Angel

“Hurry! Angel!”

“Rainy! Slow Down!” Angel pushed through the tall grass, Rainy’s petite figure barely visible as they ran. Her distinct giggle led his way rather than the sound of her footsteps, silenced by the soft ground beneath their feet. A familiar squawk sounded above their heads, signalling that they were getting closer; heavy wingbeats in the distance spurred them onwards.

“Now, Angel!” Rainy screeched, and in a second, they flattened their bodies to the ground, just close enough to the cliff's edge that they could see out towards the endless sea and the woods that surrounded the banking. They lay next to each other in wait for what felt like an age, their matching blue eyes glinting in unison as the light sun reflected in them. Dad had always told them both that that was the only good thing they got from their Mother. A Howl echoed from the city in their shadow, and Angel’s teethy smile swiftly changed to the look of a big brother who was about to disappoint his little sister.

“Come Rainy, that’s the Howler.” He grabbed at Rainy’s upper arm, but she shook him off with a huff. “Rai-

“Shh!!!”

“Dad needs us.”

“There! There!” Rainy whispered excitedly, hitting Angel repeatedly and more than necessary as she used her other hand to point out towards the Endless Sea. The silhouette of Beaters appeared above the water, their gigantic grey wings skimming the top of the water as their beaks opened for any stray Swimmers. Rainy gave Angel a challenging look before she shimmied right to the edge of the cliff, stretching her arms over the precipice. Angel copied her, his heart just as loud as the thundering Beaters who grew closer and closer.

“3, 2, 1, NOW!” They both shouted out to the sea as their hands felt the familiar sensation of furry claws, and they both clung on as the Beaters lifted them into the air at the speed of a diving hawk. Angel howled as Rainy screamed with laughter as they both flew towards the city they had run from a few hours earlier. Angel looked up at the Beater carrying him in his claws. As one appeared below him, he let go of the claws with one hand to form a salute before he let go completely, letting his body fall through the air before expertly landing on the Beater below. The soft feathers covered his legs, keeping him warm from the elements. He could see Rainy ahead of him riding the Beater that was leading the flock, because of course she was.

The towering buildings came fast as they flew above the city. Rainy jumped from her Beater over the West building, and Angel followed suit, landing with a thud on his knee, and he winced.

“See the most efficient way to travel.” Rainy stood over him proudly, another, much louder this time, howl reverberating over the city.

“Let’s go see Dad,” Angel said, taking her hand in his.

“Are you deaf, Son?” Father barked, his hand gripping Angel’s shoulder tightly, giving him a shake. Angel shook his head as he gripped the wooden chair next to him for balance. “Just ignoring me then.” Father's eyes narrowed as he paced back towards his stone throne, where the rest of his close-knit advisors stood. Angel looked around the dingy room, slight cracks in the wall would let in a single ray of sun if it weren’t for the rest of the rubble surrounding the entire city.

“It’s here, sir.” A man announced through the crack in the main door. Father waved his hand, signalling to send it in. Angel looked at his father in confusion before glancing over at the figure who had appeared in the doorway. Angel gasped, his eyes widening once more, looking to his father for answers. The Warrior of Old walked steadily towards Father, a mask made from a material that Angel didn’t recognise, completely covering its face and body. The shimmer of metal revealed itself behind the layers of fabric every time it took a step. It was completely silent, stalking through the rubble towards Father, as if it were merely gliding a millimetre above the ground. Angel couldn’t comprehend the silence of its existence. “You will journey beyond the Forest to the city on the other side with The Warrior as your guide.” Father stared into Angel’s eyes with an unsettling look of apology.

“What? But Father, that’s a death sentence.” Angel argued, his body taking a half-step back.

“You will have The Warrior.” Father continued, and Angel glanced back at the figure who now stood between Father and him, dread crawling over his skin as he felt the cold drips of sweat dripping between his shoulder blades.

“But Father even-” before Angel had a chance to finish, his Father stood from his Throne, his large frame towering above everyone else in the room.

