(Note: Anytime the wings talk it will be marked with a * before and after because Penana hates italics. Enjoy - Doc)
She found the Royal Family in the East Wing living room after around five minutes of carefully inspecting rooms in the vast Château. Two such manor homes were the property of the Crown, the other was known as Château Argent or the Silver Fortress. Vega personally preferred the safety of the nigh-impregnable fortress to the luxury of the grander home.
Nevertheless, Château Ego was heavily guarded by the most prestigious unit of the already elite Valkyrie Divisions – the absolute best in all of Empyrea in terms of discipline, strategy and training – called the Ölŕun (pronounced all-rune) Company. The hardened veterans were recruited from the Hildr, Sigrún (Seig-rune) and Mist Valkyrie Divisions of the Grand Army in addition to the Grand Fleet`s Geirskögul marines. 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvbxUpznEh
Inside the living room, a plump sofa as well as a pair of comfortable-looking armchairs faced a roaring beast of flame, ash and fire that seethed within the hearth under the mantlepiece. On the wall directly above the framed pictures of family members hung an oil painting version of Francisco`s tapestry Battle of the Golden Bay, which depicted the famous invasion of Valerium during the Coalition War. The High-Exarch of the agricultural and medical subregion had once taken Vega and Roxane to see the statue of Grand-General Worce, his right arm grasping his signature cane and the left heroically raising up a sabre. 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbwL3oqyRp
The Exarch had explained that local children had successfully petitioned the design to the subregional government under High-Exarch Val in 5 YAP, shortly after the death of the octogenarian former exarch and general. It was historically inaccurate as Charles A. Worce suffered the wound during the Battle of Esto – not before it - from a Celestial Cavalier (A magically enhanced Dragoon Knight) that forced him to get a clockwork prosthesis on his ankle and to walk with a cane, which gave him his infamous limping gait. 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuyIEmEHxd
Anyway, Viscount Maxwell – His blond hair and beard greying from the stress of being CEDA Guardian of the Northeast in place of his mother – sat with his arms folded just as neat as the crisply ironed uniform he wore. Max was respected by the grand army to such an extent that they had insisted he leads them as commander-in-chief instead of the reigning Countess and wear the striking garb of the Grand-Generals, complete with the iconic golden epaulets and insignia comprised of crossed batons in a wreath of laurel leaves below a crown.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88UqivK3Dz
Next to Maxwell Ego sat his wife and the mother of the two sisters, Viscountess Alix. Alix Ritornella had come from a minor noble house in Chalcrystis before marrying the hier to the throne and switching her surname to that of Ego. The ruthless northeastern newspaper tabloidd had ripped the reputation of both to shreds with inflammatory comments about her bloodline in addition to a seemingly endless supply of far-fetched conspiracies and scandals until Countess Valerie had brought down the full weight of the Acceptable Freedom of the Press Act (35 EH) with the assistance of the same offical that the pamphlets had cruelly dubbed the “Pie-Exarch” in reference to his weight.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTG3r3EQZF
The arm chair furthest from the fireplace was occupied by Roxy. Closest to the warmth sat the matriarch of the Ego family herself, who clasped her wrinkled, liver spot covered hands around her granddaughters without a word.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5zx45wDM0
Vega, never as spoiled as her sister was, took a satisfied glance at her gifts. A storm of letters had arrived from government officials of 3 out of the 7 other regions. The neighbouring Glacier Electorate in the North and Second Pheasantine Republic in the East had forgotten she existed while the northwestern Estrin Dominion was stormy in the autumn and Umbracrest was deeply isolated as the negotiations to finally fuse the West into one region under a single government - 215 years after the Umbracresti Civil War – continued, so they were forgiven.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuzVzTqmKY
But the Southeast (Aqulioria), South (Vorantis) and Southwest (Cerulea) had not forgotten the curious younger child that had bombarded anyone nearby with questions when she had visited in the past. A letter bearing the signatures of all twelve members of the Meritocratic Council made her smile with their eagerness to invite her back to the Museum of Meritorious Achievements. The Technocratic Directorate of Vorantis was apologetic that only 8 of the 23 were able to sign the letter sent to her, but that the fifteen representing the semi-autonomous Technates of Blix, Cloc, Cognor, Ekholm and Ravillion bogged down in a joint project to build a new Techate called Quintessencena still wish her an enlightened seventeenth.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWkcRKyICV
The Council of Celestial Seers had simply sent her an elaborate 32 point compass with a note saying that it was also from the Circle of Veilstones, Order of the Dragoon, ecumenical Archbishop of Ecclesia as well as the Bishops and Archdeacons of Holiyr, Rein, Aur, Celestia, Sur Chapelle, Teocrazia, Dassau and Pravloi.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvnUpl1Yzd
As for gifts received from her family and Narcissian officials, they were generous for a change. A flag from her father: the shattered golden sun on white of the Earldom of Narciss.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstKHS5OCjD
Very generous of Viscount Maxwell to gift his second child the flag of the region you all rule over. Remarked the wings sarcastically in her mind.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnRl5ZbCRa
Her mother had got her a Sonqui-Euphaun No.10 in F/B♭, a ₠20,000 egoni professional model of Narcan Corr meanwhile her sister had given her a book called Earls and Countesses: Ego to Valerie II as she did everything she possibly could to avoid her differently coloured eyes.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPR0zOMfE6
Her grandmother had obtained the yellowing original manuscript of Worce`s recount of the Coalition War, Those that Bled, by unknown means. Vega suspected it had something to do with Baroness Anastasia Narca Romanakov – Grand Vizier to Valerie’s father, Earl Preen the Reformer – but said nothing other than a heartfelt thank you.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFwdr9IiyN
The most intresting present that Vega received was an Ammolite (a type of organic gemstone) necklace from her godmother, High-Exarch Chalce of Xyrolith. Her father explained that it is a similar mineral to that contained in narce, sometimes called mother-of-pearl. Vega had gazed at the radiant blue gemstone in awe for at least five minutes before it occurred to her that it looked a little bit like the huge sapphire set within her grandmother`s crown called the Star of Xyrolith.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQiJLja161
The wings had hummed in agreement at their host`s infatuation before talking again. That’s a rare gem even for the crystal rich mountains of Xyrolith. 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfVQW5xcLl
Vega`s father took a look at his wristwatch and took off running to who knows where.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65weXa7r4f
“Must have had enough of birthday freak`s silence and fled to Chalcrystis” Roxane gleefully joked, the smirk on her attractive face only widening when she saw her younger siblings tense up with suppressed anger.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCX1AQvkfC
“Leave her alo-“ The mother of the two girls began.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa3nGvVmBl
“No! It’s bad enough that I have to waste my time with this abomination of nature just because dad`s pullout game is the worst of all the men in Empyrea! Do I really have to like her too, mother?” Yelled the older child in frustration. Roxane`s true colours turned out to be just about every shade of envy, arrogance and shallowness in existence.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9eC1R813o
The wings screamed out in Vega`s mind, *Through your memories I can plainly see that she has been pampered into a whining brat that would smother you in your sleep just so she could be an only child again! Do something!*
The girl shuddered from a powerful concoction of fury at what the wings had told her and sadness that they may in fact be right. 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacJW38drvd
Despite the nineteen year ol already being red-faced, hoarse and out of breath from screaming so loudly, she opened her mouth to do more of it, then closed it. Her hand rose up and move to strike her in the face, but a blur caught it centimetres away from impact.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvr1paK2aP1
“WHA-“40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9rkxqhtTr
“Enough.” Came the soft voice of their grandmother, her hand held Roxy`s in a vice-like grip that made little sense for someone her age to be capable of exerting at all.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVxl4e4jbC
“owwwwww” the girl whined weakly, defaulting on her usual tactic of feigning weakness and crying crocodile tears when caught.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BcoGNgYep
“Lady Roxane Heather Ego, if I ever see you try raise your hand to her again, I will break it!” The elderly women snapped, finally losing her patience with the inability of her daughter-in-law to control her wilful eldest granddaughter.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HB9Pwvc8f
