Evacuation

⭑ · · ᯓ 𐃈 ᯓ · · ⭑

They got to the foot of the volcano quicker than expected, but molten rock flowed from the glowing mouth in the face of the mountain and from the crater at the top on a direct path toward the village.

The island itself rumbled every few moments, sending crumbling rock crashing down the slope and steam into the air.

“Chief Andres!” Felix shouted. “Bruno!”

The two men were gathered by what few half-blooded harpies similar to Kite, humans, and other non-flying villagers they could gather, along with the physically infirm. The chief’s wing stump was properly bandaged, his sleeve tapered to the right length.

“What’s going on?” Kite asked as they arrived. “Is this really everyone?”

“We’ve had our strongest flyers carry a person at a time to safety, but Cloudspire is quite far from the ground or the nearest island.” Chief Andres looked on. “What happened up there?”

“It was my—”

“We were too late,” Felix replied, cutting Elora off before she could blame herself. “The Remnant destroyed the seal long before we arrived. It couldn’t be helped, even though we defeated Nostalgia.”

“I see, that is regrettable… but you managed to rescue your friend, and the last of our people have awoken. That much is worth celebrating.” Chief Andres nodded to Elora as she looked down. “But the devastation will be all-consuming in a matter of moments. Cloudspire is lost.”

“Lost, meaning…?”

Bruno shared a somber look. It appeared that their minds had been made up. With no way to avert the inevitable eruption, their efforts had turned to escape only. However, they would first need to think up a solution to get everyone to safety.

“If you’ve got any quick suggestions…” Bruno said. “Now would be the time to share.”

. . .

“Perhaps I may be of some assistance...”

Felix, Kite, and Elora looked around after hearing a voice transmitted directly into their heads. Having only just experienced the same sensation with Nostalgia, they assumed the worst.

“Who are you?!” Elora snapped as Chief Andres and the others cast confused glances. “State your purpose!”

“Please, relax, I mean you no harm.” The man’s soft voice assured them. “Since your arrival in Windia, my master has had me observe each of you closely. Her reasons are for her to explain. My name is Finn, a telepath.”

“Telepath…?” Felix furrowed his brow.

“Watching?” Kite was equally confused. “Wait, was that your feather we found back on the airship? You were eavesdropping, weren’t you??”

“Very good, Kite. You are correct.” Finn said in a plain voice. “In speaking of feathers, Sir Hero, you still have the white griffon’s, do you not?”

“Moon’s?” Felix pulled out the white feather from his pocket. “Yeah, why?”

“Good. Your salvation is still within reach.” Finn’s tone became more hopeful. “Waste no time. The white griffon gave you that feather willingly, did she not?”

“Yeah…”

“Then remember what she showed you when she gave it.”

Felix suddenly thought back to his last meeting with Moon. When she gave him the feather, she had made a point to show him the noise it made. He wrote it off as a cute anecdote, but what if there were some deeper purpose to the gesture?

“You will not die on this day, Sir Hero,” Finn said, sure of his words. “My master, the Oracle of Windia, has foreseen it.”

“Wait, that’s it?” Felix sputtered. “That’ll save us?”

“Yes,” Finn replied. “I will contact you later in the Citadel. The Six keep you all.”

“Most High willing, I hope this works…” Felix spoke to himself, Chief Andres overhearing.

“That was certainly vague.” Elora tapped her chin, flummoxed. “And what was this about some oracle, and a feather?”

“The Oracle of Windia?” Chief Andres’ eyes shone with hope. “If she has seen a way out of this, we should take heed of her wisdom. Though young and a foreigner, she has never led our nation astray.”

The volcano’s rumbling picked up.

“Well, I see no other choice, so let’s see what it does.” Kite shrugged. “The worst that could happen is nothing, and we all just become part of the scenery. A permanent part.”

Some villagers gasped in fear as Elora eyed Kite with a disapproving look.

“Uh, sorry...” Kite added sheepishly, scratching her neck. “A little nervous is all.”

