A young girl with long black hair laid in bed, far from her bedroom's windows.

  The neighboring building shaded her from the rising sun, leaving only enough light to signify daytime.

  A clock broke the silence. The digital call of a songbird continued and increased in volume. The girl shook, only truly waking up when it became too much for her.

  For a moment, Aya buried herself in her long black hair and covered both ears, praying this was all a dream and that she still had a few hours of blissful sleep left. Alas, this was her reality—another long day. Muttering, she swiped at the clock, knocking it off the nightstand.

  With the irritating sound gone, the upper half of her body rose from the bed. The covers and her draped hair shaded her face from the dim light as she drowsily scanned across the walls until she saw the dresser in the opposite corner. She squinted at the room that she had lived in for the last two years. The walls were vertical rectangular panels, white with black adhesive between them. The only exits to freedom were the window in front of her and the Victorian door across on her right.

  With a start, she bent forward and noticed two books, Das Kapital and Roosevelt: A Presidential Memoir, peeking out from under her bed. She dove and hurried to push the books back under the bed. Once she was sure they were secure, pushed deep under the bed, she raised herself using a wooden chair that had a white undershirt and a beige suit with a circular emblem on its left breast draped over the back. A beige bag containing her school books and supplies was also hanging on the chair.

  She flipped back onto the other side of the bed, resting her head on her pillow next to another book. The silhouette of a knight with hawk wings adorned its cover above the title Blackhawk. She recalled drifting off to sleep while reading the myth, as she had many times before.

  Aya wrapped her arms around the book, gripping it like her sleeping toy. Cuddling the mythical novel prompted her to face the left side of the desk, which was directly adjacent to her bed. A man held his arms around her in a portrait of her. He had short blonde hair, brown eyes, and smiled proudly at the camera. She was smiling sweetly in the picture, which she sleepily tried to imitate. Below was a plate with engraved names.

  CLARION & AYA MASAYOSHI

  Aya rubbed her thumb on the frame. “Good morning, Father.”

  “Kyaaak! Kyaak! Kyaak!” Another bird call woke her up, one that she took more seriously. Aya rubbed the sleep from her brown eyes, opening them to the shadow of a tall bird behind the windows. She sent her feet to the floor before stumbling around the underwear, skirts, and long white socks littered around. She nearly tripped on her brown and white shoes, the panic shooting adrenaline through her system.

  After using the bed frame and nearby laundry hamper to stabilize herself, Aya reached for the nightstand’s drawer and grabbed a brown leather glove, donning it on her right hand. The deerskin had a few tears, but the glove still protected her hand more than enough to handle large birds. She moved as close to the window as she could. Her feet were less than an inch from stubbing her toes on the electric heater below her. The bird tapped on the glass, prompting Aya to grab the handle of the second-right window, prying it open, now clearly hearing the wails coming from the bird that greeted her.

  A young adult peregrine falcon poked her head in the window. She folded her wings to move through the caged metal frame that normally kept larger birds and outsiders from entering. Aya easily recognized her by her black wings, red eyes, and the patterns on her white belly, though she mainly eyed the blood-red stains and marks on her right foot and wings. All of which set her apart from her fellows.

  The falcon grabbed onto one of the bars to stand. She lowered her head, changing her call to an “eechup” as Aya petted her chin.

  “Good morning, Athena.” Aya reached for a thin bag hidden on the left side of the windows. She took out dried strips of salmon and placed them in the palm of her outstretched hand, the falcon easily snatching one strip. “Miki was able to save one bag of this for me. Let’s share this while we can.”

  After giving Athena her share using her glove, Aya took a few strips herself. The two gobbed the salmon strips together as Aya continued talking.

  “I should be getting up earlier in the morning. It’s rude of me to keep you waiting every day.”

  The falcon eechuped again and swallowed her last piece. Just as Aya was enjoying the moment, a loud voice came from the other side of the wall to her left.

  “Aya! It’s time to get up!”

  “I’ll be right there,” Aya replied. She leaned forward to Athena and whispered, “I’ll meet you soon.”

  “Aya!” Her mother shouted louder from the other side of the door.

  “Coming!”

  Athena retracted her head as her human companion closed the window. Once she started flying towards the high-rise buildings, Aya left her glove on the windowsill and dashed towards the closet.

