The Lordly Ones

-Smashed Birds

Inside a dark cold room, steadily a little bird bravely pushed forward its feet. Each footstep pressed onto the cold glass floor, sending chills rushing up its small frame. But the shudder was exhilarating. It hopped. It's eyes darted. If it could have smiled, its grin would have spread higher than its cheeks. This was adventure! This was living! It's little heart jittered in a leaping beat. Fire burned in its belly. But looking around itself, it shivered. Every wall and every object was made from the same material, a beautiful crystal-like glass which shimmered as the new light of the Dark Forest spilled through the tinted glass that spread like a liquid over the far wall. As it's small eyes took in the glory of the small church it had found, it neared the far wall. Every shard glittered, the little thing was pelted with rainbows, illusions that swam across the floor as the leaves outside swept in the breeze.

It was almost as if the lights breathed. With every intake of breath they swooped up and down, teasing the small bird, brushing its little feet. But it was not alone. Sitting on top of a twisted crystal throne sat a small sleeping girl. With the steady rise of fall of every breath her long black hair bristled slightly as it brushed against her pale face. If it weren't for the rise of her chest and the slight colour of her cheeks the bird would have assumed she was dead. Or perhaps a doll-like contraption that the fey so enjoyed to play with, dancing them around the forest. However, the bird knew that it had to leave now. Her adventure had become dangerous. The little blue bird lowered her head. However whenever she tried to turn away, she couldn't and instead she found herself steadily continuing to edge closer to the back wall. Closer to the doll.

As the bird reached the creature's feet it could now see that she was different. The girl slept soundlessly... Moving close enough to touch her satin slippers it looked closer, past her black hair towards her back.

No wings?

Gently spreading it's own it beat them enough to take off and glide slowly to rest on her shoulder. She was a girl. Just a human girl. Now encouraged by her apparent gentleness it rested its head on top of her hair, between the flowers that had entwined themselves within the shape of her hair.

They glowed blue like the moon flowers that grew nearby. Strange, the bird hadn't thought that the moon flowers would glow so brightly without a source of energy. It wasn't even late. The bird vaguely guessed that the girl may have an aura of energy. However, such a theory didn't fit. The translucent petals wouldn't glow so vividly unless she was

awake?

The bird tuned it's head slowly and immediately met the girl's frosty gray eyes. Now awake, her face looked ageless and odd, the aura the girl had had while sleeping was gone and now her life energy coursed into the bird. Faraflet - one without soul. The timeless deal maker.

The bird cried out and tried to beat its wings but to no avail. The woman's pale hand grasped the blue bird and threw it with a crack onto the cold glass steps of the old church. Then, with a brisk stamp, the bird scattered, staining her slipper and the steps.

For a moment she stood there, her foot stuck to the floor. Then she scrapped the remains of her slipper onto the glass steps where the light reflected the red from wall to wall. With a sigh she smiled and laughed slightly to herself as if she had stopped an idiotic threat to her throne. As if she had swatted aside a great danger with ease. She watched the red from wall to wall and tilted her head.

A creak at the door woke her from the daze and she turned with excitement as a tall man opened the doors to let himself inside. However it soon diminished when she saw what he was holding. The frame of a tall girl.

Caleb, have your hands always been that red?

Have they always dripped like they do now?

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