What time was it? Where was I? Why was I flying? Are those trees, mushrooms? All these thoughts crossed my mind when I awoke from my unconsciousness.
I am definitely flying, that much was certain. What else do I remember? My name? Yeah, I think I'm pretty sure about that one.
My name is Cyrus. I come from the eastern corners of the land of the Order. Though that is certainly not where I was now. I was still in my usual clothes though my shirt had a large tear in the front.
"Wh...what happened?"
"Don't you know? You're in Wonderland! How could you forget that? I went through all the trouble of bringing you here after all, silly!" A cheery voice called out to me from above. It was sweet and chipper as if whoever it belonged didn't have a care in the world.
I looked up and for the first time... I saw the pink woman that was carrying me. No. Not a woman. More like a bird. She looked down, past her bulbous, huge breasts that were barely covered at all by dark red plumage.
And as I saw her face... it all came back to me.
The day before:
"Cyrus! Could you water the backyard today!? The master is going out today, so you better keep everything neat and in order!" The voice of the maid called out from inside the mansion.
"Yes, Delora! I'll have it done by noon!" I answered her back then.
"Remember to also dust the living quarters and the dining hall! And the water pipes are leaking in the basement, so fix that as well and don't try to get your attire dirty, the family will cut your payment to pay for the cleaning!"
I rolled my eyes and grumbled to myself. "I got it the first few dozen times you told me! I'll handle it!" And off I was to another day of work.
The mansion of Lord Faraday was an esteemed household in my country and I was 'lucky' to be one of its caretakers. I guess you could find yourself in worse places. Yet I could never shake that feeling of resistance I had every time I was given an order. My life was on rails, routine, subservient and predictable.
If that sounds mundane, it's because it was.
But it was that fateful afternoon that my life for once... went off the rails.
I reluctantly stepped into the backyard, filling my watering can at a faucet. Going through the rows of flowers and herbs I sighed to myself. Sure, the flowers were beautiful and all but when you get to stare at the same plants, dusty furniture and the same walls, nothing seems appealing anymore.
For once I wished I could lash out. Go on festivals, attend a farmer's market, meet friends and run through the fields. But no, I was commissioned as property. My family was extremely poor and couldn't afford to raise me. So here I was, in a place that they thought was the better alternative. Given to the house and raised as a servant.
Now day in, day out, I slaved away.
I was in the backyard when I first noticed her. Someone... watching me. Feeling uncomfortable, I looked around for the source of my unrest and there she was.
A woman sat on top of the roofs, looking down into the backyard.
I was incredibly confused. How the hell did she get up there. The sun was blinding me in the midday sun and I couldn't make out any features. Still, I saw that she was very curvaceous and oddly... feathered.
Thinking she was maybe just wearing clothes with feathers like some nobles did, I called out to her.
"L...Lady?! Wh...What are you doing up there?! Come down there, you're going to hurt yourse...!"
My words got stuck in my throat when the sun stopped blinding me... because it was obstructed with a large, pink wing.
Then I saw her in her entire form. She not only had wings but also talons and plumage that was barely covering her crotch and breasts.
Her eyes flashed in the shadow of her figure.
"*gulp*"
I slowly stepped backwards, dropping the watering can. I slowly headed towards the door to get inside.
And then I remember her leaping off the rooftop and diving down to me. Then everything went black. I felt something soft and yet firm hit my head and it knocked me straight out.
And here we are now:
"You know, I was worried when I caught you! You were sleeping ever since I picked you up!" The girl's chipper voice reached my ears as we flew. It was surprising how she could just carelessly fly ahead while she looked down at me, holding me in the grip of her talons. My butler's suit was completely full of holes from them digging into my back.
"Who! The! Hell! Are! You!?"
"Me? I'm Zeila!" She said with closed, happy eyes, still not looking ahead as if she didn't care if we crashed.
"Okay umm... Zeila! I...I... What is happening here? Where are we going?"
"Why, to Wonderland of course!" She announced happily.
"W...Wonderland?"
"YES! Wonderland!"
The wind was blowing in my face and I was constantly praying that the seam of my suit could hold me. "*shakes head in confusion* Wh...Whatever, could we please land for a second? I'm starting to notice that I'm not really that fond of heights!"
She cocked her head but then saluted me with one of her wings. While flying. I have no idea why we haven't crashed yet. "Yes, captain! I don't get why you would be afraid of heights! There is no such thing as falling here."
"What are you talking about!?"
"Let me show you!" She said without losing her smile and then... she let go of me.
Her talons loosened and I plunged down towards the earth. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH WHAT THE HEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLL!"
I was bracing myself for the impact, holding my arms before my face as I was falling. Closer and closer and closer I came to the ground until I was enveloped in blackness. Absolute black. I was sinking into the ground
I was still falling but it slowed down until I came to a halt before the direction of my fall changed. I was falling up.
Suddenly, I saw light again and felt like I broke through the surface of something. I was on the ground. The ground just spat me out.
"I...I... WHAT?!" I was in disbelief of what just happened.
"See? I told you! There is no such thing as falling. It's just going down towards something! It's no different from going forwards or backwards." There she was. Zeila was standing beside me and extending her wing to me to pick me up while I was sitting there on my butt, looking like a deer in headlights.
"So this... is Wonderland, huh?" I said absentmindedly as I let her lift me to my feet.