”End your life like you should have done a long time ago and I will let Oskar go.” The creature’s voice spoke to Eli. She had suddenly felt miserable, reaching for that dark sword. Self loathing had covered her, blinded her. Unable to stop herself she had almost fallen into the trap set by the creature.
”What kind of monster kills its own family?” The creature had said this and Eli had believed it completely; she was a monster, deserving every bit of suffering.
”You are not worthy of happiness, do it, end this.” Eli had obeyed; the sword had almost penetrated her flesh. At the last moment, she felt a searing pain in the hand that held the sword, just like she had been hit by the sun. She had dropped the sword and realized what she had almost done. Eli was horrified, she knew her destruction would not help Oskar.
Oskar now eagerly rushed into her arms, hugging her with all his might.
”Eli, promise me to never do that again. I can’t stand to lose you.” Eli whispered her reply in his ear:
”I won’t Oskar, I won’t.” During this tender moment, Eli could hear the sword’s dark whispers.
”You deserve to die, you know that. Don’t fool yourself, end it and I will spare Oskar, otherwise he will suffer in your stead.”
Eli let go of Oskar and kicked the blade several feet away, just beneath the feet of the so called lord of justice; Gavri’el. The demon was still just calmly watching things unfold. Eli turned her attention in the other direction. Three people had just arrived, a middle aged woman; from the way Oskar and Erik looked at her Eli realized it had to be Oskar’s mother. The second one was a young girl, maybe fifteen to eighteen years of age; she was barely taller than Eli and had long black hair, making them look quite similar actually. She was clad in an elegant black coat of the kind that was worn forty years by the German secret police. It was way too big for her; still Eli could discern a well shaped body underneath. She was not only very beautiful, but also well-trained. The girl gave Eli a smile, revealing her sharp teeth; this was another of her own kind, which made the crucifix she carried seem rather strange.
The third individual was already familiar to Eli; even though he was at a late stage of life, it was her brother; Elof. He was dressed in relatively simple clothes from both of their time period. His face was still reminiscent of the brother of her youth, he was just worn out. That youthful optimism was gone, replaced with cold determination; this was a broken man she was looking at. Eli remembered seeing him like this once before, a long time ago.
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A time after she had been turned, Eli had run into her brother in the streets of Stockholm. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. Eli had been clad in a white dress, ragged after all the time spent in the wilderness. She had scoured the streets looking for an isolated target and then she ran into him. Eli’s body had frozen, Elof had smiled.
“I could recognise your face anywhere, Elias. You have not changed since I last saw you twenty years ago. That means you are one of them”
Elof’s coat was moving majestically in the wind, he had the aura of a hunter around him. Eli could see confused feelings in his eyes, he felt conflicted about his duty and his feelings. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, the dark street around them was vacant, silent. Elof broke that silence.
“Do you remember that night Elias? The night our family died. You were present, were you not?”
“I did not kill them.” Elof chuckled.
“But you do kill people. You have to, that is not your fault. You shall thank me while I release you from this misery.” Eli could feel her body shiver.
“I don’t want to die, but I will not kill you. Please move out of the way before it is too late.” Elof gave her a proud smile.
“Of course you do not want to; you are still a child. I would be a hypocrite to judge you – after all – I kill people as well, but for a different reason.”
The look in Elof’s eyes was distant. Eli looked at him perplexed.
“That night our family died. I served as a guard in Törnkvist’s castle. As far as I knew, I had just lost my little brother by his hand. I tried to kill him, I failed. I barely escaped, but Törnkvist took his revenge on our family. That night he sent his soldiers and they slaughtered them all. I first found out the day after. They were all terribly mutilated, but the strange thing was, the soldiers were lying dead in the very same room. Their blood sucked dry, Elias. You caught them in the act, did you not?”
Eli’s memory from that day was hazy. She did distinctly remember seeing her family for the last time. Then she had a foggy memory of footsteps at the door. Eli was forced to leave, but she could not stay away for long. Elof was right, she had caught these guards just after the act, but she remained silent. Elof took that as a yes.
