"Can we try purifying this too?" Seeing everyone stumped by the dark elements in the meat, I suddenly had an idea.
"Purify?" Selene's eyes lit up at my words.
"Yeah, why didn't I think of that!"
Selene immediately threw a dispel magic at the food on the table. But the ring of light fizzled out upon contacting the cooked meat, without making a ripple.
"So tricky?" Selene frowned, enduring the discomfort as she cast another dispel, but with the same result. After two spells, she was spent and collapsed into a chair, too exhausted to cast a third.
"It's no use, we still need your purification, Feliciana."
"But to use purification, I have to spread my wings..." Seeing her slumped over, I hesitated. Revealing my wings would likely cause a stir, not a good idea indoors where we could easily be exposed.
"Then we'll have to try it outside," Adrian decided after some thought. He packed up all the food into his ring, and took me out of the house.
"Be quick, we're still waiting to eat!" Eleanora reminded me as we shut the door.
Following Adrian, we came to a more open town square, scanning for monsters.
"Hurry while it's clear!"
Adrian promptly took out the food from his ring and placed it in the middle of the square. I stretched my wings in turn, firing off a purification at the pile of meat. A sphere of light burst from my palm and sunk into the meat without reaction.
"One purification wasn't enough?"
I picked up the meat and smelled it. The stench had faded quite a bit but was still noticeable.
"Faster please!"
At his urging, I quickly cast another two to three spells until I saw the meat start to glow.
"Done, let's go!" I hid my wings at the same time.
Adrian took that as the cue to gather up the food into his ring, grabbing me to run back.
This felt oddly thrilling, like we were stealing something.
Returning to base, when Adrian placed the purified food on the table, we all circled around staring but not eating.
"It didn't gain some weird new flavor after purifying did it?" Hayden inspected the meat hesitantly before concluding.
"Looks about the same."
"Should be...fine now...I think..." I wanted to reassure them but couldn't be too sure either, spearing a small piece to try.
"Mm...it's good now!" With twelve eyes watching me intently, I swallowed and pointed eagerly at the pile.
"You can eat it! Still a bit strange tasting but no stench anymore."
"Wasn't that a stench before though..." Eleanora tried a bite dubiously after hearing my verdict as an angel.
"Wow so much better!"
She nodded with excitement, eyes wide.
"Still a tiny bit, but easy to ignore now."
"Really?"
With two votes of confidence, everyone dug in without further hesitation.
"Purification is indeed most effective." Selene happily stuffed a large chunk of meat in her mouth like a hamster.
I didn't catch what she said next through the chewing. But the table was soon swept clean by six ravenous people.
"Thanks for helping solve our food problem." Adrian looked sincerely grateful.
"It wasn't that big of a deal..."
I thought he was making too much out of a few purification spells.
"But it'd be annoying to purify every time we bring food back," Alfreed the captain considered the longer term, ever the tactician.
"Could you sense Feliciana spreading her wings inside earlier?"He turned to ask Selene.
"Barely, but might notice traces if scrutinizing carefully," she shook her head.
"Normally not so perceptive. It's the concentrated dark elements magnifying any anomaly."
"That's troublesome, we'd risk exposure by chance." Blanche sounded very concerned.
"Once in a while is fine," Alfreed looked solemn.
"Frequent reckless revealing though seems a matter of time before disaster."
I shared his sentiment. Recklessly revealing my wings daily was just daring fate.
The previously vibrant mood dampened at the captain's words. But no one seemed keen on giving up purification either.
"It's fine, we aren't that weak. If discovered, we'll just find another house," Eleanora insisted, unwilling to compromise taste even at cost.
"And we have an angel, a four wing at that! Natural nemesis of monsters!" Hayden chimed in, suddenly elevating me with hope. This unexpected expectation made me tense up.
I was only 3rd grade! Also susceptible to the dark beings. Their reliance unnerved me.
Unable to endure more, Alfrect rebuked harshly.
"Quiet!"
"Think where we are! The enemies' stronghold, average grade 4 and up! Still arrogantly optimistic?"
"Peace made you drop guard?"
He glared around at everyone.
"Starting today, Eleanora and Hayden, upstairs to reflect! No going out. Adrian and Blanche on patrol and provisions. Come back when you have perspective."
"Yes sir..." Dejected, the two trudged upstairs without further protest.
The rest of us exchanged uneasy looks in silence.
Night fell again. For us seven hidden here, it meant day's end. For the city monsters, their day was beginning. Lights flickered through the darkness outside while our house remained pitch black.
Alfreed took night watch as usual after resting through the earlier half. His schedule completely reversed by now. Naturally he continued fulfilling this duty.
"Not sleeping, Feliciana?"
Upstairs, the team had retired to their sleeping spots when Blanche blew out the candle and saw me still sitting against the wall. Normally I slept early.
"Can't fall asleep," I gave her a faint smile.
"You go ahead. Might doze off on my own later."
"You seem...off today, distracted..." Selene murmured softly as she settled into her cot, quickly drifting off.
I waited a few minutes for everyone's measured breathing before carefully creeping down the stairs to the first floor.
"Why'd you come down?" Though already heard the footsteps, Alfreed sounded surprised to see me.
"Aren't angels supposed to rest nights?"
"I had a suggestion in mind..." I sat across from him, hesitating a bit before speaking.
"Suggestion?"
A tactical lean back with interest despite the darkness obscuring his expression. His curiosity was palpable.
I steeled my resolve and pushed out the difficult words.
"Since Adrian opposes ascending from the city...let me test fly out solo tomorrow."
I waffled at this decision for some time. It was dangerous as Adrian warned, but we were out of options besides passive waiting.
"Are you certain of what you're saying?" He sounded incredulous, voice dipping lower.
"You'd be gambling your life! We can't rescue you if things go wrong."
"I know..." His arguments couldn't sway my determination after considering the outcomes.
"And if I fail, it's no loss for any of you right? I can still self-preserve in the sky, maybe even escape attacking."
After so many close shaves, my lone competence was fleeing.
"What do you mean no loss..." He greatly disagreed with my perspectives. I could hear his irritation.
"Don't care if just a midway recruit, you're still team. I can't abide losing anyone, angel or not. What's more, your strength's considerable, and the sole flier..."