Hester was like an arrow when going home, nothing got in his way. The blood stopped dripping after a while and he covered it if it started again.

When he made it he slowly crept up the stairs, now realizing how loud and squeaky their are Hester signed as he opened the door. The room being clean instead of how he had left it originally, a mess.

Hester walked in like someone who wasn't meant to be there, looking at every item like a prized relic. Tense at knocking anything over. The hearth still had a few dying embers and Hester sat cross legged trying to get as close as possible without hurting himself—though he did now have something to heal him if he did.

Remembering he slowly dug around in his pocket and found it, the ring glowing in the darkness.

Balancing it in the palm of his hand, watching the flames ricochet from the golden ring. For all his living, he wasn't quite sure how to feel, should he tell Alexander, or even keep it? Should he just throw it in a lake so deep nothing—dead or alive, could ever find it again.

Not even Death herself could ever retrieve it.

Hester placed the ring back into his pocket, wondering if that really is the safest thing he could be doing—deciding he really could not care.

He went to bed distracted, staring up at the ceiling praying for one small miracle, he would pray, wish, beg, every night if that's what it took.

Please, please let everything be ok.

His eyelids became heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

«»«»«»«»«»


What was that?

Are they back? Why are they back?

What's going on?

We're going to die.

«»«»«»«»«»

Alexander opened his eyes and listened to the whining of the monsters, then he heard something fall— muffled by the floorboards and then a small curse from someone picking it back up. Alexander groaned from exhaustion, it was a coma like sleep, a dreamless and thoughtless sleep leaving him feeling dead the next morning.

The wind howled as he got up, listing out for anything else that fell over, the quiet morning was filled with chatter—even if something fell he highly doubted he would have heard it.

He descends down the ladder to find Hester with a cloth satchel swung across his shoulder, he rummages around for a moment checking to see if everything's in place then notices Alexander's presence.

He steps back a few feet, eyes wide with a few emotions that flash across his face, fear, confusion, worry, to name a few. They stare at each other for what an onlooker would deem 'an uncomfortable amount of time' before Hester resigns, sighing says.

"I'm going to look for him."

He says it as though he's justifying the idea, like Alexander didn't know what he was talking about—and if he did, did not care to join in it.

Alexander crossed the room swiftly, and calmly. For a moment Hester tensed by the action not understanding it—and so fearing it as well.

In one smooth motion Alexander swung a bag over his shoulder matching Hester walked up to him and said.

"Then I will as well."

He said it simply, calmly, deliberately.

Hester seemed taken aback by the reply, probably expanding a swift punch to the ribcage—which is also what the monsters were demanding. The wretched screeching ringing in Alexander's ears as he had said the short sentence.

"You don't know where it is—" Hester said Alexander immediately cutting him off, drawled.

"You do however."

Hester sputtered trying to find an excuse—that would not work on Alexander even if it was a valid point, and to Alexander there were many. Hester thought, the words coming out clustered and quickly.

"How are you sure I know where it is?"

Alexander arched an eyebrow, toying with the idea of why they have to fight over something they both want—like children fighting over a doll.

"You don't know every single person with wings strapped to their back?"

Alexander asked light-heartedly. The joke landed flat as Hester asked "What about Odin?" Alexander rolled his eyes hiding his face as he grabbed a roll of bandages. "I'll take him with us."

Hester couldn't come up with any other suitable options as Alexander opened the door stepping aside for Hester. The white light flooded the room, the hearth being dead and all other light or heat sources being extinguished before they left—they had no idea how long it would be until they returned.

Hester stepped closer to the door, cold air drifting in, his mouth opened and closed then said patiently.

"You don't have to do this," He said it like a sword was inches away from his throat, like Alexander was going to somehow regret this decision.

"Mate, this is my own problem, you don't have to—"

"No."...