Upon Wings Of Change

Chapter 32

The Morning Song didn't feel quite right. I danced and sang as I normally did, but something was missing, and I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. It left me feeling unbalanced. I headed off to bathe and get a bite to eat. I was saddened by the fact that no one joined me; they remained in areas with the better fruit trees, which were closer to the paths.

I curled up on a cliff ledge, feeling more out of sorts now than I had before. I had never been left unsettled by the Morning Song. It was as if a piece of the puzzle was missing. I had never felt like this before, and it confused me.

I spent the rest of the day by the creek. Alone. It hurt. I had never truly been alone before. I had never gone more than quarter of a day without seeing someone. The entire day slowly passed by, and I still had not seen anyone by the time the sun was approaching the horizon. I didn't even have much of an appetite, but I knew my stomach would wake me during the night if I didn't eat before heading to sleep.

I spread my wings and weaved aimlessly between the branches. I landed on a branch and sniffed the air. I would know that scent anywhere... I quietly flew upwind while tracking the faint odor. I silently perched up in a tree as I found the one I was tracking. Others may be unable to identify individual Kymari on sight, but after so long in their world, I could even tell them apart by scent.

Taureen sat alone on a bench by the edge of a pond, watching the ripples on the water. He had no hawk glove or shoulder pads. His posture spoke of terrible grief.

I blinked slowly at his obvious anguish. He had put a ton of effort into trying to get me to establish a bond with him, and I wondered if he had realized before my disappearance that his efforts had also succeeded in causing him to form a close bond with me.

I slowly sat on the branch and took a hard look at the long view of the future. I could turn and fly away now, and he would never be the wiser. I could hide out here, free and in control of my own schedule.

Forever skulking around in fear of someone glimpsing me, while being ostracized by my friends.

Or...

Or I could go back and help hunt down sicora.

My grandfather had once told me that humans needed to have a purpose in life. Without that purpose, people slowed down and became a shell of their former self. He claimed that having a purpose in life was the reason that he was hale and healthy at the age of 97 when so many who retired went downhill swiftly.

There were pieces in both lives that I detested. I thought hard about them and sighed as I came to my conclusion. In the end, only one path could truly satisfy me. There was only one place where I could truly make a difference.

I may have been frustrated when Taureen insisted on handfeeding me, but he had been the one to cut up each piece with care. He had been the one to spend countless hours simply watching and observing me. He had been the one to suppress any hint of anger or irritation, regardless of what stunt I pulled.

I turned my gaze back to Taureen. His visible grief and loss was that of someone who had lost a child. I think I know how you feel... I had just spent all day ignored and alone like a lost child that no one wanted.

I spread my wings and silently glided in to land on his shoulder. I took care with my claws since he wasn't wearing his shoulder pad. He turned his head in shock, and his expression turned to one of relief and joy. He reached up to gently pick me up off of his shoulder and cradled me to his chest tenderly.

I let him. I gazed up in shock as I saw that he actually had tears starting to escape his eyes. I had never seen a Kymari cry before. He took a deep breath before murmuring, "I thought I lost you."