Chapter 34
A great flame erupted as the cracking sounds continued, the fire rising up the chimney. A plume of fire shot out and formed into the shape of a bird. The fiery figure flapped a few times and started flying a loop around the fireplace before landing. As it came in to land, it slowly transformed into Kiara. Temma immediately turned around, dragging Leda with him.
"Kikiriki!" the phoenix exclaimed as she got surrounded by the girls, "Hello… why are all of you here?"
"You don't remember?" questioned Nene as the others returned the clothes.
"A little… I thought we were sleeping in a cave. When did we get here?" she asked as she got dressed.
"Er, today?" quipped Polka, "We already left the cave."
"Oh, they're still here too," she continued, noticing the nothics. They took one look at her and sniggered, muttering about fire birds.
"Ah, so you're awake."
The whole party looked up to the giant who had reseated himself on his chair.
"Well, what is this trade you wish to ask of me?" asked Svasdir.
The chef blinked and asked, "What trade?"
Silence reigned save for the crackle of the logs in the fire.
"Urgh… of all things, she forgot that?" muttered Aloe. The nothics started cackling to themselves.
"Wait… ah, yeah, I was wondering why I remember sleeping in a cave," exclaimed Kiara with a clap of her hands. Stepping forward she addressed the giant, who had raised an eyebrow at her antics, "Right, I have come to ask for a giant chicken." And the giant just laughed at her.
"Ah, it has been a long while since I laughed like that," he admitted as he composed himself, "Ahem, I'm afraid I don't have any chickens, giant or otherwise. I merely have a garden and a copse of trees I tend for myself. As for what they saw…"
He then pulled out a big chicken-shaped item from his pocket. It was also gilded gold and intricately made, looking quite life-like. He pressed a button on it and it showed a display they couldn't see as it was too far away. "This little thing helps to predict the weather for me whenever I feel lazy to do so," he informed them, "I got this from an interesting wizard I met on my travels. Smart feller." He then returned it to his pocket and turned to them, saying, "Well, as amusing as that was, you lot came here for nothing."
"What about them?" asked Civia as she pointed to the nothics.
"Hmm, I suppose they can stay. I don't know if I can do anything for them but I'll see what I can do," Svasdir mused as he stared at them.
He then got up and walked to the door. "Right, thank you for the laughs," he stated as he opened the door, "Now, get out of my house. I have things to do."
The crestfallen chef led the party outside. He noticed this and stated, "Look, you might have not found your chickens, but you learned something from this, yes?"
She nodded sadly.
"Hmph, alright. Goodbye," he wished them before shutting the door,
"...Are you alright?" asked Lamy, placing a hand on the phoenix's shoulder.
"...Let's just get a move on," she finally said after a moment's pause. She shrugged off the hand and walked on ahead.
They were concerned with the chef behaving the opposite of her normal nature, but nonetheless, they followed after her. The party made their way back down to the plateau in silence, with only the blowing wind accompanying them.
"Not sure if I need to ask this again, but are you alright, Kiara?" asked Nene, looking a little anxious, "Some of us here have worked with you before and I think I can say that we are concerned."
"...I'll be fine, I just need to work some things out in my head," the chef told her after a pause, "thanks for your concern, though."
"I just don't want… well, another Temma incident to happen again," she added.
"Hey, I wasn't that bad," protested the knight.
"You almost died trying to avenge Casa," stated Leda in deadpan.
"Erm… ah-ha..." he murmured embarrassedly.
"Anyhow, let's get going. I'm sure all of you would prefer beds over bedrolls," spoke up Kiara, prompting everyone to hurry along with her.
They reached the cave they used yesterday. As they made camp and started to settle in for the night, the chef suddenly said, "Maybe I should stop going for gimmicks."
"Hmm, what do you mean?" asked the half-snow elf as the bard started materializing the domed safe space. Instead of a full dome, the spell's area conformed to the cave in an oddly-shaped space instead.
"I mean, maybe I should be working on the taste of my chicken dishes," explained the phoenix as she sat on her bedroll, "I've tried cockatrices and now this failed search for giant chickens. I wanted something unique to identify my dishes. But maybe, I should be looking for the best blend of flavours instead of using a gimmick."
