Windia

⭑ · · ᯓ 𐃈 ᯓ · · ⭑

“My, I never tire of crossing the Rainbow Bridge,” The storyteller sighed nostalgically. “It looks a little questionable at first, though, I’ll admit.”

Felix couldn’t quite grasp how light magic could sustain the weight of a single person, much less a whole wagon, but Kite explained that there was barrier magic involved to form the solid part of the bridge. The colors were added simply for decoration.

“You said you were born here?” Felix spoke to Kite as they approached the gate to the Citadel. “Not in Aberdeen?”

“I didn’t stay here long,” Kite answered. “My egg brothers and sisters and I were all separated shortly after we were hatched, and sent all over the place.”

Felix decided not to dwell on the “hatched” part, despite being curious. What caught his attention instead was everything that came after. Why had they been separated, and where were the others now? Kite didn’t talk about herself much, he came to realize.

“That’s a little lonely.”

“It’s fine.” Kite brushed it off. “The one sibling I do have in Aberdeen is the same piece of work that tipped off the guard and got me arrested. They’d better hope I don’t come back anytime soon…”

“I see…”

His perspective came from growing up in a household with a sibling whom he cherished.

I guess it’s not the same for Kite.

“You’ll want to cover up back there, you two.” The storyteller joined them in a whisper. “Those soldiers checking the wagons up ahead look new, and not particularly friendly…”

“Soldiers?” Kite repeated.

Shoot, is this what I think it is, she thought.

“Wait, why do we have to hide?” Felix wondered.

“Let’s just say the birdfolk of Windia aren’t on the best of terms with human visitors at the moment.” The storyteller briefly explained. “Now, I’d caution you to be silent if we don’t want to ride another seven days to the nearest hint of civilization.”

Kite and Felix obliged, spreading the black sheets out and lying down flat, listening in. Two soldiers in leather armor with spears, full birdmen with sharp eyes and fully avian features, strolled up to the sides of their wagon to speak with the storyteller.

“All plumeless visitors are subject to inspection. New orders.” The male soldier with red feathers spoke through his beak. “Wait, I think I recognize you; you’re the clown!”

“Ah, I see why you might get it confused with my choice of attire, but I am no clown, I can assure you!” The driver corrected them, hiding his annoyance. “I am the Storyteller!”

“Yeah, call yourself what you like, human,” A female soldier with dark blue feathers scoffed from the other side. “What's in the wagon? Contraband, or maybe…?”

The female soldier jostled the side of the wagon with a feathered hand, trying to peek through a rip in the wagon’s canvas cover.

“…stowaways?”

Felix and Kite were pressed awfully snug in the back of the wagon, sweat clinging to the two of them as they avoided making any noise for fear of discovery.

“I’d beg of you fine folks to not assume the worst of me; you’ll find nothing back there save for provisions and odd bits and baubles.” The storyteller tried to throw them off the scent of his passengers. “Costumes, props. Surely nothing so interesting as to hold up the line.”

“If that’s the case, then you won’t mind us taking a peek under those sheets, now will you?”

Both soldiers walked around to the back of the wagon, preparing to begin their search.

Oh no, Felix thought. What happens if they find us?

The storyteller sighed with a resigned smile.

“Wait.”

The canvas cover never came off the wagon, nor were they found out at that moment.

They stopped?

The two soldiers froze at the sound of the storyteller’s voice and the jingle of a sack of coins.

“I’ve a more interesting proposition for you both.”

The two soldiers exchanged glances before echoing in unison.

“Go on.”

. . .

“My tail feathers are killing me…”

Kite and Felix both stretched their back muscles, finally having been freed from the back of that cramped wagon. They hadn’t stopped even once since they left Aberdeen, covering enough distance to wonder how the horses—four in total—had even managed it.

For all the discomfort of the journey, neither could help but feel grateful to the storyteller for bribing their way in with what was supposed to be his payment for taking them all that way.

