It had not been easy, and it had not been the most pleasant of travels. But they did it; they reached the destination they had agreed on, surpassing every single obstacle.

Panting, both stared up at the huge walls that surrounded the big city. Standing far from the main road, they hid under the shade of trees, at a green hill. Both sat down there, feeling the coolness of the grass, the breeze that flowed down from the snowy north. There was a lot of water around them, the valley was not far. They had settled near the southern gates, to wait for their family to march out of them.

A warm blue fire glinted in the dark, which reflected on shiny bronze wings. Ariel had lighted a campfire; she now spoke with a proud happy tone.

“We did it. We’re here.”

Aurora nodded, making herself comfortable against Ariel’s shoulder. Her big wings unfolded, and then covered them both, protecting them against the breeze of the evening.

“Outside, but here.” Neither had dared think of trying to enter the city. But that would not be a problem: soon, their family would walk out of those gates, and they would not be alone anymore. “They will have to get out from those gates. We’ll spot them.”

And then… we’ll say sorry. We will find our cart with them.

Aurora closed her eyes with a deep sigh and pushed her worried thoughts away. Ariel smiled sadly, seeing her claws clutch her bag very tightly, the armor still there, well kept.

Both waited seated, making camp. They were very close to the city. In fact, their fire could be seen from the top of the walls, a small glint at the farthest edge of the field in the night. It was not long until the sun sunk in the horizon and their presence was more obvious. Guards always patrolled on the tall walls, scouting carefully but without aggressiveness. Their presence was seen, for better or worse.

Two guards whispered, eyeing the distance, their outlines hard to discern near the woods.

“Do you think they lack the money for the inn?”

The other guard leaned his head, wondering why anyone would prefer the outer fields to a warm room.

“Even if they are there because they don’t have the money, they should still prefer to cross the gates.” His eyes narrowed while he lifted a hand over his eyes, trying to see them better. “I wonder if they could be thieves…”

The other guard scolded, thinking otherwise.

“Yes, because bandits would dare settle near the walls and make their presence obvious with a fire. No, I don’t think they are thieves. If they are, they are stupid.” He leaned onto the edge, pointing closely ahead. “In fact, they look like travelers.”

The other one paled, scowling at the thought.

“Travelers…” He looked at the other, wincing. “They might not know about what was seen at the border.”

“Here we go again.”

“Don’t mock me! My brother was there, I heard the report first hand! A huge demon, black as night! We don’t know if it managed to cross into our land. It… it clawed up, it moved fiercely, it was a beast. They had never seen a thing like that.”

“It was probably just an animal, a big bear. Bears climb! I hate to be here just because of those rumors. We don’t need extra watch.”

“Bears climb trees, but a tall wall? So quickly? No, that thing was a demon.”

“Which coincidentally vanished when seen, without scratching a single one of the many guards there. Come on, those guys at the border are pulling our leg.”

“It’s true, they were not lying! It could be roaming! It could be out there, creeping!” He eyed the two figures again and paled even more. “Oh god, what if it likes to eat children?”

“Every single kid is now in bed, safely sleeping in their-”

“No, no; those two are kids!” The two guards blinked, realizing something they had not before. “Look at them, those figures can’t possibly be adults. Those are teens! Out there, in the open! I don’t know what they are doing in the field, but whatever joke they are playing, they can’t keep at it!”

“Just youngsters roaming in the night… A weekly occurrence. Let them have their fun.”

“No, no. I’m not turning a blind eye this time, a beast is roaming and I know for a fact some brats like to get drunk where they can’t be bothered. They are going to get eaten alive.” That guard bolted, running towards the gates. “I got to warn them and make them go back to their homes. I’m afraid of that demon.”

“Are you serious? We are supposed to look out for bandits, not young troublemakers or simple-“ He was left behind; he found himself following. “W-wait!”

Both ran, holding torches and their weapons.

Outside, two slept peacefully against the trunk of a tall tree. Wings twitching, tail swaying, both had a serene expression, one of hopeful bliss. That bliss was disturbed, when one of them began to awake to the sound of voices.

