Chapter 11: Genesis

Five years later, a great snow fell in winter of that year. The face of the water thickened with glacier and leveled like familiar paths. The forest surrounding the Benign Woods had gone cold, covered from body to the highest hierarchy of their canopies, spread out without meeting each other. The howl of wolves spread through the coast, and great pestilence broke through in the land.

Stuffed inside coats that mostly blended with the snow covered lands, Marcus stood at the edge of Heimdall's rock, looking down to the valley with mixed feelings, and in deep contemplation.

"The death toll has been on the rise. It hasn't stopped or gone down. There's serious unrest among the human clans, and they have begun to agitate."

"Did we bring this upon ourselves, Elijah?"

"No one can be blamed, Sir. Not even Vincent. Others may not understand but the step he took was out of great loyalty and commitment to the survival of both our species and humanity. There's no wrong in that and no one could have anticipated that the girl would run in to protect them from the silver bullet. So, no one is to blamed. I'm very sure I would do the same."

"You know, I always thought of this. I wanted to believe that and very often, I reassured myself that. But the fact remains that all these could have been carefully orchestrated by him even before his captivity. Now, that I think of it, he had made it too easy for me. And now, he wants to send that message clearly across to me.

You didn't win. You never did," I guess he wants me to know.

This five years, one year after another, a new problem. First it was the drought, that dried up every body of water, ushering in the famine. Then came the death in the air, the massive spread of wolf bane and now this. Practically draining every living tree with its eternal winter.

It was just a mistake. Even the Sovereign knows that, why then did he bring this on us."

He had barely left speaking when his words echoed in his mind, raising doubts.

"Unless, perhaps there's something that he is yet to tell me, "he thought and his eyes settled on the uncovered hole that had once harboured his darkest fear.

"You see that over there? It is the one obstacle to our freedom. The greatest evil to have walked the earth and believe me, he knows exactly what's going on here but it only feeds him more. He can not win this war. He can't be allowed to do so!"

With his hair and uncovered skin frost bitten, they retired quickly to their carriage but he redirected the rider.

" But isn't that the way to his prison."

"I must meet him. There's something he must attend to."

Brushing aside the waves of his hair, he leaned against the coach but midway, the tire got stuck and they all alighted.

Observing the movement at the canopies for sometime, he tapped Elijah and went towards the stuck time and saw iron trap clasped around the tire like fangs deprived blood for ages.

"It's a trap," he mind linked to Elijah and both drew closer to each other set for defense. Coming out from the front of the carriage, the driver had a sudden jerk, shaking badly in a moment, and the next, he was alright but possessed a feminine voice.

"No, this can't be."

"What can't be, Marcus?

Your kind broke the oath. You tore the balance, you shed the blood that shouldn't be shed. Without war, without any crime of hers, you shed a pure blood. So, what did you expect?

Maybe it didn't occur to you but you released every abomination that have been locked away from creation and especially my kind. Creations of the night like you, and just like you, we would want our freedom to live as we ought."

"Now, that's not how you get such things around here."

" Of course, I'm aware. I just have to lock you away like you did to your foes long ago. Did you think the crime committed against mankind would not be seen by the Sovereign? How dumb of you."

"So, let me get this straight. You gathered a pack of children to kill me?"

"No Marcus, look again.

These are the newborns. The children of your people. The long awaited generation of newborns whom you have always desired that your own child would lead. They are the children you see.

How does it feel now to have your wings clipped? You didn't think I considered your strength and weakness?"

He growled softly in defeat. Wrecked to the core, staring at his dreams scowling at him like hungry pests, dogged on their target without a thought to back down.

"They don't even recognize me...they can't recognize me Elijah, " he turned towards him, tearing up while on the side, the celebrant of that unfortunate scenario suddenly turned cold, and stared at them in horror.

" I assume you have what you wanted. Release them and I will surrender, " he pleaded, but no response came and the next moment, the children scampered back the way they have all come in a flash that the next moment, it was as though they were never there.

"What just happened here?"Elijah asked, consternated.

And getting up from the ground, the driver regained consciousness but was clueless, looking from Elijah to Marcus himself.

" Something is not right. What could have scared life out of a Cardinal witch?"

The fogs covering the way ahead slowly dissipated and they heard footsteps approaching from that direction, the way towards where Vincent had been locked, but the footsteps were unsteady and staggering.

"Who could that...Vin....who let you out? How were you able to escape?"

"We need to leave here, Marcus... I mean now," he held onto his ribs, groaning in pain.

"Why aren't you healing? Vincent? Who...."

"He's back, Marcus and he is right behind me," and that instance, Marcus felt his heart fall into the bottomless pit.