Part four
Okay, so I've written about 5000 words since I last posted, most of them written in the last day, since I last slept. I am very tired, but very proud of myself. I plan to keep this up for the rest of the week and hopefully will have 30,000 words by the time I go to bed after work Saturday.
This also marks the end of the first part of my book. It needs a lot of editing and I'm not as fond of what happens in the last part as I could be, but it's sort of something I just thought up, and it sort of shifted into Koala's point of view, which I didn't plan to happen. After this part, Phoenix will start to realize that he can do something more, and that he would want to keep his mother from using him, either as a weapon or an excuse.
It's a work in progress, of course, so we'll see. Any feedback and suggestions you guys can make would be appreciated. I would love to know if there's something you guys would like to see too, since I want to write this for the enjoyment of readers. I'm not aiming for fame or anything, honest. XDD Just to make someone happy somewhere.
I plan on rearranging and editing a bit of this later on. Form actual chapters and things like that. Make it a bit shorter to read. Find an easier way to explain things. That sort of thing.
Well, you know all that. ^^; Rambling of a tired person.
So without further ado: The current progress. Current word count: 15,000 on the dot. I'm catching uuuuuup! :D
--- Break --- Because the Unexpected Scene Change Actually Worked and the Authoress Finally Thinks She Has a Grasp on What Little Plot She Started with So Now It’s Time to Head to the Djevel Desert and Have Some Fun Messing with Her Favorite Dungeons and Dragons Class of All Time ---
The transition from green wildlife to the brown world of the desert was not a sudden change in the small group’s life. In fact, they hardly noticed that the trees were getting sparse until they started stepping in sand. The gradual shift in landscape didn’t occur to them even when their mornings got brighter and their evenings were warmer. Within just a few days they had traveled from leafy grasslands to dry cracked earth, and then on to soft sand dunes as far as the eye could see.
To them, the heat meant little. All three of them were fit to survive in the hotter climates without dehydrating, something in their skin that kept moisture in from extreme temperatures, allowing them to endure the desert weather a lot longer than anyone else.
This was good, because none of them actually knew how to even get to the desert city of Pisaan.
“We’re lost.” Koala said; her voice almost completely void of emotion.
“No, we are not.” Bear countered sharply, holding up his map in defiance. The slip of cloth was too small for Phoenix to read, but it still really only looked like a bunch of multi colored squiggles. Bear had insisted it was a map and lead them into the desert with confidence, but there was no sign of the city, even though by all account they should have made it there already.
“You fool, how do you even know where we are on that child’s drawing?” His sister snapped, stretching over Phoenix’s shoulders to take the cloth from Bear. “There are no landmarks. We left the grasslands two days ago!”
“I don’t even remember what the color green looks like,” Bear replied, almost wistfully. “But so what? It does not mean we’re lost.”
Koala was silent for two beats and rolled up the map, hitting her brother solidly over the head. “Bear, my eyes are green. You are an idiot. We are lost.”
Phoenix sighed, tired of listening to their bickering. That was all the two seemed to do when they were together. He had called them on it once before: some argument about a joke Bear had heard and wanted to tell, but he could not remember the punch line to save his life, and was trying to get his sister to help but she kept outright refusing because the joke was stupid. However, even though he had jumped in on the conversation and told them to just get along for ten minutes it made no difference at all in the long run. They were at it again with hardly a pause of consideration or apology.
“-can’t hit your brother like that, Koala! What would mom say if she saw you doing such hateful things?” He heard as he tuned back in to the conversation. Wasn’t Bear the older of the two?
“She would have hit you too for being so stupid!” Koala argued back, hitting him again. “And don’t you dare bring her into this, Bear Kodaksy!”
Phoenix was just ten seconds from pulling the both of them off of his shoulders and throwing them into the nearest sand dune when a sharp glint of light beamed in the distance, and shone directly in his eyes. Letting out a small yelp of pain, he shifted his weight and stopped walking, shielding his eyes as he looked to see what he had seen.
Something was reflecting the sun from the top of a sand dune, just on the edge of his vision. The Kentadellix mercifully quiet now; he started towards the shiny object, breaking out into a run to get there faster. Traveling quickly through the sand was difficult, his feet kept sinking in and slipping out from under him. Groaning in frustration, he paused and hunched over slightly, panting. He was close enough now that he could see the object was bigger than he had first assumed; sprawled over the sand, still a good two sand dunes away.
Koala saw it clearer too. “Childspark, I think that’s a person!” She leaned forward, and hissed lightly. “At the rate we’re going, it could be too late before we get there.”
“Or it’s already too late.” Bear muttered, earning another hit over the head from his sister. “All right, all right, it’s not too late yet! Geez, you don’t have to hit me.”
Still hunched to catch his breath, hands supported on his knees, Phoenix concentrated, feeling the bones in his back shift. It was an odd feeling that probably would have hurt if it wasn’t such a natural occurrence for him, and it probably didn’t look any less painful either. The fur over his shoulder blades expanded, pushing out from his back until it was clear that there was bone underneath them. The appendages grew out and up, and then unfurled, long thin wings covered in bright red and orange feathers stretching to their full length up into the air.
Crouching down, Phoenix jumped, catching Bear as the small creature failed to hold on to his shirt as the wings swept down, catching the air and launching them clear of the sand. From there, it was only a matter of seconds for him to gain altitude and the momentum to glide over to the other sand dune next to what was indeed a person.
A girl, at that.
