Chapter seven: Warp

Within the dark, ominous Great Hall of the Pure Ones inner stronghold, where guards roamed, heavily armed with an array of weapons, stood six Tytos of various species on a strip of velvety crimson carpet. The timeworn, lofty caen limestone walls where dimly lit by lambent flames in iron Tyto decor wall torches. Tattered madder dyed silk banners with the Pure Ones sinister motif draped down the blind arcades, swaying gently in the moaning draft, which drifted mournfully through the eerie concentric castle.

In the middle of the hall, Eve stood warily on the left side of Arxcis as he spoke to the others. With her plumage damp from the drizzling rain she dared not to look up at the fearsome old owl, in dread of how he would react if he caught her gawking at him. Looking behind her she timidly glanced around the vast hall and seemingly endless corridors that faded into the surreal gloom, her eyes grew wide with wariness as her gizzard painfully rolled forward. Turning her head up to look around, her dark, profound eyes flickered scarlet from the bright crackling flames above that cased several long dancing shadows behind her and the others. Her gaze then rested on the entrance of the Gate House surveyed by two guards wearing the meanest serrated battle claws she had ever seen. Her breath quickened, and her gizzard slowly tightened, she never imagined everything to be so frightening, she felt so insignificant to the scale of her surroundings. Staring blankly, she was mesmerised by the guards' reflective claws gleaming in the darkness, she could not help being scared of them. Yet, at the same time, she felt drawn to have a pair for herself. This notion tied her mind in knots, she no longer knew right from wrong; she began to wonder if going through with joining the Union was really the right idea.

I remember… my Mother, Zava. She and my Da use to tell me to always believe in the Guardians. Not in violence or the 'evil' of The Pure Ones. In a nostalgic trance she softly beaked her Mothers words, "A band of knightly owls who would rise each night into the blackness and perform noble deeds." Suddenly the gory scene of her dead mother shielded by Altair flashed within a split second before her eyes and disappeared again which abruptly snapped her out from her trance, No… the Guardians cannot exist. Not after that. Eve thought, strengthening her belief in the Pure Ones.

Blinking slowly, she peeled her gaze away from the guards' claws and cautiously eyed the same four Tytos who coaxed her away from Ignites homely cave. With her mind shifting again, she vividly remembered her flight through the miserable drizzling rain to the emerald vine covered stronghold, hidden deep within the eastern region of the Timber Woods. She recalled the decisive moment of when she looked back on the cave for the very last time before it faded away into nothing but a sea of darkened trees shrouded in the bitterly cold fog, never to be seen again. It was if one moment she was there, then the next was a fading memory and then nothing, nothing but a mare memory to remain swimming aimlessly in her bleak ocean of thoughts.

Zoltus did nothing to save me; he just flew away like the coward he was. Ignite did nothing to protect my family, he thought taking me away to Zephyr would help me believe in the Guardians more. The Guardians must be nothing but legends, stories for owlets. Telling tales of when they once lived. Yet, the Pure Ones are in front of me, they exist. Even after the War of the Ember, thought Eve, motionless and obedient she stared at Seleuko. The same Tyto she followed through the forest and filled her head with these strange, confusing thoughts she could not clear.

In a line, ordered by lowest to highest rank, Kai and Tytus on the end seemed to be just as tense as Eve in the intimidating face of Arxcis. Kai held a slightly damp rabbit leather botkin covered in small droplets of rain which contained Zoltus's armour and weapons, which the two brothers had stolen from Ignites forge. Eve had told Seleuko of their existence after he asked if there was any "valuables" in the forge. She had told him all about her family, the escape of Altair, Zoltus, and his career as a Guardian, Ignite, his past with the Pure Ones, his forge and every aspect of knowledge he knew about Zephyr.

Skylar, between Seleuko and Tytus, the palest of the four, remained calm due to his natural cool composure, while Seleuko showed no fear at all, but admiration and proudness for his old General.

"All of you!" addressed Arxcis, breaking Eve's train of thought and passingly glancing at each owl individually.

