Slow, yet sure. The water was his domain, his hunting ground. Somewhere he could course through, unimpeded, unstoppable. Two other demons had ventured into his valley, but he was still the apex predator. His eyes opened while he emerged out. Floating there, his huge mouth gaped a little, revealing his unending throat. His pupils rolled, seeking the river in the distance; there was a path near a big pond, at the feet of the eastern mountain.

He was still afar, but nothing prevented him of nearing. And near he would.

He would wait for them to try and reach that small path across the water. They would have to step through its shallow waters, slowed and hindered. Then, he would sink the winged one… letting the other panic and fear, unable to move as fast as him. He would divide them, and then make sure those horns and tail wouldn’t choke him.

He smiled again, licking his lips. He sunk a little and kept swimming through the trail of water. He let the flow brush his blue skin; he could feel waves, faint hints of something that moved further ahead. His prey was near, but still afar.

He had no hurry. He crawled up some tall rocks that loomed over the water. While looking ahead, his eyes glinted, seeing two figures step in between trees, hoping and jumping over the thin trails of water. They were swift, determined as they advanced.

He lifted a leg, ready to descend into the water and keep following. However, as soon as he tried to let himself fall down to creep, something prevented him from doing so like he had wanted. Something threw itself against his side, sending him rolling along the ground. Whatever had thrown itself at him, it had done so with a very angry snarl, with strong force, even if small.

Chao fell onto his scaly back, white belly up to the sky. His huge eyes blinked multiple times, irises rolling sideways with surprise. When he overcame the force of the push, he looked up and saw what had tackled him. He frowned with anger, seeing fangs, clenched in front of his face. A small lynx, standing right on top of him, with his paws and claws pressuring for good measure. Those red eyes were piercing him, stabbing his own. The voice that came out of it was masculine, deep and feral, tired.

“You are following them.”

It was a plain affirmation, there was no question. Lykaios had seen the gluttony in his eyes, the intent; he did not need to see him attack to know his thoughts. He did not need proof to take action.

Chao was not intimidated by him. Lykaios was small, and he was three times bigger. He pushed him off with his tail, swiping it sideways. Lykaios jumped off with a tired huff. They began to circle each other, eyeing their mouths.

“Oh, and who might care?”

“Me, you slimy bastard.” Lykaios prowled a little, letting his fur shoot up as he growled. “You have their smell over you, on that long tail of yours.”

Chao laughed and proceeded to wave his tail at him, mocking.

“Jealous of it?”

“I would rather have my tails cut again than have that thing attached to my body.”

“If you don’t want it on you, I advise you to move aside, critter.” Chao twirled around, dismissive. “I have my eyes set on other things. You wouldn’t want to step in between, unless you want to become the appetizer.”

Chao moved. He stopped looking at him, to look again at the distance. He moved one of those slimy hands, to slide down into the water.

“Oh no, you don’t!”

Chao flinched. He stepped back, because Lykaios hoped in front of him, teeth snapping with a loud wail. He was trembling, with a gaze that was full of hatred.

The frog laughed, and then prowled too. He whispered, with much more elegance and tranquility than Lykaios.

“Fine then, little demon. I don’t like fur, but you’ll be the first course. You better taste better than you look, and make me look forward to the main-”

He did not finish. He yelped when the other demon lunged at him again. Swiping his claws, Lykaios had tried to bite onto him, to latch onto his thick body. Chao put his game face on and began to slide like a salamander on the muddy ground. Lykaios was moving wildly, trying to jump onto him, to latch his fangs into his skin. Even if small, he was fast and quite strong. Chao had to admit that it was tiring to try to hit him; the lynx kept moving, and even when hit by his big tail, he only winced a little.

He couldn’t allow this little demon to challenge him.

Chao grew tired of the game he was playing with Lykaios. The smaller demon huffed, because the bigger one stood tall on his hind legs and then slammed down fiercely. His red eyes widened when the huge body crushed him, only letting his head peek from below it. Chao laughed, while he trashed and jolted below.

“You’re strong, but I’m heavier!”

