It was time for her to go, but she hadn’t moved or said a word in about an hour.

The young bird was sitting on her bed. It was a larger bed, and covered in decorative pillows. She was sitting amidst the pillows and staring up at the large circular window that took up most of the room’s roof.

We were on the third floor still near Merit’s room. It was a room that was as far from the doors as possible, but not isolated like Renn’s and mine were.

It was also one of the few two story rooms available. In the corner of the room, was a small staircase that led to the second floor. A little balcony that had shelves and a place to sit and read was up there. It was also a place one could sit and stare out the large circular window up in the roof, thanks to its angle.

Glancing up at the dark window, and the rain softly pattering upon it… I wondered if I should say anything or not.

Fly needed to go now. Even if the storm would keep most of the light from daybreak at bay, it was still dangerous for her. The city would start to get busy soon, even during the storm. No matter the weather, jobs still needed to get done.

Looking away from the window, I glanced at Renn who was sitting up against the bed. She was reading a small book, sitting on the floor and resting up onto the bed. She had been reading aloud, to Fly, but the young girl wasn’t paying attention.

She was lost in her mind, staring at the room around her.

Brandy had left not too long ago, after witnessing the young bird fall to her knees and sob upon realizing that we were being serious.

This was her room. Or at least, it could be. It should be.

Could be…

Studying the young bird’s eyes, and the film of tears upon them… I knew it was time.

Time not just for her to go, but to make a decision.

Standing up, I noticed that she failed to notice my approach. Renn however, did. Her ears twitched, and her tail rose up off the ground as I walked up to the bed.

“Fly,” I got the young girl’s attention. Gently.

The bird blinked, and a tiny tear ran down the side of her face… disappearing into the feathers beneath her chin and on her neck.

After a small moment she turned to look at me. She shuffled a little, moving herself as she did so. She must have realized she’d been sitting motionless for some time.

“Sunrise isn’t far off, little one,” I warned her.

She blinked a few more times, and I ignored Renn’s glare as she closed her book.

Fly shivered a little, and then looked down. To the bed she was sitting upon.

Little hands reached out to touch the soft blanket beneath her. It was fluffy, probably too much for her in all honesty.

“Already…?” she whispered the question.

I nodded. “Already.”

Fly looked around the room… and I could see the worry in her eyes.

Worry that this room was but a dream. That she’d lose it, if she left it.

That it wasn’t real.

The look on her face told me she was wiser than her age. Even if she acted innocently sometimes, her life had not been kind enough to keep her from maturing quickly.

She knew that what she was doing was dangerous. She knew our Society was unique, and not something she could enjoy forever… at least not without paying the price.

Yet had anyone actually told her the price yet?

“You could live here, Fly,” I told her.

Fly’s eyes left a nearby dresser to stare at me.

I nodded gently at her. “You could belong here,” I added.

“How?” she barely got the question out.

Renn’s ears perked up, and I stepped forward.

“Little Fly… Let me tell you what must be given,” I started.

Fly’s eyes widened, but she didn’t shy away. Instead she nodded, and even crawled a little closer to me.

I kept myself from smiling at the girl, who was so obviously willing to hear what it took. To pay the debt, if able.

“You must abandon them,” I told her.

Fly stopped inching towards me, and went still.

“Your master, who demands sacrifice. The elders who feed your master. Your friends who choose them over us. Your fellows who threaten us. You must abandon them all, if they won’t do the same,” I said.

Renn went just as still as Fly did. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Renn’s apprehensive expression. She was worried. She likely didn’t think I had chosen the right time.

Funny, since I felt this was the perfect time.

“Abandon…” Fly whispered.

I nodded. “Your master and those who serve them. They do not belong to the Society. They do not have the right to enter it, the way they are. Anyone who would sacrifice our own kind, let alone feed upon them, is everything our Society is against. The Society was made, created, to protect those who are weak. To protect the ones who suffered under such monsters. To save them. If you wish, you can join Fly… but to do so means we become your family, not them. And if they do not do the same, then they become enemies. Not just ours, but yours as well,” I explained.

Fly gulped… and after a moment looked over to Renn. Renn sat up straighter, and I notice the way the book made noises as she gripped it tightly. She was unsure of herself, almost more than Fly was.

“Am I the only one allowed to join?” Fly asked her as she reached over to grab a small pillow. She held it close, as if in support.

Renn, although hesitating, didn’t miss a beat. “No, Fly. Any of your people can join, but they have to do the same. They have to stop eating each other. Stop killing each other. They have to abide by our rules, not theirs,” Renn said.

Fly shifted again, to look at me. “Most won’t do that, Vim,” she said to me.

