//------------------------------// // The Voice // Story: Flight // by wkblack //------------------------------// Canary jolted awake to the smell of capsaicin. Her eyes watered as if she'd licked a Deathwing Pepper. At least I can feel my face again. She kept her eyes squeezed shut to mitigate the pain and stretched out her wings and legs. Or rather, tried to. Though the muscles responded instantly, Canary felt thick bands restricting her movement. Her heart beat faster. Not again! Forcing her stinging eyes open, she blinked away the tears. She found herself in a giant tree, as wide as three houses and hollow as far up as she could see—which was rather far, despite her teary vision. Yellow crystals lit the interior of the trunk brighter than Korporis, but darker than any house in Feathermore. A crowd of deer stood in stadium seating before her, silent and unmoving as trees themselves. In the middle of the seating, a large stump hosted a massive hart, who dominated the scene. His antlers were half as tall as Canary, and were ornamented with small white flowers. Canary breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. To her left, she saw Blitz held upright by vines—his salamander coat was nearly smothered by the dark green ropes. White flowers with red streaks bloomed beneath his face. He coughed, jolting awake, and blinked away tears at the spicy flowers. Beyond him, other cocoons of vines unraveled partially, revealing Cirrus, Coral, Angel, Chartreuse, and about two dozen other pegasi she didn't recognize. Each were being similarly awoken by the white-and-purple flowers. The large hart stomped his hoof and all eyes locked onto him. “Pegasi of the Storm! I am Vitus, protector and leader of The Red Forest. You are charged with the attempted genocide of the changeling race.” Ironic, Canary thought to herself with a grimace. I go to Feathermore to become a lawyer, yet here I am for the second time in a week standing trial myself. Blitz interrupted before the hart could speak again. “Canary shouldn't be here—she had no part in this!” “As founder of the Storm, the blame falls squarely on her shoulders.” A pegasus to Canary's right shouted out. “Canary died long ago. This is the changeling impostor that killed her!” The hart lifted an eyebrow. “Why would you assume as such?” “When the Storm captured us…” Blitz cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “We realized it couldn't have been Canary who had betrayed us; it had been a changeling! Aether saw one in Korporis—which transformed into Canary right before her. Additionally, Canary wasn't imprisoned with us—the changeling had killed her and stolen her form. Or so we had thought—it seemed the only logical possibility.” At the hart's side, a lithe hind stepped forwards. “I don't care for these half-truths—what I'm curious about is the story between you two—one moment you were hunting down four changelings—” “Where are they‽” Canary blurted out. The hind paused to glare at Canary, then continued. “—the next moment you two were wrapped around each other, weeping.” “Are they all okay‽” The hind twitched her tail and scowled. In a sharp tone, she replied: “When a snake rattles at you, your vision narrows. We saved all the changelings we could, after dealing with the larger threat.” “But they're starving! They need to be cared for!” “Keeping blood inside their bodies takes precedence over keeping them well fed. Hence our hunting you.” The hind narrowed her eyes. “Why do you pretend to care about them?” Canary rolled her eyes. “Because I'm married to one of them!” “What‽” The cry came from Blitz, whose mouth hung open. Eyes of deer and pegasi alike focused on Canary. “So‽ Where are they‽” Vitus looked to the hind, who grimaced. “The specific changelings you were following had no color left—they died soon after you left them.” “Liar! Echo carried me from the Hive to the Ravine, then still had enough energy to save Flitix, Elytra, and Hyacinth from a manticore!” The hind's eyes narrowed. “To whom do those names belong?” “The changelings I was trying to save before you abducted me!” At this, the hind and several deer in the audience laughed. “Changelings don't have names!” “Mine do.” “And how do you know said changelings?” “Echo helped me escape Korporis, and the others I met at the Hive.” Conversations sparked left and right. Between the deer and the pegasi, Canary couldn't tell which was more surprised. The hind stomped her hoof to silence the court. “Impossible! No one could escape Korporis!” The hart nodded. “Not even the best map could secure your freedom; what of the guards?” “I evaded them.” “How?” Canary hadn't told anyone of this part. She looked down, sheepish. “I