Not ten, not twenty. Fifty figures advanced.

All mounted, all armed. Each one marched north, some from the east, a few from the south. They would be more soon, joined by others in far distant roads. But for now, they were enough; and they had an appointment before they would march towards the border with their comrades.

They eyed the dark forest resentfully. Their captain had foretold what had been seen in the area. A huge black beastly devil; hunters had been attacked. As well, there was a den; a commoner had refused to surrender his workers. Even though that property was at the end of their lands, that household still had to abide by their constitution.

The men wore scowls, remembering how there had been trouble in the east, and as well, some towns had suffered attacks by feral demons in the deep countryside. The beasts were trying to resist their new grip on their rightful land. Nomads or unnatural animals, they had to hunt, for they still killed their people sometimes.

And even though none had died here in this area, they had to set an example. The north would soon learn that devils could only bring hurt, as soon as the coin stopped flowing from their pockets to keep them compliant.

Last time an official had set foot near those gates, it had been with a rudimentary firearm, not very potent, its steam tank small, meant for hurting simple hunting game or as a deterrent. Now they had rifles on their backs, with much more effective fuel, joints made less of timber but more complex steel. They were not simple guards; their weapons would soon be used, first on that place, and then on other humans, if the border did not allow them through.

They would go through, over each objective relayed by their superiors. And in that confidence, they struck the gates. They were heavily locked, chained. Two men pointed their rifles down on the heavy lock and fired at it. It managed to shatter it to pieces, ending the gloomy silence that engulfed the night.

The captain eyed the walls of the manor and the patio. All was vacant, with no hint of life. It truly was haunting to think three devils roamed, much more feral than a human could be. Here, as it had been reported, they only produced crops, tools, and pelts. Those beings were either extorting the men living here by force or meddling in much darker affairs; for their self-indulgence could not be satiated with a little coin.

“Scout the exterior.”

In went twenty men, aware that the devils knew some tricks and magic. They sneaked through silently, keeping their aim at every cranny that could hide them. A garden was empty, all crops had been cut; the stables were void too, no horses to be seen. When they kicked open an adjacent forge, the smelter had embers, but there was no one there.

Desolate, no sound. Nothing seemed to echo from inside.

Slowly, the captain raised a hand, four men crouching by the doors. He opened his mouth to call, still feeling he should spare one last warning to his own kind. There was no way that they did not know they were there, thanks to the first shots.

“Open the doors and you shall not perish for your insubordination!”

Of course, if that call was heard, it was understood clearly. The offer was only meant for men, not devils. They would get in, but not to chain them and take them away. They were ready for battle at the border, and they could not take any possessions along.

And so the doors did not open.

The hand lowered. The men fired again, the shots not only sending bullets but a boiling flow of steam that burst at point-blank. The doors cracked under the blows, not opening, but shattering enough. With two kicks, they broke them off their hinges, finally letting the moonlight enter into the dark interior.

The men expected armors, magic, fire. Most held shields with which to block such threats. They stepped forward in formation; their bucklers had slits from which to let their firearms peek. Their human eyes had to adjust to the shadows where they ventured, as not a single light could be seen ahead.

No light, no sound; nothing. Furniture seemed to have been moved, drawers open, cabinets empty.  Even the armours that they had feared seemed to be scattered, dead. It made them scout deeper, wondering where they would find their targets.

The captain raised an eyebrow, noting how the outer halls lacked any kind of decoration; the walls hinted that paintings had been hanging there once. The doors nearby were chained too, heavily locked. They shot at a few, opening them, only to discover no one was hiding there. Their contents were also moved, piled into the closets available. Everything either had been hidden or pushed to a corner behind desks or beds; nothing much of value still.

The manor was huge, and they had only breached the surface of its depths. And so, they ignored the smaller rooms, heading for the first big chamber, a living room. Its doors were not locked, but they still neared warily. There were sounds echoing from it.

They smirked, sure that they had finally spotted them. They were ready for spears and magic, sure that their firearms could match the demonic strength of those beasts.

