Page 9 of A Soul to Steal

Aleron let him go, but his orbs shifted to white – a colour he hadn’t seen him produce before.“Have I upset you?”

His question left Gideon with many of his own. Why was the Duskwalker so panicked to keep ahold of Gideon when he should only need to touch him periodically? Why would Gideonbe upset with him when they had literally been doing nothing? Wasn’t he bored of sitting here as well?

Instead of asking any of them, he just turned to the Duskwalker to truly take in what he had been technicallycuddling.

Although Ingram had been nothing but a giant purple ghostly creature, Aleron was solid and appeared as real as life.

His white skull looked like one that belonged to a fruit bat, and yet the dark-brown horns on his head reminded him of a goat’s. They twisted and spiralled backwards twice and were oval in shape rather than round. At the base of his skull was a big, fluffy collar of black fur, making his neck appear thicker than it likely was. Fur covered the entire front and sides of his torso, arms, and legs, while most of his back appeared to be long, sleek feathers.

Gideon didn’t know what part of him he found strangest: Aleron’s skull, his claws that looked too sharp, his bird-like, four-toed feet with talons, or his wings and tail. His tail was like that of a raven’s and appeared to be as long as Gideon was tall. Many of his wing feathers were similar.

He was entirely black, with a slight glint of blue where the sun shone on him. A small patch of lizard scales was visible on his stomach, and on the inside of his knees and elbows. It seemed to match where the skin was thinner on a human.

Ingram had been covered from head to toe in bones protruding past his flesh. It was difficult to see what bones protruded outside of Aleron’s skin, but they peeked out from the mass of his feathers and fur. Most were visible, similar to his twin, but the most noticeable ones were on the backs of his hands, wrists, feet, and ankles.

His orbs were a light pink, almost pastel.

Everything about him looked wrong, monstrous, freaky. He had a bite that could kill, likelyhadkilled.

And yet, after rubbing the back of his head as he warily inspected the creature before him, Gideon eventually held out his hand to him.

“Come on, let’s go,” Gideon said, making an official offering to the Duskwalker to become his friend.

Aleron reached his hand out as well, grasped Gideon’s, and shook it.

When Gideon had first introduced himself to Aleron, they shook hands. Gideon had put all his might into that handshake, only for Aleron to yank downwards on his arm so hard he faceplanted on the ground. If he had been alive, he would have broken his nose in the process.

For the first time since Emerie had left, Gideon let out a genuine smile and a small chuckle.

“I didn’t mean for you to shake my hand,” Gideon said, shaking his head as his chuckle deepened. “I’m trying to help you to your feet so we can move ontogether.”

“Oh,” Aleron rasped, his orbs turning reddish pink.

“Hold it, and I’ll pull you up?” He found it funny that a situation that would’ve been so natural between two humans was apparently rather complicated between them.

Aleron grabbed his hand, and Gideon pulled... and pulled, to no avail. He eventually clasped both his hands around Aleron’s massive fist and dug his heels into the ground to kick off and pull him up.

“You’re supposed to help,” Gideon said with a grunt.

He went flying backwards when Aleron stood completely on his own. He fell to his arse with anoomph.

Before he could get his bearings, Aleron shoved his hand near his face. Without needing to think about it, although grumbling in annoyance, Gideon grabbed it and let Aleron help him to his feet. His legs kicked before he actually touched the ground; he’d been tossed like a rag doll.

“Alright,” he mumbled, dusting off his clean pants as a way to hide his irritation at not being able to pick the Duskwalker up. “I’ve always had an itch to go on an adventure.”

He’d rather explore this place than sit and dwell on the past. It was what it was; nothing could change it or bring him back to life, and he’d rather give himself a reason to exist.

Aleron had been awake longer than him, since Gideon had been in limbo for eight years. The Duskwalker could be his guide in this world.

We might as well make the most of what we have.

Walking on all fours, Aleron followed the human while staring in blatant awe.

He’d made his first real human companion, and he was excited the male had made the offer himself! He wasn’t afraid of Aleron, nor did he seem deterred by their differences.

Giddiness added bounce to each of his steps, despite the pervading anxiety that constantly made him brush against him – whether it be his shoulder or wing.

He let me hold him. Hehe!Bright yellow filled his vision as he swayed his head, rather pleased about all this.He even let me put my wings around him.And he hadn’t seemed to mind Aleron staring at him the entire time they had been encased in the feathery blanket.

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