Book One – Chapter 9

The jabarrah is a striking bird of prey that is renowned for its magical potential, and it only ever approaches wizards when establishing itself as a familiar. Its feathers appear in rich shades of blue and green, complemented by deep blue eyes and a long, sand-coloured beak with a distinctive hook-like curve.

As a midnight stalker, the particular jabarrah that merged with Yves had possessed silver eyes, while his feathers and talons had been naturally black. The familiar’s age and Master Raidenbarl’s magical competence had contributed to the transformation of the Jabarrah’s beak into full silver, accompanied by an abundance of silver feathers that allowed for the storage of substantial magical energy.

Yves remembered the battered state of the Jabarrah. While uncertain of the exact circumstances surrounding Master Raidenbarl’s death, Yves had been informed that he had already fallen when the other masters arrived on the battlefield. Everything had happened much too fast, leaving Yves with fragmented memories distorted by pain and fear. It was plausible that the elf had killed Master Raidenbarl before turning on Yves and Midnight.

The Jabarrah, however, had evaded capture by merging with Yves. Although Yves could not trust his memories, fragmented images occasionally flashed in his mind. These disjointed recollections hinted at the possibility that the Jabarrah had intercepted the elf’s attack, acting as a shield for Yves and Midnight in the critical moment they were struck. The specifics of their fusion remained equally elusive — whether it occurred just before or after the elf’s assault, and whether it was initiated by the Jabarrah or forced by the elf. The familiar might have identified Yves as a novice student of the academy, or sensed something special in him, or recognised a natural connection to Midnight, given their shared midnight stalker nature. It was also plausible that the Jabarrah, in the face of imminent capture or death, simply saw no viable alternative but to merge with Yves, him being the sole alive wizard on the battlefield.