Yugi almost jumped.
He turned towards the source of the sound and sighed in relief when his eyes made out Mana's outline. Even though the voice was female, now that he thought about it, he still feared that it was somebody else.
"Unfortunately. Now, that you have given me the heart attack, I think I won't be able to sleep even more." he joked, hoping to cheer her up. Even in this darkness he could see the worry-lines on her face and the lack of her usual smile. She cracked a tired one at his comment, but that was it.
"Are you all right?" He asked, coming closer. Mana sighed and sat down on the grass in front of him.
"Everyone had been asking me that the whole evening. I know I messed up, I forgot to be careful. The prince was almost killed and our whole mission was endangered. I get it. But I can deal with it." She replied, anger lacing her words.
" I've been with prince and Mahad for far longer than any of them, even than Shada. I can own my mistakes. And I can move on. Just because I smile everyone seems to think that I'm fragile. I am not." She finished with force, almost shouting.
Yugi sat down next to her.
"I know that. I was asking about Mahad training Serenity, not about the Panic thing. " He explained, looking at the change on her face. The angry frown changed into a surprise.
"Oh, so you noticed that..." She murmured, embarrassed.
"I like looking at people. I haven't seen much of them lately."
Mana nodded in understanding.
"It's just... I am so used to him being my master that I forgot that he will and should take other students. Before it all started he was a teacher, both to me and to the prince, we grew up together. And suddenly, somebody new will take the position that have always be mine." The last sentence resembled a whine and Yugi unwillingly chuckled.
"Oh, yes, mock my pain!" She hissed at him. Her eyes were sparkling however, so Yugi decided not to apologize.
"But that means that you are no longer a student, right? You are the master now!" He pointed out. But at the same time, if Anzu decided to adopt Serenity as her younger sister he would probably feel the same way Mana did. It was his place, and his relationship with somebody precious to him.
"That, or Mahad just decided I'm a lost cause." This time it was definitely a whine.
"What exactly will he teach Serenity?"
Mana thought in silence for a moment.
"I don't know, honestly. I think he will want to make her into some kind of a spy. You know, people who cannot see are easily overlooked. And she can hear and smell better than us. So he will probably focus on that. But I don't know, because he never tells me anything." Ah great, now Mana looked even more depressed than before. Truly, Yugi's interpersonal skills were rusty at best.
"You said you grew up together?" He prompted, not having any better idea how to take Mana out of her silent brooding.
And truly, she jerked her head and looked at Yugi with a hesitant smile.
"That we did. I am the youngest of them, so I joined last, but we were pretty close, all three of us. The royal advisor did everything he could to keep us away from each other, we were awful, now when I think about it." Mana's smile grew bigger. " Mahad usually tried to settle us down a little, he was to become the next royal advisor after all... But he was also the one who thought that switching the heads of the gods at the temple would be a good idea. "
"What?" Maybe Yugi should have paid a little more attention to his own country, because he apparently did not know anything about royalty and the capital.
"Well, as you know, our kingdom is pretty open about religions. But the prince's family and people at the capital have their own, ancient religion. There's a royal temple and every celebration is held there, in front of our gods. I don't know about you people in the North, but we at the Centre believe in many gods and some of them have bodies of half-animal and half-human." Yugi nodded. True, father told them about it once, but it was so long ago... He should still have a book about ancient gods of capital, provided that Arkana haven't thrown it away at some point.
"And one day, the High Priest did something to Mahad, I don't even remember what. Nevertheless, Mahad gathered me and the prince and told us to help him in messing around with the priest. At first he just wanted to turn Sun god's head to the left, but the prince decided not to do the things half-way. And we switched them all. The crocodile got the head of the falcon, the jackal the head of the cat... The prince himself gave the falcon the head of the vulture. We thought we were being hilarious at that time. " Mana's smile started to wither.
"And then the High Priest took it as a bad omen and tried to take his own life. Of course, our prince told his father the truth and took the blame for our actions since he was the heir and 'should know better'. " Here, Mana looked straight into Yugi's eyes. " It was then when I realized I will follow him wherever he wants to go. And I think it was the same for Mahad. We are not of any bloodlines, we were servant's children. But he protected us as if we were really worthy of being his friends."
Yugi nodded, not sure why. Maybe to show Mana that he understood her reasons for being here, for witnessing everything that happened here with a calm heart.
