• The air above the earth was colder than the active winds and a kiss away from death if withstood too much. He fell. Battered wings beaten by the continuous wind cutting at them and the golden bands around his arms while pain ripped through his very being. Thunder clasped all around him making the fall even more dangerous. He, however, was unknowing. Unconscious. Unmoving. Though a heartbeat away from sudden death. His dark forest green eyes shimmered lightly as they opened slightly. They closed up once more and didn’t open again. His breathing became one with the sound of thunder rambling about the earth. Soon, he went from thousands of feet, to hundreds, and to mere inches within seconds. Another thunder clasp erupted. An inch away from death became a centimeter.
    Therian trembled. His body lay practically glued to the wet ground as rain began to shower over the land. His breathing was a whisper of lies that kept him alive and his heartbeat a false truth of why he did survive. Blood spilled out from the many wounds inflicted on his body, and his wings became a mess of pink and crimson stains with gold threads of fire. His white hair became stained with blood and soon was a bloodied mess as well. Thunder boomed and shrieked. And lightning flashed suddenly.
    Gabriel appeared merely a few feet away from where Therian lay. She stared at him in disgust and wondered if this would truly be it. Her golden hair soon became wet and messy against her shoulders, and her robe began to sag against her body. From the sheath sitting at her waist, she withdrew her blade, an emerald gem that would finish him within seconds if wielded correctly. Gabriel began to move toward him, not caring that the rain had washed his blood over the ground. She held her sword close to her heart as she approached him. Her anger built up within a mere second when her ruby eyes hit his calm and death ridden face.
    “This is for Luscious!” She swung her sword. Lightning flashed again.
    The sound of metal hitting metal erupted simultaneously echoing loudly over them. Gabriel moved in a flash to where she first stood when she landed on the earth. As she stared back at Therian she saw that he wasn’t alone. A dark angel, masked under his own cloak stood at his side holding tenaciously to a crimson and gold sword. His blackened wings with gold threads fluttered against the rain and his brown hair became wet and straightened. He stared at Gabriel in disgust as he stood up straight from the ground. Gabriel stared back in anger, wanting to know why he defended Therian.
    “Step down white one.” The dark angel announced, his deep voice being loud enough to be heard in the woods nearby.
    “This is an execution! What are you doing? Who are you?” she yelled back at him readying her sword for battle.
    He stood his ground and didn’t proceed to move on. “The execution is false and your reasons are tainted. Murder him and you will have destroyed everything.”
    “What do you mean…?”
    “You know exactly what is meant by my words.”
    “He’s a fugitive!!”
    He ignored her this time and turned his back toward her. He bent down and focused on Therian who was bleeding profusely. Without the proper care he could die on the journey back, he thought removing his coat from his body. He began to wrap it around Therian but reached around and swung his sword. The sound of metal hitting metal erupted again.
    “You whites are always so complicated to deal with.”
    Gabriel stared at him, wanting to rip him to pieces with her sword. “Get out of my way!” She yelled.
    “Make me.”
    “Rapture of…”
    “Soul Fire!” The dark angel interrupted Gabriel before she could finish her charm. Fire erupted from the tip of his blade causing a ring of flames to spread around both he and Therian. He watched as she backed off from him and turned back to Therian. His body had begun to shiver from the cold wind and rain that was beginning to whip in every direction. He picked up Therian and kicked off from the ground. His wings took him off the ground and into the stormy grey skies. He didn’t look back but focused on Therian. This isn’t good, he thought to himself wondering if Gabriel would try to attack him in mid flight. Shaking his head, he focused on his next task. Arriving back at headquarters in once piece, something that would be the easiest if nothing went wrong.


    “Victor, how was the mission?”
    Victor landed with a slight thud against the ground only to avoid knocking down Serena. He stared at her, watching her wings flutter with excitement as he held Therian as carefully as he could. “It was dangerous. Some crazy white came after him. I didn’t expect that.”
    “No one does, but that’s why we sent you. How’s he holding out anyway?”
    “His wings finally shifted color but he’s losing a lot of blood.” Victor reported out softly as he looked away from Serena.
    “Alright, let’s bring him inside then. It’ll be a while before he can completely recover but the least we can do is have the elders work on him for a while.” Serena’s smile faded as she looked up into the clouds. “What are we Victor?”
