Book of the Mother - 8

Raziel was already waiting for me in the castle gardens when I arrived. “I didn't know what to wear... all I have are my robes.” I smiled, I was excited to see the other world, I knew I shouldn't, but it only made me more excited.

“You'll be fine as you are, Arkn aren't affected by anything on Earth.” Raziel replied, holding his hand out to me. “Come now. I won't let anything happen to you, your safe with me.” He smiled and beckoned.

“Don't we have to fly? I can't really fly.” I couldn't stop myself looking down, flight was something so common for Arkn but I couldn't.

“Why can't you? Your wingspan is fully capable of holding you.”

“I...wasn't taught to... Muses aren't taught to fly, we just...never go anywhere.” He looked surprised for a moment, by nodded.

“Of course... Don't worry, I'll take us there, just take my hand.”

The instant he took my hand, the ground shifted as the world seemed to shift out from under me and the entirety of the city was swallowed in a black void. For a moment, it felt like I was falling then I saw it, the only thing in the darkness it looked like a red glowing web, hundreds of thousands of branches all extending out, as we grew closer, I saw it was like a tree, and we were about to collide with the topmost branch. I closed my eyes, but no impact ever came. Instead, as I opened my eyes, I found something amazing.

It was a grassy meadow, at the foot of a mountain and surrounded by a thick forest. Birds and other wildlife flew and scurried about, going about their daily lives. "What are they? Those don't look like humans..." I asked, barely able to breathe with all the information I was taking in.

"Those are animals, they aren't as  advanced as humans. The flying ones are called birds, there are many kinds of birds. We have them in the Golden City as well, but they are only seen in one area." Raziel smiled as I stared at the creatures as they landed on the ground in front of me, seeming to prefer the company of the large ones so like their own. Seeing a body of water close by I separated from Raziel and walked away, causing a clamor of sounds in the grass.

I walked to a small lake in the center of the field, gazing in I found things... wriggling in the water, strange things with large heads and gaping mouths, eyes on the sides of their heads seemed to see me and they fled as I approached. "Those are fish, the live in water, but not everything that lives in water is a fish."

"Oh..." I looked at the grass, trying to find the source of the noise, it seemed to permeate in every nook and cranny of this strange place.

"There's so much I can show you about this world, Lahabrea. But we don't have all the time in this world, Would you like to see the humans now?" He asked, looking happier than I had ever seen him as he held out  his hand to me.

The world Raziel showed me was like nothing I had ever even dreamed of. Cities so much like our own in the city, built from stone, metal and even materials I had never heard of, like Plastic and Brick. The roofs of their spires  covered in gold and instead of building within and updating, castles were all abandoned in favor of the strange artificial world. The humans had roaring machine that moved them from place to place, they looked like Arkn, but had no wings and no powers. Raziel explained that these humans were descendants of Arkn that the god Malek took and placed on earth and most had no powers like us, but as I spied on them, I saw sparks of us, they would at times show moments of psychic insight, one even seemed to spot me even though Raziel assured me they couldn't see us.

Most of all, they behaved like us, but at the same time, not like us. They showed a immense capacity to love one another, and at the same time, their cruelty seemed to know no bounds. But even as I saw them kill one another, more so I saw them loving and protecting each other... one would selflessly sacrifice their life for another without a thought, and it was on one particular teleport that I saw it, a human fledgling wandering into the path that the machine roared on, it had wandered out of its territory and into the street after a lost item. It didn't notice, but I saw the roaring metal machination flying down the road twords it. Its mother seemed to finally see it and began running from the house after it, I followed suit despite Raziel's shout.

It happened in moments, I dashed in front of the child. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I wasn't going to let this wingless fledgling die. The sound of bells started softly, and in one movement I opened my shimmering wings, rays of golden light lighting the area. The  machine impacted against the wall of light and the front of it was crushed as if it hit a wall. The human fledglings mother ran forward and scooped up its child, to my confusion crying thanks and looking in my direction.

"We have to go, now." Raziel ran up and took my hand, and with a huge shift under my feet we were back in the meadow.

"Raziel, I'm sorry... I couldn't just let it die.." the magus paced in the grass with a troubled look.

"It's Ok, Lahabrea..." He breathed, flapping to fan himself.

I waited and watched him in silence as he calmed down and finally he stopped pacing and sighed. "I'm sorry I panicked like that. You were seen by a human and I wanted to get you out of there, It wasn't your fault, Lahabrea."

"I just couldn't let that child die."

"I understand, I just don't want anything to happen to you..." Raziel sighed, after a few minutes he looked at me and smiled. "Lahabrea, I want to teach you how to fly."

"Raziel, I don't know, I've never flown and I don't like the idea of it..."

"Your a Arkn, Lahabrea, you should have the ability to be proud of it."

I stood there for a long moment, considering what to do. “Ok, I don't know... but Ill do it” He smiled brightly, looking genuinely happy.

“Ok, spread you wings completely out.” He did it and I followed. “Now, will yourself into the air, this is important, you must want to fly for it to work. Once you are ready, flap your wings downward and do it with all your power.”

I did as he said, filling my mind with thoughts of flight and finally thrusting my wings down with all the force I could muster. “Good, perfect Lahabrea. You're doing fine. Now open your eyes.”

I screamed as I saw that I was hundreds of feet above the ground. And nearly fell if it wasn't for Raziel, he caught me by the hand and glided down with me, banking in circles. We were both laughing as he took hold of me, flapping hard a few times to land gracefully on the grass.

“I'd loved to have thought that that massive burst of power and the words of the humans seeing an Angel were just a coincidence, but it appears as though I can't even have that much hope.” We both turned to see Raphael walking twords us, his staff in hand.

“Raphael, don't. It was a accident, I got her out of there.” Raziel said, stepping between the emerald Arkn and me.

“She intervened in the lives of the humans! You and me BOTH know very well the consequences of that!” Raphael had completely lost his normal, calm demeanor and was shouting at Raziel.

“That was in the past, and please, not in front of Lahabrea.” The magus spoke calmly, trying to calm the healer down.

“No! She needs to know what happens when Arkn play with humans!”

“Raphael! Do NOT bring Asmodeus into this!”

“My brother interfered in the lives of humans too! He fell in love with them and ruined all of humanity!”

“This is completely different situation Raphael! Lahabrea is not the same as Asmodeus!”

“And why do you think that Raziel!? Because shes your-”

“DRE'NAHT'MUHAN!!”

The air froze at Raziel's shout and Raphael stopped and stared. The air itself had stilled, nothing made a single sound, nothing could. Gradually, the birds began to sing ans sound slowly returned to the world.

“You actually used a word.” Raphael said.

“We are going back now, Come Lahabrea. I need to get you back to the Sanctuary.” All I could do in my utter confusion was nod and take his hand and we both were sucked into the darkness of the teleportation.