The Forge has been busy these last weeks. The entirety of the Peel Island population has relocated in a short time. The Skymen have return to their ancestral homes on the cliffs of the Iron Mountain, while the witches have taken refuge in the old magic wing dormitories of the inner forge itself.
Much has been made about Kobi’s foolishness in making the sword, but also there is a lot of thankfulness as he is the catalyst for their return. The elder witches have taken to reading the ancient texts of the mage library. Knowledge is power they say, and they are committed to knowledge. One of the elder’s assistants, Katina has been reading as well when not serving her superiors.
Katina is a relatively young witch at three hundred and sixty years old. The mainland is a strange place to her, but she is being brave and trusts the elders completely. She stands around five feet two inches tall. Her eyes are foliage green, with near brown pupils. Her hair is bark brown with light green highlights. Her skin is light that has a distinct green tint. More powerful witches have darker green skin, this is something she hopes to change with her knowledge seeking.
She has a hidden agenda as well. She is looking for a cure for her secret love, Zyno. For the past forty years, they have had a forbidden love that they have worked hard to keep a secret. Now, with her love injured in body and mind, she hopes to find some magic that will return his sanity and his wing.
Katina spends most of her time reading, but every once in a while, will sneak off to see Zyno, or she will venture off into the storeroom to find ingredients for a possible magical cure. If only she were a healer, this would be easy. Being a Woods Witch is a bit different. She may can heal a plant or a tree, but a Skyman is different. So she gives herself to her studies.
Zyno on the other hand, has gotten somewhat better mentally. He still has very clear trauma from the ordeal with Nunley, but he doesn’t have constant panic attacks or screaming episodes. Katina’s presence helped him so much. While he was running for his life, it was his desire to see her again that kept him moving and fighting. With his injury, he remained inside the forge instead of moving over to the cliffs. His inability to fly keeps him from seeing the homes of his forefathers.
Her touch heals him more and more.
Zyno has also taken a liking to Kobi. They spend a lot of time together. Zyno has grown fond of their sword training time. Kobi has been teaching him the ways of fighting like a knight, like a human. Since he can’t fly, Zyno figures this is the way to help defend the forge in case of an attack. His towering frame is a sight to see holding a claymore sword. In the sky, the blade would be too heavy to carry; but on the ground, Zyno can be devastating with it.
Even though he enjoys his training, and his friend Kobi, and the forbidden love of Katina, his heart still drops when he sees a group of Skymen flying through the sky. Nunley called him an Ostrich, and Zyno feels like one.
During training with Kobi out by the orchard, he catches a glimpse of Katina staring at him through one of the trees. She is using magic to check on him. She also uses magic to speak to him, and only he hears it.
“I found something big! I am gathering supplies. I will come to you in the middle of the night.”
With that, she is gone.
He was distracted for the briefest of moments, but Kobi capitalizes. He places his sword beneath Zyno’s chin, he has lost the sparing match.
Kobi smiles and asks him if he wants to meet up again tomorrow. Zyno agrees without much thought.
The rest of the day, Zyno meets with other Skymen as they come in for a visit. Their stories of the cliffs, and the fishing offer little comfort for him. Just like every other day Betta checks in with him and tries to make sure that his friend is recovering. It’s always a short talk between them as is customary with Skymen. Zyno always dreads seeing his friend flying away. He eats alone by the orchard before turning in for the night.
In the early morning hours Zyno lays awake. He doesn’t sleep well as it is, but the expectation of seeing Katina again has him on edge. Both nervousness and excitement. What has she found? His mind runs with countless possibilities.
His mind comes to an immediate stop as his love ports into the room with magic. It’s something she has done a million times over their relationship. It helps keep their love private.
“I’ve found something! I’ve made this concoction that I found in the books. All I need is a to take a look at your broken wing. I need to see it to complete the spell.” Katina says as they embrace.
“For what?”
“You just need to trust me.”
Without hesitation, he turns and kneels. His near eight feet tall frame towers over her. Even when he is on his knees, he is still eye level with her.
She stands behind him and unwraps his bandage. She gasps a little once she sees the break. The bone to the wing is blackened and dying. The remaining bone fragment is rotting off his back! This frightens the witch and quickens her to use the magic spell to save him from this cruel fate.
She pours the magical liquid over the broken wing and allows it to fall inside the bone canal.
She begins reciting a rhythmic chant. The words of a forgotten tongue from times past ignite the atmosphere of the room. Wind stirs a sulfur smell as the candlelight is blown out. In the darkness, Katina’s chant grows louder as the wind stirs quicker. Then light begins to emanate from the broken bone. Red light. It’s a burning fire coming from within his own body.
Zyno begins to scream! His broken wing is being cauterized on his back. It is extremely painful, and he cannot hide his pain.
Katina is dedicated to her work; she is lost in the focus of the spell. She doesn’t even hear Zyno’s screams.
A full flame rises from the bone.
Fire magic, she found a fire spell and is using it on him. He can’t believe it. He should have asked her for details first.
The flame grows in intensity and heat. The same goes for Katina’s chants and Zyno’s screams.
Suddenly, the flame spreads into a fire wing! The fire burns brighter and brighter and the heat fills the entire room. The chants are screams now as Zyno collapses on the floor face down. The fire wing flares out and darkness fills the room. A thud sounds out in the darkness, it’s Katina passing out from exhaustion.
Early in the morning hours, Zyno is stirred awake. He groggily stands to his feet.
What the events of last night a dream? Or a nightmare?
Katina ignites a flame to relight the candles.
She turns, toward Zyno and is shocked at what she sees.
His wing has regrown completely, but it is blackened. It’s what those who practice fire magic call burnt, a byproduct of the magic. Zyno has his wings but now he has a white wing and a black wing!
Katina knows she will be punished for this, and that their love will be exposed. Her thoughts are to run now while they can.
But Zyno stares at his new wing in amazement. His love has restored him! He loves the black wing. In his excitement, his thoughts are on touching the sky again. He has no inkling that their love will be exposed or that Katina will be punished. He has his life back, and this black wing will make him stand out among a sky of white wings.
He turns and embraces his love, she’s healed him.
“I must test this wing out. Thank you, you have given me my life back.” He tells her.
She looks up to meet his gaze. She wants to tell him her concerns about what the elders of the witches and Skymen will think but she doesn’t. She wants him to have this moment.
“Go touch the sky my love!” She encourages.
He rushes out of the forge. As he steps into the early morning sunlight, he spreads his wings wide, then jumps into the sky for what feels like the first time. He flies away from the forge at top speed.
From the orchard benches, Kobi looks on in disbelief. His eyes catch something out of the corner of his eye. It looks like one of the trees has eyes, and it is watching Zyno fly away.
Relics of the Old Age 