Pinkshuchan: Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I have been really busy with stuff. Like I said last chapter, this chapter is going to introduce more members of the other winged clans. And before you ask, don't worry; it's not much longer until Kai and Aichi meet. Enjoy!
Chapter 3
The Other Clans
A lot happened as soon as Aichi returned to the palace. He was greeted with cries of relief by all the servants and the knights that stayed behind while the team led by Misaki searched the entire valley for their dear prince. Aichi, feeling a little tense and uncomfortable as they pushed their concern of him towards him, could only smile the best he could and assure them that he was perfectly fine as they surrounded him in the courtyard, but it wasn't enough to calm them down.
Shingo gave an alarming clap to get everyone's attention. "Yes, yes, His Highness is safe, but please do not forget that you all have your duties to return to. Back to work, everyone!"
Afraid to feel the wrath of the royal advisor, everyone with the exceptions of Aichi, Misaki, Naoki, and Shingo himself left the courtyard and went back to do their jobs. There was only silence in the air.
It didn't last long though.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!"
The next thing Aichi knew was that Shingo was now on his knees in tears, gripping the young prince's hand. And to think that he was one of the few who kept his cool after his reappearance before this point. He was no doubt trying to keep his image in front of the other servants. Now that only a select few were here, he could let everything out.
"I'm so glad that you're safe, Your Highness!" the advisor sniffled, "I was worried that since someone fell asleep during guard duty," He briefly glared at Naoki, who in turn glared at him, before returning his attention back to the prince, "That you would've been in grave danger."
Aichi chuckled sheepishly at 'grave danger'. He looked over at Misaki, who had just been standing there with her arms crossed in silence. Before they met up with the other knights, the lilac haired knight promised the prince that she would keep the fact that they were almost killed by the red dragon a secret so as to not worry the kingdom any more than necessary, provided that the latter not mention anything of the forest or what lied beyond it. It was already bad that Aichi left the palace without an escort, but if anyone were to learn that he also left the boundaries he was to stay in and went exploring in some dangerous unknown territory, no doubt he would not be allowed to leave the palace again unless for special purposes. And Misaki knew how much it would sadden the prince if he were to be rid of the freedom to fly like a bird in a cage.
And so she would do anything to keep the prince's happiness, though she also had her duty as the captain of the knights of the Gold Winged Clan. Her loyalty to one or the other would depend on Aichi's own decision. But she knew by his personality that he would never back down on his own word. As far as they knew, this was their own little secret.
Naoki growled. "Geez, Glasses Boy, how long are you gonna keep that grudge? Nothing happened; the prince is safe, so why is it such a big deal? And okay, I damaged one of the flowerbeds, but where else can I nap?"
Shingo got up and turned towards the auburn haired knight. "How much of an imbecile are you?!" he exclaimed, "I can't help but wonder how you function! Yes, His Highness is safe, but he could have gotten hurt! And may I add that the money used to pay for the damage of the flowerbeds comes out of how much food you'll get on your plate every night?!"
"Okay, okay! I get it!" Naoki tried to defend himself, "I'm sorry! I'm the one to blame for what happened!"
"No!"
Both the royal advisor and the knight turned their attention to the prince. "It's not your fault, Naoki. It's mine. I made the rash decision to go off on my own and I'm the one to blame for any dangers I may have gotten myself into out there. This would've probably still happened no matter what you would've done."
"Your Highness…"
"Also, if you're really concerned on where to nap, I'm surprised you don't use the grass. There's a lot of it and it's a lot softer than it looks. I sometimes like to nap on it myself."
Naoki scratched his head. "You know, I tried that but sometimes I worry that any time the grass isn't cut yet that it may tickle my nose and-!"
"Enough of this conversation about naps!" Shingo interrupted in a shrill tone, "A knight must always be well aware of their surroundings so they can protect the royal family so they shouldn't be asleep on the job! And Your Highness, please don't encourage this idiot's lazy habits!"
Aichi gave another sheepish grin. Obviously his attempt to try to lighten the situation and make everyone feel better after everything that has happened failed.
Misaki cleared her throat, alerting all three boys that she was still there. "I hate to interrupt but Your Highness; I'm sure your mother would like to see you in the audience chamber. She must be waiting for you this very moment."
