“Well that's odd.” Louie says.

“Yes, very.” Duey adds.

“Extremely bad.”

“What is?” I am intrigued.

“The fact Louie is wrong.”

“Or maybe it's because someone other than us is in that tower.” Linton shouts as we see two pairs of eyes disappear and a fire starts.

We enter the tower to find the two owls manning it has disappeared. Suddenly, instinct takes over and I leap and scratch at a shadow.

Blood splatters and two bodies fall down the mountain. We look inside and find orbs covering every inch of the walls.

“They were making aggresium orbs. They’re evil versions of a normal orb.”

Lucinda however, pays no mind and is drawn to a white orb. It envelops her and she gasps as it goes to her heart.

“That was the orb you are drawn to. It becomes part of you.” Ipzitch nods. “Although I couldn’t see what type of orb it was.”

The triplets are playing around with the orbs and they throw one right at Lucinda. I yell out at… nothing?

Lucinda had vanished into thin air and then reappeared.

“Ah, permeation. It makes you practically invisible like a ghost, but you become unable to interact with the living world. That was the orb of a stealthy warrior. May it serve you well.” Ipzitch judged.

As he said this, Lucinda vanished and reappeared multiple times.

“It almost feels like…”

“There's another owl inside you?” I finished.

“It seems Amelia is absorbing another orb.” Ipzitch notices as a blood red orb goes inside me.

“An aggressium orb?” I gasp, incredulous.

“No. This is an aggressium orb yes but of a different kind. Created form a warrior who stayed determined to the bitter end, it's become a protection orb. When your loved ones are in trouble, it will make a shield around them, but it will weaken quite a bit.”

“I didn’t know you could have multiple orbs.”

“You can. Orb law is strange.”

“There's just one issue. If this tower was occupied then that means the rest are as well.” Louie explains. “Looks like the South has fully invaded the west.”

“In that case, we should keep moving, lest we are discovered.” Lucinda replies.

“Let's move then.” says Brandon.

“Is Brandon ok?” I whisper to Ethan.

“Ever since he killed that owl, something snapped inside him. You can’t blame him, his claws were stuck in his severed neck for minutes before he could get them out.”

“That’s awful. Should I help him?”

“Linton is on it. Don’t worry, your love won't fail.”

“Since when- I mean-” I stutter and Ethan pats me on the shoulder.

I look at the moon.

“Did I ever tell you I’m normally not nocturnal? My sleep schedule is seriously messed up.”

We both laugh.

Time passes and it is time to go.

“I think we should continue on this path.” I tell Ipzitch and Lucinda.

“But this map is incorrect in the fact that these places are inhabited.” Lucinda says.

“Which is why we should.” Ipzitch says catching on.

“That is because we have an element of surprise because they will never suspect it!” Lucinda says.

“That’s a dumb plan, but it makes sense.” Louie says. “We have a 15 percent chance of surviving that.”

“No worry.” Ethan tells him.

“As long as we’re together,” Linton adds, “We can do anything.”

“I think we next should attack this orb training camp. Find out what they are doing.” Tristan suggests.

“Before we left, Idola told me to find out as much as we could about them and document it.”

“Why?”

“She wants them to answer the people’s questions. A public trial. Everyone does.”

“Ipzitch!” Duey calls. “Owls inbound from the east.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

We hurry to hide but Duey stops us.

“They aren’t here for us.”

At our confused faces he beckons us to follow them. We walk with him to the entrance, being careful to stay hidden.

My beak drops.

Hundreds of owls. Hundreds of slavers, Southern Owls, trailing through the skies towards the main command area.

But Lucinda’s eyes are on something else. And I see it too. Slaves. Scores of them, bound by rope. As they fly, we see owls drop from exhaustion or from injuries. The leaders cut their rope and let them fall to their death.

A large owl falls onto the tower we are hiding in and almost crushes it. Blood begins to drip from the ceiling.

“This is sick.” says Brandon.

“This is wrong.” Duey and Huey say in unison

“This just about violates every law made.” Tristan says.

“There's martial law right now in the forest. The military is in charge, and they’ve put in place a curfew.” Lucinda replies.

“So this is what we are fighting.” Ethan says grimly.

“Persecution, death and a ruthless, cold-hearted enemy.” Linton adds.

“By my estimates there are enough owls there to create...” Louie begins but Brandon cuts him off.

“More than enough orbs to raze the forest.” he replies grimly.

We set off to the orb training camp. Thankfully not in the direction of the slavers, though I make a vow in my heart to eventually free them.

As we approach the camp, we hear sounds of fighting. Scrapes of metal, and the persistent thudding of fists on wood. Beams of light and shining projectiles fly in all directions, but are so few that none even come near us.

“That’s not good.” Ipzitch remarks.

“What isn’t?”

“The beams,” he replies, gesturing to the light show in front of us. “Very few orbs grant an ability like that, and they’re usually very strong. Do not underestimate them.”

With that grim warning, we touch down in a copse of trees nearby the clearing. We observe the camp and plan quietly. There are around a dozen guards plus a whole barrack full of owls.

And a grizzled looking owl, who I assume is the commander. He’s currently firing off beams for the trainees to dodge, and I see scorch marks on the feathers of those too slow to dodge.

We quickly form a plan. Ipzitch will take the commander, Huey, Duey, Lucinda and Louie will hold off the trainees while Ethan and I go for the instructors. Linton will capture anyone who tries to escape.

We burst out of the foliage without sound, and the sight of us rushing at them is so unexpected they waste valuable time staring at us. The confusion ends, however, when the commander drops into a fighting stance and barks orders to his comrades in a language I don’t recognise.

They stand ready and I rush towards them, thinking foolishly that this would be an easy battle.

