Come on, let's go. You can do it. It's just five meters, nothing. I'm not a kid anymore, and this isn't flying, just gliding. Of course, I can!

"Just jump already!" My grandfather shouts at me from below, sitting on a bench.

"I'm coming!" He's in such a hurry.

"Alright, alright. You need to spread your wings to catch the air and maintain balance; it's not that complicated."

Alright, here goes. I stretch my wings, bend them slightly, and let myself fall.

I start well, but I end up losing my balance, and when I reach the ground, I stumble and tumble.

And as if I didn't have enough with my pride shattered, I have to endure my grandfather laughing his head off. Again.

"Don't be upset, lad," my grandfather says, approaching me to console me. "You were too rigid, that's all. Besides, it's still a bit early."

"All my feathers are already black; I should be able to fly by now. Some girls are already doing it."

"Girls, generally, learn to fly before the boys; that's normal. And just because you've changed all your plumage doesn't mean your wings are ready to support your weight. And even if they are, you need to train them for that. That's why we're here; you need to learn to land before you learn to fly, just as you need to learn to walk before you run. I know how you boys are, but don't be in such a hurry. You'll get your fill of flying, I promise."

"I'll be the last one to fly; you'll see."

"Don't be so pessimistic. Go with your friends and practice with them. Competition always helps."

"I would if I had any friends."

"This is a good opportunity to make them."

"Not if you're the chief's son, the grandson of the previous chief, and the supposed future chief. Everyone either avoids me or wants to crush me to prove they're better than me."

"That's normal. Someday, when your mother retires, you'll become Phoebe's Servant, and that's why all the families look up to you and want their children to be better than you. It's pure competitiveness."

"They could also tell them to be my friends to gain my favor or my mother's. That would be normal too."

"Among the Alas Blancas or humans, maybe, but not among the Alas Negras. We are a warrior race, Koraki. We all strive to be the best of all and earn Phoebe's favor. That's our greatest honor."

"An honor that my maternal branch of the family has monopolized for five generations, and I have to carry on with it," I think, frustrated.

"Even if you weren't your mother's son, you would still aspire to the same thing, just like all the other kids. That's how all the Alas Negras are."

"It wouldn't hurt if at least one of them didn't think of me as someone to crush. Just one friend; I'm not asking for much."

"Yes, of course. Childhood friends are for life," my grandfather says sarcastically. "You'll make friends when you find someone similar. I remember your mother when she was little and your grandfather, who was from my generation. They were as solitary as you for the same reasons, but they ended up making friends. Just give it time."

"Yeah, right. My mother's only friends are two Alas Blancas," I retort sarcastically, imitating my grandfather.

"Oh, that sounded a bit racist."

"I didn't mean it that way. Dad has many Alas Negras friends, but my mother, as far as I know, has none."

"Your mother is the clan chief and Phoebe's servant. No Alas Negras can see her as anything other than a figure of authority, which, to a lesser extent, is what's happening to you."

"So, I can't even aspire to have any friends of my own race?"

"It's not that either. I was friends with your other grandfather, right? And I was friends with him long before your parents started going out. Well, maybe you won't have friends among our people, but you'll definitely have a wife," my grandfather says, winking at me.

"I don't want a wife."

"Oh, you'll want one, and you'll see she's much better than a friend," and now he winks at me twice.

"Can you tell me what you're teaching your grandson?" My mother suddenly shouts from the platform for the young to practice.

"We were talking about girls," my grandfather says with a lecherous laugh.

"I'm afraid of what you're teaching him," my mother replies, laughing and jumping down with her arms crossed, landing as naturally as anything. "How are the practice sessions going?"

"Good, he only fell seven times," my grandfather reveals before I can reduce the number to a more dignified one.

"I knew it was too early," my mother says, laughing.

"Why do you find it so funny that I keep crashing into the ground?" I shout at them, mortified.

"You'll understand when you have kids and remember these days," my mother says.

"Oh, it's more fun with your grandchildren, I assure you," my grandfather confesses.

"Really? Well, maybe I'll start looking for one for Koraki."

"There's no need to bother," I say, annoyed and tired.

