He still couldn’t avoid glaring, even though the three had proven themselves harmless. While watching their every move, he felt apprehensive. They surrounded Alexis with the same adoration and servitude from yesterday. They kept holding him, asking insistently.

“Please, we are really thankful for your guidance, but we could do more with your help.”

“Stay, we will declare you head of the temple, you will be able to lead.”

“We still need to be guided; your knowledge of the runes is unending. It is admirable. How do you know so many dialects?”

The expression on Alexis’ face was one of clear nervousness. While trying really hard to make them let go of his arms, he was glancing at Ayako, not really knowing how to get them off. Ayako was looking away, leaning against the wall of the inn, ignoring his obvious silent calls for help.

Once he realized that not even Uriel would help him, he sighed and spoke to them.

“I really have to go. I must head north, you know for what.”

“But will you come back?”

“I-”

Uriel finally stepped in. Tired of them, he snatched Alexis away, with a very feigned friendly smile.

“Master can’t dwell in this unimportant city for this long. There are many places in which he could be of help.” Uriel leaned very close to his face, and then grinned in an exaggerated way. “You three can stay here, and act in his name. Isn’t that right, highness?”

Ayako snickered. Her blue eyes noticed how a few people in the crowd were looking at Alexis with curiosity now; even a few other priests exchanged words of wonder. All had bought he was someone important, even with his travel clothes on. Even a demon was next to him, seemingly admiring.

The angel was a little flustered in fact. He was fidgeting, nervous to be under so many stares. His eyebrows twitched, not having expected all this. He had thought it was all over when he left the three at night; he was rightfully shocked when they appeared early in the morning here, at the door of the inn. They knew they were leaving.

His next words would go against everything he told them about how wrong lying was. He coughed and tried to act firm. With a hand up, he attempted to control his shaking, while delivering the most fake of proclamations.

“It is right, my loyal demonic friend! Very right in fact. It is so right, that we should leave right now.” He turned away from the three, faking being unable to meet their eyes. “My trust lays in you, and your promise to not relapse in your wrongdoings. You changed, again, for good this time. This city is in great hands: teach the poor to share, the rich to give, and all that I told you. I’m sure I don’t have to quote any more books or teachings; when in doubt, open a book, and read the first words of the page, any page, anything works, fate is mysterious.”

Ayako did not know how those words could convince them, but they did. The three bowed again and accepted his parting, like if he was some sort of prophet.

“Yes, oh high priest! We won’t dare question you again.”

“We’ll make you proud. You’ll hear great things of our humble home.”

“Thread carefully in the north. We hope you find enlightenment.”

With another forced smile, Uriel dragged Alexis away. They mounted their horses, and parted after a few glances. The three hooded figures stood behind, not daring to chase. Once they rode away down the street, Uriel’s forced grin became a scowl; he did not doubt to voice his dislike and tension.

“I really messed up their brains. Good goodness, they wouldn’t stop blabbering around you; I wonder if it was because you were one of the last things they saw. Still obsessed with getting you, even if not to kill you. How could you be so laid back around them?”

Alexis sighed, tugging at his collar in relief. He felt better now, not having to pretend. Since the second he saw the three, he had flashbacks of the moments they hurt him, constantly. He did not really know how he managed to stay cool.

“I guess it was the only thing I could do. Should I have left them behind with all their doubts? If I had fled, maybe they would have tried to chase me. Do you want them to follow us through those mountains?”

“Definitely not.”

“Then let them believe whatever they want, anything that does not let them remember the truth. If they are happy now, thinking they improved their lives, let them be. It is better for them to be former thugs than angel hunters, am I right?”

Ayako was holding the reigns and riding with Alexis, so she did not miss those words. Her eyes narrowed as she questioned, slyly.

“Angel hunters, huh? A bad thing to be, I can agree with that now. But does that excuse stealing their identities and what they know? I mean, I wasn’t there, so I don’t know exactly what happened. You’ve never detailed where you fell exactly, and I can’t remember them in the guild. How did they find you, and when?”

Both males tensed. Biting their lips, they shook under her calculative stare. Both spoke, one quickly, another after a minute. Both stuttered.

“I did not mean hunters are horrible! T-they were very threatening, but even they have turned out for the better! If someone was adamant on killing you, wouldn’t you panic and do something harsh in the moment? Uriel saw them, and instead of resorting to murder, like them, he did the most logical thing! No one misses them! They came from nowhere!”

“This happened… somewhere in between him fleeing my place, and him being mauled by that bat. Yeah… he just kept running, you see. After I knocked them out away from him, he just fled again in a panic, while I had to stay back to deal with them. I was in a rush, which is why I resorted to such a harsh thing. He just kept running everywhere, no wonder he was drawing all that attention! These foreign hunters were lucky to spot some feathers where he fell; they searched for him for a long time!”