    “Dark angels,” he replied strolling pass her to get to the entrance, “fallen hurt angels.”
    Serena nodded in agreement of Victor and followed him in. As she did, she noticed the golden choker around Therian’s neck that was phasing from gold to silver. His name flashed crimson within the choker. She reached up to her neck and rubbed hers. Everyone who had fallen had a silver choker in which the name engraved changed colors randomly. She sighed as hers flashed pink. There were so many things that needed to be understood about the dark angels who lived.

    The light shone through the window of the infirmary, reflecting off the many instruments that had been placed in the glass cabinets’ lined against the wall. At the far right corner of the room Serena stood changing Therian’s bandages. Her baby blue eyes shimmered like a stained glass window resting in the walls of a church as she glared out at the sun wondering how the storm was just now passing. To think that it was only a few days ago, she chimed to herself wondering about the moment when Victor had landed.
    Sighing, she focused on Therian, not wanting to abandon him in the midst of her thoughts. After being repeatedly cleaned up on the day of his arrival, the blood stains in his white hair had finally lifted and wings had completely turned black with gold threads stained with crimson fibers. Serena’s eyes trailed to his eyes which were slowly opening up. It looked as though he were squinting against the sunlight. A smile came upon her lips and her heart began to race. This is it, she looked at him curiously, this is it he’s finally waking up.
    Blurry, his vision was when he opened his eyes. Therian’s vision was fuzzy for a second but finally came into focus when the sun no longer seemed to blind him. He looked up at the red-haired beauty in front of him, wondering who she was.
    “Hey.” Serena cooed softly as she cut a generous length of gauze from the roll in her lap.
    “Hey…” he spoke, his voice being low and hoarse.
    A smile lit her face up once more but faded when she noticed that Therian was beginning to push himself up. “No …no you mustn’t push yourself.”
    Therian struggled to sit up but collapsed in her arms in the process. “Sorry…”
    “It’s alright. I didn’t want you to sit up. You’re still recovering from your fall.”
    “I fell?” he whispered not knowing at all what had happened to him. Everything was a blur, a masked mistress of disguise that would take every bit of time to reveal herself.
    “You did fall, Therian.” She spoke softly, sitting him up against the pillows to support him from behind. “A long and deadly fall, but you made it without any life threatening complications…despite the blood loss.”
    “Am I dead then?”
    “No, no you’re not. You’re a hundred percent alive.” Serena took in a deep breath realizing that she was getting frustrated over nothing because drugs were still in Therian’s system.
    Therian smiled and nodded slowly. His head rolled back against the pillow, and within seconds he was fast asleep. His face went from a soft smile to a solemn clam that couldn’t be defined.
    Serena sighed. He spoke, his memory is shot to pieces, and he didn’t even know that he was alive. Cleaning off his bed side and pulling the sheets back over him; she stood up and made her way toward the infirmary door. She wondered if he would wake up again and be in his right mind, or sleep until the time came to do so.

    Therian woke up again to the dim lit room of the infirmary. He gazed up at the oil lamp on his left which was flickering around in its glass bulb. It’s so calm in here, he thought as he sat up slowly. He fingered the bandages over his heart, wishing that the pain near it would disappear out of thin air. Therian peered around the room. There was no one else except for the echo of his breathing and the constant sound of his foot tapping against the floor at a steady pace. Other than that it was fairly quiet. His eyes caught sight of black robes with white cuffs lying at the end of the bed. Reaching for them, he stood up carefully and pulled them on. That smell, he thought as he buried his nose in the lavender scent that was embedded within the threads of the fabric. As he put it on, he noticed how softly the rain beat against the window pane. It amazed him because the mere sound of it was relaxing. Reaching back, he slipped his wings through the carefully sized slits on the back of the robe. Oddly, it fit perfectly and comfortably unlike anything he had ever worn.
    After dressing himself in the robe, he felt weakened by the little movement he had made but was eager to escape the loneliness of the infirmary. His hand flew up against the wall, helping him to keep his balance in check. He looked at the ruffled bed sheet, and then stared at the door. Leaving the infirmary at the moment seemed like the best thing to do. Therian walked along the wall until he reached the door. Don’t look back, he thought, knowing that he was beginning to miss the comfort of the bed. His hand hit the door knob. Panic struck him out of nowhere but he made it out.
