"This is Morfran. Hard to believe he actually killed our mother sometimes."

a chicken-bone thin, long limbs draped in an off-white robe that barely clung to his shoulders it was so oversized, demon pushed up from under the mountain of blankets.

"is this important?" It croaked, blinking sleep from it's glossy golden eyes.

"Yes."

"Fuck off then, I'm busy."

"You don't look busy." I commented.

Avarice continued. ""Where's Alpine's Trire?"

"I dunno."

"Find it."

"Or what?"

"I brought Rev. I suggest you hurry or drool won't be the only thing Omega is covered in."

Never in my life have I seen anyone jump out of bed and tear up their room so swiftly, not even Castiel; never seen anyone so absurdly tall either. A glimpse of his leg reveals a mosaic of old scaring, like an animal had maimed him in childhood. There was a subtle limp to his step too. Morfran went on unconscious of pain, if there was any at all.

He swore and took off down the hall.

"Remember when I told you that you wouldn't like Trire?"

"I do."

"Well, you're about to find out why."

Conveniently Morfran came running back in to dump something at Avarice's feet. Wing Shears. Blades stained with old smears of blood. The floor slid out from under me, hands flew and caught the arm of a couch.

Meanwhile, Morfran had collapsed face first back into his pillow nest, asleep and snoring before he even hit the covers. 

Avarice had strapped the Trire to his belt and stood over me. When it became clear that I wasn't getting up on my own, he hauled me to my feet and tugged me to the door. I hardly noticed. Not even the people who stared, drew my attention. Nothing but the shears.

The feeling of falling swallowed me. The spinning skyline, shedding feathers twirling on the breeze, the colors of autumn blurring together, the whip of tree branches and scream of the wind. I only surfaced from my episode once Avarice had closed us inside his room.

"Do you... have one?" I muttered.

"I stopped clipping wings years ago," A distant roll of thunder. "Its collecting dust in a chest somewhere, I don't know."

"But your siblings still do."

"If we're careful, they'll never know what you are."

"I don't want to live my life in constant fear!" I snapped.

"Addanc will not think twice about plucking you bare and draping your corpse on his wall."

"I'm shocked you care."

"I always have." Avarice retorted. "I'm not going to stop now."

"You only care about yourself, your money, your property, you reputation, it's all about you! I'm just another toy to you."

"I am a collector of many things but not wings. Is this how you thank me for protecting you from those who lust for your blood?"

A slight pang of guilt struck me. "Protection? You're just guarding you hoard of gold and slaves."

"I've certainly done a better job than you, I bet my life's savings you couldn't save yourself from Morfran."

"I'll have you know, I willingly took a punishment meant for my little sister. If Lady Ivory kills her, it's be all your fault for holding me prisoner."

"Take your hope of leaving and shove it up your ass. If she's dead, it's because you sheltered her too much by the sound of it. Maybe by keeping you here, I've given her freedom from the gilded cage you call your 'love.'"

The overwhelming quantity of rage stole every ounce of self control from me, so much so that my fist found it's way into Avarice's stomach. "How dare you," I snarled through gritted teeth. "Do you really think I'd want to stay here while you dangle the threat of grounding over my head? I fell from the sky- You Shot Me!"

"Don't," He wheezed, writhing from a shuttering cough. "Don't leave, it's raining-"

"Watch me."

There was no one to chase me, not even when I burst out of Avarice's bedroom door and went careening down the carpeted hall. Outside Avarice's manor is where I drew the most attention, I went on carelessly as the Chretta washed away with the rain. The moment my feet left the ground was the moment the game of chase began.

~~~

My legs were stone, a new weight baring down on me, crumpling me. I haven't felt this way since I was seven years old, pure seclusion, and the realization ignites hysteria. I overturn a table and collapse behind it, I don't want anyone to see me like this if I can help it. Through the clawing pain in my chest, I find my voice and cry out.

"Asmode, Nihasa!" I bark out the order to the first timid maid to peek her head in from the already open door.

They materialized from no where, closing off the rest of the house and failing to help me to my feet; I didn't have the will to move. Instead I latched onto Asmode's wrist, digging my nails into his skin and definitely drawing blood. I didn't worry, he could take pain better than Nihasa.

Asmode's mouth was moving but I was deaf to it, my heart drowned out everything else. Near blind and shivering so violently the blanket Nihasa draped over my shoulders couldn't stay on for any longer than forty seconds. I can't breathe. Why can't I calm down?

My door swung open after some time spent gripped in unnecessary terror. escorted by a pair of guards was none other than Zacchaeus. There was no more scab on his wing where my arrow had struck true, it bled freely.

"You're a fool!" Nihasa sneered. "The only reason you came crawling back is because you still can't fly properly."

"I was," His face paled a little. "Seen by someone. I barely escaped."

I rested a hand on her knee to hold her wrath at bay, relaxing my grip on Asmode. It wasn't solely his fault, I had neglected to order anyone other than Zaki in my presence and my dragons weren't due to return until tomorrow evening; the goddess had summoned them.

"I warned you." I mumbled, hating how strange the words sounded on my tongue.

"I..." Zaki stepped forward to grovel before me. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head, nudging him to his knees. Asmode and Nihasa's anger was palpably bitter.

"I suppose you've finally realized that you truly cannot fight your way out." Nihasa growled on my behalf. By the goddess, what would I do without these two?

Zaki gave her a nod, though I only saw it through my peripheral. "Are you okay?" His voice was soft and uncertain.

I finally brought myself to look at him, a wave of something euphoria engulfing me and yet stealing away any ounce of energy I may have had left in me.

Trees crowded the sky, my eyes blurry with tears. If there were any animals around me, I couldn't see them but their low growling set my senses on fire.

Nothing was right, she said she'd be right back and now it seems like days have passed.

Mother?

My mouth worked but my voice did not. Wolves' howling alerting to the beginning of a hunt.

Me. No one's there to say it but I know it's me the wolves want, mother sent them. I find a meadow, light and golden brown, with a figure at it's heart.

The regal Priestess of Greed, my auntie Asura, reaching out to receive me.

I fell mere feet from her waiting arms, dragged back into the shadows by my ankles, back to my certain doom.

I awoke to an empty room. The heavy scent of blood stinging my nostrils, the window cracked.

...Addanc.