High above the sky, in the clouds, I flew.
My wings flapped against the wind, my eyes focused on the lake in the distance. It would take five more minutes to arrive.
My heart was beating fast. Going out alone was something I rarely did, and not because I couldn’t protect myself but because I didn’t want to be separated from my brother. Why would anyone want to be separated from the person they love the most?
But sometimes I needed to be the responsible one. His mana sickness was worrying me.
The lake came into view, the blue water glinting in the sunlight. There were other birds around the area. Three black swamp ravens. I could spot them a mile away, having studied every creature in the Ashfen.
Diving down, I aimed for a tree branch and landed on it. Just far enough to not be seen by the enemy but close enough to observe them with my bird eyes.
A group of men were lounging around the tents, their bodies covered in brown leather. The majority of them were snake demi-humans, their scales visible on their hands and necks as they drank from their waterskins and laughed.
Looking at their wrists, I counted one, two mana crystals. As my brother would say: that was a big fucking problem. On the other hand, it meant not everyone had mana crystals, so there was still hope.
Three men were patrolling around the perimeter of the camp, their eyes scanning the forest. One of them pulled out their bow as they eyed the raven that landed on a tree in the distance.
Good thing I wasn’t that bird.
The man with yellow scales grabbed an arrow from his quiver and placed it in his bow, aiming at the raven, his mana crystal glowing green. Three mages. Before shooting, his companion smacked his shoulder and laughed.
“Come on Urek, it’s just a bird. If you waste a mana on that, Corvin will have your head,” the other said, shaking his head.
Urek grunted and lowered his bow, the arrow back in the quiver.
“You forget the swamp prince is a shapeshifter. This bird could be him in disguise. Better safe than sorry.” He reasoned.
His friend chuckled. “I highly doubt that. That prince is probably crying in his room right now. Did you see his face when Lieutenant rejected his terms? Pathetic.”
Laughing, the two men continued their patrol as something hot moved through me that had nothing to do with shapeshifting. How dare they speak about my brother like that? The urge to transform and rip their throats out was strong but I couldn’t. Brother said to not get close.
Focus on the mission.
I looked away from the men and focused on the tents. One of them got out, the scales on his face were a darker shade of blue than the others. He had a long black ponytail and a staff in his hand.
Sitting down on a log, he stared at the lake with a frown.
“Do I really have to do this every fucking day?” He screamed to the other men.
Corvin emerged from a tent, his arms crossed.
“Lesaril do your job or I will shove that staff up your ass. Just because our enemy is pathetic, doesn’t mean you can slack off. Do it now.” He ordered.
Lesaril stood up and groaned before raising his staff, his mana crystal glowing bright green. Four and five. Five mages.
Placing his staff on the ground, he started to chant a low hum, his body swaying to a rhythm only he could hear. Before I knew it, the fog started to gather above the lake, the air becoming cold.
Then it turned green and thick. Poisonous fog.
I clicked my beak in annoyance. Leaving now would be the smart choice but I wanted to know what the snake was up to.
“Hurry up. So I can start the meeting.” Corvin tapped his foot on the ground.
The fog stopped gathering and Lesaril lowered his staff, sweat dripping down his face.
“This is pointless. No one is going to eavesdrop on us anyway.” He wiped his brow.
The lieutenant didn’t bother to respond and went back into his tent.
Finally the fog imploded. It spread around the entire lake, passing by where I was perched. I held my breath—dense, reeked of venom, and my mana was draining faster than I expected.
Shaking my head, I took off from the branch and flew above the fog. It was spreading fast and I wondered how much mana that cost him. Brother would want to know.
But then everyone started to gather in front of the largest tent and I realized this was a good opportunity to learn more about the enemy. My brother would take the risk and so I had to as well.
Steeling myself, I flew down and landed on top of a tree near the tent. The voices were low and muffled. I needed to get closer. Urek, the archer, was walking towards the tree I was on. Shit.
His eyes scanned the area and then landed on me.
I froze. Be a bird. Just be a bird.
He tilted his head and squinted, his hand on his quiver. My mana was fading and the fog wasn't helping.
The man relaxed and shook his head, walking away with a huff.
Phew.
After he was out of sight, I jumped from branch to branch until I was on top of the tent. The voices were clear now.
“—Why do we not just attack the Ashfen city? What’s the point of taking this lake anyway? It’s a waste of time,” Lesaril’s voice complained.
Corvin sighed. “You question Prince Basil’s orders?”
A shuffling sound was heard. I imagined Lesaril crossing his arms in annoyance.
“No, but why are we going to slowly kill them from dehydration rather than just take the city and be done with it? The five of us and the twenty soldiers are more than enough to conquer the Ashfen,” he said.
The lieutenant was silent. The other men were quiet too. I wondered if they agreed with Lesaril.
“Because of Teresa con Divina.”
My mother? What did she have to do with this?
Corvin continued, “She is still in the city and until we know the king's position on his mistresses, the city stays untouched. We cannot risk suffering the Imperial Guard’s wrath.”
My claws dug into the fabric of the tent and a sharp tearing sound split the quiet. Shit.
“Who goes there?!” Corvin shouted.
I jumped off the tent and flapped my wings, flying away from the camp. Looking back I saw Urek with his bow ready, aiming at me. His arrow was glowing green.
Holding my breath, I dove down to avoid the arrow, my wings narrowly missing the poison-tipped arrow. I felt a burning sensation on my back but didn’t stop.
The sound of hooves on the ground and shouting men filled the area; it wasn’t long before they were chasing after me. In the corner of my eye I saw a raven flying in between the trees.
I switched forms into the raven and joined the other bird. Urek stopped his snake-horse and tried to find me.
The raven next to me squawked.
Corvin appeared next to him.
“Urek are you sure it was not just a regular bird? I didn’t see anything in the sky and the fog is still up. The swamp prince is a coward, he would not risk his life to spy on us.”
The archer shook his head and put his bow away.
“Maybe, but you never know with these shapeshifters. We should start killing all the animals that come close to the camp. That way we can be sure no one is spying on us,” he suggested.
A nod from Corvin. Then they turned their horses around and went back to the camp.
The raven squawked again and flew away.
My wings were shaking when I finally cleared the treeline. That was close.
Flying back to the castle, I felt exhausted. My mana was almost out and I had a small burn on my back. I needed to find my brother and tell him what I learned.
The castle walls came into view and I shifted back before landing, my legs unsteady on the stone.