Falcon found himself staring in a set of dark red pupils, full of viciousness and a wild fury which made the hair on his neck prickle like a bolt of electricity had just shot through him. He stepped back in alarm as the beast gave a low snarl, blowing hot stinky breath in his face, which smelt suspiciously of raw flesh, like it had just feasted on some poor animal.
Falcon wondered if he was the next prey as he took in the creature. His eyes had watered from the stench and he shook his head slightly, staring at the brute through a hazy curtain. It looked much like a wolf, but gigantic in size, towering over him and looking like it was ten times more lethal.
The beast's body was covered with hair a deep shade of grey with a tinge of black, like the angry clouds in the sky prior to a storm. The fangs stood out the most, long sharp canines dripping saliva in strings, forming a puddle by his feet. He was so caught up in staring at the wolf's mouth that he failed to notice the animal had gotten low on his front paws, staring at him ferociously, ready to strike.
'Alaska.' A terribly high-pitched shriek rang in the air, making his eardrums rattle and causing him to involuntarily shrink against the sound.
The wolf straightened up suddenly, looking past him to where Aurelia stood, her mouth widened in a smile so big he could see the pink of her gums. She was looking at the wolf with so much fondness that he thought her eyes would fall out from delight.
'Come here, girl.' She opened her arms.
The wolf emitted a low whine, bounding over to her and knocking Falcon down in the process as its tail hit him in the face, blowing dusty air right in his mouth. It slammed into Aurelia upon reaching her, who giggled as they rolled on the ground. Aurelia kissed the beast's face over and over as it licked her, the tongue wetting her cheeks and spewing spit all over her gear.
There had been many moments where Falcon had found Aurelia impossible, but this was ridiculously beyond belief.
Aurelia got up from the ground with much difficulty, what with the animal trying to nuzzle her neck and drooling all over her, and turned to him where he stood with his mouth open wide in shock.
'Bet you were terrified.' Her smile was smug, but Falcon felt far from annoyed.
'Not really.' He shrugged his shoulders but took one step back as the wolf took a break from running its tongue over Aurelia's hand over and over and began advancing towards him. 'What is she?'
'Oh, she's my puppy.' Aurelia said fondly, caressing the wolf's fur with a loving hand and scratching behind its ears.
The wolf wagged its tail and Falcon wondered how an animal that looked so menacing could look that happy, like it was beyond pleased to receive the affection from the girl ruffling its fur.
'Okay…' Falcon had learned long ago not to question Aurelia much. He drew a breath as the animal approached him, lips pulled back to reveal those sharp teeth and the murder back in its eyes. It started sniffing down his neck in long whiffs as if memorizing his scent in a series of long breaths. Falcon turned his head away when it tried to lick him and earned a whine of protest. Aurelia giggled slightly before she turned over on her heels and proceeded to the end of the alley. 'Come on.'
They arrived at a house as soon as they turned the corner, a cottage really, with a small wooden fence surrounding a lovely garden that managed to satisfy the aesthetics in him with its ravishing flowerbeds and the vines wrapping around the glass windows. There was a rusty swing set creaking lightly as the wind stirred the chains, creating an ominous music, like that of a horror movie. The house looked like it had come straight out of a fairy tale and Falcon had never seen architecture this mesmerizing. While Cyan's mansion spoke of elegance and comfort, Aurelia's house gave an aura of safety and homeliness.
The door opened and a middle-aged man stepped out, and Falcon instantly knew he was looking at Aurelia's father. The man had the same bright eyes and brown hair, and while Aurelia's hair flew wildly all about her face, his' was combed neatly and set back from his face, exposing his wide forehead and long nose. He was tall and broad, his torso corded with ropes of muscle, exposed through the open shirt he was wearing. His eyes fell on Aurelia and lit up with adoration so strong, that Falcon thought he had witnessed something divine.
Aurelia beamed, radiant with affection, and all but tore down the fence in her hurry to get inside the garden. Falcon followed at a slow pace, hesitant and somewhat uncertain if he was even welcome there. Now that Aurelia had turned her attention to someone else, he felt quite unimportant.
'My girl.' The man said, enveloping her in a big hug, and Falcon could swear he heard a bone crush. Aurelia sighed deeply and fell against his chest, leaning into him whilst he held her as if she had just found her safe haven. Their eyes were closed and the man hummed contentedly.
'Every time you come back you've grown a little.' His gentle eyes held so much love and care that Falcon found himself wishing for someone to look at him like that, while a faint smell of lilacs washed over his mind. Orchid's scent came to him at the most inconvenient of times.
'It's only been a week, dad.' She rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly.
'Felt like an eternity to me.' The man lifted her high up before putting her back down like she was a child and not a nineteen-year-old girl.
'Dad, where's Grandpa?' She got away quickly as some of the seriousness got back on her face.
'Going off to him as soon as you get back, huh?' he shook his head, but he was far from angry.
'It's really important, I am sorry. Is he at the hut?'
The man nodded but before any of them had a chance to say something else, the door of the cottage opened once again and a woman stepped out, gathering her hair and wrapping it into a bun at the base of her neck.
