Ayako moved carefully past the trees and vegetation. Her hands grabbed and pushed the branches around her, to help herself evade rocks and fallen logs.

Her bag dangled side to side due to her fast moves, but she was still silent. She had her crossbow fixed over her left shoulder, ready to be taken. Her ammunition was always at hand near her belt, like her daggers.

She was always well-armed, prepared to confront and end any angel that dared roam in her region. Another one would fall dead soon.

Her eyes narrowed in triumph when she saw a small glint not too far away, by some bushes. She let out a small silent chuckle, to then crouch slowly. She lifted the golden feather and leaned it down for Lykaios to examine as well.

“Another one. This angel is a little careless. Or likes to show off.”

At this rate, she would not even have to put in any real effort. She had already looked around near the outskirts of her village for some days. Due to it, she ventured into these huge northern woods. Honestly, she was surprised when she found the first feather, because it was extremely easy to spot. Now she found another.

This angel had to be very sure of himself to let this happen. It was easy for a devil to follow a trace. She wondered if it was perhaps trying to lure its demon.

Ayako pushed away those thoughts, shaking her head. That fact was not important. She could not care less what the angel’s plans were. She only cared about finding it.

It will not live for long, after all.

The hunter focused again on what she had to do. She whispered softly, with a subtle hint of menace.

“Can you pinpoint it now?”

Lykaios had not stopped staring at the feather, not for a single moment. He let out another huff as he focused on its scent.

He did his best to think, choose where to go. The angel had been far from her village; it probably roamed from where it appeared. Many days had gone by since Godric sensed its arrival.

Ayako could only smile when Lykaios growled in a deeper tone. His red eyes glinted, more blood-like. His voice echoed out between his fangs.

“It’s closer.”

The black lynx pointed his muzzle ahead, with intent and a deep breath. It was a matter of time until they found it.

———————————————————————-

Between the trees, in a small clearing, a figure sat on a small rock. There was an eerie silence, for not a single whisper echoed.

Alexis stared sadly at his own hands, counting the food he had. As if doing so would give him more.

One of his wings was outstretched down at his side, nudging mindlessly with its point the flow of the small river. The worried murmur he let out next could barely be heard between the sounds of the waterfall, even if the flow was soft.

“I better find another source of food soon.”

This place offered him some shelter, but not much more; the opening in the stony wall kept the rain away, and there was also water nearby. He had already made a small nest inside the cave, by using leaves and plants. He used them to cover the flattest rock, which was parallel against a wall. It was not as cold now in the nights. However… the lack of food was going to become a problem soon.

He had roamed the forest. It was huge and dense. He had roamed and explored for a full week. Or more. He had lost count already of how many days had gone by.

I am that useless.

Alexis sighed and glared at the berries and apple he had. He was not finding much more, to be honest.

“Fuck…”

Angus would surely give him a good scolding for cursing. But considering his situation, he could not care less now. His uncle’s disappointment could have been the worst thing in his mind not long ago, but now he could only think of how a demon could appear and tear him to shreds, at any moment.

He dropped down the fruit against a rock with a frown. He had to tell himself to have patience and not eat. Because he just had this, nothing else. Maybe it would not be the demon that would kill him, but starvation.

Alexis let out a sharp sarcastic snort while he brushed his hair back and down. His current circumstances were stranger than before. He thought he would have come across that beast already.

Are these woods really a good place to hide? Or am I just having luck?

He did not know what to do, if to search another place for food, or stay due to his cowardice.

Maybe I should-

The sound of a snap took him out of his thoughts. He tensed and raised his head sharply. He looked anxiously around him, scared. His wings puffed out subtly, ready to help him flee. Because he could swear he heard a branch break nearby.

He did not move, but he was ready to run. He kept looking at the flora around the clearing. Five minutes went by. Nothing else was heard or seen. Nothing.

“A rabbit?”

Most probably. He had seen some. The little rascals even took some of his food. But it was not like he would want payback…

Alexis bowed his head and relaxed somewhat. He began to lose himself in his depressing thoughts again; his right wing nudged the water again, still shaken. He was completely unaware that he should be still on guard… and run.

Lykaios gave Ayako a disapproving glare, but she only scowled in annoyance. She moved her hands in motions, and her demon understood perfectly.

“I needed to inch closer to take good aim.”

Lykaios moved his uncanny long tail and snout, expressing his frustration.

“Focus.”

