Firelight glinted off the blade of Fen's hunting knife, a pale reflection of the flames twisting on its stained surface as he cut away at a long tree branch. The branch was about as long as a walking stick, with the bark scraped cleanly off to reveal a green-yellow interior. Fen cut away at the tip, shaping it roughly into a pointed tip, like a spear. His eyes and hands were diligently focused on the task, but Fen's mind wandered.<br/><br/>The last couple of years had passed by quietly, and he had sunk into that quiet like a tired man, even appreciating it. He had long been due a rest, and he had even turned down several contracts during those last few years, taking only the more difficult of the bunch to keep his skills sharp. For the most part, however, he relaxed, eased by the hum of nature and the hefty jingle of coins in his pack. He was a rich man now, and he had yet to invest his money in anything. He had not bought or built a home, he had not found a place to settle down in, and he felt the years begin to slip him by in near apathetic fashion.<br/><br/>Fen sighed and set the makeshift spear down, feeling it was sculpted enough. He would fish tomorrow morning and set off on his way. Maybe the thoughts going through his mind were good indication that he was nearing the point where he could finally make a decision. He had achieved everything he wanted, and now it was time to decide what course his life would take after. It was not a moment he could have ever foreseen coming.<br/><br/>A glint by the other shore of the lake caught his eye. He squinted in its direction, but he needn't have. The glint turned into a bright, yellow glow, and before long he realized it was made up of hundreds of smaller, dot-shaped glows. Fireflies. They flew closer to the center of the lake, twisting and turning, with a few of the insects sometimes breaking off, but never for too long.<br/><br/>Then, a human-shaped shadow joined them in their flight, seemingly out of nowhere. A winged human shadow. Fen furrowed his brow and stood up, completely taken aback. This was definitely something he had never seen before. He kept looking, but the figure remained in shadow, and the few times it fell directly under the moonlight it had its back turned. What could it be?<br/><br/>He was curious but had no idea how to approach it. Making his fire bigger could attract it, but it could also drive it away. He looked at the starlight that reflected off the water's surface. He remembered swimming for hours in cold ocean water, for no other reason than to have the experience. And he remembered a time when curiosity drove most of his actions. He smiled a bit at the memories, and before he realized it, he was taking his clothes off, leaving only his undergarments on.<br/><br/>He touched the water with a toe gingerly, then, ignoring the chill it sent through his body, eased himself into the water as silently as he could. He dipped down under the surface, opening his eyes to follow the light from underneath. He swam under the water until he was directly below the lights, then broke the surface slowly, with only his eyes and nose peeking out. He looked up and saw what seemed to be a small human with wings flying among the fireflies. It was a captivating sight.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">What are you?</span>he wondered.