“Are you sure these are the correct measurements?”

“They are, I made them.”

“Well, this plank of wood doesn’t exactly measure eighty-nine centimeters. It’s too small for it to go where the blueprints say.”

She stood by two wooden pillars, which held the small wall at her side and the upper beams above her. She wasn’t startled when the blond decided to let himself drop to hang upside down at her side. Alexis hummed in thought, swaying, clinging to the planks above with his legs. While still holding his hammer, he began to brush his stubble while glaring at the paper she held.

“This can’t be… I cut all these pieces of wood for-” His eyes glinted, having realized something. “Ah! I see.”

She blinked, because Alexis snatched the paper and turned it around in her hands. As he let her hold it, he nudged it with a smirk and pointed out what was wrong.

“You were reading it upside down! No wonder you thought they were the wrong ones for the window! These pieces measure sixty-eight centimeters, as they should!”

She gave him a look. While hanging backwards like that, his normally droopy hair looked all ever high, reaching for the ground. Moving so carelessly, he didn’t look like the most professional architect.

“You’re going to fall.”

“No I won’t.”

With a huff, he swung and sat up again on the makeshift ceiling above her. Without a care in the world, he kept hammering tiles up there, working chaotically between all the papers scattered around.

She stared again at the blueprint she held. All was an incoherent mesh of lines, squares and half scribbled numbers, which were not easy to decipher. He seemed to be the only one able to read them accordingly.

“I begin to regret agreeing to this.” She sighed and put her attention back on the wall nearby, intending on finishing the small window. “We put some pillars, made only one wall, and you begin to work on the ceiling. Shouldn’t we focus on finishing the base of the room first? Working below all these planks is making me nervous. Not speaking of all the bones you’ll break if you fall from up there.”

“I told you, Aya. I won’t fall, neither will this ceiling.” He knocked strongly on it, while peeking at her from the edge. “That wall is the main one; it will support all the weight with no problem. Trust me, okay?”

She nailed one piece to the wall, having already done half of the frame. She spoke playfully, not really doubtful of his skill.

“I still think it looks a little ugly.”

“Duh, anything looks ugly while in construction.”

“No. I mean, really, even for a forge.” She took a step back. She brushed the sweat off her forehead, looking at it all with bewilderment. “Small, roundish and with a lot of rocks shoved at its feet. If your drawings are to be trusted, this forge is not going to be very appealing to the eye.”

Alexis growled under his breath, because another voice joined her.

“Not speaking of how inefficient it will be. Doubt there will be much space in there.”

His amber eyes glared at the lynx that rested below a nearby tree in the patio, who had not spoken until now, after all these hours. He pointed his hammer at Lykaios, making an annoyed face.

“You shush. I thought we agreed you’d better not speak while guests roam around.”

Lykaios answered with a long uncaring yawn. He curled again on himself, and continued to pretend to sleep at the shade of the tree.

Ayako grabbed a nearby tree trunk that had been cut and polished to be a pillar for the new forge. She dragged it slowly, approaching the wall of the manor where the forge was annexed.

“Are you so uncomfortable with guests that you need this place to hide?”

Alexis answered, not offended at all by her question. His voice was distorted, given that he was holding a nail with his teeth.

“I’m still nervous around people, but I can manage. I’ve planned to build this since I knew I would stay here for good. I’m still bitter about leaving behind that cabin. I only became more adamant when I knew you would stay too. Can’t let you take all the glory here, can I?”

“Heh, so you really think I’m useful!” She smiled, proud to think of her room and all the medical attention she was ready to offer. She had already tended to one man with a cold. “You’re trying to show off.”

“To you? No.” He teased her playfully, spitting the nail between his teeth. “I want the recognition of others. I have to broad my services to these humans, for them to notice my hard work. Nobody pays mind to the things they take for granted, like the beautiful garden they can see when walking around the manor. They don’t even realize something has broken, because I fix it before they can. But…. if they need to buy something? Like, I don’t know, a tool for their travels? Well, they will value it more, having to pay for it!”

“Ironic that you hate to be around humans, but you want their recognition. Hey, now that I remember, last time I gave you money, you thought it was worthless. What will you even do with it?”

“Compare it with what you earn making some silly oils and cures, of course!”

“I rarely ask for money you know.”

“The more I succeed then! I contribute more to Uriel’s manor than you.”

She retorted with a singed tone, batting her eyes sarcastically.

“It’s not a competition~ You wouldn’t like it if it really was.”

“Fine then, not a competition! You got to help me then. Shut up and keep dragging that thing!”

She rolled her eyes, obliging.

“Why I help you, I don’t know.”

She huffed, lifting the long pillar in her arms. Carefully, she began to push its base against the wall of the manor, leaning its end towards the only wall of the forge. She was trying to make it fit in between, for it to support the future extension of the ceiling. Her hands were shaking; she was managing against the weight, but it was not easy. She had put the other two before, but those were slightly smaller.

She was obviously not having an easy time, so when two claws joined her hands, she felt instant relief. With another huff of his own, Uriel helped her shove the pillar into its place. With a strong clack, it became fixed, slightly bended thanks to the force he applied.

She panted and looked up to him, receiving a kind smile on his part.

“Thanks, Uri.”

He just nodded, always glad to be of help. While patting his hands, he looked up. He called, hearing well the noise of a hammer.

“How are you doing up there?”

The noise stopped for a moment. Again, Alexis moved; his head peeked at the edge of the roof, to look at them both casually.