“You’re sure there isn’t something else we can do for you?” Felix asked. “We don’t have the money right now, but later, maybe…”

“I said it, didn’t I?” The storyteller shook his head. “The right to tell your story is payment enough. I was already headed this way, in any case, so you needn’t worry.”

“Well, thank you, storyteller.” Felix nodded. “If we ever see you around, we’ll stop and have a listen.”

“Just don’t embellish too much,” Kite added.

“Me? Never!” The storyteller faked a gasp. “Now take care of yourselves, Kate, Ferris. And may your steps be guided by fun! Adieu.”

He parted with laughter, leaving them standing on the side of the road.

“He was an odd guy...” Kite noted. “But he didn’t seem too bad.”

“Then why’d we give him fake names?” Felix asked genuinely. “He said he wasn’t going to use them in his retelling, or whatever it was.”

“You’ve got one thing wrong, my friend,” Kite said, holding up a finger. “We didn’t give him fake names. That’s what we’re going to call ourselves for as long as we’re here if we don’t want to attract the wrong attention.”

“Ah, my mistake… Kate.”

“Hey, I saw that smirk!” Kite huffed. “Geez. Still… I’m starting to understand how you felt walking back into Aberdeen. This is nowhere near what it looked like when I was younger, but I guess that’s to be expected.”

“Yeah, this whole thing feels familiar, with the guards and everything,” Felix muttered. “More hostile than I was expecting, though.”

“At least you didn’t tell them you were the King‘s brother again...”

“Not gonna let me forget that one, huh?”

“Nope!” Kite smirked right back. “Now, we’d better head to Windia’s Adventurers' Guild if we don’t want to get thrown out. First thing they’re gonna look for when they see two new faces is official papers.”

“And we’re gonna need money, since we just tapped out.” Felix agreed. “Two birds with one stone. So, where are we headed to?”

“Look up.”

At Kite’s prompting, Felix looked up at the massive spiraling tower in front of him. The sky was full of airborne pedestrians. The corkscrew-like building featured countless openings that birdfolk disappeared into, far beyond their reach.

Many of the buildings at ground level also incorporated a similar design and featured a much broader palette of colors than Aberdeen. Instead of polished white, they saw lots of browns, reds, and greens. The outfits of passersby were similar, using dyed wools with beads for added decoration.

“The big tower is called The Aery,” Kite explained. “That’s where they have the government buildings, the Adventurers' guild, and all that other fun stuff.”

It looks like a work of art, and there are so many different kinds of birdfolk here. Even other harpies, like Kite.

He found himself a little envious of the birdfolk who flew freely in the sky. Children played tag in midair, chasing and ducking under wooden signage, and couriers delivered parcels straight from their beaks to the windowsills of their expecting recipients.

Meanwhile, those who shared Kite’s mixed blood lacked fully developed beaks, or wings in many cases, leaving them confined to the ground and more humanoid in appearance.

“What kind of government does Windia have?”

“That’s what you’re curious about?”

Felix nodded. If not for everything that had happened, he might have believed he was a traveler like any other, seeing the world for the first time. Naturally, he was interested in finding out more.

“Well… They don’t really have a king like the Human Magic Kingdom.” Kite thought about it. “It’s like a bunch of tribes gathered together to form a council out of all the floating islands, and this is the result.”

“That’s interesting...” Felix considered the idea. “How come I never heard of this place while I was studying at the Studium? You’d think it would have come up.”

“Glossed over it, maybe?” Kite said. “Anyway, we should get going and save the history and geography lessons for later.”

“Right.” Felix agreed. “Thanks for the explanation though.”

“Two birds with one stone, huh…”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, but… Actually, let's retire that expression along with our names, pal.” Kite said. “As long as we’re here.”

“Oh.” Felix finally realized. “Okay.”

