""No horse… and she thinks I'd run away."
Aexl exhaled as he walked toward the village path, the one that led out of Eldenthyr.
His mind drifted back to the trade-off discussion from yesterday—how they'd asked for a horse and got a cuckoo instead.
He snorted.
"That bird might've been a scam for them... but not for me," he muttered.
The dirt path crunched under his boots as he reached the main gate.
Three women stood at the post, guarding the exit. Each wore partial armor styled after ancient hoplites, lightweight and polished, designed for mobility. Spears in hand, shields strapped to their backs.
As soon as they saw him, they straightened.
"General," they greeted in unison, offering crisp salutes.
Aexl blinked, then nodded, the weight of his new position settling in again.
Then he walked at a slowed pace, observing them. Their uniforms were clean, maintained. No sloppiness in stance. That alone was rare.
He gave a slight nod, then crossed his arms.
"You're part of my unit ill call it Valkyrie Unit,"
"Yes, sir," the one in the middle replied.
Aexl eyed them a moment longer. "Then tell me your names. If you're under me, I want to know who I'm trusting."
The woman with short, choppy blue hair spoke first, spear resting casually on her shoulder.
"Kaela, General. Frontline spear and scout rotation. I'll be the one giving you bad news before breakfast."
Next to her, the red-haired woman stepped forward, her eyes sharp but respectful.
"Siria, General. Frontline spear. I also double as a combat medic when needed."
Aexl raised a brow. "Spear and bandages. That's an interesting combo."
"Better to stitch them up than carry them out," she said simply.
The last one, a black-haired woman with colder eyes, hesitated a moment before speaking.
"Rina. Perimeter guard. I watch. I report. That's all."
Aexl nodded. "Good. I don't want statues standing at my gates. I want people who think."
He looked between them again, something clicking into place.
Seventeen total. Ten on spear and javelin drills. Four tasked with boulder and terrain locating. Three on gate duty. These three.
Kaela gave a smirk. "Nothing much to report this morning, unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Unless you want the cuckoo," she said, tilting her head toward the field.
Aexl followed her line of sight.
There it was. The same ostrich-sized bird, digging at the dirt with one oversized claw, its head tilting like it was thinking... or maybe just confused by its own shadow.
"Cuckoo?" Aexl muttered, squinting.
Siria chuckled. "If you can ride it, I'll start calling you Cuckoo King."
"I swear that bird understands sarcasm," Kaela added.
Rina remained silent, though a twitch at the corner of her mouth betrayed her amusement.
Aexl gave a small grin. "We'll see. Might be more useful than you think."
He walked past them, eyes still trailing the strange bird.
Behind him, the three exchanged glances.
"Still think he's gonna try to ride it? I dont want to serve an injured General" Kaela whispered.
"Let's hope not," Siria muttered. "But if he does... I'm naming it after him."
He smiled as he stepped closer.
"Fantasy mount here I come.."
Pulling a chunk of bread from the pack, he tossed it lazily.
The cuckoo gobbled it down in one loud chomp, then trotted over, tilting its massive head with the kind of curiosity that felt... unnatural.
It stared at him. Judging? Processing?
He reached out and gently rubbed its neck.
Its feathers weren't coarse at all—warm, soft, like silk tucked beneath scale mail.
"I always dreamed of riding something like you," he murmured.
"You're straight out of a fantasy mount mod."
He turned toward the guards. "Any of you got a saddle?"
The red-haired one—Siria—snapped her fingers. "I do, hang on!"
She darted into the gatehouse and came back moments later with a worn leather saddle and a coiled rein.
She handed it over.
Aexl grinned. "Perfect."
Rina, blinked. "What are you planning to do with that, General?"
Aexl winked. "Ride this beast."
"Wait—sir, are you serious—?"
Too late.
With practiced hands, he swung the saddle over the cuckoo's back and fastened the reins.
The bird didn't flinch. Its feathers rustled once, then it let out a bright trill—like it had been waiting its whole life for this rider.
Aexl gripped the pommel and pulled himself up. The saddle dipped under his weight, the bird's muscles shifting beneath him, steady and powerful.
For a moment he just sat there, adjusting his balance, feeling the strange rhythm of the creature's breathing. It wasn't the nervous fidget of a horse, nor the stiff sway of a military mount. This one felt alive in a different way—lighter, coiled, ready to spring at a thought.
A grin tugged at his lips.
"Whooa… not bad. Feels almost the same as when I first tried polo," he muttered, running a hand along the reins. "Only bigger… and with more feathers.
The cuckoo blinked, then turned its oversized head all the way around to look at him. Its huge beak hovered inches from his face.
Calmly, Aexl pulled out another piece of bread and held it in his palm.
The bird plucked it gently, careful not to bite his fingers.
"You're not so bad," Aexl said, scratching its neck again. "Let's see what you've got."
