Redemption of the Red Dragon

Aralith

ShinRa Guard
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Prologue

Blood smeared across his face from his last kill, the dark-clad warrior seemed to glide more than walk to his next victim. He jabbed at his victim’s throat, striking cleanly at the visible patch of skin between his breastplate and his helm. Another warrior came forth to challenge the dark-clad warrior, but he was swiftly terminated in a similar manner. It seemed as though he was unstoppable. And he may have been, but the legion that he commanded most certainly was not. Roughly, the ratio of dark-clad warriors to white-clad ones was one to two. His enemy’s legion was nearly double the size of his own. Still he pressed on, knowing that only the commander of the opposing legion must fall to claim victory during this battle. The duration of the battle was nigh a fortnight now, and still the killing continued.

The dark-clad commander watched his men fall, and as he did so, he could see their souls descending down to the darkness that had been prepared for them. I shall not enter that place of shadows, but remain here, ruling the kingdom of light, and all the earth, he thought to himself as he continued to make his way across the battlefield with little hindrance. Finally, the one he was looking for came forth, riding a chariot pulled by four alabaster horses. The white-clad warrior stepped down from his chariot, and placed his helm on his head. He approached the dark-clad warrior and said, “Brother, surrender now, before this continues any further. I’m sure that father can find it in his pure heart to forgive you of your sins, as can I. Let your men live and repent of your sins. Let your mind be wiped clean of the sinful thoughts that dominate your mind, and rejoin us to rule the kingdoms of the earth.”

“No, elder brother,” the dark-clad warrior replied, “I will not surrender. It is you have committed the sin against our father, it is merely that he favors you over I, and thus sided with you.”

“Then,” replied the white-clad warrior, “I’m afraid father is right, and we must do away with you. Sad as it is that I must be the one to slay mine own brother, but I must stop you from bringing more of my men down to that place of darkness with you.”

And with this, he attacked. The dark-clad warrior simply stepped out of the way and let his elder brother stumble forwards. Or at least, this is what he thought would happen. The white-clad warrior regained his balance and struck back at his brother with an extreme might. It was parried, and the dark-clad warrior struck while his brother’s guard was down. But to no avail, for at that moment, an arrow pierced him in his side. ‘Twas not a fatal blow, but it racked his body with pain, leaving him vulnerable for an attack. And in this instant, the white-clad warrior pierced his brother’s heart, delivering a lethal blow. In his last breaths, the dark-clad warrior managed to utter these words: “Father, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Then he lay dead on the ground. And his soul rose up over the battlefield for a moment, seeing now that he was never taking part in a battle, but was part of the losing force of a massacre. And it was at this moment, that he screamed in agony, and recognized his sins, just before being pulled into that place of darkness that had been prepared for him and his dark angels. The place that had been prepared for him by his own father. Thus fell Lucifer, Son of the Morning Star.

(Please provide feedback. Any comments, questions, or critiques are welcome)
 
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Chapter One

Approximately 30 A.D.

?My brother walks the earth as a savior in my place. It should have been I that was chosen as the savior for this pitiful planet. Merely the fact that father favors elder brother and is persuaded by his lies to join forces with him and cast me from heaven. Well, let me tell you brother, if anyone belongs in the darkness, it is you. For you hath done the people an injustice by giving them choice. The only way for Father to have faithful minions is to control the people. Choice means having freedoms father never saw when he gave the gift of choice to Adam on that seventh day. You should have left men soulless, just as you created them on the sixth day. To what end will you show foolishness??

And as Lucifer said this, he slammed his fist down on the stone that his chains were bonded too. He was pinned to the floor like an animal, not even having enough leeway to fully stand up, but neither enough to lie fully down. It was pure torture. It was at these times, when he was bound to his physically body, that the thoughts of hatred he held for his elder brother penetrated his mind. It was the only thing he could do to keep from thinking about the pain that was racking his body at every moment. He was never aware of what it was that caused him such pain, because he had spent his entire life since his fall had been spent in his darkness. But had he the ability to see, he would have been horrified at the sight of his own body, let alone what was causing him such pain. His flesh had turned from it?s beautiful, flush color to a pale grey. Spikes penetrated from within his own body, piercing the soft, grotesque flesh that now covered his body.

