Feathers of Bravery

Aihla

I never want to leave this room!

There's no way this is real. There's no way any of this is real. This book I am holding was one of the first books ever recorded on how to properly use a disguising spell not just on yourself but on your whole army. It was very similar to the one I had used. Only difference was that the one I had used was like a sort of bubble around the bird instead of cloak.

This spell also hid any noise that the bird would make this making them harder to detect. Not even an owl would be able to hear them. The only draw back was that it only lasted two minutes which is one of the shortest amounts of a spell lasting that I've heard about.

Flipping over to the next pages my jaw nearly hit the floor!

I have never heard of this spell before. Reading the passages has me desperately wanting to try it.

"Segundo aspectu, meaning second sight. Ingredients include one feather and one tear of the bird from which you wish to see from. Three spoons of morning dew and one petal from the iris flower

Steps: Place the feather and iris petal in a bowl, crush until completely broken down.
Next, pour the three spoons of morning dew and stir until the color is completely solid.
Finally, once the color is solid pour the tear.

If done correctly, the liquid should be a shimmering blue to purple. Once consumed the caster has exactly twenty four hours until the effects wear off."

That is incredible!

Could you imagine how much more deadlier one could be in battle to be able to see everything at once... oh.

"For best results, use one bird at a time. Multiple feathers may cause mental strain on the caster..."

I really should learn to finish reading everything. Still an awesome spell though. Maybe I could give it a trial run with Jess? I stand from the table looking for her until I spot her at another table with a green book in her wing. It was a very vibrant green with a circular object on the front cover. It almost look like a marble.

She was so engrossed by whatever she was reading she didn't hear me call her name twice. I could show it to her later. I was going to go back to reading from the book I had but Gladier brought me another.

"Check this one out my royal highness, if I may?" he asked.

I didn't really like the book he was bringing me. It had a dark aura to it and it kinda smelled awful. Nearly everything in me didn't want anything to do with it but curiousity got the better of me and I let him place the book in front of me. It smelled much worst now that it was in front of me.

As soon as he set it down, he bowed his head and left to give another book Jess.

I tried to get a better look at the one he gave her but she quickly set it down so I couldn't see what was on the cover or if it was similar to mine. More than anything I wanted to go over to her and just get away. No longer having the excited feeling I did when I first came in and read.

Looking at the book on the table, I shook my head. It's just a book right? What harm could one book do?

Tentatively opening it, I felt a pulse coming from the pages as the words began to reveal themselves. Right away the foul smell disappeared and was replaced with floral scents. The pulsing died down once all the words appeared. The first spell had me wanting to vomit.

"Wings from all"

This was more barbaric than the fifth king's punishment!

Various pictures were drawn next to the instructions and in great detail.

"First step is cut two slits on your back to where you want your wings to be, keep area clean and free of infection.

Requires a helper for the stitching. Place your chosen wings into the slits and begin the stitching process. Ensure that they are tight to make sure your flesh and the wings meld together.

Once you push through the pain you'll see the effects right away, not only will your new wings be ready to use but you will have gain at least one ability from the bird you have taken the wings from."

I couldn't stop the tears from forming in my eyes the more I read. Who would take another birds wings to make their own?

"It appears there is no limit as to the duration of the effect or the amount of wings you can stitch. So long as the stitching is done correctly and the wings are intact they can be added to the collection.."

Collection? Collection!!

They are not souvenirs! If you take away a bird's wings you take away the bird's life. Who would write such a thing?!

Against my will, I flipped onto the next page and that one made my blood run cold.

"Dark Mages: how they are created.

Despite various birds showing capability for magick it seems only bats are the only ones able to become a dark mage. Current theory is that it must be something in there blood. However, certain trials must be overcome in order to awaken the gene.

First trial: one must forsake their own biology. A dark mage's magick is unnatural, making a dark mage unnatural itself therefore one's body must leave its natural state."

Unnatural state?

That's when I thought about the bat I had seen on that island. He was definitely larger than any bat I've ever heard of. Then there were his wings. They were absurdly long and looked deformed. His body had definitely left it's natural state behind.

"Second trial: small quantities of magick essence can be found in all forms of life, but the highest are found in the life force of a living being. If one could gather and harness the life force of another, preferrably one of the same blood, then you can enhance the strength of your magick capabilities.

Third trial: magick in its raw form is chaotic and unstable. So in order to make magick more stable for spell casting, specialized beads woven into charms must be created to contain its essence. However, if you have successfully taken the life essence of another and increased your power, then you will no longer need the charm to wield magick.

Once all three trials have been properly completed one should be fully transformed into a Dark Mage."

I felt sick.

I've only read two passages from this book and I already regretted it. Why would Gladier give me this? I no longer felt the same from when I first came in here. Standing up and pushing my chair in, I look for Jess and Meylo.

Meylo was still reading from the section of his father, tears in his eyes. As much as I wanted to talk to my friend I thought it best to give him some space for the time being. Instead I went looking for Jess who wasn't at the table I had seen her last. I was seconds from calling out to her when I saw her in the next room with a bunch of elixirs scattered on the table.

She was too wrapped up in whatever it was she was doing to even notice me. Deciding to leave her to her own thing too, I went back to my own table. A chill went down my feathers when I saw that the book was no longer there. Gladier was nowhere to be seen or heard and yet I had left it right there.

Something didn't feel right but I couldn't pin point it. It was like holding your breath knowing that you still had miles to go before you could take a break. No matter how much I tried to shake the feeling, to think of something else or even pick up where I left off in the first book, I felt like something was waiting for me around the corner.