The Winged Society

 

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CHAINED

PROLOGUE

EMPRESS

I haven’t eaten anything for 75 hours.

My stomach feels full of air. My veins feel tapered with the shackles holding me together. My wings stretch behind my back; once white but now stained with dirt and mud. Formerly, my skin was smooth, my hair was soft, and it’s funny to think how days could remove all of that. Nevertheless, I don’t care.

I did the right thing.

It was all for everybody’s good. And even if my wrist hurt from the shackles dragging me down, even if my stomach enrages inside of me, and even if my family hates me by now, I still feel comfortable lying at my bed. I could close my eyes without seeing anybody blaming me for what I’ve done. I could sleep without having nightmares tearing me down.

My cheeks burn as the night falls over my cell. Nobody, not even my guards, have decided to feed me or even visit me. Who cares if a traitor hasn’t eaten anything?

Well.

They should care.

I saved their life.

I close my eyes and try to ignore the pain stabbing through my stomach. I need to live. Somebody still cares. I’ll never forget that.

 

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Ericko Enriquez

Hope you could share this para mabasa din ng iba. Hehe, can you vote for it kung nagustuhan mo naman ? :)

CAUGHT

CHAPTER ONE

EMPRESS

I am a tree in a barren land.

My bones are branches aching to let go. Even the slightest move hurts, and inside me, another shooting pain penetrates my whole system. Hunger. With the shackles gripping me tight, all I could do is lie down and wait, wait, and wait until hope starts to drip down slowly but not all at once.

A glass of water could ease a small portion of my pain and fascinating, it is, to realize how small things grow big once hell becomes your life. Anything matters that even the smallest thing goes a long shot. I hope I could get any of those things.

I've been counting hours to distract myself from everything. After three days and three hours, four hours have passed. Four hours were wasted lying and hoping. Four hours more of my endless isolation. I couldn't sleep anymore. Not out of guilt, but of hunger and pain that became a noise inside of me. The right word to use is torture. A torture so bad, I want to throw up and think of giving up.

But I would not do that.

I could imagine my clan watching me from the camera at my cell. I could picture them in my mind smiling as their little traitor suffers in pain. If this is some sort of show, I hope they are enjoying because soon this would end. Dying here is not a choice.

What I did is the only way to stop another worthless war. If I didn’t destroy our guns, military supplies, and war efforts, hundreds of my clanmates and our so called enemies could be dead by now. Families could be mourning in front of a white or black winged. I couldn’t bear to see anymore Winged ache the way I did for my father when he died because of this stupid war.

I remember how our soldiers drag me away from my apartment, and although the memory digs deep inside of me, I close my eyes and let memories flash back.

X     X     X

Today is my third time at the Talon War Supply room. Thomas, our leader, was so mad that he quickly wants the culprit caught. He raised security around our base and placed soldiers at every entrance, exit, and War Supply room. His suspects, of course, are Ravens but little did he know that the threat is inside of his own base.

His soldiers are stupid enough to take a toilet break and so I get some free time to smash guns and tear a few plans and maps involve in their all out war plan against their black winged nemesis, the Ravens, inside the War Supply Room.

Aren’t they getting tired?

 “Empress!” someone shouts behind the door. I look back and quickly drop the gun I’m holding. I take a few steps back. “So you’re the one destroying our military supplies for weeks now!?”

Mother looks at me with so much disgust and hurt that for a moment; I forgot she was my mother. I shake as she pulls me out of the room and drags me back to our apartment. Talons look at me as we passed through halls. Some bear pure conviction through their eyes while some seem hesitant and scared to even look at my own eyes.

They knew, I thought before mom slams the door to our house behind us.

There, she pushes me to seat at the sofa. My wings slowly hide inside me as she walks back and forth at the room. As her pace goes on, I feel something burning beneath my eyes. A burning sensation that tips out tears that quickly drips down at my cheeks.

“What happened to you?” Mom slapped her palm to her forehead, her face glowing red in anger. “Are you that stupid or are you actually a traitor?”

I look down and try to hide my tears. Words couldn’t come out of my mouth and I feel like everything is being washed away by my tears. I want to slap myself for acting like this and it frustrates me not knowing why I am crying, shaking, and breaking all at once. All I know is now; I hope the world could swallow me and let me vanish.

But I can’t.

“Don’t you want them to avenge for your father?” Mom sits infront of me, staring intently through my eyes.

Then everything went back. I wipe my tears and look back as brave as I could.

“Killing innocent people wouldn’t help, mom.”

Mom laughs a fake laugh and digs her nail deep at the sofa. “They are not innocent people, Empress. Some of them have killed our soldiers and one of them killed your father. Is that your definition of innocent?”

I go silent and look outside the window. Birds spread up at the dark night, fluttering like leaves in a windy sky. The question still hangs on my mind like a moon that will shine no matter how dark the night passes by. What is my definition of innocent?

Before I could think, mom speaks up.

“How could you defend the people who killed your own father?”

“I am not defending them. I’m doing this for my father!” 

