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The journey to the next town over shouldn't have taken much time, even if they had to walk. Less than a day's trip.
If the weather would have cooperated, that was.
It started small, the wind picking up when they left town. Annoying, especially blowing right at them, but no big deal.
Clouds rolled in, it was getting a little colder. Again, annoying, very different from the warm weather they'd been having, but they had coats they could they could use. (Though it it took a lot of convincing to get David to put his on)
Then a light snowfall. Sure, why not? Why wouldn't it just suddenly start snowing? Even still, that was still manageable. By the time it started they were more than half way there, it'd slow them down a little bit but they'd probably still make it before dark.
Bloom didn't hate it. Not his favourite weather, but the cooler temperatures and soft snow had it's perks. That was the attitude most of them had. Everyone except the party's one and only bard, in fact.
Jacques had already been in a bit of a sour mood from their recent fight against a maniac man with magic that turned many of the locals in the previous town into animals. Jacques was the only one hit by one of these spells during the fight, resulting in a very angry bird stealing the spell caster's staff.
When they'd (finally) won, everyone affected by his spells had returned to normal. Jacques couldn't wait to critique everyone's fighting the moment he had his normal body back.
They were all silently debating which one of them had to tell him of the large, brown bird wings stuck to his back (it ended up being Bensai).
They tried about four different healers and such around the town, none had a clue how that ended up being an after affect of being turned into a bird. No one else involved had anything from their animal form remain. Just Jacques.
A cleric and the local temple and suggested they visit an old friend of hers, a druid living just outside the nearby town who also knew the man who'd cursed Jacques. Said they might be the best bet the group had.
So, maybe Jacques' growing annoying at just about everything, the weather included, was a little warranted. Especially after David had to help him cut holes in the back of his coat for the wings to fit through.
Bloom had been watching him struggle with the new wings since he got them, and especially during this walk. It was interesting, how little Jacques seemed to be able to move them by himself. It was never a conscious choice, least from Bloom's perspective, but a reaction to Jacques normal way of moving.
He'd point something out, the wings raised a little. He crossed his arms, disappointed in whoever, they folded in. He was startled, they'd fan out widely as if to prepare to take off.
Jacques hadn't tried flying with them, much to Clark and Megan's disappointment. Though the others all though that was the best, considering the lack of control he seemed to have.
Bloom did feel a little bad for the guy, having to suddenly adjust to essentially having two extra limbs. Didn't stop him from laughing when he accidentally smacked David with them, or when the wind caught his wings and knocked Jacques off his feet. But hey, Bloom still helped him up after.
"We better be almost there," Jacques said, brushing snow off himself.
"We're close," Megan promised, holding tightly to her hat so it wouldn't blow away (like it had twice already. Thankfully David was quick)
"Not too far left," Bensai added positively. "If it were just a bit clearer out, I think we would be able to see the town."
The group all slowed to a stop as the next strong gust of window blew the now suddenly much heavier snow right into their faces.
"Seriously — where the hell did the weather come from?" David questioned, having to yell quite loudly for the others to just barely hear him over the wind.
"I don't know if we're gonna make it much farther in this," Bloom pointed out, loud as he could.
He was struggling just to stay on his feet at this point, waving for everyone to follow him off the side of the path and gather up. He kept a good eye on Jacques, noticing Bensai doing the same.
The group stood close together behind the nearby tree for the smallest bit of shelter. Didn't help that much, but a little better than nothing.
"What now?" Clark asked, now holding Megan's hat tight against his chest after it fell off for the third time.
"Is there anywhere we can wait this out?" Megan wondered, looking around them at what had essentially become a white void. It was near impossible to seem anything more than five feet around them.
"This isn't a normal storm," David insisted suddenly. "Definitely magic involved."
"How can you be so sure?" Bensai inquired sincerely. "I mean, I agree it's quite strange and sudden, but the weather can be naturally unpredictable."
"Can be," David said. "But what really are the odds that — after nothing but nice weather — this happens the moment we leave town?"
"We do have a history of pissing off magic users," Bensai agreed, raising his arm as the group was assaulted by a surprise wave of hail.
"I'm starting to agree with the magic thing!" Megan remarked, her and Clark attempting to use David as a shield from the flying ice.
Bloom turned his back to the wind after being pelted in the face. He could of swore the chunks of ice were getting larger — this had to be magical. The group naturally shuffled closer together, Bensai's hand rested on Bloom's shoulder.
Bensai glanced to his right to check on Jacques, noticing how quiet he'd been this whole time. It was right as he looked over he saw a flash off brown as Jacques new wings raised up rather quickly.
Bensai was quick to grab his arm, worried he might fall again even with the wind behind them. He hadn't been expecting Jacques not only to seem to be in control of the wings, but to bring them up and around everyone.
The others we even less prepared, Clark practically jumping into David as the wings brushed against him. Megan stumbled into Bloom, who stumbled into Bensai, who managed to stable both of them with one hand while keeping the other holding onto Jacques.
"The hell-" David cut himself off, glancing towards Jacques.
