《Emergence- Urban Fantasy Life》 Emergence 1. A Long Tail A handful of fluorescent lights flickered in the silent corridor, casting their baleful half-light over the colourful walls. Children¡¯s noticeboards and illustrations covered most of the surface, while giant numbers counted down along the classrooms as if predicting the end of days. ¡°Welcome to the maths department, it sucks,¡± Karen backpedalled along it, keeping her voice low out of habit. The classrooms were empty, of course, there was hardly anyone in Ranelk High School today, but if she shouted, she¡¯d probably get lectured regardless. ¡°Mr Thorne¡¯s our teacher- room three- he¡¯s a bit grouchy, but he¡¯s a big sweetheart under it all,¡± Maddie explained like an actual guide, slipping open the door to reveal the rows of desks inside, barely lit by the scattered rain against the window. The new kid peered in, his curtains of dark hair hanging limp and wet across a sun-browned face and straight nose. But his eyes were more on Maddie, hanging off her every word of the school tour. Karen could hardly blame him- her friend was a ray of silver light in the dim drudgery of school. Her platinum hair practically sparkled with lingering raindrops, her blue eyes always keen and friendly, her sweater dry with a skirt revealing pale freckly legs. In comparison, Karen was smaller in every way, petite, wiry and tawny, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail to expose sharp features. She hooked her arm into Maddie¡¯s to tug her away, ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s empty, how long do you want this tour to take?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? There¡¯s no classes, we might as well be thorough.¡± She came easily, smirking down the couple of inches of height difference, ¡°Oh, think Mrs Matheson will let you get the gym stuff out in the hall?¡± ¡°Nope, tried that yesterday. ¡®Thomson, stop fermenting chaos! Set an example! Sit down forever!¡¯¡± She affected a screeching harsh voice and rolled her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s so ridiculous. It¡¯s not my fault the brats tried to copy me- and you weren¡¯t even there to back me up, traitor.¡± ¡°Come oooooon, I was only gone two days!¡± ¡°She was helping me move in,¡± The new kid added, trailing behind them like a dripping shadow, ¡°Was pretty hard work, the lodge needed half the stairs replaced.¡± ¡°Oh yeah- how many did you break, Maddie?¡± Karen grinned. She¡¯d met Maddie after the girl had helped her family move into Ranelk a decade beforehand, when the six year old had broken her hobby horse before she ever set eyes on the house. ¡°You¡¯re never going to let that go, are you?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± The new kid- Logan, caught up as they reached the stairs, ¡°Not to interrupt, but where is everybody anyway? Thought purgatory was meant to be busier.¡± Karen shared a glance with Maddie, ¡°Skiving. Classes stopped last week, but my dear Mom and Pa don¡¯t trust me enough to leave me a house key. Like, hello, I¡¯m sixteen, I¡¯m not going to kick over a vase by accident.¡± ¡°Again.¡± ¡°That was your fault Maddie. It was you or the vase,¡± Karen teased, ¡°And I¡¯d never kick you.¡± ¡°Sure, but why,¡± Logan leaned closer, looming over her, ¡°Why stop classes? What are people scared about?¡± ¡°Cos of them mo-ooo-onsters!¡± She ducked around, shoving his sparse frame as she did, enough that he stumbled on the stairs, ¡°Personal space dude, stay out of my face.¡± ¡°Yikes, fine, fine. What monsters?¡± ¡°You been living under a rock? Dunno, demons or apocalypse or angels, whatever the bullshit they¡¯re peddling today is. There¡¯s been tons of videos online. My Pa says it¡¯s all fake, but cowards keep panicking.¡± ¡°Some of the cities have had riots. Looting.¡± Maddie added, quietly. ¡°Huh, and what do you think they are?¡± Again, there was an intensity to the gangly youth, a slight tremble. ¡°Stem cell stuff. Folk are figuring out cloning- they¡¯re gonna bring back mammoths using elephants, for example,¡± She explained, ¡°There¡¯s probably just a couple of freaky experiment pictures that have gotten out and sparked the whole ridiculous panic off. Nothing to be scared of, big guy.¡± The youth¡¯s dark eyes roamed over her, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, a strange smile crossing his lips, ¡°Ha, right. I hadn¡¯t heard that, sorry. Stem cell mutants. Cool. Honestly this is the biggest school I¡¯ve ever been to, pretty exciting.¡± ¡°Must¡¯ve been a log cabin if you think Ranelk¡¯s big. Well, we¡¯ll take it slow, I am in no rush to get back to that ridiculous nursery downstairs,¡± She rolled her eyes and welcomed him into the maths corridor, telling him such fun facts as that it had three rooms. Thankfully Maddie had more to contribute, she knew every teacher¡¯s name as much as they all knew hers and her father. Others might have called her a teacher¡¯s pet, but that would imply some superficial motive- even alone, she was able to predict most of Logan¡¯s timetable once it clicked they were in the same year, and show him the art and technical labs. Karen didn¡¯t need to add much, only needing to fill the silence when Maddie excused herself to a bathroom. ¡°So Oregon huh? Nice down there?¡± ¡°Pretty sweet. My old man had a ranch.¡± ¡°Got any siblings?¡± ¡°Kinda? I¡¯m¡­ with my uncle now. Here. He¡¯s got three other kids. Bit too wild for school though.¡± The boy smirked, ¡°You? Didn¡¯t seem keen on the kids downstairs.¡± ¡°My little brother¡¯s like that. Oliver. He¡¯s all-over the place.¡± She joked, ¡°Well, he¡¯s not the worst but it¡¯s been four days since we had classes and we¡¯re all getting some cabin feve-¡± A cry of pain cut through her words like a knife. It was feminine and clear, echoing from the bathroom and Logan moved for the door immediately, panic in his eyes. Then he tripped as she yanked his bag and kicked his ankle. ¡°Girl¡¯s bathroom, weirdo, girl¡¯s only!¡± ¡°But she screamed, she could be hurt-¡± ¡°And I¡¯m a girl. I¡¯ll check. You stay out.¡± Karen ordered, and slipped through the door before he could object further. The bathroom was surprisingly dark. The janitor hadn¡¯t bothered to turn the lights on in the upper floors, and the teenager tensed slightly at the shadowy stalls and spray painted walls. ¡°Heeeey Maddie? You alright?¡± Her eyes peered through the gloom, aided only by a blinking red light that cast the chamber in bloody clarity every alternate ten seconds. The groan came from a stall on her right, a deep rumbling growl that made her flinch and jump onto the sinks, back to the mirror and her startled reflection. ¡°I¡¯m fine Karen, don¡¯t worry.¡± Then was Maddie¡¯s sweet tones, ¡°But could you get my coat from the hall? Small, urgh, wardrobe malfunction.¡± Ah, so that was it. Karen eased herself off the sink. The creaking sound must have been the schools old plumbing. Yet her eyes picked up motion, cast in scarlet hues by that light. A loose pipe? No, its texture was scaly, and it flexed, shifting like a cable as it looped under the stalls locked door. ¡°Maddie, watch out! Snake!¡± Karen yelled, lunged forward and slammed her heel down hard on the slithering scales. Yet instead of a hissing snarl, there came a cry of pain and a crash as the cubicle door broke. Huge heavy coils, over a dozen feet long with frills and brown muddy scales pile out, the serpent large enough to swallow the girl whole. No- it already had! From its end was a blonde form, legs lost inside the beast, arms flailing. ¡°Mad- MADDIE!?¡± Karen recoiled and lifted her leg for another kick. Yet it was faster, sinuous tail suddenly winding around her ankles, and a huge coil lassoed her arms to her torso. She inhaled only for a pale hand to stifle her scream. A hand? Her eyes tracked it as she strained, taking in the neat nails, the ochre webbing between digits, the scattered bronze scales on freckly skin, disappearing under a blue sleeve. Platinum hair tickled as the being slithered around her, revealing wide golden eyes and a finger held up to delicate lips. ¡°Sssshh, Karen.¡± She whispered through sharp fangs. ¡°Don¡¯t scream.¡± ¡°Maddie?!¡± She struggled, taking in the scene in the blinking scarlet light. There was no reptilian maw closed around Maddie¡¯s waist, the giant snake was headless, but instead the huge tail replaced Maddie¡¯s legs winding out from the plaid skirt, wrapped around Karen¡¯s limbs like powerful heavy chains. How? ¡°Karen, deep breaths, chill, don¡¯t panic, deep breaths, it¡¯s me, it¡¯s Maddie, trust me, deep breaths.¡± The other plead, lifting a hand, ¡°Deep breathes for ten seconds and I¡¯ll let you go, okay? Just don¡¯t scream or we will be in soooo much trouble.¡± One. She breathed. Hard and fast. Struggling to find rhythm. Three. Maddie looked strange. Her freckles were scaly, skin less pale, those golden eyes slitted. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Six. It didn¡¯t make sense. Her head pounded. Was she passing out? Was she poisoned? Ten. The coils unwound and she lunged backwards, stumbling as her head ached, ¡°Maddie- why are you a snake? What happened?¡± Then the world revolved and she was on the tiled slimy floor. Wait why? Why had she fallen over? ¡°Not a good time,¡± Maddie began to slither closer, only to wince as Karen startled and scrabbled backwards. Her elbows bumped rusty pipes, and she grabbed the sink above to pull herself upright. Don¡¯t show weakness. That was her Pa¡¯s advice with animals. Don¡¯t show weakness. It worked with people too. Logically it ought to work on animal people. ¡°Deep breaths, good. Better?¡± Maddie settled ten feet away, that sinuous tail shifting and slithering around, her golden eyes catching the blicking crimson light, ¡°I just need my coat. Please, just grab it from downstairs, bring it here and dooon¡¯t tell anyone.¡± That left the door clear. Karen nodded numbly, and lunged past, whirling around to slam the door behind her. ¡°Everything okay?¡± Logan¡¯s query made her almost jump out of her skin, leaning against the wall with those long limbs and dark eyes like a spider. ¡°No, noooo, I¡¯ll get help,¡± She stammered, ¡°Don¡¯t go in there. Girl business. Weird girl stuff. You¡¯re better off not asking.¡± That normally worked with Oliver. Hopefully the teenager was equally squeamish. She sprinted past him, loping down stairs three at a time, vaulting over the bends in case she was pursued. Could snakes do stairs? They could climb trees. Karen broke into the hall in a full sprint, and felt dozens of eyes whip towards her. That made her stumble- hadn¡¯t Maddie said to get her coat quietly? But Maddie was a snake monster, why would she listen to her?! ¡°Ms Thomson, are you quite alright?¡± Mrs Matterson beckoned with a gnarled finger. ¡°No, there¡¯s a sna¡­ I mean...¡± No. Things were not alright. Her best friend was half snake. She ought to be shouting for an ambulance or pest control or Maddie¡¯s dad, Hugh. Yet instead she managed, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯ve got to get Maddie¡¯s coat.¡± Aged eyes squinted suspiciously before the teacher tutted and gestured to the door beyond her. ¡°Fine, but no more acrobatics. You¡¯re supposed to be setting an example.¡± Maddie¡¯s coat was fluffy and warm, a silver jacket with deep heavy pockets neatly on the coat rack. Karen pulled it from the hook before turning, striding back to the hall and- Froze as Logan and Maddie sped walk towards her. On legs and feet. They were walking. Not a scale, fang or tail in sight. Maddie the same as ever. ¡°Aaaalright, let¡¯s show him outside Karen- thanks for getting this,¡± Maddie pranced and pinched the coat from her grasp, winked and dragged them outside. The rain at least had ended, dividing the sky in two. To the east, where the green woods piled up into distant peaks, it still poured in a dreary muggy mist. Yet much of the west and north were clear blue skies, reflected in the vast lake Ranelk bordered. One could see the lake from the top of the bars, an old pyramidal mess of a climbing frame, half paint and half rust covered in bubbles of dripping water. There was a security to altitude, and so Karen ignored the wet on her jeans and perched on the highest rung, eyes wide for any serpents that might snap at her dangling legs. ¡°Alright, happy yet?¡± She gestured to the empty yard, cars rumbling past, ¡°Now- what the hell is going on!? Was that real? Was it a mutant?¡± ¡°Mutant?¡± Logan chuckled, rubbing his shaggy hair, ¡°No, not even close, that was a naga, a hybrid of serpent and human often worshipped in the middle east and Indian subcontinent if I¡¯m correct. They exist, have done for a long time, along with a lot of supernatural elements normally seen as folklore and legends- your world¡¯s not what it seems.¡± ¡°What?¡± Karen squinted. Was this a joke? ¡°Maddie?¡± ¡°Magic¡¯s real.¡± The blonde girl said simply, and rolled her eyes at the gangly youth, ¡°Aaaand Logan can do magic.¡± The world revolved, and Karen yelped and tensed her legs as she slipped. She found herself hanging from the bars, staring incredulously at the ridiculous upside down world. The sky roared below like an endless vacuum, the earth above framed by wooded peaks, with droplets flitting up to join puddles on its surface. Maddie and Logan looked strange too, both from the reversed angle, and the anxious expressions they directed her way. Her head throbbed with pain. ¡°Oi, I¡¯m fine, quit looking ridiculous.¡± She grimaced, and pointed an accusing finger, ¡°Magic¡¯s real. Really real. And you, wizard boy, cursed her?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Logan bristled,, ¡°Firstly I¡¯m not a wizard- wizard¡¯s are a bunch of self righteous hacks! I am a Mage. And secondly, no, my disguise spell worked perfectly, Maddie just forgot timing for s-¡± ¡°Perfectly? Eeeeexcuse me, it stopped an hour early!¡± Maddie thew her hands wide. ¡°What? It lasted a full two hours, to the minute. What do you mean early?¡± ¡°No- who on earth does two hours?¡± She jabbed a hand up, ¡°It¡¯s four three hour doses, it¡¯s always three hours.¡± ¡°Well I do two, my Dad and uncle always taught two-¡± ¡°WHAT IS GOING ON!?¡± Karen exploded, grabbed a bar, and flipped around to land heavily before them, demanding, ¡°Why would Maddie need a disguise?!¡± They hesitated at her outrage. Logan spoke up, ¡°Well. I just said. Because she¡¯s a naga.¡± ¡°A snake woman,¡± Maddie clarified slowly, biting her lip. ¡°I¡¯m a snake woman. But please don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°So¡­so¡­ all this time¡­ you lied to me?¡± Karen blinked at her best friend, feeling wet on her cheeks- had the rain started again? ¡°Not¡­ not especially- see, it was to everyone! Noooo, I never wanted to keep it from you. I wanted to show you, tell you, so many times Karen-¡± ¡°And I¡¯m just EVERYONE!?¡± She screamed, ¡°WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU?¡± Maddie clasped her hands and dropped her gaze, voice small, ¡°I wasn¡¯t allowed to.¡± ¡°Enough, don¡¯t make this about you.¡± Logan stepped between them, standing his full height, ¡°See all those things you say were monsters or mutants? They¡¯re just people like her. Not just Nagas, but magic, myths, legends, all of them are real. And they¡¯ve all had to hide for generations because as soon as people like you find out, you¡¯re all angry mobs!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a mob!¡± Karen protested, ¡°I just- get out the way you ridiculous beanstalk!¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t get to scream in her face for being honest.¡± He blocked her, even as she shifted then tried to shove him, but he was bigger and stronger, limbs blocking her way, ¡°Some friend!¡± ¡°Friends? Do you think she meant that?¡± She gritted her teeth, fighting against the pounding in her skull, and wiped her eyes, ¡°Amn¡¯t I just her camouflage? A stupid little girl to make her seem normal?!¡± ¡°Wha- noooo, no, Logan, move!¡± Maddie darted around him, shaking her head, ¡°No, no no! I¡¯ve lied as little as I could, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m a different person- you know me.¡± Maddie wobbled like an idiot when she was upset. Most people looked ridiculous when upset, all bloodshot puffy eyes and runny noses, dignity just went out the window. Perhaps Karen herself couldn¡¯t judge, she was all scrunched up angry eyebrows, but how often did she cry? Almost never. That was weakness. Maddie on the other hand was always shaky and wobbly, it was the same frantic head shaking as when that little blonde girl had broken her favourite hobby horse, all guilt and freckles ten years ago. ¡°I thought I knew you,¡± Karen hesitated. Her head was still throbbing. There was so much. Magic and monsters, secrets and lies. She needed something simple. ¡°Fine- what¡¯s your favourite colour?¡± ¡°Blue. And yours is Orange. And Oliver¡¯s is green.¡± Maddie answered, ¡°And¡­ we¡¯ve never been together for a sleepover, because, because if I sleep as a human, I¡¯d turn into a naga again once the magic wore off.¡± Karen nodded, ¡°I see. You¡¯re Maddie.¡± ¡°Yes- yes, I¡¯m Maddie. I just have a snake tail sometimes.¡± That was simple. She could understand that. ¡°Right. Sorry for kicking you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ sorry for scaring you.¡± Maddie wrung her hands guiltily. ¡°It was an accident.¡± Karen breathed, ¡°Uh, where¡¯s your tail now? I¡¯m not stepping on it again am I?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not invisible,¡± Maddie smiled softly, ¡°This magic, Veil, makes me fully human. Sooooo, are we still friends?¡± ¡°Yeah, yes, we¡¯re still friends!¡± Karen snapped, though she couldn¡¯t keep a tremble from her voice. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ urgh, I wish you¡¯d told me and trusted me to not freak out but I¡¯m freaking out so you¡¯re proved right and¡­ urgh, just don¡¯t act smug! I¡¯m sorry. But you¡¯re all serious right? This beanpole can really do magic? Real real magic?¡± ¡°Yeah but no I can¡¯t do it on the spot, it takes preparation, but...¡± Logan frowned, rubbing his chin, ¡°How¡¯s this for an idea- Maddie was going to show me the lake tonight. You could come along, I can demonstrate real magic, and Maddie might look less menacing in the open than in a dark toilet. That alright?¡± ¡°Oooooh, yes, that¡¯s an idea!¡± Maddie clasped her hands together, ¡°We¡¯ll meet at the East Cove at eight tonight- that is, you¡¯re invited. I promise not to scare you.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± She questioned, a little too sharp as Maddie dropped her gaze, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll consider it. So is all that fantasy nonsense real? What about vampires? Or ghosts and werewolves?¡± ¡°Not that I know of- Logan?¡± ¡°Do you think anyone would manage to keep contagious feral monsters secret? No, nothing I know of can spread like a zombie or a werewolf, you can¡¯t just permanently change someone. But there are spirits, and there are people who can turn into wolves and bats. Heck, I can manage a wolf very reliable.¡± He declared with obvious pride. ¡°But I guess there might be some born wolf-people out there.¡± ¡°That tracks, I¡¯ve never heard of real zombies,¡± Karen considered, ¡°But- wait, all the news stuff, the riots, they¡¯re other naggies? Why all the bad news out of the blue? Is the world really ending?¡± ¡°Naggies?¡± The blonde girl giggled, ¡°The term¡¯s Mystics, Karen. In general. As for the publicity, it¡¯s all complicated, but ultimately too many photos ended up online, reporters followed them, and then too many journalists found out and word got out.¡± ¡°Photos,¡± Logan scoffed, venom creeping into his voice, ¡°Sure, yeah, plus a load of mystics and monsters who got sick of hiding for their whole lives and decided to make it everyone else''s problem by showing off to humanity and causing chaos. But no, the world¡¯s not ending¡± ¡°Right- so¡­ is there a difference between mystics and monsters?¡± He sighed, ¡°Anyone can be a monster. Mystic, human, doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Oh. Right,¡± His bitter tone closed the subject and Karen perched back on the climbing frame, ¡°Wait, one more¡­ question. Maddie- are you half human? Or is your whole family nagas?¡± ¡°As opposed to¡­ oh, yuck, no.¡± Maddie tensed again and lifted a finger to her lips, ¡°My family¡¯s nagas. But that¡¯s secret, don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Secret?¡± Logan frowned, ¡° why does that matter? Magic¡¯s officially real, it¡¯s getting recognized and researched amids- what¡¯s so funny!?¡± ¡°Her Dad¡¯s a-¡± She gasped, suddenly breaking into giggles at the mental image, ¡°Our MAYOR is a snakeman!¡± ¡°Wait. Your dad¡¯s the mayor?¡± Logan froze, incredulity breaking his composure. ¡°Yeeeeeah, see Karen, that is exactly the kind of thing we do not want to be shouting,¡± Maddie put a finger on Karen¡¯s lips, ¡°My family is a secret, okay?¡± ¡°Why? Like he said, isn¡¯t all the magic stuff public now?¡± Karen pushed her hand back gently. ¡°Yeah, but who wants a snakeman for a mayor? It would be the end of us and Daddy¡¯s plans.¡± Maddie insisted, pale fingers grasping her tawny ones. ¡°Please promise me.¡± Something about it turned her stomach. But it was Maddie asking, all blonde hair and anxious eyes, ¡°Alright. Fine, I won¡¯t tell anyone. Logan?¡± ¡°This is messed up. Fine, sure, but if this goes badly it¡¯s not my fault,¡± He insisted, ¡°But I¡¯ll see you later to show you real magic, yeah?¡± ¡°Okay, sure, I¡¯ll see what that looks like,¡± Karen nodded, heart drumming in her ears. At least things wouldn¡¯t be boring for some time. Emergence 2. A Sense of Scale. The sound of glass clattering intermixed with the weatherman¡¯s evening report. Karen cursed under her breath and rinsed foam off the glass, searching it for cracks. ¡°What was that kiddo?¡± Pa turned from the cupboard of neatly stacked plates. Ernest Thomson was a big man, broad shouldered and slow moving, rugged features tamed by a neat moustache. ¡°Nothing. They¡¯re fine.¡± The teenager shoved the glass to him, and resumed savagely washing the rest. ¡°Hmm. No, it was a word.¡± Pa dried it with a fluffy pink towel in those big callused hands, made of nine thick careful fingers and one stump that hadn¡¯t been careful. ¡°I don¡¯t care about you sayin¡¯ ¡®damn¡¯ Karen, but don¡¯t bother hidin¡¯ it.¡± What about hiding other things? What about the fact that their mayor was a snake-thing? She glanced over quietly, ¡°Fine. Pa, do you think magic¡¯s real?¡± ¡°Magic? No. You¡¯re not goin¡¯ to invoke hellfire by sayin¡¯ damn, kiddo.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty, Ernest,¡± Her Mom spoke up from the couch as the weather report finished. Sylvia was a small woman, her darker skin and hair a clear match for her children. ¡°Hasty? Come on dear, you¡¯re not buying into all these rumours, are you? Magic¡¯s not real, what more is there to it?¡± ¡°Definitions can vary- for example, is sleight of hand magic? Card tricks? Those are real.¡± She argued shrewdly, ¡°Or, beautiful sights- like that day up the mountain- those could be called magical. Is that what you meant? ¡°No,¡± Karen passed another glass, ¡°I guess¡­ like ghosts, and dragons, and flying on your own wings?¡± Pa gave a triumphant nod, ¡°Nope. The world obeys rules. Nature has laws. Can¡¯t make or destroy energy. Not matter either. Everything has a consequence, everyone has an angle, and anyone who says otherwise, kiddo, is trying to sell somethin¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ right, it was just some stuff I heard about the¡­ riots and mutants and things,¡± Karen brushed it aside. She¡¯d promised Maddie she wouldn¡¯t tell anyone. And they¡¯d only be hurt if they found out the Carpenter¡¯s had been lying all this time, wouldn¡¯t they? Her stomach rolled, and she bit back another curse as she finished washing up. ¡°All done- hey, by the way, Mom,¡± Karen wiped off her hands and leaned over the sofa, head cocked, ¡°School was useless today. Can I stop going?¡± ¡°Do you want to mind Oliver?¡± The sharp woman feigned gentleness. ¡°No, he could go to school with his friends, and I could go hang out with my friends.¡± Karen spelled out, kicking her legs behind her impatiently. ¡°Plee-ase?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mom quelled her, ¡°If it¡¯s easy, take some books, or your guitar and practice. Once you¡¯re an adult you need to take responsibility for your own learning and developing skills. You won¡¯t have teachers for much longer. Oh, and write something nice in Gramma¡¯s card, her day¡¯s on saturday.¡± There was no point arguing without getting in greater trouble, and so the teenager slouched off and found the store-bought birthday card. Its exterior proclaimed ¡°Happy 60¡±, a convenient lie since Gramma wasn¡¯t sixty. Her age and date of birth had been lost to the mists of time, but by this point she had enough 60 cards for it to be a running joke. Gramma. Hope you stay safe during these changing times. Happy lifeday, K She wrote quickly, half wondering just how much change she would live to see herself. A quick search on the internet had revealed dozens of conflicting headlines- demons, mutants, special effect pranks, magic, monsters- but his explanation somehow worked out. Monsters and magic were real. And he could provide evidence, he¡¯d invited her to see a demonstration of his supposedly mighty powers. But more pertinently, Maddie had asked her to come to the lake, and they were still friends. Somehow. It was seven twenty when Karen left the low broad house, hiking boots tied tight, her battered jacket the same colour as the falling leaves. Oliver was outside still, bouncing on her trampoline as he attempted backflips, black hair plastered with sweat. ¡°Oi- where you goin¡¯?!¡± He panted, jumping to land sock soles soaking in the muddy grass. ¡°To hang with Maddie, you take those off if you¡¯re jumping more,¡± Karen ordered. ¡°And tuck your legs in more. You¡¯re too loose.¡± ¡°Maddie aaaand the new boy?¡± He questioned, ¡°Do you fancy him? You all snuck off together during school.¡± ¡°I¡¯d sneak off with anyone to escape that purgatory- except you. Have fun!¡± Karen rolled her eyes and strode off, ignoring his shouts for attention. With more time she might have demonstrated some truly impressive flips, but today she didn¡¯t want to be out past dark. As if to stoke her trepidation, the wide windswept streets of Ranelk were peculiarly empty, residents avoiding the chill September wind or something less natural. The town itself was not large, it hugged the southern edge of the great lake with a few thousand residents, and Karen reassured herself that she just was leaving its bounds, stalking east up the quiet road that encircled the lake. The shops and bars of its centre would no doubt be bustling as ever, other classmates like Emily and Caleb enjoying full days outside school. Her strange day on the other hand, was only witnessed by some pigeons that flitted from power lines to tree branches and flocks of starlings that wheeled overhead. The afternoon clouds had been splintered to unveil clear indigo skies for them, striped with violet as the sun bowed towards the woody western horizon. With the lake and the thick trees that separated it from the road, Karen found herself weaving in-between stripes of shadows as she walked the muddy road, until one tall shadow resolved into a humanoid figure. If Logan¡¯s slender build looked gangly normally, his elongated shadow was utterly ridiculous as he stood on the stony lake beach, still wearing the big cumbersome bag. ¡°Huh, you actually showed.¡± He glanced up at the sound of footsteps, holding a canteen close. ¡°Yup, no homework.¡± Karen vaulted the fence, and kicked across the pebbly shoreline. ¡°Never take the bag off? You¡¯re not at school.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useful. Magic supplies, tools, clothes.¡± He passed her the silver thermos flask to free his hands, before dramatically flipping the bag over his arms and getting rather tangled up. ¡°Makes sense. But just a heads up, we can¡¯t do the whole lake on feet in an evening, probably just some of the inlets on this side,¡± Karen took a comfortable sip from the thermos flask, and frowned as he tugged towels from the bag, ¡°And it¡¯s not safe to swim in the fall- the lake is way deeper than it looks. People have drowned.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve got a bit of an idea with that potion, so don¡¯t drink it till Maddie shows.¡± He began to fiddle with his coat, then noticed her silence, ¡°Karen?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Um¡­. Too late.¡± Karen confessed, only for the boy to gawk, ¡°I thought you were giving me a drink. Why? What is it!? Is it magic? YOU GAVE IT TO ME!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to spill it, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d immediately gulp it down!¡± Logan gasped, springing upright, ¡°Just don¡¯t panic, it¡¯s Veil so there¡¯s no ill effects-¡± ¡°Veil? But I¡¯m already human, what does it do? Do I turn into another human?!¡± She snapped, feeling that warmth from her stomach begin to spread, permeating her whole torso. ¡°No! Human veil wouldn¡¯t, you¡¯d be fine, but don¡¯t panic!¡± ¡°What do you mean don¡¯t panic- you¡¯re the one panicking, it¡¯s fine isn¡¯t it?!¡± She shoved the flask back into his hands, feeling the heat infect her fingers and tug at her skin. ¡°Well it¡¯s not human Veil- it¡¯s Naga Veil! You¡¯ll be like Maddie, temporarily, just for an hour.¡± ¡°So- so stop it, you¡¯re a wizard aren¡¯t you?¡± She gasped as her legs suddenly turned to jelly, she felt the heat intensify, and burning pain flashed under her ribs. ¡°Logan, please-¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­ uh, I don¡¯t- I¡¯m not a wizard. Releasing magic¡¯s complicated, I don¡¯t think I¡­¡± He dragged one hand down his face, ¡°Just relax, it¡¯s temporary- and don¡¯t immediately drink things!¡± ¡°It¡¯s chilly out, I thought it was coff-¡± Karen gasped, lungs suddenly burning as bile rose and cut off her ability to speak. She stumbled and flopped onto the pebbly shore, watching in horror as her jelly legs bent far more than they should have. They flailed and writhed, kicking off socks and boots to reveal floppy fracturing feet. The next surge hit her like a punch to the gut, driving out air as she arched her spine only to feel it extend and stretch. From under her coat, her midsection was growing longer, exposing grey-brown skin with itchy spreading spots. They hardened before her eyes, covering the elongating abdomen in dark scales as her legs merged and dwindled like clay. Pangs of heat like a headache stoked her head too, and she gagged as she felt her tongue slim, lick over sharper teeth and her eyes found the world brighter. By now her legs had receded to mere frilly lumps within loose jeans, while her midsection was serpentine, easily five feet long and continuing to grow. ¡°Uh, Logan, turn around! Privacy!¡± Embarrassed assent came from behind her, and she seized the chance to flail the strange sinuous body, lashed it back and pulled her jeans from the end. Exposed was a frilled tail, a long end more akin to an eel than a serpent, yet seemingly further and further away. Muscles wriggled and straightened the scaly tail, momentarily revealing it to be a monstrous appendage that could splash the water with a wide fin, before she squeaked and pulled it close in a mass of dark grey coils. Yet with that motion, came an end to the pain, and she lay back to glare at the upside down world. ¡°Is it done? I still feel hot and weird and¡­ I¡¯m not going to be more snakey am I? This is really WEIRD!¡± ¡°No, no, I think you¡¯re done. Just¡­ probably your whole body feels like tongue so¡­ you should be able to move around?¡± Logan flushed more red, and lifted his arms placatingly, ¡°See, was that so bad?¡± ¡°Bad? That¡¯s ridiculous, you turned me into an eel girl! Why did it hurt so much?!¡± She gasped, feeling strange pain on her sides. ¡°Veil hurts, it¡¯s like when you stretch a rubber band out, but eventually you¡¯ll twang back into shape!¡± He shook his head, ¡°Look, sorry this wasn¡¯t what I had in mind! I figured, even if you didn¡¯t like snakes then if you saw Maddie swimming, well, girls like mermaids right? Then, I figured I could offer you the chance to see things from her perspective and I never thought you¡¯d just drink it immediately!¡± ¡°Mermaid?¡± Karen pushed herself up to consider her alien sinuous body, ¡°You guys said she was a naga?¡± ¡°Same thing. Naga¡¯s an older term so I use it, but mermaid works too. They¡¯re amphibious, so you should have gills¡­ somewhere,¡± He turned again, directing his eyes pointedly elsewhere, ¡°Maddie is out there swimming just now.¡± ¡°Somewhere,¡± Karen repeated, and undid her coat with shaking hands. Under her vest, sure enough, the scales broke in thin fleshy rows and she squirmed as her fingers brushed them. Even such disgust writhed her from head to tail tip, and she rocked before planting her arms and trying to kneel. There was no knee of course, the tail was far longer, stronger and more flexible than her legs, but such also meant it was surprisingly easy to get her torso upright. Even more than that, she had enough length to push higher and get her head above Logan¡¯s. A small victory, but a victory. She wouldn¡¯t break. She wasn¡¯t weak. ¡°What? Feel better?¡± He wondered, ¡°For a moment I thought you smiled?¡± ¡°Oh, no. You¡¯re insane. If you had offered this ridiculous idea to me I¡¯d turn you down outright.¡± Karen huffed, shrugging her coat off, ¡°But, since I¡¯m probably in shock, why the hell not?¡± So saying, she threw her coat aside and dived dramatically into the lake. Or tried, at least. She awkwardly flopped, then wiggled into the shallows, gasping at the warmth. It was cold, she still knew that intellectually, but this body didn¡¯t find that unpleasant as she sank inside, and felt water stream through her gills. There was motion there, sensations that should have nauseated instead felt only peculiar, though submerging her nose and mouth was frightful. Yet once underneath, her eyes pierced the waters gloom and forests of pond weed rose beneath, scattered with excellent skipping stones, trolleys and detritus of generations of lake-goers. With a little effort she found she could aim downwards, undulating tail back and forth to push through the water, her arms all but useless except in avoiding headbutting a boulder. Then came a glimmer of silver and she streamed towards it eagerly, angling a little upwards as a figure resolved itself. Maddie looked majestic underwater. The last vestiges of sunset painted her scales bronze and copper, the long tail flowing gracefully as a ribbon dancer, and her silver hair wild above a swimming top. Even those golden eyes seemed less scary as they widened with recognition, and Karen grinned as shock overtook her friend''s features. She seized the chance to race past her and upwards, up to the surface where air and gravity commanded once more. ¡°Heeeey,¡± She laughed as wet dark hair splattered across her, finding the pair already hundreds of feet from shore. ¡°Hey yourself, naga! What the hell?! Did Logan change you or¡­ or¡­.¡± Maddie spluttered, tail lashing like an excited puppy. ¡°Yeah, Logan tricked me, I¡¯m not really one. Speaking of, why did you say snake-woman earlier? Mermaid is so much cooler!¡± She cheered, struggling to bob and keep to the surface. ¡°Girl, you already looked like you were having a mental breakdown, I didn¡¯t want to argue semantics,¡± Maddie offered an arm to help her float and beamed proudly, ¡°But mermaid does sound nicer. You okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sooooo weird, it¡¯s so wiggly, like I¡¯m all abs. But I can swim- and you can really swim, you looked awesome! How are you so fast?¡± ¡°What do you always say? Practice makes perfect. I¡¯ve been swimming since I was two.¡± Maddie laughed, and even her fangs and tongue seemed less scary. If anything, the joy seemed more genuine, unguarded. ¡°That¡¯s fair. At least my supremacy with legs is undiminished. And my¡­ urgh, my tail doesn¡¯t look like yours, I¡¯m all grey and eel-y, but you¡¯ve got colour and fins. How does that work?¡± ¡°Uh, Na- uh-gas or mer people have a lot of, ah, variety,¡± A nervous voice and a great deal of splashing announced Lorcan¡¯s arrival. The teenager somehow retained his gangly nature even with a long tail, a soaking t-shirt clinging to his scrawny form, his own green tail longer and thinner than either of them and wriggling in stiff geometric bursts, ¡°Aaaah, how do you do this?!¡± ¡°You dran- oh, you did it too!¡± Karen gasped, then burst out laughing at his style, ¡°Stop using your arms and actually relax!¡± ¡°And let your head go underwater- now, what do I hear about you tricking Karen into this? Did you plan all this?¡± Maddie circled him, hands on hips even at a horizontal angle. ¡°Trick? Your crazy girl downed the potion before I could explain!¡± He retorted, ¡°I was going to suggest a nice surprise for you, but, no-¡± ¡°You should label your magic coffee flask!¡± She shot back. ¡°What part of secret for centuries do you not understand?¡± He snorted, accidentally rolling over in the water. ¡°Alright, aaaaaaalright, enough bickering. How long does that last?¡± Maddie swept between them. ¡°One hour- look, this was a bit of a rush job, you gave me the idea earlier,¡± Logan admitted limply. ¡°Oh, not long then- here come on, I¡¯ll show you our den! My sister helped build it years ago.¡± Maddie dove, and with a couple gasps, the pair followed her into the depths. Despite their argument, she did help Logan swim, and Karen grinned sharp teeth at how little help she received in comparison. Not that it was much, Maddie could still swirl around them like an eagle around a balloon, and led the pair deep down to the lake bed. There, an old dilapidated capsized boat lurked, festooned in ribbons and palettes. Even without speech, Maddie proudly gave them a tour, winding through the holes and tagging Karen playfully. So began a long and infuriating game as Karen pursued her with utter zeal, only to find the natural mermaid stayed easily beyond her reach. When she did tag her back, it was only because Logan helped corner her, rather cheapening the victory. Then the mage-boy was tagged, and the game continued. Their game lasted until they reached shore again, heaving themselves out like the first fish to crawl onto primordial land, unused to the weighty gravity of air. It was a near thing, Karen had barely two minutes rest before a cold chill crept through her and her tail began to split and dwindle. Scales melted back into tawny flesh, reptilian ribs split into femurs and shins, and soon she was very grateful for the towels and spare clothes Logan had produced from his backpack. ¡°Well? Was that so bad?¡± Logan queried nervously once he had regained legs. ¡° I think I caught you smiling.¡± ¡°Logan, I¡¯ve broken my arm diving off a roof and that was the single most painful experience of my life.¡± She growled, feeling exhaustion drum on her skull, ¡°Why is it so painful? Do you have to deal with that all the time Maddie?¡± ¡°Maybe? There¡¯s normally some pain, unless the mage makes it special. Logan¡¯s one is a little more painful.¡± She confessed. ¡°Hey, hey, I¡¯m learning! Making a custom veil that quickly is downright incredible, and neither of us drowned so that¡¯s a complete triumph in my books.¡± He objected, and breathed out, before wincing, ¡°Was it really worse than normal?¡± ¡°A little. Yeah. Sorry.¡± ¡°Fine, fine, sorry to both of you, I¡¯ll be careful. We¡¯re still unpacking. Please, judgemental maidens of Ranelk, forgive me for my incredible magic being slightly inconvenient.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Karen mumbled, lying on her back as she watched starlings flutter overhead, ¡°Can you make someone fly?¡± ¡°Fly?¡± He considered, ¡°Maybe. Yeah. Yeah. I know how. In theory.¡± ¡°Fine then. Master Mage. I¡¯ll forgive you today¡¯s traumatic events if I can get to fly. Or is that beyond your legendary abilities?¡± He frowned and leaned over her, offering a hand to pull her up. ¡°Not in the slightest. And even better, I¡¯ll have you land without a broken arm.¡± Karen ignored it and pushed herself up. She wasn¡¯t weak. But some things were downright impossible, the world had rules. Rules magic could break. Emergence 3. Many Hopes Come morning, school held even fewer pupils, yet even more tedium. Karen flinched as she peered into the hall, then darted back on the balls of her feet. ¡°Huh- sis, what¡¯s u-¡± Oliver¡¯s query was cut off by her hand on his mouth, and finger to her own lips. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal. We both skive, we both have a fun day, and we both say nothing. Mom and Pa can¡¯t give us in trouble if they never know.¡± She whispered, pulling him towards the doors outside. ¡°Wh- what about the teachers?¡± The boy hissed back, prying her hand away, ¡°You¡¯re being weird.¡± That, she couldn¡¯t deny. She wasn¡¯t one to truant. But the old line in the sand was washed away entirely, by waves of the lake and serpentine scales. What was weird in a world where there was a chance she could fly? The world was so much more than school. ¡°Noone¡¯s keeping track- too many people are off for the teachers to check.¡± Karen argued, trying to convince herself as she grabbed their coats, ¡°Come on, as long as Matheson doesn¡¯t see us, we¡¯re safe.¡± Ollie wavered at the door, dark brows creased. ¡°Mom would flip out. You¡¯re not just setting me up to snitch on?¡± ¡°A day of absolute boredom is not worth pranking you, knucklehead.¡± She shrugged on her light jacket, and held out his, ¡°Just don¡¯t get in trouble, don¡¯t do anything crazy, go play with¡­ I dunno, Jeff or whatever.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Jeff? Noone¡¯s even called Jeff, that¡¯s an old man name,¡± Ollie grabbed the coat as he scoffed. ¡°Well I don¡¯t know what your gremlin buddies are called.¡± ¡°Liar- are you going to Maddies? Can I come watch a movie?¡± ¡°Nope, girl stuff.¡± She lied, gave him a hug, then spun him around and gave a push. ¡°Off you trot.¡± For the sake of appearances she made for the Carpenters until she was out of sight, before curving through town. Maddie hadn¡¯t answered any texts, so she wouldn¡¯t be her target. Logan on the other hand, had promised her flight. She¡¯d rolled over in the night, feeling the idea go from a subtle possibility, to a glorious opportunity. The chance to freely go wherever, to flip through the air without ever bowing to gravity, had filled her dreams with clouds that now seemed to lie over Ranelk and its surroundings. The mist was thick, and she trusted it to keep her concealed rather than Ollie¡¯s insane ¡®ninja-run¡¯. The true key to stealth was simply confidence, and the outskirts of Ranelk were normally quiet anyway. That said, there was a surprising number of morning deliveries, great trucks of construction equipment and supplies that scared her off the road with their rumbling roars. With the dappled pines bristling through low fog, the mountain slopes reminded her of a gigantic monstrous pelt, engine growls like its breath. They did at least drive past the junction she had gathered to be Logan¡¯s lane, a long track through the trees, and he could hardly live far since he¡¯d been soaking wet when they parted. Flight was probably just around the corner, and her eyes picked out a sturdy timber lodge through the dense trunks. The growling rumble of a truck behind made Karen dart to the road¡¯s edge. Yet it didn¡¯t pass, and instead another grumbling purr made her turn. A wolf or bear would be bad news. This creature however was worse news. Blood red scales shielded a squat sinuous beast between the tight towering trees. The reptilian muzzle was crowned with stubby horns over sun bright eyes, four sets of heavy talons flattened fallen needles, and two unfurling fans revealed bat-like wings on the monster''s back. ¡°Ah. A dragon.¡± Karen numbly heard herself murmur, ¡°Are you nice?¡± A thrumming snarl broke from her other side like a cracking whip. There was another there, a dragon as big as a wolf with spinach green scales, a forked tongue flicking between monstrous fangs. Behind it, the lodge beckoned. Civilization. Safety. She kicked stones up to her right, then burst left as their eyes followed the gravel. The trees were her best hope and she danced amongst them as the green monster unleashed another hideous roar. But they had wings; they were wide creatures and, while the road was clear ground, the forests confines would slow them. Karen on the other wove elegantly between the trunks, ducked branches, and leapt over a fallen log before risking a glance back. The dragons could fold their wings tight to their forms. They scuttled quick behind, a repulsive reptilian run, and she scrambled up a slope, turning her eyes forwards. Were there any good climbing trees? Maybe, but nothing she felt she could evade winged lizards on; help was her best bet! The house loomed like a great triangle as she broke the treeline, all thick logs and sturdy windows. The yard around it was scattered with tools, and a pickup truck was parked under the upper balcony, with a small girl beside that. ¡°Aaaaaah! Scary dragons!¡± screamed the child, eyes wide, hands cupped around her mouth. ¡°Move- hide, they¡¯re coming!