“Th… over there!”

“Don… yell, you w… wake them!”

Aurora opened one eye. At first, she stayed put, staring ahead dizzily. She saw amber and red glints, flowing in a blur of black and green. Two figures, approaching from the far distance, in the dark.

It took her a moment, but she soon recognized the sight of two humans, and the weapons and torches they held. Her wings batted open as she scrambled to get up, pushing Ariel with the harsh motion. Her sister yelped, losing balance and falling on the grass. Both stumbled to their feet, startled awake, one for the sight, the other for the sudden movement.

“Sis, what are you-?”

“H-humans!”

Ariel gasped, quickly whipping her head sideways to look at the distance. She spotted the two figures too, whose faces she could not see. She could only pay mind to the intense light of their fire and the outlines of their armors.

“You two, come here!”

“What are you doing there?!”

Ariel’s claws moved fast. One grabbed her backpack, while the other latched around Aurora’s wrist. She pulled, only giving her a second to grab her own bag.

“Hide!”

“R-right!”

They were swift, almost inhuman in their speed.

The guards panted, having begun to sprint when they saw them move into the dark. Bewildered, they watched them hide in the woods, out of sight, right when they could have seen them with the light. Both tried to near, only stopping when faced with shadows.

“Come back here! You two should not roam!”

“It’s an order!”

They were ignored. Aurora and Ariel knew how wary humans could be, and refused to listen to what they thought to be hate towards them. In fact, the two guards did not know what they were; in their eyes, they were only youngsters.

“W-was it me… or one of them had a cape made of copper?”

“How’s someone going to wear a metallic cape?”

“I don’t know…” He looked at the other, frowning. “Do you think a wizard has casted a curse on this land? Are we under a spell that causes us to see things? First, a huge bear like demon. Then, strange figures in the distance. Now, bronze clad shadows that run into the forests when neared.”

The other stared at him, blankly.

“I hate this job.”

———–

 

They panted, having run for a while.

“Is it safe?”

Ariel looked back into the dark, unable to see the walls as much now.

“I think so. They aren’t as fast.”

Both let themselves fall onto their backs, staring up at the black sky. As they rested there, they did not hear the one who neared, very slowly, very carefully.

“I see you now fear them as much as they fear you…”

Both jolted up, propping themselves with their arms. One tugged her tail away, while the other let her wings fall limp. Lykaios emerged from the darkness, like a huge shadow, only obvious thanks to the sight of his bloody eyes. They did not run when his claws moved forward towards them, because in this form, they knew he could burst into a fierce sprint. He was eyeing them down, circling them slowly, speaking with a mixture of resent and relief.

“I finally caught up with you fools.” He let out a small growl, leaning towards Ariel’s face. The girl winced, intimidated by his fangs and words. “How dare you leave home against my word? You have endangered what Ayako most treasures, your wellbeing. What do you have to say in your defense?”

Ariel could be very direct when challenged. She overcame her surprise and fear. Puffing her chest out, she leaned too, pointing her sharp tall horns towards his face, which was close enough for her to brush it.

“First, don’t call Aurora a fool; it was me who planned most of this. Second, they only asked for the inn to be cared for, which you could do on your own. Third, it was you who refused to go out for us.” At this point, Lykaios had taken a step back, flinching with every word Ariel let out. “Fourth and most important… Your breath smells horrible, Lykaios, so move your fangs away from my face!”

The big demon did move away, but not because he was told. His eyes went wide as he stared at both girls; they had moved to stand together, to eye him down instead. With such sight, he could not avoid saying the next words.

“The apple truly does not fall far… They are idiots.”

Aurora growled this time. Like she did in her younger days, she suffered an urge to impose herself, a moment of brief bravery. She stepped closer to his chest and proceeded to give him small prods with a finger; much to the surprise of Ariel, who thought Lykaios would easily swat her away.

