It was first light in the Silverpine forest. The sun's rays played through the tree's needles, as the warmth of the sun touched the surface of an egg. Resting on the top of a vast redwood tree was a nest. A small egg lies within it. The egg began to faintly wobble. Suddenly a crack forms on the husk, for moment it remains still, until emerges a sparrow.
The first time I came out of the egg, my mother is the first thing I encountered. She twittered and flew away. I watched her departed from the nest. I wanted to follow her, but I was more engrossed of my milieu. As I observed, I realized that I was the only bird in the nest, no siblings; I made a quiet sad chirp. Mother sparrow returned instantly as she left. With a worm in her bill, I opened my beak wide, and swallowed. At least I have no need to fight for food. For eight days this goes on until it was time for me to learn how to take wing and leave the nest. It will be difficult for me; however I was a fast learner.
The nightfall approached, I stood at the edge of a branch; I take a glimpse down the distance ground. Fear began pounding in my tiny heart against my chest. Mother sparrow came. I gazed into her eyes, her stare eased me. I faced onwards to the twilight sky; with my wings opened wide, I closed my eyes, and embraced the wind that flowed through my feathers. I jumped off the branch, plummeting out the tree. I opened my eyes and flapped my wings firmly against the waft, until I was lifted aloft to the heavens. I uttered my last goodbye to my mother before I set out for good, so I may start my own life.
As I began my journey, it came to mind, that something very bad will happen. I halted in midair, and swerved around. I was certain; I was miles away from home by now.
In the dark, as I flew, I see shadows swiftly moving below me then darted ahead. As I soared closer to home, in the distance I see a glimmer of light. I reached my destination. Suddenly, confusion began filling my head, "I must have mistaken," I stopped quickly, "This couldn't be home." I thought as I looked around. Nonetheless, I knew it was home. The redwood tree was on fire, the smoldering smoke rising above. I began to panic; I anxiously flew around the tree to find my mother. Then and there, I caught the sight of the dragon.
Glaring at the Dragon, unsuspectingly something snatched me from where I dwelled in the air. Its feet wrapped around my tiny form. I turn my head to the claw's owner. It was a robin as I wither in its grasp. "Let me go." I demanded. So it did. The robin halts briefly and set me down by a shrub. The robin landed, looking down at me. Its belly colored orange, I guessed it was a female, so said my mother. "Are you crazy to go near that dragon that burned half the forest?" asked the robin. I looked at her, puzzled, "What do you mean?" I asked, "Look-. Never mind," she cut off her sentence, "We shouldn't be here." She chirped, turning away and flew off. She looked back as she noticed I wasn't following. "Well, aren't you coming?" she questioned. I sighed, "Fine." I followed after her. "Sorry for not giving a proper 'hello'." She stated. She cleared her throat, "Hi, I'm Rose." She introduced, "I'm Sparrow." I responded. "Well little sparrow, I hope you're well rested. Tonight we should stay at Bowerstone." Rose declared.
All night we flew to Bowerstone Market. A bleak, filthy, cluttered city, it was. We decided to stay in Old Town instead. There, it was filled with yummy insects that would fill my hunger. Once we were done eating and was full, "Come on," Rose said, "We should go to the Thorndeep woods." She advised. "Why? What's there?" I ask. "Maybe we may find an answer; why the Dragon attacked the Silverpine forest. I don't know. It's just a feeling. Why are you asking all these questions?" she got frustrated. I rolled my eyes. "Alright, let's go." I sighed. Then we left.
As we headed out of Bowerstone Old Town, my stomach began to grumble. As a result, a dewdrop fell. I stopped on the top of a chimney and searched where about it fell, Rose followed. Below us were humans, children to be more exact, a girl and a boy. The boy was an older looking lad and the girl was quite young. I accidently let it fall on the girl. She looked up at me, and glared with anger. She swiftly wiped it off her head. The boy starts chuckling at her, until Rose dropped one on him also. She sat on the church tower, where snow was piled, and she kicked it. The snow fell on the older boy. The girl began to giggle. I chirp and observed the little girl. After a few minutes, I shrugged and continued on our way.
"Two more towns, then we're there." said Rose. "You said that three towns ago." I huffed. "Yeah, well those were small towns." She said. "Do you know where you're even going?" I questioned. "As a matter of fact, I do." Rose firmly stated. "I doubt that." I muttered, "What?" she asked. "I said, 'Okay, whatever.'" I lied. Onward we went with our adventure together. Rose and I had talked a lot as we traveled, and argued also.
