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”Here we are Mocki, the city of Zenner.” Owaen said as he looked out over the city from where the road arced downwards towards the city, ”It’ll be here that we shall board an airship and head for the mainlands. Are you ready?” He crouched beside the dog and ruffled its fur. The Duruf barked again before padding forward a bit, its nose to the ground sniffing. The earthling that was Owaen laughed at his companion and stood once again. Adjusting his pack he headed for Zenner, looking to get a room for the night before boarding the ship in the morning.

Owaen found a decently priced inn and settled in for the night. When he opened his pack a brightly plumed tail flopped out as a bird stretched and yawned. Bright eyes looked up towards Owaen. His face went pale as he noticed the Averin in his pack, the bird should have been still at the Tavern. It was their mascot after all, why was it here?

”What are you doing here? When did you get in my pack in the first place?” he asked the bird as it just stared, before beginning to preen itself. ”It is too late to take you back to the Tavern, there’s no way I could get home and back again before the morning.” He looked towards Mocki, ”Looks like we have another travel companion in this venture. One that should have remained where it belonged.” He said a bit harshly to the Averin who ignored him.

He knew the bird was a lazy one and sought attention from most anyone. Perhaps this was another means to get Owaen to notice it. Well he had and it wasn’t the attention it wanted. Shaking his head, Owaen had to accept that he would be taking the bird with him to the mainland. Settling in the night, it passed quickly as morning dawned far too quickly. Rousing from sleep, he packed his pack back up, the little he had removed from it and headed out. Mocki padding at his side, the Averin resting on his shoulder, bright eyes watching everything around them. Reaching the port for the airship, Owaen bought the tickets needed to make the flight. Mocki and the Averin weren’t much of a cost, he just had to make sure they didn’t cause any trouble.

”Now the both of you need to be on your best behavior.” Owaen said in a whisper. ”I don’t want you two to get into trouble and get all of us tossed off the ship.”

While he knew they wouldn’t do that over open water, he wanted to make it back home in one piece. Being banned from the airship was next to being banished from Belrea all together. Entering the ship, Owaen found his seat among the rest. He placed his pack beneath the seat and sat down, Mocki rested at his feet while the Averin took over his lap. The brightly colored bird caught the attention of almost everyone else that boarded. It wasn’t long until the captain announced they were departing and the anchors were released with a hiss and the ship rose into the air.

Owaen glanced outside as the ship rose from its mooring and headed towards the direction of the Mainland of Tandaji. Settling back into his seat, Owaen closed his eyes to doze, well that was the idea before something crashed and shouting ensued. Eyes snapping open he glanced down as the Averin wasn’t in his lap anymore and was fluttering around the cabin of the ship.

‘Where did this blasted rat with wings come from!’ shouted one man whose shirt front was stained by whatever it was that he was attempting to drink.

‘Did it get on by accident and it is looking for a way off?’ asked a woman who was seated beside the man.

‘I don’t care, I want that thing out of my sight.’ the man shouted.

Owaen leaped from his seat to grab a hold of the Averin before it could try and ‘sample’ another person’s meal. ”Sorry, so sorry. I didn’t think it would be this much of a handful.” Owaen apologized as he tried to wrangle the bird. ”I’ll try and keep it more under control.”

‘You’d better. Or I’ll be having rat soup on this flight.’ the man snarled as Owaen tucked the bird close.

‘You shall not be doing such a thing.’ the woman snapped as her apparent husband or companion, ‘It was an honest accident. Right?’ she looked towards Owaen.

”Of… Of course, I thought I could rest my eyes and the critters would behave. But this one is always looking for attention.” He glanced back at the Averin in his arms. ”Always the attention seeker at the tavern too.”

‘Oh? Which tavern? No no, let me guess.’ the woman said in a bit of a more cheery way, ‘Are you from the Averin Roost Tavern?’

”That’d be the place. Mick doesn’t know the Averin is gone.. Though he might by now.” He frowned a little, ”Anyways, I am truly very sorry for the trouble that was caused. I… I’ll buy you another whatever you were drinking.” Owaen offered.

‘No need dear, my husband shouldn’t have been drinking that wine anyways. Doctor’s orders after all.’ the woman chuckled. The man grumped and crossed his arms.

Tensions were still a little high, but Owaen settled back into his seat. Holding onto the Averin this time, he didn’t want any more mishaps!

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