"The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night..."

  -Psalm 121:6

  CHAPTER 1.2: The Sun Without Warmth

  Belcalis' eyes went wide, a pain he had never felt before erupting from his chest. It wasn't fleshly, it was something internal, as if his very soul was just stabbed by that golden sword, ripping and tearing. The boy's wings stretched out and pulled him backwards with a wind that forcefully pushed the metal man back and made him stumble "So easy" He taunted, flying into the sky and staring down at a now wounded and highly shocked Belcalis; sword still stuck in his chest. Looking at the wound, he felt his breathing quicken, yet strangely enough, no blood left the edges of it. He couldn't help but think if there was even flesh under the metal.

  "I'm sorry I- I don't know where I am- I didn't mean to-"

  "What? You didn't mean to what? The boy's voice was taunting as he smiled at the sight. "Don't whine, demon. That's not how you earn an honorable death" He flew out of sight, the wind from his wings making Belcalis tense to not fall down. His sword. His eyes landed on it still laying behind him on the overgrown stone floor as if yelling at him to take it; but before he could even act, another golden sword flew from the air with a piercing swoop and straight into his shoulder, this time pulling him to the ground with it.

  He screamed, the pain of this one much greater than the first strike. "Ah Ah Ah demon. I won't let you bring pain and obliteration to this land. Not here, not now" The boy's words echoed, bouncing off of the nature-covered walls of the town, not giving Belcalis a clear thought as to where it could be coming from. More wind made him tense, the cold shiver of it suddenly being felt and the force pushing him to take a knee.

  "Who are you! Why are you doing this!" Belcalis couldn't help but shout, a sense of despair running through him. "I already told you-" The white feathers came into view as the boy lowered himself from the sky, bare feet not touching the ground and keeping a hover above the metaled man; a physical sign of their power difference. "I am your god, and you are not welcome here!"

  Belcalis heard himself gasp once more as the ground suddenly shook, the stone floor under him turning into sand right before his eyes. White chains that looked to be stone came up from the sand and quickly tied themselves around his arms, pulling him and trying to pin him to the floor. Finally thinking, he began to fight back, pulling against the chains that grabbed him. Some broke quickly, but more replaced them even quicker; grabbing at his shoulders, his chest and one even attaching itself to his helmet. He was pulled, pinned to the floor with a loud thud.

  His vision blurred from the whiplash before it steadied on a sideways view of the boy's feet slowly descending from the air and into the floor next to him. "I almost feel bad for you" He spoke, voice soft once more but still full of clear mockery. "A demon like you being born only to be killed so quickly. "Its almost saddening" He got close and crouched for the other to see him, blue eyes somehow making him feel comforted. "You didn't ask for this...It was the card you were dealt" The warmth didn't last long as Belcalis began to feel something leaving him, red clouding his vision and the floor... was he bleeding? That wasn't happening before. The boy seemed to notice it too and smiled. "You're letting go already, that's great" He spoke" It'll be easier for you if you do that-"

  "Pippin!" Belcalis could barely bear the voice, but he recognized it as the first boy. "Meri" He saw the tattered shoes of the first boy hug the child he now knew as Pippin. "You're safe now. He's dying" Dying... The thought flashed in his mind, warning bells running though. He was dying... he couldn't die, not here, not right now. He had a job to do... but these people.. to them he was a demon. Belcalis began to wonder if he truly was a demon. Something otherworldly sent here to cause pain... but he was so confused. He didn't want to cause anyone pain... but that didn't matter now. He closed his eyes trying to silence the warning bells and let fate take him away.

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  ...

  The sudden sound of screeching silver made his eyes shoot open and cut off the conversation around him. "AHH!" He heard the human boy scream in pain as if the sound itself was deadly to his ears, and suddenly-

  Boom!

  The ground shook and the massive weight of the chains that had previously held him down disappeared. Dust clouded the air as he tried to sit up, a cough leaving in as well as a near bucket of blood that slipped from the wound on his chest and shoulder. He held it, hand touching the golden sword that had broken when he was pulled to the ground.

  "And the Angel said to them..."

  Belcalis snapped his head into the dust cloud, the new voice cutting through the chaos around him.

  "...Fear not; For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy..."

  He couldn't look away, the dust settling and slowly revealing a new form, one standing in the middle of the overgrown city like a hunter came to collect.

  "Which shall be to all people..."

  With the smoke gone, the form became clear. A woman standing in gold armor came into view. Her body was completely covered in metal spikes that left at random as if she were a doll full of pins. Particularly long spikes left the sides and top of her head like a depicted crown, and the suit of armor as a whole, stained in old blood giving it a rusted look like old brandished gold.

  She began stepping closer, her dark skirt flowing as she moved. Belcalis’ eyes landed on the sword in her hand, long and dragging against the floor beside her purposefully as if wanting him to hear it.

  “I pray this in the name of the Father…and of the son”

  He tensed, quickly moving to grab his sword. As his hand touched it however, another golden weapon shot out, stabbing into his hand and pinning it. “Don't move!” Pippin, the boy with the golden curls yelled at him, his face a lot less playful and cocky than before. “You think you're funny huh? Sending this idiot to distract me”

  He noticed the boy was now taking slow steps back, a light shine of sweat on his face as the woman slowly approached. “...Thy kingdom come…thy will be done-”

  “Quit that! It doesn't make you cool!” Pippin's wings stretched out, clearly getting ready for a fight. Belcalis heard a whimper, his eyes landing on the human boy who was still clutching his ears, crouched to the ground in pain. Those warning bells rang in his head once more as the woman's prayer came to an end and her footsteps got closer.

  “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us…. From evil.” The woman looked up, her metal face boring at pippin, even without eye slits. Her sword stopped dragging, the town silent for the first time since the two showed up.

  Move

  Belcalis acted. He felt the metal of his hand break into two from the blade that held it down but he didn't feel the pain at that moment. His feet took him to the human boy, hands wrapping around him, blocking him from the sudden and loud screech of light that exploded behind him. He didn't know what it was, but he could feel the heat of it on his back. Wind flew past him before another loud boom brought down an already decaying building that quickly fell as if it were a weak pile of bricks and not a two story house.

  “Amen”

  He looked behind him, ears ringing and eyes on the woman whose metaled face was now directed at him…

  “You destructive harlot!”

  Among the debris of the fallen building, Pippin slowly resurfaced, rock and ash falling from his noticeably dirtier clothes and some still in his hair. “You dare lay a finger on me, a god!” He was angry, face red and wings stretching out to seem intimidating. “Ill kill you! You and your deceitful, idiot henchman! I'll kill both of you demons! For ruining my sanctuary!”

  Belcalis wanted to see what was about to happen, but with the small cry of pain he heard, his focus directed back to the boy. Looking at him, he noticed the shaking and the hands now holding him like a lifeline even when he was afraid of him moments before. Belcalis reminded himself not to speak, now sure his voice probably didn't sound the same to the child as it had to Pippin. He needed to get him out of here.

  A slicing wind flew past him as Pippin moved without care for the child he seemed to know, his golden swords appearing from the air and focusing on the woman who was clearly ready to fight back. Belcalis on the other hand, grabbed the boy and stood up. He could still feel the bleeding from his body, but didn't focus on it, his feet making a run for it further into the overgrown town that was nearly his grave. He could hear his heart, fast in his ears but he couldn't stop now- not with the boy in his arms now.