Ixarael

could be

• An Abridged History

  I.

  Ixarael was born to a demon mother and an angel father. Her mother was a prostitute, and her father, a General in one of Heaven's armies. After a one night stand, the demon became pregnant with the girl. Her father refused to acknowledge any responsibility for the child and abhorred the thought of a halfbreed spawn. He abandoned them while her mother was still pregnant and was killed in battle not long after. Life was rough for the woman and child, growing up in the slums of Hell, but the woman truly loved Ixa and did her best to support them. The other children would tease the girl and often she'd come home in tears. Her mother would hold the child and console her until she stopped crying. There was a strong bond between the pair. Then one fateful night, she was murdered in the streets, leaving a six year old Ixa to fend for herself.
• II.
  Growing up half angel was difficult for the young girl. As angels and demons loathed one another, and Heaven and Hell were constantly at war, it was considered the ultimate taboo for a demon and angel to get together; even moreso for them to breed. The other demon children at the orphanage were cruel and mocking, and she was often bullied. They would gather around and push her, pull her hair and tug at her feathered wings, often chanting things like "Halfbreed!" and "Featherblood!" Some of the larger and crueler children would even beat her up. As the young girl grew older, she grew more and more desperate to prove herself. Full of rage and hatred for her angelic side, she renounced her angelic heritage, and claimed a full demonic bloodline. Anyone who dared to speak otherwise was jumped and beaten. By the time she had reached puberty, she was picking all sorts of fights and was constantly in and out of trouble. No amount of discipline could deter the young delinquent and she had become too much for the orphanage to handle. The director of the orphanage decided it was best to ship her off to boot camp for military training.
• III.
  The young hybrid quickly proved to be much tougher than she looked. She had plenty of stamina and could perform through obstacle courses and exercise drills with ease. She had the makings of one day becoming a valuable soldier. Her only problem was that she just couldn't stay out of trouble. It was only a few months into her training before other cadets started harassing her on a daily basis. After getting into several fights, one in which she nearly killed another cadet, she was deemed unfit for the military and expelled from the school. Once again, she found herself out on the streets. Only this time, she was completely alone.
• IV.
  The streets were a rough and dangerous place, especially at night. All manner of sketchy characters lurked about, from hookers to hobos, to thieves and gangs. The girl, still only in her early teens, was a vulnerable target for such predators. She slept wherever she could find a place to lay her head and often ate whatever scraps of garbage she could find. It was a terrible life to live, that is, until the day she had a run in with the Serpentes Volaticus, street gang with a notorious reputation for violence, thievery, vandalism and drug peddling. As far as street gangs went, they were the elite and feared by many. A member approached the girl with knife drawn and demanded she give him whatever valuables she had on her person. To his surprise, instead of showing fear and giving into his demands, she stood her ground and fought him. With a swift kick, the knife flew from the demon's hand and within seconds, she was on top of him, fists bloodied as they pounded at his face. It wasn't until the others rushed in and pulled her off of him that they finally managed to break up the fight. She was approached by their leader, a tall, mocha skinned man of proportionate muscle, with raven hair that fell to his shoulders, and oddly enough, the same glittering onyx eyes. While he recognized the girl immediately, she had no idea that she was actually staring up at her older half-brother, Avrael. He was a full demon, a product of a union their mother had had before she had Ixa. She had been too young to remember the boy before he left with his father.
• V.
  "And just what the hell do you think you're doing beating up one of my men?" he asked in a harsh tone, though his brow quirked in amusement. "Your man attacked me first. You should keep him on a leash." she spat, snatching arms away from the demons who held her. "I see. That was impressive fighting. For a featherblood, at least. Ever considered joining a gang?" Her gaze met his in a glare of challenge, but she stood there with her arms crossed and said nothing. "It's quite simple. If you can take a beating for, oh, six minutes, you can join us. If not, well, we'll leave you here to bleed to death." His words were strangely calm and his face was emotionless. "Get her." At a nod of the demon's head, several demons were upon the girl in seconds, punching, kicking and stomping her. Greatly outnumbered, She could do nothing but lay curled in a ball as she was beaten for what felt like the longest six minutes of her life. Bones were broken, eyes were blackened, and blood poured from her nose and mouth. When she felt like she could no longer stand it, the leader yelled "Stop!" and the demons backed away. She coughed up more blood and lifted her head weakly, barely conscious. With swollen eyes, busted lip and several broken ribs, she was in bad shape, but managed to murmur one thing to the leader. "Fuck you." Her head collapsed on the pavement and she blacked out.
• VI.
  When the girl awoke, she was laying in a makeshift bed, bandaged and stitched up, but still in a lot of pain. Judging from her unfamiliar surroundings, she appeared to be in some sort of run-down abandoned warehouse. It wasn't until she saw Avrael approaching her, that she realized this must be where the gang lived. "Good, you're awake. You know, for a shortstack, you sure can take a beating." He seemed genuinely impressed. So, will you join us then? The girl though about it for a moment. Life on the streets was difficult alone. She often went without food, and had to constantly watch her back. It seemed there was strength in numbers with a gang, at least. "Ah, what the hell. Yeah, I'll join."The leader grinned and shook her hand. "Welcome to the Serpentes Volaticus, kid." It didn't take too long for the girl to heal and not long after joining, she received the gang's insignia as a tattoo, just below her right clavicle. It was a mark that all members bore. After learning of her relation with Avrael, the demon took the girl under his wing and taught her all the ropes of being in a street gang, from pickpocketing, to fighting, and even selling drugs. She was a natural, and while he was rough on the girl, he loved his sister in his own way. "Never show weakness, and don't let others see you cry," he had taught her. She ran with the gang for many years, growing up as a streetwise delinquent. They caused a lot of trouble in and out of the slums. The girl built a reputation for herself as a fierce fighter and accomplished thief. Then one night a huge fight broke out with a rival gang. Ambushed and outnumbered, two large demons grabbed Ixa and held her on both sides, two more gripping her wings. "This is for injuring one of ours last time, filthy featherblood!" They tore the black feathered wings from her back, a vicious and brutal act of revenge. She dropped to her knees and howled in agony, bones shattering and blood pouring from her back. It was without doubt the worst pain she had ever felt in her entire life. "You little bitch," the rival gang leader snarled, and spit on the girl. Then amidst the heat of the battle, a voice announced that the authorities were coming. Avrael looked at his sister and yelled "Run!" It took all the strength she could gather, but she got to her feet and ran as fast as she could down the alley, blood still running down her back in pools. Tears of pain blinded her eyes as she ran, not knowing which direction she was going, and for the first time in a long time, frightened and alone. It was the last time she saw her brother, or his gang.
• VII.
  Life in the Above World proved to be equally as difficult as life in Hell had been. Again, she lived in the streets, doing what she could to get by. She met a young man by the name of Izekiel, or Zeke, as she called him. The man treated her wounds and helped nurse her back to health. He was a fiddler and street performer, but also heavily strung out on heroin. Coincedentally, he was also the first human she had ever met, and surprisingly didn't fear or loathe her for what she was. He taught her how to play violin and the pair grew close. They looked out for one another and lived together for several years. Unfortunately, he was found dead on a rainy night in an alley way, black violin clutched in one hand. She took the violin and left, yet another hole in her heart for a fallen loved one. She became a drifter soon after, traveling from place to place and never permanently settling down. She wanders alone to this day.

• Family Tree

  Wip.