The wind blew past her pointed ears, ruffling her messily tied-back hair as a beat of her large, feathered wings carried Silah through the vibrant blue skies. The orange and yellow, grassy plains swiftly move below her before suddenly trying to slow herself, stumbling past what initially caught her eye. She circled back around, slowly gliding as a smile came across her face. Below her, pushing, shoving, and growling at each other in the tall grass, was a pair of brightly colored red fox kits, playing with one another. A truly rare and enthralling sight to see.

The tree’s branch began to bend under Silah’s weight upon her landing on it. Her talons wrapped around the branch, locking her firmly in place, now able to observe the kits from a suitable distance. She crouched down and snatched her journal and charcoal pencil from her satchel, prepared to study her new subjects. 

The two kits seemed just as invested in their little play battle as Silah was, peering down from her tree. The smaller fox swiftly bit the side of his brother's neck, limiting his opponent’s movement and giving him the vantage point–or at least it would have if he kept his grip. The larger brother shoved the smaller off of him, causing him to roll over onto the ground, a show of vulnerability, or perhaps a sign of surrender that his brother ignored in favor of biting at his face. The smaller returned the attack and it appeared the kits were racing to see who could bite the others' noses off.  It’s unlikely any of their attacks would be effective against each other in a true fight, as their canines are still so little. That's what she thought, anyway, not having gotten close enough to find out. 

Regardless, the battle continued among the pair of brothers. One leapt at the other, only for him to swat his brother's face and bite his ear. The duo tumbled among the grass, charging, ducking, and lunging to their little hearts content with soft, playful yips and growls making every moment she spent with the foxes worthwhile.

Silah scribbled down notes in her journal, documenting every little action or noise they made, accompanied by some quick sketches of the rambunctious duo. As she wrote she fell into her usual serene trance that journaling brought her. The chattering of birds, accompanied by the rustling of leaves created a gentle tune, soothing to the ear. The warm sun shone down upon the tall grass dancing joyously in the breeze and the air was filled with a comforting autumn scent, making everything feel picturesque. She savored every ounce of bliss as it would be her last day home. Silah would be leaving everything behind for a life of books and studies at college, a dream come true yet, she still frowned. She lifted her eyes from her journaling and propped her head up on her hand to watch the serene view while she still could, the cool wind carrying old memories in its gale.

The two kits' play was eventually interrupted by the sound of a rabbit scurrying through the field, startling them. The pair scurried off and disappeared into their den. The fun was over. Silah sighed and looked up towards the sky and realized more time then she thought had passed. The sun was no longer directly above her, instead it had begun to shift towards the horizon. Frowning, she packed up her journal and took off once again. 

She flew away from the fox den and towards home where chores, work and whatnot would surely cause her to put her studies aside for the rest of the day. Though dreading the prospect, a smile began to creep back onto her face as she reminisced on the kits’ duel, wishing she could have stayed longer. Sharp eyes scanned the ground below as she watched for anything of interest, landing constantly to stop and review a tree, observe an insect or collect some sort of sample as the familiar landscape always hid something new to uncover. 

By the time she landed on her street, oranges and reds were beginning to seep through the horizon. Her home wasn’t a house as much as it was the attic of the tailors shop her mother ran. Not to say it was cramped and dusty like most attics–it was rather nice, though still a bit small. The shop itself was a humble, little wooden rectangle of a building with wear and tear to prove its age. Large windows on either side of the door displayed finely-sewn coats and dresses on winged mannequins. The door had a stained glass window of a cluster of shining pink roses on a blue background near the top that her mother had handcrafted herself. 

The light jingle of a bell sounded above her as she entered the mostly-empty shop. Her mother, a tall, staunchly built woman, set down a piece of fabric she was going over to look up at her with a stern look across her face. 

“Silah, you’re late,” she said with a tone all too soothing and gentle for the expression she bore. 

“Well… Perhaps a bit, but it was undeniably worth it,” Silah stated confidently. 

“Since you missed lunch entirely, you’ll have to wait a few hours for dinner to eat. I have a pile of shirts for you to work on, Mrs. Dolin’s boys’ shirts need their buttons sewn back on.”

