Fly (2nd in the feather series)

Two

The orphanage staff took ages to actually get me an appointment but eventually, they did. Soon, Saturday arrived and Dean and Kate drove me to the orphanage to meet my mum. The car purred into the orphanage car park and came to a halt once parked. I unplugged my seatbelt and followed Dean and Kate into the orphanage. Inside the orphanage, there was a neat and tidy, proffesional waiting room. A secretary in a grey skirt and white top was busy tapping away at a computer behind a wooden desk.

Kate went up to the desk and went,

"Excuse me, my daughter is looking to meet with Mrs - how on earth do you say that!"

I face-palmed. That greeting sounded so bad!

The receptionist looked up from her computer and pushed her glasses up her nose before saying,

"I think I know who you mean Mrs Rivers - I presume your daughter Layla wants to meet Mrs Willirun?"

The receptionist had pronounced it wrong too! This was highly annoying, however, I kept quiet. People in Atlo were more used to easy to pronounce names - unlike my last name. Kate told the receptionist she was correct, relieved that she didn't have to puzzle over how to say my last name. The receptionist stood up and ushered us to a meeting room. I stepped into the room, sitting down on a blue chair to wait for my mum. Dean and Kate were told to leave the room to give me privacy, so left. I waited... and waited. About 5 mins later, the door of the room creaked open and a social worker trotted in. Following after her was someone with inky black hair, wearing what looked to be fantastical clothes...

"Mum!" I shouted, running to her outstretched arms.

"Oh Layla! You have no idea how much I have missed you!" My mum told me tearfully.

For a little while, we just stood there hugging each other, before we sat down at a table to talk.

"So Layla, how have you been getting on lately?" She asked me.

I replied to her, telling her all that had happened recently, including the fact I had discovered I grew wings at dawn. Mum listened intently, like I was telling an epic saga. She then told me,

"I knew you would discover what you really were in Atlo. I forgot to tell you that you were winged at dawn - I'm so sorry I don't think sorry is the word to describe my apology..."

"It's okay mum, I coped and am still coping in Atlo." I then asked mum, "Wait, mum..."

"What is it?" She responded.

"Am I a hybrid? Is that why there's no species name for my kind?" I questioned mum.

"Nonsense." Mum told me. "I am one of your kind too - you're certaintly not a hybrid. We are both Aviars."

I smiled proudly. It felt good to actually have a name for my species of un-ordinary human and not be just a weird human. Mum then told me, twisting her hair into a long plait,

"Layla, There is a special thing I would like you to do. Just because you are now living in Atlo, doesn't mean you don't have any connection with Srrin. In Srrin, there is a group of Aviars I would like you to visit with me. While you are there, there is going to be a task that you need to complete - When we get to Srrin, you'll find out what it is."

Mum then informed me,

"Layla, it's time to leave this orphanage and you're coming too, obviously."

As I put my coat on again, I asked mum, suspicious of this journey,

"Where are we exactly going in Srrin?"

Mum told me, unbothered,

"Oh, we're going to Nyk."

I didn't know where Nyk was but then I remebered it. Nyk was in the war-torn bit of Srrin! We would be in serious danger if we went there! Anything could happen, from rockets being launched at us to stepping on Sprijks - what humans would call landmines.

"Mum! We can't go there - we would be in a war zone and in terrible danger!" I told mum, panicked.

Mum looked at me quizzically as if I had asked a strange question before seeming to remember something. She replied calmly,

"Sorry Layla, I'd forgotten you'd not been in Srrin lately. The whole reason I was able to come to Atlo is because the war in Srrin finally came to an end. At long last! The Sprijks have been removed from the ground and there is no more fighting anymore. Currently, everything is starting to be rebuilt and it's safe for us to go over."

I breathed a sigh of relief. So we would be safe. Mum and I left the orphanage and Mum had a chat with Dean and Kate before she took me to a quiet part of the town, underneath some shady, green evergreen trees. Mum took out a tiny locket from her bag and opened it. I knew what was about to happen - the powder in that locket would make a portal. I was dreading travelling by portal (due to the fact it made me all dirty with magic dust) but stood still while mum tossed the powder around. Slowly, the gold dust swirled and spiralled until it created a portal. Finally, mum and I left Atlo, travelling by portal to Srrin.