Special Notes: (For Windigo) You had a very good comment and observation about the story, as you often do and make me look closer at the story to ensure it makes sense. Well, as much sense as a fantasy story can make. On Dara, unlike Earth with primates, the Avians became the dominant species. I took a few basic traits from our feathered friends and used my imagination. What would avians be like if they had become dominant? Well, in my Universe, a blade of grass on Corvus looks the same as a blade of grass on Dara. And, the same with sentient species (though not always, but usually), all sentient species become somewhat humanoid in appearance, though the culture may be vastly different. Why? Mainly because it’s easier for readers to relate. With the Daraians, I gave the males a mane. Male birds are usually the most colorful, often with a swath of color on their chests or backs. I chose the back because I just didn’t feel like having a hairy chested species. And of course, like birds, the Daraian males would be quite proud of their manes. I took away the Daraians wings, they evolved away over the eons. But, some still have the necessary vestige of working bones left over for wings. I made the Daraians an advance species, and with that they were able to produce a prosthetic glider wing that links to their nervous system, allowing limited glided flight. But, as with humans, there are always a few throw-backs; the sloping forehead, the large cranium, and the broad nose. Well, there are still a few throw-back Darians that have the necessary joints in their backs that with the help of technology and properly supported wings, can have permanent wings again. Now for Windigo’s direct question. What is the bond with Blackjack all about. As with humans, we have some primal instincts left over. In macro evolution, certain traits were more favorable for survivability. Humans ability to lift their arms over their heads were one of those. It gave us the ability to throw a spear. That gave us an advantage in hunting and freed time to pursue medicine, arts, science, religion—basic quality of life. With the Daraians, as with birds. The ability to know or feel what each other is doing was a survival trait. Birds can fly in perfect formation, can turn together. Even can sense a predator and evade. That survival trait will have grown as they marched towards sentience until they could (in my Universe) hear each others soul song. Then I took a chapter from modern humans. Something almost ever single one of us has experienced. First Love. We have all had that first love, it was a bond so deep that we thought our hearts would explode. But that first love often didn’t become our eventual mate. Yet we maintain that love deep inside us, and if we encounter that person years later, we still feel that incredible bond that was once shared. Moeth and Jack was first love. Forbidden love. A love that could never be. And in the Daraian fashion, they First Bonded and sang a soul song so beautiful that it circled Dara for three days until every Daraian had heard the song. And all knew the song also sang of an event that was rushing toward them. The arrival of the Eagle was hidden in that song. Moeth and Jack were ripped apart, and Moeth found a second love. Nearly as perfect. The clues are all there. Moeth and Raen are the parents of….. Jack and *** are the parents of…. The two offspring of these couples become… Oh, but first so many stories to write in this epic story. Children of the Alliance, The Gunslingers, Book I Children of the Alliance, The Ravens, Book I Children of the Alliance, The Princes, Book I Children of the Alliance, (sequel books) Children of the Alliance, The fall of the Empire Children of the Alliance, Jon Black Children of the Alliance, The Bone Skulls Children of the Alliance, ….. you get the idea.. it goes on for awhile. I will die of old age long before I can ever write the whole story.