Exiled

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For the first time since he arrived, Saraph's face hardened into one of angry sorrow. "It is not pity I feel for myself. It is the knowledge that I cannot return home. Even if I discovered here who had done this to me, there is a storm that blocks entry to our home. Only our leader can temporarily remove the barrier, and that is rare. I would not have the strength to fly through the storm and live to tell my people how I was wronged."

With one fluid motion, Saraph stood and came to rest in front of her window. Dark eyes gazed down at the people walking by, the cars chasing one another in the streets, the air cloudy with transparent pollution. "I do not see how I can do anything when I do not have the ability to get the information I need."
 
"Thats why you have to try. Just because I dont see an obvious reason for letting you stay here doesnt mean I dont do it. Figure it out. I know there's someone you know or knew that comes here." Kyrie folded her arms defiantly. "There has to be someway to get informatio"n.
 
Saraph was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the world outside. There had to be a way, but how? All of his years of reading on humans, and the limited knowledge he'd gotten from that seemed like nothing now that he was here. He'd dreamed of seeing other places, but now that he'd been exiled to live among them, all he wanted was the familiarity of home.

Kyrie did have a point. Moping would solve none of his problems. His wing twitched as he turned. "Your mother used to tell you stories about my people? If this still holds true, she garnered her information from... somewhere. I know my people did the best they could to erase us from your history, but... you are creative. I do not believe you have it, but there must be a piece of information somewhere. I do not know how you record your information here, but I do know you have books. Where could I find a book that is not yours about my people?"
 
"Uh...the library?" Kyrie spoke slowly and slightly unsure. Saraphs 180 on his attitude threw her off. "Oh wait!" Kyrie said swiftly. "My mom always read me the stories from this book. Wait here!" Kyrie grabbed her coat and ran down the street. Her mother lived five blocks away in Kyrie's childhood home. She ran up the steps and knocked on the door. No answer. Kyrie tried again. No answer. Kyrie twisted the door knob and the front door creaked open. "Weird."" Worry settled in her abdomen. Her mother never left the door open. Kyrie stepped inside. The house was trashed. There was a creak upstairs. Kyrie went to investigate. She heard noise inside what used to be her room. Kyrie peaked threw the opening between the wall and door. Bent over was what looked like a person, but he had large, black, leathery wings. "Wat the..." It head snapped up and it turned its fiery red eyes on her. "Oh shit." In the next second, whatever it wss, had her pinned against the wall by her throat. "Where is it human?" its angry, graveled voice spoke. "Where's...what?" Kyrie choked out. "The book.!"
"What book?!" As soon as the words left her mouth thete was a crack and Kyrie went flying. She landed with a painful thud on the floor in her room. The creature had slapped her so hard it landed her across the hall. "Don't play games." Whoever this was was very angry. He stalked up to her slowly. Like a predator to their prey. Kyrie glanced around quickly. A shard of broken glass was within in arms reach. She inched her hand towards it.
"Dude, I dont know what your talking about." Her fingertips grazed it and the being knelt in front of her. "Well, I guess I'll jyst have to kill you." he smirked.
Kyrie snorted as her fingers clised around the glass.
 
Kyrie swung and stabbed him in the side. He screeched in pain. Kyrie rolled out of the way just as his fist connected with the hard wood floor, splintering it to pieces. Her arm hit something and Kyrie glanced to it. 'The book' Kyrie snatched it and rolled out of the way of another punch. She stood. This person blocked the doorway. The only exit was her two story window. Kyrie took a deep breath and jumped She hear the crack of her abkle and the screech of anger simultaneously. She cursed before forcing herself to run home. She didn't stop until she was back home and her door was locked.
 
Saraph had intended to follow Kyrie out the door, but there was no time in between her exclamation and her feet pounding down the stairs and around the block. With a sigh, Saraph turned back to the window. Minutes passed and he grew worried. Even longer still, and he thought about trying to find her. However, he wouldn't know where he was going, so he was forced to wait.

More minutes flew by and his good wing ruffled with impatience. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Kyrie flew through the door, slamming it shut and locking it. Dark blood peppered her shirt, and something seemed wrong with her ankle. He didn't think houses were so dangerous, but she looked like she'd fallen out of a building. However, she was still clutching the book with a white-knuckled grip.

