Blood & Carrots Ep. 26

The wolf finally shook off the charm and gave a nod. "S-she is... I love her very much."

"You obviously do, my wolf. You risked so much for her... even you Katrina, all on friendship and duty." He spoke the words to the two of them, respect in his voice.

"I have stood with her in battle several times, I trust her with my back. That's all the reason I needed to come to her aid when she needed it. Her being my friend and the lover of my mate were just added reasons." The black cat nodded and folded her arms.

"Tor, what are you going to do about this situation? It's a mess... I don't want to cause problems between our people, but I'm going to kill this lion unless you do something satisfactory about it." Lorelai grumbled the words and fixed the angel with a stern look. "It will be slow and painful as well, an hour of agony for every second of pain he caused her."

"You are within your rights, your family came to negotiate and he turned a blade to them without consideration. Even when the seer gave him evidence to the contrary, he let his bias cloud his judgments." The rabbit gave the sheep a nod as he spoke.

"My lord, I only did what was best for-"

"You will remain silent! You have brought enough shame to us this day." The angel spat the words out sharply towards the kneeling lion and everyone in the room flinched from the will of his tone but Lorelai.

"Fine... I will leave him to you then. What about her?" Lorelai nodded to Gloria who still hadn't risen.

"A good question... she has still broken our laws." He folded his arms in thought.

"Oh come off it Tor, you know she is a good kid. She has done more good in the last few years than that sack of trash has done in centuries." Lorelai sneered the words while jamming a thumb towards Ezekiel.

"It's true, but our laws are our laws, Lorelai." The angel sighed and put a hand to his chest in thought.

"Uh... Toroah, sir? Can I ask a question?" I lifted a finger as I spoke curiously.

"You just did my rabbit." He gave me a coy smile and my cheeks flushed.

"Fine, I'm asking another one... why can't we get past this and everyone just gets along? Our people don't have to kill anymore, hell you celestial's probably do more killing these days than we do, if this situation is any indication." I put my hands on my hips and glared at the lion.

"It's not so simple, millennia of distrust cannot be-"

"Yes, it can!" I snap out and clench my teeth. "I and Gloria found love in months, not centuries. We were friends within a day of meeting one another!" I spoke the words and moved over to my dog, grabbing her arm and forcing her to stand as she barked out but followed my pull.

Katrina sighed and looked upon the angel. "She is right... I bonded with the dog and became friends quickly as well."

Alex nodded. "Yeah... it didn't feel like anything odd or weird, she's a great girl and we all just like her."

"Rise and tell me your thoughts, Elias." Toroah spoke out to the fox.

The white fox stood and looked towards Gloria. "I've seen more kindness and warmth in this one, than I've seen in any other of your kind in centuries. Also, she respects my family, as well as makes my brother and sisters happy."

The rabbit folded his arms and leveled the dog with a curious look. "Gloria... how do you feel about all this? How do you feel about being put on trial and knowing you would die for your actions? Knowing you faced such tribulation despite maintaining your duty."

The dog placed a hand upon her chest, clasping the rosary there. "I gave my loyalty to our cause that has not wavered, but my friends and loved ones have my heart. I do not regret my path, knowing them all and sharing this time with them, It is worth the price I pay. I only wish them all to walk away safely and I regret the pain it will cause them."

The angel extended his hand towards the armored dog. "Knight commander, I would have your sword."

I clenched my teeth and pushed in front of my angel. "Toroah, if you're planning to strike her down, you will have to cut me down first. I have no hope of stopping you, but I will not stand by while you take her from me." I spoke the words pointedly as I stood between them, hand already moving to my whip.

"Be at peace, my rabbit. I have no such intentions." The angel spoke the words gently as he collected the long sword and I felt my tension ease before moving away. "Take a knee, Knight Gloria. All of you rise for this, except Ezekiel."

"This will be bittersweet and painful, my child. I am sorry..." He spoke the words gently to Gloria and she nodded in response.

"First and foremost, you have performed your task admirably and I hereby promote you to a position of Angelic Knight. You now have your wings, my child." Toroah gently touched the blade to her shoulders.

Gloria clenched her teeth then let out a pained bark. The fabric of her shirt ripped apart and wings sprang forth from her back, covered in bloody white feathers. She clenched her teeth, bracing on her palm and panting from the pain, blood running down her sides while staining the shreds of the back of her shirt. "T-thank you, your grace..." She panted the words with a whimper.

Toroah frowned and shook his head. "Now the sad part. You've broken our laws, it pains me to say so, but you are now fallen to us. You have lost your purity of divinity." As the angel spoke the words, the white feathers on her wings were already slowly shifting to a charcoal color.

"Wow... that's really kind of shitty, Toroah..." I growled the words and put my hands on my hips, glaring at the angel. He offered me an apologetic smile in reply.

"It is fine, Alice... I willingly broke the laws after all... my wings would be this way, regardless of what Toroah wanted... It is the taint in me." Gloria spoke the words with resignation in her voice a pant of pain still on her breath.

The rabbit gave me a grin before turning to speak to the kneeling dog. "Fallen angel, Gloria. You are no longer to receive the benefits of our military. You will need to provide your own housing and income. Also, you will no longer receive the benefit of our communion."

Gloria frowned at the words then lifted her ears in realization. "W-wait... you mean?"

"That's right... you have no commanding officers to track your movements, you can go and do as you please." Toroah gave the dog a smile, "Think of yourself as a freelance Angel, so to speak."

"Alice... we don't... we don't have to hide it anymore, I can come to see you now!" Gloria spoke the words excitedly, her brown tail wagging cheerfully.

"I would request you still watch upon the flock assigned to you. Only through maintaining your duty can you ever hope to earn your 'redemption'." The rabbit air quoted the words for her. "It is no longer your duty, but a personal request."

