I peered through the branches of the tree, my stomach tightening. There was a sickenly long drop below me, and I had to jump. I watched a big silver hawk, Tara, soaring effortlessly through the sky.

“C’MON, SORA!” she screeched. “NO REASON TO BE AFRAID!”

Gripping the branches harder, I watched her fly out of view. As I loosened my hand, I suddenly felt a swift kick on my back, and soon I was plummeting down to the choppy waters below.

I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the impact of the water, when suddenly, I felt a severe tingling all over, and when it dulled, I was rising upward. When I looked to my sides, my gangly arms had turned into powerful wings. Surprised, I saw Tara spiral towards me until we were flying side by side.

After about five minutes of tiresome flapping, I landed near a puddle on the ground and looked into it. Staring back at me was the pale white face of a barn owl.

I gasped (which sounds more like a hiss if you are a bird) and stumbled back, shaking my head. I thought I was dreaming when I flew, but it suddenly became more real to me than ever. I was a barn owl, my favorite animal! I paused to take this all in, then wondered how I would get back to a human. Before I knew it, there was a tingling feel, and I felt heavy. I looked at my hands, and sighed. I watched Tara circle above me, and then she sailed down gracefully turning into a human on the way.

Tara jogged up to me, looking euphoric. “We have a lot to cover, and now that you have your powers, you can join the Group...”

I shook my head. “Powers...? The Group...? What...?!” I stammered.

Tara laughed, like this was some kind of joke. “I always knew that you had the ability to become an owl, but I didn’t know when until today. And, for the Group, it is a little group that was started by people who also can change, or the Valkarna. We are training to fight our enemies, the Arnaks, and humans who are destroying the environment. We must help our fellow non-human comrades, right?”

I nodded, dazed. Tara stuck out her hand and helped me up. There was a lot of explaining to do.