Down from the skies, I came to check your rage, if only you will yield…

The small child woke up tired. It had taken her a moment to collect her memories of where she had woken up. A wagon, pulled by a single horse, slowly moved over a rocky path, making the wagon shake from time to time as if it was whining about the long journey.

An old man sat on the wagon's edge, holding the horse's bridle. His posture was slouched as the man seemed to be tired; the same feeling reflected in his eyes as he stared into the distance. Next to him sat a woman who, just like the man, seemed to have seen better days. She calmly laid her hand over the man as if to assure him that things would get better soon and they will be able to rest one day.

The child finally lifted herself, pushing the rags that served as a blanket aside and rubbed her tired eyes, hoping she would be able to see her surroundings much better. The old couple and their child had been moving for days on end, only taking small breaks to feed their stallion or fix up the poor, falling-apart wagon. They did not know where they were going; the goal had not been set, but the girl noticed cities with church bells ringing in the distance and the laughter of the children. She didn't hope to live there; she didn't wish to be around kids her age. Her only hope was to stay in these places for just one night to rest and let her parents regain their strength.

Finally, after moments of hesitation, she got up on her feet, careful not to disturb the wagon, and wrapped her hands around the exhausted man, who seemed in need of a warm hug from his last child. His cheeks puffed up from the smile that the girl knew was forced, and his wrinkled hand cupped the child's in an assuring manner.

"I see our sweet angel is finally awake."

'Sweet angel' was the nickname the old man had given to his child, but the girl knew it was far from the truth as she had to face being a burden to her parents from a young age. Nevertheless, she smiled in return and hugged the man tighter, not saying a word, almost like she thought she would offend them by making even a sound.

"We have to drive for a little longer, and then we can stop for a break," her mother assured, but the child could sense the pain in her voice.

Guilt settled in the child's heart as she sat back down. Her small, black hands dipped into the scrunched-up rags and pulled out a stuffed animal - a small pig that seemed to lose its bright pink color day by day and gone through fire and hell, judging from the burn marks and loose seams. Her hands pushed the poor animal against her chest, attempting to calm and comfort herself.

She was so young, yet the world demanded for her to grow up so fast. She knew of her parents' grief and pain, and she knew that the reason for it was her. The poor couple had hoped for a child after losing one after another, yet their happiness was cut short as the child gifted to them by gods was one who bore a curse. Hair as dark as the night accompanied by a small set of wings and hands drenched in black ink, they couldn't be more horrified. However, on the day of the child's birth, they promised each other to love the child just like they had loved the previous ones, but fate would make the task more difficult.

Word of a cursed child spread fast throughout the kingdom, and the couple already despised the place, but when people showed up with torches and pitchforks, demanding that the couple give away their child, they fled and never returned. The three of them traveled far and wide, looking for a place to call home, where no one would be frightened by their child, but they would learn quite quickly that no place like that existed.

People called the poor girl a 'witch', and while her parents called her an angel, a blessing, she knew she was nothing but a curse. The child quickly learned to hate the gods and their mortal creations and hoped to give her parents more than the Gods could ever offer.

'The gods' are forgiving; they will grant us happiness one day. I'm sure of it' her mother used to comfort her before she fell asleep, hoping she would not wake up. She truly believed her mother's words. However, the day would never come.

Just like before, and just like always, the wagon moved over the path set by merchants. The moon was slowly rising over the hills that the horse was calmly approaching, and the poor child couldn't help but lie on the dirty floor of the wagon and look at the stars. She thought about how freeing it would be to just fly up into the stars and stay there forever, surrounded by their beauty. She knew that one day she could do it, and one day she could feel how freeing it is to fall from the heavens.

However, soon the sky was covered by the thick branches of the forest trees, and the girl couldn't help but close her eyes and imagine the beautiful view herself. She listened to the woods and how quietly the bugs sang their lullabies; she listened to her parents' quiet breaths and she heard the animals deep in the bushes walking, eating and living their best lives, but above all else, she heard heavy steps that seemed to be approaching from a distance.