Ayako just nodded and left the matter behind. There was no time to spare. The angel was there, at reach. Her right hand moved slowly to reach for her crossbow. She needed those wings, as undamaged as possible. So she took her favorite ammunition while her icy eyes pierced the blond in the clearing.

Alexis had finally stood. He outstretched tiredly; his wings opened, spreading above his head while he yawned. Ayako interpreted his idleness as the best moment to load her shot. Sadly for her, the faint click of the crossbow was noticed, because his hearing was better, inhuman.

The angel heard the shot; he let out all his breath when he turned around sharply. His gaze hinted his shock, for he saw how a sling flew over him, just a millisecond after he let himself drop to the ground to dodge.

A bolt had been shot at him, loaded with a rope. Which would have probably tangled around his wings and tied him up.

Ayako stood up from the bushes with a growl, knowing that the surprise attack had failed miserably.

“Dammit!” Alexis flapped his wings and stood again, as fast as Ayako shouted. “Lykaios!”

Just when the young angel regained his balance, a strange lynx jumped out from the bushes and entered the clearing in one swift leap.

Alexis could not avoid trembling and getting even more scared. He felt confusion and terror when he saw the red eyes of the animal. He understood that what dashed closer was not a simple lynx. Its red irises seemed to glint; its tail was growing at an alarming pace.

Ayako loaded another shot, because she saw Alexis bolt to a side. He unfolded his wings to fly and escape. He did not manage to take flight, however.

“Ah-h!”

Lykaios was not a simple feline, or a lynx at all. He was a demon, now in his true form: a huge black beast with big fore legs, the size of a bear. He was as mighty as the worst of predators. He had nine long black tails, which rose over the terrified and confused angel. Those tails were much taller than his wings, and so, they wouldn’t let him take flight.

With every desperate step that the angel took to try to escape, Lykaios dashed back in front of him. He wasn’t letting him reach any open ground, he only let him backtrack. He neared his now longer jaws with each move, closer with every second that passed. He only let Alexis do one thing: be cornered into his small cave, leave the clearing.

Ayako took notice of the sword and armor that lied there, near his bed made of leaves. It was a mistake on his part to not wear them. A smile grew on her lips when Alexis finally backed into his cavern. He was stolen of any chance of flying, he couldn’t raise his wings with the stony ceiling over him.

Lykaios always made a good job at close range. He was always careful in order to not damage the wings. He never struck their targets if she could, because her shots and stabs were more precise.

Alexis was in a state of shock; his steps were not by thought, but by fear. His mind was not able to understand the situation with clarity.

A demon was cornering him. It was so big that he had to look up to meet his red eyes. He did, of course, in a trance. He was cornering him slowly, showing him his fangs, as sharp as his huge claws. The wolf-lion-looking thing had nails that could slice him in two in one move, teeth so pointy that they could rip his neck in one bite. He was sure as well that the demon could crush all his bones by just stepping on him.

He was seeing a demon. Not his. This was not the one with whom he was bound. What confused him in reality, and what scared him more, was the fact that a human was aiding it. He had always heard that humans respected angels. Yet there was one right there, attacking him. She was entering the cave as well, with her crossbow in hand. Due to it, he could only ask himself if the tales of devils corrupting humans were true.

Ayako thought that the angel would pick up the sword on the ground, and then finally fight her. The shiny golden sword was there, at his feet, at reach. Every angel she confronted had fought. All despised her for even daring to look at them. All were proud, arrogant, rude self-centered bastards. She remembered well one, one who was offended by her mere presence. That one attacked her first, as soon as it saw the daggers on her belt.

Due to her past encounters, she was baffled when this angel did not reach for the sword. He did not reach for that armor either. Lykaios halted his steps sharply because he was not confronted.

Instead of fighting… Alexis hit the wall of his hideout; there were no more steps that could be taken backwards. His eyes widened in understanding, like if he was seeing death itself. His breathing slowed while he dared to stare at the bloody eyes in front of him, at those sharp fangs inches away. Behind that beast, he could see the human, masked by an old black cowl. She still had that crossbow, and it had a bolt ready.

He could not flee. The tails of the demon were over and around him, like a cage, leaving him without choice. The human looked ready to act, because her icy eyes watched his every move, weary. He was going to die.

The hunter understood less the angel when she saw him close his eyes and yell a half-choked lament while he pressured himself against the rocks.

“This is worse…!”

