Eternal Entities

Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

The weaving branches of towering trees let the intense rays of the afternoon sun trickle onto the traveling group. The avinian siblings flew among the leaves as a jet-black raven and a light umber nightingale. Vanajja navigated the ground as a deer. She easily avoided logs and roots that jutted into the path. Valgus lagged. He stumbled and tripped on every tiny thing. The prince was on the verge of tears when he again tripped over a rock for what seemed like the hundredth time. Aavistus and Nağme perched on a branch to await the fragile prince. Vanajja jumped over another log and skidded to a halt in the dirt. She transformed back into her humanoid form and impatiently tapped her foot.

"Come on! You are slower than an armless old coot in a rowboat.!" Vanajja remarked.

Valgus caught up to them out of breath, "I'm sorry, but I was never trained for agility in the wilderness. Nor does my magical capabilities aid me in this task," Valgus apologized.

Vanajja sighed, "You apologize too much. It's pissing me off."

"Sorry,"

Vanajja glared at him. With another sigh, she transformed into a large grizzly bear. She gently pulled Valgus by the hem of his royal clothes in her direction.

"Uh, heh, w-what is it?" Valgus stuttered. Vanajja motioned over her shoulder. "Do you want me to, um, g-get on?" Vanajja nodded. Her golden eyes showed no emotions. Valgus hesitated but mounted anyway. Aavistus and Nağme in their avian forms took off again. Vanajja, with Valgus on her back, lumbered after the birds. They traveled much faster. By late afternoon they arrived on the outskirts of a small village. Vanajja sat down which caused Valgus to fall off her back. She transformed back. The avinian siblings flew down to the forest floor. An aqua shine came off of Nağme and a violet shine came off of Aavistus as they shifted into their humanoid forms.

Vanajja brushed the dirt off of herself before crouching behind some bushes. "Okay, so Song-Bird and I will go somewhere with a lot of foot traffic so that she got an audience to sing and dance for to earn us some money," she reiterated.

Aavistus nodded, "Prince Valgus and I will stay hidden in the woods. I will make sure he is safe."

Nağme gave a flutter of her wings, "Vanajja and I will be back by nightfall."

"Keep an eye out. I will be disguised as a deer and she'll be flying about as a nightingale," Vanajja reminded. She adjusted her swords to be a bit more comfortable.

Aavistus waggled his fingers at them, "Don't forget you are to get clothes for the prince and food for the night. Any information you manage to gather is good as well."

"What happens if I don't get enough money?" Nağme asked.

"I will find a way," Vanajja assured.

"Don't you dare commit any criminal activities, "Aavistus warned. "It might lead to the townsfolk shutting us out."

"Get your beak out of your ass," Vanajja told him. "I've got a lot more experience in this situation than you all probably had."

"I doubt that."

Nağme stretched her wings out in a large motion. She swung the bow over her shoulder and tied the quiver she acquired to her belt.

"Good luck girls," Valgus wished as he got up from the ground to stand beside Aavistus.

"Won't be needing it," Vanajja huffed. She stood up and secured her weapons to her person. When she bent over to adjust her sandals, a pendant fell from under her fur blouse and softly chimed as it dangled around her neck.