Lucifer closed his eyes and continued to think about his brother, the hate ever broiling in his mind, as he started to push out the screams of those around him. The others that had fought with him and been thrust out of heaven were with him, all of them regressing from the angelic state that they had once obtained, but none more than the Son of the Morning Star, for he had been the left hand of father in heaven, until his fall. His eternal apostasy; a darkness that consumed him and would have driven him to madness were it not for the occasional visits to the surface that were allowed him. And even as Lucifer though of this, he was suddenly aware that he was no longer in the darkness. He opened his eyes, and saw in front of him his elder brother. He stared at Lucifer for a moment before saying: ?That thou doest, do quickly.? And Lucifer stared back at him, his gaze piercing his brother?s heart, just before turning from him and quickly leaving the room.

He exited the domain he had come into, and rest against the outer wall of the building. It was indeed his brother whom he had seen. So the item at hand was trying to discover the identity of the body whose possession he had come into. It must have been one of his elder brother?s followers, so he quickly recalled the men who had been sitting there. He was able to count eleven men, so that meant that he must have been Judas. Judas Iscariot? Lucifer thought to himself. But that would mean? then the time has indeed come. Let the Son of Man be betrayed by both his friend and his brother. Now that he had discovered the body?s identity, he could access the thoughts and memories of this person. Judas was to hand Lucifer?s brother over to the Romans in the Garden of Gethsemane. So, he traveled to the nearest Roman military installment, and told them that the time had come to capture the King of the Jews. If only had they known what their deeds would lead to, they most certainly would not have agreed to participate in this act.

Not long after, Lucifer?s brother was praying alone, and his disciples were sound asleep. The Roman soldiers with whom they thought was Judas at their head appeared before the disciples. And there stood the one whom Lucifer had come to claim. The eleven men tried to put up a fight, but the only thing they achieved was cutting off one of the soldiers ears, which Lucifer?s brother quickly healed. Then Lucifer approached his brother, and lightly kissed him on the cheek. And his brother said back to him, ?Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss??

And to this, Lucifer leaned forwards and whispered in his brother?s ear, ?Do you not recognize me elder brother? I am the one you slew on that battlefield millennia ago. I am finally given the ability to exact my revenge, and you know me not. How very sad.?

To this, his brother replied, ?No. It is you who is sad, for you know not that you hold no power over Judas. It is merely an illusion that you are in control, for Judas, as everyone on this earth, hath been given the choice to betray me.?

And in this way, Lucifer left the body of Judas, and his brother was taken by the soldiers to be crucified on the cross. For the brother of Lucifer is he who is known as Christ, and forever have they been at war with each other for the souls of the people since this event occurred. And it will continue until all souls have the knowledge of Christ, for the father has given the people the power of choice, and this cannot be exacted unless one has the knowledge of the choice they make. This is where Lucifer made his greatest mistake in underestimating the power of choice. Though he has not realized that it was a mistake, the day will come when he will, and that day is coming far sooner than he realizes.
 
(I hath edited the second chapter, for I liketh not how it turned out. Here is the edited version, so please re-read it)

Chapter Two

Approximately two millennia later…

As a hymn solemnly resounded from the nearby church, Avidan Heimann stepped into the dark, musty alleyway that was before him. It was several stories high, and four could walk abreast in the space provided. It was as though a shroud of gloom descended upon him as he entered the place, for his vision was swiftly reduced to a few feet in front of him. Were it any other night he would not have taken this route, but in light of the fact that he was late to a direly important meeting, it was necessary to take every shortcut available to him. As he walked down the alley, something caught his attention. A woman that was barely dressed was leading a man into a doorway. To Avidan, it was quite obvious that this woman was whoring herself away for money. She was very beautiful, but the sins of the flesh would soon plague her body with sores. Her beauty would be ruined for naught but a few years of pleasure.

Typical, he thought to himself, the constant degradation of morals in this country is so typical it’s disgusting. Avidan was still trying to adjust himself to the United States. It was the first time he had been there since he was of the age of nine. Much had changed. Suddenly, the hymn from the church stopped. Avidan noticed this immediately and looked over, but the gloom was still clouding his eyes, so he ignored it and continued to walk down the alleyway. Finally he reached the end and continued on his normal route. He paused for a second to light a cigarette. Then, leaving it in his mouth, he continued on his way. Though he was not a fervent smoker, he kept them on his person for occasions such as this. Currently, his mind was cluttered with too many things to have any kind of clear thought. It all became a jumbled mass in his head, and the cigarette would help him clear out that mess and focus on the task at hand. It did indeed help, and Avidan continued on his way.