“Right now, Fly… you’re the only one I care about,” I said, getting her back on track.

The young bird’s eyes begun to water, and she looked down to her hands. They were tightly grabbing a pillow.

“Why did you show me this room?” she cried.

Renn stood, and was about to climb up onto the bed, but I held my hand out to stop her. She glared at me, but I ignored her and kept my eyes on the crying bird.

“Usually, Fly… we’d not pressure you. We’d let you decide at your leisure… but today, here at this moment, the world isn’t kind enough for such a mercy. Your master is dangerous. Each time you leave, could be the last time we ever see you. So we have to ask. We have to ask…” I said.

Fly took a deep breath, and I noticed the snot. She cried like a little child.

Well, she was one in a sense.

“We want you safe, Fly,” Renn whispered.

“If I stay here… no one will be safe,” Fly said between small huffs. She was getting her crying under control.

Renn frowned, not understanding her.

I did, though.

“Don’t worry about us, Fly. Do not let your choice, your life… your happiness, be decided by someone else,” I said.

Fly looked up, and I was glad she was looking at me and not Renn. Renn would probably break too, and start crying with her had she looked elsewhere.

“They’ll come. If I don’t go back,” Fly said.

“Let them,” I said.

She shook her head.

“Do you want to stay Fly?” Renn asked.

Fly shivered as she nodded.

Ah…

Stepping forward, I knelt down. Going to my knees, as if to pray against the bed… I reached out to grab the little girl’s hands.

They were a little wet. Her tears had been falling upon them… but they were warm. And she held me back, as I held her gently.

“What is stopping you, little bird? Make this your nest. Everyone here will welcome you,” I said.

“They know I come here,” Fly whispered.

I nodded. “I’m sure they do,” I said. I had figured they did.

“They didn’t. Not until yesterday,” Fly said.

Renn frowned as I kept my smile. “Will they not let you stay here with us Fly?” I asked her.

“No. They still want you to feed the master, so they won’t get eaten instead,” Fly said.

“Is there no one else who would be willing to join, Fly?” Renn asked.

I expected Fly to shake her head, and was surprised when she actually blinked and nodded. “There are.”

“Why don’t they come too then?” I asked her.

“Scared,” Fly whispered.

Of course they were.

Either of us, or their own people. Likely the very ones that Fly was scared of.

The room was silent for a moment. Other than Fly’s sniffing. She wasn’t crying anymore, but the remnants were still there. She needed to blow her nose…

As I looked around for something to use, if not my own shirt, I found Renn holding a small rag.

Where had she gotten it?

I nodded, and lifted Fly’s hands a little to get her attention. “Blow your nose… then we’ll go to the roof,” I said to her.

Fly nodded as she thankfully took the rag from Renn.

Standing as Fly blew her nose; I decided to follow her home tonight.

I wasn’t sure yet if I’d… enter her home with her or not, but I needed to know where it was. I couldn’t afford to not know, just in case she stopped showing up and I needed to find her.

She didn’t realize it… and neither did Renn, likely…

But Fly was now a member of our Society.

She had nodded, after all.

“Feel better?” Renn asked after Fly finished. The young bird nodded, and then smiled at Renn.

“Let’s go, Fly, before the sun rises,” I said.

“Stop rushing her,” Renn complained.

“Mhm, I need to get back before she wakes up,” Fly said as she clambered off the bed.

“Who?” Renn asked for me.

“The one who checks if I…” Fly hesitated, and then glanced over at me. “She makes sure I’m still there,” she finished.

“Then best to hurry,” I said, ignoring Renn’s worried look.

Fly nodded as she walked over to take my hand.

Accepting the little hand into my own, I gestured for Renn to follow us. She would have anyway, but I needed her to close the door behind me when I went to follow Fly in a moment.

Heading out of the room, I allowed the young girl to take a moment to stare into the room. She took a small breath, the kind that was a sigh but almost ended up becoming a sob.

“You can come back tomorrow night,” I told her.

She nodded.

Stepping away, I guided the bird to the nearest stairwell. It was close by, since we were already on the third floor.

“Did you like your room, Fly?” Renn asked as she followed us down the hall.

“Mhm…” Fly nodded.

“Better than mine,” I said.

Fly’s hand tightened within my own, and she looked up at me with a weird look.

“What? It’s the truth,” I said.

She then scrunched up her face as she laughed at me. “It is!”

Smiling at her, we ascended the stairs… and I opened the door to the roof for her. Her laughing died as the world got a little loud, since it was still raining.

It hadn’t sounded like such a downpour while inside, but it must have been this whole time. Not only was it a little loud, there were large puddles all over the roof.