“Don’t call them idiots! They do much more than a mean demon like you! You don’t care about them! You always say you are only around because of mom, but you always have this annoyed look on your face, even for her! You always give us the bad eye when she is not around! You think we’re useless, you always say we can’t do anything! But we can! We are here now, and not thanks to you!”

Lykaios was looking down at her, intently, letting her let it all out. It was only when Aurora finished that she seemed to realize her own daring actions. Slowly, she lost the glare she had worn. And little by little, she shrunk under his intimidating stare. Even if he was not making a move or voicing his dislike, she deflated a lot; her wings dropped down, and her fingers trembled while she retrieved her hands. Head low, she began to step back towards Ariel, scared of his retort.

His retort was calm, firm but monotone, a simple assertion.

“You could have gotten hurt. Very hurt. You have lost the cart you took.”

Both flinched at that, truly regretting having let some bandits take it.

“W-we admit we lost it, we did. We knew that humans would… look at us badly, but we never expected that. We’ve been careful from then on; we have avoided them all.” Ariel showed true remorse in her eyes, as she held her claws and tried to reason. “We are here, and we know how to fix things. We have brought them what they needed to sell, and I’m sure they will scold us, but then help us look for it. We are sure that it will be fine; we will make it alright as soon as they walk out those gates.”

Lykaios felt pity; when he heard that last sentence, he tensed and glared at them, scolding.

“No, you won’t. You won’t need to look for that cart and horse, because I’ve taken care of it. Those bandits left it behind, they did not even cross that border. While you ventured here senselessly, I chased you, tiredly and painfully; at the same time, I controlled an armor, to hold that horse. It is safe back in the manor now, where it should have stayed. You’ve given me a horrible time, girls; simply horrible.” Both were looking down, ashamed and truly sorry about the thievery. It was only when he said the next words that they looked up. “You’re coming with me, right now. It’s time I end this absurd stroll of yours. Back to the manor with you.”

He tried to pull at them with one claw, which he intended to close around them. In answer, they jumped sideways swiftly. Their eyes were full of anxiousness, their voices worried.

“We can’t go back now, Lykaios! Please!”

“They’re here! We’re so close!”

He shook his head with a big snarl. His frustration was growing with every move they made away from him. As he advanced on them, he warned, while shaking his mane strongly.

“Girls, my patience grows thin. You will go back, and wait for them there, to tell them what you did.”

They were cowering and begging with their gazes. But he would not humor their silly emotional whims. He went ahead and snatched Aurora by one wing. Even though he was not hurting her, she began to flap wildly, managing to drop quite a few feathers. Both yelled when they saw he would not listen, disagreeing with his cold uncaring authority.

“Let me go! If we have to admit to losing the cart, we must do it now! I have to give them something before they can leave!”

Ariel defended her sister as much as she could. She grabbed onto Lykaios’s fur and accused him angrily as she pulled.

“Why go away?! They are right there! I bet you just want to save face! When they return, you’ll try to deny we even set foot outside to help them! You dislike them so much you want them to loose coin and time!” Ariel managed to swat his claw off Aurora’s wing and moved her away. Once at a distance, she yelled at Lykaios again, always protective. “You never treat us fairly! Whatever you have against us, we’ve had enough! When they get out of Feiren’s gates, we’ll near them, and-”

“They’re NOT in Feiren!” Their defensive scowls disappeared instantly. His yell had been loud and instinctive. He had not been able to stand their retorts anymore; he had snapped, unable to keep a lie. He was looking down now, frowning not with frustration, but with sorrow. His voice was a whisper, one of tiredness and pity. “Girls… they’re not there anymore. Just come back home.”

He really hated to see how lost they looked now because of his words.

“But they told us-” Ariel shook her head, looking at him with the most confused of glances. “They wanted to come here, to see its markets, its-”

“They have lied to you, and they have made me shield their lie. They are not stopping here; they are going to keep on heading north.”

