When Aldric awoke, the beam of orange glow had vanished. In its place, the pale light of twinkling stars in an empty sky. Constellations painted the sky as his tired eyes traced their shapes.
He yawned and stretched upward. Harden had come back and had fallen asleep at some point. Aldric yawned quietly and stretched all of his limbs, even spreading his toes far apart. Then, ripping through the quiet room, his stomach erupted with its hollow gurgle.
"Damn, skipped all my meals today," he whispered, holding his belly solemnly. He blinked slowly as the den around him came into view. His last game with the chess table was still awaiting his next move, the oak, now double its width, swayed slightly in a soft breeze, and the portraits' colors danced in the starlight.
He hadn't noticed it until that moment, but it had been a while since he'd spent meaningful time in the den. After the curfew had been adjusted for the boys' age, Grum had started visiting the pair of them more frequently. Their meetings and training sessions had developed into a keen friendship and led to nights where they'd simply just hang out.
After a while, a nosy, but admittedly likeable wren began inviting himself to the meetings. Peyter, though sometimes over chatty, was a good person, and he too had made friends of the boys. When this most recent term had started, their meetings were far and few between. All of their classes quickly became more demanding, and their studies had overtaken their lives.
Aldric blinked himself back to reality and focused on a dark black smudge on the stone wall. He smiled when he remembered the first time Peyter attempted to cast a light rune. It burst into flame and flung against the wall the second he lost his focus.
Aldric had finally brought himself to leave the comfort of his bed, and flung his blanket off of himself. When he sat up, his bed spun to face the window. He fell against the mattress as he whipped around, and was almost flung from the bed when it stopped abruptly.
He caught himself and steadied his eyes before peering up and out of the window. Through a sheer green section of glass, he saw a small flickering light being held on the beach outside. A shrouded figure waved an alluring hand and turned to walk away.
Aldric stared, puzzled for a moment before hastily preparing to follow the mysterious figure.
—-
Aldric raced through the entryway and toward the main door. The crust in the corner of his eyes still stuck together when he blinked. He stopped at the jamb and stared out into the pale night. The dark purple waves crashed against the colorless sand like a solemn painting.
The lack of light shrouded the island's structures in darkness, hiding the flocks' creations in the distance. A single set of peppy footprints left a path in the wet dirt at Aldric's feet. They led away from the aviary, along the beach and into the blackness.
Aldric looked back into the tower, and then around outside. He felt alone, and yet, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. He breathed deeply and set off following the tracks. The salty air hit him like a cold bath.
The lack of sound from birds and boys alike left the beach with an eerie feeling. The sense of being alone didn't sit well with Aldric. The darkness surrounded him, making him feel almost claustrophobic. The stars did the best they could to shine along his path clearly, but it still left him feeling almost trapped.
He wanted to cast his light rune, but didn't want to risk anybody following him. Right as he started to dread his choice, the tracks took a sharp left. He followed them with his eyes first, and saw that they led directly into a large burrow hole. The gaping hole was darker than his surroundings, but had a strange angelic song whispering through it.
He lowered himself into the hole and tried to see anything he could. Suddenly, he felt a swift kick in the rear, and he was sucked straight down. His scream was drowned out by a rough bellow of wind that rippled through the tunnel. The scent of mud was prevalent, and Aldric couldn't seem to keep from getting dirt in his eye.
The fall felt more like a gentle glide after a while. He stopped trying to scream after his voice began to hurt, and he stopped panicking when it seemed the falling would never end. For a moment he'd thought he'd been bested already, and he didn't even have a chance to try.
He wondered if this was it, if this was how he went out.
Aldric the Phoenix, born for greatness, died from boredom.
Eventually, he began finding humor in the predicament. He'd basically found himself in a wind tunnel, and nobody knew he was there. That thought alone amused him so much he laughed for five minutes, give or take.
Then, when all hope and humor were gone, he felt something change. The air that continued to thrust him upward had stuttered. It was only a moment, but it was noticeable. He waited, and he prayed he was right. Then, another stutter, and the fluttering of air went stagnant; he was slowly lowered and brought to a soft landing.
His legs were jelly when he walked out into the dark ravine he found himself in. He took a breath for the first time in what felt like hours. Nothing but mud and an oddly floral scent.
"Hello?" He called out, looking around as if he could see anything. No one replied.
"I followed your trail; I'm here for my lesson!" He tried again, this time sounding more annoyed. When he didn't get a response, he clicked his tongue and stomped back angrily.
"Come on, I can't take a test if I don't know the parameters!" He shouted, throwing his hands to the sky. Just then, from the darkness, a gust of air brushed his cheek, and then he was walloped across the face. He fell to the ground and tumbled to the ground.
He rolled in the dirt, groaning slightly before spitting blood on the ground.
"So much power, and such little control," a familiarly pleasant voice rang out above him.
"W-who's there?" the boy groaned, his face swelling slightly.
"You should've paid closer attention in aura readings, young Aldric. Seeing in the dark can be very useful. Alaric recognized Professor Aves' voice as another wicked crack slammed against his chin.
"Let's try this again, on your feet."