man swung his sword upon the folded hands, slicing through them and cutting the four fingers and a portion of the palm with great precision. The mercenary continued to plea for mercy, begging for forgiveness.
              The other soldiers were just afraid, this man was so easily and so calmly killing their leader in an absolutely vile fashion. They watched as the man than kicked the throat of their comrade, breaking his trachea, causing him to suffocate. They began to ran, ignoring Ada, just trying to get away from this man. Their were six of them, and none of them ran together.
              The man came upon the first of them, cutting into his chest with the sword and then thrusting his fisting, breaking the ribs and stabbing the heart with them. The second to be killed was the victim of the man jumping into the air and cutting the flesh from his back in one swift motion. The man took the skin upon leaving that victim to die, but he used the skin to suffocate the third of them while he made pigmy sized cuts in the mercenary’s arms and legs. The fourth of the men became a martyr to his cause by having the man grab him by his nose and slide the sword through his anus until it came out through his penis, cutting the extremity in half, being then left to die by blood loss. Another soldier had fallen into a corner and wet himself, they were never trained for this, but he was lucky, he got the most humane death in the form of a beheading. The final of the men had returned to Ada, lifting her limp body and holding his knife to her throat.
              “If you try to kill me, I’ll kill her! Just let me leave with her, and I guarantee she’ll live” He shouted through tears of unimaginable terror. He knew it was ironic that they had been sent on a terrorist mission, yet they were the ones who were now in absolute panic. He could feel a lump sink in his throat as he feared that his threat had done little effect on the man. He was quite right.
              “I shall smite the wicked, that is the wish of the creator” Those were the last word the terrorist got to hear, other than his own scream and begs as the man grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm from being near Ada’s throat to stabbing him in the eye with his own knife. The man held Ada near to him with one arm and then, with the other he began to twirl his sword as he had while being shot at, slicing the man’s limbs like a propeller. It was a truly frightening event, to see what looked like an angel commit such atrocities. He had killed a total of eight men in such a short amount of time, and all for one life.
              Everywhere blood. That was all that one could smell in the room. Blood. Yet, not a speck had landed upon Ada’s fair form, or this mystery man. Ada awoke to the smell of blood, feeling a warm body holding her. She looked up to him and saw his shadowy figure. “Who...” She said with her first normal breath. She saw his form change into a normal human, with dark ebony hair and cold blue eyes. She was in awe, he was quite handsome, her amber skin had turned red around her face as she looked to him.
              He took her in his arms, trying to leave this place. “I am Tabris, Princess Ada Sevah” He said simply as he walked from the building, remaining absolutely silent for about a minute before the reached the entrance he had broken in to. He stepped over broken glass, grabbing his still wet trench coat on the way out. He had come the air port for help, and ended up helping another. The rain had parted and he walked out in to the morning moon light.
              Ada began to struggle in his arms despite the trauma she had barely endured. She reached back for the building and kicked at him. “Wait, where are you taking me?! My father! My country! They’re back there!” She screamed, but then she took in a new sent as she heard a loud explosion and a pyre of flame came from the behind the building. Tears began to swell up in Ada’s eyes before the shock from the blast knocked Tabris down, with her in his arms.
              “Are you alright?” He asked as he looked to her, but he soon changed his statement, “I mean, physically?” He knew she would not be alright mentally; he had found a high power explosive strapped to engine of the plain Ada had arrived in, it was also how he found out she was of the Sevah kingdom, he only assumed she was the princess. He extended his arm down to her in attempt to help her up. Tabris looked into her eyes with a sincere smile, but in them, he only saw fear.
              She hit his hand away and let the tears flow from her eyes as the tongues of fire behind Tabris danced within the rivers of tears. “Who are you!” She demanded as she looked to him, brushing her dark hair back while holding herself up with one arm. “What have you done with my father!” She also shouted. She just wanted answers, she could not have been more upset to have seen this. The thought that her father may have died weighed heavy on her mind, though she was also, in away that repulsed her, happy that he was gone. For the first time, she felt like the shackles of her exile had finally fallen.
