Gambling was not a racket that Fish got into often, but they figured why not? Expand your horizons and such, ya know? They could fix a few races and make an easy couple of solars that way. Shouldn't be too hard, poison a horse or two, give some others a performance enhancing bag of oats. Easy stuff.

They snuck their way into the stables to start looking around, seeing which horse seemed like a long shot to help make the reward even bigger. The few donkeys out there did seem like pretty long shots, but Fish wanted difficult odds not impossible ones. OK, so maybe fixing horse races was going to be a bit harder than Fish imagined. It can't be that different than rigging a camel race right? Camels are just horses with more sand.

....Perhaps there was another avenue to do this. Fish might have a better time with this if they just partner up with someone. The kenku looks around, they need to find someone nice enough to allow this to happen, but shady enough to be fine with cheating. A hard balance to strike. Eventually Fish hops towards a moon elf and her sparkling mount, reaching up to tug at her skirt and get her attention.

"Fish is a master horse racer, Fish will offer help in exchange for a cut of the winnings."

Cirice was not sure how she’d managed to get roped into a race, but here she was, brushing Hitia and getting him ready. She hadn’t spent any time in King’s Valley and their fawning over her strange, ethereal reindeer had caught her by surprise. As had the insistent invitation to this strange race. She hadn’t had the heart to tell them that Hitia could fly and therefore it wasn’t really fair for her to join, so she had decided to just participate and have fun without trying to win. What better way to learn local customs than by immersion?

The bell on Hitia’s reins chimes softly, as he turns his head to look at something behind her and she feels the tug at her skirt. Looking down she finds a small humanoid bird around the size of Veliky making strange gestures at her. She tilts her head, taking in the cute little guy.

“Well hello there, who are you? Aren’t you just super cute?” She smiles at them with bright eyes. “I’m Cirice. Are you joining in the race? Or are you lost little one? You can hang out with me if you are, I have some muffins in my wagon, I can go get you some if you’d like!”

She gestures back to the end of the stables where her large double-decker wagon sits looking quite strange without the reindeer hitched to the front.

Fish was starting to see the limitations of their limitation. Few outside Izzy spent enough time around Fish for the bird to care enough to teach them Fish's very specific kind of sign language. There were also few people who understood enough sign language that they could at least roughly interperet what Fish is saying. Writing is just tedious, but fine. At least this one thinks Fish is cute, that means they can probably con her just as easily as Kamille.

The chalk and slate is retrieved from their pack and the bird gets to writing, "Fish does not own a mount nor does Fish know how to ride one, but Fish can help others win if Fish is cut in on the profits."

It was a simple business offer, at least in Fish's mind. Just put your trust in a complete stranger who is actually a small bird-creature-person and hope they aren't some secret double agent out to sabotage you in a race known for playing dirty. Simple and clean.

Fish looks over to the set of racers already starting to get into place, there wasn't a whole lot of time to consider the proposition. Hopefully that worked in Fish's favor.

Cirice watches the little bird take out slate and chalk and write her a message, reading over it with a smile, “Oh your name is Fish! That’s so cute! Well Fish I don’t know that I’ll win, but you’re more than welcome to ride with me!” She lowers her voice and leans closer, “Hitia here actually flies so we’ll have to be careful not to accidentally fly over the competition.”

She winks at them and offers to help them up into the saddle, lifting their little form up with ease.

“Hmm… I don’t think you’ll be able to write as we ride… OH! I’ve got an idea!” She lifts a gloved finger to her lips and projects her thoughts to the little bird¹. “How about this? We can talk this way, okay? Now what profits were you talking about? The prize money? I suppose it would be nice to have, sure I'll half it with you if we win. This will be fun!”

She climbs up behind Fish in the saddle and carefully holds the little bird against her so they don’t fall as they prance to their starting position near the back.

---

1 Message

Fish does not accept being lifted up, climbing up into the back on their own. They were very particular about who could pick them up and the list was no one, except maybe somtimes Kamille if Fish is extorting her for a higher contract.

They look over their seat to try and see the best ways they are going to be able to take out the competition. Fish stares down one of the other horses to threaten them as much as a small bird can, which to say isn't much. The horse snorts back at Fish as if to rebuff the kenku.

A head tilts back, nearly pecking Cirice in the face, to watch her cast message. They blink as they then hear the voice in their head. This is unpleasant.....Fish would prefer silence.

And silence is what Cirice hears at first, but eventually there is a sound. An unholy sound. A mix of voices combining together to form words and sentences, rarely able to stay on a voice for a few words at most.

