Aint nobody gonna save your soul

DATE | Around end April
TIME | Afternoon 2 pm
WEAHTER | Its getting very hot, suns up and some wind would be nice
ATTIRE | Outfit + gloves

Her finger slowly stroked over her bottom lip with her gloved hand. Her brown eyes looked down as she saw how she had smeared her dark-red lipstick; “perfect” she said with a slight smile and grabbed a small mirror out of her leatherjackets pocket, with her teeth she removed her glove and used her finger to fix the red stain she had made over her skin. With that she put away the mirror again and let her eyes wander over the forest. She was clearly overdress, and she had to take of her jacket and gloves and put down into the small backpack that she had with her.

Now why was she here? Well, Sariel had used the last four hundred years planning her revenge. Even as Azrael had subdued it just a little every day, she had spent with him, then it was like it always came back in tenfold when she was out of his aura. Every time he tried healing her soul, it was like her soul just broke again as soon as he stopped touching her.

So why was she here? First it had taken her a couple of mounts to even understand how the world worked as she had never seen the outside of the area her and Azrael had lived. She had found old archives where she had read up upon the angels, she had met creatures she hadn’t dared to dream of. Been scared out of her life. Woken up soaked in her own sweat screaming from a bad dream. Now that she hadn’t the comfort of her guardian it was like she drowned deeper into her maniac thoughts and behaviour.
Then her visions had given her something, she had seen Michael and what she believed must be his son. Which was how she had ended up here in Gaia, besides the fact that her mother’s daughters must be here as well. But a family reunion could wait. This was much more interesting.

“Oh, damn this humid is making everything uncomfortable” she complained as she sat down on a rock and tried to find her water bottle. Finally, she pulled it out from her backpack, only to find out that it was empty. “Oh great” she mumbled and turned it around the last drops disappearing in the ground underneath her feet.
This was going to be harder than she just thought. She had used her magic to track him, but this was the nearest she could see, there must have been some kind of protection where he was actually staying. Hopefully it wasn’t fare now.

It wasn’t anything new that he often sought to escape the bunker. He wouldn’t admit to it, but it reminded him an awful lot of the prison cell he’d stayed in once the demons had captured him. And if he woke up from a night terror, it wasn’t much of a consolation to stare up at a ceiling that looked resembling like to the basement he’d been tortured in. However, he did feel much safer there, and so he usually managed to calm himself down despite the reminders. But this wasn’t the only reason he ventured out. For months, he’d begged his father to let him join him on his missions. Wanting to be of help, and not just confined to the bunker, seeking to feel a sort of purpose again. The feelings of despair from the initial fall becoming more prominent because of this. Three hours ago, he’d asked him to bring him along to his trip to Greece, but once again, he’d been met with a no. He’d almost done nothing but study and train ever since the reunion with his family in October, but his father persisted that he wasn't ready. Zachary figured that he was afraid that he'd lose control again and hurt innocents like he had the night of his fall. But no matter how much he told him that he would do whatever, let it be researching in a hotel room or other assisting tasks, whatever to eliminate the risk of that happening, he’d been told to stay.

Twenty minutes after his father's departure, he’d closed the book he was reading and placed it back into the library. Instead, grabbing a blank canvas, a sketchbook, and some supplies that he packed in a brown leather bag. He headed outside, embracing the warm air, and wondering just how much warmer it would feel like to be in Greece. The pine trees covered most of the hidden and steep path downhill as he hiked further into the forest. Walking a bit further than usual before he eventually decided to settle down by a smaller clearing with a lake and a creek. He placed the bag beside a larger stone that he sat upon before he pulled out the canvas and the oil pastels. He looked up to take in the landscape before he picked out a green color and started painting. His eyes shifted between the lake and the surrounding nature to the canvas as he continued the artwork, having always found art enjoyable and peaceful. But most of all it was a great way of distracting his mind, including the argument he’d had earlier. It wasn’t until he heard someone else that he turned his head, trying to see if he could spot who it was. “Hello?” He lowered his canvas slightly as he awaited a response or a possible glimpse of the person.

Hello?
Sariel’s head perked up as she heard a voice calling out. At first, she was on the offence of even approaching the person, first of she didn’t even knew what it was. As she had thought before, after leaving her small bobble of ignorance it had been a whirlwind of beings that she had only read about. Some even more scary than she had imagine.  But as she felt the person, she recognized some of it to be somewhat angelic. But darker, it was pulling her own dark beating heart closer. Even as she still had the aura of half an angel, something in her was so rotten it had caused her wings to rot of. If it hadn’t been for her old care keeper she would most likely had been killed. Some creatures in this world, would rather kill everything that slightly resembled evil, than try to understand it or where it was coming from. Which also was why she felt it was time to show these people how hypocritical it was.

