Angel on earth

Emerald City is the old name of Wakefield.

In that era, the place outside the Emerald City Castle was forests, fields and farmhouses, sparsely populated, and there were no towns to speak of.Today's "Wakefield" covers most of the former Edwards family's territory, and tall or short houses occupy and fill the wilderness that was once full of hares and poisonous snakes.

However, Wakefield is still a border town today. Although the army has been stationed at the outermost edge of the Amexist Forest after decades of trials, Mikhail still meets a few people in khakis on the street from time to time. An officer in black military uniform, with a saber at his waist, who sneaks into the city to visit a brothel.Near the Emerald Park in the city center, red shirt soldiers with muskets on their backs and high hats pass by from time to time. Occasionally, they catch a daring thief who steals coins from the fountain, and throw them directly into the forest to participate in the mining of Diana Crystal Mine. .

Mikhail hugged the coffin, and recklessly squeezed into the city center, but under the sympathetic eyes of several ladies and wives, he was directed to the small hotel in Iron Pot Lane.He didn't understand their kindness until he checked in: he had no ID card, his white hair was messy, he was wearing neat but not very decent old clothes, and he was holding a coffin; and with bandages on his eyes, he was obviously a Poor crippled Abaddon, no one would take him.

Of course, the word "poor" is also based on his face and stature, and maybe that beautiful Norren tongue.

He was still a little nervous when he went upstairs, and the hotel owner noticed it. The latter comforted him and said that the stairs were only repaired last year.Mikhail thanked him indiscriminately, and after entering the room, he followed the boss to understand the layout of the barely tidy and small room, and then told the boss that he wanted to rest and ask the boss to boil some hot water. Go down and get it yourself.

The boss is a middle-aged man with strong self-esteem. He is of average height and appearance, with a unique sternness on his face.After hearing Mikhail's request, he sharply retorted: "My hotel is different from those black-hearted bastards! Since I have received your money, I will ask Reid to deliver it without your trouble! Now, sir , would you like to make a reservation for lunch?"

Mikhail didn't want to hurt him, so he ordered a lunch worth two shillings, and sent him out of the house. He clicked the lock, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, drew the curtains, and opened the door. coffin lid.

The vampire let out a hoarse growl and sat up abruptly.Mikhail couldn't dodge in time, and he bit his neck.But the vampire, though he bit so hard that it almost took his breath away, didn't break the skin at all.

Mikhail just bent over like that, motionless.After a while, Aaron calmed down, licked his neck which already had two rows of deep teeth marks, and stopped moving.

Only then did Mikhail stroke his soft hair, took out a clean cloth from the interlayer of the coffin, spread it on the bed, and carried Aaron on it.He sat on the ground and lowered his head just enough to cover Aaron.

The boy took off the bandages on his eyes, fearing that the pair of vertical pupils would scare Aaron, so he still didn't open his eyes, but just signaled to Aaron that he was fine.The latter opened a pair of pure green eyes, as if looking at him obediently, even with some attachment, and gently moved his head to rub his palm.Mikhail laughed out loud when his palms were tickled by his rubbing, as if he had completely forgotten his ferocity just now and the restless noises he made in the coffin along the way.

After waiting for a while, Mikhail took off his coat, put his head on Aaron's shoulder, hugged him carefully, and took a deep, deep breath.

"Aaron." He announced briskly, "We have arrived in Wakefield. I found out that the ruins of the Emerald City are in the outskirts, on the edge of the forest. Let's go there tomorrow, okay? I think you need a new set of clothes Well, we're running out of money, and you wouldn't mind buying you a ready-to-wear suit? I'm going to have to buy one too, don't know if I can get one, though I'm sure I haven't grown any taller. Not formal, Maybe. I believe the Marquess Edwards and the Marchioness must be in heaven, maybe they'll be there watching... hope they don't hate me."

If Aaron was awake, he would laugh, or exclaim in feigned surprise, "How can anyone hate you, Misha?" But now, no one answered that.

Aaron didn't respond to Mikhail's embrace either, as his arms were held tightly to the sides of his torso and entangled in a bent iron pipe.His legs were loosely bound, but there was absolutely no way he could break free.

He woke up on their first train ride.

After leaving Akamala, Mikhail took Aaron all the way westward, crossed the wide San Sihija Canal, and spent two months on the land of Noren.After another week, they came to a small town with a train.Although he was dressed in a mess and carried a coffin, he still bought a train ticket to the city. There are many poor ghosts in the small town who want to go to the big city for a chance.

