Red Twilight the Weaver chapter 19

Chapter 19:

Warwing Appears

Ownlog parts form the group explaining to Rodney that she is going to search for food. She finds some mud to roll in and tightens her blindfold sniffing around. Her fingers dig into the ground as do her toes as she crawls on her stomach. A bulbous beast with three horns and hooves walks into sight. Her lips part in anticipation as her nose twitches, the hot blood of her pray practically running down her skin already.

One hand finds her hooked sword on her left hip as her back-end lifts into the air and her knees quail to attack. Ownlog throws herself at the monster, the claws on her hands and feet cut into the flesh, and her fangs find it clouted artery her sword comes up on the other side and drives into its jugular vein dropping it to the ground with hardly any effort. The fifty-five-pound darkling slays the thousand-pound reptile quickly and near silently.

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Rodney takes off his overcoat and looks at it a moment, "well, this has had better days. Don't happen to have a needle and thread woven into that cape of yours, do you?" Corn shakes her head, Rodney nods. Rodney dips his coat into a shallow puddle and starts to shake the mud off of it as he sings

"all so long ago in a land so far away, I found myself lying in the sands along the bay. There at the seashore at the end of days, a light shown down told me there is away. The way to the long-forgotten light at the end of the world, how I wish to be there even today. Once again in the life so far away, never oh never let her go away. Oh, this is the long-forgotten life at the end of the road. Long forgiven truth never foretold, here with her if never to grow old..."

Corn's ears rise as she partakes of the song "you like to sing?"

"Only every chance I get." Rodney walks over to her after throwing his coat onto some rocks to dry. "Would you like me to show you another magic trick?" Corn folds her hands over her waist as she nods "I can take from you everything you are carrying, every trinket from your pockets and even to cape off of your shoulders, and you will not notice…" Rodney walks in a circle around her pulling on one end of her cap lifting up on it and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"That's not possible." Corn expresses

"of course, you're far too attentive for that right? Well, you see that's where the magic comes in" he brings the hand from her shoulder down one arm, and the one from her capes tail onto her opposing shoulder rubbing up to her hip and side folding the fabric in on itself. "You see the closer you move in to try to see the trick the easier it is for me to slip in and do my work. I can even tell you just what I am doing, and you still won't be able to stop it." Rodney tucks Corn's hand behind her back, then lets go of it to slip her cape around her tail. Rodney lifts up on one corner with the hand on Corn's shoulder and slides it into her pocket to take her flute. "the brain is an amazing thing but magic it is not, we can only see what we see and only hear that which we can understand." Rodney then places the flute in his packet

Rodney movies around to Corn's side and tugs hard on her cape pealing it open "what pocket did you put that woodwind into?" he asks as his other hand reaches around her neck to untie the cape.

"it's right here." She goes to pull it out then frantically pats herself down noticing it is gone.

"Slow down!" Rodney grabs one of Corn's hands and pulls it down to hip level squeezing it, his other hand feels down her side and find the tooth in her other pocket, he replaces the flute with the tooth then shacks her cape "it is likely over here." Corn finds the flute and thanks, Rodney; she then hugs him. Rodney takes the now untied cape and moves the far shoulder of it around onto his shoulder, finishing his walk around her he transitions the cape off her body and onto his

"But you see that is what it is all about. That's how the trickery works; I control what you see and what you feel. I do this by grabbing at you, I talk loud and move around a lot. Even as I am saying this, you have yet to notice you no longer have your cape, and as you are reaching your hands around your neck to see if I am telling the truth, I might even be able to reach around a play with your sticky bits if I had a mind to."

"Ok maybe you could have moved my flute but how…" she stops noticing her missing cape then looks to Rodney seeing he is wearing it "how does that work?"

Rodney touches their noses together and grads Corn by the cheeks "Mentalism, is what some call it." He takes the cape with one hand and flips it around back onto her shoulders. "Magic of the brain, I control what you see and feel" he uses one hand to take the ties of it and affixes the cape back in place "so watch me as closely as you can. The more of your attention you give me, the more I will lie to you, and the more you will believe me." His opposing hand moves down her stomach slowly gripping her fur; he approaches her pelvic proving to himself it can be done then just short of touching her crouch his other hand drops and grabs her tail tugging on it. The hand that was on her waist tucks behind his own back. Corn jumps in surprise as she shouts an incoherent protest.

Ownlog, as she approaches, swoops down and grabs a stone form underfoot, she throws it off to one side of the kobolts and shouts at them in her native tongue "you are noisy, like puppies, quite yourselves." Ownlog drops her bag full of meat "we will cook the meat over smoke, burn off the blood and dry the meat; we will eat for a week if we eat slow." And so, the three of them build a fire and construct a rack to roast the meat over.

As they wait Ownlog grows evermore restless, her ears twitch irritatingly, all three of them being assaulted by a noise that seems only half real. Ownlog Jumps at Corn and pulls her flute from her cape finally coming to understand it it's the sources of the aggravating sound. Corn takes Ownlog by the hand and lowers her head to see that her flute is now playing itself in her hand "the monster from who's hand this was cut is close." Ownlog explains.

The roar of wind becomes defining. A blackbird that stands a scale too, if not greater, Scara descends onto them. Each claw larger than any of the travelers, the beating of its wings so powerful the wind pressure throws all of them onto their backs, it dips its head and eats their fire pit with a single swipe of its beak. The monster throws Its head up and squawks showing off a bangle around its neck with the skull and talons of one of its brothers hanging from it. The beast stretches its wings and casts a shadow over the company.

Ownlog hisses as she finds her feet, she starts to reach for her swords, but the bird picks up one foot and pins her beneath it. The bird then swings its head at Corn picking the mouse girl up in its beak. The Bird tosses her in the air with the intention to swallow the tiny mouse whole but freezes seeing the crimson wrapped around her body. Corn falls to the ground with a horrible crash; the air ripped from her body, her arms, and legs numbed by the fall. Corn rolls onto a ball crippled by pain and shock. Rodney stands by hiding beneath his hands stunned by the speed and ferocity of the attack.

The bird flaps its wings and shrills. the crow-like bird stomps forth waving and squawking Corn rolls around, the bird slides it beak under her and flips her around. Corn gasp and rolls onto all fours trying to fight. The bird grabs her cape and strips it off her body throwing it to one side and nearly strangling her at the same time. Rodney finally gains his courage and fumbles for his ax.

The giant flicks her head up and throws Rodney into the air.

Squawking and flapping some more, Corn finds her flute still flashing on the ground. As the bird goes to flick Corn over she brings the flute up and starts to play, the bird throws her wings up into the air and begins to pirouette.

The battered trio gathers around Corn looking to her. The giant lowers her head "the power of the weaver, is the power to move the heart. Those that hear you sing will forever understand you and heed your idea."

Still struggling to breathe Corn gasp "I'm… not a weaver… I never finished school."

"That is an ending, the life of a weaver has endless beginnings, but never endings." The bird explains.

"Are… you… Jessica's friend?"

"I am here eggling; she hatched me."

"I see… we need you." Corn pants, her breathing finally returning to normal.