She finally got up and walked toward where the voice had been coming from. “Hello?” she answered back, and finally saw the young-looking man sitting by a lake, drawing? She titled her head curious as a slight smile spread over her lips. “Hi” she said with a sweet and slightly withdrawn voice “I seem to have gotten lost” her accent was quite clearly a Kiwi accent. Which had a tendency to be confused with Australian.
She stepped a little closer “My name is Teegan” she said with a slight apological voice as she stepped forward and put out her hand. “Are you from around here? This area I mean” she asked quickly after and let her eyes rest on the artwork he was currently doing. He was really good.

His body tensed up as someone responded to his greeting, mostly because he hadn’t expected anyone to be out here. He looked in the direction of the voice, at the woman stepping closer to him. He couldn't spot any immediate signs of mistrust with her. But then again, that had never been his strong suit. Zachary genuinely believed that most people were good. That they just made mistakes, but that those mistakes weren't all-defining. Because if he put it in any other light, he'd just believe himself to be a monster. And it had taken him a long time to stray from that belief. To instead think there might be something else out there for him. Her aura revealed that she was partly angelic, making him take a deep breath as this fact was reassuring. Having initially feared that there was a vampire or demon after him. He also sensed that there was something unholy or dark to her, but so was there in him, despite him never having any intention to hurt others.

He flashed her a friendly smile. “I’m Zachary.” He reached his hand out to her, revealing a few spots of dried paint on it. “It’s nice to meet you, Teegan.” Her accent sounded peculiar, and although he didn’t know where it originated from, he knew it must mean she didn’t grow up here. And neither did he, having a much more neutral and non-distinctive English accent. “Yes, I’ll be able to help you find your way back,” he assured her, thinking that this was why she’d asked. He looked down at his painting when he noticed that she was. It was about one-third done, portraying the surroundings north of the lake. He then placed it down beside the stone as he returned his attention to the hybrid. “What are you doing here?” he asked curiously as he studied her face. Feeling like she reminded him of someone. He then glanced at her backpack, wondering where she was traveling to.

It was almost scary how easy she fell into the role of a damsel in distress that needed help.
The sweet smile that formed on her plum lips as she took his hand and felt the warm that he gave, it reminded her of every time she hugged Azrael, the feeling of the corruption just fading away a little. But as soon his heat left her, she glided back into the darkness that people always left her in. The darkness that whispered so sweetly in her ear that she was meant for more powerful things. He had told her that her name was Zachary, the name of Michaels son, so her hope flared up only to be pushed down, she shouldn’t get her hopes up to high, this could just be another guy with the same name. Not that the chances were very big, if at all.
She started fiddling with her fingers, as he said that he could help her find her way back but didn’t correct him in what she was actually doing here.
She licked her lips as he asked her what she was doing here; “It’s a rather long tale” she stated, before taking a deep breath. It was so easy. “But I lived in New Zealand with one of my mother’s very good friends, when we got news that she had died, sadly, and I left to figure out what had happened, knowing one of those with answers lives around here, his name is Michael, do you know him? Since you know the area well” she asked curiously, if he said it was his dad or that he knew him. Then it would be all she needed to know what to do next. She couldn’t punish her mother, because she wasn’t alive to see it if she went after her children putting them against her. Michael was and Michael needed to feel the fear as he looked her in the eyes and knowing that he was reason for all of it. Maybe it wasn’t fair going after his children, but she would never be strong enough to go after a 700.000-year-old archangel, that had lived by doing the bidding of god. Striking down people, that he loved just for asking the wrong questions. She was just collateral damage, hidden away from the world for her own good. But no one would tell her why. Now she wanted answers.

