Dear readers, tonight with us is a vulture, guiding an unwitting a warrior on a quest on the behest of the Wind Maker.

Tell us a little about where you grew up.

I was born upon the wind.

Gliding through the sky, my untrained strength carried by a warm, soft air current, a voice called to me: “Welcome to Rühílawé.”

I turned my unfocused eyes down to see another—one who has been carrying me on his back.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I am.” The voice is like a whisper of the air. “Power.” Thunder rumbled from dark clouds hovering over the span of Oceanus below. My heart shudders. “Presence.” The form of the speaker becomes clearer in my sight. “Unity.” His brown feathers shimmered with sunlight, their white tips translucent. “Breath.” He smiled, gliding playfully up beside me. “Könethel.”

The Wind Maker.

This was my beginning.

From there, he taught me to read the sky and navigate the present. I learned to cherish the shelter of the trees, their firm branches and rough bark the foundation of my rest. I do not hide in the shadows of the woodlands, however. My wilderness is the sky, my perspective keenest from above the cacophonous, cluttered lowlands with all their walkers’ comings and goings. My domain is freer, simpler, and at peace.

Until the dragon came.

The realms above and below collided with war. The sky became dangerous.

“You must leave Rühílawé,” the Wind Maker told me. “I need your eyes elsewhere.”

What do you do now?

I was sent across Oceanus to a land even more tarnished by war. In its northernmost reaches, beyond the Mountains of the Crescent Moon, a dry sandy desert stirred with factions of a warring race. The Wind Maker charged me to observe one particular tribe.

“They are called the Thraz,” the Wind Maker explained. “One day, a warrior will rise from their ranks and see the world clearer than the rest. Befriend and watch over him. You have my sight and an echo of my voice. He will need both.”

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

The warrior’s name is Raez. Our friendship enables his sight to be enhanced. Though he still does not recognize its source, my voice in his thoughts drew him away from the desert, across the mountains, and to the sea. Through me, the Wind Maker calls to him.

There are other voices, however, that distract and confuse. I am not strong enough to contend with all of them. Thankfully, I am not alone. There are others, like me, helping to watch and direct the paths of these lowland beings. I still do not comprehend all that the Wind Maker intends, but trust that the two sparrows, Osré and Oshrémi, are his servants.

With our help, Raez can unite his people.

What is the worst thing about Raez?

The perspective of these lowland walkers can be annoyingly small. They nest so many questions. Where has confidence in instinct gone? Hesitate too long or often, and the winds will push you to the brink of failure and death. I do not have such luxury. Watching over Raez can feel like guarding a slow, oblivious child.

What is the best thing about Raez?

I admire his persistence. He is stronger than most lowland walkers I have encountered, and more attentive. If he continues to keep the wind at his back, he will fulfill his quest.

What does the future hold for you?

Raez remains my priority. I have received no other instruction. Therefore, I will honor the Wind Maker with patience. I do not know all that is happening, but suspect that the outcomes will exceed this one lowland walker. In the meantime, with the help of Osré and Oshrémi, we are returning at last to Rühílawé, and for that I am glad.

Can you share a secret with us, which you’ve never told anyone else?

These lowland walkers do not understand my speech. They think me like any other vulture. Thian knows better, for he is a Séoran, but even he does not fully grasp what the Wind Maker offers beyond the horizon. It is not my place to explain the truth to them, however, for even I do not know it in full. I have but to remain attentive and ready.

Passionate about art, outdoor adventure, and world travel, J.D. Grubb has lived chapters in the United States and Europe, and wants to explore every corner of the world. He currently lives in northern California. Three Shades is his second novel, building upon the world introduced in There was Music. (You can find an interview with Nabilak from his first novel here).

You can find Ornithez on the pages of Three Shades.

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