Fantasy Extraterrestrial Angels

Araqiel had sat down in the dark against the base of tree alongside a long black rock -man made, he figured, for their transportation contraptions- with the intention of assessing the damage done to his wings. All of him looked frankly horrible; battered, bruised, bleeding and caked in mud and dirt. But it was his wings that bothered him the most, a painful wrongness that screamed for his attention. To right what was wrong with them. That was wishful thinking. The bindings holding his wrists together had caused his fingers to go slightly numb and limited his reach along his wings. His biggest set were either broken or dislocated in several places and there was nothing he could for that even if he had full use of his arms.

At first Araqiel busied himself with trying to chew through the hard plastic binding that was starting to cut into his wrists, only causing the plastic to cut deeper and blood to run slowly, tickling his arms, to his elbows and dripping to his knees where it stained the over long t-shirt better suited for a three hundred pound man than a seventy five pound boy. When he gave up on that he turned to his smallest wings, digging his humbled fingers deep into his feathers and pulling. He sat and plucked his own wings for hours on the side of the deserted road, stressed to the extreme, eventually his little wigs were a mass of blood and matted feathers and his medium sized wings were next.

As Araqiel sat and tortured his wings he stressed and wondered over when a human would come down this path he found. Would ?they take him back to The Facility, the horrible research building that still housed his family? Or, Would they be nice and help him? Would they be scared of his wings? He supposed seeing three sets of wings on a child is not a normal occurrence for humans as a whole... He just couldn't help but fret.

Araqiel heard it before he saw anything and his vessel suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. The contraption he had been taken to the facility in with a few of his siblings came to mind. Remembering their terrified faces, the tension in the air, and their worried cries demanding to know what was going on almost made him regret attempting to turn to a human for help... Surely they weren't all that bad though? His parents had little trouble out in public with the humans, but of course those occasions had always been planed out thoroughly before being executed.

He could almost smell his own fear when the pair of blinding lights crested over a swell in the road and the human contraption came closer at an unsettling speed. This thing was also much louder than the contraption he had been in before and he couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad sign. Araqiel had to look away as the thing passed him by, blinded temporarily by the lights.

At first he thought the human inside hadn't seen him. He worried for a moment how long it will be before the next one comes along. The screeching of the thing coming to a halt stopped those thoughts in their tracks and now he was shaking. The human had seen him. And stopped. And was backing up to get a better look. Araqiel could have wet his poor excuse for a pair of pants he was so afraid. In fact, he might have. He wasn't really sure at that point.

And then the human poked its head out the side of the dark loud metal thing. He saw long hair and a soft face. When it spoke its voice was gentle and high pitched. Female. Good. He knew he had a higher chance at help with a female human because of their nurturing instincts. But her words seemed odd. She sees a wounded boy on the side of the road and her first question is if he's lost? Humans...

Araqiel wanted to respond, wanted to request her help but he couldn't work past the lump of fear in his throat. So instead he spoke directly to her mind.

Please. You have to help me, please.

Araqiel sensed the young female's unease and knew he had to be careful about how he revealed his wing for it seems she hasn't seen them yet. He attempted to stand slowly and flinched when his wings flexed reflexively to help him keep his balance without the use of his hands. He let himself fall back against the tree, panting. He looked up at the girl, looked in the eye and held out his zip tied wrists.

Help, he spoke to her again, in the same way as before. I need to go home. A hospital would not understand.

Araqiel could feel his vessel's heart racing at his nervousness. He was treading on egg cells and he knew it. Past experience tells him humans are not so receptive to his kind.

I'll need you to open the ...car...if you don't wish to unbind me. He told her wading barefoot a step through the pile of bloody feathers he pulled from his wings, careful to keep his distance. Just in case, he also tucked his tattered and broken wings in as close to his vessel as possible. He won't be able to fly away but he can try to protect himself if necessary.

I would... Give directions. But.... I don't know where I am.

Araqiel nodded and held his bound wrists higher, unsure if it would be wise to approach the female when she's gone back to being so cautious. Carefully he another step forward bloody feathers clinging to his dirty skin and thought to her again, I don't want to hurt you. You don't need to be afraid. And then out loud he says in a small, hoarse, overused (as if he'd been screaming) voice he whispers "please? It hurts."

