Title: A Herald's Wings
Part 6: Meetings
Author: Dreamwind
Disclaimer: see all previous chapters
::Mindspeech::
KazeHa sighed. He was bored. VERY bored. Three days here and already he was sick of the place. He had spent most of the first two days being interrogated by those white clad fools, whom he now knew were called Heralds. Were they expecting his story to suddenly change? Did they think that his position, staying with Herald Alexian, would suddenly vanish and they wouldn't have to worry about what to do with him? Then to make matters worse they decided that since he was staying that he should be taking classes. So they had got him all set up as a "blue" student. Forced him to take all manner of intelligence tests and then had told him that he would have to wear a special blue uniform so that the teachers and other students would know where he belonged. That had not gone well. There had been much shouting and name-calling. It had been down right childish. However, he had won the argument, religious basis and all. So he could continue to wear his white death robes for the ritual three years.
KazeHa sighed again and the teacher broke his stick of chalk on the board in frustration. Damn, he'd been heard. The teacher glared at him and the students chuckled. He simply stared ahead at the man. He really didn't see the point in his needing to know "courtly graces." After all, he knew all the courtly graces of his people and that should be more than acceptable for these idiots.
"Is there something wrong, Kazaa-ha?" the teacher asked.
Come on, couldn't the man pronounce his name right, even once? "Yes. May I leave now? This subject matter is pointless." The teacher went red with suppressed rage. KazeHa tried not to smile. It was so easy to annoy these people.
* * *
Passing Herald-Trainees blanched at the sound of the screams coming from the collegium dean's office. It sounded like another teacher was lodging a complaint with the dean about the newest Blue. More than a few of the trainees and other students stopped and pressed their ears to the door trying to make out what was being said inside. The door swung open suddenly, knocking several students who had been eavesdropping to the floor.. An angry teacher stormed out, not even noticing them and inside, the Dean sat with Herald Alexian and KazeHa.
"Again, we're sorry for the inconvenience."
"Don't be sorry, Alexian. Just keep him from doing this again. I am tired of having him and angry teachers in here twice a day."
The door closed behind Alexian and KazeHa as they left the office. Alexian kept shaking his head not knowing what to do about his little tag-along. KazeHa stopped outside the doorway and shook his head at the mass of fallen gawkers. They were all moaning as they slowly pulled themselves up off the floor. Alexian stopped at the end of the hall and turned to look back at him – waiting for him to catch up. Sighing again, KazeHa made his way through the crowd and back to Alexian's side. He knew his master was mad at him but he honestly didn't want to be in the classes. How was he supposed to fulfill his duty to Alexian if he was never by his side? It was tearing him apart. He had a duty and yet....and yet he found that he enjoyed some of the classes, such as history and weapons practice. He could learn so much about these people from those two classes alone. He could do so much....
"I really wish you would stop antagonizing the teachers, KazeHa. I know that you'd enjoy the classes if you just stopped being so stubborn."
"Perhaps." KazeHa followed Alexian through the building and out into Companion's Field. He was honestly a little amazed when he saw it. It was his first time outside the main grounds. He stood there in the cool green grass, absorbing the sight of the wide meadow. Field, that didn't do justice to what he saw. He turned to look at the far corner and blinked. It looked like there was some sort of building out there. "What is that?"
Alexian turned and looked to where KazeHa was pointing. "That's the miniature Vale that Healing-Adept Firesong K'Treva built before the Mage Storms."
KazeHa blinked. He had absolutely no idea what any of that meant, but he wanted to see this Vale anyway. Turning back to Alexian, KazeHa intended to ask him if they could visit it but was stopped by the sight before him. Alexian was about twenty feet away from him now and hugging his companion, mumbling lovey-dovey things at her. KazeHa blanched. That was simply perverse, loving an animal like that. KazeHA shivered and moved farther away from the pair. He would stay close enough to be of help – but far enough away that he didn't have to watch them. Sitting down in the grass KazHa got comfortable and slowly dropped into a relaxing meditation. The world around him melted away.