“If you need details, I’m currently doing some safety work, to ensure rain doesn’t pour down through these tiles. If you are only trying to make small talk, as I suspect… I’m doing fine.” A thought crossed his mind, making him point behind Uriel, at his feet. “Hey, do you mind handing me some of those? I’m running low.”

Uriel looked down behind him. Near the wall, there was a small box of nails. Why it was thrown on the ground he didn’t know, much like why Alexis had scattered all his tools everywhere.

With a sigh, Uriel grabbed the nails and handed them to his angel, not without giving him a disapproving look.

“At least they’re all in their box and not thrown around.”

The demon winced, because Alexis shrugged and laughed, nails in hand.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but you better watch out where you step. I had three boxes this morning; I used the first, this is the second one… and the third box, well, I found it empty near some planks. Don’t know where the nails inside went.”

Uriel instantly tucked his tail upwards and began to look around nervously. Alexis slowly crept back up, keeping eye contact, mischievously.

Ayako knew there was no third box. She poked Uriel’s side with her elbow, feeling bad for laughing at his nervousness as well.

“He’s pulling your leg, silly. I have not seen him scatter anything but his tools.”

Uriel took a breath, glaring deadpanned through the roof.

“Hmf.” He grabbed the edge of the ceiling while shaking his head. “Better make sure of what he’s doing up there.”

With ease, he pushed himself up with his arms, crawling up there with Alexis. She just went to do her own thing, wondering why they didn’t just use the ladder she had brought hours ago.

Above, the demon moved in a crouching position. Soon, he discovered that he had stepped on a blueprint, which had been at the edge of the roof. He moved it away carefully, only to discover he was surrounded by them, far too many to try to organize. With a tired sigh, he stepped over to the only free space he could find, right beside the angel.

Alexis was focused on measuring the distance between the forge’s roof and the manor’s top, so when Uriel peeked over his shoulder, he didn’t pay much mind to him.

“Haven’t you worked enough for today?”

“No.” Alexis raised an eyebrow, still not looking back. “Shouldn’t you want me to finish this as soon as possible? I’m sure you think the guests don’t like it half finished.”

“It doesn’t favor the manor at all. But it’s more important that you rest. Besides, I don’t think you have collected enough materials to finish it anytime soon.”

“Rest? What about you? You’ve been doing chores in there all day, and first thing you do when you have free time is come here to see if you can fill your claws with more work.” He finally turned around. He walked over to the edge of the roof and sat there to keep talking. “I’m not tired. But maybe you’re right. Maybe I should call it a day. Because I really don’t have enough materials to build all this. I need to cut more trees, need more wood for the walls.”

Uriel sat at his side. He looked down at the wall they had built with a frown.

“More wood?” He gave his angel a concerned stare, questioning. “You’re not planning on building a forging room with only wood, right?”

Alexis groaned while laying his chin onto his hand. With his eyes fixed on the forest around them, he lamented, frustrated.

“I know, not the best of materials to build a forge.”

“The worst material you could use, actually. I can already see this room bursting into flames.”

“Yes, yes. But… look, I work with what I have. The wall below us has a lot of stones fixed onto it; it will surely prevent any embers from touching the wood. I will do the same for all the other walls, inside and outside.”

“Stones; not sturdy enough.” Uriel cringed, clenching his teeth with a worried face. “No. I don’t think that will do, Alexis. You need metal to cover them. At least in the interior. I do not say it only for the risk it poses for my manor, but what could happen to you in case of a fire. I thought you would wait some time to give this room all the equipment of a forge.”

Alexis smiled tiredly, amused by the worries of his demon. That did not mean he didn’t agree. Uriel had let him build right by the side of the manor, without much demand. He had not mentioned to his demon that he wanted to use it as soon as possible.

“Fine. I won’t use it as a forge then. Not yet. I will only store my tools inside.” He stared tiredly at the distance, pondering. “I’m not finding metal any time soon around here. My scraps are far too small to cover all these walls.”

Uriel laid a fist against his cheek, eyes narrowed. His thoughtful position could have been the one of a sculpture.

“Maybe you could get some metal. Not right away, but soon.”

Alexis looked at him, curiosity filling his eyes.

“You’re not telling me there’s a mine somewhere in this forest, are you?”

“No.” Uriel raised an eyebrow, mouth agape. His angel had subtly moved, like if he was ready to go find it. “You don’t need to go mining. Why would I give you such an idea? Why do you always think of collecting everything? Haven’t you heard of commerce?”

Alexis shrugged, biting his lip.

“Why buy if I can find things for myself? I’ve always tried to make use of anything being wasted. It began when I was a teen, when a guard near a temple dropped a key. I accidentally found it, and I somehow ended up inside a storage full of unused weaponry. Then, by coincidence, some small pieces of armor ended up inside my bag, and fell into the forge in my home. Nobody found out, except my uncle, who for no reason at all yelled at me. He tired and stopped caring after I kept getting framed for disappeared trinkets, which nobody should have missed, but for some reason were listed by some nosy scribes in some stupid records. The guards just kept bugging me, you see, just for finding, completely by chance, things that could be put to use.” He had a smug smile plastered on his face. But it dropped when he added next. “And then I crashed into this world and had to grab anything at reach to not starve or die from exposure. So, yeah, I can’t understand why I shouldn’t get a hold of what I can. Are you really sure there are no mines around here? ‘Cause I could give those ores a use…”

“I said no, no mines.”

“Darn.”

Uriel rolled his eyes. He waved a hand, trying to explain.

