The Deathly Nothing

Chapter 5

Nobody followed me as I trudged away from my home and became enveloped in the night's air. As I walked I battled the will that tugged me back to the house, the will to fall into my Mother's waiting arms and stare into Zarek's darkened eyes. My Mother had walked a few paces from the door moments after me, before falling to her knees in silence. No tears danced down from those empty eyes as I walked, she stayed quiet as if her soul had flickered out completely. Zarek made no appearance. No hurry to join her at the edge of the garden and wrap his arms around her.

Then it was all out of sight as I entered the forest. The wind whipped my hair around wildly, a welcome to the small part of the world that remained untamed. The Underneath had allowed the court to rebuild what was left of the world in any manner they wished, places such as the forest were discarded, for now at least. They say the Underneath lies below my world, a place so dismal and deadly no one ventures to find it, to find the thousands of people that disappeared with it. It's easier to forget it all but not to me. I could never forget.

The breeze felt like a hand on my back, guiding me onwards, away from everything . That's what I wanted. My stomach felt unsettled as my anger died away but not completley, it still burned like the last few embers of a fire. A roof formed over my head as the forest became thicker and the wilderness felt more lost from the rest of life with each step I took. The leaves all looked the same at night, no rainbow from the afternoon but instead they were an ebony black. It was a thick blanket of shadows, somewhere I could hide. Nature closed in on me, consuming every corner of my sight but I did not feel suffocated by it's presence. I felt never ending freedom. Every inch of this small secluded world was familiar to me except a particular bird that now caught my sight.

That bird was new...

It stood perched on an overturned log that lay at the forest floor a few metres away. It's size was rather immense, as large as a pony but a world of magic did not make this strange in the slightest. Feathers of midnight black coated it's large frame, a few light grey ones overlapping on it's great wings. Wings as mighty as a dragon's, as they stretched out from it's sides gradually. Small eyes stalked me from where it perched, they were glistening white. Their colour enabled it to be visible as the rest of it blended perfectly into the darkness.

The mighty bird reminded me of my brother as I stood there in front of it. Careful and cautious but powerful in it's silent behaviour. From the end of the bird's body, long individual feathers stemmed out metres behind it. Each one like seperate wings as they trailed down to the floor, matching the eyes of the bird. A colour of pure white, beacons that projected through the clearing where I stood. It was an angel amoungst darkness. Huge talons gripped the wood of the log, bark flaking away under it's pressure when it adjusted it's position.

I dared to blink or move, even breathe as it remained staring at me. The silence broke as I stepped forward, leaves snapping under my foot. The creature released an ear-bursting shriek, flapping it's wings in glory. I felt my throat clawing for breath and my body froze as I leant forward in a bow like movement. The bird's magnificence was more than worthy to recieve a bow from any soul. One blink from my eyes and the bird pushed off the log, spiralling upwards into the air above.

The long white feathers at it's back were huge, shining ribbons as they fluttered behind it, twirling and twisting with the grace of a balle dancer within the chaos that now arupted. I gazed in wonder at the spectacle above me, a slight smile crawled onto my face. Then the bird darted downwards towards me, wings propelling it forwards beating forcefully. My smile crept back away as my heart leapt from my chest. My feet would not move, not a single inch. Another shriek filled my pounding ears and my face winced. In it's speed the bird became a wirling cloak of silver and black plummeting closer with each breath I took. Bringing my small arms to shield my head, the bird was only inches from scraping a lock of curls from my hair.

Then there was nothing.

Swooping past my left shoulder the bird looked towards me as it darted past. This time it opened it's beak but no shriek filled the forest, instead a single beautiful call as it's wings carried it away. Removing my arms from my head I let out a breath, one that was filled with a pinch of humour. The bird became further and further away but those silvery, snow feathers were clearer than anything. My chest heaved and my heart slowed but my mind raced, as I began to run after the creature
that flew into the unknown.