              Tabris was noticeably taken by this burst of anger; but he could easily understand where she was coming from. “When I came to airport, you and those mercenaries were the only ones left, I saved you, that was all that I could do” He explained to her with a hint of sadness in his tone. “I checked your plain quicky, but all I found was an explosive latched to the engine, I couldn’t remove it. I’m sorry, that I wasn’t able to save your father” He seemed so upset with himself, though Ada was still enraged by what had happened, she could not help but feel sorry for him, he was so melancholy.
              She stood and placed a hand upon his cheek, forcing herself to smile through the tears as she did. “It’s alright, you saved me, for that, I thank you” She embraced him. She could sense that he meant her no harm, and she knew he was not lying. She was still upset over the loss of everything she had known, but she was happy to be alive. This boy was he guardian angel, apparently. She held him tightly, thanking him for what he had done, though he was unmoving, either out of embarrassment or guilt, he did not return the hug. He simply looked down to her and placed a hand upon her head, lightly petting her once.
              Tabris began to hear the cling and clatter of armor nearing them and forced Ada off of him as looked to see a metal clad man walking toward them. “Who is that?” Ada asked as Tabris pushed her away, though the man she had just met gave her no answers. Who ever he was, he was quite tall and carried a large spear. As he got near them, it became apparent to Ada that whatever he was, he was not really there. “Its... a magical apparition” She said looking to the man and staying quite near to Tabris.
              The man stepped into the light, with the flames of the explosion reflecting off of his armor. Both of them recognized him from somewhere, but neither was sure where from.. “I come as a messenger, an Angel, if you will” The apparition announced with a bow. “I am, as the princess said, an apparition, created by Lord Xel’Urth Caldwell, incase the abduction of the girl did not go as planned” It then hit Tabris like a brick, this was the face of the newly elected President.
              Tabris held out his blade as he looked to the president. “You’re the one who sent those mercenaries... Why do you want her? Besides, wasn’t she on her way to the Capital with her father to see you?” He asked what he considered a demon, rather than an Angel. He was ready to fight again, and he could feel something building within him, his wings trying to break though his skin. Tabris held Ada behind him, trying to keep her safe from whatever this man wanted her for.
              The apparition began to laugh and looked to them. “I actually had not ordered that strike, but I had caught wind of it and sent what you see before you. Also, since I could not use my powers to take her, I decided that I would settle for her father, Miss Sevah, I’d suggest you think about coming to see me, so you can make sure that dear old Dad is safe” He said as he looked to her. This simple speech opened a flood of questions for Tabris as he looked to Ada, looking to her though his cold looking eyes.
              As the apparition vanished, there was another explosion resounding from nearby, and Tabris just knew that it was his car. He was shit out of luck. “Princess, I honestly don’t know what’s going on here, but I’ll give you my word that as long as I breathe, I’ll protect you” Tabris said with a sigh as he put his arms around Ada. This time, he initiated the embrace, holding her quite dearly as he did. He had no true reason for his decision to help her, he just felt compelled to, like it was his destiny or something like that. He hoped that it would at least break the tedium of his humdrum life.
She could not form the words, but the words “Thank you” passed upon her lips as she reciprocated the hug that Tabris had given her. It was her first night away from the palace, and away from everything that she had come to know in her youth. Already, everything had become wrong, and seemed distorted. There was something happening, something that centered around her, but she did not know what.
“Come on, we’ll go back to my place, you can rest and I need to make a phone call to someone who may be able to help us” He spread his wings and wrapped his arms around her, and with that, he took off into the morning sun, hearing the sirens that were finally on their way to put out the raging fire from the explosion of the jet plane. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into, and that was not among his chief concerns either, he just wanted this girl to be safe, something about her made him feel different inside. Stronger, like he could defeat any opponent, yet weaker, like she could do anything to him. This sensation was new to him, but he felt happy.

Elsewhere, the man who had initiated this whole thing smirked. “God is on man’s Earth, and soon, I shall take his heaven, as well as enact my vengeance upon he who humiliated me” Thus spoke a cold and malevolent voice, as he looked down upon Tabris and Ada, calculating a complex stratagem to kill those who would stand in the way of his actions, though they did not yet know what he had foreseen.

Description
Malakim
Chapter 1: Exile

              A darkness filled the air as Ada ran her lithe and soft amber hand through her jet black hair. She leafed through a book of poems she had written in her exile. She was torn from the world she once cared for and forced to be trapped within these walls. For the first time, she was being allowed outside of these castle walls, and allowed to flourish.
