Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 77: A Fair Breeze

Rav and Ezra stepped into the highest chamber of the pagoda, a place Rav affectionately called Bree’s Roost. It was a small room, almost like a shrine, with no walls - only the four cedar pillars that held up the top of the roof.

Bree’s wings folded slowly, feathers glinting like polished sapphire. Her eyes were the color of stormlight. She did not smile.

"My, my," she squawked, her voice musical and chirpy. "Here already?"

"You know I just can’t wait to see you, Bree," Rav said with a blush.

Bree strolled to the far side of the room and inspected herself in the mirror, running her feathers through her long, braided hair. Around her neck was a pendant - a jewel of glimmering blue like the sea. The same color as Rav’s eyes.

She was a Ferin, like Rav - but built quite differently. She had no arms, only wings, and appeared more bird than human, at least as far as her facial features went.

"This is Ezra," Rav said, ushering toward the human. "He’s my new housemate."

"Is that right?" Bree replied, eying Ezra with suspicion. "He looks an awful lot like your old housemate, Alcor."

"Long story," Rav smirked, scratching his head. "But this is definitely Ezra-not-Alcor. He...wants to help me with a little issue..."

Bree let out a soft coo as she nestled into a plush chair. She folded her brilliant blue wings over her body until only her face was visible - sharp, narrow eyes locked in constant scrutiny. Her beak remained tightly shut, giving her a composed, austere air.

"Bree. I want to apologize to your father."

Her head jerked suddenly, her fierce eyes focused on Rav with abject disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah..." Rav replied. "Crazy, right? But this dumb human here put me up to it."

"Dumb human? Aren’t we past that, Rav?" Ezra groaned. "Oh and, um. Nice to meet you, Miss Bree."

"Not in front of Bree, we aren’t," he said with jest.

"I don’t want to be rude, but what happened between Rav and your father, Miss Bree? Rav said he wouldn’t tell me about it until you arrived. I’ve been waiting several days..."

"Of course he didn’t tell you," Bree huffed. "It’s the whole reason he’s in this mess. Your ’housemate’ refuses to take accountability for anything."

"I mean, that’s a harsh way of putting it," Rav whined.

"I don’t come here for fun or because I miss Rav," Bree stated plainly, her gaze shifting toward the blue gem at her collarbone. "I come for this. As long as I wear it, the agreement remains intact."

Rav eyed the glittering gem. It was the same blue as his eyes.

"What’s that?"

Rav and Bree exchanged a look.

"What purpose do you have, bringing a human so clueless before me like this?"

Rav gritted his teeth, one of his sharp fangs poking out of his mouth. "Bree, it’s complicated. But this guy has the power to make Desire come true. And...I want to make amends with your father. You know I do." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Bree adjusted herself, still sitting prim and proper with her wings folded over her body. "Yes," she said, lowering her guard slightly. "I am aware. And do you remember what he told you?"

Rav’s expression darkened. "He wanted me to do something for someone other than myself for a change."

"And have you?"

"No. But I have an idea. Something that would impress even that stubborn father of yours."

The tips of her feathers twitched - Rav noticed with his discerning, watchful eyes.

’Seems I’ve piqued her interest...’

"The famine." Rav said plainly.

"What about it?" she replied, sharp and to the point.

"I want to go to the northern country," Rav announced, attempting nonchalance. "I think magic might be involved with this famine, and if I don’t help, who will? I am the great Sage of the Clouds, after all."

"Hm. I’d hoped you wouldn’t involve yourself. Aren’t you in retirement, Rav?"

Bree adjusted herself slightly but said nothing else.

"Well, yeah," Rav went on, trying to keep momentum. "But adventure calls! You’ve spent a lot of time up there. Thought maybe you’d have some... insights?"

Bree nodded, closed her eyes, flapped her wings once, then let them rest against her sides again. "Saying I’ve spent time up there is an understatement, Rav. I live there. But yes. I have some insights on the matter."

"Do you wanna... share with the class?" Rav prompted, looking over to Ezra and smiling weakly.

Bree’s eyes snapped open, her glare as sharp as a dagger. "Can’t you see I’m trying to relax? I’ve been flying for six hours straight. This is supposed to be the one place I can come and relax and not be bothered. Isn’t that our agreement?"

Rav looked thoroughly deflated. Whether from their unique bond or through simple empathy, Bree seemed to sense the effect of her words. Her expression softened as she continued.

"There is no blight in the fields. No disasters. The food grows, and the people eat. But it does not fill. The livestock won’t touch the grain. Even the wild birds avoid the fields.

"A man could eat three plates of food and still feel hunger. The growing season is nearly over in the northern country, yet the stockpiles remain empty. Most vexing of all, food from elsewhere does satiate them. It’s as if the land itself were cursed. And this hunger - it isn’t just physical. It makes them angry. Desperate. Even children have started to lash out."

"You’ve seen it up close, haven’t you?" Rav asked, echoing Ezra’s own thoughts as he heard her speak. The way Bree articulated made it feel personal. She didn’t confirm, but the stiffness in her posture said enough.

"Definitely sounds magical," Rav considered aloud. "What could this be? The Magician of Corruption? Disease?"

"The Magician of Crystal has been seen wandering the towns, searching for the cause," Bree informed them. "Many humans with corestones have come, too, eager to make a name for themselves. Whoever solves the famine would be hailed as a hero, after all. But this famine is not caused by a Magician or a corestone. It’s nothing these would-be heroes can fix while they flaunt their magic."

The words give Ezra pause. The Magician of Crystal - he’d heard her mentioned once before, by Oberyn. She was the one who attacked him when he fled Asteria, left him covered in cuts and sliced up his wings. The level 80 Magician, Marxie.

"What caused the famine, then?" Ezra asked, curiosity piqued. Bree turned to him for the first time since he had entered, focusing her attention on him.

"It’s a sign, human - the end of the world."