Chapter Text
Sword gasped in wonder as the trees crowded around him, some slender and young, others old and stretching past the canopy of leaves. The Followers' voices called out his name behind him, ringing through the brush. He only ran deeper into the woods, giggling at his own mischief. The elders had always reminded the young demon to not go too far past the tree line, but that never stopped the deep curiosity he harbored for the large trees that separated them from the rest of the world. He had never seen anything past those trees, and the elders’ warnings only fed his urge to explore.
His escape was done in a moment of impulsiveness. He had been training with a senior Follower, an ex-warrior named Longsword. Sword complained when the elders assigned her to him, having heard disturbing things from past students. She drilled me until I couldn’t even stand, one said. Defeat was unacceptable to her, he heard from another. It was as if the Pit itself manifested as a demon, said a third, whom Sword had met in the infirmary.
Safe to say, Longsword was living up to everything Sword knew of her.
As always, she was beating him. Every time Sword tried to land a blow, she countered. Every swing met a block, every attack a parry. He landed roughly in the dirt over and over again, new cuts and bruises forming beneath his feathers.
“Do you think your enemies would take mercy on you because you’re a child?” she’d ask, retreating back to the center of the field. “Get up.”
No, they wouldn’t. So he stood, only to be beaten down, again and again.
Peering out his window, he saw Longsword standing in the middle of the training field, ruthlessly attacking another student. Sword winced.
An idea suddenly formed in his head. He looked to the trees, the natural border between the Followers and the rest of the world. He would not be beaten down again.
His heart thudded in his chest. With a silent prayer to Illumina, Sword leapt from the windowsill.
Air rushed in his ears as he fell. Open your wings and soar.
Over the fighting, over the other Followers. A shocked cry came from his lips. Longsword’s head turned to the sky, searching for the source of the sound.
Her eyes met his. “Sword!” she cried.
Oh no.
His attention shifted for a second, and he couldn’t land in time. Sword skidded across the earth, dirt and gravel getting caught between his feathers. Footsteps were quickly approaching behind him. Go, run, he told himself. And so he did. He ran and ran until he couldn't hear anything but the wind and his pants. He ran until he was his feathers were cleared of sand and silt. He ran until he was finally far enough to call it safe.
Soon his small legs tired and his lungs began to hurt. Sword dug his claws into the bark of a nearby tree to brace himself as he leaned forward to catch his breath. As his heart slowed and his breathing evened, the melody of the woods started to arise: chirping of birds singing their secret melody, scuffling of kits at play, and the rustling of leaves as they danced in the light wind. He looked around, taking in the world that once laid beyond his reach.
Tongues of sunlight licked his being, casting warmth onto his feathered skin. Grass grew across the earth, covering everything in a soft layer of green. Small flowers were scattered in between, hues of yellow, pink and white cutting the green. Some grew stalks that branched and bloomed, others grew in patches and spread in waves. The trees were living giants to him, towering above, their branches a woven lattice.
A gasp of awe left him. This place, outside the cathedral’s grounds, was breathtaking.
Why hadn’t they let him leave? What was there to fear? he thought, already running through the brush.
The calls of startled animals rang through the forest as Sword stumbled, trying to navigate this new terrain. Although he had wings, he couldn't simply take flight for the elders have not taught him how. Even gliding he had to learn on his own by watching birds drift along the breeze.
For a while, Sword explored gleefully, catching and examining whatever creature he could fit in his hands. A tiny lizard with blue swirls clinging to a broad trunk; an orange fuzzy animal with stubby legs and short ears that squeaked at him when he snatched it. Each one he released, only to go searching for more. The woods seem to go on forever, a never-ending maze of flora and speckles of color from flowers growing about. He grew tired, his arms and legs aching from strain...but there was nowhere to rest. Sword had nothing but the trees and the plants and animals to keep him company. His breath caught in his throat as the looming dread of reality settled on him, a heavy, suffocating blanket.
Without the ability to fly, he was stranded. He was lost.
And all alone.
Sword started running again, out of fear, the fear that he would never find his way home again. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes. How foolish could he have been? How feckless?
The sounds of the forest around grew louder, the warnings of the elders ringing in his head. Stop it, stop it, stop.
A voice broke through the cacophony, distinctly out of place. A very angry voice.
Sword followed it, making sure every step of his slow and deliberate as he made his way through the dense foliage. The trees began to thin, revealing a small clearing. In the center of the clearing stood another demon, not much younger than Sword himself. Their face was contorted into a look of frustration as they mumbled something under their breath. The young demon picked up rocks from the ground and hurled them one by one at a large, hollow stump, breaking off pieces of the decaying wood. Sword instinctively ducked behind a thick tree trunk. The last thing he wanted was to get caught between the furious demon and the object of their rage. From his position, he watched curiously, wondering what had made the other so angry in the first place.
