Chapter 18

Revelations

Mikleo slept in a way that he never had before. Normally, he was a light sleeper, woken at the slightest sound…or by Sorey's occasional snoring or leg twitches. It was probably because his seraph body didn't need deep sleep the way Sorey's human body did. But that certainly wasn't the case this time around. This time, Mikleo slept like the dead. He never stirred, moved, or even blinked throughout the night. And he didn't have any dreams. He was so completely and utterly unconscious that even when morning came he didn't rise at his usual time. Instead, it took some very loud banging at their inn door to finally start to rouse him.

"uu…uuugh…" he groaned. His head felt like a boulder, heavy and solid. And his eyelids might as well have been sewn shut. He couldn't open them. And his muscles might as well have been made of led. He couldn't move, and he felt as heavy as a brick.

The knocking on their door came again, loud, insistent and with a BAM BAM BAM. He wasn't even fully awake yet and it was giving him a headache. He groaned a second time, his voice coming from him in a weak, miserable way. And as his hearing finally started to come back to him, he heard familiar voices at the door.

"They never sleep in this late," Lailah said. "I'm a little worried."

"Eh, they're fine," Zaveid said, sounding completely sure of himself. "They probably stayed up all night reading all of those new information pamphlets they got. Nerds like that, probably couldn't wait till morning to go to the library. Hell, they probably snuck out and got a few books behind our backs."

"Yeah…that's what they were doing…" Edna grumbled. And for once, and perhaps just for a change of pace, it sounded like it was Edna who knew what it was they'd done and not Zaveid.

"What, do you know something Edna?" Lailah asked. "You were the one keeping watch last night." There was barely a second's hesitation, and then a nonchalant, "nah."

"Well whatever they were doing they have to get up. It's almost ten."

BANG BANG BANG! Came Zaveid's heavy fist on the wooden door.

"Get up sleepy nerds!" He shouted. "Rise and shine! If one of you doesn't answer soon, I'll have to break down the door to assure you're safe and not assassinated or somethin'!"

Mikleo let out another miserable groan. His hand twitched from on top of Sorey's chest, exactly where he'd left it. And even though he still couldn't bring himself to stir, he was amazed at the fact that he literally hadn't moved a muscle.

"Sorey…" he mumbled, trying to rouse his partner. Maybe Sorey had more life in him than Mikleo had. At least he hoped he did. If he didn't…Zaveid was going to break down the door.

Sorey had woken up when he'd heard the knocking. But like Mikleo, he hadn't moved an inch, albeit for different reasons. He was definitely tired, and also a little sore, but not to the extent of his lover. It had just felt so good to snuggle with his seraph that he hadn't wanted to move.

He'd thought if they ignored the pounding on the door, he could have a nice, cozy, quiet moment with Mikleo and take their time getting up before meeting with the others. Because surely Zaveid and the rest of the crew would take a hint and go downstairs once he realized they weren't getting up. Sorey hadn't been aware of the time, though, when he'd had that thought, and judging from what Zaveid had just said, he wasn't going to get that little private moment with Mikleo quite in the same way he'd wanted to.

Noticing his love's incapability of moving, Sorey decided that since Mikleo needed him to do something about it, he would. That and he really didn't want them bursting into their room and seeing them like this.

"Mmn, I'm awake," he said softly to his lover. Then, turning his head away from the seraph, so as not to shout directly in his ear, he tried to address the rest of their team that was waiting outside their door.

"We're awake!" he said. "Please stop banging on the door...we're just about to get up," he said, loud enough that they could probably hear him. Probably.

The banging did stop after Sorey shouted. But only for a second before Zaveid shouted back,

"Why aren't you answering the door? Are you guys really still in bed?" There was a pause. "Are you guys ok?"

"They're fine!" Edna suddenly hissed from between her teeth. "I'm telling you, we should just wait for them downstairs in the dining hall now that we know they're awake. Please, can't we just go?"

And Mikleo had at the very least heard Edna's suggestion from through the barrier. And still barely able to move, he patted Sorey's chest with his palm.

"That…" he groaned. "Have them do that."

Sorey nodded in understanding, and not moving anything other than his neck and his head again, called out to his bewildered team mates.

"Just wait for us downstairs!" he called out, shutting his eyes, and refusing to do anything other than yell. He wanted to take his time getting ready with Mikleo. He wanted to cuddle, and he wanted the others to take a hint. He knew Zaveid could be a little slow on the uptake, but...not usually about things like this. Why did it seem like Edna, of all people, was insisting that they leave him and Mikleo alone for a little while?

Incapable of thinking about that for more than a second, he called out again. "Please! Just...wait downstairs!"

"Well, I guess that means they're ok," came Lailah's quiet voice. Unable to see it, the pair could practically feel Zaveid shrug.

"Well ok. Whatever you want your shepherdness."

"Thank God," Edna sighed. "Let's go."

