The Cavalry is Dead

Chapter 19: Non-Man-Eating Birds Deliver an Ominous Message

"You're being weird," Asa said.

Jax adjusted his rucksack. They were trekking across red, cracked dirt, and he could feel the heat of it through his sandals. Sun beat down on his neck. They'd reached the Scorched Plains an hour ago, and the landscape had turned rusted and brown; skeleton trees scattered the landscape like gnarled fingers, and he could smell sulfur in the air. Was there a volcano nearby? Xander would know. He turned, only to find Asa staring.

Jax stiffened. "What?"

"You see?" Asa stabbed a finger. "This is what I mean. Blackwater's being weird."

Xander looked mildly intrigued. "Is he?"

"Well, Blackwater's always weird," Asa clarified. "But he's being even weirder than usual."

Jax shielded his eyes against the sun. "We're facing imminent death. Excuse me if I'm feeling a bit uneasy."

"No," Asa said. "It's not that."

They lapsed into silence. Jax watched as a lizard-like creature scuttled beneath a rock, desperately seeking shade in the unrelenting heat. They'd run out of water about three miles ago. Well, all except Romes, who — unsurprisingly — had been the best at rationing it.

"Did you change your hair?" Asa asked.

Jax blinked. "What?"

"Your hair." Asa gestured to his own head. His hair was, as usual, in perfect condition. "Did you comb it? Is that why you look weird?"

"For gods' sake," Jax sighed.

"No, it's your face," Asa said decisively. "You look guilty."

"Leave him alone, Asa," Romes called.

She unscrewed her flask and held it out to Bibi; the pegapiglet stuck her nose into the bottle and lapped at it greedily. Asa shrugged and turned back to the map. One second passed. Two. Asa lowered the map, frowning at Romes.

"You're being weird, too," Asa said.

Romes scowled. "Am not."

"Are too," Asa said.

"Am not."

"Let me guess." Asa's smile was smug. "Blackwater laid one on you last night."

Romes glowered. Jax looked down at the cracked dirt and wondered if one of the cracks was big enough that he could crawl into it.

"He did not," Romes said.

"Ah." Asa waggled his eyebrows. "With tongue."

"You're disgusting," Romes said.

She screwed the lid of her flask back on. Asa slapped him on the shoulder. "Good on you, Fish Food. I'm surprised you had the balls."

Jax rubbed at his eyes. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Oh, look!" Xander said loudly. "A whistlebeak."

A fiery red bird settled on a tree, shaking its golden plumage; a spray of orange feathers rested atop its head like a crown of flames. It couldn't have been much bigger than a hatbox, Jax thought. He took a cautious step back.

"Please tell me that's not another man-eating bird," Romes muttered.

"No." Xander lowered his hand. "But it's very strange to see one here. In fact..."

"Here we go," Asa muttered.

"Whistlebeaks are carrier birds," Xander said, ignoring him. "They can fly across great distances without food or water, so they make ideal conveyers for short messages."