His eyes narrowed with aversion. He was watching from above, on a tree branch. But he was not really looking at anything. His fangs were biting his lower lip, with uneasiness. His claw brushed his chest tiredly, to try to focus.

As much as he knew that the angel was somewhere, he could not pinpoint where exactly.

Uriel let out a long tired sigh, and then closed his eyes to try to feel more, anything.

His steps had taken him to some huge and dense woods. They were much more green and alive than the ones around his home. How and why he came here after searching in other places… he did not know. In the way, he had tried to seek near human villages and other areas, thinking the angel could have roamed. But he was not in any of those places.

Here he was now, surrounded by green, slightly lost.

He supposed he had no other way of knowing than to explore in this place. And as much as he hated it, obey the instincts he did not understand. He could feel them deep inside. They were telling him to hunt, search… and find.

A few birds flew away, scared, by a huge shadow that jumped from a branch with a feral growl. That shadow disappeared in the darkness of the night, while following its heart.

—————————————————-

Alexis smiled tiredly and leaned onto the shovel he held. He took a five minute break, just to look at the outcome of his hard work, after weeks of effort.

His eyes had finally lost the sadness they had before, they were bright again. For he was alive, he was not cold in the nights, he had food… He had help.

He closed his eyes and chuckled a little. There was a small garden now, some distance away from his nest. There were different plants growing, and all provided food.

When he had fallen, he had not expected that things would go like this. He would have never imagined that a human would try to hunt him, instead of his demon. A demon who had not shown up yet. And he hoped it kept being like that.

He would have never imagined that said human would be a stubborn but kind person. Ayako had helped indeed. It was not long until she gave him more things, to make his existence easier to cope with: tools, seeds, some bowls, so he would stop eating entirely with his hands, and even a blanket. All that for some silly feathers. Though she was quick to scold him when she found out he still used his own wings to sleep, and not the blanket she gave him. It was summer already, and he did not need it.

Summarizing, he could not complain as much. Though he still missed and yearned to go back home with all his heart, he was less depressed about it. Her company helped, he had stopped crying in the nights. He had accepted already that he would never go back. There was no going back. He supposed that he was going to be stuck here. Forever.

If he managed to live that much time, of course.

Can that demon be so laid back to wait years? Centuries?

He did not know. And the dread of why was it waiting was the only thing that kept him up at night. He still feared sometimes; he still kept a keen eye on the distance. He still heard noises, which were harmless in reality.

But some days like this… while he just worked and kept his mind busy, he did not fear as much. Like this, he could forget for a while.

He could not do anything about his fate after all. Nothing but find that devil himself, of course. And he was sure as hell that he wouldn’t even think about doing that. He knew well that there would be nothing left of himself if he tried.

So he tried not to think at all. He tried to forget his worries, focus on the good things while they lasted, hoping that he never had to worry at the end of it all.

Maybe… I can live peacefully. Maybe my demon is not interested in finding me. Maybe it despises angels so much that it wants to stay away.

Maybe…

Maybe my angel is a real threat.

At the top of the cliff, near the edge of the tall waterfall, a shadow loomed. Two sharp violet eyes glinted and watched silently. His figure crouched on the branch of a tall tree, while his claws pierced its wood firmly. His attentive gaze followed every move of the angel below. The demon wondered, never leaving his eyes off the blond.

Why is he so calm?

Uriel was sitting on his fours on the branch; his tail moved nervously while he evaluated the situation carefully. He could not be seen by his enemy, because the sun was sinking in the horizon. The day was ending, bringing with it the dark that always hid him so well.

It had taken many days… But one day, he picked up a faint scent with his sharp senses. One that made his fangs sharpen, his claws twitch and his heartbeat fasten. It could only be one thing. He felt compelled to follow it, find where it leaded. And there he was now: his hunter was just there, at hand.

Uriel could feel his blood boil, by just staring at those golden wings. But he did not move yet. He felt confused, he feared, because the angel was calm. He was making life, as if nothing, without a single worry. His enemy was not training or meditating, he was not doing anything a warrior would do; he was just standing there, looking at his garden.

He had though the angel would be as prepared as he had been, waiting with traps, weapons, anything. But he could not see any of those, no matter how much he leaned on the branch and looked over the clearing, where his rival seemed to live. His hideout was just a small opening inside a stony wall, at the feet of the cliff. There were no traps his sharp eyes could see, nothing that could give any advantage in a fight.

