Prelude

THE WIND HOWLED over the eastern Cape Dayflower as another chill went through the old observatory, a sign that winter was still yet to end. Yet, on this morning while the sun had long yet to rise, the storm outside was particularly quiet. O’brar gave another yawn as he pulled away from the window, heading for the door. It wasn’t often that this place got mail. The peninsula was quite far from the nearest city, after all. But if the things he’d been hearing about those places were true- from the shootings in Siranossian to the civil war up in Terreforte, then he felt quite lucky to be here where it was isolated and safe. He had his family, as well as a close circle of other researchers in the area, and that was enough.

Yet, somehow, it didn’t feel as safe as it once was. Though invisible, the threat of the civil war hung over them all like a black cloud, and the government was the epicenter of that cloud. The other scientists had passed the information down to one another; secret details of the government’s crimes against innocent civilians. The horrors of their practices against those seen as “traitors”. It was almost like the tyrannical Masvitaski wanted to tear the country apart. 

The more O’brar thought about it, the more he realized the only true safety for him and his family would be to leave Politzania altogether. But where would they go?

As he looked down before the door, O’brar was surprised to see a small white letter and picked it up. Pacing back the other way, he opened the envelope and pulled out the note that was inside, rubbing his eyes so he could read.

Dear Professor O’brar Whitewing,

I’ve written this letter to warn you of a great danger befalling all of us. The soldiers came this morning and left before 10. I believe the general was there, too. They took P’tari Littlewing. Tore apart the whole library looking for evidence to use against all of us. I barely managed to escape in time to write to you, but I can’t promise I’ll last long out here before they find me and take me in as well. 

I have little reason to believe they aren’t coming for you next. I can only hope this letter gets to you in time. Get you and your family out of there as soon as you can.

Signed, Borotu Blackcap

As O’brar’s eyes trailed down the letter, his heart started to race. Not P’tari- He quickly threw the paper from his shaky hands and made a beeline for his sleeping room, bursting through the creaky door and turning on the light. There his wife was still asleep in the bed, and he shouted to get her attention.

“Honey- honey! Wake up!” 

She sat up almost immediately, shielding her eyes at first. “What? What is it?” The panic in her voice was evident as she recognized his urgency. 

“Soldiers, coming this way. Borotu sent a letter. We have to leave.” By the time the words were leaving his beak, he was already rushing back into the main room. He began by taking out the drawers from his desk facing the large windows, hastily shoving whatever papers he could into them, and then stuffing them all into an almost-empty box under the table. Exactly where they were going to head was still unclear, but as long as Masvitaski was running his army through here, they weren’t safe in the observatory. Not anymore.

In the same room, he heard his wife getting what she could, her choices a little more hesitant than his. Eventually she called out, “O’rodeñav!” and O’brar was forced to stop what he was doing, “We have to wake him, too.” 

“Be quick.” He grunted as he picked the box up, heading for the door.

~❁~

“Ñav, Ñav. Get up.” 

O’rodeñav stirred as he felt his mother shake him, blinking in the darkness. From the light coming from the open door, he could make out her face, her beak twisted in a look of worry.

“Son, hurry, we must leave-”

“Honey! Come on!”

After his father’s voice echoed from outside, she shot him one more scared glance before leaving. As she disappeared, O’rodeñav quickly sat up, confused. This didn’t feel like a normal morning. Something felt wrong.

And after he stepped out of bed, rubbing his eyes as he came into the main room, he was greeted by a particular chaos of flying papers. His parents were both pacing the floor, hastily taking random things from the desks and shelves. For a moment he could only stand at his doorway in a state of bewilderment when suddenly he felt claws grab his arm. 

“Wait! But what about my things?” O’rodeñav cried out as his father pulled him towards the entrance, assuming this must be some kind of trip. 

“There’s no time.” Was all he said. In the next moment, O’rodeñav had no choice but to follow his parents. A hard gust of cold air went over him as he went outside close behind them. He could hardly see beyond his beak, even the moon obscured by a thick layer of black clouds. Behind him, his mother quickly shoved a coat onto his body just before they had to move.

