Chapter 86 - Two Birds
"A bird is coming."
As Lyudmila pointed out, the bird that had been flying high in the sky descended near the water's surface. A large white bird with a long neck and beak was flying in circles around the boat.
"Let's try feeding it."
Robinson-san took out a small bag containing caterpillars. While calling out to the bird, he threw a caterpillar in front of its flight path; the bird slightly changed direction mid-flight and skillfully caught it in its beak.
"I want to do it too!" Lyudmila said and threw one. Perhaps her timing was bad, as she threw it quite low. The bird dived steeply to the very surface of the water, catching it brilliantly while kicking up a bit of spray. It soared up once more.
"Sorry!" she said, but she was squealing with joy. It would be a loss not to do something so fun. We scrambled for caterpillars and took turns throwing them. The bird caught every single one perfectly.
It was exciting. I've never had an experience like this before.
Finally, the caterpillars ran out, but the bird continued to circle the boat. Beatrix asked if there was anything else, so I took a chunk of dried meat from the item bag. Someone said it might be too hard, so we decided to shave it with a knife and soak it in water to soften it. While I was scooping water into a ladle and waiting for the pieces to soften, the bird perched on the gunwale.
This is a recurrence of what happened with the wolf. This might be a chance to get it to take a liking to me. Looking at it up close, it was a beautiful, slender bird with a neck that wasn't too long, a thin yellow beak, and long legs. The bird seemed unable to wait, looking at me and crying "Qua, qua." I had no choice. I put a piece in my mouth, chewed it until it was soft, picked it up with my fingers, and offered it; the bird took it directly into its beak and ate it.
It seemed to like it, as it was still going "Qua, qua." When I looked at Lyudmila, she averted her eyes. She seemed to have a resistance to feeding it something I'd spat out of my mouth. She probably hasn't looked after a child being weaned. It couldn't be helped. I alone chewed and gave, chewed and gave, and after I'd fed it two more pieces, it seemed satisfied, spread its wings, and flew away.
"I wonder what that was. A white bird, maybe?"
As Bonnie said, it might be the white bird from the Hand-holding Song. That means there should be a black bird too.
"The black bird comes from below, right?"
Comes from below... underwater?
"Jeanne. Try dipping your light into the water."
I had Beatrix, who suggested it, hold onto my body as I leaned out and extended both hands into the water. While I kept them glowing, I heard a splash.
It really did come from inside the water. A black bird. The white bird earlier was large and beautiful, but the black one looked somewhat shabby. It looked like a duck that had turned black. It didn't have a crow-like luster and looked sooty. It floated on the water, looking at us.
The pieces of dried meat I'd soaked in water had softened, so I had Robinson-san throw them. He was good at it, and they flew right to its beak. The black bird ate them as if swallowing them whole with its mouth open. It seemed to like it, going "Gua, gua."
I wondered if it would get stuck in its throat. Worried, I tore a piece in half, put it on the end of an oar, and thrust it out. When Beowulf supported the oar with both hands and brought it to the bird's beak, it began to peck at it. When it finished eating, it approached while going "Gua, gua." Everyone looked at me.
I guess I have no choice. When I chewed a piece to soften it and offered it with my fingers, its mouth remained wide open. I waited for it to take it, but it just kept its mouth wide open while flapping its wings. When I tossed it in, it gulped it down. Apparently, this is this child's eating style.
I chewed another and tossed it into its mouth. After swallowing, it seemed to have gotten used to us and tried to fly up and land on the gunwale... but failed, literally tumbling into the bottom of the boat with a flurry of wings. Did it slip because its feet are like flippers?
Since it had taken a liking to me, it couldn't be helped. I chewed and tossed, chewed and tossed, and after I gave it several, it seemed satisfied. It went "Gua, gua" while hopping 'chon, chon' along the bottom of the boat.
"Maybe it can't fly up?"
When Robinson-san said that, it hopped over to my side with a "Gua, gua." It was staring at me. What a clumsy child. I couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.
Offended, it spread its wings and went "Gua, gua," so I apologized and picked it up with both hands. The bird stayed still. As I held it in my left arm like a baby and stroked it, it closed its eyes as if it felt good. Somehow, I felt an attachment growing, so I secretly named it Kuroko.
I slowly lowered it back into the water. After Kuroko floated on the surface and moved in circles, it gave a cry and dove into the water.
While I was staring at the ripples on the lake surface, it popped up a short distance away. It was going "Gua, gua."
"Shall we try approaching?"
Since Robinson-san said so, we rowed closer. It was in the direction of the island.
"It seems it's going to guide us."
As expected of a monster tamer. He can tell.
As we approached the island, the trees began to rustle. I wonder if it's okay. After all, this child is clumsy in many ways. Could something be wrong?
Ignoring my concern, Kuroko floated near the shore and looked at us. As the boat finally neared the shore and the island's trees began to swing their branches wildly, it stood up on the water and spread its wings.
"Stop the boat!"
It was Robinson-san again. He's like a translator.
Kuroko came to my side and thrust its head into the water. It repeated this several times.
"Jeanne. It's telling you to get in the water."
Eh? Isn't that kind of thing Paul-san's role...
Paul-san stood up while tilting his head. Immediately, Kuroko started making a fuss.
"It seems it's not me. Everyone, take turns standing up."
We stood up one by one.
It flapped its wings at one person after another, but when I stood up, it thrust its head into the water. When Robinson-san stood up last, it floated for a while, tilting its head. In the end, it gave a single "Gua" and thrust its head into the water. Did it think that since I'm unreliable alone, I needed a translator?