The wagon came to a stop, and the poor child lifted herself with hesitation just to check if everything was alright. A figure stood in front of the wagon with a lantern tucked deep between its fingers that were gifted up in a fist, illuminating half of its face. It was a man, seemingly a hunter, so by previous instructions, the girl covered herself in rags and hid under the wagon as quietly as possible.

"Are you the couple with the cursed child?" the man inquired, cockiness spilling out of his voice. She could hear him approaching the wagon, and almost on instinct, she covered her mouth not to let out a single sound.

"No, we are just traveling back home."

"Odd, there's just an abandoned village nearby. You can't get through it; there has been a landslide around the path."

"Thanks for notifying us; we'll go back and figure out a different way to get through," the old man stated, ready to turn the wagon around and head back, but the figure had already approached him and placed a crossbow to his head.

"I thought people in this day of age are told not to lie. I respect the truth. Give me the child or you can wait for her with the gods."

The family got into these situations quite often. It was a familiar thing, but the poor child was scared every time because, at any moment, she could be forced to leave her family behind. A moment like that had never come until now, and when she heard her mother click her shoes on the wooden floor of the wagon, she knew it was time.

Trembling in fear, with hesitation, the girl slowly snuck out of the bottom of the wagon into the forest. She ran, sometimes even tripping over her legs. Her wings fluttered, hoping that they were big enough to lift her up, but it was never time. She ran as far as she could, and once she deemed the distance to be a safe one, she hid in a bush, hoping to be found soon and be on her journey once more.

She sat patiently, looking at the steeds walking past her and the birds flying over. It felt like eons had passed when the sun came out, and her heart shook in fear as she realized too much time had passed.

The child crawled out of the bush. She traced her steps back through the forest where the soil had remembered the form of her footsteps, and she made her way back to the path, back to her family. The animals seemed to look at her with sadness, almost as if they knew what had happened and what the poor girl would witness, and what a horrifying scene it was.

The wagon was set on fire, and what was contained in it was scattered all over the floor, burned to ashes, accompanied by her parents. Blood had stained the dry ground as their lifeless bodies lay there. She hoped they would wake and get up to assure her they were alright, but the arrow in her father's head said that it would never happen.

Time passed, things engraved in one's memory happened, and the child, now an adult, had been woken up in a dimly lit room by a single lantern. The others had been put out to not disturb her, but the fire that quietly blazed in the fireplace was more than enough to dimly light up the room. Eris slowly lifted her body up. The pain from her wounds harshly shot through her body as she hissed in pain.

The room itself smelled like mud and heavy rain. It was a smell she remembered well and one that she wished to never forget as it felt like home. Her hands reached out to touch the white fur rug underneath her as her eyes slid around the room. It was just as she remembered it - chests stacked up next to the fireplace by one wall, tables and workbenches pushed against the other. It was cluttered with just the necessary things - weapons, materials and ores.

It took her a quick second to realize that her wounds were neatly wrapped up and tended to, and her body was washed clean from all the blood and mud staining her skin. Her beautiful dress had been replaced by a huge shirt that hung loosely to her thighs, and her hair had been brushed out of all the tangles.

Eris thought about how she had gotten to this point, how she had become so weak to other mortals and how she had ended up in Technoblade's house once again. With these thoughts, she had finally realized that a calm feeling had settled down onto her, and the voices in her head had gone quiet. 'How interesting', she thought, but as soon as she was about to think through her options and choices, the door to the cabin quietly swung open with a familiar creek, and two heavy boots covered in snow stepped into the warm space.

Technoblade, with his blood-red eyes, looked over at her confused expression, and after a second of pure silence, he looked away and made his way to the nearby furnace. Neither of them dared to start up a conversation as it felt like not the time. Eris continued to stare at the blazing fire that seemed to laugh at her pathetic state. 'Oh, how low heroes fall,' she thought to herself.

