Shifting Sands (A WOF Fanfiction)

Chapter Four- Flashbacks

Oryx

    "I can't believe you said that to her." I was flying home with Macaque, because, as much as I hated to admit it, I needed his help, mostly with carrying my harp. I certainly didn't need his help with a relationship, however, though someone obviously didn't get that. 

"I can't believe you let an opportunity like that just walk away! C'mon man! I even set you up for it!" 

    "No, Macaque. If I want to get in a relationship with someone in the future, which I won't, leave it alone and let me handle it, okay? Plus, You don't exactly know how to handle females either."

"Well, that was just cold. And just because I'm gay doesn't mean I don't know how to work a relationship. Quite the opposite, actually." He grinned.

    "What if she was part of the Talons? Maybe Rattlesnake sent her here to drag me back to her palace, or just kill me. I can't make any new friends until I know for sure that they won't murder me in my sleep." The Rainwing just looked at me blankly, and I noticed that on the tips of his wings a deep scarlet was inching its way up towards his torso, showing his deeper feelings in that unfortunate way that Rainwings have.

"Oryx, if you're never going to open up, you're never going to find real happiness in your life. You have to start your new life somewhere." I didn't respond, but instead just gazed ahead, towards the thick, imposing pine forest that marked the edge of Sanctuary borders. I had built the home that I was (hopefully) going to live in for the rest of my younger years until I found... something worth moving away for. Maybe someday I'd actually be able to return to the desert, but until Rattlesnake was dead, I was staying here, on the outskirts of Sanctuary, where I was relatively safe, had a good home, plenty of food and supplies, and a couple friends for company.

    "I hope you're mulling about all the questionable life choices you've made in your life so far." Macaque couldn't keep his big mouth shut for long, apparently. 

"You wish." I shot back.

    "Well then, tell me what's on your mind. The silence and flying straight forward is boring me to death. I'd rather hear what's going on up there."

"I..... I'm just thinking of home. And the desert. And how, only a couple days flight away, there's an entire cult-thing that wants me dead. You know, the usual." My tone had a bitter tinge, even I could hear it. But who cared? I did't really know what to feel at the moment.

    "Well, I'm thinking of how we first ran into each other. Remember that?" I chuckled under my breath. 

"How could I forget it?" It had taken me a Quarter Cycle to fly from the desert to the Frosted Pine Forests, a place I had heard of when I was still with the Talons of Power. A couple of soldiers had been discussing Sanctuary, a town that had been built by the Talons of Peace almost 120 years ago. There was no Talons of Peace anymore, because there hadn't been a Great War in almost 110 years. This was because of the Animus Accord, an agreement made between the Queens of all the 10 Tribes after the Breath of Evil had been defeated. They all agreed that their Tribes would not wage war against each other for 100 years, and the deal had been sealed by each of their blood and the animus magic of late Princess Anemone, late Prince Turtle and Jerboa II.

    But Vulture's Talons of Power hadn't died out. And they had started a killing spree lately, especially targeting hybrids, under the twisted command of Vulture's granddaughter Rattlesnake. That was why I'd left, or one of the reasons, anyway. And so I had decided that at my first chance, when I saw even a glimmer  of freedom, I would take it- it would only have been a matter of time before I was one of their targets as well, blacksmith or not. I would fly to the Frosted Pine Forests near Sanctuary and I would build a home there to lay low in until Rattlesnake and the Talons stopped searching for me. The evening that I had finally made it to Sanctuary I'd landed on the outskirts and debated going to an Inn or trying to find a place to stay somewhere nearer, but it was just too risky.  Plus, I just needed to make it across the city and I could build a shelter and fire, then I would be relatively safe and I could rest. 

I had already been exhausted from flying and lack of hydration by the time I'd gotten to Sanctuary, but when I cleared the city and was about to fly over the forest, I'd blacked out for a second. Whether it was from dehydration, exhaustion, or just relief that I had finally made it, that I was safe from the Talons, at least for now, I had  suddenly woke up and found myself plummeting in a free fall towards the dark pines. I flailed, but my body had gathered so much momentum that there was no chance that I would have been able to stop myself. So I braced myself for impact, and held my satchel full of my only belongings tight to my chest.

    I'm not sure how long I lay there drifting in and out of consciousness, but at some point Macaque had tapped my head and shouted in my ear. I'd woken up, finally, and he had smirked at me.

"Man, you really sleep hardcore. Is it medical?" And at that point I had freaked out and lunged at him. Poor judgement on my part, everyone knows that Rainwings can be almost as dangerous as Icewings, or more so, depending on the individual. Queen Moonflower, Glory and Deathbringer's daughter, had really helped the Tribe grow, especially in confidence and technologies. 

    So then we'd slashed at each other for a while until I collapsed and blacked out, yet again. I had woken up at his hut in the trees that he lived alone in, and from there we had slowly become friends, and then roommates. I still lived at his place, although we've been working on a tree house of my own. The Hut is totally out in the open with no defense mechanisms whatsoever, and it makes me kind of edgy just thinking about what would happen if Rattlesnake actually did send someone after me.