A Monster's Wings | SBI AU

3

Philza

On the way to the farm, the two men come across a scrawny blond boy having a sword fight with a tree.

"Hi Dadza, Techno! Where are you going? Can I come?" Techno sighs. As much as he loves this boy like a brother, he knows him well enough to know that taking him along would erase any stealth from the mission.

"Go bother Wilbur or something."

Happy with the task, he runs off to find the third brother in their found family. Philza looks to his pink-haired son and wordlessly asks, how will we tell him about this? Techno shrugs and continues to lead the way to the farm. "Here it is," he gestures to the ground and crouches to inspect it again, looking for forgotten clues. Techno looks up to gauge the reaction of his dad, but his eyes are trained somewhere else. "Uh, Philza?" No response brings Techno back to his feet, following his Dad's line of vision to the horizon. He tries to see from his perspective, searching for whatever caught his attention. Finally, he sees it. An incredibly thin line of smoke trailing into the sky. "A fire?"

Philza is finally shaken from his concentration. "It has to be the person you saw."

"What do we do?"

"You saw the size of the handprint Techno. There's a kid out there who had to steal because they were hungry. I-" Phil's voice breaks, "I have to see if I can help."

"Then let's go."

Evangeline

While slowly rotating her stolen goods over a fire, the girl burns her tongue on half-baked potatoes as hunger knows no patience. Finally able to clear her mind with the satisfaction of a meal, she lays down to assess the situation. Evangeline is tired of running. Everywhere she goes, she is chased away. She knew she is not welcome, which is why she chose this forest in the first place. No one is around to hunt the freak. A branch snaps. I guess I spoke too soon. With rapid action she kicks sand into the fire to put it out and grabs her bag. She is only left with a decision to make: run or hide. A voice is carried to her ears. No time to decide. With practiced skill, she swings herself into a tree, perching on a branch high above the ground.

"There it is!"

She shakes as the figures come into view. The two men stand there in silent thought, scanning the area. Evangeline's heart is beating out of her chest.

Then Techno speaks up. "The fire was just put out, but I didn't hear them leave."

"They must still be here." Philza locks eyes with Techno and exchanges a silent conversation.

Evangeline holds her hands over her mouth. She has to act now. Turning to readjust her position, she is jerked backwards. Oh no. The lacing of her corset is irreversibly tangled, leaving her no choice. As silent as possible, she frees herself from her harness, releasing her connection to the tree. Wind rushes through her feathers, dancing in celebration. Evangeline takes a sharp breath in, then jumps from the tree. Her landing announces her escape, so she wastes no time in putting as much distance between her and the strangers.

"There they go!" Techno tenses and prepares for a chase.

"No!" His sleeve is yanked backwards. "You'll scare them off." Both men sigh and kick the dirt in defeat.

"Hey Phil did you get a good look at her?"

"Her?" he buries his face in his hand. "It's a little girl. Oh, she must be terrified."

"Yeah... It just- it looked like she was carrying something on her back. It was white and bulky."
"I didn't see that no, I was caught up in how young she looks." Phil was still beating himself up, wallowing in empathy.

Techno looks at his father with concern in his eyes. "We'll find her, don't worry."

A/N Good morning! If it's not morning: good afternoon, good evening and goodnight! I hope you are having a lovely day and if you are not: remember that the dark parts of life make the good parts so much brighter!