At Sky's Edge
Hi there! My name is Cliff Grant, your guide to this... er, interesting story I'm about to tell you. But first, an introduction.
You should know that I'm blind. Oh no, it wasn't by some tragic accident; I was just born this way. It doesn't faze me, although there are always times where I wish I could see. It happens. I bet you'd wish that too, if you were me.
My nana raised me up from a little boy. My mother passed away when I was born, and I barely have any conscious memory of my dad before Nan took me in. Just the last month, she got taken away from me too. It took me a bit to grasp what exactly that meant; I was all alone in the world. My dad had disappeared, and there were no relatives (that I knew of) who could take me in. Even though I'm 15 years old, I sure as sugar will not go live in some foster home, no siree. Who'd ever take me in? I might seem normal now, but I should explain some more stuff first.
In my world, there are two types of people; humans and shifters. Shapeshifters are exactly as they sound; people who can take on another shape or form at will. They appear normal to the human eye, with the occasional trait taken from the animal they can turn into. The government keeps tabs on most of the shifters across the world in their respective countries, quickly lashing out if they step out of line. There's a fair bit of prejudice against them, although there are those who are tolerant, and even a group dedicated to helping the shifters when there's an imbalance of justice towards them. Most shifters are pure blooded, with little to no human taint.
When shifters... um, reproduce with humans, most of the time the child is either a shifter or a human. But sometimes the government meddles when they learn of relationships between shifters and humans and decide to experiment on the mother. That's when you get oddities like me; I'm part shifter, part human, but I can't exactly hide away in the general public. Yup, my mum was a good old shifter, as far as I've been told. Another thing about shifters; usually whatever they can shift into, their kids can too. My mother could shift into some sort owl, and despite the fact I'm an abnormality, I've got a bit of that owl in me too.
But instead of being able to become that animal, I became, well, stuck halfway into that form. I've got a 10 foot wingspan, you head that right folks. My nana told me they're an off white color, with each feather looking as if they'd been dipped in black ink on the bottom.
Other than that, yeah I look pretty normal! Sandy brown hair, freckled face, tanned skin from living in Hawaii most of my life, and pale aquamarine eyes. No, I can't exactly see myself, but my Nan told me how I looked before she passed on. She often joked about me rarely changing my outfit, which consisted of a red shirt and white surfer shorts with black stripes down the sides. There are holes in this shirt, cut so that my wings aren't constricted painfully under clothing. I've got an okay height of 5'7, and Nan's told me that I'm too tall to receive kisses on the cheek now, heh, or maybe it's 'cause I'm 15. She was my mother and my father, and my best friend too. I'm hurt by her not being here anymore, but I'm sure she'd be mad at me if I didn't take care of myself for her. My hair is at a decent length, or so said nana when I last got my hair cut. It rests just by my chin now, and I let my hair spike itself out naturally, against what nana really wanted my hair to be. But she always let me choose what I wanted, or rather, whatever made me happy.
A great thing about me, shockingly, is how intuitive I am, being part shifter and blind. I can distinguish Coke from Pepsi across the room with a great sense of smell, and I can even face the direction of a person by sense alone. I do get some help though, by my pet bird. Well, he's not so much a bird as a juvenile golden eagle. Roman is a close companion to me, as I can talk to him and confide in him my secrets, since he can't talk to anyone but me. Shifters, usually in animal form, can talk to other animals, although the occasional shifter in their human shape can sometimes commune if they are under great stress. Roman can talk back to me, and no one else, except a shifter, could understand him. He was rescued by my nana when he turned up injured in the forest behind our house. I helped rear him, and even though he cut me with his beak a lot when I fed him, he eventually grew to trust me and Nan, and began to talk to me. I still remember the first time he ever spoke to me.
I jumped the short few steps down the porch and unerringly headed right towards the tree the eagle hatchling was resting in. I heard the click of his small talons as he scuttled eagerly down the trunk to perch upon my shoulder. "Hey little guy, feedin' time!" I said happily, offering the small raptor the little chunk of meat Nan had given to me. He lunged forwards, beak snapping shut with a snick as he devoured the meat whole. "Good boy," I murmured, patting his beak delicately. "Boy!" repeated the eagle, causing me to jump and dislodge him from his roost upon my shoulder. "Ouch!" he grumbled, pecking at my leg in annoyance. I skittered backwards, shocked senseless. "Did... did you... just TALK?" I spluttered, looking in the general direction of where I thought the raptor was. "Yup!" he chirped happily, words crisp as though he'd been speaking forever.
