Land of the winged

R

Rainbow

Guest
Original poster
She was your run-of-the-mill girl. Average height, typical weight, normal appearance: long shaggy cinnamon locks, sparkling green eyes, pert nose with a spray of heart-shaped freckles. Only one thing set her apart, her wings.
Concealed underneath layers of hoodies and shirts, Aubrey sometimes forgot about the delicate decorations adorning her shoulder blades. She ogled at herself in the mirror, shirtless. She fingered the paper-thin crystals until it caught the dismal light from her chandelier. Rainbows flooded the room, creating a dream –like realm around Aubrey. She closed her eyes and felt her eyelashes caress her nose, like a miniature broom, dusting the freckles from her face. She took a deep breath, savoring the aroma of freshness that encircled her.
Aubrey fell backwards on what she thought was her bed, but felt the familiar lushness of a freshly chopped lawn. She sat up abruptly, realizing that she was outdoors. How? Where? Suddenly she blushed at her absence of attire and pulled her extensive, sinuous skirt up over her chest. She caught sight of a small sign partially obscured by grass. Brushing the grass aside, Aubrey located tiny, intricate words, in a dialect visibly different from her own, but she could read it with an abnormal eloquence.

“Land of the Winged.”</SPAN>
 
((Sure, I'll bite. Not sure what you're going for, though. I'll just... (haha) wing it.))

Just when the figure in the sky thought it was safe to soar, some half-naked girl just pops into existence in the middle of the grass and looks discombobulated. Like a flower in the spring, only naked and winged. The strange girls' wings were brilliant and shining, and their beauty left the figure in awe and full of jealousy. The onlooker was above Aubrey, massive wings spread, merely a large shadow on the ground with the sun shining behind it and obscuring the details. The shadow grew larger and larger as it spiraled down closer to Aubrey, details still obscured. All Aubrey would see would be the bright sun and a giant-winged figure.

((Going slow for now; building suspense and I've got somewhere to go >.> ))
 
(Thanks for joining!)
Audrey looked up, startled at the change of light. She instantly saw a shadowy figure with magnificent, billowing wings cascading light around Audrey. She waved, hoping that the person would notice her and lend her an explanation-and some clothes. She drew her knees up to her chest, face burning with shame, and squinted up as the person spiralled down towards her..
 
It was a rough landing. Nothing new; cumbersome wings made it entirely impossible to land gracefully. The sun reflected off the yellow feathers on the outside of its wings when it desceded, bent at the waist so its torso was horizontal to the soft grass below. Its knees bent as its feet finally hit the grass. With the yellow wings folded neatly at its back, the figure straightened. The soft underside of its wings were white, not yellow, and the contrast may have been to first thing Audrey noticed. What she would probably notice next was the delicate, wispy figure that could have either been a boy or girl. The face was small and square-jawed, with large yellow eyes full of contempt staring right into Audrey's own green eyes. He or she had a ridiculously long braid of white hair that passed in its left shoulder and ended around hip-length, but despite its length there was no way to tell if this thing was a male or female. Not even the mid-toned voice helped decipher its gender.

"How did you get here? You ruined my flight," it snapped, stepping primly through the grass until it reached Audrey. "Nevermind. I don't want to know right now."

It crouched down in front of her and just stared into her eyes, seemingly very annoyed with her. A long, shapeless black article of clothing was easiest to describe as a very loose pantsuit with no sleeves and no back, completely unhelpful in revealing breasts or the lack thereof that might give the figure a solid gender. The only thing holding the suit on was a set of three strings attached to the front; one tied behind the neck, one above the wings, and one below the wings at the small of its back. Everything else was baggy. Despite the mask of annoyance pasted on its face, the figure held out a small, spindly hand for Audrey to take.

"Get up. What kind of girl walks around naked? I might have something you could wear, but then you'd better leave this place and get out of my hair. Hurry up, now!"
 
Audrey graciously took the strangers hand, wide-eyed and silent. "I-I thought I was in my room.. I mean, I wasn't here, naked, on purpose- but it’s awfully hard to examine your wings when they're folded up in your sweatshirt. I'm not even sure why I have them...”</SPAN> She blushed and bit her lip, releasing the persons hand reluctantly. She felt woozy, as if she'd had a bit too much to drink, or perhaps it was the unfamiliar atmosphere. "Thank you."</SPAN> Audrey standing half an inch shorter than the person, felt small and fragile. She crossed her arms to cover her indecency as much as possible. Taking in the appearance of the helpful but aggravated person, Audrey found herself unable to determine the sex of the person. She smiled shyly and cleverly said "I'm Audrey, What's your name?"</SPAN> hoping their name would help her determine the Gender of the person standing in front of her.</SPAN>


(Can't wait for you to join, BlackAngel! :D)
 
The person scoffed and placed their hands on Audrey's shoulders to steady her. The strange girl seemed rather out of sorts, which although it was easy to see why, did not lessen the white-haired being's impatience. Such a strange girl. With prettier wings than mine, the person thought with envy. Audrey's words seemed to be meaningless, because the person just kept a blank face. Finally it stuck its small, sharp nose in the air and grumbled. How rude, to ask a Feathered's name!