    The corridor was empty and quiet. Therian walked slowly down the hall with the wall helping to support him. He gazed around, wondering if everyone was sleeping or somewhere eating breakfast since he didn’t have any clue what time of day it was. This is new, he thought feeling his wings flutter when we came to the end of the corridor. There was another door waiting for him to open it. As he neared it, the door opened before he could touch it.
    “Therian…what are you doing out of bed?” Serena emerged from behind the door and looked at him with awe. She took hold of his arm and helped him to stand up.
    “It was getting lonely in there…” He smiled but it soon vanished into a calm face filled with pain. He took a deep breath as another wave of weakness hit him from out of nowhere.
    Serena brushed back her curly read hair and smiled. “It’s alright. It’s actually dinner time. Would you like to join everyone in the dining hall?”
    He nodded. “Yes, please. Where am I exactly?”
    “You’re at the Dark Angel Headquarters. I’ll tell you more about it when we get to the dining hall, but for now let’s focus on getting you something to eat.”
    His stomach rumbled in agreement. He followed her out the door, her strong grasp on his arm serving as a support for him. This is new, he thought wondering about everything before nothing. His thoughts flowed back to the warmth of his own little domain in the sky until it was taken by force…
    “Therian?” Serena stopped and looked into his emerald eyes.
    He looked around at her. “Yes?”
    “Is everything alright?” Her baby-blue eyes seemed to twinkle at him in concern and interest.
    “I was in my house and the last thing I remembered was an ambush…and Gabriel…”Therian escaped Serena’s grip and leaned against the wall behind him. He was feeling dizzy, the room seemed to spin and twirl around him in mockery.
    “It’s alright Therian. Let’s go back to the infirmary. We can talk there, and I’ll just have Victor bring us something to eat. He can also give us some info over the entire situation.” She took his arm in hers and led him back where they came. Serena noticed how he seemed to tremble with almost every step they took. She had never seen so much fear spilling from the pores of one person, but then again she hadn’t any idea what he had been through a few days ago.

    Victor arrived ten minutes later at the infirmary with two plates of hot food and drinks. He stared curiously at Therian who wolfed down his plate within seconds. It amazed him how Therian could eat so much, but then again, he hadn’t eaten in a long time.
    When Therian had completely cleaned his plate, Serena set her half full dish down and took hold of his hands. “Do you remember anything Therian?” She asked not taking her eyes off his.
    “Just the ambush…and Gabriel…”
    “Gabriel is that archangel who landed on earth after you fell. She was eager to finish the execution when the high council probably saw that your heart hadn’t failed on the way down.” Victor explained taking a seat on the opposite bed across from Therian’s.
    “I know. She and some others ambushed me while I was…” He stopped short of his words. He could see himself waking up to hands pulling at him and blunt objects hitting places of his body that would’ve put him in critical care. After a moment he could see his halo hit the ground. The memory faded and he found himself looking at Serena. “They removed my halo…I blacked out.”
    Serena nodded and looked at Therian. “The whites have blamed you for a crime that you didn’t commit in order to protect one of their most valued. It’s been going on for centuries and we’re all victims of their false accusations.”
    “When I found you, Gabriel was already ready to finish you off with her blade. Killing you would mean the eternal suffering of a new race of angel which is us.” Victor spoke calmly. “Keeping you alive is our priority because you, Therian, are the key to new world order between the fallen ones, the white ones, and us, the dark ones.”
    “Who are the fallen ones?”
    “Vampires, any angel who drinks the blood of life or eternal life, are the fallen.”
    Serena placed her hands on Therian’s temple and made sure that he was completely facing her. “I need you to relax.”
    He nodded and relaxed every muscle that he could. He was oddly comforted by her warm palms and the smell of her hair, which reminded him of strawberries. Leaning back and closing his eyes, he drifted away from himself a bit. “I’m relaxed.”
    “Good, take a deep breath and remember what happened.” Serena closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. The visions in her head were fuzzy and unclear she could’ve been looking at anything but everything soon came into focus. She would see Therian, lying in his bed asleep with his hand placed over his heart. He was sleeping. His mane of white hair spread out over the pillow and his night shirt half open revealing the many scars that he had on his chest. A noise shot out of nowhere and instinctively, Serena ducked. She looked back at Therian who had shifted position. He’s not much of a light sleeper, she thought realizing how loud the noise actually was.
