Prologue

Freedom called out each day, just beyond the walls. It beckoned her despite what her friend would say about how dangerous it was, the unknown; she would just drown Oluo out. Petra knew that her dream was a suicidal one. Whenever the soldiers would leave, so very few returned home, like lambs sent to the slaughter, but at least they were fighting. It had been this way since before she was even born. The nations of Eldia and Marley were always at the others throat, neither side ever giving in. The casualties were great on either side. The population of Eldia for the past 100 years had been pushed to the edge of their small island nation, Marley was without a doubt, winning, so when Oluo begged her not to sign up the day she said she planned on joining them, she understood his concern; had the positions be switched, she would have also tried to talk him out of it.

And yet...

Her mother. The wings on her back, the pride in her eyes, how could she not aspire to be like her. To her, the woman who stood tall with confidence was everything a 10 year old Petra was inspired to be. When she was called out her mother would hug her as if it were last time - but Petra knew her mother was a strong woman, even the ones who thought the war was waste of taxes and supplies seem to respect the woman. Although still relatively young, she rose through the ranks earning the title of captain of her own squad. Her mother, her hero, would always return home with a smile of triumph. Even if she did not win the battle, much less the war, if she just brought back a few of her men, she won.

Petra saw her off that morning like all the other times, a smile on her face. Her father kissed his wife gingerly on the cheek as he wrapped her in that green cloak. She walked away from them, and Petra looked in awe at those beautiful dual coloured wings. One day, she would wear those wings alongside her mother. That's what she always believed.

Days went by that eventually turned into weeks. No news from the battlefield but that was to be expected. Petra and her father kept the house clean and warm and Oluo stopped by often so she never felt lonely. They had been playing in the dirt, when she looked him in the eyes and asked, "Oluo, what will you do when you get older?" His face was a serious as she has ever seen when he gave her his reply.

"Since I can't stop you, I just have to go with you to make sure you don't get destroyed." Her eyes widened for a second before softening. It made sense. It has always been the two of them. Before she could give him a response her attention was stolen by the sound of horses trotting down the street. The army was back. She gave a quick 'see ya later' to Oluo and hurried home in her now-dirtied dress.

As she turned the corner she was met with the most frightening of sights - one she couldn't have fathomed in even her darkest of nightmares. Her father was on knees with his eyes shut tight, his cheeks wet from before him was a few uniformed individuals their faces filled with dread. In his hands he clutched a green cloak. With knees shaking and heart pounding, she somehow found the power to approach him. "There's no way" she repeated in her head as she got closer and closer. Those wings, the ones the symbolized everything Petra believed in, were now drenched in red. "Dad, where's mom?" Her voice felt so distant with the pounding of her heart in her ears. When he finally looked at her, his eyes were puffy and red. His sobbing intensified.

One of the soldiers bent to her eye level, "Mrs. Ral, you're mother fought bravely. Her sacrifice saved her squad from those Marleyan-monsters. She is a true hero of Eldia!"

Were his shaky words supposed to comfort her? She could barely even register what he had said. Her mother was strong, here's no way she would have been taken out! She wanted to scream at these men, demand to see her mother, but no more words would escape her.

As the men left, her father guided her inside. "Petra," he began, "I know you had your heart set on joining the military… but I just can't let you. Promise me, you won't." Give up her dream? She was going to argue back, but the look on his face showed he was a broken man, losing his wife at the prime of their lives. He couldn't lose her as well. "I won't. I'll stay here, with you, Father." On this day, one week before she was supposed to enroll in the military training course, her wings had been clipped before she ever took flight.