Yet, the picture of the prince Mana painted had nothing to do with the man Yugi encountered. The prince Mana described was a mischievous, loyal friend, not a fearsome ruler who did not sleep at night and killed people without a blink of an eye. But at the same time... What was it that the prince had said that first night?
Yet, just in case, let me remind you - the one who killed your protector was me, so any revenge should be executed on me only
Huh. So maybe some parts of him were the same... But...
"What happened to him then?" Only after he finished the sentence, Yugi noticed that he had said it out loud. Oh, damn.
"You mean the prince?" Even Mana looked wistful at the moment.
"Well, yes. Mahad you described I can reconcile with the image of Mahad I know now. The prince though..."
"He hasn't changed that much, you know? True, he is rougher and sharper around the edges, but inside he is the same. He cares for us and he cares for his kingdom. He wants justice, just like he always did. There is only one thing that changed that much, now when I think about it." Yugi gave Mana a curious look.
"He doesn't smile anymore. Ever since he'd returned to us, I've never seen him smile." Yugi put his hand on the girl's arm and squeezed it gently, trying to reassure her somehow. Ah, and she is sad again. Good going, Yugi.
"He returned from...?" He inquired, trying to appease his curiosity. He was terrible at cheering people up, apparently, so he could just as well have some of his questions answered.
"That is the problem. I don't know. He disappeared for three years. The new king said that it was suicide. But we knew better. We've been searching for him everywhere, and then, one day, he stumbles into our quarters, pale and grim and that's it. He looked awful, I thought he was going to faint and die any moment. But he didn't." Mana now started to fiddle with grass near her, as if trying to focus her attention on something else. But Yugi noticed the tears in her eyes.
"He asked Mahad to come with him, and that was it. He rested for few days and then told us that he must run away from his country for a while. We said we were going with him. He just nodded. And then, when Shada joined us, we left the kingdom for a year. On our way we have found many friends, as you can see. But he never told us where he has been these all years. I think Mahad knows, but he refuses to tell." Oh, so it was a mystery. Yugi loved mysteries.
He looked at the moon, barely peeking out from behind the clouds. So many changes in such short time, and yet here he was talking calmly with a girl he met yesterday, calm and content enough to notice the beauty of the night. Human mind is a strange place. Nevertheless, now that Yugi looked around the garden, he could see how magnificent a night could look. No wonder the prince preferred staying here at night... Oh, right.
"Did the prince always refuse to sleep at night and prowled about?" At that Mana laughed.
"Prowled?"She wheezed, still laughing.
"That is a legitimate question and a legitimate description." He defended, looking around. If the prince was here, he really shouldn't hear Mana and Yugi laughing at him.
"If you say so." Agreed Mana, calming down." And to answer your question, no, he changed his routine after he came back. I actually asked him about it. He said that he was not used to sun anymore and that's it. He doesn't go up in flames when he enters the light though, if that's what you want to know."She finished and went back to laughing. Now, Yugi felt embarrassed. It's not like he thought that the prince was some mythical creature, he was just curious. And now he was getting laughed at. Wonderful.
But soon, the hilarity of the assumption alongside the word 'prowled' got to him, and he joined Mana, their laughter filling the silence of the night.
"I think that is enough." Said a new voice coming from behind Yugi.
"Prince!" Mana too looked startled. "What are you doing here?"
"Prowling." Came the dry reply.
Yugi gulped.
"I think both of you would want to say goodbye to the ones departing in the morning. If so, you should sleep. Preferably not in the garden." Mana rolled eyes at that, but she stood up.
"Come on, Yugi. Ryou would be really sad if you don't see him off, he is fond of you." She said, offering Yugi a hand to help him up.
"Likewise." Murmured Yugi, trying to avoid the prince's gaze.
"Goodnight, my prince!" Shouted Mana, dragging Yugi with her.
When they were inside the house, she let go of him and snickered.
"Of course he heard everything. I've never been able to complain about him to anyone, because he was always suddenly there." She explained.
"What is he doing in the garden anyway?" Grumbled Yugi.
"Oh, he is on watch. Since he prefers to sleep at day he takes the night watch so that the rest can sleep and everyone remains safe." They have reached the first floor. " Wake me up when you are up. I will probably sleep like rock and master is not going to wake me up anymore since he's got a new pupil." She said and waved at Yugi, going to her room. "Goodnight!"