Eve felt like she wanted to yarp a pellet right in front of Arxcis, but instead she held it down in fear. Arxcis's cold, steady voice alone was enough to make her feathers shiver from facial disk to tail as much as any non-Tyto.

I do not even want to know what he's like when he's angry, best to just do what he says or else I am in for it, just like what happened to, Avia, thought Eve, with the vivid memory of Arxcis gutting Avia wide open across the facial disk and upper breast with his shiny claws of death still fresh in her mind. She remembered the blood falling to the fern covered ground below like heavy rain and his limp body slipping off the curvature of the branch and disappearing into the dark, dew laden vegetation. With the memory burned into the back of her mind, she knew very well that she was never going to forget it, not for a long time.

"Good work in bringing Eve to me so quickly and unharmed," said Arxcis, his expression darkening over before he looked at his subordinate with a smirk curling on the sides of his beak. "Seleuko, you operated the mission successfully; the High Tyto will certain be pleased with you and Eve as you have both gained us valuable information. Tytoden even got information out of that non-Tyto; everything is going according to what His Pureness wanted."

In response, Seleuko smoothly bowed his head; he was thrilled but did not want to express it in front of his General, who was against the use of emotion. It had been so long since he last got a compliment from Arxcis, he thought it could be possible that he will give him a promotion.

"General Arxcis! The mission went smoother than expected due to Eve's obedient cooperation… it was as if she wanted to serve us by her choice. Barely any force was needed," said Seleuko, briefly glancing slyly over at the short Tyto who looked threatened by her looming surroundings.

Eve gazed steadily at Seleuko before titling her head up to stare inquisitively at the burly leucistic Tyto next to her. Slowly narrowing her dark eyes she began to deeply wonder. She questioned if she was ready to become a Pure One, to become her dream. Or if it was just a selfish act, even after she witnessed the very owl standing proud next to her massacre most her family. She did not understand why she was not upset, the more she thought about it, the less logical sense it made. Yet she could not help but be interested, something unknown inside her thoughts and gizzard guided her, something corrupted her thoughts, warping her mind made her do it. Thinking more, digging deeper inside her mind she realised that she had nowhere else to go, the Pure Ones seemed to like her here. They were her new family.

I wonder… Do I have what it takes? Mum and Da told me that the Pure Ones where cruel, unowlish, 'villains from the depths of hagsmere itself''. Will I become a villain? Like those who the 'Guardians' fought against? To be 'vanquished'? But my Mother wand Da where fools, always caring for Altair and, Avia… the weakling he was. What would they have known? "I have a purpose, they didn't," as Seleuko said to me through the fog.

"Kai!" snapped Arxcis, sharply flinging a strict stare at the timid private who suddenly jumped to life, "Take the botkin to the metal smith at once! It is to be replicated to fit Eve within three nights."

Eve jolting out of her deep thoughts was suddenly thrown back into the stark reality once more due to Arxcis throaty screeching. Slowly focusing her attention on Arxcis, she peered at him from below; I'm going to wear armour? She questioned herself with a hint of excitement.

Kai briskly bowed his head before he gripped tighter onto the handles of the botkin with both feet and pumped his huge chestnut wings, taking off from the ground. Sliding the botkin across the thin carpet and lifting it into the air, the contents clattered with a metallic ring, as the lemming leather sack swayed lightly in the shapeless air.

In flight, he threw one last look over his left wing at Arxcis, Why the Great Tower? She's just a recruit at this stage… unless you and the High Tyto are thinking about promoting her for a higher purpose? Impossible! That wouldn't even make any sense! She's just your average, Tyto, with her head in the clouds! She has to go through years of training! Not to mention go through her TUPSI successfully! Kai thought, envious of Eve.

Eve tracked Kai with her eyes till he silently banked to the left and disappeared around a corner.

"Tytus!" screeched Arxcis, swiftly switching his gaze to the dark Tyto who now paid full attention to his superior, "Go to dungeon five and tell Lieutenant Major Tytoden and that foolish eagle owl of the recent news," tartly said Arxcis, disgusted by Ignite, he hardly considered him an 'owl' at all.

