The Island of Clouds

Saraph had never had anyone stroke his wings. Cloudis had them, so there was no reason for anyone to be in awe of what they were. The attention was... welcomed. However, it ended too soon, and she seemed to realize their proximity. At her stumbling words, his gaze softened. He had no reason to fear this small, human woman. She was no threat to him.

She brushed past him only to stop and ask where he'd placed the clothes. With only a short nod, Saraph moved into the other room, not expecting Lyra to follow. He picked up the stack of clothes he'd folded earlier, moving back to his guest quickly. "You may pick whatever you like," he said, placing the pile on the bed. "I will return the rest to Rexia tomorrow. She does have quite the abundance of attire, so, should you find more than one thing you wish to wear, I will keep it for you. Rexia will not miss these."

Saraph paused before he straightened, her previous words just then settling on him. "Is that what humans consider us? ...Angels, is that the correct word?"
 
  • Love
Reactions: Ravenbelle
Saraph left the room without answering her question. But then he quickly returned with clothes and brushed past her to set it on the bed. She listened to him closely, smiling at the fact that Rexia had a lot of clothing. Lyra had no problem believing the perky girl had too much clothes. She moved to the bed and sat beside the folded clothing. He asked about Angels in that musical voice of his and she nodded as she searched through Rexia's attire. "Do you know anything about what we consider Angels?" Lyra asked, making sure to understand his knowledge before adding to it.
Most of Rexia's clothes were formal and none of it was denim, but Lyra managed to find yellow pants that were sort of like sweat pants, so she put those aside to change into. She also found a white linen shirt with a small bow at the neckline that was casual enough and green shorts as well as some underwear. Wow. Rexia had thought of everything, hadn't she? Lyra hid the pair of bras and undies between the rest of the clothing she had decided to borrow, then added the blue dress to the pile she handed to Saraph to return to Rexia. "Please tell Rexia I said thank you."
 
"You understand them as... supernatural beings. Some considered messengers for your religious beliefs. They are similar in appearance to us, but they possess abilities that we do not. Others are considered guardians, protectors of your kind, often a deceased loved one... watching over you, as it were." Saraph had done plenty of watching, but with only the sea of clouds and stormy gales below the island, there was little to see. He'd always wanted to know more about the humans, but his books only provided so much information.

Saraph shook from his thoughts as the clothes were extended to him. "She will be most pleased that you find her garments suitable."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ravenbelle
Lyra listened closely to what he knew and wondered what kind of source the Cloudis have for this information. Obviously, there must have been a time when humans lived among Cloudis. Before the winds and Life-fire kept the Cloudis isolated from the humans. Otherwise, these winged beings would never have been able to acquire books or other things that could educate them in human beliefs and such. What kind of history do the two species have?
Lyra smiled a bit at his next comment on Rexia. "She has a very...bright wardrobe." She gave a little laugh that didn't easily affect her injuries and then responded to his angelic inquiry.
"You've got the general idea of Angels. It's really not much more than what you know. I could give you more details about the different views on angels but of course, not all humans believe in the same things. Personally, I like the idea of dead family turning into peaceful, winged guardians, but...I'm not sure I really believe it's true. I'm not a very religious individual." Lyra bit her lip for a moment, glancing down at the ribbon in her hand before speaking again. "Who knows? Maybe the only reason the idea of Angels even came to be on earth is because of Cloudis. Who's to say someone in ancient times didn't spot one in the sky and start to write nonsense about what he saw?" Lyra shrugged and blinked, watching his wings and perfect body and finally wandering up to his eyes. They were both orphans. Yet having lived for so long, maybe he didn't feel as much like a lost child without his parents as she did. That flight that landed her here had been her last chance after all. What was she to do when the Cloudis finished fixing the plane? She didn't want to think about it.
 
"It is not a farfetched idea. We lived among humans for some time during your history, but they thought of us as wrongly superior and sought to kill us. When my predecessors unearthed the Life-fire, it took a part of your world with it as it floated up. They gathered what they could and followed it, as its ascent was slow. They built their homes, and the longer they stayed, the longer their lives became. The trees grew and changed color and strange, hybrid animals appeared. You may have seen them on your way here. Of course, these things happened over hundreds of years. It is expected we will live even longer than the average age in another one thousand years."