He didn't have a name, so Nan and I decided to call him Roman, and he took to the name quickly. Roman understood what was up with me, and acted, well, acts like a sentinel for me. He alerts me to danger, and if I need him, I can call him with a special whistle that only he knows.
After Nan died, I wasn't sure how to go on. I couldn't stay at our house. The government would swoop in on me and throw me into a foster home, or more likely, some sort of lab. So I decided, against Roman's wishes, to take a journey round the world. I wanted to visit places I'd never been, even being blind. I wanted to experience the joy of freedom, and hey, maybe find a new home. Roman and I departed from Hawaii, and started the journey that would change our lives and those who were yet unknown to us.
I leave you now, to follow my journey if you will. A tale of friendship, courage, and the struggles of life all of us, human, animal, or shifter, face...
Chapter One
Angelus
The rustle of feathers was all that could be heard as the pair slept unnoticed in the park, hidden from sight by a large, ancient oak tree. The stooping of the trunk helped the still perky branches to obscure them from the unobservant eye. The golden eagle shifted nervously, keen amber eyes raking the park and watching every passing person. This was a bad place to have rested, out so close to the public eye. The boy beside him grunted softly, nose twitching in reaction to the pollen freely dancing through the air. Allergies. Roman glanced at him, envious of his ability to fall asleep almost anywhere.
Cliff Grant rested up against the trunk, arms behind his head. A warm spring breeze tickled the grasses surrounding him, brushing over the golden eagle stationed by his thigh. Roman snorted impatiently, shuffling his feet. He couldn't enjoy the weather, or go flying into the wild blue yonder until Cliff was more securely out of site. The cries of the gulls nearby lulled him, daring him to break free and chase them down for a quick meal. But the eagle wouldn't desert Cliff, wouldn't leave him at the mercy of ruthless people, while he went off gallivanting and hunting.
As if they'd heard his thoughts, a couple of police officers were heading almost directly towards the duo. Roman clicked his beak in frustration, and immediately hopped onto the slumbering boy's chest. He stared at the soft face a moment before his head darted forwards and gave the nose a sharp nip.
With a quiet yelp, Cliff awoke, pale aquamarine eyes flashing. "Roman! What in blue blazes is wrong with you?" he spat, rubbing his nose tenderly. The eagle puffed up, dancing nervously on Cliff's chest. "There are cops heading right for here!" Roman snapped, scuttling off. The boy's head spun around, and though he could not see them, he trusted Roman enough to scramble to his feet. "Lead the way, boy!" he whispered, body tensing.
Roman nodded, and with a small rush of air, unfurled his wings. A running start had the eagle flapping in no time, and he took off, looking over his shoulder for Cliff.
He couldn't fly here, so he ran instead. The gangly teenager could outstrip any human, running or flying. The warm air felt nice against his skin as he followed the sound of the juvenile eagle's wing beats, laying an invisible path of cookie crumbs for him to follow. Cops weren't kind upon loitering teens, especially ones that looked school age; the only reason he ran from the people who were supposed to keep you safe. Despite himself, Cliff grinned and felt a small laugh escape his lips. Roman's wings shifted, and began to drift more to the right. Naturally, Cliff spun to the right, peeling off over asphalt and down an alleyway. "Garbage can!" Roman's voice shrieked, and Cliff jumped, sailing over the shiny metal obstacle with ease.
"Okay, stop there. I'll do some reconnaissance," came his friend's voice, and the boy paused at the edge of the alley, panting lightly. He listened intently for the sound of the raptor's wings as they beat away and began to fade. Cars roared by, and Cliff could hear the faint chatter of voices as ordinary citizens roamed the streets and sidewalks beyond from where he hid. A familiar odour of gasoline permeated the immediate area, as well as the stench of garbage and, remarkably, cat pee. Ugh, were all cities full of alleys that smelled this way? Before he could relax, the sound of returning wings distracted him. Roman landed on his shoulder, careful not to dig his talons in too deep.