“You don’t need to work so hard to get what you need. Others can do the job for you, and that’s where trades come into play.” He pointed east, to the distance behind them. “You’ve never gone with me, but let me tell you, those nomads have almost everything imaginable in their carts.”

A ladder slammed onto the edge. Ayako quickly hopped up its steps, and then plopped at their side. After leaning close with a curios stare, she laid her head onto Uriel’s shoulder.

“Did I hear nomads? They aren’t the demons who you advised to avoid when we led those four through your territory, no?”

“Those same ones. We did not avoid them, because they weren’t there at all. They travel, constantly. The region bordering ours is just one of their stops. And wouldn’t you know it, they should come back in a week or so. I was planning on going to get food, and knowing that Alexis needs metal, I have more reason.”

Ayako and Alexis exchanged looks. The same thought crossed their minds, and they did not doubt to bother Uriel with it.

“And how are you planning on bringing all that? In your hands?”

“There’s no way you can carry that much metal, no matter how big your bags are.”

Uriel hummed, clasping his claws on his lap. He smiled contentedly, tail swaying back and forth.

“Maybe I could bare it all on my shoulders; I’m strong, but it still would be a really slow and unpleasant journey.” He began to look at them, his voice tangling with fondness. “You know, this place has improved a lot recently. I have you both, and your help. Now we have a garden, a stable, and assurance that anything can be fixed. As well, this manor has now a healer, who not only gives varied aid, but also food from time to time with her hunts. We’re not only having more visitors every day, we’re improving their stay, in any way possible. We’ve made an infirmary, and soon a forge. We need all the resources we can find, we need to insure this will last. We need something with which to bring all we need. We need to buy a wagon, and a horse.”

“A horse?”

“A wagon?”

Alexis and Ayako exchanged looks again, the angel did not mind to let her voice his same concern.

“Wouldn’t that be too costly?”

“We have the coin. We have earned a lot, thanks to you. I’m not an expert, but I can swear humans spend more than when my family lived; I think the currency is more valuable nowadays. Hell, even before you came I made a lot, surrendering some of the paintings hanging on the walls. Though I still regret selling one armor once… I could have gotten more for it.”

Ayako looked up, deep in thought.

“I also have savings. Wouldn’t mind to spend them. After all…” She laughed, grinning. “This is my business too, right? Now that we’re at it, I could also have my own horse! It would help me a lot in case I go hunting; those deers sure run a lot.”

Alexis glared at her, making a face.

“If you’re going to bring more poor butchered animals into our home, I think I want another horse, so I can get away from you while you skin them. Ugh, while at it, maybe I could go back to my clearing, and check how the cabin is doing. Wouldn’t hurt to make sure it doesn’t crumble down in my absence.”

Uriel began to fidget nervously and look back and forth, holding his tail in his hands.

“Hey, hey, wait. I can’t buy a cart, the materials, three horses, and take it all back on my own. One horse? Okay. Three? I don’t have enough hands.”

He could not bring all that in one go. However, if they did not buy all that now, they would have to wait. The nomads traveled a lot, and it would be a while until they came back. They would have to do with what Uriel took next week. It was not exactly a problem, just something Ayako did not like. She swung her feet in the air, offering an idea that took him by surprise.

“I’ve never gone with you in your travels. Maybe I should, so I know what it’s like. We never know when I’ll have to go in your place. I can help you.”

“You wouldn’t have to. I can manage.” He sighed and looked down worriedly. “Besides, the nomads are demons. I don’t know.”

“Demons don’t scare me. They can be talked with.”

“Yes… If there’s money, they don’t care who brings it. However, what worries me is leaving Alexis alone to tend to the guests.” He grew serious, warning them both. “Ayako, if you come with me, we’ll leave him all on his own. Now that the manor is functional again, I need someone to run it. I can’t control the armors to their full potential for so long, not while trying to get all we need. It is extremely tiring. The guests require constant attention, and I counted on you two to help them while I was gone. Do you expect him to prepare the food, clean all the rooms and do all the chores?”

“Hey, what’s wrong with me doing all those-”

She answered before Alexis could bark at them. She nodded, understanding his worries.

“It’s true. I can’t throw all that work on him. You have armors which to control, more hands. The guests make him nervous anyway.”

Uriel nodded. Sadly, he told the two the only option.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t buy you those horses. One will have to do, for now.”

They nodded, accepting. They had entertained the idea of having mounts, with which to go strolling together.

Alexis wasn’t as disappointed as her. The horse was only part of it, what bothered her more was the fact that she could not accompany Uriel. She wanted to be useful, in everything he was.

Alexis had grabbed a paper and pencil, and was now scribbling mindlessly. He spoke, focused on his measurements.

“Hard to admit, you’re right. I really can’t do on my own. I mean, I feel bad for not being skillful enough. If I could handle all that work, she could go with you. I can understand why she wants to, I wouldn’t mind going too.”

Uriel blinked, taken aback by that last thing. He asked his angel, trying to remind him something.

“Why would you want to come? Those merchants are demons. They would probably try to kidnap you if they saw you.”

Or worse. They were pretty civilized, but he couldn’t know what would they do near an angel.

Alexis shrugged, only entertaining the idea.

“I’m not saying I’m thrilled by the idea, Uriel. Just that I would like to accompany you both. It’s a pretty long walk. Who wouldn’t like being able to go wherever they wanted without worrying about being snatched? I’m always stuck in one place. I’m denied of some possible fun just because some things could want to eat me.”

Ayako grinned. Slowly, she peeked over Uriel’s shoulder to stare at Alexis, slyly.

