"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance." - Nathaniel Branden
The lengthy discussion Ivanna had with her mother opened the her eyes, metaphorically speaking.
To manipulate magen was an undeniably rare boon from Glaux. She need not fear it, but respect it and use it wisely.
She had the potential to exert a positive influence of the lives of owls everywhere. All that remained was for Ivanna to prove she could realize that goal.
Thea told her: "You must believe in yourself, because I believe in you, dearest daughter."
Her departure was a bittersweet one, but she swore that she would return in a few moons' time. As they pressed their breasts together in a tender embrace, blissful tears were shed by both parties.
The Tytos bid each other fond farewells and Ivanna struck out on her own. Her creator's poetic statement granted her the resolve to sail bravely onward into the future.
Alas, Ivanna felt incomplete. Something was missing, but she knew exactly how to remedy the situation.
She ventured to the gloomiest corner of the Shadow Forest, a secluded area devoid of moonlight. What she sought was invisible to the eyes, yet its presence was readily detected.
During the witching hour, she purged all traces of magen from her body. At that point she immersed herself in the inky cloud of nachtmagen and entered a deep trance.
Dark energy seeped into her soul in the form of writhing purple coils. The infusion ran its course and she'd been permanently imbued with the power of nachtmagen.
She experimented until dawn to get a grasp on her new abilities.
Ivanna soon found she could vanish by concealing herself in a shadow. Not only that, but she could jump from one shadow to another, provided the distance between them did not exceed roughly three pytes.
Furthermore, she could shapeshift into any species of owl by picturing in her mind. She had no desire or need to utilize that specific technique aside from playing a trick on her kin.
A caveat was that she would not misrepresent herself when interacting with others. To purposely mask her identity was a questionable act and unethical to boot.
By the time the dawn broke, Ivanna had already collapsed into her nest and fallen asleep. She slumbered as peacefully as an owlet, dreamless and simply content.
The opposing, yet also complimentary, forces of magen and nachtmagen established a pact of coexistence. Light and darkness engaged in a harmonious dance within the confines of her soul.
A perfect sense of balance was therefore achieved and she felt complete at last. She was not the master of those forces, but by the same token, she was not their slave either.
She served as a vessel, as well as a conduit through which both types of magic could flow. She alone could regulate their manifestations and was ultimately responsible for how they affected those around her.
When dusk looped around again, she stopped by her siblings' hollows to say her goodbyes. Melancholy overcame them, but it was not their place to prevent their sister from fulfilling her purpose.
After their brief rendezvous, Ivanna left the Shadow Forest behind. She traveled to the Desert of Kuneer for two reasons: she'd never set foot in it her entire life, and she felt a strange attraction to it, courtesy of her powers.
The milky white glow of the crescent moon rained down upon the land. Ivanna crossed over into the seemingly-barren desert from the northwest. She spiraled down out of the sky and buried her talons in the cool sand.
"Ahh… that feels lovely."
She let her wings droop and rested for a few minutes. Her empty gizzard squirmed and groaned in protest.
Ivanna cut her relaxation short and initiated the hunt. She sailed eastward, eyes closed in concentration. Pooling a fair amount of magen within her, she sent out threads in all directions to pinpoint the locations of rodents in her general vicinity.
One by one she dive-bombed their burrows with a piercing shriek. The frightened creatures bolted out into the open.
Her waiting talons eliminated all three mice swiftly and relatively cleanly. Having stuffed herself to the brim, Ivanna waited a quarter hour for her food to settle.
She then launched herself into the sky and drifted casually to the southwest. Her heightened sensitivity detected the presence of two distraught burrowing owls up ahead.
Ivanna approached the underground den and landed just outside the entrance. She peered into the darkened interior but saw nothing.
"Hello?" the Tyto called out softly.
After a short delay, the den's disturbed owners strode up to their visitor. The look in their eyes convinced her that something was amiss.
"Hello…" she replied halfheartedly.
"My name is Ivanna."
"Nice to meet you. I am Harriet. This is Callum, my mate…"
"What's the matter, if I may ask?"
Harriet sighed and glanced down at her naked feet.
"Our son, Archie, has been ill for several nights," she began.
"We believe he ate a diseased mouse. His condition hasn't worsened, but it hasn't improved either," he continued.
"We are at a loss and fear he may not…"
Her voice trailed off and she struggled to hold back her sobs.
Ivanna laid her starboard wing on the distraught mother's shoulder.
"I can help your son. Take me to him."
The burrowing owls nodded and guided Ivanna through the gloom to the chamber where he lay. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and his figure melted into view.
