Jigano watched Samuel's interest in the gold curiously, considering what little he knew of the other man and the world he'd so recently arrived in. Given the limits of the barrier, perhaps there wasn't much mining, so gold and silver were rare? What he'd scouted of the settlement had looked rundown and in disrepair, hardly prosperous. And as a bookmaker and seller in such a place, Samuel seemed a man of modest means. Well. Perhaps that gave an idea for a gift in the future...
Samuel was moving and speaking with more confidence, and the horse's ears perked up as he nickered soft approval. "Agreed! Time seems to passing strangely here. Distance, too. I have no idea what that means for time on Caido, though." He couldn't shrug or nibble his lip, so he settled for giving a soft snort - he was getting better at gauging the strength of his new body's reactions. "I guess that just means we push through and find out once we're back!" He wasn't quite as confident as he sounded, but for Samuel's sake the bard tried to project certainty and assurance that it was only a matter of time.
He felt Samuel brace himself and started walking. Almost immediately the colors began to run - not sharply, but with each step borders grew fuzzy and shifted, rearranging from palace courtyard to twilight forest. A dozen horsey steps later and they were back at the edge of the clearing they had left... that morning? Time seemed as flexible as the scenery, but nightfall seemed only minutes away now. Jigano spotted a picturesque stump off to the side and sidled over to it, hoping to give Samuel an easier time getting off - and on again later.
"At least in the dark we'll be able to see it coming?" he suggested, wry humor in his voice. "You handled yourself very nicely back there, by the way. You're stronger than you think. Are you sure you've never been an adventure before?"
Jigano seemed confident in his thoughts about time, which helped to soothe Sam's nerves a little. His hands relaxed on the horse's neck just a little, his fingers pressing less insistently as he found he could sit and balance reasonably well without it.
Time and space shifted around them once again, ending up in the forest clearing they had started in. Wanting to get on with everything as swiftly as possible, Sam slid off Jigano with a surprising grace (when he wasn't thinking of things, he often did them better) onto the stump and stepped into the middle of the clearing, taking a bag from the saddle.
Jigano's compliment stopped him in his tracks. His cheeks quickly turning red, Sam laughed and shrugged, clearly flustered. "Oh. Um. Th-Thankyou. This is definitely the first time I've done anything that could be considered an adventure."
Kneeling, he took the seeds and corn from the bag and scattered them throughout the grass. He wasn't quite sure how much was appropriate, but put down a few liberal handfuls. Eventually he looked back to Jigano.
"So now we should hide with the net, right? I wish you could hold it. I'm..not very confident about the catching."
That explained quite a lot about the other man's lack of confidence, really. How he was somewhat...innocent, for lack of a better word. Or perhaps it was the perfect word. "You're getting the hang of it," Jigano teased, seeing the embarrassed blush and deciding against pushing any more compliments just yet. "And this definitely qualifies!"
Lacking hands, there wasn't much the horse could do to help besides stay out of the way, so he set about nosing into the bushes, trying to find a place he could hide his ghost-white coat in the midst of all that green. The light faded slowly as Samuel scattered the corn, but as soon as he had finished the night overtook them, silver moon casting the clearing into shades of grey and black shadows. Jigano shivered, skin twitching at the eerie timing that was almost certainly not a coincidence, but kept up his confident facade. Samuel seemed to take strength from it, and sometimes pretending long enough could make a thing almost real.
"The net is all yours, my friend. I admit, I wish I could be the one using it as well but... that whole 'opposable thumbs' nonsense." He grimaced - or tried to, finding himself stamping a hoof instead. He shifted, turning to the side so Sam could reach the net, and while the redheaded man was hefting it the horse tried to encourage him. "You'll be fine, though. The ends feel weighted, but it's not that heavy. Just... don't be in a hurry. Toss it gently. And--" Whatever he had meant to add was cut off as he jerked his head up, twisting to look towards a sound - a song - in the distance.
One that was rapidly approaching, along with a red-gold glow reflecting off the surrounding foliage.
"Hide!" he hissed, four feet prancing in excitement. He nudged Samual towards the big stump - one side just barely large enough for a short man to crouch down behind - then shouldered his way back into the bushes, ducking his head behind a broad tree. It wasn't the most subtle of hiding places, but the deep shadows did a remarkable job of picking up the slack.
And no sooner had they made an effort to get out of sight than the beautiful song came clearly through the woods, wordless and melodic. The glow intensified, then resolved around a bird the size of a large chicken but far more elegant, and with a swan's long neck. Fancy plumes curled back in a crest from her dainty head, and a long, fanlike tail trailed behind her. Every feather was outlined with living fire, throwing off gentle sparks that fell harmlessly on leaves and grass but didn't so much as singe the forest as she passed through. She was graceful and beautiful, and her song stopped as she let out a delighted chirrup when she came to the glade and saw the corn scattered there.