"That would probably be an interesting path to go," agreed the knight, "I can speak for my team that your cooking is quite delectable."
"He just means it's delicious," spoke up Leda to the confused chef.
"Oh! Thanks!" she replied with a grin.
"You know… I was wondering… how are you a phoenix?" asked Polka, her face scrunching up in puzzlement, "You aren't on fire. You don't look like a bird. You-" She stopped as the chef started giggling at her words.
"Ah, sorry. It's been a long time since anyone knew what I am," Kiara admitted with a grin after getting herself under control.
"Well, what can you tell us? I'm sure everyone wants to know," stated Civia, her eagerness, as well as the others, were very clear on their faces.
"I guess..." murmured the phoenix hesitantly, "Well, I don't remember when I became like this nor how many lives I lived through already..."
"Hah!? You lived this long already?" exclaimed the fennec fox girl.
"Shh, let her speak," said Botan, smacking the back of her head.
"Umm, anyway, I know that I used to be human," the chef continued, "The human and the phoenix merged their souls to make me. Hard to see where the human ends and the phoenix begins but that's why I look like this. So, I can die a normal death. Dying of old age is what happens for me. But, for sudden deaths like the boulder earlier? It isn't as permanent."
"So, you turn into that egg-thing we found earlier," spoke up Nene.
"Yup," she confirmed, "And normally, I need a long time to come back but apparently putting it near a fire makes it faster." She then chuckled at their incredulous looks, continuing, "Aww, don't be like that! I can't really remember everything, you know?"
"Ah, so that's why you are bird-brained at times," stated the lightning genasi.
"Don't I know it," she agreed with a smirk, "But in the kitchen, I am king. And I'm very sure I can come up with a unique flavour that will make my chicken dishes famous."
It rained that morning. Before they moved from the cave, they made sure the griffon egg was wrapped up warmly in a blanket from Lamy's backpack. The ground was wet and slick but they were still able to traverse through the mountain. The move across the bridge was a little riskier than normal due to the slipperiness but they made it with little to no trouble, even if they gripped the rope railings a little stronger. After that, the rest of the journey back was uneventful over the next two days, if you don't count the several times that they heard a griffon's cry and they pressed against the side of the mountain to avoid being seen. After the passing of Casa, it felt like the griffons stopped paying them attention. While it was a good thing, it made Temma morose from time to time.
On the second night of their journey back, they ended up in the summoner's cave. Aloe grimaced at the thought but joined them inside anyway.
"You really don't like him," stated Nene when most of the party had finished settling down.
"Hng… I was supposed to grant his wish and go back to finish my test," the succubus told her softly, "Then again, I wouldn't have been able to meet all of you. I've been… enjoying? My time here. Boring parts aside, it's been a nice time. Different from my time back home."
"What's your home like?" the bard asked in curiosity
"...Literally fire and brimstone. And the people... well, fiends, are very competitive and the rivalries between factions are very intense," she described hesitantly, "Very cutthroat. Violent. Nothing like this. It's… relaxing not having to watch your back fifteen hours a day."
"Well, then I'm glad you got out of that-"
"Ah, not so fast. Eventually, I will end up back there," she interrupted, "I just hope… after being with all of you, I don't want to go."
"No worries. You won't be going just yet. I'm sure we still have a long way to go before you go back," assured the bard.
"Hi, hi, right? No way I want to go back so fast," stated the succubus with a grin.
The morning started off swimmingly. It wasn't raining, but it was still a little cloudy. The party was thankful nothing interrupted their journey. They were quite relieved when they reached the end of the dirt trail and the wide-open grassland began.
"Ha… now all we need to do is get back to the city," muttered Polka tiredly.
"We'll get back soon enough," said Kiara, wanting to cheer up the fennec fox girl, "Meanwhile, we should visit the village to restock. I'm out of precook, so I'm looking to find out what sort of stuff we can get."
"Very well, let us head there now," decided Temma.
However, when they reached there that evening, the villagers seemed to be running around in a panic. The village leader then ran up to them with fear in his eyes and fell at their feet.
"You must help us! Our hunters discovered a raiding force coming to our village. Please help!" he pleaded desperately.
"And we will. Which day are they coming from?" asked the knight.
