The inside of the mana building was much larger than the outside would have suggested. Nora took it all in quietly. The sheer size of the place was overwhelming, but there was an undeniable beauty to it all, the place seemed to glow with an energy that she couldnt quite place.
The registration process was incredibly quick, and Nora felt that she didnt even do anything. Mostly just let torin do all the talking and occasionally nodding along when needed.
The process took all of ten minutes- or so nora thought- and within no time torin and her were back outside, listening to the infinite cacophony of bird noises.
Nora was growing to like the constant sound that came from the bird clan.
After leaving the mana building they continued on the tour.
As they passed a bridge lined with glowing feathers, Torin glanced back at her. "Not bad, huh?"
Nora smiled faintly. "It's… beautiful. I didn't realize how organized everything was."
"Yeah. We might look like a bunch of birds in a tree, but the clan runs smoother than most human cities." He grinned at her again.
"You'll fit in just fine, Nora."
For the first time in a long while, Nora felt a flicker of hope and a sense of belonging. Perhaps the bird clan won't be too bad for her
After exploring the city a bit more with Torin leading the way, Nora could feel her legs starting to ache. The excitement of earlier was settling into a dull tired, and the swirling breeze around the high walkways kept blowing through her feathers, which wasn't helping at all.
Torin must have noticed, because he slowed down and stopped near a glowing path that split off in two directions. It led up to a massive grove of trees, all dotted with small treehouses, the neighborhood that she resided in. The late afternoon light stretched long across the planks beneath their feet, making everything look softer and calmer than earlier.
"Well," Torin said, turning toward her with that familiar half-smile, "you survived your first real day in the Bird Clan. I'd call that a win."
Nora gave a tired huff that was trying to be a laugh. "Barely. I think all I did was sleep and then get lost a little."
"That's half of living here," he joked. Then softer, "Really. I'm glad you're settling in. If you need anything, just send a message. I don't care if it's late- especially if it's late, because I never sleep like I'm supposed to."
"Right," Nora said, managing a small smile. "Thanks for… everything today."
Torin shrugged in that casual way, brushing it off even though she could tell he appreciated hearing it. "You'll be fine. And hey, you've got a class tomorrow and a quest to get done. Exciting stuff."
"Terrifying stuff," Nora corrected automatically.
He chuckled and stepped back. "Get some rest, okay? Tomorrow's a new start."
Then he lifted one wing slightly as a wave goodbye and began heading down the other path. Nora watched him for a second before turning toward her own walkway, feeling an odd mix of calm and loneliness trickle in now that he was gone.
Her feet carried her along the familiar route, though she still kept glancing at the small signposts carved into branches and posts. The breeze had that late-day chill, and the sky overhead was shifting toward softer blues and oranges, clouds drifting past slowly as if they had nowhere urgent to be. Nora tucked her wings tighter around herself and just let herself breathe for a moment. Maybe she'd actually be okay here...
..Maybe.
Her thoughts drifted toward everything she still had to sort out, a new class, this communication quest, the whole clan life, when all of a sudden..
WHAM.
She barely had time to register the flurry of colors and feathers before she collided with something soft. Everything went spinning as Nora let out a small squeak.
The world blurred, and the next thing she knew, she was on the floor, staring up at the glowing bridge lights. Her head spun, her dress twisted up around her waist like some kind of tangled mess.
"OHHH NO I'M SO SORRY!!!!"
A voice burst out right above her. Bright green and red, and streaks of vibrant yellow filled her vision as someone else scrambled up, then reached down to help her.
The girl, clearly a member of the Bird Clan with how brightly colored she seemed, had parrot-like wings and hair that looked like someone had dipped her whole head in a bucket of colors. Her eyes were a deep golden, and held a look of panic.
"Oh. my. Gosh. are. You. okay?!?! Did I break you?! Please say no! I didn't see you there, I swear. I was just rushing and I didn't mean to and-"
"I-I'm fine," Nora managed to say, though her head still felt a bit rattled. She sat up slowly with the girl's help, trying to smooth her dress down and regain some dignity. "Really. Just… startled is all."
"Startled!? That's worse! I didn't mean to scare you either- I mean sometimes I scare people but not like that… well okay sometimes like that but I try not to!"
Nora blinked a few times, trying to track the words. They were coming too fast.
The parrot girl clasped her hands in front of her chest dramatically. "Please let me compensate you! Anything, food, feathers, shiny rocks- I have many of those-"
"No, no, really. You don't owe me anything." Nora waved both hands frantically. "It was just an accident."
The girl gasped. "No one says no to compensation! Not here! Are you sure you didn't hurt your wing or knee or beak, oh wait, you don't have a beak- I mean, you kind of have one? No? Mouth. Yes. Mouth is the word."
