Her eyes opened slowly.

As she stared up sleepily, she counted the cobwebs on the wooden beams above. Blinking, she began to hear the noise, the constant echo of the crowd outside. She awoke slowly, reminding herself that she was not home, nor out in the wilderness.

While sitting up, she looked around in the small room. Really small, with three beds clamped at each corner, with no other furniture than a small table and a broken oil lamp. In that small space, it was not hard to notice the presence that sat on one of the beds, and as well the absence of another one.

She rubbed her eyes, frowning. She asked Alexis, who was sitting cross-legged on his bed, tinkering with his backpack and his small sewing tools.

“Where’s Uriel?”

Alexis stopped sewing a shirt that he had ripped on the way to the city, to give her a lazy retort.

“He couldn’t sleep.” She looked sideways, to the minuscule decayed window. The sun was barely shining outside, still trying to rise. “He is probably trying to order breakfast for you. Maybe your favorite recipe for the mornings, ham with sautéed mushrooms.”

She stood up from bed, quickly putting on her boots to not step on the dusty floor.

“But I doubt they take commands in this inn. If they barely take care of the rooms…”

“That’s why I said trying. Most probably, he’s not going to find anything more than a lifeless stew.” Alexis moved a hand to his chin, musing without interest. “Unless he intimidates the innkeeper enough to make him rewrite the menu, that is.”

Ayako knew she had to get to the lower floor. She left Alexis there to fix his broken shirt and headed out their small room. The inn was big enough, but very compact, designed to host as many travelers as possible. She had to lean to make way to a man as she strolled down a corridor, too small to let two walk in the same place. She reached the creaky stairs that led to the main and only hall, only to hear Uriel’s voice, more loud than anyone else’s.

“I didn’t even fit in that bed.”

“W-we are sorry about that.”

She walked down, and as soon as she had the room in sight, she spotted him. There, at the reception, past the many tables that served as a gathering point and a place to eat. He was leaning onto the desk, staring down at the poor innkeeper, who was a little pale while he complained.

“If you were really sorry, you would not only provide less creaky beds, but as well fix the rest of the furniture. A broken window and lamp, not a single portrait or curtain. All is old, but not in a good way. There were cobwebs! And to top it off, in claustrophobic rooms!”

She doubted the man knew the meaning of said word. He was sweating, shrinking under Uriel’s stern stare. Her dear demon didn’t seem to realize that he was not troubling the man for all the complaints, but for his tallness and intimidating looks.

“I’m sorry for all of that. M-maybe we can provide a bigger room to the lady you’re serving?”

It was a good thing that the people in this city considered him a henchman, considering how scared they were of him. If they knew that he was free to do as he wished and not under the orders of a human, all would show less respect. Uriel did not care about those thoughts, but about how unkempt this inn was.

“It does not matter if she’s a noble or not. Everyone should receive a better service! Besides, I bet that even your biggest of rooms is unclean. Even your hall here is dusty. I can’t imagine how the kitchen-”

“I think that’s enough, Uriel.”

His violet eyes blinked, feeling a gentle touch on his shoulder. He leaned away from the innkeeper and looked at Ayako, who was smiling with amusement.

“But-”

She raised a hand at the man and ordered what she knew they would serve this early in the morning.

“We will be having some stew, please. Three bowls.”

The man eyed her, bewildered. Her attitude was much more laid-back and carefree than the one of a noble or a rich merchant. She seemed to have seen world, and probably a lot of taverns. He wondered how much money she could have, because hiring a demon could not be cheap.

In the end, he pushed away his wonder about her simple looks, because the demon was still there, looking at him with criticizing eyes.

“Right away, ma’am.”

As the keeper rushed into the kitchen, Uriel tried to complain against her easy going words.

“I was only-”

“Shh, I know.” She raised an eyebrow, smiling up at him. “Do you really expect this kind of inn to have a service like ours? Please.”

She made her way to a table and sat there happily, with a yawn. They were not alone in the hall; a few patrons were chatting and whispering at other tables. When Uriel followed and sat strongly at her side, a few of said patrons picked their meals and inched slightly away, awkwardly trying to not meet his scary violet eyes. When Alexis finally left their room and walked down into the hall, their food was served. Alexis noted how the innkeeper fidgeted while letting down a bowl for Uriel, because Uriel was eyeing the stew with a very scrutinizing stare.

