Chapter 13: A Greeting and Goodbye

The sun flew aimlessly through the sky while birds glided directionless. The noises of the Gloom Forest began to die down, as if it was scared to make a single noise. The rays of the setting sun collided with the airship, causing it to have a perfect radiance that seemed to capture the essence of the forest.

The six riders quickly jumped off their steed. The five horsemen handed their beast to the approaching caretakers, but none dare approach the intimidating Trilian. They looked at each other with puzzled glances and finally turned toward their captain for an order. But none was needed. The colossal beast was going to stick by its temporarily new master, still apprehensive about the quickly-formed friendship. The leader nodded his head in approval and the others ran to their duties, leaving the two warriors whom earlier appeared to have been fighting to the death.

Abel still could not take his eyes off the wonder that was in front of him. Although the sun was quickly setting, there was still enough light out to show the beauty of the ship.

"Abel, this is my skyship. Grand isn't it? When Father gave it to me, I only had one name for such a magnificent architectural wonder. Ragnarok is an ancient Magi word for Heaven. It's the fastest skyship in the entire world," Tyro gleamed proudly.

The vessel towered over forty feet high, and was as wide as forty feet. Its wooden hull was colored teal while its massive masts were dark brown. Two propellers loomed at the stern while beautiful white sails triumph over the merciless sky. At the bottom of the starboard side was a huge door that allowed men and beast alike to leave the ship. There appeared to be indentations halfway up the sides, but something was covering whatever lied beneath.

The Earthling looked around to see 6 men sitting near the craft, and a few more carrying materials to the areas that had broken boards. He could already recognize some of them. Ark was quietly ordering the others which place needed repairing. Amidst the chaos that was happening outside of the ship, there was an orderly feeling to it.

"What happened here?" Abel asked curiously, "Did something happen to your ship?"

Tyro looked away, threw his hand behind his head and gave a sly grin, "Well, you see, this forest wasn't exactly the ideal landing spot. And being the good pilot that I am, it's a miracle that we landed with us and the ship in one piece."

"Is that what happened Captain?" Eldar asked as he approached the two. "From what I remember right, it was you who ordered us to land on this spot. And I remember us warning you that this place had a greater density of trees. Yet, you stubbornly ordered us to land. It's a good thing that only a portion of the ship's bottom was torn away, and not the entire thing. So I think it's a miracle that we survived actually."

In a playful angry tone, the Captain yelled out, "Hey, get back to work! There's no time for fooling around. We have to make complete the repair by sundown and prepare the defense."

Walking over to help his brother pick a timber, Eldan scoffed, "Think the Captain's trying to show off to the new kid?"

"Seems like it. But once again, he's right. Come on, help me take this over to the port side. There's still a hole there that needs to be plugged," Eldar said with a slight smile.

"Hey Abel, there's some stuff that I need to attend to, but first, I want to introduce you to the rest of my crew," Tyro said as he gave a loud whistle. Upon hearing the sound, everyone began to gather around their leader and the new face.

"Alright Heartrock," the Nirvan shouted, "I want to introduce you to a new member on our ship. I wouldn't say he's a Heartrock yet, but I think he's getting there. His name is Abel. Treat him like any worse than as one of our brothers, and you'll have to respond to me, got it?!"

Eldan leaned over and whispered into his brother's ear, "Yep. He's definitely showing off."

Looking around with curious eyes, Abel could feel that all eyes were on him. His stomach beginning to feel sick, he managed to smile slightly and wave to the others. After the introduction, most of the Heartrock went back to their job as Tyro disappeared into the interior of the ship.

Feeling like a lamb lost among a pack of wolves, the Earthling continued to be on alert with his fingers at the edge of the hilt of his sword. Just then, a small boy of almond-shaped eyes and brown lockets of hair ran up and stood in front of him.

"Hi!" the kid exclaimed energetically, almost causing Triger to pounce on him.

Abel looked deep into the child's light brown pupil-less eyes and saw an almost reflection of himself when he was younger. "Hi, what's your name?"