Finally, we made it to the Thorndeep woods. We both stopped and sat on the fence. I was surprised that Rose did not get us lost. "This is it?" I asked, as I looked at the tall evergreens. "It is," she said, "Come on." she commanded. I tag along after Rose. As we both went in, shadows of the great evergreen trees cover the sunshine from the ground. It was dark, misty, and eerie. Out of nowhere, I hear a whisper, calling my name. A flash of images had been sent to my brain. I saw a vision of an owl. 'We must find this owl,' I declared, 'but how?' I thought to myself. We alit on a branch, extended closer to us, and take a break. Unknowingly, a crow flies by, cawing at us. Causing me to flinch and Rose to startle. The crow lands on a branch by us. "Well hello there, always nice to have company." the crow greets, "I don't get every many visitors around this part of the forest. If one dares to come in these parts of the woods." said the crow. Slowly, Rose recoils. "Yeah? Well," I scoffed, "you don't scare me. So, why don't you just go away?" I warn sluggishly. "My, what a brave little sparrow we have here," he said, measuring me up. "Sparrow don't." Rose whispered. "Or completely foolish, I say." said the crow. "The only ridiculous one I see is you." I point at him.
"What do you want with us?" Rose asked in a quiet voice. The crow turns his attention to the robin. "You see, it is not what I want, it is what you can give." He said. "And what will that be?" asked Rose. "Food," he said simply. "Hey!" I said in a firm voice, stepping in front of Rose. I assumed he meant to eat us. "It is rather hard to find food around here, you know. It is not likely for food to produce out of nowhere. When the trees are blocking the daylight." said the crow. I quickly thought of a plan. "If we were-"
Rose cut my sentence short. "What are you doing?" she asked low-toned. "I've got a plan." I whispered. "What is it?" she asked. "Business." I replied. "You'll see." I said. "What! You can't do this." Her voice began to rise. "It will be easy, calm yourself." I advised, turning my attention back to the crow. I hear her huffed behind me.
"As I was saying," I began, "What if we were to get you food?" I offered. "What do you want in return?" He said. "Huh, understanding the business already, however," going back to the point. "I want to know where the Great Owl lives." I asked. "So, you know the 'Grand Owl'? You friends with the beast?" he questions. "You could say that." I answered. "So what do you think?" I said. He laughed. "You can try; however, you wouldn't find a grape." He said skeptically. I hopped over to end of the branch, and looked over my shoulder wing. "Watch me." I glared at him, and flew off. Rose followed behind, not wanting to be around that crow. For an hour we looked for food, until we spot the pile of food. We grabbed a basket full of corn, grapes, apples, beetles, and worms. But before we returned, we ate a couple of beetles and worms then headed back.
We returned to the crow, his expression lightened when he spotted the food. Hurriedly he snatched the basket and gobbled down the food. "Gee, I guess he must be starving." I whispered to Rose, she giggled. I cleared my throat, "So the task is done. Where is the Owl?" I asked the gobbling creature. He pointed to an old oak tree.
The lifeless leaves hanging off the brittle branches. A hole carved out in the middle of the bark. I flew over to the old oak tree, so does Rose. I poked my head in the hole, an owl slept peacefully within. I chirped to awaken the old thing, but it still snored away. I pecked my beak on the bark like a woodpecker, but it continuously snoozes away. "Hey!" I whistled at the owl. The owl startled and looked around it to see who had awoken it. "Down here." I called its attention. "Do you not know it is rude to waken someone from their sleep?" The she-owl huffed. "Sorry," I apologized. "I had a vision that you," I gave a shy manner, "sent Me." the owl studied at me. Then I noticed; the owl was blind. I felt pity for her impaired vision. "You're blind." Rose said, gawking at the poor creature. "My eyes has been gone for quite a while little ones, nonetheless I still can see and hear." The owl said. "Little Sparrow and Rose, you've come here to seek an answer," she said, "and yet I have one. You find a dragon intruding your homes. It cannot be stopped." Rose gasped. "Not by you, but by a hero." She finished. "A hero?" Rose asked. "A human." The owl answered.
I thought of this for a while, and then I thought of that little girl. A rumble of thunder was heard in a distance. I flew above the trees. The roaring clouds were approaching towards the forest. It was the Darkness. Animals scattered below, and birds flying away. "Come on, we have to go." said the owl flying out of her hole and to the edge of the woods. Rose and I followed. My pace began to slow down. Gradually, my wings grew onerous and substantial. I descended to the ground. Rose turned around and attempts to save me. "You must leave her." The owl told Rose. "No." Rose retorts. "It is fate's doing not your failure." The owl read her mind. Finally, Rose accepts and goes after the owl. She turns around. "Sorry." written in Rose's eyes, as they began to fill with tears. My vision blackens out.
