The rock was cold against their faces as they strained to listen to the five and the Original speak. It was all Breecan's idea to eavesdrop on them, and Sander was eager to know what they were talking about. They both leaned against the stone of the door and their ears were pressed onto it so much that they could very well be part of it.
"Bud, you hear anything?" Breecan whispered.
Sander shook his head. His ears were straining to hear any words at all, but nothing passed through the rock. He gave up trying and walked away from the door while Breecan was glued to it. Without warning, the door swung open and Breecan was squished back behind it as the five and the Original walked back in, looking very distraught.
"What's the matter?" Cora asked Hamish.
Hamish waved her question away. "We will be leaving for a little while and you are supposed to stay here and wait for us."
Sophia leaped up from where she sat in the dirt and stated, "But usually only one of you need to leave at a time, why do all five of you need to go?"
Artur spoke up. His voice was deep and slow. "This is very important and requires all of our attention. We're very sorry to go, but we have no choice." He said the last part while glancing at the Original.
Why do they all fear her? She's not that terrifying, Sander thought.
Suddenly her eyes darted to his and stared at him. He felt his heart stop.
Holy-how the hell did she know I was thinking about her?
She rolled her eyes at him and then walked around the cave once more before she broked the ominous silence. Everyone held their breath as they watched her, even Breecan who managed to crawl out from behind the door. She stared everyone in the eye, and held Sander's gaze for a moment longer before taking a deep breath.
"It's about time I take off," she said.
Zoey and Viviana quickly flew over to her and held her arms.
"Oh no! You can't leave yet!" Zoey protested.
"It's been a hundred years since you've spent time with us!"
"Yes! And besides, someone's got to look after these little birds!" Zoey exclaimed, looking at Sander.
"We don't need a babysitter," Sophia said angrily.
"I never said babysitter, I said to look after," Zoey snapped.
That made the girl smile. "I guess I have nothing better to do."
The five smiled in relief and the old women hugged the Original. It was obvious that the girl was uncomfortable, and she made it very clear to the old birds, but they didn't care. When they released her, Zoey flew over to Sander and stood before him.
"My grandson," she said quietly. Sander smiled at her. "I have known you your whole life, and I wished I could've met you earlier in life, but now is goodbye...and we'll see each other again."
What an odd goodbye. Sander hugged her and Hamish gave him a small clap on the shoulder as the five walked out of the cave. When the door shut Sophia pouted and her brother Tom mocked her, resulting in them having a stick-out-your-tongue argument. Breecan was silent as he walked over to a small tunnel and entered it. A light came in through there which lured everyone toward it, including the Original.
Through the short tunnel was a smaller room with two couches, a dinner table with eight chairs, cabinets and a small kitchen adjacent to the dinning area, a coffee table, a fireplace against the wall opposite the couches, and a flat screen TV on the stonework above the fireplace. Breecan was sprawled on the couch with the TV guide on and his wings hanging over the back of the couch so his back didn't hurt.
"Anything good on TV?" Cora asked, sitting next to her husband.
"Turn it to channel 43," Sophia said, "I want to see what the celebrity gossip is."
Tom made a face at his sister and Sander smiled. Breecan ignored Sophia's request and turned it to the news. Sander walked over to the couch and sat nex to Sophia, where she smiled and flirted with him. The Original wandered around the room and stopped in the kitchen. Sander watched her look through the cabinets and she instantly turned toward him and stared at him with her bright yellow eyes. He quickly looked away.
The news was nothing interesting to Sander, except when a little blurb about his ex-girlfriend popped up.
"Could you tell us about your traumatic experience?" the male reporter asked her.
She looked like she had just been crying. "He came into my room, a-and he attacked me, saying that if I didn't leave with him he would hurt my family!"
"And then what happened?"
She sniffled and continued her story. Sander leaned forward with great interest which annoyed Sophia. "Then my boyfriend charged into my room and attacked him."
Suddenly, Sander's best friend Tom appeared next to her and placed his arm protectively around her shoulders. Sander was very stunned and also very disappointed, he could feel anger boiling inside him. When Tom spoke, Sander heard nothing but betrayal.
"I scared him off with this, silver-like stuff I found and he flew out the window. I then called the police to make sure the area was safe and that my girlfriend was okay," he said with a smug look.
Sander felt eyes on him but he didn't care. Sophia leaned forward and placed her chin in her hands while looking at Sander for an explanation. Tom jumped up and smiled.
