The Rainfall

Prologue

The moon shimmered in the blackened sky, surrounded by the twinkling stars. The cool wind gently blew through the branches. It created a soft rustling with the leaves. Hush, it whispered. Hush, hush. The salty smell of the sea followed closely behind.

The air from Cato was nothing like this. It smelled of unnatural, man-made substances that would likely put an end to the beauty of the world. With their overbearing desire to know more than the other and their heavy garments, they were not entirely welcome on island. Of course, they were much preferred than the alternative — Brutus.

The winds from Brutus always held the stench of their land: ash, sweat, metals, and arrogance. It always seemed to taint the sweet, fresh air of Paloma, even being an entire ocean away. The people of Brutus were barbaric. They were monsters. Clad in armor and war paint, they stomped on any that appeared weaker than they. They disregarded the teaching of their gods. They​ disregarded the lessons of tolerance. They​ swung their maces and swords wildly. The people of Brutus found pleasure in the spilling of blood, even if it must be of their own.

As waves pushed against the white sands of the island, a bird perched itself on the branch of a guava tree. It looked to the sky with a cocked head. The stars reflected in its black eyes. The bird watched and listened. Hush, the wind pushed against the leaves again. Hush, hush. The bird simply marveled in the world around it. The simplicity. The tranquility. The serenity. The world was quiet, and the bird liked it that way. Quiet. No shouting of hunters, and no cries of wildlife — save the few nocturnals that rebelled against the others. A few chirps of cicadas. That was all. The humans were asleep in their homes, quiet and still and incapable of ruining such a peaceful scene.

A crackle in the distance snatched the attention of the bird. It stared straight ahead, where the sky was black. Horrifyingly black, and nearly as dark as the bird's feathers. The stars were slowly swallowed by the dense clouds that loomed over the sea, stretching across the sky from the east. A flash momentarily lit the sky, followed by an angry clap.

A storm was approaching.

The bird looked to the stars and let out a screech. The wind grew stronger as another angry clap of thunder shook the air around the island. The bird released another screech and spread its wings, then it leaped from its branch. It soared high above the trees and over the murky waters as the sea grew greyer and more violent. The reef was now invisible as the waves crashed onto one another. The bird screeched again, and thunder replied.

The wind hissed now as it forced the bird back to land. The bird did as it was told. It turned to the island and dove into the trees. It screeched again as it swiftly soared through the leaves of the wilds. Just as it neared the village, it released a more alarming cry. It flew into a hut, where she waited.

"Manu?" The young woman was already wide awake. The bird landed on her forearm, peering out into the sky again as the storm drew closer. She asked it, "What's wrong?"