I was summoned to be micromanaged by… a chicken? (Part 1)

When I came to, I was lying in a bed in another unfamiliar room. I moved around and sat up to inspect my new surroundings. Unfortunately, it was not all just a dream, I was still in an unfamiliar world.

I even had my folk wedding dress, even though the headdress was lying on the bed. I touched the scratched skin on my neck, and the Obedience necklace fell straight off. Happy to say, it was without any decapitation. Probably because I already met the dragon once it snatched me away, so technically, I fulfilled the task Babena gave me while putting it around my throat.

I was still not dead, but that did not mean I wouldn't be within a few hours. The evil dragon is probably saving me for dinner. Or for a dessert.

I looked around. This time, though, I was not in any witch’s hut. Instead, I was in a simple room with walls made of hard stone. The room had only one small window with a heavy curtain. A few pieces of plain wooden furniture stood on the hard floor, waiting for me. One desk, one chair. There was one bookcase with small drawers near the wall and a big wardrobe next to the heavy wooden door. Apart from the pillow and blanket I had, there was no other piece of fabric there. The whole interior felt cold. It looked like an old castle straight out of fairy tales.

I got up from the bed and walked up to the window. My bare foot did not mind the cold floor as it was summer now, but in the winter, it will probably be frostbite-inducing without a pair of warm slippers or a thick carpet.

I pulled back the curtains and peeked out of the window. I could not see much. Only the high castle tower and, in the distance, something gray, which was probably a mountain. Next to it, I saw some greenery, possibly woods. The sky was turning red, signaling the arrival of dusk. That meant I was out of it for a few hours already.

If I want to leave, I need to hurry. It won't be pretty, roaming around an unfamiliar world at night. But… where to go? I had to choose some kind of destination first. But how do you know where to go when you do not know where you are? Should I just go in any direction, hoping I will make it before nightfall?

If I wanted to see the surroundings properly, I would have to find a higher place, probably try to climb into that tower I saw.

“You awake now? Finally! It is already evening!”

I turned around, startled. I did not hear when the door to my room opened, but now they were slightly ajar, so someone must have entered.

“I was about to wake you up. You did not come here to sleep comfortably! Such a lazy person! Horrible! Just horrible!”

My eyes were about to fall out of their sockets, but I was still unable to see the person who was speaking to me with that squeaky but so-so angry voice.

“And until when are you going to wear that horrendous dress? Frivolous! Get the proper blouse and skirt out of that wardrobe and put an apron around your waist! What are you waiting for? Hurry! We need to scurry and prepare dinner!”

Ah, dinner…

“Right, the dragon is going to eat me now,” I said.

“Dragon is not going to eat you, silly! Instead, I need to feed you, because he asked me to. Such a hassle!”

These words surprised me. I would think this person is lying, but the outrage in their voice made me question that.

“But what about the other sacrificial brides? Weren't they eaten?” I probed.

“You, people! You and your dumb ideas about His Highness! Do you think he would stoop so low as to eat a filthy human like you? Preposterous!”

Despite the strange circumstances, I had to stifle a chuckle. This person was genuinely annoyed that they needed to take care of me. And I must say I was amused by his colorful use of words.

“Did you just cackle, you little wench?!”

That squeaky voice was certainly getting louder. And bolder.

I squinted my eyes, trying to see at least something in the dim room, but I still did not recognize anybody. Was it some kind of creature talking? After all, in this world, dragons lived and magic worked. If it were a person, I would see it now unless they were hiding under my bed the whole time.

“May I see who is speaking to me, please?” I asked, intrigued.

“Humph! Consider it a privilege!”

Now I had to suppress a laugh for real.

Then something jumped onto my bed.

I came closer to investigate this little huffing being with such an ego. It was a small creature in the form of a small black chicken. But its feathers were wet, sticking out in all directions. Because of that, the creature looked disheveled, as if it had just come inside after a heavy downpour. I could even see a few raindrops falling out of its body onto the bed. Creature shivered, and I winced once cold droplets hit me on the face.

“Are you a zmok?” I asked.

You could say, zmok was some kind of imp, coming from Slavic folklore. Each country has its specific description of zmok, but in mine, it could look like a wet chicken or a small dragon. You could hatch it out of the black chicken egg on your own after sticking to certain rituals for several days, or you could just find it, wet and shivering, on the crossroads.

The stories often differed, but all of them were saying zmok could bring wealth or fortune into your house if treated well. It would even help you take care of your chores, bringing you things you wanted. However, as it was a small demon, using it for own gain could wind up in nasty situations. And it was very hard to get rid of it. When handling the supernaturals, you had to be careful. That was written in all the fairy tales I read as a child and as an adult.

I swear, I could see a smile forming at the top of that sharp yellow beak.

“Oh-ho, so you know what I am? So you are superstitious.”

“How could I not be superstitious in a world where a big green dragon is flying in the sky?” I asked. “Do you have a name, little fella?”

“Little fella,” it echoed in disbelief. “You sure are one strange woman.” It went quiet for a while, but then its beak opened again. “My name is Korvan.”

I bent down and instead of shaking hands, I just petted him on the head.

“Nice to meet you, Korvan. My name is Zora.”

His wet feathers ruffled into a scruffy ball. “Who even asked you for your name? Get moving already! I will wait in the hallway. I heard women are very sensitive when changing clothes.”

I was watching in disbelief as a fluffy, wet ball jumped down from my bed and went outside the room, leaving only small droplets of water behind. If he weren’t a chicken, I would swear he just got embarrassed…