“Will be back in no time.”

Uriel growled, because his own words echoed in his mind.

The demon was holding a brand new umbrella, while he tried to walk fast through the road. It was not easy to head back home, given that the path was full of mud and water, because of the rain that was falling.

He had gone away to buy supplies, like every month. And just when he was at the market, a huge storm struck. And of course, the bastards had umbrellas, and with them knowing that every single demon in the market needed one, they began to sell them like they were made of gold. It was something dreadful for a demon like him, who could not stand getting his clothes soaked. He got stuck for a full day there, trying to trade a lot of things, to be able to exchange everything for one of these stupid things. Because he could not go home with his supplies wet; he did not have enough pockets, and he did not want them to get soaked in his bag, made of a light cloth.

So there he was now, dreading that Alexis worried, because he had told him that he would be home soon. He should have arrived home yesterday. The pantry was surely empty by now, knowing how the angel and hunter sometimes ate like voracious beasts. Not that he minded they ate that much. What annoyed him was that there could be almost no food left, and his angel was alone. An angel capable of eating as much as her, almost. No food, puffed wings, more work done to ignore the hunger, a mess, and then more chores he would have to do. God knew that Alexis always tried to work in his garden, no matter how the weather was.

The hall must be a mess now, mud all over.

Uriel huffed for breath, having been running for hours. He held tightly his bag with one hand, while the other kept the umbrella over his head. It did not look as expensive as it was; it was not of very good quality. Luckily, he finally reached more familiar areas, the road became a little wider, a sign that he had arrived to his territory.

He was close, maybe one more hour. Then, he could control his armors without tiring so much, and make sure that everything was fine.

Just a few-

He halted, because something caught his attention, something on the ground. He took a few seconds to stop his steps completely. But after a few stumbles, he managed to do so without falling face first onto the muddy road. There was something under the rain, near a bifurcation forgotten long ago. His eyes widened, because he saw a book, just lying there on the mud, under the rain.

A book…  made of paper. Rain and water…

“Shit!”

He almost tripped over when he dashed for it, panicking.

Who the hell leaves a book under the rain? Who could even throw one away?

He picked it up quickly, like if it was an abandoned baby, worried that the pages had been damaged. His eyes narrowed a little as he inspected it in his claws. His tail held the umbrella up to allow him to do so. The book’s cover was leather made, so it kind of shielded the book from the rain. But still, it was now covered with mud. Luckily, not enough to rip the interior.

“Savages… Who could treat a book like this?”

He brushed away some mud, frowning. He loved to read; he really could not understand how some people could burn books, or consider them useless. They always told so much; they gave a way in which to dream.

As he growled, he imagined that a passerby or a traveler could have dropped it at the crossing. As rare as it was that someone walked these roads. Maybe it was an accident; someone could have been hurrying in the rain, just like him.

His thoughts faded when he cleaned the cover and saw it fully. It was a book about angels. He stood there for a full minute, blinking in bafflement. Then…

The devil that was hiding in the shadows laughed, because Uriel did not waste time. He saw him open the book and look over multiple pages, with extreme fascination. The young demon soon realized that it was not a good idea to read under the rain, and then put the book in his bag. He ran ahead, towards his manor, faster.

Just like he had planned, Uriel was dying to read the book. He soon lost sight of him in the rain.

“I think you will enjoy the little fact I left you in there, knowing how much you entrance yourself…”

I will see you both soon.

His wings raised and trembled; he took flight without hurry. In order to wait.

——————————————–

An armor trembled, its helmet suddenly sparked with a violet glow.

Said armor reached calmly for the main doors at its side and opened them. Right before Uriel bolted in with a huff, soaked wet. He shook his head to try to get rid of the droplets of water on his hair, clearly annoyed. Once he felt the warmth of his home, he kicked the doors closed with a growl, slamming the broken umbrella onto the ground next. He was not happy about the fact that it had broken.

He took multiple deep breaths to try to calm himself; he raised and lowered his hands at his sides, with his eyes closed.

The storm had to get stronger…

He ran a hand over his damp hair, angrily.

It did not matter. He was finally at home, and he could relax and just enjoy the evening.