thought I heard a voice, telling me when to hide and when to go. I just figured I got lucky—that there weren't many patrols.” A murmur rose from the collected deer. The hart again spoke. “Have you felt this guidance since?” Canary rolled her eyes. “No; just random ideas. Aether, on the other hand, felt it all the time!” The murmur grew to a rumble. “She was always convinced that she had some grand destiny to fulfill. She even glowed!” “A pegasus‽” shouted a deer from the jury. “It's true,” Blitz yelled back. “Aether glowed with every flight—a golden aura surrounded her. Though now,” he added ruefully, “only red light clings to her.” “Except for when she saved us from the hive collapsing,” Cirrus corrected. Vitus turned to address the jury. “If these claims are true, then the case here is far more complex than we initially believed. Are any of you lifted enough in spirit to sense the Voice?” Heads shook, and Vitus wilted. “Perhaps the Oracle could offer a reading.” “What's this voice of the forest?” Canary asked. “The will of Avondale; every creäture can feel it. It guides and directs, pushing at hearts to do what's best.” A dark brown pegasus spoke out. “You mean the Heartwind?” “It's what Aether always felt guiding her on,” Blitz added. “It's what got us out of Korporis.” The hart nodded curtly. “What you call the Heartwind is properly called the Voice of the Forest. It's the only thing that could have guided you out of Korporis safely.” “It's not like I was glowing or anything—those were just random ideas!” Vitus barked out a laugh. “Random ideas? That's unlikely to the point of absurdity. Those 'random' ideas didn't come from you—they're too illogical. Or rather, alogical—you wouldn't have contrived the ideas yourself—something pushed you in the right direction.” Memories rushed to Canary's mind, of her wound from the manticore, of her crashing into the hive, of her escaping Korporis. “You expect me to believe that all these ideas are from some magical entity?” The deer around her chuckled. “It's not magic,” the hind sighed, “it's just how nature is constructed. At its core, your body has been programmed to hear its call, by nature of your being its creäture. It's simply your being harmonizing with Avondale.” Canary sighed. “Fine. Whatever.” The hart nodded, then turned to the assembly of deer behind him. “Let her free!” As the vines encasing her eased their hold, Canary tore her hooves free of them and eyed the limp vines warily. A shiver ran down her spine. “What about the others?” asked a deer from the jury. “The others have no such alibi. Death calls for death. They are no exception.” Canary froze and looked over the line of pegasi. Many of them had been her closest friends; All of them had tried to kill her in the past week. Their once thunderous faces were now overcast. “I vouch for them,” Canary found herself saying. The hind started to object, but the hart halted her objection. “I want to give them the chance Aether never gave me!” As the crowd's murmuring grew, the hind spoke up. “This will be on your head,” the hind clarified. “If a single one of them steps out of line, your life will be forfeit.” Canary nodded. “I understand.” Blitz spoke to the line of pegasi before anyone else. “What more evidence do you need‽This is the real Canary, willing to offer her own head in our behalf.” Turning to Canary, he bowed, as best he could. “We owe you our lives. I swear mine to you.” Searching the pegasi's eyes one by one, Canary said, “These changelings are harmless. I've lived with them since Korporis, and I trust them with my life. Will you swear to leave the changelings be?” Once she had collected their consent, Canary turned to face Vitus. “Release them?” “For your own sake,” the hind warned, “I hope your trust is well placed.” Sunlit evergreens encompassed her, and Canary gasped at the size of these giants. The tree they'd just exited was the largest in circumference, but each of the trees grew taller than Feathermore skyscrapers. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, hinting at a mid-day sun. The branches spiraled perfectly upwards: staircases to heaven. What her mind first registered as gargantuan apples along the trunk she now recognized as knotted branches, forming spherical houses along the trunk. The rooms were lit from within, and hundreds of silhouetted antlers watched her. Canary felt a spike of excitement and heard voices in the distance. She turned to see dozens of changelings sprinting for her on ground and by air, all shouting her name. Canary beamed and backed up a few steps before being smothered by them. From under the crushing weight, she squeaked out, “Good to see you too~” “Well that would have been a simpler trial,” the hart muttered. “You're okay!” one changeling shouted. Another bounced in front of her. “We were so worried about you!” “Thank goodness you're alive!” “You're so wonderful~” “I'm so glad we have you!” “We're so glad you're okay!” Canary grinned sheepishly. “Thanks everyone.” She took a step back and scanned the crowd. Echo, Hyacinth, Flitix, and Elytra were nowhere to be seen. “Where is the rest of the hive?” The changelings all fell silent. Canary looked hungrily from face to face, then turned to the deer. “Where is the rest of the hive‽” Vitus wilted, then shook his head. Canary's heart fell. “Don't tell me these are all that's left! They have to be out there!” “These are all we could find who were still living.” “No! We have to go back out there! We have to find them!” Her heart raced ahead of her mind, pushing her to take action, though she didn't know what. She cantered away from the group and broke into a gallop. Before she could, the same pile of changelings tackled her to the ground again. Again, every changeling spoke at once, pulling her back, begging her to stay. Canary tried to crawl out from the pile of changelings and saw some of her fury leak into the nearby changelings' shells as a sickly orange. “I need to save them! I have to!” “There's nothing we can do!” “We barely survived, ourselves.” “They probably didn't last the night.” “Stay with us!” Canary fought off the drones and resumed her gallop. She glanced behind her, teary-eyed, seeing blue entering the shells behind her. I can't get them down. I have to help them survive, even if the others... Her tears flew free. There's no point. They're gone. Her chest felt tight, magnifying the beats of her heart. After a few tree lengths, a gigantic hedge blocked her way. She ran left, along its side, but the hedge continued as far as she could see. The city perimeter? She took a few steps back and sized up the bushy wall. Ignoring the sinking feeling in her chest, Canary took a few more steps back. After a short running start, Canary leapt up and flapped her wings furiously. Bad choice. After the tenth flap, a jolt of pain ran up Canary's left wing, and she crashed down to the forest floor. After a moment of black, her vision returned. She spat out a bit of blood and growled. Canary cautiously flexed her wings to test them: her alula and phalanges seemed functional, but her carpal joint ached with each movement. Canary cursed and continued running parallel to the wall. Each hoofstep reminded her of the trickling water of Korporis; each tree looked to her like a giant stalagmite. A deer leapt into her path, and by instinct, Canary leapt up for a wing-assisted leap, aiming to run along the hedge. After another bolt of pain, she crumpled on the ground next to Vitus. “Now is not the time, feathered one. You're in no shape to save them, besides.” Howls echoed in from the forest, reminding her of the hundreds of hungry creatures beyond. Canary looked into Vitus's eyes, calm and patient, green as a pine tree in winter. She willed herself to fight, to run, but found that she couldn't lift a feather. What's the point? “Come, let's get some air.” Vitus led Canary to the base of a tree. Its branches were flat near the center and spiraled upwards, forming an unnaturally perfect staircase to the treetops. As they climbed the branch stairs, Vitus spoke. “I'm sorry for your loss, Canary. As calves, we teach our youth that they were born from the earth. They're grown from the food their parents consumed. One day, they'll return to the earth that birthed them, and in turn, nourish the growth of more plants and animals.” Canary sighed—a natural science lesson was the last thing she wanted right now. “Not only are we linked through lineage; we are literally formed from our ancestors. While all must pass away, our tethers to them are inseverable. Your connection to Echo is similar; the bond you shared will forever tether the two of you together.” Canary felt a warm, peaceful feeling, but tried to ignore it. “It must be odd for you, hearing the Voice, without knowing what it was.” Canary shrugged. “It didn't save Echo.” Vitus nodded. “The Wars destroyed the last pegasi records of the Voice. Before the Cataclysm, every creäture of Avondale heard and obeyed, but the years have not been kind. Few creatures still know and recognize the Avondale's own Voice.” Canary looked over the side of the stairway and imagined herself falling. As if he read her thoughts, Vitus swapped places with Canary, so she walked on the tree-side of the stairs. “You may dismiss it as random. On a sunny morning, the idea may pop into your mind to wear a raincoat, only