"I'm Dalion, and you're Abel right? I really like your name! It sounds kind of funny and girly at the same time. Wow! I like your sword! Can I see it? Please? Please? Come on, I know how to fight. I'm a Heartrock after all. Wow! Is that a Trilian? I've heard about these in storybooks but I never thought I would see one in real life. It's so big! What does it eat? How did it get so big?" The teenager asked quickly as he walked around the beast.

"It eats little Lucos rascal like yourself," Plian interjected as he tried to pull the boy away from the animal when it growled lightly, causing him to pull back his fingers.

"Lucos? What's a Lucos?" Abel asked curiously as he asked stood next Plian, watching the ironic sense of a small youngster run around a creature that could eat him whole.

"You don't know what a Lucos is?" The Heartrock asked in a shocked tone as he turned toward the Earthling.

"Unfortunately, I don't. I've been a little out of touch these last few days," he lied with a weak smile.

Raising an eyebrow, the Nirvan replied back, "Well, their history is a tragic one. If you really want to know more about them, you should ask the Captain. Nonetheless, a Lucos is just another race of Nirva, just like you and I are humans. They are almost of the same exact stature as we humans are. But, their most distinguishing traits are their pupil-less almond brown eyes and the black halo inscribed onto their forehead."

Looking back, Abel was shocked to have almost missed the black circle on top of the child's head. "Wow, I can't believe I missed that when I first saw him. What does it stand for?"

Plian ignored the question and said, "Their race used to live on the border of Arsenia and Angelus. But," the Nirvan paused for a second and shook his head, "their kind is all but wiped out. He is the last of their noble yet accursed race."

The Nirvan walked over, said something quietly between the two of them, and the two ran back to their duties. But before he disappeared, Dalion shouted back, "Hey, you have really nice eyes!"

Abel could feel the hair on his arms standing up. The child and he were in the same situation. They were alone. No one could understand them, or what they're going through. He had lost his memories, and now stood in a world that became stranger by the seconds. And on the other side was an innocent youth that when he dies so will whatever history his blood carried within him.

A hand on his shoulder interrupted his concentration. He turned around to see another one of the Heartrocks.

The slim man stuttered as he pointed toward the Trilian, "Do you wish for us to take your animal to the stable? It looks hungry and tired."

The Earthling turned toward Triger and gave a light nod, allowing the beast to free its sense of security for the first time since they entered the forest. Both man and creature left, leaving the green and blue eyes human alone once again.

He began approaching the massive vessel, which was beginning to be enveloped by the oncoming darkness. His eyes traversed across the grass field. Everyone had a job to do except him. He was the only one without a goal. His memories were still lost to him. In the back of his mind he pondered at what had happened to Nezard and Titan, and why they deserted him. The wind was beginning to pick up. The coldness it brought cut through his skin like daggers. His stomach growled of hunger. His wounds were beginning to dry up. The pain and aches from the previous battle were still lingering. There wasn't much more he could do outside of the ship. When he came upon the giant door that led to the interior of the skyship, he hesitated. Outside, there was still a bit of light left. But inside, it was total darkness. There would be no turning back once he stepped through. Closing his eyes, he inhaled a big gulp of air, and after exhaling it out, he took the first step into the darkness.

After a couple of steps, the hallway opened up into a massive space. Before him were Heartrocks running to and fro, some carrying water and food the animals that were being held at the other end, while others were heartily chatting about their families back home. The inside of the ship was as gigantic as the outside. At the lower level, there were over forty stalls to house the animals. Torches hung on the sidewall every few meters. On both sides were stairs leading into the upper echelon. On the left elevation was a sparring ground. There were dummies for practice, and a small ring for duels. Weapons were neatly laid on holders. On the opposite end was a range for archers to hone their skills.

Without a sense of direction, Abel walked up the left stairway and saw a small boxing match being held in the ring. The two opponents were almost of the same stature, but judging from the reactions of the two, the Earthling could tell that the battle was going to be over soon. Indeed, the farer one was faster and sent his opponent stumbling onto the ground. At first, the green and blue eye human was afraid there might be a revenge hit, but the two fighters merely congratulated one another.

