Half the Fallen Angels
Episode 32: The Seed of Eris's Suspicion

Above the cumulus clouds that were lined up up, Devan and his flying horse with Eris continued on their way. Stepping and moving jump from one end to the other end of the cumulus cloud.

A moment later, they arrived at two branches chasing uphill clouds. On the left, the path of the cumulus clouds was lined up a little steeper, and the clouds were smaller than before, making it look like a rung of stairs.

On the right, the cumulus cloud stripes form a curved path outwards, which also slowly rises upwards. In the middle of the path there are also some gray clouds that also line up among them.

"This path. It's a branch of the path where one leads us in the right direction, and the other one leaves us confused and lost" Eris said, looking at the two-lane turn.

"Missed how?."

"Whenever we go down that path, we'll go back to the same point, when it's like that, going back to this intersection is hard, too, because there is a wind there that brings fog, making anyone who is there his gaze will be disturbed, and his mind will be confused."

"Oh so. You seem to know a lot."

"Hmm..", murmured Eris in denial. "Not really. It's just that in this section I happen to have the knowledge."

Devan hears and responds to Eris without looking at her.

"Devan, I think we should have chosen this path. The path is more uphill, which means faster to go up", said Eris as her fingers and arms stretched pointing to the left lane.

Devan who saw the fleeting hand of Eris who pointed also turned to the intended path, then asked, asking,

"If it's on that path, how?", while Devan changes his gaze to the right lane.

"The path is a longer distance, because it curves, making us walk round. Moreover, the gray cloud in the middle of the path looked suspicious.

And also, according to the knowledge I have, the land of the fairies is a simple path, it is because of their nature that is happy to give ease."

Devan again looked at the two paths taking turns while remembering the message Zivan said,

("......Be careful of the devil in disguise. Act like you know nothing. Remember, there is no shortcut to the first heaven. The road that seems heavy, is the right path.".

("You said the easy way was the right one, but I had more faith in Zivan reminding me, to be wary of the undercover demon.", Devan bathed while turning to Eris.), And Eris smiled sweetly, looking back at Devan.

"We will take the right path" said Decan as he leaped wide in the path followed by his flying horse reaching the end of the cumulus cloud footing of the path.

"Hm?.", muttered Eris in surprise. "Why?, are you sure?, I don't think that's the right way, Devan."

"You don't come?", Devan responded coldly.

("Shy!. Why is she acting cold again.", bathin Eris.)

"You want to" Eris jumped up and walked over to Devan's side. ("How could I have taken off the good prey that was before my eyes.").

"But why?, when I thought this was the wrong path."

"My feeling is that this is the right path."

"Feelings??"

"Hm".", muttered Devan assented.

("This human child??...In fact, she knew the path to the land of fairies. Then..... Has he been pretending not to know?", Eris suspects.)

They continued to follow the path of the cumulus clouds, lined up to form a curved line that rose slowly.

Some time later, they had gotten closer to the gray cumulus cloud. The mist that the wind blew over those gray clouds had appeared from their sight. Therefore, they began to feel the wind blowing slowly.

However, before they reached the gray cumulus cloud there, they found a path of intersection lined with cumulus clouds on their side, which turned up in the other direction.

Across the other cloud, stood an old man dressed in all white as fairies, calling out to Devan, who intended to be straight, through the front of the turn of the line.

"Son, hey boy", call the old man, but Devan still hasn't turned his head.

"Son, hey boy, come here!, don't go there, it's dangerous.

("Devan, didn't he hear?")

"Devan, look!, there's an old man calling you across the path cloud there" said Eris, who walked down Devan's side a little backwards.

Devan stops his steps, as well as his flying horse and Eris.

Devan then turned his body towards the voice, and looked at the old man from where he was standing.

"Hey boy, come here!. The land of the fairies, at the end of this path.", call the old man as his right hand waved, gesturing for Devan to approach him.

"The land of the fairies?. Devan, the old elf said at the end of the path there was a land of fairies. Come you!. We're going there", take Eris.