¡± Karen stumbled as she hesitated. The front door was on the left, but the child was on the right, failing to take a single step! She wanted help, she wasn¡¯t meant to be the help, but- But she staggered and charged towards the girl. A green blur beat her from the trees. Talons unfurled, then slammed down on the girl, and scarlet mist exploded around the monster. Karen screamed as she moved, vision suddenly red around the monster as her feet carried her forwards. A sixteen year old Idahoan against a small arsenal of scales, wings, fangs, claws, and probably fire. That sounded ridiculous even to herself. She could push Ollie around, but she had no claws, no talons, no weapons. She wasn¡¯t strong. But she was quick. Her knees bent, before she leapt at the emerald beast, and planted her feet down hard on the spine between the wings. A hiss-squeak of pain rewarded her, and just as quick she vaulted onto the pickup¡¯s bed. From there she found the cars roof, breathed in, and leapt upwards with all her might. A red monster lurked below, ready to snap at her legs, but Karen¡¯s arms slammed into the railings of the lodge¡¯s balcony. The impact forced the air from her lungs, her fingers scrabbled, legs kicked. Left, then right, no time to stop, she swung them around, hooked a foot over the railing, and rolled over. Her momentum slammed her hard into the door, and she scrabbled it open, whirled around and slammed it hard, clicking the lock. It was hard to stop. She staggered back, eyes following every motion of the trees outside the windows. Yet as loud as the growling was, no claws hooked up over the balcony, no scales appeared, there was no flutter of wingbeats. Did their wings even work? Or did they have another way in? The temporary reprieve let her double over, panting. A thick chemical scent, like glue mixed with smoke, wrinkled her nose, and tinny blues music became audible over the heartbeat in her ears. She searched for the source, and found herself on a well sanded internal balcony over the lodge¡¯s central chaotic room. Rich leather sofas were shoved against a wall to make space for plastic crates and cardboard boxes, a couple of antlers hung on a wall and a morbid stash of taxidermy prey watched from one one corner. She almost fancied a dead pigeon blinked at her through the dense smoke billowing through a lower door. Smoke? ¡°Uh, hello? I think dragons might be burning down your house!¡± She staggered down the stairs, and was rewarded by a tall familiar figure hobbling through the smoky door. ¡°Logan is th- you¡¯re not Logan.¡± Despite that, the familiar man gave a sense of deja vu- he looked as Logan might given another decade or two. Big like a basketball player, lean with muscle and his skin well bronzed by sun. Long straight hair was tied back into a knot over frameless glasses and tired grey eyes. His mouth twisted into a faint smile as they settled on her, and his voice was low and dry, as if mildly hoarse, ¡°No, no Miss Thomson, I am not Logan. Congratulations on your powers of insight.¡± ¡°Do I kno- uh, really sorry for breaking in, but there¡¯s dragons outside! I¡¯m serious!¡± She snapped. The man limped over to a couch and picked up a long shape from it, a sapphire blue snake with small clawed limbs, smoke fuming from its horned head. ¡°Dragons? Oh no.¡± Karen retreated back up a stair, ¡°They¡¯re yours?¡± ¡°No. Do you take coffee or hot chocolate?¡± He mused, hung the blue dragon around his neck and considered her frazzled state, ¡°Maybe not coffee. You are safe Miss Thomson, this is Logan¡¯s home. Take a seat.¡± ¡°Oh oh, so you¡¯re his...uncle Max?¡± She asked slowly as the man turned and limped to a counter, turning a kettle on, ¡°Wait, listen! They killed a kid! A little chinese girl outside, the green one just, like, it annihilated her into a bloody mist! They¡¯re not safe!¡± ¡°Matt. The girl is fine, she does that.¡± The adult grunted. ¡°What? Turns into mist?¡± ¡°And tricks people.¡± He glanced at a heavy cast on his right foot, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to sit, do you mind opening the front door?¡± ¡°Are you sure? Matt?¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s short for Matchitehew but I prefer Matt.¡± The man wiped his glasses with a wry smile, ¡°You¡¯re not scared are you, Miss Thomson?¡± Scared? Her heart was still fast, frame tense. But she gritted her teeth. Don¡¯t show weakness. She wasn¡¯t a scared little girl. And so she strode over, forced her fingers to turn the lock, and recoiled at two scaly creatures standing on the porch. Yet the dragons didn¡¯t move, their eyes flicked over her, then towards Matt. With a grunt the red one lay down like a cat, while the other jostled it, stamping as both released a peculiar stream of hisses, grunts and growls that was returned by the blue steaming wyrm. ¡°No, that was rude.¡± Matt suddenly turned like a teacher, ¡°Miss Thomson here is a friend of Logan¡¯s. And that nice Miss Carpenter¡­.. no, you didn¡¯t hurt her, but she could have fallen off the building because of you¡­. No, you¡¯re not defending me, I have it under control. You¡¯re just causing mischief with Jess.¡± Karen frowned as she followed the exchange of English and growls, ¡°Are you- are you talking with them?¡± ¡°Yes. I am a Mage, Miss Thomson. I understand dragons, but they do understand you, and they really should know better.¡± He chided, and carefully shuffled over with two steaming mugs. ¡°Meet Hect-uh, Hex, and Nessie. And Shen. They are dragon hatchlings which I have been granted the¡­.. great honour of overseeing. And they both apologise profusely for scaring you. They were trying to protect our new house.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The red one bobbed its head and lay down, while the green one shook its horned skull, hissing back venomously. ¡°And Nessie is so sorry she¡¯d be deeply honoured if you would decorate her as you see fit at any stage, she loves to be covered in pink bows.¡± He translated, prompting a further reptilian tirade. The red one- Hex- added a few growls of his own, only for the green to turn her fury on him, and suddenly lunge, tackling and throwing the other off the porch. Within seconds they were a whirlwind of scales, claws and beating wings, tumbling over one another, jaws snapping at one another''s necks. ¡°So¡­ is that what Logan meant when he said you had some wild kids?¡± Karen nervously sat on the nearest chair, accepting the hot chocolate to sip. ¡°Yes. Hex is probably nine, Nessie is supposedly eight, and Shen here is definitely six.¡± He brushed the blue¡¯s scales, and the creature stirred, dunking its snout into the other mug to lap up brown warmth. ¡°They are all sapient, but they are still children so they don¡¯t really count. They like stupid games. My apologies.¡± She took another long draught, then considered the maelstrom of scales and hissing. Despite the violence, she could see no blood or cuts. The beasts- the Mystics- must be play-fighting, like how she¡¯d fought Caleb at that age all too often. But if they weren¡¯t playing? Karen shuddered and focussed on enjoying the hot chocolate for a long moment. ¡°Is Logan home? He promised me he¡¯d try some magic, if that¡¯s alright?¡± ¡°Off and out already, helping new arrivals. But if you want to find him- uh Jess? Can you help Miss Thomson find the field?¡± He called out the open doorway. A pitter patter of small claws came from the porch, before the little olive skinned girl peered in the doorway, dark eyes glittering with amusement and a bright yellow dress now adorning her, ¡°Yup! Hi Mrs Thomson!¡± ¡°Uh, Karen. Not missus.¡± She tilted her head, the girl seemed without injury, or footwear, ¡°You¡¯re magic too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a mage, I can¡¯t do anything like Logan can!¡± She tilted her head cherubically, ¡°Come on old lady!¡± Matt shared a long exhausted gaze with Karen, set down the blue dragon and turned to limp back towards a room full of pipes and chemical equipment. She was clearly dismissed, and so she drained the last dregs and cautiously stepped out into the morning once more. No claws laid into her, if anything she seemed to be ignored in favour of wrestling. ¡°Hey, Nessie- sorry for jumping off you,¡± She called half-heartedly, and flinched as the hatchling glowered in her direction from where the red one had it pinned. ¡°It was amazing, you¡¯re super fast! And you thought I died!¡± Jess cheered and ran right by the creatures, arms out like an airplane. ¡°So that was all a joke? You¡¯re as bad as Ollie.¡± Karen groaned and kept a safer distance as she followed, down a narrower path and onto a new road. ¡°Hmm, you caught me by surprise- would ¡®AAAA, DRAGONS¡¯ sound better?¡± The child-thing squealed, ¡°Or maybe just fall and faint?¡± ¡°You know, I think longer is better,¡± Karen lied, glaring at the mischief, ¡°More like, ¡®Oh no I¡¯m so surprised at the existence of the supernatural I can¡¯t move.¡¯ That¡¯s basically what I said yesterday, super genuine.¡± ¡°Supernatural is a good word. It has super in it.¡± Jess considered gravely, then suddenly dove towards the trees, ¡°Oh, there¡¯s someone ahead, let¡¯s surprise them!¡± ¡°Ooooor how about we don¡¯t?¡± Karen murmured, stamping over a branch to snap it as she yelled. ¡°OI! WATCH OUT, JUMP SCARE!¡± The figure in a heavy jacket turned, and she recoiled slightly at the familiar face. Caleb was her year, her neighbour, a big beefy boy built for football. Messy mousy curls frame a square jaw, startled eyes and a slight blush. ¡°Wha- oh hey K-Karen,¡± He stammered, clutching a notepad protectively in massive hands. ¡°Uh- what? Who¡¯s g-going to jump me?¡± ¡°The little kid,¡± She went to point, but the girl was gone. ¡°Dammit. She keeps vanishing, stupid minx, she turns into mist or¡­ something.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± He stared at her uncertainly. ¡°Oh. Right- look, this¡¯ll sound crazy, but¡­¡± She hesitated. It was weird seeing Caleb skipping too, though he hadn¡¯t been at school all week, ¡°Look, you know all that fantasy stuff? Dragons, mermaids, ghosts, magic?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°All real. That¡¯s what this¡­ ridiculous panic stuff¡¯s been about.¡± Karen grimaced, it sounded so awkward in her words, ¡°Anyway, d¡¯you know anything about people moving onto a field around here?¡± Caleb cocked his head slowly, and nodded, as if piecing things together. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s down this path, the old caravan site¡­.. Ah. Right. Yeah. Should¡¯ve guessed.¡± ¡°Guessed what? You saw something?¡± ¡°You¡¯re magic right?¡± Caleb ventured, cheeks blushing slightly, ¡°Like¡­ uh, an angel? Or a fairy?¡± ¡°Haha, no, I¡¯m not that short!¡± She snapped at his weird tone. ¡°You¡¯re just massive. And maybe don¡¯t accuse people of being mystics, it¡¯s kinda rude.¡± ¡°Ahh, sorry. I meant it as a¡­ nevermind.¡± He drooped abashedly, ¡°You just seemed confident. Like an expert.¡± ¡°Nah, I found out yesterday. There¡¯s a new kid who knows aaaaall about it, bug him. His uncle said he was helping at this camp place.¡± Karen chewed her lip, ¡°Maybe strangers is fine, but¡­ don¡¯t question species of people you know, kay?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯m human, by the way¡­. What¡¯s the mist kid you mentioned?¡± ¡°A menace. Dunno. Ghost or something? She¡¯d probably just waiting for us to drop our guards, then she¡¯ll- oooh.¡± Any worries about mischiefs vanished as she beheld the sight of the site. It had been here for awhile, so the location wasn¡¯t a shock. Normally it was old and overgrown as a campsite however, housing maybe three or four trailers, campervans or caravans. That number had soared easily into the double digits. Porta-cabins, diggers, scaffolding and industry hummed like a beehive, even assembling some small houses. That wasn¡¯t what drew her eyes. It was the mystics. There were dozens. Humans made up only a third or so of the workforce. Huge shaggy shapes, seven feet tall, hefted boxes and poles; squat big nosed brutes were working on burying pipes between the caravans; a massive mole appeared to be digging up the ditches for them; a flame-orange eagle tied wires to a high pole; a scaled panther beast slumbered on a roof; leafy haired girls played with a cloven hoofed boy and she spied Jess rushing over to them. And those were only what she could see, Karen realised as her eyes swept over the apparently human figures. Burly hardhat wearing workmen, tired ladies in headdresses, even the old man in the wheelchair could feasibly be a Mystic in disguise. How many were there? ¡°Welcome to the Ranelk Mystic Camp, or something like that, noone told me the proper name,¡± Caleb noted her bemused face, fingers drumming on his sketchbook, ¡°Apparently we¡¯re the magic place for the state. Some government scheme. Keeps all¡­ this¡­. Pretty remote away from cities, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°I guess I do.¡± Karen muttered. Maddie had been one thing, but she had rather assumed mystics would all be human or human like- this variety though, the feral dragons and whatever strange thing Jess was, completely blew her away. ¡°Watch out for that little chinese girl- oh and the guy I¡¯m looking for is taller than you, skinny, long black hair.¡± Caleb sighed, ¡°Sure, though we might have to ask someo-¡± ¡°Oi!¡± that someone broke their reverie as a woman stomped forwards. Woman rather undersold her though- she loomed as tall as Matt, broader than Pa, and boasted grey skin and six thick arms from her shoulders. The face was strict, green eyes fierce, yet she still dressed sensibly with a high visibility vest over her body warmer, helmet over wild locks, and heavy steel-toed boots. ¡°Caleb, I told you- no coming up here to gawk! These people are not a freak show for your amusement!¡± ¡°Loud and clear Exi, I remember!¡± Caleb raised hands placatingly, ¡°See, no camera this time. I just thought, I¡¯m off school, I could offer to help out if you needed a¡­ uh¡­ hand?¡± Karen snorted, then winced as she noticed the giant was in fact missing one hand, a stump ending in a prosthetic hook with a clipboard, ¡°Sorry about him, I¡¯m just looking for Logan. You know him?¡± One thumb jerked back towards the chaos, ¡°He¡¯s bugging Diana. You¡¯re serious? We¡¯re falling behind, so no messing up.¡± Exi jolted a hand forwards to Caleb, ¡°You, help carry pipes with the goblins, from that truck to those areas. And you, little lady¡­ hmm, see if anyone needs a coffee, get them to them.¡± ¡°Excuse me!?¡± Karen fumed, ¡°I can help just as much as Caleb can, I¡¯m not weak, you two are just massiv-¡± ¡°Fine, shut up,¡± A huge grey hand cut her off, ¡°Go help move boxes then, don¡¯t break anything or you¡¯ll pay for it, kid. Well, go, get moving!¡± Exi dismissed them with thunderous claps, before turning to begin berating the giant mole thing, and Karen flashed a triumphant smile as she hurried past. Something disguised as a little old lady, or a real one, enlisted her help in carrying boxes into a caravan, and Karen did three runs before realising she¡¯d gotten sidetracked. She wanted to fly, not help! But the little gran did promise baking, so she elected to finish aiding before searching with the aid of a nature bar. * * * * * Caleb had managed to locate the boy before her, and she found them carrying either end of a long pipe across the camp in progress, the beefier boy grinning broadly. ¡°Aha, still around- hey Karen, did you know this guy¡¯s a-¡± ¡°Yeah, a wizard, I know!¡± She came alongside eagerly, slightly amused at how much Logan looked with the weight, ¡°Found you! Finally.¡± ¡°Not wizard. Mage,¡± Logan grunted as he struggled to place the other end down, ¡°Secondly- what do you mean finally? It¡¯s barely noon.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯ve gotten chased by your pet dragons, tricked by a ghost girl and spent ages moving stuff trying to get you. To fly, remember?¡± Karen demanded and narrowed her eyes, ¡°Or was that just empty talk?¡± ¡°Oh. Well sorry to break you out of your tunnel vision, but you¡¯re not my number one priority Karen.¡± Logan dusted his hands off, and Caleb gave an odd sigh of relief, ¡°Also, the dragons aren¡¯t pets. That¡¯s¡­ don¡¯t let them hear that word.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got dragons? Dude, that¡¯s awesome,¡± Caleb pulled out his notebook, ¡°And how do people fly? Can you enchant Karen?¡± ¡°Not superman fly, but yeah.¡± Logan grumbled, ¡°And I do kinda owe her.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no kinda about it. Your last demonstration had me lose my legs and regrow them.¡± Karen added, omitting Maddie. ¡°Because you didn¡¯t liste- are you writing all this down bud?¡± ¡°Yeah. Ton of fake news out there. Figured I¡¯d investigate myself and put a proper explanation in the school paper.¡± Caleb explained, ¡°Nothing too specific, but just about magic existing and all. Plenty of people still think it¡¯s fake.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s nice, but we don¡¯t have a school paper.¡± Karen commented. ¡°Well, we can. Or a pamphlet at least. C¡¯mon, it¡¯s fun. What would be a good name?¡± ¡°Well alliteration is always awesome, so¡­ Ranelk Runner? Write? Raven?¡± Logan pondered, patting his hands clean. ¡°Or, y¡¯know, just Ranelk High News,¡± Karen suggested, and smirked as he wrote it down, ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s so complicated about getting me to fly?¡± ¡°The bit where I make you fly.¡± The mage spread his hands, ¡°Look, you know what¡¯s kept my family in business? Veil. Shapeshifting stuff to human. There might be levitation rites out there, but I know how to turn stuff into other stuff. So I¡¯d need to turn you into¡­ say, a bug, or bat or bird.¡± ¡°No superman flight? Right. Well, I¡¯d prefer a bird if I get a choice.¡± ¡°Fair. But consider- bird¡¯s have their whole life to learn to fly. You¡¯d have a couple of hours, if that. And any injuries- or death- stick. Break a wing? There goes your arm. Smash off the ground?¡± He mimed a finger across his throat. ¡°So I gotta make a potion that comes with instincts, to know how to fly off the bat¡­. Dude, maybe don¡¯t make this an article.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was searching for him first. You have to book your own interview.¡± Karen teased, ¡°Reckon you can do that though, Logan? That¡­ I¡¯m psyched, it sounds awesome.¡± Logan sighed, ¡°Is she always this pushy?¡± ¡°Uh, n-no comment.¡± Caleb smiled nervously as he bent low to lift another pipe. ¡°But yeah, I¡¯ll leave this out and¡­ ask you stuff some less busy time?¡± ¡°Alright. Sounds good, man.¡± He bent to lift another pipe, ¡°Aaaaand, yeah, it¡¯s a challenge, but my uncle¡¯s a pro at mental magic. Can try it for the weekend. Just don¡¯t bug anyone around here, you can get back to school.¡± ¡°Me, bug people? I¡¯m helping- move it beanpole,¡± She scampered around to grab the pipe and strained to heave it up. ¡°See. Tell him, Caleb.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re chill. But can you help hold it up higher before I break my back?¡± He chuckled from the other end, and let her struggle with the front end back towards the mole trench where a water system was being installed. Exi soon noticed and shooed Karen away from heavy lifting, sending her back to help new arrivals settle and transport objects. It was tiresome work, but miles better than another boring day at school. Even if the lifting and carrying was tedious, the company and sheer variety of mystics was overwhelming and engrossing. Each van was a new species, a new encounter, a new citizen. More than one asked of her true nature, and flattered her for being a helpful welcoming human. Caleb was even more intrigued and soon joined her, recognizing names of various myths and legends- Bugganes and Centaurs, Satyrs and Dryads, Phoenix and Gegenees all sounded like nonsense words to her but he nodded with an amusing familiarity. It was afternoon before she recognised anyone else- or rather, she was recognized. ¡°Ah, Syliva released you from purgatory, eh Karen?¡± The voice was loud, sweet and cheerful as hot cocoa. Much like the man. Hugh Carpenter looked like a young Father Christmas- a short jolly man with thick glasses and a flapping duffel coat. His blonde hair was slick, gait bouncy and excitable. It was hard to picture his portly frame as naga. It was also hard to picture him as mayor, though he¡¯d held the post for seven years. He was just Maddie¡¯s dad. ¡°Heya Hugh- you know anything about this?¡± She gestured playfully to the chaos and construction. ¡°New neighbours.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s just super-duper, though a little disruptive as all starts are! Apologies, but everything¡¯s coming together- thanks so much for lending a hand, probably better here, hmm?¡± ¡°Exi¡¯s a hard taskmaster- uh, but don¡¯t¡­ tell my folks. Please? I kinda didn¡¯t get permission¡­ quite yet. They don¡¯t know.¡± She swallowed for emphasis, ¡°About any of this.¡± ¡°Karen. Favour for a favour hmm? I gotta get another bundle from the car, and you¡¯re a strong gal!¡± He clapped her on the shoulder, beamed and strode towards a black SUV. ¡°Always good to help others, you know? Especially volunteering to help out.¡± ¡°Yeah. Sure. Is that why they¡¯re all here? You¡¯re helping them?¡± She wondered, following to the trunk of the car. ¡°Oh yes, this country can be like an awful jigsaw puzzle sometimes, where people can¡¯t quite find their place. I mean look at the panhandle, absolutely madness, I say. These people are people. They need somewhere to live openly, the government wants them out of the cities, and our humble valley can provide that and more.¡± He blustered, piling a box of folders into her hands. ¡°But¡­ Maddie can¡¯t?¡± Karen dropped her voice, ¡°Live openly? That¡¯s not fair!¡± The mayor paused, quiet. Careful. His mint-green eyes flicked around, and he grabbed another folder to set on the box. ¡°The world¡¯s not fair. Hakuna motata, and all that.¡± Hugh¡¯s voice was mellow, eyes cold, ¡°We¡¯ve talked it over. Sure, maybe a fresh start somewhere would be just lovely- move to hawaii, enjoy the sea, that¡¯d swell. But round here, we can help people. Our people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about, isn¡¯t it? But, tricky as things are, keeping the secret helps people more. You might¡¯ve noticed, but people don¡¯t exactly react fondly to the truth. Or snakes.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­ yeah, I kinda¡­ stamped on her tail,¡± The teenager flushed, adjusting her grip on the sagging boxes. ¡°I panicked. I¡¯m sorry. Is Maddie okay?¡± ¡°Grounded for the moment- Ah da da, that¡¯s the rule.¡± He waved a pudgy finger, ¡°She slipped up, she¡¯s got to be responsible- if I slip up I¡¯ll be mega-grounded, promise. And you can try not to kick the next thing that scares you, hmm?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sure.¡± Karen grunted, deciding not to mention she¡¯d jumped on a dragon already today. ¡°But what about M-¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret. Like your extra-curricular activities here.¡± Mayor Carpenter smiled bleakly. ¡°We can cover for each other, right? Maddie loves you like a sister, so don¡¯t mess things for her, don¡¯t mention it to anyone. Things are messy enough, and there¡¯s a lot needing done.¡± He wasn¡¯t who he seemed. Karen suppressed a shudder. Was this the same man who¡¯d ran on ¡®Who¡¯s the Mayor? Hugh¡¯s the Mayor?¡¯, who lived for dad jokes, who¡¯d driven her home from school? Was any of that real, or just camouflage for a snake blending in amongst humans? ¡°I already promised Maddie. Don¡¯t worry Mr Carpenter,¡± She breathed, then tilted her head, ¡°Is pretty please really mayoral language?¡± ¡°If it works it works! It never hurts to be polite,¡± He was all charm and cocoa again, and set a final file into the folder, ¡°Take those to the office alright? You¡¯re a star!¡± ¡°Yeah- okay Hugh?¡± Karen nodded, and took off across the camp, struggling with the pile of paperwork she¡¯d been given. She was out of sight of the car before she realised she didn¡¯t know where the office was. A screech like a banshee set her nerves aflame, and Karen yelped, spinning and dropping the folders in a startled heap. ¡°GOT YOU BACK!¡± Jess, the child menace cheered, before running off in terror as the teenager set to chasing her. Despite the anger, chaos and confusion, Karen found a fierce grin creeping across her lips. Emergence 4. Unseen Colours ¡°Oi, get up squirt!¡± Karen tugged a pillow out of her brothers grasp and bashed him with it, ¡°Rise and shine!¡± ¡°Wha- what? It¡¯s saturday- sa-tur-day! What is wrong with you?!¡± Ollie groaned, and she dodged his other pillow easily. ¡°Family Meeting. Pa got some big letter,¡± She sat on the bed and dropped her voice, ¡°But keep your mouth shut- if it¡¯s about skiving school I¡¯ll figure something out. Just act innocent.¡± He eyed her blearily, but plodded downstairs while Karen focussed on keeping her breathing steady. Don¡¯t show weakness. It didn¡¯t make sense for school to punish truancy on a week when so many were missing, but her parents were a different matter. The fact that they were side by side on the sofa in fully family meeting mode boded poorly. ¡°Mornin¡¯ early birds.¡± Pa muttered gruffly, glancing up from the dense letter he held, then flicked his eyes back down. He frowned. ¡°There¡¯s been some news.¡± Mom prompted. ¡°Oh?¡± Karen perched on the armchair, wary. ¡°Yes. You see. Hmm.¡± Pa rubbed his moustache. Karen swallowed. Her father was hesitating? How bad was this? Grounded for weeks? Should she just confess? No, she couldn¡¯t let anything about Maddie slip. ¡°Read that first.¡± His four fingered hand proffered the envelope and sheet of crisp white paper, and Ollie snatched it. ¡°Hey- give it! I was up first!¡± Karen grabbed him in turn, wrestling the boy into a position where she could read it too. It didn¡¯t have a school stamp- instead, the letters OAR merged in a vague federal seal. To Ranelk Homeowner According to the new Anomalous Entities Act, with the vote of the Idaho National Board and the Office of Anomalous Research, the Town of Ranelk has been granted the status of Anomalous Settlement Area. In accordance with the Anomalous Entities Act, as of September 21st, economic grants and potential domiciles will be afforded to non-human entities moving within Ranelk Anomalous Settlement Area. These entities shall be registered at the Area from October 2nd onwards, and also at Ranelk Municipal Centre. These entities are non-human specimens whose sapience shall be graded on the Everick Sapience Scale between Rank 5 and 8. These entities have previously coexisted with humans and are fully competent in modern culture, however did so without full registration. The registration and knowledge of their true identities and anomalous non-human nature will improve relations with previously secretive sections of the population. The Anomalous Settlement Areas are designed to reinvigorate dwindling populations and shift non-humans away from difficult urban environments. Please proceed with caution and patience in the coming days. During this time, school classes shall be suspended for a week, to resume on Monday the 11th October. A presentation and Q&A session shall be delivered on October 3rd at 1300 at the Ranelk Municipal Centre t- ¡°Yeees! School¡¯s closed for a full week!¡± Karen cheered, relaxing her grip, while Ollie seized the chance to slip free. ¡°Can I have a house key?¡± Her mother¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Karen. Should that really be your first priority?¡± ¡°Uh. And magic¡¯s real?¡± ¡°Magic? This just mentions animalus¡­ anomelus stuff?¡± Ollie pondered, dark brow furrowed. ¡°Ah.¡± Pa nodded slowly, ¡°You heard already. That¡¯s what you were askin¡¯ ¡®bout on wednesday kiddo?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± She admitted, ¡°A new kid was talking about this stuff. Though not in as many words.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t say magic though!¡± Ollie whined. ¡°They don¡¯ wanna cause panic. Anomalous means strange, inexplicable. It¡¯s fancy talk to avoid assumptions. But magic, monsters, myths, some of it¡¯s real.¡± Pa explained, then gave a low chuckle. ¡°Yeah. I know I said the opposite, kiddo. Not too big a man to admit when I¡¯m wrong, that¡¯d be more foolish, eh?¡± Karen closed her mouth, ¡°Yeah. But Logan said they don¡¯t like being called monsters, said they¡¯re called mystics cos of myths? Like they wouldn¡¯t have been secret if they were all roaring monsters.¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a good deal more ramblin¡¯ about them bein¡¯ people,¡± He nodded towards the other dozen pages, flyers and pamphlets, ¡°Thing is, people aren¡¯t automatically good. Just like humans, all of these mo- uh, mystics are going to have a fair share of bad eggs.¡± ¡°So we need you both to be careful.¡± Mom stood, and drew close, taking hers and Ollie¡¯s hands in a coarse strong grip. ¡°If you see anything strange, anything odd, just turn back around. Noone can blame you for being cautious- slow, steady and safe is always best.¡± Karen gritted her teeth. They didn¡¯t understand. Everyone she¡¯d met at the camp had been weird, but nice. She¡¯d been appreciated. But¡­ admitting any more would be admitting to skiving so she exhaled and nodded obediently. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be careful, I promise.¡± * * * * * * Karen carefully walked through the woods towards a mages lair in search of a flying potion. She did keep her eyes and ears open for traffic, and dragons, so technically she was keeping her promise. Technically. She successfully spotted the green dragon on the porch of the log cabin- and chuckled at the sight of two gangly legs sticking out of under it. ¡°You alright under there Logan?¡± Karen called from a cautious distance, ¡°Where¡¯s red and blue?¡± ¡°Morning, just peachy,¡± He grunted, ¡°They¡¯re off helping Matt shop, while Nessie helps me. Any word on Maddie?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s on her way.¡± She paced around, until she could see him blearily beneath an emerald wind. ¡°Uh, are the dragons¡­ dragons in town? We all got a warning letter about the camp, but they¡¯re pretty scary.¡± The hatchling flicked an eye open and loosed a long reptilian gurgling growl. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re the scariest Nessie- but the others are veiled. You remember Karen?¡± Logan sighed, ¡°Well she¡¯s a friend from school. Yeah, the jumpy girl, she just looks more innocent with her hair down.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, Alan Rickman.¡± She tutted, bent low, and peered down to spy a large syringe in his hands, drawing crimson from the drake. ¡°Oh- no is she sick?¡± ¡°Nope. Dragon blood¡¯s like¡­ a magical catalyst. Helps with potions. Including your special order.¡± ¡°Ooooh,¡± Karen knelt, producing her hair tie with a smirk, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not a vampire? Shapeshifting, blood taking, long hair?¡± ¡°Pretty certain- oi,¡± He tensed but didn¡¯t dare drop the syringe as she pulled his black hair neatly into a knot, fixing it in place. ¡°What the hell? Hey!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an experiment. Might improve your peripheral vision- doesn¡¯t he look better Nessy?¡± She giggled, eying the result. He looked more drawn than she¡¯d realised, slight bags under his eyes, a scar near his temple. ¡°I experiment plenty. Just not with fashion,¡± He scoffed, and pulled the syringe free, wiping the tiny wound. Nessie scuttled off and stretched, growling as the yellow eyes took him in. ¡°See, she agrees.¡± ¡°Nessie doesn¡¯t know anything about hair. She¡¯s a reptile.¡± He stood,and moved to carry the blood into the hut, the dragon skittering around him with a cavalcade of draconic snarling, ¡°No, you don¡¯t do anything to your veiled hair¡­.. No you don¡¯t¡­. I¡¯ve never seen you touch shampoo¡­. because!¡± ¡°You tell him Nessie.¡± ¡°Aw, no. No way- that crosses a line.¡± Logan retorted, storming around the kitchen, before returning with a bag, a steak, and a fistful of small cards that he shoved in her face. ¡°Look- is this fashionable? That¡¯s her opinion on hair!¡± The plastic cards were an ID of sorts, stamped with that OAR crest, listing name- Vanessa- her class C, apparent date of birth, and a pair of pictures. One showed the green wyrmling snarling fiercely, the other was a sulking freckly girl, with ginger hair wild as a thundercloud. ¡°What¡¯s he on about?¡± Karen flattered the drake from a safe distance, ¡°Human Nessie¡¯s real cool- looks like Boudicca. Know her? Big warrior queen that wrecked the Romans, real badass.¡± The dragon glanced at her, clicked her jaws, then lunged into the air, wings flapping desperately as she snatched the steak Logan threw, landed roughly, and set to tearing it apart. A gasp at the display announced Maddie¡¯s arrival, dressed warmly with fluffy boots, her blonde hair wild and silvery in the sunlight, ¡°Oh wow, she¡¯ll be flying in no time. And so will you I guess, hey Karen!¡± ¡°Heeeeeey stranger, how was two days in prison?¡± ¡°Super boring compared to yours.¡± The girl gave a quick hug, before shooting a cautious glance around, ¡°Where are the other two? Little Shen¡¯s adorable.¡± ¡°Disguised in town. They¡¯ve got ID cards and everything,¡± Karen held up the cards and shuffled them, slightly troubled to note that all three had a field declaring Danger: C. ¡°Is everyone getting these?¡± ¡°All mystics are meant to be registered, yeah. It¡¯s a bit heavy handed, but from what Daddy says these OAR guys have no idea what they¡¯re doing. Conspiracy theorists and FBI guys trying to deal with all the magic in the country.¡± She grimaced, ¡°But Daddy¡¯s trying to make things smooth here.¡± ¡°Well, Karen¡¯s actually been helping with that,¡± Logan emerged from the door with another heavy old backpack, ¡°And in recognition of your hard work, and because I want to try flying too, I shall grant your wish. Just further into the woods so we don¡¯t have Snap, Crackle and Pop trying to catch us.¡± ¡°Oh, new hair Logan. Looks sharp.¡± Maddie waved, ¡°Have you managed to settle in?¡± ¡°Uh, thanks. Still got tons and tons of Matt¡¯s Seattle boxes, I think we¡¯re liveable though.¡± He blushed and turned to lock the door, before shouting instructions to Nessie and leading them off through the trees. ¡°I still can¡¯t entirely believe you can understand dragons,¡± Karen muttered as she followed, ¡°Did you have to go through classes? Red translating?¡± ¡°Uh, no, no, that would have been less painful though. I used a spell to read their mind once, took hours and¡­ Hex is still pretty bitter about the experience. Uncle¡¯s better at it, he¡¯s more fluent than I am,¡± He explained, and noted a small frown on her face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not telepathic, it takes a long time to manage any mind reading.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not just a one trick pony,¡± Maddie wondered, ¡°What other tricks are up those sleeves, great magician?¡± ¡°Well Veil itself is pretty diverse- walk, fly, swim, if it follows physics, I can do it. Anda pretty mean sleeping potion. Really useful with how manic this house is.¡± The clearing wasn¡¯t far off, a small meadow in the trees cleared for picnics or bonfires by adventurous campers in years past. Logan set about pulling bags and blankets from his pack, while Karen paced around, a fierce excitement on her face. ¡°Ready to fly?¡± She whispered to Maddie, ¡°I¡¯m so psyched, I¡¯ve been up since like six.¡± ¡°Of course you have,¡± Maddie looked aside, ¡°But probably not for me. Can¡¯t have two veils at once, the results are apparently¡­ messy.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, we can wait a bit longer for it to wear off?¡± Karen offered, noticing her tense look, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve have to deal with the pain another four times, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± A gentle nod. ¡°I¡¯m not into that much change in a day. Sorry, it¡¯s jus-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You don¡¯t like pain. No apology needed,¡± Karen pressed her phone into her hands, ¡°Take some great pictures, okay? I never wanna forget this.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Maddie tightened her grip, then her cheeks dimpled with amusement, ¡°If you crash I¡¯m never deleting this.¡± ¡°Not gonna happen!¡± Karen cheered, ¡°Hey Logan are we ready? Maddie¡¯s our ground crew.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ve got it right here.¡± He brandished a silver flask, and rotated it to reveal a sticky note reading Magic Bird Potion, ¡°Even labelled it, happy?¡± ¡°Yup, you¡¯re learning, thankyou!¡± She reached out, only for him to lift it too high. ¡°Wow, wow, not so fast- I was severely reprimanded the other night for not explaining things,¡± Logan tutted, ¡°So, quick induction- this stuff lasts two hours, and if you change back in the air you¡¯re probably going to die.¡± ¡°What, you didn¡¯t include parachutes?¡± He ignored her and pulled a plastic digital watch from his pocket, ¡°It also gives you the instincts of this bird so you might not be the best timekeeper. I¡¯m going to strap this alarm watch onto you- come and land as soon as it buzzes.¡± ¡°Alright, alright- what kind of bird are we anyway?¡± ¡°Well the best kind, of course. Master of the sky, able to handle water with ease, and terrifying on land- the goose.¡± ¡°The- you¡¯re messing- shut up!¡± She shoved him as he cackled, ¡°Why are mystics all trolls?¡± ¡°Your reactions are too good. Jess is a big fan.¡± He back pedalled, wheezing, ¡°Fine- fine, it¡¯s a nice surprise, I swear, I take magic seriously. But if you don¡¯t trust me? Don¡¯t drink it.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Maybe not a hundred percent.¡± Karen admitted, but took the flask, ¡°But enough to try and fly.¡± ¡°Charming.¡± She almost gagged as she drank, it was thick as lukewarm yoghurt and horribly bitter. Even swallowing it made her head spin, the flask left her hand, or wing or foreleg or... ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± She grimaced. ¡°My head¡¯s...¡± ¡°The instincts will feel weird, just sit and try to relax,¡± Logan warned and turned around. Exposing his back to her. Wasn¡¯t that rude? She tumbled down as a shock like lightning surged through her nervous system, and everything felt tighter. Her bones and muscles were being pushed inwards by her skin, over which small brown hairs were bristling. Her clothes swamped her, the humans loomed like giants, and the grass shot ever closer. Yet with every second, new proportions emerged. Her teeth merged within their jaw and erupted outwards, encompassing her nose to form a hooked beak. A toe withered away while the other four grew scaly and sharp, nails curling into talons. Her bones burned, mass vanishing to form light hollow shapes and a new sternum on which muscles built. Out of her sleeves, she flexed arms, finding the fingers merging into long paddles and growing wings. On the outside all of the hairs suddenly flexed and like flowers blooming she felt them extended into long red-brown feathers, lined with tiny muscles and delicate nerves. Her throat and lungs gagged again, forming additional air sacs and a strange new breathing system, then finally her eyes stung. The eyes changed everything. She screamed. It was a high keening screech, devoid of humanity. Then the change ended, humongous hands pulled the tangle of clothes off of her, and she stared around in wonder. ¡°Oh my god, you look awesome! Still understand me Karen? Heyo?¡± The world looked perfectly insane. She had known the phrase eagle-eyed before. It made sense to see every pore, every hair, ever fleck of dirt. It was stunning. But it was expected. Nothing could have prepared her for the colours. She didn¡¯t know half of them. Red, green and blue were scattered, mere fragments of a far greater spectrum of stunning new hues. Had she been colour-blind all her life? These felt right. But no, they weren¡¯t. Why was she reeling. This was normal. But it was so strange. Her own confusion was a paradox, and with a click she went to grit her teeth but she had no teeth. Which was normal. Wasn¡¯t it? Wavering, Karen glanced across herself, to discover a sleek aerodynamic form, strong elegant wings, and beautiful feathers of fathomless colors. Then large hands grabbed her and Logan winced as she flailed, ¡°Wow, calm, calm, don¡¯t scratch! Just getting the watch. Maddie had thankfully been given a thick leather glove, and Karen clung to her arm with gentle talons, shooting a glare at the mage boy. He ignored her, and tugged the childish watch around her neck, beeping a couple of buttons. ¡°Alright, good, hundred and ten minutes on the clock now take things slo-¡± She threw her wings wide, ready to take to the air. Instead her left swing slammed into blonde hair and hard skull, Maddie squealed, and Karen found herself hanging upside down, talons tight on the leather. ¡°Slowly.¡± Logan finished, pushing her upright, ¡°Maddie, you okay? This idiots wings will be damn strong.¡± ¡°Really? You don¡¯t say.¡± Maddie rubbed her hair irritably, then stretched her arm out further. ¡°Stay aware, I don¡¯t want a concussion from you.¡± Karen nodded and relaxed. Her wings flared open more gently, body tipped forwards as if following a guided path, and she dove clear. There was four feet between perch and a grassy undignified crash. Plenty. Her wings slammed down, blasting wind around them even as her feathers made minute adjustments to curve her course. Her downward momentum became horizontal, then vertical and she swooped up into the air above the humans¡¯ heads. Another flap and another gained her height, though not enough to clear the trees and she tilted, ready to skim along their exterior and circle the clearing. Instead she flipped her talons towards the sky, spiralled and slammed her left wing down. That nearly sent her spiralling into jagged branches, and she flailed for another few seconds before gliding back down to land on grass, exhaling several long breaths from her air sacs. ¡°You okay?¡± Maddie knelt down beside her, glove ready, and smiled at her chirp, ¡°Fine, fine, that didn¡¯t count as a crash. How¡¯d it feel?¡± Karen climbed back onto the leather thoughtfully. How did it feel? Heart pounding, terrifying, seconds away from death with only her skill and wits at her disposal! But she couldn¡¯t talk, so she spread her wings and squawked loudly. They gave the glove to Logan, to use his greater height and longer arm for take-off, while Maddie recorded with her phone. It took another two attempts before she swooped back and landed immaculately on his glove, basking in their praise. She had flown successfully. As expected. But the sky above was open and free of trees and obstacles, and so she launched herself again and focussed entirely on bringing her wings down with each flap. Gravity plucked at her feathers hungrily, but she was too strong for it, too fast, and spiralled up above the humanoids, above the clearing, above the trees. As long as she didn¡¯t overthink things, the motions came easily, and that too was easy. Who wanted to dwell on muscles and nerves when she was above the trees, rising higher, gasping at the strange surface of the lake, at once light and dark and mixed in with the wondrous new colours! She was curving towards it, but her eyes settled on the mountains beyond, and she saw no reason to stay below their peaks. Another flap and another and another and another and another and another came and went. It was hard work, her breath cycled through several lung-parts before being exhaled, but she could feel them roaring at the effort to fight the wind and gravity both. A gust almost blew her over, and she found herself tumbling through the sky, beak over tail-feathers, before her instincts helped her fly stable once more, under a pathetic motley pigeon. No, not under, that beneath her. She wasn¡¯t going to fly under a pigeon! But the creature was irritating, it barely flapped its wings, and for several minutes stayed above her, drifting like a kite on the wind- oh, no, that was it! The little vermin was using the wind rather than just its own strength. A cheap cowardly move. But one that she quickly began to search for, steadying her wings as she glided around. It took a couple of minutes to find one, but when she did the thermal carried her with ease, and she swooped upwards, screeching gleefully. Higher and higher, higher and higher, she flapped and spiralled, letting the colourful trees below dwindle to the size of grass on a lawn. The filthy pigeon vanished amidst her glee, rightfully terrified of the queen of the skies and she set her gaze below. The land was a vibrant patchwork of meadow and forest, roads crisscrossing it like veins of an arm, the lake small as a puddle. It mirrored the sky gloriously, shimmering with the not-blues and not-purples, like a hole torn through the polluted world to reveal another pristine sky. Her eyes tracked the few fields, automatically searching for prey like elk or sheep or pigs or- No that was foolish, this wasn¡¯t a hunting trip, it was a flying trip! How would she even take down an elk? She brushed off that instinct, and turned her attention homewards. The town of Ranelk was a collection of little boxes and squares, small and forgotten by the wider world ever since the mine died. The camp was similar. Their squares were newer, still being cut around the rectangular trailers. Seemingly whether human or mystic, people thoroughly liked to sort their lives into neat boxes. A screech interrupted her musings, and she glanced to see a reddish brown shape approaching, not so different from her either. Well, if one overlooked his smaller size, duller coat, and far less grace. Karen grinned internally as she tucked her talons, bowed forwards, and dove towards the newcomer- Logan- and the ground far far below. There was a whistle in her ears, a scream in her lungs, and she felt the sudden urge to dive all the way, feel how fast she would skim across the lake like a bullet. But then Logan would be higher than her. And so she flared her wings, unleashed a BOOM with the impact, and swooped inches over his screaming back before flapping back up. He followed, squawking madly and she could only imagine the indignation in his voice. But what was the point of him flying if not as an audience to her triumph? Height gave her a confidence and safety net to experiment with more bizarre motions. She had never seen a hawk attempt gymnastics, but how hard could it really be to flip around him? As it turned out, the answer was extremely. There were no instincts for barrel rolls, flips and somersaults, and if there were then Logan had done something severely wrong- and he wouldn¡¯t stay still! Sure, you couldn¡¯t stay still in the air, but he wasn¡¯t even trying as she flailed and found herself swooping back on a gust, trying to dart through upside down in a single fluid motion. By the time the gizmo around her neck began to buzz, the hawk was exhausted. She loosed a brief, very dignified, scream of surprise, then remembered the watch alarm. Thankfully her aerial acrobatics had cost her hundreds of metres of altitude, and so she turned and skimmed back over the road, the woods until her perfect vision found the clearing. There were more bipeds- humans- there now, Maddie¡¯s platinum blonde hair was bobbing as she spoke with a broad young man- Caleb- and she swooped down to land on the leather glove, almost overbalancing. ¡°Oh, damn that was amazing! K-Karen right?