2 days later

Quiver was collecting herbs in the garden outside Flora and Fawn’s temple. Sean’s been acting weird ever since the battle. He has gotten little sleep and he’s not talking to any of us. I don’t know what’s going on with him, She thought to herself as she examined the herbs she needed for Sean’s wound. And Norah is hanging around Vita too much, granted they are planning a party in celebration of Azrail’s death, but still. I don’t trust Vita. She gives me sickening vibes. Well sickening isn’t the word I’m looking for. She got up holding a small basket with the herbs she collected and headed back to Sean’s room.

When she arrived Sean was attempting to re-wrap his bandages, Quiver giggled a little watching Sean struggle with his bandages.

“ Do you want help with that Sean?”

Sean turned to look at her. He smiled sheepishly and nodded. Quiver stared at his eyes, and she noticed the dark circles under his eyes which made her smile droop into a small frown.

“ Quiv I know that expression. You can quit worrying about me I’m-”

“ You aren’t fine! Your wound isn’t healing well, and you aren’t sleeping! And you aren’t telling me what’s going on with you! Don’t lie to me about being fine,” She grounded the herbs she got then spreaded the mush on his wound. Sean hissed a little in response but relaxed as she rewrapped his bandages.

“...While I was with Taurus’s statue I got into his mind because of my telepathic powers. He showed me some things that might be my memories..but I don’t know.”

“ Oh.. is that why you pass out at times? Why don’t you remember anything?”

“ Yeah I guess that’s why I pass out.. And I don’t know how I could forget.”

“ Are they memories of living in Heaven?”

“ No, they are memories of me being on Earth. I never thought I was a mortal before I was an angel. I always thought I was born and raised in Heaven, but I suppose not..”

“ Do you think Vita knows about these flashbacks?”

“ I don’t think so and I would rather not tell her. We can’t tell Norah either, she’s with Vita too much.”

Quiver finished with the bandages then used a wet rag to wash the mush of herbs off her hands. Sean put his top clothing on and stretched his wings out widely.

“ Quiv, what was your childhood like?”

“ What do you mean?”

“ Well I told you a secret so you tell me some of yours.”

“ Heh, well I grew up with my mom and step-dad. My real father never cared for me, but my step-dad was really nice until he died when an earthquake destroyed our home around the time we adopted Norah..then me, mom, and Norah traveled from place to place since.”

“ I’m sorry about your step-father..”

“ Don’t be, I’ve accepted his death years ago. He’s at peace now and that brings a smile to my face.”

Flora was leaning against the doorway watching the two of them with a small smile. Quiver and Sean looked at Flora. Their cheeks turned pink from embarrassment, none of them said a word letting the awkward silent void fill the space between the three.

“ It’s so nice to see you two sharing secrets, but tonight is the party and Norah wants you both to go.”

“ I don't-”

“ Yeah we’ll be there,” Quiver quickly said, cutting off Sean. He gave the elven woman a look of what did you just do. Flora nodded and walked away.

“ Quiv why?”

“ Because Norah wants us there and we can explore the area for any clues on Vita’s plans. We need to know what she’s up to.”

“ You’re asking me to spy on my Queen..”

“ I suppose I am, but a High God is dead and we don’t know what the world will be like without him. So I want the full story, to make sure what we did was right.”

“ You make a good point.”

As the evening settled in the sky Sean and Quiver walked through a portal that got them to the Kingdom of Heaven. Angels were chattering amongst themselves and drinking fizzy champagne with sophisticated stringed harmonies playing in the background. Everyone was wearing formal ball clothes that ranged from gold to pearlescent colors.

Norah ran up to Quiver and Sean, she was wearing a beautiful white dress with jewels on it that complimented her eyes.

“ Mr. Sean! Sissy! I’m glad you made it!”

“ We’re glad to be here,” Quiver smiles softly then wrapped Norah in a gentle hug. Norah hugged her sister back, giggling sweetly. The sisters parted from their hug, Norah then started showing them around the clumps of angels and introduced them to some people Norah met in her time in Vita’s kingdom. Some of the kids that were also at the party waved at Norah signaling for her to play with them.

“ You guys wouldn’t mind if I went to play with them will you?”

“ Not at all little sis, we’ll be okay.”

Norah grinned then ran over to the other kids to go play with them, Quiver sighed contentedly as she watched Norah laughing and being around her friends. A part of her wanted to stay and watch Norah be a kid. Then Sean whispered in her pointed ear.

“ Don’t we have some investigating to do?”

“ Uh yeah. Yeah we do, where would be a place to start?”