The three seraphs turned and walked away after that, leaving Sorey and Mikleo alone at least for a little while longer. Once it quieted down and Mikleo found himself finally awake, he let his violet eyes flutter open. Looking to Sorey, he yawned, then finally made an attempt to move as he stretched, lifting his arms up and over his head.

"Uugh…" he groaned again. But even so, after he finished stretching, a small smile came over his face as he resettled back into his original position, arm still draped across Sorey's chest. "Good morning," he said.

And just like that, everything was better again, now that the threat of Zaveid barging in had gone away.

Sorey smiled in return, and reached up and clasped the hand Mikleo had left splayed across his chest, then pulled it up towards his mouth so he could kiss it.

"Good morning," he said, his green eyes twinkling with happiness. "Sleep well?" he asked, already knowing the answer, but wanting to ask anyway.

Mikleo chuckled when Sorey kissed his hand. He'd never been so sweet before.

"I think I slept like a human," Mikleo confessed. "Is this how you usually sleep? It was like being unconscious."

Sorey laughed softly.

"Yes," he stated, not letting go of Mikleo's hand. Instead, he was content to rub his thumb across the seraph's knuckles, still amazed by how soft his skin was, even though he'd become quite familiar with just how soft the entirety of Mikleo was the night before.

"I'm usually out like a log. Totally unconscious. I was last night too," the shepherd admitted before yawning. "I guess we needed it, after..." he trailed off, before his smile grew larger, making his eyes sparkle a little more. The night before had been so amazing. He could hardly still believe it had happened, but waking up with Mikleo like this was proof that he hadn't dreamed it up at all. He and his love had truly become one, intertwined souls...and it had been amazing.

Mikleo's soft smile remained.

"I guess so," he agreed.

The pair lay together, content and happy for a few moments, simply basking in the glow of the late morning sun and in the comfort of one another. The water from the Infinity Falls just outside their window was stunning with the blue sky above them. There were barely any clouds. And the ones that were there were light and wispy. Mikleo watched the water fall in the background as he stared at Sorey's face. And for just those few moments, he let his heart fill with the love he felt for him. But he knew their moment was over.

They had their day off. They'd taken full advantage of their date. And afterward, they'd bathed in one another, soaking each other in, in the way he'd always dreamed. And now that they'd finally been able to do those things…their responsibilities came creeping back in. Reaching out, he lovingly caressed the side of Sorey's cheek.

"We have to get up," he said. And as much as he loathed too, he knew that it was always his job to remind Sorey and their group of their quest and the importance of it. "You're the shepherd," he said softly. "And the world needs you. If we don't fix what Heldalf's broken, if he goes unchecked…we can't be like this together. We still haven't made the world a place where humans and seraphim can live together…" And as happy as Mikleo was in that moment, Sorey could easily see the sorrow that crept into his loves lilac eyes as he was reminded of such sadness.

He knew Mikleo was right. That didn't mean he wanted to admit it though.

"I know..." he whispered, sorrow entering his own eyes. He was happy and proud to be the shepherd, and he knew that what they were doing was important. But these moments with Mikleo were literally a dream come true...or part of it anyway.

If they wanted their dream to become a complete reality, then they had work to do.

"Okay," he conceded. "I guess...we have to get up," he said, sounding a little pouty. "At least we get to go to the library," he offered, already feeling a little bolstered himself at that thought. They were both nerds, so it's not like the day would be a complete chore.

Staying in bed with his love was still more enticing, but they had work to do. And so, he kissed his seraph soundly and softly on the lips, letting it linger for a long moment, before pulling away. "Okay," he repeated. "I guess we should get up," and it took every ounce of effort inside himself to sit up, moaning as he did so.

Mikleo let Sorey get up and out of bed first and for just a second, he allowed himself to admire the view of him from behind. If Mikleo had been attracted to him before, then he was ten times more so now that they'd connected. But Sorey eventually went to gather his clothes and Mikleo tried to keep himself on track. Once they were dressed, he was sure it'd be easier to get down to business. And so, he put his hands out against the mattress and went to push himself up. As soon as he did, he felt how stiff all of the muscles in his body were. He winced, and then let out a groan.

Sorey immediately stopped what he was doing and turned around, alarmed at the sound Mikleo had made. And when he laid eyes on the water seraph, that alarm swiftly melded into concern.

Hurrying over towards his love, the green eyed youth placed a soft hand on his lover's back, peering with much worry at Mikleo.

"Are you okay?" Dread started to fill him. Had he hurt his Mikleo during their lovemaking? He would feel terribly if he had. "Do you need help?"

Mikleo finished sitting up. And once he did, he lifted his gaze to Sorey and smiled reassuringly.

"I'm fine," he said honestly. "Please don't worry; I'm just a little sore. It was our first time after all." But when Sorey's worry lines didn't disappear from his face right away, Mikleo knew he needed more reassurance. He chuckled, "Sorey, you were a perfect gentlemen. Really. Very tender and caring. And so astute to my needs. I was actually really impressed! I thought you'd be a bit more bumbling, you know, the way you usually are for most other things."