“Ah, so you DO have fun with us.”

“I said possible.” He pointed the pencil at her, shaking his head. “Quit that grin, I’m not going. Neither are you.”

“Aww.”

The three of them sighed. Uriel did so with frustration, Alexis did with boredom and Ayako with disappointment. They stayed there, sitting at the edge of the roof, doing nothing but look around them with frowns. The day was ending, leaving them with the light of the lamps hanging by the walls of the manor.

Nearby, a lynx opened his eyes, while losing the shade of the tree to the evening. His ears went up with interest; he had been listening all this time. He stood lethargically, nearing the three without hurry.

Ayako, Uriel and Alexis blinked when Lykaios spoke below them.

“Uriel, can I ask you something?”

The young demon leaned to look down, confused by the sudden approach of the older one. He glanced ahead, at the patio around the corner, worried that guests could be nearby. Once he was sure that none were having a stroll in the evening, he answered Lykaios with a confused lean of head.

“What?”

Lykaios lifted a paw, to look at it with feigned boredom.

“Could you lend me some of your books? I may want to check something.”

“My books?” Uriel eyed him zealously, always fearful of losing them. “Why would you want them?”

Lykaios shook his mane, eyeing them intently. His voice was caring, under a faked contemptuous tone.

“I want to see your spell books. I can’t avoid noticing how you fret for your manor, threatened to be neglected by these two in your absence. I could be of help, if you showed me where you learnt to control such primal puppets…”

The three exchanged puzzled glances, while Lykaios smiled slyly.

————-

They had not been here before.

A lot of brown leafs covered the ground they stepped on. Less trees were in the way, leaving them to see bronze toned fields. Having diverted their direction slightly south, they had found themselves in open meadows, always separated by big groups of oaks. Bordering Uriel’s forest, this area seemed to have more life. It was a small retreat, secluded from the denser woods around it. No apparent paths led to these ocher fields in between trees, not from where they came from.

No human roamed here, and for a reason.

Uriel suddenly halted in the center of the field they had been crossing. Slowly, he turned and raised a claw in front of them.

“This is as far as you should go.”

Some disappointment glinted in Ayako’s eyes, while only wariness was apparent in Alexis’ ones. The angel looked ahead with an apprehensive frown, while touching the handle of the sword on his belt.

“Are they near?”

Uriel nodded, lowering his hand.

“They should be. They tend to camp near, some fields away.” He took a bag from Ayako and threw it over his shoulder to carry. “Wait for me here. I’ll come back soon.”

With that, he let them settle on the field, walking away towards the nearby hills, past tall oaks. She raised a hand to her mouth and yelled to him.

“Be sure to tie the horses well!”

Uriel yelled back, moving a hand dismissively.

“It’s not too far! I’ll manage!”

She breathed out worriedly, still looking at him. She only looked back when she heard Alexis comment.

“Stop daydreaming and help me pick up some wood. He’s going to take some time in there.”

She pouted, turning around. Alexis was already sitting on the grass, arranging some twigs and rocks in a circle. She walked to him with a huff, dropping her own bag on the ground.

“He can’t possibly take as long as you say…”

Alexis gave her a look. He was amused by her incredulity.

“Oh, Ayako, you really haven’t been living in the manor enough time. You don’t know how much he loves to bargain with those demons.”

She had picked some branches, and as she dropped them for the fire, she retorted mockingly.

“You’ve never accompanied him to this market either. How can you be sure of that?”

“Hmm. He always came back when he said he would, but once, he told me he had bargained for four hours straight. He came back home with these following items, which he did not plan to buy: a set of spoons, a hat, five towels, a woolly carpet, ten tars of jam, a fishing rod, a small mirror, a dress, and a big bag. Add that to all the supplies on his list. I almost couldn’t see him below all that when he came through the doors. He really, really can use that cart.”

By how bad he was at lying without smirking or fidgeting, she believed in his words. She looked behind her with a nervous laugh, knowing they had a lot of time to rest in this field.

“Well then… we should make ourselves comfortable.”

“No need to say it twice.”

With a yawn, he took off his cape, unlatched his sword, and let himself drop back onto the ground. She gave him a look, because he had done nothing to help her light the fire. Begrudgingly, she grabbed a flint, doing the work for him.

“You’re strangely calm while being near some demons. Is it because I’m waiting with you?”

He refused to admit he was thankful that she decided to stay behind with him.

“Ah, they are far enough. Can’t smell me from that far. Uriel says they are less beastly than other devils, less sharp.” He opened an eye, winking smugly. “Besides, I wouldn’t sleep well in the manor, knowing that you could slack off while helping Uriel. I’m here to make sure we get that metal back home.”

“Ha, right. You’re just here because then you don’t need to help Lykaios do all those chores. You are the one who will slack off inside that cart, between crates.”

He stuck his tongue out at her, never admitting his plot.

“I’m just realistic. I know no magic; I would only be in the way while Lykaios marches those armors through the rooms. The guests won’t even guess we’re gone; they tend to yell at those clunky things what they want. It’s alright, he can handle it. By the way, who would’ve though he could cook?”

Ayako crossed her arms, remembering well how fast Lykaios got used to those puppets after reading a book. Even as an animalistic demon, he handled everything like if he had always walked on two legs.

“Still, I wonder if he’s fine. It’s not usual of him to be so generous.”

“He just wanted to show off or get a hold of that hex.”

“That could be it too.”

