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Jenistas… What are they?

After years of research, and help from a new friend, this is what I’ll answer in what will be my last article here at Adventure’s Magazine!

However, let me first give you a brief introduction.

Most libraries won’t tell you much beyond that Jenistas are a very rare species of bird with distinct, strange formations on their heads and tails that resemble everyday objects. They are said to know many languages, including ours. Some legends call them deceptive tricksters out to corrupt humans with their ideas, while others depict them as sources of social chaos. Either way, they tend to be related to many ancient artifacts of great value, the fall of empires, and secret societies…

Jenistas are extremely difficult to study, because they avoid humans and will fly away at the first sight of us. Whenever explorers have claimed to discover one of their nests, it ended up abandoned before they could share the location… Those who tried to follow their migration routes reached dangerous lands full of beasts, and were eaten alive.

Personally, I can’t blame them for that behavior. Afterall, most intelligent species have had unfortunate run-ins with mankind… some choosing to fight and others to flee. It saddens me that nature has become so scared of us, when several of our kind truly want to join in their peace.

In the case of the Jenistas, there is a good reason for these creatures to avoid us at all costs. Dusty documents from some of our most ancient guilds reveal how, centuries ago, quests had been created with the objective of hunting down these birds. The reasons behind this were often related to a monarch who wanted to get rid of the Jenistas, a chief of the guard who suspected those birds were involved with a rebellion, or because guilds coveted the ancient, cryptic scriptures hidden in their nests.

Apparently, there used to be plenty of Jenistas living among human towns, before those hunt & pillage quests made them abandon our lands and migrate to more peaceful realms…

Through that hunting, many of the mysterious tablets they are known for writing have been collected, but sadly, even after decades of careful hard work, none have been translated. We destroyed any kind of alliance between our races only to rob them of some hieroglyphs that we couldn’t read… Truly a loss.

I have spent a large portion of my time employed by this magazine, asking questions, checking documents, reading books, and even exploring the wilds aimlessly. Something was driving me to find the truth about the Jenistas, and that desire had been following me since childhood. It started when my grandmother gave me a strange, cookie-shaped medallion to wear at all times in order to “attract the birds.” Whenever I asked what that meant, she would only smile and respond “You’ll see.”

Those three words would be the closest thing to an explanation she left me with when she passed away. I was only ten at the time, and it made that poor child hungry for more knowledge on the subject of mysterious flying creatures. Since then, in my quest for meaning I have become a renowned bird expert, with countless articles written for Adventure Magazine about all the fantastical avians that inhabit our planet… but I never had enough to report about the Jenistas, until something happened last year.

It had been a few months since I last bothered searching for information. I began to think my grandmother had just invented her adventures, and that the medallion she had given me was nothing but a memento from one of her travels. But then, on a day like any other, I woke up with a strange, light brown, bird perching at my window.

The creature reminded me of a falcon mixed with a rufous hornero. It had blue eyes, a long tail, strange runes on its chest, wings that ended in white tips, and a flowery crown on its head. Part of me thought some prankster had decorated a poor bird and let it loose… until the creature spoke with me.

“Greetings, Abda!” The bird opened one wing and lowered its head in a formal manner. “My name is Yna Yrtna, and I’ve been watching you for quite a long time.”

“How come I’ve never seen you?” I scratched my head, uncertain if I was talking to a mythical creature or a shady wizard’s familiar. “I find that hard to believe”

“I was there when your grandmother gave you this cookie amulet. I was there when you bought your first duck-whistle. And that day in the festival, when you wanted a sweatroll but your mother didn’t give you any money, I was the one who dropped a silver coin at your feet.”

“You what!?”

The bird told me about my own childhood, describing lots of my most memorable moments in extremely rich detail. She told me about my articles and, much to my flattery, how much she enjoyed reading them. She even reminded me of childhood friends I had long forgotten. To finish it up, the bird mentioned my grandmother, how they used to be friends… and how Yna was asked by her to watch over me.

“Why are you only showing yourself to me now after all these years? I’ve been looking over your kind for years!”

“Excuse me for the delay… Jenistas must be very cautious around humans…” Yna looked around, as if a cat could jump at any moment. “Our two species don’t have a good relationship, and we are wary even among the offspring of our dearest friends. So I had to watch you for a few years before I felt it was right to approach.”

“Did you just come to say hello?”

“In fact, I’ve been observing your recent efforts to uncover the secrets of my kind. I’ve talked with other Jenistas and we’ve decided we both have something to gain from this. We want to tell you our entire story, and all we ask in return is that you write about us truthfully. My race has been subject to many myths that lead to us being hunted for loot and revenge. Now we seek the assistance of people like you, journalists and researchers, to help clean our distorted image so that my race can, perhaps, someday live among yours once again…” Yna tilted its head and stared deep into my eyes. “How about this? Will you be willing to fly with me to our sanctuary?”

“I can’t wait to start!” I jumped in circles a few times. “Just let me pack my things first…”

“You won’t need any supplies.” She pointed at my cookie medallion with her beak. “Just put this on your forehead and close your eyes.”

“Like this?”

“I hence grant you the title of temporary Jenista!”

Before I had time to understand, my body was squeezed from all directions. My face was pushed forwards. A burst of feathers exploded from my ass. My legs shrank. My arms flattened. And the whole world became giant around me…

PART I - Anatomy
My regular readers know that I always like to start my articles with a detailed description of how each of the studied specimens look. However, this time I have a special opportunity to tell you how it feels to actually be the creature!

I can’t compare this to the sensation of being another bird, because obviously, I’ve just been a human all my life… so here it goes:

Imagine having your chest stuffed to triple its size, with its roundless extra puffed out… plus being forced into a perfect posture, with both shoulders pulled back at all times… Having arms so wide and fluffy that you can basically use them as blankets… Standing on extremely short, scaled legs that bend backwards and can only move with small jumps. Keeping myself upright was a problem at first because rather than 5 toes, I had 3 in the front and one extra coming out from the heels to keep balance.

If you are the kind of person who gets annoyed about always seeing your nose between your eyes, you would hate having your mouth and nose fused into a long beak that takes a fifth of your field of view!

However, if you are into long, fashionable dresses, you'd love the designs of a Jenista's tail on your behind! Those fluffy, intricate details would put those of a peacock’s to shame, with long feathers and plenty of swishing potential. It felt like I had a luxurious cape swaying behind me at all times!

Yet, the most interesting trait of a Jenista was right atop my head… A wooden-like cookie extended from my forehead like a mohawk. The very object I had carried around my neck since childhood was now part of my body. Apparently, each of those birds had their own emblem. Yna Yrtna displayed a crown, I featured a cookie, and some of the drawings I had found during my research showed Jenistas with leaves, food, vases and all sorts of things decorating their heads and tails!

Another distinct feature of jenistas are the symbols some of them carry on their wings. In my case, I fashioned the insign of a quill, which I believed was related to my role as a reporter... or a storyteller.

At first it felt weird and embarrassing to be fully naked, but all the fluffy feathers were like a snuggly sweater that wrapped my whole body. I almost wanted to sit down on a comfy nest and hug myself trying to feel that softness…

“Ready to start?” Yna flew down from the window all the way to the floor with me, and that was when I realized how big she actually was (Or rather, how small I had become). That other Jenista, who could fit in my purse before, was now a full head taller than me.

“Start what?” I gulped.

“A migration.” She opened her wings and seemed to smile at me.

PART II - Migration Routes (highlights)
I will usually describe the many routes that each species takes, their usual places of departure and arrival, and at which season they move. However, for understandable reasons, Yna told me to omit that portion for the Jenistas… at least not until peace among our races has been restored.

I could tell you about how it feels to fly as a bird; how the wind brushes against my feathers and the upwards pressure keeps me gliding; how light my body is; how easily I can maneuver; the sight of the shrunken world below me; the freedom from the noise of human civilization in general; and lots of other things... but I’m sure most of my readers wouldn't want that kind of content. Instead I decided to interview Yna Yrtna on our voyage, so here are the highlights of our conversations:

Me: Would you mind if I ask you some questions and put them in an article?

Yna: Of course! I really hope you can help bridge the gap between our races.

Me: I’m sorry to ask this but… Where are all the Jenistas? Did humans really push you so far away…?

Yna: I wasn’t alive at the time, but once we arrive I can show you some of our scriptures about that. Our relationship with humans used to be good in ancient times, but as your race wanted more power, our existence was threatened… and we had to flee into a series of safe havens.

