Wings To The World

12.

'A note.'

The note arrives via Indiele. Naphalie smirks upon seeing him and smiles again when she's handed the note. After a brief and awkward conversation between the two, Naphalie bids him well.

He stops before exiting. "How's the... workshop?" He asks.

"Burnt down," she mumbles. "Gone."

He gives a half-smile, his body moving in a lazy way as he stares like he is drifting through time. He's such a nice boy, Naphalie thinks. "I meant the people," He replies.

"Oh," She comes back with. "They're... good, we're all good. We miss you."

Indiele chuckles and gives a half-mocking dramatic swing of his body. "Who wouldn't?"

When their laughing dies down, Naphalie thumbs the note in her hands. "We do," she says. "Really. I- well, I miss you, too. The camp was so fun. But I'm very happy for your promotion."

Indiele shrugs. "I would've come back," He says with no real enthusiasm. "But you know, overcrowded and things. Tanael could only teach me so much."

Naphalie smiles. "You always were a hands-on learner."

Indiele gives her something close to a genuine smile. He waves, she waves, and then he turns on his heel and leaves. Naphalie asks herself, for a moment, if she had any right to chase after him.

What would it be like, to chase after him? Would he accept her? If she asked him to run away with her, would he accept? Would he even turn back to look at her? Has he moved on?

Did he remember laying in the sun with her, as she ran her hands through his hair and they smiled with no cares? Was there anything behind that, or was it all only as an end? Would it have lasted, if she moved with him? If they danced to the same beat?

He had ended it, after all. She reminds herself of that as she looks at the note in her hands. It's familiar handwriting, and her brain catches up a little slower than her heart. It's Siaphaele's handwriting.

When she does catch up, she brightens immediately. Hoping for some good news in their overcrowded factory, she opens the note.

'Tanael's name is Taja now.

Meeting tomorrow at 1. Bellbird Eatery.

Please go, we can't make it.

You're welcome to bring friends :)

P.S: We won't be there. Ran into a bit of trouble with an old friend from Creation. If I see you again, I'll have a few thousand words for you. If I don't, these will have to suffice: Thank You.'

Naphalie frowns. And then blinks. And then frowns harder. The flicker of a smile ghosts her eyes at the thought of seeing Tanael. But she can't get down the mountain, it would be almost impossible to do so on her own.

Unless...

Mihael's brows furrowed. "Why so interested in our 'get-out operation' so suddenly?" She asks.

"Ye, lass, it ain't like yer interests always bin 'ere," Liahael says from where he's rested against a desk. "'N 'ah ain't completely convinced."

Naphalie twisted the note over in her hands. "Actually," She said. "I'll recall I did have an interest. Except I.. well, couldn't."

Michael leans forward. "What changed?"

Naphalie places the note in front of her. "They... found Tanael," She smiles. "They found her! And if we get her back, then we can have our home back! We won't need to run away!"

Liahael frowns. "Lass, I ain't thinkin' tha's the case," he says, shaking his head. "Wha's bin broken can't be fixed, lassie, no' when it's still breakin'."

Naphalie sighed. "Will you at least help me with this? For the chance, the small chance, that it will be the same?"

Mihael nods. "Alright," She says. "But only because I don't like Aphale as our teacher."

Naphalie's smile widens. "Oh yes, oh yes, oh thank you!" She wraps them both into her arms, pulling them close.

They both feel warm in her arms, each of them surprised but still radiating the same aura as they had before. Naphalie breathes that aura in and out, and it feels like something in her has sparked again.

There's a candle burning in her now, but it's always been there. Now, it's alight.

-*-

The walls were grey. Plastered and grey. They've all been grey, so far. And the rooms have stunk of some low, musty scent, mingling with something like sweat.

The hallway we walk down, single file, smells like cigarettes and soot. It makes my throat tingle with a cough as we walk. There's a bittersweet scent in there, something like syrup and alcohol. I try to shove it away as we head towards the door I remember being lead to.

Feraphale is far behind now. Like Saraiel, who is behind me. I make sure she is with her steps and the corner of my eyes. If she stops, I stop too, because I can't risk her leaving or going missing in this place. I don't know what Jahcynael would do to her.

I don't know what I would do if I lost her too.

When we get there, the room is the same as before. I try not to think of it. Jahcynael is waiting at the desk, her smile spreading as she spots us. It's dark, not light enough for me to see anything other than her face and the desk.

"Well, hello," She smiles. "Didn't expect you."

"Don't lie," I say through gritted teeth. "What do you want from us? To get them back."

Jahcynael tilts her head, letting her hair hang out from her face. The two horns on her head shine by the flicker of her candle. "What makes you think I want anything?"

"That's all you ever do, want," I reply. "Never giving. You always want. So, what now?"

Jahcynael furrows her brows. "Did I anger you?"

Something in me begs me to stop, asking me if this is the right way. It screams that I'm being too harsh, that I should pause and be calmer. It tells me she hasn't done anything wrong, that she's the same as she was in creation.

I beg to differ. Even in creation, she wasn't good. Part of me wonders if I'd still have that family here if she hadn't been there. I ask whoever in the void of my mind is listening if I would still have Caitaphale-

"Don't do that," I lean forward. "Don't pretend that you're the innocent one."

"I don't remember creation," She reminds me. "If you're holding a grudge against me for that, you must be awfully salty."

"I was willing to forgive," I say in my defence. "You've taken something from us. Give them back."

Jahcynael chuckles. "Only for your wings," She says. "Only if I get your wings."

Wings. Used for flying. My own pair colour themselves with pinks, the colours of sunsets and swirled with spots of light. Liahael's colour themselves with the colour of space and of nebulas. Saraiel's are a dusty yellow. They're every bit as important as our aura's, only used less. But-

What good are they when you have no one to go flying with?