Branches Above, Damned Below.

"In All Urgency..."

El.
Something has happened. What exactly, I'm still figuring out. What I do know, is a human boy is dead, and something is loose in Avon, again. To be sure would mean I've seen it. I haven't, yet. An investigation is warranted... After all these years, I thought I'd laid it to rest. Perhaps not well enough, if a high school boy could resurrect the thing. After all, it was barely me who put it out. It was Eden. (Dare I ask how he is now?) For the time being, I'll stay put in this body, as Oliver. But know that it's me here, never mind the vessel.
In all urgency, send Eden He will always be welcome in my home.
As always, give the boy my love.
With all,
Ingrid.

The Necromancer had refused to contact him for several years, a snuffed love interest Elory had grudgingly let go for the sake of his guards and the prison. An ache still kindled at the sight of his handwriting, always scrawled in the same ink in which contained tiny galaxies. What did humans call it? Glitter. Elory set the letter aside on the rolled up training mat beside him, feeling his eyes burn. If he cried now, surely Eden and his training partner would notice it. Instead, he focused his attention on the two guardians whirling across the room at break neck speed, wielding Maeto class Katanas.
Ah, so today was more of an imperial day for Eden. The child changed like the tides to cover all the interests he'd accumulated over the years of residing in both the below and in between. Even after all these years, Elory still lit up with pride at what he and Ingrid had created together. A perfect, stable blend of Human and Guardian. It had come with some consequences all of them had been subjected to endure, but it was considered a success.
One of those consequences was brought to attention soon enough. The guardian Ivani had charmed into sword play practice had whirled, catching him across his scarf covered throat with the dulled edge of his katana. With a choking sound, Ivani stumbled back and clutched at his throat for a slight moment. Then, he swung around, blurring with the speed, and caught the younger guardian across the stomach with the very edge of the sharpened side of the blade. He too stumbled back, black liquid have a slow drip between the fingers of the hand he held to the wound. Eden took this time to nimbly unravel his scarf, a black garment with little silver stars woven in the fabric. A thin line of rather grotesque stitches ran the front of his neck, stained silver from past occurrences like the current. He was bleeding, a small bit of the stitches had torn free when jostled by the other guardian's blade. Eden pressed two long, graceful fingers to the wound to stifle the flow, turning towards the door, most likely to find a medical officer willing to stitch the everlasting wound into place. Elory decided it was then that a decision needed to be made as to if he would oblige his former lover's request to send The Child to the in between.
"Eden?"
The Child stopped short and turned.
"Yes, father?"
"Ingrid is requesting that I send you to the in between."
The Child's eyes, a miniature galaxy of their own, specks of silver and gold and Diamond against black irises and greyed pupils, widened.
"Why?"
"He believes Bryn escaped."
This statement registered with The Child; it darkened his fine boned, cream skinned face and drove the slight excitement from his eyes. The soldier emerged. His posture straightened, his shoulders pulled back, every muscle in his body tensed. "The flesh eater?"
Elory nodded.
"I told you two, it belonged here, where I could personally keep it locked away," The Child's voice softened, a dangerous thing.
"Then, you'll go?", It was a nervous question.
"Yes, I'll travel by the grate as soon as I get this," The Child gestured to his bleeding neck, "Taken care of."

A quarter of an hour later, Eden stood in the gargantuan Victorian fireplace grate in Fortress Estrell's main parlor, coat buttoned under a traveling cloak. The grate was connected to his second father's parlor by guardian magic put in place long after the two had went their ways. Only Eden and Elory were able to use the grate, only they were identified by the magic at work. With a sweep of his cloak to cover his face from the soot, Eden whirled towards the wall and was gone in a whirlwind of ashes. Seconds after, he materialized into the blazing fire in Lovell Manor's parlor. Noise in the kitchen told him his second father wasn't too far away. He unbuttoned his traveling cloak and hung it by the fireplace, brushing ashes off his robelike coat.
"Father, I-"
Eden stopped dead in his stride, shocked into silence. A woman sat at the kitchen island, dressed in exorcist's gear, a mug of what smelled like coffee in her hands.
"Father?"
The figure at the counter turned, barely familiar. His father's human vessel, Oliver, a made up teenage persona crafted to keep tabs on the human world.
"Eden, this is Cross."
Voice recovered, Eden nodded. It wasn't unusual for his father to host those involved in their world, even with years between visits, Ivani knew this.
"You must be Eden. Ingrid was explaining the high possibility you'd be mysteriously showing up in his fireplace sometime tonight," the woman had a pleasant voice.
"My home below is connected to his via Guardian magic. His fireplace is used as a convenience. It's the only opening tall enough for me to fit."
Indeed, Eden was gargantuan. He stood at two inches short of seven and a half feet and had the lean yet immense build of a well conditioned soldier. He dwarfed Cross by two feet at the least, and gave the fair opportunity for her to completely hide behind him. His coat and the clothes mostly concealed beneath seemed to fit impossibly loose on such a broad frame. Cross couldn't imagine anything fitting him loosely. Even more terrifying, was the realization that absolutely none of his size was contributed to by any fat content. He was pure muscle.
"There's been another attack," Cross looked across the kitchen, void.
"Another? Father?"
Ingrid nodded, leaning his vessel against the kitchen counter. Both of them were visibly upset by this.
"How many this time?", Eden braced for the answer.
"An entire family," he saw tears brim at the edges of Cross' dark eyes.
Cross felt solid, strong arms entwine about her torso and she looked up, stunned. Eden had moved to her and wrapped her in a near crushing embrace. His skin scalded hers through their clothing, she felt a light sweat coat her face. Up close, he was beautiful.
A smooth, boyishly handsome face; metallic speckled black irises and greyed pupils; bone straight hair the color of clay, a rich Earthy Auburn. Creamy skin, a slight button nose and deep set, heavily shadowed eyes. He pulled away, straddling a stool, which squeaked under his weight.
"What do we do tonight?"
Cross shook her head.
"We get some sleep and start from the bottom tomorrow," she replied, "we'll leave the police and the family to finish up tonight and start early in the morning."
Eden nodded, brow slightly furrowed.

Down below, Elory retrieved Ivani's discarded scarf from Fortress Estrell's training wing.

The little silver stars were soaked in inky black blood.