Winged - Currently Under Heavy Editing

A New Course of Action

~~~~~~~Spera's POV~~~~~~~

Adelphi was unconscious now and Rii would soon join her from the amount of pain she was in. I had blocked out the effects of her Daimon power with my own; now I had to rush and retrieve Vex so that she could be helped and Adelphi could be detained.

"Please be quiet Rii, I don't want you getting found. Not when you can't fight back." I whisper to her as I pass. She gives me a nod of assurance and I carefully make my way through the bushes. I next turn up the street and make my way back home.

Finding Vex was relatively easy, first checking the palace and then the military district, I found him fretting over a document.

"Commander Vex, permission to speak?"

"Permission granted, apprentice." Vex spoke, turning around to give me his full attention.

"We have a problem, the plan went haywire and Rii was injured... badly. I have her hidden and we need to make haste-"

"How bad are her injuries?"

"To the extent of a broken wing sir." I replied hastily, hoping to move the conversation faster.

"God's no. Our best warrior too."

"We need a medic team and yourself so that Adelphi can be brought here. I will finish the mission with Nadia." I affirmed, Vex giving thought to what I was saying.

"You are sure you can coerce her here? Rii will obviously not be able to help you." Vex states.

"I can do it, if she is unwilling, I will remove myself from the premises and we will discuss a new coarse of action." I reply to the commander.

"Very well, it seems your mentor has taught you well. Give me a moment to grab some medics and you will lead us to them." I nod my understanding and a moment later, we are off.

We reach the brush in ten minutes time, being slowed considerably by the medics and the equipment they brought(a stretcher and a box of bandages) fortunately, when we made it to the brush I could hear Rii's muffled groans. Pushing aside the bushes to clear a way for the medics, I entered first and bent over Rii.

"Rii, the medics and Vex are here. I'm into complete the mission and go to Nadia." I smiled, hoping to cheer her up. The medics pushed me away over to where Adelphi lay unconscious and Vex kneeled attending her. Refusing to look at Adelphi for much longer, I hovered over the medics and tried to decipher exactly what they were doing.

First they had moved her onto her side. It was only then that I saw the extent of her injuries. Adelphi must have fallen on her in a way that caused Rii to land on the arch of her wing and fracture it.

Now they had started an attempt to set the wing. Each time they tried, Rii let out a gut wrenching scream and they had to stop. They talked to Vex and had agreed nothing could be done while we all risked discovery. The medics then took some kind of tape and taped her wing to keep her from moving it; placing her on the stretcher.

"Commander, we'll take her back so that we can properly set the wing." One medic said while two others lifted the stretcher. Vex nodded as he picked up Adelphi and and followed the party out of the bushes, leaving me alone.

Observing the now quiet and peaceful clearing I took in the details of the carnage that had taken place minutes earlier. Feathers of black and white adorned the ground, the dirt disturbed where Rii had been tackled, and the broken bush branches that peppered the ground, visible holes from the many entrances and exits. It was strange how such a peaceful place meant only for talk and parlay turned into a fighting ground. Repenting, I finally left the area looking for Nadia.

Walking up the road, I came upon Hope Academy and found that very few students remained. I walked around a bit, looking for the older winged before finding her sitting outside the office, her back towards me.

"Excuse me, Nadia?" I approached her as she turned around on the bench to face me.

"You're Adelphi's new freshman, Spera, was it?"

"Yes, that's me. Is it okay if I chat off your ear for a minute?"

"Go for it, I'm used to Brennan and Adelphi chatting it off. You know I'm starting to miss his annoyance."

"Brennan? I wanted to talk about him, there's a way you can see him." I start, picking and choosing my words carefully.

"...and just how would you know where he is, hmm? The scouts are already looking for him, I want to be the first to see him back here, safe." Nadia replied.

"That's great, but their efforts would be in vain. He is safe already, with me, and Vex, and Rii-"

"Rii. I know that name. She is the one who attacked our scouts."

"No, they attacked her-"

"I know what I saw. So you took him. What are you going to do with him? Kill him, torture maybe? Brainwash him as well!" Nadia had started to rise, and I was afraid of where this was heading.

"Will you just shut up!" She silenced, yet her glare said more than her words ever could. "You don't understand. This "Hope" Academy is a farce! They claim to take care of you yet your wings are clipped!"

"It was a lesson. A lesson I learned well." She interjected, I silenced her once more.

"Adelphi has moved houses.
All three of you were subjected to a toxin that took information from your memories. If you won't believe me, believe your student records."

"Really? Just how would you know what is on my student record?"

I looked her straight in her eyes, my voice devoid of emotion. "I have it. Yours, mine, Adelphi's and Brennan's records."

"How? You snuck around like a thief in the night and took what was never meant to be yours."

"Nadia please, there are things you are kept blind to. Things that are disturbing and horrendous. Trust me and-"

"No, I will not so easily turn my back on those who raised me!" She turned and ran past me, grabbing the attention of nearby scouts and directing them towards me.

Uh oh. Time to go.

My ego insisted otherwise however as I wanted desperately to impress Vex, "Nadia, please listen to me, just give me a chance. I will prove what I'm saying is the truth!"

"You're wasting your time. Officers, she's an informant and will lead you to our missing friend. Get her so that we can have our friend back." She claimed, pointing a finger at me.

Well, now it really was time to go.