And Mikleo knew that just a bit of teasing was exactly what was needed to chase away those worry lines on his loves face.

Sorey blushed. "H-hey!" he protested, feeling embarrassed but also relieved, and a little bit proud because of the compliments. Mikleo had known just exactly what to say to ease his fears, and sure enough, he was no longer worried.

"Well, I..." he started to explain, but realized he didn't need to. Mikleo knew exactly what he meant. They both knew how impossibly important last night had been for the both of them and he knew very good and well that Sorey would never hurt him, never on purpose. It went without saying.

So instead, Sorey planted a kiss firmly on Mikleo's forehead, smiling in happiness. "You were pretty amazing too, you know," he said, always happy to repay a compliment with another.

Mikleo, even after last night, wasn't so good at taking compliments, and so a quick pink blush came over his cheeks. Not knowing what to say, he didn't say anything at all. Instead, he got up, placing his pale feet on the carpeted floor. True to his word, he appeared fine as he started moving around the room in order to gather his clothes. The only noticeable difference was the slight stiffness in his usually much more fluid motions. It was big enough of a difference that the others might notice, but he hoped that they wouldn't.

After locating his missing items of clothing, Mikleo started to get dressed. Moving through the late morning light, it was nice to gaze at the waterfall as he pulled his items on. A few moments later they were both ready to go. But even though they were now fully clothed, they had rushed to try and get themselves together. And they were also still a little inebriated from the flood of emotions and hormones they'd experienced the night before. As such, neither was as kempt as usual. Not wanting to keep the others waiting any longer than they already had, Sorey skipped his morning shower, and Mikleo had forgotten to comb his hair. Mikleo never forgot to comb his hair. And because of that, and the other aforementioned signs, the party noticed straight away that something was off as the pair entered the dining hall.

As Sorey and Mikleo made their way across the hall and over to the table where they saw their friends sitting, all three seraphs had their eyes on them. It wasn't completely obvious right away, but clearly there was enough off about them to make the other's stare. Or at least it made Zaveid and Lailah stare. Edna seemed intent to focus on anything other than the new couple. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced, annoyed, off and to the side.

"Good morning," Mikleo greeted, as monotone as usual. Then, carefully, he took his seat. Sorey sat beside him. And after they were seated, they stared right back at Lailah and Zaveid. Silence settled down upon their table.

"What?" Mikleo asked.

Zaveid's eyes narrowed as he seemed to critically analyze the two young men before him.

"You didn't fix your hair this morning," he observed. And Mikleo, always a little self conscious about his looks, immediately lifted both hands to his silver and blue locks and began to run his fingers through them in order to fix them. But he'd hardly started when Zaveid continued,

"And you're moving kinda weird. When you walked in just now…you seemed stiff. We didn't fight any hellions or get caught up into any battles yesterday. Why would you be sore?"

Suddenly, Edna kicked out her foot from under the table, jabbing her boot harshly into Zaveid's shin.

"OW!" Zaveid cried, "What was that for?!" But even before Edna had kicked him, Mikleo's cheeks started to turn pink with embarrassment.

Sorey's blush was only a few seconds behind his boyfriend's, and unlike Mikleo, he immediately started to verbally protest.

"We're fine," he insisted quickly, his green eyes a little more narrowed than maybe they should be, even as his blush darkened. Normally he'd be touched by Zaveid's concern, but because last night's events had been so special and intimate, Sorey didn't want to let the air seraph know. He and Mikleo were private individuals, and they didn't really want the perverted Zaveid to know what they'd been up to.

Plus...wasn't it considered rude to talk about such things in public? Wouldn't that be indecent? Sorey might be new to human manners and general rules of politeness, but he was pretty sure that talking about such matters was definitely rude.

That, and he didn't want them all staring at him and Mikleo or making a commotion about their late night activities together.

He did, however, get this curious question in his head about Edna. Why had she kicked Zaveid?

Zaveid was still rubbing his shin and glaring at Edna when he asked,

"We?"

Mikleo facepalmed. He knew Sorey had been trying to defend them, or perhaps make it less obvious, but he'd only made it worse with two little words. And as Zaveid sat back up and looked to the pair again, he puzzled over it.

"Why would you say we? Are you sore too Sorey?" Edna groaned, then there was a second of even more silence, far more awkward than before. And as Zaveid glanced from Sorey to Mikleo, noting how Mikleo was hiding his face in his hand, Zaveid made that moment way worse by following up with, "What on earth did you guys do last night?"

There was a third, long, dreadful, bought of silence. It settled upon them like molasses, thick and heavy. But then it was during this time that Lailah's face fell open to sudden surprise. Her mouth falling agape, her turquoise eyes grew huge as she inhaled a gasp.