Mikhail deliberately changed the seat in the last row with someone. There were not many people, and he was like a blind Abaddon, and he was carrying a coffin, so no one came to his side to make trouble.But not a while after the train started, Aaron struggled violently and screamed, smashed his head through the coffin board and sat up.Passengers nearby all turned their heads, thinking that the Abaddon had kidnapped someone; Mikhail hugged Aaron so that he wouldn't let him jump on a farmer, and then tore off the iron pipe in the carriage to bind him .Before reaching the station in time, he picked up Aaron and the coffin, jumped off the car and fled.

After that, perhaps smelling the smell of Norren's unique baked muffins and the plants that have taken over a lot of living space by the city, Aaron was awake most of the time, and even enjoyed the food that Mikhail brought to him. His petals and maiden's blood.He still liked being with Mikhail, in fact, Mikhail didn't dare to leave him alone.If he moved a little further away, the vampire would struggle violently, and when he got close, he would bite him indiscriminately.Doesn't bite, but leaves a mark, after a few times Mikhail senses that Aaron is trying to kiss him, like those who can't get out of the shadow of war, beat their wives and then kneel down to beg her forgiveness, go crazy next time A solid soldier.

This made Mikhail even more anxious, wanting to go to Wakefield as soon as possible.But they weren't a good couple, he was blind Abaddon, Aaron was a Noren lunatic, and there were no suitable identities to pretend to be.So he hugged the coffin, walked along the railroad tracks, jumped on a speeding steam train at the right time in the suburbs, and jumped off before entering the city.The train didn't run as fast as him, let alone Emile, but Mikhail had never felt so tired, and almost regretted talking to Candy Kane.

He was still very hungry and never had enough to eat.Once, when they ran out of money, he hunted a few wolves as usual--which was usually legal--and skinned them to sell in the city, and hid Aaron in a bush and bound them with iron bars. tight.When he came back, Aaron was silent and motionless, as if he were dead; vampires don't need to breathe, so they don't sob, until Mikhail hurried to touch his face and found him crying, under the mattress The down blankets and cushions were soaked.That was the only time Aaron bit him, nearly snapping off his right wrist, but an hour later, he was healed.

In any case, they came to Wakefield.And, the closer he was to here, the more stable Aaron's mood would be.On the last leg of the journey, Mikhail talked to him in a good voice for an hour, took him on the train for an hour, covered his face with a large bouquet of flowers, and told others that his master was going home. convalescing.However, at the last station, it was probably suddenly crowded, and Aaron became frightened. Mikhail took the coffin from the conductor and quickly led him to get off the train; he coaxed him into the coffin again, saying yes There's only one stop left, just hurry up.

According to the agreement, Mikhail took Aaron into Wakefield.It was an agreement, but it was just a random promise from Aaron the night before.Sometimes Mikhail was a little discouraged, because Aaron never told him that he wanted to go back to the Emerald City.

However, now that he washed Aaron and himself, and squeezed into the narrow and short bed covered with a cloak smoked with wildflowers so as not to stink, he felt no grievance at all.Aaron, in his nightgown, puts his arms around him, against his chest, his head against his chin, eyes perhaps open.

Mikhail closed his eyes, lowered his head slightly, buried his nose into Aaron's soft and slightly curly brown hair, and muttered contentedly:

"Good night, Aaron. Well, actually, it's... what time is it in the morning? I don't know... I'm going to sleep for a while." He leaned slightly, trapping Aaron between his arms and torso, tight But it allowed Aaron to break free easily, "Can you go back to sleep later? Look at me... look at me."

The boy's voice became smaller and smaller, and the syllables gradually stuck together, like a bottle of wine or milk that had been spilled for several hours.He fell asleep with pursed lips and slightly frowning brows. His freshly washed white hair was docilely attached to his face, drooping, much smoother than usual, emitting a slight moisture.

In his arms, the vampire opened a pair of jewel-like green eyes, and his bony palm mechanically and slowly patted his back.After a while, Aaron turned his head and put his cheek against the boy's gently rising and falling chest.

Two hours later, the proprietress of the hotel banged on the door and put the meal tray on the floor with a slap, regardless of whether mice and cockroaches crawled through.Mikhail was about to get up in a daze, but he was hugged by Aaron, and he lay down, rubbed Aaron's cheek affectionately, and kissed his lips that still smelled of rotten petals.

Wakefield, he thought, the Emerald City.

The author says:

Although, if you are not a Templar, don't challenge the game!