Free as a Bird

 Free as a Bird.

A short story by M.M.S

1

The Entrance

Wind. It whistled in her ears, whipping her tail back and forth. Her hair streamed behind her as she fell.

She had been in freefall for at least a minute now. She should have been terrified! But all she felt was peace, a vague feeling of contentment, and an overwhelming surge of freedom. The boundaries might confine her on the ground, but they could never stop her from going higher than she dared.

She felt the buildings closing in about her, the earth rising rapidly up to meet her. Within seconds she’d be nothing more than a dark spot on the pavement.

Her eyes snapped open at the same moment her wings did. She swooped at a 90 degree angle, bringing her nose within an inch of the road. She rose a few inches, and let her fingertips graze the smooth stone.

As the city limits approached she gained a bit more altitude. She let her feet touch the ground. With her wings still unfurled, she broke into a run, her boots tapping against the cobblestones with feather-light steps. The boundary line was a stone’s throw away now. An arm’s length. A finger’s breadth away!

Her body twisted, her muscles tensed, and she shot upwards, corkscrewing through the air; leaving the city far below. Not for the first time, she laughed aloud. She loved the exhilaration. The feeling of reckless abandon that took over whenever she flew. Like she could just keep ascending for ever, and ever, and never land. She slowed and circled round, back towards the barrier, scanning the sky as she flew.

She landed on a cloud just entering the city limits. She flopped down onto her back, her wings spread out beneath her, and uttered a sigh of contentment. This was her favorite part of the day. When she could feel like she wasn’t just some caged bird, twittering about for someone else’s enjoyment. She tucked in her wings and rolled over onto her stomach, taking in the vast scene below.

The city lay sprawled out beneath her. From this height she could see its entire expanse. From the edge of the forest, to the banks of the lake on the other side of the hill. At least, she assumed there used to be a hill there. And a rather large one, from the way the land sloped.

In the center of the city, where the hill used to be, there was now a gigantic crater. The hill had been destroyed from the inside, via a network of explosives. They had been detonated at the strike of dawn. Leaving everyone, citizens and officials alike, in a terror ridden panic. Because of the protective barriers no one had survived. It was a massacre.

She blinked herself out of her reverie. Her eyes were blurry with tears. She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand, and asked herself for the hundredth time: How do I even know that? And then, And why do I feel like it’s the truth?

Something prickled against her arm, like static. She’d reached the boundary line without noticing it. Which wasn’t hard, considering that the boundary was invisible.

She stood up, and as the cloud passed through the barrier, she dropped. She opened her wings a foot above the roof below her, and pushed herself off with her feet. She rocketed over the gabled rooftops, gliding lower, past the soft stone fronts of the houses, overgrown with various plants. She came to a gentle stop, and set her feet lightly on the ground. After another long day, she was home.

2

The Invitation

The setting sun shone on the blue-gray front of the two storey cottage. Green moss mottled the walls, and and ivy twined its way up the pillars at the door. The red gabled roof had elegant carvings of flowers and vines round the edges, and there were a few birds nests tucked between the wall, and the roof’s overhang. She rested her hand on the gold doorknob, carved in the likeness of a sun with eight rays. It was time worn, and weathered, like the rest of the house.

She turned the handle, and pushed open the wooden door. She stepped inside and flicked her ears. Once. Twice. Instantly the room was illuminated by three, pulsating spheres about the size of chickens eggs. They hung about the ceiling, just barely out of reach. She flicked her ears again, and started up the stairs, one of the spheres following close behind.

When she arrived on the landing she inhaled a deep breath of the familiar scent.

Home.

She walked straight across the wooden floor, and flopped down onto the moth-eaten sheets of her large, round bed. She lay there for a few seconds, breathing in the faint, musty smell, that was quickly fading from the old sheets. She relaxed completely, allowing her body to rest from the exertions of the day. She had been exploring the city, as she did every day, and had steadily worked her way through at least two thirds of it already. Though no matter how thorough she was, she always managed to find something new the next day. Today she had been searching through the most well preserved of the suburbs; the furthest from the blast site. She’d searched through house, after house, and found nothing of special interest, save for a small comb which she had tucked into her outer corset. She pulled it out now, and examined it.