*Valerie the Second is an old, old woman, Lady Vega. Her life has been extended farbeyond what is natural already, and she is sick.*
Vega paused. She had never once seen the reigning Countess fall ill before. Even the doctors remarked on her good health and youthful energy. Was she really sick? 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7ldYYFSKg
*She is afficted with long-term Æther Sickness caused by the reckless overuse of the energy source in certain forms during the entire Age of Æther. I’m sorry my Lady, but she will not live to see the new year.* Came the voice. Within it lurked a deep sadness, suggesting that the wings were linked to Vega`s own emotions.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWtfAdEjgk
The young girl looked at her grandmother’s face. The skin was leather slashed with deep lines. But it was the her eyes that worried Vega40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBN67rDUzG
Valerie`s normally green eyes had turned a sickly, unhealthy looking yellow and had a moist, fever-bright quality to them. 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLYkLB7tiG
Yellow...the colour of quarantine. A symbolic “I told you so” If there ever was one. Gold stripped of its shiny housecoat. 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOIczcgFdI
Vega suddenly had an idea as she watched Roxane leave the room. It began to rain heavily. 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiEJwYb3OO
“Wings, If you are as oh so powerful as you claim to be, surely you can help her?” She thought to herself.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uD0PQpN3X
*Not. Possible.*
“Huh? Why?”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcs3kxJCT3G
Weapons designed to destroy malevolent eldritch beings generally lack healing powers. And nothing will stay the hand of Occidens, West...and death.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMowyHFmo6Z
Vega slumped down into the seat next to Valerie in defeat. The secretly dying Countess of Narciss leaned over.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFpGzZ4XUE
“Vega, dear...is something the matter?” She asked in a kind old voice. A tone you might expect from a little old lady, which Valerie was – she just had the added complexity of being the ruler over everything in the Northeast. Viscountess Alix left the room in search of something or another.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6ZXXGVGe0
*She knows she is not well, my Lady.*
“Alix or Valerie?” She thought.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GR5yVNOPP
*The latter.*
The now seventeen year old cleared her throat with a delicate cough. “Two things,” she began, “Firstly, what Roxane said.”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwC5MQ2zfbO
“That? She doesn’t mean anything by it, she’s just upset about something.”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdAXiYBbMN
*She’s not getting any younger Vega, stop procrastinating!*
“And secondly, I know you are hiding something from us. You are dying, grandma, I see it in your eyes.”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yk8KXcwby
Valerie, youngest child of Earl Preen and Countess Calliope, did not deny it. She cocked her head to one side in intrest at how the shy teen had discovered her best kept secret.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1BcLXIFx0
“Yes petal, I am. By the time I was born, the miracle power source and fuel discovered by the Adeptus Æther had dominated everything. The careless methods used at the time would leave reside to saturate the very air we breathed. It brought great electrical storms down on us all, the Vorantine Ætherical storms were so powerful that it formed new types of Æther. The people who called for more progress did not listen to the older generation`s warnings about Æther. They stuck their heads in the sand when people were driven insane by voices that came of nowhere and when a terrible wasting disease began stiking down anyone that breathed in fine clouds of Ætherical dust, it was too late.” Valerie`s voice quavered as she tearfully tried to recount the tragedy of ætherical technology.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPQ5KA8HiI
Vega didn’t understand why she was being told this at all. But it had her spellbound with just how horrible it was.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxAGV2ULtg
Valerie pressed on, “Æther was a monster that killed its creator within five years of its Invention. They called Khani Enyo Estrin the Herald, but it was that bloody energy source they brought them.”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8a7QciJpG
“Them?”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45CO3gs6Sx
*She refers to the three siblings worshiped as the Triumvirate of the Æbyss, who I was made to destroy. Æonex the Tormentor, Æraxis the Great Maelstrom and Æcordia the Temptress were once the most feared names in all of Empyrea.* The wings told her.