"You are obviously not from this world, so I will forgive you this, but it is very rude to ask a Feathered's name. We are high class in this world, higher than the Leather-Wings or Odds. If you were from this world, you would be in the same class as I; your wings are a Jewel-Wing's, one of the highest classes. But your wings are too little to fly, really," the person reached out and caressed one of Audrey's wings, examining it closely. "And too fragile. So your worth is lessened because of that."

The wings on their back ruffled a bit as if there was an itch in one of them. "You won't be here long enough to worry about classes, however. Now hurry up!"

The person strode forward proudly, wings tucked close to its back. After a moment, they turned slightly to stare at Audrey.

"And my name is Azora. I am one that patrols these skies, for invaders or those in need of help. And strange naked girls from other worlds."

With that, Azora faced forward again and kept tromping through the grass for quite a while. Azora seemed completely absorbed in a thought, and an intense look was reflected in those very yellow eyes. Nothing Audrey said would be heard. Finally the trees parted to reveal a wooden cabin, barely large enough for one resident. There was one door and one window, both just gaps in the logs without frames or glass.

"This is one of my homes. Sit right here just inside the door, and don't touch anything." Azora pulled Audrey into the cabin pointed at the ground next to the door, an obvious command to sit down.

The cabin was about thirteen feet tall, but the right half of the cabin had a seven-foot ceiling, a platform holding up a loft where there seemed to be very little furniture. It was up the ladder and into the loft that Azora disappeared, and from the sound of things, Azora was rummaging through something. Audrey would be left for a minute or two to observe the rest of the cabin.

The left side of Azora's cabin was the part with the unobstructed ceiling. Against the left-most wall, a fireplace was situated close to the single window. A wood-fired oven and a stack of logs were next to the fireplace, and in the back left corner of the cabin was a wooden table with one chair. Everything looked shabby. On the right side of the cabin under the loft, a few feather cushions were strewn about the packed dirt floor along with several books and a large candle. A very large wooden box sat against the right wall.

Finally, Azora jumped down from the loft and spread its wings to slow its descent. A white tunic and short leather pants with a drawstring were shoved into Audrey's hands.

"The tunic is too small for me, my wings won't fit through its back window. I don't have any shoes or... anything else," Azora grumbled, stepping outside. "I'll be out here. Come out when you're done, and hurry up, would you?"

((Sorry for the length, I wasn't expecting that. BlackAngel, definitely just pop in any time. I left some gaps in the middle for you to sneak in, or towards the end when Azora comes out of the cabin. Rainbow, tell me if I need to slow down or stop developing the world.))
 
((If allowed, I'd like to join as well! :D))

Sunny day, sunnyday, sunnydaysunnydaysun- what be that?? Quinic's train of thought was interrupted as he witnessed a blur and a light brownish haired being laying in the grass. He wanted to get a closer look but it seemed that someone already beat him to it. Quickly tilting to his left he made a silent landing in some bushes nearby and poked his head out. *argle* he cringed, it was one of those uppeties who found... her? Yes, most definitely a her. Oog, and she smelled nice too. Or was it that she had something nice on her?
He himself was one of odd combination, what one might call a feathered leather. Sure, he could be graceful just like any feathered being, but what stood out was his leather wings with soft feathers on the top rim and his long, serpent-like tail with a tuft of hair at the end. Not to mention his hooves that looked like they had been nicked around the front rims. His body was a dull white with dark blue stripes and he had dashing red hair, just like his father. What he had gotten from his mother was her soft, cyan eyes. His mother was a pegasus and his father was a nightmare.. stallion and being what he was he didn't belong to a herd, so he spent his time aimlessly journeying as a young colt of just four years.
Despite this odd combination he had picked up the trait of curiosity, but always tried to keep hidden because of what he was, and because he was a Wild.

Quinic decided to follow the two as discreetly as possible, softly clopping some way behind them until he saw them getting to a cabin. Hiding in some foilage he watched and waited. He didn't know what it was, but something drew him to the her being.