It was pale silver in color, with two round stones set into the back. The stones gleamed a deep midnight blue, and glittered in the afternoon sunlight. She slowly let her hand, and the comb it held, drop to the sheets, as she remembered what had happened after she had found the comb.

The sun had risen to its pinnacle in the sky, as she made her way through the last row of houses. She slowed to a stop, just within the edge of the shadow cast by the cottage beside her, and stared out at the view in front of her. Barely two yards away, she could see the crystal blue waters of the lake. In a sort of trance, she shuffled forward, mesmerised by its mirrored image of the sky. With a crackling zap, and a thud, she landed on her rear, two feet away from the lake’s edge. She had run into the barrier that encircled the city.

She got to her feet and walked forward till she was merely inches from the water. The invisible barrier prickled and buzzed against her skin, as she gazed with a longing that she couldn’t described. Frustration and sadness bubbled in her stomach at the sight of the vast lake reflecting the open sky, and the pale purple mountains far, far in the distance. Mountains she could never reach. Her ear twitched, and she heard the twittering of a bird. She watched as it flew unhindered out over the lake, into the sky, and almost cried in anger. She was the only creature that had to deal with the boundary. Every other living thing, every rabbit, fox, bird, and insect, even the trees themselves, could pass through! Yet she was trapped in a cage she couldn’t even see.

She took a deep, shaky breath as she tried to calm herself. She lowered herself to the ground, and hugged her knees to her chest. As much as it hurt, she couldn’t pull herself away. And so she sat, for how long she couldn’t be sure, gazing at the small waves as they rolled onto the sand. Tantalizingly out of reach.

She stood up and rubbed her eyes. At the same time pushing the memory to the back of her mind. She stepped up the shelf beside her bed, and laid the comb next to a small pot full of water, in which she’d managed to keep a tiny fish that looked almost exactly like a pebble. She might have thought that it was a pebble, except that it swam away whenever she stuck her finger in the pot.

She turned and crossed the room in the direction of the balcony. The room opened directly onto the balcony, with no wall in-between. Instead, it was separated from the room by a thin, gauzy curtain. Once a pale blue, it was now faded and tattered, in some places no more than a cobweb of thread.

She walked through the open curtain and leaned on the stone railing of the balcony. As the wind ruffled her hair, she felt at peace.

Her ear twitched. She stiffened. Not making a sound.

She glanced to her left, and spied a paper tucked into the railing. Paper was a rare find here. It had been so long since anyone had inhabited this city, that nearly all the written documents had crumbled away into dust. Not only that, but the paper looked brand new! The few books she had salvaged were yellowed with age. And threatened to disintegrate at the slightest touch. Her tail flicked nervously. She glanced around. No one in sight. Just like always. How could it get there, then? She felt a shiver of excitement run through her. As well as a thrill of fear. For as long as she could remember, she had never seen another like her. She had never known another creature who could write.

For indeed, whoever had placed the paper here could certainly write. As shown by the slightly messy scrawl on the front of it. She slowly leaned closer, and snatched the note just as it fluttered off the railing. She traced her fingers gently across the paper, as she stared at the single word written over the front of it:

Freedom.

She unfolded the paper with trembling fingers, and looked down at the short message.

Young fawn,

You want to escape. I know you do. I’ve seen you flying above the clouds,

everyday yearning for freedom. Meet me at the old Meeting hall. Tonight. As soon as the sun goes down, and I’ll set you on the right path.

I’ll be waiting for you.

Then at the bottom of the page, in small print,

In a world of locks,

You are the key.

Open the door,

And set Freedom,

free.

She read through the note once more, trying to take in the simple, impossible fact; Someone was trying to help her! For all of her remembered life, she had never met another person. She had always lived alone. And yet here was someone, someone whom she had never seen, and knew nothing about, who was going to help her. Or at least, to meet her. Her curiosity grew as she searched over the paper once more, looking for some clue as to the identity of the sender.

It was not long before she found, at the top right corner of the page, a small symbol which had been covered up by her hand as she read. She eagerly examined it.

The center was a small eight pointed star. Above the star were a pair of pointed ears, between which were a pair of tiny horns. Sprouting from below was a long, curling tail, and on either side, a pair of wings. The one on the left: angular, and bat-like; The one on the right: feathered like a bird’s.

