The Hope of the Last

Chapter One: A Brighter Flame

DO NOT SKIP THE PROLOGUE! Thank you and enjoy the show ~Usagi ^-^

Cautiously, I edge along the high precipice that is next to my home. I try not to look down for fear of losing my balance. A cold wind whips past my small frame and I hold tightly to the wall. I can see the entrance to my cave, and relief slowly spreads through my frozen body, but is quickly replaced with caution.

The cave is the kind of place that is rare to find. It is relatively safe from Higher Beings and the nook runs deep into the mountain, allowing me to have multiple rooms (most of which have fallen into disuse as all of the previous inhabitants have disappeared). The cavern is quite desirable, indeed, and if someone or something were to find it during my journey for food, they would not leave easily. In my nine-day absence, someone may have found my cave, so I am very careful to not make noise as I maneuver around the rocks at the mouth of my home.

I listen intently for footsteps or breathing. After a few minutes of silence, I creep past the large boulder that blocks most of the entrance, and begin to unsaddle myself of my burden. Once I have put the new store of food in its proper place, I make my way back to the room that I use as my sleeping quarters. I rest my back on the wall as i undo the nylon straps on the front of my snowproof coat cover.

I begin calculating the time it will take me to get through my food stores. I decide that between the large haul I have just brought in and the small amount that I had before I left, I should go out again in month. I take a sharp rock and draw a rough 30 on the wall above my bed,then sit down. I get up again almost immediately, feeling the freezing blanket even through the layers of pants I'm wearing. I go across the room to the naturally-made fireplace and build a fire. It will still take a while to warm up, but the heat will last once it is warm.

I sit back down on my bed, trying to ignore the cold, and wrap my blanket around my shoulders. My body goes rigid and I freeze. Something's wrong. I can sense it. I listen closely to the still silence (nothing); I look around the medium-sized room trying to spot any movement at all (nothing); I try to sense a presence... I feel something very small deeper in the cave, maybe a mouse. It doesn't bother me because I know that with the cold, it will die soon. But then, I inhale deeply, drawing on the heightened senses of my wolves' blood that I have inherited from my late father.

Blood. The strong smell of blood is everywhere. How did I not notice it before?! My nose must have still been frozen from the biting cold ouside, dulling my smell. I stand, and try to track down the source of the smell, quickly tracing it to a far back room that was once used for supply storage. I hesitate outside the doorway and feel for a presence inside the room. There is a faint heartbeat, and a mind that is extremely weak. This must be the small presence that I had felt earlier.

Taking a deep breath, I step into the small chasm, and find myself looking at a huge pile of silver veathers. The mound is shaking slighly, and seems to be the source of the faint heartbeat. I see traces of dried blood snaking through the feathers as I look closer. I cautiousl reach out, and press my hand to the thing. Still warm, but barely alive. I've never seen anything like this creature before. I try to recall anything my father said about a large feathered creature, but nothing comes to mind except for birds and the Sharpbeaks, giant Higher Beings in the form of carnivorous birds with a sheep's body. But this thing is much smaller than a Sharpbeak. It is human-sized.

I let my curiosity get the best of me for once, and move to see its face. As I turn it over, I see no face of an animal, but that of a human no older than my own 19 years. Realization dawns on me and I can't believe what I have lying here in front of me. He is a Nightwing; the last of his kind as far as I know.They have been thought to be extinct for over a hundred years, but now I have one sitting here in front of me.

He is only halfway through his transformation from bird to man, apparently too weak to carry on. He seems to have been wounded across his chest, and his arm lays across his stomach at an odd angle. I decide that it is now my duty to heal him. I pick him up, and am surprised to find that he is no heavier than a small dog. I come to the conclusion that his bones must still be hollow from his bird form and think of it no more.

I bring him to an empty bedroom that belonged to a friend before she disappeared. I set him gently on the bed, being careful not to disturb his gash or dislocated shoulder. Once I'm satisfied with the way he is settled under the blankets, I begin to pull the bed through the doorwy to my own room so that I can tend to his chest and shoulder in a warm room. I go over to my father's old stash of medical supplies and bring out a bottle of disinfectant, a large roll of wide bandages, and a shoulder splint.

I go back over to the Nightwing and pull back the blanket just far enough to get to his chest. I take some of the disinfectant and pour it onto a cloth before wiping the blood from around the wound. I clear the dirt from the over-sized cut and am relieved to find that it is not too deep to cause permanent crippling. I use the knife from my bedside table to cut the right amount of bandage from the roll and proceed to wrap it around his chest, covering the wound completely. Once I am satisfied that the binding is good enough, I turn my attention to the shoulder. I will need him to be awake so that he can sit up while I relocate it, so that I can have the right angle. For now, I can just put the splint on it to keep him from trying to move it around.

Once I have finished tending to him, I put the remaining supplies in their proper places and the knife back on my bedside table. I begin to unbuckle my boots when I hear a slight rustling.

I glance over at him to see if he has stirred at all, and see that most of the feathers have disappeared from his face and arms. The wings that had just been lying crumpled beneath him seem to have retracted, leaving him in a more comfortable position. I bring my eyes to his face once more and study the soft features. His hair is the same silver that the feathers are, and lays in strands on his face. His lashes lay on his hollow cheeks, and his slightly pointed nose resembles a beak. His lips are slightly raised as well, contrasting with the soft cheeks and forehead. His skin is very pale, and he is so thin, it looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks.

I suddenly realize how tired I am from such a long jouney, and my eyes flutter from exhaustion. The room is warmer now, and it feels good to sit down on my bed. I ease my boots the rest of the way off and slip out of my jacket and coat. One of the three pairs of pants comes off as well and I slip under the heavy blankets and sheets. I look over at my patient once more, then allow my thoughts to fade from my mind, with darkness taking their place.

Sooooo... What do you think? If you would vote, that would be great. But if you could comment, then I will love you forever!!!! Vote, comment, give praise to the rabbit gods!!!!! ~Usagi ;D