Flying Without Wings

The sky was painted with splashes of ruby, pink and yellow by the setting sun. I stood at the top of my stoop feeling the cold breeze from the ensuing darkness settle upon my skin. It was the start of what would be a long night. The walk to the caves was quiet, calming, peaceful. The much over used quote the calm before the storm actually meant something to me now, as this is very much what the walk was. By my sides walked my allies, my friends and my teachers, they had opened my eyes to the magic and mystic that is Angha, but at the same time had exposed me to the greed and the cruelty of humanity. Gomez had taken the lead, physically and symbolically, and he took large purposeful strides through the cobbled grey streets of Cullen. I had always loved the cobbled lane ways, they were renowned in other parts of the country, those and our amazing bars. But soon enough we had left the comfort of the city and the tinkling of wine glasses and entered the flat suburban area. Cafes and trams were replaced by parks and trees, and as we got closer to the river by rocks and a steep incline. We soldiered obliquely towards the riverbed and found ourselves travelling along a barely-worn path. I slipped and tripped along the slick grass despite wearing walking boots. Lewis was trudging along behind me and caught me every time I stumbled. I fell again and swore loudly, I hated feeling so useless. I lay back in Lewis’ arms for the seventh time very annoyed and looked up at the sky, it really was beautiful. Bats had just started to wake up and take off into the night, it was my favourite time of day. Every dusk like clockwork the bats would leave their trees along the river and fly in search of food and life. Their black bodies were silhouetted perfectly against the pink sky and to me these black shapes were more beautiful than the stars. I could see them from my home and in winter I would often sit with a glass of wine and watch them as they flew by. It would only last for as long as the setting sun, a sort of partnership. When the sun went to sleep the bats woke up, as if watching the earth whilst the moon shone above, a small beacon in the inky sky. I looked at the trees the bats were flying from, pines I think. Their tall skinny trunks and bristly branches were comforting. They were like Christmas trees that had been stretched, dragged upwards towards the sky in an effort to reach the planets. Hundreds of bats were now in the sky, they screeched and were all the same size and shape, they could have been cuts outs from the same mold, except for one, a particularly fat one with no grace. It didn’t head for the fruit trees in the parks like the rest of the bats, it awkwardly hovered among the trees. I looked closer and saw a man was standing below the strange bat. He was tall and slim with shoulder length hair. I couldn’t see his face, only a black figure, a shadow if a man from the setting sun. My heart told me it was Bastian but my mind told me that was insane. He was on his way to Zenasia’s wasn’t he? The last words he said to me swam in my head, I’ll be watching over you, you are all that matters to me, I don’t know why but it almost scared me if that was him, watching me. How could he do that, where were the other AS, what did he know that I didn’t. Bear sniffed loudly in front of me, he was looking back through his matted lashes. He was a man of no words and many grunts, and on this walk I got neither. I looked back to the skyline but the man and the fat bat were both gone, or maybe they were never there. I was starting to really question my own sanity when Gomez halted ahead. He stopped as suddenly as he had begun and crouched down low among the reeds.

“We are here.” He hissed and pointed towards an old tyre that lay abandoned underneath a blanket of green bush ivy. Gomez had told us that the tyre was covering a passage that led deep into the underbelly of the caves. Once we went down that way, we couldn’t turn around and come back up. The passageway was too steep and too narrow, the likes of Bear would never be able to turn and manoeuvre in such a confined space. Gomez easily pulled the loose ivy away from the tyre and lifted it up, bugs and spiders came scurrying out from their interrupted darkness, lucky Bastian wasn’t here, he would have cried out in fright. “You lads are ready. You know the plan, we know the risks, let’s do this.” Gomez wiggled his bushy black mustache, gave a little bow and shot down the tunnel out of sight. I followed and quickly found myself flying down a long dark tunnel. It was more of a slide then a tunnel and I flew down terrified, I tried to stick out my arms and legs to lessen the fall but the walls were like spinning sandpaper, I withdrew my raw fingers and holding my breath let gravity take its course. Bear came flailing down behind me and I could hear the dull thuds of limbs floundering as the rest of the group followed. As quickly as the fall had begun, it stopped. I slid out the bottom of the tunnel, Gomez caught we before a sandpapered my butt as well. He grasped my sore fingers and pulled me into a sepulcher out of harm’s way.

“You could have told me the tunnel was really a terrifying fall.” I glared at him trying to catch my breath.

