Ever since the Battle at the Ridge, I’ve heard tales. Owls are being brainwashed to follow the South. Forests are falling like dominos, and at this rate, the South will have taken over everything within a

a few days.

That battle hardened me. No longer could I depend on getting freshly caught food from the market or from my parents. Hunting was for me alone.

On my way to the Island of Arbonoc, I had few friends and allies. Those I saw told me stories of people evacuating to the East, which is rumoured to be the most fortified and secure forest. When they ask me where I’m headed, I do not reply. I simply wish them luck, and give them food.

Shame. I should have gone back to warn everyone else. They are all dead now. I cannot worry. First, I must get to the Arboc Owl and warn them of the balls.

Reports are flooding in of balls of fire launched at every attack, capable of destroying scores of owls, packs of wolves and legions of Frogs. Worse, they seem to stay on fire. They never go out, even if gallons of water are poured onto it.

As I fly, hunger sets in. So, I swoop down to catch a bug but suddenly it's already caught. By a Southern Owl.

There aren't many southern owls left. Almost all of them were wiped out except for a select few for being the best of the best, the elite. I land, and remain quiet, sharpening my claws, and I go into a bush. I lie still, waiting to see the dreaded symbol of a Southern Soldier.

The owl pops out. He was a Southern Owl, but the question was, where was his symbol? Where was that dreaded sign?

As if he heard my thoughts, he calls out in a nervous voice, trembling with fear, “Who’s there?”

“Relax my guy, it's probably an ant. You don’t have to be so stressed, you're a fine fighter.” said another voice.

“But-b-b,”

“Shut up!” A third voice. “ Someone is here. I can feel it in my legs.”

“I thought you said…”

“Nicholas said to be suspicious of everything. Unless you want to die, be my guest.”

Huh? No one can feel through their legs I thought. Unless…

I perch out my head for a better look at the duo. It’s another Barred Owl! Like me! However, who was the second voice?

I squint my eyes. I see the owner of the second voice. A sleek frog sits on the ground, eyes alert. He has an arsenal of weapons, mostly ice shurikens. He looks around. He holds out a stun water gun, used to down fliers.

“Hello? Is anyone there? Show yourself!”

My thoughts race. All owls seen without that symbol were wiped out unless they were brainwashed or loyal. And, a soldier Southern Owl would never team up with a frog, unless it was a Pure Southern Owl. But the Pure Southern Owls were all executed as traitors.

I choose to believe that they aren't southern owls. I fly out and introduce myself.

“Hello, I am-” but the rest of my words are drowned out, as the frog panics and shoots. The last thing I see are ice shurikens flying towards me.

I wake up next to a fire, with the frog looking extremely shifty and ashamed and a happy-looking owl.

“I’m sorry, I honestly thought you were a Southern Owl.” said the Barred Owl.

“Don’t worry, I did too.”

“Incidentally, which side are you from? East? West?”

“North. Why’d you ask?”

At these words, the frog turns towards me.

“North?” He butts in. Rude. “I heard those owls were wiped out.”

“Well, as you can see, I’m not dead. Where are you from?”

The owl replies, “The south. I was pure, and against the ideology of invasion. After my parents and friends were executed, I decided to leave. I met up with Ethan here,” he indicates the frog, “Around the borders. Trying to fight off 5 owls by himself. Doing well, until an eagle came in.”

“Well, if it wasn’t for Linton here, I would have been smashed. Tore through that eagle.”

Linton and Ethan. Owl and frog. I make a mental note.

“There's another one if you want to know. Nicholas. He said he’d meet us here. He must be late.”

“Why aren’t you flying away?” I ask, curious at their lack of insight.

“You really think that war doesn’t scare us? My legs are hurt and his wings are broken. We can’t move properly.”

“Well, luckily for you, I’ve bought food.” said a deep voice from the undergrowth. The effect was immediate.

Ethan pulled out his ice shards, and me and Linton put our claws wary.

“God, you guys need to relax. And who’s this I see? A snowy owl? You're from the North? Looks like you weren’t all killed.”

“This, Amelia, is Nicholas.”

“So you're Amelia? I’d heard of your father, Brian. Brave one he was. Taken from us too soon.”

“You… you… you knew my father?” I whispered, scared and ecstatic.

“Aye, I did. And did you know what he said to me before the Battle at the Ridge?”

“No?”