She stared, eyes wide with amazement, as she slowly reached up and touched her own ears and horns. She was suddenly very aware of her long tail, brushing against her leg, and the wind on her wings; Caressing the leathery skin of one, and ruffling the feathers of the other.

She looked down to read the note once more, but found that it was much harder to see. She squinted her eyes in the fading light. She ought to bring up more of the spheres, now that the sun had set.

She froze. She jerked her head up and fixed her eyes on the horizon in horror. The sun was now only a thin band of gold against the pink sky. Quickly, she re-folded the note, tucked it into her outer corset, climbed onto the railing, and leaped off the balcony. With her wings spread wide, she angled toward the center of the city. She had an idea of where the Meeting Hall might be. Or what was left of it at least. She hoped she was right. She was already late! Whatever happened next, her instincts told her, would make or break her future.

3

The Figure

She swooped down in a puff of dust, before a large, partially destroyed circular building. It was right on the edge of the blast zone, and was mostly intact. But the entire right portion of the building was gone. The edges of the walls were jagged and crumbling, and the inside was completely empty! The ceilings and floors had long since rotted away, leaving an empty shell of overgrown stone walls. Many of the great pillars which had stood before the door now lay broken upon the ground, and the few that remained standing were mottled with moss and climbing plants. The space she had set down in was a wide courtyard, encircled by cracked and crumbling colonnades. The floor beneath her boots was a worn out mosaic. The once vibrant colors had now been sun-bleached beyond recognition, and the tiles were cracked, and broken away in places.

She stood, half-crouched, in the center of the courtyard. Her ears pricked up, her tail tense, and her wings pulled close, half covering her head. Her eyes glowed slightly in the dim light, as she scanned the area for any sign of movement. But there was not a soul in sight, living or otherwise.

Her ear twitched and she whipped round, arching her back as she brought her body closer to the ground. Her ears pulled flat against her head, her eyes slits, and a low growl building in her throat.

“I’m glad you made it,”

She spun back around, to face the speaker.

“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up.”

The figure standing before her was swathed in a dark cloak. It hung heavily from their shoulders and just brushed the tips of their boots. Their arms were hidden within the folds of the cloak, and a large hood was pulled halfway over their face. The whole ensemble effectively obscured the identity of the wearer, and the gathering gloom only helped to conceal them.

“Though, you have cut it rather close.”

The voice that came was soft, neither deep, nor high. But it had a feeling to it, like it didn’t expect to be obeyed but was anyway. It was laced through with Power, but whether the speaker had done this on purpose or not, she had no way of knowing.

She unclenched her teeth to speak. But the figure raised a black gloved hand, and she fell silent.

“I know that you have many questions for me. Enough to fill all the books and databases once held here. I understand your curiosity, and they will all be answered, one way or another. Many in ways you could never expect. And not all at once.

“Now please, hurry and follow behind me. We’re running out of time and haven’t a moment to waste.”

She wasn’t sure why this person was in such a hurry, if indeed they were a person at all. But it was certainly getting late; The pale pink of the sky had faded to a deep blue, and the first stars of the night were springing up across the darkness. She hesitated for a moment. She was still wary of this dark figure, and suspicious as to their intentions. But as the tail of the figure’s cloak whipped out of view, she dashed to keep up.

She followed as the figure led her around the back of the building. She kept her face blank, so as not to show her fear, and the small spark of excitement that was quickly becoming a blaze inside of her. Her mind reeled as her thoughts raced and spun. Round and round in circles, ‘til she was nearly dizzy with anticipation and curiosity. That cloak’s big enough to hide a pair of wings easily, and a tail to boot! To say nothing of the hood, that could cover up a pair of ears and horns no sweat! The boots even look similar to mine. At least I think they do. Maybe just a bit dark-

She stopped short, held back by the figure’s hand. While she had been staring off into space her legs had kept walking. She would have run straight into the back of the figure, had they not stopped her.

“Careful,” a slight chuckle was in the figure’s voice, “I know you’re excited, eager, and probably more than a bit confused, seeing how you almost ran into me. But just try to keep calm. You’ll understand what this is all about eventually, and hopefully things will straighten out soon and your life will be much different.”

