Chapter 7: The seven birds and the curse of Aoife

Chapter 7: The seven birds and the curse of Aoife

Once upon a time a king, who was traveling back from a fierce long battle with his comrades. All of them weary with fatigue from travel and fighting. As they rode, they passed by an uncharted wood. As they passed by they heard the most wonderful of songs, curiosity getting the best of the king and his followers they went inside the woods.

There they discovered an amazing sight of thousands of bird's all of them different sizes and shapes, each shining with the different colours of the rainbow. The songs of the birds all became more beautiful as the king and his followers went inside further.

Then finally they had made it to the centre of the forest where the birds were the loudest and most beautiful. The king feeling amazed turned back to ask his comrades to ask what they thought about this incredible sight. However to his horror he discovered that they had all been turned into bird-like beings each of them a different kind of bird. But red angry eyes linked them all. They stared at the king threateningly as they gathered around him all of them singing the same horrifying song "Fight our king, fight our king, fight our king."

The king was in shock and terror as he saw his companions gather around him, then a voice rung out, "Take him!"

Then his now bird-like companions flew at him with razor sharp claws and beaks the king defended himself as best he could, but he could not bear to kill them who had all fought with him for so long and well.

All ready battle weary it wasn't too long before the king was on his knees covered in cuts and bruises bleeding quite badly. His companions surrounded him all the time with evil red eyes all of them ready strike at anytime if he tried to fight back.

The king looked at his companions wearily wondering how and why this was happening and who was responsible for transforming his companions into such horrible forms.

As though responding to his question his companion's predatory circle opened revealing a dark figure clad in black feathers that shimmered slightly in the forests light. The figure went closer to the wounded king, "So then you are the one who has made his way to my domain?" The voice was female her tone a cruel mocking one.

The king looked up at the woman's face and saw that her face was a deathly white with black eyes that made her alien, the king looked at her with terror.

The woman smiled at the king's terror stricken face and then went down to his level raising his head to look into her dark black eyes. "You are indeed very handsome…I shall tell you something, if you give me your most precious treasure then I will set you free from my domain…" She told him a smile on her pale white lips.

The king stared at her in fright 'his most precious treasure?' He already knew what that was! But before the king could even speak the queen continued to speak, "If you refuse then I will have to kill your companions as well as everything else you hold dear…" she told him and then turned and looked at the trees. The birds flew around her head all of them with red eye's flying threateningly together making a thunderous sound of wind as they circled the king and the woman.

The king was in horror there was no way that his small kingdom could stand against this witch and her storm of birds.

The woman turned back to him with her evil smile, "I give you a week to decide…" She whispered to him as she moved in closer and kissed him. The king's eyes widened in shock as the birds closed around him making him fall into darkness.

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The king awoke to find himself in front of the castle gates still wounded badly, he looked on in sadness and pain as his most precious treasures came running to him from the castle gates all of them in deep happiness for their father's return.

His six brave noble sons and his one precious young daughter.

He embraced them all in deep joy and gratitude but he remembered all too soon the witch's words.

Detaching himself from his treasures he told them of the witch's threat, they all looked at him with fear in their eyes, they then asked him if there was any other way for things to be settled. He told them there wasn't.

The sons then all became sad and panicked, the youngest daughter though frightened and sad like her brothers went to her father and said that she would protect them all and someday that they would all come back home to him.

The brothers still saddened were all comforted by their sister's words as well as their father but how his children could stand up against the witch; he couldn't bare to think about it but smiled and said he would be anticipating their return.

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They then all journeyed with their father to the witch's forest, they then gathered at the entrance where they bid their last goodbyes to each other well as well as their last words of love.

They then journeyed into the entrance, but then behind them thorny branches sealed them away from their father. The seven of them walked on together further and deeper into the woods where as they went inside they were all transformed into birdlike people themselves.

Then as they made it to the darkest and deepest part of the woods, they discovered all the other birdlike servants of the witch all of them staring at them with angry red eyes. The children shivered at the birdlike people and their sinister stares.

Then behind them a deep black shadow appeared, the children felt coldness and turned around to see the witch who looked at them with an evil smile. She then began to sing out a song full of darkness that drowned the children in black magic as their eyes too turned red with hatred.

