As the morning sun beamed through slivers of the cedar thicket, the sound of the waking forest-dwellers became apparent. The quiet rumble from the night increased into a low roar with sharp clashing sounds and low murmurs. An increase in smoke came from the chimneys, casting the smell of wood and charcoal throughout, intensifying the thick redolence. I sat perched on the roof, examining the buildings, the various colors of wood and stones, and I wondered how I would ever find Lillie’s residence. I stayed in my position, patiently waiting for the city to wake up. But, in reality, I was too petrified to move.

  The initial shock of the mysterious city had decreased after observing it from above, but, still, my mind raced with anxious thoughts of how I would find Lillie. The city was too large for me to look in every building. Perhaps I would only need to find her neighborhood and could ask the local inhabitants about her whereabouts, perhaps leading me directly to her or to others who were friends with her.

  Talking to random strangers can’t be that hard, right? Perhaps I will meet someone who knows Lillie—maybe a friend!

  Lillie was friendly when I had first met her. Perhaps others would also show me kindness and display eagerness. As my eyes drifted down, I saw a group of people walking along the path underneath me. From my position, I noticed they looked similar to Lillie’s kind. Grayish skin, pointed ears, similar clothes, and they wore their long hair in braids. I swooped down and landed in front of the group, bending my knees on impact. The sudden force shook the ground a little and I slowly rose, folding my wings behind me. My large figure cast a dark shadow across the group of people as I towered over their short statures. Their faces displayed terror from shock; their eyes bulged and their jaws dropped open.

  “Hello,” I said. “I’m looking for a friend. Can you—”

  “Get away, you freak!” one man yelled while turning away.

  “Ah! A demon?” another shrieked, and the group of people ran in the other direction, some looking back with horror.

  Well, I probably shouldn’t do that again.

  I scratched at the side of my neck, slightly grimacing as the people turned around a corner, still shouting to each other about the dangers of demons. A few faces peered around the building, then quickly dashed away, only indicating that I had made a blundering mistake in my method of approaching the forest-dwellers. Lillie had never been afraid of me—but, she did ask if I were a demon. Perhaps a demon looks like a Teragane.

  Maybe these people believe that the Teraganes are dangerous demons.

  I just need to be more approachable.

  I saw a small child exit from a building, slamming the door behind him, and he wiped his face, smearing dirt across his cheeks. His skin was a stormy gray, similar to Lillie’s when she was a young child. Although small in stature, the child displayed confidence as he skipped down the path, swinging his arms. He stopped at an open shelter filled with firewood and began picking up logs, placing each upon his thin, but strong arms.

  His resemblance to a younger version of Lillie drew me close, but I casually passed him by, allowing the child to notice me. Perhaps he would also be curious, like Lillie was as a youngling. As my large shadow passed over the firewood storage, he twisted his head, and stared up at me with a curious grin. I darted my eyes and pretended to read a sign next to the shelter, and stroked my chin while furrowing my brow. While feigning a puzzled contemplation, I mumbled, but, then, as I looked closer at the protruding sign with weird scribbles, I naturally became confused.

  “Hey, mister!” he called out, and I felt a tug on my feathers. I turned to face the tiny child, and slowly crouched down to his level while his eyes gleamed with inquisitiveness and a sense of bravery.

  “Hey there, little one,” I said. He was holding several logs in one arm, and I noticed scratches upon his skin through the holes of his tattered clothing that seemed too filthy for a child to be wearing.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked. “You’re not here because the keepers sent you, are you?” As he tilted his head, observing my wings, his little pointed ears perked up with interest.

  “No one has sent me, but I am looking for my friend. Do you know—”

  “Can you really fly? Like a bird?”

  “Yes, I can.”

  “Can you show me?”

  “Unfortunately, the city is not suitable for flying conditions.”

  “Aw, why not?”

  “Because, my wings are too large to fly around. It’s better to be in an open space. Anyway, do you know someone named Lillie?”

  “The market is open. You can fly around there.”

  “Okay, but, please, do you know Lillie?”

  “Who’s Lillie?”

  “Lillie—she is my friend. She is about my age, has long, white hair, and is probably this tall.” I stood up and showed her height with my hand, pressing my hand against my chest near my shoulders, knowing that was where her head lay last when I had given her a hug. A sense of warmth overwhelmed my body with the memory, and I felt even more anxious to find her. “She likes to forage in the forest, bakes bread, cooks over a fire, and—uh, she lives somewhere in this city, but I don’t know where.”