Ayako knew well when they tried to hide things. Their expressions were familiar ones, caring, but deceiving. It was the same face they made when Ariel broke a tar full of herbs when she was a child. They tried to cover it up and protect her, because she was crying, guilty, scared to think they would yell. Without saying a word, they gathered new herbs and replaced it all sneakily. She did notice the new tar on her desk, but kept quiet. They were gentle fools.

Even more… they were her fools. They had been through a lot; those times were ones full of suffering for them. She understood why they were so anxious to mention them. Through the years, they had shared some of the pain with her, little by little, and she was thankful for their trust.

With one of her usual sighs, she shook her head, forgiving their faults.

“Doesn’t matter, forget I asked. Even I don’t know all the people in that stupid guild. Some were real jerks. I’m glad they won’t bring any trouble again. Just promise you will never think of using such a spell again.”

Her horse was at the front, so she did not see Uriel’s face contort with the saddest of frowns. Alexis looked down, hearing his demon whisper mournfully.

“I already promised, Ayako. I really regret it.”

The three headed through the city, silently approaching the northern gates.

————–

The night was full of stars.

Looking up, daydreaming while in the job, the guard walked through without paying much notice. The highness of the wall provided a great view over the woods. The border was a landmark, a rather safe place to work at. They had not seen a bandit for months.

As he walked through the distance he was assigned for the night, he passed by a banner for the twentieth time. He halted there, with his back facing the southern side of the border, holding lightly his axe.

He blinked a while later, when he heard a soft noise. While turning warily, he glared at the dark.

“Who’s there?”

The noise had been rattling like, a soft creeping against the stone. He walked slowly through, grabbing a nearby torch. It had sounded like if someone was up there with him, sneaking… but there was no one.

He slapped himself and grumbled, cursing his shift time.

“This is why I prefer the day. Pull yourself together, Frederick; you are falling asleep.”

He turned again, heading for another area of the barrier he was supposed to patrol. This time, he did not hear the much louder clank that echoed in the distance. A rope flung upwards, to latch at the edge of the tall wall. The rock landed, and as it slid back with gravity, it stuck itself against two squared tips of the wall. The rope was tugged strongly, twice.

Below, two young demons whispered, plotting their climb upwards.

“Is it lodged?”

“It is.”

“Pull again to make sure, you could fall.”

“Sis, I’ll be fine.” Ariel frowned and let herself hang from the rope, which held her weight without giving in. “See?”

Aurora eyed the rope very carefully. The wall was tall, enough for them to break a leg if they fell, maybe their necks, depending on the landing. It was enough to make her dizzy, just by imagining Ariel up there. It was taller than any tree she had ever climbed.

“I just don’t understand why we can’t just go through the gate.”

Ariel looked down at her, having begun to climb up already. With a roll of eyes, she beckoned her sister.

“Aurora, we can’t just walk there, and say: Hey! Can we enter your region, please? We are nice demons!”

“I know. I just don’t get why they have to fear us.”

“Well, they do. We will just climb, sneak past, and nobody has to be bothered or afraid.”

“If they find out we’re trespassing, they may do more than try to throw rocks at us.”

“They won’t find out, we-”

They both crouched. The same guard walked by again, holding a torch; he was now leaning to inspect the noises he was hearing. He did not spot them, but they remained quiet until he walked away again.

Ariel begged her again, letting down a claw to help her up.

“Come on… we got to move. We know how to climb; this wall is just a little taller.” There was a moment of hesitation, a moment in which Ariel’s eyes met Aurora’s softly. “Would you rather go back?”

Aurora fidgeted. Her claws trembled as she doubted. Part of her was really afraid of the weapons the humans held, the memory of bandits still fresh in her mind. In the end however, under the warm encouraging stare of her older sister, she gulped and tried to be brave, not wanting to go back.

“No, Feiren is there; just this wall.” She clasped Ariel’s claw and smiled with purpose. “We’re almost there.”

Ariel smiled, because Aurora began to climb up with a determined grip. They both crawled up, legs against the wall. At first, both were agile, displaying Uriel’s swiftness and Ayako’s drive. However, it really was the tallest thing Aurora had ever climbed.

“This is really high, isn’t it?”

“It is, don’t look down.”

She agreed and complied, yet the thought of the height still lurked in her mind. She kept holding on strongly to the rope, but she noticed how her wings moved all on their own. A feeling she could not describe overwhelmed her, even though her mind only wanted to keep going. Her wings seemed heavy, reluctant.