“They gotta do that on purpose you know,” Silah said as she picked up the stack of shirts in question.

“Mrs. Dolin can either teach her boys to keep their buttons on or she can continue bringing us paid work, either is fine for me.” Her mother hummed as she returned to her project.

“What an odd habit, what do they even get from this?” Silah muttered to herself as she sat down at a table and chair in the back of the store and began sewing each button back on.

“Are you packed up yet?” Her mother asked.

Silah briefly froze in place, her eyes wide.

“No…” She sheepishly muttered as she shrunk down in her chair.

“...Started at least, right?”

There was no response, and the silence dragged on until her mother let out a long sigh. 

“Silah, you leave tomorrow. You are not allowed to show up to your fancy school with empty hands and dirty clothing,” her mother scolded. “You better get started after dinner.”

“Mhm...” 

It wasn’t even the act of packing that had Silah putting it off for so long, it was the fact that she couldn’t bring her entire room with her. Over the years, her love of all things living had led her to collect a vast variety of collectibles and oddities. From her butterfly collection to her plant samples and even her handful of animal skulls and bones-she was quite proud of the cluster of trinkets she collected. Silah couldn’t imagine leaving any of it behind, not to even dare mention her small library of books she amassed over the years, with their vivid descriptions of plants and animals and sophisticated drawings. 

Her attachment unfortunately couldn’t make the bag bigger nor make her strong enough to carry it, so decisions were going to have to be made. Her lip poked out in a pitiful pout as she selected a button and began threading the string through it. One by one she sewed the buttons on, and one by one she finished mending each shirt. By the time she was done, the sun was dipping further below the skyline. She stood up and stretched out her arms and large, speckled wings as much as the small space would allow her. She paused mid-stretch and smiled as the savory smell of her mother’s cooking crept down from the floor above.

She pulled herself up the stairs tucked back in the corner of the shop, hidden behind the counter and several racks of clothing. She opened the door, leading into the living room of her home with the kitchen only a few steps away. The chair creaked as she sat down at the old, wooden kitchen table that looked as if it could barely hold itself up with matching chairs that didn’t seem to be doing much better.

 “There you are, got all your work done, yes?” Her mother asked.

 Silah nodded. “Took longer than I thought it would though.” 

“Shame you didn’t pack sooner then, could’ve spent the evening relaxing,” her mother taunted, before adding, “Though if you want help with that, you can simply ask.”

“No, no it’s fine, I can do it, it’ll be all done before bed,” Silah replied while averting her gaze briefly before perking up as a bowl of hot stew was placed in front of her. 

“Alright, remember you can only pack what you can carry, and it's a long trip to the station, so don’t over do yourself,” her mother warned as she took a seat across from her, setting down her own bowl of stew on the rickety table. 

 “I know, I promise to not end up squashed by my own luggage,” Silah swore, causing her mother to chuckle. 

“Are you still just as excited? Not even a little nervous, right?”

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“I’ll be learning everything I ever wanted to, I’m thrilled!” She replied, her tone higher pitched and a smile across her face to demonstrate her joy. 

“I rarely get to see you so excited about something.” Her mother smiled.

“I’m usually working when you see me,” said Silah through a mouthful of her stew. The stew was rich and flavorful, the meat and vegetables melding together in perfect harmony. Silah closed her eyes, sinking back into her chair as she took another bite.

“You’re a gloomy worker, that’s why I make you sit in the back,” her mother teased. “But I will miss you, more than you’ll know.  You’re not my little chicklet anymore, are you?” She looked at her daughter wistfully.

Silah sat up to offer her mother a smile. “No, everything grows up. But I’ll visit when I can, I guarantee that.”

Her mother simply nodded with a small smile resting on her face as she reached up to dry her eyes.

After dinner was finished, she helped her mother clean up and headed to her room. She climbed up a steep set of stairs that acted more like a ladder and entered into the true attic of the tailor’s shop. She ducked into her bedroom with ceilings that gave her barely enough room to stand upright, her head only an inch away from grazing it. 

