An Owl's Rise

Evelyn looked on with a flabbergasted expression as the tiny mid-tier awakened rank owl bowed its head to her.

It had said something about wanting her help, but she was not really sure what was going on and wondered if this was some type of trap.

But as she expected the tiny owl to attack her, or possibly for some allies to jump her, nothing happened.

The small owl just kept its head bowed against the ground in a pose that could only be considered the height of groveling.

"What is it that you want me to help you with?" Evelyn eventually asked using wind magic to create a voice.

Upon hearing her speak the prostrating tiny owl showed visible relief and began telling Evelyn of its plight.

As it went on Evelyn only became more and more annoyed.

Frankly she did not care that his flock of burrowing owls had been kicked out of their ancestral home by a group of ospreys, which were a type of hawk.

'Ugh this is a nuisance. What makes this little owl think I can help.'

Once she was fed up with what was going on Evelyn raised a claw to stop the owl who had introduced himself as Po.

"Why is it that you are seeking my help? I am just a low tier awakened rank beast while you are at the mid-tier. Surely you cannot think I can be enough to sway such odds. And what would be in it for me anyway?" Evelyn said with quite a critical tone without hiding any displeasure.

At this Po slammed his head which he had slightly raised back into the ground.

"I have witnessed your power oh great one. Yes, you may be at on the low tier of the awakened rank, but you are of such immense power that you could only be of the strongest class of beast. You defeated the rulers of the cliffs of the western desert. Their family has stood over this area for three decades and kept ahold of it thanks to their superior powers. For you to have beaten them you must be the strongest beast of your rank and tier in the entire desert. If not even far beyond." Po said, flattering Evelyn more than she ever had been before.

Yet she only glared at him as if asking him to get to the point.

"Of- of course we would not ask you to risk yourself for us for nothing. Our ancestral home is home to a spring that fills with magical energy once every month. Anyone who bathes within it can absorb an immense amount of magical energy at once and raise their tier with ease. It is also the only place within the desert where Chryseos Vines grow. They produce a powerful fruit that has many benefits other than simply being rich in magical energy. If you were to help us, we would naturally repay you with the greatest hospitality we can offer."

After giving his best pitch for Evelyn's help, Po kept his head pressed against the ground and his eyes shut tightly.

He was not certain if Evelyn would help him and his flock. Especially with how dismissive and obviously annoyed she had been.

Still, she had listened to him and he could only hope that she would help.

And luckily for him the information about their home had piqued Evelyn's interest.

'Do they really have a stable magic spring!?' She thought when she heard the description of the burrowing owls' greatest treasure.

Melisandre had once told her about these natural marvels that sometimes appeared throughout the world.

They were areas where the magical energy that flowed deep within the earth burst towards the surface in a concentrated area.

Their power could range from lackluster and not worth much to practically divine as Melisandre had described it.

However, most of the time they only filled up once or at most a couple of times before going dry and losing any magical properties.

But while she had never come across one, Melisandre did say that there were rumors that some springs were consent in filling with magical energy and were real treasures depending on how much power they received.

'Judging by the location it is probably not one that is immensely powerful, but it probably is at least strong enough to help break into the peak of the awakened rank if it is considered valuable in this desert. Melisandre told me that the water from such springs was a universal ingredient for alchemy that could make any potion brewed with it stronger by a certain degree depending on the potency of the magical energy from the spring. But even she has very little of this spring water and uses it sparingly for potions she wants to be extra effective. I believe she mentioned that it was also one of the main ingredients for that miracle bath she used to save my life.' Evelyn thought as she pulled up all the information, she could remember about magic springs.

She was weighing whether getting involved would be worth it or not. From the sound of it the ospreys that had taken over were pretty strong and lead by two members that were at the peak awakened rank which was very strong for this desert where the majority of the areas could only support up to mid-tier awakened rank beasts.

Still if these burrowing owls had access to such a powerful magic spring how did they get driven out.