“Where are you taking me?”

She was caught off guard by her own voice, it had been so long since she’d used it. It was hoarse from disuse, and it made her throat hurt. A long time ago she used to talk to herself, and then at times to her fish. Sometimes she had even sung. Old, old songs that she had forgotten the meaning to, but were ingrained into her memory. She had never made it to the end of any though, something always happened to stop her. It was hardly ever good.

She wasn’t the only one startled by her voice: the figure before her seemed a bit shaken. They simply said, “Out.”

They motioned for her to stay put, and walked over to one of the fallen columns. She watched as the figure placed their hands against the stone. Then, seemingly without effort, they pushed the column gently away. She was stunned. Each of those pillars was easily ten feet on a side, and this person had just pushed it away like it was nothing! She was still gawking when the figure beckoned for her to come closer.

She approached slowly. As she came closer she could see what had lain beneath the column. A large trap door lay perfectly preserved in the ground. With a grunt and a jerk the figure pulled at the door. The metal hinges were slightly rusted, and squealed as the door opened. Beneath it was….nothing. Just complete and utter darkness, with a flight of stairs leading down into it.

She backed away, eyes wide in fear. She had tried to keep her emotions in check, but this was too much.

“Y-You want me to go….down..there?”

The figure nodded.

“Once you’re down, you must walk straight forward. Do not turn, or deviate from your course no matter what. It will be dark, and you’ll feel like there’s nothing there. But whatever you do, don’t so much as twitch your tail. Don’t flick your ears, nor open your wings for any reason. You must become completely oblivious that you have any of these extremities. The slightest wrong movement, and you’ll find yourself walking back up these stairs. You’ll never be able to even attempt leaving this way again!”

The figure stopped. Then stepped closer to her, and did something unexpected. She felt arms reach around her, and pull her in. Her mouth and nose buried in the fabric of the cloak, she stared over the figure’s shoulder, and realized that this person wasn’t much taller than she was.

Just as she reached up to return the hug, the figure broke away. They held her at arm's length, but even at this close distance she still couldn’t see their face.

“I know that you’re scared. I know that you think there’s no way you’ll ever be able to do this. But I also know, that you’re braver than you think. And you’ve done things like this before, whether you remember it or not, and you’ve made it through. Trust me when I say, that I believe you can.”

The figure took one hand off her shoulder, and led her back towards the door. She took a deep breath, and then a few tentative steps downward. Suddenly the hand on her shoulder clenched. She turned her head to see the figure above her looking back the way they had come. Then with a shove they pushed her a few steps further down.

“Go!” they hissed, “Now! Go! I’ll meet you on the other side!”

“But how will you get out? Why can’t I go with you that way?!” her voice was shrill with fear.

“There’s no time! You can’t go out the way I’m going!” The figure turned and looked back again, then facing her again they said, “Remember my instructions, and don’t look back. When you get to the other side wait for me. If I’m not there after thirty minutes then head south until you reach the town. There are people there who will help you. Just tell them The Dragon sent you. Now go! Go!”

The figure pulled the trap door down over her head. She heard the thud of the column being pushed back into place. Then silence, and complete, and utter darkness.

Every part of her screamed in terror. She was trapped! She banged on the door, and rammed her shoulders into it. But she knew it was useless. She sat on the steps, her breath coming in quick gasps. This was wrong. Every instinct told her. This. Was. Wrong. The walls on every side of her. The darkness. The silence. The air, so thick and still you could cut it with a knife. It was all wrong.

She sat in pure, abject terror until she finally mustered the strength to move. She took a deep breath of the heavy air, and started forward. Walking stiffly, further, and further from the surface.

4

The Escape

She didn’t know how long she’d been walking. All she knew, was that it felt like a lifetime ago since she had seen the sun. Or anything else. The darkness was empty, and complete. There was no sound, save for her own pounding heart. No movement, save for her own legs mechanically walking one after the other. In the whole black cavern, there was nothing, except for her.

When she started she had been able to feel the walls on either side of her as she descended. But as the stairs ended so did the walls. She had inhaled sharply, her lips pressed tight together. And she was sure she had heard a rustle, and a scrape off to the side. But she had quickly reined in her fear, and kept on.

