Sheila whistled an old nursery tune she had been used to hearing from her human long before the war had happened as she bounced up and down on the seat perched in front of the wagon, it rolled quite noisily along the uneven road, she held on to the reins and did not bother to urge the horse to move faster because the road was a perilous mix of rocks, bumps, holes and sharp objects, she could not risk loosing a wheel or waking up the humans, but then she was sure that the bumpy ride must have woken them up already.
She knew that if they were already awake, then they would not scream or shout because they would most definitely believe they were in a demon's wagon so what they might do, or would do would be to find a means of escape without her knowing about it. Now that she thought about that, she remembered that she did not tie them up and now thinking about it maybe she should, else they might escape from her and walk right into another danger, but then again, it was not like she would not be able to hear them escaping.
She glanced over her shoulder, the wagon was still covered fully with the tarp. She sighed and continued whistling, maybe she should tie them up, if they wake, they might scream and throw tantrums wanting to get out and that would most definitely bring to them, the attention she was avoiding. If they were not wise they would scream but was any human wise now a days?
She approached a very shallow river which she had to cross to get to the mountains, it was okay for the horse to pull the wagon through the water but she chose to rest a while here, mostly to rest the horse, she pulled on the reins and the horse came to a stop. Getting down, she walked to the side of the wagon and lifted the tarp just slightly on one side, she had reasoned to tie them up and gag their mouths until they reached the mountains, but when the tarp came up she was greeted by a pair of hazel brown eyes staring directly at her. He blinked twice on seeing her but did not show fear. He frowned slightly and she smiled.
"For how long have you been awake?" She asked casually.
"Not long." He watched her. "But also long enough to know the tune you were whistling."
Sheila chuckled. "It was something I once liked to hear."
He looked at the two other boys who were still sleeping in the wagon. "How did we end up in this wagon?"
"Oh, I put you guys in here." She replied.
"Why?"
"Can you remember where you were before now?" She asked, leaning on the wagon.
"Errr... Somewhere in the forest I guess." He scratched his itchy elbow and furrowed his eye brows, trying to remember.
"In the forest?" She was surprised by this because she had not found him in the forest. "Can you not remember anything else?"
"No." He rubbed his temple. "Each time I try, my head hurts."
"Hmm..."
"What are you going to do with us?" He asked her again.
"I am taking you guys somewhere else. Hopefully somewhere safer." She sighed and looked ahead, she just needed to cross them to the other side of this shallow river.
"Hopefully?" That did not sound good enough to him.
"Ever heard of Master Krane?" She suddenly asked.
Leo shook his head negatively. Sheila sighed.
"Figures, since you do not remember any thing. Any way, I kinda stole you guys from there. No, not steal," she chuckled to herself thinking of what Liam had said when she had told him what she had done. "I rescued you guys."
"From this Master Krane?"
"Exactly."
"What is that any way? Or who is this Master Krane?" He asked curiously. He sounded like an important person.
"He is like the baddest and most cruel demon you could ever imagine." Sheila gestured with her hands and a contorted face.
"A demon?" Leo's voice shook a little which Sheila noticed. "We were in the house of a demon?"
"Yes, but I do not think you guys had been in there for long, maybe just a couple of days tops."
Leo nodded. "You still have not told me what you plan on doing with us."
"But I did, I told you I am taking you guys to some place safe."
"Oh, right. Sorry, my bad."
"Do you know what I am?" She took a step back.
"I know you are not a demon because we are pretty much still alive, and you happened to rescue us from another demon, well that is unless you want to sell us. Or you could be a corrupt Angel but you are most definitely not a human," he rose an eyebrow. "Or are you? You could be using an asphax."
"You know what an asphax is?"
"Of course, every human does, it is our best defense against being found out easily when we are out of the fortress."
"But I do not smell asphax on you."
"That is because I do not remember leaving the fortress on my own." He sighed.
Sheila laughed. "So, you are one of the smart ones. I very much like that."
"Thank you for that but please answer me, what exactly are you?" He adjusted in the wagon to a better sitting position, keeping his distance between himself and the female standing outside.
"I am neither. What is your name?" She put a hand into the wagon to touch him but he flinched back. She chuckled. "I do not bite."
"Leo." He replied curtly.
"Well Leo," she retreated her hand, "do you want to sit up front with me? What do you say?"
