Author's Note: This chapter is for Krazydiamond, since I'm genuinely grateful for her help with the 2016 Watty Interview exposure thing she put this story in a few weeks ago. Thanks bunches for helping me get this story out there, Diamond! Stay Krazy! Lol.
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Chapter Sixty-Eight: Serious Talk
"Brother?" Zelphira called, peering through the opening of a strange cave, "Forgive me for disturbing you... but, we must speak. This is a matter of grave importance."
She waited at the edge of the cavern for nearly three minutes before a voice came out.
"What is it?"
Relief washed across her pale features, and she clasped her hands behind her back.
"We have visitors to our realm, my brother," she said softly, smiling a little. "There is one in particular that I'm sure you would like to meet. I am here today to discuss him with you."
"What about this stranger visitor concerns me?"
The question was low, angry, and bitter sounding.
"He has become one of our honored ascended, and I have seen that he will change our world in ways you cannot even imagine!" Zelphira told him proudly, then hesitated before she added, "It concerns you... because he is Lei's firstborn son."
Silence came out of the cavern.
"Again... why does this concern me?"
The words came out so twisted with fury that Zelphira shivered slightly.
"I want you," she said softly, "to be his mentor."
"Why?"
"Because... three months ago, he was injured in the head," Zelphira sighed, "and now, his mind and memories belong to a human. But, he is not--"
Before she could finish speaking, a violent snarl of rage echoed from the cave and Zelphira jumped back, sheer gown billowing around when a hulking figure began to approach.
"A human?" he spat. "That bastard child has the mind and memories of mortal filth?"
"What are you saying?" Zelphira gasped. "Let me finish speaking!"
"I've heard enough," the voice snarled. "Leave me."
"But---"
"LEAVE ME!"
"I refuse to leave until you let me finish speaking with you!"
"Then I will leave. You are foolish. To let a mortal in any regard take part of our most honored ceremonies and awaken true power within him?! What were you thinking?! FOOL!"
With a roar, the speaker barreled forward and tore past Zelphira, who covered her face.
Whipping around, she watched the hulking figure leap off the cliff resting so high in the air.
"VORDT!" she shrieked, skipping to the edge. "VORDT, COME BACK!"
There was no response.
Already growing smaller in the distance was a small speck that rose towards the clouds.
"Vordt," Zelphira whispered, voice beginning to crackle with static, "you must understand... I---"
Xaphile jumped, startled awake by something he couldn't name.
Lying there for a moment, he tried to figure out what it was, but then, something warm twitched against his side and a gout of searing pain made him jump a second time.
He lay still, confused and in pain, until the twitching motion came again.
What is that? he sleepily grumbled, flinching as a dull ache washed across his back. Ugh...
He let out a tired groan and shifted his body, but with an unexpectedly acrid flash, a spurt of acidic fire shot through his nerves. He gasped and abruptly lifted his head, but he realized all too quickly that he could only open his eyes halfway, and even doing that was a struggle.
"Ow!" he squeaked, voice coming out far more hoarse than he was expecting. "Ow... ow...!"
After several moments of baby-like struggling against his exhaustion, he sagged in defeat and let his head plop back down on the ground. He hadn't even realized how tired his limbs were until that moment.
He struggled to open his eyes for several more minutes, but just as he was about to give up he felt something on his back give a little jerk.
His eyes instantly snapped open wide with a burst of clarity as another little jerk came again soon after that, making him wonder if something weird was crawling around on him.
They were sleeping sprawled out together on the furs beside him.
Struggling to move his deadened limbs, he managed to glance over his shoulder and looked at himself, but when he did, his eyes jolted open wide.
He swallowed as the memories of the previous night's agony came roaring back.
No way, he silently droned. There is no way...
But there it was, in plain sight.
There were two enormous wings sticking out of his back.
For a moment, he wondered whether or not he was dreaming.
A calm smile spread across his mouth, and he carefully pinched himself. Letting out a chuckle, he hesitantly poked his new feathers, then pinched himself again.
"Okay," he murmured. "So I can feel that... I'm completely aware of my surroundings... I must be wide awake."
Coming to this conclusion, Xaphile smiled even wider before nodding twice.
Then, he took a deep breath...
And let out a hysterical scream that made Ella and Sinmir both jump halfway across the room in alarm; Amelia, Gus, and Vrael all jumped and flailed around in a blind panic.