While Devan, he was still silent, because he realized something. The old man was indeed wearing fairy-style clothes. But to Devan's eyes, the old man looked different.

His skin looked reddish, as well as his short hair, there was a horn on one side of his forehead, the black pupils in his eyes seemed larger, and as his hand waved to Devan, he called out, Devan clearly saw his sharp taper nails.

Even so, Devan continued to behave, as if he did not know anything.

"Hey boy, come here!. The road there is very dangerous. But this line will make it easier for you."

"Thank you elf elder. But I have to go this way. Actually, there is a test I have to take. So, I beg you to say goodbye to the fairy elder", said Devan flatly with a slight bow of his body.

The old man was suddenly silent, no longer calling and inviting Devan. However, when Devan returned to face forward, the old man changed his nose, looking at Devan with a sour face and a sharp gaze.

While Eris, standing behind Devan saw him walking in astonishment...

"See?", said Eris in a small voice. A moment later, he ran after Devan and immediately asked,

"Hey Devan, you said the exam. What's that supposed?"

Devan stopped and faced Eris, he saw Eris looked completely astonished, her eyes furrowed, her eyebrows dropped.

"Oh about that.Sorry, from the beginning didn't tell you. Actually even from the beginning I didn't intend to tell you."

Eris was still silent, she waited for Devan's explanation, looking at him curiously.

"Heuuh, okay. Since you seem very curious I will tell you a little, the point is that I came to the land of the fairies, but since I was tested, I had to refuse all the conveniences provided by the inhabitants of the sky, and choose the furthest way to get there."

"Haaa?"

"Don't complain to me, I also complain to my teacher, I don't understand why he told me so. And also, if it wasn't the elf elder who asked, it was impossible for me to answer this honestly."

("Hm!, where there is such a story. I made up excuses like that, so that I could fool you and prevent your suspicions", bathin Devan)

("Teacher?. Who is this human child teacher?. He knew once, that the path to the land of the fairies in this first sky, was the heaviest and twisting path.")

"But you can only take shortcuts once in a while, I don't think your teacher will know, and also if only once, surely your teacher...."

"Hoy!", cut Devan. "Stop talking like you know my teacher. And also, do I look like such a student?"

"Sorry" said Eris Lirih, with her guilty face that made her look sweet.

("The troubling thing is. The basic human child sucks, willingly dictated by others. Then I'm the one in trouble.")

"alright. I forgive.", replied Devan.

("Looks like I should attack him first once in a while, maybe it'll distract him.")

"Ha??", Eris was a bit shocked.

("Damn it!, I forgot it.")

"Eeeh!, you are right, I. can see the fairies" said Eris with an unexpected mimic. " But, why, can I suddenly see a fairy?", asked Eris to look at Devan with an innocent look.

("If this fails, I will have to dismantle my cover here.")

"Hmm.", muttered Devan, holding his chin, he was thinking. "I also don't know for sure, maybe.because it's in the first sky, and also he deliberately appeared, I also didn't initially see if you didn't tell."

"Is it?", responded Eris.

("That makes sense. But, thankfully, he didn't suspect me at all.")

"Maybe..."

("Hopefully this is enough to take your mind off.")

"I'm sorry to have involved you in my exams, Eris. Whenever you want, you can go through the path of your choice" added Devan

"I want to follow you, after all if I'm alone, I'm afraid I'll get lost again. With you, I feel fine, Devan" said Eris with a face full of sincerity and honesty that made her look sweet.

Seeing Eris's statement that seemed solemn, Devan suddenly recalled the incident some time ago,

(.....The little girl hugged Eris's leg. But Eris, tugging at the little girl's hair was very strong and cruel.).

That's why, as sweet and sincere as Eris talks to Devan, Devan's heart still no longer beats like before.

.....

A little while later, Devan and his flying horse, along with Eris had reached the end of the white cumulus cloud, and were about to leap a step into the gray cumulus cloud in front of him.

Before going any further, they first met a middle-aged woman, yet looked beautiful and dignified, she said, the one sitting cross-legged floated in the air as he closed his eyes with a light blue stick next to him.