The camaraderie of this ship seems to be unparallel, he thought. When asked if he wanted to join, he only smiled and politely refused. There were hardened clay weights lying on contraptions that appeared to be used to stimulate and strengthen certain muscle areas. There were two doors on both ends, and another staircase leading into what appeared to be the third level.

On the door closer to him were writings that he couldn't comprehend. When he saw a person walking out of it, he asked what that sign read. Although the Heartrock gave him a weird look, it was explained that the engine room was behind the door. Behind the other door on the opposite end was the kitchen, and the staircase led up to the living quarters, the conference room, the dining hall, and the Captain's living area.

He thanked the Heartrock and walked up to the third level. It was a long hallway that appeared to run from the front of the ship to the back, over thirty yards in length. The width was big enough for five men to stand next to one another, and tall enough for a soldier to jump without fear of hitting the ceiling.

The living quarters were empty. Abel peeked into a room with its door opened, and there was a three beds total, one of them on top of the other. Some were impressively clean while others were amazingly filthy. It appeared as though all of the rooms had a bunk bed and an extra cot to the side. There were cabinets for clothing, and a table for letter writings. There was an average size window that allowed outside lights to creep in.

The Earthling continued his exploration as he walked down the hall, sometime encountering busy Heartrocks. After quite a walk and a few turns of the corner, he came upon a slightly opened door and could hear a conversion being carried beyond it. Just as he was about to ignore it, he heard his name being spoken.

Curious, he peeked through the door and saw two figures talking to one another. One was sitting down behind a desk, and the other was standing on the other side. When the torches flickered, he saw that it was two familiar faces he had seen before.

"What do you plan to do now?" Ark asked as he sat on the chair in front of the table.

Tyro sighed loudly and shook his head, "I don't think there's much we can do. One of the engines is damaged. It'll take overnight to fix it. The angels we cannot avoid."

"That is not what I'm referring to," the massive human said in a sturdy tone.

"Well, if you're referring to our new passenger, then like the mess with the engines, there's not much we can do it."

"But his eyes. You have seen his eyes. There is only one person in this entire world that has those eyes."

"You're referring to his green and blue eyes? I know, I've seen them, but we cannot act rashly. There is something amidst that I cannot put my finger on. But, we cannot worry about Abel right now. He is my passenger and my responsibility."

Leaning on the door a little too much, Abel pushed it slightly and in the midst of the silent, its creaking sounded more like an explosion. Afraid of being caught, he ran down the hall and pretended to walk up to it. The two men ended their conversation. As Ark walked out, he saw the nervous looking Earthling giving a half smile and a wave. Showing no signs of emotion, he turned around and went the other way. Tyro peeked outside, and when he saw the youth, he motioned to the fighter to join him inside.

"I see you're exploring this ship already?" the Captain asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Abel tried to mask his awkwardness with a slight grin and replied, "Yeah. I thought it was big on the outside, but inside it seems to be endless." His eyes glanced around the room, noting a small portrait on the table. There was another door to the side that led to the bedroom. An assorted collection of items graced the wooden walls. In the back wall was an emblazon shield that showed either a rising or a setting sun. On its left side was a sword with a snake entangled on the blade. On the right was a bow that appeared to be shooting an arrow at the serpent.

"Well, then, since you're already here, I won't have to go looking for you. I already have a room prepare for you. There's a shower a little bit down. If you're shy, then I guess there's nothing I can do for you since I shower there too," The Captain explained as he sat back and put his legs on the table.

"Sorry if I sound nosy, but, you guys were talking about me. Specifically my eyes. I don't understand what Ark meant only one other person in this world has them." The Earthling said in an almost apologetic voice.

"Ah, don't pay too much of a mind to such a mindless matter. Come, I shall lead you to your room where you can change. From there, you can go shower and clean those wounds of yours. Hopefully, by the time you're done with that, it'll be chow time." Tyro proclaimed as he rubbed his stomach in a delightful manner.