Eve, lost in her usual thoughts turned her head to the left to stare blankly at Tytus.

Tytus, being an almost splitting image of his younger brother, Kai, but taller and darker quickly saluted Arxcis by lightly bowing his head. Upon looking back up he locked eyes with Eve midway and momentarily froze. He noticed something fascinating about her; she had a deep, profound look in her young eyes that burned with the reflection from the flames above. Standing straight again he narrowed his eyes at the ruddy Tyto before slowly looking away and hastily taking off without a sound.

Tch! Arxcis is going to make Eve into a fine Pure One. Ignite is going to fall to pieces when he finds out, that's if he is still even in one piece to start with, teaches him for trying to act so tough in front of him, bitterly thought Tytus, banking hard to the right and gliding calmly down the dimly lit gothic corridor.

Passing each wall torch they casted an ambient glow that swept across his dark plumage before he faded into the shadows again. Thinking in his own solitude, he thought about Eve and the look she gave him which was like a painting in his mind. He wondered why he was so concerned, it was just a look from a young recruit, nothing more.

After the two Privates left, the atmosphere grew denser. Eve, feeling alone with Arxcis began to sense the dread creep back into her hollow bones; she knew it was almost time for Arxcis or one of the other Officers to directly talk with her.

Arxcis then sharply leaned in towards Eves' clean facial disk and gazed into her frightened eyes. Watching his own reflection he could see she was quivering under her fresh plumage.

"What are you fearful of?" questioned Arxcis cruelly, his eyes as black as death itself tunnelled into Eves' innocent ones which looked away, avoiding his omnipresent like gaze.

Silence fell like a lead curtain as Seleuko and Skylar watched unmoved.

"Well? Answer!" shirked Arxcis fiercely; Eve cringed and felt her feathers shift, pulling in closer to her body.

The silence fell across the hall once again; only a screeching echo remained bouncing off the solid stone walls and splitting off, down the drafty corridors.

Eve opened her eyes and slowly tilted her head up in dread and looked directly into Arxcis's eyes, "N-no, n-nothing… Gen-General Arxcis…" she stuttered, trying to hold back tears of terror.

Arxcis then huffed before leaning away from Eve's facial disk, "Good. Your obeisance will serve you well here," said Arxcis in a lighter tone. Slowly pacing around Eve, she felt his eyes bore into the back of her head as he continued, "Remember this. I expect you to show no fear; fear is for our enemies, the lower species. You must prove this as a Tyto."

Eve then gazed up at the flames dancing in front of her on the wall; the bright orange hue lit her polished eyes and ignited a small fire within her young gizzard. Gradually, it began to slowly mix with all her concerns and devour them. Like when the sun rises in the east and scotches the morning fog, evaporating the dew on the undergrowth before it slipped behind the west horizon to be seen another day. Rapt by the fire, she recognised the sensation from before, from when she first flew silently through the damp air, soaring across Ignites small forest clearing and disappearing into the frosty fog.

Swiftly turning her head away from the fire she looked at Arxcis, "I will… General Arxcis," said Eve, hesitating slightly before she placidly turned her head to continue gazing at the fire.

While gazing at the fire, Eve could not help but feel that within the center of her small fiery soul sat an even smaller empty void.

"Good. We will see when you start your training with the other recruits tomorrow night, unless the High Tyto says otherwise," said Arxcis pleased. Proudly turning away from Eve and towards Seleuko he briefly smirked at Seleuko in triumph over Eve's decision, "Take Eve to her chamber. There, she will wait to speak with the High Tyto, along with the other recruits, as he ordered."

Seleuko quickly bowed his head as Arxcis passed, "Certainly."

"Lieutenant!" called Arxcis, on the move without looking at his subordinate.

"Yes, General?" replied Skylar, catching up to Arxcis with a hope and walking with him on his right.