Inquisitiveness filled his expression as she mentioned it was a long tale, not indicating that he didn't have time to listen to it. She then revealed that she was from New Zealand, which explained the foreign accent. Zachary hadn’t really watched much television or traveled to other continents, and he’d only been on Earth for a year. Some of it in complete isolation. So he’d yet to experience and learn about other cultures. However, he was very interested in doing so, already finding so much of Earth fascinating. Even if his past experiences painted it in a rather dark light.
Sympathy grazed his expression once she told of her mother’s death, being reminded of the day his own mother passed. “My condolences.” He had been very close to his mother, so he could only imagine what she was going through. He raised his brows as she said that she was looking for answers regarding this death. At the mention of his father, he thought that her mother might have been whatever unholy being she partly was. That his father had murdered her and she now sought revenge. The thought made him straighten his back, slightly more vigilant of her agenda. It was either that or that her mother had been an angel, in which case there was a good chance of his father having some answers to it. And if he didn’t, he could certainly figure it out. Zachary thought she deserved as much in her grievance of her mother. But in the case of the first scenario being true, he couldn’t just say that he knew him. Much less that he lived nearby. The bunker was kept hidden and heavily guarded for a reason. And it worried him that she had gotten so close to its location, in the first place. But there was still a chance that she wasn’t talking of his father specifically. “There’s many with that name, so if that’s all you got, I’m afraid I won’t be of much help. But perhaps you could tell me your mother’s name? I’ve resided most of my life in Heaven, so if she's an angel, I might have heard of her,” he said, genuinely wanting to help as he understood her need for peace regarding what had happened.

She nodded and her hair fell down her face, her long slender fingers pulled some of the strains behind her ear, before she looked back up. She didn’t feel the grief that so clearly was expression in her face at this moment, no she felt anger that her mother dared die before she had gotten her revenge. But if it hadn’t been for the death, she might never had been able to leave Azrael house. Without his aura there was nothing that could hold back the darkness inside her.
Sariel saw how he thought about what to tell her, and she applaud him even more that he didn’t just tell her that Michael lived not far from here, and it was his father. She found some respect for the young angel and nodded as he told a lot of people was called that.
“Oh of course” she said and scratched her face smiled when he asked for the mother’s name. That wouldn’t be a problem, since nobody knew of the unwanted daughter of Eden. So, he wouldn’t know that she had given him a fake name “Her name is Eden an angel, but she lived here on earth with her husband, and her five kids?” she explained and laughed a little how weird it sounded that she hadn’t been a part of that “I lived with Michael’s brother Azrael in New Zealand, but he didn’t return so I ventured out on my own to get some answers on what had happened, oh but I know that my mother was a part of the heavenly host?” she crossed her arms in front of her chest and bit down her lip, one step at a time, winning his trust would be so much easier down the line, than just take him and teleport away.

Zachary didn’t remember his mother very well, having been raised by designated mentors and guardians since her death. But he’d always wished that he could have spent more time with her because the things he did remember were nothing but good. And she'd always had an ability to reassure him. Something he really needed as of late. So, he easily sympathized with her and what she was going through. And he understood why she'd traveled all this way seeking answers.
Eden. He searched his mind for an angel of that name, but if she’d lived on Earth for most of his existence, he’d probably never met her. He tilted his head slightly, looking thoughtfully at her. Because if she’d lived with a husband and her five children, then why hadn’t Teegan lived with them? He figured there were a deeper story and reason behind it, but just when he was about to ask about it, she mentioned something else. That she’d lived with Azrael, and that her mother had been a soldier in the Heavenly Host. It made her seem much more trustworthy to him. It also potentially gave some sense to why she hadn't been close to her mother in the past. His father had always wanted him to join the Host as well, but truth was, he didn’t like to use violence as a means to anything. Of course, he understood that it was necessary and that they did a lot of good fighting evil. But he'd preferred other branches of work much more. He regretted now that he hadn't spent more time at the training academy, most of all so he’d gotten a better grasp of his abilities and not lost control like he had the night of his fall. “I know them.” Most angels did, but he had a much more personal relation to them, one being his father and the other his uncle. However, he wasn’t so sure it was the smartest idea to reveal this to her. “Michael is out of town, but I can try to send him a message? Albeit I think other angels might have the answers you seek as well. Perhaps Azrael came here because of what happened. We could look for him? Or we could try to find your family and ask them about what's happened?” He wasn't so sure if she'd ever met her siblings, but if anything, they had to know what had happened.

