The harbor was exactly west of the guildhall, I wonder if it was made that way intentionally.

Anyway, I go to the line to get a ticket to the boats.

I get in line and wait for it to get to be my turn.

I got through the line and then when the people in front of me tried to leave the clerk, a guy who looked like he was around eighteen, called to the adventurers, “Hey you forgot your chocobo.”

“It’s not ours, it’s theirs.”

“Not ours, I thought it was yours.”

(“Hey I’m kind of in a hurry, can I get a ticket to Salvias (The town where the lion is), I am an adventurer.”)

I show the clerk my adventurer's license and put the money on his desk.

“Did you speak?”

(“I have the telepathy skill.”)

“Well, whatever, here you go, this job pays me too little to care.”

(“Thanks.”)

I go on my way, when I look back I see the people behind me questioning the clerk, it doesn’t really bother me.

I go to the boat and display my ticket.

“Oh, where’s your master little guy,” The woman at the boat checking tickets asks.

(“Don’t have one, here’s my ticket.”)

“Where did you get this?”

(“From the clerk.”)

“Did you pay for it?”

(“The adventuring guild loaned me five cinds.”)

“Oh so you’re the bird that the adventurers were talking about, I’ve heard of you.”

(“So can I get on the boat?”)

She clips my ticket and hands it back.

“Yes, of course, just don’t make trouble.”

(“Not planning on it.”)

I get on with less trouble than I thought.

The boat was like a warship, about the size of a pirate ship, or my image of a pirate ship at least.

The other people on the boat look like roughnecks, barely any people that don’t have muscles.

I guess it’s because the area we’re going to has an average of LVL 50+ monsters, an A-rank area.

I picked a spot to lean on the side of the boat and made it my spot.

I tried to fall asleep and was successful, something about the swaying on the waves just put me to sleep.

I wake up to the screaming of, “Kraken alert!”

I get up to find it’s night time, and to see everyone on the other side of the boat shooting projectiles at a squid-like creature.

Analyze called it a Fire Kraken LVL 62.

The captain came down from the crow's nest and yelled, “Whoever kills that thing gets an extra paycheck if you’re a passenger you can get your money back.”

The captain looked like a corrupted noble but sounded reasonable.

I try to get up to take his challenge, but I notice two children no older than ten laying my feathers.

I didn’t notice them at first, which surprised me, but I also used analyze, and found out they are both around LVL 60, and they are twins.

I get up, using my wings to put them down, and then I turn around, to find the Kraken already slain.

That kind of annoys me, but I don’t really need the money, so I simply choose another spot.

Before I fall asleep I feel someone lay on me again.

It’s the twins again, but they are both awake, just trying to sleep.

(“Why are you leaning on me?”)

“Jitir the bird spoke.”

“Really, I can’t hear it.”

(“Could you get off me.”) I say to the other twin.

“Kritir I heard it, it’s voice is cute.”

“It didn’t speak though?”

(“I have a skill that allows me to talk to one person at a time, now get off of me please.”) I say to both of them one at a time, using a more assertive voice.

It’s not like I don’t like kids, just these kids are a mystery to me, both of them are LVL 60, and I wasn’t aware of them till I saw them.

“No, your feathers are soft, but they look sharp, why?”

(“I don’t know, maybe they get sharper when I’m in a fight?”)

“What LVL are you?”

(“Nunya.”)

“Nunya?”

(“Nunya Bizness.”)

“Why.”

“What’s Nunya.”

“He said Nunya Bizness.”

He laughed at her.

“That’s funny.”

“No, it’s not!”

“Is too.”

“No, it’s not!”

“Is too.”

I get up and walk up to the mast, I climb up the ladder to the crow's nest.

It is a challenge, but my wings are strong enough, and I must have looked hilarious.

The top only has the captain, he’s looking out for krakens.

(“Can I sit up here.”)

“Yeah I saw you come up here, not a very dignified climber are you.”

(“Not a birds strong suit.”)

“Yeah, it’s too bad you’re flightless.”

(“Yeah it’s too bad.”)

I sit down and feel the waves, they are really calming, I thought I might get seasick, but it’s really soothing.

“Were the twins bothering you?”

(“Yeah, you know them?”)

“I adopted them.”

(“Oh.”)

“It’s not your fault, it’s not like you could know.”

I stay quiet.

“You're wondering why they’re both LVL 60, aren’t you?”

(“Kind of.”)

“They were abandoned at birth and were raised by Tolark, the god of the Shadows.”

(“A god?”)

“Yeah, the misunderstood god himself, he fed them, trained them, and educated them, they are smarter than I am.”

I stayed quiet, the story is kind of interesting.

“When I asked them how they got to LVL 60 they said that Tolark weakened monsters and then they finished it off.”

(“That’s about the only way for a human child to get strong.”)

