Whispers In The Wind- Ch. 4

She looked around and sniffed the air....she couldn't put her finger on it but there was something...something there that wasn't there before. Nothing unpleasant, nothing scary...Just...something. She fell to the ground with a thud folding her feet beneath her. This was all unusual and peculiar. It took her awhile to get her left wing to close but she managed it. She looked up at the four who stood in front her. 1

“Whatever it is, I’ll get to the bottom of it.” Nyela said under her breath. Her father’s expression changed and his eyes shifted to her wing. 2

“When did that happen?” he asked. 3

“One of them broke it when they gagged me.”4

He stood taken aback and stared between Drake and Nyela, “When I find him I’m going to break ever bone in his body.”5

Nyela’s eyes darted to Drake but she said nothing. He hung his head avoiding eye contact with her. She scoffed and shook her head. 6

“I told you two to return her in one piece,” her father growled, “Not even that he can’t do right.”7

She breathed in heavily, looking up at those who stood in front her, “Can I ask you a question?”8

The tone in her voice alone told Drake he was not to interfere any further in the conversation. Acknowledging silently, he stepped back, mumbling something to the guards, who in turn left with Drake. 9

“Drake said I wasn’t the first to be taken by the humans,” Nyela started. He simply nodded but said nothing more. She rolled her eyes, “Then why did you take so long to come for me?” 10

He opened his mouth to reply then suddenly snapped his mouth shut. A deep frown settled across his face. He walked to the edge of the roof and looked down. At that moment, all was drowned out by the landing of a guard. Both their gazes shifted to the kneeling figure beside them. 11

“Rise young Halfling,” her father said. 12

“Sir Mushu has returned from Inixu you wished to be informed.”13

“Thank you.”14

Nyela raised a brow in amazement as her father began walking towards the end of the tower as though she was never there. It became clear to her then that he wasn’t going to answer her. 15

“Master Dyith, what shall we do with milady?” 16

He looked back over his shoulder, “She is not a prisoner, she can find ways to entertain herself.” he paused, “You will return to your room and you will stay there until the hunting party is set off. Only then will you be allowed to leave. I’ll have your chambermaid summon you to the Great Hall afterwards.”17

Nyela didn’t bother to let him know that she heard him. She simply rose and walked over the parapet and looked down at her balcony. Sighing, she flew down landing gracefully this time and leaned against the balustrade. She just stared off into nowhere and allowed everything that was on her mind to just roam. 18

“Penny for your thoughts, young Aduilen?” 19

Nyela’s head snapped behind her. Sitting on her roof was the cloaked figure she had seen on the roof before her father appeared. But he hadn’t been there when she looked down. 20

Had he? He looked up at her, hood only revealing his sinister grin. He flew down to where she stood removing his hood and bowing. Nyela rolled her eyes and turned to look out at the plains beyond the city, not paying him a second glance. She heard him chuckle lightly before leaning across the balustrade to stare across at her. 21

“Where did you go?” she asked becoming uneasy with the way he was just staring at her.
“Nowhere.”
Nyela raised a brow, “You weren’t there all the time.”
“Yes I was.” He replied simply. Nyela looked across at him, gasping when she saw the color of his hair. It was spiked and dark blue with a mixture of black. He was pale just like she was and from what she could see his eyes were blue also. 22

“Why do you have blue hair?” she asked, she hadn’t recalled seeing anyone with blue hair. But then again this city in itself was a big place. 23

“I have no idea.” Was his response but it came from her right. She turned mouth agape. She looked back to where he was standing then back at him. He grinned, “What’s wrong?”24

“Y...y...you were just there.” She said pointing to where he once stood. He shrugged, “I don’t like over there, and you look a whole lot better from this angle.”25

Nyela blushed, shaking her head, “How did you do it?”26

“I didn’t do anything,” he shrugged and took a step, “it’s just how you look at it.”
Nyela watched as he disappeared and ended up back on the roof. He vanished again appearing in front of her. He pressed his index finger up against her chin, shutting her open mouth. He walked to the right of her and leaned against the balustrade. 3127

“Magic?” Nyela asked. 28

He chuckled, “No…Well if that’s what you want to believe in then sure. But I’m an illusionist.”
“Illusionist?” Nyela repeated.
“Yes illusionist. Aren’t that many in any of the cities of Cartoni.” 29

