In the dark of the night, a shadow dashed past the faint moonlight. It soared down, its wild wings outstretched to rip the air below. It landed decisively, in silence.

Silence reigned, until she emerged from the shades, her steps calculated. The glints of her eyes would have been fear inducing… if they did not hint her true feelings. She neared slowly, carefully, towards the shadow that stood in the distance, even more shadowed than she had been by the starless sky.

Timidly, she let her presence known, revealing herself in the dark forest. She had never gone too far from him, but these parts were much more distant from what they could consider familiar. His roaming far from home held weariness, but it was decided.

He heard steps behind him, but he did not show any trace of fear of them belonging to a dangerous individual. When his daughter stood at his side, he did not meet her sad eyes, which hinted what she would soon confess.

“No trace. Not here.”

His amber eyes closed, the only hint of his grief. She swore she could still see the embers of a funerary pyre reflected in them. Alexis breathed deeply, his thoughts all ever haunted by the thought of angelic death.

“Thank you.” That was all he said. With that, he walked forward without looking back. “You can go home, if you want to.”

His voice was emotionless; but only because there were too many to show in it.

She did not retreat after his offer. She whispered to herself, in a tired snarl he did not hear.

“Not until my wings crumble down.” She gripped one of her arms tightly, clenching her claw painfully. “I can’t stay back.”

She did not only refuse for the fact that she did not wish to leave him alone in the wild, but because he was not the only one who wished to seek. She felt she owed this.

Batting her wings, she parted some distance, again. He did not need to look up to know she soared over the many trees and hills, while eyeing the empty roads and plains. He could hear the sound of fast climbing far away too, the sounds of a second demon creeping around.

They had walked for two days now. Yet neither of them had picked any scent of a wandering angel. None of them had found a single trace of Angus.

Alexis kept advancing. He kept his eyes fixed on the nothingness. He had tunnel vision; he was focused on the road ahead of him. He did not care that it could lead him into a human village or a demonic one. He only cared about walking, cut ground; make sure he left no space unthreaded.

The two were offering him an aid that he found indispensable, yet he found no words to express his gratefulness. Not now. He was still shaken, haunted. Before parting, he had mourned. He mourned one that would have not felt any grief for him if he had managed to kill him instead.

When his demon broke the silence in which they were found, he had not been able to leave the body to rot in a forgotten ditch. Not even Ayako, who had claimed to wish to hang Philander’s wing as a trophy, dared oppose his doing.

Even though they had been wounded, they had not dared take a single feather. The pyre was lifted in silence, and the only sound that echoed were the crackles of the fire.

He wondered what fate had befallen on Angus.

Angels who died in this land were usually cremated, if possible. It was symbolic, meant to help them find their way back to their own land. When home, they should be buried, for their hearts to descend to the core of their world.

What kind of rite is a traitor given?

He did not know what they would have done with his decapitated body. And he did not know what they had done to Angus.

Alexis looked up at last, after an hour of walking that felt an instant. He spotted two sad blue eyes above, staring at him in the shade of a branch.

More hope left his heart, when he saw Ariel shake her head reluctantly. They had scouted every single surrounding area near their home; every place where they could go without gambling their safety.

Angus had not fallen near them. And maybe, he had not fallen at all.

————————-

 

“Take mine.”

She clenched a fist, remembering the last whisper he gave her before parting in a desperate search.

Ayako stood alone at the gates. She had been in her room before, forced to wait in her bed. But here she was, standing on her good leg, staring at the distance from the entrance of their empty home. The wound still hurt. The bleeding had stopped, but the nasty scar still tainted her with a faint and constant burning. The feel of thunder coursing through her was still fresh in her mind, making her feel cold even near any warmth.

Even then, she wished to grab their horse, and then seek with them. Uriel had gone away north, while Alexis had been escorted east. She was not allowed to leave with them, as Uriel had warned about the risk of trusting an animal to be gentle while she mounted.

She was angry. Not because she was here, but because she was given words that she found unnecessary.

Ayako growled in the silent night, remembering what Alexis had done after lifting the pyre. He had not bandaged his cuts, and dared approach her with offering words. Words she silenced quickly. She would never take Alexis’ blood to heal.

Many would kill for his blood, and not to mend wounds.

She did want to heal, to help him. But if she was to aid him, she would do it with her own pain, not his.