He seemed to be screaming for himself. Not at them. It was something that startled them both.

Lykaios let out an awkward growl, because Alexis let himself collapse against the wall and moved his wings around himself. It was a vain move, to try to muffle any incoming blow. His golden feathers hid him under, and he did not dare look through them.

Ayako could have sworn she saw a tear fall before he hid himself from their gazes. But she knew that was not possible. She could only ask herself silently.

Why is he not fighting?

The demon took a step back, because he had never seen this. Not from an angel. All angels wanted his head at first sight. All fought to kill in cold blood. This one was terrified by just seeing him.

The huge devil and hunter exchanged confused glances. Meanwhile, Alexis kept on covering himself with his wings, waiting for a bite or arrow. A million thoughts flowed in his mind, believing he was living his last moments.

He was sure that he was going to be eaten alive. That he was going to die in a few seconds. But not even at the hands of the demon he had to fight.

I will die for nothing, at the hands of-

“Why?”

Alexis took a breath; he opened his eyes below his wings. The human’s voice echoed through them, and he did not understand its tone or the emotions that were there. He kept sitting there in fear, not moving for a whole minute. But in the end, he realized that there were no fangs ripping his throat, nor any arrows piercing his chest.

Ayako raised an eyebrow, because a wing moved after a while, slowly. Some feathers parted slightly, to reveal two amber eyes peeking wearily.

Alexis glanced at her with apprehension; he finally looked at her truly. She was a young woman of icy eyes. She had auburn hair, slightly curled, which reached her neck. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, which hanged near her shoulder. Her face had both oriental and occidental traits, making him wonder where she came from. Her grey light armor was made of fur, probably of animals she killed; it was also faintly tinted with a blue dye, to better hide her in the nights when she hunted. Her long shirt covered part of her pants and helped hold her black belt and small bags. That long black cowl covered her mouth and jaw, like a mask, while the rest of it hanged at her side.

He couldn’t focus on it all. He just kept thinking of the possible danger she posed. That was why he repeated her question with a trembling whisper, almost unheard.

“W-why?”

He was as confused as her. He did not understand why she was just standing there, crossbow still pointed. He could not see the previous murderous look in her eyes anymore.

Ayako clarified with a weary tone, to try and make sense of the angel’s question. She wanted a clear answer.

“Why are you not fighting?”

Her wonder only grew, because he hid again under his wings. He answered her firm question blindly, with no determination.

“I w-would not win, right? Just- If you are helping this demon… Just kill me before he tries to eat me alive or something!”

No will to fight? Have I heard right?

She leaned her head in wonder. On the other hand, Lykaios huffed in disgust; his red eyes glared at the blond, to then question him.

“Excuse me? Are you implying that I would consume you alive?!”

Lykaios could only growl, angered, because the angel answered quickly below his trembling wings.

“Yes! You would, beast!”

The shapeshifting demon finally stepped away from the angel. Lykaios raised his head proudly and looked down at him with a condescending glare.

“For your information, weird one, she is not helping me. I am the one aiding her!” His tone became more feral, stronger. “And eat you alive? Don’t you dare accuse me of such a barbaric thing!”

Alexis lowered his wings a little, to pierce the hybrid with his gaze. His voice sounded defiant and nervous at the same time.

“You are a demon! You would do it for sure! You-!”

“Well, you are an angel!” The demon pointed with a tail, and that was enough to shut him up in fear. “Even then, you don’t behave like one! Who is the one who speaks truthfully then?”

Ayako finally her crossbow away, to then cross her arms at them.

“Is he really an angel anyway?”

The demon nodded tiredly, sitting and closing his eyes.

“As much as he does not seem to be, he is.” He nodded at Alexis without looking at him, in a harsh manner. “Are you going to take his wings or not? I’m not here to waste my time.”

Alexis paled and hugged his limbs, now noticing the daggers on her belt. He did not want to know what she had in her bag.

“You are going to kill me for my-?”

“Nah.” Ayako smiled calmly and took off her cowl. She showed all her face while letting out a small laugh. Alexis stared at her, not understanding her actions and demeanor. He was more lost when she said the next words. “I hunt angels, not chickens.”

Never innocents or someone who did nothing wrong. In her eyes, he was an oddity, so she could not kill him without a fight. It would not be a good thing for her morale afterward. He did not seem to be a bad person like all the others. She only killed to help the ill back at her village. All she wanted was feathers and wings, maybe blood and bone, to help the ones who needed it.

