The tall, ginger locked man, trod lightly across the thick wood planks that made up the floor. He was fair skinned, sea blue eyed, his face was rounder, and splashed in a sea of freckles. His clothes were not that of royals, but of better off peasants. The bright orange locks that danced across his head were laced with reds and yellows, and spiked slightly. Tawny colored feathers danced across his thick, folded, floor length wings.
Ronnilev made haste as he walked towards one of the many rooms in the large cottage, his hands were careful, and evenly moving, quietly opening the thick, wooden door. Inside the room was dark, and musty, yet whiffs of the blooming lilacs filled the room from the open window.
The room itself was small and decorated heavily with parchments and drawings, alongside books and other materials. A large desk sat by the window, whose thick, deep green drapes were closed. And a smaller bed tucked itself off to the side.
A girl, with dark brown hair that burned like fire at the tips, lay on the bed, snoring quietly, her eyes drawn closed. He walked over to her, poking her side, his voice velvety and smooth.
"Aria, wake up." The only response he got was a moan, and her turning her back to him. He huffed, picked her up, and tossed her easily over his broad shoulders. That woke up the protesting teenager.
"Seriously Ron?!" She snapped, voice groggy and unamused.
"You're the girl who refused to get up, Aria." He chortled. Aria, looking much like an agitated parrot, just hung here, annoyed. Ron found himself laughing much harder than he should've, striding in long steps to a double door at the end of the hallway. As the doors swung open, the scenery changed from a thick forest to a cloudy sky and marble pillars.
Arching his shoulders, her threw Aria up into the sky, leaping after her, their wings spreading and soaring.
"You forgot the goggles!" Aria yelped over the rush of wind filling their ears, her hands shielding her eyes.
"You know the way! Just fly!" Ron snorted, sweeping faster and faster towards a cloudy tower in the distance.
"I still don't get how those doors work!" Ariaal squeaked, tumbling into the open courtyard of a much larger castle. "I mean, really! Do they have to always spit us out in random places and not just where we need to go?"
"People would kill to have wings, Aria, and you complain about flying Once a day." He snuffled, landing gracefully. Aria rolled her eyes, fixing her hair and pulling herself up into a standing position.
"Shut up.." She scoffed, striding down the long halls, wings dragging lazily behind her. Ronnilev followed, his wings folded neatly behind him, much unlike his partner.
The two picked their way through long halls and quiet studies, passing others like them. The quiet fluttering of wings, and hushed whispers were all that was heard, as the pair finally reached their position. Atop a spiral tower sat a perch and a weapons rack, thats where Ronnilev took his position, whereas Ariaal settled at the base with a sword and a sharpening rack.
Everyday was the same, they would sit there idle until night fell, then they would go home and sleep and repeat this. But not today.
Fire broke out amongst the clouds, engulfing the tower in near seconds. Ronnilev was the first out, with his bow and quiver, swooping high into the air. Aria followed, her wings a little singed, but still usable. Hell broke loose, and the smell of burning books and the sound of screaming filled the air around them. Ron whimpered, pulling his sister into his arms. "We gotta go." Was the only words out of his mouth before smoke filled their lungs.
The two of them dove frantically away, tearing through the air. Aria looked back to see the burning remains of the Left Cloud District, meeting the fiery eyes of a black figure standing in the rubble. "Who..." She coughed, and blacked out mid flight.