A gentle voice echoed from somewhere beyond the swirling mist, bringing the towering shadow to an abrupt standstill.
Ethan moved forward cautiously, keeping his senses sharp and letting his hands flick the chill haze away from his path. What materialized before him was both strange and wondrous.
A bird, less than one foot tall but with a bearing of majestic dignity, waited at the center of a pale circle where the cold did not dare intrude.
Its feathers shimmered an iridescent blue, each individual plume rippling like a liquid flame in the morning light. Its neck was long and graceful, eyes a deep, luminous red that seemed to reflect the promise of ancient power. Powerful talons dug into the frostbitten soil, while its tail curled and flared in patterns both alluring and dangerous.
