A big shadow hanged from a tall tree.

Many sharp fangs peeked from a long maw; those big jaws opened with anxiousness, to take a long inhale of the nocturnal air. A big bat smiled, because he smelled his objective again.

He could smell the angel. It was near, but out of reach.

He crossed his arms below his wings, and then let out a long sigh. Two eyes opened in the palms of his claws and revealed two sharp red pupils, which looked around him cunningly. Their glint was full of hatred and malice. And anger.

The devil growled, because he could feel the demon of violet flames, not too far. He had followed that scent. Unable to forget that angel.

How could I forget? How could I wave away such tempting prey?

It would be a sin to simply let the opportunity fly away. He would kill for a bite. He would tear flesh apart, to be able to taste again that pure blood. He would torment and torture, to be able to reach for those scarce sweet tears again. He would.

He would… But he could not.

He raised his claws to his snout and hissed under his breath. He shook while he hanged upside down. He glared at the distance, at the clearing hidden between trees ahead. Even if he was far, the noise of the waterfall was making his long pointy ears twitch.

He couldn’t reach that place. He had tried to. He had followed the lead of that scent, which made him lose his mind. He had figured out where the angel hid, still alive. He had seen him.

That other young demon watched the angel too. Those dammed violet eyes never stopped gazing at the angel. But he never tried to attack or hunt.

“A waste.”

A true shame. If he were HIS angel, he would make every demon proud. He would show the angel how a real demon was supposed to be: An angel’s demise… if death was even granted at all.

But that young demon was just watching, doing nothing.

Useless…

He sighed and let his ears lower in exasperation. That young demon watched, hated and intimidated the angel; but he did not dare kill. Like that, there would not be a single drop of blood he could snatch.

If only he could kill the angel himself, without the other devil knowing, without angering him and having to fight…

But how?

If he tried to approach more and kill him, the other demon would know. He would leave his own scent on the bloodied carcass and remains of the angel. He would leave the scent of a demon. A scent he would not be able to blame on that wolf, not without suspicion. It would raise too many questions. They would notice in time that the scent did not belong to either of them, in time. And he knew the horned demon would want payback, to prove his innocence to that human.

How then…?

The devil hissed again and curled on itself. All his body was begging for a sip of that enthralling blood. It was almost maddening. Centuries could go by until another one appeared in this region. He couldn’t take it. It was just there, near. It was tempting him to lunge.

While he trembled and lamented… a human advanced through the dense forest.

Cecilia walked surely through the woods. Her eyes were full of bitterness and exasperation. Her mind was full of jealousy and anger.

“Ayako thinks she is so skillful and smart.”

Well, guess who is sick at home? Guess who has not found that angel yet?

At this rate, she would never find it.

Cecilia gave an angry kick to a pebble at her feet, because she felt like she was not appreciated enough. Godric thought Ayako to be the best hunter, and never let her even try to prove herself.

She could maybe not know how to fight angels, but she was sure she could find them. She had studied them all her life, as much as possible with what little texts were available.

This time, she would find a lead. No matter if Godric had forbidden anyone from entering these woods where the angel roamed. She did not care if Ayako and Godric said it was dangerous. She could find it, she was sure of it. Not anyone could become a hunter, but she could if she just proved herself.

Her angry steps echoed in the dark. And they were heard. The bat’s ears moved sideways and followed the sound that echoed in the night. Those wings unfolded, to let two claws peek. His sharp eyes narrowed, his jaws opened with a breath. He smelled and saw the human below him. His smile had faded, but it returned when he saw a familiar symbol on the long black tunic she was wearing.

An angel hunter… Or at least one who belonged to the guild. The girl was too young to be a real hunter. He could not even see weapons peeking below her long robes, only a small dagger, meant for collecting herbs.

The bat grinned maliciously, and then let his talons open, to jump down onto the ground. Without being seen.

Cecilia was as fearless as Ayako. However, not as experienced. She was naive. And the devil knew that. He knew he could manipulate her by only seeing her walk without worry. Her young age and humanity gave her blind confidence, a perfect vanity he could exploit.

The girl leaned against a tree trunk and looked around her. She was looking for a way to step between the trees, without knowing she was not alone. She was ignoring completely the big shadow that was looming over her, moving closer every second. She gasped when she noticed the lack of light at her feet. She turned just in time to catch a glimpse of what looked like two big black wings. A slender figure lunged for the shadows behind her and hid from her gaze.

She raised her hands at her sides warily, because a voice echoed, seeming to move all around her.

“What is a child doing in the woods alone, under the moonlight? Such carelessness… Don’t you know what can roam around here?”

