Feathers of Bravery

Aihla

Flashback to a few hours earlier

"Jess, hurry up. I'd like to practice before all my feathers turn grey!" I call out to her.

For the last few months Jess would occasionally join me in some form of training. She was reluctant at first to use any weapon because she can be clumsy so she only fought in wing to wing combat. But being my letahr she had to learn how to use at least one type of weapon. She chose a dagger that had a long chain attached to it. The chain itself was retractable and very strong. One of my father's generals was well trained in that weapon, I can't remember what it's called exactly but for months he would train her with it.

Now she's a badass! I mean she was always a badass cause she's awesome, I may be a bit biased cause she's my friend and all. But now, she's a full letahr.

Finally, she appears from the door and enters another section of the arena so we can begin our training. All was going well until we heard the bell. One ring, that's just safety precaution for any storm or natural disaster. Two rings, that's for bandit groups within our area. Three rings, that's for the crows. I was about to get into gear when I heard the third ring but quickly froze when I heard a fourth ring.

Jess looks to me and asks, "What the hell does four rings mean?"

I didn't know we had a signal for four rings. We can sit here and ponder on it or we can move and find my parents to see what's going on. The guards that were watching over us begin to lead us back to the castle when all of a sudden this big boom goes off. There was no actual explosion since there was no damage to be seen but all of us felt disoriented and couldn't hear anything. Last thing I saw was Jess reaching out to me before it all went dark.

End of flashback

Holy Lakshmi!!

We just killed a Kijod. I heard about them from some of the men in my brother's regime but they all said that you should always avoid them. Many brave and foolish souls have tried to kill one but only ended up being dragged into its mouth by the tongue or stomped to death by its giant feet. I won't lie and say that I wasn't going to grab Jess and fly into the trees for cover. But when I saw that Meylo was staying behind to give us time to escape, I couldn't just leave him there alone. Even if he did call me princess. With one look to Jess, I knew she felt the same way.

I used the same tactic for my duel against my father and brother. It heightened all other senses and since the beast's tongue was too fast to normally see I figured it would work. Which thankfully it did. I know he said he was a prince, but I was expecting him to be all fancy and snobby. I didn't think he could wield a sword that good. He has a similar stance as Radi, even though Radi definitely has more weight to him and is perhaps two feet taller. I have no idea what my mother was eating to make Radi grow so big.

Anyway, I'm getting off track. I need to know what Meylo knows, see if maybe what happened to us also happened to him as well. Jess and I clean ourselves up and wait for him to start talking. Currently he's got this surprised look on his face like he couldn't believe what he just saw. After a while he seems to snap out of it and swallows a bit before he finally speaks up. "I don't know exactly what happened. I was in the dining hall with my mother and some diplomats from Jonis. Next thing I knew we were being attacked but one of the guards said he didn't know from who. Then as I was leading my mother and the diplomats to safety I felt something pull me and then it goes dark. When I come to, I wake up in this place. Then I met you two and then the Kijod."

His heartbeat is a little fast but that is just from the adrenaline. He doesn't look to be lying. Also, I can't believe I'm looking at a crow right now! I mean, I'm literally standing here talking to one. I was just fighting alongside him. The only thing he's done so far is call me princess but that's just me being petty. It's a formal thing, after all I am a princ ugh no I can't even say it a second time. He's not trying to attack me or kill me or anything. Jess seems to be at a loss for words too. No doubt going through the same thing I am in her own head.

"What about you prin- um I mean Aihla. What happened to you two, how'd you get here?" he asks.

I do my best to recall everything that I can. "Jess and I were in an arena training together when we heard the bells ringing, well I don't know what since we've never heard that ring before. But the guards were escorting us back to the castle when this loud boom went off but it wasn't an explosive and it became hard to hear anything. Then we were in the dark and then we were both tumbling into this forest. We don't know what happened either." Yeah, that sounds about right. The correct order in which things happened.

We have no idea what pulled us and well took us here. Only real difference right away is that there was no deafening boom when his home was being attacked like ours.

"It has to be magick, old one of some kind. Aihla and I had just had lunch before we went out to train and we didn't get to train for long before the attack. I'm not hungry now so I don't think we were out for very long. Plus we were taken from the middle of everything with people around us and none of them are here either. Wasn't one of the things in the magick books called tele-tel, ugh telekinesis something like that?" Jess asks.

She might be on to something. Remembering all the reading I've done on the old magick books. She's right, sorta.

"It is teleportation. Moving one object or being from one place to another using space particles. Telekinesis is moving things with your mind or magick. But, I agree. It has to be teleportation. I just don't know who or what would take us." I respond.

At this Meylo laughs at us. We both look at him a little concern. Maybe he needs to sit down for a second. My sister Keli sometimes gets like this, she laughs for a little bit before she fully panics. That isn't the case here though. He's just plainly laughing at us.

"Magick? You're serious? Um, hate to break it to you two but magick isn't real." he says plainly.

How dare he!

"You don't believe in magick?" I ask him being totally serious but not unfriendly. He shakes his head. "Have you ever seen any magick? Sure they wrote about such things in books but they also spoke about monstrous beings called humans and we all know humans don't exist. I mean no disrespect but I believe in things that I can see."

Ok fair enough. But still. You can't see the wind but we know it's there, that it exists. Do crows not know of spells?

"So you're saying that you don't know any spells or any of the newer magick?" Jess asks him gently. Obviously on the same page as me.

Again he shakes his head. Wow. Jess and I look at each other with wide eyes. Ok then. As much as I am tempted to show him a simple little spell, I think better of it. Jess and I know we were teleported. Sooner or later, magick will show itself and then he can see it with his own eyes. Question is, will it be good or bad?