Chapter 19

The Dark and The Light

Jolted awake by the commotion of voices and yelling Maz sneers as he hears the loud and booming voice of The Captain. "This is outrageous! your going to feed that mangy bird?! After what she did to my men! Our people, our families?!". Maz steps out to see one of the younger soldiers a human female cowering and holding a plate of food, bread and rations with a cup of water as she being towered by the captain that is being held back by a few of his soldiers. He continues to yell and then gives a death stare to Maz. "Lieutenant, surely you'll back me up." He points at the entrance "That woman is a war criminal and deserve a quick death! Not to be... Pampered... with food and drink..." He bares his teeth and Stares a Maz. Without saying a word he walks over to the young woman, who is visibly shaking, and places a hand on her shoulder. she gasps quietly but shudders a bit less and looks up at him his eyes are calm and he tilts his head to motion her to enter. She blinks, gulps, looks back at the Captain then quickly enters Maz's Quarters.

The Captain jaw drops and is lost for words as he clenches his fist. He then shoves the soldiers that were holding him back as he turns away staring down the tunnels cursing as he goes. Murmurs and whispers are heard all around and Maz looks at all of them. "Does anyone else have something to say?" The band of soldiers shuffle out but continue to talk amongst themselves and Maz breathes out a sigh and reenters his chambers. The young woman is crouched next to the Arael woman and, though a bit timid, she places the food in front of her. She slowly places a hand on her forehead to feel the temperature and speaks in a soft spoken but quiet voice. "Her temperature is fairly high but it is steady". In silence Haliel grabs the bread and eats it and pretty much chugs the cup of water. The young woman blinks and is taken a back a bit by the movement but lets out a relief. Maz watches the Arael woman eat but staying vigilant since the young woman is at her care. "See to it that she gets more water. Don't fret about the Captain. she is under my supervision so it's my say whether she get food or not. Everyone is a bit tensed since she arrived." The woman nods and shuffles out the chambers to get some more water. Maz crouches and tries to reach for the blanket and is essentially hit with a defensive sneer from the Arael. "Easy... I'm only just changing it for a fresh one..." He then takes the blanket which is slightly damp with sweat and dirt and gives her a fresh one. She continues to eat only eyeing Maz when he moves but keeps herself preoccupied. The young woman returns after a short time with more water and bandages and some first aid materials. Maz is reluctant on it but lets her proceed with caution. The woman slowly reaches her hand out to touch Haliel's stomach. "Please, if I may. I'd like to uh change your bandages." Haliel gives Maz a stern look and he blinks as the woman also gives him a look. "Can we have some privacy please. Do not worry sir it will be just a moment."

Maz exits the chambers but leans against the wall just at the door to listen and make sure the Arael woman doesn't do something. But after several minutes have passed, he is called back in. The Arael woman continues to drink and eat the food that was given to her and the young woman packs up her supplies and bows her head towards Maz. He nods and she scoots out the chambers and heads deeper into the caverns. He sits in a chair and begins to eat his rations and looking over mission reports. Morning rolls by and the afternoon start. The Overseer is now in the room examining The Arael woman. "How peculiar, After the damage she sustained its a miracle she is even alive." He looks to Maz. "But from your mission report it confined in me to understand why you mended her wounds?" Maz let's out a sigh, pauses for a moment, but speaks." My reasons for it are still an enigma to me as well. I do not know why I did what I did. But in my heart I felt it so to bound her. If I allowed her to enter Twilight with my blade. It wouldn't have been a worthy death." The Overseer scoffs and laughs. "Ha, you boys and your pride... I can never understand what drives you too do the things you all do. But oh well I may be too old to pry." The Overseer continues his examination. "My word... what is this?" He grabs her wrist and uncoils the sleeves to reveal a sigil like symbol adorned to her forearm she sneers and jolts her arm away and slightly hisses. "It can't be..." Maz walks over and looks at it grabbing her wrist tightly as she slightly struggles but the chain makes it more bearable for Maz to hold her.

The Overseer gasps "That's a mark only known to a select few... so it is true." Maz looks confused. "What is? Spit it out old man." The Overseer shakes his head. "She must be dealt with immediately before its too late..." Maz places both his hands on the robes of the Overseer and balls them up pulling him close "Answer me!" The old man looks to Maz. "Did any Arael search parties or Fire Seekers follow you?! You must tell me my boy!" Maz blinks, "No, I made sure of it. The entire time of our travels, we were never followed or pursued. I would have seen them way before they've seen us." The Overseer sighs "Then it is as I feared." He points to her forearm. "That is the mark of the Guardians. I've only heard rumors but it's given to certain Arael's of great importance to them. So since she is the Crimson Seraph... she is favored greatly." Maz raises an eyebrow. "As in?.." The Overseer places a hand on the bridge of his nose. "As in... she is being tracked by the Guardians themselves." Maz shakes his head in disbelief. There is no way anyone has powers to track a living soul. Sure adept beings can sense auras given time an focus but to track them from great distances is merely impossible. "You're a fool old man. There isn't a second of semblance that I believe that this is true. The Guardians have not been seen in many ions. If we were to be tracked they'd be here by now, let alone, would have followed us." Maz looks at the old man in the eyes. "I think it's best for you to leave those legends to just that, legends. Be it as it may just because you have wisdom, I alone, have the final authority of what must be done to her and she will have a fair trial regardless of what she has done in the war." The Overseer begins to retort but Maz snaps back. He has had enough of both his Captain and the Overseer trying to control his duties. The Overseer sighs and leaves with a huff. Maz looks to the woman who just stares out the hole in her cell her face not displaying much emotion but her eyes are glowing with malice. But it not seemingly towards Him as he can sense. He takes the time to reflect on what just transpired.

