The Angel
The cliff stretched before her.
Dusk spreadeagled her arms, the wind rustling around her torso. Her pure white dress flared behind her, pulling tight around her curves. Sighing with pleasure, Dusk’s toes curled around the cliff’s edge, leaning toward the hundred-foot drop. She laughed in time with her heart, the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Hanging in the balance of life and death, never had she felt so alive.
She tipped her weight forward.
For a moment, Dusk was weightless, balanced perfectly in the early morning light. Gravity grabbed hold of her, and she plunged headfirst toward the ground. Leaning to the left, Dusk spiraled quickly, everything spinning around her.
As she neared the earth, the dirt and rocks rose, wanting desperately to touch the beautiful, perfect figure rushing down to reach them. The rocks grasped at her, the dust’s fingers longed to stroke the white dress that billowed around her. At the last second, when it seemed she would reunite with the ground, she spread her impossibly light feathers, catching the cool wind.
Dusk shot into the sky. She paused at the crest of her ascent, seeming to float. Compared to Dusk, the beautiful, lush green forest below her looked like a wasteland. She stood stark against the quickly darkening sky, her white dress glittered as the bright orange sun sunk deep into the horizon. Soon, stars appeared, and Dusk’s dress reflected the million flecks dotting the sky, her dark skin contrasting perfectly.
Her wings barely moved, effortlessly keeping Dusk afloat. The tips reflected the sun’s light, making anyone who looked at her directly squint in the radiance. She was more than beautiful, more than grace. She was perfect.
She stayed in the air for years, staring in that same spot. She was as old as time; a year for humans was a second for her. Dusk basked in her freedom, her elegant wings spread forth from her, looking light and fragile, yet able to lift her from gravity’s grasp. Up she stayed, for eons. She knew that if she returned, that if she gave humanity hope, they would disappoint, just as they had the time before, and the time before that. Dusk was tired, and she slept in the air for eons.
~~~
Dusk awoke facing the same sun she had fallen asleep to. Its soft golden light shone on her dark, tight curls. She slowly lowered herself to what had once been a beautiful, lush, green forest. It used to be covered with every type of plant and held every type of animal. Now all that was left was burned stumps of trees and an inch or two of ash.
The humans had done this. Dusk was sure of it. She looked around disdainfully. No animal was in sight, only desolation. Dusk shook her head in disgust. Who would do such a thing to such a beautiful forest? Dusk had known that forest for many years; it was almost like an old friend. But now the comforting green canopy had been burned to the ground.
Instead of hatred, Dusk only felt disappointment. Every time she woke up from a long nap, she expected more from the humans. Every time, she was let down.
She took a feathery step into the ash. Her bare foot sunk into the soot, the smoky smell burned her nostrils. With nothing to do, Dusk reached down and cleared off a place for her to sit. She closed her eyes and listened to the dust and soot rustle around.
Not long after she had rested, Dusk heard footsteps approaching where she sat. She opened her eyes. A large brute of a man was strutting towards her; a sword clapped his side as he walked. He paused when he saw the perfect angel sitting in the dirt.
“What’re you supposed to be,” he smirked, “a fairy?” His laugh bellowed across the barren land. Dusk just blinked at him. “Not too bright, are ya? That’s okay. Where you’re going, you won’t even need to talk.” Before the man could take a step forward, he shot up into the sky, landing a couple yards away, flat on his back. An awful crack! echoed through the air.
Dusk stood up, brushed her dress off, which somehow hadn’t gotten a speck on it, and walked the opposite way from the man groaning on the ground. She didn’t look back.
“Ouch. You’re savage!” Dusk heard the voice after being on a path for only a few minutes. She looked lazily around and spotted someone leaning against a tree, arms crossed. The figure was a startling sight.
The figure was a teen about Dusk’s own age. She had pale skin and slightly red hair. Her outfit was strange; she wore ripped black pants and red combat boots. A red sports jacket went below her waist, and the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, exposing her bright white skin. She wore black leather gloves. A black tank top was under the open jacket.
That wasn’t even the most startling thing. The strange teen had long, pointy horns jutting out from her forehead. They were long and straight, and a fiery red, like the rest of her outfit. A tail wrapped around the teen’s left leg; the end was as pointed as her horns. Her red hair was braided around her horns to look like a crown. A smirk was plastered on her face, and Dusk had a feeling that that smirk never left.
“Well, he was annoying me,” Dusk said hotly. She prefers not to kill, only when necessary. She had lost her temper.
The teen grinned at her. “That’s what I’m talking about! He was sure up to no good,” she shook her head. And with that, she pushed herself from the tree and headed towards the way Dusk had come.
“Wait!” Dusk called. The teen didn’t slow down. “Where are you going?” Dusk asked, exasperated.
“There’s people over here. Where there’s humans, there’s bound to be war,” she said happily, skipping as she went.
“And what do you plan to do in a war?” “Win,” was the answer Dusk got. Her wings bushed up behind her. Annoyed, she used her wings to propel herself beside the teen.
“And what do you plan, exactly, to do after you win?” Dusk questioned. The teen cocked her head to the side, thinking.
“Good question. That’s surprising, coming from you,” Dusk’s wings bushed up again. Dusk had a feeling that she would do that often. “I guess I’ll find myself a new weapon. I only have my dagger, and as much as I love it, a good sword can win any battle.” As she talked, the redhead drew a clear blade from her belt. It shimmered in the light, casting a rainbow on the dusty ground.
Dusk shook her head. “Why do you want war? War only brings sadness and despair.” She paused in her step when the strange teen grinned a malicious smile, her teeth glinting dangerously.
“That’s what I’m counting on, little bird.”
Dusk shivered. She knew the creature ahead of her was as old as her, and twice as dangerous. She wondered how someone could enjoy the killing of another being.
“I get bored,” the devil said as if reading Dusk’s thoughts. That sent another shiver down her spine. The teen ahead of her was seemingly silly, but she knew that the devil hid her dark thoughts and cravings. “Now, if you don’t mind making up your mind, I smell contention this way. You can either join me on the winning side, or you can be on your way. I couldn’t care less,” the devil drawled. Dusk thought for a moment. If she turned, she could avoid having to kill someone and avoid a battle. On the other hand, the devil was right. Being something that lasts for an eternity, you get bored. After all, what was the death of one human to a God? They all die eventually. And, they burned down that forest Dawn had lived in. She made up her mind.
“I’m coming with you,” she declared. The devil grinned dangerously.
“That’s my little bird!”