The young prince nodded. He knew it would be bad to delay meeting her any longer, not because she was a terrible person that gets angered very easily because quite the contrary; she was probably one of the nicest people that Aichi knew. But he felt like it would be rude to keep her waiting another minute. With the captain behind him, he made his way into the palace and to the audience chamber.
The audience chamber was a sight to behold. A giant room with white walls and blue floors with a long golden carpet that reached from the door to the back of the room, which had eight steps of stairs leading up to three white and gold thrones in front of big, glass windows. Azure banners with a golden unicorn hung on the walls on both sides of thrones. Aichi walked forward towards the thrones where someone was already sitting.
Sitting there in the middle throne was a beautiful woman in a long sleeved emerald gown with white lace. A golden crown embodied with diamonds and sapphires rested on long, braided teal hair. Like all the others in the Gold Winged Clan, she had beautiful golden wings, giving her a more radiant appeal. There was a strong aura of kindness around her, but there was also a strong sense of authority. As soon as they reached the thrones, Aichi and Misaki both went down on one knee and bowed before the woman, for she was the ruler of the Gold Winged Clan and Aichi's mother, Queen Shizuka.
"Hello Mother," Aichi greeted her, "You… wanted to see me?"
Shizuka rose up from her throne. Her expression upon seeing her son was a combination of relief and concern. She gave him a small, gentle melancholic smile.
"Aichi," she spoke up; her voice soothing to listen to, "I'm so glad you are alright. You don't know how worried I was when I heard from Captain Misaki that you had gone missing."
"You didn't need to worry, Mother," the young prince assured her, "I always make sure I'm careful when I'm off flying around."
"Well, even so…"
"AIIICHIII!"
Before he was able to realize who it was calling him, a pink and gold flash swooped down in front of him; another pair of cerulean hues eye to eye to his own. Floating before him was a young girl dressed in a pink and white gown and a gold tiara resting on her shoulder length golden brown hair. Her gold wings were flapping to keep her at eye level with the young prince in front of her. Aichi knew very well who she was and knew the trouble he was in now that she was here.
"Aichi, do you know how worried everyone was about you?!" the girl began to scold him; not letting the boy leave her sight as she worded her thoughts, "You can't just leave the palace like that! What if something happened to you while you were out there?! You know that despite how peaceful everything looks, the Void could attack at any moment. That's something every clan in the Cloudlands knows! And to make matters worse, you left the palace on your own and unarmed. You don't know what could happen to you out there, so you need to always carry something to defend yourself-!"
"Emi! Calm down!" Aichi tried to get his words across, "Everything's fine. I'm sorry that I had worried you."
The young girl, Emi, continued to glare at him before letting out a sigh as she lowered herself back to the ground. "Honestly! You can't keep doing this. You're supposed to be the next king, right? You need to act more responsibly!"
"Alright, Emi," Shizuka spoke up, "I think you've made your point. You can stop now."
Emi looked over at the queen. "But Mother, we can't take this lightly! Aichi needs to be reminded to take care of himself better!"
The older woman nodded. "Yes, I know. And I thank you for saying what needs to be said. However, I would like to talk to your brother alone if that is alright with you."
The younger girl lowered her head. "I understand, Mother."
With all said and done, Shizuka looked over at Misaki, who had been standing there in silence while the entire scene had been happening, and requested that she escort Emi back to her room. The captain gave a bow before leading the princess out of the audience chamber, leaving only the queen and her son alone.
Aichi felt tense. As was mentioned before, his mother was not one who would get angry very easily. In fact, he didn't even remember the last time he had ever seen his mother get angry. Even so, just being alone with her was rather nerve wracking. He had felt better when Misaki was there with him, but he figured that even if Emi hadn't shown up his mother would ask the female knight to leave them to talk in private. He could feel his body trembling as he tried to avoid eye contact with the older woman, his eyes focusing on the blue marble floor glimmering under the sunlight reflecting from the windows.
Shizuka looked over at her son and smiled. "Well, Emi pretty much got the scolding out of the way." She let out a soft chuckle.
The young prince stiffened as soon as he heard his mother's voice and simply gave a slight nod. The queen could see how uncomfortable he looked in front of her. She glided down from the risen platform and walked past the young male, gesturing him to follow her. She figured that a change of scenery could help relax him as they talk.
