Thunder Bird
"Whoa..."
I looked around in a daze, the soft exclamation slipping free before I could stop it. Seeing the world from a height of barely a hundred and forty centimeters had been one thing; now, perched more than two meters above the ground, I could take in so much more.
This sudden, sweeping view of the world was all thanks to Hairan. The great horse had drawn near, offered me its broad back, and once I was settled, risen carefully to its feet. Wind sweeping over the barren rock of the mountains tossed Hairan's stiff mane in every direction.
"You haven't seen a giant bird around here, have you?"
Hairan only snorted a hot breath in answer, offering no further reaction. I stroked its mane and tipped my face toward the sky. The blackened heavens had turned a glittering blue, and the lightning that had prickled across my skin was nowhere to be found. I couldn't have imagined it—my clothes were still faintly damp from wandering through the clouds. Even with such clear proof, I could hardly believe I had truly come face-to-face with that colossal bird.
"Thunder Bird..."
I would have to learn everything I could about the legends surrounding it. I patted Hairan's back.
"Hey..."
As if answering my call, the horse snorted and flicked its tail. I smiled lightly.
"Do you know where Rosen or the other adventurers might be?"
Hairan swished its tail at the question and started down toward the foot of the mountain. Despite the heavy thud of its hooves, the ride was remarkably comfortable. The massive muscles sheathing its body seemed to swallow every jolt from the ground below. Comfortable as the gait was, Hairan was also astonishingly fast. Those long legs stretched forward, and the base of the mountain rushed up to meet us in moments.
The coachman who had brought us this far was waiting there, and around him sat the adventurers and Rosen—the same party that had vanished over the mountain ridge. When had they come all the way back down? I tilted my head, puzzled.
"Th-that..."
The coachman stared at me with his mouth hanging open. The cigarette between his lips tumbled to the ground, scattering a tiny spray of sparks.
"Hairan...?"
The adventurers and Rosen sprang to their feet and started toward me. They gazed at Hairan in open astonishment, and greed flickered in their eyes. In that instant Hairan lowered its stance and blew out a rough breath.
A sharp, warning glare fixed on them, making it clear the horse was thoroughly displeased. The adventurers and Rosen had no choice but to freeze where they stood.
"It's Hairan..."
"H-how... how did you catch it?"
"Hey, you wouldn't sell that horse to me, would you?"
Sell this one? I shook my head. Where else was I supposed to find another horse clever enough to understand human speech? And given Hairan's temperament, I doubted it would quietly accept a new master anyway.
"Looks like Hairan has chosen you..."
That came from the coachman still seated on the driver's box. He gave an awkward smile and addressed the adventurers.
"Best not to provoke Hairan for no reason. Once this one picks an owner, that doesn't change."
Even so, the adventurers were relentless. They kept dangling large sums of gold in front of me, pleading for me to sell. I was just about to sigh and refuse when Hairan, still snorting roughly, suddenly stepped forward and stamped a forehoof.
The force that began in that enormous hoof slammed into solid rock; the stone could not withstand the impact and shattered, leaving a clear imprint of Hairan's print behind. Confronted with that open display of power—and the bared teeth that came with it—the adventurers fell silent. They glanced warily between Hairan and me, then sighed and trudged toward the carriage, their shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Congratulations. Looks like that Hairan likes you."
Rosen's voice. She approached carefully, but could come no closer. Hairan blew a rough breath at her, as if warning her not to take another step. I gave the horse's back a light slap. The creature that had been struck by my small palm merely flicked its tail and otherwise ignored me.
"I'm sorry. Looks like this one's got a temper..."
"Mm, no. Hairans are usually like that."
Rosen sighed and turned away. Like the other adventurers, she seemed to have given up entirely on the idea of claiming Hairan for herself.
"Um, Rosen?"
"Hm?"
"You ran up the mountain earlier, right?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Did you happen to see a huge black bird up there?"
"A black bird...?"
"Yes—there were storm clouds and lightning, too..."
Rosen only shrugged and shook her head, as if she had no idea what I was talking about.
The carriage was ready to roll again. No one had any further business here, so we would simply head back. The coachman glanced at me and Hairan.
"Once we reach the city, there's going to be quite a stir."
With that, he cracked the reins like a whip. The massive horses surged forward. Horses that looked to be third- or fourth-generation descendants of Hairan raced off with the carriage. I watched them go, still seated on Hairan's back.
