Picture Challenge: Angelic

[Hecatoncheires]

NOTE: They say that a picture can tell a thousand words; this challenge aims to see how many words our members can tell from a picture. Each week an image relating to a certain genre shall be posted, and members are challenged to see what sort of plot, character or idea can be developed from it.

You can post as much or as little as you want to; post the short story the image inspired, or post the quick idea for a plot that it gave you. Quantity is not what this is about; this challenge is all about trying to inspire you to get ideas for genres you may not previously have had any interest in.

There is no time limit on these challenges; feel free to get involved whenever you like.

CATEGORY: This week, the category is ANGELIC.
And so without further interruptions...

...here is this week's image

Next week's category will be VIKINGS.

 

[Alexhandr]

The battle was over. After ten days of terrifying combat, the Angels of Heaven, the Light's Soldiers, had won. But the cost was terrible. Many a holy warrior lay dead across the ashen battlefield, their celestial bodies torn, shattered, and broken. Delicate, handsome faces were gashed, scarred, and bloodied. Their heavenly armor, so bright and awe-inspiring to gaze upon, was now coated with the blood of their daemonic foes and that of their celestial brethren. What remained of the devastated company of the Maker's Warriors were all beaten and battered, their hearts heavy with sorrow. Tears streamed down their faces as they saw what surrounded them: miles of corpses of angels and their heavenly steeds and daemons and their hellspawned beasts. Blood soaked the ashen ground, giving it a dark, muddy quality. Despicable pyro-ravens descended to feast upon the thousands of dead, only to be shooed away by irate angels who were wiping their tear-stained, blood smothered faces off. Billows of smoke, fire, and ash filled the air from the deep, fiery abysses that surrounded them, and the Eye of the Betrayer, the One Who Went Against, gazed down upon them mockingly, teasing them, taunting their minds with repeated images of what they just endured. The Maker Himself wept, covering his Holy Face with his hands, gathering the water within his palms. The Creator parted his palms and let His tears descend onto the battlefield. As the Divine Tears hit the ashen ground, the magma and ash dissipated, only to be replaced by bright, cyan cracks and crevices. In the middle of it all sprouted a rose. This rose was the most beautiful thing the Maker had ever created. A female angel knelt down before it, tears in her eyes. She plucked it from the ground and gazed upon it for several minutes, gingerly caressing the petals with her bloodied, but tender fingers. She kissed the rose and held it up high to her Maker. In the midst of the war between Heaven and Hell, there was Hope, and the Creator had let His Warriors know that He was there, and He was on their side. With a silent prayer parting from her lips, the female celestial soldier smiled. A bright, beautiful smile that all her comrades saw, and it rekindled their broken spirits.

"Let not this what you see before you break you, my Brethren!" she cried out, her gorgeous voice meeting the ears of her company. "The Maker will never forsake us! We all know this! Let what has happened here fuel your desire to smite Evil and purge the world of Darkness! Hold high your hearts, your hopes, your heads, and your blades! The Light shall never be defeated!"

Her battle-weary friends cheered, raising up their crystal, blood stained blades in the air. The Betrayer would meet his demise.

 

[Tetsuri Tokai]

[DASH=Yellow]

For many centuries, a battle had been fought. These battles were known as the Cryptic Battle. It was stated in a legend that Requarian (Angel-like gods) and Teriats (Demon-like gods) fought a war that divided the planet of Harmicion. The battle was known as Terror's Force. The Requarian amounted in great numbers and warriors, as well as the had the power of light, which could overcome the dark powers of the Teriats. But, the Terriots had something that they needed, the Gem of Harmicion.

With the gem, they could defeat the Requarion and go on further to take over the universe and other universes beyond theirs. The Requarion caught ear to there plan and took a stand against their tyranny. But, the Teriat would not just roll over and bow to their will. At the opposite sides of the planet, their forces amassed and lined the entire planet, almost covering it entirely.

The battle at hand was ready to begin. The leader of the Requarion, Salfina, goddess of beauty, ready her warriors. The leader of the Teriats, Yurio, god of chaos, stood firmly in front of his army, facing the leader from their side of the planets. In unison they commanded their soldiers to charge, extended either hand corresponding to the other's. The warriors of both sides charged in and the battle had begun.

The mighty force from both of the warriors powers clashed and the planet began to decompose. It was cracking under the sheer pressure of the power. The very gem the Requarion set out to save, was dwindling away with each use of its power. Salfina, who was aware of this, commanded her force to push and fight harder. But, Yurio pushed back, unaware that eventually the gem's power would disappear.

Finally, the gems power had been depleted. The planet began to completely die out. Everything began to rot away and the planet took on a feature of something more chaotic. Yurio's forces began to fall without the power of the gem on their side. They began to retreat as the Requarion launched a final, full on assault.

The Teriats had been defeated. But, Salfina knew that they would return to extract revenge. She also knew that the victory would only be short lived. While her warriors celebrated and rejoiced, she made her way to a rock and rested on it. She watched as the Teriat slowly dissapeared from the battlefield, and then manifested a red rose within her hand. She watched as the petals floated from the stem and began making her plan, to fend off the Teriat's next assault. The great battle had only just begun......the war was about to begin, soon.

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