Me: Is that why it’s so hard to find any Jenistas these days? I’ve gone to many guilds and scholars, but hardly anyone knows about your race… much less have ever seen one. Did you abandon our towns for good?

Yna: We haven’t given up on humans yet. Some of us continue to watch over, and occasionally make contact with those we can rely on to not betray us. That’s why I still live among your kind, although hidden from sight. I know it is dangerous, but some humans are special and make good friends, like your grandmother and you. That’s why I still come out to speak with those I trust.

Me: So… About my grandmother and this strange amulet. Is it normal for Jenistas to transform humans like this? Are these amulets some kind of Jenista magic?

Yna: No, sadly. That was your grandmother’s invention. [The creature closed its eyes as it seemed to remember something] She used it to play with me when I was just a kid. I was quite surprised by the magic, but she never taught us how to replicate it. So yours is the only one of its kind.

Me: That may be a good thing. Wouldn’t it be dangerous for Jenistas if ill-intended people could just disguise as one of you and find your secret hideout?

Yna: We would know a fake Jenista if we saw one.

Me: How?

Yna: Every Jenista knows all Jenistas.

Me: That seems a bit… hard to believe.

Yna: Our race has evolved to maximize social skills. We are all linked by our friendships and our power comes from the bonds we create among ourselves.

Me: How do you find room in your head for everyone, and still keep track of all the prehistoric studies your kind is known for?

Yna: We don’t. Our tiny brains are almost full with just the social knowledge., Ffor everything else, we use the scriptures to help us remember.

Me: I’ve read lots of mentions of these ancient documents during my research. What exactly are they? Humans seemed very interested in acquiring those cryptic messages.

Yna: The tablets register everything our minds can’t remember. Jenistas have been writing down our experiences since the dawn of time.

Me: What exactly does your race write about?

Yna: Everything!

Me: Like… stories from the ancient days of our world? Stories from a time before humanity?

Yna: Almost every piece of stimulus that enters our memory, including recounts from that long ago.

Me: Oh my! That explains why people are trying to hunt you down! Do you know how valuable this kind of knowledge is? People would pay fortunes to know the secrets of our past!

Yna: We do, that’s why we share it with those who ask for it. Our scriptures are not a secret.

Me: Wait… you…

Yna: We are friends with the elves and kobolds. Both very kind races. Elves like sharing their stories with us too. Kobolds like to hear our stories about the origins of dragons. We wanted to share with humans too, but we faced… a few problems with your race.

Me: Like what?

Yna: Jenistas think the past is sacred, and that we should treasure and remember the things that brought us to where we are. Humans… like to place themselves at the center of everything.

Me: What were they trying to do?

Yna: Some humans didn't like the past we described, and wanted us to rewrite history to erase the flaws of rulers and heroes. They also didn’t like their primitive past and how much they depended on other races. Some banished any of our tales that were “blasphemous” and forbid us from spreading them. Others even wanted that knowledge for themselves and decided to steal our scriptures. The kings that disliked the stories we wrote about their ancestors ordered them to be burned… and created their own…

Me: Can you tell me one of these stories that humans didn’t want you to share? I am sure that our historians would-

Yna: Ha ha… No.

Me: Why?

Yna: Because I don’t remember it. However, don’t worry! I’ll show you some of our scriptures when we get there.

Me: Are we going to one of the Jenistas’ havens?

Yna: Of course. My friends are eager to meet the granddaughter of Marleen. Just make sure not to write anything about where we live…

Me: So that humans don’t attack you?

Yna: No. Because if a human tries to reach our land, they’ll be ambushed by the elves who protect the forests… Or by the giant beasts that lurk in the valley…

Me: So… you are actually worried about us?

Yna: Why not?

Me: Just… surprising, considering how much we have hurt you. Your race is dangerously kind… it’s a miracle you all survive in this wicked world.

Yna: As long as we are among friends, we are safe. Jenistas survive because of our friendships… Your race, on the other wing, seems keen on making enemies and being surrounded by them.

PART III - Natural Habitat
After almost a full day of flight, which was rather relaxing and energizing compared to previous long travels I’ve done, we finally got there! I can’t tell you where the Jenistas live, but I can certainly describe all of its wonderful details.

It was a large chain of mountains that almost touched the clouds, strewn with waterfalls that came from within a dozen caverns and then spread into rivers that ran all the way to the horizon.

The place was covered by the canopies of extraordinarily tall trees, which came in different shades, mostly green but some shimmering with orange and cherry colors. Hanging from them were flowers that had every color of the rainbow, and large fruits that went from basic ones to exotic types that I had never seen in my life. The amount of food hanging from the branches would be enough to feed an entire human town, and it was all there left for anyone to take.

The fruits and flowers weren’t the only colorful aspect of the scenario. Hundreds of birds with exuberant feathers glided through the air over us, in and out of the trees, dancing on the skies, building up nests, and much more. Only a fraction of those creatures were Jenistas, while the rest were other rare birds I have already written about. And notably, those acted in orderly, friendly fashions among each other, with a level of intelligence that their species had never displayed in human towns. There were miniature blue jays resting on the same branch beside giant war falcons which, as my readers would know, usually make prey of other bird species.

When I asked Yna Yrtna about that strange sight, I was told that Jenistas were capable of speaking with any species of bird, offering shelter for any creature who wished to live in peace. The only catch was that hunting was prohibited in the mountain and predators had to obey that rule.

Me: And who’s going to enforce that law if Jenistas are peaceful creatures?

Yna: The other birds of course. Those who´ve been living in peace here don’t want any troublemakers, so they group together to protect this sanctum.

At the ground level, there were many dirt roads and buildings made of wood, stone and clay, roofed with leaves and twigs. They had no chimneys and no gardens, but the natural vegetation grew on their walls as if the houses were part of the environment. I immediately recognized those as elvish cottages! There was an entire elven city on that mountain!

Me: Do you share this land with the elves?

Yna: Jenistas have always lived within civilization. Our natural habitat is among social races willing to befriend us… Be them elves, goblins, kobolds, faeries, and many that lived long before your kind.

Me: What do these elves have to gain from the Jenistas?

Yna: We've seen civilizations rise and fall, and recorded every detail in the scriptures. We offer counseling to those willing to listen, so that their civilizations might not follow in the footsteps of the corrupted.

Me: So… you are like… trying to protect people from themselves?

Yna: We watch, we learn, we write. Every race is different, but some things have proven to work and lead to progress wherever it was established. Liberty, solidarity and fraternity never fails. Making friends never fails. Simple things, but easily forgotten.

Me: Easy indeed...

As my eyes went from the soil to the treetops, I spotted massive clay nests with designs and weavings that I had never seen in all my years of birdwatching, and rivaling human architecture with their beauty. Although the place was full of birds I had already studied, none of those nests matched their patterns… Instead, they were a mix of dozens of different techniques combined.

Me: What’s up with these nests?

Yna: Every bird in here, and the Jenistas, share our skills and knowledge with one another. What you are seeing is the result of hundreds of years and hundreds of species working together to build the best nests we could come up with.

Me: Is this normal, or just happens here?

Yna: Jenistas want to make friends, share stories and knowledge. Wherever we go, we try to get everyone together in one big community. Any animal has the potential to be a contributor towards peace and prosperity.

Me: What about humans?

Yna: Well… Let me take you to one of our scriptures…

PART IV - The Scriptures
Some trees in that forest were very chunky and old, their barks more like brown stone than wood, their leaves long gone and moss covering everything from the base to the top. Inside one of these ancient trees I was given the honor to see the Jenistas’ biggest treasure… Their scriptures.

The inner walls of that large bark were completely covered with tablets of unknown material, scribbled with strange symbols I couldn’t decipher. There were vines running in all directions, with other Jenistas using them to rest while reading. Yna easily navigated in that close space, landed in front of a scripture, and I stood by her side.

Me: Oh my! Is this like your library or something?

Yna: This is one of many. There are others like this scattered throughout the mountains, not to mention every part of the world where Jenistas live. There are also smaller ones in our nests, used as diaries, to make sure we never forget any meaningful event in our lives.

Me: If each of you has a diary, who writes these ones in here?

Yna: When a Jenista witnesses something of great importance, they will add it to our public scriptures for all to learn. I myself keep a registry of the important events that happen in your town, and also highlights from your work..

Me: Are you all a fan of the Adventurer’s Magazine?

Yna: That magazine is like a human's scriptures. We love to read about the world and all the interesting things that exist. You’ve covered some things that we had no idea about.