She had stood for hours by the gates. And as the sun set again, she took one limping step forward. Without hurry, but with direct focus, she marched onto the road. She advanced towards the shade of the tall trees, letting her figure be bathed in their shadows. She did not fear the dark, but sought it. Because her steps were not the only ones that echoed in the silence.

The beast limped like her, even if no wounds hid under the dense black fur. He emerged from the darkness, tiredly. His neck arched slowly, his steps slowed even more. He welcomed her embrace; she reached upwards, and surrounded his shoulders with her arms, sinking him into her hold. As she whispered, he rested his head on her shoulder, careful to not lay his full weight while he took her presence in.

“You’re home…”

He noted the tear that fell on his long mane. His ears twitched, and he opened his eyes a little. He could see that the armors controlled were still scattered, most ripped. The last one he had used was limp by the gates, the one that saw the deadly blow she struck through the angel.

“I dreaded more would come.” He nuzzled himself against her, like she did against him. “The real me needed to be here in such case.”

“No, no angels, Lykaios. None have roamed here to avenge that monster.”

He smiled a little, adding to her tired words.

“And none have fallen near that cursed portal to retrieve it from humans.” Lykaios lifted her gaze with a nudge of his muzzle, eyeing her then with a lean and a worried caring look. “If no angelic threat remains, why do I see fear in your eyes, my child?”

It had been a long time since he called her that, and she was not one anymore. But that was what he saw now, her most unsure side, her lost and impotent expression. Her blue eyes showed the same grief amber ones did, as hers were like mirrors.

She smiled, but not cheerfully. It was a guilty smile, a shameful one.

“Lykaios… I need you once more.” He saw the confession in her eyes, the admission of selfishness. “No angels roam. But others may.”

She was ashamed to ask for more, when she knew he was worn and hurt.

But he wasn’t. He couldn’t be, not with her in need.

In other times, he would have done this for her, and only her. Today, she was not the only one he wished to shield. Nothing would lessen his determined vow to aid them.

—————————-

 

For so long she had not gone back.

The place had always been dark. But now it felt even darker, not only by time and seclusion. She did not feel at ease here. Not even in their presence.

“To whom must I thank your unusual visit?” She looked slightly away, seeing Godric stand from their desk, in a calm but analytical manner. “Or perhaps, what. What has made you return after all this time, Ayako?”

She did respect Godric, her only caring mentor. Not the first, but last. She just could not let herself say much, or she would crumble in front of their piercing eye.

“Have any angels fallen near you?”

They found the question too direct, too strange.

“Is it that you wish to prove your way back into the guild?” They circled the desk and approached her from the dark corner, older but with the same thoughtful stance. “Even if you were to kill another one, I doubt they would allow it. They still hold grudges against you for disposing of them.”

“I have not come here to beg my way back in. Not even if you could twist their say in it.”

“So, what makes the former hunter so eager to know the whereabouts of such creatures? You seemed happy to call that old manor your home.”

She stayed secretive.

“I need to know, Godric.”

“…” They leaned back, always pondering and pragmatic. “I see.”

They did not pressure a confession. They did not need one now. The most they dared assume was that someone in her dear manor had fallen ill. The desperation in her eyes had never been this personal.

She thought they would not let go of such important facts, not for her. Until they neared the runes on the floor and spoke contemplatively.

“Two angels I have sensed fall in this region. A few days ago.”

Ayako frowned. She expected another number.

“Two?”

“A strange number, isn’t it?” They reached for a diary on their desk, browsing then through the numerous pages and all the dates written. “Angels are not usually known to fall in pairs. It is unique on its own for them to fall. I was enjoying the peace and quiet of these years… but my vow is to report all my findings to the guild.”

They looked up from the diary, their eye glinting in the dark with a serious look.

“Whatever you wish to attain from an angel, you have competitors. I do not know who the guild sent, but they are interested in finding those two creatures.”

They did not dwell in killing anymore. They had not for a very long time, and they did not care to know the outcome of their reports. These revealing words were a gift, for her.

Ayako did not seem pleased with her findings. However, she was forever grateful for them. With a small bow, she showed her wish to part away again, hastily. They noted very well that she was not equipped for another hunt.

“Thank you, Godric. That’s enough for me to know.”