  “Hmmm.” The young boy shifted the logs onto his other arm as he pondered out loud, then looked over his shoulder. “Does she like to play Pocket-Ball?”

  “What? Uh…” I muttered. “I don’t know.”

  “How do you not know if your friend likes to play Pocket-Ball?” The child’s eyes narrowed as his judgmental voice sent an unnerving sensation through my mind. I looked around, feeling uncomfortable, for, how does one respond to the criticism of a literal child?

  “Some friend you are,” he sneered, then shifted the logs in his arms again, then looked down the narrow street, and I followed his gaze.

  “I guess I never thought to ask because I—” The door in which he first emerged swung open, and an older woman stepped in the doorway, holding a stick and wearing a rather ugly expression as she shouted with a screeching voice. The little boy’s pointed ears narrowed, and he grumbled while pushing past me.

  “Friends should know what kind of games their friends like,” the young boy said with a final remark, then ran down the street, leaving me feeling bewildered at how a child could negatively affect me.

  Stupid kid. Even if he’s right. I should know what Lillie likes, shouldn’t I?

  I wandered the stone path through the narrow buildings as it curved, noticing doors open quickly, then slam shut. The city-dwellers quickly turned a corner when seeing me, making it rather difficult to approach anyone else. Yet, after taking another corner, the path opened up into a large square where people were crowded. I noticed a stone structure nearby where people were drawing water with buckets, and others were talking loudly, and some people appeared to be trading as they handed each other objects. However, I noticed a man drop some shiny metal objects, then took a large sack from another. Then, I watched as a group of people were pushing carts fully loaded with large rocks. The longer I lingered with observation, the more complex it all appeared.

  Most of the people looked similar to Lillie. The older ones had dull gray skin, some stronger with undertones than others. All had pointed ears and heads full of hair in braids, men with beards and women with complex hairstyles. Most wore tanned hides as tunics, linen shirts in earthy tones, and most of the women wore skirts, and some men had aprons covered in dark substances, but I did not notice any colorful clothing items. It was as if the forest was alive, and the earth and trees were moving after their roots had turned into legs. However, unlike a forest, the noises were unpleasant.

  The area was loud with the rumble of people talking, squawking birds in metal cages, and there was constant movement of people and overbearing carts rolling across the stone ground. I felt paralyzed as I stood motionless, not knowing what to expect or how to proceed. It was my first time seeing so many people gathered in such a small area, although the space was rather large. My sharp eyes were struggling to make out what was a person, a stone, an animal, a moving cart, or a building. It became blurry the longer I attempted to observe each detail, and my inner ear began to ring. I felt beads of sweat developing on my forehead, causing the discomfort from the environment to disrupt my entire body.

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  “Hey, watch it!” someone yelled next to me. I felt a powerful push at my legs, and I moved aside while looking around. A man was moving a cart full of dark rocks, and I continued to step aside from him, but then accidentally bumped into another person who tried pushing past me.

  “Move it!” the man shouted after shoving me. He snarled and glared at me as he tried getting past others. I twisted around, realizing there were more heavily loaded carts coming, and I was in the middle of their pathway. The people directing their carts waved their hands, yelling angrily at me and flaring their nostrils. I stepped out of the way, only to get pushed by others.

  Before, the people were avoiding me. Here, they didn’t seem as motivated to get out of my way.

  “Ode!” a woman screeched, then elbowed me in the stomach.

  “Eek!” another shrieked, and I felt hands grip at my feathers. I began fumbling my way through the crowd, diving deeper into the dense area of people. I was much bigger than them due to my height and wings, yet with their carts and other items, it was a game of push-and-shove. I could feel others being shoved away from me when I accidentally bumped into them. The people less fortunate of being forced into another direction by my faltering movements were feisty and quickly fought back, causing me to stumble onto others. It was a blur of chaos with apprehension of hurting others and trying to find a steady footing. I dared not use my wings for balance, afraid I could damage my feathers, especially after feeling people’s fingers pass against them. I felt trapped in a back-and-forth motion, bouncing from one heavy shove to another. The loud rumbling noises overwhelmed my mind, and I felt helpless in any efforts I made.

