They are fine…

He kept repeating that. Again, and again, and again. His mind was a rush of whispers, doubts and troublesome ideas. There was movement around him, things that should take his attention, but he could only pay mind to his own imagination. Fire engulfed the outlines of his dear manor, or bandits would roam the long corridors… he would always hear his precious girls scream, scared out of their mind, unable to even move their claws to prevent their unlucky fate.

He stood there, grimly, imagining what was happening so far away. He was not even blinking at the humans that stared at him. The town’s plaza had been crowded before, and it still was, but all had moved away from him. While he stood near a small house with their two horses, people eyed him, making sure to not near him at all.

Not far, Ayako moved surely through the market’s stalls, ignoring completely the wariness of the town. Alexis was following her closely, making sure to not touch any humans that walked through.

“Hurry up, Aya.”

She did not look back at him, but she did frown. As she bought hastily a few vegetables, she did not thank the seller; she finished the transaction fast, without a single extra word. She spoke to Alexis next, reminding him that they needed more than a few carrots.

“We need food for the roads, Alex. Do not tell me to run, I am going fast already. I don’t like how they look at him either.”

His amber eyes looked around, as wary as the ones of the humans. Of the three, Uriel was the one who was being watched the most. He was a strange sight in this town. The folk around him did not seem to be brave enough to act on their dislike and distrust, but it still was a tense clash of races. Uriel was blissfully ignoring all that though, he was too worried about their manor. It was not like they could be really beaten up by a dozen of humans; if push came to shove, Uriel could haul every single one of them to the ground, with a single claw.

They were just crossing; they did not want any trouble. Not them, much less the town.

Just a couple of days, and they would reach the border.

“I did not think we would need this much food.”

“We’re three. If you went alone, you could maybe have skipped this place. It has taken us three days to get here, we needed to eat, what did you expect?”

“I know we had to make a stop here, Aya. Let’s just get going as soon as possible.”

He helped her tie up the last bag of food, and then ushered her away from the stalls. After walking back towards Uriel and the horses, they jumped onto their mounts, knowing they could not leisure here. Uriel finally got out of his thoughts, and did pay mind to the looks they were receiving in the street.

“We should find a field to set camp in.”

Alexis nodded while taking a deep breath. Anxiety lessening, his amber eyes looked ahead, full of wonder and expectation. He felt the reassuring hold of Ayako behind him, and that was all he needed to hit the reigns and keep going into the unknown. For now, the journey had been uneventful, given that they had just parted away from their home. This was the first landmark, just a stone in their path. If all human settlements would be like this, he could handle them. Only Uriel looked back to the road they had come from, still reluctant.

They still received stares while they marched through the small street. However, their movements parted the crowd like the sea; no one stood in their way or dared lift a fist or stone. Five humans were looking at them more intently though. Five, who stood near some trees, with their own horses, divided from the townspeople. Their eyes were sly, calculative. They did not move when they went away, but seemed to be ready to do so.

One of them asked, brushing a concealed dagger under his coat.

“Boss, should we follow them?”

The bandit looked at his boss, who was sitting on a log. The leader of the small group of thieves was eyeing the trio, with a glint of recognition in his eyes. The group would have chased and ambushed them in the roads, if it were not for the man’s resentful words.

“Not these three.” He leaned down, laying away his own knife. “I’ve seen them once before. As much as I would like to reap them of everything, we would be better off waiting for other fools to travel through. That demon could really tear us a new one, boys. That buff devil is not one to mess with.”

He still remembered when he tried to steal from that manor, years ago.

The thieves let go of their intentions, knowing they should wait for better prey.

The three left the town, without incident or harm. Now closer to the border, Alexis felt wonder for the world he was now exploring. All was new to him, he had never ventured far away. He was always secluded in his forest or home, for his own sake.

Not knowing what to expect next, he trusted that big city would house more welcoming humans for Uriel.

—————

The halls felt silent, eerie. Once, they had been full of life, a sight Ariel knew well. Then it had been protective and intimate, Aurora had felt their loving seclusion.

But now… it felt void. Even when the corridors had not welcomed strangers and the chambers had an echo, there had been warm smiles and caring embraces.

Both girls stared at the vacant rooms, their figures the only ones. As they roamed in their usual routine, they could do nothing but frown. They diligently prepared food like every day, watching out for the ovens… but Uriel was not there to take out the bread with a bright smile. They carried the laundry without fail, but no blue eyes would glance back to meet them there, the familiar smell of herbs on her hands. And as they walked silently through the patio, there was no sound they could hear out of an old small forge.

It was empty… So empty that they would look up to the architecture that Uriel loved so much with another emotion.

