The moment Erin regained consciousness and opened her eyes, an intoxicating warmth filled her from within, almost forcing her back into an empty, yet relaxing sleep. But then the realisation that she was still alive sunk in and she sat up, gasping, her gaze frantically wandering.

She soon calmed when she saw that she was sitting in a wide, four-poster bed. Still, her eyes travelled, taking in the weathered furniture scattered about the dimly lit room. Tall candle holders sat against the walls, though there were no flames to speak of, and a thin white sheet had been draped over her, preserving whatever warmth her body was able to emit. When Erin saw that she was alone, she fell back against the mattress and stared up at the white canopy hanging above.

Taking a moment to contemplate upon the various blanks within her mind, Erin closed her eyes, only to be met with a series of violent images. There was the bandit leader, his comrade, the knife, the shock, the blood, the pain and...

The poison!

Erin gasped and sat bolt upright. Her eyes widened in awe when she threw the sheet back and saw the crimson stained bandages wrapped around her upper thigh, concealing the grievous wound that lay beneath.

'Casius.' She reached out, caressing said bandages with a single finger. Her face softened when she remembered how the angel had taken her into her arms, like that of a knight boldly rescuing his beloved.

Cut back on the fairy tales, you dolt. Erin told herself. He found Killian. That's what's important here, not those stupid love stories.

The magus looked around the room in search of Casius, though her brows came together when she saw that he was nowhere to be found.

So, then where was he?

Using every ounce of strength she could muster, Erin pushed herself across the mattress and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Like hell she was just going to lie around, playing the role of the helpless damsel. The second her bare feet touched against the beige carpet, a sharp pain stirred from underneath the bandages, causing her to wince.

'Come on,' she hissed, features twisting under the strain of the intense discomfort coursing throughout her entire leg. 'Suck it up, woman! You're a warrior, not a weakling.'

The magus hadn't taken more than two steps when the door burst open and Casius himself strode into the room. Taken aback by his sudden presence, Erin toppled forward, her arms waving in a desperate bid to keep her balance.

But instead of falling face-first into the dense carpet, as was expected, she collapsed against something soft and, surprisingly, warm. At the same time, a pair of arms preserved themselves around her physique, drawing her in. She looked up, suddenly curious, and found a familiar pair of dark eyes staring into hers.

'H-hi,' she muttered.

Casius' wings twitched and the corner of his lips lifted upwards in a vague smile. 'Might I ask what were you attempting to achieve?'

'I don't really know.' Erin quickly averted her gaze. 'I was trying to find some civilised company, I guess.'

'Ah. I see.'

'Where are— hey!'

The magus' words were cut short by Casius, who reached down, casually taking her body into his arms and escorting her back over to the bed. Erin opened her mouth to protest, to demand that he put her down at once, but quickly held her tongue when she looked up and saw the look of seriousness etched across his face. Something glistened within the darkness of his eyes, but it wasn't curiosity.

Was it concern? Dissatisfaction, perhaps?

Erin sought to ask when Casius came to a rest beside the bed and leaned over, placing her down against the mattress.

'There...' He reached for the sheet and pulled it back over her before flattening out the creases within. His features softened when he noticed her staring and he straightened up. 'Are you okay?'

Too busy marvelling at his abrupt personality changes to answer, Erin simply nodded.

The angel gave a nod of his own. 'Good,' he uttered, his voice much quieter than usual.

What is up with him? she wondered.

Erin recalled how ferocious Casius had become, courageously thwarting the bandit leader's attempt to kill her and showing just what he was truly capable of as a fighter. He had beaten up three armed men in a matter of minutes and travelled up to twenty meters in a matter of seconds! But looking at him now, it was as if that vicious side of him no longer existed.

She stared, absorbing the sudden tenderness plastered across his face. Casius was no longer the naïve, cumbersome man she had first met, nor was he the rage-induced warrior she had fought alongside with back in the woods.

He was...different.

Is this what they call a multiple personality?

Before she question his ever-changing personas, another figure strode through the doorway, gracing Erin with his presence. The moment her eyes fell on said figure's face, relief flooded throughout her, causing the pain seeping through her wound to lessen somewhat.

'Professor Killian!' she exclaimed, a wide smile pulling at her lips. If it weren't for the severity of her injury, she may very well have leapt across the room and thrown her arms around the familiar man.

Laurus Killian stopped and kicked back with his foot, closing the door behind him. His middle-aged features softened, acknowledging her fine greeting. 'It's always a pleasure, Erin,' he said. 'How long has it been since I last saw you? Four, maybe five months?'

She chuckled. 'Yeah. I've been...well, careful.'

The professor more than matched her smile. 'I see.' He made his way across the room and perched himself on the edge of the bed. 'Let's see how you're doing,' he muttered, placing a hand against her forehead.

Laurus Killian, despite his age and occupation as a magic physician, was a man of impressive build. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a light grey stubble, short, snow-coloured hair and a set of warm, understanding features. Erin sat, allowing Killian to do a routine check on her. He felt and measured her pulse, recorded her temperature and checked the bandages around her leg.

Finally, he asked, 'how are you feeling?'

