ORIGIN

The Three Kings found it no easier: they had lain quiet for so long that sustained flight through the narrow caves reminded them of what it was to tire.

But exhilaration and hope drove them on, so that when at last they reached the cathedral, they were thrumming with excitement.

They had to land, to stride with claw-clicks across the cathedral floor, and ahead--ah! October had flown through the portal, and they recognized its magic, though they hadn't seen this place before. Never, not in all their searching, had they found a way out. They had fought to fit through cracks far too narrow, that had reached nowhere in the end. They had sought out all the newly opened caves, poring over every gap in the ceiling, every thinly pillared edge, and found no exit. And each time they failed, their hope had dwindled, until they lay silent looking up at Orion's false stars... for centuries.

Now? They shot through the portal, taking wing as they hit it. Feathers smashed along the pews as they rose up on the other side, as they flew past October, their eyes bright with hope. The chough was briefly forgotten as they left, as they spiralled skyward.

A trio of voices, united as one, let out a long and wailing, haunting cry: a joy overflowing their heart, too powerful to keep silent.

For a moment they vanished, flying so fast that they were but a streak of violet, and then--nothing.

The sky. The stars. Freedom.

It was nearly thirty seconds later that they returned, flapping quickly downward, eyes seeking--ahh! There.

They found October, and alighted before it, perhaps the last time they would ever land. They were breathless, eyes sparkling with delight. "This is--freedom. Thank you. Let us reward you," they almost pleaded. And Alnilam--voice soft--"We never asked your name. May we, now, so we may remember it for all time? We will cherish it, until the stars go out."

"October," they repeated, reverentially.

And for a moment they gazed at the bird, as if committing its appearance to memory. This small, unassuming creature--the only one to come to them, to offer them their freedom after so long trapped here. At long last their wistful yearning could end; their dream become reality!

"We are Alnilam, Mintaka, Alnitak." Their head bowed, and left the ghost of three where only one dipped low.

"We will leave, yes. The stars call for us." Alnilam gazed at October for a long moment. "You truly deserve those wings you carry. Allow me to imbue them further."

A golden swirl of magic threaded for October, reaching for the topaz in its throat: granting a new power to the magic that Alnilam had already given.

They paused, about to take flight again, but looked at October one last time. "This is to be farewell. Is there anything more you would ask of us?"

---

October will learn the following spell:

Medium Intensity Transformation. Gain ethereal golden feathered wings that shimmer with the gleam of wisdom. Alnilam of the Three Kings of Orion has enhanced and morphed this spell, and it now grants limited flight. Your loyalty shines with ethereal gold-plated armor, a testament to your faith; the stronger you are, the more armor you will have to show for it.

October will also enter its chrysalis the next time it rests. Upon awakening after two weeks' time, it will find that it has changed appearance, mutating to dark purple with an indigo glow, like a nebula filled with tiny glowing stars. It would look like The Three Kings, but with eyes a soft, glowing gold with wispy tendrils drifting from them, embracing Alnilam's blessing.

Lastly, October will occasionally have strange dreams, in which it is soaring through alien skies or the stars themselves. These dreams will be filled with joy and a faint sense of gratitude, and whatever happens, October will always know in these dreams that the Three Kings still fly, and still think of the tiny chough's gift every day.

The Kings blinked, like stars going out, then flickering back to life. They did not look over their shoulder, look to the sky with yearning; that would have been rude. Instead they settled, a little, to speak. October deserved that much from them.

"Yes... though it is not much of a story," they answered, and there was apology in their shared tone.

"We flew here, through the stars. Through the space between. That was long how we existed: exploring, bringing color and light." The Kings paused, the sheeting nebula of their feather brightening in memory. "We were one, then. Whole. We were tricked."

They looked earnestly at October. "We had felt the pull of magic here. This moon, this place beneath. It felt... strangely bright, below, and we heard a call. A soft humming, as if of energy buzzing. We thought... someone might be in need of aid. And so we flew below. In through a crack, a gap in the stone. And it was collapsed behind us. Trickery," they added, this last a hiss in Alnitak's savage tones.

"We do not know how or why, or if it was... orchestrated. But we blamed ourselves, and we had none but ourselves for company, and..." They hesitated. "We became three." There was a weight in those words, as though far more was left unspoken. The thousands of years, the gap where they'd argued with themselves, broken, no--changed. They had been tricked, and they were angry, a victim who would not play that role again. They were someone who had seen grief and captivity of a sort, and were determined to help others. And they were a quiet observer, who had no one else to blame.

"We were told to find a... stone, an orb, to open the other caves. A rumor, a whisper. We were told that it would lead to our freedom. That was a lie. But this was after... millennia," they finished, and that was a guess. They had slept for so very long. "We do not know if someone trapped us on purpose." The Three Kings suddenly, almost violently, shook their head. "We were. But we don't know who! ...It does not matter, any longer. We are free, thanks to you."

They half-spread their wings, pausing. They were ready to fly.

All they awaited was October's last farewell: a permission, almost, for them to go.