Her hands stopped moving, the sound of the harp died out in the big living room. It made her sister glance up from her book, notice her vacant stare over the strings, her wings low on the ground.

“Sis, are you ok?”

Aurora smiled, truly sorry for having stopped playing for her, a boring evening. Ariel was looking at her with concern, noticing her anxiousness. She could not help but wonder, aloud.

“Do you really think they will be fine?”

Ariel knew that it was not they, but him. Uriel and Ayako would never be in any danger out there. She tried to reassure, even if she shared those fears.

“Surely. They must be.” She let down her book and stepped closer. Both their faces were lighted by the flames of the fireplace, the room dim lighted and gloomy. “They will be back soon.”

“Hm. Right.” She stood, and it did not fail to make Ariel scowl, for she began to walk out the room. “Of course they will be. Silly me…”

“You are not si-“

She could not finish. Aurora had already gone out, into the dark corridor. So she just sat there with a sight, wondering what her father would say to lift their spirits up.

As Ariel pondered how to be the head of the house, Aurora roamed. She found herself in front of a door. Long ago, she would roam it constantly, would hide under a bed, and hide small figurines under a closet.  She found her claw on the handle, without thinking. Her wings dragged behind her as she walked in, her steps halting in the center of her father’s room.

Her fangs showed as she took a deep breath; somehow, she could still feel like if he was seated on his old chair, carving wood. It was almost like she could see him there, letting her lean and peek over his crafts, entertaining her curiousness.

But she opened her eyes, and she could not see any of it. The window was closed, engulfing the room in darkness, in which only she could see. Slowly, she stood by the desk, her claw brushing his carving knife softly.

Her eyes moved sideways, her heart lonely. Many times she had stayed here by him; never once had he left the security of their territory. And yet, now she could see an empty room, one she had thought to be the most shielding of places.

It was that thought that made her move again, like in simpler times. Times in which she did not have to ponder he once had wings, or why he could not leave. She kneeled by a closet, and gently moved her claw under it, past dust and shadows. She felt the outlines of an object there, years hidden and unnoticed by others.

Aurora glared at the figurine of an owl, tilting it in her claw silently. She had admired the gift back then, but now that she had outgrown it and held it again, she could dwell on all the specifics. It was a craft of many hours… the wings had so many details, and even after years she could still smell the droplet of blood that once had fallen on them. He still had smiled as he handed it, unbothered by faint cuts and bruises.

Her fangs showed in a sad snarl as she stared at the craft, knowing well most had been animals of feathers, capable of flight.

She stood again, figurine in hand. She tugged her own wings closer and faced the door once more. Yet… she halted. Her eyes sharpened, as she noticed a small glimmer in the darkness; so small, yet so obvious for her demonic senses.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she faced the chest. From the lock, a small glint. Her claws reached slowly, a container she had always been respectful of, ever since he told her to not get close to.

She sat there, frozen. Not even when steps echoed did she look away.

“Sis?!” Ariel halted at last, noticing her past the door in the shadows. “What are you doing-?“

“It’s here.”

Ariel leaned her head, not understanding her whisper, much less its tonality.

“What do you-“

“He has forgotten his armor.”

Ariel stood there behind her, able to see over her as she crouched. The chest was open, inside a golden armor. The very same armor they had told them they would sell, for them to acquire other goods and coins.

“How could he forget it?” Ariel was less shaken than her, but still concerned. “They need it. I saw them pack many things in those bags; I swore I saw him hold it and look at it a few days before.”

“The chest is open. He did look at it; he never unlocks it.”

“Then, they are…”

Lacking one of the things they needed to sell. Hiring and appraiser would be pointless, and they would not be able to bargain much with the pelts Ayako carried with her.

Both sisters exchanged looks. Their eyes spoke without words.

In a dark room, a figure rested in silence. That unbroken sleep was disturbed as hurried steps echoed. His red eyes opened reluctantly; he noticed the two young demons approach him reluctantly. The girls were looking down at him warily, but with a different emotion in their expressions this time.

“What do you two want?”

They had not dared bother him, not even to ask for help with any armors. Yet now, they dared near him, knowing he was the only one they could talk to.

“We need you, Lykaios.”

The old demon stood at last. He contained a growl when he saw them display something they held behind them. There it was, Alexis’ old armor, the one they had pretended to take in order to excuse their actions. He knew well they never intended to sell it. And yet, there was the trust in their words, the loving concern.

“They forgot it!” Both looked at him with hope, anxious. “We need you to bring it to them! They must still be near!”