  ————

  After her shower, Aya sat at the white table in the small square kitchen, now in her school uniform with a red headband tied to her braid.

  The news channel announced itself on the TV directly across from her, within the living room connected through the doorless passage.

  “Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the SKYFORT news channel,” a female reporter greeted. “Today is Thursday, March 31st, 2084, here on Arahi Island. The team here proudly marks the 10th year since the merging of the news channels, courtesy of the SKYFORT Media Corporation and its local sponsors. The people of the Union of North America and members of the Arahi Assembly and Executive Council have expressed their regard for this milestone and wish for continued enlightenment of the island nation. For this morning’s hottest headlines…”

  During the opening moments of the broadcast, Aya focused more on eating her cereal. Time had forced her to have cereal grains soaked in milk like they had across the Pacific. She turned around once to find her mother gone. Beside the washed dishes next to the sink, she had a pot of miso soup on top of the barely-on hotplate. Aya pressed her lips together as she saw the nearby egg carton on the table next to the tofu.

  The broadcast then suddenly stopped.

  “That’s enough of that,” a voice declared. As Aya chewed another bite of her meal, her mother placed the remote back on the couch and returned to the sink. “There’s no need for you to listen to that stuff. And stop gazing when you should be having breakfast.”

  “Sorry, Mother.” Aya slumped in her chair.

  “And try to get up earlier if you can,” her mother ordered. “I know school isn’t that far, but I want you to make sure you get out before I leave.”

  Aya did not pay attention. Instead, she stared at the two books in her bag, concealed from her mother’s view.

  “I already made breakfast for you while you were in the shower,” her mother scolded. “Next time, have the breakfast I give you.

  “But I don’t—” Aya attempted to reply.

  “I don’t know what Clarion taught you, but listening to that trash is bad for you,” her mother interrupted as she finished the rest of her dishes. “No, simply hearing and watching the news is bad enough.”

  “That’s not why I was listening.”

  “What else could it be?” Her mother continued as she sat down for her meal. “I already got the latest report from your school, and I can already tell why you’re not doing as well as you should be. Politics are not something for someone your age! You’re way too young!”

  Aya stuffed her mouth quicker and more ferociously as her mother continued.

  “A future where you risk hurting yourself isn’t right for a normal girl like you. You need to find something more suitable, something less dangerous. Otherwise, you’re going to regret it later. I’ve seen it before; I don’t wish to see it again. Not with you.”

  “Is this how you respect Father?” Aya dropped her spoon with a metal clang, with only the milk in her bowl. Her closed eyes sealed her pain.

  “What?” Her mother never paid much attention to her, adding to her irritation. Was this how she thought a good mother was supposed to act?

  “Is this how you respect what he wanted?” Aya yanked the bookbag off the table and stomped towards the exit.

  “What are you trying to say?” Her mother’s sharp words went unanswered. Aya finally threw open the main door and dashed out with hard steps on the carpet. “Aya? Aya!”

  Aya slammed the door, and her mother’s demanding voice was met with silence.

  ————

  Once Aya rushed outside, she slowed to a walking pace down the three steps to the sidewalk. She had been in a hurry to escape the oppressive atmosphere of her house, but the mood outside wasn’t any better.

  As far as Aya could see, the island was overcast. Large residential houses and apartment complexes with concrete external staircases surrounded her. She glanced back towards the significantly wider three-story Victorian building where she lived, eyes catching the sign labeled “330 Birdcage Road.”

  Aya’s gaze shifted to the silver ring on her right pointer finger, which had a blue octahedron and a pair of wings. She thought back to the portrait of her mother that she had unceremoniously shoved in the back of a desk drawer.

  Father thought so much of you, Aya thought. He cared so much about you, about me. Why can’t you do the same?

  Shaking off the specters of the past, Aya walked down the street that was her well-worn path to school. It wasn’t that big of a road, and it saw very little traffic. Her mother went the other way to work at numerous jobs, so this path was private for her.

  Aya heard a smug voice ahead. “We’re telling you, sir. No cars or military vehicles are allowed to pass.”

  “And we were ordered to retrieve the detained demonstrators here!” a second arguing voice arose. “You have seen our military cards and the forms. Our orders are straight from the General himself.”

  Aya looked towards the intersection of Birdcage Road and Side Wing Street. The nearby Public Security station on the opposite corner had set up a metal barricade across the left road, blocking her way to school.