After getting frantic directions from the leader, the party headed out. After Aloe was asked to scout ahead, everyone got ready to fight the raid. Since there was a low hill off to the side, the party decided to set up an ambush there. With fighters front and the rest behind, they waited patiently for Aloe to return. That didn't take long to happen.
"They're on their way," she announced after she landed. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "There were hobgoblins on horses, a small group of goblins, and two ogres."
"Hmm, they have horses. That… unless we can spook them, they will overrun us the moment we attack," muttered Temma aloud with concern on his face.
"I… might have an idea," stated Leda, drawing everyone's attention to him. He smiled and turned to the side.
"Poruneu, time to come out."
A translucent, jellyfish-like thing suddenly appeared next to him. Along with it came a sense of… loss and grief. As if everyone could feel and understand what the knight felt several days ago.
"Now, now, try and reel it in," he told it in a chiding tone. Slowly, the feeling receded. It was still there but it was reduced and not as prominent.
"Alright, Poruneu will help us," stated the lightning genasi as he clapped his hands. Then, he directed, "Please Poruneu, go to the middle of the path there and lie flat on the earth, spreading yourself out."
As it floated away, he continued, "I can direct him remotely and cast my spells through him, so I should be able to do something to scare the horses."
"Just… just how in the world did you get that?" asked Aloe in disbelief.
"What is it?" asked Nene.
"A dybbuk."
"Oh so that's what it is," exclaimed Leda with a smile.
"More importantly, how in the world did you get it?" pressed the succubus, "It is supposed to be really difficult to bind one. And you have one."
"I don't really know. It was with me when I woke up with my memories gone," he stated as he shrugged, "Up to you if you don't believe me or not."
"Well, regardless, we do have a way to ambush the reading party now," said the knight as the succubus narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "Let us take our places and we wait for them to pass us. Then, we strike."
While everyone was waiting tensely, Leda was relaxed. The plan had been decided on and all they had to do is wait. It didn't take long for the raiding party to move past their hiding spot.
"Are you ready? Poruneu?" he asked mentally.
"Yes, master."
As the horses walked over the area his bound familiar was hiding in, he began to seep into its mind and linked his hands with its tentacles. He then began to chant softly as he splayed out his fingers while reaching out, "The power of my birthright, the lightning strikes and will be felt by all."
A loud zap ripped through the calm as his eyes flashed white. The shock emitted from its tentacles raced up the horses. Damage was minimal as it was dulled by the earth, but it successfully spooked the horses. They threw off all the hobgoblin riders and galloped off in fright. Meanwhile, the goblins and the ogres were looking at them and giving confused looks. That confusion ended when he noticed Civia gesturing and chanting softly to herself, causing a pillar of radiant light to rain down from the sky. Unfortunately, it missed its target and spurned them to decisive action. Almost immediately, the hobgoblins got to their feet and split up into two groups; one started shooting arrows at the party while the other got into formation and marched at them. The goblins also sprung into action and shot at them too.
"Well, this is a start," he muttered as arrows started pelting the front line consisting of Kiara, Aloe, Temma, and Polka.
"Inevitable frost of the north, beware its spread," chanted Lamy as an ice knife formed in her hand. She then flung it at the group of goblins. The knife and the resulting burst killed all but two of them.
"ELF!" roared out one of the hobgoblins, but his voice was drowned out by a loud note that rose up courtesy of Nene. Five of the advancing goblinoids keeled over dead as blood dripped out of their ears.
Suddenly, one of the dead hobgoblins rose up, its back bending at an unnatural position. It then jerked forward and let out a wail as it vomited blood on the ground. Leda sighed and facepalmed as he figured out what Puroneu was doing. Four of their party became terrified; Kiara and Civia let out squeaky sounds while Botan and Temma flinched at the sight. The archer was so disturbed she missed her shots.
"Shake it off. That was just Puroneu," stated the lightning genasi calmly as he sent out eldritch blasts on the advancing group of hobgoblins.
"Even if you say that..." muttered the phoenix with a shiver. But, she got herself together as the ogres began walking up to them. It got attacked as it got near but it shrugged it all off and slammed its greatclub on her shield. An audible crack made her wince as a lance of pain surged up her arm.
