So do you think Angel and Vaggie are still fighting?" Charlie asked Alastor during the walk back.
"Of course. They're always fighting. Always have been and always will be. It's in their blood you know."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well when Solomon told me about where they came from, I became rather curious and started to check the library about both their clans."
"Did you find anything?"
"I found plenty. The moth demon clan was often prejudiced, self-important, and had their own caste system. In other words there were those who descended from the clan's leader and then there were the slaves." Alastor said. "Kind of similar to the ancient Egyptians."
"That's terrible." Charlie said.
"It's their custom."
"It's a terrible custom. What about the clan where Angel came from?"
"The spider demon clan was just as bad. They were aggressive, blood lusting, and very primitive. Much like Vikings. They would invade, pillage, and ransack other lands. They were firm believers in the strong survive and the weak be put out of their misery."
"How awful."
"Indeed. I don't know which is worse. One's a tyranny and the other is full of barbarians. But the two often fought over land, resources, weapons, control of the human race, and of course the natural order of moths being a potential food source to spiders."
"Poor Vaggie and Angel. To have been born into a society like that, I can't imagine what their parents could have been like."
"Best not to think too much on it. Remember, neither one of them like to talk about what happened before they came here."
"I know but at least they know what was there before."
For years Charlie had always wanted to know more about her background. About her parents, she knew who they were in name and in legacy regarding her father but she yearned to know them personally. To know what they were like. To know what brought them together. To know why they had given her up. To know if they had any love for her at all.
Alastor was just the opposite. On the matter of his mother, he would be curious about her from time to time but he didn't think about her for long because it would remind him of how his conception had basically ruined her life and how his birth had lead to her death. As for his father, he wanted nothing to do with him. He never wanted to meet him or become close to him and he didn't care for what reason the wretched demon wasn't in his life. As far as Alastor's concerned, his father was nothing more than a rapist who forced his sperm into his mother's egg.
"Does it really matter what was there before?" Alastor asked her. "Well I suppose for health reasons it's important to know but other than that, does it really have any bearing on anyone?"
"Maybe not for you but it does for me."
"How so?"
"I just wanna know why. Why did my mother leave me there at that orphanage?"
"Charlie, Solomon has tried to find out why but there is little to no information on her except for her name, her relation to you, and the fact that she was from a women's shelter. He couldn't find anything else."
"I know that but...I know it shouldn't bug me so much but I can't help but feel rejected sometimes. Like maybe there was something wrong with me and that's why she gave me up."
"That's wacky nonsense." He protested. "There's nothing wrong with you. If anything there was something wrong with her. Don't you remember what Millie always said when we were little? She said that you were most perfect little girl in all the world and any mother would be lucky to have you."
"She probably says that because I'm the only one of us who tries not to cause trouble." Charlie said.
"Hey life would be pretty boring if there wasn't any trouble in it." He grinned. "Besides I don't try to cause trouble. I try to make good entertainment."
"What you call entertainment, Solomon calls trouble."
"To each his own Charlie, to each his own."
She rolled her eyes and smiled while holding back a giggle. Then at long last they were in the facility and having dinner. Joining them at dinner were two other children; A girl who was lavender toned, white haired, sporting a pair of moth wings on her back. And a boy who appeared albino with a hairy body and extra limbs. These two were Vaggie and Angel, and much like the clans they were born into they were often at each other's throat but it was usually over the most ridiculous reasons.
"Back off Anthony! It's my chair!" Vaggie argued while pulling on the left side of the remaining chair at the table.
"Nuh-Uh Vagatha! I got here first!" Angel counter-argued while pulling on the chair's right side.
"Did not!"
"Did to!"
"Did not!"
"Did to!"
"Did not!"
"Did to!"
"Did not!"
"Did to!"
"You know you're supposed to let the lady have the chair!"
"Show me a lady and I will!"
"Ugh! Why you-"
"Alright knock it off!"
The arguing ceased as soon as Solomon stepped into the room.
"I have an extra chair right here. There's no need to get into a huge fight." He said. "Now both of you sit down and eat your supper."
Angel and Vaggie did as they were told and for fifteen minutes the four paranormal children ate silently. Halfway through the meal, Solomon read to them their reports on how they were doing in their classes. Yes the facility not only provided a home for the children but also a means of education and training. The subjects taught were reading, writing, mathematics, history, science, biblical studies, paranormal studies, and athletics. The training included combat, meditation, survival skills, and individual training.
Individual training referred to each child learning to control the powers and abilities possessed only by that particular child. For example, Vagatha had wings so part of her individual training was learning how to fly. Angel had extraordinary agility and balance so gymnastics was a part of his individual training. Astral projection was one of Alastor's powers so one method of his training was to understand the motions of light and shadows. And Charlie was highly clairvoyant so she had to be trained on how to interpret the language of angels, spirits, and demons.
