With wings on display, they circled each other then, I create a set of mirrors so they could admire themselves, I was surprised to see how infatuated with her own wings Cosmael was, but she said they were sacred so it was clearly a point of pride for most divines.
"I hope they don't change much when I'm reborn, that's the one thing I wish I could carry over."
"Little one, how do your mum's look to you?"
"They're beautiful Dad, can't you see them? They put mine to shame and mine are incredible." Eve and I chuckled at the uncharacteristic confidence.
"And how are mine?"
"A bit rugged, but they're handsome and give of the appearance of unyielding authority. So they are very good for a male's"
"Well, then if it works the same as mortals your new wings will carry both that beauty and authority. You will have wings of such imperial majesty that mortals weep when they gaze upon them."
"Dad, that was really cheesy, but thank you. If you are right, I'll be the happiest when they first sprout, but I will probably be self-conscious about them, so don't groom them too much or I'll cry." I walked towards her and gave her another wing-hug.
When she was calm again, I knelt and did the same with Quatal, who practically melted. Finally, I rose and did the same with Eve, who let out a small yelp. "How are you not reacting? These things are so sensitive."
"They are? Mine feel numb, almost disconne-"
"Sorry! We have to go back to The Garden Quatal. Please be a good girl and cover your ears for a second." She walked over and approached Eve, then whispered something in her ear, which made her face drop.
"Adam, open the gate for them." She hugged Cosmael, looking guilty, then went and hugged Quatal goodbye.
"Ok... Can someone tell me why exactly? I don't really get it." I walked over and hugged the girls, one of whom couldn't look me in the eye then they departed.
"Dear, you need to go indoors and make a massage table and some stands to keep your wings raised, then you need to give me all the memories on male massage and I will do what I meant to do. I'm so sorry dear, you should have been in absolute grief, but your body was disconnected so we didn't know."
I knew better than to argue, she was using the same medical urgency tone that I used when treating patients and she wouldn't do that without good reason.
When I laid down, their weight seemed to multiply and a deep ache shot through me. I winced at it then conjured the supports as Eve had told me to do, the relief was bliss. Finally I produced the memory orb and some oils the placed my face into the hole in the table.
Eve processed then got to work, the pain was deep and cutting. "I know love, I know, I'm so sorry we didn't know."
"Stop apologising, we didn't know. Even the girls didn't know." I grunted as I felt some muscles tear and my wing spasmed.
"Oh, I'm sorry, felt it rip."
"Eve. Stop. Take a breath. This is no one's fault, you're here, now, trying to help. Thank you, do your best and don't panic."
Eve followed my advice, detaching herself from the moment to not make mistakes, she still made a few and flinched from them, but nothing that wasn't healed naturally in seconds even if some of those seconds dragged.
"Oh my god, that feels better." I said standing up. Unlike before my wings weren't as "rugged" as Cosmael put it, now they bent up and down to tuck behind my body more and not make them a nuisance.
"Good, better... Now you need to get this stuff out of the way and we need a bigger bed, then you need to give me a wing-hug."
"Why a bed? Cosmael said we might need it, she made a certain simile between certain parts of a mortal body in terms of sensitivity. "Best to prepare just in case, since you two are a special one" that was what she whispered."
"I mean ok..." i started saying as I did as I was asked, then turned toward eve as I continued. "...I have to say though this seems a bit unnecessary." As I got within arms reach, Eve simply raised a hand then stroked the edge of my four left wings and almost brought me to my knees.
"So, my reaction earlier, notice how I didn't give Little one a wing-hug and she couldn't look at you after seeing my reaction?"
"I think I get where this is going... We need to desensitise these...exposed nerves."
"Yes, definitely, or we need to keep them furled and wasted and I personally want to fly."
With that we embraced in a wing-hug and immediately lost to divine will.
The next day, we continued on our journey, Eve and I wings firmly hidden, task unfinished, definitely more desensitising left to do.
That aside, I suddenly felt a lot more divine will and power flowing through me. "Little one, what would happen if I split my power up and put it into my wings?"
"You would be normal. May also help with th-..."
I decided to unfurl them and do it and then had Eve touch them carefully. "Well Cosmael, you just made things much easier, your are a gem my precious Little One."
I then open a telepathic link to Eve. 'No need to desensitise after all. That sounds like a win-win, now you just need to learn to divvy up your power like mine.'
Thankfully, Eve was a master of manipulating and regulating her power, so with a touch of divine will she was able to follow suit. "Oh that is much better for public display."
"Ew, please don't. Now just give me a wing-hug now it isn't gross Mum,"
The moment their wings interlocked, Cosmael melted into Eve's arms and fully dropped the grossed out teenager act. I realised watching them that their wings didn't actually touch, they were surrounded by an almost imperceptibly thin barrier that stopped direct contact.
As we continued, we did so at full speed, full terrestrial speed. Cosmael ran us through proper wing grooming routines, from exercises to brushing.
I would need to check with Astrael what was necessary and what was her unusual vanity on the subject, but the list was long enough to keep us occupied until we reached the ruins of Bellerver.
We made our way to the charred foundations of the castle, then Eve stepped forward alone as I held the girls' hands offering silent support to her. She stood talking to both no one and specific people, people she would never see again and had yet to properly grieve.
She spoke of sorrows, of news that she had heard of other casualties, she spoke of joys, of finding her new family, she spoke of times of neither joy nor sorrow, of her excommunication which was her liberation. She told them of others and of places, of events and through it all she smiled and frowned and laughed and cried.
She bid them their final farewell, she invited them to find her in The Black, though she didn't think they would make it, she knew before long she would be unable to follow them, so she apologised and departed.
Then she fell silent, then she grew resentful, then she grew angry, then she grew selfish and chose to love what she had rather than mourn what she lost.
"Would divine will bring them back?"
"Most likely." Cosmael answered honestly. "Would they be the same? Would they be thankful? Would they even realise what you did? The answer is most probably not. You could bring back their bodies, you saw the zombies in Kanelsia. Their minds and personalities I imagine depends on how well you knew them, if you fail though, you would have to kill them yourself."
"Thank you Little One, I needed that. Quatal, can Mama carry you? She needs her hands for Papa and big sis. She needs her family right now, may I have you all... Please..."
I approached where she stood, left an offering of food and drink. "I won't lie, I have lived a long time and don't believe in ghosts. You helped the woman I love though, so it's only right I thank you. Thank you all."
I then returned to where I was needed and reclaimed my wife's hand. the same one her father gave me, and the same one I swore nothing could keep me from, I didn't have words to speak, I didn't even have feelings to feel. They were strangers, they meant nothing to me, claiming to miss them now they were gone would demean their lives. How many people loved each one? How many people Hated them? Meaningless questions with no answers, yet they plagued me for the rest of the day.