With the man gone, the three looked at the food, not very impressed by the smell or look it had.

“Really lifeless.”

“I don’t think you will have to worry about it having meat.”

“I wish I could enter the kitchen…”

They sighed, and without adding more to their complaints, they began to eat.

Being the first to finish, she picked out something from her pocket. She laid a small map on the table, and then began to point at it with a finger.

“Well, we’re here.” She slammed her finger onto the square that represented the inn, tapping for good measure. “As you see, this city is huge. There are a lot of markets, shops, and artisan districts. The river that flows from the mountains cuts through the entire city, bifurcating into the canals that you saw. It’s a labyrinth of bridges, canals, boats, streets and strange buildings.”

“So that’s why you stole this map.”

“Steal? Me?” Alexis eyed the empty board at a wall, where it looked like someone had ripped away a paper. “I bought it yesterday, silly. You just don’t remember.”

“Right…” He ignored her mischievous smile, to glance over the map instead. “Is there a district of blacksmiths? I would like to pay it a visit; I could use a new knife or a flint, in case we need it on the roads.”

“You bet. Here.” She added, trailing her finger. “I would like to visit the district of the main market, in case I see strange herbs.”

Uriel coughed, reminding with his usual efficiency.

“As much as this city has a lot to see and many streets to wander in… May I remind you that we are only staying for a day? We leave tomorrow, and I highly doubt we can diverse our route to visit those two places today.”

“No, we can’t. Unless we roam separately.”

The three of them looked up from the map, to exchange looks. Uriel did so with bafflement, Alexis did with a frown, and she did with interest.

They all commented, at once.

“What a ridiculous idea… There’s no way I’m going to let either of you wander alone.”

“That would be efficient, and would help us cover more ground, but we’ve never been in a place like this.”

“It would be really easy; we would just accord a meeting point with this map, and meet up again in the evening.”

They all noticed their opposing views for the idea. Uriel was the first to snarl with dislike.

“This city is full of humans, Ayako. Full of humans, who may I remind you, really trouble Alexis.”

Alexis, for once, retorted, with much less dread and nervousness.

“Well, I have never visited a human city, Uriel.” Uriel stared with disbelieving eyes, rarely having seen Alexis be this daring. “It does not look that bad. I could really enjoy some time alone out there. There are stalls, shops, blacksmiths… a city, something I have not seen in a very long time. When I fell, I lost my civilization, so I might as well get to know this one. Besides, I could go and ask about the northern regions! Who knows what people might know.”

Uriel tapped a nail strongly on the table, growing very anxious.

“You’re still my-” He lowered his tone, realizing there were people nearby who could hear. “You’re still my angel, someone I must protect. What if someone wants to attack you? I’ll be worried sick.”

Ayako interrupted his paranoid words, looking him right in the eye while placing an arm over Alexis’ shoulders, strongly.

“Oh come on, Uriel.” She grabbed Alexis by the face, and much to his annoyance, she motioned him to Uriel. “Who’s going to figure out by this point? If he’s more relaxed, it’s because no one has known in all these years! Let him roam freely for once! You can always tell he’s alive, and follow his heavy scent everywhere!”

Alexis pushed her off, grumbling.

“Do not say scent like I’m sweaty or smelly.”

Uriel ignored their taunts, to keep insisting.

“Even then, I would rather go with him. There might be no angel hunters in this city, nor demons, but I worry.”

Alexis rubbed his face after her grab, and tried to reason a little.

“What you should worry about, is all the looks you’re getting.” Uriel blinked, following the direction in which Alexis pointed. A few patrons had been whispering and glancing, curious and wary. “You shouldn’t go alone, nowhere. If you don’t go with her, people might call the guard on you. Because, come on, I wear very… undistinguished clothes, and no one is going to believe I’m your boss or something.”

Ayako and Uriel stared at Alexis. His clothes were usually torn, from multiple years of heavy work. If not ripped by thorny plants, they were dirtied or burned in the forge. He had sewed almost everywhere, to mend them. The only thing that could be considered passable was his trusty black cape, but that still was very old. He looked, overall, like a vagabond. If a tall strong demon were to wander with him, people would maybe speculate they were up to something very shady, or that the demon coerced him to help him into the town.

