Fanfiction: Rakan and Xayah fated meeting in Vlonqo's Harvest Festival

FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATE (SHORT STORY: 20 MIN READ)

By: Maiko

The evening hour furbished the skies in dazzling arrangement of roseate and lilac colors, disclosing the time to light the paper lanterns decorated by shapes of critters and fish. The blending of string instruments, flutes, and drums consecrated the senses as they joined the fragrant scents of sweet sauce pork and steamed mushrooms with chestnuts. Families, children, old and even foreigners paced among the city of Vlonqo, celebrating the harvest season under the splendor of the night stars.

Many participated in prayer outside the temples as they adorned the altars with offerings from the bountiful crops of the season. It was the end of summer, a pale glimpse of the moon showing among the twilight colors of the heavens. Every post and building was decorated in colorful paper and no corner was spared by carts loaded with delicacies that made the girl with Aurelian eyes stop briefly before a cart with pastries, baked in honey glaze and shaped in flower petals with runes scripted in the middle.

“Would you like some my dear?” The nice woman behind the tarts asked in the merriest of tones, her cheeks flushed by the festive atmosphere. She didn’t seem daunted by the fierce expression the young woman transmitted, veiled by the hood of her gear.

Taken a bit by surprise she simply walked away without a word, chastising herself for drawing attention from the residents, as small as it had been. Her plumage nuzzled under her cloak while her fingers drew away a loose lock of her orchid hair.

Her arrival a few days ago matched the public celebration which usually kept guards distracted, breaking drunken quarrels and watching presentations of music and dancing.

Xayah glanced casually into the marked building noticing two guards by the entrance, one of them speaking merrily to a couple of young women dressed for the occasion; laurel wreaths decorating their glowing locks.

A small smirk decorated the corner of her plum color lips, her mission looking far simpler than she had expected.

Keeping her paced she looked back into the festival and noticed the hundredths of lives around her develop, somehow bringing painful memories that clawed inside her chest as the confident smirk faded from her face.

A few years had passed since she last remembered the embrace of her kin, or the laughter during their own festivities. She found herself surrounded by strangers, no Vastaya among the multitude that could somehow recognize the features of her people.

Xayah tore herself from those thoughts, shaking her delicate head and glancing at the sun. She had a few more minutes before she executed her plan, carefully recounting the steps she crafted after careful observation of the City Hall since her arrival.

A priest had finished casting a blessing over an arrangement of grapes and wheat, thanking the deities above and letting the hard-working families enjoy the fruits of their labor. Sons and daughters joined their parents by the altar, placing flowers and hand-made figures of wheat as an offering. The final preparations were concluding before the arrival of the night that would announce the beginning of the seven-day celebration.

Xayah was planning to achieve her mission and head toward the woods before midnight, the amulet of her kin secured inside her pocket.

A laughter from a group of children paused her steps as they ran playfully in her direction, holding bouquets and making their way to the Ionian Temple. They passed unconcerned by the dark woman except for one of them, a small thing with green eyes and a vermillion dress.

Something in the stranger’s attire made her stop her rushing tracks and the young woman couldn’t point out the reason, the innocent stare unsettling her.

Xayah closed her eyes and left quietly, her kin ears catching the sound of some hesitant small steps just behind her after a futile attempt to lose the girl among the crowd.

She kept being followed.

“Run along.” She ordered, sounding a bit harsher than she meant as she turned around to face the human girl.

The little one kept looking into her eyes, not intimidated by the tone of the mysterious woman with sharp eyes. Xayah let a small sigh escape her lips before asking the girl to join her friends, this time in a softer timbre. The last thing she wanted was to scare her enough to make her cry and draw any more attention to herself.

It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Did you hurt your wing?” She asked after a brief silence.