“Elias, I was furious at their death. I swore to take revenge on Törnkvist. I had lost everything, my sister, my parents, but it was my brother who I missed the most. For his sake, I would dedicate my life to Törnkvist’s and his kind’s final death. I became a hunter, for the last twenty years I searched for him, determined to make him pay. I slaughtered many of his servants. I felt no single shred of guilt at their death, but he himself, always escaped. Just two weeks ago, I finally caught him, sleeping in his coffin and so I murdered him in his sleep. Short thereafter I learned that after all, my brother Elias was not dead. I was determined to find you.”
Eli felt relief at the bastard’s death; never more would he torment the children of the world. Eli inspected Elof from top to toe. He seemed to be terribly scarred by his rough life. Elof had always been a warrior, strong, brave and never giving up. Now he was like a broken veteran of many wars, sick of violence and death. Eli felt the same way.
”Have you come to kill me or not?” Eli’s voice was resolute, but pleading. Elof sighed deeply.
“I have come to help you. I want you to live on. I have nothing left to live for, except you. I have lived long enough. I have taken my revenge, I have nothing left. I sacrifice myself to you, kill me!”
Eli was stunned. She stared transfixed at her brother. He was serious, no doubt were present in his eyes, no regret. Elof walked over to Eli, giving her a pat on the head.
“Let’s face the fact Elias, someone has to die this night. Whether that someone is me, an innocent citizen or my beloved brother from starvation. Trust me, I am ready.”
Elof knelt down, leaning his head back; exposing his throat. Eli was reluctant to continue and in turn, Eli put her hand on her brother’s head.
“But what will happen to our family? There will no one left to continue father’s legacy.” Elof laughed.
“My line will end with me, I am sick; I am going to die soon anyway. Don’t worry. It doesn’t affect my bloodstream. Elias, you are what remain of father’s legacy and after Törnkvist’s death, the true heir to his massive fortune. Use these riches to your advantage. I have taken with me the most valuable item in his possession. Here, take it, it will help you survive.”
Elof took an item out of his pocket and gave it to Eli. Eli’s hands grasped an egg-formed object. She dragged her fingers over the smooth metallic surface. It was a richly decorated black egg, probably worth a fortune. Eli smiled towards her older brother.
“You did not have to do this. I don’t deserve it.” Elof smiled back.
“You will find more in Törnkvist’s castle. Money will never again be an issue. I do this because I love you Elias. My heart is weak, it will not last much longer; my time is out. But I have a feeling that the things that happened to you happened for a reason. Never give up hope; it is darkest before the dawn. My final advice is this: find a person you want to be with, one which you want to spend eternity with and never let go. Find a person who loves you as much as I do. Only then life will be worth living. Trust in love, in this cruel world, it is the only thing that gives life meaning. Now suck me dry or I will put a bullet in my head, I am in pain, both physically and emotionally. Goodbye brother, it has been an honour knowing you.”
Eli felt like she had no choice, she put her mouth on Elof’s throat. He closed his eyes in relief; Eli did the same, just before uttering her last words to her brother.
“It has been an honour for me too, goodbye brother.” Tears ran down Eli’s face as her teeth penetrated the skin and the taste of blood filled her with ecstasy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was now clear, Eli did not murder her family, she did not know how she managed to forget, but she was happy, she didn’t do it. Thanks to Elof, she could never run out of money.
Eli had ever since kept that egg. It had indeed helped her survive over 200 years alone. It was a memory of her brother, the only thing that remained of her family. Eli had never thought they would meet again, but nevertheless he was here, Elof was here. Eli could feel Oskar’s embrace, his grip tightened, like he was afraid to let her go. The older woman in the group with Elof approached them. Eli could not help trembling, but Oskar’s presence quickly calmed her down. To Eli’s surprise, the woman hugged Oskar, her arms surrounding Eli as well.
“Oskar , thank heavens you are okay. What were you thinking; running away with that vampire?” Before Oskar or Eli got a chance to answer, Elof cleared his throat in the background.
“That vampire happens to be my brother. I assure he is worth running away with”
The woman who had to be Oskar’s mother gave Elof a sour look. She let go of Oskar, turned her gaze towards Eli, and scrutinized her carefully before turning her gaze towards Oskar.