“Ah but then would you have jumped?” Gomez said with a cheeky grin. He was right there but I wasn’t going to admit that, instead I looked around the strange rock crypt as the rest of the group flew out the tunnel nursing their red skin and straightening themselves up. It was a bare but clean space, it compromised of just a wooden chair and a wooden table which was scattered with papers and pencils. “I used to come down here to meet Humphrey, and just to clear my mind, you know get away from all the lies.” Gomez was looking around the room rather self-consciously, like a poor person embarrassed by a humble home. I looked over to the papers on the table and saw a sketch that looked like an even more curvaceous Audrey, the lead women was posed with arms akimbo and breasts leaning forward. Gomez cleared his throat and swept the drawings out of sight. “Stand on the chair, pull your way through, and you are in.” Gomez pointed to a trapdoor on the roof. It seemed simple enough, I clambered onto the chair and looked down at my companions, I was starting to feel anxious and it must have shown on my face.

“We are right behind you darling.” Clementine said. Clementine was a burly woman with a kind face, she was dressed in a ludicrously emerald green tracksuit. She hadn’t said much to me since I met her a few hours beforehand, but her mothering reassurance and honest eyes gave me the lift I needed. I pulled my way through the hatch – with some encouraging pushes to my bottom – and found myself in an enormous cave. The cave was lined with cages and cages of whimpering Angha. The cages were a dull bronze and so small that each creature had barely enough room to turnaround or lay down. It remained me of a horrible factory farm, I could feel the rage bubbling up inside of me and it took all my self-control to not run to the imprisoned creatures and start opening their cages. But I knew I had to be smart. I waited for the rest of the Angha Soldiers to rise through the hole after me. Everyone, bar Gomez, looked just as angry and heartbroken as I felt. Bear was beside himself but somehow kept his grunting under control, I still hadn’t heard him speak a word but I could see his tiny green eyes searching each cage for his beloved Ruby. It occurred to me that Bear really didn’t know about this place, it was clear from his face. It made me wonder how many other ZS were kept in the dark about what they were really fighting for. Maybe, like Bear, they too would abandon Zenasia when the true nature of the Zimrugh Saviors was thrown into the spotlight.

