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The adventurer sighed as he neared the mountain in which his destination resided atop of. He was sure it would be at least another day’s journey on foot just to arrive at the top. And who knew how much longer it would take if he encountered magical traps. Luckily, there were no trails nearby, so he didn’t have to worry about anyone getting in his way. Nearly two weeks before, he had accepted a quest from the Guild’s quest board. Supposedly, a wizard resided atop a mountain, and they had an ancient artifact in which the Guild was very interested in.
The Gem of Life it was often called. The bearer of the stone had the ability to ‘gift’ life to others. Although he knew the real story behind it. How it was a double edged sword. There were two ways one could use it. You could gift some of your own lifespan to others. Or you could ‘gift’ life to yourself, taking the lifespan from whatever was around you. The only problem was that every time you used it, you would lose a piece of your soul.
Not that the adventurer cared; he had just been doing a job for the Guild. He’d probably forget it within a few months anyway.
~ ¤ ~
He had stopped to eat at the base of the mountain, gathering his energy before he began the journey up. He was surrounded by the sound of bird song, ancient spruce trees which had stood for hundreds of years, towering over him. The air still felt thicker, not yet having that thin atmosphere that made you feel lightheaded. Not that he ever got lightheaded from air density anyway.
He had already gathered some wild vegetables and berries for him to eat and was currently cooking the vegetables over an open fire, careful to use a wood which wouldn’t smoke too much. He stared into space, allowing his mind to wander as he thought about the possible traps the wizard could have placed to protect the precious gem. He was distracted by the smell of burning potatoes. He frantically scrambled up, to see that the potatoes he had been cooking were all burnt. Not past the point of being edible, but definitely past the point of tasting good.
He deflated at the state of the food, careful to remove it from over the fire without burning himself. “Really, Grian? Is it that hard to bake potatoes of all things,” he groaned to himself. ‘At least I still have some fruits to eat,’ he thought sulkily. His mind wandered back to his previous train of thought as he ate his food. It was jarred to a stop when he realized something. What would happen if the wizard discovered him? He glanced over at his reflection in his shield. These questions gnawing at his thoughts as he examined his own reflection in the polished shield.
His red sweater, torn at the sleeve, iron shoulder plates worn over it. His knees which were hugged to his chest, grey pants cut short. Revealing grey avian talons. Two large, colorful Scarlet Macaw wings decorated his back, more tuffs of colorful feathers where his ears should be. Dark purple feathers scattered across his wings and ear tuffs, like inverted stars. His mop of dirty blond hair atop his head, bangs nearly covering his dark brown eyes. Depending upon the wizard, they might be more inclined to. . . collect him. Being a part of the Guild, he was protected under the eyes of the law; however, there was no telling if the wizard followed the law. Grian pushed that thought to the side. He could protect himself, and if push came to shove, he had a few secrets of his own.
~ ¤ ~
After lunch, Grian had spent the rest of the day traveling up the mountain by foot, too afraid his colorful wings would give him away. Now he would have placed a glamor over himself, an ability that enabled him to hide his more avian traits; however, there was a spell in place which prevented him from doing so. He arrived at the top of the mountain under the cover of darkness, the moon high in the sky. Spindly spruce trees clawed at the dark sky. The rest of the mountain top open to the elements. Snow blanketed the ground, his talons stinging from the sensation. However, the immediate area around the wizard’s home was clear of any snow. In fact, it didn’t even feel that chilly. Most likely a warming spell.
Now, normally when you thought of a wizard, you imagined a grand tower which well. . . towered high into the sky. Or even a castle, if it was one of the more powerful wizards. However, his destination was little more than just a simple house. In fact, it wasn’t even that grand of a house. The base was made from deep slate, with dark oak supports. The roof was shaped like a wizard’s hat, the brim made of stone, the base spruce wood. It tilted over, a blue lantern suspended from the end. It was hardly the image Grian had in his mind of the home belonging to whatever mighty wizard had the mythical Gem of Life.
He tapped into his own magic, and allowed his Eyes to spread out, Seeing if the wizard was nearby. There was no trace of him. Content, Grian crept up to the front door silently and turned the handle, slowly pushing it open. There was no one inside. He breathed a sigh of relief and crept inside, his talons ever so lightly clicked against the stone floor. Far too quiet for a normal human to hear. Then again, wizards were not normal humans.
The inside of the wizard’s hut looked incredibly unassuming. In fact, it looked rather like a shop. With shelves lining the sides. Decorated with numerous gemstones, crystals and more. A counter lined the back wall, with barrels lining the walls behind it. However, an empty space remained in the middle for a ladder which led up to the inside of the hat. Grian’s ear feathers twitched. He could almost feel a pull towards the ladder, to go upstairs. His instincts were rarely ever wrong.
