Chapter 7: Sephora's Storm
At the same time,
Having stormed out of the castle, carved into and out of the pique of the mountain top, Sephora's chest heaved with anger as her head whirled with upset. The entire time she was blinking back tears, and this was mostly what her concentration was on. Her fist were balled by her sides, shaking, so tightly that her knuckles were a peculiar shade paler than she already was.
The younger twin was having to face and confront a whole mix of overwhelming and different emotions.
She had been, and still was, so in her own head that Sephora doesn't even notice Lyla, due to how upset she is! It wasn't just the young servant girl, that both twins enjoyed having around, it was all of the staff she passed in the house.
As she had passed the another two hallways, and turned into the main foya she had anothe four members of staff attempt to speak to her or approach her with worry. All had been wary, due to the look on the younger twins face. The contortion from the anger was unusual and unnatural but too similar to the expressions often worn by the Raven Queen for any staff member to truly risk it.
All had attempted to speak to her. None had actually been notice, and yet all had assumed that she didn't want to talk about it, or want any assistance.
From the foya she headed down the stairs and into the kitchen, down a far less grand hallway, located behind a pannelled door which sat behind the stairs. Unnoticable to visitors and looking uninteresting enough that none would likely enter.
The chef was another raven harpy, Davorin Blackbriar. His long dark hair, with a purple iridecent sheen as could be seen on his wings and finger nails, naturally, was held back in pink netting while he was kneading some dough in the center island of the kitchen.
Any other day, Sephora would have laughed at him wearing the pink netting. This day, instead she had paid Davorin absolutely no attention. Not even her cute little hello, and theaving attempts of baked treats.
Davorin completely abandoned the dough on seeing her expression and instinctively moved towards her, "Princess Sephora!" He had to repead her name a few times, in his deep and raspy voice. Something standard in Raven Harpy males.
This finally had her snap out of her concentration, causing her to snap at Davorin, "Just... Just go back to your lousy dough!"
Her outbreak was unusual but as all previous members of staff this haulted any further advancement or attempts from Davorin. He knew at this point, it would be best to let Sephora's anger blow over before any member of staff should approach her. As such, just as Sephora had asked, he went back to kneading the dough.
Now far more present, the younger twin princess headed to the side door of the kitchen. This would provide her for the quck escape from the mannor that she needed.
Even more so, she just needed to fly. To get away from the household for a while and be with her thoughs. Punch some trees, maybe throw a rock or two, scream at a cliff edge and cause an avalache at most. Then maybe, just maybe, she'd feel better after that.
It took only a few moments until Sephora was at the side entrance the chef and members of staff used to enter the mannor. This was the last place people would think she would go, especially her mother.
This door opened up onto a landing platform carved into the side of the mountain; boxes, barrels and crates were stacked up aganst the wall outside, with well preperation for the guests who'd be arriving.
The wind at the top of the mountain was the first thing that his Sephora. With a lingering glance at the stacked containers, she gladly extended her large and glorious pure-black wings swiftly from her back. All harpy clothing was specially designed to acomidate wings the same way an arm or leg would be.
Each perfeclty black feather glistened in the mountain top sun, as the caught the wind currents and felt nice against them, soothin her anger. The currents carressed against each feather individually as she walked forward to the edge of the carved platform to the sheer drop underneath.
She haulted breafly, looking over the castle above and behind her; she had no second thoughs and not gutt wavouring about going for a flight instead of failing to look perfect and live up to mother's standards.
Then, she turned to look below. Some way down was the tops of buildings in the Raven City. These were also carved into and out of the mountain. There was more space however, and teemed with more life. You could see black dots which glistened somewhat in the sun's rays. Unusually today was completely cloudless, as often these blocked the view to the kingdom below.
With a simple kick from her back leg, Sephora contracted her wings somewhat and then pushed herself off the edge.
Letting herself dive some of the way, she suddenly erupted with a pure and honest laughter at the thrill of it!
Only after a few moments of the fun, she re-extended her wings again. Catching the air fully this time.
Adjusting her flight pattern with a few flaps of her large and strong wings, she veered to the side and downwards, speedily.
Actually, she was flying away from the 3 mountains which made a lopsided triagle, consisting of the Raven Clan's kingdom. Instead she flew towards where the mountain met the forest.
She did not stop there. Tears now beaded in her eyes again as her thoughts returned, since the thrill of the jump and soothing aircurrents initial novelty was now worn off; that she was a safe distance away from any flyers she may bump into, she began to let her feeling out.
As the cloud cover began to increase she decided to fly just below it. Allowing instant and necessary cover incase she spied anyone flying towards her.
The ancient forest of the alpine trees towered below her. From her height, each tree looked normal, but if she were to fly into the forest and stand at the base of one it might take 20 harpy wings fully extended to wrap around it.
Most, if not all, had heard all of the stories about this forest as a child. What dangers and magicks may lurk within it. Of course, Seraphina and Sephora had both explored it as children and found... nothing, at least nothing to the imagination of a child with folklore tails fuling their interest, to their constant bitter disapointment.
This had always been the "safe space" for the twins to go when one, the other, or even both needed to get away. No one had ever followed them, even as adults and they had made very sure, no one had ever followed them as children.
After some distance, the mountain with the Raven Castle was far smaller and so Sephora decended her altitude so that she could paw the tops of some of the huge trees.
Her crying had stopped and the wind from flying had just as quickly dried them up and, or wiped them off.
Each heavy flap of her wings rolled the feathers.
Until she noticed something very amiss with the forest. It was quite. Too quite... eerily quiet. How many miles had Sephora flown without noticing any pray? She hadn't specifically been looking for any deer or even other smaller birds, but they would have taken her notice and her interest; the forest was worrying desolate of any hit of life for during the day, and it was unnatural.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she flew lower, weaving between the tree tops with expert precision. Harpy's were better known for their eyesight than their sense of hearing or smell, but not once while zipping between the treetops did she hear any birdsongs...
Where is... everything? This had Sephora completely concerned. The city lived off of the creatures that roamed these forests.
It was their meat source... thankfully, Raven harpy weren't omnivores and could eat anything. What good is being able to eat anything, if there is nothing too eat? It was at that moment, Princess Sephora continued her thougths with, "I am not going to leave this forest, until I find something alive! Mother, will understand."
With that as the last thought, to give her peace of mind, to convice herself that the Raven Queen... her mother, would tolerate tardi-ness on such an important occasion, as the formal first meeting of some of the eligable batchelors (and political alliances) that were on the table and forfront.
Of course, the politics and the socialising of what was to come had, at this point, completely left Sephora's mind. With each flap she mingled between the tree tops, over and between the highest branches. Playing with the air under her wings absentmindedly, the way she would as a child, as she focused on finding any sign of life in the forst at the foot of the Raven Harpy's Kingdom.