Why can’t I keep lying? It has always been so easy with their parents…

He eyed their hurt eyes, and he could only see Ayako’s. He cared for them, he truly did. No matter how coldly he had treated them all these years, his efforts of not growing attached to these demons were in vain. Seeing their bewilderment now made him hurt, much like he would hurt if Ayako felt this way. The difference was that Ariel and Aurora did not trust in him, and he was most at fault for it. His words did not bring any gentle understanding, but the wariness he would receive from a stranger.

Ariel and Aurora exchanged looks again, with horror. They had only wanted to head here to surprise them, to show them their wits, aid their efforts. Some naivety, a simple venture; it was not meant to cause harm or trouble.

“You mean… they are not roaming in this region for supplies? What can they possibly be doing if not trading?”

“Why would they lie? Why would they want to keep going north?”

Lykaios smiled bitterly while nearing them again. He spoke more gently; he tried to convey the importance of heading back, without speaking of Alexis’ true motives.

“They are simply… exploring.”

“Exploring?” Aurora finished for Ariel, glaring with intense disbelief. “Alexis never goes out of home without a good reason to do so. He was so nervous when I began to hunt… even when it was just near our forests. Even if they are exploring, even if he has pushed his worry away… why would they not bring Ariel?”

Her heart ached, as she knew Ariel had always been more trusted, more reliable in their eyes. No danger would befall her sister near Uriel. And she was okay with that fact. She had always hidden away with her father, welcoming and sharing his outlook of the world.

It does not make sense.

As she recalled Alexis’ fear and pain silently, Lykaios tried to bargain.

“There’s no guarantee that you’ll be safe where they are going. They want you to stay at the manor, and that’s where I’ll take you now.”

“Safe? There’s danger where they are going?” Lykaios grimaced, realizing his words were damming. Ariel looked north, with the most worried of looks. “If the north is so dangerous, what do they expect to find there? What can be so important?”

“Nothing.” He growled and subtly grew in size, wanting to silence them. “Listen for once and obey your elders!”

He sat them down, strongly. They shut up under his intense glares. He circled them, pushing their backpacks towards them.

“Make yourselves comfortable and sleep the night away, because as soon as the sun rises, we will head back.”

“But-” Ariel tried to ask, even when Lykaios gave them his back. “Tell us what’s going on! We-“

She was silenced; Lykaios did not want to lie. So he cut their questions short.

“Quiet. Do not make me drag you along, girls. Because I will if I have to.”

They kept quiet. Aurora grasped her backpack a little; but this time, her claws had a softer hold, one full of doubt. Her eyes stopped looking at the armor, to look into the distance instead. She did not understand what her father was thinking or doing, as it contradicted completely the angel she knew. Meanwhile, Ariel glared at Lykaios, understanding that something worrisome was underway; something that they were keeping them blind to.

After a few seconds, they came to realize Lykaios was serious. He would not move away, nor dare say anything else. So Aurora proceeded to curl her wings over the two of them, like a makeshift mantle. Lykaios was sure they were still glaring under those bronze feathers, which he was not about to move. They began to unpack their things, to spend the night there, under his fierce watch.

He let out a huge sigh as his figure shrunk slightly. His eyes softened, but he did not let them see that. He plopped down nearby, curled on himself. Closing his eyes, he still kept watch, noticing how they laid down to rest, defiance drowned. He noticed their sad confused expressions too.

He did not want them to know why they were gone. If he could, he would bring them back too. Alexis was trying to find answers that did not exist, only bringing painful questions onto them.

————-

 

He snarled, because his dreams were disturbed.

A strong push, he felt a part of himself fall into a black void. He hit the ground strongly after descending through a seemingly endless pit, tearing into so many pieces that he swore he was being lashed and ripped. His mind was being pulled, strongly; so much that he could swear it was being shredded. His consciousness was startled awake, but at the same time it was disarranged.

With a trembling deep breath, his eyes opened. A deeper glint of red flashed across them while he panted and snarled, leaning onto his upper claws tiredly. His whole frame trembled, his heart drummed rapidly under a spell he had subjected himself to. He felt strings, stabbing into him, tugging back to the place where he casted the incantation, so far away. The distance to the puppet he still kept contact with was what hit him, like a thousand spears.

