"Hey, she lost!"

"You're joking, right?"

"That Nychibi?"

"And so fastcri…"

After their battle, a commotion had started around us. I was so focused on the arena that I didn't even notice the people who had gathered. I quickly picked up my dime from the ground, and when I looked up, Enora was in front of me. 

"See, didn't I tell you?"

"There is blood!" 

"I guess she cut me when I passed by her."

"She cut you? But I couldn't even see anything. More importantly, you are not hurt, are you?"

"Nope, it's already healed, see?" 

Her arm, indeed, had no wound. There was just a speck of blood on it. Still, I grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "Why did you do it?"

"I am sorry for making you worry, but I am fine." 

"That isn't the point. You put yourself in danger for me."

"Didn't you also put yourself in danger?" 

"W-well, that is true. But…" 

Enora hugged me tightly. "Let's get away from all of these people."

After she said that, the world around us went completely dark, like a void. Only she and I were present. 

"What's this?” I asked. “Magic? Where are we?"

"This is like its own dimension. It is similar to the magic I used to transfer us over. Although I am still determining exactly where it is. More importantly, you need to listen to me. We aren't on Earth anymore."

"I know that." 

She sat down on the—floor? If I had tried to think about what that place was, I would have probably hurt my brain. Instead, I sat next to her, grabbing her hand. 

"You lived in a relatively peaceful place before coming here," She said.

"Yes." I leaned my head against her shoulder. 

"Still all across Earth, there had been and still was fighting. Here, it is unavoidable."

"I know that, but I thought we would be fighting monsters. Not other people—birds,” I said while she stroked my hair. "Fighting people feels wrong."

"You are very kind, Melle. Let me ask you. What would you do to someone who tried to hurt you? Or tried to hurt me?"

I thought about being back on a playground while Mother watched me. I played in the sand. 

Meanwhile, a boy my age had grabbed my hair and yanked it. He pulled it so hard that I started to cry. Before my mother could reach us, I already acted. I slapped the boy so hard my hand stung. 

The boy gaped, and his eyes began watering. I don’t think he’d been hit before. 

Mother rushed over soon after to give me a lecture about hitting people. As I cried, she told me that hitting people is terrible. "There are other ways to get people to leave you alone, and there is one other time when you are free to hit someone."

"When is that mommy?" 

She smiled at me. "If they hurt someone you love. Never let anyone hurt your loved ones. If anyone ever hurt you, they would wake a sleeping giant."

"A sleeping giant?" I tilted my head. 

"That's right. This momma bear would wake her sleeping giant, and then I would protect you from everyone."

"Will I ever wake up a sleeping giant?" 

She started laughing as she messed up my hair. "Didn't you listen to what I just said?"

"Well, I want to see Mommy's sleeping giant!" I hugged her arm, which was still patting my head. 

"I am sure you will find a sleeping giant someday."

"Melle? What's wrong? You're crying."

"What you said just reminded me of something my mom said,” I said, sinking into Enora’s lap.

 "Want to talk about it?"

I told her everything on the playground while she stroked my hair. 

"I don't know what to say…"

"It's okay. I understand why you were so angry. If I were in your position, I would probably be angry too. You remember a drunk driver killed my parents?"

"I remember you told me." 

I ground my teeth together. "That guy got a ten-year sentence, but if I'm honest. I wanted more. It was my fault."

"They would never blame you, and you shouldn't blame yourself either. It isn't wrong to want vengeance on the person who caused it."

“What about you?” I asked. “Did you ever think of—”

"I am the princess of the Twilight Clan. You already know that part, but I ran away from it all—or rather, my father sent me to Earth. We were always able to choose who we got to be with. I had always thought that—until my father said I had to marry someone from the Dusk Clan. There was no way I would ever accept such a proposal. For one, I didn't even like men.”

“What happened after that?” I asked.

“He sent me to your planet. Earth was hell when I arrived. My kind and others were prosecuted. Many were burned alive, and I couldn't do anything. I went back into hiding. I went to sleep. What could I do? My strength on Earth wouldn't last long. Eventually, the mana in the air evaporated. I couldn't keep up with it without drinking blood. I didn't want to die there, so I decided to come back. My father will soon realize."

