[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/VllCIsh.jpg?1[/img][/center]
[h3][i]A Dove's Flight...[/i][/h3]
A white dove soared like a star amidst the bleary, backdrop of grey and dark that filled the air on the plume of burning nations. It vanished into the clouds, blindly flying through a grey screen and yet the creature’s black eyes continued to gleam with light as it carried on without thought. The dove flew for days with a tiny message coiled and tied with thread about its leg. It flew until the clouds churned like the ocean, swirling and rolling beneath it about a rocky mass. Darting all about the dove were beings of an array of colors who enjoyed the air as much as it had once. They revolved about a city of white, stalagmite towers, and which glowed with the sun that still shined when the earth was black. The beings were the Arials, and the floating island in which the city resided was [i]Sepherine[/i].

The Arials were no different than the Earthborn. They went to school, played in the clouds, but there were no businesses or currency. There was no greed for the beings to leech off each other over. Their culture was entirely progressive and focused on discovering new ways to preserve life—their lives at least. They shared; they watched each other’s children; they fed each other; they danced and played music; while the land burned, the Arials in their selfish spirit continued to thrive. But it wasn’t entirely without fear. The war had wounded the Earthborn, and even nestled in the clouds, the selfish beings could sense their suffering. The island was metaphorically floating on an ocean where a big black beast lurked beneath it, waiting to consume it. However, there was still hope.

Hope approached the center tower, [i]White Tear[/i], and passed through its narrow windows to descend upon a chamber with a crystal floor, [i]The Crystal Chamber[/i]. Within the chamber was a giantess whose rainbow hair pulled about her legs and covered her lap like a blanket. She wore a white silky gown of cotton thread that loosely hung from her bare shoulders. White feathers crept from her bosom to stop just beneath her pallor collar and eyes that glittered like the cosmos rose to the white creature that floated down to meet her. The Mother, as she was often called, was cradling a large, white egg against her bosom. She spared one arm, extending it toward the dove with her palm open for the creature to land. As the dove landed in her palm, its legs buckled beneath it. Its head collapsed as it went still and the gleam that once shown in its beady eyes faded.

The Mother’s brows twisted with sadness as she gazed upon the motionless creature in her hand. She brought its body closer to her and sliding her egg into the crook of her arm, she brushed its downy form with her finger. While her finger traced across its feathers, she happened to brush the paper about its leg. Turning the bird upon its side, she frowned curiously upon seeing the scroll and untied the thread so that she could inspect the message. The dove was still in her hand and her fingers curled about its form as its feathers turned black and a smoke rose from its body. Her hand closed into a fist, and when it opened, ashes were all that remained that she sprinkled into the air. She pinched the scroll and spread it before her eyes, recognizing the Earthborn language immediately. It had been Human, and it was asking for help.

[center][h3][i]The Crystal Court[/i][/h3][/center]

Arials filled the crystal chamber in rainbows. White Knights shrouded in white and silver hooded robes stood in files branching away from the goddess to the tall chamber doors. There was a red Arial, who stood before The Mother and the entire room. He wore red philosopher robes to match his red hair and blood-red wings. The court had been called to address the message—the message that had all the Arials astir. The red Arial, the philosopher, [i]Jiceras[/i], ambled up and down the aisle of space he was granted as he addressed the room to explain why most of the Arials had been summoned:

“Friends; my fellows; The Mother; The Sky Queen; has called us here because she received a message and not just any message. She received a call for help from the Earthborn Humans…”

The room bubbled with surprised murmurs and gasps. How did she receive a message from the Humans? Their messages could reach all the way up here? Most of them were amazed and some disturbed. Jiceras continued: “It appears the Mad King has poisoned the land; and the Humans, the Earthborn, have become so desperate for aid that even when they lack wings, they would send a dove!”

Jiceras stopped. While holding the excess of his robes upon his arm, he turned in a circle as he suggested, “This desperation is alarming, is it not? We live up here in peace, and while they burn below, we are merely waiting for the flames to rise higher—for the flames to reach us! We have to help. They cannot do it alone. They couldn’t win the war without us, and they won’t be able to [i]survive[/i] without us.”

A green Arial woman stepped onto the crystal floor next. A green gown twisted up her body. Her hair was held back by a flower tiara, her dark hair as green as seaweed and hanging down her back between her creamy shoulders. She folded her hands neatly over her lap and stepped forward to where Jiceras stood. Her name was [i]Hedina[/i], and she represented the opposition.

“The Earthborn are lost. What have the Earthborn done that is different from the Mad King? They war with each other. They kill each other. They steal from each other. They rape each other. You are asking us to help demons fight demons. The Arials have found peace and because of The Great Mother and our city, we have continued to live in peace for centuries while the Earthborn drowned the world in blood below. The Earthborn have survived this long. Surely others will rush to their aid and provide them with all the help they need. I say we watch both evils perish.”

The room rumbled with several Arials voicing their agreeance. Jiceras turned to Hedina and frowned. “And if the Mad King wins?”

“Then we will destroy what is left of his Army.”

