Fourteen Candles, Two Wings

A lone bird cried in the dark cold night awakening Azarai from her thoughts. She quickly cast her eyes to the full moon; it was high in the sky above her head. She sat motionless on the highest branch of her favorite tree as she tried to determine how long she had been out there. More than a mere few hours she noted. Most likely it was around 2 in the morning. She quickly grabbed her worn out black canvas bag before gracefully descending the tree by jumping from one branch to another. Once on the ground she burst out in a fast sprint hoping against hope her mother had not found her empty bed.
"Oh she'll kill me if she finds out!" Azarai exclaimed as she hopped the fence that surrounded her mothers garden. She slowed down and tiptoed through; making sure she did not hurt any of the plants. Once she cleared the garden she ran as fast as she could towards the small building that was her house. The building was made up of three different levels. First was the ground floor which was nothing more than a kitchen fireplace and small sitting area, on the second floor there was one master bedroom that her mother and step-father slept in, three other bedrooms which her other 6 siblings slept in and then there was the third floor where was nothing more than a small attic converted into her room. The house was crowded but no one ever noticed, all except Azarai the oldest of the children.
There was only one window in her room and right next to that window was a large sturdy tree with long branches that touched the window pane. This was how she planned on getting in unnoticed, that was only if one of the little whelps, she called siblings, didn't shut it because of the draft it would often cause. But soon her hopes crashed because the window was closed and very likely locked.
"I couldn't have been destined to be an only child, could I?" Azarai whispered to herself as she made her way by moonlight to the back door. Silently she pushed the door open and tiptoed inside, shutting the small wooden door behind her.
"Azarai SilverRose! Where have you been?" Azarai's mother, Corva, stepped out of the shadows with Azarai's baby half brother in hand.
"Mum, why are you up so late?" Azarai asked trying to look innocent as she flung her bag behind a chair, hoping her mother hadn't seen it.
"Sojun was crying. Now what's your excuse? Where were you?"
"Well I." Azarai tried to think as she ran a hand through her messy black and white hair. Her hand stopped at her necks she darted her eyes around the kitchen. "I was out chasing. a fox. away from your garden." Azarai closed her eyes and hung her head as she realized her mother wouldn't buy that story.
"Azarai," her mother stated sternly placing one hand on her hip while holding Sojun with the other.
"Yes ma'am?" Azarai asked weakly opening her eyes and trying to manage a small innocent smile.
"I'm not buying it. You were at the SilverRose tree again, weren't you?" Azarai dropped here eyes and nodded. "You know I have no problem with you going there in the day time while the sun is up but once it sets it is far to dangerous for you out there by yourself," she sternly stated sitting down at the kitchen table and placing Sojun on her knee. Azarai walked by and swooped him up and held him close to her.
"Mum, this house is too crowded and to loud."
"And I understand that. But there are people out there that would not think twice before snatching up a beautiful young girl like your self."
"I am not beautiful," Azarai stated softly to her self in a defeated tone while sitting down across from her mother.
"Honey do not ever talk like that. You are beautiful"
"That is not what the town's people say."
Corva startled both Azarai and Sojun by banging her fist hard against the table that lay between them. "Azarai they are wrong, terribly wrong."
"Mum they call me a freak."
"You are no freak."
Azarai jumped out of her chair and stared straight into her mother's eyes. "Mum yes I am. I have two different color eyes. My left eye is black and my right is white. That is not normal. My hair is black as a starless sky with white bangs and white tips."
"No it is not normal, it is different and different is not always a bad thing."
"Mum listen to me. I'm almost 14 and I am almost as tall as Kami."
"Your step father is short for a man of his age."
"But not by much. Mum, I am a freak. My very nails grow into points, sharp points, like nails of a cat." Azarai hugged Sojun tight as she sat back down.
Corva sighed and hung her head. "Azarai I think you are finally old enough to hear what I am about to say. But first we need to put Sojun to sleep." She stood up and walked around the table. Azarai watched her and gently handed the already sleeping Sojun back to her mother. Corva took her youngest child and headed towards the staircase that leads to the second floor. Azarai gracefully picked her self up out of her seat, grabbed her bag and followed her mother to the second floor.
