Magic links

Meliora fluttered around a bit, looking around, until the otter approached her.

"Hmm. Tide. Nice to meet you, Tide." She nodded at the otter before continuing on. "I might do some fishing later, but I came to ask... what's this about the Hydra lurking around these areas? I saw it on the notice-board and I couldn't help but be a bit intrigued." Meliora cocked her head a bit inquisitively.

Meliora frowned. "That sounds quite annoying indeed." She paused, thinking with that intelligent bird-brain of hers, gears whizzing, as she slowly said a few things. "What if... instead of cutting it's neck, we'd go for it's body instead? Because I've heard that you're offering quite a plentiful reward for their bones." Meliora cocked her head, before hurriedly tacking on, "Speaking of which... where are they usually and when do they arrive? Because I'd like to have a look at this Hydra before I make any rash decisions, of course!"

Tide nodded slowly. "That just might work. I tried cuting it in half the first time, but as you cna imagine, it was hard to find where the neck ended and the body began." He stood up. "The Hydra comes here at dusk, when I'm inside looking over my catch for the day."

Meliora nodded. "That sounds about right." She hesitated, then continued. "In the meantime, until dusk, I might as well do a bit of fishing here to pass the time." She cocked her head a bit at Tide. "Is that your shop over there selling the rods and the bait? If so, can I just buy some worm bait and the wooden rod for now?"

~
"Thanks, I'll be right here for now." She smiled and made her way to the pier.

The pier appeared empty of anyone, and Meliora sighed as she watched the docks and the boat bobbing along with the waves. Finding a convenient perch on the railing of the pier, she fidgeted with the rod a bit - really, when could they make these kinds of things avian-friendly? - until it was in a nice position. Somehow managing to stick a piece of bait onto the end of it, she encountered a new problem.

How in the hell was she meant to cast the rod?

What a laughable situation indeed. To cast it, one was supposed to be able to throw the hook out. Melie had already found a rather nice way to prop the rod up without it falling over should excess pressure be forced onto it, and throwing it would be difficult without losing it entirely.

Then she had an idea. A really wierd idea, but it would work.

Picking up the hook with her beak, she dived downwards - and the abruptly stopped as she felt the rod begin to tip over on the pier.

She peered anxiously up, only to see the rod was still in the nice place she had set it - barely. It would need adjusting once she got back up there, and holy gods the had to be careful now.

Descending really slowly now, one flap by flap, flap, flap, flap, she carefully - and you have no idea how careful she was - flapped downwards until the hook was just above the surface.

Well, this was another problem. She could get the hook down to the water level. How could she get it under the water?

Really, as an avian, fishing was too hard.

Flying back up to the pier, she hurriedly reset the fishing rod into the nice place wedged between a pole and the railing, and with great difficulty, twisted the handle around a few times.

Damn, but that was wierd. Her beak was not used to manipulating things that went spinny up, around, down, around, repeat. She probably looked like... she didn't want to know what she looked like as she managed to crank the handle a few times.

Fluttering back up to the railing, she looked down and saw the hook finally - finally - where she wanted it to be, under the water.

Now came the waiting game.