Chapter 9.

*When I was younger, I used to be very close to my aunt, even though she didn't know I was a Devoln. I would go over to her house, every weekend; we did everything together. We passed the hours playing round after round of Gwyddbwyll, my favorite board game, or teaching me to read books. I already knew how to read Demonican, thanks to Eldrazi, but the only books she had were written in Common, so I had to actually learn one.

She was also the village apothecary, so she taught me how to identify plants, and I loved to work in her garden. Once, when I was seven, I found a snake in her garden. I loved the way her scales glistened in the sunlight, and that was when I first learned how to talk to snakes. Not the world's most useful skill, but my childish self thought it was cool.

Excited, I ran inside my aunt's gate and showed my new friend to her. But her face grew a fearful look and she told me to put the snake down, grabbing a shovel resting on the fence next to her. I watched her put the metal edge on her neck and cut her head off, right in front of me. "Vile serpents," she had said, picking up the limp corpse and throwing it over the garden wall. "They are despicable creatures." I remember asking her why, my tears mixing with the snake's blood on the ground. My aunt then pulled me in close. "Hush Gavin. Don't cry. They'll ruin your garden and bite you at any chance they get, or even strangle you. They might have a cute face, but you can't trust what you see. You need to kill them on the spot..."*

⛤

Even with her warning, Gavin couldn't help but lightly tease Aeiln about her height, all of the quips he had heard as a child coming back. He truly couldn't help it, and Eldrazi's mischievous mind was not about to persuade him otherwise.

"Hey Aeiln, at least you won't have to worry about being pickpocketed. I don't know anyone who would stoop so low," he jested, laughing aloud from the hand gesture it elicited out of her. Truth be told, he had heard some of these since the first day of school, so to finally be able to have someone to poke fun at felt amazing. Was he going to get killed for it? Probably. Was it ultimately worth it? Absolutely.

With a flip of her hand, his fun ended as she made herself simply look like an older sister of his, not even slowing the pace of her walk.

*We must be getting close to the capitol. I remember this place,* he thought as they entered a marketplace, people from all sides announcing all kinds of wares. Fruit, jewelry, and, if you knew where to look, magik. The raw, illegal kind. Humans weren't able to use, or control magik, but that didn't stop some of them from selling it to those who sought power. Maybe that's why Devolns were hated and feared so much. A Human using magik was sure to evoke jealousy, and with it, terror.

Gavin slowed down his pace before finally stopping altogether. "So where are we going from here? We know that this thing is in the capitol, but this place is quite large." It was almost a lie, but he had picked his words just right. After all, he never said that they didn't know where it was, only that it was a large area, which was absolutely true.

"Isn't it obvious? It's in the capitol building."

Spotting a nearby alley, Gavin ducked in, pulling Aeiln aside. "Don't you think that would be a little too convenient?" he questioned. It was convenient, he knew that from experience, but it helped to keep up the act. "If I owned something this powerful, don't you think I would keep it in a less obvious spot? Somewhere you wouldn't think to look?" That would make logical sense, but it wouldn't be the first time Gavin had failed to understand Human logic, even when he was half of one.

"Ever heard of underground floors?" Of course he had, and he would have congratulated her in any other circumstance for getting it so quickly.

"Okay, and you think we're simply going to walk into the basement of the most heavily guarded parts of the empire? Why don't you stop for a second and actually think of a plan?" he nearly shouted.

"That's what I plan to do," she replied coolly, her outfit changing to match those of an Inquisitor's, white robes and all.

His face began to flush from anger. "Can you do anything without magik? And what am I supposed to do, just uselessly follow you? You think that they aren't used to people like you? The minute you walk through that door you are stripped of any glamours. It's a safety precaution against things like this. There are also highly trained guards in there, some of them being Inquisitors! So just stop and think for a second, will you?"

"Okay fine! Then what do you want us to do, almighty Gavin? Give me an idea." With that she changed back to her normal form, and intensely stared at his face with her piercing gaze, making him uncomfortable, which further increased when she asked, "Wait, how did you know all of that?"

"I suggest we find where the lowest security is, and that's where we'll get in."

"Answer my question," she commanded again, her tone threatening.

He sighed, slapping his face with his palm. "I used to live here you know... and I may have gotten caught by the Inquisitors once or twice." He hesitated for a moment. "And I also may have tried to break into the capitol a few times. But I can't just 'lead the way' as you so kindly put it. We still need to know the time."

"Ten o'clock, two floors down."

"All right then. Now tell me, how do you know all this?" Gavin retorted.

