As Eve exited the Citadel and began to walk down the main street she began to ponder Elijah’s words, he had brought forward her test by months, but the reason why he had done it… she had no idea. She certainly wasn’t ready.
The people around her all scrambled out of her path and bowed or curtsied or banged their chests. She didn’t despise this, it just confused her. She was barely 25 years old, and here were Angels who had lived for centuries that were treating her like they would treat Elijah or Mara, like she was somehow better than them.
She quickly turned left down a narrow alley and out of view of the Angels on the main street. She hurried down the alley quickly and soon she could hear the sound of metal on metal. She grinned to herself and sped her pace.
As the sound grew louder the alley grew wider until she found herself into a small courtyard of sorts, or rather, a clearing of stone. The alley widened to form a small circle, but the houses that had formed the alley were still standing tall, casting long shadows into the circle. In the middle of the clearing stood a kind of shelter. It was made of stone with a large, halve-oval hole in the side that was facing Eve, it was this that acted as the door. On top of the shelter was a smooth dome. The whole structure couldn’t have been any larger than 10 feet tall. In the shelter there was a forge with a large burly Angel with black wings hunched over the anvil, hammering out a sheet of metal with strong, precise strokes, he wore a loosely fitting cotton tunic with matching breeches, although both of these were scorched in several places and so covered in dirt and grime that it was impossible to tell what their original colour had been, over these he wore a black leather apron.
All around the forge were barrels, incomplete and complete weapons, either thrown away in disgust or hung on the walls with pride, to the left there stood a suit of armour covered in beautiful wards. Eve waited until he was done then spoke, barely keeping the smile out of her voice, ‘Geryon.’
The Angel straightened, he had a large black beard that looked like it had been singed in many places, and he broke into a smile when he saw Eve, they embraced and when they broke apart he said, in a deep voice that was akin to rocks grinding together, ‘Eve, what brings you into my neck of these proverbial woods?’
‘I have a job for you.’
Geryon grunted, ‘I can already guess, is it by any chance, another weapon that you have broken and that you expect me to fix with a few swings of a hammer?’
Eve grinned again, ‘It is.’
Geryon sighed as he lifted the sheet of metal, which was still hot, with his bare hands and plunged it into a barrel of water next to the anvil, releasing a burst of steam. ‘Surprisingly Eve, I’m not a miracle worker, what did I tell you when I gave that sword to you?’
Eve looked down at her feet, ‘Not to break it.’
Geryon looked at her pointedly, ‘Exactly.’
‘Can I ask you a question?’
Geryon took the sheet of metal out of the barrel and displayed it to Eve, it was bronze and of oval shape, about two feet wide and three feet long. ‘What do you think?’
Eve nodded, it’s very pretty, but what’s it meant to be?
Geryon raised an eyebrow, ‘A bronze shield, I do do things other than fix the supposedly unbreakable weapons I give you.’
‘That’s hilarious.’
‘What’s on your mind?’
‘Why do you treat me like this? I mean, with everyone else it’s all bowing and getting out my way, but you treat me like I’m normal.’
Geryon placed the shield on a long workbench that rested next to his anvil and then hurried over to the far wall, retrieving what looked like delicate surgical equipment.
Geryon had a slight tone of surprise in his voice, ‘that’s what has you bothered? I treat you like your normal because you are, you may be Elijah’s student but that doesn’t make you like a god.’ Geryon paused, ‘and somebody’s got to stop your head from getting too big, with all the grovelling that people do when your around I’m surprised you still come and visit the little people like me.’
‘You’re a little person?’
‘You know what I mean.’
Geryon delicately placed the sinister looking equipment on the workbench and hunched over the shield. He took one of the instruments in hand and began to carve into the bronze, the tip of the small blade on his hand glowed red with heat, allowing him to cut into the bronze without difficulty.
Eve sat down on a barrel and waited patiently while he worked, Geryon didn’t like to be disturbed when he was doing something important, and what he was doing now would almost definitely save someone’s life in the future, either the near or far. She watched intently as Geryon carved the swirling symbols into the shield, occasionally changing what piece of equipment he used when he wanted to make a deeper or finer cut into the bronze. After what must have been an hour, the sun was now beginning its descent from the sky, although the horizon and clouds were not yet tinged with red or orange, when Geryon finally looked up from his work. He stood and stretched, both his wings and his body, his black wings filled the small room, casting it all into temporary shadow.
He yawned and seemed to catch sight of Eve out of the corner of his eye. He seemed temporarily wrong footed and they stared at each other until he asked, ‘Why are you still here?’
‘My broken sword remember?’
An expression of clarity washed over Geryon and he gestured to Eve and said, ‘Let’s have a look at the damage then.’