But then, an owl stomps his claws on the ground creating an echoing shockwave that throws me to the ground. I feel lightning coursing through me as I lay on the ground, paralysed.

I see the others fall down as well, twitching and the commander waddles up to me.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” the commander teases. “What’s a pretty young owl doing out here?”

I think it would be melodramatic to say ‘trying to kill you’ so I remain silent.

“Sir, look, it's Lucinda!” shouted one of his men.

“Lucinda? Then surely this must be Amelia and Linton and Ethan?”

He turns to Ipzitch, bloody and bruised.

“And Ipzitch my friend! How are you? Regretting your choice to not join up yet?”

Ipzitch spits at him. “I’ll join you when hell freezes over.”

The commander's voice becomes cold.

“Seize them. Take the others away. I want to talk to Amelia, face to face.”

He turns to me with a grin and pulls me into his room.

“Don’t take her, take me!” Linton begs.

“No, no, no, he’s quite old, you should take me!” Ethan says sarcastically as they are taken away.

The triplets. scream obscene words that echo out over the forest.

“Amelia, don't be scared.” he says, turning to me. “After all, I’m a businessman, an idealist, not a villain. I’ll make you a deal.”

“And that is?” I ask.

“Tell me why you are here with your little group, how to get to Arbonoc and your family, your friends will be spared.”

“And why should I believe you?”

“Well,” he said with a grin. “You’ll just have to take my word for it, won’t you?”

“Fine,” I said. But everything was not fine.

I gripped one of Ethan’s discarded ice shards and started hacking away at my bonds. I needed more time though. I needed to stall him.

“In fact, what do you say I join you?” I flashed him my best attempt at a devious grin.

“Then I’d have to say yes.” He grinned and reached out for me.

I stood up and followed him inside.

“Sit.” he asks. “I am not a monster. Close the door.” he commandeered, shutting out my friends please not to do this.

“Where do you come from?” he asks, while pouring me water.

“Arbonoc.” I answer truthfully.

“Of course. Now, can you tell me your companions' names? I am looking for Lucinda.”

“There's Brandon, Tristan, the triplets, Linton, Ethan, Ipzitch and West.” I lied.

“Oh.” he says disappointed. “I thought we could work together.”

“Bring me one of them.” he commands a trooper, and holds out a sharp sword.

“This sword cut down many Northern Soldiers, including your father.”

The trooper drags Linton, muffled.

“How about I kill your boyfriend here.”

“She’s not…” Linton began but the commander cut him off.

“I know all and see all.”

“How?”

“Silence. So Amelia, new deal. Tell me the truth, or your boyfriend here, dies.” he says holding the knife to his neck.

Strangely dizzy, I strike out at him, taking his eye off, but not before I fall. Linton catches me.

“Are you alright?”

I blush, but I try to concentrate.

“I think they spiked the water with something.”

With that, I faint.

I awake to the worried faces of my friends.

“Are you alright?”

“Fine.” And it’s true. I feel strangely refreshed, my muscles only a little stiff.

“Thank god. The medicine worked then.”

My mind flashes back to the instant heal pellets. Huh. So they weren’t fake. Glancing down at my body, I find no discernible injuries. I flex my arm and it feels as good as new.

“Well, get up. Food’s ready.”

I stuffed myself with various fruits and vegetables.

“Our ancestors ate flies, ants and rats. Now, we feast!” Ethan declared.

“It seems I was wrong about your new orb.” Ipzitch says to me.

“What do you mean?”

“Right when you were knocked out, you moved.”

“Moved?” I ask.

“You teleported right in front of me. I was still tied up, but Lucinda turned permeable and untied us all.” He frowned. “I was sure your power was shielding. It must have changed.”

“Orbs can do that?”

“Well, it’s never been seen before. Or perhaps I identified it wrongly. As I said, orbs are mysterious.”

“Where are we, anyway?” I glanced out the window.

“We left the training camp a couple hours ago. We’re now near the core fortress of the west.”

“Are we hitting that next?”

“Hopefully, but it’s heavily guarded and we’ll need more preparation if we want to succeed. Speaking of preparation, show us your power.”

I focused inward and found the familiar weights of an orb inside me. One orb was connected to my head. It was the instinct orb, affecting my actions and decisions in a split second during battle. The new orb was not connected, but suffused in every fibre of my body. I inspected it.

Ah, so that’s how it works.

I opened my eyes and recalled the feeling of my first teleport. I recalled the commander’s fist coming down toward me. I recalled the sinking feeling, the hopelessness. And I looked for a spot on the floor.

I’d much rather be over there.

Space and time contracted and I felt an impossible pressure covering the entirety of my body. It was constricting without feeling claustrophobic, like someone had just thrown a heavy blanket over me. Suddenly the pressure lifted and I found myself standing by the door.

I laughed. But then, I see Lucinda faint, and I rush over to help.

“Lucinda!” I yell.

She doesn’t answer.

“She’s probably asleep, give her a moment, we’ve all just had a major battle.”

“Hey, come over here!” Linton shouts.

Brendon and Ethan nod to each other and leave.

“What?” I ask.

“Thanks. For saving me out there.”

“Oh.” I blush. Oh. Of course.

“You're welcome.”

He doesn’t respond.

“See the moon?” he asks, after a short pause.

I look up.

“It's a bright moon today. My mother used to say, if there’s a bright, full moon, it's your lucky day. Remember this day, one year ago?”

“The day we first met?”

“Yes. That day had the exact same moon. You know what luck I had that day?”

When I shake my head, confused, he replies, “I met you.”

“You were like the apple of my eye, the glowing orb, in a dark room.”

I smile.

“That day, I met you. It was like someone lit a torch inside me.”

He turns and smiles.