The Bird of Providence part 1

Carlos had a tight grip on the limp body of Prince George Oldfield as the cold wind whipped his long, blond hair against his own face. Flying at that height could not be good for George's deteriorating health. He was mortal after all and could not breathe properly up there for certain.

Under Carlos' fingers, his pulse was getting slower as his body grew cold. Carlos pressed the sides of the giant black eagle with his legs and said, " Bennett! George is not going to make it! We have to go down now! If we carry on at this height, he will die!"

The black Eagle's wings jolted and as swiftly as a feather, he went for a dive into the raging pool of clouds that was beneath them. They had soared so high that the starry, autumn sky now surrounded them completely.

As they crossed the border of the clouds, they found no more signs of rain or storm, which was a relief. There was not even a single trace of a house or a farm inside. As they descended, the air began to grow warmer and Carlos could tell that George's pulse was closer now to normal rate. The eagle's wings moved so light and swiftly that it made Carlos feel overwhelmed by the peaceful atmosphere around him.

As far as the eye could see, there were vast prairies stretched out along the horizon. The scent of wet grass and the whispers of the wind took all the tension away from them for a few minutes.

Carlos looked to the sky and through the ragged veil of the clouds, saw the luminous October moon shining magnificently against the dark, velvety canvas of the night sky. The giant eagle wiggled his huge torso and Carlos felt he was getting ready to land somewhere on the ground. But just as he looked down, he was taken by a sudden and uncontrollable fear. He almost muttered, " Bennett...d... don't go down there! We...can't...risk..."

But the eagle screeched harshly and increased his speed even more. When he was being slapped in the face by the cold currents of wind, Carlos kept his mouth shut better.

Right in front of them, a dense, dark forest cast its shadow over the horizon, and about a mile further, an old, abandoned cemetery lay silent under the cold Moonlight. Bennett had brought them to Greenyard, where no human existed other than a few priests who guarded the premises.

Although the initial plan happened to be travelling to Greenyard to carry out the king's mission, without George, Carlos was too afraid to think of even a possible encounter with the wanted, reptilian shapeshifter they were supposed to find. Other than that, it was said that the whole territory was haunted by restless spirits. But honestly, ghosts were the least of Carlos' worries.

He knew that not too far away, deep in the Pinewoods Forest, vicious, enchanted creatures awaited their next prayers under the shade of their damp three holes.

The wind was slowly picking up pace and the torn pieces of cloud overhead, were moving at an incredible speed across the sky. Bennett gently landed on the edge of a large tombstone as the wind softly ruffled his dark feathers.

From all over the cemetery, weeds had overgrown any empty space and most of the tombstones were battered and worn off.

Carlos carefully carried George off of the eagle's back and set course for the church nearby. George was a bit more conscious now, and with someone's aid, he was able to blindly walk a few steps on his own.

Bennett was soundlessly, taking big, eagle steps behind them. But then, only a few yards further, Carlos warned him about the armed priests of the Greenyard Church and the fact that his Anqa appearance could cause them a lot of trouble. So Bennett transformed in less than a second and held George's other arm to help him walk.

Before any of them could find a chance to knock, the large iron door of the church opened and three priests appeared with armed crossbows, aiming straight at the travellers' faces.

Carlos smirked bitterly and mumbled to Bennett," Welcome to Greenyard, lad."

" What do you want here? What's wrong with the middle one? How did he get that wound on his forehead?"

The priest in the middle, spoke so firmly and formally that Carlos wondered if he's some sort of a trained guard or soldier for the church.

Bennett broke the silence with a strong, clear tone, " I am Bennett Archer and this is High Commander Carlos Blacksmith of City Guard. We come from Crescent City."

Carlos nodded rather gracefully and pointing his head at George, he added,"And this middle one is the king's son, Prince George Oldfield. His only child and sole heir to the throne, to be exact. We've come a long way from the castle of Lunarfield to seek your aid. There's been an attack on the castle and the prince was injured during the escape. He was hit in the head awfully hard and his condition is getting worse as we speak."

The priest in the middle, who seemed to be the one in charge, lowered his crossbow and asked," Where is the king himself then? Did he not make it?"

Carlos and Bennetts exchanged quick looks and then, Carlos tried to be as tactful as possible as he replied, " His Royal Highness was on a mission outside of the city when the raid happened. We have no news of the whereabouts of the king at this moment."

The priest nodded modestly and ordered his men to lower their arms.

"We are loyal to the just king of Lunarfield as we were to his fathers before him. Welcome to Greenyard, gentleman."

He gestured them to follow him inside the church down a dark and long corridor at the end of which a spiral set of stairs led to the higher levels of the building.