'Ari, my love.' She exclaimed in joy as she came towards where her daughter stood, smiling from ear to ear while happy tears gleamed in her eyes. She was wearing a long red dress, a few strands of her bronze hair whipping about her face but she didn't seem to care. She was incredibly beautiful, the ruby red earrings dangling by her hair highlighting her high cheekbones and the sunny smile.
Aurelia stepped away from her father's embrace and turned towards the door. Falcon was surprised she didn't rush to her mother but rather stayed where she was, scuffing the ground with her shoe.
'Hi, mom.' She smiled grimly.
The woman's face fell, but she pulled Aurelia into her arms, who returned the hug loosely. The woman kissed Aurelia rather violently and asked. 'How have you been? Did you eat properly? Did you sleep on time?'
'Yes, I can take care of myself, mom.' She said. Her mother sighed quietly, holding onto Aurelia's cheeks and hugging her once more, concern marring her brows.
'Let her breathe, Scarlet.' Aurelia's father placed a gentle hand on her mother's shoulder and pulled her back, ironic as he had all but crushed Aurelia not minutes prior.
'I am just so relieved, Xander. See her? She's returned home without a scratch.' Scarlet wiped the happy tears from her eyes and turned to where he stood, all but ready to take off if anyone from this family so much as spoke to him. Suddenly he was pinned under three pairs of eyes, and while one of them was looking at him amusedly, two were hard and cold, and Falcon was instantly paralyzed.
'And who are you, gentleman?' Aurelia's father said.
Falcon approached them quietly, trying to look as small as possible, quite suddenly wishing he was not wearing the mask and the cap. They were looking at him as if he was a mobster about to attack them.
'Remove that mask, boy.' Xander said and Falcon pulled at the material until it was gone, setting his lips in a small smile that hurt his cheeks.
The man and woman nodded with satisfaction and Aurelia hid a grin before she turned to them. 'Mom, dad, this is Jason, he's a new trainee.'
'Well, good luck.' Where her father smiled, Scarlet remained impassive, and Falcon realized just how wary she was of everything connected to her daughter.
There was a clatter at the wooden fence and all four of them turned to the commotion in unison. Falcon was glad for the distraction, it was a relief Aurelia's parents weren't staring at him anymore like he was a specimen up for examination.
Two more of the wolf-beasts bounded into the yard, trampling some of the flowers and going over to Scarlet. She raised a hand and patted them affectionately, like they weren't a foot taller than her. Falcon noticed a carved golden wedding band on her third finger, catching the sunlight and similar to the one Xander was wearing.
A man turned up at the fence, holding a beast as black as the night on a leash and grumbling loudly. 'This one is especially hard to train.' He exclaimed when his eyes fell on them.
He was quite young and exceptionally handsome, but there was nothing friendly about the way he was looking at the people in the garden. He looked five years older than him, and taller by quite a few inches, a long braid of ginger hair falling straight down his back. His square jaw was set in a scowl, his upper teeth gnawing at the piercing in his lower lip rather viciously.
'Miss Aurelia. You are back.' He said trying to look welcoming but failing after a miserable attempt at a halfhearted smile.
'Hello, Cyrus, I see you took good care of Alaska.' She smiled brightly but Cyrus's face remained impassive, nodding slightly. 'Thank you.'
Mr. Renatus clapped the young man on the back, shaking up his whole body. 'I knew this man here was hardworking and talented when I first saw him.'
Cyrus smiled grimly before he turned to Scarlet. A faint tinge had appeared on his cheeks and he was staring hard at the ground when he spoke to her. 'Mrs. Renatus, I have warned Tina you would be dropping by the stables tomorrow like you asked...'
Their voices grew fainter as Aurelia tugged at Falcon's arm and pulled him away from her parents towards the fence, murmuring a quick "see you later", while her father watched her go with intense pride flickering on his face.
Falcon closed the gate behind him as he hurried up the street beside Aurelia, following her to wherever she was going. She looked like she would take off into the air with all the impatience and Falcon felt his nerves jumping from sudden panic gripping him.
'What's up with you and your mother?' he asked by way of striking a conversation.
'What do you mean?' Aurelia said quickly, not meeting his eyes.
'Are you fighting?'
'It's nothing new.' She frowned, speaking with finality to shut down the topic, and Falcon didn't pursue further.
'Who's Cyrus?'
'My father's assistant, but he also helps look after the animals and helps mom in the stables. We breed wolves here and every slayer has to have one, so my father keeps him close all the time.'
'Guy has a huge crush on your mother.' Falcon didn't realize he had snorted.
Aurelia stopped dead in her tracks, with a jolt that sent her whole body quivering. There was a moment of silence as she processed his words, then whispered quietly. 'What?'
'Come on, there's no way you didn't see it.' He held up both hands, surprised he was the only one to notice Cyrus's blush.
'I didn't.' Aurelia exclaimed. 'This explains so much, oh, why didn't I think of it?'
'Your mother doesn't know too.' He stated bluntly. 'She's really beautiful, though. You look nothing like her.' He teased.
'Thank you very much.' Aurelia rolled her eyes before she pulled at his arm and Falcon skidded to a stop.