The girls trembled as he tensed, even though he was merely a small lynx at the moment. His red eyes seemed to pierce them, read them and their thoughts. They felt dismay when he whispered coldly.

“No.”

He tried to walk away. However, he was not surprised when they stepped in between him and the door.

“P-please! You can reach them fast! It will only be-“

“I said no.” Aurora hid Ariel behind a wing, both stepping back. In a moment, they were not looking at a lynx, but at a beast as tall as Uriel, bigger than a bear. He was now towering over them, his voice more guttural, even blunter. “Even if they need this thing, they must deal with their own carelessness. Let them struggle to bargain, let them roam and suffer under their own incapability. They will manage, and soon, they will come back empty handed. Let them fail and regret leaving you behind. Let them realize their own shortcomings.”

He was not wishing them unfair trades and lack of coin, but that was what the girls understood. It was what he wanted them to know too.

Lykaios smiled contently; he was glad to see their impotent expressions. Neither of them dared to protest or plead.

He was unaware… that he had planted a dangerous seed into their hearts. Both young demons frowned, staring at the armor. They knew how important it was, how determined an angel had to feel to choose letting it go.

They would not bargain with a heartless devil.

————–

“You can do it.”

Her words were encouraging. So she clenched her teeth, grinding them together as she outstretched her claws. Her horns leaned down, her head bowed with her focus. Her eyes narrowed, with a blue fiery glint.

Aurora smiled, holding her own claws together, entranced by the sight. Her sister had painted some runes onto an armor, and after days of intent, she had finally managed to do it. The armor was moving at last, not only a single limb. Shaking, it was creaking its whole body, leaning and convulsing under her spell.

She would have managed… were not for the demon that interrupted them.

“You shouldn’t practice such a dangerous spell without Uriel’s supervision.”

They both gasped and took a step away from the armor. Ariel winced, because the puppet shook and fell backwards, ending up messy against the wall. Broken her focus, it could not keep standing up.

Lykaios eyed them both, walking to them from the shadows of the hall. His red eyes glinted, never leaving theirs while he scolded them.

“You’ve drawn over the runes I left on it.” He smiled, slyly. “You wouldn’t be trying to sabotage my control on them all, would you, Ariel?”

Ariel coughed onto one of her claws, looking sideways at Aurora.

“Of course not. I was only practicing a little.”

Lykaios nodded, not one to miss a single detail.

“At midnight. And of course, it has nothing to do with the whispers you share in the night. Nor with the fact that you’ve been unlocking all the doors, windows and rooms around.”

Aurora laughed nervously, folding her wings behind her.

“Unlocking things? Please, Lykaios, you’re imagining things. Why would we get into silly old rooms full of nothing?”

He gave the winged demon a piercing look. After sitting down firmly, he accused, knowing perfectly well they plotted something.

“I don’t know what you got out of the forge and the cellars, but Uriel and Alexis locked them tightly before leaving. I don’t like what you’re doing in their absence.”

Both sisters began to sweat, and as much as they tried to feign ignorance, he could smell their anxiousness.

“W-we’re just unlocking everything to do their jobs better!”

“Yeah, how can you expect us to watch over the garden and kitchen if we don’t have the tools or crates?”

He knew better, but he still did not have proof of what they plotted together. Standing up again, he eyed them down, walking away through the door.

“I’m watching you, children. Always.”

They stood there, smiling, claws held down behind them. They only sighed and stopped smiling when they were sure he was rooms away.

“Ugh, those eyes… I hate them.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that, Ariel, he has very good hearing.”

“Yeah, he heard me crawling in the attic yesterday. Luckily, I crawled back into bed before he could be sure.”

Aurora whispered at that, asking hopefully.

“Did you manage to do it?”

Ariel grinned warmly, only needing a look to tell her she succeeded.

Aurora smiled a little, even if nervously. She was both excited and scared of what they would soon do.

————

Again, he heard it.

His ears shot up. When he leaned up, a rabbit yelped and fell off his back, startled awake. He did not pay much mind to those small growls, because he was worried.

He heard it again, crawling. Steps, moving in the middle of the night. It made him stand up onto his four, and then whip his head to look out the door. He had been sleeping inside Ayako’s room, giving company to the small rabbit. But he could not stay put, not while hearing these noises.

Slowly, he got out into the hallways, sneaking his way towards the noise. He walked slowly, mimicking the carefulness of the steps he could hear. He heard whispers, ushered pulls, the sound of a lock being touched… Then nothing. With a small clack that echoed, the sounds became too faint for him to hear clearly.