¡± He snapped a picture with a camera, and turned to Maddie. ¡°I think so? I didn¡¯t really compare the- oh, yeah, that¡¯s Karen,¡± She noticed the nodding and chirping. ¡°Did you have fun? From the time you should be about to-¡± Karen¡¯s scream of pain cut her off as every nerve decided enough was enough. Organs slithered under her skin, bones pushed outwards, and she suddenly found herself gagging at the tight watch strap around her throat. Thankfully Maddie had hands. She undid the watchstrap, covered her with a blanket, and left her like a cake in the oven to change, regrow teeth and fingers. Her talons melted down into blunt nails, her feathers drilled back down into her skin like acupuncture, and her brown hair regrew wild around her skull. Then it was over. She was left, flightless and chill, flexible and heavy, wrapped in a strange blanket. Someone passed a poly bag of her old clothes in, and she hurriedly dressed, pulling on the huge hoodie even when she couldn¡¯t find her T-shirt. With that done, just weariness and a strange emotion remained, and she threw the blanket aside to lie on the grass, staring at the sky high above. It was blue. Just blue. All the other nameless colours were gone. ¡°I flew.¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Caleb mumbled from nearby, ¡°I saw some. Were you the one doing loops?¡± ¡°Yup. Flips were hard though.¡± ¡°Would you recommend it? You okay¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ yes, that was just AMAZING! And¡­ Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± She was a biped again, ignoring the phantom sensations of wings and long tail. Just forelegs to push her up into a sitting position, and hindlegs to fold for balance. ¡°Just adjusting.¡± ¡°Take your time,¡± Logan walked from behind her, already dressed once more and fiddling with the hair tie she¡¯d given him. How was he that fast? She gritted her teeth, planted her feet, and tried not to overthink standing up. She got onto all fours, which felt natural, but undignified. Caleb offered a hand and she batted it aside, overbalanced and flopped over. He picked her up like a doll instead, and she grimaced and wriggled free, taking shaking steps on two legs, ¡°Hands off- I¡¯m fine! And anyone see my t-shirt? It should be somewhere.¡± ¡°That kit you keep chasing was around, she led me here.¡± He admitted, ¡°Thought she was being awfully helpful.¡± ¡°Jess.¡± She clenched her talo- her fists. Not sharp, but blunt. And weak. ¡°Alright, keep your eyes open for her, she¡¯s due a reckoning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t hunt her down in the air. What was it like?¡± Maddie passed her phone back, ¡°Did you have telescopic vision?¡± ¡°Yeah- oh, yeah, there was sooooooo many colours. It¡¯s like I¡¯m colourblind now, there was¡­ your hair looked like¡­ like silver but spicy and more green? And my feathers were all really¡­ like a more loud red? But not red, more bitter?¡± ¡°Oh, right! Birds can see UV light! You got to see UV!¡± Caleb gasped, mouth slack, ¡°Damn, no wonder you¡¯re trying to use flavours, I can¡¯t imagine a new colour.¡± ¡°Ooooh, so that¡¯s why. I kinda missed that.¡± Logan muttered, struggling to tie his hair back again, ¡°That was why I was so distracted for the first ten minutes, I was worried something had gone wrong.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t much slower.¡± Maddie snickered, ¡°Both picked it up quicker than I expected- because of the instincts right? How did that feel?¡± ¡°Pretty weird, even for me. There was a lot of¡­ focus on air, on the sky, precise control, and a bit of a hunting sense.¡± ¡°And ego,¡± Karen added cheerfully, ¡°It feels like you¡¯re queen of the sky, like nothing can compare in the slightest. Do all birds think that? There was one really sassy pigeon...¡± Logan cocked his head, ¡°Uh, no? No, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not the potion Karen. That¡¯s just you.¡± ¡°Excuse me? The potion totally worked, I was flying circles around you, mage boy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not exactly disproving him,¡± Maddie prompted. ¡°Whose side are you on?¡± She rolled her eyes, and looked to her phone, ¡°Did you film much?¡± ¡°Only the first couple tries. You went crazy high.¡± ¡°Ludicrously high.¡± Logan added. ¡°Yeah, even this thing barely got anything,¡± Caleb tapped his heavier camera. ¡°What¡¯s the point of flying if I¡¯m not above mountains? I wish there were clouds I could have explored,¡± She shot a glare at the clear blue sky, ¡°But¡­ thankyou Logan. That was honestly a wish come true.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s high praise. First time I¡¯ve gotten to grant a wish, normally it¡¯s always just hiding stuff,¡± the young mage mused, a distant smile on his face. ¡°Yup so I¡¯ll quit bugging you as thanks.¡± She glanced around as they reached the lodge, between the track to the camp, and the road towards town, ¡°Guess it¡¯s back to regular old two legs life now.¡± ¡°You only had two legs.¡± Maddie giggled, ¡°Guess your heads still in the clouds.¡± ¡°It definitely is if she thinks there¡¯s any going back. Regular life?¡± Caleb spread his arms, ¡°Our town¡¯s gonna have magic and mystics all around now, who cares about school?¡± Karen frowned, ¡°Well, I want to graduate this year. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, but who¡¯s to say how relevant grades will be in the future? The entire education system is nonsense and debt ridden, we¡¯re going through a complete emergence of the supernatural. It would be pretty ridiculous if the same old corrupt systems stuck around, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ooooh, he stole your catchphrase,¡± Maddie whispered. ¡°Shush you. What are you even talking about Caleb? We¡¯re not movers and shakers. We¡¯re still in high school. You¡¯ve lived in one house your whole life!¡± ¡°W-well, yes, but we can make a difference here. Did you even read the letter this morning?¡± ¡°Yeah- well a bit, it was pretty dry.¡± ¡°Exactly- it was all over the place, so obsessed with neutral speech and not saying anything wrong that it made them sound like aliens. You and me, we know better- we can help explain this stuff to folk way better than any OAR bureaucrat!¡± ¡°With your newspaper? Logan and...¡± Karen bit her lip and looked away from Maddie, ¡°Logan¡¯s the know-it-all. He¡¯s the mage, I only just found out about this stuff.¡± ¡°The Ranelk Runner. Yes. Do you think anyone else in this town has experienced magic Karen? Sure, experts are good, but local people are more valuable, more trusted. Our classmates would listen if you told them all about getting to fly and how awesome it is.¡± ¡°Wha- no, no no no,¡± She raised her hands, ¡°My parents would kill me if they heard I did this. You can¡¯t tell anyone!¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Caleb frowned, looked over her, ¡°You¡¯re scared of your folks?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡± She folded her arms, glowering, ¡°They just don¡¯t need to know. I got to fly, that¡¯s my business! No-one else!¡± ¡°Not even if you think it¡¯d help people understand this better? I mean, people are bound to find secrets out eventually aren¡¯t they? The longer you hide things, the worse it¡¯s going to be.¡± ¡°Who invited you?¡± Karen snapped, forcing her nerves down. What if he stumbled across the truth about Hugh? About Maddie? ¡°You can¡¯t just pretend to be a journalist to snoop and butt into my life!¡± ¡°You asked for my help, bonehead. Where¡¯s the camp? Where¡¯s Logan? None of that ring a bell?¡± He rubbed his temples, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You act all high and mighty but as soon as there¡¯s a chance to actually make a difference, you back down?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a giant magic conspiracy thing happening! I don¡¯t think me getting to fly for two hours makes a difference!¡± She retorted. ¡°Every little helps. You¡¯re ¡­. cool, or ¡­ I thought you were.¡± Caleb shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t you think your voice matters?¡± ¡°Dude,¡± Logan spoke up, stepping forwards wearily, ¡°Don¡¯t expose her if she doesn¡¯t want it. Take it from me, mystics have had enough of that kind of journalism.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve got plenty from this week, and Mayor Hugh¡¯s doing questions tomorrow, right Maddie?¡± Karen glanced aside, though Maddie was studiously avoiding attention. ¡°He¡¯s local, not OAR, he¡¯ll explain things better than me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a politician, you¡¯re not.¡± Caleb sighed, then threw his hands out, ¡°F-fine, freakin¡¯ fine, no use pressuring you. You got your wish, you¡¯re done, I get it. ¡°Finally.¡± Karen stormed past, ¡°I am starving for lunch! Wanna come Maddie?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± The blonde girl swallowed, nodded and hurried away from the boys. Once they were out of earshot she released a long sigh and offered a hand. ¡°Thanks for keeping quiet.¡± ¡°I promised, didn¡¯t I?¡± Karen released a breath of her own, letting tension ease away as she watched the sky and focussed on controlling her legs. Emergence 5. Eldest Wings Whispers of rain threatened the crowd, mingling with whispers of threats and monsters. Hundreds jostled under the cloudy sky, weary and brittle or young and curious, tall, short, fat and thin, bumping shoulders as they gossiped. They were scared. Weak. Karen could see it so clearly, the bubbling tension in twitching fingers, square shoulders- and, occasionally, a holster lurking near the belt. They filled the street leading up to the hastily erected podium by the Town Hall, all eager to hear what on earth was going on. Karen already knew this would be the real icebreaker on Mystics and magic for most, so she kept to herself, perched on a dumpster near the back, high enough to avoid the tight squeeze of humanity. Until a warm brown hand thrust up, and a flash of white teeth demanded, ¡°Yo, Thomson, give us a hand up!¡± Emily was all bright smiles even on a grey day, her dark braids rattling around her shoulders and short clothes as if she didn¡¯t feel the cold. It was tempting to drop her, but Karen relented, she was a classmate. ¡°Fine, but eat less- and noone else, just us, kay?¡± ¡°Gimme a break, we can¡¯t all be lil ballerinas,¡± Emily scrambled upright, stout but scarcely taller than her, ¡°Ooh, much better- are those TV cameras? Are we gonna be famous?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not pointed this way.¡± She grimaced, ¡°But Caleb¡¯s trying out journalism, we might get a school paper if he gets his way.¡± ¡°Big nerd.¡± Emily shot her a smirk, ¡°He ask ya out yet?¡± ¡°No, just stuck his nose in my business. Why would you interview me about this stuff when there¡¯s actual experts around he can bug? It¡¯d just land me in trouble¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s head over heels, like a big puppy dog.¡± She giggled, and leaned closer. ¡°Ooooh, experts? Any at school? Are they really aliens?¡± ¡°Too close,¡± Karen shoved and steered her towards the stage, ¡°I dunno, maybe those people with the microphones will know something. Maybe.¡± On the stage, a small gaggle of figures sat in a crescent around the podium, with Mayor Hugh Carpenter front and centre, round and boyish in a pink salmon suit. On his left, contrasting vastly, was the massive muscular grey woman, Exi, and a nervous iron haired man rubbing his spectacles. On the right, a red haired punk girl in her twenties grinned beside an older gnarled man in an electric wheelchair. ¡°Ooooh, do you think she¡¯s an alien?!¡± Emily whispered eagerly. ¡°Gosh- what a crowd!¡± Hugh¡¯s jolly voice boomed from borrowed speakers, ¡°I guess half the town¡¯s here, but if you see anyone confused, please be a sport and help them out! Now, just to-¡± ¡°OI!¡± A raspy man shouted near the front, ¡°¡¯ugh, what¡¯s the nonsense ¡®bout ¡®nomalies an¡¯ monsters? What¡¯s the bloody punchline?¡± That he was a snakeman seemed a good punchline, but the Mayor simply chuckled, ¡°Pete, I¡¯m flattered you think I could pull anything of the sort off! No, all the letters you g-¡­ well, all the letters we sent out anyhow, were real, but damn dull, so to help us out allow me to introduce- Director Exi, Doctor Morris, Diana Kingsley, and the venerable Mr Scevola! Good doctor, would you start us off?¡± He broke into eager applause that was uncertainly echoed by the anxious crowd, while the iron-haired man startled, swallowed, and fretfully took the microphone. ¡°Ah- w-well I suppose I can¡¯t say no now.¡± Morris¡¯ voice was tense and low. ¡°G-good afternoon everyone. I am with OAR- the Office of Anomalous Registr- uh, Research. Essentially we catalogue and research things¡­ science can¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a very confusing year, but over it we have discovered that many¡­ fairy tales, myths, legends, ghost stories, paranormal beings, monsters, yokai¡­ whatever you want to call it, supernatural beings are real. Until recently, they¡¯ve lived among us secretly using¡­ well magic, for lack of a better word.¡± He swallowed, and the crowd took that instant to break into a storm of questions. ¡°So why are they here?!¡± ¡°You mean monsters are real!?¡± ¡°How do we know you¡¯re serious!?¡± ¡°Are we safe?¡± His next words were drowned out by shouts and questions as the dam broke. Each person wanted to call out, to demand answers, to act proud as if they weren¡¯t terrified to their core. Ridiculous. ¡°So is science fake?¡± ¡°You¡¯re falling for demons?¡± ¡°Are they from the hollow?¡± ¡°QUIET!¡± A thunderous roar broke the noise like a knife, and the ancient arthritic man grimaced from his wheelchair. ¡°These are your experts. You will listen to them, ingrates, then ask. Now hurry it up!¡± ¡°A-ah, thankyou, Scevola, s-sir!¡± Morris blanched pale, ¡°As I was saying, since¡­ these beings are sapient and¡­ technically citizens, our tactic is to register them, and seek ways to live openly. We are quickly opening many ca- uh, settlement areas- in less urban environments to help relieve tension. OAR is here to¡­ be your researchers, your diplomats¡­ and your police if anything¡¯s dangerous. Uh, next question?¡± ¡°WHY¡¯S SHE GOT SIX ARMS!?¡± Emily yelled fastest. Karen winced as several eyes turned towards them, including Exi¡¯s vivid green ones. Then the mystic stood to her full looming height, gave a flat toothed smile, and took the microphone in one hand. ¡°Well. I was born this way like you were born with two arms, young lady. I hid them for much of my life out of fear. But one day I decided to stop hiding them. Now I have five hands.¡± She considered her prosthetic hook, ¡°Not all non-humans, not all Mystics, are like me. But they are all also like everyone. We are all animals. We are all sentient. None of us chose to be born with our sex or skin colour or height or species. And we all want to live in peace, to work together to make a better world! As Morris said somewhere in that waffle, we¡¯ve lived in peace for a long time but from now on we¡¯re going to be open about it.¡± ¡°Question!¡± A red bearded man punched the air, ¡°Some monsters look like animals or stuff right? How do we tell what¡¯s sentient? Wolves or elk or the like?¡± Exi gave a nod to her side, and sat down as the red haired woman, Diana sauntered forwards. Her eyes stood out more than her outfit- not human, but avian, a brilliant predatory gold as she smirked over the crowd. ¡°Well, firstly, most organisms are sentient. Sapience is the thing humans value and Mystics, not monsters, are perfectly sapient. Our friends at OAR have divided us into three¡­ categories.¡± Her voice was a sweet drawl, like dripping honey, ¡°Class A is pure humans. Class B¡¯s are beings that can use tools and speak in their true form. Class C¡¯s are anything that can¡¯t easily speak or use tools, but are still sapient, we use magic when we need to match¡­ civil society.¡± ¡°Well yeah- but point is, how do you tell a class c, a mystic, from an animal? What if you¡¯re fishing and you kill a deer and it turns out that¡¯s actually a magic deer?!¡± The man stumbled through his metaphors. ¡°Killing someone is murder, sir. How often are you killing animals for this to be a concern? If it seems weird at all, wearing anything, err on the side of caution and resist murdering them, alright?¡± Diana gave a patronising smile, ¡°After all, you manage to pass off as intelligent life, sir.¡± ¡°Ooooh-kay!¡± Hugh bounced up and snatched the mic away, ¡°Thankyou Diana- uh, next question, I heard someone ask about the location?¡± ¡°Yeah- why here?!¡± A reedy mother with a toddler round her neck screeched, ¡°Why us? Where¡¯s our choice?¡± ¡°Ah, of course. This entire process has been new territory, quick decisions being made and so an emergency meeting was called as soon as the Jamieson campsite was sold.¡± The Mayor lied, ¡°Finding out all this was quite a shock for me! But after a lot of gabbing, the council felt that it was worth a chance.¡± ¡°I love Ranelk, but our population is hardly what it once was. There¡¯s a lot of ghost towns up here, and we fear ending up as another one of them. It¡¯s not easy, change never is, but helping OAR and these folk is gonna help Ranelk.¡± He coughed, looked over the crowd, then suddenly pointed, ¡°Ah- Matthew Tomacher, there you are- how many viewings have you got booked compared to last month? And, oh, Jules! Julia, how much more business has hit the gas station? And, ah, Andy! How many days have your trucks sat idle this week?¡± A scattered shower of voices reported fine- no, bustling- business as the RASA was prepared, and Karen watched them, a shiver running down her spine. Were they planted to agree with him? Or was he truly this social man? Did it even matter? ¡°Now, I¡¯m no Doctor, but this seems set to bring business and folk around here, and that¡¯s without even talking about what this magic stuff could do. Only took William Shockley to put Silicon Valley on the map, and look how many electronic gizmos we all have now. Who knows what amazing discoveries OAR will help with!¡± He shrugged in seeming blissful ignorance, ¡°Now, what¡¯s next?¡± As it turned out, next, and the vast majority of the conference, was damn boring. Hugh and Doctor Morris prattled about legislature, Exi and Diana got badgered about particular mystic species, and the old man seemed to fall asleep in his wheelchair. Karen¡¯s own attention drifted skywards, considering the clouds and then the sparrows that fluttered curiously overhead. They were small and light, quick, but if taken by surprise in a dive they would be easy prey, it was just a matter of getting above th- ¡°Thomson?¡± A hand waved in front of her, and she recoiled and cracked her head into the wall. ¡°Aoow, what the hell Emily?!¡± She rubbed her head, pulling her ponytail out as she took stock. The crowd was dispersing, chattering with a mote less fear than before. Whatever else, Hugh¡¯s lies had kept them calm and a little more informed. ¡°Earth to Karen,¡± Emily leaned close, too close, and Karen recoiled, banging her head into the brick wall behind her. ¡°Ooooh, ouch. Sorry. Didn¡¯t mean to scare ya.¡± ¡°Startled, not scare- back up,¡± She slipped around her, almost stumbled at the dumpsters edge, then threw her momentum forwards. Legs flew over head, and she flipped through the air before landing with barely a stumble on street level, arms wide. ¡°See? I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Such a show off.¡± Emily sat and slipped off, landing heavily, ¡°Why don¡¯t we have you leading a cheer squad?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to trust chumps to keep up.¡± Karen rolled her eyes, only for Emily to follow her eagerly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know mystics. Right? C¡¯mon, introduce me, what else you gonna do. Stare off at clouds some more?¡± It was the stupid bird-brain. Leftover instincts from flying as a hawk, playing with her head, but she wasn¡¯t going to tell Emily that. ¡°No, I¡¯m getting lunch. Besides, they¡¯re not a freak show.¡± ¡°Oh cooooome on, I wanna welcome them. They¡¯re new Rani¡­ Ranelkers! Neighbours!¡± Emily pursed her lips, and caught up, ¡°I¡¯ll buy lunch, you introduce me. Deal?¡± ¡°Is no an acceptable answer?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± It was tempting to run, just outmanoeuvre the broader girl, disappear into an alley and lose her. But lunch was more tempting, and there were worse people than Emily in the world. She wolfed down three burgers, partially out of appetite, partially as revenge for her receding headache, before Emily¡¯s bewildered expression made her stop and they departed. The rain began during their trek out of town, turning the landscape to grey sheets, and the road to a quagmire. They hugged the treeline, stumbling over dryer roots and needles to keep some shelter, Karen walking the familiar track while Emily pestered her with questions. Were there vampires? Demons? Castles? Ghosts? ¡°We¡¯ll start simple- guy in our year, Logan, he¡¯s human but can do magic. Big beanpole, he knows way more than me or Caleb.¡± Karen pursed her lips. She deserved to see someone else get surprised by the dragons. ¡°Seriously though, don¡¯t you ever run out of energy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who backflipped off a dumpster.¡± Emily retorted, ¡°Oooooh, Halloween this year is going to be badass! We could have real magic and monsters, make it super spooky- enough to terrify even you.¡± ¡°The only thing that terrifies me is how badly you¡¯re going to insult them- they¡¯re Mystics, not aliens.¡± Karen instructed, ¡°As for Halloween, not a clue, ask Logan.¡± ¡°Aaaaw, you do care,¡± Emily giggled. Then stopped walking, her braids clattering around as she whipped her head. ¡°Wait- hear that?!¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Karen span, eying the misty trees, ready for one of the dragons to snarl and scamper up. Read to see Emily panic. Instead, a child¡¯s voice cut through the silence like a knife. ¡°HELP! Please, someone, heeeeelp!¡± ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m coming!¡± Emily took a step forward but Karen grabbed her sleeve. ¡°No need. That¡¯s Jess, prankster mystic, she¡¯s just after attention.¡± She sighed, ¡°Trust me, worst case scenario she¡¯s in trouble, and she deserves it.¡± ¡°I¡­ aaah, bone poking out! AAAAAH, HELP!¡± The echoing cry came again, and Emily glanced between her and the woods. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound fake.¡± She pulled her sleeve free, ¡°I¡¯ll just take a look, no worries- I¡¯m here to meet kids anyway!¡± ¡°Fine, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± Karen watched her vanish into the fog, crossed her arms, and slumped against a tree. The girl simply lacked any sensible fight or flight instincts, it was ridiculous. Yet she could make a good diversion. If Jess was focussed on pranking Emily, then perhaps the prankster could become the hunted? Or prankee? The teenager bent low and skulked forwards, hugging the trees and ducking under branches. The fog was thick, perfect cover for her approach, and she could hear faintly enough to guide her way. She veered right, almost on all fours, and curved around, fingers occasionally brushing the needled floor, until the sound came from behind. ¡°Help,¡± the whisper came, and she crept closer, eyes narrow. There- there was a shape amidst the trees, lean and¡­ no, it was a tree stump, the rest of the pine fallen. She glanced around it, but there was no sign of her quarry. And yet¡­ ¡°Help¡±, the voice was croaky, like a sapling bending, and echoed in the fog as she searched around. Left, right? No, a sudden warm impact hit her hand and she looked down to see a drop of crimson splatter on her skin. Above. Her eyes flicked upwards, suddenly full of dread. A ragged melted figure floated amongst the branches, septic wounds dripping with blood and worse. Its skin was scars, limbs exposing bone here and there, and five ragged ugly wings stretched from its back like a tarantula¡¯s legs. ¡°Help me.¡± Karen''s heart stuttered. She ought to attack. She ought to run. This thing wasn¡¯t right, this thing wasn¡¯t natural. Wax-like flesh sloughed around yellow bones, barely covered by grimy rags. No. She gritted her teeth. Don¡¯t show weakness. No. She had promised Hugh. No more lashing out. No more fleeing. They were just people. Just like her. ¡°Good afternoon?¡± Her words struggled against the heavy fog, ¡°I¡¯m Karen- who¡¯re you?¡± ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± Her own voice echoed back, as the being flew- no, drifted- through the air, it¡¯s wings barely shifting, irrelevant to flight. Karen winced, breath catching in her lungs. It¡¯s face was a ruin. Cracked scars lined a bare scalp as if it¡¯s very skull had been smashed, pus oozing down past a blazing orange eye. ¡°Lies.¡± Another voice came from it. Strict, british almost. Then, in her father¡¯s heavy tones, ¡°As for me¡­ all of these mystics are going to have a fair share of bad eggs.¡± Karen shuddered, ¡°How do you know about that? Were you spying on me!?¡± ¡°How are the dragon whelps?¡± American, southern. ¡°What do you mean?! What¡¯s that to you?¡± She shouted, scrambling onto the stump. Don¡¯t show weakness. ¡°I am a friend of a friend. Everyone is.¡± Its mouth didn¡¯t match the words, lacking a tongue and many teeth, if anything it seemed to croon into her mind, words slithering in her skull, ¡°Their wellbeing is most important. Are they strong? Safe? Sated?¡± ¡°How should I know?!¡± Karen riled, rubbing her head, ¡°Aren¡¯t you spying? Tell me and maybe I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The Bad Egg cracked its neck, cocking its head sideways, single pupil meeting her own, ¡°Ah. You truly know nothing of use, little whelp. I shall ask others.¡± And like a drifting balloon, it ebbed through the misty branches. Karen blinked in disbelief, turning, ready for some jump, some scare, some trick. It was leaving. ¡°Hey, where are you going? Is that it?¡± Its back was to her, a mutilated mass that hardly seemed to match the five pinions stabbing into it, weeping mist from moist wounds. ¡°Did you honestly think I came looking for you? Ignorant child, so wrapped in pride and denial. You are spare, you have no fate. Those dragon whelps are meant for greater things.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not that impressive. They can¡¯t even fly yet!¡± She growled, feeling a sudden anger boil up, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare turn your back to me!¡± ¡°Nor can you. You have no wings, no magic, no wits, no strength, no drive. Do you imagine your little flips would compete in a mundane world, let alone this new one?¡± Its whispers surrounded her, squirming in her ears like worms and she spun around, finding the mist thicker. ¡°Shut your goddamn mouth, you don¡¯t know me!¡± She leapt from the stump after it, caught herself on a branch, and scrambled up. ¡°What is there to know? An empty little side character, diving into danger to feel important.¡± It never looked her way, never considered her a worthy threat, ¡°For you are small, weak, slow and witless. Any time spent upon you is a waste, little nothing.¡± Then Karen lunged with a scream at it. She smashed through mist, felt an impact on her fist and slammed it into the ground. Leaves scattered as she tumbled, coming to a stop on her back with pain and warmth to her hand, but alone. Karen lifted her talo- hand and winced at the dead ragged squashed pigeon there, her fist caved through its chest and organs and blood leaking around her fingers, dark red and fluid. A testament to her victory, the horror was gone. Yet even that felt hollow and sickly. She¡¯d managed to kill a pigeon. So could any cub. She recoiled and tugged her hand back, trying not to stare at the exposed guts and intestines. A sixteen year old ought to be dealing with large prey- sheep, or elk or bucks or the like. No, that wasn''t right. Was it? A bitter laugh escaped as she stood. No, it was wrong. The bad egg, the ghost, whatever, it was wrong, it didn¡¯t know her! It had to be wrong. No, it probably wasn¡¯t even real, just a trick- mystics were animals like people, flesh and blood, not ghosts! ¡°Hey? Thomson!?¡± Emily¡¯s voice breached the mist. She flinched, quickly licked and wiped the blood off, then called back, ¡°Em! Over here- don¡¯t run off again birdbrai-!¡± They almost collided amidst the trees, and Emily seized the opportunity to hug her before Karen squirmed free. ¡°Ah, there you go! Fine, sorry, sorry, you were right, you can say you told me so.¡± ¡°I told you so.¡± Karen seized the chance, ¡°What did she do?¡± ¡°Dropped a shirt full of worms on me, it was¡­ urgh,¡± Emily shuddered, then looked her over, ¡°Ya alright?¡± It was the stupid bird-brain. Her head was still reeling- first instincts playing with her head, now killing pigeons and imagining ghosts. But she wasn¡¯t going to tell Emily that. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. Come on- he lives uphill, we can cut this way. Did you keep my T-shirt?¡± ¡°No? Yours?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill Jess.¡± Karen fumed, forcing her legs to move and her brain to turn. It still hurt- either from the dumpster earlier, the fall or just elsewhere. The woods still felt too close, she longed for the sky, for clear space, and was partially sated when they found the road once more, the mist slowly lifting. Emily had a clear view of the Lodge when they spotted it and the two dragons on its porch. Hardly fazed, the girl all but squealed. ¡°Oooooh my god, look at them! Hullo der, you¡¯re just adorable, such a widdle cutie pi-¡± ¡°Nope, no baby voices,¡± Karen cupped her hands to shout, ¡°HEY LOGAN!? Got another classmate to say hi!¡± The door opened almost instantly for the young man, who blinked owlishly and tugged his other boot on. ¡°Yo. Another one? I was just heading out.¡± ¡°Yeah there¡¯s more than three of us to a class- Emily, meet Logan,¡± Karen jostled her a step forwards, ¡°Be warned, she¡¯s insane.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called being friendly! But yeah, welcome to Ranelk Anomalous Settlement Area, many happy returns and all that! What¡¯re your dragon¡¯s names?¡± Growling came as Hex caught up with Nessie and them, each with at least the same mass as Emily herself, though on lean reptilian frames and flapping wings. The third, the small blue one wriggled out of the lodge behind Logan like a weird slinky. ¡°Definitely not mine. Red one is Hex, blue is Shen, they¡¯re like little brothers by this point, and the green is Nessie, she¡¯s more like a very argumentative cat.¡± Logan pointed to each, and paused as the emerald wyrmling turned to snarl at him. ¡°Yes- yes you¡¯re argumentative! What do you call this then? ¡­ you know the word discussion? Why¡¯ve you never used it before? You¡¯re just proving my point.¡± ¡°Just to explain-¡± Karen began sagely. ¡°He can understand dragons!¡± Emily clapped, bouncing on the spot, then knelt and outstretched her hand, ¡°Heya, can I touch you¡­ Hex? Shen? I¡¯m a friend, so if ya want any burgers any time, ya can ask me.¡± The red one snorted then butted her hand, serpentine tongue flicking out. ¡°Well, not on me, but yeah. We just smell cos Thomson ate a ton.¡± ¡°How are you this good?!¡± Karen groaned, ¡°I¡¯ve swung by here¡­ three days in a row and I¡¯ve never petted them!¡± ¡°You never asked to. You¡¯ve been trying to stay distant,¡± Logan pointed out, and the dragons added their own growls, before the red and green turned to each other. ¡°And I still don¡¯t. Fluffy things are better.¡± Karen huffed, and counted down from five on her fingers. As if on cue, the pair lunged into a new brawl, a whirlwind of scale and claw, but Emily only gasped with further delight. ¡°Not everything''s a competition. Is Maddie the only sane girl in this town?¡± He asked, turning towards the trail through the trees. ¡°Here, this way.¡± ¡°Ooooh sweet child, she just masks the madness well,¡± Emily waved her fingers eerily, ¡°By the way, ya wanna help with a Halloween party, end of the month? Is that rude? Where are we going?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot- uh, thirdly, the camp¡¯s this way, firstly, sure, and secondly, nah. Never met a Mystic actually invested in Halloween,¡± Logan explained, hastening down the side track and gave the dragons a wave, ¡°Have fun you three.¡± Karen followed, only turning to see Matt¡¯s SUV pull up behind them. Out of it came the spidery mage, a young woman in hiker¡¯s gear, and the crooked elderly man from the conference. ¡°Huh- we¡¯re ditching those guys?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re¡­ being polite. Scevola wants to meet the kids, and he¡¯s kinda¡­¡± Logan swallowed, ¡°Scary.¡± ¡°That old dude- ooooh, is he a wizard? Can he teach magic? Would he want to do Halloween?¡± Emily jabbered. ¡°No. Godzilla scary. He¡¯s a dragon too. An old one.¡± Logan increased his pace, ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of it honestly.¡± ¡°Wh- you don¡¯t like a mystic?¡± Karen gasped, and waggled her finger, ¡°Logan¡­ surname, I am disappointed, I thought you were more open minded.¡± ¡°Tohaken. Shut up- there¡¯s plenty of jerk mystics around, like Exi or Diana, I¡¯m not all loving.¡± He threw an arm out, ¡°But big dragons, adult dragons, they scare me. Okay? Maybe I could get over it, but right now, he¡¯s here to see the hatchlings and I¡¯m not gonna piss him off.¡± ¡°Would he mind being seen?¡± Emily stopped in her tracks, eyes wide. ¡°I literally don¡¯t know. He¡¯s not a happy customer- apparently a centenarian human form isn¡¯t much fun for a kaiju.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interfering. Just having a quick peek. I mean how often do you get to see a giant dragon!?¡± The girl grinned, turned and dashed back down the path between the trees. Karen watched her go, eyes flicking between Logan and the retreating braids, feeling her throat tighten. ¡°You were right, she is weird.¡± Logan sighed, ¡°Are you okay? There¡¯s no shame in hanging back, Karen. We¡¯re only human.¡± ¡°Enough, I¡¯m not scared!¡± She snapped, turned and sprinted after Emily. She wasn¡¯t scared. That wasn¡¯t her. The vision, the ghost, the bad egg, it was wrong, it was wrong. She wasn¡¯t weak. She wasn¡¯t nothing. And she wasn¡¯t second place to Emily of all people. She caught up just as the other stopped at the treelines edge, half in a bush, but paused to watch the shape in front of the lodge. It was a tartan blanket, the one she recognized from un-hawking under the day before. Yet already the shape beneath was significantly larger and nothing like a shrivelled old man. A taloned paw emerged amidst deep thunderous breaths, a swelling limb whose claws gouged the earth and erupted into an array like a dinosaurs¡¯. Another three followed as the car sized monster, a hideous blend of leathery flesh and blossoming scales, continued to erupt outwards. With another minute its bulk matched the lodge, scarred flesh covered by a gleaming armour that flexed between green, brown and orange like rusted copper. Metre long talons bore the weight on four titanic limbs, the monsters tail could have sliced down trees across the clearing or destroyed the truck, and his head¡­. No. Its head was a nightmare. The small horns that the wyrmlings proudly displayed were nothing compared to the misshapen mass of barbed bones that adorned the dragons monstrous skull. Its eye sockets were deep set, tiny flames of power, and its age was evident in countless scars, and the flesh that was drawn tight in places, sagging in others. And yet despite all of that, Scevola moved quickly, the titanic frame shaking the ground, stretching wings bigger than sails so far that the entire lodge entered twilight for a long moment as sunlight filtered through the membranes. The baby dragons growled and snapped and danced around its paws, and the creature moved, circling and rumbling down at them. Whatever ailments slowed a human of such age, the dragon suffered none, it loomed like an indestructible mountain, and a beat of its wings unleashed a veritable tornado. The blast of wind bent trees, snapped branches, dropped needles upon them and knocked Karen over. She grunted at the impact, and felt another one on her gut, a small metal orb that had come free- a bullet? She closed her hand around it, and glanced up, only to skip a heartbeat. The Dragon looked her way. It was too much. She fled. Dead certainty set in- the monster could end her with a twitch, easier than swatting a fly. The wyrmlings were but infants, Logan nothing but a child- true magic, real magic was far beyond them. Far beyond anything she was capable of, just as the Bad Egg had said, beyond her speed, strength, or wit. She was a coward, an insect. A nothing. Emily and Logan found her on a tree trunk near the camp, too exhausted to even snap at them. Logan¡¯s sympathy, his pity was of no comfort to her, nor was seeing Emily cheerful and blas¨¦ about the encounter. The attention only made her feel even smaller, and she made excuses in a low voice before retreating, leaving them to discuss other mystics and Halloween. Two nightmares was enough for one day, she decided as she stumbled home. Yet even home felt barely comfortable, the walls too close, the food unsatisfying, the trampoline hollow comfort. A whole week without school awaited her, and yet everything simply seemed futile in comparison. Compared to magic, how could one compete? They were completely inferior. Dinner and bed were hollow comforts. Everything felt hollow. Emergence 6. Many Nightmares Three: forty-one. Karen rolled over in bed, wincing at the static pain that wracked her. The clock shone like daggers in her eyes. Her stomach gnawed with hunger. Hadn¡¯t she already raided the fridge tonight? Another surge of buzzing agony made her curl up foetal, praying yet another change in position would fix things. Instead her skin itched like sandpaper, dark needles of hair drilling through to rub irritably off pyjamas. A clawing hunger pulled at her organs, as if demanding her own flesh to fill the void within. Nothing felt right. Not since she woke up at three forty, and it was only getting worse. Her every muscle sought to both expand and contract, jerking the girl around like a puppet. Clicks and cracks escaped her fingers as they spasmed, arms bending, and head rolling, seeking some kind of release. Too far, her vertebrae grated and arched in a long wave down her spine, farther than it should have. Beyond her tailbone, the pressure continued in all defiance of mass and physics. Three: forty-two. Karen¡¯s eyes burned with the clock''s light. Nameless colours flickered like stars, dying her vision in violet and beyond. Every thread of her curtain stood out, stark and clear. Every grain of wood on the dresser, every dark hair tangled past her vision, familiar and yet alien. Just like when she¡¯d become a hawk- was that why? Was this another magical change? Her pained mind strained, blearily fighting through the pain as she writhed. She¡¯d not had any Veil potion- had she? No, that was ridiculous. Karen squirmed, reaching back and felt a slender cord of spine and muscle growing from her back, pushing against her pants. The tails nerves burnt their way into her system, feeling the scaly hand- long, sinuous, nothing like a birds. What was it then? Her teeth were running together as she grimaced, molars and incisors forming two solid mandibles that clicked as she struggled. Karen slammed her head down, headbutting into the bed, trying to find a mote of clarity. She¡¯d not had Veil since saturday, four days ago! Her teeth escaped her mouth in two spikes and punctured the pillow. Feathers scattered and tickled everything as she flinched, feeling nose, lips and teeth merge into a predatory beak. Three: forty-three. Karen gasped. She ought to scream. Yet her lungs refused to exhale, only begging for more air in vast wheezing gasps that pushed against her ribs. Unsatisfied with that space, they forced her body outwards, swelling like when she¡¯d become a mermaid. Her chest rounded into a barrel stretching the blue fabric of her pyjamas, and her tail wriggled, coiled and lashed until it split her pants. More lightning-static surges rippled down her limbs too, muscles creaked and bones popped in her limbs. She felt her pinkies and smallest toes wither away. The other digits stretched and curled, long nails forming claws that kicked and bucked. Yet every motion tangled her in her blankets, pulling tight like a trap, a cage, a noose! Too close, too tight! A disgusted growl preceded a clumsy lurch, before Karen managed to topple off the bed. She landed on her back, and felt tears blossom as volts of pain stabbed her shoulder-blades, claiming the hotly contested title of most agonising sensation so far! Her fingers cut through the duvet as she discovered them, armoured in black scales and inch long talons. Yet above the wrist, dark fur shrouded her body, weaving through the tears and rips of her night clothes. Like a wolf? Logan had mentioned wolves. He¡¯d- what was it!? He¡¯d pitied her. No? He¡¯d talked about Halloween ideas earlier. Was this him? Had he spiked her? Could magic do that? Most mystics were pranksters, it made sense! She hissed and clawed her way out of her torn blankets, lashing tail painfully against the wall, kicking the bed, and headbutting the cabinet. The clock fell on her skull. Three: forty-four. The screen cracked as it struck the floor, the display flickered and went out. Karen struggled on all fours, pyjamas ripping apart as her body exceeded the fabrics limits. Dark quills burst through the tears, unfurling into thick feathers. Her hair was no longer lashing in her vision and she hesitated against crying for help. What if her parents saw this thing? Bad. Thinking was a losing battle. Her shoulders were bubbling with new flesh, the space was too small, too close, too tight, threatening to crush her like an egg, a cage, a noose. But screaming was bad and she bit her hooked beak down on the pillow, hissing at feathers like needles on her tongue. The next surge threw her hard against the floor as her back split and punched the ceiling. Vast fans of flesh recoiled from the touch. Karen pulled them down tearfully, only to slam against wall and window when she turned, the motion scattering pens and paper, tearing down curtains, clothes and posters, as her body hit angles everywhere. It was too tight. Across her new limbs, feathers stabbed outwards like grass after winter, a vast canopy that was still growing. She was still growing. It was too tight. Too close. A trap. A prison. A vice. A crush. Karen leapt for the opening in the wall before it was too late. Phantom colour stars flashed in her vision as she rediscovered glass and toppled painfully backwards. Her head thrummed. Noises came from the house. Bad. She gathered her limbs, lunged up and rammed full force into the window. The noise of shattering glass stung her ears. The reality of broken glass slashed her hide. What vestiges of torn clothing had survived her change were sliced free as she tumbled out into the night, and down onto the grass outside in an undignified heap. For a moment that was enough. Karen felt her wings spread, this strange body screaming from cuts and broken glass in her, trickling blood across the lawn. It was ridiculous and obscene- she¡¯d been behaving! She¡¯d seen how small she was, how pointless it all was in the face of magic, stayed quiet and reclusive all week ever since the massive dragon Scevola¡¯s gaze had landed on her. And still, and still, and still, magic sought her out and shook her inside out like a chew toy! Damn mystic pranks! She planted her hands? No, talons, avian, scaled and strong on the ground, and repeated the motion with her hindlegs. They were not the same, but with a motion she stood, stretched and felt a hundred clicks and cracks sting her body. Not all pain vanished, her headache still rumbled and cuts wailed, but the magical change pain vanished like clouds after a storm. It was done. A light clicked on from the shattered window and her Pa¡¯s voice broke in a shout, ¡°Karen!?