Enmity's Lost Prodigy: Chapter 1 - Freedom

Bright sun beamed off of the rocks and exposed cliff sides. Trees danced in the breeze and rustled about. In the air flew one bright light though it's body was mostly black. One magpie danced as it fell from heaven and into a crevice. She knew these lands well and as her morning stroll often dared fate more than she should. Like a rogue dashing from ally to ally the crevice turned into a valley, and broke into another. Though these highways were used for a very particular reason, for the most part, she enjoyed the rush much greater than anything. Along these many bridges were laid atop. Those who could not fly made due with structures, and became rather proficient at making them. Below were the corpses of many bridges claimed by the shifting plates and plateaus. Even now, well after the earth Shemlaul settled, many pieces still were unstable. Some times, though not common, one might find someone else trapped. There was one instance which she had helped a man to safety only to shy away before he could properly thank her for her troubles.

The valley disappeared and became the side of a massive slide and cliff. It spanned maybe a good five hundred feet below and two kilometres long. Along this there were many waterfalls that ran off of it to a pond below. Here in the open, she pulled out her wings in and began to dive. She felt the wind rush against her face and she then rolled in the air, relishing in the freedom. She closed in to the wall which at this height was still a sheer cliff, and let out her wings. She was parallel with the rock, stretched out feet away from touching it. She pulled off and continued to descend making a loop around a waterfall. This was freedom for her. "Hey!" A voice called out from behind her. "I get you like to play miss daredevil all the time, but could you remember you have a passenger?" The magpie only grinned pondering to push it harder. "Farrah?... Farrah?"

At last after the rocky bottom and following the stream they passed many valleys. Here, in the demi-floor as it was referred to they rested. The "demi-floor" is an elevation which most of the land is shattered, much like how clay mud would dry cracked. On the top plateaus, most of the land is flat and the valleys are harder to spot than one would imagine. Looks are often deceiving. Given it is the flattest for miles, it would still resemble foothills before the cataclysm. However, this close to the fracture level it was much bumpier and a lot greener. The "fracture level" is where the mountains or high hills split and shattered, hence the massive slide under a sheer cliff. The only more extreme is the "shatter splinters" which are the tallest spires around accompanied by a rocky uneven and uninhabitable ground. Farther off would inhabit a great plane, the chasms, and lastly the dark lands.

Careful they came out to a lake that caught their eyes. Out in the open, the demi-floor was known for very little trees on the upper plateaus and more in the valleys where the rivers ran. Here was an unusually large pond that was fed by a section of fracture level that spanned the once was mountain range. Upon landing in the clearing they noticed three locals on the other side of the lake Farrah was very timid of others unless she had to actually help one. Her friend never understood what was up with it, only accepted it. She also, like Farrah chose to recluse from most civil folk being ten times her size and probably never seen a cat with wings before, let alone one so small. This obscure feline's name was Talia. "Do you think they'll mind?" she asked. Farrah looked closely with her heightened eye sight. It appeared to be a family, a mother a father and a young child, and given the day she couldn't blame them.

"They should be fine." Farrah responded after some time."

"You sure? You are the one who pushes this incognito stuff all the time." Farrah didn't respond, she instead started to carefully walk into the lake. Wet, however not cold, she relaxed as she carried out farther into the shallows. There she stepped out farther and sat to where her legs were submerged and began to bath. For a while she did so until turning around fully to face her friend, and with not a word from Farrah's part Talia responded "You do know I'm a cat right?" Farrah smiled and beckoned, Tallia refused. As her friend's reluctance grew on her, Farrah continued to bath regardless. Not even a moment later Talia fluttered along and landed on her friend's knee which at the time was bent and lifted out of the water. "I don't do water."

"I know..." Farrah replied with a grin. As she laid back and submerged her topper half she spread out both wings, and Talia felt uneasy.

"You're not..." With Farrah's face still surfacing and a wild expression, Talia's intuition kicked in full force "No, no!" she begged as Farrah lifted her wing out full force from the cat's poison and splashed her friend with water. "No, no, stop, I hate water." Though she spoke in detest, she giggled when she did. It was not harm, more an inconvenience. Water was wet, need there be more said. Farrah laughed as she sent another little wave of of her wings. The two giggled and played around, this catching the eyes of the family made them smile. However, the father who's attention fell on the two friends studied them. Unable to help himself to witness the cute display he noticed something about the black and white bird.

