A/N: Okay, sorry people, I'm a slow writer okay? Yeah, this one's pretty lame too but oh well. As before, the Voice is in underlined italics and Aderyn's thoughts plain italics. Read FireIces story Maximum Ride: The Australasian Ivasion or there will be no next chapter for she will have killed me! Hope you like it anyway though
I stared about me, the gash in my side throbbing with every down-stroke as I drifted through the gentle wind. A familiar ache set in, something I always get from burning the midnight oil when there was none to spare. And yet the world went on; the clouds still billowed in the gusty air, animals still huddled together for warmth, I still soared through darkness to a fate I didn't know. I tried to fling these thoughts from my mind, toss them from me and into the abyss below. The cool night air ruffled my feathers, tickling and making me laugh. This brought on yet another melancholy concept. I had just laughed for the first time in years.
God, has it really been that long? I thought sadly, staring up into the dark sky. Moonlight shone down on me, glinting off my eyes as they took in the surrounds. The vast Welsh countryside stretched out below me, green hills taking on a ghostly silver appearance. My raptor eyes picked out a hare through the fog, grazing far below, zooming in until I could see its trembling nose. Heaving a sigh I tore my hungry eyes away as my hands tried to massage the feeling back into my arms.
Voice? I don't think I can keep this up for much longer.
I could feel my wing-beats slowing of their own accord, letting me gradually drop lower. I was tiring and the fact I wasn't exactly full-up on energy to start with didn't help. Rubbing my eyes with a bloodstained hand I cast around for somewhere to land.
Just ten more minutes, Aderyn
Ten minutes? Yeah right. It said that half-a-freaking-hour ago. I breathed out heavily through my nose with my lips pinched together as I forced my wings up and down, harder and harder.
Aderyn? Are you okay? The voice asked quietly. This time it wasn't commanding, in fact it almost sounded tentative. After pushing me for four hours could it actually be worried about me?
"Oh yeah, I'm just peachy." I murmured to myself and/or the little person in my head. It was hard to tell as it was getting rather difficult to think. My feet and hands trailed beneath me as I was too drained to hold them up. My eyes sometimes fluttered closed only to have me snap them back open. The blood was slowly clotting at my side where the Erasers jagged claw marks ran along my ribs, making it hard to even breathe.
There should be a small stream and clearing just below you. Can you see it?
I looked down, seeing immediately where it meant. I stopped dragging myself forwards and hovered there for a few moments.
Mmhmmm… Looking down on it right now.
The voice seemed to be thinking, maybe deciding if I really needed to sleep. It didn't matter, as nothing seemed to around then.
I could no longer support my own weight.
My vision went, and once again I was falling.
Only this time I didn't pull out my wings…
Unconsciousness drifted away from me unhurriedly, leaving in gradual stages to the point where I could taste my own morning-breath. Strangely there was no nauseating antiseptic to accompany it. Instead there came an unfamiliar smell; it was quite faint yet almost sickly sweet and blew gently on the breeze towards me.
Daffodils. Your national flower
I sat up with a jolt, opening my eyes and doing an immediate 360. I was lying in a small stream, the water running softly over my body and rinsing it clean. All around me were scraggly trees illuminated in morning sunshine and laced with fog. A few yellow flowers littered the ground near me, giving off that beautiful scent.
Good morning Aderyn. Are you… feeling alright? The Voice greeted.
I guess last night wasn't a dream then. Strange thoughts from a strange girl. Sigh.
I was angry with that little talking person shuffle around in my consciousness, but I decided to save my wrath for later.
Good morning annoying Voice. I thought with a wry smile, scooping up some water and splashing my face. By the way I'm feeling just wonderful.
It was true, actually. I felt… fresh. But the night before I had fainted. I fell. In fact I fell nearly three hundred feet. But when I woke up I felt better than I had in a long time. I had no broken bones, no scrapes, no bruises, no nothing. Heck, even the Eraser inflicted wound was faded and, by the feel, almost completely gone.
Thinking this much so soon after blacking out was hurting my already addled brain so after deciding to interrogate the Voice later I hauled myself to my feet and stepped cautiously onto the grass.
As I did so my stomach gurgled menacingly.
"Bleh… Hungry." I stated out loud. When had I eaten last? I think it was 'breakfast' the day before, so I was stuck with my stomach attempting to digest itself.
Your journey requires you to be strong Stated the Voice. Talk about creepy. Oh well, I was hungry and shivering from the cold water so for once I didn't mind.
Thinking of the rabbit from last night, I stalked off through the trees in search for breakfast.
For the sake of your sanity I have left out the slaughter and eating five little juicy wabbits.
Picking a sliver of pink flesh from between my front teeth, I finished washing my hands at a small brook and dried them briskly against my legs.
Okay Voice. I thought as I looked around me. Where to?
There was a pause before it answered me, in which I heard an odd noise echoing faintly. Was it… computer keys? Before I could make any more of it the Voice gave me an answer.
Head South-West, don't get seen… and Aderyn?
There was always an 'and'. Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I ran along the clear expanse beside the water, leaping forwards and throwing out my wings. They screamed for a moment as they tried to get me airborne, me pushing them down with force as I skimmed along near the uneven ground. Suddenly they caught the air and I peeled away higher into the clear morning sky.
Yes Voice? What's that? You actually have something worth saying that I'll be able to understand? I smiled. Nothing like irritable sarcasm to start the day.
Get some clothes. I looked down at my ripped and stained gown-thing. Okay, so it had had a point.
I fled for the peace up in the clouds, wings snapping and crackling as they stretched out the cricks. I'm sure normal wings don't do that, it doesn't really seem natural. Well guess what… my very existence is so entirely unnatural it's not even funny, so deal with it.
Oh shut up me! I thought angrily, eyes scrutinizing the terrain below. Stop being such a smart-ass. Sigh. Me and my wonderful multiple personalities…
The fringes of a suburb crawled closer, pitched corrugated iron roofs and cluttered backyard-jungles. And washing lines.
Oh yeah. I'm good…I smiled, dipping the tip of one wing and wheeling downwards for a promising looking property. The owners of that particular house soon found themselves minus a pair of tight midnight jeans and one black silk skivvy. Some household a few doors over lost a dark grey cotton hoodie with cropped sleeves while another who'd left a part of Chucks by the back gate had them mysteriously disappear.
Freshly kitted out I took to the air again, surging upwards to a safe height before leveling myself into a coast.
Voice? It might help if I knew where I was going? I tugged at the too long hoodie absently as my hair flicked into my eyes, creating a silky auburn miasma that gave the world a intriguing new appear. As I tied it back with an elastic I found in a recently acquired pocket the Voice gave its answer.
South. The Airport
The Airport? There's an Airport out here
From a distance I observed the goings-on, watching little people in uniforms scurry about with a single-minded purposefulness that was quite amusing. The landing strip was not over-crowded, quite the opposite in fact, which was helpful to an extent. I had been analyzing the area for some time from a position in the treetops where I was reasonably hidden, and was beginning to grow impatient. I was gazing at a plane being loaded when my brain finally clicked.
I'm going in there aren't I?
There was a pause, a moment where I wasn't sure if the Voice would answer. But it did, and what it said made a stupid grin stretch across my face.
Yes, Aderyn, you are going in the cargo bay… We're going international
A/N: Crappy- Yes. Review- Or I'll rip your head off.
XxX-Kitties-XxX