This angel was… Weird. Unlike the hateful creatures that she always fought. All showed disdain, and she could not see it in him.

Alexis seemed to regain some color on his skin, and his breathing calmed down slightly. But still, he did not dare move. He felt trapped because Lykaios was near and on the way out of his small cavern. He only managed to ask, with disbelief and a haunted expression.

“You… hunt angels?”

Ayako shrugged and averted her gaze for a moment. She took notice of the horror in his voice.

“Yeah. Not that I’m proud. It is needed.”

Alexis felt rage. A wave of deep anger grew in him, something he had never felt, not like this. A human, hunting his kind. Unthinkable.

His wings shivered and tensed, while his eyes pierced them both. He spoke up in anger, forgetting his fear to lash verbally at them.

“Why, to feed your pet?!”

“Pet?!”

Alexis yelped and pressed himself against the wall again, because Lykaios took a step closer, letting out a loud snarl. He paled when those lion-like tails shook and rose over his head, almost seeming to sharpen at their hairy denser ends. It made him lose his temporal bravery and caused his wings to fold tight.

The demon would have probably done something about his snarky comment, were not for Ayako speaking up with a sigh.

“Lykaios…”

The demon looked at her sideways, stopping instantly. He still kept those tails up, but their halt allowed Alexis to breathe. The angel felt even more relieved when the creature let out a huff and stepped away, lowering the tails.

Lykaios left them some space and then began to tremble. Alexis stared while the devil shrunk, becoming smaller, back into the form of a weird long-tailed lynx, which almost looked harmless. Even if he was less frightening now, he still sent intimidating glares over his only tail. Nevertheless, those fangs did not peek anymore, and he did not growl again either.

Alexis tried to hug himself, quietly and nervously, because he saw her near slowly. She did so with a smile he found too cheerful, too strange for what had just happened.

“Look, I’m sorry. Can we talk?”

She was outstretching one of her hands to him, and there was no trace of malice that he could see in her blue eyes.

Alexis doubted. He glared in an untrustful manner at her hand, her face, and that lynx. Which was no lynx at all.

A whole tense minute went by. The demon thought the angel would just stare. Eventually, Ayako smiled brighter, because Alexis raised a hand slowly, doubtingly. He took her hand with an exasperated sigh.

She surprised and annoyed him more when she pulled at him. He was heaved onto his feet with a laugh, and she ignored his nervous snarl for it. She was stronger than she looked.

—————————————————————

 

“So you are telling me…” Alexis looked at his wings while sitting at a safe distance from the other two. “You hunt us, for this?”

He shook his wings with a frown, something that prompted her to sigh and nod tiredly. She had tried to reason with the blond, who luckily agreed to listen to her after she assured repeatedly that she would not attack him. He had agreed begrudgingly to sit near the fire she lit.

She poked the campfire once more, trying to explain without angering the apprehensive angel.

“I do. They heal, much more than any herb or medicine we humans can use. The feathers mend any wound, even if not as much as bone marrow would. I do it for a good cause.”

She could see he was still angry, and that he did not trust her. No matter if she said she wouldn’t harm him.

“Killing.” He huffed in anger and hid his wings as possible, again. “Ending a life for profit, huh? I don’t see the good deed in it.”

Ayako gave him a firm glare with an eyebrow raised, making sure to ask sternly.

“Have I killed you?”

Alexis blinked and stammered, taken aback.

“Not yet. You could maybe try later or-“

“Had I a reason to not do it before? Or right now? Could still do it. I don’t win anything by waiting, you know.”

“…”

“What I mean…” Ayako met Alexis’ eyes and tried to display as much sincerity as she could muster. “Any of you I have found, they have never shown any care for us. They did not deserve my sympathy. Not all the fault is on me.”

Alexis shook his head, slightly troubled by her words. He gave her a look full of disapproval and sad anger.

“Deserve sympathy? That we don’t care about you humans? We are sent here to end-” He remembered that Lykaios was there, near her, and felt his red eyes on him. So he spoke with a quieter tone. “…You know. We try to help.”

She only laughed, making him blink. She really laughed at him, as if she did not take him seriously. Straight out laughed loudly at his words.

“Help?” Her laugh faded slowly, with one last snort. Her expression became inquisitive, even if she still smiled. “Us, or yourselves? Because only a few demons are really evil nowadays. You only try to destroy them all, blindly. You do not care about us humans, only your crusade.”