    She looked closer and noticed Gabriel and a few others rushing into his room and grabbing him, dragging him out of the bed. They began to beat him until he was awake and screaming, struggling to fight back or at least to get away. His nails dug into the floor boards and his screams soon became silent whimpers. His blood began to pool onto the floor and stain what was left of his nightclothes. Serena whimpered her self as she witnessed Gabriel jamming the heel of her pumps into Therian’s chest. She reached down and took hold of his halo, slowing crushing it between her fists. He screamed to the top of his lungs. She whispered something, and instantly the halo shattered and Therian phased through the floor and soon Serena found herself being shaken by Victor who pried her hands from Therian’s cold body.
    Serena blinked and looked at Therian’s eyes. They had phased to a sickly lime green and were blank with nothing but a pool of pain swirling around his iris. She looked at Victor who handed shook his head.
    “What happened?” She asked as Victor laid Therian back onto the bed and slapped a special hyperbaric mask on his face.
    “I think you broke through his memory barrier. When you did so, his body started to shake and he started to choke up. Hey Therian, are you still with me buddy?” Victor looked back at Therian who nodded gently as though his head were severely injured. “What happened?”
    “Therian was ambushed, brutally, and they did it while he was still sleeping. Gabriel chanted something when she removed his halo. I don’t know if it were a curse or a charm but either way it’s something dangerous.”
    Victor sighed and sat back down on the opposite bed. “You do know that we need to consult the elders about this as soon as possible?”
    She nodded and stood up. “I know but first, we need to let him explore the mountains for rejuvenation. We need to allow him to reawaken his elemental side.”
    Victor took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright, we will let him rest for the night, tomorrow morning we take him into the mountains for elemental reawakening. After that we will let the elders take over.”
    “No someone has to stay and watch him with the elders.”
    “I’ll stick around. Now, let’s get some rest. I’m beat.” Victor stood up and strolled out of the infirmary without another word.
    Serena leaned over Therian and looked at his calming eyes. “Goodnight Therian.” She whispered pulling the blankets over him and loosening the belt of his robes.
    A weak smile lit up Therian’s face but disappeared under the misty mask and soon he was fast asleep. Serena dimmed the oil lamp and closed the blinds nearby. After that, she left the infirmary with a sense of guilt and relief. Guilt because she wished that there was something that could’ve been done to save Therian from so much pain. Relief because Victor had came in the knick of time to stop a fatal blow.

    Therian awoke to the smell of cinnamon and pine nuts ravaging at his stomach. He found himself buried in a mane of black hair and feathers. Where am I, the thought pondered as he lifted up his head and looked around. There were trees, shrubs, wildflowers, dirt, grass, and everything that could be found in a well nourished forest.
    “Hey you’re awake,” Victor’s voice rumbled and slightly startled Therian. “Finally…you don’t weigh much but I almost thought you were comatose.”
    Therian felt his feet touch the ground and was comforted by the dirt rubbing against the soles of his bare feet. Victor let his down with ease and turned to face Therian, making mental notes of how he reacted when his feet his the ground.
    “Welcome to Zaharia, our mothering forest. Humans refer to her as mother nature, but she is our mother instinctively. When your feet touched the soil, how did it feel?” Victor asked braiding his hair and tying it down with a silver-colored bow.
    “It felt like something I’ve never experienced before. Though may I ask why I am shoeless?”
    “To reconnect your senses,” Victor took off his own shoes and placed them inside the messenger bag on his shoulder, “in all possible ways. We dark angels are completely associated with nature in a way that separates our existence from the fallen, humans, and the white ones. Take a deep breath and release. Clearing your lungs first allows for an easier transition.”
    Confusion set upon Therian’s face when he inhaled but his body fell limp to the ground when the air entered his lungs in such a vast amount. His skin cooled when he made contact with the moist earth. “what’s happening?”
    “Just stay calm and get up slowly.” Victor spoke as he took hold of Therian’s limp hand.
    “I can’t move.” Therian lay calmly on the ground wondering why he couldn’t move his body but he could feel something probing his body from the inside out.
    Victor took immediate notice of the sudden surge of energy flowing in and out of Therian’s body. He let go of his hand and stood back. “Just relax. Apparently she’s working on you faster than I expected. Take another deep breath. She will release you in a second.”
