The Purple Missile-beak birds set ablaze by the laser beam began to flail about in a frantic panic, colliding with other Missile-beak birds and igniting them as well, spreading the flames. The newly ignited birds equally panicked, flapping wildly and setting more of their companions on fire. The chaotic scene escalated, with nearly half the flock engulfed in flames, some succumbing to the fire and plummeting to the ground. The remaining birds, in a desperate bid to escape the agony, fluttered instinctively towards the stream, seeking to quench the inferno.
Oliver quickly reacted by casting a Blinding light spell at the stream, bathing the area in a brilliant golden radiance. The intense light completely disoriented the birds, leaving them blinded and discombobulated. Some managed to stumble or splash into the stream, extinguishing their flames, while others, less fortunate, crashed headfirst into the rocky bank. Though the birds in the stream found temporary relief from the flames, their reprieve was short-lived - Robert made sure of that.
He plunged his hands into the water and unleashed a devastating Lightning shock spell, electrifying the surrounding water and fatally stunning all living creatures within the effect radius, including the Missile-beak birds that had dove in to quench the flames engulfing them. These attacks greatly mowed down the flock's numbers, and Zack's laser gun, together with Oliver's rain of Light arrows, efficiently dispatched the remaining Missile-beak birds in the air. Their bodies, charred or pierced, fell limply to the forest floor.
After ensuring the entire flock had been vanquished, the trio dropped to the ground, spent and exhausted, exhaling collective sighs of relief.
"Thank goodness that's over," Robert said, panting heavily as he flashed Oliver a smile. Oliver responded with a subtle grin.
Zack, still riding high on adrenaline, boomed, "And once again, Zack's genius invention saves the day!" as he pumped the large laser gun triumphantly into the air.
"Hey, you're not taking credit for this one, Zack!" Robert protested, playfully.
Oliver chimed in. "We all had a hand in this. If Robert's Lightning shock hadn't taken out the birds in the water, and my Blinding light hadn't disoriented them, many would have reached the stream and resume their flapping and jabbing once again. All you did was use your laser gun to panic them..."
Zack cut him off with a smirk, "You mean my 'Zack's Laser Gun'?" He emphasized, caressing the weapon with playful affection before returning it to his space ring.
Oliver rolled his eyes and continued, "Whatever. Your 'Zack's Laser Gun' only managed to panic them, that's all."
"Not only did it help us win, it also provided us with lunch!" Zack rose to his feet and pick up one of the charred Purple Missile-beak birds. He held it up and sniffed it. "Needs some seasoning," he remarked, "let's gather some of the birds to eat later." He began picking up the birds and storing them in his space ring.
"Hey, can you guys lend a hand?" he asked, glancing at Oliver and Robert, who were still seated on the ground, watching him apathetically. Oliver was healing himself with a Light recovery spell, while Robert wore an amused grin, his own injuries already vanished.
Robert replied, "We're not gonna help you, and it's for two reasons. First, that's disgusting - we don't eat wild magic beasts. Second, you barely put up a fierce fight while these birds riddled us with holes, did you? In fact, you hardly got injured. You just lay on the ground, snug in you armor, doing nothing, until it suddenly suited you to remember that you had a laser gun, that's when you decided to stop kissing soil and do something. That tells me, Zack, you've got more energy than Oliver and I combined, at least enough to pick up dead birds." As he spoke, a soft glow of white magic energy seeped into his body, refilling his magic energy storage chamber.
"Fine, I'll collect the birds myself and enjoy them all later, and no one should come asking for some cus I'm not sharing a single bite with either of you!" Zack retorted, picking out the birds that weren't covered in blood. "And I've noticed something strange though," he added, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"What's that?" Oliver asked, white magic energy infusing his body.
"We've got way more birds here than expected - it's crazy," Zack said, "We took down nearly fifteen hundred of them, but the map indicated that there would be fewer than three hundred in the area. And look, there's a nest up in that tree," he pointed out, indicating a nest high up in the branches. "Those blue eggs belong to the Purple Missile-beak birds, and they typically only lay two eggs during mating season. But it's not even close to that time, and look, there are nine eggs up there!" Zack exclaimed.
"Strange indeed," Robert agreed, "Something unusual is definitely going on. Remember how the Burrowing White Wild Dogs were also overpopulated? This could be related to the same anomaly, or maybe your map is hilariously incorrect."
"If you'd ever taken a class on Magic Biology, you'd know better than to question my map," Zack said, pointing out the territory size. "Think about how many Missile-beak birds this area can sustain."
Robert rose to his feet, brushing off the soil from his clothes. "Hey, I've only just started at Heiss Magic School barely two weeks ago and haven't had much class time. Can't expect me to be an expert on magic beasts already!" He shot back.
Zack rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'll just take body sample and analyze it later in my room when we get back to school," Zack replied casually and proceeded to take out two syringes.
"Your room?" Oliver sneered, "must be a real pit, a dump, a garbage yard." He mocked Zack's ability to keep a tidy space, remembering the state of his basement.
