Feathers of Bravery

King of Neros

"What do you mean you cannot find my daughter?! There are eight eyes between the lot of you! Are you telling me that each of your eyes are useless!!" the King yells at the guards that were in charge of his sweet Aihla.

He was in the middle of an afternoon flight with his Queen in their sky gardens when they heard the bells ringing. Quickly they both flew down and separated. His queen with her letahr and guards to gather his daughters and lead as many to safety as she can. Radi and Rodo were waiting for me along with their finest men when we heard the fourth ring.

"Father? Father what does that mean?" Radi asked me.

For a moment, I couldn't think straight. It was impossible. I hurry my sons and the men to where he last knew his youngest to be. Upon arrival he sees the men charged with her care scattered on the floor shaking their heads as if to ignore a buzzing fly. But Aihla and Jessica are nowhere in sight. Right away his sons start looking around to see if they can see, hear or smell her but come up empty. I ask the men what happened individually.

One by one they all tell me the same thing. They were on their way to secure her. Both ladies were in the center of all of them when a sudden loud explosion went off that disoriented them and caused them to lose their hearing for a bit. When they turned around to check if the princess and her letahr were alright they were no longer there. They tried to get up to sound the alarm that the princess has been taken but they were still disabled by the attack.

"That was when you arrived, my King. I swear by it. I understand that the princess was taken under my care. I will accept any punishment that you see fit gladly." the last warrior proclaimed as he lowered his head and stretching out his wings, awaiting them to be cut off.

That act in itself was enough to prove to the King that these men weren't traitors. Long before he was King, there had been another King. This King was the worst of all the kings that there had been since the first King Rideir. For this King created a punishment so vile and evil that although it not practiced to this day, many still fear it. The punishment was worst than death. It consisted of three parts.

The first was the an owl's wings were to stretched out completely from his or hers body and chopped off. Secondly, a hot blade was to be put on the wounds to that the individual did not bleed to death. Third and last of all, a spell of death by age was to be casted on the individual. So that no one, not even himself could take their life. The only death that would come would be when they finally died of old age. Forcing the owl to live a cruel, tormented and flightless life.

When the warrior showed this gesture, it not proved the King of their loyalty but that the bells were indeed correct despite all the prayers he made that they weren't so. The fourth ring was not a mistake and old magick that had not been sanctioned had been performed in the kingdom. That was the purpose of the fourth ring. To alert that unsanctioned magick was being conducted. Almost every owl in our kingdom is capable of performing the slightest bit of magick. The only rule is that they must press the little charm given to them when they come of age of doing so to alert the high guards in charge of the bells that magick will be performed.

However, after speaking with the high guards, they informed that they received to alert. Which is why they rang the bells. Immediately they told me that it was old magick based on the kind of signature it left.

Now I'm in my courtroom with my wing covering my face. My sons are still silent but I know that all they want to do is ask me questions. I still haven't told my beloved that Aihla and her friend have been taken. They are still safely hidden. It's customary to remain hidden at least two days after any attack just to ensure that whoever it was came back they wouldn't find any more survivors. Hopefully when the two days are up, my daughter would have returned to us and I can avoid telling my beloved anything.

But I know in my heart, that although I will see Aihla alive again, it is not going to be for a while. All I can do right now is focus on ensuring the safety of my kingdom. I asked one of the guards to fetch me all the magick books we have, specifically all the ones my daughter has been reading. As well as one of our eldest advisors on the magick arts. While we wait, I reluctantly lift my head from my wing and address my sons.

"Alright boys, ask your questions. Please one at a time, don't be children about it." I tell them firmly. Knowing full well that although they are grown and matured, once they get started they can sound like little hatchlings on a sugar high.