With that obvious conclusion in their minds, they only had two options. To go together, as they always did, or have Ayako and Uriel band together and leave him be, with the assurance that they could trail him anywhere.

Uriel was looking a little pale, so Alexis sighed and smiled to him.

“Hey, remember, I’m not a bunch of gold sitting around to be stolen. I can’t take care of myself.”

“It’s not that. It’s just…” He was fidgeting with his claws, tilting his horns to a side, in thought. “If anything does happen, I dread not being able to run fast enough.”

Alexis stood, and while heading for the door of the inn, he patted Uriel’s shoulder.

“Relax. What could happen in this city? I’m just another human, a traveler, or even a silly priest; I’ll blend right in. We’ll meet up here in the evening, okay?”

Ayako stood too, nodding back.

“Right, I’ll take care of Uriel. He can help me carry all the heavy stuff. I’ll make sure to buy a map of the following regions.”

Alexis clapped his hands with a smile, honestly excited to see what this human city had to offer.

“Perfect. I’ll see you later then!”

He walked out into the street, not without hearing Uriel call, worriedly.

“Be careful! Watch out for pickpockets! And don’t talk with strangers!”

He just snorted, walking through the crowd towards the west district.

———-

“This is the farthest she has ever taken me in a hunt. Can’t recognize the paths.

“I do. We are close to a road.”

Aurora looked ahead again, trying to see past the unending woods.

“I still don’t see it. Too many trees in the way.”

“Soon, I’m sure. It’s there, we are in the right path; we’ll find them.”

“We took too long to leave…”

“They can’t have reached Feiren yet, can they?”

Aurora sat up in the back, sweating with anxiety.

“If they are not in that town, we will have to keep going. Do you remember well the map? Mom barely held it out before she left.”

“She showed it to me when they told us about their plans.” Ariel swung up a copy she had drawn from memory, giving it another glance. “The road is right there. We just have to follow it and we will see the edge of town.”

“I have the feeling they are in that city already.”

“Shh, sis.”

Aurora lifted her claws up to let out a sarcastic sigh, much like Alexis would.

“Fine, Ariel, I’ll keep quiet. I know I just distract you with my silly-”

“No, really, shh.”

They both kept quiet, Aurora peeked out again. Slowly, as they glanced ahead, a big smile grew on their faces. Ahead, houses, the smoke of chimneys, a small town.

“It’s there.”

They had never been to a human town. Ariel had visited the nomads multiple times, but never villages like this one. They had heard the unending tales of their mother, how she saw most of the world in her young days. They felt like her now, with the very same wonder and curiosity.

That wonder was short lived. While they rode their way into an external street, they soon lost their smiles. They had thought they could pass by the settlement quickly, disregarded, and that everything would be okay. They did not expect anything more than wary glances, the same distrust that guests had once given them.

They were wrong.

As Ariel stopped the wagon near a small bakery, all eyes were set on them. Not in a wary way, but an aggressive silent way. The townspeople did not say anything to them, not even question their intentions. They did not part like they had done for Uriel; they stayed put, only inching away to whisper or murmur.

Aurora spoke, with a trace of fear in her blue eyes. They could smell fear.

“Sis… maybe we should not try to stop to ask if they have seen them.”

Ariel shook her head, in denial. She still believed humans were not violent overall.

“No, just a fast question; we are just checking. There shouldn’t be any-”

They both noticed the humans grabbing things. Be it pitchforks or tools, they were now holding dangerous items, which even if they were not pointing at them yet, were obviously held for their presence. After looking at the two for a minute, they stopped whispering, deciding to speak out loud, commenting with disdain.

It was now clear to them that their family had passed by this town but had not stayed, judging by the frustrated glares of the townsfolk.

“One demon is enough.”

“What will be next? Them settling in our town?”

“They are young ones, they can’t be as dangerous.”

“This is our home, not a den.”

Ariel reworded herself, seeing the crowd inch closer.

“…Let’s go, sis.”

Ariel did not want to entertain the idea of talking with these humans anymore. She did not want to dwell on it, but the sight of such hate made her remember one night in which she had found Uriel crying before they closed the inn. She was glad Aurora did not remember, her past apprehension was hurtful enough. Right now, part of her lost a little bit more of trust towards strangers.

