Thaddeus sipped a gulp of wine from the cup of his chalice as William spoke of his story, his attention fully enveloped by his son's recounting of the events. If not for the young man's silver heart and the angel that accompanied him, it would be hard for the old man to believe him.
"William, I am glad beyond the highest peaks of joy that you are fine, for when you said that you had nearly died in a pool of your blood, I felt mine own heart nearly stop. Thank you, benevolent all-kind God for bringing my son back and granting him Your boon. Amen." The old man said uttering a thankful prayer at the end of his words and crossing himself.
"It was a pain beyond belief, if that is what the fires of Hell feel akin to, then father, I am fully glad we are pious believers of our Holy Father, may his word reach all corner of the world. Amen." William added as his uncle Redrick gave an agreeing nod and crossed himself as well silently.
"This is magnificent, an occasion that should be recorded by the scribes for the future years to come. You should let them know, young master. Show them, so that they may believe." Redrick added as he took a bite of some dried meat and then sipped on a wooden mug of some other beverage.
William pondered for a moment before he shook his head. "Nay. I shan't, uncle. From my travels I have seen many houses of God and the people tending to them, one more pious and God fearing than the others, but others... they were tended to by priests that have fallen for a devil's honeyed words of unreachable goals and promises. Should I come forth and reveal all this to them, it may risk a war akin to none other, one where the devils lying in wait, in our own shadows, will deceive people to go against this angel and myself. I have seen their hidden corruption and a few times I tried mine best to oppose them, but that only created more pain for those unfortunate. Aside from that, God deemed us worthy to show us one of His children, due to our unshaken faith, due to our willingness to believe in Him. It is not my right to decide who is worthy to gaze upon God's holy angels, nor it shall ever be. I am certain others will get to see them as they will prove their worth as loyal servants of God at some point or another in their lives."
"Heh. If I didn't see it with my own eyes my son, I would have called such a statement heretical, but tis true, sadly. Believe the word of God and look for his words within and outside of you, for it is written all over his creation. That is the way, not to fall pray to the word of man of our holy God's decrees." Old man Thaddeus said with an agreeing nod.
As the three took a pause in their talks, they could hear quiet and light steps approaching. It has been nearly an hour since the arrival of the angel to Isabella's chambers. As they gazed back towards the sound, they saw the cloaked figure of Ashi'in, with the hood now pulled down, approaching them, a gentle expression upon her face.
"Oh, she is truly an angel, the grace and gentle manners akin to the gentle nature of God towards his loyal followers... you can see it all in her." Redrick stated with a nod, admiring the blue woman with a gaze akin to an artist admiring another's work.
Ashi'in watched as the three looked upon her expectantly and she could feel her nervousness rise once more. She had spent her time trying to figure out what was happening with the bed ridden native female. After some scans it was rather simple. The old female's body was simply too frail and weak to bear what seemed to be a type of Rhinovirus that had taken hold of her. Although she didn't have the necessary things to treat the infection, the bits of medicine and the first aid kit she took with her allowed her to administer a chemical cocktail that would rejuvante the cells. This was done once Ashi'in did some tests to make sure the natives were compatible with their medicinal remedies, which happily she found out were quite decently similar to that of the Anghelon people. This was most likely due to both of them being carbon-based life-forms.
"She should get better now, although she won't live forever, my aid should help her get through this and possibly lenghten her life a bit more." Although Ashi'in knew they couldn't understand her words, they could clearly understand one's tone of voice, so she made sure to speak as softly and calm as possible.
Thaddeus hearing how the angel spoke, he indeed couldn't understand a single sillable of it, but her voice was confirmation enough that all will be well. "Redrick, come with me. Lets see to the wellbeing of Isabella, call for one of the servants to aid you with getting some warm water and food to her. I will take a look at her directly." The old man said as he stood up and began walking.
"You have my assistance as always, my lord." Redrick stated with a wrinkly smile as he got moving as well using his own walking stick.
"Bah! Redrick, I swear, if you keep calling me that, I will strangle you. I don't know you for the better part of nearly three decades for you to call me that!" Thaddeus said ranting and grumbling with a fake annoyance as the comment seemed to give him a shiver down his spine.
"Aye, I know, but tis one of my few pleasures in this life to see ye squirm each time I say it. Ha ha ha!" Redrick said with a raspy voice that echoed into a laugh as he walked away.
And so, William had been left alone once more with the angel that he had brought to his family's estate. He didn't take waste nary a moment to offer the seat at the end of the table to his holy benevolent benefactor, putting before her the best food and drink they had.
Ashi'in of course went along with this, but found herself hesitating at trying out the platters before her. When you get used to slurping semi liquid or semi solid mixes of protein and vitams from tubes, for most of your life, actual food like this spieces did... it was rather... scary? Maybe not scary, but unusual at worst.
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'Oh- uhm... ho brother... how am I supposed to refuse this? Uh... maybe I can just stare him into refusing it?' Ashi'in thought as she plainly turned to gaze towards William.
As she began looking at him for a prolonged amount of time, the knight's expression of happy reverence turned to one of worry and nervousness. Soon enough after, his eyes widened as he came to realize something that should have been apparent. "Oh, God! Apologies for my silliness, your holiness! My manners led me to forget thine divine being does not require sustanance like us, your mortal servants. Forgive me." The knight said with an awkward laugh as he pulled away the food with a head bow integrated in his movements.