The firebird landed lightly, bending to peck at the corn and swallow it down greedily. She quickly lost all interest in the forest around her, searching for and gobbling down the golden kernels, each step taking her closer and closer to where Samuel had chosen to hide...
The changing of time made Sam stare up at the sky for a moment, finding a second of a sort of serene beauty in it all. But there was not much time to waste, and he quickly moved to be hiding behind the stump, taking the net from Jigano. It felt heavy and odd in his hands, and despite Jigano's reassurances he couldn't help remembering all of the bad throws he'd made in ball games as a child.
A beautiful song gave way to an even more beautiful creature. Sam found himself wondering if capturing it was really the correct thing to do, but reminded himself this was all fictional anyway. He just hoped the bird wouldn't become a cursed princess once in the net; especially not if he was destined to be married to her.
She seemed happy enough with the corn. Sam let her eat for a moment while he thought about how he was going to do this. The bird began to move closer. With one final glance back towards Jigano for confirmation, he did his best to shift up quietly then at all once throw the net, trying to get it to fall flat over the bird. He was pleased with his throw for once, the net falling about where he'd wanted it to. He just hoped it was enough.
The bird was so focused on her meal that she didn't realize her plight until too late. She looked up in time to see Sam standing, arms outstretched--
And then the net folded over her, trapping her wings even as she lifted them to try and reach freedom. She let out a heartrending cry and her flames sizzled, burning the grass beneath her, but doing no harm to the net woven from metal.
While the panicked bird struggled helplessly, Jigano shook himself free of the underbrush and stepped over to Samuel's side, nickering his approval. "Well thrown! You've got good aim!" He glanced to the distraught bird, beautiful even in her frightened thrashing, and some of his exultant good humor faded. "Damn... I hope this story has a happy ending..." The net was beginning to glow in a way that worried him, so he paced to the edge of the net, giving a soft whinny of reassurance.
"Calm down, lovely lady, please. It's alright. We don't want to hurt you..." He'd spoken soothingly, hoping the tone of his voice might help to settle her distress. He was startled, then, when she spoke - in a voice both he and Samuel could understand.
"Oh let me go, let me go! Please, I beg of you! Don't kill me, kind sirs! I'll give you a feather that will never go dark if only you let me go unharmed!"
Jigano snorted in surprise, backing up a step and looking to Samuel to see if the other man had heard and understood the wondrous bird.
By some amazing chance, he had achieved a good throw and captured the bird. The pity he had felt earlier returned with watching her thrash about inside the net, but he tried to remind himself over and over: it's fiction. This is all just fiction. It didn't stop it feeling real, though.
Jigano seemed to feel the same guilt as him, walking to the bird and speaking to it with a soft voice. Sam was about to step forward to try and gather up the net when the voice rang out into the clearing. He stopped in his tracks, his heart suddenly thudding in his throat.
"B-but. But we are not trying to kill you." He assured her, kneeling back down before the net. "The King w-wants to see you. Not dead, but alive. Um." Sam knew what he said next was likely a lie, but the story would end before they came to see it (he assumed): "And after he has, he may yet choose to free you. I already have one of your feathers..."
"But why does he want to see me?" the bird wailed piteously, her struggles weakening as both the horse and the man approached with soft words instead of cruel intent.
Jigano looked at Samuel, hesitating to promise too much but, like his friend, hoping to urge the story onward. "He's heard of your legendary beauty," he guessed, presenting it with the same confidence Samuel had. "He wants to honor you, and admire you."
"Admire me?" she asked, blinking luminous golden eyes at her captors. She sat still now, fear abating as she remained unharmed - and, miracle of miracles, the human understanding her! "Would... would I really be safe if I went to see him?" She looked from Jigano to Samuel, seeking reassurance but seemingly ready to be convinced. "I... I suppose I could go with you to meet this king... if you promise me no one will try to hurt me... and maybe there will be more corn?"
That elegant head of hers really was quite small, Jigano thought ruefully. It was probably for the best that her natural fiery state made her essentially inedible.
Jigano seemed to do a good job of convincing the bird further that the King meant no harm. Sam tried his best to believe that along with their captive, to believe that they weren't dooming this creature to a horrible life in a cell.
"There is plenty of corn at the castle. As much as you could ask for." Sam at least knew this was true, there was enough just in the stables to feed several birds and he was sure there was more in the kitchens or available at the King's fingertips should he so desire. Gently he approached and picked up the edges of the net, gathering the bird within.
