Angel Feathers

((This is a story I am writing with a friend of Mine, as of yet, we arent past the 3rd chapter but we are moving swiftly. Here is a teaser for Chapter 1))

Chapter 1

The forest�s branches lashed at the girl�s arms as she streaked through the undergrowth. Her once shiny bright robe was already in tatters as the thin, ceremonial material was stretched to the very limit of practicality.
Her breath came in short gasps as panic sent fresh bursts of adrenaline coursing into her bloodstream. Hundreds of tiny cuts laced their way up her body from the cruel limbs of the bushes. The horror of the attack was ripped in her mind, but the snatches were brought from memory to fuel her desperate flight.

A sharp burning arrow hummed down and buried itself into the ground�..
Sisters and Brothers from the Temple racing about for cover�.
A wall burst inward and small dark shapes poured through it�
Blood�.so much blood�
�Seraphine�.run�RUN!�

The voice of the Mother Superior lanced through her consciousness. She had been trained for a years in the Temple what to do if an emergency such as this ever occurred: find Brother Envryn, he will take care of you.
A sharp, bestial roar erupted from close behind her. Seraphine twisted her head to see what was chasing her�a bad idea.
The horrible roar came from a dark, shadowy beast that looked as if Hell itself had thrown it up. The canine�s hackles were raised and its teeth were bared in a menacing growl. The sight was almost too much for her. A wave of blackness overtook her vision, but she stumbled forward, desperately trying to get away.
She passed a boulder and leapt to clear the top, scraping her ankle as she did so. The forest had not been kind to her before and was certainly not so now. Why was the Temple of Sukara so far back into the wilderness? How can help come now?
Seraphine realized the fire had moved from the Temple�s walls to the forest as the scent of burning wood raked its way down her raw throat. She was wearing down, and with the Garum on her trail and a fire�she could not afford to rest.
Suddenly! A parting of the trees up ahead! If she could only make it to the Plains, she could run across the open grassy fields to the nearest village for help. With renewed vigor, she leaned forward into her gait and streaked towards the opening. Some how, maybe the openness of the fields would yield some protection from the burnings and enemies of the forest.
Smack!
A viscous blow to her back stopped her feet from moving. As the air rushed out of her lungs, she could feel her feet leave the ground as her momentum carried her body several yards. Dark energy sizzled off her for m as she struggled to get up in a pool of her own golden hair.
She heard the crunching of leaves as someone came closer to her. Seraphine�s heart pounded at her chest and ears. She had never been so terrified, and yet her legs refused to work. With the little strength she had left, her arms from the need to flee pusher her forward. Until a scarlet gauntleted hand clamped on the back of her neck.
Wiggling was all she could do as a knight dressed in vermilion armor slowly raised her off the mulch covered ground. More shapes were visible behind him but her eyes started to blur from exhaustion and terror. The man holding her brushed the hair away from her face and seemed to study her for what seemed like years passed in seconds.
She could see nothing but darkness behind the red visor. A spear came into her vision.
It was a lovely, ornate instrument. The haft matched the color of the man�s armor and the flame motif towards the broad-leafed head was stunning in the sunlight. It was angled towards her stomach.
Seraphine slumped into the grip, defeated, and began to weep. The tears coursed down her cheeks onto the gauntlet but did not run past there. They seemed to gather and stick to the metal. The man in the armor hesitated.
A chorus of rough barks were heard behind him. She looked up at the visor again, half-expecting sympathy from the knight that was holding a weapon poised to eviscerate her.
�Do it, Bryarios�� a rough, gravelly voice said from behind them both.
The spear flashed in the sunlight as he drew it back farther to plunge it into her stomach. Seraphine let out one last shriek before-----
* * * *
The forest smelled of stale smoke and ash. Mia ran from tree to tree, her mind no longer her own. Blue flames lit the path for her in the dull sunlight. Her raven hair was down, and her eyes glowed amber through the fading light of the afternoon. Her conscience floated around the edges of her beast, falling in and out and catching bits and pieces of what was going on outside.
She her rough grows coming from tiny bleak figures at the edge of her clearing. The sunlight wasn't enough to reveal they're source. They all stood around a vermillion figure, a gigantic, ornate spear matching what was his body. He held a weeping young woman, maybe sixteen in age. She was crying.
