The Katapies Experiment; Part 8

Avia 

     The wires really were unbreakable. The Mages couldn’t get them off, the Shifters tried and failed, and the Summoners couldn’t do anything either. It had been a week since we’d gotten to the cave and my wings were starting to cramp; they felt numb in some places and the wire was making the feathers ruffled. 

    The bit of paper that Anemis tied on the wire was now stuck to it like glue. The Mages said it was probably a seal that only a mind Mage could remove. It was the only time I wished I knew a mind Mage.  

    Without wings, Messengers couldn’t do anything. No magical, magnificent powers, no advantages over the wilderness, no abilities that the world envied. We were vulnerable. 

    Thankfully, everyone took pity on us and let us lounge in the cave, doing nothing but cooking. The Shifters told us how to make roots and strange berries taste good; nothing like we were used to, but better than stale, old pastries that Amee had hoarded.  

    We were thoroughly confused on why the lights had guided all of us to the cave, and that became a conversation topic. A boring one, but nonetheless an entertaining one. 

    “I mean, sure, it could just be a waiting room, but consider this, a romance show! There could be hidden spectators somewhere behind these walls...” Celadon rapped one of the cave walls with his fingertips.  

    “Shut up, it’s not a romance show. Besides, we’d have heard of it before coming. Heck, if we did know of it, we’d have been volunteering! Imagine if two people from different races fell in love. That’d be a cliffhanger for the audience.” Fuchsia giggled and went back to sorting berries.  

    I looked around at the tiny cave, at the hanging rocks with names I could never remember (stalagmites or stalactites?) and sighed. It was dark and dreary, the only light coming distantly from the main cavern. It would be around midday now, and the Shifters would come back soon enough to give us more food to prepare. 

     Night started to hang around us, the fire in the center cave growing brighter and brighter as more people came in with wood to feed it. Tempest came in and said we could all take a break, and we decided to take a walk. 

     The night air was cold and clear. There was a hill just above the cave, and we hiked up it, looking at all the forest below. Fireflies were scattered all around and Amee and I ran to catch some. 

    I had caught four when I felt a rustling behind me. I turned around and saw a shrouded figure holding a miniscule slip of paper between their fingers.  

     A slip of paper? 

    The wire loosened slowly, sliding down my wings as I twisted it off. I opened my mouth and whispered, “Thank you.”  

     Amee ran over and gasped, skidding over to the hooded figure and turning around so they could do the same. I called Celadon and Fuchsia over, and they rushed down the hill, tumbling over their feet in enthusiasm. 

    After the figure took the last of the seals off, we thanked them and started to leave. Before we took the last step over the hill, I paused and turned back, wondering what this mysterious person’s name was.  

    “Iniq.” The response came before I said anything, and I saw the obscure figure disappear back into the forest silently. A mind Mage, probably.  

    We dashed back in the cave and breathlessly regurgitated everything that had happened in the last five minutes. The Summoners and Shifters looked confused; the Mages’ eyes all lit up in excitement. 

    “Augur Iniq! So she hasn’t been captured! I wonder if she’s still out there. Come on! She’d be a huge asset. Follow me!” Clode sang the last note as if she was part of an opera and sprinted back out into the forest. The Mages and Summoners ran after her, splitting up to cover more ground. The Shifters looked at us, then back outside, confused. Eventually, they walked out as well, leaving us alone. 

    I saw Tempest twirl a bit then Shift into an eagle. Shifters were astounding; when they transformed, it looked flawless. Tempest’s fingers turned into feathers, then her hair, then she shrank and flapped her new wings, soaring into the air. 

    Fuchsia was the oldest one out of all the Messengers, but still too young to fly. Her wings were about a foot too short and she didn’t have enough strength to push herself off the ground. We were resigned to running, using our wings to help us go just a tad bit faster. 