He called his wife and daughter to move on while still holding a smile "Let's let them have their privacy." His wife questioned it and in private he told her "She should not be here." Confused the mother acted as though nothing was wrong and they carried their business as far on the other side of the lake as they could despite already being there, and they even picnicked on the grass under one of the few trees of the plateau.

When Farrah was all done with her bathing, she returned to Talia who too was bathing in the sun, yet not quite done. She rolled onto her other side. "Are you ready?" Farrah asked.

"Not really, for some reason I'm wet, and don't you dare think about splashing me again."

"Alright, I won't." She tittered to herself.

"Thank you..." Farrah waited by her friend's side for a while before Talia made a remark concerning the family "Have you noticed that they somehow managed to move farther away from us?"

Farrah looked at Talia, not immediately sure what she mean before looking across the lake to the family that was currently eating under a birch. "I think they are just minding themselves, don't you?"

"I want to say that." Talia replied sitting up where her arms spread and held her weight behind her. "I've noticed that before. It's like they don't like you or something. Hard to believe from such a good friend who would spray a cat with water..." She mentioned sarcastically "I mean, if there was a problem with you I think I'd be the first to know about it. I've lived with you a whole year now."

"It's probably for the best." A slight hint of guilt came off.

Talia caught it, unwanting to really call upon it, she continued "What would you have had to do huh?"

Farrah got back to her feet and turned to walk off. With a happy expression that didn't seem to match her aura she replied "Nothing, Nothing at all."

Talia followed behind, landing on Farrah's sholders and spoke not fully convinced. "People sure can judge others pretty unjustly can't they." Trying to wedge in an ideal that would otherwise sound to be a poor outlook on life to be true. Farrah never had negative outlook on anything, Talia thought that might get her also for the most part quiet friend to open up a bit more.

To Talia's disbelief, in the same positive manner her friend always had about her, she laughed "That is quite true isn't it."

"Are you okay, you don't sound yourself?... Well, actually no, you do, you just don't souAuh!" With that Farrah took flight a small ways. At the top of the cliff was a patch of berry bushes, it ran down the hillside behind sight and followed a sudden drop. "You know you could warn me before you do that!"

Farrah chuckled. "Well, I was going to but you were talking and I'm hungry."

"You could have waited a moment you know."

"But who knows how long you would have spattered on." <

"Why in a matter of fact, I was just about done."

Before them was many verities of fleshy berries, none of the large pitted inside one's. These are a berry specific to Shemlaul, purple and plum shaped with a black flesh, rather large and held many smaller crunchable seeds. It was ripely sweet but deep in flavour unlike a smooth blueberry and not as sharp as a strawberry. Though Talia was more prone to other forms of nutrition, these were an exception. She could hardly be bothered over a little take off shenanigans around these.

After feasting farther into the bush, and most finishing their stomachs they heard a loud rumble. A plateau was shifting somewhere. Though not uncommon, it didn't happen often where one could easily spectate. Farrah gazed out in search of it. Somewhere out in the distance there was a cloud of dust, it appeared to have already been too late to watch. She kept her eye on it as the dust lifted higher from the brittle dry plate that was sucked into the earth only to moments later resurface as though the earth had spat it out. Two more plates started to shift moving higher, soon one of them shattered and a good chunk fell back down. Talia even caught glimpse of it when she realized it was actually in sight. "That doesn't happen every day. At least, not that we ever get to see it that closely." She muttered.

"No, it's not. That may have been the best show of it I've seen. I hope no one was hurt."

"People get hurt all the time from that kind of stuff, after a while you need to let someone else be a hero for once. I'm sure everyone in that town there would be out helping whoever was in need if there was someone out there to begin with." Talia was pointing down and to their right. A ways off there was a rather large plateau that was sunk beneath it's surrounding neighbours. Fed, it contained one river that flowed off, and a waterwheel to grind wheat. Many houses surrounded the centre of town which consisted of two streets and a third one being rather a stub. It looked rather enticing.