Alexian sighed and sat down in the grass, leaning against Ylsa. ::What am I going to do with him, Ylsa? I know that he's not a bad person, he just...::
::He's bored and frustrated, which is not a good combination.:: Ylsa looked over to where the young man was sitting in the grass. ::It's hard on him, Chosen. He doesn't fit in here and he knows it. He knows how suspicious everyone is of him, even the heralds. He wasn't Chosen and so even they are having a hard time figuring out how to handle him.::
::I know that but I still don't know what to do. I feel terrible that he has no one to turn to, no one he can be himself with. I can kind of understand what he feels; I felt the same way back in his city, especially when I couldn't talk to you.::
::Exactly. Now imagine how it must be for him. He doesn't even have a Companion to remind him that he is loved and anything but alone. All he has is the duty he has to you and the two of us. The duty that we are keeping him from.:: Ylsa nuzzled her Chosen.
::I guess none of us have thought of that.::
::Exactly.:: Ylsa chuckled. ::I can understand why he hates "courtly graces" so much. After all his people have even more of them than we do and more of them are twice as refined as ours. It would seem pointless to make him go through all that class when his own should be suitable.::
Alexian was quiet for a long time. ::Ylsa, could you talk to the Dean's Companion and convince him of all of this?::
::Consider it done.::
Alexian and Ylsa lay back in the grass. For now their problems could be put on hold. They could simply lay out here in the grass, each enjoying the other's company. Hours passed by and they were finally forced to get up. The dinner bell had been rung and Alexian would have quite a ways to walk before he could get to the dining hall. Yawning, Alexian climbed onto Ylsa's back and the two made their way back towards the stables.
* * *
KazeHa was dreaming, or was it dreaming? He wasn't sure. He had never dreamed while meditating before. Breathing in the clean air, he somehow forgot to think about it. He was alone in a field of flowers. A river of water so clean and clear that it sparkled like jewels ran through the field. The water flowed over the rocks, filling the air with a song that spoke of contentment and freedom. The sky moved silently above, clouds of white as pure as fresh fallen snow dotted the sky. This place felt safe and free of worry and doubt. It seemed to fill emptiness deep inside him with a love so unconditional that it brought tears into his eyes. KazeHa didn't know why or how he had gotten here but he was glade that he was. Since his ceremonial death he had felt like a part of him had been lost. Then with the death of his mother the wound in his heart seemed to break open completely, causing a slow death to grow within him, eating away at everything that was left.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
KazeHa spun around and looked at the two figures standing above him. One was a beautiful man with long hair trailing to the ground from a crown of horns. He knew that man. He had worshiped in front of his shrines since he was a babe. This was the god of death, the judger of souls, standing before him. "Shinigami!"
"That is my name. But tell me young KazeHa, what think you of my garden?"
"It is beautiful my lord." KazeHa blinked and looked deep into the wide purple eyes. "But why am I here?"
"Ah...that is the question, isn't it?" Shinigami stepped up next to KazeHa and sat in the grass by him. The second man remained standing behind them. "You see lad, that you have a destiny to fulfill and I needed to bring you here to explain."
"Explain, my lord?"
"Your death. You see, KazeHa, that in order to fulfill your destiny and your Mother's dying wish you had to first become a ghost to your people. By being a part of their life you could never achieve what you are meant to." Shinigami glanced back over his shoulder at the other man and waved him to come closer. "KazeHa, this is Shai. He will be an important part of your life from this point forward."
KazeHa looked back at the man who had inched closer to where they sat in the grass. The man was tall, and lean. His hair was black and hung down to just above his shoulders. His eyes were a brown so dark that they seemed to be black and his skin glowed a rich earthy bronze. He was strikingly exotic. Not like Alexian was exotic, with his golden hair and emerald eyes, but he was beautiful nonetheless. "I don't understand."
"Not yet, but you will. In time everything shall become clear." With that Shinigami reached his hand out and traced KazeHa's cheek. KazeHa's eyes rolled back into his head and his body slumped forward. "In time, KazeHa, in time." Shinigami leaned forward and kissed KazeHa lightly on the forehead.
KazeHa sat bolt upright in the moist grass his head nearly colliding with the large white face above him. KazeHa flung himself backwards, shocked. His heart thundered in his chest. It had all been a dream. He was still in Companion's Field and by the looks of it night had already come. KazeHa looked around, searching wildly for Alexian and not finding him. The field was empty. A snort brought his attention back to the white face staring at him and KazeHa fell forever into a pair of crystal blue eyes.
Oooooh....a cliff hanger. Uh..is this a cliff hanger? * shakes head * Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know I did. It's starting to get exciting! But damnit I didn't get to put HER in the story again. Oh well. I guess you'll all just have to wait to find out who "She" is. (She was mentioned in part 5 by KazeHa.) And again I want to thank my wonderful beta reader for catching my mistakes!