“How long do you think we can hide in the clouds? A dove found Sepherine. Someone knows we are here and that someone wrote us a message. We are fortunate that someone had not compromised our location long ago.”

Hedina parted her lips to speak, but then closed them again. She had no comment. Jiceras turned his head, passing his eyes sternly over the room.

“We have grown complacent! We have studied the Earthborn for years and learning from their mistakes, complacency, is a killer! We are [i]alone[/i]. We need allies. If the Mad King were to crush us now, the Earthborn would watch and do nothing just as we did.”

“The Mad King could [i]try[/i] to crush us. A single Arial could fell a hundred Earthborn before she would fall.”

Jiceras whipped his finger at Hedina and exclaimed, “Arrogance! Blind Arrogance!” He returned to the audience, “We are an arrogant race. We pride ourselves on sustainment and on being above the Earthborn. But the Earthborn are the reason why we are at peace. Peace cannot exist without sacrifice. The Earthborn have sacrificed so much, and it wasn’t for us but we are benefiting from it. Now they are about to perish. Our peace will need a new sacrifice!”

“You speak of them as though they are martyrs…”

Jiceras bowed his head as he thought, [i]Martyrs…maybe.[/i] Lifting his head, he concluded, “I respect the Earthborn. I have read many of their texts, and through them I learn things that our people will never learn. We will never learn these things because we have no reason to, but in this day and age, this knowledge is paramount. Hear me, My Queen, hear me My Fellow Wings, set aside your ego, bring forth your compassion. For the sake of conserving our peaceful kingdom, we must help the Earthborn fight the demons. We have fought demons for centuries. They could learn something from us just as we could learn something from them.”

The red Arial faced the queen and pleaded, “My Queen, your decision is just regardless what you choose to do, but I beg you to please send them help. I have no further words.”

Hedina addressed the chamber next, “Let’s say we help the Earthborn, and the Mad King and his armies are destroyed. Let’s say…we share our technology with the Earthborn in order to help them. After the war, there will be celebrations for days. Our Wings will return to this city and we will celebrate. Let’s say decades later when the war is all but a storybook, the Earthborn with our technology attack us. They attack us as they attack each other. They try to conquer our city and they bring their wretched wars to the skies. Years from now, we will be saying, ‘What have I done?’”

She faced the queen: “My Queen, you know what must be done. We cannot trust the Earthborn. They live only to destroy. Is the Mad King not also Earthborn? His corruption is of no surprise. I have no further words.”

The Sky Queen closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she continued to cradle her egg against her chest. The air around the Arials vibrated with a power as she spoke words that didn’t leave from her lips but resonated from her being. “My Beautiful Children, I can feel your fear. I am scared for you. I am scared for this city. We have had no troubles until now. I still wonder to this day if I had sent My Knights to battle would we be here now? Would we be faced with such weighted decisions? Because I did not send My Knights the first time, the Earthborn now call for our help, and in order for us to remain safe, I feel I must send them…”

Hedina bowed her head in disappointment, but did not let the expression show on her face. Jiceras’s eyes glimmered as his face brightened with joy.

“I will only send one.”

Jiceras’s face faltered in disbelief. [i]One?[/i]

“My White Knight will be an emissary to the Human who sent me the message. We will learn then if the Earthborn were trying to deceive us. If the Earthborn prove trustworthy, then my White Knight will relay to us the strength of the enemy, and we will make preparations accordingly. Which of my Knights will go?”

[i]I will go.[/i]

There was no hesitation in the voice that responded. One of the white robed beings stepped from the file nearest the center and pushed back his hood. He approached the two philosophers who stepped aside and bowed at the waist in respect. The room was full of excited whispers:

[i]It’s Balthair![/i]

[i]The Storm Champion![/i]

Balthair closed his eyes and bowed his head as a proud smirk curled his lips. He couldn’t deny his love for praise and when people actually recognized his skill. He stopped before the Rainbow Queen and knelt before her, pressing a fist against his chest over his heart, and his large, white wings sprung from beneath his robes into the air in an arch over his head.

“My blades will crumble to dust if I don’t use them. I will see the Human for what he is. I do not find it necessary to dirty my swords with him even if he does so happen to be a liar. I will leave the demons to him instead. It is a more fitting end for treachery,” Balthair declared.

The queen nodded. Jiceras straightened and offered, “My lord, if I may share with you some wisdom?”

Balthair stood and turned to Jiceras. “You may.”

“We Arials are unique. As a White Knight, you should try to blend in with the Earthborn. Your wings will make you a target. If you are to travel with the Earthborn, then you should travel like an Earthborn and try to keep to the ground. Use your wings only when you need to. The enemy will find you difficult to discern that way.”

Balthair smiled. “I am afraid that I could never [i]look[/i] as ugly as an Earthborn, but I will see what I can do.”

Giving his wings two, stretching flaps, Balthair curled them back beneath his robes, and turned to once again bow to the Sky Queen, spreading his arms in adoration.

“I will watch over you, My Knight.”

“Thank you, my Queen!”

The Crystal Court filled with cheers and applause as the Arials watched the White Knight take his leave. Balthair waved to his loving public with a warm smile before he grasped his hood and pulled it over his head.