******
A strange silence hovered in the air as the knife was plunged deep into the man’s chest. It was indeed a lethal strike to his heart. Blood trickled from the wound, staining the man’s white garb. He cried in pain and fell to his knees, knowing that this moment would be his last. The one holding the knife removed it from the man’s chest and let his lifeless body slump to the ground in a heap. He quickly cleaned his knife on the dead man’s robes and put it into a sheath concealed inside his trench coat. The hilt of the blade was curved, and had an insignia of a snake wrapped around a cross etched into it. He then stepped over the man, knelt down in front of the alter and crossed himself. He knew that his soul was unclean, even more so than the man whom he had just killed. If he was to save his soul, he must first pray for his and the others in the room. “Deus, commodo take suum animus in pacis quod ut vicis adveho take mei in a similis formo.”

He then made his way down the aisle, stepping first over the form of the dead priest, then over the form of the twenty or so other victims of his blade. All of them had been slaughtered in the same fashion: a piercing blow to their heart. Some of them were still in their seats, while others were strewn across the aisle, one on top of the other. The man continued walking down the aisle, approaching a lifeless figure that was separated from the others. He had been the only one to make a sound. Luckily, the man holding the knife had closed the doors when he entered, else the few screams that were uttered would have been heard. The man continued walking until the body was at his feet. He knelt down, took the knife out of his back and said in a somewhat remorseful tone, “Ego would vey ultum have amo video vidi visum vos in Olympus. Miser , abyssus est vestri infinitio.”

A tear streamed down the man’s face as he removed the knife from the back of his now dead friend. He stood up, sheathed it back into his trench coat and continued towards the door. “Bonus,” he said, and left the church which had been softly emanating a hymn just a few minutes earlier.

******
Avidan approached the building where his meeting was and was about to enter the door when something caught his eye. A vagabond was standing on the side of the street with a cardboard sign reading: “God is Just.” Just, huh, Avidan thought to himself. Were that true, you probably wouldn’t be standing on that corner holding that sign. Realizing that he knew that the man probably didn’t deserve to live on the streets, he walked over to him and tried to hand him a fifty dollar bill. “No,” said the man, “for the Lord shall look after me as long as I place my faith in him.”

“God gave you a brain so that he wouldn’t have to do everything for you,” Avidan replied. “Take the money. Go get yourself something warm to eat and a place to sleep for tonight. I don’t need this. You do.”

The vagabond looked up at Avidan and realized that he was looking into the face of a kind man. He slowly reached out for the money and took it from Avidan’s hand. Avidan nodded at him and started heading back to the door of the building when the vagabond said, “He who shows kindness, shall receive it in return. You sir, will sleep well tonight. Thank you for your kindness.”

And with that, he turned around and walked away. Avidan proceeded to the building, looking up and reading the sign as he did so. Roman Catholic Church the sign read. But Avidan wasn’t coming here to look for answers to life; he was coming to tell the priest of his church that he was leaving the faith. Avidan had been atheist for close to four years now, and rarely attended mass anymore, but he knew it would sit better with his conscious if he was the one to tell the priest. Why he had insisted on meeting here instead of the other church, where he had heard the hymn, was beyond him, but he complied. He figured the hymn signified that some other event was taking place at that church that night. As he entered the building, the first thing he noticed were that only a few lights were on. That’s not too strange, he thought, after all, it’s after hours, and I’m sure that Priest Dunham is just using the lights that he needs. He continued walking towards the office that Dunham told him to meet, but just as he passed an open door, a figure came out of the doorway, grabbed him, and pulled him into the darkness and closed the door.
 
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Chapter Three

The man with the knives exited the doors of the church, being especially glad that they were several inches thick. He was also thankful that this was a bad neighborhood and that the windows in the church were one inch thick, bullet proof. A perk of this was that they were nearly soundproof, and that even if someone had been around to hear the screams, they probably would have just heard a muffled yell and thought nothing of it. But even as he thought of how lucky it was that no one had heard the scream, he almost wished someone had heard it. Killing the one he knew was not something that he wanted to do, but having him be the only one to utter a scream was excruciatingly painful. Another tear leaked out of the corner of his right eye and streamed down his face, veering completely off to the left side of his face when it slid down the slightly raised mound of skin that made up a scar that started just right of the corner of his mouth and extended downwards in a curve ending at the left corner of his hard, square jaw.