Both boys looked to her, seeing the obvious recognition come over her face as she put the pieces together. Panic overtaking Mikleo, he quickly started to wave his hands at her.

"No no! Lailah! Don't!"

But Lailah was too good of a friend to suddenly blurt something embarrassing out to the entire table before them. Instead, a wide, sweeping grin overtook her features. She was clearly very delighted for her travel companions. After all, she'd been rooting for them from the very beginning. Clasping her hands in front of her face, she struggled to contain herself.

"I'm so happy for you two!" she cried. But that was all she said. But of course, this was enough to make Zaveid turn to her in befuddlement.

"Happy for them why?" he asked. And when he saw the expression on her face, "Hey! You know something!" he accused. "Come on Lailah! This is something juicy, I can tell. Let me in on the secret too! I hate being the last to know everything."

Edna suddenly and sharply kicked Zaveid in the shin again, harder than she had before.

"OWW!" Zaveid cried, his hands going to his leg all over again. "Why do you keep kicking me?!"

"Shut up!" Edna quickly barked. "Just stop talking! We don't have to talk about this! If you shut up now and stop asking questions we can all go about our day as usual! We can order breakfast and go to the library and then no one has to suffer an indecent conversation!"

It was very clear to everyone then, that Edna already knew. And now, suddenly Mikleo became aware of the fact that everyone seemed to already know everything except Zaveid. His purple eyes widening, he gaped at Edna. How had she found out?

Edna saw his expression, and quickly a glower came over her face. With a bit of a snarl, she crossed her arms over her chest in agitation once more.

"I was your lookout last night, idiot!" She shouted. "Did you forget we were doing that for you? Judging from your stupefied look, you did!"

Mikleo's eyes couldn't get any wider. But his pink face quickly bloomed into a brilliant red. The color spread all the way out and to his ears. He had forgotten. And with Edna reminding him, he realized what that really meant: it meant Edna had been standing just outside their door. She'd probably heard everything.

Sorey let out an undignified groan, and promptly hid his now-crimson face behind his hands, shrinking down into the seat so his traveling companions couldn't see his obvious mortification.

"Oh my god," he said quietly. If she had been at their door, then that meant she'd heard everything. Absolutely everything. And that would include all of Mikleo's moans and cries…they hadn't exactly held back since they thought they had one hundred percent privacy.

"Oh no," he said again, too embarrassed to meet the short blonde's eyes. "I-I we…forgot..."

"No shit," Edna chastised. "Next time you plan on doing something like that, do me a favor and let me know so I don't have to stand by your door and listen to it."

"No one made you stand by our door!" Mikleo suddenly shouted, defending both himself and Sorey. "You could have left at anytime. In fact you should have out of decency once you realized what was happening in respect of our privacy!" he huffed. "And this whole conversation's getting a little out of hand! Yes, Sorey and I are together! We've been dating a little while now so it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone! Everyone here already knows how much we love each other! And this is what both humans and seraphs alike do when they're in love!"

And although he'd shouted such things in defense, it only seemed to make his blush worse. There was no brighter shade of red than what he was sporting currently. And if it got any worse, Lailah was afraid he'd get a nose bleed.

"Oh my!" Lailah exclaimed while giggling with delight. And for just a second's hesitation, nothing else was said, until suddenly Zaveid let out a sudden, very loud, gasp.

"Oh my God!" He cried, his orange eyes huge. "You guys had sex!"

And the announcement being shouted out loud like that would have mortified Mikleo earlier, but he was already at his limit. Having already been pushed pretty far from Edna and the entire situation itself, he quite suddenly stood up, slapping one hand down on the table top while the other went to his hip. Leaning in, with quite a bit of attitude, he faced the others head on.

"Yes!" he admitted. "Yes, we most certainly did! And anything past that is none of your business! And I'm not going to let any of you make me feel badly about it! It was the single most beautiful thing I've ever done, and I loved every second of it and I won't be ashamed of something so perfect!"

Lailah couldn't take any more, her heart swelled from within her chest. She rose to her feet. A bright smile still on her lips, tears now glimmered in her eyes. Within a few steps she rushed around the table to meet Mikleo. And when she closed the distance between them, she didn't hesitate: she reached out and threw her arms around him. Mikleo gaped, eyes wide with surprise as Lailah hugged him tightly to herself.

"Lailah…"

"No one's trying to make you feel ashamed," she immediately corrected. "We're all very happy for you. And I, personally, am so proud of you. Both of you. There's no distance between you at all. You don't…you don't even seem to realize that there's normally a very large separation between humans and seraphim. You're both so young, and you love each other so much that you just…you…don't even realize…"

And then she was crying. Mikleo, alarmed, tried to pull back so he could look at her face. But Lailah didn't let go, and in fact, she only held him tighter.

"Lailah…are you ok?" Mikleo asked. Very quickly, the fire seraph composed herself. Then, pulling back from her much younger party member, she smiled at him, brightly, and supportively through her tears.