“I must admit it is really cute, but what about what the neighbours think about you running away with a boy?”
“Not any worse than they do already.” Oskar’s father intervened, Oskar’s mom was angry.
“How dare you?”
“Can you both be quiet? I haven’t met my brother in 200 years.”
Elof prevented the argument between Oskar’s parents. Both the mother and the father shut their mouths. Elof took a look at Oskar and Eli in each other’s arms.
“Seems you followed my advice Elias, but I did not expect a boy. But I have to admit that seem just like you. You never had any concerns about gender.”
Eli felt a warm feeling inside; it was true she was happier now than when she was alone. Oskar’s face turned a little red before he smiled warmly towards Eli.
“I did not know that you used to dress like a girl even at that time. Not that I blame you. I find it cute.” A smirk appeared on Elof’s face.
“It was more like he did not care about what he was wearing, like he had no concern if any activity or emotion is considered masculine or feminine. In a way, Elias is braver than I will ever be. That is one of the reasons I have such great respect for him.”
Laughter filled Eli’s mind. She found being described that way amusing and she could not help her face turning red. Oskar smiled. It was obvious he found her reaction adorable.
“That is my Eli.” Oskar stroke Eli over the cheek gently. Eli got even redder and began to sweat. Oskar’s mother smiled amused at Eli.
“I guess I have to be more open minded. You seem so cute.”
Eli got a hold of herself and stopped sweating and her skin returned to the normal pale colour. Eli could hear someone clapping a bit away. Eli turned her attention to the dark haired girl, who was applauding.
“Bravo, you get along better than I suspected, it’s an honour to finally meet you, Elias, Oskar, I am Eleonora, first of the surviving agents of the Brotherhood. Elias, you have to answer for bringing cataclysm upon us, but for now, let’s worry about coming out of this situation alive. Defeating the evil one is our number one priority.”
Eleonora pointed in the direction of Gavri’el, who was still just calmly inspecting the scene, judging. A beam of light escaped from Eleonora’s finger and travelled towards Gavri’el, gracing the first on his three left wings. He lost balance in the air and was forced to land. Eli was astonished and from the look of it, so was Oskar’s parents, Elof and of course Oskar. Gavri’el expressed his complete madness by cackling madly. His laughter echoed in the empty darkness.
“Impressive, child of Samael. You can actually hurt me, but you cannot hope to defeat me.” With one silent gesture, Gavri’el summoned a lance of fire which travelled towards Eleonora. She jumped to the side, dodging it, firing another beam of light, hitting Gavri’el in the chest. He flied back a foot or two, but still landed on his feet. Gavri’el was now laughing more intensely than before.
“Is this the power of your God? Pathetic.”
He made another gesture and a sun appeared over his head. Eli gasped, knowing she would be burned to ashes. But Oskar, his parents and Elof shielded her with their bodies and Eli only felt a slight sting from the sun. The sun disappeared and to Eli’s surprise, Eleonora was still standing tall, unharmed. She spoke to Gavri’el in mockery.
“Is this the power of a God? Pathetic.”
Eli could not believe her eyes, this was clearly no regular vampire. Gavri’el shook his head.
“Don’t get overconfident.”
Another gesture was made. Eleonora collapsed on the ground, screaming, probably under the effect of a powerful illusion. She screamed repeatedly:
“No, don’t leave, don’t leave me alone. I love you, don’t go. You will die, let me do it instead, let me kill him.”
It seemed to Eli that Eleonora suffered trauma from the death of a person close to her. Gavri’el turned his attention towards Oskar and Eli, snapped his fingers.
The area started to change; a blue sky appeared above them and then a warmth-less sun. To Eli’s surprise, she was not harmed by its light. Oskar’s parents, Elof and Eleonora vanished like they were made of fog. Oskar still stayed by Eli’s side, probably because they were still in each other’s arms. A floor made of marble appeared under their feet. Pillars of Greek design appeared in a symmetrical pattern. Behind Gavri’el appeared an embellished throne, white in colour and with gold ornaments encrusted in jewels. Gavri’el sat down on this throne. Eli and Oskar looked around, Eli recognized this place. They were on top of a mountain, overlooking a golden city, built on and around the mountain with a beautiful garden in the background. Eli whispered the name of the place to Oskar.
