Joseph sprinted through the vaguely lit streets of Hazelnut Village as a small white cat. It was midnight by now, and he could feel his body’s strength giving into weariness, bemused by the erratic thumping of his heart.

Uri, he thought. I’m coming, Uri! I won’t let them hurt you, I promise! I won’t lose you like I lost Hadvir!

The streets were bare, dusty roads with scattered gravel lodged in the dirt from decades of travel. Unlike human feet, however, when Joseph took on his animal form, his paws were too small to be hindered by the jagged rocks in the road. Down the path he sped. He would make it, he thought. No...

He must make it!

The inn was tense. Uri, who sat by the fire, fixed his green eyes upon the flames, his mind racing to think of some way to calm the old woman and her daughter.

“What they’re doing,” the old innkeeper said, breaking the silence, “no one has ever done it before...”

“Well,” Uri said, trying his best to sound encouraging against the other’s trembling voice. “It’s happening now. Don’t worry! My brother and my friends...they’re really strong! They will get Dalt back! And if anyone ever could do it, it would be them!”

“You’re so confident...” Kerri’s voice was low and solemn.

Uri smiled. “Of course I am! They’re the strongest!”

The two women looked at the boy before them, his eyes seemingly magnified behind his large, circular, spectacles. He believed in his family; they could see that. But he believed with passion, and for some reason, they couldn’t help but feel a comforted by his faith.

“I...” Judine began. “I hope they can save him.”

It was then that they heard footsteps outside.

Uri was scared. He couldn’t help but look at the faces of Judine and Kerri. As he stared into their frozen faces, it reminded him of something deep and undeniable, something primeval, a guttural and unnerving feeling.

The fear he saw in their eyes...

It reminded him of the fear he felt five years ago, when he watched his home burn to the ground.

“It’s one of Wolfe’s men!” Kerri said, her breath quickening. “I know it! I just know it!”

Uri said nothing. Thoughts swam in his mind.

I remember now...

    ...I won’t let it happen again...

                 ...not to these nice people...

He stood and walked to the door.

“Are you crazy!” Judine shouted.

I won’t be afraid!

The young boy turned and smiled.

I’m stronger this time!

“Don’t worry,” he said, smiling. “I’ll protect you!”

It was odd, really. Judine and Kerri really didn’t understand the smile, but to young Uri, it came as an epiphany. He realized that, when he smiled, he felt a rush of courage.

He smiled like his brother.

“But you’re just a kid!” Kerri called back.

Uri winked, his eyes magnified by his round glasses. “Maybe!” he said. “But I’ve got a trick or two!”

The air was cool in the darkness outside of the inn. Hound, the fourth member of Wolfe’s gang, stood upon the bottom step of the building.

As the door opened and Uri, small and frail stepped out of the inn, the stocky ruffian burst into raucous laughter. He was a grim-looking man, his bare chest visible through an unbuttoned shirt, revealing the many scars that decorated his body.

“So they left the weakling behind?!” Hound berated. “This will be easy!”

High above, the Starbreather sat aloft in the air, all of the town below under his gaze. His red eyes moved from the Emerald Gate and then looked down upon the lowly inn.

“Oooo...” He smiled, his jagged teeth bright against his ethereal body. He looked upon Uri as he heard the voice of Hound call the child weak.

“Weak...” the deity said as he twisted in the air, unseen by all eyes. “You are weak, young boy.” His smile grew wider. “But so was she! You Starborn are so weak, but that’s what makes you great! Because your biggest strength is your weakness!

He chuckled.

“I wonder, is your time upon you, O Child of Vespira!?”

Uri stopped at the top of the stairs, his green eyes defiantly looking down upon his opponent.

“So they left the baby back at home, huh?” the large man called Hound laughed as he pulled a long gnarled dagger from its sheath on his waist.

Uri gulped. He wouldn’t run. He wouldn’t. He could hear Kerri crying from inside the house behind him. No.

He couldn’t run. Not now. Not ever again.

Suddenly, Hound shot forward, his large form climbing the steps with a single bound. Uri gasped as the man’s huge hand wrapped itself around his throat.

“I didn’t wanna cut your tongue out, boy.” His breath was hot as he lowered his head to Uri’s level. “But, I guess I’ll have to—“

A loud explosion crackled through the air as the steps below burst into splinters. Uri gasped as the ruffian released himself in order to catch his own fall.

“—You won’t be cutting anyone today!” Joseph said through panting.

Uri looked up to see his friend’s gun pointed forward.

“Don’t worry, Uri,” Joseph said, and his cat ears lowered as he smiled. “I won’t let this guy hurt you or anyone else!”

Sir Smith had left the bar, still pondering the mysterious intelligence of the even more mysterious Gilliam. It was odd, really. For so long, Sir Smith was certain that he himself was the only one who would carry out the plan to kill Azazel. But, now that he had spoken to Gilliam, he could see that he had allies. The strength of these allies, however, was debatable, but still...

Suddenly, gunfire sounded in the distance. Sir Smith looked up.

