Another sunny day dawned over the rolling plains between Aeltharan and Verdastra. Bird-like monsters circled the skies, perfect for practice. The elf children, full of energy (and breakfast), marched into the grasslands, weapons ready and eyes gleaming.
Fuhleena skipped ahead, twintails bouncing. "Today feels lucky~!" she sang, spinning her keyblade once before flinging it like a boomerang at a passing crow-beak monster.
Thwack.
The bird squawked and wobbled in the air, but didn't fall. Behind her, He twisted his body with all the flair of a hero in training, the lance gleaming in the sun as it spun through the air, then veered wildly off-course and landed harmlessly in a bush. A puff of startled grasshoppers fled the scene. Yetsan froze, blinking, then cleared his throat and dusted his hands as if nothing happened. "A...warning shot," he muttered, avoiding eye contact.
It missed by a solid meter.
He sighed, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeves. "This wind's messing with my aim."
"No, you messed up," Kyle snorted, lounging with his mana rifle over one shoulder. "Watch the pro."
With precise calm, Kyle took aim and fired. He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing behind a mischievous grin. The trigger clicked. A glowing blue mana bullet formed at the barrel tip, then zipped through the air like a streak of lightning. It struck a flapping bird mid-flight with a small burst of light and feathers, sending it spiraling down in a lazy arc. The other birds scattered, startled by the sudden precision strike. Kyle twirled his pistol with flair and blew across the barrel. "One," he said smugly, as if the shot had been destiny.
"One," he said smugly.
Nearby, Gabyola adjusted her stance. Calm and focused, she nocked an arrow silently and let it fly. Another bird dropped.
"Also one," she said, serene as ever.
That was the start of it. A spark between rivals, unspoken but undeniable. Kyle glanced sideways at Gabyola, eyes gleaming with challenge. Gabyola met his gaze with her usual calm, but the subtle shift in her stance said everything, she accepted. Around them, the others paused, sensing the tension like a storm about to break. The quiet plains became a makeshift arena, the sky above now a scoreboard. Without a word, the contest had begun.
"A contest, then?" Kyle grinned.
"I don't mind," Gabyola replied. "Let's set the score to ten."
Birds didn't stand a chance. Kyle's shots were fast, accurate, and chaotic, blasting feathers into the wind. But Gabyola's arrows were graceful and quiet, dropping targets like falling petals. At the end, Kyle stood with 7/10. Gabyola? A perfect 10.
He blinked. "You cheated."
She raised an eyebrow. "With what? Calm breathing?"
He groaned and flopped back into the grass. "Ugh, I lost to serenity."
Behind them, Gigih raised his spellbook. "Thunder I!"
Zzzap, one bird cooked mid-air. "Boom! I helped."
"No overkill, Gigih," Fuhiken warned, deflecting a stray spark with his shield.
Jessica stood nearby, eyes sharp and steady, untouched by haste. Her katana caught the sunlight, gleaming like a sliver of dawn's first light. She watched the sky with silent patience, a calm storm gathering in her gaze, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Suddenly, something golden shimmered on the horizon.
"What is that?" Yuuna asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Golden… chicken?" Jessica muttered.
"It's a Cluckatrice!" Fahleena gasped. "A rare monster!"
The golden Cluckatrice turned, saw them, and ran.
"AFTER IT!" Kyle yelled, already sprinting.
What followed was pure chaos. The children burst into motion, scattering like leaves caught in a sudden gust. Feet tangled in tall grass and over each other as they scrambled forward, laughter and shouts mixing with the rustling plains. The golden Cluckatrice darted ahead, a blur of shimmering feathers and mischievous glints, weaving through the grass with impossible speed.
Each time the children closed in, the clever bird mocked them with a sharp cluck, kicking up clouds of dust that danced in the sunlight. Its every twist and turn was a tease, a playful challenge that kept them chasing but never catching. The chase stretched on, a wild game of cat and mouse beneath the endless sky, the party's excitement rising with every near miss.
Sinryo launched himself at the Cluckatrice like a hungry cat, only to belly-flop face-first into a patch of prickly grass. "Almost had it!" he insisted, wiping leaves from his hair. Adiw charged with all the strength of a rampaging bull, but the bird slipped past him like a feather on the breeze, leaving Adiw sprawled in an ungraceful heap.
