Chapter 53: “The Return of Fergus (and the Chicken Chronicles)”
The sun rose lazily over the village of Fruity Falls, casting warm light on the aftermath of the previous night's questionable decisions. Kazuya, half-asleep and entirely confused, blinked at the ceiling.
Next to him, Sylvara stirred, her silver hair a tangled mess. Nerissa sprawled out at the foot of the bed, hugging her lute like a body pillow. Mika mumbled something about magic in her sleep, and Lyria snored softly, her braid sticking straight up.
Everything seemed peaceful. Too peaceful.
Until…
CRASH!
"GUYS! I FOUND MORE CHICKENS!"
The door flew open, and Fergus burst in, holding not one, but two enormous chickens by the feet. Feathers exploded everywhere, making the room look like a scene from a particularly chaotic pillow fight.
"Why are you back?!" Kazuya groaned, sitting up and rubbing his temples. "Didn't we agree you'd stay outside for at least one morning?"
Fergus grinned sheepishly. "I did! But then I found these two beauties roaming around. Thought we could have breakfast!"
Sylvara sat up, glaring. "Why are you holding live chickens for breakfast?"
"Because they're fresher that way!" Fergus declared proudly.
One of the chickens clucked angrily and pecked him on the nose.
"Ow! Okay, maybe too fresh…"
The Chicken Escape
Before anyone could stop him, Fergus accidentally let go of one of the chickens.
"NO!"
The chicken, sensing its chance, bolted out of the room, squawking at the top of its lungs.
"AFTER IT!" Kazuya yelled, leaping out of bed and pulling on his boots.
The group scrambled to follow the runaway chicken, sprinting down the inn's hallway in various states of disarray. Sylvara, ever graceful, managed to look regal even with bedhead. Nerissa grabbed her lute, ready to compose a song about the chase. Mika tripped over her robe but recovered quickly, while Lyria clung to Kazuya's arm for balance.
"Why are we doing this?" Kazuya muttered.
"Because you didn't want chicken for breakfast," Fergus replied.
The Great Chicken Chase
The chicken led them on a wild chase through the village, weaving between fruit stalls and narrowly avoiding a baker carrying a tray of pastries.
"STOP THAT CHICKEN!" Kazuya shouted.
A villager looked up. "Which one?"
Kazuya paused. "Uh… the one that's running?"
"There are three running," the villager replied, pointing.
Sure enough, two more chickens had joined the escape, and all three were now causing chaos in the town square.
Sylvara sighed. "This is ridiculous."
"Ridiculous?" Fergus grinned. "It's breakfast!"
The Cluckening
Just when they thought things couldn't get worse, a fourth chicken appeared.
This one was different.
It was enormous. Twice the size of a normal chicken, with feathers that shimmered gold in the sunlight. It strutted confidently into the square, looking like it owned the place.
"That… is the biggest chicken I've ever seen," Nerissa said, wide-eyed.
The villagers gasped. "The Golden Chicken!"
"The what now?" Kazuya asked.
"The legendary Golden Chicken of Fruity Falls!" a villager explained. "It's said to bring great fortune… or terrible mischief!"
Kazuya groaned. "Why is it always chickens?"
The Chicken Showdown
The Golden Chicken locked eyes with Fergus.
"Uh-oh," Fergus whispered.
Without warning, the chicken charged.
"IT'S COMING FOR ME!" Fergus screamed, sprinting away.
"RUN, YOU FOOL!" Kazuya shouted, grabbing a fruit cart and pushing it in front of the chicken.
The Golden Chicken leapt over the cart with surprising agility, landing in front of Fergus and fluffing its feathers dramatically.
"I think it's challenging him to a duel," Sylvara said, watching in disbelief.
"What do I do?!" Fergus wailed.
"Fight it!" Mika suggested.
"With what?"
"Your pride?" Lyria offered.
"MY PRIDE ISN'T WEAPONIZED!" Fergus yelled, dodging another charge.
The Feathery Finale
Just as it seemed the chicken would win, Nerissa stepped forward, lute in hand.
"I've got this."
She played a quick, jaunty tune, and the Golden Chicken froze, tilting its head in curiosity.
"What… is she doing?" Kazuya asked.
"Distracting it," Sylvara replied, smiling.
The chicken, completely entranced by the music, slowly lowered itself to the ground.
"NOW!" Kazuya shouted.
Fergus, realizing his chance, threw a net over the chicken, securing it at last.
The villagers cheered.
"We did it!"
The group high-fived, laughing breathlessly.
"That was the weirdest morning ever," Kazuya said.
Sylvara smirked. "Just another day in Fruity Falls."