Thankfully, Civia's eldritch blasts were able to knock it back and get it away from their front line. She then yelped as two arrows grazed her arm as she and the cleric were showered with them.
Then, for some reason, Polka announced, "I'm going in."
"Wait-"
She didn't stay to hear out the knight, but charged straight at the blasted ogre, landing all her punches on its bare belly.
"Shoot the fox!" shouted one of the lead hobgoblins while the other cut down the possessed body. Puroneu escaped by sinking into the ground and disappearing out of sight.
Temma sighed and told everyone else, "Alright, let's go stop that from happening."
The frontline broke off. The knight charged into the goblins and took them out while the rest chipped down the ogres. Due to the unrelenting barrage of attacks, the ogres fell quickly.
Upon that happening, one hobgoblin captain shouted for a retreat. They shot the monk and retreated. She was able to fling back one arrow and bury it in one of their archer's skulls.
"Don't let them escape!" shouted the knight as he charged straight for them, the reach of his glaive ending their archers.
The hobgoblins fell one by one until only one of the captains was left.
"You're surrounded. Surrender now!" shouted the knight as he faced the badly injured hobgoblin.
"Go and die, human," he snarled back.
"Come, look into my eyes," said Aloe as she stepped up.
"What are you… yes, mistress?" he started to shout before replying blankly.
"So, why do you want him to surrender? Weren't you trying to kill them?" she asked as she turned to the knight.
He sighed and replied, "I was hoping we could find their base and maybe put a stop to their raids permanently. Yes, it may delay us from returning to Rivirapolis, but I would be remiss if this threat to the villages south of here is left unchecked." Turning to the charmed hobgoblin, he continued, "Now, let us see what he knows."
AN: Hello again, readers. Welcome back.
Next chapter. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers. Happy times, Kiara is back. But, as we soon find out, it isn't so very happy after that as they find out the quest had... nothing. Very unfortunate. Our dear phoenix was disappointed but she soon finds some inspiration from her failure. King of the kitchen, am I right? Alright, time to go back to the city. It was then they find out about the raid that will happen soon. Cue the ambush. Success!
Next chapter, we go and find out about the raiders. Thank you for reading and have a good day, dear readers.
Omake: Back to The Office 2
Kiara quickly got up and tried grabbing Calliope's waist. The reaper quickly got out of the way and the phoenix flopped on the floor again.
"Aww, Calli! I want a hug!" groaned the chef as she got to her knees and just sat there.
"No. I want to relax and enjoy my wine, thank you very much," she stated as she moved over to the table to get another drink, "On another note, what did you do now? At least the last time you showed up here, you died of old age."
"A giant tossed a boulder on me."
She blinked. "What?" she asked as she turned to face the phoenix.
"A cloud giant tossed a boulder. I saved my friends and got killed," Kiara explained.
An exasperated tone escaped her throat as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes as she did so. She then downed the rest of her drink, setting the glass on her table, and then facing her friend as she opened her eyes.
"How in this world did a cloud giant show up at the capital city?" she asked seriously, wondering if she had to make an appearance in Rivirapolis.
"Oh, I gathered a party from the adventurers guild and went north to meet him," the chef stated with a proud grin.
Calliope stared at her friend with a most incredulous look. "You mean to tell me..." she started slowly as if talking to a child, "You went north... to search for this could giant, and you got flattened by a boulder he tossed."
"Er, yeah!"
"Ha... you shitty bird," groaned the reaper as she slapped her forehead and shook her head, "Why... just... why... fine, I guess this warrants a hug from-"
"Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice," the phoenix exclaimed cheerfully as she suddenly teleported over and started caressing Calliope's cheek and temple while nuzzling her cheek into the other side of the reaper's head.
She grit her teeth for a few seconds.
"Get off, shitty bird!" she shouted as a scythe appeared. Its blade swung through the phoenix's body and slammed her to the floor with the rotation. It was bloodless, as it was just her soul getting hooked, but she was groaning as she lay splayed on the floor. The reaper huffed in annoyance and muttered about clueless chickens as she dismissed her scythe. It was then, Kiara's body started dissipating.
"Ah, I'm going back now," she muttered out dizzyingly, "See you next time, Calli!"
The pinkette waited until her body disappeared, replying softly with a smile, "Til next time, Kiara."