Ever since then she had been in empty darkness. She felt like the only creature alive, in a dark, dead world. But she could not let her guard down. One wrong move and even this slim chance of escape would be gone. Vanished, like the morning mist. So as she walked she concentrated on her breathing. Concentrated on keeping the rest of her body still, as her legs marched on. She kept her mind as blank as she could, thinking only of one purpose: Escape.

Suddenly she felt something brush the tips of her outstretched fingers.

Walls.

And then the faintest whiff of a breeze.

Her ears and tail almost pricked up with excitement, but she forced them to lie still. Her heart was racing, thudding against her ribs, and she felt like she could run just as fast, if only she could get out of here! She willed herself to keep walking, trying to stifle her excitement. She was almost out! It was a wonderful sort of torture to feel the sweet breeze on her face, but still be able to see nothing. The corridor seemed to go on forever, but she didn’t give up hope. Hope was all she felt now. It filled her to the brim and urged her on, convincing her that escape was just a step away.

She felt a wave of ice and then blinding light. It hit her like a mallet, and she almost stumbled backwards. She blinked shielding her eyes with her hand. She walked a couple paces forward, and looked out at her surroundings as her eyes adjusted.

She stood atop a ridge in a small hill. The land spread out below her in gentle hills, rolling away into the forest, the edge of which came up to side of the hill on which she stood. To her left she saw the crystalline waters of the lake, glittering in the first rays of the sun. And beyond the forest, closer than she’d ever seen them, were the mountains. They rose up to scrape the sky with their jagged peaks, looking even sharper in the harsh lighting. The cool breeze she had felt in the tunnel continued to blow. It tousled her hair, and ruffled her fur. She closed her eyes and spread her wings wide, relishing the feel of it caressing her skin and feathers. She took a deep breath. It felt so wonderful to out in the free air again.

She gasped as if she’d been struck.

Free.

She was free. She couldn’t quite understand what that word meant. Her mind was suddenly blank. Then slowly, she smiled. A sweet, blissful smile that held nothing but happiness.

“I’m free.” She whispered. She gave a weak, gasping chuckle. “I’m free.” She said, enjoying the feel of those two simple words on her her tongue. Words she thought she’d never get the chance to say. “I’m free!” She said the words louder, and louder, and soon she was shouting them to the heavens. She spun round, and round in circles, and jumped for joy, laughing all the while. She spread out her wings to their furthest extent and launched herself into the air. She corkscrewed upwards, higher and higher until she nearly touched the clouds. Unrestrained joy filled her like helium in a balloon, and burst from her like a song. Mirth bubbled inside her ‘til she could hardly stand it, and she laughed. Oh, how she laughed. She laughed, and laughed, and laughed, until her throat hurt and her sides ached, and still she didn’t stop. She couldn’t believe she was free! Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, and tears filled her eyes as she swooped and fell, and soared higher and farther than she ever had before.

And as the sun rose in a ball of gold over the horizon, and the first rays of dawn pierced the sky, one word flowed through everything she felt, saw, and heard: Free.

5

The Beginning

It was long after sunrise when she finally stopped. She flopped down on the grass, panting, with a smile still plastered across her face. It had taken a while for her to accept it, but she had at last come to terms with the facts. The plain, simple, wonderful fact: She was free.

She gave another weak laugh at the thought of that word; so small, yet what it represented was larger than life itself.

She stretched, and sighed. How glorious the sunshine felt, falling through the leaves and dappling her body. How luxurious the grass, so cool and soft beneath her, the tiny feelers tickling her face. She breathed in the sweet breeze; Spring had already turned to summer, but the scent of flowers still hung in the air. A shadow crossed her face as a bird flew past.

I wonder where they are? She thought, remembering the shadow-cloaked figure from last night. They should’ve been here by now, it’s nearly midmorning.

She sat up, and thought back to what they had said: head south, if they didn’t get there after thirty minutes.

Well, better late than never.

She moved into a crouch, and stood up. Then she turned, and ran back up the hill, wings unfurling as she went. She flapped them as she ran, so that by the time she reached the top, she was gliding two feet off the ground. She soared up higher and circled around the hill, to get her bearings.

The sun was still in the east, to the left of where she had exited the tunnel.