Eve unsheathed the sword hilt and removed all the shards of the blade from her pocket. Geryon groaned at the sight of them. ‘You expect me to fix this? How did you even break it?’
‘I didn’t, Elijah did.’
Geryon raised an eyebrow, ‘We were sparring and he caught my blade, it was hardly fair. Can you fix it?’
Geryon studied the fractures for a second, ‘Yes, I can. But it will take me a while.’
Eve looked aghast, ‘But I leave tomorrow! What am I meant to carry?’ She exclaimed.
‘I’ve thought of that.’
Geryon stood and walked over to the nearest wall, where a series of small knives hung. He removed them from the wall, all ten, and then produced them to Eve, who took them silently.
‘They are throwing knives, but they can be used normally as well. Try them.’
Eve placed nine of the knives on the barrel where Geryon had previously been sitting. She tested the weight of the remaining one in her hand, it was balanced perfectly, and she threw it towards a sword that hung on the far wall, it landed perfectly in the hole in the hilt, where a gem would soon be fitted.
Eve nodded in satisfaction, ‘I’ll take them.’
Geryon clapped his hands in delight, ‘I knew you would like them.’
Eve picked up the nine knives and pocketed them, then she retrieved the tenth and pocketed that one as well. She would have to work out an efficient carrying method soon enough.Geryon also, while she was doing this, walked over to the shield he had just made and placed the palm of his left hand on the centre of the shield, he concentrated and colour slowly swept over the shield, it was now a blue colour, like the sky, but the runes were gold. Sweat dripped from his face and he gripped the workbench with both hands to steady himself. He took a few ragged breaths and then straightened, he took a handkerchief out of his apron and wiped away the sweat from his brow before returning the handkerchief to his pocket.
Eve turned to leave, but then turned back with a question on her lips, ‘Elijah’s advanced my test so its two months away, why do you think he did that? I’m not ready.’
Geryon pursed his lips, ‘Elijah lives in a world of ghosts, I’m not sure he truly cares for the living anymore, it’s said he’s only around now because he feels he has unfinished business, when that’s done he will go, it could be that he’s trying to hasten his trip to the next world. Also, believing you’re not ready is often a sign that you are.’ Eve turned to leave the forge but for some reason the first step she took was unsteady, her whole body wobbled on the second, her head throbbed, and on the third step the ground rushed to meet her.
Eve saw a large, old cat, it was grey in colour and had long scars running along its body, and its eyes were yellow and were filled with surprising intelligence. It did the last thing that Eve expected it to do, it spoke. Or at least that’s what it sounded like. It was confusing, its voice, which was strong but with a curious purring undertone sounded out but the cat itself made no indication that she was there.
Hello Eve, it’s been a long time since we last spoke.
‘What do you mean?’ Eve didn’t speak the words, she couldn’t, she was unconscious, but she was conscious it was confusing and as she tried to get it straight in her head it just seemed to confuse her even more. She was unconscious, she couldn’t move her physical body and she had no awareness of her surroundings, but at the same time her thoughts were still active and she could move this body, the one in her mind…it was like a body in a body, or a body in a mind in a body…she decided to stop trying to make sense of it and focused on the cat in front of her. ‘We’ve never met.’
Actually we have, but you were a different person back then.’
Eve frowned, totally lost as to what was going on.
The cat smiled at her, or a cat’s equivalent of a smile, as if it was reading her thoughts. Yes it is confusing for other beings, in your terms I have forced your physical body to enter a coma, but I have kept your mind active so that we could have this conversation in relative peace.
‘Who are you? What do you want?’ Eve demanded. The cat only smiled again. This is the problem with other beings, everything needs to have a price. Perhaps I don’t want anything at all, but as for who I am, in this form I am one of the Felis, and a Two-Skin the humans would call me.
Eve was confused, ‘So you don’t want anything at all?’
I never said that, I have a task for you.
‘Why should I do anything for you? I don’t even know your name.’
I have many names, but also none, I also have many forms but none, and I have taken this one for ease of conversation, I rather enjoy this form. And you should do well to heed what I say because if you don’t the results would be felt by all, and believe me, the results would not be good.
Eve remained silent, waiting.
You must tell Elijah that the past will come back to haunt him, you must also deliver a message to Abaven, tell him that Deus is returning. I have no words to give to Mara, except to tell her that the time is almost upon her, she will know what I mean.
‘That’s it?’
That’s it.
The cat began to fade and Eve had the distinct feeling ofsensation retuning back to her body, her real body.
Oh I almost forgot, If Elijah leaves tomorrow he will most likely die.
and then Add to home screen.