As it feels like I say every chapter, sorry this took so long, and sorry its so short. My thanks to Shadowblade for letting me borrow Vantier.

Chapter 12

Faith spent the next two days in a state of magical meditation, with her friends taking turns keeping an eye on her.

While in that state, she communed with her mother’s spirit, with Ava, and read from the Book of the People.

After two days, Faith felt ready to face what would come, and came out of her dreamstate.

Talia was there, and helped Faith to her feet.

“You okay, hon?” she asked.

“Yes ... I think so. I’m hungry though.”

“Well, you’re in luck. It’s just about suppertime.” Talia said with a smile.

They went over to Crystal hall, and got something to eat. It turned out the arrival of Vantier was the favorite topic of conversation with the other residents of Poe.

And those conversations gave Faith a very different view of Vantier than the one she had in her mind. The girl they were talking about struggled with English but took corrections with grace, was kind, patient, and caring, and overall, the kind of girl Faith would very much like to have as a friend.

After she ate, Faith was feeling too restless to sleep, so she went to the flying pavilion to get a workout.

As soon as Faith entered the flying pavilion, she could hear voices from one corner. She got closer, and saw ... Her.

Vantier.

She was hovering beside another girl, who had almost blindingly white wings, and they were both shouting encouragements to a very young girl standing on a platform whose wings reminded Faith of a butterfly.

Faith smiled, as the scene reminded her of when she was learning to swim, and a patient lifeguard had to encourage her to jump into the water.

Deciding not to distract the trio, Faith went to another corner of the pavilion and took to the air.

“Time to stretch my wings ... literally” She said to herself as she began to fly.

Faith soared, she swooped, she spun and twisted and turned, dancing in the air,

Suddenly, Faith felt she was being watched.

She turned, and saw Vantier hovering nearby .

“Hello” Vantier said.

“Hello” Faith replied, and drifted closer.

For a moment, they just hovered there together, and then Faith said, “Forgive me if I’m being forward, but I think I might be from the same people as you.”

“I believe you might be right. I sense a feeling of ... kinship with you.”

“Well, if I am not mistaken, I might have some information about our ... kin that you might want to know.”

Vantier looked at Faith, as if peering into her soul, and then said, “Let’s go to my dorm-room. We can talk there. And did you know you were speaking ancient hawk lord back there? As only two others speak it on the whole planet and one of those is a GOO!”

"I did?"
"Yes and very fine I might add, like your were born to it!"

Once the two girls made it to Vantier’s room, Faith sighed, and began to talk about all she had learned, about how some had hidden from the GOO, but perished at the hands of Vendetta.

At that point, Vantier asked, “All of them, gone?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Faith replied, “Some may have fled and survived, and there is at least one other person who is a descendant, like me, who has access to a spirit from that time.”

“And what about him?” Vantier asked.

“He ... he has been twisted by the Bastard, and is possessed by Vendetta.”

Faith paused for a moment, and then recounted her encounter with Brand, and how she discovered he had killed her mother and framed her father. How he had enslaved a hellhound to track her and then to attack her friend Talia to draw her out. And how she had offered forgiveness to Brand, only to have him flee, vowing to return in a year’s time.

Once she had finished, Faith sighed again and looked down at the floor, afraid that Vantier would be disappointed in her.

Instead, the older girl stood up, took Faith into her arms, and hugged her.

Faith clung to Vantier like a shipwrecked survivor to a piece of driftwood, shaking, finally letting out all the emotions she had held in check since her transformation. Then, out of nowhere, she hiccupped, which made both girls giggle.

Faith sat back down on the bed, and the conversation turned to lighter matters, talking about the school and the friends she had made.

Finally, Faith looked at her watch, and said, “I better go. I have real classes for the first time tomorrow, and I need my rest.”

“All right. We’ll talk more another time.” Vantier replied.

Faith got up to leave, but just as she got to the door, Vantier said, “Faith?”

Faith looked back.

“I’m proud of you.” Vantier said.

Faith blushed, and left, practically floating all the way to her own room.

She changed into a nightgown, and thought to herself, “Well, that went better than I hoped. I’m gonna have to ask Ava about how come I could speak the language, though. But for now, I better get some sleep.”

******