¡± No. She had to lift this! Before she knew what she was doing, Karen walked- no, loped- across the garden, noticed the fence ahead of her and gathered her legs. Powerful feline hindquarters shot her clean over the barrier by several feet, and she landed on the other side in motion, building speed as another fence came. Another leap carried her over, out of Mr Jenson¡¯s garden, and directly towards thick thorny rose bushes. With a gasp, her wings lashed out, cracking to their full length and slammed down. BOOM. The pressure bent and ruffled the bushes, and lift gave her another six feet to clear the hedges, stumble, and topple over on softer grass. That was on her back and she hated it, so Karen rolled, daring another glance around. She definitely wasn¡¯t a wolf. She was a big monster, reflected in the windows by the light of the street-lamps. Maybe as large as a bear or tiger? The latter fit better, she was four legged and rather feline. But her front was avian on a scale normally reserved for dinosaurs, with fierce avian eyes and wings like sails. More noises came from further down the street. Shouts. Humans. Parents. She had to get this lifted- either Logan had done it to her as a prank, another demonstration of magic, or he could fix it. And the fastest route was a direct line- not tracking around obstacles but over them! Her lungs surged, deep breaths gathering cycles through her air sacs, and she bent, gathered her limbs, and ran. She had to jump early to clear the next fence with its additional roses, but another beat of her wings brought her clear onto Caleb¡¯s lawn. She was ready to land this time, charged across it, and took another jump before she was out of the gardens, crossing a road. Yet, another bound, another lope, then her muscles coiled like springs, her wings rose, and she threw herself upwards. For an instant Karen felt the threat of gravity far more than she had as a hawk. This was a big creature, a heavy body. Could something like this really fly? But Scevola had wings, and she was nowhere near his monstrous size so she hurriedly flapped again, and again and again and again and again, shedding blood and glass shards as she ascended. Roof tiles slipped underneath her. She tucked her legs, aware of how close she had been to slamming into a building. It seemed to help, and more massive strokes of the wings lifted her above the lights, and into the dark heavens. The roads stretched beneath her like a web of embers, lit by street-lights and a couple of trundling vehicles. The lake was a vast shadow, but a couple of distant pinpricks showed the camp to her, and Logan lived near it. The thermal was a pleasant surprise as her muscles began to scream about broken glass and wounds. Even with her size, it let her slow flapping for a moment with instinctive ease, cycling out old breaths for new rich ones. Plus the lake would be a softer landing than any stone if it came to it. The work resumed when she found the shore and almost met a tree. She had to throw her talons up and snap the top branch off to make it over- as good as her eyes were, they did not possess night vision. She breathed and flapped, flapped and breathed, powering up into she spotted the handful of electric lights in the camp, and wearily spun around. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. If those were there, then the road ran parallel to the trail, and the trail had to lead¡­ there! With an eager screech that was definitely not a wince of pain and exhaustion and hunger and desperation and fear, Karen swooped down. Trees rose like knives, branches called out like stakes, and she flinched before spotting a gap in the branches! With a ripple of feathers she banked, dove, only to spot a familiar stump in the small gap. No lodge, no house, this was where she¡¯d seen the Bad Egg thing! With a scream she tried to throw herself backwards, cut off momentum, but even so she slammed into branches, toppled and tumbled, before hitting the forest floor hard. She lay for a second before some pigeon cooed and she bounded upright, and scampered away up the slope before any spectre could show. It was harder on all fours, the trees kept snagging at her wings with jagged limbs, but she soon stumbled onto the road and then up towards the looming triangle of the lodge. The lights were off so she screamed at the building. She was already in a screaming mood, missing clothes and warmth and bed and sleep and humanity, so she screamed again even when a light flickered on. That got a downstairs light on, and she was midway through her third scream when the door opened and Logan¡¯s gangly figure stumbled forth. ¡°Heya? Sorry it¡¯s late, what do...¡± He yawned, rubbed bleary eyes, then blinked as he saw her, ¡°Oh. Oooooh no, those are nasty. You alright?¡± Alright? What a stupid question! She was trapped in a beast''s body, bleeding and wounded in the night! She screeched, short and sharp, reared and stamped, shaking her head and wings in a vain attempt to dislodge glass and grass. ¡°Wow, okay, not alright!¡± He raised his hands and approached barefoot, clad in just t-shirt and shorts, ¡°Deep breaths, sit down. We¡¯ll get you help. You¡¯re gonna be okay- Uncle, get the phone!¡± ¡°Kid, what¡¯s u-¡± Another, even ganglier dishevelled shape came to the door as Matt limped over, a red light blinking on his ankle. ¡°Young griffin. Female? Yeah. Oh shit that¡¯s bloody. One of your Dad¡¯s clients?¡± Female, yes. Griffin was new- that had to be this species he¡¯d chosen for the prank. Bird brain, scaredy cat, she could already imagine the puns. Except Logan gave her a long look, standing overhead even more than usual, then shook his head. ¡°No, no, never seen her before. She¡¯s been through hell though. I¡¯m Logan by the way.¡± Stupid troll! He knew her! She growled and shoved him, it was time to give up the joke. Logan fell like a sack of bricks. Karen froze and stared. He was always so dramatic. She hadn¡¯t pushed him that hard. Had he even made fake blood? It coated her talons, warm in the night, copper tang in the air. Talons? ¡°LOGAN!¡± Mat thundered, threw his arms wide in an intricate motion. From somewhere, a coil of blood streamed around him like a serpent, phantom lights cracked at his spidery fingers. Grey eyes bored into her murderously as he gathered magic, and an icy pang of terror stabbed into her heart. ¡°Phobos.¡± She lunged sidelong to dodge the spell. Then things went black. * * * * * She splashed with a platinum haired shadow in the stream. They were young and small, stones tickled her soles and sunlight dappled off the water. ¡°Sooooo,¡± Her friend purred with a sharp toothed smile, ¡°Here¡¯s a riddle. Do you know why you¡¯re like Cleopatra?¡± ¡°My grace?¡± Karen guessed, dodging a splash from her long tail. ¡°Noooope. Because you¡¯re the queen of de nial!¡± She broke into giggles and coughing stuttering static. * * * * * She lunged through the forest away from a predator. Trees whipped and scuppered her. They were almost perfect, geometric rungs hanging out that she could easily climb and weave through. If she wasn¡¯t so big. If she had fingers and toes. Sunrise flickered behind her. Bright orange lights shaped the world. Heat and ash licked at her tail. Titanic wingbeats echoed overhead. Then the air flowed backwards, her hunter breathed in, and the world ended when he breathed out. * * * * * Her talons broke the creatures back. It never woke from its sleep, the white wool was stained by the perfect kill, but the scent was rousing others. Her hunger screamed for absolution, for satisfaction, but why have one when she could have more? She dove for the nearest one as the flock awoke in a panic. In managed to get to its legs, but her talons tug deep hooks into its hide the little herbivore couldn''t shake. She was dragged for an instant, then threw down her wings and paws and wrenched it off the ground. When it came back down, her beak was at its neck, ripping and tearing. She dragged it beside the other triumphantly and feasted. Then came a sound like thunder and a monstrous hammer crushing her wing. * * * * * ¡°If you feel overwhelmed, go away somewhere and calm down and take it all in.¡± Pa had said, bent on one knee so that his big face was level with her small one. Karen had chewed her lip nervously and wrung her hands, glancing over his shoulder towards the building, with its high windows and crowds of big noisy children around it. So many, talking and walking and playing, all so much bigger than her like she was to the baby Ollie. She had asked if she could go back home now and take it all in, and he had laughed and shook his head and told her she¡¯d be fine. * * * * * She floundered against a current. Chains of double helixes, pulled her towards the bottom, towards that thing. But the surface was close enough to see with naked her, her hands outlined against the light. The water was draining. Her wings pulsed and she broke the surface with a gasp. The world was grey and violet and sideways. A gigantic avian loomed over her, golden eyes glaring down. Needles wove through her flesh. ¡°Shush, shush, there¡¯s a good girl.¡± Came a reedy voice. Then waterfalls of blood hammered down and the flood overtook her. The helix chains pulled her down into the deepest deep, towards shattered fragments of a rotten sickly egg. * * * * * The floor jolted her as if she had fallen out of the sky. Karen gasped and curled tighter, hugging her aching limbs close as visions flashed behind her eyes. Blood. Shadows. Sheep. Feathers and fur. A spiderweb of streets far below. Broken glass. Broken eggs. A metal pipe in moonlight. Bronze scales. Logan toppling. No. She twisted and rolled onto her other side, feeling feathers tickle off themselves, cuts groan and twitched a tail she shouldn¡¯t have. No. She tried to relax. Her tail wriggled sceptically, and she trapped it under a paw she shouldn¡¯t have. No. Flickering light throbbed through her eyelids, and Karen covered herself with wings she shouldn''t have, instinctively unsheathing claws she shouldn''t have. Queen of Denial indeed. The dream shadows words echoed, luring her back towards introspection. Towards sheep and eggs and bangs and blood. That was even less appealing to deal with than the world outside herself so she opened her eyes and surveyed her territory. It was duller than she¡¯d expected. A big concrete room, with a ramp up towards a second shelf tier. Nameless colours flickered from fluorescent bulbs on the high ceiling, and a musty scent lingered over old odours of oil and smoke. More centrally, on this lower tier was herself, still a griffin, her messy coat grey and other patches of other colours, talons free of blood. Just a dream. Behind her was an exit of sorts, a wall of entirely solid metal shutters that must have been how vans accessed this loading bay. Then a smaller set of double doors was in one corner of the high tier, and something shifted up there. Karen tried to rise, rearing only to come to a sharp clanging halt. Something was tight around her neck. A metal collar that itched and her talons found the chain leading into a slot in the floor. Karen tried to move, but it ran taut after barely three feet. She was chained down like a beast. Perhaps not unfairly, a small voice considered. She drowned that out with a scream of rage and yanked, winced and tried to claw at it. Her forelegs weren¡¯t flexible enough to get close, and within an instant she squirmed onto her back, hind paws clawing clumsily at her neck in a ball of fury. If she could just get the right angle, the right leverage, then maybe the close-tight-heavy-trap would come fr- A louder imperious hiss interrupted her rage. With a gasp, Karen twisted upside down to see a massive second griffin glowering down from the upper tier. It had to be half again her size, a deep shiny chestnut with stripes of spicy loud colour like a tiger, and an arrogant gleam to its eyes. It wasn¡¯t even chained, while she looked like a ragged bloody prisoner! With a snarl she twisted upright, planted her hindpaws and reared up, flaring her wings out to scream back spitefully. The chain rather scuppered her defiance, yanking her back down, and the other griffin cocked its head. Then it spontaneously tripled in size. It reared up smoothly, cracked its tail off the stone like a whip, threw open enormous clean wings wall to wall and unleashed a shriek like a knife through her ears. Karen averted her gaze and turned away, pulling her wing close. Not subservient, no, but it would be¡­ immature and beneath her to get into screaming matches. There were better things to do, like¡­ straighten herself out a bit, she was a bit messy and her coat stung. Her left wing throbbed with dozens of tiny wounds, and she recalled a thunderous gunshot and heavy impact. Had she been shot? Then that bit hadn¡¯t been a dream. But she probably hadn¡¯t been incinerated or drowned. As for the part about waking up, changing and jumping a window, that seemed to match up with her body''s experiences. Yet as painful as it all was, the wounds were clean- some scabbed over, some stitched closed, or held by subtle band aids. So what had happened in-between? A metallic groan announced the door atop the shelf opening, she glanced up as a man in full body armour, a reflective riot helmet and a shield looked in. The motion only snagged her collar, and she winced, before clawing at the chain again- this had to be her kidnapper, and she wasn¡¯t going to stay put for them like some pathetic griffins were! ¡°Oh fan-bloody-tastic, she¡¯s awake.¡± A coarse, but feminine voice came as the figure stomped close. They were big for a woman, taller than Caleb, but griffins were bigger still. ¡°Still chained, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Aha, I told you it was two cries!¡±A reedy, chipper voice called as an older woman doddered in behind the guard. She was an eccentric sight- dressed in a yellow hazmat suit under a colourful cardigan, grey-black hair tied into a messy bun, eyes wide but distant. Small and frail, if only this damn chain would break, Karen hissed, planted her claws and heaved, flapping her wings for greater force. ¡°Oh, no, no, nononoo! May! She¡¯ll hurt herself!¡± The old woman squealed, flailing her arms. ¡°Griffin. Stop that.¡± The guard woman warned, then flicked her visor up and gave a stern glare. She wasn¡¯t human, her skin was cracked and scaly, olive moving towards green in places and thick scaled locks slithered within the confines of the helmet around colourless hideous orbs. Instantly, Karen¡¯s momentum died, her muscles seized completely immobile, wings half spread and shuddering with rage. Was she dead? ¡°May! Honestly, was that necessary?¡± The madwoman threw her arms out and tapped her temples. ¡°She just woke up!¡± ¡°She¡¯s damn feral. And you told me to.¡± The guard-thing clicked her reflective visor back down, ¡°But that¡¯ll hold long enough to finish your work Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°My work? Look at her- not a straight bone in her body! Tch tch,¡± The madwoman blustered, then scampered down the ramp too close, within a wingspan, right at Karen¡¯s frozen furious face. ¡°Can you understand me? Blink thrice if you can, there¡¯s a good girl now.¡± Those muscles still worked, Karen noticed as she blinked. Little else bit, but she settled for growling deep in her chest, a leonine snarl bubbling up. ¡°Ah, good girl. Now, I need you to be a good girl once May ends the paralysis, she¡¯s in a bad mood today, so best behaviour.¡± Gnarled old fingers slithered over her pelt and Karen hissed at the touch. ¡°Understand?¡± ¡°You¡¯d better,¡± the guard-thing stepped closer, her eyes faintly shining even through the visor, venom in her voice, ¡°Make a single move out of line, and I¡¯ll make you pay for what you did to those children.¡± Emergence 7. Cogs of OAR It was hard to pick who Karen hated most today. The madwoman, scrabbling around her griffin form with a cold measuring as if she was an animal? The huge guard with freezing eyes and an itchy trigger finger as if she was a monster? Or the horrid chained beast who had lashed out at her friend and how many others? The guard had said children. Plural. Logan alone would have been bad enough, she could picture the blood on her talons, the ease with which he had crumpled. But beyond that, her mind struggled, flashing through terror, flight, and disparate scenes. Who else had she hurt? The dragons? Ollie? It was no wonder she was chained down like a dangerous horror. But why not chain her up as a five foot two girl? No matter how fit she was, a human was far less dangerous. Unless¡­ they didn¡¯t know she was human? Karen recoiled, a surprised chirp escaping this ridiculous beak as her mind raced. ¡°Hey- steady, there¡¯s a good girl,¡± the crazy lady chimed. The griffin shot a glare, then slowly, carefully, extended one claw, one talon, and dragged it across the floor. ¡°She said steady!¡± The guard set a hand to their visor, the other pulling a gun from a holster. Karen winced, carefully moving only that claw, to add another line, then another, scoring out a word. VEIL! ¡°Urgh.¡± The guard grunted, ¡°Ma¡¯am she¡¯s literate.¡± ¡°And cooperative- what a good girl!¡± The lady circled around close. Too close. She was begging to be punched by a wing. ¡°So clever- you want to talk, hmm? Well, I¡¯m almost done, I just need to measure your beak- hold still and open.¡± No, Karen couldn¡¯t even shake her head, beak held open. She couldn¡¯t take veil- she was veiled! Maddie had mentioned that mixing potions could be disastrous- if she took human veil then¡­ she didn¡¯t even know what might happen. The creep poured something horrid down her throat, ¡°There¡¯s your Veil! Oh, I¡¯ll get the office ready, good girl- May, grab her a gown!¡± She darted out of wing-reach and up the stairs as Karen screamed and gagged. No, no, why did she have to do the worst possible thing?! Couldn¡¯t birds vomit stuff up? Yet it was already too late. A chill enveloped her, and her talons began to warp before her stinging eyes. Black scales ebbed into grey gunge, and a glance back revealed the same across her flanks- feathers softened and ran together, her wings drooped, and her limbs collapsed under her. Inside and outside, her body ran like clay, giving up such foolish structures like bones and organs. Matter was matter. Her beak collapsed, mandibles merging as her breath ended, and panic filled her mind. What did mixing Veils do?! Was it lethal? Would she be trapped as something else? A malformed mass of meat? She couldn¡¯t even fight it, the freezing numbness left her as nothing, naught but slop and darkness as her eyes could open no longer. Wings and tail were shunted into the dwindling mass, digits pulled out, and icy powers made a cats cradle of her innards. Yet then came a gasp. Her skin tensed and set, muscles seized and bones crunched into place, hair tickled her neck and a breath broke through lips. ¡°Gwwaaaargh,¡± Karen wretched, slammed her talons down, and blinked at ten fingers covered in scabs and sweat. The rest of her nerves confirmed similar reports- cold, painful and damp. Four limbs ached and hair tickled her ears. Human! She shoved off the heavy collar and chain. Human! She pulled on a hospital gown, fitting arms through the sleeves. She was human! And four orange eyes were glowering at her. Karen stumbled, then cautiously rose onto her hind legs, as she found the big chestnut griffin glaring from its- from her- nest on the upper tier. A second, cat sized ball of fluff with tufted ears, peered at her with soft chirps. ¡°Oh. You¡¯re a mom.¡± Karen breathed. The mother looked even larger now, and much more territorial. The gash in her thigh ached as she slowly backed along the wall, found the door and chapped on it with blunt knuckles. Immediately, the guard threw it open, dragged her out, and slammed it locked in barely a second. ¡°Good. Hold still a second.¡± They huffed, stepping behind her. ¡°No funny business.¡± ¡°Wh- what are you doing?!¡± ¡°Tying the back closed- stop turning.¡± ¡°Stop getting behind m-¡± She twisted to see the visor open, those scathing eyes locking her joints in place. Then the guard flicked it shut, and tied closed the gown¡¯s neck. It felt too tight, too close. ¡°N-... no fair,¡± This time the paralysis ended quickly, but she shuddered all the more. ¡°What- who are you!?¡± ¡°Benign.¡± She frogmarched her down a concrete corridor, stained with old machinery, scents of animals like a zoo, and heavy metal doors. And a simple wooden door, that revealed a small stained office with a flimsy desk and chairs. The old woman had pulled on small spectacles, her cardigan neater over her hazmat suit, and shuffled a sheath of papers. ¡°Ah, thankyou May. There¡¯s a good girl, can you take a seat?¡± ¡°No- what the hell is this?!¡± Karen scanned around- what kind of kidnappers decorated an office? ¡°Who are you? What do you want? Why did you give me Veil!? I¡¯m human, I almost died!¡± ¡°Oh, shush shush shush, sit down, sit down. You¡¯re fine. You¡¯re not really human, this is just a Veil spell to let us talk. You¡¯ll be back to your old self in an hour.¡± She tapped her watch, then pulled a lanyard from her pocket, ¡°My name is Doctor Erika Hill, I¡¯m with OAR, we¡¯re here to help.¡± ¡°Oar?¡± ¡°The Office of Anomalous Re¡­ Research or Registration, which did they settle on, May?¡± Hill shrugged without waiting for a response, ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re doing both. We are registering you here, and asking lots of questions to get to know you. Okey-dokey?¡± ¡°No, listen to me dammit- I¡¯m not a mystic!¡± She span, one hand on the chair, and glowered at the guarded doorway. ¡°Class Cs- even feral griffons- still count as mystics.¡± The guard announced coldly, one hand on her helmet. ¡°Shush, shush, let¡¯s just try the questions and get through them, alright?¡± Hill flicked a pen up, tried to catch it, failed and picked up a new pen. ¡°C-394. What is your name, young gryphon?¡± It was like talking to a brick wall. She tensed, fingers scratching the chair, and played along, ¡°Karen. Emily. Thomson. Without a p. So you didn¡¯t kidnap me?¡± ¡°No. You needed medical attention. Date of bir- hatching?¡± ¡°I was born. Twelfth December, uh, 1993¡± ¡°Hm, different breed perhaps, or incorrect¡­¡± Hill muttered, ¡°Do you know where you were born?¡± ¡°Sandpoint Hospital. Idaho. USA.¡± ¡°Parent¡¯s names?¡± ¡°Sylvia and Ernest Thomson.¡± ¡°Oh for god¡¯s sake!¡± A heavy fist slammed down on the table as the guard was over her, breathing furiously beneath the visor. ¡°These are all the details of the other child from Ranelk. She¡¯s gloating in your face!¡± ¡°Other child?! Excuse me, I¡¯m sixteen!¡± ¡°She was doing the form, why can¡¯t she just do the registration form...¡± Hill mumbled, rubbing her forehead wearily, ¡°Fine, gryphon, Karen, what are your questions? You seem confused.¡± ¡°Gosh really?¡± Karen growled, ¡°Why am I here?! Why was I a griffin? What did she mean children?¡± ¡°Like you don¡¯t know...¡± The guard hissed. ¡°I literally don¡¯t, you bloody neanderthal!¡± Hill sighed and shuffled her papers, ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ on the morning of fifth October, disturbance in Ranelk town, you were spotted¡­ a child, Karen Thomson missing¡­ Ranelk Anomalous Settlement Area, you injured a child called Logan Tohaken ¡­ then, about an hour later you were found hunting sheep at a farm, and were shot by the owner. After you fell unconscious, we managed to retrieve you here for medical attention. Does that make sense?¡± Karen¡¯s heart leapt. ¡°He¡¯s only injured? I didn¡¯t kill him?¡± ¡°You failed. But you¡¯re still going to tell us what you did with the missing girl, monster. You¡¯re not messing with Ranelk again.¡± The guard was suddenly beside her, looming and furious as ever. ¡°I am her- just use your freak eyes and look at my fa-¡± Karen turned, only to find herself staring into blue eyes reflected in the helmet. She recoiled, and her reflection did the same, but it wasn''t her reflection, she shouldn¡¯t have blue eyes, she shouldn''t have freckles, she shouldn¡¯t have mousy brown hair. She screamed, and overbalanced, tumbling back into the corner, feeling the unfamiliar features with her own two hands. ¡°Why!? That¡¯s not me! Why amn¡¯t I me!? Who am I?!¡± Yet there weren''t any answers. Everything was just alien. She felt her breathing struggle, tears clouded her vision. Dimly she was aware of an argument between them, of Hill flailing her arms all around in broad gesticulations, then the guard vanished and slammed the door shut. Silence reigned. She sobbed. Then the old woman sat down on the floor across from her, picked up a fallen pen and her paper. ¡°Address?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a field for address. Where did you last live?¡± ¡°W-why are you still doing that trash?! You¡¯ve already decided I¡¯m a liar!¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not good with people. Lies. Drama. I¡¯m a vet.¡± The old woman frowned, ¡°I can¡¯t answer your questions, I¡¯ve sent B9 to get help. But if you¡¯re honest then, we¡¯ll get this form done, and if not I wasted my time. Address?¡± ¡°Sure¡­ Seven Birch Street, Ranelk.¡± Then school, then sibling, then grades. It was easy questions, definite answers in her sea of confusion and Karen held tight to them like a raft. She was Karen. Logan was alive. They had reached blood type when the door finally reopened, revealing the guard and two strangers. The first seemed like another guard- at the very least he wore an armoured vest, but otherwise casual clothes over a copper muscular form. His smile oozed confidence, long black curls tangled back in a cloud behind him, ¡°Ah, Erikaaaa! Whatchu doin¡¯ on the floor?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s fallen and can¡¯t get up.¡± His companion could have leapt from the pages of a fashion magazine, a slim elegant woman in a charcoal suit. Rippling black locks were tinged with purple highlights, and there was a youthful grin to her features, ¡°Don¡¯t worry dear, Doctor Verity is here to help.¡± Hill arched a brow wearily, ¡°Oh. Did you acquire a PHD overnight, Verity?¡± ¡°Please, that¡¯s just a formality, Mrs Hill. We both know I¡¯ve earned it.¡± She perched on the desk, folding long legs neatly as she considered Karen. ¡°Who¡¯s this little ragamuffin then?¡± ¡°C394, the griffon from RASA.¡± The man chuckled, teeth bared in amusement, even as Karen tensed. ¡°Quite the wild one eh? Killing sheep and stealing kids?¡± ¡°Well, apparently not. She claims to be the missing child, under the effects of¡­ well, your field.¡± Dr Hill stood up, ¡°Can you examine that claim?¡± ¡°My field? It¡¯s magic, and it is rather tricky. So tricky that you¡¯d need someone incredibly well educated to do what you ask- someone you actually respect as a mage.¡± The woman goaded. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re waitin¡¯ for Jerome?¡± The dark skinned guard chuckled. ¡°Shut up, Noah.¡± Verity snapped. ¡°You¡¯re here for brawn, not brains.¡± ¡°Enough- there¡¯s a subject here needing aid. If you are so mature, then mayhaps focus on that, and stop posturing!¡± Hill demanded, the old clunky vet glowering at the young witch. ¡°I was just getting to that.¡± Verity sighed, slipped off the desk, and kneeled gently before Karen. ¡°Good evening. Is what she claims true? You¡¯re not a griffin?¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°No- at least, I¡¯m not meant to be. This isn¡¯t my face either,¡± Karen shuddered at the crowding, the people so close. Don¡¯t show weakness. Her tears wanted to unleash more tears, but she set her face and grit her teeth. ¡°Prove I¡¯m true. Please. I didn¡¯t kill- or steal- anyone.¡± ¡°I can try- but you have to behave, otherwise that big damn cat,¡± She nodded to her beefy companion, ¡°Is likely to make a mess protecting me.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Her cool hand settled on Karen¡¯s scalp, rubbing it gently, ¡°Be aware, this will hurt.¡± Then blood squirmed, electricity zapped and fluid burned within her head. Karen hissed, fingers clawing and scrabbling as noise churned in her skull, organs creaking, lodes firing, cells splitting and bridges forming. Her vision blurred, and for an instant she fancied she could see the ocean of blood of her dream, scattered with broken helix chains, rotten fragments of egg and a breeze rifling through it. Verity''s voice hissed through the froth, calm and disinterested, Oh? She couldn¡¯t talk, she couldn¡¯t breathe, she felt the presence squirming through her consciousness like a worm through an apple. A fear spell? The Bad Egg? Snap them? End them! Karen urged, end the nightmare, end the curse! She slammed her beak into the table, tail pinged painfully off the wall, and felt her wings hit the ceiling. There was no pain to the change, it was as abrupt as waking from a dream, but the pain of impact was enough to make her shrie- ¡°Quiet, little chick.¡± A hand clamped her beak shut, and the dark skinned guard met her gaze. She growled, feeling her chest thrum at the sudden challenge- but her beak wouldn¡¯t open. The man¡¯s grip was a vice. ¡°Easy there. Yer fine. Verity, y¡¯allright?¡± ¡°Just peachy. Please step off me, Karen.¡± A voice came from below, and Karen gingerly clambered off the prone lady. ¡°Verity- what do you call this?¡± Hill squawked across the room and Karen echoed the sentiment. ¡°I purged the spells from her system. One Veil spell, one Fear spell. You¡¯ll be feeling braver now, Karen, but please don¡¯t attack Noah. He doesn¡¯t know how to play nice.¡± Verity stood and dusted off her suit, ¡°No sign of any curse, she¡¯s a mundane griffon now. But her identity is definitely that of the missing human girl.¡± ¡°Excuse me? Why? How?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± The beautiful witch shrugged as she opened the door, ¡°I never claimed to be a Professor in magic. Anyway, important things to do, have fun registering, ciao!¡± ¡°Seeya!¡± Noah waved, ¡°What do you want done with her, Erika?¡± ¡°If she would fall down some stairs the- oh, Karen. Can you take her back to F and get her some food? I need some time to figure out where this goes.¡± Hill rubbed her forehead and gave her a weary look, ¡°Ah, shush, shush. Good girl. This is progress, we know so much more now, I need to make some¡­. Urgh¡­ phonecalls. You rest up and recover.¡± Her mind was still reeling when she was led back to the cell, and blearily realised she¡¯d missed a chance to escape. But the man- Noah- gave her a big bowl of water and something like cat food and she was hungry enough to dig in. There wasn¡¯t any dignity to it, no ripping long bloody strips off prey, but it was filling. And he didn¡¯t chain her up. Drinking was a different beast. She couldn¡¯t decide between lapping it up, or scooping and tilting her head back. Neither seemed particularly dignified- and her musing turned to spluttering coughs when a sudden impact jolted her tail. Karen whirled, only to meet the orange eyes of the fluffy griffin cub, perched triumphantly on the tufted end of her tail. Karen clicked her beak and whipped her tail away. That wasn¡¯t impressive- she¡¯d been distracted. Immediately the cub tensed and pounced again, but she was ready and twisted it aside again. It was much easier to handle than the mermaid tail, and she rumbled as she lashed it just out of his reach, like a cat chasing string. He was quite an adorable little creature, though she had no idea of age- human young were useless flesh blobs, but maybe mystics had more competent infants. He took advantage of her distraction to leap and pin the tail entirely, and Karen chuckled, gave a dramatic wobble and flopped across the floor defeated, as the hatchling chirped victoriously. The new angle drew her gaze across the room, and she noted the big chestnut griffin was watching, tense and ready to intervene. But she hadn¡¯t. She gave a small nod and gentle noise, and the cub scampered back to vanish under her wings, purring proudly. Maybe she was less territorial than she seemed. Still, Karen kept her distance, perching on a far corner with good sight of the door, then shifted to find a comfortable position. Curled up under her wings was quite pleasant, even on cold stone, and with a sated stomach she settled in to wait. * * * * * Little had changed when she awoke, though there was a new welcome bowlful of food and the other griffins were active. The mother had taken to curling her wings over her head, then lunging out to play peekaboo with the cub, who chirped and tumbled over with every surprise. When the door did open, it was the visored guard-thing and Karen quickly threw her wings over her own eyes defensively. ¡°Calm down. I got told.¡± The thing grunted, ¡°Just¡­ behave. Here¡¯s a gown- open up and I¡¯ll give you a veil. Bigwigs want to talk.¡± Karen tensed, but screwed her eyes shut and opened her beak, soon tasting that horrid slimy thing again. The process was almost identical, the sensation of freezing, melting and reshaping into a human nothing like Logan¡¯s potions, and she felt a new surge of sympathy for Maddie. How long would the mermaid have to keep secretly taking this stuff? She shuddered and dressed in the gown, stretching her aching limbs. ¡°He-aargh, urgh, hey Benign! I¡¯m done!¡± She rapped the door and closed her eyes. ¡°Am I the same as before?¡± ¡°Yes. This way.¡± A hand pulled her through then slammed the noisy metal, ¡°And for your own sake, open your damn eyes- gorgon paralysis doesn¡¯t require eye contact.¡± ¡°So you can do it whenever? That¡¯s not fair!¡± ¡°No,¡± The thing- the gorgon- agreed bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s not a fair world. Come on.¡± They led her to a different room the second time. It was higher up the building, which she took to be a sign of greater importance though staircases in soft human feet were no pleasure. The door was big, grey and metal, and all plain grey on the inside, with two grey chairs, a metal table, a big mirror across one wall, and a grey haired man. ¡°Ah, C394- Karen Emma Thomson, yes?¡± His voice was anxious and quick, bespectacled face plain but familiar. ¡°Emily not Emma, but yeah.¡± She corrected him warily, ¡°You¡¯re Doctor¡­ Morrison, right? From the conference?¡± ¡°Close. Doctor Iain Morris. Hello,¡± He extended a hand, white coat sleeve vanishing into a purple latex glove that she stared at, and he dropped it hurriedly. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been informed of your c-condition, but have some more questions to get a full picture and finish registration- like what blood type are you?¡± ¡°I thought Hill wrote that down? AB Postive.¡± She recalled, and stood behind the chair as the gorgon lurked in the corner. ¡°Universal recipient.¡± He wiped his brow, ¡°Fortunate.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Karen frowned. ¡°Why? Did I need blood?¡± ¡°A-ah. Yes. You would have likely died if not for Dr Hill¡¯s ministration, and a transfusion of blood from C198- the other Gryphon. Ah, sorry, that sounds awfully dramatic.¡± ¡°I was shot.¡± She recalled bitterly. So she owed her life to¡­ that crazy doctor and the mother bird? She had been that close to dying? ¡°Is that why I¡¯m still a griffin?¡± ¡°No. Dr Hill is an excellent veterinarian of three decades experience with many animals, your recovery is down to her skill. I try to minimize our use of m-magic precisely so that results are not tampered with. Only your interlude with A2 Verity, B9¡¯s paralysis, and two doses of Veil have been magical.¡± Dr Morris lifted a digital tablet, ¡°Speaking of which, I require a photograph of your Veiled form for identification, do you mind¡­ looking neutral?¡± That was easy, the entire experience was quite numbing, and he clicked while her gaze lingered on the mirror wall behind him, reflection¡¯s blue eyes fretful. No. Don¡¯t show weakness. ¡°Are there people behind you? Like in police shows?¡± ¡°Uh, yes, this is being recorded too.¡± He considered the tablet, conjuring three images, ¡°Gryphon form, veiled form, true form- oh, that face rings a bell- you¡¯re the Ranelk girl who cartwheeled off the steps on sunday?¡± ¡°No, it was a dumpster and I did a backflip.¡± Karen corrected him, ¡°Are you going to help or not?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, but gathering data is helping.¡± Dr Morris clicked his pen and met her eyes, ¡°It is my speciality. For example- you already knew the word Veil, and Logan Tohaken, and how to fly before your change, Ms Thomson. What exactly were your previous encounters with m-magic?¡± His words were sharper than the tremor suggested. Karen flinched- did he know about Maddie already? Was he trying to trick her? No, she¡¯d promised to keep the mermaid¡¯s secret. ¡°Uh, Logan¡¯s given me two Veils before?¡± She breathed, digging fingers into the back of the chair, ¡°I met him last wednesday at school and he was going on and on about magic and not showing anything. So I kinda dared him, and we went to the lake for him to show magic off- but I drank the Veil by accident and turned into a mermaid too. And then to make up for it, I asked if he could make me fly and he let me be a hawk on Saturday.¡± ¡°No gryphon. A hawk. And a mermaid?¡± Dr Morris raised his eyebrows. ¡°He called it a naga?¡± ¡°Aha,¡± He swallowed, ¡°And did you feel any s-side effects from these Veil experiences, Ms Thomson?¡± ¡°Beyond changing into them? No, no.¡± Karen shook her head, feeling short locks bounce around. Maddie was secret. Safe. ¡°As I said, I¡¯d prefer not to order another t-telepathy session, but if you¡¯re hiding something then we need to find out what it is, to help you. No secrets here, Ms Thomson.¡± The man pleaded, though his eyes were intense. There had to be something else. Something to mask her fear. Something secret. ¡°I think I saw a ghost- on Sunday, after the conference, there was a mystic in the woods, but it was¡­ it felt like it was in my head. It made me feel like nothing.¡± Karen murmured, feeling the memories stir. His fingers worked the tablet, opening a list, ¡°Oh my, uh, how did this mystic appear?¡± ¡°Like a bird zombie monster? Like¡­ it looked like a corpse, but with one eye, like a birds eye, and five big wings but it wasn¡¯t flying properly, and it said this thing my Pa said in his voice, perfect word for word, said it was a Bad Egg. And it was part of the fog- I tried to hit it, to drive it off, but there was nothing there but a pigeon and I was scared I was¡­ people would think I was jumping at shadows, like a coward.¡± She explained, climbing to perch on the chair, ¡°I¡¯m not, it asked about the dragons then it mocked me and it felt like I was nothing. Then I killed its pigeon.¡± ¡°That¡­. Is a very odd experience. And not one I have heard of since I took this job.¡± His pen scribbled rapid notes, ¡°Why did you attack Mr Tohaken, by the way?¡± Karen tensed at the conversational whiplash, ¡°I didn¡¯t attack! I just gave him a little tap to stop fooling around. I thought he had pranked me¡­ and¡­ and I forgot about claws. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt him, I thought he was dead, and¡­ and¡­ Matt cast magic at me!¡± He glanced up to her, ¡°D-do you need a moment to recompose yourself?¡± ¡°No- keep going!¡± She grunted, wiping her eyes. ¡°Was killing four sheep another accident?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t remember much. I was starving. They¡¯re prey. I panicked.¡± ¡°They were, or are, prey?¡± Karen frowned, ¡°Were? Should I feel bad about them? Am I dangerous?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re very dangerous. But¡­ hmm, did you ever see that snickers advert? ¡®You¡¯re not you when you¡¯re hungry¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah- but I ate? I got full, why didn¡¯t I turn back?¡± ¡°Oh- I¡¯m not talking magically. For humans, a fifth of our energy intake fuels our brain. Assuming mystics are similar, then¡­ well, hunger makes us all act irrationally. To lesser or greater effect.¡± He tilted his head, ¡°Have you ever felt that h-hungry before?¡± ¡°No. It was like I was going to starve any second. But you can fix me, right?¡± ¡°We will see. Shapeshifting is tricky. It¡¯s like¡­. Well, uh, watch this please.¡± He pulled a rubber band from his pocket and stretched it between his hands, moving it left and right, up and down as she followed it. ¡°Imagine the band is someone¡¯s form, and my hand is m-magic. I can stretch it, pull it into new shapes, bigger or smaller, complex or simple, but as soon as I release it, it snaps back into its original form.¡± Karen leaned to the side as the band pinged past, ¡°But the witch said I¡¯m not under any magic?¡± ¡°Verity. Yes. Somehow¡­ it¡¯s as if that band is blue now. Your form has changed to a new base entirely. Are you aware of the time this occurred?¡± ¡°Three forty five. My clock fell on me.¡± Karen stood impatiently, hands on the table, ¡°So can you help or not?¡± ¡°Not currently.¡± Dr Morris flinched, lifting his arms, ¡°However, you are registered, you have no outstanding criminal charges, and it seems your recovery is progressing smoothly. So we can release you home.¡± Her heart somersaulted, ¡°Home? I¡¯m still a griffin! I don¡¯t even look like me. Are you insane?!¡± ¡°No, and neither are you. Your family thought you dead or kidnapped. This isn¡¯t ideal, but they¡¯ll be glad to have you back- your father is already en route, I¡¯ve phoned him.¡± Dr Morris shuffled his papers into a neat pile. ¡°Please do not misunderstand me. We will keep researching this problem, but there¡¯s no need to keep you trapped within this miserable place to do so. And we have many other, less cooperative m-mystics to deal with.¡± ¡°Pa¡¯s on his way?¡± ¡°Yes. Guard B9, can you take Ms Thomson to the locker room and help her get dressed and relaxed. I think Dave arranged for some food there. We will send you off with eight one-hour doses of Veil, and Ms Kingsley will you help Veil you at RASA. Perhaps she can help you appear like your old self.¡± Morris frowned. ¡°A-also, I¡¯ll need blood samples when you¡¯re recovered, but for the moment you need home.¡± Karen felt too bowled over to argue when the door opened, and the gorgon guard led her down into a more colourful corridor. Logan was alive. She was a griffin. She was going home. She didn¡¯t look like her. ¡°Am I a monster?¡± She mumbled aloud. The mirrored visor glanced her way. But the coarse voice was quiet. ¡°You¡¯re a teenager, it¡¯s fairly standard. I¡¯ve got¡­ my sister¡¯s kids are moving into RASA. Probably be at your school. Just be careful with those claws like they¡¯re careful with their eyes.¡± That made it sound simple. ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± ¡°Good girl- argh, shit, now I¡¯m saying it.¡± The guard groaned as they reached a red door, which revealed a dressing room, with several boxes of spare clothes, cubicles, showers, towels, and a small tray with plates of chocolate, grapes, ham and biscuits. ¡°Please don¡¯t say you need help dressing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡± Karen reminded her and was left alone. They had quite the array, it looked like several jumble shops had exploded, and she was tempted to try and resemble her old self. But long jeans and shirts felt claustrophobic, and so she ate the ham and settled for a vest, loose sweater and skirt, sandals on her feet. Then a knock at the red door. Two knocks, as usual. Her heart leapt. For an instant she was back in her bedroom, covers torn, a monster lurking in place of his daughter. Bad. She had to go. How could she escape? Another two raps. No, Karen shook her head and breathed. She¡¯d tried running- it didn¡¯t work, she¡¯d made everything worse. With another breath she raised her unfamiliar voice, and stepped away from the door, ¡°Come in?¡± Her Pa looked frazzled. His moustache was bushier, hair slightly plastering his brow, a little growth across his chin. Yet he was still him, big enough to fill the doorway and solid as a mountain, and her voice choked. ¡°Hey Pa.¡± His eyes, deep green as the sea, blinked and looked over her, flickering unconsciously through the details. ¡°New haircut. Easier to move in?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve not practised much gymnastics.¡± She admitted, then felt an anxious smile spread over her lips, ¡°But I learned to fly.¡± ¡°I heard. Flyin¡¯. And causin¡¯ havoc. Certainly been busy.¡± His voice was hard but his eyes were wet and she couldn¡¯t take it any more. She charged him, only to hesitate an inch away and look at her hands. They were fleshy and blunt, right? No blood, no claws, no death. He embraced her as she hesitated, big warm arms curling close, and she stood on tiptoes to rub her head against his chin, feeling the tension melt away. And even though his arms tightened around her, it didn¡¯t feel like a trap. It felt safe. Interlude- OAR File C-394

OAR

Subject C- 394

Name: Karen Emily Thomson Date of Birth: 12th December 1993 Gender: Female Species: Gryphon, formerly human Threat Level: D. Do not engage unarmed. Registered: 7th October 2010 Location: RASA. 7 Birch Street. Ranelk. Idaho. Family: Ernest Thomson, Sylvia Thomson Nee Montoya, Oliver Thomson. All human. Security: Tracker installed in left hind leg.

