The Child of Ravens

Chapter Fourteen: Puzzle

Warning: Cursing, Violence

In Aesop's Fable "The Crow and the Pitcher," a thirsty crow encounters a pitcher with a little water in it, but is initially thwarted by the low water level and the bottle's narrow neck. Then the crow starts dropping pebbles into the pitcher, however, eventually raising the water level high enough for it to drink.

Not only has research verified that crows can do this, but it shows they can at a level similar to human children between the ages of 5 and 7. Crows have conquered a variety of other convoluted tests, too.

"The Celestial Realm?!" Tang immediately shouted out in awe, pushing past everyone to get up close in Red Son's face, who immediately backed away at the lack of space. "Home of heavenly deities and immortal beings?!"

A pair of sable clawed hands picked the excited scholar up, as a laugh sounded next to the demonic teen, "Woah there Mr. Tang, give poor Red some space, will ya'?"

"A-ah, sorry, it's just, such an opportunity for a scholar like myself is just so..."

"Exciting?" Cai offered, gently placing her friend down next to his swine husband, who was shaking his head in exasperation. 

"Exactly!~"

A cough brought the attention back to Red Son, "Yes, well, the only way to get there is through an interdimensional portal, which I'll have to draw out on this ship's deck, Bird Girl, if you would?"

"What, you just assume I somehow have drawing tools on me 24/7?" Raising a brow and sassily placing xier hands on xier hips, Cai looked down at the teen with a huff.

"Don't you?" MK and Mei asked in confused unison, tilting their heads much like that of a puppy.

"Yeah, I do, I was just messing with y'all," Laughing, they dug in their pocket and pulled out a piece of white chalk, handing it over to the baffled fire demon. "Had this on me after I made some fun shop doodles for Mr. Pigsy's restaurant."

Simply opting to answer him with a sigh, the bull boy shooed the others out of the way and got started, flames licking the area where he drew his magic imbued circles, only glancing up once and slightly alarmed at the sigh of one of Cai's wings setting aflame, "Bird Girl, you're--"

"AHHHH, CAI'S ON FIRE!!" MK and Mei began panicking, trying to find a way to put the flame out, Sandy joining in making them laugh, much to the other's confusion.

"Relax y'all, I'm fine, this is one of the times my dad's dragon genes are useful, yeah?"

"You're part dragon?!" Eyes sparkling, both heroic teens began jumping around her in excitement, looking for any signs of the mentioned gene.

"Yeah, mum's an avian--bird person--and dad's a black dragon, that's how I'm fireproof," Cai explained, allowing the fire to further spread to xier skin, laughing as it tickled xier skin. "I obviously took on more of mum's bird appearance, but got dad's black color, though they both say I've got grammy's eyes and hair, 'parently I look pretty similar to her 'n stuff."

"Your manner of speech is as appalling as ever I see," Huffing as he finally finished the magic circles--pushing the new information he'd gained to the back of his head for later--before handing back the piece of chalk he'd borrowed.

"Hey, I'm from the south, gimme' a break, can't help my accent shows through sometimes!"

"Whatever you say," Waving them off, the demonic teen begins the jump, the gang all hiding behind an indifferent Cai, having opted to use her apparent natural defense against fire, as a shield.