It was difficult to tell what she really looked like. By this time she was half buried in the sand. Phoenix had to use his wings to help blow the sand away enough to pull her out. Her facial features were difficult to determine, she was so dusty and dehydrated, but what he could tell she looked Fae. She had shoulder length auburn hair; he thought it was auburn anyway, styled to frame around her face; longer in the front than in the back. Her ears had a delicate elven point to the tips, and they curved back and up along her head. Large round golden earrings hung from each earlobe, matching the bangles hanging patterned all over her clothes.
When he picked her up to hold in her arms, he noticed that she was smaller than he was. She definitely belonged to a Fae family, then, since Avians were normally six feet or taller, and if he looked he could probably see transparent wings folded against her back, even though he couldn’t feel them.
“She needs water.” He said quickly, turning to Koala.
The Kentadell moved to the pack to pull out their shared water skin, holding it out to him. “What she needs is to get out of this heat.” Koala corrected. “What water we have won’t do much more than delay the inevitable if she stays out here much longer.”
“We have to find the city.” Bear agreed as Phoenix opened the skin to pour a tiny amount of water into the Fae’s mouth. “She’s not going to wake up to even get a decent drink of water.”
Phoenix capped the skin and gave it back to Koala. “Hold on. We’re going to have to fly to find it.”
Koala put the skin back into the pack and Bear openly stared at him. “But you hate flying, Childspark!”
“Do I have a choice? She had to have been out here for a pretty long time. Her skin feels like tree bark!” He lifted himself into the air, holding the Fae tightly against his body. “If we don’t get there soon, she’ll die.” At least it was starting to get dark. “Bear, where does the map say the city is?”
The wind was getting strong the higher he went, gritting his teeth against the feeling of vertigo that hit him when he looked down to see how far he’d gone. He could see a little better in this form, his wings weren’t the only thing that changed about him, and from this height he could see a LOT farther than from the ground where the dunes blocked his vision. Still nothing, in all directions, but if there was even a haze of a city, he would see it.
Bear somehow managed to hold onto the map and studied it quickly. “It was about twenty seven distances from the point we entered, east - south east. I have no idea where we are right now but we should be seeing it soon if all had gone well earlier.”
Phoenix nodded and put the setting sun behind him, catching the wind in his wings to help him gain a little bit more altitude. His limbs were shaky but he managed to hold on and glide, glad that at least flying still came naturally to him; if a bit awkward with how little he actually practiced. It was a simple thing to catch the chaotic thermals and strips of heat above the desert to propel them forward, and gain speed towards where he hoped the city would be.
Luck was thankfully on their side, when within an hour he caught a glimpse of green on the horizon. After that first patch of oasis, he began to make out the sandy spires that made up the pinnacle of the main city.
Pisaan Djevel was literally a desert city, and not an oasis city. It was based around an oasis, but Pisaan’s Oasis was left naturally as it was when it had been first discovered. A wall had been built around the oasis to help keep the desert winds out and the city had been built around it. Gaiabyrds and Aguabyrds of all different types lived together in rule of the city to keep the oasis nurtured and the residents alive and prospering. Large spires and towers ringed half of the oasis as the center of the inner city and progressed down into the commoners’ homes, markets and guilds. A high outer wall with a gate separated the city from the frequent biting sand storms that kicked up from time to time. Outside the wall sturdy little huts gathered around, huddling together haphazardly. These were the villagers that were no longer allowed within the city walls, but could not afford the trip back through the desert to less harsh climates.
There was really only one major rule in the city: Do Not Cause Trouble. Its people were a collection of individuals from all over the world who no longer had a place to go. Everyone was accepted there without discrimination. Rogues, thieves, outcasts of every type, race, and description made this their home and it worked marvelously. Peace was kept on an easy balance, the city’s rulers keeping a careful eye on the residents. If someone caused trouble for any of the others, they were immediately expelled and blocked from the city’s walls. It was a simple, yet effective, method of keeping order in a town of misfits.
At this moment, it was this woman’s only hope for survival. Even at night Phoenix’s own body heat was probably just as harmful to her as the sun had been and now it was just a matter of racing against time.
He landed within view of the city, just a precaution in case his particular breed of outcast was unwanted even here, and walked quickly the rest of the way. The ground here was back to the hard rocky desert type instead of the rolling sand hills, so he kept his footing mercifully easily.
Approaching the doors, ignoring the curious stares from the banned rabble outside the walls, he went right up to the nearest guard, who gave him a critical curious look. “Please.” He asked before the guard had the time to demand who he was. “She’s been out too long in the desert, she needs a healer. Please let us in.” The guard was silent and he looked at his parent, moving closer to inspect the Fae. She was still breathing, but it was ragged and faint, her skin rough and burned to the touch.
Finally the guard nodded. “Open the door.” He ordered the others, who moved to the side of the large gate to open a smaller door and let them through. They sent a messenger ahead with word that a desert victim was on its way and pointed down the main circling street. “Keep following the round. Around the bend you will find our healers’ hall. They will already have prepared for you, so be swift. Your friend does not have long.”
The door was shut behind Phoenix before he could correct the man that the Fae wasn’t his friend, more that she was just someone he had found and saved. Or tried to save, he thought, remembering that if he didn’t move, he could be too late.
Hurrying down the road, ignoring the majority of his surroundings, he found the healer’s hall easily and ran up the walk to the door, where another woman was waiting. She gave Phoenix a critical once-over, automatically realizing that he was a Firabyrd. Taking the Fae in her own arms, she handed her off to a set of aids waiting inside and whispered quickly instructions for the two before they slipped out of view with their new patient.
The woman turned back to Phoenix. “You are not allowed in this hall unless you are in need of healing. There is an inn around the next bend, you may find a place to sleep there, but step warily. If you even once cause any trouble for the residents, there will be no one here to protect you.” Then the door was shut in his face.
