Chapter 3: Escalation
"Between an uncontrolled escalation and passivity, there is a demanding road of responsibility that we must follow." - Dominique de Villepin
For the next three moons, Ivanna explored the S'yrthghar in a methodic fashion, forging many new friendships and assisting those who needed it. At times she could offer aid without resorting to the use of magic, but at other times it was necessary.
She traveled to every province, save for Ga'Hoole, during the course of her grand trek. Committing important locations and landmarks to memory, piecing together a mental map of the Southern Kingdoms.
Beginning in the Beaks, she visited the remaining regions in logical order: the Tyto Forest, Ambala, the St. Aegolius Canyons, the Barrens, and Silverveil. Ultimately, she concluded her journey in the Shadow Forest.
All too eager to reunite with her family, Ivanna spent seven joyous nights with them in Thea's hollow. She described in detail all the sights she'd seen and the positive deeds she'd done.
Her mother and siblings were equally fascinated by her spellbinding tale. It became clear to them that the Southern Kingdoms were much larger and more diverse than they once thought.
The Shadow Forest was but one patch of the S'yrthghar's colorful mosaic.
Ivanna then resumed living a solitary life within its gloomy confines. Though the Time of the White Rain was in full swing, its chilling grip was not felt as strongly in the interior of that sheltered woodland.
One moonless, overcast night, following a fruitful hunting expedition, she happened upon a fallen pine tree near the boundary between the Shadow Forest and the Spirit Woods.
It must've come crashing down moons ago, as evidenced by the rotted condition of the once-mighty trunk. The wrenching of its roots from the ground left behind a deep crater.
She strode to the rim and paused. She could make out a flickering reddish light, and her impeccable hearing registered the hushed sounds a breathing creature would make.
Her interest piqued, Ivanna drifted to the bottom of the pit and glanced around. The most obvious feature was a pile of smoldering coals contained in a stone forge.
A tall, slender figure approached her, its yellow irises like brilliant rings floating in the darkness. The two curved tufts of feathers sticking straight up from its rounded head readily identified it as a long-eared owl.
In a quiet tone she said, "Greetings, my name is Ivanna."
"Greetings. Call me Rain."
She retreated several paces and gestured for the Tyto to come closer. Ivanna complied and planted herself near the forge.
The pulsing heat emanating from it warmed her breast and belly. The auburn glow played upon her cream and hazel feathers.
"I had hoped we would meet. This is a rather fortunate night for the both of us."
"Is that so? Could you explain why?"
"This is our chance to be acquainted…" Rain paused to drive the blade of a sword into the bed of coals. "… and for me to warn you."
Ivanna was perplexed.
"Am I in danger?"
"It depends what your definition of 'danger' is."
The female's manner of speaking convinced Ivanna that she was much older, and perhaps wiser, in some respects. She strolled to the opposite side of the pit and slipped a set of battle claws over her port talons.
"I keep in touch with a few other blacksmiths scattered throughout the Southern Kingdoms. Knowledge of your existence, not to mention your abilities and feats, is spreading. Word is being passed from beak to ear slit, and from owl to owl."
She strode back over to the forge.
"Your reputation of a magic-wielding miracle-worker has transcended geographical boundaries. I assume you did not intend for these consequences to unfold?"
"No, I didn't," she responded.
"It is too late. Your actions will have repercussions, positive and negative, for you and this realm. It is only a matter of time before the echoes of the ripples you've created converge at their source."
"I suppose I must prepare for what the future may bring."
"Indeed. I can't predict what situations you will find yourself in, young Tyto. For your sake, I pray they are favorable. Now, that's enough distressing talk."
She flipped the blade over in one fluid motion.
"Hungry?" she said, presenting the Tyto a limp mouse.
"Not exactly, but I accept."
Ivanna stuffed it into her beak, swallowing it whole.
"Thank you."
"Of course."
Rain shuffled the coals around to more evenly distribute the heat.
"Wherever your wings may carry you, be vigilant. Not every owl can be trusted, and conversely, some might not trust you either."
Ivanna nodded resolutely. The females conversed idly for a short while.
Once the weapon reached an incandescent temperature, the blacksmith quenched it in a basin of cold water. She gave it a flick with her talon, evaluating its hardness by listening to the quality of the "ping" that was produced.
Satisfied, she slid the sword hilt-first into a vertical wooden frame.