The cuckoo turned its head forward like it understood the mission.
From the gate, all three guards stood frozen. Wide-eyed. Speechless.
"Off you go," Aexl whispered.
The cuckoo launched forward, sprinting into the open field like a kid let loose from school.
Aexl let out a startled laugh, then leaned into the wind, adjusting to its pace.
"Whoa—!"
The bird zigzagged through the mud and leapt over a broken fence, wings flapping for balance. Its speed was unreal, its footwork tight and nimble.
He tossed it another bread chunk mid-run, and it caught it in stride.
"Okay, Maevra..." he muttered. "Maybe you're only mostly a scammer."
He circled back toward the guards, slowing the beast with a gentle pull of the reins.
"Give me a javelin!" he called out.
Kaela, the blue-haired guard, recovered first. "Uh... here! Take six!"
They strapped the bundle onto the saddle's side hooks.
Aexl looked down at the bird, nodding in approval.
"You're more of a warrior now," he said.
The cuckoo let out a deep cooing sound, puffing up its feathers.
Aexl gave it a hug. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm keeping you."
The guards were still dumbfounded.
"Alright," Aexl said, turning. "Spear?"
Siria stepped forward and handed him her polished spear.
He rolled it in his grip, then pointed toward the field.
There, in the center of the clearing, stood an old scarecrow—mud-soaked, arms crooked, barely holding together.
He leaned close to the bird.
"Let's go."
The cuckoo charged, galloping straight at the target. The mud splashed behind them like cannon fire.
"Yah!" Aexl called, bracing the spear forward like a jousting knight.
CRACK.
The spear tip rammed clean through the scarecrow's head.
Hay exploded out. The pole wobbled and broke in two.
The scarecrow's head smoldered from the impact.
Aexl sat back, panting, victorious.
"Whoa… damn, you're fast."
He rubbed the bird's neck again, grinning.
"You deserve a name."
He thought for a moment, then laughed to himself.
"Yeah... Kentucky."
The cuckoo chirped like it understood, chest puffed with pride.
"Thanks, buddy. Now I don't have to walk anymore."
Aexl pulled the Ephone from his pocket. With a flick of his thumb, the screen flared to life, casting a cold glow on his face.
[ Tactical Overview ]
[Map Accessing…]
[ Enemy Scouts Detected ]
– Estimated Count: 5
– Units: Worg Riders
– Threat Proximity: Immediate — Within 3 Hours
[ Update: Main Host Detected ]
– Route: Marching via Cliff of Echo
– Estimated Arrival: 2 Days, 15 Hours
He tapped on the Worg Rider icon. The red blip blinked. Still stationary.
"Not moving yet, huh…" Aexl muttered.
He looked up, the morning mist cutting through the open field.
Then he turned toward the three guards still standing near the gate, dumbfounded by what they had just seen.
"You three," he called, Kentucky trotting beside him, "did you see how I mounted this beast?"
The guards nodded in perfect unison.
"Good. Then as your new commander, I'm giving you your first order."
He pulled Kentucky closer, patting its neck.
"You will each tame one. Exactly the way I did."
The three blinked, startled.
"It's simple. Start with food—bread works fine. Scratch their necks. They love it. For every command, reward them. But don't avert your gaze. They're smart, they can sense your will. If you show doubt, they won't follow."
He let his voice grow firm, authoritative.
"When I return, I expect all three of you to have a mount ready. Understood?"
"Yes, General!" the guards shouted in chorus.
Aexl gave a sharp nod, then turned.
In his palm, the glowing tactical map hovered over the Ephone's screen.
"Let's go meet our visitors…"
Kentucky responded with a trill, already itching to move.
The pair tore across the open trail, claws raking through soft soil. The ground blurred beneath them.
Though Aexl didn't urge it to go faster, Kentucky's long strides ate up the distance like a galloping horse.
At the edge of the field, Aexl slowed the beast and let it walk — calculating, observing.
He saw the incline ahead. The same slope he'd marked last night during map review.
There were two flanks:
Left side: a steep, winding climb — nearly 100 meters up.
Right side: a gentler slope — around 50 meters.
He studied the terrain, letting the wind settle around him.
"This... this is our choke point," he muttered, satisfied. "Perfect."
His eyes flicked back to the map.
"Right about now, the Worg Riders should be starting to move…"
He squinted ahead, Kentucky now quietly pacing atop the slope.
Six kilometers out — that was the last marker.
"Alright," Aexl whispered.
"Kentucky, let's go."
The bird gave a soft chirp and launched forward again.
Six kilometers vanished beneath their claws in just under four minutes.
They stopped at the ridge.
Aexl scanned below.
There they were
five Orc Riders, hunched and unaware, still resting in the shadows of broken trees.
"Not even awake…" Aexl smirked.
He reached back and loosened one of the javelins strapped to Kentucky's saddle.
"Then let's give them a wake-up call."