Realm of Wings

A/n: Alright, because I don't want to be the cause of severe malnutrition, lack of sleep, stress or any other symptome that might come along with the incapability of reading another chapter... Here you go @beladiyameera as you wanted to make me promise, a new chapter today! 💛😍

Jade, still holding the shirt halfway her neck, while everyone else is confused about her tattoo:

“What do you mean, it’s different? Different how?” I asked perplexed.

“Remember how it was a dead tree with dead leaves at the base of the trunk?” Neil asked and I hesitantly said ‘yes’ to it. “Well, we either both were blind at that time, or I’m hallucinating right now.” He said.

“Yes Jade, this isn’t just a dead tree anymore.” Trixie chuckled.

I turned myself around to see where the mirror was as I was desperate to know what they were talking about and I needed to see it with my own two eyes. Neil quickly turned himself away, not to be able to see my bare torso and again Kallan grunted from me not giving a shit about who saw me half-naked.

But even though he was displeased, he followed me to the body-length mirror that stood in the corner of his room and I discarded the shirt I was wearing as it was constricting me to see everything.

Again, as a form of protection, Kallan stood in front of my body this time, making sure that no one else could see me, and when I was decent, in some sort of way, Neil and Trixie came standing next to me.

“What the fuck?” I cursed once I took a look in the mirror, facing my back towards it. “How is this possible?” I asked whoever had the answer.

There where the flimsy, black, dead tree had been standing, together with indeed the dead leaves that had been laying on the ground before; there was now a broad, strong tree, with branches filling my complete shoulders, and little buds of orange leaves sprung out of every end of each branch! And the branches weren’t shaped like a normal Earthly Oak, they were swirling in different directions and even showing some intricate patterns that were nearly looking the same as the runes on my arm. And I don’t know what the small orange buds would bloom into, but this beautiful tree with the runes, leaves and branches was indeed something so much different than what it had been before!

This whole tattoo was beautiful and delicate, even though the wide trunk of the tree wasn’t showing any weakness or delicacy as the buds and branching design showed opposingly. Instead, the trunk of the tree showed determination, strength and the unwillingness to die any time soon. It was letting me know that should every branch and leave be torn away from the trunk of the tree, they would just grow back eventually, as the trunk would remain standing.

Somehow this tree did feel like me. This tattoo did show my sturdy nature but also the power to bloom into something powerful and magical. And if anyone should crumble me down by tearing away everything I have, I would still have my body, my soul, my mind, to carry me back to my former strength.

I will never back down from any challenge and I will never show my weakness, besides towards the people that were in this room right now, even though I hated to admit to that.

But the question remained… How is this possible?

“Could it be that now I’m here on Kyalthemar, the energy I have received, has been empowering the tree as well?” I asked once I looked back into Kallan’s eyes.

He had to compose himself to forcibly look into my eyes instead of downwards, but even when he managed to turn his gaze upwards he could only nod to that question.

He took a few breaths to steady his heartbeat. “It’s not only that, Jade. Look,” He nodded towards the mirror and put his hand on my back, to point to something I hadn’t seen before. “You see this groove here, the vertical line on the tree’s trunk?” He asked and I hummed to him agreeing. “That’s where our magic seeps out and swirls into the ground to create a puddle of magic liquid.” He continued and I instantly got confused.

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“Our magic comes from living near one of the magical trees that grow on Kyalthemar. Your tattoo looks just like our magic-giving fountains, yet much stronger.” He explained.

Well, that was a strange thought, because Kallan has mentioned the fountains before, but I always assumed them to be like those old stone fountains. Maybe bigger, more sophisticated or whatever, but never for them to be trees!

It makes sense though that when I was on Earth, the tattoo didn’t feel a connection to one of these trees, thus making it look like a dead and burnt plant. But as soon as I arrived here, at the capital on this side of the planet, it immediately recognised the existence of one.

“But why isn’t the tree fully blossoming? Is there something wrong with the fountain close by?” I asked.

“As my father explained to me, when the rift was placed by your great-grandfather, it separated the connection between the original fountain and all the other ones that are on this side of Kyalthemar. Hence the reason why I can’t understand my father not wanting to put it down, as it would enhance our power and strength if we would be able to fully embrace the complete quantity of our magic.” He sighed. “But that’s one of the many things on our to-do list to find out as well, I guess.”

Kallan looked annoyed when he said that, knowing that there are still plenty of things we need to get figured out about me, my heritage and the rift. But as soon as I wanted to say something about it, a bolt of lightning struck down to earth, close by the palace. Trixie immediately ran over to the window and upon opening the curtains, we all could see dark clouds and heavy rainfall coming our way.

Kallan picked up my shirt and tossed it my way before going to the window himself as well. “Get dressed.” He managed to say while opening his balcony doors.