Under a gray lifeless willow tree, I sprawled tiredly under the dead branches. I sluggishly open my eyes. I groan in pain as my back was gashed where my 'sparrow' wings used to be. Then I realized I have hands. Tears rolled down my cheeks as a snivel escaped my lips. I wailed in repulsion, realizing I was a human. A creature I never wanted to become.
I was garbed in a flowing robe, cut out on the back, which hardly reveals my feet. I struggled to get up; my legs were enervated, as well as my back exposed raw. For hours I lay on a rugged blanket, till I was able to stand on these long legs. I sighed unsteadily; I looked around me and caught a glimpse of an oak twig. Mystically, it altered into a staff with a semiprecious stone on top as the oak vines entwined around it. I used it as a cane. I helped myself up and limp to the pond. There I sat, observing myself in the reflection of water. I saw my pallid skin, sunken cheeks, scarlet painted lips, long black hair, bright fire eyes, and my horns. I was a beast.
I slapped the water, triggering ripples to expand in the pool. I stood up and ambled to an abandoned fort nearby. I viewed out broken the window, gazing far out the lands. For two week I stayed isolated in the ruin fort. Gazing out the windows every day, and eating so little. Until one day. A crow zooms by, settling on a ruin stump of stone wall. I blew a playful breeze at the crow's feet, sending it away. It cawed and flew away, leaving me alone once again. 'That crow looks vaguely familiar.' I thought, and then decided to follow it.
In the fields of crops, the cry of the crow was heard. I followed after the noise. Two dog barking at the flapping crow beneath a net. A farmer grabs a stick. "Into a human." I whispered, artfully, and there a man grew out of the crow. The farmer and dogs ran in fear of black magic. I strolled over to the naked being. He stared at me with curiosity. "How did you do that?" he asked with an arched eyebrow, "What did you do to my beautiful self?" he questioned. "Quit complaining." I said, "I saved your life." I walked around the man. "Would you rather get beaten to death?" I questioned. "Sorry, madam." He apologized, looking down. I still gaze at the man. "In return, for saving my life, I am at your service." He bows. "Tell me your name." I inquired, "My name is Raven." He replied. "Well Raven, I need you to be my wings." I said, as Raven lifted an eyebrow. "I need you to find an owl. A blind owl." I said. For a moment Raven stood there, "Be off." I shooed. Magically he turns back into a crow.
After hours of waiting for Raven's return, I sauntered amidst the forestry eating fruits off the tree branches. As I continued to wander, I approached a cliff that views the land. The evening sun set smooth against the horizon of the lake, as the trees sway in the gentle breeze. For the active creature, down below, of Mistpeak play their fun little games.
Flaps of wind was felt from behind, swiftly I turned him back into a man. Raven looked a bit confuse when I change him, but this time with clothes. "So?" I asked, starting his sentence for him. "Well, uh, there is no owl." He appeared scared, "Oh." I said coolly, feeling a bit sad yet angry for leaving me here, like this! "Yet a blind seer." He finished. "At Bowerlake, in a gypsy camp, there she is with a girl. Celebrating her birthday." He felt as he couldn't resume, seeing this mad woman burn with wrath, treachery, and malefic. Sparrow thought of this for a while, as her gaze was fixed to the grass. "A gathering for a child," Sparrow looked at Raven in a most mischievous way. "How wonderful." She smiled.
Sparrow garbed herself in black. Her hair pulled in her headdress that cupped the shape of her face, as it wrapped around her horns. She donning herself in long black robe dragging behind her, and trimmed with a faint of silver. Her style pulled it off in great elegance and malevolent.
I ambled through the fields of meadow, towards the Bowerlake camp, where the old hag stayed. I hiked on top of Hero Hill. From there, I watch the camp settlement; hearing the cheers of the drunks, and the lights of the bonfire. I glared at the sight, of the people.
I stride through the entrance of the gates, to the camp. The wind blows the flames low. The crowd gasps with abhor, and their eyes widen, as my shadow crawled on the ground towards central bonfire. The "Great Owl" stood there, with her hand folded in front of her. She dressed herself in a maroon like hooded dress. "Devi!" the scattered sound of the name, said in the crowd. "Quite an entrance you've made." says the blind seer. "I'm glad you've noticed." I replied casually. Grinning at the crowd sinisterly, "Well, well. What a lovely party you have, my dear." I said, taking little glimpse of the crowd. "The gypsies, travelers, and," I paused and saw the girl sleeping by the fire. "Even the homeless." I smiled.
"You're not welcome here." says the blind one. "Oh! Well," I turned my attention to the lady, "from what I've heard; I've been asked to come and received an invite." I teased. "I, also, shall wished the child a happy birthday and a gift." I approached the child, whom is curled into a ball. "No! Stay away!" a gypsy women ran to me. I cast her away.