Of Realms and Relics

Take to the Skies

"Are you serious? Those are my only two options?" Lukens exclaimed.

Magic! Who knew it could be so...weird. His life had absolutely changed. When he woke up this morning he had no idea he would buy a talking two headed crow. He had no idea the crow would know magic either. Even more, he had no idea that said crow would claim to be a great wizard from the nature realm and that Lukens himself would know magic. He struggled to even cook a good pot of stew some nights.

"Yes. That's it. Draw a circle in the dirt and trust that it'll become a floating disk, or link with me and allow me to access the nature realm and I'll be able to shape shift into a bird big enough to carry you. Pretty cut and dry." Skritch-Skratch said from Lukens shoulder, where he was perched.

"I guess I'll try this linking."
He wasn't very sure of himself, he'd never even tried magic. Well, except for the time he visited the Old Mother in the Everbloom Swamps. Back then though, he was just trying to get Pharen to fall in love with him.

"Great, here's the deal. Take your shoes off. Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Calm yourself and imagine a key fitting into a lock."

"Really? I'm supposed to do all of that, knowing that time is short and there's a giant dragon trying to end this world?" Lukens exclaimed.

Skritch-Skratch hopped next to Lukens' boots and offered a wing towards him.
"Just grab it. At least think of a lock and key."

Lukens nodded his head, maybe he could do that. He grabbed the feathered black wing and closed his eyes. He pictured an ornate gold lock with patterns and designs flowing all over it, then a key. Just a basic key, fitting into the slot and turning. The lock rotated instead of the key and the patterns began swirling and rotating around. The key went inside of the lock, like it was swallowed and then the lock opened up from the middle. Bright light pouring from it and the smell of...rain? He lost his concentration and opened his eyes. Immediately he jumped back in horror.

"What in the God's happened?!"

Skritch-Skratch was now the size of a horse except for his two heads. They were the same size as before and wow was it disturbing to look at.

"Blast it! You lost concentration didn't you? Now I'm stuck with two tiny heads!"

Lukens couldn't help but to laugh. He had never imagined a giant bird with two tiny heads, but here it was sitting in front of him. He had used magic though! Had felt it flow through him and it had felt great.

"So...will I still be able to ride you?"
Skritch-Skratch stretched out his wings and flapped a few times, kicking up dust around them both.

"We should be ok, but blast it. Never in my life have I inhabited such an odd body."

Lukens nervously laughed as he tried to figure out how to get on Skritch-Skratch's back. Finally, he swung a leg over and was able to hop on.

"Now do I grab on to your feathers to hold on? I'm not sure how this is supposed to work exactly. I've ridden horses all of my life but never a bird."

Skritch-Skratch shifted his feet and began flapping, slowly rising into the air.
"Just hold on to my feathers. Whatever you do, don't mistake my tiny heads for a hand hold."

Lukens laughed and gently grabbed a handful of feathers in each hand.

Before long they were soaring through the skies, the wind blowing his hair. It was exhilarating! So much had changed in his in just a few hours. He was now an adventurer with magic. Magic! He still wasn't sure how it worked but using it for the first time felt so natural.