He wanted to ask more, but he held back his tongue. Abel knew he couldn't bite the hospitality that had been shown to him. And so, the two began walking down the long hall toward the guest quarter. They had a friendly conversation about how one of the caretakers was so afraid to approach Triger that he had peed in his pants. Tyro explained that it was a good way to toughen the men's character in tougher time. When they finally arrived, the Nirvan pointed to a room a little down the way and said he'd take his leave. Without wanting to bother the leader of skyship any further, the green and blue eyes human said his thanks.

The room he was given seemed to be just like the others, except it only had one bed, giving it a bigger appearance. The same table was there, as well as the window to the outside world. When he saw the welcoming sight of the warm mattress, he quickly took off his sword and instantly fell into its embrace. It was the softest thing he had felt since he could remember. He lied on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly, the tiredness hit him like a blow to the stomach, and the pull of sleep began to tug on him. At first, he resisted, but soon its strength was overwhelming. When his will was no longer, his eyes closed and he fell fast asleep.

Night had finally invaded the Gloom Forest. Thousands of stars twinkled in the sky above while the twin moons shined forth their radiance. Surrounding the skyship were hundreds of lit torches. Their flame flickered in the soft wind, casting shadows to lit areas and luminosity to darkness. Sentry men patrolled at the top of the vessel, their eyes gazing into the dark wood, all the while being alert at the slightest movement of shadows.

When he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, Abel jumped quickly opened his eyes and almost jumped off the bed. Seeing who it was, he relaxed and gave a half smile.

"The Captain said to come and get you. Dinner is ready to be served, and everyone who is not on patrol is gathering in the dining hall. I didn't want to wake you up since you look so peaceful, but I was afraid the Captain might yell at me again. Sorry if I disturb your slumber," Dalion said in a humble tone as he looked down on the ground.

"That's alright. I can't believe I fell asleep so easily. How long have I been sleeping?"

"For a few hours now, I think. Come on, get up!" the youth broke into excitement, "tonight is going to be a special night since we have a guest. I heard the Captain talking about if we weren't in such a dangerous place, we would put on a play for you. But instead, we're going to just sing. I guess that's good enough right? Come on, come on, we're going to miss dinner!"

"Alright, alright," Abel laughed at the youngster's energy, "I'm up. Why don't you head to the dining hall first and I'll join you, okay? Let me wash my face first."

"Do you know where it is?" The Lucos asked as he was halfway to the door.

"It's the last door down the hallway right?" questioned the Earthling as he examined his blade.

"You got it! See you there Christo!" Dalion exclaimed as his footsteps echoed away.

Wondering at what the word meant, Abel yawned and began to stretch his muscles. He left his room and headed toward the washroom. Considering it was too late for a shower, he leaned down and only washed his face. The cold water was soothing and instantly woke the Earthling up. When he was done, he continued down the atrium and into the last door.

Upon entering the room, he was greeted with a visage of laughter and chatters. Dinner had already begun. The dining room was as big as the lower level where the animals were held. At its center were two giant tables that spanned across the area, having enough space for hundreds of Heartrock. Torches hung on the walls, giving a warm radiance that complemented the golden cooked food that was being served.

When he heard his name being called, he approached the closest table and saw an empty seat to the right of Tyro. When he sat down, he could see Ark sitting across from him. Further down the row were the twin brothers, Eldar and Eldan. To his right was the ever smiling Dalion. Next to him was Plian. From his end of the row, he couldn't tell when the table ended.

Fruits were placed in masses in front of them, accompanied by the countless of golden food. Hands were already picking at them before the Earthling even sat down.

"Well, Abel, I hope you slept well. And from the growling of your stomach, I'm guessing you must be extremely hungry!" Tyro joked as he broke the leg from the animal on the table and placed the cooked meat on green and blue eyes human plate. "Eat! We are all brothers at these tables." He laughed as he began cramming down on food.

Conversations were loud, and laughter was plentiful. Alcohols were poured into outreach cups and foods were continually served. A Heartrock was telling the story of his misfortune when he mistaken his wife's sister for his wife. When his other half saw him kissing her own sister, she became so enraged that she went out, collected sewage water, returned home, and dumped it all over him.

