I leave Penryn and take flight to meet my watchers, quickly, we decide that their return would cause quite the turmoil so we decide to let that happen at the
beginning of the trial, let it be our surprise element, in the meantime Josiah will go to the aerie and let us know how the situation is unraveling, I tell him to
meet us at the house where Penryn and I holed up after Uriel's party – massacre and we part ways.
As we get nearer to the house memories pop up in my head uninvited, the night I spend there with Penryn was the best memory I have of our brief time together, when I discovered she was alive ( and kicking) … I stop my train of thought right then and there. I can't allow myself to go to that place, if I start remembering I might just go back to the resistance camp and… STOP! Now I'm yelling to myself. Fantastic. Way to stay focused Raphael.
Shaking my head to regain my focus, I see the house and I start flying towards it, the beach is strangely beautiful, in its calm, the sound of the wind caressing the waves carries a sense of anticipation.
We land in the damp sand and make our way towards the house, once we are inside all my Watchers sit and relax, for the first time in a long time. Looking at them my heart fills with sorrow for all the unnecessary pain they have endured, I don't have the words to describe how sorry I am, but still I want to try.
-I'm so sorry for everything, I should have investigated more , should've questioned Gabriel's words…
-Commander, stop. Cyclone says - You brought us out of that hellhole and we know you would've done it before if you could. Nobody questioned The Messenger's word not even us.
The rest of them make approving noises backing him up.
-While we are here waiting and as we can't plan anything with the little info we got on our hands… Hell, I for one want to hear the whole story- Starts Howler- How did we end up on the verge of a civil war? How you, YOU, that talked our ears off against daughters of men ended up with one of them? I mean don't get me wrong she got us out of the Pit and for that I think we all be grateful for many years to come but still ….
-Ok, ok . Stop I say, Howler is known for his non-stop rambling and endless monologues.
I proceed to tell them my story
-You know that I remained here waiting for the moment to go back home, and then Gabriel died, supposedly, shot by humans. Now I know it was Uriel who did it.
Well, when that happened I figured there was no reason for me to stay away anymore so I decided to return home, but Beliel found me first, he was evil and now I Know why he hated me so much… Well he cut my wings off. I hear their gasps of horror.
And that's how I got to know Penryn, the daughter of men, she threw me my sword so I could fight Beliel off and the angels who were with him took her sister out of spite. Then she took me from the street, saving me from the hellions. For her it was just that I hopefully will turn out to be useful to rescue her sister...
I proceed to tell them about my time with Penryn, how she tried, and kind of succeded, to keep and me hostage, the first time we fought together, the resistance camp, the aerie when she saved my life again almost losing hers in the process, the dark time after that, chasing Beliel to get my wings back, when I saw her again, that she was the one to warn me about Uriel's plans before Josiah's latter confirmation of his dark maneuvers , how she killed that scumbag Ambriel, her warrior's trial her idea to get them out of the Pit… well everything.
When I quieted down they seemed stunned.
Before they could say anything Josiah stepped in, seeming agitated. Cathing everyone's attention he starts speaking quickly
-Raphael, Uriel has stablished that the trial by contest will be a bloodhunt, and the prey is… well, humans.
A low growl escapes my lips, he thinks I won't do i, that because of her I will stop it or whatever.
-Also no one besides the ones that were already loyal wants to join your team.
- That piece of shit… Ok, here's what we'll do, Josiah find Penryn and warn her tell her what's going on and that her ORDERS are to find somewhere safe and stay there.
This gives us a kind of advantage –I continue- Uriel thinks I'll back down, but I'm not backing down, I can't. I know where the resistance camp is and that's what we are attacking, it's densely populated. At least some of them will survive, if Uriel takes the power, their world would never be the same.
Josiah leaves to warn Penryn and when he gets back we eat in silence.
I'm going back with Josiah to the aerie this time and check if there is someone else that might be loyal to me, scan Uriel, well I don't really know… but when we're in our way I hear it, a voice, her voice, the message, my mind goes into override hearing her declaring fight, luring both teams to them, so careless, so reckless, so loyal, so brave, and so so so infuriating! How dare she? She knows I will be out there hunting, that I'm not going to be able to protect her.