The top of the stairs empted out into a small hall with six doors, four bedrooms and one washroom with a bath and mirror, the sixth door lead to the attic, Azarai's room. Corva stepped into one of the four bedrooms to put Sojun back in his crib and returned with a small burning candle. Silently they walked to the stairs that lead to Azarai's room. Once on the top of the stairs Corva began lighting the few candles in the room before placing her own on a small end table next to the bed.
"Sit Azarai." Corva motioned to the bed as she sat in a small wooden chair next to the window. "Azarai they are scared of you, just like they were scared of your father when he had arrived in this town a mere 15 years ago. People in this town do not take kindly to strangers and when they see you they see a stranger."
"But I am no stranger; I have lived here all my life." Azarai furrowed her brows in a questioning manner.
"You are not a literal stranger. You are different and that to them is what makes you a stranger. They fear what you may be capable of one day because they knew what your father was capable of. He stayed here about a year and a half helping me after your grandfather suddenly passed on. Their ignorance is born from fear. You are neither a freak nor anything less than beautiful. Now get some rest. I'll let you sleep late but only for an hour or two. Then we'll talk about your birthday tomorrow, for today has already arrived." Azarai smiled and nodded as she blew the candles out that were close to her while her mother blew out the others and took the original candle with her.
"Sweet Dreams mum," Azarai whispered as she got into her sleeping clothes than into bed.
"Sweet Dreams my little cat," Corva answered with a smirk.
"You really are not funny," Azarai stated tiredly as she rolled onto her side and immediately started to drift off to sleep. Her mother walked down the stairs, through the door shutting it behind her and into her own room.
Kami say up in bed with one candle burning and watched his wife place her candle down on her bed stand. She quickly climbed into the bed she shared with her loving husband, Kami. Smiling, both extinguished their candles before curling under the light summery covers.
"How was Sojun?" Kami asked.
"He was fine but now I'm worried about Azarai."
"Why is that?" Kami turned his head to look into Corva's large blue eyes.
"I caught her sneaking in again. She was out at the last SilverRose tree."
"I never got why she goes out there. She's been going there since she learned how to walk."
"She goes there to think. There are eight other people in this house, six younger. She said it herself, 'this house is too crowded and too loud.' She's not like the others."
"Yeah she actually likes to read." Kami's lips turned up in a small grin. Corva chuckled before playfully slapping her husband's arm.
"What a smart arse!" Kami softly laughed as he tightened his arms around his wife's waist.
"Kami really I'm beginning to worry about her though."
"How so?" he asked staring up at the ceiling.
"I called her beautiful and she argued with me, telling me she's not, that that she is a freak."
"What?" Kami was quite surprised at this. "She is no freak. And she is quite beautiful."
"I know but she kept saying that the town's people were calling her one."
"People can be ignorant especially in this small town."
"I ... I just wish I could do something." Kami heard the defeat in his wife's voice and looked over at her. Her beautiful blue eyes were closed but Kami could still see the tears about to spill at the corners. He frowned and moved closer. He loved Azarai deeply, like she was his own flesh and blood. She felt the same way even though she would never admit it. It hurt him deeply to hear this. He knew how cruel the town's people treated her, but to hear that she believed them was what hurt and shocked him the most. Ever since Azarai's birth the small town of Kireal had turned their backs on Corva and the SilverRose family. It was only after he had married her, the son of the town's most respectable Inn keeper, then the town started to acknowledge both mother and daughter once more.
He kissed the top of Corva's head and pressed his cheek to the place he had just kissed. Both lay there for a several minutes before they slowly started to drift off to sleep. Right before both totally succumbed to the quiet realm of sleep Corva muttered, "My angel is no freak." Kami smiled and let sleep claim him as well.

Azarai awoke the next morning via someone roughly shaking her shoulder. "Come on, get up!" A small voice reached her ears but she shook both the voice and the hand off before rolling over and trying to go back to sleep. "Wake up! Come on kitty."
The now disgruntled teen popped one eye open and was greeted by a child's face pushed into her own. "What did you call me, Yeena?" Azarai asked in a raspy morning voice while glaring sharp daggers at her younger half sister.