  “Hey!” I heard someone shout and consequently felt a sharp grip on my arm, and I was pulled through the crowd. Already disoriented and completely out of control, I allowed them to force me away, following their pull, not caring where I went. I only had a wishful hope that I could stop tumbling through the endless crowd. The person pulled me through the dense area and led me to a small spot where a few others were sitting near a cart and tables. They moved me to a safe place where I could finally stop moving and catch my breath.

  “You alright?” a woman asked with a friendly tone. She still held onto my arm with a firm grip and patiently waited for me to breathe consistently again, casting cautious eyes upon me. Nearby, I noticed three other women observing. All were short in stature, and their faces looked old but kind, carefully examining me with curious eyes.

  “Yes, thank you,” I said while looking at the woman who had just saved me from the crowd. I ruffled my wings, and looked over my shoulder, half expecting to see bent feathers, but thankful none were ripped out or broken.

  “You can’t let ’em push you around,” the woman replied with a smile, and she released her hand from my arm. “Otherwise, they’ll trample all over you.”

  “Yes, I realized that too late.”

  “Never seen a Teragane brave Cedrus City before.”

  “Right now, I am regretting it.” After I spoke, the four women laughed strangely at my remark. I looked around by tilting my neck up, noticing I was near the stone structure where I had seen people draw water from. The sound of water splashing echoed as people on the other side were lowering buckets, and I observed the carts near the group of women, noticing the textiles and objects that were inside. The women had tools in their hands, one was weaving a basket.

  “Well, then what brought you here in the first place?” the woman who pulled me from the crowd asked.

  “I’m looking for my friend, Lillie. Do you know her?” I questioned.

  “Lillie?” the woman asked, and a surprised expression overshadowed her face. The other women looked at each other. At that moment, I realized how foolish I was to put myself in such a vulnerable position. They obviously knew of my people, possibly also called us demons. It was obvious that they acknowledged how rare it was for my kind to enter a dense area like this city. I was like a trapped bird, like the ones I saw in the cages.

  “Yes, Lillie,” I said, deciding to make the most of the situation. “She is seventeen; she likes to gather plants from the forest, and she loves to talk.”

  “Of course he would be looking for Lillie,” the tallest woman said then rolled her eyes. “Who else would make friends with a Teragane?”

  “Maybe they trade for medicine?” the basket weaving woman suggested.

  “Then why’d she leave Jadis’ shop and go looking for some Teragane? That doesn’t make sense,” sneered the tallest woman.

  “Lillie used to bring me medicine when she trained with Jadis,” the oldest of the women said while leaning over to another. “Now, I have to visit the apothecary on my own; stupid girl had to ruin such a good arrangement. I can barely afford to pay the taxes.”

  “Well, maybe you should work harder at your own trade!” the tallest of the group sneered again. “Then you wouldn’t have to rely on Lillie to help you. You know, she has no time for such things anymore. At least, that is what Marie says.”

  “She once brought us fish at random,” said a woman who looked severely sleep-deprived. My ears perked up at the subject of fish. “I was so grateful for her that day, although with five children, it did not last long.”

  “Oh, she gave me a fish too,” the oldest woman said, then she began coughing.

  “Where in the world would Lillie find—oh, never mind,” the tallest of the group said quickly while shaking her head. “She was so pretty, but now her hair has gone white, and she looks terribly gaunt.”

  “Yes, Lillie, where can I find her?” I asked, interrupting the women’s conversation, although I despised the last thing said about Lillie. The woman who pulled me from the crowd examined me with a puzzled expression.

  “And why are you looking for Lillie?” she asked. I noticed white powder on the tip of her nose, and she wore a beige covering over her clothes that was covered with specks of the white dust. I was curious if she worked with Lillie, for the scent of yeasty aromas of bread permeated from her clothes.

  “Everyone seems to be looking for her these days,” the tallest woman remarked loudly. “Poor Marie can’t keep anyone from bothering her for something. It’s the deer carcass all over again.”

  Deer carcass? Medicine? Oh, perhaps they think I’m here trade.

  “I need to find her,” I said directly to the helpful woman covered in white powder. “I have fish for her, and—uh, I have arranged to meet with her, but I can’t seem to find where she lives.” Immediately, the other women leaned closer; their long, pointed ears perked in unison. I assumed the fish the women spoke of was the very fish I had given Lillie before winter. I had hoped that she found a good use for the food I gave her, but a feeling of frustration festered, especially the tones in which the women used.

