Kapitel 31: Sinister Darkness
She wondered if she was imagining things as she looked at the bird, but the more she looked at it, the more she was certain.
It was the bird she had drawn.
"Do you like it? It's called Cal." Abaddon was amused by her awe of the bird.
"Cal?" She turned her eyes from the bird.
"It is a Caladrius, so you can call it Cal. It is a bird that lives in the sun." He laughed.
"I am not a child." Aisling looked at him flatly.
"I am not kidding. It is a legendary bird that was said to live in the sun. It disappears into the sky and comes down when summoned. Of course, I assume it resides in some other dimension that is accessed somewhere in the sky."
Aisling took in the information before she turned away and stepped closer to the bird. Her curiosity regarding her painting and this real bird made her want to know more. She was certain that her painting had a deeper meaning.
Abaddon did not stop her from approaching the bird.
Cal was not a violent bird, but it was still a legendary creature. He was not overly concerned, but he maintained a level of caution and watched the scene in case he needed to intervene.
When the bird faced the young woman, it remained unmoving for a moment as if it was assessing Aisling. Abaddon thought that it would reject her and turn away from her. It would not harm her, but it was a master at snubbing people.
Even the Cadre had to bribe it with precious items to get some affection or a ride. However, Cal seemed unusually receptive to Aisling's approach.
Aisling stepped closer, and the bird lowered its white head. She rubbed the feathers on its side gently before placing her right hand on its forehead. She closed her eyes and reached her power into the bird's mind.
She was not trying to read its thoughts. She was simply curious about the origins of the painting she drew. If it was a bird that lived in the sun, perhaps she could make sense of that image.
The Caladrius resisted the initial probe into its mind, but the soothing magical energy from Aisling calmed it down.
Aisling sank into the bird's mind and seemed to be flying in the sky. She could feel the heat of the sun, but it felt like a comforting warmth. She looked down through its eyes and saw the image on her canvas again.
Below, there was a clear dome with a certain ethereal and milky appearance. However, on the edges of that dome was strange darkness tainting the purity.
She controlled the body of the bird and felt as if she was moving closer to one of the darkened area. However, before she could come closer, she felt her head throb in pain and then, she was pulled away by the waist from the bird.
"Aisling, what happened?" A voice broke through her clouded mind.
Aisling opened her eyes and found herself wrapped in Abaddon's arms. His unique scent helped her mind calm down.
"What were you doing?" He asked sternly as he waved a hand over her face.
The trickle of blood from her nose cleared, but her eyes still looked unclear and confused. She blinked as she looked at him before her mind cleared up.
Immediately, her face became serious.
"There is something strange going on in Panthalassa." She said.
"What do you mean?" The statement was sudden, but Abaddon could see that she was serious.
"Before I came here, I had a premonition about a great disaster befalling Panthalassa and affecting the world at large. I was not able to find out more despite my attempts at divination, but the premonition has been stronger since I came here." She said.
"How is the Caladrius involved?" Abaddon asked.
Aisling did not know how to explain her process in creating paintings that were spiritual artefacts. She was not even sure she understood how they worked. So, she summarised the story simply.
"Long story short, I painted him. It seems that he sees sinister darkness creeping along the barrier around Panthalassa." She frowned.
She could not be sure about what she had seen. Furthermore, she did not understand how the bird processed stimuli or thoughts, so what she saw might not be physical but magical or even metaphorical.
Abaddon also fell into contemplation.
The Prophecies had indeed spoken of a disaster which would end the world as they knew it and the salvation which would come from the daughter of the earth.
The Temple of Oracles had deciphered the Prophecies and said that the end had begun with the murders.
And they had said that the Banshee was the daughter of the earth who could save the world.
He wondered if saving the world meant solving the murders.
What if there was a more sinister plot brewing and he could not see it?
Moreover, the Caladrius was a bird that saw and healed disease. What if the darkness it saw was an unknown disease plaguing Panthalassa?
Aisling realised that she had said too much based on her assumptions. She felt a little guilty.
"There is no need to think too much about it. We either live or we die, right?" She said with some cheer to Rex who was lost in his thoughts.
"What?"
"Something I heard somewhere. Let's go." She smiled.
"You still want to take the trip?" Abaddon was surprised by her resilience.
She had been there for only two or three days, but she had hit the ground running. That kind of dedication was rare.
"Better early than later." She said.
"Something else you heard?" His voice teased.
Geschenke
-- Geschenk
erhalten Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein