The Black Wings

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

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Sleep comes rather quickly to me to my surprise. I suppose I should sleep on the ground more often if this is the case. I start to float in the blank whiteness again and prepare for a fight against the red winged sage.

Fortunately, I'm greeted by an explosion of black and see Inika standing before me.

In respect I place my right arm over my heart and bow on one knee. She motions for me to rise.

"I am delighted that you have found your way to the black wings. I've seen your struggles and formally apologize on behalf on my people." She apologizes to me in a serious manor.

"Your people confuse me. They stand for peace but when I try to help them in terms of being good, I'm ostracized and ridiculed. I want to help them but my efforts are shunned." I try to figure a solution to her.

Inkia's green eyes glance downwards into the abyss of whiteness. "The only way to defeat the red winged king is by using violence. I may influence my people but ultimately, it is in their will."

"But you can still call onto them for an attack right?" I persist.

"I've attempted to persuade them into using more force for protection. Even as a sage most of my calls were unanswered."

These black wings are stubborn children, I think to myself. They don't fight back and never listen.

"Please don't compare my people to children." Inika slightly scolds, reading my thoughts.

I hang my head low in embarrassment. "Sorry, it's just what I believe Inika."

"I know you want to fight badly. There were other problems before the red winged king changed his tribe. There was a fight to be won so I blessed a sword and gave it to the black winged spirit at the time. I was lucky to retrieve it from his dead body before it was taken away." Inika informs me in a quiet voice while closing her eyes.

She floats towards me. "I'm tired Ace. The realm and the temple of the black wings is sacred. My people are killed in the worst ways. We can only achieve peace after a war."

I watch as her hands grab my wrists and black vines crawl over us. It stops at her hands but continues up my arms, all the way to the sides of my face, causing my claustrophobia to break through.

Her golden eyes peers over me and she lets go, breaking the vines. Relief floods over me.

"You are a pure spirit, the true red wing. I will allow you to wield this for the time being. Use it wisely Ace."

Before I can speak, Inika raises her arms over her head and a blinding light makes me shield my eyes. The warmth of the light burns my skin lightly like a sunburn.

When I lose the sensation, I take away my arm and blink in focus.

Inika's hair is over her face and it blows with no wind. She holds in her hands a sword to which I've never seen before.

The blade is a polished sliver, this hilt is black and the rest is a mix of black and white. I see details of notes craved into the handle.

The sage's seal is on the lower right side of the blade.

She speaks words which I can't understand and hands the sword to me and as I grip the handle, I instantly feel a power surge through me. Inika's smile breaks through her hair and she fades away.

I wake up to early morning with the sun almost rising. I stand up but hear the clatter of something just next to me.

Down in the dirt is the sword of the sages along with a well crafted sheath.