"Where Sympathy lies"

Everyone stood in silence. The words that came out of Lauren's mouth spared no sympathy for the fact that Azrael was still a child.

"* I get it, but I don't. Why would she say something so rude? It's not true, right? Right?*" he looked up, hoping someone would say that's not all true...

Lauren had put it bluntly and shattered Azraels's view of the world, but he responded most simply, knowing what was just said. "Even so, if it really is true. That just gives me the chance to be the first, right?" Azrael said, feeling a bit embarrassed but equally demoralized.

Lauren looked at him and laughed with her hand up against her face. She spread her fingers so her eyes could show and gave a direct deadly stare at Azrael and said, "Are you really willing to stand by that ideology? Foolish, no one has ever lived their lifelike. Especially not a hero. No one ever stays as a true hero for their entire lifetime, but I am interested to see how long you are going to last, hehee."

"Hehe~, don't worry, I won't disappoint!" he grinned awkwardly. Everyone in the room felt the awkwardness and tension of the conversation rise. They then started to speak about who will interrogate the group; they also discussed the plan for the next few months.

As the days had gone by, 1months, then two months passed since the day of the departure. More fights occurred, and all of the captured ones had the same answer, they don't know the person instigating the reward. They found that if the group hijacks their vehicles, kills them, and takes everything to the paying group, that group will be paid handsomely.

After two months, the group arrived in a village, and it had been decided that they will stay in the village for one week for rest purposes. They are not to get too friendly with the villagers and should focus on resting.

…

"Glock, how come I have barely heard you talk to us since you been on the road with us?" Azrael asked Glock, a funny question at least to Glock; it was funny as he laughed a little.

His low soothing voice resembles his calm stature, "I don't talk much because I don't have much to say. I am a simple person, and you can say I practice stealth by always keeping quiet. I could talk a bit more, but I would hate to burden everyone with my senseless nonsense talk." he blushed lightly while he spoke.

Azrael looked at him, surprised Glock had a lean body structure. He looked more fierce than what he gives himself credit for. His looks alone would make you think he is scary, but his personality had been a total opposite to his appearance.

"Haha, but don't worry. With me, it does matter what you say because you are my friend." Azrael smiled and threw a thumbs up.

"*That kid and his weird personality shifts.*" Cyra thought to herself as she overheard their conversation.

…

Everyone walked into the village and straight to their rooms for rest. Azrael went to his room and laid down on the bed, looking up.

"*I can't make sense of my thoughts or my personality; it is really annoying. Sometimes si feel like acting like a kid, then other times I feel like being hard head and have an authoritarian personality. Stupid me!*" he roughed up his hair quite a bit.

"*I think I should just stick to being a hard head person, who is a bit more self-centered, right? I mean, can't be a kid forever? I need to grow up and grow strong*" lifting his hand up and then clinching it. The clenched hand went to his chest as he spoke, "if I ever lose everything, I know the people who will have my back are my family and dearest friends. Because that's the type of people I prefer around me, they are also the reason I want to become strong. I think I made my choice I how I am going to move forward!" That had been his last words and thought in his mind before he had dozed off.

Just like that, the night passed in the blink of an eye. The dreams he had, were more than just peaceful, it showed how he would get the pill, save his family and finally protect them adequately! That night could have been said to of been his best night in months.

….

The morning had come around, the sun rose, and Azrael's; room lit up.

__________________________________________

Dear diary, its the year Z-005

I can finally write correctly and it is thanks to Alhoi's help, and my journey so far has been truly amazing…..

__________________________________________

He looked at how he described the events of his past. Each page contains a bit of his very history he forgot. The words on the ebook rejuvenated the old memories in hiding. He realized the journey he had been on. He decided even to write what he thought about his journey up until that point. Azrael had done a deep self-evaluation and finally realized how out of everything that happened, he constantly got up and had to learn and adapt, which had been the recurring pattern in his life.

"*Wow, reading and writing are tiring; I want to go outside for a walk, I guess. Maybe I find someone to talk to. Lauren did permit me, so I should be fine.*" He closed the book and got up. He put on a hoody and some jogger pants with some sneakers. Everyone else had worn informal and comfortable clothes in the village; there had been some rag-tag clothing as they could not purchase clothing.

He walked about and found an odd child getting picked on. The child had been scrawny, and the human kids were kicking him and beating the poor child till he was blue all over. Azrael had walked into the commotion and spoke intimidatingly, "Hey, get away from him, or do you want a beating?"

The kids stopped and looked at him, "Hey, kid, don't keep yourself all high and mighty; you are probably blind with those grey-looking eyes. Lol, I bet you can't see right." Azrael kept quiet. The child that seemed to be in charge indicated that they should all attack at once.

But, Azrael did not sit still and get beaten; instead, he waited calmly, and as they were about to attack, he moved swiftly, knocking all of them out abruptly. "Geez, they are all bark and no bite. Hey kid? What's your name, and why do you have horns?" Azrael fell to his haunches and reached a handout.

The boy shivered as he closed his eyes, frightened that a new person was about hit him. Instead, Azrael helped the boy up and asked him his name to which the boy replied, "My name is Sorin horn. Please don't hit me, I beg you, I will do anything, just please don't hit me!" Sorin's eyes were swollen from crying, and he begged Azrael not to do what those boys had done.

He looked at Sorin and replied, "What race are you? And please don't lie to me, okay?" Azrael spoke lightly. Sorin replied, "I am a demon; I know I am a demon. Please don't hurt me." he pleaded again.

"I won't hurt you because you are a demon, silly. I just wanted to know because I have never seen someone like you. My name is Azrael Raven, and well, do you want to become friends?" Azrael smiled as he held out his hand.

"Umm, you want to be my friend?" he replied shyly, "Well ya, I just said so, didn't I. While I am at it, why not introduce me to your family? I would like to say hi and give me a tour around the village." Azrael behaved politely in order not to frighten the child.

"My parents… are dead they villagers killed them for being demons…." Sorin wanted to cry, but his eyes were too swollen, and he had run out of tears to cry. Azrael at him and was disgusted by the villagers already.

"Why would they just kill your parents because they are demons?" the question came to a surprise to Sorin.

"Well, Ummm, it's because demons are always said to be bad people who pillage villages such as this one…." the boy answer frantically.

"Wow, I mean, that does explain, but did they have to kill your parents? I mean, they did nothing wrong?" he frowned his eyes.

"Well, yes, but the villagers said that they must kill everyone evil, that is the role of justice bringers…." The words spoken by Sorin hit Azrael as he felt there was a reason. But also hated their explanation.

"Why don't you leave? I mean, you can't stay here; you are getting beaten all the time by the kids?" Azrael started to pick up the child and carry him on his back.

"Where would I go?, I would starve to death. I also love doing alchemy and being a doctor, and like my parent's who were alchemists and doctors. I also want to take the equipment that is here. I can't just leave it alone as well. *sniff*" he wipes his eyes.

They walked to an open grass field, sat down, and spoke for a few hours. Azrael learned something new again about the world and someone. He was amazed at how hard Sorin's life had been and how he survived, the journey he had to go on to survive.

While listening to him, Azrael decided he wanted to help and told Sorin if he would like to learn how to fight, he would like to teach him. Sorin surprised, asked "What do you want in return?"; Azrael replied, "Just promise me whatever you learn, use it for good and please in the future, when I get strong or lose my way, help me like I helped you." he smiled and patted his head.

Sorin blushed; this was the first time anyone touched his head this lightly in years since his parent's death. Azrael carved Sorin a wooden sword to practice with. Since then, those two had trained for hours together.