Any other human their age would not have brought on such reaction by the crowd. They had done nothing but stop at the most outer street, merely glance at the buildings. And still, they looked at them like vermin. Only their horns and wings made them different, maybe their claws. It was simple racial intolerance.

Ariel hit the reigns and made the cart move again. They rolled away, just as one human threw the first stone. Frightened, they avoided the mob, which did not chase after them, luckily. With their heads low, they kept going, not wanting to instigate the humans into a fight.

As they left the last street, a group of men watched the scene. They eyed their wagon with interest, and its contents. But much more, one of them eyed them both, with a glint in his eyes.

“Well, well.”

He spat to the ground, standing up from the log where he sat. He glared while they left the town; his next words made his partners in crime move at last.

“We found our perfect catch, guys.”

————–

“Look at all these books!”

She had not expected him to be the one to be this excited.

With a sigh, she followed Uriel to a big stall, where he leaned to grab a very big novel. He lifted the heavy book in his claws and admired the cover and leather like if it was an ancient artifact.

“First edition!” He gasped, and then lunged for another one, a culinary biography. “Ah! I haven’t seen this book since I was a child! I thought it was too old for it to exist today! All the recipes I learnt with it!”

She wasn’t as interested in this stall, because the books did not tell anything about medicine or herbalism. All were historic, romance or biographic novels. All which interested him a lot.

The seller walked closer, and then offered timidly.

“Maybe the lady would like this one better?”

Uriel blinked down at the book the man was trying to show him: a very recent book, one that spoke of the life of the regional queen, a local celebrity. Frowning, he shook his head at the man, lowering his hands in dislike.

“No… this one caters too much to the crowds. The queen has far too many social affairs and does not care for the real troubles of politics or her people. I do not care for her vanity, manipulation, or chatter.” He tucked the books he chose closer, nodding firmly. “Besides, these books are not for her, but for me. How much do they cost?”

The seller gave him a very confused look, noting how it was her who carried a bag full of groceries instead of him, who one would think to be at service. Pushing those thoughts aside, he said the price, and carefully took the money that was handed to him by a very eager claw.

Once Uriel bought three books, they kept going through the big street, eyeing the multiple stores. She commented, seeing his tail swing happily.

“Not so anxious now, are you?”

He blushed with a smile, scratching his cheek with a nail.

“What can I say; this city does have a lot of commerce. It has a bigger offering than the market of the nomads. Maybe our lies were not so false.” He sighed, seeing people dodge him as they crossed ways. “I guess it must be easier for him to blend in. I should worry more about me.”

“About time you did. He will be fine. It’s not like he’s unlucky enough to get into trouble all the time!”

She grabbed his hand, and without warning, she dragged him towards some nearby tables, the outside of a colorful tavern. There she bounced, proceeding to beg him for a while there, to spend some money in some fancy snacks. Even though he grumbled, he obliged, taking some coins out of his pocket. As she called for the bartender with the money he managed, a group of men sat nearby.

Unknown to the two, they had been followed for a while. Through the streets, a very rich merchant and his henchmen had kept an eye on them.

Better said, on him.

The man sat leisurely, eyes fixed on Uriel. He kept tapping his fingers on the wooden surface, ignoring the drink he was served, only having eyes for the demon. While looking at those sharp horns, smooth features, tan skin, big clawed hands and strong arms, he smiled intensely.

He waited, letting the two have their moment and some drinks. But when Ayako finished hers with a laugh, he stood.

Ayako blinked, hearing his voice call with a friendly tone.

“How troubling was for you to find such a rare servant?”

She looked up to the man, who had neared their table without second thoughts. Dressed in very exuberant foreign robes, clad in thousands of amulets, wearing a very expensive looking ring; a man of luxury, of importance. His eyes were narrowed, not with malice or evil, but with the pride that money could give.

She answered, while Uriel shied under those piercing eyes.

“He’s not my servant. And it was not troublesome, but an amazing thing, to grow trustful of each other.”

The man smiled even more, which in turn made Uriel even more nervous if it was possible. He sat with them, not paying mind to her scowl.