The tunnel must point straight south, she thought, lucky me!

She veered ‘round and began to make for the south. But as she turned, she caught a glimpse of the great city. Her prison. She looked back.

From the outside, the city looked desolate, and ruined. The sunbleached stone covered in vines and cracks, crumbling even as she watched. The barrier was invisible from the outside as well. She wondered if it only worked one way. Could she re-enter the city, or would it push her back and prevent her from entering, as it did when she tried to leave?

She wasn’t going to find out. She wouldn’t risk being trapped there again, just to satisfy her curiousity. She turned away and started her flight south, in the opposite direction as the city.

There was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, and it rose up in the back of her throat. It tasted like fear, and… sadness? The fear she could understand. She was flying away from everything she had ever known, and she had no idea what was waiting for her in the south. But she hadn’t expected to feel sad. After all, why should she? She had been confined to that city for as long as she could remember, trapped in a cage she couldn’t see. Hidden away, like a sick child, restricted from the rest of the world. Why would she miss it? Nevertheless, the feeling stuck.

She shook her head, and increased her speed. This was a new start, and whatever happened next, wouldn’t have anything to do with that city. With every flap of her wings, she felt like she was shrugging another weight off her shoulders. So far, freedom was suiting her just fine.

✵✵✵✵

After an hour or so of flying, she was beginning to realize just how far away the mountains really were. They had hardly gotten any closer!

The world is much bigger than I thought, she observed.

She had been scanning the ground all the while she’d been flying. She had no way of knowing how far away this town was. Her only instruction was to fly south.

As of yet, the most interesting thing she had seen, was a small herd of hippogriffs(would it be a herd? Or a flock?). They had cantered away, and fluttered their wings as she passed over. She had never seen a hippogriff before, she only knew about them from one of the few books she had salvaged back in the city. There were many other creatures out and about in the woods. There were bright pelted foxes, and small twitch-flies(a creature somewhat resembling a dragonfly, but with a more snake-like body, and a long, angular head), birds of every shape, size and color! Rabbits and cabbits, and one very strange creature that she only caught a slight glimpse of. It’s vermillion eyes gave a menacing and watchful impression. She had even seen a sunbear, napping by the riverside.

There were many carvings and mosaics of the sunbears. Though most of them had been destroyed, crumbled away with the buildings, some were more or less intact. In all of them, the sunbears were depicted as being gracious, and life giving, the bearers of light and good fortune. In one carving, the sunbear was shown creating the sun, and then showing the people how to make balls of light with which to light their city.

She felt another pang of something. It couldn’t be called homesickness, for the city had not been her home. Had it?

That city was my chains, she thought, and now they have been unlocked. A convict doesn’t wish for his chains to be put back on, so why should I want to go back? I am free now, and I will never be chained again.

Her ear twitched. She caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. It was a cart. A horse and cart on a smooth dirt path. Her eyes were sharp, but she could see no one with the cart except the horse, pulling it along in a slow but purposeful way.

That road has to lead to a town, and if it goes straight south, then it’s probably the town I’m headed for. She looked up, straight ahead. If there was a town out there, it was hidden by the trees, or to far away to be seen. One way to find out.

She swooped down and checked her speed, landing a little ways in front of the horse. Once she had set down, she jogged down the path towards the horse, who seemed a little startled at seeing her land in the middle of the road.

“Excuse me!” she asked, when she stopped in front of him, “Does this road go to a town?”

He looked puzzled at her obvious question but nodded.

“And does the road stay going south? It doesn’t turn or anything, does it?”

The horse paused a moment, thinking it over, then nodded.

“So, it does turn?” she asked, slightly confused.

He shook his head.

“And it does go south?”

A nod.

She smiled. Perfect! “Great!” she said, “Thank you!”

She turned and started to run back down the road, but stopped a moment later and ran back.

“Sorry! I almost forgot. What’s your name?”

Once again, the horse paused. Then, slowly and carefully, he lifted his hoof and spelled something out in the dust.

She nodded. “Okay then. Thanks, Clyth!” Again, she ran down the road, calling back as she went, “I hope I’ll see you again! Bye!”

She spread her wings and pushed off in a cloud of dust. She grazed over the treetops, letting the leaves brush against the toes of her boots. Keeping the road on her left, she continued her flight.