I am surprised by how bold I speak to my own mother. For a second, I sense terror reaping through me. Screaming at my own mother all for my desire to end a war, what happened to me?

A lump forms in my throat as I try to mouth a sorry. I couldn’t. I look at mom and see thousands of pain through her eyes. We both lost a loved one and I know that we are both trying to mend everything. But I’m afraid to say that we’re applying different medicines for our wounds. I hope she could use mine.

“Does your father want to let the Talons lose?” Mom says sharply, looking intently to my eyes.

“No,” I say too quickly. “If father is alive today, he’d want to stop the war. He’d want Winged from both clans to indulge in having a complete family. If I didn’t try to stop the Talons from pulling another trick, one of our neighbors could have suffered a pain so hard to mend, you just want to die.”

An eerie silence sweeps by and I take the chance to breathe. Air passes through my nose and escapes through my mouth in a different form. After molding ten set of air to a different form, I realize how this conversation could end. It’s either mom helps me, or mom reports me. I wish I could simply get the former.

“How would you know that?” Mom says, her words filled with doubt.

“Because I was the last one to speak with dad before he died.” I let memories remind me of everything as I speak. “I remember that night, we were flying above the clouds, when he told me how he wished somebody would just learn to forgive and forget about the past. It wouldn’t be easy, he even said, but the result would be all for the better. He doesn’t want to battle at the war nor kill our so called nemesis.”

I look down as tears drip down my cheeks. The room is so dark and heavy and the silence is giving way for sadness I’ve been trying to hide. Be strong, is what people kept reminding me back when my father died. Those two words stamped their way to my mind that it took away my vulnerability. But remembering everything and realizing how much I’ve been trying to hold myself up now breaks me apart until I could feel the wind blowing me away from this world.

Mom, who has been silent as I cry, stands up with wet eyes. She glances at me for seconds I didn’t count until someone slammed the door down.

Soldiers!

I hear myself scream as soldiers enter the room with guns waving at their side. I look at mom who looks through the window with a blank face. I almost try to escape but someone jumps at me and pulls both of my wrists. Another soldier runs to the vicinity before I could fight back at the soldier who used his weight to beat me down. He pulls a handcuff and locks it at my hands.

“You’re under arrest, you traitor!” one soldier mutters as they pull me to stand up.

My vision turns blurry but I try to pull away from the soldiers who keeps me on hold. But they are too many and the effort slowly goes to waste. I even saw one soldier talk to my mom. My mom. I scream for her but she keeps talking to the soldier, not minding her daughter being cornered by these men. I scream for mom once again but she didn't look back.

Pain stabs a thousand needles inside my heart. A throbbing, unfathomable one that only an aching daughter could feel. I feel myself slowly go down with sadness and of pain. How could I fight if the last one I'm fighting for turned me down?

Giving up, I cry as the soldiers drag me away from the apartment and away from the last of what remains to be my family.

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ACT

CHAPTER TWO

EMPRESS

I am going to die.

With water being out of my body for three days, it’s a miracle I’m still living. Nausea has been with me for hours now and my muscle throbs in every move I make. Causes of dehydration. Signs of dying. We discussed that in our survival lessons at Talon’s Training School when I’m still eligible to enter the army, which is at 14 to 17. Five months of training, and you’re good to go. They’ll send you to the key points of the war inbetween Raven and Talon, usually places that humans can’t go to. You start using your wings and aiming skills there. You also start hoping you don’t die at a Winged Creatures war. Luckily for me, I decided to drop out from my training before it opens a way for me to die quickly.

But at 18 though, good to say, I still remember what the effects of taking fluids away from a person’s system: nausea and muscle spasm. Then after three to five days, expect your mind and organ to shut down.

Then you die.

But I am still alive. Aside from the nausea and muscle spasm hitting my system, I haven’t felt anything yet. I don’t know which is better: feeling something and getting yourself ready to die, or not feeling anything and just die in an instant.

I push the thoughts away from my mind. Dying, as I’ve said, is not an option. I only have one option left—and so I stand from my bed and walk towards the camera. The bed squeaks as my weight drops away from it. Pain shoots through my back in a manner I can’t describe. My vision spins in every step I take. But I still move, and hope I could reach the bars.  It is just 2 meters away but it seems like the longest walk I’ve taken.

Halfway through, my legs shudder through all my efforts. I try to stay still but my legs gives up and I drop to the floor. The floor reeks damp and moist, smells my nose couldn’t take. Pushing my hands to raise me up, I drop once again. My face falls first, hitting my left cheek. I scream but it comes out like nails scratching to a board.

“Water!” I say through a shaky and dramatic voice.  I repeat the word until my voice falters.  Inch by inch, I try to move closer to the camera. Some might see me dying. Some might see me hoping. But I am both.

“Please,” I mutter before my body gives up, my vision spins around, and darkness spills through my vision.

When I open my eyes, dad is beside me. His chestnut hair falls down to his face. He has a long, pointed nose, and a large frame.  A crooked smile is plastered at his face, a smile so radiant that I can’t help smiling back.

“Dad,” I grin, as my smile grows wider.