Saraph sighed, disappearing for a moment to put the clothes away. When he reappeared, he continued his story. "Humans saw the island, so our ancestors created the perpetual storm that hides the island from view, never mind that your flying vehicles do not normally fly as high as the island floats. It is more complicated than it was before, but we know that if we make our presence known again, the humans would try to kill us again." The thought made him sad, tinges of sorrow flickering through his eyes. "We do what we can from here, but I wish that the threat to end our lives did not exist in your world."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ravenbelle
Lyra listened, curiosity heavy in her gaze as he explained to her the history of their species. She had never been much of a history buff, but this is amazing. How did the humans ever forget walking among Cloudis? Why did they have to be so cruel as to try to murder them rather than find them as wonderful as she did? It must be kind of like the way they think of animals. Living beings that arent just like them are fair game because they aren't human. Sometimes Lyra wished she wasn't human. She's ashamed of her own species.
"I don't doubt that they'd try to harm Cloudis again. Though they'd probably conduct experiments first..." Lyra winced at her species' sadistic means of gaining knowledge. She hated them sometimes."Gosh I must seem like such an infant to you...you've lived for more than 200 years and might end up living past 650. It's incredible. Though I suppose it could get a bit monotonous." Lyra's chocolate eyes met his sorrowful gaze intently, waiting for his always-intelligent response.
 
"It becomes tiring to do the same thing each day with little to no variation. Yes... monotonous. To leave would mean death. The storm would tear us apart. In fact, your craft will only hold together for the descent. It's likely to fall apart and crash into the ocean. ...We do still float over the ocean, correct? We do not see the earth due to our position and the cloud formation." Saraph would have taken any chance to leave, but he didn't want to perish in the process. Realizing then that Lyra might have been scared of the real possibility of dying, he added onto his explanation.

"I do believe Pallick still has the ability to remove the storm for a short time, or at least lower the intensity so it would not tear apart your craft. It is a difficult process to maintain, and it drains him of his energy. Even so, he may perform the ritual to allow you to pass with little harm."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ravenbelle
Lyra could imagine how boring it must be to live on this island without leaving. Does it feel like a prison to Saraph? Lyra didn't want to think about another horrible plane crash like the last. It was too...terrifying. She winced with its memory and Saraph seemed to notice, so he explained to her how Pallick could stop the winds from killing them. Honestly, she didn't really want to go back. Maybe dying on the way down would be easier than trying too hard to survive like she always had. It was...tiring. Lyra sighed a little and looked back up at Saraph, ribbon clenched tight in her fist. "Why does he think it's worth all the effort? He could just keep us here as prisoners and keep from endangering Cloudis and the secret of Life-fire. I don't...I don't really find the idea of going back to earth as...appealing to me."
 
How she kept a white-knuckled grip on her ribbon had not lost on Saraph, but her reasons for doing so, he was not aware of. Her words became even more confusing when she admitted her fear of returning home. "You do not wish to go back to your place of origin? It is your home. Would your fellow humans not miss your presence?" He wasn't sure if any Cloudi outside of Rexia and possibly Pallick would miss him if he died or otherwise disappeared, but he chose not to dwell on that thought.

"As for why Pallick does not wish to keep you prisoner... You see how small our population is. Adding on more people would strain us. The island is large and sustains us... but I do not know what would occur if you stayed here for an extended period. It is not that I do not want you around. I find you fascinating." Saraph closed his mouth and cut his words as he realized how forward he sounded. He knew so little of the young human woman in front of him. "I... I did not intend for my words to imply what they have. I meant that your kind is very different from my own, and you evolved rapidly and I wish to learn more."
 
His voice rang out like a bell again, curious and harmonic. "You do not wish to go back to your place of origin? It is your home. Would your fellow humans not miss your presence?"
Lyra looked down at her lap, frowning with a disappointed look on her small features. Maybe shw shouldn't have said anything. His words just reminded her of how pathetic she really is. Then he continued and she brought her eyes up to his again, trying not to seem impolite.
"As for why Pallick does not wish to keep you prisoner... You see how small our population is. Adding on more people would strain us. The island is large and sustains us... but I do not know what would occur if you stayed here for an extended period. It is not that I do not want you around. I find you fascinating."
Lyra cocked her head at this a little and simply couldn't resist the small smile creeping up on her lips as he revised his sentence, turning it into something much more intellectual than emotional in any aspect.
"No worries. I wasn't offended at all. I'm not afraid to admit that you're fascinating to me as well." Lyra gave a little laugh before dwelling on the serious stuff. It seems she isn't really wanted among humans or Cloudis. She's a burden. Another mouth to feed and useless. Maybe it would be better for everyone if she just..disappeared. Her small fingers tightened on her ribbon again and her eyes lowered to her lap, afraid to show him any emotion in her eyes. "Um. On earth, we have this phrase. It says, 'Home is where the heart is'. In that case, my home wouldn't really be on earth. There is no one left alive that I'd return to. No one left who..." Lyra sighed, reluctantly letting out how weak and idiotic and worthless she really is. "who really cares about me." She whispered, mentally scolding herself for sounding so weak. She must be the perfect representation of fragility. Pathetic.
 
