And thusly, I walked the world above the branches. Each tree I climbed, each moment I rested among the clouds, letting my gaze wander the land, the mountain, and the wide, green sea of leaves below me, was a step following the bird I was looking for and a deep breath of admiration for the rugged beauty of the Wyld, the land I attempted to claim for myself.

I was not only enjoying the view, of course, although it was hard to concentrate on anything else, I was also following the scraps and clues I could gather to pursue my goal. On some of the trees, the occasional presence of the Roc could easily be spotted. Feathers, scratches, and carcasses of meals in a scale that dwarfed those of other animals could be found in the highest crowns of the trees.

Yet, the bird eluded me for days. I remembered it flying towards the mountains, that day I had seen it first, so that was the direction I was traveling in as well. The wildlife kept as eerily quiet as I had experienced it after the curse had twisted the spirit of the forest, even outside of the part of the woods where I would have had to defend against the very trees themselves.

The Mad King had given me a two-faced gift, I realized, hard-earned or not. However long this curse would last - if it ever stopped, even - the woods would not be the same afterwards. It had been a dangerous wilderness to begin with, with the burrowed queen and the influence the Wyld tended to have on the regular wildlife, but now the balance that had existed was thoroughly destroyed.

Now there was a problem I had absolutely no competence in solving, and the only druid I know was the mad instigator of the catastrophe waiting to happen. The worst-case scenario in my head was that nothing would stop the invasion of the insects now. Their numbers had been ground down in an endless battle against the Weirderbeast but now...they might be released upon the world as a scourge mightier than what we fought to release them. Maybe it would fall to me and mine to contain them again. I had reached the queen once, I could reach her again if measures needed to be taken in the future. That much I knew.

More than anything else, I connected with the land. I began to understand the Weirdwoods like I understood the Shattered Lands and Shipwreck Bay, as wounded and changed both stretches of land were in their own rights. I had to wonder if this familiarity or this feeling of belonging had to do with the Skills I had woven the other day, the elemental keys of earth and water. The sense of home and the desire to wander and explore the world were two hearts beating in my chest at the same time but what I was doing now brought both sides of me together.

In these kinds of musings I found myself when I breathlessly pulled myself up the last branches of the thousand-foot tree I had been climbing, reaching the very top at long last. I found myself below the woven mass of some kind of nest that spanned most of all the available space, and made the last stretch I had to climb somewhat of a difficult endeavour.

Whatever dramatic tension I had expected to arise was dwarfed by the awkward shower of cold shivers that ran down my spine as I drew myself up the rim and looked straight into the giant, cool eyes of the Roc that sat, relaxed as could be, in the center of his nest.

How I had I not seen that the bird was here before I had climbed up completely would ever be a mystery to me, but the bird had not moved and the warm brown of his feathers was similar to the color of the surrounding nest, so I had that going for me as some kind of explanation.

I sat up slowly, the huge, amber eyes of the gigantic bird following my every move with their intense stare. Birds were alien to me in general, and the lack of any and all emotion in the eyes of the roc reminded of me why I had thought so to begin with.

As such, it was not fear that washed through me, but the uneasiness I would have felt disarming a massive trap. I had the feeling the situation would explode into violence as soon as I was to make a wrong step, but if I only stayed calm and made no superfluous movements I would be fine.

Arms stretched out in the universal sign of ‘I mean no harm please don‘t be angry‘ I stood up, my eyes never leaving his.

“I am the Raven.“ I said slowly. “I come in peace.“

Like a chicken, the Roc laid his head to one side, as if to better catch the sound of my words, giving him an inquisitive look. No other muscle was moved, neither by the Roc nor by me.

I fell silent for...way too long to be comfortable, so I finally straightened myself up completely and faced the giant beast without bending my back anymore. I was not a supplicant and not here to beg, as it were, so I decided to start acting like it.

“I am the human Lord Protector of these lands.“ I made a wide gesture indicating it all. “The Shattered Lands, the Shipwreck Bay, the Stormplains, the Weirdwood, and the mountains in your back. I lay claim to all of this and require the elemental keys. I wield the key of water and the key of earth and I come before you to claim the key of air.“

The Roc tilted his head to the other side as if digesting my words.

Then, our minds connected.