Xayah couldn’t hid her surprise as her hands unconsciously enclosed her garments, her feathers well hidden inside her cloak while her ears rested against her hair under the hood. How the child managed to see beneath that irritated her deeply but instead she displayed a small smirk. She wouldn’t be able to get rid of her so easily so she decided to share a bit of her family’s stories, just enough to satiate her curiosity without giving away anything crucial. She had earned a reputation among Ionian’s authorities, her face displayed among the cities’ and towns’ walls with a handsome reward underneath.

“We divided our wings among each other long ago, so that we could fly together and reach all corners of the earth.” The young woman answered, once again the crushing pressure hitting her chest and deciding to ignore it. “However, during the journey some of us got lost as well as a piece of each other. Now we are born with a single wing, so that we may find the one who will make us whole again.”

“Are you looking for that person that has your other wing?” She asked, her eyes filled with sincere admiration.

Xayah’s response remained stuck in her throat, somehow knowing that answer and a part of her fearing that she was destined to live on this earth as the last of her kin. The sheer pressure was concealed under a bitter glance, the gilt color in her eyes rusting as she looked away from the small critter.

“Go back to your friends now.” She instructed, leaving no room for any more questions.

Reluctant the child looked toward the path her friends ran along, still waiting for her wondering who was the mysterious figure she was speaking to.

“Good bye bird-lady.” She finally parted, walking away and letting Xayah’s tension fade away before a shy tag pulled her hand. The girl only returned to offer her a beautiful small lily from the bouquet she was carrying.

A curious expression reached her graceful features, moved by the small token of kindness she received. Without words, she took the blossom from the girl, her fingers briefly hesitating before reluctantly accepting; unaccustomed to anything related to amiability.

No human had ever treated her with anything other than fear and resentment, threatened by her appearance and the purpose her mission carry. She was force to learn to deliver her message through her sharp feathers instead of words, the scars of every painful lesson carved in her skin.

After her contemplation her plumage bristle, her eyes quickly scanning the surroundings as she felt someone observing her. She spotted the guards at range, all distracted by the festivities but keeping to their stations.

‘Where are you?’ She asked herself as her hands reached the edge of her hood, trying to conceal her features further from those around her while moving into the edge of the square before the answer to her conjectures broke into her careful cover.

A loud sound erupted the atmosphere and Xayah’s fingers instantly manifested sharp feather under her cloak while her eyes spotted the source of the noise.

A group began to expand not far from her position into a thick circle, three musicians at the edge with drums, flutes, and bells playing merrily by request of someone at the center of the spectacle.

Xayah spat a small curse in her language, withdrawing her weapon instantly as she decided to disappear into a nearby alley.

“Let’s dance!” An imperious tone reached the raven’s ears, something inside her stirring uncomfortably like in embarrassment. A golden reflection jumped from the middle of the crowd, too high for a normal human to achieve. Her eyes opened in surprise, amazed by something that she hadn’t noticed as the familiar traces of magic reached her deeper instincts.

The music entranced her as one of her own kin danced among the public, a fan of golden feathers brushing the air while the owner’s steps glided as light as the wind.

In her distraction with the human child she failed to notice one of her own tribe make his way to the square, joining the festivities and main performers. Unlike her, the dancer exposed his nature without care or concern, his Vastayan features celebrated among the public while performing complex pirouettes and carved steps of their traditional dances.

His tunic was crafted with rich materials, as bright as the same light he manifested from his feathered coat. Adornments dressed his wrists with gold bands, his hair carefully combed backwards with tones of sun-bleached blonde and a sanguine lock dyed with magic.

The sun was close to setting, somehow a cue to the flamboyant dancer to wrap up his first act to completion. Magic once again erupted from his being, his golden plumage soaked in a brilliant light that caught the attention of those scatters who hadn’t approached the spectacle.

Like a peacock he displayed the fantastic arrangement of his wing, the spell charming the multitude and dimming with the last ray of sunset. His grand finale, a complex arrangement of steps performed mid-air of his own composition; something the raven-girl had never seen before.