While he ate and talked with the others around him, he could not understand why, but Ark's eyes were on him the entire time. Upon sensing the Abel's uneasiness, Tyro shouted, "Alright you dirty airmen. Tonight, we have a visitor. As it is known that Heartrock hospitality is the best in all the land," he said, to which a loud cheer responded, "I believe it is time for us to sing our theme. Gentlemen, or should I say, rock men, lets show our guest what horrible singing voice we have!"

Roaring laughter swept across the tables, and soon they were all up. One arm they held onto each other, and the other one they grasped their cup.

"We are the airmen of the Ragnarok.

We are called the Heartrocks

We travel east and west and high and low,

Through the unforgiving sky we go.

The fastest airship in all the kingdoms,

We perform plays to rid our boredoms.

Our loyalty goes to only one man

We will always be his biggest fans.

Drinking is our game, fighting is our skill.

Don't mess with us or you will be kill.

Following him into the end,

Traveling across the land.

The song was sung many times over, each time as energetically as the last. Leaning over, Abel screamed into Tyro's ears into order to rise above the noise of the singing, "hey Tyro is it okay to let your men drink? Didn't you say we're in a dangerous spot right now?"

With a loud laugh, the Nirvan replied back, "Don't worry about it. My men can handle more than a few cups of ale. Why else do you think people called us the Heartrocks?"

Suddenly, the entrance slammed open and in came a panting sentry. Silence wavered in the air. The Captain quickly yet calmly lowered his cup and told the others to help the runner up.

"What happen? What's going on?"

"Captain, we have sightings! There are approximately three of them!"

Quieting the murmurs that instantly arose, Tyro continued his questioning, "What is it? Three of what?"

"Angels!" the man shouted out of breath, "from what we can discern through the darkness, they're homunculus!"

Before even a hint of chaos among his men, the Nirvan stood up and shouted, "Alright. All of you get to the upper level. Eldar! Eldan! I want you two to go to the engine room and see if the engines are repaired yet. Plian, I want you to go with Ark to ensure that all of the airmen make it to the upper deck."

When there appeared to be objections, he quickly raised his hand and shouted, "There's no time for idle chit chat. Do it, now!"

That was all that it took to settle the matter. After saluting their leader, everyone left the dining hall. Caught in the middle of the ensuing chaos was Abel.

'Angels? Messengers of God? Why are they afraid of angels?' he thought when he felt a hand pulling him to the side.

"Tyro! What's going on? What are angels? And homunculus?" The Earthling asked in a nervous tone.

"You don't know what they are?!" The Nirvan replied in a shock voice.

"No. I don't. Listen, there's a lot I can't explain right now. But please, just tell me what's going on!"

Without further questioning, the Captain left the room and dragged the confused fighter with him. "I'm guessing we have a lot to discuss, but now it's not the time. I need your help."

"What do you mean you need my help?"

"Get your sword and meet at the stairs leading into the lower level. I'll explain what you need to know when we get there. And hurry!"

Upon entering his room, Abel rapidly grabbed his blade and ran down the hall, dodging by running Heartrocks that were going the other way. There, he saw Tyro standing with his sword unsheathed.

"Alright. It seems as though all of the men are above of us. Ark should be able to tell them what to do. Now, remember what I told you earlier? When we were in the forest? About monsters that cannot be injure by regular weapon? Well, they are called homunculus. Shadowy figures that prey on the living. They attack by reaching into the depth of your body and pulling out your life force. But unlike other angels, they feed on it. So if its eats your life force, you will be wiped out. You would not exist anymore. Listen, I'll explain everything you want to know, but after we get through this. Right now I need you to help me."

"What do you need help with?"

"Your steel is an enchanted weapon. I have heard rumors that only certain types of weapon can injure these angels. My blade is useless against them, but I will distract them. While I do that, you will attack with your sword. I do not think you'll be able to kill them, but if you can injure them enough, you'll scare them away, giving us enough time to repair the engines."

"How much longer would it take?"

"Eldar reported to me before you came. It would take another twenty minutes. They're running into complications. Listen, I know you're afraid, but for now, you're our only hope. I could, of course, take it from you. But I am a man, not a thief. Please Abel, help us," Tyro said in a pleading tone.