Cecilia’s eyes filled with wonder, once she heard the voice end up with a feral tone. Any other would have feared, but not her. She did not only hold wonder for angels. Other races fascinated her, from an analytical point of view.

She stood mouth agape; she finally spotted the one who had talked. She saw him at last, there, leaning lazily against a rock with a prideful stance. He was wearing a fanged smile, which glinted in the dark as much as his calculative eyes. She could not see him clearly, but those hands and legs seemed too animalistic to be human.

He was a demon. And she was unfazed about it.

“I am no child!” Cecilia puffed her chest out and glared with defiance. “I know better than most! I know what you are…”

The bat laughed. One of his wings moved, to hold his chin in a mocking pose. His voice was playful and taunting.

“Ohhhh, the girl knows. But I wonder… If you say you are aware of the danger, what reason would you have to dare be here?”

He knew already. But playing with humans always proved to be entertaining. They always showed how naïve and foolish they were. Though this time, he was not playing with one for nourishing purposes.

Cecilia was giving him a look full of distrust. She knew perfectly how devils should not be trusted.

“That’s my business.”

“Business…” He decided to go straight to the point, remembering the taste of blood. “Ohh, I thought I recognized that symbol from somewhere. But no, you can’t be, I must be getting too old! A kid like you could not possibly be an angel hunter. I will let you go on your way; it’s clear you would not be interested in what I saw. So I won’t waste your time. Go on then, move along.”

Cecilia’s eyes widened when she heard that last part. She looked at him with surprise, much more when he moved his wings up, to feign that he was leaving.

“Wait!”

Too easy…

He leaned his snout to a side, and then grinned back at her.

“Yeees?”

“Y-you saw it?”

He laughed and raised his claws at his sides, to answer her with a simple shrug.

“I may. I may not. I have seen many things! But that’s my business!”

Cecilia did not like his mockery. She took two steps closer with a small growl, without feeling intimidated when she saw him clearly below the moonlight.

He was a bat… with a human like body. He had fur so black, that it almost looked like a shadow itself. He had no eyes on his beastly face; his long arms ended up in clawed hands, which had the two eyes his face lacked. His figure was taller than her, but what made him really tall were the two black wings peeking behind his shoulders and head. He was a beast.

She only held wonder while she spoke.

“You did see it! I am looking for it, I need to find it! Please, tell me where you saw it!”

If she knew where the angel hid, and told Godric, she could finally be seen as a worthy apprentice. No one would ever look down on her again.

The devil laughed and crossed his arms. He leaned down, closer to her, and was able to give her an inquisitive look with no eyes.

“And what would I win if I told you? Hmmm? You’ve been such an ill-mannered child…”

Cecilia got nervous when she heard his scolding tone. She looked at the ground and fumbled with the sleeves of her long robes. She tried to think of something, fast.

“What could you possibly want?”

Even Cecilia felt a shiver with what the devil whispered next.

“…Flesh.” The girl stood firm, even when he erased all the space between them and gave out a maniac smile. One of his claws rose slowly, to lie on her chin, to make her look at his eyeless face. “I will tell you where that angel is. You get his wings. And then, you return the favor, by bringing me part of his corpse. Anything left, anything you and your guild leave behind.”

He waited patiently while she doubted. He shivered with anticipation while she moved away and frowned. Cecilia looked at him with decision, and gave him a firm nod.

“Deal.”

He could already imagine the taste of that blood. Things were falling at his reach.

———————————–

 

Godric looked at her carefully, while they pondered her words. Cecilia could not avoid smiling with expectation, waiting for her boss to break the silence.

“A waterfall?”

Cecilia nodded wildly, not as reflexive and patient.

“Yes! I- I could only approach a little, because I did not want to risk being seen! But I saw a nest!”

Godric stared at her for a whole minute. Then, they made a choice.

“The angel might leave that place behind if we don’t take action fast.”

The northern woods were vast and labyrinthine. Cecilia agreed with Godric, not only to praise their words.

“Ayako has a strong fever. She can’t go.”

That only meant one thing…

“I hate to resort to this, I really do. But we can’t wait and let it flee to another location. I will apologize to her once the deed is done.” Godric sighed and raised their arm. A falcon flapped down from the beams above them, to land on the arm of its master. “Cecilia, bring me my quill and some ink.”

They would apologize to Ayako, once the angel was dead. She never wanted others to hunt the angels they sensed.

She was not the only hunter, just the most reliable one in their region.

Their apprentice smiled bright under her hood, as she quickly handed them a paper.