Koala rose up on his shoulder from where she had been attempting to hide his wing spots, and puffed up angrily. “That…that…that horrible person! Just because she was a Gaiabyrd does not give her the right to treat you in such a way! I ought to scurry in there and bite her ankles…teach her to mess with-“ Her voice faded to an unintelligible mutter that the other two couldn’t make out before she fell completely silent.
Her brother peeked across from Phoenix’s other shoulder as the young Outcast followed the path back to the road. “Well, now what? The inn? We can see how she is tomorrow.”
Phoenix bit the inside of his cheek nervously as he looked around. Being in a big city like this bothered him. It was so different from everything that he was used to; his clan’s small moveable village was so completely opposite that it made him increasingly uneasy. Not to mention self conscious. He was probably the only Firabyrd in the entire city, as well as the only Outcast. That left him very alone.
“No, I don’t think they’d even tell her I saved her. You saw the way she looked at me. I need a way to disguise myself. I’m too open like this.” Phoenix crossed the road to follow the next bend, keeping an eye out for the inn while inspecting the city. There were side roads and alleys, as well as small market style buildings off of this main road. Down one of the side streets he could see a sign right before the road curved that welcomed the traveler to the housing districts. The dialect was different that the tongue he was used to, but the carefully carved letters were readable at least.
Koala patted him on the cheek. “We should start with your wardrobe. Get you something that covers your fluffy spots.” She leaned back to smooth the ruffled fur on his back, his shirts designed to leave his shoulder blades open, that way he didn’t accidently tangle up his wings. “They’re a bit of a tell, Childspark. That and your hair is really obvious, too. First thing tomorrow we need to find a way to go shopping. I have a little money with me that can help.”
“If we don’t spend it all at the inn.” Bear interjected, looking up at the building they were now approaching. This building was made mostly out of wood with stone supports and bracing, a beautifully carved sign hanging above the door welcoming people to the Pisaan Inn.
Phoenix sighed, remembering that he himself had no money. “I really didn’t think this through.” He moaned softly before pushing the door open to the blast of music and merrymaking. The check in counter was right into the front, a door on the right leading to the back with the first floor rooms and the staircases to the second and third floor rooms. The left hand hallway led to the bar and tables, where it looked like a full house from his perspective.
Taking a breath, he stepped up to the counter, and opened his mouth. Before he could even utter one syllable, a wood nymph lighted upon the book, leaning forward with a huge toothy smile on its tiny face. “Welcome to Pisaan!” It chirped, throwing a handful of glitter at him. The dust did nothing more than irritate his nose, but it was unexpected and mildly cute. “And how long will you be staying in our wonderful city?”
Phoenix blinked and took a breath to regain his mental balance before answering. “Well, I really don’t know yet.”
“Perfect.” The nymph disappeared over the edge of the counter and pulled up a book bigger than it was, laying it out in front of him. “You can either pay for your stay with money, which would be two copper a night at first, and will double every week you stay, or you can pay for your stay with work. We’re currently in need of an errand boy to run across the city for us. Our last one caused a bit of trouble and he got booted out quite recently.” The nymph laughed giddily and held out a pen, the book already open to the current page.
He didn’t know what exactly to say to that, but it would be a good idea to make a little money on the side. “Would I get paid too, or is the price of the room still going to go up?”
“Oh no,” It explained, buzzing slightly. “You’ll stay here for free and be paid on the side as well. Your meals are also free. However, it’s only as long as you get the jobs done. No slacking off.”
That sounded reasonable. “I’ll do that then. Would it be okay if I took a few days to learn the city, I only just got here. You can give me a list of the places I’ll need to know.”
“Certainly, just sign on the dotted line…”
When he finally got up to his room, full list of main suppliers and official buildings in hand, he felt vaguely like he’d just got run over by a wild pack of wildebeests. His head was ringing and it was all he could do to pull of his pack and keep from hurting his friends as he plopped down onto the bed.
What was he going to do now? He’d gotten a temporary fix, but he had the nagging feeling that this wasn’t over.
The bed was nice though.
Koala and Bear nuzzled against his neck, leeching off of his body heat, and drifted off to sleep, with him nodding off soon after. It had been a long day for all of them.
--- Break --- In which the authoress collapses from having written so much and takes a break to work out the next bit of the plot, while being in severe need of some form of caffeine before the night is up because she could seriously like collapse right now ---
Over the next several days, Phoenix wandered the city, memorizing the layout and important locations, browsing the shops and enjoying, for once, the bliss of anonymity. He’d bought a new outfit, ignoring the uncomfortable crawling sensation of cloth rubbing over his fur, and Koala braided his hair with multi colored beads to disguise how red it was. He had to get used to that as well, the weight of his hair around his face instead of how lightweight it usually was spiked into the air, but he noticed a change with how people acted around him afterwards.
He could hardly recognize himself either, so there was no way anyone could tell he was a Firabyrd as long as he didn’t play with fire.
Once he had sufficient time to explore, Phoenix decided that the city really was remarkable. It was dusty and the buildings were mostly the different shades of the sand, but it had a hidden beauty that he found he could truly appreciate in his life. It wasn’t at all like his home back up north, where most of the land was scoured and burned, nor was it anything like the grasslands which were a bit too wet for his tastes. It was more of a perfect balance or harmony that suited him better than any other place in the world.
He seriously thought he could get used to living in a place like this.
The job wasn’t even that difficult either, when he finally started running errands. From day one, every morning, an enveloped would have been slipped under his door from the inn keeper. After he got dressed and cleaned up for the day, pulling his hair back into a ponytail or leaving it loose, depending on how he felt about it at the time, he’d take the envelope and study the instructions over breakfast, which he shared with the bar keeper in the quaint little kitchen. In the mornings the bar was closed right before the designated guest breakfast time so they tended to eat together while the guests’ food was simmering on the stove. They didn’t talk, but Phoenix had to admit the company was welcome.