Nyela raised a brow and stared at him waiting for him to explain it further. He remained quiet for minute or two before pointing to a part of the plains that was a dark deep green, “The Great Battle of Ilixir was fought there.” 30

“Hmm, that same Ilixir who talks gibberish in the wind?”31

He chuckled, shaking his head at how she’d said it, “Yes Ny, that same Ilixir.” 32

Nyela shivered, the way he said her name just set her nerves off the edge. 33

“I guess you can say it started with the founding of the cities of Cartoni. Carsi, Arston, Renthu, Trinix, Oriando, Narjes and Inixu the seven cities that make up Cartoni, each guarding a point on the border between this realm and the human realm. Ilixir founded them all. Many say he was a gift from the gods themselves or that they believed he had a godly father and a mortal mother that’s how he roamed through the Other Realm for so many years. Whatever the story, no one knows for sure where he came from. Many knew of his name and many feared just the name alone. He was a man of magic so indescribable that not even the greatest of the best put together could inflict pain against him even he allowed them too. How he was even killed is a mystery to many.” he said shaking his head. He breathed in heavily. Nyela stared out at the spot of grass. 34

“They say when he died his blood seeped deep in the earth and that’s the reason it’s that color.” he answered catching her gaze. She sank low resting her head on her hands, “How’d he die?”35

“Like any active being would want to die. Doing what they do best,” he sighed, “If I remember correctly, it was around the time Arston was founded. Ilixir had, only a few days before, chosen a new king. The other exiled for fraternizing with humans. Somehow, someway, the humans found a way in. Their attack was silent and hidden by night. By the time someone raised the alarm half of the Arston population was dead. Soldiers, women, even the babies slaughtered in cold blood.”36

Nyela shivered. Something about the way he said it made her blood scream. She couldn’t bring herself to even envision it. The rays of the sun vanished behind a cloud that threatened to drown them in rain. Nyela looked up at the clouds. They stretched across the sky, covering it hiding the sun away. She looked backed at him. It was like he was deep in thought as lines of frown were buried on his face. 37

“Ilixir had had already returned here to Renthu by the time the news of the attack reached his ears. He turned around then and sent all of our warriors to aid Arston. Unknown to him or any one, the humans had a ten thousand force hiding amongst the shadows of the borderland, ready to attack Renthu. Ilixir created this great fighting force. Multiples of himself, you could call it that, but they covered that entire plain and stretched for miles out of sight. They say that war raged on for days on end. Even those who had left for Arston returned, fought, died and Ilixir still stood fighting replicating himself until out of nowhere, they just vanished. It was unbelievable, those watching from the higher level stood in fright when they saw the way his body fell to the earth. 38

“When his body fell, the skies opened up and the worst storm that ever lined any of the cities of Cartoni came crashing finishing off any human left standing. Most were so transfixed with the storm that not many noticed when Ilixir’s body was moved. Those who saw said that the gods picked up him off the ground and took him to their castle in the clouds.” he paused for a minute before breathing, “Me personally, I don’t think he’s dead but who am I.”
“So this language of his…?” Nyela asked.
“I believe that was given to us after his death to help keep us ready for anything. Everyone can understand it but only the Protectors and those in the league of Knowers can speak it. Anything else on that topic you’ll have to ask someone in the library of Trax.”39

The door from her bed chamber opened and Chinda came out, “Master Trae, I’m sorry…I didn’t know-“
“It’s alright.” He grunted beginning to hate the way everyone knew it was him by the color of his hair.
“Mistress Nyela, your father has requested your presence in the Great Hall.”40

Nyela nodded breathing out heavily. Chinda bowed before cowering out and shutting the door behind her.
“You know you could always not show up.” He said looking down at her. Nyela shook her head, “I think I’ve cost him enough embarrassment for the day.” “Embarrassment?” he laughed, “Ny, you haven’t even begun to embarrass him. He’s just…,” he finished with a shrug. 41

Nyela shook her head and stood upright. He watched as she walked to the door.
“If I did decide to skip,” she said over her shoulder, “Where?”
He grinned, “That would just ruin the surprise, Ny. But we both know you’re going to go.”
She shrugged, “Think of this as a business meeting.”
He laughed, “See you later, Ny.”
She started off again only to stop short, “Tell you what, Trae, save it for another day.”
“I’ll be holding you to your word,” he whispered against her back. He turned and looked down at the plains before sighing and taking off in the direction of the mountain.