The wind blew harder. It carried with it petals from the flowers and leaves from the trees. Their sweet scent filled the air around Ari, but Ari could hardly focus much on it. Despite the beautiful scenery, Ari could not help but feel something foul lurking amongst the trees and through silent breaths and stares sent between Auovin and Kaval. Ari was growing to like Kaval immensely and Auovin... It went unsaid the love he had for him. He hoped that nothing said in that moment would change a thing he felt inside his heart for the both of them, but Ari knew he was being far too optimistic.

"Shall we?" Auovin outstretched his hand waiting for Ari to take it. Ari was wary at first, but he placed his hand in his and let him guide him whichever way he would choose to take. Kaval followed close by. He was too far to hear them but close enough to keep an eye on them, Ari realized.

"We all came from the sands... A land far away from here. The sun blazed and water was scarce, but the land was beautiful and vast. Like now, there were many stars in the sky. My father always showed me the star I was born under and whispered to me the tale of the stars and how they came to watch and record our stories long after we were gone."

Ari looked up at the sky then. It twinkled and the moon shined down on them as if listening fervently to the tale being told just as he said.

"But like any other place, there was strife amongst us." Aouvin looked back at Kaval. "Too many of us centered in one place, so we disbursed. Some going left, some right, and some stayed behind. However, many of us left something behind. Many of us had blood on our hands. Many of us died."

There was pain in his eyes that Auovin did his best to hide. Soon it grew to anger, but he smothered it down by clenching his fist.

"When we came here, things were different. We separated and stayed to ourselves. The humans barely knew of our existence until some began to mingle in with the humans and spawned children of their own. Those children were known to have a taste for human blood and their offspring as well."

"Like Inge," Ari noted.

Auovin nodded and continued. "Others who stayed with their own kind only fed from others like themselves... but there were some who fed on both humans and blood demons. They were demons who ruled over the humans. Who the humans paid tribute to. Demons more ancient than I."

"And you father--"

"He died. My mother, I lost in the sands. I was alone as you were." Ari looked at him with wide eyes but Auovin did not spare him a glance. "Humans were much crueler then. They were afraid of anything different than themselves, so unlike you, I was not taken in by them, or anyone for the matter."

Auovin tried to leave no room for questions, especially ones concerning his parents. Ari could tell it was a very sensitive topic to broach, but Ari was wanting to know. He wanted to know everything, every intimate detail that made him into who he was now.

"How did he..."

"There are only several ways to kill us; all in which the greater demons knew how, but the blue stones were one of their favorite ways. The same ones from the sands. They hunted us down until there were very few of us left alive."

"They?"

"The Greats."

"Oh... " Ari pressed a thumb to his bottom lip. "And what happened after? If they ruled over humans... How did you...? Somehow, Ari knew the answer.

"One-by-one, we sealed them away. We killed the ones we could, but there was one or two we missed. Maybe more. It did not matter then. The humans revered us and sat us up high above them. Soon we began to share with them the gifts that were unique to only us and became gods in their eyes; their saviors and salvation."

Auovin looked at Ari this time. "I did not know Ylanan or Harun before that time. However, we needed each other to survive... There were only so many of us left alive, after all, so we came together and that union resulted in love rather than the blood pact we thought to share."

There was nothing but sadness in Auovin's eyes. Ari wished he could rid him of it. He did not like it when Auovin looked so vulnerable under one's gaze when he was usually so put-together and hardened. However, this was as open as Auovin has ever been with him. Ari would not tell him to stop.

"You were in love with them both? Equally?" Ari said.

Auovin closed his eyes and continued up ahead. He dropped Ari's hand in his and walked further causing Ari to rush to catch up.

"I was, we were, but not so... equally. Harun was the thing that held us all together, but he had secrets of his own. Secrets that would later tear us apart."

"And they were?"

"The blue stones. He kept them and gifted one to Ylanan."

Ari's brows furrowed. "I thought you said--"

"Thousands of years had gone by before we saw another one like it. However, it was fashioned as a necklace and took Ylanan by surprise. It weakened him greatly... to the point to where he could not defend himself when a horn of mine pierced through his heart."

"Why would he...? And your horns... " Ari outstretched his hand to try and touch them, but Auovin grabbed his hand and looked away from him.

"It was then that the humans found out how mortal we could be. How we can bleed just like them."

Ari bit down on his lip, not really wanting to hear the rest of the story.

"Harun's gift was one of memory. To take what bad memories you had and replace them with good ones. He betrayed us both and turned us against one another. But he forgot mine was pain. I cannot forget so easily."

"That... Why would he do that?"

"For the longest time, I walked these lands wondering why he would do those things to people who held him so near to their hearts, but I hadn't an answer. No, not until I saw him again."

Ari looked at Auovin. There was no way Ari could distinguish whether his look was of sadness or anger. Was that what he felt when he first looked at him? Because he looked so much like his father? Ari was not him and Ari believed he should not be looked at under the same light. He was different from his father. Those thoughts gave rise to anxiousness and aching emotions Ari did not want to think about.

"His pretty blue eyes were gray then and he had aged considerably with bits of gray and white speckling his black hair and beard. What feelings I once had for him had disappeared. All I could think about was in which way of killing him would make him suffer the most. Because of all things to do, he had betrayed us by the one thing we hated and feared the most. His gray eyes were proof enough, but he said it was love."

Auovin narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows.

"I did not care whether it was lust or temptation. My heart hurt for so many centuries and he had the audacity to tell me he was in love. That he was blinded by love. Our love for him seemed to matter so little, to become so insignificant to him compared to the love that Great had given him."

Ari's heart fell down to the pits of his stomach at his words. Gray eyes? A Great?