No need to-

He stared poker faced at the floor. He screamed mentally. There was mud. A lot of mud, all over the main hall, like if someone had decided to be an idiot and do some gardening under the rain, not long ago.

“Good job, Alexis.”

There was of course a long trail of water and mud, which seemed to lead straight to the living room. The angel’s footsteps were clear on the floor, and by the looks of it, he did not care or pay mind to them.

Uriel sighed, and then began to follow the footprints. Indeed, the mud led to the living room through the corridors. He opened the door, ready to complain.

We had this argument already; I thought it was clear that-

Uriel closed his mouth just in time and stopped himself from stepping in angrily. His angel was there, certainly. His violet eyes narrowed with a faint resigned smile, because he heard the quiet snores. The blond was lying tiredly on the divan, with his head on one of his arms, the other hung over the edge like his wings. Said wings were damp, drying up. He was asleep, with a calm expression. The sun was setting, still there between the dark clouds and rain.

He would have woken him up and scolded him. But he let it go.

Uriel stood now at the side of the angel; he was glancing down at him with a small disapproving smile, knowing that the wings had been what he had used to shield himself of the rain. He knew as well that they took a lot of time to dry. He looked sideways, and saw that Alexis had not bothered to light the fireplace.

Alexis mumbled something in his sleep, because he suddenly felt the air get warmer. However, he did not wake up. Uriel nodded in approval and retrieved his hand from the fireplace, now having a steady fire in it. It was a much more efficient way in which to dry his wings.

With one last glance… he walked out the room and let him sleep. He left all that he bought in the kitchen. He as well left a plate at the table, for when Alexis woke up. He did not care if he slept until morning.

Once he got into his own chambers, he got out the last thing in his bag. He stared down at the book in his claws, with a thoughtful glare.

Can this book tell him more about him?

The demon smiled, hopeful. He was sure that he would find at least one interesting fact in this book. He loved knowledge. And so… he closed his door and sat at the steps of his fireplace, book still in hand.

The way between the market and his manor was long and tiring, and yet, he did not bother to sleep and rest. His wonder was stronger. His eyes roamed slowly through the first pages, as he took his time. But he soon lost himself; his claws turned the pages faster, not realizing he was entranced once again. In just an hour, he read a lot.

The hours went by, until midnight. He had read half of it already… but he did not stop. Every word and illustration echoed in his mind. His guilt about his prejudice only made him desire to know more. Every single thing, even if this book did not seem to have been written by an angel. It was fascinating for him nonetheless. It described their wings, their weapons, some spells, and what was believed to be their home. Alexis had told him a little about his land, more than this book described. He had shared with Alexis all he knew as well.

His eyes narrowed and lost their glee, his smile turned into a frown. He reached a chapter that described the hunts between angels and demons. He knew already. He despised it. Yet, he kept reading. The book narrated the assumptions and views he once believed. The pages spoke of both races, of their mutual hatred. He turned the pages with tiredness, not liking as much these words. He would have maybe skipped that part of the book… but he saw something in a page. It was something different and unknown to him. Some runes were drawn on the page, at the bottom.

“T-this-”

A ritual. There was an incantation written. He did not notice how the words had a different writing style from the other pages. He was too shocked by what he was seeing. His eyes opened with realization, a thousand thoughts flowed in his mind as he read the notes besides the runes.

I could…

Uriel’s heart skipped a beat; he felt sorrow and hope, mixed deep inside him. He doubted, but only for a second.

For the first time, a book was left away on the ground by Uriel. He let it fall onto the stairs as he stood and dashed out his room.

The moon was still high in the sky when he entered the angel’s room, with only one thing in his mind. For the first time, he did not pay mind to the chaos of tools and thrown stuff that was Alexis’ room. He made it even more chaotic when he began to search through Alexis’ things. He pushed a chair aside and a bag out the way, because he was looking for something specific. He knew that what he looked for was not in the closet, knowing his angel for some time already. He spent some time moving away crates and boxes full of junk.

Uriel huffed for breath and finally stopped. He stared down at the golden glint at his feet. There was the armor. A chest plate, the one he had never seen Alexis wear. They had not paid much mind to it since he fell, but now, he knelled besides it and reached for it. Even if there was no hurry, something made him grasp it restlessly.

