Chapter 11
The Man with White Wings
The throne room has a sense of uneasiness to it. As if a predator wandered into the forest and all the birds and insects stop their melodies and chirps at an instance of its presence. Uzume looks to her captain, then to her lieutenant. It felt like minutes have passed to hours as they stood there, but it was just mere moments. Finally, the tension broke when Sir Grym spoke. “My queen, We brought in an individual who has broken the central fountain at the square.” He looks to Acharil for a moment, then back to The Queen. “He fell from the sky like a shooting star and his appearance… I…” His eyes shift slightly, “we… never seen anything like him.” As Grym explains the situation of the strange man's appearance, Uzume's mind raced, her body slightly shuddered, but she tried to stay as calm as possible. She straightens her posture after Grym finished his report and spoke firmly. “Bring me to him”.
As they walked to the location of the prison, Uzume then told her Knights to stand guard here. She insisted that no one comes in or out by any means. Grym nodded but informed her that Sir Wu Jak is also inside, and he instructed him to keep watch on the man as they went to inform her. With no words she gives a nod to Grym and quickly glances at Lupo then turns to walk into the prison. The murmurs of voices of the prison guards and prisoners went to a steady silence as the clicks of the Queen's boot-heels echoed onto the stone foundation. Not a single soul in there dared to raise a peep as the queen walked down the corridors of this building. Her walk came to a slow as she approached Sir Wu Jak who stood up from his crouch and stood straight, holding his staff a bit tighter than before. Though it might not look it, the kaiken face was draped in sweat and anxiety. As if he was a new recruit in the guard, stepping straight into battle for the first time. He was on edge. But he was only standing guard. The mere act made him gray in the face and was only snapped back to reality once the queen rounded the corner. “Go outside to the Captain, Sir Wu Jak.” . Wu gulped, but bowed respectfully, “Yes, M'lady.” His voice sounded a bit shaken. A strange display for Wu for sure, but given the circumstances, it is a given. Wu proceeded without looking back, his head looking slightly down and his eyes shrouded as he exits the prison.
Uzume approaches the cell, to her surprise the man isn't facing it, but he has his back turned towards it and his front facing the wall. She is stood in awe as she sees the stranger's wings, large and white. However, that's not the only thing that being displayed. As she stands there she feels this immense pressure, a sensation, the weight of the air and her body are being pulled to the ground itself. Is he doing this? Is that why Wu looked the way he did? He must have been trying his hardest to watch him and appear strong, but this, pressure, even she almost can't fathom it. With no words being exchanged yet the two beings seem to be in a some sort of exchange, Pressure vs. Pressure, and yet the stranger isn't moving like he didn't notice her presence. For the queen, she tries to subdue this sensation with her own. Trying to be the one in control of the situation. This reaction causes the stranger's feathers to flex a bit, as if a bird fluffs up and expands their feathers to stretch. He then turns his head slightly, finally acknowledging that a new person is in the room. At the moment as he turned his head, his eyes opening to reveal the purple glow they have, time seemed to slow down. Uzume locked her eyes onto his, and she felt a rush of tension. Why? What is this… and then as if a flash and a ping of pain hits her head slightly as the nightmare dream she had prior. Beings who seem to be surrounding her, entered her subconscious for a brief moment, then suddenly disappears. Time seems to begin to go to normal, and she blinks and the stranger speaks to end the silence.
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“Who are you and where am I?”
He spoke with slight authority, and curiosity. This is a question that isn't hard to ponder, Uzume has heard this question thousands of times. And yet, she still paused to think. In the best of contexts, it is her who should really be asking these questions. She looks at the mysterious winged man. As for some reason she gets a familiarity to him, but it is shrouded in an enigma of doubt. The Queen obviously is highly educated she knows most if not all the races of this world, however, He, is vastly different. Though he exists. For now, she has to play her cards and stick to her role as Queen, for even the mysterious and new she welcomes all. “I am Queen of this kingdom. This is the holding cells of Nocturnia. You are down here for destruction of the fountain in the square. Though, I can assume it wasn't truly Intentional. May I, inquire, of your name?” She stares into his eyes seeing if anything changes, a skip, a dart, a blink… but receives none of that sort. He stares back as if trying to do the same. The man leans up, placing a leg stretch out while another is bent. “Sariel” the man says without any bit of hesitation. The Queen tilts her head a bit. There it is again. That feeling of familiarity and then again clouded. Sariel… the ending of his name is interesting. No matter, the queen then straightens herself. “Well now Sariel, you did cause quite a stir in my square and even so in the cell. Tell me, what kingdom do you reside?” Sariel squinted a bit, there it is a sign of him thinking but his face seems a bit confused as if he has never been asked this question before, or perhaps it's not something he is asked about…
“Kingdom? There are no Kings from what I am aware of nor Queen's. You are the first of Daeva that claim to be one in my eyes. I am from Solstice, surely you of all people should know that.” The Queen raises an eyebrow and tilts her head. Solstice? Never have I heard of such a place. Uzume is taken aback by the retort. For yes, she most definitely should know. As Queen, she knows all the many towns and kingdoms that reside in this realm. From the two Lamian villages of the desert and marsh lands. The sea faring City of Cordelia, and to the south, the School of Magic and Academia.
How perplexing this is to Uzume, and yet she must ponder this another time, Sariel does not appear to be dodging the questions. He too also seems to be questioning his location as he rebutted Uzume's questions, he answers them, provided by a question further ongoing this strange back and forth of dialogue. She should know this? For in all intent and purposes it is her duty to know this. Though her mind is sharp and her knowledge also vast, Uzume however isn't omnipotent as it would seem. She would know of certain hideaways or hidden cities unless they were discovered by one of the many guards or by the families who run this kingdom by her side. She of course would be one of the first to know. This does come off as strange.
With a little more thought, Uzume tilts her head. “I would have to refresh my mind then, I don't have a recollection of this, Solstice. My apologies, Sariel” She looks at his wings then back to his face once more. “What also eludes me is your appearance. I'm not one to judge a race but, for you, you are different. You are definitely not a Daeva. You seem quite, more to it than what my people are. Furthermore, you are not human. Yet, your body is. But those wings of yours. Tell me, I must know what you call yourself.” Sariel looks a bit annoyed by the question, though he sighs, “I am an Arael.” The moment Sariel spoke his race, uzume feels a sharp pain in her temple she places her index and middle finger on the spot and she winces slightly. Using the wall as a brace, she opens her eyes, and they seem to jitter and her dragon like eyes dilate slightly. Her vision blurs and a feint apparition only appearing in her eyes, misty and dark, the enigma seems to out stretch its hand, palm down and a light wave seem to pulse from it. Uzume sees flashes of dust, sounds of feint screams, and a slight sound of an explosion. A prison guard a distance away starts yelling, “My Queen?!” As Uzume grunts, slides, and falls to the floor as her eyes slightly roll back, and she passes out on the spot. Sariel stands slowly staring at the fallen woman and feeling something oh so familiar from her aura at that moment. He clenched his fist, turns and stares back at the wall. “So ptep ol um si oot” he says to himself in his tongue with a tsk.