Soot ruffled his feathers and chirped for a bit as he gathered his thoughts. “This was about a decade before I met you, Mistress I was…”

  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

  … just finishing the scraps of meat Master deigned to feed me today. They were rancid but filling. Master was pacing around the dank cavern chamber. “Where is he? He should have been here ages ago.” I knew better than to make any noise, I didn’t want another punishment. I was still sore from the last one.

  There was a noise from the tunnel, and Fabius entered, dragging some poor wretch with him. The poor kid would soon wish he was dead. Master looked up at Fabius. “You’re late!” Fabius gave a dismissive snort. “You try to smuggle half a dozen sacrifices out of the city unnoticed.” As he spoke, several hooded people dragged another five people into the chamber. Master gave a silent scowl but moved back to the pedestals he was fussing over. “As long as they are usable, I don’t care. Now tie them up so we can get the extraction going, I’m running out of time.”

  He finished the last glyph on the pedestal, a Glyph of Life Leech, a combination of the Runes of Gluttony, Vacuum and Destruction fused into one unholy symbol. Fabius glanced over at me. “I see your pet is finally up and running after the procedure.” I froze, as getting attention from Master or Fabius was the last thing I wanted. Master didn’t even glance my way. “Yeah it’s up. However, the blasted bird has shown no results from the experiment. There have been no signs of augmented cognitive abilities nor supernatural sight.”

  As if I would be stupid enough to inform Master of these things. Now Fabius was more of a problem, being of the old folk, he could understand my cawing. As such, I’d need to be careful what I chirped in Master’s presence with him here. As I leaned down for another bite of meat, pain lanced through my eyes. However, I did my best not to show it. I wouldn’t give either of them any hint that their blasted experiment was working. Who knew what they’d do if they realized it worked?

  Master finished his preparations as the last of Fabius’ prisoners were tied up to the different poles. “There, everything’s ready now, so I want my payment.” Master looked at Fabius and then glanced at me. “Get his payment, blasted bird.” I could feel the order hammer into my head, and I took off to obey to avoid the punishment for disobeying. Disobedience was pain, a lesson I learned several times.

  I grabbed the pouch of gold and flew over to Fabius with it. He reached up and snatched me from the air and ripped the bag from my claws, then threw me back towards the desk with a casual flick of his hand. I was lucky enough to regain control before I crashed into the desk itself. Neither Master nor Fabius cared, as both turned their attention to the ritual Master was performing. The poor prisoners were done for, and I turned my gaze away so I wouldn’t have to watch. However, I could still hear their horrified screams as the ritual drained their life force and transferred it to Master and Fabius. They would kill the five and their prolong their own lives by the same amount they stole from their victims.

  A horrible and painful way to go, as you would rapidly age to the point of turning to dust. This wasn’t the first time they performed the ritual either, as it gave diminishing returns on repeat usage. Because of this, they needed to do it more and more often to gain the same effect.

  Fabius stretched and walked past the gnarled and twisted wood stakes surrounded by dust and clothes and pulled out a small bottle from his pouch. “By the way, Mordan I have a new experimental potion I want tested. Mind if I use that bird of yours as a test subject?” Mordan cracked his newly rejuvenated shoulders. “Go ahead, I can always get another somewhere should the worthless thing die. Birdbrain, you will cooperate with Fabius.”

  Great, no getting away from this one. Just thinking of flying off was enough to make waves of nausea and pain go through my body. Fabius uncorked the bottle and forced the thing into my beak and started pouring the vile concoction down my throat. As luck would have it, Masters’ order actually saved my life at this point as it prevented the normal stress reaction to such a treatment, so I didn’t drown. It was, however, not a fun experience.

  A few moments after the content was forced down my throat a burning sensation flared through my body. Just trying to move was pure pain, and I could feel the vile concoction go to work on my body. As I looked at my wings, I saw they were literally melting, dripping onto the table like a viscous, thick flowing oil before fading into shadows, then slowly reforming again. What did that madman do to me? Every part of my body was burning, and the previous experiments reacted poorly with whatever this latest concoction was. It felt like my head was splitting apart, and considering I was more liquid than solid right now, it likely was, I lost consciousness soon after.

