I had heard of Grand Duke Wyll Quinford, a valiant knight who had protected the city in its darkest hours and had been leading it for years. I didn't know much about him, but from what people said, he was honest and enforced the law.
"I don't know where they could be. Don't you have some celestial symbol that allows you to track people?"
The port of Destria was busy, and although it was dormant, the agitation in the air was palpable. Word had likely spread about what had happened in the neighboring towns. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before we saw the inferno the angels of death brought with them once again... I had to find my parents as quickly as possible. My father told me they would go looking for a friend of his who owned a boat, to escape from there... it was likely they were somewhere nearby. I forced myself to be hopeful, even though it was hard not to think of the most disastrous possibilities.
"I can track my own kind... perhaps—"
"Wait."
I thought I saw a familiar face in the crowd and began to follow him, hoping it wasn't an illusion.
"Selyn?" Saphyr followed me with a quick step, staying close to me.
I soon managed to catch up to the person I was following and grabbed his arm, out of breath.
"Dylan? Is it really you?"
The boy turned around, his eyes wide: "We thought you were dead..." Dylan hugged me tightly, then lifted his eyes to Saphyr. She currently wore common clothes to blend in with the crowd, but her figure drew attention even when disguised. Her hood, at least, kept her face hidden, since her features were very different from ours. Angels of death possessed an angelic beauty, with very pale skin and peculiarly colored eyes.
"Who is she?" When Dylan addressed Saphyr, she remained silent.
I answered for her, trying to distract the boy: "I met her in the woods. She was heading this way too. We helped each other out..." At that point, I steered the conversation back to what was urgent: "Where are my parents, Dylan? Please tell me they're alright—" I gripped his arms tightly, hoping with all my might that good news would come from his lips.
"We were attacked, but some managed to escape... luckily, I saw your parents running away. They should be safe. I was heading to the meeting point, it's nearby."
I nodded and turned to Saphyr, who merely observed us in silence.
"Let's go."
We followed Dylan, who led us along the port to a warehouse where crates of imported goods were stored in Destria. I saw various people working tirelessly, tending to their boats, but many didn't seem agitated; probably, not all of them were aware of what was about to happen.
"Everything seems so calm here."
Saphyr was strangely quiet, keeping her distance during the walk. I was beginning to catch on to a pattern in her behavior, and these were signs of her vigilance. Could she sense danger nearby?
"What is it?" I asked her in a hushed voice, slowing my pace to walk beside her. Dylan didn't notice a thing and continued leading us toward the warehouse.
"I have a bad feeling. Are there dangerous creatures among you humans?"
"What are you talking about? What creatures?"
"Shapeshifters."
Saphyr saw the panic in my eyes and grabbed my arm: "If anything happens, I will protect you."
"My parents—"
"We're here." Dylan interrupted us and stared at Saphyr with particular interest: his face appeared relaxed, but his eyes were unfamiliar. I didn't remember Dylan being this calm in tense situations like this. He was a friend, though not a close one, and something told me he was different.
"Are they here...?"
I pushed past him and ran into the warehouse, followed closely by Saphyr. When I threw open the warehouse doors, light spilled into the darkness, but I saw no one.
"Dad? Mom? Where are you?"
I stepped forward uncertainly, but my voice was the only sound echoing through the warehouse. The air grew thick, and the scent of saltwater was masked by a sharper, metallic odor.
"Poor little lamb."
Dylan's head was bowed, his hand gripping the handle of the warehouse door.
"Dylan...? Where are they?"
"You should be worrying about your situation."
He suddenly looked up, and I gasped: his face was distorted into a horrific smile, with sharp, bloodstained teeth, and monstrous, pitch-black eyes staring at me as if I were a delicious prey.
"Saphyr!"
Saphyr grabbed me, pulling me behind her, then with a quick wave of her hand summoned her weapon and tried to impale the unknown creature wearing Dylan's guise. The being sprang away rapidly, dodging the attack, and clung to the warehouse wall.
"Since when are humans and celestials allies?"
"That is none of your business. What do you want with her? What have you done to the others?"
"You mean the other meals? They've been escorted to a safe place for the banquet we'll be having tonight!" The creature's voice had changed completely. It was deeper and distorted, as if alongside those words, it was uttering entirely different sounds I couldn't understand.
Had this monster taken my parents?
"Where are they?"
"Did you kill my parents? Tell me what you did!"
"They're alive, I think. Though not for much longer..." He laughed maniacally and lunged at me: "Let me eat her, celestial! I'll leave you a piece."
"If you won't answer my questions, I will ask your dead body."
Saphyr stepped between us and, with her spear, carved a massive gash across the monster's abdomen, releasing a spray of black, viscous blood.
"You bastard!"
"Die. You are no match for a celestial, worm."