“Ahh, so he’s a loyal caretaker, not a simple thug for hire. Even more rare and valuable. I wonder if he has been devoted to your family name, or if you helped him outstand yourself.” He outstretched a hand, for either of them to shake. “Name’s Yasir; well-known noble in ports, courts, and seas. If I don’t trade it, it does not hold any worth to it.”

Ayako stared down at his hand, and Uriel fixed his eyes on his drink. Yasir coughed and retracted, but kept smiling to her.

“Your name is, lady?”

Ayako was forced to comply, not wanting Uriel to deal with this individual.

“Aya, for short.”

“I see; no time for formalities, right?” He straightened his robes, and then grinned sharply. “Fine then, you can call me Yas, if you’d like.”

Ayako was growing tired of this. She knew exactly what nonsense would this man spew, and she wanted none of it. As she leaned closer to raise an eyebrow at him, she began to retort, sarcastically.

“Look, Yas, or whatever you want to be called; Uriel is not for hire. He has never been, and he will never be. He’s not interested in any job you offer. He’s capable of the most tiring and dangerous tasks, but not for any sum of money you can offer.”

The man took that as a dare. Laughing, he stood, and much to Uriel’s dismay, he stopped talking as much to Ayako, but directly to him.

“I assure you, I can offer him as much money as he wishes!” Yasir leaned at Uriel’s side and began to whisper, looking right to his sharp violet eyes. “The courts would love to see such a fine fellow as you; you look refined, a rarity in demons. As well, if I ever needed any heavy arms, you would be up to the challenge. Never more I would fear bandits or pirates; behind that humble demeanor I bet that a mighty side hides. How I long to find a loyal right hand, nothing like the thugs that follow me around. With your dedication, I assure you, you will enjoy a life of luxury, of the highest social standing! This is such an opportunity for one of your kind! Just say a price, and I will make sure she understands that you’ll have a better life. You don’t have to serve a woman like her for spare change.”

Uriel had been shy and timid before. Now, his eyes had narrowed and his stance had tensed. Ayako sighed and looked away with boredom, because as soon as Yasir dared to comment about her, she knew that he had messed up. Uriel had stood, and very calmly, had laid a claw on Yasir’s shoulder. He towered over the man, and even if he was not menacing him or raising his tone, he managed to make his thugs fidget.

“Sir, I beg you to leave us alone. I am not interested in what you offer. I don’t want your coin, or your influence in society. I am with her, not as a servant, but as a companion. And yes, I am loyal, but not for gold or silver. When she said any sum of money, she was not hinting that she paid me a lot. My vows to her are unconditional, and unbreakable.”

“B-but-”

Uriel was done. He moved the man gently back to his own table, and sat him there, much to the shock of his henchmen. As he turned around and whipped his tail in the air, he said a few last words, feeling honestly sorry.

“I’m flattered, but I’m not a mercenary for you to buy. Not as long as she is by my side.”

The man was not malicious, just clueless. He called while Uriel walked away, quietly.

“T-think about it! If she ever lets you off, the offer still stands! Ask around for my name!”

Uriel sat down again, with her. He kept sipping calmly at his drink. He ignored Yasir behind him and looked up to the sky and clouds, sighing with a smile.

“Such a fine day for commerce, is it not?”

She just nodded, wondering how he could exchange shyness for confidence in a blink.

—————

“These devils are not the brightest.”

“No… but still capable of biting.”

He crept with his sidekicks, sneaking in between bushes. Peeking ahead, they stared at the cart, motionless between trees, at the side of the road. The girls had stopped, unable to take water from the town’s well. A river was nearby, and both had dismounted to near it, not knowing they had followed.

The leader of the thieves unsheathed his dagger, the first to near the cart. All gathered around it, and with the two gone, they began to rummage through its contents.

Nothing valuable, nothing but food, clothes and a silly bow. He took the weapon in his hand, snarling at the lack of coin.

“One of them must have money with them.” He pointed ahead, growling with resent. “If they don’t hold valuables, we will take everything of them. Don’t doubt to rip them of their very bones… they would sell well.”

They moved, knifes in hand.

Ahead, far from the road, the two filled their waterskins with water. Ariel smiled and stood again, speaking proudly.

“See? No matter if those bullies didn’t let us near the well; we still managed to get water!”

Aurora was sitting on a log, swinging her feet sadly while Ariel filled two more.

