Elias sat in silence, festering in his own rage, though the reason he was angry had slipped his mind hours ago. All he knew was that he was angry. Angry at his son for again failing to rise to his expectations. For daring to question him when his word was law. He was High Justice! Angry at Mollie -- at her portrait for daring to mock him with her smile. At Lelucas for…

His dark brow furrowed. Where was his glass? And was that the door? He gave a strained grunt as he climbed to his feet, hauling himself out of his chair with great effort. The world wobbled under him, listing slowly to the right. He planted his hand on the side table to steady himself.

“Roy?” He yelled, his voice hoarse and thick. There came no response. He tried again, louder this time. Nothing. With a grunt, he started out of the room, holding onto the chair, the table, the doorframe. The floor seemed to be at a slant today, but that didn’t strike him as unusual. Where was that stupid boy?

He vaguely remembered an argument, but that was days ago. Hours ago? Time was hard. The apartment was dark, and he stumbled over something in the hallway, falling against the credenza. His hand came down on something -- a second of resistance -- then a smash. There was a distant sensation he thought may be pain, but he couldn’t be sure. Didn’t matter.

“Roy?” He called out again, stumbling down the hallway towards the boy’s room. The door was partially ajar, but he could see no light from within. Elias felt a vague notion that he should be more cognizant of his volume.

“Are you asleep?” He yelled softly.

He should make peace with the boy. Never go to bed angry, that’s what his mother used to say, Engraal rest her soul.

“Roy?” He asked again in a quiet bellow.

Still there was nothing. Something didn’t seem right. Clinging to a coat rack, pulling it over with him as he stumbled to the bed, he sat down heavily, reaching for where his son lay. “Wake up, this is impor--”

His hand landed on bare, cold mattress. “...tant.”

Elias frowned, looking around. Even in the darkness, even though the blur, he could tell something was missing. Something with blue wings and a sour attitude. He got to his feet, swayed, sat back down. Tried again, more stable this time. He thought he remembered hearing the door open a few years ago. Could that have been important?

The next time you see me, I will be a hero. Or I will die trying.

“Shit.”

He couldn’t remember what his response was, but the sinking feeling in his gut suggested it wasn’t what would traditionally be considered supportive. He had to make this right. Or at least make the boy come home before he made a fool of himself. Stumbling towards the front door, he hit the wall, straightened again, fumbled with the lock for a few days, and then ripped it open. He leaned on the frame in celebration.

Night had settled heavily on the city, the small torches that lit pathways seemed to only punctuate the darkness. Even the glow from the wide braziers that provided columns of warm updrafts seemed dull tonight. But more than anything, the city seemed impossibly vast. And he had no idea where to begin.

Elias pushed off from the door, leaving a streak of red from his damaged palm as he started forward along the pathways. He knew better than to try to fly. It was a small consolation that on foot he would be awarded more time to think. You were an investigator once, man! Think! You know how to track down a perp. But this time the perpetrator was his own son. Someone whose head he had tried and failed to get into for the better part of two decades. Elias’ mind was in no state for such a challenge. Still he staggered onward, aiming as best as he could determine for the Hightalon district.

Where was that boy? He knew better than to go play at night. He wasn’t a strong flyer yet, he told him not to stray too far from the Redquill courtyard. Maybe he had gone to the docks. The little boy had always liked watching the crew of Mollie’s ship. Sometimes they even let him hold the ropes as they tied them off. Elias smirked to himself, remembering the boy -- barely to the waist of the gruff crewmen -- clinging for dear life to a rope that threatened to pull him off his feet, little wings beating to keep his toes on the ground.

He staggered into a low wall, corrected his course and stumbled into a passing Owl man. The Owl opened his mouth to protest, but Elias snarled first. “Watch where you’re going!” He slurred. “Don’chu know who I am?”

His hand came up, finger waggling in the Owl’s face, blood dripping steadily from the gashed palm. The other man’s eyes went wide and he quietly backed away, not answering, and flew up and over Elias’ head.

“Yeaaah, s’what I thought,” he growled victoriously, reaching up to push his hair from his face. The movement left something tacky and cool across his cheek and forehead. His previous train of thought was gone, and he swore angrily. “Stupid soft-wing,” he muttered. Where was he going? Meh, he’d remember on the way.