This fact mattered little to her beast. It was out for blood, though the little creatures seemed like they would bleed better.
The woman shrieked and this was the distraction she waited for. She charged, full speed at the little creatures, Smashing through them like rag dolls. The vermillion figure droped the girl and yelled, "Attack!" Mia slammed, into him with enough force to send him flying through the bush.
She stood up, not knowing what hit him. His spear glowed with power, and he charged, quicker than he shoud have been able to in that armor. The spear flew forward, Mia barely dodged it, scraping her side alittle. He roared in frustration, and sent his spear into a flying flurry of attacks. Mia was barely able to dodge, attaining several more cuts and bruises then was her normal fighting style. She sommersaulted away from him, and then charged again, thrusting her open paledm claws at his visor. The hit connected sending him flying again.
When he stood up again, his helm was gone, his flaming red hair was almost obnoxious on the green and scarred clearing. He had amber colored eyes also, ivory colored skin and strong cheek bones.
He flew at her again his spear in front of him. HIs was becoming angry. Mia barely had time to react, but it was too late, the spear smashed into her arm, slicing it open all the way from triceps to wrist. She sommersaulted away again, landing, this time on her knees. A wound this bad wasnt going to heal as qucikly as the others already had. The man was suddenly infront of her. "Do not interfere, wench! This is between the gods and that girl!" He backhanded her, and she flew backward, making a rut in the ground. He steped in front of her again. "Now for even trying to interfere, your punishment shall be death!" Mia spit, hiting him in the nose. It surprised him so much Mia was able to get a good shot. She flew forward and suddenly shards of his armor were leaping into the air, and blood mixed into them. She had thrust her left hand through the front of his armor. Suddenly his was flying through the air again. His face wide with surprise. Thats when he changed.
She could smell the scent of dragon off of him. He roared, and suddenly she was sprouting wings and a tail. A true creature from hell. Growing larger until he consumed half of the clearing.
Mia smiled, her mind her own once again. She destroyed the wave of creatures, trying to attack her, she sent back spells, as well as their meager attacks.
The dragon roared and the sound produced a shock wave that made the valley shudder. Mia sharpened her claws on a tree, and charged again. This time with a strategy.
The dragon charged from the air, so large that it crashed into the ground. There was no room for it to fight. Thats what Mia had anticipated. She jumped and landed on its back, running for the head as fast as possible.
It roared again, and rose off the ground. She reached its head, right as it started to rise. She jumped again, this time more forward. Spinning in the air, and smiled as she fell infront of its face. She fliped, as if in slow motion, connecting a kick with its jaw. A winding blow. It sent him flying backwards again, this time, leaving a great indention in the earth.
Mia fell slowly to the ground, landing softly. Her beast was satified, but she wasn't. The dragon roared once again. It flew into the air, and reverted back to part man, "RETREAT!" He yelled to the remaining creatures.
He reverted again. Blowing a gust of flame towards Mia, he flew off. The fire was huge, and Mia was about to leap for her life when she remembered the girl, who still layed, unconcious on the edge of the clearing.
Mia ran at top speed, she couldn't let her die. She grabed the girl by the waistband right as the flame hit. They both were thrown of theyre feet by the shockwave. Mia, still clutching the girl for dear life, landed on her feet again and sped off, away from the clearing. Crimson flame shot after them. Mia dodged in and out of the trees, avoiding as well as she could. Suddenly, the flames were gone, and the were back in the middle of the forest. Mia started a cooking fire and started boiling bandages, this girl needed medical attention, there was a large gash in her side. Mia's wounds, on the other hand were already starting to clear, there was still the large slice left though, she woud wrap it after she helped the girl. WHy was she doing this? She was a werewolf, a bad one at that, the strongest and most insecure of the bunch, and yet she was showing pity to a girl she didnt know?
What had come over her? She would have just let this girl die, but something had clicked and the idea had seemed right at the time. Then why did she feel so conflicted about it?

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