"You've been chosen by a messenger in the Goddess's domain. Consider it an honor and go."
Paul-san says that, but there sure are some clumsy messengers out there. I thought so, but since it had taken a liking to me, it couldn't be helped. Robinson-san and I decided to dive in with lifelines wrapped around our bodies.
Beatrix chugged the honey wine in her leather bag, turned the bag inside out, and prepared a makeshift waterproof item bag. Besides the offerings, she put in various things the others might use. A water bottle, Highway Cookies, pieces of dried meat... it's all food... Who was it! Who put my undergarments in here! I'll be back soon, so it's fine!
Since jumping in all at once would make it hard to float back up, I lowered myself slowly feet-first.
"If anything happens, pull once firmly. If safety is confirmed, twice. If you're forced to remove the lifeline, pull three times."
Nodding at Beowulf's words, I submerged into the water with Robinson-san, who was carrying Paul-san's mountain knife on his back. I felt like I was going to sink, so I hurriedly moved my legs to tread water. While desperately moving my limbs so as not to drown, I thrust my face into the water and looked inside; I saw Kuroko swimming toward the bottom. Robinson-san was also diving, so I hurriedly followed.
Kuroko continued toward the bottom, occasionally looking back at us. Just as Paul-san had said, the inside of the water was pure white, like swimming through fog. I couldn't see anything around me, but Robinson-san and Kuroko were strangely clear.
Kuroko changed direction, swam a little, then turned toward us and waited. Desperately swimming while feeling like I was running out of breath, Kuroko suddenly vanished.
"?"
While Robinson-san and I were looking at each other, just its head suddenly popped out from nowhere. It opened its mouth and gasped "Gaba, gaba," exhaling air and writhing in agony. It tried to cry underwater and failed. Then it pulled back in.
When Robinson-san reached out toward where the face had appeared, his hand disappeared past the wrist. He continued to enter, his body vanishing 'suuu.' Midway through, he took my hand and pulled me. There was no resistance. As I allowed myself to be pulled, I suddenly came out into a place without water.
There is ground. It's dim, but not impossible to see. Earth walls and an earth ceiling. Is it like a cave? Looking back at where we came from, it's still pure white.
"Jeanne, are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine. But, where is this?"
"I don't know. Is it the underground of the island?"
"There's no water."
"I suppose the water is on the other side of this."
The water was closed off by something like a white membrane, and this side was dry. When I thrust my hand into the membrane, there was indeed water. When I hurriedly pulled it back, there was a splash and water spilled onto the ground. What a mysterious barrier.
"I think it's okay to take this off now, isn't it?"
The end of the rope Robinson-san held was tied to Beowulf's body. To go further from here, we'd have to remove it. When I asked Kuroko, who was looking up at me, it gave a single "Gua." You, are you really going to be okay?
I felt a little uneasy, but it couldn't be helped. When I slowly hauled in the rope, there was a response even without pulling that hard. It was pulled 'gungun' twice. They seem to be worried. After slowly pulling twice, I pulled three times to send the signal.
Right near where we arrived, there was a stone staircase. Light was shining in. Since Kuroko was pointing at the stairs with its beak and going "Gua, gua," I suppose we're meant to climb.
It probably can't climb alone anyway. I wrapped it in a towel, held it, and climbed the stairs. Self-centered as it is, it closed its eyes and looked pleased. For something that dives into water, not a single drop was on it. In contrast, the two of us are soaking wet. The hem of my clothes is clinging to my legs, and it's as unpleasant as can be.
"You, after making me do all this, if there's nothing there, I'm selling you to the Bird's Head Tavern. I'll tell Owen-san to roast you whole!"
Seeing it look so carefree, I started to get angry. When I said that, it just opened one eye a crack and closed it again. It didn't even cry. To be looked down upon by a bird is a humiliation. Robinson-san soothed me, saying "Now, now," so I stopped saying anything more.
As we climbed the stairs, the blue sky became visible. I felt like we had dived quite deep, but we came out on the surface after climbing about two and a half stories. Under the bright sunlight, a green meadow stretched out, and beyond that, a second lake and island could be seen.
"I wonder if that building is the one called the Primal Ruins?"
In the middle of the island, there was a white stone building surrounded by several trees.
"If this is the island in the lake, then that is built on the island in the lake on the island in the lake."
The Primal Ruins are supposed to be on the island in the lake on the island in the lake. Since we are currently on the island in the lake, what we see is the Primal Ruins... or a fake. Have we arrived?
"Thank youuuu! Sorry for saying I'd roast you!"
When I nuzzled it, it said "Gua" and opened its mouth wide. I guess I have no choice. I set Kuroko on the ground for a moment, chewed a piece of dried meat, and tossed it into its mouth. To demand food after telling me to come here myself—what an impudent fellow.
Looking back, I could see many trees planted; they must be the ones that rustled and threatened us on the boat.
"Hey, can't you do something about that? Because of those trees, our companions can't come here."
When I asked, it let out a sigh, despite being a bird. Even so, it went 'pyon, pyon' hopping toward the trees. I picked it up midway and approached the trees, but the trees showed no sign of moving.
Kuroko gave an especially loud cry: "Gua, gua, gua!" To my surprise, the trees began to move. Their roots looked like human legs. Before I knew it, a gap appeared through which the other side was visible. And then, I saw our companions on the boat.
"Jeanne—! Are you okay—?"
I could hear Beatrix's voice.
"I'm fine—! Thank you—!"
When I waved, she waved back. Good. We've made contact. Looking at Kuroko, it was puffing out its chest and acting haughty.
"You, aren't you amazing?"
When I praised it, it opened its mouth again.