Zack simply replied, "You'll see it when you see it."
RING
Robert's phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket, piercing the air with it's loud ringtone. He pulled it out, wincing at the cracked screen - a souvenir form the bird battle.
"Unbelievable, we've got cell service out here!" Zack exclaimed.
"Quiet!" Robert whispered, holding up a finger. "Hey, Mom, what's up?" He answered, attempting a casual tone.
"Robert, where are you right now? I hope you weren't one of those teenagers I heard on the news that attacked a soldier and crossed the border into Horkii rainforest?" Tadley's voice was filled with concern.
Robert chuckled, "No, Mom, why would I do that? What would I be looking for in Hor... Hork... what's the name again?" Zack and Oliver snickered softly at his response.
Tadley's tone remained skeptical, "So where are you, then?"
"Uh, I'm at a friend's house... Oliver's," Robert replied, forcing his voice to sound convincing. But before he could continue, his mom said.
"I'm calling you right now on video, I want to see you and where you're at!" The line went dead, leaving Robert wide-eyed in panic.
But his phone began to ring again, jolting back his focus, and he sprang into action. "Oliver, quick, cover me with an Ice dome!" he urged, desperately. Oliver and Zack did not hesitate, well aware of the situation. Oliver cast an Ice dome spell over Robert, while Zack swiftly retrieved a white blanket from his space ring and draped it over the dome to obscure the translucent ice.
Then, Robert answered the call, covered up in Oliver's dome, with a cheerful "Hey, Mom!" But his smile faltered as he met his mother's suspicious gaze on the screen.
"Robert, where are you?" Tadley asked, her eyes clearly trying to make out Robert's surrounding. "It looks like you're in some kind of icebox." Robert's mind raced as he tried to come up with a plausible explanation.
"Uh, Mom, like I said, I'm at a friend house, Oliver's house... his family is super wealth, and I'm uh, getting a tour of their mansion... we're just, uh, checking out their giant walk-in freezer right now." He forced a grin, hoping to appear convincing.
Tadley raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "I don't like you hanging out with those rich kids."
"He heard that!"
"Like I care?" she continued, "What's he gonna do? I've got a powerful wizard for a son, after all?" They both shared a laugh. Even Poison, who was watching the exchange through Robert's eyes, couldn't help but laugh too.
"Alright, Mom, I gotta go now," Robert said, trying to wrap up the call. But Tadley was not ready to let him off.
"Hold on, I want to see this friend of yours," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. Robert's thoughts scrambled as he tried to come up with an excuse.
"Uh, he's... uh... gone to the other smaller freezer... to get me a... hot, I mean... warm, uh... cold juice. Yeah, that's it, a nice cold fiddle-fruit juice." He could tell his mom wasn't buying it, her smile dripping with skepticism and her eyes sparlking with amusement.
"Really?" she asked with mock-doubt.
"And I'm not coming back tonight, too," He added.
"And why's that?"
Robert hesitated, hoping his reason would suffice: "Because... I want to experience sleeping in a mansion for the first time," he held his breath, silently praying to Lord Valmnar that she'd buy it all.
"Hmm," Tadley watched him wordlessly for a few seconds. Robert felt his heartbeat falter, and he swallowed. "What if I told you that you had the look on your face ever since you answered the call?" Tadley said finally, a playful grin across her face.
Robert released a defeated and apprehensive smile. "You know what, Mom? All you need to know is that I'm not in some forest, and I'm not coming home tonight. And also, I love you and Erica very much. Bye!" He hung up, not giving her a chance to respond. Then, he heaved a sigh of relief, shaking his head and chuckling to himself.
"Hey, guys! Can you drop the dome now?!" He yelled out to Oliver and Zack, but he got no response. "Guys!" He called again, but nothing happened.
Meanwhile, Oliver and Zack were engaged in a heated discussion.
"Nah, nah, scratch that sentence. You think magic technologists are less important than wizards?" Zack argued. "Without magic technologists, would you have teleportation scrolls, undead huskers, space rings, or...?"
Oliver countered calmly, "Without wizards, your ancestors would have been decimated by magic beasts - humans would've been extinct! Magic elevated humanity to what it is today."
"And so did technology, Oliver; Magic technology!"
"Wizards are the cornerstone of every human society on this planet; fancy magic devices don't match up."
"Alright, we're not getting anywhere with this. How about a duel to settle it." Zack proposed. "My devices against your magic; yes, me versus you. But no tapping into Poison's magic and abilities..."
"It's Xolomon."
"I mean, Xolomon's abilities!" With a mischievously grin, Zack extended his hand. "The loser has to talk to any girl the winner chooses!"
Oliver scoffed, "That's ridiculous, but fine. A Light spear to the butt should clear your head."
Then, their attention shifted to the Ice dome, and with a jolt, they realized that Robert had been inside for nearly ten minutes. Panicked, Oliver hastily waved his hands to dispell the dome, and as it dissipated into magic particles, there was Robert, sprawled motionless on the ground, with his eyes closed.