She turned to leave. However, she halted when her mentor whispered more words of advice.

“Do be careful. Two angels. Not even the most skilled of hunters would want to partake in this job. And as you know, the guild is not very selective on who can carry these tasks. Whoever wishes to head into these parts will not be the most honorable or courageous. Expect dangerous and venomous ways; for whoever stands between them and the pay.”

These facts she had learnt a long time ago in her youth.

“I should be more attentive to their lurking then.”

“You’d do well.” They added, eyeing her leg. “I doubt that limp is going to give you any edge in your affairs.”

They could tell that angelic blood was not needed for that wound to heal. Yet she was insistent on seeking those beings, on her own.

Their conversation was over. Both knew that no more would be shared.

Ayako limped out through the door with a sorrowful expression, for she had hoped to hear that three angels had fallen in this land. Only Alexis and Philander had fallen near this village. Hearing that hunters would roam only made her return even bitterer.

While she crept into the dark outside towards the demon who had carried her here, Godric grabbed their diary again. They noted their discussion dutifully, as always. Then, they returned to sit on the floor, by the runes.

They caressed them sadly, remembering how they had been made with the blood of their first kill. They traced them in a circular motion, hiding their only eye under their hair.

“Never ending indeed.”

——————–

 

Two visions, two cognitions. Both were dark and haunting.

She struggled through the thick darkness, clawing forward like if it was a sea that could drown her. Meanwhile, he recoiled from the shadows that crept towards him, clasping his only means of protection close to him.

Their eyes would roam wildly over the blackness, seeking the sounds they could hear. Faint, but present. Both could hear the sound of fleeting movements in the distance, the echo of slow lurking.

Their hearts racing, one sought, the other fled.

But there was no escaping or finding what roamed, it would reach them, not the other way around. Their sight cleared, just enough for them to detect the silhouette in front of them, only hinted. It was approaching.

What was once a hopeful wish to find turned into shock and wariness. And what was evasive dread turned into fearful defensiveness.

The figures in both visions emerged more from the dark. It made them freeze in place; and even if they had tried to move, they would have found themselves chained by the flowing shadows.

She let out a small wheeze, feeling small when the figure revealed itself more. Even if she could not see the red wings yet, the golden glint of a weapon made her know that they were there in the dark. Meanwhile, the same figure crept towards him, weaponless, but with a light clasped in a hand, emanating warmth that could only be fire and lightning.

They felt cornered by the killer that had stalked them. In moments, they would be struck by a deadly blow and a raging hellfire.

With the notion of death bringing the loss of what they loved, they acted first. They chose to wound to avoid being killed. She outstretched her claw towards the shadowed figure with a shaky yell, while he raised his sword with a loud cry.

Light burst and flowed from the demon’s hand and the angel’s sharp sword. And in that light, they revealed their attacker at last. The silhouettes did not belong to a red winged angel… yet they were painted now in red as well, a deep horrible red.

Aurora froze in horror, her young blue eyes building the most pained tears she had ever let go. Meanwhile, Alexis let go of his sword with impossibly trembling hands. One heard the sound of flesh ripping, while the other heard the hunger of unnatural flames.

They screamed in the darkness. And only then did the visions end.

Even though their screams did not traverse into reality, they stood up breathless from where they had been sleeping. Gasping, both shuffled on place, reaching for their blankets or face with shaky nails and fingers. Aurora cut her bed sheets slightly while she assessed she had only had a nightmare, while Alexis slid back onto the desk where he had succumbed to his tiredness. One had never suffered a dream like this, while the other was used to it. However, this dream was more harmful than others Alexis had in the past, and it was darker than any that would haunt her in the future.

Both looked around, checking their bloodless rooms. While Aurora was alone in her bedroom and could whimper to ease her emotional pain, he could not express himself so freely. Alexis stood slowly from the chair where he had fallen asleep, careful of not making much noise. He was not alone; in the bed slept Ayako, held close by Ariel, who had forced her to rest after discovering she had been venturing outside of the manor. Not wishing to wake the two, he tiptoed his way out, refusing to waste more time writing. He had made too many pamphlets already, and the trees of the forest could barely hold more. Any who roamed outside could not miss his written signature, in every creek and cranny.

