Chapter 1

The world was at his fingertips whenever Kaizen was in the sky. His dark feathered wings spread wide, carrying him above and below the clouds however he pleased. The cold morning breeze numbed his cheeks, yet the sun’s light kept him perpetually warm. Many hardships came with being his species. The Aerieths, human-like beings blessed with wings, were envied and loathed by many. Sometimes he wished he was normal, just to avoid all of that. But flying was something he could never give up.

Kaizen swooped low, his body gliding flat above the forest's treetops. He peered between the leaves, spotting animals and flowers and enchanted fruits. His wonder and curiosity for the world outside his home grew immensely.

Then there was pain. He cried out and staggered midair, wings flapping desperately to keep himself afloat. But he fell through the trees into branches , the sticks scratching him. The winged boy hit the ground hard. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he sobbed when he looked back to see an arrow pierced through his wing. He could hear the shouts of victorious hunters in the distance. Panic rushed through him. He attempted to get up, yet only yelped in pain and curled up, shaking on the forest floor. Someone’s footsteps were rushing towards him.

Why did the humans have to ruin everything? As much as he wanted to prepare for what he knew would come, how could one ever prepare to die?

“Hey!” He heard someone yell. “Are you alright?”

The Kaizen opened his watery eyes to look at whoever had just knelt beside him—another boy, staring at him with worry. He couldn’t say he had seen someone look at him like that before, and regardless, he was terrified. He inched away as much as he could.

“Oh my god….” the boy mumbled. Kaizen guessed he must’ve seen the wound. “We’ve gotta go. Quickly! They’re close.” He reached to grab Kaizen’s arm, which he wrenched away.

“Don’t touch me!” He almost forgot his injuries for a moment and tried to crawl away. But that didn’t last long, and he winced, freezing up instantly.

The boy rushed to his aid, much to Kaizen’s annoyed confusion. “Please! I’m only trying to help. I promise I won’t hurt you.” The human held his hands out to him urgently.

He glanced over him cautiously. This stranger wasn’t very menacing, and it seemed like he didn’t have the weapons or muscles to hurt him. But could he trust a human? He supposed he had no choice if he wanted to survive this. Reluctantly, Kaizen gave him his hand and stood up with his help. The boy hadn’t the strength to carry him, so they settled for Kaizen leaning his weight on him as they strolled further into the forest. Over time the sounds of the hunters faded into silence. The quieter it got, the more relaxed the two of them became. The Aerieth’s wing burned and ached, but he found that making sounds and complaints didn’t help him feel any better. He simply gripped the human tightly whenever it particularly hurt.

“My home isn’t much farther,” the boy explained as he panted tiredly, “You can hide there until it’s safe to go.”

Kaizen looked up to see an adorable cottage a few yards ahead. A sea of vibrant flowers surrounded it. It was placed within a small clearing, where the trees separated just enough to let the sunshine through. As he stared with amazement, he thought it must’ve been too good to be true. “ What’s in it for you?” hHe questioned with vigilance. “Why help me? I don’t understand.”

“Nothing’s in it for me. I could’ve left you there, I guess. But you’re alive, aren’t you? Doesn’t make a difference if you’re human or not. You have feelings. So, I don’t think it’s right for them to kill you.” The boy shrugged, smiling in a way that puzzled Kaizen. “There’s nothing else to it. Just think of me as a friend helping out another friend, okay?”

Kaizen nodded hesitantly. As the two approached the cottage and advanced up the pathway, he decided he would trust this boy. If everything he expressed was true, then Kaizen had found a rare heart of gold.