Put a ring on me

Seeing him close again and knowing that he was their scion, gave me the chance to do what I couldn't do for Saint, Squawkey, and Sin.

Sin was a bad man for taking lives out of satisfaction; I could never understand his abrupt need to keep me by his side. His actions could not be pardoned but he was one with the other two who I wanted to be protected.

"Shinigami, back away. I will not let you lay a finger on him," the newcomer warned.

As my eyes unconsciously swept at the details of his blue wings, I realized something very important.

"You are the one who helped Saint," I said.

The man turned his head to acknowledge me.

"That is me," was his simple yet gentle response.

"You are a servant of Him. Why do you interfere? Were you not mandated to cleanse the world of its impurities?" Peach-san questioned in a berating manner.

He was the reincarnation of Saint's complete naivety, stubbornness, and volition. He managed to possess Sin's robust stature and his endless supply of bloodlust. He was gifted with Skwak's destructive aura while at the same time being cursed with his helplessness to reason which called for coaxing.

'He does not need coddling, nephew. I do not see why you see him help—'

'He is my sweet and delicate peach,' I cut him off. People could not perceive it but I did.

Fragility was not only defined by the inability to protect itself. Strength cannot be known by the ability to destroy others in a glimpse. The Reaper was delicate for he could shatter himself; he was weak because he could not stop himself from doing so.

'You are your biggest enemy,' I said to the voice in my head.

'Does he remind you of yourself?' He asked.

'Yes.'

"My duties and responsibilities as an Angel are not for you to dictate." Peach-san glared at him with disgust.

"Verräter (Traitor), I shall burn him with you then."

The Angel's form stiffened. Peach-san dispersed into darkness. He materialized in front of him who received his strike on time. His expression and trembling arms showed that Peach-san was a formidable enemy and was too much for him.

He landed strikes as if it would be his last one, but the angel was able to endure every powerful hit which could have ended his life in a flash.

"Lucian, return to camp and leave the Reaper's territory. I know you want him to come with you, but those three people you are seeing in him no longer have their own free will. They are gone. The Reaper is no friend," the angel explained to me as he held the other man back.

My feet didn't move an inch. My mind had never thought that giving up on Peach-san was a possible option. They may no longer respond to me if I called their name. Saint may not even remember the promise he made me as I carried him on my back. Skwak won't remember the fruit he ate when we first met. And Sin...He was never my friend. I could not think of anything that would—

The reaper scooched to his knees to trip the angel, but the latter leaped and dove to land a strong punch brimming with bright light. His fist clashed with the floor which threw up rocks after a crater was punched into the ground.

Peach-san appeared above him, stretching his limbs towards me and the angel. Dark energy burst out from his palms. The angel shouted my name in utter distress.

At that moment of tension, at the brink of death's doorstep, and the withdrawal from reality, the memory of a nostalgic toy flashed before my eyes. Words which I could not remember hearing came out of my mouth. Suddenly, I became even more determined to bring Peach-san with us.

An illuminated symbol appeared in front of me, deflecting the dark energy readying to pierce through my heart. The angel was back on his feet with his armor damaged from the collision.

"In days of yore, a God had created His most magnificent servant. He was neither good nor evil. He was neither light nor dark. He was neither a demon nor an angel. His real name was a curse to whoever would mention it."

The reaper dodged the spear whirling towards him. He caught it before hurling the weapon back to the angel, who received it with difficulty. He was pushed back from the strength of the throw, dust rising from the friction of his feet.

Peach-san lifted his hand, finding that the weapon burnt his palm and fingers. Smoke escaped from the bright red abrasion and he pulled the hood off his head.

"Stay away from him!" the angel sneered.

"There is no need to protect this boy. He is not your charge to begin with," the reaper pointed out.

The angel did not respond to the reaper's words and instead, walked in front of me with his spear pointed at him.

