Chapter 77: Honor among Thieves

          In the dead of night, a lone bird found its way into an abandoned cave deep within the witch’s forest. The simple animal went about its usual business, pecking the soil for sustenance. Judging by the harsh sword scars along the floor and walls of this cave, any human with a lick of sense would have detected the danger behind such violence, but not a bird. The foolish sparrow continued to dig into the earth until a thick cloud of ash rose up from the ground, circling around it like a viper, before choking it to death. The sparrow laid unnaturally still for several minutes before hopping back up as if nothing had happened.

“Phew that was close. For a second there I almost crossed over.” The unnatural raspy voice coming from the bird belongs to number two. It seems he managed to outsmart death at the last minute by consuming that unknown liquid in battle and using the ashes of his dead body to latch onto the unsuspecting sparrow like a parasite. The possessed bird draws back its wings and bends its head to the ground, mourning the loss of number five for a moment before taking flight into the night sky.

In a short span of time, it rose high into the trees, watching everything below from a bird’s eye view. It abruptly stops in flight at the sight of the dead carcass of a large mirefang. It appears to have put up quite a fight, going from the broken trees split across their spines, or uprooted entirely from their roots scattered around the surroundings. Resting on her knees beside her big catch was a familiar wolf girl. He recalls she’s the same girl they joined hands with to capture the duke’s daughter. Curious as to why she would be out by herself in this dangerous forest, he pauses his plan to report back to the king, landing on a tree branch to observe the situation a bit more.

It’s only once he gets closer that he hears the unmistakable sound of slurping, as if someone were drinking a bowl of soup broth. He feels the feathers on his newly acquired body stand on edge. His beady little eyes see a huge chunk of flesh missing from the large mirefang’s belly, exposing its white bones. The wound is rough as though the flesh had been ripped right off, not cleanly cut by a blade.  

‘This is insane, no matter how deprived, you can’t just go around eating monster meat raw!’ Despite his dark past as a mercenary for hire, he can’t help but feel revulsion at the sight of a human tearing into the dead flesh of a monster like a mannerless beast. His trouble state of mind makes it easy for him to slip up, resting his thin bird feet on a weak branch unable to carry his weight. His heart freezes the moment it snaps and falls to the ground, drawing attention to his hiding place. In horror, he watches her grey wolf ears twitch as she slowly turns around, looking directly at him with murky green eyes. Feeling his tiny heart beating like a drum, he tries to feign the typical mannerisms of a bird but it’s hopeless, her eyes never leave him. She even smiles like she’s watching a fun show.

   “Well if it isn’t another fellow body-snatcher here to keep me company. What’s your name pretty bird?” She asks, still dipping her slender fingers into the bloody corpse by her side and licking them in a seductive manner.

The expressions a bird can make are limited, but number two is sure his face must mirror the disgust rolling in his gut. “You know me as number two.”

“Ah, so you’re one of the scoundrels that lied to this little girl, promising to rid her of her competition. Hahaha, a bird, that’s really all you could find!” She loudly laughs at his dismal new form.

“And you, who are you? The wolf girl from before was far too foolish and naïve.”

“Naïve, right. She truly was a fool to believe handing Ariellia over to you would win the prince’s heart. Now I’m stuck cleaning up her mess to win back the protagonist, isn’t it ironic?” There’s an incredulous tone to her voice as she begins to feast on the heart of the mirefang without shame, finishing it within three large bites. Number two, an unfortunate bystander can’t help but turn green at the sight.

“But enough of that, now that you are here, I will make good use of you.”

“Excuse me?”

He’s so momentarily stunned that he reverts to the true nature of his new body, letting out a startled chirp.

“You heard me, it’s either you toil under me or I send you back to meet the ferryman you just ghosted by the river styx. Your choice.” She claps her bloody hands and waits for him to fall into her generous trap.

“You’re sick!”

Number two feels that he doesn’t have to listen to the ravings of a madwoman. He unfurls his wings and tries to fly off, to return to his mission but he feels an invisible force latch onto him, sucking him back and putting pressure on his wings. He tries to struggle for a time but finds himself moving further back, not gaining any ground. In the end, he’s pulled back by this invisible force until he finds himself trapped in her bloody grip. Scared, he shamelessly begins to chirp incessantly like a real bird.

“Stop whining, I gave you a choice didn’t I? Who told you to be so impolite. Using all that power to trap your soul is making me hungry again, right after I just had to hunt down this big, mutated goat too. If I eat your soul, you’ll only have yourself to blame for aggravating me.”

“…”

“So it’s now you suddenly want to become obedient, what a fool.” She pokes at his head with her bloody index finger. “From here on out, you are to act as my eyes and ears. Go to the Duke’s castle and find out where the late Dutchess was laid to rest. Report back once you’ve found it.”

“What do you intend to do with such information?”

“Are you even in a position to be asking me such dumb questions. Don’t underestimate me, your life is in the palm of my hands. I’ve placed a soul lock seal on this sparrow, you’ll be unable to leave this body again until I say so. No matter where you go, I will still be able to trace you.”

Gulp.

“Where I come from we have a saying, do you know what it is?”

Number Two really doesn’t want to but he knows better than to spoil her mood. “What is it?”

“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. This little girl may be naïve but she’s far from weak, with her senses it won’t take much for me to track you down and pluck off your pretty little feathers one by one before boiling you alive. Hmm, I really should stop now, just thinking of it is making me so hungry.”

The ex-mercenary feels a chill on the back of his now short neck. He can see by the enthralled almost wistful way she’s eyeing him, she means business. Seeking to stay a little longer in the land of the living, he obediently bows his head to the stronger opponent.

“Not at all my Lady, I would never try to deceive you. It is my honor to service as your scout. I will depart at once and return with good news.” He boastfully sings her praises, eager to depart from her side for this new mission.

She frowns, knowing he’s full of lies but not willing to expose him for the moment. “Don’t forget, I now own your soul. Don’t blame me for being the bad guy if you try to play me.”

“I would never my Lady, my life is in your hands!”

“Good, now go. Your chirping is getting annoying, I need rest.” She didn’t ask for permission before roughly launching him off into the air, watching him wobble while trying to regain his sense of balance with disdain. Only once he is gone does she lean back against the bloody carcass behind her, looking drained and bizarre.

“I’m so hungry…I need to find the other piece before we leave this land.”