Aichi followed Shizuka out of the audience chamber and through the halls until they reached their destination; a beautiful wide open indoor garden with a high up glass ceiling to provide light for the flora and fauna that grew within these walls. On one side of the garden was a sparkling pond with a waterfall and a river flowing towards it and a variety of different coloured water lilies. A sweet, calming scent so thick you could almost taste it wafted through the air. They crossed the bridge over the river towards the middle of the garden where a small table and four chairs stood.
"You know, Aichi," Shizuka broke the silence, "You don't know how much it makes me happy to watch as you grow within your sixteen years of life. It seems like it was only yesterday when you were just a shy, little boy; a tiny bud that found it hard to open up, especially around other people. But now, you have blossomed into a confident young man who may shrink back into his shell every now and then, but is not afraid to speak his mind and do what he believes is right. I'm very proud of you.
"However, at the same time, I worry about you. While you have grown more confident, it seems you've also grown reckless. I don't know what it is that has made you become like this and I don't wish to change you, but I'm frightened of what could happen if you keep up like this; frightened that one day you'll disappear and never come back to us. And it does not ease me knowing that there was a time when something like that almost happened to you."
Shizuka walked over to some of the pink roses with purple tips and let out a sullen sigh. "We have already lost so many people to the Void. We've had knights and innocent bystanders of different wing colour fall before the Void's power. Even… our past rulers have fallen."
Aichi could feel a lump in his throat upon the words 'Even our past rulers have fallen'. While he knew of all of the rulers she was talking about, there was one in particular she was thinking about. He lowered his head, wishing to rid those sorrowful and despairing thoughts from his mind. The queen, however, was in worst shape than him. She was trembling from her own words, trying hard to push back the tears that were determined to make their way out.
She was barely able to regain her composure when she turned back to her son. "Please tell me just one thing, Aichi; what is it that drives you like this, the thing that you are willing to risk your life for?"
The young prince looked away and began to walk around himself as he began to think. "To be honest… I don't know. But my heart is telling me something; telling me that something is wrong, that a piece of the Cloudlands is missing, an important piece that may be the key for ridding us of the Void once and for all. And because of this, there are so many questions; questions that make me wonder if things are really what they are or if they're supposed to be something else. I can't just sit by idly in a comfy palace while these questions torment me for the rest of my life. These questions can't be answered as long as I'm cooped up within these walls. I have to spread my wings and fly. I have to learn this hidden truth… no matter what."
Shizuka could only just stare at her son in awe from his words. She could see the aura of leadership radiating around him. It was the same kind of aura he had when he was still alive. The teal haired woman walked over to the young boy so she was beside him and smiled at him.
"Well," she began once again; "I need to get ready for the half annual clan leader meeting."
"Isn't it tomorrow?" Aichi asked.
"Yes," the queen nodded, "But we must be ready tonight if we are to make it in time, since the meeting destination is far away from here." She began to walk around. "You are sixteen years old now and you are the next in line to inherit the throne should something happen to me; why don't you accompany me to the meeting?"
The young prince stared at his mother; surprise clearly evident by his expression. "You want me to come with you?"
"You can refuse if you wish."
"No! I want to!" Aichi figured that going to this meeting might answer some of the questions he needed the answers to. Besides, he had always wanted to meet the current leaders of the other clans. He had heard many great things about them. Learning all of their accomplishments made him feel self-conscious of himself; like questioning if he had what it took to reach those same expectations. But this never bothered Aichi too much, for even if he couldn't make the same kind of accomplishments, if he could at least do this one thing and find out that 'truth' he was looking for, then that would be enough.
With everything settled, Aichi went back to his room to get ready to leave. He had to change his attire into something more appropriate since the clothes he was already wearing were covered in dirt, dust, and ash after everything that happened that day. He changed into an azure sleeveless, high collared jacket with golden linings and azure rings that rested below his shoulders and were attached to the sides of the jacket, white leggings, azure high heeled boots that reached his knees, and azure wrist guards.
Once ready, he left his room and made his way to outside the palace walls where his mother was waiting. Misaki, Kamui, Naoki, Shingo, and Emi were there as well. They were waiting for the carriage that would take them to where the clan leader meeting was taking place.
Although the winged people could fly for quite a while before they tire out, their destination was farther away than their wings could take them. Winged horses, on the other hand, could reach the meeting's location with ease. It is because of that that they needed to wait for the carriage dragged by winged horses to help them get there without any trouble.
