The beauty of a broken angel

Today was a good day for a walk. The sun was rising, which meant the stars were fading. Another night wasting on staring at something he couldn't grasp. No matter how much he looked for him, no matter which angle his head was, the star was still gone. It saddened Mercury. He hadn't thought Elliot would disappear without first saying goodbye. Maybe that was why he still held hope that the star would return, shining brighter than ever.

As a vampire it was strange to go for a walk when the sun was about to show it's face. But Mercury dared to do it and was climbing his way to one of the bigger mountains Vanaheim had to offer. He could watch the sunrise from there, be happy for a moment and get back to work. Hunger would soon strike and he liked to be fed on time. Plus, he didn't want to worry anyone with his disappearance. Reaching the top he wanted to take some time to get is breathing under control, only to realize that he didn't even need to breathe. Instead, he was met with a growl and a voice telling that growl to back off. Was he hearing voices now as well? Had he invested too much time in Minerva? Mercury peeked around the corner of a large rock and saw the mountain lion. Instantaneously, a broad smile was on his face. ''Oh, I always loved cats!'' He exclaimed, stepping out from his hiding spot.

Mercury might love cats, the cat definitely did not love him. He could sense it from where he stood, so to not provoke the mountain lion, he stayed near the rock he had just been hiding behind. His eyes went from the cat to its owner, realizing who had been talking to. A shocked expression washed over his face, but just as easily disappeared again. ''Commander!'' He spoke with a broad smile while bowing deeply. ''What an honor to meet face to face.'' Mercury had heard from her and had watched her from a distance. He knew who she was, but that was it. They had never officially met before. Time to change that. Mercury dared to step closer, putting his hands behind his back. ''It may not be, but it is the best place to watch the sun rise from it's slumber.'' He spoke with a smile. Here he was, a simple commander of peace talking to the Commander. It almost felt like a dream come true. If he could ever dream again, that was.

Had Mercury missed an important meeting or something? Had it suddenly become the season of sadness? Even the Commander in front of him seemed to have something linger around her that told him she wasn't in the happiest of places. Another step forward, living another day. The mountain lion still watching him, he turned his attention towards the Commander, whom he didn't even know the name of. He would know soon enough probably. She spoke of the sunrise as something trivial. Clearly she didn't understand the beauty of it. But who was he to teach her? This was the first sunrise he had seen in weeks.

The Conclave. The conclave. The what now? For a moment, the old vampire looked confused, but then he smiled again. ''You decide yourself what you want to remember from this place.'' He spoke, while stepping forward again, calmly, showing that he indeed did not mean any harm. ''For instance, I once fell down this mountain, on that place where you're standing now.'' He chuckled, thinking of the fake memory he had just created. The Commander didn't need to know he was lying, right? ''But the memory of the pain and the fall don't stop me from returning here and appreciating the view.'' Turn something negative into something positive. It was his greatest quality probably.

The Commander didn't buy it. Commander 1 - Mercury 0. He would get enough chances in the future, he wouldn't let everything depend on just a few sentences. The vampire sighed and straightened his back for a moment, before finally having the guts to walk towards the Commander and stand next to her, looking out over the many mountains Vanaheim had to offer. In the dawn of a new day, it looked magnificent. Mercury almost started to miss the days he could walk all day in the sun. But then he reminded himself what had happened in those days, and the longing for that memory disappeared again.

''Maybe host the conclave on a different mountain then? I mean, it would suck if no one appreciated the sunrise from here.'' He spoke with a tone in his voice that wasn't quite placeable. It could be sadness, it could be humor, it could be a mix. Mercury himself wasn't even sure of it. His mismatched eyes turned towards the Commander on her next question and he nodded. ''There are many mountains here though, so you have to be a little more specific.'' His mouth curled into a playful smile. He knew what she meant, but that didn't stop him from throwing in a little joke.

Mercury shrugged, knowing the answer but still wanting to answer her question anyway. ''Nothing ventured, nothing gained.'' He wouldn't go against the Mothers wishes, she who had given him a home and given him his life back, but what was so special about this mountain? As far as he knew, it hadn't been chosen because it was just so perfect to slit someone's throat on, or because you could easily push people down. So, why? Why this mountain? Maybe he should ask Minerva when he got back and she wasn't in the mood to stab his eye out. That could mean he could wait for a long time.

Mercury tried to act surprised when she spoke about that mountain, but halfway through just started to laugh. '' Oooh. That mountain!'' He spoke as if it finally hit him what she meant. ''Yeah, I'm from that mountain.'' And a much prettier mountain this one was. Only there you couldn't really see the sun rise. Which would probably be for the better. ''Let me guess, she looked bat-shit crazy and seemed to talk to people who weren't there.'' Mercury asked with a sigh. Not many went in to the temple, but he knew someone who would. And with the description he got, he could guess who it had been.

The temple wasn't his favorite place, it was all dark and gloomy and his hair got damp. So, usually he just hung outside, or on top of it, depending on how adventurous he felt that day and how close by Minerva was. Because if she saw him climbing that building... she wouldn't be done with him for centuries. The vampire shook his head on the question of the Commander. ''Not really, we're all there from time to time, but it isn't everyones favorite place.'' To be fair, Mercury rather didn't go. He felt no connection to it, he would rather stay in the fields of the village. It was there that the Mother felt closer to him, not in the temple.

An ally? Was everyone vague these days? With a confused look, Mercury turned towards the young woman. ''Why? Because she couldn't choose who to eat first?'' He joked with a half smile. It would probably mean something serious, after all, Minerva was very protective over the temple. She knew the Mother best. Maybe he should ask for stories about her. The more the days went by, the more he started to miss the Mothers presence. The more he started to doubt himself again. And no words from Juno, no music from Apollo or Diana's caressing could make that doubting stop.

Again, Mercury shrugged. Everyone had their own favorite places. The forest felt like his home and hell at the same time. He remembered every path, every tree, every place where he had fallen down. But there was always one place he rather avoided, the place he couldn't even think of without the smile dying on his face.

On the description of what the Commander had experienced, Mercury laughed. ''She has that effect on people. She can't help it.'' He chuckled with a soft shake of his head. Truly, Minerva brought out the best in people. But then his face got a bit more serious again. ''Minerva respects every Commander that passes by, as do I. She is just a little more.. fanatic.'' and a lot more crazier, but he didn't add that. She could be near and he wouldn't know. Besides, he considered Minerva as a friend. He didn't want to talk so badly about her, knowing full well how hard her life already had been.