"He seems to be. . .in a hurry," Lailah says loudly, upon watching the retreating figure of the child.
"To die, yes," Edna says.
Zaveid looks at Edna startled upon that comment, "What do you mean dying?"
Edna doesn't face him, she stayed silent and Zaveid knows by experience that she will never answer him even if she was thrown 1000 feet in the air -he'd tried that once- and also by experience, he will probably find himself in the mouth of a volcano if she managed track him down. They were opposing elements after all.
Edna face retains it's usual passiveness, only looking at the confused Lailah who never brake her gaze on Edna after her previous comment. "He was eager to be consumed, so isn't it natural to think that he wants to die?"
"Nobody wants to die," Lailah replied with a look of deep concern, "At least. . .not without a reason," her voice weigh slightly, as if she wasn't confident in what she was saying.
"No matter what reason, we should hurry," Sorey says, his emerald eyes observing the swirling black mist in the sky, eyebrows furrows in concern at the darkening sky. The reason why they came here in the first place, the birth of a dragon. "Something is going on at there. . .and it's happening fast!"
Allen ran and ran and ran, he wasn't sure why he was running, but there's just this itchy feeling that the world was moving just too slow in his taste and how he wants to be faster, he didn't particularly know where he was headed, just guided by the ghost of the past. But surely, this place was oddly familiar. Whether it was how dead the forest becomes the deeper he treks deeper into the forest or just how desolate this place is. He just can't shake the feeling of nostalgia on his chest.
He'd just met a human before, a Shepherd with such bright, emerald eyes, it. . .to the point he felt guilty from even laying his eyes on it, in fear that he might tarnish something so pure and innocent. It might sound crazy, but Allen was actually afraid to meet them again, he and them are such a contrast. . .He doesn't know how to handle such thing like that. Especially with all the gossips from humans, seeing someone being so devoted at something, especially on their own free will makes him want to cry. He doesn't know why, but he just does, there was a girl he encountered once, someone who wants to dance along with the wind, for an Earth Seraph it was actually quite hard. She tries and tries, he'd cried actually, seeing her earnestly.
"That was stupid of me. . ." he muttered to himself, silver eyes know focusing at the scenery ahead. And damn, how can he now felt it sooner, this was a suicide mission, going somewhere with such thick malevolence. Maybe he should heed the Shepherd warning after all, but then again, dying had always been his sidequest. "It's okay. . ." he says quietly to assure himself, not to be frightened and carry on his step, "this is your responsibility,"
No debt left.
He slowed down -the world finally catching up to his pace- eyes warily searching for the source of the malevolence, the eye of the hurricane, and sought out for it. There was the dull throbbing of his left eye, and the mark over it seemed to burn as he ran closer. The scenery starts changing around him, from where lies majestic trees and occasionly barren land now lies an open field of rock. There was no mountain, no cliff not and highlands. But still, the preassure here was immense, but he couldn't care less about it now the roaring figure infront of him. What important was where he was standing, cause no woder he was feeling such an old sorrow reviving, this was the strart, the very place where he took the path of his journey. . .
Dusty grey of ash falls down from the sky, and the sky rumbles again, threatening to spill open her stomach, it mimicked the scene from that day, snow dancing in the wind as it slowly covers the ground. . .And he was crying for once, a reaction from where you were in too much pain, and somehow, it was as if he was dying again, though the only difference was that man won't save him this time. That man was dead, he'd killed him. . .he. . .them. . .who betrayed who. Allen. . .Allen doesn't understand anymore. . .The moon, such a noble spectator of this unfolding chains of event, glared down at him, it was cold, freezing him to the point and it was as if he was transported back in time, to the time when he was dying, of cruel winter and starvation. . .
He doesn't understand. . .why is white to be thought of as a pure existence?
Staring blankly at the sky, his footsteps begins to falter. Wrong. What happened to this place?
Blocks of rocks stand the Earth like an unsolved puzzle piece, carved from the cliff ahead. Scattered remains of tree carved towards the sky, skeletal branches in a prayer. Even if this place was desolate once, it was never this bad. . .
Oh.
There's a hellion on top of the cliff.
What a surprise. . .it's a dragon. . .
Wow! How did he not noticed it sooner?
Huh, so that's why the malevolence was so strong. . .But still a bit weak for a dragon.
A newborn perhaps.
That might work.
"Don't stay here, it's dangerous!" the previous voice called, a hand grasping his shoulder and drawing back.
Allen repels at the sudden touch, jumping back as he swing his arms in an ark. The voice was registered late in his mind as it took him a couple of moment to register the owner of the voice. Allen blinked a few times, "Oh," he says dumbfoundedly. "Bye!"
But before he could make any move, the ground wraps around his legs and to his knees, stopping him from any further movement. Edna walks towards him, hitting his head with her umbrella.
"Now where are you going?" the girl says, leaning towards him.