Me: So, it would be right to say that the scriptures are both part of your individual mind, in the case of the diaries; and part of your collective knowledge, in the case of the libraries?

Yna: If you want to put it like that, then yes.

Me: What if another Jenista reads your diary? Do you keep it hidden or something?

Yna: Of course not. We show our diaries to one another when we meet.

Me: In this case, the scriptures that humans had stolen were just personal diaries? Nothing important about the world was lost?

Yna: You are right about it not being something important about the world, but we do not take it kindly to losing a diary. [She looked down, saddened by my words]. Stealing the diary of a Jenista is like killing its soul. Without our diaries, our memories erode like castles of sand; we are left without a past and without a sense of self. Every night before sleep, we must glance upon our diaries to keep our memories in place. Those tablets are as much us as our feathers.

Me: Seems difficult to read one’s whole life every day!

Yna: The scriptures are not read in a normal way. It is the language of the gods, each symbol a unique feeling that is absorbed by the soul and transformed into memory.

Curious about it, I stared into the strange characters without a clue of what they meant, while Yna stared at me as if watching an illiterate child trying to read. I had expected that being in the body of a Jenista would let me translate it… but sadly I was wrong.

Me: How do I read it?

Yna: The gift of Divine Literacy is given to our hatchlings at birth. It is a blessing given to us by the old gods themselves, so that we could write the history of the world and keep it safe from those who want to rewrite the past.

Me: But… Can I learn it?

Yna: It is not something that can be taught, because you read it with your soul, not your mind. But if you are interested in knowing how humans and Jenistas used to live, I can tell you.

Me: I do.

Yna Yrtna looked at the hieroglyphs and closed her eyes, absorbing the message and letting its meaning flow through her spirit. Her body emitted a light blue aura, and the symbols in the scripture lit with the same color. A channel of pure energy connected the Jenista to the text… her mind becoming one with the memories.

PART V - Interactions with Humans
Yna: At the dawn of human history, there were only small tribes of hunters and gatherers, surviving in a world of strong beasts and harsh weather. Sadly, whenever different tribes found one another, they didn’t cooperate, and instead chose to fight over land and food. The gods sent us to help them unite, using our abilities to show them how to treasure their similarities and understand their differences… So, once again, we were tasked with planting the seeds of civilization.

Me: How did this “planting” go?

Yna: We lived among humans for centuries and helped those tribes make peace. We made sure your race would prosper like the others by teaching you what they did right, while preventing you from falling in the same pitfalls that others had stumbled upon. As your race built houses, and cities, and farms, Jenistas moved in to live under the rooftops and orchards. We thrive where civilization does, so we help it flourish to give us a place to be.

Me: So you taught us how to build our houses, do agriculture, make tools and everything else?

Yna: Of course not. We just helped humans become friends with each other and nature, learning how to live in society and respect one another. Your race invented all those technologies. To be honest, out of all the races we’ve befriended, humans learned the value of working together faster than nearly any other! For a long time, we thought humans would be the perfect embodiment of teamwork, friendship and equality. No other race had embraced our teachings as much as humans did.

Me: So… everything was going fine?

Yna: As human cities expanded, more Jenistas moved in with them. We even acted as messengers to bring the smaller tribes into the larger towns. And it all went well at first, with more and more people deciding to stay together and live under the same rules and customs. We were really proud of humans at the time. Jenistas from all over the world were doing their best to help your race prosper and work together… The gods were impressed, and so were we.

Me: So far I don’t see any problems…

Yna: The more people you have in a town, the harder it is to know everyone and make friends with all. Human numbers increased too much… much more than any Jenista ever expected. When we first met those old human tribes, most of us could befriend every person individually, but before long your kind started to outnumber us by a factor of hundreds. We had no idea how to deal with cities that had thousands of inhabitants and where most people didn’t know each other… Our teaching of friendship, fraternity and solidarity would no longer work if people saw each other as strangers.

Me: Heh… We sure multiply a lot.

Yna: We had no idea how to work with such a large number of individuals. So we shared with humans something that we used ourselves: monarchy. The Jenistas are all ruled by a wise queen who guides our race into the future, so we tried to teach humans how to be queens and kings. We thought that was the best way to help them, because if they didn’t know each other, they could all know the king and queen… and that ruler would be the one that we taught…

Me: And then…

Yna: Your race didn’t do well with power. Things were simple when all humans were equal, but as soon as hierarchies started to arise, your kind would no longer look to those at the bottom. The villages became fortified because each tribe began to covet what others had, seeing their own kind as competitors. Armies were built, and in a matter of centuries, war broke between everyone as kings wanted more power… It was a disaster. We had never dealt with something like that before.

Me: And what about the Jenistas? Didn’t you try to stop the kings?

Yna: We tried. But the kings and queens that were kind enough to listen were soon taken down by nobles who wished to take their place. We tried to remind humans about their humble past, about their first years of existence when they were all equal and all helped each other… but the nobles forbid us from teaching it. They wanted to spread around the message that they had divine rights and divine powers… And that they were more important than us… We didn’t know where we had made a mistake…

Me: Oh my…

Yna: We tried to bring back a sense of friendship and equality among your race… but our efforts didn’t bring peace. We reminded humans of their potential and how strong they could be when united. We had hoped that we could bring them together… Instead, we accidentally sparked revolutions that led to civil wars and chaos. Without ever wanting any of that, we caused mankind’s most violent wars, and those wars brought upon the harshest tyrants.

Me: Did you… find a way to stop all of that?

Yna: Those in power no longer wanted our help and our counseling. Our ideas were seen as a threat to the royals. They either stopped believing our scriptures or knew that they could get away with more by lying. The Jenistas were considered troublemakers, anarchists, evil creatures sent by demons to dethrone the rightful kings. Those at the top began to hunt our race down and burn our scriptures; adventurers were paid for delivering our heads; speaking to us was punished with death… and that gave way to the reputation you know today. We had to flee your towns and live among other races until today.

Me: I’ve read some names given to your species… things like: Devil’s bird, feathered snake, avians of temptation and… I don’t even want to say some of them.

Yna: I didn’t know about those… Things really didn’t go well.

Me: So what is the plan now?

Yna: I’m gonna present you to our queen.

PART VI - Social Hierarchy
After leaving the library, I was taken into the “palace” where Queen Jenista lived. That word is left in quotation marks because the place wasn’t a castle, ziggurat, or any other type of location that us humans typically associate with royalty. Frankly speaking, it was like most other trees in the mountain.

I asked Yna if this was some sort of illusion to hide the queen’s location in case of attackers, but she reassured me that this ordinary-looking tree was the royal residence. She had to point out to me which one of the nests amongst its branches the ruler lived in, with how unremarkable it was. I would’ve never guessed their queen lived in such a humble place.

Me: What’s up with her nest? Is there a flag or something to show it’s special?

Yna: The queen lives at the center of the forest, where every Jenista can easily and quickly find her. Our houses serve only for sleeping and caring for our eggs, so we don’t need luxury like other races do. Special banners and spires would only get in the way.

Me: Then what’s the point of being a queen if you can’t have all the cool stuff?

Yna: Being queen is not supposed to be fun. Her role is to guide the Jenistas and decide our long-term goals. She is also the one who creates new rules when needed, usually with her advisors [Yna gestured towards all the other nests nearby the royal one]. They all live with the queen. And, most importantly, she listens to everyone, not just the others on top…

Me: Can we go in there like this… No question asked?

Yna: The queen is expecting your visit. And even if she wasn’t, all are welcome to speak with her. It is her duty to listen. If a leader isn’t ready to speak with its people, it leads to the same type of greed that plagues the rulers of your species.

Me: Didn’t any of your kings or queens ever want to take all the power for themselves and rule over everyone?

Yna: We once almost fell into that… But thanks to humans, we had learned the pitfalls of power, so we avoided it. In a certain way, the failure of your royals have helped Jenistas not follow the same path. That’s why it’s important to record the past… even the more sad parts of it.

Me: I’m not sure if I should take this as a compliment…

While I was completely terrified to be brought into the presence of a monarch, Yna casually led me up as if we were walking to a friend’s house. She sat on a small branch, directly facing the queen, and I stood by her side, mimicking her movements, scared I’d mess up some customs… such as a special bow… a royal greeting… or some other unusual thing. I was still struggling just to maneuver my wings and avian posture.

However, I was surprised when Yna merely lifted her wing and said “Hi”, to which the queen replied with… “Hi.”

