The Roselands

Chapter 20

   Two hours passed and I was getting sick and tired of my wings. The wind was relentless, constantly ripping at musings and flipping me back. I had nearly killed myself twice trying to fly low and flying high just got more wind. That and I was lost. I had no idea where the Zytrey villages were and there was no way for me to tell if the one I found was the one my family lived in.

   I was suddenly thrown head over heels by a strong gust of wind. I tried to recover, but I was exhausted and my wings crumpled pitifully. I managed to stretch them out and slow myself as I struck the branches, but I fell through them until I landed in the strange rotten leaves on the forest floor. A groan passed my lips and I rolled onto my back, shaking my head and pressing my hand to my forehead.

   I was lost in the Roselands, my family was nowhere to be see, and worst of all, the love of my life was probably being raped by the new pompous ruler of this forest. I sighed and rested my head on the ground, feeling the thrumming that seemed to be everywhere in the forest. I still didn't know what it was.

   As I laid there, listening to every noise around me, I suddenly heard something else. Something like music. Like a flute. I sat up and listened closer, tilting my head in every direction to hear it better. It was coming from behind me in the woods. I got up and walked in that direction, stopping to listen every now and then. As I approached, I could make out a certain tune that my mother had told me was a wedding song. She'd hummed it for me and told me it was played when a bride walked down the aisle to her husband. I got closer and as I tilted my head again, I noticed it was coming from above me.

   I looked up, narrowing my eyes. What was up there? And why was there wedding music? I flapped my wings and landed in the upper branches of one of the taller oak trees. I gazed around and then spotted movement. I jumped from tree to tree and soon spotted the same movement. I saw dozens of shifting wings and in the middle was a person wearing a white dress and veil. I looked over the branches to get a better view. I gasped.

   It was a wedding. And at the head of the aisle was Thyte. The woman wearing the white dress got beside him and turned and I saw it was my mother. This was the wedding my mother always wanted. I couldn't interrupt now. I had to wait until it was over. That was what I wanted to do, but the branch I was  leaning on had other plans.

   It snapped and I was sent tumbling back through the branches to end up slamming into a platform. I looked up and noticed I had landed in just about the worst spot I could have ever landed in. I was dead center in the aisle. Every Zytrey in the seats turned and looked at me, along with my parents. Three males from the seats suddenly screeched and dove for me, wrestling me upwards.

   "Zeek?!"

   The men paused as they held me by my arms. I looked up and mother and Thyte were rushing towards me. Thyte gestured the men away and then grabbed my right wing. "Zeek? You have wings?"

   "It's a long story, dad, but I need help."

   He cocked his head and opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly a man came up behind him. "May we have an explanation as to who this young stranger is?"

   Thyte cleared his throat and nodded, turning to the man behind him. "Yes. This is my hybrid son, Zeek. He's friendly. Don't worry. Zeek, this is my brother, Derten."

   I nodded and then bit my lip. "I hate to break up the family reunion, but I need help. I think you've heard of him, but Caldwell Beern has caught my friends. He's gonna rape Sprite."

   Fay gasped. "That girl I saw with you when I visited?"

   I nodded and she grabbed Thyte's arm. "We have to help him."

   Thyte nodded and took her hand. "To do that, we'll have to call the wedding off for a little while."

   "It'll be worth it to stop Caldwell and save Zeek's friends."

   Another man from the seats stood and snarled. "I've been telling you that we need to attack. He's got my wife."

   Men started popping up everywhere, yelling about their stolen women. Thyte whistled and they quieted down, listening to him. "Alright. We attack tomorrow at dawn. Sorry sweetheart. The wedding will have to wait."

   She smiled and rested her head on his chest. "It's alright. Now let's go show Zeek our home. We have time before the attack tomorrow."

   He smiled and nodded, looking at me. "Come on, son. I'll introduce you to the rest of the family."

   He picked mother up in his arms and flew into the air. I flapped up beside him and kept my eyes ahead and away from the eyes of the other Zytrey's. I knew I couldn't fly right, but I didn't want them to stare at me for it. We only went a few hundred yards into the woods before dad dove down and flew through a hole in the tree cover. I tried to dive the same way, but only ended up having to do a wide turn and find the hole again.

   When I flew inside, my breath left me entirely. Around me was a huge town in the tree tops. The branches over top of it were interwoven into a giant ceiling and the bottom branches were woven into streets of bridges and platforms. The other branches had been bent into the walls of houses and shops. I saw dad and mom disappear into one of the houses and I followed them over, trying to land on the porch as lightly as I could. As hard as I tried, I landed as lightly as a waterlogged bear trying to fly with butterfly wings.

   I hit the floor and heard a squeak come from my shirt. I looked down and gasped, getting excited when I saw the red glow in my pocket. "Scarlet!"

   She poked her head out and smiled. "I dimmed my glow so they did not know I was there. Now I must stay hidden. My power is weak here."

   She ducked back down into my pocket and I stood up, walking in. My wings caught on the doorway and I yanked off a couple leaves in the process. Mother walked into a separate section of the house and came back a little later wearing new clothes. Thyte gestured to the small home and smiled. "Welcome to the nest. Until you get married, this will be your home."

   I looked around, taking note of every detail. So this is your house. Not your family's house?"

   He nodded and pointed at mother. "Because of her. I've been living here for only a couple days. Now come here. Let me see your wings."

   I walked over and he grabbed my wings, pulling them to full extension. "Fantastic. It's as if you've always had them. The pinions are perfectly aligned. Handsomely I might add. Wings are an important part of attracting a mate here."

   I glanced at my wings and smiled, feeling as though I was nicely built. The sound of wing beats at the doorway had me turning to look. Three Zytrey's came in at once, two females and Derten. Thyte walked over and smiled, gesturing to the women. "Zeek, this is my mother, Lerpa, and my sister, Viviane. Girls, this is my son, Zeek."

   Viviane, a girl maybe around my age or younger, smiled. "If I wasn't related to him I'd go for him, but I guess it's not meant to be."

   Fay laughed and nodded at me. "He's also already got his eyes on someone else. An adorable little girl from the hybrid lands."

   I blushed and looked away, not wanting anyone to know that yet. Derten nodded and patted Thyte on the shoulder. "Well, I guess we should go attend the meeting. Should Zeek come along?"

   Thyte shook his head. "No. If he came from Caldwell's camp and has never flown before, he's gotta be exhausted. We'll go and if we need him we'll come back for him."

   With that, they dove out of the door and flew into the town.