He seemed to be drifting to the right again, his hip struck the low barrier a second time and this time he had to come completely to a stop to rebalance. This wasn’t right. Something definitely wasn’t right, and he stood quietly for a moment, trying to focus on what exactly it was that wasn’t right. His mouth was filling up with saliva rather quickly, and he turned his head to spit over the walkway.

A sudden motion before him almost startled him backwards, a Falconwatch landing immediately in front of him. “Sir, are you -- sir are you injured??” The man asked, his tone changing quickly. Behind him another landed, reaching up to push her goggles onto her forehead.

“Injured?” Elias slurred, squinting to try and see them through the double vision. Blood streaked his face, smattered his clothes and dripped from his hand. “I’m fine, why aren’t you doing your job?”

“I see,” he said, signalling something to his partner. “Of course, Lord High Justice. What are you doing out tonight?”

“What are you doing out tonight? I’m looking for my damn boy. He got away. No. Ran away. He ran a…” Elias was suddenly frowning, the Falconwatch glancing worriedly to his partner again. Their gaze held an entire conversation in a fraction of a second.

“Lord High Justice are you alright?”

He was barely able to finish the question when Elias doubled over, vomiting onto the marble pathway, splattering both of their boots. The stink of alcohol and bile became suddenly overwhelming.

“Ah. Sorry, lad. That feels much better.”

Both Falcons sighed in relief as they saw the Skyguard nightwatch approaching to assist. Without a word, the female took off into the dark sky to spread the word.

Within minutes the Skyguard, Overwatch and Falconwatch were on high alert. Velius Shadowcaster didn’t like what he had heard. Elias Engelbrecht completely inebriated, streaked with blood. A quick pass by a Falcon reported that the apartment had been left open and there appeared to be signs of a struggle inside. But most worrying was the fact that Roy was missing. His mission was clear. Find Roy and bring him home. He shifted his angle to catch an updraft over a brazier, rising higher over the city.

The Peacock had his own mission, though he had no idea of where to begin and already he felt like giving up. Become a hero. Simple. All he had to do was find somewhere in need of heroics and perform that role. Easy. But… Where exactly would that be?

The next time you see me, I will be a hero. Or I will die trying.

The words sounded so bold in his head, they had sounded so powerful and promising, the way they hung so perfectly in the air in that moment. The strong resolution in his voice. Sure, I’ll just go out to the market, pick up some gull eggs, some bread, maybe a bit of red meat. Oh, and I’ll fill out a form and become a hero while I’m at it. See you at supper! He shook his head, reaching up to tug the white hood of his cloak further down. Rune marched dutifully beside him, occasionally glancing up if looking for reassurance. The pack sat heavily on his back, resting between his wings. Determination kept his feet moving forward.

Elias had been partially correct. Roy’s first idea was to go to the Docks, see if he could get work on one of the airships. Maybe if he captured a famous pirate he could earn the ‘hero’ title. After all, how hard could that be? He wanted to laugh at himself, but all he could do was clench his jaw and keep trudging.

The sudden rush of wind startled him, pushing him back a few feet and blowing his hood. When he regained his footing, he was looking up at a towering black shadow with wings that seemed to stretch on for days. His first instinct was to scramble backwards, certain that Engraal Himself had appeared to claim his soul. Even Rune gave a startled meow and darted behind his legs.

“Roy,” came the gasp. Slowly his vision adjusted to the dark light. This was no skull-headed deity portending death. “By the Divines, I was so worried. Are you okay?”

“Velius!” Roy cried out in relief, moving forward a few paces. Then he paused, suspicious. “Why are you here?” He retreated a step. Lelucas’ seal still felt heavy in his pocket, and he was well aware of the punishment for using a Charm against another Aven, especially in the City. Especially when he had openly announced to the victim of said Charm that his intention was to kill.

Roy retreated another step.

