"How did you get to be so strong, papa?" Papa grinned as he placed a wing on my head. "The trick is to have a rival. If you want to be as big and strong as me you need to find someone else who is strong."
"Papa is the strongest!" He smiled. "There you go, filling her head again."
"I want to be as big and strong as papa!" Papa laughed as he spread his wings. "If you are so big and strong, why don't you carry that water basin down?" My mother quipped.
"Hey you know how heavy that thing is? Especially when it's full of water."
"Papa can do it!" He frowned at me before my mother started laughing. "He can, can't he? He is the strongest after all!"
"Both of you are so…" I heard a loud boom outside.
"Attack!"
"Bandits!"
"Both of you two go out the back. I'll take care of this."
"Papa!"
"Remember, Papa is the strongest. Even the Golden Wing Bandits have nothing on me…" He flexed his wings as he smiled. "Please take her out of here!"
"What about you!?"
"I'll find a way… somehow."
I never saw my Papa again after that. Once my mother got me away she went back. I couldn't stop her. I was too small. Too weak.
Ever since Both of my parents died, I have lived with Vernie.
I never let anyone call me small or weak. My Papa told me to never let anyone call me that, but right now I was feeling weak. I had just lost to a no name vampire. "I'm supposed to be a B-rank adventurer."
The only reason I wasn't higher was that I wasn't good at magic. "If you look so down you'll drive away my customers."
"Vernie?" She took a seat next to me on the stairs. "Was my Papa really the strongest?"
"He was the strongest bird I knew. This isn't like you. Did something happen?"
"I fought that vampire… and I lost."
"Hmm, she was a Twilight. I am not really surprised. I thought I told you to leave them alone?"
"You know I couldn't do that. I've never heard of Twilight anyway. I barely had time to scratch at her before she beat me. I'm not even sure I hit her."
"Haah… You are such a handful. Didn't your father tell you something else?"
"What?"
"I thought he told you to find a rival…" My eyes lit up. It was true. He had always told me that was how he got so strong. "Thank you Vernie!"
I jumped up to my feet wiping the tears from my eyes. "I will find that vampire and make her my rival no matter what!"
"Didn't she just beat you?"
"Huh!? Are you dumb Vernie!? If she beats me up I just have to become stronger! If I become stronger. I just have to challenge her again! Next time I won't lose!"
"That's the spirit, but this time you should try and get to know your rival."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean wouldn't it be great if your rival was also your friend?"
"Friends with her?"
"Not just Enora. Also Melle."
"So Enora is the name of my new rival?"
"Hey are you listening?"
"I know! I know! I already apologized to Melle. It shouldn't be a problem!" Vernie sighed as she held her head. "Did you do it sincerely?"
"Y-yes."
"Go apologize to that girl properly. Only then will I let you go with them."
"What do you mean go with them?"
"Just a feeling, but I don't think they will stay here very long."
"Then I better go find them!"
—-----
"She already flew off. Do you think she will be okay, Nychuro?" I looked up at the ceiling of the inn. Nychibi was already 17 years old. "She grew so fast."
"That girl might be small, but that is only if you look on the outside. Nobody could ever call her heart small."
"But she was quite a handful." My husband stood next to me. "Hey didn't I tell you to prepare for the night? You good for nothing."
"Hey! We were having a moment here…" I rubbed my beak against his own. "Heh, she is already a B-rank, yet she is so young."
"Well she wouldn't stay put no matter what. She ran off to be an adventurer when she was old enough."
"Still…. The Golden Wing Bandits. Rotten birds haven't made a move in a while."
"They did lose their leader in that raid. Maybe they disbanded?"
"I doubt they would. It is surprising. I haven't heard news of them in a while. It's been 10 years."
Before my husband could respond the door to the inn opened. "Customer? Oh it's just you Annicri."
"Just cri? Hey, have you seen that human or vampire acri?"
"No, I haven't seen them since they left this morning. Nychibi got into a fight with Enora I heard."
"I was there at the arenacri, but cri haven't seen them since. That's the thing… They sort of disappeared."
"Teleportation magic?" It was possible if Enora was a strong mage, but Annicri shook her beak. "If it was telecritation, Lord Harken would have known about it. No one can teleport in or out without cri knowing."
So there really was a barrier around the city. "You sure it wasn't just stealth magic?" Annicri shrugged. "No ideacri. But they are still in the city. Cri just thought they might come here. Lord Harken wants to see cri again."
"We haven't seen them. Melle seemed excited about the adventurers guild, so maybe you should check there?"
"Thank cri Vernie. I will check it out." She started to leave before I called out to her. "Hey if you see Nychibi. Tell her to do her best!"
"Hmm? I don't really criiit it, but if it's a recri from Vernie, I won't deny it."
"Thank you." Just like that she also flew away. "I hope they are still there…"
"They are. Nychibi will find her. Once she has a goal, she doesn't give it up."