Chapter 40 - Purpose

Iris

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"Valkyre."
The angel blinked, looking up from the half-eaten plate of food in front of him. Iris, sitting across from him, also had an unfinished meal before him, the drops of perspiration on a glass of cold water trickling down and seeping into the creases and splinters of the wooden table.
Around them, the few other people in the inn supplied a quiet din of conversation, everyone minding their own businesses in the smoky, dim-lit interior of the room.
"...Yes?"
Iris blinked slowly, gaze seeming just slightly unsettled. The boy tugged at the edge of his shirt, fingers rubbing on the frayed, loosening strands. The pull of his hand had revealed part of the boy's collarbone, the pale white skin seemingly ethereal amongst the dark browns, blacks, and muddied yellows of its surroundings.
And, of course, marred itself by the black ink that swept in a miniature crest of flowing hair from the mane of a horse, caught in mid-gallop, thin but strong legs sharp and angular, lifted in the flow of motion. The tail was another brushstroke-like sweep to the side, as of now mostly hidden by the shirt.
A seal for the centaur.
And on the opposite side, higher-up edging on the shoulder, the simple yet elaborate design of a fish, sleek body arched, fins fanned out and tail trailing behind.
Siren.
Both opposites, both seals to subside the boy's auras... It left Valkyre to wonder though; why have them drawn seperate? Why not all at once?
And would they help Iris, truly, as he said they would? Could they...
...Could they keep him from dying?
The angel still felt uncertain about what he was doing, not sure just what he was getting himself into, somehow feeling like there was still something more to it all than what Iris was telling him...
And of course, a certain type of fear of looking forward. Soon, there'd be that one other pair of opposites- the angel and the demon.
And as for how they should be drawn...
All that Valkyre could see was the image of the black curving demon wings carved upon his own back, its dark shadow cast over him, haunting him again and again...
Would it be like that... for Iris?
Somehow, it didn't seem quite right...
"...Valkyre."
The angel blinked, shaking the thoughts from his head. He pulled his gaze away from the wooden planks of the table in front of him, of his own hands clenched tightly together; dark, work-roughened hands, trembling slightly, veins showing faintly purple-blue under his skin.
"...Hm?"
Iris' eyes were still the same blank gray, but they flickered now, glancing quickly to the side, to some space behind the angel-
Valkyre froze, then cautiously, slowly, peered behind him.
There, leaning against the small bar countertop, three individuals conversed quietly to each other, relaxed. The angel stiffened, faintly sensing their auras. Another were, a half-blooded demon, a harpie...
Strong species.
And obviously those of hunters.
One of the three's eyes flickered, passing straight over Valkyre, settling on Iris, still as a statue, unmoving.
Valkyre drew in a sharp, silent breath, forcing himself to avert his eyes, staring back down at his still-clenched hands.
Great. Hunters.
The angel bit at the bottom of his lip, cursing himself for again letting down his guard.
Of course. Of course the bounty would still be out there, and of course there would be hunters after them... And yet, Valkyre hadn't even really thought of the possibilities of other hunters, having been too concerned with Corryn and Asher and all that he'd been dealing with...
The angel let out a small, silent sigh, relaxing slightly. Well, it shouldn't be too difficult... Valkyre had no want to start another fight now, so if he could only find a way to get away from-
An aura brushed at the back of the angel's mind, making him cut off his thoughts abruptly, startled.
Footsteps, slow and methodical. Valkyre felt himself freeze up, as if incapable of moving, mind pausing, hesitating, refusing to stumble its way over this one thought...
"...Hello, Valkyre."
The angel snapped back to life with those words, looking over to see Raguel standing beside their table, dark clothes and jet-black hair melting into the smoky interior of the room, the contrasting pale face accentuated with the two different-color eyes, gazing down at him calmly, unperturbed.
Before the other could react, Raguel shifted and smoothly slid into the seat next to Valkyre. The half-breed glanced over at the angel, smiling faintly.
"I see you're still doing all right."
Valkyre tensed at the words, entire body on end, mind racing as he tried to figure out what the other would do next, what he was trying to get at...
As if reading his thoughts, Raguel sighed, briefly closing his eyes.
"Calm down, Valkyre. I only want to talk with you."
"...About what?"
The angel was surprised at the words escaping his lips, forming themselves into something apathetic, as equally calm and collected as the other's.
Raguel's brows arched, lightly.
"You view me as an enemy, then?"
The ruby-red and the pale yellow eyes flickered, away from the angel's face. Valkyre paused, trying to loosen the tense grip of his fingers.
"You... I can't trust you. You want Iris'... You want him... dead."
Raguel blinked, twice.
"You..." A pause, the arching eyebrows furrowed. Then a light chuckle, the other shaking his head.
"Valkyre, what has he been saying to you? He... that is..."
"-Corryn."
The half-breed blinked again, startled. "What?"
Valkyre paused, remembering that the name had been from his own lips, given away whimsically.
"He... That's his name. Corryn."
Raguel frowned.
"Him? A name?" He scoffed, frowning. "He doesn't... What lies has he been telling you now, Valkyre?"
The angel managed to pull his fingers apart and calmly crossed them, sitting back, careful to keep what little space between them clearly defined.
"No," he muttered, "you'd mentioned it before. You want Iris' life, you want him dead."
Raguel let out another sigh, frowning.