A genuine smile started spreading over her lips, he was way to innocent for this world. For a moment she even thought about why he was a fallen angel, what had happened since he had fallen from grace? She took a deep breath in, as he asked if he should send Michael a message “Oh that might an excellent idea really, if it’s not too much trouble?” she said while her fingers pulled at each other, clearly making it obvious that she was a little rattle with the whole situation. Well, it wasn’t that hard, she wasn’t a woman that liked change that much, if at all. So, venturing out of her comfort zone had put a lot of stress on her already fragile mind.
“Do you mind just sitting with me for a while though? Before, I’ve been on this journey for quite some time now, and I just” she asked, and looked at him before she sat down and watch the quiet place around them. “Just need a minute to readjust” which wasn’t completely a lie, her mother was dead of course. Even when she knew it would happen, so many years ago seeing the vision of what now had transpired. Didn’t prepare the feeling of losing someone even when you hated them.
“Oh, what a mess” she mumbled, mostly for herself and closed her eyes. She felt the warm breeze that pushed some of the black long hair away from her face and made it sway in the wind. Sariel slowly opened her eyes and let them glide over towards Zachary “have you always been drawing?” she asked, and pulled out one of her own magic books, where she drew small plants and ingredients for her potions. “I’ve always loved drawing” She said with a smile and showed him some of what she had done. Not nearly as good as what was on his canvas. But at least it gave them something they could bond over.

Immediately after he’d said that he could send a message, he’d feared that she might ask about their relation, which undoubtedly would have been bad because he was a terrible liar. Luckily she didn't. Instead she just agreed to the idea which made him nod affirmatively. “I will.” He then felt for his phone in his pocket but he must have forgotten it at the bunker, so he’d just have to get in touch with him later. “Where are you staying at the moment?” he asked, wondering where she’d settled while she was in Gaia if it wasn’t with her family. He had been homeless for many nights himself, so all he really wanted to know was that this wasn’t the case for her.

His lips turned into a smile as she sat down, appreciating the company, even if it mostly was to relax her feet after the long trip. “Not at all.” He placed his hand on the stone as he got down to her level, leaning his back against the rock instead. He followed her gaze to the surroundings, first looking back at her when she said what a mess it was. And from what he’d heard so far, it certainly sounded like it. But he also didn’t want to pry, feeling that it was better to wait until she was ready to talk more about it. “What is New Zealand like? I’ve only been to Heaven and the United Kingdom, but I’d love to see more of the world someday.” It was no secret that he was curious to hear more about her, never really having the chance to make many friends. Not since he left Maelle and the fallen angels.

He nodded to her question. “Yes, for as long as I can remember. That and music has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing when I had the time. I don't know what I would have done without it,” he explained as he looked at her. It had been his escapism from his duties, a way to connect with his mother who'd been both a musician and artist herself and just a place where he could let his imagination run freely. A place where dreams could come true and where emotions could be expressed when they otherwise couldn't. His blue eyes then searched the drawings in her book. Putting two and two together, he figured that she was partly a witch. He looked back up at her, having never really met a witch before, let alone a hybrid of one. But he’d read all about them. He'd read about almost anything on Earth. His father had a whole library full of books, some of them too ancient for him to read, and some in a foreign language, but he remembered so clearly how excited he'd get whenever he brought him a new book. He'd been so fascinated about it all. It was a world so unlike Heaven with all its different creatures. He looked back to the pages as she showed him some of the images, a faint smile appearing in his expression. “I like them.” He liked how people expressed themselves differently in art despite the reference. And it wasn't every day he met someone who shared his interest in drawing, so it only made him further happy to have met her. “Do you have any favorite potions or spells?”

She was surprised on how much warmth he was bringing. It wasn’t just the fact that around them the humid air was making small droplets of sweat glide down the side of her temples. No for a fallen angel, he felt so bright almost like he was about to consume her own dark soul. Her rotten core that would one day most certainly turn her into a dark witch. Only under the guidance and the constant work of Azrael’s magic, she hadn’t succumbed to such a fate yet.
A small smile formed on her lightly pink lips after she had been drinking so much of the water from the bottle that was now empty. Which reminded her, that she needed to fill it up. Where are you staying? She turned her attention back to him and slightly put her head to the left. It felt like there was something more than just a simple answer where she was staying. Well, she had enchanted a family to suddenly think it was a very good idea of going on a trip away from their house. Maybe a trip that wouldn’t even get them back home. “Oh a small house in Moonlight Falls, the city called Alvertona” she said a little nonspecific, he wasn’t the only one staying clear of saying to much.

Next question was a little harder, and it was hard not to keep away her distain for what had happened for her, even a she did try not to make it sound so bad “Haven’t really seen much of New Zealand” she mumbled, and looked down, almost with a stiff gaze towards her drawings “I was mostly confined to the property owned by my protecter” she had been about to call him caretaker, or even better her jailer. But she bit down her tongue instead and turned it around to his comment about wanting to travel the world “You should, if that is what you truly desire” she said with a much warmer voice than before. “What is keeping you here, if you want to go out and spread your wings? That being almost literally” there was a small giggle from her, as she found herself somewhat amused about her own use of words.

