Children of the Wings

Chapter 2

Aliyah eventually realized she was starving.  She took the food off the nightstand and started eating.  She ate most of it before continuing to stare out the window.  Why was she the way she was?  What was she?  What happened to turn her into what people considered a monster?  She eventually stood to go to the bathroom.  She wandered the large upstairs until she found the bathroom, then looked at pictures on the wall.  Falcon and the male that had just come up were in most of them.  The male eventually heard her light footsteps and came upstairs, standing next to her.  Aliyah pointed to him in a picture and looked at him.

"Leo," he said.  "My name's Leo.  I don't believe we've properly met."

She looked at another picture.  A male with brown hair and green eyes was standing next to Leo and Falcon.  She pointed to him.  Leo spoke again.

"That's Aaron.  You'll like him."

Aliyah dropped her arm as Leo looked at her.

"Do you want to go somewhere or get a change of clothes?  My wife seems to be your size."

She looked at him, thinking of what to say, but not wanting to speak.

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Aliyah eventually nodded slightly, looking at the clothes she was wearing. Leo nodded back and gestured to follow.

"So, how were the thousand years? Isolated much?"

Aliyah followed, silently, as she put her galaxy ears down slightly. Leo led her down a couple of halls, letting her stop to look at different pictures until he stopped in front of a door.

"Do you like dark colors or bright colors? My wife is very dull. Mostly grays and beiges, but we can find something you like soon."

Aliyah stepped in as he opened the door and looked at the different options he put on the bed. Different shirts and pants, all varying in shades of grays and tans. She picked out a dark pair of jeans and picked up a close-to-white shirt. Leo led her to the bathroom, where he let her put them on in peace, standing outside the door patiently. When she came out, he started speaking again.

"What do you like to do? Shop? Draw? Paint? Read?"

Leading her to the living room, he let her marvel at the large bookshelf against the wall. Picking up the tv remote, Leo looked at the mounted tv next to the bookshelf and turned it on, sitting on the couch across the way.

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Aliyah hadn't seen this many books in years. The phantoms never really read unless it was about spells. She looked through the different shelves, stopping at an orb. The stand for the orb was made of iron and simple. It has been dulled, having no pattern to shine with anyway. She carefully picked up the glass object, looking at the town enclosed within. It was made of sandstone and wood, simple yet elegant structures filling the town. Some houses looked empty.

Many people were wandering, though completely still, among the man-made dirt roads. They didn't seem to mind the pale sand flying around gently with the wind, all wearing an assortment of masks and clothing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leo quickly stand and take it from her, setting it back on its stand. She continued looking through the shelf, picking up a book that looked interesting, and flipped through it. Deeming it worthy, she leaned in a corner and read, her ear flicking slightly as the front door opened.

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Business with the Alphas what imperative, but it had picked up since The Queen had been turned back to normal. What she would be considered now was unknown, but they'd work on that after. Falcon opened the door after another meeting with the Alphas, looking around. Leo was watching tv, as usual, but The Queen was up and reading in a corner. This was new. She looked at Leo, snapping her fingers to get his attention.