"This is acceptable. Fish will split the prize money, yes, that is what Fish meant. Fish will work to help ensure that our team is victorious.

Cirice blinks at the strange cacophony chorus of voices she gets from the little bird. It reminds her of the little box that Yoci gave her months ago, unpleasant but not untenable. It must be difficult being a little bird that can’t talk. She tilts her head and smiles wider.

“Careful little one, your beak nearly got me in the face. That would hurt!” She giggles, “You’re so cute and strange, I’ve never met anyone like you. Tell me about you, Fishy? Where does a cutie like you come from?”

She has to stop herself from scratching the little bird’s head, her instinct to reach down and muss their feathers lovingly. “And why are you wanting to race?” She continues telepathically.

Hitia prances in place as some people walk uncomfortably close to them, sneering at the small elven girl and kenku as if they were just some amusement. Hitia snorts, making their horse hurry to get away from the demonic reindeer.

“They certainly aren’t taking us seriously, are they? We’ll show them. Maybe throw in a little magical mayhem as we go, what do you think? I'm pretty handy with spells. I can make us fast, or make them too tired to go on.”

Hmm...this one is decidedly more cutesy than Kamille. Fish will have to find a way to reduce that....Murdering another racer might do that. At the very least it would be a decent start.

"Fish likes prizes." And Fish put a large sum on the race, so winning would be an extra bonus. Technically they just had to place, but Fish's pride was gunning for first place.

"Fish can shoot them." They draw their hand crossbow out and get it loaded. Of course that was only the beginning of Fish's menagerie of options, but let's start small. Don't want to jump right into the 'I have a handful of explosives that will not only ensure victory but also maybe technically count as a war crime. Who's to say?'

"COME ON LORDS, LADIES, AND THE PEOPLE WATCHING FROM THE CHEAP SEATS THE RACES ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN, LET'S GET INTO THOSE POSITIONS RACERS." From outside the stables, the voice booms out with a supernatural volume to ensure that everyone can hear it. Murmurings begin outside as people and racers all start to file out, ready for these races to begin. It was sure to be the race of the century with any luck.

“I like prizes too but I don’t think we’ll need to shoot them, we can win without that.” Cirice reassures Fish with a worried smile. “Why don’t we just slow them down? I’ve got a few spells for that.”

The racers all line up in their places and the crowd’s cheering rises to a crescendo. There is a menagerie of mounts in the race, none quite as strange and ethereal as Cirice’s demonic deer, but some that look quite strong and fast. Several of the racers seem eager and skeevy, all willing to do just about anything in order to win.

“RACERS! ON YOUR MARKS! GET SET!” A burst of colored magical fire explodes from the hand of the announcer by the starting line, “GOOOOOOO! AND THEY’RE OFF!!”

As soon as the signal flare is sent the racers begin to move as one, they’re only a few paces out of their starting places when a theres a loud farting sound from one of the first horses and suddenly a blanket of white fog begins rushing out, covering the track and making it nearly impossible for anything to be seen¹.

---

1 Racer at the front casts Bog Fog

Fish was willing to relent on wanton murder until one of the other racers decides to cheat right out of the gate. Murder time. Cirice might not be able to see through the thick fog, but Fish can.



They may not fully understand how Ki works yet, but they can see the forms of others. They slip out a throwing knife and lean over the side a bit to get the angle of the throw juuuuuuuust right. The knife sails out, cutting through the leather strap of the saddle of the driver who cast bog fog.



A loud and disastrous sound of man getting run over by his own horse and others crashing into them can be heard off to the side of Cirice and Fish.



"Bank Left." The cacophony of voices guide Cirice around the destruction, weaving past the few that crashed in the chaos.

Technically speaking Fish has not murdered anyone, only committed property damage. If people died in the pileup on the race track, that is not on Fish. It is wholly the blame of poor sportsmanship and a series of wild and crazy accidents that no one could have predicated nor calculated in a few moments to maximize disruption.

“What just happened?” Cirice asks as she pulls Hitia away from the carnage and the fog begins to dissipate as the caster is knocked out of the race and possibly killed. Probably killed. And her without the ability to bring back the dead…

“People are cheating… Look!” She sees ahead of them a man leveling a crossbow as them. He fires, aiming for Cirice and she catches the bolt between her palms before it can hit her chest¹.

