The Fauna effect

1.the fauna effect

When I turned 18 the first thing I did was pray for a set of wings.

Life hasn't been easy, or common. Everyone around me wished to be a fairy, or a bird, while I only wished to be like them.

At 12 you start to show your first signs, feathers on your arms, or little wings on your back. When I was 12 the only thing I developed was acne. Everyone around me would show their new characteristics, already knowing who they would be, and I stayed not knowing.

In Eadonth when you turn 20, you either turn into a bird, a fairy, or you die. When you're a bird, the best way to put it is that you're free, you spend your life travelling and helping the warriors protect the skies, eventually finding someone you like and have a family with them.  

When you're a fairy you stick to help nature do its thing, by making sure the water stays potable and the flowers grows beautifully, eventually spending your life taking care of it and helping others with it too. For men is different though, when they're fairies, they spend their days taking care of the land by protecting themselves from others trying to take it. They're strong, and they fight every day to protect us, they're called the Eadonth's warriors. They're the only ones that don't have wings, they ride the biggest birds, which I consider badass to say the least.

When you turn out to be none of them, you're killed. 

It's simple and quick, it means a human was in your bloodline, which is a betrayal to our kingdom.

My parents are both fairy, and they called me Fauna in a way to ask nature for me to be the same. I would be lying if I said they're not worried since I've looked the same for years. As I arrive to our small kitchen, they start making a conversation meant for that size.

"Hi, so, you know it's an important day-" My mom starts

"Yes, I know mom"

My dad breathes in deeply "We just want you to know that we love you, and whatever you get won't change how we feel about you, even if you have to move"

"I know" I lie, while rushing to get out of the door, watching everyone else do the same.

I roll my eyes as I feel the burning of stares in my direction. Throughout the years I learned to ignore them although they feel entitled to look at the "human girl". 

It wasn't easy to be different, the first 12 years of my life were normal, and then one day they weren't. When I turned 13 I accepted that I'd never be anyone, that maybe I was the different, the exception of a human born in a marriage between fairies. Maybe I'd die by 20.

When I went to school after my 13th birthday a bunch of kids surrounded me, then started hitting me, kicking me until I was coughing blood, until I saw nothing but my dreams being crushed. Until I realized I'd never let anyone bully me like this again. 

Which made me train.

I started with a little dagger, hitting eggs I'd place in branches of trees, then I moved to my now proclaimed favourite, the cross bow. Which I stole from a warrior that came to visit his kids. I'd train in the forest, hitting eggs and plants. I knew that if I got caught I'd die, but who cares, I'll die by 20 anyway, might as well defend myself while I'm at it.

When the clock strikes to the date of new year, we celebrate by going to the central of the city, where we meet doctors that'll test us in secret tents and officially tell us what we are and where we should be. Either here, on fairy world, or if you're a bird, move to the sky kingdom. It's a formality really. Since everyone pretty much knows what they are by that time. But not for me, a small part of me is afraid I'll be human, but I try to remind myself that it's impossible since my whole bloodline was made by fairies. At least that's what my parents tell me. Speaking of which, I see my dad in the crowd , moving to the 4th tent. Since he's a doctor, he'll do the tests today, more like do mine.