She sat down, feeling the warmth of the growing fire. Knowing they could only wait, she began to rummage through her bag, to take out a small pot and some water.

Sitting there, they were completely oblivious of what approached from afar.

————–

Uriel tucked his backpacks closer, breathing steadily to keep a good rhythm.

The more he advanced towards where the nomads used to camp, the more he distinguished the small road. Increasingly, more stones were embedded on the ground. He soon saw the ruins on a field, of an old demolished temple. Few people remembered what its purpose was; much less what this region had been dedicated to it in the past. Now, only ruins remained, scattered about in the woods, far too broken to be recognized.

He finally saw it ahead: tall broken pillars, with stony walls that surrounded a spacious field. A tall arc was in front of him, the entrance to the space where the nomads lifted their market.

He neared the arc, excited to see the colorful tents and stalls, the unending goods lined for view, exposed on cloths on the ground.

What he saw however… was a single caravan.

He blinked, surprised to see the gallery empty. No tall ropes tied to the ruins, no stalls filled to the brim by the pillars, no labyrinth of carts which to walk between. There was only one single small caravan, one of the many that the nomads had.

Uriel stood there, baffled. He only reacted when a demon, who stood by said caravan, noticed him and called.

“Oh, it’s you!”

The nomad was an old demon, with a long beard and hairy hands. His eyes, teeth and nose were feline like, much like his droopy ears and tail. He neared Uriel slowly, walking with a cane. He was smoking a pipe, when he spoke up he let out a very big puff of smoke.

“Lad, I’m sorry to tell you, but we won’t be settling here this week.”

Uriel tensed, even though he knew this old demon well. This man had sold him a lot of trinkets at a good price, and always expected him to come to the market. What he said made him nervous, anxious even. He found himself asking, even though he was already guessing the reason.

“W-why not?”

The man took another breath out of his pipe, taking his sweet time. With a shaky hand and a huff, he explained, glaring with one eye at the ruins.

“Well, we’ve noticed something we didn’t like much, lately. You see, these darn humans have been roaming round these parts, not far from here. We don’t know why, but they have taken a liking to a nearby road. They cross as they please, heading straight for their silly towns. Back and forth they go! So near to those roads, we don’t think it’s a wise idea to make camp here. These ruins are still on our route, so I decided to rest here while the others went ahead; an old man can’t keep well with the young.” The man smiled, almost purring if not for the cough that escaped him. “Do not worry though; I know how much you like to browse through our trinkets! Some scrawny humans won’t scare us away; we just want to avoid trouble. We’re still setting camp, just a couple miles away, a little far, but-”

As soon as the man pointed behind him, Uriel knew he had to run. Before he could say more, he had bolted, running back fiercely towards where he came from. Uriel left the man there, still pointing, mouth open. With a huff, the old demon realized he had been left alone, without a chance to finish.

“Hmpf, and I thought this young man was more attentive with the elderly…”

————–

His eyes opened.

Ayako blinked, confused to see him perk up, push himself off the grass. He was tense, looking ahead with a blank expression.

“What-”

“Did you hear that?”

She frowned. Leaning and raising a hand to her ear, she tried to pick what had suddenly made him sit up.

“No. Is Uriel coming back already? Did you-”

Even more suddenly, he put his hand onto her mouth, silencing her. A flash of dread had crossed his expression, he had moved fast. Crouching at her side and still covering her mouth, he shot her a look. In that moment she knew that he was not trying to bicker or prank her.

She soon knew why. Alexis was holding still, paying mind to what he could hear. She quickly picked up on it too.

He had heard the sound of a cart.

At first, he had not moved, still resting on the grass. He had been sure that it was Uriel. It was only when the sound intensified that he reacted. The sound of wheels had been clear. It was not only one cart, but multiple ones, wagons.

They both exchanged dreadful glances. Slowly, he lowered his hand, knowing she had picked up on what was happening. The nomads traveled in caravans. The sound they were hearing could only be described as a herd of them, slowly making their way towards them.

She whispered, very carefully.

“What the hell are they doing here?”

Uriel had told them they never went past some ruins. They were advancing far too close to the border.

Alexis did not know, but one thing he knew.

“Stay quiet.” He slowly laid down, chest against the grass. “Quickly, the fire.”

Her head whipped to look behind them. There it was, their campfire, a clear sign of their presence. She did not need to be told twice. She dashed and kicked some earth onto it, knowing the smoke and light would be a dead giveaway. Alexis did not move much, deadly aware that he was the one that could alarm the demons that approached.

By the time she extinguished the flames and laid down as well, the caravans came to view.

In the distance between trees, the first wagon rolled at the end of the field. A demon had been calmly guiding the numerous carts behind his, but as soon as they reached open space, he perked up. Not only did his ears, but the ones of his small kid inside the cart. The child peeked out, ears up as well. His little nose moved, teased by the smell of smoke.

“Did Eka make dinner already?”

The child was curious, smelling coal thanks to the small breeze that brushed his nose. The father eyed the field, confused by the smell of fire.

“Your big brother is in his cart, son.”

No one had passed him; he was the first to go through the woods. Whoever had made a fire, it was not one of them. Tense, the demon let go of the reigns of his horse, and ever so slowly stepped down the cart. The child stayed put, knowing better than to disobey his father.

Ayako winced, seeing the demon call the others, warning. What he said, she did not know, but it was not good.

“Someone’s around.”

At least ten demons had dismounted and were now whispering with concern.

“Could they be those humans? Don’t they have any limits?”

One raised a claw, with a very deep frown.

“Don’t you smell that?”