Lykaios gasped, seeing Chao open his mouth a lot. He intended to gobble him like a snake would.

Chao closed his mouth. He shook, he blinked; the small lynx he was crushing was… changing. Convulsing, that small body was elongating, creaking, bones twisting, fur growing, and right below him. He tried to pressure more, his eyes filling with surprise. But to no avail, what had been small became four times bigger in a matter of seconds. He had been laying hands onto the lynx, but now the huge bear-wolf was laying his on him.

Lykaios huffed, with multiple cuts and strains on his skin due to his self-forced transformation. He clamped his claws around Chao’s shoulders, making sure to sink his nails a little. With an exhausted contented grin, he whispered, while pushing the slimy frog upwards.

“I’m never what I seem at first, frog.”

Chao yelled in alarm when Lykaios hauled him up with a fierce shove. He trashed in the air, only to crash heavily onto some snow nearby. He trashed again while trying to turn upright, and when he did, he saw red.

Lykaios had stood too, but in a much more prideful stance. While Chao cowered slightly and tugged his tail back, the huge black demon stepped closer, smiling with fury. There was bloodthirsty hate in those bloody eyes that pierced him.

“I’ve have not chased for days, for a disgusting demon like you to snatch them out of my reach.” Lykaios felt satisfaction when he saw Chao cower against a rock. He leaned close to those cowardly eyes, and then growled deep. “Those two are something dear to me, and you… you want to outright eat them. I have not seen them be born, grow and laugh for years, for you to entertain your gluttony now. If you think you can lay a hand on them, you better pray to be stronger and more stubborn than me, because I am ready to defend them with my last breath. They are a treasure, which I’m very zealous of.”

He had raised a claw over his head, ready to cut clean that fat neck. Chao was smiling, but not cheerfully now. He had his hands up, apologetically.

“T-they’re all yours! I don’t want them! They look like they would taste bad anyway!” He corrected himself, hearing Lykaios snarl and lean to claw at him. “I mean…! I wasn’t thinking of eating them! What am I? A wild savage?! No! I just wanted to drive them out of my land! Maybe they would have drowned on their own; my waters are not as shallow as they look! I was just-!”

He shut up. Lykaios had reacted to something, something that had made his ears twitch. The huge feline had looked away, to the distance. His claw began to lower, much to Chao’s relief.

“Water…” Chao had felt relief, until Lykaios growled and leaned again. He warned him loudly, showing well his fangs. “I’m going to let your disgusting intentions slide, just because we are of the same kin. But if you ever dare lay eyes on them, or any travelers that try to march through, I will make it my sole wish to hunt you down, like the animal you are. Have I made myself clear, toad?”

Chao nodded wildly. He began to crawl backwards and slid through the snow, until he reached the shore of a pond. Sinking in, he avoided to look at his deep red eyes, scared out of his mind. He crossed his chest with his tail, smiling nervously.

“I wouldn’t dare lay a hand on those young devils. You have Chao’s word.”

Lykaios growled with disgust, watching him sink his whole body, to hide away from him.

He looked away, remembering what he was here for. He panted, feeling his body burn, convulse. He was keeping up a form that demanded a lot of energy, a lot of sustain. Yet he did not have time to hunt or eat.

He limped a little, but ran nonetheless. He chased, having trailed their scent.

————-

 

In other circumstances, he would be worried out of his mind, panicking. He would be calling until breaking point, to know where they were, and if they were safe.

But right now… he was entranced. He was scared for them, but something called him. Something drew him to those green hills, something he could not ignore. It was a whisper, but all he could hear.

Those wings, the sight of those wings had been haunting. It was something that shook him, both with fear and expectation. He had not seen an angel’s wings for years, too many years. He had come to think he would never see any again, not without blood on them. Yet, he saw them. He would swear he did, even if a sword was laid on his neck. He had seen them, and he remembered, even though he had been stolen of his.

His steps were slow, his vision hazed. His breath was shaky while he walked uphill. His hand had been on the handle of his sword, but he found himself scared of touching it. He moved his hand away, wondering why he was afraid.

