The Angel's Humanhood

10. A Night Visit

For the next few days, Wahag continued digging and Dow was no where to be seen. Wahag thought she would be around at least for dinner if she was sick, but she wasn't. Dodi didn't seem to know anything other than what he told him before. And the rest of the kids had no interest in conversing with Wahag. The only one who was talking to him was Prince, and it was mostly pestering rather than actual two way conversations.
Wahag didn't know he could move his body that many ways wrong. Prince was after him with "Straighten your back!" "Use your leg muscles!" "Pace your breathing!" In these few days, he learned so much about the human anatomy and it made him miss his jin form. He was more confused than ever as to why created humans. Their lives are a series of nuisances one after the other. Pain accompanies everything they do. But the voice in his head was more pleased with the pain that came with digging the well than other pains like hunger and sadness. It was so pleased with Prince's instructions that Wahag wasn't sure anymore if he liked him or hated him. But regardless, he was always relieved when the day ends and the best part of the day became the quiet short walk from the field to Joza's hut for dinner.
The worst part of the day however came right after, when he has to spend the whole night with the darkest magic he has ever experienced in his long life. Wahag pondered how he has never noticed it before, if Dow was carrying it around all the time. But he wasn't coming up with anything. His wildest guess was that it had to do with Dow herself. He had so many questions for her but she was absolutely no where to be found and no one would tell him.
Wahag got into the habit of casting a shield and them sleeping for few hours and waking up to pray to God and then cast another shield and so on till the sun rises. He knew that the devil's minions were always stronger at night when the human souls were most vulnerable. As he slept that night, he had this first dream ever. It was dark in the woods and he could hear quick heavy breathing. Fear. He thought to himself. This is human fear. The breathing stopped for a long moment and then he heard a screeching scream, and somehow he knew it was Dodi's. He got up covered in sweat and breathing heavily.
"Why are you showing me this?" Wahag asked the voice with disdain.
I didn't. That was a dream. Jonah used to have them too.
"The lost soul? His name was Jonah?" Wahag always knew that human names were part of their fate. The names were always a tell. He wanted to ask the voice about it, but his vision of Dodi was too haunting.
Dreams are a lot of things. Sometimes they are messages from the spirits, other times they are pieces of truth the mind kept avoiding.
Wahag felt a strong urge to do something, but what could he do being locked in this hut? Even if he was getting stronger, he was no way close to being able to break that door.
The morning came slowly. Wahag waited for the familiar rustle at the door at the break of dawn, but it didn't come. The birds were loud in the sky and the sun beamed through the cracks of the door, but no one showed up. Wahag was pacing the small lenght of the hut and someone finally came to the door, he let out a sigh of relief, that was short lived as he saw that it was Prince alone.
"Where is Dodi?" Wahag jumped at Prince who looked distraught.
Prince searched Wahag's face aimless for a long moment.
"Prince! What Happened To Dodi!!" Wahag grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him.
"He left the hut last night looking for Dow. We found him hours later unconscious. He was bitten by the hounds." The big muscular boy was fighting tears. "The wound is not deep, but..." Prince was choking at the words.
Wahag remembered what Dow said about how the hounds drive you mad, before you even bleed out.
"Take me to him." Wahag commanded Prince.
Prince had his head hanging low between large hunched shoulders, "There is no point. No one ever heals from this." He started sobbing.
On any other occasion, Wahag would have found the scene of a large human crying just another prove of their weakness and inferiority. He would usually enjoy it. But there was nothing entertaining about it this time.
Wahag laid a hand on Prince's shoulder, "Just take me to him, please."
Prince nodded like a child coming out of a big tantrum and walked ahead of Wahag.
They reached a group of huts behind Joza's. It wasn't hard to figure where Dodi was. If you couldn't tell from the kids huddled crying at the entrance of that one hut, you would guess from the groaning and screaming sounds coming from inside.
Few of the older boys stood in Prince and Wahag's path.
"This is not a place for outsiders" said a tall skinny boy that Wahag recognized from the fields.
Prince was lost for words sniffling. Wahag was about to do the talking, when a little girl came running and said, "Joza says let him in."
The boys reluctantly made way and Wahag passed.
As Wahag entered through the small door, he felt his energy being drained to its last drop as if he was hanging on by a threat to consciousness, and he knew that he was in the presence of one of the ungodly beings who worshipped and followed the devil. But unlike in his jin form, Wahag couldn't see it or fight it head on.
Joza sat next to the boy on the ground holding his arms in place stopping it from scratching at his face and body.
She said as she struggled, "Dow said you know something." Joza was dripping in sweat and the large woman was breathing heavily from her mouth.
Wahag couldn't comprehend what he was looking at. Dodi was straining and throwing his arms attacking his own body. His body was covered in wounds, some were deep and oozing blood and some were shallow. He scared face was now also bruised.
"Do something!" Joza yelled at Wahag who has been standing there frozen.
Wahag hunched over Dodi's body and touched his hand. It burned and he wanted to pull his hands away, but he pushed through. He started to hear voices, "Obey me!" the voice hissed.
Wahag pulled back before he got sucked in.
"Let's move him to the lake." Wahag sounded unsure. "But you have to leave me with him. No one can stay."
At the lake, Wahag was even less sure as he carried Dodi in his arms to the edge of the lake. The lake was strong and it radiated the energy of its element. Dodi was calmer and easier to manage too.
Wahag stood knee deep into the lake. "God above, the one no one can command, please shield us from the evil that we have brought upon ourselves."
For a moment, Dodi strained still and it felt that there was no point. But then, Wahag had an idea.