Me: Hi…

Queen Jenista was bigger than Yna. She had the looks of a falcon and was mostly covered in brown feathers, but the tips of her wings were a colorful rainbow. The queen had a pink mohawk and a big donut at its tip, with another on her tail… And I couldn’t stop looking at those food-shaped details…

Queen Jenista: Are you going to comment something about the donut?

Me: W-what? N-no! No… Sorry… I was… just… [I looked at the quill symbol on my wings, wondering if Jenistas had jokes about every marking]

Yna: Quite a shame. [She chuckled] Our queen likes collecting donut jokes.

Me: Erm… I do have a cookie on my head…

Queen Jenista: Is this the human you have spoken to me about, Yna Yrtna? The descendent of Marleen?

Yna: Indeed. May you present yourself, Abda?

Me: I am Abda, her granddaughter. She used to tell me stories about magical birds who knew how to speak our language! I’ve been obsessed with finding you every day of my life. I am humbly honored to be here and do whatever I can to show the world the truth about your kind.

Yna and the queen looked at each other, as if I had just said something funny… And if I wasn't covered by feathers, they would surely see my reddened cheeks.

Queen Jenista: Your grandmother called us birds that speak the human language?

Me: I… Well… Not exactly… T-That was just her explaining to a child…

Queen Jenista: Interesting. May I call you a monkey that speaks my language?

Me: Sorry! I didn’t mean to disrespect! I-It’s just that humans like to take credit for everything, and I have lived amongst them for quite… since ever…

Queen Jenista: No worries, dear. You might’ve forgotten who taught you how to speak, but our scriptures will always remember, and you are free to check them whenever you please.

Me: Erm… I actually can’t…

Yna: I can read more for you, no problem.

Queen Jenista: Anyways, Abda… Do you know why you were brought here?

Me: Yna Yrtna said you all have seen my articles for the Adventurer’s Magazine…

Queen Jenista: We want you to write about us, but not from the perspective of an outsider. I’m inviting you to become an honorary Jenista and to live with us so that you can understand what we are truly trying to accomplish. There is too much noise regarding our race’s true intentions, so we need as much help as we can get to wipe away all the hoaxes about us.

Me: Wait a bit… Live among you?

Yna: What kind of male would you be willing to take as your partner?

Me: This is going a bit too fast-

Queen Jenista: I’ll gladly offer one of my children to you for marriage, so that this can be the beginning of a new friendship among our races.

Me: This is going waaaaaay too fast!

Yna: Abda… Don’t you want to help our races get along? Don’t you want humans to be friends again and bring peace?

Me: I mean… of course but…

Yna: Would you like to live with us until you can fully understand our society, our scriptures, the past of our races and the way forward?

Me: That would be… quite a lot of material to write about…

PART VII - Mating
Nope! Not writing about it this time! Nope! The magazine cannot pay me any amount for that! Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope!

All I will tell you is that pushing out an egg was the strangest, most awkward and weird thing I’ve ever felt in my whole life!

PART VIII - Nesting
A-Anyway… after… that…

Most birds will often tend to their nests in shifts, one keeping the eggs warm while the other goes out to get food, and that isn’t much different in the case of Jenistas. However, thanks to their highly collaborative society, there was plenty of help available to sustain my offspring, both from other Jenistas and regular birds. My job was just to sit on and warm that egg for most hours of the day. I definitely couldn’t complain about comfort, because they had used the fluffiest materials to build my nest. I was scared of resting my feathery body on a bunch of twigs, but this turned out to be way comfier than anything humans had.

Food was brought to me whenever I requested. The Jenista diet consisted of a plethora of fruits ranging from sweet to sour, which I enjoyed quite a lot! But in terms of “meat”, I had to get used to swallowing quite a lot of disgusting things like raw worms and insects… And no matter how many times I tasted those things, I never got used to it... uck…

After a few weeks, the runes that had been painted on my chest during the marriage acquired a strange glow, soon absorbed by the egg. The other Jenistas explained how the blessing that allowed them to read gods’ language was passed down by the mother’s runes, but the runes would only work for those born as Jenistas. I wondered if that was a natural safety valve to protect their secrets from wizards capable of polymorphing.

To keep my existence from being a complete bore, Yna and my “mate” took turns keeping me company. My journalist’s urge was appeased by stories from their libraries, which they gladly read to me whenever I asked…

They read to me about the secret society of the squirrels and how they, with the help of some Jenistas, controlled a few kingdoms from the shadows…

They read to me how kobolds learned blush magic in their large cuddle puddles, and how dragonbolds used that very magic in order to trigger a kobold transformation (See Issue 256). They also told me that Jenistas themselves had learned a lot about friendship from those cuddly, reptilian-like creatures that most races didn’t take seriously.

They read to me about the Night of the Blushpack Insurgence, when Jenistas directed a hundred blushwolves (See Issue 283) into an evil kingdom to help the rebel forces peacefully reclaim their land. Every enemy was turned into a helpless puppy and was later adopted by caring families until they had learned the meaning of love.

They read to me about the magic of the crittercurse forest (See Issue 303), and how the Jenistas worked with a group of mages to enact a passive curse over the entire region. Apparently those woods’ transformative properties were designed to lure in greedy people and “repurpose'' their lives into something less harmful. Jenistas were against death penalty and against imprisonment, but they seemed fine with permanently changing people into small creatures…

Me: About the Blushpack Insurgence and the Crittercurse… Is it normal for your race to intervene in human societies?

Yna: We try to, most of the time, use diplomacy to help races cooperate. However, when the gods grow impatient and want to use drastic measures like plagues, beasts and illness to eliminate the bad humans… We sometimes resort to unusual tactics and ally ourselves with unusual companions.

Me: Well… here I am… sitting on a pile of eggs. [I laughed]. Luckily I’m not hiding from any vengeful god.

Yna: Not from a god, but from your own people.

Me: Excuse me?

Yna: I didn’t want to scare you at the time, but I rushed to your house that day because you were in great danger. Some humans didn’t like you going around and asking questions about the Jenistas… So you, and our research, were at risk.

Me: Am I… a wanted criminal now?

Yna: If you publish this article, you will be…

Me: I’m afraid my time here might last a bit longer than I expected… heh.

PART IX - Parenting & Final Words
You see…

When I said this was going to be my last article, there was a good reason for that…

Being an outlaw for searching out the truth was never something I expected during my career of birdwatching. Who would’ve thought that a biologist would ever be persecuted for studying the wrong kind of specimen?

Anyways, taking care of my hatchling is a lot of work, so my days are quite busy and I have been preparing this piece for many months now. Yna and Queen Jenista said I’m welcome to stay for as long as needed, until it is safe for me to live among humans again, even if that means going to a distant recluse village.

As you read this text, I’m far away teaching my children how to fly, how to make friends, and much more, using a secret network of messenger birds to communicate with the outside world. There were a lot of letters exchanged between me and the editor chief of the magazine, since people were angry at the rumors that they’d post something about Jenistas that didn’t line up with what kings said… More about this at the end.

However, these past few months here have been incredibly healthy for me. I’m never stressed, I’m surrounded by trustworthy creatures that care about me, I have a hundred different fruits to taste, I can fly, learn about the past, and much more…

I’m not even sure I want to go back to humanity anymore.

But don’t worry…

Maybe, if I feel like it, I’ll write another article in the future…

As for my parting words, I deeply hope that anyone reading this understands what the Jenistas truly are, and what they believe in. We should not try to “hunt” or wage war with these caring, intelligent creatures. We should seek to hear their stories and learn their ways… as we used to do.

A very long time ago, humans and Jenistas lived together in harmony… and if we decide to learn their lessons, that mutual bond can form again. Take it from me, who has spent almost all my life as a human, but now feels at ultimate peace among these avian creatures, raising my hatchling. Their teachings can lead all of us to brighter days.

Part X - Editor’s Note
Hello, this is Arito, the editor chief and owner of Adventure Magazine.

There was a lot of internal discussion about publishing this article, as this would put us all on a wanted list and would turn the magazine into a vehicle of rebel information. However, in the end, we stood by our principles and decided that the truth had to be spoken. Adventurers from all over the world read our content because they trust our commitment to real journalism (and ways that they can be turned into animals, but that’s beside the point).

Sadly, from now on, you won’t be able to buy any more articles from the local taverns and inns as you used to. If you are reading this copy, you are lucky to have it in your hands (or paws), because most will probably be confiscated and burned.

Our whole team has already safely moved to secret hideouts around the world, so no need to worry about us. We are continuing to work on more articles and new ways to deliver our magazine to those who want to stay informed.

Thank you for supporting us!

