Parallel Vol. 5

Chapter 15: A Cruel Test

"Is that?" Zuri paused mid-flight when she spotted the air pillar in its entirety. Up close, Zuri could see that the pillar was truly condensed of a strong air current. Severa leaves and grass caught up in the pillar gave it a deceptively greenish, beautiful hue. Contrary to expectations, many avians were gathered around the pillar, and quite a few wore sad or melancholic expressions as they bid farewell to their friends or families.

Zuri slowed down and carefully approached the air pillar, but surprisingly, no one paid her any heed. Only when she was just three meters from entering did an avian man fly in front of her.

The avian guard frowned as he closely examined the strange girl. "I do not recognize you. What is your name, and where are you from?"

"Zuri is Zuri," Zuri proudly proclaimed. "Zuri is a Maggot!"

Down on the ground, Shadow tensed and he instinctively drew his dagger. But he ultimately buried his bloodlust, choosing to trust Zuri until the situation became untenable. Fortunately, the avians had zero guards on the ground, so Shadow did not fear getting discovered.

"A maggot?" The avian's frown deepened, but then he burst into laughter as he proclaimed, "Maggot, is it? Haha, indeed, compared to the planes above, we might as well be Maggots." The avian guard then patted Zuri's shoulder as he advised, "But, don't forget your avian pride. You too can reach the top planes if you train hard enough. So, do not despair and call yourself a maggot. Maggots are confined to the ground, while the skies belong to us avians!"

Zuri blinked. She knew the avian had misunderstood her, but before she could correct him, Shadow's voice sounded in her ear.

"Stop. Go along with what he said. You can't let them know where we're from."

Zuri was surprised. How could she hear Shadow when he was all the way on the ground? However, she intelligently hid her shock, and faced the avian guard with a smile. "Zuri understands. Zuri will do her best."

The avian guard nodded in appreciation and then stepped aside. "You may enter. I hope to hear of your victories in the future, Zuri."

Zuri nodded, and then flew into the pillar. To her surprise, the air current was not as harsh as expected. It gently carried her skyward, and she soon passed the barrier where the winds became volatile. However, the wind pillar protected her, delivering her unscathed to the ceiling above.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Shadow released a breath of relief. Fortunately he learned [Ventriloquism] from Lunette a long time ago. In its simple state, the skill projected the user's voice to a distant location. Through hard work and practice, however, Shadow learned to control the volume and precise location where his voice materialized. As a result he could send messages to a specific person even if they were in a massive crowd.

Shadow sheathed his dagger and looked at the air corridor. He was certain the corridor would have guards on the higher floors. He could not follow Zuri any further or he would risk getting caught. On the way here, he already told Zuri everything she needed to know about how to prevent herself from getting found out. Now, he just had to believe in her like Kashi did.

Shadow walked over to a tree and 'blended' into the darkness as he watched Zuri turn into a distant speck in the sky. "Good luck, Zuri. See you soon."

***

"—and so the great Vanguard battle against the twelve demons and their endless armies to ensure our prosperity and continued existence. It is the dream of every avian to fly among the vanguard and fight for our race's continued superiority. The Sky Is Ours!"

While Zuri ascended the sky corridor, an avian family of four trembled in fear as a young man read a fairy tale.

"So that's how it is." Gentle Breeze closed the book and then adjusted his glasses as he looked at the avian group composed of an old avian male, a relatively young avian female, and two avian children. Trickles of blood seeped into the room from beneath an adjoining door, suggesting something terrible had taken place.