Wings

The Second Part

Sunlight shone in through a small window, and danced across the little girls eyelids. Opening her eyes, a smile lit up her face and she sat up quickly, looking about her room. Sitting up straight she stretched out her wings. Yes wings. Big, beautiful, snow white wings.

Folding them neatly behind her back, she bounced up from the bed. Racing across the room, her long dark hair flying behind her, she ran past a stained glass window that was set deep into the bluestone wall. It depicted a haughty looking woman, holding a large sword to the throat of a kneeling man, his eyes sewn shut and his skin painted in red. His hands and feet were bound by thorns and a red rose was growing out of his open mouth. The thorns had cut into his flesh and his blood ran into puddles on the ground that reflected the heavens above, with holy faces peering down upon them.

The girl had come to stand in front of a large oak wardrobe, inlaid with gold in the ornate grooves. Before she could pull the doors open, there was a knock on the bedroom door before sit opened to reveal a tall but slender lady with fiery red hair.

"Good morning, Peregrine." she said to the girl with a kindly, " I trust you slept well?". She walked over to the small window and looked out.

"I'm fine Carissimi," said Peregrine, "And you know I would like you to call me Peri. I did have a weird dream last night though." She pulled a long, basic dress, patterned all over with gold and silver embroidery, from the wardrobe and crossed the room again to lay it onto the bed.

"What type of dream was this?" asked Carrisimi curiously. Peregrine withdrew behind a screen to change before answering.

"I'm not sure exactly what it meant," she began, "but there was lots of black feathers everywhere. Could they have been my feathers?" Peregrine came out from behind the screen and stood next to Carissimi. Peregrine looked up into her face, her wavy black hair falling about her shoulders waves. She unfolded one of her wings and brought it in front of her and absentmindedly began to stroke it.

"They couldn't have been your wings, Peri." said Carissimi gently, "Your wings are pure white, the colour of freshly fallen snow, the feathers you dreamed were black. Black from sin, no doubt. No, your wings aren't black, and they never will be." The way Carissimi finished this statement seemed, strange to Peregrine, possessive almost. Peregrine crossed to room and sat down in front of her dressing table. Carissimi came up next to her and, using a silver comb she had picked up from the table, began to comb Peregrines hair. Her hair was long and it took a fair while, but you didn't come here to hear about hair brushing and things like that. She then plaited it into a thick plait that ran all the way down Peri's back to her waist. Giving Peri's shoulder a final pat she turned and walked lightly out of the room.

Before she left she turned and said "Remember, Peri. Today is your initiation. It may seem hard and scary, but it is in the best interests of the covenant and your future, no matter what happens you must always remember that." With those final words, Carissimi left the room completely.

Walking down the corridor, Carissimi checked that Peri had not followed her, before turning first left, into a side corridor, then left again, then right. Finally she reached a dead end, the end wall covered in a thick curtain. Gently sweeping aside the curtain Carissimi reached behind and pressed her hand gently against face of the Virgin Mary in a painting behind the curtain. Pulling back her hand, she stood back as the entire wall slid to the left, to reveal a large, lavishly furnished room. It had no windows. Carissimi walked in and sat down onto a plushly upholstered armchair. Before long she was joined by several other people.

Once the all the seats were full, Carissimi stood up and faced the room.

"The child is ready. Today will be the first test. The Test of Durability. If she can withstand the emotional and physical pressure, she shall be deemed worthy to aid in our most Holy Quest, passed down to us from our ancestors, who received it from Phlaren Himself." Carissimi paused here, waiting to see if anyone would object. When they didn't she continued. "Brother Lial, have you acquired the suitable candidate upon which to conduct this experiment?" A man in grey robes rose from the midst of people.

"Yes, Your Holiness, all is in readiness for your preparations." he then settled himself back onto his chair. 

"There is to be no feebleness in this task. All actions must happen quickly and concisely. Now go and carry out your final duties, and I shall fetch the child."