I shifted uncomfortably under 31's gaze. My back was to him, but I knew he was staring because the damp washcloth that he was holding was completely stationary. A cold drop of water tricked slowly down my back, making me flinch. Wordlessly, 31 continued cleaning up my back.

He stopped again not long after. I opened my mouth to speak, but I was stopped by the feel of his fingers on my wings.
The gentle nature of his fingertips completely contrasted his rough appearance.
He was touching my wings.

"Stop." I muttered, angrily.

"Sorry." He whispered, resuming his task.

"Are you done yet?" I complained a few minutes later.

"Yes, I'm done. Now turn around so I can do the other set."

"No. No way." I said, grabbing the washcloth. "I don't know why I let you even start. You sure as hell aren't finishing."

"Fine." He said. "But we're not fighting until you're healed. Completely."

"Why are you being nice all of a sudden?" I asked.

"I'm not. I'm levelling the playing field."

"Against a Serafer? It's already not very level, mud man." I said, bluffing my way though life once again.

"You're all talk, 15." He retorted. "Now I'm going to sleep."

"Alright." I shrugged, cleaning the dried blood off of my chest.
Not long after, I could hear his gentle snores, and not long after that, I abandoned the washcloth in the sink and fell asleep myself.

I was being shaken awake.

"You really sleep though everything, don't you?" 31 said. I opened one bleary eye. "Where did you bring us to?" He asked.

"I didn't." I groaned, getting to my feet. We were in a glass walkway looking out over the busiest city I had ever seen.

"This wasn't you?" 31 asked. "Well then, who was it?"
I shrugged.
"Is this normal for Serafer?"
I shrugged again.

I don't know what's normal for Serafer.

The only thing we can rely on is death.

Death is normal.

"Well, let's get down there and look around." He said, as excited as a younger Serafer when they get their first sword. He looked at me expectantly.

"You expect me to fly us down? I ain't carrying you." I said.

I can't even fly, now.

He shrugged an 'okay', and we started walking along the walkway, looking down at the city at our feet. Well, I was looking at the city. I turned to 31, my facial expression just screaming 'What?'.

"Sorry. It's just weird to see you without wings."

I nodded.

"How..?" 31 asked.

"Basically I can disguise them- make them disappear- but the prison has an anti- disguise system which means I can't." I explained quickly.

"Fair." 31 muttered. We had got to the end of the walkway, and were greeted by an elevator. "Ladies first." He joked.

"Fuck you." I retorted, as we both stepped onto the disk.

"If you insist." 31 muttered as we shot downwards into the depths of the city.
I chose to ignore his comment.
"Shall we explore?" 31 asked, looking at the the buildings now towering above us, ships weaving between them.

I shrugged. Sacorria Abregadorae. 2630. Sacorria.
A capital city was at our fingertips. We could do anything, go anywhere, kill anyone.

"I want to see if I can get hold of some proper kit." I said, stretching.

"What do you mean?" 31 asked.

"Serafer don't usually have to kill with our bare hands." I replied.

31 took a step back slightly. He seemed to have forgotten what I was, since he couldn't see my wings.
"You're not killing anyone, 15."

"Who'll stop me?"

"Me. It's not right. People should die in their own time, not because you decide that they should die."

"We don't decide. We kill when necessary. We kill one to prevent the deaths of many. Assassination of Obama in 2013? It also took out everyone in the White House. But it never happened because of us. Bombing of New New York? Even though we lost a soldier in the process, the bombing was prevented because of us. We can't help who we are. We can't help our instincts. But at least we use them for long-term good. But people like you? You're the reason we have to live in the shadows, the reason we have to disguise ourselves." The hatred in my voice must have been very obvious, because 31 took another step back.

"Sorry..?" He muttered.
I ignored his apology, heading off down a promising looking street.
31 ran to keep up with me. "Soldier." Instinctively, my back straightened, and my stride changed to match that of a march. "You said you lost a soldier. Are you a soldier?"

I didn't answer his question directly. "I should be a general."

"Geez. How old are you?"

"Your years or ours?"

"What's the difference?"

"We live about 4 times longer. I'm coming up to my fifth birthday."

"What's that, 18, 19 for humans? You're a child, 15. Why would you be a general?"

"Long story." I muttered.

"I have the rest of my prison sentence." 31 said, walking backwards in front of me in order to look at me properly.

"Even if you had the rest of your life, you wouldn't understand." I replied.

"Well I do. Have the rest of my life. Life sentence." 31 said shortly.

"Oh? You're what, 20? What did you do?" I asked.

"You really want to know? Fine. We'll exchange stories. My planet was small, and fiercely independent. But a neighbouring planet decided to take charge of us. They near enough invaded, and we were helpless to stop them. But a small group of us- we formed a rebellion. We caused uprisings. Fought for our independence. Planted bombs. Fought in the streets. Whatever we could. But it wasn't enough. We were all killed, or imprisoned with life sentences."

"So you're a murderer just like myself." I said coldly. "The man with morals only uses them to his advantage. How very typical of your kind."

"Oh yeah? I lied, when I said I heard about Serafer from a book. Yes I read up on you, but only because I saw one. Our biggest operation had to be scrapped because the leaders were killed by this.. this thing. I was hiding in the room, and this man walked in, and killed all three of them. I never saw his face, but I didn't need to. He had a gold.. thing, across his shoulders, with whistles hanging from it; two swords, golden handles and pitch black blades, still dripping with blood. And a pair of large, golden wings."

Death.