"When the Daughter of Darkness comes, only Death awaits."
Born unlike anyone else and forced to work as the king's Aviary, Azria has only known one thing: she is a monster. The people of Izmera fear her and her powers, but when a chance comes to lea...
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Caden watched the retreating figure, his face upturned toward the black night sky. Her silhouette crossed in front of the full moon and Caden couldn't remember a time where he was more fascinated by a woman in all his life. Though, Azria was not merely just a woman...the word seemed too human for what she was. Those wings...all Caden could think about since the moment he saw her land in front of him was how much he wanted to run his fingers over those obsidian feathers. And her power. Her power sang and thrummed from within her soul. He wasn't sure if she was even aware how much energy radiated from her by simply breathing.
A guard cleared his throat, snapping Caden out of his daze. He was vaguely aware that his mouth was hanging open and his eyes were glued to the figure in the sky. Shaking his head slightly, he turned to the four men who shifted uncomfortably in front of him. "Right, well. We best be on our way, gentlemen."
All four of them seemed to relax fractionally as they turned and walked him through the gates. They positioned themselves around Caden, one lead the way, two flanked each side, and one trailed behind. He had a strange feeling that he was a prisoner being escorted to his execution rather than an esteemed noble guest. He'd felt more comfortable walking with Azria than with these men. Here, Caden felt the need for his knife, normally hidden in his boot but was confiscated upon his first arrival at the castle two nights ago.
The castle was at the very centre of Niiral, Izmera's capital city. It was enormous and very, very old. He'd done some research prior to his visit to the foreign kingdom in preparation for his arrival. The castle was thousands of years old, built by Queen Vierra during the Dark Years as a fortress against some sort of evil sorcery that hadn't been seen since. Caden could still see the influence of a military compound within the castle, even after thousands of years of repair and reconstruction. The high, thick stone walls that guarded the perimeter of the castle could withstand even the most powerful artillery attacks. Caden remembered from his research that the castle had never been infiltrated since its construction, and walking through the impressive stronghold, he could believe it.
They reached the throne room's gargantuan doors. Engraved into the wood was a depiction of the Battle of Baycliffe during the time of the Dark Years. Caden couldn't believe he hadn't noticed such detailed work the first time he was brought here. The scene was intricately crafted. Brother fighting against brother on the tall cliff that hung over the passage where the Finger met the Moahab Sea. Waves crashed against its face and a storm raged violently above, lightning crashed onto the plain where soldiers battled one another. It was brutal and beautiful all at once and it made Caden suddenly very nervous to face what was behind them. He had defied King Edrid's orders, after all.
The guards pushed the doors open. The ceiling was high, making every sound echo through the space, and the stunning stained-glass windows that normally bathed the room with every colour imaginable were now dark from the night beyond. Caden couldn't help the ominous feeling in the pit of his stomach as he entered further into the room and saw the King of Izmera sitting regally on his throne. His dread increased with every step he took, until finally he stood in front of the imposing man. Dropping into a low bow, Caden waited.