His pained growls were what startled Ariel and Aurora awake. Both jolted and looked up from where they were laying. They glanced at him, paling when they saw him shake onto his four, huffing and letting his maw stay open.

Seeing this, Ariel frowned in apprehensive thought. On the other hand, Aurora called, wings trembling with worry.

“Lykaios?”

He growled; another flash of red crossed his eyes, a spell he was stubbornly keeping up.

“S-something has pushed the armor I left by the entrance… Abiel must have-” He yowled, feeling another sudden touch. “Argh!”

He bent down a little; he was sure then that Abiel was not the one that had pushed the armor to the ground. He felt a hold, lifting up the helmet of the armor; a straining touch, which parted it from the rest of limbs, now all scattered.

While he jolted, huffed and trembled, Ariel watched. Her eyes narrowed, very slowly, cunningly. Aurora yelped when she latched her claw around her wrist, with a serious yet calculative expression.

“It’s our change.” Lykaios was distracted, hiding his head in between his huge claws for a moment. Ariel began to pull Aurora away, when he could not react. “Let’s go, now.”

“W-what?” Aurora did not struggle when she pulled her into a run, but did question with the most nervous of yells. “What are you doing?!”

Ariel looked back at her, still holding her arm.

“I’m not letting him drag us back!”

“But he will just chase after us!”

“And will you let him catch us?” Ariel snarled, not truly doing this to scorn the old demon. “I don’t know what they are doing… He won’t tell us.”

Aurora looked into the soft blue eyes of her sister. There was firmness there, but also the kindness of their mother, her impulse and sureness. She found herself nodding, following, already having seen that they could reach any place they set their minds on. Her mind quickly remembered Lykaios’ words, the possible danger, and she could not avoid feeling a shiver as she thought of Alexis.

“I have-” Ariel’s eyes glinted when Aurora grasped her necklace. Her whisper was hesitant, but still sure that the choice was obvious. “We can get to them.”

Ariel looked ahead again, adamant. She did not look back, because she refused to allow Lykaios to brush her sister’s wings again. She did not want to be controlled by a demon as cold as him. She had her heart set, decided to find the only ones who cared.

Behind them, Lykaios noticed them suddenly run, and rightfully yelled in alarm.

“Come back here right n-!” He winced strongly; he was forced to keep quiet. His chest hit the ground, while short of breath. “Nrgh.”

He growled deeply; his eyes kept flashing with glints of red, a call from the consciousness he left behind.

Something was very wrong with the manor. Whatever had pushed the armor was something that had intruded. At the same time, the two he swore to watch over were running away, against every word he said. They had seen Abiel push armors before, and so did not give him much pity. They truly did not know what was wrong as they ran, confident that they were still close to their objective, to the answers they wanted. They wanted to be sure their parents were safe.

All their encounters in their venture had given them self-confidence, pride in the demonic strength and endurance. And so, they left Feiren behind. Lykaios could chase, or he could stall and stay still to shield their home.

The choice was one he was forced to take. He let himself fall down, and with another deep breath… his eyes were engulfed in a red glow.

————-

 

“Watch where you’re going you idiot!”

The henchman who had tripped with the armor lowered the helmet in his hands, sweating nervously.

“Sorry, boss.”

The bandit chief growled and slapped the helmet out of his grip, letting it clank along the floor with the rest of metallic limbs. He yelled fiercely at the man, while the rest of them climbed through the window they had broken.

“Sorry is not enough! This place is a demonic den, and you have the guts to stumble against this stupid armor just as we set foot in it!”

“It’s just an armor. The demons are not home. You said all were out.”

“Yes, we saw them all leave… But that does not mean we can’t get in trouble.” He kicked a metallic limb, snarling with remembrance. “At least one of them can control these things. So don’t touch them! We’re here to get what we can, and then leave quickly! I may not have a chance to get that sword, because they carried it, but who knows what valuables are hidden in the room of the tall demon?!”