"Mum told me to call you that." Yeena stated as she pulled her face away. She stood up straight and placed her hands on her hips. "Get out of that bed now," Yeena said trying her best to act like their mother. While still glaring, Azarai got up and swung her feet over the side of the bed. There she sat as she begun to yawn and stretch.
"Well? Are you going to get up?" Yeena asked. Azarai smirked as she got to her feet.
With one hand the young teen messed up Yeena's shoulder length light brown hair. "Sure twerp." She slowly walked over to her closet and began to rummage through her clothes before selecting a pair of brown hand me down trousers from Kami and a whitish undershirt made out of cotton that was grown two towns over.
"Mum wants you to help her in the flower garden today." Azarai pretended she had just realized Yeena was still in the room as she took off her sleeping shirt.
"Your still here, twerp?"
"Stop calling me that!" Yeena demanded in a whinny voice as she stomped her foot before storming down the stairs and banging the door at the bottom. The young teen shook her head and finished getting dressed before heading down to the first floor.
The house was quiet, which was very odd for them. Azarai looked around before heading into the kitchen for the morning meal. The young teen saw her mother sitting at the small kitchen table that surprisingly fit everyone. Corva lifted her head and smiled at her eldest child who swooped by to give her a good morning peek on the cheek before sitting down in her seat, across from Corva. Corva pushed a plate of breakfast towards Azarai as she sat down in her chair.
"Mum? Where is everyone?" Azarai asked before she started to eat.
"Kami took everyone except Sojun and Yeena to the market in town." Corva stood up and placed her special gardening apron on before pouring Azarai a glass of well water. She turned away to try and hid her little smirk but Azarai had already seen it.
"Present shopping?"
"Maybe, now hurry up and finish, those new pansy seeds won't be planting themselves anytime soon." Azarai nodded and quickly finished her meal, taking both plate and glass over to the sink. The two SilverRoses walked out the back door and towards Corva's flower garden.
Azarai and her mother worked until a little after noon when Yeena came out to tell her mother that Sojun was crying. Corva rushed into the house with both her daughters close behind. Yeena went and sat down at the table watching her older sister prepare lunch. She set out bread and soup from the following night. By the time Azarai was done both Corva and Sojun had entered the kitchen. They ate in silence with the occasional giggled from the young Sojun.
"Mum may I be excused?" Azarai asked. Her mother nodded quickly before focusing her attention on the always struggling Sojun. Azarai cleared her dishes from the table and headed outside. Azarai went back to work in the garden until the sun began to set in the far west, with her mother helping as well. Around 4 in the even Azarai finished up and told her mother she was going for a short walk.
From there she walked out of her mother's flower garden and into the large wheat field. She zigzagged her way around the field until she was out of the sight of her mother's always watchful eye. Then she began to run, today she didn't head to the last SilverRose tree, today she headed towards the small pond that lay just on the inside edge of the near by forest that bordered the western side of her families property.
Once she arrived at the pond she collapsed near the waters edge and stared aimlessly into space. She listened to the soft songs of the birds around her and the carefree wind playing with the tall strong branches of the great trees. Her mother use to bring her here to play and splash around in the water when she was very little back when both were carefree. She came here to be carefree once more. But today she could not bring her self to get up and run and splash. Today she just let her eyes slowly trail over the ponds surface but soon her eyes began to drift shut as she relaxed, resting calmly against the cool ground. The birds beautiful songs lulled her to sleep before she could even think of moving.
When she awoke the sky had already darkened and the sun was fully set, the moon was rising quickly in the sky. Quickly she say up, shocked. "I fell asleep!" She cursed softly before getting to her feet. Just as she began to walk home she thought she saw the figure of a man out of the corner of her eye and a wisp of dark crimson colored hair. Azarai jumped and peered into the trees around her. She sensed something, someone watching her. She quickly turned in the direction of her house and ran out of the forest, through the field and straight to her back door without thinking.
'Damn it! I sensed it again.' Azarai thought as she silently climbed the stairs to her room. Once there she collapsed onto her bed and realized just how tired she really was. She didn't even bother to change tonight, she just kicked off her boots and crawled under the sheets and drifted back to sleep.
