We had been flying for so long, the sun had risen and it was now day. I had seen the landscapes change beneath us from forests and glistening rivers cutting paths through the earth, to urban landscapes with high rise buildings and the smog of traffic. Now we were weaving through mountains and gliding over large lakes. We began to rise up heather covered mountains, up towards a large house hidden up high.
The crows flew over the building and as we went over, I saw that in the centre there was a courtyard. They began to circle as they lowered them down into the square. They cast dark shadows on the ground creating a column that rose up and engulfed them. As their shadows dissipated like smoke they stood there looking like an ordinary human.
I glided down in the same manner they had but as I reached the bottom I was too tired to seek the darkness. I tried to land and found myself hopping on feet that arched from being tucked up for so long they were almost numb and it took me a few hops to steady myself. My heart began to race as I realised I was trapped in this feathered body.
The man looked massive as he reached an arm out towards. "Come on," his voice sounded in my mind but his lips didn't move. I hopped up his arm and onto his shoulder I wondered if he could still hear me.
"I'm stuck like this," I wailed but my words came out as if I was cawing.
He laughed. The sound warmed my heart. I fluffed my feathers as I shook off my fear. He looked towards the others, "Our little chick needs to sleep. I shall take her to the guest room until another room has been prepared." He began walking towards a door in the corner and I heard his voice in my mind, "Don't panic, once rested, your strength will return and you will be able to shift."
We entered the building. The corridor was painted cream and was flooded with light from the windows. On one side there was big arched windows looking out to the courtyard with black frames. On the other side the windows were mirrored in wood and the frames had delicate details of ivy and roses. There were columns twisting up in the middle rising to a platform above, like an indoor balcony with cast iron bars that looked down to where we were.
I snuggled into the man's neck as we took the stairs that twisted cast iron staircase, up towards the platform. We walked along it. There were doors up here, breaking the pattern of archways. The man reached one and pushed the door open.
Inside was a bedroom with a Gothic feel. The floor was dark wood as was the cieling. The wallpaper was a dark purple with a black pattern on it. There were full length windows with long draping grey curtains. The four poster bed was of a black wood with white silk bed linen. A chandelier hung from the ceiling. There was a mirrored wardrobe and chest of draws. On top of the drawers was a silver birdcage with a deep purple cushion at the base.
The man slid his fingers from under my feet and scooped me off his shoulder. He placed me inside the cage. I worried that he was going to lock the door and started to flap my wings.
"Hush chick," I heard his voice in my mind. "I'm not going to hurt you. Rest here. I will be back later to help you shift."
"Thank you," He squaked but he smiled as if he understood what I had said.
He didn't shut the metal door, just the room to the corridor. Although I wasn't locked in the cage, I couldn't escape the room in my bird like state. For the first time since changing I wondered if I had made a mistake in coming here. Had there been another option if I had refused those he had given me?
My head was too weary from the travel and everything that had happened. I walked around the cushion in a circle until I decided it was comfortable. I lowered myself down and tucked my head under my wing. My body was exhausted and I gave into the will of sleep.
I was startled awake. As I came to, I realised I was still a bird. Blinking my eyes and ruffling my feathers, I saw the man. He held out his hand for me and I climbed on. He lifted me onto the floor.
"I trust you have had a good rest," His voice smoothly ran over me like a lovers caress. "Our power is found in the darkness, you need to recall where you were when you first shifted. Go back there and come back to me human."
I closed my eyes and tried to remember changing. The icy coldness that had blasted for me and the blinding white that turned pitch black. Darkness so pure that it was completely void of life. Like the beginning of the world and time itself. So black that it was epically empty. A void. I had to go into that hole and let it fully consume me. I began to feel the icy coolness creep over my skin like death himself was licking me with his black tongue. I felt a searing pain as my body changed. My feathers turned to smoke and my body stretched out into a human form. It looked soft and gentle but the pain was like bones snapping and my hair being torn out. I wanted my body back so I went through it to be born again. Although now I stood in my skin, I didn't feel like myself. I had changed and I knew I wasn't human.
"What am I?" My voice sounded lighter like it had a melody to it.
"A reaper."
I laughed. He had answered my question but I didn't feel like I was any wiser, "What's a reaper?"
"The human equivalent would be the Police." He stepped forward. His stance looked authoritative, slightly intimidating. I could picture him in the force but not me. "We ensure the laws of the shifter world are obeyed to keep order."
"Why me?"
