Coo, Coo, Coo

Villy's parents had been devout followers of the Goddess of the Sun. They had vanished years ago during a mission to wipe out heretics, disappearing without a trace, never to be seen again. Villy had been only five at the time. By law, she should have been sent to a community orphanage to await adoption by a married couple. Her parents' fellow believers would hear none of it. They were her parents' colleagues and friends, people who had watched Villy grow up. They had zero faith that some adoptive parents would treat her like their own flesh and blood. And what kind of place was an orphanage anyway? If she ran into a twisted director or went missing without an explanation, how could they ever face her parents? After talking it over, the community of believers took Villy in and raised her together. She grew up with a vast extended family of uncles and aunts who treated her as their own daughter, never holding back their love. Her childhood might not have been conventional, but compared to other kids her age, she hadn't lacked a single drop of affection. In fact, she had received far more! Listening to the story, Wayne felt genuinely touched. The busty girl was boisterous and loud, but deep down, she possessed an undeniable inner strength. Villy was optimistic and quick to laugh. Her smile was infectious, the sort that made people want to draw closer, laugh with her, and join in her nonsense. Still... One thing had nothing to do with another. That was no excuse for a bunch of meatheads to intimidate him! This wasn't over. The moment he got back, he would write an entry in his diary condemning those societal dregs for persecuting an upstanding young man. Coach Dick set Wayne up with a free gym membership. Back then, memberships didn't involve plastic cards; it was all face-recognition. In other words, Dick paraded Wayne in front of all the coaches to make sure they recognized his mug, pointing at him and declaring that this face got in free from now on. Seeing the coaches' radiant, overbearing enthusiasm, Wayne resolved on the spot to avoid this place whenever humanly possible. Still, for a first meeting, everyone managed to get along reasonably well. Sensing that Wayne had been pushed around, Villy was not pleased. She planted her hands on her hips and pouted in protest. At that, the coaches scattered like startled birds, swarming back toward the ring to resume rolling around in a heap and wrestling. The homoerotic vibe radiating from the followers of the Sun Goddess was off the charts, serving as living proof of the old saying: moderate exercise attracts women; excessive bodybuilding attracts men. Considering anabolic steroids hadn't become a craze in this era, normal fitness and bodybuilding were a far cry from the monstrous bulks of later generations. Yet every single coach here was a walking mass of muscle. Wayne surmised that their physiques were directly linked to their faith in the Goddess of the Sun. Perhaps this, too, was magic! *** Villy led Wayne past the workout area and out into the rear courtyard of the fitness center, where three archaic iron doors were embedded in a white wall. They were crescent-arched iron doors carved with simple sun motifs: radiant beams pouring over the earth, bringing light, dispelling darkness, and nurturing the birth of all life. That sense of boundless vitality and flourishing growth felt almost palpable before his eyes! Above each of the three arched doors was a different emblem, running left to right: a hexagram, a cross, and a triangle. Wayne stared at the equilateral triangle, instantly reminded of the golden triangle magic circle Mike had used for his sacrifice. To say it was similar would be an understatement—it was an exact match! The iron doors were also carved with images of the Goddess of the Sun, wielding a javelin to guide her faithful forward. Wayne studied the reliefs closely, but her facial features were blurred beyond recognition; all that could be discerned were an alluring figure and slender arms. Total fraud. This deity was definitely a cross-dressing bro—and a hyper-muscular one at that. Villy stopped before the leftmost door and pressed her palm against the surface. As a soft glow bloomed, the arched iron door turned translucent, revealing a vibrant forest scene filled with birdsong and fragrant blossoms within. It spanned a tremendous area. There was no park this vast in the City of Londan, leading Wayne to deduce that this was a portal that only followers of the Goddess of the Sun could open. He didn't ask where the other two doors led. Falling in behind Villy, he stepped onto the shaded woodland path. The air was rich with the breath of nature. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled patches of warmth. Bathed in the glow, Wayne felt an indescribable peace wash over him, soothing all the restlessness in his heart. Before long, Villy brought him to an unattended wooden cabin. A lone log sheet hung from the wall beside the entrance. She signed it, had Wayne add his name, and then set about helping him pick out a daytime carrier bird. Daytime carrier birds were simply white doves. There wasn't much to say about them; because they were relatively easy to breed and had a terribly high attrition rate, mages generally didn't place much value on them. The real centerpiece was the nighttime carrier bird. *"Coo, coo, coo—"* echoed from several cages. "That one's cooing the loudest. Let's take him." On Villy's advice, Wayne chose a relatively sturdy white dove. After signing the contract, the dove ducked into the top hat in Villy's hand, vanishing like a magic trick. "Whenever you need it, just flick the hat and it'll pop out. But remember to feed it on schedule, or it'll starve to death in there," Villy instructed, pulling a bag of feed from a shelf and shoving it into his arms. It was mixed feed, made primarily of wheat, corn, and peas. Once he ran out, he could come back for more anytime—as long as he signed the log. The Triple Goddess Alliance shared many resources, and carrier birds were among them. As long as Wayne made his face familiar, he could fetch feed at any of their major strongholds. Wayne put on the hat and listened attentively. As a newcomer finding his way, every scrap of information was vital. "Carrier birds can be used to stay in touch with mages you're close to, or to exchange intel with major strongholds. Now that we have telephones, the communication aspect is more of a bonus, but the spells cast in conjunction with carrier birds are incredibly practical. Come to my room later, and I'll teach you step by step." Villy couldn't stay serious for long before she started winking playfully. Wayne could only scoff inwardly. No way. Absolutely impossible. It wasn't that he couldn't, nor was it that Villy was unwilling—it was that a dozen hulking meatheads stood between them. He'd bet anything that, for one bizarre reason or another, he wouldn't even be allowed within arm's reach of her room. He wouldn't even get to touch the doorknob. The two moved to the back of the cabin. Villy drew back the light-blocking curtain, and a sea of wide, round eyes swung over to stare at Wayne. (◉⌄◉) (◉⌔◉) (◉⌵◉) (◉∀◉)... Gaze overflowing with intellect! Sure enough, plump, round-faced chickens. Wayne wasn't surprised in the least; in fact, he found it perfectly natural. He didn't know much about owls, but he knew they were raptors, renowned as a mage's most trusted companions—and emergency rations. *"Coo, coo, coo—!"* *"Screeech—!"* *"Chirp, chirp, chirp—!"* At the sight of visitors, the round-faced fat chickens tilted their heads in unison, erupting into a cacophony of bizarre calls. "Stop!" "Quiet down, all of you!" Villy shouted at the top of her lungs, but it was utterly useless. She yelled her lungs out, and the owls squawked right back, refusing to give her an ounce of respect. No manners whatsoever. They were leagues behind the pigeons who only knew how to coo. In terms of avian virtue, the pigeons clearly had the moral high ground. "Besides handling messaging like the white doves, owls can also guard your home and raise the alarm against intruders. When necessary, they can even borrow their master's mana to transform, speak human speech, track targets, and more..." Villy counted off on her fingers, finally concluding, "Although owls aren't magical creatures, when a mage finds an owl that is truly attuned to them, it can display abilities far beyond your imagination." "Attuned?!" Wayne asked. "How do you determine if you're attuned? What's the method?" "Right now! Don't hesitate—just pick the one that looks best to you as quickly as possible," Villy said. "They're all exceptional carrier birds bred with great care, and each has its own temperament. The one that catches your eye will usually have a personality very close to your own. Generally speaking, the closer the resemblance, the higher the attunement." So it all boiled down to gut instinct! Wayne frowned slightly. Villy made it sound easy, but these birds all looked practically identical. How was he supposed to find the one that looked best... *Wait. That one over there looks arrogant as hell!*