Then he would help clean up and take the orders, even though that wasn’t part of his job, setting the tables and making the bar keeper’s job a little bit easier before he left for the day. More often than not he was sent to pick up supplies for the afternoon, leaving him enough time to do whatever he wanted in the evening. Other times he was kept running around all day delivering things to the various halls and houses throughout the city, keeping him up well into the night. Those nights he arrived home so exhausted he didn’t even bother taking off his boots before passing out.
For a time, his life fell into a comfortable routine, and he quite forgot about the circumstances of his arrival. He was content to stay by himself and not worry about anyone else, even his companions, who he usually only saw at night right before bed. It was fine with him, he was used to being alone, and the nightmare that had been the weeks immediately following his escape from his mother was slowly pushed aside.
Yet all too soon it fell apart for him. Bear found himself his own job, settling comfortably into a new routine as well, keeping track of maps and important documents in the city hall, but Koala was uneasy. She kept a watchful eye on the sky and her newest friend, growing more and more disappointed in the dull routine he was slipping into, as if the city itself was sucking the personality out of him. One day when Phoenix came home, she jumped up on his chest when he laid down to rest, and refused to get until he acknowledged that she wanted to talk.
Frowning irritated at her, he tried to push her off, but she set her claws into his chest. Hissing in pain, he glared at her, confused and annoyed. “What are you doing, Koala, that hurts!”
Koala, stubborn, got comfortable and shook her head. “What are YOU doing, Childspark? Are you just going to sit here and become just like everybody else? You’re hiding what you are from the world!”
Phoenix blinked and turned to look away from her. “The world doesn’t want to know me, I don’t see the problem.”
She let him sit up and pat his cheek. “They’re still after you. They destroy so much just to get you back.” He didn’t have to ask who she meant by ‘they’. “Maybe they can’t recognize you right now, and just maybe you could hide forever like this, but they’ll only hurt more people and you don’t even seem to care.”
“What am I supposed to do? Fight them? They’ll just take me out.” Phoenix argued. “I like it here. It’s comfortable, and I can do almost whatever I want. No one challenges me or tells me I can’t be here.”
“Don’t you see what’s happening to you? You’re just accepting things. You’re a Savior, Childspark! Do you even remember the woman whose life you saved? You can’t just forget about caring about what’s going on! Everything changed when we got here. It’s poison, and no one seems to see it! Even Bear is different. My dumb brother hasn’t ever wanted to work a day in his lazy life. Yet look at where he is now!”
Phoenix glared at her again. “There’s nothing wrong with fitting in. And you saw it just as well as I did. That woman didn’t want me anywhere near the healing hall. I went there the next day and they refused to tell me anything. For all I know that woman is dead. It doesn’t matter anyway. My mother can’t reach me here.”
“So you’re just going to settle for it?” Koala asked. “You’re going to let those people die in vain? They helped you get away because they believed you could help make things better for people like us. You made my life better, just by giving me someone to care about.”
Phoenix stood up. “Care? You don’t sound like you actually care! This is all I wanted. I wanted to fit in; to live somewhere where I could do whatever I wanted and live peacefully. All my life things have been expected of me! Here the only thing expected of me is a job that I get rewarded for.” It was an easy way to live, and everyone was happier for it. Except Koala.
He couldn’t understand why she was having such a problem with this.
She saw something different during their stay. Everyone was too happy. The inn keeper, the bar keeper, all the officials that visibly ran the city; they were extremely cheerful for a large city of thieves. Except, under that she could smell something even odder than the happiness: there was a subtle thread of nervous energy, and the knowledge that all was not well, surrounding everybody in charge of the commons every day. Something was wrong with this safe haven, but she couldn’t figure it out. She just knew that if she tried to poke around, she would find herself on the wrong side of the wall, or worse.
Yet, that couldn’t stop her. She had to figure out what was going on, and she had to make him see that he could not stay here.
Phoenix watched as her eyes hardened into a determined glare, and was surprised when she stood up and grabbed her old bag, shoving the minimal amount of supplies into it and strapping it over her shoulders and around her waist so she could run without it hampering her movements. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to prove you wrong, Childspark. I care. I care more than anybody in your family cares. I will show you.”
He moved to the door after her and growled. “Well, fine! Try and prove what you like! You’re wrong!” It took him several moments to calm down after he slammed the door shut. He was so angry the ends of his hair flickered like a dying flame and his skin crawled with the urge to burn something.
Stripping off his over shirt, so his wing spots were open to the air through his tailored undershirt, he opened the window and jumped out, catching himself in the sky on his wings before he dropped even one story. Breathing harshly, he raised high in the sky, forcing himself to stare at the dying sun instead of the ground. Even his vertigo could not stop him from just getting away right now. He didn’t even think that someone might have seen him jump, or fly in such an unnatural fashion. His hands burned, fire licking up his arms, with his anger. It was so fierce he felt he might just explode.
Yet, he didn’t even know why.
Why was he so mad, if he was right? What was he even mad at? Koala? Maybe. He didn’t need her. He didn’t need anyone else. He was always alone. He always had been alone ever since he was little. Nothing was different since he ran away. So he might have gotten a little more used to having someone around, but here he saw people every day, even if he didn’t interact with them. He didn’t need her mothering him.
Was he mad at himself? A little. Weaving through the last sun beams of the day, clinging to the last strips of heat from that power, he burned his anger away. Letting the cooling air cool his temper, he drifted over the oasis, taking deep breaths. He didn’t need to lose control so badly either. He told her he was happy, so why did he feel hurt?