Physical Description:

-True form: C-394 appears as an adolescent gryphon of grey coat, though she refutes this claim due to tetrachromia. She has a smooth head, hooked beak, and yellow eyes. She has a wingspan of 24 feet when fully extended, a length of 11 feet and a scar on her left flank. -Veiled form: C-394 appears as a teenager of Caucasian descent, with blue eyes and caramel brown hair. She stands five foot four inches, and has numerous freckles. -Original form: C-394 was a teenager of mixed descent, with dark eyes, dark brown hair, and tan skin. She stands five foot two inches, with sharp features and a thin build.

Magical History: C-394 had previous interest in magic, and had used a form of Veil manufactured by Mr Logan Tohaken twice, on Wednesday 25th September and Saturday 28th September. C-394 initially spent one hour as a Naga, and then two hours as a Red Tailed Hawk. Note- Mr Logan Tohaken would be qualified by the act regardless.-Kirk. Note- This entity appears to be a completely mental fabrication as a result of the stress on her mind.- Dr. Verity. Note- You¡¯re not a Doctor and anyway, we don¡¯t sign off with such in memos. -Kirk. Missing Mutton: Despite having been acquired shortly after hunting two sheep, C-394 held a surprisingly low body weight when weighed and did not appear to have eaten recently. Theory: The Matter Debt: Ordinarily in magical transformations, a temporary though considerable change in mass occurs. This mass appears magically and vanishes in the same manner. In C-394¡¯s case, she magically created permanent matter rather than temporary. Could the mutton have paradoxically been erased or instantaneously been reconstituted into her body to neutralize the supernatural change in mass? -Morris. Identity Notes: C-394¡¯s identity has been verified by Mage A2, Verity. Note- Gee thanks for double checking my work. - Dr Verity. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Behavioural Distinctions: Despite her origins, C-394 does not operate from a human mindset. Her mental state and behaviour display many mannerisms and instincts befitting an anomalous predator, including: Frontal vision- Rather than moving her eyes to follow objects, C-394 follows with her entire head as befitting a creature with avian vision. She also benefits from Tetrachromia as a Gryphon, and so can perceive additional colours. Prey- C-394 considers sheep and other herbivores to be a food source, and is likely to attempt hunting again. Her guardian should be fully briefed on the importance of keeping her sated. Food Choice- When presented with a buffet of cheese, chocolate, ham, biscuits and grapes, C-394 ate only the ham and requested more before she was finished. Dominance- C-394 will always attempt to appear larger than another individual. In gryphon form she will use her wings, fur and stance to suggest greater size. In human form she is likely to stand or climb on things. Extended eye contact also provokes an aggressive reaction. Note- Extended eye contact tends to provoke that in anyone. -Kirk. Claustrophobia-C-394 becomes stressed in spaces smaller than 25 feet across. This is common among gryphons, though she has little experience dealing with it and is more likely to act irrationally as a result. Bunting- When reunited with her father, C-394 immediately headbutted him numerous times to help mark him as hers, a bonding tactic seen in felines, including Guard C3. Sharpening- C-394 often scratches matter in either form in an effort to return claws to a sharp state. Locomotion- C-394 occasionally crawls on all fours when Veiled rather than usual human gait. Stairs seem likely to provoke this behaviour.

Emergence 8. Veiled Strength The sky above was azure, a gorgeous deep blue broken by scattered clouds, like so many sheep ignorant of her presence. Karen leapt. And stumbled, wingless and two-legged. Her father, big and broad with the folder of documents in one maimed hand and the flask of Veil in his other, smiled unsurprised behind his moustache, ¡°Good to be outside, kiddo?¡± ¡°So much,¡± She feigned stretching, swung her arms and twirled around, shooting a glance across the industrial car-park in case any witnessed her giddiness. ¡°I¡¯ve not seen a window in days, it sucked!¡± ¡°Maybe for the best. Did quite the number to your bedroom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a cheap shot.¡± Karen stopped short as his big burgundy Vauxhall came into view. ¡°It¡¯s too small.¡± ¡°Apparently. Can either shift Ollie, or use the garage?¡± He considered, clicking the keys to unlock it. ¡°Not that. The car. It¡¯s too small.¡± She bit her lip and took a step back. It was like a cage, iron and steel and painful glass, too hot, close, small and- His arms wrapped around her, voice low, ¡°You¡¯re not a griffin. ¡®Member? Your head¡¯s here, an¡¯ you¡¯re this big.¡± She stood on tiptoes, headbutted his chin fondly, ¡°But what if I change? I¡¯d break a wing or cause a crash or-¡± ¡°Chill, kiddo. Solutions, not problems.¡± He set the cold flask in her hands, ¡°First issue- form. What did Doctor Morris say?¡± ¡°Ten doses. Each is a lidful. Each lasts an hour,¡± She repeated, the boring memory fresh. ¡°We buy more from Ms Kingsley.¡± ¡°Correct, it¡¯s five past five so drink and we¡¯ll have it every hour.¡± Karen grimaced but unscrewed the flask obediently to take a sip. Even that was horrid, a foul slime that ran too slowly, and sent shivering goosebumps through her fingers as she closed the lid. ¡°Second issue- space,¡± Pa stood back from the car, he had folded two of the back seats to merge with the boot, and slid the passenger seat back. ¡°Reckon that¡¯s better?¡± ¡°A bit.¡± Karen blushed. He found solutions so easily. She looked dumb. Weak. She gritted her teeth and forced herself into the car, winding down the windows, ¡°Thanks Pa.¡± ¡°No leapin¡¯ out the windows, kiddo. And buckle in before the freeway, deal?¡± He settled in the front, and the familiar rattling hum of the engine kicked into life. ¡°Fiiiine, I¡¯ll resist.¡± Karen sat back and closed her eyes, trying to pretend she wasn¡¯t in a much smaller metal box. The wind helped with that, tousling her hair as they wound away from the industrial buildings OAR had settled into, but as their speed increased it quickly grew over loud. When they hit the freeway and it became a roar, she conceded, closed the windows and grudgingly pulled her seatbelt on. It wasn¡¯t as bad as the collar, but she fidgeted and scratched until Pa set an old Iron Doves CD on and familiar music filled the car. Karen breathed and sang along quietly- without talons, wings or freckles it felt like any other roadtrip. She was going home. * * * * * The sky above was amber, bloody red and majestic purple, divided by strands of golden cloud. Karen stretched at the gas station and butted the fuel cap closed as her Pa returned from paying. ¡°How you holdin¡¯ up? Hungry?¡± He nodded towards the building across the asphalt lot, a big steak house build like a log cabin. ¡°A bit,¡± Karen lied, ¡°Grateful for the break. You?¡± ¡°I could eat. Grab a table and I¡¯ll park.¡± She needed no more encouragement to escape the metal box, and found her way inside the much larger wooden one. It was pleasant, rustic and warm in colour, with big windows and only seven bipeds moving around, and best of all heavy with the scent of sizzling prey. An over chatty waitress named Gina intercepted her, but let her sit by the door, perching to slip her sandals off. ¡°Good seat,¡± Pa noted as he slid in, and took the other bench, glancing over the menu, ¡°How you feelin¡¯? No huntin¡¯ ranches on the way home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± Karen protested through a small smile, ¡°Stupid griffin instincts don¡¯t really gauge hunger. I¡¯ll just match you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He gave another look over the menu, ¡°¡¯Memberin¡¯ Veil?¡± ¡°It¡¯s seven twenty Pa, yeah, I drank before we got gas.¡± ¡°I suppose you are somethin¡¯ of a connoisseur.¡± Pa rubbed his moustache, ¡°Worst of the three?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yeah. Worst taste for sure, maybe a little less painful? I can¡¯t believe Mystics drank this stuff for years...¡± She hesitated, ¡°Three? They told you then. About¡­ are you mad?¡± He frowned, then stood, and walked up to the bar to order. When he came back, he gave a small nod. ¡°I get you wantin¡¯ to fly. No surprise there, when you were tiny you begged me to throw you high as I could. Took out the ceilin¡¯ fan once.¡± He closed his eyes, ¡°But the bit that gnaws at me is goin¡¯ behind our backs. How you do things matters just as much as what you do.¡± Karen shifted, folding her legs onto the bench, ¡°We¡¯d just got that letter and I¡­ I didn¡¯t know how to. Just turn around and go ¡®Hey Pa can I go turn into a hawk¡¯ while you¡¯re warning me about magic you don¡¯t understand?!¡± ¡°Avoidin¡¯ a conflict doesn¡¯t stop it existin¡¯. You knew that we¡¯d be worried, maybe stop you, so you kept it secret.¡± He declared, and raised a finger before she could counter. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna lecture. You¡¯ve had a rough enough time of it. But movin¡¯ forwards, we gotta communicate better, alright?¡± ¡°Sure, but¡­ I can only talk like this.¡± ¡°Problem identified. How dextrous are ya?¡± She glanced at her hands thoughtfully, the back of them was still alien to her, ¡°Not very. I can hold things¡­. maybe finger paint, I can nod and shake, it¡¯s pretty slow.¡± ¡°Alright. How about a fist for good?¡± He held out his fist, ¡°And bad¡­ just lots of shaking?¡± Karen bumped his fist, ¡°That works. I lose a digit so we match.¡± He chuckled, rubbing the stump of his missing finger, ¡°Ah, good. So how was flyin¡¯?¡± ¡°Amazing! Best hour of my life, I got so high up, I completely put Logan to shame and he¡¯s actual magic. Like, it was hard work to get up, even with Maddie throwing, but once I figured out thermals I could go anywhere, the sky was mine,¡± She gushed as he listened, nodding as if it confirmed something for him, and she found herself even recalling the terrified griffin flight eagerly. Only the appearance of a small mountain of barbecued meat interrupted her story as the waitress set a plate and platter down, ¡°Here ya¡¯are, anything to drink?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a coffee- and these go the other way around.¡± Pa pulled the plate to him, and shoved the platter over as Karen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Well? What are you waiting for? We don¡¯t have all night.¡± No more prompting was needed. Karen found herself tearing into like a dervish, and almost choked before her body reminded her of the biped art of chewing. It was hot and spicy, lacking blood but thankfully not dry, and she felt her lips burn and eyes water with a mix of intensity and delight. Over two thirds of it was gone by the time she slowed, sneezed and took stock, licking her lips. ¡°That wasn¡¯t very ladylike was it?¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t panic.¡± Pa said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s seven forty. You¡¯ve still got twenty minutes.¡± ¡°Yeah I can tell time Pa, I¡¯m not a child,¡± She rolled her eyes, flicked her tail and picked up the next rib before reviewing her nervous system. ¡°Oh. Pa?¡± ¡°Your tail¡¯s appeared. Nothin¡¯ else.¡± He could have been discussing weather as he stood and turned to the bar, ¡°Stay put a second, alright?¡± Her nails scratched into the table, and she nodded, risking a glance back. A furry grey tail with a dark leonine tuft whipped restlessly behind her. It had to be as long as she was tall, her usual griffin size- was the Veil ending? Greasy fingers felt her ears, nose, then peaked down her borrowed shirt but there were no other changes, no UV colours. So why? ¡°Come on, kiddo. We¡¯ll finish it outside.¡± Pa returned calmly and piled the barbecue onto the platter, ¡°Get the door please.¡± ¡°Pa.¡± Karen hissed urgently, tail lashing like a whip, ¡°There¡¯s bipeds. They¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be seen, Karen. Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t be dramatic, just stand up slowly and match my pace.¡± He stood calm as a lake, immovable as a mountain. While she was lashing around like a frantic cub, showing weakness! With gritted teeth, she willed the muscles to tense, swivelled over the bench, stood, and gingerly found the door. No claws, no wings, no colours. Karen pushed it, straightening her tail out for balance, and ducked out into the sunset. Smooth, calm, dignified. Then the door hit the tail, she squeaked, and in a heartbeat she was at the car. Or, to be precise, on the cars roof. ¡°No. Down.¡± Pa scowled, set the platter on a picnic bench and quickly unlocked the car, ¡°Where¡¯s the Veil? Sure you drank it?¡± ¡°YES! On the hour, I¡¯m not an idiot!¡± Karen snapped and slid off, ripped the door open and grabbed the flask, hurriedly unscrewing i- ¡°A lidful Karen. Dr Morris said pour a whole lidful and drink it from that.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s faster from the bottle? Does that matter?¡± She scurried to the bench and poured it out gingerly. ¡°Doctor¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± It was ridiculous if that was the flaw, but magic was ridiculous and she drank the little cupful, half her previous mouthfuls. It was no less horrid for that, and she wrinkled her nose at the meat platter, ¡°Urgh, the taste¡¯s going to ruin all of this.¡± ¡°Your tail¡¯s still there.¡± ¡°Be gone in a minute, don¡¯t watch.¡± She sat, and bit into a drumstick tentatively only to gag, ¡°Knew it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He sat on the other side with that thick folder from Morris, with her ID card and leaflets and far too much writing. ¡°Any idea why that happened?¡± ¡°Nope. Other veils were all painful, I didn¡¯t even feel that. What if I¡¯m becoming immune? Or was I acting too¡­ griffin-y? Do I need to use cutlery?¡± ¡°Noone uses cutlery for these.¡± He took a drumstick, ¡°If I fold down the last seat you¡¯d still fit in the car.¡± ¡°Like a corpse in a coffin.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic. It¡¯s nearly two hours drive, kiddo, you¡¯re not flyin¡¯. You full?¡± ¡°No I¡¯m still a bit hungr-uuuurgh,¡± She shuddered as a horrid slimy cold sensation engulfed the appendage, and she felt it melt back into her, a freezing grey ripple sliding across the rest of her skin. ¡°It¡¯s the woooorst!¡± ¡°Oh damn, that¡¯s a weird Veil.¡± Came a whistle as the waitress from the steak house approached, a curious grin on her tired features. ¡°Ya okay there?¡± ¡°Yes, just needed a top up. We¡¯ll leave the plates.¡± Pa explained calmly, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Forgot your sandals there, miss. And there¡¯s some water as a palette cleanser,¡± She placed the foot-cages and a glass on the table, then dropped her voice, ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind me asking, but what are you?¡± Karen blinked and shimmied along the bench. ¡°You know Veil- uh, you first?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, plain human. I actually had Veil by accident, very weird experience, ya got my sympathies!¡± ¡°How do you have Veil by accident?¡± Pa rumbled, unaware of Karen¡¯s deep blush. ¡°Was up in Seattle, big party- well, my boyfriend¡¯s birthday, not his party, but reason to celebrate, you know? Enjoying drinks- and someone must have slipped a little magic in. Don¡¯t know if it was tasteless, but you have enough then you don¡¯t notice a little weirdness?¡± Gina shrugged, ¡°Anyhow, timed it right for midnight, then all¡­ hmm¡­ gotta say¡­ two hundred of us, suddenly got the pains and headaches, and then bam, we got horns and hooves? Crazy night.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Someone spiked hundreds of drinks?!¡± Karen repeated, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Magic PR I guess- make a big scene, prove magic¡¯s real. It hurt and all, but noone got injured- we was all just¡­ fauns? Or satyrs? Caused quiiiiite the panic, some just fled out into the streets, some¡­ well, we kinda figured it was a hallucination and had a great time, really spiced things up.¡± Gina grinned, coiling hair around one finger, ¡°Only discovered it was real next morning when I woke up with thre-¡± ¡°An Emergence stunt.¡± Pa grunted. ¡°Think I heard of that one.¡± ¡°Shit that¡¯s messed up,¡± Karen muttered, ¡°Uh, sorry Pa.¡± ¡°Not your fault dear. Probably? Ha, I¡¯m messing, what are ya anyway?¡± She laughed and reached for an almost empty plate. ¡°Sphinx, right? Looked lion-y. ¡± ¡°Leave them!¡± Karen snapped, then swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not done. And, no¡­ griffin.¡± Gina blinked at the plate of nothing but bones, then gave her a forced smile. ¡°Right. Well, here¡¯s some napkins, just leave the plates, and a safe flight, I guess? Are you old enough to fly?¡± ¡°Yeah. Duh.¡± ¡°Thanks for the meal, have a good evenin¡¯¡± Pa intervened, letting the waitress hurry back to the restaurant. ¡°Karen. You didn¡¯t need to scare her.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t trying.¡± Karen pulled a new rib free, ¡°She was stealing.¡± ¡°People don¡¯t normally want the bones, kiddo.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She gnawed a little grit free, ¡°I think they¡¯re food. So they should be fine, for me¡­. Sorry for panicking.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do too bad. Part from sprintin¡¯ onto the car, that was a pretty smooth exit.¡± ¡°No- not now. The other night. If I¡¯d stayed still, then¡­ Logan¡¯d be-¡± ¡°Hindsight¡¯s twenty twenty. Anyone¡¯d panic at that change.¡± He rumbled, ¡°Just gotta do better next time, right? I¡¯m not gonna be rid of you, griffin, human, mermaid or whatever. Can you eat off napkins? We should get back on the road.¡± ¡°Back home? Or to OAR?¡± ¡°We¡¯re closer to home, I figure less travel time, less chance of an incident.¡± He mussed her hair, ¡°And I trust you can keep your head if it does come up, give me enough warnin¡¯ to pull over.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Karen promised, and piled the bones into a napkin, last rib in her teeth as she took her seat again, and they hit the road once more. It was a little easier, perhaps with the full stomach, or perhaps with the setting sun painting the sky above gold and crimson behind them, or perhaps her Pa¡¯s company. He asked her more, trying to recap the weeks and her experience with magic, and she slowly told most of it. Maddie was too important to spill the beans on, even to him, but she grudgingly confessed skiving school to help with the camp, which amused him. ¡°Probably learned more doin¡¯ that than you would¡¯ve that day,¡± he admitted, and felt punishment was too cruel after the horrors of the weekend. He asked a lot about the Mystics of the camp, her swim, her flight, and stopped asking about Sunday when she quietly described Scevola. * * * * * The sky above was black and star speckled, clouds tinged orange by street-lights when they pulled into the drive. Karen escaped the buckle and stretched, then turned when light streamed from the front door. Her Mom was there. Short and sharp, long black hair streaked with silver, voice hoarse and anxious, ¡°Ernest, did you get her? Karen?¡± ¡°Sylvia, just take a mo-¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Karen squealed and dashed up, wrapping her arms around her mother, rubbing her head off her shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m home!¡± Hard hands seized her shoulders and pushed her back. Her mothers eyes danced with tears, but showed no flash of recognition, only a furrow of the brows, a tremble of fear. ¡°Ernest. What¡¯s going on? Who is this? Where¡¯s my daughter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s her. Magic¡¯s changed her, but she¡¯s still our Karen.¡± Pa promised, and placed a big gentle hand on both of their shoulders, ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t have time to phone. It¡¯s complicated.¡± ¡°Complicated?¡± Sylvia hissed, stepping back with a sharp breath, ¡°What do you mean? What did that flying monster do to he-¡± ¡°That was me, Mom.¡± Karen whimpered, eyes stinging with tears, ¡°That is me.¡± Her mother¡¯s face wracked with horror. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Karen, go clear some space In the garage.¡± Pa ordered, stepped between them, and wrapped his arms around Sylvia, ¡°Dear, I¡¯ll explain. Come on, lets sit.¡± And then they were in the lounge, voices raising, and Karen staggered as tears broke through. Her Mom didn¡¯t know her. The world blurred, vivid colours swimming into view, and she shuffled back outside by the car. Her Mom didn¡¯t know her. She wavered on the driveway, blinking as new colours emerged, colouring the stars to new brilliant patterns. An invitation to fly the heavens. If she wasn¡¯t welcome, why would she stay? They thought she was a monster. There was game in the forest, and her stomach grumbled eagerly at the thought of elk or buck. She had wings now. But home was home, it had been for ten years now, it wasn¡¯t cast aside that easily. And she was still injured, still hungry, so she grabbed the napkin bag of bones from the car and hurried through the hall, and through the squeaky door. The garage was crammed full of memories, old bikes and her first trampoline, fishing rods and tent poles, Pa¡¯s spare timber and Mom¡¯s big old mirror. Her Mom didn¡¯t recognize her. She sat on the step, missing her long hair, missing her tan skin, missing her dark eyes and mothers nose. Her fingers found the bones and pressed them against the stone stair¡¯s edge, pushing each until, with satisfying cracks, each split in her fingers. When she ran out of remains, she stood and shoved clear a corner, moving the ridiculous bikes and the stupid baby trampoline and the big old mirror- Red-gold eyes made her flinch. Karen stumbled back, then squeaked and grabbed the mirror before it fell, taking in the griffin eyes that glared from her human face. That was why she saw the other colours- something had broken her Veil again? She shoved the mirror against a wall and turned quickly, heart thundering, where was the Veil, was it in the car outside under the sk- She tumbled with something like a hiccup, if a hiccup unleashed gigantic wings, a lashing tail, feathery pelt and fierce claws. In a heartbeat the clothes were ripped, the disguise was gone, Veil torn, and her griffin-self tensed, ready for the pain. It didn¡¯t come. At least, no new pain, her scars and wounds ached as ever, but as with Verity the change itself was instant and painless. She stood and rolled her shoulders, shrugging off rags, and stretched from wing to tail tip. There went any possibility of talking to her mother. She could get Veil, but why endure that melting agony again just for the woman to be repulsed? She shuddered and folded her wings, turning about the space to catch sight of the mirror. She¡¯d never gotten to see her reflection before, and bright patches surprised her- her underbelly and inner wings were paler, slightly blue, while her leonine quarters had a faint mottling pattern to them. Her back was darker, save for a few striking patches near the eyes, forehead and end of her wing feathers, far from a plain boring grey! The door squeaked, and she turned to see her sire there, a calm unsurprised look on his face, and he knelt and extended a four fingered fist. ¡°Ah. Wore off. All calm?¡± She gave a small nod, and headbutted his fist and Pa chuckled and patted her there, ¡°Close enough. Sorry, wasn¡¯t something to explain over the phone, but your mother will come around. Just give her some time. Oh- did you give up on the bones?¡± Communication was hard so she just pecked a bone shard down without discomfort. ¡°Right, s¡¯long as you¡¯re sure. Want a mattress? Blankets? Duvet?¡± He asked as she nodded or shook, ¡°Alright. No runnin¡¯ off in the night.¡± That was easy, and she finished the bones and shoved some more objects aside before he came with multiple loads of blankets all piled up. She repositioned it and circled on the makeshift bed, which amused him for some reason, before curling up, tail by her beak, wings folded close, and felt a lot of things. ¡°Right. Goodnight kiddo, welcome home,¡± Pa waved and flicked the light off, sounding the same as ever. Out of everything, he was the only consistency. She was home, but she wasn¡¯t in her room, she wasn¡¯t even in her skin, her mother barely knew her and her brother¡­ was probably asleep. Yet Pa was solid as ever, not confused, not even surprised as far as she could see. It was like he knew everything. * * * * * Sleeping wasn¡¯t hard for a griffin. Loathe as she was to admit it, her pelt was warm and cosy, and she had fed well even without hunting. The door was damn squeaky though. It startled her the first time someone checked on her, and darted upright only in time to see the door close and hear footsteps on the stairs. Quick and fast- had it been Mom? She resisted chasing down the peeper. She was scary enough, and she curled back up, and held still the next time the door squeaked. And the time after that. Let them see she was still here. Let them know she was back, this was her territory. Her home. * * * * * The damn door squeaked again. She woke up wishing she had oiled it. But this time there was daylight, footsteps, and a low voice gasping, ¡°Wooooow.¡± Karen opened an eye slowly to see Ollie, tiny with his wild black hair and wide green eyes, ¡°Uh. Hey sis?¡± He knew her. Karen stood carefully, chirped and reached around to hug him with blunt talon-less wings. He gasped at the embrace, then leaned into it, arms wrapping around her neck with a manic giggle, ¡°Wow, you are waaaaay fluffier than Pa said!¡± Fluffy? Karen snorted, kicked his legs out, and lay down, burying him in feathers as he gasped and wriggled. She was gentle, bipeds like Logan were fragile, and he was able to wriggle free without harm, ¡°Fine, fine, it¡¯s you! How many stitches do you have? That¡¯s badass!¡± She nodded and spread her left wing a little wider, the one marked by shotgun wounds, but he missed the point and tried to grab her tail instead. Idiot. But amusement and joy was far more welcome than terror and suspicion, and she held still when he clambered on her back. ¡°Alright, this is cool- Pa¡¯s got breakfast in the kitchen, okay? And there¡¯s human stuff in the bathroom if you want? Alright, mush!¡± He ordered, and she sat down, shrugged him off and loped through to the bathroom. The little silver lid of veil was there as she expected, and she drank it quickly, cursing inwardly as the freezing magical vice melted her into grey clay. When her lips and teeth formed, she cursed outwardly until the pain ended, and she was left sweaty, four limbed and short haired once more. But she had access to a shower and clothes this time, and took her time cleaning and grooming herself. Now that she looked, the scars were considerable- a constellations of markings about her shoulder, from shoulderblade to clavicle. A few others, memories of the shattered window, marked her thigh, forearm and hip, but they were mainly scabbing and might vanish in time. Her usual clothes were made for a smaller form, so Karen darted upstairs afterwards, lingering at the entrance to her room. The little messy bedroom looked like a crime scene. Which was fair, she supposed, but was not welcome. Yellow tape fluttered across the open window, her guitar and dozens of school books were on her mattress, and her wardrobe pillaged by some idiot looking for clues. But that did reveal some looser t-shirts and shorts she tugged on, and they had charged her phone for her, no doubt seeking information on it too. Karen frowned and perched on the bed, unlocking the device- eighteen texts and seven missed calls. Was that high or low for a missing girl? Karen shrugged, glanced through them- Caleb, Emily, Toby, Anna and¡­ a lot from Maddie. She swallowed and started there, fingers tapping out a message- or no, did she owe an apology? An explanation? Pa said some things were best handled in person. A change in species felt like big news. Not something to text. The kitchen was warm and familiar thankfully, Pa frying some bacon at the grill while Ollie finished a plateful, and gasped at her appearance. ¡°Really squirt?¡± Karen sat and forced a fierce smile ¡°This weirds you out more than the griffin?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± He scoffed, reaching across to tap her boyish locks, ¡°I¡¯ve got longer hair than you!¡± ¡°Congrats, I¡¯ll braid it sometime. Why aren¡¯t you at school?¡± ¡°He accused me of favouritism. And he¡¯s gonna help us set things up for you today.¡± Pa piled an odd plate with ham, bacon, sausage, a pancake, a fried egg, an apple and a banana then set it before her. ¡°Set up?¡± She started with a piece of ham, eyeing the fruit suspiciously. ¡°Yeah. Homely..¡± He turned the grill off, and sat down, ¡°Obviously clear out the garage, make it your space, sort out the old stuff for storin¡¯, sellin¡¯ or dumpin¡¯. Make sure the sheriff knows you¡¯re found, do some shoppin¡¯, tougher blankets, stuff for clawin¡¯, spare clothes. And figure out your diet a bit, how much you need to be goin¡¯ on.¡± Karen stared. ¡°At least try the fruit and bread, kiddo. You¡¯re not completely carnivorous, and Kingsley will come here soon so we can find out how magic affects your diet.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± She snapped suddenly, suspicion bubbling up, ¡°Griffin¡¯s aren¡¯t well studied, Hill measured me. How do you know so much?!¡± ¡°Did research. Ain¡¯t the only griffin in the world.¡± ¡°When?¡± Karen demanded, ¡°Did you know this was coming? My change? You¡¯re the only one who wasn¡¯t surprised!¡± Those deep green eyes looked over her, then the big man shook his head slowly. ¡°No. I¡¯m surprised.¡± ¡°Then how come you¡¯re so calm!? How come you¡¯re not freaked out? Or scared?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared either!¡± Ollie protested. ¡°You don¡¯t count squirt.¡± ¡°Be nice, Karen. Ollie, we¡¯ll take a while, you can go play some games.¡± Pa ordered. ¡°She¡¯s nicer as a griffin.¡± He stuck out his tongue and escaped. Leaving just her Pa and her. Karen stood, took a step back and knocked the chair over, ¡°You don¡¯t want him to hear? Why? What are you hiding?¡± ¡°Nothin¡¯. I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re gettin¡¯ this from.¡± He sat calmly, arms folded, ¡°Did you sleep poorly?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m getting this from YOU, there¡¯s unflappable and then there¡¯s¡­ you¡¯ve not been surprised by anything, you¡¯ve stayed perfectly calm! How is that not suspicious?!¡± ¡°I see. Guess I got the balance wrong then.¡± Pa pinched his brow, and his shoulders sagged slightly, a dry chuckle rasping out. ¡°Your mother worried you by panickin¡¯ too much, and I worried you by not panickin¡¯ enough. Sorry, kiddo.¡± ¡°The balance?¡± She narrowed her eyes, ¡°You seriously don¡¯t know more?¡± ¡°Everything I know is on this pad,¡± He flicked through a handful of pages, notes of scratching posts, warmth, claustrophobia and diet. ¡°I told you, one issue at a time. We gotta keep you healthy.¡± ¡°But this is... almost nothing? You saw me as a monster, you saw me as a random girl with this face, and you didn¡¯t flinch!?¡± ¡°I did. I wasn¡¯t entirely composed with Morris. But you¡¯re more than your appearance, Karen, how you move and how you hold yourself¡­ honestly you¡¯re more yourself like this than you were last week. I recognized you, kept me calm.¡± He frowned, and leaned back in his chair, ¡°I know I¡¯m not the most excitin¡¯. And I have been scared. But strength, fortitude, courage, whatever you wanna call it, it ain¡¯t ¡®bout muscles or power. It¡¯s just holdin¡¯ steady against panic.¡± Karen choked back a bitter laugh, and shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can do that.¡± ¡°Age. Helps that I¡¯m awful borin¡¯. You don¡¯t need to be a stoic, you¡¯re having a hard time. But I¡¯m your Pa, I¡¯m meant to deal with your teenage drama, not the other way around.¡± Karen cocked her head, ¡°Was it you? At night? The door?¡± ¡°Ah, I woke you? Sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not running away again Pa.¡± His moustache shifted and he wavered, then nodded and stood, chin on her head and arms around her again. ¡°Ya. I know. We¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°Hopefully not.¡± She rubbed her head against him, then sat, ¡°How long until this witch comes?¡± ¡°Couple hours. Eat up- and try everything at least a bit. We¡¯ll see how your other taste buds work another time.¡± He dug into his own, and she forced herself to work cutlery for a time. Then she paused and produced the phone again, looking over the numbers, a brook echoing in her memories. Interlude- Ernests Call His father had warned that parenthood was a bumpy road. That was about as close as the old man had come to apologising for his own methods, though Ernest doubted he had imagined this fractured a road. He stood in the dark house, one maimed hand rubbing his short bristly hair as he looked over the photos. Fatherhood had been so daunting, and the weeks after his daughter''s birth so exhausting. And yet soon followed by years where he had missed her inability to walk. From eleven months onwards she had been active, wanting to be flipped and thrown, trying to run and jump, heedless of danger and stubborn as her Grandpa. How old had she been when she¡¯d suggested running off to be a circus acrobat? Eight? Then suggestions of soccer, or an astronaut, or a pilot, or a gymnast, or an acrobat. When she vanished in the night, he¡¯d phoned several circuses, terrified that she¡¯d pursued such ambitions. A low growl made him flinch, instincts mistaking it for some heavy machine or large animal. Not inaccurately. Ernest swallowed and set down a photo frame, unable to resist checking on her. Again. Pathetic. He paused at the garage door, inhaled, smoothed his shirt. He had to seem strong. Even so, he winced at the squeak of the door, and tensed at the heavy animal scent, ready for flashing claws or tearful screams. None came. His eyes squinted through the darkness, making out the massive slumbering mound in the corner, pinions folded over her like a tent. What little exposed was predatory- a sharp beak through which those thrumming growls emerged, a couple of talons long as knifes, already ripping through the blankets of her nest. She wasn''t even full grown. He tore his eyes away, winced as the door squeaked behind him and shuddered with each step back into the lounge. How did you even rear a griffin? Griffon? Gryphon?! Noone could reach a damn consensus on spelling, let alone care! What if she had allergies? What if she hurt herself? What if she was bullied? Then the bullies would suffer, he gave a bitter chuckle. Karen had never quite learned to back down, and he discarded that concern, pacing back into the lounge. There was no point going back to bed with Sylvia- his wife had miraculously managed to find sleep despite the evening¡¯s revelation, and his pathetic restless worrying would only disturb her. Instead he sat on the couch, dared to light a lamp and pulled out that ¡°Office of Anomalous Research¡± folder, where someone had stuck ¡°Registration¡± over the last word. It did not fill him with hope. Sure, the important stuff was there- ID cards, Registration forms, notes of the incident, legal notice- but a full two thirds of it was irrelevant leaflets and pamphlets from some damn bureaucrat pretending to be busy. ¡°What is a Mystic¡±, ¡°Is Magic Real¡±, and such drivel. Doctor Morris¡¯ calling card was at the back. He¡¯d left it there when he almost phoned earlier, when his unfamiliar daughter had sprouted a tail. It was probably worth phoning to report that she was safe home, and he lifted the card only to squint at hand writing across it. Veil, Diana Kingsley, 208 201 2695 Gryphon, Nathan Patel, 303 241 5849 Pathetic, how had he missed this!? He hadn¡¯t thought to turn over the card! Ernest scowled, he couldn¡¯t afford this kind of mistake, he couldn¡¯t let his daughter down. It was unacceptable. He needed information, so he lifted the phone and retreated into the kitchen to punch in the numbers. He wasn¡¯t sure why, it was four in the morning, there was no way he¡¯d ans- ¡°¡¯Ello?¡± A deep young voice answered, ¡°Uh, hello?¡± Ernest blinked. What were the odds? ¡°Mornin¡¯, this Nathan Patel?¡± ¡°Uh, depends who¡¯s asking? I¡¯m not buying anything.¡± The voice cautioned, a rumbling machinery in the background. ¡°Name¡¯s Ernest Thomson.¡± No point beating around the bush, ¡°I¡¯m lookin¡¯ for information ¡®bout gryphons, apparently you can help?¡± ¡°Probably, I am one after all. You a journalist?¡± ¡°Nah. I¡¯ve¡­ got to take care of a gryphon.¡± He gasped, ¡°You¡¯re an assassin?¡± ¡°Wha- no! Take care like feed an¡¯ rear an¡¯ help.¡± Ernest rubbed his brow, ¡°This is gonna sound nuts, but my daughter turned into a gryphon.¡± ¡°Oh. Right, well, don¡¯t panic. Just wait it out. Shapeshifting magic only lasts three or four hours tops.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been over three days. OAR, the Office guys, looked her over, it¡¯s not veil, don¡¯t know how it happened.¡± He sighed, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s permanent. An¡¯ me and mine, we¡¯re human, dunno how to take care of her, any advice you have¡¯d be ¡®ppreciated.¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Huh. Fate¡¯s funny.¡± Nathan sounded amused, ¡°As luck¡¯d have it, I¡¯m stuck on a train with nothing to do. And, I mean, good thing this didn¡¯t happen when you lot didn¡¯t know about magic, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a way to look at it.¡± Ernest conceded, pulling over a pen and notepad, ¡°So you got time. Hmm, basics then- what food¡¯s safe? Anything poisonous to gryphons?¡± ¡°Try and keep her off of chocolate, milk doesn¡¯t normally go down well, no onions or garlic or cabbage. Not lethal, but awful for the insides.¡± Nathan considered, ¡°We¡¯re mainly carnivorous, so you¡¯re going to have to get a lot of meat- raw or cooked is fine, and varieties good. Fish, fowl, mince, cat or dog food, she¡¯ll probably have preferences. But we can handle some grain, nuts, fruit, even eggs and stuff, but only as sides. How old is she?¡± ¡°Right, she was very keen on meat earlier, demolished a ton of steak. Uh, sixteen? She¡¯s bigger than me already.¡± ¡°Got another couple of years of growth, can probably put away double or triple what you can on a day- the largest females can get nearly the size of horses, but something like a donkey¡¯s more common.¡± ¡°Right, her room was too small so thinking of moving her into the garage, she¡¯s there tonight. Is sleeping inside alright?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, we tend to be pretty claustrophobic, but if she was born human, probably fine on that count?¡± ¡°¡¯Fraid it¡¯s the opposite. She¡¯s got all griffin instincts, no experience controllin¡¯ them. Even veilled, she was not happy in the car.¡± ¡°Well, keep her off the train, it is the worst!¡± Nathan said cheerfully, ¡°In that case, with instincts, she¡¯s probably gonna see the world in terms of nice spaces she can spread her wings, and horrible places she can¡¯t. Make sure the garage is spacious, let her build a den however she wants, but don¡¯t put stuff on her. Waking up covered by something will set off some major alarm bells. Oh, and leave her den alone, we tend to stick precious stuff in where we sleep and we can be a bit territorial.¡± ¡°Right. We¡¯re in Idaho, might get a bit cold¡­ but can always find a spare heater and she seems to have a lot of fluff.¡± Ernest considered, ¡°Speakin'' of instincts¡­ are all griffins predators?¡± ¡°Are all humans hunters?¡± Nathan scoffed, ¡°We¡¯re a spectrum. If you wanna see where she falls on it¡­ uh, grab a live mouse from a pet store or something, leave it in the house, see what she does with it. Might ignore it, might eat it.