Chapter 1 *One Year Ago...*
I hope it's good :)
I flew through the wind, holding my baby brother with me. His laughter and giggles brought happiness to my heart. I smile and I fly a little higher. He squeals happily, clutching the back of my neck as he did so.
"Higher!" he cries, "Me want higher! Touch clowns!"
I laugh softly. "Clouds, honey. They're called clouds, my hummingbird." I dip low, angling my wings so I can land at our home. He knew this as well and began to moan in complaint. I hold him tight as I dip towards the growing Earth beneath us. "Mother is waiting for us, Hummingbird," I explain. "If we're not home, she'll be upset."
"No! Flying, Sithver, pweezies?" he looks up at me, his big blue eyes, his bottom lip shook. As much as I would love to fly with him across the world, we couldn't. Our world just is not safe enough. The Lord of the new Kingdom doesn't look too kindly on our kind. We are not pure because of our race.
"No, baby," I say with a broken heart. "We must be home." Even though he wanted to cry, I could hear his belly rumbling and that seems to have made up his mind. He nods and I head down softly for our small tree cottage hidden in the forest. As I land, leaves, dust and small twigs rise up from the wind my wings cause and I let my baby brother out of my hold.
Our cottage is small. Much too small for three occupants. We have our mother. She's a medium sized snow leopard. Then there's my brother, Kyuma. He's still just a little pup, so he's only very small. His tail is the fluffiest of all. They fit fine in the cottage, but me...well, I would fit except my wings won't even let me fit into the door. So I sleep outside with the birds. I have a bed under a large oak tree, so it's not bad.
Our cottage is about seven trees that twisted together over the years that they were growing and my father cut into them and made a home for my mother when she was withchild--with me, of course--and they lived together for a while. My mother told me he left one day and never came back. So I don't know him.
When my mother walked out of our cottage, she gave me a scowl. "Do you even know what time it is? The Kingdoms Flyers could have seen you. Now what would happen if they saw you, huh?"
I rolled my eyes. "I would be arrested."
"And what would happen if you're arrested?"
"You won't be able to pay for food, Mother."
"And if we don't have food?"
"We starve," I say, holding my tongue the best I can. It was the same thing every time I fly. I've never been arrested for all the years I've been flying, so I doubt I'll be caught any time soon.
My mother huffed and went back inside and continued sweeping.
I sighed deeply as Kyuma tugs at my dress. "Sithver, I'm hungee," he says.
I stroke his soft ear and he purrs. "I know, sweetie. I am too."
"SILVER!" my mother screams. "Do some God damn work, will you!"
As always, I pick up my baby brother and take him to the door as I head off into the woods to hunt for our food...well, whatever is left after the fire that was caused by the Darkness. As far as I'm concerned, we're all dead unless I can find my father.