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Jenistas… What are they?

After years of research, and help from a new friend, this is what I’ll answer in what will be my last article here at Adventure’s Magazine!

However, let me first give you a brief introduction.

Most libraries won’t tell you much beyond that Jenistas are a very rare species of bird with distinct, strange formations on their heads and tails that resemble everyday objects. They are said to know many languages, including ours. Some legends call them deceptive tricksters out to corrupt humans with their ideas, while others depict them as sources of social chaos. Either way, they tend to be related to many ancient artifacts of great value, the fall of empires, and secret societies…

Jenistas are extremely difficult to study, because they avoid humans and will fly away at the first sight of us. Whenever explorers have claimed to discover one of their nests, it ended up abandoned before they could share the location… Those who tried to follow their migration routes reached dangerous lands full of beasts, and were eaten alive.

Personally, I can’t blame them for that behavior. Afterall, most intelligent species have had unfortunate run-ins with mankind… some choosing to fight and others to flee. It saddens me that nature has become so scared of us, when several of our kind truly want to join in their peace.

In the case of the Jenistas, there is a good reason for these creatures to avoid us at all costs. Dusty documents from some of our most ancient guilds reveal how, centuries ago, quests had been created with the objective of hunting down these birds. The reasons behind this were often related to a monarch who wanted to get rid of the Jenistas, a chief of the guard who suspected those birds were involved with a rebellion, or because guilds coveted the ancient, cryptic scriptures hidden in their nests.

Apparently, there used to be plenty of Jenistas living among human towns, before those hunt & pillage quests made them abandon our lands and migrate to more peaceful realms…

Through that hunting, many of the mysterious tablets they are known for writing have been collected, but sadly, even after decades of careful hard work, none have been translated. We destroyed any kind of alliance between our races only to rob them of some hieroglyphs that we couldn’t read… Truly a loss.

I have spent a large portion of my time employed by this magazine, asking questions, checking documents, reading books, and even exploring the wilds aimlessly. Something was driving me to find the truth about the Jenistas, and that desire had been following me since childhood. It started when my grandmother gave me a strange, cookie-shaped medallion to wear at all times in order to “attract the birds.” Whenever I asked what that meant, she would only smile and respond “You’ll see.”

Those three words would be the closest thing to an explanation she left me with when she passed away. I was only ten at the time, and it made that poor child hungry for more knowledge on the subject of mysterious flying creatures. Since then, in my quest for meaning I have become a renowned bird expert, with countless articles written for Adventure Magazine about all the fantastical avians that inhabit our planet… but I never had enough to report about the Jenistas, until something happened last year.

It had been a few months since I last bothered searching for information. I began to think my grandmother had just invented her adventures, and that the medallion she had given me was nothing but a memento from one of her travels. But then, on a day like any other, I woke up with a strange, light brown, bird perching at my window.

The creature reminded me of a falcon mixed with a rufous hornero. It had blue eyes, a long tail, strange runes on its chest, wings that ended in white tips, and a flowery crown on its head. Part of me thought some prankster had decorated a poor bird and let it loose… until the creature spoke with me.

“Greetings, Abda!” The bird opened one wing and lowered its head in a formal manner. “My name is Yna Yrtna, and I’ve been watching you for quite a long time.”

“How come I’ve never seen you?” I scratched my head, uncertain if I was talking to a mythical creature or a shady wizard’s familiar. “I find that hard to believe”

“I was there when your grandmother gave you this cookie amulet. I was there when you bought your first duck-whistle. And that day in the festival, when you wanted a sweatroll but your mother didn’t give you any money, I was the one who dropped a silver coin at your feet.”

“You what!?”

The bird told me about my own childhood, describing lots of my most memorable moments in extremely rich detail. She told me about my articles and, much to my flattery, how much she enjoyed reading them. She even reminded me of childhood friends I had long forgotten. To finish it up, the bird mentioned my grandmother, how they used to be friends… and how Yna was asked by her to watch over me.

“Why are you only showing yourself to me now after all these years? I’ve been looking over your kind for years!”

“Excuse me for the delay… Jenistas must be very cautious around humans…” Yna looked around, as if a cat could jump at any moment. “Our two species don’t have a good relationship, and we are wary even among the offspring of our dearest friends. So I had to watch you for a few years before I felt it was right to approach.”

“Did you just come to say hello?”

“In fact, I’ve been observing your recent efforts to uncover the secrets of my kind. I’ve talked with other Jenistas and we’ve decided we both have something to gain from this. We want to tell you our entire story, and all we ask in return is that you write about us truthfully. My race has been subject to many myths that lead to us being hunted for loot and revenge. Now we seek the assistance of people like you, journalists and researchers, to help clean our distorted image so that my race can, perhaps, someday live among yours once again…” Yna tilted its head and stared deep into my eyes. “How about this? Will you be willing to fly with me to our sanctuary?”

“I can’t wait to start!” I jumped in circles a few times. “Just let me pack my things first…”

“You won’t need any supplies.” She pointed at my cookie medallion with her beak. “Just put this on your forehead and close your eyes.”

“Like this?”

“I hence grant you the title of temporary Jenista!”

Before I had time to understand, my body was squeezed from all directions. My face was pushed forwards. A burst of feathers exploded from my ass. My legs shrank. My arms flattened. And the whole world became giant around me…

PART I - Anatomy
My regular readers know that I always like to start my articles with a detailed description of how each of the studied specimens look. However, this time I have a special opportunity to tell you how it feels to actually be the creature!

I can’t compare this to the sensation of being another bird, because obviously, I’ve just been a human all my life… so here it goes:

Imagine having your chest stuffed to triple its size, with its roundless extra puffed out… plus being forced into a perfect posture, with both shoulders pulled back at all times… Having arms so wide and fluffy that you can basically use them as blankets… Standing on extremely short, scaled legs that bend backwards and can only move with small jumps. Keeping myself upright was a problem at first because rather than 5 toes, I had 3 in the front and one extra coming out from the heels to keep balance.

If you are the kind of person who gets annoyed about always seeing your nose between your eyes, you would hate having your mouth and nose fused into a long beak that takes a fifth of your field of view!

However, if you are into long, fashionable dresses, you'd love the designs of a Jenista's tail on your behind! Those fluffy, intricate details would put those of a peacock’s to shame, with long feathers and plenty of swishing potential. It felt like I had a luxurious cape swaying behind me at all times!

Yet, the most interesting trait of a Jenista was right atop my head… A wooden-like cookie extended from my forehead like a mohawk. The very object I had carried around my neck since childhood was now part of my body. Apparently, each of those birds had their own emblem. Yna Yrtna displayed a crown, I featured a cookie, and some of the drawings I had found during my research showed Jenistas with leaves, food, vases and all sorts of things decorating their heads and tails!

Another distinct feature of jenistas are the symbols some of them carry on their wings. In my case, I fashioned the insign of a quill, which I believed was related to my role as a reporter... or a storyteller.

At first it felt weird and embarrassing to be fully naked, but all the fluffy feathers were like a snuggly sweater that wrapped my whole body. I almost wanted to sit down on a comfy nest and hug myself trying to feel that softness…

“Ready to start?” Yna flew down from the window all the way to the floor with me, and that was when I realized how big she actually was (Or rather, how small I had become). That other Jenista, who could fit in my purse before, was now a full head taller than me.

“Start what?” I gulped.

“A migration.” She opened her wings and seemed to smile at me.

PART II - Migration Routes (highlights)
I will usually describe the many routes that each species takes, their usual places of departure and arrival, and at which season they move. However, for understandable reasons, Yna told me to omit that portion for the Jenistas… at least not until peace among our races has been restored.

I could tell you about how it feels to fly as a bird; how the wind brushes against my feathers and the upwards pressure keeps me gliding; how light my body is; how easily I can maneuver; the sight of the shrunken world below me; the freedom from the noise of human civilization in general; and lots of other things... but I’m sure most of my readers wouldn't want that kind of content. Instead I decided to interview Yna Yrtna on our voyage, so here are the highlights of our conversations:

Me: Would you mind if I ask you some questions and put them in an article?

Yna: Of course! I really hope you can help bridge the gap between our races.

Me: I’m sorry to ask this but… Where are all the Jenistas? Did humans really push you so far away…?

Yna: I wasn’t alive at the time, but once we arrive I can show you some of our scriptures about that. Our relationship with humans used to be good in ancient times, but as your race wanted more power, our existence was threatened… and we had to flee into a series of safe havens.