"It's a little busy straight out, but if you turn left immediately, we can hurry through a marketplace and end up on the beach. After that, we'll decide what to do." Cliff nodded, but hesitated to proceed. "Um, are you sure it's safe... for me to go running through a market? It sounds kinda stuffed full of people," he muttered, half turning his head. Roman shuffled, speculating the question. "Just listen to my directions, and you'll do fine," he reassured Cliff, nipping the boy's ear affectionately.
"Yeah, like you haven't gotten me in trouble before..."
"Kalian, wait up!"
Kalian paused in the middle of the street, vendors shouting out to passing customers as they strolled by. The girl frowned as her brother struggled to squeeze his way through two large women laden with many bags. She stood tall and proud, one hand on her hip as the cheery afternoon soon beat down on the market. Kalian Carmel was 15 years old, and a shapeshifter to boot. Mahogany colored hair rested against the nape of her neck, held up in a stylish ponytail. One chunk of hair stuck almost straight up, curving slightly close to her bangs, which fell over the left side of her face. Hazel eyes narrowed as her twin, panting from exhaustion, finally extricated himself from the small space between the large women. He looked similar to her in a way, but alas, they were not identical twins.
His hair was messier than her own, flaring out behind his ears and bangs spikier than her own, but the same shade. Benji Carmel's eyes were a bright steel blue, intelligent and educated compared to his sister's more wild looking eyes. He was nothing but human, and sometimes a bother to have tag along after her. Even their dress styles were vastly different.
A dark blue, three-quarter sleeved shirt, and low rise jeans were her attire of choice, completed with a red sash she had tied around her neck. Even with the slightly cool tinge to the spring air, her midriff was exposed, not bothering her in the slightest. Black sneakers adorned her feet, excellent for sprinting. Benji preferred something a little more casual; a white t-shirt, for example, with dark blue lines on the cuffs of the sleeves, neck and bottom half; black slacks for pants; and a nice red tie, which looked half-decent despite how odd it looked against the rest of him. Brown loafers completed his outfit, giving him a snazzy edge.
He pouted at Kalian and her impatience. "Not everyone moves as fast as you," Benji managed to speak between breaths. The girl smiled ruefully. "I'm not human, dork, don't forget." Her voice was low, to avoid awkward stares from the crowded people. Benji puffed up immediately at her insult. "I am NOT a dork!" he shouted, this time eliciting worried looks from a few nearby vendors.
Kalian rolled her eyes, and was turning around to continue walking when something collided with her and sent her spinning to the ground. Spitting hair out of her mouth, the shifter girl glared at the person half-lying on her legs. "Watch where you're going!" she snarled, flexing her knuckles involuntarily, as if she were ready to wail on this moron. Her glare burned holes in the back of the sandy headed person struggling to his feet. Next to them, a large brown bird with a wickedly sharp beak was making irritated noises, pulling at the kid's sleeves.
A waterfall of "sorry" met her ears, and then the kid lifted his head. She looked into slightly cloudy greenish-blue eyes, which seemed to be looking just below her chin. "Really sorry," he murmured in a gentle voice, fully rising to his feet before a look of panic flashed onto his face. "Oh no... Roman, c'mon boy!" he told the bird nudging his legs and took off running before Kalian could utter another word. Before the boy rounded a corner down the street, Kalian swore she spotted wings. "Geeze sis, you could be a bit nicer," Benji muttered, helping his sister to her feet. Kalian ignored this, eyes still resting where the strange boy had vanished with his bird. "He looked so frightened for a moment there," she said to herself, turning to look in the direction he had come from.
Men in official looking suits were shoving people to the side, heading right for them. Benji followed her gaze and chuckled. "It's highly unlikely they're looking forhim," he said lightly, punching his sibling on the arm. One of the three men stopped by the twins, peering at Kalian and deciding to ask. "Haven't seen a kid with sandy brown hair in a red shirt, have you kids?" the man asked in a gravely voice. Benji paled visibly, gaping mouth closing softly as his sister shook her head. "Nope, sorry," she replied in her most clueless voice. "Why, did he break the law or something?" She let out a stream of giggles. The man frowned at her, and shook his head. "He's just wanted for questioning. If you see him, let one of us know." Without another word, the man sped off through an increasingly angry crowd. Benji breathed out, eyes seeking his sister's gaze. "We-we gotta find that kid! I don't like the sounds of that questioning that guy was talking about," he burst out, taking a step forwards before a hand grabbed the scruff of his shirt.