"Follow me; we are needed to meet the other recruits, as His Pureness ordered," he paused to look back briefly at Eve, "Unfortunate for them. They are not as obedient as Eve; I do not think they will go as far. I guess Marks father; ex- Lieutenant Major Sethos was right about Eve."

Arxcis, with damp feathers fluttered into the quiet air, promptly followed by Skylar. The two spectres of the night flew across the Great Hall and through the crumbling archway into the crisp air of the Inner Courtyard, where they were greeted gently by the soft moonlight that illuminated their flight feathers. The three young recruits standing in a line on the forested mint green grass watched in awe as the white Tyto landed stylishly in front of them. Sergeant Valus, an eastern grass owl came up to Arxcis and saluted him, flying off just as Skylar landed on the left of Arxcis.

-/-

Meanwhile, Seleuko aloofly peeled his gaze away from Eve and unfolded his damp wings out to shake off the excess moisture, "Follow me," evenly said Seleuko, with a curt wing gesture without looking back at Eve.

Eve caught the simple wing gesture and jittered to attention. Shifting her feet and slightly unfolding her wings, she anxiously got ready to take off with Seleuko.

Seleuko then took off as silent as a shadow on the wall and flew towards the lengthy East Corridor that branched off from the right corner of the Great Hall, parallel to the West Corridor with the Inner Courtyard in-between both corridors.

Eve being new to flight decided to copy Seleuko exactly, that way she knew she could not go wrong. Stretching her petite auburn wings out, she jumped then threw her first down stroke and lifted fluently off the floor. Surprised, she felt her body naturally do the rest for her without thinking too hard about it; this made childish excitement roll up inside her youthful gizzard. One shallow wing flap after another, she looked to her left and observed her wing for a brief moment to find that she could not hear a single flutter; she could practically feel the dusty air take shape around and under her soft wings and tail! Adjusting her tail and wings she noticed she was able to channel the air and direct it herself with pin point accuracy. Growing more comfortable in flight and more confidant in mind, she coolly swung her head around and kept a steely eye on Seleuko up ahead while she cruised along, making sure to follow behind him closely. She could not help but feel on top of the world at that point.

Seleuko noticed that Eve was picking up pace behind him and decided to peer curiously over his starboard wing at her, Already testing out those new feathers of yours, I see. Must be a talented flier, they will make good use out of that, thought Seleuko, looking away with a dark pleased smile across his puce beak.

Flying passed the large deteriorating archway of the Inner Courtyard on her left; Eve fleetingly caught a short-lived glimpse of Arxcis and Skylar with three Tyto fledglings lit by the moonlight, before the stony wall rushed by with a hollow roar.

Are they the other 'recruits' Arxcis was talking about? Eve thought, listening carefully to Arxcis talking about purity before turning her head away to watch the ground bustling with activity stream pass below her.

Leaving the uncanny openness of the Great Hall and entering the dim narrowed passage of the extensive East Corridor, harsh flares flickered passed Eve from both sides. Striking her delicate facial feathers they mirrored in her glass eyes with a flaming glint. Tilting her head up to look forward, she stared at a small foreboding entrance belonging to the dungeons up ahead on her starboard. Skimming a small crowd of Tytos in front of the entrance with her eyes, she spotted Tytoden with two dungeon guards; one a greater sooty owl and the other a ashy-faced owl, who both held onto the thick chains griped tight in their clutched feet, the chains where connected to the shackles around the legs of a large eagle owl covered in ashy soot.

And in that disturbing moment, Eve thought she recognised who the non-Tyto was, which brought shock to her hollow bones. Her trembling eyes grew wide with disbelief as seconds began to slow to nothing but a breathless still. She only knew one owl whose plumage was covered in soot, "Ig-nite…" slowly beaked Eve, hoping it was not him. Impulsively slackening her pace, she abruptly fanned out her tail feathers, tilted her wings and slowed down to almost a hover. Looking at the owl closely with his head lowered and saddened with grief, she knew the eagle owl was no other then the metal smith who cared for her so dearly, yet there he was, succumbing to the Pure Ones below her. Something in which he swore he would never do. She could clearly see the rusted shackles fastened tight against his downy caramel legs, cutting into the dehydrated skin and his battered, blood-strained plumage, with his ragged wings missing all his primaries, the old owl was a complete mess.

