I
The green light flowed on the altar. The newborn Feathered were being baptized by the Miracle Tree.
When the prophet chanted the wishes and asked the Miracle Tree to bless them with its soul and the power of life, the magic in the altar suddenly stirred. The element of wind became a small windstorm circling the altar, and ripples appeared in the baptistery.
The two infant Feathered blinked and looked curiously at the water droplets hanging in the air.
They were brothers. The younger one even waved his little hand gently, trying to touch the dazzling light.
They were both talented with strong magic power and felt an innate familiarity with the elements, even if they didn't yet realize what this meant for them.
The Miracle Tree had grown silently and steadily for hundreds of years, so even the prophet was surprised that the Feathered brothers resonated with it so strongly.
The brothers were named Goar and Dee. Those who witnessed the baptism said it was the Miracle Tree's own choice, and believed the brothers would one day become heroes of the Feathered.
II
"The transformation oath is magic uniquely owned by Demons, capable of turning another race into a Demon and granting it great power."
Goar closed the book of Magic Theory, leaving a mark in its pages.
Unlike Dee, who had been able to sense the faintest flows of magic since birth, Goar always sought his own unique path to power.
The brothers had become the backbone of the Demon Hunting Squad, and Goar was regarded as the "big brother" of the group.
One day, while tracking a Demon's path, Goar accidentally obtained the magic of the transformation oath — the magic of the Shadow Devil.
Then Dee found out. The brothers were nearly torn apart from that moment on. The Demons' oath magic should never appear among the Feathered, a race that had been tormented by Demon fire.
But Goar believed that if he could learn the Demons' magic, he would eventually find a way to restrain them. He knew full well how dangerous it was.
Before the Demon Hunting Squad was to carry out an ambush against their old enemy, the Hell Knight, they held a divination beneath the Miracle Tree. However, the signs were not good — a bloody battle awaited them.
Therefore, the Feathered race held a grand blessing ceremony lasting seven days. The light of blessing radiated upon the shoulders of every soldier.
III
On Breeze Coast, the Demon stood right before them. There was no way back.
As Goar shielded the wounded Dee behind him, the prophet's voice suddenly echoed: "Children of the Feathered, there must be sacrifices in war. I wish glory be to you..."
Beneath the Miracle Tree, every warrior took an oath together with the Lightblade Knight, and each of them was ready to sacrifice himself for the race.
Goar turned and looked back at Dee. He was in pain, wounds covering his body, yet he still clenched the dagger in his hands.
The blessing before the war did not seem to have changed the outcome... No, the battle was not over yet.
There must be sacrifices, Goar believed.
He took the dagger from Dee and strode forward alone, rushing into the black mist of the Shadow Devil.
His wings fell, and sharp pain tore a roar from him. The smell of blood spread. At the same moment, he was swallowed by the darkness.
The Demons' magic oath had been activated. The power of the Fallen Witcher coursed through his body and blood. He charged straight at the enemy, vowing to destroy them.
This was his path.