No warning was offered this time. The captain pointed, and so they lunged in, pushing the doors inwards. They took aim, two rows of soldiers, the first dropping to a knee to allow the ones behind them to take an offensive stance. They were fast and effective.

They would have layered anyone in that living room with bullet holes… if there had been someone there at all.

“What the-“

He only had time to let out those words, one second. They only had that time to look over what filled the room. Pipes, tangling all over, sinking into a boiler that had been dragged there from a basement, multiple crates, filled to the brim with volatile substances that they could have acquired if they did not hate Feiren’s commerce so much. No furniture, just machinery that seemed to pulse in wait, steam compressed impossibly tight in its guts.

And at its side… an armour. Its gauntlet held a match, unlit.

Its ghostly violet eyes pierced them with what seemed amusement, as soon as they stepped in. Then… it moved its hand, brushing fiercely the match against its metallic wrist.

Away, so far away, the sound of the explosion echoed faintly.

And it still seemed so loud and startling to the five that heard it. It was as loud as a small thud, but they still knew what it really was.

I’m sorry, Aya.

Sitting cross-legged in the shadows of a moving cart, an angel let out a silent prayer, apologizing for multiple things: the fact that he may very well have blown some limbs off some morons, and the fact that he had failed to keep what she had fought for Uriel to recover so long ago.

I could have done more. Something, I’m not an angel. I’m a human now, aren’t I?

With his eyes closed tight, he did not see his demon recover his sentience by them. Uriel grunted and held a claw up to his head, only avoiding falling sideways thanks to Aurora’s quick hold. The flames died out from his gaze, the vision of the boiler bursting in flames still fresh. Even Ariel, who was leading their two horses in the front of the cart, could smell it.

They had blown up the front of their home.

And worse of all, it was the best outcome they could have worked for. The pain of leaving it was there, but somehow, they felt solace in the fact that it would not be fully seized. Its outer chambers, even if only a few, were now fallen in, creating a barrier that any invaders would have trouble digging through; too much of a hassle to settle in. There were no valuables they could take, because all that mattered was in the cart or hidden well in the forests, their most cherished items.

A mournful smile escaped Uriel, as he grounded himself in the moment.

“If they want war… let that be our input.”

Aurora glanced back with a glare, wishing nothing more than to be able to shoot at their greedy hands herself. She would have pierced their palms with her arrows, with no hesitance.

But that would have been suicide. Even she knew that.

“I promise, we’ll take it back.”

They had agreed on that. Their fleeing was temporary, a necessity.

Alexis finally seemed to escape his humiliating trance, still unbelieving he had agreed to this. He himself had tinkered with the pipes and boiler, Ariel contributing with volatile chemicals. It reminded him so much of the time his head almost rolled.

“We have blown it. Blown it! Even if we return once these bastards lose their quarrel with the northern regions, we’ll need to rebuild the whole entrance. What would she think of me? After all she went through to help you? This place means so much to you, and we are just leaving it. You two grew up there; you have lived there, always. She would-”

“She would have been the first to drag you away, as soon as she saw that no punches would keep those fools away.” Alexis trembled, for Lykaios laid on his lap, looking up at him with remembrance in his bloody eyes. “That day, when she thought hunters had found you, she was ready to hide you in the most secluded corners of the world. As well, she hid Uriel when she thought she had to. She would have left everything behind with you.”

She did push aside everything once. Not to see the manor shine again, but to be with them. The guild was abandoned, her old ways forgotten. She did care for Uriel’s pride, his manor, but what she had wanted was their happiness.

Alexis also refused to ponder the fact that Uriel had been willing to leave it all behind too, in the past; he had roamed in that clearing, never forcing him to live with him unless he wished to. He had always stayed by his side, no matter where or how.

It was their presence what defined where they belonged, not a location.

The angel felt silent, still feeling the guilt, the shame. Aurora tried to hide her sorrow in her eyes, for she knew that his amber eyes could see it clearly. Ariel kept her expression determined, cool-headed, eyes fixed in the far distance.