The last of them jumped in and stepped onto some broken glass. Whispering, a man eyed the gloomy corridors, warning.

“Boss, I saw a cart and horse outside. I swear it looked exactly like the one we stole and lost.”

“It must be another one. That beast can’t possibly have taken it back, right?”

“Forget about the cart.” The leader pointed forward, angrily. “Get into as many rooms as possible, and take anything shiny out. We have to be fast.”

All scattered, ones nervously, others with greed.

The boss rubbed his hands as he walked back towards the room he had entered so many years ago. This time there were no brats to bite or claw at him. He laughed, crouching by a chest. However, when he opened it, he blinked in surprise. It was empty.

“What the fuck?” He double checked, yet there was nothing golden to find. “Are you serious?!”

He exited the room with a snarl, uninterested in carving knifes or blueprints. He marched forward, seeing his mates pillage in some halls. Some were filling their hands with useless shiny vases or old portraits, but he did not care. He had wasted time in that room, and he still had to snatch something of value. So he walked towards a basement.

His intent was intense, unbothered; until he saw something. He halted for a moment, because he saw a rabbit, which tensed and jolted when spotted.

He crouched near the animal, who was now growling, fur all up.

“My, such a fierce guardian…” He stood again, and much to the rabbit’s dislike, pushed him away with one foot. “Out of my way.”

Abiel grunted at him silently, unable to do much more than hide away into a dark corridor. As he hoped away from the intruders, he jolted again, colliding with another figure, which leaned down to grab him.

Meanwhile, the bandit had reached Uriel’s room. He marched in without fear, admiring the composition of it all. It was spacious, with a bed at the side of some stony arcs, a big chimney at the end of some steps, and a long table at the right. And at the corner, the most shiny and expensive looking harp he had ever seen.

“I knew a demon like him had to keep something of worth.”

He lifted the ebony harp and glanced at it all over. He laughed loudly and proceeded to turn around to leave the room. Much to his surprise, someone stood out in the corridor, waiting for him. Better said, something.

He cringed and snarled, eyeing the tall black armor that waited for him there. Then he heard screams above, of alarm and fear. There were clanking noises, running about. He glared at this one, still arrogant.

“I knew that touching them would bring trouble.”

The armor nodded slowly, seemingly struggling with each move. Nonetheless, it pulled its spear up and moved a finger back to taunt him.

The thief cracked his neck with a grin, moving the arm with which he held his knife.

“Good spear there. Let’s see if you can use it well!”

He was armed this time. The armor tried to jab him with the spear, but he dodged. He was impressed with himself when he hoped around it and kicked its leg, because the puppet crumbled down to the ground. Before it could stand, he gave another kick to its helmet, decapitating it with ease. He stared down at its unmoving limbs, not having needed to even use the knife.

“That was easy.”

He glared back to the corridors, still hearing the panicked exclamations of his teammates. He ran out the basement, harp held tight. It was not a surprise to find them all in one hall.

They were grouped with their backs against each other, surrounded by many armors, which pointed at them with their spears. They were trapped by their own fear and nervousness. So he moved. After pushing one puppet to the ground, he scattered all its limbs over. His men blinked in surprise, not having expected the haunted puppet to be so fragile.

“What are you standing there for?!” He pointed at the armors, stabbing one at its wrist and then cutting its gauntlet away. “They are fragile! Nothing like what I saw years ago! Without their master they are nothing but sentient rags! Push them, cut them, and kick them to the ground! Focus on the helmets!”

By seeing him lunge at another one and succeed in defeating it, they all overcame their fear. Gone their wariness for the demonic puppets, they shredded each and every armor present, keeping their bounty in their hold. Every single armor hit the ground, like if they were hazed, unable to do much more than try to move their spears.

The thieves triumphed against the den of devils.

“That’s how it’s-!”