His blood rushing rapidly across his body, Abel felt that he had to repay his debt, "Alright. Just tell me what to do and I'll follow your orders."

Smiling, the Nirvan nodded, "Okay, good, now fo-" and then his voice suddenly dropped.

His eyes were fixed on the rising shadow figures down the hall. The Earthling turned around and almost jumped at horror that was before him. It was a formless mass that floated in the air. Their entire form was covered in darkness, except for two bright eyes at the top. They had neither legs nor arms.

'This is bad,' Tyro pondered as the two shadows began approaching them. 'I was hoping to take on them one by one, but two is too much for Abel. I have to do it, there's no other way.'

The Captain pushed the Earthling back and said with almost fearful eyes, "Abel, what you see next do not tell anyone."

The Nirvan ran his thumb through his sword and soon blood came spilling forward. He took the cut finger and drew a circle of exactly thirteen inches in diameter on the wooden ground, and inside the halo he inscribed a triangle. He curled his hand into a fist at first, and finally opened his palm and slammed it into the drawn objects.

Suddenly, a white light erupted from the sketch and two loud screeches reverberated down the hall. Abel dropped onto his knees while covering both ears. Seconds later, the brightness disappeared and Tyro was struggling to get up. The Earthling hurried over to help him up. Blood was dripping from the Nirvan's mouth and his breathing was difficult.

"Wow," he exclaimed in an almost joking tone, "that was a lot more painful than I thought it would be."

"What happened!? What did you did you do?" The green and blue eyes human asked as he helped the leader of the Heartrock up.

"That doesn't matter. Come on, there's still two left. I'm afraid they might be going for the animals."

That was when the thought of Triger's safety sprung onto his mind. "Can you walk?" Abel asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Come on, let's go."

And so, both warriors hurried down the stair to come onto the left most elevation. The torches were flickering, allowing the shadows to dance with one another. Both fighters had their weapon drawn, and Nexstar was radiating a cool blue glow. It was dead silence, compared to the busy scene that was during sundown. Both were on high alert. Because of the flickering torches, they could not tell if a shadow was just a silhouette or if it was the homunculus.

The horses were stomping their hooves and neighing out loud. Abel tried to talk to Triger in his mind, but there was no reply. Fearing for the worse, he tried to hurry forward but a heavy hand held him back.

"These are not the enemy to rush on. There is only one left. Although the life force of animals attracts them, it is conscious beings like you and I that it wants the most. Do not worry about finding it. It will come to us," Tyro said, sharing his wisdom with the new comer.

Suddenly, a cold chill ran down the back of the two fighters. They quickly turned around to see the outstretched form of a hand of the angel reaching at them. Using his weakened strength, the Captain pushed the Earthling and the two narrow dodge the fatal attack. When he tried to get up, he coughed up blood and quickly collapsed onto the ground.

"Tyro!" Abel shouted as his sword began to shake from nervousness.

The homunculus turned its head toward the fallen human and slowly began to approach him.

Shaking his fear from him, the Earthling shouted out even louder, "Hey! He isn't your food. Come on, don't you want a fresh one?"

His plan worked. The angel turned around and slowly began to approach him. His hands still quivering, he began backing up, leading the monster away from his friend. All of the sudden, he felt himself tripping on something and collided with the wooden floor. The pain immediately spread throughout his body. Coughing up spit, he immediately tried to get onto his feet, but it was already too late. The homunculus was floating in front of him.

On the other side, Tyro had managed to regain consciousness and was on his stomach, seeing the events unfolding before him. His legs had given up on him, and so did his arms. All he could do was watch as Abel tripped and the shadow appearing on top of the fighter.

"Do not look into its eyes!" the Nirvan shouted as he desperately tried to move his body.

But it was too late. The green and blue eyes human had looked into the angel's white eyes. The blue blade easily left the Earthling's finger and struck the wood below. The angel stretched forth its ominous black hand, and with lightning speed reached deep into Abel's heart.