              She pressed the book to her chest as she looked around her, she was being called for. She stood and walked from the room, her heals clicking as they hit the tile of the floors. “Ada, my daughter, why are you so sad?” The man who was calling for her asked.
              She looked up with her dark brown, mournful eyes and sighed. “Why was I sent in exile? Why could you not do anything to my brothers? They were aloud to see the world while I was trapped in that hell?” She wiped her glassy eyes as she blinked only to be forced into the arms of the burly man.
              “Daughter,” He began with his bellowing voice, “You know that I care, in due time, you will understand why you had to do this until now” How could he tell her that her fate would force her into a new sort of exile. Her destiny would tare her from these walls and show her that the world is black, and that humans have no sway over their own preordination.
              She simply sighed and pushed away, taking over her shoulder her things and then walking down the hall, rubbing the duct of her tears as she thought about what may transpire in this coming world they were going to. She was afraid of what the world may be like beyond these protective walls, and she would learn that it was far from kind, and that it would take her and it would break her.
              As she wiped her eyes she looked up and recognized the hall she walked down. These stones, these bricks, they haunted her mind. “Ada” She heard her name called down the hall, whipping her head back as her ebony hair followed suit. She looked behind her to see her elder brother, Nicholas, standing at the other end of the hall. He looked to her through his bright blue eyes and ran a hand through his deep brown threads of hair before he ran up to her and placed his hands upon her shoulders, looking down and wiping his sweat covered brow. “Ada, I was worried I wouldn’t get to see you off, now...” She raised her hand and silenced him.
              “Nick, you know that I’ll be careful, plus dad will be with me, don’t be so worried, I’ll be safe” She said with a false smile. She then lowered her hand, placing it within her other hand as she looked to Nick and embraced him. “I’ll be safe, plus, you’ll meet up with us later, right? It’s only temporary that you won’t be with us. So please, stop worrying so much” She let go of her brother and looked to him, continuing her fake smile.
              “I’ll meet up with you as soon as humanly possible, trust me, I won’t take long to get there, and then you’ll have me for support” She groaned as he continued this lecture about her safety and held her hands up to his mouth and held it shut. He simply stuck his tongue out causing her to withdraw her hands.
              “Ew!” She shouted as she used his long, button down t-shirt to wipe her hands of his saliva. “Don’t do that”
              “I know, I know, but still, Ada, this is your first time out of the palace, so, ya know, I’m just worried about my little sister” She knew Nick’s worriment was founded, but she just wanted to finally get to experience the pleasures this world had to offer. In all of her life, she was yet to know anything other than the bellowing laments of these walls which enclosed her.
              She opened her mouth to speak, but as she did, a servant tapped Ada on the shoulder and beckoned her off to leave. She took one last look to her brother and raised her small and delicate hand and waved to him. She felt like someone or something meant her harm. She just simply sighed and allowed the servant to guide her. This would be the first time she left her small, Mediterranean nation of Sevah, which took its name from her family name, and she was afraid of what awaited her on the other side of these walls.
              As they left into the suns blinding light, Ada for the first time laid her eyes upon something of such stunning design; it was monstrosity of metal and paint, with a length beyond that of its height, and it had at least ten eyes, two of which looked back to her, and two larger than the others on its front and the other backside, before its two mouth, one of which ingested her personal belongings. She saw the side of the metal beast open, her father within its stomach. She trembled at the coach as she looked to its glistening red paint and chrome toned rims, she was unsure of what to make of such a contraption, it’s workings and everything about it eluded her. Ada pressed her hands and the book which they clutched against her twenty year old chest and heaved a sigh as she bent down and entered this machine of mans defiance.
              “Now, Ada, don’t be afraid, for this is simply a creation known as a car” The king of Sevah attempted to reassure his princess, though she seemed no less unnerved, especially as the contraption began to move without the power of many men, she could only see one, far in front of them and on the other side of a window, but she knew he had the underbelly of the beast under him as well. What moved this creature alluded her, but she could already tell in personal disdain that this would not be the last new thing she would see.