Peach-san reduced into a silhouette, circling the forest like a blade of wind and cutting the trees in half. The angel matched his form; white and black flashes bounced around the forest with accompanying clangs of metal. Their detailed figures appeared above me with fists tinted of their elemental powers which sent their bodies in opposite directions. The reaper landed on his feet while the angel received the more lethal blow. I knelt beside the unconscious winged-man, being aware that I was now his target.

"Lucian p–please, you must not die here..." the angel wheezed out.

"With his scythe, he took the lives of those opposing," I murmured.

"He won't...he won't remember you anymore. He's no longer your childhood friend..."

I heard the slow steps of my escort to death, but I sat with folded knees.

'Nephew, please listen to him. You cannot reach through him anymore. Your friends are already gone.'

"They had tried to persuade The Magnificent to join their side but ended up being ruthlessly slaughtered for their betrayal," I stubbornly continued.

The sharp end of his scythe was dragged across the floor, creating a grating sound.

"In time they befriended The Magnificent, who despite his callousness, desired for companionship. The Magnificent was joyous of his new friends; however, as if in wolves in sheep's clothing, they bought a cursed item from a wandering peddler that is said to seal the most powerful."

His feet were right there beside me. My eyes slowly traced the long length of his strong legs and up to his chiseled chest.

"No longer was he the most magnificent. No longer was he the most devoted. He became cunning, deceitful, and the master of trickery. He acted out on his own will, no longer acknowledging the presence of his creator. He became sinful, he became a thief, yet in my eyes..."

My gaze reached his face devoid of any emotion.

"He never lost his magnificence, it was the world he was living in that lost it. "

As his scythe was swung to take my head, I was hauled underground by tree roots. The reaper clicked his tongue. He peeked inside and shoved his arm into the hole. I watched as his palm sparked with fire.

"I will burn my sins. I will burn them all."

I lifted my arm, reached for his hand, and grabbed it tightly. The scalding heat from the spark of fire burned my skin, yet I did not let go of his hand. I gripped it tighter and he clenched my hand so hard as if he was attempting to break it.

'Let go of him, Lucian. Just let go!'

"I held this hand so many times before... so why would I let go just because it is causing me pain?"

If I would see your hand in the middle of the sunset, reaching from the bottom of the cliff, I would jump but I will not let myself die. I will pull you with me and I will bring you back to that cliff so that we can watch the sunset together.

You may not be Saint but I will cut the shackles to your freedom.

You may not be Squawkey but I will not let others shame you.

You may not be Sin but I will not let you live in loneliness.

The skin on my arm cracked with glowing fire flowing underneath. Just as I thought that I dug my own grave in a literal sense, the reaper was tackled away by a cussing maniac named Slade. The masked Angel peeked inside the hole, yanking me out before I was snatched by Caleb who fussed with panic. Sevor aided his twin yet they were still outdone by him.

"Lucian, why do you keep disappearing on me?!" Caleb scolded.

The fire burning my skin stretched even farther and the angel intervened.

"Hey!" Caleb snarled when he grabbed my arm.

"I'm trying to help him. I want him to live just as much as you do and maybe even more so. Get in my way of saving him and I will kill you without any regrets," he sharply threatened.

He hovered his free hand, skimming it on my affected arm. Blue light put the fire out and I was able to breathe relief. As soon as my arm was settled, I placed my attention on the twins who were getting beaten up by Peaches.

"He's so strong..." Sevor commented while trying to stand up from a kneeling position.

"What are you saying, he's not even—" Slade's comment was cut off once he was elbowed in the gut.

The twins were given no chance but to kneel in defeat. Caleb and the angel prepared themselves to shield me from the danger that the reaper would bring, but I squeezed out from their protection and gazed at the reaper.

"I will let you cut me, slice me, hit me, and burn me. If cutting me will satisfy your loneliness then slice me into the thinnest of ribbons. If hitting me will give you pride then batter me with all your might. If burning me will ease your loneliness then turn me into fine ashes. You have entrusted me with your name and so I will carry it to my grave."