"Yes!" she said, joy in her voice. "I'm just overwhelmed with the happiness I feel for you!" But Mikleo thought he heard something else in her voice other than just joy. But whatever it was, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. And so, choosing to ignore it for the time being, he let a small smile of his own come over his face.

"Thank you Lailah. That means a lot to me…to us." Turning, Mikleo smiled Sorey's way.

Sorey was still trying to process everything that was going on. Edna had been, well, very Edna with her response. So had Zaveid. And then Mikleo had said all of those things that made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

And then of course, there was Lailah's reaction to take in, too. It seemed like she sincerely was really happy for them. It was nice; the fire seraph had always supported them, since the very beginning of their journey. It had been Lailah who'd pushed Sorey to understand why Mikleo had to come along, regardless of Sorey's fear of the water seraph being hurt once he became the shepherd. And now...she was so moved by their coming together that she was crying.

"It means so much," Sorey said, echoing his boyfriend's sentiments. He stood up and reached out, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "You've always supported us. Thank you, Lailah. The rest of you, too," he said, looking towards Zaveid and Edna, smiling brightly at the rest of his traveling companions.

Even if Edna was grumpy and bitter about having to guard them last night, she'd still looked out for them and let them have their moment together. Sorey agreed with Mikleo: she probably should've not been out in front of their door, but he recognized her steadfastness and loyalty by protecting them anyway. The earth seraph wasn't mushy or sweet, but she showed she cared in her own way. And Sorey could respect and appreciate that.

Edna shrugged and Zaveid flashed a bright grin as he threw two thumbs up into the air.

"Yeah!" he hollered. "You get you some shepherd!"

Mikleo groaned, looking very unimpressed.

"Do you have to be so lewd?"

"You too Mikky! You've been wanting that tail for a while now! And all your efforts paid off!"

"Oh my God…"

Both Mikleo and Edna alike put hands to their faces.

"Edna, hit him for me?" Mikleo requested.

"With pleasure."

WHACK! Her umbrella came down on top of Zaveid's head before he had a chance to move.

"OW! Again? I'm getting more beat up by you then the damned hellions!"

Lailah laughed, and eventually everyone sat back down in their seats at the table. Once re-situated, Sorey called over the waitress. They all ordered their breakfast, or brunch, as Edna pointed out, and things settled back down into their normal routine. With the news of Sorey and Mikleo's night out of the way, they fell back to the things they usually discussed: the new town they were in, the things they did yesterday with their free time, how much of a pervert Zaveid was, and what their plans were for the near future.

The food eventually came, and the party joked and laughed with one another over a good meal. Edna occasionally poked Mikleo in his side with her umbrella tip, and Zaveid never gave up on flirting with Lailah. Sorey once asked Lailah a question about the previous shepherd, and as was her way, she immediately turned and focused on a bird that was seated on the windowsill of the dining hall. She enthused about his brilliant plumage, and immediately made a pun about it. Mikleo swatted Edna's umbrella away, a sour look on his face as Zaveid stole a bite of food off of Lailah's plate.

Filling up on the hot food, all of them were feeling pretty good. But eventually, plates emptied and so did their cups. With everything gone and the bill paid, there was nothing left to do but head out and to the library. After thanking the waitress and leaving a tip, they left the Water Crest Inn.

Stepping into the library, Sorey and Mikleo were impressed in a way the others in their party simply couldn't understand. The two boys both shared the same expression: eyes shining like stars, mouths agape, grins on their faces, and delight on their features. They stared in awe at the huge, five story, vaulted ceilings. The rows upon rows of books in oak cases that towered over their heads. The giant windows that took up the entirety of the back wall. And of course, the smell of parchment and ink, which both inhaled deeply.

"Oh Sorey! Look! Flying buttresses!" Mikleo cried with delight while pointing. "The library building itself is historical! Judging from the architecture, it has to be from the late gothic era. So according to the tour guide we had yesterday, that would date this to be one of the original buildings built when shepherd Ulric and the water seraphim lived here."

"Wow..." And Sorey stared, practically drooling his mouth was open so wide. "And despite the age of the buttresses, they're still in wonderful condition," he said, noted how there was only but a little bit of wear and tear on the building. "It's clearly been taken care of!"

And that pleased him greatly. The people of Tolrin obviously cared greatly about education and therefore, their library, if they'd kept the building up like this.

"And to think...Ulric might have been in this library too," he said more softly, his green eyes shining with delight. There was something about knowing another shepherd had been here...or more specifically, one who'd had a special relationship with a water seraph himself. Sorey felt connected to Ulric, or at least, he felt connected to the idea of the previous shepherd being somewhat similar to him.

Throwing a hand up in the air with excitement, he turned to beam at his boyfriend. "This is so exciting!"

And then of course, as soon as Sorey shouted, his voice echoing off the large walls, the librarian at the front desk held a finger to her lips and hissed.

"Shh!" She chastised, a cross look on her face. Sorey quickly blushed with embarrassment.