Another rock was hurtled through the air, striking the rotted stump before ricocheting off and hitting the tree Sword was using as cover. He yelped in surprise and stumbled backwards, feeling the impact reverberate through the wood.
The other child's head snapped towards the tree, their eyes landing on Sword, now fully exposed. Sword froze under their gaze, hoping that if he didn't move, they might overlook him, sparing him from their fury.
The rock slipped from their fingers and fell to the ground with a muted thud. They now seemed almost bewildered as they stared at Sword, an awkward silence shared between them.
“I-I...” the child said, first to break the silence. “What…what are you doing here? This was supposed to be my secret place…” Their voice dropped to a low mutter.
Sword cocked his head in wonder. The child demon was not like any other he’d ever seen among the Followers. Their horns were sapphires to polished silver, dusted with gold. Long fur ran down to the small of their back, silvery gray and wild. They wore a doublet tied at the waist with a belt and a pair of roughspun leggings. As Sword approached, the demon’s outline seemed to constantly shift and change like a mirage, like something ethereal that had descended onto this earth, something not meant for mortal eyes.
Sword sat down next to the child demon, who had curled up on themselves, clutching their knees close to their chest. Gray fur covered their body and a strange fish-like tail laid limply on the ground. Their body began to twitch and shudder and odd noises left their lips.
“Are you alright?” Sword asked, wings already moving to try and surround the child - almost as if the feathery limbs had a mind of their own. They were much too small to wrap around both him and the other demon, so he instead extended one and drooped it over their shoulder.
“I’m...fine,” the demon said in-between hiccups. “I’m just...mad.”
“Mad at who?”
The demon wiped their eyes with the cuffs of their doublet. “My father. He was mean to me.
“He told me I couldn't go with him on trips to the city anymore. That people might talk,” the demon mumbled into their knees. They tightened their grip on their legs, and Sword heard the tear of fabric. “He said it was too dangerous, that we might get into trouble. I said that I'll be good, but he still wouldn't let me go. He said that I can't show myself anywhere, or people will find us. Then he yelled at me; he told me he was keeping us safe, that I wasn't being grateful. I was grateful, I…I was, really.”
Sword listened to their story in earnest. As they spoke, tears flooded their eyes and streamed down their face. Before long, they were sobbing again, hiccuping and gasping for air. Sword drew the demon closer, rubbing their shoulder with a wing. "Don't cry, please," he whispered.
The demon sniffled and looked down at their ruined sleeves. "I can't stay here. I should leave.”
The other demon moved to stand…and Sword stopped them, quickly throwing his arms around them in a hug. He did not want them to go, crying and sad, and admittedly because he didn't want to be alone. Their breath caught in their throat, and Sword could feel the second their heart sped, the moment their body went still. Their heartbeats thudded in his ears, fast and loud. Sword waited for a response, and got none. He took that as an incentive to slowly recline the demon back on the soft grass. The wind blew past them, carrying stories and tales untold. The forest continued to whisper in their hushed tones, none of their words understood. At first, they had frightened Sword. Now, the whispers had a certain quality to them, a queer tranquility in their airy voices.
The child demons stayed that way for a while.
Sword felt the other demon’s body relax and sigh. Their breath was warm.
"Are you better now?" he asked. A nod.
He paused for a moment. ”...Are you going to leave?”
The demon shook their head. Their breathing slowed, though their heart still thundered.
Sword released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Do you want me to let go?”
Another shake. “I’ll tell you.”
“Okay.”
A minute passed, a second, third. Sword began to feel apprehension build within him. The demon had barely moved since they last spoke, the only sign that they were alive being the rise and fall of their chest. He felt he should ask again, but didn’t want to startle the other demon, so he kept his position even as his legs grew numb.
Eventually, they lightly tapped Sword on the back and he pulled away. He rubbed their arms, asking, “Are you alright now?”
“Yes. Thank you,” they replied, the faintest trace of a smile on their face.
The other demon still seemed to be upset, spurring Sword to try something else. An idea popped into his head. “Would you like to run with me?”
“Run where?”
Sword threw out his hands and grinned. “Wherever the land takes us! We become the wind!”
The young demon stared up at Sword, their mouth slightly agape in confusion. However, the confusion slowly melted away, replaced by a glimmer of warmth.
They giggled. “You're funny. What's your name?”
Sword extended a hand to the other demon. “I’m Sword. What about you?”
“I’m Rocket. It’s nice to meet you, Sword.”
“Same to you,” he said, helping them to their feet. "Where are you from?"
Their smile faltered a bit, their brows furrowing in thought. "I'm...I'm not sure. I live with my father. He takes care of me."
"I'm a Follower. The Church takes care of me, though I sometimes wish I weren't under their care."
