Feyra went to the village and saw that the people seemed to prepare for something. It was bustling and people carried large boxes around.
"Look over there!", the children came running to Feyra.
"Miss you are... Hmm...", one of them looked at her with big eyes, thinking of something, yet not finding the word.
"She's cool!", another boy said.
"How is she cool?", a girl, with a doll in her arms, asked.
"Just look at her! She has armour on! Knights are cool. No debate!", the boy said.
Feyra was a little overwhelmed seeing these children, scratching her head.
If they knew I was a knight in the past they would've been saying even more things like cool. Now I'm just a traveler though...
"But I don't carry a sword with me.", Feyra said, bending down to look at the children.
"See! She is no knight!", the girl said, pointing with her finger at her.
"That's rude! Don't point with your finger at others.", another boy said, running over to the girl and pushing her arm down.
Feyra just smiled letting the children do so. It had been a while since she had seen children in a village. Last time was with Mary. The children in her orphanage were also full of energy.
"Miss? If you aren't a knight then what are you?", the boy asked her with big round eyes, telling Feyra he was near tears if she didn't choose her answer carefully.
"I'm a traveler who travels across the world and visits a lot of places! I may not have that many stories now, but I'll discover every corner of the world!", she answered, making it sound as though it was a heroic deed.
"Aren't travelers quite common?", the girl asked. She didn't seem to be as surprised and was also a little bored.
"That's not all yet. Before I started my journey, I was a knight fighting to protect the lost princess' life."
"The lost princess?", the girl had big wide eyes now.
"But if you fought to protect her life... Wouldn't that mean it was a really long time ago?", one of the older boys asked, who looked to be around ten years old.
"Oho one knows a lot. Indeed it was quite a while ago, but this wasn't the only thing I did. I helped people too and even treated the sick. I'm not just an ordinary knight.", she said in a very confident tone.
"Children! Where are you? What's going on here?", the voice of a woman came, before a figure appeared.
Before Feyra stood a woman, with a bun and a dress on, who smiled. "I'm sorry. These children are just a little excited for the festivities. You are a traveler?", the woman asked. All the children ran to her immediately and didn't wait for her to finish speaking or even for an answer from Feyra. They started talking about how cool Feyra was and that she must be an incredible person.
"She's... She's a Fallen Angel...", a young child stood behind her, looking up her hair and being stunned. They carried a teddy bear with them and looked to be only around five to six years old.
"A Fallen Angel? Who believes that? You've put your nose in too many books again.", an older boy said, making the child behind Feyra cry.
"Now now. Calm down. The boy over there is wrong. You have good eyes.", Feyra said to the child, which visibly relieved hearing her words.
"Eric that's enough! Don't you see Ida is crying again?", the woman said, also coming over to Feyra, who had already taken the little girl into her arms.
"Ida is your name?", she asked, the girl nodding. "What a beautiful name."
"I'm sorry. Ida is a little... She is not often around other children. Her parents died due to the plague. Ida is a bit special.", the woman tried explaining, clearly leaving some parts out.
Ida looked at Feyra and put her head onto her shoulder. "Teddy also likes you."
Now, Feyra was able to see the rhombus on Ida's throat which was in a bright red colour. She already has powers? Wow.
"You see... The children are unsure sometimes if Ida is a girl because of her short hair. She is also often quiet which makes that even harder.", the woman said, shaking her head.
"Oh... Does it have to do with her having powers?", Feyra asked, looking at the woman who got visibly stunned.
"You saw the rhombus!?"
"Yes, it's very obvious."
"Hah... No way around that story... She got her powers when the house burned down, trying to save her teddy. When she came out she was on fire, but strangely enough she didn't get injured. It was more like the flames danced around her to protect her and teddy.", the woman explained, and Ida clutched even more to Feyra now.
"Oh I forgot we don't know each other's name yet. I'm Julia. Nice to meet you. You came at the right time. We are going to have festivities soon.", Julia said, the children running to her again.
"Is that Ida still with this traveler?", a boy asked with a clearly not so nice tone.
"That's not how you speak to people. If you don't want enemies then be kind to others.", Feyra said. "A true knight isn't looking down on someone like this."
"Yes yes! I understand! I'm sorry Ida. That wasn't nice of me.", the boy said, immediately apologising before running off with tears in his eyes.
"What did you tell them?", Julia asked, looking after him.
"I just told them something from the past. Speaking of that... May I ask why Ida's hair is that short?"
"She can't control her fire powers very well, so they always burn off. I'm glad that they're still staying till the chin though. Even if she is completely engulfed by flames, as soon as it's near her head, it stops.", Julia said, showing Feyra to follow her. "Ida is a little lonely and often reads books. She learned it from me after losing her parents. That was only a year ago... Ida was still four at that time."
Feyra was listening to her, keeping Ida sitting on her arm. Ida seemed very interested in Feyra and took a strand of her hair before looking at it from every possible angle.