He was slumped against the rear wall of the cavity, his wings hanging limply at his sides. His eyes were almost completely shut and he clung desperately to consciousness.
His breast heaved up and down, each labored breath accompanied by a drawn-out wheeze.
It was clear he'd bee plagued by a general malaise that crippled his mind and body.
"He can't speak and barely has any strength left. Simple gestures are all he can manage…"
Callum trudged over to his son and ran a wing down his port flank. Archie's head turned at a painfully slow pace and he met his father's gaze.
"His suffering, as well as yours, ends tonight. I shall cure him."
"But… but how? Nothing we've tried has worked. It doesn't seem possible…" Harriet replied morosely.
"I am not an ordinary owl."
"What do you mean?"
"Allow me to show you…"
Ivanna took two steps toward the incapacitated owl. Unfurling her starboard wing, she touched the pointed tip of her longest primary to his breast.
She exhaled and then inhaled deeply, tapping into the pool she'd generated earlier.
I ask you to purge every trace of sickness from his body. His existence is not meant to end so soon.
A glowing sphere manifested at the feather's tip. Bathed in the heavenly golden light, Archie's former vitality was restored in a matter of seconds.
His eyes shot open and he hopped to his feet. Rejuvenated mentally and physically, he felt as alert an energetic as an owlet.
His creators did not hesitate to envelop him in a near-crushing embrace. Liquid elation welled in their eyes, blurring their vision.
"We thought we were going to lose you. This is one of the most joyous nights we've ever experienced…" Harriet remarked.
"Words alone cannot express our gratitude, gifted Tyto. You performed a miracle and saved our son."
Ivanna smiled and dipped her head in acceptance of their praise.
"You are most welcome, though that was merely a hint of my extensive talent."
"Mother… father… I can't breathe…" Archie croaked.
They quickly released him and he caught his breath.
"Your father and I couldn't help ourselves, but we apologize nonetheless."
The young male flashed an honest smile.
"It's alright, I understand your enthusiasm."
His vibrant golden eyes met her glistening onyx ones.
"I suppose I owe you my thanks as well."
He made a spur-of-the-moment decision and wrapped his stiff wings around the Tyto's midsection.
"Oh my!"
Callum quipped, "Please forgive his youthful exuberance."
Harriet added, "He hasn't quite grown out of his impulsiveness yet,."
"No offense taken," Ivanna jubilantly responded.
She and the burrowing owls soon went their separate ways, as the latter were eager to celebrate by going on a family hunting excursion. They headed northwest on foot, as was typical of their species, while she ventured due north.
Healing the stricken owl had consumed a portion of her stored magen. She estimated that half of it was left.
That should last for the remainder of the night, provided I don't rely on it excessively. Once the sun rises, my reserves will be replenished as I sleep.
Conversely, she had a vast amount of nachtmagen at her disposal. The restriction placed upon her by the time of day was one she'd have to acclimate herself to.
Deafening silence filled the air, punctuated by the rhythmic thumping of her heart. Silence that dense could not persist indefinitely.
Off to her port side, Ivanna spotted a pair of elf owls perched on top of a two-armed cactus. They were having a bit of a squabble, as evidenced by their passionate vocalizations and gestures.
The Tyto descended and alighted next to them, carefully positioning her feet so as not to prick them on the spines.
"Having a heated debate, are we?"
"Indeed!" proclaimed the male. "My sister, Chloe, does not want to live in this desert any longer."
"I wish for a change of scenery. I suggested we take up residence in the Tyto Forest, but Elliot would like to live in Ambala instead," the female explained.
Ivanna introduced herself and thought of a way to resolve their conflict of interest.
"I haven't been to either region, but I can say that both possess their own attractive qualities. Here is what I propose: spend a half moon or so in Ambala, repeat the process in the Tyto Forest, and then decide which region is more pleasurable for both of you to live in."
"I think that is a fair compromise. What about you, brother?"
"I suppose it is."
"If you uphold your end of the deal, I will uphold mine."
"Very well, sister."
"Excellent! The matter is settled."
"We're hardly alike, so avoiding rivalries is difficult at times," Elliot confessed.
"I have a brother and a sister, so you can imagine that we argued fairly often. What matters is that we didn't allow our disputes to become personal, and eventually we settled said disputes peacefully."
"She stirs up enough trouble as it is," Elliot said with a smirk.
Chloe administered a playful nudge to his flank, unbalancing him.
He flapped his wings furiously to prevent himself from losing his grip on the cactus. She flashed a triumphant smile and he sighed in mock irritation.
