The Red Dancer

Chapter 1: Afshar

The dense woods, green with vegetation and filled with the sounds of the many species of animals calling to one another, the smells of fresh rain and the many different tree saps assailed my senses as I flew over the treetops, suspended by my latest invention, a pair of sturdy wings, fashioned into the likeness of a bat’s. I have spent many months studying bat’s wings, yet have, just yesterday, figured out how to make my contraption work.

As I glided over the jungle, my very being almost vibrating with the sheer bliss and ecstasy of this sensation rushing through me, I nearly missed my machia, or my instinct pertaining to sensing danger, warning me that something was amiss. It took but a second to realize what has set off my mental alarm bells, the smell of smoke. My father perishing in a forest fire didn’t help my opinion of the red dancer that foreigners called fire. The fact that there was a fire on my mother and my island sent a shudder through me, causing me to go into an accidental dive. I quickly righted myself. “What am I going to do” I asked myself.

I halted, trying to pinpoint where the scent was coming from, my robotic wings flapping. I sniffed the air. I tested the direction of the wind, sensing that it was coming from behind me and to the left. I turned against the wind and flew that direction. It didn’t take long for me to come across a shallow cave, more of a crevice really. I landed a few feet away, so as not to disturb the potentially hostile inhabitant. I approached silently and cautiously towards the mouth of the crevice. When at last I peered into the depths of the crevice, I noticed that it wasn’t a crevice at all! It was an actual cave. It also was an ideal location for one trying not to cause attention to itself.

I crept forward, my padded boots not making a sound on the stone floor. I saw the dim flickering of a dying red dancer, excuse me, fire, on the sparkling walls of the cave. As I continued forward, my shadow trembling in the weak light behind me. I became very aware of an animal-like sound emanating from the opposite side of the small camp. I froze and surveyed the small room I had entered. The red… the fire made the wall dance and sparkle dully, as if there was a lot of miniature, unpolished crystals stuck into the walls.

The creature stirred, and I quietly drew my losmet, a long dagger, or short sword. The creature continued its odd sounds. I didn’t relax. I crept forward, towards the sound, unsure of what I’ll find, unsure of what to expect. With silence and surprise on my side, I seemed to slide past the fire pit, now sputtering pitifully, drowning in it’s creations. It died and went completely black. I smiled to myself, now I had darkness as my shield.

I continued… and froze. The creature’s machia finally had kicked in and it scrambled in the dark for a weapon. I frowned, no animal carried weapons, even if they did, they should always be in reach and easy to grab and use in a pinch. My eyes having adjusted to the darkness and with my quarry still blind, I sprang forward, catching my prey by the wrist, Wrist? I thought, ''Animals don’t have wrists…. It’s a human!'' As I realized this, the human under me kicked my knee. My knee gave out and I dragged it down with me. I twisted, forcing the other under me so that I would land on it. I heard a crack and the human stopped moving. Great, I thought'' I just killed the only other human other than my mother that I’ve ever met.''

The human under me groaned and I quickly got off it. It was still alive! My mother was an amazing medic and I knew that she could help it. I picked it up and found that it was pretty light, it mustn’t have been eating well. I exited the cave and the sunlight almost blinded me. The human groaned and I looked down at it. If not for my immense amount of self-control I would’ve dropped it. It was a ''he! ''

I had to get him to my mother as soon as possible because his left leg was mangled, as if he had swum out in Wreaker’s Rocks, just out of the bay. I flapped my powerful wings as hard as I could to get off the ground. My wings were stronger then I thought because I shot off the ground like a bullet, tearing my breath out of my mouth. As I flew to the mountain in the middle of the mountain, I studied the man I was carrying. He was about my age, dark, shaggy hair that almost covered his eyes. He was muscular, but bony, like he hasn’t been eating well. That wasn’t a surprise to me, he probably knew little about survival. He moaned and tossed his head as I shifted my arms to get a better grip on him. I felt a few of his ribs give way and that his spine was out of alignment. His right leg was broken, and his arms, chest, and face were scarred. ''What have you been doing'' I thought to him.

We were at the top of the mountain, so I swooped onto the top of it. As my feet touched the rock, the top of the mountain shifted, showing a small crevice that radiated light. I rose into the air again and dove into the hole. Under the surface of the mountain was this huge open area, with walkways connecting small rooms, each with its own purpose. I flew to the medical center. Landing, I carefully set him on the bed in the small room and then walked over to a lever built into the wall. Pulling it, the room suddenly went red, and a small alarm should’ve gone off on my mom’s belt. I heard a zipping sound and turned to the zipline that came from our library. Landing with a practiced roll, she sprang to her feet and was surprised to find me standing. She was used to seeing me on the bed grimacing in pain from something stupid I did, which is often. I gestured to the bed where the mystery man lay. My mom walked over to the bed and scanned him. My mom was, and still is, an amazing medic. She grabbed some herbs off the shelf and began to work her magic.