He swayed slightly, even with Bensai helping. David quickly grabbed his other arm in an attempt to help his stand more stably .
"The hell are you doing?"
"Trying something?" Jacques said, almost too quiet for Bensai to hear.
Well, it was working. Their friend's wings (which were apparently much larger that Bensai had thought) seem to form a perfect dome around them, shielding them from the snow and ice still raging.
Bensai didn't have the slightest idea how wings worked exactly, especially ones given to you by some sort of magic, but he was certain Jacques wasn't feeling nothing from the intense weather. Especially considering this left his back still exposed to everything.
He tried to gauge from Jacques expression how he was doing, and was met with an unmoving stare of focus.
The task of actually controlling the wings seem to require complete attention, best not to disrupt that too much. Unless it looked to be causing him pain, of course.
They all could hear the wind die down. When Jacques wings dropped back to his side, the weather had returned to a gentle snowfall and light breeze. They could see their intended destination not too far off, the outlines of small buildings in the fog.
"Are you alright?" Bensai asked Jacques, who'd placed a hand on his chest and seemed to be breathing heavily.
"Fine," Jacques insisted rather unconvincingly.
Bensai and David had to step forward quickly when his wings raised to shake off some of the snow.
"We should get into town now," Bensai suggested. "Before anything else happens and to make sure you are alright."
Jacques said something in protest the trailed off into begrudgingly agreeing. Clark took the lead, Bensai and David walked right alongside Jacques while Bloom and Megan followed just a couple paces behind.
Bensai noticed Jacques started shivering as the walked, more so than before. He silently removed his own coat and draped it over Jacques back, careful of his wings. He brushed off the other man's insistent that it was unnecessary with a smile.
They reached the town gate, the guard on duty didn't question them much outside genuine concern for them walking in such weather, and was quick to direct them to the local inn.
Jacques insisted they just head straight to the druid they'd come to see, but the others shut that down by reminding him it was another twenty or so minutes away. It was already getting dark out, and everyone was tired and cold. Especially him.
They managed to get two rooms at the inn, Bensai and David escorted Jacques up to one of them while the others promised to bring food up shortly after.
"We should probably make sure your wings aren't damaged," Bensai suggested once the trio was in the warmth of their new temporary lodging.
"I'm fine," Jacques insisted as he sat on one of the beds, taking off Bensai's jacket though he was clearly still quite cold.
The brown feathers which made up his wings had a layer of frost over them. They were tucked tightly, almost wrapping themselves around Jacques. Looked so much smaller than they had back out in the storm. Was changing size also part of this magic?Or were they really just deceptively large?
"You're still shaking," David pointed out bluntly before throwing his own coat over Jacques head. "And the wings are like — apart of your body right now, aren't they?"
Jacques pulled the coat down, letting it rest across his lap while rolling his eyes at David.
"Yes, obviously."
"Then it really would be best if someone took a look at them," Bensai insisted. "I mean, I don't know that much about wings, but I could at least check for obvious damage."
"Fine," Jacques gave in with a sigh.
"Thank you. Can you trying bringing them out again?"
Jacques glance over his shoulder at one of his wings, slowing unfolding both out with a slight look of surprise on his face.
"I… actually can."
"Least you seemed to learn how to control them," David pointed out positively. This only after he'd taken several steps away from Jacques to avoid possibly getting hit with one of the wings again.
Bensai examined Jacques left wing incredibly carefully with clear hesitancy to actually touch it. He wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for, Bloom would probably had been more equipped deal with something like this, but Bensai believed he'd at least be able to notice any visible damage.
"So how'd you do that?" David questioned suddenly as he leaned against the wall by the door.
"Do what?"
"The wing-shield thing," David elaborated, using his arms to mime wings. "I mean you'd smacked me in the face with them while trying to point out something like ten minutes before."
"How do you know that wasn't on purpose?" Jacques teased, met with an eye roll from David.
"Because you would have done it before then. Seriously, can just control them now?"
"Kind of?" Jacques replied, looking back and forth at both wings. "I just got the idea and then they… did it, I guess. Was honestly as surprised as everyone else that it worked."
"I think you should be alright after warming up a bit more," Bensai reported, Jacques' wings folded back in. "But maybe no more using them as a shield. And perhaps let Bloom take a look as well, just incase?"
"I trust your judgment."
"Well I appreciate that, but I do believe he's more knowledgeable on the subject than I am," Bensai pointed out as he sat on the bed beside Jacques. David sat down on the other side.
"Hmm, I wonder…" Jacques spread his wings out behind the pair, the right one moved forward and pushed David off the bed before both dropped back down.
"Yep, sure can."
"You're an ass, you know that right?" David asked as he picked himself back up.
"Was just testing if I could move them separately," Jacques insisted with a grin. "I'm starting to not mind the wings nearly as much now. Oh, and since you're up, why don't you go and see if the others are on their way up with food yet?"
"Yeah, I'll come back and throw something at you, don't worry."
Jacques laughed as David left, leaving the door slightly open. Bensai wondered how serious the rogue's promise was, and if he should put some distance between himself and Jacques to avoid getting hit in the crossfire.