The Day of Cleansing. It's a day of ritual that comes once every 100 years or so. I'm lucky enough to be alive for this one. The
Day of Cleansing is really a ritual day. In the beginning of time, the Creator made the Earth and it's inhabitants. At first, it was a peaceful place.
There was no crime or hurt or pain. No such thing as jealousy or hate. But in time, things changed. After The Rebellion, when the Creator's right-hand
angel rebelled against him and was cast out of Aevum and into Alio, new beings began to appear on Earth. They came to be called Fallen, the angels of Aevum
that had followed Nex (He who had been cast from Aevum) and his rebellious ways. They resembled humans in almost every way, except that they were far more
beautiful than any human had ever been; and on their backs were a pair of black wings, like that of a raven. With these they could easily fly, even though they
weren't hollow-boned creatures. it was a form of evil magic that they possessed, given to them by Nex. With these new beings came all of the horrid things
that haunt our world today: hate, anger, sorrow, pain, jealousy, and so on. All of the bad things. At first, no one knew what to do. It was obvious to everyone
that these new beings were what was causing such things to be. So, our ancestors came to a conclusion: Though it was against the Sanctus Vox to do so, these
new creatures must be destroyed. They killed them. At first it was a simple death, they were killed in any way that they could be killed at the time. But time
changed that, as it changes everything. The killing of the creatures became a ritual in which a person most pure of heart, most often a female, was cleansed
and bathed in holy oil-waters, dressed in purified clothing, and given a purified dagger with which to kill the creature. This was long ago, and the ritual
continues to this day. Whenever one of these Fallen is found, it is taken to the nearest Aevum Solum, or Land of Age, to be put to their death. There is to be
a ritual held tonight, and I, Theia, am to be the one who ends the creature's life.
Theia put down her journal, hands shaking slightly. She smiled and took a deep breath, the cool morning air that filtered through her open window filling her
lungs. She looked outside at the horizon that glowed a beautiful blue color. The sun was rising. Though it was still quite dark, the little light that the
rising sun offered was enough to allow her to faintly see her village. Most windows were still dark, the residents sleeping in their beds. But there were a few
windows lit by candles, those who couldn't sleep for fear of what lay hidden in the temple not so far from their village. They had captured a Fallen two
days ago. One of the hunters had found it by a small fire, its wings wrapped around it's shoulders in an attepmt to keep warm during the night. The one who
had found it snuck up and knocked it unconscious, then drug it to the village where the head Priest had it taken to the temple. It had been there ever since.
Taking another deep breath, Theia rose to her knees and closed her window, sliding the curtains closed before she placed her journal and pen on the little
stand by her bed and blew out her candle. She needed sleep. This was to be an important day for her. She couldn't be tired for it. She had to be as alert
as she could. The creature she was to face was an evil, vile thing, ridden with dark magics that would surely overtake her if she wasn't careful. The
thought made her shudder as she crawled under her covers. She had gotten some sleep that night, but dark dreams had awoken her, dreams, she was sure, that were
caused by the creature's presence so close to their village. But there was a positive side to all things. In this case, she had woken to a beautiful sound.
The birds earliers awake made very beautiful, calming music. It was to this music that she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
Oh Creator...my head...
Sakuro raised his head, his skull throbbing in pain, particularly at the base of his skull. After a moment, other pains became noticable. The pain in his back, like a thousand needles being dragged down. The pain in his arms, ropes wrapped tightly around them, keeping him held securely to...something. The pain in his back and knees. It felt like he had been in one position too long. And there was a weight on his wings. When he tried to flex them, they didn't moved very much. All he heard was a metallic rattling sound and he could feel the pressure of whatever was wrapped around his wings holding them down. A frown line creased between his eyebrows. What was going on? He opened his eyes but could see nothing. There was a light surrounding him, keeping him from seeing anything around him. Fighting the pain that coursed through his body, he raised his head, squinting until his eyes adjusted. He saw the moon. Surrounded by the sky, and something black. Was he in a house, or some other structure? A sharp pain in his back cause him to drop his head, drawing a breath from between his teeth. What the hell had happened? The last thing he remembered was sitting by a fire, trying to keep warm. Trying to keep from being found. He knew his ancestors' stories and legends. he knew they were true. he didn't want to be found. Then there was some rustling, pain, then darkness. Now there was this. It became clear then. He had been found. He was in some Aevum Solum, in a temple there. He felt the color drain from his face. He was going to be killed.
