Resilient is the Diamond with Edges

1

B

I always wonder what happened that night, the night my mother left in a flurry of red feathers. Perhaps that's not a memory but just what my mind conjures so I don't think about the dark blue depths of the water swallowing her up. 

 I can hear the rustling of the leaves as my grandmother shuffles out for her short morning flight, she has to go before my grandfather wakes up... Seeing her in the sky, soaring high above him breaks his heart. 

 I crouch lower in the branch where I'm rested, pulling my wings into my back. I hear her take off, some leaves knocked from their roosts flutter into my hair and onto my shoulder.  

When I'm sure she's gone I spread my wings, the red underside brushes the bottom of my thighs, the obsidian black outer side glints in the sun. My grandmother said I had the wings of a the Hell-Fire warrior, a long forgotten race of protectors, their wings were said to be the strongest of all. With that thought I thrust myself into the sky, leaving the tree of my childhood far below. 

Grandfather doesn't believe I should be flying, he fears a human or another Hell-Bird will see my multi-colored wings and start asking questions. But what he forgets is that no one can get this high above the clouds without passing out, but I can. Just this fact makes me question my entire lineage, my grandmother and grandfather with their small garden and quiet mannerism don't seem anything but ordinary, but somehow someone like me was born to their daughter, my mother.

 The tall grass beneath me turns to sand as I reach the end of our little island, a few abandoned huts sit rotting in the sand, their wood cracked and warped. This side of the island has been abandoned since the hunts began and the humans killed off half of our population. Now, I'm the only one who ventures this far from the trees that house our nests and protect our young. 

I slowly lower to the ground, letting my toes sink into the damp sand. I don't dare venture into the water. The old legends say that our wings are made of fire and brimstone and for some reason oceanwater makes them recede back to their birthplace; our backs. Though I don't know if this is true, I don't intend to try it out like my mother did. Walking along the sand I wonder what it would feel like, letting the water embrace me... But I'm snapped from my thoughts by the shrill call of an elder-horn. 

I'm not alone on this beach any longer. I trip over the sand and drift wood as I race for the cover of the trees. I step on a stray piece of wood and have to hold in the cry as I see a shadowy shape with wings race across the sand. They can't see the underside of my wings, they aren't even supposed to see me at all. Grandfather is going to kill me!

"There! There's a girl! A tresspasser just like he said!" He? Someone saw me out here and reported me to the village, no one ventures this far out of the village perimeters! And had he seen my wings? "I want her found" The cold tone in his voice sends a chill down my spine... He knows and he wants me for his personal gain, having someone with multicolored wings by his side would earn anyone status. 

"Remember boys! Don't mess up her pretty lil' face! Don't want her to be black and blue for her Tie ceremony!" Oh gods, oh gods. I'm being Tied to the highest bidder! I feel relief flood my body as I hit the tree line, here I can keep myself safe. I swing myself up into a tree and press my wings flat against the trunk, sandwiching the red out of sight. I sit as still as possible, trying to slow my heavy breath and racing heart. I flinch when I hear voices below. 

"Ya know Erik, I can't believe they found a multicolored one! I didn't know they existed anymore!" One of the men walking a couple trees away's voice carries and I crouch lower. 

"The last one was that crazy bat who went careening into the water with her kid 18ish years ago... Poor babe wasn't even old enough to shed his plumage." I assume Erik says. "Ya know, I hate when we're assigned the ground, as if someone with those strong of wings is gonna stay on the dang ground". The subject quickly flips to complaints and choice words about their leader that I ignore. My mind is reeling, they thought my mother killed herself and me...And they thought I was a boy. 

As Erik and his buddy finally start walking the other direction I dare to stand and look around me at the trees. Behind me I hear someone crash through the trees and as I turn I'm looking into the face of malice. His eyes are bright red and his mouth is curled in a sneer as he looks me up and down. I freeze in fear and disgust, panic stroking it's cold fingers down my spine. 

"Now turn and show me those pretty wings of yours." The words snap me out of my dazed and I crouch and push off the branch beneath me, barreling through the unforgiving obstacles above me. As I clear the trees I'm met with the sight of at least 10 other Hell-Bird who quickly begin pursuing me. I pump my wings desperately, trying to reach the safe zone where no one else can go. 

"She's trying to reach The Limit!" I hear a girl yell. Her words make me all the more desperate, I throw my hands behind me and stare at the clouds. Just get to the cloud line, get to the cloud line, I'm so so so so close. I want to look down, I want to see how close his hand is from my ankle right now, I can feel it's presence ever closing. 

I hear a loud growl behind me as I finally crash through the clouds, my clothes now soaking wet and my hair dripping. I hover and watch as one by one, the Hell-birds begin their descent, most grumping and groaning now at their loss; except the one with the red eyes. He watches me closely, squinting before yelling. 

"You'll come down soon my little Pheonix" His words shake me to the core. If I run on this island he'll find me, if I hide on the island he'll find me. The situation has reached dire proportions. 

I can't go home, they probably don't know about my grandparents and I can't risk them finding out... My mind is reeling, spinning in circle after circle. I want to cry and scream and punch stupid red eyes in the face and hug my grandmother and let grandfather lecture me.

I look out at the sky, my list of options seeming to shrink every second I'm in the sky. Slowly my eyes drift to the blue sea, it's deep blue is so light and welcoming from this high up. The only option is laying out in front of me, reflecting the sun into my eyes. I can fly as far as possible and hope to find an island, hopefully, free of humans. My eyes prick and I look down at my little island, I can almost see the big tree that houses my grandparents' cottage. 

I watch it for a second, hoping to possibly catch a glimpse of my grandmother returning from her morning flight, but she's likely heard the news and ran to find me on the beach. My heart yearns to go there and try and see her one last time but I know what I have to do. 

With a clichely heavy heart I turn to the water and dive.