Golden wings

Chapter 30 - Gone

Fuck...

Fuck, fuck, FUCK!

"Aaarghh!"

Alexis pulled at his hair painfully and halted his fast flight sharply, dizzy from crying. He sobbed and panted; reality was making him feel like if he was plummeting down to the ground below.

Ayako had tried to...

He had forgotten what she really was; the fact had slipped off his mind a long time ago. She was an angel hunter.

His sobs echoed in the sky. His wings were flapping strongly, to keep him high above the forest below. He had flown away from that clearing, and away from her.

She wanted him dead. He knew. He had hoped to find Uriel; he had hoped that his demon would listen to him. He thought he would, but now he knew better. Uriel would not listen. He wanted him dead as well.

The angel was trembling while he held himself, still in the air. One of his hands was holding his shoulder, where he was bleeding slightly. Only his wings were preventing him of crumbling down, he could not stop hearing those words in his mind.

"I- I w-will make you pay! I- I will...! M-make you see how it hurts!"

Uriel hated him. He was vengeful, he felt betrayed; and with reason. He had all the right for wanting him gone, but it still hurt. It hurt that Uriel had made her forget. Now he could see, now he realized how much Ayako had cared, because she had let go of her pledge with her guild, for him. He had not thought much about it before.

Uriel knew how it would hurt to see her try to kill him. He found it appropriate, didn't he?

He couldn't tell her anything. He could not tell her she was under a spell; not without hurting her, not without making her see what Uriel had done to her mind. He couldn't blame Uriel.

Alexis snarled and opened his now red eyes.

He had to fly. Flee, far away. As much guilt as he had, he did not think he deserved this.

Did he deserve it? Did he deserve to die at her hands, or under Uriel's or Lykaios' claws? Could he flee and keep on hurting Uriel's heart? Would he be cowardly enough to let the distance give him agony?

No matter if his guilt and regret made him want to just let go and surrender... He still did not want to die; he still thought he had not deserved to fall into this fate.

He moved his wings higher, to take drive. But he doubted and lowered them again, to keep himself motionless in the air. His eyes trailed to every direction, with true fear and dread in them.

Flee... But where?

Alexis wiped his head back, and glanced to where he came from.

He could not go back to his nest. He could not go south, where humans roamed. He could not go east, that was Uriel's territory. The only reason why those armors had not moved before was because Uriel was wounded. If Uriel had been able, his puppets would have moved to kill him. Furthermore, only god knew where those devil merchants roamed, past the dark forest. And north... Ayako said once that Lykaios took those three far, north.

The angel bowed his head down in resignation, feeling cornered.

North-west. It was the only way.

Even if he did not know what he would find... He had to move. Because he knew that they would chase him. He had to hide, gain enough distance, and then, disappear.

He let out another angry snarl, and raised his wings over his head. He leaned forward, like if he wanted to let himself drop... But his wings dashed down sharply, and pushed him ahead. They helped him soar fast towards the distance.

The wind took care of his tears.

-----------------------------------------------------

The wolf was running calmly through the forest, without halt. He had his snout high, while he carried Ayako on his back and guided the chase. She was holding tight, onto his black long mane.

They had not doubted to follow the angel.

Lykaios halted at the peak of one hill, and then glanced at the distance. Ayako spoke while they both looked at the horizon, at the end of the forest, having reached it after chasing for days.

"Where is he heading now?"

Alexis had not stopped fleeing, of trying to lose them behind. At first, they had found some feathers along the way, when they had begun the chase. But then... they had suddenly stopped seeing them, not a single one. They saw no more golden flickers on the ground. Alexis had surely begun to pick up the feathers, every single one that he dropped.

Lykaios looked down wearily, at the feather that lied on the ground not too far away. He could smell some more towards the north.

"He is trying to confuse us and lead us away."

Ayako glared at the landscape ahead. There were fewer trees, and a more grassy terrain, multiple rocky hills.

Lykaios huffed and ignored the scent of the feathers, which came from the forest, northeast. He looked west, to the hills, and then he growled deeply. He knew that Alexis had wasted time flying over the end of the forest, that he had changed his direction. He had dropped the feathers in the woods to make a fake trail, and then had flown back to the hills.

She knew it too. It was not the first time she chased an angel.

Lykaios could smell the faint trace of blood in the air. A trace he would not lose easily.

A deep growl echoed, a huge wolf bolted out of the shadows of the forest. Six tails and a cowl flowed with the wind while they ran fast. They left the forest behind, and got to the hills.

His efforts had been useless. And it seemed that he had no idea where he was heading...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uriel was advancing calmly through the dark.

He jumped carefully onto another tree branch, mindful of his bandages. His feet landed gracefully, with a perfect balance, even if he was still weak.

He was regaining his strength, and he did not want to waste time.

He let out a breath and closed his eyes. He could sense that she had been here. He could also smell his blood; he would recognize that smell anywhere, anytime. That smell now disgusted him, and compelled him to follow at the same time.

Of course he would flee... He knew he would. He was glad that Ayako had not fallen for his lies again.

He had not been able to wait a single minute more in her cabin. Not even if she had begged him to wait for her return, until she did the deed.

He had to follow them. He could sense that she was with Lykaios. He could discern the trail of one of his own kind.

Uriel stabbed one claw on the branch where he stood, and then tangled his tail on it. He let himself swing down, and landed on the ground multiple meters below, swiftly.

His violet eyes glared at the golden feather at his feet, with hate. He could smell more, but Ayako had followed into another direction. He looked up, to the hills ahead. His claws clenched, and a sudden fire tangled. He kept following the hunter's lead, while he let his fire consume part of who he wished to disappear.

He trusted in her. She would catch Alexis. He couldn't wait to stop feeling that horrible and pathetic ache in his heart. He couldn't wait to see the fear in his eyes. He couldn't wait to see him... dead.