What… have they done to you? Eve thought, dazed, she could not help but feel as if it was her fault. The sight of him in peril made her melting gizzard slip to the floor. Stricken, she smoothly glanced up ahead and momentarily watched Seleuko fade into the dusty haze in wonder, before looking back down at Ignite to watch Tytoden order the old owl to look up at him when he was talking.

What should I do? I do not know what to do. Should I help him? No, I cannot. I have my own life to live; Mark and Seleuko taught me that. I am sorry, Ignite… so sorry, I must go. For the good of all the kingdoms," pondered Eve, before she gently closed her eyes and painfully looked the other way, banking away from Ignite she continued to fly hauntingly overhead.

Terribly peaceful in flight, she could not help but look back on Ignite again. Silently observing him from above, she tracked him with her sombre eyes set in her ghostly white face.

When Ignite looked up to prey to Glaux he caught sight of a small white Tyto with a spotty abdomen and legs that he recognised. In disbelief he suddenly acted as a dead weight and refused to be moved by the Pure Ones. As hope began to fill in his woeful gizzard he ignored Tytodens' warning to stab him in the back if he did not move and continued to joyfully gaze up. From when he first sighted her, he knew this Tyto was Eve, because of her distinctive plumage. To his surprise when he was most expecting Eve to say something to him, she just continued to stare unblinking at him as Ignites hopefulness withered down to nothing but a disappointed glare.

No… Eve don't tell me, ye…be a turnfeather… thought Ignite, feeling his heart take a dive.

Passing directly over Ignites head, his piercing orange eyes forcefully locked with her dark, unreadable ones that made her heart skip a beat and breathe tighten.

With no compromise, Ignite continued to stare intensely at Eve as she swiftly passed over him, disregarding Tytodens second threat.

"Eve! I don't know what ye is playin' at, but ye gotta get outta 'ere, while ye still gotta chance! Tell Zoltus! Tel- ekk," spluttered Ignite weakened from the lack of rest, food and old age, before he continued, "Zephyr is doom because of ye, ya the axel of it all!"

"That's it, I have had enough of this nonsense," mumbled Tytoden, before he ordered, "Guards! Get him walking up that hallway now!" and gruffly pointed his starboard wing at the end of the corridor.

The guards then quickly moved in on Ignite to attempt to grab him and move him along.

"No! Don't touch me! Get 'toff me ya Tyto scumbags!" insulted Ignite, cuffing Tytoden across the upper breast with his flight feather-less wing, sending the small Tyto to the stony floor on his back, knocking the wind out of his lungs, "Ye are never takin' me alive, not while th'ere be air in my lungs an' Eve is still with ya!"

"Guards!" called Tytoden laying down, "Pin his wings to the wall!" hissed Tytoden, getting up from the cold floor with a look of revengeful bloodlust in his spiteful eyes, "He will not get away with what he had just done so easily."

The two guards then brutally shoved Ignite from both sides up against the grimy wall and forcefully pinned each limp wing up with their serrated claws separated, pricing through the thin flesh of his fleecy wings.

Ignite wincing from the pain then tried to lurch forward and get away, but was met with searing pain that coursed through both wings, followed by the stark realisation that if he pulled away he would tear his wings apart. Glancing at his port wing he noticed that the sooty owl had practically nailed his wing to the wall. He thought about lashing out at the guards with his beak, but they were both out of reach.

"Frink!" cursed Ignite under his laboured breath.

"Give up! It would be a stupid idea for you to try and attack me again. We have you against a wall; there is no escape from here. Not after you attempted to kill General Arxcis and struck me to the floor," explained Tytoden riled, standing in front of Ignite out of reach.

Ignite then looked soberly into Tytodens selfish eyes for a last resort, "Lieutenant Tytoden, please. Just give me back Eve. She doesn't understand all this, she's too young, and she doesn't know what she's' doin'…" pleaded Ignite, struggling to keep himself awake.