“The fire?”

“No, no… Something else.”

All sniffed, and all tensed. They all looked towards the field, with a mix of curiosity and worry.

“That can’t be. It can’t, right?”

“We must be imagining things.”

“Or not…” One took out a small dagger, and with a worried scowl waved ahead. “We have to check. If it is… we can’t let it near the caravans. We may be in serious trouble.”

Alexis cursed, pressuring himself against the grass even more.

“Shit.”

They had smelled him, of course. And now, they were slowly creeping and sneaking towards them. Ten demons had left behind the carts and their relatives, making sure to warn them of their presence.

He was panicking mentally, but Ayako was more aware. He blinked, seeing her begin to crawl forward, inching closer to the demons ahead.

“Aya…?” She was not listening. She was crawling little by little, inching away from him. “Aya. Aya…!”

No matter how much he tried to tell her to stop with his whispers, she kept moving. At last, she stopped, and only then he saw that she clasped something on the ground. She looked back while moving said thing. He saw it, something he had dropped. She pushed his sword towards him with a shove of hand.

The demons finally came close enough to spot them. They growled when they saw them laying there on the ground, a few feet away, and only snarled more when Ayako jumped to her feet with a dagger in hand.

Alexis only stood like her when the demons glared fiercely at him, commenting with seeming relief.

“Ugh, they’re humans alright!” One pointed at him, nose twitching with distaste. “And this one stinks of angel! This appalling smell can only be that!”

Another demon nodded, fangs showing with dislike.

“He has something around his neck…” All stared at him, noting his necklace, which was made of feathers. “Must be that. Or maybe he carries something else. He probably does, he reeks with the smell.”

He looked around him, noting how they all were creeping closer, knifes in hand. Ayako was already pointing her dagger, glaring angrily. It was obvious that they were not happy to see them here, and that they had an interest in him. If they were to get closer, they would soon find out that he was no human.

He did not know if to feel offended or scared. So he reacted with a mix of both feelings.

“Step back, demons!”

Ayako flinched, knowing that all chances of negotiation had flown out the window. Alexis had unsheathed his sword, and was now pointing it at them, turning around to face them all.

“Great…”

She had hoped to be enough reassurance for Alexis, enough for him to wait before raising his weapon in a fighting stance. She hoped too much.

The demons did step back, but only for a moment. They blinked at the runes on the sword, now much more interested and surprised.

“You see that?”

“That’s a fine trinket right there…”

“Angel runes, one does not see that every day.”

“He’s got to be a priest!”

Alexis scowled at that last one, retorting angrily.

“I’m not a priest, dammit! Everyone just keeps saying it, even if I-!” He fidgeted, thinking better. “Well, m-maybe I am. But that’s none of your business!”

Ayako yelled at him, losing her coolness.

“Alex, shut up!” She whipped her head back, catching one of the demons on the move. She quickly slammed her dagger against the nearing knife. They had tried to take her off guard. “Now is not the time!”

He stood there, watching as she stood her ground. The demons snarled at her resistance, after having tried to disarm her. It was obvious that the scent was affecting them in ways that they couldn’t control. They had not seemed aggressive when first seen, just wary, but now their fur was up and their eyes were sharper. They were eager to get a hold of his necklace; they were bold in their attempts.

The biggest of them pointed at her, commanding.

“Get her and tie her up! She won’t let us check what they carry without biting back.” That demon glared at him next, scoffing. “Leave the inept priest for last.”

Alexis’ felt anger, not for that insult, but for what he saw. Only one demon stayed put near him to make sure he didn’t run, while all the rest moved to surround Ayako. Though she didn’t look scared, all the contrary, even when threatened.

“Now, human, drop that dagger.” The demon who spoke whipped his tail, twirling his own knife to try to intimidate her. “We’ll let you go if you are nice. We’ll only take your things, considering how shamelessly you invaded our grounds. Now-”

He shut up. He crumbled to his knees, holding his groin. Ayako huffed, lowering her leg and kicking his knife away. Seeing that, all the demons growled and made a move towards her, at once. She was ready; she took a defensive stance. But the demons did not touch her.

“Back the fuck off!”

She was blinded for a second. The demons gasped and stopped dead on their tracks, dim-sighted by a sudden light as well.

Recovering, she looked at Alexis, there at her side, holding his sword shakily but furiously. The flames that had sparked ablaze through the sword were now fading slowly, leaving small glints on the runes.

The angel panted, having dashed and yelled with all the air in his lungs. He kept the sword up, but not pointed at the demons. He kept it parallel, right in between them, at a distance. They had horrified looks on their faces. Slowly, it seemed to dawn on them what had been that glow, and what it meant.

No human could cast magic.

Ayako slowly lowered her dagger, and Alexis followed her move. They frowned, watching as the demons fled for their lives. Scrambling and dropping their weapons, they ran back to their wagons, terrified. Judging by the gasps that echoed from there, it seemed the rest of their group had seen, and was in a panic.

Alexis let out multiple breaths, not knowing if to feel relief or distress. He had never been eyed that way; he had never seen people give him a look like that.

“I’ve never scared anyone…”

His baffled stare did not match the one of a merciless angel, yet he was still making the demons run like he would chase and kill them. They had hoped into their carts, and now were hitting their horses heavily, to make them run like never before. They were still screaming, and the two swore they heard some of them yell a prayer.

Once they lost sight of them, they finally breathed in. She sighed and closed her eyes, while he just let himself sit on the grass.

