Golden wings

Chapter 27 - Wounds

The sun was finally setting, once more.

He did not bother to glance at the sky. He kept on leaping with strong jumps ahead; his claws and feet barely brushed the ground while he ran. He could discern how the trees looked even deader, if that was even possible. The air was colder, with a faint mist. If he did not have sharp sight, he would deny he was seeing a dark grey tone in the breeze.

He remembered... He had been here before, for other reasons. But it still was for his angel.

He did not doubt or show second thoughts while he neared the core of this retched place. He continued to dodge the sharp trees in his way, in the direction he thought was right. The terrain was getting uneven and more chaotic. He was not far; he had run for a full day. He could feel and see it, he was near that tall mountain, in the dark of the woods, the one that had multiple cavities and was hollow.

The few birds that slept in this rotten forest flew away, scared by the determined growl that echoed. The demon was not stopping for a second, for he wished to reach what he thought he needed, what he believed that Alexis needed.

What he did not know, was that said angel was not as far as he imagined. He was not in the manor; he was not waiting for his return.

Alexis was still far, but he was gaining distance, soaring through the cloudy sky. His wings were moving strongly, even if he felt tired. He was not stopping flying for even a second. His amber eyes were trailing every shadow below him, between the sharp trees. He hoped to see a violet glow or a moving shadow, anything that told him if Uriel roamed near.

He had to be. He had seen claw marks from above. The trees were higher, because the ground was now leaning up, beginning to form the feet of hills.

Alexis huffed and leaned his upper half downwards, to lose height. His wings stopped flapping down, to take advantage of the wind instead of his strength; he kept soaring fast thanks to his drive. He would have been scared of hitting the sharp tree branches, which now were too close to him and his wings. He would have feared in other circumstances, but not today, not now. His eyes held no hesitation for flying too close to the ground. He only wanted to see the trail Uriel had been leaving, the faint clawing on trees or ground.

Even if he had been fast... It was not enough. He snarled and looked up again. He could see the mountain ahead. He had wanted to forget it. The dark trees almost made it blend with the night sky, as it rose tall and wide. He was still far. Even if he was flying, he would take some minutes to get near the big mouth of the caverns, to those ravines. No matter how fast he tried to be, it had not been enough. His inhuman sight allowed him to see well, and well he saw. He saw a shadow venture down a ravine, into those tunnels, with a faint violet glow around it.

"Uriel, wait!"

He tried to call, but he was too far. His demon did not hear him; he had already gone into the emptiness. The distance, the humid and decrepit walls, the rocks and trees surrounding the mouth, the long tunnels... it all muffled his scream.

Alexis snarled and wiped his head sideways, to look for a place to land. He swung his legs forward, and let his wings give a strong flap at the same time, to stop soaring. He landed surely, for the first time. He paid no mind to how close he was to hitting the sharp branches, as his feet slammed down.

While the angel ran downhill between trees... The demon made way calmly through the narrow tunnels; he descended through the hollowness of the peaks.

Uriel's eyes glanced at every wall and path, now able to pay more mind to them. That night, he had been too focused on catching the terrified angel. Now, he could really look at the sharp stones that loomed everywhere, with disgust. Each wall and tunnel was full of them; all was tainted in shadows and a sickening humidity.