He landed gracefully and took a bow to the crowd who screamed in excitement, cheers and claps drowning any other noise.

Xayah’s fist closed in rage, her eyes glowing in white-hot fury while the skin of her palms almost broke by the pressure of her claws. The relief of finding someone of her own kin evaporated as fast as the fading light of the day.

Her life’s purpose was mocked by the ridiculous display the buffoon had just performed, like an exotic creature in a circus display. A part of her screamed inside, wishing to cut his neck in a rain of sharp feathers.

The Vastaya found himself surrounded by the multitude, several human women among them asking for his attention. However, the dancer’s cerulean gaze surveyed into the distance, his performance in honor of the one he graced with a smirk in her direction.

A smile that was definitely, not reciprocated.

It took a moment for the flamboyant dancer to make his way between the audience that gathered around him, requesting another performance while the musicians readied their instruments for the second act.

The hooded lady from the back of the crowd wore such a plain outfit she could blend so easily among the admirers, a failed mission for any other as he set his mind into asking her for the privilege of her company. The Aurelian tone of her eyes had ravished his attention, watching her accept a plain herb from a human kid as he walked among the square.

She deserved a much exquisite blossom.

His attention was dangerously averted between greetings and praising that he barely managed to spot the moss-green cape disappear into an alley. Hurrying his pace, he prepared to call after her as he worked on a catch-phrase that noted the glow of her eyes, only to find the alley clear of any souls and void of light despite the clear moon illuminating the skies.

‘Come miella, where would you run off to?’ The man thought, growing discouraged as he paced deeper into the pathway. The thought of letting a woman of her caliber get away from his grasp became unthinkable in his agenda.

As the performer cut the corner he noticed the same dark cloak his lady wore discarded over the hot stone floor, the owner nowhere around to claim it. He recognized a faint and familiar scent of the forest, barely perceptive as he unconsciously approached it to his nose.

He enjoyed her scent, a nostalgic feeling erupting from his heart and something inside him branding the idea to go after her.

The woman left no trace on the ground as the smell carried into the walls and up the roof of the nearby building, a feat no normal person could achieve that easily.

“Well this I don’t want to miss.” The dancer thought out loud, following the trail of something dangerous as his pulse quickened toward the possibility of a good venture.

During the interval Xayah reached the entrance through the balcony of the upper floors, a lock pierced easily, expecting no one inside the premises while the festival took place.

Her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness while the windows displayed a road of pale light as she made her way into the warden’s office, a musty smell of ink and paper mixed with the aroma of incense and tobacco.

The stone she sought was somewhere in the room she scouted since her arrival, the place located on the same floor.

Reaching the twin doors Xayah tried to open the doorknob without success, relying on her weapons while giving a last look toward the empty hall as no noise reached her ears.

She closed the door while taking a moment to focus on the space before her, the room dressed in elegant tapestries and furniture of polished dark wood, probably exported from Garlrin by the distinctive smell of the materials. Books and antiques decorated the shelves, relics acquired from several places in Ionia as well as paintings of memorable events of its history.

She expected the artifact to be inside a box, small enough to remain protected as the heirlooms that decorated the bookcases.

Her first guess were the desk’s drawers neatly stacked with feathers, ink, paperwork, and even an elegant and slim letter opener crafted with silver.

On the opposite side, she managed to pull a ring box from the end of the drawer, sliding by the strength of her pull and the smooth paper stacked beneath it.

Xayah’s heart skipped a beat as she opened the package, a jade color stone no bigger than her finger stacked handily inside. She held it between her index and thumb, marveling the smooth surface as well as the light color of the artifact, an exquisite arrangement of lines carved between them forming circular patterns. It had belonged to her kin for generations, several like them distributed among Valoran but only a few still in possession of her race.

The beats of music and laughter outside broke the raven’s focus as she returned everything to its place, closing each drawer and hiding the severed door knob inside before tucking away the stone in her garment.