Theia awoke to the sun shining through her white curtains, the bright rays warming her bed and face. She smiled and sat up before opening her eyes. It was obviously a bright day. Ironic because of what the day had in store for her. But then, clouds and rain would only make everything worse. Perhaps the irony wasn't so ironic after all. She slid out of bed and stepped quietly to the small closet across her room. She opened the doors and, from one of the shelves that lined it top to bottom, drew out a white dress. Slipping out of her gown, she unfolded the material and pulled on the dress. It was a plain white dress she had made. She made all of her own clothing. It fit her form, but loosely, and fell to mid-calf. Like most of her clothing, it had no design or markings to make it unique. A simple white dress with a round neckline and long belled sleeves. She ran her brush through her hair and then made her way to the Priest's house. It was time to begin preparation for tonight.
Two days...he had been there, kneeling and tied to that damned cross for two days. No food or water, except for a light rain that had fallen two nights before. He got what he could from it which, in the end, was only a couple of swallows of water. The rest just got him wet and feeling disgusting. But that would have been accomplished without the rain. Two days without bathing had left him feeling and smelling terrible. Two days without moving had made him realize that the only way to relieve himself was to just let it go. At first, he fought against it, but his bladder wouldn't hold. He held it until he couldn't stand it anymore and, with tears of anger, frustration, and disgust running down his face, let it go. Two days had passed, and all he could do was sit there and wait. How long until they finally ended his misery?
The day after it rained, the sun shone bright, like it did today. The heat and humidity from they drying water made the stenches of the temple rise to his nose. There were a multitude of them, all disgusting. Mildew and mold, old stone, bird feces, his own feces. Then there was the worst of them: Death and decay. He had noticed a door to his right when the light was right one day. It was huge, the wood it was made out of old and rotting, the designs that had been carved into it faded with time, but he had a horrible feeling he knew what was behind it just by the smell. It had made him get sick twice now, another smell to add to the others.
Despite the smells, he took a deep breath and sighed. The sun stung his back and shoulders in places where he was already burned, he itched all over the place, his arms were asleep, his knees hurt, and his wings ached like they only did when he had been flying for too long a time. His stomach hurt from the lack of food, his throat stung from stomach acid that seemed to constantly be there. His head hurt, also from the lack of food. His eyes hurt. Everything hurt. But there was something about today that made it tolerable. A feeling. Somewhere in his gut, he knew this was the day it would come to an end.
Theia knocked lightly on the Priest's door. It was answered immediately by his wife, Raziela. She was a beautiful thingin her early 30s, as was the Priest. She had golden hair that fell to her waist in light waves, bright blue eyes that seemed to peer into your innermost being, eyes that held the soft look that a mother gives her child. Full pink lips that smiled easily and near constantly. Smooth skin the color of newly opened pink roses. The body of a grown woman, curves in all the right places. But of course, Theia didn't see her that way. Theia saw a beautiful woman whom she had looked up to since childhood. She had been there for her when her parents were killed so many years ago. She was the one that had taught Theia to sew, to do anything she knew how to do.
Raziela greeted her with a tight, warm hug, which Theia returned happily. "Today's your day, Dove. How do you feel?" Raziela asked, beaming at her. She was always smiling. Theia smiled back, nervousness making her quiver. "I'm fine. Nervous, of course, but I guess that's to be expected." Raziela laughed and ushered Theia inside, closing the door behind her. She led her to the main room of her house. Theia took in a breath. The room was lit by candles that lined every wall. White sheets had been laid across every inch of the floor. The only furniture that sat in the room was a long wooden table and three stools. The table held a myriad of bottles and jars, a neatly folded towel, a pair of shoes, a folded dress, ribbon, brushes, and a dagger. In the center of the room sat a large washtub full of steaming water. The Priest was there, along with another woman from the village. One of Raziela's close friends. The Priest smiled hen Theia entered. "Are you ready?" he asked simply, walking to her and placing his hand son her shoulders. She nodded, smiling up at him. He smiled back, then nodded toward Raziela, who grinned. He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek before leaving the house.
"Alright Dove, it's time to bathe. Take off the dress and get into the tub." Theia did as she was asked without question. These two women had seen her naked before. They had raised her. She stepped into the tub, savoring it's warmth. It was long enough to let her lay down completely and deep enough that when she sat up, the water coeverd her to just beneath her breasts. She looked herself over, the water distorting her body. She had long legs, curves at her hips and behind, a smooth stomach, slender shoulders, and a still-growing chest. Not to say she had small breasts, but she knew she wasn't quite done growing yet. She looked at Raziela as she picked up one of the bottles from the table adn brought it to the tub. Opening the top, she poured the contents into the water and stirred it around with her hand. It was an oil faintly tinted pink that smelled like fresh roses. Closing her eyes, Theia took in a deep breath and smiled. It was one of her favorite scents. Once the oil was distributed to Raziela's liking, she instructed Theia to dunk her head and get thoroughly wet, let the oil cover her and her hair.