Looking around, he confirmed that he was still alone, and he tip-toed around behind the counter, to make his way up the ladder. The wood creaked softly under his weight, and he sucked in a deep breath, listening intently to any sign someone had heard him. There was none. He decided to play it safe and with a soft whoosh of his wings, he flew up the ladder instead, landing softly on the floor of the attic. He looked around.
The room was dimly lit, and an assortment of purple crystals lined the walls. The smell of wood hung in the air, which almost shivered with the presence of magic. In the center of the room, was a pedestal made from amethyst, obsidian and diamond. A red tablecloth draped over it, a book hovering over the pedestal. It was a book of enchantment. Grain had only ever seen a few in his life, each one containing different spells. Some only small blessings, and others powerful spells which could summon great tornadoes of flame from a single slash of one’s sword. He hoped it was the former. But that was not what caught his attention.
Behind the enchanting book was a table, with a small purple cushion. He crept closer to it, his eyes wide and feathers trembling with excitement. He could almost feel a pull towards what sat atop the cushion. It was a purple gemstone, a green glow swirling deep within its depths. His fingers twitched as they reached toward the gem, and indescribable need pulling him towards it.
“The Gem of Life,” he breathed.
“That is what it is called,” he heard a voice say behind him. He nearly jumped out of his skin, a shriek escaping from his mouth as he held his wings to his sides and whirled around. Standing next to the ladder was a cloaked man, with shining green eyes, a dashing lopsided grin spread across his face. Many scars showed on that same face, like he had been shattered then pieced back together. His purple cloak decorated with green weavings draped over his shoulders, hood up covering his shoulder length brown hair. Grian’s eyes gravitated towards the jungle wood cane he held in his hand, that handle made from gold and shaped like a bird. The eyes made from emeralds, which seemed to glow with magic.
The man shifted and he looked back up at his face. His grin fell, replaced with a much more serious, calculating look. “Now what might a little birdie like you be doing here?”
Grian gulped, his mind filling with the thoughts of being put in chains, his feathers stolen from him to be used as magical artifacts. “Oh, I was just traveling through here when I got lost. I found this lovely home of yours and thought I’d just make myself at home in here!” He said innocently, the lie easily rolling off his tongue. The tone needed to play off curious innocence (and maybe a little naivety) played perfectly. “Of course, I am intruding, so if you want, I can go ahead and show myself out.”
The man studied him a moment longer before his grin came back. Grian wouldn’t have suspected a thing, if only it weren’t for the fact that it didn’t reach his eyes. “Ah yes, I see, I see. Now,” the man’s grin turned more sinister. “You and I both know you didn’t just get lost, guild puppet.”
Grian flinched at his harsh words, the man’s eyes filling with a glow of anger. He took a step forward and Grian stepped back, bumping into the table. He strangled a startled squawk as he looked up at the human who was easily a heads height taller than him. He noticed how broad his shoulders were, this human was definitely not weak. It was just his luck that the only human he had encountered in over a day was none other than the wizard himself.
The wizard closed the distance between the two of them. “Now little birdie,” he cooed, his eyes flashing dangerously. “Would you like to tell me why you are here?”
“Well you see—well you see I received a quest from the guild to find a rumored umm. . . crystal in the belongings of a certain wizard who resided atop a certain mountain. And—and—and that certain wizard happened to reside atop this mountain, so it wasn’t anything personal or anything,” he rambled, the words spilling from his mouth.
The wizard studied him, and Grian waited for him to respond. Finally, he asked, “Do you want this gem for yourself?”
Grian turned the best he could, his wing awkwardly held behind him, so he didn’t accidentally smack the man in the face with it, to look at the gemstone. He could feel the magic within it, the deep green colors within it shifting and changing as he stared at it. He could almost feel himself drawn towards it. More than just an avian’s normal fascination with shiny things. The already dim light in the attic seemingly becoming even dimmer as the avian’s vision seemed to narrow on the gem. He shook his head, closed his eyes and looked away. He realized that a sort of fog had settled over his mind, making his thoughts almost unclear with the need to have that gem.
He reopened his eyes, to find the wizard watching him curiously. With deep emerald eyes, their own shine within them. Grian steeled his nerves. “No. It’s just a job; that’s all it is.” The wizard watched him for a moment longer before taking a step back, his grin once again making itself present on his face.
“Okay! I believe you little birdie.” Grian grimaced slightly at the pet name; however, he made no mention of it. He was not in the position to complain about things like that. “However!” his voice boomed and Grian flinched. “I can’t just let this slide! That would be a wound to my reputation. So, I’m afraid I’m going to have to keep you here. You see, I live here for a reason and your presence here has endangered that.”
A dread crept up his spine at the man’s words. “What. . . exactly are you going to do to me?” he asked wearily.
The wizard only grinned wider. “Well, I’m going to hold you for ransom!” he beamed, his voice far too light.
Grian’s eyes flicked around the room nervously. “You’re going to imprison me?” he chirped, his voice barely above a whisper.