"You dork, don't go running off! Be calm, natural. If we wanna find that kid and warn him, then we have to be nonchalant, got it?" she hissed in her brother's ear. Benji nodded, abashed. Shoving him aside, Kalian set a moderate pace towards the area where the boy had disappeared.
"Keep running!" Roman urged Cliff as the boy struggled over a fence and dropped down into yet another alleyway. Loud voices were drawing closer, becoming more excited every second. Cliff was wildly frightened for once, and kept bumping into everything. His right knee collided with and tipped over an aluminium trash can, its contents spilling out and tripping the boy. He skidded on his belly through the trash, coming to a stop beside a large garbage bin. The salty tang in the air meant the beach was close, so very close, but the aching stitch in his chest prevented him from running any farther.
Roman sighed in frustration, but settled for this one last opportunity. "Get into this bin! I know it'll be gross, but it's your only chance!" The eagle settled on top of the bin's lid, tapping it with his talons to let the blind boy know where it was. Cliff rose to his feet, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath, and pushed up the lid. The overpowering stench of the trash nearly made him vomit, but he managed to crawl in and let the lid drop when the first man appeared at the mouth of the alley.
"Maybe he went this way!" the man yelled, waving over some more men. Roman hid on the roof of one of the buildings making up the alley, watching worriedly as men in suits swarmed the narrow path. "It's likely he kept running to the beach, or even doubled back into the market to blend in," one man said, his bald head shining with sweat. The others made noises of agreement and split away, a few heading towards the beach, the rest turning back the way they had just come. Roman breathed a sigh of relief, and flew down to rest on the lid of the bin once more. He tapped it with a talon three times, and fluttered up as the lid rose cautiously. Cliff fell out of the bin, one hand pinching his nose shut. "Disgusting!" he squealed. "Never again, Roman, never!" Cliff turned on the bird, who had landed back on the bin to survey his friend. "Last minute, Cliff, don't chew me out," the raptor replied calmly. The boy grunted, and began patting down his clothes and hair. "I'll never get this stink out," he grumbled while leaning against the bin and crossing his arms.
"Are you TALKING to a BIRD?" an incredulous voice asked.
Both Cliff and Roman jumped at the noise. Roman glared at the girl who'd snapped at Cliff for running into her. Cliff merely looked shocked, but then smiled and turned his head away. "So what if I was?" he said indifferently, trying not to cringe as two sets of footsteps approached.
At this point, Roman was beside himself. The eagle squawked and made shrill noises of protests as the siblings came closer to Cliff. The boy craned his head around his sister to get a better look at the boy, bright blue eyes wide. The girl's hazel eyes were searching Cliff's back, finding the wings practically squashed flat against his body. "So I wasn't hallucinating those wings," she murmured, stopping a foot away from Cliff. His pale eyes found her face unnervingly, despite not being able to see it. Before Cliff could say anything, the girl spoke again. "What did those guys in suits want with you?" Benji walked around his sister and stood on her other side, surveying Cliff with great interest. Roman emitted a shrill cry, forcing both siblings back a step. "Roman, no. Leave them alone." The tone of his voice silenced the eagle, who crouched down on the garbage bin and resorted to nasty looks.
Cliff turned his gaze back to the patiently waiting Kalian. "I'm not sure what they really want, but something tells me they don't want a freak like me walking the streets," he said, smiling ruefully at his words.
"Hey! Down here! He's down here!" a voice yelled, distracting the three teenagers.
"Uh oh," Cliff said mildly, squinting towards the bald, black-suited man charging down towards them. "Uh oh is right! Let's move!" Kalian growled, harshly shoving Benji out of the way as she shifted her shape mid-stride. Her long body shortened up and flattened out, hair erupting all over. It was ginger in color, and after Kalian's black tipped ears sprung up, there was no mistaking her shape. A fox hit the ground moments later, tearing across the pavement and disappearing around a corner.
