Broken Angel Chapter 3

    Tenno blinked his eyes open. "Did I fall asleep?" he thought. He looked down at his wrists and ankles, which were tied together tightly with rope. His wings were tied down by a rope that wrapped around them and his chest, also causing his arms down to his elbows to be scrunched against his sides.
    Frightened as he remembered what had happened, he looked around the dark room and noticed a light seeping in from a crack in a door. Suddenly, smells of spices and herbs filled the room and his nose. Tenno gasped as he realized what that it was for...him... Filled with fear, he wiggled to get up, he managed to stand when he looked at his left hand which had his two fingered claw on it.
    "At least I still have you," he mumbled to it. He began cutting at the rope around his torso and managed to free his wings quickly, for his claws were never used that often, so they were still sharp. He took a few seconds to stretch his wings and began cutting at the rope around his ankles.
    As he shook the rope off his feet, the door opened to reveal his father standing in the doorway with a large knife in his hand. "Ready to be devoured, Tenno?" he asked in a grim tone. Tenno's eyes widened in fear. He made a break for the door on the other side of the room just in time as the knife flew past his throat.
    "Gotta run...gotta get out of here!" Tenno panted silently to himself as he ran down the unfamiliar halls of the demon's castle. As he raced past the confusing rooms and corridors, he tried to cut the rope around his wrists. Suddenly, an evil cry came from above him. "TENNO!!!!" his mother shrieked as she dove for him.
    Tenno ducked as she swooped over him. He began to beat his wings and lift off when he was suddenly grabbed by the ankle from behind and pulled to the ground on his back. He stared up into the unforgiving eyes of his father. His mother stared down behind him.
    "I guess we won't be having him SPECIALLY PREPARED tonight..." his father told his mother. "Yes, especially if he's acting this way," his mother agreed. As his father bent down to bite Tenno's chest, he had managed to free his wrists and swiped his father across the face with his claws.
    His father jumped back in surprise and screeched in pain. Tenno squirmed out from under him and flew up towards the window. Wasting no time, he broke through the glass and jetted into the woods. His parents broke after him. Darting past the trees, Tenno slowed at a clearing and hid behind some bushes. He waited until his parents came, looked around, and flew off.
    Relieved and exhausted, Tenno sat on the ground thinking. "Home... I've got to get home..." he thought. He flew up over the trees to see where he was and flew east towards his home. Heart racing and wings beating, Tenno never felt so scared in his life. He then realized something, "Even if I go home, no one will be there to protect me... Victoria's gone...the only person who ever loved me... And now...I'm alone..."
    Tenno flew down to the ground and sat by a rock. Thoughts of Victoria filled his mind, and tears clouded his eyes. He started to cry.
    He lay on his stomach, head burried in his arms as he sobbed for the only person that cared or loved him. As he wept, he did not notice the fancy black boots that stepped infront of him until he heard, "...Hey...hey, kid... What's the matter?" Tenno looked up into the face of a young 18 year old man with blonde hair and a feathered hat that covered it. He also wore a royal violet sleeveless shirt with a scarf half sticking out of it, black gloves, and gray pants with a black belt. In his right hand, he held a bag overflowing with jewels.
    Tenno knelt up as he stared at the stranger. Looking at him, he could tell he didn't get those jewels by going into a mine. "He must be a jewel theif..." Tenno thought. "Why are you crying, kid?" the man asked. "It's Tenno," Tenno corrected as he wiped his eye. "Hmm...well, Tenno, what are you doing out in the wilderness like this? Aren't you a little young to be off on your own?" the stranger asked. "...That's what I said..." Tenno mumbled sadly.
    "Hmph..." the blonde one scratched his head, "Something's bugging you... Why don't you come down to my house and have some dinner? Then you can tell me what's wrong." Tenno nodded and followed the young man to a fancy forest house. The smell of chicken and gravy filled Tenno's nostriles as his stomach growled. "You're sure a hungry little guy, huh?" the blonde one said as he tickled Tenno's belly with his finger.
    Tenno giggled and followed the gentleman to the kitchen. "Go ahead, make yourself at home!" he said, "By the way, I'm Ichabob Thatcher... but please, call me Thatch." Tenno smiled and Thatch served chicken, dumplings, and gravy.
    "So..." Thatch began as he sat down, "What's up, kiddo? Why are you so down?" Tenno shifted uneasily a little, "Well..." Tenno then told the story from the beginning: That morning. Thatch scratched his chin, "Hmm...quite the birthday, huh?" Tenno nodded sadly. "Well...that doesn't mean it can't be good...wait here," Thatch left the room for a minute.
    Tenno looked down at his food and began eating until Thatch came back with his hands behind his back. "I didn't wrap it...but I think you'll like it," Thatch said. He took out a golden, wrist protector. "You seemed like the kind that would enjoy this," Thatch explained. Tenno lept off his chair and fluttered his wings with joy. He put the wrist protector on his right arm, then Thatch suddenly exclaimed, "Y-you're...an ANGEL!" Tenno looked up at him, who's eyes were wide. "Ya..." Tenno raised an eyebrow, "So?"
    Thatch grabbed Tenno's arm and pinched it. "OW!" Tenno cried, "What are you-" Tenno had no time to finish before Thatch was at his wings, pulling off feathers. "OUCH!! That hurts!" "So you feel it?" Thatch asked. "Yes, I FEEL it...and you're hurting me!" Tenno replied as he pulled his wings away.
    Thatch blinked and said, "Oh...sorry..." Then a look of thought came upon his face, "But...you're an angel...and angels are immortal...how could it hurt?" Tenno shrugged, "Maybe it's because my parents were demons..." "....And..." Thatch did the 'go on' hand motion. Tenno shifted, "Well...it's something I don't like to talk about..."
    Tenno hated that subject, in fact. Talking about his so called 'impure blood' made his skin crawl with irritation. "So...you're a broken angel then?" Thatch asked.  Tenno blinked in confusion. Thatch shrugged, "Well...I think that's what they'd call you..."
    The conversation ended after dinner when Tenno went to bed. Thatch tucked him in and ruffled Tenno's dark brown hair gently. "Good night, Tenno. Happy Birthday!" Thatch walked to the door and turned off the light, then closed the door as he left. Tenno stared through the darkness at the door for a little while, then smiled as he snuggled into the squishy bed. The bed may have been comfortable, but his dreams weren't. The poor boy had nightmares about his demon parents attempting to eat him or eating him alive. But, as of now, Tenno was safe under the kindness of Thatch. As soon as Tenno started thinking of him in his dreams, he almost saw Victoria all over again.