After a moment, Techno finally sat down next to her weak form and handed her a cup of tea. With no hesitation, Eris took it from his hands and held it close to her, almost like attempting to steal its warmth.

She thought that this was the perfect time to start up a conversation as he sat there fidgeting with his fingers, but she had no clue what to say or what to even think. They used to be able to speak about anything that came to mind - magic, combat, rumors, stories - but now the high wall Eris had created between them for defense was something she hated. 'What possessed me to do this?' she thought while gripping the mug deep between her palms. She could have once again brainstormed ideas of what to talk about or what to say; she could have asked how he had been or how was the forest where they used to spend time and practice, but right now, it felt like she didn't deserve the answer to these questions.

"Why did you rescue me?" she forced out. Eris was almost certain that Techno had not heard her, but she was wrong as soon after, she heard him sigh as he rubbed a palm over his face.

"I don't know," was all he said. She knew there was more, there had to be, but once again, guilt seemed to decide to drown her, for her to not push for a proper answer.

She decided to drop it along with the idea of having a proper conversation. So, she lifted the mug to her lips for a sip, completely forgetting that the liquid inside was hot, and once she felt it touch her skin, startled, she dropped the mug, spilling the liquid all over the floor. "I'm sorry," was all she could say while attempting to reach down to pick everything up, but Techno stopped her, making Eris' body freeze.

He had placed his hands on her cheeks while checking for any burns or cuts. After making sure there were no new injuries, he looked up at her glowing eyes and immediately was reminded of the position they were in. They were close. They had not been this close in so long, and while Techno wanted to move away, he couldn't, as Eris once again seemed to work like a magnet, tempting him to get closer.

Techno looked away in annoyance, like thinking over his voices, and then looked back at her wandering eyes that still hoped for answers, still hoping to be close to him once more. "By my principles, I should have allowed them to kill you. I shouldn't have stopped your death, but I did. It could be because of the trust I had in you…" he said, pausing to collect his thoughts or maybe to look for some sort of reaction on her face, but there was none. "It could also be because of how different you made me feel. Between the flower field and our argument, I felt happy. I felt at home."

Once again, there was no response from Eris. She just stared, and there was nothing else she could do. She felt so stunned by the words that she never thought would be spoken, words that, in a way, made her reflect on her own emotions. Two gods, two mortals that were strong and powerful, yet had no idea what they were feeling. It was almost hilarious.

After minutes of silence, the frustration in Techno kept building up. He hoped she would say something, she would at least scream or push him away, but she just started, so out of impulse, Techno leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Once again, he waited for her to push him away, but he was stunned when her fingers brushed his hair and pulled him closer, melting into the kiss.

With every passing moment of him feeling her get weaker and weaker in touch and her skin pressing firmly against his, he felt like he wanted more. He needed more. He allowed her to take a breath for a split second, at which time he heard his name fall over her lips before he pushed himself back into her.

Techno felt as though he had been hungry for eons, and this was the only moment when he could eat. However, to his disappointment, he and Eris had to move apart to finally catch their breath. As they parted, their faces still just an inch apart, Eris' hand fell from his hair onto his shoulder, almost like in defeat.

"Tech, this isn't right," she whispered but did not dare to move away. "You'll end up getting hurt, all of you."

She could sense the confusion in his eyes, in his body tensing, but he never moved away. He stared into her eyes, hoping she would explain, praying she would not leave him again, taking the feeling of calmness away from him. "I don't know what Will told you. There clearly was a discussion about our relationship judging from how you acted at the ball, but I have always been scared of intimacy. I'm a curse to everyone in my life, and you are too dear to me to get hurt just like the rest did."

Her eyes finally parted from his, and her hand fell from his body, going right back to her side. Techno, of course, hesitated. He thought over his words and options, thought over how she would react to anything he had to say and when her name fell from his lips, he knew there was no going back.

"I will never leave, and I will never die. I will keep you safe and make sure you are happy. You trust me, don't you?" He whispered.

"But-"

"No buts. I promise everything is going to be okay."