As Ashi'in sees Whill'aem put aside the platters of food, her eyes wonder about as she lets out an internal sigh. At that point it is when she spots something that makes her let out a shallow gasp. A textile tapestry that was hung on the wall depicted creatures in the image of the natives with gold wings, fighting similar individuals with blackened wing line apendages. Her memory jumped back to illustrations she saw before while studying some of the religions of this place. The void winged individuals are traitors of sorts to to the golden ones. 'That's it!' She thought as she stood up quickly and headed towards the hanging fabric, while pulling out her communicator.
"Lukin, Ashi'in here. May I ask what equipment are our soon to arrive attackers going to be using? Over." The assistant said whispering as she reached a nervous hand to the material.
"Gen Two RF Suits. Why are you asking? Over?" Lukin said answering back about as quick as she called him.
"If I remember they have dynamic patterns on it, yes? Over." She asked as she grasped the tapestry and pulled on it, making it fall down along with the metal bar that supported it.
William watched this situation with wide eyes, his form stiffening at the sudden movement of the angel before him, noticing her tremble. "What is wrong, your Holiness?! Have mine home offended you? Is there something not yours or our Divine Father's liking."
Ashi'in looked at William with the corner of her eye as she pulled up the tapestry while still talking with Lukin, who was just now replying back to her. "Indeed, they will most likely use it to change the coloring of their suits to match the darkness outside. Over."
"Perfect. Then I can let Whill'aem know they are incoming. I just found something to help it understand we are going to be attacked. I will take sample photo evidence so we may later evaluate. It will aid with beter determining its faith. Out." Ashi'in said as her breathing got ragged. She now held the tapestry with both hands and she dragged it back to the table. She took one of the rustic cutting knives and used it to carve up the material, taking a bit of it depicting two dark winged angels.
"Y-your holy grace, I beg of you, please, tell me if I did anything to-" William said his voice shaking as he witnessed this, but his worried tone had gone mute once his guardian angel took the piece of cloth she had carved from their tapestry and she then took it to their small keep's door and pinned it to the door with the knife she took.
Confused for a moment, he took one of the torches from its stand on the wall and he approached to take a better look at it. Fallen angels, two of them, were now pinned to his family's estate's entrance. It didn't take long for him to realize what this meant, as he looked to her.
Ashi'in stared back at him with a knowing gaze, the golden iris shining in the torch light as she nodded. "Come on... you get it. We are in big trouble, please understand... understand this... you got so far, please just get it and be ready..." She muttered as the two had been locking eyes for about nearly a minute now.
William nodded as sweat dripped from his brow as he then rushed off, Ashi'in sighing with partial worry and partial relief as she took a seat once the native left the room.
William rushed off to his mother's chambers where inside his father, Redrick and about two servants were overseeing and tending his mother. "Father, Redrick! Hah... Fallen angels shall be arriving at our gates, God's angelic daughter predicts their coming and it shan't be to beg her for their father's forgiveness. I saw it in her eyes... the worry. She is warning us!"
Thaddeus nearly scared half to death, looked back at his son and his dry throat nearly seized up. "W-we'll have the men arm themselves and prepare defenses! Grab an armor son, I will get mine own."
"Aye, I shall prepare as well, sire, young master. We'll defend ourselves to the last man standin'!" Redrick said as he grasped his walking stick with a tight grip, the determination of a soldier in his eyes.
"Nay! I fought against the foul demons that serve Lucifer himself, his fallen angels will have us turned to dust before we know it. They might have fallen from God's Grace, but their corrupted divinity still holds some power, more than a mere mortal might. I'll... I'll face them alone. Ye hide in the deepest depths of our cellar, near the secret exit at the bottom of the cliff. With God's blessing I might be able to buy ye time. Grab Godwin from his chambers, all the workers, and Go! Go with God's and mine blessings, so ye may live!" The knight said with a worry only the glisten of his held back tears could convey.
"I shan't leave mine eldest son waste his life for my old bones to gather dust for another year before they crumble into the earth and I return to God's embracing arms as a coward!" Thaddeus said back angrily as he rushed towards William in a limping motion, he raised a shakey and boney hand attempting to slap the young man. As the palm struck William's face it was barely a faded memory when it came to its strength, which William took without looking away or bowing his head.
The knight grasped his father's wrinkly digits and held them tight as he then bowed his head before him. "I am not asking ye father to run as a coward, but as the father of mine younger brother, who still needth thine guidance, advice and teachings... thine parental love... please father, I beg of ye. Go, for his sake."
Redrick fell silent as he looked aside, the other two servants as well. Thaddeus with a raggedy breath looked at his son, his own eyes glistening with tears that dared not drip down his weathered cheeks. "Ye have to promise me, William. Promise me ye shall let God, our Holy Father, guide you through this, that you shall prevail and return to me. P-please... William... promise me..." The old head of the Falis family said as his voice got choked up by the tears he couldn't let out, that still managed to strangle him with worry.
William nodded as he looked his father in the eye and nodded, praying for him in his mind. His hazel eyes burned with determination akin to a roaring flame, barely hidden by his hanging curly locks. "I shall. Mine faith in the All Knowing Father, The Spirit and His Holy Son, is stronger than the mountains themselves. I shan't cower, nor run away from the fallen heaten angels that come to our gates, for I am certain God will have me in His keep."