“Yes, them. The Covenant of the Void let their masters into Empyrea from a different dimension they called the Æbyss. Earl Malum was the puppet of Æonex, tricked into living externally in complete agony as the same disease that claimed poor Countess Nyctra slowly imprisoned him within his own body. Malum married off Celeste ro the Dominion, where she died at the hand of a crime lord turned cultist arselick of the Maelstrom – Brottslight and Æraxis were DEFINITELY fucking by the way. My other sisters – Lyra and Victorine – were executed and corrupted into a servant respectively. The Triumvirate also resurrected long dead tyrants like Controller Limos and Supreme Meritocrat Berote to rule over the regions in their names. Only the cunning of the founder of CATAE, Sheild of Empyrea Eirlys Ravyn-Valtor, managed to skillfully destroy these people that anchored the eldritch god and goddesses where they did not belong.” 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPJLgc022n
*And the lingering essences of those three monstrous beings have been corrupting the Celestial Pantheon over the last fifty years. We must absorb them to clease them of that cancer.*
Vega could scarcely breathe. She gulped and tried to get the end of this story out. “And then the Era of Hope began?” She asked the elderly ruler tentatively.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0bOLGXOl5
“Indeed. But my brothers redemption did not free me from a blood curse. It was always there, but now I am too old to fight it. I am tired and soon I will be able to truly rest. I must die...your father must become Earl...and you must stop keeping secrets from Grandma!”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy80XPJniPf
*The Countess is sharp for an octogenarian mused the Dawnstar Wings.*
“What?”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRY1ItxcGW
Valerie leaned even closer so that the sickly yellow eyes met the mismatched ones, “Vega Calliope Ego,” she said with a sigh, “Your middle name comes from my mother, Countess Calliope, who happened to have the same wings as the ones that are telling you all my secrets. Yours are more powerful because they are one hundred and fifty two years older than when Calliope had them. I am not stupid, those choose a person to complete a monumentally difficult task. I will not stop you from doing whatever it is they want you to do but your parents and the Central Empyrean Defence Authority WILL try."
"Surely as girly as bright as you must know that there is no way to remove those wings, by the way? Until the day you die, they will be embeded in your spinal chord.”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrrypACYnu
“YOU!” Vega screeched internally to the wings, feeling their presence within her thoughts shrink away in panic at the sudden outburst.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWqVzp4sOw
*Why remove me?* They asked politely40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXC77HXEfC
“You’re literally a talking magical WEAPON embeded in my back, you stupid wings!” She thought.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9dz8xay1w
*Oh shush, my Lady. I cannot do you much harm unless you try to prevent us from completing our task. And I thought you liked me?*
Vega let out a deep sigh.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofyUtyIcSl
“Try not get yourself killed before I pop my clggs, petal, I want to at least sat goodbye before I go.” Valerie said, remarkably cheerful for someone with ticking time bombs for lungs.
“Yes, Grandma Valerie...” She muttered.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrKEk4UCYb
“Days turns into decades young lady, off you and enjoy yourself before that weapon of mass sarcasm on your back gets any funny ideas!”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrfC0WtmiX
*You’re definitely prettier than Lady Roxane, the REAL weapon of mass sarcasm.*
Vega turned and walked off, at the same time thinking “Real smooth wings, you want something from me?”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrfDguqRUA
*Only the adoration of my mistress and to save the Celestials Came the voice*, this time it was husky and powerful, like the male lover in those tacky paranormal romance novels that Roxane loved to read. Vega assumed the consciousness that called itself Dawnstar was sincere.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXQ2wHN7Yj
“You think I’m pretty, Wings?” The teen muttered, suddenly much more confident about her unique appearance. Which was exactly the point of what Dawnstar was up to, though it WAS sincere.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWBpNUgfJu
*Do automatons dream of electric sheep? I’m part of you now, and we’re fabulous together.*
“Awww how cute, the pretty freak and her talking wings. I love ya, Dawn~”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBjJHP1Jk9
The Dawnstar Wings were too shocked at the affection the shy teenager had shown them to respond.
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