He shut up. In the silence that flowed into the room, something echoed strongly. All looked at the shadows of a long corridor, which end was not obvious. From there, strong steps echoed, deeply, like roars. Slow yet fierce, those steps were nearing. As they looked and paled, a tall shadow began to loom in the hallway; taller with each step, a huge figure, of big arms and long legs. Two big fists, something that swayed behind it, pointy and sharp, like a tail. Even more, at the top of that figure, towered two huge horns. If all that was not enough, from the figure came a deep echo, of an angered growl, which rumbled through, distorted and animal like.

It was enough to scare them for good. They really felt threatened.

“How can he have come back?!”

The leader remembered the tall host of the manor; a handsome demon, seemingly harmless, but capable of standing his ground and becoming feral if needed.

He took the first step backwards, and that made all the rest bolt away; like a butterfly effect. He yelped, seeing them drop the things they had grabbed and run for the window they broke, struck by a wave of panic. And they had not even seen the demon.

“The den is habited!”

“Demon! Demon!”

“You told us it was empty!”

He yelled at them, panicking as well even though he was not running yet.

“Come back, we can beat it if-!” They all had scrambled and climbed out the window, leaving him alone. “…we stand together.”

He dropped the harp. He stumbled with a few scattered limbs as he backed away, eyeing the huge shadow. Soon, he ran, because another roar echoed, which was too near for his comfort.

The shadow only stopped when the man climbed out the window, not without a few cuts from the broken glass.

Finally, the figure came to view in the hall, not what it had seemed. Lykaios stopped the last puppet that stood with hazed steps. The armor shivered, feeling the rabbit squirm inside its helmet, its long pointy ears peeking out of it. Much to his discomfort, Abiel growled again, still glaring at the window. The growl rumbled the insides of the armor, coming out as a distorted roar, sending him a wave of unease and coldness.

He slowly took Abiel out, and then lowered him down to the ground. Even with the threat gone, the bunny sprinted towards the window and stood onto his hind stilts to growl up to it. His little black eyes were full of protectiveness, which he admired. The armor crouched, and after giving him a thankful caress… it crumbled.

No one dared to near the manor; all had fled through the woods.

————-

 

Panting, he opened his real eyes. He let himself roll onto a side, to let his claws brush his chest. He winced multiple times, feeling the strain that all those scattered limbs had put on his mind and body. The spell rendered him incapable of moving, too tired to breathe evenly.

Slowly, he even lost control of his own form. He began to shrink, to bend, to twist. With huffs, he blinked hazily, looking at his surroundings, all blurred. He tried to spot the girls in the distance, but he only saw black. He let himself lay there, as a small animal, incapable of sustaining a bigger form.

“G-girls… come back… Please.”

He was not heard.

Crying, he stopped trying to stand, knowing he would not move for hours. Now he knew what he had done to Uriel that night, years ago, when he had intended to kill his angel.

———————–

 

Huffing, they halted by a small river. They sat by some rocks at the end of the valley. With water and grass all around them, they were sure they had run enough. The sun was rising.

“This…” Aurora looked at Ariel, short of breath. “This feels wrong.”

Ariel wheezed too, sitting on a taller rock. While hugging her legs, she frowned under Aurora’s worried stare. Her sister had followed blindly at first, but had soon been bothered by the situation.

“Yes, it feels wrong. Because it is.” She was not only speaking of going against the wishes of Lykaios, but the fact that they had been lied to. “Why would they lie?”

“Maybe… maybe to shield us.” Aurora paced a little, wings puffed. She began to bite her own nails, remembering the lynx’s words. “They are going somewhere dangerous. He has admitted that. But why? Why would they? Alexis would not get out like this, would he?”

“He wouldn’t. It’s not like him.”

“Uriel would not let him go to risky places either, not when he got hurt once.” She took a deep breath, trying really hard to keep trusting. She wanted to trust that he had not lied and that he was safe. “Lykaios has had to lie to us. If they were doing something important where we couldn’t go, they would tell us. Right…?”

He did not even tell me anything himself. I had to find out.

