Trust

Llorva sat on the stool with her legs crossed and hands overlaid watching the double doors. Currently she was concerned for the bartender as he seemed to be in distress after telling his story and leaving for the kitchen. Llorva could only blame herself for his situation as she felt that had she not wanted to talk the man wouldn't have remembered. Fifteen minutes later a young man came out of the kitchen with a grilled chicken salad and a neutral look on his face. He casually strode behind the bar until he reached Llorva and placed the salad in front of her.

"I believe this is yours." he said no emotion in his voice

"Thank you." she replied meekly

"You're welcome, do you want a refill for your water?" he asked, looking at her nearly empty cup.

"I'm fine thanks, but I was wondering what happened to the bartender?"

"My fathers in the kitchen calming down you little talk earlier got him a little worked up." The man said as he leaned against a counter behind the bar with his arms crossed.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset him and I feel bad for even having asked to talk to him." Llorva sighed

The man lifted a hand and fanned it at Llorva

"Your fine, I actually appreciate that you got him to talk about it." the man said with a small smile.

"Really you're not mad?" Llorva asked

"Of course not. You see my father hasn't really told that story to anyone and I think that him holding it in and not talking about it has been taking a toll on his health. When he told me about your conversation I found out that sure enough I was right and afterward he told me that it felt good to finally tell someone else about what he experienced... I'll leave you so that you can eat and if you need anything just wave me down." he said as he began walking to work at the unattended bar.

Llorva smiled at him before she turned her gaze to the salad in front of her. Then after her quick once over she picked up her fork and began to eat. Time flew by as Llorva ate, the sounds of people on the ground floor changing in volume like the waves of an ocean. The sounds of laughter and happy voices created a homely atmosphere. Halfway through her meal some of the more inebriated men by the fireplace began to sing a cheerful tune.

"OOOOHHHHHH, dusk and dawn, day and night, we all live to fight.

Our hearts of gold and eyes alight, we charge from the light.

Into the dark we shall dwell, get on up you ne'er do wells.

From dusk to dawn we brandish our swords, as we hold back the monstrous hordes.

They bare their fangs and nash their teeth, almost as though they won't taste defeat.

The battle wages as we're overrun, but that's all just part of the fun.

Claws and shields, swords and teeth we shall never face defeat.

Our bodies as one we fight together, battling on regardless of weather.

The rise of the sun means we have won, giving us another night of fun..."

Smiling as the group sung their songs, Llorva finished her meal and listened to the group afterward enjoying the feelings from their joyous tunes. After a fair round of songs the men ran out of material and poked fun at each other for their performances. Looking out the front door of the inn Llorva could see the quickly darkening streets as the day turned into night. Deciding that it was best to head back to the room Llorva stood up from the stool and flagged down the young bartender.

"How much do I owe for the salad?" she asked prompting a small smile from him

"It's on the house, consider it a thank you for helping my father."

"It was no problem I needed to talk with someone and just took a chance talking to your father it's no big deal."

Llorva waved at the man as she walked away to the staircase. Quickly ascending the stairs she made her way to the room unlocked the door entered and locked it again. Gently she walked around the room blowing out the candles that lit unused rooms and spaces until only one remained. Its delicate dancing flame barely illuminates the bed closest to the door that Llorva would call hers for the night. She walked over to it and sat on the edge before laying on its surface and looked up at the light flickering on the ceiling. The sounds of the bar below and the wood of the building faded away leaving only Llorva and the light. The silence of night made her mind begin to stir, her earlier thoughts on Vinncent once again occupied her mind.

"I don't know exactly what his plans are but he has stayed true to his word of protecting me so maybe I should have faith in his plans?" she sighed as she mumbled to herself

"and if the bartender worked for the church and says that Vinncent has a holy air around him could he possibly be a real angel like he claims?"

Llorva rolled onto her right side facing the candle and the wall as the events of the day began to draw upon her eyelids.

"I should probably apologize for snapping at Vinncent earlier... Maybe I can ask to feel his wings." Llorva had a little blush as she thought about how his wings would feel. As she closed her eyes and sunk into slumber a subconscious thought formed without her attention.

'Am I falling in love with this man?'

_________________________________________________________________

When Vinncent woke the candles around the room had been relit and he was alone. The only thing giving him any company was the sounds of plates, utensils, and the voices of men coming from the bar below. A sorrowful smile crept upon his face as he began to think of the owners of the voices. Some of them fathers, uncles, and grandfathers businessmen, guards, and simple workers. All of them oblivious to the carnage that would streak across the city in seven days time where their worlds would either end or be forever scared. It was likely that many of them would be brutally slaughtered by Vinncents new army but he was going to start a war and war is not without its price.

There was no point in trying to negotiate the freedom of the enslaved people. From what Vinncent knew suggested that slavery was not only a part of the continents main revenue points but it was also ingrained in their culture. The Fact that Mr. Eilohim called the planet Orbis Terra Infidelium only helped to solidify how far the people of this world had fallen. To try and reason away slavery to them would be to unit the entire world in one day. Sure Vinncent could amass a fortune and buy all the slaves from freedom he could but it would only feed the problem he needed to solve. Instead he would have to tear it out at the root and eviscerate the corruption quickly and ruthlessly. If he took his time it would allow for the roots to regrow or further strengthen their hold.

Vinncent shook his head as he tried to purge the malignant thoughts from his mind. The thoughts mostly gone; he moved to sit on the side of the bed when he heard the door knob turn. Looking toward the door Vinncent watched as Llorva walked in with two plates of food.

"Good Morning Vinncent." Llorva said with a smile as the door closed behind her.

"Good Morning Llorva." Vinncent responded as Llorva handed him one of the plates.

Looking at it Vinncent saw that it was a breakfast platter with a flapjack, five strips of bacon and two eggs.

"Thank you for getting breakfast Llorva."

"It's no problem, it's the least I can do after you got breakfast the other day."

"Speaking of the other day... You seem much more chipper than when I left last night. Did something happen?" Vinncent continued with some apprehension.

"Nothing really I just talked with the bartender and after talking with him I realized that I should probably trust you more than I do." she said pushing around the food on her plate with a fork.

"Why do I feel a but coming on?" Vinncent said with an eyebrow raised as he lifted some food to his mouth.

"Well although I should trust you more I still feel that I can't entirely trust what you said about being an angel."

"Llorva your the first person I have shown my wings to what else can I do to prove it to you?"

"Could you let me touch them?" Llorva mumbled

"I'm sorry but I didn't quite catch what you said."

"Could you let me touch your wings?" Llorva asked with her head turned away from Vinncent to hide her blush.

"I don't see how that will help prove I'm an angel more than showing them but alright." Vinncent said as he took off his shirt again and let his wings take form.

Llorva sat and watched with the same awe from yesterday when he first saw them. Setting her plate down on the nightstand she slowly reached out with her left hand towards Vinncents right wing. An inch from being able to feel the feathers She pulled her hand slightly back and looked into Vinncents eyes. When their eyes met Vinncent could see the apprehension in her eyes.

"Go ahead Llorva, I don't mind." Vinncent said in a calm soothing voice as he smiled at her.

Looking back at the wing Llorva again reached forward and gently touched the feathers her eyes now filled with surprise and joy.