Creatures of the Dark

Arden dropped her arm then, picking his bag up from the floor and beginning to move qround the other survivors. Helping where he could.

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"Agree to what you want, suggest what you want. You'll only be happy if it's on your terms at the moment, you think I don't give a shit about what you want so... your people have won, haven't they?"

She went in the other direction and helped as much as she could
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“My people don’t win unless you let them.” He told her

"They've changed how you think, and broken me so.. they already have."

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After an hour had passed, Arden sat himself down at the trunk of a tree with a deep breath. Raking fingers through his hair tiredly.

"It's not my people that changed the way I think." He told her.
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Belle eventually came and sat next to him. "It's getting late, everyone is making a shelter with what they can, you should get some rest."

"Who was it then?"

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"We need to find a way to make some kind of signal, so we can be found. There isn't time to rest."

"Look, we don't know what's around here at night, we don't know where we can scavenge or what, it's best to wait for light to ensure safety." Belle assured him. "I'll get some things together at first light."
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"It was you." He told her. "You changed the way I think about everything, about you, about Rose, about my parents about y duty, when you and I had that break I used it to work on being a better king because I had nothing else, I was already a father to Rose and she was happy, and I didn't have you." He explained. "So, I had nothing else, that's why I am this, that's why my thoughts changed because I put yself into y duty."

Alessia was quiet as she listened, taking in a deep breath and nodding. "I just want us to feel okay again. That's it."

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"Mm, alright pup. What's your name?"

Belle froze for a minute at being called pup, touching her necklace. "Belle." She whispered.
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"As do I," He told her with a soft sigh. "I love you Alessia, I know you might not believe it, but I do, but this is he me that will be here for a long time, it's just who I am now, and I'm sorry."

"Belle... I'm Arden."

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"I- right. Right, okay."

"If you want to leave the say it and I'll take you bak here myself." He told her.
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Belle smiled softly. "It's nice to meet you Arden."

Arden offered his hand out for it to shake, though now calm had befallen everyone else, the way he trembled was clear.

---

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"I don't want to leave."

She took his hand shaking it and she rubbed his shoulder to help soothe him. "Hey, we are all going to be okay." She promised.
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He nodded

"We will be," He agreed with a humourless laugh. "Some of these people though... the humans. I don't think so."

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"Are you going training?"

“I will be.” He told her. “You came come if you want.”
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Belle looked at the humans. “Maybe but then humans can be surprising.”

"I- yeah... yeah, thank you."

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He followed her gaze, waiting until he was sure the attention wasn't on them before rolling his shoulders back. Wings shooting from his shoulder blades in a sharp and sudden motion, purple tinged translucent things that had delicate old language patterning on them.

He gave her a small smile before he led her in the direction of the training arena.
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She watched him and she smiled sligjtly. “They are beautiful.”

"They? Oh, oh... the wings." He chuckled. "They aren't like angel wings, dark angel wings. Now those are outstanding."

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Alessia wandered after him, finding a seat to lower herself onto when they got there. "Have fun."

He walked down to the training ring and she was treated to quite a show, being the king his training was a lot harder than everyone else he was pushed to his limits both with his powers and with his physical ability. He was against his own men and no one went easy on each other.
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“I know a few dark angels, their wings are beautiful.”

Alessia barely watched, head turned away for the most part to watch the floor.

When the training was over, his men all bowed to him before they walked to Alessia bowing to her. “Our queen.” They chorused before Damian allowed them to leave

"Bye, well done everyone." Alessia praised quietly before her attention turned onto Damian. "Feel better?"

“A little bit.” He admitted. “You know you could always train with me.” He offered. “I think you’d benefit from some self defence just in case.”

"Oh. No... no thank you. I know basic self-defence, I - I don't need any of.. that."

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"Fluffy, feathery things. Mine get touched and I die, their... just nerve endings and complicated cells. Precious. Not like birds."

“If you change your mind,” he offered. “It turns into just a bit of fun really.”
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She nodded. “ wry precious.”

"Mhmm. How long has your wolf been with you? She feels... young."

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"That isn't fun, not to me."