Upon Shattered Wings

Chapter 2: Rescue Misson

    I didn't answer him, trying to get around him to the bags on the floor. He was having none of it as he roughly grabbed my arm. "I asked you a question, you damn bird."

    "She's not with me today. Excuse me, I need to get back, she's expecting me." I made a grab for the bags again before he roughly shoved me to the ground. Pain flared from my back as I landed on my wings. Good thing nothing was broken, most likely just a minor scrape.

    He shoved me against the wall, his elbows digging into my windpipe. "You need to be taught some respect to your superiors." My head whipped to the side as pain blossomed from my cheek. He delivered a kick to my stomach as I attempted to scramble away from his assaulting punches.

    "I'll teach you some respect! Beat it into ya!" He snarled as his fists rained down on my body. I didn't make a sound, not a single cry even as tears slipped down my cheeks. The pain was unbearable. I squeezed my eyes shut, blocking out the sounds of his ragged breathing.

    "Hey! Stop!" An authoritative voice called out. The beating stopped,  including the sounds of footsteps quickly disappearing down the street. I didn't look up, I laid curled in a fetal position even when I sensed someone knelt down next to me.

    "Hey, you're alright now. Come on." Gentle hands helped me up and I stood on shaking legs. I winced at the pain that seemed to be increasing every minute.

    I looked up in surprise at the guy from the antique store. His face was still expressionless but a small frown made its way to his lips. "Thank you," I whispered in a hoarse voice.

    He nodded. "I already called your mistress. She should be here in a bit." He handed me the bags and I thanked him again.

    "Why are you helping me?" I asked him, shifting my weight to my left foot. It didn't make sense why a human would defend me. I had seen similar beatings on the streets before and everyone just turned a blind eye to them, including the slaves. If they spoke a word out of turn, they risk being beaten themselves.

    He stared straight ahead, looking at the graffiti on the walls of the building across the street. "It's wrong. What they're doing." He turned to look at me then, his eyes piercing. My cheek where that man had slapped was stinging and I could feel it swelling against his stare. "It's not right to dehumanize a race because they're different. They don't like differences. So when they see someone who's different, they turn on them in fear. They're scared that those people would tip the balance that they worked so hard to create."

"I don't get it. Why can't they just learn to coexist?" I asked him, slowly sitting back down on the hard pavement. He followed, plopping down heavily.

Before he could reply, the slamming of a car door broke the atmosphere. Looking up, the sight of Thalair running up to her her smile. "Are you okay? Nevermind that. Let's get you home," She helped me up and led me to the car. Turning back towards the man, she gave him a small nodd of gratitude. "Thank you, sir. If you need anything, come find me at the O'Linin house. As a thank you for helping Amara."

He flicked his eyes toward me and nodded. Turning back towards me, Thalair helped me into the  huge steel contraption. Something about being in an enclosed space made me uncomfortable. It did not help when my wings were squished together, the small pain from when I fell flared.

Luckily the car ride wasn't long as we pulled up to the mansion a few minutes later. Galore was at the gates when we arrived and he quickly walked up in concern.

"She was beaten. Please take her to her room, I'll go get the doctor." Galore nodded and swooped me up in his large arms. I groaned at the fast movement.

He wore a stony expression as he carried me into the servant house. The others stopped when they saw me in his arms. "Amara?" The small voice of Rory sounded in front of us.

"She was beaten," Galore told them and several gasps were heard. A few more steps and the opening of a door and finally, I felt the hard mattress of my bed. I didn't bother opening my eyes as I felt gentle hands lift up my shirt and small gasps that followed.

"She'll need rest," The voice of the family doctor said. "Make sure she doesn't do any extraneous activities." Footsteps faded out the door followed by the closing of my door.

Silence followed and with that, I fell into a sleep of nightmares.

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    Something was happening. The smell of smoke laid heavily in the air and I let out a cough. Blinking in the darkness, I caught sight of the multiple huge fires that had broken out outside the mansion. Yells were heard and several of our servants hurried to try and put them out.

    Clambering out of my bed, I ignored the pain that stabbed at my abdomen and ran outside to help the others. Grabbing a bucket, hurried toward the wells and filled it with water. A hand seized my arm before I could run forward.

    "Why aren't you resting?!" Galore yelled over the loud panicking cries. Soot covered the side of his face, blackening the tan skin.

    I shook him off, "I'm helping obviously! I can rest after!" With that, I ran forward and tossed the water at the flames which hungrily swallowed them up. I looked back at him. "I don't think the water is really working, just saying."

    He pinched the bridge of his nose as he gave a bucket full of water towards Rory. "No shit, Captain Obvious!"

    I was about to run back towards the well when the fire suddenly roared. It seemed to have grown in size as it ran around the perimeter of the mansion, surrounding us. I backed toward Galore and the others. "Well isn't this just awesome."

    Suddenly, dark shapes darted out of the flames making whatever sarcastic remarks die in my throat. What on earth? If my eyes weren't deceiving me, those shapes had wings. Feathered wings. A flash of light reflected off of their ironclad forms. One by one, they swooped down and picked up the servants.

    "Thank lord. They're here." I turned to Galore in question but his eyes were fixed on the dark figures above.

    "I'm sorry, old man, but you mind telling me who the hell they are? And why the hell are they snatching them up like eggs?" I asked loudly, snapping my fingers in front of his face.

    He slapped my arm away in annoyance. "No time to explain now, let's go." He grabbed my and Rory's hands and pushed us forward into the clearing. Just in time too as a dark dark figure swooped down and picked up Rory who yelled out in alarm.

    "Hey! Put him down you little shit! He's not a damn egg you can pick up and toss around!" I yelled as I ran after them. Hands seized my waist and hoisted me into strong arms. Pain flared from my sides.

    "Ow! Can you at least be more gentle?" I snapped, wiggling in the person's arms.

    The guy snorted, "Do you want me to drop you?" He feigned letting go of my legs and I yelped, clinging onto him.

    "You do that, and I won't hesitate to rip out you hair and make it into a mustache for you!" I hissed at him as we climbed higher into the night sky.

    He didn't say anything and I rolled my eyes. Looking around, similar slaves and servants from my mistress's mansion were carried in the arms of people similar to the guy. They didn't seem like they were planning to hurt us. I spied an emblem on the shoulder pad of another guy flying close to mine. It was too dark to make out what it was but they must be important people.

    There was nothing but silence except for the beat of wings. The fact that we're leaving the humans had relief settling in me. I curled into the person's arms and closed my eyes, soaking in the body heat. It was better than freezing to death. At least none of us would ever get beaten again.

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