The room was cramped and cluttered with shelves, books and boxes sprawled out across the small space, with half of it dedicated wholly to storage. Silah had her bed tucked away in the corner with her desk sitting next to it, messily littered with papers, jars and containers holding various insects. They were accompanied by a handful of pots and pitchers with plants and flowers growing inside, and a small lantern sat atop a pile of books. There was a soft, cozy rug beneath her bed and a standing mirror resting at the foot of it. Sketches and drawings she had done of plants, animals and insects covered her walls.

She let out a groan as she bent down and pulled out her large leather suitcase from under her bed. She sat it on top of her bed and ducked down once again to pull a large bag with a thin rope to allow her to hang it over her shoulder. First, she needed to gather her essentials, which would be the easy part. She reached into her dresser drawers and picked out her favorite outfits, folded them neatly, and placed them in her suitcase. She shuffled around her room, picking out a hair brush, a few hair accessories, a clean washcloth and a brand new bar of soap. 

By now, her suitcase had little room left, it could only fit two books and the rest would have to fit in the other bag. She scoured each and every book in her collection, considering their contents and her own sentimentality regarding it. Shelf after shelf, she reviewed the books with a great deal of thought, determined to discover the two that she valued most. It was on the verge of midnight by the time she decided on them.

 She tucked both books among the folded clothing in her suitcase. The first book was one she constructed herself, showcasing the local plants and wildlife. Though it lacked the detail she would have put into it nowadays, it was something from home to bring with her. The other was an encyclopedia of exotic animals, containing information on everything from deadly jungle frogs to gentle pandas living in bamboo forests. It was the book that first sparked her love for biology and one of the few things she had left from her father.

Now, she still had another bag to fill. She repeated the process of going over each belonging and fretting over the collection she gained over her lifetime. By the time the bag was full, the sun had begun peeking through her window. In the end, it was a waste. A simple waste. Waste of time, waste of effort, waste of energy. The bag ended up far heavier than anticipated. There was simply no way she could fly with both her suitcase and her bag and narrowing down what to bring any further may as well be impossible. She layed on her bed, staring up tiredly at her ceiling as the sunlight gradually lit up the room, having ended up deciding to leave her bag behind after a bit of repacking.

“Silah! Are you up?!” Called her mothers voice from below.

Silah groaned and pushed herself upright, suddenly dreading the day she was looking forward to for so long. 

“Be down soon!” She attempted to shout back. She fell onto her talons and hobbled over to her dresser where she had an outfit set out. She got dressed, brushed her hair and tied it up with a plain blue ribbon. She rubbed her eyes and shuffled downstairs. Her mother was in the kitchen waiting for her, greeting Silah with a smile when she arrived into the room. 

“Morning, sleep well?”

“...No.” Silah muttered as she got out the plates, cups and silverware and began setting the table.

“Thought so, well once you get to the airship, you can take a nap. Just… Don’t miss your stop.” Her mother advised.

“Right,” she yawned. 

Before long, breakfast was prepared and eaten and Silah was starting to feel more energized and awake, even if it was just barely. She went upstairs to retrieve her luggage before returning and arriving in the living room. Her mother stood up from her armchair and walked up to her to fix the collar of her dress as she looked over her clothing. She wore a proud smile on her face though the look in her mothers eyes made it clear she was already missing her daughter. 

“Keep working hard for me, okay?” She asked as she wrapped her arms around Silah, bringing her into a hug.

“Of course,” Silah replied, leaning into her mothers embrace. Despite the smile on Silah’s face, she suddenly felt like crying though she had no explanation on why. This was the start of something new and exciting, something she’s been working towards since she was little. Her life long dreams were on the verge of coming true yet, her eyes had begun to water all on their own without any reason to explain themselves with.

 Her mother pulled out of the hug to look over her one last time before turning around to pick up a small package sitting on the coffee table. “Here, I got something for you. Open it once you get settled in at college.”

Silah tilted her head slightly as her mother handed her the package. It was a small wooden box secured with a tan ribbon wrapped around it. “Thank you, what’s inside?” She asked as she opened her satchel and began attempting to shimmy it into place within the already packed satchel.

“It’s a surprise.” Her mother laughed.

“Oh.”

Her mother smiled at her one more time before speaking. “I’ll miss you. But you gotta hurry now, you’ll be late.”