  A company of four armored vehicles was parked directly in front of her, facing the intersection. Even without reading the words “ARAHI DEFENSE FORCES” embedded on the sides, Aya knew from their black color scheme with streaks of blue and green that those vehicles were military property.

  Numerous Arahi Defense Force soldiers lined up before the vehicles, protecting them from any threat. They wore mostly black, with traces of green on their faceless helmets and protective armor. On their armguards, they wore the emblem for Arahi: the circular wall of eight bricks enclosing a circle divided into black, blue, and green sectors.

  Two men stood face to face in the center of the street, arguing.

  “That’s funny,” the more condescending man barked. He had the uniform and decorations of a First Lieutenant. Aya recognized him as a member of Arahi Public Security, or APS, by his gray hat, matching jacket, black pants, and—most notably—the emblems on his cap and jacket arms depicting a circle of eight long bricks surrounding a black diamond. “Because our orders are from the government. Public Security has full authority to detain these prisoners as they see fit.”

  “Then we’ll wait until you're done with them before we pick them up,” the second man replied. He was wearing a black officer uniform with the rank of First Lieutenant in the Arahi Defense Force, or ADF.

  “You can wait all you want, but we’re not letting them go. Not for a very long time.”

  Aya walked closer to the barricade, where the two men continued arguing with each other. A similar roadblock was on the opposite side of the intersection, with two of APS’s armored vehicles parked horizontally, one with a heavy machine gun and the other with an autocannon turret on top. They had APS’s gray color scheme and emblems.

  Several demonstrators who had been detained in cuffs were dragged out of the APS vehicles by soldiers and moved to the station. Many of the demonstrators wore feathered coats, one of the primary attires and main symbols for magic users. None of them were fighting, but she could see the disgruntled behavior in their body movement and eyes.

  Arrests by Arahi Public Security were not rare, so armored vehicles were a natural sight. What was rare was having a bunch of them taken to this station that required a blockade, especially since it took up the intersection and more of the road past it.

  Aya shook her head, walking to the left turn on the sidewalk before anyone noticed. Unfortunately, a metal fence panel blocked it off with gaps too small to squeeze through and bypass.

  “What do you think you’re doing out here?” An APS soldier approached her as she wondered how to get around the panel. “Get out of here if you don’t want to get hurt!”

  “Sorry, I wanted to—” Aya didn’t have time to complete her sentence as two APS soldiers shoved her away with their rifles. She barely regained her balance, startled over how rough they were with her and how they scowled at her.

  “This is the seventh time now!” the APS Lieutenant shouted. It was like her very existence was an annoyance for him. “The government has locked down this road! All civilians are forbidden from entry or crossing until further notice!”

  “I need to get to school,” Aya said as her body stiffened and started to go numb. The officer pushed her onto her back. The other nearby soldiers readied their weapons, though they didn’t aim them at her yet. Her mind and heart raced.

  “We don’t care where you need to go!” he sneered. “There is no pedestrian crossing here whatsoever!”

  “That’s enough!” Aya’s eyes snapped to the ADF officer who stepped in, creating distance between her and the Public Security forces. A couple of ADF soldiers proceeded to help break up the fight. The officer glanced back at Aya, who was walking backwards from the hostile response, noting the bothered look on her face even as she was silent. He approached the shaken girl with a gentler expression before turning around to her assailant. “The girl only wants to get around the bend here. Just let her pass.”

  “You know that is our jurisdiction,” the APS Lieutenant responded with an arrogant smirk and tone. “Public Security has the right to maintain this part of the block however it wants. Not even pedestrians are allowed through. No exceptions.”

  “That’s no excuse to not help citizens!” The ADF Lieutenant jerked his thumb at Aya. “Shouldn't you care more about your duty than pushing civilians around? This little girl could become the Supreme Chairman or bigger in the next decade!”

  Aya didn’t know what to say in response.

  “You cannot judge everything on speculation. It’s no wonder the government has fallen out of favor with you, considering you still cling to silly thoughts of favoring little brats too young to wield such power. Besides, shouldn’t your role be to protect the country from outside enemies while we deal with those inside? If anything, you should return your attention to your duties while we handle ours.”

  Aya heard the ADF Lieutenant's groans of frustration. As his adversary walked away, the Lieutenant kicked the tire on a nearby armored vehicle, which made Aya nearly jump off the ground.