I can help him.

He took the light armor in his hold. It was perfect to wear over other clothes. It was mainly made of chain mail, but composed of silk at the waist, golden as well. He turned it around in his hold, looking desperately for what he first had hoped to find, runes.

He took in a raspy breath and his eyes filled with hurt, because he saw that not a single rune decorated this armor. It only had carvings on its surface, without any meaning; there were no words from the many languages they spoke. It was nothing but simple decoration. He let the armor drop and covered his eyes with his hands. He feared he was unable to aid him after all.

I have no clue of how to help him without those runes. His angel has nothing that-

He gasped, because he remembered the only other thing with which Alexis had been pushed with. Something he had forgotten. But he still remembered that glint, on that sharp edge. He remembered how his claw grabbed it in the dark. It had runes, beautiful runes engraved in its deadly edges and handle.

He stood; his eyes were seeing something that was not in the room.

Alexis did not wake up, not even when two glowing eyes stared down at him sadly, pondering deeply, debating carefully.

He was torn. But only one option was clear for him in the end.

Even if it was raining strongly, the demon did not pay mind to the storm as he got out into the forest. He did not waste time, he ran as fast as he could.

He believed he could save him.

———————————————

His eyebrows twitched a little.

A quiet groan echoed in the room, two wings trembled when they felt they were hanging over the edge.

Alexis rubbed his eyes against his arm, slowly waking up. As soon as he managed to open them fully and see through the window that it was early in the morning, he tried to move his wings. He looked over his shoulder, wanting to see if he needed to comb them again. He did not like the idea that they could be messy after the rain.

Another thing got his attention. He blinked, seeing the remains of what could only have been a fire. A smile grew slowly on his face, because only one could have lighted it.

He sat and looked around him. Uriel was not in the living room with him. But he had to be in the manor. He wondered if he came back in the night. Even if he had not left for long, he had missed him. He was looking forward to a nice match of chess, having been bored out of his mind.

The angel stood from the couch with a long yawn, thinking groggily.

Being morning already… Uriel had to be making breakfast, as he always did. He had to be in the kitchen.

Alexis flapped his wings carefully, and noted that they were dry. He reminded himself to thank him later, and then got out of the living room. His surprise came when he got into the kitchen.

“Uriel?”

He could only see a plate on the table; bread with cheese and some sautéed mushrooms on the side. There was no trace of his demon, Uriel was not here.

Alexis ruffled his hair, confused. If Uriel was back, it was strange that he was not here.

Did something happen in the way back? Is he tired?

He walked through older corridors; he headed for the lower floor and basement, towards Uriel’s room. Uriel rarely locked himself there anymore, he preferred to read or be in the living room or kitchen during the day. They had been closer to each other since that night.

Maybe he was just sleeping, something weird for him to do at these hours. Uriel always woke up early and got himself busy with chores.

Alexis halted at the door of Uriel’s chambers; he raised a hand, but doubted to knock. He did not want to wake him up if he was really sleeping. So he did what he thought Uriel would not mind: he opened the door an inch without making noise, needing to see if he was alright.

He peeked in, and his curiosity and confusion turned into worry. He did not see Uriel. He was not sitting at the steps of his huge fireplace, nor in his bed, nor near his dear harp.

Alexis let himself in slowly. He neared the steps and looked at everything with a reflexive glance.

“Where are you?”

He nudged something on the ground with his feet. He frowned, because he saw a book. It was just lying there.

“…You never leave something out of place.”

Now that he thought about it, if Uriel came back… there should not be any mud in the corridors. It should not be there anymore. Even if Uriel went to sleep, or if he was busy, he at least would have controlled an armor to clean it up. He was a neat freak; he couldn’t stand a single bit of dust.

He would never leave a book thrown on the floor either.

Why is he not here?

Alexis crouched and picked up the book, to leave it on a nearby table. He took it carefully, even if he did not care about it, because he knew it meant a lot for Uriel. He was going to drop it and forget about it, but instead, he halted before he laid it down on the table. He could see it better now in his hands. His eyes narrowed at first, because he recognized clearly a rune. His gaze filled with shock, and he did not doubt to look at the cover closely. His fingers held the page that Uriel had been reading, while he looked at others. He saw that every single one spoke of his kind, of what was believed of them. He soon looked again at the page where Uriel stopped reading, and he could not avoid feeling fear.