She sighed and nodded, and as soon as she had finally relaxed, Techno pulled her into his arms, brushing hair out of her face and dragging his fingers over her head. She had not felt this safe in a while. She hadn't felt this warm and comfortable in eons, and the calm feeling, combined with the sounds of the fire, made her eyes shut as she fell asleep.

She had no clue what had brought her to the city. It could have been the fear, losing direction or maybe it was the hunger that the poor child could feel biting into her stomach. Nevertheless, she had one goal in mind - to find a bit of food to satisfy her pain and leave as soon as possible.

However, the city reminded her of another one, with walls made of stone instead of wood and towers much higher than the ones she was seeing now. They reminded her of happy times, sad times and times that were shared with her loving parents as opposed to being on her own, but she quickly settled on the idea of being alone, if not for the rest of her life, then just a little bit.

Mud and moss covered her clothing and skin from the long journey she had made, but the poor child knew that if not for the dirt, she would be spotted and burned alive for all to see. So, she settled on the idea and pushed all the irritation aside in her mind, hoping that she wouldn't need to stay here for long. 'Run, run, run,' whispered a voice in the girl's ear as people gave her glances that could have been accidental, but she wouldn't know; she didn't care as long as she came out alive.

Despite these harsh stares, no one paid any attention to her pleading. No one even stopped to hear her out or try to help, so Eris found herself walking into a small cafe near the edge of the city. The harsh smell of cocoa beans was enough for her body to remind her of the objective, but she stayed calm, looking around and praying for an opportunity to get anything.

She knew stealing was bad. Her parents had raised her to be a responsible and honest young girl, but in the moment of desperation, she was ready for anything. The child, seemingly distracted, started looking around the coffee shop - her eyes wandering around the peaceful and beautiful setting of the place. Its dark wooden walls emphasized the black floor, but the plants scattered along the corners and edges of the room made the place feel alive and safe, along with the sweet smell of coffee and snacks.

Her small mind wished she could live in a cozy place like this, with a fire in the corner that would lull her to sleep every night, a place of her own where she would not need to worry. She was drowning in her imagination, but the time wandering was cut short when the loud breaking of plates echoed throughout the place.

'Run, run, run!'

And there he was, a small boy standing among broken plates, his hand clutching a small loaf of bread, the same hand that was harshly gripped by the store's owner, who seemed mad and ready to punish the poor boy. He didn't seem much older than Eris, and because of his soft features and hair till his shoulders, he could have been mistaken for a girl, but the way he carried himself told otherwise. Eris could see the bravery in his eyes. He seemed to fear nothing, but upon close inspection, the boy seemed frightened, like he expected the Goddess of Death to come through the door to collect him along with his suffering.

The patrons of the store all seemed to turn their heads to the poor boy in unison, but none of them cared enough to step in or even say anything. They all watched and laughed at the boy as he struggled to escape. "Either you pay for that or I'm turning you in," the man harshly announced, but still, not even a single word from the people around.

Eris was about to step in, but she hesitated. She felt fear wash over her fragile body. Was she really gonna risk everything for a boy she had never met? At first, the answer was no, as Eris deemed her safety to be her top priority, but then the man pushed the boy harshly against the floor.

"Who even said I stole it!"

The man had already started to approach the boy in anger, and Eris could only imagine what the man would do. Her thoughts, once more, drifted over the situation, praying to hear an answer from her parents or even the gods themselves, and then it came to her.

"Here you go, sure. This is all I have, but I'm sure it's enough for the bread," she said, handing the man a gold coin, the last one she had, the one her parents had given her for safekeeping a long, long time ago.

The man, quite upset that there was no longer a reason to escalate the situation, grabbed the coin from her small, dirty hands and left, not forgetting to scoff at them beforehand. She felt sad, of course, she did. She had to give up an item that was dear to her, but if her parents had taught her anything, it was that people are more important than any riches, so to make her parents proud, she gave it all away, keeping in mind that she still had her memories of them.

Once the man had finally left, the boy got up, grabbed Eris' hand, and pulled her out of the shop. She was still quite stunned by what had just happened, but the boy's eyes on her quickly pulled her back to reality.

Quickly, she came to realize he was not so different from her. His eyes glowed in a shade of red, his brown hair was picking up a shade of soft orange, reminding her of the sunsets she used to share with her parents in the wagon, and his pointy ears could match only her own. He was an outcast, a curse. His head tilted ever so slightly to the side in curiosity as she continued staring. Soon, it seemed like the realization struck him as well, as both children just stared at each other.

"Your eyes…" he said almost in a whisper, in a lost breath that had picked up the sound on its way.

Unfortunately, their moment was cut short as both children heard whispers surrounding them, and the boy was the first to pull her arm for a run. The crowd's whispers picked up the volume as the two children ran out of the city and deep into the forest. It took Eris a quick second to realize what had just happened and what was happening. It took her another second to stop and pull herself away from the boy.

"Why did you stop? I don't think we are far enough away to be safe."

"How do I know you are not planning to hurt me as well?" she inquired, earning a smile from the boy.

"I think you are out of options. It's either them or me, and if neither of us, someone will find you eventually. Now come on, we aren't that far from safety."

But Eris stood frozen in her spot, the words repeating in her head. She felt like the ground was sucking her in alive, not caring for the life the boy was offering. He was right. There was nowhere else to go; every place was unsafe, as proven by her parents, but being with someone seemed to be the wrong choice, as the events that had happened a few nights ago could repeat once more.

"I don't think I should. This might be a bad choice for you," the boy couldn't help but laugh at Eris' reply. It seemed like he knew what she was talking about, like he could read her mind. Eris was an open book. That's what every kind stranger, along with her parents, had said.

"Ah, you're worried I might get cursed, is that it? We both seem to be in the same boat as far as I can tell, so I can assure you, I'll be fine. I can stand up for myself."

Eris hesitated, of course, she did, but she hoped the boy was right, so she moved, peeling her feet from the ground and following the kid.

The boy brought her to a home that had been abandoned. Its door barely holding on to its frame, moss covering the roof. This served them as a home for a long time, and although rundown, Eris found herself for once being happy. They had learned how to hunt, cook and enjoy their life in the cabin surrounded by mountains that served a forest and a breathtaking waterfall. They felt safe, happy, and Eris, finally, was fooled into believing that this could last forever, that this would be how she lived till her last breath.

The curse long forgotten, they both enjoyed each other's company every moment of the day. It was never boring because if they had done all of their daily chores, the rest of the day would be spent picking and planting flowers. For two children who had grown up with the idea of being hunted, they were happy.

However, the days would pass, and after years of living like this, Eris was once again reminded of how cruel the Gods could be. In one moment, they were happy children, the next, one had to lose the other.

Eris would remember the feeling of loss every time she would wake up, being pulled away from her peaceful and joyful dreams, and this morning was no different. She woke up, rubbed her face with her palms in an attempt to recall the dream once more, but as always, the moment she wanted to remember the most had faded as soon as she opened her eyes. The way he smiled, the way he laughed, fading away in her mind waiting for the next time she would fall asleep, the next time she would hope to see him.

She had not seen this dream for a few days, but waking up in a cold empty bed made the dream flood her fragile mind once more. It made her believe that revenge, once again, was the only option in her hands, so, with no hesitation, she got out of Techno's bed and dressed herself in the clothes carefully folded and laid by a bell.

Before leaving the small room, Eris wrote a small note and left it under Techno's pillow. She had left it just in case but paid no mind to the implications behind the action, but as she headed down the ladder, she could not help but notice how quiet the house had gone. The warm and fuzzy air was now replaced with a cold aura, presumably because of the fire that had burned out throughout the night.

She made her way through the house and outside, where she was met with the loud thuds of an axe being slammed against a piece of wood. It had snowed throughout the day, leaving a thin layer of snow on the pathways and roofs, but as the night fell upon the snowy land, the snow stopped, leaving it glistening in the lights of the lanterns.