“He said, if there was any braver owl that would make a good soldier, it would be you. Now, Linton and Ethan, you're lucky I even got food! Patrols are running now Amelia, 24/7,” he replied to my confused look.

“I managed to steal a couple of rats from their food stalls. For frogs, Ethan, I got you some nice and tasty grubs.”

As we ate, we lit a fire. The wind assured that no patrols would see our smoke.

“You must be good at combat, if you’ve survived this long alone!”

“I saw her fight at the ridge. I was the last survivor of our unit. I saw her take down a woodpecker by herself. At the age of 5.”

“Damn. To think I couldn’t take down an Eagle by myself.” added Ethan. “Say, what's your story Linton?”

“You first.”

“Alright. My parents were enslaved. I have no idea where they are. When the Southern Owls came for me, I fought my way out. Might have killed one, definitely injured some. I went straight for the border to the North, but I got there and found…”

His voice trailed off. Only 3 of us could tell the other what it was.

“Anyway, I tried to help the survivors, but there were none. Then some Southern Owls came. They came to finish the survivors, but they weren’t expecting me! I downed around 3 owls before Linton came and took out that Eagle.”

“Well, you all know my story. Nothing to say to him-”

“Quiet!” hissed Nicholas. “Hide quickly.”

We heeded his calls. We heaved dirt onto the ashes and ran, hopped, whatever. While in the bushes, we saw them land. Tytos, Eagles and bats. Their heads were covered with their helmets. All bore the Southern Symbol.

“Zinidious, stay here. We will leave you.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The other owls flew away. We all look at Nicholas.

“What?”he whispered. “Go get him!”

Me and Linton jump out screeching. The owl is taken aback, but after some scuffling, he puts up a fight. Linton manages to slam him into a tree but he quickly recovers, readying his Sword Talon and slashes at him.

I stand up and take to the sky.

“Fight me coward!” he roars.

He flys up, and I fly away, soaring faster, more agile, evading his fierce slashes. He pecks me but then I claw him, drawing blood as he screams in agony and anger.

Looking down at the wound, he spits at me and kicks me down to the ground.

As we both touch down, he looks at both of us.

“A pure owl and a… North owl? How wonderful.”

Without any semblance of a warning, the frog leaps into the clearing, jumping from tree to tree, in the dark, throwing ice shards at the owl. He winces and falters, and then I remember his broken leg. Then, he kicks the owl. The owl falls, but as the frog inspects him, he swings out both of his wings, knocking him back.

“Faking dead, always works.” he breathes.

He turns around.

“Is that Nicholas? My Lord Lucidious will be pleased with your body above all.”

“My friend, you are not getting away that easily.”

And, while the Southern Owl slashes at him, he swiftly manoeuvres behind him. The claw draws a sliver line through the air as it separates the owl’s head from its body.

“Good work! All of you show promising combat skills. With some practice, you’ll be perfect. Of course you are all injured. Amelia, Linton and Ethan. That combat was great. Except for the end.”

He called us great! Nicholas! Commander of the 5th Owl Legion!

I stand up, then realise, I cannot fly. My wing is broken.

“Come here, I’ll put both your wings into slings.”

Then, all our attention turns to the barely breathing frog on the ground. His eyes are blood-shot, and I can spot some pieces missing.

“Looks like someone is going to lose an eye tonight.” he mutters.

“Looks like someone is going to need treatment.” Nicholas rebuts. “We need to find an eye fern for your eye. It’ll repair your vision completely, even if you’re blind, but you’ll need an eyepatch for now.”

“Great,” he replies. Then he faints.

“We’ll need to move somewhere. There’s a cave nearby, an abandoned stronghold, the militia there evacuated in a second when they heard the North fell. There should be supplies there. I’ll carry the frog, and fly ahead in case we get ambushed. Follow the stars and keep going forward. Do not lose direction. Here is a map.”

He draws a faded piece or parchment out of his pouch and hands it to me.

And with that he flew off into the night.

By now it was daybreak, and me and Linton were tired.

“My mother would never have let me stay up this late.” I say as we start walking. Ironic, as my mother was most likely dead, my home had been razed, and my mother would also not approve of me killing someone.

After a few hours we arrived. Nicholas had already started a fire and Ethan’s eye was back in one piece.

“There's a training area around here. Want to spar?”

“Sure.”

“I found the medicine! These are instant heal pellets. There's a couple hundred here. They’ll instantly heal any injury, according to the packets. Here are some.”