¡± Ernest nodded, that was a feasible test. ¡°How important is flyin¡¯?¡± ¡°Oooooh, dude, I have flown more in the past few months than I did in the first twenty years of my life! It is fantastic, I cannot recommend enough. Probably take a few tries, but get her to a field and she¡¯ll probably be able to figure it out after a few days.¡± ¡°Took her maybe ten minutes.¡± He was surprised at the note of pride in his voice, ¡°Instincts, apparently. She¡¯s keen to try more.¡± ¡°No doubt. Congrats. Anywhere she could hunt, if she tends towards that?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re near mountains but¡­ just worried she might go for livestock.¡± He resisted saying ¡®again¡¯. ¡°Teach her not to, we¡¯re not beasts, she can learn.¡± Nathan got quiet, his voice more serious, ¡°That bother you?¡± ¡°Just gettin'' to terms with the idea of her rippin'' an elk to pieces. Any other advice?¡± ¡°Hmm. What colour is she? Oh, right, you won¡¯t know.¡± Nathan chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t use human shampoo or stuff for washing, either cat or baby shampoo is better, and try and get her to wash once a week or more. Some of us aren¡¯t fans of water. Oh, and get her a good scratching post or she¡¯ll probably destroy your furniture! Gotta stay sharp!¡± ¡°Do you? Was thinkin'' of tryin'' to blunt the talons, they¡¯re pretty nasty.¡± Ernest frowned. Especially to random teenagers, apparently. It was a miracle she hadn¡¯t killed the boy. ¡°You can try, but her instincts might have her sharpening them pretty quick. We¡¯re all individuals though. Also a stretchy watch is good, do you know about Veil?¡± ¡°Think I¡¯ve got the basics. Tastes awful, feels awful, meant to last an hour or two.¡± ¡°Sounds about right. Let her take her pace, if she¡¯s a griffin indoors, she¡¯s probably just going to nap or eat, we only really get excitable outdoors.¡± ¡°Yeah- she keeps headbuttin'' me too? Is that common?¡± ¡°Oh. Uh, scent marking basically. She¡¯s probably going to do that a lot to whatever she considers her territory.¡± Nathan muttered, then added, ¡°But that¡¯s a good sign! Sounds like you¡¯ve got a good relationship, still close!¡± ¡°Yeah. Glad she thinks I''m her property, classic teenager.¡± He felt a pit in his stomach, secret gnawing away, ¡°Thanks. Nathan. I¡­ this feels a lot more manageable now.¡± ¡°Thanks for the entertainment, I¡¯d love to hear how it turns out. But do us a favour, yeah?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Go get some sleep dude, I know your time zone and you sound ready to collapse.¡± He ordered loudly, ¡°You¡¯ll manage, griffins are awesome. Trust me, I¡¯m a completely impartial expert!¡± ¡°Very we-¡± The phone hung up, ¡°-ll.¡± And that was that. It was a good deal of information, he flicked through the pad, nodding. It was nothing eldritch, magical or mysterious, but practical matters- food, shelter, sleep and health. Yes, he could work with this, one step at a time. He rose and paced through to the hall, giving the garage door a long look. She wasn¡¯t growling anymore. Was she there? Had she fled? His hand twitched, and he balled it into a fist. No. She¡¯d still be there in the morning. And if she wasn¡¯t¡­ well, Morris had a tracker embedded in her thigh. He should¡¯ve told her. Pathetic old man. But then she¡¯d probably tear her leg open if she ever tried to run away. And he couldn¡¯t lose her. Not again. No, best keep it secret, and work on the assumption it wouldn¡¯t come up. Just deal with the present. One step at a time. At the top, Ernest stumbled as he ran out of stairs. Emergence 9. Birds of a Feather The last photo on the posterboard was a pair of giggling six year olds, the darker one proudly head standing against a wall. The other, all freckles and frizzle platinum hair grinned a gap toothed smile, holding up the others legs. Karen lingered on it. She had a different face now. But Maddie had been lying too, her mermaid self secret, and the memory was no less real for it. The photo went into her box of keepsakes, overflowing with clothes, old ropes, shoes, batons, guitar and DVDs, random metal ball, medals and trophies. The pin and old board went in the rather slack bin bags. Mom would probably demand she sort her possessions more ruthlessly, but Mom thought she was a monster so who cared? She shoved the thought aside and checked her phone, Maddie finally responded, Karen considered it, then rattled off quickly, Which was a lie, but some conversations didn¡¯t belong in texts. And she was okay aside from losing her species, identity, being shot, and- ¡°KIDDO! COME DOWN, BRING YOUR VEIL!¡± Pa¡¯s voice echoed on the stairs. The potion flask was almost empty, but she grabbed it and skipped down the stairs, jumping the last six, ¡°Yeah Pa, what¡¯s- oh, hi!¡± ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the gryphon, isn¡¯t she?¡± A sporty woman was leaning on the windowsill, amusement in aloof grey eyes. Short spiky crimson hair topped her like a wildfire, matched by a bright ruby collar nestled on her collarbone. Her top was short, exposing tanned freckled skin as if to insist October was still summertime, and a dirty satchel hung by her hip. ¡°Yup- this is Karen,¡± Pa sat, sorting papers on his lap, ¡°Miss Kingsley- uh, Diana- is here with Veil for you to try.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, you were at the conference.¡± Karen paced, then settled on the sofa¡¯s arm beside him, ¡°Did Pa mention the issues yesterday?¡± ¡°He¡¯s direct, a good human,¡± Diana mumbled, and extended a slim hand festooned with rings, ¡°May I examine your potion?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± She tossed it over, watching warily as the mage poured out a drop, sniffed it, and grimaced. ¡°It tastes like shit, even worse than Logans¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s tried Tohaken wares.¡± The redhead sighed and flicked the drop back into the bottle, ¡°Poor fools.¡± ¡°Logan?¡± ¡°Yes. But not right now. Those incompetents at OAR.¡± Diana rubbed her temple, ¡°You get what you pay for. Is that a complicated concept? They hire the cheapest two-bit warlocks, they get potions too foul for even sewage. Hence your ¡®glitches¡¯. Hmm, did you call them in a screaming panic?¡± ¡°Uh, no.¡± Karen winced. ¡°Tried to be subtle.¡± ¡°Want to? Might be fun.¡± Diana smirked wickedly. ¡°No need for drama, no real harm done.¡± Urged Pa, ¡°Right Karen?¡± ¡°I grew my tail in front of a load of bipeds,¡± She scowled before he glared at her, ¡°Fiiiine. Is the cheapness why I look like this? Instead of me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s her proper self in the photos.¡± Pa slipped a family picture over, the four of them bundled on the trampoline, Mom hugging Karen close. ¡°We¡¯re findin¡¯ quite a lot of problems.¡± ¡°Yes, they are indeed.¡± Diana idly examined the photograph, ¡°I¡¯ll sell you human veil. But it may keep the same form- unless¡­¡± She bent and unpacked her bag, setting out four flasks on the table, ¡°Here. A present for helping out at camp. These three might be more to your preference?¡± ¡°Are you sure? That¡¯s a lot...¡± Karen swallowed, ¡°What about- I mean this isn¡¯t about Veil, really, but do you think you can fix me? Verity said¡­ that I¡¯m...¡± She faltered and Pa lay a hand on her shoulder, ¡°That her problem¡¯s permanent. Unless OAR discover something.¡± ¡°Tch. What are they like?¡± Diana rolled her eyes, ¡°Well, I am curious. I¡¯d like to see the real you and check on the wounds that awful man inflicted. Do you have a garden?¡± ¡°Yeah, just out back. I¡¯ll go change- yeah, I¡¯ll save my clothes, I knooow, Pa.¡± Karen added before he could lecture her, and hurried through to the bathroom. There was too much furniture and boxes being moved in the garage to try changing there, and it felt more¡­ ordinary to change in a bathroom. Of course, according to her phone, she had fifteen minutes left of the Veil. But she¡¯d glitched through it twice last night. How hard could it be to break deliberately? Her fingers scratched the sink as she glowered at the mirror, at meek blue eyes and pasty speckled skin. Too tall. Too gangly. Karen screwed her eyes shut, trying to focus her thoughts on the one night she¡¯d been whole- loping over fences, flying over the lake, blood on her talons, thunder and fury, pain and chains. Terrifying, predatory, feral, hungry. It surged out like a broken dam. Her muscles surged, middle digits vanishing in an instant as paws and talons swelled out. Her back split, grey and formless flesh lashing out into the two gigantic wings that smashed the lightbulb, and a third whirled around for her tail to scatter shampoo and soap. Her eyes stung, teeth slashed out into a beak, organs swelled, and then in an instant, it was done, and she was left standing in the dark. The broken light rather undercut her success, when the lampshade fell on her wing. But, she was whole, still weird and monstrous, and not really designed with small locks in mind. It took a couple of minutes of blind fumbling to pull the peg, careen out the door and fold her wings tight to escape the houses¡¯ confines. Diana was waiting, sitting peacefully against the garden fence as if sunbathing, one hand with a coffee and the other on her clavicle. ¡°The gryphon''s come out to see you.¡± She mumbled, ¡°Ah, alright, just a moment please. I want to see you properly.¡± Karen gave a quizzical chirp, then backed a step as sparks flared around the witches eyes. When they opened, the pale grey was gone, replaced by a brilliant fiery gold, pupils expanding with a soft gasp, ¡°Ooooooooh!¡± Magic. Karen studied her back coolly. The witch hadn¡¯t even used a potion. Curious. Her eyes seemed avian too- enough to see the UV colours like her? ¡°You... are magnificent!¡± Diana cheered, hands clasped together exuberantly. What? ¡°I mean- oh you¡¯re practically perfect! Look at the little red two specks, and the mauzine- oooooh and your neck¡¯s teavalin! Look how it catches the light, you¡¯re beautiful!¡± She bounced off the fence, staying four metres away, ¡°But of course- can we see your wings please? All of them?¡± Karen blinked, nodded and stretched, letting the joints stretch to their limits, each longer than her whole body, muscles screaming with joy and pain alike at finally flexing. It felt so nice she arched her back and stretched from beak to tail, rolling muscles and shaking off fatigue she hadn¡¯t realised she carried. ¡°AWESOME!¡± The mage whooped, clapped her hands, knelt and leaped ecstatically, ¡°So well built- assuming her physical status translated, then¡­ you worked truly hard to stay healthy, didn¡¯t you? More griffins are a little skinny on the wings, but yours are a testament to the exercise and effort you¡¯ve put in. You are glorious!¡± She had to be mocking? Who said this to a griffin!? Karen watched. But Diana¡¯s smile, her enthusiasm didn¡¯t fade, she seemed utterly genuine. Something wet the griffin''s eyes, and she shook her head, before flopping down on the grass, head reeling. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Diana gasped, still a wingspan away, and took a gentle step, ¡°May I approach?¡± She gave a cautious nod, and the mage stepped right to her head, sat cross legged and ran a hot hand soothingly down her neck. ¡°I know this is a surprise. But you don¡¯t need fixed. Know why?¡± She blinked uncertainly. ¡°You¡¯re not a problem.¡± She whispered, ¡°You¡¯re not a beast. Or a monster. You¡¯re smart, and you¡¯re great, and you¡¯re fast and so strong! You¡¯ve been blessed by the sky, Karen. You are a miracle, understand?¡± Her heart felt fit to explode with a sudden surge of joy, and Karen suddenly trilled and couldn¡¯t resist grabbing the woman, wrapping wings tight around this beacon of light and acceptance. The woman wriggled and broke into weird laugher, warm hands rubbing through her pelt, ¡°Hehe- hey- haha- no, no I¡¯m not her teddy bear! I¡¯m a dignified wise d-he hehe he ahaha hehe!¡± Karen kept her another moment, before releasing, wiping tears off her wings, bewildered with joy. ¡°There there. Someone should¡¯ve told you that before now. Humans are blind and dear. Even their supposed experts, OAR, they¡¯re too scared to see you properly. Lot¡¯s of humans are blind and deaf though, OAR included. Too scared to see you properly. But you¡¯re immaculate, and magnificent, never forget that, yes?¡± Diana ran a hand over her again, from head, down neck, over the great shoulders of her wings, down her spine, and traced to the tufted end of her tail, ¡°Now, I do need to seriously check your injuries, so be gentle okay? I¡¯m not as strong as you.¡± Karen nodded and settled, stretching out for the warm hands to check her stitches and scars, words echoing in her head. They felt good. True. She was strong, faster than as a quick human, and as much as her size was inconvenient indoors, it felt liberating outside. As for intelligence, she could write, she was as sharp as ever! For a time, being this creature didn¡¯t feel so bad, though it still hurt when warm hands poked her wing shoulder, and Diana stroked her back, ¡°Sorry, I think that scab¡¯s the worst? But keep stretching it, use the muscles and you should be back to flying in a day or two. Heh, I can hardly wait! No offence, you¡¯re majestic, but gryphons were born from the sky, blessed lions to be true apex predators.¡± Karen watched her sceptically, but couldn¡¯t resist rolling her wings and flexing her claws, feeling even her hind paws tear into the ground. Was there any animal a full grown griffin couldn¡¯t hunt? She tried to imagine the chestnut mother griffin compared to an elephant, or a rhino, but even they seemed feasible with flight and speed. What would they taste like? Only ridiculous freaks like Scevola or the Bad Egg were truly more dangerous, and she scrubbed those thoughts aside. She wasn¡¯t weak. ¡°Heh, heh, she¡¯s lovely,¡± Diana petted her again, then knelt eye to eye, ¡°Do you want to try my Veil? Or I can cover and tell the old human you need a day laying around without magic?¡± Napping under the sun sounded excellent, but she did want a comfortable nest tonight, and the garage still had a lot of sorting to do. So Karen stood, straightened a couple of feathers, and squirmed back indoors. Pa was still tidying up the bathroom when she caught, but caught on and poured out a lidful of lime green potion, before leaving her with a new lightbulb. Diana¡¯s potion was more like a spicy soup than anything foul. It burned on the way down, kindled in her stomach, and then blazed outwards through her nerves. She winced as she felt herself dwindling, but the sensation of feathers burrowing away into her form, the pain of bones contracting and muscles clenching, wasn¡¯t quite so keen. It was almost as if her whole body had fallen asleep- not pleasant, but the mild burning pain quenched her tail shortening, wings wrenching into her back, the softening of her beak and formation of teeth. She sat blearily, floating in a molten sea as her talons sprouted an extra digit, paws clenched and were overran by black blocky nails, and only a headache was truly disturbing. Then her shoulders jerked into place, limbs realigned, and hair tickled her shoulders and back, showering down from her scalp. It felt cold as the burning faded, Karen breathed, taking in a full half the bathroom with her vision, and stared at the two furry legs she retained, now ending in split cloven hooves. ¡°What?!¡± Her ears flicked at the unfamiliar voice, and she grabbed at them only to bump hands off weird hard things that jutted from her skull!? Karen cursed and grabbed the sink, hauling herself upright, stumbling onto new hooves as a useless short tail twitched behind her. What was the point of a tail if not to balance?! Yet another strange girl stared at her from the mirror through inhuman green eyes with horrid rectangular pupils. Her skin was caramel, covered in faint hair down to the waist where tangled dark brown fur sprawled down two hooved legs. It grew thick on her big oval ears too, twitching cups overshadowed by the ridged horns that curled from her skull. Why!? Karen cursed and stumbled, pulling on a top that draped over her and slammed the door open, calling, ¡°Diana! What is this? Why are mystics such trolls?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a troll, I¡¯m a phoenix.¡± The mage leaned into the hall curiously, ¡°And that¡¯s a faun.¡± ¡°Faun? Like Gina?¡± Her Pa came through another door, took in the situation and then stomped beside her, looming bigger than ever as he rumbled ¡°Miss Kingsley. Care to explain what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°She took faun Veil.¡± She sighed. ¡°Really? And why exactly did you give us Faun Veil? Why even make Mystic Veil?¡± He breathed, cold and furious. ¡°Why should humans be the default?¡± Diana shrugged, ¡°Veil¡¯s are for speech and tools. She has hands and can speak. Besides, that one was free.¡± ¡°Yes- but why? You understand that she wants to look like her old self?¡± ¡°Yes. If the human form doesn¡¯t resemble her, the other three humanoid veils might be closer. Her hair¡¯s closer, yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hip length!¡± Karen flailed the ridiculous locks around her arms, ¡°Wait, if I cut it, will my fur get shorter?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not an injury.¡± The mage rubbed her ruby necklace, ¡°I know- I didn¡¯t think this needed explained either. They¡¯re all labelled, they all last two hours.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Pa- you¡¯ve got to read the labels,¡± Karen scoffed, leaning in to softly headbutt him. Her horns jabbed him instead. ¡°Oop, sorry.¡± ¡°Right. Apologies. This was just unexpected.¡± He admitted, setting a hand on her head, and gave a slight nod, ¡°Thankyou for your business, Miss Kingsley. Any other advice?¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Don¡¯t mix them. One veil at a time.¡± She muttered, ¡°Hmm, I think that was a dismissal? Well, good afternoon.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Karen stumbled forward on her new hooves, one hand clinging to the wall, ¡°Uh, thankyou Diana. For outside. And do you think¡­ could you teach me the colours sometime? At least what colours I am?¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s lovely,¡± She glanced back at the door, and a sliver of that earnest joy crossed her face, ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be happy to. Try the others okay? It¡¯s always good to try new things, and¡­ try not to hang onto the past too much. Everyone changes.¡± And then she was out, slinging her big backpack over her shoulder, the house seeming to cool. Pa sagged slightly, and hugged her, taking in her new face with a slight smile. ¡°No panic. Well done, kiddo. What do you make of her?¡± ¡°¡±Weirder than Logan- but she¡¯s part bird or something too, she can fly and see UV and everything.¡± Karen grinned, pushing hair out of her face, ¡°Leagues ahead of OAR. Best Veil so far- even if I¡¯m stupid prey right now.¡± ¡°Alright. That¡¯s a good sign- except for the prey bit.¡± ¡°Fine- but look at these stupid teeth- they¡¯re all squares! I¡¯m like a horse.¡± She grimaced, ¡°Can you carry my stuff downstairs? I¡¯m gonna break a leg on these hooves.¡± ¡°Sure. Reckon you¡¯re fine like that? I still need to hit the shops and a couple errands.¡± ¡°And leave me here?¡± Karen stared up at him, feeling years younger, ¡°Uh, yeah, I can watch the house and unpack stuff.¡± ¡°Great. Deal.¡± He marched up, and she cautiously trotted through to the garage searching for a skirt. It was still quite a mess, the shutter door was up, outdoor accessories shoved onto the drive, and Ollie amidst it all shoving shelves against a wall, though he startled at her appearance, ¡°Uh¡­ Karen?¡± ¡°Got it in one, squirt.¡± She clopped across, feeling her hair tickle her tail, ¡°Diana gave me some mystic veil. Whatcha think?¡± ¡°Oooooh, are you a demon? Can you breathe fire?¡± ¡°No, but my senses are insane and I can move my ears.¡± She grabbed up a fancy scarf and wound it around her hips, ¡°And I¡¯d probably die from eating meat.¡± ¡°At least you¡¯ve got hair again? And the horns are cool.¡± He pulled back a hairband and shot it at her. ¡°Too much.¡± She caught it, and tied the waterfall of auburn into a ludicrous ponytail, ¡°Which is cooler, this or the griffin?¡± ¡°Griffin, duh.¡± ¡°For once, squirt, I agree with you.¡± ¡°Yeah, I mean you can¡¯t talk back, and you¡¯re super soft!¡± He paced up to poke her horn, barely shorter, ¡°Aw, you¡¯re teeny- can¡¯t call me squirt like this.¡± ¡°I can too, my griffin form¡¯s like¡­ ten times your size. This is just temporary.¡± ¡°Five maybe.¡± ¡°Ten, you¡¯ve not seen how big my wings are.¡± ¡°Oi, enough fightin¡¯, back to work you two!¡± Pa broke them up with boxes of her belongings, and directed them to business once more. He and Ollie got her shelves and a set of drawers down, while she sorted things out, and they soon drove off on errands. As nostalgic as packing had been, unpacking was rather dull, and she tried to arrange everything to stay clear of her griffin form, stowing a few random photos, scarves, metal ball, purse and nicknacks into the nest of blankets she had constructed. After a couple of hours, a growing heat warned of the end of her veil, with enough time to close the shutter and undress before the burning heat engulfed her nerves. The change was much as the first had been, there was no instant release, but again the static hot pain masked the more visceral sensations, and she found herself winged and familiar once more. She couldn¡¯t sort much more with talons, so she settled for shoving everything against walls before napping in the garden, wings spread as wide as they could go. They left her alone for most of the evening. Karen supposed she was no good for conversation, and when Pa did show up with someone bossy asking questions, she feigned sleep to avoid dealing with it. When dinner came, it was another ridiculous variety intended to ascertain her new preferences on a scale of one to four talons. To his credit, Pa sat with her throughout, as if it was normal to see his daughter as a several hundred pound monster tearing a raw chicken apart with feral relish, and was only amused when she outright rejected eggs and tuna. It didn¡¯t feel dignified, but it did end with her feeling full, and she stretched and napped outside more while her family got a more conventional meal. * * * * * Then there was another one, someone else with Pa as he warned, ¡°Just here- heads up, she¡¯s still a bit antsy, prefers people to stay a few metres back.¡± ¡°Is she really tha-¡± The sweet voice of Maddie dropped, ¡°Oh.¡± Maddie! Karen jolted upright with a surge of excitement, spinning round to see her friend, platinum blonde hair tied into a braid, sapphire eyes wide. She flared wings to embrace her, but Maddie yelped and stumbled back, terror in her eyes. ¡°Steady kiddo, self control, ¡®member?¡± Pa cautioned, shielding the girl. ¡°Nice and slow. She likes headbutting people like this, Madonna, just hold your hand up.¡± Karen dunted him as proof, then slowly stepped close and butted her friend''s palm, then crawled under it, letting it trace over her back and tail as she circled demurely. Maddie trembled, nervous still but a smile cracked on her lips, a disbelieving giggle, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s super fluffy¡­ are you seriously Karen? This is caraaazy, you know that?¡± Karen nodded and scoffed, before backing a step to show her magnificent wings- she was so much more than fluffy! ¡°Daaaaaaamn that¡¯s huge- can you talk?¡± She shook her head, tapping the knuckles of one talon to her beak. It would be irritating to Veil again, but¡­ it was Maddie. So she nodded, loped inside, hurriedly drawing her wings close. Ollie was still messing with her garage, going through a box of old photos, so she grabbed him and stamped pointedly at her new Veil flasks. ¡°Urgh, fine, maybe it¡¯s easier when you can talk.¡± He pulled his hood out her beak and knelt, ¡°So what? Do I just pour it on you?¡± She snorted and opened her beak, thankfully enough of a hint for him to pour the spicy lime potion in. It was no less bitter the second time, it made Karen cough as she shoved him out and slammed the door. She had barely a moment before the burning heat filled her veins again, drowning out the crunching of bones and tearing of muscles. It was already strangely familiar and yet alien, the static heat was exactly as it had been, the magic was consistent. Karen dimly felt her middle fingers grow in, her wings and legs retract and fold into her shrinking body, and tail elongate. That was weird, it stretched as it lost fur, growing ribs and vertebrae, and a tougher skin than even her hide. Others bits were familiar though. The softening of her beak to nose and lips, and sprouting of sharp teeth, the sudden fade as her eyes lost cones and colours faded and blurred together, and tickle of hair on her shoulders. She was already sighing before the burning pain faded, mind piecing the fragments together, and lay on the floor for a long moment as if she would change further. It didn¡¯t come and she cursed, ¡°SHIT! AGAIN!? REALLY!?¡± ¡°You alright?¡± Maddie chapped the door, ¡°Karen?¡± ¡°Bloody ridiculous magic.¡± Karen tugged on a jumper, ¡°Yeah, you can come in- just don¡¯t laugh.¡± Maddie peered in and broke into giggles. ¡°Screw you!¡± ¡°Ooooooh my god. Karen!¡± She managed to gasp, heavy with sarcasm ¡°You were a snake person this whole time? And you never told me? Your best friend?!¡± Karen glowered at her upside down, arms crossed, long mermaid tail lashing across the garage floor. ¡°Can you stop mocking and help before I suffocate? Why are all mystics such trolls?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t suffocate, we¡¯re amphibious,¡± Maddie giggled and pulled on her armpits, righting her, ¡°At least you look like your old self- that¡¯s good right?¡± ¡°I¡¯d find a way to drown, knowing my lu- What?¡± She wriggled and turned, finding the mirror and reptilian yellow eyes staring back. Yet her features were familiar- sharp nose, angled face, almost eyes and shoulder length hazel hair over tan skin. Admittedly she had fins and webbed hands, but it was her old face, her old smile, ¡°Yes! FINALLY! Third time lucky.¡± ¡°Third- you¡¯ve had three veils?¡± ¡°Today,¡± She admitted, ¡°Is that bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s soooore. Thankyou for talking though. The¡­ griffin you is kinda scary,¡± Maddie knelt down, ¡°Was it you that hurt Logan?¡± ¡°Pa didn¡¯t go over it? Yeah, it was an accident. I panicked, poked him, and...¡± ¡°Punctured his lung.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She winced, ¡°Have you seen him?¡± ¡°He got out of hospital yesterday. He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s Logan, he¡¯s annoyed he can¡¯t Veil much, wounds are-¡± ¡°Consistent, yeah, I got shot.¡± Karen tugged her collar enough to show some scabs and scars across the shoulder. ¡°What? By Matt?¡± ¡°Basically.¡± wasn¡¯t sufficient to satisfy Maddie¡¯s curiosity so she hurriedly summarised her weekend, ¡°Then Pa got me yesterday, and Diana gave me different Veils today, and you came.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Maddie gasped, reached over and hugged her, keeping voice low, ¡°Welcome aboard I guess? To magic and stuff. When are you going to see Logan?¡± ¡°Uh, preferably never? I nearly killed him!¡± ¡°Yeeeah.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s going to hate me.¡± ¡°Noooooo.¡± Maddie raised a finger, ¡°He¡¯s a mage through and through. He thinks he¡¯s in the wrong. Thinks he insulted a wild griffin. It¡¯d be nicer to know it was an accident.¡± ¡°Urgh, I¡¯ll think about it. Can we do something not magic-y? I¡¯ve had nothing but magic magic magic all weekend,¡± Karen groaned, stomach riling at the thought of such a conversation. ¡°Yeah, Veil¡¯s kinda exhausting. Did you ever watch my ¡®Princess Bride¡¯?¡± Maddie stood, ¡°Really? Inconceivable, what were you doing all last week?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the lounge, can you give me a hand?¡± She wrapped her arms around her neck, and half-dragged, half-slinkied herself along behind Maddie. It was easiest to think of her long scaly tail as a single leg, rather than a Proper Tail intended for balance and grace. It was certainly enough to make her brother and father stare when she was dragged in, eyes almost popping out. ¡°Oh. Hello daughter. Found one that worked?¡± Pa recovered quicker, a smile breaching his moustache. ¡°Yup, halfway at least,¡± She flopped onto the sofa, ¡°But you guys have got to learn to read labels.¡± ¡°Or maybe you should read them, birdbrain.¡± Ollie argued, ¡°You pointed at it.¡± ¡°I pointed at the whole row.¡± ¡°He has a point, Karen. It is your veil, you should read them too.¡± Pa ordered, ¡°Thanks for helpin¡¯ her, Madonna. Thought you knew how ta snake though, kiddo?¡± ¡°I know how to swim. These don¡¯t have any instruction manuals. Hmm, maybe I¡¯m like this cos I was a mermaid once before?¡± She wiggled her tail, then managed to roughly coil it close, ¡°Can we watch a film in here? Please?¡± ¡°Fine by me, I¡¯m turning in early.¡± Oliver took a little more convincing, but once Maddie promised the film was all about true love and princesses, he decided there was more interesting games to play elsewhere. They got a little lemonade, and Maddie lowered the TV brightness, ¡°There- the night vision can be a pain sometimes.¡± ¡°Thanks, but won¡¯t you struggle to see?¡± Karen considered, and dropped her voice, ¡°Oh, we could say you tried my Veil if you want to¡­¡± ¡°Stretch? Hmm. Nah, your Dad would tell my Daddy and I¡¯d get grounded. Anyway, I know this off by heart.¡± Maddie bounced on the couch beside her, ¡°Just tell me if this is too close.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not everyone, you¡¯re fine. Just¡­ everyone else in general. Instincts are weird.¡± She wriggled, curling her tail around herself, surprisingly comfy. ¡°But I¡¯ll get to fly and Diana¡¯s going to teach me colours. Silver lining.¡± ¡°Silver lining. Maybe I¡¯ll try griffin-hood sometime, since you¡¯ve tried my perspective,¡± Maddie mused, ¡°Anyway, better finish this before you change back, you¡¯ll like it- it¡¯s not all romance, that was just to scare him off.¡± It started off very romantic for that disclaimer, though a kidnapping and pirates swiftly salvaged a real story from that. Maddie practically whispered along to it, and glanced eagerly over a few seconds before the most dramatic moments, so Karen elected to gasp at random mundaneness instead. It turned to a real gasp when she glanced over her shoulder, and spotted a figure in the kitchen doorway. Her mother hovered there, sharp featured and short, brow furrowed, ¡°Hi Mom?¡± ¡°Oh. Hello.¡± Sylvia froze like a deer in headlights, dark eyes wide, expression controlled and neutral, ¡°Would you two like a refill?¡± ¡°Uh sure, anything, thanks Sylvia!¡± Maddie murmured, riveted to the screen. ¡°I¡¯m meant to stick to water, and ham or something...¡± Karen mumbled, hesitating before, ¡°I can¡¯t really do greens.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Her mother pursed her lips, and disappeared. Ought she follow? Karen squirmed, she didn¡¯t understand slithering, would that look worse? No, she¡¯d try to be like Pa. Look strong. Confident. She came back a moment later, setting a mug and a glass and a bowl of little cocktail sausages before them with a quiet, ¡°Enjoy, girls.¡± ¡°Thanks Mom.¡± Karen murmured, holding her tail tight to resist springing on the woman, ¡°Love you.¡± Then she was gone, talking with Pa somewhere else, and the movie kept playing. Dead came back, sword fights were had with glorious blood and violence and a powerful opponent fell to a downright stupid bluff. Karen watched it all eagerly, it was far from the fantasy she¡¯d expected- even the fantasy that filled her life now- but it was fun nonetheless, and she giggled as it came to an end. ¡°Well, I understand a third more of your references now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a classic, my sister Bonnie showed me it when I was tiny, glad you fiiiinally saw it!¡± Maddie shrugged, stood and stretched, ¡°Reckon you¡¯ll make school tomorrow?¡± ¡°I got shot, I can be off for longer- are there lessons or is it still purgatory?¡± ¡°Teaching, and some mystic kids showed up.¡± She cocked her head, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the only one¡­ thoooooough I guess you get to choose, huh?¡± Karen stretched her arms behind her, and lashed the long serpentine tail out, clicking vertebrae and rattling frills, ¡°Guess so. Stupid hoofed herbivore, super long tail I dunno how to use, or human girl noone recognizes.¡± ¡°Or giant bird lioness.¡± ¡°Truly I am spoiled for choice!¡± She laughed bitterly, ¡°Boring answer, I can climb stairs as a human, so that¡¯s that.¡± ¡°As good a deciding factor as any.¡± ¡°I guess. None of them are real good¡­.¡± She bit her lip contemplatively, ¡°No matter what, gonna get questions- what do I even tell people? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, what¡¯s happening with me. I don¡¯t even know how mystics managed to tell people, expose themselves, it¡¯s terrifying!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know- I¡¯m the worst person to ask about this!¡± Maddie sat down heavily, eyes distant, ¡°I mean- at least you¡¯re brand new. With you, it¡¯s news, but¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ve been lying to people for years.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­ your Dad¡¯s on it right?¡± She frowned, ¡°He¡¯ll sort things out for you.¡± ¡°Oh yeeeeeah, sure. On the macro scale. Politics, and towns and camps, groups, sure.¡± Maddie huffed, ¡°Like¡­ I¡¯m with it. He¡¯s doing good. Helping people. But¡­ the small scale stuff, my relationships? That¡¯s on me. ¡° Her eyes glistened wet, Maddie scrunched her hands up on her thighs, ¡°Karen, you¡¯re the only friend I¡¯ve ever told. Since I was born! It¡¯s just been lies, lies lies, not even connecting with other mystics- and then we get this golden opportunity, Emergence, chance to come clean, and¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re scared you¡¯ll miss it?¡± She took her hand, quiet and gentle. ¡°Yeeees, exactly- I can¡¯t come clean, I¡¯m freakin¡¯ sitting it out, my one chance. If I told them now, people¡¯d be mad, but if I delay? If I keep quiet l-longer?¡± Maddie sobbed, ¡°Everyone¡¯s going to h-hate me, I know it!¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t. And Logan won¡¯t. You¡¯ve got people that know everything- well, he¡¯s a weirdo, but as a completely normal friend, I¡¯ll stick with you!¡± Karen forced a grin. The girl¡¯s eyes shimmered, blood shot and puffy and she swallowed, opened her mouth and hesitated. Words failed. She gasped, then threw herself into a hug, burying her face in Karen¡¯s shoulder, sobbing, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± Karen startled at the turn, but returned the embrace, tightly winding her tail around her friend and stroking her hair, ¡°Hey. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay Maddie. You won¡¯t be hated- what have you hid? A snake tail? You¡¯re awesome Maddie, unless you¡¯ve been bribing people for friends and grades this whole time?¡± ¡°N- no, no?¡± She sniffed amidst tears. ¡°Then you¡¯re magnificent! And it¡¯s fine to talk- honestly it¡¯s nice not to be the main problem for a change!¡± that drew out a tearful giggle, ¡°You¡¯re super smart, and for someone without legs you¡¯re a massive goody two shoes! Apart from breaking my horse.¡± ¡°I w-was six. Are you ever going to let that go?¡± She rubbed her eyes and struggled to pull back against the coils. ¡°Hmmm, no.¡± Karen loosened a little, ¡°And you¡¯re right. As usual. I don¡¯t really have any stakes, the longer I delay people knowing about the gryphon, the worse it¡¯ll be. And if some dumb bipeds find this too confusing, well then it¡¯s not worth paying them any attention.¡± ¡°Bipeds?¡± ¡°Two legs. People, the bird brain likes counting legs.¡± She shrugged and gestured to her tail, ¡°This is really confusing.¡± ¡°Ah. Monopod is one leg. Apod is no legs.¡± Maddie wiped her eyes and extracted herself. ¡°Now you¡¯re just proving my point, genius. If you ever want to try a night swim again, I¡¯m a much better apod in water than on land.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see if I convince Daddy. That¡¯d be cool. Can you swim as¡­ you?¡± ¡°Uuuuh, no idea. I can fly¡­. I¡¯ll have to figure out swimming.¡± She cautiously pushed her tail onto the floor, and struggled into a standing position, arms flailing for balance until Maddie grabbed her, ¡°There¡¯s a lot to figure out.¡± But it felt less daunting for that. Emergence 10. Torn Down The posters were well made. Coloured, laminated against the weather, and stapled tight to posts and boards. The MISSING text was clear, with her name and number, picture accurate albeit a little fancier than her usual hairstyle, from a wedding maybe. Tearing them down was very satisfying. And frankly unexpected. Her Pa had warned her that the Director of the Ranelk Anomalous Settlement Area expected her assistance for the day. But he was going to work on insulating the garage she slept in, so she went with Exi, the big handsome grey woman with six arms and five hands to take down the missing posters plastered all over Ranelk. Karen focussed on finding the interior ones; she knew the shops and bulletin boards better than the newcomer, including this final one, Conelly¡¯s Hardware. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at school?¡± The old man was behind the counter, bald head sweaty under bright lights, hands deep in the copper intestines of some device. ¡°No, not yet,¡± Karen strode to the poster board, ¡°Mind if I take this down? She was found, got home on Sunday, don¡¯t want people to think Karen¡¯s still missing.¡± Sceptical narrow eyes looked up at that, taking in her short caramel hair, pale freckly skin, blue eyes, nothing like the tan teenager in the picture. ¡°That so? Good to hear. Why¡¯s that grey one involved?¡± ¡°She seems to like lending a hand,¡± Karen shrugged and ripped down the poster. It was satisfying. ¡°Very funny. Be careful near it.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, wouldn¡¯t want cursed or anything,¡± She rolled her eyes on the way out. Exi was impressively muscular- but hardly dangerous. Especially while wearing a six armed woolly sweater and collecting removed staples in a little jar. Her hard features softened as she spotted the teenager. ¡°That¡¯s the last street- did you get everywhere?¡± Exi boomed. ¡°Yup, Mrs Gallacher said she¡¯d send Karen a fruit basket,¡± Karen wrinkled her nose. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her you¡¯re carnivorous now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s like eighty! If I tried to explain¡­ this,¡± She waved a hand over herself wearily, ¡°To every biped in town we¡¯d be here till next week. So, yeah, that¡¯s everywhere I can think of- can I go fly now?¡± ¡°Truth always prevails, kid, better tell them sooner than later.¡± Exi unlocked her pickup truck, stowed her staples, and checked her watch. ¡°Two thirty so¡­ ninety minutes left of Veil? Then I¡¯ve got two more errands. Want to ride inside or on top?¡± ¡°Fine, up top,¡± Karen tutted, hurdled onto the bed, and held tight, held tight as Exi rumbled down the wide low streets of Ranelk. It was bumpy and boxes slid around, but wind in her hair was far better than sitting in such a tight space. And soon she could spread her wings. That was the deal. They drove south out of town, winding between scraggly woodland, and golden fields until they reached one farmyard in particular. A big blue barn with a long lean to and a humble timber house preceded a storm of barks as a collie dog took to bounding and yipping around them rabidly. ¡°Shush, get lost, mutt!