"S-sorry," he whispered to her. Mikleo immediately started to chuckle, folding a hand up near his chin in amusement.

"It's hardly fair is it?" came his teasing tones. "I can shout all I'd like and I won't get reprimanded for it. You on the other hand…" Mikleo grinned in a fox-like way.

Sorey frowned at his boyfriend. It totally wasn't fair. Mikleo could get away with almost anything, but he never could. Not that he'd been trying to get away with anything. He was just really excited to be in the library.

"Yeah, I'll get all the blame," he whispered, trying to be extra-careful and quiet so the scary librarian wouldn't yell at them again.

In a way, that was sort of funny. He faced hellions countless times during each day they were on the road. And yet he was afraid of making the librarian angry.

Determined not to think too much on that, he started to look around at all of the shelves, trying to get a good idea as to where everything was according to the labeled plaques they had on each end of the isles. After strolling around for a second, Mikleo and the rest of the crew following behind, he quickly figured out which direction he needed to go to find the older books.

"It's great," he whispered to Mikleo. "They've organized everything very clearly," he stated, appreciating how much time the various librarians and workers must have taken to organize such a collection.

Mikleo appreciated the organization too, and because it was done so well, the shepherd and his team were able to find the section they needed rather quickly. They ended up traveling all the way to the back of the first floor, underneath one of the balconies that lead upward. Here, in the corner, all of the history books from the time period of when Heldalf was alive were located. And because Heldalf was such a famous historical figure as it was, he even had a few books dedicated to him.

"Others have already researched him before us," Mikleo said, noting how many authors had chosen to write about him. "This'll make things a lot easier."

The party started to pull several books off of the shelves: books about Tolrin, previous shepherds, Heldalf, hellions, the age of chaos, and even seraphim. And then, finding a large nearby table that would accommodate them all, they sat down. And from that point on, they read.

Hours went by in silence. The only sound was of a page being turned on occasion. Sometimes someone would clear their throat, or shift positions in their seat. But other than that, there was nothing. Sorey and Mikleo seemed very content, but others in their party started to fidget and get bored. The first one to drop out was Edna. Groaning and sighing, and after stretching out her legs from within her seat a half dozen times, she finally announced she was getting up to give herself a break. Standing, she then left their table to take a walk outside.

Zaveid only lasted maybe ten minutes after that. Also bored and wanting to take a break, he stood up and stretched his arms up and over his head.

"Catch you guys later," and then he was gone as well. And so, the only three remaining were Sorey, Mikleo and Lailah. Lailah at the very least seemed as content as the two boys, and so, she stayed with them for another hour or so after ward.

After a time, Mikleo finished the book he was reading about blessings and curses. Closing its cover, he lifted his head and looked across the table from where he sat from Sorey. Sorey was resting his chin in his palm, and he appeared very intent to continue reading his book about relationships between seraphim and the shepherd. (I figured this is where he could get the idea to merge with Maotelus to cleanse the earth.)

Mikleo watched him silently for a short time, looking on as his green eyes moved back and forth across his page. He could practically see the information being absorbed into him. And even when all he was doing was reading…Mikleo decided he was cute. His heart fluttered briefly then turned to look at Lailah.

He watched her for a few seconds too as she read. But he never said anything and he never picked up another book. Finally, it was Lailah that noticed him staring in a strange kind of silence. Slipping a finger into the page where she was reading so as not to lose her place, she slowly closed the book cover. Smiling softly she addressed him,

"Was something on your mind Mikleo?"

He didn't answer right away. And instead, he appeared hesitant. But then he slowly nodded.

"Yes," he admitted. "I got an idea of something that might help us defeat Heldalf while reading but…" and then he turned his gaze across the table to the green eyed shepherd, "Sorey won't like it."

Sorey was completely and utterly absorbed in his book. He felt like he was onto something that could potentially be either very good, or very bad. Possibly, what he was thinking about would be both good and bad. He wasn't so sure just yet. But his book was talking about how, from time to time, humans could become seraphim. That was a fascinating idea, one he'd heard before during their travels. But more than that...he was starting to wonder just how deep the malevolence went. Say they did defeat Heldalf. Then what? Wouldn't Maotelus just find another way to eventually make the malevolence strike out again? Wasn't there something that could be done about that?

While thinking so deeply about these things, he was also very unaware of the conversation currently taking place between Lailah and Mikleo.

The fire seraph's thin eyebrows crunched together a little as she peered at Mikleo. Something Sorey wouldn't like?

"Oh?" she questioned, folding her hands in front of her. "What kind of idea?" she whispered.

Mikleo looked to Sorey once more. He almost couldn't believe he wasn't listening. After all, the library was silent other than their voices. But…that was until he saw Sorey's face. Sorey was concentrating hard, and as Mikleo studied him, he saw a troubled expression start to overcome his handsome features. Sorey seemed to be getting some sort of idea of his own. And whatever it was, he had to think through it: hard. Maybe while he puzzled over his own thoughts, it wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to Lailah first. Maybe Mikleo wouldn't have to worry Sorey if Lailah said his plan wouldn't work.

