Chapter 4: Sundown
"How are you doing, Alby?" Roy asked the man lying on the couch, while groaning in pain. "Lily?"
"You know he always gets like this just before the sun rises." She said, walking to the two while holding a bag of frozen peas. "Here you go, Alby. This will help."
The man took the peas from her and shoved them down his shirt, still groaning and unwilling to talk.
"My poor nephew," Roy said, shaking his head at him as he held a black lace veil. "Then again, you decided to live this life."
"I know." The man hissed. "I am not complaining."
"I didn't say you were," Roy said quickly, holding his hands up in defeat. "Sorry, you're cranky. I will leave you alone for now."
"This is just annoying though." The man complained, looking at the dark blue hairs sticking out all over his body.
"I understand." The Lily chuckled, walking to a corner of the living room, right beside the flat screen T.V just as the sunlight began to enter the house. "Well, gentlemen, I will be seeing you all in thirteen hours."
"See you, Lily," Alby said, curling into a ball as his bones started to shift and rearrange themselves inside his body, skin stretching and trembling.
"Rest up well, Lily," Roy said to the woman as she gave him a smile before turning to stone, eyes closed and hands outstretched, in an almost begging position.
He looked at the statue silently for a second before placing the veil in his hands over her head.
"There we go." He said, turning to a Siberian husky sitting on his couch. "Oh hey, did the transformation hurt less, Alby?"
The dog rolled his eyes at him before laying on the couch again, slowly falling asleep.
"It's almost my time too," Roy said, walking out of the living room littered with pictures and walked to a room, pulling out a wheelchair as his legs started to grow limp.
"I know I have it the easiest between the both of you." He said, crawling to the wheelchair. "That doesn't mean I don't hate it though. This is just inconvenient and annoying."
Yes, the humans have started to not be as wary of us. He thought, using his upper body strength to sit on the chair. But that does not mean they like us.
There are many people like us that still exist in the world and we have been in hiding for a while, though there were some people that still have these secret organizations.
The only reason we are able to live comfortably is because an organization wanted to hire Lily's abilities and she refused to work for them until they took me and Osbert as well.
Otherwise … we would have been killed on the spot. We are there to make sure the city is safe, fortunately. So we do not have to harm the people that are like us unless they are trying to harm us or the people here.
Not only that, we are all pretty useless during the morning so the humans are safe and very carefree during the morning. Maybe a little too carefree.
He sat in his wheelchair, sighing. How much longer are we going to be needed? We don't even know how many of us are out there and if they all die out? What will happen to us then?
I need to see what I can do about that tonight.
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"Here you go, dad," Rosy said, handing Mr. Sage a bowl of water.
The two were in a room filled with nothing but newspapers all around the floor and statues everywhere along with blocks and blocks of clay.
"Thank you, Rosy." The man chuckled, folding his sleeves before dipping his hands in the water. He then proceeded to move his hands skillfully on the clay in front of him.
"What are you making today?" The little girl asked, jumping around as the bow in her hair dance with her. Her hair was long enough to reach her ankles and yet, she liked it untied and flowing.
"Just some orders I have." Mr. Sage said, reading the description the girl wrote down for him the day before. "This one has a slightly crooked nose at the bridge, and full lips."
"I don't know how you are able to recreate the exact person just from reading the descriptions of them." The girl said, looking at the face coming together. "Even now it looks like her."
"Well, I don't really pay attention to the descriptions." He chuckled, dipping his hands in the water once again. "Remember that I always told you to give it to them to 'authenticate'?"
"I wondered about that." The girl said, sitting on the chair a little too high for her. "They can't read braille so what was the matter if they saw it or not."
"Well, that allows them to leave a little bit of their scent on the papers." He said, elegant hands on the clay again. "And I remember every person I met by scent. So I can see their faces in my mind's eye."
"That's so cool!" The girl said, beaming before her expression dulled. "I wish … I had some cool ability like you do."
"You do." The man said, smiling at her.
"A Wendigo is not anything impressive. I can only consume human flesh." She said, sighing. "Isn't that disgusting?"
"You have developed a flesh that has human properties so you don't have to eat them." The man said pausing. "Isn't impressive enough?"
"It is not the same thing. That will sustain me for a while but I will need to eat a human at least once a week." She said, annoyance written all over her face.
"You can leave that to me." Mr. Sage reassured her but the girl didn't say a word, still annoyed. "Hmm. Don't you think it's getting a little hot in here? I am afraid my sculpture will dry up before I finish."
"I'll handle it!" The girl said, sucking in a deep breath and blew out a cold, almost freezing cloud of smoke, lowering the temperature of the room immediately.
"Thank you." Mr. Sage said, brightly as he took the girl's hands in his. "Your ability is the reason why you are so revered and feared by people all over the world. You can also take away hunger or give someone extreme hunger.
"You remember how much that has helped us in the past? Especially me." The man smiled softly at her. "It is safe to say that you saved me, Lumi."
"You always say that." The girl said, smiling though she didn't want him to know. "But you have done more for me than I could ever do for you."
"Just stay with me and keep this old man company. That is enough." The man said, patting her hand with his clay stained ones but she didn't mind.
"Fine. The only time I leave will be when I die." The girl said, sticking her tongue out at the man. "You can't get rid of me before that."
"I have no intention of doing that."
A knock came on the door as Skye peeked into the room, "I hope I am not interrupting anything."
"Not at all, Skye." Mr. Sage said, turning to the woman. "Is something wrong?"
"It is already time for dinner, Mr. Sage." The woman said, looking at the man for a second too long before snapping out of it suddenly. "I have prepared it. Please come and eat."
"It is that late already?" Mr. Sage asked, getting up from his chair.
"It is already five in the evening." The woman said pleasantly. "Should I wait for you two to finish eating before I leave?"
"You could eat with us!" Rosy said, beaming. "What do you think, dad? Please?"
"I would not mind, sir." The woman said, a hint of hope in her eyes.
"We cannot put you in danger, Skye." Mr. Sage said, shaking his head. "You know what it's like out there. The sun will be setting soon. Perhaps we can have lunch together the day after?"
"I will be looking forward to it then, sir." The woman said, understanding completely. "I will see you the day after tomorrow, Rosy. Ok?"
"Awww~." The girl pouted. "Fine. But we will see you off at the gate."
"That isn't nec-"
"Come now, it's just the gate." Mr. Sage said washing his hands in the sink as Rosy brought him a towel to wipe his hands with. "Thank you. Shall we drop her off then?"
"Ok!"
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"Get home safe, Skye." Mr. Sage said, waving at the woman as she walked away while he used his cane to support himself.
"Bye-bye!" Rosy said jumping up and down.
"Please take care too!" The woman said, waving at the two before she caught a cab and took off.
The light from the sun was still very bright but there was not much time before daylight disappears.
"Lumi." The man said, as they closed the gate to their house, setting up protection like holy water all around the house. "Tonight is still a full moon."
"I know." The girl said, eyes gleaming as she looked at him. "Does that mean-"
"Yes."
"Yes!" She shouted, jumping up and down. "Yes! Let's hurry and eat first! Come on!"
"Coming, coming."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone