Chaser of Faith

The door to Rahmiel’s cottage was stained a dark brown. It was carved intricately with sweeping curves, vines, and tree leaves. At the very bottom of the door I noticed several symbols written in a language I did not recognize. I didn’t get a good look at it, as Rahmiel invited me in and led me inside the cottage, closing the door behind him.

The walls were wooden planks and there were two windows, each covered by two shutters, on either side of the door. There was only one room that I could see from the doorway- what I labelled a living room. There was a large, brown couch and two arm chairs to match- they looked old and well-used. There was one hallway connected to the living room to my right, and to my left there was a staircase leading up to the second story. There was another dark brown wooden door to the back of the living room, leading outside from what I could see through the small window in the door.

It was a quiet house; understated and calm; quite like Rahmiel.

“What do you think?” Rahmiel asked from behind me. I looked back and up at him with a smile.

“I love it Rahmiel.” He smiled and sighed, looking grateful.

“I’m very glad to hear that. Adriel is probably putting all of your clothes in your room.” He looked away finally. “He moves fast only when I don’t want him to,” he said with a sigh. I tried to hide a smile, walking into the living room. “Adriel?” he called, not shouting harshly, but raising his voice to hopefully be heard through the house.

I was drawn to the mantel above the stone fireplace. There was a medium-sized portrait of a family of four- all regal and elegant white-winged angels. The four angels had golden hair, two young men, and a middle-aged man and woman. It must have been Rahmiel’s family. I smiled, trying to decide which young man was Rahmiel.

“You should ask him about his family.” I blinked with surprise at hearing Adriel’s voice from behind me. Right behind me. I turned around curiously, not letting my surprise show.

“I won’t pry,” I responded calmly. He had on a cool smile that didn’t reach his eyes. I stared silently for a moment. His eyes were a vivid green and his skin was a natural olive-tan. There was something wrong with his eyes. It felt like they were missing something- like they were hollow. I hadn’t noticed that before.

“He loves his family,” he mused. I blinked, nodding, feeling a little uncomfortable under his intense gaze. His expression lightened after a moment, and whatever was missing from his eyes came back. He seemed lighter now, like before. I swallowed, my throat suddenly feeling rather dry. “Rahmiel told me to show you your room. You’re right down here.” He put an arm around my shoulder, guiding me to the hallway to the right of the front door. “My room is the last door on the right upstairs, and it’s never locked, in case you wanted to know,” he said glancing at me with a wink. I raised my eyebrow, fighting a blush at his rude insinuation.

“I didn’t,” I added quickly. He laughed.

“Even still.”

We reached the room, the second door on the left, and I took in the quaint size. The bed was underneath a large window which faced a field, where I could see the sun just about to set behind the trees. The light-colored wooden desk was opposite the bed, next to an old, dark-colored armoire. My clothes were in a heap on the bed.

“Rith jo syn? Are you tired?” I was hit with a sudden fatigue. I realized in that moment that I never got to sleep. I couldn't even remember how long ago it was that I had found Rahmiel in my backyard. How odd it is how fast your life can change.

“I guess so. What time is it?” Adriel laughed.

“Well, on Earth where you're from, I suppose it’s about… 8 in the morning, perhaps? Hard to say.” I sighed. “In Ythe- the central continent that Beythas is in, remember- it’s currently around 7:30 in the evening.” I nodded.

“Where did Rahmiel go?”

“He had to move some old junk from this room, now he’s putting it in his room, down this hall, the last door on the right. He’s a hoarder. He doesn’t throw anything away. He’s the messiest being I’ve ever met. He makes terrible choices and never seems to learn from them.” I raised my eyebrows. His eyes had gone empty again and his smile felt forced.

“Uh-”

“You hungry?” he asked quickly, ignoring me and moving on quickly from whatever the hell that rant was.

“Yes,” I said shortly with still raised eyebrows. He smiled brightly again.