Should I be?

He moved to the top. He stared at the small space there, at the peak of the green hill. There was a plain, a lot of space. There was no one there.

His eyes looked at the camp that rested there, with glints of sorrow and desperation. There was a fire, which had been extinguished. A small tent too, composed of hanging drapes that he would have seen in temples. There was nothing else there, nothing but a few baskets and some books.

He neared, wondering if he had imagined things. He had sworn he had seen someone soar down here, glide down from the sky.

He crouched by the baskets and books, daring to reach for some. He inspected the baskets, full of clothes and fruit. He eyed the books with a frown, recognizing they were angelic ones, but far too old for him to read. He picked one, kneeling there; he traced the runes he had never been taught with a finger. Even if ancient looking, it had been conserved through time.

He was not facing the bushes nearby. Someone stepped out of the shadows and shade, slowly. Before he could react, that person whispered, right behind him.

“Drop the book.”

Alexis looked sideways, frowning. He still held the book, even though he saw something that would have made him drop it in any other moment. There was something pointing at his neck and face from behind him. He watched that sharp edge very closely, carefully. A shield was leaning over him, used like a sword. It had a very long triangular shape, with many metallic edges at its sides. Of a beautiful golden color, it had been forged ages ago, crafted to be both pretty and deadly. Its sides were sharp as razors, and one was leaned right on him.

He did lower the book, slowly and carefully. The shield moved away as soon as he did, like if the object was something invaluable to the one that spoke. Seeing that no more threat was given, he decided to face him.

When he did, he did not know how to react. He eyed the angel, who looked at him with the same wonder. Both stood there, eyeing each other; one did with great apprehension, and the other with shock.

An angel stood right before him, one of beautiful reddish wings, strong and slender. Of ginger hair, trimmed short like his red beard, with deep green eyes. His facial features were good looking, he did not look old, but not young either; his wise expression tangled with surprise and confusion. His hand had lowered even more, it even had shaken, had almost let go of the shield. He was clad in very old robes, a long white tunic, which concealed a golden-reddish armor below.

The angel shook his head, like if he was seeing a mirage. Alexis took an instinctive step back when he took two towards him. He did not know what to say when the angel laid hands on him, dropping his shield to the ground. As he held his shoulders, he was looking at his amber eyes dreadfully.

“What have they done to you, brother?”

Alexis opened his mouth, but closed it. He frowned even more, confused by every single word he said. Not only was he shocked by seeing an angel, but for the reaction he invoked. He was looking at him with pained eyes, like if he was mourning. It really confused him.

“B-brother?”

The angel blinked, like if he had a moment of clarity. Now more composed, he spoke again, whispering with calm words.

“I see, you are young.” He had said that while giving another intent look to his amber eyes, like if he could discover everything by looking at them. Alexis trembled, because the angel let go, and then looked at him with a sad smile. “You are far too young to share these old sayings. I apologize. But… all angels are brothers and sisters. I could never mistake the eyes of an angel. Your eyes shine far too much to be human.”

Those red wings trembled, going slightly limp. Those green eyes filled with pity again, remorse.

“I did not recognize you as one at first, I must confess. I thought you were a simple human, which wanted to steal what few belongings I keep. Your lack of wings is… haunting, to say the least.” He stepped closer again, feeling relief when he noticed how Alexis did not back away. He asked, and his voice seemed scared and dreadful. “What did this to you?”

Alexis’ breathing trembled; he tried to sort his thoughts. He eyed those wings, the kin he had not seen for so long, and the knowing horrified look in those familiar eyes. That look, that knowing look, it knew the pain he had to suffer, the implications of such loss. He had not seen this kind of empathy before; Uriel cared with all his heart, but he could have never known how it would feel. Aurora was too young to understand real pain.

He found himself answering, with a grim mourning tone.

“My demon. He refused to finish me off after I lost them.”

There was no lie there, he found himself admitting his hidden resent.

The angel’s eyes glinted with something he did not know how to describe, not with anything other than familiarity. His voice filled with compassion, shared grief.