"Just a traveller. Anywhere my feet takes me," Allen says through gritted teeth, silver eyes hardening against green.
"Edna. . .it's not nice to prison people like that. . ." A pleasant voice says, and another Seraph enters his line of vision, a mixture of white and red, Lailah. Edna sigh, pulling away from Allen as she returns back to her group. The ground retreated, giving Allen back his freedom. "I'm sorry about that," Lailah apologize, smiling softly.
Allen simply nods, turning his attention towards the young Shepherd besides her. "You probably should take care of that first, and I be off-"
"Wait!" the fire Seraph continues. "Ummm. . .Edna made a comment earlier and we cannot let you go. . ." her voice wavered at the end, but still, he got the message.
Allen starred, simply boring his eyes onto the group in front of him. Mainly, the person where he'd clearly mentioned doesn't want to defile.
Well, fuck.
Maybe he should make a run for it. . .
Leather wraps around his wrist and Allen all but want to pulverize the wind Seraph in their group. He glared at them, he glared at all of them. "Fuck you!"
First impression be dammed.
Fuck them, and their eight generations.
The Shepherd all but chuckles, scratching his chin with his gloved hand and Mikleo simply sigh as he face palms. Zaveid tug his belt slightly, to bring attention to himself. "Well sorry kid. . ."
Allen spits at him, snarling, "Go fuck yourself!"
And meanwhile, the forgotten Drake wants to announce his existence after he was thoroughly forgotten by them. After all, what is more fun then a sneak attack of a soon-to-be dragon?
It was quiet hilarious actually, seeing them rushing into battle position as the Drake was literally behind them. The malevolence thickening and that was all the indication that they need that it was about to hatch. Allen was manhandled, as he was simply pushed to the water Seraph, Mikleo and the belt tied around his staff.
Edna was in front of them, casting a barrier to the Drake so he was imprisonment. And Sorey. . .well he was. . .certainly questionable. . .?
Okay. . .Ummm. . .Lailah and he becomes one and. . .fuck. . .
A strangled sound came from Allen's throat, gaining a questionable look from Mikleo who was casting a healing arte. "Resilient Aid. . .!" There was judgement in his eyes, oh, Allen could see it.
To be honest, anyone would give him that look if the sound of a drowning lizard came from him. He would look at him.
But, after ten minutes or so, Allen sorta understand what's happening. Though it was clearly annoying when he have to move each time Sorey made a mistake and Mikleo wants to save him, and each time he qas headbutted by the staff and how stupid this situation was.
"The Shepherd brings forth salvation. . ." a tale once said.
"So this is salvation, huh?" Allen laugh dryly.
"This is saving. . ." the water Seraph mutters beside him, out of breath as the two of them were ambushed by hellhounds earlier.
"You are wrong," Allen replies, gripping the wrapped leather on his wrist and tugs it. He pulls at it, snapping the worn out leather as he had move constantly.
The situation had now escalated, as the malevolence becomes a magnet for even more hellion and now, each Seraph have their own share. It was clear to see where the battle is going. Now, instead with Lailah, Sorey is instead with Edna, pushing back against the Drake. But Allen. . .he could see the exhaustion in his bone, and cracks in their attacks. The two of them could only do much.
What weak salvation that is. . .
"I don't understand. . .what is salvation?"
There was a cry from somewhere in the field, but Allen can't concentrate enough to tell who. He can't distinguish whether the voices was coming from his mind or the battle, the line between dreams and reality have become far too deluded by this point.
"Someone. . .answer me, won't you?"
That glazed eyes, and unnerving smile, it brought a chill up Mikleo's back. That child, he just stood there, half-focused on his surrounding. And that smile of his. . .those glowing mercury. . .
"Please, tell me. . ." The child continues to say, his eyes traveling to Mikleo. "What does it mean to save?"
Ah, it burns, the talisman around him as it stops him from moving. Allen was shook out from his dazed state. He didn't know what had happen in that time, but it appears, nothing change much as he was bounded once again.
His eyes was downcast, starring along the string of burning paper wrapped around his chest. He brought his head up, meeting the glance of a certain human that others had come to know and love "What do you want?"
"I want you to follow me," came the reply of the Shepherd.
"Why should I?" came the reply from the old child.
"Why shouldn't you?" it came immediately after, not leaving him much time to take a rest from socializing.
Allen was actually shocked, never had he have someone pursuing him like this, okay, a couple of times. . .those pedo. . .uhmm. . .okay, he contemplates, "You got a point,"
This was. . .actually hard to write. Like, I almost gave up, like, how does Allen join actually and just write anything. Okay, so while Allen was being a creep and go all salvation and stuff to Mikleo, the rest already conquered the Drake and now I remember that I didn't mention the Seraph that was turned into the Drake in rhw first place. . .huh. . .okay, ignore everything and the purpose of the chapter is just Allen joining. M'kay?
With love,
Mana