"I have wings," the soft sound coming from the female breaks the young male's apologetic tirade as he directs his boat to speed towards home. He looks down at her for the genuine awe in her voice confirms his earlier thoughts that she really is innocently ignorant. She truly did not realise she has wings and was absolutely confused by his comments about nobles.
He goes to reply to the statement only to find Issuwa's eyes rolling back as her body succumbs to the pain it has been put through. In shock he watches as her dark orbs shift through a kaleidoscope of blues, the swirling colour change stops on a luminous silver before heavy eyelids start slipping closed. This perplexing display unsettles the fisherman to the point of falling back and sending himself overboard.
The lukewarm water soaks his small wings as he thrashes about trying to get a grip on his boat as panic settles in his core. Being stuck in the water is the most dangerous situation someone of his kind can find themselves in. Other than the few species of herbivorous fish and crustaceans everything else will actively try to hunt a drowning Alettian. There are many ways one could die from such predators, from frilled bullhead that will ram down its prey to kill with blunt force trauma to the ribbon whiplash sharks that will tear something to shreds with its thousands of hook like teeth.
The fisherman managers to drag himself back on his boat where he begins taking in deep breaths. Panic has not yet left his body leaving him stuck in flight or fight response, water having soaked through his feathers to the skin underneath not making matters any better. His body trembles ready spring into action as he stares at nothing, the world nothing more then splashes of colour that go unseen by wide eyes. The chilling panic grips him is a crushing embrace that has him frozen and pale, the unmoving yet trembling state of his body leaves him feeling nauseous.
His mind flitter through memories of watching other members of the Bellow being attacked before his eyes. Most times not even their last chance response saved them, having to watch friends fight with all have only to witness them becoming nothing more than a splatter of red against the shimmering blue. These plays of death only intensify the need to begin heaving until what little he has managed to consume today is no longer within him.
Forcing his mind away from such horrific memories he begins a few breathing exercises to quell the panic within. Agonizingly slowly his heart rate comes down and the adrenaline fades leaving the male feeling like the stone weights on his nets, heavy and unmoving. It will take some time before he will be ready to move again as now, he has not only nearly exhausted his spirit reserves escaping danger twice but also had a panic attack.
He starts glaring at the slumbering girl, contemplating throwing her out and leaving her is the middle of nowhere. She does not appear to be someone that will be missed by the world so perhaps it would be fine. He shakes such thoughts away, the orphanage sisters raised him better than that and on the off chance her body was found by the royal guard it could get the Bellow in a lot of trouble.
"Effiyo what have you gotten yourself into…" he puffs out turning his face to the sky. The girl with him might need urgent medical attention but he is close to passing out from spirit overuse and the panic attack, so they will wait here while he takes in the Lord Sun's energy.
He thinks on what he will tell the orphanage children when he gets back, he has no fish for them today and there will be no fishing for him tomorrow. His wings are too messed up and now need preening, something that even with the small size of his will take almost all night and half of tomorrow. He feels horrible at this because he promised Mother Offista that he would bring back something substantial this week instead all he has is this strange broken female and a few small fish from this morning. He hopes one of the others manages to catch a descent amount so the children can at least eat for the next week.
Effiyo's thoughts are broken as a drop of chilled water hits his check before sliding down his neck. The cool wetness is soon joined by a million more as the heavens open up and the cloudless sky releases ice-cold rain to consume the world.
Confusion paints itself onto the fisherman's scarred face as he stares at the clear blue sky, where was the rain coming from. He has never witnessed rain without clouds before for normally rain signifies a bad omen as the clouds block out the sun, yet he can still feel his body absorbing the High One's rays. How can a warm sunny day, a sign of good fortune, be paired with cold heavy rain.
Scanning his eyes all around the waterscape before him, Effiyo feels both peace and uneasiness curl around each other within his chest. The conflicting emotions should be battling for dominance, but they do not, instead they begin a strange twisting waltz. The swirling dance combine the two feelings in a fragile terrifying hope, the hope of change. Effiyo stares at the raining world as he contemplates these feeling, for what change could he possibly be hoping for nothing ever changed for people like him.
Effiyo is unsure how long he sits there watching the strange rain fall from the sky but eventually the sky beings turning a light pink. The sign that the day is coming to a close splinter his fixation on the heavenly droplets. He quickly fixes his moth lamp to the front of his boat and taps the living wood three times. The root oars beneath the hull begin gently guiding the boat towards home.
All sunlight is nearly gone once he makes it under the outer canopy of the Bellow. Various moth carers wave to him as they go about checking the health of their charges, so he smiles and waves back for once thankful of the shifting darkness that is their home. He could not risk anyone notifying Mother Offista of a potential noble in the Bellow before he has gotten his broken companion a healer.
Reaching the docks, he covers the young lady in his boat as best he can before grabbing his lamp and running up the docks. He apologises to the many other fisherman that try to stop him to chat as he makes his way to the winding walkways of the hobbled together settlement.
Twisting through the gloomy labyrinth he makes it to the specific door. The unassuming door opens before he even gets a chance to knock as a caring voice follows a young single winged lady and small wingless child out, "Now little Oshimle I do not want you climbing for the next few weeks so that arm of yours can heal."
The child grumbles and scuffs his foot on the ground causing his carer to giggle a little as she pats his head before turning back to the elderly man behind her, "Thank you Master Uheale, I'll make sure he doesn't."
The old man laughs, "Young Sister Annimee just makes sure Offista does not put fear in his heart after this incident and everything will be well."
Effiyo steps out of the way so the orphanage sister and child can get past. "Evening Sister Annimee," he says causing the female to smile and nod at him before ushering her young charge home.
