Prophetess Chaperon

Derunia, Earth

***

The night was still young but Dreygo felt weary and exhausted for some vague reasons. Maybe it was his humanity that told his body to rest and to eat. He was not accustomed to on-time meals when he was in hell which made his mortal body difficult to adjust.

But even though, it felt like heaven as he was not hearing Demon howls, Hell monsters' growls, and the never-ending deafening sound of fire flares consuming timber and eating everything in its path. Now, all silence, like music to Dreygo's ears.

All he heard were car horns and dog barks but not that noisy compared to hell. The Hellish environment and the unending chaos made him loathe to sleep, even close his eyes. If he did, never-ending nightmares will flood his dreams.

Annoyed, his peaceful sleep was disturbed by the irritating knock on the door. But when he saw Elaine Marks, his annoyance faded. A beautiful face such as hers, like a fallen angel mixed with the flaws of a human, made her more perfect to the Harbinger's eyes.

"Where can I sit?" Elain Marks asked trying to find comfort. She was strangely gasping for air.

"You can sit on my bed." Dreygo offered.

Elaine sat on the bed, her legs crossed. She wore tight jeans and a loose shirt. She was a long-legged woman with nice body curves, subtle enough under her loose shirt. She had tribal tattoos along her arms and emerging from her neck.

Her glasses were necessary and her eyes with black eyeliner makeup made her look like a goth girl. She had black and wavy hair as black as the night sky, which matched her smoky eyes, contrasted beautifully with her tanned skin. She seemed to be a spoiled girl with daddy issues but subtle enough to intimidate any man.

"Do you have water here?" She sounded demanding.

Dreygo was not able to answer as he had difficulty even finding one.

She continued, "Don't worry. I bet you do not know what a fridge is." She stood up again, opened the fridge, and took a bottle of water. She sat down again in her previous position.

"Why are you panting?" Dreygo asked.

"I was a bit scared, Viriel told me that I have to see a Demon who wanted to talk to the Seer of Derunia. I pictured you differently. Seeing you now, you are…ah..." She stressed the last word.

"Are what?" Dreygo asked.

"ahh, H-Handsome," Elaine stammered. "You do not look like a Demon. I mean, you look human, but a gorgeous one." She chuckled with a hint of seduction. She drank half of the bottle of water and placed it on the nightstand near her.

Dreygo just watched her, astonished by her beauty. Her human features, the way she carried her hair, the way she crossed her legs, even the way she drank the whole bottle, looked as if all was in slow motion.

"Listen Dreygo, I came here to help you when Viriel's out of town. I mean, out of this world. He will communicate through me."

"I thought humans cannot talk to Angels. Because that would be divine intervention." Dreygo mused.

"Yes, normal humans don't. But I, on the other hand, am a prophetess. I was bestowed with the power to talk to divine beings. Only a few of the people are gifted with these powers."

"A prophetess?"

"Yes, a prophetess. In the oldest times, we were used as instruments to guide our kind, humankind, not to destroy themselves and to take care of this world. We are given the power to interpret the language of Heavenly beings. But never was I able to talk to their Heavenly Supreme, only to Viriel."

Dreygo sat down in a corner chair and slouched with his feet spread across the carpet. "Ok prophetess, will you help me find the Seer of Derunia?"

Elaine responded, "Let us have dinner first, I am famished. I know a place, a few blocks from here."

"That's a good idea. Ok Elaine, take me to dinner. My tummy rumbles again like the souls of Demons perished by my blade." Dreygo gladly replied.

It was a golden opportunity to explore Earth outside his motel, even only by dining in a small-time resto bar and most especially with a beautiful girl like Elaine Marks.

They went out of the room and directly headed to Sheena's Restobar on Plaridel Street, a few minutes walk away from the motel. Dreygo sauntered faster ahead of her. Dreygo could barely hold his confidence in a human girl. Being a gentleman was not his priority nor even his interpersonal skills.

The street was silent and dark with only a few cars passing. However, the diner's façade lights were bright enough to invite passers-by and the transparent glass wall augmented its exterior design's attractiveness.

They went inside and settled on a corner table near the glass wall, overlooking the road. The lights were hung low but even so, the whole diner was dim. Unlike his first diner experience at Marina, the place was quiet. There were a few people in the diner eating light meals and having light conversations.

Slow music sets the place's mood and portraits of known locals hung on the far side of the wall. A prim young waitress, clearly a working student, wearing a white diner dress with a folded apron on her waist, came to their table and took their orders.

The Harbinger did not say anything but let Elaine do the ordering instead. She ordered a tuna sandwich with lettuce and mayonnaise, spread with cheese, and a Bolognese pasta for Dreygo partnered with two diet sodas right after she went over the menu.

The waitress went back and served their meals with utmost professionalism. Her smile rarely ceased as she faced customers. Dreygo slurped his pasta almost without chewing like a food grinder.

Elaine was astonished looking at Dreygo eat. On the other hand, she ate her sandwich delicately even though she was very hungry. Not one of them started the conversation until Dreygo finished the meal.

"How do you become a prophetess?" His words broke out.

"Well, it is quite like inborn, you know." She said after a few gulps of her soda. "These gifts are randomly given. I do not know for sure." She took a small bite of her sandwich and continued, "I can see ghosts, divine beings, and even talk to them during my sleep. I can see less of the future, but I cannot control it. Sometimes it comes, and sometimes it won't. I did not see a purpose for my gifts, until now." Elaine said with her last statement uttered faintly but it weighed a heavy meaning.

"Well, I am going to kill Kragus, and if you are going to help me find him, that is the greatest purpose your powers could attain." Dreygo slouched and both his hands clasped together at the back of his head, enjoying the fullness of his belly.

"We need to find the Seer first. She is easy to find, but not easy to penetrate. She surrounds herself with Demons and witches. The seer is a witch who practiced black magic. Do you have encountered them in hell?"

Dreygo nodded and Elaine continued, "I think she knows that you are here now and I can feel her powers lingering in our surroundings like two large bulging eyes staring at us, following us wherever we go."

"She knows when we will visit her so there will be no sneak attacks with this one. Her territory surrounded her with Angel curses, so no presence of Angels can withstand its curse's power. Therefore, only Demons can penetrate her territory. Her powers grow stronger during the night time and so are her witches. Therefore, it is best to approach her in the morning when the sun is at its highest peak."

"The seer situates herself at the foot of the mountain but the forest trees are so thick that it made its surroundings a little bit dark. She and her witches engulfed the surroundings with an intimidating aura that is extreme for normal beings like me. If we, humans, stayed within her aura's reach, we might go insane. I do not know if that mattered to you. I mean, you live in hell for Centuries. I am sure a small energy aura from witches will not intimidate you. "

"There is one way to find out." Dreygo confidently said. He did not want to go crazy and live the rest of his sorry life.

"One more thing," Elaine said. "Do you know how to use guns?"

"Guns? No, I haven't."

"Well, you will need guns because they have guns. And your body will die if you will get shot."

"I think I do not need them. I have my dagger here and my superb killer instincts." Dreygo chuckled.

"Do not get too cocky, Dreygo. Bullets will kill you."

"There is only one way to find out, Elaine," Dreygo said, smiling at her. "Let's pay her a visit then."