“Not only did it steal you of something precious, but decided to indulge in your misery afterwards.” He leaned away, batting his big wings angrily. “Demons are horrible creatures, a disgusting plague of evil on this earth. They would stop at nothing to steal the life from our eyes. And they are everywhere.”

He said that last part while looking around him, to the forest, to the mountain and sky. After battling his own thoughts, he looked at Alexis again, who was far too estranged by all this to speak much. He introduced himself, mindful of his wariness.

“Elders gave me the name of Philander.” He laid a hand vertical to his heart, making a traditional motion that Alexis had never seen. “It’s been so long since I’ve been honored with the sight of one of my kind. Please, do tell me, brother; what has brought you here? I assume your devil is still alive…”

Alexis glanced down at his sword. But he looked away and whispered, not really knowing how to answer a question like that.

“I guess I’m looking for guidance in that temple. I have never had the coldness necessary to end a demon without faltering.”

Philander saw the glint in his amber eyes, and assumed it to be impotence and shame. He sat down by his camp, and then offered him to do so as well.

Alexis laughed, only a little, far too serious to joke.

“Formidable you say.” He looked up, sitting cross-legged in front of him. With his hands clasped on his lap, he asked, heart beating. “Philander… do you live in that temple?”

Philander had been smiling, he had seemed as friendly as possible, but now, his caring charismatic expression hardened. He frowned deeply and shook his head, as if hurt by his question.

“No, young one. I do not walk inside those ancient walls. How I wish I did, how I long to step on sacred ground once more. No, that place is out of my reach, no matter how much I strive to venture into it. No one has walked through the forest that surrounds these plains in ages, no one. No one but you. You, an angel, one who seeks the closure and familiarity that only a temple can provide. You are hurt; you seek wisdom, a way in which to give reason to your pain. That is why I’m sorry to tell you, that as much as you wish to enter, you may find many more obstacles in your pilgrimage, friend.” Philander became solemn, while looking at the mountain in the distance. He mourned; there was love for that place. “There’s evil inside those walls, an evil you may be familiar with, but far more ominous. A monster lurks in those angelic grounds, dangerous and vile. It has settled there, to mock us angels; it corrupts the temple, it walks were no one like him should.”

Alexis’ eyes narrowed, knowing that the monster could only be one thing.

“A demon?”

“Not any demon, child.” Philander stood, and then proceeded to step away to face the mountain. With his hands behind him, his wings unfolded, to outstretch at his sides while he explained with a grim tone. There was resent and fear in his voice. “This place had been holy once. Once, it was filled to the brim with angelic dominion, with righteousness. Angels considered this fortress as one of the most important places of worship in the human land. Humans would travel here, at the edge of this continent, to try to learn from us; scribes would head our teachings, they would serve in the chambers. All was good; all was as god had wanted. But this peace, it was tainted. No angel roams there anymore, all the human priests are dead. All died because of one single beast, one who brought nothing but darkness to this world. The origin of all evil, born from the sins of men and the darkness in their hearts; it emerged from the shadows, and began to claw its way through life, bringing death and destruction where it set foot. Its black twisted wings could take it anywhere, huge and unnatural; and it did go where it pleased. It is the spawn of every single demon; every single one of them. It gave birth to this plague; it committed genocide against the beings we swore to guide. As it extended its bloodline and destroyed the one of humans, we faced it and its brethren. Those were dark times, the reign of devils. It took what it wanted; it was a horrible inhuman tyrant, the first of its vile kind. You know what demons are, but back then, we had never seen such a thing. Many of us died at its claws and trident. We battled, fiercely, but after centuries, we all grew tired. We fell, we scattered, trying to form any kind of resistance, against a race that would never fade away. However, its dark army became wild and feral, it lost all its reason, and it was disorganized. Of us, the only one left here was me, the only one who could remember, who had seen everything. The monster was finally alone; it had no rule over the vast plagues that are demons today. I could have ended it… if it had not resorted to hide in this place. It has nested there, out of my reach; it has turned something holy into a hellish joke. All the scripture that lays there is at the hands of an unworthy creature. For so many ages, I have tried to end this; I have tried to kill the first demon known to us angels. I’m bound to slay it, even if I have to sacrifice my life. No matter how much I try to enter into the fortress, it has many tricks reserved for me. The two of us have warred for millennia, for far too long. It has become a game for it; we can’t age or perish with time. It won’t come out, and I can’t get in. It has won the war; its descendants plague the earth. But I still vow to make it pay; I still can hear the screams of my comrades, dead so long ago. I wait here in these plains, hoping for it to lower its guard.”