"He has the same name as me!"
"So does about a billion other people dummy," Sophia scolded. She ignored her brother who stuck his tongue out and spoke to Sander. "Do you know those humans?"
"Yes," was all Sander could say as his anger built up and wouldn't disappear.
Suddenly a laugh was heard from the kitchen and everyone turned to see the Original walking toward them with a bottle of beer in her hand. "Didn't ever think that your girlfriend would hurt you and date your best friend now did you?"
Sander shook his head. The mysterious girl walked over to the only cushioned chair that the bird people could never sit in because of the tall padded back that would crush their wings. Breecan was about to speak up and tell her that she wouldn't be able to sit there, when her sleek wings retracted into her back as quickly as a snap and she plopped down into the chair. She felt all eyes on her, but she didn't care at all as she stared at the TV and took a swig of beer.
"How did you do that?!" Sophia exclaimed in disbelief.
The Original ignored her question as the news changed to a commercial about mattresses.
Sophia would not take silence as an answer. She leaped up off the couch and charged at the girl and would've choked her if the Original wasn't the Original. The girl had Sophia in a wrestling one arm hold on the ground and Sophia whined in pain as the girl was sitting on her wings and back. Breecan flew off the couch and was now behind it in a defense position out of habit and Cora was curled on the opposite end of the sofa. Sander was shocked and in admiration of the girl. She now had a few feathers and scales sprouting from her arms and face, and her hair was now spiked feathers as well, which caused her to look terrifying.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Sophia cried.
"Making sure the little bird knows her place when it comes to me," she hissed.
When Sophia stopped squirming from anger and trembled from fear, the Original stood up off of the poor girl and walked back to the chair that was tipped over. She lifted the chair upright and sat back down as the mattress commercial ended. Sophia scrambled away from the chair and ran out the tunnel. Sander thought that maybe he should do something, but when the Original shot him a glare once he thought that, he slowly sat back down and continued to be amazed and confused.
"I'll go check on her," Cora said.
The woman left, and Tom ran after her. Breecan grinned widely once his wife was gone and jumped up with joy, catching the attention of the Original and Sander.
"That was amazing!" Breecan cooed. "I think that's such a cool trick!"
The Original huffed. "You just want it so you can hide yourself from the humans and go back home to your family," she said angrily.
Breecan looked shocked. "Never!" The Original's head spun back slowly to look at Breecan with mild surprise. "Why would I want to hide who I am? I've had wings ever since I was little and I've always wanted to show them off to everyone, including the humans! They're only jealous that they don't have any themselves, and I want to rub it in their faces!"
The Original laughed. Her laugh was sweet and melodious, its sound made Sander laugh as well. Breecan beamed with more excitement since he made the Original smile.
"You are the first one I have met who never wanted to hide who they are, Breecan," she said with less authority in her voice, which seemed to be replaced by...admiration? Sander suddenly felt jealous, which caused the Original to snap her attention to him. He felt himself go pale and stopped laughing. Breecan sensed the tension between them and clapped his hands.
"Well, what should we have for supper?" He asked as he walked over to the kitchen and opened the cabinets. "We have fish, fish sticks, pork chops, pizza, oven-bake pasta, be-"
He was interrupted by a loud bang followed by the tumbling of rocks. Breecan froze where he was as a scream erupted from the main room. It was Sophia. The Original leaped up and her wings sprouted from her back as she and Breecan ran down the tunnel, followed by a slower Sander.
Did she break something important? Sander thought.
As soon as he entered the tunnel, Sander smelt a strong odor-blood. Once he emerged from the tunnel, he saw tens of soldiers with guns firing at his new flock members. What he mostly noticed was the Original with her black wings was in the center of the room, tearing apart the people with her...talons? Sander began to hear what was being shouted.
"We've hit the jackpot!"
"It's the Original!"
"Don't let her go lads!"
"Quit being scaredy cats and get in there!"
Sander ran forward and knocked aside one of the men attacking Sophia. She was held down by a net with three big men surrounding her. Sander was tackled away from her and the Original was flying around the room, knocking out or else killing anyone she could reach. Her feathers were now coated with blood and she flew over Sophia, killing the men and pulling the net off her while still flying. She took the net and wrapped it around the man in charge, which was the only man not wearing a full face helmet...his mistake.