14.2

Other differences notwithstanding, the Adventurers' Guild in Windia was surprisingly similar to the one in Aberdeen. Resembling a big beer hall with wooden fixtures and scattered tables for drinking, reveling, and strategizing—but mostly drinking.

Along the right wall hung the familiar quest board, already covered in requests. Every morning, just after sunrise, a clerk would post the day’s jobs. The moment permission was given, eager adventurers rushed the board in hopes of claiming the best-paying requests before anyone else.

No matter the country, adventurers always seemed to fight over the same scraps of paper. Aberdeen’s guild hall was much the same, only a bit smaller. Felix whistled, impressed with the scale.

“Looks like we’ll be living here for a while if we want to recoup our losses,” Kite said. “If I knew that night at the inn on the frontier would be our last bed for a spell, I would have suggested we stay longer…”

“I see it more as an investment.” Felix wagered. “We’re alive, first and foremost, and now we get to find some honest work.”

“But I’d really prefer dishonest work…”

“What was that?”

Felix raised an eyebrow, leaning in to hear her better.

“Nothing.” Kite looked away.

As they approached the counter, the clerk’s eyes immediately went to Felix. He stood a head taller than most people hanging around in the guild, including a few other humans. Her eyes went next to Kite as if asking her for help as the more “local” of the pair.

“Are you two… from out of town?” The woman asked.

“Yep!” Kite replied. “We’re here to register our names with the guild and start taking on requests.”

“That would be fine…” The clerk shifted around nervously. “Names?”

“Kate and Ferris.”

They went back and forth for a moment as Felix’s mind drifted away.

The clerk had brown feathers woven into her similarly colored hair, looking like a cross between a harpy and one of Windia’s fully fledged birdfolk. Her golden eyes studied her ledger through her bangs as she pulled out a writing utensil.

She was cute, Felix supposed. The thought made his eyes drift towards his own avian companion.

“Huh.” He had never noticed before, but Kite was also quite fetching. Her emerald eyes had a sureness to them that always seemed to set his mind at ease.

“Hey, you listening, buddy?”

“Huh?” Felix was startled at those eyes pointing directly toward his own. “What’s that?”

“Sheesh…” Kite shook her head. “The lady was asking if we have any divine blessings.”

“Oh…” Felix thought for a moment. “Not that I can remember, but I don’t think so.”

“You can’t remember?” The guild clerk echoed curiously.

“He hit his head.” Kite cut in. “Hard.”

“Right…” The clerk said. “Sorry to hear that.”

“It’s no problem,” Felix told her not to worry about it. “It’s more like I never had a chance to find out, or something like that. Spent my life on a farm.”

It wasn’t a lie, technically.

“Well, in that case, I’d be happy to help!” The clerk’s mood suddenly became less apprehensive. “I grew up on a farm too, so I understand. I didn’t have much experience with adventuring types until I came here to the Citadel.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes! Now, wait here just a minute, and I’ll be right back…”

The clerk disappeared into a back room for several moments. Felix and Kite exchanged curious glances, meanwhile. When the woman returned, she placed a large crystalline orb on the counter that looked much too heavy for the likes of her to be carrying.

“What’s that thing supposed to be?” Kite asked.

“It’s huge…” Felix noted.

“This magicked crystal is how we used to record information.” The clerk replied to Kite, blowing the dust off of the orb. “Just place your hands on the stone, and it will fill in your adventurer cards automatically.”

“Why don’t you use this all the time?” Kite asked hesitantly, eyeing the hulking object in front of her with suspicion.

“It requires a decent bit of mana to use, and it’s a mighty pain to carry around.” The clerk said. “The newer methods are more expensive, but we could always—”

“—Ah, this is fine then!”

Kite stepped up first, placing her hand on the surface of the orb. It was smooth like a pearl and reacted slightly, shuddering at her touch. She briefly glanced back at the clerk, who gave her a supportive gesture. Felix watched, curious.

