The Great War

X

1729—

My eyes found their target as I silently stalked through the forest. My fathers red eyes on me, I could feel it. I let out a breath as my pupils dilated.

"Could you stop staring!" I yelled, annoyedly at the winged man perched on a large willow tree his back lazily leaned against the wood.

"Ah... My love, see what you did? You scared away your meal." He hopped down from the tree, I turned back towards where the elk once was. I let out a huff and cross my arms. He comes up behind me and places his hands on my shoulders.

"You'll get better. You'll learn to ignore my eyes my darling girl. Just like your brother did,"

my eyes snap up to his the second he mentions Azrael, "Can I go see him?'' Dad clicks his tongue against his sharp cuspids.

"Not until you get this right."

I sighed and nodded in understanding. "I'll try harder, I promise!"

He lets out a dark chuckle before moving away from me. "Again!" He snaps his fingers at me and sits back in his spot.

1731—

I glare at the sharp headed man in front of me, "I want to see them. You said once I'd mastered your tests, I could see them." I hissed out irritated, he snapped just as hard back at me.

"I said that yes. But you've yet to master any of the tests. You're sloppy. You will not survive out there without these... these skills you stupid girl!"

I glared at him before letting out a laugh. I shove open the door to the cabin and leave him behind, the anger boiling over in me. It felt like my skin was melting off the bones–the heat of smoke burning my lungs and coating my throat–the chill of sweat building up on my skin. The sweet and bitter sting of tears that built in my eyes–one can only be denied so long before they break.

𖤐

"You know nothing. You stupid old man—" I groan out punching a tree—which... yelped? I gasp and retract my hand and peering around the thick tree to find a boy on the ground rubbing his head fit with a mess of golden hair that stuck up in the back. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't think before hi—"

He sat up with a grin and shook his head. A leaf falling from his messy hair—he was like a boy out of a storybook, a silly one at that—he had a funny face, a beaked nose, one that reminded me of Asmodeus. He was thin and gangly, golden skin with freckles that looked like molten rock, and a funny chin. But he was silly looking in a way that was... cute?

"It's alright!" He gets up, even in our young age he easily towered over me. It was strange, he mustn't've been more than a mortal eleven, like me. Yet he was tall like an older boy.

"Again, I'm sorry..." I apologized once more, not wanting to offend someone bigger than I am. He shook his head, smiling, showing off his pearly teeth. I take in his appearance; He looked homeless—no shoes, his feet dirty.

He had on a loose linen shirt and some brown pants that stopped above his knees, mucked up with mud and such else that were there. I looked over his face again, he had the brightest green eyes I've ever seen– it was the strangest sight, they even had streaks of golden yellow.

"What're you doing out here, especially so far in the forest, humans shouldn't wander. You know there's monsters out here."

He let out a loud laugh that shook the earth–my nostrils flared, how dare this moral laugh at me? Did he think himself better than I?