The Illustrious Eight: Book One

Chapter 4: Best-Laid Plans

Earlier...

Vomo, Earl, and Jeremiah watched as the other four adventurers ran down the dirt path into the tropical forest. Rogers was ahead of the group, Dusk and Dawn were next to each other, and Jessam lagged slightly behind with his short legs that tried to run as fast as they could.

"There is honestly no need for them to be running so fast." Jeremiah remarked.

"I guess they're really raring to get out there." Vomo added.

"Kids." Earl scoffed, arms crossed.

"I hope Rogers uses his best judgment leading them." Jeremiah sighed. "Though he is faithful to those he serves, his methods by can be described as, how to put this lightly, questionable at times."

Vomo shrugged and crossed her arms. "We'll have to see if his loyalty is enough, but for now, it's time for us to fix up the saaiii..." She had just turned around to head back to the Silver Lance when she saw something rather peculiar. "Are the two of you seeing this?" She placed her hands on Jeremiah and Earl's shoulders. They turned around and saw what alarmed Vomo.

A large flock of blue-footed birds had found a perch atop the ship while they were not looking. There were many that were waddling around the deck, practicing their mating rituals with each other, and there were dozens of others flying over the crow's nest like a flock of vultures. The air was filled with the squawks and whistles of the birds who surrounded and took over the ship.

Then, one of the birds flew down to the three travelers and landed in front of them. No one spoke for a while. The curious little bird stared at the three of them with an inquisitive tilt of its head. It almost seemed sentient, the way it moved about examining these strange people in front of it. Then, most shocking of all, the bird started to talk in Elvish.

Jeremiah had no idea what the bird was saying, but he recognized that it was speaking Elvish. "As the only member of our party who is at least part elf," Jeremiah looked down at Vomo next to him. "May I ask if you can understand what this curious little creature is saying?"

Vomo's face was contorted with utter disbelief at the site of this bird talking in understandable, albeit slightly broken, Elvish. "Um...he says he's of the blue-footed booby tribe and he's wondering why we've trespassed onto their private property." Then she placed a hand on her face. "...He's also asking us to pay for rent."

"I hear that!" The blue-footed booby squawked, hopping up and down and flapping its wings. Vomo, Earl, and Jeremiah jumped back and stared in shock at the bird that suddenly started speaking in broken Common. "Me am Goober, and we is not happy strange people crash boat into Blue Island. You pay rent so we can pay master!"

Earl growled and bent down to the bird. "Well, me am Earl, and we not gonna deal with your bulls***. Got it?"

"Oh? Then what do, purple lizard man? What d-" The bird tried to sound threatening but failed spectacularly, as Earl crushed it firmly under his clawed foot.

"That." Earl replied.

"Earl, did you really think that was the best idea?" Vomo looked horrified at the splattered corpse of the blue-footed booby and then looked at the flock of birds nearby the ship. It seemed like several of them had taken notice of Earl's actions and were flying over to the three travelers.

"It was pissing me off." Earl replied. "What else was I going to do?" Soon, there were over a hundred little blue-footed boobies that stared at Earl and at the mangled corpse of their companion.

"You kill Goober?!" A very distraught, female blue-footed booby waddled forward and squawked at Earl. "He my husband!"

"Nuh uh!" Another blue-footed booby flew by. "He my husband!"