In Kite’s other hand was a small paper card that already featured the name “Kate” and the race “Harpy” in prominent letters along with her magic class and affinity. She reflected on her own experience as a mage.

Advanced Class… I wonder if I’ll ever get any better?

Saint Class was the next rung on the ladder. After that came Champion, Monarch, and finally Divine—titles she’d only ever heard attached to the strongest mages in history. And then there was Felix, still Intermediate Class.

Though Kite had never once looked at him and thought “mage.” His ridiculous axe was what made him formidable, in her own words. There wasn’t really a formal ranking for warriors, in any case. People simply sorted them into two categories: the strong… and everyone else.

The stone began to glow green after a few moments, illuminating Kite’s astonished face. Like her companion, she wasn’t aware if she had any divine blessings, but for a different reason.

Usually you’d have to see a priest to find out, but she had never cared enough to seek one out. There was also the matter of entering a holy place with a lifetime of theft on her conscience…

“Wait, that’s it?”

The stone stopped glowing as quickly as it began, leaving Kite confused. Before she could ask the clerk if anything had gone wrong, the card in her other hand suddenly changed.

In a line underneath her name, race, and class, the following appeared…

“Divine blessing(s): Quickcasting, One Last Chance.”

“Incredible!” The clerk exclaimed all of a sudden. “It’s rare to see a quickcaster in the main element groups. They’re usually limited to mages of other types.”

“Is it really that rare…?” Kite scratched her cheek bashfully. “And what about the other one?”

“One Last Chance.” The clerk nodded. “Also quite rare. A fatal blow won’t kill you immediately, but if you’re nowhere near a capable healer…

“It could end up feeling like more of a curse as you wait to go...” Felix considered this.

“Yes, that is one downside.” The clerk agreed.

“Eh, no use in sweating it.” Kite waved it off. “It’s kept me alive this long, and I’ve got you to heal us, right, Ferris?”

I suppose so, Felix thought. But it’s worth keeping in mind.

“Well…” Felix stepped forward. “Guess I’m up.”

Felix placed his hands on the orb, just as Kite had done before. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. He was about to learn something about himself that only his Hero self knew. It wasn’t the first time in the last several days, but his pulse still quickened in anticipation.

“Give it just a moment.” The clerk said.

So Felix waited… and waited some more.

Huh?

But nothing happened. No feedback from the orb, and certainly no glow.

“That’s strange…” The guild clerk leaned over to study the orb, concern painting her face. “I wonder if it’s broken?”

If it was, Kite secretly wondered whose paycheck it might be coming out of.

“No, wait…” Felix got their attention. “The card.”

In the same place on the adventurer's card that Kite had seen her information materialize, Felix began to see dark, almost ominous, letters scrawl themselves on the surface.

“Divine blessing(s): Battle High.”

“Battle High…?” He looked to both the clerk and Kite, respectively, but neither’s face seemed to flash with the answer. “I’ve never heard of a blessing like that.”

“Nor have I.” The clerk rubbed her chin. “But I’m sure whatever it is will make itself known in time.”

Felix felt a bit disappointed, not having gotten the explanation he was hoping for. But it was unavoidable.

“Hey, you think it’ll be something useful?” Kite grinned and elbowed Felix.

“Let’s hope so.”

The clerk took both of their cards and stamped them red with the guild’s official seal.

“You two are now officially members of the Adventurers' Guild of Windia. Welcome aboard!” The clerk gave a small clap. “Wait just a moment while I file the paperwork, and feel free to browse the job board in the meantime.”

With a smile of thanks, Felix and Kite watched her go, glad to have identification to keep the law off their backs while they figure out what they want to do next.

“Well, that was mostly painless.” Kite nodded, impressed. “So… Are you ready to get your hands dirty?”

They both looked at the numerous remaining guild postings, comprised of many sorts of odd jobs. Fortunately for Felix, dirty work was something he was all too familiar with.

“I was born ready.”