Chapter Text
When the world was fractioned off to winged, humans and beasts, the winged graciously assumed authority and placed themselves at the top of hierarchy, condemning the beasts to the bottom. Humans as expected remained the middlemen — not at the top but never at the bottom either, the middle ground one could say.
The winged or better known as Avia, considered their possession of wings a blessing — a blessing equivalent to being one with God and thus the Ardia — the temple of winged came into being.
Avias preached in golden letters and the pillars were set and the sacrifices made. Ardia thrived.
Humans worshipped Avias, the protected race, the esteemed race — the gods. People vied to go on pilgrimages to enter the threshold of Ardia, to make their offerings, to seek blessings — all in the name of fulfilling wishes.
For a race claimed to be omnipresent, Avias lived among the hidden plains up north, and getting a glimpse of them were rare. The winged kept to themselves after all, especially away from the beasts.
The beasts, or as Avias called them Keres, were the unlucky ones. Savage creatures that knew nothing beyond bloodlust and the need to unleash their headiness upon the world — chaos and bloodshed.
Or so they believed.
What they didn't know was that the so-called beasts weren't just beasts, they were man-beasts, animorphs for a lack of better word. Man-beasts who possessed both human as well as animal forms — counterparts. At first glance, they appeared as human as anyone could get.
Even among the undiscovered borders of the forbidden forests, there existed a hierarchy nonetheless. Divisions based on the form you held, the power you possessed — all narrowing down to how strong one was.
No matter where it was, be it the esteemed lands of Avias, or feared trails of Keres, even the normal lands of humans, the greed for power, the greed to rule, the greed to be worshipped, persisted.
The world thrived on greed after all and what is the world if not the chaos and bloodshed that came with it.
♔
It was yet another solemn day at Ardia, the daily rituals went on uninterrupted, trivialities that needed attention were reported to the high priestess.
Yes, priestess. The world had long ago dropped the need for titles adopting tones for gender distinction, now all that remained were just titles, empty words — holding power nonetheless, no matter if the person regarded himself to a gender or no gender, the title remained the same regardless.
The lavish chamber at the back of the temple was unusually in chaos today. The air that calmly used to weave itself between the fresh chrysanthemums on the table was tinged with spirals of worry and anger.
Amidst the hubbub, a male was seated on a platform — a throne, placed a few inches above the others — a sign of false power.
His wings, the purest of ivory and the softest of fleece, fluttered in dismay behind him — propelling his pristine garbs to slip off his shoulders, revealing pale unblemished skin. Revealing the intricate insignia splotched in the darkest of raven — the sign of high priestess.
The youngest high priestess till date.
Contrary to the belief of the high priestess being trained into position, it was all a matter of fate(or was it really?). Once the previous position holder died — be it natural or intended, the signia leaves the body, disappears, until it crawls onto the being of the next bearer.
A slashed rose weaving into a wing.
The transition was seamless, yet a daring sight to the onlookers.
The signia had coiled around Jeon Jungkook when he passed the tender age of fifteen — still so clueless and unaware of the atrocities of powerplay. For a boy who grew in the lowest strata of the winged, no one expected him to enter the gates of the temple, let alone hold the position of high priestess.
Yet he did.
Jeon Jeongguk, at the age of fifteen, was the youngest and the first non-golden winged Avia to become the high priestess.
Jeon Jeongguk, at the tender of age of fifteen, was gifted the title Ezra the third — the helper of the winged and the humanity.
And like the bearers of the past, Jeongguk was asked to shed the identity that bound him to his past — the mortal Jeongguk was masked under the immortal Ezra.
"Kill it."
"It shouldn't be delayed any longer, kill it."
"Yes Our Revered One, please come to a decision."
"Silence."
The murmurs died down. All eyes turned towards him. Waiting. Waiting for his decision. Waiting for him to fall. Jeongguk was well aware of what lay beneath each gaze — the disdain, the jealousy, the triumph, all encompassed into a false display of reverence.
"Jimin, speak."
Every high priestess was granted an attendant in waiting, and Park Jimin was his — Ezra's own attendant in waiting, and his right hand.
"A Kere had crossed the barriers again, Your Reverence. And he— it was captured."
"Captured you say?"
"Yes, Your Reverence."
"Shift the Kere to the temple dungeon. I shall meet them."
"But Your Reverence—"
"My decision is final. You may all leave if there's nothing else to report."
♔
Keres trespassing the Avian land was nothing new. But capturing a Kere was.
The beasts made sure to never get caught, and even if they did, they made sure to die — none willing to subject themselves to the hands of the winged.
The behaviour was more than enough to overrule the conception — the verity of Keres being mindless savages, but Avias preferred to turn a blind eye and relish in the hierarchy they held.
Jimin's earlier slip up hadn't left Jeongguk’s notice and he was curious. Intrigued. Intrigued enough to meet the one who was so daring enough to surrender himself to the Avias.
The walk to the aged-down dungeons was a mindless affair. Flanked by guards on either side, something inside Jeongguk felt unsettled with each step he took to the Kere's cell. Something foreboding.
Jeongguk longed to lose his poise and take Jimin's hands in his — for reassurance. But with the guards trailing his steps he knew he couldn't. Couldn’t afford to falter. Couldn’t afford to appear weak — be weak.
But no amount of warning or reassurance could have had prepared him. Prepared him for what lay beyond the door.