He was glad that Uriel and Lykaios were not home, because they would have sensed immediately he had a nightmare. He did not want to talk about it, so he did not mind them scouting the forests for once. Uriel would have been all over him, like he himself was for Ayako hours ago.

With a deep sigh, he headed for the only place that could bring him some kind of ease. He brushed the cold sweat off his forehead as he passed by empty halls, ignoring the scorching marks a fire had left. His hand brushed the things he crossed, to grip himself in reality. He counted his steps through the home he assured himself was not a vision.

In these restless nights, the kitchen always offered him the comfort and isolation he needed. Not food, but water. His stomach was tearing itself inside out, he could swear it.

Sadly, he did not find isolation.

He had opened the door so slowly and tiredly, that he did not make a sound while getting in. And that allowed him to see her there, unknowing of his presence. For a couple of seconds at least.

She was leaning over a basin of water, her claws wet after reaching in without a glass. Gasping, her head was bowed, her long blond hair hanging limply over her eyes and open mouth. Her wings were outstretched in a non-relaxed way, each leaning at her sides, unbalanced.

He said nothing even if he should, to take the sight in. However, he did not go unnoticed. Her leaning position tensed soon. She silenced her breaths and shivered, realizing she could smell something that was not there before, not so intensely. She smelled the cold sweat; she heard the beats of an unnerved heart. The scent was more obvious than others she knew.

Her head moved slowly, revealing her worried sharpened eyes under her hair. Both sent each other a concerned look, not quite knowing what to say.

She knew of his nightmares. He knew she just had one. Yet she pretended nothing was wrong, like he had done for many years.

“I-” She glanced nervously at the sink, coughing a little after drinking so hastily. “My throat was sore.”

Not technically a lie.

Alexis opened his mouth, and then closed it. He watched her close her wings, failing to keep them in a normal stance behind her. She was eyeing him very oddly, like she was seeing a ghost. However, he swore there was relief in her tired blue eyes.

She saw it in his too.

He was a man that preferred to do things while anxious, so he just acted. He did so tiredly and with resignation, but he still did something instead of standing there like a fool.

“Better get you a glass.”

“No, I was just-”

Too late. Even if she was not thirsty anymore, he grabbed a cup. He moved robotically, mechanically, without emotion. Because he did not want to hint any. He laid the glass onto the nearby table carefully, inviting her to sit with a plain gesture.

“Cool water always helps me shake off the restlessness.”

He had gotten one for himself as well. She both wanted to flee back to her room and not. The emotional pain in the air made her stay. Her father was sitting quietly, like a statue, and it was obvious why.

“Did you dream of that devil again?” Alexis frowned, hearing her obvious concern. “Or was it… something else?”

His heartbeat went faster again. His amber eyes stared at a wall, but he could not stop seeing the golden flames turn her body into ashes in a horrible manner. Flames he cast.

“I dreamt about the devil, yes.”

He meant the metaphorical one, not the one who clawed his skin years ago. Now he meant himself, as he could not grasp the fact he had killed his own daughter in his dream.

His lie was not caught, because he meant it all the way. Aurora had feared he had a new kind of nightmare, of the place he could not call home. She was seeing a different kind of horror in his eyes, one she could not pinpoint.

That thought faded though, when he asked next.

“What was yours about?”

Aurora flinched. She then trembled with a silent fumble of claws, and in order to feign ignorance, sat on the chair in front of him.

“Mine?” She reached for her glass, not really drinking from it. “I was only thirsty.”

He stared at her. He did blankly and frankly. His eyebrows had gone down, in a disapproving knowing way.

“Last time I’ve seen you have a nightmare, it was about wolves chasing you and Ariel. But, that was a long time ago. As a former winged-” He paused, careful with his words. “No, as your father, I know what your wings say.”

She instantly crushed them against her chair, to hide their trembling. It did not help any under his tired stare.

Aurora needed to stop meeting his eyes, because she kept remembering what the magic of her claw had done to him in her dream. She had ripped him apart, in a bloody mess of flesh, much more gruesome than the gore that had been Philander’s wing. Her previously unknown spell could kill angels, or so she had heard Uriel whisper near the grim pyre.

“I dreamt you died.”

It was not far from what truly happened. Still, she did not find it easy to say it. At all.

His gaze stopped laying on her at last. He fixed it on his own hands, thoughtfully. He felt bad for not being honest, and little did he know she felt the same. They could just never admit what they saw and did in the dream, for the other’s sake.

