CHAPTER 3
"ELISE!" A heart breaking cry shook the walls of the house as a man sat there with a woman lying in his arms.
His hands were cradling her head while blood poured out of her torso.
"Please don't leave me." Revios begged.
"I-Its too… la-late." Elise croaked. Her expression was pained and miserable. Each words made her body sting.
"No. NO. You can't go." Rev cried. "I wanted to build a better life for you. Please Stay. We will go somewhere farther away."
"Ora" the woman whispered, wincing in pain. "Leave this place. Keep her safe. Go."
Revios look down with tearful eyes at his wife. A few hours ago they had been a happy family. Elise was there asking her to stay at home. Revios cursed himself. If only he had stayed back. His love would have been alive. He could have protected her. He would have protected his daughter.
He looked around for Aurora but couldn't find his five year old girl. Where was she? A sudden fear gripped his heart. Did they kill his daughter too?
He was a failure. He had failed both his wife and his daughter.
"Rev." He looked down at his wife. She was looking away from him towards the wall. Her finger pointing at it.
Revios gasped in surprise.
Elise looked back at him, her eyes staring into his. She raised a hand to cup his cheek.
"I love y-you bo-both."
"I love you too. I love you so much." He hugged her dying body to his chest.
"You need t-to ke-keep her safe. P-Promise me." Elise looked at him with begging eyes.
Revios wanted to say so much. He wanted to ask her to hold on while he asks someone to help her. He could have begged the spirit to come but he knew they wouldn't help him.
"I promise." He nodded. Salty tears falling down his cheek.
"I-I did some t-thin…" The words died on her lips. Her head fell heavier on his arm.
"Elise." Rev cried. " Elise." He slapped her cheeks trying to wake her up. But Elise was unresponding. Her eyes looked shallow. They were deviod of any life in them.
He hugged her and wailed.
It was all his fault. It was his fault his daughter was in danger. It was his fault that Aurora had people wanting to kill her. That Elise died.
Aurora was a blessed. Just like her parents. It was rare. The Blessing was not passed by birth but it was chosen. The Spirits chose someone to bless and they had chosen Aurora. However, it was not the right time to be a Blessed. When the Blessing had turned into a Curse. When they were killing all those who had the Curse.
He wouldn't let anyone touch his daughter. He had failed his wife but there was no way he would fail his daughter. He would honour his promise to Elise.
With a final look at Elise, and a kiss on her head, she gently placed her on the floor. He got up and rushed to the wall.
He knew what Elise wanted to tell him. They had built a safe in this wall years ago to hide their secrets. It was a blood oath that no one else would know of this apart from their bloodline.
He pressed his hand where he knew he was supposed to and a small gap opened in the wall. There she was. Sleeping inside the small hidden space in the wall, his five year old girl, sleeping with her thumb in her mouth.
He picked her up gently, careful to not wake her up. He didn't want her to see her mother like that.
He could help but look at the house one last time. The house he had built with his wife, with love and care, where her dead body was lying.
"Rev." A man said and he turned towards the bald man. "Hurry up. They are almost back."
The man's eyes shifted down to the dead body and it widened in panic. He looked up at his friends tears stained face.
"Please, give her a proper burial Andrew." Revios begged.
Andrew nodded. "I promise."
"But Let me escort you out first. You have to protect Aurora." He added. His eyes taking in the sleeping baby.
Revios nodded and followed Andrew as he led the way. He could hear the commotion. He knew they were looking for them. After raiding their house, they had left thinking Revios and Aurora had fled and were looking everywhere for them. Now they were coming back to their house.
They walked hurriedly in the darkness. Taking route through the dark forest. It was the only safe way.
"Mommy." The sleeping girl mumbled, sending an arrow through her father's chest.
"What have I done Andrew?" He said in a sad voice. "I took away her mother."
"I wouldn't say it wasn't your fault Rev, if that's what you are hoping for." Andrew said looking straight ahead, still guiding the way. "You deserved that. You are reaping the seeds you have sown."
Revios hung his head in shame.
"But Elise didn't deserve it and neither does Aurora. That is why I am helping you." He said.
"Thank you." Rev mumbled.
"You used to be my friend Rev." Andrew said, his voice had an accusation to it. "I told you it was wrong and yet you were so blind with hatred. I don't know what caused this hatred. I wish you had talked with Elise about it. But you never did."
Rev opened his mouth to apologise when suddenly he felt a harsh punch on his stomach knocking out all the air from his lungs.
He fell on his knees and Aurora rolled off his hand.
Rev was their breathing heavy, clutching his heart rightly in pain. On the other hand, Aurora was crying loudly. A sharp edged stone had managed to cut her knee.
Andrew rushed to the kid and picked her up.
"Shh! It will be alright." He cooed her while looking at his friend.
"Mommy." Aurora cried in pain.
Helplessly, Andrew rocked her in his arms. He didn't want to be the one to tell her about Elise. And the person who could console her was there on the ground.
"Rev! What happened?" He questioned. Andrew looked behind to make sure they were alone and in no immediate danger.
"-ste." Rev breathed heavily. He pulled himself to his feet. He swayed a couple times before finally finding his equilibrium.
"What?"
"Celeste. The first Spirit has fallen." Rev told him in shock. He felt it when the spirit who had blessed him fell in front of the enemy. He felt the shackles on her arms.
"Fuck!" Andrew shouted.
The spirits couldn't fall! Could they? Can a human make a god his prosoner?
"It can't be possible." He exclaimed. He was still holding Aurora who had quitened and was now sniffing on his shoulder.
"You forget that Samuel once was a spirit too." Rev said. He stepped forward to take Aurora from his arms but Andrew stepped back.
"I will carry her." He stated. "You are still recovering from the shock and we have to leave before anyone realises I am gone."
"Andrew," Revios said from behind him. "I shall forever be indebted to you. Thank you for protecting my daughter."