              She then inched away from her father, drawing out a pen as well as her book from a handbag which the beast had not devoured like her other things of personal effect. She then opened to a clean page and began to move the ink along the paper, writing:

To this world which always sobers
I look to you in wonder
Of the lips of lovers
And all that tares you asunder
What lies beyond the stars
A fools quest is to know
As they stare up from prison’s bars
What tapestry Fate does sew
What lies beyond the sea
For all I know is Poseidon
And what not what he keeps from me
As his water cover the pillow I lye on
What lies beyond these fields
Are there others like me
Will I know what this world wields
I just do wish to see

              Ada simply placed the cover back where it belonged, placing her things back to her bag as she waited to learn of the world’s offerings. She simply wanted knowledge that had been kept from her while she was hidden from sight in a castle of great expanse. She hated everything she had come to know, what as it that would shape her? This world which held her in chains and slavery, would be forsaken for that of the world she dreamt of, of a world where everything was new, and where she could relinquish her self from this bind.
              She looked out the eye of the beast to the passing world and in her mind she saw all she had not known, yet felt so familiar. This warmness in her heart as she looked to a church was something she felt as though she had long known, yet she had never seen such a thing. Ada’s mind was filled with wonder, and with innocence, despite her age. She had the wide-eyed innocence of a child, yet she had the body and the mind of a twenty-year old woman. With the needs of a human that had lived longer.
              She just looked to the quiet skies above her as they told her she would be alright, though she did not understand their words. She just looked to them and their quintessence as she wished for a light to guide her, and that light did come. This was such a unique freedom to her, and she was not afraid of what she may find, though as she saw the people on the streets, she felt their malevolence.
              Humans, unlike this inspiration of the skies and the trees, were malevolent. She could feel that, she knew that humans were imperfect. Yet she loved all that walked this earth. Despite the vengeful feelings of these humans, she need not hate them, she empathized them, and wished she could do something for these humans. They were among the creations of the earth, and for that, she did love them.

              Far away from this confused girl, was an equally, if not more, confused boy. Tabris was what the boy was called, and he had grown quite used to it. He just was not used to himself. He disliked the person he had become and had always been. He felt so flawed. Jaded beyond his years, he had seen the worst of self loathing, and whether he had lived to talk about is something that cannot be judged by an existent pulse. It was a black miracle that he was still alive in the state of mind he put up with for what was inching on twenty-one long years. He could not wait to let the bottom of the bottle be his solace, though he had come to despise drinking, growing up near a bar and seeing his sister fall into alcoholism and drug abuse.
              Tabris simply hummed along with the music as he had his speakers playing “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” while driving down Frankford Avenue late at night and in the rain. Not many people came out on this damp and cold of a night. The cold of the night could pierce a man’s flesh, as the moon’s light cut into his soul. The moon was unusually visible for this violent of a thunder storm.
              The boy simply headed for Wawa food market, ignoring the foreboding air of the night, he needed fresh milk and a Snapple Venom. He stopped at the Lyndon light as he saw Wawa on the nearby corner. At the light seemed to become green, he couldn’t really tell through the torrential downpour, so he simply ignored the possibility of a red and pulled to the parking lot and promptly parked.
              As he stepped out of the car the rains pounded his messy black hair and in the window pane and the puddle beneath him, his gaunt expression was quite noticeable. He quickly got into the convenience store and once there, he raised the collar of his black cotton trench coat and then let it drop to his shoulders. The weight of the already soaked cotton nearly bought him down with it, but it did alleviate a portion of the weight to do this, and in the entry way was a large pool of runoff from his coat.
              His black boots hit heavy upon the ground as he pushed upon the brown metal bar of the otherwise glass door. The darkness of the night had crept into the dimly lit convenience store as he walked toward the beverage coolers, his cold and steely blue eyes looking straight to his prize. He opened the door which was held in place by rubbed and acquired the milk before grabbing his drink. He was down to his bottom dollar, so despite the temptation of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or Lay’s Chips, he had to abstain from taking more than what he needed, though the Venom was not required to live at the means he had become accustomed to.
