The ringing in their ears grew as their bodies were sucked in a whirlwind of a strange expanse. The pressure weighed down on them as they tightly held onto each other, horrified and intrigued at the same time for they had been immersed in the unknown. A burning sensation surrounded their bodies.

The stars and galaxies rushed past them while his wings formed a protective barrier around them, glowing and shielding at the same point. The concept of time had disappeared and they didn’t know how long they were hurled along that mysterious force.

Xiran had buried Aselia’s face in his chest but she still watched with her eyes wide open as the light of the passing-by stars was reflected in her turquoise peepers. How both of them were able to breathe was beyond them because none of them could speak or open their mouths.

The speed began to decrease after what seemed like an eternity of them being hurled through it and Xiran prepared himself for impact. But they swiftly landed, force rapidly decreasing and his wings cushioned them and their landing as both of them found solid footing.

A cold gust of wind and a whiteness of purity welcomed them. Both of them were barefoot and small white grains underneath their feet were like some fine quality of salt laid out to the far expanses their eyes could see.

"You alright," Xiran finally loosened his grip on Aselia and she lifted her head to scan her surroundings.

"I am, but where the hell are we? And how did we arrive here," a shiver went through her body as she was only donning a frail nightgown, her arms and upper body were almost bare.

"I don’t know but we are not on Altair that’s for sure. No such place exists on our planet. This could be Tromalius but we don’t know. We need to remain vigilant, some unknown species might dwell bere and can easily attack us" Xiran still held her close, providing her with his body heat. Somehow the cold of this place wasn’t affecting him in the slightest, as if his body was already acclimated to it.

A snowflake in the shape of a small triangle landed on Xiran’s shoulder and they raised their heads to the sky. The climate was a pristine blend of crystalline air, carrying a subtle, sweet scent reminiscent of wildflowers blooming under a pale moon. It was a tapestry of pale greys and opalescent whites, with heavy cylindrical shaped clouds painting the horizon, creating a breathtaking scene they had never seen before.

A silverish baby-blue planet with rings around it, slightly tilted on its axis just like Saturn, was grandiosely visible in the sky. While the sun was hiding behind the strangely shaped clouds.

"Wow, whatever this is, it’s beautiful," Aselia drew in a sharp breath as they took in more of their surroundings with eyes wide as saucers.

The place they had landed was an empty stretch of land but at a distance, they could see a cluster of the planet’s majestic white trees towering towards the heavens, their trunks gilded with intricate silver vines and a snow-coloured bark that shimmered like a thousand fireflies. Delicate, feathery leaves, translucent and pure silver fruits as freshly fallen snowflakes, swayed gracefully in a harmonious dance with the subtle breeze that grazed past them.

A melodious melody they created, a melody they hadn’t heard before. A graceful white bird with blue eyes perched on one of the branches and cooed a sonorous song.

Xiran and Aselia were lost in the planet’s ethereal beauty and unique tranquillity it possessed. They were starry-eyed, to say the least, and they had seen nothing yet.

"Come, we must find some shelter. It’s not safe to stand in the open," Xiran finally broke the silent serenity surrounding them, Aselia only nodded her head, too lost in the beauty of her surrounding.

Xiran gathered her in his arms and his wings flapped as they flew in the air. Reaching a height from where he could easily navigate in all directions, he could see the signs of a settlement in the far distance. The strange structures he could make out seemed like houses. The silver-haired vampire began flying in that direction.

Nearing the place he could make out, it was a proper city with a vastness of trees surrounding it from one side while a milky white body of what must be this planet’s water meandered through it.

Grand Majestic beings similar to Xiran were flying in and out of strangely shaped structures.

And Xiran’s heart shuddered with a mix of nostalgia and mystique. A tingling sensation wormed its way inside him, telling him he was home and they were safe but that fear of not trusting people got the best of him.

Xiran made a beeline for the pristine trees and landed on a sturdy branch, settling Aselia on it. He cupped her beautiful but bewildered face in his warm hands.

"Can you be my brave girl for a few minutes?" He inquired almost painfully. His heart pained at the thought of leaving her alone but he wanted to take no risks with people when it came down to her.

"I will be fine, go and return soon," Aselia told him, shivering. And he wished he had his shirt so he could cover her.

"Wait here," he shifted her near the foliage of large pearly leaves, so they could provide her with some of their warmth and hide her away. Tenderly placing a kiss on her forehead, Xiran soared away.

He flew inside the settlement with ease, a tingle went through him as he crossed the threshold as if gliding through an invisible barrier and landed in what seemed like the market area.

It was hustling and bustling with activity and the people that roamed and owned it were very similar in looks to him. But most of them had dark grey hair and light blue eyes, though their skin was similar to Xiran’s.

Aromas Xiran was not familiar with filled his nostrils and they were pleasant, to say the least. The heartbeats quickened as strange and bewildered eyes of the people fell on him and he could hear them all, sense their eagerness.

A hushed silence fell from wherever he passed, people made way and some even bowed. ’Silver Blood’, they murmured in awe, their bright eyes shining and roaming on his naked torso. Xiran felt exposed and wanted nothing more than to cover himself from prying gazes.

But there was no hostility in them and he sensed a reverence they held for him as if they regarded him in high esteem even without knowing him.

Nudity didn’t seem to be an issue either for both genders wore loosely fitting robes made up of white, off-white and grey-coloured, almost see-through materials. They were held together by belts of solid materials. Women wore pearls and other intricate jewellery along with flowy gowns. Although the weather was cold, it didn’t seem to affect them in the least or maybe they were used to it and it was just like spring season for them.

Xiran walked past the gathering crowd and reached what seemed like a stall selling apparel of different materials. Thankfully Xiran saw garbs in what seemed like thick materials.

"Hey! Can you tell me the name of this settlement and what will be the cost of these two?" Xiran pointed to what seemed like sweater-styled long shirts. The owner was a middle-aged man with silver-blue eyes and grey hair. He beamed with kindness at Xiran and spoke in a language Xiran wasn’t familiar with but understood nonetheless.

"Welcome to Fonaria my respectable Silver Blood and it’s free," Xiran wasn’t anticipating such an answer from him. Although he had no money on him he thought he would bargain some kind of deal with him.

"Free?" Xiran repeated, not understanding why he would give him something without cost.

"Silver Bloods are sacred we don’t charge them," he pointed to Xiran’s markings and his bright silver-ish blue eyes shone with excitement. Xiran didn’t want to dwell on that much, although he was beginning to understand that he belonged to some special bloodline and this indeed was Tromalius. He wanted to get back to Aselia as soon as possible and figure everything out later.

"Any place where we could stay?" Xiran asked as the man handed him two white sweaters he had chosen. They were made up of a soft material like wool.

"My humble abode is open for you. If you want you can stay with me," the man pointed to a spiral-shipped building in the distance.

"Thank you. I will return in a while," Xiran offered his gratitude. He was taken aback by the man’s kindness. The man humbly bowed while Xiran opened his wings and flew back to where Aselia was. Hoping she wasn’t too cold and he certainly didn’t want anyone to see her half-naked.

He could sense several pairs of eyes keenly observing him as he unfurled his enormous wings and flew off. Several emotions swirled inside him, this was the birth planet of his mother and he was about to discover his ancestral roots.

He flew towards the tree where he had hidden Aselia and he wasn’t prepared for the sight that met him as he landed on the branch where she sat.