She listened to the murmur of the walls, her heart beating steady and her silent steps carrying her to the door, her head picking carefully into the edge.

Everything was just as quiet as when she arrived and it didn’t take her long to reach the path toward the same exit, the cool night air finally blowing through her hair and feathers.

A simple look toward the roofs and alleys and her landing was clear as she glided safely toward the stone floor underneath, putting enough distance between the town’s hall and the square as the raven reached the Southern exit toward Iomori’s road.

Her hand went inside her pocket to secure her price, the stone’s touch gracing her fingers as well as another impression. She withdrew the flower she received earlier from her garment, the white blossom opening on her palm.

Xayah thought of the scarce memories from the evening as a frown emerged into her features, recalling the golden glow of the Vastaya dancer from earlier while her blood boiled instantly.

Her hand pressed the stone instinctively, crushing the gift she received earlier as she shook her head and continued her stride, not sparing any more time with nonsense.

“Those moon-cakes looked really tasty.” She thought out loud, hoping to catch the same comfortable meadow soon where she arranged her modest camp.

“I hope you had plenty.” An ice-cold voice whispered among the shadows, Xayah’s posture tensing as she spotted the enemy just a few paces ahead of her. “Because it will be last meal you will ever get.” _ ‘Should had known this was going too easy._’ The raven girl cursed internally as she walked into a trap of mercenaries already expecting her.

“Seems your client went through a lot of trouble for a mere trinket.” She spoke with an even tone, counting the number of men surrounding her while her fingers twitch expectantly at the magic surging from her hands.

She confronted no less than eight.

“Oh, we were hired by no one.” The leader of the gang mentioned casually while pulling a long knife from his belt, closing in the circle as Xayah’s eyes scanned her surroundings. “But that reward hanging from your pretty head will fetch a nice sword for me.”

The raven’s eyes burned with an uncontrollable fury, her arm blasting in a fan of magic feathers as her whole body circled the area taking two men down.

“KILL HER!” The mercenary ordered as he pulled a feather out of his shoulder-plate. Expecting the attack of the Violent Raven and yet unprepared for the speed she mustered in her movements.

Xayah used the wall as a support to glide among the streets, breaking the formation of her attackers while shooting another feather between one of her killer’s eyes.

Her light feet carried her with speed into the darkness, the mental map recounting her escape route into the city’s outskirts.

“Over there!’ She heard into the distance, her face sparring a quick look behind her while the men chased after her.

She heard a keen buzz pass dangerously close to her head, one of her enemies holding a bow and its next shooting meeting against a wall a she turned sharply into the street.

_‘Damn it’ _The raven cursed as she was forced to take an alternate route, her mind searching for an exit while keeping a steady pace. They force her to pass through a square, void of people but dangerously exposed. If she managed to reach the other side, fifty paces away, she could shake them off.
“We got her!” One of them yelled.

‘Twenty paces.’ She thought, her legs screaming under the extra pressure she was giving them.

Another buzz sounded around, not close enough but still dangerous.

‘Five paces.’ The woman hurried, her lungs screaming in agony.

The moon vanished from her sight as she reached the bottom of the next store’s roof, relief washing over Xayah before a strong hit crushed her chest, sending her flying several paces away from her objective.

White-hot pain sprang from her ribcage, sure something had broken as she gasped for breath. The pang was enough to make her head swirl and her stomach threatened to spill what little content she had inside.

Her perplexed gaze spotted a ninth assailant holding a maze over her shoulders and a smirk on his nasty face. For the first time the rebel felt something crawl under her skin, something she forced to conceal as the pain tried to take over her rationality.

No.

This wouldn’t be how she would end.

“Good job.” The rest of the gang caught up, a smile spread out on the leader’s face as he savored the victory within his grasp. “Let’s finish her up.”

Xayah’s eyes glared into the rest of the assailants, her claws conjuring once more the burning sensation inside her, blood drippling from her palm. It was a good thing no other soul was around, for she wouldn’t go down holding back.