"I am thankful that she is my sister, otherwise I'd be a very lonely owl."
"Likewise, brother."
"We appreciate your intervention. We'd still be arguing if you hadn't."
"Of course."
"It's best we head to Ambala sooner rather than later. Goodbye, Ivanna."
"Perhaps we will meet again sometime."
"Perhaps we will, Chloe. Oh, before you go, please accept this parting gift."
She aimed two of her starboard talons at them and fired a cylindrical beam of light into their bellies.
"Your stamina is now equal to that of a great gray. The effect is temporary, so take advantage while it persists."
Their pupils dilated in astonishment.
"What… how…" they spluttered.
"Suffice it to say I am not an ordinary Tyto," she announced, grinning. "Safe travels and may Glaux bless you."
The elf owls nodded, glanced at one another, and mistakenly ventured east.
"You must go west to reach Ambala! Turn around!"
They complied and reversed their direction of travel.
"Thank you and Glaux bless!" they called out as they zipped on by.
Ivanna tracked their tiny bodies until they faded from view.
I never would've thought that wielding this kind of power would be so satsfying!
Spreading wide her fabulous wings, Ivanna flung herself skyward. She traced the path of a swirling stream of magen which terminated in the Beaks.
Strewn with rocky spires erupting from the earth in tandem, it was the most peculiar patch belonging to the S'yrthgar mosaic. A continuous mat of vegetation filled in most of the space, interspersed with a mixture of tall, solitary trees or clusters of such trees.
Shrubs and stunted trees sprouted from many of the spires themselves, their roots finding purchase in the fissure-riddled substrate.
Ivanna decreased her altitude and threaded the gap between the halves of one of the beaklike protrusions while executing a corkscrew maneuver. Sinking even closer to the earth, she repeated the maneuver while spinning in the opposite direction.
Her wingtips grazed the stone as she squeezed through the narrow space. Adrenaline began circulating in her bloodstream.
She performed the thrilling stunt a third time and landed in a nearby tree to catch her breath.
A couple minutes passed and she felt a strange sensation in her gut. Ivanna promptly expelled the offending pellet and started preening her feathers.
Her clairvoyance spontaneously triggered again, exposing the thoughts of two unseen owls somewhere below her in the tree.
Oh Glaux… making love to you… is the most incredible feeling… I couldn't have asked… for a more desirable mate…
He truly loves me… why else would he go to such lengths… to please me… and flood me with ecstasy…
She drove the private musings from her mind and left the vicinity in a hurry.
Sealing her eyes shut, she watched rivulets of both varieties of magen partake in a silent, chaotic dance. The land was their stage and she was their voluntary spectator.
Gold and plum-colored wisps taunted one another, feinting and drawing close before shooting apart. Captivated by the spectacle, the Tyto failed to maintain awareness of her surroundings.
She collided with one of the Beak's signature rock formations. Her low velocity was her saving grace.
The impact snapped her back to reality but stunned her momentarily. She fell several pytes into a miniature tree, its gnarled branches entangling her wings.
"Good Glaux… that was a mistake…"
She carefully extricated her wings and alighted on the nearest available branch. As the plucked the leaves from her flight feathers, a warm spot developed where the arcs of her facial disk met.
Lovely, I've gone and injured myself. At least I don't have to wait for it to heal naturally.
She parted the feathers overlying the laceration and gently cauterized it using a laser-like beam. As an added benefit, the technique instantly cured the pain brought on by the wound and cleansed the blood from her plumage.
A flammulated owl plopped onto a small ledge in front of and slightly above Ivanna.
"Was it you who caused all the commotion I heard?" the female inquired.
"Yes. I wasn't paying attention, so I crashed into the rock, fell into this tree, and got tangled up."
"Oh my. Are you alright?"
The barn owl patted down her unkempt plumage poignantly.
"Yes, just reasonably embarrassed."
"I'd rather be humiliated than injured."
"I can't argue with that."
"Anyhow, come inside so we may acquaint ourselves further."
The dark-colored owl vanished into a vertically-oriented elliptical hole. Ivanna leaned forward and forced her head through the cleft.
Her body became wedged in the narrow entryway, much to her chagrin. She pushed hard with her legs and dislodged herself.
Once inside, Ivanna stood up and smoothed out her ruffled plumage once again.
"This is a cozy little abode you have here."
"I've lived in this cavity ever since I fledged. That was… hmm… let's see… twelve moons ago. It provides adequate shelter from the elements."
She and the barn owl exchanged names.
"Pleased to meet you, Arianna."