With little hesitation, Saraph took long strides and took her arm, letting her lean on him. "What happened? You have the book, but... I would not have wanted you to harm yourself to retrieve it."
 
"There....T-There was something i-in that house. I-It looked like you except w-with black, leathery wings. A-And red eyes and all his teeth were sharp..." The fear cauhht up to Kyrie as she limped to the couch. A searing painshot through her side when she tried to sit. Pulling up her shirt thete were what looked like claw marks. "When did that happen?" Kyrie hadnt felt them until now. She chalked it up to adrenaline.
With shakey hands she handed the book to Saraph. "Hope thishelps. I-Im gunna...take a...showrr.." Kyre nodded as if okaying with herself before getting up and leaving.
Once in the bathroom Kyrie let her fear take over. She huddled on the floor, shaking and crying. It was pitiful. After ten minutes Kyrie calmed down. Sniffling she wiped away her tears and inspected her ankle. "Clean break." Kyrie stood, plaved her foot between the wall and sink. She took a deep breath and jerked her leg. Biting back a scream Kyrie removed her realigned ankle. She exhaled shakily and started her shower.
 
Saraph listened in silence, but his eyes hardened at the mention of the other winged man. She thrust the book into his hands and hobbled off. He started to follow her, but she was going to do her human thing and she wanted to be alone. Still, after a moment of hesitation, Saraph padded after her. He sat next to the closed door, opening the book. What he found surprised him.

It was written in his language, a flowing dialect similar to Latin. He didn't know how Kyrie's mother had been able to read it, but there was the evidence. He flipped through it, skimming the pages. They were mostly stories about how the Cloudis, his race, had come to be and why they'd eventually ran away from the humans. There was little on the history until he got to the end. There, he found what he hadn't wanted to find. The book listed the history of the war with the Balves, the race Kyrie had encountered. They were vicious and passionate creatures, ones who delighted in war and pain. The Cloudis had fought them, and they were thought to have been all killed.

Apparently not.

If one had shown up, there was no telling how many more there were. He sighed, slamming the book closed before his fingers rested on the cover. His situation had multiplied in complexity ten times over. If a Balf was hunting for Kyrie, Saraph, or the book, they were in danger. Now he really had to get home. The Cloudis were under the illusion of peace, when the threat could easily surge through and run them down. He had to warn them, but how? Saraph opened the book again, searching for anything that would tell him about the storm coming down for any reason. It iterated little about the ancient magic of Cloudis and Balves, even though at one point they had possessed them. That was how the storm had remained for so long. And then he found a small passage in the corner. The storm would die down on new moon cycles, when there was no light. It made sense. No Cloudi ever heard the storm, and at night, they rested, so they wouldn't notice if the gales died and the clouds passed.

Saraph stood up, holding the book with both hands. He thought about knocking, but he stayed his fist. He didn't need to bother her after she'd been injured.
 
Kyrie stepped into the shower and let the heat relax her. Her mind ran in circles trying to figure out what that thing was. Kyrie took a quick shower washing away the small traces of blood. She dried offf and wrapped the towel around her. Kyrie opened the door to find Saraph outside. It looked like he was about to knock. "Saraph?"
 
Saraph took a few steps back as steam billowed from the open door. "I know what attacked you. It is not good. This book is... remarkable. I do not know how you came to possess it, but it is good that you were able to avoid the creature. He will surely come after it again." He turned, keeping the book close to him. He knew she was exposed under the towel, so he chose not to remain in her presence.
 
"What..exacly was "it"" Kyrie questioned as she stepped out of the bathroom. Limping to her room, she left the door cracked so she could hear Saraph's reply.
 
Saraph perched near the door, making sure his voice carried through the crack. "It is called a Balf. They have the wings of a bat, but the vicious nature, and teeth, of a wolf. They are not friendly toward humans or Cloudis. We fought them many centuries ago. My predecessors believed them dead, but it seems that is not the case. You are lucky to have survived an encounter with one. They are not known for leaving their prey alive." He said it so calmly, but on the inside, Saraph was still crossed between panic, anger, and sorrow. How he was managing to keep his voice free of emotion was beyond him.
 