Saraph's wing, of seemingly its own volition, curled to rest around her shoulder, the wing tips brushing her opposite arm. "I believe that is untrue. Even if you do not often make the acquaintances of others, there are those who would come to miss your life. You may not see it, but it is rare when a person dies that they are not missed." His wing fell away from her body, going back into a static position on his back. "Now, I believe that you should rest. I would like to show you something tomorrow." Maybe it was slight incentive for her to sleep better than she had the night before, but Saraph truly did want her to see something incredible.

"If you would like, I can return with my lyre and play while you settle yourself for sleep."
 
At the soft brush of feathers against her arm, Lyra's head turned to stare into his violet eyes, shocked and worried about his reaction. The ebony wing's weight settled on her gently and comfortingly as he spoke and her face slowly gave into a very small smile. Even if she didn't quite believe him, the fact that he did was very sweet of him. When he retracted his wing, she missed the warmth and nodded at his suggestion to rest. She'd had a long day and she agreed that she needed to sleep. Of course, she might stay up wondering what this surprise of his could be, but exhaustion would take over eventually.
"I'd like that...Thank you Saraph." She smiled softly, honestly grateful. How many times could she say thank you in a single day?

When he left, Rexia's extra clothes in hand, to retrieve his beautiful instrument, Lyra swiftly changed into the green sweat pants she borrowed and yanwed, settling herself under the covers carefully.
 
He gave her a light smile before padding out. He stopped to set Rexia's clothes on a small table near his door, moving to then swipe his lyre from the stand in his immaculate music room. When he returned, she was curled under the covers. Saraph perched himself in the seat again, legs crossed. The lyre settled in his lap, fingers gripping the instrument softly. After a few twangs and strums, Saraph started up a song. It wasn't like his other songs. This one had more strums rather than just a few plucks. It seemed to lead somewhere, but the sounds were still soft. It was gentle in a way that even he couldn't describe.

Once it was finished, Saraph was falling asleep. It took a moment to collect himself, gathering what little energy he had left to move to his bed. Wings draped over the sides of his mattress, Saraph slept soundly, except he did so into the afternoon. He hadn't meant to, but the singing, taking care of a human, and the playing had all culminated into exhaustion.
 
When Saraph returned, Lyra waited in silence, staring at his graceful body move across the room, lyre in hand. He sat beside her bed again and her body relaxed, awaiting his beautiful song. his song was different this time. It wasn' t sad or slow. It sounded like it was telling a story up to interpretation. And Lyra's dreams had every intention to interpret that song. As soon as she closed her eyes, Lyra was totally out. Peaceful and relaxed. Her subconscious visions consisted of violet eyes and sweet words. She was silent all night. When she finally woke, no one was around and the house was silent. Where could he be?
Cautiously, Lyra crept out of bed, hissing at the protest of her creaking ribs until she was standing by her bed with her ribbon halfway out of her messy hair. Lyra yawned and slowly padded her way to the kitchen, lingering beside the hole that once held such magnificent fire. Then she reached into the bowl of fruit to search for a pomei. She took a bite, smiling at the perfect flavor, then pulled out another fruit thing that kinda looked like a blue star with a tail. Breakfast. Now...could Saraph still really be sleeping?
Lyra the made her way past the music room, one fruit in each hand, and down the hallway to a large room with the door half open. Inside lay Saraph, peaceful and slightly disheveled with his incredible wings splayed out and limp. She crept into his room silently, not even needing to open the door any more since it was wider than those on earth. Probably meant to accomodate wings.
Lyra sat crosslegged beside his bed, staring up at him as the sunlight danced in his messy hair and beatiful feathers. Everything was silent and for some reason, Lyra felt like singing.Like the moment was just right. Instead, she took some more bites from her pomei. She didn't want to wake the perfect Cloudi with the shiny hoops in his elf like ears and swirling tattoo climbing his bare torso...or what she could see of it past his wing.
He slept soundly, breaths deep and unperturbed by any flaw the world might expose him to. Innocent. Lyra finished her delicious fruit and tied the falling ribbon onto her wrist. Then, with her free hand, she gently stroked along his feathers on the wing that just barely grazed the floor in its half open position. The ebony feathers felt like black velvet and silk. A flawless combination she could only imagine wrapping around her..like more than last night's fleeting moment. She missed it.
 