"No. She's ours now…" cruelly replied Tytoden, self-satisfied that he knew he was in power he raised his metal adorned foot over Ignites starboard flank, the silver edges of the smooth tool of death gleamed dangerously in the dancing light.

"Ya filthy-hearted scoundrel! Go burn in hagsmere with the others ya follow. Come, do ya worst, I aren't afraid of no Tyto scumbag! Faced ya' lot before! I remember Arxcis in the War of the Ember, ye too yo-!"

Without out saying a single word, Tytoden viciously stabbed into Ignites tough mantle and tore down his flank next to his starboard wing. With the guards restraining Ignite in place, his high pitched cries of horror echoed down the empty corridor before the busy voices wearily returned. Tytoden had enjoyed every moment of it. Haughtily yanking his metal talons out from Ignites lower flank, blood oozed out from the wound and trailed off his menacing curved blades on to the stone before he gently placed his foot back down with a clink.

"Let him go," simply ordered Tytoden, watching Ignite, "Lucky, I did not tear his wing off."

"Why?" question Ignite weakly, his life suspended in the callous talons of his subjugators.

The two guards then plucked their claws out from Ignites wings and he passed out before his worn out body hit the floor front first.

"Take him to the infirmary. We are not finished with him yet," sourly said Tytoden, flicking the fresh blood off his claws, it hit the floor with a faint splat, "He still has information we need about this land. And he and that new recruit, Eve; still seem attached to each other. Arxcis might want to use him as bait to keep her here and show her that she no longer needs him. And then he will die when Eve understands where her loyalties are."

The more Eve listened introspectively to Ignites disheartened cries echo behind her through the empty corridor, the more she felt a desolate void blossom from deep within the center of her fracturing soul. The further she floated away from Ignite, the deeper she went into the bowls of the Unions stronghold and the wider the hollow grew, pushing her happiness out from the sides. As silence set in like frostbite, gentle tears bled from her sable eyes.

-/-

With the dorsal side of his port wing, Seleuko coolly pushed back the fraying vermilion red drapery; the Unions emblem painted in jet black on the naturally dyed cloth began folding to the side. The vibrant fabric passed by Eve's inquisitive eyes, revealing a large gothic moonlit room, which she aimlessly wondered into out of innocent curiosity, walking across a fluffy patched together mouse fur rug she began to examining the lofty space around her.

Almost bare of items but not furniture, the room was trapezoid shaped with three lancet clerestory windows high above her. Through the recently cleaned glass poured a stream of moonlight that lit the pulverous air and casted faint elongated arcs of silvery white organza veils across the eroded mosaic floor. On both sides of the grey slanted stone walls next to the equilateral arched entrance, stood two grand oak wood bookshelves left by the Others, with hardly any books to its name on the dry and dusty shelves. On either side of the three curved stone window frames, the same ominous blood red motif banners of that in the Great Hall draped down almost touching the tiled floor. Below the long windows, and eye level with Eve was three metal hooks fixed into the wall for hanging up garments and armour. A short wooden perch stood next to the left banner with an easel made from various conifer branches used for reading and writing attached to it with vines.

"This is your allocated chamber; this was Lieutenant Major Shethos's chamber before he retired, so you should be most grateful for what the High Tyto has given you," huffed Seleuko, quickly glancing at the windows, "And, do not think about escaping out through one of those windows, we have guards posted on every corner of the stronghold. Stay here until you are summoned by the High Tyto," added Seleuko before he dropped the thick curtain and took off towards the spiralled staircase.

While walking to the center of the room, Eve's apprehensive eyes browsed around the excessively detailed ribbed vaulting ceiling before her gaze landed weightily on the sight of the lightening night sky seen outside the right window.

Shethos? Marks father? A retried Pure One? They must be planning to train me to replace him or something. But isn't that what Mark is going to do? Eve thought, mulling her situation over. When Ignite faded into mind, she could not help but feel that she had betrayed him.