Angel - 14

They marched through the gates, whether they were injured or not was up to question. As they carried with them scars and blood.

But if that was theirs or anothers, that was the question, was it not? Heh- But he was sure, that to her, to the commander of the bunch, that it did not matter. Or even to him, as the only concern was the eyes of those that were powerless.

The citizens.

And so they came, the strongest of the bunch, the commander at the front. Her golden eyes gazing as if to imitate some sort of hawk, prowling for some prey. 

Searching, judging, with a fiery gaze that seemed to categorize them into three states. Either interesting, inconsequential, or heretical.

Was it truly terrible though, her worldview that was. As the game was a constantly evolving one. Even the beginning was something that was muddied by perception.

By relics that may or may not convey the truth and at that would it be a whole truth or a half.

It was unknown how she had risen to her position. The Golden Judge, a title given to her for not only her prowess on the battlefield.

But those eyes, their powerful gaze that seemed to show only judgment. She was the one to put down both heretics and innocents.

Even if she knew the difference. Fiercely loyal to a set of laws that only she knew.

A bunch of contradictions that no one had deciphered. And when interest died down, as she faded to obscurity among the higher floors, among the more difficult challenges.

It was never known her code, her law, just a tidbit of her past.

But as she strode through, her gaze judging, a golden eye. It was to she that was being judged.

Gabriel floated above, watching and waiting for the inevitable slaughter.

Yet there came none. No building of power, no calm before the storm. Just a march, and the commandeering of an inn. Where they rested immediately.

Gabriel twirled his blade in his hand, switching from it to the small daggers he had taken. A moment later he threw said daggers at the most obvious shadow.

A shout was heard and promptly ignored. There was no chance that these shadows, of the Laurence family, would ever act in broad daylight.

After all, it was to their greatest disadvantage to do so.

With a flap of his wings, Gabriel left, there was no longer anything to watch. Nor any conflict to take.

But then, the thought of the previous night hit him. The girl, no, the catkin. A certain tribe or group that shared an inherited trait.

It was unknown, even to him, how these traits were inherited. Whether it was coded into their very genetic makeup, or if it was some sort of ritual that the parent did.

But either way, those that held traits like hers, could truly not be called human anymore. They were, not quite more, but different.

A certain power held that accentuated the difference between the two, between humankind and them. A certain irreconcilable difference.

For those of the catkin, or as the name of their trait was, the Children of the Twin. It was a common trait, one that had many variations. Different ways that it would manifest.

In some it would be a twin tail and ears, in others it would be claws as sharp as steel. And most commonly just a common blessing that gave them strength equal to ten grown men. 

All in infancy. So it was no wonder, that being born with such power, that these people would think of themselves as better, greater than humanity.

However this all predicated on exclusivity, that this trait was theirs and theirs only. And that was partially true. 

As there was only one other way to gain this trait. A long tribulation that Gabriel had never bothered to learn, after all the ceiling was too low for him.

Just inefficient.

Gabriel much preferred being an Angel, not only because of the automatic reputation boost that it gave, but because it was the most familiar of all of the powers that he could grab.

A trait that he had always used, except for a few peculiar runs. Though he didn't talk about those runs.

Most, if not all humans, are born without a trait inherent to them. It was unknown, lorewise, whether that was true or if it was some sort of awakening. But that was inconsequential, because it was the manner in which they obtained these traits.

Hard work piled over hard work. And even when one gets a trait there is a low, even slimmer chance that it would even be useful.

Yet for these other races, as most call them, it was easy. All they had to do was be born in the right body.

So to be given a rare trait, one that gives such an advantage by merely being born into a bloodline, it was no wonder that they were thought of as a different race.

Yet that was no excuse to lose to one. Not such a common one at that, even if he was so much weaker than her, in both level and strength.

Gabriel thought, at least he had hoped, that his experience would have helped him win. But it did not. Even with all of his years fighting, struggling, it was for naught as he struggled to even lift his hand.

Defeated and broken, only alive for their next fight.

And as he landed on his couch, Rosa laying her head on the pillow. He found himself in her warm embrace.

Whatever it was that he was fretting about, it seemed that she could just sense that. And so, she took him in her hands, and with a swift pat, comforted him.

Whispering sweet nothings in his ear. All while he seethed at himself, never at another. As it seemed that doing such a thing was impossible for him.

Not without great reason, great injustice.