"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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Azria's shadows could not compare to the darkness that lurked in Zanah's eyes. She had no iris', no whites, just endless black depths that saw no end or beginning. Yet those eyes saw everything and bore into Azria's soul as if it were laid bare before her. Though Azria still remembered a time when those eyes were the same bright blue as her own. Until that fateful day that changed both of their lives forever.
"It's been a while. Aren't you going to say hi?" Azria asked.
There was no response. She hadn't expected one. Zanah lowered her head to stare at the floor once more.
"I would've come sooner but I've been preoccupied lately." She began to walk around the perimeter of the cramped room, always keeping one eye on Zanah's immobile form. "There's been a Rahemian noble staying at the castle. Apparently, he and Edrid got into a bit of a tiff. You know how sensitive the old man is. He's ordered our esteemed guest to return to Raheim this morning." She stopped walking as she came back around to face her sister. "I'm to accompany him to the border so I thought I'd come to say goodbye before I leave."
At that, Zanah lifted her head, her brow furrowing in confusion. Azria continued, "Don't worry, dear sister. I'll come straight here once I'm back. Who knows? Maybe by that time, you'll have livened this place up a bit. I can't imagine having to stay in this dreary pit as long as you have. How many years has it been now, Zanah? Ten? Fifteen? I've lost track." She waved a hand in the air flippantly and continued her wandering.
"What would you do? If you weren't locked up in here, I mean." As she walked, Azria looked around at the small room that unknowingly contained such a large entity, something that could rival herself in pure power. She reached the iron door for the last time and knocked.
"Something to think about, I suppose." She hoped Zanah got the hint as the iron door clanged open. The guard on the other side kept his eyes down as he shut the door behind her. The sound reverberated down the hall that was lined with prying ears loyal only to the king.
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The Long Road was the main route to Raheim from Niiral. It twisted and cut through the lush terrain of Izmera's countryside and provided direct access for traders and travellers alike. But it was just as its name suggested – it was long. The trip from Niiral to the border town of Ogden takes nearly two weeks of hard travel. Azria would be able to fly the distance in five days without breaking a sweat but she had to stay with the group. The group that was moving so unbearably slow.
The more they walked, the closer they came to the time when her plan fell into place. They were about three days away from the most likely ambush point and her frustration at their trudging pace had set her nerves on edge. She just wanted to go. Until then, Azria did everything she could from going mad with boredom.
"Which do you think would win in a fight, a nightwalker or a sandcrawler?" For the past hour she'd presented the same question to Orin and every time he answered she'd slightly change who was fighting or change the circumstances of the fight. And every time she asked him, Orin got more and more exasperated.
