Chapter five

I could see a field. It's grass was golden and the skies were white. I looked at my reflection in the inky white water. My white hair fell to my shoulders. My white armor was replaced with simple grey robes that only the few chosen wore. I saw my wings in the reflection but I knew they weren't really there. My six black horns were covered in ribbon.

"You look like her." A voice from my childhood filled the air.

"You remind me so much of her too." I didn't know why, but a sadness crept into my soul as the tears rolled down my face. It was a deep aching sadness. One that came with nostalgia.

"Why must my beautiful creation cry so solemnly?"

"I-" I chocked on the words that caught in my throat.

"You mustn't worry my child. Everything will be fine." A white angelic figure appeared before my eyes.

I fell to my knees as her features began to materialize. She was the prettiest Guardian I'd ever laid eyes upon and she felt so holy. Her shoulder length golden hair matched the field around me and her eyes were to most kindest of blues. She held my tear streaked face in her hands and planted a small warm kiss on my forehead.

"The most perfect of creations have imperfections. You will be just fine my child. Return to the waking world and rejoin your brother. You have a long journey ahead of you." She took my hands and lifted me out of the grass. I watched as she began to walk away.

"You- you don't have wings." I called after her as she began to dematerialize. She looked back at me and gave a soft smile.

"I don't need wings. Not when my beautiful creations have them."

"But I don't have them." I could see her lips move like they said something but the words were blown away by the wind.

I felt the ground beneath fall away as everything faded to black. The cries of the other guardians filled my head as I was brought back to the real world. I felt the ground shake as a righteous cry came from a group of Guardians.

"I can feel his heart beat! It's stable!" Seer exclaimed as I opened my eyes.

I looked around my eyes searching desperately for Helios. I heard dad cough as I stood up. My body fell back to the ground as my vision went black.

"Easy. You used a lot of energy."

"Where's Helios?" I snapped getting up again but slower this time.

"He had to help the other guardians. Too many Daemons were coming from the woods."

"Helios!" I yelled. I felt a hand grab my ankle before I could walk away.

"You saw her didn't you?" Dad asked meekly.

"You saw the protector."

"How do you know?"

"I knew you were the one from the day you were born. I knew you would be chosen."

"What?"

"Erinyes! Help!" I looked back towards the woods and saw him struggling against several Hellions.

"Stay away from my brother!" I screamed as I charged at them. I sliced the back of two Hellions. they screeched as they fell to the ground.

"Return to the light of the protector!" I yelled as I grabbed Helios by the collar of his armor and plunged my sword deep into its chest.

"The protector will save you. But your wretched souls are not saved from the wrath of my sword. I hope you feel every once of pain that I bring down upon you!" I kicked one In the chest. It ricocheted off a tree flying back into the blade of my sword. It glided effortlessly through its neck as its claws reached for mine.

"Are you okay?" I asked slowly turning around.

"I'm fine." His back was turned to me. I could tell he was looking at something.

"Are you hurt? I can heal you."

"No! I already said I was fine! Now stop asking. I need to see dad." He grabbed his shield and stormed off. I looked around the field at Guardians celebrating there hard nights victory. The giant was slain and the sun began to rise over its belly.

"Where is he?" Helios demanded as we approached seer.

"He's fine. Erinyes managed to return him to almost perfect health. He's stable and breathing but, he still has a few broken ribs and a broken wing. The damage was far worse and lethal before he was healed. You two really need to get to Drower and report tonight's victory."

"Right."

"There are horses in the next village over. Make sure the village is secured then continue on."

"They're called cities and towns. But we'll make sure the humans are okay. Let's go. We have a while to go."

"I'll send a messenger when we get there." I called back to her as I caught up to Helios.

The rain finally stopped as the sun warmed the earth. I wanted to spread my wings and fell the warmth on them again. That was always my favorite feeling.

"Are you okay? You seemed stressed." I said breaking the heavy silence.

"Yea. Just tired."

"We can rest if-"

"No. We need to at least get to the next town."

I sighed and felt the soft warm breeze on my face as we walked. My mind wondered back to the golden field and her. The beautiful woman. Was she really the protector? If so why did she reveal herself to me? What was the point? Why didn't she have wings?

"You're mumbling again." He chuckled.

"Oh am I?"

"Yea. I haven't heard you do that in a while. Makes me happy to hear you do it again."

"Well, you talk in your sleep!" My face filled with heat as embarrassment washed over me.

"No, that was also you." I hadn't seen him smile like that in a while.

"I miss when we were kids. When we still didn't know that Sheol existed."

"What I miss most from when we were young. Would be you. And your pure innocence and happiness. You were my sun. You were everyone's sun. You would chase the dark skies away with just a simple hello. But now, you struggle to even keep a smile for yourself."

"What do you mean! I smile all the time!" I flashed a big grin.

"You might smile but I know it's only a hollow empty, shell of trying to keep a brave face."

"If I don't smile people will start to worry. And I don't want that."

"I'm always going to worry." He patted me on the shoulder.

We walked in silence as the day dragged on. The woods began to open up into big open fields. Fences began to crop up as well as old farm houses. I instinctively went to tuck my wings but nothing happened.

"Can you cloak us?" Helios asked as his wings tucked neatly into his back.

"What do people wear these days?"

"I'm not sure."