The reaper was taken aback by that knowledge.

"I have not entrusted anyone with my name. Do not lie to me."

"I would never lie."

The voices in my head coughed along with the angel behind me, as if they knew something that they disagreed with but decided not to talk.

"My name is a curse. Do you wish for a cursed life, Ancient?" He questioned as he sauntered coolly.

"I'm already marked with a curse," I challenged him, pointing at my crown. "I don't mind getting another one."

He scowled at my words and raised his scythe. Just as the other two were about to come to my rescue I ordered the trees to grab the four of them so that I could handle the reaper on my own. I lifted my hand towards him and he flinched as if I was going to attack him.

"You killed a God yet here I am, still mocking you. What is holding you back?" I asked him, taking a step forward.

"Cut me."

"Strangle me."

"Burn me."

With each sentence I brought myself closer to him, waiting for something, anything that would elicit a response favorable to our side, but not expecting everything to go well.

I may lose my head for this. Maybe I should have asked Vincenzo to teach me how to grow another head. His face twitched; he was not enjoying my interrogation of why I was still alive in his presence.

"Reaper..." I murmured. I was standing right in front of him. "Why am I still breathing?"

Like he was being coerced to put his hands around my neck, I was lifted from the ground with tightness curling around my neck.

'Now you've done it!'

The voice didn't sound so proud of my accomplishments.

"You're just like the rest of them. Traitors! Liars! Not again. Never again will I be tricked! My God is the only one I need!"

My left hand held his wrist and my right hand reached forward to touch his pretty vibrant hair. My lips curled; his red eyes watched me play with his hair as he slowly took my life. He blinked groggily, settling me on the ground as if he was losing his consciousness and luckily, he was.

My left hand uncurled and showed my thorny palms coated with harmless purple venom. He was a powerful creature and I didn't know how long the effect would last but...I needed to talk to him without having his scythe scalding hot and ready to slice my butt off my back.

"You bring death and I am not afraid to accept it; however, I still have a mission to fulfill. I would appreciate it if you don't kill me for now. You are more than welcome to join us."

I caught his paralyzed body, setting him on the ground very gently, brushing the strands of hair away from his face.

"My name is Lucian and as I said, I know your name but I will not say it until you allow me to," I told him. I grew a peach in my palms and lifted it to his face.

"This is Peach. This is you."

I placed the fruit beside his head and patted it.

"This is my peace offering. From now on, I'll call you Peaches."

"Idiot!" Slade called out.

"Lucian!" Caleb and Sevor shouted.

The three men were ready to tackle the reaper down, but were amazed that I already took care of it.

"Let us go," I told them.

"Woah Woah woah, with him still alive? Let's kill him already!" Caleb exclaimed.

"Not in your paws you're not! I'm killing him!" Slade snapped.

"No one is killing him. We're bringing him with us," I ended their dispute, causing them to snap their faces at me with jaws dropped from shock.

"WHAT?!" They shrieked.

"Have you lost your nuts, Lucian?" The werewolf asked. He placed his palm over my forehead to see if I had a fever.

"He lost it a long time ago. I think it's the undercooked potatoes," Slade commented.

"Stop, it must be the water. The kids peed in the well," Sevor sighed.

"WHAT?!" Slade snapped.

Caleb whistled and looked away.

"Well, not just the kids," Sevor added.

While they bickered I bent on my waist to pick up Peaches' scythe. It really looked like the pre-Squawkey.

Our heads snapped to the tree where the angel landed on. Slade decided to make a ridiculous comment.

"I didn't know there was a new breed of chickens. Ever tasted that one Sev?"

"That's an angel, Slade. He's not food."

"Don't get yourself killed, Lucian," the winged-man thoughtfully advised before soaring away.

The reaper's scythe mutated into an elastic band which wrapped around my ring finger. There was a red-eye on top of the stygian ring which moved and blinked at my stare.

"So cute," I whispered.