He offers his hand to help me stand up. I take it, noticing how strong I become. What happened to my muscle aches?

“You’re here.” I say, looking around. We’re at the main lobby of the Talon base. A few Talon sits at the couch, reading human’s newspaper. Some sips coffee at the corner, while others walk out of the base like actual humans, trying to find their way in a human’s complex world.

Dad tugs a few strands of my hair and places it behind my ear. “I am, my little Talon.”

Emotions wash inside me, emotions I barely can describe. My cheeks burn of bliss and when I hug dad, my movements are light and airy. He nestles me at his arms and I almost cry of happiness. I’ve been waiting for this all my life—to feel like a daughter of a protective father. I laugh imagining how ridiculous I look right now.

When we break the hug, dad looks at me sternly. “I missed you, dear.”

“I missed you more.” My words come out slurred and we both laugh—

But not longer than we should have.

A loud bang sent both of us flying backward. My body plummets to a wall then slams at the floor. Cracks and bits of ramparts fly everywhere as my ears cringe at the consecutive explosion. Beside me, I see dad stumble in so much pain. He shut his eyes close, bites at his lower lip, and screams something unfathomable. Blood pools down his forehead, and his eyes stay closed.

“Dad!” I mutter through gritted teeth.

Seconds fly without dad waking up. My body twinges as I try to stand up. Behind me, army of Talons comes out of nowhere clutching their guns. One by one, they pull a white feather from their back, unleashing their wings. Then their screams scramble with the commotion outside. What is happening?

“We’re under attack!” someone shouts—a soldier, I reckon. “Go to your apartments and lock your doors! I repeat, go to your apartments and lock your doors!”

I balance myself as dizziness hits me. My vision blurs and spins but I could still paint dad lying at the floor. “Dad! Wake up!” I say, trying to pull him up.

Then he jolts awake, his eyes alert and panicked. He looks around then quickly stands up. He pulls something from his belt. A gun. I shake seeing him in this form. Fear cripples over me. No. Not again. Not again. I grab his hand and pull him back but he stays still, looking outside.

Not again.

“Empress, let go.”

I don’t. I let my grip tighten. “Dad, please, don’t. Let’s just go to the basement,” I murmur as tears topple over my eyes. I can’t let him go again. Not again. “We need to be safe.”

But dad looks at me sternly; his eyes fierce. “I need to protect you, my dear. Let go

He pushes me away and runs straight outside. My body shakes and I scream for dad, knowing he won’t listen. Desperation runs through me and I chase over him. Bullets sprawl all around. Wings of black and white spreads at the perimeter as bombs blow up everywhere. Walls shatter. Glasses break. Talons scamper back down, hoping to save their selves.

“Dad!” My throat breaks as I follow his silhouette run outside.

Then I lost him and fear swells over me. I move forward, hoping to find him, trying to survive. But two Talons catch me. They lock me at their arms and drag me back. Another set of Talons come out, their revolvers burst with bullets. Winged, black and white, scatters everywhere; blood drawn out from their feathers. Some are still breathing, most are dead.

I try to break free from them but their grasp is tight. All I could do is scream for dad to come back, hoping he’d listen. But as they drag me back to the hall of apartments, the door closes behind me and I know he won’t come back anymore. He would never and what’s left to do is weep for him. For the second time, I let my dad die at that war.

I scream for him as the soldiers lock me at my apartment.

Not again.

Not again.

Not again.

I jerk awake, my palms sweaty and my eyes wet with tears. What just happened? Confused, I look around. Tubes attach to my body and connect to a machine that beeps beside me. A white, plain dress clings to my skin and drops down below my legs. The room I’m in smells sterile and damp. The floor is of white slabs, and the wall is coated in white.

My body aches as I try to move away from the bed. My vision slowly spins, thumping to my head. Then I taste something sour in my mouth as realization sweeps over me. I just dreamt of dad. The pain rushes back in a bitter sensation. Tears well out of my eyes as something inside me starts to ache. My hands shake, spreading to my body, and then I can’t control myself anymore.

I bite my lower lip, sucking in the metallic taste of blood. Then I lay still at my bed, looking outside the window until my mind drifts away from my thoughts—from dad.

X     X     X

In the afternoon, when the sun had settled at the sky, a doctor came in to check my condition. He explained to me how I almost died of dehydration. Luckily, someone saved me and spilled water through my mouth when I passed out. I can’t say I’m pleased knowing someone saved me, half of me thinks they saved me so they could torture me longer while the other bitterly admits that someone might have just been pushed by pity.

Nevertheless, all that matters is my plan to escape goes the way I wanted it. The first step is to get out of my cell, the second is to hope he could find me and help me escape from this rotten place. We will try to find refuge after that, but before anything else, I think I need to eat.

If I can’t eat, then I’ll use my dramatic skills once again—

the way I used it at my cell.

I look at the mirror that hangs at the wall in front of me. Long jet black hair cascades from the girl’s small face. Wide, brown round eyes look back at me. Her nose is long and pointed, her skin as white as snow, and when my gaze falls down to the girl’s thin lips, I notice how it pulls upward, forming a victorious smile. 

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