Doubt and trust, they were tearing her inside. Her past had not been filled with lies, but reluctant silence.

White lies are still lies.

Ariel noticed her snarl. It was a familiar one; she heard it many times years ago, every time she would look at her wings and wonder. She was drowning her own thoughts.

And with that notion, Ariel knew what the best set of action was.

“Aurora.” Her sister looked up at last, and once her pained eyes met hers, she gave her the most supportive smile she could, once she had given her in every moment of fear and hurt. “Let’s ask them ourselves. I am sure they had a very good reason to keep going after stopping at Feiren. Maybe we were late to give them that armor and they are just heading north to another city, to keep trading. Lykaios surely just wants to avoid mom’s scolding, take us back before we get to her.”

The eastern mountain towered at their right, at the side of the valley. There were no humans here. It was a beautiful landscape, bare of settlements or roads, safe to roam for any demons like them.

No humans. Desolate. Ariel knew her assuring words were not very plausible, they would find little trade past the mountains. But the alternatives were not easy to ponder. And she knew, she knew well what Aurora was thinking right now.

He has only avoided me once…

There at the rooftop, contemplating his loss; a loss that always seemed to turn him into another person, every time it lurked in his mind.

“Can wings really not grow again…?”

Ariel gave her a look and opened her mouth, but she found no answer. None of her books said it was possible, as no angel ever lost them.

Indeed, there was a very probable reason her father would flee the safety of their home; something that perhaps would force him to venture far. It was something that would keep him quiet.

And make him incapable of looking at me…

Ariel remembered how Alexis had gone away without even saying goodbye. His eyes had shame that day, apprehension. The oldest knew he had not intended to make it look like aversion, yet it was how it seemed now in Aurora’s mind.

Perhaps he could not endure venturing with someone who was like the one who hurt him… not one with the very same things he was stolen of.

“Maybe they are searching for a way to do that… maybe an extraordinary healer.” Aurora looked up at last, Ariel’s tone one of deep love and care; reassurance. “Yes, he has always kept quiet about his wings; Uriel and Ayako too. I’m sure now that they have lied. But not to keep you away; he does not dislike seeing your wings. They just did not want to worry us.”

But they did worry nonetheless. They did not have any idea where their family could find what they wanted, if that was really what they were doing. They just did not know anything, just variables and possibilities, based on their most primal fears.

Does he think I don’t want to help him?

That thought could have been very well said aloud, because Ariel knew she was thinking it. No matter what they were doing in the north, be it trading, exploring or looking for healers… they wanted to aid them.

It was with that serene understanding in between doubt that made Ariel whisper next, softly.

“We could follow their trail.” Ariel reached for Aurora’s claw, and then moved it to her necklace. “You don’t have to, if you feel it’s wrong.”

Aurora closed her claw around the metal, zealously. She had asked her carefully, with care, knowing this heirloom was dear to her. She would understand if she preferred to swallow her dread and return home to keep it untouched.

But she knew she wouldn’t choose that. The worry and doubt were eating her inside as much as her.

“They always worry about us…”

It was unfair that they could not do the same for them.

Aurora’s nails sunk inwardly, sharply. The metal was torn, and from below it a glimmer escaped. She yanked at the small chain strongly and let the ripped amulet rest inside her claw, open for Ariel to see.

The pulse was there, alive. It was beating north, strongly. He was close.

“The more I think about it, the more I don’t understand.” Ariel followed her vacant stare into the distance, both seeing a huge dam crown the valley. “He shows hurt, but he always tells me to forget it, to not think about it. Does he think I can forget it that easily? Can’t he see I can be by his side as he faces those things?”

Ariel admitted, rather painfully.

“He has always been protective; stubbornly. All of them.”

Their glances had always been full of love and trust. They were the best thing they had in the world, the only ones who cared about them unconditionally. They had always shielded them of any harm or malice, even if sometimes they were silent.

They did not want that silence. They wanted to shield them too.

And so they moved forward, their eyes fixed on the pulse that led them.