Instead of heading down the road, his father led them into a detour through the bushes. Thorns poked him and caught themselves in his feathers as he struggled to keep up, his mother soon slowing to grab his hand making for little relief. He still shivered, cold and confused. Finally his father made an abrupt halt, holding out one arm for his mother to stop, too. There was silence for a few seconds as they both scanned the surroundings, and it seemed like no better time to ask. 

“What’s happening? Where are we going?”

Immediately, his father snapped his head around to shush him. His mother then turned around, however, lowering her box so she could crouch him down.

“Ñav, dear,” She whispered, “Do you remember those big mean soldiers that we told you about?”

This hardly comforted him, but he nodded wordlessly.

“Well, they’re… they’re coming here. We have to be very quiet, or else they’ll hear us. Do you understand?” She rubbed his cheek and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t worry. Your dad has a plan.”

“I think the shore is clear.” His father would then speak up, causing her to face him again. “Come on.” 

His parents began to move once more and O’rodeñav followed them. The thought of those scary men with their big guns hiding somewhere was enough to keep him quiet the rest of the way, but it was hard when the trek became rockier and he had to hold back a yelp each time his claws caught against the stone.

Suddenly, however, the darkness parted, and a small glimpse of moonlight showed over the bank up ahead. As the three of them finally made it onto the sand to get their bearings, O’rodeñav stared out towards the ocean. 

From a small part in the clouds he saw the moon, round as a pearl, reflecting over the dark water with a trail of white sparkles leading off into the horizon. At any other time he might’ve been able to sit here in peace and enjoy its beauty, but now that he was fearing for his life, things began to feel ominous instead.

His gaze shifted towards the bank where the waves lazily drew in and out over the sand. Not far from the water was a tilted wooden boat, a tiny shelter on the back end and a sail near the front that had been wrapped tightly shut with rope. He’d sometimes noticed it before now, always in the same spot. Abandoned. His father had said once that the waters around Politzania were far too rough to easily handle. As he turned, however, his father’s gaze was in the same direction, looking at the sailboat. 

His mother was the one who broke the silence, coming to stand close to her husband. “O’brar… surely you don’t plan on taking that. The nearest land isn’t for hundreds of miles…” 

“I know,” He responded, sounding certain as he always did, “We’re not leaving Politzania. We’re going to the Isolated Islet.” 

“You mean… that tall rock? But… there’s nothing on it. Except for-” 

“The old lighthouse.” 

O’rodeñav blinked his wide eyes as he listened to them. This was his first time hearing about such a place. He could only follow as his father headed towards the sailboat, grunting as he pulled some of it out of the sand.

“It’s the closest place where they can’t find us,” He explained further as he caught his breath, “And there’s no other option. Ñav, honey- help me push this.” 

Following his mother to the back of the boat, O’rodeñav helped the best he could to shove it towards the water while his father, at the front, kept it upright. Soon enough, it hit the water and began to float. O’rodeñav waited there as his parents ran to grab their belongings, bringing them onto the boat, and then getting in themselves. 

He was the last to enter after his mother helped lift him inside. He didn’t have long to get his bearings, however, before his father started taking the initiative.

“Honey, you get everything secured inside. O’rodeñav,” He turned, throwing a small oar towards his son, “You start paddling. I’ll untie the sail.”

Watching his parents move away, O’rodeñav hesitated before heading off to follow his father’s orders. Everything was still so confusing. He didn’t want to leave the observatory, especially not to some rock with nothing on it. It’d only been a few minutes, and he already missed the comfort of his bed and seemingly predictable life. Everything was changing so quickly; he almost wanted to curl up and forget it all. 

But, thinking about his father, he quickly shook away the thought. If his father was scared, he certainly didn’t show it. O’rodeñav wanted to be just like that. Brave, strong…

Approaching the tip of the boat, he dipped the oar into the water and pushed once. Then twice. And then a third time. The surface was ominously still, and each push sent away ripples that he almost worried would wake something beneath. The threat of the soldiers was bigger to him, however, and he eventually began to quicken his pace. 

Slowly the boat went further out onto the water, and just as his arms began to feel sore, he heard a noise and turned in time to see the sail open up. It was large and off-white, with an illustration of a sun on it. As his father tied it back, a wind had already picked up, and the boat began to move forward at a steady pace. As he caught his breath, O’rodeñav looked behind them to snatch one last look at Cape Dayflower and the observatory, already fading quickly from view. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever see that place ever again.