"What is it?!" Ella squeaked, drawing one of her daggers with groggy eyes. "Attack?!"
"Wha's happenin'?" Vrael rasped, hair sticking out in every direction. "We in danger?!"
They all looked slightly cock-eyed due to their rude awakening and obvious exhaustion, but that didn't stop Xaphile from letting out another bloodcurdling screech and tearing to his feet.
He staggered a bit, and his wings spread themselves wide of their own accord.
The action knocked Amelia and Gus over since the appendages were huge.
"What the fuck?!" Xaphile wailed, turning over his shoulder and trying to touch the feathers with terror on his face. "What the actual FUCK?! WHAT IS THIS?!"
"Phil, that hurt! Please, calm yourshelf," Amelia slurred, sitting up and pushing her disheveled hair out of her face with a small whine. "Everyshing will be fine, just remain calm."
It was like he couldn't even hear her.
"They're not real, they're not real, they're not real..." he chanted to himself, frantically repeating the words like a holy mantra as he fervently paced around the room. Suddenly, he paused and looked over his shoulder, hesitantly glancing at the two enormous black wings jutting out of his back before snapping his head forward and wailing in a hysterical voice, "Oh, my God! They're REAL! I'M TURNING INTO A BIRD!"
"Phil, you're a faery..." Gus stated bluntly, becoming irritated with his panic attack. "Some species do, in all actuality, have wings."
"This is nuts!" Xaphile retorted desperately. "This has to be a nightmare!"
"No, you're wide awake," Vrael sleepily retorted. "If you want, I'll pinch you."
"How are you so calm?! What the fuck?!" Xaphile wailed, flailing his arms. "I just got used to the tail, the horns, and all the other weird crap! Why did something like THIS have to happen?!"
"Calm down," Sinmir growled, getting to his feet and walking over. "You'll reopen your injuries."
Xaphile choked back his fright when the man gripped his shoulders.
Taking a few deep, gasping breaths, he swallowed and shivered violently.
"What the hell is happening to me?" he stammered; then he froze, and anger flashed through him. "The faeries... they knew, but they kept this awful secret from me until it began happening! Dammit! I deserved to know!"
"Perhaps it was better not to have known, considering what happened last night," Amelia sleepily noted, eyeing the ruffled appendages sticking out of his shoulders. "Once you calm down, I want to take a look at your back... I can't heal it, but applying some salve might be a good idea."
Vrael blinked and frowned.
"Speaking of which, aren't Faeries supposedly able to use healing magic?" he asked. "My Pa once said there are many types of Fae that can heal other creatures. Can't Primordial Sprites?"
"From what I've read, they have the ability to do so," Amelia mumbled. "Most of their ability is elemental, after all... water-based magic can cure sickness, and it can close a wound, but based on what I've seen of the Faeries here, they likely prefer medicine and herbs over magic."
Xaphile finally thumped down to his knees.
Shuddering, he covered his face with two clawed hands.
"How am I supposed to deal with this?" he rasped. "I can barely make my own tail do what I want... how the hell am I supposed to manage taking care of these ginormous things?!"
"Oh, be quiet already," Ella finally snapped, rubbing her face. "The sprites all knew what was going to happen, and you're among your own kind. You're not alone in this! The other boys who went through the ritual were all carried away, too. We were even given instructions on how to help you care for your wings once they emerged. You're not in any danger."
"Oh!" Amelia exclaimed, slapping her fist against her palm in surprise. "That's a good point!"
"What do you mean?" he questioned, lowering his hands slightly.
"Yesterday," Gus growled, leaning forward with his eyes closed. "After we were all brought back here by the faeries, the one you call Karla came by for a few moments to check on you. She gave us instructions on how to help you. We had to wash your wings after you passed out."
"You aren't alone in this, Phil," Sinmir gruffly added. "If I had to guess, those ladies will probably explain themselves today! I highly doubt they'd let you figure it all out on your own."
Xaphile couldn't deny that they had a point, but still... he had no clue how to react to his feathery little problem. Lifting a bandaged hand over his shoulder, he gripped one of the glossy black feathers and tugged, roughly pulling it out.
He winced at the pain.
It was real.
He dropped the feather and swiveled his shoulders back and forth. The wings didn't respond, simply remained folded up against his back. He tried wriggling his torso from side to side.
Nothing.
Xaphile sighed tiredly and slouched his shoulders.
