A Banquet of Daggers

Chapter 1: Part 2 - Knowledge & Etiquette

Hours after Aros departed away from Elayne and left her to herself, Elayne had taken a long relaxing hot bath and made herself at home. Upon entering her new bedroom once again, she noticed that she had a small library filled with a variety of books right next to her large window, she saw it as an opportunity to possibly learn something from picking up an interesting book or two. Upon scouring the library, she found a large brown tome with the title 'The Obsidian Desert', she remembered Aros talking about the Turbloods and the Obsidian Desert, her home that she has no memory of. She opened the book and over the span of a few hours sitting upon a dark emerald colored couch, she absorbed its contents fully, being extremely familiar with the language that it was written in as well. According to the book - Turbloods are a minor human nation and race that live on the coastal shores of the Obsidian Desert, sun-kissed skin, pitch black hair and exotic eyes were their most prominent external feature. The one thing that was the most valuable on them however, was their blood, the Tur, hence the name Turbloods. This blood was known for its magical potency against diseases, Turbloods never experience illness as their blood is a gift from Angels, as some other humans might call it. It is rumored that if one was to drink the Tur, they'd become immune to any form of disease, thus...they were hunted...brutalized...massacred...for droplets of blood. According to the book - it is presumed that only less than a hundred Turbloods are still alive, with each one named and hunted for, having unimaginable bounties on their heads. Elayne sighed at all of the knowledge she consumed regarding her people. "I guess I won't be getting many opportunities to talk with someone from the same home as I then. Though this book does give a possible answer to one of my questions, the reason as to why I was unconscious outside Lord Aron's castle in their gardens. I could have been hunted and fell unconscious from exhaustion." She sighed once more. "I wish there was an easy way to regain my memories." She complained to herself, putting the book back in its place and found another that looked incredibly fancy and well made.

The moment Elayne touched the back of the book to take it from the shelf, a large owl landed on the outside of her bedroom window, it batted its beak on the window for Elayne to open it, but that initially managed to startle her and drop the book on the ground. She turned towards the window and opened it, the owl opened its wings and bowed before her. "I am Odree, the Winged Celestial. A pleasure to meet you, Lady Elayne." Odree, the owl that Aros mentioned had arrived un-announced, their voice was heard in Elayne's mind, telepathy it appears. "A-a sentient owl?" Elayne asked, surprised but also not surprised at Odree's capabilities, what she was more astonished by was their appearance. Their main body was not covered in feathers, instead, stars. Odree's wings and chest were like gazing at the night sky on a full moon, their head however had pitch black large and fuzzy feathers, their eyes were surrounded by sudden spots of brown and their pupils were as radiant as the sun. Their claws and legs were the colors of a turquoise aurora borealis, brightly shining and eye-catching. "W-What are you, exactly? And why are you here?" Elayne threw two questions that were on the top of her head at Odree. "I am the Winged Celestial. The overseer of the stars and Master Aros' right hand. That is all you need to know regarding my being. Your presence is requested by Master Aros, originally I was meant to stay here and keep you company for when you need them, but instead they wish to see a human such as yourself." Odree replied with a tone of extravagance and nobility in Elayne's mind. "I shall escort you to the throne room and give you a tour of the castle's exterior, please, jump from the window onto my back once given the signal." He followed, hopping around to turn their back to Elayne, her unchanged from her pajamas looking at Odree.

"NOW!" Odree suddenly jumped from the window balcony that he was standing on, presumably falling. Elayne hesitated for two minutes, scared if she's actually going to get caught. "Please jump I do not have all day you chicken." Odree spoke once more in her head, incredibly annoyed by Elayne's cowardice. And so, with no further thought put into it, Elayne slowly got on the window and jumped off it, due to her fear, she had started to scream, only a few seconds later to stop as she landed on...Odree's back, whom grew exponentially in size, as Elayne was now barely the same size as Odree's ear. "See you rambling human? You are alive." Odree commented out of annoyance once again, clapping his wings violently against the air's stream, flying towards Aros' throne room. "This, is the exterior of castle Herkhof. It is surrounded by the Abysmal Gardens, the castle's main layer of protection against the outside world from learning of our survival, it stretches for entire kilometers and manages to capture any unwelcomed trespasser." Odree informed Elayne, slowing down in order for her to look around and experience her surroundings.