Since time began, long before intelligent life took its first breath, there were angels. Each has its own specific duty.
Flap
I was given the blessing of releasing life of its final breath.
Exhales
Just like those before me. One day however...
Crackle
All of that changed.
"Cato. Angel of Death. Azrael."
"What is this? Who are you-"
"That's the wrong question. What you should be asking is...will you recover?"
His name was Orion.
Shing
Orion was merely a mortal but was bestowed with godlike power in the form of a sword. I could smell the Moly underneath his tongue further thinning my chances of escape. He was capitalizing on my cardinal rule, I cannot kill any sentient living being unless it is their time. That said, I did not make it easy for him.
Crash
Ting
Ting
Unironically, the deities before me didn't think learning combat was necessary. I disagreed with that sentiment.
Crack
Coughing up blood, Orion placed his foot on my throat.
"Yield."
"FUCK YO-"
Orion crushed my windpipe, then threw me onto the cold wet concrete. Gasping for air, he knelt behind me taking my right wing into his fist. Using my own scythe, he started to cut.
SLICE
I started to writhe, as the blade started stuttering over the base of my bone.
WAILS
It wasn't clean in the slightest. He had to strike over and over again to get traction before finally.
Tear
Splatter
It ripped off, I reached for my upper back but half of my limbs went numb from the pain. One of my eyes was swollen shut even then it was rolled to the back of my skull. My blood was running rampant out of me as I watched my own severed wing flap around trying to get back to me but unable to get any traction. Just as I reached for it.
SQUELCH
Orion started on my left, despite my shouts of agony no longer leaving my throat cold tears left the ducts of my eyelids as I stared up at heaven. Wondering why I was forsaken this day. Once he reached the base of the wing I had completely collapsed. He had been speaking this whole time, but only now could I truly hear him.
"...I truly am sorry. It is done."
As my consciousness faded into the subconscious, I watched the mortal walk away with both of my wings as I succumbed to my wounds.
...
Cato-
Now we're all caught up. I woke with a start. Immediately ripping at my own bandages to stand up out of the bed I was currently stretched out on. Cassius was refusing to let me leave.
"My Scion you must not be moving-"
"Where were YOU?! Did you not hear me calling for you?! Am I TRULY that WORTHLESS?!"
I tried to maneuver around Cassius who simply jumped in front again grappling at my wrists but I kept ripping them away.
"Leave me! He's getting away-"
"The mortal is long gone-"
"You didn't answer me. WHERE were you-"
"They attached us here too. I could not reach you in time. I shall carry that weight with me for the rest of my life."
"Who's they?...what..."
I started to become lightheaded feeling my blood trickle down my back as Cassius caught me as my knees caved in.
"Cato, shh. Hush now. You need rest."
"...it's...h-he's..."
"All shall be answered. Everything you need to know."
My eyes rolled back and the darkness swallowed me again but for a longer duration. I was woken by the pain next, reaching for my back feeling the fresh bubble and ooze like an infection.
"Shh. Shh-"
"Hurts. I-It...hurts..."
"I know, I know. All pain is temporary-"
"Make it STOP...the pain please please make it stop!.."
It broke Cassius' heart seeing me this way. A fever quickly took me long after, leaving me in cold sweats and hallucinations rolling over my eyelids. Most involving beings that died horrible deaths.
BOIL
Pop
The smell caked my nostrils and the rot seemed crawl into my ear canal. To escape the pain I wrapped one of the bedsheets I was on around my neck and tightened the slack. Cassius caught me in the act and wriggled it from me, lightly kissing my forehead.
"Stay in this world, Scion. I beg you."
"I wanna die!..I wanna die...I wanna die...I wanna die..."
I muttered it over and over and over again while Cassius rocked me in his arms. Fully going into an uncontrollable state of weeping that did not cease till I ran out of breath. When the fever broke, I started to sleep better and longer. My nightmares decreased and I slowly started to become lucid again.
"...Cassius..."
"Cato?"
"Come, closer..."
Cassius trickled over to me, quickly taking my palm in his hand and squeezing softly. My vision was still quite impaired but I could still make out his sleep-deprived and constricted facial muscles.
"What..happened?"
"His name is Orion. Granted with godlike power with one goal. To breed chaos, by removing you from the board."
"Removing me from the...Cassius how long have I been bedridden?"
That's when Cassius got quiet but I enunciated moving to squeeze his wrist.
"How long have I been bedridden?"
"Six months."
"Six months?! T-That means-"
"The mortals, animals, and everything in between that needed to be escorted have been put in limbo until you are ready to oversee their departure."
"I-I can't. Without my wings I'm nothing-"
"No, you are my scion. That means something."
"Our focus should be on finding Orion. There's no point in my balancing the scales if he's still in play."
"I've had my subordinates look into it. No luck yet."
Sighing, I released his wrist and he nodded for me to turn on my side. He peeled off my bandages and I felt the skin stretch with the fabric making me wince and fidget. I hissed right when he got to the marrow of where my wings used to be and fumbled out.
"A m-moment please. I need..."
"Of course."
At the very least, I was healing, but it was just incredibly slow. That's thanks to my weapon. The sword would have been kinder.
"Is there a way I can start now? On the souls? I know what you will say but I just do it before it further spirals out of control. I beg you. It is all I'm good for."
