I can’t help but feel like I’m betraying their trust. I feel contaminated. I hate being the daughter of Lucidious. It’s wrong that they trust me but nice to have family for once.

When I left home, the last thing I heard my mother talk about was a band of warriors who came and raided their fortress. It was then it hit me. My mother didn’t know love. My father did, but he left me. I ran away.

Running away was fun. Scary, yes, but it felt refreshing to venture into the unknown. I got to the beach, passed some decaying bodies of wolves. All you could want for a personal getaway.

As I see Amelia teleporting around, glee plain on her face, I smile. She reminds me of my sister. One of the only people who cared about me. Every night, while my mother discussed battle plans, she would sing me to sleep. Of course, she’s dead now, like most of my loved ones.

From when I was born, my father and sister were with me along with my mother. But when I turned 5, my father disappeared and my mother took me and my sister away from home to a fortress.

From that on, the only language my mother spoke was war. War and violence. The woman I knew died that day, and a demon took her place. Every morning, when I’d wake up, I’d hear the voice of my mother echoing throughout the fortress, with the following “Heil, Lord Toto!”

Toto was the real name of Death Flier, but only a select few were allowed to know that. One day, my sister, after singing me to sleep, looked angrily at my mother who was speaking outside.

“Owls of the South! Today we head to war! Today we take back the forest for good!”

“Heil the lord of the south!” shouted the crowd as Death Flier came out.

“Stay here.” my sister commanded as she flew out and up to our mother. I saw her plead with mother. She nodded to Death flier, held out her claws, and struck her down with a fatal swipe.

I watched with horror in my heart as my beloved sister fell out of the sky.

My sister. Gone. Anger fills my heart. My mother lied to me. However large and unstable her lies were, I always saw truth in them.

Immediately my thoughts went to leaving. I packed all my equipment. However, through the window, I saw her point at me and command three owls to take me down.

I fly faster than ever before, brutally killing the three owls sent up with my agressium song.

I ejected it from me. It was not part of who I was.

I immediately flew towards Arbonoc.

The islands of Arbonoc were less intimidating than I imagined. So were the people inhabiting it. They were the opposite of the south. Amelia was a great owl to talk to. I’d heard of Amelia beforehand. She single handedly took down our best fighters. So relatable. So great. So were her friends. Especially Tristain, with that dark mood, I love it.

From that point on, I sunk into a wild desire to revenge and to avenge the death of my sister and father. I will be the one to sink my claws into my mothers neck.

I remember my sister's Lullaby;

Look to the stars my

darling sister

Life is strange and vast

Filled with wonders and joys

Face each new sun with eyes clear and true

Unafraid of the unknown?

Because I'll face it all with you

I calm down.

I look at Amelia laughing with Linton. I look at Ipzitch, Brandon and Louie pouring over maps. I look at Tristain, dark and broody.

All qualities I found in my sister. A new family, perhaps? A glimmer of hope began to shine through me. I felt for once like I truly belonged somewhere to a real family, and I felt my sister beside me once more, I felt her spirit and her strength in me. For the first time I found myself.

I felt more welcome here than my mother ever made me feel back at home. If she saw me now she would scowl at these people. This makes me snicker and I take out a book, I dust off the cover, and read to myself the title. “Find your own way”, It was a story I loved as a child, my sister would read it to me each night.

We would share it. It was our little story, the story of a little owlet finding her way home. A tear ran down my cheek and fell off the tip of my nose. I laughed and closed my eyes reminiscing how much I have become that little owl.

I take one last glance at all my family around me, Amelia, Linton, Ethan, Brandon, Louie, Duey, Guey, Ipzitch and Tristain. Then I close my eyes and drift away from the world, falling into a trance of memories.

As I think about my past, I suddenly glow and flash from being visible, to invisible back to visible.

“Amelia’s fainted!” Brandon screeches.

“What's wrong?” Ethan asks.

“Her heartbeat is low. Quickly, you check her pulse, I’ll go get water.”

“What could it be?” Duey asks, confused.

“The water she drank was spiked with poison.”

Her body stiffens.

“I think she has drunk Leaflet Poison.” Louie says seriously.

Linton shakes her desperately.

“Amelia, wake up!”

“The poison makes you go into a coma. The cure, unknown. People who have drunk or eaten it… rarely come back to life. According to legend, anything she loves is the cure, but I believe making her healthier and giving her plenty of food is the solution.”

“Oh no!” Ethan says.

“An act of love seems better than nothing.” Brandon agrees.

I am speechless. I try to control my anger, but it boils over. I swear obscenities but the others don’t stop me. They, too, are angry.

I look at Linton, just after admitting their love to each other. I look at Ethan, wanting to help.

I’m itching to kill.

“How is she?” I ask tentatively.

“Her pulse is a quarter of what it should be.”

Ipzitch returns.

“According to this book from the library of Arbonoc, this should fix it.” as he feeds Amelia some strange pill.

Immediately, Amelia sits up, but is green and purple, and her natural grace is gone.

“Wha… what's going on?” she asks weakly and smiles at Linton, who stands stoic like a guardian saint.

“Stay down, girl, you're weak and tired.”

Ipztitch turns to us.

“We need primrose for the cure. And that’s only found in the mountains, so we’re headed there next.”

He turns to Amelia.

“I won’t hide it. You have a week left.”

“A week left till what?” I ask.

“Till she dies.”

I look at Tristain. If only I could be as calm as him.

“Let’s leave for the mountains quickly.” Tristan said, catching my eye.

“Let's go!” Duey, Louie and Huey said.

“The mountains are only a few hours away!” I announce looking at my map. I thought I saw something move, but I ignored it.

“Sir!” Louie shouts.

“What.”

“Tristan and Duey have gone to infiltrate the enemy camp! They say they’ll meet us at the mountains.”

Meanwhile at the Enemy Camp:

“Commander!”

“Yes?”

“I followed them just like you asked. The girl is dying. They are going to the mountain.”

Just like I planned. This way Amelia will die, and so will Lucinda. Like she deserves.

I pull off my helmet.

“I’ll kill my daughter myself.”

“Like I failed to do after I killed her wretched sister.”