This World of Ours

Prologue

They were going to start running out of training dummies, soon.

She suddenly stopped, alarmed. What was that she felt quivering in the air? It wasn’t something she could simply touch or see, she knew that, of course. But it wasn’t what she normally felt. Her sword clattered to the floor, as fear loosened her grip on the shaft, thoughts of her tottering son and daughter all the way across the grounds wild in her mind. This stirred bad memories, terrible memories.

But before she could take more than two steps, she hit the ground on her knees, lifting her hands to her head. She opened her mouth, eyes squeezing shut, and let loose a terrible, blood-chilling scream, her muscles beginning to spasm, as she crashed onto her side, writhing in pain and agony, still screaming, barely able to heave her chest and take a breath.

Maggie toppled from her mother’s lap, writhing, screeching, wailing in pain and fear, her child mind unable to make sense of her surroundings, as her mother desperately and frantically tried to soothe her. After a moment, she gave up, and began to call out over her daughter’s screams. “Eveline! Avvie!”

The golden-haired woman glanced at the candle, as it sputtered out of life. She stood up to re-light it, sensing she would soon need its helpful light, if only to continue her work, and was unexpectedly thrown headlong into the air sideways.

The little boy put his hands over his ears, muttering something under his breath, as he made for the door as fast as his legs could carry him, which was surprisingly fast. He ran through the open doorway, a clear image of where he wanted to go in his mind, and he never made it out the other side.

The woman perched on the edge of the balcony stiffened, a clear mental image of the memory coming to mind, as she recognized the source of the disturbance shaking the invisible threads of the web. “No!” The harsh sound left her throat, ringing in the air, as she rose to her feet on instinct, ready to jump into action. She suddenly lurched forward, as if pushed from behind, and crumpled helplessly over the edge.

She never hit the ground.                                           

A young girl, of maybe sixteen years, stood before a great mirror, watching her one-eyed reflection staring back at her. The black satin eye patch covering her right eye reflected the soft firelight of the torches hanging on the wall around her, her black ebony hair pulled into a ponytail behind her head, both her hands resting on the leather-wrapped grip of her obsidian cane, leaning forward ever so slightly, her long black leather trench coat falling down to her ankles.

She blinked her silvery left eye once, allowing a small sigh to escape her lips. “It was bound to happen eventually,” She murmured, well aware of her limited time as it trickled away relentlessly. “Those damned fools… I wonder what they thought they were doing?” She frowned, and her reflection frowned back.

She drew from one leather sleeve a silver dagger, glimmering under the firelight, as screams began to erupt across the grounds, the screams of those who knew in their subconscious that something beyond the petty notions of good and evil had come to them, to decisively pick off those they deemed a threat.

Making a quick cut on her wrist, the girl allowed her blood to drip onto the cold stone floor beneath her feet. “Agares,” She said clearly, her voice ringing. She felt a shudder go down her back, as she felt the thin dark veils of shadow whisper past her ear with the arrival of her partner. Her reflection blinked of her own accord, and then stretched. The girl watched the mirror blankly, not unused to such things.

“Lila,” Her reflection responded in a deeper voice, as a voice from the depths of a dark, dark cave, or from across a canyon.

Lila adjusted her weight on her feet, shifting it from side to side. “I’m afraid our contract is about to be terminated, Agares. It seems that something beyond you or I has plans of its own,” She said decisively, watching her reflection’s expression carefully.

Lila-Agares nodded in understanding. “It has already penetrated my home. His Lordship is taking refuge to defend against it, but it has overwhelming strength, unlike everything we have ever faced.”

Lila heaved another sigh. “History is about to repeat itself,” She said quietly, her senses already aware of the immense force hurtling towards her. Her silvery eye clouded over with unspoken sorrow. “How many shall we lose before it becomes clear to them what they must do, Agares?” She asked, suddenly desperate, for the first time in her life since she could remember.

“More than Heaven or Hell can hold.”

Lila bowed her head in acceptance, and Lila-Agares dipped its head in turn, as if to see off an old friend. Then Lila turned to face judgment, and disappeared.

Prologue dedicated to XxPierceMyHeartxX for being so awesome and putting up with my bipolar decision-making.