The top of the stick was a transparent sphere, inside which was a book and a bright blue crystal above it.

She was dressed in all white, wearing a long and wide dress that covered her hands and feet.

Then her hair was golden yellow and braided by the crown, so that no more hair decomposed on the back of her head, except for the left and right front hair of her long head decomposed to her shoulders.

On top of his head was a golden halo, and on his back also appeared beautiful white wings that bloomed as wide as his back.

The woman also realizes the presence of Devan and the others. He opened his eyes, his eyes were golden. Devan then slightly smiled at him and slightly bowed his body for a moment.

"Sorry to bother you, fairy godmother. I just want to get through this gray cloud. Permission to walk past in front of the fairy godmother."

Seeing Devan's behavior, the Fairy Godmother looked at him in the shade, and he bathed, and,

("This human child, he started talking first, as if he really knew, that I was not a demon in disguise")

"Hm.mm.", muttered the fairy godmother in a repulsive tone while shaking her head.

"This place belongs to God, I also ride. Forgive me son of man, for blocking your way."

Devan just smiled at the fairy godmother, then he continued walking further along with his flying horse, and Eris beside him.

Yet...

Eris and the fairy godmother looked at each other. The fairy godmother looked flat at Eris, but Eris looked at her with a cynical look, then Eris instantly threw her face forward.

The fairy godmother simply looked at them, going further ahead. As his lips spoke do'a,

"O Lord, the great protector, he is a polite son of man, please protect himself, from the evil of the night that lurks."

Meanwhile, the,

Devan and the others had gone a long way, in this gray cumulus cloud. Now they were in the midst of the fog, and the wind contained dew.

Isla, the flying horse was confused by his steps, as if he was about to turn around. But Devan realized it, he held the horse's forehead, and the flying horse stepped correctly again, guided by Devan.

Eris, who was on Devan's side, sometimes turned to Devan, to find out his condition after entering this cloud.

("This human child, it seems not to be as simple as it seems, maybe he is a holy man, because he can see fairies.

But, he also seemed unaffected by the wind field here. I hope he's not a man of knowledge, if he is, I might lose the fight to him.")

Finally, after a while, they managed to walk through some of the gray clouds. However, when their view returned to normal, the cumulus clouds were still far up, which meant that Devan was still far from his destination.

And now, they meet again with the intersection of clouds, which are again guarded even by two demons in disguise.

One demon is a short man, who wears the fairy-style clothing of teenage girls. And the other was a little girl who was a little lower, being held captive by the short male demon.

"You want to the land of Arcana?,, please pass through here.... Arcana?,, come on.... Come on.", said the short male demon pitched while acting like a spoiled teenage girl jumping around.

Devan who saw it also felt disgusted and uneasy, even the voice of the short demon sounded ugly.

While the devil is a little girl, he also jumps up and down while smiling to shut his eyes muttering which actually makes it look sweet.

"Hmm.mmm..mmm...mmm..."

.....

"Would you go to the land of Arcana?,, please go through syiniii.... Arcana?,, let's go kariyy.... Come-ayyoo...."

"Arcana?", asked Devan.

"Iyya..iyyaa.it is rumahkyu..."

"Hmm.hmm....hmm......hmm..."

Devan also felt unable to bear the behavior and tone of the short male demon who was dressed in the style of the fairy girl. Finally, he began to speak up, and,

"I'm sorry, can you explain it in the usual way. Singing business, it's better to just let this little one mutter."

("This little girl is much better than having that stupid short do it.", said Devan in the bath).

Suddenly.....

The two demons stopped singing, muttering, and jumping up and down. Instead they immediately glared at Devan with a very creepy look.

Circumstances suddenly quiet....

("What...what happened?", asked Devan in his heart.)

Devan turned to Eris...

Eris also glared at him, her eyes wide open as if her eyeballs were about to pop out...

"YOU!, WHY CAN YOU SEE MY LITTLE BROTHER???, WHEN HE DOES NOT APPEAR.", suddenly the voice of the demon of the short man became heavy.

***