Wings of freedom

The next day, in the city of Jubai

In the Mansion of the Sulten of Jubai, inside, a young woman, her dark hair like spun gold, stood gazing out at the lively cityscape. Unlike Bintan, which was a city closer to the desert hence it had a lot of sandy and stormy parts, Jubai was a city with lots of mountains and valleys. The city was quite beautiful and had a great feeling for anyone who visited.

The woman's eyes gazed upon a district in the city and in the fart distance she could see some children playing a game. One wore a large cloth, a makeshift masquerade mask, as they chased their giggling companions, they would all touch him while preventing the child from catching them. As one of the kids touched masquerade and tried to run, the boy tripped and fell causing the disguised kid to finally catch him. The mask was removed from the previous child and placed on the new child who was now the masquerade. 

As the young woman watched this, she let out a light laugh, they seemed to be enjoying themselves, no worries, not even a slight one...

.

As she was thinking this, a knock interrupted her peaceful moment, turning her mood sour.

Come in Sida Yaya said and a woman came into the room.

"My lady," the woman said as she bowed.

"What's with the intrusion, Ankit?" the young woman asked.

"I'm sorry, my lady," Ankit stammered, "Your father requests your attention."

"It seems it's finally starting," Sida muttered.

She took a deep breath before gazing toward the sky. "Can you smell it, Ankit?"

"Smell what, my lady?"

"Blood. The smell of blood fills the air," the young lady said. "After four months of skirmishes between King Jai and the alliance in Hadia, the first large-scale battle is about to happen. I wonder how many lives will be lost?"

The young woman walked towards Ankit. As she came closer, her full form came into view. Ankit couldn't help but stare at the magnificent wings sprouting from her back. The white, angelic wings held a soothing yet domineering presence, radiating immense and indescribable power.

The young dark-skinned beauty walked towards Ankit, and the closer she got, the heavier Ankit became. Finally, Ankit's legs gave way, forcing her to fall on her knees.

The young woman touched Ankit's face and said with a piercing gaze, "Never intrude on my privacy again. Not even if it's an order from my father. Understood?"

"Yes, my lady," Ankit said.

"Now, let's see what he wants," the young woman said, walking towards the balcony.

Immediately reaching the ledge, she threw herself off, falling freely. Seconds later, she spread her majestic wings and soared through the skies. She flew to a new building behind her previous location, a very tall tower (30 feet) lacking doors and with few windows visible at about 20 feet off the ground.

The young woman landed on the roof, greeted by two men standing guard. Each possessed enormous wings – one dark like a crow's, the other like a dove's. The young woman was immediately greeted by one of the men. He went to a lever and pulled it, triggering a mechanical sound before a small opening appeared on the roof. She walked towards the opening and jumped down. Using her wings, she safely navigated the 30-foot descent.

When she finally landed, she saw nine people already in the room, including the elders of the Yaya household and the Sulten, her father.

"You are finally here," one of the men said as he stood from his seat. He spread his dark wings wide, drawing everyone's attention. This man was the Sultan of Jubai, Viran Yaya.

"You summoned me, father," the young woman acknowledged.

"Oh yes, I did," he said. "The elders and I have been discussing the upcoming battle, current events, and even the future of the Yaya family."

"And what does that have to do with me, father?"

"Don't be difficult, pumpkin," he said. "You know you are the Divine Light of our family, our most precious asset."

"An asset you ignored when I told you not to join hands with Jai," she retorted. "You all know the kind of man he is..."

"And that is why we have called you here," another man interjected. "King Jai is a mighty warrior and a dangerous man, but he is also meticulous and unpredictable. Going against such a man is never a wise idea."

"Again, what does this have to do with me?" she persisted.

"We recently received a letter from a source claiming to be Sum," the Sulten explained. "At first, we thought it was a joke, but the contents are not to be taken lightly. Apparently, Sum has their eyes within the very walls of our mansion,...but that's by the way. The most important thing is the content of the letter."

Sida's brow furrowed. "What did it say?"

"It says 'to the allies of King Ken, Prince Kin is alive and he's in Bintan,'" the Sulten revealed.

Sida's eyes widened in shock. "But, we are not allies of King Ken!"

"Precisely," the Sulten agreed. "This suggests it could be a lie, a trap, or both."

"But what if it's true?" a woman named Aidat, one of the elders, chimed in.

