#zarina and xervas

[tarjapearce]

Crows and Woes

How did she ended up in this mess?.

Zarina had no idea. Mostly of the times her nights went as uneventful as a witch could get, Making potions, preserving fruits, trying new made up spells and teas and other mundane things of the like. She was not only clumsy, but a tad forgetful at times and right now, quite the tipsy mess, all thanks to the bottle a group of humans had forgotten when adventure called them into the Woodsland. A forbidden area.

The unceasing cawing from the outside made her to sink further in the sheets with an annoyed sigh. The velvety feeling of her dress and sheets too comfortable and warm for her to stand up.

"Not you again, Xervas." the crow picked the lock open and flew to her bed's header. Not that her windows were top security.

"Knock before you enter, mind you!" "I did, you did not attend to my calling. Are you... wallowing in self-doubt again?" The crow gave her an aprehensive look with it's beady eye then tilted it's head to the nearly full whisky bottle. Sultry and impatient voice echoing through her small cramped room.

" It'd be less pathetic if you actually drank some of that... concoction"

"It's Whiskey, Xervas, Whiskey." "And I must assume it appeared out of nowhere?" "Maybe... maybe not. What do you want?" "As I am bound to you as your protector and the Woodsland, poor me really, it's my duty to inform you some Shallows have tresspased the Lycanias territory." "The Shallows? fucking hell." "Now, now let's not get offensive with my homeland. Are you in conditions to go?"

"I just drank a couple of shots, Xervas." "And yet you lay here, waiting for your symbolical death as you overly self-indulge in woe. Not much different from any human."

"You're specially mean today, Xerv. Who rejected your affections? Could it be that crowette we saw yesterday?"

" She is not worthy of such fine specimen as myself."

"Yep, and that's why you don't have a girlfriend. Now... where is my... ugh... Spell book." "You could've asked for a more compact version. But it was funnier to see you struggle with it's weight." "I love you too, Xervie." "Hanging with humans is harmful for your own good. Their stupidity is sticking on you, calling me pet names now?." "I do not tell you who can you hang out with, so leave it. There is it!"

As if reacting to her magic, her book levitated with a soft glow to then land on her hands with an ever soft thud. Focusing her energy, Zarina's book opened in the page 110. Scribblings from her old mentor scrawled across the pages along skillfully depicted images of a Shallow.

Shallows were vengeful creatures that absorbed any living creature's energy that came across their path. Her mind was sluggish, but not foggy. Zarina sighed and grabbed a couple of bottles from her upper shelves, one in particular. Makersroot blood.

"Could it work?" "I might be tipsy, but not stupid."

Xervas looked at her in such way, Zarina was sure he was saying "Really?" at the last part with his eyes.

"There is a pattern in their attacks, something is up. And it's our duty to find what is it, shall we?"

"Indeed, a tipsy witch and her crow companion. What a combo." "Keep talking and I'll feed you to Icario." "That old lycan has no teeth!" "Then I'll have to be creative."

She dusted off her garments and attached he potion to her hip.

"Drinking is forbidden for you, Zarina. Turns you into an insufferable walking mass." "Glad you know the feeling, my dear."

And with that in a whiff of air both Zarina and Xervas disappeared in thin air.

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Thanks to @sassenach-on-the-rocks for providing the highlighted words you see. Was a fun exercise to do! :D