Hugh was happy, with his hands on his hips, admiring the possibilities his imagination brought to his mind for his future. A courier to a queen's crown? The leading driver of a train of caravans to save a starving village of their sudden drought? The literal delivery of a kiss to a lonely fair maiden? He couldn't help but let his wildest ideas fly through his inner vision. A light gust of wind from the guild's gates brushed on his wintergreen line-patterned kilt slightly while Hugh daydreamed. But only slightly, while the rest of his attire, the white cotton shirt with expansive fabric on the arms and custom-cut leather arrow-shaped suspenders was enough to barrier what would be nature's little wake up nudge.
Although his peripheral vision was not daydreaming, for it noticed a little something on the corner of the furthermost left area of the guild’s hall; he turned his head towards it. It was a Glanbill. A robust, purple feathered, big beaked Glanbill staring straight at Hugh from the other side of the place, displaying curiosity in its eyes and allocated within the entrance to an inner corridor.
Hugh smiled. A Glanbill? What’s it doing here? Looking for food among the delivery packages? His amusement with the situation propelled him to walk to the creature. Maybe he could pet it?
However, as soon as little Cloudfeet took a step, so did the Glanbill, although that step was one away and also more than a step, the megabird delved into the corridor with speed and impetus avoiding Hugh faster than a volcanic lizard avoids the rain.
Hugh was surprised, but something made him immediately run off after the animal. Maybe it was instinct, maybe impulse, his focus was too intense on the chase now for Hugh to wonder.
Approaching the spot where the Glanbill was, Hugh turned left, before him was a number of gray robed guild employees carrying paperwork and one muscled adventurer entering a door; also some purple feathers at an intersection on the end of the passage. Hugh followed the feathers.
The chase took place between many of the building segments of the guild. The bird passed through the postal storage, the garage, the administrative offices; Hugh followed, followed, followed. At this point Cloudfeet could swear the creature was mocking his abilities somehow, even though the bird had not done more than glance back a couple of times, not letting out a word or a sound.
The Glanbill finally stopped at the voyage point above the guild’s ceiling, besides the mini airport for the many flying vehicles. Hugh arrived right after, got hit by a gush of air from a runic helicopter while running, took his hair out of his face and faced the runaway.
He had it now, surely the Glanbill could not pass by Hugh without him being able to grab that slender, purple, elegant neck. Jumping wouldn’t do the bird any good, their wings are shaped as to allow for maneuverability while running, they can’t fly; nor could their little legs take a fall from this height, strong as they are. Hugh would pet this creature!
That’s when a hovercopter from the airport ascended from the ground and started moving in a trajectory close to the Glanbill’s left. Turning its head, the bird noticed that.
“Wait… it wouldn’t…NO!” - Hugh shouted (startling nearby workers), dumbfounded as he watched the cunning of the animal in its action.
The creature jumped on the machine’s left landing rail, grabbing it with firmness and taking it for a quick ride before jumping on top of an adventurer’s caravan near the guild entrance and then on the ground, in the middle of many passersby. Hugh ran to the edge of the roof to look for the animal down there, but he could only catch a glimpse of it getting back inside the guild building. He turned back, individuals around frowning, some confused.
Leaving the roof and the mini airport, Cloudfeet descended a set of stairs and moved himself to the mezzanine close by, where he could see the guild’s entrance hall from above and everything he’d found when arriving. The receptionist desk was there, the many individuals of many different races walking and going through their business also…and by going through the length of the platform, circling the space, he could see at the very end of the furthermost left area of the ground floor, at the start of an inner corridor, the purple feather Glanbill staring back at him.
Hugh groaned in annoyance, lifted his head while expressing his sentiment before resting it on top of his crossed arms laid on the mezzanine’s guard rail.
“It seems she liked you”
A feminine voice had spoken those words. Hugh allowed his right eye to raise a little in order to identify the speaker. It was a woman wearing a blue, tough jacket full of pockets with straight-line patterns on the sewing and brown, rugged leather pants; she had a black bicorn hat with a star-like symbol Hugh had never seen and a confident look in her eyes. With hands on her hips, her blonde hair cut short, blue eyes and wide shoulders gave Hugh a sense of a strong beauty, leaving him a bit at loss for words.
“Uh…uh…who?...” - He straightened his back, turned to her and responded.
“Abel” - As the woman spoke, the Glanbill appeared from her left and in a gentle motion, placed its head on the woman’s closest shoulder.
Hugh was surprised for a moment, he turned back to the corridor and indeed there was nothing there. It astounded him, was that accomplished by pure speed? He was pretty sure the bird was way slower during the chase.
The woman went on: “My girl likes to play with strangers in the guild sometimes, but she’s always picky about which ones” - She was stroking the bird’s backside of the head with love as she talked.
“Ah, haha…I see…she’s so cool, can I…can I pet her?...”
“Sure, if she won’t mind”
Hugh extended one of his hands towards Abel with caution. The feathered being looked at him doing it, still with her head on the owner. Hugh believed for a second that the bird would escape in an abrupt manner just before he could touch it, but instead…he had placed his fingers on the soft plumage and was now scratching Abel’s head alongside the bicorn hat woman, him a little bit closer to the forehead.
Abel closed her eyes and emitted a pleased purr that resonated through her body, which was relaxed. To think she had been running through corridors and passageways minutes ago.
“I’m Jasper, by the way.” - Said the woman.
“I‘m Hugh” - His answer.
“I saw you filling in applicant’s papers down there earlier, Hugh”
“Oh, uh, yeah. I wanna be a part of the guild”
“Are you looking for a job?”