Me: Is that why it’s so hard to find any Jenistas these days? I’ve gone to many guilds and scholars, but hardly anyone knows about your race… much less have ever seen one. Did you abandon our towns for good?

Yna: We haven’t given up on humans yet. Some of us continue to watch over, and occasionally make contact with those we can rely on to not betray us. That’s why I still live among your kind, although hidden from sight. I know it is dangerous, but some humans are special and make good friends, like your grandmother and you. That’s why I still come out to speak with those I trust.

Me: So… About my grandmother and this strange amulet. Is it normal for Jenistas to transform humans like this? Are these amulets some kind of Jenista magic?

Yna: No, sadly. That was your grandmother’s invention. [The creature closed its eyes as it seemed to remember something] She used it to play with me when I was just a kid. I was quite surprised by the magic, but she never taught us how to replicate it. So yours is the only one of its kind.

Me: That may be a good thing. Wouldn’t it be dangerous for Jenistas if ill-intended people could just disguise as one of you and find your secret hideout?

Yna: We would know a fake Jenista if we saw one.

Me: How?

Yna: Every Jenista knows all Jenistas.

Me: That seems a bit… hard to believe.

Yna: Our race has evolved to maximize social skills. We are all linked by our friendships and our power comes from the bonds we create among ourselves.

Me: How do you find room in your head for everyone, and still keep track of all the prehistoric studies your kind is known for?

Yna: We don’t. Our tiny brains are almost full with just the social knowledge., Ffor everything else, we use the scriptures to help us remember.

Me: I’ve read lots of mentions of these ancient documents during my research. What exactly are they? Humans seemed very interested in acquiring those cryptic messages.

Yna: The tablets register everything our minds can’t remember. Jenistas have been writing down our experiences since the dawn of time.

Me: What exactly does your race write about?

Yna: Everything!

Me: Like… stories from the ancient days of our world? Stories from a time before humanity?

Yna: Almost every piece of stimulus that enters our memory, including recounts from that long ago.

Me: Oh my! That explains why people are trying to hunt you down! Do you know how valuable this kind of knowledge is? People would pay fortunes to know the secrets of our past!

Yna: We do, that’s why we share it with those who ask for it. Our scriptures are not a secret.

Me: Wait… you…

Yna: We are friends with the elves and kobolds. Both very kind races. Elves like sharing their stories with us too. Kobolds like to hear our stories about the origins of dragons. We wanted to share with humans too, but we faced… a few problems with your race.

Me: Like what?

Yna: Jenistas think the past is sacred, and that we should treasure and remember the things that brought us to where we are. Humans… like to place themselves at the center of everything.

Me: What were they trying to do?

Yna: Some humans didn't like the past we described, and wanted us to rewrite history to erase the flaws of rulers and heroes. They also didn’t like their primitive past and how much they depended on other races. Some banished any of our tales that were “blasphemous” and forbid us from spreading them. Others even wanted that knowledge for themselves and decided to steal our scriptures. The kings that disliked the stories we wrote about their ancestors ordered them to be burned… and created their own…

Me: Can you tell me one of these stories that humans didn’t want you to share? I am sure that our historians would-

Yna: Ha ha… No.

Me: Why?

Yna: Because I don’t remember it. However, don’t worry! I’ll show you some of our scriptures when we get there.

Me: Are we going to one of the Jenistas’ havens?

Yna: Of course. My friends are eager to meet the granddaughter of Marleen. Just make sure not to write anything about where we live…

Me: So that humans don’t attack you?

Yna: No. Because if a human tries to reach our land, they’ll be ambushed by the elves who protect the forests… Or by the giant beasts that lurk in the valley…

Me: So… you are actually worried about us?

Yna: Why not?

Me: Just… surprising, considering how much we have hurt you. Your race is dangerously kind… it’s a miracle you all survive in this wicked world.

Yna: As long as we are among friends, we are safe. Jenistas survive because of our friendships… Your race, on the other wing, seems keen on making enemies and being surrounded by them.

PART III - Natural Habitat
After almost a full day of flight, which was rather relaxing and energizing compared to previous long travels I’ve done, we finally got there! I can’t tell you where the Jenistas live, but I can certainly describe all of its wonderful details.

It was a large chain of mountains that almost touched the clouds, strewn with waterfalls that came from within a dozen caverns and then spread into rivers that ran all the way to the horizon.

The place was covered by the canopies of extraordinarily tall trees, which came in different shades, mostly green but some shimmering with orange and cherry colors. Hanging from them were flowers that had every color of the rainbow, and large fruits that went from basic ones to exotic types that I had never seen in my life. The amount of food hanging from the branches would be enough to feed an entire human town, and it was all there left for anyone to take.

The fruits and flowers weren’t the only colorful aspect of the scenario. Hundreds of birds with exuberant feathers glided through the air over us, in and out of the trees, dancing on the skies, building up nests, and much more. Only a fraction of those creatures were Jenistas, while the rest were other rare birds I have already written about. And notably, those acted in orderly, friendly fashions among each other, with a level of intelligence that their species had never displayed in human towns. There were miniature blue jays resting on the same branch beside giant war falcons which, as my readers would know, usually make prey of other bird species.

When I asked Yna Yrtna about that strange sight, I was told that Jenistas were capable of speaking with any species of bird, offering shelter for any creature who wished to live in peace. The only catch was that hunting was prohibited in the mountain and predators had to obey that rule.

Me: And who’s going to enforce that law if Jenistas are peaceful creatures?

Yna: The other birds of course. Those who´ve been living in peace here don’t want any troublemakers, so they group together to protect this sanctum.

At the ground level, there were many dirt roads and buildings made of wood, stone and clay, roofed with leaves and twigs. They had no chimneys and no gardens, but the natural vegetation grew on their walls as if the houses were part of the environment. I immediately recognized those as elvish cottages! There was an entire elven city on that mountain!

Me: Do you share this land with the elves?

Yna: Jenistas have always lived within civilization. Our natural habitat is among social races willing to befriend us… Be them elves, goblins, kobolds, faeries, and many that lived long before your kind.

Me: What do these elves have to gain from the Jenistas?

Yna: We've seen civilizations rise and fall, and recorded every detail in the scriptures. We offer counseling to those willing to listen, so that their civilizations might not follow in the footsteps of the corrupted.

Me: So… you are like… trying to protect people from themselves?

Yna: We watch, we learn, we write. Every race is different, but some things have proven to work and lead to progress wherever it was established. Liberty, solidarity and fraternity never fails. Making friends never fails. Simple things, but easily forgotten.

Me: Easy indeed...

As my eyes went from the soil to the treetops, I spotted massive clay nests with designs and weavings that I had never seen in all my years of birdwatching, and rivaling human architecture with their beauty. Although the place was full of birds I had already studied, none of those nests matched their patterns… Instead, they were a mix of dozens of different techniques combined.

Me: What’s up with these nests?

Yna: Every bird in here, and the Jenistas, share our skills and knowledge with one another. What you are seeing is the result of hundreds of years and hundreds of species working together to build the best nests we could come up with.

Me: Is this normal, or just happens here?

Yna: Jenistas want to make friends, share stories and knowledge. Wherever we go, we try to get everyone together in one big community. Any animal has the potential to be a contributor towards peace and prosperity.

Me: What about humans?

Yna: Well… Let me take you to one of our scriptures…

PART IV - The Scriptures
Some trees in that forest were very chunky and old, their barks more like brown stone than wood, their leaves long gone and moss covering everything from the base to the top. Inside one of these ancient trees I was given the honor to see the Jenistas’ biggest treasure… Their scriptures.

The inner walls of that large bark were completely covered with tablets of unknown material, scribbled with strange symbols I couldn’t decipher. There were vines running in all directions, with other Jenistas using them to rest while reading. Yna easily navigated in that close space, landed in front of a scripture, and I stood by her side.

Me: Oh my! Is this like your library or something?

Yna: This is one of many. There are others like this scattered throughout the mountains, not to mention every part of the world where Jenistas live. There are also smaller ones in our nests, used as diaries, to make sure we never forget any meaningful event in our lives.

Me: If each of you has a diary, who writes these ones in here?

Yna: When a Jenista witnesses something of great importance, they will add it to our public scriptures for all to learn. I myself keep a registry of the important events that happen in your town, and also highlights from your work..

Me: Are you all a fan of the Adventurer’s Magazine?

Yna: That magazine is like a human's scriptures. We love to read about the world and all the interesting things that exist. You’ve covered some things that we had no idea about.

