Oath [BL; Book 2]

54

Sitting quietly on the rail Aether stared into nothing. Sitting there his eyes watched the sky slowly rolling by. The clouds crawling, tired, slowly fading as the weather went on to change. Sitting there felt like he was watching an eternity slip by, more so as he could hear the whispers of the wind. The sway of the grass. Touching his chest he felt something inside was growing. A sort of light that seemed to chase the darkness, yet he could still feel it inside of himself. That which continues to eat at his dreams, something so foul it couldn't be forgotten.

The feeling of loss.

Aether closed his eyes thinking for a moment, the sense of having no direction, a means to an end he so desperately searched for. With a soft sigh he tried to wash away the emotions but they swelled. The wing spread from behind, a trick Xianyun had shown him when it became uncomfortable. Touching the wing he examined it, it was his own. There was no mistaking it. Remembering back, the pain was all too real to simply forget.

The agonizing ripping sensation, the feel for the very bone breaking, the nerves being severed from where they were attached. Most of all, the look on Xiao's face when he had seen it. The look on his face when he had fought that monster.

Worst of all.

The look on his face when he ceased to feel anything.

The cold gaze, the way his brows furrowed, even how his touch had completely changed. In the days that had passed he hadn't appeared, not once. Aether knew Xiao blamed himself, he knew this was also another hurdled Xiao thought he had to face alone.

And he didn't know how to convince him otherwise.

With a frog in his throat from the emotional hurt, Aether sighed once again and hugged the wing. It was the only one left, it was his, and his alone. Torn from him, as his sibling was, the other wing was nowhere to be found. He even went as far ask asking Xianyun who stated she disposed of it properly.

"One has dealt with the forsaken limb as one should. Do not worry, Aether, all will be well soon enough."

Her words were much like he knew them, she was as kindhearted as he knew her to be. A motherly figure almost, he sighed still hugging the wing and closed his eyes for a moment to ponder his feelings.

For some time now he came to notice Xiao's affliction when it came to seeing the solo wing. His karmic debt often reacted to it and he nearly went into a depressive state in their recent attempt for him to get used to it. This wasn't a matter of whether Xiao could, Aether knew he could, but the road there was too unstable. Releasing the wing he stretched it out feeling his back ached from having it constantly hidden.

It was becoming draining, and he was even scolded for not taking care of it properly. With only one wing he gave up the hope to ever fly, it was a mere fantasy.

A dream.

One that was too far to reach and just barely obtainable. Now impossible he smiled wondering if the day would ever come, like his fallen wing, should he meet the same fate and have yet to find what he lost. Lost in thought and completely oblivious, a darkness began to lurk as the setting sun slowly began to fall behind the horizon.

With it the shadows began to move and the night owls began to rummage the grounds for food. Hillichurls lay themselves to sleep and humans too. Still sitting on the rail, Aether didn't hear the heavy steps that approached from behind. Talon-like claws dug into the wood, sharpened nails, a low growling as scribbled eyes gazed at the prey.

Feeling someone was near he looked back seeing nothing. There was no one there, but Lumine. He was stunned, but when he blinked she wasn't there. As unstable as his mind, he quickly came to harbor negative thoughts touching his head as it hurt.