Murder of Crows: Soul for A Soul

Prologue

Paris is beautiful during these times. The snow had already melted but is still cold. Lumiere makes herself warm with the coat she got from the lady on the train.

No, she didn't rob the old woman. The woman was rude. She deserves to be deprived of warmth.

"De toute beauté." 'Beautiful." It is beautiful at night together with the city's blinking lights and cold wind. There was a swarm of people visiting the said tower. And none happened to notice the bloodstain on her clothes as she effortlessly move along the crowd.

It's also not hers.

She planned her day to be a peaceful day where she can take a book and read it on a random rooftop but the Gods hated her.

It is her free day. No commissions, missions, or any order in her hands. She didn't expect her hands to be tainted that day but blood had already been part of her life. Luckily, she didn't wear any light color and she is in the mortal realm.

It's always easy to fool humans.

She turns her heels towards a small alleyway around a quiet area only to meet a beggar. They both stop in their tracks. Lumiere notices how cold the guy is. She might be fond of blood but this girl may have a heart.

Hinubad niya ang jacket at saka binigay ito sa lalaki bago magpatuloy. Hindi pa siya nakalalayo ay narinig niya ang lalaking tumakbo para pigilan siya, "Ne pas aller." 'Don't go.'

The beggar is frantic. It was an alleyway. Of course, there will be chances of danger.

She gives the beggar a small smile before she gently removes the guy's hands in her arms. "Ça va aller." 'It will be fine.'  She whispers to the beggar who obviously didn't believe her but she has already walked away.

Lumiere caught him silently praying as she turn to another corner by the end of the alley which she laughs at.

"How foolish." she thinks.

A small group of soul-thieving demons had already attacked her earlier that morning. Whatever in the alley would surely not be worse than that.

The alleyway she walked into reeked a foul smell of iron and flesh. Lumiere took a look at the ground and felt a puddle. Human blood.

A group of creatures with sharp tips for their wings has their swords dripping with fresh blood.  Angels. Dark Angels. They killed a bunch of teenagers for fresh blood. Almost a demon behavior yet The Heavens see them as their equal.

Idiots. As to what Lumiere likes to call them.

She tried to walk past them but she already caught their attention. One of them run towards her and aimed to cut her legs.

"Smart." Lumiere thinks as she dodges the sword by jumping and taking a turn to focus on her balance.

"Let's be quick, yes?" She kicked the trash can near them to send the angels back.

One attacks her with the sword in its palm. It wants to pierce her heart but she's quick to dodge it by jumping against the brick wall behind her and grabbing the edge of a low building next to them to climb in so she has the upper ground. Another angel tries to attack her during this that sticks its sword in the brick wall.

Inagaw niya ang espada mula dito at saka ito ginamit para sugatan ang pakpak nito at ng ilang kasama niya. Napahiga ang mga ito sa sahig dahil sa sakit habang paunti unting nagiging abo ang mga pakpak.

Yes, The Heavens see them as their kin but dark angels had committed sins. For fairness and all, The Heavens punished them to have their wings as their weakness. Foolish, isn't it?

Their plan to stab her heart in the heart made her do the same to them. She attacks the one that attacks her first. She gives them small cuts that she knows will later turn into wider ones as any wound inflicted on angels shall grow until they vanish. Another one of their punishments. These creatures have no blood, thankfully. One by one, the angels fell through the same blade their kin carries.

She dances through the crimson pool and ashes until the last winged creature is cornered, holding its wing.

"You should have known better, man. " She said, ending the fight.

Lumiere heaves a light sigh letting the cold metal leave her grasp. She was about to continue her day when she hears rustles from not too far away from the corner of the alley.

It was the beggar. A human.

A sudden thought struck her.

Humans can see dark angels as humans. Therefore, the beggar could only see Lumiere killing 'humans' assuming that a murder happened. The beggar also saw those angels earlier with swords but not with their wings. The reason why he warned Lumiere.

Hinabol ng babae ang kawawang tao at mabuti nalang ay nakatalon agad si Lumiere sa harap ng lalaki. She gestured to the guy to stay quiet and approached the poor guy calmly.

She fixed her wrists first before placing her fingers on the beggar's forehead, "Oblivisto." She chanted, erasing his memories.

She leaned him against the wall with the jacket she gave. With the last pat, she said, "Pardon." A thick French accent is evident.

Afterward, she walked away cooly from the scene with her head high to look natural as it screams confidence. Her gaze flew upwards when a crow landed on her shoulders with wounded wings as the flock it was with waited on the buildings around them.

Observing, Watching, Waiting.

She gives it a little pat to heal the small wound. Murder of crows waiting evidently as their heads tilt in what Lumiere perceived as a curiosity.

A hiss comes out of her lips as something sliced her palms just the same length as the crow's. She transferred the crow's wounds to her skin.

The crow seems to be worried about her that Lumiere had to give it an assuring smile. It pecked her nose lightly before rejoining its flock.

Lumiere sighs as her blood continued to drip on the pavement, "Must be nice being able to fly."