If it had been any other magic physician, Erin would have chipped in with a sarcastic response, considering the life-threatening circumstances she had just endured. But since it was Killian – someone she was familiar with and liked – she simply replied, 'better now I know I'm alive.'

Killian chuckled. His gaze travelled over to Casius, who stood beside the bed, hands tucked behind his back. 'Well, you have him to thank for that,' he said, gesturing to the angel himself. 'If Casius here hadn't arrived when he did, you wouldn't be alive.'

The magus' heart leapt when she followed his gaze and saw the smile slowly etching its way across Casius' face. When she realised that he had indeed spared her from the embrace of death, she no longer saw him as the same, socially naïve, irksome fool she had first encountered.

He was now her saviour, someone she owed her life to.

'I have to admit that I wasn't expecting you to be awake so soon.' Killian scratched at his stubble. 'Wyverix Poison isn't anything to laugh about. Even a small dose can be fatal.'

Erin feigned a dramatic gasp. 'No way...'

Killian's face mellowed in response to her sarcasm. 'I'm serious,' he said. 'You're very lucky to be alive, Erin. I'm curious, though. How exactly did you come to receive such a wound? Young Casius here mentioned that you got into some trouble with some villains?'

'Bandits,' Erin explained. Her brows furrowed whilst she recalled the exact events. 'Bloody street bandits. They ambushed us and ordered us to hand over our valuables.'

'And you didn't comply?'

'Of course not!' She puffed out her cheeks. 'Why on earth would I submit to lowly street scum?'

Killian stood up and sighed. 'Honestly, Erin, your brash attitude only serves to land you in trouble.' His eyes fell back on Casius. 'You'd better watch this one,' he said, an amused grin tugging at his lips. 'She'll do whatever it takes to prove herself. I swear, if you two ever get married, she'll end up dragging you down the aisle herself.'

A flustered Erin brought her hands down against the mattress. 'Excuse me, who said anything about getting married?' she exclaimed. A blistering heat seeped through her cheeks, which flushed red under the sudden embarrassment. 'W-we're just allies! That's all!'

'Ho?' Killian's smile broadened. 'Well, alright then, if you say so.' He winked in Casius' direction, causing Erin's temper to flare up even further.

'We are not romantically involved! Tell him, Casius!' When the angel hesitated, her entire face turned burgundy, not so much out of embarrassment but distress. Annoyance, even. 'Tell him!' she demanded.

Casius turned his attention to Killian and nodded. 'We are not romantically involved,' he said, though his voice lacked any real emotion or tone, prompting Erin to fall back against the mattress.

She stared up at the white canopy and mustered the best, exasperated sigh she could manage.

Why me? she asked herself.

'Okay, okay, enough teasing,' Killian said at last. 'You mentioned getting into some difficulty with some street bandits. So, how you come into contact with Wyverix Poison?'

'One of the bandits threw a knife at my leg,' Erin muttered, her gaze narrowing with contempt. Still, she continued to gaze ahead at the canopy above. 'The blade had Wyverix Poison on it and, well, you know the rest.'

'Indeed, I do.'

Those bastards, she thought, playing through the events of the battle in her mind. All that, and just so they could steal a rusty old key.

Erin's eyes widened when she remembered the key and she lurched forward. 'The key!' she exclaimed, her eyes landing on Casius, who stared calmly. 'The key we got from the bandit guy! What happened to it?'

Concern clouded the angel's face. 'I checked your pockets after the Mortal professor treated you,' he replied, 'but I couldn't find it anywhere. It must have fallen out on the way here.'

The revelation that they had lost the key disappointed Erin, though at the same time she couldn't help feeling a tad relieved. After all, the distance between the Library of Great Magicians and Laurus Killian's abode stretched beyond two miles, so the bandits had very little chance of ever finding it.

At least it was safe now, regardless of whatever they wanted it for.

'So, that's it then, huh?' Erin took a moment to relax, to allow the disappointment a chance to pass over.

It was then that she noticed Casius' wings. Having ditched the fedora and the trench coat back in the woods, his wings were free to move and twitch as they pleased. And as she gazed at the oversized white feathers hanging from his back, admiring their delicate, bird-like form, an idea suddenly popped into her mind, prompting her to look over at Killian.

'Professor,' she said, fluttering her eyelashes in the most feminine way possible. 'Could you do me a favour?'

* * *

Ten minutes later, Erin found herself staring at a half-naked Casius, who was in the process of having his wings examined and fondled by Laurus Killian himself. The angel did not seem too reluctant in showing off his masculine body, which even Erin had to admit was a pleasant sight.

He possessed the well-sculptured body of a squire – many of which she had witnessed taking baths in the nearby lake. Compact muscles shifted when Casius raised his arms, allowing Killian to examine the lower parts of his wings and torso.

Convincing Casius to strip hadn't been a difficult task. In fact, when Erin had asked Killian to give the angel a physical examination to prove whether or not he truly was a servant of God, the only thing Casius had objected to was the very idea that he was lying.

'I do not understand why you need to confirm my origin,' he had said. 'I can assure you that, when referring to my home world, my words house nothing but the truth.'