Why was this such a big deal?
This also marks the end of the first part of my book. It needs a lot of editing and I'm not as fond of what happens in the last part as I could be, but it's sort of something I just thought up, and it sort of shifted into Koala's point of view, which I didn't plan to happen. After this part, Phoenix will start to realize that he can do something more, and that he would want to keep his mother from using him, either as a weapon or an excuse.
It's a work in progress, of course, so we'll see. Any feedback and suggestions you guys can make would be appreciated. I would love to know if there's something you guys would like to see too, since I want to write this for the enjoyment of readers. I'm not aiming for fame or anything, honest. XDD Just to make someone happy somewhere.
I plan on rearranging and editing a bit of this later on. Form actual chapters and things like that. Make it a bit shorter to read. Find an easier way to explain things. That sort of thing.
Well, you know all that. ^^; Rambling of a tired person.
So without further ado: The current progress. Current word count: 15,000 on the dot. I'm catching uuuuuup! :D
--- Break --- Because the Unexpected Scene Change Actually Worked and the Authoress Finally Thinks She Has a Grasp on What Little Plot She Started with So Now It’s Time to Head to the Djevel Desert and Have Some Fun Messing with Her Favorite Dungeons and Dragons Class of All Time ---
The transition from green wildlife to the brown world of the desert was not a sudden change in the small group’s life. In fact, they hardly noticed that the trees were getting sparse until they started stepping in sand. The gradual shift in landscape didn’t occur to them even when their mornings got brighter and their evenings were warmer. Within just a few days they had traveled from leafy grasslands to dry cracked earth, and then on to soft sand dunes as far as the eye could see.
To them, the heat meant little. All three of them were fit to survive in the hotter climates without dehydrating, something in their skin that kept moisture in from extreme temperatures, allowing them to endure the desert weather a lot longer than anyone else.
This was good, because none of them actually knew how to even get to the desert city of Pisaan.
“We’re lost.” Koala said; her voice almost completely void of emotion.
“No, we are not.” Bear countered sharply, holding up his map in defiance. The slip of cloth was too small for Phoenix to read, but it still really only looked like a bunch of multi colored squiggles. Bear had insisted it was a map and lead them into the desert with confidence, but there was no sign of the city, even though by all account they should have made it there already.
“You fool, how do you even know where we are on that child’s drawing?” His sister snapped, stretching over Phoenix’s shoulders to take the cloth from Bear. “There are no landmarks. We left the grasslands two days ago!”
“I don’t even remember what the color green looks like,” Bear replied, almost wistfully. “But so what? It does not mean we’re lost.”
Koala was silent for two beats and rolled up the map, hitting her brother solidly over the head. “Bear, my eyes are green. You are an idiot. We are lost.”
Phoenix sighed, tired of listening to their bickering. That was all the two seemed to do when they were together. He had called them on it once before: some argument about a joke Bear had heard and wanted to tell, but he could not remember the punch line to save his life, and was trying to get his sister to help but she kept outright refusing because the joke was stupid. However, even though he had jumped in on the conversation and told them to just get along for ten minutes it made no difference at all in the long run. They were at it again with hardly a pause of consideration or apology.
“-can’t hit your brother like that, Koala! What would mom say if she saw you doing such hateful things?” He heard as he tuned back in to the conversation. Wasn’t Bear the older of the two?
“She would have hit you too for being so stupid!” Koala argued back, hitting him again. “And don’t you dare bring her into this, Bear Kodaksy!”
Phoenix was just ten seconds from pulling the both of them off of his shoulders and throwing them into the nearest sand dune when a sharp glint of light beamed in the distance, and shone directly in his eyes. Letting out a small yelp of pain, he shifted his weight and stopped walking, shielding his eyes as he looked to see what he had seen.
Something was reflecting the sun from the top of a sand dune, just on the edge of his vision. The Kentadellix mercifully quiet now; he started towards the shiny object, breaking out into a run to get there faster. Traveling quickly through the sand was difficult, his feet kept sinking in and slipping out from under him. Groaning in frustration, he paused and hunched over slightly, panting. He was close enough now that he could see the object was bigger than he had first assumed; sprawled over the sand, still a good two sand dunes away.
Koala saw it clearer too. “Childspark, I think that’s a person!” She leaned forward, and hissed lightly. “At the rate we’re going, it could be too late before we get there.”
“Or it’s already too late.” Bear muttered, earning another hit over the head from his sister. “All right, all right, it’s not too late yet! Geez, you don’t have to hit me.”
Still hunched to catch his breath, hands supported on his knees, Phoenix concentrated, feeling the bones in his back shift. It was an odd feeling that probably would have hurt if it wasn’t such a natural occurrence for him, and it probably didn’t look any less painful either. The fur over his shoulder blades expanded, pushing out from his back until it was clear that there was bone underneath them. The appendages grew out and up, and then unfurled, long thin wings covered in bright red and orange feathers stretching to their full length up into the air.
Crouching down, Phoenix jumped, catching Bear as the small creature failed to hold on to his shirt as the wings swept down, catching the air and launching them clear of the sand. From there, it was only a matter of seconds for him to gain altitude and the momentum to glide over to the other sand dune next to what was indeed a person.
A girl, at that.
It was difficult to tell what she really looked like. By this time she was half buried in the sand. Phoenix had to use his wings to help blow the sand away enough to pull her out. Her facial features were difficult to determine, she was so dusty and dehydrated, but what he could tell she looked Fae. She had shoulder length auburn hair; he thought it was auburn anyway, styled to frame around her face; longer in the front than in the back. Her ears had a delicate elven point to the tips, and they curved back and up along her head. Large round golden earrings hung from each earlobe, matching the bangles hanging patterned all over her clothes.
