* * *
"Wow." Iris stood at the top of the large hill overlooking the completely obliterated village.
From the looks of it, it had been a massacre. Nothing had managed to survive the gruesome scene. Iris wondered how many demons there had been—ten, twenty? The remnants of lingering magic were off the charts so it must've been a swarm of demons that had overtaken the village.
"Dal! Any survivors?" Zeldris called to him.
"Not from where I'm standing," he replied, breath-taken by the gruesome scene.
"Where could all the demons that were here have gone?" Gloxinia wondered.
"It definitely wasn't a group." Zeldris shook his head. "The magical power came from one source."
"Iris?" Gloxinia looked at her.
"I don't know. I can't see anything." She frowned, her eyes closed and her hands extended to reveal the eyes on her open palms. "All I can see is—Ace! You better not lick that!"
Everyone turned to see Ace freeze up as he knelt beside some food splattered on the ground. He sheepishly grinned and got up, now embarrassed that he'd been reprimanded.
"You are disgusting, you know that?" Dalmaroz glared at him.
"What? I wanted to know what it was."
"The thing is, I can only see moments in time that may or may not occur. There are endless possibilities and the future is always changing. Not to mention, it takes a lot of concentration to hone in on a single person and I wouldn't even know where to start." Iris puffed out her cheeks.
"It's alright, Iris." Zeldris moved forward and looked around some more.
"Whoever did this has to be powerful," said Gloxinia.
"I've seen devastation like this before. This is the work of Azrael." Ace said passively as he tucked his hands behind his head.
"Bullshit." Dalmaroz didn't believe him for a second. Even for Ace, the statement was so utterly stupid. "Azrael is dead. We all know that."
"Do we, though?" Ace wondered, making Dalmaroz squint his eyes. "People come back from the dead all the time. Meliodas did it. Maybe Azrael could, too."
"He's right. Who else could do something like this?" Iris teared up, wondering if it truly could be their old friend. "Oh, by the gods, Azrael! Is it really you?"
"It doesn't matter." Zeldris moved from where he was crouching. He stood up as he looked out at the rest of what was once the village. He frowned, secretly wondering if it was actually possible. It was such a huge display of sheer force and power that fit Azrael's style and capabilities, but Zeldris refused to even entertain the thought.
Iris stood beside him and quietly wept, unable to know for certain if Azrael was alive or not. Zeldris sighed and hugged her when she fell into his arms so dramatically, patting her back rather awkwardly as she cried into his shoulder.
"There, there," he said while simultaneously looking around for help.
Tozgal chuckled at his predicament. Even though Zeldris had been with his sister for this long, the prince was still no better with women. His empathy and tact were so sorely lacking it was absolutely comical.
When Dalmaroz joined them with a puzzled look, Zeldris gently removed Iris from himself and placed her into Dalmaroz's arms instead. Not questioning what was going on, Dalmaroz held Iris close as she nuzzled her face into his exposed chest. Despite his anger towards her, he couldn't find it in him to push her away.
"One person was capable of doing all of this?" Gloxinia wondered how long ago the attack was for so much magical residue to still be present.
"Yes. Azrael was quite powerful." Iris sniffled, dabbing at her eyes.
Dalmaroz continued to hold her while shooting a glare at Gloxinia. He rolled his eyes, unable to believe Iris and Ace were anything short of ignorant thinking that Azrael had come back from the dead. It wasn't that returning to the land of the living was impossible, but even Azrael wasn't that powerful to do so all by himself.
"Who is Azrael?" Gilthunder couldn't help asking.
"Do you humans really not know of him?" Iris was shocked. "His very name struck fear into the other races. Times have certainly changed. Wouldn't you agree, Dalmaroz?" She pressed her hands on his chest.
"Yeah," was all he could say.
"Azrael is one of the greatest that ever lived. He served as a general to the demon king and was stronger than the Commandments." When Zeldris cleared his throat, she added sheepishly, "Most of them. His merciless ways were legendary among our clan. He was a hero. Unfortunately, he died long before the first Holy War."
"I've never met him, but I've heard plenty of stories." Gloxinia put a finger to his chin. "The fairies used to nickname him 'The Angel of Death'. They truly feared him as if he was another of the gods."
Zeldris scoffed, crossing his arms. "That idiot is no god. And he died believing he could hold so much as a candle to them."
"Don't speak ill of the dead, Zeldris. It's not right." Iris scolded him. "Azrael was our family."
"No, Iris, he was your family." Zeldris denied any form of brotherhood between himself and the deceased.
Hurt by such a declaration, Iris tried to smile through the pain and anger she felt. "He would've loved you, Xini. He was so talented, so loved. Bless him."
"Come on, Iris." Dalmaroz tried to get her to stop crying, but the more she talked about their deceased comrade, the more tears came.
"Forgive me." She tried her best to calm down.
"I shouldn't have asked." Gilthunder was apologetic.
"No, you didn't know." Iris assured him it was alright. "Azrael was my savior. He showed me there was more out there for me than what I had been led to believe. I was able to forge my own path. Without him, I would've never met any of these guys."