The inn, he thought. The Angel smiled. “I see...”

“So that’s how we play,” Hound laughed as he pulled Uri into his chest, holding the large dagger to his throat.

“Uri!” Joseph froze.

What now...? Joseph’s mind whirled. Could he make the shot? What if he missed? What if Uri got hurt? Dammit!

“Joseph!” Uri cried out, his voice shaking. “Just shoot! It doesn’t matter if you hit me! You have to save Judine and Kerri!”

“Shut up, idiot!” Joseph shot back, “I’m not letting you die!”

“But I am,” a voice said.

Joseph and Uri turned to see Sir Smith approaching from the darkness.

“An Angel?!” Hound’s voice was loud and full of loathing as he pressed the knife to Uri’s throat. “Don’t think I’m scared of you!”

Sir Smith said nothing as he slowly approached.

“G-get back!” Hound stepped back slowly. “I’ll slit his throat!”

A smirk crossed Sit Smith’s lips as he continued to step forward. “Then do it,” he said, his voice stony and frigid.

There wasn’t another word. In an instant, Uri felt the cold knife of the blade slide across his throat. There was no air, no voice, just cold.

“Uri!” Joseph shrieked as he rushed to the boy’s limp body.

“See, ruffian,” Sir Smith said to Hound as he approached. “It’s easy to spill blood, isn’t it?”

“Get away from me!” he exclaimed as Sir Smith took hold of his arm. The man tried to pull away, but Sir Smith held him firmly.

“You have many scars,” Sir Smith said casually. “What a shame.”

Suddenly, blue lightning coursed from the Angel’s hand and rode up Hound’s form, spreading throughout.

The man shrieked as the many scars along his body began to open wide and spill profusely. He screamed for a moment, then fell dead as the last of his blood drained from his body.

“I reversed the timeline of his scars, making it to where they opened as if new.”

“You bastard!” Joseph screamed as he held Uri’s limp body. “What the hell did you do?!”

Sir Smith looked down upon the Beastfolk.

“I performed a test,” he said, his voice impassive and hard. “And it seems I was correct.”

“What? You killed Uri, you-you have to try to heal him!”

“No.”

“I’ll kill you—”

Sir Smith interrupted, pointing. “He’s not dead.”

Joseph followed his finger. His eyes widened in terror. Along the boy’s throat, a small line of smoke wafted from the cut. It trailed the length of the gash as the wounds closed and healed, as if he was never harmed.

“He...” Joseph began.

Uri stirred, then opened his eyes. The young boy rose slowly, coughing, then retched, vomiting a reddish-back bile.

“Where...?” he began, his voice rough and raspy.

“You healed...” Joseph’s words were soft and breathless.

“It seems you are Starborn after all, young Uri.” Sir Smith said. “Only a Child of Vespira could survive such a mortal wound.”

“Uri!” Kerri called out as she rushed outside, followed closely by Judine. “Is he gone?”

The two women maneuvered carefully down shattered steps.

Uri touched his throat. It was still somewhat sore, but the Angel was correct. He had survived. There was no longer doubt; he was Starborn.

Uri smiled. “Yeah! He is.”

Kerry and Judine looked at the corpse of Hound in the dim light. There wasn’t really much to look at, really. The once massive mobster had been reduced to a pulpy, bloody, dark blob in the night.

The turned to Joseph. Joseph pointed at Sir Smith.

“You did this...?” Judine said softly. “You saved us...?”

Sir Smith was silent, his face stoic and grim. “Show me, innkeeper” he finally said to Judine. “Where will I rest my head?”

Judine nodded, disappearing inside to prepare the beds. Kerri turned to Joseph and Uri. The two boys just shrugged.

“Y’know,” she said. “I always thought that Angels were all evil and mean. But him...well, maybe somewhere out there, there are other good Angels, too.”

Uri smiled. “I think you’re right, Kerri!”

The young woman smiled. “Come on in, you two! Get some rest!” she said.

Uri looked at Joseph, scanning the look in his yellow eyes. “No,” the young boy finally said. “We need to stay and wait for Philos and Alphonso.”

Kerri stared at them with a clueless expression for a moment, then nodded and turned away.

The night air was quiet. Beyond, the moon was sinking slowly below the horizon. The two boys and the Angel stood in silence, hearing only the sound of the light breeze through the grass between them.

“Uri...” Joseph finally said.

“Yeah...?”

“Angels, Starborn, whatever is going to happen with this world...” he paused. “We have to be strong, so promise me something, okay?”

“Okay, what is it?” Uri asked.

“No matter what happens, no matter how dark it gets...don’t ever change.”

The winds swished about. In the distance, a rooster crowed.

Uri smiled. “I promise.”

“It appears I was right all along,” Sir Smith said, pointing to Uri.

Joseph followed his finger. Uri’s neck, where a scar should have been, was completely healed.

“Uri...” the catboy said, “you really are...”

Uri gulped. It hurt his sore throat. The boy’s voice was hoarse. He finished Joseph’s thought. “Starborn.”