Leo watched her in surprise. "You want to let me out? And to sit up front with you?"
"Hm hmm." She nodded, already lifting the tarp all the way and unlocking the wagon.
"You know I could run away or try to kill you." He still watched her keenly, confused by her action.
She smiled and opened the small door, she held out her hand for him and he took it. "I know you will not. Humans are not in any way stronger than Angels. And besides, you do not have a weapon that could kill me."
"You are an Angel?" He stood on the ground, his hand still holding hers. He could not help but notice how soft and smooth the skin of her palm was.
"Yes I am, I am a Renegade Angel. Do you want to see?" She placed the other hand on the rope holding the coat to her body by the neck.
"I believe you but yes, I still want to see." Leo's eyes shone with excitement.
She pulled off the coat revealing two mighty wings which shone a pure white hot, their hands still connected and eyes fixed on each other, they both felt a spark, like electricity sizzling deep in their pupils and Leo gasped, taking a step back. Sheila smiled and let go of his hand, she put the coat back around her and her wings folded back.
"What was that?" Leo asked, a little out of breath. Sheila smiled at him and ignored his question and made her way to the front seat urging him to join her.
"Well do not just stand there, come on, have to cross this water to the other side and head to the mountains. We should be safe there."
"Should be?" He still stood beside the wagon not wanting to hold on to her out stretched hand for fear of what had happened before, happening again. But Sheila still held her hand out to him so he could come up to sit with her. "What is your name?"
"My name is Sheila. Do you know what demons are, Leo?" She asked.
"Yes I do." He turned to face the back of the wagon. His gaze going way back, down the road they had been on.
"You will be able to recognize one when you see one?" She continued.
"I can, they are pretty much easy to spot." He turned back to her.
Sheila smiled. "Yes they are, they pretty much do stand out. Some having scaly skins, some do not, but they are so big or small and scary to you guys."
"They are not all that scary," he defended. "At least not to some of us."
"Ohh." She was impressed. "Really now?"
"Yes, you should see my sister fight, she is really good, one of the best fighters I have ever seen."
"That is really impressive, have any of you every fought a demon before."
He shook his head negatively. "No, none of us, we are still considered as minors and we are not allowed out of the fortress when it is time to go hunting."
"I see, but if you had the chance, would you like to fight a demon, do you think you have that much fighting spirit and courage in you?"
He nodded. "Yes." He nodded and looked away from her to the rear of the wagon, far down the road. "Like those ones over there coming towards us."
Sheila turned to face the direction of his gaze and she spotted five demons coming towards them. She got down and took the sword she had hidden between the wagon and the seat, she turned to Leo who was still standing there, his eyes fixed on the demons approaching and his brows were knitted in a tight frown, the fact that he could remain calm even after seeing the demons assured Sheila of his courage and confidence but now was not the right time to test that, she needed him and the other two who were still asleep in the wagon, safe and away.
"Leo, I need you to cross the wagon to the other side of the stream." He looked at her now.
"All by myself?" He looked at her wide eyed, and then moved his gaze towards the demons.
"They can not cross the water, they will not be able to, you would be safe in the water or on the other side. I need you to go, now!"
He nodded and ran for the seat, reaching out and pulling himself up on it, he grabbed the reins and whipped it on the horse, edging it to move forward, it started slowly so he whipped the reins a little harder this time and the horse increased its pace in a slow run. The water was only high enough to cover almost half of the wheels on the wagon but did not get into the wagon.
Leo could already hear the clashing of swords as the Angel fought the demons and it pained him that he could not have the opportunity to sink his sword into the body of a demon. His sword, where was it? It had been with him when he had partially woken up in the forest. But how had he even gotten to the forest without having remembered leaving the fortress, he tried to think about it, he remembered being gagged and tied up, he remembered seeing a fire, but there had been someone else there and....
Ugh! His head hurt as he tried to remember.
He made it to the other side of the shallow river and jumped down to the ground. He watched the Angel fight, easily overcoming the demons and from beyond them, he could see more coming. He thought to run to her and help, he searched the space between the wagon and the seat and saw two other swords, grabbing one he ran towards the river to cross to the other side but a clear voice in his head stopped him.
The voice was hers and it sounded like she had spoken from inside his head, he saw her spin to face him for a brief second from the other side before she continued fighting. The voice was dominating and the command was singular.
"Stay."
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