Terrible choices and bad decisions, the education system has taught me to always critical asses and think through things no matter the situation,

(But why didn’t I?

Why am I letting my emotions control my actions?)

—

“You know for a child, you think to deeply” the man leans over his shoulder to the boy on his back

“The education system–”

“–Enough about the education system,

What is your name boy?”

“I haven’t been assigned one yet, you have you graduate first, I have a brother whose graduated though, his name is Alexander,”

“If you have family why did ask to come along with me?”

“The education system teaches us that reliance on family makes us weaker and that we should”

“Urrhhh” groans the man

“Please enough of that nonsense”

(Is this man insulting my education?)

“Ok, if you want to mock my knowledge,

What is family to you?”

“I could give you a long-sophisticated answer, but simply put, they are people whom you would die for and would die for you,”

(……)

“Who are you mister?

Where is your family?” 

“My name is Raguel, and I’m taking you to what’s left of them.”

…….

Raguel, from the moment I met him I knew he was mana being, an angel….

They way he spoke, each word had a latent earnestness about them,

Although I’ve learned a lot about mana beings, meeting one was different…

……

“hyuhh!”  Raguel leaps across stone isles

The pair are far on the outer ends of the third ring Gaia, 

It is an inhumane un-liveable collection of barren rocky stone islands floating in a nightly void,

The home of beasts

Ksssssskkk!♪

The boy shivers hearing the hiss, 

“What are your family doing in a place like this?” he speaks directly into Raguel’s ear

“They are not, one of my family, is here,” the angel softly pushes the child’s head away,

“I haven’t actually met them yet, but they are very important to me.”

“If you haven’t met them, would you die for them?”

“…...”

Raguel doesn’t answer instead he shifts the topic

“I am sure you have already guessed that I am not human, yes?”

“Well it was obvious when you used your magic to teleport us here,”

“I don’t use magic, it’s mana we didn’t teleport, we moved, my mana is light I can move and pull things through it”

“Is that how you were able to pull me to you?”

“It was mostly due to your ability, somehow you called out my heart, all I did was respond,”

(My ability huh…)

“So you pulled us here to find your long lost family member, then what?”

“I’m going to die.”

Hoooootooooooo!♪

An owlman’s cry screeches through the night

“What?”

The boy almost releases his grip, falling off Raguel’s back

“Don’t worry about it,” he stops for the child to reposition himself

“I will leave you in place where you can grow happily”

“Are you suicidal?

You the education system teaches us suicidal thoughts manifests because–”

“–I’m not suicidal kid

You know you talk a lot about what you’ve learned but still it seems you don’t know much,”

“I do know,

I do know

I learned quicker than anyone else before me,”

“Ok, well do you know what happens when angles and humans have children?”

“Yes, the human parent dies”

“I guess you do know that much, but the human parent doesn’t have to die, 

We angels can transfer out life force into the human, essentially dying to restore the balance,”

“And you’re going to that, you mated with a human?”

“After I find my youngest sibling here, yes I will and I did”

“Why?”

“…

Love I guess”

“Love?

The education system…..” the boy starts but trails off knowing he’ll just get shot down by Raguel

“Love is something you can’t teach child, you have to experience it

It’s because of love I was caught off guard and brought to Terra”

“I don’t understand you say it is something to experience but that it also brought your downfall??”

“I can’t explain what I mean,

When I we’re done here child, I will take you into mainland Gaia, to a place called Soterra my other half, she resides there you will have to ask her our story.”

“….

I guess there is plenty I still haven’t leant….”

“For an infant you sound wise, you have learned much but there is plenty you have yet to experience,

I will forever be grateful to you for calling out me, and giving me a chance to return before the birth of my own,” 

….

The boy stays silent unable to come up with a response, 

..

The outer regions of Gaia are a treacherous landscape, it varies from flat and barren rock isle’s to floating chunks of jagged hills 

Grauuhh!!

The sounds of the beastmen keep the darkness lively 

The boy hugs tightly on the back of his guardian even though the beasts have stayed clear of them so far it would only take one fell swoop from a vulture or horned owl to crush his infant body…

…..

Hissssssssss!

Sssssssssssssssssssss!

Ssssssssssssssssss!

The hissing gets to an all time loud as Raguel leaps onto a hilly isle 

“Snakemen, have gathered her” he whispers 

“I may have to find another path” 

“Why can’t you just blast through them, you’re an angel right?”

“That’s not how my mana works, I can use it to create or assist not harm, and even the things I can do right are limited right now since there’s barley any light to work with”

“That sounds kind of lame, I thought mana beings were a force to be reckon with?”

“We existed originally to balance each other, the angels power offset the demons it’s as simple as that,”

“Ok, well aren’t the beastmen by-products of the demons surely you can offset them”

“I would he immune to their attacks yes, but are you child? 

I have to keep you safe it’s not just me”

“….

Just so you know, I know how to fight, but I haven’t gone through the physical education system yet,”

“Imagine if you had, those beasts wouldn’t have stood a chance,” Raguel remarks sarcastically

Hksssssssss!

“Is there a way through this isle if we can’t go over?” the boy ignores the remark

Hksssssss!

“There is a cave over there but it could be a dead end”

“We should still try”

…....

……

Tsss♪

Tsss♪

Sounds another hiss but these hisses burn,

Tsss♪

They flicker a spreading a mask of light around the cave walls

“I didn’t except torches to be down here” comments Raguel

“What are those shiny things,” the boy climbs down from the angel’s back 

“Careful child, and those are just magic stones they’re fairly common in these parts,” 

“Magic stones” the boy walks against the walls feeling the rugged gems protruding from them

“Careful” Raguel warns again 

“Relax sir, I am not going to do anything risky, I’m a grown man”

“You aren’t even a preteen shut up” 

“I–”

The boy goes to respond but halts as they approach the end of the short cave way 

It is a dead end, but something else awaits

“Whoa” the child stares enchanted at the oval object

It’s circumference a rough but soft looking layer of violet shell

“A snakeman egg?” he slowly approaches the object

“Wait,” cautions Raguel

“Don’t touch, I don’t think that’s a snakeman egg, the mana on it feels different”

(It does feel different

A familiar mana I’ve encountered before) thinks Raguel

“aghhhh!” shrikes the child, disobeying him he touches the egg

“aghhhh!

Helpp!”

The violet shell acts like a parasite beginning to gobble the boy on contact

“I told you!” Raguel rushes to his side pulling him but the egg adamantly refused to let go

“eiiyyaahhgh 

It hurts

It hurts

It’s eating me!”

“This is a dragon egg, 

Gahh they consume everything they come in contact with

I thought we eradicated all the dragons, 

I,

I can’t save you”

“Aghhhhiiiii!!

It hurtsss” the boy cries

“I…” now even the angel cries

“I can’t let you die

I can’t let a child…”

“Eiiiyahhckk!”

“I can save you boy, I can transfer my life to you to neutralize the–” 

–aghhhhhhhhhuhauha!!”

“Guess there isn’t time to explain.”

(Am I really going to give up the chance to be with my family for this child?)

“I need you to finish my job for me and find the body of my youngest sibling, they call it the phantom flame,

Please,

Thank you for rescuing me boy

Take my life as gratitude, 

And….

And if you were to ever meet my son, 

Tell Apollo I love him”

Love End.