I turn back, I cannot stand going to the aerie and playing nice right now, I need to calm down and think things through before I go to the damned camp, take her with me and lock her down somewhere safe.
Josiah looks at me and something in my expression tells him that he is to go without me.
The rage I'm feeling is overwhelming, Why has she done this to me? Is she expecting me to fight her? She knows I would have to, there's no way of salvaging my honor if I say I'm not going to hunt the humans who have promised to fight back.
When I get back to the refuge I feel all of the watchers eyes on me, expecting a reaction.
Pressing my back to the nearest wall I slide down until I'm sitting on the floor
-You heard? Is all I say.
-we heard.
I close my eyes and think what I should tell them, I haven't brought them back just to make them face isolation from our race, to be the outcasts just because I don't want one human to die, paying again for a sin that they've already atoned for.
Before I can't think of anything to tell them Howler speaks
-Are you really surprised Commander? About what the girl did I mean, from what you told us about her earlier, I can't say that I am. Did you really expect her to hide when you warned her that we will be out there massacring her people? Because if she's as brave and loyal as you think she is, there's no way she could bring herself to betray her race.
Frankly, and I think I'm speaking for all of us, I don't want to do anything to the girl who brought me, us, back to life.
This was followed by noises of approval and nods by all of them, I for once in my life, am speechless. What Howler said is true, but I didn't expect her to betray the resistance, I just thought she was going to warn Obi and be done with it.
-Yeah it was foolish of me to think she would stay out of trouble- the tip of my mouth quirks up as I say that, remembering when she coaxed me into taking her to the aerie with me- but I can't let you all be exiled because of me and you know that is what's going to happen, much less when you just got back.
That got me a lot of tsks and rolls of eyes, Howler who seemingly was the spokesperson took the floor again saying:
-What we all know is that no matter how things go tomorrow, we still won't be what we used to, even if we heal we won't. Because of what we've been through there'll be scars, not only physical but psychological too, we will never be fully accepted again. We will always be eyed with suspicion, sinners rescued before their trial, imperfect ones in the realm of perfection. You need to see this, we are all very far from angelic standards now and that's what's gonna outcast us no matter what.
And again he was right, which is really surprising to say the least. We decide to help the humans tomorrow and catch Uriel in order to expose him, once he confesses everything we will have to stay in Earth of course, but that doesn't bother me anymore, I will stay with her, with Penryn and knowing that has lift a great weight off my shoulders.
-So….Commander, you know if after all, the girl doesn't want you I stand by my previous offer, all of this picking fights leading her people is kind of hot I must say…
-She's so tiny!- Hawk interrupts him- I mean I've seen her fight a pit Lord and all but whoah anyways I've always liked petite women and this one holds her ground so yeah I think I want her too, I mean she's gonna have to prefer me let's face it.
-Nah, she's gonna like me the best I'm telling you starts Thermo, and I've always liked them feisty …
-Enough! I half say half roar, I know they're just messing with me lightening the mood and all that jazz, but still… She's mine I add and thinking of Penryn's response to that statement makes me smile.
And if someone tries to mess with my girl, I add, some letting some steel filter into my smile and my words this time but instead of looking somewhat scared the bastards start whooping and hollering.
-The boss is in lo-ooo-ooo-ve someone starts chanting and the rest of them sing along, respect did not survive the Pit it seems. One second, whoah there! in love? I mean … well hell, Who am I fooling, I am willing to kill my own to protect her, I am I love her, I'm in love with Penryn young. I let that sink in for the first time, and …well….I'm embarrassed to even be thinking about these things but I start to feel all warm and.. nah nah nah no more! Stop! Stop! You're a warrior not a poet! Ugh.
Like the tough warrior I totally am, I start discussing strategy with my watchers, when Josiah returns he is so not in league with protecting the humans, but he agrees to help as emissary and after planning and planning some more we finally call it a night.
When I close my eyes finally a single thought fills my tired mind, tomorrow everything will be over and I will finally be where I belong, wich contrary to what I've been thinking till tonight is by Penryn's side. I fall asleep with a faint smile in my lips.
Hey! hope you liked i! t it's a random idea I got while rereading eod I'm not quite satisfied with the result though. Let me know what you think!