Killian soon stepped away, having concluded his short examination. 'Well, I can confirm that these wings are indeed real,' he said, giving Casius a reassuring pat on the back. 'You are most certainly an angel. No doubt about it, my large feathered friend.'

Casius' wings acknowledged the professor's words with a simple twitch. 'Thank you. Now then, may I put my clothes back on? I'm experiencing a slight chill.'

'Yes, of course.'

Even Erin couldn't resist a slight giggle as Casius reached down to retrieve his clothes, the items of which sat around him in a disorganised circle. When he looked up and noticed her sniggering, he paused, his gaze narrowing somewhat. 'Is something amusing?' he asked.

'No, no,' the magus muttered, donning a grin wide enough to split her face in half. 'It's nothing. Just get dressed, will you?'

'So, why is he here?' Killian took a seat on the edge of the bed while Casius threw his shirt back on. 'An angel coming down to earth isn't something you hear of everyday. Is he here for a reason?'

Erin nodded. 'Oh, yes. He wants me – Erin Maelstras – to help him in his task.'

'Which is?'

'To learn more about humans.'

Killian raised an eyebrow. 'Really? Huh...'

'"Huh"? You know, that's not really the reaction I expected. I mean, there's a half-naked angel standing right in front of us! Why aren't you acting all surprised and claiming he's all fake and stuff?'

The professor gave an amused smile. 'Erin, when you've been a magic physician for as long as I have, nothing surprises you anymore. And to be quite honest, I'd always believed that the angels were real. After my wife died, she came back to visit me several times in the form of an angel. Not once did I believe it was a silly illusion.' His face softened when he saw the look of bewilderment plastered across the young magus' face. 'You should really learn to believe in the impossible,' he said. 'Some consider it madness to believe in mythological beings and legends and what have you, but l consider it intelligence. Believing in myths has never done me any harm, nor should it do you any harm to at least try.'

Erin took a moment to consider the professor's words whilst Casius secured his trouser belt. In a way, he was right. The Serandore Kingdom was full of mysterious things which ordinary people considered to be fake. Dragons, magicians, trolls, elves and even dwarves. They were all real. So, why was it so hard for her to accept that angels were real as well?

Maybe because, unlike dragons and trolls, you don't see angels raining down from Heaven to greet us with their holy presence, she thought.

'So, young Casius is here to learn about our ways?' It was the sound of Killian's voice which interrupted her chain of thought.

She blinked and noticed him staring, his ice coloured eyes desperately seeking a response. 'Yes,' she said. 'That's what he told me, anyway. But to be quite honest with you, I don't even know where to start. I mean, how do you go about teaching someone our ways when they're not even from this bloody realm?'

'Hmm...' Killian looked up in thought. 'Well, some people gain knowledge through seeking adventure and experience, right?'

'Yeah...?'

'So, why don't you take Casius to Dorafeir to meet your brother?'

Erin blinked once again. 'Take Casius...to Dorafeir?' She took one look at Casius, who was in the process of slipping his feet back into his brown leather boots, and deadpanned.

Dorafeir was the capital of the Serandore Kingdom. Best known for its renowned state of tranquillity, it was also where her older brother, Elric, lived. Elric Maelstras was currently the known Champion of Serandore – a title he had inherited when their father had died.

The title of Champion had been in Erin's family for centuries, and it was one of the sole reasons why many of her ancestors had made the history books – because of the contributions they had made whilst in possession of their grand title.

Being the Champion of Serandore was not an easy task, as her father had often told her when she was younger. The Champion was tasked with watching over the kingdom and its people, in addition to slaying whatever threats loomed on the horizon. And Elric, having dealt with his fair share of dragons and evil wizards, had already proven his worth as a Maelstras.

His contributions and worth would also guarantee him a place in the history books...

...ultimately leaving Erin by herself.

I really am an outsider in my own family. Erin's fingers clawed at the sheet, and she thought about how she would never get a chance to follow in her own brother's footsteps, to stand up and protect her own kingdom. Her people, even.

'Well? What do you say?'

She threw Killian a glance and shrugged. 'Fine, fine, fine. I'll take him to Dorafeir if that's what you think would be best.' Without any further hesitation, Erin pulled back the sheet and waved towards Casius, who, by this point, was fully dressed and awaiting further instructions. 'Here, give me a hand, will you? I'm going to—'

Before she could even hope to finish that sentence, a pair of strong hands fell over her shoulders, keeping her in place.

'Oh, no, you don't,' Killian muttered, urging her back down against the mattress. 'Not yet, anyway. You won't make it out of this room with the condition you're in, let alone reach Dorafeir. Now, you stay here while I go and make a nice, fast-acting healing potion for you. I guarantee you'll up and moving in no time. Oh, before I leave, tell me: you're not allergic to Hollowfire butterflies are you?'

* * * *

Ah, phew! Erin's alive. ALIVE! And it turns out she has a brother... *Curiously scratches imaginary beard* I wonder what he'll be like.

Ahem. Anyway, thoughts on our newest character, Professor Laurus Killian? Let's hear them! :D

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