Inkling 2025 - Flipbook - Page 26
Feather
Deep within the forest lives a creature known
as Elris. They are like something from a
dream—shaped much like us, yet separated
by the vast, feathered wings that bloom from
their backs. Their laughter is light and childlike,
and their eyes shine with a clarity that seems
untouched by pain or lies. When you call their
name in the woods, they respond without
hesitation—like starlight falling into water,
they drift toward you, circling curiously,
wanting only to play.
But they do not know that the end of every
fairy tale is a blade, and the trap waits behind
the smile.
At 昀椀rst, people only marveled at their beauty—
their innocence, their mystery. But once
greed found its spark, it grew like wild昀椀re,
consuming everything in its path. Someone
discovered that Elris feathers could be woven
into the lightest fabric on earth, that their
bones could heal the sick, and that their
trusting hearts were the easiest to fool. From
then on, hunters began to mimic the voices of
children, calling out at the forest’s edge. When
the familiar laughter answered, bowstrings
tightened. Blood fell like shattered dew among
the trees.
And so, the town was born.
The “Featherfalls” town rose from the bones
of the Elris. Homes were draped with feathers.
Necklaces of polished bone hung from
every throat. Pouches 昀椀lled with powdered
wings were worn like charms. The town
26 | INKLING 2025