The wizard looked away as if in thought. “Well, I guess that’s one thing to call it. . .” he said, trailing off. The creeping dread which had been building up in Grian’s mind finally reared its ugly head, wrapping its talons around his mind like a terrible beast. The thought of being locked away in a dark room, the sun far, far away with only his own thoughts to keep him company. There not even being enough space to fully spread his wings. His arms and talons chained to a wall, another tied around his neck, so he almost resembled a marionette. Or even worse, his wings being bound tight to his back with ropes which itched against the sensitive skin of his wings.
He could not be imprisoned. He didn’t even care about the guild that much—they had been the first organization he had heard of which would protect him under the eyes of the government which didn’t also abuse him. In more ways than one. Grian knew that the guild was corrupt, and by the wizard’s tone of voice earlier he had a feeling that he didn’t like them much either.
“Surely we can arrive to some kind of deal?” He asked, his voice mimicking the tone you would find of a salesman.
The wizard tilted his head to the side in curiosity, his grin becoming more playful. “Oh? What kind of deal?”
Grian’s thoughts raced through his head as he tried to build an argument for himself to not be imprisoned. “Well, I only joined the guild out of necessity you see. I’m sure you of all people know what it's like,” he said. The man nodded in understanding, and he continued, “But there’s all kinds of things I can do. I can build, fight with a sword, axe and bow. And I’ve been known to be good with pyrotechnics.”
The man's eyes widened at his last mention, the grin on his face finally reaching his eyes. Slightly. “Oh? Is that so?” Grian nodded. “Well. . . how about this—” he spun on his heels with a dramatic flair of his hands, despite the cane still held in his hand. “—you become my ally!”
Grian stared at the man like he had grown a second head. His. . .ally? The man who had just threatened to imprison him wants him as an ally? He blinked at him, putting a careful mask on his face to hide his obvious confusion.
“And what does that entail?” he asked, his voice level.
The wizard placed his hand on Grian’s shoulder, and he had to force himself from recoiling. “Well little birdie, that means you have an undying devotion to me!” He continued to blankly stare at the man, who hurried to explain, “You’ll do the odd errand for me here and there. Help protect me when I need it, you know stuff like that. You know, what’s yours is mine and all that!” He continued to blankly stare at the man, clearly still unimpressed and his eyes flickered away, like he was growing nervous. His smile never faltered, however.
“Of course, what’s mine is yours too. And if you need help, since I have plenty of free time on my hands, I wouldn’t mind running the odd errand or two either.” The wizard looked back at Grian, and his smile became more kind. It no longer reached his eyes however, which flickered with some emotion Grian couldn’t place. “In fact, I’ll even let you live here! I mean, avians like living in high places, right? So, you’ll get a nice, warm, and cozy place to relax, unwind, and you’ll never have to worry about going to bed cold or hungry ever again! Of course, you would have to leave the guild though.”
There was something about the wizard that Grian couldn’t quite place. He continued to stare at him, his ear feathers trembling in thought. The offer wasn’t all that bad. In fact, Grian might even be getting the better side of the deal. He stared into the depths of those emerald eyes, trying to discern what emotion lay under them.
“Well?” the wizard asked, his voice tinged with something more. . . hopeful almost. And then it clicked. The wizard was lonely. He knew there was a reason he no longer seemed too hostile (at least not at him), once discovering that Grian hadn’t wanted the crystal for himself. But he still wanted him to stay. He looked into the eyes of the wizard, that glimmer of hope still shining in them. A part of him wanted to say yes, simply because it would be nice to have a place to settle down at.
Having been bouncing around on quests for at least a couple years now, sleeping only in inns or out in the wilderness. Although. . . it would be near impossible for someone to leave the guild. Especially someone like him.
“Well. . .” Grian started before trailing off, still trying to gather his thoughts.
“Of course, if you don’t want to, we could just hold you for ransom. I’m sure the guild would be willing to pay a pretty penny for you, pretty bird,” the wizard said, like he was the one in control. Which he was, but Grian could see as that small look of a man who knew loneliness passed his face.
“No that’s not it. I just—I just. . . I mean it’ll be near impossible for someone like me to leave the guild and—”
“Ah, its fine, we can figure it out!” the wizard said, waving his concerns away. He sounded so determined, like he had already made his mind up to help the avian if he agreed to the offer. Part of Grian didn’t believe him but. . . it would be nice to have a home.
“Well, if I am to agree to this very fascinating deal, wouldn’t it be helpful to know the name of my roomy?” Grian asked, a mischievous note to his voice.
The wizard only beamed; his lopsided grin spread wide on his face. Fully reaching his eyes. “Scar Goodtimes, at your service.” He saluted before holding his hand out for Grian to shake. The wizard truly was a peculiar man.
Grian smiled back, shaking it. “Grian. Grian Moon.”
Maybe this deal won’t be so bad.