Chapter 2: The ark of Salvation
“Is everybody really dead?”
“Well, this is the official version, but you know, there is a legend...”
“A legend?”
“The day Labyrinthian was attacked, a strange light was witnessed, and after that light all the citizen of the city disappeared without leaving any traces.
Some believes it was the last struggle of the angels to save their children, others believes it is all a big lie and there are even people that believes that instead of getting killed by the empire, the seraphs preferred to commit a mass suicide.”
“Everybody just disappeared like that? Not even one seraph remained in the city?”
“Well, as I’ve already told you its ancient story. However, some say, before the blinding light, a white haired man was seen in the middle of the battlefield, they say after the light. he was the last man that didn’t belong to the empire soldiers.”
“Who was that man?”
“That’s… a story for another night…”
“But!”
“No buts! If you behave tomorrow I’ll tell you about the great Dungeon.”
“Okay…”
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Now quick, before too many dies, go in the middle of the battle!
“Wait, right in the middle? Why?”
We need power to create the ark and unless you are ready to sacrifice some of your people, we need to go near the battlefield, where we can absorb the wandering souls before they get called to the heavens.
“Mmmh okay, I better hurry then”
Elpis rushed out from the elder room, running in the corridors that lead out of the council hall.
When he got out, he almost chocked, flames and smoke raised from every part of the city, the air had a mixture of blood and smoke, and he almost puked thinking about where that blood came from and whose house was burning.
He steeled his nerves and kept running to the battlefield, rushing between buildings and refugees, the closer he got to the walls, the thicker the smell of blood and smoke got.
Even the surroundings got darker and darker, injured soldiers on the road limit, people stamped over by the terrified masses, burning buildings; he had arrived next to the battle place.
The screams of innocent people slaughtered like cattle and battle cries of soldiers fighting (turned his stomach upside down).
The chaos reigned over the once great and peaceful city.
While running, he suddenly come to a halt, a group of soldiers were blocking the road in front of him, he could just avoid them, but after hearing the cries of his people, he couldn’t contain his suppressed rage.
“Hey, we got a little fish in our net, who want some sushi?”
One of the soldiers throw a little joke.
“I want!” before the other soldiers could answer the joke, Elpis did, and immediately after he leaped in the group of soldiers, he did not use nor swords nor other weapons other than his fists and legs.
The first punch instantly exploded the soldier's head that told the joke.
“This is for my city!”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He threw a high kick and two heads fell on the ground, cleanly cut at the base of the neck.
“For my family!”
He took one of the soldier by the leg and used his body like a bat, letting the ground taste the blood of 4 more people, 5 if we count the human bat, after hitting against the armour of his friends his body was mauled.
In the time it takes a man to take 5 breaths, an entire team of 10 people was reduced to blood and meat paste.
Only one survivor laying on the ground, covered in blood from his comrades, and in front of him a white haired man covered in humans remains.
“P-P-P-Please don’t Ki-kill me! I’ll d-do anything!”
Hearing the man begging for his life while only a minute ago, was killing his people, made his blood boil.
“You! You came to my city! Killed my friends! Burned our houses! And now you dare beg for forgiveness?”
His anger reached a level where he thought he was going to explode; suddenly a thought crossed his mind, like a revelation.
He raised his hand and pointed the palm towards the crying man.
“You want forgiveness? Here take it!”
He closed his fingers, the body of the man started to shrink while screaming, in a second he had become the size of a pearl, finally Elpis relaxed and the little meat pearl fell to the ground.
Good, you just used one of the powers of the Nephilim as natural as if you were breathing.
“One? How many powers do I have?”
Now we don’t really have the time to talk about this, right? C’mon, I can feel a lot of soul energy up ahead.
Elpis had a lot of questions, but the sooner his people were safe, the better.
He kept running, every now and then, some people blocked his advance and Elpis got a little better at handling his powers.
After a while, he got to a plaza, it was the middle of the unlimited market, thousands of corpses lying motionless on the ground, forming a blood carpet.
He recognized some of the bodies, angels, seraphs, city guards, most of them he knew personally.
Good this place is brimming with energy, now just think about gathering the souls and how to create an ark; the rest will come by itself.
Elpis did as told, he concentrated and suddenly he understood, no need to hear explanation or anything else, and it was as if he was remembering an experience.
First, he gathered the souls, if a bystander were to watch the scene he could just see a crazy man waving his arms around, but for those that could see spirits, the scene was beautiful, countless balls of light abandoned the tattered corpses and gathered inside Elpis palm.
When he felt he had gathered enough, he started to chant:
“Oh, ark of salvation, I summon thee to protect the just citizen of this city, may your hull be made with the energy of these souls, taken by those that gave life in order to let others live, help my people in this time of danger and gather those who I care for”
After specifying who had to be saved and the source of energy, a bright light appeared with Elpis as centre; the light enveloped the whole city and in a blink disappeared.
When Elpis opened his eyes, he saw on the palm of his hand a little blue pendant, made by pure soul energy.
This is the ark, and inside lay your people.