Velius frowned, crouching slightly to make himself look less intimidating. “It’s okay Roy, it’s going to be fine. It’s been a very hard night, hasn’t it? Why don’t you come with me for a while?” He reached out his arm to the Peacock. Roy stared at the man’s hand for a long moment. The Vulture was heavily muscled, his skin and feathers dark enough to blend with the shadows of the city. However his face was kind and friendly. Familiar. This was someone he had known for years, laughed with, shared with.

“Why are you here?” He asked more firmly. Another step back.

“I know what happened. Everything is going to be okay. Come with me, you can stay at my apartment tonight. Doesn’t that sound nice? We’ll mess with all this ugliness tomorrow.”

So he knew. About which though? If it was only the seal, then he could probably talk his way out of it with Lelucas in the morning. But if it was the Charm… He stepped back again, his heel hitting the small retaining wall. Velius crept forward a step, Roy responded by hopping backwards up onto the wall, wings spread.

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“Roy, come on. You know me. I’m your friend. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”

Safe? Safe from what? From punishment? He wracked his brain, trying to think of specifics about the penalty for Charms. Was it execution? Pinioning? Clipping? A stint in prison? A fine? He suddenly realized he didn’t know as much about this as he thought he did.

“Rune, come here.” The cat leapt up into his arms. Velius started to straighten.

“I know you’re scared, I promise it will be okay. Please just… don’t make me chase you tonight.”

“Even with one wing still injured and laden with a pack, I can outfly you, Velius.” Roy said warningly. Rune squirmed under his shirt, pressed against his body tightly.

“I know you can,” Velius conceded without argument.

The Vulture took another step forward, Roy responded with a step back, his heel hanging over the ledge. There was a flicker of light in the sky behind Velius, a flash of torchlight across goggles.

Falconwatch.

Roy shot Velius a look of betrayal and stepped backwards off the ledge. As he dropped, he heard Velius yell and saw the Falcon burst past him overhead.

He might be able to outfly a clumsy Vulture, but he could never outmaneuver a Falcon. Still, he would have to try. Roy’s arms crossed over his chest to protect his cat, he felt straight down, the levels shooting past him faster and faster. Above he heard the scream of wind from over the Falcon’s wings as she dove after him. Suddenly he twisted his body, spreading his wings at the last second and letting the momentum shoot him backwards. He closed his wings as quickly as he could, letting himself be slammed into the small retaining wall. The backpack cushioned the blow and he quickly stretched himself out on the marble. The Falcon shot overhead, missing him completely.

When she didn’t return immediately, he cautiously peeked over the wall. A few yards away, she hovered in place, wings beating hard as she looked around frantically for him. Scrambling to his feet, he looped one arm under where Rune’s rump was and made a sprint for the nearby tower. The motion caught her eye and soon she shot upward a few feet, gaining height to put into a dive before tearing after him again. Flying dangerously close to the ground, she was on him in almost an instant. He spread his wings and leapt left-- then fell into a roll and hit the deck again.

The Falconwatch misinterpreted his motion and cut sharply into open air again. Roy burst out laughing as he rose.

“Twice? Really?” He called to her. She grimaced and turned around, not bothering to dive as she raced after him again. Despite the time lost with the taunt, he reached the tower first and cut a hard right. This tower contained a long spiraling staircase that connected all the levels of Avenholme together to be accessed by pedestrians. It left almost no room for flight.

The Falcon burst in, skid, and immediately veered right as well, using her wings to help her ascend the stairs in short, fast bursts. After a few hops she realized she should be hearing his footsteps, or have at least seen the tail of his cloak as they circled. She paused to catch her breath.

Roy snickered as he pushed the hood of his cloak down quietly, backing out of the alcove he had hidden in immediately inside the tower. He had felt sure that she would have seen the cloth moving into place, but she had rocketed past him too quickly to pay attention to her surroundings.

Stepping back out onto the original walkway, he spread his wings and leapt into the air, trying to get back onto the main level of the city. From out the window of the spiral tower, the Falconwatch yelled in frustration, then called to someone he couldn’t see. “He’s heading for the Translocator!”

He hadn’t been, but now that he had the idea it would be rude of him to make a liar out of her. After all, he’d tricked her three times already. He twisted slightly to see who she was calling to -- and spotted two Skyguard on his tail. Neither of them had weapons drawn, but at the moment that was barely any reassurance. “Translocator it is,” he said grimly to himself. Rune let out a muffled meow against his chest.