              The cashier gave him a glaring stare as he placed his things upon the counter and looked to her despite downcast eyes. Despite her purple spiked Mohawk and pierced lip and eye brow, he could tell she was thinking “freak” when she saw him. Maybe she was right, Tabris did consider himself a freak, but unlike her, he did for the fact that he could feel something changing within him, she was just intolerant of others. Everyone was either a freak or a conformist, and no one wins in the world of someone who hate everyone for no good reason. Tabris could not say he did not loathe these meat bags called humans.
              He ignored the girls glaring and payed, taking his things with him back through the pounding droplets of rain that punched the skin like fist. As he walked out he heard the gutter break above him, and just as the fates tested his patience, the water it had a acquired dumped onto him. He simply dropped his plastic bag, luckily the milk did not break open, and he smiled sarcastically. He had an expression as if to say “What else ya got?” to the whole world. He then kicked the water and began to laugh in his frustration.
              He took up his bag over his shoulder and finally got into his car, though not before fumbling with, and dropping, the keys. This was just another in a series of unfortunate events, early that day, a dog peed on his leg while he was waiting for a light to change while walking from his parking space to his college and its owner conversed on her cell phone, ignoring the poor pooch. He was frustrated with living. He really did not envy God, though, it must suck to have to live forever with nothing to do but plot the end of the apocalypse, since all God probably does otherwise is sit in a recliner scratching himself. God obviously does not help humans.
              A man who was watching Tabris as he drove from the parking lot could not help but laugh. It was far from ironic that someone like Tabris to question God, but that would be his undoing, though as of now, there was already nothing Tabris could do to save himself from his fate. Even God wanted him dead. To be wanted by Satan for his jihad, and wanted by God to be executed was a cruel fate, this man knew that as he looked to the boy. The man knew that he also needed to give Tabris’ destiny a push as he saw the plane from the Sevah kingdom landing in the Philadelphia Northeast Airport for an emergency fuel and repair landing of his accord.
              Tabris looked to see that someone was landing in the airport as he drove by. As the plane landed, his luck spiked again. Of course, since it was his luck, the car began to sputter and cough as he came to a stop. “Just fuckin’ great” he exclaimed in a moderately deep voice as he slammed his head upon the horn. Luckily it was late on weekday, so no one was out. He immediately took out his phone, the battery had died in it, it was obvious God hated him for the Sins, though he was sure plenty of people in the country were worse than him, then again, maybe it was the blasphemy in questioning God. He looked around, the gas station was closed, so he would be unable to get there. He put on his hazard lights and took a spare key as he locked the doors and kicked the door shut with authority and an anger absolute
              Jesus must have been pissed off with him, Tabris had decided in his blight as the rain began to fall even harder though the silver rays of moon light still cut each droplet of water. Tabris was simply frustrated as he walked to the airport to see if they had a phone in service, they had to be open if that plane he just saw was landing there. Once he got to the opening doors he noticed that it was locked though a light was on. He knocked on the glass pains of the doors, trying to get someone’s attention. There was no one, just as around him, their was nothing. Within the building, though, he heard a woman scream, he did not know what had happened, but the chivalry and heroics within him forced him to do something to check it out.
              He dropped his soaking trench coat to the ground, revealing the black denim which covered his legs and black cloth which clung to the skin of his chest. He also wore around his waist a sheath, with a sword held in it. In one swift move his sword came from its hibernation in his sheath and the glass fell to the ground like the rain outside. The shimmer of the lights upon the glass reflected in Tabris’ eyes and something change within him in this instant. Something that he had hidden from himself, as well as had been hidden from him, broke free. He knew well what he had to do.

              Ada had made the emergency stop in Phildelphia, a portion of the metal bird she was flying in whith her father while they were on there way to see the newly elected American president Xel’Urth Caldwell. She had left the plane for an instant while they were there, just to set foot on this new nation for the first time, and something went wrong. Men in fatigues of greys and whites and blacks descended upon them, pointing thing she had seen the guards of the castle carrying, called guns, at them.
              She had managed to get away from the brunt of the danger by running from them as quickly as she could, holding her little black book tightly to her chest as she ran. It was hard to run in high heels and a skirt though, but she had to manage. She had tripped and some of the soldiers had came upon her, pointing their firearms at her and smiling sadistically.