“The sewers are going to be flooded,” Fly said.

“Of that I’m sure,” I said.

We stood right outside the door, underneath the small canopy that extended a little past the door. We weren’t standing in the rain, but I was able to reach out into the rain.

“I’ll ask the others if they’ll join,” Fly then said.

I kept my eyes on the rain, and nodded. “Do so carefully, Fly,” I warned her.

She nodded as she lifted her hood to cover her head. The patchwork was visible even in the stormy night.

“Will you accept them? There’s… a few,” she asked.

“As long as they obey the rules. You should know them by now,” I said.

“I think so…” she said.

“I’d start small, Fly. Maybe… bring one more? Someone you can trust? Bring them here with you tonight,” I offered her a strategy.

Fly shifted on a heel, as to look up at me. Her eyes were a little bright in the dark. They were reflective, a little more than most of our kinds.

“I’ll try,” she said.

I nodded. She nodded back.

She then turned, to look down the stairs at Renn. “I’ll see you tonight Renn,” Fly said.

“Goodnight Fly. Be safe,” Renn said.

Fly nodded, and then with a soft smile up at me… she let go of my hand and stepped out into the rain.

Watching her go, I took note of the place she ran to. The same spot as all the other times. She was going to leap off the roof, and head towards the port.

“I really thought this was the night,” Renn complained as she stepped up to the door.

“It was, Renn. She’s decided to join us, but not before trying to save those she cares for,” I said.

Renn nodded with a huff. “I got that much, Vim… but it worries me that she thinks staying here would endanger us,” she said.

“Of course it would, Renn. If she stays here they’ll think we kidnapped her. Or ate her. They’ll not listen to reason…” I said as we both watched Fly jump off the roof.

“If they did we wouldn’t have…” Renn stopped talking as I stepped forward. “Vim?” she asked worriedly.

“I’m going to follow her. Close the door behind me, and let Brandy know what I’m doing. I’ll be back,” I said quickly as I hurried away from the door.

“Wait…! Vim!” Renn shouted after me, but I didn’t stop to explain. Fly was quick. I lost her once before, I’d not do so again.

Running into the rain, I ignored the puddles I splashed through as I went to the ledge that Fly had jumped off from. I hopped up onto the top of the lifted ledge, and quickly scanned the surroundings.

There. Running into one of the nearby alleyways. A dark blotch, moving quickly yet lowly.

Leaping from the roof, I ignored the rush of air as I fell to the street below.

Luckily it was storming. Although early in the morning, by now there would be at least a few people walking around. Thanks to the heavy rain there wasn’t even a knight patrol to worry about.

Landing on the sidewalk, I skidded a little thanks to the layer of water. Once I got my footing back, I rushed forward to follow after Fly.

It didn’t take long for me to catch up to her enough that I needed to slow down again.

Following Fly carefully, I made sure to stay just far enough behind her that she’d not notice me if she was to look around for me. She hadn’t looked behind her yet, but I knew eventually she would. At the very least she would when she neared her home, or the entrance to it.

While I shadowed her through alley after alley, I realized we were heading to the north of the port. It actually made sense, in a way… the old sewer outlets, the main ones, spewed out right near there. They were now probably only pouring rainwater anymore, however.

Fly ran quickly, and surely. She had her route down to muscle memory… and likely not just because of all the nights she’s visited us. Maybe this was a route that many of her people took and used, when out about in town.

Once we were near the main road near the port, Fly started to slow down… and begun to look around. At one point, at a crossroads, she actually stopped and looked up into the sky… as if to smell for something.

Likely was. It was a good thing I had no scent.

“Astute little lady,” I whispered as I peered around a corner, watching her stare down another alleyway. She had hesitated a moment, and hid behind a small barrel to stare down the alley.

She could sense that I was watching her. To a degree. Yet wasn’t able to realize it was me, or where I was.

Maybe it was because she was a bird? Lilly had good senses too.

Once Fly was sure no one was following her she headed deeper down the alley. She now slowed to a brisk walking pace, which made it difficult for me. Especially since the alley she entered was rather big, and lacked anything to hide behind. It didn’t have much junk at all, which was strange.

I decided to climb up to the roof. Using exposed bricks, and a windowsill for handles and footfalls, I quickly climbed up to the second story. The roof, like most here in Lumen, was flattened to let people utilize it. It made the roof wet, and full of puddles, but it also allowed me to calmly follow Fly down the alley without being noticed.

Glancing around, to memorize the area, I realized we really were where the large pipes exited the sidewall. The port itself was only a few blocks away to the south.

