What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath: Chapter 2

Author's Note: Second part of my story! Enjoy and comment! :)

Slivers of daylight streamed through the window, trying to reach my closed eye lids and pry them open. I had barely slept at all last night. The past day's events had been much to troubling for my liking, and I had found myself staring off into the candlelight to no end. I didn't know when sleep had finally reached me, but I did know that it was time for me to arise.

My drowsiness did not last long, for I clearly remembered what today meant. Everything could erupt into a world of chaos at any moment. It was a game of time in which the eminent was clearly going to be that way; impossible to avoid. The only thing that was not certain, is when. My stomach had strained itself into a knot of emotions, churning with apprehension of what awaited me later.

But despite my reluctance to leave the safety of my room as if it were a haven, it was my duty to my homeland to take that step. Without delaying the impossible any longer, I drew the covers from myself, a cool chill crawling up my skin. I shook my wings, a few loose feathers fluttering to the ground airily. I sat upon the edge of my bed, my blue eyes drawn to the usual tunic I would wear on a sunny day like this. It was casual, and not at all a form of clothing one would wear to war, such as my armor which stood in the corner of my room. It glared at me with a gleam, unused for such a long time. It looked so awfully heavy, a burden to bare on my shoulders.

I rose from the bed, my fingers meeting the small, metal rings of the chain mail before I placed it over my head and slipped it on over my undershirt. My wings remained free through the slits in the garment as I placed the armor over my shoulders, tightening the straps along the sides of my abdomen. It took only a few more moments to complete my uniform, resulting in an oddity within this place of peace. My dagger remained attached to my hip, as I strode out of my room and down the corridor. I knew at once that my appearance had immediately attracted the eyes of all around me, fear widening their pupils and parting their lips in gasps of shock and confusion.

Some looked at me with disbelief. Cocked eyebrows and frozen figures. I avoided their gazes, my eyes glued to the path ahead of me. I hated to be caught under their eyes. I was a walking sign that peace had fled this city and had disappeared into the sky—hopefully to come back someday—but gone now. They knew it the moment they saw me, and I felt a pang of guilt and shame at having to be the one to ruin the sense of security they had kept for so long. I clenched my hand into a fist, walking at a more rapid pace towards the watchtower up ahead. I could see Second in Command, Leonii, conversing with a group of soldiers, providing me with a sense of comfort and familiarity beneath the gazes of the civilians.

Leonii turned my way, his usual stern expression facing me.

“Something the matter, Baleon?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“You were never good at lying, you know,” he snorted, turning away to bark a few orders at his men.

“Report?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's as silent as a grave,” Leonii sighed, running a hand through his short hair, wiping away the stress from his brows. “Pity. Today would have been such a lovely day,” he grumbled.

“Surely,” I responded quietly, my eyes sweeping over the land below, afraid of catching the faintest glimpse of abnormality.

Leonii stayed silent for a moment more, but I could tell his words were on the tip of his tongue. Strangely, he was reluctant to sound them out.

“Say what you will, Leonii. I'd prefer it more than this silence,” I told him, my eyes still searching the world below.

“Perhaps the Lord was wrong?” his words finally were spoken, though undoubtedly hushed. It really was out of his character to ever doubt Engel, but I could tell it was because he wished it were true. That this whole ordeal had been a big bluff and that we were all scouting for no apparent reason. How we all wished that were true...