              She rolled on her back and she looked up in fear with shrunken pupils as she lay upon the cold white tiles, screaming a shrill cry in horror. She could not have been more afraid of them, she did not know what they wanted of her. Her brother Eric, the middle child in the family, had warned her that some men in other nations lack sexual restraint and would force themselves upon women, she had also read about this in books. She was afraid that was what she would become to this group of men, nothing but a sex toy.
              One of them kneeled to her with a sadistic looking grin upon his face. He was still carrying his gun quite  proudly as he put a hand upon her face, inspecting her until she bit into his finger, causing him to bleed. “You little bitch!” He said as he raised his hand and smacked her with the butt of his gun. She was lucky that nothing was broken, but it was enough of a hit to cut into her cheek and cause her to slide into a “wet floor” sign, knocking the bright yellow sign down.
              She could taste the man’s blood in her mouth. It was quite unpleasant, to put it mildly. She spit to the ground, just to get the taste out of her mouth, but she could tell that they saw this as a sign of defiance as one of the men ran at her and grabbed her around the throat, lifting her with only the strength of his arm and slammed her into a wall as her head bobbed forward after hitting it and became bruised under her hair. The man just smiled as he steadily tightened his grip upon her fragile form until the arteries in her neck were quite prominent.
              She kicked and struggled as she began to cry, but the truth was, more than anything, she was worried about whether or not her father was safe. She had no idea how he was making out, if he were even still alive, or if her were enduring a similar torment at the hands of some sick bastard who was just trying to get some bizarre recognition for the murder of a political figure. She knew that Nick would be a competent king when the time came, but she did not want her father to die like this, it would not be right.
              Her face had turned purple as she gasped for air, her white folded skirt up around her knees from her kicking, though it was quickly weakening. Her arms had been trying to claw into the man’s arm, but her half inch long nails were making no effect on him. Her black hair was wild from her struggling, some of it had even gotten into her mouth, mixing with her saliva and the continued taste of blood. She felt pretty damn ugly at this instant, but there was nothing she could do, this may be her last moment on earth.
              Ada’s tears were streaming from her eyes readily and she could not help but offering a prayer to God. She wanted for God to protect her brothers, to allow her father to be safe, as she did every night, she prayed her mother was well in heaven, adding that she would see her soon on this of all nights. and she even wanted for God to forgive this man who was trying to kill her, as well as for her father not to condemn him. With what little breath she had, she let out these final words before passing out “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do”. It may be ironic that she was quite ignorant of scripture.
              Blood began to spurt from the back of one of the men as his spine was ripped from his back. Ada’s body fell limp to the ground, gasping for air as her attacker went for a new adversary who had just killed his comrade. With his sword pointed to them, a man with large, black feathered wings, stood, glaring through his bright icy blue eyes that held nothing but death in them. His body was surrounded by a black aura, like a shadow, and he stared to the assailants, taking his sword in both hands. He turned the upon it’s side, pointing the tip of the folded steel at the men.
              He just stood there, looking to the men, standing over the spineless corps of their comrade. They all snarled at him and in the seconds that had passed, raised their assault rifles and began to fire at the mysterious man. His movement was the stuff of movies, his sword slicing each and every bullet before it neared him. He was a human hurricane, decimating each volley shot toward him until their clips began to run out.
              The men stood in horror as they looked to the split bullet shells that lay on the ground. The one that had held Ada looked to him with malice and disgust as he dropped his now spent gun. “What the hell do you want?” He asked in distaste for this enigma that stood silent and stolid. He had not moved since he killed his one victim so far. The group of mercenaries held a standoff with this man for what seemed like an eternity, neither the group or this man willing to make the first move.
              And so, the man broke his silence. “I am here to save that woman. I heard her scream, and I can see that she is innocent” He held his sword out from his side as he looked to the men while he continued to speak in a confident and calm voice. “Your blood is tainted by the touch of demons. You are willing to kill, though you have no reason to. You’ve sinned. I am here to kill sinners like you” A feather fell from his wing as he finally made a move, lunging at them with his sword scraping the ground, causing sparks to rise from the beige tile with a trail of blood following from the mans previous murder.