“I’ll make you the special dish of Vix. It’s the city where I grew up, in the southern part of the country Rath.” I repeated that sentence in my head a few times, trying to keep the names pocketed in my memory. Adriel is from Vix in southern Rath. I am in Rahmiel’s cottage in Beythas in central Ythe. We are on the continent Nanimat on the planet Aksan. I needed a goddamn map.

Adriel left the room, heading back towards the living room. I looked inside the armoire to find wall hooks and wire hangers, and drawers underneath the small closet. I noticed similar carvings on the bottom corner door of the armoire, like the door of the cottage. They were small symbols, carved carefully. Maybe Rahmiel had carved them himself? I spent a few minutes hanging up the clothes that Adriel had bought me in the closet, as well as folding some and placing them in the drawers. I changed out of my pajamas and into a pair of dark brown pants and a white shirt. I folded my pajamas carefully and tucked them into the back of my drawer with a bittersweet smile.

The light from the sun was gone quickly. There was an oil lamp on the small table next to the bed, but I saw no matches. I looked in the drawer and found them along with a single blank piece of heavy, ivory paper, folded carefully in thirds. I put the matches on the table, looking at the front and back of the sheet. Nothing. I bit my lip, sliding it back in the drawer, trying not to feel suspicious. I took one last look of my new room. It wasn’t much.

But it’s home, I remembered Rahmiel had said. It felt quite appropriate.

I left the dim room, reaching the living room. I was alone. I noticed there was something different about the living room. The portrait of Rahmiel and his family was gone. I scrunched my eyebrows and frowned. Had Rahmiel moved it?

“Rahmiel?” I called out, peering into the empty hallway and upstairs. “Adriel?” I received no response.

The windows were still closed, but I went over to one of them, unlatching it and opening the shutters to see if the two angels had gone outside. I saw no angels in the dim light. I looked up and saw two moons, one directly above the trees in front of the house, and the other in the direction of the city of Beythas, just barely peaking over the trees. The trees were black in the darkened violet color of the sky. The stars were so bright and clear. No light pollution. It was beautiful.

A man’s blood-curdling scream surprised me, making me jump back from the window with a gasp. Another followed, suddenly making me deaf with fear. It was coming from the forest.

“Rahmiel!” I called out. Another scream from the trees made my legs turn to jelly. “Rahmiel! Adriel!” I whipped away from the window. I looked around for something heavy that I could use as a weapon. I needed to help whoever was screaming. The back door whipped wide open, surprising me again and making me yelp. It was Adriel.

“Claire, what’s wrong?” I ran over to him.

“Didn’t you hear that? Someone is in trouble! Someone was screaming in the forest! We have to go help him!” I grabbed onto his shirt. He seemed confused, and put both of his hands on my shoulders.

“Hey, hey, Claire. Calm down,” he said. I was horrified by his reaction.

“What the hell are you waiting for? We have to help!” He shook his head and stood his ground as I tried to pull him towards the door.

“Claire, hey, nobody was screaming.” My blood ran cold and I stared at him long and hard.

“What do you mean? How could you not have heard that?” He put a hand in my hair, pushing some back behind my ear. He left his hand in my hair on the side of my head. I closed my eyes, feeling my heart rate return to normal, and my hearing coming back. There was a ringing in my ears that I hadn’t noticed until just now, but it was slowly dissipating.

“I’ll go take a look, okay? You have to stay here, though. You’ll be safe. Just stay inside.” My face twisted with worry and I quickly opened my eyes again to look at him.

“Where’s Rahmiel?” Adriel sighed.

“He’s out in the forest. Out back. We needed firewood.” My heart was stung with a brief pain from worry.

“Well, what if he’s hurt? I should go look for him, Adriel.” He shook his head, keeping my eye contact.

“No, he can handle himself. To be honest, Claire, it was probably just your imagination. You’re tired and hungry, and you’ve had a very long day.” I glared at him, brushing his hands off of my shoulders.