After a while of waiting, the carriage flew in and landed in front of them. Emi gave both her mother and brother hugs and wished them a safe return. Kamui, Naoki, and Shingo bowed, wishing for the same thing. Misaki opened the carriage door and gestured for the queen and her son to step in. Once they were in, she closed the carriage door and climbed up onto her seat in front of the carriage beside the driver. The driver used the reins to give the signal for the horses to move and the carriage began to fly away, heading for the meeting.
XxXxX
The carriage flew through the entire night over the vast Sea of Clouds, and by the time the sun reached its highest peak the next day; they finally made it to their destination. Aichi looked out of the carriage to see that they were flying over a snowy mountain and a kingdom resting at the very top. The kingdom was filled with tons of market stalls under bright, colourful tents and some buildings made of grey and white brick which were clearly homes for the civilians. Standing at the back was a tall, shining palace made entirely of crystal.
This was the kingdom of the Silver Winged Clan.
The carriage made its way to the crystal palace, landing right in from of the main entrance. Misaki got out of her seat and opened the carriage door, helping Aichi and Shizuka off. Once all three were out, the carriage flew off until the time when it would be needed again. They could only watch as the carriage disappeared from sight.
"Hello, Queen Shizuka. We've been expecting you."
They turned around upon hearing the voice behind them. A tall, beautiful woman came walking towards them, clad entirely in silver which matched the colour of her wings. Her long golden hair blew gently against the breeze with every step she took. The moment she reached them, she kneeled down and bowed.
"Thank you for taking your time to come here," she continued, "I apologize if it was inconvenient for you, given how long it must've taken you to come here."
Shizuka shook her head. "Not at all," she replied with a reassuring smile, "It matters not how far I must go if my presence would help in securing our hope against the Void."
The woman stood back up, relieved by the queen's kind words. Her gaze left Shizuka and landed on Misaki; the lilac haired girl replying with a nod. She then turned her attention to Aichi, causing the prince to stiffen. He didn't know what to say, especially to a girl as pretty as her, as he was worried if anything he said would an awful first impression. So what could he do?
The queen noticed her son's nervous behaviour and began to speak on his behalf. "This is my son, Aichi," she introduced him; "He will take over as the new ruler of the Gold Winged Clan for me when the time comes."
Aichi could only stand still as the blonde woman analysed him from head to toe with her lovely emerald hues. When she was done, she crossed her arms with a scowl on her face.
"You don't really look like a prince," she remarked, "Then again, neither did many of the past rulers of the Gold Winged Clan, so I can't really judge you based on your appearance alone. Still, I can't help but be sceptical, seeing how you look as timid as a spark mouse. Is someone like you really fit to be king?"
Misaki stepped in between Aichi and the woman and gave the latter a slight glare. "I ask that you not offend my prince, Kourin. Appearances aside, he is a remarkable swordsman and has strong leadership capabilities; skills that show he has what it takes to be the future king of the Gold Winged Clan."
The young prince smiled from his friend's kind words, though couldn't help but feel guilty for having her fight his own battle. The woman, who Misaki had called 'Kourin', gave a smirk as she looked back at the boy.
"How very interesting," she mused, "This piques my curiosity. I myself am known to be the best swordsman of all of the Silver Winged Clan. I would like to compare our skills with the sword after the meeting is over. That is, if you would do me the honours, Prince Aichi." She gave a bow.
"O-Of course!" Aichi's voice cracked as he spoke in a squeak, answered with a chuckle from the blonde woman. His face turned red, completely embarrassed. They were not even there for a full ten minutes and he was already making a fool of himself.
"I look forward to it," said Kourin, "That been said, I will escort you three to the meeting room." She gestured for the three gold winged guests to come inside the crystal palace.
Aichi could not believe his eyes as soon as they stepped inside. Like the outside, the walls on the inside as well as the floor and ceiling were made entirely of crystal. The translucent walls allowed the sunlight to shine through, creating beams of multicoloured light. Despite being made of crystal and on top of a snowy mountain, it was weird how the air felt so warm. The three women were unfazed by it, however, though at the same time it was understandable. Kourin no doubt lived within these palace walls and Shizuka and Misaki had come here several times for the meetings.
They climbed up the stairs and through a few hallways before they had finally reached a pair of big doors. Kourin opened the doors and all three of the gold winged guests walked inside.