  “Oh, that would make sense,” the sleep-deprived woman said loudly. The tallest and oldest nodded and murmured in agreement, as if I needed a solid reason to seek out Lillie—perhaps she was someone of importance. A leader? An important trader providing the city with food from the forest?

  “See, I told you it’s the deer carcass all over again,” the tallest woman sneered, her head bobbing. “Now, it’s fish. Marie will not like this. They really need to open a market stall or something to control the demands.”

  “At least it’s food from the forest and not from the allotment,” commented the sleep-deprived woman. The helpful woman glanced at the other talkative women, then looked at me.

  “Come with me,” she said, then grabbed my hand. The other women’s voices continued behind us as the helpful woman with the powdered nose began weaving us through the crowded area. She was skilled at dodging overbearing carts and large items, and swiftly moved around people as needed. She paved the way for me to follow directly behind her. As we wove through the density of people and market items, I realized how starkly different I appeared in the crowd of light gray-skinned people. I was taller than everyone; most came up to my chest, and some were even shorter. I felt like a giant amongst the forest people.

  In contrast with their earthy tones of brown and green, my clothes were black and a dark gray. My black feathers cast a cryptic shadow behind me, causing me to feel like a looming, dark creature passing through the crowds of unsuspecting forest-dwellers. They moved around me with alarmed faces; some even looked angry as they twisted their necks to gaze up at my formidable stature, and I distinctly heard some mumble the word demon.

  A sense of discomfort overwhelmed me as I passed through the crowds of busy people. The woman leading me guided me to a different path on the other side of the dense area. She led me to a new street that was lined with buildings similar to the one I walked through before.

  “I couldn’t stand to listen to them yap anymore,” she said while looking behind us. I nodded in agreement. “Anyway, follow this on the right side and past the blacksmith. Walk until you find The Crooked Bow—a sign with a bow and arrow—and two houses over will be Lillie’s house.”

  “Thank you!” I said, feeling glad to be away from the crowd and group of women, but, more importantly, closer to finding Lillie.

  “Listen,” she said sternly and I looked intently at her. She was obviously concerned, but kind, once again. “I care about Lillie. Don’t get her into any trouble, you hear? If you really are her friend, then you will do good by her, right? Her parents can be finicky, difficult to approve of their daughter’s methods, but she deserves to achieve her goals.”

  “I agree,” I reassured. The woman’s hazel eyes narrowed, her thin brows furrowing, and she tapped the front of her covering, causing a puff of dusting to form. “I will always do good by Lillie.”

  “Alright. You better. Otherwise, you’ll get a beatin’ from me.”

  “Oh, okay,” I said. Suddenly, a flood of memories of Lillie’s stories of constantly fighting with others reminded me that these people are ones who easily defend themselves through physical aggression. I swallowed the discomfort piling in my throat, and held my head high as I nodded, hoping to hide my fear of this woman’s threats.

  “Thank you for helping me,” I said, and I walked away.

  At least she cares about Lillie—enough to direct me towards her house—and threaten me.

  She must be a good friend.

  I followed the path, staying directly on the right side, following the woman’s instructions. My heart felt overwhelmed. I felt lucky to be helped by someone who knew and cared about Lillie, regardless of the threats. As I walked, I began remembering the things the other women said about Lillie. It seemed odd that they would speak in such a way that felt condescending. And Lillie’s mother? Well, I already knew that Lillie had a difficult relationship, but I did not realize how complex and involved others were. Why were these women speaking about it so openly? Why did it feel judgmental?

  Did my mother ever speak to others about me that way?

  What did my mother think of me? I didn’t recall much of her nor anything negative about our relationship. Yet, I was only a child.

  I thought of the little child I had earlier seen. The woman calling for him could have been his mother. She appeared angry, demanding, and his little arms strong, but thin—too thin. Was this the life of these children?

  Was Lillie once also a little child with torn clothes and a screaming mother barking orders to gather firewood?

  The overwhelming thoughts about all my interactions filled my mind as I walked down the path leading me closer to Lillie. I passed by many buildings and people who gave me glaring-looks, but I continued to ponder through the experiences. Yet, the unnerving sensation of the reality of this place overwhelmed me the most.

  Why do I feel so weird right now?