"Valkyre, relax. I'm not here to kill anyone." A pause, the double eyes flickering away, settling briefly on the boy sitting passively across from them. Iris' expression was empty, but the thin arms were wrapped around each other almost fiercely, just slightly trembling.
"Valkyre."
The eyes flickering back, holding the angel to their gaze.
"What about you? What are you doing all of this for?"
"I..." Valkyre opened his mouth, then closed it again, biting down on his tongue. He... what? All he'd been doing was running, fighting. And for what...
"Iris... I'm..."
"Valkyre. What is Iris to you?"
The angel balked, hearing the question reversed. "He... I..."
Raguel smiled, white teeth flashing in the dark gloom, the sharp points of his canines reminding Valkyre of what the other was, of what he was capable of...
"Let's put it this way, Valkyre. What is it that matters to you? Whose desires are you following- your own, or..." Raguel's eyes flickered away, glancing at Iris, who stared back, blinking impassively.
"Or... his?"
The angel looked away from both of them, staring down at his own hands resting limply on the tabletop.
What he wanted? What who wanted? All this time, he and Iris had been running, endlessly, flitting about... and yet, who had been leading, and who following...?
Valkyre didn't know. Hadn't it been mutual? As to whose desire it was that had driven them forwards... it was something that'd been mixed, intertwined... at least, that was what it'd seemed like...
Iris had never spoken of what he wanted to do. The boy had always been so silent... seemlingly uncaring...
Did Iris even want of anything?
"Iris."
Valkyre glanced up sharply. Raguel ignored the angel, leaning forward calmly on the tabletop, attention now centered on the boy.
"Iris. I think I have something that'll interest you."
The boy's gray eyes blinked, glancing over. Valkyre paused, realizing now that he'd been played into a trap. The question had been a way to pull him into the ploy.
There was no way he could selfishly say he would do what he alone wished, without care for the boy's own desires. And here, Raguel had found something Iris wanted... and if it bode true and Iris followed it, Valkyre would be forced to go as well, even if it was a trick, and even if he knew of it.
"...I know what you want, Iris. I know how your mind works."
Raguel's voice was cast low, inaudible to the rest of the occupants of the bar, including the hunters that were now watching the half-breed quite intensely, eyes narrowed.
Iris was leaning closer in, attention caught, straining to hear the words as well, making Valkyre's stomach turn over, sickeningly.
"I know, Iris. You want meaning. You want to have a reason to live. You want to know what you are made for. You want a purpose in life. ...Even if... it means death."
"-Raguel!" Valkyre raised his hand, as if to strike or at least to stop. The other merely glanced over at the angel passively, just barely registering a faint surprise.
Valkyre's teeth ground against each other, the flare of anger rushing deafeningly through his blood, his body trembling.
And yet...
The angel's gaze shifted, the dark violet meeting pale gray.
Iris shook his head, the movement so small and subtle as to almost be unseen.
No.
He... Iris... he'd fallen for it. No... this was really what Iris wanted, enough to make him shed his fear, abandon any care in who he was now associating himself with, unconcerned with his own life...
...And laying Valkyre aside.
The angel sank back down, arm dropping limply again to the table, defeated.
This really was what Iris wanted.
Raguel paused, eyes still trained on the angel, impassive. After a moment though, he leaned closer, hand reaching out, touching Valkyre's shoulder. The other stiffened, but did not move, locking his gaze with the two unmatching ruby and pale yellow eyes.
"Will you still follow through, Valkyre?" The slight hint of a laugh in his voice, already knowing the answer. The angel felt his jaw clench, and it took what felt like all of his strength to pry them apart, to speak back in more a low growl than in actual words, tongue feeling wooden and thick in his mouth.
"Raguel, you... you still plan on... killing him."
The half-breed's hand pulled away from the other's shoulder, his eyes flickering, blinking rapidly.
"...No," he replied at length, frowning. "...I am not discussing this to find an opportunity to kill Iris. I merely wish... to help him. Lead him to what he deserves to be able to claim his own."
Valkyre flinched, lips drawn tight, silently sucking in a sharp breath. "...And what would that be?" he whispered, almost in a hiss.
Raguel only smiled.
"There was much that happened to Iris in the labs, Valkyre. And there is more to the boy than either of us can know.
"There was much the... men knew of him. And everything they learned about the boy, they recorded, as humans do, always obsessed with immortalizing their work. They know what he is capable of, Valkyre."
The eyes were narrowed, sharp, focused on him completely.
The angel frowned, lowering his own gaze.
"...And this... we would be going to...?"
Raguel smiled.
"The labs."

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AN: Jesus, the chapters seem to be getting really far-spaced. >>; I'm trying to keep up with it, but I've been so busy~!
Well, the return of Raguel! I forgot what I've been doing the last few chapters [or at least the time in between, heh] so I think the characters should be brought back. :D
I have the feeling I forgot to put something into this chapter, but so far, I think it's okay. (heh...)
Man! It's chapter 40 already! I can't believe how it's all just going along, and I have to say, thanks. :D I think everyone's already seen it by now, but I feel like the Valkie pic is a celebration.
Well. I'm off on a short trip to the beach [again, urf, I just seem so busy this summer >>;] and school will be starting in about 10 freakin' days [;o; no!!] So, uh, hope I can get some more work done, but it might be quite slow. :/
Thanks a lot for reading, and I promise to keep it up~! Mucho goodness should be coming up soon! Like, actual action! XD
Ta~

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