They were in a large room with a big, round table in the middle with six chairs and a chandelier up above it. There was a smaller table resting on the farthest wall filled with all kinds of different refreshments. The walls were decorated with paintings of different sceneries and banners with the Silver Winged Clan's crest. The entire room had this cosy feeling to it and made them feel welcome.
"The others should be arriving shortly," Kourin explained, "Until then, feel free to relax as you wait. My master will be joining you in a little while. Now, if you would excuse me." She gave another bow before closing the doors behind her, leaving the three alone in the meeting room.
A few minutes had passed. They continued to wait for the others to show up; the only sound to exist within the room to be their tired sighs and the sound of their shoes against the crystal floors as they walked around, whether it was pacing or to grab something from the refreshment table. Finally, the doors opened up once again.
Another woman appeared who was also beautiful but more mature looking than Kourin and had short cyan coloured hair. Like the blonde woman, this woman was also dressed in silver to match her wings. She stepped to the side as she allowed a few more guests in.
A young man with aqua wings walked in followed by two lovely twin girls. He was dressed on a royal blue robe embodied with aquamarines and pearls. By looking at him, Aichi could sense him to be a man of honour and pride. He was no doubt the leader of the Aqua Winged Clan, but mostly just by looking at his wings and the air of superiority that surrounded him.
"Please make yourselves comfortable," the cyan haired woman remarked to the newcomers before closing the doors behind her.
Shizuka, upon seeing the aqua winged guests that walked in, got up from the chair she was sitting at and walked over to the young man with a greeting. "It is good to see you again, Master Leon."
The young man, who had a hardened expression the moment he stepped in, softened his visage as he bowed before the gold winged queen. "Yes, it is a pleasure to see you too, Queen Shizuka," he replied.
The teal haired woman nodded. She looked over at her son, who was standing at a distance beside Misaki, and gestured for him to come over. Aichi was not sure how he felt about it. He had already embarrassed himself enough when they talked with Kourin. He was worried on how he would act around one of the winged clan leaders themselves. However, he didn't want to disobey his mother as he didn't want to upset her. He cautiously walked over to where his mother and the leader of the Aqua Winged Clan were standing.
"I would like you to meet my son, Aichi," she began the introductions before looking over at said person, "Aichi, this is Master Leon; the leader of the Aqua Winged Clan."
Aichi hastily gave a bow, clearly indicating his nervousness. He hoped that he didn't give a horrible impression here too. But when he looked back up, he noticed something very peculiar. The leader of the Aqua Winged Clan, Leon, was just standing there; amethyst eyes hardening once again as he appeared to be analysing him, almost like what Kourin did before but this felt different. The way he was staring at him, it felt like he wasn't just observing his outward appearance, but something within him too.
"You have a very meek appearance," he spoke up after being silent the whole time, "At first glance; people would not see you as a reliable ruler for the future."
The golden winged prince lowered his head. That was the same thing Kourin said to him when they first met. He obviously didn't look very brave or strong. He didn't even feel very confident in himself. And judging by people's initial reactions of him, they weren't confident in him either.
"However," he continued, "The wind that surrounds your heart is a strong yet gentle breeze."
Aichi only looked at him in confusion. "Wind?"
Leon nodded. "We are the winged people and flying is mostly second nature to us. We soar through the skies with dignity and protect those we care about. However as we fly, the wind constantly blows; sometimes calmly and peacefully, other times forceful and frightening. It can move you forward or it could push you back, or it could just relax and let you roam free. The wind helps lift our wings and lead us to our righteous paths. But as there is a wind that blows through our entire beings, there is a wind that blows through our hearts. Never let that wind fade away, for that wind may lead you to things you would have never expected.
The gold winged prince kept quiet during the entire speech. The whole 'wind' metaphor was truly fascinating. He never had considered it like that. It was definitely inspiring. He told his thoughts to Leon, receiving a smile from the latter for the first time. The leader of the Aqua Winged Clan was truly a remarkable man.
Not long after the doors opened up again. This time, it was opened by what looked like a young girl with long reddish brown hair, dressed in the same attire and had the same wing colour as both Kourin and the cyan haired woman. Another group of three entered the room from behind her.
A tall, handsome man who appeared older than Leon but still looked very young walked in; dressed in very unusual clothing. It appeared like he was wearing some sort of white robe but Aichi knew full well it couldn't be a regular robe. Resting on top of the white robe like outfit was a red and gold sash that wrapped over his right shoulder and below his left arm, wrapped well enough that it avoided wrapping his green wings. A crown made of gold leaves rested on dirty blond hair.