With a painful breath, the raven girl conjured her final assault before something dashed at a tremendous speed, enough that a flashing light manifested around them.

"Okay, everybody, I'm here, I'm here...” A bothersome voice sounded in the middle of the group, blocking Xayah’s vision as a cloak of golden feathers brushed her shoulder followed by screams of pain. “The party starts now!"

The mercenaries couldn’t react as the man lifted them in the air, the gust brushing the raven-girl’s hood from her face just as her enemies landed back into the floor; some unconscious from the sheer force of the landing.

The same one who got Xayah lifted his hammer toward the dancer’s back, the impact blasting off from a conjured shield as the Vastaya finished him off with a punch straight to the face and a strong kick to his gut.

Only two remained, trying to recover their balance from the fall as they raised their weapons unsteadily. The dancer turned toward the raven girl as she pushed herself from the floor with difficulty, his mockery fading into a serious look that unsettled her as the man faced his opponents once again.

“I’m not about killing – but I’ll put in the work.” The man threatened managing to sound far dangerous than he looked. His contrast shook the mercenaries who still raised their weapons refusing to back off. The Vastaya’s hands glowed a hot red, ready to deliver a fatal punch and regretting he couldn’t hurt them enough after he saw the woman he was after lying hurt behind him.

A sharp whiz travel against his cheek, a violet feather landing straight into the man’s chest while the other’s neck was exposed by a pull of his hair, the rebel woman just behind him with a sharp plume cutting through the skin.

“You should have killed me when you had the chance.” She hissed between pressed teeth, the eyes of the mercenary displaying his final moments of dread before the rebel sliced his throat open.

Silence finally settled into the square, the adrenaline leaving Xayah’s body as the sharp pain in her ribs threatened to bend her over once again. Her hand rested against her injury as she faced the man who saved her, the same who displayed a seductive smirk in her direction that same evening.

The dancer seemed frozen in shock before waking up from a trance, words unable to leave his mouth as he was captured by the exposed beauty of the woman before him.

Her hands and face were filled in dirt and fresh blood, the tint of her sharp eyes burning with a golden flame that rivaled the glow of the pale shine of the moon above her. Her breath was rushed as she opened a pair of exquisite lips, drawn to them and the feel of their touch against his own. Everything about her characterized strength, confidence and danger, and he was willing to follow her toward the ends of the earth, wrapped in the scent of the meadow she emanated from her glowing complexion.

“That color…” He stumbled, still under the spell of the enchanter before him. “it suits you.”

Xayah had expected her savior to pass out as he watched her gutter the man before his eyes, however he seemed focused on something entirely different.

He introduced himself as Rakan, a road entertainer among other details that the raven girl dismissed uninterested. Her mind quickly debated whether to silence him at that moment, even after he had come to her aid, or just leave him be. Whatever her options the pain in her ribcage began to throb against her palm, she needed to escape and the longer she lingered the bleaker her choices seemed.

The man continued to talk and as her lips opened to silence him a thunderous sound of steps approached quickly in their direction. No less than fifteen men seemed to head their way, their kin ears aware of the escort and no doubt following the trace of corpses Xayah left behind her.

With a last look toward the man she conveyed her gratitude, running away as her only choice and hopefully his as well.

Her movements were limited but she managed to gain speed into the city’s outskirts.

She hoped the Vastaya named Rakan found an escape route, she would hate to have one of her own captured by the Ionian authorities, regardless of how obnoxious he was.

Her concerns were quickly dismissed as she listened the same light steps following close by, keeping up with her as she glared into her pursuer who reciprocated with an idiotic smile.

“I haven’t heard your name yet…oh I forgot to ask you, do you like chocolate?”

Xayah ignored his ridiculously rambling as she pressed her speed in a useless attempt to outrun him while reaching the dirt path outside Vlonqo, the guards and the city long behind them.

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