"This is a nightmare..." he mumbled again.
"How about we go back to bed?" Gus offered. "We can discuss this matter at a better hour."
"I'm not tired," Xaphile muttered, "and even if I was, I wouldn't be able to sleep with these twitching things sticking out of my body."
"You look like you're feeling a lot better, though," Amelia murmured, looking at him with the utmost seriousness behind her bright blue eyes. "How does your back feel? The wounds have already scabbed over, but I'm sure you'll need some help every now and then... last night looked unpleasant."
That much, at the very least, he couldn't deny. His entire back ached like crazy, and around his shoulders was an odd lack of pressure he hadn't even known had been there.
"Hey..." he said in a small voice. "Do you think these are permanent?"
"I assume so," Amelia sighed, giving him a look. "They were inside your body all along, Phil."
"How is that possible? They're huge... I'm sure there would have been some sign that they were there," Xaphile pointed out, looking at his new wings with furrowed brows and trying to make them flap; the feathered limbs twitched after a moment, but otherwise they remained unresponsive to his wishes. "Exactly, what am I gonna wear from now on?"
"Just cut two slits in the back of everything you own!" Sinmir snorted. "It's that simple!"
"Actually..." a new voice abruptly countered, catching the attention of everyone in the room like the snap of a whip, "that particular technique doesn't work... if he cuts slits into his clothing and tries to put his wings through them, the fabric will hurt him badly if he tries to fly."
She was leaning against the door frame with folded arms
"What are you doing here?" Ella growled.
"Krishna and I have come to collect your master," Karla softly retorted, catlike eyes narrowed as she examined their group. "The Grand Mother wishes to speak with him."
Vrael instantly nudged Xaphile with his elbow.
"See?" he whispered. "You definitely won't be left in the dark."
"The white-haired mortal girl must come, too," Karla added, making Ella stiffen. "Her presence is desired as well."
"Why?" Gus bluntly demanded.
"I can only assume it's about the mark," Amelia murmured. "Just go with them, Ella."
Ella opened her mouth as if she were going to snap, then she clenched her jaw and she stepped forward, gripping his sleeve between two fingers.
"Are you ready to depart?" Karla asked, looking at him with a firm expression.
"I... I guess," he muttered, glancing at his wings one last time. "Let's... just get this over with."
She nodded and slinked outside, blonde tail flicking out of sight, and the two of them followed her outside to the edge of the lake where Krishna was waiting.
The sun hadn't even risen and it was completely dark, but Krishna eyes widened so much when she saw his wings that her eyes shone dimly even in the gloom.
"Elaith vi drael mo sylthasis sa Vadil," she breathed, eyeing him up and down when he stopped beside her giant squirrel. "Your wings are beautiful... not white... but black, and far bigger than I would have expected them to be."
"You knew this was going to happen to me," he stated a little coldly, making her blink; when she noticed the slight glare behind his eyes, she frowned. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I assumed you would have at least known that all adult males of our kind have wings," Krishna explained, speaking slowly and carefully. "I take it that you did not?"
"How would I have known?" he questioned. "I can't remember anything about my life on Atlas."
Wordplay, it would seem, could come in handy.
She inclined her head.
"I am sorry," she murmured, lifting her arm with her wrist held up. "It never occurred to me that you would not have known... even though it should have when you asked about the Hunt."
She waited, head lowered, with her arm outstretched.
After a moment, he sighed... then gently clasped her palm. Her eyes flew open and she jerked to look at his fingers when they squeezed... then they lifted and their eyes locked. Amber to teal.
"You're forgiven," he quietly told her. "My body... is something I was still getting used to, anyway... maybe its a good thing this happened sooner rather than later."
Ella's eyes flicked to look at him.
Krishna stared at him for a moment longer, irises glittering with something he couldn't discern... then she shifted her arm and returned his grasp. Without warning, she pulled him onto the back of her mount before turning her gaze on Ella.
Her lips curled.
Then she leaned down, gripped the albino girl under the arms, and lifted her up.
She dropped her behind him with disdain.
"Let us be off," Krishna murmured in a subdued tone. "The Grand Mother is waiting."
Without further ado, the squirrel took off up the side of the huge rock and leapt over the lake.
Xaphile let out a muffled grunt when Ella wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face in the small gap between his new wings. He could feel her breathing rapidly against the fur running down his spine. Her grip was a little painful, but he put up with it.
