White Peacock: War of the beheaded

Ghost!

Ryker closed his eyes, trying to remember with all his might where he saw a feather similar to the one in his hand. Just as the image was coming to mind, he heard a thud, slowly looking over to where he heard the sound. A bright clump of white on the grass, slowly etching towards it, he bent down and attempted to pick it up but instead he was met with the face of a woman that looked like a ghost! Jumping back in fright, Ryker let out a shriek similar to that of a little girl, causing the ghostly woman to open her eyes and get up. Looking a bit off balance she attempted to speak "Don't be... so loud..." Her voice was deeper than he expected.

"Uh- what are you doing on my parents estate!?" Realizing how rude he might be sounding to such a beautiful woman Ryker coughed and attempted to sound more like a gentleman to appease the woman "forgive me miss. I meant to say, what brings a fine lady like you to my estate?" As he attempted to be the best gentleman he could, the pretty lady had a look of disgust on her face, muttering out, the lady said "I'm... a guy..." With that reply, Ryker's face dropped "what...?" He said still in shock "I'm male" The ghostly man replied, he then attempted to walk off but was stumbling, most likely due to the fall. Ryker attempted to help the man "Are you okay?" The other man side eyed him "Yes" He replied pretty harshly.

Ryker backed off, not wanting to upset the other guy "oh, well um-" Before he could finish his sentence the white man turned into a giant bird and attempted to fly off, only to crash down only a few feet from the earth. Ryker cautiously approached the man in bird form, if he were a smaller bird he'd have picked him up in his hands. Still, with determination etched on his face, Ryker attempted to carry the giant bird.

The long tail of the bird knocking decorations over as he attempted to sneak the bird back to his room. Almost getting caught when his mother turned the corner, with enough reaction time he managed to turn around, hiding the bright white bird as best as he could "Ryker?" His mother muttered, putting a hand on her hip "Where had you run off to? Lord Dusch's daughter has already returned home." Without a single word Ryker ran off, leaving his mother with nothing to go off of.

After a bit he had made a makeshift bed for the bird man in the room he'd occupy whenever staying at his parents, the other man had yet to return to his human form. Gazing at the ghostly white bird as it slept, its chest rising and falling slowly in a peaceful slumber. The longer he stared the longer he started to wonder what this guy was. Was he a bird first, or a man? Was he from distant world far far away like in those books. Was he just a figment of his imagination, did he in reality have a homeless man in his parents manor? "Eehhh... let's not think like that" Ryker said a bit disgusted by that last thought. Grabbing the white feather from earlier, he squinted hard at it, then he remembered. It was a peacock feather, or at least looked similar to one, it was completely white, what kind of peacock is fully white, he thought to himself.

Ryker's eyes grew heavy, his body tired from the day, wanting nothing more than to slumber away. Not bothering to change clothing as he assumed it'd be nothing but a short nap, he laid his head on the soft pillows and went into a deep sleep. Awakening to the sound of birds singing away bright and early in the morning. Though the thing that had caught his eyes the most was the sight of the peacock man sleeping quietly away next to him.