The Bird & The Bear by Jacob Staples (top 50 books to read .TXT) 📕

Fy and SQ have arrived to a new port town named Stillwater, the town is run by a wise owl whom is posh in posture and personality. This fabled themed town seems to go on for miles along the coastline (the town is built atop the ruins of a pre-erf shipping container depot) however it seems that this town is specifically favoured by the elderly, rejected seniors with no family members seem to hold majority residence here, something of a resort for the forgotten.

SQ and Fy have run low on supplies during their trip and SQ suggest checking out the marketplace for supplies. Fy is somewhat of a con, she knows how to sway the men towards her dispositions, she and SQ had a lengthy discussion about these abilities so to better coordinate their attacks in case of a worst case scenario; cooperation. However SQ decides to look around the marketplace for ”someone to sway”, all he sees is a bunch of old people. Fy brags ”where you see old people, I see opportunity, watch and learn”.

Fy spots an old phoenix in a wheelchair, she tells SQ a short history of phoenix’s, (she is a very rare mutation of phoenix that isn’t affected by this but you can tell her apart by her light yellow feather colors, other phoenix’s are redish orange. When phoenix’s are reborn, they forget everything about their past life, this is why it’s rare to see them outside of Dakendillo Forest, they have family and friends to remind them of who they are, and what they own, this is a good opportunity to take advantage and practically transfer ownership *steal*) it seems that this isn’t new news to the people of this town as there are already a group of Erfians surrounding the old phoenix, an antellope woman is pushing his wheelchair. Fy approaches and argues over the wheelchair, it isn’t until the old phoenix says ”Oh Fiona my grandchild, it’s been sooo long” that the antelope gives up, walking away staring angrily at Fy as she knows she’s not Fiona.

SQ seems to get bored of watching Fy and becomes distracted for a moment, he notices a young mouse boy trying to steal his gold and is able to prevent him from taking anything, the boy runs off into an alley and SQ chases him. The boy is trapped, SQ sees this as a good ”opportunity” to be like FY and tries to convince the boy to buy his fleshroot (grizzly). SQ rubs one of the toes in his hand and it sets on fire due to its touch qualities ”see, it’s cool super awesome magic little kiddie”. But the boy tries to escape again, this angers SQ and he grabs the boys hand yelling “alright, you’r going to pay me in some way, I payed 2000 for this flesh root and I already gave one up to show you what they can do” (this is obviously false as you’ll recall they were given to him for free from extortion in the last town, they are also useless. SQ is mistaking silver tongue with aggressive threats) The boy literally pisses himself in fear. SQ starts to lose his patience and keeps lowering his price for the fleshroot. The boy finally manages to escape but he drops all of his gold whilst trying to run away. SQ manages to make a 3 gold profit, the rest of the gold falls down a drain. A bum stole the rest of the gold and bolted for it.

As SQ comes out of the alley he notices the folk gathering to get somewhere quick, he asks one of them as they tell him that the Annual Stillwater Wizard Convention is on, this years theme is alchemy, all contestants must make an innovative potion, the winner gets 300 gold. SQ sees this as a great chance to build on his skills, alchemy is his specialty afterall.

Fiona *Fy* and the old phoenix are walking around town, Fy is listening to the old phoenix and putting up with his shitty old foke’ stories, she finally convinces him to take her to his home, it may very well be considered a mansion in Stillwater. Fy realises that the old phoenix has achieved much in this lifetime, that he actually did have a family and grandchild and that they ended up leaving with most of his gold and assets as he has gotten older, the old phoenix couldn’t handle that his family has done and this has rapidly sped up his memory loss due to depression. Fy uses this to her advantage and tries to convince the old fella to sign over the will to his home. Whilst this Erf is primitive and apocalyptic themed, Erf does have a government like system.