Though when Evelyn asked this of Po, she found out that their flock's patriarch had been undergoing his evolution to a tyrant rank beast when they were attacked, and their other strongest fighters were mostly gone at the time.

This led to them fighting a very bloody battle which they lost, and their weaker members had to retreat elsewhere.

They did meet up with a majority of their other members who had been out of the burrow at the time and tried to take back their home but failed in the end and suffered heavy casualties.

Of course, the invading ospreys did not get off without losses either, and their numbers were now down to somewhere between two dozen to three dozen with only their leaders left as strong fighters.

'So, the spring is rich enough in magical energy to get a beast to the tyrant rank. It must be stronger than I originally thought if this owl is telling the truth. As for these Chryseos Vines, I have no clue what they are. There is also a chance this is all just an elaborate lie to lead me into some sort of trap. Though this little owl would have to be a very good actor to sell it as well as he has.'

With the prospect of what was quite an enticing reward should what this owl had said was true Evelyn took some time to consider her options.

She had nearly finished up all the gathering she needed to do and could easily pick up the remaining materials and safely go back to the Roost to continue on to her next step in gaining power.

Or she could take a big risk and get involved in a conflict between two different factions within the Velinis Desert in hopes of greater rewards.

In the end the allure of getting access to a rare stable magic spring was too much for Evelyn to pass on.

"Very well I at least meet with the rest of your flock and determine if there is any chance we have of winning and go from there." Evelyn said once she had come to her decision.

Hearing this Po beamed and thanked her profusely for agreeing to help them.

"Now follow me. I shall bring you to where we are currently staying a temporary abode we have created not too far from here." Po said enthusiastically.

"Wait! I have materials to gather here still. We can leave when I am finished. Just wait a little way from here and do not approach me until I am done."

Bowing his head Po did as Evelyn asked and waited outside the desert sheep's former home for Evelyn.

Going back to her work Evelyn slowly and carefully pulled out the star-shaped magical plant that had a yellow flower growing atop it.

In fact, she went slower than necessary and swallowed a long-lasting magical energy replenishment pill.

If she was going to risk herself by following Po to the rest of his flock, she was going to make sure she at least fully recovered her magical energy before doing so.

'The worst-case scenario is should probably at least be able to get away as long as I am not being led to a tyrant rank beast of stronger. But I doubt that or otherwise Po simply would have gone to gather such an ally rather than approaching me.' Evelyn thought, going through a number of scenarios and remaining distrustful.

Once she had fished collecting all of the magical plants she headed back out to where Po was and found him sitting in the shadow of the cliff waiting for her.

His smile was still there from when she agreed to at least meet with the rest of the members of his flock and he enthusiastically led her towards them.

When they arrived at the entrance to the burrowing owls' temporary home, Evelyn found that it was covered by a fairly large rock which Po moved using his magic.

Yet there were two problems for Evelyn.

The first was that she would never follow a stranger into such a cramped space, and the second that she could not fit to begin with since the tunnels were only two feet in diameter.

"Oh, I did not even think of this." Po said with a troubled expression.

He then told Evelyn that if he mobilized some of the others of his flock, they could widen the entrance tunnel that led to the main chamber which was large enough to fit her.

"No need for that. I do not trust you enough to simply walk into an unknown tunnel. We can do our business out here or I will simply leave." Evelyn said.

Po became frantic at the prospect of her leaving and began bowing his head again and asking her to wait only a few minutes while he gathered up the other higher-ranking members that remained among his flock.

Ten minutes later Evelyn was faced with every awakened rank beast they had left and could tell that she was in for a rough time if she really wanted to take back the burrowing owls' home.

'Only nineteen of them and most of them are just at the low tier like me but far weaker. Five at the mid-tier including Po, and one at the high tier who is their current leader.' Evelyn thought as she analyzed the forces of the burrowing owls that had beseeched her help.