k_a_webb | 36. The Elemental Birds (Reply)

The fifth of the five creatures created for Siaral was the elemental birds. After creating the phoenixes, and hoping they were phoenixes rather than just birds that looked like phoenixes, they wanted to work on something they believed in. They didn’t take the elemental birds from any old mythologies, instead creating what they believed to be an entirely new creature, and experimented just as much with these as they had with the dragons, unicorns and pegasi.

As with all the creatures, except the phoenixes, they began with miniature birds, around the size of finches, that could easily be kept in cages. The largest birds they created were around the size of eagles. Each bird was given the power of one element and not just the basic elements. Once there were earth, air, fire, and water birds, the Yellow family experimented with other elements. Ice birds, shadow birds, and many other were created, each with their own abilities.

The Breeders didn’t really see much of a use for the elemental birds, in the same way that the dragons, unicorns, and pegasi could be used, but they were beautiful. As with all the creatures they worked with the merchants to work out if there was any way of selling the elemental birds, and again a couple of merchants took eggs with them to see if they could be sold. As with the phoenixes they did sell, more because of their stunning looks than because of the magic they had, but it didn’t take long for people to realise that the birds were useful as well as beautiful. Water birds could be used during droughts, light birds could be used in dark places, and they became as important to the web as the other creatures.

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.