“I’m sorry they did not let us get near. I don’t understand them.”

“It’s fine. We can do with this!” She stopped looking at her younger sister, focusing at the task at hand. “Some mean humans won’t make us hide our tail again. Not again! We’ll be on our way in a blink!”

A blink was all it needed.

With the older demon distracted, something moved above Aurora. Creeping for days, she waited for them to let down their guard. As it untangled from the branch over Aurora’s head, it lowered like a vine, thorny and full of needles. Thick root like nails grew from its frame, twisting and outstretching towards her hair. Like a snake with a huge maw, it slowly opened, having her right there, distracted and unaware, the perfect prey.

She lunged… but she did not clamp around the young devil’s neck.

Twitching, it did the most similar thing to a blink. Struck fiercely by an arrow, she was punctured against a tree behind her, pinned forcefully. She heard Aurora gasp, but not with pain.

She lost her chance, to some dirty humans.

Ariel paled, having seen an arrow fly. Inches away from striking her sister, it soared into the shadows, below the shade of trees. Aurora had ducked down, eyes wide, missed by the unseen archer. Her wings fluttered wildly as she looked up. She saw multiple shadows creep from behind Ariel, who was still in shock.

“Look out!”

Ariel reacted. She shared Uriel’s feline like reflexes. As soon as one of the men tried to stab her, she dodged to a side. She growled and grew angry; she overcame her shock, only to lunge like a true devil. The man whimpered and hit the floor, hit strongly by the side of her horns, which she slammed against his hip.

She managed to fend off that man, but she began to back away. Her eyes went wide, seeing not two, not three, but four other bandits come out. One held a bow, and not only was the weapon familiar… it was the one she had crafted for Aurora. She recalled the man as well. He was someone she had seen, someone she thought would never appear again.

“Run!”

She yelled, and Aurora obeyed. Dodging another arrow, Ariel jumped over the trail of water; Aurora had already flapped her wings and bolted over it.

Both ran as fast as the wind, one leaping sometimes with strong bats of wings, the other clawing at the trees to push herself forward.

“Are these bandits?!”

“Not any bandits! One of them is the bastard you bit years ago!”

“I what?! I remember a thief, how it ran! But I bit?!”

“No time now, just run!”

They ducked around some big rocks, out of view.

The bandits chased, and after a minute turned round where they did. Pointing daggers, arrows ready, they tried to spot them… but the two had vanished from the path. Not between bushes or trees, not ahead. They exclaimed, confused for their disappearance.

“Where did they go?!”

The leader’s eyes narrowed. He had a clue where they had gone.

“Maybe…”

He shot an arrow above them, to the shadows of the thick branches. He glared, expecting a gasp, a whimper. But nothing came.

He snarled, following a trail of thought.

“One of those brats had wings.” He pointed ahead, yelling loudly. “She must have dragged the horned one while flying! They can’t have gone too far! Grab that cart and move!”

They all moved away, unable to follow a winged being on foot. Unknown to them, no one had taken flight, no one could. Ariel finally stopped crushing Aurora’s big wings to keep them hidden above. When letting go, her wings opened and stopped lying painfully against a trunk. As she leaned to look down, Aurora’s blue eyes filled with sorrow and tears, glancing to the man that held her dear bow.

“Y-you made that for me…” The man was holding it roughly, in his dirty hands. “I need it.”

She had whispered, knowing they could still be spotted. Ariel leaned against the trunk, panting, having climbed up as fast as possible. She heard Aurora lament, lost and confused.

“They are going to take the cart. They have my bow, and our horse. What are we going to do?” Ariel felt her shake her shoulder, nervously. “We have to stop them.”

Ariel opened her eyes. With a deep frown, she tried to stay calm, cooler headed. Still the situation was testing her.

“I know, I know.” She growled, whipping her tail and holding a claw against her forehead. “We… can’t let them steal our things. But we can’t face them either.”

They were devils, but not beasts. They did not fight, no matter if Ayako had taught them a little.

In their anxiousness, they found themselves moving on the branch. With many hunts, they knew how to jump from tree to tree, follow from above. Ever so slowly, they followed the men, until they could spy them from a distance.

