Monica could not believe the storm that was whipping outside her window. The trees seemed as if they may be permanently bent from the strength of the wind.
She shut the curtains shaking her head as she ran her hands through her hair to pull it back. 'It will all be fine as long as the power stays on' she thought. Of course at that moment the light flickered and went out "damn this storm" she sighed and went to check the breaker box.
Slowly moving from one room to the next with only her memory to aid her way she finally opened the breaker box and felt around to check if they were tripped. They weren't, the power was out with no way for her to change it.
'Where are my candles? Did I leave them with the matches? Oh no do I even have matches left!' Monica's thoughts were racing and becoming more frantic. The dark was not nearly as much a bother as her realization that she was unprepared.
A whistling followed by a monstrous creek and then SNAP 💥CRASH💥 made Monica jump and fall back. There was nothing to catch her in the empty hall so she hit the ground hard letting out a whine of pain before she blacked out.
The lights flickered on and the rain was only a gentle pattering against the roof. Blinded by the hall light above her Monica squinted and opened her eyes gradually. She raised her hand to touch her head and felt the hard lump already forming. 'How long was I out, and why on earth is this damn light so bright!' She shut her eyes against the blinding orb on the ceiling as she used her hands to prop herself into a sitting position before using the wall to stand up fully.
With her eyes closed and the light having blinded her she didn't realize she was no where near the wall. In fact there were no walls around her.
Finally standing, though with no help, she tried opening her eyes again. This time the light was not so bright. What she saw was too much of a shock for her to form a coherent thought about it.
A ring of trees surrounded the clearing that Monica was in. She blinked and then touched her head again to make sure she wasn't imaging this. But as she spun to look behind her there was nothing but lush woods on all sides. Low bushes grew intermittently between the sturdy and obviously ancient trees encircling her. Monica simply could not understand what was happening. 'Do concussions cause hallucinations, am I going crazy?'
"What is going on!?" She said to the trees as if they would answer. 'They better not answer me.' they did not answer. She sighed relieved and sat down unsure of what to do.
Niamh stretched her wings and began to glide down from the tower she had been watching. No threats had presented themselves last night as she knew would be the case. Their enemies were blind in the dark and would never risk an attack without the aid of the sun. Landing gently she began to walk down the street within the walls that protected the only place she had ever called home.
Window shutters were being opened by some of the early risers of the city. Loud clattering came from the wheels of street vendors carts slowly progressing toward the city center and the market. Niamh never got tired of the rhythmic cobblestone percussion that woke these back streets up and told them to start their day. It was soothing because it meant an end to her boring night watch and a start to the lively hustle and bustle she was only allowed to experience on her walk back to barracks.
"Niamh slow down some why dontcha?" A mocking voice called from above as a flurry of wings propelled a fellow night watch through the alleyway so fast the words were nearly indiscernible. Niamh only chuckled at the light harassment; so used to being misunderstood for her enjoyment of walking rather than flying back from her post. 'That rascal had better watch where he is going or he is libel to fly right into something'
Barracks were the only place the watchmen were allowed when they were off shift without express permission from a superior officer. They were not the cleanest or most interesting place to be but many of the watchmen were more than content with the setup.
Niamh was not among those that liked being cooped up. Wings or not she was no hen and therefore did not appreciate being forced to roost until her next shift. Free food that was barely edible half the time and a cot in a room she shared with about 20 other night watchmen was not a home to her. Though she felt the need to find something bigger and better for herself there was no other place for a winged citizen. She was "blessed" with wings which meant she was also "blessed" with the duty of protecting her city and never having a proper life or home.
"Niamh you have been staring off into space rather than eating, if you don't want your food then just hand it over" Quetzal said through a full mouth. Niamh absently slid the plate to her friend. He has an enormous appetite which only made sense because of his wings. They were huge and he was as well. Built like the walls of their city it seemed as though Quetzal could stand under the largest tower and still feel nothing if it all collapsed on him.
"You promise not to bore me if I ask what you are thinking about, right?" Niamh looked up at the question and then began to spill out an ocean of thoughts about her boring shift and dreams of living in the city like the common folk but then she paused and earnestly looked into the deep forest green eyes looking back at her "the storm last night was powerful and I noticed something strange about it. I wish that I was not stuck serving the city as a watchman and I could freely go explore the forest." Quetzal nearly dropped his fork when he heard this brand new wish from his friends mouth. He could not believe she wished to leave the city and wander about in the woods. There was nothing about the woods that should have allowed Niamh to think it possible to explore them. They were dangerous even for the most impressive soldiers. There were too many enemies of their king.
"Have you truly lost your mind!" He leaned in whispering in a conspiratorial tone as if what she said was something to keep secret. Niamh laughed at his reaction. "Have you ever known me to lie about a wish or dream that I have thought up?" Quetzal could only sigh. She was serious, and he knew without a doubt given the chance she would go.