Lost Fledgling [MadEmperor]

DragonSong · September 29, 2023, 09:30:56 AM

"It does at that," Lanaya chuckled. She began setting out plates for them, then said casually, "You know, a city would have a much wider variety of foods to choose from."

MadEmperor · September 29, 2023, 11:29:55 AM

"Subtle," he said, his voice deadpan but with mischief in his eyes.

It hurt thinking that their time together was approaching its end so much faster than he had thought. Perhaps even faster than either of them had thought. He didn't know if his next teacher would earn his trust as easily as the strange witch of the woods, a woman more kind than anyone he had ever met short of the mother he barely remembered.

DragonSong · September 29, 2023, 12:59:29 PM

"You've too much sass for your own good, has anyone ever told you that?" Lanaya laughed as she placed his plate in front of him, then perched herself on the top of her storage trunk and began eating her own meal.

Truthfully, there was a large part of her that didn't really want Grimr to go; it was nice to have company that wasn't one of her birds--well, not quite--and in the time he'd been staying with her she'd learned that she actually quite enjoyed teaching. It felt like she had...a purpose, of sorts, for the first time in a long time.

But she knew that he couldn't stay in the forest, not indefinitely. And she...well. She couldn't leave it. She didn't even truly know why herself, she just knew that she couldn't.

MadEmperor · September 29, 2023, 01:28:57 PM

"Repeatedly, and with great emphasis," he responded with pride before greedily biting off a piece of flatbread. Scraping the excess preserves off of his beak with a finger, he licked it from his talon with an appreciative noise.

"This is really good!"

DragonSong · September 29, 2023, 01:44:04 PM

She laughed again, giving him a fond look. "I'm glad you like it."

Finishing up with her own food, she stretched laboriously and gave a sharp exhale. "Now, do you think that potion might be ready for testing?"

Neither potions nor spells proved to be of much use over the next cycle of the moon. Lanaya continued teaching her newest flock member witchcraft--when he had the capability to perform it. Her initial "tweaking" of the curse's interlocked components was not a permanent solution, if it could be called any solution at all.

With each successive cycle of the moon, her adjustments to the spell required greater and greater upkeep, or Grimr reverted to his fully crow form. They were rapidly nearing the point where she would have to cast the spell once a week...and she was worried she simply didn't have the magical capacity to perform it more than that.

She frowned down at her grimoire, tapping her fingers anxiously on the branch where she was perched just outside the nest. There had to be something, some trick or loophole that she'd missed...

MadEmperor · March 26, 2024, 08:59:11 AM

Grimr peeked out of the window. He was increasingly worried about the toll that keeping him humanoid was taking on her. Maybe he could just stay a bird for a while for her to recharge, but he didn't know if she would even let herself stop helping even if for just a little while.

"Dinner's ready. Besides, it looks like rain, so you should probably come back in anyway."

DragonSong · March 26, 2024, 12:29:47 PM

"Ack!" Lanaya started, nearly toppling sideways off the branch before she steadied herself and twisted to face her apprentice. One hand to her chest, she chuckled and shook her head. "Sorry—I didn't even realize how long I'd been out here."

She closed the grimoir and tucked it under her arm before climbing back inside, giving Grimr an approving nod.

"Dinner smells good."

MadEmperor · March 26, 2024, 02:37:39 PM

The bird boy's expression brightened. He had only just started helping with the cooking and was happy for the compliment. Cooking wasn't that different from alchemy—mixing ingredients to create something more than the sum of its parts. And at least the cooking pot only explodes when you're really bad at it.

"Yeah! Those wild tomatoes we found really brought it together. I can't wait to taste the finished product."

DragonSong · March 27, 2024, 08:50:22 AM

Lanaya smiled fondly at him and reached over to lay a hand on his shoulder for a moment. "Me too. I'm sure it will be lovely."

She moved to tuck her grimoire away back in the small chest near her sleeping pad, then hesitated. She stared at the cover of the book, head tilted slightly to one side.

There was nothing in the tome that would help him. She knew that. She'd searched it cover to cover a dozen times now. She didn't know what to do.

And she didn't know how to tell him. In such a relatively short time, the boy had become a member of her flock--and a unique member at that, in more ways than one. Her birds often referred to her as "sister", but with Grimr... She'd never really thought of herself as particularly maternal, but she didn't know how else to qualify the protectiveness she felt for him.