"Sis! Damnit, don't leave me behind again!" Benji wailed, chasing after his sister. The flapping wings behind him were unnoticed until a firm grip on the back of his shirt had his feet leaving solid ground. "Wh-what!?" he yelped, feet dangling uselessly below him. "Don't struggle, okay? It's hard enough trying to fly with extra weight," panted a breathless voice. Benji turned his head and met Cliff's smiling face with the other boy's wings beating behind him as they soared over the roof of a building. Roman flew alongside them, looking annoyed but patient. Benji let his gaze fall to the ground below and found the orange streak that was his sister racing towards the beach.
Vertigo rendered him unable to speak, wide blue eyes just following his sister's path.
Kalian knocked a black-suited man to the ground and sailed over him, paws sinking into the grainy sand as she hurtled through throngs of people, some shrieking as she went by. She just had to find somewhere to duck down until the men were gone. Like they'd leave her and Benji out of whatever mess that kid was in. Two teenagers, walking around a city alone? Oh, the mischief they could be getting into, oh the shenanigans! Bah.
Her breath came in little huffs, vulpine body practically gliding over the sand as her hazel eyes searched out a decent place for hiding. And then she spotted it; a little niche in the cliffs surrounding the beach. A bit close to the waterline but good enough to shake any pursuers. As soon as Kalian reached the niche in the cliff wall, she hurled herself to the right and scrambled as far back as it went. Panting, she watched the opening with cautious and alert eyes.
Beating wings shocked her heart into stopping. The fox looked up, air whooshing from her throat as the boy from earlier descended from the sky with her brother in his grasp. As soon as his feet touched down, Benji fell to his knees and kissed the ground gratefully. The other boy simply folded his wings against his back and leaned against the solid cliff wall, breathing hard. "Ugh, never again... will I carry... a person," he managed to pant out. Kalian growled sharply at him, silencing Cliff as she strained her better hearing out. No voices came back to her on the wind; only the nearby roar of the salty sea lapping at the shore. She let out a light sigh as her body collapsed, form changing back into that of the fourteen year old girl she masqueraded as. Benji scrambled over, hands waving over her rapidly, but she shook her head.
"Fine Benji... I'm fine," she said, hazel eyes zeroing in past her worried twin and locking on the winged boy leaning against the wall. His eyes were closed, and his face was tilted up towards the sky. The eagle that had been following them, Roman or whatever the boy called it, announced his arrival in a flurry of shrill noises and fast wing strokes. Cliff's pale eyes opened again, and he held out an arm bent at the elbow for the eagle to land on. It leaned towards his face, beak near an ear, and let out an endless torrent of noises that seemed to make more sense to the boy than it did to her or her brother. Frowning, Kalian stalked over to the boy, whose acute hearing let his head turn in her general direction. Sucking in a deep breath, Kalian let her fury explode.
"ARE YOU MAD?" she shrieked at an ear-splitting decibel level. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT WE NOW HAVE TO GO INTO HIDING FROM THOSE WEIRDOS IN THE BLACK SUITS!"
Cliff raised a hand, cutting off Kalian mid-rant. "Um, actually, you followed me down that alley... "
Benji tapped his sister cautiously on the shoulder. "He's right Kal... you wanted to see what was up with him," he said timidly, shrinking back as Kalian shot him a poisonous look that could kill pigeons in mid-air. He instead looked at Cliff, studying him intently with his clear, steel blue gaze. Sandy brown hair that fell loosely past his ears, resting just above his chin; a fringe of bangs that spiked out naturally, not obscuring the freckled face; and those pale, but so alive aquamarine eyes of his! Benji felt his cheeks grow hot.
Luckily, Kalian had focused most of her attention on Cliff. "Fine, whatever... now, who are you? And more importantly, what are you?" The tone of her voice implied no disgust towards Cliff, or his odd set of wings.
Cliff flashed a small smile. "Er, my name's Cliff Grant... and uh, I dunno what I am really. Heh." He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Just an experiment, I guess." Roman made an impatient noise from his arm. "Oh, and this is Roman, my companion golden eagle," he added, making Roman puff out his chest in pride. Kalian sighed, but said nothing in response; he'd answered her questions. The boy cleared his throat nervously. "Now it's my turn... who are you two?" he asked lightly, resisting the burning urge in his legs to sit down.