Farrah was satisfied with her lunch. On a big rock in the clearing of the bushes against a steep hill she sat pondering the day. Maybe once, for a moment she could sneak in and leave unnoticed. When she was young, she never got to see the towns, in her parents home and estate was in the hills, they lived never needing to ever leave, nor visit anyone in town. She was free now, free to live and do as she saw fit. She was strong, and fast. Maybe a little peek. She knew nothing of those without wings, nor workings of small communities. It could be exciting. Just a peek. They were far, far away from any kingdom, this was a small outpost. Just a little peek.

Farrah set herself ready to take off again and knelt for Talia to dock behind her neck. She was a strong and swift flier in her own respect, but Farrah was bigger and faster yet. To keep up, Talia would simply tag along, this was accepted by her carrier and as of such Farrah never complained since. Talia took the hint and mounted the same as always, right behind the neck under the long strands of hair. They would protected her from the violent turbulence caused by the tremendously faster speed Farrah was able to fly at. She couldn't see very well while concealed there, so wherever they went, so she only went along for the ride. It was this way since they met.

Long ago they spent a night sleeping together under a bush. Talia wrapped deep in Farrah's wings. They didn't know the other but bonded that night. Talia knew not her friend's past, nor did she care. The same was said about Farrah. Seemingly two lost souls who stuck together for protection. Though Talia claim as she might that Farrah's crazy flying would one day kill both of them, never had she felt so safe in such a big world. This trust would be very well questioned as Farrah landed.

It tempted her, the town and it's people. All the things she missed out in for the last 16 some years of her life, now however dangerous, seemed like plenty good enough time. With her friend by her side, she felt it safe enough to be seen by people. She smiled forcefully, nervous, having never really talked to anyone except Talia.

At last they touched the ground, her friend confused for such a short venture. She popped her head out of the top, fighting the strands to surface. "What?!" She popped back down. Caught in the strands she fought she wrestled her way out from the bottom to climb into Farrah's sholder. She took one look and scurried back inside. "What the heck?" Still not believing it. "You are really not acting like yourself now."

"I thought it would be a nice change for once."

"Yeah, but there are people here! You hate people..." She said lowering her voice to a strong whisper.

"I don't hate people." She replied softly, nervous. She tried to take it in openly, enjoy the moment, but everyone around her stared. A mother even shielded her child's eyes. Everyone here wore clothes, however as was quite apparent, Farrah did not. She didn't see the value in them living alone and almost never cold in her coat of feathers. She didn't realize why they stared, he couldn't tell out of the many reasons they would. It's not like they could really complain, most all birds, respectively with rare exceptions had no breasts. Though she had nothing to hide, she felt completely exposed.

"I think they are staring at you because you're not wearing anything, I hear that's a thing."

"You don't wear clothes either." Farrah retorted

Still, she walked, pacing very slowly with every step seeming to get harder and harder. At last, at the end of the street where it became another was a store. She beamed her eyes up to it having been staring at the ground for some time now. Her speed picked up and she dashed to it's door and went inside.

When the door behind closed and it became darker and hard to see under the blanket of hair, Talia crawled out to see where they were now. In front was a til with no one minding the store. On each side were shelves stocked with many assorted items devoted a particular use. Organized neatly there was food towards the front, tools along the long walls and other nicknacks along a tall shelf with no backing. There was an item on this shelf that caught Farrah's eyes, enchanted she rushed over to meet it. She wasn't sure what it was, but it shined. Two glass lenses like her mother used to wear only strangely attached to protruding holders and a strap. It was gravely small, merely child sized, one that a junior might wear for some reason. As she held it up to her own eyes it appeared that the magic left these goggles. Whenever she would look through her mother's glasses the sight though it would warp, but these were perfectly flat and did not aid those who's vision was distorting. These had a much different use. "You think they could protect my eyes?" Talia questioned.

Farrah looked back to her sholder, scaning. "Why would you need that?"

"When you're flying around you go so fast that I can't see anything."

