Goggles and Gold | Tales of the Avains

Prologue

Julz POV:

I was sat in my chair by the fire, a book in hand as I lightly scanned through the sketches of machines. My eyes sore from reading in the poor light, I placed it down, setting on the coffee table in front of me. The house felt cozy, even if it was partially built into a mountain, the night air seeping through the open windows, all was quiet. In fact, it was a little too quiet. Where was that little child of mine? I stepped down the hallway, the walls covered in family photos, Milo, Ramon, and me, all sat under a maple tree, smiling. I looked at is, my grin sad, bitter-sweet at the memories that lined these walls. As I reached the stairs, I grabbed the railing and headed up, the spruce planked creaking below me as I stepped.

"Ramon?" I whispered, turning into his room as I reached the top of the stairs. "Are you awake, honey?"

I looked to see a small boy laying at his desk, little feathery dove-like wings flopped at his sides, face buried in his arms, and his goggles crooked on his head. I smiled; he was always so tired after tinkering all day with his little machines.

Gently shaking him and I whispered, "C'mon, let's get ready for bed."

He lifted his head, blinking his eyes a little.

"Hm? Okay..." He mumbled, getting up. His small little goat ears flopped at his head as he corrected his goggles on his head.

As I led him to his bed, I decided not to bother with helping him put on PJs. I turned out a small lamp by his bed as he climbed under the sheets after taking off his boots. I took his goggles from his head and placed them at the bedside table.

"Good night little dove." I murmured, I turned out of the room and closed the door, Ramon mumbling a goodnight as well.

Ramons POV:

My eyes drifted closed, tired after the long day of reading Father's logs. At first, my dreams were slow, like falling down the stairs but my wings could catch me. Most of the time, avian wings just got in the way, too small to fly with, but not small enough to the point they would not knock things over. All was dark and quiet, but suddenly, I was standing on thin air, like I was in a black box of nothing. I could hear muffled yelling, my ears twitched, telling me they were behind something I could not see.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?! He is so young-" A deeper voice mumbled, frustrated.

"Of course! This is our only way-" A higher, more feminine voice said. "Oh- her is here!"

I turned to see a pure dove-white figure standing, large wings that stood higher than their head, but the bottom feathers still brushed the non-existent floor. Their eyes were black, expression cheerful, a small cherry blossom branch behind their furred ears, much like my own.

"Why hello there!" The figure chirped, looking down at me in all of my shortness. "I am Dove."

"I- uh... I am Ramon" I shuddered, I was only eight years old, hardly having seen the world, I had never seen an avian with such big wings.

"I know who you are silly!" They laughed, "This is Crow, my twin!" The figure pointed a opposite looking raven-black figure. The figure only waved, their white eyes twitching a little.

"We are the gods of The Avians," Dove said, bowing.

"Oh- this is a dream!" I looked at them, "This is a really cool dream!"

"What- no- no kid, you're really here, but in your mind, we are really talking to you." Crow stepped up, shaking their head, their wings dragging behind them.

"Are those wings heavy? How hard is it to fly with them? How come I have never heard of avians with wings? How come I have never heard of "two" avian gods?" I bubbled up with questions, looking at the two tall figures.

"We- well- Dove?" Crow looked at their sibling, shrugging.

"We have come with a special gift!" Dove said, holding something behind their back.

"O- I love surprises! Is it a new tool?" I looked at Dove, smiling, my sleeves falling over my hands loosely.

"Here." Dove handed be a rolled-up paper. I unrolled it, excited.

"New blueprints!?" I cheered, looking at the masterfully drawn machine, cogs and gears being labeled all over the parchment.

"Yes, not just any though, it is the last flying straps blueprints." Dove said, still smiling, as always.

"What's a flying strap?" I looked at the two twins.

"It helps avians with smaller wings, which is all of them today, fly." Crow explained calmly.

"Whoa! And I get to make one?"

"Yes, we are trusting you to make one that will help you later on." Dove explained.

"Okay! I can do that! Why did you choose me and not some older avian?" I looked up again.

"Because we have a special job for you went you figure it out." Crow nodded, "Now, we don't have much time left. Goodbye for now, young one."

I waved my final goodbyes, and started walking away, who knows where. Then I jolted away, sitting up in my bed, clenching the parchment still in my fists.

"It really did happen...?" I thought to myself.

MEET RAMON, DOVE, CROW, AND JULZ

These are some new characters, and if you did not get this straight already, Julz is Ramon's mother, Ramons in this "chapter" is eight years old, and his father's location in unknown, for now. Crow and Dove are two new, "unheard of" gods of the Avians, they are twins and represent ying-yang of some sort.

Anyways, thank you for reading, it is very late at night, sorry it is short, i just wanted to give a little info before the real story starts!

-Eco (957 words)