Uriel was the one to whisper, looking north, solemn.

“Home is where the heart is, Alexis.”

Ayako had known that more than anyone.

——————

Of course, the border was heavily guarded.

Ariel snarled, feeling many eyes on her, her figure the first to be discerned by the men at the wall. There was no way she would pass through it like she did once with a rope. And even if she tried to in order to avoid their wary stares, she would only stumble upon many angry men on the top.

“Fully packed…”

Her comment made all peek from the inside of the cart, all sighing. The nearby guards neared slowly, gates closed. They pointed their long axes at them, calling in inquire.

“What brings you here?!”

Of course, these men expected a siege at any moment. No matter if they had crossed that border uncountable times, they were bound to stop them tonight.

Gone was their accepting curious glances, all replaced by suspicion and anger. Anyone could be a scout from the other country, which had already been causing trouble in some of their regions.

However, they had something that they would grant them access if they played their cards right.

Gone his silent meek grimace, Alexis frowned with a different kind of frustration. He said nothing as he stood out of the cart, firmly, his eyes narrowed with resignation. He neared the men with a monotone call, pointing back at his loved ones with the most dismissive tone he could muster.

“I’m just a trader, here with my helpers. I’m going back to my town before those idiots steal them away.” His next whisper was not faked. “Can’t afford to lose anything else to their greedy hands…”

The guards eyed him, then the demons. Alexis was not surprised to see them part the axes, one of the men calling for the gates to be opened.

With that, the angel gave a thankful nod and walked back to the cart. He let himself fall again between crates, refusing to meet their grateful eyes.

“I’m getting so tired of this.”

He hated to not call them what they were, his family; not things, not simple associates. And as well, he loathed that they understood, that they accepted it.

“We won’t have to say it for much longer.”

He refused to acknowledge Uriel’s assurance, for they still needed to pass through Feiren and the valley.

Ariel led the horses through, and they soon stopped feeling the glares from the top of the wall. All guards glanced east and south again, their own firearms ready for other humans who they quarrelled with.

There were less hateful crowds ahead. But those still kept a division, a clear expectation of what role each race played.

————————

They both walked through with a serene expression, their sharp blue eyes holding no wariness as they looked over every stall.

“We will need more hay for the horses.”

“Food too. We will run out before we can plant anything, and I doubt Angus will be happy to surrender most of his stash.”

“Most of it is alcohol anyway; could invite a whole town for a drink.”

“He will be furious when we tell him what happened. Maybe we should buy some mead to bring him.”

“Angry and drunk? No, I’ll just make him some tea. Stuff some chamomile in it.”

“You know he only drinks it to not upset you.”

“But he does drink it. And it works. His wings relax, I see it.”

Ariel proceeded to near the stall of a herbalist, eyeing the prices and her purse full of coin. Aurora looked behind her, already knowing that Angus would struggle to feign a smile while he took it hesitantly.

Not too far, an angel and two demons kept a close look on the two, unbothered by the glances they received. Lykaios was a big cat, a lynx, but still an animal that could be domesticated with enough stubborn determination.

They had to yell away multiple merchants that had tried to buy him from them.

“These idiots are exactly why we never have bothered to bring him into-“ Alexis blinked, noticing yet another seller staring at Lykaios, subtly inching to call with an offer. “NOT FOR SALE!”

Uriel brushed one horn with a grimace, him the only one who did not flinch for his yell. He was somehow surprised that he was not getting all the attention for once.

“You must admit, a tamed lynx is quite tempting. Even more so with his black fur, uncommon.”

“He’s everything but tamed…”

Indeed, Lykaios glared back, his steps leading them behind the girls, not the other way around. He would have called them fools if he could dare speak. Uriel stared at his droopy ears, contemplating.

“We will have to pay more in that inn for them to let him get in with us. He technically is wild.”