"Is that why you're here?" the other demon asked.
Sword held his palms to his face and giggled, remembering how his instructor looked when she saw him in the sky. "Yes. It's much nicer out here."
He stole a glance at the trees around them both. Talking to Rocket had somehow soothed his fears; perhaps because he now had a friend to run through the brush with. Rocket followed his line of sight and tilted their head.
“What are you looking at?”
“Have you ever explored the unknown?” Sword asked back, his tone mischievous.
Rocket smiled, though it was clear they didn’t know what he was talking about. It didn’t matter. Sword would just have to show them himself.
He grabbed their hand and ran toward the forest, chuckling to himself. Rocket simply let themselves be pulled, small fits of laughter escaping them. Sword’s heart filled with glee and excitement once more, replacing the fear and dread that plagued him just a few moments before.
He lightly tugged on Rocket’s arm, urging them forwards so they’d both be running side by side. Rocket complied, their clothes rumpling in the wind. Sword led them down dips and crevices, climbed ledges, weaved in between trees. Together, they chased creatures of the forest, most covered with brown and grey fur, some fully white and others dark as the night sea. In between pursuits, they stopped to admire a certain blossom or an odd growth on the side of a rotting log. Eventually they found a clear stream and decided to cool off in it, Rocket squealing as Sword splashed the cold water onto them.
“What was that for?” they exclaimed, hanging their arms up to let the water drip as they examined their clothing. Rocket’s doublet was stained with dirt, brown smudging the brilliant navy from a tumble they'd taken down a ledge. A lock of wet fur stuck to their face.
Sword collapsed in a fit. Rocket indeed looked quite silly soaked. “You seemed like you could use it,” he said, putting his hands over his mouth in a futile attempt to stifle the incoming laughter.
Rocket scowled playfully. “Well, you could use it too.”
That was the only warning Sword got before he was sprayed with an overwhelming amount of water, fully dousing him and knocking him down from the sheer force of it.
He sat up in the stream and shook himself. “Hey! I wasn’t ready!”
“That’s the point, dummy,” Rocket teased, folding their arms triumphantly.
“Oh, you asked for it.” Sword got up and began to chase Rocket around, flaring his wings so he appeared bigger, shaped his hands into claws and made growling noises, imitating a monster. They squealed and ran from Sword, holding their arms out. He came close to catching them a few times, but Rocket was slippery, and kept escaping his grasp.
They twisted their waist to face Sword and stuck out their tongue. “You ought to give up by now.”
Sword only smiled. This was his chance. He bent his legs and lunged at them, putting his full weight into the tackle. Rocket yelped as they were pinned onto the ground by Sword.
He grinned. “Got you.”
For a moment, time stood still.
Sword’s smile faded. For a moment, he simply stared into Rocket’s eyes, entranced by what lay in them. He hadn't noticed how beautiful they were before, as they were reddened with tears. Their eyes were like the deep abyss of space, indigo with hints of violets and yellows like galaxies, flecks of blue and silver scattered like stars across a midnight sky.
“Sword? You can get off me now,” Rocket said, concerned. Sword blinked, Rocket’s voice snapping him out of his trance.
“Sorry,” he replied, lifting himself off. What happened to him there?
Both of them stood, dusting their clothes. Rocket smiled at Sword. It carried a message. An invite, a challenge. He gave a knowing grin.
Rocket took off first, sprinting away. Sword let out a bark of laughter and followed, hot on their heels.
Sunlight dappled the two, showering them in flecks of gold. The forest became loud with the screams and laughter of two child demons, both immersed in the throes of joy and adventure.
For hours upon hours, the two demons played together, their laughter echoing through the forest. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting an orange glow across the sky, they finally paused, lying down next to each other on the grass in the shade of some trees. The fading sunlight painted their surroundings in soft warm hues as they stared up at the clouds drifting lazily above.
Rocket turned his head toward Sword, a sweet smile spreading across his face. "That was fun, Sword. Thank you," he said.
Sword was about to reply when a deep, gruff voice suddenly broke the peaceful silence. "Rocket? Where are you?" it called out, the sounds of another demon traversing through the brush becoming more evident by the second.
Sword sat up, ears pricking at the sound. “Who was that?”
Rocket was staring in the direction of the voice, his eyes slowly lowering as recognition dawned on him. “My father. He has probably come to bring me back. I’m sorry we couldn’t spend more time in each other’s company. I did so enjoy it.”
"Do you really have to go?" Sword asked, voice tinged with disappointment. Then his eyes lit up. “We could go running again. Farther this time. No one will find us.”
Rocket didn’t share his enthusiasm. They gazed back in the direction of his father’s voice. “No, I should go back. My father sounds as if he’d been sick with worry.”
Sword understood, though his heart felt rather heavy. “I see. It was nice to meet you, Rocket. Maybe we could do this again.”