“What the hell!” That’s not very nice!” She shouts aloud. She points towards the crossbowman and the runes on her arms flare to angry life, but her finger isn’t aimed at him, but rather his horse as it begins to slow and stumble, suddenly overcome with fatigue². It slows to a crawl and collapses by the side of the track while Cirice and Fish easily pass by. There aren’t many folks ahead of them now! They can really win this!

Then suddenly, in a flash of sudden speed a donkey breezes past them as if they’re not there, taking the lead! Cirice grimaces, holding Fish a little tighter so the bird doesn’t fall off as Hitia startles and rears back onto his hind legs.

---

1 Steel Catch
2 Desperation

Once more Fish is incensed at the idea that other people would cheat so blatantly. At least Fish was subtle enough to not make it obvious. It was clear to Fish they were competeing with a bunch of amatuers, rookies, idiots even. Fish would not lose to them.

Seeing the donkey start to pass them there is a subtle golden shimmer to Fish's feathers for just a moment. A sandy spot in the ground opens just ahead of the donkey, grabbing onto its hoof as it steps on it.[1] The sudden stop of moment wrenches the donkey forward and sends rider and mount crashing hard into the ground.

There were still some other racers coming up from behind, but if Cirice could kick up just a bit more speed they just needed one final sprint to make it to the end. Fish was so close to that sweet, sweet pay day. It was so close, the crowd was whipping up into a frenzy seeing all of the action. The cheating was apparently not a surprise, but encouraged by the fans as it gave them something exciting to watch. Much more exciting than a normal race at the very least.

---

1. Born from the Desert

Getting Hitia back under control Cirice decides that now is the time for them to win in style, the finish line is so close and they’re going to take the prize, for her new little friend if not for all the cheating jerks. She digs her heels into Hitia’s side as he rears and the reindeer leaps into the sky¹! Running through the air as if it was nothing more than elevated ground he begins to overtake the few scant racers ahead of them. But Cirice isn’t done, a flash of violet from her runes and Hitia’s speed is doubled, easily overtaking the fellow contestants to the cheers and jeers of the audience². With a huff Hitia lands right before the finish line and runs across it, winning the match for the elf and the bird!

“We did it Fishy!” Cirice squeals with delight, “Good job!” She hugs the little bird to her chest gently, forgetting her hesitance in the heat of the moment and rubbing her cheek against the top of the corvid’s head lovingly.

"We make a great team, don't you think? How about we get our winnings and have a celebratory drink!"

---

1 Hitia casts Flight
2 Quicken

Cirice comes dangerously close to being stabbed. So very dangerously close. The hug, the cheek rubbing, the nickname, it brings her within a moment of being stabbed, but she mentions drinks. No one lets Fish drink.



This is suddenly very acceptable. "Fish will accept drinks."



They do slip from her arms though, hitting the ground with a tiny plap. Fish did still have their dignity after all. The aviankin hops over towards the betting station to pick up their sizeable coin purse of winnings before turning back to join Cirice and tucking the coins away.



"Fish is ready to try a drink."

“Yay! I have some great stuff in my wagon, come on!” Cirice takes Fish and Hitia back to her wagon and hitches Hitia back up properly. She opens the door for her new little friend with a flourish. “Welcome to Mother Moon’s Flying Library! Please come in. I have some mead, some wine, and plenty of teas. Oh and a little Blixt^tm too if you like that.”



She heads into the soft, book-lined interior and gestures for Fish to take a seat. She drops her spell of mental conversation in favor of letting the aviankin write because that hurts her head less. She unpacks a small chest and takes out some glasses and bottles of alcohol as a construct made of books comes over and looks at Fish curiously.



‘Hello, I am Ars Goetia.’ The book at its center opens to reveal fine calligraphy pointed towards the visitor. ‘Please to meet someone like you. Do you like books?’

Fish would look displeased at the mention of Mother Moon. Fish would have reconsidered this partnership if Fish knew Cirice was some kind of religious person. A good part about being a bird is it is easy to hold your tongue and hide your disgust.

The interest in adult beverages is immediately tossed to the side as Fish looks at the books. They start to furiously dig through the books. No. No. No. Why are they doing that with their faces? Why do people smush their faces into other peoples faces? Fish does not understand these book covers.

Nope, no, still no, this is not the human anatomy book Fish would read, nope. Finally they seem to settle on The Joy of Mending, the only book that Fish finds has practical purpose. They quietly sit down on the floor with the book.

Every selection they had looked at previously is neatly returned when Fish disregards it. The book may be dumb, but they don't need to be disrespectful.