The angel was not even wearing any armor. He had no weapons tied on his belt. Though, Uriel could see there was a light armor and a sword leaning against the rocky wall, inside his cave.

His sharp violet eyes filled with worry and weariness. He felt fear, when some strange thoughts settled in his mind.

Was this angel so powerful it could dispose of all that?

Uriel saw some feathers laying on a rock near his nest. He could smell them, feel his angel.

Was he waiting for me?

He was sure of it, seeing him act so calmly, seeing that he had been leaving his feathers at plain sight. He was so sure of himself that he did not even bother to search, luring him instead.

Was he mocking me? Does he not even care? Is this a game for him?

Uriel growled under his breath. His tail and claws pressured the branch so much that they made it crack. Luckily, or not, Alexis did not hear it. The young demon climbed down slowly from the tree, until his feet and claws touched the ground. He moved like a panther, without making a sound.

The demon doubted for a moment, thinking there was only one way in which this angel could be so confident. He could have power, a secret ability.

Spells? Chants?

Uriel did not know. He hated not knowing his enemy. So he waited, he took advantage of Alexis’ ignorance. The blond was unknowing of the eyes watching him from the edge of the waterfall. The faint noise of the water and its fresh smell only helped the demon hide.

That water had helped Alexis hide as well. At first. Sadly, demons had better senses. Once a devil noticed prey, it was pointless to even try hiding.

Unsuspecting, Alexis yawned and looked up to the sky. He smiled sadly, seeing the sun go away at last.

“Should call it a day.”

He left the shovel on the ground, near the plants, and then he walked towards the unlit campfire in the center of the clearing.

Uriel watched patiently while Alexis tried to light the fire. He did so grumpily, because the night had begun and all was dark. By the time he managed to make a fire, the moon was already above his head.

“Finally…!”

Uriel raised an eyebrow when he saw Alexis grab a bag and take out two fishes. He did not know much about his kind… But he thought they ate fruit, wheat and vegetables. Nothing like meat.

The young demon always worried for every small detail. His mind began to work, consider every possibility. He could only come up with the most silly but plausible conclusion.

He blinked when he heard Alexis begin to hum a slight tune. He grew nervous, because he imagined that the angel could be growing powerful when consuming those fish, with a ritual or incantation. Little did he know that Alexis was just bored, trying to kill some time while his dinner was made.

The demon held his breath, because he heard Alexis sigh. He heard his voice turn into a cynical whisper, while he nudged his food with boredom.

“Another day… Still no trace of him.” Alexis let out a short snort and shook his head with a tired smile. “Maybe it’s not really worth it to worry about him.”

Ayako always said that he should stop worrying so much. It was good to think, but not like he did until getting sick. The first weeks, she made guard, she kept an eye around. She tried to make sure he would be fine. Both waited, and waited, but no devil attacked or even showed up. So she told him it had to be safe.

His demon could not have any intention of finding him. She argued that it could be as afraid as he was.

Ayako came less to see him now. She had work of her own in her village, and he wouldn’t keep her from that, even if she wished she could be here more.

At the moment, Alexis was sitting in front of the warm fire, calmly. Completely unaware of the demon that was climbing down the rocks of the waterfall. Those violet eyes were narrowed with pure anger, his frame was trembling with fury.

How dare he mock me…? How dare he believe I’m not a threat, unable to face him? How dare he wave my existence away, like if it does not matter?

Uriel was furious, having heard his words from the shadows above. His claws were scratching the ground while he sneaked. He neared Alexis slowly, looming darkly behind him. His figure was still tall, even if he moved like a lion; his tail mimicked his anticipation. He was bending slightly, to be ready to pounce on his back and tear him to pieces.

If he wants to fight his demon… he will.

Alexis moved a hand, to reach for the fish, deeming it should be done. But before he could get a grip on it… His eyes widened, when a loud growl echoed behind him.

The angel, luckily, was fast when terrified. And he was now, because the growl was loud as thunder. He stood and moved quickly with a strong flap of his wings, dodging just in time. A millisecond after, a demon slammed itself against the ground where he had been sitting, striking the earth with sharp clawed fists.