“Maybe we shall,” Rocket said. They had a grin on their face, one of promise. Sword’s heart lifted a little. “Goodbye, Sword.”
"Goodbye, Rocket," he replied, waving.
They turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadowy depths of the forest. Sword watched him go, the last rays of sunlight fading behind them. He heard their voice greet their father, the older demon gently reprimanding his child. The father’s and child’s voices slowly drifted further and further from him, until he couldn't hear them anymore. Sword briefly wondered if he should follow them, when demons shouting suddenly rang in the air. He couldn't make out what they were saying at first, but as they came closer, their voices became clearer. They were calling his name.
His legs went before he could think. They found him, thank Illumina, they found him.
“I’m here! I’m here,” he yelled to them.
One of the Followers, dressed in a lilac robe that went down to their feet, saw him and pointed. They motioned for the others to retreat and headed in Sword’s direction. When Sword reached the group, he hugged the closest demon - though his horns barely touched their knees. They patted his head in reply, muttering words in a comforting voice. He was picked up and held eye-to-eye with the demon.
They said, “There you are. Are we ready to head back now, little one?”
Sword glanced longingly back to the area where Rocket had just been. On the morrow.
He nodded.
“Good,” the Follower said, satisfied. They gently cradled him in their arms as the group started back to the cathedral.
Sword rested his head on their shoulder, feeling the weight of exhaustion crash over him in a wave. His eyelids grew heavy, gradually surrendering to the overwhelming fatigue. As his vision dimmed, all that remained was the faint sensation of the road's uneven bumps beneath him and the distant, muffled murmurs of the other Followers, their voices blending into a soothing, indistinct hum. The world faded to black.
When he awoke, Sword found himself back in his quarters, nestled within the comfort of his soft bed. The gentle morning light streamed through the window, filling the room with a warm, golden glow. As he slowly sat up, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes, the events of the previous day began to resurface in his mind.
He could hear the distant sound of doors creaking open and footsteps echoing through the hall outside his room. A sinking feeling settled in his chest; he knew he was likely still in trouble for running off the day before. For a brief moment, he considered hiding beneath the safety of his bedsheets. Maybe if he stayed there long enough, whoever was out there would simply leave him alone. But the elders always caught on, no matter how hard he tried to escape their notice.
The door groaned as it slowly swung open, revealing the familiar silhouette of Longsword. "I see someone's awake," she said, her voice softer and more composed than Sword had anticipated. Her tone was calm, almost too calm, as she began to move forward, the sound of her boots muffled on the worn wooden floor.
"Sister Longsword..." Sword's voice wavered, quiet as a whisper. He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze, his eyes fixated on his trembling hands in his lap.
"It's time to make up for the training you've missed. Come along now." Her words were firm, brooking no argument. Before Sword could fully process the command, he found himself on his feet, hastily pulling himself together as Longsword took him by the arm and led him outside. The cool morning air bit at his skin as they stepped into the open, the dawn just beginning to break over the horizon. For the next half-day, she proceeded to drill him relentlessly, pausing only for a moment’s rest before sending him keeling over the dirt. Sweat poured down his forehead as the sun crested. By the time she was done with him, he was pocked with angry purple marks and harsh red lines where she had smacked him with the flat of her wooden blade. Sword collapsed on a bench and spread his wings wide to cool himself.
He stared out at the dense forest that bordered the training grounds, his mind drifting back to the events of the previous day. Rocket promised that they would be in the clearing. They didn’t mention when exactly, but maybe they were there already, waiting for Sword. Warm hues colored the sky as the sun returned to its mountainous home to rest. Longsword was off to the side of the sparring area, wiping a piece of coarse paper back and forth on the training sword. She barely looked tired at all.
He called her. "Sister Longsword!" She turned and raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Can I…may I…leave?” he asked tentatively.
She dismissed him with a wave of her gloved hand. “Yes, go, boy. By dawn tomorrow, I want you here.”
Her command was the last thing in Sword’s mind as he raced for the treeline, out of Longsword’s view. If she caught him again, he was certain she would not treat him so kindly. Sword saw the clearing up ahead of him, framed by tall oaks. His heart was close to bursting from excitement. But when he searched the area, Rocket was nowhere to be found. The ledge they had climbed together. Nothing. He went to the creek where they had chased each other. Still nothing.
Perhaps on the morrow they will be there, he thought as made his way back.
He thought the same the next day. And the next. And the next. Weeks passed, months. Each time he checked, he was greeted with disappointment. One day, he stopped checking.
Sword never saw Rocket again.
-
Sword was on patrol again today. Despite his protests to Longsword, he ended up drawing the night hours.
The shadows between the trees seemed deeper today, more foreboding and mysterious.
That’s when he first saw the starry eyes in the forest.