She was carrying a different kind of burden. Still, many things didn't make sense, but if she had to face her father. "I've decided! I want you to teach me magic."

"What's this so sudden? I already told you I would."

"This and that are different. I won't let anyone take you away from me, and to do that, I need strength,” I said. "I will become as strong as you are! Then, you will never be taken away. I won't allow it."

"What about your sleeping giant?" 

"What would happen if I woke the sleeping giant and I was too weak? It might crush me!"

"Dork." She teared up, but a smile remained. 

"You should know I'm selfish. I won't let anyone take you away. Not even your father. I love you, Enora."

"I love you, too." 

I held her cheek as the tears ran down her face. She was alone all of that time. Just how long was she alone? Now that I was here, I would never leave her alone. We would find the sleeping giant, and I might slug her father along the way.

"How did you get to be so strong, papa?" Papa grinned and 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!" 

"There you go, filling her head again," Mama said.

"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 asked.

"Hey, do 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…" 

A loud boom cut him off, shaking the trees. The painting of a golden bird flew off the wall, shattering.

"Attack!"

"Bandits!"

I heard my clan yelling outside. 

"Both of you two go out the back. I'll take care of this," Papa said with a smile.

"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!?" Mom yelled.

"I'll find a way,” He said,  “somehow."

But he was a liar. Mom was a liar, too. Saying she would protect me, and ever since Both of them died, I lived with Vernie. 

After that, I never let anyone call me small or weak. Papa told me to never let anyone call me that, but right then, I felt both. I had lost to a no-name vampire. "I'm supposed to be a B-rank adventurer."

My lack of magic skill had been the only reason I couldn’t climb higher up the ranks. 

"If you look so down, you'll drive away my customers," Vernie said.

"Vernie?" I asked and looked up."Was my Papa the strongest?"

She took a seat next to me on the stairs. "He was the strongest bird I knew. This isn't like you. Did something happen?" 

"I fought that vampire." 

“Oh?”

“I lost.”

"Hmm, she was in the Twilight Clan, so I am unsurprised. I thought I told you to leave them alone?"

"You know I couldn't do that. I've never heard of Twilight, anyway. I'm not even sure I hit her."

Vernie sighed and put her blue wing around me. “You are such a handful. Didn't your father tell you something else?"

"What?"

"I thought he told you to find a rival?” She asked.

My eyes lit up. 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?"

"Wouldn't it be great if your rival was also your friend?" Vernie asked.

"Friends with her?"

"Not just Enora. Also, Melle."

"So Enora is the name of my new rival?"I asked. 

"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 to go with them?"

"Just a feeling, but I don't think they will stay here long."

"Then I better go find them!" I flapped my wings and took off. 

"She already flew off. Do you think she will be okay, Nychuro?"  I looked up at the ceiling of the inn. She was already seventeen before I could blink. "She grew so fast. A tiny girl with a huge heart."

"But she was quite a handful," My husband said, making me flinch.

"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. "Nychibi  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," He said. 

"The Golden Wing Bandits,” I said and sighed. “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. It has been a while since I've heard news of them… Maybe ten years?" 

Before my husband could respond, the door to the inn opened.

 "Customer? Oh, it's just you, Annicri," I said.

"Just cri? Hey, have you seen that human or vampire acri?"

"No, I haven't seen them since they left this morning. I heard Nychibi got into a fight with Enora."

"I was there at the arenacri, but cri haven't seen them since. That's the thing… They sort of disappeared."

"Teleportation magic?" I asked, putting a wing to my head. Enora might have been 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."

Was there really a barrier around the city? "You sure it wasn't just stealth magic?" 

Annicri shrugged. "I have no idea, Cri. But they are still in the city. Cri just thought they might come here. Lord Harken wants them again."

"We haven't seen them. Melle seemed excited about the Adventurers Guild, so you should check it out.”

"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 recrist from Vernie, I won't deny it."

"Thank you." And just like that, she flew away. 

"I hope they are still here," I said to my husband

"They are. Nychibi will find her. Once she has a goal, she doesn't give it up."