"Oh, what's the matter? You're old enough to fly but not to get married?"

"More or less."

My mother laughs and grabs me by a horn to drag me forcibly into her arms, from which I break free as soon as I can, although she has monstrous strength.

According to her, thanks to Phoebe's mark, her physical strength increased considerably, and even more when it extended from her forehead to the rest of her body, to the point where right now not even an oni could beat her in an arm wrestle, but as I've never seen one in my life, I don't really know how impressive that is.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"I'll take him for a while, Mavro. It's my turn to teach him something."

"Of course, all yours, Dankana. Give him something for those bruises, will you?"

"Consider it done."

"Where are we going?" I ask my mother as I follow her.

"Phoebe has summoned me, and I thought I'd show off my son now that your wings are completely black."

"Eh!? I'm not sure if I should go, no matter how much I'm your son."

"Oh, don't be such a coward now. Sooner or later, you'll receive this mark. It's better that you meet our lady in person."

"I'm only twelve, Mom; I think it's a bit early to assume I'll be the next chief."

"Nonsense. You will be, and I'll make sure of it. That's why I'm going to introduce you right now."

"Is that not favoritism?"

"Well, obviously, you're my son; how could I not favor you?"

"I don't think a chief should talk like that in public."

"Your child is going to give me lessons when he can't even maintain his balance in five meters."

"But am I a child or an adult? Because it's not very clear to me!"

"A child just a few steps away from being an adult, but a child nonetheless. You have black wings, but until you can fly as naturally as you walk, you won't be an adult."

"I know perfectly well," I say in a low voice.

"Well, pick up the pace, or it will take us forever to get to Crescent Moon Plaza on foot."

Yes, keep reminding me that I can't fly again and again.

We had to walk half the island to get there, but we finally arrived.

It's a square, for lack of a better word, on the western edge of the floating island of Velardona, a gift from Mnemosyne to the Alas Negras. The Alas Blancas have one just a few hours of flight from here. The entire ground is made of marble. Also, like any large public garden, there are trees, flowers, fountains, and benches, but once we reach the edge, all that's left are the views. Views that are vertigo-inducing for someone who still can't fly. And in a certain sense, hypnotic because I can't stop looking from the edge.

Underneath Velardona is an extensive forest. After all, we are on Temis' territory, which is an immense sea of trees. It's a pleasant sight today with the full moon, although you normally can't see much.

During the day, of course, you can, but the Alas Negras are mainly nocturnal.

"When do you think Dad will be back?"

"When things calm down in the Ciruale Forest, you know."

That's not even an approximate date.

"I can't give you one. They won't return until they drive the onis away. Those bastards have been too audacious for a while now and are causing more trouble than usual. It's one thing for them to tease humans or elves, but us? You have to be ballsy."

Great, now I've put her in a bad mood.

I don't really know much about the topic, but I know enough. The onis are servants of Hiperion of Fire, also known as Hiperion of Chaos, and they're into killing, destroying, and looting, basically. While it's not uncommon for them to cause us problems, they've been moving away from our territory for a few years. This isn't something that particularly bothers the Alas Negras, but when they get too out of control, the Alas Negras and Alas Blancas have to intervene to restore order. But what they're doing now, incessantly attacking the elves and alfar of Ciruale Forest, is almost declaring war on us. We have an alliance with Temis' children and get a lot of food from them in exchange for our protection, and that's what my father is dealing with now. He and many warriors are fighting the onis to drive them out of the forest, but it's been so busy for the last two years that I've barely seen him. The last time I saw him, I had just started molting my feathers, and I want him to see that my wings are completely black.

And if possible, teach me how to fly. It's not that I mind my grandfather or my mother doing it, but it's not the same.

We waited for about an hour, and the moon was already low. From it, a black dot emerges, which grows larger, and a torrent of darkness falls to the ground below.

Meanwhile, my mother comes walking over to my side and kneels, gesturing with her eyes for me to do the same behind her.

The darkness begins to take shape, forming into a woman with grayish skin and a long black dress made of darkness, which appears to float in the air as if it were underwater. Then, white and luminous hair, like the full moon behind her, forms on her head. Only a few seconds have passed, but I'm so fascinated that I feel like time has stopped.

