Flerae: A Lie Untold

Chapter 28: Swimming Feels Like Such a Relief

- Ocean -

The cat dragon has left. No sign of Ti. Other than her smell and the scuffed up leaves, it looks like she never was there.

I sniff the air, trying to follow her smell. I experience no luck. When I ran away, without showing any signs of going with her, she most likely jumped into the sky and flew back to the orphanage.

I sigh. I guess I'll just go to the Orphanage, that is where she wanted to bring me right?

I turn towards north, the direction of the orphanage. I've spent enough time exploring the city in my free time to know where it is. Multiple times I've had to ask strangers questions to figure out what some of the buildings are used for. 

The shortest route to the orphanage involves flying over, or swimming through Poison River. The river shines beautifully in the light of the sunrise. Most cat dragons would gladly fly over it. Not me. I'd much rather swim than fly. The height, the feeling that I'm going to fall at any second... swimming feels like such a relief.

* * *

The building towers over me. The Orphanage looks very similar to the Land School, with the multitude of mud huts mushed together to create weird humps, round circular rooms, and round sections in the halls. The building, as I notice, appears to be a whole lot smaller than the school. Above the entrance, two clay letters hang, spread far apart from each other. In between them, I see flakes of clay where letters used to hang, before they fell off. 

I approach the doorway, hesitantly peering inside. On the right side of the room, a bunch of pillows made from tibbar fur lay, waiting to be sat on. On the left, a desk, curved to fit the room, sits. On it, a metal bell, the kind that you would tap the top to make a ringing sound. In front and behind the desk two more pillows lay, to be used as chairs. Right across from the entrance, a door blocks access to the rest of the building.

My eyes become drawn to the the bell. To see something made of metal, there on the desk like nothing, like something you would usually have in a room. Metal... metal, one doesn't see it very common on Flerae. The resource exists, and one can commonly find it if looking for it, but... we cats are tree huggers. We hate to leave mountains with gaping holes, we hate to use technology that pollutes and stinks up the air. Metal like this... we don't use it often. We use metal sparingly, only when absolutely necessary.  

I walk toward the metal, touching its silvery surface. My wing touches the little button on top. A small "DING!!!" fills the room. I freeze, feeling scared, like I did something wrong, like by ringing the bell someone will jump out and attack me. 

I sit, staring at the exit, considering leaving. It was pointless coming here. Ti is just going to be mean to me, too.

The closed door, separating this room from the rest of the building, opens. I jump with fright, banging the desk and making the bell ding again.

"Hello!" says a friendly voice, "are you here to-" the voice stops.