to keep their own subjects in check. But when the Romans conquered Greece, they stole the secret and produced Gladius Encánto in massive quantities, sending it at the head of their conquering armies. Under Roman orders, complete villages were obliterated by the devastating weapon, leaving behind mutations that would affect generations.”
There was an etching of a burning village full of men and women writhing in pain as they turned into pigs.
“The Roman Empire wielded the new weapon like a toy, eventually leading to the empire’s downfall. But when Rome crumbled, Gladius Encánto fell into the hands of warlords and despots who used it to carve up the Roman Empire amongst themselves.
“Dozens of small kingdoms were born, each ruled by a royal family wielding the terrible weapon. As they rose in glory, they left behind a wake of disfigured foes—not animal, but not quite human.”
“Doctor?” Will interrupted cautiously. “Is that what happened to you? This Gladius Enc…”
“Encánto.”
“…Encánto. Did you get attacked or something?”
Kaya snorted at Will’s question, but the doctor answered patiently.
“No, not directly. My ancestors were changed anciently, long before the Roman conquests. But, once someone is affected by the change, they pass it along to their children and their children. I was born with feathers just like my grandparents and hundreds of generations before them.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Never apologize for wanting to know the truth,” Dr. Noctua said, pointing a crooked feather and pressing his face close to Will’s. “Truth is elusive. We must never give up the chase, no matter the cost. You understand?”
Will nodded.
Dr. Noctua adjusted his spectacles, turning to a chapter titled ‘Innocent Victims.’
“For several hundred years, kingdoms rose and fell by Gladius Encánto. But, in the 1300s, a war broke out in Europe that changed the world forever. Greedy kings tried to conquer the continent using Gladius Encánto. The common people were caught in the crossfire. Thousands of innocents were changed into half-animal, half-humans. Those that were transformed were the lucky ones. The barrage of Gladius Encánto only changed some people. The rest were poisoned by its intense radiation and died of what history now calls the Black Plague.”
“You’re saying that the Black Plague was a big cover-up?”
“Indeed.”
“What about chasing truth and all that?”
Noctua peered at Will over his glasses. “Some truth must be locked away for the safety of others. Sometimes it leaves deep scars that must be covered in order to allow them to heal.”
With that, the doctor took a sip of water from a plastic hospital cup on the bedside tray, leaving a puncture hole with the tip of his beak.
He continued, “By the time the war had ended, thousands had become outcasts, monsters in their own lands. These Gladius Encánto-affected people, encántos, or enchants, as we are known today, passed their animal traits on to their children. Soon, entire families of enchants with similar mutations began to unite into large colonies for protection. As the colonies expanded, the same rulers whose wars devastated so many began a crusade to rid the world of the new enchant threat. Enchants were hunted to the brink of extinction.”
“Hunted?” asked Will. “But why?”
Dr. Noctua rested the book in his lap and plucked at his chin feathers for a moment. “Because they were different. Their animal sides made them faster, stronger, and physically superior to their enemies.”
“But that’s no reason to kill someone,” argued Will.
Dr. Noctua clicked his beak together. “Agreed. However, not everyone is as enlightened as you are. In fact, what kept enchants from being exterminated was the very thing that changed them in the first place—Gladius Encánto.”
“I thought Gladius Encánto was bad.”
Dr. Noctua held up a feather. “Ah, so did the enchant chemist who
There was an etching of a burning village full of men and women writhing in pain as they turned into pigs.
“The Roman Empire wielded the new weapon like a toy, eventually leading to the empire’s downfall. But when Rome crumbled, Gladius Encánto fell into the hands of warlords and despots who used it to carve up the Roman Empire amongst themselves.
“Dozens of small kingdoms were born, each ruled by a royal family wielding the terrible weapon. As they rose in glory, they left behind a wake of disfigured foes—not animal, but not quite human.”
“Doctor?” Will interrupted cautiously. “Is that what happened to you? This Gladius Enc…”
“Encánto.”
“…Encánto. Did you get attacked or something?”
Kaya snorted at Will’s question, but the doctor answered patiently.
“No, not directly. My ancestors were changed anciently, long before the Roman conquests. But, once someone is affected by the change, they pass it along to their children and their children. I was born with feathers just like my grandparents and hundreds of generations before them.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Never apologize for wanting to know the truth,” Dr. Noctua said, pointing a crooked feather and pressing his face close to Will’s. “Truth is elusive. We must never give up the chase, no matter the cost. You understand?”
Will nodded.
Dr. Noctua adjusted his spectacles, turning to a chapter titled ‘Innocent Victims.’
“For several hundred years, kingdoms rose and fell by Gladius Encánto. But, in the 1300s, a war broke out in Europe that changed the world forever. Greedy kings tried to conquer the continent using Gladius Encánto. The common people were caught in the crossfire. Thousands of innocents were changed into half-animal, half-humans. Those that were transformed were the lucky ones. The barrage of Gladius Encánto only changed some people. The rest were poisoned by its intense radiation and died of what history now calls the Black Plague.”
“You’re saying that the Black Plague was a big cover-up?”
“Indeed.”
“What about chasing truth and all that?”
Noctua peered at Will over his glasses. “Some truth must be locked away for the safety of others. Sometimes it leaves deep scars that must be covered in order to allow them to heal.”
With that, the doctor took a sip of water from a plastic hospital cup on the bedside tray, leaving a puncture hole with the tip of his beak.
He continued, “By the time the war had ended, thousands had become outcasts, monsters in their own lands. These Gladius Encánto-affected people, encántos, or enchants, as we are known today, passed their animal traits on to their children. Soon, entire families of enchants with similar mutations began to unite into large colonies for protection. As the colonies expanded, the same rulers whose wars devastated so many began a crusade to rid the world of the new enchant threat. Enchants were hunted to the brink of extinction.”
“Hunted?” asked Will. “But why?”
Dr. Noctua rested the book in his lap and plucked at his chin feathers for a moment. “Because they were different. Their animal sides made them faster, stronger, and physically superior to their enemies.”
“But that’s no reason to kill someone,” argued Will.
Dr. Noctua clicked his beak together. “Agreed. However, not everyone is as enlightened as you are. In fact, what kept enchants from being exterminated was the very thing that changed them in the first place—Gladius Encánto.”
“I thought Gladius Encánto was bad.”
Dr. Noctua held up a feather. “Ah, so did the enchant chemist who
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