Demon - 3

Bodies piled up, their faces framed by cloth and placed along a pile. All set to burn and commemorate the deaths that had occurred from just one attack.

From just one demon. 

From just an hour of attacks.

Thousands dead, the only surviving, those who had abandoned the town and all of its amenities, those that had worked through their lives at the farms and had happily ran from danger.

Only to come back and help with the coming tide of death and other proceedings. The first danger, lack of home, lack of walls. The second, disease.

Yet the first was the most pressing, as even with the tall walls to cover the city it would not be long until they fell and with it the town. 

It wouldn't be that far off to say that the town had failed, that those alive would have to pack their things and migrate.

Yet where would they go, would they follow Gabriel and the apparent noble that had visited, or would they stay and risk themselves.

But either way they would be risking their life and limb. All in the hope that their choice had been the correct one.

And so, with the sun fading back into the sky, dusk coming over them. It was to fear and uneasiness that they woke their savior to.

He stretched his wings, a yawn echoing through the air, filling the silence of a thousand as they looked to him for guidance.

"What are we to do?" One brave soul voiced his concerns, stepping forth and through the wreckage.

All to where their angel rested, his body filled with blood, both his own and the demon's. Yet even with that, and the intimidation it shone through to their minds.

They still had to ask, they needed to know what they had to do in order to survive.

Yet even then, as quickly as they had asked, and as quickly as they had woken him. So too did Gabriel need a moment to wake up.

He was not one of those obnoxious morning people that could wake at the drop of a hat and answer questions coherently.

And so his voice echoed with a sleepy tone.

"Huh?"

Gabriel blinked and turned his head to the mob of people. Both blooded and injured, held together with pieces of cloth. All seemingly taken from their extra shirts or pants. Or even just some random cloth they had rolling about.

Yet even then, as he took in the scene, Gabriel couldn't help but blinking once. Twice. All before his mind came to him and so too did the question that had been answered.

He rose from his spot, dusting the debris from his person and walking towards the nearest person, the one that had asked the question.

"I do not know, it was not my intention to leave such a large population homeless." Gabriel lowered his head.

His hand reached to his heart and grasped it tightly, bunching the white cloth he wore. A dreadful sensation washed over him, enough that there was some fluid over his eyes.

Falling lower and lower until with a sound so tiny only he could hear it, it popped on the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces.

'A tear' 

It was a thought that broke Gabriel from his grief. And yes it was grief, he had never felt this way before. Such intense emotions, all because of some careless action of another.

He didn't like it, he didn't like it at all.

"Sir… Angel?" The man spoke, his voice shaky as if he did not expect this at all.

"Y-Yes, of course, I am so… so… so sorry, I… really did not mean for this to happen. I would feel no grief if you were to cast me out. It was my fault after all. I let this happen… I should-" 

Gabriel's voice eventually faded into the background. A whisper that grew weaker and weaker with every word he spoke.

His eyes, his hair, they once shone with such luster, even greater than the pure white his wings shone with. Now they were dull, no longer shining as they should have. Merely existing.

"I do not believe this to be your fault… no, I believe that not any one of us had ever believed that. You… you fought for us. We all witnessed your prowess, even as weak as you were against that demon, you still fought. And I can find no fault in that."

"But-"

"No. No buts you did good, better than good, you risked life and limb for us, for this community, for this town. There is nothing in my heart but gratitude that such an angel could descend and grace us with his presence."

Gabriel looked up, the tears that had been falling from his eyes stifled with a swipe of his sleeve. His emotions, so foreign to him, were forgotten for the face in front of him.

For the smile that even so filled with sadness, held such an optimistic hope. 

"Thank you… Rose" 

Eventually Gabriel just smiled, taking a step forward and settling for the hug that Rosa held her arms out for. Nestling his head in the nape of her neck.

"I… I know what must be done, thank you truly, you've brought sanity back to my mind."

With a smile Gabriel rose from his place and took a true look at the people around him. Men and women gathered in search of a purpose.

Their home had just been destroyed, yet within those eyes filled with such grief came a desire. To take their fate into their own hands, and to grasp the world by the roots and pull.

And Gabriel could help with that. He smiled over them, watery eyes falling over each and every one of them.

"I know what we must do. The coming days will be filled with hardship, you may wish that you were dead, that you had been buried with those that had already been buried. Yet I still ask, will you follow me?"

Gabriel rose, his eyes once more shining with a golden luster. And with it, so too did those in front of him.