to prove itself accurate in the afternoon. Or a thought may come to visit someone, when you don't know they lost someone close. It also comes in the negative, warning you of danger.” Scenes forced themselves into Canary's mind as Vitus talked, ranging from her time with Aether to her escaping Korporis, to her spraining her wing after ignoring that nudge. She let out a low growl. “But it's nothing—they're just random thoughts!” Vitus smiled grimly. “You can call a tree sour, but you won't know until you try it. Start following those ideas that come to mind, and you'll learn for yourself whether they're your own thoughts or from Avondale herself.” Canary sighed. The deer were too esoteric for her taste. The median treeline sank beneath them, and their own trunk waned precariously thin. A wide platform sat on top, leaving them with a fisheye's view: to the east, the ravine sprawled itself out, running north to south. Beyond it, she could just make out the sprawling planes. To the west, the forest spread until it met the horizon, though she knew the sea laid beyond. Her gaze rested on the northern mountains, stroking the sky, calling her home. A wispy deer stood next to her, staring at the clouds. Canary followed her gaze upwards but saw nothing. “The oracle sees the future,” Vitus said, as if answering her question. “That's impossible.” “And yet,” the ancient deer said happily, “I do.” Canary shook her head and squinted towards the sun. It was after noon, but not yet evening. “Why did you bring me here?” Vitus stared out over the forest. “I come here often to think. We often focus too closely on the minutia of life; taking a few steps back gives you a better perspective.” He turned his gaze towards Canary. “What will you do, feathered one?” As Canary stared out at the northern horizon, her thoughts ordered themselves. “The changelings are my family; they need me. The pegasi were once my family. And if they're true to their word, then they're my responsibility too.” The weight of it all crushed down on her, but a warm breeze seemed to carry it away. Those here were safe, at least; not all had perished. “After we rest and heal, then…” Canary sighed. “I have no idea. Enemies are on every front. Aether with her army to the West, Korporis bats to the north, the Ravine to our east, and Feathermore to our South. We have nowhere to go.” “Nowhere to go but forwards.” Vitus corrected. Canary lifted an eyebrow. “Could we not stay here?” “You never progress standing still. You must start by moving.” “You expect us to leave‽ We're safe here! Why should we go‽” “The purpose of life is to grow; you need to move on.” “But a week of rest would do us all good!” The king stomped his hoof. “This is not the time for rest—I feel it deep within me. Your time here is over; Avondale demands you leave.” Canary felt as if the hart's eyes pierced the corners of her soul. “Fine.” Some deer halfway down the tree were singing, urging the tree to grow. Branches, vines, and leaves wrapped themselves together, intertwining with the intricate harmony. In another moment, an apple-shaped home had grown into existence, complete with windows and a leafy bed. Canary turned to Vitus. “How did they do that‽” The deer glanced back. “What, sing? We simply tell the tree to grow. It's a natural magic.” Canary snorted. “There's no such thing as magic. And I don't believe in your oracle, or in your Voice of the Forest either, just for the record.” Vitus smiled. “You don't need to convince me; speaking aloud won't convince yourself.” Canary flushed. “Tell me then, how do you reconcile their growth with your world view?” “I don't know… Plants are sensitive to light, heat, and touch, so perhaps you've just learned how to coax them properly.” “You're not far from the truth. The vines and branches sense our will when it aligns with Avondale's, and responds accordingly. If you can control your will, you can control the world around you.” “Ha. So by just willing it, trees will grow?” “Yes, and no. It's not just about will, it's about belief. You have to truly and deeply believe they will react to your will. That's something you must grow. We deer happen to excel at tree-singing most.” Canary shook her head. “Then what was Aether doing? How was she glowing? Was it the 'will of Avondale' for her to slaughter the changelings‽” The deer's expression darkened. “That's a difficult one to answer. If natural magic is aligning your will with Avondale's, then what Aether was doing was convincing the elements around her to follow her own will.” Canary snorted. “So Aether started a mutiny?” Vitus nodded gravely. The look on his face made her shudder. Laughter echoing from the dinner