Thanks to horrid quantities of overtime, my second summer illustration project for 2023 wound up stretching out from June to September.
I wrote “One Shining Day” in 2005 to fulfill my wonderful mother’s request for a story of the Defender and his family when he was young, before the final destruction of the avarii.
The story itself describes a single day in the life of fledgling Hope Amid Twilight in 1045 DH, one year before the destruction. The scene I chose for the illustration depicts his traveling with his younger sister Night Yearning to the Snowhaven Enclave Archive. Night Yearning breaks the rules for travel by air, and a concerned neighbor flies over to check on them.
Hope Amid Twilight and Night Yearning are not blindfolded, but wearing eye-garb to conceal the fact that they are both mage-seers from the general public. Learning to regulate the brightness of their eyes in order to pass as ordinary shapechangers is a skill that takes time to master.
"Thank you," Twilight Hope said. "May an upwards wind bear you."
"And both of you as well," Flying Leaf called as she sprang into the air, "when next you seek it."
"I want to fly!" Night Yearning howled as Flying Leaf's swift wingbeats carried her away. "Now, now, now!"
– "One Shining Day"
The fun of this scene was the opportunity to depict avarii in three stages of development: nestling, fledgling, and adult, as well as contrasting male and female plumage.
Nestlings have solid bones, with down on their wings instead of flight feathers. They can regulate their body temperature better than hatchlings, but, like fledglings, are too young to safely enter the winter sleep. The final nestling years are the most challenging for any avarii family, because the nestling wants to fly like everyone else but cannot do so. Attempts to leap from the tops of cliffs, trees, or flying family members are all too common.
Fledglings have hollow bones and flight feathers like adults, but have not yet grown adult plumage or iridescence. Like nestlings, their feathers are all a single color.
Aviir (female avarii) of all ages have feathers in more muted colors. Adult aviir have wing feathers that can be speckled, spotted, striped, outlined or a combination of markings, and the more intricate the pattern, the more admired. Their feather iridescence can be a similar or contrasting hue to the underlying feather color.
Avar (male avarii) have feathers in vivid colors. Adult avar have wing feathers in two or more solid hues; the more colors present, the more admired. Their iridescence should match the underlying feather color.