Alexis stumbled backwards to his feet, while the beast shuddered and cursed, realizing it had nothing below its big claws.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. A single second, which seemed to last an eternity. Uriel leaned his head, to retrieve vision of his objective. Alexis now could see the figure of his attacker clearly, against the fire’s light.

His amber eyes saw tall sharp horns, claws that closed with frustration, shoulders wide as it stood with a furious huff, while a long tail hit the ground angrily. The devil stood as tall as it could, and glared down at him while he puffed his flaming breath. He made him feel small, just by fixing his hateful eyes down on him. Two glowing and flaming violet eyes, full of hate and rage, bloodlust.

It was the same devil he saw in that orb. Him.

The slowed moment of realization and adrenaline lasted too short for Alexis.

The angel gasped for air, because in a second the demon had moved again. Fast, much faster than his body looked to be. Alexis wheezed when a claw latched around his neck, to then push him up forcefully in the air, to Uriel’s eye level. His two meters of height did not help his soft voice seem any less menacing. His words tangled with a slight flaming echo.

“Thought I would not fight you?”

Uriel was fast. Alexis screamed when he was flung forcefully to a side. He rolled multiple meters along the floor, finally colliding with the rocks at the side of his nest. He fell there, and slumped below his wings with a pained gasp, dazed.

Alexis tried to push himself up with his arms, and trembled when he heard Uriel yell at him again, furiously.

“I’m tired of waiting as well! Show me how you plan to stop me from tearing you to pieces!”

Alexis heaved, seeing him charge again, shoulder and horns first. He dodged once again to a side, causing Uriel to miss and slam onto the rocks instead of crushing his wings against the wall.

The angel ran. He did not throw away his chance, now that the demon was stunned with the strong hit.

Uriel could only growl and hold his head, dizzy because of his blind attack. He saw between the daze how Alexis grabbed hurriedly the sword at the cave, to then move up his wings. That made Uriel react at last. He jumped forward, to try to stop him from fleeing. He moved a claw and his tail, just as he saw him jump to take flight.

Alexis had felt hope when he had batted his wings down. He had managed to get off the ground. But he shivered, because he felt a sudden grip, a pull that made him unable to rise any more in the air, no matter how much he flapped his wings with all his strength. He whipped his head to look down and saw the demon there, pulling at him with his tail latched around his foot. He was pulling down, to force him onto the ground again.

He would have managed to bring him down, were not for the strong kick Alexis gave to his tail with his free leg.

“Argh!”

Uriel let go of him when he moved his tail away in reflex, to hold it with a hiss. He was unable to halt the angel. He could only look while he flied away, up where he could not reach him, not even with a strong jump.

A feather was the only thing left, which floated down slowly at Uriel’s side. The angel’s figure was fading between the tall trees and the black sky, only leaving faint glints of light behind, from the moonlight against his golden wings.

Uriel’s eyes moved, to glare at the feather. A sudden flame ignited and engulfed it, and it burned it down in seconds.

“You can run…”

But he would not be able to hide.

Uriel asked himself why he was fleeing, what he wanted. He could only imagine that his angel had a plan; that he knew what he was doing. He was sure he was luring him towards a trap, sure that he was mocking and taunting him even more.

Even if he could be killed if he followed, he would do so.

Uriel leaned and jumped forward. He began to run through the woods, to follow the strong impulse in his heart and the scent he could not forget from now on. Something in him burned. He had not felt this rage before. He had lost control when he attacked him.

If this feral nature of his would help him survive… he would let it command.

He jumped over a fallen tree log with ease. He chased his angel, and followed the path every one of his senses told him to.

While Uriel chased, Alexis cried.

Why? Why now…?

The angel was breathing too quickly, while soaring above the woods. He was flying for his life, without halting, above every tree in the cold sky. He was going as fast as possible, while his trembling hands grasped strongly his sword against his chest. He had taken it, even if he knew he could not fight. He had no clue what to do now.

He had wondered what the demon would do if he found him. Now he had his answer. The words he had roared echoed in his mind, and they made him try to flap his wings faster. He could feel in his heart that the devil was chasing, right now.

Can fly, but for how long? Can I survive?

His eyes shed more tears, this time without emotion. He cried silently, he refused to stop looking ahead, because the answer was clear.

Still, he would try to postpone his fate.

He had hoped. He had assumed blindly. And he had been wrong to do so. He was done for.