  When I regained my wits, I was lying on the table. Master and Fabius were nowhere to be seen. I looked at myself. I was back to my old self. Was what happened real, or a hallucination brought on by whatever Fabius forced down my throat? I rolled over to my feet. I felt absolutely horrid. Just what did that bastard do to me? Well, whatever it was, something was wrong. Very, very wrong. I took a step forward, and my leg sank into the floorboards of the table, little more than a shadow.

  I jumped back in surprise with my good leg and my wings, and my leg reformed as I left the table. However, my sudden move caused me to hit and push over Masters’ favorite tankard. It was a massive thing, larger than myself and full of water. There was no way I should’ve been able to push it with such ease. It wasn’t strength, it was more like the weight was irrelevant. The noise attracted both Master and Fabius, and soon they were poking and prodding me eager to figure out what changes the experimental concoction caused.

  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

  I reached down to where Soot was sitting on Fabius’ head and scratched the back of his head in a slow, gentle manner that he found soothing. “I take it the whole melting into shadow thing was temporary, or you learned to control it then?” Soot eagerly leaned into my hand. “The latter. It’s what let me survive the fallout of the teleport with only a busted up wing, among other things.” I could venture a guess what those ‘other things’ could be. Soot looked down at the old faun. “The brew somehow infused me with elemental shadow. I saw him try it on others as well, they never survived. If I’m honest, I’m not sure how I did. Then again, it was just one of a multitude of concoctions and other forms of abuse he used me as a test subject for. For all I know, another concoction might have caused the perfect reaction to let me live… or… maybe…” He went silent for a moment.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “You know, this might be a bit… out there. However, perhaps your benefactor might have had a hand in my survival. It sounds stupid I know, but what do you think?” I thought about it for a moment. My first notion was that it was ridiculous. However, both Winter’s and Soot’s meetings were extremely unusual. What were the chances that the teleport would happen with me nearby, close enough to find Soot before any scavengers or predators? And how did that pair of snow owls wind up so far from home? Chance? I found it…. Unlikely. “What do you think, Bahruun?”

  He just shook his head. “After hearing the entire story, I find the chance of Soot surviving and you finding him where he was to be so low, there is no way that was pure chance. The abuse Soot was exposed to would kill a raven without some kind of outside aid. Add in finding Winter’s egg in the forest despite snow owls living in the Northlands, and I say it’s a good chance that someone made sure this would happen.” He turned to look at Soot.

  “You said so yourself, the others who were exposed to the same concoction died. That aside you think it’s safe for him to hear all this?” I shrugged. “He won’t be alive come next sunrise, so I’m not worried about it.” My voice was stone cold. Bahruun’s words gave me pause, however… I doubted it was this Lady S or her superior. The same person who brought Meleri over? Maybe? That was plausible all things considered. I pushed the thought aside, too many unknowns.

  As we neared Appleridge again, the weather was turning cloudy. As we landed outside of Milnair’s hut, I dragged Fabius off the carpet, while Bahruun left to inform Fawn and Allen about everything. I would go myself, but I didn’t want Fabius anywhere near his great grandchildren. I knocked on Milnair’s door and a few moments later she opened up. “Hello again Milnair. How’s Irrunin?” She flinched before looking down. “Sleeping, recovering.”

  Milnair looked past me and at Fabius as I dragged his limp form by the scruff of his neck. “Who’s that?” I hoisted him up. “The person who hurt Irrunin. And while I am going to let you have your revenge, I am afraid you are not first in line, or even second.” I could see Milnair’s shadowy powers flare up like a black, smoky aura before Milnair heard the news. “Whose first?” Just then we heard a strained voice behind us. “Father.” There was a hoarse and weak groan from Fabius as he heard Faye’s voice. I glanced back at them. “Let’s take this inside.”