Alexis clenched his fists, a growl escaping him. He was unable to accept her words or accusations.

“That’s not true!” He put a hand on his chest, to yell in fanatic sureness. “I care! We-! You only try to justify-“

“Do I? Ok!” She shrugged, to then smile darkly. “Do you know… how does it feel to beg an angel, the first one you see? Beg for him to give you a single feather… Only one, I repeat, one.”

Alexis stayed quiet, timidly, unable to sense any lie in her voice. His kind could feel emotions in others, and Ayako only hinted sadness in her whisper while she stared intensely at the fire.

“You ask for help, and you are not even ignored, but frowned upon. Told your life is not worth the loss of one of a single feather. Hear that the existence of it is more important than a human. Assured that our lives are meant to end shortly anyway.” The angel’s eyes filled with sad empathy when he heard her laugh, but not with joy. Her words had been low but were rising to the same tone as his previous yell, even if unintentionally. “The one I asked the feather for died. The angel deemed a single feather more important than one life. He said that we should be grateful for his holy presence, for he was there to help us get rid of a plague. Demons that did not even affect our lives. So dare judge me if you want to.”

“I-“

“And do not think I feel resentment at all! No. When I became a hunter, I still tried to only seek the wings. I first tried to reason, only asked them to give me the feathers they naturally shed away. But I always was insulted, and they made sure I saw none.”

Alexis tried to speak; he raised a hand nervously, to try to take her attention.

“I do not-“

But Ayako was feeling too much anger; her eyes were fixed on the fire. Her fists clenched as she let everything out in an outburst. She was lost in her beliefs, mantras said to keep her sanity after shedding blood.

“So you can tell me I am wrong! Do it! But I am of more help than you all! I am helping the ones who need it! I care more than any of you say to do! You only-“

Ayako stopped, because she felt a faint touch. Lykaios raised an eyebrow in interest, surprised. Alexis had neared her, even if the demon was there nearby. He was now crouched at her side, looking at her firmly and seriously.

Ayako followed Alexis’ nod, slowly. She did not believe what she saw. His hand was outstretched towards her, calmly. A golden feather rested on his palm, shining bright with the fire in the night.

Alexis sighed and averted his gaze, troubled. Perhaps he was critical, but he was not really angry with her.

“Look, I know we can be jerks. I have seen it myself. But…” He dropped the feather and let it float down onto her lap. He then stood again, going back to sit where he had been. “You can come and take some of mine, alright? I don’t need them. As you say, I drop some anyway.”

Ayako could not look away from the golden feather to acknowledge his words. She had not expected this, not from an angel. She had never seen one acting like this, ever. It took her a lot to manage to mutter something.

“You are strange.”

“Rude.”

She laughed a little in disbelief, because he complained with his arms crossed. He wasn’t really angry, just annoyed. That expression of his was not hinting prideful rage, which others were fast to show. He was more human-like. And it was something that confused her, to no end.

“Ok, ok! Sorry.” Ayako smiled and stopped laughing, feeling grateful. “I guess I owe you an apology for trying to…”

Alexis only shrugged a little, uncomfortable. He stopped looking at them, to stare at his nest instead. He did not like them here, still remembering well their first intentions. That was why he glanced sideways at Lykaios, with a question in mind.

“Why does he help you?”

The hunter smiled nervously, suddenly. She had hoped that the angel would not make that question. But he did, still weary of the demon and his intentions. Ignorance was bliss.

“Well, as I said…! Demons are not as they tell you to be! Not every one of them. Sure, some out there are bad, but-! Yeah, he is just my friend. Nothing else-!”

“She lets me eat what is left.”

Ayako face palmed, for she had tried to avoid saying that, at all costs. And of course, Alexis obviously did not take it well. He had a shocked look on his face, even if there was no emotion in his expression. He was just pale, sweating due to sudden inner panic.

The blond began to move subtly, while still sitting, to get slightly away from the lynx. The situation was only made worse by the devil’s honesty.

“What? Don’t give me that look, I would not devour you, I assure you. Even if I did, I never eat before death. Nothing wrong with that, being a demon.” He smiled, closed his eyes, and nodded without doubt. “What’s more, you guys taste like poultry.”

Ayako’s eyes widened in worry, because she saw Alexis begin to lean slowly to a side. To then fall backward, fainted with a loud thud. Too much shock in one day.