“You alright?” Trenton called out, taking a couple more steps back to reunite with the rest of his fold, all of whom, except Wimbleton, now partook in the boy's presence.

There was no telling if he was an enemy or not, no matter how unlikely the circumstances. To be able to take a fall like that required an immense amount of constitution. It was likely he was formidable, if a little weakened. The boy did not turn his head at Trenton’s remark, continuing to mumble to himself.

“I’ve got it,” Garrote said, stepping forward and reaching his arm out. The boy pried away from the face of the tree, hovering midair with Garrote’s magic supporting him. He twisted midair, angling his body upwards, wrath contorting the odd features of his face. He thrust his arms into the air, sending massive waves of air dense enough to almost be visible surging upwards, catching nothing but itself, funnily enough. “Do you need help?”

The boy ignored them.

“Excuse me, mister! Are you okay?” Millie shouted at the kid, walking up to tap him on the shoulder.

At once, Garrote, Leo, and Trenton surged forward, pulling Millie back before the boy could turn around, which he did this time, finally taking register of their presence. His expression slowly shifted to one of fury to one of…well Trenton wasn't’ really sure. It wasn’t an expression he’d ever really seen before. The boy’s brow was furrowed, but so too were his eyes impossibly wide. He looked horribly focused, investigative, if a little perturbed.

He turned around to face them, arms crossed, “I do not know you. Who are you?” He said, voice something like a monotone trumpet. It held a remarkably steady tone, almost as if he were trying to pierce their skulls with his very voice.

“We’re a group of travelers,” Trenton replied, thinking better of giving their names. “And you? Rare to see someone out in these parts.”

“I am Avardis–Avardis Aviclas. Unhand me. I will kill those birds,” the boy said.

“Aviclass? I haven't heard of that family before,” Leo remarked.

“Probably because he made it up,” Wimbleton said, refocusing on them. “Aviclas roughly just means bird breaker. Something tells me it’s a self given title.”

The boy looked away, turning his entire head to the side in the most obvious maneuver imaginable, “I will not elaborate.”

“Got a problem with the korven? What did they do to you?” Maria said.

The boy shook his head, moving his body much further than one would expect for such a move, “What they have done is irrelevant. What they are is what's important.”

“Then what are they?” Millie asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Messengers of Avarinos. He sees through their eyes. He smells through their noses. He tastes through their tongues. He watches us, always, surveils us, keeps us docile. I will kill him. I will take his head and that of every bird in this world. They do not know what they do, so I grant them mercy,” Avardis said without the slightest hint of sarcasm.

For a moment, they stood there in stunned silence, everyone, even Wimbleton, at a loss for words. The boy was mad. How was it that they always ran into the most peculiar specimens of man? He never thought he’d say it, but Trenton would give just about anything for another Walibeld right about now.

“You do not understand. Unhand me. I will continue my work alone,” Avardis said.

“Nooooo, it’s not that. It’s just that I’ve been thinking the same thing. Waiting for someone to say it, really,” Maria said, signaling Garrote to let him down, which he did.

“You are a bad liar,” Avardis said, landing light on his feet, arms spread wide with the winds supporting him.

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Karfice snorted, quickly covering his mouth with his hand, “Tell me about it.”

Avardis’s head snapped to Karfice, moving more like one of Avar’s automatons than a human, “And you…I don’t like looking at your face. Put it away.”

At that, Garrote burst out laughing, doubling over on the ground in a fit of comic sobs. He rolled back and forth, pointing at Karfice and letting loose a hearty guffaw. Karfice, meanwhile, simply stood there stunned, struck by a flashbang by a random child in the middle of the woods. Maria, too, was quick to laugh, covering her mouth and turning away to avoid drawing Karfice’s ire.

“Yeah that’s…fair,” Karfice said, tapping his face, a wave of ice reforming the mask he’d worn for so long.

Trenton leaned over to Wimbleton, whispering such that Avardis couldn’t hear, “What should we do about him? I don’t feel comfortable leaving him here, but I don’t think I really want him traveling with us, either.”

“I don’t know,” Wimbleton mused. “I kind of like him.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“He’s pretty funny,” Wimbleton raised his eyebrows. “And, an aeromancer could certainly come in handy. Worse case, you just dump him at the academy if you can’t stand him.

Trenton looked back at Avardis, who was attempting to make his way back towards the tree. Could they really afford to have such an…interesting companion? His mental stability was more than in question, even should his strength be great.

Slowly, Garrote made his way back to his feet, wiping tears from his eyes, “Can we take him with us?” Garrote said, looking at Trenton with the biggest puppy eyes.

“He’s not a pet,” Trenton said.

“I’m not sure if he’s really human, either,” Leo said.

“Well, his material is great. I don’t think we could, in good conscience, leave such brilliance alone here,” Garrote said.

“Brilliance is one word for it, aye. Madness would be another,” Raligoth pitched in.

“He is honest. I’ll give him that much,” Karfice shrugged, waltzing up to their little circle, Maria at his side.

“He’s funny,” Millie giggled.

“I feel like we’re overlooking the fact that he thinks the wind god is watching everyone through the eyes of birds,” Maria said.

“I’d almost forgotten. Somehow his standup game actually hides the insanity,” Wimbleton said.

“Well…we could at least ask him why he thinks that. Give him a chance to defend himself before making assumptions,” Leo said.

“Do you honestly think you could be convinced of a single thing he says?” Trenton asked.

Leo looked down at the ground, voice much quieter and less confident than before, “Maybe he’s really convincing.”

“He does have such a way with words, afterall,” Wimbleton added, sending Garrote into another fit of chuckles. “Final calls up to you, boss. What d’you say?” Wimbleton looked over at Trenton.

“Why am I the boss? You’re the one making the executive decisions,” Trenton asked.

“Ah, but you’re the reason that everyone is here in the first place. These fine gentlemen and the other ones aren’t aren’t risking their lives for my sake. They fight for you,” Wimbleton said, bopping Trenton on the nose with his index finger and easily ducking a series of swings from Maria. “And besides,” Wimbleton leapt onto the side of a nearby tree, standing against it as if it were completely flat. “You’ve been making most of the important decisions anyway. I’m just here for a little guidance in case things get messy.”

“Hey, get back here!” Maria shouted, stooping to the ground to pick up an array of different sized rocks and fallen pieces of bark to throw at Wimbleton, all of which he caught without much effort.

Trenton looked back over at Avardis, who now lay back in the Avardis shaped hole in the ground, blood pooled all about him. He was sure to die if he continued much longer. Could Trenton bear that weight on his conscience? Probably. But neither did he have to.

Trenton walked over to the struggling Avardis, offering him a hand, “Come on. No point dying here. You’re not getting to the top alone.”

“You offer help.”

“I do, but not today. We’re leaving here, south bound towards Ruvalth. If we make it, I’ll take you back here someday. I promise.”

“You promise…” Avardis looked up the tree once more, clearly lamenting his failure. “Yes. You speak the truth. I can not ascend yet,” he took Trentons hand. “I do not know Ruvalth. Tell me what it is.”

“The ruins of a city. We’re looking for someone there.”

“I see. I will aid you. I am an adept fighter.”

Trenton smiled, “I can tell. Come on, I’ll get you patched up. We’re waiting for an acquaintance of ours to return and then we’re heading out.”