              The mercenary who was choking Ada smirked and revealed a large knife, and as the man came upon him, he tried to stab him. The man ducked under then knife and his head butted into the mans stomach as he drove his sword into between the mercenaries leg bones. The sword twisted between the tibia and fibula, scraping along the bone. The mercenary screamed out in agonizing pain as the man then pulled his sword so that it broke both bone as well as severed half of his calf. The soldier fell to the ground with his hands folder, begging to be let to die in peace, but the man would not have it. The man swung his sword upon the folded hands, slicing through them and cutting the four fingers and a portion of the palm with great precision. The mercenary continued to plea for mercy, begging for forgiveness.
              The other soldiers were just afraid, this man was so easily and so calmly killing their leader in an absolutely vile fashion. They watched as the man than kicked the throat of their comrade, breaking his trachea, causing him to suffocate. They began to ran, ignoring Ada, just trying to get away from this man. Their were six of them, and none of them ran together.
              The man came upon the first of them, cutting into his chest with the sword and then thrusting his fisting, breaking the ribs and stabbing the heart with them. The second to be killed was the victim of the man jumping into the air and cutting the flesh from his back in one swift motion. The man took the skin upon leaving that victim to die, but he used the skin to suffocate the third of them while he made pigmy sized cuts in the mercenary’s arms and legs. The fourth of the men became a martyr to his cause by having the man grab him by his nose and slide the sword through his anus until it came out through his penis, cutting the extremity in half, being then left to die by blood loss. Another soldier had fallen into a corner and wet himself, they were never trained for this, but he was lucky, he got the most humane death in the form of a beheading. The final of the men had returned to Ada, lifting her limp body and holding his knife to her throat.
              “If you try to kill me, I’ll kill her! Just let me leave with her, and I guarantee she’ll live” He shouted through tears of unimaginable terror. He knew it was ironic that they had been sent on a terrorist mission, yet they were the ones who were now in absolute panic. He could feel a lump sink in his throat as he feared that his threat had done little effect on the man. He was quite right.
              “I shall smite the wicked, that is the wish of the creator” Those were the last word the terrorist got to hear, other than his own scream and begs as the man grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm from being near Ada’s throat to stabbing him in the eye with his own knife. The man held Ada near to him with one arm and then, with the other he began to twirl his sword as he had while being shot at, slicing the man’s limbs like a propeller. It was a truly frightening event, to see what looked like an angel commit such atrocities. He had killed a total of eight men in such a short amount of time, and all for one life.
              Everywhere blood. That was all that one could smell in the room. Blood. Yet, not a speck had landed upon Ada’s fair form, or this mystery man. Ada awoke to the smell of blood, feeling a warm body holding her. She looked up to him and saw his shadowy figure. “Who...” She said with her first normal breath. She saw his form change into a normal human, with dark ebony hair and cold blue eyes. She was in awe, he was quite handsome, her amber skin had turned red around her face as she looked to him.
              He took her in his arms, trying to leave this place. “I am Tabris, Princess Ada Sevah” He said simply as he walked from the building, remaining absolutely silent for about a minute before the reached the entrance he had broken in to. He stepped over broken glass, grabbing his still wet trench coat on the way out. He had come the air port for help, and ended up helping another. The rain had parted and he walked out in to the morning moon light.
              Ada began to struggle in his arms despite the trauma she had barely endured. She reached back for the building and kicked at him. “Wait, where are you taking me?! My father! My country! They’re back there!” She screamed, but then she took in a new sent as she heard a loud explosion and a pyre of flame came from the behind the building. Tears began to swell up in Ada’s eyes before the shock from the blast knocked Tabris down, with her in his arms.
              “Are you alright?” He asked as he looked to her, but he soon changed his statement, “I mean, physically?” He knew she would not be alright mentally; he had found a high power explosive strapped to engine of the plain Ada had arrived in, it was also how he found out she was of the Sevah kingdom, he only assumed she was the princess. He extended his arm down to her in attempt to help her up. Tabris looked into her eyes with a sincere smile, but in them, he only saw fear.
              She hit his hand away and let the tears flow from her eyes as the tongues of fire behind Tabris danced within the rivers of tears. “Who are you!” She demanded as she looked to him, brushing her dark hair back while holding herself up with one arm. “What have you done with my father!” She also shouted. She just wanted answers, she could not have been more upset to have seen this. The thought that her father may have died weighed heavy on her mind, though she was also, in away that repulsed her, happy that he was gone. For the first time, she felt like the shackles of her exile had finally fallen.