This moment was not making things better after the nightmare. It was foreboding that his daughter had been marked. This would not be the last dream, and both knew and hated it.

But he was glad to be sitting by her right now.

After some quiet minutes, he dared break the silence again. Aurora blinked, when he pointed out something completely out of the blue.

“You broke it.”

She took some seconds to understand his words. He was pointing at her neck; or better said, the necklace that hanged from it.

To find him, she had broken it to reveal the metal he hid inside, the one enchanted to pulse towards his bracelets.

“Ah.” She grasped it sadly, noting how it pulsed erratically towards a distant coast, where she had left his bracelet, where it had fallen off him. “I had to do it to find you. I am sorry.”

“No- This is not me scolding you.” He brushed his neck nervously, noting her sad blush. “Aurora, I am forever thankful. I would be dead if you hadn’t.”

She sighed, hugging herself with hers wings. He reached for her hand, which he clasped tightly. She returned the hold, meeting his eyes shyly.

“I am glad too, that you and Ariel made it for me that night.”

He smiled at her sadly, as she returned her gaze to the water in front of her.

After a while, Alexis lost his smile, as with each instant that passed, he realized something. Aurora was crying silently while she stared intently at the water. She knew there was no hiding it. Not that she wanted to in this moment. She spoke, faintly, with a trace of remorse.

“I wish I had something to find him as well.” Aurora whispered, clenching Alexis’ hand more firmly. “I would have probably not gotten this far if he hadn’t been there.”

Alexis frowned as well, looking away from her apologetic eyes.

“I wouldn’t have either.”

She glanced at her father’s eyes. She saw nothing of Einar in them; she saw every emotion that Angus had tried to hide, but failed to do so. Her biological grandfather held no trace of love, not for her, or him. But it did not matter. While in that small forge, she slowly had lost her fear and apprehension for that lone angel, who had seemed cold at first.

One thing they knew, Angus had been much more than an aid. He could not be replaced like her necklace or his bracelets. Both felt grief, as they realized that they did have a father and grandfather. His fierce words and actions, all held love past their harshness and rage.

And that feeling made his absence all the more ghastly.

Neither moved for a while, knowing there was no way they would sleep. They regretted having to share this moment, but at the same time not.

Philander was dead. Nothing should be out there to get them. Yet that fact did not make them feel better.

————————

 

It was not the first night she did this.

With Ariel being Ayako’s shadow, no one kept their eyes on her in the nights.

Her nightly ventures were not meant for this. She had not intended to find what she was seeing and hearing right now. Her blue eyes sharpened a lot, while she watched from the shadows the five figures ahead.

“No, more, you idiot.” Aurora gripped more tightly the bow she borrowed from Ayako’s office, tensing as she heard words she found inhumane. “You need a hell of a lot of poison to kill these things.”

The winged devil leaned behind the tree, piercing the figures even more with her sight. Standing on a branch, she was unseen. She watched from above, while the men ruined a perfectly good apple tree. Once pretty and undisturbed, they had broken many branches in order to reach the fruits. A lot had been ripped and thrown to the ground. But that was not the point of her ire. They were filling the apples with poison. All of them. Hanging or on the ground, they were leaving none untouched. All were tainted by needles bathed in venom. They were very thin, and did not leave a mark on any of the fruits.

She could smell fear. And fear there was. The men, even if shady looking, were not very intimidating. All were slightly pale, and most of them were eyeing their surroundings with paranoia.

“Come on. I don’t want to hang around in this forest any longer.”

“Yeah, one apple and that thing is dead. Let’s hit the road.”

The one who seemed the bravest, by a little bit, spoke.

“But for that thing to die, it needs to eat at least one, idiots.”

“It will. We have found many of these trees already. What else are they going to find in this empty forest to eat? It is just a matter of time.”

The man was smacked with an apple, angrily.

“I should just get your share and shove you out of my sight.” He smacked him more, bossing him to stop slacking and go find more trees. “If you’re so scared, leave. Because time is exactly what we can’t spare. Two angels, the perfect lure for many devils. The report of the guild said that some live near here. So, it is a matter of time until we lose our loot, to some animal on two legs. The angels need to eat, but they better eat from the things we poison. So go and poison the whole damn forest. Unless you want me to tie you to the tree and use you as lure instead; because they do say demons like human flesh, and that devils lure angels as well. I don’t care how to do it if it gets coin, get it?”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

The men stopped bickering after some insults and curses. They returned to their task, finally leaving the tree alone.