tables turned Canary's stomach. It didn't feel like a time to celebrate. From afar, Canary saw dinner sprawled across file long tables, forming a pentagon in the leaf light. The changelings had interspersed themselves with the deer and engaged happily in conversation, feasting on emotions as much as the deer feasted on their fruity dishes. Previously midnight-blue shells turned a rich butterscotch as the drones drank up the scene. A wry smile crossed Canary's face. The food fed not only the deer, but indirectly, the changelings. While they enjoyed physical food well enough, nothing compared to a love sandwich. The pegasi held back in a clump, a short trot from the table. A few deer looked over at them with wary glances—apparently not all the deer were as trusting as Vitus. Canary paced with a wide berth between her and the tables. Even several canopies away, she still caught eyes. The looks from the pegasi were even less trusting than the deer. Two of them, however, broke off and trotted towards her: Cirrus and Blitz. “Wait!” Blitz yelled out, as she was turning to leave. Canary bit her lip and slowly pivoted. Blitz nudged forward Cirrus. “Canary?” she asked, confusion on her face. “Yes?” Cirrus shook her head. “It was you the whole time, wasn't it?” Canary nodded once. Cirrus exhaled, glancing back at Blitz. “I can't believe we…” She shook her head. “I'm so sorry, Canary, we just… we lost our heads! We thought the changeling had killed you! We didn't know—I should have seen—I don't know why—” “Cirrus? It's fine. You have a strong sense of justice; you were just confused.” Cirrus shook her head. “It's too horrible. I can't believe what we did. Canary, we… we almost killed you!” “But you didn't.” Cirrus sighed. “This is all insane. You're not only alive—” “But you've gone and married a changeling!” Blitz interjected Canary's eyes flicked between the two pegasi's, not sure what to say. The flock of pegasi in the distance watched Canary like hungry hawks. Blitz forced out a laugh. “It's got to be one heck of a story—would you please tell us—tell everyone what happened?” Cirrus nodded pleadingly. Seeing the hunger in their eyes, Canary nodded. Cirrus and Blitz visibly relaxed and paced back with her to the flock of pegasi waiting near the tables. As they neared, many of their eyes fell to the earth. Canary started by telling how she'd been captured by the Storm, then explained how they'd used Echo as her doppelganger. She detailed her imprisonment and escape of Korporis and her falling in love with Echo and the hive. One by one, the expressions before her softened: some from concrete to clay, but others from stone to soap. Canary knew she wouldn't convince them all at once, but softening was all she needed to mold. After she finished, Blitz mumbled an excuse and led Canary away from the flock. “I'm sorry to hear about your husband,” Blitz began. Canary lifted an eyebrow. “You care?” Blitz let his head hang. “Of course I care, Canary.” They walked in silence for a minute before he asked, “Why do you think I took you in?” “Because—” Canary halted. “Because my parents died. Someone had to take me in, I suppose.” Blitz shook his head. “I was good friends with your parents. When you lost them—when I lost them—I was beside myself.” Canary rose an eyebrow. Blitz was not one to show emotions—he was far more likely to bite his lip than to shout. A smile was rare, and tears mythical. Yet she could swear she saw his eyes turning red. “You never showed it.” Blitz looked Canary up and down. “I didn't want to be weak in front of you—I wanted to be a guardian to you—a refuge from the sorrow.” A half-smile ghosted at the corner of his lip. “You have so much of your father in you—he had such a deep passion for everything he did. When I look at you, I always see him.” He let out a low laugh. “I suppose it was actually quite selfish of me to take you in—I wasn't ready to let them go.” Canary's mouth hung open. Blitz had never spoken of her parents, refusing to answer the simplest of questions. She had been young, not even a year old when she'd lost them. What vague memories she did have were so far in the corners of her memory that emotions were barely tangible. “Why did you never tell me?” “I thought it would do more harm than good. You were inconsolable for months—even a passing mention of them set you off. It got to the point that you cried until you passed out. So I hoarded their memories for myself, like a selfish dragon.” He held Canary close. “I'm sorry that you lost your loved ones, but don't forget those around you.” He gestured at the other changelings. “Life is more precious and short than you or I will ever know.” Canary looked back