The witch laughed at them all and then smiled, "Now I will next claim the king and rule all these lands…"

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During the night though the youngest daughter awoke to find herself in the woods, she then remembered what the witch had done to them and was in fear as she remembered the witches words, she looked around for her brothers and saw that they were gone.

She then got up and started to run, she wondered where they were and why she was all right? She ran and ran in the woods looking for them, but then suddenly she entered a clearing and saw in the moonlight a lake, running to it she looked at her reflection and saw that she was a swan, it was then she remembered the words of her father. " The swan is the symbol of royalty and the moonlight, it is said that during that time they have the most power for it is said that they are the representatives of heaven."

She then realized it must be that which was giving her the ability to be free from the witch's control, but then she wondered how on earth she was going to save her brothers and the kingdom.

It was then that suddenly behind her came a golden glow, turning around she saw behind her that the ground was a light with red flowers. The girl enchanted walked over to the golden glowing red flowers and then as she did so the feathers from her hands faded away revealing her to be human. She was entranced but then saw that the only hand that was human like was the one reaching out for the flower and she lifted it away she was birdlike once more. She then reached out and hesitantly picked the flower seeing what would happen, as she picked it she discovered that it still glowed she then exclaimed "Amazing!"

But the moment she said anything the flower died.

The girl panicked looking at the other flowers she discovered though that they were all alright, fearful she again picked another one but this time she said nothing and saw that the flower remained the same, taking it in her human hands she wondered how she could be completely human. But then looking at the flower she realized what she had to do, taking it she swallowed it whole, her whole body felt warm as she swallowed it as it had a sweet yet bitter taste.

She then felt herself and discovered she was human once more, she couldn't believe it.

But then she had her brothers to rescue so picking six more flowers she began to search again for them.

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Looking in the forest she did her best not to say a word desperate to keep the flowers full with the mysterious power that they seemed to possess. Running deeper and deeper into the woods bursting with urgency to find them and to save the kingdom.

Arriving where she had met the witch before, there through the trees she could see an army of bird people all of them armed fiercely with weaponry and once again with red eyes burning with the black magic that she had cast upon them.

She then saw her brothers that were standing right beside the witch all of them in their bird forms, the sister could barely tell which brother was which but she knew it was they.

"Now then… the time is complete, it is now time for the kingdom to be mine…!" She shouted as the birds all started to cry out loud as though wishing for blood.

As the birds grew quiet she started to sing out another song that sounded like the echoes of doom and destruction. The birds started to fly into the sky as well as the girl's brothers.

The girl seeing this happen began to ran towards them desperate to stop the horrible thing that the witch was plotting. She immediately ran towards the witch and pushed her making her stop singing.

The birds and her brother's immediately landed back down and started to crowd around the witch and the girl who all began to sing a song around them, "Mistress, mistress, mistress."

The witch looked at the girl who was sitting huddled in the centre of the threatening ring with the flowers she had in hand, the witch looked on in shock and then fury seeing the flowers.

"Where did you get those!" She cried.

The birds immediately stopped their song as the witch waited for the girl's answer. However the girl only shook her head for if she breathed a word the flowers would lose their power.

The witch angered demanded once more, but the girl gave no response. Then the witch in her rage began speaking fiercely a storm of black feathers gathering in her hand she then sent them towards the girl. The girl could only watch on in fright as the feathers stormed towards her, she closed her eyes awaiting the pain.

However she felt nothing. Opening her eyes she saw that one of her brothers had come out to protect her, still in his bird form she saw that his left wing was bleeding where the feathers had attacked him.

The witch looked on in shock and then in hatred she demanded what that bird was doing. However all the bird offered was only sustained breathing that had hints of pain.

The sister though knew he was protecting her, getting up she then ran in front of him to protect him.

The witch seeing the dedication between the two then smiled evilly before calling more feathers. This time more birds were summoned that were deformed with razor sharp teeth and metallic feathers.

The girl looked on with determination though inside she was shivering with fear. The witch smiling at her valor then sent the birds to kill the two.

However she suddenly screamed in pain as she felt a sword pierce her centre for another of the brother's had regained control. The bird's and feathers she had sent to kill the sister and her other brother had exploded in purple light among the flowers making a huge flash of light destroying the witch's spell freeing her brother's and freeing the bird people who were once controlled.

