Angel's Rulebook

Blessed Cyphons visiting the mortal realms from Alure must follow a certain set of rules.

Firstly, never harm another with malicious intent. If you must, harm can only be inflicted upon mortals in a circumstance in which it is to protect oneself or another (which is strongly advised to not be done in malice).

Second, do not interfere with the fate of the living. The reason this rule lies below the first is that if a cyphon is nearby when an innocent life about to die for some senseless reason, Cyphons would certainly be monsters if they didn't intervene to preserve life.

Third, hide your true nature from the living. If they figure it out for themselves, fine, but if you make no effort to conceal yourself, that's on you.

Finally, NEVER, under ANY circumstances take a soul to increase your own power. This rule is the reason Cyphons make the distinction between Blessed and Cursed.

If the first two rules are broken, punishment may result in banishment or sacrilegious removal of one's eyes. The decision ultimately relies upon the word of the Divine Juror, who can see the heart and intent of the perpetrator and judge if punishment is necessary at all. 

If a Cyphon takes a soul and becomes cursed, they better run, because if they're ever caught they WILL be executed with no trial, no hesitation, no mercy. 

Abbico knows these rules by heart. She was raised in Alure, where all the cyphons in existence were born. He assumes Bucci knows as well, but then again...

...Bucci has let more than one mortal in on their supposedly law-bound 'secret.'

"You won't tell, will you?" Bucci would say to Abbico, every time it happened. "It was an honest mistake, I think we can both attest to that."

 The cyphon who took Abbico to Alure all those years ago wasn't nearly so lax, but they weren't here anymore. There wasn't an authority in Abbico's mind who was more dear to him than Bucci, the cyphon who took him in when he thought his life was at its end. 

"It's been a while since we returned to Alure." Abbico said suddenly. 

"Shh." Bucci whispered, his head on Abbico's shoulder. "We're enjoying a sunset."

There was always an excuse, always a little farther the rules could be bent, always just one more secret the two of them could keep.

"Aren't you afraid?" Abbico looked deep into the soul they were meant to be escorting back to the place where all souls were meant to go. "Someone could catch us. Someone might ask where all these souls that were supposed to end up in Alure are going."

Bruno gently guided a soul to the empty Toto head they'd found in a field, and watched it gleam to life. "Well, I'm not using them for myself. I'm letting them live their own lives." 

Abbico hesitated, but held the soul out to Bucci. Bucci didn't take it, instead he tightly held Abbico's hands. 

"Are you scared for your own life?" He asked, voice steady and warning. "If you are, I'll take you back to where you're safe." 

Abbico hesitated, thinking of their life in Alure. How lonely it was.

"The place where I am safe is with you." He said firmly. "By your side. It gives me meaning."

Bucci laughed, ringing clear as a bell. "Oh dear. I was just about to say you give me mine." 

The two wandered far and wide. The world was so much bigger when you had to walk it step by step. Sometimes Bucci just picked up a leaf or a rock, just to look at it, to feel its weight in his hand. Abbico tried to find the novelty in it, but they were just so ordinary, it was lost on her.

"Everything is perfect in Alure." Bucci said, picking twigs and burrs out of their tail. "Nothing can be mediocre, ordinary. I feel I may be lacking, broken in some way."

"If you are..." Abbico said, unsure of how she was going to end the sentance when he started speaking.

Bucci was looking at him, so he let out the breath she was holding. "...Then the breaks are beautiful, too. All of you, every part of you is beautiful."

It felt, for a strange time, like Bucci was running away from something. Abbico didn't want to slow them down, but she didn't know why there was such a rush to get away from the place mortals dreamt of going to when they died.

"Promise you won't leave me?" Bucci whispered, curled up In Abbico's arms. The harsh wilds were all around, it felt like there was no one else but them left in the whole world.

"I promise." Abbico whispered. "Until I die, and beyond."