They were rummaging through their cart, looking for valuables. Ariel’s eyes filled with dread, as she remembered they had taken Alexis’ armor with them. Luckily, her sister brushed her claw and gave her a look. She opened her bag a little and let her see the small golden glint escape from inside. They would not find anything more than food and clothes.

They sat there, pondering what to do to retrieve their horse. In their doubt, they did not move, nor act. The anger of the men was growing, and soon, it reached a limit. The leader growled deeply and glared down at the bow in his hand.

Aurora’s eyes filled with fear, dread, when he slammed it down to the ground… and then stomped on it strongly. Ariel had to put a claw over her mouth, as she gasped in shock. The leader seemed to blink and glance around him, but luckily did not spot them above.

Her blue eyes cried in impotence as the men moved away, cursing and grabbing the horse. Even from a distance, she could see clearly that the damage was far too damming for her weapon to be usable. In their pain, they heard the cart move, leave, with everything they had except two backpacks and their waterskins. They did nothing to stop them, all too shocked.

In the end, without word, they climbed down. Aurora stepped slowly towards the bow, her breath held down in grief.

“I wanted to give it to…”

She cried, kneeling besides it. Ariel growled deeply, moving slightly away to go see the nearby road. She found it desolate, empty. She stood there, staring at the distance.

It was a while until they spoke. Ariel was the first, with a remorseful and guilty tone.

“I’m sorry.” She clenched a fist, her tail swinging as she stared at Aurora’s claws, the bow’s shards heavy. “I should have done something. I…”

She felt guilt, even though this was only the doing of bandits.

“We should… maybe go back.” Aurora finally looked up with her words, her heart beating with sorrow. “I’m supposed to keep you-“

“We are just going to hide?” Ariel stopped, seeing Aurora glare, her tears now angry instead of broken. Her wings flapped in frustration as she growled, her claws tightening over her broken bow. “Every time, always, we have to cower into our rooms.”

Ariel frowned too, anger rising inside her.

“They took our cart north.”

Both sisters exchanged a look, their sorrow slowly drowned in their outrage. That man was right now their most hated being in the world.

“Stolen goods get sold.”

“And Feiren… is full of commerce.”

They knew where those fiends were headed, at least some of them with their stuff.

Aurora took a deep breath and looked down at her bow. She folded its two pieces and began to eye her surroundings. Carefully, she neared a small crevice by the road, small enough to go unnoticed to any travelers. Her bag already carried something very important; she knew she could not carry a broken weapon with her, one that she could not use. And so, she hid it there, knowing she would come back.

Ariel stepped close to her and held her claw, both looking north.

“I’m bringing him this armor.”

“And we will get the cart back.”

Both whispered at the same time, hearts hopeful.

“We are going to find them.”

Perhaps they would need help, but they would find it. Both young demons began to head north, sure that they could reach their objective. They had always trusted in them, and even though they knew they would have to apologize for the theft, they were ready to do so.

They did not want to disappoint them. They wished to at least fix this wrong, still fulfill their plan. They had their hearts in the right place. Perhaps they felt slight hesitation and shame at the moment… but they were still determined. Their family had braved ahead, after years of isolation; and so they felt the same.

They did not want to hide.

————-

He must have looked like a peon.

Holding a big bag over his shoulder, he kept browsing every stall, every shop. He came out of one without money, but he felt it was worth it. Whistling happily, he marched through the street, careful to not hit anyone with his heavy bag. Full of tools, scraps and a blueprint or two, he carried things of far better quality that he had before. This was good steel and metal, the nomads never offered materials of these regions. The mountains in the north had a lot of mines, and provided things he would never find again.

It was a mad shopping spree, and he loved every single moment of it. Though he had to admit he could have gotten more things with more coin.

“And I feared coming into this place…”

Silly me, how dared I think all humans would instantly want my head on a platter?

Granted, they would if they ever figured out what he was. But they wouldn’t. All these people did not give a damn about him while he walked down the street, and he could not be happier about it. This journey had been pleasant for now, and he did not have a single regret for coming. Maybe he felt a little bad for dragging them into it with him, but all was alright. He was seeing world and he had high hopes, ready to find a clue about his own soul.

That unending inner worry, it made him head for another district. Every city tended to have places of worship. Be it temples or shrines, humans had a tendency to want to visit sacred grounds. And this city was no different. It had a district with a very big temple; he could hear the bells from here.

