Long ago, when the world was first created, Flights and Furs were created as equals, eye to eye. However, those unwilling to live in equality turned away, shaming their kind forever and thus becoming what is known today as Slithers. Condemned to hide fearfully in dark places, eating rats and vermin, and shunned from all other humanity. They wanted revenge. They cleverly decided upon a plan, willing to risk their lives in order to trick the Flights. Successful, they penetrated the Flight forces, hiding cleverly among them. As time grew on, power gradually shifted towards the Slither's power, the world becoming corrupt. Revenge acquired.
Among the citizens of the land, Jay is an average Flight-girl, living her days away working on her family's farm. But when mysterious dreams begin to infiltrate her mind, will she begin to question all that is familiar and known to her? Suddenly, her life as she knows it is thrown off course, and it might never be the same again.
The chilly wind rushed over the moor, causing the grasses to bend and sway rhythmically. Somber colors decorated the horizon, and the cloudy sky was crying. As far as the eye could see, the land was blackened and smoking, once green trees leafless.
In the midst of the melancholy landscape were resting figures, kneeling before something in anguish. The tallest figure, a boy, was standing up, running his fingers through his jet-black hair. Turned away from the others, a single tear trickled down his cheek as he scrunched his face up in sorrow and lowered his head so it faced the ground. Slowly, his knees bent and his body followed the movement of his head until he was squatting on the ground with his face buried in his hands. Hands above his head, the tears were beginning to fall faster now, the ground growing damp directly beneath him.
After a moment, a slender girl silently stepped up to his side, placing a delicate hand on his heaving shoulder. He looked up at the girl, the girl who had once seemed so childish and naive to him, the girl who had proven him wrong, the girl who had saved his life. The girl who loved him... and all he ever did, he realized, was push her away. This time, he placed his worn hand on top of hers, pressing it into his shoulder, embracing the feeling of someone, of reality. Dropping her hand, he stood up as he wiped away the tears with his sleeve. His hardened face of determination replaced that of sorrow, but this time it seemed colder. His brief moment of mourning was over. The small girl stepped back, dropping her outstretched hand to her side, her brow creased with worry. Turing to her, he breathed heavily in and closed his eyes, then breathed out as his eyes flickered open. Turning, he clasped his hand on the girl's shoulder as he walked passed her.
Edging his way towards the cliff side, he pulled out his long katana. For a moment, the angelic girl held her breath, but she did nothing to stop him. He held out his left arm, holding the katana with his right. The girl began to surge forward as he drew the weapon up towards his face, but stopped as silently and suddenly as she had started. He unwrapped a piece of string from the sword, attached to the end was a single blue and black feather - a jay's feather. Pulling the remainder of the string from the hilt, he sheathed the katana. Her head starting to become dizzy, the girl let out her breath. She watched as he pressed the feather to his lips. For a moment he let the soft object linger there, drinking in it's presence. With a slow movement of the arm, he held the string out off the cliff, the feather attached to the end, and allowed it to dance in the wind. Eventually, he let the string slip through his fingers allowing the wind to carry the colorful token away. His eyes followed the feather until it disappeared into the stormy gray. He paused, dipping his head in sorrow for only a minute before turning around and walking back over to the group, passing the slight girl without even a glance. She turned away quickly in order to keep her sadness hidden. He wore a painted expression of harsh anger and resentment, the face that had been thought replaced for good.
Now it was the girl's turn to mourn. Standing there near the edge of the cliff edge, the wind ruffled her dress and dried her tears as they fell. A deep longing filled her chest, and an intense loss burned at her stomach. The sobbing fits became faster and more frequent, choking her and burning her throat. Still standing, she gazed out upon the broken land. She squeezed her eyes closed as if when she reopened them the horror would all disappear. To her dismay, the events that had occurred the past few days were not a dream, and at the reopening of her eyes the same scene was still in front of her, but this time mottled and blurry from her warm tears. Looking up at the sky, she saw only dark clouds. However, the clouds were beginning to part, the rain beginning to subside, the endless wind beginning to ebb. Rays of delicate light washed over the girl, bathing her in sunlight. Her blond, almost white, hair seemed to glow. The sky was slowly turning from gray into a dark, rich orange of a sunset. Astonished, she reached her arms out at her sides and stared out at the setting sun allowing the brilliant reds to set her on fire. Her translucent white garments allowed the light to peek through turning her clothes a blazing pink. Turning from their circle, the others looked towards her, their jaws dropping ever so slightly.
"Sunlight." it was the only word spoken, yet it was enough. Everyone knew what it meant. Everyone knew the symbol of the light.
Hope.
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