  “Damn it, bloody animals think they can do what they bloody please!” the Lieutenant exclaimed before taking a few deep breaths. Aya looked away, but the Lieutenant approached with his subordinates. “Are you alright, miss?”

  “Y-Yes.” Aya pushed herself up with one arm while accepting the soldiers’ assistance with the other. “E-excuse me, sir, but could you help me get someplace? It’s right by my school, so it shouldn’t be…far.” She trailed off as she saw the look on the Lieutenant’s face.

  “Sorry, miss.” The Lieutenant sighed and shook his head. “As much as we’d like to help, we were ordered to pick up the demonstrators arrested last night. But it seems like we’ll be here for a while. At least we’re more than willing to listen to their complaints and let them go, unlike those animals.”

  Aya looked back towards her house, remembering another route to school. It went through more crowded blocks and would take longer to walk.

  “If you want to get to school on time, there’s a bus stop two blocks in the other direction.” An ADF soldier got Aya’s attention, waving his hand in the same direction she was about to go. “That one will get you to Fuya Middle School in a few minutes, as long as you don’t have problems. The buses come every ten minutes at this hour, so you should be able to get there on time.”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “You can tell them we sent you,” the Lieutenant backed him up with authority. “You can thank that Tenjou girl. Because of her, they allow you to travel for free around here, as long as you have a Student ID. Remember to stay out of trouble and stick to the rules.”

  Once again, Aya took a moment to process the soldiers' compassion. But despite their intentions, she shook her head. She still had to make a stop before she went to school.

  “I’ll be fine.” Aya had to smile at the man’s generosity, which he gave back in return. “Thank you very much anyway.”

  “Be safe out there, miss!” Aya heard a nearby soldier call out as she ran to her intended route. Hearing the genuine care in their voice, she could not help but turn to face him again, letting her gaze wander up towards the main city behind him. The most particular point of interest was always the towering UNA Embassy. Aya shivered as she gazed upon the ominous tower, as if it were staring back, watching her and everyone else she knew.

  Once again, Aya rushed as she headed away from the blockade. Athena was waiting for her, so she didn’t want to take too long.

  She took the next corner on her right and approached a large intersection. As she waited for the traffic light to turn green, a large screen flashed at her on the tallest building to her left. It was several stories up, beyond what most people could reach, just like two or three more that were further down the road. As if on cue, it switched to the SKYFORT news broadcast.

  “In other news, a riot between the Social Action Party and Arahi Public Security personnel broke out last night,” a newswoman announced. “Violence erupted when radicals attacked APS officers, which resulted in the rally being quelled by local law enforcement personnel. Casualties have been reported to be only two wounded soldiers, while over a hundred radicals were subdued and arrested in the aftermath, with dozens wounded. Minister of State Pride Forte has condemned the Red Wings for their terrorist actions. Violence from the SAP has escalated ever since the imprisonment of its leader. In contrast to the official report, rumors are circulating that these demonstrators were first attacked and provoked by fanatical pro-government forces before being framed for the attacks. However, these claims remain unsubstantiated and are likely being perpetrated by Pro-Magic factions looking to sow dissent and erode trust in our government. We urge citizens to dismiss these rumors, and to report anyone spreading them for sedition. We have Matthew Lockett here speaking in response to the latest events.”

  Aya rushed through the intersection and down the street as a man appeared on the screens. His dark gray suit would have people easily mistake him for a priest. Perhaps he was one, but he’d only appear on videos.

  “Thank you, and I commend the officers who have quelled this rebellion without incident. Even now, the remnants of Arahi’s history continue to resist the prosperity and equality brought by our friends, the Union of North America…”

  Aya did her best to shake off the words from the man’s monologue. However, she overheard some of the nearby citizens at the next intersection. All of them were in either business suits or school uniforms.

  “How long will he continue speaking like that?” a schoolboy muttered.

  “It never stops, just the same kind of bollocks every day,” a businessman rambled.

  “When I moved from the UNA, I thought I was already done with this crap,” an old man said to himself in Aya’s ear. “Just can’t escape their influence, can you?”

  A minute passed before the next light turned green. The pedestrians ahead of Aya started to cross first. Just as she was about to cross herself, she heard the sound of numerous powerful engines growing louder. She turned her head and spotted a bunch of motorcyclists heading towards them. Even worse, it didn’t look like they were stopping. Instead, they picked up speed despite the red light and the people on the road.