An hour later Corva climbed the stairs to her elder's bedroom hoping she would be there. The clock downstairs struck 10, the sound echoed in the quiet house along with her relieved sigh once she found her daughters bed full. All the children were asleep, even Azarai this time.
"4 more hours until you turn 14 my darling." With that she kissed her daughters forehead and left.

Azarai looked around in confusion. 'Where am I?' she wondered as she began to walk in no particular direction. The area around her was blurry and no matter how many times she blinked or rubbed her eyes she could do nothing to bring the world into focus. Slowly she reached out a hand and tried to touch anything around her.
"I'm not blurry!" Azarai exclaimed. It was true; when she looked down at her body and hands she realized her eyes where in focus, everything else wasn't. Just as she realized this fact the world around her started to focus, as if it had sensed her own revelation.
She was in a dark forest facing a large opening. There was someone there. The other person, obviously male was sitting cross legged on a large black rock. Azarai had this strange feeling like she had been here before.
"Hello?" Azarai called out stepping into the clearing. The figure didn't move just sat on the rock with his back straight. The wind picked up and started to dance wildly with Azarai's black and white hair along with the stranger's rust red hair. The young teen had never seen hair that color before, it looked unnatural.
From out of no where a deep eerie voice began to sing, a strange echoing enchantment,
"From a darkened forest
On a cold winter's night,
Comes a lost young girl,
With eyes full of life.
She looks to the dark skies,
And catches a glimpse
Of her fate at last.
The soul of a guardian.
The spirit of a savior.
She flies in dreams with Angels
And sleeps with the mortals tonight."
Azarai fell quickly under this strangers spell. Without her consent her own feet began to bring her closer to the red headed man. She had not even noticed how close to him she now was. All she had to do was to extend her arm and she could touch his silky long hair. But she didn't for she was too afraid.
Suddenly he turned around with a proud smile planted on his lips. "My sweet warrior," the man whispered in a loving tone before running into the woods.
"Wait!" Azarai cried out as she started after him. The forest was dark yet she could see perfectly. The trees around her were alive and healthy; she had seen this forest before she just knew it. It felt so familiar like a memory once forgotten. It was that forgotten memory that urged her into running faster, urging her on.
Without any explanation a sudden shock of pain ripped down her back. She dropped to her knees and squeezed her eyes shut. Digging the palms of her hands into the ground Azarai let out an agonizing scream. Her upper back felt like it was on fire. Ever nerve ending in her body was throbbing from the horrible pain. On all fours Azarai started to pant and gasp for air she desperately needed as the pain began to slightly lessen. Her back was still throbbing; it hurt to breath, to move, to even think. Azarai just collapsed onto the forest floor, her arms and legs gave out from under her. She shut her eye praying for the pain to leave her.
'What is happening?' Azarai questioned in her mind right before another wave of pain spread through out her body. Another scream ripped from her throat and echoed around her. She snapped her eyes open upon hearing running footsteps. She was back in her room, on her bedroom floor. "Mum?" Azarai whispered weakly to the darkness before shutting her eyes again.
"Azarai!" Corva gasped as she burst into the room. Her first born was lying on the floor in pain. Sweat dripped off of her in waves, and soaked every inch of her clothes. Corva ran to her daughter's side just as Azarai let out another blood curdling scream. Corva panicked not knowing what to do. Looking around Corva caught sight of a small blanket that lay untouched on the top of a small trunk at the foot of the bed. She grabbed it and knelt beside her daughter.
"Honey, I'm here. Azarai what's wrong?" Corva pleaded desperately while dabbing Azarai's skin.
"Mum, my-" Azarai couldn't finish her sentence before another burst of pain spread from her back through her body causing her to cry out.
Kami rushed up behind his wife with fear in his eyes. He did not know what to do, just that he needed to get her off the hard floor. Slowly he gently picked her up and placed her on the bed before placing a light blanket over her body. Corva sat on the bed beside her daughter with fear in her heart and horrors of all kinds swimming around in her mind.