Ariel soon noticed the small snarls below her. She looked back, only to see Aurora there, climbing with as much effort but with less success, her expression was one of frustration and bewilderment. She had never seen Aurora’s wings tremble so much, even though she did not seem to want them to.

“Why are your wings limp…?! Fold them!”

“I’m trying! They just-“

They shut up when the glint of a torch sparked closer, a voice calling.

“Alright, I’m really hearing things! Who goes there?!” Ariel swung on the rope, making them both hide a little against the wall. The guard leaned at the edge and peeked down again. “I swear, I have an axe! I might be rather new to this, but I know how to use it! My grandfather fought against the raiders in Feiren; I can mess you up really badly, bandits!”

No answer. He glared fiercely with his green eyes, tilting his helmet angrily. He moved his torch, scouting every single inch of the side of the wall below him. He came very close to spotting them… but something else took his attention. He gasped, hearing the guards that stood by the gates scream in the distance, with alarm and urgency.

“Beast, beast!” He paled, hearing the distant sounds of something heavy trying to crawl up the tall wall. “It’s trying to climb up in the dark! It’s huge! Chase it away!”

He ran towards the commotion. Multiple guards ran through towards the same direction. The girls kept quiet, tucking their wings and tail closer against the wall. The reflection of torches lessened above, and after a minute, they were sure all guards had moved far away.

They were quiet for a minute, wondering what could have scared the guards like this. But then, they exchanged a look of realization.

This was their chance.

Ariel smirked and proceeded to climb up swiftly. She easily reached the top; her claws latched onto the edge and she pushed herself up. She panted with a smile, glancing sideways to make sure they were alone. She was triumphant, until she realized Aurora had not pushed herself up yet.

Looking down, she saw her there, moving up slowly, struggling. Her claws were scratching the rope, breaking it slightly as she fought the weight of her wings. Never had she seen her struggle to climb, as she had always loved to stand on looming branches and trunks.

With a silent snarl, Ariel lunged to help her, out of worry and love. Carefully, she got down the edge and lowered a few feet from the top. While holding on strongly with one claw, she lowered the other for Aurora to take. Their sharp blue eyes could see well in the dark, but they were focused on each other’s gazes and did not see what crept.

Two sharp needles moved above them. They laid down on the rope at the edge, stabbed and sunk… and then ripped sharply.

They both felt the pull of gravity. They gasped in shock, incapable of taking into account the attention it could draw. The thing slid away back into the dark after the rope snapped. Aurora closed her eyes shut, seeing herself drop harshly. She felt the rush of air, but not the hit against the ground.

Slowly, she opened one eye. She was upside down, swaying and facing the ground. Her wings were hanging below her, wide open and limp. Something was holding her by one foot, and judging by the pained tone in Ariel’s voice, she quickly guessed what it was.

“I got you…! Try to flap your wings and swing up!”

Her blue eyes noticed the tail that tangled strongly on her foot and heel. Ariel was holding on with her claws onto the wall, on some stones that peeked slightly out, just inches away from the top. Her scowl made clear how much strain she was under while holding on to both her and the edge.

Aurora pushed away her vertigo under such sight, the fear of her sister being hurt stronger than any instinctive dread of heights. She flapped her wings, giving herself drive. After a couple of failed pushups, she managed to claw onto the edge as well, to hold on there. Ariel untangled her tail with a long tired sigh, and proceeded to climb again. She helped Aurora up as well, noting how puffed her wings were now.

Both finally sat on the top of the barrier, unharmed, even if startled. There was no time for nervous yet triumphant breaths however. Both jolted when they heard the guards speak in the distance, nearing.

“We lost it! How can we lose sight of a demon that big?!”

“Did it manage to jump through?!”

“Don’t know! I heard a noise over here!”

Both exchanged a panicked glance. Ariel did not falter; she spotted a banner hanging nearby, and then clawed it off its pole. She jumped onto the opposite edge and latched herself there with the cloth, letting down her legs and tail. She yelled at Aurora, who was standing there, looking towards the voices.

“Sis, come on!”

Aurora seemed to free herself from her frozen glance, pushing away the thought of dangerous humans. She noticed Ariel was holding the banner, letting it sway in the air. The plan now was to climb down, slide down said banner, and land with a leap on the ground. They did not like it, but it was the only way. Without rope, they could only jump half way with the help of the cloth.

Both sisters took a breath, now hanging at the edge. Next, with a last glance at each other, they slid down the banner, which was not as long as the rope had been. The wall was very tall, but the banner would still manage to muffle the landing. Aurora yelped when she slid down all the way and her claws released their grip. Her wings froze again as she thrashed the way down, her eyes holding a new kind of fear. Still, she was unharmed; she landed on her fours, panting and with all color drained off her face.