Aurora peeked more from the shadows. She took a breath, and was sure that the scouts had moved enough distance in multiple directions.

Carefully and silently, she used her wings to land on the ground. With two quick glances, she ensured she was really alone. Then, she dashed for the fruit.

As she always carried a satchel, she could take away the apples. She picked the first with a disapproving glare, turning it around inside her claw.

“I had not imagined the guild like this.”

Her nails pierced the fruit a little, carefully. She smelled the apple, and sure enough, there was a foul scent seeping from the juice. It smelled like serpent poison, but mixed with worse things. Whatever they had brewed, it could make a bear drop. So an angel would drop too.

The devil scurried near the tree, grabbing the apples on the floor, and then reaching for the ones above. She did not need to climb like the men or her past self, this time aided by two limbs that could raise her into the air.

It took a while, but after half an hour, no fruit was left behind.

She glanced up with a sigh, not having expected to spend the night doing this.

“It’s not like Angus is around to eat this…”

She wished.

Aurora considered stalking the men to figure which trees they would poison. Until she realized she was being stalked herself.

Before she could raise her bow, her stalker revealed herself. Aurora blinked both in fear and surprise when Ayako limped towards her from the shadows. The smell of poison had made it difficult to distinguish the smell of multiple humans.

“M-mom?”

Ayako crossed her arms and gave her a scolding look while she neared, glaring with a smile.

“Now, you think you’re the only one able to trick others and sneak off?”

Aurora began to sweat, finding herself caught.

“But Ariel was watching-”

“She was indeed watching over me. Until she trusted Alexis to watch me instead, and went off to chase Uriel. And then Alexis trusted Lykaios in order to sneak out too. And look how well things turned out; we are all having a walk in the woods.” Her mother stopped her limping steps, right in front of her. “What do you think you are doing?”

Aurora gulped. She began to reveal the satchel behind her, to let Ayako see what she already knew.

“It could not leave the apples there. They are poisoned. These men are not going to be able to hurt him, but they can hurt the animals that roam.”

“Yes, very thoughtful of you. But I was not asking why you were picking up apples.” Ayako unsheathed her own dagger, twirling it with a serious look in front of Aurora’s eyes. “People who work for the guild, people like me, can be very dangerous.”

“I did not know they roamed. It did not intend to find them.”

“Then why would you leave the manor with a weapon?” Ayako pointed at it, with a finger. “That is one of my bows. Even if you still had yours, you should not hold it near those men.”

Aurora glared at the ground for a moment. She then looked up to her mother, as serious.

“Did you ever poison apples?”

Ayako leaned her head slowly to a side, staring grimly with narrowed eyes. She was however not offended in the slightest. She found the question rightful. There was a long silence before she answered, frankly.

“Would have, if needed.” Right after those words, a deep wailed growl echoed through the woods. Aurora cringed while Ayako shrugged, accustomed to hear humans scream when near her partner in crime. “Never needed to.”

Ayako had not limped all the way here from home. Lykaios was around, and judging by the panicked screams of the hunters, he was somewhere close.

Ayako did not need to think about that though. The demon had his own schemes to fend off those men, and she did not need to involve herself in them. She did not ask why Lykaios had kept an angel bone buried in the forest for so many years, as long as it ensured the men would drop the hunt. Lykaios’ snarls were loud as he chased the men with the bone in his maws, pressuring and mauling it like a feral beast.

The former hunter limped past her daughter, feeling truly sorry. She used her dagger to mark the tree, to signal it had been ridden of poison.

“I’ve been following these guys. Didn’t expect you to find them too. Well, I did not expect you to be out here in the first place.”

Aurora tried to defend herself somewhat.

“Ariel is out there too.”

“And if she finds these men, she will scurry off to tell Uriel, like she always does when she does not have to pretend to be brave in front of you.” Aurora gave her a look, so she shrugged. “What, I know my daughters. You are more prone to go off alone, because you are more impulsive than her. Like your father. Or… like me. You don’t usually ask for second opinions.”