Some say it's the decisions you make that bend your future into the wills of good or evil. For Maz this bending of future comes very abrupt. He strains his eyes as he hears the sound of very light shuffling. He slowly opens his eyes to see multiple dark figures inside his chambers holding rope and a bag. He springs to life instantly going into his armored form and tackling the unknown attacker that was just by his head slamming him into the wall. Dust from the ceiling and visible cracks develop from the impact. He pulls put his dagger and goes into a low stance facing all his would be intruders in front of him. It's too dark to truly see but to his disbelief the bioluminescence glow off some of the unknown people tells it all. His own brethren. They converged onto him one getting a clean hit on his jaw slightly dazing him. He flips his blade to the back side and grabs the extended arm of the attacker and legs sweeps them slamming them to the ground. Maz then turns seeing one of the attackers going for the Arael woman and he throws his blade at their thigh it sinks in and a audible yell is heard as the attacker falls to the ground holding their leg. Maz is then tackled from behind, picked up, and slammed as the chamber shakes even more with more cracks protruding. Maz kicks the attack in the gut and he shuffles to his feet standing in front of the woman with his hands raised in a low stance.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

His breathing is heavy but calm while the others are audible. "Lieutenant, I am going to need you to stand down..." One of the voices speaks. Maz looks and eyes every single one of them then looks at the damage of the chamber. One wrong impact can set this room to collapse... good. "You are not fit to guard the Ariel Prisoner. We are here to relieve you of that task." Maz tsk at the comment, "As I said before." He tenses his muscles and lowers his stance more "It is my responsibility alone for her life. But for yours... you 'sealed' your fate." With a burst of energy Maz grabs the Arael woman and clenches his legs. Morphing his armor to brace his upper head shoulders and back as he jumps with tremendous force hitting the ceiling and causing it to cave in the group yell as the rubble hits them and crushing a few and leaving the other to hang to the debris as it falls. Maz lands onto the forest surface as a horn is sounded raising am alarm he holds onto the woman and begin running as fast as he can out of the encampment. With no sign of the walkers he just continues to book it into the forest. Not knowing where or why he just runs ducking and weaving past branches and vines. Maz just felt off. Sure his loyalties lie with his kind and the Mundah but his morals lie with doing what is right. Though this woman has committed atrocities and brutality she is just another soldier like him. Sent to do the bidding of higher ups for there so called, greater good. The war is long and has been affecting everyone and everything differently. He is upset that his men died to her hands but respects her for giving them a quick death. No warrior in his eyes died for nothing. He too would have met their same fate but fortune favored him. That he will never forget. Without any supplies he is going to have to figure out what to do. She is without Armor and him without a weapon. He will have to use the nature around him to his advantage. He ran for so long it felt like hours. The moon light has reached it's peak but he keeps on running. While the Arael use the day, his kind uses the night. If Maz stops it is one more step for them to get the drop on him so he has no other choice. He has to get into Arael territory again.

