Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 7.3: Loss

'I know," Ari mumbled.

"You have seen what they can do." 

Ari nodded.

"And yet you still would like to leave?"

"I am not wanted here... and it is not where I belong... "

Nolan's eyes grew dark and somber. He only nodded and rose from the floor. 

"Why had you come back then if you felt this way?" Nolan's voice was dark and his expression made Ari's heart twist and pull in his chest. He was always such an intimidating man; a hard man to love, but over the years Ari had grown some feeling towards him. However, the glare in his eyes seemed to melt away all of it and in its place, it filled with fear and caution. "Answer me that." 

Ari swallowed. 

"It does not matter what punishment I give to you... You will not see what you had done wrong. You did not come back here for my sake, had you?" 

Nolan smiled at his silence as he slowly paced around the small room. 

"There are many things I had learned about blood demons by raising you... Your imperviousness to high and low temperatures, the ability to learn and adapt fast, beauty even... but there was one thing I always found to be intriguing and unexpectant." Nolan's blue eyes found his causing Ari to clutch some hay into his hands. 

"Emotion. Feeling. You feel that so much more than us, and I found that odd... "  Nolan looked at him again. "So I tried to suppress it. Keep you mild-mannered and less inclined to outbursts... but the one I had overlooked was love. Is that not the worst one of them all?"

Ari's eyes were growing hot. He could feel the tears amassing in the back of his eyes. 

"And pain. That one too... If I had been more aware or if you would have told me... I would have never let Priest Reynold treat you the way he had for so long. If he had not caused you to feel such a feeling, you would not have went on and killed him." Nolan gave him a small smile and continued on. "Although I cannot quite excuse this. Disrespect towards your uppers is one thing, but this... " 

It was quiet for some moments, so quiet Ari could hear both of their breaths and the sound of his erratic heart beat pounding through his chest. His mouth had gone dry a long time ago. There was nothing left to swallow down but his pride. 

"Forgive me... " Ari said trying not to choke on his tears. 

"For what?"

"The priest... Alia... "

"No. No. No," Nolan said wagging his finger in Ari's face, "I do not think that is good enough. I do not think you sincerely mean it. And there is many things you had left out in that repentance." Nolan grabbed his chin and forced him to look him in the eyes. "But it matters not. You want to leave then so be it. You should have no regrets. Leave nothing behind to tether you here." 

Ari pulled on to the cuff on his shirt, keeping him in place. 

"I was wrong. I was... so forgive me," Ari sobbed. 

Nolan only shirked him off and headed for the door. When he opened it, a Sanclii threw someone inside which made Ari's heart fall to the very pit of his stomach. A couple of them walked inside not long after. 

"So let me do you this one last favor," Nolan said.

Ari quickly rose from the floor and went to Freir. Blood was trickling down the side of his head and there were some bruisings along his jaw and lips. He was not conscious, but felt his heart beating through the simple touch of his hand near his neck. Ar hugged him close and shook his head as he saw the Sanclii approaching.