"I'd prefer not to talk about it," came her reply as she walked back into the tavern. He remained silent as she paid for another night and marched up the stairs, whirling around on her the minute the door was closed and locked behind them.

"No, you're going to explain this! Everytime I ask you for anything, it always has to be a secret. You never have to explain yourself, but you expect everything out of me. Do you think I wanted to tell you about my history with the capitol building? No, not one of my proudest moments, but would you accept that I don't want to talk about it? No. So you're going to start sharing some information with me, because otherwise, I am not going to help find a single Relic until you do," he blurted.

"Gavin, you have to understand. I really don't want to have to explain this," she muttered, her shoulders hunched as she refused to make eye contact with him.

"This is important Aeiln! Don't you get that? You made me tell you so many things about myself when I first met you, and yet you're still a mystery to me. Heck, I'm not even sure if I should trust you at this point. So, are you going to tell me, or not?"

A yell that sounded like it came more from an animal than any of the three accepted species emitted from her throat, before she answered harshly, "It's because I've been here before, okay? When I was eight, they brought me here, the same wretched place They brought you. But I escaped, multiple times. And everytime They would bring me back here, and Their punishments would become worse and worse. So, there's your answer. You happy now?" She glared at him, as if he was to blame for her past, or at least for reminding her of its existence. Then again, it was his fault the Inquisitors' laws were as harsh as they were.

"Oh no! Your past was so bad, huh? What, do you want me to throw you a pity party or something? I lost almost my entire family at the age of ten!" Seething, he slinked up to her and stared right into her face, "Maybe I would feel sorry for you, but you're really hiding something so minor from me, after constantly demanding to know all about me? You think being in there was so bad? Imagine still caring about your past when you have a big, fancy house to live in and people who accept you. Imagine waking up everyday in a nice, clean bed to someone willing to make breakfast for you, instead of being startled awake under a tree, covered in dirt and blood, because you realize you're being followed again. I WATCHED MY MOTHER GET RIPPED TO SHREDS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, by the person I had loved and respected most in the world! I've dealt with every single thing They could throw at me, more times than I can count. I haven't truly escaped, I haven't gotten a break; but this is why I am going to get those Relics even if it kills me, because I'm going to do something about this! You were eight then. How old are you now, how long ago was it again? I hate to be the one to say it, but you need to suck it up! I cried too, but this is life for us. You either need to learn to shut up and deal with it, or fix it! Those are your options, so take it or leave it."

Aeiln's mouth hung open, and nothing came out. She put a hand over her chest and gasped, before turning to run out of the room.

Maybe if it was a different day, or a different time, he would have cared where she went, but instead he felt a sigh escape his chest as climbed into the bed, and stretched out upon it. It felt wrong to feel absolutely nothing, but he wasn't in the mood to pretend to feel some emotion that he didn't. At least now he wouldn't be able to know what Aeiln felt firsthand.

*{You know, you do the stupidest things sometimes,}* Eldrazi spoke softly, his voice tickling his thoughts.

*No, she needed to hear it,* Gavin argued. *I'm not going to let the spoiled, naive, rich girl tell me her life was so bad.*

*{Oh. So you have a plan to get the Relics without the help of said spoiled, rich girl? I thought we already tried this on our own before... and failed...}*

A roar sounded in the distance, seemingly from the same direction as the one Aeiln had gone.

"Uuugh!" Gavin cried. He jumped off the bed and grabbed his quiver, jostling the arrows inside with a small clink. *She is so stupid! Does she not realize that if she hurts anyone here, the blame goes directly to me? I've got enough on my tab.* With a grunt, he took off after her, not caring whose heads turned in his wake.

⛤

Aeiln was far into the forest at this point. She held her side from her intermittent breathing, and continued to run, as tears pattered like rain on the ground behind her.

⛤

Gavin was close enough to her to be able to sense her energy rolling off her in waves, the dangerous vibes rumbling through his chest like thunder. *Maybe if I provoke her, she'll come closer, or at least she'll reply, then I could pinpoint where she is*.

*{Do you think that's a good idea?}*

*I'm not sure what she'll do to me when she finds me but I don't have the luxury to come up with a better plan right now!* came his frustrated reply.

"Wow!" he yelled, his words echoing into the forest, and his voice loaded with sarcastic confidence he didn't feel. "Big surprise, Aeiln's running away from her problems again. Where's your willow tree now, huh?" Better stop there, and wait for a response.

Immediately, her voice, now much deeper and with a slight accent, reached his ears. "Gavin, go away. I don't want to talk to you right now. Please, just go away before I do something." He caught a glimpse of her for a moment, before she continued to run.

