Alright, alright! Enough! Stop giving me that look already! I'll share okay?
Flipping the fish over onto its other side, my talons make quick work filleting the untouched side. Then with a great deal of hesitation, I offer up the fresh lemonhead steak to Marco. Served on a broad leaf, the marbled cut glistens with a delectable oily sheen. Along with the soft aroma that suggest hints of citrus, it's taking all of my self control right now just to stop myself from hoarding it all to myself.
It doesn't take long for Marco to come investigate the offering. With his nose hovering a mere inch away from the prized cut, he begins to sniff the meat, surely taking in all the drool-inducing fragrance that radiates from such a perfect creature.
Go on, take a bite already. I promise it tastes as good as it smells, I mentally tell him as I help myself to my own half of the chubby yellow fish. Savory oil drips down the side of my beak as I tear into the first bite, and oh my goodness, how I have forgotten how insanely delicious this thing tastes! Bless you Jesti, you absolute angel of a creature!
Meanwhile, Marco has a complicated look on his face. Even his scaley companion is taking its own turn inspecting the strange cut of meat in front of them. After one last whiff he proceeds to turn his nose up at the perfectly good meal, and same with his other half. Both of them are giving me queer expressions, as if I were the weird one here.
What?! Are you SERIOUS right now? You're honestly going to tell me that you would rather eat ROTTEN MEAT over the best thing in this forest, no probably this entire planet right now? No. You know what? More for me then. If you won't eat it, I sure as hell will!
An idea dawns on me. Wouldn't this be better if it were cooked? I don't exactly have a stove, but I can create fire…
I probably shouldn't. Fresh kill already has a smell that could attract unwanted attention. If I were to magnify that by cooking it, it would probably lure every hungry beastie within several hundred feet of us.
…
Maybe just a little bit…
A small grin forms on my face when I finally manage to conjure forth a flame at the tips of my talons, but it's too large. After concentrating for a few more minutes, I manage to reduce its size until it barely manages to wreath itself around a single talon. Then with great anticipation, I grab a small cut of meat that I set aside beforehand. Instantly, the raw flesh sizzles with bouts of steam as the fire makes contact with the oil-rich surface, and it only takes a short minute or so for the pale flesh to develop a palatable golden crust. My patience can't handle this any longer. I set it down so I can pop the small bite into my mouth, which well…
AGHH!!!
Immediately I spit out the chunk of meat, which causes it to land with a wet squelch in the silty mud beside me, but that's the last thing on my mind right now. The super-heated oils left behind are like hot little pokers that are actively burning the inside of my mouth! The river! I need to get to the river!
Dashing the short distance, I dunk my head beneath the cool waters. Thankfully, the pain begins to die down, and I get time to reflect on my stupidity.
I knew my own flames wouldn't burn me, and I foolishly associated that convenient little property to the of fish I was cooking. So help me I will never make that mistake again. Damn that hurt! My mouth still stings!
By time I lift my head out of the water, Marco is looking at me with an even more confused expression compared to before.
Don't look at me like I'm an idiot!
In response, he just tilts his head even more, one ear sagging ever so slightly.
Let's just finish up the lemonhead and get out of here already… Except there was one small issue. The fresh burns effectively destroyed all of my taste buds, ruining the once perfectly delightful meal.
Wait, surely all hope isn't lost right? Can't I treat this with essence?
Feeling invigorated with fresh waves of hope, I hunker down and focus on the familiar streams that flow throughout my own body. Like an ethereal shepherd, I alter their course ever so slightly and direct a few of the streams towards the source of pain.
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Overall it takes me a couple minutes to do this, but when I stir from my deep concentration, I no longer feel those horrid burns inside my mouth!
It worked! It actually worked, I did it Marco! Oh what a rush to actually have something go right!
My traveling companion harbors a neutral expression, clearly apathetic towards my contagious joy.
Whatever, his loss. He's a weirdo anyways, following some bird around instead of his own kind, eating nasty leftovers instead of perfectly good food. Speaking of, no reason to let these morsels go to waste!
While I polish off the rest of this tasty meal, Marco seems per-occupied with something way out in the forest. But when I get up to take a look, there's nothing. Is he catching a whiff of something over there? Whatever it is, hopefully it's something we can handle, because that's the direction the two of us are heading.
Taking Marco's insight into consideration, perhaps it's best we get moving. As for the what remains of the lemonhead, it's been mostly picked clean, so I don't feel bad for what I'm about to do.
Using my feet, I sweep over some of mud until it forms a nice little mound over the carcass. Probably overkill, considering the scent of earth and rain still overpowers everything else, but based off of Marco's current state right now, it's better to be on the safe side.
Come on bud, time to go!
After taking a couple steps, I notice that he isn't following. However, just when I'm about to squawk at him to get his attention, he turns his big ol' head my way and follows suit. There's something off about his expression, but I can't quite put a feather on it.
