“Hey, little guy,” Ariel spoke softly, approaching the child. He held up his hands non-threatenly, trying to appear as friendly as he possibly could. The child looked up at him with wide green eyes, too green to be human.

There’s no way that this kid is older than seven…

“Hi,” Ariel waved, a bright smile on his face. “I’m Ariel, what’s your name?”

The kid narrowed his eyes, which were alive with burning hatred.

“Why does it matter? You don’t care about my name!” The kid yelled, flattening himself against the wall like a caged animal.

“Of course I care,” Ariel tried to reassure him. “I’m just like you.”

The boy’s expression softened for a moment, then his eyes traveled down from Ariel’s face to his neck where, once again, they hardened.

“You’re not like me, you’re their dog!” Despite the anger in his voice, Ariel could sense the fear hiding behind his words.

“Listen, I know you’re scared… But everything is going to be alright, you just need to come with us,” Ariel explained, taking another step closer.

“Stay back!” The kid warned. “I'll kill you!”

Ariel chuckled and looked over to Jasper. “He’s pretty feisty, isn’t he?” Jasper sighed and shook his head.

“Ariel, please focus.”

Ariel huffed and turned back to the child. Greeted by the child’s dark scowl. Ariel couldn’t help but recoil from his gaze.

“You’re pretty angry… aren’t ya, buddy?” Ariel muttered, stepping back.

“My parents are dead! Of course I’m angry!” The child screamed, hands curled into bone white fists. The boy’s rage burned brighter than any flame Ariel could produce, and that terrified him.

“I understand…” Ariel spoke softly. “I know what it’s like to lose your parents… I didn’t even know my father.”

Thank goodness for that…

The boy’s glare wavered slightly.

“My mother was murdered by humans…” Ariel explained, moving closer to the boy. “And we lived pretty close to here, actually… Just under humanity’s nose…” A faint smile crossed his lips.

“Then why…?” The boy asked. “Why do you serve him?” He pointed an accusing finger at Jasper.

“It’s… Complicated…” Ariel admitted, his eyes dropping to ground. A strange feeling coursed through him. Shame, perhaps. “But sometimes you have to do what you have to do in order to survive… Sometimes that includes sacrificing your pride as a Magi.”

The boy appeared to ponder this for a moment, looking down at his shoes. Ariel turned to Jasper triumphantly.

“I think I’m getting through to him,” he whispered cheerfully. But the expression on Jasper’s face confused him. Was Jasper… sad?

Ariel shrugged and looked back to the child. “Alright, buddy, let’s-.”

“You’re right…” the child cut him off. “Sometimes you have to do whatever it takes…”

“Huh…?”

Suddenly, Ariel’s sense of balance was gone, and he was… floating?

What the…?

Ariel looked down to see the ground slipping away from under him as he floated to the ceiling.

Can he control gravity?

From below, the child glared up at Ariel, a small hand outstretched towards him.

“What are you doing?!” Ariel frantically cried down. “This isn’t funny!”

“Who’s laughing?” The kid said darkly, flexing his fingers. With a soft thud, Ariel hit the ceiling of the house, leaving him high above the ground.

“Ariel! Get down from there!” Jasper cried out, worry lacing his words together.

“I really can’t,” Ariel admitted, struggling against the lack of gravity.

With an exasperated sigh, Jasper looked over at the child who was wearing a grim expression on his face.

“Listen, kid, this isn’t going to end well,” Ariel tried to convince him. “They will kill you, don’t doubt them!”

“Shut up! I’d rather be dead than a slave to the nulls!” The kid yelled.

At the slur, Ariel noticed Jasper stiffen, and begin to walk over to the child.

“Ariel’s right,” Jasper spoke quietly. "The people out there, they will kill you if given the chance…”

“And you won’t?” The kid asked mockingly. “You’d kill me too, right?”

Jasper shook his head. “I’m not that kind of person… I’d hate to see anyone get killed.”

“Aren’t you their prophet?” He asked. “Doesn’t Vlast want us all dead?”

“I’m not just the will of my God, there’s an actual person behind these eyes,” Jasper explained. Ariel could sense the frustration bubbling beneath Jasper’s calm surface. “Someone who doesn’t think people should die because they were born different.”

“I’d rather be dead than be a Catalyst,” the boy almost whimpered. “That’s worse than being dead…”

“Is it?” Jasper asked. “Is losing your life really worth your pride? Pride means nothing if you’re dead… And you have your whole life ahead of you.”