She felt how a little warm feeling turned her cheeks slightly pink. This had been one of the first real conversation she had had for such a long time. Did Azrael even count at this point? This was a real new experience with a total stranger, even as she felt like she knew him with reading up upon the life of the Archangel Michael and overhearing small things that Azrael had let slip without really realizing it.
“Hmm, favorite spell?” she asked and clapped her book together and put it down into her back, she pulled of her shoes and shocks “You do the same, and then I’ll show you” it was almost like a child spirit had found and possessed her, as she started rolling up her denim pants. She stood up and walked into the water “Give me your hand” she said and reached out her hand towards him, waiting for him to take it.

He was happy to know that she had a place to stay, and as he looked from her to the lake again he imagined what Alvertona would be like, having only briefly seen it on the map of Moonlight Falls. His father had warned him against going there, so he simply hadn’t. But then again, he'd spent so much time in Southside which undoubtedly had a worse reputation and he'd managed just fine. He frowned briefly as she said she hadn’t seen much of New Zealand because she had been confined to the property. Even mentioning a protector keeping her there. “You mean Azrael?” he asked as he turned his gaze to her, wondering just why she’d need to be protected by anything. “Did you need protection from an enemy?” he followed up, relating her situation to what he knew from his own life, being the son of someone who fought demons and evil, just like he’d understood that her mother had done as well.

His expression turned wistful at her encouragement for him to see more of the world, and although he attempted a smile, it became very faint. “There are a few reasons. But mostly for my own protection as well,” he replied before he leaned his head back to look up through the tree crowns to the blue sky. Missing the home he'd used to have in Heaven. Missing a time where he still had been a promising young angel with dreams for the future. But he'd lost all of that and was now struggling to accept this new path in his life. He hadn’t lost his wings, so it wouldn’t be impossible for him to fly away. To just leave this part of the world behind since it’d done nothing good for him. But another part had started to like it here, so he’d settled for what was possible. For the rest of the time, he could just hope that his father would bring him along on his travels one day.

Zachary leaned slightly forward as he anticipated her reply. He’d never witnessed magic before, so even her talking about it would have been enough. He lowered his gaze to her shoes as she took them off, then looking back up at her with a raised brow. A smile formed on his lips as she told him to do the same. “Okay.” He took off his dress shoes and socks before folding up his pants. His interest having only accumulated by this request. He walked into the water with her before he reached for her hand, feeling the warmth of it around his own. And he couldn’t quite explain why, but he completely trusted her. Trusting that she wouldn’t cast a curse on him or had any ulterior motives. Besides, he couldn’t help but think of Hecate, who was half-angel and half-demon, yet one of the kindest people he’d ever met. So at the moment, he wasn't the least worried to have her perform a spell while holding his hand.

Do you mean Azrael? the strained smile on her face had to be more than enough conformation that he had been right. But as he asked if it was to protect her for an enemy she had to sigh. There was of course the reason, that her mother had thought that someone was after her. Or that they were just trying to save her from herself, and therefore saving the world from the chaos she could bring. There were even odds for all of them. She swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled her shoulders.
She looked back at him as he told her it was mostly for his own protection. She nodded “I get that, even as sometimes it feels like it’s more a matter of protecting the world and you from what you could become” she said then realizing he might not feel the same “I mean, that was how I always felt, and now I’m free” Sariel added and gave him a warm smile.
While he took his shoes and socks off, she glanced at him truly feeling excited for what she was about to show him. This might be the perfect time to teleport away and keep him away from Michael for a time. But right now, she wanted nothing more than just showing him that she was much more than the dark aura that apparently was the first thing that people noticed about her. Or the supernatural kind.
He reached for her hand, and a small chuckle left her “It’s impressive, it’s not every day you meet someone as trusting” and here I am taking advantage of it, starting to feel pangs of remorse in her heart. Not that it would stop her on her quest. But it was enough for her to take a small pause and reflecting on what she was doing.
She took in a deep breath and stepped towards him “take a deep breath and close your eyes” she waited for him to do so, and then she did herself. Feeling how the magi around them floated through their legs and bodies. Small drops from the lake around them started to glide up their naked legs before they transformed in the floating fish, illusions of beautiful flowers and giant jungle trees started to appear around them, birds, butterflies, and creatures straight out of a beautiful dream made of water glided through the air around them. She opened her eyes and went closer to him almost standing a few centimeters from his face “Open your eyes” she whispered and waited for him to take in the wonder she had made from her magic.