Me: So, it would be right to say that the scriptures are both part of your individual mind, in the case of the diaries; and part of your collective knowledge, in the case of the libraries?

Yna: If you want to put it like that, then yes.

Me: What if another Jenista reads your diary? Do you keep it hidden or something?

Yna: Of course not. We show our diaries to one another when we meet.

Me: In this case, the scriptures that humans had stolen were just personal diaries? Nothing important about the world was lost?

Yna: You are right about it not being something important about the world, but we do not take it kindly to losing a diary. [She looked down, saddened by my words]. Stealing the diary of a Jenista is like killing its soul. Without our diaries, our memories erode like castles of sand; we are left without a past and without a sense of self. Every night before sleep, we must glance upon our diaries to keep our memories in place. Those tablets are as much us as our feathers.

Me: Seems difficult to read one’s whole life every day!

Yna: The scriptures are not read in a normal way. It is the language of the gods, each symbol a unique feeling that is absorbed by the soul and transformed into memory.

Curious about it, I stared into the strange characters without a clue of what they meant, while Yna stared at me as if watching an illiterate child trying to read. I had expected that being in the body of a Jenista would let me translate it… but sadly I was wrong.

Me: How do I read it?

Yna: The gift of Divine Literacy is given to our hatchlings at birth. It is a blessing given to us by the old gods themselves, so that we could write the history of the world and keep it safe from those who want to rewrite the past.

Me: But… Can I learn it?

Yna: It is not something that can be taught, because you read it with your soul, not your mind. But if you are interested in knowing how humans and Jenistas used to live, I can tell you.

Me: I do.

Yna Yrtna looked at the hieroglyphs and closed her eyes, absorbing the message and letting its meaning flow through her spirit. Her body emitted a light blue aura, and the symbols in the scripture lit with the same color. A channel of pure energy connected the Jenista to the text… her mind becoming one with the memories.

PART V - Interactions with Humans
Yna: At the dawn of human history, there were only small tribes of hunters and gatherers, surviving in a world of strong beasts and harsh weather. Sadly, whenever different tribes found one another, they didn’t cooperate, and instead chose to fight over land and food. The gods sent us to help them unite, using our abilities to show them how to treasure their similarities and understand their differences… So, once again, we were tasked with planting the seeds of civilization.

Me: How did this “planting” go?

Yna: We lived among humans for centuries and helped those tribes make peace. We made sure your race would prosper like the others by teaching you what they did right, while preventing you from falling in the same pitfalls that others had stumbled upon. As your race built houses, and cities, and farms, Jenistas moved in to live under the rooftops and orchards. We thrive where civilization does, so we help it flourish to give us a place to be.

Me: So you taught us how to build our houses, do agriculture, make tools and everything else?

Yna: Of course not. We just helped humans become friends with each other and nature, learning how to live in society and respect one another. Your race invented all those technologies. To be honest, out of all the races we’ve befriended, humans learned the value of working together faster than nearly any other! For a long time, we thought humans would be the perfect embodiment of teamwork, friendship and equality. No other race had embraced our teachings as much as humans did.

Me: So… everything was going fine?

Yna: As human cities expanded, more Jenistas moved in with them. We even acted as messengers to bring the smaller tribes into the larger towns. And it all went well at first, with more and more people deciding to stay together and live under the same rules and customs. We were really proud of humans at the time. Jenistas from all over the world were doing their best to help your race prosper and work together… The gods were impressed, and so were we.

Me: So far I don’t see any problems…

Yna: The more people you have in a town, the harder it is to know everyone and make friends with all. Human numbers increased too much… much more than any Jenista ever expected. When we first met those old human tribes, most of us could befriend every person individually, but before long your kind started to outnumber us by a factor of hundreds. We had no idea how to deal with cities that had thousands of inhabitants and where most people didn’t know each other… Our teaching of friendship, fraternity and solidarity would no longer work if people saw each other as strangers.

Me: Heh… We sure multiply a lot.

Yna: We had no idea how to work with such a large number of individuals. So we shared with humans something that we used ourselves: monarchy. The Jenistas are all ruled by a wise queen who guides our race into the future, so we tried to teach humans how to be queens and kings. We thought that was the best way to help them, because if they didn’t know each other, they could all know the king and queen… and that ruler would be the one that we taught…

Me: And then…

Yna: Your race didn’t do well with power. Things were simple when all humans were equal, but as soon as hierarchies started to arise, your kind would no longer look to those at the bottom. The villages became fortified because each tribe began to covet what others had, seeing their own kind as competitors. Armies were built, and in a matter of centuries, war broke between everyone as kings wanted more power… It was a disaster. We had never dealt with something like that before.

Me: And what about the Jenistas? Didn’t you try to stop the kings?

Yna: We tried. But the kings and queens that were kind enough to listen were soon taken down by nobles who wished to take their place. We tried to remind humans about their humble past, about their first years of existence when they were all equal and all helped each other… but the nobles forbid us from teaching it. They wanted to spread around the message that they had divine rights and divine powers… And that they were more important than us… We didn’t know where we had made a mistake…

Me: Oh my…

Yna: We tried to bring back a sense of friendship and equality among your race… but our efforts didn’t bring peace. We reminded humans of their potential and how strong they could be when united. We had hoped that we could bring them together… Instead, we accidentally sparked revolutions that led to civil wars and chaos. Without ever wanting any of that, we caused mankind’s most violent wars, and those wars brought upon the harshest tyrants.

Me: Did you… find a way to stop all of that?

Yna: Those in power no longer wanted our help and our counseling. Our ideas were seen as a threat to the royals. They either stopped believing our scriptures or knew that they could get away with more by lying. The Jenistas were considered troublemakers, anarchists, evil creatures sent by demons to dethrone the rightful kings. Those at the top began to hunt our race down and burn our scriptures; adventurers were paid for delivering our heads; speaking to us was punished with death… and that gave way to the reputation you know today. We had to flee your towns and live among other races until today.

Me: I’ve read some names given to your species… things like: Devil’s bird, feathered snake, avians of temptation and… I don’t even want to say some of them.

Yna: I didn’t know about those… Things really didn’t go well.

Me: So what is the plan now?

Yna: I’m gonna present you to our queen.

PART VI - Social Hierarchy
After leaving the library, I was taken into the “palace” where Queen Jenista lived. That word is left in quotation marks because the place wasn’t a castle, ziggurat, or any other type of location that us humans typically associate with royalty. Frankly speaking, it was like most other trees in the mountain.

I asked Yna if this was some sort of illusion to hide the queen’s location in case of attackers, but she reassured me that this ordinary-looking tree was the royal residence. She had to point out to me which one of the nests amongst its branches the ruler lived in, with how unremarkable it was. I would’ve never guessed their queen lived in such a humble place.

Me: What’s up with her nest? Is there a flag or something to show it’s special?

Yna: The queen lives at the center of the forest, where every Jenista can easily and quickly find her. Our houses serve only for sleeping and caring for our eggs, so we don’t need luxury like other races do. Special banners and spires would only get in the way.

Me: Then what’s the point of being a queen if you can’t have all the cool stuff?

Yna: Being queen is not supposed to be fun. Her role is to guide the Jenistas and decide our long-term goals. She is also the one who creates new rules when needed, usually with her advisors [Yna gestured towards all the other nests nearby the royal one]. They all live with the queen. And, most importantly, she listens to everyone, not just the others on top…

Me: Can we go in there like this… No question asked?

Yna: The queen is expecting your visit. And even if she wasn’t, all are welcome to speak with her. It is her duty to listen. If a leader isn’t ready to speak with its people, it leads to the same type of greed that plagues the rulers of your species.

Me: Didn’t any of your kings or queens ever want to take all the power for themselves and rule over everyone?

Yna: We once almost fell into that… But thanks to humans, we had learned the pitfalls of power, so we avoided it. In a certain way, the failure of your royals have helped Jenistas not follow the same path. That’s why it’s important to record the past… even the more sad parts of it.

Me: I’m not sure if I should take this as a compliment…

While I was completely terrified to be brought into the presence of a monarch, Yna casually led me up as if we were walking to a friend’s house. She sat on a small branch, directly facing the queen, and I stood by her side, mimicking her movements, scared I’d mess up some customs… such as a special bow… a royal greeting… or some other unusual thing. I was still struggling just to maneuver my wings and avian posture.

However, I was surprised when Yna merely lifted her wing and said “Hi”, to which the queen replied with… “Hi.”

