Once upon a time...
Marsk awoke from her long sleep of death(it's a LONG story, let's just say she's died what, over a hundred times?) Anyway. I'll start over.
Once upon a time...
Marsk awoke from her long sleep of death and found herself staring up at... dirt. Again? she thought. I really hate it when they do this. She had been buried again. I understand, and it is a nice thought, but it is annoying having to dig myself out. Wherever they have put me this time, I hope it is abandoned. She reached up to start returning to the world above...
Hanoyi was walking past the graveyard when he decided to go in and see Aiyanna's grave. I miss her... He shrugged off the thought and stepped in. It was a foggy day, and wisps of the mist floated through the air like spirits, coming back to the world of the living. Hanoyi shivered. He had never liked graveyards, and this one was positively spooky. He found Aiyanna's headstone and sat by it.
"I'm sorry, Aiyanna. I shouldn't have left you... I was a coward." He looked at the inscription on the marble stone.
Aiyanna Natalia, beloved daughter. A beautiful young woman taken before her time. 3035-3048
He felt a tear trickling down his cheek, and he wiped it away quickly. He looked over toward the right and noticed a new one that hadn't been there before. He read the writing on it, done by a rather careless hand.
An unknown girl, estimated at seventeen years old. 3040?--3057
Hanoyi wondered who she had been, what had snuffed her life out so early, like a candle not yet burned down. He shrugged and was about to leave when he heard a noise coming from the anonymous girl's grave. He turned quickly and saw movement. A pale white hand broke free of the dirt covering the grave. He gasped. She's... she's... coming back to life? A moment later a girl with bright, fiery red hair and emerald-green eyes climbed from the grave. She had a sparkling diamond set in her forehead, like a strange birthmark, it was natural. She wore a beautiful silvery dress with colorful ribbons falling from the sleeves, and jewels were sprinkled in her ground-length hair. She spoke to Hanoyi and said,
"I am Marsk... You need not fear me." He fainted. He wasn't sure later if it was from fear or awe, they were both likely possibilities.
Marsk sighed. Every time I say they should not be afraid, they faint. It's so annoying. Humans. She tried to revive him, and while it worked, he instantly jumped up and pulled out a sword, slashing the air.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"You're some sort of demon! Fight me with honor, you cowardly cowering cuttlefish!" If he wasn't quite so good with that sword, it would have been very funny. Marsk drew her sword of light and they clashed.
"I am no demon!" she protested against his furious onslaught. She placed a hand on his head and used him as a springboard to vault over him and attack from behind.
"That's exactly what a demon would say!" he yelled. She sighed and rolled her eyes. Then she saw a shadow.
"What is that?"
"That's not going to fool me."
"No, I mean it. Look out! she cried. She jumped for him and shoved him out of the way as a cruelly handsome man with a dark sword fell from the sky.
His sword slashed her across the back as he hit the ground, and she cried out as blood dripped from her wound. He spread black bat-like wings as Marsk said to Hanoyi, "That is a demon." The demon(who Marsk later said was named Atol)flew into the air.
"Marsk! Stand down and give me the human!" Atol bared fang-like teeth. "I want to feed on his soul."
"Never! The Lord will not allow me to leave an innocent at the mercy of you children of Hell!"...
Hanoyi was relieved at Marsk's defiance. Having a demon feed on his soul did not sound fun. Then she spread white angelic wings of her own--Wait, what?--and flew into combat.
"Prepare for battle, evil one!" Their swords clashed together as they let out a simultaneous scream. She spun her sword and slit one of Atol's wings so that he could not fly straight. Then he raised his sword and brought it crashing down toward her head...
Marsk tried to dodge, but the sword cut her hand and made it bleed badly. She felt faint. Lord, help me! she thought, agonized. She received a burst of strength as her prayer was answered, and she brought her sword up and around, cutting the wings from Atol's back. He crashed to the ground, and she landed gently and knocked his sword from his hand. He backed away.
"Mercy! Please! Spare me!" She came toward him with a hard stare.
"You ask for mercy, when if our roles had been reversed, you would have shown none to me or to the human. Now reap the mercy you would have sown and meet thy Maker!" She slashed across his chest and he exploded into dark particles that slowly dispersed. She turned back toward Hanoyi and sighed. "I do not enjoy killing, but sometimes it must be done. Farewell, Hanoyi, and perhaps we shall meet again. Oh, and... look at Aiyanna's tombstone." Marsk flew away, and Hanoyi turned toward Aiyanna's tombstone. It was gone. He turned around and Aiyanna was standing behind him, and he ran to her. They embraced as he sobbed,
"Oh, Aiyanna, I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
"Hush, Hanoyi," she replied. "You were young, you did not have the abilities. If you had tried, you would have perished with me."
Hanoyi never saw Marsk again, although sometimes he thought he glimpsed a flash of green eyes from shadows, and a slash of light cutting down enemies when he believed all was lost. He married Aiyanna, and they lived happily together for many years.
But he never forgot Marsk and what had happened that day, and one thought always ran through his mind when he thought of her...
She knew my name.
The End