By stepping below a big stony bridge that connected buildings above, he set foot in a huge plaza. It was squared, not round like the one in his former home; there was a fountain in the middle. Ahead, there were long small steps that led to the ample temple, big enough to house thousands. Not big enough to compare to the ones of his citadel though. With only a small tower, it lacked the massiveness he was used to. But still, it was a temple. People crowded the plaza, because it was as well full of commerce. This was the main core, the heart of the city, and it showed. There was not only one temple, but smaller ones around. Most were made of wood, less grand, with small shrines in alleys. The poor did not visit the big one, preferring to gather in more humble ones.

Overall, only a few guards for this many people. He had to be careful about pickpockets.

He headed for the buildings with a frown, focusing.

“Okay, Alexis. You don’t like priests, they don’t like you either. Pretend you are one, spill garbage, and they might tell you if there are ruins or fortresses in the north. They might know something, considering how they are the ones who study the most. It’s simple.”

He was not looking forward to setting foot in a temple, but he guessed it was his safest bet. No temple would ever let Uriel step in, and Ayako would anger the priests with her mockery, so he was the only one who could ask.

As he walked slowly, he enjoyed the view. This country had a different culture; the decorations were different, and the runes that decorated the walls were of another dialect. He could tell this part of the world was ancient, that it had endured better the pass of time. These temples had been built over ruins, and it showed, judging by the angelic traits on the walls.

He was far too entranced to pay mind to his surroundings. Behind him, a hooded figure followed, carefully and warily. It took him a long while to notice, but when he did, he had reasons to worry. He held his bag more tightly and halted by some stalls, eyeing his sides.

There was not only one hooded figure, but two. Both had stopped, and now were watching him from a distance. He stayed still, and they did too.

After waiting to make sure they were following him and not another guy, he moved, feigning interest for a nearby preacher. As soon as he joined the small crowd, those two did as well, at the sides.

It was the only indication he needed.

He bolted without running, walked away, to try to lose them in the streets. He did not enter the temples, knowing he would be easily cornered there. They did not show aggressive intentions yet, but he did not appreciate being followed. He feared to be mugged, even though their robes stood out and they didn’t seem to be thieves.

His pace grew faster every time he turned a corner. Peeking through the stalls in the streets, he tried to lose them by crossing a bridge over a canal. To no avail, they seemed to be fixed on him, no matter how much he tried.

He began to jog. His bag clattered, but he did not care about making a lot of noise while he ran. People gave him the bad eye as he dodged the crowd, but he did not care. Yelping with every person he almost crashed against, he headed for the alleys, seeing that he had lost them for a moment. Dashing in, he turned multiple ones, wanting to make sure he was safe. The buildings were older and less fancy, the slums; but again, he did not care. He looked back with a smug smile, deeming he had left them behind.

“Not going to get mugged today.”

His eyes looked ahead again. He winced and gasped with a jolt, seeing a third hooded person. His way ahead was blocked. The figure was standing there, they were waiting for him. He looked back, and to his horror, saw that the other two had caught up.

With a snarl, he sprinted, even though the bag weighted a lot.

“Nonononono.”

Even if he was huffing for breath, he was confident that the long alley at his left would take him back to the plaza. It was pretty long and had a right turn. That was why he did not expect it to be a dead end.

He stared mouth agape at the tall wall right in front of him. He dropped the bag, and slowly turned to face the other way. Of course, they had followed; they were inching closer, hands tugged into their sleeves.

The angel shook his fear off, snarling. He lifted up his fists and taunted the three hooded figures, bouncing, ready to pick up a fight. He was not about to let them rob him of those fine tools. They were not buff, they did not look armed. He had already fought with the worst possible opponent, Ayako, so he did not cower.

“Fine then! Here I am! You want a piece of this, then come get it!”

He would have punched the first guy that stepped close, but he faltered. His fists trembled when that person pushed off their hood, revealing their face. Paling, he backed against the wall, feeling cornered and doomed.

“…”

The three had taken off their hoods. He stared at those familiar faces and eyes, which were looking right at him. He had no place to go, and he had lost his bravery, remembering well who they were.

He did not enjoy seeing them again, not after what they tried to do to his wings.