Lifting his lilac eyes back to the fire seraph, he carefully started to explain what he'd been thinking,

"We already know how Heldalf became what he is from what we've seen in the iris gems," he said. "We know that he was once just a human being, but when the previous shepherd cursed him, that's when he became immortal and full of malevolence. I was thinking, what if all we had to do was break the curse? If we broke the curse, than he would no longer be immortal. Then we could purify him just like any other hellion."

Lailah was silent as he spoke. She clearly knew that this wasn't all Mikleo had in mind. After all, it was a good idea, and nothing he just said would be upsetting to Sorey. And so, she waited a moment to see if Mikleo would continue. But when he didn't, she knew he'd need some gentle prodding.

"And?" she asked. "What are you proposing we do to break the curse?"

Mikleo swallowed. His eyes flickered to Sorey, but Sorey was still reading his book and looking very troubled. He wasn't listening.

"Well…if what this book suggests is true, then the best way to remove a curse is to use a lot of the same elements from when it was originally placed. The only difference would be to bestow a blessing instead. The book says that using the same catalyst and energies from before would resonate with the subject in question, creating the best channel for the blessing."

Mikleo stopped again. And once more Lailah had to prompt him.

"And?"

"And…" He glanced to Sorey a third time. Seeing him still absorbed, he looked back to Lailah. "Heldalf was cursed when the previous shepherd used me as a sacrifice when I was a baby. My energies and life-force combined with the shepherd's power did this. As a party, we have all of the original elements. We have the shepherd and his power, we have the Prime Lord, and we have…well, me.

What if…what if Sorey armatizes with me, then uses his power to send me into Heldalf? Once I enter him like I did before, isn't it feasible that I would be able to bestow a blessing on him from within, essentially removing the curse entirely?"

Lailah looked troubled as she thought over this possibility. She was silent for several moments, but finally spoke up.

"I think it's a good idea, but such a move would put you in a tremendous amount of danger, Mikleo," she said, leaning forward in her seat as she met eyes with her sub lord. "In theory, it certainly sounds like something that would work. But the potential for this to backfire on you is great."

Sorey had missed most of the conversation, but he'd managed to hear at least this last portion. He quickly put his book down for the moment, and looked to his boyfriend.

"Something that would put you in danger?" he questioned, his green eyes troubled. What he'd been reading was troubling, but the thought of Mikleo being in danger, more so than usual, of course made him concerned.

Mikleo turned, looking to the shepherd.

"Yes," he fully admitted, openly and right away. "Lailah and I were just discussing the idea of breaking the curse on Heldalf in order to make it possible for us to purify him. I think I've figured out a way of doing that." Mikleo quickly re-explained everything he'd just said to Lailah. Once Sorey was up to speed, Mikleo faced the fire seraph once more.

"So if I were to do this, what are the dangers exactly? As a seraphim, I think I already instinctively know how to bestow a blessing. I would simply take my energies and push them outward and into Heldalf, correct?"

"Well," Lailah started in her sing-song voice. "We won't know exactly what the dangers are, since nothing like this has even been attempted before, at least not to my knowledge," the fire seraph admitted, making eye contact with both Sorey and Mikleo as she spoke.

"But, yes, you are correct: that is essentially how you bestow a blessing. You're powerful for your age, and have wonderful control over your energies. I doubt you would have any issues pushing the energy outwards," she said, folding her hands downward onto the table.

"But the problem arises with the potential for backlash. You would leave yourself open and vulnerable to Heldalf's energy - or rather, his malevolence," she said, as her turquoise green eyes darkened. "It would essentially be possible for him in return to try and push back with the malevolence. You would have to have extreme concentration and battle with your willpower against his. If you wavered, then..." But she knew she didn't need to explain any further. Both the shepherd and her sub lord were intelligent. They both knew what happened when seraphim became corrupt with malevolence.

Mikleo was quiet for a few seconds more as he thought over what Lailah was telling him. But he didn't spend too much time pondering it.

"I can do it," he said calmly and with his usual confidence. "At risk of sounding conceited, I don't believe it's possible for me to become corrupted by malevolence. At least not at this time."

Sorey frowned slightly. He knew he needed to show Mikleo support; his love needed to know that Sorey was on his side. He knew that. And it wasn't that he didn't trust Mikleo, or didn't believe he could do it. No, he knew better than anyone just how pure and determined the water seraph was. It's just that he was worried. He was always worried about Mikleo doing dangerous things. But he knew better than to hold him back. They had their dream to work towards...and they'd known from the very beginning that it would be dangerous. If anyone could do it...it would be Mikleo. Sorey knew that. And so, with those thoughts, the shepherd made his support verbally known.

