A Holiday Story: The Tome of Wishes

Khione and Indra had set off for the only bookshop in town, brimming with excitement and trepidation. They had left the family property as soon as sky was a watery grey. Indra had ensconced herself within her leathers and furs, seeking refuge from the predawn chill while still sporting the latest trends that Khione knew humans liked to pay attention to. All the tyto had to do was tuck her wings in tight and fluff out her feathers to ensure that the skin beneath the quills stayed dry and warm. The interlocking shafts of her feathers doing well to trap in body heat.

 

The reason for this trip into town wasn't for food or clothing or supplies, but they went to check on a rumor. Indra's younger brother Dyera, had thrown himself into the stables, blasting wind and snow in with him. The boy's hair was wild and yet blended in with their snowy surroundings, and his grey eyes wide as he vibrated with energy.

 

Khione had hunkered further down into her nest while Indra had mumbled a complaint about spending a pretty fortune for the heat spell that kept the interior of the stables warm and comfortable. A safer yet expensive option than using fire. Not to mention, the heat was capable of spreading evenly throughout the entire structure, leaving no drafts of any kind.

 

The pre-teen boy had run over and plopped down on a bale of hay.

 

"Have you ever heard of the Tome of Wishes?" Dyera said, his voice low and full of excitement.

 

Khione and Indra exchanged curious glances.

 

"No," Indra answered in unison to Khione's head shake.

 

"Well, it supposedly exists," He continued. "It's an ancient book with the power to grant any wish. It's said to have been written by a powerful mage long ago. No one knows exactly where it is, but rumor has it that it might be in our town!"

 

Indra's brows furrowed while Khione tilted her head. The tyto knew exactly what Indra was about to voice. 'Did you happen to hear this from the boys in town?'

 

"Did you happen to hear this from the boys in town?"

 

Khione nailed it.

 

Dyera paused, sensing the skepticism in that tone. "Well yeah, but I'm serious! My tutor brought it up first! He said that the Tome of Wishes was created around this time of year, when the snow was at its heaviest and when the night sky had ribbons of light hanging in it."

 

The next part he grumbled it. "I only asked a few friends that I knew and they said it might be in town..."

 

Khione cooed and preened at her neck feathers a bit, communicating an image to her rider. An image of the very bookshop they always passed.

 

Indra grasped the concept of what Khione was saying and agreed to humor her brother. "Well I suppose the bookstore isn't that far into town. And I guess I'm not anything else right now."

 

Dyera perked right back up at that, almost falling off of the hay barrel.

 

"But," Indra held up a finger while Khione grinned smugly. "You'll need to do all of your chores with no complaints for the week in exchange for us checking this out for you."

 

Dyera was much too excited to bother bemoaning the bargain. "Deal!"

 

And that was how rider and stryx found themselves hustling into town, the chill nipping at their heels driving them a little faster.

 

When they reached the city, they made their way straight to the bookshop.

 

Khione had never seen the insides of a bookshop before, but wasted no time in squeezing herself in. The space was enormous on the inside and exceedingly vast. Shelves crowded with books of all shapes and sizes, each one with its own story to tell. Some were crisp and shiny, with brass bindings to hold them shut, while others had yellowing pages and torn leather covers, having told their stories over and over again through the ages. These shelves seemed to stretch up several levels before coming to a stop before the domed ceiling. The shelves further towards the back of the shop held little walkways jutting out from them, with their own small landings and short stairs.

 

The shopkeeper, a dark-skinned woman wearing a cream sweater and carrying a stack of books, bid them a soft hello and to call on her if they needed help finding anything.

 

It was back there that they quickly found the section Dyera had mentioned, and began to search.

 

After what felt like hours, Khione finally spotted something. She squawked and made for it. It was a thick tome of a book, bound in leather straps with a gleaming golden spine, its pages were edged in silver. An intricate symbol decorated its cover, a swirling circle with a crescent moon in its center. With her beak, she managed to tug the book off the shelf and onto the floor, then thumped it a few times with her talons to get Indra's attention.

 

Her rider rushed over, pausing to hold her breath as she read the title.

 

"The Tome of Wishes."

 

Both stryx and human exchanged a surprised glance.

 

"Ah, the Tome of Wishes. I've read it at least three times now. It's a really good book."

 

Khione startled at the second voice, only to see the shopkeeper standing there, peering over Indra's shoulder, her stack of books much smaller.

 

Khione phrased her question to Indra, mind-to-mind, and the ravenette repeated the question for her. "What's the book about?"

 

The shopkeeper, always happy to discuss her books, positioned her pile of books atop an old wooden ladder, and began to explain.

 

"The Tome of Wishes is a book written by a powerful mage who lived hundreds of years ago. It's about ancient magics, powerful spells, and the stories of how they were used throughout history. There are passages detailing the greatest magical accomplishments, and even more stories on the creation of artifacts imbued with powerful energy."

 

She took a pause, her honeyed eyes near glowing as bright as the Tome's gilded spine. "Most importantly, it is said to have the ability to grant any wish, no matter how grand. You just have to be able to find the spell from within the pages."

 

Then she straightened back up, Khione just now realizing that she and Indra had been leaning into her tale of the book. "Of course that's just a rumor, given the title of the book." She let out a light laugh, the sound like a tinkling bell. "It doesn't help that the mage who wrote this book was called the Wishing Mage during his time. I heard he gained that title due to his mastery and skill over magic."

 

Indra nodded along, far more intrigued than she had been before. With a mage that powerful, surely it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that he could've imbued this book with a wish-granting spell?

 

The bookstore owner went on, "Of course if you're interested in knowing more about the Wishing Mage, I have an amazing biography written by his one and only apprentice. It's also a great read."

 

'We should definitely pick that up too.' Khione conveyed this to Indra.

 

"Thank you very much for the information. I'd like to take both books out on loan if possible."

 

"Splendid! I can ring you up for them right now."

 

Khione just nodded while Indra went to the register to purchase the books.

 

The shopkeeper lovingly wrapped both books up in sheepskin, the fluffy wool providing a cushioned layer of protection for the ancient volumes.

 

Indra tucked them safely under her arm and they left the bookstore.

 

The had just left the bustling city when Khione finally asked her companion what had been on her mind.

 

"What would I wish for?" Indra repeated aloud, her brows furrowing. As heir to her parent's estate, she never really wanted for anything, besides the companionship that both the tyto and her brother now provided her.

 

After a few moments of contemplation, with nothing but the warming sun on their backs and the drifting flurries of snow on their faces, Indra finally replied.

 

"I guess I would wish for nothing to ever change. For it to always just be the two of us. We'd never age, and it would be moments like right now, just repeating endlessly. Like pausing time, if only for a little while." Indra paused, her expression growing wistful. "I would love for Dyera to stay fourteen forever as well, but I couldn't possibly wish that of him. But you and I? We're on the same page I think."

 

She threw a wink at the blue galyx tyto who chirruped in agreement.

 

'Of course Indra.' Khione thought with her mind, her heart, and her soul. 'You and I forever. But I think you know that you don't need to wish for that.'

 

As if Khione's unspoken words, her very thoughts, had reached her, Indra De Basequin let out a smile.