"Stay away from us!" she screamed in his face before clawing at him.
He cried in extreme pain before Breecan signaled for all the birds to leave the cave. Sophia charged past Breecan, followed by Sander and then Breecan ran out after him. They instantly took off into the sky and flew away. Sophia was bawling while Breecan was leading them away from the cave.
"What about the Original?" Sander shouted.
"What about her?" Sophia sobbed angrily.
"Shouldn't we go help her?"
"Believe me, she's been through a lot worse," Breecan yelled over his shoulder. "She'll catch up with us soon."
"Well, where's Tom and Cora?"
You dumbass! Why would you ask that?! Sander scolded himself.
Breecan didn't say anything as Sophia sobbed even more. Sander began to wonder what else being a bird-person would cause him. Would he be able to live until the morning? Would he lose his friends, yet again? Would the Original survive?
--
Once more, the pathetic humans chased her through the forest, only now she was faster than they thought. Her powers were growing more since they last caught her and took her genes. She was easily flying through the trees and then instantly stopped flying as she hid in the branches, just waiting for the humans to pass underneath her. Their footsteps were growing closer and also slower.
"She's 'round here somewhere lads, find her."
As one finally stopped below the tree, she smiled and decided to have a bit of fun. She let out an ancient war cry and dropped down on top of him, knocking him out. She was happy that she didn't kill him, she didn't want to kill anyone at the moment, but she would if they brought out their guns. Without weapons, she'd only knock them unconscious, but if they had weapons she'd kill them on the spot.
They all rushed to her but she flew away back down the forest's hidden paths and away from them all. She laughed and crowed as she flew away. She was happy to have something to do and to take her mind off the five, and the only way she could thoroughly enjoy her day was to cause trouble with the humans.
"Having fun?" A voice chimed.
She stopped flying and stared in surprise at the shadow before her. It was nearly mid afternoon, he could never be seen by this time of day. The Original stared at her only friend when he suddenly charged past her and covered up the humans that were chasing her. He led them far away from her before he returned and stood in front of her.
"How can I see you now?" she asked him forcefully.
"Come on," he laughed, "what's the matter with seeing me now?"
"I only ever see you at night though," she said.
He moved a bit closer to her so that she became a little bit uncomfortable, and he spoke quietly. "Well, now you can see me in the light."
"How is that possible?" she a said just as quietly.
He chuckled. "You're not the only magical creature in this strange world."
Without warning, the shadow wrapped his dark arms around her and pulled her close. Her lips touched the outline of his and he suddenly felt warm, warmer than shadow could ever be. She felt safe, which was an old feeling for her, and she was also surprised.
When he pulled away from her, she breathed in deeply before she clawed at him with her taloned fingers. He leaped away in surprise and yelled.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"she yelled back.
"I think I was kissing you!"
"Why?!"
"Why not?!"
She stopped yelling when she felt a few tears fall down her face again. The shadow quickly flew forward and wiped her tears away. They were what controlled him, her tears. It was all part of their bargain they had made when they met.
"Why is there water in your eyes, my bird?" he asked calmly like he always did.
"Because," she slowly said, "this wasn't part of our bargain."
He laughed loudly. "You think I don't know that? But I couldn't stop myself from feeling something toward you."
It was now her turn to laugh. "Well, don't you ever feel that way toward me again! I can feel what my birds feel toward me, but I can't tell with you, and it frightens me."
The shadow was now silent. He nodded his head and said, "Very well, my bird, I will do my best to refrain from doing that again."
She nodded her thanks before she flew off again, not able to trust anyone anymore. Even though she cared for the shadow, she wouldn't be able to ever have feelings for him because of who he really was in his past. She would never be able to love him the way he does for her because she knows what he has been trying to uncover since they met. That's what the bargain was for; he is under her full control if she tells him who he really is and that he can have her tears.
The shadow only knows a little about himself; what his past name was, where it was he lived, and who his parents were. He didn't know who he fully was though, if he had siblings, a wife and kids, if he lived to an old age or if he died young. Those were hard things for her to tell him, so she never has, and it was driving him crazy since he wanted to know.
"Forgive me Braylin," she said. "I'll tell you some day, just not today."
--
Hello everyone! How's it going? Hope you're all doing good and enjoying the story!
What do you think of the attack? How about the Original and the shadow?
Please vote and comment of anything! Cya guys later!