“No! I will not have these excuses! You will go with the mission of allying with whoever you find on the other side! If they want marriage, you will do it! Food? You will offer it! Water? You will lead them to it! Do you understand? I am not asking as a Father to a Son, but I am demanding it as your Leader!” Angel could only lower his head in response; his Father sighed. “You will go now.” He made a shooing motion towards both Angel and The Warrior.

“I must say goodbye to Rainy first, in case I do not come home.” Angel could barely utter the word home through the lump that had built up in his throat. His Father nodded, and with that, Angel turned and walked towards the main door. The Warrior followed his every move.

“You will come home, Son,” Father said under his breath.

The wind bristled over the long grass, the blades wiping tears from Rainy’s face. As they sat looking out at the unexplored wilderness.

“What if the next time I see you again is when I’m greying?” Rainy whimpered, her eyes stuck on the landscape in front of her, for if she were to look at her brother, she would die from heartache.

“Then I hope you will have created many stories about my bravery,” Angel said, puffing out his chest. Rainy giggled through her tears, and all Angel could think about was how much he would miss that noise. She finally looked at him, her face stained from sorrow.

“I will miss you.” She whispered as he wrapped her up in a hug. The Warrior approached them from where it had been standing, signalling it was time to go. “You bring him back alive,” Rainy ordered as Angel got to his feet.

“See you soon.”

It didn’t take as long to reach the Forest as Angel had always imagined, even when he and Rainy would hang over the cliff's edge waiting for Beaters to joyride, it still looked untouchable. The trees blocked out most of the sun as they moved further and further away from any familiar territory, and with each step, the foliage seemed to grow thicker and greener, the soil felt wet under Angel's shoes, and he wondered if this had once been a bog in the days of old. The Warrior stopped in its tracks, throwing up a hand in a stop motion. Angel followed its order as they stood in wait, and just as Angel was growing tired and about to ask what all the fuss was about, he saw it—slithering across the ground, barely a foot away from them—a Slinker.

Its fire-orange body moved almost as if it were partly swimming through the wet ground. It must have been similar to Father in height, as its body finally came to an end, moving deeper into the Forest. The Warrior continued lowering its hand, and Angel followed, more terrified than he had been before. For years, he had believed that Slinkers were more a part of mythology than reality. If they were indeed real, what other horrors would be lurking in wait for them?

“So it’s true your kind do not talk?” Angel asked, growing more nervous as the only sounds that he could hear were screams, squawks, or silence. “Or can’t talk?” He poked again. The Warrior quickened its pace, forcing Angel into a jog; he imagined it was to punish him for asking any questions.

Angel was drenched in sweat as The Warrior finally came to a halt in a more open space of the Forest, although it was hard to tell now that the sun was beginning to set, everything had a tinge of blackness to it. The Warrior pointed to a log that was lying conveniently around what looked like a disused fire area.

“You’ve been here before then?” Angel said through deep breaths, wiping the sweat from his brow. The Warrior turned on its heels and prowled away, just as it disappeared. Angel caught a glimpse of a shimmering weapon in its grip. He sat on the log obediently, his eyes darting all around him, as the Forest became mute, which was the opposite of what he had always imagined.

A thud awoke Angel from his slumber as The Warrior had thrown down a strange-shaped carcass in front of him, brandishing a knife which it now used to cut deep slits into the rubbery-looking texture, deep red blood pooled down The Warrior's arms, staining its light coloured clothing.

“I’ll get a fire going.” Angel went to stand but was forcefully shoved back down onto his log. The Warrior shook its head once. “Okay, no fire.” Angel held his arms up in a surrender. It handed him a knife which held a chunk of carcass, the wooden handle covered in warm blood. He took it with a grimace. Suddenly, he was not so hungry. He watched in disgust as it took the rest of the carcass in its grip and devoured it.

Angel startled as he felt a weight on top of him, the taste of blood in his mouth as he opened his eyes and saw The Warrior straddling his body, its hand covering his mouth. The sun must have just begun to rise as the blackness cast over them began to fade. He looked into where The Warrior's face should be, and at this distance, he could make out a silhouette of what its face must look like: a high bone structure, a defined nose, and a bumpy texture that looked like some sort of scarification.