"We cannot have unclaimed shifters running wild, with no idea of the consequences of their actions. It would lead to chaos with nobody to guide them through their shift, their hunger to kill, to fuck."
I blushed at his profanity. It had caught me off guard. I saw him smirk. He looked me up and down. "You need to shower and get dressed. You have a lot to learn."
"I don't have anything to wear."
"Morgan is of a similar size. I shall get her to bring you some of her clothes. forgive me urgency but time is of the essence. There are ancient conditions of your contract we must discuss."
"I have a contract?"
He pointed to a door on the far side of the room, "Your en-suite. Morgan will show you around."
I showered up and when I returned to the bedroom there was a slim girl long dark hair waiting for me. She had pale skin and dark eyes. "Hi," She jumped up to greet me. "I bought a selection of clothes." I noticed the outfits laid out across the bed were all black just like the clothes she was wearing. "I didn't know what you would like so I brought a little bit of everything."
"Really? It's all black." I said as my hand ran over the garments. Despite the matching colour there were a range of fabrics and styles.
"Sorry," She blushed, "Most of us have a soft spot for black and thought you would too."
I thought about it. I hadn't ever really been drawn to black until the change. Was it the way my life had turned upside down and a reflection of my inner darkness or was it because I am now a reaper and the way the darkness had helped me start over.
"It's fine." I smiled politely and scooped up a denim skirt and t-shirt that looked the closest to something I might wear. On closer inspection I realised that I had picked up a leather skirt. I went behind a ..... To get changed.
Whilst I was behind the blind, Morgan said, "Oh, I forgot to say I'm Morgan."
"I guessed," I laughed.
"Did Cronus tell you?"
"Is that his name?"
"Yeah," She laughed, "Did he not introduce himself. He's terrible at welcoming the new recruits. You'd think after centuries of it that he'd have got it down."
"Centuries? How old is he?"
"He is one of the ancients. The first of our kind made."
"Who made him?" I wondered, thinking of how I had been created a Reaper.
"By Goddess Gaia herself."
I stepped out once dressed.
"You look great," She beamed, "Let's show you around."
Morgan opened the door and I followed her out into the corridor that I had travelled through earlier to reach the room, when I had been a crow, perched on Cronus shoulder.
Cronus. I liked the name. It suited him. I also liked the idea that he was an ancient and wanted to find out more about him. He fascinated me in a strange complex mix of fear and fascination.
"The upstairs is mainly sleeping quarters and loops around the whole upper floor." We began walking down the stairs. The windows looked out to the quad where we had flown in earlier. Morgan lead me along and pointed to some doors, these rooms are for recreation. There is a library, a games room and a lounge, feel free to make yourself at home in any of them. You are now part of the family." We turned a corner and the smell of food wafted up my room. My tummy growled and she heard it as she smiled, "We'll come back here at the end of the tour, that door is the kitchen and the other is the dinning hall."
We turned another corner and she explained, "The first room is the bar, then there is the cinema room and the next door is the music room." We continued along the corridor and
I thought about how much Fallon would love to stay here. Thinking of her caused my smiled to drop. I missed her and wondered if we could ever repair our friendship.
We turned another corner and were almost back on ourselves, "This corridor is the meeting rooms and studies. You are welcome to use a study if you need a computer or a meeting room if you want to chat somewhere more quiet but..." She paused as we made it to the end of the corridor, "This room is Cronus' office and nobody is allowed in without his invitation." Outside this room was a small red velvet couch looking out into the quad. A forbidden room appealed to my rebellious side and I smirked. Morgan caught my sneer and leaned in, "Nobody goes in! Alright?"
I nodded to show I understood. Morgan held my gaze and tilted her head back as she regarded me. "Come on, let's get you fed," She then started walking and I eagerly kept up. We then turned a corner and we were back to the corridor with the recreation rooms are.
I suddenly realised I didn't have my mobile phone, "I need to call my parents to let them know where I am."
Morgan shook her head, "You can't call friends, family, anyone from your previous life. You need to let them go. Cut them out. This is your new life Kya."
"They'd go crazy. They already threatened to call the Police when they caught me sneaking out."
Morgan paused and turned to face me, "How old are you?"
Her question sounded rude and patronising, "I'm sixteen. One of the oldest in my year ground. I'll be seventeen later this year." Fallon had taught me to speak about my next birthday age as a way of sounding older.
"You're a child!"
"Technically," I agreed.
"Oh god. This is not good." Morgan grabbed my wrist and marched me back the way we had come only to bang on the door of the forbidden office.