"Goodnight." Answered Yugi quietly and went on to the second floor.
He stopped for a moment in front of mother's room. He listened for a moment, and when picked up the faint sound of Anzu's breathing, he sighed and went on to his room.
He fell asleep moments after his head touched the pillow.
/
Anzu woke up full of energy.
At first, she was startled to see Yugi missing. But then she remembered that they were not sharing a room now. They were the masters of the house.
And even if for a moment she wished for the closeness she felt whenever she and Yugi stayed together, she brushed off. The life goes on.
She went downstairs and saw that she was not the first one up.
In the kitchen at the table, sat two figures.
One of them was Mahad, looking as if he was staying awake only by the sheer power of his will.
The second was the prince, looking at the second man in a faint amusement.
"Good morning." She said, not sure if she was allowed to intrude on the men inside.
"Good morning, gracious hostess." Replied the prince and Mahad mumbled something akin.
"It always amazed me, how you could scold us whenever we overslept and look awake at that, when every morning you are worse than we've ever been." The prince mused and Mahad just sighed, as if not having any strength to argue.
"Maybe I shall prepare a tea for you? It helps me stay awake." Anzu proposed, moving towards the kettle.
"I would be obliged." Replied Mahad.
The three of them remained in silence and Anzu noticed that she was at ease.
The prince was here, and yet she did not feel nervous. In fact, she was grateful that the two guests were there. Even if the circumstances of their meeting were less than ideal, she was happy that the house was not empty.
It reminded her of the times when their mother was alive and held those wonderful parties. The house back then came alive, brimming with energy of many people, and now Anzu felt the same. Maybe she truly was her mother's daughter.
Now, when she thought of it, she never planned what she wanted to do when she was already free. Did she want to stay at the mansion? Did she want to leave it alongside her memories and just go on?
She looked at the table once again, stirring the tea she was preparing for Mahad.
Did she want to marry a prince and live happily ever after?
She was shaken out of her reverie by the arrival of Shada, Rishid and Ishizu, who looked not only awake, but also ready to action, since all of them were wearing their black armors, the same ones they had on them when they first arrived at the mansion.
Anzu sneaked a peek at Mahad.
He looked perfectly alert and composed.
The only indication that it was not so before, was the prince's smirk.
"Your Highness." Started Ishizu, and the prince turned to her, all amusement gone.
"Ishizu. Shada. Rishid." He replied and all of the addressed bowed their heads. "You plan to start on now?"
"Waiting would make the parting harder. We shall return in a month." Answered Ishizu and the prince nodded.
"But you should eat something before you go! Or at least take some provisions." Anzu did not notice the curious stare Mahad gave her.
"We thank you for your kindness, our gracious hostess. But everything was taken care of." Here, Rishid looked at the prince and bowed once again.
What did he mean by it?
The prince could not get any provisions for them during the night. What was going on? Were they only refusing the breakfast for the sake of it?
She looked at Shada, who was now speaking in a language Anzu did not know. But Mahad and the prince apparently did, for they answered him in the same manner. Shada nodded and left the kitchen with a last bow directed at Anzu.
How did they want to get to their destinations? If she heard correctly, they came by ship. They did not say anything about taking the horses from their stable, and even if they did, they could only take two. What was going on?
Ishizu also said something in the strange language Shada used before, and for the first time Anzu saw any feelings on woman's face. She was moved, for her voice wavered, but the determination in her eyes was fierce.
Anzu wondered what brought her to this place, to this prince. Now, she may never get a chance to ask.
"Goodbye, our gracious hostess." Said Ishizu, and Anzu bowed to her in return.
"Goodbye." Now, that was interesting. Almost everyone seemed to address Anzu as 'their gracious hostess' whereas they called Yugi by his name. Why? Was it because they considered her to be the head of the house? Because she was a woman? Or they simply liked Yugi better and formed their own relations with him behind Anzu's back?
She squashed that last thought almost instantly. She was not going to be jealous of Yugi's friendly attitude. He was her brother and no stranger could cause a rift between them.
Besides, Mana addressed her as Anzu.
Ishizu left alongside Rishid and the kitchen fell silent once again.
"It will be soon down to us again." Observed Mahad, drinking the tea Anzu finally handed him.