"If you'll excuse me, I must sharpen this blade. It is the critical final step and I must be alone to concentrate."
"I understand. Your advice will not go unheeded."
"I shall be here if you ever wish to speak to me. May Glaux bless you, Tyto."
"Likewise."
Ivanna flew home and chose to meditate. As the night dragged on, her specialized internal sense organ grew restless for some strange reason.
Perhaps a leisurely flight will help calm my gizzard…
She took to the air and glided south. Her gizzard refused to settle down. A bothersome urge gripped her, strengthening as the minutes came and went. A sudden bout of nausea forced her to land.
Yarping up the undigested remains of the mouse brought her short-term relief.
Why is this happening to me? I was perfectly fine when I awoke, but now I feel sick. Something isn't right…
Recalling her lavish use of magic over the last few moons, she came to an alarming conclusion.
Oh no… my body has developed an addiction. I haven't used any magic for two whole nights. These are withdrawal symptoms I'm experiencing…
The solution was obvious, yet her mental instability meant she could not focus properly. She desperately tried to channel magic, but the deprivation-induced psychosis rendered curing herself impossible.
The urge intensified to a nearly-unbearable level and her sanity began to degrade. Ivanna's gizzard contorted and she staggered, falling flat on her back.
The metaphysical barrier protecting her soul collapsed. A torrent of magical energy began streaming into soul, overloading it and building up pressure.
Her flailing talons gouged furrows into the soil as she writhed in agony.
I cannot bear this pain! Someone… anyone… help me! Glaux… I beg you… put me out of my misery!
The cruel torment lasted for over a minute, practically an eternity to the traumatized Tyto. Her heart pounded in her breast and she gasped desperately for breath.
Inevitably the unchecked accumulation of magic climbed until it fractured her shell. Her back arched and unimaginable pain ripped through her being.
She slashed the air with an ear-splitting scream. The pent-up energy burst forth in an explosion of searing light rays and suffocating shadows.
Her mind crumbled and she instantly lapsed into unconsciousness. She came to several hours later.
Somehow, she had survived the violent eruption that should've torn her apart. Not a trace of discomfort lingered, as if she'd been reincarnated.
Steady rain was falling and every inch of her was soaked. Realizing she was lying in a puddle of water, she flipped over and gingerly stood up.
She spread her wings to shield it from bombardment and its surface stilled. The moment she saw her reflection her entire world shattered.
The left half of her body radiated a dim flaxen glow. Her alabaster plumage shimmered as if coated with gold dust.
In contrast, the right half of her body constantly emanated wisps of black smoke. A luxurious purple sheen graced her obsidian feathers.
Her leg was entirely black as well, retaining all the aspects of a barn owl's limb save for its color.
Her port eye was a golden marble surrounded by alabaster feathers. As expected, its counterpart was an inky sphere bearing a slight lavender tinge.
It was as if she'd been bifurcated and underwent a startling evolution. Those who didn't know better would describe her as some half-owl, half-hagsfiend abomination.
Such a statement was basically correct.
Her heart rate quickened, as did her respiration rate. Chilling talons of dread buried themselves in her gizzard.
Hot tears started to trickle down her two-tone facial disk.
"I have become… a monster… against my will…" she whimpered. "I never intended… for this to happen. What am I… supposed to do?"
Her wings went limp and she sank into a sitting position. The liquid chilled the skin of her underbelly.
She felt so awful that the discomforting sensation didn't even register.
"I am doomed… to be an outcast. Why must I suffer… this terrible fate?"
The despair-stricken Tyto stared at her mirror image and sobbed uncontrollably. Ivanna could hardly recognize the being peering up at her.
Her former self, the carefree spirit who shouldered few obligations, was lost to time. Nothing but her memory persisted, a reminder of the way things used to be.
"No… this cannot be me… and yet it is…"
Ivanna swept her third eyelids across her eyes and the doppelganger imitated her perfectly. She was not observing an illusion.
She sliced one of her port talons open, clamping her beak shut to muffle her cry of pain. The waking nightmare did not end.
The wound healed in mere seconds. A few droplets of blood had already blended with the puddle and turned it a rosy red color.
"My life goes on… yet it is a life… I did not desire. There is only one owl… who can help me now. No… I can't reveal myself so soon… and cause her undue distress…"
Ivanna stood and propelled herself skyward with a tortured screech. The recoil rent the ground asunder, flinging chunks of earth large and small in all directions.
