Madeleine Grows a Pair

17 - From the Bird's Eye View

The crows were uneasy. They flocked to the streets in numbers, watching over the city with careful eyes that beamed into the daily activity. Something was happening.

One crow out of many darted through the bustling crowds of traders, weaving between marketing stalls and lampposts. It stayed low to the ground, carrying a message of vital importance tied to its foot. Its mission was not only to deliver the note but also to ascertain the safety of the kingdom, a job which it shared with the many other crows that either lurked or flew about.

Jointly, the crows functioned as a second set of eyes to Black Raisin. So long as there was an intention to share senses and the circuitry of dark magic connecting them, she could experience their sight, touch, and even the feeling of flight. The same worked the other way around. Part of the reason the crows had taken to Black Raisin is because of the way she utilized magic to not only benefit her kingdom but also the flock.

With a little extra magic sent its way, the crow sped up and zipped through the marketplace in a blackish blur. Saturated dots were left behind in its afterimage. Bright colors twirled about its body with each wingbeat.

...

"Espresso, you asshat! Help me out here!" Latte yelled suddenly.

Espresso's gaze turned sharply to meet his sister, hunched over and holding the body of... someone. He didn't pride himself in his ability to remember the citizens of the kingdom, but he'd definitely recall someone if their appearance was this out-of-place. Their bright red attire was noticeably different from the soft cream colors that the common folk would wear. Not to mention the priestess outfit.

Throwing his observations aside, he came to Latte's aid and helped her lift up the stranger who looked like a combination of miserable and distressed. He grabbed an arm, hoisting the cookie between his and Latte's supporting shoulders.

"Bench," she muttered out, giving him a directive.

The two took equally steady steps towards the streetside. Then, the body between them fell limp.

"Shit," Espresso mumbled as he staggered with the unexpected additional pressure.

"Oh, can it," Latte retorted, "you move around lab equipment all the time."

"And you think a cookie is equivalent to lab equipment?" The question was accompanied with an eyebrow raise.

"In terms of 'moving around', yes."

"I'll have you know that in one of these scenarios I'm tired and overworked, and in the other I'm doing exciting and interesting magic experiments," Espresso supplied matter-of-factly.

The two of them dropped the body onto the bench with slight difficulty, watching as the cookie slumped sideways. Neither of them made a move to fix the stranger's posture.

Espresso tried to hold in his breath, unwilling to show how much effort he actually put in and equally embarrassed at his lack of physical ability. Then again, his job didn't expect for him to carry the bodies of those in need. He wasn't necessarily strong, just strong enough.

If he were instead asked to stand all day on a concrete floor without the aid of anti-fatigue mats, then he'd have something to boast about: his lack of workplace regulation.

He cut the silence, "So... are they still alive?"

Latte sighed, putting a hand up to the stranger's mouth. "Well, I can feel their breath."

"That's good. What about the cookie we were following?" Espresso asked while looking around. That orange cookie must have found a way to sneak out of the situation unnoticed because their presence was beyond gone. Not even a trace.