"Kami get some water," Corva ordered before looking to the stairs. It was the first time she had noticed five of her children were crowed around the top of the staircase. They parted down the middle to let their father through before hugging back together.
"Mum, is she okay?" Noyimato, Azarai's 11 year old brother, asked as he stepped forward towards his mother and half sister.
"My back," Azarai cried gripping the bed sheets. Azarai felt like her back was being ripped open. She was scared and confused. Nothing could take her thoughts off the pain in her back.
Corva quickly turned back to her eldest and tried to think of something to do. "Azarai let go of the bed sheet," Corva soothed her daughter into letting go before gently turning her onto her stomach. Corva's loud gasp echoed through out the silent room. On the back of Azarai's shirt two thick slash shape blood stains stood out clearly. The stains were still bright red and wet. "Noyi get them down stairs and being me a knife. And hurry." At the sound of their mother's frightened voice the children scattered, doing as they were told.
A minute later Kami returned with Noyimato not far behind. Kami placed the bucket of water on a near by table and plunged a wooden cup into it. He handed it to his wife in a hurry before kneeling next to the bed gripping Azarai's hand. Noyi handed the knife off to his father who looked utterly confused as he let Azarai's hand go.
"Cut her shirt open," Corva ordered. With one look at the bloody shirt Kami figured it out. Without disturbing Azarai's back he ripped the shirt open. There on Azarai's back lay two vertical slashes deep in her skin. Each one was directly over a shoulder blade.
Azarai screamed again drawing Corva's attention away from the slashes. She felt her daughter's forehead, she was burning up. Slowly she lowered the cup of water to her daughter's lips and desperately urged her to drink. Azarai greedily gulped down half of the water before crying out once more in pain. Corva placed the cup on the ground before taking the small blanket she had before and placing one of the edges into the water and than dabbing it across Azarai's forehead and back, making sure not to go near her shoulder blades. Azarai's skin was burning up and the water did very little to change that.
Azarai watched all this from clouded eyes. She couldn't hear a thing, not her mother's voice or the sound of their not so steady breathing. All she could hear was that song, the one from her dream. It echoed in her skull. No sound could match it.
"Mum?" Azarai asked in a small voice as she reached out her hand. But all too soon her vision darkened and her hand dropped like dead weight to the ground. She lay there unconscious with her mother, step-father and little brother watching her in horror trying to think of what to do.

Corva didn't leave her daughter's side once since she had passed out. Kami had ordered Noyimato back to bed right after they had gotten a hold of themselves. Soon after that Kami kissed his wife's head and went down stairs to boil some water.
On the second floor all six siblings, including Sojun who was sitting in Yeena's lap, huddled into Noyimato's and Arun's room, the two eldest of the six. They waited three hours for any kind of news on Azarai's condition. It pulled apart their nerves one by one, all fearing the worst. No one dared to voice the thoughts that were going through their heads instead they lay 3 to a bed, pretending to have fallen asleep but only lying there thinking. This only lasted about an hour before Noyimato smashed his fist into the wall and cursed making the others jump. After that they all crawled onto the floor and huddled together and began to cry in despair. Every minute that inched along after that wore their hope down to nothing, little by little.
The hours passed slowly for Corva and Kami, the only others in the house while Azarai was caught in a feverish coma. Every once in a while Corva swore she heard Azarai sing some strange lullaby in her sleep that Corva in her 30 years of living had never heard before. All of this terrified the woman to no end.
Corva noticed her daughter's wounds weren't healing at all but were growing slightly larger. She gently cleaned the blood from Azarai's back with a white cloth and some boiled water that Kami had brought up before leaving once more.
It wasn't until twilight had arrived that Azarai awoke once more. Corva was sitting in the wooden chair by the window only resting her eyes when she heard a small voice calling for her. In an instant she rushed to her daughter's side with pleading eyes but was only met with ones cracked and shattered by unthinkable pain.
"Mum? My back. I feel something," Azarai whispered in a raspy voice.
"Feel what? Azarai what do you feel? Azarai please, what is wrong?"
"I feel- I feel something growing," Azarai once again spoke with great difficulty. Her voice was now hoarse from screaming.