They were all very bright children. Bright for their age, some would say and it pleased Solomon very much. However like all children, they were impatient, curious, and prone to disobey the rules given to them by those who knew best. An example of this was their shared desire to go out in the world. They were allowed to go outside and play in the woods where they couldn't be seen but that was as far as they could go. Solomon couldn't risk exposing their existence to the world yet. He was too afraid of how the world would react to them. Afraid that civilians would treat them with contempt and fear or worse that they would be taken away from him by some higher government agency to be experimented on.
"Solomon I couldn't find any lily flowers in the woods today." Charlie said to him.
"That's because they're no longer in season." He replied.
"I know that but earlier today when I climbed up this really tall tree I saw the market place that's over the hills."
"Yes dear, that's where we get our food supply."
"Yes but I read that there are other things you can buy from a market place. Like flowers. Do they have a flower stand down there?"
"Yes I believe so."
"Could I maybe...Maybe go down there tomorrow and buy some flowers to plant here?
"I don't think that would be a good idea Charlotte." He said.
"Why not?"
"Because you tend to glow sometimes and people will notice that. Just like how they'll notice Alastor's antlers, Vagatha's wings, and Anthony's extra arms and legs."
"So what if they notice them?" Angel asked. "What's the big deal?"
"People don't react well to those who are different."
"But you always said that our differences were nothing to be ashamed of." Vaggie said.
"They aren't. Everyone has differences but some differences are more easily seen than others and usually those are the ones people have trouble accepting."
"Well if the people are the ones who are the problem then why don't they just hide?" Alastor asked. "If we're not doing anything wrong why do we have to be the ones that stay out of sight?"
"Because in matters of human beings, majority outweighs morality and the majority of people in the world, would prefer that you four or anyone like you not exist. So we have to make it look like you don't exist. It isn't fair and it isn't right but it's how it is."
"But I don't understand." Charlie said innocently. "We don't have a problem with our differences, why can't everyone else be like that?"
"It's the nature of humanity to dislike what they don't understand. I myself was like that once and I'm very ashamed that I was."
"Have you ever been ashamed of us?"
"Never. I've never been anything but proud of you all. That is when you're not attempting to raise Cain."
"We don't mean to cause trouble." Vaggie said. "It's not our intention."
"Oh don't talk about intent. Intent is meaningless. Some of the most vile and sinful people in the world had good intentions. Hitler intended to create a pure world and he did that by butchering hundreds of innocents."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Alastor said. "We were taught that in biblical studies last week."
"That is correct. Excellent memory my boy."
"Kiss ass." Vaggie muttered.
"That's another reason why I don't think it's wise to let you all out in the world yet." Solomon continued. "You're so young, you act impulsively and you respond to your emotions rather than to reason which will lead to nothing but trouble."
"But you said yet." Charlie said. "Does that mean someday we will be allowed to go out and see the world for ourselves?"
"Yes. But it will be when you all have matured and learned how to blend in with human society. But this isn't something that will take place over night or even over one week. It will take years of growth and learning. You will all have to be very patient and recognize your flaws."
"Flaws? What flaws?"
"Like your powers, your flaws are individual and I won't say who has what but the common flaws I see is stubbornness, arrogance, temper, and irresponsibility. You will have to learn to control your flaws just like you have to learn to control your powers. Understand?"
"We understand." All four of them replied.
"Good. Now you all may do as you please til nine o'clock then it's off to bed."
With that said the children bolted from the table and went to do whatever it was that amused them. Solomon chuckled at their enthusiasm and proceeded to clean up the dishes that had been left behind. As soon as that was done he went to his office to review upcoming cases. The case updates were usually brought to him by Husk who served as the facility's top informant and spy.
"What have you brought me this time?" Solomon asked when Husk entered his office with a file in hand.
"I don't think it was anything important. Just another brawl in the troll market." Husk tossed the file on to Solomon's desk. "But one of the trolls who had been knocked out had something on him that looked suspicious so I swiped it."
Solomon opened the file and inside was a plastic bag that contained a seal bearing the engraved symbol of a moth.
"I recognize this." He said. "Vagatha had something like this in her dress when I first found her. It's the seal of the demon moth clan. This is exclusive only to moth demons. How did a common troll get a hold of this?"
"How the hell should I know?"
"Find out."
"Are you going to tell Vaggie about this?"
"Not yet. First I want to know if this has anything to do with her. Until then don't say anything."
"Fine." He groaned. "I finish one job only to start another one."
"Your efforts are greatly appreciated."
"Yeah, yeah."
Then Husk was gone and Solomon studied on.