Valicar trudged forward, feeling the weight of exhaustion, hunger, and cold, sensations mirrored by both Sophia and Mike within their shared vessel. After a detour to retrieve the Grimoire, much to Sophia’s delight, Valicar continued up the mountain path. However, upon finding the village still occupied by Templars, they quickly decided to move on.
“I can’t believe you forgot my book, Mike!” Sophia’s voice echoed within Valicar's mind, a constant reminder of their shared experiences. “How much farther is this place anyway?” Valicar climbed the trail, the weight of their journey pressing heavily upon them.
“I already said I was sorry, sis. And as to our distance, I’m not sure, to be honest. Dad—I mean, Theodore said we would know the way when we followed the path.” Mike relayed with confidence.
Despite the sun reaching its zenith, the air grew colder, a stark contrast to the warmth of the midday sun. “Damn, it’s cold. Too bad there wasn’t much loot at the village. Maybe going after the wagon and following it to town wouldn’t be a bad idea… Maybe, James could even help if we find him at the Red Wolf Inn.” Sophia’s said thoughts drifting to a comforting warm bed yet in the pit of her stomach ached with worry for their mother, Alexandra, adding a layer of urgency to their journey.
“No, Sophia, trust me,” Mike urged, his voice resolute. “We have a real opportunity here to get stronger. Then maybe James will talk to us, let alone help. And think of all the cool stuff that will be there.” Sophia had always been fascinated by the stories of their Great Uncle, after whom she was named. His legendary exploits seemed almost too incredible to be true, yet even Mike, his biggest skeptic, found himself questioning their authenticity.
“Do you think that sword will be there? You know, the legendary Blue Dawn? The sword said to shine like a blue sun.” Sophia’s eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought.
“That sword would be a game-changer, but this cave sounds like it's packed with power-ups. Maybe we'll find some magical sneakers in there or something,” Mike joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Sophia chuckled. “Yeah, and a cape that makes you fly, like to a city!”
Mike smirked. “Or at least a pair of wings. Wouldn't that be something?”
As they trudged onward, Sophia's eyes caught sight of a bird soaring high above. “Hey, isn't that the bird from the stories?”
Mike squinted up at the bird. “I don't know you're the one that was fascinated with them... Looks more like a regular old bird to me. Maybe it's just a wizard in disguise.”
Sophia rolled her eyes. “Well, whatever it's doing up there, it's giving me a crick in my neck. Let's check out where it lands.”
Mike nodded. “Fine, but if it turns out to be just a regular old bird, you have to admit I'm funny.”
Sophia grinned. “Deal.”
The trail was unforgiving, with brush and rough terrain testing their endurance. Sophia had to use her powers sparingly, fearing she might accidentally doze off and leave Mike in a precarious situation. After what felt like an eternity, the sun began its descent, casting long shadows over the landscape. At last, they spotted the bird's nest.
“Finally found you, you damn bird!” Valicar collapsed to her knees, utterly exhausted.
The bird squawked indignantly. “I don’t see why you want your God to damn me, but that’s quite harsh coming from one of your bloodline.”
Mike helped Valicar back to her feet, preparing to meet this unexpected interloper. No one else was around except for the bird, now clearly a bald eagle.
“Are you looking for someone, child?” the eagle inquired.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Valicar's expression was one of disbelief. “We can talk to animals?! Okay, Sophia, I’ll admit it, magic is pretty cool. And look, it's an eagle! Merica, fuck yeah!” Mike exclaimed enthusiastically.
Mike's excitement was palpable. "I didn’t do anything, Mike… That’s just a talking bird. But honestly, at this point, I’m not too surprised."
The eagle flexed its wings as Mike yelled, but it seemed rather unfazed. “What is a Mercia? Is that what you come in search of, child?” the bird questioned.
“Oh, no, sorry about that… Mik… I mean, I sometimes say random stuff. Don’t worry about that though. I’m looking for my family’s legacy.”
The eagle's eye seemed to almost pierce through them as it spoke. “Oh, so you are here to claim my master's legacy, are you? But the real question is if you are worthy of such an inheritance?”
Sophia glanced around, surrounded by solid rock on one side and a cliff on the other, with the eagle's nest perched precariously between the two.
“Would a simple yes suffice?” Sophia said, her laughter tinged with nerves.
