Soul Taker's Redemption

by A. S. Hamilton

  Therion

  [Feel Invincible – Skillet]

  With a slight jerk, I felt the power imprisoning me release. A moment later a strong summoning pervaded all my senses. I shook it off. Flexing my wings, I cast my gaze over the guardians and other angels who had stopped in their tracks to observe my release. Fear permeated the air.

  Snarling in contempt, I flung my wings out and planes-shifted.

  I entered the earthly realm in the sky. If I planes-shift while being summoned, the summoning draws me fairly close to my new charge. There was a forest below, a river to the east, a valley to the north and…

  Therilgalen attacking a guardian mid-air.

  This was, effectively, a demotion. I had noted that more and more my assignments had some kind of investigative quality, necessitating interaction with other beings, analysis, investigation, and the application of judgement. Since my misjudgement with Jayden's assassin, it looked like I was being returned to the more mundane role of simply fending off aggressors. Despite this step back, I grinned. After all that time penned in, I really felt like a good fight, and this looked like it could easily escalate to a brawl.

  Inhaling deeply and tensing the muscles of my diaphragm and throat, I shrieked, paralysing the lot of them. I used the time to close the distance while getting higher than the others. It was not hard, because while paralysed, they weren't flying and if they weren't flying, they were falling.

  Aurealis forgive me, but I dearly hoped that if any of them hit the ground, the impact did not kill them immediately. Do not get me wrong, therilgalen are powerful, but out of our home realm, in realms where magic is not as potent as it once was, like the earthly realm, we are more vulnerable.

  There were three therilgalen; one, the biggest, was obviously the oldest and held dominance in the group. Of the other two, one had streaked his cheeks with red— it was not blood, but a paint made from crushed berries in the Dark Realm. The third was quite obviously the youngest; smaller than the others, he still had the downy feathers of a youngling interspersed amongst his fuller, larger adult feathers.

  I picked the leader as the guardian should be able to handle the other two until I could aid him. Folding my wings, I dived. Sweeping one arm out, I wrapped it around the falling therilgalen. Face-to-face now, I could see hatred seething in the blood-red pools of his eyes. By the time he was able to struggle, I had both arms clamped around him as we sped towards the ground. At the very last moment, I flung him into the hillside just before opening my wings; the effect was similar to a parachute, stalling my fall. I used a strong, upward thermal to climb again. The one with the war paint broke off to pursue me, while the youngest therilgalen moved to attack the guardian.

  For the next several minutes I played tag with War Paint, clashing to fight, before breaking apart to seek a better advantage, then clashing again. In the meantime, Leader had joined Young Pup in tackling the guardian. I missed what happened exactly but heard his heart-rending cry as they got him to the ground.

  I felt other light-dancers coming, warriors I hoped. Guardians have combat training, but Aurealis has actual fighters, they're not as strong as I am, nor are they as coldly efficient, but, most of the time, they're more effective than the guardians. A healer would also be useful, I was reluctant to have to, yet again, waste energy healing a guardian. They complained and fussed so much— some piffle about where my energy comes from. From the pitch of his scream, the guardian had a broken wing, at the very least.

  War Paint took advantage of my distraction to smash into me and try to manoeuvre me so he could drive me to the ground. It's a common technique among our kind because, effectively executed, if it doesn't kill your opponent outright, it usually damages them enough you can finish them off at your leisure. I bared my fangs as I wrapped an arm about his neck. As I hoped, he assumed I meant to bite him and thrust me away. I spun mid-air, and, drawing my blades, dove for the two on the ground. They didn't hear me and the third gave no warning. Spearing Young Pup, I used my momentum to toss him off the guardian. Leader was poised to bite the guardian's throat. Placing my foot against his head, I shoved him away while swinging an arm out to warn off War Paint, who'd landed just behind me.

  'Do not try it,' I growled.

  A blur rushed through the trees and knocked him off his feet. Finally, assistance had arrived.

