Long Island

Chapter 27: Preparations

Monkey and parrot were having a serious discussion. He did not understand what they were talking about, but unlike normal days there was a distinct lack of laughter or singing.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Ah Sir Raka. You appeared. We have a problem."

"Really? What kind of problem?" 'Did they finally get indigestion.' Raka smiled.

"Um..." and the parrot hesitated. And suddenly Raka had a really bad feeling. 'This longwinded annoying parrot being at a loss for words!'

"What did you guys do?" He asked hoping for a miracle.

"We killed one of your kin. But you see it was not our fault. They attacked us. We had to defend ourselves. We are thinking if it is good to run away before we are arrested." And the miracle didn't happen.

"How long ago and where?" Raka simply asked. He had an idea of what would have happened. Some player had seen them in the forest and thinking they were just normal animals, had attacked them. They had been killed instead. 'Atleast they didn't kill an npc, I hope. They wouldn't have bothered to attack these animals.'

"In the forest. It was just as the sun reached the horizon yesterday. We were just discussing what to do. This guy here wants to run away. But the honor of the Cackle clan does not allow me to leave your side." The parrot replied puffing his chest.

'So yesterday evening. Though I would prefer it if he ran away.' Raka sighed.

"It's ok. You would not be made a criminal. And they attacked you first anyway. But try to avoid this in the future. Or atleast avoid it if I am not around. Run away if possible. I am sure if you really wanted to run away, no one could catch you." Raka replied.

Both the monkey and parrot were shocked by this.

"Why are you so shocked? Do you usually arrest criminals who have done nothing wrong?"

Monkey and parrot looked at each other. And then both nodded.

"You speak strange words Sir Raka. Kind but strange. In the places I have travelled, such custom has not been seen. Other lands arrest beings such as us even when we have only defended ourselves." The parrot answered with wonder in it's voice.

Raka understood their circumstances. Being different had it's problems. Even in Ilmentia they were treated as pets or rather belongings. So far, Raka had not made his association with the two animals known but anyone who saw them together would probably consider them as Raka's pets. Not as two beings of an intelligent race.

Yes, they belonged to another race and were not simply animals. That was the conclusion Raka had reached. In fact he had a theory. If energy existed everywhere, what enabled some races to use it and others to not? Like there were magical creatures who could use magic and the horned rabbits who could not. And the hint came from Lady Verina.

Bones had the power to store magical energy. But magic could exist in many forms. Being able to talk could be due to magic. Being able to think could be due to magic. Maybe magic made you intelligent. Or maybe being intelligent allowed one to use magic. Maybe both were true.

There were creatures like rabbits and wolves who were unable to store energy and not very intelligent. Then there were creatures like the parrot and the monkey who had the ability to think but did not or could not use magic. And then there were the magical creatures who could use magic. What Raka had learned about magic so far required one to have an intelligent mind. It needed imagination to work. It can be deduced that the magical creatures would be quite intelligent. If plotted on a chart it would probably show an evolution of creatures with the addition of magic. Near the top would be the various races which evolved from the ancient beings, like the humans, who could be classified as magical creatures also but with even higher intelligence.