He beat his wings furiously, too aware that he was being slowed down by the weight of his pack and the persistent pain in his healing wing. Somehow he wasn’t sure that Maya would approve of his little exercise. He let out a hysterical laugh and pushed himself faster. The Skyguard, a Raven and an Eagle, were closing in fast. He had to make it to the Translocator. And then… well, he’d figure it out after that. There was a twinge of apprehension -- after all, he’d never left Avenholme before -- but the threat of being captured, of losing this game pushed it to the back of his mind.

A hand grabbed his boot, slipped, grabbed again. He twisted and kicked with his opposite leg. The Eagle backed off, leaving an opening for the Raven to grab onto the bottom part of his pack. Black wings folded and the sudden weight drug him down out of the sky towards the path. With a growl of frustration, he drew his dagger and cut the straps of his pack. The Raven tumbled in the air, but landed safely with only half of his prize. The sudden lightness, however, propelled the Peacock forward and up. The Eagle grabbed again, barely missing him, but now unburdened Roy could get more air between them.

The Translocator tower was close, a pillar of pristine white that shot high into the sky above Avenholme. In intricate stained glass near the top was the image of a woman in paladin’s armor, wings of pure golden light spread behind her. Imodai, the Goddess of Valor and Honor. Patron Goddess to many of the Aven in his city. Already he could see the guards outside the entrance to the Translocator were starting to move into position to block his way. He needed a moment to think.

The Eagle on his back wasn’t going to give him that moment. She grabbed at him again, almost catching his pants and he kicked her squarely in the hand. “Sorry!” He yelled down as she drew her fingers against her chest, scowling at him.

“Stop running!” She yelled back to him.

“I’m not running, I’m flying,” he replied, working his way into a climb.

“We just need to talk to you!”

“No, this is chasing. Talking uses words!”

“Then land so we can talk!”

“Yeah, no thanks. Good luck with the next chase though!” They were high above the tower now, and he could see the smaller stained glass that ringed the tower. Each was designated to one of the Gods. The Gods of Death, of Magic, of Fate, of Trade, of Childbirth, countless others all had their place around the tower.

Roy glanced down, seeing the Skyguard back off, out of breath. He grinned broader, and was preparing the perfect gloat when he was struck head-on by something much larger than himself. His arms were suddenly pinned to his sides, Rune let out a yowl as she was pressed against another figure. Roy felt hands grapple again his back, forcing his wings to fold, one arm holding them shut, another reaching around to support him around the waist. He yelled furiously and struggled.

“Roy, stop it, someone is going to get hurt.” Velius said, his lips next to Roy’s ear. His voice was as firm as his arms around the younger man. “Well. More hurt. This isn’t good for you.”

“Just let me go!” He cried, not sure what else to say.

“You can’t run from it this time, let me help you.”

Roy pulled his head back, trying to look at the Vulture man. The flight was almost eerily smooth, Velius never once flapped his wings as they glided. “Velius… You can’t help me… I have to do this.”

Dark eyes locked onto his, questioning. He could see the thoughts running behind those eyes, hunting for the perfect words. The perfect thing to say. Instead, Roy’s hand found its way under the Overwatch man’s leather cuirass, exposing flesh.

“I’m sorry,” he said, then pinched down with his nails as hard as he could and twisted. Velius yelled, instinctively letting go and reaching for the source of pain. The Peacock dropped.

The Skyguard was still too close, and as the Vulture tried to right himself, Roy spotted an Eagle and a Falcon closing in too fast. He twisted to turn over in the air, worked his wings into rhythm, aiming for the side of the tower. Too close. They were too close. And the guards had blocked the entrance. It would take a dive to rival a Falcon to break their barricade and as much as he was loathe to admit it, he was tiring quickly. Instead, he aimed for the beautiful stained glass.

“Forgive me, Kheylana,” he prayed, diving towards a window depicting the Goddess of Fate. At the last second he folded his wings tight against his back and brought his arms up to protect his head. The colored glass crashed around him, glittering as it fell with him down towards the brilliant rune of the Translocator pad.

