A/N:- Thanks for your comments and suggestions kngcrmsn.
Amelia's back, from her shoulder blades to her trapezius muscles, bore two large scars, clearly inflicted by some sharp weapon.
Mina's eyes narrowed as she gently touched the scars with her hand. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Does it hurt?"
"No," Amelia replied flatly.
"Amelia… You're a birdfolk beastkin… What happened to your wings?" Mina's hands trembled, and her lips quivered as she spoke.
When Mina had first unwrapped Amelia's ears and seen the downy feathers on them, she'd already deduced Amelia's race. But she hadn't expected this—the wings were gone.
In truth, Mina had considered many possibilities for Amelia's race but had never imagined she might be birdfolk. From what Mina knew, birdfolk beastkin rarely left the Stone Forest.
The Stone Forest was a unique mountainous terrain filled with tall, vertical rock formations that stood like a forest of stone. This terrain was a paradise for birdfolk, nearly impossible for others to climb. Birdfolk thrived there, living atop the peaks or in cliffside dwellings that resembled giant bird nests.
The Stone Forest was located in the western region of the Valtoria Kingdom, the area that had first been struck by the catastrophic frozen storms.
Mina stared at Amelia, her heart heavy. The loss of her wings was more than physical; it was a wound to her very identity as a birdfolk.
If the freezing storms in the Valtoria Kingdom were rated at 100, then the devastation in the Stone Forest would rate at 500.
Mina had heard stories: in just two days, the Stone Forest was transformed into a frozen wasteland by the merciless natural disaster. Ninety percent of the birdfolk beastkin had no time to prepare for an escape.
Those who did manage to flee faced another cruel fate. Unable to fly in the icy gales, many were quickly captured and sold into slavery. The birdfolk, once a thriving race, were now nearing extinction.
What made it worse was their value. Even more desirable than elves, a single birdfolk could fetch a starting bid of at least 700 gold coins at auctions.
"My wings were cut off by my elder sister," Amelia said flatly, as if recounting someone else's story. "She said that to survive among humans, I couldn't keep my wings. Otherwise, I'd just be a little bird trapped in a cage."
"But... but cutting off your wings—how could she do that?" Mina stammered, struggling to accept such a brutal decision. She wanted to ask Amelia's sister if she had lost her mind.
"Seventy-three people have already been captured." Amelia replied coldly. After their group escaped the Stone Forest, the bounty hunters—or even other beastkin—had relentlessly hunted them down because of their wings. Seventy-three of her companions had been caught.
Mina felt a chill run through her as she listened. The elder sister's drastic action suddenly made sense, even if it was unbearably cruel. The wings were not just a symbol of freedom but also a target for predators in this harsh, unforgiving world.
With howling winds and blizzards raging above, flying in the skies was nothing short of suicide. Under the direction of a decisive leader, the birdfolk beastkin cut off their wings to disguise themselves—a painful but necessary decision that ultimately saved them all from capture.
Amelia's elder sister had also once cut off her wings, though hers had eventually regrown.
Now, that same sister was leading the remaining winged birdfolk on a dragon-hunting mission to earn money for food. Their new home was a place called Stone Pillar Mountain, a sanctuary they had discovered only a year ago. The towering peaks, which pierced the clouds, were nearly impossible for humans to climb. They had built homes on those heights, finally finding some semblance of safety.
However, the toll of their escape was heavy. Many birdfolk had cut off their wings during the flight from the Stone Forest and now lived in Stone Pillar Mountain. They relied on the few birdfolk whose wings had regrown to transport supplies like food and essentials.
The birdfolk beastkin were unique in that their wings could regrow, though the time required varied from person to person. For Amelia, it had been three years, and her wings had yet to grow back.
Under her sister's guidance, Amelia devoted herself to rigorous training in the art of assassination, aspiring to become a skilled killer. For her, mastering such skills was not just a path to survival but a way to contribute meaningfully to the birdfolk community's recovery and protection.
Mina fell silent. She understood perfectly well what Amelia meant. Even ordinary beastkin were often captured and enslaved, let alone the rare and highly sought-after birdfolk.
"Your wings will grow back, right?" Mina asked softly, recalling rumors she had heard about birdfolk.
"I don't know," Amelia replied coldly. For most birdfolk, wings regrew within two years, but it had already been three years for her.
"Sigh…"
Mina sighed deeply and decided not to press the topic further. Instead, she resolved to bring this up privately with the young master later—he might know more about the situation.
Carefully, Mina unwrapped the burlap from Amelia's other ear, revealing downy feathers starting to grow. These were clearly new feathers that had regrown after being cut recently. In another ten days or so, they would likely mature into proper feathers about the size of a pinky finger.
Using fragrant soap, Mina washed Amelia's hair and frail body. Compared to Annie, who had also been malnourished when she first arrived, Amelia seemed even smaller and skinnier.
"Go soak in the water for a while." Mina said, pointing to the nearby pool.
Without a word, Amelia rose and stepped into the pool. Her face remained expressionless, her eyes dull and lifeless. Mina's eyes filled with pity as she watched the young girl—another unfortunate soul with a tragic past.
After helping Amelia bathe, Mina dressed her in one of Annie's outfits and led her to the dining hall.
When they arrived, the others were already there. Curiosity lit up everyone's faces as they turned their attention to Amelia. Under Mina's subtle signals, they began introducing themselves one by one, trying to make the quiet girl feel more welcome.
"I'm Annie, a fox beastkin." Annie said, shaking her fox ears and raising her hand, the first to speak up.
"..."
And then, silence. Amelia merely glanced indifferently at the fox-eared girl, and that was the extent of her reaction.
A quiet stillness settled over the room.
Amelia's coldness dampened the enthusiasm of the others, and they all turned to Lucas, who had to deal with this situation—this was not at all what they had imagined.
"Let's eat. We'll talk more later," Lucas said with a wry smile. A closed-off person was like this. It would take time to break down those walls.
Or, perhaps they would have to wait until Amelia felt ready to speak. Lucas could sense that Amelia was carrying a lot on her shoulders, something significant pressing down on her.
The others exchanged awkward smiles and sat down. Amelia, however, remained standing by the side, her green eyes fixed intently on Lucas.
"Understood, the debt will be left for later." Lucas said helplessly.
At his words, Amelia finally sat down. Her nose twitched involuntarily as she scanned the vegetables on the table. A flicker of surprise appeared in her eyes.
"Let's eat," Lucas said as he began to serve himself. Tonight's meal was hotpot, mostly vegetables with only a little meat.
While the others eagerly added food to the pot, Amelia sat still, coldly observing them.
"Seriously…" Lucas muttered, feeling helpless. He picked up a piece of cooked wild chicken and held it out to Amelia's mouth. "Open up."
"..."
Amelia's mouth twitched slightly, and her nose moved as she stared at Lucas's warm, gentle smile. Slowly, she parted her lips and took a bite of the chicken.
"Uh… hey, loosen your grip on the chopsticks," Lucas said, his eyelid twitching as he noticed the way Amelia had bitten down on the chopsticks and wouldn't let go.
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
250 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.