"Oh.." Kyrie didn't really know what to say. She limped her way to the ice box, now dressed in a sweater and shorts, and got ice out for her ankle. She settled on the couch with a bag of ice and placed it on her ankle. She patted the seat next her. "What does the book say about getting you back home?"
 
Saraph followed her, book to his chest. He was silent as she went about her ministrations, but he spoke when he sat down beside her. "It is written that on the phase of the new moon, the storm around the island will die for the night. If that is the case, I will be able to fly there. I just do not know where the island floats above. I fell almost straight down, but if I tire myself looking for the island, I will not make it home and will have to wait."

He paused to open the book and skim the pages again. "The Balf attacked you in your mother's home. His intent was to kill you, but for what? If his aim was the book, then he is most likely attempting to discover a way to enter the island without being torn apart by the gales." His exile was no longer a concern. It was imperative that he warn his people of the impeding attack, if the Balves already didn't know how to get to the island.

"I am sorry you were harmed for the sake of this book. I did not wish that upon you."
 
Kyrie sat quietly for a moment. She thought about what had just happened. If these "Balf" things were preparing to start a war with Cloudis, did she really want to get involved with it? She was still just a kid by most peoples standards. Kyrie pulled out her necklace from underneath her hoodie. It was a rare orange stone amulet her mother had given her when she was still a baby. It was small, to remain inconspicuous. It fit in the palm of her cupped hand.
Lookig down on it Kyrie thought hard. She remembered the words her mother had said to her when she had asked about it when she was young. Her mother told her that it was special. It would protect her and a piece of their real home, something she never told Kyrie about, was always with her. She was to never take it off.
"Well, looks like we got some work to do huh?" Kyrie gave a playful smile and held her hands up for the book. "Book please?" Her mother had taught her to read it, "to pass on their families stories to her children someday."
 
Saraph watched her in silence. The stone had shiny properties to it, and he resisted the urge to reach out and snatch it from her. It felt familiar in a way, but he couldn't place it. However, when she asked for the book, he hesitated. This was one of the few texts to pass through and not be erased. If the Balves knew about it, something had to be done about it. Not only that, but Saraph felt entitled to it. It was a book of his people, regardless of whose hands had opened it.

He kept the book in his hands, looking down at the yellowed pages. "No," he said, but his voice was soft. "It cannot remain in my possession, or yours. This information is too valuable, and if the Balves take it from us, they will know what we know. Though we both have the knowledge, one less item is better."
 
Kyrie was stunned into silence. "You can't just take my book." She frowned and folded her arms. "That's been in my family forever!" Deep down Kyrie understood that Saraph was right but it was practically a family heirloom. She had grown up with that book. "Mom even said that one of our great grandfather's brought it with him from home so you can't just take it!"
 
"You... what?" Now it was his turn to be stunned into silence. "Your predecessor took this from his home?" He looked down again, flipping through the pages. The way the flowing language was written, he knew it looked familiar. It wasn't written by a human. It had been written by a Cloudi. "I... where did he come from? I must know. Did he write this himself?" If Kyrie was part Cloudi in some way, then she would have partially extended life, like all Cloudis did. Her ancestors must have lived a long time, but what about her parents? Her mother or father would have been part Cloudi, so there was no reason for them to be missing, or even dead.
 
"I-I dont know." Kyrie reached for the book. "Just give it back okay." Kyrie didnt know why she was so driven to get the book.
"Kyrie Elizabeth Pizzano you open the door this instant!" a female voice cut through. Kyrie froze. Then the door swung open. The woman was tall with tan skin. Her hair flowed down her back. Her eyes held worried anger. "Mom..." Kyries voice was weak. The woman rushed forward and embraced het daughter. Thats whrn she noticed Saraph. She quickly pulled Kyrie away. "You, what...what are you doing here? Our family has caused nothing to inspire danger toward your people. What do you want."
 
Saraph held the book from her, but the voice made him look toward the door. A tall and slender woman strode in, eyes blazing with fury and fear for her daughter. Once she confirmed Kyrie's safety, those eyes swung back to glare at Saraph.

As calm as he was, this woman had no right to assume he was here to do anything, and it upset him. His one good wing flares at the accusation, and his voice was hard as he said, "I have done nothing, and I want nothing more than to return to my home. And you are not in a position to ask questions. I am. This book came from the island, did it not? It does not belong to you, and now it has put your daughter in danger."
 
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