Ashes Take Flight

CHAPTER 2: A Child Raised In Hell

FOUR YEARS LATER:

Touya's POV:

I wake up to the sounds of blood curdling screams like everyday. The sun has raised and with it comes the carnivorous plants that lined this maze. Popa stain has a fire going with tiger meat cooking for us to eat.

"Just in time red. Food's about done."

I rub the sleep from my eyes and walk closer. As he gave me a leg to eat. I squeezed the juice from a berry nearby onto it.

"Wow, up to a whole berry now? At this rate you'll be unaffected by all poisonous plants in this hellhole."

"I learned from you pops. So of course I'll be powerful."

As we were eating. Fire arrows light up the sky above us and fly overhead.

"Looks like another idiot tried to climb the walls again. When will they learn we're never getting out of here?"

"We will one day pops, because I'll defeat the empirore."

"Talking like that will get us both killed."

"Sorry popa."

He pats my head and ruffles my hair. Causing me to giggle. The sound carries all around us as everything else is quiet. Once we finish eating. We put out the fire and pops picks me up. I lay on his back as we run away from where we were. Not long after we left. I saw more arrows fly and hit where we were.

"Why does the town guards shoot at fires popa?"

"It's to kill us off for sport. The empirore loves to watch us from his perch and play God about who lives or dies. So to stay alive. We can't draw attention to ourselves with light or smoke. Remember what I told you before?"

"Light at night makes your spirit take flight, but smoke in the morn gets you the poisoned horn."

"That's right now stay down."

I pushed my face 8nto his back as we ran. Soon the arrows stop whistling. That's when I heard birds. We were in the middle where a pond is at for water. I go to hunt for food and end up catching a rabbit and a red bird. Quickly returning to popa's side.

"Look what I caught popa!"

His eyes widen as he sees the bird. That's when he backhanded me.  I begin to snub as tears started to fill my eyes.

"Never hurt the red birds of icarus! They're the only things keeping me and you alive!"

I nod yes and set the bird free. Only for it to fly on the nearby wall and look at popa with it's golden eyes. Popa bows to it.

"Please forgive him icarus. I have yet to tell him. I know you wanted me to, but I don't think it's time yet."

The bird looks at the castle and back at popa before looking at me. That's when it quickly flys and grabs my feather necklace. Giving it to popa and pecks his head.

"Okay okay I'll tell him tonight. Sheeeesh!"

I stopped crying when the bird sat on my head and gave back the feather.  As popa tried to shew the bird away. It squacked and bit at him. I giggled and pat it's head softly.

"Sorry for hurting you, I hope you'll stay by my side forever icu.... ica."

I grunt it frustration as I can't say icarus. So I give him a name.

"Hawks."

The bird cews and sits on my head as we fished for dinner.