"I doubt it will be boring." Replied the prince, deep in thought.
"Can I help you, Your Highness? Tea?" She inquired, regretting not having asked before. She went against etiquette by addressing the advisor first, but for now, the prince didn't seem to mind.
"I must decline, yet thank you for asking." Came the answer, and Anzu did not know why she was feeling disappointed.
She started to prepare dishes for breakfast. Hopefully, the rest would eat something before leaving them.
Suddenly, she heard rushed steps on the stairs and before she could even guess who that was, the doors to the kitchen swung open, and in stormed Marik, his hair wild just like his eyes.
"Have they left?" He almost shouted, looking around.
"Yes, some time ago." Anzu answered, seeing than neither the prince, nor Mahad were going to.
All fight seemed to leave Marik's body.
"They have left..." He repeated, his words only a whisper.
"Your sister and your brother will be back soon." Offered Mahad, compassion lacing his voice.
"Yes, I know." Replied Marik and composed himself, straightening his back and turning to the table.
" My apologies for my haste behaviour, Your Highness. Good morning to you." Here, the prince nodded his head and focused his attention back on Mahad. " Good morning to you, Mahad, and to you, our gracious hostess."
"Good morning, Marik." And here it goes again. 'Gracious hostess'. "Would like to help me with the dishes? Or are you going to leave immediately?"
"I would be delighted to help." And that was a final proof that Marik did not feel well. True, Anzu knew him for a short time, but she knew Marik was not the one to stick to the manners. He sometimes swore and was generally more sarcastic and mean than polite. Apparently being left by Rishid and Ishizu was hard for him.
Anzu felt compassion for the blond boy as he took the plates from her and carried them to the dining room.
She would probably be as broken if she was to part with Yugi without a goodbye.
Would she have to part with Yugi someday?
They were now a part of a dangerous game and many things could happen. And when it was all over, provided that they will succeed, what will happen then? Will they both stay here trying to deal with what happened and jumping at the ghosts of the house, or will they both leave looking for the fortune elsewhere? Or maybe, just maybe, for their support, they will be invited to the court?
Suddenly Anzu was blinded with too many options that the arrival of their guests opened.
"Good morning." Anzu turned. A very sleepy Ryou was standing in the door. " Can I help?" Anzu nodded and handed Ryou a plate with eggs. Now, who's picked them? She was supposed to do so, since she woke up first, but the presence of others sidetracked her. And she was so deep in her thoughts that the eggs slipped her mind. And yet, here they were. She even prepared them just a moment ago, without thinking where did they come from.
Considering the state Mahad had been in when she entered the kitchen, she doubted it could be him. So... The prince?
That was...kind of him.
She opened her mouth to ask him about it, but thought better of it.
Still, she felt some kind of warmness in her heart.
/
As if on cue, when Anzu, Marik and Ryou finished setting the table they were joined by Joey and Serenity.
The prince and Mahad, now conversing quietly moved to the dining room and took their places, greeting the new arrivals.
Anzu decided it was high time to wake Yugi, when Mai entered the dining room, yawning and stretching.
Since Anzu sat next to Joey she did not miss the way his eyes followed Mai's every move. Oh.
"Mana and Yugi are on their way. I passed them arguing over something on my way down." She said and sat on a place previously belonging to Ishizu. For a second Marik looked as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, remained silent.
"... and if it wasn't for your questions, I would have gone to sleep earlier!"That was Mana. She entered the room hand in hand with Yugi, both of them looking as bad as Mahad did the second Anzu saw him today. When they were passing the prince's seat, Anzu noticed the slight smirk on man's lips. It disappeared as soon as Mana sat on his left, face to face with her master.
"Well, since everybody is here... Enjoy your meal!" Anzu said and was relieved when no one spared her a glance. She was still unsure of how to behave with royalty, when she was permitted to talk and when not, so this lack of attention she decided, was a good sign.
Yugi sat down next to her.
" Not enough sleep?" She teased, reveling in the glare her brother gave her.
"I was caught up late talking with Mana." He explained, giving Mana a fleeting glare. The girl noticed it and stuck a tongue at him. It was so childish that it made Anzu laugh. She almost forgot that both Mana and Yugi were younger than her, mostly because the previous happenings gave them no opportunity to behave their age. And Yugi in his sixteen years had too little time to behave as a child, so she didn't fault him for that.
