Back in the crater.
This time, the heavy mist was almost pleasant. Oddly enough, it gave him a feeling of nostalgia. He wasn't sure why he had been so freaked out before.
After a bit of walking, Grian realised that he could take out his wings without risk of discovery.
He unclipped his cloak and let it fall to the ground, the red fabric sliding away from his feathers. Violet and white. Beautifully coloured plumage, glittering and glistening despite the heavy purple fog. He spread them wide, exercising the sore muscles. Keeping his wings cramped under his cloak for so long made it feel even better to finally stretch them out.
Giddy with excitement, Grian began to run, sprinting over the uneven stone. He leaped into the air and took off, letting a wild laugh tear though the silence of the crater. It felt marvellous, the purple mist streaming past his wings.
As obsidian towers loomed out of the mist, he darted and weaved between them. He could now alter his course with ease, feeling the air pushing him higher, his feathers shifting his direction and speed. Feeling daring, he turned down into a steep dive, pointing the tips of his wings inwards and tucking them against his body. Just before he hit the ground, he snapped out his wings, catching the air and sending him soaring once again.
He wished this feeling could last for all eternity.
~ ⬩ ℸ ̣𝙹 ⬩ ~
After some time, the porous endstone began to transition to grey, unbreakable bedrock. He drifted lazily towards the ground, aiming for the pedestal. Looping through the mist, he drifted down and alighted softly in front of the pedestal. A pang of fear shot through his mind.
Keralis...
The dark object upon the pedestal was just as mysterious as before. Grian inspected it for a few moments. Its shining black surface was like no other material he had ever seen. It was similar to obsidian, but it had no purple divots. It was almost like staring into the void. A symbol, the same as the symbols glowing faintly on his palms, was etched into the smooth material. It had a small crease in the bottom. The dark material curved gently away from the middle of the item, with small lines like wood grain winding their way across its surface.
Shaking off his fear, he tentatively reached out. This time, there was no lightning, no flash, no wave sending him crashing onto the cold rocky ground.
He simply picked up the mask.
A shiver went up his spine and he promptly dropped the mask in surprise. When he realised that nothing had happened, he carefully retrieved it. The mask was cold, and up close, its texture kind of looked like an oak sign, but black.
Thrilling excitement goaded him forwards, and abandoning caution, he pressed the mask against his face.
For a moment, everything was black.
And then he could see.
His eyes were still covered, yes, but he was able to sense his surroundings, to see in a way he had never seen before.
He could see everything.
The mist no longer got in his way. He could see the tall obsidian towers rising out of the ground, and he could spot intricate engravings etched into the pillars. The world was slightly tinted purple, but that wasn't a bother. He smiled and shook out his wings. They felt larger now, and bits of his feathers were now an inky black. However, he didn't have long to admire his new plumage.
He could have sworn he had heard the crunch of footsteps approaching, but he could hear nothing now. He began to move again, but the sound of footsteps resumed, closer this time. Grian panicked, darting over to hide behind one of the dark pillars.
After a few moments of waiting, he spotted someone walking towards the clearing. Someone with a bright yellow suit.
Xisuma was making his way to where the mask used to be. He was holding a compass, but it seemed to be broken. His yellow suit stood out brightly against the grey bedrock, making him look out of place in the foreign landscape.
The bee man knelt, looking for the mask. He stood up, puzzled, as he came away empty-handed. Grian realised something.
Why would Xisuma want the mask? Does he know something?
A black object on the ground glinted slightly, and Xisuma eagerly snatched it up.
Grian breathed in sharply. One of his new, darker feathers was clasped in Xisuma's hand. The bee man quickly straightened up at the noise of Grian's breath, realising that he wasn't alone. His voice echoed confidently through the eerie expanse.
"Hello? I know you're there, show yourself!"
There was a moment of silence. Xisuma tried again, this time failing to conceal a slight note of fear in his voice.
"I just want to know what you did. Are you here for him?"
Grian tried to remain as still as possible. He knew that Xisuma couldn't see him through the lavender haze, but he was still nervous.
Here for who?
After another moment, Xisuma seemed to give up, realising that the stranger must have fled, and began to make his way back out of the crater. The crunch of his boots slowly faded away. As he left, he softly muttered.
"Not again..."
Only once Xisuma's footsteps had fully faded into the distance did Grian finally relax. He slid down the pillar and sat on the ground. After calming down, he realised that something was off. He looked at his legs, but where they should have been, two large talons extended. He lifted his hands, and inspected them. His nails were long and pointed, and his arms were covered in feathers. He quickly pulled off the mask and sighed in relief as his body went back to normal.
When I'm like that, maybe...
A broad smile spread across his face.
Maybe, I can't be recognized.
~ ⬩ 𝙹⍊ᒷ∷∴⍑ᒷꖎᒲ, ⬩ ~
Grian was back in the mesa.
The heat was a bit more bearable this time, and Grian was excited. He was perched by the edge of one of the streams that resolutely wound their way through this harsh and dusty landscape.
He had decided, seeing as he stayed here so often to practice flying, to construct a small hidden base. On a hill, semi-hidden by some cacti he had placed, a small sandstone staircase led into a sandy underground hideout. Because of its location by the river, it maintained a cool and comfortable temperature.
Grian pulled something out of his pocket. It was the little black mask he had tried on earlier. He was both excited and a little frightened about what he would see. Before he could change his mind, he pressed it to his face once again.
Curiosity immediately rushed over him, and he sprinted to the riverbank to see his reflection. An odd bird-person looked back. He was still wearing his jumper, but his hair was interspersed with feathers now, and his ears were little feathery poofs, like an extra pair of wings.
He looked down to inspect his hands, which were again talon-esque, small claws extending from the tips of his fingers. After admiring his new shiny talons, he looked down to inspect his legs. They were now feathery and bird-like, and he found that his shoes were beginning to hurt. He pulled them off and found that his feet were now long and narrow, clawed talons replacing his toes.
A thin tail protruded from his behind, and at the end, a fan of feathers splayed out. He spread his wings, frayed red strings clinging to the feathers. Small patches of dark feathers were now scattered across them. They stood out from the rest of the pale lavender and silver in stark contrast, pitch-black, as if someone had spilled ink on a sheet of parchment.
He glanced back at his reflection in the slow-moving river. His face was covered by the mask, which somehow stayed on when he let go. The part of his face that wasn't concealed had grown small feathers, shining on his jawline like glitter. A small poof of plumage peeked out of the neckline of his shirt.
Two thin halos, the colour of amethyst, wound around his head, intersecting right above his forehead. Letters in the strange alphabet of the enchanter moved along it. The huge, haunting shape of an eye hovered just over his head.
He figured that he should make himself a new outfit. He took one of his scarlet cloaks and decided to soak it in blue dye. After a bit, he retrieved it. It now glowed a beautiful shade of purple. He smiled, and began to add a gold rim to it.
He figured that a simple shirt would do. He dug through the depths of his wardrobe for several minutes.
Finally, behind an odd greenish cloak and some red and blue armbands, he found an inky-black garment, silver embroidery adorning the sleeves and collar. He couldn't remember when he had got it, but it fit in with his new outfit wonderfully.
He could get away with anything like this.
...
Watcher Grian our beloved. Leave a vote to show your love!
Don't forget to let me know what you think in the comments, and follow me so you don't miss the next chapter!