Chereads / Flapping Wings in Unknown Winds / Chapter 2 - CHAPTER 2: BLOOMING GLOOM

Chapter 2 - CHAPTER 2: BLOOMING GLOOM

Grunting noises echo inside a huge hall. The floor of this huge hall looks like a sea of gold and walls an antique porcelain. The dome like ceiling depicts illustrations of an untold ancient history and in the center of the dome hangs a massive chandelier inlaid with thousand coffins made out of emerald in a round symmetrical fashion, almost touching the floor. Wisps of green smoke emit from the center of the hall below the massive chandelier where a man is seen lying, gasping for air and grunting in pain. Long golden hair is spread out in all directions underneath his pale body, as long as his height. His pale stubble-covered face kept scrunching and his obsidian lips kept mumbling indecipherable whispers. His Emerald eyes staring blankly at the chandelier shed crystal tears. Covered in white Kaftan his body kept trembling and spasming as if in severe shock.

Compared to the might of this magnificent hall, the man looked like an ant. Suddenly the green smoke increased and spun itself into a cocoon covering the man's body. This cocoon floated for few seconds, then dashed towards a huge door that led to a dark corridor out of the huge hall. After passing through these huge doors it dropped the body of the man and dissipated as the doors behind closed with a loud bang leaving slight tremors vibrating throughout the long corridor.

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Sun shines fiercely on the Parmaz port as locals and tourists scurry through the streets. Hawkers and peddlers holler on the passersby to buy their items and merchants are seen unloading crates full of fruits and vegetables. Fishermen sell their fishes and children in tattered clothes run through the streets chasing each other leaving trails of laughter. In the midst of this hustle bustle two tall figures walk side by side, standing out in these busy streets. One figure is as white as milk, holding on to an umbrella on his head and the other was completely covered in a dark hooded robe. The men and the ladies in the taverns and streets kept glancing towards these strange figures, whispering to each other in hush tones.

"It's not raining", the figure in hooded robe suddenly spoke.

"Well, it's not cold", the figure with the umbrella voiced out.

"You are standing out too much with that umbrella Jafar. People are gossiping about you. Don't you observe it? They are looking at you suspiciously!!"

"My dear chief, I can clearly observe how they are pointing fingers at you. It's understandable for me to use an umbrella as it protects my beautiful skin. In my opinion you are more suspicious with that dark hooded robe on in the middle of this heated environment. You stand out like an assassin."

"But I AM an assassin and this look is cool. It's not at all suspicious. It's fashion of cool people." Hayat quips back to Jafar.

"Psshtt..please!! Fashion it seems!! Fashion of cool people at that!!" Jafar rolls his eyes and scoffs at Hayat's comment.

"You seem to be getting ruder and ruder as days pass by."

"Ah! My apologies. I keep forgetting that you are my dear chief."

Hayat scoffs at this shameless subordinate as she continues walking and asks Jafar "How much time until others reach Kafak?"

"They will reach there earlier than us as they didn't go much farther than Kafak. They have been extremely excited since I mentioned them the prophecy." Jafar replies.

Hayat smiles a little and whispers "I am excited too....." Jafar glances at Hayat and answers with a wide smile "Me Too!! Let's hope our Oren didn't change much. This time I won't let go of his hand." As Jafar reminisces over the past, Hayat nods her head. Both continue traveling out of the Parmaz port, their destination being the mausoleum in Kafak where they will meet other members of the Wazir clan waiting excitedly in hopes to welcome their beloved ex-chief.

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Long black hair and white robes flutter at the edge of a hill. Wearing a conical bamboo hat and clutching a long sword in one hand, the man overlooks the mausoleum of 1000 coffins which was floating in the middle of the desert and a camp with approximately 20 people in it, situated few meters away from it. The mausoleum which seemed to be carved out of golden black marble was rectangular in shape. He sees the golden doors of the mausoleum are wide open and eerie green light flashing through them. Dark clouds surround the top of the mausoleum with strong winds swirling throughout the desert giving the mausoleum a gloomy feeling. Once in a while indecipherable whispers are heard. The whole atmosphere felt like the nature was trying to summon a dark energy.

"It seems like the Wazir clan has received the prophecy too. They are camped out outside of the mausoleum. The chief and vice-chief are still not to be seen."

An old man's voice echoes from the silver ring to the man, "Keep observing and report me if anything strange happens. Keep an eye out on those bastards from Wazir clan. They will definitely try to save the person coming out of the mausoleum. But he's not someone who should step into this world. He's a devil. Remember that!!!"

"Yes, Your Holiness." A clear breathy voice answers from under the hat.

Click.

The voice from the silver ring stops as if disconnected. The man in the hat then stares at the mausoleum. He suddenly narrows his golden eyes at two new figures walking through the desert, approaching the camp. One carried an umbrella while the other was decked out in a dark hooded robe. His pale lips widen into a slight smile followed by a chuckle.

"The fools have finally arrived. I guess it's time." As soon as he says this, he jumps down from the edge of the hill.

The man gently lands on the soft sand and walks through the strong winds towards the camp. His long hair and robes kept fluttering wildly as he approached the place. Suddenly the wind stops and the desert turns deathly silent. The man slowly turns his head to look at the huge mausoleum that was floating in the air slowly touch the ground.

THUD!!!!

A shadow of someone walking out of the mausoleum appears. The man in the bamboo hat rubs his silver ring on his forefinger.

"The mausoleum has stopped floating and touched the ground. The winds and dark clouds have also disappeared. I can see a shadow of someone approaching towards the door from inside. I am awaiting your orders Your Holiness."

The man then hears the sounds of footsteps and looks towards the camp where two figures whom he identified as the chief and vice chief of the Wazir Clan running towards him. The members of the camp are also following behind the two figures.

"Also it seems like the Wazir Clan is seeing me as a threat. They are running towards me."

An old voice shouts from the ring, "KILL HIM!!! KILL THE MAN COMING OUT OF THE MAUSOLEUM AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!!! HE SHOULD NOT STEP OUT OF THAT CURSED PLACE!!!"

"YES YOUR HOLINESS!! YOUR COMMAND IS MY WISH!!"

The man shouts back in reply and suddenly disappears from his spot. Whoosh~

"Huh?! Where did he disappear?!!" As Hayat asks this while running, Jafar scans through his surroundings to find traces of the man in bamboo hat. Suddenly his pupils constrict when his sight lands in front of the golden doors of the mausoleum. He saw that the bamboo hat man with dark hair was standing in front of a very beautiful man with long golden hair crowned with golden feathers, dressed in a long white Kaftan, his emerald eyes widening in shock and surprise. He held a mysterious black book which emitted a tinge of green light in one of his hands and the other carried a golden quill. He also saw the man with the bamboo hat slowly drawing his sword out and taking up an attacking stance.

Jafar shouts, "HE IS AT THE DOOR! HE IS GOING TO HURT OREN!!"

Hayat chants an incantation as soon as she hears Jafar and suddenly disappears from his sight, similar to how the bamboo hat man did.

Whoosh~~

She reappears in front of the golden doors of the mausoleum. Suddenly her pupils constrict and her steps falter at the sight presented in front of her. A sword was stabbed through Oren's heart. The bamboo hat man pulls the sword back out making Oren fall backwards.

THUMP.

Hayat stares at the fallen body whose emerald eyes were wide open staring at her. blood seeped from the corners of his mouth and his white kaftan quickly turned red like a blooming flower. His fingers tried to reach out to her as his lips moved only to croak one word, "h..H..Hel..p.."