Fly rounded a corner, and headed down a new alley. One that was small and…

Studying her as she fumbled with a door to a large warehouse looking building, I watched Fly enter the door and shut it behind her carefully.

Hopping over to the roof of the building across, I walked over to the edge of the roof and knelt down as to hide amongst the shadows. Staring down at the brick building she had entered, I realized it was an older warehouse. Likely one of the first made back when this section of city had been developing.

The warehouse looked decrepit, and unused. There weren’t any windows, likely thanks to it being so close to the sea.

Somewhere within that building was likely their entrance, or one of them, to their hideout.

I was about to hop off the roof, to open the door and peer into it, but stopped when I heard a small splash behind me.

Turning a little, I frowned at the silhouette in the darkness.

Stepping away from the chimney that they had likely been leaning up against for hours, I studied the broad shouldered man.

Staying kneeled, the man smirked in the dark as he stepped towards me.

Between the pointy ears, sharp teeth, and red eyes I didn’t need to question who or what he was.

“So you’re one of us? Don’t look’it,” He said.

His voice told me more than his appearance. His accent was from the north. Far north, beyond the mountains.

“One of you?” I asked the man, playing dumb.

“Don’t lie to me!” He swiped his arm through the air, slicing rain. He snarled as he stepped closer to me again. “Playing with her are you? You must be a weird one. Feathers don’t feel good,” he said.

My eye twitched… and I stood.

Before I could calm myself enough to say something to him, the man spat at me and growled.

“I’ll not share. Not a pound of meat, or a single woman. Even the ugly ones! You’ll get none of it! Leave before I kill you,” the man pointed at me as he gave me an order.

“You don’t look like you want to let me leave,” I said as I glanced around. Were there more?

I couldn’t sense any others… but that didn’t mean there weren’t. After all, I hadn’t noticed him.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” he said.

Of course he did.

“Are you their master?” I asked hopefully.

His smirk gave me the answer before his words did. “Ha! Me? Want me to feed you to the master? Is that what you want? Haha!” he seemed to find that hilarious. He wanted to step forward again, to confront me… but kept himself still. He was laughing too much.

While he laughed at himself, I heard the familiar chuckle and groans that mixed together. Making him sound…

His eyes were darting back and forth, as if I wasn’t alone and another person was standing nearby. Yet there wasn’t.

His smirk was tilted oddly, and not because of his facial structure. He was also trying to frown at the same time.

Laughing, while groaning as if in pain.

Insane.

The insanity of cannibalism.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but like always it was obvious.

Our kind especially fell to it. Humans did too, but not as harshly.

“I pity you… But I pity those who you make suffer more,” I said to him.

“Pfa!” He lost most his smile, even though it returned as he stepped towards me. He pointed at me again. “I’ll have to teach that spoiled bird a lesson aft—” His voice was lost to the rain as I slammed into him.

Hitting him square in the chest, I pulled my punch the moment I felt his sternum and cavity collapse beneath my fist.

Crunching the tile roof beneath me, I watched as the man’s body went flying towards the sea.

Glancing behind me, I saw the crumbling hole near the ledge. Where I had just been standing.

I had rushed forward too quickly. I broke the roof. That wasn’t good… odds were if there was anyone in this building I stood upon, they were about to come out and see what was going on.

“Wha!” the man finally found his voice as he flew out of sight, landing in the street nearby.

Stepping over the broken tiles, I walked over to the edge of the roof. I couldn’t see the man. My impact had sent him past even the next building.

Jumping to the next roof, I hurried over to the next ledge. This time I was able to find the man.

He was sprawled on the ground, near the streets curb. He was moving… but slowly… and shaking his head, as if in a daze.

Likely was.

Jumping off the roof, I landed a little ways from the man. He was groaning, and trying to mutter something but didn’t seem able to form a coherent word.

Had he hit his head? There was a splotch of darkness in his hair…

Yes. As I drew closer, I was able to smell the blood. He had likely hit his head upon hitting the street. The cobblestone had not been gentle with him.

Of course, neither had I.

Good.

“I’m glad I waited until she said yes,” I said as I stepped over to him.

I bent over to grab the man by the shirt. As I gripped his clothes, and hefted him, I realized he was wearing normal clothing.

Clean clothes. Fine clothes. They were even in fashion, with recent designs and colors.

Nothing like the patchwork dregs that Fly wore.

The man was heavier than he looked, and shifted a little but didn’t or wasn’t able to fight me off as I dragged him behind me and headed for the sea.

His shoes made noisy sounds as I dragged him behind me. The sound of the fine leather scraping the cobblestone told me once again the difference between him and Fly.

Granted, thanks to her talons, she’d not be able to wear normal shoes… but…

“I hate the disparity of the weak,” I said to him.