“Then let’s give it a try.” Felix held up Moon’s feather into the air as a gentle breeze caught its bristles, making a sweet chiming sound as they’d heard on Griffon Isle. “Show me something, please…”

Help me get all of these people out of here.

For a moment, nothing happened. Steam began to billow violently from the crater, intensifying with the rumbling they felt underfoot. They all sensed their impending doom at the hand of the volcano. However…

Several–no–over a dozen flying silhouettes emerged from the mist. Much too large to be birdfolk, they couldn’t yet see what they were dealing with.

“Wait, are those…?” Kite shielded her eyes with a hand.

It became clear to them what was happening as soon as Felix saw the majestic creature leading the pack of griffons.

“Griffons?!” Elora completed the thought. “In all my years…”

“Moon!” Felix finally exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear.

“SKREIGH!”

Moon hadn’t come alone. A whole flock of adult griffons from the preserve, numbering around twenty in total, surged overhead. Among the shapes at the front was one unmistakable snow-white griffon with sharp golden eyes.

As it cawed, the other beasts followed her around the village before coming to land beside the group of people. The villagers, unsure at first, cheered in relief with their sudden appearance.

“You came back!” Felix grinned, scratching the big bird’s chin. “Can we count on your help?”

“Skreigh!”

As Moon hummed happily, crouching, the entire griffon flock followed her example, allowing the villagers to climb aboard two or three at a time.

With only the few possessions they’d brought with them, fifty-three people were ready to be evacuated, including Felix and his two companions who rode atop Moon herself.

“In all my years…” Elora shook her head, brushing the soft white feathers beneath with her open palm. “Where in the world did you befriend such a creature?”

“Our last job,” Kite smirked. “It didn’t pay, but it’s sure gonna save our asses. Now what was that you snarked earlier about traveling on griffonback?”

Before Elora could muster her retort, the volcano erupted in full, the summit collapsing inward. A boiling wall of ash, stone, and volcanic gas spilled over the ruined slope and raced toward the village where they were staging their escape.

“Go, Moon!” Felix called out. “To the skies, everyone!”

As they scrambled to escape, the plume followed them like a tidal wave. Were they to have been caught up in it, or if Moon had arrived any later, the casualties would have been catastrophic.

The evacuees sailed through the evening sky, lucky to be alive as the clouds gave way to a sea of stars in a misty haze. They had made it out safely, every last one of them.

30.2

“That’s four gold standard for solving the mystery of Cloudspire Village.”

The Adventurers’ Guild clerk pushed a small tray across the counter as the party eyed the glittering coins in front of them. Kite stared with hearts in her eyes, her hands clasped together.

Felix was left with the responsibility of distributing the loot. The original plan was for him and Kite to split two coins each, but Felix had discussed it with his harpy companion in secret and came to a different arrangement.

He handed one to Kite and pocketed another. Rather than divide the remaining two immediately, Felix picked up a third coin and studied it. He glanced back up at the guild clerk, and then at Kite to make sure what he was about to do was still alright.

“Go for it, pal.” Kite shrugged. “That conscience of yours hasn’t steered us wrong yet.”

Felix smiled.

“Don’t act like you weren’t part of this too.” He said, turning to the clerk. “Make sure that gets to Chief Andres, or Bruno. For help in restoring the village.”

“Are you sure?” The clerk asked. “That’s a lot of money.”

“Their home was destroyed. Sure, we were able to wake everybody up, but that doesn’t change that fact.” Felix nodded. “With one gold standard each, we already have everything we need to get back to my farm, alright, not to mention our flying friend waiting back at the stables...”

It may not have been a permanent arrangement; Felix didn’t yet know, but Moon had parked herself on the edge of the Citadel at the stables—refusing to leave after all the other griffons had gone. If she were indeed willing to take him home, the journey’s logistics would improve tenfold.

“If that’s what you’ve decided… the people of Windia are in your debt.” The clerk smiled warmly. “Don’t fret over what you couldn’t do; you three are heroes in my book.”

