Luky and the Birdmen

Ezra could be so insufferable.

Aurielle sighed. She’d never expected the Collector to be the nasty type of man, always angry at people.

She didn’t actually know what she’d expected. A gallant man ready for conquest. An eager adventurer prepared to take on the world.

This man was cynical and grumpy most of the time. She’d only seen him smile once, and that was just him checking his teeth in his reflection.

Wait, what was that?

A flash of orange, whiskers, paws.

A...sindur? Here, on the ship?

Aurielle blinked repeatedly. She’d probably dreamed it.

But Ezra saw it too, and now, they were facing the sindur cub, who was sneaking up to them.

It was not even half her size, and it was probably a boy, judging by his dirty linen overalls.

“And what are you supposed to be?” Ezra asked.

The boy-cat froze. It was hilarious seeing him paws up in the air, like he was petrified, simply turned to stone, by Ezra’s inquisitive glare.

“I...just...” the boy-cat stuttered and didn’t say more.

Aurielle spoke many languages. It was part of her education to learn the most used languages of Terra, especially from her home’s allies.

Unfortunately, the sindur’s mother tongue wasn’t part of her program. Sadly, Sindawr was a dying language.

Aurielle held out a welcoming hand, inviting the boy-cat to shake it.

“My name is Aurielle,” she said, using her most soothing voice. She pointed at her companion with her other hand. “This is Ezra. Don’t be too afraid of him. He’s merely a man.”

She peered at Ezra with a cheeky glare. She was mocking him.

Ezra scoffed. “Whatever, Your Highness.”

The boy-cat’s eyes rounded, then narrowed again. Aurielle cursed Ezra in her mind.

She didn’t want to intimidate the young sindur with her title. That man, who didn’t seem to like women in charge very much, was getting on her nerves.

“I’m Luky!” the boy-cat exclaimed. He smirked and showed a sharp and shiny canine tooth. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Aurielle!”

With his paw, he took Aurielle’s hand and firmly shook it. It felt soft and warm, like she was petting a docile bear.

Luky was extremely cute with his big yellow eyes. She wanted to hug him tight, then she remembered that thinking that way was utterly weird.

She wouldn’t behave as such with a human. Well, maybe with a baby with chubby cheeks.

“So!” Luky caught Aurielle’s drifting attention again. He crossed his arms. “What brings you two here?”

The boy-cat had changed from startled to serious and confident.

Ezra was quick to put him back in his place. “Why were you sneaking around? Did you steal something?”

Luky didn’t answer.

Ezra didn’t hesitate. He picked up Luky, flipped him around, then began shaking him.

Luky did his best to struggle, while Aurielle tried to stop Ezra without attracting attention to them.

“Stop it! Let him go!” she cried out, muffling her voice.

Ezra was actually laughing.

“Let me go! Put me down!” Luky had apparently lost all care for sneaking.

“Empty your pockets, furball!” Ezra called.

Something suddenly changed. Luky stopped screaming and wriggling around. In a whirlwind, he managed to get loose.

He climbed to Ezra’s neck, then, peering into his dark eyes, the boy-cat said: “No one calls me furball.”

And he scratched Ezra in the face.

An hour is what it took to get Ezra to calm down. He’d let the boy-cat go, who’d immediately stood on his back paws, arms crossed, smirking at his victim.

Ezra still bled—Luky had left three deep cuts that crossed Ezra’s face.

“My eye!” Ezra had shouted, rage filling his voice. “You could have scratched out my eye!”

Luky had simply chuckled.

Aurielle returned with a piece of wet cloth to clean Ezra’s wounds. The man jerked the cloth out of her hand and went to lean against the handrail, wiping his face, glaring at Luky.

Aurielle wasn’t sure whether she should scold the boy-cat for scratching Ezra. After all, Ezra had asked for it, treating Luky like he had.

But she had to clear the hot air for the sake of the mission. She needed Ezra calm and on her side. Gods knew what would come next. She needed the Collector’s trust, and he needed hers.

“You’re lucky she’s paying me,” Ezra spat his words and pointed at Luky. “I could skin you and make a scarf out of you!”

“Ezra!” Aurielle shouted, catching his attention. She was offended now, this was no way to talk to a boy, especially not a sindur cub. “I will not allow such conduct in my presence.”

Ezra snorted. “As you wish, Your Highness.” He looked away.

“Like you said,” Aurielle pursued, forcing Ezra’s attention back on her. “I am paying you. So you will do as I command. Now, clean your wounds and move on!”

“Why is she paying you?” Luky suddenly asked Ezra, then he glanced at Aurielle with a confused look. “Why are you paying him?” Since no one gave an immediate answer, Luky continued, “Is he some kind of bodyguard? Are you a lady or something?”

Aurielle flinched. Luky must have noticed because his smirk was back.

She couldn’t really tell him who she was—that was the whole point of laying low. She was about to say something when Ezra’s voice interrupted her.

“I’m not a bodyguard, boy,” he said with disdain.

Luky chuckled. “No way...could have fooled me!”

Ezra didn’t appreciate the sarcasm. He stood up, his body rigid, and he pointed at Luky again. “Watch your tone!”

Aurielle had enough of this childish behavior. She wanted to raise her voice again, but people around them were looking.

It was already strange for a woman of her status to be hanging around a man like the Collector. Even stranger that she was in the presence of a sindur boy, one who probably hadn’t had a bath in weeks.

She decided that she should give Luky an answer so he’d stop asking questions and bothering Ezra.

“He’s my guide,” she said. Both Luky and Ezra looked at her confused, expecting more. “Ezra is familiar with the secrets of the world, and there is a secret I need to find.”

Luky’s eyes rounded, his pupils dilated. He was curious.

Ezra, on the other hand, shook his head and focused on cleaning his wounds again.

She had succeeded in calming them down. Her story wasn’t entirely accurate, but it claimed enough of Luky’s attention and dismissed enough of Ezra’s.

“What’s the secret you’re looking for?” Luky asked with an eager spark in his eyes.

Aurielle came closer to him. She kneeled down so she’d be about his size. Only then did she notice how his clothes were all crumpled.

She held out a cautious hand first, but since he wasn’t recoiling, she flattened his clothes with the palm of her hand. She had his undivided attention.