"Where is she going?" Gavin murmured to himself. One good thing about being a Devoln was that you were never truly talking to yourself, because you were never alone. "There's nothing out here." As he caught up to her, he glanced at his arrows again. He really didn't want to have to hurt her, and maybe it would be okay if she just stayed out here, but he didn't know if he could trust her to do that. At least, not in this state.

Aeiln finally stopped and dropped to the ground. Cries of agony tore through the fleeting tranquility of the forest. "Get out of here! I don't want anything to happen to you!" Aeiln screamed. A black smoke began to cover her body, and two feathered wings wrenched themselves painfully out of her shoulder blades.

"I'm not leaving Idiot. Get that out of your head!" Gavin answered. He wasn't sure why she had come out to the middle of nowhere, but as powerful and emotional as she was, it couldn't be for anything good. He was not going to have a repeat of that incident, and he was certainly not going to get blamed if another village was destroyed.

"Run. I'm begging you..."

But there was no way he was leaving. Then he would be just as cold-blooded as his family said he was, as the Inquisitors told everyone he was; that he was heartless enough to let someone else go on a rampage, and do absolutely nothing to stop it. Well, he hated to disappoint, but that wasn't going to happen. He was willing to stay right here until she calmed down and returned to her normal state. He would have to deal with whatever was about to happen, but he wasn't running away.

Not from the only person... like him.

"Gavin, I said go away!" she screamed, although it didn't sound like her at all anymore. It was a new, unnerving sound. A line of smoke shot past him, and Gavin only barely managed to nimbly dodge to the right, before the tree behind him burst to pieces on impact.

Looking up at her, he could see her body on the ground, shining violet dimly, through a wall of untamed shadow, reaching high into a clouded sky. He knew Rowan had said she was powerful but... "This is absolutely insane..." He muttered aloud.

*{And you just had to go and provoke her. Way to go... I'm just going to note this on that Gavin's best blunders list I've been keeping. So... where would you rate this? Three? No, wait... I think this might be a solid two. I guess it really depends on how this ends, am I right? So, are you ready?}* Eldrazi paused for a moment. *{Can I kill you now?}*

Another long arm shot out from Aeiln's form, sweeping into him and throwing him several feet back. His head smacked into a tree, and Gavin could feel the world spin for a moment as he tried to stand up, blood dripping slightly from his nose. The arm wound back, and he could see that the... thing, whatever it was, was preparing for another attack. He had two options. He could try to shoot at a monster made of smoke, and pray that it made contact, or any sort of damage, or…

He reluctantly drew a single arrow from his quiver, nocking it on the bowstring. He drew the cord back to his cheekbone, and released the tension in his left hand, letting the arrow fly. It flew through the barrier around her, as he had suspected it would, and pierced deep in her thigh, her scream making him wince, but unfortunately, it was the only thing he could do. Hopefully, the poison would not do any serious damage. Squinting his eye, he released yet another, the arrow landing in her neck and dripping purple venom beneath the wound.

*Damn it, I wasn't even aiming for her neck.* He had hoped to get her arm, since it wasn't nearly as vital, but as dizzy as he was from her first attack, that wasn't an easy task. She cried out in pain again, but he guessed it wasn't enough. The shadow formed into a large, piercing blade, headed right towards him. There was nothing he could do. No time to shoot, no time to dodge. He simply closed his eyes and waited for the blow.

"Gavin, are you all right? I didn't kill you, did I? Please, answer me!"

What? I'm alive?

Glancing up, he saw her, looking very tired as she stood before him. She looked back to normal, or at least, as normal as she could be with the purple blotches spreading across her leg and face.

"Forget about me, we need to take care of you first!" His voice came out more panicked than he had expected, as he laid her down for a moment, evaluating her wounds. *Faust! It's spreading so fast because her heartbeat's up!* Typically Eldrazi would have told Gavin off for such foul language, but both of them were so distracted by what was going on that Gavin supposed that he forgot. He knew that he was poisonous enough to kill a Human in a matter of minutes, but he had never done it to anyone else before. He had thought that she would be different. She had to be different!

"Gavin? What happened?" Aeiln asked, slightly dazed as she sat up. She saw the two arrows embedded in her body, her dark blood running down the shafts. She hastily wrenched them out, the arrowheads retearing through her flesh.

"No! You don't do that!" he scolded. "Don't you know anything about arrows? You have to cut off the shafts, then remove the arrowheads." Because the ends had been tugged out quickly, the wound was worse now than when she had first been hit. "Now you're going to be even more poisoned! Why couldn't you wait?"