    “Okay.” Therian took in another deep breath and in seconds his mind became a euphoria. He stared around him, becoming slowly enticed by the colors around him.
    “Therian?”
    He looked up at a woman of earthy brown skin, long hair of different shades of brown, and sharp emerald green eyes that tickled his insides. She was beautiful. A woman who if compared to another might actually kill the person doing the comparison. Therian looked at her in amazement. “Yes.”
    “I’m not going to harm you. Just relax. You’re adjusting beautifully to the changes. Your wings have transitioned nicely, your choker is a fine shade of silver, and your heart is still beating strongly.” She laid down next to him and played with the colors swirling in the air.
    “Why can’t I move my body?”
    “Oh, I’m still probing you. It will take a while to assess you. Your different. Your breathing pattern, your brain waves, your blood flow, every inch of your cellular structure. You’re not like the other dark ones. You are the key.”
    Therian looked at her, at her smile and wondered what she meant. “I don’t understand. How am I the key?”
    She looked at him. “I am Zaharia, mother of nature and the dark ones. I think I know my children when I see them. Therian, the elders will explain everything to you.”
    He nodded and felt his body grow warm. “Is it over?”
    Zaharia turned to face him and smiled. “Yes, take a deep breath and cough.”
    Therian sucked in the deepest breath he could and the euphoria lifted when he coughed. He opened his eyes to Victor who was holding a mask to his face. He looked worried and scared out of his life but Therian felt weaker than ever before.
    “Are you okay? You gave me quiet a scare there. She kept you down longer than expected.” Victor chuckled as he lifted the mask from Therian’s face and pulled him up from the earth.
    Therian regained himself and relaxed when the cool air hit him. “I’m fine I’m just so confused about so many things. Why were you holding a mask to my face?”
    “You were down for nearly five minuets,” Victor placed the mask back in his messenger, “the paralysis from the probing of mother can become dangerous to a degree if she’s at it for so long. Your lungs could’ve stopped completely causing for something catastrophic.”
    “Thank you.” Therian smiled and rubbed the back of his head.
    “You’re welcome. Now let’s go. We have a few more things to get done while we are in Zaharia. By noon, we can go to the elders and confront them. Right now, our time is of the essence.”
    At that note they headed out again. Everything around Therian seemed to jump out at him. He took notice of every single detail of the creatures that moved pass them. He sensed the heat of male mammals lusting after the females. The birds seemed to be singing but their chirping was magnifying to a whole other pitch that was enticing. Everything around Therian was in completely harmony, something that never went on in the kingdom above because even this was far more beautiful than a bunch of clouds and gold light with gates to shine off of. He looked off into the distance and stared at the mountains. They were cold and collective in their appearance, just looking at them sent shivers down his spine. His hand touched the tree as they passed and his body immediately gave off an impulse. His sense of smell magnified by a thousand in seconds, allowing him to smell everything in the forest. Every smell was its own unique smell. None of them were revolting, but played with ones senses teasingly.
    “What is this…” Therian asked as he buried his nose in his own hair and took a whiff.
    Victor stopped and looked back at Therian who looked as though he were going to pass out in his own body fluids. “I see you’ve touched the tree. Your sense of smell must’ve heightened and I believe that you are now smelling things on an entirely new level of consciousness. As you hone your newly rejuvenated senses, you will be able to sniff out different creatures such as the rabbit hiding below in the hole of the tree. Look down.”
    Therian looked down and saw the little brown rabbit peeping out from it’s hiding place inside of the tree. That’s fairly incredible, he thought kneeling down to get a closer look at the rabbit. It didn’t run nor seem to know that he was starring at him. Instead, it hopped off casually as if he didn’t even see Therian. “Can they see me?”
    “Every living thing can see you. Even humans. With humans it’s different. Humans only see us as other humans and cannot sense the auras of our being. It is okay to communicate with humans as long as you do not exploit yourselves to them. They know nothing of our existence.”
    “I understand. What about the fallen ones and the white ones?”
    Victor laughed and smiled. “The fallen ones can be easily fool anyone because they look exactly like humans. White ones cannot be seen by humans, but us, the fallen ones, and animals can very much see them and sense them. When you do meet a fallen one, be extremely careful.”
    Therian stood up straight and looked at Victor. “How so?”
