I dodge another flying bird and swerve around.

I'm going to be late!!!

The package that I'm delivering took four days to get to me, and I was supposed to have had it at the customer's house in two. Luckily, they understood and said they wouldn't sue... as long as it was at their house by noon.

And whenever I had called, it was 11:50.

So, here I am, speeding across the sky and now over the town of Lindynn to get to the higher district, Lindynn C. Or Lindynn Cloud.

Not very unique, I know. It is the district for the birds.

I feel the wind change direction and properly adjust my feathers to reach the landing. Up here, we are no longer allowed to fly above the cloud since last time someone did it was for an attack by air.

Being a hawk, I don't get much credit for being fast. The Eagles took that. But I am capable to do the job of the Messenger Bird. 

I land perfectly on the perch and slide the bag off my shoulder, handing it to the guard who happens to be a Eagle. Go figure.

       "Where are you going with this?" He holds up the cardboard box the package is in. I reply as I look around for the correct street,

        "810B on Maklyo Trail." From the corner of my eye I can see him moving the package around and about to shake it. My hand grabs it from him and I hold my other hand out for my bag, "No shaking the package, customer request."

The Eagle glares at me and shakes his head as he holds my bag over the abyss, acting as if he would drop it over the edge,

       "Then I guess you wouldn't mind if we had an accident here, hmm?" My mind is telling my I only have two minutes left.

I don't have time for this!! But, I have the package back. They always think they are so much better just because they were ones everyone looked to in the war. They were simply used as a distraction.

I watch him purposely shake the box and then place back into my bag. And then dump my bag out.

I lunge forwards and catch the notebook before it can blow away,

          "Hey! What the Hell man?!!" He snorts and drops my bag,

          "Stupid Hawk." He walks away while I put everything back into my bag, luckily it was only my notebook that could've blown away. Nothing else.

I pack it all back up and stand, muttering under my breath,

          "Blasted Eagle." I run down Maklyo and stop at the house, then knock.

A small, older-looking woman opens the door and peeks out at me from behind round skeptical glasses. Her old and almost withered sparrow wings are limp behind her, she hasn't had a need to fly in a while.

          "H-Hello young lady, are y-you the nice girl I was speaking to on the phone?" She reminds me of my grandmother. I smile and hold out the package,

          "Yes ma'am. And I'm sorry, there was," I have to pause to stop myself from speaking bad about the Eagles, "more turbulence than normal and the package shook a little." Speaking bad about Eagles can sometimes lead to death.

Many learn that the hard way, and the government does nothing about it.

The woman smiles,

         "I'm betting this turbulence has on armor and a sword?" I blink at her,

         "Uhm... Maybe?" She nods and takes the package,

         "It's okay, Darling, all of us here in these houses don't care much for them either." My smile widens and I nod,

         "Understood ma'am." She takes the package from me and pats my hand,

          "Have a safe trip back, Darling." I nod again,

          "Thank you, and have a good day." She closes the door. I find myself standing at the door for a bit longer, not quite ready to face the harsh world yet, but then a cold gust of wind tumbles in and I'm reminded of my Mum.

She's probably waiting up for me again.

I turn around and take the back exit out of Lindynn C, avoiding the same Eagle. Instead, I'm greeted by a jumpy-looking Parrot with beautiful, dark, multi-colored wings.

She looks at me with a smile and simply waves me on, not bothering to check my bag. I don't complain and take off.

The lower districts are for the ones who either can't fly or have done some sort of crime against the government to have their wings clipped.

Not very friendly most of the time.

I catch a glimpse of this in the version of two Crocodiles hanging a Pig by his leg and using him as a punching bag. Only reason I can tell it's a pig is the squealing it's making.

Don't get involved, Shahin, your Mother is waiting for you.

My inner voice urges me to keep going.

You can't come home with more bruises, she has the ability to make you quit you know.

I swallow as his cries echo into the sky. Even if I did go down, I wouldn't be able to stand by myself against two fully grown Crocs, it's suicide for a Hawk.