When he picked her up to hold in her arms, he noticed that she was smaller than he was. She definitely belonged to a Fae family, then, since Avians were normally six feet or taller, and if he looked he could probably see transparent wings folded against her back, even though he couldn’t feel them.
“She needs water.” He said quickly, turning to Koala.
The Kentadell moved to the pack to pull out their shared water skin, holding it out to him. “What she needs is to get out of this heat.” Koala corrected. “What water we have won’t do much more than delay the inevitable if she stays out here much longer.”
“We have to find the city.” Bear agreed as Phoenix opened the skin to pour a tiny amount of water into the Fae’s mouth. “She’s not going to wake up to even get a decent drink of water.”
Phoenix capped the skin and gave it back to Koala. “Hold on. We’re going to have to fly to find it.”
Koala put the skin back into the pack and Bear openly stared at him. “But you hate flying, Childspark!”
“Do I have a choice? She had to have been out here for a pretty long time. Her skin feels like tree bark!” He lifted himself into the air, holding the Fae tightly against his body. “If we don’t get there soon, she’ll die.” At least it was starting to get dark. “Bear, where does the map say the city is?”
The wind was getting strong the higher he went, gritting his teeth against the feeling of vertigo that hit him when he looked down to see how far he’d gone. He could see a little better in this form, his wings weren’t the only thing that changed about him, and from this height he could see a LOT farther than from the ground where the dunes blocked his vision. Still nothing, in all directions, but if there was even a haze of a city, he would see it.
Bear somehow managed to hold onto the map and studied it quickly. “It was about twenty seven distances from the point we entered, east - south east. I have no idea where we are right now but we should be seeing it soon if all had gone well earlier.”
Phoenix nodded and put the setting sun behind him, catching the wind in his wings to help him gain a little bit more altitude. His limbs were shaky but he managed to hold on and glide, glad that at least flying still came naturally to him; if a bit awkward with how little he actually practiced. It was a simple thing to catch the chaotic thermals and strips of heat above the desert to propel them forward, and gain speed towards where he hoped the city would be.
Luck was thankfully on their side, when within an hour he caught a glimpse of green on the horizon. After that first patch of oasis, he began to make out the sandy spires that made up the pinnacle of the main city.
Pisaan Djevel was literally a desert city, and not an oasis city. It was based around an oasis, but Pisaan’s Oasis was left naturally as it was when it had been first discovered. A wall had been built around the oasis to help keep the desert winds out and the city had been built around it. Gaiabyrds and Aguabyrds of all different types lived together in rule of the city to keep the oasis nurtured and the residents alive and prospering. Large spires and towers ringed half of the oasis as the center of the inner city and progressed down into the commoners’ homes, markets and guilds. A high outer wall with a gate separated the city from the frequent biting sand storms that kicked up from time to time. Outside the wall sturdy little huts gathered around, huddling together haphazardly. These were the villagers that were no longer allowed within the city walls, but could not afford the trip back through the desert to less harsh climates.
There was really only one major rule in the city: Do Not Cause Trouble. Its people were a collection of individuals from all over the world who no longer had a place to go. Everyone was accepted there without discrimination. Rogues, thieves, outcasts of every type, race, and description made this their home and it worked marvelously. Peace was kept on an easy balance, the city’s rulers keeping a careful eye on the residents. If someone caused trouble for any of the others, they were immediately expelled and blocked from the city’s walls. It was a simple, yet effective, method of keeping order in a town of misfits.
At this moment, it was this woman’s only hope for survival. Even at night Phoenix’s own body heat was probably just as harmful to her as the sun had been and now it was just a matter of racing against time.
He landed within view of the city, just a precaution in case his particular breed of outcast was unwanted even here, and walked quickly the rest of the way. The ground here was back to the hard rocky desert type instead of the rolling sand hills, so he kept his footing mercifully easily.
Approaching the doors, ignoring the curious stares from the banned rabble outside the walls, he went right up to the nearest guard, who gave him a critical curious look. “Please.” He asked before the guard had the time to demand who he was. “She’s been out too long in the desert, she needs a healer. Please let us in.” The guard was silent and he looked at his parent, moving closer to inspect the Fae. She was still breathing, but it was ragged and faint, her skin rough and burned to the touch.
Finally the guard nodded. “Open the door.” He ordered the others, who moved to the side of the large gate to open a smaller door and let them through. They sent a messenger ahead with word that a desert victim was on its way and pointed down the main circling street. “Keep following the round. Around the bend you will find our healers’ hall. They will already have prepared for you, so be swift. Your friend does not have long.”
The door was shut behind Phoenix before he could correct the man that the Fae wasn’t his friend, more that she was just someone he had found and saved. Or tried to save, he thought, remembering that if he didn’t move, he could be too late.
Hurrying down the road, ignoring the majority of his surroundings, he found the healer’s hall easily and ran up the walk to the door, where another woman was waiting. She gave Phoenix a critical once-over, automatically realizing that he was a Firabyrd. Taking the Fae in her own arms, she handed her off to a set of aids waiting inside and whispered quickly instructions for the two before they slipped out of view with their new patient.
The woman turned back to Phoenix. “You are not allowed in this hall unless you are in need of healing. There is an inn around the next bend, you may find a place to sleep there, but step warily. If you even once cause any trouble for the residents, there will be no one here to protect you.” Then the door was shut in his face.
