Mei stared out at the misty ocean, her arms resting on the windowsill. Despite her blindness, she could tell that it was misty because of the moisture wafting against her face. The kingdom of Chikara was always beautiful this time of year, or so she was told. All she knew about her home were the tastes, touches, smells, and sounds.
And oh, how many sounds there were. From her position up in the clifftop palace, she could hear fisherman hollering to each other. The rustle of the wind in the leaves accompanied by the gentle creaking of branches.
But even those were drowned out by the sounds in her mind that kept repeating over and over. Her sister shouting at their father to treat Mei like a normal princess. The creed of the broken Chikarans, all pledging to serve to the best of their ability. Wei's protests that Mei shouldn't be lumped in with them just because of her blindness.
Mei let out a long, hard sigh. She was so tired of being trapped here. Everyone was convinced that she was the servant princess, that she was the sole attendant of Princess Wei. Everyone knew that Wei was to be the future heir to Chikara's throne, and not Mei.
She hated the prejudiced, traditional society that she'd been born into. She, and everyone else with disabilities, shouldn't be looked down on just because they weren't "whole". It had been too long that she'd put up with this. Far too long.
250 wordsResolve firm, Mei was about to head back inside to gather her belongings when a strange noise caught her attention. It almost sounded like waves crashing in reverse, though Mei knew that was impossible. She'd lived by the sea her whole life and not once had heard something like this.
And then the sound was gone, replaced by wingbeats. Mei craned her neck upward. Something was coming, and it sounded like--
A thump signaled a creature landing on the roof of her pagoda.
Stiffening, Mei tried not to panic as whatever-it-was crawled around up there, breathing heavily. She dared not speak and attract what might be a predator down here. As much as she hated it, she was virtually defenseless.
"Who are you?"
She started at the sound of a voice behind her. Whipping around, Mei tried to fix her terrified expression. "I-I'm blind. What are you?"
The mystery creature chuckled. "I'm a winged lion. I have the ability to phase between dimensions. Yours called out to me for some reason, though I can't imagine why." The sound of fur rubbing against itself, like he was cocking his head to the side. "Are you in need of escape?"
She gaped at him. "How did you know?"
"It's one of my abilities," he continued. "Comes with the phasing. But if you're looking to escape this realm, I can help you."
Mei hesitated. "How do I know I can trust you?" Escape sounded so tempting, so enticing... but she'd wound up in bad situations before. She didn't want to sign herself up for something that could turn out to be a fake.
270 words"I once had to leave my own realm because of unnatural causes." He sighed. "I know what it's like to have a life you don't want thrust on you. I can help you start over, if you want it."
Mei lifted her chin. "Where do I sign?"
"Sign?" he echoed. "I'm sorry; even with my frequent travels between realms, I don't understand regional slang."
"It means yes." Mei slowly walked forward, hand outstretched, until she felt soft fur in her grasp. "How do I do it?"
"I can take you to the lion realm," he offered. "I can help you transform into a lion. No one will know about your life here. You can start over with no baggage."
Mei bit her lip as her sister's face flashed across her mind. What would Wei think of this? She was always so adamant about getting Chikara to accept Mei for who she was. Could Mei really bear to leave the one person she cared about?
She let out a long sigh. "Okay. Let's do it."
"Hop on my back, between my wings. That'll be the easiest way to transport you out of here."
Mei was just settling herself on his back when she heard alarmed shouts. "Go, go!" she urged Boaz. "Those are the guards. We have to go now."
He leaped up into the air, his powerful wings beating to keep them aloft. Mei tucked herself close into his back, grabbing fistfuls of his mane. Then came the backwards-wave noise, and then she was swept away.
256 wordsIt felt like she was getting dragged through a hole in space and time. Every fiber of her being was stretched and squished as they passed between dimensions. And then they were through to the next realm.
Boaz came to a sudden stop, so quick that Mei almost flew right over his head. "Is this it?" she gasped, trying to get air back into her lungs. "Is this the lion realm?"
"Yes," Boaz answered, starting to lumber off somewhere. Mei struggled to stay on his back as he walked. "It's a full moon tonight... perfect."
"What? It was only mid-morning back home. What time is it now?"
"That's the thing with other realms; things often are different than the previous one. It looks to be just after sunset." Boaz kept turning his neck from side to side, as though looking for something. Mei wondered what he was searching for, but she kept her mouth quiet.
"So, how are you going to turn me into a lion?" Mei ventured. She was a little bit uneasy at the thought of having four legs instead of two; she was used to being a person, and not an animal. But if she was able to start over, it would be worth it.
"Oh, I'm not."
"But you said--" Mei started
"I said I can help you. I can't do it myself, but I know someone who can."
Mei let out an annoyed sigh. She'd dealt with people like Boaz back home, people who thought she was stupid enough to buy into their ploys. And with every lumbering step, she was starting to wonder if this was just a scam, and if she'd gotten herself into a bad, bad situation.
285 words"What exactly are we looking for?" she ventured. "What's so important about sunset and the full moon?"
"I'm trying to find you a moonfolk," Boaz said. "A moonfolk has the ability to change someone else into one of their kind."
"I thought you said you'd help me turn into a lion," Mei pointed out. "Not a moon-whatever."
"A moonfolk is primarily a lion," he sighed. "They remain in their lion form for twenty-nine days out of thirty. On the full moon they just transform into a more powerful form." He stopped, and Mei could have sworn he was looking at her. "The transformation process isn't--you know what, you'll see how it goes when we find one."
That wasn't the most reassuring comment ever, but Mei tried to swallow her fear and keep herself calm. Everything was going to turn out just fine.
They continued wandering (at least, she assumed they were wandering) for another fifteen minutes. Mei was beginning to wonder if Boaz had dropped them in the wrong location when she heard growling.
"What was that?" she asked, her voice low.
"A moonfolk. She just transformed."
Mei's eyes widened in alarm, but she said nothing. Her grip on Boaz's mane tightened as he stalked toward the moonfolk. Her heart started fluttering out of control, and though she tried to keep herself straight and tall like she'd been instructed to all her life, every fiber of her being was telling her to flee while she still could. But she forced herself to stay still and not move a muscle.
259 words