The bath was long, but relaxing. Her hair was washed with a rose-scented cleanser, and her body with a rose-scented wash. She stepped out of the tub when it was all finished and stood with her legs and arms spread as Raziela and her friend patted her dry with the soft, white towels. Once she was dry, another towel was wrapped around her hair, both to soak up some of the water in it and keep it out of the way while Raziela and her friend rubbed a thin coating of a rose-scented lotion and oil mix into her skin. She then sat down on one of the stools and tried to relax as the two women brushed out her hair and ran a light conditioner into it. They all chatted quietly while Theia's hair was combed dry and her skin dried off completely, soaking up the lotion-oil mix. Once her hair was dried, Raziela and her friend fixed it for her, twining white ribbon into it in some places. When they finished with her hair, they had her stand and the slipped the dress over her head. It, too, was rather plain. It fell to her ankles in a line. There were no sleeves, and the neckline was scooped, curving right above her breasts. There was nothing special about it, but it was soft and fit her perfectly. Theia smiled at them both. They beamed back, then brought out a tall mirror in which she could see herself. She gasped lightly again. Was it really herself she was seeing? She saw her own green eyes staring back at her, her honey-colored hair falling gently down her back with white ribbon twisted in on either side of her face. There was her small nose, her full lips, and her sun-kissed skin that held a light sheen to it, an effect the oil had it seemed. There were the curves of her body, curves still in development that promised a beautiful woman that would come from this already beautiful 18-year-old girl.
Raziela and her friend grinned at one another. "You are beautiful, Dove." While Theia admired her seemingly-transformed self, Raziela had retrieved the dagger from teh table, which she now placed in Theia's hands. She looked over the blade. It was beautiful. The blade itself was about 5 inches long, a triangular blade with double-edge. It was set in an ivory hilt, decorated in gold patterns. It truly was a magnificent piece of art. One that would soon be covered in blood. The thought made her smile fade significantly. She was jolted out of her thoughts by the Priest entering the house once more. He looked her over and grinned. "My, Theia, you look fantastic. Come now, Dove. It's time."
Theia stood at the doors of the temple, which lay in the center of a small patch of woods just thick enough to hide the village from view. The sky was set aglow in the orange fire of sunset, though she could only see them if she looked up. She was still nervous, but kernel of fear had risen inside of her once she had reached the edge of the woods. Until that point, she had been with someone. But they left her at the edge. It was something she had to do on her own. The kernel had grown the further into the woods she went, at last making her shiver despite the warmth of the day when she reached the temple doors. She stared at them now, and at the temple itself. It wasn't very big. It contained only three rooms. The first was the entrance hall, a short passage way that led from outside to the main room, a large circular area where the creature was tied to a cross. Then there was the third room, if it could really be called such. It was a deep pit behind a set of large wooden doors, into which the body of the creature would be thrown once it had been killed.
Theia took a deep breath and walked up to the doors, the dagger clutched tightly in her right hand. She studied the faded and worn doors for a moment before pushing them open.
Sakuro's head flew up, an action he came to regret from the pain it caused to ripple through him. Someone was here. He hear the sound of stone scraping against stone, and a light filling an archway before him, his view blocked by an old and torn curtain that hung in the way. As much as his stomach already hurt, the pain intensified at that moment. He was going to die in less than three minutes. His killer was here to do his deed. To his own surprise, no tears came to his eyes. His fear dried up in an instant, replaces with a burning rage and hatred. His eyes narrowed to a glare, focused on the curtain, and the shadow moving slowly behind it.
Theia wrinkled her nose as she entered the temple. It smelled horrible, but she kept moving. The stone beneath her bare feet was cold, but smooth. In front of her hung an onld curtain in a low arch-way. It was faded, what color it originally was she could never guess, and torn in many places. She approached it slowly, taking deep breaths to help calm herself. Just before it, she stopped, gripping the dagger tightly still, and mentally tried to prepare herself. She was facing the unknown, an evil creature that brought everything bad to this world. A creature of dark magic. A creature that belonged in Alio with Nex and the rest of his underlings. One more deep breath, and she pulled back the curtain and stepped through. She stopped in her tracks, determination and everything else she felt simply falling away at the sight before her eyes, at the sight of the evil, beautiful man tied to the cross in the center of the room.