Koala rose up on his shoulder from where she had been attempting to hide his wing spots, and puffed up angrily. “That…that…that horrible person! Just because she was a Gaiabyrd does not give her the right to treat you in such a way! I ought to scurry in there and bite her ankles…teach her to mess with-“ Her voice faded to an unintelligible mutter that the other two couldn’t make out before she fell completely silent.
Her brother peeked across from Phoenix’s other shoulder as the young Outcast followed the path back to the road. “Well, now what? The inn? We can see how she is tomorrow.”
Phoenix bit the inside of his cheek nervously as he looked around. Being in a big city like this bothered him. It was so different from everything that he was used to; his clan’s small moveable village was so completely opposite that it made him increasingly uneasy. Not to mention self conscious. He was probably the only Firabyrd in the entire city, as well as the only Outcast. That left him very alone.
“No, I don’t think they’d even tell her I saved her. You saw the way she looked at me. I need a way to disguise myself. I’m too open like this.” Phoenix crossed the road to follow the next bend, keeping an eye out for the inn while inspecting the city. There were side roads and alleys, as well as small market style buildings off of this main road. Down one of the side streets he could see a sign right before the road curved that welcomed the traveler to the housing districts. The dialect was different that the tongue he was used to, but the carefully carved letters were readable at least.
Koala patted him on the cheek. “We should start with your wardrobe. Get you something that covers your fluffy spots.” She leaned back to smooth the ruffled fur on his back, his shirts designed to leave his shoulder blades open, that way he didn’t accidently tangle up his wings. “They’re a bit of a tell, Childspark. That and your hair is really obvious, too. First thing tomorrow we need to find a way to go shopping. I have a little money with me that can help.”
“If we don’t spend it all at the inn.” Bear interjected, looking up at the building they were now approaching. This building was made mostly out of wood with stone supports and bracing, a beautifully carved sign hanging above the door welcoming people to the Pisaan Inn.
Phoenix sighed, remembering that he himself had no money. “I really didn’t think this through.” He moaned softly before pushing the door open to the blast of music and merrymaking. The check in counter was right into the front, a door on the right leading to the back with the first floor rooms and the staircases to the second and third floor rooms. The left hand hallway led to the bar and tables, where it looked like a full house from his perspective.
Taking a breath, he stepped up to the counter, and opened his mouth. Before he could even utter one syllable, a wood nymph lighted upon the book, leaning forward with a huge toothy smile on its tiny face. “Welcome to Pisaan!” It chirped, throwing a handful of glitter at him. The dust did nothing more than irritate his nose, but it was unexpected and mildly cute. “And how long will you be staying in our wonderful city?”
Phoenix blinked and took a breath to regain his mental balance before answering. “Well, I really don’t know yet.”
“Perfect.” The nymph disappeared over the edge of the counter and pulled up a book bigger than it was, laying it out in front of him. “You can either pay for your stay with money, which would be two copper a night at first, and will double every week you stay, or you can pay for your stay with work. We’re currently in need of an errand boy to run across the city for us. Our last one caused a bit of trouble and he got booted out quite recently.” The nymph laughed giddily and held out a pen, the book already open to the current page.
He didn’t know what exactly to say to that, but it would be a good idea to make a little money on the side. “Would I get paid too, or is the price of the room still going to go up?”
“Oh no,” It explained, buzzing slightly. “You’ll stay here for free and be paid on the side as well. Your meals are also free. However, it’s only as long as you get the jobs done. No slacking off.”
That sounded reasonable. “I’ll do that then. Would it be okay if I took a few days to learn the city, I only just got here. You can give me a list of the places I’ll need to know.”
“Certainly, just sign on the dotted line…”
When he finally got up to his room, full list of main suppliers and official buildings in hand, he felt vaguely like he’d just got run over by a wild pack of wildebeests. His head was ringing and it was all he could do to pull of his pack and keep from hurting his friends as he plopped down onto the bed.
What was he going to do now? He’d gotten a temporary fix, but he had the nagging feeling that this wasn’t over.
The bed was nice though.
Koala and Bear nuzzled against his neck, leeching off of his body heat, and drifted off to sleep, with him nodding off soon after. It had been a long day for all of them.
--- Break --- In which the authoress collapses from having written so much and takes a break to work out the next bit of the plot, while being in severe need of some form of caffeine before the night is up because she could seriously like collapse right now ---
Over the next several days, Phoenix wandered the city, memorizing the layout and important locations, browsing the shops and enjoying, for once, the bliss of anonymity. He’d bought a new outfit, ignoring the uncomfortable crawling sensation of cloth rubbing over his fur, and Koala braided his hair with multi colored beads to disguise how red it was. He had to get used to that as well, the weight of his hair around his face instead of how lightweight it usually was spiked into the air, but he noticed a change with how people acted around him afterwards.
He could hardly recognize himself either, so there was no way anyone could tell he was a Firabyrd as long as he didn’t play with fire.
Once he had sufficient time to explore, Phoenix decided that the city really was remarkable. It was dusty and the buildings were mostly the different shades of the sand, but it had a hidden beauty that he found he could truly appreciate in his life. It wasn’t at all like his home back up north, where most of the land was scoured and burned, nor was it anything like the grasslands which were a bit too wet for his tastes. It was more of a perfect balance or harmony that suited him better than any other place in the world.
He seriously thought he could get used to living in a place like this.
The job wasn’t even that difficult either, when he finally started running errands. From day one, every morning, an enveloped would have been slipped under his door from the inn keeper. After he got dressed and cleaned up for the day, pulling his hair back into a ponytail or leaving it loose, depending on how he felt about it at the time, he’d take the envelope and study the instructions over breakfast, which he shared with the bar keeper in the quaint little kitchen. In the mornings the bar was closed right before the designated guest breakfast time so they tended to eat together while the guests’ food was simmering on the stove. They didn’t talk, but Phoenix had to admit the company was welcome.
