Starlight, Starbright

Chapter 11

Flashback

 

I landed softly in the snow, near to where the forest of pine trees began to sprout.

“Ah, I see you made it,” Slade emerged from under the green canopy, clutching his arm, where blood was slowly carving a way towards the ground.

“Slade!” I ran to him and examined his arm. “You’re hurt! And the dragons. . . .”

“Don’t worry about it,” he waved me off and wiped his left hand on his trousers.

“But. . . what are you planning on doing?” I asked, backing away upon recognizing the look in his eyes. It was the same look he had gotten when he had told Martha, my original caretaker, that I had to begin my training.

“You have to go. Zora, there have been signs that this would happen. For years now, it has been said that once the heart that cannot be loved is loved, all will turn to rights, as life returns along with the lights of the night sky. You must be sent somewhere safe, do you understand, Zora?” Slade looked slightly panicked as I stared blankly at him.

“I. . . I don’t understand. Why do I have to be sent somewhere safe?” I asked, blinking in confusion.

“Because you must continue the search for that heart. The owner will be able to save us, even if we are long dead. I’m sending you to a planet named Earth by its inhabitants. Zora, you must keep your true identity a secret, do you understand?” Slade gritted his teeth and raised his hands to the open ground in front of us. A swirling vortex appeared as lightning began to crack the skies. “Go.”

“Slade,” I murmured. He was the closest thing to family I had. “You know I can’t leave all of you like this!”

“Zora, for goodness’ sake, go! I promise, we will meet again, whether it be in this life or the next. Now, go!” Slade shoved me through, and my world went as dark as my brother’s shadows.

I opened my eyes and found myself laying in the middle of a forest glade. “Where. . . Slade. . . .” I trailed off as I picked myself off of the ground. I looked back at my wings and saw they were out in the open for any weary traveler’s eyes to see. “Cleòca,” I murmured and they tucked themselves into my shoulder blades. I winced at the feeling of my extra limbs inside of me and began to walk.

A few hours later, I came upon a small village, not unlike the ones back at home. And, lucky for me, it seemed to be market day. I wandered through the crowds, buying a cloak from one of the stands using a coin from my pocket. (How it had gotten there, I had no idea.)

And that was my first memory of the planet Earth. And the place I had landed has not been touched by another human being. That was over five thousand years ago. And I have grown to use a great deal of human inventions. (Except for cars. I never have, and never will drive a vehicle not powered by something I can constantly see.)