They had stopped in front of a triangular building, a sweet smell of hay coming from inside even as they stood meters away from it, and Falcon was hit with a wave of dread so strong, his breath hitched for a second.
'Horses? We are traveling on horses?' He groaned loudly before he realized Aurelia had heard him and something akin to annoyance settled in his gut. She didn't have to know about his fear and Falcon might have just revealed it to her in his impulsive whining.
'Why? Is something wrong?' Aurelia asked him but he just shook his head slightly, steeling his nerves and turning to step inside the stables.
'Hang on. Let me just get the horses.' She said and Falcon felt a wave of relief wash over him like the first sip of water on a parched throat.
Aurelia emerged a few minutes later with two horses, a grey mare and a chestnut colt, which were nuzzling her fondly, all saddled and ready to be mounted. She got up on the mare, running a hand through its mane of grey hair and murmuring quite praises. It was a few seconds before Falcon realized she was looking at him expectantly and he hooked a foot through the saddle quickly, pulling himself up on the colt with all the grace of a blabbering three-year-old.
Aurelia laughed before she pulled at the reins of her mare and it fell into a gentle trot, the colt following close on its tail. Falcon was glad he didn't have to steer, it was using all of his energy to stay upright as the horse bounced on the stones.
He knew his face was ashen but he gripped the reins tightly, blocking the air coming in his nose to keep away the smell of hay and manure, which was clinging to the bodies of the horses like glue.
'Falcon, are you okay?' he heard Aurelia ask, and he realized with a jolt that she was staring at him, nothing but concern visible in her wide eyes.
'Yes, I am fine.' He said, gasping loudly, just as he took in a lungful of air, only to be hit by a smell so unwelcoming that his stomach contracted.
Aurelia looked at him a few more seconds before she shrugged, taking his answer as it was and pulling at the mare's reins, until it started cantering up the street. He watched her go, suddenly wishing she was still trotting next to him. The colt was moving lazily, its legs beating in rhythm against the stones, and while he was thankful the horse was slow, he also wanted to be next to Aurelia.
'We can take a carriage.' He heard her then, and started, realizing she had come back to him.
'I said I am fine, Aurelia.' He snapped, instantly regretting it.
'Fine then.' She said, turning around as she pulled at the reins, and the mare galloped away.
Get a grip, Falcon. He chastised his fear, grumbling loudly at the inconvenience it was causing him. No one must know of your weakness.
Falcon followed the sounds of her hooves when the mare disappeared from sight, realizing they were leaving the valley behind and heading towards the outskirts of town. He clung to the colt, gripping the reins like a lifeline and gasping at every bump the hooves hit on the ground, which had become uneven with every passing second.
A gentle breeze started blowing his hair apart, the landscape falling into a scenic mountainous trek, and he was grateful for the fresh air hitting his nose like the elixir of life. He clung to this new feeling until he saw Aurelia again, training his gaze on her curls which were bouncing violently in the air. They had been riding for half an hour now and Falcon felt sick to the gut.
After what felt like an eternity, they arrived at a lake. The water was so blue, like a ruffled blanket of velvet, small waves crashing at the bank in a melodious rhythm. Dozens of pink lotuses were floating on the surface quietly, their petals rustling as a gentle breeze nuzzled them. The bank was lined with more flowers, a burst of purple, red and white blossoms, waving gaily in the air. A small wooden boat was knocking into the mud at the far side of the lake, the single oar in it dipping the thing up and down.
Aurelia stopped some distance away from a tiny hut with a thatched roof, the curtains on the windows drawn so tight not even a slit on the inside was visible. There was a barbeque pit a meter away from the front door, which was closed. The person inside really didn't want any sunlight streaming in.
A deafening silence stretched over the lake, like the very air was waiting for something to happen to shatter the inhumane quiet. Aurelia was staring at the hut with her mouth slightly open, her face ashen and eyes wide with fear. He pulled the reins and the colt trotted over to her, and she jolted slightly when he grabbed her elbow and shook her lightly.
'Something is wrong, very wrong.' She whispered, dread the only emotion on her face as she turned to him in desperation, a little moisture seeping into her eyes.
Anxiety pooled like acid into his stomach all at once, so that his heart refused to beat, racing maniacally into a panic-stricken rhythm.
No, it can't be. They were so close this time and nothing could go wrong here, or they might lose every hope they had at the moment.
Aurelia jumped off her horse and raced towards the hut, smashing her fist on the door so loudly her knocks thundered all over the lake. 'Grandpa!' She screamed.
A sharp sting of pain shot up his ankle when he got off the colt roughly and hurried over to her. There was a sudden desperation inside him, like a thrill of dread mixed with an impulse to make a reckless decision.
No, please, he whispered. Cyan was slipping away slowly, like sand from his fingertips. Every time he got remotely close to saving him, he vanished, along with all hopes of finding him again.
Aurelia had opened the door and was staring inside the hut with tears streaming down her face, which was chalky white and stricken.
'Aurelia.' He murmured, grasping her elbow tightly. 'What?'
'He's not in there, Falcon. Grandpa is gone.'