"Talking with Mana, huh?" Came Joey's voice, and Anzu turned towards him, so she could see the way he wiggled his eyebrows.
Yugi just rolled his eyes.
The rest of the breakfast was a pleasant affair, even though the absence of three of them did not go unnoticed, especially when looking at Marik's mood.
When everyone was done with their food, the prince stood up.
As always, all conversations died out.
"I have nothing more to say than what I said yesterday. All I can do is wish you luck and give you my blessing." At that, Marik, Mana and Mahad stood up. The rest of them, not sure of what was going to happen, followed the suit.
Everyone closed their eyes, so Anzu did the same.
Prince's low, powerful voice washed over her, and even though she did not understand the words, for they were once again spoken in that foreign language, she felt their power. It was as if a god truly came to them and gave them might and purpose.
"I will be expecting you in a month. Except for Joey, I hope you will be here sooner." At that, Anzu opened her eyes. She looked to her friends and saw them as shaken by the blessing as she was. She felt the shiver running up her spine.
Marik bowed to the prince.
"I will see you all soon. Thank you for hospitality." Said Marik, bowing now to Yugi and Anzu. They returned the gesture and when he was ready to turn, Yugi waved at him. Marik looked surprised for a moment, but he waved back.
Ryou soon followed him, but he actually came to shake everyone's hand, even the prince's.
"Wish me luck!" He said cheerfully and left the house. Anzu still didn't know how they were supposed to get to where they were ordered to go.
It was now Joey's turn.
"So, I guess my bigger cause calls." He started, but was silenced by Serenity hugging him.
"Come back, brother." She whispered, but her voice did not quiver. Anzu admired the girl's determination.
"I will." And that was their old, self-confident Joey with his bright smile on his face.
"We will miss you." Said Yugi as he hugged Joey and Anzu could jus nod in agreement.
"And do be careful." She added, as an afterthought. Joey just grinned. He turned to Mai. She just winked at him.
"See you around." She said, and apparently for Joey that was enough.
When he was ready to leave the room, the prince stood up as well.
Joey looked lost for a moment, but accompanied the prince outside.
"I think we forgot to ask. We will need to borrow one of your horses." Said Mahad suddenly, as if trying to get everybody's attention off the two men that left the room.
"That is no problem, as long as it returns." Anzu replied, trying to catch whatever the men were saying. Unfortunately, they were too far.
"I will do the cleaning!" Offered Mana.
"You will do no such thing, honey. It is my turn." Said Mai, and that was it.
"Besides, you need to go with me, if you remember." Interceded Mahad, and Mana simply nodded.
"I think we shall meet at noon," He said, addressing now Serenity and them. " so that I can explain what I'd like you to learn."
They just nodded, too confused to argue.
/
When Yugi left the dining room, Joey was long gone. He knew, because he heard the horse ride away.
Once again, he did not know what to do with time. He could always go to the stables and make sure their last remaining horse was in a good shape, but that was it. Mai refused any help at cleaning the dining room, and Yugi decided not to argue.
When he was debating what to do, he spotted a figure on the stairs.
The prince.
Once again, Yugi didn't see him eat anything.
He decided to follow the man and ask him whether he wanted something for later, but was interrupted by his sister.
"It's been a while since we were so useless, don't you think?" She joked, and Yugi laughed.
"True. What do we plan to do now?" Now, he had time to just be with his sister. He should not worry himself over a grown man not eating. Even if he was wounded. Oh, right, the bandages! He had used all they had yesterday. " We could go to town." He proposed, and Anzu paused for a moment.
"We... Could. We actually could." She mused, as if the idea was novel to her. Since Yugi was the one usually doing the shopping, it probably was.
"And we could buy some treats for ourselves." Yugi continued, reveling in this new-found freedom. Arkana was not poor, neither were their parents. And now, the whole fortune was theirs.
"But someone must go with us." Anzu reminded.
"Give me a moment, and I can go." Came Mai's voice from the dining room. Of course, everyone here was eavesdropping. Good thing it wasn't the prince this time.
It was settled. They were going to town!
/
Yugi did not remember Anzu so happy before.
The four of them, since Serenity went along, traveled around the Domino town noticing it truly for the first time.
Since they journey was not target-oriented, especially since the first thing they did was go to the apothecary and get bandages, they investigated every shop on their way, talking with every owner that seemed willing to chat.