Alexis lifted a little his sword, and kept staring at it with a tired look in his eyes. She slowly knelled by his side and smiled at him sympathetically.

“Thank you.”

He just nodded, not wanting to say that he wouldn’t have done it if she wasn’t there. They would have probably snatched him away, without much problem.

“I’m glad they ran off.”

She bit her lip, now remembering what that glow could do. Had any of them touched the sword, they would have been reduced to dust. One single touch and he could kill them.

He didn’t though.

He had brought the sword, not because he thought this could happen, but because it was his only weapon. He did not seem happy to have reacted this way. He had no control of what he could do, it was instinct. Whatever caused that deadly spell, it was inside him.

“Alex-”

They jolted, hearing something. They looked to the distance, because a familiar voice called, very loudly.

“Alexis! Ayako!”

Before they could stand, Uriel had already erased most of the distance. Running fast like a panther, he dashed through the field in seconds. He only avoided crashing against them because he slammed his feet on the ground, throwing dust all over.

Uriel panted heavily, looking at them anxiously. He tried to speak while holding his chest, scared.

“D-did they-” His caring eyes saw something. The relief he had felt after seeing them unharmed was tainted by something else. He eyed the ashes scattered on the grass, and he paled. The expressions Alexis and Ayako had did not help him feel any less fear. “Did you…?”

Alexis looked as well at the dust. It took him a moment to understand, but when he did, he knew why Uriel looked so alarmed. His demon was giving him a mournful and hurt stare, even if there was no blame.

The dust from the fire was all around them, scattered by the breeze and their movements. The angel opened his mouth and spoke carefully.

“I did not.”

Uriel finally let his breath out. Ayako added, nudging some coal that had been kicked around.

“He could have. They were this close to being roasted. I haven’t seen demons so scared before. Wonder if they will now fear humans, given that any could be a wingless angel.” She glared at the distance, while cleaning her dagger. “I don’t feel bad though, they were really nosy and pushy.”

Uriel looked down, clenching his teeth. Those nomads were not bad people. They were wary of strangers, sometimes really zealous, but all ever kind and welcoming if they saw a fellow demon they deemed trustful. They were a tight community, caring of their own. Their way of life was harsh, given that they could never settle in one place for long. They crafted and collected, made money thanks to it, selling to other nomads they came across or demons like him. They did not deserve what could have happened.

He was extremely relieved that no one had got hurt. Though he wondered if they would return here at all. After a long tired sigh, he looked up, offering a hand for Alexis to take and stand.

“Let’s go home…” He helped his angel get to his feet, and then lamented. “The forge and horses will have to wait.”

Ayako and Alexis nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

——————————

He shouldn’t have said that things could not go any worse. He really shouldn’t have dared the entity that had a grudge against him. He shouldn’t have kept lamenting having accompanied them both. He now regretted it.

Alexis panted, trying to keep up with the fast pace of Uriel and Ayako. Not even his hood was preventing him of getting wet, because the wind was making the fierce rain hit him strongly.

“Sorry!”

Ayako looked back and shot him a glare, tired of him repeating himself.

“Stop saying sorry, dammit! How many times do I have to say that it isn’t your fault?!”

“None! Because it is! I should have stayed home! You would have gotten horses, and you would have cover inside a cart!”

Uriel yelled, not angrily, but worriedly.

“Please, stop bickering! Now it’s not the time!”

He was covering his head with one of his bags, trying in vain to have some cover from the fierce rain.

He did not care about the rain, he did not care about not having bought anything; he just wanted to find cover, for them. He looked up to the sky, wondering where those grey clouds had come from. Halfway through the forest, they had been hit with this storm, as if an entity had really being listening when Alexis complained aloud.

The ground was now muddy. Not even the unending roots of trees around them stopped the water from entering the earth.

Frankly, he could not see past his own claws. He knew he was running towards his manor, but probably not in a straight line. He did not recognize this area, not in this storm.

“We can’t just keep running!”

But they couldn’t stop under the rain either.

It seemed the spirits took pity on him, because a glimmer of hope presented itself before him. Uriel gasped, spotting something ahead with his sharp eyesight. There, in the dark, between tall trees, shadowed by rocks, there was an opening. He saw it because of the rain; the water was falling in, running down some stony steps. The opening was covered from the rain by a fallen arc between rocks. It had been a small shrine for offerings, for peregrines to stop by.

He didn’t care what it was. It was dark, but it was slightly below ground and it gave protection against the rain.

“Guys, follow me!”

They did not question him. They could barely hear him in the rain. They only realized he was leading them somewhere when he stopped and crawled down into a hole. It was a small opening, but big enough for Uriel to get in if he crouched.

It was really dark inside.

“I can’t see a thing!”

Before Alexis could trip with the rubble at their feet, Uriel moved a claw.

Ayako blinked, and then eyed Alexis, who for some reason was holding onto her. Now visible thanks to Uriel’s fire, he slowly let go of her, coughing and pretending he hadn’t held her arm.

The three began to glance around them, assessing the space. They could stand and not crouch. It seemed this small shrine had caved into the earth with time, but its insides were mostly intact. It was really hidden; the entrance was muddy, possibly revealed thanks to the water. All around were altars, murals and carvings, which had been eroded. This place was old, very old.

“Should we stay here?”

She answered Alexis, frowning while nudging a really big cobweb.

“It’s this, or the rain.”

Uriel proclaimed while sitting at a corner to rest.

“Better than nothing. We’ll stay until the rain subsides.”

Alexis made a face, while looking at the murals around him.

