Before long, the whole group was together, and at their scheduled time they took off much to Adira's delight. She soared alongside her friends and fellow soldiers, looking over the expanse of the ocean that surrounded their island. This was the first time she had left the island and it was going great, even as she took note of the dark storm clouds rolling in from a distance.
"We're going to head right towards that mess, so all of us can get more training flying in the rain. Everyone stick together." Remo called. He was the appointed leader of the group, and definitely fit the part with long and quick wings, plus they were a gorgeous spread of colors due to his origin in the rainforest dwellers and matched with his caramel skin.
Everyone nodded in agreement, even Adira, though she had a bad feeling about the approaching storm. It took them a while to reach the mess of clouds, with the sun dipping low in the sky.
Raina slipped into her room and shut the door. She took a deep breath before slipping off her messenger bag and throwing it onto her bed. She looked out the window. A storm was brewing not too far off, though it wasn't raining yet. She shut the curtains before changing into her royal navy suit.
She felt the soft patter of rain almost right as they reached the clouds and flew under them, soaking into her uniform and hair as well as into her feathers. The rain didn't stay the same force as they flew farther into the darkening storm clouds, starting to become large splattering drops pouring down on them and making it difficult to see the group. Adira squinted to make out her teammates, blinking away the raindrops and feeling her wings start to become waterlogged. "We should head ba-," She tried shouting, though a deaffining crack of thunder interrupted her followed by a bright strike of lightning crackling down to her side. It illuminated everything for a minute and she whipped her head around, noticing that no one was still flying with her.
Adira cursed out loud and stopped flying forward, stable in midair for a minute as she tried to figure out which way was the way home. She guessed randomly as another crack of thunder and bolt of lightning came down, turning towards where she figured was home and flying as fast as she could with heavy wings that were weighing her down.
After she had gotten changed, Raina headed out of her room to her father's. She stood in front of the door for a minute, listening if there were any conversations going on inside the room. There weren't. Rains too a deep breath before knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" A male voice inside the room called out.
"It's Raina, father." She awnsered.
"Raina!" He said a bit louder, which caused him to go into a hacking fit. "Come in."
It felt like she was flying in circle as the rain pelted her without stopping, only the flashes of lightning and thunder interrupting every few minutes. All she wanted to do was get back to land and get inside to dry her wings, being out in this weather just fuled her major dislike for rain. Adira was skilled at flying, but even flying this long was making her work harder than she normally did. At least the rain wasn't freezing cold, even if it wasn't anywhere near being warm, so her wings wouldn't freeze shut.
Adira didn't know how long she would be flying or where she was even going, and for the next however long, her thoughts caught her attention and she didn't even focus on the difficulty of flying. She squinted through the rain, trying to make a shield for her eyes with one of her arms, and even if it wasn't the best it helped her and she could faintly make out land on the horizon. "Yes, finally," She huffed, smiling and locking the land in her sight. That was her savior, the thought of finally landing, even if she immediately recognised it wasn't her home island from how much room on the horizon it took up.
Raina slipped into the room, closing the door behind her. "How are you doing today?" She asked as he walked to his side, kneeling by his bed side.
"I'm doing better today." He said as he shifted himself up a bit more. "And don't kneel, Raina. You're going to be queen soon!" He said, seeming to not be bothered by the fact that he was going to die soon.
Raina went silent. "It's more comfortable like this." She lied.
The king let out a sigh. "Alright then, but you become queen, I don't want you to kneel for anyone!" He said, smiling at the thought.
Raina nodded. "I got you something." She said as she reached into her pocket.
Adira developed a rhythm as she flew, using her large wings to her advantage and trying to soar through the air for as long as possible before having to flap her wings again. She knew that she was slowly flying lower and lower in the sky using this tactic, but it seemed to work since the land was now extremely close. If she squinted her eyes again she would see that there was a city and castle in front of her as she flew, along with the shadow of a large tree in her path. She didn't see anything though, and with the dark sky, she couldn't fly out of the way of the tree until it was too late. Adira cursed when the shape appeared in front of her at the edge of the land and she tried to swerve, getting herself out of the way but feeling the immense pain that came with her wing smashing into the branches.
"Shit!" She yelled, her wing tucked as far against her side as she could get it while trying to find a place to land. Everywhere she looked though, more buildings came into focus below her until a large castle appeared in front of her. Her flight was wobbly and she was struggling, happy for her dark wings to try to blend into the sky. Things got worse still though when she spotted people. Actual people, who looked like guards, wingless and terrifying with the weapons they were carrying. A few had spotted her she guessed from the shouts and sudden firing of things into the air around her, one hitting its mark on her uninjured wing. It didn't take another ten seconds before she was falling, frantically trying to steer for a patch of trees and grass in the corner of her eye.
"Oh? What is it?" He asked with a smile, sitting up all the way.
Raina stood up and pulled the black raven necklace out of the pocket she had put it in. She held it out for him to take.