“Actually… yes, you pass, go right on in.” A door opened from the side of the mountain to Valicar’s left, revealing a cave entrance.
“Wow, really? That was easy,” Mike began to walk forward, but as quickly as the door had opened, it slammed shut once more.
“Ha ha ha… You should have seen the look on your face,” the bird cackled hysterically, but Mike was far from amused.
“Open this door, you damn bird!” Mike marched up to the eagle.
“Wait, Mike, maybe this is the test!” Sophia screamed in his mind.
“Or what, pipsqueak? You stand before Garmithal Glormizoan, the mighty familiar of the legendary hero Valicar! So you can’t go in until I find you worthy, kid.”
Mike bit his tongue and let Sophia speak, “OK, so Mr. Garmithal, my name is…”
A squawk erupted from the eagle, “IT’S GARMITHAL GLORMIZOAN!!” Sophia paused and corrected herself.
“Oops, sorry, Garmithal Glormizan,” she said, annoyed at her mistake but keeping her patience.
Another squawk ripped the air, “Glormizoan, not Glormizan! You're gonna confuse people when you introduce me. I won’t accept you as a disciple if you keep fucking it up.”
Sophia's patience waned, but she took a deep breath. "Alright, Mr. Garmithal Glormizoan, got it." But before she could continue, Mike exploded. “Listen here, you overgrown chicken! We came a long way to find this cave, and—”
But he was cut off by laughter. Mike paused, confused. “I’m just messing with you. Call me GG. I’m here to guide you on the path so you will become worthy. And who the hell is this ‘we’ girl? You came here alone.” GG chuckled mischievously.
Regaining her composure, Sophia interjected, “We, me, same thing. So what does it take to be worthy?”
The eagle fixed its gaze on Valicar. “Well, you must find a few things to unlock this door and the ones beyond it.”
Mike couldn't resist butting in, “But can’t you just unlock it? Why do we need a key?”
GG squawked, “I’m getting to that part, pipsqueak. So shut your trap!” Valicar remained quiet, but this didn’t stop Mike from shooting daggers at the bird.
“As I was saying,” GG continued, “the first test is straightforward. You must take one of my feathers and place it on the wall. This will unlock the first door.”
Baffled by this seemingly simple task, Sophia spoke up, “What’s the catch?” She could swear she saw the damn bird grinning. “You have to catch me first.” With that, GG was off, flying low to the ground at an unbelievable speed.
“I'M GONNA PLUCK THAT BASTARD BALD!!! NOW GIVE ME A BUFF, SOPHIA!!!!” Mike sprinted at full speed before Sophia could even finish her spell.
Valicar chased GG for hours, first down the mountain and then up again. GG never flew higher than a few feet off the ground. There were a few times they got close, only to fall for one of GG's traps. First, there was a pit they fell into, then a rope that left them hanging, and then another pit.
“HOW THE FUCK DOES A BIRD EVEN DIG A HOLE OR TIE THESE KNOTS, FUCK YOU GG!!” Mike complained as the game of cat and mouse went on for hours, until they reached the top of the mountain again, only to find GG there with what looked like freshly caught fish and a rabbit.
“You know, kid, you're not half bad. I don’t remember the last time I’ve had this much fun. Now eat up so you can try again tomorrow.” GG squawked.
Mike and Sophia were stunned. “After all that…. You wanna do it again tomorrow?”
GG simply nodded. “Yes. Now eat.” This routine went on for well over a week, with Mike even building a simple camp with a fire pit and a bed made from leaves.
Until one day, Mike was able to predict the perfect moment for Sophia to give him a boost. With a mighty leap and a grasp for hope, he had it—a single tail feather.
“IN YOUR FACE, GG!! I fuckin' got it!!” Mike exclaimed with joy, while Sophia struggled to stay conscious.
“Congratulations, pipsqueak. You pass with flying colors. Go now and claim your reward. I’ll be back with some fish in a while,” GG remarked before swiftly flying down the mountain.
“Let's go see what we won, Mike. I’m just gonna rest my eyes for a second,” Sophia said as she tried to recover.
Sophia awoke to find them standing before the cliff wall. “Finally back, huh, Soph? Must be nice.”
Sophia rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Mike.” Valicar pressed the feather to the door, and it opened once again.