He took her silence as a sign of the complexity surrounding it, but also as a confirmation to his questions. That Azrael had kept her there for her own protection against a possible enemy. However, what she said next had him reflect on their situation a bit more. Them both having darkness in them. “I know that’s part of it too. My dad’s afraid of me losing control again. And I’ve accepted it… part of me is afraid of it too. I've never in my life meant to harm anyone. And it pains me every day to think of the people I've hurt.” He inhaled sharply as he was reminded of those times. The remorse and guilt weighing him down to this day. He then looked to Teegan to help distract him from those memories. “But regardless of what the reason is, I have to believe that I can still do good in this world… that I wasn’t meant to live in darkness and corruption because of those mistakes. At least that's what I have to believe.” If he didn't, he’d just fall into despair and sadness, or start believing that he was meant for darkness and follow that road. And right now, that wasn't something he wanted.

He felt a surge in his stomach as she mentioned the fact that he was trusting. His father had given him the reprimand many times, but he couldn’t help this feeling that he had. He wanted to believe that people were good despite their circumstances, and he wasn’t the least judgmental towards any being. Not that he had the right to either. But as she mentioned it, he did tense his hand, for a moment considering to let go of her. Of course, knowing what others would say. How he was trusting a stranger too quickly. However, as she told him to take a deep breath, he relaxed his muscles and did as told; took a deep breath in and closed his eyes. And whatever nervous energy had snuck into him moments before started to fade. He smiled faintly as he felt the magic surround them, it being unlike anything he’s ever experienced, and it only widened as sprays of water could be felt on his skin. He opened his eyes on her cue, his jaw nearly dropping at their surroundings. Animals of water were floating through the air in majestic movements, nature had turned into some utopia and here he was, standing in the middle of it, like in some surreal dream. The fascination was undoubtedly evident in his eyes as he took it all in. “This is amazing, Teegan.” He smiled as he finally turned his eyes from the scene to her, first then realizing how close she stood to him. “I’m definitely going to create a painting of this,” he confessed as he looked from her to the vivid wonder around them.

Its amazing Teegan, it broke her heart that he saw this with such an amazement, and she had given him a fake name. “Thank you” she whispered slowly, and a small smile formed on her lips as he told her that he would draw a picture of it, she would look forward to it, hoping she would be there to see it. His innocence, his trusting nature it woke something in her that had never really had a change to become whole. “Sariel” she then said and pushed her brows together as a small creature swam between them lightning his face up the most beautiful blue only making him so much more holy to look at. It was like a small fiber in her broke, even this person a fallen angel someone God has punished for a mistake. Because she could never see this beautiful person do anything that could make him deserve this, being fallen from grace. But even he was more pure and holy than she would ever be. A rotten humanoid only to be locked away.
“Sariel, that is my real name – sorry I –“ she bit down her lip “I’m clearly not as trusting as you are” she breathed out her head titled slightly to the left, how could one person in such a short period of time have such a huge impact on her. “Come with me” she whispered pressing her brows together almost looking begging at him “I, I can show you the world you don’t deserve to be locked away just because someone is afraid for you to lose control, don’t let it define you what you have done like this, you deserve more” she gripped his hands as if to try showing him the urgencies in her words. She exhaled “You can’t do good being hidden away from the world” he deserved more, more than she had even had intentions of doing to him. But if he would deny she would follow through anyway, of that she was sure, but she would hate for this to turn into a kidnapping at this point. If she could get him to follow her on his own free will, that would be so much better. He was so much more like her than she had thought, he would understand, she was sure of it, and how could she let that slip through her fingers? Her hand left his hand to touch his face instead “You are good, so much more than any other angel could dream to be”

Sariel. He looked at her with slight confusion before another smile appeared, watching the creature as it swam by them, not thinking he’d ever get enough of this kind of magic. It was incredible. However, when she admitted that Sariel was her real name, the smile quickly faded. He’d never understood how it was so easy for people to lie, and more so, why she’d lie to him about this. He nodded slowly before he broke their eye contact to look ahead of him. It hurt. The way that people kept deceiving him. But she said she was sorry and she could’ve kept the secret. Instead, she’d decided to tell him the truth. That had to count for something. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you for not trusting strangers… I should know because it's done me a lot of harm,” he said in a saddened voice. She wouldn't be the first to take advantage of his trusting nature. And she could've had many reasons for wanting to lie about her name. It was probably not so different from him not wanting to reveal to strangers who he was related to. Zachary had naturally tried lying before, the fallen angels had encouraged it on many occasions, but he always felt guilty about it. Besides, he was a terrible liar so it had always just seemed easier for him to keep his mouth shut or to tell the truth.