at the swarm of changelings buzzing at the tables and found a smile forming under her tears. “Thank you Blitz.” She hugged Blitz fiercely, who in response awkwardly patted her back. As the pegasi joined a corner of the pentagon arrangement of tables, Canary walked up to a strawberry salad. She knew she should eat—she hadn't eaten well for nearly two days—but she couldn't. Is he really dead? Her heart sank. She nibbled at a strawberry, but couldn't finish it. Halfway through the meal, a roar echoed out from the far side of the clearing. A phalanx of deer assembled, pointing their spears at the rusting brush. Four monsters burst out: two lions, a many-legged insect half Canary's height, and towering above them all: a spiny beast twice the size of a bear, with the stripes of a skunk. The monstrosity easily swept aside the phalanx and rushed for the far side of the tables. As the monstrous skunk barreled through the far side of the tables, the changelings cheered. Each of the beasts skidded to a halt, as if realizing their prey had been a tree stump all along. The larger of the two lions spoke first. “Is this a joke‽” Green fire consumed the spiny bear and Echo stood in its place, staring intently at his wife, sitting across the table. “Canary? We thought you were dying! We ran across the entire forest to save you from the deer, only to find you feasting with them?” A leaf fell from Canary's open mouth and tears rushed to her eyes. Canary leapt across the table and wrapped herself around her husband's freezing body. “Echo!” Canary squeezed him as tight as she dared. His bones always felt fragile compared to a pegasus. “But you're dead!” She shot a quick glare at the hind. Echo looked at Canary's face with confusion. “You were the one who was dying! We thought the deer abducted you!” “Well… they did… but they let us go.” “And now they're feeding you?” Canary nodded. “And you're healed‽” Canary nodded. Echo nuzzled against her neck. “Then why are you so sad?” “Because this is all that's left of us.” Echo's eyes widened as he took stock. There were barely thirty changelings, all together, on the tables around him. “This… is it?” His voice was soft, choking. Seeing Canary nod, Echo's shell took on a bright cobalt hue. “There must be more!” Canary held the shaking changeling tight and whispered into his ear. “Don't get depressed on me, Echo. The hive needs you. They need someone to look up to.” Echo bit his lip, forcing himself to breathe easy. Then something caught his eye. He took a step back, flared up his wings, and hissed. Canary followed his eyes and saw Blitz frozen mid-step, halfway to them from the tables. Words came too slowly, so she leapt between the two. “You must be Echo.” Blitz bowed slightly, eyes fixed on the changeling. “A pleasure to meet you. I only found out today of the great news.” Though the last two words sounded forced, Canary smiled at the effort. Echo blinked in noncomprehension. “We reconciled!” Canary said cheerfully. “Everything's okay now! Echo looked between the pegasi, changelings, and deer surrounding him. His wings fell down to his sides. “And… and I just missed it all‽” For the first time, he noticed the flow of love between the changelings and deer. “But—” “Hush, Echo.” Canary pulled him towards a table. “Come eat!” Changelings clustered around Echo. “Was that a bear‽” “You were giant!” “The biggest changeling ever!” “How did you do it‽” Canary smirked. “Not only that; he turned into a dragon!” The chatter halted. “That's not possible,” one said. “Well, the queen once turned into a manticore, but…” “She's the queen!” “So how did you do it?” Echo kicked up grass from beneath himself. “I don't know—it's weird. I just... I found Flitix, Elytra, and Hyacinth by following this random stream of ideas that came to mind. Whenever I went the wrong way, I felt groggy, but following the ideas energized me, motivated me. Once we got to them, the idea came to mind to go save them. It was the same thing with the dragon. The idea came to mind, and I followed it.” Several nearby deer whispered between themselves, and Canary shook her head. Of course. Random ideas save the day. Flitix nosed his way up to Echo. “So what do we do now?” “We should throw up a beacon to attract any other changelings!” said Echo. Vitus shook his head. “You're already a beacon, gushing out emotions like a fountain. Glowing that bright won't only attract changelings, you know.” “We need to draw them in—” “—right to our home?” Vitus shook his head. “We have young to protect; you won't bring your war here!” “You were the ones who brought us here!” Blitz said. Vitus frowned. “And I will make you leave. The purpose of life is to grow. You