“Thanks, Cecilia.”

The girl left the office full of satisfaction; savoring the words she was given. She loved to be praised.

——————————————————

 

The tavern was barely lit, dark and gloomy.

The bartender sighed, uninterested for what the people whispered and talked about. There were conversations of all kinds: Gossips, shady deals… Anything you would not want the guards to hear. Between it all, some spoke of the rumor which had nobles and peasants intrigued alike. It was spoken all over the land, in every tavern or inn with no prestige, like this one.

“Do you think there is even one?”

“Don’t know. But if there has really been an angel around… it’s surely dead by now, or gone after killing its demon. It’s been too long since I heard it fell.”

“But some travelers say they have seen feathers in a village. Golden. Maybe it is a powerful one; maybe it’s killing all who dare try to hunt it.”

“Those feathers can’t be legit. There are always scammers, selling eagle feathers and saying they are angelic ones. Rubbish. I’m sure this is the same, only rumors.”

“If you say so.” The man took another sip of his beer, laughing. “I sure would pay for one of those feathers. This damn pain on my back is killing me.”

No one had any idea what was true or lie. If an angel appeared, it was talked about quickly, from town to town. Their bodies sold for a lot of gold. After all, many people believed they could share their immortality. If an angel was hunted successfully, it quickly disappeared in the black markets. Few people managed to even see a feather. Most even believed they were mythological creatures, a ploy to gain gold.

But some knew the truth, the ones who belonged in the hunters’ guild. And they, when they found out an angel had fallen near their area, were all in for the chance to get money.

Ayako was the only honest angel hunter around, one the very few who truly hunted to help, to produce medicine, without caring for their income.

Three hooded figures were sitting in the darkest corner of the tavern, at the most lonely table. They were holding their drinks with boredom, with nothing to do. Three women, who wasted their time listening to the rumors whispered. One was tapping her fingers on the table with a smug smile; the other simply was staying silent, while the third leaned onto her long battle axe.

The older one snorted and stopped tapping her fingers. She smiled with irritation, because she could not stand hearing those comments about an angel anymore.

“I thought that the gossips would die out fast, again.”

Considering how fast Ayako finds and kills angels…

The three gave up in trying going into Ayako’s turf a long time ago. There was no point in trying to hunt there; she always killed every angel before they could even begin the search. No hunter in any land ever dared to chase angels in her territory, near her village. Not anymore. It would be a loss of money and time. Besides, Ayako was not someone to mess with.

But this time, the rumors were lasting too long.

“Maybe it’s just a fake gossip. It would not be the first time. Last month there was an increase of mermaid fin sellers!”

People would do anything for gold. It was funny what some people could do with sharks and crafts, to try to gain profit.

The one handling the axe huffed and rolled her eyes at her sister, below her hood.

“We can’t know. Not when they keep all information and resources all to themselves.”

Only to make medicine… They never told foreigners if they sensed an angel fall, not even a peep to the rest of the guild. And when other hunters found out, it was too late to try to get anything. The only used the bodies for what they called healing.

The money they could have… And they used the angels for that.

The three sighed; imagining how much gold would those wings give them. If only they caught the angel near Ayako’s town, they would have money for years. If said angel even existed at all.

As much as they daydreamed, they knew it was useless to travel there with their horses. Ayako always found them first, and fast. If she did not, it was because said angel did not exist, or that it was too powerful to slay. She never failed, even when many other hunters would die.

They kept quiet, and just let the time go by. They only hoped that another angel would appear on their own region one day. These days were scarce times for hunters.

Their wishes seemed to be heard.

They stopped looking at their drinks, because they heard the call of a falcon. They looked up, and saw it enter the building from a small window above, especially designed for messaging birds. It landed on the beams near the ceiling, and then leaned its beak while it looked for the ones who should receive its letter.

The falcon soared down onto their table, because it saw the symbol it had been taught to recognize on their robes. The eyes of the women glinted when it landed in front of them, because there was a message tied on its leg.

Two of them exchanged looks, while the third, their leader, began to read. A smile grew slowly on her face, and her expression turned even more conceited.

“What is it?”

It was Godric’s falcon.

Their teammate laughed, and then raised the paper on her hand, her eyes narrowed at them.

“We have work, girls.”

The other two gasped when she displayed what had been sent with the letter; a golden feather. Enough proof to make them want a deal.

“It seems Ayako has finally lost her might.”

Godric had the information. They had the skills needed; the talent Ayako couldn’t provide in time, being sick. They could only agree with the offer written. The prize would be divided between both parties, equally. Both won.