“They will, we have enough to bribe our way.” Alexis counted their money again, more than what they had ever held. “Those paintings sold for… more than expected. Ariel got a good deal. Pelts, more valued here, wolves don’t roam near cities. The wine you never drank from the cellar, so damn old that-“

He let out a huff, colliding with someone because he had kept his gaze on his belt. His amber eyes widened as he stuttered and quivered, a devil eyeing him with an annoyed glare. Those sharp eyes were the only feature he could fixate on as he growled.

“Look where you are going you-“

Uriel stepped in between in a second, giving the demon the same glare. The worker grumbled and stepped aside, resuming his walk through the crowd with lumber held tight on his shoulder.

Once the demon was gone, Uriel glanced back at his angel. As always, he was frozen, extremely pale. No matter if they could not smell him thanks to the ritual they always made sure to use, they never failed to render him wordless and immobile.

“You ok?”

It took him a moment to answer. If his wings were still there, they would have gone up as high as they could go, like a startled bird.

“Y-yeah.” He shook his head, once more casting a glance back at the crowd, looking out for more devils. “Why can’t I get used to it? They are like you! J-just less…”

Uriel offered, glancing at his well-kept nails and upstanding clothes.

“Sophisticated?”

“Sure. That’s a good word, I think.”

All demons that roamed Feiren were either nomads who had pushed aside their tribes for gold or mercenaries brought from other regions. All lived with their masters or in a secluded section of the city, waiting for somebody to hire them. It was not uncommon for the nobility to walk with the most buff looking devil they could wage, which was what caused many to approach Uriel.

Now that they could not go back south, a thought bothered him, due to the fact they would have Feiren much closer from now on.

“I’m kind of afraid to ask… but what does that mixture even smell like to you guys.”

Luckily not of blood; just some weird plants. That, I know.

“You have to get close enough, but funny; bad. Like if you went through a swamp full of toadstools. Probably due to the substance to which we are allergic to. My nose itches every time I apply it on you. The girls say it reminds them of what poison ivy does, if it was a smell and not a skin reaction.”

Silence for a moment, a disgusted grimace.

“Please, make me forget. And if this is the second time I’ve asked and you have already, don’t let me ask thrice.”

“No, I won’t, haven’t. You are not going to come across that many demons. Nobody is going to call you foul.”

“That guy did, with just a glare.”

“Now, I said you really have to get close. It is-“

“Make way!”

Uriel and Alexis yelped, while Lykaios let out a snarl. Multiple guards rushed through, parting the crowd as they ran ahead. Even the girls stopped looking over stalls, because the group of soldiers was big. They could see them run towards a plaza, where the temples stood. There was a crowd there, because a bureaucrat had gathered some men for an official statement.

The five looked ahead, not needing to near to hear what was being said; they yelled it loudly, for most of the population to hear. If some did not hear, the gossip in the temples would do the job later. Still, the high number of guards and their firm expressions captivated the attention of even the most dismissive of folks.

“By agreement between the nobility houses, our king has decreed a new law!” The man yelled loudly, while the soldiers held their firearms tightly. “In response to the vile thievery from the coalition of Galedale, and its affronting intentions of trespassing into our lands, our country shall grant citizenship to anyone who joins the military force against those fiends!”

The next words made Uriel frown, for the tone was reluctant, even if determined.

“This law is also extended to any devils who may partake. They shall be compensated for their efforts, and allowed not only to lease property, but own it.”

The man kept going, but at that point they stopped listening, for it was only a mere listing of nobles who would lend their approval. The demon sighed, shaking his head sadly.

“Well… would you look at that.” His violet eyes rolled, his tail moving lethargically. “Now we may own stuff. If we risk our lives for it, of course.”

“It’s always about profit. Some morons see their turfs as the most valuable thing to keep, while these idiots just want their trinkets and wares sold easily all over. Fuckers, all of them.” Uriel eyed his angel, who looked away from the absurd display of legislations, pushing through the crowd angrily. “Let’s just grab what we need and keep going. We don’t need their stupid law or grace.”