He read slowly, disbelieving of what his demon had been looking at. There was a ritual written, which he himself had never heard of. He had never paid much mind to the priests, so he could only assume it was a real incantation. To his horror, it described a way in which to return an angel home. It was another way to end the bond, other than death.

The book had answers, which the angel did not like at all.

If a demon somehow gained possession of an object that belonged to its angel, with runes on it, then stained the runes with the angel’s blood and its own, and then forced the angel to pledge loyalty and submission in its own tongue, with the words written…

The ritual was a way in which a demon could bring humiliation to its angel; it was meant for the angel to admit failure and submission. The demon could decide to not kill, to bring the angel a shame worse than simple defeat. It could send the angel back, without killing or dying in battle. The angel would be left heartbroken, barely able to see himself as a proud being anymore.

It was a horrible ritual in the eyes of an angel; but its methods and ends were not what worried Alexis. What really worried him made his hands tremble and drop the book. He did not fear the ritual, because Uriel would never force him to say such words for real, he would never hurt him either. It would be an act without meaning, a play. What really made him worry was the fact that Uriel was not here. He had not said anything to him. He had left without asking. He had surely thought that…

Alexis began to cry angrily, understanding perfectly. Uriel believed that he needed to go home, without question.

Little did the demon know… that Alexis couldn’t go back home. Not when he felt like he was already. If he went back, he would not see Ayako, or Uriel, ever again. His demon thought he wanted to leave. He had left to…

Alexis slammed Uriel’s door open and ran for the entrance. He whipped his wings open over his shoulders, no matter if he was still indoors.

One of the few things he had when he fell was that armor. Even if he hated to wear and have that thing, he kept it in his room, hidden between junk. He had it close enough to know it had no runes; it did not have any words that Uriel could use. On the other hand, there was another thing that fell with him, and it had runes. It was his sword. The only thing he was given to fight; because he knew no spells, and he had no strength. That thing did have runes, marked all over its edge, like every weapon angels forged. It gave them a sense that their wisdom and knowledge was stronger than their enemies; it was a silly metaphor.

Uriel had left to retrieve the sword.

Alexis kicked the front doors open, and then flapped his wings to leap down the steps. He wasted little time to raise his wings up, enraged and determined at once.

If Uriel dared to throw a single drop of blood on that sword, without talking with him first, he would never forgive him. He did not have to do this. He had to be letting himself feel that horrible pounding right now, just to find that stupid weapon.

Alexis jumped and took flight. The manor was in between tall trees, but he had enough space in the courtyard to raise taller than them. He leaned and soared south, where he remembered that hollow mountain to be. He clenched his fists and teeth with anger, to not feel the noose in his throat. He could not avoid crying with impotence, because painful thoughts struck his mind as he left the ground far below.

Am I a nuisance? Does Uriel think this is for the best? Is the spell so unbearable that this had to be done? Did it not matter how much they trusted each other? Couldn’t he see or understand? Couldn’t he realize it was alright?

He couldn’t know what Uriel was thinking. He did not even know what to think himself, his own thoughts were confusing. He had not thought much until now, of how he had stopped missing his former home as much, day by day.

He could not dwell on it, not when he got lost in laughter every time she messed with Uriel. He could not lament, not when his demon seemed to forget his past loneliness when he glanced at Ayako.

He had gotten used to his new life, even fond of it. And Uriel… was blind to it all.

He hurried; his wings glinted under the dawn, as fast as when he feared to die. He was faster than Uriel, but his demon had left first, hours ago.

He hoped he could speak with him before he got that thing. Knowing him, he was capable of cutting himself, to be a step ahead. The idiot was too selfless sometimes. He did not want to even see that sword. It was a tool meant to pierce Uriel, since the very beginning. He did not want it back, he wanted it gone, and forgotten.

Even if the rain had stopped, the angel was soaring between clouds like if he had the worse of storms behind him. A million thoughts tormented him, in mind and heart.

It hurt.