"Can we drop it? He's gone. And has been for a long time. It's time to move on, Iris." Zeldris walked off exasperated.
"Well, there he goes." Tozgal sighed.
"You know you're wrong for continuing to talk about it." Dalmaroz let Iris go.
"I didn't mean any harm by what I said."
"Can't you see the future? You should've seen this coming." Ace pointed out.
Iris sucked her teeth. "I only use my foresight when absolutely necessary. I prefer to live in the moment, asshole."
"Is there something wrong?" Gilthunder was confused.
"Azrael and Zeldris weren't particularly friends." Iris told him.
"Not that it's any of your business," Dalmaroz added.
Iris nudged him with a glare for being so rude. "I admit, I allowed my own emotions to get the best of me without thinking of how Zeldris might feel. It was quite rude of me."
Gloxinia cocked his head in confusion watching Zeldris leave them behind. Everyone always spoke so highly of Azrael. To think Zeldris didn't get along with him was curious. The fairy followed after him, trying to piece together what exactly was going on.
Feeling his presence, Zeldris turned around. "Gloxinia, don't ask. Seriously."
"Azrael has emitted a strong reaction from you."
"I just said I don't want to talk about it!" Zeldris shouted suddenly.
"Zeldris." Gloxinia wasn't trying to upset him. He was only trying to understand better.
"Let's just focus on finding Obsidian, alright? Nothing else matters."
"Talk to me! I'm your friend!" Gloxinia tried to get Zeldris to stop being so... Well, him.
"You're my friend?" Zeldris challenged him then, an eyebrow arched.
"Of course I am. There's no question about that."
"Then why did you listen to Obsidian?" Zeldris demanded to know the answer. "Instead of doing what you know was the right thing, you let her persuade you to save the man who wants to fuck her!" Zeldris yelled in Gloxinia's face.
"I..."
Zeldris shook his head. "You'll always be more loyal to her and I've accepted that fact. And it's for that reason I can no longer trust you."
"Zeldris, I've always done my best to be honest with you."
"Then where's Drole? Hm? You've been dodging my questions for a while and I want to know the truth now."
"I can't tell you that," Gloxinia admitted.
"Tell me where he is, Gloxinia."
"I refuse to put him in danger."
Zeldris was growing increasingly frustrated. He drove his sword into the ground Gloxinia's feet with a harsh grunt. His anger was showing in the reddening of his face. His patience was thinning and Gloxinia was making everything worse.
"Screw this! I'm going on my own. I don't need any of you!"
"Zeldris!" Gloxinia tried to stop him.
Zeldris was done listening. "Just go with Drole. I don't care!"
"I'm not doing that."
"And what if I were to go after him? Would you stop me?" He questioned more calmly.
"Please, Zeldris, you don't have to do that." Gloxinia was pleading with him. "He was your friend, too. I know you don't want to hurt him. Please."
Zeldris stared hard at Gloxinia with a tight frown. All of his features crinkled as he waited for a reaction. He truly didn't want to, but out of principle, and being the prince, he would have to make an example out of Drole for walking out on the Commandments even if he truly didn't want to. It was hard sometimes separating his personal feelings from his duties, and it was that very confusion that had gotten him into this fiasco with Obsidian in the first place.
Zeldris looked away. "My priority right now is my girlfriend. That's all. But don't get it twisted, whatever respect I had for you is all gone. So congratulations, Gloxinia, I will never trust you again."
"Even when I could've gone, I stayed for you and O!" Gloxinia shouted, angry with Zeldris for brushing him off.
"You should've just left. It would've hurt a lot less." Zeldris walked away feeling sick. Who was he able to trust? Too many thoughts plagued his mind and he was drowning. He couldn't think. He could only go far away from here.
"You can't continue to run and hide from your problems!"
"Watch me," the prince said to himself.
"Zeldris!" Dalmaroz had caught up to Gloxinia, but not soon enough to stop Zeldris from taking off.
"He's so stubborn." Gloxinia placed his hands on his hips. He was at a loss.
"Zeldris!" Dalmaroz continued to call and chased after him.
"Dalmaroz, just leave me alone, okay? We have our objective." The prince stubbornly marched on. He was on the brink of tears and didn't need anyone to see.
"Come on, let's take a breather." Dalmaroz tried to coax him to stop for a minute as he stayed a few paces behind.
"Dal, I don't have time for this. I have to save Obsidian, face my idiot brother, and lead my people in this god forsaken war. I have a fucking dragon and dog left in the hands of Helia of all people. I have an entire clan looking to me for answers I don't even have and I have to deal with this piece of shit trying to steal my girlfriend while forced to face my own shortcomings and inadequacies. I can't afford to take a 'breather'."
"Just stop and listen for a minute." Dalmaroz wasn't giving up getting through to him. He forcefully grabbed Zeldris by the shoulders and dragged him backwards to face him. "I know better than anyone how you feel."
"I know you mean well, but I really don't think you could possibly understand."
