Enora and I held hands as we followed the road towards the… city? Instead of a normal wall I was expecting, there was a full on half dome expanded over the entire thing. It looked like something from a certain movie about a park of Jurassic creatures that would have to hold its pteranodons. There was a large entryway from the road with a giant wooden gate. I looked in awe at the massive structure that stretched over the flat landscape. "It's too bad I don't have glasses. I would take them off right now in disbelief."
"What are you talking about now, dork? I know it looks insane, but have you seen some of the structures in your world?" She made a fair point that I couldn't argue with as we neared the gate. A carriage was let in soon before we arrived. There were two guards at either side of the gate, and they were both bird people. I couldn't believe my eyes. Each of them looked different from each other.
Only one of them had a human head, but he had black wings as his arms. His legs looked like a velociraptor with large talons at the end. He was wearing thick feathery gray armor with a steel plate on the chest. The other guy had on the same armor, but his head looked like a parrot. This one had human legs and arms. As we got closer he was the one to open his beak.
"Boocri? A humancri? And… a vampirecri?" I had to contain my laugh. I know it is rude, but he did look kind of silly. "Halt!"
We did just as the other bird person said and stopped walking. Now that we were really close I could see an insignia on their metal plate. It was a black half circle and in the center was the profile of a red bird head. "Good evening, travelers. What brings you too Fallicri?" Before we could answer, the parrot head spoke. "Always a stick in the cri."
"Hmm? Isn't this what the city pays for? I'm just doing my job." The parrot person squaked before responding. "I am toocri. Look at them. A vampire and a human. Don't you want to ask them que-cris?"
"We don't get paid to ask questions. As long as they don't cause trouble. We won't be troubled."
"Hey, so are you going to let us in or not?" It was my cute girlfriend to save the day. Sure they were funny, but I didn't want to listen to them banter away the rest of the… whoa it was already evening. The sun had started to set, painting the sky orange. "Oh, sorrycri. We will let you in. Just put your hands on this tablet, and pay the feecri."
It was Enora who did it first. The black stone tablet lit up green as she did. "You're all cri! Miss, Twilight criii?"
"Twilight?..." The black winged bird man yanked the tablet. "It's true… Oi! Annicri!"
A blue and red bird person descended from above the gates. I didn't even see her sitting on one of the dome's beams. This one had a bird head too, but she had wings and talons. She wore the same armor as the other two. As she landed before the black bird she saluted. It looked funny because of her wings. "Escort these two to our lord!"
"A humancri? And… a vampire?" Her head was turned to the side as her black eyes narrowed at us. "They are guests! You should know what will happen if any harm befalls them!"
"Aye ayecri!" She saluted him. While this was all going on the other parrot man was already finishing a letter. "Take this with cri."
The gate opened inwards as he handed her the letter.
This was all going on too fast for my smooth brain to process. Could it be that my girlfriend was someone special? I mean I already knew that, but… I looked at Enora, and she looked angry? "I don't want any special treatment. Can we just pay the fee and enter?"
"I am afraid. That is impossible… Please just follow Annicri. We don't want any trouble."
"*sigh* Fine." She was not happy. Her arms were crossed and she was staring daggers at the poor black bird who was starting to sweat. I did the first thing I thought of. As I placed a hand on her shoulder, her eyes became softer. "Hey, it's okay. These… people are just doing their job. I am sure everything will be fine."
"You're right… but…" She looked back towards the black bird. "... I am still not happy about this."
"I am sorry, but you have to understand my position." My girlfriend took a few exhales. "You're right… I am sorry." She started to bow her head, but the birdman started to panic. Waving his arms. Wings?
"Please! Don't do that! If Lord Harken saw that I would probably lose my head." As Enora righted herself he let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you, Miss Twilight… And you too, Miss..?"
"Me? You can just call me Melle." He quickly shook his head. "I could never. Please…"
"Fine. You can call me Lady Garnsey." My partner looked at me with a blank stare. "Thank you, Lady Garnsey. I am ashamed to say we don't have a carriage prepared for either of you, so Annicri will have to escort you two."
"Don't even worrycri. When it comes to guard duty she is the best of the cri." Annicri saluted us. "I will get you to the lord's manor even if it would cost me my cri!"
Finally after much back and forth we were following closely behind Annicri on the cobble road that led into the city. I held my girlfriend's hand. "I am certain everything will be fine! We will meet the lord. Then we will wake the sleeping giant!" She showed me a tender smile in response. I was too focused on her to look around at the city. This whole thing was making me realize yet again that I barely knew anything about her. Just what was…
"Wake the sleeping giantcri?" Our parrot escort had cut off my internal thoughts. "That has always been her dream. If you ask me, it is adorable!" My whole body warmed up from Enora's words. That was when I realized I was no longer wearing my fur coat. I only had the white long sleeve on. Actually, it was quite warm here, but to my own surprise I wasn't sweating.
"What's so great about sleecri giants? If you ask me, they aren't very specri. If anything, I am more curcrious about you two! Are you lovers!?" My face flushed as she asked. "H-how did you know?"
"Crikikikiki!" She laughed as she pointed at our intertwined hands. "If anyone looked at cri, they would know right acri!"
I am certain my face became even redder. "My lover is quite cute isn't she?" Enora you demon! It was all foul play. Just as I thought I couldn't be more embarrassed, the parrot opened her beak. "That's for cri!... Oh! To be so young!...Crikikiki!"
"R-really! You don't look very old yourself!" I got loud. I thought if I raised my voice it would drown out the embarrassment. "Crikikiki, you are a cute cri. You are as well, Miss Twicri."
It was Enoras turn to be red. "N-nevermind that…"
"Hoh… so you can dish it out, but you don't want to take it?" I smirked evilly at her. "Sh-shut up, dork! I am not into shameplay!"
"Then what sort of play are you into?" I wanted to tease her more, but Annicri stopped it. "Okay, that's enough. We are herecri. Step onto the wooden platcri."
We followed her onto a large wooden platform as big as… probably a few tatami mats. That's what they were called right? I never understood using them as tools of measurement. "Hold onto the railcris… especially cri." She pointed at me with one of her wings. Just as she said that the platform shot up like a carnival ride. I almost fell backwards, but Enora caught me in a princess carry. "Thanks for the treat."
As the platform stopped at the top, my stomach was doing flips.
"Somehow this picture feels reversed." I said as I looked up into her eyes. "Dork."
As she set me down I got loud at the parrot. "Hey, why don't you warn someone next… whoa…"