((If I went overboard or anything, please let me know :) ))
 
Twisting in a circle, a figure dipped and rose in a playful spiral around a low-hanging cloud that dared to cross the perfectly blue skies. Smiling to herself, she closed her wings and allowed a momentary freefall before snapping them back open and drifting over a field. The emerald grass made her glance down with interest, but what really caught her attention wasn't visible. It was a sound. The soft clip-clop of hooves. Immediately interested, she followed the sound in silence and landed on a thick branch. Her eyes were a shimmering gold that flicked around, gathering details. There was a cabin, one that she didn't recognize, but her focus didn't remain there for long. Instead, she cast her gaze downward until she saw the figure that had caught her attention. She grinned and tiptoed down the branch, her bare feet nearly silent against the rough bark. With a slight hop and a flutter, she made her way to another tree so that she was nearly directly above her target.

Carefully, she sat down, her white dress tucked under her legs so that it would stop fluttering around in the breeze. She brushed her pale lilac hair from her face absently and grinned, observing how intently he seemed to be watching the cabin. Was he hunting? Now she was even more curious, and her fluffy white wings folded behind her as she cleared her throat softly. "It's not very polite to spy on people," she pointed out quietly, her eyes sparkling with humor as she smiled at him.
 
As expected, the uppety one was being bossy to the her being. Quinic could never understand that sort of thing, a being was a being. And yes, some seemed more interesting than others.
As he stood silently he thought he heard something. His ears tilted about but glancing about he didn't see anything so he paid it no mind. Perhaps it was just a bird? Maybe...

He jumped at the sound of the newcomer's voice, looked up and snorted loudly while shaking his head.
"Scared Quinic!" came his voice in her mind as he scraped his hoof on the ground, causing small sparks to appear as if from a lighter. He was able to project his voice thanks to a thin necklace given to him about a year ago. Not that he had used it much.
Quinic gave her a scrutinising look and pointed out, "You spy."
 
Azora stood with arms crossed posture relaxed, wings no longer pinned closely to his/her back. But Azora's eyes scanned back and forth across the trees, and it was as if Azora vaguely knew someone else was out there. For now, though, he/she stayed put in front of the cabin door.
 
(Everyone is welcome!<3 The pace is fine c:)
Audrey threw on the flimsy tunic and looked in a partially shattered mirror. The white color complimented her wings beautifully. She was grateful for the Feathered's help and clothing, but understood that her presence was not wanted. Audrey approached Azora nervously, her gaze doe-like and a tad scared. She peered out the window at the setting sun and her eyes met Azora's. "I apologize for being such a pain." She tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear and stepped out into the sunset. "Thank you." She said as she closed the door, hardly waiting for a reply.</SPAN>
She was worried that the more she said, the more bothersome she would become. Audrey's bare feet hit the luscious grass and she cautiously began walking towards a sunny dirt path. The sun was now hidden beyond the horizon and the stars were shining brightly. Many thoughts passed through her mind as she sat down on an old wooden bench that appeared to be seconds from falling apart. </SPAN>
How dare he/she say I can't fly?! Wings are wings; they ought to work under any conditions, even if it’s not very high. </SPAN>Audrey grumbled to herself, crossing her arms. She was aware of the presence of another life form, and heard soft voices bickering. She raised her head and scanned the pristine world around her, but the only movement was the breeze rustling the grass. As her heart began racing faster, Audrey stood up and began running. Although the sounds were silenced, Audrey continued down the path, having no place in mind. The unfamiliar world offered no comfort, but she resisted the urge to cry. </SPAN>
 
Faylen stared at the person moving quickly towards her. She seemed scared, lost and alone. I can relieve her from being alone. Faylen smirked. She stepped into the girls' path and she fell to the ground. Faylen brushed her dark purple bangs out of her face and smiled at the shimmering jeweled fairy at her feet. At a time Faylen had been just like her, beautiful and innocent. But what was the point of that? Dark magic was much more fun. Seeking a mentor, Faylen had traded in her diamond and onyx wings for shadow wings. It was her best decision ever. She reached her bony hand out towards the shocked girl and she took it. Faylen immediately recognized the girl's tunic. "I see you've met Azora?" Faylen grimaced. "Such a rude, childish feathered. Why waste time on those types when you can befriend shadow tamer such as myself. Why, with a few years spent with me, you could even be one of us." Faylen grinned mischievously. "And wings like mine are but a day away. Just follow me." Faylen began walking down the path, not completely expecting the innocent girl to follow her.
 