¡± Karen snarled, slinking higher up the truck in case it leapt. Her driver on the other hand, got out without fuss, and knelt the pet the stupid loud quadruped with big beefy hands. ¡°Aw, hey there- hey again. I know, you ain¡¯t a fan of her, sorry.¡± ¡°Will this take long?¡± ¡°Depends on you, kid.¡± The director stood, raising a hand to holler, ¡°Yo, Mr Willingham?! You home?!¡± ¡°Sasha, back, here now!¡± A sharp voice thankfully drew the canine away to a short old man who tottered in thick welly boots. ¡°Ah. Director. What d¡¯you want?¡± ¡°Keeping my word, Mr Willingham. Here she is!¡± She offered a hand, and Karen quizzically hopped off the vehicle. ¡°Karen¡¯s here for a proper apology about friday night.¡± Friday? Vague memories clicked like lightning, and the girl hissed, ¡°What?! HE SHOT ME? He¡¯s tiny!!¡± ¡°Ah. Yer the beastie, eh?¡± The old farmer mused, ¡°Ain¡¯t so big yourself. Well- go ahead, ain¡¯t got all day.¡± Karen fumed. Exi¡¯s emerald eyes watched her expectantly. The dog was tense, hackles raised. And the man was¡­ ¡°N- no, he shot me! Me say sorry?! Look at my damn shoulder! Where¡¯s his remorse!¡± ¡°You slaughtered four of my flock. I was defendin¡¯ myself.¡± ¡°Four sheep-they¡¯re food anyway!¡± She snapped, ¡°And I didn¡¯t mean to- I was out of it. Not right mind. Probably would¡¯ve settled for two if someone hadn¡¯t SHOT ME!¡± ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe would¡¯ve gone for Sasha or me next.¡± ¡°No.¡± She glowered, ¡°You¡¯d be dead if I had.¡± ¡°An¡¯ you¡¯d be-¡± ¡°Enough, enough!¡± Exi boomed, hands spread like stop signs, ¡°Karen. Calm down. We¡¯re not here to bicker. We are here to reconcile.¡± ¡°He could¡¯ve killed me.¡± She hissed, glowering at the man with a shiver running down her spine. It was insane. How could someone so innocuous hunt her? Hurt her? He was short, grey, wizened, even her human self could face him. She was grand, strong, fast, and he was boring and old and broken, but technology made even that a threat. ¡°Karen.¡± ¡°Fiii-iiiine,¡± She forced, turning back to the car, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for eating your poor bullets and hurting your dumb sheep.¡± The car clicked locked. Exi sighed, ¡°That wasn¡¯t sincere.¡± ¡°Well I can¡¯t fake an apology, can I?!¡± Karen sneered, ¡°The only thing I¡¯m sorry about is I didn¡¯t get to finish my damn prey. If anything I¡¯d rather thank him for the meal and not murdering me!¡± ¡°Yer¡¯ welcome, I¡¯m too old for prison,¡± Willingham cracked a crooked smile. ¡°Huh. Doubted you for a second, director, thought that kid might be anybody. But she¡¯s the beastie alright. That ain¡¯t a human brain.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want fed bullshit with some fake apology,¡± He snorted, ¡°You ain¡¯t regret it? Fine. The bigwigs shoving you critters up here out of the way? Fine. Question is, can you promise not to poach again? Now you know what happens.¡± ¡°Sure. Didn¡¯t mean to in the first place.¡± She replied cautiously, ¡°Did¡­ you keep the mutton?¡± The farmer laughed, wheezing and hooting. ¡°Five days old meat? Nah, wouldn¡¯t taste good, not even to a beastie. Now shoo, get, I got work to do and don¡¯t want ya eatin¡¯ old Sasha here.¡± He stomped off, and Karen was so determined to slam a door that she found herself in the passenger seat as they drove off. The tight space was crammed with paperwork and trinkets, and Exi¡¯s tough form herself as she deftly flicked five hands across the wheel. ¡°Well. Better than nothing I guess.¡± The director sighed, ¡°One down, one to go.¡± ¡°What nex- oh no. No.¡± Karen grimaced, ¡°Nooooo, Exi, you can¡¯t make me apologize to Logan!¡± ¡°Teenagers.¡± She grumbled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you two pals?¡± ¡°Not since I stabbed him!¡± She whined, ¡°I can¡¯t- what if¡­ like, okay, how¡¯d you feel if whatever human took your hand rocked up out of nowhere to say sorry?¡± ¡°Confused. Didn¡¯t lose this to a human.¡± ¡°What then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s personal,¡± Exi snorted, ¡°Look. You tell me why this is so hard, and I¡¯ll give you storytime, kid.¡± ¡°Why? I thought you needed an assistant, but we¡¯ve spent all day on my mess!¡± ¡°You mess is my business, kid. I¡¯ve gotta help mystic folks settle in here, and within a week, we¡¯ve got a girl vanish, a boy injured, and a mystic attack livestock,¡± She clapped her brow, two hands wide, ¡°And all three were you! In one night!¡± ¡°All accidentally!¡± Karen wriggled, winding her window down, ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m this now.¡± ¡°True. Fair. But either way, it¡¯s a mess, I need to smooth over. We can¡¯t let bad blood linger between humans and mystics. Things are tense, and there¡¯s a big difference between thinking a griffin¡¯s attacking people, and thinking a griffin might panic or have an accident. You see?¡± ¡°That makes me sound like an animal.¡± ¡°Maybe don¡¯t act like an animal then. Animals don¡¯t apologise. People do.¡± Exi glanced at her sidelong, green eyes concerned. ¡°Apologising isn¡¯t weakness. You were¡­ a good sign, kid. You and Caleb, showing up to help folk move in? That meant a lot, it was a proper welcome, not some PR bullshit. Can you be that person again?¡± The wing mirror reflected Karen¡¯s unfamiliar blue eyes. ¡°Well. Anyway. My hand was no accident,¡± The director rumbled into the silence afterwards. ¡°Four months ago, I was with the Revealers- working to show magic to everyone. Not that hard when you¡¯re a gegenees like me, but opposition was tough. See, not all mystics liked the idea of living openly- some were involved in crime, espionage, holding a monopoly over magic, real nasty sorts. And they hired some muscle to hunt us down- a Wendigo.¡± She frowned, ¡°What¡¯s that? Can it fly?¡± ¡°N- you don¡¯t know? Kid. Right. Imagine a yeti, then make it twice as big, give it horns, and make it a serial killer. You think you¡¯re tough but you¡¯d look like a pigeon beside this thing. The more people they¡¯ve eaten, the stronger they are.¡± Exi swallowed, her eyes on the road but distant. ¡°It didn¡¯t use the door. Came in veiled. Made a whole thing of unveiling itself to show that¡­ that it was with us. Novel, but¡­ encouraging, and then when it was shown, it was like the room held its breath. The humans, the newbies, they were just surprised. Others were doing the maths. I was¡­ stupid. Hoped wendigos just had a bad rap, hoped it was as much a person as any of us.¡± Her knuckles tightened on the wheel, grey skin bleaching pale. ¡°It tore a gorgon apart first. Trickiest threat. Then two people. Gone. Bit in half. It was just chaos. I was this hand grabbing one of my friends- Lindsey- and I thought I could do something. Pull her free. It took my hand, I stabbed its eyes.¡± ¡°So you blinded and killed it?¡± ¡°Heh. I wish I was that badass!¡± Exi grimaced, ¡°Nah. Noah got it. Huge lion mystic, he¡¯d got hired by the same cronies but¡­ betrayed them, thank god. Well, he scarred it up good, but the maniac got away- walked through a wall like it was tissue paper. Must have veiled, haven¡¯t heard of it since.¡± ¡°And the lion- Noah? Is he at OAR?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the guy. Realised truth prevails, realised he could live openly, or maybe he had a vendetta. Don¡¯t know him that well.¡± She frowned, ¡°There¡¯s lots of monsters out there, lots of human ones too, but I doubt you¡¯re one.¡± ¡°Thanks? Sorry about your hand.¡± ¡°That sounded genuine- now we¡¯re talking!¡± Exi barked cheerfully as they wound up the familiar road to the big triangular lodge, chimney trailing smoke. ¡°Just do that again, you ready?¡± ¡°As long as no dragons jump me.¡± Karen scanned the treeline cautiously, eyes lingering on the lodge''s porch. It looked positively mundane, she¡¯d expected some crimson blight upon the earth, but nature didn¡¯t remember where blood was spilled. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll keep you safe. You¡¯ll feel better afterwards.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll feel better when I¡¯m flying,¡± Karen pulled her rucksack from the back, and marched up to give the door two raps with her blunt knuckles. Logan was well enough to open the door, albeit barely. The tall boy looked skinnier, features narrow and hungry, dark eyes hooded as he looked over her, and lingered suspiciously on Exi in the background. His hand held tight to the frame for support, breathing thin as he croaked, ¡°Uh, can I help you?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Karen stood tense, her mouth dry, ¡°Sorry for Friday. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡± His eyes widened on her, as if seeing through the Veil and he stepped back, but his voice barely changed, ¡°Oh. You¡¯re the griffoness?¡± ¡°Griffin. It was an accident, I was scared, I-¡± ¡°Sorry. For scaring you.¡± He whispered, staring at the floor, ¡°Or whatever I did. It¡¯s pretty blurry, my memory¡¯s not so good.¡± ¡°No, no, you did well, I just forgot I had claws, didn¡¯t mean anything...¡± She shook her head, ¡°Could¡¯ve done without the fear spell though.¡± ¡°Ah. Well, thanks, I guess I¡¯ll see you around, miss.¡± He stepped back and closed the door. Karen breathed. That was enough, right? She turned back, noting Exi, the woman seemed happy. She was done. He hadn¡¯t recognized her. Of course not. Why would he? Her situation was ridiculous, she looked nothing like his friend. No drama. No betrayal. She was scot-free! Except Maddie¡¯s tearful face lingered in her head. That would just delay it. Make it cut deeper. Her knuckles hammered the door. ¡°Logan- wait, wait! It¡¯s Karen!¡± A muffled grunt, then the door opened, he peered out intensely. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­. I¡¯m Karen. From the hawk.¡± She balled her fists, ¡°I turned into a griffin that night, and¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I panicked, but¡­ I¡¯m still¡­ it¡¯s still me.¡± Logan sank to his knees, fast enough she checked her hands case she¡¯d stabbed him again. Then suddenly Matt¡¯s basket-baller tall frame filled the doorway covered by a long apron and big gloves, ¡°Logan!? What¡¯s wrong- Miss Thomson, did you do this!?¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°No- no, I¡¯m just surprised.¡± The boy murmured, spidery hand rubbing his brow as he blinked rapidly, ¡°She says she¡¯s Karen. And the griffoness.¡± ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Matt stood before him protectively, ¡°Are you adjusting well, Miss Thomson?¡± ¡°Uh, a bit. I¡¯m going to try and fly now.¡± She glanced at her stretchy watch, ¡°Well, in twelve minutes.¡± ¡°Uncle Matt.¡± Logan frowned, ¡°You already knew. How? Why didn¡¯t you tell me!?¡± The lean man narrowed his eyes, taking in Exi in the driveway. ¡°Deduction. Teenage girl vanishes. Teenage griffoness appears. But, you¡¯ve had a tough weekend, no point in stressing you with that while you¡¯re recovering.¡± ¡°I¡­ okay¡­ right¡­ we can get your Veil, Karen, on the cheap and if you hold still I can try to figure out what happened, we can fix this,¡± Logan¡¯s voice was weak, dry, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Shut up, I came here to apologise, not the other way round!¡± She snapped, ¡°You get inside and heal up. Diana¡¯s dealing with me, it¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault- this has got to be related to my Veils! I don¡¯t know how, but-¡± ¡°Then give her the recipes! Logan, if you¡¯re right, then why would I want to deal with your magic more!?¡± Karen threw her arms wide, ¡°Haven¡¯t you messed up enough already?¡± ¡°Magic is a rather competitive business, Miss Thomson. We don¡¯t share recipes, especially not with that demon binder.¡± Matt warned, voice low, ¡°I¡¯d recommend switching to us- I know your history better.¡± ¡°Mmm, no thanks! Her veil¡¯s less painful than torture. If you want to help, help her.¡± Karen spun on her heel, stomping down the porch, ¡°Good luck recovering, I¡¯m off to fly!¡± She left them in the dust and found the clearing easy enough. Mom would be furious if she kept shredding clothes, so Karen disrobed under a blanket, and counted the seconds. Five, four, three, two, one. Negative one. Negative two. Negative ten. How good was this watch? Then the heat began. Fire flooded her nerves, burning static to cover the physical pain as her body reshaped itself. Bones shoved outwards, strong and light, her muscles swelled with feral power, and her skin pulled tight and tough. The growth of feathers and fur was a relief, her pelt kept the cold out as talons and claws scratched the ground, her beak thrust into a sharp point, and her wings and tail unfolded like a pop up book. She managed to remain upright throughout, lashed her tail for balance as the changes slowed, and threw the blanket off with a great flap of her wings, eager for the sky! ¡°Oh, very dramatic.¡± Exi boomed. She had caught up during the change and lifted two hands placatingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry- work¡¯s finished. Just giving you pay.¡± Oh yeah, she was getting paid for cleaning up her mess. That was good, money meant food. Karen bobbed and stretched as the woman packed her blanket, clothes and an envelope into the backpack and hung it on a tree. ¡°There, grab it on your way home. And remember, no poaching.¡± Karen rolled her eyes. How troublesome did Exi think she was? Still, it was good to have an audience, so she bobbed along, and positioned herself at the far end of the clearing, tail to tree. Then her hindquarters surged and she lashed off in a great bound, caught herself, leapt again and spread her wings, adding their power to the battle. Most life lived under gravity¡¯s rule. They jumped and climbed perhaps, but only for seconds, too weak to battle its tyranny. Yet with every beat of her wings, Karen felt herself best her weight, rise higher, cycle the muscles and repeat the motion quick enough before she fell to rise again! She careened over the pines across the clearing, tucked her legs close as feathers felt the air around her, tail steadied her course like a rudder, and she flew. A cloud of little birds- fifty three, her brain counted- scattered in her terrifying wake, and Karen released a proud scream before swinging to bank back, eyes roaming over the forest. Exi cheered and lifted five thumbs as she passed, and she rose higher above Logan¡¯s house, hoping the young flightless dragons could see her. And envy her. Part of her brain kept searching for prey, flying was hungry work, but she reminded herself this was practice and she¡¯d eat till satisfied afterwards. For now she just wanted higher, powering ever upwards! Her left wing shoulder ached with each strained beat, and even riding what thermals she could find was no rest. But with every minute, the world below shrank, the air grew thinner and colder, though her lungs and coat protected her easily. Karen levelled out above the mountains, taking in the vast valley of Ranelk, the lake glistening like a mirror, the slopes of trees as fine as grass, and the vast curving horizon like a poorly made plate. Then with an eager shriek, she swooped back down, riding and twisting through the air like a rollercoaster. Her tail guided her and she span, banked around heavily and powered upwards again, trying to lean back, to flip and tumble. She kept pulling out of such motions instinctively- the griffin in her disliked anything to her blind spot, let alone the world- but Karen grinned at the challenge. Like on the ground, every manoeuvrer took practice and effort. She would earn her grace, starting with a flip. Her eyes tracked motion midway through her seventeenth attempt, and Karen levelled off to behold a rival. The avian was small as an eagle, bright crimson and gold with long tail feathers and a slender neck, familiar warm eyes meeting hers- so this phoenix was Diana¡¯s true form! She shot up like a rocket and suddenly vanished, lingering in the griffins blind spot above her for too many seconds before darting away whistling. Karen screeched back and chased her- was the phoenix really trying to show off to someone on their third flight? Still, she¡¯d give the witch a taste of her own medicine, swoop down on her, if the little creature would hold still! The griffin winged in great powerful swoops, wings large as a glider, but every time she got close, Diana burst upwards on a fiery thermal, toying with her and trilling cheerfully. The chase lasted minutes as Karen tried to flip and bank quickly after her, rising and falling, weaving sharper turns until with a great pantomimed motion Diana shut her wings and plummeted from the heavens. Karen dove after her, screaming as she pulled her own wings close, and found the world rushing up to greet them, the lakes waters as forgiving as concrete at this speed. But Diana wasn¡¯t pulling up, so why should she? The little bird was more aerodynamic perhaps, even the griffins greater weight didn¡¯t shrink the distance between them, her eyes picked out the gold of Diana¡¯s reflections eyes, the patterns of her own wings, the individual hairs of her pelt rapidly approachi- Diana opened her wings and shot out horizontal. Karen opened her wings and screamed as if hit by a truck. The sudden change in momentum battered them upwards, sent her careening forwards, but her left wing shoulder was worse, gave too much and sent her off balance. She plunged into the lake like a skipping stone, raising white foam as suddenly everything was wet, cold and horrid. Every limb flailed, how did she swim!? Her forelegs, her wings were almost useless, and only frantic kicking of her paws allowed her beak to breach the surface, panting rapidly for sweet fresh air. The ridiculous phoenix circled overhead, perfectly dry, and whistled as she angled for the nearest stretch of shore. Karen snorted and flailed her wings, but there was no taking off from water, so she kicked her hind legs in an undignified doggy-paddle that was nearly as tiring as flying. At least her wings had a rest, she spread them and felt nothing more than a dull ache from the shock- no new cuts or bruises at least. They were a horrible wet mess when she dragged herself ashore though, bedraggled pelt freezing, and glared as the phoenix dove towards her. And exploded. A cloud of golden flames suddenly engulfed the avian, the form shifted, and Diana¡¯s biped form landed on the beach, irritably unharmed and somehow dressed in a flowing orange summer dress and her ruby choker. Her eyes were still avian, a grin on her cheeks as she cheered, ¡°Wooo-hooooo! That was almost perfect, spectacular!¡± Karen snorted and ruffled her wings, turning away. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be upset, that was¡­ flight three, right? You were magnificent, and you can definitely swim best of us- we don¡¯t like water.¡± The griffin stood and flailed her wings at her, showering water droplets that hissed and evaporated before hitting the phoenix-witch. ¡°Fair, sorry for pulling a dive on you while you¡¯re recovering. Your size and weight means you need to curve out of a dive gradually, not in a split second, okay? How about I teach you the colours while you dry off, hmm Karen?¡± It was a tempting offer, but she nodded aloofly and sat down, curving wings up over the witch who seemed to radiate warmth like a small sun. Diana giggled and stroked her neck with hot gentle fingers, ¡°Fantastic, so let¡¯s see- this iridescence on your neck? Yes, that¡¯s Teavalin. Then on the wings, it shows up mainly in blue and grey, like on the lake, this is Mauzine...¡± It was almost enough to doze off, it not for hearing about Auguar and Sertaline in her wing feathers, the Wilvin in their eyes, and on her stomach traces of- ¡°Red Two.¡± Diana tickled her there, and scoffed at the confused screech, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m serious, Sera named that one and it¡¯s like a better red. Or blue. You get chatty when you¡¯re happy, don¡¯t you? What do you think is the lowest noise you can make?¡± Karen chirped, trilled, then moved the vibrations further down her throat as she exhaled. The deeper noises were growls, then right near her lungs she could produce a deep low rumble. ¡°She can purr, that¡¯s adorable!¡± Diana giggled, ¡°And very useful, you can probably handle some language. Anyway, ready to try again?¡± She was dry, but one issue lingered, so she headbutted Diana over to some sand and set to scoring lines in it with one talon. ¡°Oh she¡¯s writing. Yes, that¡¯s a good solution too.¡± ¡®DO DIANA BIND DEMON¡¯ she inscribed nervously. The witch frowned then scoffed, ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t bind demons, oh my goodness is that what people say about me? No, no, I¡¯ve got one friend who¡¯s a spirit who helps me out. Happy?¡± That made sense, rumours tended to get out of hand. She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s like the dragons the Tohakens bleed, but she actually gives me a choice.¡± Diana added, ¡°Now, do you think you can show me a successful landing? You know how? Great, I¡¯ll see that, then we¡¯ve got to get back to work, okay?¡± The griffin nodded and bounded back along the beach, spread her wings and shot upwards on the seventh leap. A flash of light preceded the reappearance of the phoenix, and she powered upwards, zig zagging and turning to keep the fancy avian in sight, a ruby still sparkling on her breast. It took a bit of searching to spot Logan¡¯s house through the trees, but when she did, she found the clearing a little farther beyond, and circled it. In retrospect, Karen supposed she had never had a completely successful landing. But Diana was watching, so she moved cautiously- angled herself with the longest edge of the clearing and swooped gently down, tail smashing needles from pines. Halfway down she dipped again, mere metres from the ground, and flurried her wings into quick, short weak flaps to slow her descent, swung her talons forward, and dove into the ground. Talons were not the right answer. They stabbed into the earth and she flipped forward to face-plant the grass, before quickly bouncing upright. It was too late, the phoenix landed perfectly on a rock, and bobbed pointedly at her hindlegs. Which was completely unnecessary advice so Karen turned tail, stomped over to the tree and plucked her rucksack up in one talon, before taking to the sky once more while Diana circled away. Her heart swelled with pride as she swept high again, angling directly for Ranelk, all its big low buildings and gridded streets. Karen easily recognized the cafes and shops she¡¯d removed posters from, stretching back to dumpsters and carparks hidden from view. The townhall and school loomed as two of the biggest buildings, empty this late in the afternoon, and she searched idly for Ollie as she angled for her own street. Of course, landing presented another issue and she didn¡¯t fancy trying to hit concrete with a backpack in one talon. Her own garden had her big trampoline and garage detritus in it, so she angled for the longest stretch of grass where two front lawns merged. Her eyes picked up some discarded balls and wrappers in it, but no hazards as she swooped down, flurried her wings, and swung her hindlegs forwards to land and stagger to a stop. Perfect! Karen bounced joyfully, turned towards home and took the bags straps in her beak bef- ¡°GET AWAY!¡± A biped roared and charged her, one hand dropping a mess of posters, the other tight around a stapler. Her eyes took a second to recognize Caleb, his short brown hair coloured with Mauzine, furious eyes tinted with Red-Two? She dropped the bag and squawked a warning, scoring a talon in the dirt to write- But he wasn¡¯t stopping. Instead the staple gun slammed into her cheek, squeezed and deposited a surge of pain alongside complete confusion as his shoulder slammed into her throat. Caleb was big, first pick for football, built like a brickhouse. It had been years since she¡¯d matched him in endurance or strength, not since they were little kids playing together. But a griffin was in an entirely different league. A furious hiss escaped as Karen planted her paws and bowled him over in a single bound. Then a hand yanked her tail. ¡°No, give her back!¡± The griffin shrieked, stumbled, and kicked back only for the biped to lunge and side step it, still hanging onto her bloody tail! She staggered backwards, lashing it furiously, then dug her paws in, and pounced away to escape his grip. Except he held on and her tail burned with the brutes weight as he was pulled into the air. Then gravity took over, she landed gracefully and he slammed face first into the sidewalk. His grip loosened, she slipped free and bounded two wingspans away, eying her lovely tail anxiously. Dammit, she needed home, she needed WORDS! Except Caleb was blocking her house, staggering upright with the trampoline behind him and a great scrape across his square jaw. He blinked blearily as he felt the blood, looked at her, and seemed to finally register how outmatched an unarmed biped was. Good. Then he ripped a supporting pole from the trampoline¡¯s frame, and jabbed it out like a spear, ¡°AWAY! You¡¯re not taking anyone else! Not from here, not from anywhere!¡± It punched into her left wing shoulder, and the griffin felt a fresh surge of agony course through her system. That was it. Three chances were enough, right? She reared, frustration pouring out into a single great resonant roar, deep and primal as her prey jabbed forwards again. Her wing met it, a shield of feather and flesh while the other punched for his head. He was quick, ducked the blow but not fast enough to avoid her head slamming into his gut with a satisfying grunt. Then his hand scrabbled, grabbed her feathers and the prey tried to climb her! The griffin ducked, hooked her head and a wing under his legs, before rearing again with a huge flap. The biped was heavy, but even so she threw him over her back, crunching off the ground, and pounced before he could recover. One talon trapped one arm with his stolen weapon, the other pinned his hand to his chest, long black claws tense against the throat. Victory was hers, a single thrust wou- ¡°KAREN!¡± A whipcrack shout came as her sire charged from the house, ¡°OFF!¡± She lunged off immediately, stalking around her Pa¡¯s legs protectively, eyes locked on her prey. ¡°Mr Thomson, get clear!¡± the biped- Caleb- got up again, defensive and nervous. Didn¡¯t he know when he was beaten!? ¡°That¡¯s the monster from friday, it¡¯s a griffin, it-¡± ¡°Karen, get inside, get changed, now.¡± Pa barked, ¡°Caleb, you¡¯re bleedin¡¯- put that away boy, you¡¯re safe. Come in, we gotta clean that up...¡± There were noises in the street, she saw doors opening, heard Caleb gasp ¡°Karen¡±, but there was no arguing. She span and stormed into the house, aching tail held high, and tore her way into the garage. How could HE attack her?! On her own territory? She was too soft. If she¡¯d started with talons she wouldn¡¯t have been hurt at all. But then Pa would be mad. But Pa was mad anyway! She found a flask and tugged it open, lapping up the stuff until the rest of her body hurt with the fiery change, and soon had lips and teeth and hands again. It was her mermaid self thankfully, and she pulled on a sweater before clawing, dragging and slithering into the lounge, shouting, ¡°Pa that was not my fault!¡± ¡°Really?¡± the corners of his jaw were tense, moustache littered with sawdust as he sat, pouring through a big first aid kid on the table. Caleb clutched an eyepack to his chin at the kitchen table, eyes like saucers. ¡°Well then will the pair of you explain what the hell that was?!¡± ¡°K-Karen? Why are you part snake?¡± He blinked and winced as a plaster was slammed onto a cut on his forehead, ¡°I thought you said she was the griffin?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Veil, you meathead. I¡¯m the griffin you just attacked!¡± Karen snarled, baring fangs. ¡°Attacked? It slammed me into the pavement!¡± ¡°Yeah, because you stapled me, and pulled my tail!¡± Karen curled her tail close. Even as a mermaid it hurt. ¡°What did you expect?!¡± ¡°To scare it off? I thought it- y-you¡­ that the griffin had kidnapped you and was back to grab Ollie or someone! It- y-you just appeared out of the sky!¡± Caleb grimaced, brows heavy, ¡°When did this happen? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Friday, and why would I?¡± She sniffed, ¡°I¡¯m not telling everyone.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m just everyone!?¡± He winced, ¡°I was terrified for you! You could¡¯ve been dead, kidnapped or worse, I searched in the forest, made posters, asked aroun-¡± ¡°Oh those things I had to spend all morning tearing down because I¡¯m not missing? Yeah, thanks, genius!¡± She hissed, ¡°Did I ask for any help? No, you did all of that yourself, just like you attacked me, yourself!¡± ¡°Karen, calm down,¡± Pa placed a heavy hand on her head, ¡°He has a point. I should¡¯ve warned the neighbours. Let them know they¡¯d see you around. Was a crazy couple days. You have my apologies Caleb, I¡¯ll explain to your folks, Ollie¡¯s already round there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize Pa!¡± Karen whined, tumbling onto the couch with her tail coiled tight, ¡°If he cared he would¡¯ve checked here each day!¡± ¡°True, and I¡¯m not done, Karen.¡± He stood to his full height, fists balled, ¡°Caleb, this was completely unacceptable. You attacked my daughter, and even if not, you could¡¯ve easily died messin¡¯ with a massive mystic! What were you thinkin¡¯!?¡± ¡°Not much,¡± The teen wiped his eyes, ¡°Panic, trying to get her back, or avenge her, or-¡± ¡°Or murder me.¡± Karen growled. ¡°You¡¯re not off the hook either young lady.¡± Pa warned. ¡°Do you see any claw marks on him!? I was perfectly restrained, all his blood¡¯s from hitting the sidewalk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good enough and you know it. Karen, think, what if someone armed panicked at the sight of ya? Again?¡± Pa leaned close, ¡°You need to think about where you fly, and when. People ain¡¯t used to you.¡± ¡°How will they get used to me if they never see me?¡± She headbutted him, gently, wincing at the metal stuck into her cheek, ¡°This is home, I flew here Pa.¡± ¡°I know, you can tell me all about it over dinner, and we¡¯ll get that cheek cleaned up.¡± He stood, glowered at Caleb, ¡°Meantime, come with me, I¡¯ve got some explainin¡¯ to do.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯m sorry Mr Thomson. K-Karen.¡± Caleb mumbled and stood, pain in his eyes, ¡°You know¡­ I just wanted to save y-you.¡± ¡°Save me? Save me?!¡± She reared up on her tail, ¡°Well, great news, bozo, I don¡¯t need saved, I¡¯m not your damsel in distress, I¡¯m not weak! I can chuck you in the lake no problem- so next time you get the stupid urge to try and help me, skip that part and throw yourself in!¡± All of the bangs and talons hadn¡¯t done as much as her words. Caleb seemed to hunch over, pain in the blue and Red-Two eyes as he staggered out. Finally defeated. Tearing him down was very satisfying. Wasn¡¯t it? Emergence 11. Outstretched Hands ¡°Want me to walk you?¡± Her Pa hovered nearby, big, steadfast and strong. And treating her like a weak cub. Karen tugged her other boot over human feet, stood without aid and gave him a quick hug and headbutt. ¡°No- get some rest Pa. I can handle school.¡± The big man mussed her short hair, ¡°Alright- just remember to give that note to Conolly if you need- and take precautions. And take care of your sister, Ollie.¡± Her black haired brother saluted and offered her a hand, ¡°Now, this is a road Karen, be careful on it.¡± ¡°Yeah- yeah, shut up, I know.¡± She scoffed, ¡°Miss veil? Go home. Get attacked? Go home. Grow griffin bits? Go home. Have a good day Pa, I¡¯ll see you after five!¡± The big man grunted in weary approval as she skipped down the stairs, quick enough to force Ollie to run to catch up with her. It was a little tricky- her feet were a size bigger than they ought to be, but she¡¯d gotten her balance over a couple of days. ¡°Not checking on Caleb, huh?¡± Ollie piped up as they passed his house. ¡°No. Why?¡± ¡°Tit for tat. He would have stayed out searching the woods forever if I hadn¡¯t dragged him back home.¡± Karen slowed, looking him over, ¡°Why were you in the woods?¡± ¡°Looking for my big sister, duh. You kept sneaking out there, and Caleb said he¡¯d feel guilty if I vanished too. He nearly punched one of the dragons when they found us, but they¡¯re cool! Helped us look for a bit. Uh, the oldest, Hex Veiled, I can¡¯t speak dragon.¡± She blinked, ¡°Wow. You had quite the weekend too. Was the green helping search?¡± ¡°No. Oh, kind of! She was trying to hunt down the griffin that hurt their brother. Maybe look out for her next time you¡¯re in the woods.¡± ¡°Logan should pass it on. And I¡¯m not scared of little flightless lizards.¡± ¡°Who can breathe fire?¡± ¡°That does change things.¡± Karen admitted, ¡°Fancy telling her I¡¯m cool?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not meant to lie?¡± Ollie snickered, ¡°I¡¯d do it, if you carry me sometime you fly?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± She stepped over, lifted him by the armpits, ¡°Nah, too heavy- you may watch though.¡± ¡°Oh, wow such an honour, I get to see you show off.¡± He considered, and squirmed free, ¡°And crash. You know what? Sure. What¡¯s your plan for class anyway? Got a fake name?¡± ¡°Nah. Simple, honest. I¡¯m Karen, I look different. The rest is none of their goddamn business.¡± ¡°Sure, what could possibly go wrong?¡± Ollie laughed and raced off as he spotted a friend. ¡°Nothing,¡± Karen whispered, gritted her teeth, and bid farewell to the sky. Ranelk High, statistically speaking, was not a large school. It took a few hundred pupils from the surrounding county across three floors, and they weren¡¯t all back yet. But it was still too busy. There was no space to spread her wings, just long low corridors and tight doorways, bustling with bipeds too close. Their noisy conversations and mingling scents filled every corner of the building as she hurried up towards her form-room, Mrs Conelly¡¯s English class. She lingered at the door. She breathed. Conversations bubbled beyond. Didn¡¯t matter. Simple plan. Karen took the handle and darted inside, bag swinging around her shoulder. Noone spared her a passing glance. Mainly because another unfamiliar face was absorbing every teenagers attention. Emily, Caleb, Mark, Anna, Owen and the rest were fascinated by a new girl with ochre skin, sunglasses indoors, and a hive of snakes writing in place of hair. Karen shuddered, snatching the word ¡°gorgon¡± from their manic conversation, and circled around out of eyeline, she didn¡¯t fancy being paralysed ever again. Let them drown her in questions and interviews. Karen dumped her bag on her seat with a huff. Who cared. Caleb was writing notes, Emily was comparing her thick braids to the snakes, Mark was peering round to try and see past the shades. Better she serve as distraction than- ¡°Scuse me!¡± Finally one approached- Irene was tall and slender, with clinking earrings and golden hair that her long nails fiddled with. ¡°Sorry- I¡¯m sorry, but like that seats taken- I mean welcome, but there¡¯s empty seats beside the window- beside Hana there, see?¡± ¡°Thought this was my seat.¡± Karen hinted. The window seat didn¡¯t sound bad though. Another unfamiliar girl with a waterfall of glossy black hair was there, more new students. ¡°Sorry, noooo, yeah, she died- last weekend, so sad.¡± Irene whispered, leaning too close. ¡°You¡¯ll be cursed if you sit there, it¡¯s too soon.¡± ¡°Another curse? Shit, I¡¯m almost into double digits.¡± Karen slipped back, slinging her bag over a shoulder. ¡°Oh no- well, don¡¯t be afraid- serene Irene is on the case.¡± Her tall frame flowed, her arms spiralling out, long nails wriggling through the air, before coming to poke Karen in the forehead and clavicle. ¡°I shall lift your curse.¡± ¡°Get. Off.¡± She smacked her hands away and shoved her back, knocking over chairs with a clatter. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°Wow, chill, I¡¯m helping to lift your cu-¡± ¡°There¡¯s not a curse, she¡¯s not dead, and you don¡¯t know magic.¡± Karen stormed over to the desk by the window, her rage barely covered by the bell ringing. The jet haired girl stared at her like a deer in headlights, before Mrs Conelly marched in, and began to take the register. The english teacher was an orderly lady in neat blouse, prim bun, and perfectly punctual demeanour- she rattled through the names, none beginning with K, then set to some brainteasers, only coming over when Karen raised a hand. ¡°Yes? Karen, correct?¡± She clucked cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s me, yeah- I wasn¡¯t on the register?¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t sure when you¡¯d return. I thought I¡¯d¡­ give you some privacy.¡± Mrs Conelly lowered her voice, ¡°Surprises aside, welcome back. You and Hana are both Class C, so that¡¯s something in common.¡± The teen beside her didn¡¯t look like a disguised mystic. Which was probably the point, especially with an unveiled gorgon in the room. Hana¡¯s dark shy eyes peaked past her sleek rippling hair, and spared a quiet, ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Hey? Cool.¡± ¡°Could you help her out,¡± The teacher requested, ¡°Make sure she gets around school without too much stress, keep her punctual? Does that sound alright, Hana?¡± ¡°Uh yes miss.¡± ¡°Fine, sure.¡± Karen sighed. Of course the teachers knew. But they knew wasn¡¯t some new little lamb as well, so she tutted and leaned in a little as Conelly trotted back to the blackboard. ¡°Alright, can I see your timetable? When¡¯d you start?¡± ¡°Yesterday.¡± Hana mumbled. ¡°Yeah, pretty nice- I¡¯m in Geometry and English too- we¡¯ll be right back here. Chemistry¡¯s next corridor along, History¡¯s downstairs, Art¡¯s top floor.¡± Karen explained. Hana seemed rather unconvinced, especially when the bell rang and Karen gritted her teeth, marching through the throng of bipeds. They were all so close, one preteen bumped her bag and she almost kicked him, before stepping to hug the wall. At least it was consistent, aside from doors, and the stairs were one way- in theory at least. ¡°I swear, next biped who walks up on the right is going over the bannister,¡± She hissed to Hana as they reached Mr Thorne¡¯s room in maths, and noted her confused expression. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Most people ask what I am.¡± ¡°Well you didn¡¯t ask either,¡± Karen sniffed, ¡°What, you want asked?¡± ¡°No. This is fine,¡± She agreed, and stepped inside. Karen followed, a grin breaking her face as she saw platinum blonde hair, and strode straight for Maddie. ¡°Woooow, you weren¡¯t kidding, that¡¯s really short hair,¡± The Veiled mermaid''s blue eyes met hers in seconds, a smile spread and Karen pouted. ¡°Aw, how¡¯d you know it was me?¡± ¡°I know my best friend,¡± She steepled her fingers, ¡°And also your bag, and your clothes. But what happened to the cheeks? Flying?¡± ¡°Some idiot with a stapler tried to stab my eye,¡± Karen huffed, earning a look of bewildered revelation from Caleb two desks over. ¡°It¡¯s barely a wound though, wasn¡¯t very strong. Oh- and this is Hana, she¡¯s new.¡± ¡°Hi,¡± The girl whispered, then dropped her voice further to look at Karen, ¡°What¡¯s she?¡± ¡°Really cool-¡± Karen felt a boot kick her leg as she sat beside Maddie, ¡°- and human, she knows the school like the back of her hand so feel free to ask if you need help. I don¡¯t know the backs of my hands that well.¡± ¡°Making in-jokes? That¡¯s a good sign,¡± A familiar, though slightly strained voice came as an angular haggard youth sit down heavily on the other side of Maddie. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?!¡± ¡°Studying.¡± Logan muttered, frowning uncertainly, ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Yeah- you¡¯re the wounded one, you need rest.¡± ¡°I showed him the lift. He¡¯s not thaaaaaat bad,¡± Maddie intervened. ¡°Yeah, I was bored at home- and I can use my head just fine.