"84 ago today, the Grim Empire was founded after the war with the winged beings. Even though our numbers were low and hope was dwindling, we rose to the ocassion and built upon this land a thriving empire. To mark this day I wish to give this gift to you." She recieted, closing her eyes as she did so. Her grandfather would do this when he gave presents and she wanted to keep the tradition. She made sure by she was fourteen that she had memorized it.
Her father stared at it for a minute before chuckling and taking it. "Raina, it beautiful." He said as he looked over the necklace. "I don't have anything to give you."
Raina shook her head. "You don't need to get me a gift. May I have a hug?" She asked.
He looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "You may." He said softly.
Raina quickly swept in with a firm hug, tears slipping out now that she was seeing his face. This would likely be his last celebration of the holiday.
(Alright! Great start! I cried while writing that!)
(I definitely teared up reading that ;-;)
Adira braced herself for a rough landing, though at this point that's not what she was worried about. Flashes of humans and their horrible brutalness spun through her mind as she crashed, having a stroke of luck and not hitting another tree. The grass was soaking wet though and she slid through what felt like pure mud after hitting the ground, sliding to rest under a large tree with a whimper of pain. There was no doubt that her wing was broken, and as she looked towards her other one, she only caught a glimpse of an arrow stuck in it before having to look away.
It hurt to move but she rolled onto her back, repeating the words 'I can't die like this' over and over in her head. It was the only thing keeping her from curling into a ball and instead trying to sit up.
(Do you have a preference for where she landed? I was thinking maybe in the gardens or something on the castle grounds and maybe some guards come across her? Just a suggestion tho)
(Thanks! The garden would probably be the best place because the guards would like check the perimeter of the castle to make sure the royal family was safe.)
After a long while of hugging, Raina and her father slowly pulled away from each other. Her father smiled at her before slipping on the necklace. "Thank you, Raina. I'll treasure it." He said with a smile.
Raina wiped away a reminent of a tear. "You're welcome, dad." She said, standing up.
From what Adira could make out, she was in some sort of garden, or at the edge of it. She could see the deep imprint from where she slid on the dirt path, and sure enough it was pure mud. Did humans still keep gardens like this? And if they did. A sinking feeling came to her gut as she put together the large castle and where she had landed. She cursed again and continued to struggle, unable to close either wing father than a few inches as she shakily got to her feet and wiped away some of the mud plastered on her face. It probably caused it to spread more, but she didn't care, leaning against the tree and patting herself down slowly to make sure nothing else was broken.
It was in the middle of this that she heard footsteps coming down the muddy path, causing her to freeze in her place. She heard two deep voices and figured it was guards, confirmed as they came closer and spotted her. It was like a deer caught in headlights as she froze, watching the two's eyes widen as they muttered to each other. They looked like brothers, and seemed very unsure of what to do as they closed in warily on either side of her.
A knock sounded from the door. "Princess Raina?" A voice sounded from the other side. "Are you in here?"
Raina walked over to the door and opened it. "Yes?" She asked, poking her head out.
The figure let out a sight of relief. It was a guard. "I'm sorry, your majesty. Genral Damin wanted me to check on you." He said.
"Why?" She asked, confused. It's not like it bothered many people when she was gone for long periods of time and she had only been with her father for a few minutes.
They must have decided what to do a few seconds later, both heading towards her with more purpose. Adira wasn't about to let them do whatever they were going to do and she put her hands up in fists, clenching her teeth in pain before swinging at the first guard who came near her. It may have surprised him momentarily but he fought back a second later while the one behind her came from behind and in a much smarter way to get her to yield, grabbed onto her broken wing and twisted. She stopped instantly and dropped to her knees, a painful scream coming from her as the broken bone in her wing was broken even further. "Stop, please!" She screamed, trying to reach for her wing and get him to let go.
The guards exchanged looks, seeming confused that they spoke the same language as her, even with her slight accent. "Stand up." The one in front of her said as the pain on her wing lessened and she assumed the other had let go. His voice was shaky and he seemed nervous but she complied, standing up, though she tensed immediately when she felt the hand on her wing tighten again. "Follow me." The first said again, leading the way away from her safe space under the tree and back through the mud. She had no choice but to follow due to the iron grip on her wing, though with every step she yelled at herself.
"There were reports of a winging being flying towards the castle. We think it went down not too far from here, as we think on of our guards hit it with an arrow." He explained.
Raina's eyes widened in shock. They still exsisted? She turned back to her father. "Father. My service is needed. Goodbye." She said, curtly.
Her father chuckled. "Go, Raina. Thank you, again."
Raina nodded before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. "Do you have guards searching for them?" She asked, snapping into defense mode.
Adira was a sorry sight, that she was sure of just by the way other guards looked at her when she was brought to a set of doors leading into the garden. One wing limp at her side with an arrow stuck through it, dragging in the mud and the other hanging at an unnatural angle in a guards hand so it wasn't quite dragging on the ground. Not only that, but she was covered in mud and soaking wet as well as covered in scratches and red marks from branches smacking her when she fell, though none of it dulled the fire of anger and slight fear in her eyes. She kept her head high, keeping the intense pain from showing to its full degree.