The Geist Forest begins to fade as the night fog slowly bleeds from its maw. Open plains and rocky hills begin to show upon the ground and trees become sparse. Maz focuses as he runs feeling if any aura or sounds are behind him. Nothing comes out of the ordinary and he slows his pace and he begins looking for refuge a cave, cavern, or crevice he can hide in for the night. Seeing what seems to be a cave like fixture he dashes into it take slow but heavy breaths to regain his stamina he places the Arael woman down and peeks out of the opening. Good still no sign of a chase he ran fairly quickly for what seemed like hours. They wouldn't have followed him back into Arael territory which , in turn, is the best option for him to hide. He slumps down against the rock wall and deactivates his armored body and he groans feeling the soreness finally taken over after he began to slightly relax. His eye gazes at the Woman who just stares at him in confusion. "I'm afraid my actions might have ticked off my brothers and sisters in arms… Now I am most definitely AWOL. But I had no other choice… " He looks at her and slowly begins to stand and walks towards her. "My Pride is not of Malice or Hatred for you. But of respect from one warrior to another. I can not let it stand to see you just killed for the actions you committed." He grabs the bound hands of her and begins to unwrap them. "-and for that, something within me myself just kept telling me to defend you. Both of us are on paths that are similar. We are stricken to follow orders when we know it will just lead to more destruction of both our kinds." He then begins to un bound her legs her arms free she twist her wrist but continues to listen. "Maybe some day the conflict will be over and we will all find peace-" Haliel eyes widen and is taken aback and for a moment she was about to speak as she opens her mouth and Maz was unbinding her legs a booming voice is heard as it echoes through the cave. "Lieutenant!" Maz turns as at the entrance of the cave the large and armored up Captain stands at the mouth. He snarls as his armor covers head to toe of his body his eyes glowing red. "It did not have to come to this! All you had to do was give the woman to us!" Sloppy work my brother… Did you really forget we can track you both?! You left her armor and your dagger back at camp… The hounds easily picked up your scent… " He stares at Maz taking a step into the cave. "Give her up now or I will personally make you regret this." Maz slowly stands and get in front of The Captain and The Arael extending his arms out as if to block him from passing. "Captain… I cant let you do this, it is just not right think of the code what would the other think if she died unjustly?" The Captain scowls at Maz "Unjustly?.... Unjustly?!" He dashes at quick speed and snatches Maz by the throat lifting him off the ground as he slowly begins to choke him his voice is seething and talking through his teeth "You think I care for the code…. When this bag of feathers…. Brutality killed my brothers and sisters….. You think.. You have the right… to tell me what is Unjust?!" Maz grabs the Captains forearms as he gasps for air. "C-Captain!" The Captain smirks with a evil grin. "I will make sure both of you get what you rightly deserve" His face gets closer to Maz's "A Painful… longing… death-" The sound of flesh tearing and bones breaking is heard as the Captain drops Maz. Maz falls and coughs loudly and raspy gasping for air and holding his neck his eyes are slightly blurred but as they come too what he see's in front of him leaves him in disbelief.

The arm of The Arael woman is deep inside the chest of The Captain who's voice is straining. he looks down in shock to what just happened to him. Her eyes squinting with both hatred and anger as she pushes more and more deeper into his chest. Blood begins to drip from the wound and the captain's mouth. His voice is raspy and choking on his blood. "Y-you bitch" he begins to raise his arms to seemling crush her but before that happens her hand exits the other side holding his heart which its still beating. The air in his body escaped his mouth followed by more blood as his eyes begin to fade in color. His body shaking and convulsing he cannot stand up for much longer as he slumps over her shoulder throwing up more blood as she crushes his heart his blood smoking and steaming on her arm and the splattering the walls of the cave. She pulls her arm out of his chest and throwing the crushed heart onto his lifeless body which still twitches. She stands straight and flicks her arm letting the blood wipe from her arm onto the floor she then tears the binding from her wings and spreads them to flex and flaps once the wounds on them still there but are healing. Maz stands and looks to the corpse of his captain and then to her as she looks to him. Maz finally sees that in her eyes they are not of Malice or Hatred of him. He see's something not unfamiliar to his own. A connection of respect. He extends his arm and after a couple of seconds she grasp his forearm. A warriors handshake. To that, for the first time in four ions, A warrior of Dark has become Allies with A warrior of Light.

Time is a constant and age is a figment, 100 years seems like a long time to some even of the Mundah. but for Daeva and Arael it is just a Drop in the bucket. A cabin, deep in the snow cragged mountains far from civilization, far from the war. The sound of a fire crackling. Maz sits near the fire pit sharpening arrow heads he boast fairly longer hair and a beard his mind seems at peace but scattered. It is then the sound of crying is heard and his gaze comes back to reality he stands and heads towards the cabin. As he opens the crying is heard even louder as he walks into the room of the sound a baby in a cradle is heard fussing. He stands over it and holds it to his chest and just like that the baby begins to calm itself. He stares longingly at the child the tough of white hair on the top of his head is only thing present as the child is wrapped in linen. Suddenly another fuss is heard behind him as another begins to cry. Maz sighs but with a smile and he places the child back in the crib and walks over to another and picks up the other child. A girl, her hair of blackish grey, she too begins to soothe from the touch of her father. He places her back and the sound and vibration of a gust of wind is heard out front and the cabin door opens. Maz turns and is greeted by Haliel dressed in furs her wings begin to tuck into her back as she enters the door. "I heard their cries when I was just landing" She then holds up a hanger filled with rabbits and hares all drained of their blood "I have brought our dinner" Her voice soft but stern. Maz looks to the children. "For just being newborns they do have quite the spirit. Azriel became jealous when I held her brother." She places a hand on his cheek and then walks over to the boy. She smiles as she begins to pick him up "As she should, for he is male and the first born by mere minutes." She then shushes the cooing baby who still sleeps "He will be strong like his father and fierce like his mother. Our pride of peace. Our dear, Sariel."