“So, you are going to send me back.”

Ayako pondered, and then answered calmly.

“No. As long as you don’t get close to those bastards, I will look the other way. You could tattle on me too. Alexis would freak out if he knew there were hunters here, but much, much more if he knew you were doing this. We both hate the guild for a reason, and you will too once you understand things better.”

Before Aurora could say anything, Ayako did something. The demon yelped and trashed her claws in front of her, in order to catch the dagger that Ayako threw towards her. Sheathed, of course. She stared at it while her mother began to limp off ahead, leaving her with some advice.

“Killing is not good. But it is a norm in this world and the other one. Remember that and try to live with it, even if you don’t like it.” Ayako lamented, truly sorry for everything. “I wish I could have given you both a better world to live in.”

Ayako was not only referring to her past killings.

Two blue eyes glanced very slowly at the dagger in her claws. She remembered how bloodthirsty Philander had looked, how murderous he had been. And she still regretted having to see his bloody wing and pale corpse. She still could not stop giving faces to the ones her mother took out, faces she had seen in that citadel.

She closed her eyes with a grimace and took a deep breath.

With that resignation, she moved again.

She did not go home. However, she did not chase after the men either. She sought trees, which had been poisoned. And all were marked once she buried their fruit where no one could find them.

——————–

 

A lone ripped letter still clung to a tree.

By a single cut thread, it held onto the nail that kept it there, like if it was adamant in staying where it had been trusted to be. For months it had resisted the unkind winds and rain, during which many others had crumbled or fallen.

It finally was ripped off; but not because of the cold breeze. It finally gave up in the night, when a worn hand yanked it. The figure loomed over it, its eyes almost piercing it. The lack of words contrasted the intent with which the signature was read.

That paper, which had survived for so long, was kept safe, spared of the unmerciful whims of the forest. It was tucked into a pocket, where it would remain, even if in a bundle. The traveler then went on along the long path. Desolate, empty; the forests did not offer any kind of welcoming feel. And even then, his steps would not turn and head back.

Dressed in ragged clothes, he huddled forward, while holding his hood up. His movements were uncanny, as he had to bear the weight of his humpbacked body, hidden under his old brown robes.

He never halted; only when the road ended. It had not seemed like it would ever do. The man stopped slowly, like if he had come across a mirage. He stood far from the gates of the manor, like if he was afraid of nearing them and making them disappear.

He allowed himself some minutes, even if he had been looking for this place. He needed rest, and he would finally have it.

Inside the manor, all was silent, like the very woods that surrounded it. A grim aura tangled in every corridor, and not a single lighted candle could lessen that feel.

The figure did not break the silence. Not outside, not in the dark courtyard. The gates were open, yet they still hinted a seclusion that had not been invaded for a long time. His steps brushed the old stone of the big entrance, finally becoming less heavy. Two hands let themselves rest onto the doors, like if they were the only place in which they could find repose.

The entryway was empty. A lone worn out armor was seated like a broken marionette in the end of the room. What once had been a reception was now a dusty and vacant chamber. Keys of old rooms were abandoned in drawers where they never had been. The rug on the floor had seen better days, as even if the place felt ghostly, it showed the evident signs of having been stepped on roughly. The place felt uncared for.

And in a way, it was. Sorrow could take away many things from a soul. In this case, not only one.

The figure looked around for a minute, inspecting every corner. Almost warily, he seemed to hunch his figure even more while he took a few steps in. His body limped towards the inner reception, his hands clenching and unclenching as his shadowed eyes spotted the small bell. It was covered in dust, of course. This was no longer an inn, and perhaps, not even a warm home.

That fact seemed to displease the stranger. With a strong grip, he grasped the bell… and then shook strongly.

The echo of the ring traversed the halls for a while. Silence consumed the sound again, leaving the traveler alone with his thoughts and tired body.

He would have been safe to assume the place was abandoned, until another sound began to echo from the stairs ahead. Somebody was descending from the upper floor slowly, without hurry.

The figure tensed in expectation when one of the owners emerged warily from the inner rooms. The blond entered the hall with narrowed eyes, which showed confused surprise. He did not seem pleased to see anyone there, and his body language showed it clearly as well.

“Are you lost?”

