Music And Friendship (Mature - Violence)

[loves.blessing.]

McKinley’s features twisted from wonder to confusion in a matter of moments, how odd was this creature-being. Came back, where did he go to begin with? She thought to herself, she assumed simply that he was maybe from another land by the way his eyes drank in her instrument.

Her lips fell into a frown that creased her brow deeply. “I am still in awe at the fact of a few things along with confused by the others.” She realized that she was speaking in riddles to Avin.

“I apologize, I am confused by what you mean come back, along with you have never heard the voice of a woman or man singing or-or a bunch of instruments coming together to make a band?” She simply couldn’t wrap her head around how sheltered Avin was.

The bird man put his head to the side as he lifted his eyes up to look at her. First he pointed to his chest, and kept it there for a long time. It did not rise or fall. Kinley strained her crystal blue orbs. Why-why isn’t he breathing? “Why aren’t you breathing are you alright?” Her voice a little frantic.

“Don't need to breathe,” he explained slowly. “Only when I talk. I came back … from death.” He lifted his bleached shoulders in a shrug. “Don't remember living at all. Since then … no music.”

An absurd amount of questions flooded her mind. HOW did he die, why was he brought back to life? HOW was he brought back to life? She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. “Okay…” she tried to find a way to put words together, she was simply dumbfounded. Her mouth hung slightly ajar as she physically looked as if she was struggling.

She didn’t wish to pry but as saying goes curiosity killed the cat. “How did you die, and why and how did you come back?” Her lips pursed, her brow drawn together as she really was trying to maul all this information over.

He looked at her for a long moment before grunting. Slowly he took a large lungful of air, the chest finally moving. “I died a few years ago. Hunted to death by … enemies. I was - am - a warrior.” He took a pause and his hand flinched from his lap to his long spear. “I was brought back by … my masters. A demon and a godling.” He ran a hand to gesture his face, his eyes squinting with distaste. “Used to be black in colour. Now … white. Ugly.”

McKinley cringed at the word Master, she herself had been a slave over five years ago and still the branding on her shoulder and the scars on her back haunted her. “Avin, you aren’t ugly, I-I could help you stain your feathers back to black?” She offered him a sad smile. “As for your Masters, I am sorry they didn’t let you find peace with your death and brought you back.”

She sighed softly, her gaze fell to her tattered hands as she carefully and slowly started to wrap the bandages around them once more. “I used to be a slave some years ago,I know how it feels.” Her voice was soft almost barely above a whisper.

He looked at her with brow furrowed. “Slave? I'm not -” he shook his head. “I was brought back to serve them. So - I do. That is my purpose, they said.”

McKinley winced slightly at his description, the way he described his purpose was that of a slave. Who was she to thrust such a degrading word upon his unknown title. “I apologize… I shouldn’t have been so forward..” She bowed her head slightly not wanting to meet the gaze of the bird-man.

He huffed. “I have no memory of my life, apart from dying. I have nothing other than this. They brought me back - they explained it all. I don't know what else to do.”

Slowly she nodded her head, trying to find the correct words to say without sounding crude. “In- in my world when you have a Master that you obey, they own you… You are considered a slave. I mean no degrading slur by this I just assumed that was what happened to you..” She didn’t wish to anger him but she wanted to him know that these Masters of his were probably in fact using him like a slave.

“They created me. One is half god. That makes him …” he seemed to be frowning greatly, the whole idea confusing him and making him frustrated. “Vindrexis said I am back 'to serve’. That is it. I am here to kill his enemies … who are mine now. Yes?” His eyes flashed up to stare at Kinley’s. “How are you not a slave anymore?”

“I-I escaped and when my Master came for me, he was killed by my hands…” she said softly, her gaze left his for a moment to glance down at her hands then back to meet his dark stare. “They- they didn’t create you Avin, you were already living before they ripped you from the afterlife to do their bidding.” His name rolled off her lips with ease for the first time since having met him. She frowned softly at him. “I am sorry but in this world you are if you told people that you had a Master’s whose enemies you cut down because he bidded you to, most- would consider you a slave…”

Frustrated, he shook his head and his hand now gripped properly around his spear. “I have nothing but this. This and the smell of death. You do not understand. You-” he looked at her. “Come and meet them, then you will understand.”

McKinley’s heart sunk, she drew in a sharp breath. “I- I don’t want to meet your Master’s that trick you so- so they can add me too their collection. I just became free.. I- I can go back…” Her thoughts were sporadic, her heart pounded against her breast bone as she shook her head vigorously.