Sakkee

As soon as dawn broke, Domiel led them onward. Aliyah felt the now familiar exhaustion as they passed into increasingly sandy terrain. The only plants left were only sparse pieces of grass and only the toughest of bushes. It seemed as if life itself was draining from the land the further down the path they went. It was almost entirely sand by the time they came to the village. As they approached, Lilith tapped Aliyah’s shoulder. Realizing what this meant, she pulled her hood up and wrapped some cloth around her face, concealing her vampiric features from view. They didn’t want a repeat of what happened in Astei. The village was small, only a few huts and some small fires scattered around. But enough people there that it almost felt like Astei. While Aliyah had been somewhat nervous about concealing her face earlier, apparently that was something of a fashion in these parts. Some people walked around, completely covered in robes and masks. There were also almost vapor-like wisps of

The trek southward was a long one. Aliyah continued to give reports and send them back...while leaving out Xudus and the increasing appearances of Aura Siel. As they progressed, Aliyah watched as the vegetation slowly vanished, going from dense forest to grassy plains. Eventually, even the grass went away, faded into sandy hills. And, as the trees disappeared, the wind became stronger and the days began becoming hotter. The issue of heat was solved as Lilith used her magic to change their clothes into more suitable garbs. Domiel was wearing a loose, hooded tan robe. Boogeyman now had black robes and a violet cape and face covering. Lilith's traveling cloak was changed into a hooded scarf that covers her nose and mouth. Aliyah’s clothes were almost the same, only her jacket now had short sleeves, a mask covered the lower half of her face, and her pants changed into shorts. “Well, thanks for the change in wardrobe,” Domiel said. His tone didn’t change, so Aliyah wasn’t sure if he was

The four quickly resumed their pace, rushing as fast as they could through the darkness. Boogeyman kept shooting Aliyah looks, silently asking her if she was going to tell the others about what happened. Aliyah’s only response was to pull up her hood. She didn’t want to deal with it. Not yet. “Problem won’t go away ‘cuz you ignore it, princess,” Boogeyman murmured. “Did you say something, Boogey?” Lilith asked as she looked at the Exile. “Not to you, no,” Boogeyman said, shooting a glance at Aliyah. It was testament to how intense the situation was that Lilith didn’t pursue the matter further. For now, anyway. They just kept moving onward, going as fast as they could without stopping for rest. Aliyah looked ahead at Domiel, who made no response and just kept the march going. She wondered how these three could keep up this pace without breaking down... And all the while, Boogeyman’s yellow eyes kept going at her, expectantly. Aliyah refused to return the gaze. It wasn’t his

That night, Domiel kept watch. Due to their nature of being composed of immaterial beings, angels did not need sleep, so he could remain awake all night. Lilith, being a magically-enhanced human, was fast asleep. She slept in the same bed as Aliyah, a protective arm draped over her. Even then, Aliyah was whimpering in her sleep. Once again, she met Siel in the garden. Then he fed her guilt and pain before dissolving into darkness, leaving her alone. She then sat up in the bed with a cry, waking up Lilith as well. The witch quickly sat up and pulled the young girl into her arms, feeling her trembling as she held her and looked at Domiel with worry in her eyes. “It was a dream. Dreams have no power,” Domiel said. Aliyah was reminded, again, of the stark difference in behavior. Siel would have gently made physical contact before offering a calming aura. Domiel never did that, only telling her that nightmares weren’t real. “That’s not helping, Dome,” Lilith sighed, rubbing Aliyah’s back

After haggling with the overly-loud landlord, the three paid with what gold they had and got into the room. Thankfully, he only asked questions about money. Not about why these two strange people were dragging a half-conscious girl away. Though Domiel tried dispelling any awkward questions, he figured that some of the people were still suspicious. “I’m just glad that the Father sees all and knows better,” Domiel growled as he laid Aliyah on a bed. Lilith nodded as she removed the satchel from Aliyah and placed it on the table. She then placed the covers over the young girl and moved her hood to check on her only to find she had already fallen asleep. “Let’s hope she actually gets some sleep tonight,” Lilith whispered as she sat on the edge of the bed, stroking Aliyah’s hair. “I wouldn’t bet on it,” Domiel said, taking the mirror out of Aliyah’s satchel. “Us, though? We need to report it.” Lilith nodded in agreement. “Think we’ll get an earful?” “I think the only thing keeping