Aether Beasts

I parted ways with Isaac when we got back to the plaza. He thanked me for my time and then left.

It had been a good time, and Isaac had been interesting to talk to, especially since he knew a lot, which made sense since he was a scholar.

As I was making my way back to the green court area, I focused on my bonds to check on the girls, which caused me to stumble into someone.

I pulled back. "Oh sorry I…"

My words trailed off as I realized that I had walked into the figure wrapped in bandages, and this close I could see it was a woman as the figure was feminine. She wore a coat over the bandages, but nothing else, and I couldn't tell if she was wearing anything underneath. Her right eye was milky white with no pupil while the other was grey. I saw no emotion in either, and for a moment we just stared at each other.

"Ermm, sorry about that," I said. "I didn't mean to walk into you."

"It's fine," she replied, and her voice was a little rough, though still feminine.

Not knowing what else to say, and feeling awkward, I offered my hand. "I'm Aiden." 𝘧𝓇𝗲𝑒we𝙗noѵ𝑒l.𝐜o𝘮

She glanced down but didn't shake my hand. "I'm Brook."

"Well it's nice to meet you," I said. "You're with the Saevire clan, right?"

She nodded and narrowed her eyes. "You don't have to pretend."

I frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Are you not disgusted?" She asked.

"By what?" I questioned, confused.

She waved to herself. "Me. I am undead."

I shrugged. "Ok, and that should make me disgusted, why?"

Confusion bloomed in her eyes, the first emotion I had seen from her. "Because I am a living corpse. I am an abomination."

I snorted. "No your not. I've seen true abominations, and you don't even come close. As for being a corpse, so what? I'd take it as a good thing. You alive aren't you, and it's not like you smell or look bad, though I can't see that, and even if you do, it wouldn't matter to me. Sure it might be unpleasant, I won't lie to you, but I'm not the type to judge on looks."

Maybe that was a little lie. I didn't judge personality on looks, that would be more accurate.

"I find it odd you're calling yourself an abomination," I said.

"Why would I lie to myself?" she asked.

"How you see yourself is your choice," I said. "You are an undead revenant, yes, but that doesn't mean you're an abomination. Can you feel emotion?"

She nodded.

"Sensations?"

She nodded.

"Then you're not that much different from most races," I said.

"I was not born normally though," she said.

I sighed, not knowing how to phrase what I wanted to say. "Listen, I'm not arguing with you about physical aspects or what you are. I'm saying that it doesn't matter in concern to you thinking of yourself in such a way. You're not an abomination because of what you physically are, but how you view yourself and probably the views of others which has affected you."

"Well said," a voice rang out, and turned to see the half-demon that Zirani had called a cambion, walking towards me. It was then that I realized I was in the border between the green court area and the area that must have belonged to the Sevire clan.

The half-demon held a hand out and I shook it. "I'm Rett and you must be the Aiden, I've been hearing so much about."

"That's me," I said with a sigh. "Are you the leader of the clan?"

"The leader for this group yes," Rett said. "But not the whole clan. I'm just an outer elder. Brook, what are you doing here."

"I wanted to smell the flowers," Brook replied. "I wasn't going to go into the court's area, just stay here."

"Oh." Rett sighed. "Brook, I spoke to the lady Aeverie and she said she was fine with you entering the area as long as you didn't cause any trouble."

"I don't want to scare anybody," Brook said.

"Why would anybody be sacred?" I asked.

"I'm a revenant,' she matter of factly.

"Again, why does that matter?" I asked.

"You're not familiar with things in the lands beyond the great scar," Rett said. "Undead are not viewed favorably, and in most places, Brook would not be welcome."

"I see." I turned to Brook. "I apologize for some of my earlier words."

"No need." She shook her words. "You have been polite to me."

"And you've wise words for one so young," Rett added. "Though I suppose you do have an excellent teacher."

"And aunt," I said. "She taught me a lot about the world and people."

"She did a good job," Rett said and rubbed his chin. "I wonder, what do you think of me?"

I took that as an opportunity to inspect him, and I found that he didn't seem too different from a human, apart from the red horns on his head which curved up, and his eyes which had pitch-black iris and white pupils. He was tall and muscular, but I didn't know if that was because he was a half-demon or because of training or something else. He didn't seem hostile, though I sensed that he was controlling or holding something back.

"You look different," I said. "The horns look cool, I guess. I've never met a half-demon, let alone a demon."

"Yes, to be expected since you're from the plains." He sighed. "Well just know that demonkind is the most hated race."

"Why?" I asked.

"You should ask your teacher about that, it's not something I wish to speak of." His face darkened and my instincts screamed out before whatever he had let loose was back under control.

He relaxed after a moment. 'Sorry about that, I can lose control sometimes. Can you please put away the weapon?"

I blinked and realized that in response to my instincts kicking in, I had formed my bark armor and pulled my glaive from one of my spatial rings. I dispersed the armor and placed the ring back. "Wasn't expecting that. I take it that's a demon thing."

Rett nodded. "It is, and is useful at the time, and annoying at others."

"I will," I said and turned to Brook. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Brook, maybe you would be interested in showing me around your area sometime?"

She stared at me and opened her mouth, but Rett interrupted her. "She would love that."

I turned to Brook who glanced at Rett and then nodded.

With that, I left them and walked back to the court area, not really sure of what to think of them. Brook seemed odd, and self-deprecating, and Rett had seemed like just a normal guy, apart from the whole demon thing, though there had been an air of violence about him, just there under the surface. It had only been two days and yet I had met many interesting people, and would probably meet many more.

As I made it back to the court area, I realized I had walked into Brook before I had fully checked the bonds, so I focused on them, and found that things had most definitely changed.

—--

Rett stared at Aiden's back as he walked away before turning to Brook. "Well, it seems you've made a friend."

Brook frowned. "I didn't mean to."

"Yet you did," Rett sighed. "And it's a good thing. He seems nice."

He also hadn't looked disgusted in any way when looking at either of them. There had been no hatred, just curiosity, and interest, which made sense, since he was of the plains and had said he hadn't ever met a half-demon before, or a demon. Then of course there were the words he had spoken to Brook, and how he had sounded like he had meant them. Rett had heard similar words when he had first joined the Sevire clan.

He had been like Brook in some ways though not as messed or broken up as she was. She had been with the clan for over three years and no one had managed to help her much. She still thought of herself as a horrid abomination. She kept to herself and didn't speak much with anyone other than him and the few others that she did? It was only in one or two words answers.

Until now.

'Trained by Zirani Atmore.'

Those of the green court were kinder to his kind and others most hated, but not all of them. For them, it was less hatred and a more natural reaction. Demons were of destruction and death, while most races of the green court were of life and nature. Yes, there were those of death amongst them, but not like him or Brook. He supposed he should be happy that the green court didn't kill his kind on sight considering they had an area that was the sight of yearly demon incursions.

"Aiden Hawke," He muttered as Brook wandered back to their area. "Are you truly as you seem?"