That scar was much more than a physical mark though, for with it came a very emotional manifestation of the even that caused that scar. As the man continued to think about his friend, he tried to hold back the tears, but it only seemed to cause more to stream down his face. He looked back at the church and uttered these six words, ?Quare did is have ut exsisto mihi?? And with that he hailed the taxi that was just appearing around the corner, got in once it had stopped before him, and, telling the taxi driver the location of his destination, said, ?Corner of 14th and Washington.?

The taxi driver waved his hand in signal that he understood, and with that, sped off into the night. After thirteen minutes of a very uncomfortable taxi ride, the knife-wielding man stepped onto the curb, and noticed a vagabond standing on the sidewalk, holding a sign reading: ?God is Just.? Without saying a word, he handed the homeless man a twenty dollar bill. At first he didn?t accept it, but after the knife-wielding man held it in front of his face for a few more moments, the vagabond humbly accepted it. The vagabond need not say anything, for the expression in his eyes told the whole story. The knife-wielding man then proceeded to enter the building. He walked down the first visible hallway for about thirty feet before coming to a door with this nameplate tacked onto it: ?Priest Dunham?. The man chuckled to himself for a second, and then knocked on the door. A muffled, ?Yes?? could be heard from behind the door.

?Is est ego,? the knife wielding man said.

A hurried shuffle of papers could be heard from behind the door before it was finally opened. The knife-wielding man looked down upon the frail shape of Priest Dunham in a very intimidating way. The priest looked like he was in his eighties, though he was only 63. His flesh was pale in appearance, and seemed to have scar tissue covering the majority of it, as though he had been badly burned in his younger years. His back was crooked, and his face was very deformed. Whatever had happened in this man?s past was not something that many had heard, as he didn?t much care for recounting the incident in which he became this way. ?Pay up,? the knife-wielding man said to Dunham.

Dunham looked at him for a second before replying in a very mocking tone, ?Is the job completely done? I certainly hope so. It would be terrible for the skeletons in your closet to come out tonight, now wouldn?t it??

The knife-wielding man looked down at the priest and said, ?Just beware. I only work for you as long as you continue to pay me for these jobs. If the day ever comes that you don?t, your time on this earth will come to a very violent end.?

Dunham nodded and then receded back into his chambers, motioning the knife-wielding man inside. The priest rummaged through his desk for a few moments before finally producing a thick wad of cash, which he tossed at the knife-wielding man. He accepted the money with a nod and pocketed the money in his trench coat. Then, as the priest turned around to sit down in his chair, the knife-wielding man took out one of his knives and threw it into Dunham?s back. He cried in pain for a moment before falling face-first into his chair. He gasped in pain as he tried to situate himself so that he could face his murderer. But that was not necessary, for the knife-wielding man came over to him to watch him die. Dunham turned to face him and uttered these words just before his death: ?May lux lucis of Deus prosecutus vos. Bonus, Diabolus.?

Just as the priest said this, the knife-wielding man heard the door of the church open. He quickly shut off the lights of the room he was in and was ready for attack. No one could see what it was that he had done, and if anyone did, they must be silenced. He lie in wait for a few minutes before a man smelling of smoke passed in front of his view. The knife-wielding man?s eyes widened, and his pulse quickened when he realized who it was. Avidan! He hesitated for only a second, but then quickly regained his composure and grabbed at the man and pulled him into the room. Avidan screamed and struggled with the man for a few moments, managing to turn the light on, before a knife was pressed against his throat. ?Quiet you fool!? the knife-wielding man said.

Avidan didn?t have much of a choice, and so complied with his demand. What reason does he have for not killing me now? Avidan thought, He could kill me now, and no one would hear him. Why is he keeping me alive at all? Just as Avidan finished this thought, the man holding him hostage said, ?It will satisfy both me and my master to kill you. I hope you know where you?re going, sinner. May Deus have misericordia in vestri animus.?

And he raised the knife to strike at Avidan?s heart, in the same fashion that he killed all of his other victims. Avidan closed his eyes, as he knew that the knife being held by the man behind him would soon end his life. It was in these moments that Avidan said the first prayer he had said in a long while. Please, God, don?t let this moment be my last. I want to live. Please, God, take mercy on me. And almost in answer of his prayer another man with a trench coat came in with a gun and shot the knife-wielding man in the shoulder. Loosening his grip for a second, Avidan quickly ducked under his arm and backed away from him. He turned to face his attacker, but no one was in the room. There was no sign of how he made an escape, no trace of him at all. The man was gone.
 
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