MadEmperor · March 27, 2024, 12:56:25 PM

The diminutive bird-boy went to work, serving up his culinary concoction with a bounce in his step. While he wasn't quite happy, given his situation, he was still closer to being optimistic than he had felt in a long time. He knew why she was poring over her grimoire over and over, and it was perfectly obvious she was out of ideas, but he believed she would do everything she could to find a way. The least he could do was act like he was as okay as he could be.

"Maybe you could ask the birds if they know anything? It's a long shot that they would be that observant of people, but what could it hurt?"

DragonSong · March 27, 2024, 06:45:43 PM

Lanaya jerked get attention away from her grimoire and to her apprentice. "I—"

She exhaled slowly. "I...have another friend. Another member of my flock, but he doesn't live here with the rest of us. I asked him about your...condition soon after you arrived. I'd hoped to have heard back from him about something, but..."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping a bit. "I'm...sorry, Grimr. I'm worried that—that I won't be able to help you. That it might be better if..."

She couldn't even say it. She didn't want to send him away—for either of their sakes.

MadEmperor · March 28, 2024, 09:03:12 AM

Grimr looked away and was silent for, perhaps, a painfully long moment. Part of him knew that her valiant efforts would likely be in vain, but it wasn't real until she voiced it. He didn't want to stay as a bird forever, but he wanted even less to ~~be abandoned again~~ have to learn to trust someone with his life all over again.

Eventually, he turned his gaze up to her. "He could still come back. Right? Animals don't exactly have the best concept of time."

DragonSong · March 28, 2024, 11:55:33 AM

Lanaya was quiet a moment longer, than gave herself a little shake and smiled at him faintly. "Of course. Of course, you're right. Hero will be back. We can wait another week or so for him..."

They could deal with what happened next then. Grimr obviously didn't want to talk about it, and she didn't want to push the matter until she had to.

MadEmperor · March 28, 2024, 12:41:13 PM

Grimr went back to serving his version of stew without voicing his own worries about the eagle's survival. He couldn't return if something ate him. Placing down the two steaming bowls, he took a deep breath. "Well, it smells good. Maybe that'll call him home... Even if eagles don't eat stew."

DragonSong · April 01, 2024, 11:23:25 AM

"Oh, he's had his share, in his time," Lanaya chuckled softly as she accepted her bowl. "He's the only member of the flock who leaves for such long periods, but when he comes home he likes to be pampered."

Gale hooted softly and she glanced up with a smile. "Yes, yes, I'm sure we'll have enough for you to have a taste."

MadEmperor · April 01, 2024, 12:11:59 PM

Grimr let out one of his half-caw chuckles. "I made sure to make enough to go around; don't worry."

"I guess everyone likes to be pampered, at least a little," he admitted. Though, after a moment's thought, he wondered how true that actually was. It was true enough, he decided.

"How far do you think he goes?" he asked.

DragonSong · April 02, 2024, 02:19:36 PM

"Usually no further than the mountains," Lanaya replied thoughtfully. "He and his mate used to nest there, before she..."

She sighed quietly, then shook her head. Summoning up a small smile, she said quickly, "Well, that's a long flight, even given good weather. If he's gone further, it's not surprising he hasn't returned yet."

MadEmperor · April 03, 2024, 08:53:37 AM

Grimr had never once considered that birds might have the capacity for grief. He was curious about what Lanaya had left unsaid but it was more than obvious that she didn't want to talk about it. His only guess was a bigger predator, be it a beast or a person.

"Which mountains? The Terrins aren't all that far, not for a bird."

DragonSong · April 05, 2024, 04:55:11 PM

"Yes, I believe that's what humans call them," Lanaya replied thoughtfully. "I can't say I've ever been that far myself."

She never left the woods, really. She got most of her news from traveling birds, who heard it in turn from other birds and creatures, and so on and so on--like an incredibly long version of a party game where players whispered a phrase to each person down a line one at a time.

MadEmperor · April 06, 2024, 08:57:03 AM

"I never left Ketra until I got cursed, so what they're called and a rough idea of where they are are all I know." Grimr shrugged and tried some of his stew. Immediately, his eyes went wide and sparkly. "Oh my gods... so good..."

"Really! Try it!" he urged excitedly.