[.....]

I try to speak but no words came out of my mouth. The gods must have muted me, I joke to myself. I try to gather my thoughts and try to sense what was happening around me. I tried moving my body but to no avail I couldn’t feel anything. As I try to get it together, I open my eyes, I try to look around fearing I was either blind or just in a white room. My eyes notice a different shade of color which was the gentle warm light enveloping me.

Knowing that I’m not blind this eases me quite a bit…wait I’m still in a white room and God knows how I got here. Okay mental deep breaths pheeew. How did I get here?

I'm having a hard time remembering what I was doing before I entered this state. I think I was preparing my bed, and then went to sleep? No that’s not it, I was eating my meal? I was uhmmm.

Noticing myself become panicked I try to remember my mother who always had something wise to say, who was she again? Argh this put me into a more panicked state.

As I try to remember more and more I start hearing something, gradually it started becoming more audible. I think those are footsteps? The pacing of each step, the weight behind their steps, I can’t mistake it, it’s got to be a person!

I felt relief that I was no longer alone in this endless white room. I try calling out to the person and the sudden realization hit me again. Dammit I curse the gods inwardly. As the footsteps came closer more of its features we’re visible. I became pale, and knew that I had become delirious as the person who was approaching me had a beak!

It had white feathers covering its head with black tear stripes on its cheeks its beak was hooked and its gaze was stern. It had a muscular upper body covered by gray feathers and long slender but muscular legs. It had arms covered with feathers that are a lighter shade from its body and massive wings are folded behind its back. Holy mother of god that was not the kind of bird I was expecting to see.

As it reached a near distance, it started walking slowly with a dignified look on its face as it stared me in the eye. My body breaks into sweat and starts trembling. I watch it with vigilance and it starts to approach me slowly. A royal aura exuded from this Raptor, a grin started to appear on his face it unfurls its wings in full glory. His aura started to become more intense and violent but his demeanor remained calm. He stood there, I’m guessing five feet away from me. He puffs his feathers on top of his head and the feathers stood up resembling a crown of plumage. If I had to guess the look on my face right now it would be pure awe and terror. He raises his beak and puffs his chest out and puts his hands behind his back. He started walking again slowly, his talons tapped with intensity in each step. Seconds have passed but it seemed like hours to me, the pressure this raptor bird man is releasing is extremely heavy. Step by step my heart started to thump faster and faster, its steps getting louder and louder due to the sheer anxiety of his overwhelming presence. Three steps later he suddenly disappeared. My eyes start to look around nervously, I look at both sides and see no signs of the raptor bird man, due to his wings my eyes gaze upwards and there was nothing. I mentally sigh in relief and as I look down, the raptor bird man seems to have tripped on its own feet and fell forward and I was too scared to notice it happen.

It stood up as fast as it can and rubs its beak with its hand. He looks at me again and tries to hide his embarrassment but his body language betrays his facade. I burst in to laughter and the sudden realization hit me again for the third time. Dammit.

[Ehem... Welcome ------------ ]

The raptor coughs and says with a deep voice resembling a middle aged man coming home from the office after working 12 hours straight. I couldn’t interpret what he said after welcome.

-Welcome who now? 

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

[------------, you]

-You can read my mind? and "You?", your voice sounds beautiful by the way.

[------------. Yes that is your name. Thanks.]

-I couldn’t quite catch that can you slowly repeat it, what was my name again?

[-- ---- --- ---]

-Ummmm I, Uhhh seem to have trouble understanding the name. Anyways, where are we? And why can’t I understand you when you say "my" name. I remember clearly that my name is… hmm could you repeat that one last time?

It sits on a chair and rubs its head in frustration

[------------, that will be the last time I utter your name]

-Hold on a second was that chair there before? Never mind that question. Who are you? And how do I make a chair appear behind me suddenly too.

[I am Aderyn, and you are in…]

Aderyn kept speaking for a long time and I got lost after he said ‘you are in’, whatever he said after that phrase was gibberish to my ears. I couldn’t understand any of it, his mouth was moving but nothing was registering in my brain.

As I stare at Aderyn with confusion he seems to not have noticed that I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Aderyn was flexing his muscles and doing some weird hand symbols and his feathers we’re flying around like it had minds of their own forming what appears to be a floating island. His face looked like he was enjoying his explanation himself.

[Uriel]

-Huh? Wazzat? Aderyn was that you? You can even change your voice into a girl?! Amazing!

I asked him a question and it seems like he was too busy flexing his muscles and doing feather tricks. To be honest it was kind of an amazing sight to see. 

[Uriel!]

The voice that spoke seems to be agitated. Whoever this Uriel guy must have pissed someone off cause that voice sounds really really angry, I give him my condolences.

[……All will be revealed at the age of 16, ------------]

Aderyn’s voice suddenly became comprehensible. He finished his excessive muscle flexing and his feathers returned to his wings and some just started falling slowly on the spot.

-Reveal what? Are there secrets you’ve been hiding from me Aderyn?

[This is no time to joke around. I already told you everything you need to know, weren’t you listening boy?]

-Hmm how do I say this without offending you. I couldn’t under—

[Uriel! Wake up already the king has been calling you for an hour now!!]

SMACK!

.

I wake up in shock as there was a stinging sensation that attacked my left cheek. My hands hold my cheeks reflexively and start rubbing it. Looks like I can move my body again the sensations are back. I turn my head to the left and see another person looking at me with angry eyes. Her eyes we’re huge reminding me of an…owl?

-OH MY GOD IT’S A 6 FOOT OWL

SMACK!

[Prince, stop acting like a child! We’ve known each other since we we’re young and what’s wrong with being an owl?! The prince himself is a sparrow!]

-Prince? Sparrow?!

[*sigh*, we’re you having those dreams again? Every time you wake up from dreams like those you seem like you’ve forgotten who you are. We even had you checked up and the doctor said there was nothing wrong with you. Remember?]

I gather my thoughts and I confirm that everything she just said was true. I am Uriel. Uriel Plume, a prince. Those weird dreams I keep having really confuses me. Do I have an identity crisis? I joke inwardly.

-*sigh* to think that I was giving my condolences to this Uriel guy. He turned out to be me all along.

I slouch my shoulders and cover my eyes, I was too embarrassed to look at Chlea.

[Looks like you remember. Get ready prince the king called you today, fortunately it wasn’t urgent. The royal guards themselves would’ve woken you up instead of me.]

-Chlea, didn’t I tell you before to call me by my name. When we’re alone formalities aren’t needed, besides we’re childhood friends aren’t we?

Chlea flinched and nodded in agreement. She hesitated as she started to speak.

[O-okay, Uriel…]

Chlea was always strict and followed the rules, she was the daughter of the aide of the king. She was raised like royalty and was taught proper etiquette and received lessons from sages themselves, even in her family they were supposed to speak to each other in a formal manner for it to become a habit. I notice her just standing there staring at the floor, she’s probably lost in her own thoughts, she’s not used to calling me by the name.

I whistled at Chlea,

-Sky to Chlea, are you done staring? I need to change clothes to be presentable in front of father. Could you leave the room please?

She snaps out of her thoughts and proceeds to leave the room.