Evolution

"How then, what did you use to fuel that attack?"

Father stood up straight and looked at me seriously, looking like he was about to utter the most significant piece of information that ever left his mouth.

"Magic"

'@#&(&Q!!'

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHA, the look on your face!"

"….."

"A-Alright, I'll tell you.

".."

BHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH, n-no I'm serious, wait j-just BAHAHAH."

Well, like most of his laughing fits it took him an hour to settle down.

###

After much laughter and ridicule, Isaac had enough and sat down on the grassy plain.

The hulking man stretched out his arm and called Elias to his side.

"Sit down Elias, and look closely."

The curious boy approached his father and observed Isaac's outstretched hand.

Moments passed and the youngster became impatient 'I swear if the old man is mocking m….'

Just then a deep red colored material covered his hand like a living glove. It looked grotesque, like thick blood crawling all over his limb.

'W-What the hell is this…thing'

Isaac twirled his hand in the air for a few seconds before the energy visibly evaporated onto the atmosphere.

"This Elias, is the most dangerous energy known to any warrior; Shakti"

'Shakti…'

"Shakti, is a force only awakened when a warrior constantly faces life ending peril. It can only be accessed by an indomitable Will that will overcome even the gods to survive."

'Indomitable will…Gods'

Elias remained seated in contemplation even when his father returned to the cabin, and sounds of tearing flesh echoed.

He watched as the birds high above, rested on an empty patch nearby and a black owl chasing a fox twice its size.

'Black owl?... Eset, why the hell are you chasing a fox?'

The prideful owl refused to conform to the natural norm of the wild and attacked the fox ruthlessly. Taking the fox by surprise, she rose high in the air before diving down sharply and plunging her talons into the fox's skull, reaping its life.

'That's not how it should work, right. Her talons shouldn't be that lethal.'

Elias flinched as her talons dug into the wolf's head and rubbed his shoulder, swearing not to tease her when she is perched atop it.

The huntress clenched her game firmly, and flew towards Elias with proud hoots.

"G-good girl Eset, s-since when were your talons so powerful."

The little diva spread out her wings 'menacingly' and showed her human friend her powerful prowess.

'Playing tough guy huh? I'll show you, you little diva'

With a smirk, Elias put a hand over his forehead and dramatically teased his little sister

"Oh Eset, how mighty your talons are. I guess you are too strong for me to carry you on my shoulder"

The little owl deflated quickly and waved around her wings in displeasure.

Trying to prove that she won't harm him, she gingerly touched a nearby rock with her scythe like nails… and completely went through it.

Completely unfazed by her failure, Eset kicked the rock a few times to get her talon unstuck and shoved the rock with her wing even further.

Confused what to do now she fidgeted and panicked at the thought of losing her throne.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHH, mighty Eset afraid of losing her beloved place huh

..

No no no not there!

…

Stop!

..

Hey! Wait!"

###

Back in the house after much tom foolery, I took out the crystal I found yesterday.

Spotting the crystal dancing between my fingers my father asked my curiously.

"What do you have there Eli?"

"I found this crystal in the space attribute wolf yesterday, and I was, uhm, wondering if we should feed it to Eset?"

Father stared at me with a shocked face before he yelled ecstatically

"Why did you not tell me earlier? Of course you should! That crystal might be the trigger to unlocking her magic potential."

With a dry chuckle I rubbed the back of my head, embarrassed that I forgot such an important detail.

I took out the crystal and offered it to Eset who was perched on my shoulder.

The instant she laid eyes on it, she picked it up with her small beak and slung it down her throat.

'huh?'

Before we could react, Eset's feathered body became a beacon of light shining with a plethora of colors.

'Is this, Aeter?'

Putting my earlier training into use, I tried sensing the Aeter. I had feeling that the density of the Aeter would make it easy to perceive it, even for an amateur like myself.

I did not close my eyes but focused on sensing the threads of magic.

Small rivers of color sailed the air and entered her small body further feeding the pool of energy gathering inside of her.

Eset had her eyes closed and her wings covering her body like a cocoon. Her black body housed the rivers of light painting a cosmic universe all over her feathers.

"Is this normal Dad?!" I yelled nervously.

"Nothing's normal about you boy!! Just wait and hope for the best, this is how I deal with you."

'Brilliant advice old man, just brilliant'

She stayed in that state for long, each moment threatening to give me a cardiac arrest at the ripe age of FIVE!

However, she would not be a diva if she did not make a dramatic entrance.

With a powerful hoot, she unfurled her wings and broke the Aeter threads cocooning her body and absorbed them all, along with the galaxies and planets swirling about in her black body; returning it to the starry painting I have come to love.

I could tell that she's changed, not physically, she was still smaller than the normal owl; only her white antlers grew a bit more, majestic?

But she seemed more intelligent, much stronger as well.

I was overjoyed at her transformation, yet a feeling of familiar sadness gnawed my heart.

But I tried not to give it away, cracking a smile through my grief I called out to her.

"Well then Eset, y-you're ready now. You can go far away to where ever you like, you don't have to hide out here in the boonies like us."

Eset tilted her head in confusion, Oh how much I am going to miss her adorable antics.

Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, but I refuse to weep at every setback.

With a much firmer disposition, I called out to the owl again.

"Go! Leave Eset! You have magic now, you don't have to stay here for protection anymore, you are free to fly wherever you want."

I hardened my expression and told her off again. I was frustrated and upset, it seems I had some abandonment issues built up from having my mother leave at such an early age. If I had maintained my composure I might have realized it then, but I did not.

"What are you waiting for? Just go already!"

Before I could burn anymore bridges between the two of us, Eset vanished from her perch and reappeared on my shoulder, her favorite spot. She placed her head on mine for a moment before I heard a voice in my mind

"I want to stay with you, Elias."