Leaving his state of being hypnotized because of the pain, he began to scream loudly as he could almost feel his life force beginning to be suck out of him. Just as the homunculus was about to pull back its hand, something happened.

An amazingly bright blue light illuminated from within the Earthling, and soon enveloped the entire lower deck. The sapphire luminosity spread from inside of Abel onto the monster's hand, and quickly vaporized the outstretched arm. He quickly fell onto the floor; his limbs weak from the encounter. The shadow began to screech at a pain it thought it never had to feel. The shriek ran from the lower floor to the upper, sending chills down the spine of the Heartrocks standing up at top.

It looked down at the Earthling with its hideous eyes, this time glowing red with anger. Using what strength that he could, he sat up and hoped to crawl away from the being. Inside him was the fear of death. The angel reached out with its second arm, and curled it back, preparing to thrust it into the human's body.

With the same swift speed, it launched its attack and Abel could only close his eyes and wait for the pain. But it never came. The world around him was still hazy. He could hear distant shouting, but he couldn't discern whose it was, or was it him screaming? When the discomfort did not come, he opened his eyes to see a figure standing in front of him.

With his arms outstretch, Dalion stood in front of the Earthling. Behind him was the shadowy figure with its arm deep within the Lucos's body. Abel could only look up. All sounds had disappeared from the world. He could feel his beating. He could see the black circle on the youth's head. He could see the youngster's pupil-less brown eyes.

The youth seemed to be muttering something beneath his breath, but the fighter did not hear it. The last thing he saw was a smile from the child.

The homunculus pulled out its slender finger, and grasped between its palm was a glowing ball of many dancing colors. At the center of the sphere was a bright crystallized light, shining an amazing white brilliance that lit the entire deck. The fingers began to slowly squeeze immaculate orb, slowly disintegrating the colors. The pallid glow was the last to go, and soon the room was back to the way it was. The ball was completely vaporized within the demon's hand.

Showing no remorse, it stretched its hand out again and began to thrust it at the Earthling when from the back came Triger. It pounced right through the shadow being, which quickly materialized into its original figure. Showing its ferocious fangs and growling a sound that could cause even the most hardened man to cower; the Trilian crouched ready in front of its rider.

But the angel showed no fear. Instead, it slowly approached the beast, again extending forth its fingers. The animal attacked the monster again, and began to lead it away from the humans.

Dalion's body lurched forward and his brown eyes turned to complete blackness. His lifeless body fell into Abel's outspread arms. The warrior's shaking had stopped. He could feel something deep within him. He found himself asking what it was. It was not fear. Was it hate, or sadness, he pondered? The child's heartbeat had stopped. His skin turned white. And the warmth that was radiating only a few hours earlier had all but been wiped out.

The Earthling felt something wet falling onto his hand. Was it tears he wondered? They were warm. He tried to stop them but they kept on coming, each time more than the last. Pretty soon, the child's shirt was wet with tears. He continued to cry. His forehead felt as if they were burning up. His ears were hot. And something was eating inside of his stomach. The pain was so bad that he felt like puking. It wasn't regular pain though. This was a pain beyond all the pain he had felt. It was something that had no cure, no herbs would heal. His hands were quivering again. But not from fear, instead, it was from anger.

Putting the child's frail body aside, he slowly stood up and stopped his trembling by grasping the hilt of Nexstar, which began to glow cerulean again. When the Trilian tried to leap at the homunculus, the demon swiped its hand at the beast, sending it tumbling onto the weapon's rack. The angel slowly approached the injure animal and began to reach forth when abruptly, its black body began to glow blue. Its white eyes looked downward, and saw the head of a sword sticking through it. Behind it was the Abel, with tears still fresh from his eyes and on his face. But his eyes were not green and blue anymore. They were golden.

The monster didn't even have a chance to cry. It instantly disappeared, leaving behind the same looking ball that appeared when Dalion died. The sphere glimmered brightly and began floating up into the sky. The Earthling looked at the orb and saw the smiling face of a child that chose to live when those around him had died. When it disappeared through the ceiling, the fighter dropped the blade from his hand and collapsed into welcoming embrace of sleep.