  Lunging towards me, Leader drew his short sword and long knife. He started with a forceful frontal attack, but I spun out of reach before sweeping back in to graze him across his upper legs with both my blades. Leader followed through with an overhand strike with his knife, but I raised my right wing, using the flexed feathers to deflect it. His blade skimmed across my wing, doing little damage. Behind the cover of my wing, I readied for a head kick. As he started to draw back, I dropped my wing and delivered the blow just beneath his chin. A spray of blood shot out of his mouth and he slid a malevolent look towards me.

  'You cannot expect me to be accountable for your stupidity,' I told him.

  He snarled in response, rushing forward to aggressively attack with both his blades. A distinctly human, and female, scream distracted me, allowing Leader to score two strikes. Ducking his short sword, I closed, managing to grip him around the neck. Tossing him onto his back, I heard a snap, probably a wing, and he hissed with pain. It gave me a moment to scan the clearing for the source of the human cry. My blood froze; the guardian who had attacked War Paint was not a guardian, it was Jayden. She was on the ground, War Paint standing over her, leaning on a long, thin sword. He was pushing it into her upper chest near her shoulder, near where she had been shot recently, he'd be able to see that her spirit was duller there. The shield I had placed over her was no longer there, it seemed I must be present to maintain it. Jayden had both feet against his chest trying to keep him off. Behind them I saw Jayden's mother, Emerline, aiming her gun, she fired a shot, which didn't even make War Paint wince.

  Snarling, I rammed my fist into Leader's head, knocking him out cold. Turning, I charged War Paint.

  Jay

  Good grief it hurt!

  The searing pain from the long, thin sword seemed to be spreading; like my veins were filled with oil and someone had set them on fire.

  I could feel my legs weakening, any moment they'd collapse and the bastard above me would quickly turn his attention back to Garry. I heard a gunshot. Of course, Mum had brought a gun. I mentally sent my thanks to whatever gods were out there for having such a practical mother and then cussed as I realised she'd either missed— unlikely, Mum's an expert shot— or the dark-angel wasn't bothered by it. The dark-angel managed to snarl and grin at the same time as he twisted the blade sharply. His eyes were an ungodly red and venom was starting to drip down his fangs. The smears of red across his cheeks looked like war paint. It all culminated into quite a macabre mask.

  A low growl brought my head to the side. Another of the dark-angels was… wait a minute… I frowned trying to make sense of the scene. Garry was still on the ground, but he was no longer surrounded by dark-angels, one was slumped on his side up against a tree with a short sword stuck in his chest. The other, the large one that had crashed into Garry when we first arrived, was just starting to surge up against a fourth dark-angel. This last one violently smashed his fist into the side of the therilgalen's head and was now charging towards us.

  Gold eyes seethed with rage. He clutched a bloody, curved blade in one hand and he was snarling, pointed fangs set in amongst what were otherwise remarkably straight teeth. My vision blurred and my head felt heavy.

  Suddenly, I made the connection and I let my head drop back as I laughed with relief.

  Therion. It was Therion!

  'Oh, now you're in for it,' I warned the dark-angel above me.

  Therion

  [Shake That Bagpipe – The Sidh; Iridium – The Sidh]

  War Paint tried to run!

  I was faster though, and just as he started to launch into the air, I brought him down, thrusting my knife up a
nd along his mid-section. I did not wait for him to die, pushing him to one side as I turned to Jayden. I could hear her heartbeat slowing. Her temperature was up and still rising. Poison on the blade was my guess; it is another oft-used tactic. Not our own venom— that would be idiotic if our enemy got hold of the sword and used it upon us. Whatever it was, it would be deadly enough.

  I raised a hand to Emerline, who had taken cover so she could use her gun without being impeded. 'Stay hidden,' I commanded, 'and do not waste your bullets.'

  Emerline seemed to understand that I couldn't afford the distraction of keeping an eye on her while also assisting her daughter and stayed where she was. I knelt by Jayden's side to inspect the wound.

  'Therion…' she breathed.

  I paused to look into her eyes. She sounded… happy. Was smiling even. What amazed me more was the lack of fear. She was not frightened, not of the therilgalen, not for her life… But for… I frowned, Garry? Ah, Garry was what she called her guardian. She feared for him just as she had feared for the children.

