27 Blue Birds (1/2)
”Oh, don't fuck with me.” Nelda threw the hatch back and hear it clatter behind her.”Try me, I will fuck a bird up.”
All three of the Lapis phoenixes paused.
”We don't have to be enemies, chick-a-dee.But if that's your choice, I will go all in.” [Can you choke a phoenix?]
The middle Lapis's cocked its head.Nelda knew that he gryphons only coulnted a person a 'person' if they could speak.But there seemed to be intelligence, sentience, in the conduct nd expression of the Lapises.[It takes a certain level fo smarts to be sneaky.And if they can't speak, well SmithGuild probably did not create them with the parts to do so. He speaks to them, so they must have some level fo understanding.]
”But I have no notion of getting allup in your business,” Nelda continued.”I'll leave you alone.I'll stay off your roof.All you have to do is give me back the stone you took from my room.So long as what you are up to doesn't cause me problems, we're cool.”
The birds seemed to consider that.One of them kept sanding near her, like the guard.The other two backed away again.Then something rather peculiar happened.
The bird on the left pecked own on her chest, and two small doors opened up and outward.The bird on the right picked up… [hey, that's my rock!] and put it inside the first birds boob-cupboard and the little doors closed.The both stood there, looking at each other and occasionally blinking while exactly nothing happened.
After maybe 30 seconds the bird on the left opened the boob-cupboard again and the other one took the stone out.The guard bird came and got the stone and threw it in Nelda's general direction.They all looked very annoyed and glared at Nelda.
”Hey, don't blame me if you stole the wrong stone.If I know what you were looking for maybe we could work something out.”
The guard bird approached, pecked its chest and revealed that its own boob-cupboard contain a small bright blue stone with a few faint yellow streaks.
Nelda leaned forwards, causing the Lapis to hiss aggressively and shuffle away, closing the cupboard.
”I get it, I get it.Look but don't touch.I suppose I am living own to my idiot repuaion by not guessing it wouls be a lapis.What is is lais lavooly?I forget.I wosh I hae known what was going to be in the 'catapaulted to a nother world' exam.I;'d have studied harder.”
The guard Lapis was watching her intently again, head cocked. [Defineitly something going on upstairs.]
”Here's the deal,” Nelda said.”Lais is a semi-precious stone so it can't be all that rare.If you let me keep the alicorn, I'll do my very best to track one…”
”PrEEEp, peep, peep.”The guard bird walked over to the others in her cohort.Peck [one], peck [two].
”Okay, okay, track down two lapis stones.”Nelda reached out and picked up the not rock.”And in return, you stop being a pain in my ass, and maybe even try to be a bit helpful.”
The guard Lapis glared at her but nodded.
”Good enough.”
Nelda pulled the hatch up and back down over her head.She sat uncomfortably on the curling stairway.
[What does Jasper look like, it's a red stone I think? Is this something to do with the alchemy SmithGuild was all weird about using when he made the phoenixes?]