Philander sighed, not having been able to tell this to anyone, not for centuries.

“It is tiring; you can’t comprehend the suffering that this world has seen. It is been so long since I’ve seen my home… our home.”

Alexis felt pity. Those red wings were strong, but it was obvious they had been cut and stabbed many times. The scars healed, but the wounds were always felt. Those green eyes were ancient, he had lived a lot. So he asked, to an angel that had seen the birth of demons.

“Was it truly born from man’s evil? How can a being come from a feeling, an idea?”

Philander looked back at him, hands still clasped back. His green eyes glinted with hurt, for a question that he found blasphemous.

“Where else could it have come from?” Philander saw Alexis look down, like if he was hiding something. He noticed the doubt in his words, so he continued to explain. “Young angel, have elders stopped teaching the scriptures in my absence? Don’t you remember how we angels were created and given birth from pure fiery energy?”

Alexis became a little flustered, seeing the same old authority of the elders in those eyes.

“O-of course, they still preach our origin. However, don’t you find it more hurtful, that its birth is claimed to be supernatural and sudden? The implication would be… for our deity to have caused its appearance. All living beings, after the first of our kind, have been born. It does not make sense for a creature to emerge from nothingness.”

Philander winced, horrified by the thought.

“No, no. Our god would never-” Philander walked closer and lifted him to his feet. He looked straight to his eyes and begged for trust, adamant in his words. “Brother, that devil is evil incarnate, I assure you. We don’t truly know why it came to be; its presence was only known to us after it was alive for at least a century. Its murderous acts were only obvious to us after its descendants began to attack humans. It has done horrible things, so horrifying that I can’t convey their nature. If it is born from flesh, it does not matter; all that it has done, it leaves it with only one place to belong to: hell itself. It’s very name invokes its calamity.”

“What name?”

He dared ask, and Philander looked thrown aback. Struggling to even mention the name, he whispered, as if he would make it present before them.

“Zelophehad, first born, a shadow from terror.”

It was a very old name, that, he had to admit.

Alexis looked past Philander. As he eyed the huge fortress, he noted the many chambers where that demon could roam.

“And he… he lives here now, you say?”

“Not only now, much before your birth. That temple is his now.”

“All of it?”

Philander was bewildered by his wonder. Alexis did look worried, but he still was asking about the temple, like if he considered venturing to it.

“Child, you wouldn’t be thinking of venturing in those stony chambers?” He pointed at the camp, and invited him to stay. “It is dangerous. Stay here, rest; I am eager to listen to your story, and what has been going on at our home, even though you left it. You don’t need to risk your life, you have your own duty; this is my crusade, I can’t burden you.”

Alexis frowned, seeing him try to pull him towards the camp. He remembered Ayako and Uriel, and knew that if Philander saw Uriel there would be trouble. He couldn’t stay here. He had to move away. Uriel would seek him, and he would be led here.

He gave Philander a kind but tired look, gently moving his hand away.

“Please, don’t call me child. My name is Alexis.” He looked at the fortress again, really shaken by what Philander said. He wondered if all demons truly came from darkness, and what that made of him. “I know how dangerous demons can be, I have come across quite a few; but I have to go there. If what you say is true, there are many scripts there, ancient knowledge. I have not come all the way here for nothing.”

“You truly are daring, or a young fool.”

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

Philander laughed, friendly. His wings shook as he gave Alexis a thoughtful stare.

“You may. I would love to have your help. You don’t have wings, but you still are an angel. A very resourceful one at that.”

