Of Heaven And Life

Face To Face With Glory

Arthur crept around the streets of Siaka. Under the shadows of the towering stone townhouses, he had made his refuge for a few days. He had lived on the streets of a thousand cities for as long as he could remember without it hurting, and in this fact, he found solace. He was the king of the streets, a dreaded pickpocket who could pickpocket anyone from a lowly child to a military-trained Imperial Guard.

His eager hazel eyes scanned about, locking on to a potential target. An elderly goat lady heading towards the Imperial Library. Arthur crept from alley to alley, taking cover from the sight of those on the street. He hid behind carts of radishes and boxes of trinkets, his nimble feet carrying his lithe, peacock form elegantly and silently.

He rarely ever ventured out into the open. More often than not, his back was against a wall to prevent anyone from sneaking up behind him. However, as he advanced towards the goat woman, he found himself under the blazing sun over Siaka, in full view. The few times he was in the open, he knew how to walk, talk and move like an ordinary pauper.

He innocently followed her in, but he couldn't help but admire the grandeur of the Imperial Library. Twenty years ago, the entirety of Shennam had been ravaged by a war that was said to have split the heavens from the earth. Here, in Siaka, more bombs and cannons were dropped and fired than the rest of the war combined. Yet, you would not have guessed that a war had ever happened.

The Imperial Library was a testament to the Empire's growing knowledge. Before the War of 1404, Shennam had been a tiny kingdom with a few far-off dominions. Now, it was an economic powerhouse.

Though the arts of painting and poetry were drastically affected, songwriting and literature flourished. As Arthur continued to stalk behind the old goat, he couldn't help but admire the library's palatial interior.

"Ahem..." Arthur heard to his left. His head pivoted round, his eyes locking onto a white peacock with elegant grey trims on his feathers. His robes were elegant, sleek and neatly made. His feathers were well groomed, the preening oil smelling slightly of lavender and lotus flowers. This peacock, whoever he was, was clearly one of high standing.

The peacock had clearly just cleared a hunk of phlegm from his throat, involuntarily attracting Arthur's attention. As Arthur examined him he noticed the book in his hands, and that this aristocratic peacock was deeply engrossed within it.

"Hey, uhh... ...what are you reading? You seem too focused on that." Arthur asked. He didn't often speak to those other than his fellow street-dwellers, but he felt intrigued by the mysterious white peacock's presence enough to enquire. He wanted to know what it was like to see the world from behind an aristocrat's eyes.

The peacock's eyes fluttered away from his book, and he looked up at Arthur, his golden irises glinting in the library's soft light. "Oh, sorry. I was rather... ...invested. I've made some interesting discoveries regarding leucism, and am just jotting them down." He cocked his head, yet his expression remained friendly and inviting.

"Does it bother you if I join you in that..? It looks interesting." Arthur replied, studying the wiser peacock's face.

"Not at all! I'd be happy to show you." The peacock says, turning the book over, revealing it to be an extended and elaborate treatise on the differences between albinism and leucism. He invites Arthur to sit with him, and in response, Arthur walks towards him and sits on the bench.

"You see, there is a black, ink like substance..." The peacock went on to describe melanin and its various appearances, using words that hardly any of Shennam's greatest minds could fathom.

After a little, Arthur opened his beak to reply, his gentle, foreign accent rolling off his tongue. "I wonder... ...why are you writing about Leucism? What's so interesting in a disease..?"