The word made Felix pause. However, a smile came to his lips as it did for Kite and Elora as well.

“That just leaves the last coin?” Elora noted.

“That’s because it’s for you.” Felix beamed. “Kite won’t admit it, but she insisted you get a piece of the action before I even mentioned it.”

“Hey! You promised not to—!” Kite fumed before clearing her throat. “It’s normal, isn’t it? You do work, you get paid for your work. Unless you hang out with Felix all the time, but still.”

“Hey, now…”

Elora picked up the coin in her hands, twisting the cold metal between her fingertips. A light smile appeared.

“Thank you two… but I’ll have to pass.” The elf handed the clerk her share as well, a serious look on her face. “To the Village’s recovery, as well. Make sure they get it with my apologies.”

The guild clerk nodded, wiping away a tear as she accepted the coin. Kite had her arms crossed still.

“You have my appreciation again, Miss Kite.” Elora bowed formally. “Your magic may not be Champion Class, but your heart is. And your mouth, come to think of it…”

“Just had to go and ruin it, huh?!” Kite jabbed Elora’s smug face with a finger. “Geez…”

Felix smiled, keeping to himself that from his point of view they looked like a pair of old friends.

“Say, Elora.” Felix began to probe, curious. “I know your quest was to find out where I’d been hiding and all, but what’s next for you now that you’ve found me?”

“Next?” She repeated back, confused. “I intend to remain by your side. I spent enough time searching for you, after all, and I can’t very well leave you alone with this ill-intentioned woman.”

“Wait, I’m the one with ill-intentions?” Kite scoffed. “Should I remind you about all the embarrassing things you said when you were half-asleep? I think you made your intentions pretty clear back then…”

“Wha—?!” Elora’s face burned red. “You’d better stop while you’re ahead, or else!”

“Or else you’ll go on and on about how you’ll be together forever with Fewix…”

“That’s it, I’ve had enough, thief!”

“Oh, have you, elf?!”

“Birdbrain!”

“Pointy ears!”

The guild clerk waved them off with an exasperated smile.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way…” Felix laughed, shaking his head.

. . .

For the first time since leaving his prison cell, Felix felt as though everything might actually work out.

He had enough money to return home. Kite was still beside him, and somehow Elora had found a place there too amongst them. It hadn’t been easy, but even the word ‘hero’ no longer sounded quite as suffocating as it once had.

It was tempting to believe, then, that hardship worked that way. Endure enough of it, overcome enough obstacles, and eventually the world would grant you a little peace in return.

But peace was never something owed, and happiness was not made permanent simply because someone had fought hard to obtain it. The present could become the past with terrifying speed.

A conversation could become a final conversation. A smile could become the last one remembered. Sometimes the things people treasured most in life were taken before they even understood there was something to lose.

Felix did not understand that yet. For now, he was simply happy to hear his friends arguing beside him.

Just outside in the hallway, somebody waited for them, a young birdman with ashen grey feathers and striking red eyes. He wore a leather vest with a purple sash across the chest.

“Hello, Sir Hero and friends...”

He stopped them in their tracks with the words from his beak. Since they’d arrived in Windia, nobody had recognized Felix as the hero until Finn called him as such as they made their escape from Cloudspire. The birdman tilted his head.

“I take it, you know who I am?”

“Yeah, it’s Finn… isn’t it?” Felix asked hesitantly. “Thanks for your help with the evacuation. It really came in handy. Though, I’m curious… What do you need from us?”

“It was no issue, really.” Finn waved it off. “To answer your question, I’ll need you to come with me at once. All three of you.”

“Where to?” Kite asked.

“To the top floor of the Aery, the tower we’re in, where there stands a great library. There, my master patiently awaits your arrival.” Finn replied. “She has a matter of grave importance to discuss with you.”

“Your master, the oracle?” Elora clarified.

“Yes.” Finn narrowed his gaze. “The Oracle of Windia.”