    “There are two kind of fallen angels, but they both are considered vampires. The Espinanda are the vamps who don’t have any sign of a pulse. They are the dangerous ones and are hard to trust because they only live for themselves. The Intoasa’s are the vamps who fell and lived and still have a pulse. They drink blood every few months to sustain themselves and usually live among humans more than the Espinanda do. You can trust them because we are allied with them and communicate with them. Most have been alive decades. Neither of the two can die. Intoasa aren’t so dangerous but they each have gifts and unique abilities.”
    The knowledge itself was incredible, every inch of Therian’s body wanted to explode with questions but he knew that he would learn the answer to each one by one.
    “Alright, I’ve said enough. Let’s get going so that the elders do not have my head over why we were late.”

    Universally everything was connected. Therian walked with Victor against the cool winds that chilled his body dangerously. His we hair sopped and slapped at his back as they trudged up the path leading into the mountains. He was beginning to wish that he had never fallen into the stream back in Zaharia. Though, if he hadn’t, his hearing may not have magnified to the point where he could zero in on certain sounds from far away. Shaking and sure that the sun were no where near their side of the mountain, he walked on, struggling to keep up with Victor.
    Victor looked back at Therian, wishing that he had brought the thermal wrap that Serena had been warning him about earlier before he had even left. He stopped at the start of the rocky path ahead and waited for Therian to catch up. His senses will cloud if he starts cooling down rapidly, Victor concluded remembering the time Serena pushed him in when they were in Zaharia for rehabilitation from fighting. After a moment, Therian reached Victor, Victor casually reached up to his neck to take his pulse.
    “It’s f-freezing out here.” Therian stammered, smiling gently with chattering teeth.
    “It’s your body temperature. Your heart’s beating fine, just a light case of hypothermia. Don’t worry, you will be warm as soon as we get inside, which will take about five minuets.”
    “F-five m-minutes?”
    “Cinq Minute…” Victor chanted in French with his best accent, “Don’t worry it wont be long. Just keep up with me.”
    “Right..” Therian nodded and followed Victor. His feet felt slippery against the rocks and it felt as though he were stepping on something unpleasant on so many levels. It’s so cold out here, he thought feeling the wind whip through his white mane freezing his skull even more, but it’s not going to get me down. Therian sped up his pace to keep up with Victor. He pushed himself against the winds until finally after a few minutes they came to a stop at a stone bolted door guarded by two dark angels in silver robes.
    Victor stepped in front of Therian and approached the guards with ease. He looked at both of them with patience waiting for their reaction. Amazingly, they moved aside and opened the door.
    “Enter as you please, enter with ease.” They both came to chant in deep voices.
    “Thank you.” Victor spoke softly and lead Therian in.
    Therian nodded thanks to the guards who nodded back to him in respect. He didn’t want to see ignorant or allow anyone to pass quick judgment on his manners.
    They entered the warm, torch-lit corridor that was filled with the scent of lavender and spring water. Therian held his hand to the wall, allowing the smooth stone to relieve his senses and the floor to reassure his feet that he would wear shoes again.
    “Therian, the elders are very unusual in their tasks but they mean well. Do not fret.”
    Therian looked up at Victor. What if I don’t understand them, he thought thinking over himself carefully.
    He stopped walking when he found himself standing alone in the middle of the floor. Victor was gone and he was all by himself. He looked up around him, there was no one there. “Is anyone there?” he called out wishing that he were back in the forest with Zaharia. A loud screeching noise rushed through the air chilling his surroundings instantly. Therian felt his heart leap inside of his chest as panic set in. He turned around and face two doors that weren’t bolted shut he approached them but as he did, they opened.
    He peered inside hoping that it was only a way out of where he already was. Something isn’t right, he thought as the hot air of a beast warmed the air. Eyes glared at him from within the darkness of the opened doors. They were reddish-green and seemed to glow like small lanterns. Therian backed up feeling his heart slow down. His body felt weak. His mind felt weak. What is this… he moved away from the middle of the floor as the creature emerged from it’s cove. It looked and reminded Therian of a truly overgrown dog infused with a wolf and troll. It’s skin was a series of fur mixed in scales and feather like materials. It’s face looked as though it had already torn through something’s or someone’s body. Suddenly, the beast launched itself at Therian. It was quick, though Therian wasn’t quick enough.
