Jayhaven Chronicles

The sun’s glow had just faded from the streets. All of Jayhaven was quiet, candles shimmering in windows. No light shone from the dark sky; it was a new moon. It was the perfect night for a rescue.

Since Peak wouldn’t be back at the castle for a few days, Rapid took the opportunity to see if his friend had any useful herbs or supplies in his room, Turns out he did, and had an entire cupboard full of plants for medical and offensive use. Praying that his best friend would eventually understand, Rapid raided the stash.

Smokeleaf looked useful, as well as razoridged poppies. He grabbed whiskerweed for practical use, in case he injured himself.

As Rapid left the sleeping quarters, he grabbed another candle for possible use and put it in his satchel. Kiirion could be in a dungeon thousands of feet under the ground, for all he knew. And he set out.

Rapid had to use the candle almost immediately, it was so dark, so he crafted a makeshift match from a stick and lit it. After wandering the area around the castle for a while, he realized he had absolutely no clue where the city’s prison was. He hoped with all his heart that he’d stumble upon it somehow; it would be rather embarrassing for anyone to find him now.

He left the moat enclosed land and started out towards the city. The silvery shadows of Jayhaven’s homes and businesses stretched skywards around him, but instead of familiarity, Rapid felt like an outsider. He hadn’t been anywhere but the castle and the clearing in what seemed like forever. Despite currently residing in a grand castle, Rapid couldn’t help feeling strangely homesick.

He reasoned that the prison (or dungeon) would be located somewhere near either the Healer facility or the Academy, or perhaps downtown Jayhaven. He didn’t know! Rapid groaned inwardly and had second thoughts about the whole operation. But a sliver of grim determination stayed with him no matter what doubts his mind fabricated, and he meandered on.

After a long trek towards the center of the city, the Academy was in view. Despite the very little light shining from the sky, it was far easier to see than it’s silver counterpart buildings. Rapid smiled, nostalgia sweeping over him. One day, after his training with Panther was over, maybe he could teach at his old school. Maybe he’d be just like Crisp or Claw, helping his students with a stern yet friendly demeanor. But then he felt silly for thinking so far ahead.

Rapid roamed the streets, trying to keep his candle tucked away in his satchel as to not be seen. He realized how many major establishments he had never noticed before in his days at the Academy, like fancy restaurants and gaming houses. With another pang of guilt Rapid thought of how much Hawk loved board games, and how he would have been in heaven at a place like that.

Though it was neat discovering new businesses and places for possible future visit, Rapid knew he had to stay focused. He picked up his pace and scanned the road of shops more quickly, until…

Rapid couldn’t believe his luck. At the very end of the street, tucked away in a pretty little patch of potted bushes and trees, was a not so pretty or little steel building. A clunky sign hung on the front above two massive white doors that read, Jayhaven Prison: A home for Citywide criminals, suspects, and captives.

Rapid figured Kiirion would fall in the captive category. Not wasting another second, he sprinted for the doors and, having planned for this exact moment, grabbed a pin from his sack and shoved it into the keyhole. A soft click sounded from the inside, and the door opened.

It was far darker in here than it was outside, with not even the faintest starlight shining through the windows, for drapes hung over every opening to the outside. Rapid got out his candle again, only to find that it had singed a hole in his bag. He snarled quietly and hoped nothing would fall out.

From the light of the candle Rapid could see a staircase at the far end of the slick-floored lobby, split by a wall into two sections. A crossroad-esk sign was positioned in front of the stairs, the right side reading, Cat subjects, the left reading, Miscellaneous animal subjects.

Rapid took the left staircase and padded gingerly to the level below, preparing himself to see hissing, spitting, horrible animals of all sorts.

He didn’t.

What he did see were sleeping thin, pitiful creatures, some he couldn’t even recognize through the battle scars on their faces. Raccoons, badgers, huge birds he recognized as eagles, and finally, owls resided behind bars.

There weren’t many of them, maybe three or four at the most, and they all looked like they had been there for awhile. Their cells were clean, but in no way seemed welcoming. Steel bars closed them in like a hungry animal’s teeth, and there didn’t seem to be beds of any sort. The poor things. But most owls are mean, right? Not all of them are like Kiirion.

“Rapid?” A harsh croaking sound came from a cell that Rapid previously thought was empty. The shadowy figure of a stooped snowy owl was outline in darkness. Kiirion was unrecognizable.

“Kiirion!” Rapid whispered as he bounded over and pressed his face against the sharp bite of metal. “I’m going to get you out of here. You’re innocent!”

Kiirion stepped out of the gloom, and Rapid could see a light return to his yellow eyes. “Oh, I knew you would come! You’re stupid like that.” The owl quipped.

Rapid smiled but stayed quiet, taking out another pin and working at the lock on the cell bars. It didn’t take long before the lock clanked to the ground, and Rapid winced at the loud noise.

Kiirion flapped out of the cell and flew around the hall for a moment before landing silently. “My gosh, I didn’t know how stiff I was. Guess I’m getting old.”

The owl and the cat started out of the hall of captives, and Rapid noticed Kiirion kept turning back to glance forlornly at the other owls. “Wilkka will come back for you one day, I’m sure, she has to,” He kept murmuring. Rapid felt a wave of sympathy. I can’t imagine if it were my friends locked up in there. But we have to keep going.

They left the prison as swiftly as they could and fled back out into the night. Kiiron smiled sadly and stretched his wings again. “Is it really night?” He hooted. “It’s hard to keep track of time when you’re locked in a metal box. I haven’t had the chance to be normal, nocturnal owl in forever.”

After a few words of gratitude from his owl friend, Rapid said a quick farewell and Kiirion fluttered off into the night. He started his trudge back towards the castle and smirked smugly, feeling that the rescue had gone far smoother than expected. Maybe, if Kiirion told his Feather Realm friends that a cat had saved him, Some of the tension between the owls and Jayhaven would be lost. Though perhaps that was wishful thinking.

Suddenly, loud squawks sounded overhead. Rapid looked up to see a band of large birds soaring overhead, and he couldn’t tell if they were owls or not. An oddly cat-like scream sounded among them, like it was flying too. Rapid shook his head forcefully. I must be going delusional.

Finally, he got back to the castle. There were barbaric looking claw marks on the drawbridge, he realized, but he couldn’t remember if they had been there to begin with. Trying to ignore them, he recalled the code Panther had told them about which opened it, and figured no one would even know he had been gone.

But when he stepped inside, it was chaos.