Alexis felt assurance with that last sentence. He pointed at the fortress with a serious expression, tugging at his sword.

“Tell me all you know about the temple. Layout, architecture, the purpose of the chambers. What prevents you from going in? You could just fly onto its huge towers. That demon can’t possibly wander in every single chamber, can it?”

If he could only sneak inside and go unnoticed for enough time…

“A strategist, aren’t you?” Philander brushed his beard, noting Alexis’ determined glare at the temple. “I have tried to fly onto every single porch and edge, but this thing knows dangerous incantations. If you had wings, you could near in the air, and soon collide with a force that flows in the air. It would push you down, giving you just enough time to try to land with only a few cuts.”

“What about the lower tunnels? Haven’t you tried to go deep into them?”

“I did, but those are deadly traps. At least for me.” Philander motioned at the base of the mountain, which was covered in snow. A lot of stony tunnels were there, carved diligently ages ago, the only path for pilgrims to get in. “You see, those tunnels do lead to the upper areas of the fortress, but Zelophehad knows it. There are no barriers, but there are still magical incantations. He has carved runes on every entryway, at the sides; they have my blood on them. As soon as I set foot in one tunnel, he will know. The runes will shine if I walk past them, and make the air vibrate, sending a hellish noise through the shadows inside. The fortress is big, and he could maybe take time to smell me; but with those? He will know instantly. And that is not all what he can do. Like a labyrinth, he has drawn and carved spells all over the walls. The walls move, Alexis; they trap you in, for him to corner you. I have been lucky to find my way out each time I ventured. It is a trap designed specifically for me.”

Alexis saw his eyes rest on him, inspecting, interested. Philander had tightened his hold, he had begun to laugh.

“A trap, for me… But for you, it is nothing. The runes don’t have your blood on them.”

“That means?”

“That you can get in, without alerting him, for enough time for you to find a way to let me in. The runes will shine, because you’re an angel; but they will make no sound, you are not me. The spell is meant to react to my blood, which he has drawn in our battles. If you are lucky and he does not smell you… you may succeed.”

“And if he does smell me?”

“Well, it may be harder for him with your lack of wings. But if he does… I pray that you can hold your ground against him, and that you have had a fulfilling life. There would be nothing more honorable than to die fighting the one who brought all the suffering we oppose.”

Alexis gulped, not exactly thrilled to join a righteous crusade. Philander kept speaking, with a sense of hope he had not felt in centuries.

“Let me in, and I will end the devil. I will help you find the wisdom you seek.”

He had to get in, but he had no plans on dying for Philander’s cause.

—————

 

It is only shallow water…

She followed her sister, one step at a time. She kept eyeing the murky water, which reached her waist. Her wings were raised upwards, extended towards the sky.

“Be careful, Ariel! It is getting deeper!”

“I know! Step where I do!”

Ariel was being very careful. She knew perfectly that Aurora could not swim well if she sunk. They were crossing the huge river, heading for the path that they could see ahead. The path led up, on the mountain, towards that bridge and the dam. They only had to go through, and reach it.

Ariel’s sharp blue eyes were fixed on the water while Ariel led slowly. Her boots would move warily, stepping softly first, to then stomp down and make sure it was hard ground. She did not want Aurora to trip and fall into deeper water.

She warned, advancing a little more.

“Be careful now, it goes deeper here! You have to step more strongly, the current will brush you!”

Aurora nodded, nervously. Following Ariel’s very step, she advanced. The water rose to her chest, but it was still manageable. Slowly, she took more time to walk through, mindful of her wings and feathers. She kept her wings high, even if they trembled. While she ventured warily, Ariel had reached higher ground. She smiled, seeing that the river only covered her waist again. She turned back, to call Aurora warmly.

“Aurora, only a little more!” She outstretched a claw, beckoning her. “Come on, you’re doing great! You won’t sink, keep going! I’m right here!”

Aurora smiled too, seeing her sister reach with a claw to help her. She was about to hold her hand… until she felt herself sink. Ariel’s eyes widened with fear when she saw her be pushed by the current, back into the water. It was not something that should have happened, as the current had been soft; there was a sudden rush.