Its face turned from his to the space in front of his body; he could feel its body coiling up on top of it, ready to spring on what unfortunate creature was about to become its prey. The Warrior launched itself off of his body at such force it winded him, as he sat up wheezing. The clash of metal rang out, bouncing off the tree trunks like a glockenspiel. Everything was happening so fast that he could barely make out what was happening. Grunts and gushing harmonise with the glokenshpiel, creating a deadly symphony. Something tackled him to the ground, his face pushed deep into the mud, his lungs filling with dirt as he struggled to no avail. Thoughts of Rainy filled his brain as oxygen ran from it. Sun spots filled his eyes as the image of her face blocked out the pain of dying. He waited for the burn to stop and for peace to fill his being, and just as he felt like he was on the precipice, his soul preparing to take flight, he gasped. The weight disappeared from on top of him as his body turned on its side, and mud poured from his throat like sewage from a pipe. He felt delicate fingers reaching into his mouth, pushing down, causing him to vomit more. He opened his eyes wearily, wiping away debris, and through his blurred vision, he could make out The Warrior, who was propping him up against the log.

He grabbed The Warrior's hand, which was cold to the touch through the fabric, dressed in a melody of bodily fluids.

“Thank -” Before Angel had a chance to express his gratitude, The Warrior was dragged up into the air by its mask; a giant-like man held it in place. The Warrior took out a hidden dagger from the inside of its boot and cut what looked like its own throat, its body tumbled to the ground and lay in a heap at the feet of the Giant, who had only its mask in his bullish hands.

The Warrior stood. The fabric woven around its body blew in a non-existent wind as the light from the sunrise caressed its folds. Its long, dark hair must have been tied into the mask, as it now fell messily around its shoulders, and its green, bloodshot eyes pooled into the great blue waves of Angel’s. Its face covered in scars, burns and freckles as it turned its attention to the Giant. It growled before launching its attack on the beast. Angel watched in awe as it slew the Giant as effortlessly as it had devoured the carcass. As the Giant's body fell onto the soft ground, The Warrior limped towards the log and sat beside Angel. Their hands bound together. Its grip began to loosen, and Angel looked over at it. The Warrior looked paler than before, and Angel studied its body, finding a patch of red that flowed from its abdomen. Angel hurriedly ripped off his shirt, showing no more than a few scratches on his own torso and began to wrap it around The Warrior's middle.

“Keep pressure on it.” He ordered as he pushed down, trying to pack the wound as best he could. The Warrior winced, but was still silent. The blood kept flowing as Angel desperately began to find leaves, clothing off of their attackers, anything else that he thought could stop the bleeding, but nothing was working. The Warrior stopped him as he was about to push yet more leaves into its body. It’s hand pressed against his chest, a look of peace stretched across its face. A single tear rolled down his cheek as they sat fingers intertwined, waiting for time to stop.

A familiar sound drew close to them, and at first Angel thought he was hallucinating, but the sound of wingbeats continued.

“Have you ever flown?” Angel asked with the last twinkle in his eye. The Warrior shook its head. With that answer, Angel picked its body up in his arms and began to follow the noise through the forest. Shadows of Beaters appeared above the treeline, spurring Angel onwards as he felt the weight of The Warrior’s heart and breath slowing with every step. The Forest grew sparse, and a lake where the Beaters came for water appeared in front of them. “Are you ready?” Angel said, looking down at near-glazed-over eyes. The Warrior squeezed its arms tighter around his neck, and Angel took that as a yes as he carefully approached the creatures that were filling their beaks with what must have been litres of water.

With one smooth movement, he placed The Warrior's body on top of an unsuspecting Beater and climbed up quickly himself. The Beater let out a shrill squawk, flapping its wings as it took off into the air with such power that Angel had to grip onto its thick feathers for balance. The Warrior's body leaned up against the front of Angel’s chest as they continued to soar and dive through the sky. The Beater's feathers began to turn a light shade of red as Angel looked down to see the blood continuing to pour from The Warrior's body as it lay its head on his shoulder.

The Warrior smiled out at the sky and sun surrounding them, the warm breeze inviting them further into the journey as sun spots filled their eyes with joy.