The Guild Capitol: Chapter 2.5

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so the other doesn't get lost yet we can still play

Skye followed him, looking around curiously once the queasiness passed. "Is that where we are going?" She asked, motioning to the apartment building ahead.

"Yeah, that's the one," Orel said. The apartment had nice, large balconies, perfect for flying creatures to land on. He lead her to land on one of the balconies and knocked on the door. "Mom, dad, it's me!"

Skye landed beside him and folded her wings back, looking to the door nervously

The door opened, and a hawk woman looked out at them, smiling warmly at her son. Then she caught sight of Skye, and her smile broadened. "Another Artuvian!" She stepped aside and held the door open, "Come in!"

"Another Artuvian?" a man called from somewhere in the apartment.

"Yes! Orel brought a guest!" the woman seemed thoroughly delighted, and didn't actually seem to care that she hadn't yet found out who Skye was or what she was doing here.

The man came over, looking interested.

"Let them in!" the woman told him.

He stepped aside as well.

Orel gave Skye a sheepish smile. "Come on in, these are my parents. Tiriro," he indicated his father, "And Deryn," he indicated his mother. To his parents he said, "This is Skye. She and her sister arrived here a few days ago."

The parents looked delighted. Hawk people! Yay!

Skye blushed and dipped her head in greeting as she came inside "Hello, it's nice to meet you both." She said and smiled at them.

Tiriro and Deryn both shook Skye's hand, then Tiriro lead them over to the living room, which was pretty small but did have enough room for four bird people to sit comfortably enough. "Have a seat wherever you like," he told her warmly. "We haven't seen another hawk in ages, it's so good to see you!"

Orel smiled and took a seat on one of the couches, which was squishy and worn, but comfortable.

"Would you like some tea?" Deryn asked, "We have some very nice teas here, almost as good as Artuvian teas."

"I haven't had any teas that taste like home since...we left" Skye said, taking a seat on the couch also. She had paused a moment before finishing that sentence. "Orel said you have been here for five years." yep, change the subject.

Deryn smiled sadly at Skye and went to start the water boiling before coming back. "Yes, we've been here five years. We were lucky enough to be found by someone from the Guild, they offered us sanctuary so here we stay."

Tiriro nodded. "They haven't brought in many Artuvians, and the ones who do make it here don't often stay long. The portals and occasional rogue spells are just too uncomfortable."

"It's a good place to live though, otherwise," Deryn said. "So you arrived recently. How have you been adjusting to this place?"

"My sister and I have been staying with the rest of the crew on our ship so far. We haven't been spending much time in the city ourselves." Skye said softly.

"Their ship is nonmagical so it's much more comfortable to stay in," Orel explained, "It's also the most amazing thing, it must be at least seventy floors!" He hadn't counted, but he could tell it was a lot.

"That sounds incredible," Tiriro said, although he looked skeptical. It was hard to imagine a ship that big coming here. Would it even fit at the spaceport? "I can see why you'd prefer to stay there. Are you and the others from your ship joining the Guild, or are you just visiting?"

"A hundred floors." Skye said and smiled. "Vestia is a bioship. I am not sure what we will be doing though our original plan was to drop off the kids and those who don't want to fight so the rest could go fight the Family."

"Fight the Family," Tiriro's wingfeathers tightened to his body and he looked nervous. "A suicide mission if ever I've heard one."

Deryn looked worried too. She went to get the kettle as it started whistling, and began setting up a pot with tea leaves.

"We escaped them before we came here." Skye said then shrugged. "It's not as much of a one sided battle as you think. That crew has a lot of power, but they were scared to fight with so many kids onboard."

Tiriro looked unconvinced, but nodded. "I suppose anyone who gets to travel in a ship with a hundred floors must be very unusual," he said with a half smile.

Deryn brought over the kettle and set it on the coffee table to brew. "Your sister, how old is she?" she asked, sort of changing the subject.

"Moone is 11 now." Skye replied, smiling at the change of subject.

"Does she not like going through the portals, or are you two just going on a date?" Tiriro asked.

"Daaaaad!" Orel said, "Rycdos' feathers, show some tact!"

Skye flushed and dipped her head. "Moone stayed to play with the chicks...not Artuvian chicks, though we have basically adopted them."

"Not Aruvian?" Deryn asked.

"They're avians," Orel explained.

"Ohh." Both the older Artuvians looked instantly understanding. They knew what had happened to Avia, that poor planet and its people.

Deryn poured tea for everyone, and handed it over to everyone. "It's wonderful of you to look after them," she said with a soft smile.

"Thank you." Skye said as she accepted the cup. She smelled the tea before taking a sip of it. Yeah, not the same, but close.

Deryn smiled at Skye. "Decent substitute, isn't it? We've figured out how to get foods and tea most like home, and it's not perfect but it helps." She added, "We spent so many years in that town, it's not really something we want to let go of."

Skye nodded and smiled at them. "Yes, it is very good." She said softly. "It is not easy to let go of everything we like from home."

Tiriro nodded. "You left Artuvia more recently than us, I assume?"

"Yeah," Orel said, face a bit grim, "She did."

Tiriro looked at Skye, "You have our condolences."

Skye took a breath then nodded "Yes, I was there the day the city was destroyed." She was staring at the tea in the cup instead of meeting anyone's eyes. "If not for the felid Mourn and his crew at that time, we would have been taken to the Doctor to become experiments. He saved us then his ship was destroyed and the crew of Vestia took us on. Eventually we ended up here."

The three hawks bowed their heads in respect.

Deryn went over to Skye and put her wing around her comfortingly. "You have a place here if you want it," she said softly. It was probably strange to offer a random teenager a home and family just like that, but hawks had to stick together, there were so few of them now.

Skye returned the hug briefly. "Thank you for that." She was glad they offered that

Deryn went to pour Skye some more tea, then poured Orel some more tea too even though he protested briefly that he was okay, thanks, really.
"You going to show her your room?" Deryn asked Orel innocently.

Orel blushed. "Mooooom."

"What? You could show her your computer stuff," Deryn said, still oozing innocence.

Skye gave them a smile at the refill of the tea, drinking some more then looking to Orel then his mom. "I don't know the tech codes like he does." She said then looked back to Orel again. "But I wouldn't mind seeing your room."