The Curse's Breath

Chapter Six

Celni's toes peeked over the edge of the rock she was standing on. She peered down at the drop before her. The ground was close enough that she wouldn't break any bones, but far enough that she would get that feeling of falling for a good couple seconds.

Today was her first day as a soldier in the army. She really should be still in bed, resting up for her big day.

But she had to know.

She had to know if it was real.

She didn't even know what she'd do if it was. Or if it wasn't. But her mind wouldn't rest easy until she knew for sure.

So here she was, alone on top of a small mountain near the north of the humans' territory.

The way she figured, the wings had appeared when she had gotten the sensation of falling in her dream. If the wings were real, they would come out as a preservation response. That's the only way she could think through this insanity in a logical manner.

It was really early in the morning. The sky was just starting to lighten as the sun reached its rays out in a sleepy stretch. A faint, chilly breeze wafted through Celni's hair, toying with the cinnamon brown strands before sailing off into the air. A single bird let out a sleepy chirp before settling back into its nest. All else was quiet.

Though the setting around her was peaceful, Celni was anything but. Fear echoed emptily in her heart, pulsing into her veins.

She wasn't sure which was the worse option. Being a monster, or being mentally insane. She was tempted to just go back home and pretend nothing had happened.

She shook her head furiously, a scowl forming on her face. She had been running thoughts through her brain for hours upon hours already. There was no more time to be a coward. Now was the time to act.

Before Celni could give it another thought, she jumped off of the edge. The air rushed against her eyes and her stomach lurched.

She could see the ground coming closer and her heart leapt with fear. Too late she came to the grim conclusion that the wings weren't coming out. Celni braced herself for impact as her body slammed into the ground. The rocks in the ground pressed into her limbs upon impact, marking the spot where bruises would appear later. Dirt skimmed her skin, cutting marks into the thin layers. Her body rolled twice before the momentum died down and she was left with the sting of flesh wounds.

Celni gave a grunt of annoyance, her eye twitching. She was used to getting hurt like this when she trained with Jahier. But the burning sensation on her skin still wasn't pleasant.

However, it would not stop her. She started to stand up to try again when something smacked her square in the nose.

She was shocked for a moment, her vision blacking and her nose immediately starting to throb. Then her vision cleared.

Once again, two ice blue wings protruded from her back, lying there innocently like they had done nothing.

"Really?" Celni cried, her voice echoing in the still air. She was too frustrated with the lunacy of it all to even be amazed that it was true that she had wings. "You come out now?"

But she sobered quickly when she looked back again. They weren't disappearing this time. They were real. This wasn't a nightmare or even a daymare. She, Celni Halderan, had wings.

She was a monster.

A wave of emotions swelled over Celni, threatening to drown her. Anger that she was poisoned with the likeness of those creatures. Despair that this nightmare was true. Fear that she would be lynched when people found out.