Undone by a Broken Angel

4.) David- 19 Years Ago

“All the people were trying to touch him, because (healing) power was coming from Him and healing them all.”

 -Luke 6:19

“We need a medic over here!” David hears someone yell from across the clearing.  There are screams of agony, clashing weapons, and the pounding of wings all around him.  Women and children flee for safety among the trees, leaving behind their personal items.  He can’t tell which direction the screams are coming from with all the chaos, and the pounding of his heart in his ears isn't helping his senses.  Time seems to slow and all sound dissipates, the long grass in the clearing waves in the wind.  He can hear his breath slow and he focuses on the situation on hand.

His platoon had been tasked with moving the remaining women and children from the McKinley bunker back to Eden.  The families had lived there for centuries in peace, but with their population falling so rapidly, everyone left Eden to assist the queen and the remaining soldiers.  David, being a medic, was required to be on this mission, despite how young and raw he is.

A reaper advances on him, it’s edge-less form dark and phantom like, raises a sword and he raises his own in defense.  Shaking, he prays to God for strength and courage, and just as he’s about to swing, another soldier swoops in on tan wings to strike it down.  The reaper is cut in two and lays motionless on the tall grass.

David wants to thank him, but his attention is drawn to someone yelling for a medic again.  It’s coming from two o’clock and he sprints off in that direction.  He leaps over bodies and weapons strewn about the open field.  He runs towards the loudest screams, hoping he gets to the injured in time.  Upon arriving, he sees a falcone man laying on the ground groaning, edging closer and closer to unconsciousness.  Another falcone man with white wings dotted with light tan spots, presses on the fallen man’s chest, red blossoming between his fingers.  David looks at him in shock.

“You’re Majesty,” David breaths in awe.  He knew there would be high class people on this venture, but he never expected there to be royalty.  The queen’s brother should be in Eden, what is he doing here?

“You’re the medic?” the prince asks with skeptical eyebrows raised.

“I’m the only one you have,” David replies quickly, a little annoyed that his skills are in question just because of his age.

“How old are you, boy?”

David has a mind not to answer him.  He needs to look at that wound given how quiet the man is becoming.  He kneels down to inspect the man’s vitals and finds them slowly fading away.  “Sixteen,” he finally replies.

The prince sighs, but moves his hands aside to let David analyze the wound.  It’s not an uncommon wound, it’s just not something he’s ever had first hand experience with.  Falcone swords leave clean cuts, while reaper blades rip the flesh to the point where repairing them is next to impossible, but not for David.  He knows how to do this- in theory.  He focuses on the dying man’s spirit to get a good picture of his body and the broken flesh in his chest.  Drawing on his own spirit, he draws the wound closed, feeling each cell knit together.  Slowly, the downed man’s breathing goes back to normal and eventually falls asleep.

The prince obviously doesn’t like to be proved wrong and David can’t help but give him a smug smile.  “What’s your name?” the prince asks.

“David,” he answers, “David McKinley.”

His royal goes pale.  “Thank you, David,” he chokes out.

Just then, David hears another yell of pain so he takes off again to do the work God intended him to do.  He spends a long time, what fells like hours, going from falcone to falcone to piece them whole again.  

By the time he looks up, ready to bounce to the next victim, he hears nothing but silence.  Looking around, it appears that all the reapers have been dealt with.  They’ve arranged the mending falcone to the edge of the treeline and the healthy bring them water and give them food from their packs.  Feeling relief flood him, he falls over in exhaustion, the adrenaline that had been driving him on draining from him.

The setting sun throws pinks and oranges across the horizon.  David, laying on his back, admires the beautiful sight.  He takes a moment to breathe and just take in the moment of calm.  Until, his view is interrupted by the prince’s face.

“You okay, Kid?” he asks and David can hear actual concern filling his voice.  He helps David to his feet, but with all the energy he used in healing, he sways on his feet.

“I’ve been better,” the young medic admits.

“You’ve saved many lives today,” he praises, “I’m very impressed.”

David puffs up his chest in pride despite the blush on his cheeks.

“Despite your family name and the situation our people are in, you’re going to play an important role in the future of our survival.  May God protect you.”  The prince pats his shoulder.  “Stay alive, Kid.”  He walks away, leaving David feeling both praised and insulted.

It’s true his family has a rough past, but they’ve also been the reason the falcone has been able to survive for so long.  Moving about the world safely isn’t easy.  It was their idea to build an underground bunker- their first military fort.  Most falcone thought it unnatural to stay underground instead of being in the sky, but the McKinley’s believed in survival above all else.

The falcone men still on their feet recruit him to go into the trees to call back the women and children.  They’re most likely in the treetops since reapers cannot fly- it’s the safest place for them to hide.  He descends deeper and deeper into the trees, yelling for them to come back, but he is given no answering cry.  His stomach fills with dread.  As he continues to search, the light is fading fast, and eventually he turns around before it gets too dark.  Feeling the remaining energy he has dropping with every step, he hopes that he can get some rest before they take off, but an uneasy feeling won’t leave him.  Where is everyone?  As he approaches the clearing, he notices how eerily quiet it is.

He rounds the last set of trees and he’s now standing at the edge of the clearing, now almost pitch black out.  Silence meets his ears and he holds his breath to try and make out any sound at all, anything that would indicate that his comrades didn’t leave him behind.  Then he hears it, a distorted yell.  He has trouble placing the sound- it could have been falcone, but it also sounded like a reaper.  Whatever it is, it sends chills down his spine and he draws his sword, gripping it with white knuckles.  

It attacks from his right side with a falcone blade, he can hear that much from the ring of the steel.  As his eyes adjust to the darkness, he can see a flash of white wings and realizes that it’s the prince who is attacking him.  The prince swings at him again and David blocks, but David doesn’t give him the chance to counter.  He swings on the offensive and slits open his thigh and the man staggers to one knee.

“What are you doing?” David demands of his prince.

“The God Spawn must perish!” the prince screeches out.

In the darkness David can’t see his prince’s eyes, but he has a sickening suspicion on what is going on here.  “Did you kill them all?” David asks, feeling the grief and anger fill him.

The prince’s voice changes back to normal, and when he speaks it's full of anguish and guilt.  “I couldn’t help it,” he cries, “it told me to.”  His voice morphs again to it’s previous unnatural tone.  It appears as though his prince is possessed, only it’s not possible for falcone to be possessed, unless it was achieved physically, not spiritually.  "I'm going to rip you to pieces."

David strikes at him again, his limbs growing lethargic from his exhaustion, but he’s able to land a blow along the prince’s shoulder.  The prince, now all both knees, falls back.  “I cannot save you,” he tells him sadly.

He can see the prince look up at him then,  and he can see that his struggle is lost. The demon inside has won- there is no cure.  Before the demon inside can have a chance to strike back, David lays the fatal blow and lops his prince’s head off, praying to God for forgiveness.  

He wishes he could stay to bury the dead.  He wishes he could stay to bring the prince’s body back to the prince's sister, the Queen, but he cannot stay, not alone like he is.  He needs to find safety, and despite how heavy his eyelids are and how limp his limbs seem to be, he needs to head back to the bunker.  He intended to go back anyway because he had left his younger brother behind and he needs to go back to protect him.  He just hopes that after today and the loss they took, their race can still somehow be saved.