Waiting To Take Flight

Chapter 1 (Part 3)

CHAPTER 3

                  Ailín ran through the hole with Alastar following closely behind him, “It’s about time I’ve been flying nonstop for two days, got blasted across the sky, and punched in the nose! I need a break!”

                  Áron sauntered over to me, picked my up, and carried me bridal style through the hole in the cave wall that led to a new world. Everything in my body was telling me this was Paradise, my mother’s home, as I took in the setting before me because no place on Earth or anywhere else could be as beautiful as the landscape before me. We were standing on in the middle of a shallow stream on top of a large stone. We were on high grounds, allowing me to see where the heavens touched the ground.

                  A collection of trees colored purple, blue green, orange, yellow, and red created a multicolored forest that stretched out as far my eyes could see. I could here the pounding of water against rock. I looked down and my eyes fell upon the water surrounding us that flowed rapidly off the edge of the cliff, disappearing from my sight. The water was a clear blue. I could see fish adorned in silver and gold scales swim gracefully seemingly unaffected by the fast current of the water. Light glistened off the scales of the fish. I turned my head towards the sky and instead of seeing the expected blue I was met with a pale yellow color and he star illuminating the sky was a vibrant orange.

                  “It’s beautiful,” I whispered, afraid that if I spoke any louder I would disturb the serenity of everything.

                  “Yeah,” Áron agreed, appearing awestruck. I gazed up at him. A genuine smile graced his lips making him look all the more handsome.

                  He cleared his throat and the smile wiped off his face as soon as he caught me staring and glared at me. I rolled my eyes and looked away. I could here the buzz of his wings as they began to flap. He charged forward following the stream and as we reached the edge of the cliff he dived. Drops of water splashed against my cheeks as we plunged downward along the side of the waterfall. A rush jolted through me as the ground grew closer and closer. At the last moment he straightened and we were parallel to the ground. Áron landed gracefully. My heart was thumping wildly in my chest and adrenaline ran throughout my body.

                  We approached Alastar and Ailín who were resting peacefully in the shade of the tall trees in a clearing in the forest. Áron sat me against a tree, whipped a knife out of his pant pocket and cut the binds around my wrists. They were covered in cuts and dry blood. I didn’t fight him as he tied a different rope around my torso securing my body to the tree. There was no point in fighting anymore. When he was finished he walked over and joined the two brothers underneath of a tree and shut his eyes. A wave of exhaustion washed over me, begging me to close my eyes and sleep and I willingly complied.

~*~

                  Shouting voices awakened me. My eyes fluttered open and the sight of Ailín, Alastar, and Áron stumbling over each other while marching around a fire greeted me. I could smell the strong pungent odor of alcohol and vomit and instantly knew what the trio of souls had been up to. I ignored their babbling chants and looked up at the stars. I gazed adoringly at Paradise’s night sky. Stars were splattered across the dark violet sky and four moons shined there light down on the planet. This was the sky my mother used to gaze up at. How could see have left such beauty behind?

One moon was the color of molten lava; the second the color of a radiant emerald, the third was a deep ocean blue, and the final one was as silver as my left wing. “We will rest here tonight. Then continue our journey to Concordia,” I heard Áron announce, his voice slurred. At the mention of Concordia, I recalled it as the state my mother said she was from, “We will return the princess,” Áron pointed at me, “to her father to be rightfully punished for her crimes. Then we will continue on with our next assignment.” Áron clumsily sat down and began whistling a tune.