“Aurora!”

She threw herself into it, not caring about sinking herself. She pushed herself through, pushing towards where Aurora had been pulled. She gasped and coughed, because this part of the river was not as shallow, deeper.

“Aur-!”

She had not been leading here, she had been careful to avoid this area; she could barely touch the ground. She snarled, coughing each time the flow of water hit her face. She searched wildly for her sister, scared out of her mind.

After a few horrifying seconds, she spotted her, there, a few feet away. She had sunk into the water, but had managed to struggle out of it. Her head peeked out for a couple seconds, allowing her a few breaths.

“Ariel!” Her head sunk again, only coming back up for one last call. “Help m-!”

Ariel growled deeply, shaking her head. She dived head first, seeing the claws of her sister swipe in the air. While swimming inside the murky water, she struggled to open her blue eyes. However, she did reach her sister, and began to pull at her upwards. She felt her wings, her body; she pulled at her fiercely, not caring about how she tugged at her wings. She met eyes with her, but saw that she was getting hazy, short of breath. She went limp in her hold after a few seconds. Her wings began to float, downwards, heavy.

But it was not the wings what kept her down. If she could move, she would have reached shallow water on her own. There was something tied to her foot, latched onto her boot. Ariel could not tell well in the chaotic flow around her, but she could say it looked like a root. Its needle like branches had stabbed into the leather of Aurora’s shoe, while tangling like seaweed.

She tried to pull at it, instinctively. Like if it had its own mind, two branches seemed to sharpen and shoot up into her hand. She screamed in the water, stabbed. The blood mixed with the blue that flowed past them. She held her claw and stared at the root. It seemed to tangle more, possessively. She began to claw at it, even if it cut her right back.

Growling, she realized her own need of air. She moved up, reluctantly. Giving one last fearful look at Aurora’s eyes, she emerged. She panted and coughed, ignoring the burning ache on her hand.

She pulled from above, holding onto her wings.

“Please! I can’t lose her!”

She did not believe in much, but she still prayed. Nothing would help her, so she sunk again and kept trying. Aurora had fainted at this point, unresponsive. It made her despair even more; it made her mind scream with blame and terror.

She floated there, hugging her, unable to cut that thing or pull her up. She held her own breath, even if it burned her inside out. She did not want to let go, not even to breathe, not when she could not. She closed her eyes and swayed there with her.

Ariel only opened her fearful eyes when something echoed. Something sunk strongly in the water, something that got a fierce hold of Aurora’s clothes. She saw something black, something big, lunging in and biting onto her shoulder, pulling up rapidly. One huge claw stabbed into the water too and got a strong grip on Aurora’s side. A strong snap echoed from below, as the root had been ripped. With wide eyes, she saw her sister be lifted up, free from any trace of that weed.

Lykaios did not let go until he dragged her all the way to the shore. Holding her with his own mouth and claw, he maneuvered through the river, careful to keep her head up. Once ashore, he lowered her carefully, extending her long big wings at her sides. He heard Ariel emerge behind them, but he kept looking at Aurora’s chest. His claw moved onto it, checking for a pulse.

Ariel called, scared, terrified.

“Is she breathing?!” Lykaios did not answer right away. He had sat down around her, looking down at her while he provided warmth with his own body. Ariel yelled, desperate. “Please, Lykaios, is she-?!”

“She is.” He had been looking down at her sister like if he had only been able to see her. Now, he had looked at her, eyes becoming more humane. “She’s breathing, Ariel. Breathe in yourself.”

He understood her panic; so he spoke calmly, slowly. He just pulled Aurora closer, letting her lay against him. He did not cover her with her wings for warmth, for they were soaked.

Ariel sobbed, closing her eyes to assess the words he said. She slowly neared, and then kneeled there at her side. She grabbed one of her hands, rendered a crying mess.

“I’m sorry… It’s my fault. I know it’s my fault.” Lykaios pitied her when she begged in between tears. “Please, take us back, Lykaios…”

He looked away, unable to blame her.