Dark Days

Chapter 9

                Before long, night fall had overtaken the human village. Lanterns were lit and hung on porches and in rooms in every cottage. I wasn’t long before footsteps could be heard approaching Kaitos’s cottage. The group just stared at the door, waiting for their kick out sentence. Instead of loud commanding bangs, a gentle knock came through. Confused, Kaitos got to his feet, and wandered over to the door, gazing through the peep hole.

                “It’s Melody,” he murmured to everyone before opening the door.

                “Kaitos,” she smiled sweetly, “I’m glad I caught you before they forced you to leave.”

                “It won’t be long,” Malelia sighed, “I wish we could stay longer for Miyuki’s sake.”

                “Sorry to butt in, but I’m curious,” Miyuki said suddenly, “why are you so willing to trust us?”

                “It’s actually a rather long story…” Melody said quietly.

                “Well entertain us until we’re sent to the skies,” Ritsu smiled at her.

                Melody closed the door behind her before sitting down on the bed beside Malelia. Everybody just stared at her with curiosity, wondering what her story was going to be. She smiled sweetly and took a huge breath.

                “Well, the reason I trust the Ralquid, is because I’m part Ralquid,” she said softly. We were all shocked by the statement, but no one more than Kaitos.

                “Wait,” he whispered, “You’re a Ralquid?”

                “Not entirely…” she said looking at the ground, “My grandfather was a Ralquid, my grandmother was human, and their son, showed some powers of the Ralquid, like being able to transform and use elemental magic, but no wings.”

                “He was your father,” Miyuki spoke up, “but that was frowned upon by the humans. They never allowed for a cross willingly…”

                “Exactly, leading me to the reason I came here,” she said folding one hand over the other nervously, “the night Hafed almost escaped, was the night my father was meant to go and help out. The humans are right, they did send someone, but they also stopped him.”

Kaitos sat down beside her and put his wing around her as she began to sob. No one was real sure exactly what she was about to say, but it was pretty clear what happened. Someone found out about her grandparents, killed them, and then killed him.

“Not to stir up horrible memories,” Makka whispered softly, “but how are you alive then? Wouldn’t they have come after you too?”

“Mom hid me on her side of the family…” she sobbed, “and when she tried to tell people what happened, those men who killed my father killed her! Said she was a Half-Breed and deserved to die! My father’s disappearance is considered a mystery…” she trailed off.

The group just looked at her sympathetically. The poor girl had been through so much torment, and she was the only one that knew the actual truth. Eventually, Malelia stood up and walked over to hug her. It wasn’t long until everyone had a wing or an arm around the poor girl. It wasn’t long before loud bangs interrupted them. They all looked at Melody, knowing she would be ridiculed and possibly imprisoned for hanging around them.

“Melody,” Hakan whispered intensely, “do you have the same powers as your father?”

“Of course,” she whispered with little hesitation, “I can turn into a Swift.”