Then he would help clean up and take the orders, even though that wasn’t part of his job, setting the tables and making the bar keeper’s job a little bit easier before he left for the day. More often than not he was sent to pick up supplies for the afternoon, leaving him enough time to do whatever he wanted in the evening. Other times he was kept running around all day delivering things to the various halls and houses throughout the city, keeping him up well into the night. Those nights he arrived home so exhausted he didn’t even bother taking off his boots before passing out.
For a time, his life fell into a comfortable routine, and he quite forgot about the circumstances of his arrival. He was content to stay by himself and not worry about anyone else, even his companions, who he usually only saw at night right before bed. It was fine with him, he was used to being alone, and the nightmare that had been the weeks immediately following his escape from his mother was slowly pushed aside.
Yet all too soon it fell apart for him. Bear found himself his own job, settling comfortably into a new routine as well, keeping track of maps and important documents in the city hall, but Koala was uneasy. She kept a watchful eye on the sky and her newest friend, growing more and more disappointed in the dull routine he was slipping into, as if the city itself was sucking the personality out of him. One day when Phoenix came home, she jumped up on his chest when he laid down to rest, and refused to get until he acknowledged that she wanted to talk.
Frowning irritated at her, he tried to push her off, but she set her claws into his chest. Hissing in pain, he glared at her, confused and annoyed. “What are you doing, Koala, that hurts!”
Koala, stubborn, got comfortable and shook her head. “What are YOU doing, Childspark? Are you just going to sit here and become just like everybody else? You’re hiding what you are from the world!”
Phoenix blinked and turned to look away from her. “The world doesn’t want to know me, I don’t see the problem.”
She let him sit up and pat his cheek. “They’re still after you. They destroy so much just to get you back.” He didn’t have to ask who she meant by ‘they’. “Maybe they can’t recognize you right now, and just maybe you could hide forever like this, but they’ll only hurt more people and you don’t even seem to care.”
“What am I supposed to do? Fight them? They’ll just take me out.” Phoenix argued. “I like it here. It’s comfortable, and I can do almost whatever I want. No one challenges me or tells me I can’t be here.”
“Don’t you see what’s happening to you? You’re just accepting things. You’re a Savior, Childspark! Do you even remember the woman whose life you saved? You can’t just forget about caring about what’s going on! Everything changed when we got here. It’s poison, and no one seems to see it! Even Bear is different. My dumb brother hasn’t ever wanted to work a day in his lazy life. Yet look at where he is now!”
Phoenix glared at her again. “There’s nothing wrong with fitting in. And you saw it just as well as I did. That woman didn’t want me anywhere near the healing hall. I went there the next day and they refused to tell me anything. For all I know that woman is dead. It doesn’t matter anyway. My mother can’t reach me here.”
“So you’re just going to settle for it?” Koala asked. “You’re going to let those people die in vain? They helped you get away because they believed you could help make things better for people like us. You made my life better, just by giving me someone to care about.”
Phoenix stood up. “Care? You don’t sound like you actually care! This is all I wanted. I wanted to fit in; to live somewhere where I could do whatever I wanted and live peacefully. All my life things have been expected of me! Here the only thing expected of me is a job that I get rewarded for.” It was an easy way to live, and everyone was happier for it. Except Koala.
He couldn’t understand why she was having such a problem with this.
She saw something different during their stay. Everyone was too happy. The inn keeper, the bar keeper, all the officials that visibly ran the city; they were extremely cheerful for a large city of thieves. Except, under that she could smell something even odder than the happiness: there was a subtle thread of nervous energy, and the knowledge that all was not well, surrounding everybody in charge of the commons every day. Something was wrong with this safe haven, but she couldn’t figure it out. She just knew that if she tried to poke around, she would find herself on the wrong side of the wall, or worse.
Yet, that couldn’t stop her. She had to figure out what was going on, and she had to make him see that he could not stay here.
Phoenix watched as her eyes hardened into a determined glare, and was surprised when she stood up and grabbed her old bag, shoving the minimal amount of supplies into it and strapping it over her shoulders and around her waist so she could run without it hampering her movements. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to prove you wrong, Childspark. I care. I care more than anybody in your family cares. I will show you.”
He moved to the door after her and growled. “Well, fine! Try and prove what you like! You’re wrong!” It took him several moments to calm down after he slammed the door shut. He was so angry the ends of his hair flickered like a dying flame and his skin crawled with the urge to burn something.
Stripping off his over shirt, so his wing spots were open to the air through his tailored undershirt, he opened the window and jumped out, catching himself in the sky on his wings before he dropped even one story. Breathing harshly, he raised high in the sky, forcing himself to stare at the dying sun instead of the ground. Even his vertigo could not stop him from just getting away right now. He didn’t even think that someone might have seen him jump, or fly in such an unnatural fashion. His hands burned, fire licking up his arms, with his anger. It was so fierce he felt he might just explode.
Yet, he didn’t even know why.
Why was he so mad, if he was right? What was he even mad at? Koala? Maybe. He didn’t need her. He didn’t need anyone else. He was always alone. He always had been alone ever since he was little. Nothing was different since he ran away. So he might have gotten a little more used to having someone around, but here he saw people every day, even if he didn’t interact with them. He didn’t need her mothering him.
Was he mad at himself? A little. Weaving through the last sun beams of the day, clinging to the last strips of heat from that power, he burned his anger away. Letting the cooling air cool his temper, he drifted over the oasis, taking deep breaths. He didn’t need to lose control so badly either. He told her he was happy, so why did he feel hurt?
Why was this such a big deal?