Illuminated by:ReversedHipster

Chapter 3

The fucking Citadel of Spirits. I must really be insane. I looked out in front of me, the large building looming over us as if we were utterly inferior to its size.
It looked as if it made of pure marble, rivaling the look of a building from Ancient Rome. Statues lined the front entrance, of people and figures I had never seen before. The building seemed to give off this eerie aura of calm, dripping with deep and utter silence. It was beautiful, peaceful. All of which I had always dreamed of. The trickle of the fountain was all that could be heard other than Alduin and myself breathing. I couldn't fully see what the outside of the building looked like, as Alduin rushed me through the doors almost immediately.

The atmosphere inside the building was nothing like what I briefly caught outside. The place, rustling and bustling with people and other creatures of all sizes going in and out of different pathways and disappearing into what seemed to be another realm. "Follow me, and stay close. I don't want you getting lost in here." I heard Alduin say, his voice rattling me from my thoughts. "Alright." I quickly said before we were off. Alduin walked me down a corridor to the left, briefly walking downwards before he stopped and opened the door to what appeared to be a general modern looking sitting room, it was vacant. We let ourselves in, and he gave me the gesture to sit, before locking the door and sitting across from me himself. "I guess it's time I explain myself hmm?" His voice booming in my head again. I look at him sternly,"That would be very much appreciated, yes.". He looks me in the eye again, matching my gaze and begins speaking. "What do you want to know first?" He asks me inquisitively.
"How about why you saved me from that fall?" My tone annoyed as I remember the events that happened not so long ago. "*sighs*, I was supposed to. It's my job to look after you. Just like I have looked after many before you. Believe it or not, I am your guardian angel, so to speak." He says, still looking me in the eye. I scoff and offhandedly ask"Well if you're an angel, where are your wings and halo, huh?". He looks at me surprised for a moment before his face settles again and says"We have no haloes despite the common belief, but I may show you my wings if I must.". He stands then, turning his back to face me before removing his dark leather jacket. (You'd think Angels would where all white -_-) He then removes his shirt underneath as well, showing off two wing tattoos, darkly etched into his otherwise pale and unblemished skin.
I scoff again, stifling a laugh"Those are tattoos." "I will not tolerate rudeness from someone who cannot even tolerate their own existence..."he sounds off heatedly in my head. "I apologize, that was rather cruel of me." He then says "These are not just tattoos, watch." And I watched, I watched as those tattoos came to life, growing, seemingly directly out of his shoulder blades. They continued to grow and change shape before reaching a length of at least 15-20ft overall, nearly reaching from wall to wall in the round room. Those pearly white wings resembled those of an eagle, arching as he turned around to face me. I stared in awe as I slowly walked to face his back again, reaching out to touch one of the wings, the feathers soft and smooth as silk. "Holy shit, you really are an angel"I said, continuing to stroke his feathered wings with immense interest.
"*ahem* I'd prefer if you didn't do that" I heard him say, looking at how flushed he seemed to have gotten, his back twitching from either uncomfortableness or pleasure. I would prefer the former but I knew it was not so. "Oh, crap, sorry man ah um Alduin." I quickly say, realizing my actions. I couldn't help that I was drawn to him, his presence seemed to call for it. "It's fine, just warn me next time." I softly hear him say before he was facing me again, albeit much closer since I walked towards him earlier.

He looked down at me, seeming to be analyzing my thoughts before asking "What were your intentions?" Looking into those sapphire like orbs I couldn't focus, glancing downwards as I couldn't take the pressure of looking him in the eye, drowning in those oceans and getting lost in their tides.
I had no intentions, at least none that I knew of, I thought. "I'm..I'm not sure I had any." I say to him, all the while looking down at my feet like some child who's gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar. He seemed to accept that answer, at least for the time being, before grabbing his clothing and beginning the process of putting it back on. We sat back down and continued to talk about who he was and why he has saved me. I learned some things about him, that he's basically ageless although having the appearance of a 25 year old, he has basically been with me since my birth, that he's the cause of all my recently failed attempts of suicide, and a few other general things including what I would believe is his sexual orientation. Then we got to the serious topic of conversation. "So, why do you keep saying I'm in danger?" I asked, the question clawing at the back of my mind since we got here. "That is because you are, Rodrick. I'm afraid to say their are some unfortunate and very malevolent forces that are interested in you, much more your soul than anything." He says, his tone dark. "I've been protecting you the best I can, for a while now, but I fear I may not be enough to stop you from your own demons. They cloud your mind, your thoughts..feeding on your lacking feelings of self worth and increasing desperation. It is only a matter of time before they reach you..and I vowed I'd never let that happen to you. Not again."He said, the genuine concern and feeling present in his features. Then something struck me "what do you mean..again?" I said, confusion clouding my features.