Chapter 2 Dreams Come True
Lupita stayed near wall of the inn under the small overhang of thatched roof to protect herself from the rain and cold. Her thin clothing was meant to attract the attention of men with coins and was not meant to help her in damp conditions. She was young but her body had developed early. Her breasts lay unfettered beneath her thin dress. Her simple wrap was worn to direct eyes toward them rather than to keep her warm. Her hips were not fully rounded but showed the promise of a well curved form.
All she needed was a man with two silver coins, one for her and one for the innkeeper. A room with a small fireplace, a few minutes of caressing and fucking, and she would have a bed for the night and coin to buy food in the morning. Some of the kind men would stay with her overnight. A warm body in bed on a cold rainy night. After the use of her mouth in the morning, some of them would buy her bread and stew and even give her a few coppers besides. With a little luck, a man would pass by with a need for her body. But many of the people who lived in the Limeburner Valley neighborhood said that many soldiers had left through the great gates a few months earlier. Fewer soldiers in the city were the reason why the street girls had fewer coins. Everyone who sold anything to survive here said they had less coins now. She would earn less until they returned as well.
Lupita heard a curious noise in the air. Despite the rain, she went out onto the path to get a better look at the dark sky. The clouds rebounded the sound and intensified it. She looked southwest and her eyes met a fantastic sight. A Pegasus, like a shadow against the clouds. She gasped in surprise. The creature was enormous. She had only seen Pegasi in the distance, near the royal castle or high overhead. The Pegasus was so close to the ground that Lupita could see her size. Her white and brown body was as large as the horses that were ridden by the knights. Each of her beautiful white wings was longer than four men lying head to toe in a row. The girl forgot about the rain and the cold. Her left hand touched her necklace. A simple cord with a small pewter Pegasus. A gift from a handsome and kind soldier who visited her every month. The locals said that if someone saw a Pegasus nearby, she was a messenger from the goddess of the air. That was what most people who lived in the poorest section of the city believed.
Lupita wondered: Why would the goddess send her messenger to an insignificant girl like me?
She watched the Pegasus descend toward the main road where the large wagons passed. It looked like she was landing. The girl was only a short walk from the street. The teenage girl thought about the first time she accepted a coin from a man. She had been three years younger and it had taken all her courage to walk into the room and surrender her body to him. She began to walk with short steps, but with more confidence, she moved at a faster pace. Her body trembled in the night, but she could not stop.
In a wide road of stone and packed dirt turned to mud, Little Feather glided to a landing. During the day, wagons, animals and people by the hundreds would be found in this main thoroughfare. But late in the night, past the twelfth bell of midnight, it was deserted. No one who conducted their business at this time frequented this large road.
Clemente fell off the back of Little Feather and landed in a puddle of mud and rain. He tried to get up, but the stones was too slippery. He crawled to the side of the road and used his cane and a hitching post to sit up on the stone pavement, resting his shoulders against the sturdy wooden post. The man heard Little Feather stomping on the street and shaking the rain off her wings. He felt as if he could barely draw a breath.
Little Feather to his mind: Why here? Why did we not fly to the All-Mother in her nest in the mountains?
Clemente responded: I could not survive that trip, and you cannot carry me that far. You are too young for that. You would barely be able to make that flight on a clear sunny day with no added weight.
Little Feather thrust her thoughts with anger: Liar! Thief! Reach out with your mind as you did with me. Use the stolen magic to summon her. She can fly here and receive their magic from your body when you die soon.
Clemente coughed and wheezed: If the magic of the All-Mothers is true, a dark-haired girl is approaching. When she sees you, she will not forget you until she is in her grave.
Little Feather noticed the smell of another biped; they called them females for reasons she did not understand. The green eyes of Pegasus met the brown eyes of Lupita. The young woman gasped loudly. The young Pegasus became startled and ran down the stone road. When she reached enough speed, she beat her wings furiously and rose into the air and flew toward the royal castle and the stone road high in the sky above.
Lupita exclaimed: Goddess of air and the Pegasi, she was real. I am not dreaming.
Clemente said calmly: No, girl, it is not a dream this time. Please, I need you. Help me and I can pay you.
The girl approached to help him. With the aid of his cane and Lupita, he gained his feet.
Clemente spoke through ragged breaths: I need a warm place soon if I am to survive.
Lupita spoke in a a sweet tone: There is an inn nearby that we can use. We need coin for the owner.
Clemente between labored breaths: You do not need to worry about the coins now, sweet one.
The old man put his arm around her, and they walked together toward the inn.