Saphyr's weapon glowed intensely, and a moment later she brought it down on the monster's head, who wasn't quick enough to move away. His body seemed to explode, and I grew nauseous at the sight of what remained.
"A shapeshifter, just as I thought..."
Saphyr reached me shortly after, helping me off the ground. I hadn't even realized I had fallen to the floor. I was shivering and felt sick.
"We will find your parents. I will use its blood to track its kind now."
"C-can you do that? Do you think... Do you think they're alive?"
"I fear your friend Dylan did not survive, but we'll only know for sure when we find their hideout... we must hurry. Are you up to it?"
"Yes, let's go right now."
I got up with her help, and a moment later, thanks to a celestial symbol and the monster's blood, we managed to get a lead on the shapeshifters' hideout. Along the way, which led us through the less frequented area of the port, I tried to stay strong. With Saphyr by my side, they couldn't hurt me, and the shapeshifters were doomed...
Since when had these creatures existed among us? What happened to Dylan? Was he really dead...?
"Selyn, we're here."
I stopped, looking around: we were at the edge of the port, and the only thing I saw was an entrance to the city sewers.
"Saphyr?"
"The tracks lead here and continue down the conduit... If you want, I will go in alone."
"No. I have to find my parents."
Saphyr stepped closer and grasped my shoulders: "I will protect you, but you had better keep your dagger close. It can signal the presence of shapeshifters."
I looked at the dagger my father had given me and gripped it firmly: these were difficult times, and I had to learn to defend myself. Saphyr wouldn't be by my side forever.
What will I do when our pact comes to an end?
That was a worry I had to put on the back of my mind. The situation was urgent, and with every passing second, I risked losing the chance to find my parents.
Saphyr led us into the sewers with a determined stride, almost as if she knew the area. She explained that celestial symbols could sense the presence of shapeshifters and that her weapon acted like a compass.
"Dipping my weapon in the blood of my enemies allows me to track them," she explained, and I tried to focus on her voice to avoid thinking about everything else: the nauseating stench of the sewers was making my stomach churn, and I swallowed back the urge to vomit.
"H-how much further?"
Saphyr was illuminating the area with her weapon; she reached out to the wall, revealing its surface stained with blood and murky water. "Not far."
I started feeling an unfamiliar heat seemingly emanating from my dagger's hilt. It was glowing, just like Saphyr's weapon. The celestial symbols were warning me of the impending threat.
Saphyr grabbed my arm and pulled me quickly, forcefully. We ended up in a side conduit, and right then I saw horrific creatures crawling along the path we had just been walking.
I covered my mouth to muffle a scream of terror. I had never seen anything like it: it was a mass of flesh with no distinct shape, with sharp teeth just like the shapeshifter Saphyr had killed, and large, pitch-black sockets for eyes. It made a terrifying noise—teeth chattering in search of food and hungry gurgles.
"Let's follow it." Saphyr waited for the right moment to start trailing it and brought me along, slowing our steps to avoid making too much noise.
We soon found ourselves before an opening, looking into a large conduit carved into the stone, beyond which stretched a space where several of the city's sewer drains met. We watched the creature launch itself forward, joining its kind. In that space, several shapeshifters and prisoners were gathered.
"Do you see your parents?"
Anxious and worried, I squinted, trying to spot my parents. It wasn't easy to see from afar, plus some of the prisoners were covered in filth from head to toe and almost unrecognizable. I held my breath and nearly despaired, but suddenly, almost miraculously, I spotted them in the group of prey. They seemed unharmed, though shaken by the situation.
I grabbed Saphyr's arm tightly and pleaded with her through my eyes: "Save them, please."
Saphyr wore a complicated expression, almost as if she couldn't find the right answer to give me.
"You said you have to follow and protect me, right? If I'm in danger, you'll help them too, right?"
"Selyn, do not be reckless—"
I could only trust my instinct, which led me to step out of the conduit and draw the monsters' attention: "Want another meal? Come and get me!"
The shapeshifters turned as a group in my direction, and I gasped when their eyes locked onto me and their mouths opened to reveal their razor-sharp teeth.
"This is madness." Saphyr forcefully grabbed me, throwing me behind her just in time, as the shapeshifters lunged into the conduit, ready to devour me. Saphyr brought her spear down with impressive speed, unleashing an intense light and a dull thud, followed by a roar. The shapeshifters were blown away; some were annihilated instantly, others snapped and torn to pieces. None survived that strike, and for the first time, I realized the true power of an angel of death. Saphyr possessed immense destructive capability.
"I advise you not to repeat what you did today. I cannot guarantee your safety at every moment, especially if we have to face the other... Angels."
With a hint of reluctance, she used the term I had coined for her species. I stared at her with wide eyes but quickly recovered.
"Take me to them."