The lights of Neva were visible from the place Kernie ended. They stood out behind the empty road and rows of grass. Behind the grass, there was a field of sunflowers, coloring the space yellow.
Tashby stopped to look back and squinted to avoid the sun. The skyscrapers, both old-fashioned and modern, stood behind her. The skies were full of life, a part of it that Tashby never got to know. People were probably rushing to their workplaces.
Ivy squeezed her hand. Tashby hurried forward and ended up on the border between the grass and the sunflowers. The neon lights were getting closer and closer, but they faded as the sun rose completely above them. Now she could see the city clearly: lots of modern, creative, quirky homes.
She waited for Ivy to catch up, sensing the light wind blowing past her face.
"I still don't get why they want to kill us."
"I'm not sure. Everyone used to be wingless, I was told. Before we evolved or something. And then they decided we were no longer needed or whatever."
Tashby stared at the city beyond her thoughtfully. It was a beautiful sight and a beautiful feeling, standing before something so grand. Neva was her last chance to be among people and large buildings before she faded into the wild.
"And do the villagers get to return to the cities?"
"That depends on your job. I do, obviously," Ivy smiled lightly.
"And will I?"
"If you decide to, yes. When you grow up, that is. And with permission from the rest. It's dangerous, as you can tell."
"So I'll also take people to our village?"
Ivy laughed.
"I'd appreciate the help. If you want to, then in a few years you'll be allowed to go along with someone else."
"How many of you... How many of us are there?"
"A few hundred people in the village. And overall, lots, probably. We can't tell."
"How many percent?"
Another laugh.
"You know, they probably choose to hide it."
Tashby also chuckled. Their eyes met as the first car passed by with mechanic noise. The world was starting to wake up. But Neva was always awake, and the buzz of life was far from new when Tashby finally got to hear it.
She was at the outskirts, but it was already loud enough here. Not loud like it was in Kernie. Back there, it was obnoxious. Here, there was just a special kind of energy. Her first impression was positive. The air smelled of ginger, and people in colorful clothes passed her by.