Gomez was the last to pull himself through the hatch. He carefully closed and locked it from above. The lock looked just like stone and blended seamlessly with the floor. Once we were all in the cave Clementine produced from her satchel 10 dripping cloths, one chloroform drenched rag for each of the Zimrugh Saviors guarding the caves. She dispersed them to each of us, as soon as I received mine I took off knowing what I had to do. Gomez had explained where each guard would be and at what time. I was assigned the top of the caves where two guards would be watching over the current experiments if any were taking place, if not I would return to the cages and help set the Angha free, I was praying for option two. At the back of the cave I found smooth stone steps, just where Gomez said they would be. They were covered in a light layer of white dust and I climbed them slowly keeping my eyes peeled for any saviours not in their predicted positions. At the top of the stairs I found the first guard, my first target. He was a weedy little man with an evil face, he reminded me of Johnny. The weasel was standing nonchalantly picking at something between his pointed teeth; he was a pathetic excuse for a guard, and a human. I slowly tiptoed up behind him, my heart had made its way up into my throat and was pounding so hard it was making it hard to breathe. I was so close to the guard that I could smell his putrid odor, I was sure he would be able to smell me too, my fear, or maybe even hear my pounding heart. I ignoring my nerves and jumped onto his bony back. He gave a shocked cry but I jammed the cloth over his hooked nose and held it there with all my might. He quickly abandoned trying to shout for help and started trying to bite me. I could feel his sharp teeth gnashing and trying to pierce my hand as he spun in helpless circles. He flailed for a few more moments taking in big stupid breaths then dropped to his knees with a crunch; I waited till he was slumped onto the ground motionless, then I gave him a shove. He tumbled down the stairs I had just come up, thumping his head loudly as he went. Not exactly quiet or subtle but the rage I felt dissolved any reason I had. I took a few moments to regain my breath and nerves then continued to creep along the narrow corridor. I hoped everyone else was having as much luck defeating the Zimrugh Savior as I was. At the end of the passageway I saw the next and Zimrugh Savior I was assigned to take out. He was big and he was mean. He had short grey hair and a military crew cut, he was a solid man and was laughing at whatever he could see below. I heard a piercing howl and knew it must be the cry of an Angha. I tried to keep my cool and slowly crept up behind him. He gave another loud cackle, I couldn’t help it, I should have jumped on him then but I took a few precious seconds and looked past his shoulder, to see what he was seeing. An Angha was flapping its wings frantically and howling in pain, it was a little Staffordshire Bull Terrier, a gorgeous brindle thing. Below it I could see a whip being lashed into the air and striking the creature between its helplessly beating wings. With each pain induced howl came another laugh from the guard in front of me, I could have vomited on him. The Angha was tied to the floor of the cave by a thick rope. Every time its flapping started to slow down the whip would come snaking from below and strike the creature, sending clumps or fur and blood flying. I couldn’t imagine how long it had been flapping for. In front of the Angha’s snout was a gramophone capturing its cries and flowing them into a large metal barrel. I felt sick to my stomach and wanted to run to it, how anyone could treat an Angha, or any animal, in this way was incomprehensible to me. I heard a loud shout from below and heard Lewis scream out before a flurry of yells and punches ensued. I could only hope it was Lewis who was pounding the whipper below. The big grey haired brute in front of me shouted too and turned to run down the stairs to the aid of the torturer. He took one look at me with intense steel eyes and charged, I knew my little cloth would have no effect on him now but ran at him too. He dropped his shoulder into my stomach and slammed me up against the dusty cave wall. I was winded and had hit my head hard but pounded at his neck and head with all my might. He lifted me further over his shoulder and slammed me against the wall again, I could taste blood and my vision was blurring but I kept pounding him, I hit his head, his neck and his back to little affect. Betwixt my flurried punches something shiny caught my eye, the guard kept thumping me against the wall and it took me three more slams before I could focus on the gleam. It was a small dagger, glinting from its sheath attached to the guards’ belt. I tried to reach for it but it was just out of my grasp, my victim started to spin me around and bash me against the rough cave walls, I was getting dizzier and dizzier. The saviour began to laugh in the same evil way he had watching the Angha being tortured, pain of others was his pleasure. The Angha below gave another piercing cry and I could see it being pulled down by its rope. Its head was bopping down as it desperately flapped in vain, that howling creature gave me the focus I needed and with one last effort my bloodied hand closed around the dagger. Once I felt it in my palm I pulled it from its sheath and drove it deep into the neck of the brute holding me. He gave a cry of pain and grabbed at his neck, dropping me roughly on my feet, my knees jarred hard but I still had a hold of the dagger and pulled it from his thick neck and was hit in the face with a spray of hot blood. He fell backwards still trying to grab at me. I wiped the warm blood from my eyes, jumped over his huge thrashing body, and ran towards the Angha that was still being pulled down by the tawny rope. I looked into the cavern below and saw Lewis out cold on the ground, a man bigger than the one I had just stabbed was bloodied but pulling hard at the rope attached to the distraught Angha. Without thinking I leaped off the stone ledge and grabbed onto the rope. The exhausted Angha faltered under my weight and the strong pull of the Zimrugh Savior below, we started to fall rapidly. I again turned to the stolen dagger and started to hack at the rope, I managed to cut above me where the Angha was attached and let myself plummet. I landed hard on the humongous tormentor knocking him to the ground. I looked up and saw the Angha madly flying towards the light at end of the cave, even if all else failed, I knew I had saved one. Two hands suddenly grabbed me from above and flung me to the side, I gripped my filched dagger ready to stab whoever it was. It was Bear and he was pulverizing the man I had landed on, he was grunting Ruby, Ruby, Ruby and punching the torturer in the face, he saw the whip to the side of the guard and grabbed it. Turning the mans weapon on himself, Bear roughly wrapped it around the guards’ fat veiny neck and pulled it tight. He rose and stumbled backwards leaving the man chocking and going blue in the face on the ground. His purple lips and bulging eyes made me happy, I hoped he was in pain.

“RUBY!” It was the first and only word I had ever heard Bear really speak, his voice was thick and the word sounded difficult to say. “RUUUBBBBBY!” he screamed again getting louder with each call. The Angha I had just cut free turned around and came flying back down the cave, it landed straight on Bears chest and was wrapped up in his arms. Ruby licked his face and she cried and cried. Her wings were bleeding and I could see raw flesh along her spine but she was happy, now I really knew Bear was an Angha Soldier. I heard the sound of dogs barking behind me and ran back down the cavern, Bear and Ruby came bounding along behind me. Gomez and Clementine were working with great haste unlocking all the Angha, they each came leaping out barking.

“Where is everyone else?” I shouted over the barking.

“Don’t know love, but we gotta go, one of the guards escaped and I’m sure there is gonna be more guards down here soon, take this lot and head to the light!” Clementine shouted. I didn’t know how I was going to get out but I took hold of the ropes attached to the 13 Angha that had already been freed.

“Come on I called and pulled them towards me.” The Angha all looked up at once, 26 eyes stared at me for just a second then the Angha came bounding at me, I had a moment of terror and stood paralysed. Did they not trust me? Did they think I was the enemy? Gomez’s words ran through my mind, some of the Angha have had a pretty rough time and might have some issues trusting new folk, but before I could turn to run the leads tightened and I felt myself being lifted into the air. The Angha had leapt over me and were flying, I was flying, flying without wings.