Eventually the island was nothing more than a fading shadow.
Then they landed.
Once Krishna's mount scurried down the rock, they were off in another direction, heading through the silver forests with all the strange plant-houses flashing past. The trees pressed closer and closer together as Krishna urged the squirrel on.
Xaphile closed his eyes, lulled by the sensation of riding.
It was different than being on a horse.
Odd, but strangely comforting.
The motion came to a halt without warning and he opened his eyes again.
"We're here," Krishna murmured, deep voice vibrating his gut. "I will return soon. The Grand Mother has not told anyone why she wishes to speak to you, only that it is a private matter and is of the utmost importance."
She pointed at the edge of the trees.
A faint, flickering blue light was emanating from the gaps, completely out of place amongst the darkness. Xaphile and Ella both slid off of the squirrel and shared a tense look before making their way towards the odd luminescence.
The moment they entered the clearing... they were struck dumb.
Ella's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with a hand, and Xaphile openly gawked.
A river lay before them, slow-moving and clearer than a tropical ocean... but it radiated azure light. Fireflies filled the air everywhere they looked... glowing flowers of every color imaginable lined the grass, and brilliant butterflies with rainbow wings fluttered about.
"Rainbow butterflies," Ella breathed, staring at them as they drifted through the clearing. "There are so many... I've never seen this many before!"
"Welcome, Ellameira Rochard," a familiar voice softly greeted, making both teens jump and whirl around. "Welcome, Xaphile Heseroph."
It was Zelphira... the Grand mother.
She was sitting beside the river, long platinum hair brushing the grass and silver-blonde tail lying lax around her legs. She was no longer wearing the garb Xaphile had seen her in until this point... she was dressed all in white, wearing a sheer gown that did little to conceal her nudity.
She slowly trailed her claws across the surface of the water, watching as the ripples spread across it.
"You... needed to talk?" Xaphile hesitantly asked. "Why did you call us here?"
The woman slowly turned her pale, ice-blue eyes on him.
"I called you here to discuss many things," she breathed, voice carrying on the wind and reverberating in his ears. "We must talk of the future... and of the past."
Xaphile's eye twitched.
"You went inside my head," he stated lowly, "and called me a Vadil from another world. You know who I am... you know that I..."
"Killed yourself...?" she questioned, giving him a solemn smile. "Yes... I saw it all right here... this river gave me the answers."
"Get to the point," Ella finally snapped, folding her arms and stepping forward. "Since you already know the truth, let's skip the formalities, shall we? Tell us what you want!"
Zelphira's eyes merely softened.
"Sit down, younglings," she whispered, lifting a graceful hand and running it along her tapered ear before she gestured at the grass beside her. "We will discuss everything now, starting with an apology."
"An apology?" Ella questioned, looking at her warily.
"Yes," Zelphira confirmed, closing her long-lashed eyes. "I wish to apologize for everything that has transpired since your arrival to my lands. We are firmly rooted to our ways and traditions."
"You're forgiven," Xaphile bluntly told her, settling down on the ground with a wince; his back ached madly with every movement he made. "Let's just get to what this is about."
"As you wish," the Grand Mother sighed. "Firstly... there is the reason you came here. The Mark you gave this mortal girl was unintentional... but I desire to know if you truly wish to have it removed."
Ella's eyes widened and Xaphile's shoulders tensed.
"Why wouldn't we?" he growled, leaning forward with a glare. "Of course we want it removed!"
"Calm yourself," Zelphira soothed, waving a placating hand. "I am asking for an important reason, young Vadil. Before we continue, I wish to hear your reasons for the removal."
"Well. I did it... unintentionally," he growled, closing his eyes. "I forced myself on her... and in the process, I did something to her that she told me not to do. Plus, if what I was told about primordial sprites is the truth... then, to me, marking someone against their will is tantamount to rape."
Ella twitched, but aside from that she didn't move.
"So, she was against it," Zelphira noted, running her hands through the water. "I understand. I can and will remove it if that is what you desire... but truthfully, I would not recommend it."
"Why?" Ella, surprisingly enough, demanded.
"The Darkling is among the last of his kin," the faery explained. "That means his desirability among the women of our community will have increased. To remove this mark would be to forsake your claim to him... and many of our people would readily attempt to dominate him."
Ella's lip curled, but before she could speak, Xaphile sighed.
