This is stupid. Absolutely stupid.
I mean come on!
What kind of "darkness coming from bedrock up" could there possibly be?!
It sure as h*ll couldn't be as bad as just everyday life problems! Like being forced to perpetually only eat veggies or fruit because of Avian's sh*t immune system even though you don't like veggies and fruits! Or being left out of everything your peers do because you're the "weird" and "loud" one that no one wants to be around.

Really, whatever this darkness is should learn how to wait because Tommy had far more important things to care about.

But Tommy is stubborn and often spiteful. So he tried writing in the book, yelling at it to f*ck off or something. However, no pen or pencil he used made a mark on the parchment.
Which Tommy really thought was some sh*t design because how the f*ck was he supposed to sign his name if none of his pens or pencils worked on the paper.

Tommy, instead, opted to ignore the thing. At least he tried to.
He found that the book showed up at his side wherever he went. (Like it was a trident with loyalty and his inventory was full.) It was kind of creepy.

Tommy got frustrated with the thing and tried tearing it to shreds but found that it took every ounce in him to tear even a small rip into the paper, and even then it molded itself back together.

Tommy officially hated this f*ckin book.
How could he get it to leave him alone?!

Tommy, begrudgingly, grabbed a pen and aggressively tore his name onto the dotted line.
And, as if it had always just been a normal book, the ink of the pen left behind every stroke of Tommy's hands and the parchment tore slightly under the pressure.

Tommy moved the pen to below the signature line, and sure enough, he was able to spit back at the stupid thing now.
But also, now he had no idea what to do.

Did he leave home? Did he rebel against the book? Did he actually attempt the quest or just use it as a good excuse to skip school?
Where would he even go?

It's not like they lived particularly near any other race. In fact, the closest ones were a group of humans that they traded with on occasion.
And even that was a good 100 miles away in a direction Tommy isn't even aware of. There was no way!

Tommy opted to just ignore all of it. Tearing the page out of the book with far more ease than previously and dropping it in the trash.

But of course, because the f*cker always returns, it molded itself back together and his mom asked him what it was doing in the trash.

"It's just some stupid nonsense book I found, don't worry about it mom," Tommy replied swiftly.
"You signed it."
"So?"
"You agreed to the conditions of it."
"No, not really."

Next thing Tommy knows he's stumbling to the edge of the mountain city with a bag latched to his hip and his parents wishing him well.

Oh, you've got to be kidding me!

Tommy figured out quickly that they weren't going to change their minds. He just had to suck it up and pray that life outside of the Aviary was merciful.
(Even worse, he swears he's been hearing things like rustling and flowing water since he signed it.)

Would he even have enough food for this? Most likely not.
Tommy's fist clenched tightly over the clasp of his bag.
This was going to suck.
Truly.

"Bye! Don't die!" His dad proclaimed happily.
His mom kissed his forehead and wished him well with a hug, his dad following close behind.

G*d, it felt like he was being sent out to some sort of boarding school or some sh*t.

"Bye," Tommy waved carefully, anger coming off him in waves, before stepping to the edge.
They waved him farewell. And he jumped off the side of the cliff.

The first few inches he was met with acceleration until, what can only be described as a skirt or a waist parachute, opened up and out around him and his descent slowed significantly.

He pushed himself forward with his foot, the rock no doubtably would have hurt if not for his shoes. He floated over a good amount of potentially dangerous obstacles with ease and landed steadily on the top few branches of a tall tree.

Tommy hopped from tree to tree for a few hours lethargically until there was an upwards incline.

It took every bit of self-control to not run back home and give up. He shouldn't have to be worrying about it.
Still, here he was worried about it.

Tommy ran a hand through his hair, angry with himself- no- angry with the world.
Why him?! Of all people, why an obnoxious, loud, obviously super powerful (not to brag or anything), 14-year-old boy?!
Tommy pressed the base of his palm to his eyes, hoping to get rid of this frustrating headache.

But, of course, cause he was f*ckin stupid and the universe hated him to his very core, he slammed right into something.
The "something" must have been a human because it was tall but it definitely wasn't a tree or a bush or even a pillar. It wasn't hard at all actually. Not to mention he hit it and it immediately replied with, "oh my! Pardon. Are you alright mate?!"

Can this day get any worse?!
"Did you hit your head or something? Are you alright?" The person, a guy probably by the sound of their voice, asked.
"This can't be f*cking happening!" Tommy w̶h̶i̶n̶e̶d̶ (Tommyinnit does not whine!) angrily, shooting his hands away from his face.

He pushed himself off the ground, the mud beneath him sticking to his waist parachute, which probably has a proper name but Tommy never bothered to learn it.
Wait- mud?

When had it gotten so cold and wet?
Nooooo...
Nooooooo!
NOOO!

The soft patter of rain hit the fabric of the umbrella being held over his head by the man in front of him.
With a closer look at the man it was obvious he was far older than Tommy.