  “Look out!” a citizen cried.

  “Everyone, step back!” another shouted. “Step back!”

  The crowd on the sidewalk called out to the pedestrians already on the road in a panic, gesturing to the incoming bikes. Seeing the danger, those on the crosswalk panicked, dashing to either finish crossing the street or return to their starting point.

  The people on the street were lucky enough to just step far enough away as the gangs blew across the intersection, causing several cars to stop and nearly skid into each other. The first few were sleeker sports bikes with their riders leaning forward, having flashy colors and feather patterns on the sides of their rides. These bikers tried to avoid the stopped cars and pedestrians. The rest were military-gray choppers with weapons sticking out of the sides. A few of them struck their weapons near the pedestrians that got in their way, making sparks on the ground near those who tripped as a warning.

  The bikers vanished from the intersection, and Aya walked out from behind the rails where she had hidden. Everyone covered themselves to block the large gusts of wind blowing at them. As Aya straightened her braid and long hair on the side, she looked around to inspect those who had gotten hurt. While those who had fallen started to get up, the crowd started talking.

  “Damn, bikers!” a downed man complained. “This happens every time!”

  “Weren’t those from the Volunteer Corps?” a young woman noted. “Looks like they’re cracking down once again.”

  “Why does that matter!?” a nearby older man retorted. “Don’t they have any respect for the rules of the road here? Someone could have been killed!”

  As the other citizens stood by the side, merely talking about the victims, Aya couldn’t sit idly by. Out of instinct, she went over to two men who were still lying on the road.

  “Here.” Aya bent forward, offering her hand to a grown man. “I…wanted to give you a hand.”

  “Ah.” The man grabbed Aya’s hand. “Thank you, young lady.”

  “What the hell is the police doing at a time like this?” Aya heard a schoolgirl complain.

  “Those Greyhounds are the police, idiot,” an older schoolboy answered. “As long as they have the badge, we can’t do anything.”

  “I can’t go to school when this keeps happening!” another schoolgirl shouted. “Someone, do something already!”

  Aya attempted to ignore the rambling from the crowd, instead focusing on pulling the man up.

  “Easy now,” another man told her as the first one got up. “Let him stand up on his own.”

  “Hey, no need to be hard on her,” the man she’d helped defended Aya. “Besides, there aren’t many people like her nowadays, stepping forward while others just watch. Who knows if there’ll ever be any more?”

  “You should take care of yourself more,” the businessman argued as he turned to Aya with a sour expression. “You should take care of yourself just as much.”

  “Easy, she just gave me a hand.” The man waved. “Anyway, we'd better get going.”

  “R-Right.” Aya nodded as the men walked fast across the street. Aya followed suit, cruising past both on their left.

  As Aya calmed down, she heard the news broadcast still going. “As for international news today, the United North Americas has made progress in liberating the people from the tyrannical Nazcan regime. Nazca, located in South America, has been under a pro-magic government since the late 1800s before its official founding. The Nazcan government has thus far suppressed the efforts of democracy to bring social equality and freedom to its people, instead choosing to unjustly elevate their magic users, persecuting their normal citizens in the process. They additionally hoard their local clathrate deposits. The pro-magic nations in support of Nazca’s tyranny, such as Indochina and Japan, which have long since used economic sanctions on the UNA, continue denouncing the UNA’s rightful military actions…”

  As the broadcast faded, Aya crossed the next six blocks without incident. She traversed a pedestrian overpass above a gas station and hot pot restaurant, then turned right into an alleyway through several enclosed neighborhoods. She passed through two blocks of apartment buildings with concrete walls, white square tiles, and external metal spiral staircases leading to the bottom. The walls were several meters high, with grooved tops and brown-painted wooden gates in the center.

  She entered a narrow alleyway, leaned back against the wall, and slumped to the ground. She took a moment to catch her breath. A biker gang crossing her path was a rare occurrence, as her neighborhood was normally safe. She would have to hurry now, as this had cut into her spare time. While she could run just fine—faster than most students, in fact—she could only run for so long before her feet ached.

  “Kyaaak! Kyaaak! Kyaaak!” Before she could fully savor her break, a familiar yet aggressive call came from nearby.

