1 Like Spring Snow

Like spring snow, this so called Paradise may seem pure, with its delicately crystalized kingdom and lovely, with its gentle warmth of sunlight and the flourishing of life. A fabricated winter in spring, a contradictive combination, an unlikely pair in harmony.

It would seem as though, if you were not any other like me, it was a beautiful dream sugar coating the deeply rooted darkness within.

This place, where two heavens reign, I believe it may come to an end soon. The pure blooded celestials serve the royal bloods, and we celestial beasts serve under the pure bloods. It's strange for two heavens to reign in one domain under the king. Perhaps it was because of the king's word. Or perhaps it was because of our sudden departure.

Saphire eyes of the sea and skies, the Zarqa family are responsible for the observance of the humans below. Emerald eyes of the forests of Aeris, the Hara maintain the balance of this domain. The two heavens are faithfully binded to their duties even without the king, they would be able to protect the heavens. However, I've heard that there has come a decline of the royal bloodline and so they have been waiting for an heir.

"Engel come forth, you have been stationed to the church of Hara. Varen will be your guardian and you shall learn from him," the Zarqan unlocked my cell and dragged my glowing chain through the sunlit halls.

We waited in a room with cascading rays of light then the bells chimed for those who entered.

And as they announced our orders, I just stood there in silence. Everything was silent. Even as the birds chirped and the breeze echoed through the trees, I was in a place of silence. Just as I always was.

I used to have a brother, but I left him there. We were supposed to escape from Regina together, yet I left him behind. Alone. Recently, the war between the four heavens and the dragons in Regina was too devastating. We and the celestials, Zarqa and Hara, had left Regina's domain to the domain of Aeris. I can only pray for whatever future my brother may live through.

It was sunny, yet it was snowing. We arrived at an old church. It had remained after many wars with its colorful glass windows and now modernized interior. Once a sanctuary of refuge, now an empty fancy box.

The blonde man klinked his keys to the gate and I followed him inside.

Varen spoke to a few maid servants then turned to me, "For now, let's take a warm bath, have a nice warm meal, then rest. Tomorrow we'll discuss our schedule and duties."

We met up at the hot springs and sat on opposite sides.

"You don't have to be that far. Come closer, don't be a stranger. We're going to be working together now, so get used to it," he sighed.

"He's just a kid. What are they thinking," I heard him whisper, "You Zetheons are always quiet. It's okay to speak to me, you know. However you like. I'm not going to be as strict as they were since we left Regina," said the pure blood.

" The war was brutal, we were desperate to leave, and so we took those who we could with us. I heard your brother never made the trip-"

"Sir Varen, you said it's alright to speak to you however I like. Well, sir, if it wasn't for you damned purebloods, we wouldn't have been in this mess! The war wouldn't have happened and I'd still be with my brother! Your stupid ideals and 'missions' have never solved any problems. They just made them worse!" I couldn't hold it in anymore. For the many years I had pent up my anger and guilt, never once revealing the sparks of my mask, concealing every ounce of feeling so I wouldn't be "exiled". I thought they had forever been buried, but my tears fought me. Me, crying in front of an old man. An enemy at that. If he was like them, he'd silence me right away.

But he didn't.

And then a wave hit me. The middle aged blonde splashed my face. I just glared at him. Are you a kid or what.

" You don't have to forgive them. Heck, I was part of their plans. But you're not the only one. I left my wife and daughter. I'll never get to see them again. All I can do is work under the hopes of the king. Follow orders, obey, do everything they tell me in hopes I might be able to do something. You're just a kid. You've done well surviving from them so far, keep at it, but get better at it. They won't wait for you to be their ace. You'll have to race up past their expectations. I'm sorry for what you've gone through and what you're going to go through. But this is our end. We have to do something before the curtains fall and those stupid idiots make a sin out of themselves. I want to make things clear. This stays between you and me, or our heads fall off like rotten tomatoes. I'm not them, nor do I work with them. I have to survive just like you. Me being a pure blood doesn't change anything, it means nothing to them, just another competitor to reign this domain. So with that in mind, let's cooperate in surviving together. Then maybe, just maybe.. I mean it's impossible, but perhaps not all improbable, we could go back. Back to the ones we care about."

"Are you stupid?" I blurted out without thinking then covered my mouth.

"Nah, I'm a genius," he smiled,

"But that goal will only be within our reach by us surviving. So what do you say?"

"Why me? Couldn't you ask some other lowly pureblood or beast?" I asked suspiciously.

"Hm, don't completely trust me, huh. I don't blame you. You see like I said. Those purebloods don't give a damn about likes like me. I'm just another rival. Plus, my friends, my companions who I trust most, it's too dangerous for them to work with me. You're the only beast I need. The others are quite corrupted, but you, you're still pure, you haven't gone crazy like them. Even if they were able to negotiate with me, they've been 'infected'," a cold seering pain ran through my chest, even though the water was boiling hot, I shuttered at the mere word, reminding me of the havoc in the war," And that makes you valuable."

"I see," I replied,"...then I'll 'survive' with you, so let's cooperate."