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 fists were balled by her sides, shaking, so tightly that her knuckles were a peculiar shade paler than she already was.
The younger twin had 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 another two hallways and turned into the main foyer, she had another 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 twin's 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 been noticed, and yet all had assumed that she didn't want to talk about it or want any assistance.
From the foyer, she headed down the stairs and into the kitchen, down a far less grand hallway, located behind a paneled door that sat behind the stairs. Unnoticeable 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 iridescent sheen as could be seen on his wings and fingernails, 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 repeat 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 like all previous members of staff, this halted 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 approached 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 with the quick escape from the manor that she needed.
Even more so, she just needed to fly. To get away from the household for a while and be with her thoughts. Punch some trees, maybe throw a rock or two, scream at a cliff edge, and cause an avalanche 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 that the chef and members of staff used to enter the manor. 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 against the wall outside, with well-preparedness 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 accommodate wings the same way an arm or leg would be.
Each perfectly black feather glistened in the mountain top sun, as they caught the wind currents and felt nice against them, soothing her anger. The currents caressed against each feather individually as she walked forward to the edge of the carved platform to the sheer drop underneath.
She halted briefly, looking over the castle above and behind her; she had no second thoughts and not a gut-wrenching waver about going for a flight instead of failing to look perfect and live up to her 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 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 triangle, 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 feelings out.
As the cloud cover began to increase, she decided to fly just below it. Allowing instant and necessary cover in case 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 children. 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 tales filling their interest, to their constant, bitter disappointment.
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 descended 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, or wiped them off.
Each heavy flap of her wings rolled the feathers.
Until she noticed something very amiss with the forest. It was quiet. Too quiet... 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 worryingly desolate of any hint of life 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. Harpies 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 the creatures that roamed these forests.
It was their meat source... thankfully, Raven harpies weren't omnivores and could eat anything. What good is being able to eat anything, if there is nothing to eat? It was at that moment, Princess Sephora continued her thoughts 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 convince herself that the Raven Queen... her mother, would tolerate tardiness on such an important occasion, as the formal first meeting of some of the eligible bachelors (and political alliances) that were on the table and forefront.
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 forest at the foot of the Raven Harpy's Kingdom.