"If need be," he coldly retorted, "I'll use self defense if things get out of hand. But either way, we're getting this mark removed. What I did to her disgusts me to my core."
Ella slowly hid her eyes with her hair upon hearing that.
"Then it shall be done," the Grand Mother confirmed. "Onto the next subject at hand... your younger brother, Adariel. I will be frank. I have attempted to scry his location several times with my magic, but some dark force repels me. All I know is that he is very far to the north."
"We will find him," Ella stated firmly. "Even if it takes a while, I will make sure of it."
Zelphira, surprisingly, smiled at her.
"I know you will," she breathed, then her eyes darkened a little, "but Xaphile is ill-trained to handle the trials that await you. Forgive me for my invasion of privacy, but I know of your plans to split your group up... and I will say this only once: discard them before you actually make them."
"Why?" the albino growled, face turning red. "We must find Xaphile's brother!"
Zelphira's cold blue eyes quieted her fury.
"It will not only lead to a disaster amongst yourselves," she carefully enunciated, "but you won't find him unless you are all together."
Ella opened her mouth to protest, then thought about it and huffed.
"Amelia said the same thing," she muttered.
"She has a good head on her shoulders for a mortal," the faery queen noted, then turned and looked at Xaphile. "For the time being... you and your saviors are going to be staying amongst my kin. Now that you have ascended into the beginnings of adulthood, you will be assigned a teacher and role model who will guide your mind back to where it needs to be."
Xaphile took that in with a depressed visage, eyes slowly losing their sheen.
Exhaustion washed over his face.
"If you say so," he complacently muttered. "Thank you for the hospitality."
"Do not thank me... because lastly, we must discuss your life back on... Earth," Zelphira whispered, finally standing up and raising her arms to the sky. "Once I was aware of its existence... I was actually able to tap into your world with magic."
Xaphile and Ella both twitched and looked at her with unblinking eyes.
"What...?" the pale girl hissed. "You did what?!"
"Earth," the faery continued, looking at the sky with her long hair drifting behind her. "It is a world that is almost exactly like our own. There are beings there who are, strangely, identical to each of us on Atlas... and with my scrying magic, I was able to seek out familiar faces. In the process, I learned something rather disturbing... and this leads to our most pressing topic."
"Which is?" he asked in a weak tone.
She lowered her eyes and gazed at him firmly.
"Among other things, there is a great lapse in the time frame between this world and that one," Zelphira told him. "On your world... you perished on the eve of your seventeenth birthday... but on ours, you have just arrived at your sixteenth birthday... today."
Xaphile blinked, feeling confused... then his eyes widened in shock.
"What?" he scoffed, mouth dropping open. "No way! My birthday is only three months after Ella's! That wouldn't make sense! If its the same here on Atlas as it was on earth, Ella Rochard would have literally just turned fifteen a few days before we met!"
The girl beside him went still, and for a moment, she didn't even breathe.
"Actually... I did," she hoarsely corrected. "My fifteenth birthday was celebrated only a single day before I first captured you in the woods."
Xaphile did the math, realizing with a jolt that it had almost literally been three months exactly.
Three months since he'd ended up on Atlas.
His birthday was...
"Why did you bring this up," Xaphile rasped, feeling his heart squeezing. "Tell me."
"I wished to give you accurate knowledge on yourself," Zelphira murmured, then smiled and gently lowered her arms, "and I wished... to give you a gift. One that I think you need."
"A gift?" he asked. "Why?"
"It is customary to receive a gift from one's kin, distant or not, on a birthday, yes?" the blonde woman asked, tilting her head with her long ears bobbing curiously. "I will give you one. Come here, young one... kneel with me beside the river."
Xaphile hesitantly rose to his feet, struggling a bit thanks to the wings... but when he walked over and squatted beside the glowing fluid, Zelphira set a hand on his bandaged arm.
He instantly began to feel dizzy and somewhat lightheaded.
Weird, he silently droned. I... I'm getting drowsy.
"Look into the water," she murmured. "I am going to show you some things that you must see if you're ever going to move forward. I want you to see the consequences of your actions back on your world, so you will never make the same mistake again."
What? he silently asked, staring down at the water with stunned eyes as it began to open. What's... what's happening...?
The gap grew wider... and wider... until the hole pulled his whole conscious into it.
He fell forward into blinding light, pupils expanding as he was sucked into the sky.