Febe of Darkness, also known as Febe of the Night, opens her eyes, whose pupils are as white as her hair, and gracefully approaches us.

She is so tall that even while walking on the ground, her shoulders and head are above the square where we are. Febe takes her place inside the square in the shape of her name, a crescent moon, and watches us with a smile.

"You have come accompanied by someone special, I see, Dankana," says Febe, looking at me closely and smiling.

It's fascinating. Now, up close and watching her speak, I can see that her skin, when forming words, doesn't move like it has facial muscles and skin. It's hard to describe, it's like a gaseous mass that acts as if it's solid. It's hypnotic.

"This is my son, Koraki, my lady," my mother says with a formal and serious tone. "I hope his presence doesn't bother you."

"Not at all. The love you have for him is so great that, thanks to our connection, I have come to appreciate him as well. I'm glad to meet him in person. How he has grown in just over ten years," Febe says, with a maternal expression, observing me closely.

I don't detect any hostility on her part, but I feel terribly uncomfortable in the presence of our creator.

"Say something," my mother orders me in a low voice.

"G-Greetings, Lady Febe. My name is Koraki, it's an honor to meet you... in person, I mean," I say, almost stuttering due to nervousness.

I feel incredibly intimidated right now.

"How cute. It reminds me a lot of you when Fetlock brought you before my presence for the first time," says Febe, referring to my maternal grandfather, the previous servant before my mother.

"He's still young, but his feathers are those of an adult. I thought it was appropriate to introduce him, just as my father did with me so long ago."

"For me, it's as if it were just a few days ago," says Febe, covering her mouth to hide her smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Koraki. I trust that you will follow in your mother's footsteps and become the next bearer of my mark."

"He will, my lady, you can be sure of that," my mother assures her firmly.

"Wow, you put a lot of faith in those words, Dankana. It's clear that you have a lot of trust in him. I'd like to be able to talk at length about this topic, but I'm afraid I don't have much time, my dear. I've called you in advance: my brothers and I are going to meet in a few weeks. We have... a certain matter to discuss. I don't want to go into details right now, but it's something that mainly concerns you mortals. That's why we've decided that each of us will bring our servants. You need to give us your point of view on this matter. Be ready to leave in twenty or thirty days, my dear. That's all."

"My lady!" my mother exclaims, surprising both me and Febe as well. "I apologize if this comes across as disrespectful, but would it be possible for my son to accompany us?"

"Why, for what reason?" Febe asks, looking at me.

"To gain experience, my lady. So that when he takes my place in the future, he will undoubtedly be more useful to you."

"Your faith in the boy moves me, Dankana, but you must remember that the title of servant is not like that of the royal families of some mortal clans. It's not hereditary. Nevertheless, I can't deny you such an insignificant request. He can accompany us."

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart, my lady!"

"Oh, now I understand. A tactic to make your clan see him more as a future leader, eh? Very clever, my dear Dankana. But that in itself won't earn him points when I choose your successor, remember that."

"Of course, my lady!"

Febe smiles as if she finds my mother's performance charming, turns around, and, just as she came, leaves, forming a hole in the moon through which she ventures, as if her entire body were liquid, at an astonishing speed.

"Well, things went well, didn't they?" my mother says, sweating.

"Oh, did they?"

"Yes. You've heard her; she likes you."

"That's not exactly the impression I got, but well, I think the most important thing about this was that supposed meeting. What's that about?"

"No idea. It is what it claims to be: a meeting of the Titans to discuss something."

"Have you been to one before?"

"No. As far as I know, my father hasn't either. It could very well be the first time they've gotten together in generations."

"And is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Well, given that they stopped seeing each other because of the gods, it could be very good, like they're going to make amends, which would greatly improve our situation, or something so damn bad that I can't even imagine."

"We're in trouble."

"Be positive, man!" my mother yells at me, giving me a slap on the back with an open hand.

"But yes, the truth is that it left me with a lot on my mind. What if we pay a visit to Mr. Hades? Maybe he knows something."