Nephilim: New Dawn

Chapter 4: Revelation

- No! Stop! Don't hurt him!

Haru's arms wrapping around his waists gave Quetz pause, he looks down with glowing amber eyes, clawed hands raised and readied to strike. Yet as he did, his gaze locked with the boy's watery violet eyes, the terrified look in those beautiful orbs couldn't hide the bravery and determination lied just below. It was tensed, not just for the boy who was fearing for both his life and his brother's, but for the older male as well. Just as Quetz has feared, those eyes belonged to the runt of an infant he left in his friend's care long ago, still retaining all the determination and bravery masked by the frail body and timid personality, all the traits that he hates the most about human. All the traits he hated the most about his former self.

Haru let out a distressed yelp as he felt Quetz's hand on his back, he tightened his grip, trying to hold on, knowing full well that the older male would try to tear him off. But instead of doing that, the white haired man's hand gently moved upward, stroking the back of his head and lowered his entire body. Much to Haru's surprise, Quetz was more patient than his fearsome appearance has suggested. Even his tail, which is usually the reflection of its owner's emotions, was calm, slowly swaying from side to side while the white haired man continued to caress Haru's head.

The motions were steady and gentle, so out of place compared to his temperaments previously yet it seemed like Quetz was familiar with it and strangely, so was Haru. The white haired boy felt his eyelids became heavy, hypnotized by the gentleness of the stroking, something he has never felt when Mitsuki does it. Pressing his ear against the man's side, he somehow instinctively knew to listen for his heartbeats while his hands reached up to hold the Quetz's chest. The soothing sensation was somehow...familiar, calling the white haired boy from the deepest corners of his mind, from the most faint and haunting of his occasional fever dreams. It was always the same, Haru saw himself as a baby, crying and reaching for a large shadow, begging whoever it was not to leave him. The shadow would looks back at him with sad amber eyes, a clawed hand then reached out, clasping around his small wrist before pulling away, leaving behind a burning sensation and Haru waking up in tears and unexplained sadness and sorrows.

- Haru! Haru! - Loi called out to his brother from the other side of the clearing.

- Shhh... - Quetz raised a finger onto his lips, signally the tanned boy to keep silence before standing up, pulling the white haired boy onto his feet in the process.

- H-huh? - Haru's eyes blinked open, his mind quickly caught up to what his body has been doing, causing him to leaped backward, face blushing bright red from his embarrassing actions. - I-I'm sorry Keto-san! I d-don't know wh-what came over me! I-I...

- Don't apologize to him! - Loi rushed toward his brother, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and glared at the monster in front of them who was casually picking up the cloak Haru's dropped on the ground. - This...this thing...couldn't be who...what we're looking for! Right?!

- He is! - Haru protested, face still red from what he's done, he stared at the ground, unable to look at Quetz due to embarrassment. - I-I told you...h-he's...different.

- Bu-but... - Loi was speechless, he's thought that his brother's description of the man was just highly symbolic, not a mockery of nature, a literal monster who moments ago was readied to tear him apart.

- Ahem. - The white haired man cleared his throat, eyes narrowed annoyingly at the bickering children as he put on his cloak. - It would be much better for all of us if you two stop arguing, we have urgent matters to attend to.

- W-we?! - Loi yelped. - What "we"?! You're not suggesting we go with you are you?!

- At a matter of fact, I am. - Quetz snarled and put on the hood before reached out his hand toward Haru. - Come Runty, I'm taking both of you back to the village.