The sa clacking sound high heels would make resounded in the hall that lead to the vast chamber of the council eting room, though those present knew it actually ca from the wooden footsteps of one of his elders.
"Alessandro, I heard your kids are back. I'm so glad for you." A soft feminine voice greeted the treefolk guardian of the forest.
"What about my kids? Are they doing alright?" Another woman spoke, though her voice was less feminine and it carried the wisdom of age.
"For crying out loud, let him breathe... or whatever it is his people do." A voice growled and silence was made.
"There is much to report and it will be difficult to present it to you in just this eting I'm afraid," Alessandro spoke in an apologetic way then faintly shook his head before continuing. "I would like to start by saying that what happened in Texas wasn't caused by the witches."
"That's good, it would be a sha to ruin hundreds of years of peace in this trying tis."
"I'm sad to inform you that while they weren't involved in that incident, they seem to be on the move. We all found safe haven inside a dungeon and they kicked us out like stray dogs, no offense to our canine representative." Alessandro apologized again and the first woman who spoke replied.
"Mister Alessandro, there's no need to apologize for every little thing. Just continue, please."
"I'm sorry, it's just that... it's been so difficult. Without the help of the council I don't know what would have beco of my family." Alessandro's eyes welled up at the mory of Chiara's and Kalos' return. Seeing them alive and well brought him so much happiness and he was grateful to the council for helping his family to get back on their feet.
"I heard sothing about a strange hunter who helped you, is he also a hybrid?"
"I don't know." Silence followed Alessandro's statent as those present knew he was older than he seed and thanks to his involvent in human society he also got to know hybrids that didn't belong to the council.
"If you don't know, then he can't be one of us, right?" A childish voice asked, prompting those who knew better to shake their heads in disapproval.
"From what I saw with my own two eyes, I would be inclined to say he's just a human hunter. From what I heard about what happened that night, I would think he's one of us. The problem is that there's more rumors going around him than goblins in the streets."
"Do you think we can reel him in to our cause?" The childish voice asked yet, once more, no one replied.
"What can you tell us about him?"
"Honestly, not much, though a great portion of my people believe him to be a honey badger-human hybrid." Alessandro showed the bark-like palms of his hands.
At the sa ti this council eting was taking place, Uriel felt his ears burning for so odd reason he couldn't fathom.
"Are you embarrassed about holding hands with ?" Luna asked in her usual cold monotone to which Uriel replied.
"Would you let go if I said yes?"
"Uhm, no. You still hold hands with dusa even after you broke up, this is fair."
"It's because she's blind!" Uriel snarled, then continued walking through the crowded streets. For so strange reason everyone kept glaring at him and the only explanation he found after raking up his brain was that Luna looked like a child and people thought she was his daughter. However, that only lasted until he saw their reflections on a shopwindow.
Instead of the childish figure he expected to see by his side, Uriel saw a beautiful woman with delicate features. Her ever present aloof expression giving her an aura of mystery and nobility Uriel could not explain and even the way she clasped his hand made it evident that she wasn't being 'led' anywhere but rather walking side by side with him.
Although Uriel failed to notice before, she wasn't wearing her hoodie but a shirt with a modest neckline that sohow managed to keep her abundant bosom a secret. Her silvery hair cascading on her back decorated with an opaque hairpin complinted her beautiful face that thanks to a touch of light make up didn't look sleepy like usual, but lively and sharper than ever.
"Oh my! We look like a couple..."
"No, you look like a beggar kidnapping a cute girl. Now I regret letting Nika play doll with ." Luna pointed towards Uriel's figure which contrary to hers seed disheveled and unkempt. This ti it wasn't because Uriel was too cheap to buy nice clothes but because of Jon keeping him on edge during the last two days.
He was sleep deprived, malnourished and hadn't even taken the ti to change clothes that morning as he rushed to the airport as soon as the hotel staff inford him the permission to land had been granted and the Pegasus was already on its way.
"Do you mind if we do so shopping?" Uriel attempted to use the hand Luna was holding to scratch his cheek, but she refused to let go.
"Uhm... uhm...," Luna stuttered making Uriel think she was thinking about it, but then noticed she was reacting to sothing she saw behind the window.
Uriel squinted his eyes to see past the reflection and what he saw was even more shocking than Luna's makeover. Inside the shop and directly in front of them, they saw a tall man with bulging muscles and a perfect jawline walking hand by hand with a beautiful woman almost his height with pronounced curves and a very eye catching cleavage.
It wasn't just Uriel staring at the couple but everyone around and inside the shop too as they looked like the perfect couple on a magazine cover.
So people even dared to take out their cellphones and snap pictures of them both, more shaless people blatantly pointed their caras directly at the woman's desirable figure taking advantage of her blindness yet all it took for them to regret their actions was a glare from the intimidating man.
"This can't be..." Uriel gasped.
"She's... uhm... blind. You said it." Luna said in her monotone.
"You're right, it really can't be. Tate is a nice guy but I've never seen him get close to dusa. Not even as friends." Uriel turned around and pulled Luna to go on with their shopping trying to hide the fact that he was jealous.
"Are you jealous?" Luna asked.
"No." Uriel lied.
"That is... too bad... I thought I was getting better at reading people's emotions." Luna said in her monotone that almost made Uriel feel bad.
As usual, the street was filled with shops of different kinds up to the tenth or so floor which should have made it difficult for them to choose a spot to buy clothes, if not for the fact that none of them knew or cared much about outfits and they just entered the first one they saw, then the next and the one that followed in an orderly manner.
Luna felt soothed by the monotony of visiting the shops this way, while Uriel appreciated not wasting any more ti than they absolutely needed to get what he wanted. Unfortunately to him, it was impossible for him to find anything made of natural fiber, leather or anything comfortable enough.
Uriel didn't want to admit it, but along with his hunter rank his living standards also elevated. A heavenly rank hunter's skin was tougher than leather which allowed them to shrug off most of beast rank cryptid's attacks. However, it was also sensitive enough to feel wind disturbances, slight temperature changes or in this case, the poor quality of the fabric.
"I can't believe I'll say this, but I think we'll have to go buy my clothes at a more expensive place." Uriel let out a sigh.
Luna didn't say anything, she just tightened the grip on his hand and made eye contact, then passed a silver coin through his hand making Uriel chuckle.
"Interesting... you're not a skinwalker" Luna muttered.
"The shops near the street are usually ant for the average citizen and they try to gather as much people as possible, the kind of shop we're looking for should be in a more secluded way far from the slums." Uriel scanned his surroundings to orient himself, but found more than he expected.
In just a few seconds he noticed the presence of many people from his crew coming and going. Miss Dragonfang and Phlox were stuffing their mouths with Starborgs muffins, while others from the crew walked in and out of the sa shops Uriel and Luna just visited. Then, he saw Emma and Amy looking at a poster in a wall with a gaping mouth.
Everyone was having fun in their own way, but Uriel didn't miss how everyone moved around like they were in a race against ti. It was the first ti they've been to a proper city after the downfall of Texas and up until then Uriel didn't even spare a second to think about what his crew wanted.
"Perhaps we should stay here more than a few days, if only to give them more ti to relax." Uriel smiled.
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