  'Save your strength, you are going to need it,' I told her.

  I ran a finger through the trail of blood leaking from the wound and tasted it. Making a face I spat to the side. Shadre venom. It was a type of viper found in the Dark Realm and it was fairly common for therilgalen to anoint their blades with it.

  Closing my eyes, I drew in my energy; preparing to heal her.

  Jayden's hand on my arm brought my eyes open. She whispered, 'Behind—'

  I pulled my wings in as my attacker lunged at me from behind. His knee landed hard on my spine and I braced my foot and knee to take his weight without risking either of us landing on Jayden.

  I rocked forward but held.

  A blade flashed over my shoulder towards my chest and an arm wrapped about my neck at the same time. I gripped the wrist wielding the blade, placed the leg with the bent knee across Jayden's body, planting my foot. Then, jerking to the side, I allowed myself to roll with my attacker away from Jayden, using my foot to stop us with my opponent on his back beneath me. I could feel his chest heaving against my wings. Driving my elbow into his ribs, I felt them give. The force of the blow brought his head forward and I drove mine back. The resultant crack hurt him more than me, because my opponent slumped back unconscious. I rolled off, my own head ringing and came to a rest on my knees. I lifted one foot and placed it solidly on the ground, preparing to rise, but paused still feeling light-headed. I took a moment to catch my breath and to check for any other threats. I also took the chance to spread my wings before drawing them back in again. I had lost more than a few feathers, but my wings were sound.

  It became apparent that the Thanetons weren't a family that took easily to following instructions. Emerline had scrambled to her daughter's side, gun still in one hand, but her attention dangerously focussed on her daughter and not on any threats around her.

  The therilgalen I had speared with my blade, Young Pup, was not dead; I could still hear his heart beating. He was unconscious though, his breathing deep and slow. Having removed my sword, he had healed himself and then passed out from exhaustion. A common mistake for the young. War Paint, was dead, having bled out too quickly to help himself, leaving just this one, Leader. I noted he did not have the extra armour the other two had. He was an older generation, before Ulyn had made her latest changes.

  I had just started getting to my feet when, in a swift jerk of movement, Leader rolled from his back to his knees. He shrieked, catching me off guard. He was old enough to know exactly the right tone for it to have the most effect. My muscles seized.

  He knew he would not have long, I was the first, the oldest, no matter how good his pitch was, the paralysis would wear off quicker. Part of it was also due to exposure. After hearing the paralysing shriek so often, I am able to shake it off a little faster than my brethren. He drove his knife into the front of my left shoulder first, knowing it was my stronger fighting arm and then disappeared from view. I worried about Jayden. And Emerline. The immobilisation may last mere seconds, but it felt endless. Finally, my muscles started trembling and electric shocks fired through my body; a sign the paralysis was weakening.

  I heard Leader inhale sharply and a sound of pain.

  I jolted forward as my muscles won the fight with my nervous system.

  Jayden cursed under her breath; indicating that not only was she impervious to the nightmare vision, but the paralysis wore off sooner for her, too.

  Still fighting the last of the effects of the paralysis, I managed to turn to see Leader crumpled over to one side for a moment before he violently ripped something out of his thigh. It turned out to be one of my blades. I darted a look to Jayden, her stance suggested she had just thrown something. That was when I realised that, at some point, Jayden had retrieved my blade, and had now thrown it at my opponent. She was closer to Young Pup, suggesting that after Leader had attacked me, she had scrambled over to Young Pup to retrieve my weapon. Leader growled, a low threatening sound, and then charged towards her. Emerline was standing next to Jayden and the younger Thaneton grabbed her mother's upper arm as she started backing up, but Emerline was still paralysed.

  Leader was unaware my paralysis had worn off, but I did not bother trying to be stealthy as I pulled out the blade he'd left in my shoulder and went after him.

  As soon as she could move, Emerline aimed her gun and started firing repeatedly at Leader even as Jayden tried to drag her out of his path.