"Then that sounds like a plan," Sorey said, his green eyes shining with determination.

Lailah was quiet for a moment, but smiled softly and nodded in agreement. "Yes, then you shall give it your all! I believe in you too, Mikleo."

Mikleo smiled softly at his team members.

"Good. Then we might finally be prepared to face off against Heldalf once more, and soon. If we can remove the curse, than that's most of our fight. Without it, he'll lose most of, if not all of his power. He'll simply be a corrupted human otherwise. And we've dealt with those. Although they can still be very powerful, as we just experienced I the desert."

He looked from Sorey to Lailah and then back again.

"I think the only thing left we haven't figured out, is what to do about Maotelus. After we sever the tie between him and Haldalf…he'll still be corrupted, right? And doesn't that mean he'll continue to poison the earth with malevolence?"

Lailah nodded in confirmation.

"Then…we need to purify him somehow. Or get him a vessel other than Heldalf. A pure vessel who would cleanse him."

But of course, this question was far more difficult to figure out than the previous question of breaking the curse, and both Lailah and Mikleo fell silent as they puzzled over it.

But what Mikleo and Lailah didn't know was that Sorey had already considered a few options. And as far as he could tell, the best vessel to purify Maotelus would be none other than himself.

The book he'd been so intensely absorbed in had talked about how, on occasion, a pure-hearted human with high levels of resonance could, in fact, become a seraph after death. That made him feel a little better about the other things he'd read. The book had proposed the notion that shepherds are inherently considered to be more pure than some others, hence their ability to see and talk with seraphim and perform the acts they need in order to, well, purify hellions. And Sorey believed he was pretty pure. The others teased him about it an awful lot. Moreover, he had a very positive attitude and refused to believe that Heldalf would win this war. Call that belief the result of his naiveté or whatever, Sorey was confident he could do it. He believed in himself and his incorruptibility the same way Mikleo believed in his own.

But purifying such a powerful malevolence could take years. It could very well kill him. There was no guarantee his plan would work. And then there was the other part of his and Mikleo's dream: creating a world in which humans and seraphim could live side by side. Or, in their case, together as a couple. He'd learned very early on with his experiences with Alisha that in order to spread his resonance, he had to give up so many of his senses. And so Sorey had come up with the theory that he could fall asleep, shut off all of his senses, and be a vessel for Maotelus. And while he slept, he'd purify Maotelus so the earth couldn't be corrupted anymore. And then, while he dreamed, he could spread his resonance out as much as possible. Maybe other humans would be able to see seraphim after a while.

But how could he even propose this idea to the others, much less to Mikleo? Sorey almost wished he hadn't read the stupid book now. He needed to think more on this. There were a lot of loop holes in his theory, and there was no way he was going to bring up such a drastic, life-altering suggestion until he'd done more research, and thought on every possible outcome as much as possible. He knew they didn't exactly have an eternity to decide. But, if things went the way he wanted to, the way he hoped they would, he could potentially purify Maotelus, and thereby purify the earth, and also spend the rest of eternity with his beloved as a seraphim.

Even thinking it sounded too good to be true. Could such a thing happen?

Sorey's heart swelled with pained emotions, and he looked away and to the side as he thought, his green eyes darkening with discomfort. He and Mikleo had just taken such a huge step in their relationship. He didn't want to...

Die? Well, death was a distinct possibility every time they went into battle. They'd known that all along, right from the very first time he'd agreed to become the shepherd. The hardship and the battles he faced made the moments with Mikleo that much sweeter, and that much more precious. He'd known all along that they'd had limited time together. But what if they didn't have to have just one single human lifetime together? What if his idea actually worked and he became a seraphim? Then he could spend so much time with his love. But what would be the cost of that? How long would he have to sleep? Sorey wanted to continue trying to find an answer to his questions. Then, and only then, could he talk to Mikleo about what he was thinking about.

Mikleo and Lailah were completely unaware of Sorey's thoughts and plans. And as such they continued to puzzle on their own. That was, until Edna and Zaveid finally came back to rejoin them. Walking up to the table where everyone sat, Edna scoffed,

"Geeze, you bookworms are still at it?" she teased. And with that, their concentration was broken.

Mikleo let out a heavy sigh.

"It has been a long day," he admitted.

"And we've been studying for hours," Lailah chimed.

"I suppose we should stop. Sorey's eyes need to rest after all." Mikleo gazed at his boyfriend. "Should we break and come back later? I still wanted to read that book about Ulric and the water seraphim. I'd like to at least learn her name if we can."

"Yeah, we probably should," Sorey said, albeit grudgingly. He was in a studying mental state, and it was always hard to break out of that. Especially whenever he wanted to find out a solution to something serious, such as this. But Mikleo knew him better than he knew himself. His eyes were indeed straining after being forced to focus on tiny handwritten text for hours and hours.

"It'd be nice to get some food, too," he said, now aware of the fact that he was hungry. Again. "Break time it is!"