(Welcome, Whimsy, nice to see a little evil in this mix c:)
Audrey watched the girl with cascading purple hair walk away slowly. Her heart told her to follow her, but she was reluctant to give in. "I don't care to mix with villains." Audrey murmured. The girl paused. Audrey shrunk back; worried that she would soon be eating her words. She did not move, in fact she seemed to have disappeared completely. </SPAN>
How peculiar.</SPAN> Audrey walked towards the spot where the dark shadow tamer had stood. Immediately, cold winds lashed at Audrey, bringing the tears out of her eyes. Something clasped her wrist, and her arm felt as though it were being swallowed by a block of solid ice.</SPAN>
"LET ME GO!" Audrey screamed, realizing that it had to be the shadow fairy. The cold wrapped her arm tighter, and tighter, it felt as though her bones were about to shatter. The feeling spread, and enclosed her chest in a box of frigid wind. </SPAN>
Her breathing grew ragged and she quietly begged for mercy. She gazed back at Azora's house, wishing with all of her might that she would step outside to investigate the commotion and run to her rescue.</SPAN>
 
She softly giggled at his surprise, though she felt kind of guilty about sneaking up on him like that. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she apologized quietly, then smiled as he accused her of spying. "I wasn't spying, I just wanted to speak to you," she tried to argue, then fell silent as a girl walked by. She wasn't anybody that was easily recognizable, and Naoki stood up curiously to watch the girl go by. That must be who he had been watching so intently, she was very pretty after all and definitely not from around her. Turning to glance back at the cabin, she shrugged and smiled back down at the fearful one. "I do apologize," she said again, giving him a faint wave as she laughed and hopped off the branch to skip after the girl. She was curious, insatiably so.


She skipped along until she saw something that made her stop. Faylen was somebody that she recognized, and not somebody that she wanted to speak to. They had been friends once, before Faylen decided to turn her back on everything. She frowned at the thought and looked over at the girl she had been following. Something was going on, something bad. She flinched at the scream and moved forward, her entire being starting to glow as she sang softly, her bare feet carrying her across the grass over to the screaming girl. Her soft hands reached out and she grasped the girl's shoulders, radiating warmth and comfort as she fought against whatever was possessing her to act that way.
 
It was as if a tug-of-war of dark and light was controlling Audrey's body. All she had to do was lean slightly to one side and the binds would snap. Audrey looked away from the shadowy girl to one who seemed to shine from light. Her hair was purple as well, but lighter and softer, more pleasing to the eye. Audrey closed her eyes and turned to the light, and immediately the cold slipped away like water. She fell backwards on the ground, stunned and blacked out. Her mind was still awake though, and it told her she had made the right choice.
 
The shadows evaporated and the jeweled fairy-girl fell between them. Faylen found herself facing an old friend, although she couldn't quite grasp her name. Their eyes locked and it took all of Faylen's strength to keep her hard gaze. She found herself at a loss for words and stood there, arms crossed over her black dress. Faylen felt pity radiating from her friends figure, it made Faylen want to drop to her knees and beg for forgiveness, but she was strong and she resisted. The moon was still high and Faylen shot her old friend with a tranquility shadow. She smiled, twisted and evil, and dragged the lilac-haired girl under a tree. She opened her shadowy wings and took flight, promising to finish her business later.
 
Naoki blinked, startled as the girl fell and moving too slowly to catch her. Fortunately there was soft grass below and she wouldn't be seriously injured by the fall. She looked back up at Faylen with a soft frown, wishing that she could just go up and embrace her friend. They used to laugh together and sing silly songs, but now all that she felt coming from her was malice and sadness. For a moment, she seriously considered going over to her and trying to have a conversation. This wasn't like Faylen, was it? Had she really changed so much that she was going to attack some innocent girl who had no idea what was going on? She frowned at the thought and shook her head slightly. "Faylen-" she began, taking one step closer before the shadow pierced her. She collapsed almost immediately, not even stirring when she was dragged out of sight and partially hidden beneath the tree.
 
Near Audrey lay the beautiful girl who had saved her from a bodily ice age. She appeared to be asleep, but Audrey knew this wasn't so. If Audrey knew where her house was, she would take her there and let her sleep on her bed and wake her up to a steaming cup of hot chocolate and a roaring fire, but she hadn't the slightest how to get to her house. Her only options were to take her into the bustling village down the path or back to the he/she's house. She sat down on the grass to think. The warm breeze blew her hair around and tickled her skin. I'm sure that going back will just result in a flurry of insults. Audrey made up her mind that the only way to postpone any return of the shadow fairy would be to escape to somewhere she didn't know existed. The only problem is that Audrey didn't even know what planet she was on..
 
Faylen watched the jeweled fairy sit next to her old friend, she remembered her name then; Naka? Naoki? Yeah, Naoki. The jeweled was deep in thought when she possessively grabbed Naoki's hand. Faylen felt an alarming anger flow through her. When they were young, Faylen and Naoki had skipped through the market, hand and hand, trying to catch a little air with their small fluttery wings. Faylen saw the jeweled fairy wrap her arms around Naoki's torso, flying low in the air towards the small village. Naoki had been the one who taught Faylen how to fly. Ever since, Faylen had been the swiftest flier in town. Faylen felt a odd sensation in her faded grey eyes, as if a wound had opened inside them. Faylen quickly realized that she was doing something she hadn't done since she was young. She was crying.