Me: Hi…

Queen Jenista was bigger than Yna. She had the looks of a falcon and was mostly covered in brown feathers, but the tips of her wings were a colorful rainbow. The queen had a pink mohawk and a big donut at its tip, with another on her tail… And I couldn’t stop looking at those food-shaped details…

Queen Jenista: Are you going to comment something about the donut?

Me: W-what? N-no! No… Sorry… I was… just… [I looked at the quill symbol on my wings, wondering if Jenistas had jokes about every marking]

Yna: Quite a shame. [She chuckled] Our queen likes collecting donut jokes.

Me: Erm… I do have a cookie on my head…

Queen Jenista: Is this the human you have spoken to me about, Yna Yrtna? The descendent of Marleen?

Yna: Indeed. May you present yourself, Abda?

Me: I am Abda, her granddaughter. She used to tell me stories about magical birds who knew how to speak our language! I’ve been obsessed with finding you every day of my life. I am humbly honored to be here and do whatever I can to show the world the truth about your kind.

Yna and the queen looked at each other, as if I had just said something funny… And if I wasn't covered by feathers, they would surely see my reddened cheeks.

Queen Jenista: Your grandmother called us birds that speak the human language?

Me: I… Well… Not exactly… T-That was just her explaining to a child…

Queen Jenista: Interesting. May I call you a monkey that speaks my language?

Me: Sorry! I didn’t mean to disrespect! I-It’s just that humans like to take credit for everything, and I have lived amongst them for quite… since ever…

Queen Jenista: No worries, dear. You might’ve forgotten who taught you how to speak, but our scriptures will always remember, and you are free to check them whenever you please.

Me: Erm… I actually can’t…

Yna: I can read more for you, no problem.

Queen Jenista: Anyways, Abda… Do you know why you were brought here?

Me: Yna Yrtna said you all have seen my articles for the Adventurer’s Magazine…

Queen Jenista: We want you to write about us, but not from the perspective of an outsider. I’m inviting you to become an honorary Jenista and to live with us so that you can understand what we are truly trying to accomplish. There is too much noise regarding our race’s true intentions, so we need as much help as we can get to wipe away all the hoaxes about us.

Me: Wait a bit… Live among you?

Yna: What kind of male would you be willing to take as your partner?

Me: This is going a bit too fast-

Queen Jenista: I’ll gladly offer one of my children to you for marriage, so that this can be the beginning of a new friendship among our races.

Me: This is going waaaaaay too fast!

Yna: Abda… Don’t you want to help our races get along? Don’t you want humans to be friends again and bring peace?

Me: I mean… of course but…

Yna: Would you like to live with us until you can fully understand our society, our scriptures, the past of our races and the way forward?

Me: That would be… quite a lot of material to write about…

PART VII - Mating
Nope! Not writing about it this time! Nope! The magazine cannot pay me any amount for that! Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope!

All I will tell you is that pushing out an egg was the strangest, most awkward and weird thing I’ve ever felt in my whole life!

PART VIII - Nesting
A-Anyway… after… that…

Most birds will often tend to their nests in shifts, one keeping the eggs warm while the other goes out to get food, and that isn’t much different in the case of Jenistas. However, thanks to their highly collaborative society, there was plenty of help available to sustain my offspring, both from other Jenistas and regular birds. My job was just to sit on and warm that egg for most hours of the day. I definitely couldn’t complain about comfort, because they had used the fluffiest materials to build my nest. I was scared of resting my feathery body on a bunch of twigs, but this turned out to be way comfier than anything humans had.

Food was brought to me whenever I requested. The Jenista diet consisted of a plethora of fruits ranging from sweet to sour, which I enjoyed quite a lot! But in terms of “meat”, I had to get used to swallowing quite a lot of disgusting things like raw worms and insects… And no matter how many times I tasted those things, I never got used to it... uck…

After a few weeks, the runes that had been painted on my chest during the marriage acquired a strange glow, soon absorbed by the egg. The other Jenistas explained how the blessing that allowed them to read gods’ language was passed down by the mother’s runes, but the runes would only work for those born as Jenistas. I wondered if that was a natural safety valve to protect their secrets from wizards capable of polymorphing.

To keep my existence from being a complete bore, Yna and my “mate” took turns keeping me company. My journalist’s urge was appeased by stories from their libraries, which they gladly read to me whenever I asked…

They read to me about the secret society of the squirrels and how they, with the help of some Jenistas, controlled a few kingdoms from the shadows…

They read to me how kobolds learned blush magic in their large cuddle puddles, and how dragonbolds used that very magic in order to trigger a kobold transformation (See Issue 256). They also told me that Jenistas themselves had learned a lot about friendship from those cuddly, reptilian-like creatures that most races didn’t take seriously.

They read to me about the Night of the Blushpack Insurgence, when Jenistas directed a hundred blushwolves (See Issue 283) into an evil kingdom to help the rebel forces peacefully reclaim their land. Every enemy was turned into a helpless puppy and was later adopted by caring families until they had learned the meaning of love.

They read to me about the magic of the crittercurse forest (See Issue 303), and how the Jenistas worked with a group of mages to enact a passive curse over the entire region. Apparently those woods’ transformative properties were designed to lure in greedy people and “repurpose'' their lives into something less harmful. Jenistas were against death penalty and against imprisonment, but they seemed fine with permanently changing people into small creatures…

Me: About the Blushpack Insurgence and the Crittercurse… Is it normal for your race to intervene in human societies?

Yna: We try to, most of the time, use diplomacy to help races cooperate. However, when the gods grow impatient and want to use drastic measures like plagues, beasts and illness to eliminate the bad humans… We sometimes resort to unusual tactics and ally ourselves with unusual companions.

Me: Well… here I am… sitting on a pile of eggs. [I laughed]. Luckily I’m not hiding from any vengeful god.

Yna: Not from a god, but from your own people.

Me: Excuse me?

Yna: I didn’t want to scare you at the time, but I rushed to your house that day because you were in great danger. Some humans didn’t like you going around and asking questions about the Jenistas… So you, and our research, were at risk.

Me: Am I… a wanted criminal now?

Yna: If you publish this article, you will be…

Me: I’m afraid my time here might last a bit longer than I expected… heh.

PART IX - Parenting & Final Words
You see…

When I said this was going to be my last article, there was a good reason for that…

Being an outlaw for searching out the truth was never something I expected during my career of birdwatching. Who would’ve thought that a biologist would ever be persecuted for studying the wrong kind of specimen?

Anyways, taking care of my hatchling is a lot of work, so my days are quite busy and I have been preparing this piece for many months now. Yna and Queen Jenista said I’m welcome to stay for as long as needed, until it is safe for me to live among humans again, even if that means going to a distant recluse village.

As you read this text, I’m far away teaching my children how to fly, how to make friends, and much more, using a secret network of messenger birds to communicate with the outside world. There were a lot of letters exchanged between me and the editor chief of the magazine, since people were angry at the rumors that they’d post something about Jenistas that didn’t line up with what kings said… More about this at the end.

However, these past few months here have been incredibly healthy for me. I’m never stressed, I’m surrounded by trustworthy creatures that care about me, I have a hundred different fruits to taste, I can fly, learn about the past, and much more…

I’m not even sure I want to go back to humanity anymore.

But don’t worry…

Maybe, if I feel like it, I’ll write another article in the future…

As for my parting words, I deeply hope that anyone reading this understands what the Jenistas truly are, and what they believe in. We should not try to “hunt” or wage war with these caring, intelligent creatures. We should seek to hear their stories and learn their ways… as we used to do.

A very long time ago, humans and Jenistas lived together in harmony… and if we decide to learn their lessons, that mutual bond can form again. Take it from me, who has spent almost all my life as a human, but now feels at ultimate peace among these avian creatures, raising my hatchling. Their teachings can lead all of us to brighter days.

Part X - Editor’s Note
Hello, this is Arito, the editor chief and owner of Adventure Magazine.

There was a lot of internal discussion about publishing this article, as this would put us all on a wanted list and would turn the magazine into a vehicle of rebel information. However, in the end, we stood by our principles and decided that the truth had to be spoken. Adventurers from all over the world read our content because they trust our commitment to real journalism (and ways that they can be turned into animals, but that’s beside the point).

Sadly, from now on, you won’t be able to buy any more articles from the local taverns and inns as you used to. If you are reading this copy, you are lucky to have it in your hands (or paws), because most will probably be confiscated and burned.

Our whole team has already safely moved to secret hideouts around the world, so no need to worry about us. We are continuing to work on more articles and new ways to deliver our magazine to those who want to stay informed.

Thank you for supporting us!

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