A Pair of Wings - Sanders Sides

10. One Strange Angel & a Good Friend

a/n: hey guys! thank you so much for reading but i might not be able to post a chapter for next week since I'm on vacation, so i decided to post the next chapter early for y'all. enjoy!

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Janus' heart raced as he rushed back into the forest once again, though, all he brought this time was a sword. He didn't feel like going angel hunting, not anymore. And as he did want to keep his business afloat, he left it off to his apprentices to hunt for him. Thank goodness they all were trained enough to go hunting by themselves now, otherwise he might've thrown up seeing another dead angel. Though, it wasn't exactly the reason why he was running through the forest this late. He dared look at their portrait again, and if he didn't run to the woods, he might've ripped his heart out then and there. Thoughts of them were plaguing his mind, especially after his discovery. Every time he'd even see angel wings, he was punched in the gut with them in his mind. He wished he could have them back, he wished he could say sorry. Yet here he was alone in the woods, running away from his problems like a child. Pathetic.

A cool breeze passed by Janus as the full moon illuminated the night sky. He walked around, talking to himself in his head as he went deeper and deeper into the forest. There wasn't much to see, as he'd been in this forest since he was young. He knew this place by the back of his hand and if he did ever get lost, all he needed to do was find the mountains, and walk away from them. Though, tonight, something about the mountains was calling to him. He looked up, seeing all the little caves lit up by bond fires. A tree rustled in the wind, taking him back when he was young and first starting to hunt angels. He was quite a spirited child his father would say to him. The first time he'd finally shot one down was in one go, while all the other children were still learning how to use a crossbow. Thinking about it now was just bittersweet. He was so proud in those moments but now he was uneasy, knowing he murdered people. Though there was still one nagging thought. Maybe they weren't people, maybe he just hallucinated and was finally going crazy, isolating himself from so many people.

Janus' sword jostled around his belt as he continued to roam around the forest, ending up in the spot where he saw those two angels. An image of them popped into his head, trying to decipher out their features. Something about those two angels were familiar, but he wasn't sure why. He sighed, walking more as he thought about it. The forest was silent except for the occasional breeze that shook the leaves on the trees above him. He took in a deep breath, feeling the cool air enter his lungs. It made him shiver, not from the cold, but from the calming feeling it gave him. Soon, he walked around more, getting lost in his thoughts, until he stumbled upon a small clearing in the middle of the forest with a trail that was supposed to lead outside back to Angelmont. It must've been one of the old roads that people stopped using. There were a lot of shrubbery and wildlife now growing on the path, blocking out the small clearing from the kingdom.

"What a lovely place..." Janus thought as he walked around the edge of the clearing, hiding in the trees.

The moon shone perfectly into the clearing, almost illuminating the entire place. Janus' heart raced, a child-like wonder filling him all of a sudden. He could feel the energy from the moonlight trickle down on his body as it shone on to him. With a careful step, he walked out from his hiding spot and went into the clearing, sitting down and feeling the energy. Though he hasn't worked with magic much outside of using angel wings, the energy that lingered in this place filled his body. The clearing wanted to wrap him in this warm, comforting, and sad energy that was left over. Perhaps someone else was here not too long ago, though he shook his head at the thought. There were no signs of foot traffic anywhere in sight. He laid down looking up at the night sky and took in a deep breath. All of a sudden, an image of them popped into his mind, almost feeling their energy again, but he pushed it away. He wanted this time to himself and no one else.