  “Athena?” The call was enough to pull Aya upward. That particular call meant that her friend was either in trouble or dealing with an unwanted guest. Regardless, hearing her voice gave her the energy to continue running.

  Following the sound, Aya rushed to a break on the left, then towards the vermilion torii gate further down the road. Two statues of peregrine falcons stood beside the gate as guardians for the sacred ground, with two large boards behind them displaying the shrine’s history. A third sign was at the gate, introducing the shrine's history and bulletins below, including its opening hours. It also served as a stopping point for that particular entrance's two collapsible sliding gates.

  When she got close enough to the gate, the reflection of the light revealed “隼神社” written on top.

  “Kyaaak! Kyaaak! Kyaaak!” The falcon’s call prompted Aya to jerk her head around the outside shrine, searching. She didn’t see anything around the walls covered in hedges that separated the archaic shrine from the more modern architecture of the surrounding buildings. Entering the shrine, she passed the water basin on her left and walked onto the large round stone tile in the middle, which was decorated with three engraved circling wings. Methodically, she cast her gaze over the four buildings in the shrine. The office nestled in the front right corner, the kaguraden in the back right, the haiden directly in front of her, and the honden in the back left—mostly hidden by a fence and only accessible through the haiden. Still not finding Athena, she brought her gaze higher yet, searching the nine cedar trees that circled the shrine.

  “Kyaaak! Kyaaak! Kyaaak!” The call prompted Aya to crane her neck, spotting Athena hovering above the honden.

  “Athena.” Aya gazed at her friend, who was pursuing another massive bird with black feathers and short white stripes on its tail. The second bird let out a long, drawn-out wail that startled Aya. Although it was low-pitched, it was loud enough to force her to cover her ears.

  Athena used her advantage of a higher altitude to dive with amazing speed, striking the intruder faster than it could defend itself, spiraling into a freefall towards the honden, with Athena flying after it. Knowing that the fence was too high for her to jump, Aya dashed into the haiden and took a left. She went around the statue, stepping over the sai-sen-bako to reach the entrance to the honden. Opening the door, she knew in the back of her mind that finding it unlocked was unusual. She pushed that thought aside, as she had far more pressing matters to attend to. The large bird was standing in the center of the short path between the buildings, revealing itself as a great black hawk. At that moment, Athena flew down in front of Aya, stepping in front of the larger hawk.

  The black hawk suddenly took flight with its beating wings, aiming for Athena. Athena reacted quickly, flapping far faster than her larger adversary as she went upward. The hawk barely missed Athena, flying between her and Aya, who ducked in response. Athena rapidly flapped her wings to gain more altitude as the hawk flew around the honden as it ascended in pursuit.

  As her enemy aimed for her again, Athena dived downward again. The hawk got scraped when Athena did one swoop from the left and again when she swooped from the right. The third time, she came from the top, both talons aimed at the intruder. The hawk flapped its wings to slow down, preventing itself from getting struck in the neck.

  As Athena hit her enemy in the back instead, the hawk’s flapping wings struck hers, disrupting her flight. Now, both were plunging toward the ground in a fight with their talons and beaks.

  “Athena!” Aya rushed to where the two birds were about to impact, on the opposite side of the path. Both birds were going at it with their beaks and claws, but the hawk’s larger weapons pushed Athena back. The falcon was forced to fight defensively and eventually broke off from her enemy.

  Aya approached the honden. Like the rest of the buildings in the shrine, four pillars supported the shingled, gabled roof covered in a thick layer of straw. Athena flew between the two white statues of Japanese cranes protecting the barely open double-hinged door.

  Aya had been hoping to catch Athena and use her bag to protect her. The incoming hawk turned and descended on her instead, and she did not have time to move. She wasn’t in a position to try to catch it, either.

  “Eyyahh!” Aya desperately used her hands to block the claws and flapping wings. The aggravated bird continued launching its beak at her face despite not being her enemy. Aya shook her head to avoid the hawk’s attacks, but was forced to rapidly step back to keep the bird away. Her foot struck the wooden door, and Aya waved her arms to try and regain her balance, knocking the hawk away by its wings in the process.

  Aya once again landed on her butt, hitting the wooden floor within the shrine. The impact shook the inside of the room, prompting something to roll within the roof. Aya breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the rolling stop, only for the object to bang her head.

