Messenger From The Sky

Chapter Twenty-Two: Sacred Revelation (Part I)

The sun rose from behind the trees, casting vast bouts of light that split through the forest canopy, illuminating the way ahead. The dense green of the summer foliage seemed more vivid against its brilliant glow, though Erin wasn't all that concerned about the natural beauty as she continued along her way, sluggishly traipsing behind Alastor and Hirst, who were engrossed in conversation.

Keeping her eyes open was enough of a struggle, and so the last thing she was interested in was the luminous burst of colour which accompanied the sun's rising. Fatigue weighed her whole body down, making it feel ten times heavier than it actually was, and her eyes drooped as she fought to keep them from closing.

One thing was for sure: Erin Maelstras wasn't a morning person.

The magus' stomach let out a low grumble, reminding her that she was venturing on an empty gut. Erin's gaze wandered down, and a tiresome sigh escaped her as she struggled to prevent herself from succumbing to the pleasures of sleep.

'...so how big do you like your women?'

'Mm, it's a toss up, really. Big enough so you can see something, but not so big that they get in the way when things start getting steamy.'

'Ohh, I know exactly what you mean! This one girl I was with, she had breasts so big, they were like buckets full of water! I kid you not, they...'

Erin forced her head up and deadpanned when she overheard snippets of Alastor and Hirst's conversation. The pair seemed pretty content, exchanging cordial laughs and words of wisdom.

'You know, I have a theory,' Hirst said. 'Breasts are like the key to a woman's soul.'

...or not.

Erin flashed the dwarf an ominous glare while Alastor laughed. 'In a way, I suppose that does make sense,' the wizard said.

That was more than enough for her. She made it a point to slow her pace, allowing enough distance so that she could no longer hear what the two perverts were talking about. Once she was sure their words were no longer audible, Erin continued forward, following the route of the forest path.

'They're both sex maniacs,' she muttered to nobody in particular.

'Pardon?'

Something warm tickled against Erin's ear, prompting her to look round. The corner of her lips twitched upwards in a slight smile when she saw Casius hovering alongside her, his wings flapping lazily behind him.

She waved away his question. 'Nothing.' Her brows suddenly furrowed as she looked around. 'Wait, where did you come from?'

Casius inclined his head towards the canopy. 'I was busy scouting the area from above,' he explained.

'Uh-huh. And why were you scouting?'

'I was trying to estimate how long it might take us to reach the magical fellow's warehouse. I have to confess, I can't see a warehouse in sight.'

Erin's smile broadened somewhat. 'Well, we're in the middle of the woods. What do you expect?'

'Do you like him?'

The question came as a surprise to Erin, who looked ahead at Alastor and Hirst. The two were still conversing a short distance away, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had even moved away from them. 'Who? Alastor?' Casius nodded. 'Uh, well, it depends. I mean, he's strange, no doubt about that, but I don't like or dislike him.' She raised a curious brow when she saw the look of concern etching its way across his face. 'Why'd you ask?'

'I don't trust him.' The angel's own brows knitted together. 'You recall what he tried to do to you back at his abode?'

Erin scoffed. 'Well, I'm hardly going to forget how the guy held a knife to my throat and threatened to kill me,' she said. 'But, hey, maybe I overreacted. I mean, he did apologise and explained how it was a simple misunderstanding.'