AU Collection, Stories, and Fanart

Biology Differences: Part Two

Sabre, from the moment he was born, was different from the others. Even the simplest of glances would show that he wasn't normal.

It wasn't an unnerving feeling that pushed others away. It wasn't something hidden deep within. It was blatantly obvious.

Unlike all the other avian kids, he wasn't born with his wings. Wingless. A freak of nature. Someone with all the downsides of Avians and none of the positives.

His father said that his wings came in late and not to worry. Sabre was just like him. The hope carried him throughout his childhood, only sputtering out by the time he was tenish.

After all, his father had the largest, and Sabre thought the prettiest, wings in their flock. Sabre hoped he was going to be like him, gaining his wings soon.

He never did.

As he grew older, others leaving the flock to start a new one and others joining theirs, he never had his wings come in. Avains never had their wings come in late. They weren't like the Eyltrians.

It didn't take much for the pitying whispers to turn sour. Afterall, who wants to be friends with a Wingless? It was a basic struggle for him to get between places, unable to flutter between trees to get to other buildings.

So one day, he packed his bag and left. Unable to fly meant he walked, only scaling trees to sleep at night.

Not even a week later he was brought to the Steves' world.l

Even with all the horrible things that have happened, Sabre considered arriving to this world one of the best things that have happened to him.

Here, he was just mistaken as human. Someone perfectly normal. He was the odd one out not because of his failed biology, but rather from being from another world. Here, he wasn't Wingless.

If only it would have continued like that.

It started as a mild ache when he would wake up, only to fade away before he could finish his morning routine. Well, ‘morning’ routine.

His sleep schedule was beyond screwed. Avains were meant to sleep high in the sky, where they don't have to worry about their instincts screaming about possible danger.

Sabre however was forced to sleep close to the ground. Laying down would have ants crawling over his body as anxiety thrummed through him. Days would have to pass before he would finally sleep due to sleep exhaustion. He'd wake up a day or so later, either in the morning, afternoon or night. Whenever his body decided he got enough and had to find somewhere higher to sleep.

Sabre would rather suffer through sleepless nights than have to explain why he has to sleep high up though, so he let the Steves assume he just had bad insomnia.

Thera, the few times Sabre saw them, would always offer teas and herbs to help sleep. Sabre accepted them, even with the knowledge that they wouldn't help. Even if they didn't help, the warmth of a fresh cup of tea was relaxing, which he needed anytime he left his house.

Some he couldn't have. His biology wouldn't even let him try it. Instincts yelling poison. He would always pass those to Light, with the lies of not liking them falling off his lips.

Sabre never corrected the Steves when they assumed he was human. After all, he functionally was one, even if he isn't. Sure, the Steves knew about the beings from his world from books and technology that have fallen through the natural portals connecting their worlds, but Sabre wasn't going to tell them he was an avian.

It would just bring drama he'd rather not deal with. Why didn't he say anything sooner? Did he not trust them? If he was an avian, where were his wings?