The next time the Sun Fox stopped we caught up and were standing next to her. I looked down on her from my mount, awaiting an order.

'Dismount, please.' she said.

I nodded my head and dismounted gracefully. When I stood next to her, she spoke again.

"Are you undoubted that you will allow me to enchant your charger and yourself?"

'Yes, O Vixen of Realms,' I uttered respectfully, 'whatever pleases and assists you.'

The Queen of Light nodded and reared up on her back legs only. Balancing lightly, she put a slender paw on my leg and her other on Elf's. The mare didn't move, we both stood stock still. Staring at the earth, the Vixen of Realms murmured a few strange words I didn't understand and I felt a strange sharpness in my back and Elf whinnied distinctly and as I raised my head, the white horse grew two enormous wings that belonged to a Pegasus on her back, and two snow ivory stag's antlers extended from the sides of her head. She was a Pegasus with a buck's antlers!

Something shimmering and silver caught my eye behind my back and how surprised I was to turn to find two long silvered fairy's wings sprouting from my shoulder blades. The Sun Fox nodded approvingly.

'There,' she said in her flowing voice, 'now both of us can fly your Pegastag (a Pegasus and stag mixed) into my castle; The City of the Sun: Malkarizz.'

Still thinking of the strange name for her world, I lifted her onto Elf's back, feeling her silky fur and light weight, then, climbing on behind her, the Sun Fox whispered a few strange words in my mare's ear and the "Pegastag" glided into the air as if she had been flying all her life. We made toward the bright sun and then veered left.

'Get some sleep,' the Queen of Light said 'it's a long journey.'

I did for a while, going to sleep thinking about my beautiful wings, and when I awoke, I was in a soft downy hammock. There were eagle feathers stitched to every inch of the hanging bed, so it was like being on an eagle. The cushion I laid my untroubled head on was made of the softest fuzz from an owlet. Then I heard bustling actions in the chamber where I slept, and sitting up with eyes wide open, I saw the strangest sight I had ever beheld.

It was a sparrow! But what was so strange was she had dragonfly wings! Reaching behind me, I gently grasped my right wing and pulled it delicately into my vision.

I tried not to swell with happiness. What a pretty thing it was! Silvery and delicate, but not that of an insect's wing. As if reading my contemplation, the fairy across the room spoke in a strange tongue, but even stranger, I understood!

'Hello there! Your wings are that of the cardinal's, you know, the redbird. Lucky thing, you are. The Queen of Light must have taken a liking to you. She gives everyone else insect wings.'

Adjusting my eyes to the dim light in the large chamber, I undiluted her wings, noticing this time the ailerons growing from her back were not feathered, just insect's.

'The Vixen of Realms said I am her Cardinal Minion,' I said, speaking the strange tongue as well, 'I suppose that is why she gave me this pair of wings…'

Immediately the sparrow went down on her knees, bowing her head.

'The Empress of Smoke said we were to have a new Cardinal, but I knew not it 'twas you!'

'Are you a minion as well?' I asked.

The fairy bowed her head lower, stammering,

'Yes, Cardinal, I am, and I serve you!'

I lowered my eyebrows and thought for a moment, thinking of what to say to my charge. I would most like to see the Sun Fox and speak with her about this, so I said,

'What is your name? Tell me and take me to the Queen of Light. I would wish to speak with her.'

'My name is Sparrow, Chief, come, I will take you to the Sun Fox.'

I followed the minion down enormous corridors and gaped at them until Sparrow stopped in front of two tremendous doors, carved beautifully of a solid wood, images showing vixens of generations of the past leading small birds, birds of prey, and bucks, flooding toward panthers with angry mouths wide open with curving fangs stretching.

Sparrow stopped and turned to me, bowing low.

'I may go no farther, Cardinal,' then, adding with a smile, 'Maybe the Empress of Smoke will give you a title, a Malkarizz title; like Osprey Cardinal, or Chief Osprey, maybe even a falcon title if she favors you.' And she was gone.

Knocking on the massive doors, I said respectfully,

'O Empress of Smoke, I come with questions!'

The doors swung inward almost immediately, revealing the Queen of Light sitting on a throne appliqué a wide window that displayed the beautiful countryside of Malkarizz.

'Good morning, my Cardinal Minion, how did you sleep?'

'Just fine, O Empress of Smoke, I have come with questions, as I said before.'

She turned and smiled, delighted at giving me more knowledge.

'Ask away, faithful servant.'

I began asking my questions, the Sun Fox answering every one in perfect understanding. It turns out, I was able to speak the tongue of her kingdom because she gave me the powers to do so. I was right, I had been given the wings of a cardinal because I was the Cardinal Minion. I asked my final question then.

'O Queen of Light, I ask that you give me a name, for I wish to fit in, and Cardinal Lily doesn't seem just right…"

The Queen's ears perked up and she leaned forward with excitement.

'Oh, good! I see you have been informed of this by Sparrow, the bird you met earlier. I enjoy greatly naming creatures of my realm. Let's see… Hmmm…'

She rose from her dais and paced around me on all four legs, as usual, and studied me, thinking of a name that would suit me. Suddenly her eyes brightened with interest.

'Good minion, would you mind if I changed you to your name?'

I was puzzled.

'What do you mean, O Vixen of Realms?'

She thought a moment and studied me some more before answering.

'Whatever your name is, such as Kestrel or Sparrowhawk, or Gyrfalcon, would you mind at all of being turned into what your name is?'

'You mean,' I said, 'if my name was Kestrel, I would be a kestrel?'

She beamed with delight.

'Exactly!'

My eyes widened at this new thrilling change of shape.

'I would not mind at all, Majesty of Fire, I would be pleasured!'

She grinned like a young one in anticipation of using her capabilities. Again she paced about me and looked me up and down with a critical eye, muttering,

'Must be fast and strong, powerful wings, hooked beak, beautiful, large, and savage…'

Bringing her front paws up above her head, she declared,

'You're name will be… Gyrfalcon!'

As she spoke, a dazzling, brilliant flash of magical light burst from her paws, and when the haze cleared, I found myself screeching and fluttering a magnificent pair of ivory white wings and my whole white body, whipping powerful gusts of air about. I was the same size, shape, beauty, and savageness as a gyrfalcon. I was one.