He had light facial hair lining his chin but not the entirety of his jawline. He had a little shorter than shoulder-length blond hair, with a stupid white and green bucket hat. Wrapped around his hat and dangling off the rim was a tiny rope with a string of beads, notably yellow, pink, and red. He had soft, tired yet bright, blue eyes that held the weight of the world within them, only to reflect Tommy within their sparkle. He had a green and gold kimono on, protected from the elements only by a set of large deep purple, almost black, feathered wings that protruded from his back.

He seemed antsy, almost as if the tree they were standing under was the only thing prohibiting him from leaving the shivering and now wet child alone in the rain in the middle of seemingly nowhere, and not his moral compass.

"I'm Phil," he greeted sweetly, letting the Avian take up all of the room under the umbrella while he stood in the rain.
"Tommy," Tommy replied almost too quickly.

Phil gave a soft, peaceful smile. He reminded Tommy of a dad. Not his dad, of course, there was something different between the two, but a dad nonetheless.

It was almost as if his entire being weighed on itself with the need to protect those too helpless to protect themselves, which really wasn't Tommy by the way.

"The rain should clear in a bit, but for now there's a cave I'm currently camping in. Why don't you join me, get out of the rain?" Phil offered politely.
Tommy's refusal was on the tip of his tongue but he somehow couldn't bring it in himself to refuse. There was something about him. Something scarily familiar.
Yet, Tommy couldn't put his finger on why.

Still, he let himself be led to a nearby cave where they settled out of the rain.
"Mushroom stew?" Phil offered, handing a hot bowl to Tommy with a light smile.

Tommy took it, leaning against his bag, his feet laying lazily in front of him.
Carefully spooning the soup into his mouth, he eyed the man who seemed continuously antsy under the cave roof. His wings flexed and he shifted, trying to keep the soup in his mouth.

"Are you ok?" Tommy asked.
Phil jumped slightly as if Tommy's voice startled him. As if he forgot Tommy was there.
"Oh, yes! I'm fine. Elytrian's don't do well without being in a wide open space," Phil replied with a soft smile before frowning.

For a moment it looked as if Phil was giving him the once over, his brows furrowing.
"You know, I could have sworn you were a Feline or an Elytrian from the way you flew off each tree to the next so gracefully but-" he trailed off his eyes scanning the area around Tommy.
Perhaps even, Tommy himself.

Tommy bit his inner cheek, refusing himself the instinct to flee.
"-you don't have wings or cat ears and tail," Phil noted.
Tommy popped another spoonful of soup into his mouth and he yawned.

"Nope," Tommy agreed, trying to blink away the tiredness.
"Hmmm, you don't have multiple arms so you're not an Arachnid... Shulk maybe? You'd have to be a very skilled Shulk but, maybe?" Phil pondered aloud, his eyes narrowing, focusing more on the soft smoke from the burned-out flame.

"What other creatures are there? Humans don't have that large of jump range, though I have seen them be able to parkour from one tree to another if they're desperate. Say, are you a human?" Phil continued.
Tommy shook his head when Phil looked back up at him. Phil grunted in irritation and Tommy chuckled.

It was funny watching a grown *ss man play a guessing game with your race. Even if it was slightly insulting.
"Not Human, not Arachnid - you can eat mushroom stew, not Feline - you don't have cat ears or tail,  not Blazeborn - they haven't left the nether in a good amount of years, not Merlings - you'd probably already be dead since you're not in the water, maybe Elytrian? You could just be hiding your wings, though you don't seem fazed by the closed quarters. Maybe Enderian? Though, again, you don't seem fazed by the rain... Shulk maybe? That's the most probable. What other races are there?!" Phil listed his concentration growing to frustration.

Tommy laughed and rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake. Phil gave Tommy a look, one that screamed pity.
Tommy hated pity.
"What?" Tommy shot.
Phil seemed a little taken aback by the aggressive question but recovered quickly.

"I'm sorry. You can trust me, I won't hurt you," Phil assured.
That's exactly what someone he can't trust would say!
Tommy glared at him before sharply looking away. He reached over, handing him the bowl back from over the still kinda hot leftover fire pit.

Phil took it and settled down.
The rain left a steady beat against the cave's roof and the floor of the cave closer to the mouth. It was enough to lull the adult to sleep within seconds of him settling down.

Tommy tried his best not to fall asleep. He knew there were consequences of not being high enough. He'd learned it in school, and one time the person he closely regarded enough to call a brother had told him a story of him falling asleep during one of his adventures. The way he described the feeling was horrifying enough for 7-year-old Tommy to decide he was never going to leave the mountain.
Look where that got him.

But there was a storm and Tommy was terrified of lighting. He could be struck! Besides, this was the safest place at the moment.
So, despite the dangers, Tommy let the rain lull him off to sleep too.

He just hoped he wouldn't regret it.