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On Monday, Bella arrives at school completely and stably human shaped, with everything she has learned about critters (except for her own species, which she isn't liable to forget) written down as margin notes on a page reminding her to ask Darren about D&D and filler decoy notes about that. She's probably going to have invent an actual cipher alphabet or something eventually but for the time being she thinks this will probably do for casual inspection.
She sits next to Darren in English.
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shesepankh
castmyown
"Yeah, for exactly that reason. Because collisions aren't fun. Especially when I have antlers and you have claws. That's just - asking for trouble."
shesepankh
"My claws aren't out," Bella points out. "I'm not sharp when they're tucked away."
castmyown
"Okay, well, my antlers do not shoo on command so easily. Just when they shed. So I am potentially dangerous."
castmyown
"Annually, mine usually in the winter. I've been tempted to keep a set of them, but I decided they were tacky and passed."
shesepankh
"It's winter now; is this a new set or will it be falling off any day now?"
castmyown
"Any day now! It varies a bit, though. Could be a week, could be a month, I have no idea. Definitely can't be a new set. They don't grow back that quickly, they start again in like - April and May."
castmyown
"It really does. It's kind of annoying. I like them when they're there, but growing them and losing them is kind of a pain."
shesepankh
Bella flaps and spirals up. "This is great. I wonder how long it'll take my wings to get tired. They haven't exactly had any exercise."
castmyown
"Isn't it?" agrees Darren, delighted. "If you do get tired you can just glide, too. So it helps with that."
castmyown
"Usually an hour or two, I can fly for longer but I try to do it at night, so sleepiness is an inhibiting factor."
castmyown
Darren swoops to follow! Because it is fun! Wheee!
On the way down, he spots a spark of orange light, off in the distance below. "... Huh. Bella, do you see that?"
On the way down, he spots a spark of orange light, off in the distance below. "... Huh. Bella, do you see that?"
castmyown
"Very. Do you think we should go check?" he says, concerned. Below, the light grows brighter and there's the sound of crackling wood.
At first it's nothing but the distant sounds of a fire. The orange flame (because it must be fire, with how it flickers) encroaches closer, dangerous but still far away. Then it starts to become clear that it's spreading in a very specific direction. It's spreading very quickly in a specific direction. This is around the same time that they hear the crackling sound become closer to a roar. It's coming from bellow, quiet and harsh, distorted. But the word is still comprehensible.
"Sphiiiiinx..."
"... That is - not a forest fire," hisses Darren.
At first it's nothing but the distant sounds of a fire. The orange flame (because it must be fire, with how it flickers) encroaches closer, dangerous but still far away. Then it starts to become clear that it's spreading in a very specific direction. It's spreading very quickly in a specific direction. This is around the same time that they hear the crackling sound become closer to a roar. It's coming from bellow, quiet and harsh, distorted. But the word is still comprehensible.
"Sphiiiiinx..."
"... That is - not a forest fire," hisses Darren.
shesepankh
"It is definitely not. What do we do?" asks Bella, nearly forgetting to fly, then recovering her focus and altitude.
castmyown
"... Um. Run?"
It's coming closer. It doesn't look it from far away, but it is fast.
"... Run, now, it's - it's fire based, ocean - west, west, which way is west -" he says, spinning in the air as he looks.
"Sphiiiiinx." It's louder, now, insistent.
"That way," says Darren, and he points.
It's coming closer. It doesn't look it from far away, but it is fast.
"... Run, now, it's - it's fire based, ocean - west, west, which way is west -" he says, spinning in the air as he looks.
"Sphiiiiinx." It's louder, now, insistent.
"That way," says Darren, and he points.
shesepankh
"If by run you mean fly I'm right behind you -" She beats her wings and books it west.
castmyown
"Yeah that was the general idea," he says, an edge of panic in his voice.
West they go, as fast as their wings will take them.
The - whatever it is, the monster - follows. It's closer, close enough that they can hear - bubbling, gurgling, crackling, not constant but in an a slow, building rhythm. Darren glances back and sees why. It's not walking, it doesn't seem to be able to walk. The monster's like magma, gelatinous and twisted, forming arms and then subsuming to reach forward and grasp the ground to drag itself. It's dragging itself closer, faster than it should be able, burning and twisting in its rampage.
Then it starts throwing things. Trees burned to half-charcoal, rocks that are near-liquid, and pieces of itself.
None of them are very accurate, but with what it's throwing, it only needs to hit once.
West they go, as fast as their wings will take them.
The - whatever it is, the monster - follows. It's closer, close enough that they can hear - bubbling, gurgling, crackling, not constant but in an a slow, building rhythm. Darren glances back and sees why. It's not walking, it doesn't seem to be able to walk. The monster's like magma, gelatinous and twisted, forming arms and then subsuming to reach forward and grasp the ground to drag itself. It's dragging itself closer, faster than it should be able, burning and twisting in its rampage.
Then it starts throwing things. Trees burned to half-charcoal, rocks that are near-liquid, and pieces of itself.
None of them are very accurate, but with what it's throwing, it only needs to hit once.
shesepankh
Bella is getting one heck of a crash course in flying. She tries to avoid diving to avoid thrown objects when she can, preferring to swerve left or right - getting altitude back is hard work, and the ocean's a ways off even in a car and they're only about that fast. Warmth under them would help with the altitude problem, but doubling back to get at the flaming wreckage would defeat the purpose.
"It was saying -" (gasping for breath; her wings aren't tired yet but her lungs are beginning to complain) "sphinx. If we split up you might be able to avoid it long enough to do something, if you have a spell, or you think one of our dads could help if you," (pant, pant, flap, flap) "called?"
"It was saying -" (gasping for breath; her wings aren't tired yet but her lungs are beginning to complain) "sphinx. If we split up you might be able to avoid it long enough to do something, if you have a spell, or you think one of our dads could help if you," (pant, pant, flap, flap) "called?"
castmyown
"Maybe, but I a-am not leaving you to that thing," he says, stubbornly and his voice only wavering a little. He's in better shape for flying, but he's still not emotionally prepared to handle a giant monstrous lava monster. "I don't know how our dads could help, what could they do?"
Flap, flap, flap - he nearly gets hit with a wayward flaming tree, but manages to dodge. He loses a bit of altitude in the process, but he doesn't die.
(Fuck, he could seriously die right now.)
"... C-could try a spell. Ocean - something elemental, shit I hope I'm remembering it all right..."
Flap, flap, flap - he nearly gets hit with a wayward flaming tree, but manages to dodge. He loses a bit of altitude in the process, but he doesn't die.
(Fuck, he could seriously die right now.)
"... C-could try a spell. Ocean - something elemental, shit I hope I'm remembering it all right..."