There was no welcoming hint in the young man’s voice. His amber eyes were now glaring at his hood and robes, his head was leaned in distrust as he assessed his presence there. He did not near all the way, and because of that, the traveler spoke with a long gruff sigh.

“I have been looking for this inn.”

The blond stopped a few steps away from him. His glare turned into a displeased frown, which he did not try to hide at all. He shook his head with an apologetic snarl.

“This place is not an inn anymore, old man. Can’t give you a room these days.” Even though unwelcoming, he still ended up showing faint kindness, while taking a better look at his ragged clothes. “Though… hearing your gruffness, you must have not had much to drink out there. I will fetch you some water before you keep going.”

He turned to go towards the kitchen, with a motion of hand that indicated him to stay. But he was stopped with some more words, which were spoken firmly and sternly.

“I have not come all this way for some water.”

Confusion. Then offence. The young man’s eyes narrowed again, highlighting much more the blackness around them, caused by many sleepless nights. Slowly, he turned again to look at the traveler, his voice growing tired in an angry way.

“Look, I don’t know who you are, and I am sorry if you came here thinking this was still an inn. But I can’t let anybody roam in my home. Not today, not tomorrow. I can give you supplies, if that’s what you need. Hell, I’ll fetch you a tent for you to take cover out there. Just keep going. You’ll find a village eventually.”

The traveler stayed silent for a minute. It unnerved the other, greatly. His bent body and hump were not making it easy to maintain a calm eye contact, not because they were traits he would judge. If the moment was tense, it was because the hooded man was displaying strange body language. Which only became clearer when he took one step closer. A step that was strong and determined.

It was unknown if he carried any weapons under his robes, or what expression hid under his hood. A fight with a disabled person was not something the blond wanted to add to his regrets. So he warned, raising a hand and taking a step back himself.

“Just leave, please.”

The stranger stopped him in his tracks.

“I will not say goodbye now, Alexis.”

Dead silence. Alexis was frozen, his eyes empty of clarity. His voice came out weak and lost.

“What did you just…?”

Before he could say anything else, hurried steps echoed into the room. Two more figures dashed closer, only halting when they set eyes onto the presence they had sensed. The scent was unmistakable, even if they had taken some moments to remember while alone in their rooms.

Ariel watched with incredulous eyes, while Aurora did not stay frozen for more than a second. While her sister struggled to assess his presence after all these months, she did not wish to think of her previous fears. Alexis watched in pure confusion as his daughter lunged forward. And it was not to seize the possible dangerous intruder into a strong tackle… but into a breathtaking hug.

With the force with which she collided against him, the hood was pushed back, as the traveler huffed but maintained his balance. Alexis trembled, as he stared at the face he had not seen before. Two eyes he knew well, even if seemingly older and more tired.

“Angus.”

Angus smiled while he pressured Aurora closer. He did so not with his arms, but with his wings, which he untangled from below his robes. His previously bent body arched tall, letting his limbs move after so long.

“I told you to go first.” He grinned, contrasting the deep trembling grimace that was beginning to grow on his nephews face. He took out the letter in his pocket, which only made Alexis tremble more when he saw it. “I may have stalled, but you got me here now.”

With a shaky sob, Alexis lunged too. Angus huffed again, because two people were now latched onto him, which made him feel the stress of the journey. While Aurora fought to not cry on his shoulder, Alexis was not struggling against it at all.

The older angel took a moment to feel the embrace of his family. It was something he had feared losing, but he would have not doubted to give it up in order to save it. He would have sunk into this embrace, maybe closed his eyes. But he remembered that it was incomplete. With a sheepish glance, he looked up, at the girl who stood frozen ahead.

“Hey, lass.” Ariel jolted, finding herself stared at by the stern angel. Before she could think of his rash and determined teachings… he opened his free arm and nodded towards the other two. He invited to near as well, much more kind than he had been those days. “Come here, there’s still room. I have not forgotten about you, you know.”

With a fleeting glance, she dared look into his eyes. And in them, she saw the same care she sensed faintly in those nights. This time, it was not hidden at all. She could not doubt if there was resent or hate.

Angus sighed and huffed a third time. However, Ariel’s hug was gentler, more composed. She was smiling faintly, as she sensed the deep relief, both in herself, her sister, and Alexis.

The old angel wrapped them under his big wings, taking a moment to rest.

It had been a long journey. But it was finally over.