  Hearing my approach, Leader flexed his wings, creating a shield as he turned. It would mean that Emerline's bullets were even less likely to hit anything significant.

  Once Leader turned away from them, Emerline looked back to Jayden, who was sweating and trembling, her skin an unhealthy pallor. Her legs looked like they couldn't support her and Emerline moved towards her daughter, slipping one arm under Jayden's and wrapping it about her back to stop her from falling. She needed healing. Now.

  As I closed in on Leader, I readied the knife for an upward strike. Using my ability to see spirit energy, I located his heart— it works just as well for hitting vital organs as it does for missing them. As I struck, I said, 'You really shouldn't leave your weapons behind.'

  He tried to block the strike, but I deflected it with my other hand, driving the blade deep into his chest.

  Strangely, he smiled. 'You should never have left.'

  He bled out swiftly, the red in his eyes lightening and then fading as his life followed. Leader knew me, had known me, before I'd defected. I was often kept separate from my brethren because Ulyn sought the favour of my creator and so kept me with her. But I'd trained with them. Hunted with them. I searched my memories for a name but couldn't find one. For some reason that bothered me.

  I took a moment to mentally assess my wounds. They were serious, but I would not bleed to death. Movement was going to be limited and difficult. My wings were undamaged, so at least I could fly. I could heal myself, but during combat, I only heal potentially fatal wounds and see to the rest later. Despite my opponents being down, I wasn't sure the fighting was over.

  I moved over to Jayden and Emerline. Emerline still supported her daughter but was kneeling now. As I knelt by them, Jayden opened her eyes. 'You came...' she whispered.

  'Be still,' I instructed gruffly. Poison isn't easy to deal with; I needed to concentrate. Closing my eyes, I focused. I'd been taught by a light-dancer who was a healer how to use antibodies in the blood to essentially push the poison out of the site it entered by. It was a shame I did not possess the knowledge or skill to just simply render a poison harmless. By the time I finished, Jayden had lost a lot of blood, but not so much she would not recover. She had a broken wrist and fractured ribs, many bruises and several cuts, but none deep enough to cause grave concern. The sword wound that had delivered the poison into her body was fairly deep, but not mortal. I needed to reserve some energy for her guardian, I reminded myself. Thankfully Emerline had only scratches and bruises.

  The
re were others on their way; I could still sense them… It was likely the one who sent the therilgalen was intervening, making it difficult for help to pass through to this realm. I would have slipped through the net because I was therilgalen too. That was why Aurealis released me, I realised. By selecting me, she could get help to her guardian immediately while she dealt with whichever of Ceri-talen's servants was preventing her warriors from getting through to the earthly realm. Still, I decided to heal Jayden's sword wound to ease her discomfort. Who knew when a healer might get to her? I re-knit skin and tissue with care. It was an arduous task and I was tired by the end of it. My own healing seemed more instinctual and less taxing.

  Assured by the steadiness of her heart and breathing, I rose to go see to the guardian.

  'Your daughter will recover, I have healed her urgent injuries, she is just tired. I will see to her guardian, please,' I paused to emphasise my request. 'Stay. With. Jayden.'

  Emerline nodded. 'Thank you.'

  On my way over to the guardian, I stopped by the unconscious therilgalen who had healed himself. This moment he was not a danger, but the second he regained consciousness he could become a bigger threat than I was. Perhaps I should not have healed Jayden's sword injury… I shrugged, it was too late now.

  My first instinct was to kill Young Pup, but would Aurealis reprimand me for doing so? I looked back at Jayden. Punishment would almost certainly mean removal from this realm…

  Aurealis had directed me to look for other options. If I had any chance of regaining my lost esteem, and with that, perhaps, just perhaps, a chance to be Jayden Emerline Thaneton's guardian and progress this cursed redemption, I must make the right decision. This attack more than proved that a guardian was not up to the task of protecting her and Ceri-talen was certainly determined to get her spirit, sending not one, but three. It leant weight to Aurealis's theory that he was running out of his yulari energy stores and getting more desperate to replenish them.