  “Aaah! What the?” Aya covered the lump on her head to soothe the pain. Once it stopped hurting as much, she noticed the sound of something rolling around the floor—something made of…glass. Or rock, maybe? She opened her eyes to see an oval white crystal the size of her hand rolling toward her, which she grabbed. Due to how smooth it felt and how easily it had rolled on the floor, it seemed very artificially refined, yet it also felt very natural at the same time. Not that Aya could see it as natural. It was more like she could sense it, as if it were sentient.

  “Wait, this is—” It took a while for Aya to realize what she was holding. However, the glow in response to her feelings was another clear sign. She shook her head to ensure that she wasn’t dreaming.

  A Heart Crystal?

  Behind Aya, the hawk flapped its wings several times to slow down, landing near the table with a silver stand that held an old sword. It wailed once more as Athena recovered from her landing. Aya could see her limping, yet she called back at the invader.

  “Kyaaak! Kyaaak!” Athena continued to call, though weakly, as Aya firmly grasped the crystal in her right hand. The hawk wailed back as it cruised at Athena again. Athena flapped her wings once more, but she was slower than before, not gaining the altitude she needed to avoid the attack.

  However, the hawk did not seem interested in Athena. It eyed Aya instead of the falcon. Or rather, its eyes focused on the crystal she carried. It turned suddenly, swooping down towards Aya, who was caught completely off guard.

  The hawk’s talons descended to snatch the Heart Crystal, but Aya retracted her arm, bringing it close to herself. Instead, the hawk slit her right arm while she instinctively swiped at the hawk with the crystal, knocking it off balance.

  Aya gritted her teeth, inadvertently dropping the crystal as she covered the wound. While she wasn’t severely wounded, the cut bled profusely. Already, blood painted the hand she had clasped over the wound.

  Athena used the opportunity to tackle the intruding hawk. She slipped past the hawk’s defending talons and struck her beak ferociously at its torso and head. After Athena repeatedly flapped to control her speed, the hawk tumbled to the ground outside the honden.

  Aya startled at the sight of the hawk’s wounds and injuries as it limped to get itself back up, its wing showing the most damage. However, she focused away from the hawk, turning to Athena, who was recovering from her wounds. Her injuries seemed to heal faster than normal, as she was no longer limping as bad as she had been earlier. Aya frantically searched for the crystal and grabbed hold of it. Knowing full well of its power, she wanted to at least grab that before continuing to help.

  “Kyaaak! Kyaaak! Kyaaak!” Athena called out to the hawk again, warning it to run away. But before they continued their fight, another familiar voice came in.

  “You leave those two alone!” A figure stepped into view of the honden’s doorway. Aya’s eyes widened both in awe and surprise at her rescuer. Did she just climb over the fence to get here? Then again, she was Aya’s childhood friend, and that sort of athleticism wasn’t unusual for her. Her friend was in her usual outfit: blue pants, a short-sleeve shirt, and a blue cap covering her rose-pink hair, which was the same length as Aya’s. The girl swung her beige backpack at the hawk.

  As the hawk gave a weak wail, it limped on its left leg before flapping its wings. It quickly disappeared over the walls of the shrine. Aya’s friend swiftly moved to tend to Athena’s wounds, cleaning and bandaging them.

  While her friend worked, Aya looked up to find where the mystical crystal had fallen from. Did it come from the shadows? Perhaps… and for some reason, she could feel nothing was there, a distinct absence. As her friend finished up with Athena’s wounds, Aya placed the crystal into her bag.

  “Miki,” Aya’s mutter prompted her friend to reveal her cyan-blue eyes. Her tough smile shifted into something warmer, showing concern for Aya and Athena’s predicament.

  “Looks like I came just in time.” Miki Tenjou walked to Aya as Athena flapped her wings. Aya gave Miki an uneasy smile, embarrassed to be seen injured in this fashion. The dripping blood from her arm was more than obvious as it bloodied her other hand. “Looks like that hawk hurt you, too. Here, let me help.”

  Miki pulled out a few more bandages from the top pocket of her bag before grabbing Aya’s arm. She poured the alcohol onto Aya’s wound, washing off much of the blood. The contact triggered an expected irritating reaction.

  “Tch-tch-tch-tch-tch-tch!” Aya gritted her teeth again, her eyes squinting to deal with the pain. Knowing it was necessary to prevent infection helped her power through it. She wasn’t worried about the blood on her hands yet, planning on finding something other than the water basin outside to wash it off.