"This changes…," Sida said but her father interrupted

. "It Changes nothing. Viran scoffed. We are not betraying a god-sword for an incompetent Prince like Kin Orun. That's why I sent Jirbad after him."

The room erupted in murmurs. Sending an assassin after a prince, even a seemingly weak one, was a drastic measure.

"You did what?!" Sida's outburst echoed in the room. "Why send an assassin? He's just a boy!"

Viran held up a hand, silencing the room. "What's done is done. The reason I summoned you is not for the soon-to-be-dead prince. I want you, Sida, to investigate this letter and find its origin."

Sida crossed her arms, her expression stormy. "Why should I help you?"

"Because the future of this family might depend on it," the Sulten countered. "Imagine if we can find Sum, the most elusive member of the King's army. It would be a significant gesture to King Jai."

"You mean it would give you more power," Sida said.

The Sulten sighed. "That too, but it's more than that. This could be a way to ensure our safety regardless of who wins the war."

Sida remained unconvinced. "I'm not going to help."

"You must, and you will," Sulten Viran declared, his voice firm.

"And if I refuse?"

The room grew tense. It was clear a disagreement between father and daughter was brewing.

Viran studied his daughter, his eyes filled with a mix of disappointment and desperation. "Sida, my child, I've always given you what you want. Can't you do the same for your father?"

Silence fell in the room for a while. Finally, the Sultan let out another sigh.

"If you refuse to help," he said, his voice softer, "I'll be forced to send you to King Jai as one of his wives."

Sida flinched visibly. The possibility of becoming a pawn in a larger power struggle was worse than anything she'd anticipated.

"But father, you told me I could choose..."

"I know what I said, and I know why I agreed," Viran interrupted. "I wanted you to choose the right path. And you did. After the war is over, your marriage with the Kindels will be finalized, and we won't revisit this. However, if you refuse this, I have no choice."

He explained further. "As you know, King Jai seeks to secure an alliance through marriage after the war. Five girls have been shortlisted, including you and the Princess of Omi."

Sida bit her lip, her frustration was evident. The threat was clear: cooperate or become a political pawn.

"Help me find Sum," the Sultan concluded, "and I'll make sure your name is no longer on that list."

Sida knew her options were limited. With a resigned nod, she agreed.

"That's good," Viran said, a hint of relief in his voice. "Now, for the next part. King Jai sent a message a few days ago. It seems the 'Old Dog' is near."

The room grew more restless. They were all weary of the old dog and what his presence meant.

Later that night, on a different street in Jubai, a cloaked figure navigated the busy crowds. He reached his destination – a small, unassuming inn. Slipping inside, he made his way to a specific room.

As he pushed open the door, a sharp blade flashed in the dim light, held against his throat.

"Who are you?" a voice demanded.

"I'm nobody," the man stammered, "someone paid me a hundred copper coins to come here and give you this."

He extended a small piece of paper to the figure holding the blade. The man cautiously took it and passed it to another figure in the room. This man, their leader, carefully unfolded it and scanned the contents. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Who gave you this?"

"I ...don't know who it was," the cloaked figure stammered again, his voice trembling under the cold steel. "I didn't see anything."

"Are you sure?" the leader pressed, his voice heavy with suspicion.

"I swear on my life!" the figure pleaded.

The leader studied the man for a long moment, his gaze sharp. Finally, he spoke, a hint of urgency in his tone. "What is it, General?" one of his men asked, noticing the shift in their leader's demeanor.

The leader didn't answer immediately. He stared at the small piece of paper in his hand, rereading the message written across it:

To the allies of King Ken, Prince Kin is alive and he's in Bintan.

On the back, a single word stood out, stark and clear:

Run!

"We're leaving, now," he announced, his voice leaving no room for argument.

The other men in the room exchanged worried glances, but they didn't question his orders. They scrambled to their feet, gathering their meager belongings in a flurry of activity.

"General, what's going on?" one of the men finally dared to ask.

The leader tucked the message into his pocket, his expression grim. "We can't stay here any longer. It's too dangerous. We need to get to Bintan. Now."

His urgency was clear. The message about Prince Kin was a game-changer, and the single word "Run!" held a dire warning they couldn't ignore.

As they slipped out of the inn and melted into the night, a question hung heavy in the air: Who sent the message?