He watches her disappear into the gloom of their home wondering how bad he must look to the beautiful caring Sister. She is always so perfectly put together, even when running after and playing with the orphans. She is the brightest sun among their shadowy home, and he could never compare to that. He will be too embarrassed to speak with her for more than a few weeks as she has just witnessed him drenched and with uncloaked messy wings.
A huff of amusement breaks his forlorn gaze only to meet the soft knowing look of the elder before him, "You, Effiyo, need to learn to speak up for your wants. I think you will be pleasantly surprised if you do."
"I'm just a simple fisherman, Master Uheale," Effiyo blushes as he looks at the ground, "I don't think someone so amazing would have any interest in me."
The old healer rolls his eyes before waving his hand for the younger man to enter, "Fine, I will not pester you about your love life, however it is rare for you to visit with no sign of physical injury so what seems to be the problem?"
"Master Uheale, I'm not the one who needs help but rather someone down at the docks does," the young fisherman informs in a quiet voice.
Uheale looks at the man with a raised eyebrow of curiosity, "And why is this person not being brought directly to me?"
Effiyo shifts uncomfortable on the spot before taking a deep beath, "For I do not want to cause a stir, Master Uheale and believed it better this stranger gets your assistance before Moster Offista hears of them."
The old man fully turns to face his guest, lime green eyes scrutinizing the other's face trying figure out what Effiyo is wanting to hide. Uheale has watched this young man grow into one of the more reliable members of their community and knows that is rare for him to not immediately go to their unofficial leader when something unusual happens.
If this stranger the younger speaks of was an abandoned child, not an uncommon occurrence, then he most definitely would have gone to the orphanage first or at the very least brought the child directly to him. However, if this strange was an adult, well that was another matter entirely. An adult unknown to those of the Bellow was highly unusual and would garner the attentions of many.
"I assume this stranger is injured?" asks the healer as he gathers his medical bag, knowing he will soon have to acquire a new one for the patched together leather scraps are starting to tear.
"Yes," exhales Effiyo extending his arm out in an offer to carry the heavy bag for Uheale, "They were attacked by a Larrogon… I'm surprised the girl is even alive."
Heading out the door on to quiet walkways Uheale gives a soft hum in response, he at least now knows that his new patient is female. There can be more conversation later about the importance of getting someone in critical condition to him faster but for now they must be quiet, least they awaken any nosey neighbours.
Three night fishermen are the only ones still at the dock as the two begin making their way down the dimly lit boardwalk, they all nod to the healer although he can barely make them out. Uheale takes note of this and that he will need to petition of more moths to be placed here for visibility is important in keeping people safe near the water. Also, by the level of creaking that pierces the quiet stillness around them with every step he might even need to convince the council to replace as much of the dock as possible. Such a task will be difficult for their community but a necessary one. If the docks collapse and cause injures to or the potential deaths of the few gatherers and fishermen, they have left it would cause disaster for all residence. Many would then go hungry and it is always the children who succumb to starvation first.
"Here we are Master Uheale," states Effiyo as he clambers into his boat to remove the cloth covering a large lump, breaking the healer from his analysis of the docks.
For a moment Uheale stands at the edge of the dock not quite sure what he is looking at, if it was not of the fact that the docks were several kilometres in from the canopy's end, he would swear he was looking at the night sky. He kneels down so he can touch the nightly portal only for a soft silky texture to greet his wrinkled hand. The softness beneath his hand twitch as he runs his hand over it finding many fractures beneath the starlight blanket.
"That a person?" let out a gruff masculine voice, "What in the Lord Sun's name is with those wings?"
Startling both the healer and younger fisherman into looking back up the docks. The three night fishermen are standing before them staring down at girl with mixes of confusion, shock and slight bit of fear. Uheale knew why, the girl's wings were far too large to be a member of their community or a middle-class member. No, this young woman had to be a noble at least although Uheale did not recognise her wing pattern at all.
"Stop gawking boys and help us move her up on to the dock so I can get a good look at her!" orders the respected elder causing all the men to immediately obey.
It takes far longer than Uheale would have liked to get the broken form of the female onto the dock, were they must lay the poor thing face down. He already knows the trek back to his home and clinic is going to be a tough one, the girl's wings making nearly impossible to lift her. Those large appendages are so colossal that they extend far over the edge of the docks both ways and there is four of them, a trait believed to have been lost many hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Four wings are already sign of extreme power regardless of size, but combined with the sheer span of these windows to the night sky this girl could easily overshadow every other noble in the Sunlit Shallows. She could possibly even have a stronger rallying affect on the people then the royal family if she is not one herself. Yet the old healer does not recognise her, and he knows all members of the higher echelons. It makes him wonder if someone has been hiding her away and chosen now to get rid of her however, now is not the time for such thoughts.
He kneels by the injured party's side to examine her better before taking in a winching breath. Uheale has never seen anything like this in all his years of being a healer, this patient is so damaged and yet still beathing as if in a peaceful slumber. Her left arm, right ankle and several ribs are going to have to be reset, as well as having all but the top right wing put back in their sockets. All of this is not even taking into account what type of other internal injuries she might have.
Taking a deep breath Uheale looks towards the four younger men staring at him, "I need to get her back to the clinic as fast as possible; can I trust you will all help?"
Effiyo and the other fishermen all nod with determined looks on their faces, they would do anything to help the man who treats their wounds and heals their ills with a gentle kindness not often found within the Bellow. In fact, all three would have definitely not survived this long if the former royal healer had not been exiled to their community all those years ago.