"I'm sorry, but we have to take you in the net. T-To keep up appearances. But I'm sure the King will let you out." He lied, slowly beginning to drag the net over to Jigano so that the bird could walk inside it and not be tugged.
Once the bird was secured and comfortable and he was on Jigano, he tapped his friends neck to let him know he was secure and watched the forest fade away from them as they moved on. He hoped that at least some of their promises to the firebird would be true, but the sinking feeling in his gut as they left seemed more accurate.
The firebird followed Samuel and the net tentatively, still very nervous, but his sweet promises and gentle nature won her trust and she settled into the net as comfortably as she could, no longer struggling. It was just as well - the sparks that naturally fell from her feathers no longer caught the grass on fire, and when she was lifted to Jigano's saddle he found her warm but not painfully so.
"Wisely done," he nickered back at his friend as Samuel mounted up once more - mounting was becoming easier with practice, the bard noted with amusement, deciding to find the silver lining of the situation. But, gods, he was tired of this ridiculous equine shape!
Once again his steps seemed to transcend both time and space, bringing them back to the palace courtyard as the sun rose behind them, highlighting their entrance in dramatic red and gold. Sleepy guards blinked at the sight, taking a few moments to realize that the bird in the net at Samuel's side glowed with living flame. One man turned and ran to the palace as Jigano paced with what little dignity remained to him in his wake. Right up the steps he went, with a muttered: "Hang on to the saddle, Samuel. We're making an entrance." Something he took a grim sort of delight in after spending so long with hooves.
Heedless of any protests his hapless rider might make he made his way through a vaguely grand entrance hall which bled its way into an impressive throne room with gold accents and stained glass windows set high up in the ceiling. The guard knelt at the foot of a great golden throne, animatedly describing what he had seen at the gate, but the king brushed him aside, rising as Jigano made his stately way over the rich red carpet leading to the central dais. His eyes were all for the bird at Samuel's side, greed and avarice now plain to see on his aged features.
Beside him the Vizier smiled darkly, speaking for the king in a ringing voice. "Well done, loyal huntsman! Now - bring her to us at once!"
The firebird took one look at the Vizier and the King and then trilled in concern and fear, Jigano flinching as she began to heat up against his side. "Oh, oh no, no no no! They are not good men, woodsman! Not like you! Please, you must tell me - do you have my feather still? The one you said you found?" They were still far enough away to whisper to each other, but, like Jigano, no one else seemed able to understand her anyways.
Sam found himself intensely relieved as they headed back to the courtyard, drinking in the praise from Jigano and sitting up in the saddle with a confidence that was not his own. Even as they went up stairs and down a red carpet he didn't stumble too much, glad to think their journey may soon be over.
But of course, it could not be so simple. The bird began to panic, her voice making even more guilt bloom in Sam's heart. But they were so close, and he had no idea what else to do. While it was fiction, he still didn't fancy ending up on the end of a guard's spear. He glanced between the bird and the King, then leaned down to speak to Jigano.
"What do we do?" He whispered, for the moment ignoring the bird. "If this story has some kind of...m-morality part involved, we might fail that by bringing her in..." Once he had asked Jigano his question he looked at the bird and simply shook his head in response to her question.
"I don't know," Jigano responded grimly, shaking his mane in agitation. "But it's a bit late to worry about that now--"
"My feather will protect you!" the bird desperately chirped, trying to flutter her wings within the net. The horse grunted as if stung, taking a few sharp steps forwards as her heat began to singe his fur. "They mean you harm, woodsman! Be careful!"
The throne room that had stretched before them seemed to shrink with Jigano's attempt to get away from the burning on his flank. "Fuck! Samuel, get her off me! Maybe... I don't know... ask for her feather in exchange or something?" It was a desperate gamble, but it was all he had, and he shivered with the effort of standing still in spite of the very real pain searing his skin.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" The Vizier snapped, his smile turning to a scowl as he took a step towards them, hands reaching greedily for the net.
"Wait," the King commanded, shooting his councilor an annoyed glance. "The huntsman has done better than we had hoped. He's earned the right to ask a boon from us, as reward for his loyal service." The Vizier's scowl deepened for a second and he turned to look pleadingly at the King. Their eyes locked, and a cruel smile curled the edges of the king's lips. A moment later the Vizier bowed, his smile returning, oily-smooth.
"Of course! Your wise and generous majesty. Let everyone see your grace and largess!" He turned to Samuel once more, dark smile back in place. "So, huntsman... what would you ask of your king?"
