The Sokovian Shadow

Chapter 25

Enjoy some fluff.
-----------------------------------
'Okay. I think I figured out the time scale. I was in the Physical world for 8 years, so we can knock that off both our ages. That leaves me at 8 and you at 23. That's roughly 4 years in the Physical world for every one that goes by in the Inter world. Also, do remember my real date of birth?' I inquired.

'Today.'

'Wow. Well the bombs were an amazing 10th birthday present, thank you very much, Stark. Also thank you, Ultron, for my absolutely amazing 16th birthday present. I loved watching my city drop out of the sky so much.' Natalia started dying of laughter.

'I am going to love having someone who understands. Also, after training tomorrow, you're coming with me so I can make up for all the time I've missed.' I grinned at my sister.

'I look forward to it.' She didn't even say birthdays, because in our profession, how many you had didn't really matter. It was how you spent time with the ones you loved before they were inevitably ripped away from you. Tichu was still talking with Celes on the table, yet I wasn't uncomfortable like I usually was when her spirit left me. I shook off the thought and turned back to Nat. 'By the way, how did Laura take my disappearance?'

'According to Clint, she almost had a heart attack before she noticed your note. But she said you were writing something in Russian when she came in to check on you before she put Lila and Cooper to bed?' She paused and looked at me curiously.

'What Wanda showed me in the shipyard; Oris' death.' We were both silent for a moment.

'What kind of gods so Wraiths believe in?'

'The Four Elders. The Unicorn, Afa, the Sea Serpent, Sui, the Dragon, Azura, and the Phoenix, Kindra. Earth, water, air and fire respectively. The Reaper considers himself one, and he wants us all to treat him as such; the Elder of death.' I rolled my eyes. 'No-one believed in it, but no-one had the courage to speak up about it.' Nat nodded.

'What kind of books do you enjoy?'

'Books?' I tilted my head. She looked at me aghast.

'You don't- right, you wouldn't have read after your training... you did read during your training, right?' I nodded slowly, still confused. She stood up and beckoned me to follow her. I stood up and held up my arm for Tichu. She flapped to land on my wrist and Celes flew straight threw my arm into my chest. I felt the comforting weight of my wings on my back once again. 'How many languages can you speak?'

'If it is or was a language, I can speak it. Even animal languages, although that's just because I'm a Hybrid Wraith.' Nat smiled.

'Is there anything you didn't tell me about Wraiths?' She turned to me.

'Well...' My mask was down, so my fangs were visible.

'You told me you were a Wraith, not a Vampire!' I laughed.

'I am! Although, a Hybrid Wraith who took a bats life would look like a vampire...' I trailed off, deep in thought.

'Okay, okay, how many different kinds of Hybrid Wraith are there?' I stopped, tilting my head to the left as I thought.

'There'd be one for each kind of animal, so wolf, werewolf; sea dwellers, sirens and mermen; horses, centaurs; birds, obviously me; bats, vampires; lizards and snakes, umm...'

'There's a woman in Greek mythology who was cursed to have snakes for hair and turn everyone she made eye contact with to stone. Depending on what version you read she had a snake tail instead of legs.' Nat supplied.

'That would work for snakes, minus the stone gaze, maybe, but what about lizards? And also, what did she do to get cursed like that?'

'Some stories say she bragged to much, some say the goddess who cursed her was jealous, others say she went against her vow of eternal virginity. No matter what you version you read, she was cursed by the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, and that she was killed by Perseus. Also, Athena cursed another woman to be part spider after the woman, Arachne, wove...'

'A tapestry that was better than Athena's in a weaving competition. But it wasn't losing the competition that made Athena mad, it was what the tapestry depicted; the main 12 gods of the Greek pantheon in really unflattering ways.' I finished. I had learned and memorised Greek mythology as well as the mythology of other places in my training, but I'd forgotten them when I went undercover in Sokovia. 'Variations of that would definitely work for spiders, but I honestly can't think of anything for lizards.' Nat nodded

'Anyway, get a good night's sleep. Training starts early tomorrow morning.' Nat proclaimed with a fake strict voice.

'You know Wraiths don't need to sleep, right?' I started walking towards the door we'd stopped in front of as Natalia spluttered for a response. 'It's impossible for Wraiths to fall asleep during the night.' I laughed as I entered the room.

'Goodnight, Aliana.'

'Goodnight, Natalia.' I closed the door and turned around. There was a bed along the right wall that I was never going to use. There was a full length window, most likely so I could come and go as I please via the air. There was a large screen opposite the bed that I stayed far away from. There was shelf next to the window with wads of paper kept together with thin cardboard. I picked one up called "Shadow of the Fox" and opened it to a random page. The smell of crisp parchment wafted up from the pages and I took a deep breath. It reminded me of the scrolls we used for theory in the Inter world. I smiled slightly, and started reading.

I chuckled darkly and closed the book, replacing the book on the shelf. I would have to come back to that. I opened the window and felt Tichu jump off my shoulder. I shifted into my falcon form and joined her.

We both flew back and forth between the compound and the forest. Since the nest I made for Tichu had been destroyed in my fight with the Reaper, we gathered enough for two nests, then headed back. I used my soul fire to soften two of the wrought iron bars on the balcony so Tichu had a place to put her nest. I headed back inside and flew up onto the rafters, finding a place that was big enough for me to curl up comfortably in my Wraith form with my wings unfurled. Once I found a suitable corner, I started to build.

It took me a while, but eventually, I'd finished my nest. I took a few steps back on the beam, made a few adjustments and nodded, pleased with my work. I flew down and grabbed the book I'd picked up earlier, then flew back up to my nest and curled up with on wing covering my body like a blanket and started to read.