✵✵✵✵

A few hours later, and it was nearing on midday. Her wings were freshly rested, after a small break a few miles back.

She wasn’t used to flying long distances. After leaving Clyth, her wings had started to ache. For a while, she tried to ignore it and continued flying. But not for long. Soon she was forced to land. She was out of breath, and her wings felt heavier than sacks of bricks. For nearly an hour she lay still upon the grass. Once she felt well enough to travel, she took off, still keeping the road on her left.

But now she faced a new problem: hunger. She hadn’t eaten since yesterday, and in the excitement of escape, she hadn’t put any thought as to what she should do when she got out. Back in the city, she had found a few, mostly intact, food storages, and some fruit trees and gardens that had escaped the blast. There were plums, apples, bread, plenty of vegetables, and a large store of water. Something else she wished she had right now. Her stomach grumbled louder at the thought of food. She wrapped her arms around her middle and tried to think of something else.

I hope the town isn’t too much farther, she thought.

6

The Town

It was past midday and entering afternoon, when she finally saw the town. She perched on a tree near the edge of the clearing to examine it. It was a small cluster of 15 or so houses, along a wide central stretch. The road went straight through the middle of it and continued through the trees on the other side. There were a few people out and about, going about their daily chores.

They were very strange looking people, she thought. The only fur they had, was on top of their heads and above their eyes, whereas on herself, even her face was covered in thin, soft fuzz. And what a strange color, she thought, for every one of them had a different shade of green atop their heads. Their skin was a light, nut brown, and their ears were so small! The size of a squirrel’s, compared to hers. They were tail-less and flightless, having no wings to speak of.

They can’t possibly get around very quickly, she thought.

Their clothing was, for the most part, plain, and also in shades of green and brown. They wore no shoes, and their feet were very small.

She leaned forward on her perch, causing one of the twigs to snap. A young boy (at least, she thought it was a boy) was carrying a bucket of water up to one of the houses. He stopped and looked up when he heard the noise. When he saw her, his eyes widened in… fear? Surprise? Excitement? She couldn’t tell, his features were so different from her own. He dropped his bucket, letting the contents splash across the ground, and ran into the house, slamming the door behind him.

Well, they’ll know I’m here now, she thought, I wonder if they’ve been expecting me. After all, her strange helper from last night had sent her here, possibly they had told the townspeople she would be coming.

She jumped down from her tree, slowing the fall with her wings. With little caution, she walked out into the center of the town. She heard slams, as the two or three people who were still out, ran inside and shut the doors. There was a clatter off to the side, and the patter of receding footsteps as someone ran behind a house, a discarded rake lying in the dirt.

Something wasn’t right. She crouched down slightly, raising her wings to partially cover her head. She walked forward more cautiously now, her step slow, and soft, her eyes scanning every shadow.

The gravel crunched behind her.

She whipped around, knocking down the townsman who’d been standing behind her. As he hit the ground, something skittered out of his reach.

A long thin implement, rounded, and sharp at one end like a needle. The wooden handle was carved with vines, and separated from the metal end by a thin round of wood.

A weapon.

A trickle of fear ran down her spine. She took a step back as the man sat up.

“Wh-what were you doing with that?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

When he looked up at her, a deep seated fear lodged itself in her throat. His brows were drawn down, and his eyes were dark and blazed with fire. No matter how different they may be, anger was far too easy to recognize.

“You know very well what I was doing, murderer!”

On that last word, he reached for his weapon and made a stab at her foot. She leaped out of the way. More people were coming outside and drawing nearer, and each had a weapon of some sort in hand.

She had to leave. Now. She turned and sprinted through the town, her assailant hot on her heels, and the mob following close behind. She spread her wings and took off, she would find help somewhere else. But she didn’t make it very far. She felt a sharp yank on her tail, and crashed to the ground with a yowl, crushing the same man beneath her. The mob was closing in. She scrambled to her feet and ran, in between houses, around carts, and over fences. All the while she could hear the clamour and rush of the masses behind her.

A house was coming up straight in front of her. The door was ajar! She rushed forward and bolted the door behind her. Without pausing, she crossed the room and yanked open another door, to a flight of stairs… leading down.