"Miss Julia! She's a Fallen Angel!", Ida said as they arrived in front of a big house.
"Little Ida... Haven't I told you that not everyone from these stories is real? Fallen Angels don't exist and if they existed they wouldn't come here."
Ida was near tears again before Feyra patted her head. "That's not right. Fallen Angels do exist and one of them stands in front of you."
"I doubt that. You're likely just playing into her fantasies.", Julia said, turning around and looking at Feyra.
"Fallen Angels have black spots on their hair and also wings that are tainted.", Ida said. In that moment Feyra put Ida down for a while before taking off her leather top and stuffing it in her bag. Then she took up Ida again before she revealed a set of wings that had black spots. Those were the tainted wings of a Fallen Angel.
"How did you do this? Are you sure you're a traveler and not a magician?", Julia asked, not really believing it.
"Ida do you know even more about Fallen Angels?"
"They're said to have no red blood.", she answered innocently, taking a strand of hair again and playing with it.
"I can't show that here but it is true. I am a Fallen Angel and everything Ida said is true too. I'm not a magician.", Feyra said.
Julia was unsure what to say in return, but she was still skeptical. "Let's continue talking inside. This is the house of my husband, the mayor. We have some guest rooms for you to stay in."
Feyra followed her inside and was greeted by a man who looked to be in his mid thirties. "A traveler? Oh and little Ida! How are you doing today?", he asked, walking over.
"I'm doing fine. I found someone awesome today! Just look at this!", Ida showed him the strand of hair from Feyra, which had black ends.
"Oho. Now that isn't common. How did you get them?", he asked, looking at Feyra.
"She's a Fallen Angel!", Ida immediately said with a bright smile. "Teddy also says she is."
"Aya. I'm Hendrik. Nice to meet you. Is that true what she says?"
"My name is Feyra. Nice to meet you too. It is indeed true."
"Oh Lord wielding fire! A Fallen Angel is greeting us!", Hendrik said, before looking over to his wife. Julia shook her head in disbelief.
"You believe that too!? Or are you just putting on an act for little Ida?", she was slightly annoyed and mad at her husband. "I can understand that we believe in the Lord wielding fire. The Alliance has confirmed they exist but... For Fallen Angels there is no evidence they exist!"
"How are you so sure about that? Her hair is an indicator for that.", Hendrik said.
"Oh yeah and she also has wings. What great magic!", Julia said, being furious.
"Wings? Really?", Hendrik looked over to Feyra, who gladly revealed her wings again to end this conversation as fast as possible.
Hopefully this isn't going to become worse... Poor Ida...
Feyra was just standing there with Ida on her arm, who didn't seem as interested in the fight Hendrik and Julia had.
"How can you say she isn't?"
"She is a magician! She's trying to fool us to get our kindness!"
That's totally wrong... I don't need your kindness but I want to help you and I also want to help Ida a bit.
Feyra was inwardly crying, hearing such an accusation without any evidence backing it up. She moved a little forward to the table and found a splinter in the surface of the table. Feyra went over it with her hand a few times before she had it stuck in her finger.
"Ouch."
"What is it now?", Julia turned to her.
"I got a splinter in my finger. Must've accidentally gotten it from somewhere...", she said, putting Ida down on a chair and pulling it out. "Do you have something I can hold over the wound? It seems to be bleeding."
Hendrik got a piece of white cloth and gave it to Feyra. "Here. I hope it's not too bad. Be careful with wood."
Feyra nodded, before she looked at Ida who was stunned by Feyra's actions.
Julia was still furious and wanted to continue, but Hendrik was more stunned by the fact he didn't see any red on the cloth.
"What is it now, my dear husband?", Julia asked, also looking over.
"That is... Wow..."
"What? That magician wants to fool us... Wait... Is that illusion magic?", she asked.
"No. I only have the power of Destruction. I know nothing else. This is my actual blood.", Feyra said, taking a seat next to Ida and holding the cloth on her finger even more.
Ida was stunned but nodded. "I approve."
"The debate is over, wife! She is a Fallen Angel. No matter how much you believe they don't exist... If even the name Zahel exists, then Fallen Angels must exist. And we just so happen to have one of them in our village for the festivities.", Hendrik ended the debate, shoving his wife out of the door, and closing it behind her.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that. Say this splinter..."
"It's from your table."
Hendrik was quiet for a moment. "Thank you for removing it. Although not in the best way, but it makes it safer for little Ida."
Hendrik finally sat down and exhaled. "There is still so much to do for the festivities... So much to prepare."
"Do you need help?", Feyra asked, looking at the man who was slumped over on the table.
"Would you want to help?"
"Yes. How does it sound, Ida? Do you also want to help?", Feyra turned her head to the little girl, which was smiling.
"Yes! Teddy also wants to help!"