Wakati

It had been a cold snowy day when Wakiti first stumbled upon the Grove. His small hatchling wings frosted over, shivering as he ran into the tangled wood away from his home.
Don’t look back, Don’t look back
He kept telling himself as he ran from the home he’d known for his whole life. His parents had used his gift for their own gain, viewing their son as no more than a meer tool in climbing the social and economic ladder. He had hated it. The burn of a slap mark was hot against his snout, a reminder of how they had reacted when he had refused. He had fled into the swirling snow, ignoring the servant’s warnings about the upcoming solstice

He ran for a while, the snow prevented him from knowing how long but by the time it had died out the moon had risen, grinning like a bobcat watching its prey its light shone on him. Almost like a beacon on the small shivering child as he slinked to a hiding spot to rest his aching limbs.
Wakiti, resting, did not notice the elegant mirror glance into the hollow he’d hidden in. The second set of wings fluttered behind her glimmering with golden veins, almost like stained glass. He was so exhausted in fact that he didn’t wake when she gingerly picked him up and flew away to carry him to her home.

He awoke in a small lair, inhabited by a singular family. He avoided eye contact and it wasn’t until the mirror, whose name was Ciaran gave him a hood to cover his eyes, that he met the rest of them. Eventually, he grew more comfortable with them and they were almost a family. But things were bound to change. People left, never to return. Others disappeared into the catacombs only to return years later changed but still the same. As the lair grew bigger Wakiti grew more and more introverted and spent much time searching the catacombs and growing his personal library. It got to a point where he rarely left the catacombs except to socialize with Ellerina and get whatever food the catacombs couldn’t provide.

Now he roams the ever-expanding maze that stretches underneath the grove.Him and Toshiko meeting the other inhabitants that hide from wandering eyes and slowly learning the grove’s story.