    Warm fluids trickled down his backside as the beast tasted his blood and flesh. Therian reached up with his one free arm to make sure that the beast before him was real. It was. The pain was so bad that he didn’t even feel it. He didn’t stop touching the beast because somehow he could feel it’s own pain and hunger. He didn’t panic but his breathing became heavy, it felt as if the monster’s tooth was embedded within his left lung. Therian’s eyes grew heavy and his vision became heavy. The beast didn’t screech but was calmed by Therian’s touch.
    “I wont hurt you…your hunger is greater than that of my own…but blood shed is beneath you…”Therian whispered as blood drooled out of his mouth.
    The beast slowly let go of Therian’s body and backed away from him. Therian fell with a thud to floor and a blank expression on his face. He could feel all of his blood leaving his body and the life being sucked out from his struggling heart.
    “Get him out of here, to a medic right now!” A voice boomed through the room.
    Therian heard the loud noise of someone’s voice perfectly. He could feel feet hitting the ground in slow motion from his perspective but it was he who was slowing down. The last thing he remembered was Victor cutting through his shirt and telling him to hand in there. Darkness engulfed him like lust over a man without limits.

    Victor stood uncomfortable in front of a medic, the elders, and Therian’s injured body waiting for someone, anyone to break the silence. He wasn’t happy with the test that the elder’s had given to Therian because he lost too much blood and Serena would have a fit if she learned that her handy work with medicine had gone to waste in a mere ten minuets. And I have to face her, he shivered at the thought of seeing Serena’s face when he brought Therian back, if he could bring him back that was.
    “Elders, his condition is stable. He’s unable to move or breathe on his own. There’s been a fair amount of damage done to his lung but he’s going to be out of it for a few hours.”
    “And how long before he heals completely?”
    “A few days, but he will regain consciousness but will be unable to do much.”
    The elders nodded and dismissed the medic who glided out of the ivory chamber on her toes, allowing her wings to carry her only a few inches off the ground. Victor looked at Therian, not surprised at the tube protruding from his mouth and the thick dressing on the left side of his body.
    “Victor, he’s wiser than I’ve expected. His sense’s must’ve really rejuvenated in Zaharia.” Luna, a blonde and the youngest elder, spoke gently.
    “I am more than glad to hear that.”
    “Though, his reaction time was slower than expected his skill was something I’ve never seen before in our kind. He has passed his test, surpassed it actually, but now he must rest. I cannot wait a few days for him to rest. I will have one of my elite take him to the l’eau to speed up the healing process.”
    “Sir,” Victor cut in looking at the eldest elder who looked back at him curiously, “moving him will only make his worsen his blood loss and his condition is barely stable.”
    The elder looked at Victor, twirling a crooked finger around his glass of water. “Very well then, but he is your responsibility. As it may be better to take him to the l’eau, it would be even safer to have Zaharia nurse his body in a pod.”
    Victor nodded. He knew from experience that the pods in the trees of Zaharia could heal any living thing if it were left dormant inside of the pod. I haven’t been injured in a while, he thought remembered his last time being in the pod.
    “Well?”
    “Oh uh, yes sir. I will take everything from here. May I have an elite to help me with Therian’s transportation?”
    The elder nodded. Victor bowed in respect and watched as the Elders before him leave the room. Victor turned back to Therian and examined him closely. Moving him would be difficult since his breathing was already not at it’s best. Time would be his major concern when they made it to the forest. This is going to be difficult.

    “How could you let him get hurt like that!!” Serena yelled at Victor who panicked at the sound of her voice.
    “Serena, it wasn’t my choice. The elders put him up against Amoire to see if he would past there test. Thankfully, he passed and lived.”
    Serena looked at Victor and sighed. They both stood in the forest staring at Therian’s odd colored pod. His white hair spilled out from the top making it more distinct from any other pod. It rested at the base of the red elf unlike any other that rested at the top of the tree.
    “How long before and elder comes to wake him up?”
    “Not any time soon. Zaharia will allow him to wake up when he’s ready. Since he does not have his sense of direction and his lungs are weak, he will have to wake up on his own.”
    A feeling of warmth and comfort spread over Serena as she stared at the pulsating pod in front of her. She wanted to touch it but doing so would only disrupt the healing process. She turned to Victor who’s wings flapped wildly behind him. “Are you ready to go?”
