Warmth.

  Val: "Thanks for everything, Masako, Riney."

  He was on a set of stairs, apparently about to go up.

  Masako: "No problem! Ask us if something's wrong!"

  A big smile appeared on Masakos' face, while a less exaggerated one creeped up on Rineys'

  Riney: "What he said."

  Val instincively grabbed his own heart. He looked down with an almost melancholic look.

  Val: "Sure, thanks again..."

  Said Val with a sad tone. Though he tried to give a smile back, all that came out was something forced. The happiness he was feeling in this moment felt fake, or not deserved. And so, the sad aura around him.

  The brothers and the angel parted ways, with a slight gesture from the hand. Val climbed the stairs. Slowly. He felt that using the brothers kindness was wrong.

  "---!"

  Gritting his teeth, he felt a strong pain in his heart. And so he grabbed it even harder. He stopped on the stairs, putting his hand on the handrail searching for balance.

  After a moment, Val resumed his walk to his room, number 3.

  Inside the room, was a bed, a small table with a chair, and a wardrobe on the same wall as the door, to the left of it. Very simple. After taking a moment to take the information in, he threw himself on the bed, and by doing so, he noticed a window beside it. It was pretty wide, and he could see the entrance to the inn.

  He was happy with what he had right now. But that happiness, as before, it felt undeserved. He wasn't who they were directing benevolence toward.

  But on the bed, the comfortable bed, with a non-leaf-made pillow, his halo felt incredibly uncomfortable and out of place. With his eyes still closed, he grabbed it and brought it to it's normal position over the head. And in the blink of an eye, he was asleep.

  --

  Val: "ugh.."

  Let it be light!

  Consciousness was returned to the sleeping angel. Le window let in far too much light now that it was morning, so staying asleep wasn't an option.

  Get up, Val!

  Val: "nooooooo...!!"

  He turned around and hugged his pillow. Who was he talking to? Seemed like he was answering the world, as it gave him signs it was the moment to get up.

  --

  Down the stairs he went. Slowly, again. He rubbed his eye, as the ceiling gave way to the main hall. And inside, sitting at a table, Masako held a thoughtful face, and also, a wooden mug.

  Val stopped. He moved his right hand from his eye closer to his heart. Then he continued going down the stairs.

  Masako turned his head toward him.

  Masako: "Yo."

  He raised his hand to greet Val.

  Val: "Hello, Masako."

  Val copied Masako, making the same greeting gesture.

  Masako: "Waiter! Get us a water! Please."

  Masako leaned behind him. Then he faced Val who had sat down on the chair opposite of him.

  Masako: "How was it? Great, right?"

  Val: "It was. I fell asleep right away."

  Masako: "Good stuff. Say, I'd have a favour to ask you."

  Val understood.

  Val: "Sure! After what you guys did for me, I could never reject your request."

  Masako: "Great, yeah. There are some things to do around the town. Could you help?"

  Val nodded.

  Val: "Yes! Sure. Whatever it is, I'm sure I could be at least of some use."

  Emphasis on 'some'.

  Masako: "Alright! Thanks!"

  As Vals' water arrived, Masako raised his cup with a smile on his face, as usual.

  --

  After just a couple hours, Val found himself carrying buckets of water to and from a garden at the ends of the village, where vegetables and anything of the sorts was growing. He knew he was repaying a debt and so it was the right choice to do the work, but he couldn't help hating his choice. But, ignoring his thoughts, he was there, working.

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  It wasn't too strenuous, but the thought of doing something he didn't like with his time made him disappointed. But the villagers thought otherwise, since they looked at him going back and forth with amazement, somewhat.

  He carried six full sized buckets per trip, each filled to the brim with water. That's heavy. And he did it with such ease.

  He was effectively showing off his unusual strength to everyone, without knowing it. But he did notice the surprised looks, and by reflex, he gave a glare to each and every one of them. He couldn't help but draw comparisons to his life in heaven.

  Only later he realized maybe that was not the right way to deal with that. Maybe smiling, waving and being more friendly would help.

  All of this thinking was tiring, more than carrying three full buckets per arm.

  Once he got to his destination with the next round of water, drawn from a faucet in the main plaza of the town, he placed the buckets in front of him with ease. Then he straightened up and looked ahead. To the right it looked like the forest got denser, with more trees closer to each other that kept the light completely out. He couldn't see anything apart from the clear line between 'here', and 'there'. It was slightly unnerving, not knowing what was out there.

  In the garden were a young lady, who was picking a strange sort of fruit from a plant, and an older woman, who was approaching Val who presented the buckets.

  And suddenly, the smile that had appeared on Vals' face directed to the woman faded, and instead there appeared a very complex expression. It was a sort of glare, with a hint of annoyance.

  He was looking toward that dark place beyond the line that defined 'here'.

  "----"

  Val gritted his teeth. No one had noticed yet.

  3 of the Boarhounds Masako had mentioned slowly crept out of the forest, and were watching the lady picking fruits.

  Val knew what was about to happen, but he tried not to make them notice he saw them. And instead, he waited. He slowly raised his hand to his mouth with a finger extended, and gestured to stay silent to the now worried woman.