"The feeling is mutual. So, what brings you to the Beaks?"
"I'm currently exploring the Southern Kingdoms and helping any owls that I encounter."
"I was once a wanderer with limitless freedom as well, but then I settled down and started a family. I don't regret my decision, mind you. I chose to trade one gratifying lifestyle for another."
"There is no harm in doing that. Where are they now?"
"At the lake to the east of here. My mate volunteered to relieve me of my motherly duties for a while. Supervising two sons and two daughters is a demanding task."
"I don't personally know what that's like, but I concur."
"As you can see, my life is rather uninteresting and I wouldn't want to bore you. Tell me more about yourself."
"Gladly."
Ivanna spun the various milestones of her life into a riveting tale, culminating in the unveiling of her powers. Adrianna was spellbound for the entire duration and awed by her guest's demonstration.
A roiling layer of clouds spawned by the Hoolemere Sea had since drifted south and clogged the sky over the Beaks. It seemed more and more likely that foul weather would be unfolding.
"So that is how you go about helping owls in need?"
"Precisely."
"It all makes sense now. What a remarkable gift."
"Glaux did not want me to live a selfish and apathetic life. I believe that is one reason why he granted me this ability."
"It would be foolish of me to disagree. His foresight and wisdom are unmatched."
A distant flash of lightning triggered a rumbling peal of thunder.
The females wrapped up their conversation and Ivanna thought it best to commence the search for shelter prior to the storm breaking.
"It's a shame I didn't get to meet your family."
"That's quite alright. I will let them know that I had an esteemed guest. Feel free to stop by whenever you like, as we are here the majority of the time."
"I will keep that in mind. Goodbye and take care."
The owls waved at one another and Ivanna left the flammulated owl's residence. She drew a refreshing breath of cool air and commenced a reconnaissance mission.
It had to be put on hold, however. Cocking her head to one side, she picked up the raucous screeching of two owls below.
She executed a steep dive and knifed through the canopy. A pair of masked owls were engaging in a physical altercation, kicking up dust clouds as they scuffled.
Ivanna landed hard on the parched earth and waited for the opportunity to interrupt the quarrel.
The moment the female tossed the male away, she swept her starboard wing in an arc. A curtain of violet flames sprang up between them.
They recoiled as a wave of heat washed over them and the scuffle came to an end.
Ivanna dispersed the flames and stepped brazenly between them.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"She… she stole my vole and ate it!" he declared.
"How could I steal it… when I was the one… who caught it?" she retorted breathlessly.
"There are plenty of voles around if you are willing to search for them. I take it you two are related somehow?"
"We are brother and sister…" he grudgingly replied.
"That is even less reason for you to fight, be it verbally or physically. Your duty as siblings is to show unconditional love and respect for one another."
She turned to the male and asked, "What if your sister were to suddenly disappear? Would you wish you hadn't been so angry with her? Would you regret realizing how much she meant to you only after she vanished?"
She then turned to the female and posed the same sequence of questions.
The hostility in their eyes evaporated and their bristling plumage flattened out.
"There is a chance that fate may conspire to claim your lives. You must not take each other for granted."
The masked owls embraced and offered up sincere apologies. She forgave her brother and he returned the favor.
"A storm is brewing, fellow Tytos. I would suggest you take appropriate action before its fury is unleashed."
They did not seek an explanation of her strange abilities and ruefully absconded. She resumed surveying the territory and a light rain began to fall.
It dampened her plumage and reduced her flying efficiency, but she persevered and happened upon suitable shelter.
The cavity in the rock resembled Adrianna's abode, yet its spaciousness accommodated her larger size.
She briskly shook her feathers and cast off the moisture clinging to them.
A gusty wind picked up and the cloud-borne beads increased in size. Stinging sheets of rain lashed every exposed surface.
I pity any creature caught out in this tempest…
She yarped up a second pellet and drank the water dripping from the leaves of the shrub overhanging the entrance. As she reclined belly up in the corner, weariness sank its claws into her mind.
Her grip on consciousness faltered.
Ahh… what a rewarding night this has been. I wonder who I shall meet tomorrow… and how many owls… will require my aid…
Every evening was, and would continue to be, an enigma for her to unravel. Ivanna reveled in the prospect that her existence was shrouded in mystery.
Once an ordinary owlet with no clear purpose, she could perform feats that any sane owl would deem impossible.
Glaux… you have blessed me… and altered my life… I humbly thank you…
The void of sleep bloomed around the Tyto like an ethereal rose. She emitted a peaceful sigh and sank into the comforting depths of its black petals.