have to go and face the world, even if you think you can't, even though you will get hurt. If you only did what was safe, you may as well have stayed in your cradle.” “But where could we go?” Canary frowned. “We can't go back to the hive—either Lightbringers or Cloud guards could be waiting there. And we certainly don't want to stay in the forest. Looking at the members of our group, I don't think any town would take us in. Canary piped in. “Libra mentioned other hives—couldn't we go join one of them?” Echo shook his head. “We wouldn't be tuned to their hivemind. Different hives sing different songs; we would clash like two songs played at once. Besides, we don't even know where they are!” “No one does!” Flitix said. Hyacinth looked up at Vitus. “Do you know of other hives?” Vitus nodded. “The next closest hive is Queen Zeva's, by Feathermore.” “They feed on Feathermore‽” “But that's the Cloud's headquarters!” “How do they not get caught‽” The deer gave a half smile that failed to reach his eyes. “You'd be amazed what city-dwellers miss. They push for efficiency to save time, but as soon as they've made free time, they fill it with distractions. I doubt they even notice the ends of their noses.” “So where is the hive, exactly?” Canary asked. Vitus shook his head. “It's beyond the forest's canopy. You could, however, consult the oracle~” Echo jumped up. “Let's go!” Canary scowled at Echo as Vitus called an escort. “You wouldn't seriously believe an oracle, would you?” Echo shrugged. “Do we have any other options?” Canary sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “Fine.” When they broke through the canopy, the view was almost perfect—the sunset was a rainbow of colors, bleeding from the Northern Mountains up into the darkening sky. Its only imperfection was the wizened oracle, blocking half her view. “Welcome, Canary. Welcome, shapeshifters. What brings you here?” “What, don't you know already? Can't you see the future?” The deer smiled. “I don't see everything; I only see what Avondale wills me to.” “How convenient,” Canary said dryly. The deer didn't respond; her eyes had already returned to the heavens. Canary grew impatient. “Vitus said you could help us find Zeva's hive.” The Oracle nodded, then returned her gaze to the skies. “What are you looking at?” “The clouds—they're how I see the future.” “Really,” Canary said with no inflection. “Yes. You see that group of little clouds over there? Now see the big cloud approaching it? That's you and your little group here. You'll meet a great being, either great in stature or great in power.” Canary rose an eyebrow. “Really. Do you have some million-paged book to interpret each of these signs?” The Oracle smiled. “No; no book can interpret the skies. It must be done by the heart.” The deer paused. “You've felt your heart pushing you before.” Canary frowned. She was sure the old deer hadn't been at her hearing. Her eyes wandered up to the clouds and latched onto a small one, streaking alone across the sky. Half as fast as Aether flew. “What about that one?” she said, pointing to the speeding cloud. Canary sensed a crossbreeze, and another cloud collided, dispersing the first into mist. Canary gulped, imagining the same happening to her friend. “What does it mean?” The deer frowned. “Nothing came to mind for that one. But I feel like you might know,” she added. “What did it look like to you? What comes to your mind when you think of them?” Canary looked away from the Oracle. “Nothing.” The old deer smiled. “Surely something came to mind.” “It's all made up! There's nothing there but what we imagine!” “Ah, but where did the image come from?” “Only me.” She stomped her hoof on the wooden floor. “Then you need not ask me for advice.” Echo stepped between Canary and the Oracle. “Please, Oracle, could you tell us where we could find the Feathermore hive?” The Oracle shook her head. “All I see is the canyon. You must travel south, along its rim. This is all the skies have said.” Canary shook her head and headed down the steps. “Thanks for nothing,” she grumbled. As the sun set, Vitus walked up to the group of changelings and two pegasi, packed with fresh provisions for the journey. “The time has come for you to leave. The day has gone, and so must you.” Canary sighed. “Not even one night?” “The purpose of life—” “—'is to grow', I know.” As the group left, Canary turned back. “You're sending us to die by not giving us directions!” The deer grimaced. “Perhaps, but all life must die. Lack of direction does not kill, but lack of motion certainly does. Pressing forward matters more than knowing where you're going.” Vitus smiled. “Listen to your heart; Avondale will speak.”