“Eden.” Oskar whispered back:
“It’s beautiful.”
Eli smirked, it might be beautiful, but no wind blew, despite the high altitude. The place felt hollow, like it was not supposed to exist, like this landscape was only a painting in a museum of art. They turned their attention to the creature on the throne. Gavri’el was watching them patiently, like he was building up suspense. The fiery eyes were devoid of emotion. It creped Eli out, she could feel Oskar shudder. Eli noticed something interesting beyond the edge of the mountain, a vortex of shimmering energy. It looked like a tear in reality itself, perhaps caused by Eli’s invitation of Gavri’el into their world.
Eli took a quick look at Oskar. It was clear he had noticed the same thing she did.
Their eyes were once again drawn to Gavri’el. Still sitting silently on his throne, seemingly deep in thought, with his arms on the armrests. The dark blade was still at his feet. Eli had a bad feeling about that. Gavri’el looked like a manifestation of this world in its purest form, beautiful, but empty. Finally Gavri’el spoke.
“The trial is over, the witnesses has been heard. It is time for the judge to make a judgement, anything the defence wants to add?” Oskar now took the role as Eli’s defending attorney.
“Please spare Eli, she is all I have. If you have any heart you will understand, I love her.” Gavri’el laughed, not as hysterically as he used to though.
“I have no need of a heart. I am not mortal. But I am not without mercy. Eli shall not be sentenced to be eaten by the destroyer. I shall be generous and let you two be together, Oskar. You and Elias shall be sentenced to an eternity in the seventh circle, burning in all the blood Elias has shed, the examination of witnesses was in your favour after all.”
Gavri’el rose from his throne and made a gesture towards the landscape behind them.
“Look at the wonders of this realm. This is my vision of the mortal world, beauty and eternal order. I will turn earth into another paradise, no more crimes against natural order, no more death, and no more injustice. That is my vision. Bear that in mind as you take your rightful punishment.”
Oskar turned to Eli; his lips were almost touching Eli’s.
“Well, at least we will still have each other.” Eli kissed Oskar on his cheek, Oskar blushed.
“It is the best we can hope for Oskar. We cannot defeat a God.”
Oskar turned to Gavri’el, still with a firm grip of Eli’s hand.
“But you must promise to spare my parents and Eli’s brother.”
Eli whispered in Oskar’s ear, as silently as she could so Gavri’el would not hear.
“Let’s make a run for it, into that portal.” Oskar nodded slightly. Gavri’el laughed in an amused manner.
“I can hear you, Elias. You cannot get past me and even if you did, you can’t get your body back unless you defeat me. But Oskar, your parents will be fine, for now. Elias brother however is long dead and therefore belonging to me.”
Eli snarled, showing her sharp teeth.
“Promise me he will not get hurt.” Gavri’el sat motionless, looking at her.
“You have heard my offer, take it or leave it. You are not in the position to make demands.”
Suddenly, a black smoke rose from the blade by Gavri’el’s feet, forming the figure of a man, a winged faceless figure and black like the heart of the devil himself. Its red eyes suggested cruelty beyond measure. It was holding that dark sword in its hand. Eli could sense something deeply wrong about that sword; it radiated the purest form of evil Eli ever felt in her life. She could not explain why, but it scared her. Eli could tell Oskar felt the same by his trembling hand. The creature turned to Gavri’el, still sitting motionless in his throne.
”You disappoint me Gavri’el. You are getting soft, are you letting them get away this easily, after all their crimes? You have lost your edge, Gavri’el.”
Gavri’el turned his attention to the creature, clutching his fist in rage.
“How dare you Abaddon, how dare you speak to your master in this manner. I am not getting weaker, have you ever heard of deception? Like I will show these sinners mercy. I am the lord of justice, the master of Eden and the mortal soil, nothing is above me, and there is nothing I could not do.”
At this Abaddon laughed in mockery like the demon he was.