Saraph was aware of another presence, but his mind hardly stirred. It was only when the other person touched his wings that his eyes blinked open. He focused on Lyra, his gaze traveling down her arm to spot her hand. So that was the sudden weight on his feathers. His muscles tensed under his skin as he almost prepared himself to spring away, but he resisted the urge. She wasn't hurting him. Though his wings were a precious and sacred part of his body, he allowed her to stroke the feathers. He was a bird in the truest sense: afraid of what might happen if someone or something broke his wing, and generally fearful of unknown things. It often contradicted his desire to learn more.

"Do you enjoy my wings?" he asked, voice low and husky from disuse. He cleared his throat and began again. "I am not used to anyone being so fascinated by their appearance."
 
So captured was her attention by the feel of his wings, she didn't notice him tense at her touch. Lyra instantly snapped her hand back to her lap when Saraph suddenly spoke. She bit her lip, suddenly nervous even though she had been the one to enter into his room. "Oh um." A slow blush crept to her face and her messy hair came forward to hide her rosy cheeks as her head lowered so her eyes stared at her lap, which contained the uneaten blue fruit. "They're magnificent. Just like--" She cut off her quiet reply, too shy to finish her response. he had been about to say. 'just like everything else about you.' But that would have been saying too much. Maybe if she distracted him with a new topic he would forget to ask her about it!
Lyra swiftly grabbed the star-like fruit in her hand and held it up, offering it to her winged caretaker. "I- um brought you breakfast. I'm not sure what it is, but since you keep it in your home, I doubt you don't like it. So." Lyra gave him a bashful smile, apologetic for her intrusion.
 
His wings fluttered as he sat up, taking the proffered fruit from her. He peeled back the tougher skin, almost like a banana. The inside was a lighter blue, and it held the same texture as a pineapple. Saraph shifted so he was straightened on his bed before eating. He proceeded to eat half before he spoke. "If you are wondering what we call such a food item, it is known as a sterberi," he said, pulling off a chunk and giving it to her. "It is not something you see in your world, and there seems to be no human equivalent to it. It is both sweet and tart." The tasteful description brought a smile to his face, as if he enjoyed this fruit more than the pomei.

"How are you feeling today? What I wish to show you is far, and it will require me to fly to the destination. If you are not up to such an expedition, we do not have to go."
 
Sterberi, huh? Kind of like...a strawberry. Lyra tasted the chunk he handed to her and smiled. It was the texture of a pineapple, but the flavor of a strawberry. Amazing. Everything she experiences on this island is so beyond every real thing she's sensed on earth below her. It's so unreal and beautiful...she still has a hard time believing this isn't some insane dream.
Lyra was glad to see Saraph was enjoying the fruit she brought him. His smile is always gentle and sweet. It sends a little flicker of warmth to her chest until she smiles too.
"How are you feeling today? What I wish to show you is far, and it will require me to fly to the destination. If you are not up to such an expedition, we do not have to go."
Lyra wasn't about to pass up another trip outside to explore the island simply because of an injury she can't do anything about. So Lyra furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. "If you have to fly there, will i be following on foot..or..? It was obvious she was wondering if he was implying that he'd carry her there, because in that case, the journey wouldn't be all that strenuous.
 
"No. I will carry you. It requires a flight off of the island's land boundaries. You are unable to get there on your own." Saraph finished off the other half of the sterberi quickly before he stood and moved to the drawers in the corner of the room. Carefully folded clothes lined the inside, and Saraph picked out a black cotton shirt with long sleeves, hiding his body and tattoo once again. Though he seemed open with his appearance, all of his clothes were long, suitable for covering his body.

Forgetting to be courteous, he fiddled with his sleeves and said, "If you are not comfortable with me transporting you to our destination, then we do not have to go."
 
Lyra nodded as he finished his breakfast and stood, messy hair flopping as he walked to the dresser. She watched him closely as his wings moved to fit through the holes in his button-down shirt. Wow..
He turned toward her again, adjusting his sleeves as he spoke, violet eyes capturing hers as if they were nets.
"I do want to go. I mean, I've wanted to explore since I arrived here, but I mean, I don't want to weigh you down.." Lyra stared up at him, curling her knees to her chest self-consciously. What if his mismatched wings caused them to crash because her weight messed up his balance? She didn't ever want to be the reason he got hurt.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back