    It was almost morning when we stopped to reconvene and get ourselves together. The Mages were depressed when they couldn’t find Augur and the Summoners and Shifters were exhausted. No one went anywhere that day, so we all took the time to lounge around and talk. 

    “Bummer we couldn’t find her. What’d you all her again? Augur Ink?” The boy with white-tipped hair – I think his name was Eclipe – laid on the cave wall and played around with one of the spirits Leuko summoned. 

    “Augur Iniq. Say it with me. I-ni-k. Augur Iniq.” 

    “Augur Eeneek?” Eclipe grinned, trying to make Novis mad. 

    Novis groaned in frustration and hit his head against the wall. “Never thought a Shifter could be a jackass.” 

    The otter Shifter – Tsuni – lifted her head up and glared at Novis. “And why is that?” I don’t think she even stopped to consider that Eclipe being a jackass wasn’t necessarily a good thing. 

    “Well- you know,” Novis looked around nervously and sighed. “You’re all little quiet nerds, you never speak your minds, and my grandfather told me you were no help during the war.” 

    “War?” 

    This time Hydran lifted his head and frowned at the Shifters. “Never heard of the Corrus War? About seventy years ago, nearly tore the Messengers apart completely? Where all the Shifters retreated within sight of the enemy?Where the Mages won against the Summoners and Messengers combined? You’ve really never heard of it?” 

    The Shifters looked at Hydran, confused. “Nope.” 

    “Oh. Well, it makes sense that the Shifters would cover up everything related to retreating, but I find it surprising that they would erase the whole thing. That’s just taking it too far.” 

    “Wait, what was it about?” 

     Novis started talking this time. “A girl went missing when venturing to Disarus for a nature walk or something. The Mages sent out a search party for her and came across this weird entrance in the middle of the forest. They found the girl dead in a prison cell. They saw a Messenger fleeing the scene and made the connections.” 

     Hydran suddenly butted in again. “The Shifters heard about it, were enraged and sent out everyone able to fight immediately. The Messengers denied everything and said they’d banished the Messenger accused years ago. The Summoners sided with the Messengers.” 

    “It was actually kind of brutal. My grandparents said there were dead bodies everywhere. Like, blood and guts. Most of them were Messengers, I think. And that’s all I really know.” Hydran looked up at everyone’s terrified faces and frowned. “It’s just history, you guys.” 

    I wasn’t as shocked as some of the Shifters. We had learned about the Corrus War. Me and Soriie once took a Mistral down to one of the battlegrounds. Grass was growing and there was a little stone memorial. It was kind of peaceful there. It was just everything about the prison in Disarus. I never learned about that part. In the history books, the girl was still alive. She was beaten up, but alive. 

    Messengers always swore to never kill. Once I was old enough to speak, my parents made me pledge to never take a life. Ever. Not even if they were hurting me. Not even if I was about to die. Why would a Messenger willingly kill someone?  

    I got up and shook my head. “I’m... tired. Goodnight.” Celadon and Fuchsia came with me. Amee stayed. I’m not sure why, she was probably just intrigued or something. I crashed in a cave (I was so tired I didn’t even check which one it was) and fell asleep immediately. 

    Celadon shook me awake and pointed to the outside. “Come on! We can fly now, let’s try!” 

    I blinked for a moment before saying, “We’re not old enough, Celadon.” 

    “I know, I know. Here’s the thing; one of the Mages found wing extensions in the morning with a note on them. Guess what it said?” 

    “What?” 

    “Iniq! Augur – I think that was her name – must really be helping us! Must be taking a liking to Messengers. I’ve gotta say, I wouldn’t blame her.” He smirked and burst out in laughter while I looked at the pile of feathers in the corner. They really were wing extensions, and they looked like they were new. 

    I spread out my wings and clipped the extensions on. They fit almost perfectly, and I called for the other Messengers to follow. We laughed and joked and took off, soaring around the trees like we were still living in Nephele.  

    The nets thrown from below stopped us in our tracks.