Oze
The Watcher Bird wanted to take Aochi away.Come to think of it, Rhone had once said Aochi was his favorite, too.
Sadness welled up in me again, and I turned to the dark window.In the glowing glass, I saw a pathetic reflection of my own face, standing all alone.
“Let’s talk about the Perching Stones. I believe it may hold a hint for how you might survive.”
“Perching Stones? What are those?”
Oomi jumped in without hesitation. Right now, we were all counting on him.
“You know what a perch is, don’t you?”
“You mean, the kind of tree where birds rest?”
The Watcher Bird nodded.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.By now, I had grown used to the sight of a bird speaking to us.
“We Watcher Birds have something similar. Ours are stones instead. The Harvesters should know of them.”
Both Harvesters gave a silent nod.
“It’s not just a stone version of a bird’s perch, as you might be imagining,” Rhone added.“Think of it more like an island made of stone.”
The Watcher Bird tilted its head, as if recalling something.
“By the way—did I hear correctly that you, too, wish to take both of your passengers with you this time?”
“You heard right. I want to save them both.”
The look on his face was earnest—he really was strikingly handsome.If only he’d always stay like this.His odd behavior and expressions had cost him a lot.
“Uru-ru-ru-ru-ru—”
“Yes, that’s exactly right. But you don’t have to be the one to do it.”
…Ululu had suddenly let out a cry, and somehow the Watcher Bird responded as though they were conversing.
“Amazing! What did he say?” Rhone’s eyes lit up.
The Watcher Bird answered calmly.“More importantly—you cut off the words of God, didn’t you?”
“Wh—”
Rhone’s face went pale in an instant.Before he could respond, Aochi spoke up instead.
“Let it go. He only did it to shield us from God’s harassment.”
The Watcher Bird gave a small flutter of its wings, pleased.Its feathers gleamed with an elegant black.
“I see. You defend him, then. I knew I wasn’t mistaken.Don’t worry—God isn’t angry.”
Rhone slowly raised his head.“…Really?”
“I told you, didn’t I? Those who make rules are the ones who long for someone to break them.”