The day drags in the market and while it is lacking Precious parading wares of local merchants business picks up. This one explains her trade to a colorful group of travelers taking great interest in lost wishes and mystery purchases. They bicker and expound excitedly, dreaming upon the possibilities between them. So many customers at once! Clothes as detailed and fine as theirs suggest heavy coin pouches and generous offering. This one's speculations are correct! The lad of charm, muscle, and wit sets a coin on the crate. The largest amount ever offered to this one in exchange of a wish! She had never seen the gold inlay of this platinum septum! Enough to allow feasts throughout the winter! This one hopes his generosity will be rewarded with enticing treasure! But as this one reaches for the coin, the connection at her heart sharply jerks pulling taut! Impressions of determination and hope are replaced with fear! And fading!! Precious!!! This one looks to her eager customers, smiling with excitement, and quickly pushes the coin back to the handsome lad. "We closed now! Return tomorrow!" This one snatches her bag, cloth, and crate. She's barely thinking. She doesn't need these to find Precious but they likely seen as trash if she not take them. Her eyes see their faces fall, their delight snuffed away. "We're only here for the day-" "It doesn't take long, right-?" "I knew it was a hoax..." "Can't at least one of us-?" "You should've said-!" There is no time to mourn the loss of business. Precious needed her! "So sorry, poor decorum! Other shops also have wonders! We closed!" This one turned and bolted from the market. Awkwardly, as crate bulky and not meant for sprints. The one tossed it aside and ran faster following the thread in her heart. Pleading for it not to fade as the sun set lower. It weakly guided her beyond the village into the surrounding bare forest glen. Her heart pounded within her and her claws extended scratching at the ground as she ran. The thread was weak and loose. She was without direction!

A pulsing energy surged through me as I charged through the village expertly dodging winding structures and moving occupants alike. Not as a cunning merchant, a decorated model, or closely-guarded child but one finally allowed to make his own choices! No pressures of work ethic, employer expectations, or parental concerns. Just the world finally opened before me. It didn't take as long as I thought to go beyond the village's last building. I saw the path to our home - which was more of a lonely old barn we weren't utilizing to it's fullest -not that I had any intention of going home or back to mother. My strength yearned to be unleashed and I'd barely seen the whole of our home and surrounding lands. There were so many options! But this was also a rare opportunity with few people around. Mother suggested I strengthen my wings for flight, but the village felt crowded and jumping from heights only frightened her. But nothing was here to stop me now. Slowly, I extended them to their fullest reach and stretched to lengthen them further. It was hard not to admire myself. Even if I was little now, I knew that I was impressive horns to claws and teeth to tail. My wings would be larger one day and I would ride the skies! Hopefully it wouldn't be so chilly but I'd face it if that's what it took. Rearing back, I charged to the forest skeletal trees and flapped with my full might. I leaped and bounded, grasping at the sensations of lift and gliding further and further! I was doing it! I'm so close to flying! Mother will be so impressed and proud! I lifted my gaze up to the hazy sky which led to a literal downfall. At first I thought it was only a misstep but the ground didn't catch me. I fell through it. Into it! A crack in the ground, a steep rocky fissure swallowed me up! I reached desperately at the hardened walls, my claws scratched sharply against stone, but couldn't find the grip to catch myself. I hit the gravelly bottom with a thud feeling my breath knock away and an ache in my head. I gasped desperately for air looking up at the reddening sky as exhaustion overwhelmed me.