The Death Breathers

Chapter VII

In the few weeks before Jay taught me the 'best' skill, I was taught mental skills by a girl with curly white hair, called Dove.

"Hey, um, she wouldn't want you knowing this, but, uh, I'm Swan's sister," she says. "She'd kill me if she knew I told you."

"Oh, she's quite violent for someone who's so majestic," I say.

"That's the secret to her success."

She takes a couple of things and lays them out in front of her.

"I, am going to be teaching you, some mental things. It's for when you are faced with a challenge of a challenging puzzle, or something like that against the Death Beholders."

"Who are the Death Beholders?" I ask.

She sighs. "You haven't been told much, have you?"

She closes her eyes for a few seconds.

"The Death Beholders. The most almighty of them all. Or so they think."

She draws a quick sketch of a mark which looks quite similar to the Avis tattoo mark in the dirt.

"Long ago, when man first evolved into the homo sapiens, there was one type of man, who had the power to do anything. He kept his power a secret. Generations passed, and until this day, no-one knows. Except for us."

"Us?" I ask.

"The Avis group."

She continues.

"Our duty is to one day, break the curse laid upon us, and set us free from being Death Breathers. That's what we humans are. You were until several days ago, when you became an Avis warrior. You're not as normal as you think, Phoenix."

"I know I'm not normal-"

"Yes. That's what we need you to know. You have the power to do quite extraordinary things.
"The air we breathe, oxygen, is a lie. It's poisonous. It will kill you, but it will take a slow 75-100 years. We have to save the world from the oxygen, because it's getting faster and faster to kill people."

At this point in time, my heart was pounding, my head was hurting and I was feeling quite distressed.

"Your father, he was... 46? Is that correct?"

"Yeah, when he died."

"See. It's getting quicker and quicker. And the only way to stop it is by defeating the Death Beholders."

()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()

Dove lets me go to my nest early, because of what she taught me.

Mental skills are exhausting.

I lay on my bed and close my eyes, but I don't fall asleep. I hear someone come up the ladder.

"I hear you had a bit of a rough day," he says.

It's so nice that he can come around and see how I'm doing.

"Hey, Jay." I open my eyes.

"We've got a new Avis coming in," he says. "He's young, but I've heard he's going to be good."

"What's his name?"

"Mynah. He's 13."

"Cool."

"I want you to go to him."

"Wha- really? I just started here though."

"Exactly. I think you deserve to. Most of the people here have. He's the last one. I want you to do it."

"Who's his... special person... that dies?"

"He lives only with his grandmother. It'll have to be her."

"Oh, I feel so sorry for him."

"It's like that for everyone here."

I want to ask him a question, but I know it would be rude.

I risk it.

"Who was your special person?"

He sighs.

"It was my... my brother. He was my twin. We didn't really look alike but we had such a good relationship. He died when I was 14. I'm 16 now, by the way."

I smile sadly. "I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it."

"No, really, I should be sorry for even asking you."

He looks into my eyes. "It's okay. You're a good friend."

______________________

Boom!

Hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about the birds in this chapter!

Enjoy the next one!
~Sydney