As she crouched there in horrible realization of a new shortcoming, Ariel hit the ground at her side. She did so more gracefully than her, only one claw needed to soften the landing. Still, both had sunk their nails like cats on the ground. Both panted, not having expected such an eventful crossing.

They would have stayed there to regain their breaths… if not for the steps that echoed above. After a silent tired nod, they both ran into the woods, where the guards could not see them.

They kept going, following their family with unorthodox methods.

—————

“No wonder no one comes here.”

His comment was ignored, even though it was rightfully said. Uriel felt claustrophobia. They had to be very careful, because they were riding their horses through very slim cliffs, which coursed upwards along the western mountain. Snow was beginning to build up at the cracks nearby. All was rocks and tall ledges, a road caved into the mountain.

Ayako led with confidence, having traveled much more in her life.

“I think it’s admirable how Feiren provides a way to go through the valley, considering how hard it must have been to achieve it. Imagine digging up a tunnel in a mountain this size!”

There were only two options available if one wished to reach that northern village past the mountains: one, the tunnel they were heading to; two, a decaying hanging bridge over the valley. Perhaps, however, there was only one real option, as no one ever neared that bridge. The dam was very old, ancient; neither of the two settlements would wish to damage it by roaming and risk a flood.

Certainly, the journey was not one of leisure, no matter which path they took. Alexis looked over the edge of the peak they were riding over. From above, they had the view of the valley far below, and in the distance, the twin mountain. If they looked closely, they could see the huge river between them, which flowed through green woods and snowy rocks. There was a big hanging bridge, which loomed over the end of the valley, right near the huge stony dam. Though, from here, it all looked small.

“There’s still a long way to go.” He asked Ayako, while peeking at the map she held. “How much till we reach that tunnel?”

“Right there.”

Uriel frowned, the first to spot it. At the end of an even slimmer path, the top of the mountain towered over them. There, the path seemed to sink, into the depths of the peak. It was a long stony tunnel, of which its end could not be seen. There was a small wooden outpost at its entrance, old and covered in snow. In fact, the guard there was an old man who seemed to live in the outpost. When they neared on horse, he seemed rightfully surprised. When he got off his chair, he grabbed his helmet and axe and scrambled to stand where he was supposed to make watch.

“Halt!” They had to, because the entrance of the tunnel was closed. It had a barred gate. “Are you lost?!”

Ayako shook her head, noting the bewilderment in the man’s eyes.

“No, sir. We know where we are going. We are heading to the next village from here.”

The man eyed her like if she was mad, leaning onto his long axe.

“What do you expect to find there? There are only woods and snow! And crazy people! Men who do not know the meaning of cold and danger! No commerce, not even an inn! No one goes there! The only reason this tunnel exists, is to provide a connection to that crazy town, which should have been evacuated ages ago!”

Alexis got into the conversation, eyebrow raised.

“What’s so crazy about it?”

“Everything! Look at these roads if you want an example! Your horses could fall off and die! You just climbed up a mountain to get here! Once you descend from it through this tunnel, it is only white, everywhere!” The man pointed the non-sharp end of his axe at Uriel, one eye narrowed. “Ohh, and I’ve heard many like him roam over there! But not like him! Much more beastly and feral! Those men don’t stop messing with things they shouldn’t! No one should be there!”

The man had stood guard here many years, judging by his way of speech. Ayako gave him a worried look and tried to get closer to the gate.

“I’m sure we will be fine… A few feral demons can’t be that-”

“Agh! Women, you are all crazy.” Ayako did not like to hear that, but said nothing. He had opened the gates, letting them get into the cold dark tunnel. “Last person who crossed this tunnel did so years ago. And she was also a woman! A very foolish one at that! Traveling alone… rambling about threading where no one has, to seek recognition. Bah! There’s nothing but nothingness there! If it weren’t for that town and you crazy travelers, I would not be here!”

Ayako huffed and hit the reigns of her horse. As they advanced into the tunnel, Alexis eyed down the man, not with resent, but with a look that questioned his sanity. Uriel was the only one who looked him right in the eye, with much more dislike.

However, as he was the last to enter, he was the one to hear him warn.

“You, you seem like a smart mercenary. I suggest you leave now that you can!” Uriel halted his horse, to listen, not without a frown. “Maybe try to warn that other henchman of hers… these parts are not safe to wander. One hears things, bad things of those places.”

He did not like those words, at all. He would have said something, if not for Ayako calling him because he had been left behind.

“Uri, leave that grumpy man already!”

With one last curious glance, Uriel entered the tunnel. He was worried, but for now nothing had been dangerous, only unexpected.

With them gone, the man shook his head and sat again. He did not close the gate, hoping they would think twice and turn away.

They did not.