Flight School: Prey

Starting End

I hear—

Dark, lovely cries.

I see—

It's pained beautiful eyes.

I smell—

Fear so sweet it melts

Like a person in a dream

Yes, that is—

The sound of a scream.

__________________________

Io had a dream.

But like many other dreams, he had long forgotten what it was. Naturally, he paid little attention to it; since even if he did, there was nothing he could do about a forgotten tune.

There was an inkling, however.

It told him that the dream was about something he'd see today—

Today, in the Season games.

Lyra hovered close by as the boy made his way to the east grounds before dawn; his friend Pipa in tow.

"Have you got your Mark of Prey?" The canary asked, checking her drawstring pouch for the third time since they left their dormitories.

"I even brought some gum to keep my mouth busy," Pipa laughed sheepishly as she voiced to no one in particular, "I might speak accidentally you see, and remember they said no talking? I think that's the biggest challenge for me already—"

Io poked his friend's shoulder.

"You'll be fine—and yes, I've got my charm. Let's just stick together, okay? Nothing will go wrong then. Besides two minds are/is always better than one," The sparrow piped confidently, the rustle of crisp grass beneath his feet as they started towards the entrance of the woods.

Pipa's Avian chirped.

There seemed to be a response to that sound—somewhere far away.

It sounded like hope; had hope been able to speak.

But hope, like most things;

Could be crushed.

Io and Pipa knew that they shouldn't have any expectations for this silly game; and neither should they hold any hopes too high for fear that it'd be—

There was a wall.

It was hidden behind the trees but soon came clear to the sparrow and his companion that it wasn't something that anyone could climb over that easily.

Io wondered whether there was a sort of barrier preventing anyone from flying over it.

The wall stretched across for miles—neither of them could see the end.