He turned his gaze back to her as she asked him to come with her. “What?” In a moment of disbelief, he wasn't so sure he'd heard correctly, but there was a pleading in her eyes that made him certain that he had. He turned his body slightly more to face her as she continued, feeling drawn to her words. Because for months he’d believed that he was ready to show his worth and help with angelic missions, not just sit by himself in the bunker and do minor research. And here was someone who in many aspects could relate to what it felt like to be locked up and be unfairly treated. “You really mean that?” he asked, looking into her eyes, doubting her sincerity even despite how much he wanted it to be true. Because she’d just met him. How could she possibly think he deserved any better than what he lived with? But aside from that, she was right about one thing. He couldn’t do good for the world or himself if he was spending his time hiding away. He looked down at their hands as she let go of it, then into her eyes as she touched his face. “You don’t know what I’ve done, Sariel.” His voice was low, thinking she was seeing him in a much better light than was the truth. He knew that she might have an idea of the things he'd done - that he'd hurt someone innocent. But it hadn’t just been one person. And it hadn’t just been the night of his fall. It was every time he felt especially scared or angry that he'd lost control and hurt the people around him. But ever since then, he’d tried the best to gain back control and to never let it get as far as murder.

He exhaled deeply as he contemplated her offer. A part of him knew that it wasn't a good idea and that he shouldn’t run away as he had in the past. But an even bigger part of him wanted to follow her and live life on his terms for once. “I want to go with you. I do. I want more out of my life than the state I’m in. But I know better than to think a stranger would give me an offer like that without there being some sort of a catch. So, what do I have to do?” he asked, furrowing his brows vaguely. It seemed too good to be true. For someone like her to come into his life and simply offer to take him away on some idyllic adventure. It wasn't the kind of thing that happened in real life he'd learned.

She didn’t say much as he took in what she had said, what she more or less had begged him to do. Almost holding her breath as she wished him to say yes, take her hand and ask her to just take him away. But she understood the hesitation, and wasn’t about to force him at this stage, she still had a change to convince him the uncertainty in his voice was all she needed to know that he wanted to.

As he told her that she didn’t know what he had done, she bit down her lip and contemplated if her telling him she didn’t care was the best way of telling him. Maybe she could show him more of her? She could do illusions with the water, and she also been able to show him peeks into her own life. So, what do I have to do?. She looked up a little startled and it was clearly a question that she hadn’t thought about. What did he have to do, and what was it she wanted out of this? She had intentionally done this to hurt his father, but that wasn’t the case anymore if it had been so they wouldn’t be here at this moment, and he would be locked in a room by know. “I” she started her sentence, but it was like the words dried in her tongue, she closed her eyes and felt how she became overwhelmed by feelings of the past and why she was even here.
“I don’t care what you have done, I’ve done horrible things too” she whispered and finally opened her eyes up again and looked into his “Sometimes I can’t control my emotions and I lash out, and I want you to come with me, because I need you too” she whispered not wanting to lose his eye contact “We could do amazing things together, you and I might be more alike than you think, come with me so your keeper can’t keep us from each other, you know they will do it just like I know my keeper will take me back when he finds me, and he would do so without my consent” did she know any of these things, no, was she telling him all of this because she knew that would only make her case stronger, yes.
But did she do it in the end, because she really thought she needed him? That would be the biggest factor why she didn’t want him to turn her down.

His heart skipped a beat as she claimed to need him. No one had ever said those three words to him. And they'd just met, so how could she possibly know? He looked into her eyes, searching for answers in them, for a sign of it being a lie. Because if anything, it just made this whole scenario even more surreal. He tilted his head slightly as she continued, seeming utterly persistent on him to come with her. The biggest reason he hesitated was the chance of it being a ploy and that she only said those things to deceive him. But he couldn’t help but imagine the things she said, and how much he wanted them to be true. He’d longed to meet someone like her for a very long time, someone who understood him and could look past the bad he’d done. Someone who could see him for who he really was. Not his past actions or who his family was. He also knew that she was telling the truth about their keepers. There was no way his father would approve of this idea, so it was either running away without him knowing or staying where he was.

He exhaled slowly and looked away from her as he considered the outcome of either decision, thinking of the things that would happen if he did it. And what he might miss out on if he didn’t. Ultimately, he knew that it was a question of mind versus heart. He raised his gaze to look at the tree crowns, then slightly to the left, towards the direction of the bunker. “I need to get out of here.” He felt like he’d been stuck in this forest for a very long time without getting anywhere. And now he had a chance to do something about it. He couldn't pass that up. “Take me with you.” He returned his blue eyes to her with a newfound determination and took her hand in his. Pushing his prior doubts aside to focus on the possibilities ahead. Of his dreams for the future. Now he could only hope that his gut wasn’t wrong about her. He had rarely wanted someone to be as they appeared this much.

