Luky and the Birdmen

Ezra cut through thick branches and lianas with his sword. There was no path through the jungle, so he had to make one.

The air was hot and humid, but even in his jacket, Ezra could withstand the heat.

It’s not like he hadn’t been in these types of situations before. Fetching the Eye of Khor in the depths of the dark elf realm. The Gilded Vine from the Forests of Ava Loch. The Trident of Sabys from the Blazing Cauldron.

He needed more fingers than he had to count all the times he’d been trapped, lost, buried alive, or imprisoned during his countless adventures.

Maybe he should retire after this one. He was not getting any younger, and neither was his leg.

Yes, retirement sounded nice. A cabin in Galies facing Sundune on the side of a private oasis. That’d be just perfect.

If he could figure out where they were right now, he could get his ass out of here.

They’d walked for hours through the forest, Ezra, the boy-cat, and Her Highness, in search of a clue, of something that would tell them where they were.

Luky was determined to walk beside Ezra, but he’d get distracted by any sound or bug that buzzed around him. Ezra had to admit that he was slowly taking a liking to Luky. It was interesting to see him slash through the tall grass with his tiny claws.

“Ah! Die! Ha-ya! Bleed! You’re at my mercy!” Luky would say to himself each time he beat the grass. He’d take a fighting pose like he was practicing his moves.

Aurielle Valdum, on the other hand, was quiet. Still, she was surprisingly robust for a princess who spent most of her time in her castle. Maybe there was more to her than just wealth and politics.

“What’s this?” Luky suddenly said.

He stood still, and his ears flickered like he’d heard something. He cocked his head left and right.

“What do you hear, boy?” Ezra asked. He frowned and tried to listen.

He didn’t hear anything.

Luky’s hair stood on end. Ezra could see his mane puffing up.

“Your sindur senses telling you something?” Ezra checked.

Luky was now sniffing the air. “We’re being watched,” he whispered.

Aurielle walked up to them. “Are you sure?” she whispered back.

It was the first time Ezra was hearing her talk in hours.

“Affirmative!” Luky replied like a soldier.

“Where did you learn to talk like that?” Ezra wondered, an eyebrow raised.

“My dad! He’s a commander for the Bravan Army...” Luky said no more. His whiskers twitched awkwardly.

They paused for a moment, but they couldn’t stay forever in place. Nothing else was moving around them, so Ezra started walking again.

He shouldn’t have done that.

A spear whistled through the foliage and landed right at his feet. This was definitely a stern warning that he should not advance.

At that moment, shadows fell from the trees and landed on the ground, encircling the group of three. Those shadows rose and appeared fully into view, and they opened what looked like wings of dark green feathers.

Now that Ezra could take a better look, he couldn’t believe what he saw. Four bird-like creatures with silver beaks and white eyes had them completely surrounded.

They were this close to attacking.... What could Ezra do to defend himself? He was out of flash grenades.

He could use his Elixir of Mist or Vial of Evasion, but those were his last potions. Everything else had been lost in the storm.

What about his Ring of Invisibility? Or his Amulet of Concealment? Those only worked half the time, and they wouldn’t protect Aurielle or Luky.

He could draw his sword, but he felt compelled to surrender. He had no other choice.

Ezra raised his hands above his head, and one of the creatures instantly moved closer.

It was at least three feet taller than him. It had the body of a man but the face and wings of a giant bird, and its arms ended in three sharp talons.

Ezra noticed the crest on its head, a crown of red and yellow feathers. The creature didn’t make any sound, but Ezra knew that he shouldn’t mess with it. Its eyes pierced right through him.

The birdman pulled the spear at Ezra’s feet out of the ground. Then, it poked at Luky with it, like it was probing him.

Ezra noticed Luky’s instantly flaring eyes. The boy-cat slapped the side of the weapon and used the momentum to launch himself upwards. Luky bounced along the spear and reached the birdman’s face.

He was about to strike with his claws.

The birdman shifted its balance. It quickly beat its wings and soared above the ground. Luky missed his strike, falling head-first onto the ground. The other birdmen around them cawed.

Luky stood up again and growled, but it wasn’t as impressive as the birdman’s intense white glare.

“Calm down, boy,” Ezra cautiously said. “Those creatures could make a meal out of you.”

Upon hearing Ezra’s voice, the birdman pointed its spear at him. Ezra raised his hands higher in the air.

“Woah, easy!” he said. The spear moved closer to his neck. “We don’t mean any harm. We’re just trying to figure out—”

“I don’t think they can understand us,” Aurielle interrupted with a whisper. She opened her arms as a sign of peace, then she walked to the birdman.

“Wait...” Ezra first said, but Aurielle wasn’t waiting.

He kept an eye on the creature, wary of its next move, but it let the princess approach. She was able to get within arm’s reach of it.

Ezra wasn’t sure what she was about to do, but one more step and the bird could bite her head off. He had to stop her.

“Your Highness!” Ezra called. “Get back!”

“It’s okay, Ezra,” she said in a soft voice.

What was she doing? Ezra wanted to pull her back but moving might alarm the other birdmen. They were standing pretty still for now, and Ezra wanted to keep it that way.

Aurielle stopped walking. She looked into the birdman’s eyes for a moment. This was bold and reckless. Did she expect the birdman to know her status and bow?

Against all expectations, Aurielle was the one to bow, and the birdman puffed its chest in satisfaction.

Ezra was speechless. Throughout his countless adventures, he’d never seen anything like this. And he’d seen it all.

After that odd scene, she turned around and gave Luky and Ezra a nudging nod. She wanted them to do the same.

Ezra raised an eyebrow before bowing in turn, and Luky growled one last time and complied.

The birdman exhaled deeply and turned around. The others approached the three.

Soon, they were moving, escorted by those creatures that looked more dangerous than docile.

Ezra held his guard, ready for what could come next. His hand clutched the hilt of his sword. Where they were was a mystery he had to put on pause.

Where they were going was a question only fate could answer.