Young Writers Society

     A crowd of Angels was slowly forming in the square, muttering in shock at the scene before them. A stern man cut suddenly through the chaotic mass. "Out of my way," the deep voice ordered, and the people scattered to the sides, clearing a path for the commanding individual. The Great Councilman Simon inched forward, relying heavily on his walking stick to stand. He froze in place when the sight met his eyes, and his legs shook with terror and weakness. He started to collapse, but he didn't quite hit the ground. 

     "Father!" Marcus ran out of the congregation of Angels to his father's side, sliding beneath an arm to offer his support. Heaving, the Great Councilman stood straight again. "Father, what's going on here? Why has everyone gathered? No meeting was called..." His gaze began to wander to the citizens around him, but everyone's eyes were glued to the stage. Once he was certain Simon was stable, he began to approach the stage. The raven-haired man's eyes widened, the sprung forth with tears, and the finally narrowed with rage. He spun around and addressed the crowd. "Look!" He cried in fury. "Look upon this carnage and tell me that we can coexist with Magick-kind! The sympathizers amongst you- unveil your eyes! This is what happens when the menace is allowed to roam, free from consequences! This is what happens when we let up from our assault upon them!" He stormed up on the stage and screamed like a banshee. 

     Three wooden crosses had been attached to the stage, and to each a member of the council had been nailed by the wrists and ankles. There were bloody dents in their heads from where they had been knocked out, and behind them a message had been scrawled on the walls of the council hall in bloody letters: No sins go unpunished. Marcus howled into the wind, mourning for the men who had practically raised him through childhood. And then, there was silence so pure that the sparks of embers were heard by all. Marcus's eyes turned back to the crowd just in time to see the blue fireball make contact with his father's head. He tried to cry out in warning, but it was far too late. The cerulean flames engulfed the Great Councilman like wildfire, quickly leaving nothing but a bloody pile of bones- a sight all too familiar for all of them. His eyes moved up to the sky, where a hooded figure floated ominously, another fireball in hand. "Death to those who stand in our way!" It cried. "And worse upon those who deem us unworthy of existence! This is your warning, Angels- do not come for our families again!" And then, just like that, he vanished, as if he evaporated into the air. 

     Chaos began to erupt throughout the square, Angels panicking and screeching, and all Marcus could do was watch his people fall into disarray as he fell to his knees. His focus remained on the pile of bones upon the ground, which was being trampled by the flock of madness. He could almost hear the cracking of the various appendages above the crowd, driving him to psychotic thoughts. The man who brought him into existence, one of the most powerful Angels in existence, had been felled by a simple flame. It was a devastating reminder of his own mortality, watching his father burn to death. Yet, somehow, a voice seemed to awaken within him in this moment of tragedy. Marcus began to stand, finding a small wisp of strength within and grasping at it desperately. He yelled to the crowd, commanding their attention.

     "My brothers!" He bellowed to the crowd, which soon began to ease into a quieter mass. Once they were all listening, he spoke, the words flowing out of him as if from a fresh water spring. "My brothers, a great tragedy has occurred here today, and we cannot allow this to go unpunished. As Simon's one and only heir, I will take the lead council seat. Over the course of the next week, I will be deciding who else to appoint to the remaining seats. Then, when everything has been returned to the proper order, we will begin to plot our next move against Magick-kind. We will triumph over these monsters, men!" The crowd cheered in agreement, and Marcus sighed. "Now, would someone please clean up this mess and arrange for a proper burial of these great people? I need to do some thinking alone before I make any major decisions. After that, you're all dismissed." 

     The crowd began to disperse, and a handful of the people with stronger stomachs stayed behind to do clean up. Marcus's eyes wandered back to the bloody mass in the center of the square, and for just a moment he wondered if perhaps his father had deserved what he got- if perhaps this was the world enacting some sort of revenge for what had been done so many years ago. It was only for a moment, though, and then he moved inside the council hall to begin his new life as The Great Councilman Marcus.