The Rise of Erigor

Chapter Two

"Alis Volat Propiis"

-He Flies by His Own Wings-

A thud rang out as the ground shook beneath her while she made harsh contact with the dirt. Her teeth gritted together; her eyes burned holes into the man above her, "That was a dirty blow, Calam!" the girl exclaimed, using her fists to get up- which left her dirty, not including the dirt now scattered and dusting over her uniform. "And I have work in an hour and a half!" she added, marching up to her twin brother.
The man in question only chuckled, shaking his head as he held out his hand to help- which was only swatted away by his sister. "Hey- Ma told me to give you sneak attacks, not my fault you decided to work a job even though you're a Princess- or, at least on the way to becoming one!" he laughed, leaving his sister with a pissed off expression.
She only stormed off, walking into the Dunlop palace since she needed to change her dress before work- which was only a simple skirt, blouse, and apron. "Princess my ass- what the hell was he even talking about?" she muttered to herself, a habit she had inherited from her mother. Originally, the girl had been betrothed to the Prince of Selnoria, also having fallen for the man, and was devastated when she heard about his disappearance. Angrily, she threw her dirt-stained clothes to the side, searching for something identical to wear, but to no avail; she just threw on a pair of jeans, an open-back shirt, and a clean apron before rushing off to the village of Dunlop.
A ding of a bell rang through the quiet kohi shop as the young woman hurriedly yet stealthily rushed inside, hoping the woman she called her boss wouldn't notice her slight tardiness. Ellaine wasn't known to be late for work, typically arriving ten to fifteen minutes early so she could set up for her shift. Despite living in the Palace, and being of royal blood, she much preferred working and the life of a normal resident of Dunlop. Being the crown Duchess, and futhermore, the crown Princess, it came with a lot of pressure. Within Selnorian culture, it was expected that the eldest daughter would inherit the wealth, however, when no daughter was birthed, the eldest son would obtain it- or, in rare instances, the eldest daughter and son would quarrel over the inheritance, mostly found within those of royal blood.
A snicker rang out as Ellaine stepped foot into the store, followed by an older male who had a broom in hand, "Ne'er thought I would see the day that dear ol' Ellaine- er- Lady Ellaine, would be late to her day job. Oi' what could cause such a thing, hm?" He teased, the raven-haired man only returning to his work afterwards.
A grumble left her lips as she pushed past him, glaring, "Oh hush, Therian. My outside life is none of your business," she retorted, her nose scrunching up, which only furthered her answer of annoyance towards the man. It always made her antsy when people questioned her home life; everything was practically on display for those outside to gawk and stare at. It unnerved her, something she always hated about living the life of Royal Blood.
The interaction between the two had caught the attention of Mestis, the woman who owned the Kohi shop. It wasn't big, but it also wasn't small. The wood flooring slightly creaked and squeaked with slight steps as the Avian approached the two. Her hand slid across the wooden tables and countertops, each with metal chairs that had plump, light-green cushions on them, with the metal parts swirling into designs- almost like hearts.
As she stopped in front of the pair, she rubbed her fingers together, grimacing at the dusty table, "I swear, you two argue like a damned married couple. If you are that sexually pent up, just put a fucking necklace on it," she grumbled, her yellow eyebrows scrunching together as she pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes in distaste. "Instead, the two of you could be prepping the shop to open, but you're just judging Ellaine for being late once, Therain," she added with a grumble, her voice sounding more irritated with each word. However, Mestis did offer Ellaine a soft smile, "It's nice to see you again; I hope your time off wasn't too hectic."
Upon hearing her words, Ellaine only shrugged, watching as Therain grumbled and walked to another corner of the shop that he deemed needed cleaning. She sighed, grabbing a dampened cloth to wipe the dusty table with. "No, it wasn't too bad; would've preferred if my brother left me alone," she answered, as she had only taken the time off to spend it with her Beloved, whom had never shown.
Gently, she swiped the once-clean rag across the table, her fingers digging into the piece of cloth while it left a trail of small water droplets, which would dry soon after they appeared. Mestis only seemed to laugh in response, having come from a bigger family with eight or so siblings; it was quite normal for Avian families to be bigger, seeing as a huge handful of Avian young didn't make it, and even more so with the growing population of the People of Shadow.
"Hey, I would expect quarrels between you and your brother due to your Royal Blood-" Mestis had begun to speak, only to be cut off by the younger girl, who spun around with a glare.
A dry laugh slipped past her lips while she shook her head, "No. Do not speak of my brother like that- Calam isn't like that. He knows he has the throne; I'm betrothed to someone higher up, anyway," she snipped, not taking it kindly that someone would speak ill about her twin. "He'll be a great Duke."

The young adult had fallen onto her bed, her eyes closing with an exhausted expression. The suns in the sky had already begun their descent into the night, where the Celestial of Darkness would be seen aiding if she hadn't been banished from Selnoria after the Azazelian Dynasty.
Quietly, she sighed, her arm resting over her eyes while her legs dangled from her bed, almost touching the floor. Her purple hues had narrowed as she moved the limb, seeming to glare at the ceiling above her bed. The days always seemed to blur together, especially since she had a longer lifespan compared to the other species that inhabited the planet. Though, she was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a voice, the familiarity startling her, somewhat, causing her to sit up with widened eyes.
"You look exhausted," the raspy voice spoke, approaching her from the open balcony doors that stood across from Ellaine's bed. He stood there, too hesitant to enter further for fear of her reaction, which was warranted seeing as he had been gone from her life for almost forty years.