Zuberan

Pinion grabbed a great branch from the forest, set it on fire with a torch gathered from her troops, still churning smoke into the air, and then, without a command, the other sirens did the same until they were lit up by smoke and tar and cinders, and then they came down on the human … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 40)

Ten minutes crept by, and the evening stars were starting to bloom on the far horizon, escaping the gaze of the sun behind the mountain. Air crept down into the tunnel, fresh, and then we were free, emerging into a cave with a massive skylight. Harley crept forward, and then, with her muscles bulging, and … Read moreSong of The Venturing Owl (Part 39)

“YOU-” a voice boomed down the hallway. “WILL-” And the sounds of many dogs barking in fear and terror, teeth gnashing wildly. Harley twisted herself and leapt ahead, beating fast tracks down the hall, faster than I could run if I were a marathon runner. Vali and I locked eyes, and then she grabbed two … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 38)

They reeked of blood and fear. Violence, happenstance, pain, and they said nothing when they started to talk. A knife at my back urged me forward. If I wasn’t so useless- but that wasn’t fair. I wasn’t useless. I just… wasn’t… the same as everyone else. Steps turned into yards and then down hallways and … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 37)

Afternoons I often spent in Vali’s company. Not because she necessarily needed it, but because most of the birds were interested in fighting and training, and the professor was perpetually busy with side projects. The three eyed siren was easy to talk to, when she wasn’t in a murderous mood (which was often). “- And … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 36)

On the day before the Captain left, she offered me the spear, tore it from my fingers, and gave me a smaller spear. Very gently, we circled each other, and she showed me the basics. A poke here, a press there, legs the proper distance apart, knees bent just so, just right for ease of … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 35)

Jerome found me, lost, a few passages over from the room we’d shared the night before. She shook her head, snapped her fingers at me a few times to make sure I was paying attention, and gestured at me to follow. I did so, not only because I was lost (being able to tell where … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 34)

Sleep was hard to find, but not as hard as I thought it might be. Dinner was given to us, hard bread and chunks of stew (it was filling) and then the Captain slid up onto the bed, next to Sev, and raised an eyebrow at the lot of us. The professor found himself a … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 33)

The Captain’s quarters were lavish. A bed sat in the corner. It had silk sheets and strange woven fabrics I hardly recognized but rustled with a noise like a harp. What I did recognize was the massive lump hiding under the sheets, and the two eyes that poked out from under the covers when we … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 32)

Up, down, and across the path, until we were on the mountainside itself, and then like a flame following wood, we were in the very same building that’d nearly killed us a day or two before. Now, the lobby was covered in life and sounds. A harp played in the distance, echoing off of the … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 31)