"Oh..." Farrah realized. For all her life, the wind never bothered her eyes all that much. It came as a surprise when Talia complained about it, thinking back, she never could deal with looking into the wind. Perhaps it was a feature of cats to not be as built to fly. Also given, Talia was the only cat Farrah ever met. "How should we even know if they fit or not, you look much smaller than a child."

"Well thanks for rubbing it in."

"You mention it all the time."

Farrah simply handed the goggles over to stop a fuss over Talia's height. Her friend accepted and tried to fit them on her. They were still a tad big, though the band in the back promised it to be adjustable. Neither of them knew how to actually adjust it and for many moment's they pondered and tried with no success. At this point the storekeeper came out from the back room. He couldn't see them, though he knew they were there. "Are you just in the browse." He asked, assuring they were customers.

It took a while for Farrah to respond, not knowing what to say. "Um, yes." she replied nervous.

"Alright, just don't take off without paying." He noticed the uncertainty in her voice. At last he actually noticed her behind the shelf and without much though left her for a moment. An old squeaky chair was pulled out from under the counter and the shopkeeper sat, an eye on the door as he would greet anyone who he didn't see the face of. Probably some traveller who dropped in on their way, wouldn't think twice about running off and never return. He was a gruff old rabbit, his hair faded and medium length as it flopped strait down all side of his head except the front that was combed back. His voice course and loosing patients in his old age. On his left came out his son, a young rabbit man who by the looks of it was almost ready to take over the family business, the old man, looking ready to give that title off to retire. The younger had a half crate in his arms filled with vegetables and asked where the young lady was that he heard. "You just think about woman." The gruff old man accused.

"No, I don't see her anywhere, did she leave."

The old man pointed towards the shelf, and shortly a wiggle was spotted through the jars and ornaments. He nodded and set the crate down on the counter. Busy stocking the front table, he wondered what she looked like, all he saw was black. Perhaps a cat, or another rabbit.

Farrah was just about done with trying to figure out how to adjust the goggles. Not so much succeed as much as give up. "Give them here" Talia requested tired of wanting a try herself. She got her hands on them and messed around just the same. At last she placed it on her head properly, and scrunched the back the band with her hand to simulate what it would be like if they even could get the adjustment to work. It worked, sort of. She held it comfortably but the eye pieces were too far spread. However to some luck on Talia's flat face, however split eyed the protruding lenses may have seemed they were angled for the sharper more rounded face of a bird who's eyes were sunk back. It fit her only because it wrapped around a greater distance, and the actual lenses faced crossing the other. "Maybe it's a good thing my face is so cute and small.

Farrah smiled. She felt more comfortable here, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling of being in an inclosed space and not knowing what she was doing. As mentioned she never seen a town nor a store before. The old man said to pay up front, she forgot about that. Her parents oddly never carried money or ever needed to. Once or twice she ever even saw a coin in her life. She pondered perhaps if he didn't need it, maybe he could part with it for her friend. It was worth the try, even if she couldn't convince him, they didn't need it. After mustering the courage to face him, she turned and walked to the front counter. The old man took a look and somehow managed to turn an even whiter shade of grey. His eyes opened wide and his heart skipped a beat which for his age was not very healthy. He grit his teeth, and held it in for a moment before assulting "We don't serve your kind here!"

The loud retort scared Farrah and she folded herself in with it. The younger rabbit turned. He was astonished by her. A black and white, completely exposed bird, shy as the wind. She tried to move closer to the counter but was yelled at once more by the old man "Get out of here! You don't belong here, you should be dead!"

"Father!" The son called.

"I..." Farrah didn't have the strength to speak. Talia, stunned at the response went blank expressioned. "I..." she could only whisper "want to ask you..." Before completely falling silent.

"What did you think coming here?!" The old man shouted in disbelief.

"Father, what's wrong?" His son questioned, just as confused as Talia.

"HEY!" The confused little cat roared. "What's your problem you old windbag? A beautiful young lady comes into your store stark naked, isn't that kind of a thing? I'm pretty sure that's a thing. And you have that to say to her?"

"Get out of here!" He roared once more

Silence fell for a moment. No one would say a thing, only stand there. Farrah placed the goggles on the counter and turned around.

