Whooooooooeeeee…. It's been ages. Sorry this is so incredibly late…. But I have an excuse!
My story chapters are saved to my computer's Microsoft Word. BUT my computer went down and no longer connects to the internet properly, hence my inability to email it to myself or post it. So now I'm using my sister's computer in the hopes that it won't crash as well…
Again, many apologies.
Glorious; that was the only way to describe the day outside the white marble castle's walls. The wind rushed through the trees, copying the sound of the distant surf. The greenery that was laid out in a picturesque fashion below Cree and Amythest as they flew was dappled by the mellow light of the sun. The sun on the leaves was overcast by the outline of Cree and Amythest's wings as they traveled, and though it seemed an abomination against the sun it was almost relaxing the way their shadows dipped and rose with the level of the leaves.
The white marble castle the siblings had left behind was practically glowing with the late afternoon's light; every surface, curved, flat, or carved with ancient runes was lit up majestically. The castle being white was another symbol of the Crows' vanity; their dark colors stood out against the walls as they walked, and the floor was littered with glossy feathers. The castle itself stood out from it's dark green surroundings, a display of the Crows' wealth, ill gained or not.
As soon as the crystalline sea came into view, Cree shifted into his animal form. The feathers of his wings spread across his back, then his arms and legs. His arms then shrank into his body, and his legs shrank and shifted to the claws of a bird. A vicious beak formed from his face and his transformation finished.
"Change now," he ordered Amythest. The Crows could understand each other's speech no matter what form they were in. While Cree used a series of caws and body language to convey his point, Amythest still used Beorc speech.
"Err…. Do I have to?" she asked meekly.
"Yes…." Cree said impatiently, and he stopped to hovered and look at her just above the canopy of leaves.
"I… Er…." Amythest spluttered incoherently.
"Amythest, what's wrong?" Cree asked curiously, now aware that something was amiss.
"I can't change. I don't have a second form," Amythest said cautiously, in case anyone else was about.
"This is a poor joke."
"It's not a joke. That's why I'm always picked on, everyone thinks I'm just to scared or won't do it," Amythest muttered.
"Let's land before I fall out of the sky," Cree said clearly, and he quickly did so. Amythest followed, her hands clasped behind her back and her face a mask of shame.
Once positioned on the ground, Cree just looked up silently, as though asking for an explanation.
"I don't know why I can't," Amythest said in reply to this silent interrogation. Her dark green feathered wings were clamped closely against her back, a sign of immense frustration.
"Does anyone know other than me?" Cree asked after a long pause.
"No," Amythest answered truthfully. "You aren't going to tell Naesala (may-he-live-forever) are you?"
"Of course not, you're my sister," Cree retorted, almost offended that she had asked.
"Thank goodness, I don't think I could bear word of this specimen getting out," a new voice was heard gleefully saying.
Amythest and Cree turned to see several archers with arrows on their bowstrings and rather fat, unimposing man standing near them. They'd been so deep in their current problem they hadn't noticed them. The unimpressive man seemed to have more of his red hair on his upper lip than on his head, and was dressed in the robes of a priest.
"No no no my boy, you make another move and my archers will shoot you out of the air," the man tsked at Cree, who had started to spread his wings for flight. Amythest's eyes were about the only thing that betrayed her alarm, she remained in the same position as she had been when she was talking to Cree.