Sorry guys, got sent to another reality. I'm back now.

Sorry for anyone wanting to join the book club, got sent to another reality. I'm back now.

Christmas is soon. Went home for holidays. Book Club Meetings start back up the day after school begins.

Mom made me start a book club. BORING! If anyone DARES join, sell you birthright to me.

(JK, just come to the old building outside the gym)

I joined as soon as I heard about it.

I knelt in the center of the prayer chamber, eyes focused on the worn mosaic on the ground. In less than a hours time, the god-kings soldier would open my back and release my wings. But for now, i wait in silence, and slowly, a wrongness pervades the air, like a anvil on his back, crushing the air from my lungs. My arms itched, the decorative beads wrapping my arms chafing. 10 minutes to midnight. Three black veiled priests led the way, there wings shorn. These where the Sullied, those who had been born malformed, or had not had wings. They stood around me in a triangle, razor sharp wire whips in there hands. A forth approaches, holding a bowl of ground glass and cinnamon. He speaks in a low, rough voice, narrating the story of the First Fledgling and how the star father gave us the snakes wings for there betrayal. As the story comes to a close, midnight is in less than a minute. He pours the glass mixture on the ground around me, silica partials dancing in the moon beams shining on the floor. The first priest steps forward, and his whip cracks, burning a line across my back. Something hot and wet drips onto the floor, gleaming red in the dim lights. The second priest steps forward, and a parrelel cut ran down the other half of my back. I screamed as something within me burned, like liquids nitrogen in my chest. The third priest stepped forth, holding three hooks. He hooked 2 of them two the outside of the skin, and a third on the inside, pulling the edge of the cuts wide apart. Then, the forth. It took everything I had not to thrash as he reached into my back and pulled. The cold had filled my body now, the blood on the floor frozen. I screamed as grey wings burst out, bisecting the forth priest. I took to the air, a nova of frosty air radiating out from me. I broke through the glass and when up, my muscles straining against the sky. The second set broke forth, ripping through the skin upon my back. Silver fire wreathes my arms as I climb, drawn to the irresistible pull of the void. The third set breaks free, silver in the moonlight. I burn, a cold comet, cutting upwards and outwards as I feel the last set of wings come, tearing what remained of my back to shreds as I bleed quicksilver.As the strength leaves my wings, I start to fall, pulling them in close to me. I dive down, silver fire still flickering across the corner of my vision as I stoop, landing hard but alive in a forest clearing. I fall asleep, exhausted by the ordeal.I awake, and look at my wings. The grey of the protective membrane is still coating them, making my movement sluggish and limited. I start walking, listening for any signs of water. It feels as though my eyes are almost all closed, as though I should be able to see more than I can. Everyone always spoke of the joy and release of your fledging, but no one ever told me I would feel like this. I paused, listening for water. Finding nothing, I continued downhill, hoping to find something edible on the way. My hands still itches, and with a force of will, I called up the silver fire. Only it was no longer silver, but black, with silver sparks and a core of white. I held my hand shut, willing the fire out. It was not warm, but i was not either. Strangely enough, I was just fine with that, the cold not effecting me in the slightest. Finally, I heard the gurgle of rushing water, and saw a small stream. I began to follow it, looking for a pond. Where I stepped, the dew froze itself to the grass. I came upon a beaver dam, a mass of sticks and mud that stretched across the stream. The clear water pooled here, deep enough that I could wash myself. Despite it being January, the water did not feel cold in the slightest. The membrane on my wings cracked and melted away, the water soothing there ache. I lifted them high, and turned. To look at my reflection. They where not white. They where not brown, or grey either. They where not even silver, or red. They where a dark, dark greenish black. And they were covered in eyes. The feeling of having my eyes closed dissipated, as the eyes on my wings blinked. Not all at once, but constantly. I gently touched one, and felt a hard shell around it, sturdy as could be. The feathers where translucent in some places, and in others almost glowed with black light. I stepped into the moonlight to get a better look, and immediately they shined silver, the eyes hidden. I decided to go and try to sleep, as I must be hallucinating. I curled up on the sandy shore, wrapping myself in rustling black feather, and dreamt.

You can’t stop it now, the cultist cackled before his life was snuffed out by the devastating swing of the paladin’s hammer.

And he was right, the paladin knew they had set in motion something that could not be stopped.

He looked around at the mess. He was sent by the order to end this cult of heretics and stop the ritual that was rumored to be taking place in in the yard of this long-abandoned church. As he looked upon all the bodies of the cultists scattered in the grass, he knew he accomplished half of those orders. But the portal was open, rising thin and high in the night like a fiery cat’s eye. The surface rippling with twisting green flames.

The paladin gripped his Warhammer. The fools had summoned something, but he wasn’t sure what. And it was his duty to destroy whatever it was that came through.

The surface tension of the portal bulged then burst as a huge creature, twice the size of the paladin, fell through, collapsing on the ground like a newborn baby. Its great wings wrapped protectively around it.

The demon squirmed on the ground, the grass smoking and flaming in rings around whatever the demon touched.

The paladin stepped closer, raising his hammer high to the sky.

For the god of Light! he shouted, his voice ringing with righteous fury. But just before he brought the hammer down, he stopped.

The demon was looking up at the stars in wonderment.

What are those? The demon asked. His voice hoarse and disgusting to the paladin’s ears.

The demon had no interest in the paladin. The paladin had never seen a demon like this. They had always stared at the paladin with an inhuman fury that sent chills down his spine every time he encountered one. But this one seemed different. Much different. Something must have happened to it as it passed through the portal.

What’s your name? the paladin asked.

I…. I don’t remember. The demon said as he continued to stare up at the sky. I don’t know my name. And then he pointed up towards the stars.

They’re beautiful, aren’t they?

The paladin’s mind was racing. Was this a trick? Was the demon trying to save itself?

What’s your name? The demon asked.

Conrad, the paladin said. Conrad Demonslayer. Saying his name out loud reminded him of his duty, and that he needed to end this foolishness. His great muscled chest heaved under his plate armor. I’ve come here ….

What are you? The demon asked curiously.

I’m a paladin. I’ve been sent here to destroy…

What is it that paladin’s do? The demon asked.

We kill demons. The paladin said.

What are demons?

They are creatures from hell that come and wreak havoc on our world. They are terrible creatures. And we have dedicated our life to stopping them.

That sounds terrible… Am I a paladin too? the demon asked.

The paladin stood there staring down as the demon. Something was wrong and he needed to find out what. But he couldn’t kill this helpless creature.

Yes, yes, you’re a paladin too, the paladin sighed.

Yes, the demon said. Yes, that’s right. I hate demons. Come, let us find some demons to kill. The demon said as he stood tall, stretching his mighty wings. The demon held out his hand and the paladin took it and they rose high into the sky.

They really are beautiful, the demon said as he stared at the stars.

Yes, they are, the paladin said. Yes, they are.

I killed a student here. No one noticed.

I roasted the wheelchair kid. He started walking. Help.