"Get out!"

Instantly she ran out the door, not looking back for a moment. Talia, holding on by her claws, would not be able to catch up to her friend's frantic sprint it if she let go. Farrah ran, until taking to the air. She couldn't even feel the pain of Talia trying to climb back up the birds back trying not to fall off. Farrah flew into the air rather high and stopped there. In this time her friend finally managed to return to a safe nestle at the weeping bird's nape. After a moment or two, she landed off on the edge of the plate. On a hillside reaching the cliff she sat there, too upset to even cry.

Talia jumped down into the tall grass. Atop was her best friend unsure of how to even feel. She was mad, but held back many tears, shaking, absent. Talia pushed the grass aside to see her friend better. She was empathetic, saddened by the distress. She thought for a moment, perhaps, no, for certain this is why they never faced anyone. Though the man she saved one day was far from upset, downright grateful in fact. Still, she couldn't bare the sight. She lept into Farrah's lap, and tried to console her. This finally got Farrah's attention. Her friend, with both arms wrapped around her belly for as far as they could reach, she pushed her pain aside and returned with a single hand. Farrah placed her palm on Talia's back gently and held it there. She sighed. Still shaken by it, she couldn't help but feel bitter, but still she held it back for her friend who too was not feeling well. "I'm..." Taking a moment to breath it "...Sorry"

"You don't need to worry about him at all." Talia consoled "He's in the past."

They sat there for a while, on the hill, overlooking the town.

"Is that why you don't talk to people Farrah?" Talia asked

"Not really."

"Then what did you do to him before?"

"Nothing, I never met him."

"He just jumped out and yelled at you."

"Yes... He did..." Taking a moment to think about new next words. "I don't care what people think of me."

"I thought he would treat you a lot different with you being all earthchild on him and all. I thought guy went mad over that kind of thing. Not... That mad."

Farrah smiled "Indeed." She looked back at the town, still deeply bitter, and maybe with a little less clear of thought. She was over the pain, now, she pondered. "Talia."

"Yeah?" Her friend looked up.

"I need to do something for a moment.

"Wait." Talia broke off. Being picked up and placed down on the ground. Unwillingly. She waved her arms about trying to break free. "You're not going to do something stupid are you?" Farrah did not respond. "You are not going back there."

"Just stay right there... I'll be back before you know it."

"You are going back there! This isn't some kind of vengeance game!"

"I'm not going for vengeance."

"If I were going back, I'd be going for vengeance! Don't you lie!"

Farrah smiled falsely and flew off. Indeed, it was vengeance.

She flew down to the store and landed softly. Everyone looked at her somewhat more concerned that before. She quietly entered the shop to avoid contact with the shopkeeper. It was not on the counter where she left it, looking back to where originally found it, it was not there either. She tried to quietly sneak around, whilst also being swift about it. Now that they were out of sight it was a race to find them and leave. A man that bitter had no right to such belongings. She lived outcasted already, she abide the law simply out of respect, that man lost her respect. She was determined. As she turned the corner she found them on the back table behind the counter. Before she could swoop out to get them the young rabbit came out of the back room, expecting to see her.

"I figured you would return." He said kindly. Farrah jumped and gasped instantly turning to him. "Don't worry, my father is out in the back with a wet towl. You managed to aggravate him quite a lot, but don't worry, he's fine.

"You... Don't mind me bei..."

"Not at all." Farrah was relieved but thought back to Talia's comments. She felt indecent and objectified. "My father explained to me what the problem was, I don't believe in it one bit. Things should be different now." He explained reaching for the goggles. "Time's have passed, and I doubt anyone would care about that anymore." He handed them to her. "If you want them, you can have them, no charge."

Farrah gulped. "Th, thank you..."

"You do know they are child size though, right?"

"It's for my friend."

"Alright, I figured, I was just curious... In a few years, I'd love to see you around again, by then I should have this place all to myself." Farrah nodded gratefully and turned to leave "Oh," he continued, "and as a word of caution, you may not want to stay around for too long, best be on your way. Take care."

She agreed "Thank you again."

"No problems."