It was like coming up out of the deepest sleep he had ever had, very slowly and only begrudgingly rising to consciousness. He felt groggy beyond belief, and almost wanted to cling to the darkness that had smothered his mind, but felt himself rising towards wakefulness regardless of his wishes. He had a brief wonder of just how much he had drank the night before, but he didn’t have the scratchy mouth and throbbing head that would indicate a hangover. Then again, it had been getting close to finals week, so maybe he had just been studying too hard. He wasn’t even sure what day it was. He hoped it was the weekend, because he had obviously needed the sleep.

He hesitantly cracked his eyes open to stare up at a blurry blob of pale skin and golden hair, and groaned as it slowly came into focus. He didn’t recognize it right away, so maybe he had been drinking after all. Who the hell had he hooked up with? Then a name floated through his mind on an errant thought: Lord Angelmaris.

He fluttered and squawked in startled fury as it all came flooding back, and the elven fae skipped backwards, leaving him to dangle upside down from the jesses tied around one leg. He continued to shriek as he tried to right himself, as well as trying to claw at the cord that held him.

“Stop that noise!” the deceptive creature commanded, stomping a foot against the ground and slapping balled fists against its side in childish pique.

Richard’s beak clamped shut instantly, bottling his avian screams in his throat, though he continued to struggle, glaring daggers at his captor. And captor it was, no matter how it tried to couch what had happened. Richard was a prisoner, a slave, a pet at best.

“Don’t look at me like that, you troublesome bird,” the Lord pouted. “If I could have kept you as you were, I would have, but I need more than mere animal intelligence if I am to impress the Queen this time. Now, do stop that flapping about. You’re only going to tire yourself out before the contest. Be still, and I will set you upright. And you had better not bite or scratch me, or you’ll never be human again, that I promise you.”

Richard considered the words for a moment, then tucked his wings against his sides and curled his free talon up against his stomach, trying to project an air of obedience under protest. The fae approached and clasped him, one hand against his keel and the other between his shoulders, and gently turned him the right way up, then set him atop the perch. The former shape-shifter couldn’t help but give a nip in the fae’s direction, though he made sure not to touch skin or even fabric. That earned him an annoyed tap on his beak.

“Behave yourself, damn you!” the fae demanded, though it still did not have the sound of a direct order, as the demand for silence had. “I’m no happier with this than you are, but… I need your help…”

The Lord crossed his arms over his chest and stood pouting, sulking really, and Richard could understand why. Asking for help from a mortal, an enslaved one no less, must hurt its pride something fierce, and fae were as proud as they were deceptive. Which was to say exceptionally. He mantled his wings slightly and quirked his head to the side, doing his best to convey inquiry.

“I can listen to your thoughts, you daft creature, just think the question. Queen Mab has announced a contest amongst the lords and ladies of the fae realms, a contest of wits and intellect as well as speed and prowess. You don’t have the mind for such a contest in your previous state, so I am forced to allow you more of yourself. If I could have the intelligence without the attitude, I would be most pleased, but they appear to come hand in hand.”

Queen Mab? Hadn’t the being mentioned Queen Titania last time? Richard had been under the impression that the fae only tended to one Queen or the other. Was Angelmaris trying to play both sides? He tilted his head to the other side, opening his beak and meaning to voice a soft chirp, but finding himself still silenced. And yes, he had done that just to spite the fae. He would keep his thoughts to himself as much as he could for as long as he could help it. It was the only form of defiance he had at the moment.

“Oh, very well, you little shit. Be that way. And yes, Queen Titania is to whom I give loyalty, but I was ‘volunteered’ to participate. She was quite taken with you and boasted that you may well be the best hunting beast in all the realms, despite being a mere dumb beast. Queen Mab took offense to this, as her own current favorite is a harpy. We are to participate in a set of challenges which will require more that you be able to fathom more than simple commands. I would much prefer your cooperation, as participants are not allowed direct control of their entrants, but I can lay compulsions on you if necessary. Unfortunately, I have little doubt that you would find ways to purposefully misconstrue them or purposefully fail a challenge so as to muck my reputation.”

Richard gaped his beak and bobbed his head in amused agreement. Oh, he most definitely would.

“The losers will be killed,” Lord Angelmaris advised. “I wouldn’t mind that quite so much if it were not for the fact that I would be joining you in oblivion. Not to mention having to replace a bird for the second time in the same century.”

The last was said with a scoff and an annoyed gesture that set Richard to grinding his beak. Of course replacing his bird would be the more troublesome thought. Fae couldn’t really die so long as they remained within the fae realms. He would be “dead” only so long as he was made to be, then would pop back into existence and be back up to his tricks all over again. Richard, however, would be completely dead unless someone decided to resurrect his spirit, as unlikely as that was. On the other hand, being dead would be preferable to being a slave to this nasty bastard. At least then he could move on to the spirit realms and be free of fae influence.

“I could very well put a spirit trap on you, if not for the fact that they’d know for certain that you are more than you appear to be if I did so. Only an utter sadist would trap the soul of a dumb beast, and I am not known to be that nor want to be.” The fae considered him for a moment, then sighed and rolled its eyes. “Very well, I’ll make you a bargain, Shard.”

Richard pulled his head back, afronted. Shard?

“Shard. Short for Richard. I thought it was very clever.”

Richard rolled his own eyes and shook his head.

“Oh, think what you will, everyone else likes it. Anyhow, unless we at least place within the top half of the contest, we’re both dead. So let’s make a deal, shall we?”

It was Richard’s turn to consider, and he thought about it for several minutes. The problem was that he couldn’t really see a way to force the fae into returning him to his old life, not for something like this, not when he seemed to be popular (or perhaps slightly infamous) amongst the royalty. He might talk the Lord into letting him keep his mind, but he’d still be under its control, still a captive, still a pet. That would be even worse with his mind intact, but he definitely did not want to go back into the darkness that had swallowed him up. That was even worse than being dead. That was not being at all. No, there was only one price he would accept for his cooperation, and that was final. Death was preferable.

He clamped his wings close and turned up his beak, looking away from the fae in stubborn determination.

“Damn your eyes, you beastly creature!” the fae raged. “May your wings fail you mid-flight! May your feathers molt and your skin blister! May your beak fall off! May your talons gnarl and become arthritic! You damnable beast!”

Richard ignored the continued spate of insults, stubbornly holding to his decision until the flow of words finally tapered off.

“Fine!” the Lord spat. “If that is the only thing you will accept, then I agree. When I am done with you, I will return you to the mortal realm and allow you to assume human form once more, but you will allow me to place certain strictures upon you for the duration of the contest so as to ensure your obedience.”

Lord Angelmaris stuck out a hand, obviously frustrated but forced into the agreement. With an internal grin, Richard reached out his unfettered talon to shake, but his heart dropped into his stomach when the elfen face broke into a wide grin.

“You mortals are so very predictable,” the fae purred. “I said when I am done with you, not when the contest is completed. And I am not going to be done with you for a very long time, pretty bird. Now, forget I said that.”

Richard wondered why the fae was grinning despite most definitely having come off the worse of that bargain, but he figured it was probably thinking of ways to get revenge. He’d have to come up with a way to get it to agree not to do that. It would suck having to carry around a wrought iron fire poker for the rest of his life.