“Then why do you fear this sword? Ever since you first laid your hands on it, you have feared it. Instead of wielding it yourself, you gave it to the purest of your angels, the same as the being of darkness who now stands before you. If you were truly perfect, you would have wielded it yourself against the enemy. You are afraid of it, because you know it is stronger than you.”
Gavri’el smiled at his lieutenant, amused, and full of self confidence.
“I am not afraid of the sword; I am both pure and powerful enough to use it, more so than you will ever be. Give me the sword, I will prove it.”
Abaddon vanished into the blade, leaving no trace except the dark sword itself, Gavri’el reluctantly bended down to pick it up. Eli had a bad feeling about this, her grip of Oskar’s hand tightened and he squeezed back. The moment Gavri’el clutched unto the sword, his white wings turned black, and the fire in his eyes intensified and the once blue fire turned red. A strong wind began to blow towards him and Eli had to use all her might to keep Oskar from blowing away. The creature’s entire persona suggested pure malice; his entire body was surrounded by the black and red power current from the sword. The sky turned black, the sun was obscured by a black cloud. Then the sky opened and a red liquid began to fall from the sky. A river of blood fell on either side of the mountain, forming two huge waterfalls, making the world below into a sea of blood, with the mountain as an island in the middle. Eli could still see the portal to earth, shimmering just beneath the mountain behind Gavri’el. But they could not escape, not until Eli was freed from the demon’s influence. The creature who recently was Gavri’el looked at Eli and Oskar with those malevolent demonic eyes, with a contempt for life exceeding even that of Gavri’el.
“I can’t believe he fell for it, I knew his ego would be his downfall.”
Who are you?” Asked Oskar with a not-so-steady voice, the poor thing was scared out of his mind. The demon answered him with a voice suggesting ultimate authority, as well as a slimy character, its arrogance were obvious.
“Who am I? I was once called lieutenant Abaddon; I have been the right hand of the great lord Gavri’el for ages. I was once said to be the purest of all angels, such fools they were, little did they know they were nothing but puppets. Even my master were unaware of that fact, he would listen to anyone who lick his boots for long enough, showering him with praise. No one ever suspected my true nature.”
Eli could see this creature was nothing like anything she had ever seen, even that other sadistic angel, Gavri’el, did scare her as much as Abaddon did. Eli could not quite put her finger on why; he was just surrounded by an aura of dread. Eli had gotten the same feeling when holding that dark blade, just pure unadulterated evil. She could see it in Abaddon’s eyes; ambition, not for power or wealth but for suffering and death. This was a creature whose goal was to see the world burn. Eli’s utter terror must have been obvious, for Abaddon started to laugh uncontrollably.
“Yes, fear me; I am your worst nightmare. I am terror incarnate; I existed long before the creation of the world. Before even the oldest ancients, I was once a defender of this universe, under the Creator himself, but existence is nothing but vanity, an illusion created by light; matter is a lie, so is time. The only truth is the eternal darkness; life is an abomination to my new master. There is only suffering and death in the endless void.”
Eli took a look at the chaos around her; the once beautiful realm of Eden was in ruin, covered by the sea of blood. Lightning repeatedly struck the sky; a wind with the power of a hurricane was centred on Abaddon. Eli made sure she would not let go of Oskar, he was now utterly dependent on her, and Eli would not let him down. She could see Oskar already knew that, beneath the utter terror in his eyes, she could sense a deep trust. But they would not make it; all of Eli’s strength was required only to not be swept away by the winds. They were helpless before the creature and Oskar could sense Eli’s despair. No wonder since Eli’s entire body was shaking. Abaddon seemed to notice this helplessness.
“Now let’s see what to do with these lovebirds, unlike my former master Gavri’el I have simple tastes. I do now try to create, in my eyes, the perfect world. Eden as well as hell will be eliminated, leaving only the void, and the moral realm will suffer the same fate eventually, after it succumbs to hate. As for you two, I could send you into the abyss, but first I will destroy your love. It is remarkable how easily love can turn into hate. When I am done with you, your utter contempt for each other would enable you to send the other into the void willingly; starting with you Elias.”