"Growing?" Corva was simply shocked by this. But her thoughts were suddenly silenced by the loud desperate cry of her daughter. Corva yelled to her husband to come quick before grabbing a hold of one of Azarai's hand in a vice like grip, a gentle vice like grip. A minute later Kami came running up the stairs with all six children behind, Sojun now being carried by Noyimato.
Azarai's two slash shaped wounded split open several more inches in only a second's time. Now they were both about five inches long and no wider than 2 inches. The muscles in her back began to tighten then suddenly relax. This repeated for several long minutes while Azarai gripped, with all her might, onto her mothers hand and upper arm.
The young teen cried out in agony. Azarai felt something deep insider her back move and twitch and grow. She lay there frightened and confused, wishing for it to just end. She screamed once more as she felt the already wounded skin on her back rip again adding another few inches to its length. Fresh blood trickled down her back like many small crimson streams, slow and steady.
"My sweet Warrior," that voice, the one from her dream, softly echoed with in her head. The voice grew louder and full of power. Than it suddenly changed to the eerie lullaby, this time it too grew louder and full of power as well. In spite of all the pain Azarai was able to concentrate on the voice and lullaby. There was something in this strangers tone and voice that brought hope back to her heart. Azarai knew down in her soul just how to end the pain. Some how she now knew she wasn't ill or cursed this was a part of something different. Something that'll add another piece of the puzzle she calls life.
Azarai shut her eyes and tried to even out her breathing. Blood still trickled down her back in even streams and the wound still grew but Azarai focused on the voice, the words, anything but the pain. She unconsciously began humming the haunting lullaby from her dream. The image of the red headed stranger stood behind her shut eyelids, smiling proudly at her.
A small light started to creep past him towards her shaking body. It rolled over her, numbing the pain and easing her mind. The light felt heavenly, no other word could describe it. Azarai snapped her eyes open and stared straight into her mother's water blue eyes. She smiled weakly before the light burst from her body and blinded all that were in the room, except for Azarai, she could see clearly. Corva fell back away from her daughter's side and gasped loudly, putting her hand over her heart.
Azarai's eyes opened wide as she felt something spring forth from her back. She sighed at the sudden sense of freedom. Some how her back was lighter then it had been and it felt wonderful. The light still roared around her, she watched as her family shielded their eyes and started to back away.
Without thinking about the pain she was in a few short minutes ago, Azarai picked her self up off the bed and stood up straight, taking her thin dark blue blanket with her, wrapping it around her exposed chest. The young teen turned her head slowly and inhaled sharply as she caught sight off two large wings attached to her shoulder blades. They were pure black with white tips, just like her hair. They were simply beautiful. She began to flex her newly grown muscles and watched as they responded to her. It was an amazing feeling to have them move. It felt like they had been dormant for to long.
Suddenly the light returned to her body and she collapsed onto the hard wooden floor, panting. Her family stood back still shocked from the explosion of light but were now confused because of Azarai's new wings. The emotions washed away as they regained their senses. Kami and Noyimato helped Azarai up and placed her on the edge of her bed.
Noyimato was the first to do anything else. He reached out and pulled on a few of the feathers. "Ouch!" Azarai cried, smacking his hand away.
"You felt that?" Noyi exclaimed more than asked as he cradled his now red hand.
"Yes I felt that. They are attached to me."
"Can you fly Azarai?" Yeena asked with wide eyes as she ran up to the bed and hugged her older sister's leg tightly, happy that Azarai was better.
"I don't know. Can I try mum?" Azarai looked at her mother with excitement in her eyes.
Corva looked over her daughter, "Not until the bleeding stops." Azarai's face fell as she looked at her siblings. All of them were talking amongst themselves while both Corva and Kami checked out Azarai's back. The voice's in the room kept rising in volume as their owners got more and more excited. But all was soon interrupted by a loud tapping at Azarai's only window. At first it went unnoticed but the tapping got louder and sounded even more urgent than before. Azarai was the first to notice it with her cat like hearing.
"Mum, there's a bird at the window."
"Oh it'll fly away soon. Let it be," Corva replied as she cleaned Azarai's back with a wet cloth.