              Tabris was noticeably taken by this burst of anger; but he could easily understand where she was coming from. “When I came to airport, you and those mercenaries were the only ones left, I saved you, that was all that I could do” He explained to her with a hint of sadness in his tone. “I checked your plain quicky, but all I found was an explosive latched to the engine, I couldn’t remove it. I’m sorry, that I wasn’t able to save your father” He seemed so upset with himself, though Ada was still enraged by what had happened, she could not help but feel sorry for him, he was so melancholy.
              She stood and placed a hand upon his cheek, forcing herself to smile through the tears as she did. “It’s alright, you saved me, for that, I thank you” She embraced him. She could sense that he meant her no harm, and she knew he was not lying. She was still upset over the loss of everything she had known, but she was happy to be alive. This boy was he guardian angel, apparently. She held him tightly, thanking him for what he had done, though he was unmoving, either out of embarrassment or guilt, he did not return the hug. He simply looked down to her and placed a hand upon her head, lightly petting her once.
              Tabris began to hear the cling and clatter of armor nearing them and forced Ada off of him as looked to see a metal clad man walking toward them. “Who is that?” Ada asked as Tabris pushed her away, though the man she had just met gave her no answers. Who ever he was, he was quite tall and carried a large spear. As he got near them, it became apparent to Ada that whatever he was, he was not really there. “Its... a magical apparition” She said looking to the man and staying quite near to Tabris.
              The man stepped into the light, with the flames of the explosion reflecting off of his armor. Both of them recognized him from somewhere, but neither was sure where from.. “I come as a messenger, an Angel, if you will” The apparition announced with a bow. “I am, as the princess said, an apparition, created by Lord Xel’Urth Caldwell, incase the abduction of the girl did not go as planned” It then hit Tabris like a brick, this was the face of the newly elected President.
              Tabris held out his blade as he looked to the president. “You’re the one who sent those mercenaries... Why do you want her? Besides, wasn’t she on her way to the Capital with her father to see you?” He asked what he considered a demon, rather than an Angel. He was ready to fight again, and he could feel something building within him, his wings trying to break though his skin. Tabris held Ada behind him, trying to keep her safe from whatever this man wanted her for.
              The apparition began to laugh and looked to them. “I actually had not ordered that strike, but I had caught wind of it and sent what you see before you. Also, since I could not use my powers to take her, I decided that I would settle for her father, Miss Sevah, I’d suggest you think about coming to see me, so you can make sure that dear old Dad is safe” He said as he looked to her. This simple speech opened a flood of questions for Tabris as he looked to Ada, looking to her though his cold looking eyes.
              As the apparition vanished, there was another explosion resounding from nearby, and Tabris just knew that it was his car. He was shit out of luck. “Princess, I honestly don’t know what’s going on here, but I’ll give you my word that as long as I breathe, I’ll protect you” Tabris said with a sigh as he put his arms around Ada. This time, he initiated the embrace, holding her quite dearly as he did. He had no true reason for his decision to help her, he just felt compelled to, like it was his destiny or something like that. He hoped that it would at least break the tedium of his humdrum life.
She could not form the words, but the words “Thank you” passed upon her lips as she reciprocated the hug that Tabris had given her. It was her first night away from the palace, and away from everything that she had come to know in her youth. Already, everything had become wrong, and seemed distorted. There was something happening, something that centered around her, but she did not know what.
“Come on, we’ll go back to my place, you can rest and I need to make a phone call to someone who may be able to help us” He spread his wings and wrapped his arms around her, and with that, he took off into the morning sun, hearing the sirens that were finally on their way to put out the raging fire from the explosion of the jet plane. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into, and that was not among his chief concerns either, he just wanted this girl to be safe, something about her made him feel different inside. Stronger, like he could defeat any opponent, yet weaker, like she could do anything to him. This sensation was new to him, but he felt happy.

Elsewhere, the man who had initiated this whole thing smirked. “God is on man’s Earth, and soon, I shall take his heaven, as well as enact my vengeance upon he who humiliated me” Thus spoke a cold and malevolent voice, as he looked down upon Tabris and Ada, calculating a complex stratagem to kill those who would stand in the way of his actions, though they did not yet know what he had foreseen.