Fly (2nd in the feather series)

Four

As the days passed, I got good marks for my knowledge and community tests. I was lucky, for about 1/2 of the other teens taking the Mrjk didn't pass the tests and had to leave the clearing for 2 months. I had also been very fortunate, as I was 14 already - this would be my last chance to pass the Mrjk before I would be too old for the test. It wasn't my fault I had not taken it earlier, the Srrin civil war had meant that the Aviar council had forbidden enrollment for the Mrjks because it was too dangerous. I can't say I blamed them, with rockets wizzing around, it was far too hazardous to do the tests. But even so, I was nervous of the Mrjk, worrying I wouldn't pass it. The Mrjk was an important qualification - you needed to pass it to get the best jobs in Srrin. If you failed it, you had no choice but to get a poor persons job like being a poor farmer or making things to sell. No one in Srrin wanted to do a 'shameful' job like that. I started to worry I would fail the Mrjk, then slapped myself. I needed to think positive, otherwise I really would fail it. Finally, it was time to go back to the clearing to find out what the final challenge was. Curving my wings downwards, I flew downwards, landing directly inside the clearing. I changed back to my ordinary form, then waited for Eagle to arrive and give instructions for the final part of the Mrjk. When the last teen taking the Mrjk arrived, a tall, sun-taned man wearing a cape with brown and gold feathers came into the clearing. Eagle had arrived.

He announced to us,

"Greetings fellow Aviars, or rather, Fyinchers."

It was at this point I discovered what 'Fyincher' meant. A 'Fyincher' was a term used to describe an Aviar taking their Mrjk. 'Fyincher' meant 'Fledgling'. Eagle continued to lecture us in his no-nonsense voice, telling us about our final task in the Mrjk, making sure to emphasise how important it really was. But I didn't need a lecture to know how important the Mrjk was to me. During my time in Atlo, although I had learned to soar above my troubles, not let them get to me, I still wanted to go back to Srrin. I had privately hoped I could return to Srrin, complete my Mrjk, then live the life I had dreamt of without ever returning to magic-less Atlo. But even so, now I had spent time in Atlo, I wasn't so sure that was what I was dreaming of anymore... I was unexpectadly alerted to the fact I really needed to listen carefully now - this was the most important part of the Mrjk after all! So I listened carefully. Finally, the lecture was over and Eagle had instructed us Fyinchers to go down to Nyk.

***************

Down in Nyk, we followed Eagle into a large, almost egg-shaped tent. He then instructed us,

"Right, Fyinchers. The first part of your final task should be very easy. I expect every single one of you to complete this. Firstly, you must go out into Nyk and find one of the guides I have chosen for each one of you. You'll know you have found your guide because they are wearing a red jacket with the word 'MRJK' on it and have transformed into winged form. Then you must bring them back here, to 'The Mrjk tent'. I will be patient when waiting for your return but not if you take over 3 hours. Does everyone understand?"

We all nodded eagerly, thinking this task would be a piece of cake to complete.

"Off you go then!" Eagle announced and we all hurried off to get started on the task.

I ran into Nyks town centre and saw 5 possible roads I could walk down to find a guide. There was a road leading past a river, a pathway into a bustling market area, another road lead to a forest with Srrins typical 'strange' droopy trees and 2 roads which lead to different parts of the edge of Nyk. I followed the road going past the river, walked down another road, flew over a huge gully and went down roads I didn't know very well. It was only when I got to a ginormous, densley forested ravine that I realised I had no idea where in Srrin and Atlo I was going. Trying to remeber where I had come from, I transformed into my winged form and flew away from the ravine. Eventually, after at least an hour, I saw a road. Running along it in the hope of finding someone to ask for help, I found myself in a street on the edge of Nyk. The houses on the street were triangle shaped with a smooth, curved roof to let winter snow slide off. In adition, there were trees growing beside the houses to help stabilise some of them. I continued to walk past the houses, until I reached an area of Nyk full of wooden,purple, cube-shaped, houses. I was very thirsty by all this walking and chanted a spell for a glass of water. As soon as I had uttered the words, A sort of mini water-tornado spiralled above my hand, whirling and swirling. The water-tornado was very slow so I said another spell to speed up this spell and immediately the water-tornado spiralled into the shape of a glass with water in it. Finally, the water-tornado became a glass full of water in my hand. I took a sip of my water, it was so refreshing!

Though then I heard a voice say to me,

"I wish I knew those spells."

I was silent for a moment, looking in the direction I had heard the voice come from. I saw a girl of my age come out from one of the houses and come towards me. She was a little smaller than me and looked quite tough. Her hair was blonde but slightly gingery in bright light. She wore furry boots, a skirt with a picture of a blue, crashing wave on it and a kind of snood. The snood was patterned with rows of triangles, spots, stripes and was worn loosely as it covered her shoulders.

"You've been to Atlo haven't you? You don't sound truly Srrin." The girl asked me.

"How do you know I've been to Atlo? And who are you?" I replied, surprised at how she knew that.

"Simple. Your accents changed. And my name's Ava." She told me simply.

There was something about her voice that made think she wanted me to do something for her. However, I didn't know what she wanted. But I knew one thing - I needed to complete the first part of my final task! So I asked Ava,

"Ava, I need you to do something for me, have you seen anyone wearing a red jacket with MRJK on it?"

Ava appeared uninterested in my question. Instead, she told me,

"I'll let you know after you help me. Follow me now please and you'll see why you need to help me."

So I followed her.