“Did you not do it that way?”

(“I did it once on accident, a croc was on the verge of death from my mother, then it charged me and I scratched it, it died.”)

“A croc?”

(“Water Dragon.”)

“That’s a weird nickname for it, oh speaking of water beast, Kraken Alert!”

(“Are Krakens common?”)

“Yeah, going almost the entire day without one was a lucky break, but they are more common at night.”

I get up, (“Are you still doing the deal that if someone kills a kraken they get their money back.”)

“Yeah, but this ones LVL 80, you sure you can-”

I jump off and use flight to accelerate my way down.

Then I activate Pepper breath with MP Boost, and then a Meteor of death came down.

Then I activate Buff Up, Speed up, and Punt and do something like a high jump kick.

Both things hit and I kill it, never stood a chance.

I even get a LVL, which I haven’t gotten in a while.

I activate copy entity number and get 1480 STR and get a LVL in Tidal Wave.

I check my stats…

"Target: Adolescent War Demon Chocobo LVL 90, Name: Kwehzalcoatl" "Title(s): Memory Keeper, Kill Stealer, Friend of the Suvunktah's, Damsel in distress, Pride, Puff’s friend, Dungeon Explorer: Cyko, Cyko Dungeon Dojo Disciple, Special Title: Goblin Slayer" "Skills: Analysis LVL 8, Copy Entity Number LVL 5, Mind Acceleration LVL 10, Dragon beak LVL 3, Night Vision LVL 10, Foul resistance LVL 4, Magic Armor LVL 10, Recovery Magic LVL 10, Pain Immunity LVL 10, Heat vision LVL 10, Pepper Breath LVL 10, Shadow manipulation LVL 10, MP manipulation LVL 10, Fire Immunity LVL 10, Telepathy LVL 6, Life Steal Touch LVL 1, Telekinesis LVL 10, Punting LVL 10, Flamethrower LVL 10, Water Gun LVL 10, Flight LVL 10, Hide Status, Rulers Orders LVL 10, Reckless Charge LVL 10, Press LVL 10, Earth removal LVL 10, Buff up LVL 10, Speed up LVL 10, Enchant LVL 10, Forge LVL 10, Inferno LVL 3, Tidal Wave LVL 5, Outer MP Manipulation LVL 1, 3D Shadow manipulation LVL 1, Future Sight LVL 2, Combustion LVL 3, Beam Digging LVL 2, Strategic Charge LVL 1, Monster Summoning LVL 1, Peck LVL 6, Cursed Wing LVL 4, Shine LVL 4, Booming voice LVL 3, Climb LVL 5, Craft LVL 3, Hide LVL 1." "Stats: HP: 6051, STR: 7732, SPD: 11242, VIT: 6623, MP: 6498, INT: 7321"

I fly back on board, feathers not even soaked because I didn’t go into the water.

When I reach the deck I look at everybody, and they’re staring at me.

“Bird strong.”

“Yeah, it’s strong.”

“But it’s not scary.”

“Yeah.”

I went back to the mast and was about to climb again, but I decided they already saw me fly, so I went up back to my spot.

“What was that?”

(“A fireball and a kick.”)

“I thought you were flightless, and that wasn’t a fireball, it was inferno right?”

(“Nope, pepper breath, also I have a skill that allows me to fly.”)

“How many rare skills do you have?”

(“How many have you seen?”)

“Flying and telepathy, I knew about telepathy from the other adventurers, but flying shouldn’t be possible.”

(“I guess I’m special.”) That’s kind of true, with my starter skill I can only get stronger with no top.

“Special, what do you mean special, you’re extraordinary, don’t humble yourself, here take your money back.”

He hands me five Cinds.

“The names Rorquik, if you need anything on this trip just ask me.”

(“The kids said I was strong, but not scary?”)

“Oh.”

He turned around and looked at the sea.

“The reason they got to LVL 60 was kill stealing, but it’s also because they are afraid, they are genuinely afraid of people stronger than them, and it’s because of Tolark.”

(“Did he do something to them.”)

“I don’t know, from what I can tell, no, but they act like he did, he used ‘creepy shadows’ and scared them so bad that they confused strength with him, he gave them to me on one of my voyages, and left before I could ask why.”

(“Are they a burden?”)

“Honestly yes, but I could never get rid of them, even if Tolark came back, I’d probably die trying to keep them.”

(“That’s dark.”)

“Yeah.”

We stayed quiet for the rest of the trip.

Multiple Krakens showed up, but I didn't go after any of them.

We got to the harbor and the first thing I notice that it's a straight savannah.

The town looks like a typical fantasy lakeside town.

I go to the area south of the town and then I see it, a flaming lion.

It had a mohawk made of flames, and fire came out of its paws.

It sees me immediately and shows its confidence.

Seeing it look cocky makes me want to take it down.