  Milnair stepped aside, and I dragged Fabius into the small hut, with both Faye and Allen following suit. Bahruun and Millid elected to stay outside with Winter, Ivy and Midnight. I closed the door behind us and undid the paralysis hex. Fabius immediately tried to throw himself at Allen with a hateful expression. “How dare you show your face in front of me you wretched cobbler’s son!” I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed to the point of his shoulder cracking. “I would keep my cool if I were you. You are in no position to do anything.” Fabius shot me a hateful glare but could not fight against my strength.

  Allen and Faye, for their part, didn’t seem all that surprised at Fabius’ outburst. Faye just shook her head. “I still find it hard that over a century later, you are still trying to kill Allen. You realize that just proves me right. And considering Lady Morgana dragged you here, I take it you were behind that orb as well.” Faye glanced at me, and I confirmed her question with a nod. Faye sighed. "Why am I not surprised? You never could leave well enough alone, Father." She looked at Fabius, her expression sad but determined. “I resolved myself to this when I eloped with Allen.”

  She looked at me. “I know how you think, Milady. So I will have my part in this be that my father will have to see me walk away with Allen. To know I am safe and happy, knowing that he can never hurt me again or use me as a political tool like he did my sisters. All I ask is that you at least make it swift when the time comes, he is my father, after all.” I glanced between the two. “If he survives long enough that it falls to me to enact his punishment, then I will be quick about it, I owe your family that much, at least.” Of course, with everyone between me and him, it still would be unpleasant.

  Faye turned around and left the cabin. Allen looked at Fabius, hesitated for a moment, and then punched him hard. “That was for making Faye cry.” He gave him another. "That was for effectively selling off her sisters to sleazy old coots for whatever business deal you needed that day!" He slammed him a third time. “That was because I felt like it.” Fabius spat out some blood and looked at Allen with unbridled hate. Allen walked past him without another glance and slammed the hut door shut behind him.

  As he did so, I nodded to Soot. I know that technically you were the first, but seeing as Faye was family…” Soot ruffled his feathers. “Far be it from me to deny Faye the chance to tell her father off.” He flew over and landed on Fabius’ head. “Oh, how I have longed for this day.” Fabius stiffened and tried to shake his head. I grabbed his head with my other hand, preventing him from moving it even an inch. “Just don’t kill him, Soot. Milnair and Irrunin’s next.” Soot chirped as he leaned down and brought his beak toward Fabius’ left eye without a word. Fabius screamed bloody murder, and the sounds were not pleasant at all as Soot pulled back and swallowed his prize, then went for the other one as well.

  Milnair watched the entire thing with a cat-that-got-the-cream expression and was already looking eager for their go. As Soot finished, leaving Fabius in a sobbing mess hanging limply in my grip, Milnair hesitated, then instead of going to work put the knife away. “As much as I would love to gut this wretch, it’s not I who was wronged. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to guarantee his life once I got going. Irrunin, my darling, let’s make sure this wizard can’t cast anything, take his right arm.”

  As Milnair spoke, Irrunin rolled out of his massive bed and thudded over, each step making a deep thumping noise, like the T-Rex from Jurassic Park. “So this blind wretch was the cause, eh?” His deep rumble of a voice got Fabius’ attention. He snapped out of his sobbing and turned his head towards the massive Barghest. “Hmm, a disappointing catch, but better than nothing. However, taking his arms would be bad, as that would mean the shackles would stop working. Tell me, Lady Morgana, does he need his legs?”

  We left the cabin a few minutes later. Fabius was a mess, but he would live, for now. I used some healing ointment to fix the stumps where his legs were and stem the bleeding from his eyes. We left without saying a word to Faye and Allen, I didn’t want them to see Fabius in his current state, for obvious reasons. Milnair already agreed to clean up the mess inside the cabin before anyone could see.

  According to Milnair, Meleri left a while back, so I didn’t need to worry about her. Now all that remained was to return home and summon Rathina so she could get her vengeance, and then with the obligations fulfilled... I shook my head, better to focus on the present.