It would be rude to ignore him, so Kalian, with much reluctance, answered. "My name is Kalian Carmel, and the dweeb over there is my twin brother, Benji." Kalian peered over her shoulder, and started when she saw the flush still painted on Benji's cheeks. His gaze had been on Cliff when she first looked, but when his sister started in shock, his eyes drifted to the sky. Making sure Cliff wasn't paying attention, Kalian whirled around and shoved her brother against the opposite wall, using one arm to keep him from squirming.
"You listen to me now, Benji! Do not get attached!" she hissed in a very low voice. Things would be very difficult if her brother developed anything more than the crush he had now. "I know you're gay, but in this day and age, being gay isn't tolerated by just everyone! Forget about it."
Stepping back from Benji, Kalian regretted her harsh words as hurt lanced through her brother's eyes. But his issues with his sexuality were not welcome heaped onto whatever other worries plagued her mind. "You okay over there?" Cliff called, unable to hear Kalian's whispered words, despite his usually great hearing. Kalian spun around and affixed her gaze on the boy, whose eyes were beginning to unnerve her. "I've got one more question, bird boy," she started, strutting over to him.
Cliff smiled mildly. "What is it?" he asked calmly. "What's up with your eyes? They're... er, kinda pale," Kalian murmured, trying to pick a delicate word for describing them.
The boy chuckled good-naturedly. "I'm blind," he replied simply. Kalian nodded, not perturbed at all. "Interesting," was all she murmured. Benji, however, looked aghast. "You f-flew and you can't even... and you carried m-me... oh dear god I might faint," he panicked, sliding down to the sand and staring blankly at his loafers. Cliff peered at him, shrugging. "Roman helps guide me around, and I've got great senses, being a bit of a freak and all," he chortled. The golden eagle squawked in response and looked important.
Kalian snorted. "I'm a shifter; my senses are probably just as fine as yours," she challenged, hands resting on her hips despite Cliff being unable to see this pose. "Being blind probably makes mine several times more acute, Kalian," he said back, tone not carrying a trace of smugness. Kalian conceded this to him with a chuckle. Leaning back, she sighed though. "What are we gonna do now?" she asked to no one in particular. Cliff folded his arms over his chest and turned his head in the direction of the roaring waves. "I don't know about you two, but I'm gonna keep to my original plan of exploring the world," he answered, despite the fact it was a rhetorical question. Kalian and Benji's heads both snapped to look at him incredulously. "You're joking," Benji said bluntly.
"Nope," Cliff smiled, rolling his shoulders. "Helps keep my mind off things, and it's looking even better than usual with those guys after me." Roman chattered unhappily, leaving Cliff's arm for the boy's shoulder instead. The three were bathed in the soft red light of the slowly setting sun, its light spreading across the water in diluted hues of pink, orange and red. The rippling water gave the reflection a shimmering appearance. It was a beautiful scene – to anyone who took the time to stop and really see it. Kalian held her finger over her mouth, chin in her hand, as she stared at the quiet, beautiful scene of nature extended out before them. "Um, Cliff," she began hesitantly, watching the boy stroke his golden eagle companion. He half turned his head. "What is it?"
The girl paused, wondering how to proceed. "S-since you seem so adamant about you traveling the world... Benji and I have nowhere to really go... would you mind if... i-if um..." She couldn't form the question on her rose colored lips. Benji spoke for her instead. "Can we join you and Roman?" he asked directly, shooting a wink at his twin's shocked look.
They both looked quickly at Cliff, whose face was bathed in the reddish glow of the evening sun, impassive. Finally he smiled brightly. "The more the merrier. Would help to have some human friends to help me too," he said. Echoing a cheer, the twins charged Cliff and hugged him graciously.
"But let's get started tomorrow. It's late and all," Cliff noted. Kalian nodded quickly, then realized Cliff couldn't see the gesture. "Uh, yeah. And no worries about a place to stay; we've got a hotel room. Don't ask," she said sharply, cutting off the forming question. Benji nodded, and grabbed hold of Cliff's arm.
"We'll sneak across town this time. No more chases, for the love of god," he laughed, guiding Cliff forwards before a punch from Kalian landed on his shoulder and forced him to drop the other boy's arm.