  "----"

  He waited for their move.

  They were still watching. But inevitably, the woman Val was facing decided to turn around and check the cause of this unusual behaviour. And seeing it, her expression turned fearful, and she couldn't help but let out a loud scream.

  --

  Masako arrived home after explaining the work Val had to do. There, he found Riney, who had just gotten up. They didn't speak, nor look at each other. Masako sat down on a chair, his expression thoughtful. At the table were two other chairs. His brows were slightly furrowed, while he had his hands together, resting his elbows on the armrest. He stared at the ground, thinking. Riney could obviously feel whatever emotion his brother was feeling. But he felt it too, of his own accord, even though to a lesser extent.

  Riney: "You okay?"

  He was worried.

  Masako: "Yeah, sure"

  And that wasn't truthful.

  Riney: "I'm sure we'll find him tomorrow"

  Masako: "Yeah, of course. Always so sure."

  Masako was obviously being sarcastic.

  Masako: "Just to remind you, you said that the last time too."

  Riney looked down.

  Riney: "Don't take it out on me. I say that we'll find him because i think it's true."

  Masako put his hands on his face and brought them down. Then, he got up, and he went up the stairs that were close to the entrance of the house. He got to the second floor, and entered the furthermost room of three. Not long after, Riney followed and entered the closest of them. Until their peace was disturbed, hearing a loud scream from where Masako had left Val. They both exited their rooms at the same time.

  --

  After the woman's scream, the boar looking creatures attacked the lady who had turned away. All three of them charged toward her.

  Without giving way to thought, Val sprung forward, arriving in front of the lady in a noticeably small amount of time. The first boarhound struck Val in his stomach, but his expression remained the same, annoyed, glare. Instead of attacking, he searched for a compromise. He lightly pushed the boar away, but of course Vals' 'lightly' and the boar's 'lightly' were two different things.

  The boar hurdled backwards, not being able to stop and rebalance itself. The second one was now approaching, to the left of Val, looking straight at the terrified lady, who covered her mouth with both hands. Here eyes were the ones indicating fear.

  The creature was far too close to avoid heavy hits. In fact in that moment Val gave up his legs to those newly gained instincts.

  Almost without realizing it, he kicked the boar out of the way with incredible strength. Instead of rolling away, the leg crushed it's side, and it pierced it.

  Val wasn't even looking. But when he did, he looked with worry.

  But there was no time to think. The third of them was charging toward Val, instead of the lady. It understood there was no getting to others without passing him.

  And the one Val had shoved also followed suit.

  And once again, he felt something he had felt many times in this short period of time.

  Two voices. They begged.

  One came from instinct, and the other from stupid reasoning.

  And Val always asked himself which one he should follow.

  As the two boarhounds approached, Val was frozen, as if he was being pulled from both sides at once. What to do?

  A saviour came and postponed his decision to the future.

  Vals' eyes widened.

  "---!"

  Masako appeared, wielding a sword, and swiftly cut off the head of the closest, then he moved to the other and did the same.

  Val was relieved, even though he was really in no danger whatsoever.

  His saviour straightened up, closed his eyes and he too sighed a sigh of relief.

  And once Val returned to himself, he noticed.

  The boar he had kicked was still attached to his leg. That kick had pierced through the now dead boarhound, but not completely. Val was now standing with his foot inside the boar's body.

  He felt like vomiting.

  --

  That night, the three friends went to the same inn Val was staying at.

  They sat at the only open table, and ordered the same things they had ordered when Val had first arrived.

  Masako was the first to bring up the topic of that afternoon.

  Masako: "Hey, about those boarhounds that attacked.. You seemed to be holding your own. Are you good at that kind of thing?"

  Val: "Well..."

  He hoped he could just say no.

  Val: "I supposed I'm capable. I don't like to fight, though."

  It was all true. Just not in the sense the brothers had probably interpreted it.

  Val: "That's why I... froze when i was being attacked. I'm sure you noticed. You only intervened because you did, am I right?"

  Masako and Riney nodded, but not without a strong reaction of surprise.

  Riney: "You noticed us?"

  Val had still not accustomed to Rineys' very deep voice. He slightly jolted in his seat, and subconsciously straightened his posture.

  Val: "Well yeah. I mean, you weren't so far to not be noticed."

  Val had not looked in their direction once. But they stopped about 10 meters from the angel, and they both knew that.

  They were all confused.

  Masako: "Anyways."

  The topic changed once more.

  Masako: "So, tomorrow, me and Riney and some other hunters planned to go into the forest and search for a friend that recently got lost in it."

  Val furrowed his brows, thinking of something.

  Masako: "Having seen your very positive performance, we would like to ask for your help."

  Val made a slightly concerned face, but not for the reason Masako thought of.

  Masako: "Don't worry! There won't be any fighting, if we're lucky, just the fact that the more the merrier."

  Val returned to thinking, and Masako thought the problem had faded.

  Val raised his head and faced the brothers.

  Val: "What is Meshen?"