Stevenson Willwin

After celebrating a feast and having what seemed like the best meal of my life, a stew made from the rich, juicy meat which I bought with the gold my aunt gave me, I-we left.

Although she was very reluctant knowing that I used the money from my father’s legacy, I said I'll not use a single coin from the pouch if she refused to eat.

Even she couldn’t hide how much she liked the meal which made me happy. It had been a long while since I last saw her smile.

Adron said that he wanted to check out his strength but for him to do so, I must go to some secluded place where no one can spot us. And that brings us to:

[Hey, brat. Are you sure there aren't any deadly beasts here? I am not even sure if I can possess your body, much less fight those things for you.]

[You say that but I am pretty sure you know that as of now you can't take a hold of my body...otherwise, you wouldn't have let me have the control in the first place.] My invisible partner chortled as I quipped.

He came out as a strong and dreadful figure at first but it didn't take much long to figure out he was pretty amiable and I couldn't bring myself to worship him as a god, which right now, regardless of the past happenings, he isn't and he didn't seem to take that to heart either.

I meant every word I said though. If he were capable of using my body at will, then he had no reason to stay in the village for as long as he did, I suppose by now he would have been in some powerful dominion, investigating for all the methods he could find to get back. [Anyway, we aren't going that deep in this forest and I have been here before.]

[For a boy who got his arse kicked by a single village kid, you sure are confident and adventurous.]

[For an incorporeal chunk of light who doesn't even have an arse to be kicked, you sure are smug and snide.] I grated but I felt sorry for my weakness, it was true. Young as he was, John was a blest, that's very rare especially in small dominions like Durlan, maybe blest kids in Valrem were a common sight but not here.

Though the truth is, I never really fought John back, he may be a blest but his movements and actual combat skills were sloppy at best, while I had been coming to the mountains for a long while to train myself by now. The problem was that his father held enough influence to cast us out of the village on a whim but now that I think about it, based on what my aunt said, I wonder whether he could have done so if he knew my parents.

As I sauntered through the undergrowth, the clanking sounds of twigs, the chirping of the forest, the seldom glares of smaller beasts trying to size me up from a distance, they all felt familiar.

This place was tranquil, I was grateful to my father for bringing me here to train, at that time I didn't get the point of coming all the way out here just to meditate but now it felt more than just a place, it felt like I was tethered to this one big life form.

After about a good day's walk we reached a lake inside the forest, it was beautiful and calm, not a single ripple on it's smooth surface. The big lake reflected the full moon perfectly, if I hadn't taken a sip of it's crisp and cool water, I wouldn't have believed what I was seeing was a reflection.

Even Adron was mesmerized by the view. I could feel his constantly swirling mind calming down momentarily. Even, for someone like him, this place must be comforting after spending time in the cacophony of the village. Adron had insisted on going deep, because of the chance of his powers going out of control, lest he end up killing someone.

I was a bit surprised to see a man of his pride care about someone innocent but then he brushed me off saying it was more because he wanted to stay discreet.

[So how do we start?]

[Sit down and leave control.]

[What? You are talking as if I have done it a million times, I am not used to having a-]

[Just settle down brat.] He cut me off, his tone serious. Well, I guess even he is a bit anxious about the possibility of him being incapable of manifesting, I get how tormenting that would be for him, for a mighty angel to be reduced to a leech on a lesser's(as he gracefully stated) body.

I sat down beside the shore, the cool wind humming in my ears, and was sleepy which, obviously any human would be after a whole day's march in a mountain forest, but I knew I had to do it, I had never felt such emotions from Adron before. He seemed anxious, anxious but excited too, he was waiting for it earnestly but I also felt a sense of calm from him, his usual pride and disdainful attitude gone.

I started meditating, observing my breathe and thoughts, but I can't say I was successful, the images of me leveling mountains kicked in to rouse my fever. Even after an hour, when I was actually calm and sweating profusely, even in the cold breeze, nothing happened.

[What now?]

[I don't know... what] Pure sorrow emanated from him, yet his tone was gentle.

Even though I met him only a few days ago, seeing his lively self reduced to this depressed state made me a little sad.

[Hey wait, I have an analogy for you, try observing your body as a third person in your mind. Just like you would observe someone standing still at a distance from you, don't do anything else, just imagine. No words, no thoughts. Just look.]

[Ok?] Even though I said that, it was still difficult. My mental strength was weak, meditation was not my strong suit but still I tried.

Another hour passed, dang! I couldn't even clearly picture my own self in my mind! At first all I could see was a pitch black silhouette, it was tall, taller than me and vague. If I had to guess, it was the image of me that I desired, though I was tall for my age, I wanted to be manly. Only then could I have hoped to protect what's mine.