"Think you can run?"
Hairan began stamping its hooves, as if to say it was ready whenever I was. I took hold of its mane.
"Let's go."
The first hoofbeat rang out light and clear. My body seemed to lift into the air, and then a fierce wind rushed over me. Was this what it felt like to ride the wind itself? Hairan became a single streak of breeze and raced across the broad plateau. The scenery around us began to stretch and blur.
Each time Hairan's hooves struck the earth, a heavy, resonant beat rolled out. Even without a saddle, the ride was not merely stable—it was comfortable. I was starting to understand why so many people would give anything to ride a Hairan. The horse was a quiet wind. Its breathing remained calm, and even after it overtook the carriage that had left ahead of us, it showed no sign of slowing.
As expected, I was the first to reach the city, Hairan beneath me. The carriage that had departed earlier was only a faint shape at the far end of a distant ridge. I stroked Hairan's neck and headed for the city gate.
"H-Hairan...?"
The word slipped from the guard standing watch at the entrance. He stared at me astride the great horse, blinking.
"It's all right if I go in, isn't it?"
"Uh... y-yeah..."
I smiled lightly at his answer and gave Hairan's mane a gentle tug. The horse seemed to understand even that simple motion and walked carefully into the city.
Hairan's bulk was overwhelming. As the impossibly huge creature strode down the street, eyes naturally gathered. Whispers rose and swelled—
Is that...?
Hairan...?
It's a Hairan...
As the stares and murmurs grew louder, Hairan made its displeasure plain, snorting roughly and stamping a forehoof. The power in that leg was so great that the paving bricks cracked beneath it. The crowd's reactions split in two: some watched us with open wonder yet kept their distance, while others approached with rude, reckless boldness. Most of those who came close were knights and adventurers from outside the city. Every one of them said roughly the same thing.
"I want to buy that horse."
The knights who made the offer began politely enough, but the moment I refused they tried to cow me with high-handed pressure. Of course, Hairan's warnings and the sharp glares of the local residents soon drove those knights back. The greedy stares that clung to us, however, never fully faded.
I headed first for the horse market—not to sell Hairan, but to find a saddle and bridle that would fit. I approached the merchant I had met when I first arrived, the one who had told me about Hairan's habitat. He was still selling horses.
"Hello?"
"Ah... you're..."
"Do you happen to have a saddle this one could wear?"
"Huh..."
The merchant stared at me with his mouth open, then seemed to collect himself. He shook his head, stepped closer, and, watching Hairan carefully, asked,
"Mind if I... come a little closer for a moment?"
I looked down at Hairan. The horse gave a haughty little nod, as if granting a generous favor.
"Says it's fine."
The merchant approached and began examining Hairan. Then he muttered under his breath, sounding almost regretful.
"A mare..."
"Is a mare a problem?"
"No real problem. It's just..."
"Just?"
"A shame I can't get any breeding stock out of her."
With that he disappeared into the stable and returned with an enormous saddle and a long length of leather tack. "Could you hop down for a moment?"
That much was no trouble. I slid lightly from Hairan's back. With extreme care the merchant settled the saddle into place, tightened the long leather straps, and fitted a bridle over the horse's head. Hairan shook its head vigorously, clearly unhappy with the straps hanging across its face.
"Th-there... that should do it..."
When he had finished every careful motion, the merchant wiped the sweat from his brow and stepped back.
"How much?"
"All told, one gold."
I handed him a gleaming gold coin. He took it, rubbed his forehead, glanced around, and frowned.
"Quite a crowd gathering..."
"I guess Hairan's a curiosity."
"You planning to stay in the city tonight?"
"Probably."
"I'd recommend leaving as soon as you can."
"Why?"
"Greed clouds a person's eyes. And a young girl like you..."
He wasn't wrong. The gazes fixed on me and Hairan burned with naked desire—not one or two people, but dozens.
"Thanks for the advice."
I took it. Leading Hairan, I bought the food and water I would need for the journey, along with a book of Thunder Bird legends to read on the road and a map of the surrounding region. Even so, the number of people trailing after us kept growing.
"Let's go!"
I led Hairan out of the city. The horse became a quiet wind once more and raced away without hesitation; the city that bore Hairan's name shrank behind us in moments.
Our next destination was the desert known as the Resting Place of the Stars.