Yeena walked over to the window and peered at the bird in a curious manor. "Mummy the bird has something in its claws," Yeena stated pointing at the bird. "It looks like a package."
Azarai tried to stand but was too weak to manage it. Corva went to the window and opened it. The bird rushed in and landed on the bed next to Azarai. The bird was a large falcon with brown and gold feathers. It peered around the room before dropping the medium sized package on the mattress and nudging it towards Azarai. She stared at the bird in a perplexing manner as he stared back at her. Something was different about this bird, she could feel it.
Azarai heard a loud gasp and turned towards her mother. She looked upon her mother's face with curious eyes. 'Why is she looking at this bird like that?' Azarai studied her mother's face. It was like she was scared and shocked, but of what was Azarai's real question.
Corva took the parcel from the bed and shooed the bird towards the window than out. With shaky fingers she opened the package slowly, scared of what she might find. Under the brown wrapping were two wooden boxes no bigger than her palm and an envelope with the word's 'Azarai and Corva SilverRose' eloquently written on the front in black ink.
Azarai peered curiously at the packages and reached out to grab the one closest to her but her mother slapped her hand away while still not taking her eyes from the envelope in her other hand. Azarai brought her hand back to her chest and cradled it. 'How can she always do that?' Azarai thought.
"Mum, what is it?" Azarai asked taking a small cup of water that Kami poured for her. She rested it on the table beside her bed unable to hold it.
Corva looked up sharply and locked eyes with her daughter. Azarai got a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach; she didn't know what it meant. "Kami take everyone but Azarai downstairs, I need to talk to her alone." Kami nodded before picking up Sojun and pushing the others out. He left the room with a small smile directed at both mother and daughter.
The room was silent for several minutes as Azarai watched her mother who stared at the two small boxes. Her mother suddenly placed both the small boxes on the bed and sat down with the envelope still in hand. Nervously she tore at the seal on the back, a wax seal of a proud falcon, not unlike the one that stood where she was minutes before. Azarai watched not knowing what was making her mother so on edge. Suddenly her mother pushed the letter under her nose.
"Read it for I do not have the heart," her mother said not making eye contact with her daughter. Azarai nodded and took the letter.
"Do you want me to read it out loud, mum?" Corva nodded her head before placing her head in her heads very gently. "Dear Corva, my one true love, and Azarai, my beautiful daughter," Azarai stopped suddenly and looked to her mother. "Is this from.?"
"Yes, it is from your Father. Keep reading."
"You probably hate me for what I did, leaving so suddenly and all but I couldn't stay. If I did I would have put the both of you in danger and that was clearly out of the question. I would never do anything to put the two of you in harms way. I'd die for the two of you.
I am taking a large risk by just contacting you but I have to. I am the only one that can help you, Azarai, with what you are going through. I went through the same thing at your age. Oh and by the way happy birthday my sweet warrior-" Azarai stopped suddenly again and stared at the letter. 'My sweet warrior,' that stranger with the rust colored hair had said that to her in her dream. She turned to her mother who was looking back. Her eyes slowly returned to the paper deciding it was better to ask questions later. "When I realized you would be turning 14 soon I caught my self wondering what color your wings would be. The wing color is some what determined by personality, it's hard to fully explain though.
I wish I was there with you when the pain started. There is nothing for the pain but there is something to heal your back. In one of the small boxes is a vile of silver liquid. Drink it. If you do not than you will not be able to retract your wings into your back for up to a year. This will allow Azarai to heal much faster, only taking 48 hours and allowing her to fly after those 48 hours have passed. I bet your excited about that part, every Solavis is even half ones. The other box contains a necklace of mine that was passed down from my father to me. I want you to have it. It will guide you when all hope is lost.
I wish I could meet you but the time is not right. But remember I love you very much. Sincerely your father Shenri Gen'Chi," Azarai finished reading before letting the letter drop to the floor. "I am part Solavis?" She had often caught her self wondering what her father was or looked like, but never in her wildest dreams could you imagine him being a Solavis. True humans now did not know much about the angel like creatures but they knew enough to hang them for no reason. Corva nodded her head slowly. She knew this time would come but she never knew it would come like this.