Silah nodded. “I’ll write you every week. I promise I won't forget.”

“You’re too scatterbrained to make a promise like that.'' Her mother joked.

She had walked out the door of the humble little tailor’s shop she had grown up in and it would likely be at least a month or so before she would see it again. She glanced back and saw her mother watching from the door, offering her one last wave before Silah took off into the air with a few strong beats of her wings.

She glided over the earth, her heavy suitcase already straining her arms, as if she wasn’t already tired enough. But she planned to arrive at the station within an hour, finally able to rest once she reached there. Until then, she would unfortunately have to continue flying. At least there was a cool breeze, carrying with it leaves of reds and yellows and the sky was a  pale blue with soft, fluffy clouds scattered across it, forming playful but disfigured shapes of creatures prancing above the rising sun, imbued with vibrant pinks and oranges. 

 The pleasant atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by a thunderous crack echoing across the plains. She paused, searching for the source and swiftly spotting it. A line made from a bright, orange glow appeared in the distance, spanning across the land for miles. The pulsating light crept out of the newly formed chasms, the menacing light reaching out over the landscape. Silah watched as the  glow began to gradually grow brighter before suddenly a blinding flash of light consumed everything in sight.

After the flash, everything went dark. She woke up feeling nothing but a stinging pain. From the tips of her wings to her talons, everything hurt. Her legs felt like a boulder had been dropped on them and her wings felt like they'd been stabbed with a thousand needles. She carefully lifted her head up at the near pitch black sky, deducting she must have fallen.

She gritted her teeth together as she pushed herself up right, looking around, attempting to understand her surroundings. It was nothing like the plains she soared over, what felt like only moments before. It was too dark to see much but off in the distance, she made out the silhouette of towers made of glass and stone standing tall, looming over the rest of the environment. Trees larger than she had ever seen before covered the horizon, with a giant, winged beast flying over them. Around her the ground was coarse and rough, apart from a handful of grass tufts poking up from the otherwise dry, barren surface. Eventually Silah saw her suitcase a few feet away from her, and a large barn close by. Hesitantly, she pulled herself to her talons, immediately stumbling but managing to regain her balance. 

Step by aching step she slowly shuffled over to her belongings. She felt her legs pleading with her to stop and lie down with every slight movement she made. Her wings felt even worse as they limply hung from her back, she wasn’t even sure if she could move them, they were in far too much pain for her to even consider trying. Soon she made it to her suitcase and slowly and ever carefully, she pulled it up off of the ground, wrapping her arms around it and holding it close to her chest.

After what felt like a lifetime, she made it into the barn. As she got closer it became clear to her that it had been abandoned for years. Half of the roof was missing and the walls seemed to be about the same. It looked as if it would only take a light breath of air for it to collapse on itself. Being the only shelter she had, she entered regardless. She shakily hobbled into the building and allowed herself to fall into the corner beside the door. She stared up towards the open hole in the roof, gazing at the stars above, pain blurring her vision. Above her there were an additional two moons though she failed to feel bewilderment, only felt fear.

Her sight lingered on the skies, longing for any sense of comfort as she waited for the nightmare to end. Her eyes drifted onto the satchel hanging on her side. Slowly, she opened it and retrieved the small box her mother gave her. She delicately undid the ribbon on the box and lifted the lid open. Inside, the box was cushioned with fabric that was meant to protect its contents. Sitting in the box was a folded piece of paper resting upon a pile of shining, pink, shattered stained glass. Her hands began shaking as she set the box down and lifted the piece of paper from the glass remnants. She unfolded the note and began to read it. 

Tears began to well up in her eyes. It started with a sniffle, and then whimpering, then at last, she allowed herself to cry. Within a matter of moments, she was weeping on the ground, clutching the note closely to her chest. The note read: 

Dear Silah,

I’ve enjoyed every moment of watching you grow, from your first little flaps to your discoveries and drawings of the world around you. You are truly a precious treasure to me. You’ve bloomed and blossomed into the wonderful young lady you are now. I cherish every part of you, thorns and all. Take care and never stop growing, my Little Chicklet.

-Love, Mama