It was dark, the moon had already settled in the clear sky, and Eris could only assume she had slept so long because of the wounds that still reminded her of their existence with every move of her body. It was odd to sleep till this late, and Eris couldn't help but wonder how quickly she could settle her sleep schedule once more.

"Someone's finally awake," Techno said while approaching her with enthusiasm. "The rest had finally gone to sleep."

Eris ignored his small talk and rushed right past him, heading straight for the horses that Techno had escorted under the roof of the house. She seemed to be really focused, determined on a single thought in her mind, and a small seed of fear had started growing in Techno's chest.

"Slow down! What's happening?" he questioned, and the moment Eris turned towards him, eyes glowing in the dark, he knew something was off, the unsettling feeling eating him alive.

"I figured out how to take down that fucking kingdom. Its capital center is made out of wood, so we just set it on fire!"

"What?"

"I mean, if the kingdom is gone and no one survives, there is no more of that nasty place, no more of the government!"

Techno stared at her, dumbfounded, the last hope draining from his body. Eris, however, didn't seem to care, as she once again was set on this path of self-destruction. A moment of silence followed her statement as one tried to take the full grasp of the idea, and the second waited for the first's answer.

"Eris, I don't think -"

"I'm sure we can succeed. I mean, two unkillable gods against a small group of mortals? There's no chance they could take us down! "

The silence once again crept upon them; Eris being too busy to notice as her hands made quick work of the ropes that tied the horses. Techno scoffed, looked over at Eris and sighed. It felt like his hands were tied.

'She's just like the rest. The blade. Just a blade.'

Eris seemed so excited, swallowed up in her madness as she ignored the small voice in her head that begged her to stop. 'Don't risk it, settle down, you don't need this,' but she no longer could be persuaded as she was already walking through the path, already on her way to act upon her revenge even if it took Techno and her with it.

"So, you are with me, right?" she asked, but it wasn't a question; it was a demand, one that Techno refused to follow.

He walked up to her and wrapped his hands around her body, pressing his lips softly against her ear as she paid no mind to the sweet action, too busy setting the horses free and in an answer to her question, Techno whispered - "paenitet."

As soon as he did, the word confused Eris, as she could recognise neither the language nor the meaning, but the worries about the statement flooded away soon, as she felt a blade stab right into her chest.

His dagger was tucked deep into her body. Through skin and flesh, it sat there for moments, reminding Eris that this was truly the end. She could feel her vision getting weaker. She could smell warm blood mixed with the oh-so-familiar scent of rain and mood, but most of all, she could feel the warmth.

She felt Techno's body heat, the rise and fall of his chest, and his heavy breath that shook from time to time. With every second, every passing moment, she looked back at how foolishly she had spent her days reaching out for something that ultimately didn't matter. What was gone was gone, and there was no way of getting it back. Well, at least, how it used to be.

The boy in the field, the memories they shared and that had been passed down to her; they were just that, memories, and Eris knew that all too well, and now, with a dagger deep in her heart, she had to accept it.

She did not wish to cry as she knew Techno was in as much pain, if not more, as she was, so, with her hazy eyes, she looked up at him and gave him a weak smile, a smile that she could barely hold yet she knew that if he remembered her like this, then maybe, just maybe, the guilt would eat him a bit less.

"You know," she spoke up, "One day, you'll look back at this and think how stupid we were."

He stayed quiet. Maybe he had nothing to say, but Eris knew that if he were to speak, he would probably break down as well. So he stared, took in every detail of her face before he would settle with the idea of never seeing her again.

"I hope to see you again. I love you," she whispered.

Her eyes closed, and her body fell into his arms. It was so heavy that he could barely hold her in his moment of weakness. She hoped to be united with her friend. She hoped to see him smile and be able to run with him in their flower field where they could live forever. She hoped to hear his voice again, to hear him laugh and scold her, but in the moment of her passing, she heard silence.