Her teeth chattered slightly as the wet clothes started to get cold and she more than ever wanted to let her legs buckle and have the guards deal with getting her to stand. It would cause her wing to be destroyed even more, she was sure, and so she stood, following whenever the guards wanted her to move or forced her along.
"Yes, mam. We are searching the castle ground as we speak." The guard said as he followed Raina, who had started speed walking down the halway.
"Good. If you find them I want you to bring them in. Do not injure them anymore than they already have been." She rattled off. "I want to be able to speak to them before-" Raina was cut off as she rounded the corner to see two guards holding a beaten, bloody Adira.
Adira didn't even acknowledge the girl, too busy with trying to find a comfortable way to walk that didn't make her hiss between her teeth in pain. She did notice her though, and how suddenly whatever conversation she was having stopped when she saw Adira. It was more likely that the mess on the floor was what the girl was worried about from the look on her face and somehow it almost made her feel better that maybe no one would try to talk to her.
Raina stared at the winged girl for a moment, captivated by her. She quickly snapped out of it.
"Gaurds. Bring her to a guest room. I wish to speak with her, in private." She said firmly. "Could you please fetch a doctor?" She asked the guard at her side.
The gaurd nodded an hurried off down the way they had come from.
With just a few simple words from the girl, she was forced to walk again, though she hesitated for a moment and in return the grip on her wing tightened severely. She hissed and glared at the guard, though did go along with walking like they wanted her to. Adira studied every part of the hallways as they walked, unbothered by the trail of both blood and water she was leaving as she was more focused on the fact that not only had the girl from the hallway wanted to talk to her, she asked for a doctor as well. She didn't want the help of any human doctor, and promised herself that if anyone even tried to touch her wings, they would face an angry and fighting Adira, especially the guard currently gripping her wing like he was scared to let go.
Raina followed as the gaurds lead her to a guest bedroom. She veered away from the gaurds for a moment or twould to grab a dagger from her room and slip it onto her belt. She wanted to talk with this girl but from the looks of it she didn't want to talk.
She joins back up with the gaurds just as they reached a bedroom.
The guards weren't the slightly bit gentle as they pushed her into the room, having enough common sense to keep hold of her wing and step inside after her so she didn't take off. Adira gritted her teeth and looked around, locking eyes with the girl from earlier and immediately pressing her lips together in a tight line. She wasn't going to talk, she would refuse, at least that's what she told herself, nothing besides yes or no.
Raina stepped in after the two gaurds. "You two are dismissed. Please stand outside the door." She commanded, standing off to the side so they could do so.
After they left, Raina faced the girl again. At this moment she realized something. She didn't really have any quistions to ask the girl.
Adira immediately pulled her wing as close to her side as she could as soon as the guard let go, watching it flop limply to the floor. At least it didn't hurt as bad as she slowly walked to the edge of the bed and sat down slowly, watching the girl who was in command the whole time. She didn't say anything, studying her and pulling her arrow pierced wing out as straight as she could so she could start to fix it. There was blood dripping steadily from the wound, and the blood only flowed faster as she tried to snap the shaft of the arrow so she could get it out.
"Don't do that." The words came out of Raina's mouth before she realized. "It will only cause it to bleed more."
She slowly walked over to the bed, before sitting down next to her. "A medic is on the way. I'm not sure how much they can do but they will try to help the best they can."
"No medic is coming near me." Adira growled, scooting a ways away from the girl and going back to trying to snap the arrow. Humans knew nothing about wings, or how painful it was to have an arrow halfway through one, that much was clear, and yet as much as Adira wanted nothing to do with this girl or anything she said, she found herself listening and not removing the arrow once she snapped the end off. Already she was breaking her own rule not to talk, but maybe it would get this girl to leave her alone at least. "What do you want."
"I want to talk." Raina said, scooting back since it was obvious that she didn't was her anywhere near. "It's not everyday that you meet a races that is supposed to be extinct. No one has seen anyone like you since the war."
She couldn't help but let out a snort, glancing at the girl again and shaking her head, "Do humans really think we're extinct? What lies are you being fed." Adira could care less about how rude she was being, especially now with her attention on her broken wing. This was much much harder to fix. Even just touching it made her hiss in pain, but there was no way she could let it heal in that condition. She would never fly again if it did. "Get talking, or get out."
Raina had about a million questions for her but she held her tounge. She knew that she was in a lot of pain and the last thing she would want to be is interogated.
"Why not let a doctor see you? Even if he can't so anything to your wing he can at least give you some medicine to numb the pain." She explained.
Adira glared at the girl at the mention of a doctor, though she relaxed the slightest when she mentioned painkillers. Painkillers would be helpful, maybe giving her the numbness she needed to try to set her wing in place, besides bandages and a strong piece of wood to act as a splint. "No one is touching my wings." Was her only response, watching the drying mud on her hands flake off and settle onto the bed or fall and catch in her feathers. Why this girl was still here was something she had no clue about, especially since she wasn't asking questions or doing anything more than watching her.
