Chapter 2: the Goblin The Staff and the Giant Crow

Oh no. What did I do? The low mist of light... the pulse as Talkier called it, it sucked itself back into the staff. In the process is put out the flame of the fire. We were in pitch dark, and unlucky for me my dark vision hadn't kicked in yet. But the staff I could feel it. It was brimming with pulse energy like it was alive. I could tell what this was, it was Folly and then she tapped into my pulse.

Just as fast as it happened it stopped. The light gone and the stick clattered to the ground. That was when I felt the towering figure of Talkier's frame behind me. My heart sank into my stomach. "You touched the staff didn't you?"

"Yes"

"Giant beam of light?"

"Also yes..."

"Damn it Folly why do you do this? am I not good to you? i swear!"

I looked back confused, Talkier's gaze wasn't on me but on the sky where the bird had once been.

"This has happened before?" I queried my master "yeah Folly is a wild spirit, a familiar of the wind i tamed. She doesn't like always being cooped up in the staff and that's why i let her watch the campsite at night." He sighed. And walked over to the staff and i could see the pulse. It flowed in yellow green waves from Talkier to the staff.

"Anyway you two should probably duck. " at that very moment Bug and i were grabbed by a pair of giant talons.

Apparently Folly had used the burst of energy to transfer itself into the body of a passing crow , causing it to grow to colossal size. Now Bug and I are being carried off by the Familiar for some gods be damned reason ,taking us who knows where .

With just a few flaps of the crows massive wings we were FAR above the tree line and... and it was stunning. The tree line seemed like it went on for ever. At the height we were flying at i could see all the way to the cave. It was so small. If i didn't know what it looked like I would have completely overlooked it. While I should have been struggling in the talons of this big birdy I was oddly at ease knowing it was Talkier's familiar. And I wanted to use this situation to my advantage. I shifted to look behind me.

It was something I had never personally seen before. And somewhat in the direction that we had been traveling with Talkier, a massive structure? maybe a lot of them kinda like dozens of personal caves but really pretty. it was a city all white and grey and bronze. It had towers that rose up towards the sky, taller than any tree I have ever seen, a huge wall that seemed to wrap around it like a bundle of sticks wrapped in a leather, and a visible trail of beings that gathered at the gates.

I was jostled around ripping my gaze away from the city, and then I remembered Bug had been grabbed with me by the crow that Folly possessed. I looked to the giant raven's other foot to see that it was empty.

Oh shit.

"Bug! "I shout and start to struggle "let me go you filthy bird"

"Calm niv! Bug safe!" I heard their high graveled voice above me and I look up to see that Bug had wrapped themself around Folly's neck, tiny fists full of feathers. "Slip out of toes like bug did! Climb up it easy!" Bug then scuttled over the side of the beast's neck.

"This is crazy!" I'm not exactly athletic if that wasn't aparent from getting my ass kicked by the situation with Doz back in the caves just the other day. I grit my teeth setting my grip on the sides of the talons and pushing myself up and slipping out of the, now that I'm thinking about it, loose grip that I was held in.

"OK that was easy... but now I have to get up" the wind felt so strong it was crazy. Where the hell was this thing taking us? I held on to the leg as a strong gust threatened to knock me off from where I had pearched myself. "Bug! I can't! "

I was scared now, what the hell was i doing? I'm a million meters high and the slightest little slip and I am a goner!

That was when i felt a hand on my shoulder taping trying to get my attention, but had climbed down to help me. "Up!" They shouted to me and I took their hand. Me and bug started to climb up. When we crested the crow and strattled her back.

Where are we going? What was folly thinking? Was she thinking? I didn't know. But the yellow green glow that showed follys presence was in the crow's eyes. It was fascinating. That's when I noticed that the light was flickering like a low flame.

She was losing control and we were about to be in trouble. She was losing control. As if on cue the raven let out a ear piercing screech, the raven's back suddenly kicked up sending me and Bug flying into the air.

Another screech erupted from the crow and a beam of light cascaded out of its beak like a dragon's flame and shot to the ground. And the crows eyes went back to the deep black orbs. The size though? It was still massive.