Oskar clung to Eli so that he would not be swept away by the hurricane winds; yet, he looked Abaddon right in the eyes and said.
“You have to get through me first.” Oskar let go of Eli and to Elis surprise he was able to stand in the heavy wind all by himself.
Oskar shined with divine light. The contour of the angelic wings Eli had seen back in the darkness was back, but this time much clearer.
“Let her be.” Oskar cried out as Abaddon grinned, he moved with the speed of light, took a grip of Oskar’s throat, throwing him into one of the pillars. The aura of light disappeared, the wind hurled him towards the sea of blood. Eli quickly unfolded her wings and went after him, she caught him before he hit the surface. Eli held the nearly unconscious Oskar in her arms, she was thankful she had chosen to summon the wings on her back this time, otherwise she would not have been able to grip him. Eli looked into Oskar’s loving eyes, his affection for her was total, and Eli felt the same. Both of them fought against the wind, fighting to get onto the island again. Abaddon readied his sword.
“I am no longer in the mood for extended torture, let’s finish this. I look forward to you and the world dying by my hand.”
Eli faced Abaddon’s inhuman burning eyes without flinching. Oskar’s hand squeezed hers, giving her courage. Abaddon was heard inside Eli’s head.
“Accept your fate, you deserve it. Your love for this boy is filthy, do you really think you could defeat a creature who possess the power of a former god, as well as the unlimited power of hate.”
Eli heard its venomous words, but she did not intend to be snared in its lies. All her guilt for centuries of bloodshed was now gone, no longer would she let shame weigh her down. Eli refused to accept that her lover for Oskar was in any way wrong, Eli was proud of her feelings for Oskar, proud like Lucifer himself. Eli knew only one thing, she had to protect Oskar, even if it cost her the immortality of her soul. She could feel how her affection for Oskar surged through her body, could feel his affection for her, through the way his heartbeat.
Eli swooped down towards Abaddon with fierce claws in one hand and Oskar in the other. A divine aura surrounded them, forming a blade of light in Eli’s clawed hand. Their weapons clashed, the darkness of hate against the light of love, their respective auras mixed, the world was shaking. In Oskar’s hand a similar bright weapon appeared, he added his power to Eli’s. Eli let go of his hand, the light bore him aloft, and he had never looked more majestic. Eli and Oskar both applied pressure to Abaddon’s swordhand, with the determination of gods, since they knew the fate of the world hung in balance.
At last, love triumphed, Abaddon dropped the sword and it flew toward the sea of blood into the portal to earth. It disappeared in an instant, a bloodcurdling scream escaped Abaddon as he was banished from Gavri’el. His clothes and wings became white once again and his eyes turned from red to blue. Gavri’el fell down to the ground, powerless. The sea of blood retracted and the sun returned, the wind stopped and once again Eden was peaceful. Eli and Oskar looked out of the now blood stained land, hovering in the air by the power of their love alone, each in the other’s arms. The now exhausted Gavri’el was forced to exert himself to form the words.
“You win; you and your friends can go. That cursed sword took my strength, but I will get stronger, mark my words. When you enter the afterlife, be prepared to face proper judgement, but for now the prosecution rests.” Gavri’el lost consciousness.
Eli and Oskar still hovered in the air, above the mountain, the golden city and the garden. Eli’s vampiric wings embraced Oskar. His bright wings of pure love embraced Eli, they kissed. It was the best kiss in Eli’s life.
Soon another portal opened and Eleonora and Oskar’s parents arrived at the scene. Eleonora lost her breath from the sight of the two children surrounded by light and the unconscious god. She was so shocked she was utterly speechless. Eli noticed that Elof was not present so she asked them:
“Where is Elof?” Oskar’s mother was the one to answer.
“He said he would not go, but Eleonora said he would be fine.” Eli nodded as Eleonora found her tongue and turned her eyes towards Eli.
“Who are you?” Eli giggled and so did Oskar. They exchanged looks, giggling some more before Eli said with total self-confidence;
“Eli”
Eleonora once again went speechless and they all exited through the portal, back to the mortal realm in silence.