He suddenly looked stressed and angry when he stepped outside the doors and held his hands on the railing of the balcony. I got intrigued by the sudden interest of both Trixie and Kallan in this sudden change of weather, but it wasn’t something I haven’t seen before. I mean, it’s just a storm, right?

“Is something wrong?” I asked them both as soon as I stepped outside as well and was standing next to them.

“It’s too soon. Why is this happening now?” Trixie asked Kallan, ignoring my question. “I don’t know, but I’m starting to believe that all the things we have experienced the past few days, aren’t coincidental.” Kallan replied to her. “You believe Jade has something to do with this?” Trixie continued the conversation towards Kallan, without considering my existence here with them.

“Hello! I’m right here!” I said annoyed. “What is going on!”

Kallan and Trixie turned around and finally started talking to me. “These rain clouds aren’t supposed to be here for another month or so.” Kallan started, which was followed by another strike of lightning, closer to the palace than the last one. “Each year, on every change of season, a natural occurrence happens to signal the start of a new period. Snow blizzards, floods, hurricanes and lightning storms.” He said while pointing at the sky at mentioning the storms.

“And these moments are expected at the same time, periodically, through all of our years. But they are so devastating that we have to protect our citizens and guide them safely to the palace grounds and close the outer walls once they are all in here.” He continued to speak while walking back inside as the rain started to fall quickly now.

I took a moment longer to see what he was talking about as I couldn’t believe a thunderstorm to be so disastrous to have to be forced to shelter people from it. But as I gazed at the dark clouds that were near to above us, they started to shimmer with purple sparks and it seemed that the clouds were charging up to shoot some heavy-duty bolts downwards soon.

And when I looked at the ground, I noticed a lot of people running and flying to the palace borders in distress and fear, grabbing their children and elderly people and rushing themselves towards the walls.

This was the first time, ever since I had gotten here, that I actually had taken the time to step out and look into this world. But there where I wanted to see everything, the sky became darker by the minute and I couldn’t appreciate the view that I believed to be given by this balcony on normal days. Even so, I could still see strange creatures walking and flying, and the foliage around the palace gardens had plants that weren’t normal, compared to those on Earth.

Kallan called for me to get inside as the purple clouds started to buzz with a soft humming while another strike of lightning touched the palace grounds. “We have to gear up and guide our people to safety.” He said once the doors towards the balcony were closed.

He suddenly was in full serious mode again and ready to face the trials the weather would unleash upon this place. Neil was ordered to stay inside this room, as all the Fae who would gather up here, wouldn’t want to be troubled by the knowledge of human presence in their world. Especially now that this thunderstorm was here so sudden and unannounced.

So after making sure that Neil would be okay with me leaving, I followed Kallan and Trixie. Our plan to talk to Kallan’s parents about me and my roots would have to come later.

On our route to the place where we could find the gear Kallan mentioned, several people approached Kallan to inform him of everything that was going on so far. He gave them new commands and ordered for guards to man the outer walls and guide the citizens inside as quickly as they could.

But just like I hadn’t had taken the time to look outside, there hadn’t been a time that I had seen the inside of the palace either as I hadn’t left Kallan’s room yet. And as his room looked rather normal, besides being huge and having all the comfort and things that he wanted, the rest of the palace looked nothing like it!

Kallan’s room was painted and decorated in dark colours, had a closet filled with clothes, a normal four-poster bed, and electronic devices like an alarm clock and a tv and such. Yes, they were looking expensive and they probably were, but I wouldn’t have assumed any different from a Prince. But walking through these halls was an entirely opposite feeling.

The milky-white pillars that supported the ceilings looked as if they were floating on air as gentle mist surrounded the base of each one of them. The ceilings self were covered in small tiles showing intricate designs and a complete story of war and love at each of the hallway’s intersections. And the walls were both open and closed as there was some sort of esoteric glass wall covering the space in between two pillars.

But even though this all sounds as if no expenses were made to create this building, I could tell that it had seen better days. Everywhere chips of stone had broken off the pillars, tiles from the ceiling were missing and the magical walls were flickering as if the battery of the lighting behind it was about to run out of energy.

I guess that when Kallan explained about the separation to the Aether Fae part, the Fae on this side had gotten separated from their magical funds too. It wasn’t like the people were poor now, as they were handling themselves pretty well, but it’s just that it’s easy to tell that they are missing something. They have to work hard to replenish the magical tree, and by seeing this it almost seems as if the Aether Fae are keeping the best goods for themselves.

“Capture her!” It suddenly sounded right after we rounded a corner. And suddenly roots, fire and bright sunlight engulfed my body and sight.

A/n: But I only got 4 more chapters written atm, so don't rush me into updating another tomorrow! Haha 💛 Love you Meera!