Part 6: Meetings
Author: Dreamwind
Disclaimer: see all previous chapters
::Mindspeech::
KazeHa sighed. He was bored. VERY bored. Three days here and already he was sick of the place. He had spent most of the first two days being interrogated by those white clad fools, whom he now knew were called Heralds. Were they expecting his story to suddenly change? Did they think that his position, staying with Herald Alexian, would suddenly vanish and they wouldn't have to worry about what to do with him? Then to make matters worse they decided that since he was staying that he should be taking classes. So they had got him all set up as a "blue" student. Forced him to take all manner of intelligence tests and then had told him that he would have to wear a special blue uniform so that the teachers and other students would know where he belonged. That had not gone well. There had been much shouting and name-calling. It had been down right childish. However, he had won the argument, religious basis and all. So he could continue to wear his white death robes for the ritual three years.
KazeHa sighed again and the teacher broke his stick of chalk on the board in frustration. Damn, he'd been heard. The teacher glared at him and the students chuckled. He simply stared ahead at the man. He really didn't see the point in his needing to know "courtly graces." After all, he knew all the courtly graces of his people and that should be more than acceptable for these idiots.
"Is there something wrong, Kazaa-ha?" the teacher asked.
Come on, couldn't the man pronounce his name right, even once? "Yes. May I leave now? This subject matter is pointless." The teacher went red with suppressed rage. KazeHa tried not to smile. It was so easy to annoy these people.
* * *
Passing Herald-Trainees blanched at the sound of the screams coming from the collegium dean's office. It sounded like another teacher was lodging a complaint with the dean about the newest Blue. More than a few of the trainees and other students stopped and pressed their ears to the door trying to make out what was being said inside. The door swung open suddenly, knocking several students who had been eavesdropping to the floor.. An angry teacher stormed out, not even noticing them and inside, the Dean sat with Herald Alexian and KazeHa.
"Again, we're sorry for the inconvenience."
"Don't be sorry, Alexian. Just keep him from doing this again. I am tired of having him and angry teachers in here twice a day."
The door closed behind Alexian and KazeHa as they left the office. Alexian kept shaking his head not knowing what to do about his little tag-along. KazeHa stopped outside the doorway and shook his head at the mass of fallen gawkers. They were all moaning as they slowly pulled themselves up off the floor. Alexian stopped at the end of the hall and turned to look back at him – waiting for him to catch up. Sighing again, KazeHa made his way through the crowd and back to Alexian's side. He knew his master was mad at him but he honestly didn't want to be in the classes. How was he supposed to fulfill his duty to Alexian if he was never by his side? It was tearing him apart. He had a duty and yet....and yet he found that he enjoyed some of the classes, such as history and weapons practice. He could learn so much about these people from those two classes alone. He could do so much....
"I really wish you would stop antagonizing the teachers, KazeHa. I know that you'd enjoy the classes if you just stopped being so stubborn."
"Perhaps." KazeHa followed Alexian through the building and out into Companion's Field. He was honestly a little amazed when he saw it. It was his first time outside the main grounds. He stood there in the cool green grass, absorbing the sight of the wide meadow. Field, that didn't do justice to what he saw. He turned to look at the far corner and blinked. It looked like there was some sort of building out there. "What is that?"
Alexian turned and looked to where KazeHa was pointing. "That's the miniature Vale that Healing-Adept Firesong K'Treva built before the Mage Storms."
KazeHa blinked. He had absolutely no idea what any of that meant, but he wanted to see this Vale anyway. Turning back to Alexian, KazeHa intended to ask him if they could visit it but was stopped by the sight before him. Alexian was about twenty feet away from him now and hugging his companion, mumbling lovey-dovey things at her. KazeHa blanched. That was simply perverse, loving an animal like that. KazeHA shivered and moved farther away from the pair. He would stay close enough to be of help – but far enough away that he didn't have to watch them. Sitting down in the grass KazHa got comfortable and slowly dropped into a relaxing meditation. The world around him melted away.
