Shadows of Ash- Re-writing!!

Chapter One

I told Tom I was going to go get Astraea, or Zero as i've come to call her. I got up from my chair and made my way over to the waiting room she was in. I got many hellos and greetings from workers and janitors as I walked. I was happy to get such a fine young and healthy person for my soldiers yet I was also sad to see that it was... her. The girl that everyone knew about. The one with the past that reached the city papers.

As I walked I began to think of the day when she was first recognized. It was the day of the selection. When all the new healthy eighteen year olds would go up to the Pedestals of Life and get their designated animal chosen. Each animal had a different role in our society, though, one can end up without an animal and be cast down to the lowest district. I am the Snow owl, the head inventors of the megalopolis, Eferis.

When she stepped up to the Pedestals she walked passed all the inventors, scientists, politicians, business, and workers till she finally got to the dreaded hawks. The Shudders. When she finally got to the last and most feared anima, the people sighed. It seemed as if nothing happened, that is, until she grew large black shadow wings and the bird flew off the pedestal and around the room. Leaving a trail of some black shadowy mist in its wake before landing. Her wings disappeared and she ran down to her parents, the crowd staying far away from her as she went. Her parents shrank back and yelled at her to leave. Her eldest brother, Black SparrowHawk as well, was at the exit on the back, left corner of the large, grey metal auditorium. After that, he took her away.

I ran into the wall next to the door leading to my destination. I looked around to make sure no one was watching before knocking on the door and opening it up...

*******

I sat up but soon regretted it when my head exploded in pain. I groaned and held my head in my hands for a while before looking around. I was in a thick forest full of tall luscious trees everywhere along with bushes full of ripe berries here and there. How did I get here? I looked around one more time, "Where am I? How...?" I couldn't think of how I got here... nothing before waking up.

I used the tree next to me to help me stand. Something clanked on the ground behind me and I turn around to see a deep brownish red bow laying on the floor. I pick it up and feel my back for a strap, luckily I found one and hitched the bow onto it. Something caught my eye in the trees and I look up. There was a black bird sitting on a branch. It looked familiar but I couldn't quite place my finger on it. As I was looking up I got a decent amount of direction based off the sun. Looking around one more time I walked Westward toward the fading sun.

As I walk the black bird seemed to fallow me before disappearing when the sun had finally set. I stop at a small clearing and look inside the satchel that I had on my hip. It had some bread and oats along with paper and charcoal. A small bag of coins was at the bottom. I scrummage up some dry sticks and make a small fire pit. It took me a while to finally get the fire going but when I did the heat was amazing as the forest had cooled down without the sun beating on it.

The bird from earlier suddenly swooped down and landed across the fire from me. It tilted its head and let out a shriek, "You're a Black Sparrowhawk!" I suddenly yell and the bird hopped back a few steps. I tell it sorry and look at the animal for a while. It looked back at me. This isn't a good place to rest. I jump as the male ghostly voice echos. I look around for someone but to no avail. No one is out there... yet. Put out the fire and fallow me before they come. The bird flies up into a tree and looks down at me. I look up at it then at the fire. It seemed to nod at me. I threw some dirt on the fire and put the bow on my back and the satchel on my side.

I looked up at the bird and jogged over to the tree the bird was standing under. The bird then moved to another tree and I followed. We went from tree to tree before we came upon a wall with a gate. There were guards on either side of the gate. They had white steel looking armor with what looks like a grey and black wolf on the chestplate. I heard shouting somewhere in the forest and then rushed over to the man with the armor on. He looked me over once and opened his arm, facing the gate, signaling for me to move on.