“Look at us! Like heroes from a child’s bedtime story!” Silas marveled at his armor, admiring himself in the mirror for the hundredth time.

Silas, Orion, Kaela, and I waited in the room, fully adorned in our new armor sets, as we awaited the council to escort us to the town square. While Silas was enthralled by his reflection, the rest of us sat in an uncomfortable silence. It was only in these quiet moments, when we weren’t fighting for our lives or for each other, that I realized we had nothing to talk about. Orion whistled a somber melody, and Kaela stared blankly at the ceiling with her arms and legs crossed. I never knew silence could be so loud, and I never thought I would have a problem with it. Back home in Emberfield, all I knew was noise, and the only time I encountered silence was when I went to bed or soared through the night skies. But why was the silence bothering me now, of all times? I spent my entire childhood in silence; I should be used to it by now. Maybe it’s because I like these people. They never condemned me for who I am, nor were they surprised when they learned of my origin; it was just another typical day for them. I feel relaxed around them, and maybe that’s why the silence bothers me—I want to talk with them.

“So, do you... um...” I tried to ask something to break the silence, but I didn’t know what it was yet; I was hoping to find it along the way.

“Yes?” Orion stopped humming, making the silence even louder.

“Um, you know... W-what are yours...” As I battled with words, a familiar voice saved me from an epic defeat.

“Valerian, stop embarrassing yourself.” Lyra walked into the room with Forleen at her side as the rest of the council followed behind.

“My ember!” I exclaimed happily, relieved to be saved from embarrassment.

“Stop calling me that in front of others!” she kicked my knee, but I barely felt it thanks to my new armor.

“But it’s fine when we’re alone?” I teased.

“Um... No!” she kicked me again, this time harder.

Lyra was the only person besides Silas with whom I could speak about absolutely nothing and still have a good time. Especially now that we are bound by blood. I feel like I’ve known her my entire life. It’s funny—I know this stranger I just met better than I do my family.

“Will you be part of the ceremony with us?” I asked.

“I’m already bound to you by blood; I don’t want to be bound by some ancient law as well. And why are you so carefree about it? You know if you don’t succeed, you’ll be forever bound by your oath, even in death.”

“I’ve already seen death, my ember, and there’s not much to it. At least this way, I’ll have a memory of the oath I made when I was young and foolish. It shall remind me of the life I lived, rather than the life I lost.”

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

“There’s nothing I fear more than a boring afterlife!” Silas chimed in.

“I agree,” Orion added, and Kaela nodded in agreement.

“You’re all insane.” Lyra shook her head in disbelief.

The rest of the council dressed formally in red and white robes, with the academy’s symbol sewn onto the front pocket: a fox running in circles, trying to bite its tail. Blythe and Onyx looked especially uncomfortable in their formal attire.

“The ceremony is pretty straightforward. I will draw blood from each one of you into a binding chalice, then present to you the terms of the deal, and you’ll repeat the words I say. The blood will disappear and return when you fulfill your oath. Any more questions?” Archmage Theros asked.

No one spoke up; we all knew the terms already.

“Very well, gather around!” the old man commanded, and everyone followed.

Muttering a spell in a strange tongue, the floor beneath us shifted and shook as it began descending.

“W-What is happening?” Silas asked, terrified.

“We are about to make a grand entrance! The folk of Vixengaard love them!” Blythe answered.

Soon, the endless expanse of bright sky greeted us. At first, we could only see clouds and the western seas, but then we saw mountain ranges and green and yellow fields extending in the distance. What had been a tiny glowing dot from our vantage point now unveiled itself as the city of Vixengaard. Thousands of folk sang and cheered at the sight of us.

“Do not fly away now,” Lyra said with a teasing grin.

“You know better than anyone that if I wanted to leave, I would have already done so.”

Vixengaard was a colorful city, with red, blue, and green roofs. Each building seemed unique; some were tall, some wide, and some were a mixture of both. The streets looked like a maze, twisting and turning; finding your home after a drink or two seemed like an impossible task. They were also very narrow, filled with people passing by. The town was much larger than I originally thought, as now that we had descended further, I could no longer see the grasslands surrounding it. A fresh sea breeze grazed my cheeks and brushed through my hair. It was a sight that took my breath away, for I had never seen the vastness of the sea before, having lived in Emberfield, surrounded by farmlands and forests. Vixengaard stood on a peninsula, with open seas surrounding it from the north, west, and south.

“Which one is an avian, mommy?” Amid the cacophony of thousands of voices, a child’s voice reached my ears.

“Is it the white one?” another voice asked.

“I doubt it; that one looks like a brute! Avians are supposed to be ethereal creatures, embraced by a golden aura!”

“It has to be the one in black armor! He looks dashing!”

“Someone’s popular.” Lyra teased, nudging me with her elbow.

“Show them your wings, Valerian. Show them who you are,” Archmage Theros suggested, and I complied with his wish.

Stepping in front of the others, I looked at the cheering crowd and brought forth a pair of dark wings. For a moment, the crowd went silent, leaving me feeling completely bare; but then the crowd erupted into deafening cheers. People trampled over each other, pushing whoever they could aside just to catch a glimpse of me. “Valerian of Elyria,” they screamed as their eyes danced with wonder. The same feathers that once branded me as an omen now made me a subject of awe for these crowds. Seeing the admiration in their eyes made me smile, for I felt loved for who I was. I liked this feeling more than anything, for I was a god in their eyes, a sign of divinity. I wanted this feeling to last forever, for them to hail me by my name and marvel at my wings. I wanted the world to know who Valerian was.