Xelqua Rising || The Lost One AU

25.Wings

A/N:

Hey guys. Since the last time I posted a chapter, I had a family emergency.  In my grief, I felt an overwhelming sense of apathy for everything else other than the situation, and I knew that writing would be a bad idea because of it. Once I was ready to write again, I decided to skip ahead to what I suspect will be the saddest chapter(s?) of the book and write that instead. This part of the fic doesn't have much angst I don't think, but boy did I just need to write something that was nothing short of devastating. The chapter(s?) are a very far ways out yet; I'll be sure to point them out when it finally gets time to publish it. Even though I love writing, I'll probably post slower still; there's been a lot going on with my family and I don't see that changing any time soon. ANYWAY, enough of me talking. Enjoy the chapter.

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"You seemed to enjoy yourself." Miesall noted. "Does that mean that you are feeling better?"

Xelqua paused. He did indeed feel better emotionally. However, it felt wrong to say that he was 'feeling better' after such a short time, like his friends' deaths were just a sickness that just needed to run its course and then be over with; forgotten even. "I'm not done mourning, but yes." He replied, trying not to grit his teeth. Miesall noticed this. 

"I did not mean to offend you. I have never experienced death before; from one of my own, I mean." He replied, frowning. It was his way of apologizing, though he did not say it outright. None of the Watchers ever would mutter the phrase 'sorry' for any reason. 

Xelqua did not respond, though he appreciated the words that had been said. He understood that it would be hard for Miesall to comprehend a death that stung so deeply when all he saw were strangers dying, being desensitized to it since before he could remember. That didn't mean that the words he had said before it hurt any less, however.

 Miesall used his magic to open the door to the all-too-familiar lecture hall, allowing the two to access it. Xelqua found himself automatically sitting on the chair he always had as Miesall stood in the center of the room, a routine they had perfected by now.

"As I have stated before, in this group of lessons, you will learn how to fly." Miesall said. He raised his finger, letting magic ebb off of it. He directed the magic to a marker, which then began to write down "-fly.' "You will also learn how to use magic, brew potions, perform ceremonies and do other duties. On top of this, you will also study more of The Book of Vision," Miesall explained. Xelqua nodded along as the floating marker finished writing the complete list on the board. He had thought that learning Language was difficult and time consuming, but this sounded so much more so.

"How long is this going to take?" He asked slowly, knowing full well time was not really a concept here.

"Hmmm..." Miesall thought, appearing to stare at the board. "Not sure. We've never converted someone before. It took me about a millennium to get a decent grasp at it."

"A-a thousand years?! I don't want to be stuck learning that long!"

"That being said, I was a child. You can't teach a two-hundred year old much."

"That goes for both humans and Watchers, I suppose." Xelqua chuckled, though his comment was ignored by the other.

"I propose that we begin with flight, since it is one of the first things Watchers learn." Miesall said, flapping his wings to show them off.

Xelqua lifted his arms, hoping that his wings would follow. They sort of did, opening up a little. "I don't even really know how to move them," he admitted.

"You have spent so much of your conscious time without them, how would you possibly know?" Miesall pointed out as the blonde put his arms back down. "You are a newborn Watcher. Not just because you have just risen, but because like a child, you are not cultured in our ways, for the most part, that is. No one expects a child to act perfectly in accordance to rules and understand everything." Miesall turned around now. "I will try to teach you how to move your wings. It comes naturally to me, however, so it will be hard for me to teach you." 

"What do you plan on doing?" Xelqua asked.

"Come here and turn around once. I do not know if it will work, but I want to try something." Miesall said, Xelqua quickly complying, standing next to the other, facing the other way. Miesall reached out and took ahold of Xelqua's largest wings, gently running his hands along the arches of them. The smaller one was surprised just how sensitive they were, and he shivered at the very touch. He hesitated, noticing this, before continuing, repeating the motion over and over. His hands began to glow, allowing additional magic to course through Xelqua's wings, a familiar buzz starting at his wings and seeping through his body, quickly fading out from the touch.

"What are you doing..?" He asked, but the curly-haired Watcher was focusing too hard to realize that he had been asked a question. He began to lift his hands away from the smaller male, though continuing to feed magic into his wings. The wings began to slowly follow, opening themselves up. It was an odd feeling, but a welcome one. It was as if his body was stretching in a way it never had before. He couldn't help but watch in awe. Miesall continued, but then the wings stopped. They had only opened a few centimeters, but it was far more than the Watcher had opened them before. Miesall held his hands in the same place, his fingers beginning to twitch as he bit his lip. Then he gave up, putting his hands at his sides and allowing the wings to fall. He stayed silent.

"You opened my wings," Xelqua said after a minute, cutting into the silence. "Why?"

The other moved around him to face him. "I wanted to see if I could help you move your joints. I thought maybe that way, you could learn how to move those muscles faster. I've seen humans do similar things before. They call it therapy."

"So the idea is that you help me move it so it's easier?" He asked, to which Miesall nodded.

"Let us try it again, but this time, try to open them with me." Miesall instructed, placing his hands on Xelqua's wings and rubbing them once more. His hands began to glow, sending magic through the wings. Xelqua tried to focus on the nerves in the wings, trying to spread them out. He found himself stretching his arms in hopes that would help. It was quickly becoming almost painful, the amount of energy he was trying to put into his wings, trying to get them to move even a little. As Miesall's hands slipped away just a little, the wings moved out just a little thanks to the effort put in between the two of them. Xelqua was almost panting now, quickly becoming tired by the effort that he had put in. As the hands, trembling now from the sheer magical force they were exhibiting, drew back, the wings continued to spread outwards. Xelqua began to feel light headed as the wings opened up a few inches. It was almost as if they both had hit a wall, neither of them able to surpass it. Miesall's entire frame was shaking considerably now, his feet planted tightly against the floor. Xelqua wasn't much different, pain shooting through his wings and now entering other parts of his body, forehead dripping with sweat as he trembled where he stood. He couldn't help but let out a cry, causing Miesall to stop, the wings quickly shutting closed.

They both hobbled over to the desks, leaning on them as their regained their strength. It went without saying that they both had overdone it.

"I will observe this technique more thoroughly and possibly look for alternatives," Miesall breathed, standing up now as he felt his magic actively being restored. Grian mimicked him, standing up as well as he nodded. 

"Please do," He agreed. He played with his robes a little as if to wipe the sweat away, although his magic cleaned them properly. He still did not understand how he did this, but yet he apparently had. 

"Until I am satisfied with my watching, let us study more of the Book of Vision instead." Miesall said, having had fully regained he composure now. And so, the two had another familiar session of lessons like they had done before, a century ago.