WHY, LITTLE ONE? A voice with no inflection, no emotion rang through my head like a bell, loud and clear. If it even was a voice and not simply inquisitiveness interpreted by my overwhelmed brain.

Stabbing, throbbing headaches exploded in my brain and I had to press my hands against the sides of my head as if to keep it from exploding. The mind touching mine was vast, eternal, gigantic, and, of course, alien. Human life meant nothing to the Roc.

It only cared for food, and the sky, freedom and to live on the tops of the trees and the peaks of the mountains with unmatched majesty.

“I am a spirit of freedom myself!“ I roared against the images bombarding my mind, desperately trying to shield myself with the help of [Iron Mind Behind an Iron Mask], but the assault on my mind was not an attack, not intentional. It was just the vast difference of the scope of thoughts connecting and one overwhelming the other. But it helped, as little as it may have been, it helped. “I understand your desire to be free. But I lay claim to the air of the Wyld. You may share it with me, never to be bothered again or your flight hindered, but it is mine to rule!“

WHY WOULD I ACCEPT YOUR RULE?

“You tell me! It was friendship and consoling to the griefing crystal whale that yielded me the elemental key of water. I fought a battle against an overwhelming foe for the burrowed queen, with the key of earth as a reward. What it is you desire? What would make you give up the key to me? I very much would prefer us to be allies and friends, if that is something you wish for.“

I DO NOT CARE FOR MORTAL CONCERNS, NOR THE LIVES OF THE SMALL. I AM UNMATCHED IN THE SKY AND NO ONE DARES TO THREATEN ME. WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY GIVE TO ME, LITTLE ONE?

My mind was racing, still being assaulted by the headaches and the mind of the Roc, which made every thought a battle, every strand of logic I tried to follow a slog. Finally, after moments of nothing clever, nothing smart coming to me, I defaulted to what always had made me prevail. Bravado. I had a plan, after all.

“I challenge you, then! Unmatched in the Sky you might have been until now, but I will prove you wrong!“

The Roc bristled his feathers, expanding its already enormous girth by that much, and his head rose high above me. I seemed to have hit a nerve as the Roc clearly was competitive or reacted poorly to challenges of its sovereignty.

YOU DARE? It roared in my head. YOU DARE CHALLENGE THE UNMATCHED MASTER OF THE AIR? THE LORD OF THE SKIES? EVEN THE GODS DARE NOT FACE ME IN BATTLE, BUT YOU...YOU SMALL ONE CHALLENGE ME?

“I dare!“ I yelled back. “I dare because I am the fastest in the land. No one can beat me in speed nor in a race across the lands. You may be a worthy opponent in the air, but I will beat you as I beat the rest.“

Now a wave of amusement, not quite a laughter, swept through my mind, as the Roc looked at me anew, trying to see what I was talking about but failed to see the challenge in me. Failed to see me as a true contender to its might.

YOU CANNOT BEAT ME. I RULE THE SKIES FAR AND WIDE.

“I do not believe you! Prove it! I daresay that I am faster than you.“

YOU ARE NOT FASTER THAN ME, INSOLENT SMALL ONE. I REIGN SUPREME. PICK A DESTINATION ON THIS ISLAND, ANYTHING YOU WANT. I WILL BE THERE AS QUICK AS LIGHTNING STRIKES. BUT I WILL NOT RACE YOU WITHOUT REASON.

“Fine! If I lose you can have anything you want. If I win I will get the key. Does that sound fair to you?“

EVEN IF I WANT YOU AS MEAT? The eyes of the Roc were glistening as the head shot forth, stopping just short of me, looking at me from all angles, as if to see how delicious I would inevitably turn out to be.

“I taste awful, but if that is what you wish for, so be it.“

The Roc again tilted his head and fell silent for a few breaths. I could see his mind working through my proposal. In the end, it was a bird.

I ACCEPT! It roared and the Roc jumped up, lifting up his wings ready to take off. LET THE RACE BEGIN. The wind he made by flapping his wings, as large as a frigate in both directions, made me stumble in place and pressed me into the nest.

“Very well! It is accepted!“ I answered as the commotion had died down a little. “The goal we are racing for...“ I said, while I walked backwards towards the edge of the nest, “Is the foot of the tree we are standing on!“

With that I let myself fall backwards over the rim of the nest, while the Roc threw his head back to let out a cry so loud, it shook the trees around us.