“...But is it really worth it?” The boy asked softly.

Jasper looked up at Ariel, still pressed against the ceiling.

“Ariel, is it worth it?”

“I would definitely say it beats being dead,” he responded. “But there’s probably people who think otherwise.”

The boy dropped his head, appearing to contemplate what they had said.

“I’ll do what I can for you,” Jasper said softly. “But I can’t help you, if you don’t work with me here.”

A few moments of silence passed before the boy nodded shakily.

“I… don’t wanna die… not really…” He wiped at his eyes. “It just… hurts.”

“I understand… could you let Ariel down now?” Jasper asked gently. The boy nodded and Ariel fell.

He crashed into the floor faster and harder than he had anticipated. The ground came unforgivingly and Ariel could have sworn he momentarily lost consciousness when he collided.

“Ariel? Are you okay?” He heard Jasper ask. Groaning, he staggered to his feet.

“That’s going to hurt later…” He mused, wincing at the pain in his limbs.

“I’ll have someone look at you later,” Jasper mumbled.

Ariel looked over at the boy, noticing how his body trembled under the fear of what he would soon be faced with.

They’ll put him on a ring…

Ariel could almost hear the faint chanting of the Tamer reading the ancient incantation that stripped their souls away. The scent of mildew and decay lingered in his nostrils as the memory of a horrific pain reawakened in his senses. A shudder rippled through his body, and for a moment he thought he was about to throw up.

Jasper placed a hand on his shoulder, and once again he was able to pull himself from the painful abyss of his memories and force a smile.

“C’mon, kid,” Ariel said quietly, holding out a hand to the child.

As the boy took his hand, Ariel gave it a gentle squeeze and lead him towards his enslavement.

The police were ready for them, guns pointed as the trio exited the home. The boy turned away, burying his face into Ariel, who could do nothing but pat his head as reassuringly as he could.

“Everything is alright!” Jasper called to the humans.

A collective sigh of relief passed through the small crowd, and a tall officer with a pair of handcuff stepped over.

“We’ll take it from here.”

“Wait,” Jasper spoke coldly. “While we were in there… Vlast spoke to me directly about the fate of this child.”

An expression of awe took over the serious scowl scrawled across the officer’s face.

Jasper continued before waiting for a vocal reaction. “He said the boy had exhibited great bravery, and must be treated with some decency. He will serve a human master well, if given the proper treatment.”

For a moment, there was confusion, and Ariel felt disbelief course through him.

Does Vlast honestly care about what happens to us?

“Very well,” the officer huffed. “I’ll see what I can do. If it’s Vlast’s will, it shall be done. Thank you.” He looked down to the boy still clinging to Ariel. “Come along.”

He held out the cuffs. The boy whimpered but slowly released himself from Ariel and held out his hands to be shackled.

He looked back over at Ariel, tears trickling down his cheeks. All of that bravery was gone, leaving only a terrified child at the hands of those who would love nothing more than to kill him.

As they led the boy away, Ariel offered up a quiet prayer.

Sweet Goddess, keep him under your watch, and may mercy find him.

A grim silence had taken over both Ariel and Jasper as they made their way to the carriage. Only when the doors had been shut and the carriage was moving through the streets, did Ariel find the courage to ask.

“Did Vlast really say that?”

Jasper snorted. “No, but they’ll never know that.”

Ariel cracked a smile, and felt a little peace return to his troubled mind.

“You’re the best, you know that?” Ariel spoke honestly. Light pink coloured Jasper’s cheek at the compliment.

“I wasn’t just going to let some little kid die!” Jasper huffed. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep with that on my conscious.”

Ariel’s grin widened and he leaned close to Jasper’s ear. “C’mon, you know you care,” he purred.

Jasper’s cheeks grew brighter and he swatted Ariel away. “Stop it! I’m just doing my job!”

“Sure you are,” Ariel laughed. “And to think you have a hateful God whispering in your ear all the time.”

Jasper grew quiet.

“Too far?” Ariel asked.

“Yeah…” Jasper smirked “But what did I expect from a witch?”

Ariel gasped dramatically. “A slur, from you? The ever so noble prophet of Vlast? Stooping so low? You’ve got nerve.”

Jasper chuckled. “You’re such an idiot.”

“But I’m your idiot,” Ariel remarked, poking Jasper in the arm.

Jasper sighed. “I guess you are.”