One thing was for sure; he was the leader of the Green Winged Clan.
Following behind him were a man and woman. The man was tall and well built with long black hair tied up in a ponytail. The woman was very beautiful yet had an air around her that was both gentle yet intimidating. Both were dressed in what was a combination of armour and short robes.
The girl who let them in smiled as she looked at all the guests already in the room. "The meeting will be starting very shortly," she informed everyone, "Sorry for the wait everyone! My master tends to take his time with things. He shouldn't take much longer though." Without another word, she closed the doors behind her; the guests left to themselves once again with the newcomers.
The leader of the Green Winged Clan, upon seeing both Shizuka and Leon, walked towards them with a grin and a joyous attitude. Leon simply gave a nod as a greeting while Shizuka gave a proper hello. The leader of the Green Winged Clan took the Gold Winged Clan's queen's hand and gently pressed his lips against her soft, delicate hand.
"It has been a long time, my friends," he remarked, "I always look forward to when our companionship comes together again like this again."
"It will be for nothing if we don't have anything accomplished during this meeting," Leon replied, arms crossed.
The leader of the Green Winged Clan nodded. "Yes, it is important that we rid of the enemy that is threatening our home. But I am confident that with our strength together, we can prevail against the Void and bring justice back."
"Yes, we can only hope," Shizuka agreed.
Aichi kept his distance as he watched the three leaders converse between themselves. They were all so determined to protect their clan from the Void. Then again, they would probably have not come to this meeting if they really didn't believe they could stand up against an entity they have limited knowledge about. The young prince couldn't help but smile with how they all looked like they got along, to keep peace between them and make themselves stronger.
Like with Leon, Shizuka called Aichi over again. He stepped away after talking with Leon because he felt that anything more would be between them. He felt like he would only be in the way. But he knew the reason she wanted him back over there was because she wanted him to meet the leader of the Green Winged Clan. The gold winged prince had an easier time walking over there as the leader of the green winged ruler looked like he would be easier to talk to than Leon and the aqua winged ruler himself didn't seem as scary as he looked upon actually making conversation with him. Even so, Aichi couldn't help but still be a little nervous.
"This is my son, Aichi," Shizuka introduced said boy as soon as he made it over there, "Aichi, this is Emperor Kenji of the Green Winged Clan."
The Green Winged Clan's leader looked at Aichi with a smile. "So you are the infamous possible heir to the Gold Winged Clan," he spoke, "The queen has told us so much about you. She's even told us about your sister too."
Aichi blushed. Did his mother really talk about him a lot? What did she say? Hopefully not something embarrassing. What would he do if it was? The emperor gave another laugh. "Don't worry; all the stuff she's said about you has been praise." The gold winged prince didn't know whether he was happy that it was nothing bad, or disappointed in himself for his easily readable expressions.
The emperor held out his hand. "I hope for us to be good friends," he spoke honestly.
"Y-Yes," Aichi stuttered, reaching out for the emperor's hand to shake it, "That would be nice, Mr. Emperor sir."
Once again, the green winged male laughed. "No need to be so formal. Please, call me Koutei. That's what everyone calls me."
"What?! I couldn't possibly-!"
"I insist! It's better to be friends if you are more casual with each other, right?"
Aichi could see that the leader of the Green Winged Clan seemed to be very easy going. But he didn't seem to be a bad guy. And maybe just like the young prince, the emperor looked like he wouldn't be a good ruler based on his outer appearance, but definitely had the skills to be a truly fantastic ruler.
Just then, the doors opened up once more to reveal Kourin and the other two girls standing there. They stepped out of the way as one more person stepped inside, and this was one that truly caught Aichi by surprise.
Appearing before them was a young boy clad in silver from head to toe; not just his clothes and wings, but his hair and skin were also white like snow. His golden eyes scanned everyone in the room as he walked through. Was this the ruler of the Silver Winged Clan?
And then Aichi remembered something he learned during one of his lessons. All clans usually change their rulers when the ruler currently in power cannot rule anymore. But the Silver Winged Clan was known to have a ruler who had managed to last longer than most rulers using magic he learned, preventing him to age and giving him the eternal form of a little boy. His wisdom and power was far greater than any ruler before him; something that couldn't easily just be passed on like other skills. No doubt about it that this was that same boy.
