Seraphic Wings

29. The Butterfly

Lucette just blinked at Ichthys, as she watched him hold out the bird to her. Looking down, she noticed the bird was still limp, with his small head just dangling. Using both her hands, she cupped the bird in them and looked over the bird. He did not even stir one bit. Lucette raised her head and looked at Ichthys, he was staring at the bird in her hands.

"Is he...?"

At that question, he looked up and shook his head. "... No... I mean if he was, I would feel it..."

Lucette raised an eyebrow and brought the bird closer to her face. It was most definitely the bird form that Corvus took. Gently laying him on the side, she used two of her fingers to try and pry an eye open. A small green eye was there. Yep, this was most definitely him.

"So what's.... Wrong?"

Ichthys turned his face away from her and stared at the opposite wall. He didn't answer her, and just continued to stare.

"Is this some sort of sleep trance?" Lucette questioned no one in particular, and raised the bird to her face again. "I mean... didn't Finis say that he fell through the roof?"

"I..."

Lucette looked up, and saw Ichthys staring at the bird. She could barely see his face since, for some strange reason, it was hidden by darkness. A split second later, he vanished from her eyes. Widening her eyes in shock, she couldn't help calling out.

"Wait....."

She was as confused as anything, one brother was catatonic and the other.... She had no idea what was going on with him. All she could do was look down at the small bundle in her hand.

Somewhere not far from the house, Ichthys materialised again. His face shrouded by darkness still. In the blink of an eye, he stretched his arm out and grabbed, what looked like, thin air. His hand started to squeeze the air until, eventually, a form appeared. Swirling around in dark smoke was a bird, the size of a small falcon, and Ichthys had his hand wrapped around its throat.

"Such... Rudeness...." The bird struggled to get out with a hand constantly squeezing at its neck.

Ichthys moved his head so he could see the bird.

"So... You had your hand in this?"

The bird struggled against Ichthys' grip, but failed.

"I don't know what you mean..."

"Don't... Test me..."

"That look doesn't suit you.."

"My look..." Ichthys tightened his grip on the bird's throat. "Has nothing to do with you..."

"Hah.... It's only a matter of time... When the one falls... So does the rest..." The bird started laughing maliciously. "And I can't wait to see the show..."

Ichthys' shoulders shook and, with a quick movement of his hand, he snapped the bird's neck, and it dissolved into black sand.

"Damnit..."

"Awww, didn't have to kill that one yet... He was actually one of the talkative ones..."

A voice calls out from behind Ichthys, and he turns around. Leaning on a wall was someone he didn't really expect to see.

"Casus? What are you? No... Wait.... How did you know?"

"Oh, about the shadow beasts? Oh, those things have been lurking for eons. But, in all honesty, they haven't been on the mortal plane for awhile.... I wonder...." The man, revealed to be Casus, moved his hand as he contemplated what he just said. "But..." He turned his attention to Ichthys. "Why were you so interested in that one?"