Gigih, confident in his magic, shouted "Fire I!" and sent a spark blazing, only for the Cluckatrice to sidestep with a cheeky hop, as if it just pulled off the ultimate dodge move in a dance competition. Even Gabyola, usually flawless, twanged an arrow that went wild and buried itself in a nearby tree, earning a rare, sheepish grin. The golden bird was clearly the boss of this game.
Finally, Jessica stepped forward, silent. Her katana gleamed. She waited. Watched.
The Cluckatrice turned toward her, and lunged.
In slow motion, the world seemed to hold its breath. Jessica's eyes narrowed, every muscle poised like a coiled spring. With a single clean motion, she drew her katana in a graceful arc, silver light tracing its path like a shooting star. The blade flashed once, bright and swift, cutting through the air with the elegance of a whispered secret, a perfect strike born from quiet focus and patience.
Slice.
The Cluckatrice froze, stunned.
Thud.
The Cluckatrice faltered, its golden feathers shimmering as it slowly lost strength. With a final, gentle flutter, it dropped to the ground, defeated, still, and silent.
For a moment, the world seemed to pause. The children froze, eyes wide, breaths caught in their throats. Everyone stared, the weight of the moment settling over them like a hush, as if they had just witnessed something rare and extraordinary.
"WOAHHHHH!" Fahleena erupted, eyes sparkling with dramatic flair. "Behold! The legendary Poultry Executioner Jessica has claimed victory this day! The golden terror falls before her unstoppable blade!" She struck a heroic pose, twintails whipping like banners in a storm, her voice echoing with chuunibyou grandeur as if she'd just announced the end of an ancient prophecy.
Jessica's cheeks flared crimson. "I-I didn't mean to... It was just luck..." She looked away, shaking her head, refusing the spotlight.
"Nope, no take backs!" Fahleena grinned wildly, throwing her hands up. "You win the title now, officially and canonically! Poultry Executioner forever!"
"Clucka-done," Kyle said, panting. "That thing was cardio."
Each child reached for their own magic bag, its mouth opening like a little portal to endless space. Gabyola carefully placed the shimmering feathers inside, watching them float gently into the bag's depths as if on a silent breeze. Fuhiken, with practiced hands, tucked the fresh Cluckatrice meat into his bag, the warmth of the meal still lingering inside the magical pocket. The bags swallowed their treasures effortlessly, conventional, handy, and endlessly reliable companions for every adventurer.
---
That night, beneath a sky scattered with twinkling stars, the campfire crackled warmly, casting dancing shadows across the gathered party. The air was filled with the comforting scents of smoke and earth, mingling with the faint hum of night insects. Bellies grumbled in anticipation as everyone settled close to the glowing fire, blankets wrapped tight against the cool breeze.
Suddenly, Orchid's eyes lit up as she clapped her hands together with excitement. "I want to cook the Cluckatrice!" she announced, her voice bright and hopeful, breaking the cozy silence. Her enthusiasm was as radiant as the firelight, though the others exchanged wary glances, already remembering past kitchen disasters.
"No," said everyone.
They tied her up with rope. She pouted dramatically. "I just wanted to share the flavor of justice~!"
Fuhiken cooked instead. The meat sizzled, golden and crisp. Delicious.
"Perfect," Sakura murmured, already reaching for seconds.
Orchid sobbed quietly into her ropes.
Yuuna smiled faintly and resumed reading her book. Kyle and Sinryo played rock-paper-scissors using bird bones. Adiw snored already.
Jessica sat by the fire, bathed in the flickering amber glow. Shadows danced softly across her thoughtful face, while the warmth of the flames whispered comfort against the cool night air. Around her, the world hummed quietly, but in that moment, she was wrapped in a fragile silence, a still point where courage and humility met beneath the starry sky.
And Gabyola? She quietly cleaned her bow, smiling as she thought about her perfect score.
Yuuna quietly pulled out a small notebook from her magic bag, its pages already filled with thoughts and records only she would read.
'Golden Cluckatrice: rare, absurdly fast, immune to dignity. Weak to patience and clean cuts. Possibly sentient. Extremely edible.'
A peaceful end to a chaotic, bird-filled day.
---