It was like her heart stood still as he told her that he needed to get out of where he was. Did that mean what she thought it did? One thing was saying it another would be doing it, she knew just how big of a step it was and that had been the reason she hadn’t moved from Azrael for so mange years. Because of how much she feared would happen if she finally sat foot outside the protected borders of his house. But once she had done it, even filled with revenge, she hadn’t felt so alive or herself in ages if she had ever felt it like she was doing it right now. A soft smile formed on her lips as he told her to take him with her, this had gone better than she had expected. She didn’t even need to take him against his will, he had now decided willingly to come with her. Her tongue slowly licked over her lips, and with a snap of her fingers the illusion that had formed around them disappeared and it was only them standing in the water. He needed clothes, and probably wanted to take some of his own things with him.

Her fingers glided over her lips while thinking before the hand found his cheek and an almost sad smile formed over her lips. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted to tell him, because she almost felt guilty of why she had even found him. But she also found a reason why she could change. When she had told him that she needed him, she hadn’t lied because she could feel it in every fibre in her being. If anyone would be able to turn her away from the dark path she was heading down towards, he would be it, and she would hold on to him if her life depended on it. “Do you need to get something? Some clothes or items that you want to take with you? I can wait here, and then we can go” she whispered almost afraid that if she spoke any loader the spell between them would break. Sariel slowly removed her hand from his cheek, feeling how his skin felt against her fingertips. She stepped back giving him space, the water that floated around her ankles waking her up from the trance she had put herself in while starring into his eyes.

The air instantly changed as the magic disappeared around them, which only got accumulated by his emotions regarding what he’d just said. Guilt, agitation, and joy all alternated between being most prevalent. But above all the worries and the sting of regret, he felt that he had to take this opportunity. That there was a reason for her to come into his life the way she had. Now all he needed was to be brave enough to do it. He lowered his gaze to her lips as she glided her fingers across them, anticipating her to say something to his decision. Even if her smile already had revealed that she was happy about it. They quickly found hers again as she reached out to place a hand against his cheek. And despite the silence, it did give him some sense of assurance. That he had no reason to worry about her wishing him harm. Her question furthermore helped to settle his nerves. “Yes, just stay here.” The corners of his lips turned briefly upwards as he looked into her eyes. If he’d been any normal being, he’d allowed her to come with him, but there was no reason to make matters worse. He could already envision how angry and disappointed his father would be, having faced it many times in Heaven, whether it being to him or towards someone else, and then once he’d found him after his fall. There was no reason to add a potential security breach to that.
He walked back to the shoreline to retrieve his belongings, carrying the shoes in his hand before he turned to face her. Two dark wings appeared behind him. They were a much darker hue compared to the pure white they’d used to be and they lacked the splendor with their missing feathers. But it was going to be a much quicker way to travel since he didn’t want her to wait for too long. “I’ll be back in a quarter’s time.” He looked from her to the open sky above the lake before he ascended into the air and disappeared above the trees.

Once inside the bunker, he’d gone straight for his room to place his supplies. He stood in the doorway for a moment, looking around the room as more and more thoughts invaded his mind. There was something about being back home that made the decision to leave all the more difficult. He exhaled deeply, trying to remind himself of all the reasons that he did this. He then found his duffel bag to start packing his clothes and other essentials while suppressing the nagging feeling in his gut. It wasn't like that was going to diminish the longer he stayed in his room. He put on his shoes again and lowered his pants before he exited the room with the bag. Only stopping once he passed the table in the common room, feeling compelled to leave a note. Wanting to assure his dad that he was fine. He’d almost reached for a piece of paper when he stopped himself, thinking it’d only make it much easier for his family to find him. At least, he didn’t trust that he wouldn’t be able to with the existence of magic and tracking abilities and it often seemed like his father knew someone for about every task. He couldn’t take that chance. So, he headed out with no real trail of where he’d gone or whether he was okay.
He landed in the small opening by the lake, happy to see that Sariel hadn’t left. “How will we travel there?” he asked after he’d landed in the grass, not retracting his wings until he was sure that they weren’t going to travel by flight. At least, he seemed to remember that witches could fly on brooms or otherwise use their magic to fly.