The girl then saw that the one's who had protected her were her youngest brother who still had a wing for a left arm for protecting her against the witch and her eldest brother had been the one to kill the witch with his sword.

The witch then dying uttered her last curse on the children and the people who were now free, "You shall remain here forever, none of you will return to the lands of men and the descendants you have will all be birds at the coming of age thus this will remain for nine hundred years…"

With that the witch died and the people and children though were free, they wept with tears for never being able to return home.

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Uzuri finished the story closing the book she held in her lap she turned to look at Fakir who looked at her with a sad understanding.

"That is the sad story of out past… as you can see it wasn't exactly a whole happy ending." She told him with a sad cold seriousness in her eyes.

Fakir looked down, the story had now allowed him to understand now but even so there were still questions he had on his mind that he thought should be answered. He paused before answering. He felt it would not be right and also that Uzuri would ridicule him for it. So he only stared at his hands trying to figure out the answers on his own.

Uzuri getting up put the storybook away in her bed drawers, she then sat back on her bed and looked at Fakir.

"You can ask me some questions if you want to." She told him.

Fakir looked up at her surprised knowing what he was thinking, "Besides it would be more stupid for you to keep quiet without knowing," she retorted.

Fakir became annoyed at that but then sighed it would be true he supposed, "Okay then, … in the story it said that none of them would be allowed back home… but yet you still came to my world and Ahiru as well…"

Uzuri looked at him "well that is a little obvious isn't it? She said that to them not the descendants so we're exempt from the rule… though I wish she hadn't cast that bird curse." She finished irritated.

'The curse?' He thought to himself this then led to more questions more importantly the thing that had caused the story "her memories are just buried inside."

"You said that Ahiru's memories were buried, is that because of the curse as well?" He asked her.

Uzuri looked at him, she hesitated in answering, "well... it's a little to do with the curse yes and a little of shock because when we are first transformed into birds a magical barrier is placed in the mind limiting the access of memories." She then stopped allowing Fakir to absorb the information.

Fakir looked on at her imagining this wall in one's mind like a sheet of glass blocking the mind. Uzuri then seeing Fakir had caught on with the information continued, "but once the seal is activated." She said putting her hand over the back of her head she then continued talking with her eyes closed, "it brakes down those walls freeing the memories all at once like a tidal wave… these then cover up the memories that we have when we're birds." She told him.

Fakir looked at her imagining the wave in his mind that came crashing from the glass sheet smothering the other memories like pieces of debris.

Uzuri then continued though removing her hand from her head with her eyes open "because of that the mind goes into a type of shock from all the new memories and thoughts. But after a while the memories are slowly and gradually restored and when that happens we are then free to turn into birds back and forth." She finished.

Fakir listened and then looked at her with amazement he then smiled with happiness, "so Ahiru will remember me?" He asked her excitedly.

Uzuri then nodded, "Yes in about a week or month at most."

Fakir couldn't believe it! He couldn't believe that everything was going to be all right! But then he wondered suddenly why she was sharing this information with him, "you never intended me to be your servant forever did you?" He asked her.

Uzuri smiled at him in mockery "I was wondering when you were going to realize that, but then you're a weirdo so it's to be expected I suppose."

Fakir then suddenly grew annoyed, he then shouted at her, "Will you stop calling me that!"

Uzuri looked at him smiling further "No!" She said poking her tongue at him.

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After all the arguing and fussing that had taken place after that Fakir settled himself on his sleeping cushion. He couldn't believe his luck! Something was beginning to look positive for him, but yet he couldn't understand why Ahiru couldn't remember being a princess in the story but he didn't want to mention it to Uzuri. For then it would mean that he would have to tell her about all the painful things that happened to himself, Ahiru and everyone else.

Fakir looked at Uzuri who had obviously fallen asleep due to the flying and arguing that she had done that day. Fakir couldn't figure her out at times but he guessed she must be helping him, even if it wasn't in a very gentle way.

He the turned away facing the door again he smiled as he started to fall asleep, "looks like they'll be a happy ending after all…"

Sleep then claimed him as the whole place settled into piece and quiet.

A voice laughed in the darkness, "I'm afraid there will be far more tragedy before that happens…" as it's words were said the sound of gears came into motion somewhere far away.