  Miki then proceeded to wrap a bandage around the cuts. There was still some pain, but Miki’s touch made her warm up a little. It felt more ticklish at first, but she eventually got used to her friend touching her arm to treat her wound.

  “And that should do it.” Miki made the last tie on Aya’s bandage.

  “T-Thank you, Miki,” Aya said as the pain began to fade, replaced by warmth from her own chest.

  “That hawk must have been a problem for you. Thankfully, I got here in time to help.”

  “What about Athena?” Aya redirected the topic as she turned to her pet falcon. While she was relieved to see Miki here, the fact that Athena had to deal with a large bird reminded her of the falcon’s injuries. Although she still limped, it was less severe than before, and she could nearly walk normally again.

  “Here, Athena.” Aya walked over to the falcon. Even if Athena had mostly recovered, she still wanted to help. She reached inside her bag while talking to her pet. “If it helps, I’ll be able to…”

  Aya stopped mid-sentence. She searched deeper into her bag, shifting items around. She froze and dropped her arms upon realizing she had forgotten to pack something important.

  “What’s wrong, Aya?” Miki inquired.

  “I left my glove back at home.” Aya turned to her falcon friend in regret. Athena flapped her wings as she took a few steps toward her. “Sorry, Athena. I won’t be holding you again today…Miki?”

  Aya noticed the shadow of Miki advancing behind her, reaching into her bag again.

  “This has happened a few times already,” Miki said, presenting a fresh leather glove. “That’s why I went out of my way to get one myself, in case you ever forget.”

  “Sorry about this, Miki.” Her generosity relieved Aya, who closed the door to the honden and gently inserted her hand into the glove. Athena grabbed onto her glove as they walked through the haiden.

  “Not a problem,” Miki dismissed. “I’m just…amazed how Athena could hold off against a hawk bigger than she was. You must have put up a fight.”

  “It was Athena’s doing.” Aya shook her head, smiling at the compliment as they exited the haiden. Athena started walking on her two feet again. “She has been like this ever since I met her.”

  “She has been. Her ability to recover like that is as much of a mystery as the shrine here. It’s a miracle how well intact it is in an age like this.”

  “The Hayabusa shrine is as old as Arahi itself,” Aya said as Athena flapped her wings once more and flew to the shrine’s center tile. Aya herself observed the many tiny but recognizable engravings on the large circular stone in the center of the room. She had read the small characters written along the three wings many times before. Recalling everything she had learned about this place, she continued her answer.

  “When settlers set foot inland at the end of the Kamakura period and the start of the Muromachi period, they built several of the first and oldest shrines inland, based on the teachings of Shintoism and Buddhism. It was then redesigned under the orders of the ruling Kikous when Arahi and its surrounding islands became a single independent state. The Hayabusa shrine was one of those shrines, though it was built in a strangely irregular manner and was additionally destroyed and rebuilt three times over the centuries. The latter two times were restorations. It has been the responsibility of the local government and community to keep this place clean and protected, no matter the cost.”

  Miki giggled over Aya’s lecture, prompting her friend to turn to her.

  “You always know your stuff.” Aya sensed the sweetness and sincerity within Miki’s voice, followed by a wrap around her back. “That’s why I can always count on you.”

  “N-no need to thank me, Miki.” Aya was flustered, feeling like she had rambled on.

  “There is, for there is a lot more you’ve done. A lot more you can do than you think.” Miki chuckled as she released Aya. She took out a small rectangular phone from her pocket—a Smartscreen, they called it?—before shouldering her backpack. “In any case, school is about to start in a few minutes. Let’s head over there before the guard locks you out. As aggravating as they are, like most Oligarchs, we’re best not getting you into trouble. Not now.”

  “R-Right.” Aya nodded and rushed to her friend’s side, down the back entrance, tucked between the haiden and kaguraden. It had a shorter sliding gate and another two peregrine falcon statues by its torii gate.

  ***

  The young falcon gazed upon Aya as she and her friend went underneath an overpass for the island’s railway system. She never let Aya out of her sight, even if it meant moving from the home she had just safeguarded. It didn’t matter if it was at school or at home. Apart from the ordinary human girl named Miki, she was probably Aya’s closest protector. And, to this day, she was the only friend Athena had.

  ————