“ I suppose Vita’s palace, that’s where I remember being in my first days of being,” Quiver nodded at Sean’s statement as they both started heading over to Vita’s palace, carefully sneaking off to avoid the watchful eyes of the party members.

The angel and the she-elf soon arrived at the front doors of the Holy Palace that shone before them. The two entered the shimmering white castle, the interior was all perfect. Not a single thing was out of place, the white walls, the silver ornaments, and the golden accessories were all polished to shining perfection, everything was symmetrical, it was all just perfect.

Portraits of other Gods hung in the halls of the glorious palace. Quiver stared at the painting in front of her and read the name engraved at the bottom of the frame.

“ Tempus the High Goddess of time, order, and marriage,” Quiver muttered. Tempus’s portrait hung in the main entrance, the Goddess’s light skin and long brown hair and contrasted the black background of the painting. Around her neck was a pocket watch of sorts that was made of brass. Her blueish grey eyes weren’t her most striking feature in comparison to her beautiful gentle smile. Across from Tempus was another portrait that Sean glanced at as he read the name at the bottom.

“ Astro the High God of space, hospitality, and philosophy.” Astro had a stern expression drawn on his face. His short black hair and grizzled beard stood out among his pale skin similarly to Azrail’s features, but his eyes were colored white with black where the white normally is in a normal eye.

Sean studied Astro’s painting, his arms crossed as he thought, I feel as if I’ve seen this guy before… I know he’s Astro and I haven't met him ever, but there’s something about him that seems familiar. He looks like Azrail...wait wait wait is Azrail. His thought was interrupted by Quiver tapping his shoulder, the angel glanced over his shoulder then turned to face the she-elf.

“ Sean you’ll want to see what I found,” she and Sean headed over to a trap door that was open in a side office room down a hallway. As the two got closer to the open trapdoor faint voices were heard below. They crouched down looking at the room below and all that was seen was the black hair of a person sitting in a chair. Leather straps were constricted around the person’s wrists, torso, and each ankle.

“ Azrail, stay calm. I'm not going to Cleanse you like I have the others. I just want to chat,” a female voice said to the one in the chair.

“ That’s not what I’m worried about, sister,” Azrail responded.

“ Stop calling me that! We aren’t family. You’re just a mistake like what Medela and my father did.”

“ Well I mean I am the-”

“ Just hush up! You ruined my and the Nameless’s world! Everyone was living just fine until you came along and killed everyone! Then you basically killed off the human race!”

“ First off I didn’t kill off the humans entirely, something else did that. Secondly I can’t be sent to Tartarus because I haven’t committed any crimes.”

“ You don’t deserve to be in Heaven. You don’t even deserve to be a High God!”

“ Well you don’t decide that our Father does, and I’m sure your precious father wouldn’t approve of this.”

“ They won’t know anything. You’ll just be in a prison here forever and everyone will live perfectly fine.”

“ Yeah sure, because the world won’t be overpopulated or anything with Death gone,” scoffed Azrail.

“ Now since there is no God of Death your hounds are stone statues, which means no one will have nightmares either! Ah Reamer will be so pleased to hear that.”

“ When will you understand that one can’t survive without the other? Without Death there’s no point in living. Without nightmares there aren’t dreams. Without the bad times there can’t be good times. You never understood that concept and I doubt you ever will. If you get rid of the bad you get rid of the good! All you’re left with is a boring world with no purpose! All for what?”

“ Perfection. A perfect world.”

As Azrail rolled his eyes in annoyance he glanced up at Quiver and Sean who watched them from above. Vita stood at Azrail’s side and followed his gaze looking up at the two. Her eyes glared at them and she jumped out of the basement.

Sean and Quiver slowly backed away as terror flowed through their bodies. The two swiftly ran through the halls of the palace returning to the party. Norah was standing off to the side, she looked over at Vita, Sean and Quiver who were heading toward her. Norah glanced up at them smiling brighter than the jewels on her dress, which made Sean’s and Quiver’s hearts sink. Vita flew over them and landed at Norah’s side.

“ Norah darling, your sister and her boyfriend were snooping around my palace. They are your guests so please deal with them,” Vita walked away grumbling to herself. Norah’s smile faded into a frown of disappointment.

“ What is she talking about..?”

“ Yes, Norah we snooped in Vita’s palace because me and Sean believe Vita isn’t who she says she is.”

“ Why would she lie..? She’s doing what’s best for the world. Thanks to her now no one will ever die again! How could you do that to her? Sean, Vita is your leader, how could you not trust her?”