It was exhilarating.
"I've always wanted to buy a new dress here, I heard it is the best tailor ever!" Shouted Anzu, excited as never before.
A bulb of happiness entered Yugi's heart.
He loved seeing his sister happy.
"What is stopping you? I myself would like a new one. What about you, Serenity?"
"It might be nice." The girl offered, clearly just happy at the perspective of shopping with company, not buying a new dress. Mai and Anzu were probably the first women to enter Serenity's life in a while. Serenity and Joey's mother was dead for many years and their father left them soon after Joey turned sixteen. Since he was not of age yet, people still referred to him as 'hunter's son', as if Joey's father was ever coming back.
Yugi never thought about it, but both Joey and Serenity must have felt lonely. True, they had each other, like Anzu and Yugi had each other, but at least Serenity due to her blindness was almost constantly alone at home. No wonder both of them accepted the knights so readily and joined their fight.
The knights gave them what the wanted- somewhere to belong.
"I will go..." Yugi started, hoping to give the women their 'girl time' and escape the perspective of watching them try on dresses for gods know how long.
"...with us, Yugi. Remember, we must stick together!" Sing-sung Mai as she pushed him inside the tailor's.
Thankfully, it didn't take too long. Even though excited, Anzu usually knew immediately what she wanted and after trying on three or four dresses, she made her choice.
Serenity relied on Anzu and Mai's opinion, since she herself could not see the sight she made in each dress, therefore her fitting took much longer mostly because Mai and Anzu clearly had too much fun making her try on different dresses and commenting on her beauty.
Yugi could not disagree with their comments, but he was growing tired of this shop.
Nevertheless, it was nice to see the three of them just have fun, as if they were not planning on risking their lives and lives of other people for the sake of one man who decided to be king. Not that Yugi had any right to judge, because he himself made up his mind. He was with them.
Finally, Mai picked some purple and black dress that Anzu was impressed with, and Yugi was allowed outside.
"Now it is your turn to drag us somewhere we really don't want to go." Anzu joked, and Yugi smirked.
"You bet! " Wait.. Bet. He could visit this game shop he always passed on his way to the grocer's!
He led the girls along, and soon enough they were inside.
"Good morning!" He shouted, his excitement now visible.
"Good morning." Answered the old man behind the counter. "Looking for something specific?" Yugi thought for a moment. He remembered the puzzles he solved in his childhood, when father would bring them to him as gifts from his voyages. But the drawback of puzzles was that they were solitary. Now, at least for now, he had other people he could share time with.
"Do you have something that would entertain many people?" He asked. Anzu and Serenity were whispering furiously about something, and Yugi noticed them bent over some fortune-telling cards. Cards!
"Do you have any cards?" He corrected. The man's smile widened.
"I have. How many decks do you wish for?" Yugi pondered on the question for a moment. They had seven people at mansion now.
"Two?" The man nodded and disappeared behind a counter for a moment.
He resurfaced with four decks of cards.
"Choose whichever you like." Yugi looked at the decks. They were the same, the only differences were the pictures on them. Some showed kings and queens of some foreign countries. Some reminded Yugi of that fortune-telling ones.
"This one looks nice." Mai commented and pointed at one deck. The pictures on that one were full of mythical creatures from all over the world. One queen was a Harpy, the second one an Amazon Warrior. One king was a Dragon, the second - a Chimera. Yugi looked through the deck and instantly agreed with Mai. It was a strange set of cards, but it looked hand-drawn and was simply beautiful. That, and it one of a kind.
"So I will take this one, for sure. Now, for the other one..." He looked through the rest of decks. Compared with the one he had already chosen, they were nothing special.
The old man was still searching for something. Yugi was ready to give up and pick one of the dull ones, when the man suddenly shouted. " There it is!"
Everyone looked in his direction.
"I thought that since you picked the mythical one, you would like something similar. This one is straight from the capital! It is quite old, no one wanted to buy it, but maybe you will like it." He said and put the deck on the counter.
The Ace on the top of the deck looked like a falcon dressed in a crown. Yugi opened his mouth to ask about the picture, but then he saw the rest of the falcon's body. It was a body of a man.
We at the Centre believe in many gods and some of them have bodies of half-animal and half-human...
The prince himself gave the falcon the head of the vulture...
"I'll take it."