The archangel, Seipher, existed with no purpose known to him, searching the planet for his rightful place. As the sun began to rise one day, he ventured across the AlIsetana dMesa mainland, to a small cottage outside the village of Yuriko. Seipher landed in front of the house and closed his wings as he walked toward it. A woman was sitting by a garden of lilies, admiring the flowers and the morning warmth. Her mortality was clearly mistaken. Seipher saw her as an angel, perfect and pure. Her hazel eyes and simple brown hair shined like celestial light, her face glowing with love.
Suddenly she turned, seeing the unfamiliar face. "Who are you?"
Seipher walked closer to her, and then stopped realizing her discomfort. "My name is Seipher."
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice trembling a bit.
"Only to get to know such a lovely person as yourself better," Seipher said. "Truly, I have never seen such beauty in all the heavens."
She blushed and looked at him closer now. He seemed as ordinary as the next commoner did, except as her gaze rose to meet his eyes, a sudden feeling of ease came upon her. "My name is Eiko Midori."
The two immediately fell to love each other, Seipher never once revealing his angelic makeup. Together they gave life to Arnath Delgata, whose veins were cursed with eternal youth as a result of his fathers nature. Seipher, having interacted with a mortal, was forever cast out of heaven and forbidden to see Eiko. It was a consequence, which would forever haunt him.
Eiko had never known where he had gone, or why her lover had left her, but she raised the boy until he grew to his tenth year. She had taken much time to plan his future, and made him get a job as a blacksmith in Yuriko. "You must learn to be on your own," she explained. "One day, I might not be here anymore."
The young Arnath shook his head, not yet understanding the meaning of loss. "But mother, we are on our own." Eiko insisted that he moved along as not to be late. She had spoken to the blacksmith who would be teaching her son the art, and had made the arrangements.
Arnath walked down the dirt road to Yuriko, humming to himself with each step. When he arrived, various people could be seen throughout the streets. Salesmen and stablemen, he had never seen so many people. The sound of metal on metal caught Arnaths attention and he walked towards the large tent under which the noise originated. A tall dark man could be seen standing behind an anvil, hammering the steel lying atop. Once the boy got closer, he noticed the dark skin had only been charcoal and dust. The man looked down at him, and then spoke in a deep voice. "Are you my new assistant?"
Arnath gulped a bit at the intimidating man. "Y-yes, sir."
"Good, lets get to work." He handed Arnath the hammer hed been working with and walked inside the shack. "Come-on then." The boy followed as quickly as possible, but not as closely. He was still nervous having never met the man before. "Lets get to work."
A week after Arnath had started to work Eiko was murdered. A messenger came to the blacksmiths shack in order to give the boy the news. "Im sorry," he said.
Arnath looked at the man, who was kneeling at eye level. He simply denied the fact that his mother was dead. "No, were on our own. Nothing couldve" Tears were building up behind his eyes.
The man lowered his head. "Im sorry for the l-" Arnath burst through him, knocking him over. He ran from the shack, taking with him the sword, which he had forged. His quickness to learn over the week had allowed him to create a sword in less than standard time. It truly impressed the blacksmith. "Ive neer seen such skill from one so young," hed say. It was true that Arnath had talent, but he was still human.
When he finally reached his cottage, Arnath rushed through the front door. His eyes came across the body of his fallen mother, who was laid upon her bed as if nothing had happened. Two gentlemen stood over the bed, examining her. They were surely from the town, passing travelers who mustve seen it happen.
"What are you doing?" Arnath screamed. "Get away from her!" He ran to her side, pushing the two men away. "Mom wake up!" he demanded. "Wake up! Wake up!! W-" His head buried into the sheets as the two men stepped out of the room. "Were on our ownNo, nothing couldve"
The two men sighed and looked at each other. "Should we take him back to the town?" One man said. "After all, his mother asked us to take care of him."
The other man looked outside, noticing the position of the sun. "Let him stay with her a while longer." They both walked to the front of the house to wait.
Arnath sat up and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Ive got to goI dont want them taking you." He stood and picked up the body, struggling to maintain his balance. Exiting through the window seemed impossible, so he quietly went to the front door. With their backs to him, Arnath quickly moved to the side of the house. The Wakeless Forest stood in front of him.
For hours he ran through the brush and trees. Night had fallen and Arnath was cold, as well as exhausted. He rested the body of his mother against the base of a tree and sat beside her. Forcing his eyes to close, he blocked out the tears and moonlight. Sleep was overcoming, but for only a short while.
Arnath awoke to the sound of footsteps upon the floor of the forest. He jumped up, shouting, "Whos there?" A hooded man appeared from the darkness, standing a few feet away. "Who are you?"
"My name isnt really important," he said. "I only wish to take you to a more becoming place to sleep."
"Youre not taking me anywhere," Arnath said, the man still walking towards him. Arnath unsheathed his forged blade from its scabbard. The weight almost proved too much to him, as he struggled to keep it in front of him.
"I wont be taking you anywhere public," the figure said. "Its only a small dwelling just beyond the farthest trees you see."
"I cant leave her," Arnath said softly.
The man stood in front of Arnath, his hand gripping the hilt of his own sword. "If you trust me, Ill carry her. When we reach our destination, I shall depart." The man stood, waiting for a response.
"Truly?" Arnath questioned.
A smile could almost be seen beyond the night-covered face. "You have my word."
The young boy agreed to the deal and upon arrival, the man left as hed promised. The house was small and worn down, but enough to keep him warm. Holding his mother, Arnath kicked open the door and stepped inside. As he rested her upon an old bed, his hand touched her cheek. She was pale as white, dead as any other. Arnath began to realize she wasnt coming back.
"Tomorrow," he said, tears escaping his tired eyes. "Ill do it myselftomorrow."
The next morning at the first sign of dawn, Arnath awoke. He looked around the house for any tools to help him dig the grave. Finding nothing, he was forced to dig by hand, using his sword to wedge out any large rocks. The whole time he was holding back the tears he knew he couldnt restrain forever. The forest was mostly quiet, apart from the occasional songbird. The sound was calming, actually relieving most of the loneliness he felt in the silence. Finally Arnath picked up the body from inside and carried it out to where hed say his last goodbye. He placed her down, wrapped within the sheets of his new bed.
"I know" the boy said, "this is where you leave memother, you taught me to say goodbye. This isnt the end though...why did you go? I love you, I cant say it." He climbed out and pushed the soil over into the hole, inch by inch covering the only family hed ever had. Minutes later, the dirt was a bit higher than the level of the ground. Arnath fell to his knees upon the mound. He reached beside him, picking up his sword and plunging it into the earth of her grave. "Goodbye"
A voice sounded from behind, the same voice of the hooded man. "That was very brave of you. You have much strength to do what you did." Arnath sat, looking down at the mound with his back to the man. "You know," he said. "This house was mine." Arnath rose his head the slightest bit upward. "There are many old books worth reading in there. You can stay as long as you like, I never live here anymore or visit ever." Still the boy made no comment or movement. "Be strong," he said as he turned to leave. "And farewell."
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