“I’m not crazy, Adriel.” He sighed again, obviously impatient.

“I know. Listen, just sit.” He guided me to the couch, sitting me down. “Relax. Breathe. Wait here. I will be right back. Dosresineth xe,” he muttered under his breath. I frowned, but didn’t press him.

He left through the front door. I saw his form cross in front of the window. I sat silently and stiffly, wringing my hands anxiously. It was very dark in the house and I felt pangs of fear prick my skin. I shivered and felt goosebumps form on my arms when a soft breeze brushed my hair from my shoulder. I swallowed hard, glancing behind me. The back door was open and I couldn’t just sit there. I stood up quickly and found myself pulling the solid wood door open more. The air had gotten chillier and the wind gave me goosebumps. There was an unlit fire pit a few feet away from the door, surrounded by four thick stumps, metal pots and pans, and ceramic mugs and plates.

There was a field that stretched back about 50 yards, surrounded by woods. The sun was officially set and the dead silence gave me chills.

“Rahmiel?” I called into the dark. I left the door open, taking a few steps into the dark. I had to squint to be able to make out the far-off shapes. I could hear my heart pounding in my head; my blood rushing with adrenaline.

There was suddenly movement in the field. I gasped when I saw a giant something move fast on four legs, bounding from the woods into the middle of the field, coming towards me. I almost couldn’t move, paralyzed with fear, but I managed to unglue my feet from the dark green grass and sprint back to the door. I shut it soundly behind me as I nearly fell into the cottage.There was no lock on the door. I put all of my weight against the door, expecting to have to fight off whatever creature would try to come after me. “Adriel!” I shouted shakily.

I was alone. It was silent aside from my labored breathing. The creature didn’t attack, and I started to relax.

The scream rang out again. This time, right outside the door. Right next to my head. It was drawn-out. There was no end. It held such pain and fear. It was tortured and terrified. I screamed with it. I pushed against the door, screaming with a fear I had never felt before. The front door slammed open, and I closed my eyes, too scared to look but not ceasing my screams. I prepared myself for the very worst.

“Claire! Claire!” Adriel. It was just Adriel. I stopped screaming. I felt warm tears stream down my cheeks when I opened my eyes. The screaming had stopped with the sound of Adriel’s voice.

“It’s outside Adriel. It’s outside.” He came to me, grabbing my shoulders like before. I put my hands on his own, gripping them tightly. I pressed my back harder against the door. “What if it killed Rahmiel?” Suddenly the door started to open forcefully and I screamed, pushing myself against it. “No! No! Adriel help!”

“Claire, stop!” he shouted, pulling me up. He took my hand, pulling me behind him as he opened the door. I watched with wide eyes as he acted calmly, and as Rahmiel hurried through the door with fear etched into his sapphire eyes.

“Claire, what happened?” Rahmiel asked quickly. He put a hand on my forehead. I gaped at him, trying to find words to explain what happened and what I felt. I just stood there. I felt my mind go fuzzy.

“I… I… I don’t know,” I finally stated, out of breath. “I don’t know what happened.” I felt more tears fall. The cold wind hit my cheeks but I didn’t feel it like I had before. It felt more soothing now. I felt hot with fear and embarrassment. “I heard… there was something... I thought.” I swallowed, trying to stop myself from crying. I wiped away my tears angrily. The touch of Rahmiel’s hand on my head made me feel calmer. My fear dissipated. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” I noticed Rahmiel lock eyes with Adriel next to me. I closed my eyes. I couldn’t stand that look. I felt insane.

I felt Rahmiel slowly pull me into a hug. He was cold from being outside, which helped calm me. I let my shoulders relax, and started to breathe more regularly. His hands were on my back, and I felt Adriel’s hot hand in my hair again.

“Ae ve zehathis yeres,” Adriel seemed to inquire openly.

“Kos... oe rohath oto geven,” Rahmiel said lightly.

