Curse of the Warhawks: A Lost World (Preview)

Curse of the Warhawks: A Lost World (Preview - First Contact)

He would have kept going, only... something was different. He felt... off. Like his body was trying to tell him something. He felt-

Snap!

He whirled around. This time, it wasn't an animal. A creature stood behind him, its foot on a fallen tree branch. The creature's appearance made Rhodri's eyes shoot open. It was... like him. A creature of feathers and talons, standing as he was. The creature was wearing strange clothes with colorful lines along it, which appeared like a short robe without sleeves. In its hands, it held a bow. An arrow was nocked and pointed right at him.

This was it. The creatures he was made to imitate. He was face to face with one of them. He gazed into the creature's avian visage, its sharp eyes burning a hole into him. Unlike Rhodri, this creature's features were a lot different. It was much shorter and even slimmer, with a non-hooked beak and a spiky crown of feathers atop its head. It had a white face, with black rings around its beady eyes. The top of its head was blue, while its back, wings and tail were all mainly blue, with varying stripes and shades of black and white. The beast blinked, shaking Rhodri out of his stupor.

"Colou esi thu a heirt?!" It shrieked, bow drawn and ready.

Damn it! Rhodri reprimanded himself. Of course we don't speak the same damn language! Why the hell would we?!

"Eira mu!"

Rhodri shook his head. "W-wait, don't! I can't understand you! Please stop!"

The avian beast cocked its head for a moment, blinking in confusion. It then opened its beak and spoke.

"Who was that?!" The thing shouted.

Rhodri froze up, shaking in fear as he stared at the monster. It knew his tongue! This demon... What was it? Why did it stalk him? Did it see through his disguise?

"I-I...what...?" He blurted. He cowered, clutching his spear tightly. He held his other hand up, as if to show his submission.

"I heard screaming! Was that you? Or did you hurt someone?!" The monster demanded an answer, voice shrill. This panicked Rhodri, who suddenly felt ice in his veins. Was he about to die at the very beginning of his quest? Had his idiocy and tantrums doomed humanity?

"I-I mean, yes, it was me! Don't shoot me!"

"That was you? Did someone attack you?!"

"No, no!" He shouted, "I was just crying is all!"

The creature's eyes widened. "Crying? Why?"

"I just... I was crying. That's all."

"But why?"

Rhodri mustered a bit of his courage, giving it a defiant snarl. "Why should I tell you?! I didn't expect someone to just happen to be here! I thought I was all alone! Why don't you tell me all of your fears and woes?!"

To his utter disbelief, the creature's gaze softened, and it lowered its bow. "I'm sorry. I just thought someone was in trouble is all. Honest." The warrior blinked, taken aback that his bluff worked. He half-expected these beasts to be incapable of emotion. It continued. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"I mean, it's okay-"

"I even pointed a bow at you! I can't believe I was such a buffoon! To even think I might have-"

"Really, it's fine." He answered. "Don't worry about it."

There was a brief moment of awkward silence between the pair, before the creature seemed to realize how uncomfortable the mood had become.