There was no light. At least not a visible source. The vast surrounding land had a faint outline, like the silhouettes of trees at sunset. A heavy fog hung in the air, or something of the like. Barely audible sounds wove in and out throughout it; whispering, murmuring, groaning. Never once did a single word break through.
The fog obscured whatever plants or objects the land held in its clutches, veiled all in one big, distant mystery. The land itself was unfamiliar--though maybe the images were just too blurred to be recognized.
Without warning, a whispering breeze rustled through, and the mist parted slightly like opaque curtains, revealing a lone figure--a person. It was a girl. No--a woman. Yes, a woman. She was young, though, with a river of night-black hair and dark brown eyes that spoke of both love and a world of pain. Her smile was warm and yet creased over with the burden of weariness. She had lived many years in her young life.
Too many.
Out of the blankness a song could be heard. Bent over some distorted object, working perhaps, the woman sang softly to herself, filling the void with its beauty. At first the words were quiet: a soft murmuring hum that sent the melody floating elusively out of reach. But as the song progressed, so did the mysterious woman's voice in both magnitude and beauty. Words suddenly became clear--strings of verses and fragmented choruses. Words, many words, dancing upon the foggy air in disconnected leaps and swirling twirls.
"Sing, little birdie, sing
sing to the whole wide world.
Sing, little songbird, sing
the world is crumbling."
A wind had begun to stir, faintly muffling the clear, ringing voice of the woman.
"It's falling, falling, falling
to the world's greedy heart;
Darkness seeping in like blood,
freedom dying, falling apart."
The gap in the mist was mending itself, and the unknown maiden and her song began to disappear.
"So sing, little birdie, sing
and let the whole world know your song..."
The song continued, but the words were no longer words. They were merely sounds now, with no power behind them.
And then, silence. Complete and utter silence.
The woman was gone.
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Flight (new version)
FantasíaPart I of the Land of Green and Gold Trilogy The war between humans and Elder has ended in the disappearance of magic and the enslavement of those who once wielded it. Years later, a young spriggan named Max toils for his master, the olden days of m...
