Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 18.3: Scars

"Is that so?" a familiar face said through the dimness. Shadows danced across the walls as the candles flickered. 

"It sounds quite vague. What wisdom do you wish to know and what is it do you wish to learn?" Ari's heart sank to the pits of his stomach as the shadow of the person became more pronounced as they stepped more into the candlelight. 

"Ari." 

Ari fumbled back into his chair and gaped at him with wide eyes. It had been awhile since he had last seen him. Seeing him now was out of place and misshapen— something that did not quite belong. 

His eyes were no longer the muddy red he remembered him having. Instead, they were golden. More golden than Auovin's and brighter as if staring into the sun. His hair was no longer black either. It was not quite blonde nor white but something in between. He looked like an ethereal being, an angel—a god. 

"I suppose you had seen me in my worst of states. Much like Auovin, I was swallowed by hate— the hate of him. However, when I had my chance to kill him, and I had many, I chose not to. Do you know why?"

Ari's eyes lowered to the floor unable to hold his eyes for too long. How could this person be him? It could not be. Despite such thoughts Ari knew he was, in fact, Ylanan. 

"It is because Harun—my Harun, the real Harun,— is gone and has been gone for a long while. Killing him would not ever bring him back nor would killing the demon who posed as him. I blamed Auovin for so long for what had transpired between us. He was not to blame. Dehzi, was—is." 

"Deh—" Ylanan pressed a finger to Ari's lips. "Do not say his name lest you want to bring trouble here. You must understand the meaning of names, yes?"

Ari squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. How could he so absentminded? 

"Forgive me, for getting you involved. He was your father, yes, but you did not know him. Not as I had or Auovin... " Ylanan caressed his cheek with a solemn face.  "But what does it matter who did what and how? You never really truly know a person... even after hundreds of years." 

"It would be justice," Sascha said, turning Ylanan's attention away from Ari for a moment. 

"Justice?" Ylanan said, not in judgement but in curiosity. "How so?"

"You are a Daeva. That was your—" 

"Perhaps many incarnations ago, but no longer." 

Sascha sat slumped in the chair, unimpressed and disappointed by his answer. 

"After all, I had killed his mother," Ylanan said as he gazed back at Ari. "Tell me, Sascha, does he deserve to kill me?"

"The boy can barely kill a fly," Inge snorted. 

Ylanan came behind Ari and leaned across him, opening the book that was sat in front of him. "Do you want to?" Ylanan whispered in his ear. 

Ari narrowed his eyes but said nothing for some moments before shaking his head no. He had not known her either. Perhaps, before he may have wanted to, but Ari had made his peace with it long ago. Freir and Rein were enough. They would always be. 

"Your mother was going to kill you. What justice would there be in that?" Ylanan said as he flicked his eyes over to Sascha. 

"Greats and Blood demons never fared well together and giving birth to one, even though a half blood, was worthy of death. What justice was there in that?"

"I understand, " Sascha mumbled. 

"You are still so very young, but your open-mindedness and willingness to learn will make you greater than any one of us old ones." Ylanan turned his attention back to Ari and smiled.