Now I'm wondering if it would be wiser to turn back…
No, we came this far already, and I'm not sure if Marco is always going to follow me around. Best to do this while he remains strangely subservient. Also I fear if I cannot do this, it will permanently scar my confidence. I've said it before, I don't want to cower forever in the name of survival. I know what it means to thrive, the knowledge of humanity that has been imprinted on me has made sure of that. Exposed to such potential, I would never forgive myself if I discarded it all to live out a hollow existence. I may not be human, but I know what it's like to dream as one.
You coming-
I was about to gesture to Marco for us to get moving again, but he's already ahead. All of the doom and gloom he had about him earlier is completely gone, dare I say he's feeling as resolved as I am. Cheeky orothus! Alright lead the way bud, I'm right behind you!
As the two of us continue traveling down the river, I can't help but wonder how the other orothus are doing. We did just… um... kind of leave. Maybe not the right choice after a big battle where all of them nearly died. Hopefully they don't take it too personally… right? It's not like they would attack us when we get back just because we went on a little adventure? I can think of one particular orothus that would probably attack me, but I don't think she needs a reason to do that. Luckily Julius has kept her in line since all of us have first met. As long as nothing happens to him, I shouldn't have anything to worry about on that front.
Suddenly Marco stops in his tracks and I curse myself for getting so distracted with trivial, unimportant thoughts. I wasn't paying attention at all! Quickly I try to trace the sights where Marco's serpent half is looking. Lately I've noticed that this scout of his is far and away, the most perceptive out of our small group. And as it would turn out, my intuition ending up being correct.
Further down the trail, several figures have stopped before the raging river. They are sizable beasts that stand far taller than the two of us, especially so with the one that leads them. A set of formidable multi-pronged antlers adorn his head like a massive thorny crown. Paired with the regal-like fashion in how he carries himself, he could easily pass off as wandering monarch within these woods. Other than that, they share many of the same qualities as deer, except they carry themselves on six legs instead of four.
Is this what you noticed earlier? I mean they are huge, easily twice our height, but I don't think there's a lot to fear from them. We should be able to just move around them if we give them a wide berth.
That's what I thought at least until the massive elk stopped drinking from the river to look right in our direction.
The atmosphere only grows tenser as more of the creatures appear beside their alpha to see what's going on. Now five of them are formed up in a line beside their impressive leader, and there are still a few more behind them. This could be really bad…
Marco is the first to back off in this stalemate, clearly not wanting to test the wild beast any further. But is that really the case? The pressure is immense, sure, but for some reason I feel as if there's something else going on here. It's just like that time when Julius confronted me with his pack, and that absolute presence he wielded as the two of us stared each other down.
If he were truly provoked by our presence, wouldn't he be more aggressive? His posture is tall and proud, perhaps with a touch of arrogance. What if…
From behind, Marco is barking out low growls in my direction, clearly urging for us to retreat. If this were any other situation, I would probably adhere to his primal intuition, but I have something else mind.
I can tell that he's watching my movements carefully, nothing is going to escape his notice here. Very slowly, I move a leg forwards, after which, I begin to bend down and kneel the best I can given this avian body will allow. With this, I humble myself and give my respects.
Ever since I have left the cave and took my first steps into this new wilderness, I have been beset with one strange encounter after another. And from my accumulated experience thus far, I have begun to understand that this forest is far from simple, nor are the creatures dwelling within it. Just maybe, this gesture is what the large elk was waiting for.
With my head down, I can't see how the other party is responding. For all I know, they could be getting ready to charge and I could end up flattened.
Several seconds have gone by and the only constant has been the ongoing roar of the river beside me. I haven't heard a peep out of Marco this entire time. Did he leave already?
By now a minute has gone by deafening silence and my anxiety is at it's breaking point.
Then, moments away from second-guessing my own impulsive decision, a tremendous shadow drapes itself over me, and my breathing grows still.
He's standing right over me, please tell me I made the right choice!
I can easily imagine a scenario where he drives his hoof straight through me and put an end to me here and now. But deep down, I am trusting this quiet voice in my gut that's telling me to believe.
And after what felt like an agonizing eternity, the shadow moves past me at last, followed in turn by several others that pass by harmlessly.
With a sigh of relief, I feel as if I can finally breath again. It's disappointing that Marco left me behind, but I understand why he would do it. Doesn't mean I like it however.
Rising up from my kneeling position, I take a look back, and to my absolute surprise, I see that I was completely wrong.
Behind me, Marco has adopted a similar pose to me. His front half is completely lowered and both heads are bowed down as low as it gets. Beyond him, the herd of mighty six-legged deer are traveling the way we came, heading upstream in opposition to us.
There is a interesting glint in Marco's green eyes when he notices me, far more complicated than anything I can make a guess at.
It would seem this arboreal realm truly is a mysterious place.