This boy was Lord Takuto, ruler of the Silver Winged Clan.
He reached for his respective seat at the table and sat down, gesturing for the other rulers in the room to do the same. Since Aichi is only there to observe, he stood behind his mother alongside Misaki. The people that came along with their rulers also did the same, and Aichi noticed that Kourin and the other two girls stood behind Takuto. Once everyone was comfortable, Takuto spoke up.
"I thank you all for coming to this meeting," he began, "Many years ago, our ancestors created the Cloudlands to protect the creatures on Earth from the dark force that is the Void. Originally, all we as the winged people were to do were to live the rest of our lives in the Cloudlands and to make sure the Void does not escape.
"However, as you have noticed things have changed. As the years go by, we have realized that the Void is also growing stronger. If this continues, its strength will be too much to take, and not only will the place we have grown to call our home will disappear, but the Void will break free back onto Earth and destroy everything there."
"I can take that to mean you have noticed its growing presence as well, Lord Takuto," said Leon, "I have noticed this through the winds that blow through my kingdom. The creatures that live on the lands have also begun to act strangely, no doubt feeling the uneasiness as well. It is troubling my people."
"Things have been acting very strangely back at home too," said Koutei, "Some creatures have tried to attack some of the farmers on the outskirts of my kingdom; some of which are known to not attack winged people."
Aichi widened his eyes upon hearing Koutei's words. Creatures that usually wouldn't attack winged people have received a change in behaviour like that? So it wasn't just the red dragon back at the castle ruins. This was happening all over the place. What was the Void planning by doing this?
"Nothing unusual has been happening in my kingdom as of late," it was Shizuka's turn to speak up, "Even so, I can't help but worry for my people."
"We are all worried," Takuto assured her, "We are fighting against an enemy we have limited knowledge of."
"But isn't there a way we can stop it?" asked Koutei.
"I know of a solution."
Everyone turned their attention to the doors. Standing there was a man dressed entirely in black with black wings. Long crimson hair flowed down his back. Behind him stood two knights; a tall man with a beard and a green hair band resting on long raven hair and a girl with navy blue hair and cold, sharp blue eyes. The crimson haired man glanced through the entire room with his cat like eyes of the same colour and flashed a sly, mischievous grin.
"My, my," he mused, "Looks like you started the meeting without me? Are you feeling prejudice since my wings aren't as bright and shiny as yours? Well, sure my wings aren't bright but they are definitely shiny, don't you think?"
Many mixed expressions stared at the new guest; some of worry, others in rage, and in Aichi's case, full of confusion. A part of him did wonder why they started the meeting without the ruler of the Black Winged Clan and now that he had appeared, the air within the room felt very tense. Was there some sort of conflict going on between the other clans and the Black Winged Clan? As Aichi stared at him, he couldn't help but have this uneasy feeling; like something felt wrong.
"So you have arrived," Takuto spoke up, his voice sounding inviting yet his face appeared a bit distrusting; his eyes locked onto the black winged ruler as if making sure the latter didn't try anything regretful, "Have you finally decided to join us for a meeting, King Ren?"
The crimson haired male, Ren, began to pace around the room. "Nah, this type of thing isn't for me," he replied in a bored manner, complete with a laugh, "Breaking out of a daily routine every half year just to go to some far away kingdom to constantly go on and on about how the Void may one day destroy the Cloudlands and blah, blah, blah. It's very tiresome."
"Then what brings you here?" Shizuka asked calmly, a part of her worrying that she may regret asking that.
Ren smirked. "I wasn't lying out of my ass, you know. I know the solution to your problem. It's very easy too. And with this solution you won't have to worry about these stupid meetings. My answer; just give up!"
"Never!" Leon stood up from his seat, slamming his fists against the table as he glared at Ren, "I would rather die in the hands of the Void protecting my clan than to just simply give up!"
"Then I have another solution. The Cloudlands were built for the sole purpose of keeping it away from Earth. Why don't you just let the Void free onto Earth?"
"That is out of the question as well!" it was Koutei's turn to speak up as he stood up, "You said so yourself that our ancestors created the Cloudlands to protect Earth. To just let the Void free onto unsuspecting victims and put our ancestors' sacrifice in vain, it… it's just not right!"
"Please Ren," Shizuka stood up this time, "Why are you suggesting all these horrible things?"
