The Thief and the Prince – Chapter 3: Peacock

Peacock

Morning light broke gently across the forest as Kael and Arin followed a narrow path woven between towering ancient trees. Dew sparkled on the leaves like tiny crystals, and the air was cool enough to sting their lungs. It was the first time since their escape that Kael felt the world breathing again.

But the beauty of the forest could not quiet the storm in his mind.

They had left Paevia behind…

Yet Paevia never left him.

Arin walked ahead, kicking small stones off the path, humming a tune to keep the silence from swallowing them.

“You’re thinking about the city again,” he said without turning.

Kael blinked in surprise. “And how exactly do you know that?”

Arin smirked. “Because when you think, you walk slower. And quieter. Like a depressed ghost.”

Kael couldn’t help a faint smile. “You’re impossible.”

“It’s part of my charm,” Arin replied, bowing dramatically.

The prince shook his head, amused for the first time that morning. But before Kael could respond, Arin suddenly raised his hand, signaling him to stop.

Kael froze. “What is it?”

Arin whispered, “Listen.”

A sound drifted through the forest—soft, musical, like tiny glass beads falling onto stone. Neither of them had heard anything like it before.

They stepped forward cautiously.

The trees opened into a glowing clearing where shafts of sunlight streamed through the canopy, turning the mist into golden smoke.

And there, standing proudly on a moss-covered log…

was a peacock.

Its feathers shimmered like liquid jewels—emerald, sapphire, gold—and its long train flowed behind it like a river of color.

Kael whispered, “It’s beautiful.”

Arin narrowed his eyes. “Beautiful things in enchanted forests are usually traps.”

“Do you trust nothing?” Kael asked.

“Not when it looks like that,” Arin replied.

But the bird wasn’t aggressive. It simply stood still, watching them with unsettling intelligence. Its head tilted, its crest shaking slightly in the breeze, as if trying to study them.

Kael stepped forward slowly.

“Careful!” Arin hissed.

“It’s just a bird,” Kael said softly.

But the moment he came closer, the peacock suddenly opened its tail fully—spreading its feathers in a brilliant explosion of shimmering color.

Both boys froze.

Then, the bird let out a sharp cry, flapped its wings, and jumped off the log. It landed gracefully, took two steps forward, and looked directly into Kael’s eyes.

Then it turned around… and began walking away.

Guiding them.

Arin blinked. “You can’t be serious. You want to follow a bird?”

“It’s not just a bird,” Kael whispered. “It’s leading us somewhere.”

“Or into a monster’s mouth.”

Kael began walking after the peacock. Arin groaned loudly but followed.

The peacock moved gracefully, weaving through narrow paths as though it knew the forest better than its own heartbeat. Every now and then, it glanced back to make sure the boys were behind it.

Finally, it led them into a small hidden valley.

There, half-covered in vines and surrounded by wildflowers, stood an old stone archway carved with unfamiliar symbols.

Kael stepped closer. “What is this place?”

Arin whistled. “Looks like the home of someone who liked fancy rocks.”

Kael ignored him and placed a hand on the arch. The stone hummed faintly beneath his fingers—warm, alive.

“This is ancient,” Kael murmured. “Older than Paevia. Perhaps older than Althera itself.”

The peacock suddenly cried again—loud, urgent.

Then both boys heard it:

Footsteps.

Metal.

Voices.

Soldiers.

Arin swore under his breath. “Varek’s men!”

Kael’s pulse quickened. “They tracked us.”

Arin grabbed his arm. “We need to go. Now!”

But the peacock didn’t move away. Instead, it hopped beside the archway and pecked at a specific symbol near the base. A faint glow appeared beneath its beak.

Kael’s eyes widened. “It’s showing us something.”

“No time!” Arin hissed. “They’re close—we’ll be dead in minutes!”

But Kael touched the glowing symbol.

The archway pulsed with light.

A soft hum filled the air…

…and then the stone corridor behind the arch shifted, opening like a hidden doorway into the dark.

A secret refuge.

Arin stared. “Okay… I take back everything I said. Follow the magic bird!”

Kael grabbed Arin’s wrist. “Inside!”

They ran through the opening just as the distant shouts of soldiers grew louder.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the peacock let out one final cry and fluttered onto a branch above them.

The stone arch closed behind them with a heavy thud, sealing them in darkness.

The forest fell silent once more.

Inside the hidden passage, Kael whispered:

“Why would a peacock save us?”

Arin shook his head. “I don’t know… but I’m starting to think this forest has chosen sides.”

Kael exhaled slowly. “Then we must discover why.”

And with only the faint glow of ancient runes guiding their way, the prince and the thief stepped deeper into the forgotten tunnels…

Leaving behind the world they knew—

and walking toward a destiny far older than either of them imagined.