Ephemeral

Chapter two; Ethereal

An overwhelming feeling of happiness overflowed me when I turned around to face him. The brilliant light that surrounded him could've blinded any other person, but to me it was a pleasant pain.

'Yes.' I answered his question in total honesty. I was still alone, even more than ever.

'So am I.' He answered. His voice ever soft, yet matured in different ways. He had matured, and so had I. Of course, it was eight years later. Almost everything was the same, the hypnotizing colour of his eyes, the way he smiled.. only he was much longer, his built was more muscular and his face looked more mature, more stern.

'Why did you come back? Or are you going to disappear into nothing again, like last time?' I smiled sadly as he reached out his hand again, just like back then.

'I did not disappear into nothing, I left something with you.' He told me, smiling bright while still holding out his hand. The cold wind left me shivering as I grabbed my selfmade necklace. I showed it to him. It was simple silver necklace, with a single white feather hanging on it.

'The feather, huh? But still, you've kept me waiting for a long time.. and you never even told me your name.' I muttered, grabbing his warm hand. He pulled me closer into a hug, which surprised me.

'My apologies. My name is Aerthil.' He said to me as he took a step away, breaking the sudden embracement. Without his warm body against mine, I suddenly felt very cold and fragile again.

'Aerthil.' I said his name, tasting the way it sounds. It felt like a name I'd said a hundred times before. 'Nice to meet you, again. My name is-'

'Wyn,' he interrupted me, 'I know who you are.'

'How?'

'I've been.. I've been watching you the past few years. Even before that.' He suddenly turned rather red, an embarrassed blush covering his face. I stared at him for a few seconds and started to laugh. His eyes got bigger at the sound of my laughter, and he started to smile as well.

'Aerthil?' I called out his name, and he looks at me questioning and nods.

'Yeah?'

'With you here, I'm not alone anymore.' I said to him. Then it was me who reached out my hand to him.

'Neither am I.' He told me as he grabbed my hand.

'How long will you be staying this time?' I asked Aerthil. I feared the answer he'd give me, for a feeling deep within me said our ways would be parting again very soon, and I could already feel the pain that parting would bring with it.

'Tomorrow.' He told me, a certain tone in his voice informed me he wasn't telling everything, that's he was holding back something.

'And?' My voice betrayed me, the hurt flew through my voice. A sudden gust of cold air appeared around us, made my short hair dance in the wind. He hold on to my hand even tighter as I saw tears welling up in his eyes. I didn't know Angels could cry, and I wished I'd never found out. It broke my heart seeing Aerthil like that.

'I won't ever return after this visit, Wyn.' He told me, and I could almost hear his heart break.
'This will be the last time?' I asked in disbelieve. Aerthil simply nodded, not trusting his own voice anymore.
'Then, only if it's just for tonight, won't you stay by my side?' I asked him, slightly embarrassed. Again he nodded, closing his eyes as a single tear fell down his cheek. The tear shone like a diamond, glimmering like a thousand stars.
'Of course.' He said, his voice suddenly sounding fragile and weak like a newborn.

'Who are you?' I asked him, as we were sitting on the hill, looking up to the stars. It was cold, but it didn't bother me at all. Aerthil shone bright like the sun and gave me warmth and comfort.
'Aerthil-'
'That's not what I meant. Who are you really? Where are you from? What are you? What do you like? What do you dislike? Do you have family?' I smiled brightly as I asked him tons of questions. Aerthil just laughed silently for a while.
'You're a curious one, aren't you?' He said. I stared at the ground as I nodded.
'Nothing to be ashamed of, being curious is a good thing. Just make sure it doesn't get you in trouble.'
'I'm already in plenty of trouble.'
Aerthil laughed and nodded, then continued to answer my questions.
'You could say I'm an Angel, although I'm nothing like the big guys. I'm merely a soldier, a pawn to use in battle. I'm from another realm, no such thing as Heaven, where Good battles Evil. It's a fight that has been going on for as long as I can remember, even before I was reborn into that realm. Most have forgotten why we are fighting, only the Elders remember, but it's for a sake they won't tell us. Something about power, something about the most precious life. I used to have family, I think. From a past life I don't remember. I dislike dogs, to be honest, and I like.. people like you. Honest, curious, weird humans.'
'You're the one with wings and you call me weird?' I raise an eyebrow.
'You're a fool.' He suddenly burst out, a big smile on his face.
'Excuse you? At least I'm not some half-assed Angel who breaks hearts wherever he goes.' I puffed under my breath. Apparently he had good hearing, because he stopped laughing and looked at me for a few seconds.
'Nothing wrong with being a fool.' He whispered.
'Nothing wrong with being a half-assed Angel.' I replied.
'I'm sorry that I can't stay.' He blurred out, again getting teary eyes.
'I'm sorry too,' I poked his sides and gave him a big smile, 'but it's okay. We still have some time, right? Even if we never meet again, we'll still have these memories. But I do want to ask, why can't you return?'
His eyes darkened, and he didn't say anything for a while. He stared at the sky, his auburn hair swaying in the wind. After an hour or so, he decided to speak again.
'For I will die soon.'

The silence that followed could've torn a world apart, leaving nothing but empty scars where the earth should have connected. Only the painful howling of the ice cold wind filled my ears, numbed my feelings and took my breath away.
' You shall die?' My voice betrayed my emotions, for I could not hide the empty, hurt sound that escape my lips.
' Yes.' He answered silently, not going into it any further. I did not understand, I couldn't understand.

' Why? I don't understand.' I tried to get him to tell me the reason. Why did he show himself after eight long years, only to disappear forever after one more brief meeting?

' For this war will tear my homeland apart, and I have no choice but to fight one more time.' His voice was calm, like the ocean after a hurricane. The damage had already been done, and now he was careful not to lose anything else. Like me.
' Tell me more about this war. I refuse to lose you so easily! Let me fight with you, I don't wish to part ways just yet!' My desperate screams filled the air, and the storm lay down. A suddenly silence fell over the earth. Aerthil's eyes were big, stunned and shocked.
' This war is no place for a mere mortal.' He said bitterly.
' Then I shall make it my place.' I tried to look as determined as I could, but couldn't hide the fear within me. Which evils must he face?

He shook his head, letting go of my hand. ' You will die.'

Anger washed over me as thunder appeared in the sky, crashing down into the fields and leaving burned, dead scars in the earth.
' Even so, I do not care! I'm pretty much dead already. At least let me die by your side, protecting the ones I love!'

' You don't die for the ones you love!' He raised his voice, the howling wind increasing yet again. He blinked his eyes, calmed down and then hugged me tightly, the storm disappearing as quickly as it had come. ' You live for them.'