The black winged male stared at her. "Why, you ask? I'm just trying to ease the weight on your shoulders, that's all. But honestly, is the Earth really worth protecting if that means our own people must die in the process? They don't even remember we exist. They take their own lives for granted while we all suffer. So why should we protect them?"
"We don't protect for the sake of recognition," said Takuto, "We protect because we know that this is the right thing to do, even if our actions are forgotten."
"And that means you are willing to die and fade away physically, but for your entire existence to fade away and be forgotten within the mind as well," Ren began to laugh. "You are utter fools, you know that? If that is your line of thinking, perhaps it would be best if you die and be forgotten! After all, you are nothing more than a pointless existence, right?"
The next part all happened in a flash. Kourin, who grew angrier with every little thing that the crimson haired male said, finally snapped and charged at him with her sword. Before she could attack however, the tall male that came in with Ren rushed in between the two, and tightly gripped the blonde woman in a way so she couldn't move, causing her to drop her sword. As hard as she struggled, she could not break free.
Ren walked over so they were face to face and looked at her with amusement; that sly grin of his only growing bigger as he watched her squirm. He had to resist letting out a chuckle.
He turned his attention to Takuto. "I would advise that you keep your servant under control. If Tetsu had not stepped in to restrain her before she attacked me, she would've called an act of war between our two kingdoms. And we really don't want that, do we?"
Takuto's hues narrowed, his anger slowly rising. "Let her go, Ren," he growled through clenched teeth, his words sounding venomous.
Ren only appeared more amused. "My pleasure," he replied with a playful bow, "But first, I want her to answer a little question for me." He looked back at her. "Tell me; can you name all the winged clans?"
Kourin had not dropped her glare the entire time. "Why the hell would you ask something so stupid?"
"I just want to know, that's all."
The blonde woman didn't know what the sneaky bastard was planning. She looked over at Takuto. Her master gave a nod, telling her to answer. Sighing in defeat, she answered regrettably.
"The winged clans are the Aqua Wings of Honour, the Green Wings of Justice, the Gold Wings of Benevolence, the Silver Wings of Wisdom, and the Black Wings of Mercy."
"And?"
Kourin stared at the crimson haired male. "And what?"
"Is that all?" he questioned.
"What the hell are you talking about?! Of course! Those are all five winged clans! Now let me go!"
There was only silence. After a bit of time had passed, Ren's entire body began to slump as he let out a disappointed sigh. He told the tall man holding Kourin, whom he had called 'Tetsu', to let her go. Tetsu complied and loosened his grip on the blonde woman. Kourin glared at the crimson haired male one more time before walking back to where she was before. The other two girls began to surround her out of concern, making sure she was alright, with her having to assure them that she was fine.
"Honestly, I am disappointed in all of you," Ren spoke up once again, "I guess you are completely fine with forgetting." He began walking back to the door. He looked back at them one last time. "But before I forget, I want to give you something to think about when you continue on with your absurd meeting, when you go back home to your respective kingdoms, when you fall to sleep in your cosy beds. We are the winged clans that rule over the Cloudlands. There are five of us… yet why are there six chairs?" He let out another laugh.
But then, his crimson cat like eyes fell onto hues of bright, sparkling cerulean the moment his focus landed on Aichi. The blue haired male tensed up, the feeling he had while watching Ren growing stronger. He now recognized this feeling. This feeling was the same one he had when he came into contact with the red dragon. No, this feeling was much stronger.
He felt himself slowly starting to suffocate, his breathing moving rapidly. He was hyperventilating. His body grew heavy as he felt the aura surrounding the black winged ruler flow through him. He began to feel dizzy and was having a hard time staying on his feet. He felt like he could tip over any minute. He pressed his hand against his temple, hoping he could get this feeling of dizziness to go away but it did nothing.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!"
Aichi felt his entire body drop only to be caught by someone. His vision was starting to go all fuzzy but he could tell that the one who caught him was Misaki. His gaze landed back to where Ren was as the latter walked out of the room with his knights following him. The moment the doors closed and the three disappeared behind them, Aichi's consciousness slowly faded until he saw nothing but darkness.
Pinkshuchan: And that's the end of this chapter. Sorry not much more has happened but I'll save that for the next chapter. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but if I don't get the chapter out before Christmas, then Merry Christmas. If you don't celebrate Christmas, then Happy Holidays. Please Read and Review!