"I'll be fine," she told him, before falling to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Not like this you won't. Stay still for a minute." It took him only a second to transform, placing his mouth on her leg. He began to suck out the poison as best he could and swallow it, the venom having no effect on him. Not that he could get all of it, but at least enough that the reaction wouldn't be too bad. He then moved up to her neck. "{This is going to hurt a lot,}" he warned, not even trying to sugarcoat the matter. "{Are you ready?}" She nodded, gritting her teeth, and he repeated the process, drawing the venom out of her face. He was almost done when he heard a loud scream behind them, causing him to turn around.

A middle-aged Human woman was there, carrying a jug of water that she had been bringing to the village. At the sight of his face, she dropped it, its contents spilling over the grass.

"You!" she threatened, pointing an accusing finger at him. "What have you done? You were never supposed to come back! You should be dead!" She turned and took off, making Gavin jump up and call after her.

"{Elaina! Come back!}" but when she didn't, he just fell back to the ground, curling his tail around him.

"You want me to get her?" Aeiln asked, her voice already much stronger, and her head seemingly a lot more clear.

"{No!}" he yelled, much louder than he had meant to. "{I mean, you can't... Not in this condition. And... Well, she's family. I may be disowned, but we're still related, whether she wants to admit that or not.}"

"I'll get her," Aeiln told him anyway, reminding him who was in charge once again. She grew wings, but this time on her own accord, and flew only inches above the ground at an incredible pace. It took her no time at all to nab Elaina and bring her back, her feet making no sound as they lightly landed on the ground. Gavin rose to his feet so that Elaina couldn't look down on him, at least anymore than she already did.

"So, you've come back, and you've brought another one of your kind with you. I should have known this was going to happen." She spat at his feet, directly where his eyes were focused. "Your mother should have killed you when you first came into this world."

"For someone so seemingly righteous, you'd think you'd be able to tell the difference between a Devoln and an Angel, and yet here we are," Aeiln snapped back, death in her eyes.

"{Aeiln, stop,}" Gavin choked, his voice becoming weaker and strained. "Just let her go." He thought aloud in his head, much like how he talked to Eldrazi, so that they could speak privately. *How is this going to make her think any better of me? Now she thinks that we both want to kill her. I just want to improve my image for her, whether she accepts me or not. So please…*

"{Don't kill her,}" he spoke aloud.

But Aeiln seemed to be ignoring him, for what she probably believed was for his own good. "Who are you?" she asked. The woman however, turned her head way in defiance.

Gavin sighed, "{This is my aunt, Elaina.}"

But Aeiln shook her head. "No, not you. I wanted to hear her say it," Aeiln explained, and though she didn't say it aloud, he knew her exact reason why. She wanted her to stop thinking that they weren't worthy enough for her to hold a conversation with them. A nice thought, but Gavin knew that in reality it would never happen.

"{Please, just let her go. I don't want to see her like this. I know...}" It was hard to see her act like this. He hadn't seen her in four years, and even with how she was treating him, all he could manage to think of were the times when they had been playing in her garden or the hours spent having tea parties. He paused and started again. "{I know she doesn't love me... but she's... all I really have left. I know she seems like a jerk to you, but we used to play together all the time when I was young. She would teach me things, and we would go out together... She was never supposed to know about me, but that's my fault. So please... just let her go.}"

However, Elaine broke into the conversation before Aeiln could respond, and she spoke directly to her. "I don't know who, or what, you are, but don't be fooled by his innocent tone and forgiving words. He is a manipulative liar who will do anything to get what he wants. He killed his own mother, and half our town! You walked through it. You can see that we are still cleaning up his mess, because he took off and left us all behind. His father went after him, but who knows, I haven't seen him in two years. I tell you, it's his fault that his brother is the way he is. And I'm willing to bet he never told you, but it's his fault we're in this damn war to begin with!" Her words resonated through the forest, her blunt truth hitting Gavin in the chest like the beating of a loud drum. He turned his head away, unable to meet Aeiln's eyes.

"You're right. He never told me that, but am I supposed to listen to the woman who three minutes ago wouldn't even tell me her name, and treats her own kin with utter disrespect? I don't care who you are or what you say. I know who he is, and whether he will tell me anything about what happened after this, is none of your concern. He is my friend. You, on the other hand, are an imp. Gavin cares a lot about you, so I won't kill you," Aeiln dropped her grip, and Elaina fell to the ground. "Now, I expect you to go back home quietly and return the favor."

She looked at Aeiln's face and nodded, getting up and quickly running off. Only when she was a ways away did she say her final words.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Aeiln."