    “Yeah, Chronius needs me for something and I have yet to get back to him. You can stay if you want but I’ve got to go.”
    Serena took off into the sky before Victor could. Victor took one last look at Therian’s pod to make sure that it was secure to the tree. After that he dart into the sky and disappeared into the clouds.

    “Therian…wake up.”
    Therian opened his eyes to Zaharia’s memorizing green ones. He looked at her who looked back at him with a worried expression on her face. Her hands traced the back of his head and the heated air around them seemed to amplify.
    “Zaharia…”
    Her eyes widened to his voice and she smiled softly. Her head turned away but she turned back to meet his gaze. Her soft chocolate hands spread over his aching chest, allowing energy to flow into him and promote full on healing.
    “Zaharia, what’s going on…” Therian whispered finding it a bit difficult to communicate. Oddly, he was comforted by Zaharia, the way she held him reminded him of being literally up on cloud nine in pure bliss.
    “You passed the elder’s test, but you were injured while doing so. Just relax, it could take a while to get your body where it needs to be.”
    Therian nodded and turned his cheek toward the grassy ground beneath him. It took him a moment to realize that he was nude. His cheeks grew rouge and his wings seemed to shudder with embarrassment. He looked back at Zaharia who had laid down next to him. She locked gazes with him and took him in her arms. Therian rested against her warm neck, taking in the smell of exotic spices and flavors that radiated off her skin. I’ve never smelled anything like this, he thought wondering if only mother nature could smell and be so beautiful inside and out. At that very moment, pain surged through his entire body. He tense up and clung to Zaharia, tears flooded his vision and he began to heat up uncontrollably.
    “I know, just stay calm. Your body isn’t used to me yet. It will take some time but me healing you at the moment is my primary focus. Soon you wont need me to heal your battle scars unless it’s critical.”
    “Zaharia, its getting…”
    “Warmer yes,” Zaharia interrupted as she ran her fingers through his hair, “you’ve spiked a fever. Just take a deep breath.”
    He did and his entire being felt like jelly. Therian closed his eyes and entered another world beyond Zaharia’s and the forest. He buried his face deeper in Zaharia’s hair and soon fell unconscious.

    Serena treaded through the forest quietly, wishing that Victor has followed along with her. Her feet dragged against the earth and her hands traced every vine that she came in contact with. She was worried about Therian, worried that he would wake up earlier than expected and get lost in the darkness of the forest. It was nearly sunset and the protectiveness of the forest was somewhat out of hand to a certain degree, especially if a fallen angel was somewhere looking for a quick and empowering feast. This is a bit scary, she thought as the sound of crows cawing overhead caused cold to wash over her. She relaxed as she approached Therian’s pod which was still bound to the tree. Usually an animal would’ve disturbed it by now but luckily, Therian was still safely inside. Serena reached into her messenger bag and patted the linen based clothing that she carried for Therian. The worse possible thing that could happen to a dark angel in the forest of Zaharia, was to be nude.
    Therian opened his eyes to the darkness of his pod and felt his entire body, his chest was covered with thick sticky fabric and hurt too much if pressure was applied. He struggled to move in the darkness, his heart started to race. He pushed all around himself, panicking and hoping that he hadn’t been eaten. Sweat began to pour down his face and his breathing became labored.
    “Help!” he screamed hoping that there was anyone or anything around to cut him out whatever he was in.
    Serena opened her eyes and stared at Therian’s pod across from where she sat. I must’ve fallen asleep, she thought to herself looking down at a rabbit that had found it’s way in her lap. She politely set it on the ground and stood up. Beating and screaming noises were coming from the pod. Non-hesitantly, she rushed over and took out a small dagger. Carefully she slid it down the symmetrical line that ran down the middle of the pod.
    “Therian, it’s me, Serena. Try to push your way out,” she instructed as she slid the dagger against the line a few more times, cutting through the meaty flesh of the pod. Instantly the pod split open, spilling with a small amount of slime and Therian caught in it’s mess.
    Therian coughed in relief as he attempted to catch his breath. “Serena..” he coughed as he struggled to stand.
    “Usually the pods open when their host regain consciousness.” Serena spoke softly with a smile as she carefully pulled Therian off of the ground. She stared at the sticky bandages over his chest and saw that they were really sap tree leaves. His wounds must’ve been more serious than I could imagine, she thought to herself.