“I don’t know, this place gives me the creeps.”

Ayako raised an eyebrow, nodding to a mural.

“Aren’t these things ruins of what you angels left ages ago?”

“Exactly.” Alexis mumbled, nearing a wall with his arms crossed. “I don’t like it.”

Uriel suddenly grew interested. Alexis had placed a hand on the only mural that was intact, and was looking at it intently.

“Do these murals say anything bad? Should we fear a curse or something?”

“No. Not that I can tell.”

“You’re saying you can read them, Alex?”

“Only this one. The others are far too broken. The runes are written in an old dialect, but it’s no different from what I studied in the temples when I was a child.”

She was growing impatient with his apprehension. She hoped to his side and began to look at the mural like if she could read it too.

“So, what does it say? Knowing this place was probably a shrine, it should say something about sacrificing goats or cattle, right?”

The angel shot her a glare, not doubting to tell her off.

“We don’t sacrifice cattle, you crazed brute!” He pouted, remembering a goat that used to roam near his house. “We treat our animals very cautiously. For fucks sake, we’re vegetarians.”

“Fine, fine… I was joking. Please, read already.”

He stared at her, intensely. She just made puppy eyes.

He caved in.

“Ugh.” Looking again at the mural, he began to try to discern what the dusty runes said. “Give me a minute. We speak far too many languages in there.”

He took his time. She thought he would not be able to read the mural, given how old it was, until he began to say what was written.

“However roams in search of wisdom, answers or worth, may they come north. Up above in a citadel covered in snow, may they find what they sought. Do not part without purpose, for scripture does not answer those without vows.”

He stepped back, and then asked her with an irritated tone.

“Happy?”

She shook her head, disappointed.

“That’s all? A silly poem?”

He smirked sarcastically, leaning his head at her.

“What did you expect, the meaning of life?” He huffed, glaring at the mural. “I would have liked that too. These runes are just some stupid directions for pilgrims.”

Losing interest, they both walked away from the wall. Tiredly, they went to Uriel’s side and sat there at the corner.

Uriel had lighted a fire, which without things to burn was only kept thanks to his focus. His concentration faltered a little when the two inched closer to him, eager to feel warmth. It was a cold night, and it was obvious they were soaked. They had no blankets, nothing to cover themselves. They could only curl up together.

It was not long till they fell asleep, each leaning on one of Uriel’s shoulders.

————–

They came in to the sound of complaints.

“I wanted the steak rare, not well done. And the sauce was too sour.”

The woman blinked, hearing the main doors open behind her. The three owners of the inn walked in, carrying bags, wearing travel attire. Baffled, she looked back and forth, between Uriel and the armor to which she had been demanding.

Alexis and Ayako walked past the guest, with very obvious lethargic steps. They spoke to each other, like if she wasn’t there.

“I’ll see you in the living room; I have to check how Abiel is doing.”

“Relax; he probably has had a lot of fun in your absence. You don’t need to worry, I doubt Lykaios has locked him in your room.”

“Exactly, he could have roamed anywhere. It will take a while to find him; so can you snatch something in the pantry for me?”

“If you help me sort some herbs tomorrow.”

“Deal.”

They did not want to acknowledge the guests yet. They were tired, and they needed to unpack their bags. Only Uriel bothered to near the woman, all ever attentive.

“Is there a problem with what you were served?”

The demon gave a look to the armor in front of him. There was a faint red glow inside; its stance was dutiful, yet seemingly prideful.

The guest answered, still entitled but confused.

“What were you doing outside? You shouldn’t rely on these clunky things while you prance. All that I’ve asked, you’ve ignored. I keep asking the plates as I like them, but you keep doing them like you want. Can’t your armors listen?”

Uriel shook his head, noting how the armor seemed to tap its foot. Knowingly, he smiled humbly, offering kindly.

“I may have been distracted, I am sorry. I’m here; I’ll make sure your food is done as you want it.”

The woman finally seemed pleased; she liked to be served, and he was finally acknowledging her commands. Unknowing that Uriel had never been the one to serve her all this time, she turned around, with one last demand.

“I want you to prepare some smoked salmon. Don’t dare put anything at the sides if I don’t ask for it.”

It was very obvious that she was a noble from the south, judging by her attire, accent, and demands. He wouldn’t be surprised if the stallion and the servant outside belonged to her. She would probably stay for a while.

With her gone, he looked at the armor again. It refused to soften its stance; it slowly walked to a wall and went limp there. With its glow and sentience gone, a lynx had to near to voice himself.

“Your guests have no taste.” Uriel had tried what Lykaios would serve before leaving, and had deemed it decent, if not good. He had probably antagonized every guest that had been too bossy. “I hope I don’t have to do this again, I have never seen such entitlement.”

Uriel lowered himself to the lynx’s eye level, to whisper.

“I know. I sometimes have to keep myself from changing their orders. I thank you for watching things while I was gone.”

Lykaios nodded, dismissing. Though it was obvious he liked to be praised.

“So, did you get what you needed?”

Uriel winced, and then began to look away while scratching one of his horns.

“Not quite. We had some… complications. We might not have another chance of getting it in a long time.”

Who knew how long it would take for the nomads to come back, given that they had seen an angel. With luck, it would only be months. Months in which they would have to bargain a lot with travelers to get what they needed, or serve vegetables from the garden.

Lykaios grew deadpanned. Luckily for Uriel, the old demon did not want to hear any of it, he was done helping.

“As long as I don’t have to step in…”

Uriel sighed, knowing well that running an inn was not easy.