“ Norah, everything is complicated right now and you’re too young to understand what’s going on so please-”

“ Enough!! So I’m too young for complicated issues but I’m not young enough to kill someone?!” She scoffed and headed in the direction Vita headed off to. Sean and Quiver looked at each other with saddened expressions on their faces.

Norah marched into Vita’s front rose garden then sat on a marbled bench holding her legs to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees staring at the white roses around her, she hugged herself with her wings sighing. How could they say I’m too young to understand what they are doing but I’m not young enough to kill someone...that’s just so insensitive. Then they go behind Vita’s back even though they agreed to help her cause..what aren’t they telling me.? Do they think I’m untrustworthy, but I’m one of the good guys? I'm on the good side. I can’t be untrustworthy.

Vita sat next to Norah and gently wrapped her arm around Norah’s shoulder.

“ Hey everything okay.?”

Norah gazed up at Vita, she shook her head in response then leaned on her staring at the ground.

“ You wanna talk about it?”

“ It's just I thought they would tell me what they were planning. Maybe if they just talk to you maybe it would clear up whatever they were thinking, because we’re on the good side. We’re heroes! We conquered Death now everything will be okay!”

“ I think she’s just jealous that we’ve been spending too much time together and she wants to keep you to herself, and she’s gotten Sean to help her. She’s trying to control you. Just like how your mother did.”

“ I guess you’re right. What should I do about it.?”

“ I will talk to Quiver then next time we see her. Until then I’d like to make you my right hand.”

“ Woah really?! You want me to be your second in command? Awesome! I promise I’ll do the best job ever!” She grinned as she sat up straight with pride inflating her chest.

“ I know you will. Now how about you go play with the other kids they miss you.”

Norah nodded then headed out of the garden, her wings fluttering with glee. Vita watched her wearing a gentle smile on her face.

Once they arrived back in the Paradise Quiver was marching angrily to the Sakura tree, Sean was trailing behind her silently. The chilled late night air blew through their hair caressing their skin, and the songs of the crickets and cicadas filled the silent tension between the two.

Their bodies were tense with anxiety and anger for what had been done and said that night. The elf and the angel arrived at the mighty Sakura, the pink petals danced in the breeze while the branches swayed a little with the breeze. Quiver leaned on Sean’s shoulder, her eyes tearing up, as regret weighed her down. Sean exhaled softly in an attempt to release some of the baggage of confusion that his mind and heart bared. Vita is turning Norah against us, Azrail’s soul has been captured, and the world will soon be in chaos. All for what? I guess we are all glaikit like Taurus says I don’t even know what it means, Sean thought to himself as a small tornado of petals began to swirl then they settled revealing the fox, who started it all. The fox wore a small snarl on her muzzle.

“ You two and the child failed. You all failed to play your role. Vita was supposed to be the one who dies, not Azrail!” Mirai barked angrily.

“ That’s why we came here. We want to fix everything, Norah can’t help us because she’s with Vita,” said Quiver as she stopped leaning on Sean, “ please you must know something that can help.”

“ Taurus said something about Crow, please you must know them,” Sean pleaded.

The vixen scoffed at them as she went up into her tree, shaking some petals from the branches causing them to fall on Sean and Quiver. Mirai jumped down from the branches holding a rolled up sheet of paper in her mouth. Sean crouched down and gently took the paper then unrolled it, revealing a map that was labeled Crow’s Nest.

“ What’s Crow’s Nest? How will it help us?” Sean questioned as he examined the map.

“ Crow is Azrail’s son. He’s the God of knowledge and faith. Allen was wise to tell you about Crow. If Crow gets a hold of Azrail’s body he could become the new High God of Death,” responded Mirai.

“ I’ve never heard about either of them before,” Quiver added.

“ Crow is also known as the Keeper of the Lost.”

“ The Keeper of the Lost?” The angel asked as he rolled the map back up.

“ The Keeper of the Lost, in legend he’s a being who collects lost things, lost souls, and lost knowledge. He’s said to guide travelers and adventurers who have lost their way in a place or on a quest with either crows, lighting a path, or guiding them himself. It’s rumored the Keeper of the Lost is blind,” Quiver explained.

“ How can he guide someone if he can’t see?”

“ That’s where faith comes into play. Now you two need to get going as soon as possible, find Crow and tell him what’s going on.”

“ Isn’t he the God of Knowledge? Wouldn’t he already know?”

“ He’s being censored by who we don’t know.”

“ We’ll do it.”

Sean and Quiver walked away from the sakura tree heading back to the temple to prepare for their journey.