Araqiel flinched when the ziptie came off, exiting the wounds on his wrists. He marveled at how gentle the female was being. Maybe this could work after all. He still startled when she spoke to him. And he replied in his usual way, I am not a child, don't let my appearance fool you.

Araqiel stared at the offered bottle of water for a moment before hesitately taking it into his shaking hands, stepping closer so he could do so. He turned the bottle over in his hands wondering at the gift. He could see that it contained water but he wasn't sure how or even if he was supposed to get to it. He took in the sight of the car next. It didn't look comfortable, and his already screaming and aching wings agreed. He knew right away he was going to make a mess and he wasn't sure how much the female would appreciate that. He stepped closer still anyway, keeping his wings tight to his back and his back away from the human he poked his head inside. He didn't understand the design at all or where and how exactly he was supposed be on the inside of it. The last car he had been in he kneeled directly on the floor but the seats, he assumed they were seats-they smelled of dead cows and chemicals- were in the way. With his wings so damaged it looked like it might be a painful ride. Seeing the back seat was mostly empty he climbed in there and laid face down across the bench seating (I'm assuming it's Baby from spn?) giving the female a good view of his broken wings.

He sighed and clutched the water bottle to his chest and closed his eyes,waiting for the other shoe to drop, and finally answering her question. My family's homestay was raided by male humans with guns and plastic shields. Even though his face showed no emotion his voice sounded very clearly puzzled at the plastic bit. How could plastic protect them from the things his family could do? But he continued on we were taken away to be studied. I think I'm the only one that made it out...

Araqiel groaned when the car started moving, the movement pressing a wing into the seat back. But after that he didn't make another sound until spoken to and that was only a sigh before he spoke into the female's mind again I don't understand that reference.... The name I was given is Araqiel.

He chanced a look up through the window long enough for him to see the direction they were headed in. He continued speaking in her head, And if your intention is still to take me to my homestay, you're heading in the wrong direction. You need to head north. Not west. Toward the mountains of Montana.

Araqiel hummed out his annoyance at having to stop but knew he could do nothing about it. He had no idea how the human's car works. I think it best if I stay hidden. He told her while pondering the idea of of bandages. I am not comfortable with you touching my wings. I can repair them when I return to my homestay.... But perhaps a blanket to prevent passerby from becoming alarmed.

Besides, I doubt any one apothecary contains enough bandages for my wings..

Araqiel had been watching the exchange from the car and blanched as soon as he recognized the man. Not so much by his looks but by his soul. He was relieved when the female came back out unharmed, but then it wasn't her her they wanted was it? Araqiel did the only thing he could in his condition.

Reopening the wound on one of his wrists he used his vessel's blood to draw a symbol of protection on the back of the seat in front of him. When the female came back he hissed at her... Like a cat. In an attempt to quite her and quickly did damage control in his usual, quieter, way of speaking.

I apologize. I don't wish to frighten you, but we need to leave. Right now preferably. The man you just spoke to has ill intentions.

Spoiler: Symbol

Araqiel sighed in relief, not realizing he had been holding his breath, as soon as he felt they were out of harms way. I fear I have endangered you unnecessarily. He told her sadly, if you don't wish to be envolved any longer all I ask is that you take me to my family's homestay. But you are free to leave me whenever you wish...

Intelligence has very little to do with doing a good deed. He told her as he fiddled with the blanket, opening it to its full potential to cover himself. It didn't cover everything, but it did enough that if someone happened to look in they would see at a glance a young child taking a nap in the back seat. Araqiel closed his eyes again, attempting to ignore how awful the blanket felt against his raw wings, and resumed clutching the water bottle-gift to his chest again. He didn't sleep however, even if he wanted to he knew he wouldn't be able to yet. His circadian cycle (sleep cycle)wasn't at that point yet.

Araqiel could no longer deny it. They were being followed. He had felt the same presence behind them for some time now, just after their last stop was when he supposed he felt it, and it's been in and out of his field of awareness ever since. Now he's propped himself up on his hands and knees so he can look out the back window searching for a face to match the soul he feels, careful to keep his wings covered. Eventually he spots the same man from their last stop sitting behind the wheel of a large black suv.

I have a feeling we are being followed. The man from your previous stop is in a large black car a short distance behind us. ... He must not know about where I live.