Isle Of Sollis: Secrets Of Aecor

Prologue

Black and yellow feathers sliced through the moonlit clouds. The air this close to the glistening orb of the moon was substantially thinner than on the water ridden ground; Wasp's breaths quick and short. His mind, foggy with exhaustion, began to wander back to the conversation that led him and his small group out here in the first place. They had been summoned to the Queen's throne room in the late afternoon when the sun cast long shadows from the large rock spires of the mountain castle. It had been cold and wet to Wasp's displeasure, a thunderstorm raging outside the gaping arches. They had originally been used to allow sunlight to pour into the large room, being repurposed by the sky's gloom to smother the Luxos in water. One would presume that living so close to clouds that threatened to rain on you constantly and wind capable of ripping animals from the ocean would somewhat desensitise an individual to such things. This wasn't the case with Wasp. The rain made it difficult to fly and the wind always liked to tear you off course and send you spiralling towards the jagged black obsidian at the base of the mountain. The Queen was sprawled on her polished quartz throne of swirling whites and greys, her ruby red mane flowing down her golden body like a cape. A much taller and bulkier male stood beside her designated place, a blood red mane clamped into plumes atop his head; feather-like in appearance. The fur tufts at the end of his ears nearly reached the tip of the highest quartz spike, towering over any average nobody. Seeing them together, one would presume they were related. That couldn't be further from the truth. The male, Nova, was the highest-ranked general in the army, having power amongst the soldiers comparable to that of the Queen herself. He was known for his bloodlust and brutal strength, tearing limbs from bodies with ease and torturing his opposition for fun. Wasp felt nothing but bitterness and fear towards this Luxo. He was manipulative and cruel, punishing members of the battalion for disobeying even the simplest commands one wouldn't think twice about. Nova particularly enjoyed breaking down his fellow Luxo mentally before doing something physically horrible to them. He shuddered at the thought.
"You may not know why I have requested an audience with you," Wasp blinked in surprise at the sudden sound. The Queen's voice was calm but demanding. Even if she wasn't royalty in another lifetime, it wouldn't be a surprise if Luxos obeyed her anyway. The Queen's slender, rabbit-like ears twitched slightly as she began to speak again, a combination of shadows from clouds and rain droplets casting small shadows across her relaxed face.
"To make things short, since I want to get out of this weather, General Nova wishes to discuss battle plans with you," the Queen rambled quickly before nodding at him, her glowing white irises vanishing briefly as she blinked. Nova moved quickly, signalling for Wasp and the other two soldiers to follow him. The scarlet tip of Nova's wings brushed against Wasp's glossy, black nose. He bit his tongue and stifled a hiss, not wanting to get on the general's bad side. The three soldiers complied quietly and bustled after the higher-ranked Luxo quickly. He could hear the sound of the Queen retreating further into her castle to escape the enveloping dampness of her throne room. After listening to the drum of rain for a few heartbeats and making sure he didn't stray too far behind the group, Wasp was startled when the roof that had been offering protection from the storm dropped away abruptly; rain threatening to tear him off the small bridge. Nova seemed unbothered by the sudden drenching, continuing to walk forward with a strange sort of grace to his step. Wasp took another step forward before he felt his footing slip and dread smothered him as the clouds did to the vast sky. Fortunately, he managed to catch himself before he fell off the narrow stretch of rock and be swept away by the hissing wind that had torn trees from the ground. Wasp shook himself quickly before hurrying after the group. The wind continued to grumble in annoyance, having another victim slip through its cold grasp. A burst of lightning lit up the sky in shades of deep purple to starch white behind him as he entered the dim barracks; the bright flash burned into his retinas. It was a vast circular room with a small slab for a table. A map encrusted with dust and age lay on the grim rectangle, it's once vivid ink having been drained of its royal blue pigment. The war general sighed in annoyance; irritated by the fact the skimpy yellow and black Luxo wasn't in the room immediately after he himself was. Wasp kept his head low, standing on the furthest side of the polished slate in an attempt to get as far away from Nova as he dared. He remembered coming in here when it was just built; the large skylight shaped like a perfect sun, the roof too high to even dream of touching as a kit and the many arches that dotted the circumference of the cobblestone barracks. Wasp knew that the arches were big enough for an adult Luxo to perch on and peer down on those below or quickly swoop into the room to spread news. He also remembered, come to think of it, the many beautiful carvings that had once laced the walls like a delicate tapestry of silk. Wasp looked around eagerly for the etchings that had once been a tropical scenario with many large birds spiralling towards the skylight; wanting some sort of comfort that nostalgia brought. To his dismay, the majestic art had been covered with cobwebs and a blanket of dust. There were also a few suspicious-looking dark splotches scattered along the wall as if someone threw a bowl of water at it and the liquid never dried. Collecting his thoughts, Wasp sheepishly listened to the hushed voice of Nova.
"You are to meet me here," the Luxo pointed to a section of the map smothered with symbols that represented vegetation and plantation. A large body of water was close by the many symbols, dotted with notes about what may be contained in the depths.
"If you don't, I will make your life hell," Nova hissed, his luminous golden irises piercing Wasp's soul. It was a little eerie seeing the glow of his eyes cast shadows on other parts of his face. He could sense the unease amongst his squadron as they shifted awkwardly. Despite knowing next to nothing about the two other Luxo, Wasp could relate to them in a few ways. General Nova continued to stare at them; boring a hole into their very being. Wasp swallowed quietly to moisten his bone dry throat.
"Y-yes sir!" He stood bolt upright, accidentally letting a stutter slip through. Wasp tended to lose his ability to speak when he was nervous; becoming something like a quivering kit when he was in an uncomfortable situation.