At least, that is for normal Hawks. But I know I still can't beat them. My eye flicker to something on the roof.

Maybe I don't have to beat them.

I ignore the time and circle down, my claws make a soft clink against the roof as I land. I can hear the Crocodiles shouting at the poor Pig, giving him verbal and physical abuse.

Moving quickly and quietly, I slide over to a lead pipe that looks like it used to be a piece of a flag pole. My hands wrap around it and I have the momentary fear it is going to crumble in my hands.

But it holds.

I move over to the edge of the roof and throw the pipe into the alley opposite of the three.

Instantly things get quiet.

         "Whose there?!" A deep, raspy voice calls out.

One of the Crocs hopefully.

A few moments of silence pass before footsteps starts walking over. I crawl across the roof and peek down at the Pig, both of the Crocs are gone.

He isn't looking so good.

I jump into the ledge they have him tied to and he sees me. I put a finger to my mouth, getting a nod from him.

It seems like he knew I was there from the beginning... which unnerves me.

I use my claws to slash the rope. Despite him being a Pig, he isn't very big. Most likely because he doesn't have much to eat.

I can easily catch him and with him pushing up on the bricks we work together until he is on the roof with me.

The Crocs are still in they alley.

         "Man, they really are dumb." I mutter under my breath as I untie his foot. His reply is quieter than mine,

         "They're just the brutes, the masterminds never show themselves, we go to him." I blink and look up at him, really taking in his appearance.

He has Pig hooves for his legs, little pig ears, and his skin is pink-ish.

But other than that I can barely tell he is a Pig. The knot comes free and I stand,

          "Can you make it to a safe place?" He nods and before I have time to take off he has vanished down the stairs that led to the roof. With a strong gust behind me, I take flight.

Five minutes later, my house comes into view.

My Mum is a well known Movie Director, so we have our own section of a high district. Right now, the Government is having to debate weather or not it's legal for someone to own an entire higher up district before we can completely move in.

Mum wants to buy it all and have the people who move there pay her rent until they pay their own house off.

I fly up and land on the balcony to my room, placing my bag on the hook beside my door. Before my door can close behind me I hear my Mother's sweet call,

         "Shahin? Is that you?" I roll my eyes,

         "Nope. I'm a random bird that has decided to be totally obvious that I'm here, and then rob you." There is a laugh from downstairs,

          "Well I need to talk to you, so get down here." Her tone went from happy to serious really fast. I recognize the change.

I'm surprised she kept up her act once she figured out it was me.

I turn down the stairs and head for the kitchen, it's most likely where she is. Once I enter the kitchen, I can instantly sense the lecture.

My mother is a Hawk, her wings start brown and then fade into a golden looking shade, her hair does the same. She has tail feathers, so she is obviously the better flier, and human feet.

Unlike my bird feet.

She turns and fixes me with her piercing green stare,

         "You will no longer be a Messenger Bird." Fury roars like a lion through my body. I take a deep breath and reply with,

          "Why not? I'm not being late to most of the houses." She shakes her head and rolls her eyes,

           "Shahin, the only reason, the only reason, you have that job is because your father is an Eagle. If you had only been more like him-"

            "Don't compare me to that Pigeon!!" I interrupt. Mother chokes on her spit and slams her hand down on the counter,

             "That is unacceptable, Shahin!" For a bird, she can hiss surprisingly well.

Sorry to any pigeon out there.

My Mother continues, "I'm done fighting with you about your father, he will be home tonight. Until then, get your feathers up and into your room!!" I stand there a moment longer in defiance,

           "You're just angry because your 'dream marriage' isn't working like you want it to!" Before she can reply, I'm up and slamming the door to my bedroom.

I don't stop there. Climbing onto my balcony, I get ready to take flight. Then there is a bright flash of light and the wind knocks me onto my back, following the wind is a loud, deafening crash.

Whenever I get up I feel all of the air leave my body.

The lower district is burning.

All of it.