It all took him to the upper floor. Jumping up the steps of the huge stairs, he got into darker corridors, where they rarely roamed anymore. His ears moved a lot, trying to pick up any possible sound. He halted after a while, below the latch of the attic. Eyeing it, he saw again that it was locked. It did not look like anyone had opened it and let the small stairs lean down.

But he knew better. He had been fooled once already, it would not be twice.

Glaring sharply at a nearby armor, he focused. It moved with a deep red glow, reaching where he couldn’t. It pulled down on the latch, unlocking it by force. Broken, the ladder slid down strongly, allowing him to crawl up into the hidden dusty attic.

When he did all this, he heard the startled gasps of the girls. He rushed into the room, red eyes glinting when they set on them.

He gasped too, when he spotted them ahead. There was a small window, and it was wide open. Tied to it, there was a long string of clothes, rope and blankets, to allow passage down the outer wall. Holding on to that string was Ariel, one foot out already. Still inside, Aurora, looking back like a deer in headlights. They were holding backpacks; they were full of things they had scavenged through the manor. As well, something smelled of angel in one of them.

He growled, fur going up. Angered by their mischievousness, he pounced, ready to stop them.

It only made them lunge for the window faster.

“Hurry!”

Aurora tried to crawl out like Ariel did. She had been scared to get out, afraid of the big height of the manor… and that allowed Lykaios to get her. She yelped when she felt his mouth shut around one of her wings. With one big strong pull, he slammed her back inside, careful to not rip one single feather. She scrambled back against a dusty wall, too flustered to try to flee again. He was huge now, and had a lot of trouble moving inside the small attic. Ariel did try to slide down the rope, but did not manage because of her reluctance to leave Aurora behind. Lykaios was fast and wild; pushing his head out the window, he bit onto the air, reaching for her. She thought she could get out of his reach, until she felt him grasp her tail. Screaming in surprise, she scrambled in the air. He pulled her upwards, effortlessly, and then dragged her back through the window.

He threw Ariel into the room as well, huffing and growling, fur up. Both sisters scrambled against the wall, unscratched but scared enough. While they hugged and looked away in shame, he twisted. Convulsing, he slowly shrunk, returning to his simple form. He did not change without letting out a very deep growl.

“What were you thinking?”

He did not scream, not even raise his voice. But his tone had rumbled the very foundation of the manor.

Aurora was too nervous to speak, so Ariel did, with a defying glare.

“We were leaving.”

“I can see that.” He had changed completely now, and his voice was softer. That did not mean he was not angry. “The question is for what!”

Aurora frowned more; as she retorted angrily, he noticed she was also carrying her bow between her wings.

“If you don’t help us, we will do this ourselves. You take care of the manor with those silly puppets!”

Ariel nodded, agreeing completely with Aurora. They had reached the same conclusion, after days of arguing between them. Ariel had at first been reluctant of doing this, because she wanted to follow Uriel’s doing. But after much thinking, she felt they could manage such a venture. If she had been trusted to visit the nomads sometimes, she could be of help anywhere. They were always told to be free, to push away any judging glances, and be determined.

They wanted to be with them as well, even if their escape was mostly motivated in aiding them.

“They have not come back, they either have not realized they are not carrying this or they will trade for less things! We can help them! We can show them we can manage!”

Aurora added, her claws grasping tightly her bow.

“We could even give them more to trade with! I rather sell my bow than let him part with that! I need to talk to him!”

Lykaios shut them up. He slammed a paw down, growling again, having received clear orders from Ayako. He would keep these two from harm at any cost.

“Silence. You can’t understand what they think and do. You will go back to your rooms, and forget this nonsense at once. I don’t want to hear anything about silly journeys and aptitudes. I have enough with them already.”

“But-”

“To your rooms!”

His body had shaken a little, his shoulders had grown subtly. They both were intimidated, and as much as they felt determined, they could not deny that Lykaios could drown that feeling with his bestiality.

He let out a breath, after watching them scramble out the attic, leaving him there in the dark.

While panting after yelling, he looked sadly out the window. The stars in the sky glinted, far too many to count, unending. He wondered what Ayako was seeing now, and where was she.

“Your kids are just like you…”

He looked away from the forest below, head low. As he walked back to a dark room, something moved outside.

On a branch, a long shadow uncurled. Tangling through the leaves, it let itself fall to the ground. With many needles, it broke into two, opening a wide maw. Leaning up to take the scent in the air, it looked right to that window. Rush gone, the thing convulsed, losing part of its bloodlust. Again, it grew long sharp limbs, which tangled around like snakes, making it look like a torn centipede. It crept away, its burned oak creaking, to wait for her prey to leave their safety.

It waited, for its chance to murder.