Sam had never been good at emergencies or chaotic moments. He felt himself freezing up as both Jigano and the bird yelled at him and the King and Vizier looked on expectantly. His shoulders tensed and his breath caught, the beginnings of a panic setting in his chest. He began to lower his head in his hands, just wanting everyone to stop and leave him alone --
But he didn't have the time to freak out, not now. Forcing his limbs to work, he moved off Jigano's back (landing with a stumble on the floor) and took the net away from his side, but kept the bird within for now, holding the edge of the net with his foot.
He'd barely managed to pay attention to everything Jigano had said in his earlier panic, but came to the same idea himself. Looking somewhere past the Vizier's shoulder (his mother had taught him that trick, long ago before she had given up) he straightened himself up and took a deep breath.
"I ask only for the. The." His voice was beginning to fail him. Sam swallowed and tried again. "The feather that I brought at first. In exchange for the. Um. Bird. Although..." He glanced back towards Jigano and down to their captive. "I would a-ask that his majesty um. Thinks about this. The Bird appears to be...intelligent. It would be cruel to imprison her for no reason...um...I....think." He finished lamely, chewing his lip and looking off to the corner.
Jigano trembled with relief as the fiery body of the firebird was removed from his side, even though the pain of the burn remained in smoking fur and seared flesh beneath. He would have been more worried about what that might mean about this being 'just' a story and whether they really could leave, but Samuel had found his voice, and something resembling confidence - in spite of how that voice shook.
The firebird cowered on the floor within her net, crying softly and shedding sparks all around. All attention was on Samuel, however, and the Vizier's eyes widened even as the King's narrowed. For a moment the bird's cries were the only sound in the echoing throne room, but then the King started to laugh. It wasn't a nice sound, but soon the gathered courtiers had joined in, even if uncertainly. The Vizier was chuckling as well as he nodded at the King, who reached into a pocket and pulled out the glowing, gleaming feather.
"You could have plucked one for yourself at any time," the Vizier smirked, crossing the distance to Samuel with gliding steps and blithely ignoring his plea. "But the king is generous to his loyal subjects so... here. The feather, in exchange for the firebird herself!" He handed the feather triumphantly to Sam and reached down to collect the weighted ends of the net, still cool to the touch. As he hefted his captive he looked past the woodsman and his horse, and gave a nod to someone behind them.
Jigano twisted his head back as the Vizier walked towards the throne, the firebird's sobbing growing silent as she froze in terror. The door to the throne room was just closing on someone's heels--
--and a moment later a guard burst into the room, red-faced and out of breath. "The gold!" he cried, clearly shaken. "All the the gold in the treasury that you let the huntsman borrow - it's all gone!"
A cry rose up from the gathered nobles and the King's gleeful expression turned thunderous. He took his eyes from the firebird and pointed a thick, be-ringed finger at Samuel. "Guards, seize him!"
"We have been betrayed," the Vizier chimed in immediately, looking over his shoulder with a glint of victory in his eyes as large men in armor with long pikes and swords moved quickly to surround Sam and Jigano. "He thought to use the distraction of the firebird to rob us blind and escape! Death is too good for him!"
Jigano tried to rear and lash out, but his burned flank buckled and he stumbled instead. As his head came down first one rope, then a second, was tossed around his neck and he was held fast by three strong men on each side. Though the courtiers looked at each other in shock and horror, none knew enough of what was now happening to protest. "Death is all we have," the King declared grimly, though there was a wicked glint in his own small brown eyes. "But it shall at least be painful! Guards, bring the cauldron!"
The laughter was unnerving, but Sam could deal with being laughed at - had dealt with it all of his life, in fact. It even helped to calm his nerves a little for a moment, as he considered this might just be how the people in this story laughed; the Vizier even came forward to give them the feather. He took it and looked aside as the bird was taken, shame causing a blush on his cheeks but not enough for him to speak out.
His shy embarrassment was broken with a cry from the door. Sam's immediate mental response was to point out it had never been agreed he was just borrowing the items, but it didn't seem like this crowd would be interested in those sorts of semantics.
Everything happened far too fast. They were surrounded, Jigano was tied down and Sam was quickly overpowered by guards. In the split second he had, he looked at the feather in his hands -- it will protect you, the bird had said. Selflessly, without thinking, he turned and tucked the feather into Jigano's mane, deep enough it was at least partially hidden.
As far as he saw it this situation was his fault - had he just been braver, better, stronger, more charismatic...he knew if he had been the horse it would have been better for them both. At least this way there was a chance of the more useful between them living to leave.
Kneeling at the tip of a sword, he waited to see what this 'cauldron' was. Again, he fervently hoped that there was no pain in the fictional world, though Jigano's reaction to the burns wasn't helping with that thought.
|