Later, the figure became somewhat similar to mine but it wasn't differentiated, still just a silhouette.

After what seemed like an eternity to me, I was finally able to picture myself. Silver disheveled hair, bright green eyes, round jawline, the scar on my right hand I got from a howler's cub(They were strong quadrupedal, wolf like beasts. I was lucky to have ran away before it's pack showed up.) in this very forest. The interesting thing was though, that my tattered clothes came to me more naturally than my own body, I couldn't help but smile derisively seeing how poverty had been ingrained in my very soul. All this time, my partner was terrifically silent, I would have thought he was gone if it weren't for what I saw next.

Even before I saw it, I buckled in my own imaginative realm. That's when I felt it, an awe inspiring aura. I saw someone walk towards my body from behind, in a sacred gait. Every step perfect, none unnecessary, no sounds from the footsteps.

At that moment I understood, I never even knew how to walk.

It-They had a pair of scarlet wings that matched their long hair, which were braided into a boho ponytail. Their figure was tall and imposing, their golden irises surrounded by two ring of the same red color like the wings. All these features embellished their pale white skin.

This figure was pristine, more so than the brightest light I ever imagined. That's when it dawned on me, it was burned into me, the true meaning of what he had told me, Adron Athav was a God.

Any morsel of self esteem I had, any achievements I was proud of, they were all obliterated...no, that would mean he made an effort to do so, they all simply crumbled by his mere presence. I literally felt like nothing, his pride, arrogance, all became justified. Now, I knew he wasn't arrogant in the least, if anything, he was being humble.

Our gazes met when he came to a stop right behind my body. His gaze was piercing. Even in my own mind, I subconsciously kneeled, not being able to lift my head back up to meet his eyes, every nerve in my brain screamed at me to show the utmost respect.

What I saw was not real, I would never have believed if someone else explained it to me but the view in front of me made me change my understanding of "sacred" colossally. That's when his ethereal voice entered my ears, it was like a deaf hearing a sound for the first time.

"Not as barbaric as you imagined, huh, Steve?"

Adron Athav

I opened my eyes, feeling the sensation of the winds embracing my cheeks, the first physical sensation I felt in this world. I stood up, my movements as natural as they could ever be.

This body, my body, had accepted me. I looked at the still surface of the water, Steve's appearance had changed due to me. His silver hair now shone gold and the eyes, they were heterochromatic, his usual emerald green color now surrounded a shining disc of gold.

The feeling of my power was nostalgic, though I was weak, the feeling of being a holy life form was very soothing for me. I was truly happy, for the first time since my arrival here, to have something, something that reaffirmed that I was an angel, a once denizen of heaven.

All this time, I was slowly starting to doubt myself, I had started to think I was just a delusional ghost that clung to a human and rambled about being a mighty angel. Only sheer mental fortitude keeping me sane.

Now, I was sure, I remembered vividly. I am Adron Athav, mighty denizen of the heavens, purger of evil, betrayed and sent to a lower realm.

I felt something rushing down my cheek, I lifted my hand to touch it, it was a tear. I was crying? When was it that I last cried?

It was right now that I realized I felt amiss not being at my home. I longed for the heavens, for One, the old man was the one who raised me, I maybe angry but never once did I hate him. In the end, I knew there was a reason he was doing this, nothing can be hidden from him, he knew I wasn't guilty.

I turned around to see hordes of birds and beasts grovel in front of me. The whole forest absolutely silent.

My lips curled up into a smile before I released a minuscule murderous intent to scare them. These kind spirits had acknowledged me, I could not have them get injured when I tested my strength. I smiled as I saw all of them but one running away, that one looked like a little bird at first but I was surprised when it came closer. It also had a holy attribute, like me, in it's soul, it was a young phoenix. I didn't understand how it came to this realm or was this planet a home to quite a few of them. It perched on my shoulder as I decided there was no harm if it were staying by our side of it's own free will and turned back to face the lake.

I didn't restrain myself as much as I could because I knew the extent to which my powers were diminished was cosmical.

After approximately lowering my strength to a hundredth of the whole, I thought I would be happy if I am even able to create a ripple in the still water. Then I flicked my finger. A sharp pain took over my mind as soon as I flicked. As I was falling back down I realized the pain wasn't mine, it was Steve. Just as I started losing consciousness as I fell, I turned my head towards the source of the large boom that sounded as soon as I had flicked.

What lied in front of me was a ditch, about half a mile long, ten arms length deep and fifty arm's length wide, being filled up by the water from the rest of the lake. I laughed heartily as I heard the water gushing down into the gape. I laughed despite the jolt of pain, the pain my host's body bore, while I was falling. Then I mumbled, my first sound in this world, actual sound not a telepathic transmission, before falling unconscious:

"Oops"