“Please stop guys. I know you’re talking about me.” Adriel snickered.

“Yeah but the important thing is that you don’t know what we’re saying.” I almost started crying again. I was no longer hungry, but I felt exhausted. I looked to the front window in a moment of bravery. I saw nothing. I shook my head which felt like it was spinning.

“Do you have… wolf-like creatures? On this planet?” I asked them sheepishly. “Giant wolves?” Rahmiel frowned deeper, thinking for a moment.

“I’m afraid not.”

“No. Nothing like the wolves on Sintragon, or Earth, rather,” Adriel added. I nodded. I was crazy.

“I guess I’m a lot more tired than I realized.” I stepped away from the two of them. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m stressed or something.” I laughed, trying not to make it sound forced. “This is the most action I’ve seen in long time.” I laughed again. Rahmiel put his hand on my forehead again. I let out a deep breath, feeling my head get lighter again. Words fell from the tip of my tongue and I didn’t have anything else to say.

“Ae inset yeres,” Adriel laughed out.

“Vosendith, Adriel,” Rahmiel said lowly. He removed his hand from my head and I took in another breath. My head felt a little clearer.

“What language are you speaking? It sounds different from Sanen.” I started to walk towards the couch mindlessly. I felt hollow. My voice sounded different. My throat was dry and my heart felt tired.

“It’s called Nythen,” Rahmiel said, walking with me. I sat down quietly, tucking my feet under me. Adriel went to the window, closing the shutters and latching them. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him lighting the oil lamps and candles on the mantle and living room table. I could have sworn I saw the small flames coming from his fingers, but the source went out too quickly for me to see. He moved away and my tired eyes were drawn to the light.

“Nythen? Is that something I’m going to learn?” Adriel chuckled.

“It’s the language of the angels. You can try to learn it and you will probably fail. You don’t need it anyway.” I sighed.

“Sav rith... kolet bet es.” He snickered again.

“Well, look at you. Not completely hopeless, are you?” I gave him another sigh.

“Adriel, be kind,” Rahmiel warned.

“Vosendith, vosendith,” Adriel mocked. “Yeah, I know.”

“I really don’t know why you two are friends.” Adriel let out a sinister laugh that gave me chills.

“Fate’s funny like that, huh?” And with that, he was gone. In a moment he was already up the stairs, shutting himself in his room. I felt my face flush with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, that was a rude thing to say. I-”

“No, don’t apologize. Adriel and I… we have a complicated relationship. We really only have the… illusion of friendship. To those who do not know us. It’s a story for another time.” He gave me a sheepish half-smile, shrugging. I shook my head quickly.

“I don’t mean to pry.”

“All in due time,” he said with a shy laugh. “You should get some rest. You need to let your body reset.” I nodded.

“I know. I…” I felt the similar sting of embarrassment and fear. I didn’t want to be alone in my dark room. “I just feel a little shaken up still. I don’t really want to be alone right now.” At that point, I was willing to stay up for the rest of the night to wait to see the light of day, if that meant I didn’t have to be alone.

“I don’t have anywhere to be,” he laughed. “Let’s get you in a warm bed, Claire.” He stood up, offering me his hand to help me up. I took it, standing up and finding myself quite close to him. I took a step back quickly, fighting the blush that threatened to creep onto my cheeks. He led me to my room. He showed me some clothes that I could use for sleeping and let me change alone while he stood outside of my door. I let him back in and I climbed into bed. He took out a box of matches from the drawer of the table next to the bed and lit the oil lamp next to me. The quiet flame lit his face up, giving him a, well, an angelic glow. His wings were a pale golden color in the light of the lamp, which he folded behind himself as he sat down on the floor against the armoire.

I felt peaceful for the first time in… forever.

He didn’t even have to say anything. His presence alone was enough to push back my fear and to give me the courage to close my eyes. I fell asleep quickly, sleeping deeply and soundly.