A vermilion child, which was missing four of his eyes, snuck in front of me as I was waiting in line to get on one of the Harpies which had docked at the Northern Gates peak.

He bumped roughly into one of the young cervitaurs next to him, making the entire rangale huff in agitation turning his way, their antlers swinging in the air with indignation.

"Watch it, punk!" said the one he bumped into. "Didn't your mom ever tell you to keep your eyes open when you walk?"

The boy looked at the much larger being up and down, with an almost too unbothered expression.

"Geno, don't bother," said one girl amongst them. "We have to get on board on time. We will just get in trouble again."

"Yes, Geno, don't bother!" mocked the child, on a rude tone.

"By the love of the gods! Do you want to lose your remaining eyes as well?" scoffed Geno, grabbing the child by the collar.

I fastened my cloak and marched towards them, with the intent to intervene. But before I could do anything, the vermilion sunk his fangs into Geno's hand, making the young cervitaur whine in agony.

"The fucking fried skin bit my hand!"

"Gentleman," I intervened, grabbing the child's arm with caution, "I would like to excuse the indiscretion that my companion has caused you."

Geno glared at me, rubbing his hand in indignation, and turned his back to us, and the rest of the rangale followed closely by.

"I so didn't need your help, stupid!" huffed the vermilion child at me, pulling his arm from my grip.

"Where are your parents, child?" I asked, inspecting him closely as he straightened his garments.

The kid's skin was less reddish than most vermilions I've came across, and besides lacking most of his eyes, he only had four limbs. This unusual fellow squinted his eyes at me and frowned at my question.

"None of your business, that's where they are!" he sarcastically replied.

"Now, now," I said, as we moved together, forward in line. "Aren't you a feisty one."

The child scooted under the shelter of my cloak with little to no hesitation, and started to rub his hands together in a hurried manner.

"I did hear you folks here in Vencross have come terrible weather conditions going on these days, but I had hoped that the news was not true!" he complained, blowing air onto his reddish palms.

The rain poured violently as I ran away from Malum, making my way through the grass that grew up to my knees.

Maia's merciless wrath had scattered the pack in the woods, which now grew thickly green with thorns that reached the sky.

I took down my cloak, placing it on the boys' shoulders to cover him up.

"What do they call you, young one?"

"Eris," he replied, snuggling up in the fur of my cloak. "My mother calls me Eris. And my father says it suits me, as it perfectly matches my mischievous nature." He let out a small giggle and threw a look of admiration at his claws, "But I think it rather emphasizes my dashing looks. Such a handsome name, isn't it?"

The boy paused briefly, his forehead creasing in an expression of discontent.

"And I am so not young!" he argued, "I must let you know; I am no less than thirteen and three full moons!"

I nodded slightly.

"And you?" he asked, his large feet rubbing playfully in the dirt. "What is your name?"

"Rex" I answered, "Rexsus Nix."

Eris, as if startled, jolted upwards, looking up at me with shinning eyes, and a spark of excitement.

"Nix, you say?" His mouth stretched in a wide and sharp grin, revealing his two rowed teeth. "Like the Traitor?" he questioned.

I tilted my head.

My father wasn't a traitor. He couldn't' have been.

For far too long we've been perceived in such a foul way by the rest of the empire. Some, who loathed the seven kings were eager to be on our side, while others, loyal to the empire, detested to be associated with us.

I briefly recollected the recent events, and figured it ultimately took me three days on foot to get to the Harpies. Maybe too long. But this was my only chance to fix things... if I didn't get caught before that.

"I like you, Rex," he confessed. "You must tell me, where are you headed?"

"Vespera," I replied, my mind drifting off.

I knew I had no choice. I had to go and seek him out.

Lucian would have been the only one to know what to do in this situation. He would have some answers. 

I hoped he would.

While Crassus would have not agreed to this, I had not much of a choice. 

It was known to all that nothing was free in Vespera. I didn't know what the king would like in exchange for this favor.

Although my kind were looked down upon here in Vencross, people like us could feel less threatened in the lands of the Dark King-Lucian Drak.

"Vespera!" exclaimed Eris with excitement, "I shall bestow you with the honor of accompanying me until then. I am headed to The Highlands, you know."

His announcement seemed to make him as proud as a thirteen-year-old child could be. He placed both his hands on his hips, and while puffing his chest he declared:

"You, sir Rex, are looking at a first year belonging to The Academy!"

The boy marched back and forth proudly with his head held high, as if there had never been another boy to be in his position until then.

He continued his boasting and chatter until we reached the clerk responsible for the embarking on the Harpie. After paying the required fees needed for the journey, seventeen Valkyries, we stepped foot on the deck, looking for a place to sit for the time being.

Following more than half a day, the Harpie left the Northen Gates and flew rapidly into the sky, leaving me with a nauseating feeling in my gut. It reminded me of the very first time I embarked on for a flight, at my very own first year at the Highland Academy. That memory alone of the beginning of the journey made me green at the gills.

"You don't travel too much, do you?" asked the boy, quite amused at my uneasiness.

"I prefer to have both my feet on land, than up in the sky, if you know what I mean..." I replied, grabbing a hold of the rocky part of the Harpie that was closest to me.

I felt my gut tightening and my head felt like it was starting to spin.

"I like it where it is high," the boy confessed, looking down from the sky at the earth that shrunk in the distance as we floated between the clouds.

"My mom says that when they reach a ripe age, some chosen vermilions will grow their own wings. Can you even imagine? My own personal set of wings!"

The child prompted his reddish chin in the palms of his hands, and looked pensively into the distance, dreaming on about wings and whatnot.

The hills of Vencross slowly faded into the fogginess of unknown, and for the first time in the last few days, I saw the Mother of the sky gazing back at me.

I prayed to her that my journey wouldn't be in vain. And then I whispered to her about the girl with chestnut eyes.