Hao. The Awakening of the Chosen (Finish)

Chapter 2.2

Luther, after giving orders to each leader, went to speak with Flumen, the emperor of the Feather Kingdom.

— Flumen, I think I'll start with your kingdom; a breath of fresh air will do me good after the journey, don't you think? — Luther asked.

— Of course, a pleasure — affirmed Flumen.

Flumen mounted his griffin, a creature with the head and wings of an eagle but the body of a lion. He encouraged Luther to climb on the front part of the creature, and they quickly ascended toward the winged realm.

— Flumen, do all of your kingdom's residents have a griffin? — Luther asked.

— No, only I and the ministers. The population has birds like eagles or owls; griffins are too precious. — explained Flumen.

— Ah, I see. Thanks — Luther thanked.

White gates appeared on the horizon.

— We're arriving; those gates are the only way to enter or exit the realm without a flying creature. My castle is to the right; that's where we're headed. — explained Flumen.

As they flew over the houses, Luther noticed that the population's birds had very varied colors and might even be larger than usual. Their houses mostly had the same design and colors: white houses with pink doors and a stable almost larger than the house situated on top, where the birds were fed, groomed, and slept.

Upon glimpsing the palace, Luther was surprised at how dirty it was, with many stains that could be animal excretions.

— The palace looks amazing, but what are those stains around it? — Luther asked, puzzled.

— Lately, there are many troublemakers in the kingdom who collect their birds' droppings and come at night to throw them against the palace. We're trying to find out who's responsible. — Flumen said, annoyed.

— Still, the beauty of the palace remains intact. I have a question: Why are all the houses white and pink? And what about the red-colored houses? — Luther asked.

— In my kingdom, we like order. That's why we want each type of person to have a house of a different color, distinguishing the population. White is for exemplary people, yellow is for those who have had some run-ins with the law, and red is for criminals. The color helps us with patrolling. — affirmed Flumen.

— How curious — Luther said, surprised by the efficiency.

Flumen and Luther landed at the main gate of the palace. From below, the colossal dimensions of the building could be seen, all in white with pink roofs, and a five-meter-high door welcomed them. At the main entrance, a group of soldiers and servants on both sides of a feathered carpet welcomed Flumen and Luther. The soldiers wore black armor with blue shoulder pads and helmets. The helmet covered the entire head but had a light blue visor where, in some cases, there was text, graphics...

A servant with a scroll in hand approached Flumen.

— Welcome, sir. Here I bring you today's report along with the damage report. — said the servant.

— Good, thanks, Sebastian. Let's see what we have today: lunch in the third dining hall and an emergency meeting at eight with the council of ministers. Perfect, Luther, come with me; I'll show you the palace. — invited Flumen.

— Perfect, it'll be a pleasure — affirmed Luther.

Flumen explained that the feathers making up the carpet were from griffin chicks, very exclusive and extremely valuable. After passing the feathered carpet, the palace doors opened slowly. Luther could see several considerable-sized silver lamps hanging from the dome's ceiling in the reception.

— The palace consists of two gardens, three dining halls, a reception, where we are now, two kitchens, three dungeons depending on the security level, and thirty bedrooms, plus a living room. — explained Flumen.

— Impressive, it seemed smaller from the sky, but only the reception is immense and beautiful. — said Luther, amazed.

Flumen guided him through the entire palace, ending in the dining hall where they were served lunch. After finishing eating, Flumen bid farewell to Luther since he had an emergency meeting and had to attend. Luther insisted on attending the meeting, and Flumen finally agreed.