Strong steps echoed through the long corridor. An eye opened slowly in the adjacent room, hearing their fast pace.

Godric sighed, expecting what would happen seconds after. The door was slammed and kicked open without doubt. They heard her voice, strong, loud, and determined as always.

“Godric! Have you-?!”

“Breathe first, Ayako. This is a serious matter…”

Ayako’s icy eyes narrowed onto Godric, her scowl all too clear. Her patience was, as always, scarce; she switched constantly between anger and understanding.

The girl of auburn hair stepped strongly into the dimly lighted room, yet she was also careful. She hurried towards the spot where Godric was meditating, even if she could barely see, with only a few candles on the ground.

Ayako answered her mentor tiredly but quickly, and as she did, they did not look back at her, too focused on the runes drawn on the wooden floor.

“It is a serious matter indeed! You have called me; and that only means-”

“An angel has fallen. Yes.”

Godric closed their eye with exasperation, because Ayako had already neared the table where all her hunting equipment was. She grabbed her things fast, showing well how little thought she had for their advice. Both knew she did not need such warnings, but Godric still tried to make her listen.

“No need for such eagerness. Hunting requires care.”

Ayako huffed with a little snort, almost offended. She threw her trusty crossbow onto her back, and then she latched her daggers onto her belt.

“I know.” She crossed her arms at Godric, glaring. “I have killed every single angel you have sensed. So, don’t treat me like that, after so many years of-”

“Every angel is different; you should not be so-”

Godric couldn’t end their sentence, because Ayako kicked the door again and went out of the room. She only had one thought, find her objective. Her voice echoed from the hallway, in her high-pitched but firm tone.

“No matter if they use spells, no matter if they are great swordsmen! I can face them!” The jog turned into a sprint, her call fading. “I must hurry! See you later!”

The hunter ran through Godric’s house. She soon reached the main hall, and there, she heard Cecilia laugh below her black hood. She did not stop running towards the exit while the younger girl spoke.

“Try to not tear off much of the angel, Ayako! The less mangled the better!”

“I know!”

The girl of long pearly hair shrugged and focused again on her notes and books, given that Ayako had already disappeared out the main door.

A lot of time had gone by since an angel appeared. A lot of time from the point of view of a mortal. They needed it. And of course, Ayako was hell-bent on hunting it.

The young woman took a deep breath of fresh air outside; she closed her eyes for a moment. She tried to clear her thoughts.

She did not feel hate or satisfaction when she killed an angel. Furthermore, she did not despise them at all.

Some old books described them as beings that held true goodness in their hearts. That was what they said… And maybe, in a way, it was true, in a strange way. Their flesh and bones had extraordinary healing properties. They were able to make any pain fade, and suppress almost any ailment. Angels were amazing creatures.

However, those creatures did not show any of that goodness they were said to hold. In reality, they only worried about one single thing: killing any demon that dared live. They did not truly care about helping humanity, as they exclaimed with empty words. They were arrogant bastards, who would not doubt to destroy anything in their way to achieve their so-called cleansing of the world.

To her, they were not any different from the demons they hated with all their souls. They looked down on anything that was not like them. So she did not feel regret when she took their wings and lives. In a twisted way, their deaths helped humans more than their stupid wars.

Ayako felt surer of herself. Her eyes opened when she heard a small growl. A little smile grew on her lips when she saw her companion, a small black lynx with baggy ears and red eyes. He looked up at her with patience, even if he was yawning.

“Let’s go, Lykaios. We have to find it.”

The lynx followed the human when she began to run again. Both went away from the small village, towards the dense woods north from there.

They had to find an angel. They always did before any demon could. Because they were faster.

————————————————

Two golden wings moved nervously. An angel walked tiredly ahead, with no idea of where he was heading. His eyes were red because his tears fell all night. He did not sleep, not a single second. The morning eventually came, and not for a single moment had he not been alert. He was anxious, but he was too scared to move. He had not wanted to make a single noise; he kept his cries inside, as much as he could. Perhaps he was still then, but he had not been able to keep his mind quiet.  He kept imagining how a demon could sense his presence.

He had not wanted to move, nor flee blindly. But he had to. That was why he was here now, walking tiredly through the woods, not even knowing where to go. The only thing he knew was that he had to find a place where to hide. He couldn’t just stay where he appeared, he couldn’t just wait to be found and be killed.

He had to find a place, somewhere where he could at least have a chance of not being seen. Because if any demon was near… it could know he was there. Demons could smell better than any other being; they could feel and detect their prey. Him.

Alexis was not stupid. He couldn’t stop thinking while he made way, keeping an eye on the trees and branches, as to not hit them with his wings. He was breathing harshly, due to his fear and tiredness. What he needed was shelter, food…

“Water.”

The angel let out a sigh of relief; he trailed a small flow of water with his eyes. He soon raised an eyebrow, because it was barely anything, only a few small droplets falling through some small rocks. But he could hear a stronger flow, bigger, not far.

Alexis pushed his wings down slightly, to help himself climb the terrain, hopeful. After a while, he smiled a little; he finally saw his objective.

He saw a small waterfall, which fell from a tall cliff. A few meters to the right, there was an opening, in the stony wall. It was a small cave, with enough space to rest.

“Better than nothing.”

He was tired; he had walked for a long time. He had no clue where he was, or where to go. And really, he wasn’t sure it would be a good idea to risk it and search for another place to rest.

This place could be the best he would find. So he walked slowly towards the cavern, not caring how he took off his light armor. He threw it down angrily to the ground once inside the cave. The heavy sword was ditched too, seconds after.

Alexis let himself fall blindly onto a flat rock. His wings curled around him, like blankets. They were the only thing he had, other than a stupid armor and a sword he didn’t know how to wield. He decided it was best to sleep, try to forget his anxiety. It was justified, because a demon knew of his existence, for sure.

He would think when he woke up. He needed to rest.

If I manage at all…

————————————————-

Somewhere in the dark, two violet eyes opened. They gleamed and gave brightness to the night, revealing his presence in it.

His figure was sitting against a tree, near his home. His thin long tail moved nervously, while his claws were clasped together, tense.

He closed his eyes, to think again. One of his claws moved to lay over his chest. He could feel his heartbeat, intensely, almost unnaturally. He could feel it.

“An angel, hmm?”

It was a fact that it would try to kill him.

I will be ready.