She careened through the forest at a dangerous velocity. Lightning-quick reflexes enabled her to maneuver around every tree.
Her swift passage spawned a gust of wind that tossed pine needles and other plant matter into the air. A trail of glimmering particles and nebulous fog blended together behind her.
She obliterated raindrops on contact, creating a cone-shaped wake of tenuous mist.
Sailing above the Shadow Forest's main river, she traced its sinuous path all the way to the terminus of one of its tributaries. She decelerated drastically and broke free of the canopy, perching on the very tip of a pine.
She'd managed to stop crying but her emotional turmoil had not abated. Rain pelted her nonstop and blurred her vision, yet she wasn't deterred.
"Was this your plan all along, or am I the one to blame?" she asked the heavens above. "Please tell me… or my suffering shall never end."
A bolt of lightning split the sky and a peal of thunder reverberated in her lungs. Glaux held his tongue.
Defeated, the waterlogged owl glided home and dried herself off manually. She sank into her nest and savored sweet memories of nights gone by.
She had nothing left to treasure. Mournful stillness came over her despite the irascible storm buffeting the forest.
A limitless lagoon of magic dwelt within her soul; she feared what would happen when she tapped into it. Meditation, let alone sleep, were out of the question.
Time passed at a wretchedly sluggish pace and the night wore on. When the storm ceased, she ventured outside to hunt.
Tracking down the mammals scurrying around was simple. Due to her lack of composure, every rodent she attempted to catch escaped.
After seven humiliating failures, she blasted an oblivious vole with a gold-and-mauve energy beam out of pure frustration.
Consuming the perfectly-cooked critter eased her torment one tiny iota. She dispatched a second vole the same manner, washing it down with fresh rainwater.
Returning to her hollow, she struggled to purge the negativity festering within.
Her subconscious spoke up and communicated with her: Stop this at once! A life of endless suffering is no life at all. Impulsive reactions are a detriment. Your identity has not changed. You are Ivanna, the most gifted Tyto in existence! Your appearance does not matter, only your intentions and how you act upon them. Your friends will not shun you. No owl shall ever love you as deeply as the one who created you.
Ivanna inhaled a deep breath and reigned in her emotions.
I have no reason to hate or fear who I am. I can't become my own worst enemy. I must not flee from my destiny. Most importantly, I shouldn't hide anything from her. Dark secrets are like poison…
Ivanna traveled to her mother's abode and touched her shoulder gently with a talon. Thea finished gulping down the vole and turned around.
Their eyes met and she froze, taken aback by what she saw.
"Ivanna?"
"Yes, it is I."
"W-what-"
"I will explain everything."
She proceeded to thoroughly describe the events leading up to her transformation. The older female initially remained silent, processing the facts Ivanna divulged.
She then dashed said silence: "Never in my wildest dream did I imagine that this would happen to you."
She took a step back and gazed upon her daughter's magnificent form.
"This gift of yours is astonishing. Oh Ivanna, you are so beautiful…"
"I… I am? You don't consider me… a monster?"
"Good Glaux no! Why would you call yourself that?"
Ivanna averted her gaze, her shoulders sinking.
"I'm sorry, I just…"
Thea embraced her in a consolatory manner.
"I can sense that adjusting hasn't been easy for you. We shall get through this together."
"Thank you, Mother."
"I shall never forsake you, daughter. My adoration for you is boundless."
"I would be lost without you…"
"Do not worry, I have many moons of life left in me yet."
The Tytos conversed until dawn, savoring each other's company.
Falling asleep in her mother's wings, Ivanna received a second gift: tranquility.
The following evening, mother and daughter feasted before parting ways. Guided by the light of the waxing moon, Ivanna passively scanned for her old friends via magical radar.
She triangulated the positions of two of them based on their unique signatures. When she came within visual range, she landed and concealed herself behind a pine.
They haven't detected my presence, excellent. We haven't seen each other in moons. Surely they will remember me, even if I don't resemble a typical Tyto. I like to believe the passage of time has no bearing on friendship…
Ivanna leaned over to expose the "normal" half of her body. She watched them diligently for a few seconds, then cleared her throat softly.
Their heads swiveled toward the source of the sound and they froze.
Simultaneously, the male and female inquired, "Ivanna, is that you?"
She stepped out from behind the pine, revealing her true form.
"No other Tyto is as unique as I, my friends."