LYRA
I knew five things about Yelarians: they had wings, they had magic, they were rapists and murderers, and I was staring at one right now. Legends told that they kidnapped human women for breeding, and I had woken up in a cell. I started to panic as I thought about where this was going.
CAED
Our females could no longer conceive. The practice of capturing humans and breeding with them in order to prevent the extinction of our race had been the tradition for centuries, but it had not been the standard for several decades. When children are immortal, there is not much of a need to make new ones on a regular basis. In my family however, it had been decreed that a new heir to the bloodline was required. It was such a bunch of bullshit, and when I heard all the rules and requirements, I almost lost my mind. The worst being that I had to "share" with my brother. The thought of exposing anyone to that sadistic son of a bitch was terrifying. There was nothing I would have liked to do less than participate in this absurdity. I had never wanted offspring and I certainly did not want my brother in my life, for any reason. I knew there was no good ending to this story.
LYRA
No one I knew had ever seen a real Yelarian. He was exactly like the illustrations. His hair and skin where white as the snow and if they were snow, his eyes were glaciers, and looking at me just as coldly. I shivered when my eyes met his. Though the rest of the likeness had been spot on, the iridescence of his wings could never have been captured on paper. They glimmered like frost on snow but they looked so, so soft. Before I realized what I was doing, I reached out to touch one. He grabbed my wrist and said "no," scolding me like a puppy. I barely caught his reprimand though, as I was distracted by the actual lightening that crackled from his hand when he grabbed my wrist.
CAED
Gods. She was so small and young and fragile and human. It felt surreal that I was here, taking a human home. I couldn't help reacting when she reached out for my wing. No Yelarian allows his wings to be touched, but I should not have been so stern with her. When I found out we were getting a human, I researched day and night. I knew our biggest problem was going to be emotions. While humans were driven by them, Yelarians really only had three: resentment, anger, and rage. She did not ask for any of this and it must be terrifying for her, so I had made a pledge to myself that I was going to learn to communicate with her in a way that made her comfortable.
LYRA
He looked at me a little less coldly and said "My name is Caed. You are?" I somehow was able to squeak my name out, surprised that I sounded more confident than I felt. He nodded in greeting and said "we should go," as he steered me outside by my elbow. We stepped away from the building and he gave me a questioning look. I took it that he was asking if I was ready. I nodded and he wrapped his arm around my waist and we shot into the sky.
CAED
I was trying to make flying easy, even enjoyable for her. When she started to shiver I pushed warmth into her with my magic. I started low and didn't take any sudden turns. I could sense her excitement and surprisingly, she did not seem scared. This was going much better than I expected. I was not prepared for having to deal with some terrified, screaming, kicking, crying human. That would have been my brother's forte.
LYRA
Everything was so beautiful from the air! There were mountains and mountains and more mountains. There were waterfalls coming off cliffsides and forests carpeting the hills and valleys. Just as I was getting comfortable he made my stomach flip by banking hard into a crack in the mountain. We landed in a beautiful kitchen. He held me until my unsteady legs were strong enough to support me. He told me I would have his rooms and he would stay in his brother's until we could make a plan. He told me where to find food, a bath, clothes, and a bed, then said "Make yourself at home. Take your time. Rest up." Then added, nonchalantly, "and don't try to escape or kill yourself. The house magic will not allow it."
His rooms were magnificent. There was a small library with a comfy chair in front of a fireplace. His bedroom was round and had the largest, most comfortable looking bed I had seen in my life. The most incredible thing though, was that there was no ceiling. I looked out into open sky and figured there must be some type of magic at work because, although I could feel the breeze from the outdoors, the room was warm. Then there was the bathroom. It was the most beautiful, yet unsettling, room I had ever seen.
Three sides looked like they had glass windows, but they were completely open to the outdoors. Gauzy curtains gently blew in the breeze, but it was also warm in the room. In the corner, there was a bath, large enough to hold three people. From beside the bath, I peered over the side and was looking at the mountains and valley below. The bath was calling me, but I was apprehensive. Then I thought, surely if the house wouldn't let me jump, it wouldn't let me fall, right? I gathered my courage and climbed in.
CAED
She had an idea as to why she was here. I confirmed it for her and that was that. I had expected a thousand questions, but she just accepted that answer and it was done.