Obsidian Monarchy

Into the Night

The man turned around to look at her then walked to her, even on the wooden floor boards, he made no noise. He turned around and offered his back for her to get on, he strapped the bag to his chest as he waited for her to mount him. She reached around his chest and mounted his back. Before standing, he wrapped his arms under her butt.

Seraphina could tell by his effortless strides that he was athletic, his body felt relaxed with her weight as she shifted her position. When she was as secure and comfortable as she was going to get, he readied himself.

He then walked back to the window and quickly balanced on the wooden ledge, before he made his move, he turned around and whispered an incantation that closed the hole in the boundary. Before he turned again, she watched as the boundary repaired itself before it fizzled into the air until popping into nothingness.

They now looked out at open air; they were on the third floor of the manor with no easy path down. Seraphina took a moment to look over the village one last time, she had memorized every building after years of looking over it wishing for more. It had been years since she was allowed to walk the streets and a deep yearning filled her heart to feel the cobble stone roads on her feet.

The man turned his head to make eye contact with her. “Shh.”

Seraphina scrunched her eyebrows but nodded, she held her breath so as not to accidently scream. The young woman knew she wasn’t typically afraid of heights, he would have some reservations about that.

He then stepped off the ledge into nothingness, he was correct to warn her not to scream. They hit the ground below with a thud, he was able to absorb most of the impact but not all of it. The jolt shook her to her bones; however, she did not have time to think about that before he was running through the back allies of the manor. He had clearly planned his route out beforehand because there was no hesitation when the wide stone path ways split.

The woman was present enough to keep her breathing steady, at the speed they were going she felt like she would have a panic attack. She looked up at the night sky and breathed in the night air. There were hits of firewood smoke drifting through the air combined with the gentle scent of flowers.

When she was able to control her emotions, she then focused on the sounds of the manor. She could hear the gentle padding of his feet on the cold stone, the laughter of guards in the distance. It felt like they were ghosts flying through the manor, no one knowing that they were there. Servers were just waking up to start their shifts, cooks were either finishing with preparing breakfast or starting the long day of making cooked meat.

The rush of their departure felt wrong on what felt like an entirely normal day.

The man remained silent until they reached the outer wall of the manor which towered over them. He then crouched and had her feet touch the ground; she could feel the cold of the stone through her leather shoes. When she was standing on her own, he grabbed her arm and guided her to the wall while still crouched.

When they were closer, she now saw a thin cord that was thrown over the wall. He then reached up and touched stones that were pushed out far enough to grab. Seeing his intent, she nodded. When he was confident that she understood, he tied the rope to his belt then pointed at her waist. She held her hands up and let him reach around her and tie her to the rope.

He then glanced around before starting the climb. She followed him slowly, to her surprise the spirits hummed around her, sensing her concern. They gathered around the stones she would grab next, glowing in a manner that only one with spirit sight could see. It helped her match the man’s pace up the wall. It wasn’t long before she was being helped over the wall and down the other side.

They were padding through the cobble stone streets before the alarm bells were ringing through the air. By that time, it was already too late.

The duo quietly ran through off streets in the village, even as the lights of the Illuni brightened the air. By the time they made it to edge of the village she was out of breath. To Seraphina’s surprise they ran straight to the baker’s home, he was already awake and waiting. The soft tap at the door alerted him that they arrived.

The old man cracked the door wide enough to let them through. When the door shut behind her, he turned and smiled. He had clearly aged in the ten years since she had been in his home, but he looked just as lively as he did then. “Sera, my girl, I am so happy to see you.”

She didn’t wait for more, instead she quickly embraced the lean man. He embraced her back for as long as she clung to him. However, they both knew that they couldn’t stay that way forever. They would likely have to leave soon to avoid the Guard. He patted her on the back and pulled her away. “I share your feelings, but you aren’t safe here.”

The young woman held back the feelings of longing that welled within her, and stepped back. “Papa Zephyr, thank you. I was trying to figure out a way to escape but this was much easier.”

He smiled down at her, the wrinkles in his forehead becoming more evident. “Ah yes, you may not remember him but this is Aster Seraph. He is a Yaoguai from the fae forest.” He paused for a moment and continued. “He lived as a high-wolf for centuries before gaining the ability to shift to human form.”

Realization hit as she glanced back at him. They were so rare in these parts that she forgot what they were. They were similar to the spirits of the forest but in animal form. He smiled at her; she could now see that he had black eyes that almost looked right through her. “We met once, before you left the forest.” His voice was deep, but quiet. He nodded before turning away from her.

Looking back at Zephyr, she met his concerned eyes. “I hope that you will go with Aster when you leave Haven. I know that choice is yours alone but I would feel at peace if I knew you were with one that I trust.” She smiled at him and put her hand on his arm, she could feel the honed muscles he gained from constant kneading of dough. She nodded and let him continue. “You have a long journey ahead of you, but I know where you must start.” He then pulled a small scroll out of his pocket; it was no wider than a finger.

She took it from him and looked up confused. “What is this?”

“The location of the first book.”