The guards had not anticipated such a spectacularly destructive entrance, and they stood frozen on the spot. By the time they gathered their senses enough to move, the boy had landed on the pad, staggered into a kneel, then vanished before their eyes.

The world warped and wavered around him, the feeling of being torn apart and then put back together. It was sickening, disorienting and nauseating. When the world reappeared before his eyes, the air was humid but there was a breeze coming from over the sea. He was in another tower, though much smaller and less ornate. He’d never seen this one before, but now was not the time for tourism. Rune let out a pitiful moan under his vest and he patted the lump that was his cat gently.

Straightening the cloak over his wings and drawing up his hood, he walked calmly out of the tower as if this were just another day. It seemed that the guards on this side hadn’t been alerted, as neither of them did more than return his polite nod as he passed.

The ground felt odd beneath his feet, though he couldn’t tell exactly why. He’d never stood on dirt before, and there was a strange novelty to the unevenness over it. The way it shifted and how tiny clouds of it billowed up like dust around his boots. It made him wobble slightly, but he simply kept going, acting as naturally as he could. It only took a moment before he heard the buzz of arcane and a furious yell.

“Where did he go?” It was the Falcon from earlier. “Where did the Aven who came through here go?”

He couldn’t hear the response from the guards, but he turned quickly down an alleyway, trying to move as casually as possible. Another buzz from the portal. Then another. And another. He broke into a run.

Bolting blindly through the streets, dodging Humans and Yseri and even the occasional Aven, he raced, turning here, dodging there. Unlike Avenholme, the sides of the buildings were dark like the dirt they were built on. His cloak was far too bright here. He had to think of another way.

The small port town was built on a peninsula, and he could see the sparkling city of Avenholme floating over the water a few miles away. It would be a bit of a trek, but flight to the mainland and back in a day was not unheard of. Roy shook his head. No time for nostalgia. He had to think of his options.

Between the buildings he could see the forest that rimmed the small town. It was dense, and would make flight between the trees impossible, tracking overhead difficult. His wing was twitching in pain, and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to take to the skies without a long break first. A break he did not have time for. So on foot it is.

He just had to find a way to move quickly along the ground.

The Eagle burst out from an alleyway before him, startling him and forcing him to turn sharply. There was a strange building at the end of this road, sectioned into open rooms that all faced the same way, missing the main exterior wall. He couldn’t place why it seemed important until he saw the two Humans talking. One of them was holding the reins of a large, four legged creature. He recognized it instantly as a horse though he’d never encountered one in person before. Horses had a reputation for being the ultimate travel animal, fast, durable and able to carry supplies. Perfect.

He gave his wings a pump to launch him forward, out of the Skyguard’s grip and closer to the horse and its master. “I’m sorry!” He yelled to both humans, leaping up onto the saddle and snatching the reins from the human. There was a yell of protest as the owner tried to grapple control back, but Roy smacked him backwards with one wing. After a moment of confusion, he pulled the rein in the direction he wanted to go and luckily the horse complied, turning around.

“Go! Go fast!” He yelled and the horse broke into a run. He heard the Eagle give a yell behind him, shouting for the attention of the others. The wind whipped against him, so much like flying but his wings were folded against his back. His feet found their ways into the stirrups and he leaned down over the animal’s neck. The creature moved incredibly fast, and for a moment he thought this might be what it was like being a Falcon. A tug on the reins and they were bursting through the woods, trees flying past on either side but the horse seemed to know exactly what to do to avoid them. It leapt, shifted, dodged, finding safe passage through the foliage.

After a few minutes of sprint, the horse started to slow and he straightened in the saddle. Rune mewled again, and he let her slip out of his shirt onto the saddle with him. She wobbled a moment, then found her balance atop the moving creature and started to groom herself, occasionally shooting Roy an annoyed glare at the degradation he had put her through.

He laughed softly, panting and watching the skies above. No shadows of Vulture wings could break through the canopy. The sounds of the Falcon and Eagle crashing through the woods behind him had long since faded. “What?” He asked the little calico as she licked her paw, pausing to glare at him.

“Oh come, now. What hero story doesn’t start with horse theft and evading arrest?”