If it was possible, her fear heightened even more. She couldn’t go down there. There had to be somewhere else!

She jumped, and nearly screamed, as someone began to bang violently on the front door. There were shouts from outside, and the sound of many feet, stamping.

“OPEN UP! We know you’re in there!”

There was nothing else. No time to think. She dove down the stairs, slamming the door shut as she went. A moment later she tripped, and tumbled, head over heels, down the rest of the stairs, landing heavily on the floor. But she wasted no time. She scrambled forward on her hands and knees, before pulling herself to her feet. She had hardly got going when she ran straight into a wall. She crumpled to her knees, her head throbbing from the blow. Despite her deepest instincts, she scooted back until she had wedged herself into a corner. She wrapped her wings around her, and pulled her knees up to her chest, her tail curled tightly around her feet. She buried her head in her arms.

Now that she was still, all she could hear was her own shaky, panting, breath, and her heart pounding in her ears. Time seemed to slow as she sat there, unable to move, from fear and exertion. Her whole body ached, from slamming into the wall. She was burning up, but the dirt walls and floor felt cool beneath her. Slowly, her body began to relax, and she succumbed to exhaustion. Her wings drooped to the floor, her arms slid down to her sides, her legs stretched out in front of her, and she leaned her head back against the wall. She opened her eyes for a second but could see nothing. Her pupils dilated to let in more light, but it was pitch black. Even her sharp eyes were sightless in this dark. She closed them again, and let out a deep breath. The fear which had propelled her so forcefully a moment before, now dragged her down, making her feel limp and weak.

She heard a scratching. Then suddenly a hand was at her throat, a knee on her legs, and a bright light was shining directly into her eyes.

“How dare you come here.” a voice whispered menacingly.

As her eyes adjusted to the intense light, she could see a face, merely an arm’s length from hers. Her hands had instinctively grabbed onto her attacker’s wrist, but she could not loosen their hold.

“Someone… sent me here,” she gasped out.

“Liar!” the grip on her throat tightened. “Why did you come here? Huh?! To spread more misery?!”

“No!” she choked.

Spots swam before her eyes, as the light was turned away. It instead shone upon the shelves opposite her, nearest the ceiling. The beam emanated from the butt end of another of the strange needle-like weapons, clasped tightly in her attacker’s fist. It was raised and poised to strike.

Her mind raced, clouded by terror. And in the split second before the needle came down, she shouted,  “The Dragon sent me!”

Her voice was strangled, and was more hoarse rasping, than actual speech. But the hand stopped. The light was turned back to her face, and the grip on her throat loosened almost imperceptibly.

“Who sent you?” the voice was softer but still suspicious.

“They told me… to tell you… that, The Dragon, sent me.”

“Who told you?” her aggressor leaned closer, entering the beam of light and throwing their features into sharper relief.

“I don’t, know,” she rasped, “they didn’t say… I couldn’t see their, face.”

For a long time, the other’s eyes bored into her, acid green in the harsh lighting. She could read nothing on that foreign face, but she desperately hoped they believed her. Though with her pupils reduced to slits, and her fanged mouth wide open and gasping, she didn’t appear the most innocent and trustworthy person.

Finally, her throat was released, and the light went out. As the pressure was removed from her legs, she doubled over, hacking and choking, nearly coughing herself sick. When she had relaxed to wheezing and gasping, she heard them say,

“Stay here, I’ll be back when I’ve dealt with the others.”

She heard their footsteps receding and then ascending, as they climbed the stairs. Then, a brief square of light, as the door was opened and then shut.

For a long while, she stayed there on her hands and knees, just trying to get her breath back. But she wasn’t going to sit and wait for them to come back. She needed to get out of here, and fast. When she was able to breathe relatively normally again, she began moving in the direction of the door. As she reached the stairs she dropped to all fours and slunk up them like a cat. She kept herself low, just in case the door was opened.

She reached the top and felt the soft wood of the door against her fingertips. Gently, she pushed it open, fearing it would creak. But what she heard was much worse. The townspeople were still at the door! She could hear them shouting. It sounded like they were arguing. She pushed the door open a bit further, and peeped out.

Someone was standing at the front door, looking out at the bickering crowd.

To be continued....