He groaned. He was able to hear me, and conscious enough to register it. But nothing more.

“Nothing infuriates me more. The strong are supposed to protect the weak. Why does everyone always get it backwards?” I asked him, and the world.

How come all those I meet are like him? Like their master.

Even the ones who I considered better, like Tor, were only so out of necessity.

Rounding a small office looking building, I dragged the man towards the sea wall. A large block of stone that blocked the large waves of the sea from pouring into the city. I wasn’t gentle as I stepped up onto the stairwell, his head banged against the edge of the stone as I did so.

He twitched in pain, but didn’t do much more. I took a deep breath of the ocean spray as I walked towards the edge of the sea wall.

We were far enough now from the main city, that even if someone walked by they’d probably not notice us. Especially so since it was still storming, and the sun had yet to actually rise.

Glancing down at the man I was holding, I stared at the line of glistening dark liquid running down his head, and dripping off his nose.

Shuffling him a little, I reached out and grabbed him by the neck. Lifting him before me, I studied the man who limply hung in front of me. He was a little taller than me, but I held him up at enough of an angle to keep his feet off the ground.

Stepping up to the edge of the sea wall, I held the man out over the raging ocean.

Squeezing his throat, I felt the broken bones within his neck.

Seems more than his skull had been damaged from the impact. But did his neck break on the fall, or from my initial blow that sent him flying?

Would explain why he couldn’t talk, even though his eyes were dizzily looking around. He was still alive.

Must have been rather strong… even for one of our kind. Such damage was fatal for most.

“You can hate me. You can blame me. For not finding you before you fell into such depravity,” I said to him.

His eyelids twitched, as he tried to blink.

It was too bad he had broken so thoroughly. I’d not be able to get any information out of him like this… but at the same time, maybe it was for the best.

I reached out to turn his head a little. His head fell back with an odd angle, showing that he was internally decapitated. Yet it wasn’t the state of his spinal column I was interested in. Instead I studied the lines of scales running along his neck.

They were similarly colored to his skin, but slightly reflective. Some kind of lizard maybe.

A large wave splashed up the sea wall, dousing me and the man I held. A human might have been pushed over by the force of the wave, but I remained standing. The wave though had pushed the man’s head forward, rolling his chin along my wrist thanks to the way I held his neck.

“You’d probably live for days before dying. Consider this a mercy,” I told him.

He took a breath, likely to argue or yell… but couldn’t. The breath entered his lungs and then left it, doing nothing more than creating a strange wheezing sound.

Tightening my grip, I watched as the man’s head rolled along the force of my squeeze. It wasn’t moving because he was resisting, it was moving because I was crushing everything it was connected to.

As I finished destroying everything in his throat, and crushing close his air pipe, I hoped this wasn’t one of the ones Fly had planned to invite to the Society.

Once I was sure he was dead, and wouldn’t heal from the damage, I released the man.

His limp body fell into the raging sea and disappeared. I watched the waves splash up against the wall for a moment, and noticed the body for a few moments. It was thrashed up against the wall… and then pulled down into the depths.

Not far from here, a little northward about two city blocks, along the sea wall was a set of pipes. They were half submerged, from the ocean swell.

Eventually, after the storm ended, the body would probably wash ashore nearby. But by then his body should be degraded enough that no humans could identify him, or his traits.

And even if it wasn’t, a strange body washing ashore from the sea was typical. Typical stories told around bars and by sailors.

Never given much credit, if any at all.

With a sigh I turned and headed back towards the nearby street.

A quick glance showed no one watching or nearby. Yet that didn’t mean someone wasn’t watching from a window from one of the many buildings around here.

Stepping down the sea wall, to the cobblestone street, I took a deep breath of cold ocean air. I couldn’t smell the man’s blood anymore, even though I knew some of it had dripped nearby.

I was soaked now, and not just because of the rain. I knew the ocean salt would ruin the clothes I wore, but it was a small price to pay.

“Always a cost,” I said as I headed back towards the Animalia Corporation building.

I had wanted to peak into the warehouse, but decided to do it another time.

If I entered now and heard or saw others like that man…

Likely I’d not hesitate killing them either.

Pausing before the warehouse that Fly had entered, I searched for any sign. A mark, or maybe a tell that this building was or led to their home.

Nothing was obvious… but it was also dark, and stormy. Maybe during a clear day something would stand out.

“Don’t go in, Vim. Give them a chance,” I told myself.

Spending a little longer than I should have before the building, I finally convinced myself to step away and head back.

The sun started brightening the dark clouds right as I returned to the company building, and I found Renn and Merit waiting for me.