"Even Angels Fall"

Takumi stood with the one he had once loved in his arms. Unable to do anything, but watch as her life drained away “Even angels fall,” she whispered her blue eye clouded with pain.
“Aerie don’t go,” tears began to stain his pale cheeks. “I should have done something…”
“Shh….” She began to gasp for air “There was nothing you could have done…we were stupid kids…”
“Aerie don’t exert yourself. You can make it.”
Aerie raised a finger and put it to his red lips “No, it’s my time…I can feel it creeping up as if it were a cat waiting to pounce…”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Find our son….” She paused gasping again finding it hard to breathe. She whispered slowly “I love you…goodbye…” she closed her eyes to the world and died.
“Bye Aerie…I will find our son…” Takumi spread his wings, the once snow white feathers had become coal black. ‘Have I really fallen this far?’ He beat the air with his powerful wings and rose in to the air.
Takumi buried Aerie in her favorite spots among the trees on a high mountain. He stood staring at the spot. Flowers of all colors had begun to grow. “Even angels fall,” he whispered the wing carrying his words far away.
“What now?” he cried out “Find our son, Aerie? How am I going to do that? Damn it Aerie!” He yelled out in anger, abandoning the grave.
***
Takumi sat with his feet propped up on a wooden table, his eyes followed the people entering and departing from the tavern. The sun had long since gone down and the moonlight was bright, but diminished through the dirty windows. He fingered the blue stone that hung around his neck as he watched a man dressed entirely in black all the way down to his heavily booted feet; enter slamming the door with a loud crash. His feet struck the floor with a dull thus as he crossed the wooden floor. He stood in front of Takumi, tall and his yellow eyes flashed with acknowledgement “Dakumi you are needed.” He said in a deep booming voice.
“Syrus it’s been a long time,” Takumi said a smile beginning to appear.
“Dere is no dime for pleasantries, Dakumi.”
“So, what it is this time?”
“Dis isn’t da dime or da place.”
“I’m interested, but I need to know more.”
“I’ll dell you dis. Zeek needs you.” Takumi’s eyes widened and his pointed ears twitched “What does he want with me?” He voice taking on a different note.
“You’ll see, you know were da go.”
“I expect he wants me to follow you. Am I correct?”
“Aye.”
***
“Takumi you’re probably wondering why I called you here.” Zeek began his weathered and well-scared hands folded. His thin frame robed in black.
“Yes as a matter of fact. What does a great like you; want with a simple mercenary like me?” Takumi asked plainly leaning back in a chair,
“I want you to take over The Death Bringers.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You are the only one I can trust. You know the whole operation to the last detail. The best choice…”
“What you want be to run this whole place?”
“Whatever you want to do with it,” Zeek raised his hand in a sweeping motion.
“Why?”
“I’ve had enough.
“My lord, you are the best of the best. The deadliest and have dead aim with any weapon, one wrong mistake with you, and we’d be lucky to live to regret it…”
“Takumi, I was the best. I’m older now and out of practice. You surpass me now, you may not know it, but you do. I trust that you will take care of the rest of them and command their respect. You do even now.
“Yes, my lord.”
***
“The prophecy,” Takumi began throwing a dagger in to the wall.
“Prophecy, my lord?”
“Have you heard it?” Takumi complained throwing another dagger in to the wall.
“No to my knowledge, my lord.”
“Well let me…” Takumi paused a moment “inform you.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Well here it is, The past was once our future and the future will become our past, three forbidden children and two unlike will change this world forever, good or bad time will only tell…:
“Do you really believe this my lord?”
“Aye”
“But it seems…”
“What?” Takumi yelled throwing another dagger, burying it deep in to the wall.
“Never mind my lord.”
“Good. I want you to gather your men and go in the direction of the northern region Galoandia. Bring back whatever you find. If you find any info regarding my son….”
***
“Takumi! Hey time to wake up…” Aerie called.
“Hmmm….”
“Silly, its time to wake up!” Aerie said with laughter in her voice.
Slowly opening Takumi opened his eyes and sat up. Large sweeping trees with lush green leaves stood all around. Aerie looked at him, her deep green eyes shining. “How’s my guy?” She said with a smile,
Takumi stared at her confused ‘what’s going on?’ he thought ‘Aerie is dead and we haven’t traveled the woods in over a century…’
“Well are you going to tell me?”
Takumi noticed Aerie’s very prominent belly ‘still pregnant with our son too…’
“Are you okay?” Aerie started taking on a more serious note. She touched his cheek very gently with the tips of her fingers. Takumi closed his eyes savoring the touch ‘I’ve forgotten this touch, but we were such fools. How could we have made it work? Damn it Aerie. From two different worlds, everyone was against us….
The world seemed to melt around him including Aerie and her touch. Everything was hazy and hard to see. A young Aerie appeared from the mist…'is this the first time we met?” Aerie was dressed elegantly in a long flowing dress. Intricate designs in many colored decorated it. Then from nowhere appeared a younger Takumi. He was dressed in his simple mercenary garb minus his large sword. It was chance meeting Aerie and himself. They walked in to each other and fell over “Damn it,” Takumi heard himself call out and then another “Damn it,” from Aerie. Before Takumi could get a closer look, everything went black.
“It’s our son,” Takumi heard someone say.
“You’re distant and always gone now…”
“We have to abandon him…he’s forbidden…”
Even angels fall….”
***
“Dakumi, I have something you need da know…”
Takumi opened his eyes to stare up at the bare and stony ceiling above him ‘what did that dream mean?’ He thought and shook his head and looked at a nervous Syrus shifting from foot to foot in the doorway.
“Yes, Syrus, tell me why you woke up.”
“Sorry, my lord.”
“It is fine.”
“I received a report for you…”
“From?”
“My lord, dey may have found….” Syrus trailed off.
“Who, Syrus?” Takumi asked with impatience in his voice.
“….your son….”
“What where is he? How? Are you certain?”
“My lord da group you sent do Galoandia….they attacked an elven village and one of dem….was wearing a pendant not unlike da one’s we wear….”
“And?"
“Da pendant’s chain was broken during battle and…”
“Continue…”
“He become an avariel dey dold me...he had your eyes and his wings were like yours, but brown like an eagle’s…”
“Like Aerie’s,” Takumi whispered to himself.
“My lord?”
“Never mind. Anything else? Where is he?”
“My lord, dey left him and well he ran away from da village…”
“What you lost him?”
“My lord, I did not…”
“It doesn’t matter,” Takumi glared at Syrus as he interrupted him.
“But, my lord…”
“Go to Hogmanay and wait for my orders. Keep an eye out for anything that I should know and on your out send in Dameon.”
“Dameon? He’s inexperienced and young barely done draining…”
“No questions, I have my reasons. Go get out my sight.”
“Aye.”
‘That dream….’
“My lord Takumi?” A young Avariel filled the doorway as he spoke.
“Dameon come in.”
“My lord.” Dameon stepped in and made a short bow. The blood red stone that was his pendant bounced playfully against his chest.
“I have a mission for you.”
“Me?”
“Yes Dameon you.”
“Have you heard the prophecy?”
“Prophecy?”