‘You need to return’

I stared at the child finally asleep in the dark room with only light coming through the cracks on the curtain, the voice carried on the light itself.

‘No’

‘Your purpose is complete. If you do not return you will be bound and your essence will be erased’

My friend and brother, with me even after I fell, was not wrong. 29 years with my ward and my task was complete. If I continued to stay on this plane my very essence would disappear and my own mother could not save me.

I growled from the corner across from the child, the darkness wrapping around me ‘I will not leave my charge. I have been entrusted their safety and will never go back on my word my old friend. I may be fallen but I do not lie, we can not lie’

The voice carried on the light began to grow, concern and anger on every word ‘You can not do this! You will be bond to this plane. There is not future in this line and I will not let you cease!’ I could hear the sadness now take hold as the voice quivered and the light flickers and rises ‘Please….don’t leave me brother’

My eyes never leaving the child knew they were awake. Their brown eyes piercing the darkness of the room looking directly at me. The child slowly rose and I followed suit as the darkness of the room began to over take even the light that was coming through the cracks. Small tiny steps that only a 4 year only could make marched toward me. All I could do was wait for this child to stop in front of me, reaching their tiny hand out.

‘You need to sleep little one, come let us go back to your bed’ I said as I reached one of my hands out to take theirs. My claws and scales massive and grotesque as this little hand gripped my longest finger. We moved slowly back to their bed before they began to weep. Something that was now normal over this week but I could not bear. Stroking the child’s hair slowly to help comfort them as they returned to their dreams I returned my attention to the light. No longer bright as an afternoon sun but now shaded with red and yellow like the setting sun.

‘I can not leave my charge. Your ward entrusted me. She asked me, as I had been there for her, to be there for this child’ darkness slowly recessing and allowing the light more vibrancy.

‘You will be bonded to their bloodline’ the light flickered more as the tones changed. ‘Your ward dying in the accident was not the only tragedy. The child will never continue its line. You will fade away as they travel to their next plane’

Allowing my darkness to wrap the weeping child as they slowly drift into their dreams ‘I know, my dear brother, I know. I will do so happily, for I am pride’

Hope this is good. Normally just lurk but wanted the story in my head to come out for once.