--Written by Naki
"Summer here is so pretty," a young Wingly girl walked through flowering fields. "It gets too cold around the Crystal Palace for flora such as this."
She sat down on a large rock to rest. Reaching out into the tall prairie grass she plucked out a long foxtail.
She giggled as she tickled her face with it.
Hearing voices, the girl ducked behind the rock and the grass lest she be seen.
Two figures walked into view. They were Human males; one with long blonde hair and the other had short dark hair.
The girl watched them by peering over the edge of the rock. She brushed her silvery bangs out of her face.
"What are you doing?"
She gasped out loud and whirled around to face a young man. He had short messy platinum hair and brown eyes.
He offered a hand. "Sorry to frighten you, miss. May I help you up?"
She was taken back by the way his personality totally contradicted his looks. She took his hand, and he pulled her up gently with ease.
"You're a Wingly," she said. "What are you doing around here in the Human's Empire? A war is going on!"
"I should be asking you that," he said, grinning. "I grew up here. The Humans trust me."
She smiled. "What's your name?"
"It's Matthias."
"I'm Erisi."
Matthias looked up as two figures approached.
"New friend, Matthias?" The blonde man asked.
"It's a Wingly!" The dark-haired man exclaimed, looking extremely angry. "What the hell is she doing here on Human land? This is our land Wingly!"
Erisi toook a step back and looked up at Matthias with a look of apprehension on her face.
"Easy, Kantas," the blonde man said, putting a hand on Kantas' shoulder.
"Humans tend to have a strong hatred of Winglies," Matthias told Erisi.
"I can see," Erisi said.
Matthias pointed to the blonde man. "That's Zieg." He pointed next to the dark-haired man. "And that's Kantas. Be careful around him, he has one heck of a short fuse."
"You say that like it's a bad thing, Matthias," Kantas grinned rather nastily.
Erisi looked up at Matthias. "Thanks for the warning."
Zieg approached Erisi. "What's your name?" He offered his hand to her.
Erisi hesitated a moment, but took his hand in her own and shook it as she smiled at him. "Erisi."
"Zieg! Why the hell are you interacting with her?!" Kantas exclaimed.
Zieg turned to face his friend. "Kantas, the way I see it, any Wingly who willingly makes contact with, you know, daring to 'touch' us is our ally."
"Exactly," Erisi said. "Just like Charle Frahma."
"You know Charle Frahma?" Zieg asked.
"She's like a mom to me," Erisi said. She glanced up. "Uh-oh. Look."
"Great, not again," Matthias said, watching as five Wingly soldiers descended upon the nearby village. "They're at it again."
"Why?" Erisi asked.
"For fun," Zieg explained as they hurried towards the village. "Even here in the Human's Imperial Gloriano, villages like these that lie near the border are almost open game to off-duty Wingly soldiers." He paused. "And that's Rose's home village, too."
"Rose?" Erisi asked.
"My fiancée," Zieg answered. "And I think she's there now, visiting her mom and sister."
They reached the village and hid behind a building.
"Great, they're instigatng again," Kantas said.
"Do they intentionally pick fights like this?" Erisi asked.
Zieg nodded. "Of course."
"Hey, it's Rose!" Matthias said.
"What?" Zieg hurried over next to Matthias.
"Those bastards are picking on children!" Kantas spat. "How low can they sink?"
"Children...?" Erisi whispered to herself. She looked over at her three companions.
"Stand back Human!" A Wingly soldier pointed his sword blade at Rose's throat.
Rose gritted her teeth and stood her ground in front of the small children.
"Leave our village..." Rose said. "Now!"
"Oh yeah," another Wingly taunted. "Says who?"
"I do," Erisi said, approaching the pack.
"Erisi!" Matthias said. "She's nuts!"
"Who the hell are you?" The armed Wingly turned from Rose and looked scornfully at Erisi.
Erisi narrowed her eyes and brough her hand up, pointing at the Wingly. In a split second, wings appeared at her back and the foul-mouthed Wingly soldier flew back into a brick wall.
Kantas looked shock. "Whoa!"
Zieg smiled. "Packs a punch, doesn't she?"
Rose looked over at Erisi. "What the...? Who...?"
Erisi lowered her arm to her side.
Matthias could feel her magic aura grow with her anger. "Whoa..."
"I will not be spoken to in that fashion!" Erisi said coldly.
Ignoring the fallen soldier, the other four Winglies fell to their knees.
"Princess!" They chanted in unison.
"Princess?" Matthias whispered as Zieg and Kantas exchanged bewildered looks.
After Erisi had dismissed the soldiers with a promise of a painful death if they ever did anything like this again, she turned to Rose. "Are you all right?" She said with a smile.
Rose's shocked look changed to that of anger. "I never asked for help from a Wingly!"
Erisi's face fell.
"You know, Rose," Erisi heard from behind her. She felt an arm circle around her shoulders. "Not all of us Winglies believe in Melbu Frahma."
"You're the exception Matthias," Rose said. "You grew up with Humans."
Zieg approached Rose slowly.
"Simmer down a bit, Rose. She's friendly, she doesn't bite," Kantas said.
"You can't tell a book by its cover!" Rose snapped. "She may seen pretty and sweet, but at the core, she's just as black and cold as all the others of her kind!"
"It's just as well," Erisi whispered. Matthias looked down at her.
"I just killed a man!" She buried her face in her hands. "It's treason. Even princesses are susceptible to the law."
"Now you know how we feel!" Rose snapped.
Matthias glared at Rose. This wasn't like her at all. Well, she had never received assistance from a strange Wingly before. He glanced down at Erisi. Rose's verbal rejection and the guilt of taking the life of another being were really weighing down on her.
Erisi felt arms circle around her shoulders and was embraced.
"Don't cry," Matthias told her. "Ignore her. If you wish to join our side, she'll get used to you. She got used to Charle. If you're unsure, just stay by me."
Erisi didn't answer. She didn't need to.
"Daughter?"
Erisi snapped out of her memory. She stood out on a balcony outside her private chamber. She blinked her eyes a couple of times, took a deep breath, and glanced around. She sensed her visitor behind her.
"Good morning to you, Father," Erisi said without turning around.
"I came to speak with you," Father Albus said.
"I surmised that much," she stated.
"Look at me," he commanded.
Erisi turned around, leaning on the balcony railing in a very Rose-like fasion.
"They want you to go," he said without further ado. "Matthias...he needs your presence. He needs you by his side."
"So now he does," Erisi said, a faint tone of sourness in her speech.
The father Abbot knew what she spoke about. "Forgive him, my child. Anger in one's heart gives birth to more anger and leaves nothing solved."
"He left me behind to wait for him," she said almost bitterly. "For almost an eternity..."
"Daughter...was he not elated to see you?" Father Abbot asked.
"Abbot, yes, he was happy," Erisi said. "But, he still left...even after he said he would never leave my side."
"It was his restless spirit that forced him to leave," Abbot Albus reminded her. "You were raised to stay put in a place, he was raised as a renegade, constantly moving from place to place."
"It was my fault," Erisi said. "I drove him away."
The Abbot looked at her quizzically.
"I told him I couldn't bear children," Erisi turned back around to face the Abbey grounds.
"I know," Albus said quietly. "Matthias loved children."
There was a moment of silence between the pair.
"Well," Father Abbot said. "I won't force you to change your decision."
With that, the Abbot turned and left Erisi alone.
She sighed as she watched Deirdre and Kurintsu talk on the Abbey's north wall. Those two...they're like siblings, they're so close.
Erisi rubbed her eyes. "Those flashbacks are happening frequently, yet not in order. Why are they jumping around like that?"