Alexian sighed and sat down in the grass, leaning against Ylsa. ::What am I going to do with him, Ylsa? I know that he's not a bad person, he just...::
::He's bored and frustrated, which is not a good combination.:: Ylsa looked over to where the young man was sitting in the grass. ::It's hard on him, Chosen. He doesn't fit in here and he knows it. He knows how suspicious everyone is of him, even the heralds. He wasn't Chosen and so even they are having a hard time figuring out how to handle him.::
::I know that but I still don't know what to do. I feel terrible that he has no one to turn to, no one he can be himself with. I can kind of understand what he feels; I felt the same way back in his city, especially when I couldn't talk to you.::
::Exactly. Now imagine how it must be for him. He doesn't even have a Companion to remind him that he is loved and anything but alone. All he has is the duty he has to you and the two of us. The duty that we are keeping him from.:: Ylsa nuzzled her Chosen.
::I guess none of us have thought of that.::
::Exactly.:: Ylsa chuckled. ::I can understand why he hates "courtly graces" so much. After all his people have even more of them than we do and more of them are twice as refined as ours. It would seem pointless to make him go through all that class when his own should be suitable.::
Alexian was quiet for a long time. ::Ylsa, could you talk to the Dean's Companion and convince him of all of this?::
::Consider it done.::
Alexian and Ylsa lay back in the grass. For now their problems could be put on hold. They could simply lay out here in the grass, each enjoying the other's company. Hours passed by and they were finally forced to get up. The dinner bell had been rung and Alexian would have quite a ways to walk before he could get to the dining hall. Yawning, Alexian climbed onto Ylsa's back and the two made their way back towards the stables.
* * *
KazeHa was dreaming, or was it dreaming? He wasn't sure. He had never dreamed while meditating before. Breathing in the clean air, he somehow forgot to think about it. He was alone in a field of flowers. A river of water so clean and clear that it sparkled like jewels ran through the field. The water flowed over the rocks, filling the air with a song that spoke of contentment and freedom. The sky moved silently above, clouds of white as pure as fresh fallen snow dotted the sky. This place felt safe and free of worry and doubt. It seemed to fill emptiness deep inside him with a love so unconditional that it brought tears into his eyes. KazeHa didn't know why or how he had gotten here but he was glade that he was. Since his ceremonial death he had felt like a part of him had been lost. Then with the death of his mother the wound in his heart seemed to break open completely, causing a slow death to grow within him, eating away at everything that was left.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
KazeHa spun around and looked at the two figures standing above him. One was a beautiful man with long hair trailing to the ground from a crown of horns. He knew that man. He had worshiped in front of his shrines since he was a babe. This was the god of death, the judger of souls, standing before him. "Shinigami!"
"That is my name. But tell me young KazeHa, what think you of my garden?"
"It is beautiful my lord." KazeHa blinked and looked deep into the wide purple eyes. "But why am I here?"
"Ah...that is the question, isn't it?" Shinigami stepped up next to KazeHa and sat in the grass by him. The second man remained standing behind them. "You see lad, that you have a destiny to fulfill and I needed to bring you here to explain."
"Explain, my lord?"
"Your death. You see, KazeHa, that in order to fulfill your destiny and your Mother's dying wish you had to first become a ghost to your people. By being a part of their life you could never achieve what you are meant to." Shinigami glanced back over his shoulder at the other man and waved him to come closer. "KazeHa, this is Shai. He will be an important part of your life from this point forward."
KazeHa looked back at the man who had inched closer to where they sat in the grass. The man was tall, and lean. His hair was black and hung down to just above his shoulders. His eyes were a brown so dark that they seemed to be black and his skin glowed a rich earthy bronze. He was strikingly exotic. Not like Alexian was exotic, with his golden hair and emerald eyes, but he was beautiful nonetheless. "I don't understand."
"Not yet, but you will. In time everything shall become clear." With that Shinigami reached his hand out and traced KazeHa's cheek. KazeHa's eyes rolled back into his head and his body slumped forward. "In time, KazeHa, in time." Shinigami leaned forward and kissed KazeHa lightly on the forehead.
KazeHa sat bolt upright in the moist grass his head nearly colliding with the large white face above him. KazeHa flung himself backwards, shocked. His heart thundered in his chest. It had all been a dream. He was still in Companion's Field and by the looks of it night had already come. KazeHa looked around, searching wildly for Alexian and not finding him. The field was empty. A snort brought his attention back to the white face staring at him and KazeHa fell forever into a pair of crystal blue eyes.
Oooooh....a cliff hanger. Uh..is this a cliff hanger? * shakes head * Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know I did. It's starting to get exciting! But damnit I didn't get to put HER in the story again. Oh well. I guess you'll all just have to wait to find out who "She" is. (She was mentioned in part 5 by KazeHa.) And again I want to thank my wonderful beta reader for catching my mistakes!