Though Feiren was slightly better, it was still a human ruled city. And he knew that even if devils were to belong slightly more, they would still be seen as low. He would not have it.

Indeed, his amber eyes did notice the real opinion of the populace when they rested in the inn. Though not hateful, the human patrons were commenting on the new law. Some disapproved, while others saw it as a useful way in which to avoid their own kind from suffering loses devils could instead. Two priests were even damming the fact that such a law could set a precedent, maybe one day even allowing demons into temples.

I wish I could open my wings over them and tell them off.

Instead, he took another sip of his drink, watching fondly as Uriel tried to distract their daughters with mindless chatter, muffling all the whispers around them.

He could not wait to move on at morning and leave all those fools behind.

————————

The way up was tiring as always. But it was worth it.

Ariel and Aurora leaned out from the cart, their claws holding tight to help them balance themselves while they loomed as much as possible to a side. They stared down at the valley, its fields now empty of water, all of it redirected by huge pipes and structures. A railroad was down there, which entered Feiren and headed both west and east, connecting the country. It did not head north yet, as the mountains were being dug with the help of explosives, in order to someday reach the northern town they were heading to.

The tunnel was near, right up ahead.

“Wonder if he will agree to visit Feiren once that railroad is done.”

“Doubt it; he preaches that the best drinks are at that tavern. But maybe we can convince him if we tell them they invented a new brew.” Aurora cringed, remembering how he always paid some poor pilgrim to fetch drinks from the town. “He is a simple… man; of simple tastes.”

She said man, because they had gotten close enough to the tunnel. There was always a guard there, and it was hammered time and time again how no one should ever hear the word angel.

It was no issue, however; they blinked, once they saw there was no one there by the post.

“Huh?” Aurora leaned a little bit more, to peek at Uriel, who led the horses. “Why did we stop? The gates are open, aren’t they?”

Ariel frowned, for she sensed Uriel’s sudden change of demeanour. His tail had stopped waving at his side, now tense.

“There is always a guard.”

Alexis climbed out of the inside of the cart, sitting then by his demon. Both lost the hopeful expressions they had worn, their eyes filling with suspicion instead.

“One guard. Why would they send them south? One can’t do much.” Alexis scowled; he knew not even the most inept of soldiers would just go and leave the gate wide open. “That coalition can’t possibly walk around the mountains from the east, can they? Already?”

“Too far, they would have needed to push through other regions too. Not a strategic spot either. This tunnel is easily blocked.”

With that knowledge, Uriel hit the reigns. They could see light shine at the end of the tunnel, the top of the peak right ahead.

The five of them were calm, at first. But the more they advanced through the tunnel, the more they could see that a figure stood at its other end. That guard was there ahead, standing doing nothing.

“What is he looking-“

The guard finally heard their horses near. And it that moment, he turned to glance at them.

Alexis’ heart skipped a beat, for he was an angel. And as an angel, he could sense emotions if he was fixated enough. That man was afraid. His amber eyes noticed the dread in his, instantly.

The dread was not for them.

Uriel yelped when his angel jumped off the cart and began to sprint ahead, without a word. He tried to call in confusion, not understanding his sudden rush.

“Alexis, what-?!”

He stopped, for Alexis now stood too at the end of the tunnel. He had frozen, steps halting sharply, tense, much like that guard. The four demons shivered, as they smelled a fear they recognized. Shock, horror, all coming from Alexis.

They could not yet see what his amber eyes were seeing. He stood there, high at the peak, the whole distance now presented to him clearly. The town far below, the small forests, and…

“No.”

That was all he could say, his breaths hard to take in. He did not dare move, believing he was just seeing a vision, perhaps a nightmare. Maybe he was still in the inn, half asleep.

It was only when the rest emerged from the tunnel and saw too that he knew he was not being tormented by a sick dream. All gazed hauntingly at what lied so far ahead, the fortress, the place they had wished to call home from now on, for a while.

There was smoke in the distance, tangling from the high towers.