The Lady Of Shadows

1.1: ORDERLESS.

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"'Humanity, without their link to the divinity of the Holy Trinity: Is utterly damned for all eternity.'
Someone write that down. That was a sick rhyme!" ...... Recorded from How to Effectively Pray: Beginners Guide.
Quoted by Commander Azar to the Legion of Seers.

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Elia.

The drop back into bed should have been bone shatteringly fatal. It certainly felt that way. Elia groaned upon hitting the cloud like pillows, still trying to get her bearing. Some girl, dark skinned with golden sticker tattoos watched her from an upside down angle. "Thank the Creator, the Instructor would have killed us if she'd didn't wake up."

"Elia Daneeka? Are you alright? Can you move?" Another girl stood beside her, with unbound and wild curly hair, yellow robes blindingly bright. "What happened to me?" Elia rasped. Something was niggling at the back of her mind, like a pin waiting to drop. "You were screaming in your sleep. When we got here, you were spasming and burning up. That fever alone should have damaged your brain."

"What fever? What are you talking about? Where am I?" She felt so confused. Her skin was clammy and sticky, clothes ragged and dirty. Was that dried blood on her hands? "Who are you people?" She jumped back into the bed, a hand raised in defence. "If this is some huge scheme to kidnap me, I should warn you that my mother is...." The migraines started and Elia groaned, hands on her head.

"My mother.... She... He took her. He took my mother!" It all came flooding back in one brutal wave. The cold blooded murder at the party, Rhiane-no, Neriah rushing to take her home, the car crash, the Crawlers, the blaze of light her mother wielded and the monster who rose from beneath the earth. The one who wielded the darkness. The one called Lucifer.

"Oh my God. He was supposed to take me. My mom is gone." Elia became a sobbing mess. "We know of that, Elia. We're here to support you and help in anyway we can." The black girl sat by her, with a gentle hand on her shoulders. "We're not going to let anyone hurt you."

"I saw you in my dream." Elia murmured. "You're the one who woke me up." Those sticker tattoos glimmered. "Someone had to wake you. I couldn't let you sleep to your death." The simple contact left a heady feeling in Elia's mind. Instantly, she tamped down that high and forced the bit of energy down. "My name is Tara, Lieutenant of Illumina."

"This is the Sanctuary? It doesn't look much." Elia took in the white walled room, plain and simple. The others were in a far corner, leaving only her, Tara and some other girl close to each other. "Apologies that we couldn't live up to your castle standards, princess." Someone snapped back. She was lean and tall, pin straight dark haired with stormy grey eyes.

"Cassie! Don't be rude. She's new here." Tara scolded. The girl, Cassie, took an intimidating step forward. Her robes were also grey, making her look even much taller and older, meaner. "Are we done fawning over the new one? Or are all of you going to introduce yourselves?"

"We're introducing ourselves, Elia will be seeing alot of us, anyways." Tara gave Cassie a withering look. "That is Cassiel, Lieutenant of the Wind-walkers. She's a cranky one."

"I heard that, Star gazer!" Cassie called out while shuffling to the back of the room.

Elia took in all the new faces. "Are we doing all of this right now? I don't mean to sound rude, but my head is banging." She tried not to wince. The curly haired girl from earlier smiled tenderly. "I think that is my cue." Gently she placed her hands on each side of Elia's temples and chanted under her breath. Elia felt a cool, tingly relief, easing the pressure on her forehead. "That was really good. You're a Healer."