We come back to SQ who is approaching an

Owl steps up on podium “good afternoon novices, I know youre all expected to do ALCHEMY” *no one screams as expected*.  Bear sees the mouse in the audience and rubs is fingers together and the mouse pisses its pants again

Healing potion, is the first contest. Makes one pretty good one, burns his hand when he looks the other way, tells him why he did that. All good. 50 minutes pass, last potion is brown and smells horrible, remembering smelling this disgusting boiling concoction, and feeling like just vomiting, the owl sees it and just says “no” and then throws it out the window. and for then on, people said that the street smelled revolting, known as the smelly alley. Then the guy just rushes out the hall crying, fuzz thinks “one down”.

Next potion is a potion to give me a direction “haha just joking, im an owl, I don’t have a penis”

Next potion is potion of fire resistance, perfect ingredient, but he adds a special ingredients, he adds a grizzly toe to makes the potion a perfect fire resistance potion. Grabs the owls hands, and interacts with the test aswell, and puts hand on couldren fire, and didn’t hurt at all.

Final round, a potion that will make him smell good. He makes the potion, smells foul and rancid throughout, but changes the potion quickly to something else he remembers vaguely from a book, makes two potions, green and blue. Opens up one of the potions, smells like shit, good work. Then the second. Pours it all over himself since it smells so nice, fuzz whispers in his ear, hey your gunna make me the winner aren’t you “well, I can’t disclose that.

From other potions, went on fire, smelled like shit all that typa stuff.

He won the 75th super awesome annual alchemy division of still water, hands bag over, wins 3020old, but tax, has 2820gold.

Fy is seen with the old phoenix, Fy knows that she now owns a house and it is almost time for the phoenix to be reborn, she urges him to come out into the marketplace once again, the time has come and the old fella rebirths in a spectacle unlike anything else, his body crumbles into ash as it feeds the fires. He wakes up just a young lad asking for his home and who he is, you see Fy in the background walk away as the old fella is seen confused outside of a retirement home.

when he comes back from rebirth he forgets where he is and asks for his home…finding out he never had a home but in truth gave his house to his…granddaughter, through a will.

Wizard arena now, fy is gambling, 5 gold on pigface, scrawny guy in different race with pig mask. 20 gold on fuzzy.

Pigface went first, purple energy, went up into the sky and did nothing.

Next guy hits pigface in the head, pigface is out

Tiger jumps on someone, casts basic spell and does nothing, and slashes the guys throat and leaves him to die

Next guy shoots a lightning bolt at the tiger, the tiger survives somehow

Spell backfires and explodes the next guy

Fuzzy casts a fire shield, and casts a fairly good spell. He can see everything on the outside

Next guy doesn’t do anything

Next guy doesn’t do something

Next guy aims at fuzzy and misses

Next guy does nothing

Fire ball at some guy and killed him

Impaled by millions of icicles

Skipped

Down to 4 people, tiger man, jon, lightning bolt guy and fuzzy

Tiger guy lunges over fuzzy shield, lands in front of fuzzy, casts the same basic spell, bounces off the shield and hit fuzzy for 4hp

The lightning guy teleport into fuzzy shield and burns him to death

Jon summons a massive a meteor crushing tiger guy killing him

Fuzzy cast simple stun spell, it hits, jon falls down and tries to break free and succeeds instantly.

Jon casts a spell of mist, fuzzy has poor visibility. Fuzzy tries to cast levitate, and succeeds, he striked a lightning bolt through the mist, the mist is conducted and electrocutes jon and jon died.

Fuzzy won 4500 (7320g)

Fyranger won 2000 gold from gambling for fuzzy as the winner (2205g)

Is now at house, together looking for gold

*river sounds*

Senor: *sigh* God, I wish my wings grow in soon… It’s been, what, 6 years. Still no growth. Maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m not a duck after all.

*pebble splashing into the pond*

Senor (Narration): See that miserable fuzzball over there? That’s me. People say I look a  lot like a polar bear and who can blame them? But I know what I am on the inside. I’ve always known it.

*inspiring music*

Senor (Narration): See, I was raised by ducks. Well, by raised I guess I mean they tolerated me until I started to prove of use.

*duck noises*

Bandit: Come to papa. We’re having duck tonight, boys!

*bear roar*

*bandit screams*

Senor: Yeah! You better run!

Senor (Narration): I don’t know why, but just watching my brothers