"He told me we were creatures of darkness who preyed on the weakness of man and that made us no better than our predecessors who reigned before us. I left him alive wanting him to suffer the fate of a mortal, but he told me he would hunt both us and our demon spawn until none were left, so the Greats may reign again."

Ari could hardly look him in the eyes.

"That was nearly twenty years ago, and I suppose he has done well for himself well before then. He was raised up as a Saint of the order that came to fruition after our fall. They named their soldiers Sanclii or Sanclius after his name given to the humans, Clius." Auovin looked at Ari but Ari turned his eyes away from him immediately.

"Would you like to hear more?"

"No," Ari said quickly. His eyes watered and there was a constant stabbing at his heart that would not go away every time he tried to look up at Auovin. To think he reminded him of such a person made Ari sick to his stomach. Here, Ari had nothing but love for Auovin, but Auovin... It was just as Kaval said it may be. Perhaps he did not want to love him and it was understandable why. He saw the reasoning, and Ari did not want to become a constant reminder of that pain and burden he has been carrying around for so long.

Ari turned to leave, but Auovin grabbed his wrist.

"When I look at you..." Ari squeezed his eyes shut and tugged away from him not wanting to hear what words would come next.

Ari went back in the direction of the cabin. Kaval was standing idly by. When Ari rushed passed, Kaval merely followed behind without a word said between them. There was no place to go that was far enough from Auovin. As much as he suffered to get to him, Ari did not want to go anywhere near him. Ari was growing unbearably self-conscious of himself and what effect his presence was having on Auovin. He wanted him selfishly for so long and...

Ari went into the fire room and sat down, trying to keep himself from unraveling altogether. He did not want to show Kaval that he had been right all along. It would hurt his pride far too much, but Ari wanted comfort. The door shut and soon Kaval sat next to him in silence, watching the flames grow high.

"Did he tell you?" Kaval said after a couple minutes.

Ari nodded, biting down on his lip all the while. He looked at Kaval, seeing his own gray eyes in the reflection of Kaval's. Ari bit down on his lip until it bled causing Kaval to wipe it away, but Ari smacked his hand away.

"You knew. You knew all of this and still, you let me--" Tears streamed down Ari's face. "You let me make a fool of myself," Ari sobbed.

"I did not. I merely let you do what pleases you. Being with him pleased you."

"He must have despised me for so long."

"I beg to differ. He seems quite smitten with you. Is it love? I do not know," Kaval murmured. He loomed closer until Ari's head rested on his shoulders. Ari nuzzled his face into his neck, not caring for his pride or his tears wetting Kaval's neck. "Perhaps, you should ask."

"I am afraid."

"You came all this way just to leave with a little bit more information than what you began with."

"If he says he does not..."

"Then you should move on."

Ari breathed deeply and sighed. "I cannot. It is not that easy. Just the very thought hurts my heart... and... "

"Are there not more pressing issues to address now, Little Master?"

Ari looked up into Kaval's eyes growing heavily aware of the question that loomed over them.

"You did not eat me because I am like them... is that not right?"

Kaval nodded.

"And your eyes are gray as well... "

Kaval nodded again.

"What does that mean?"

"What do you suppose it means?"

Ari moved a bit away from him and stared. Kaval stared back and soon began to smile. The mark going across his cheek was fading into his skin much like how Auovin's did. Kaval took a hand through Ari's hair causing Ari to lower his eyes.

"I would like to tell you the story of the Greats. I would, but as you are now it is best if I let you work through your emotions. There is no rush. All we have is time." Kaval's hand lingered near Ari's face before Kaval brought Ari close again.

"He comes from suffering and he may result in nothing but suffering, Little Master... But I can ease that pain of yours. Take it all away."

"There is a price for everything and I would not want to pay it. He may come from suffering but so have I. What does that make me?" Ari paused. "It only makes you stronger... and I would not want you to take that away from me."

"Being both soft and strong is a combination few have mastered and I admire you for that. However, sometimes suffering is just suffering. It does not make you stronger. It does not build your character. It just hurts."

"Do not speak so ill of him when he has done nothing but care for me despite what bitter feelings were nestled in his heart. I cannot be the judge of his feelings. He has the right to feel what he does. However, it does not make me any less upset about it."

"As you should not speak so highly of him while knowing the terrible deeds he has done. Should it matter the reasons?"

Ari furrowed his brows. "It gives me a place of understanding, so, yes, it should."

Kaval sighed. "Shall I ask for you then?"

"It would not matter. And it is not the only thing that bothers me. He has carried that pain for so long and so far... and what Ylanan had done to him... and what I thought of him once before... I feel terrible for misunderstanding him for so long. Cyrus seems to be the only one that ever has, and that thought makes me--"

"Jealous?"

"--Sad."

Kaval smiled and took Ari's hand in his. "Shall I take you somewhere fun then? A place where you can feel as though you can reach the stars?"

Ari looked away from him.

"You know, they have stories and secrets of their own. Shall I tell you... about the star you were born under?"

That caught Ari's attention.

"But, for now, just rest. You are tired."

His voice was soft and soothing much like Sai's. Ari let his guard down time and time again around him. This moment was no exception. When Kaval said the words that he was feeling, the tiredness swept over him like a tidal wave and he was not afraid to show it. Not to him, anyway.

Kaval combed through Ari's hair which comforted Ari more than the fire near them ever would. Ari fought to keep his eyes open, but he was winning a losing battle.

"You are quite smitten with him as well... I see that..."

Ari pressed closer into Kaval until his nose was buried into his shirt.

"... and you are very much deserving of him. The question you should truly ask yourself is whether he is deserving of you... my little one. In order for you to understand this, I must show you your worth."