"You love her, but you're afraid to lose her," Dalmaroz said. "You fight and fight, but it doesn't feel like enough. Somehow, someone else is lurking, waiting for you to mess up. And you don't want to give anyone else the satisfaction of seeing you down, but you also can't admit the way you feel to the one person your feelings matter the most to. Your pride is holding you back."
"I gave up my pride a long time ago. I'm not that boy so afraid of his own emotions that I was when I first met O."
"Then did you tell her how you feel about all this? Instead of taking out your frustrations on everyone else, did you sit down and have a conversation?"
"I think you're the last person to tell me to talk out my feelings." Zeldris rolled his eyes.
"We're the same, you and I. We keep people at a distance because it seems like the safer option. Our situations are similar, even if yours is a bit more complicated. But the fact remains—Obsidian chose you. And I'm sure through all of this shit, she'll always choose you no matter who comes along."
Zeldris shook his head. "I truly want to believe that you're right, but I know in my heart, she can leave me at any time. I mean, look at that guy! He's not ugly! And he's obviously already created some form of attachment to Obsidian."
Gilthunder proclaiming his love for Obsidian sat at the back of his mind, constantly tormenting him. The declaration was upsetting but also disheartening because he couldn't help wondering if she felt the same way.
"Zeldris, neither I nor anyone else can speak on your relationship because we're not in it. Sometimes we get comfortable where we are and then something exciting comes into our lives that sparks our interest. You have your feelings and O has hers. You two need to talk about what all this means for your relationship. Show her what's in your heart. And when it's her turn, you need to not only listen, but feel what's in hers."
Despite his own issues, Dalmaroz was actually very wise. Even if he himself didn't always follow his own advice, he would always have a few words of encouragement for the ones he cared about.
"Bottom line, stop being an idiot." Realizing who he had gotten the phrase from, he gagged. "Gross, I sound like Derieri."
"Will you take your own advice?" Zeldris asked him after a moment of silence. Surprisingly, Dal had said all the right things.
"Maybe I should." Dalmaroz jostled his dark hair. "I know I get agitated with her, but I really do care about Iris. And I'll be damned if I ever stopped fighting for her."
"Then let's keep fighting," said Zeldris in a way that surprised Dalmaroz. "For those we love." He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"For those we love," Dalmaroz repeated with a wide grin. It was the biggest he'd smiled in a very long time. "Your girlfriend is waiting for you. Let's go get her."
"Damn, you guys walk fast." Ace landed accompanied by the others.
"Hey, Iris," Dalmaroz tried to be kinder.
"Oh, now you're talking to me?" She scoffed until he spun and dipped her. He kissed her hand with a sly grin. "Oh, wow, Dalmaroz." She was pleasantly surprised by his smooth moves.
"Where the hell have you been hiding this side of you?" Tozgal asked him, absolutely shocked.
Dalmaroz set Iris upright and gave her another kiss. "I've always had it, you've just never had the pleasure to be on the receiving end of it."
"Well, that's just rude." Tozgal folded his arms.
Iris fanned herself, feeling her cheeks getting hotter. Obviously, he was up to something, but right now she didn't care.
"Don't worry, Tozgal, we have each other!" Ace held his arms out and made kissy faces.
"Ace, stay away from me!" Tozgal refused his advances.
"Accept it!" Ace laughed then looked at Zeldris with an evil look. Once the prince realized what he was up to, he shook his head.
"Ace, you better not!" He said firmly as he backed away.
"Come on, Zeldris. You guys need some bro love," Ace continued to creep closer to them.
Iris laughed as Ace tried to wrangle the others into a group hug. Thanks to his size, Zeldris was able to slip away from the affection until an irritated Dalmaroz pulled him back.
"Oh, no you don't! If I have to put up with this, then so do you!" He wrestled with Zeldris and forced him back into the group hug.
"Damn it, Dal! Let me go!"
Unable to take the two of them bickering so childishly, Iris doubled over with uncontrollable laughter. She was having so much fun watching the awkwardness and pure absurdity of the boys hugging each other. As she tried and failed to regain her composure, her laughter was cut short as her eyes flew open in panic and she inhaled a sharp breath.
"Iris?" Gilthunder looked back at her, concerned. She was frozen as sad tears rolled down her cheeks.
The boys stopped messing around when they noticed how serious things had become and Tozgal walked towards her. He waved a hand in front of her face and when she didn't react, he shrugged and looked to Dalmaroz for help.
"Iris?" He wasn't sure what to do, either. When he reached out to gently touch her shoulder, she snapped back to reality and gave him a rightful scare. "Shit, don't do that. What just happened?"
"It's... it's..." Iris was still too stunned by whatever she saw.
"It's what?" Tozgal pressed with a sense of urgency.
"Is it O? Did something happen?" Zeldris had pushed his way to the front. "I need you to tell me right now if it is."
"No, no." Iris shook her head.
"Then what, Iris?"
Iris was fully crying now as she repeated the name so familiar yet so distant. The simple utterance made Zeldris's heart stop. A bead of sweat rolled down his face as the coldest shiver ran down his spine. Dalmaroz and Tozgal shared his horrific surprise and even Ace was dumbfounded. A dreadful silence filled the air as the demons were in total disbelief.
"Azrael."