Nora stared, wide-eyed. "I'm… okay. Really."
The parrot girl wasn't convinced. She squinted suspiciously as if expecting Nora to suddenly collapse or break into a million pieces. Then she puffed up in determination.
"Alright then! If you won't take compensation, I will at least walk you home and make sure you don't secretly faint on me!"
"That's not neces-"
"Home-walking is happening!" the parrot girl declared, raising a fist in some kind of victory pose before Nora could finish. "Which way are we going?!"
Nora hesitated, but something about the absolute enthusiasm made resistance feel pointless. She pointed down the walkway she had been taking. "That way…"
"Perfect! Forward, march!!"
Nora couldn't help it; a small laugh escaped her. This girl… was a tornado. An unstoppable force.
As they walked, the parrot girl immediately launched into nonstop conversation. Not just normal talking, though, she launched into rapid-fire storytelling, bouncing from one topic to the next like her thoughts had wings faster than her feet.
"So then I told him, 'That's not a cake, that's a mana crystal painted pink!' And he STILL TRIED TO EAT IT!! Can you believe it?! I mean, he chipped a tooth! Two teeth!! How do you even recover from that?! Anyway, I got banned from the kitchen for a week, which, honestly, is unfair because I didn't eat the crystal…"
Nora nodded along occasionally, sometimes catching the topic, sometimes completely lost, but finding the energy hilarious. She hummed and made small noises of agreement while trying not to laugh out loud too often.
"And another thing! Did you know there's this new class tomorrow? Something with mana channeling? They said it could really help with control, which I REALLY need because last week I tried to light a candle and instead the entire table caught-"
"Wait." Nora perked up, suddenly very much paying attention. "Are you attending a mana channeling class tomorrow…? At the training hall?"
The parrot girl stopped mid-sentence, mid-word, even, and gasped as though she had discovered the world's greatest coincidence. "YOU'RE GOING TOO?!"
"Yes," Nora said. "I… signed up for it. But I don't really know where I'm supposed to go or how it works…"
"Oh! Oh oh oh! I know that part!! I mean, I don't know much about the class, but I definitely know where it is! I scoped it out because I was afraid I'd get lost the day of and miss it, and then they'd think I chickened out-HAHA! Get it? Cause were birds? Chicken, bird- you get it."
Nora snorted at the awful joke before she could help herself.
The girl clutched her chest dramatically. "She laughs! I am blessed by the goddess!"
Nora shook her head, amused despite herself. "Would you… Maybe show me where it is tomorrow? I think it would be easier to go with someone who knows the way."
The parrot girl lit up like a lantern. "YES!! WE CAN GO TOGETHER!!! Uh. i mean, ehem. I will be your guide! Your fearless map! Your compass of destiny!" She once again put on another heroic pose.
"That sounds… very helpful," Nora said, trying not to laugh again.
They resumed walking, the path growing more familiar now. The breeze rustled their wings, and slowly the chatter turned less frantic, more playful, filled with little tangents about the quests she got and classes she hoped to take, and how excited she was to maybe make new friends.
She talked enough for both of them, and Nora just listened, finding comfort in the noise after so much silence these past few days. It was strange how quickly warmth replaced awkwardness.
Eventually, they reached the small home assigned to Nora. She stopped at the door and turned slightly. "So… this is me."
The parrot girl leaned forward eagerly. "Nice! Good nesting spot! Close to the main path but still cozy!" Then her eyes darted to Nora's pendant. "Wait.. WAIT! We need to exchange contacts! That way I can message you and make sure you don't oversleep tomorrow! …Or get lost! Or eaten by a giant owl!"
Nora raised a brow. "Does that happen?"
"…Not usually," the girl admitted. Then brightened instantly again. "Pendant! Now!"
Nora nodded and tapped her pendant, and the parrot girl did the same. A tiny chirping sound echoed between the two pendants as a connection formed.
Ding!
New Contact Added: Maya Marisol
"Oh! That's your name?" Nora asked.
"Yep! But you can call me Maya! Or Mari! Or just 'Hey you, stop running so fast!', I respond to all of those," Maya said proudly. Then she pointed at Nora. "And you are Nora! Which I LOVE because it sounds mysterious, like someone who goes on adventures and has big secrets and maybe fights crime on weekends-"
Nora laughed weakly, looking away so Maya wouldn't see the flicker of sadness behind that joke. "Nora is fine," she said gently.
Maya flapped her wings in excitement. "Great! Nora! Tomorrow morning! I'll come pick you up! Don't die before then!! BYEEEE!!"