Chapter Text
Majestic.
That was the first word that came to Rylie’s mind when she saw the giant Stratoversian woman approach her group. She was dressed in a white suit with short sleeves and six blue buttons. A blade-like pendant was suspended from her neck by a blue pin, and she noticed that while her hands and feet were covered, you could still see the fingers and toes. Golden decorations were attached to the sides, too, and two wings made in a gold-like fabric swished behind her back. Her face was framed by golden pendants shaped like smaller wings and a headband with three spikes on top, and in place of her hair, a massive white cloud covered her head, floating grimly behind her like a brooding storm.
A sun was painted on her forehead, although it was deformed by her severe expression. She looked... sharp. The golden decorations danced ominously in the day like a dozen lightning bolts.
The sun seemed duller in her presence. She seemed to radiate on her own, yet her face was somber like a storm.
She cast a shadow over Rylie when she came closer to the ground. Queen Virga. The assistant caught those words from her friends, even though she was too awestruck to pay much attention to their conversation. Queen Virga… The Queen of Stratoverse… The most powerful magician in the world… Rylie was trying to remember what she knew of this important figure. But her mind drew a blank, as that kind of information was uncommon in Gloomverse. She certainly was intimidating. Rylie couldn’t look away. She was paralyzed, like a prey caught by a predator.
The Queen seemed to be coming towards her. Did she have an interest in her ? But what kind of interest ?
Virga assessed the assistant before landing feet flat on the ground. Rylie had learned from Nim and Cirrus that Stratoversians typically avoid touching the ground, so this gesture came as a surprise.
She was incredibly tall, even without flying. Imposing. Rylie felt small in comparison. So small, so vulnerable… Rylie felt her friends’ worried gazes behind her back, and her throat suddenly tightened in fear.
She didn’t even have the time to let out a scream.
Virga’s hand was already firmly grasping her neck. She let go of her crutches in her surprise, her breath cut short. Her friends’ exclamations almost covered the loud ‘clank’, but this didn’t seem to bother the queen, and just like that she lifted the assistant off the ground. Up to her own eye level.
Rylie struggled against her grip, hands reaching for her throat. She tried to pull and scratch and claw at the clasped hand. Her legs were thrashing around, and her hat fell to the ground in the tussle, but it was no use. She couldn’t breathe anymore, and her forces were rapidly dwindling. She was choking, drowning, and the world faded into darkness as she succumbed to panic, her senses slowly shutting down. Memories came to her, present and past blended together. She was falling, she was cold, she couldn’t breathe, she was hurt. But this time the stars felt so distant.
Her dark eyes finally met the cold blues of her captor, and a wave of despair washed over her as she realized she had no hope of getting away. Resisting would only worsen her situation. She choked up, her face wet with tears as it started to slowly change colors.
That couldn’t be it, could it? She had found a home, a family, friends, and she was going to lose them all so soon? Life has always been unfair to Rylie, and this was the final blow. She closed her eyes.
A lightning bolt boomed next to her.
There was a flash and a bang. The smell of burnt hair and flesh blasted her nose, and a ringing noise whistled in her ears.
She was... still alive ! Adrenaline finally kicked in, and suddenly Rylie felt more awake than ever. She was ready to fiercely fight back. The hand that held her captive even loosened its grip, and she was able to take a deep, quivering breath as she opened her eyes.
The strike had not been aimed at her, but at Virga. It had singed some of Rylie’s dreadlocks, but most notably it had wounded the Stratoversian queen. Her glove was partially burnt away, and a red scorched mark covered most of her forearm.
She turned calmly towards her assailant, no longer focused on Rylie. There stood Nim, her hand extended as if to guide the lightning.