"Y-yes! I would continue to protect them regardless, your grace!" She barked the words as I pushed up to her and hugged her tightly.

"I... I was really scared I was going to lose you..." I shook my head and hugged her tightly. Gloria showed me a grin and moved to rub at my head while I hugged her.

"I was afraid of losing you too. Afraid of leaving you and Alex in pain over my own selfishness." She cooed the words into my ears.

"It's an acceptable solution I suppose." Lorelai smiled and folded her arms.

Toroah glanced over at the lion still in a kneel. "I detest sniveling and whining. You are ordered to be silent or I strike you down here and now." He then looked to the armored retriever. "Knight commander, you will take Ezekiel into custody. He is to be brought before a tribunal on grounds of corruption."

The lion opened his mouth to protest and saw the angel tighten his grip on the long sword he was still holding. He lowered his head without a word as the retriever along with the other three guards took him and seemed to simply fade out of sight.

"You two return with them. Rachel, we may very well need you to take Ezekiel's former position. Keep it in mind." The angel spoke to the other two and the fox nodded at him before simply fading from sight along with the serpent.

"Toroah... my lover speaks sense." Lorelai sighed and put her hands to her hips. "Times are changing. We need to get past this. The mundane are getting smarter and finding us more easily. Your people are suffering from a worldwide lack of faith. This isn't a time for us to still be holding old grudges."

The rabbit folded his arms and nodded. "Old wounds heal slowly, Lorelai. However, I agree with you."

"Let me take her, as an ambassador of sorts. She could meet the various lords while living with a family. Her needs will be met and she can continue to do the work she needs to do for her... flock." She hissed the last word, obviously not appreciating it.

"It is a fetching idea. Would you have a liaison you wished for us to speak to from time to time and learn our ways?" The angel put a finger to his chin, giving the sheep a smile.

"Alice is an appropriate candidate as our only chimera and has been an advocate of this from the start. You may not have her to stay, she visits only." The sheep clicked her tongue and cut her eyes at me before back to his own. "None of your people are to lay with her either. I do not wish to create more incidents like Gloria until our people are on less shaky ground."

"If she agrees, I am in agreement." Toroah nodded then looked to me.

"What say you, Alice? You were worried about strengthening bonds with our people after all." Lorelai folded her arms and gave me a look like it didn't matter what I thought.

"Of course, my lady. I'm excited at the prospect." I hummed the words playfully and grinned at Gloria. "If she is to watch the city she was in, would she not do well to be in the closest family there?"

The sheep rolled her eyes and smiled. "I will speak with Elias on this matter later."

"I look forward to your visit, countess Alice, and I wish you all the best in your new life, Gloria. Divines go with you my child and know I am proud of you, regardless of what our laws may say." The angel gave the retriever a bow and then simply ceased to be before us.

"What a day..." Lorelai sighed and rubbed at her face.

Elias showed her a smile. "I appreciate you watching out for us, Lorelai."

The sheep tilted her head with a huff. "I mostly did it for my rabbit, though I suppose I hold a small token of affection for the rest of you lot." Her words came out in the haughty princess tone of voice I loved.

"You're so kind, lady Lorelai." Katrina spoke the words dryly but smiled at her.

"I am!" The sheep smiled and looked amongst all of us. "And to show my magnanimous nature, I shall even get us all rooms here until the sun sets and we can leave less dramatically. Alice, could you charm the staff to ignore this mess until we leave? I do not wish to explain it to them."

"Of course my love." I gave her a proud grin and turned to leave the room, feeling her hand on my wrist.

"Alice, you are with me." The sheep spoke the words in commandment as she pulled me along. I felt my heart leap at her confident words, knowing once I had her in the room it would be quite different. "Elias, take your cat. The two dogs can share the third room."

"As you wish, lady Lorelai." Elias showed his teeth as he bowed, then cut his eyes to Katrina with a hungry look.

Gloria and Alex were already holding hands, tails wagging furiously. "You can stay with us, you can even share my room if you like!" The wolf barked the words excitedly.

"O-okay! Is that going to be alright?" Gloria spoke the words with a blush.

"Why don't you wait until Elias and Lorelai hash out the details, you horny dogs?" Katrina huffed the words, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yes, we will have spare rooms, but we can work the details out later." The fox smiled at the two of them then started to tug at Katrina's wrist. "With me my love, it has been a stressful day and I wish to relax with you." Katrina showed him a smile and moved along with Elias out of the conference room.

I looked back at Alex and Gloria still holding hands, a moment later they were locked in a hungry kiss as the smaller dog pushed the larger one to the floor, her dark wings flicking as she climbed atop him. I shivered at the scene and pulled the two doors closed, giving them some privacy.

#

"And so the thirteenth day now comes to a close, my pet." I speak the words as a follow-up, not allowing you to ask any questions about the tale.

I stand and put my hands behind my back, offering you a grin, my teeth looking large and sharp. "So a week remains before the twentieth day and your decision. This is a life of pleasure and excitement, but you have seen it is one fraught with danger as well."

You finally speak out to me and I smile. "Gloria? Well, how do I explain that..." I fold my arms and mull the words before continuing. "The more taint a celestial gains, the darker their wings will grow and the weaker their divinity will become. Constantly being exposed to me and Alex caused that, but her pure nature and dedication to her duty kept them from being outright black."

My head tilts at the question. "No... even if they were black as night, she could be a good person.

If anything should be taken from my tale tonight, it is that divinity does not confer righteousness. You can be divine and still be an evil soul. Likewise, you can be undead or demon, and still be a good being."

I grin and wave a hand. "At any rate, I have promised to not let you monopolize too much of my time. My lady is back home after all. Come join me, we shall spend some time with her over drinks."