"Drink the liquid sweetie. We need you healed as soon as possible." Azarai nodded and did has she was told. The vile was warm to the touch and cool going down. It puzzled Azarai greatly. Instantly Azarai began to feel a warming sensation in her back, like soft hands were mending the tissue there.
"Mum, it's time you answered some of my questions." Azarai tried to stand but was still too weak. Her mother put her hands on her daughter's shoulders and smiled, before picking up the last wooden box and handing it to Azarai. Corva slowly got up to look out the window at the rising run.
"Yes I think you are right." Corva felt older than her thirty years. The things she was unconsciously trying to hide all these years suddenly burst out. She never knew this was going to happen. Corva mentally cursed her first love, Shenri, for not telling her this all those years ago.
"Did my actual father have rust red hair?" Azarai asked the strange question in a timid manner not sure what she wanted the answer to be. Corva sharply turned her head towards Azarai.
"What an odd question. But yes he did, why do you ask?"
"Before the pain started I had a dream. I was in a wooded area, a clearing really and I heard this beautiful lullaby being sung by this red headed man, the color was quite strange. He called me his little warrior, like in the letter."
Corva didn't know how to respond, she was shocked. All of this confused her greatly. She was just a simple woman from a small town; she knew nothing of these matters. 'If only you had stayed Shenri,' Corva thought hanging her head.
Azarai furrowed her brow and looked down at the box. It was exactly the same as the other one. She slowly opened the box with shaking hands. The young teen gasped as her eyes landed on the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. A small white crystal hung from a black crescent moon with a long silver chain attached. It was simply breathe taking, mere words could not describe its beauty. 'And to think it's mine,' Azarai thought with eyes wide, not truly believing it. Slowly she took the necklace from its box, placing the box on the bed before placing the necklace around her neck.
Azarai looked up and noticed his mother watching her. The older woman smiled slightly as her eyes clouded over in remembrance. "Your Father wore that same necklace when I first met him. I was in the field of corn harvesting what was ready when I saw him. He was beautiful; tall, lean and an angelic face. His hair was grown long, to his hips I think and it was the color of blood. Then there was his eyes, they were brown is a very noticeable amount of red in them. He was simply breathe taking. Broke my heart when he had to leave-"
"Had to leave?"
"Yes he told me from the start if he stayed he would have put me and the entire town in danger. I knew this and still I hated him for leaving." Azarai nodded already knowing some of the little details, like her real Father had only stayed in Kireal for a little over a year than one morning 3 months into her pregnancy Corva woke up alone. Corva never liked talking about her Father it always brought back to many memories. She remembered the one time her mother did tell her about her father. It was just after she had gotten attacked by a couple of the village children who kept repeating to her "Freak." Corva told Azarai about how the town's folk treated her father when he was in Kireal. How they wouldn't sell or buy anything from him and when they passed him on the street they would either avoid him at all costs or try to hurt him. But her father was too quick for those people and he didn't care what they thought about me.
"That bird, the Falcon was his best friend, almost never away from his side. Now what was his name again, Kalmor I think." Both women fell silent for several minutes not knowing what else to say.
"Did you know he was a Solavian?" Azarai asked suddenly as the question popped into her head. Her mother dropped her eyes and nodded her head. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" Azarai explained, hurt. Suddenly she felt betrayed.
"I didn't know anything about this. When you came out looking like neither of us I was confused I didn't know what to do. By the time you were old enough to understand I had made up my mind about your father. He never told me this would happen. I never knew. I had only seen his wings once. I'm sorry." Corva dropped into the wooden chair and placed her head in her hands. "I tried to raise you with an open mind just encase he came back. Around these parts Solavians are hated, you know that. I did the best I could."
Azarai noticed her mother was close to crying, her eyes softened. She tried to stand but couldn't so she decided to crawl over to her mother and rest her head against Corva's leg. Corva looked up surprised before wrapping her arms around her daughter's neck, crying into her shoulder.
Azarai unconsciously moved her wings and wrapped them tightly around her mother like arms, hugging her close. No words were said, none needed to be. They stayed like that for minutes on end just basking in each others love, neither wanting to move away.