[F23 | SP] The Raven's Eye | <<Feeding Your Enemy>>

[Morrigan 0]

Morrígan refrained from moving as the raven shifted closer to the treat, its eyes shifting between herself and the item in her hand. She could see the hesitation and desire in its features, and the way it moved. Silently willing it forwards, she chose to allow it to make the first approach, holding as still as she could as it walked forwards. She kept her left hand – still holding the open bag – from moving, trying to seem as unimposing and unthreatening as possible.

There we go…just grab the treat, and everything will be all good. She thought to herself as it edged closer once more, before reaching out slowly and gently taking the treat from her open hand. It leaned backwards – not moving away – and consumed the item in a manner that Morrígan could only assign a level of class and care towards; a measure of fluidity to its movement that would almost seem regal in a person.

’There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?’ She spoke softly, keeping her voice low so as not to cause the creature to spook or otherwise bolt in fear. A worry that she was slowly realising may not be required, as the bird moved closer to her and squawked slightly, the beak pointing towards the bag in her hand. Morrígan smiled gently, lowering her right hand and producing another from the bag, before resting it on her shoulder gently.

The raven seemed to hesitate only long enough to determine there was no immediate danger, before moving towards her shoulder and obtaining the treat. Once again, it remained in place while it consumed the item, before shifting suddenly and seemingly settling into place upon her. Morrígan froze for a second as she tried to figure out what to do next, her uncertainty likely spreading across her face as she thought about her next steps. She’d planned everything, up to this point. I guess I kind of assumed the quest would simply…end here?

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ID239339 | CD: 12 | <<Tame Familiar>> | Success! Familiar Tamed!

Edited December 27, 2024 by Morrigan

[Morrigan 0]

’It would assume that she has accepted you.’ The voice came from behind Morrígan, and she spun before she realised it might disturb the bird upon her shoulder. Although it gave a soft squawk of disagreement at the sudden movement, the creature remained in place, talons softly gripping into her shoulder in a way that caused no discomfort to Morrígan. ’If you’re quite done with them, I’ll take those back now.’

Morrígan glanced down at the bag of treats that the traveling gypsy had motioned towards, before tossing them over to the other individual. She gave a soft curtsy before providing her thanks to the woman, determined to maintain her decorum and behaviour, regardless of the non-regal environment that they found themselves in at the moment. ’Thank you for lending those to me. I truly appreciate it, as it brought us together.’

The gypsy woman gave a small nod, and a casual smile that seemed both knowing, welcoming and something else that Morrígan couldn’t quite place a name towards at the time. ’Have you considered a name, yet?’

The question surprised Morrígan, although she answered before she’d even truly considered it, the word coming to mind almost immediately, as if it had been buried deep within her and waiting to be spoken aloud. ’Phantom.’

The squawk from her shoulder came in a measure of what Morrígan could only associate with approval, and she turned to look at the bird upon her shoulder; wings spread and head raised to the air, its beak open and an odd shine to its feathers as the black, blue and purple seemed to glitter in the light.

She turned back towards the figure of the gypsy woman, opening her mouth to once again thank her – only to find the figure gone, only empty air remaining where it had once been. Surprised, Morrígan glanced around before realising that there was no trace to follow, as if the woman had simply disappeared entirely from existence. Or had never been there to begin with.

Shaking her head, Morrígan turned back to the forest, knowing she’d never be able to piece it all together. For the time being, however, she wanted nothing more than to return home, and figure out her next steps in the world of Aincrad, and everything that came afterwards.

’You and I are going to do great things together, Phantom. In time. For now, we need to work on getting to know one another, and figuring out how to work together…and perhaps how best to help one another.’ The raven gave no verbal response, but a soft shake of its head that could almost have been a nod convinced Morrígan that it agreed with her. Or that she assumed it had agreed with her. Either way, she saw no sign of disagreement in its form, and nodded her head in response. ’For now, let’s head back to the inn I’m staying at. It’s nothing overly lavish, but it’s what I’ve been calling home for some time. I’m hoping that you’ll find it adequate to your standards, and perhaps…perhaps one day soon we can find something more appropriate to our requirements.’

One final look around, and Morrígan began trudging back through the woodlands, heading towards the small marker on her mini map that designated the way back to the underdark. The raven took off – giving Morrígan a single moment of fright before she realised that it coasted alongside her, gently riding the tail wind that she must have been leaving behind. Smiling slightly to herself, she shook away the final trudges of concern, and made her way through the brush and foliage before her. We’re a team now, which means we need to trust each other…that’s a lesson I need to learn, and never forget.

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Thread Summary
Word Count: 9,499
EXP: 9,499/10x1x1 = 949 [Progression] + 300 [Quest] = 1,249 EXP
Familiar
<<Training Your Friend>> Quest Unlocked

Edited December 27, 2024 by Morrigan