¡± Logan claimed. ¡°Clearly not,¡± Karen crossed her arms and turned away as Mr Thorne gauged the room and began the register. That was a good excuse not to talk more, frustration rising. Why did nothing go as planned? Logan was wounded, fragile, because of her. ¡°Thomson, Karen.¡± Mr Thorne read abruptly. ¡°Still dead.¡± Irene muttered. ¡°Here.¡± She called, ¡°I¡¯m here sir.¡± ¡°Uh, you¡¯re not Thomson!¡± Emily snapped loudly, round face glaring. ¡°Oh yes I am.¡± Karen felt more eyes turn to her, familiar faces twisted with outrage, confusion or scepticism. ¡°Alright, elephant in the room, I look different, but if you clowns don¡¯t believe me I¡¯ll happily recall the dumbest stuff you¡¯ve done- for example, Emily, Scevola.¡± The other girl frowned, then nodded, and she saw Caleb begin to open his mouth, then thankfully close it. ¡°Oh- so that¡¯s the curse!¡± Irene clapped eagerly, ¡°How? Did you piss off a witch?¡± ¡°A witch?¡± Out of the corner of her eye she saw Logan tense, preparing to defend himself, apologise, show her up. ¡°Nope, tried messing around with magic myself, and¡­ kinda blew up in my face. Didn¡¯t want this, guess I did something wrong.¡± ¡°What? I heard you went missing?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you if your eyes were blue? Yuck, dunno how Maddie handles these, I wanted green.¡± She lied, ¡°But I am taller!¡± ¡°Barely,¡± Owen barked, and a couple laughed as she stood on tiptoes. That was probably good, bipeds laughed when in good moods. Not everyone- Maddie, Logan and Caleb seemed perplexed by her actions. And Hana was just confused in general. ¡°Alright, enough, enough!¡± Mr Thorne snapped fingers and plunged back into the register, before diving into the mathematical world of trigonometry. It was familiar, charmingly so for the first five minutes, as if magic had never emerged and the past month had never occurred. Then it was just damn tedious and she found herself wishing for magic and excitement and flight once more, anything to escape angles and triangles. When the bell went, she lingered with Hana till last, trying to avoid the rush of pupils. Even so, whispers seemed to spread like wildfire, speculating on her change, while other voices shouted loud to one another like- ¡°Hey, beastie, remembering your horrid potion?¡± ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Karen whirled around, finding herself face to face with weird rectangular pupils. They were odd enough that she took a step back, taking in the goat-boy before her, wild brown hair surrounding small horns and big ears. His furred and hooves legs wore loose jeans fitted to them, and a surprised grin exposed big rectangular teeth. ¡°What was that, faun?¡± ¡°Oh, intense. Who¡¯s your friend, beastie?¡± He chuckled at Hana, maybe a year below them but gangly. ¡°She¡¯s Karen, a local mystic.¡± Hana mumbled, ¡°And yeah, Veil¡¯s nasty.¡± ¡°Guess who doesn¡¯t need to drink it!¡± He cheered, throwing both thumbs towards himself, ¡°Me-e-e! Free as a bird!¡± ¡°Free as a goat, you can¡¯t fly.¡± Karen corrected him, ¡°And her name¡¯s Hana, not beastie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a joke, she¡¯s fine with it! She¡¯s the opposite of a beast- while you¡¯ve got a very bloody scent,¡± He mused, ears flicking up curiously, ¡°Want me to guess?¡± ¡°Definitely not,¡± Karen turned, bobbing her head at Hana, ¡°Come on, Conelly hates lateness. Is he a friend?¡± ¡°A neighbour. He¡¯s not scared of me. That¡¯s rare,¡± She whispered, blushing slightly, ¡°Leave him, just an idiot.¡± ¡°Idiots can be dangerous,¡± Karen rubbed her cheek. ¡°Definitely carnivorous, probably a mammal, something big,¡± Nick announced, shadowing them, ¡°Bet you¡¯re quite the piece of wor- urgh!¡± He was on the floor when she glanced back, tripped by an older biped student with wild hair and tired eyes. Another kick slammed into his gut as the human sighed, ¡°Told you before, freak. Stay away from the ladies, none of them want anything to do with a horny little mongrel.¡± ¡°Pleasure to see you too Seb!¡± The faun grinned widely, ¡°Oh sorry, were you missing me? Is our daily chat so important to you?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Karen could sense the tension in the air, both bipeds trying to assert dominance in this oversaturated territory, and turned again, ¡°Come on Hana. We¡¯ll get blamed if we¡¯re involved.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a kid,¡± The other murmured, stopping to watch as the faun was suddenly hefted by the collar and slammed against a locker. Seb had been joined by another two guys, watching close as a hard hoof lashed up and into the biped¡¯s gut, producing a heavy grunt and throwing him back and enraging his allies. That was true, so Karen paced back to Thorne¡¯s room and shouted inside, rousing the stout man¡¯s fury. Then she darted back, grabbed Hana¡¯s hand and fled upstairs as his shouting rumbled behind them breaking up the one sided affair. They were five minutes late for English to Mrs Conelly¡¯s fury, but given the entire lesson felt empty, Karen doubted they¡¯d missed much. She spent half the time watching birds out the window, tracing the wind through their motions. Geography had a little interest at least, between the Ranelk maps on the walls like the view from on high, and the talk of different nations handling Mystics in different manners, but Biology stuck in her mind the most. Mr Graham was always memorable, young and flamboyant but grey haired, his hands fluttered like sparrows when he spoke. ¡°Alright, oh fantastic, plenty of new faces- we¡¯ll be reviewing some homework, but I¡¯ve a feeling you¡¯ll have plenty of knowledge to add! So everyone remember? Excellent, Caleb why don¡¯t you go first, which anomalous species did you investigate?¡± The broad pupil stood, glanced at Karen and rubbed his chin, the grazed flesh no longer bleeding, ¡°Had a little encounter¡­ but my research was on orcs- or goblins, or ghouls. They¡¯re Class B, tend to stand around six foot six, but have very broad appearances, normally with prominent noses and teeth. Very keen sense of smell and night vision, but pretty photo sensitive too, and not a fan of their depiction in¡­ most media. Pretty humanlike all round.¡± Mr Graham nodded and plied him for other details- their likely classification, existence of hair and so on, before bringing up the next, and the next. Emily happily chattered about the dragons, Maddie gave an informed spiel on Sphinxes and Manticores, Hana mumbled about some horned humanoid Oni, Mark talked about vampires, and the gorgon, Olive, dryly explained her serpentine hair. ¡°Ah- and is it true that gorgons can petrify people? Turn them to stone?¡± Mr Graham tapped his glasses and chin. ¡°That¡¯s not biology.¡± She sat down, ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± He accepted her tone of finality, and ran grey eyes over the class, ¡°Hm, just a couple of other new faces- though Karen you missed this, did you pick up anything while you were off?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve seen a dragon, but Emily knew more,¡± she considered, ¡°Noone did griffins? They¡¯re kinda like better dragons- they don¡¯t grow as big, but they¡¯re like big lions merged with eagles, so they¡¯ve got avian head and wings and talons, and strong legs. They¡¯re able to fly extremely well, and their eyes pick up ultra violet light, so they can see twice the colours bip- uh, humans can.¡± ¡°Very interesting- we heard about night vision before, that was an aspect I hadn''t considered. And do you think they fall under birds or mammals?¡± ¡°Uh, they¡¯re carnivorous?¡± She faltered, ¡°Probably avian. Logan knows more, he¡¯s all ready to go.¡± ¡°Definitely avian,¡± Logan stayed seated, ¡°Uh, guess I¡¯ll add a small correction- big guy¡¯s wrong, vampires aren¡¯t real. There are giant bat mystics, Camazotz, there are large wolf mystics, Fenrir, there are nymphs and such that can affect mist, but they¡¯re all different and you definitely don¡¯t get all of that as one contagious package. Bram Stoker wrote fiction.¡± ¡°Ah, interesting¡­ well, how about a bit of a vote before we delve into this contradiction? This is actually a very good example of research and the scientific process,¡± Mr Graham grinned at the look on Mark¡¯s face, and much of the rest of the lesson as going through sources either quoted, and talking about the validity of them. For a topic about vampires it was surprisingly boring- some people lied, some people were wrong, and the truth was hidden- and Karen was relieved to get outside for lunch, perched up in the climbing bars to get peace from bipeds. So of course Logan tracked her down, breathing hard as he leaned against one pole, ¡°Ah. Favourite spot?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to climb.¡± She warned, stuffing her empty box away. ¡°Glad you care so much? Or not? I¡¯m a little confused.¡± He brushed a curtain of black hair aside, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention me? Why cover?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s simplest and bipeds are, by and large, dumb.¡± She closed her bag, dropped it, and hooked her legs to hang upside down and glare at him, ¡°Plus some of those idiots might come to bug you for Veil if they knew, and I don¡¯t want you messing them up too.¡± His dark eyes met hers levelly, ¡°You think I¡¯m so arrogant as to not learn from my mistakes?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know what your mistakes are.¡± ¡°True, I¡¯m working with minimal information. But I¡¯m definitely double and triple checking my work from now on, you can count on that.¡± ¡°Oh wow, sensible precautions, how novel,¡± Karen grabbed the bar, kicked her legs free and flipped down to land before him, shoulder twinging with pain, ¡°So are you just going to bug me until I change my mind about your Veil? Cos it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Maddie said you were stubborn,¡± He shrugged, ¡°No, just came to chat. Did you really fly? How¡¯s being a griffoness in the sky?¡± ¡°A what? I¡¯m a griffin. Short and simple.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call yourself simple. It¡¯s lion and lioness, so griffon and griffoness.¡± ¡°Nah, that sounds dumb. It¡¯s my species because of you, so I¡¯ll stick with griffin, and you can spell human however you want without me complaining.¡± ¡°What, like Hugh Mann?¡± ¡°Fine by me, Maddie¡¯s dad makes that joke all the time,¡± Karen found a smile creeping over her lips. ¡°But yes, flying was fantastic, I¡¯m nearly as fast as Diana, she was having to use flame tricks and thermals to avoid me, and I definitely got way higher than as a Hawk. Managed to pull off a dive too, though it¡¯s pretty nasty on the wings.¡± ¡°Yeah? And how many tries did it take to get into the air?¡± ¡°First try, I¡¯m not a cub, Logan.¡± She noted his doubtful face, ¡°Ask Exi if you want, she never lies, and she saw me take flight perfectly.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± He frowned deeply, ¡°Last week too?¡± ¡°Took a few jumps, but yeah, flew across the lake to you.¡± Karen swung her bag over one shoulder, ¡°Now, if the next thing to come out of your mouth is analysing me like some science experiment, I¡¯m done talking.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird that you transferred flying instincts from a tiny bird of prey to a hu- Karen, don¡¯t run, I can¡¯t run!¡± ¡°I know!¡± She shouted, leaving the weak mage in the dust. * * * * * Her shoulder flared with pain as she landed hard on the mat. It was a stupid mistake- of course she¡¯d roll off the hobby horse, she was taller, longer now and so were her movements. Karen breathed hard as she lay still, letting her pulse slow. It had actually been a good second day thus far. For one thing, it was friday. For another, Hana had a hall pass to leave classes five minutes early to avoid the crowds, and Karen could enjoy the empty corridors too. And lastly, despite the ache of her muscles, it was good to be back in gym class. ¡°Woooow, you alright there?¡± Irene peered down, offering a helping hand. ¡°Just peachy,¡± Karen ignored it, rolled over and stood, ¡°Need to plant my hands faster.¡± ¡°Takes some adjusting. Did the magic do that to your shoulder?¡± She asked eagerly, taking in the scars and scabs that dappled her shoulder, visible under the tanktop. ¡°Essentially. It got me shot.¡± ¡°Aw, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Irene said cheerfully, ¡°Anyway, where did you learn magic? Do you have a book or a website?¡± ¡°Book? No, you don¡¯t want to mess with magic.¡± She bounced on the springboard, lining herself up again. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Karen- I¡¯ve a gift for this stuff. Give me a few weeks and a couple lessons and I¡¯d have you right as rain.¡± Karen stumbled as she landed on the hobby horse, and perched to look at the girl, ¡°Do you think this is a game? Magic¡¯s dangerous Irene. There¡¯s real monsters out there, cannibals and ghosts and dragons. It¡­ changed me so much more than just my eyes, I could have died. Listen to me- just leave magic to the mystics.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry you don¡¯t believe in me,¡± Irene whispered bitterly, and reached out, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give you lovely green eyes one day.¡± Karen hissed as she squeezed her scarred shoulder, and batted her arm aside, ¡°Touch me again and I¡¯ll take your eyes myself!¡± ¡°Wha-¡± Irene backed up, eyes wide, then narrowed them coldly. ¡°Oh. Ooooh. You¡¯re one of Them. Let me guess, one of those griffin monsters you were bragging about?¡± Karen hunched, finding herself almost ready to pounce, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Tch, makes sense, you¡¯ve always been all high and mighty, acting like you¡¯re better than us while hiding everything. Nothing but a lying beast.¡± She spat venomously, ¡°Fine, the others will figure it out anyway, and you monsters aren¡¯t in charge of the world any-more. Magic¡¯s going to return to the people.¡± ¡°What?¡± Karen cocked her head as Irene stormed off across the hall, half of her words so far off they were ridiculous. Her anger simmered down, there would be more, and they would be just as wrong. Like Diana had said, they just didn¡¯t have the eyes to see her magnificence. She turned her rage to drive, working her away around the stations through the hall. Gymnastics weren¡¯t an angry activity, but she could lose herself in running or lifting- both a mote easier with this Veiled form. All training was training for her body too, and she was a little calmer when she returned to the hobby horse, practising jumping and flipping across it to land on the other side. It was dumb compared to flying, she went nowhere and killed nothing, but it took effort and skill all the same. Skill was skill. After ninety minutes, Mr Austin directed them to tidy up everything except two benches and a basket of balls, and divided them for a game of dodgeball, simply split into boys and girls. ¡°Seriously?¡± Olive sighed as they split, her hair hissing, ¡°We¡¯re going for a little kids game?¡± ¡°Yaaaaaaaaa, and we¡¯re going to win!¡± Emily cheered, long braids bouncing. ¡°They¡¯re basically a man down already, Logan¡¯s wounded, we can get him easily,¡± Karen advised. Maddie raised her eyebrows, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a liiit-tle harsh?¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll aim for Karen¡¯s shoulder as well, she¡¯s wounded too.¡± Irene sneered. ¡°We have Olive though. Can you freeze people?¡± Hana whispered. ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s cheating,¡± Anna noted, ¡°And they might notice if half the boys become statues.¡± ¡°Yeah, no, I get three days grounded every time I paralyse someone, no thanks.¡± Olive ran her hands back, and somehow guided her serpents into a ponytail. ¡°Also, they¡¯re ready.¡± A blizzard of projectiles suddenly came their way, and Karen surged into motion, ducking behind Irene to use her as a shield. They weren¡¯t allowed to cross the centre so she couldn¡¯t close in on her prey, but Logan wasn¡¯t agile. He trailed around back behind the fitter teens, picking up rolling balls and passing them forward to Caleb or Mark, the strong boys launching them like cannons. Karen kept moving as Irene and Olive went out, running around close to the line and jumping wildly, launching her throws high. It was entertaining to see Caleb track the balls near the ceiling with utter confusion, then realise, ¡°Hey, Tohaken, heads up!¡± ¡°Why are we doing surna- oh!¡± The ball bounced off his skull, ¡°Am I out?¡± ¡°Not heads, no, just bodies and legs.¡± Caleb advised. ¡°Yeah, like this!¡± Karen whipped a softball towards his broad chest, only for his big hands to catch it with a boom. ¡°Yup, l-like that,¡± He raised his massive arm, eyes narrowed, and she retreated urgently, dodging and ducking the throws as she took in the scene. Hana was quietly against the wall, out already? No, Karen grinned as the quiet girl picked up a ball that happened to roll near, whipping it straight into Caleb¡¯s legs. ¡°Oh come on sir, that¡¯s cheating!¡± Owen protested. ¡°She¡¯s on the complete other wall from the bench, eyes forward,¡± Mr Austin barked as the battle continued, both sides clearly striving for victory at half strength. Karen shuffled around the back, grabbed up two softballs, and lifted them as a shield as she charged forwards again. Logan noticed her with exasperation, sweat pouring down his long hair, and sidestepped the first before the second fell from above, bouncing off his shoulder. ¡°Why me?!¡± ¡°You know why!¡± She taunted, before wincing and trying to cartwheel out of the way of more shots. They hit her legs in the air, but she managed to stick the landing and stomped over to the bench where Olive was gawking at her. ¡°Why the flips?¡± ¡°Because I can, and it would¡¯ve been epic.¡± She sat, and watched as the remainder whittled themselves down. Anna and Maddie went down quickly too, until somehow only Hana was nervously weaving around Owen and Grant¡¯s throws. Then, abruptly, the throwing stopped as the boys looked around, realising there were zero balls on their side. Grant grimaced and walked backwards while Owen took the issue slowly, ¡°Huh? Hey, hang on, that¡¯s not fair. Give them back!¡± ¡°Just a moment.¡± Hana patiently rolled the balls into a single row three metres from the middle, before taking a step back with a sweet smile, ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Uuuh- no?¡± Owen yelped as the veiled mystic settled to rapidly kick the prepared balls at him like a penalty shootout. To his credit, he managed to catch one in mid air, bounce another off it, but yet another took him in the legs ¡°Good job mate,¡± Grant darted from behind him, scooped one up, and lunged to the side as Hana kicked another ball, nervously eyeing the final three ammo she had prepared. Then they moved at once, she kicked, he sidestepped, whirled around and hit Hana¡¯s leg as she went to kick the next one. ¡°Yaaaaas, take that, sneak!¡± Several of the other guys cheered in triumph, as if one remaining was any decent victory margin. Karen crossed her arms and set to gathering them up, giving Hana a smile, ¡°Good job, that was clever.¡± ¡°Sorry I lost. He figured me out.¡± She murmured. ¡°Nonsense, you did great, that was hilaaaarious,¡± Maddie laughed, pulling over the bag as they began to stow away everything, chatting and flush with how close it had been. Even Olive seemed amused, releasing her snakes in a weird stretch from the knot, and teasing Karen for her supposedly gratuitous acrobatics. Even so, she felt their eyes on her shoulder when she changed clothes, tracing the red fresh scars all the way down her shoulder blade. She dressed quickly after that. The scars were a mark of strength. She¡¯d been shot. She survived. But nonetheless she didn¡¯t want to spend more time with Irene at her back, whispers among the others, and so she got out to lunch before the rest, finding Logan in the corridor, breathing hard. ¡°You alright? I did use a soft ball.¡± ¡°Yeah, might¡¯ve overdone it. Got competitive.¡± ¡°See, that¡¯s why I tried to get you out first.¡± ¡°Sure, solely for my own benefit,¡± He chuckled and straightened as Grant marched by. ¡°Well, that was basically useless,¡± The dark haired teen barked, ¡°Couldn¡¯t pull any Indian magic to help out?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Karen snapped back, ¡°Dunno if you missed it, but my last attempt did not go so well.¡± ¡°Wh- oh yeah, you¡¯re Thomson. Believe it or not, I wasn¡¯t talking to you.¡± ¡°But you said Indian- I¡¯m quarter descent. You got any Indian blood Logan?¡± ¡°Nope, my family¡¯s all stateside. Sorry for the confusion, Greg.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Grant- get out my way, I¡¯m starving,¡± He snorted in disgust and barged by as amusement twinkled in Logan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Thanks.¡± The young mage said, ¡°Can we talk? I was thinking about what you said yesterday.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to give up bugging me?¡± She clapped her hands with a grin. ¡°Almost. Give me one good talk over lunch, then I¡¯ll drop it. Mage¡¯s honour.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much that¡¯s worth, but fine, I¡¯m hungry,¡± She led him outside, quickly claiming a bench before any of the little kids could, and pulled his fish curry from her bag. Logan sat a couple of metres away with sandwiches, a notable distance and Karen felt herself relax slightly. ¡°Fine, what hit you yesterday?¡± ¡°Are we sure it¡¯s my fault?¡± He asked. ¡°Well, yeah. You apologised for it. A lot. Better than I did.¡± ¡°As you pointed out, my head¡¯s not in the best place when I¡¯m injured, I can be wrong,¡± He took a bite and looked up to the clouds, ¡°Because, here¡¯s the thing; you don¡¯t have hawk instincts. That doesn¡¯t add up. Hawk instincts wouldn¡¯t tell you how to fly as a griffin, it¡¯s like a hundred times bigger. Hawk instincts wouldn¡¯t call people bipeds, hawks are bipeds. Hawks wouldn¡¯t take down sheep, they¡¯re too big.¡± ¡°So what? Your veil was just a coincidence and I just changed completely inexplicably?¡± ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s about fifty fifty, I can¡¯t see a way it makes sense based on the Veil, I can¡¯t see a way it makes sense without the Veil! I just don¡¯t have enough information.¡± ¡°Well you don¡¯t need it. It¡¯s too hard for you, you¡¯re only sixteen. I¡¯m working with Diana,¡± She reiterated firmly. ¡°You trust her that much after what Uncle Matt said?¡± He looked at her, curtains of hair around dark, intense eyes. ¡°Yeah. She doesn¡¯t bind demons, she has a friend that¡¯s a spirit. And she doesn¡¯t treat me like some puzzle to solve.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I came across?¡± Logan considered, chewing through a sandwich as he focussed on the distance. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll tell her everything I know about the Hawk Veil, on one condition.¡± ¡°...go on?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t try any magic on you, but I want to try telepathy. I need to know if there¡¯s a connection between my Veil and your change, if the instincts are similar or not.¡± ¡°You want to invade my mind?¡± Karen snarled, ¡°How is that not magic?¡± ¡°To read it. It doesn¡¯t cause anything. Please, if I don¡¯t get an answer or an idea, I won¡¯t be able to trust my own magic! I can¡¯t bear that, my magic¡¯s all I got left of my family.¡± He begged. ¡°I¡¯ve had that before- some witch in OAR felt like she took a sledgehammer to my skull and broke my Veil!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have that much brute force. And yeah, mages can break, release other spells normally. I¡¯ve learned to do it myself, so if you ever want to end a Veil early, just ask.¡± Karen gritted her teeth as she looked over him, haggard and weary and compromising and weak. Pathetic. Why would he do that? Why be gentle? It didn¡¯t make any sense, she¡¯d hurt him, any sensible creature would be defensive, or out for vengeance, not trying to help! It went completely against instinct. ¡°Fine, you want to invade my head? I¡¯ve got a condition of my own- I read yours first, so I know you¡¯re honest.¡± ¡°Oh? Fine.¡± Logan nodded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a crazy ask? I¡¯m gonna read your mind! How is that ¡®fine¡¯?¡± ¡°Telepathy¡¯s a two-way street. If it convinces you, sure. Deal?¡± He offered a hand, long rough fingers flecked with small burn marks. Karen¡¯s felt small in comparison, hard with sharp nails and she gripped tight. ¡°Deal.¡± The veiled griffin nodded with an uneasy smile. Just let him in. How hard could it be? Emergence 12. A Shorter Tail Tiny claws skittered off stone. The griffin held still, barely shifting her wing to expose one sharp eye. Her den was dimmer today. Her sire had insulated the doors edges to keep heat in and daylight out, but there was barely enough light to pick out the shelves and drawers, bowls and cushions scattered throughout. Feathers and scent marked it as hers, which made a little worm-tailed intruder all the more irritating. The mouse was trying to scramble up the step, into the hall. Any touch would kill the vermin, if she wasn¡¯t curled up so comfy and tight. Maybe if she straightened slowly, gracefully, planted her paws, uncrossed her forele- The mouse made the leap and raced into the hall, as the griffin gave a furious growl and blundered after it, trailing tangled blankets. She heard its tiny paws on linoleum and padded after it quietly into the kitchen, keen eyes searching for the mouse. Then she forgot it. Her Mom sat, back to the door, pouring over a book as she ate porridge. Unaware. Karen had never seen her with griffin eyes. Her black hair was streaked with colours heralding grey, sharp features eroded with barely perceptible wrinkles. Without thinking, the griffin took a silent step, then another, and stalked over to gently headbutt the woman¡¯s leg. Sylvia Thomson squeaked, lurched backwards, sent porridge flying and slammed back into the wall, eyes panicked. Karen flinched as she was splattered and quickly slumped- how did a griffin look harmless?! She rolled on her back, staring upside down as her wings protested, and gave a deep, gentle rumble. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sylvia gasped, ¡°You scared the life out of me- how are you even so quiet?!¡± Karen rolled back onto her stomach and balled her talon to demonstrate- she could walk on the knuckles to silence the clatter of claws. ¡°Ah. Well, don¡¯t. My heart can¡¯t take it.¡± Sylvia breathed, eyes narrow. ¡°What? What do you want!¡± She wanted her mother¡¯s touch, her embrace. Karen stood gently, taking a careful step forwards. ¡°No- Sit! Stay!¡± Mom barked, and winced as the griffin snarled, before shuffling along the wall to the door, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s too fast, I can¡¯t¡­ no, I need time, more than a week, stay downstairs¡­ stay away.¡± Karen resisted the urge to pounce after her. The woman didn¡¯t trust her, forcing contact would do no good. It was hardly fair, Karen had never had a choice in the matter either, but the world wasn¡¯t fair. Dull anger coloured her morning. She ripped apart a food bag, gorged through the mess inside, lost herself in the burning pain of Veil, and showered the dregs of sticky porridge off. Pa was barely back from the shops when she stormed past him, pack full of supplies for a saturday out. Her Mom wanted her to stay away? Then she would. The grey sky mourned overnight rain, and deep puddles lay across the roads. She stomped through them, fuming at the mud and the long route on foot to Logans- she should have flown. She was meant to fly. It was faster, it was cleaner, it was common sense. But no, her idiot biped neighbours, her parents, noone trusted her, so she couldn¡¯t fly near her own territory. Ridiculous. Anger turned wary as she drew near the big triangular lodge, and scanned the woods for dragons, trying to ignore the starlings and pigeons. The wyrmlings couldn¡¯t fly, they couldn¡¯t threaten a griffin, but it would be just her luck to be confronted while human. No reptilian snarls escaped the woods though, and she relaxed a little as she rapped twice on the front door of the mage¡¯s lodge. ¡°Aye?¡± A child opened the door- a little girl with freckly skin, wild ginger hair tied into a messy tail as she glowered out, steam and chemical scents wafting behind her. ¡°Hey, is Logan here?¡± Karen chirped, then raised her eyebrows, ¡°Oh. You¡¯re¡­ the green one, right?¡± ¡°The green one?¡± she repeated, stepped back, and slammed the door in her face. Karen wrinkled her nose, waited a moment, then knocked again, harder. ¡°You didn¡¯t step away, Nessie, I know you¡¯re there.¡± ¡°Blast!¡± The young dragon shouted as she tugged the door open again, ¡°Yup, an¡¯ who are you?! Why do ya want to see him?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Karen- the girl that jumped off your back? As for why,¡± She gestured to her features. ¡°You¡­ oh, he said ya turned into the griffin!¡± Smoke flared around the child, then she stepped forward and slammed a small fist into Karen¡¯s midriff, ¡°GET LOST!¡± She wasn¡¯t that strong. But violence demanded an answer. Karen grabbed both arms easily, and hauled the little girl aloft. ¡°Nope. He invited me, it was his idea, and I already apologised for clawin- hold still, brat.¡± ¡°Never!¡± Nessie squirmed, breathed in, and an orange glow filled her mouth. Karen barely let go in time, throwing herself aside as a plume of flame burst from Nessie¡¯s maw, before the girl fell over coughing and spluttering. ¡°How the hell can you breathe fire!? You¡¯re Veiled!¡± ¡°Magic!¡± Nessie cheered hoarsely, and stuck out her smoking tongue, ¡°I¡¯m guardin¡¯ him!¡± ¡°Well then tell him I¡¯m here! We¡¯re friends, I¡¯m not gonna hurt the big beanpole.¡± ¡°Aw, that¡¯s nice,¡± Another voice came as Logan peered out the door, wearing long rubber gloves, steamed goggles and a heavy apron, ¡°Hey Karen.¡± ¡°Hey- call off your guard dog. She¡¯s cuter as a dragon.¡± She demanded as Nessie hurriedly interposed her tiny form in front of Logan¡¯s legs. ¡°You busy? I thought sooner was better.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, gotta catch up on Veil after last weekend, the wyrmlings are¡­ ¡®helping¡¯,¡± He grimaced, ¡°Can we do around¡­ four pm instead?¡± ¡°Four? Urgh I¡¯m going to have to unVeil and Veil again, I should¡¯ve texted¡­ but I can¡¯t with talons,¡± She whined, ¡°Fine, fine, sure.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to- oi, go help Matt, I¡¯m fine,¡± Logan pushed Nessie inside, and dropped his voice, ¡°For one thing, telepathy works better with your true form. Come as the griffin. And if you¡¯re keen to fly, I should be able to end your Veil just now?¡± ¡°Really? You can break Diana¡¯s spell?¡± ¡°Probably? I can definitely do mine.¡± She suppressed a look of amazement. It had been scarce weeks since she¡¯d been stuck as a mermaid, and already he could overcome that mistake? But he didn¡¯t need a bigger ego, so she shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll turn down ¡®probably¡¯, no offence. I¡¯ll handle my end, you just keep Nessie from picking a fight later.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± He gave a curt nod and retreated inside as she strode off, seeking out the Camp or some other dry space to wait out the potion. * * * * * Her wings hurt less this time. They carried her up and up, riding thermals and her own strength into the heavens as the clouds began to clear, fleeing her presence as lesser avians did. It was still hard to gauge height, but she made a point of flying higher than the surrounding mountains, certainly higher than her last excursion. It was just a good work out, and good practice before she got to play. Maybe it was more grandiose to use the word practice. Exercise. Experiment. But play was the right word. It was just too much fun to be anything else. She tried to loop and flip, spiralled and soared, screeched and roared and rose and fell and rolled and span! When she felt she needed some purpose, she dove instead, mimicking the motions she¡¯d seen Diana do to fold her wings and drop from the heavens like a glass about to shatter into a thousand pieces on the earth below. Yet shatter she didn¡¯t. She unfurled her wings in time, curved out smoothly, a very generous wide angle that turned her momentum horizontal, then back up and up and up to try again! It was exhausting, yet she could only imagine Diana¡¯s surprise the next time they flew, when she felt the terrifying presence of a griffin in her blindspot. And so she kept practising, only stopping when she levelled off so tightly that her tail skimmed the water and she wanted to dry it. After a couple of hours, she reclaimed her bag and wheeled back towards Logan¡¯s, powering high over the trees, and circled the clearing. There was still an hour and a bit to wait, she didn¡¯t fancy having to play with childish dragons. So she looped around again, flurried her wings, and landed gently on the lodge¡¯s roof. It was surprisingly comfy, especially with the afternoon sun emerging, and she stretched her wings out to soak up the heat while she waited. * * * * * ¡°Miss Thomson, kindly get off my roof.¡± A short curt call interrupted her nap. Karen blinked and peered over the roofs crest to meet the eyes of Matt, the lean tall mage wiping rectangular glasses, ¡°Logan, your friend¡¯s up top.¡± ¡°What whe- oh.¡± The teenager, now with heavy boots and a big backpack craned his neck, and paused. She watched for the shift of blood in his skin, the widening of his dark eyes, the proper fear of a monster who had injured him, a monster who couldn¡¯t be trusted. ¡°Are you stuck?¡± Stuck?! Karen snorted, pecked up her bag, and hopped the twenty foot drop in an immaculate bond. ¡°Ah, good. Huh, smaller than I thought- I guess you¡¯re an adolescent after all.¡± He pondered, offering a hand, ¡°Want me to carry that?¡± ¡°Not too close, Logan, she¡¯ll still be flighty,¡± Matt warned, opening his SUV with a casual glance. As if it was all totally normal. ¡°No veilling, no fighting, no stabbing my nephew, alright?¡± Karen rolled her eyes and dumped her bag into Logan¡¯s grip, turned on tail and strode off. The teen followed, calling an easy lie that he was just going to watch her fly, though he soon ran out of breath and insisted she slow down. In return, she bounded further ahead, leaving him in the dust. It would be easy to keep going. Clearly noone else knew they were planning to try telepathy. Planning to try and track the source of her condition, her mind. Planning to stick his nose in her business, her territory. But Maddie had insisted she give him a chance. And for all the lies and tricks, there was noone she trusted more. So the griffin settled in what little sunlight she could find, and waited for the mage to wearily arrive. ¡°That looks real comfy,¡± He gasped, collapsing to sit amidst leaves and grass. ¡°You feel alright?¡± Words failed. She gestured up, flared her wings and gave a proud trill. She¡¯d flown well. Logan cracked a grin, wiped his brow, and pulled his hair back into a bun with the old hairband she¡¯d given him. ¡°Yeah, I bet you rock in the sky. Just lemme¡­¡± He scooched a little closer, leaving bags behind, until he was within a metre of her front. ¡°Full disclosure, this is going to feel weird. I need physical contact to forge the mental connection- can be wing, or tail, or head or- head? Okay. Just, relax, try to match my breathing. I¡¯ll field questions once we begin.¡± She looked at him. He was liable to topple over, he was so weak. Karen stood, circled and lay behind him, letting him rest against her right wing and flank, a rough spindly hand on her brow. ¡°Alright, breathe in, hold it, nice and slow, and out,¡± Logan instructed, ¡°In, and out. Vermu, lughen, Omara. Vermua, lughen, omara.¡± He kept breathing, cycling air in and out, nice and steady and in sync with the griffoness. Matching the flow. His father had always said there was a flow to everything. Water flowed from rain to streams, rivers to seas, oceans to the sky and back down again. Air flowed through the movements of the atmosphere, influenced by heat and geography, the pull of gravity, passing through countless beings. Through mages. Through griffonesses. Griffins. Her mind felt defiant. Cautiously confident. And as he felt the presence breaching his thoughts, so too did she examine the surface of his own mind, a laser focus intent as the contact grew, a bridge flowing from him to her, and her to him. Magic flowed too. It multiplied and divided, amplified and trailed, but it flowed with his words and his will and his focus, anchoring the telepathic connection between mage and griffo- griffin. Her mind relaxed a little as he accepted her spelling, shifting beyond the surface thoughts as he welcomed the focus into his mind. Into unfamiliar territory, in the truest sense of the word. It reminded Karen of spiderwebs on a rainy day. Connections and tethers, weaving and breaching, stretching through Logan¡¯s mind, all cast under a sorrowful gloom pouring from above. Some flared brighter, thoughts racing through his intellect as he maintained the spell, drawing on his knowledge. Everything flowed. Everything caused something. Everything was caused by something. Consequence ruled the world. She sent her attention towards the thoughts most active, murmuring strands of intelligence, interspersed with flashes of his experience. Those were less boring, more comprehensible, and Karen¡¯s narrow focus drew the memories out like flesh from a kill. - - - - - Sitting, hand in hand with Uncle Matt. Feeling the cold, geometric, organised mind focus upon his own. - - - - - Holding down the red dragon Hex, pulling the knowledge of draconic free as the wyrmling snarled and hissed, his mind ruthless, determined and flexible. - - - - - Immersed in the warm, confident wise mind of his Father, Jerak, a big broad man with a strong hooked nose, sun bronzed skin and crinkled eyes, not even touching. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. His father¡¯s voice was warm as an oven, even mentally, He demonstrated, ten years old and bursting with pride. The big man sent a callused hand on his own, squeezing reassuringly. Then the bond was broken, the bridge was gone, his mind was alone, but his body was embraced. ¡°Dad? Why are we stopping?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough for today. Telepathy¡¯s not a skill you should need to employ too often,¡± His father instructed, a slight edge in his voice, ¡°It is for communication and examination only, understand?¡± ¡°But it could be used for more, right? That¡¯s incredible access to help magic affect an individual, it could completely break an ego¡¯s defen-¡± ¡°It could be. But to do so would be evil. Any other crime- enslavement, torture, wounding, attack, illness or imprisonment- leaves the mind as the last refuge of an individual. It¡¯s their heart. But telepathy, mental magic? It completely violates them, only those with an evil heart use it. So we just observe, and communicate, we don¡¯t interfere. Understand?¡± ¡ª----------------- Karen recoiled, felt the rainy gloom intensify as her curiosity and concern surged. She swallowed, concentrated, and jabbed a lance of thought towards him, Logan¡¯s mind was reeling- burning anger, acidic regret, cold sorrow, heavy grief- but he kept breathing. In. And out. No memories brightened. The image of the six armed woman flashed in her mind. His mental voice growled coldly, a sour shadow spreading. She didn¡¯t want to apologise. She¡¯d done nothing wrong. But she unfurled her wings and stretched them over him, soft and warm, and expressed quiet, wordless sympathy. Logan breathed a little easier after a minute, tickled by the feathers. Karen thought, and peaked open her eyes, blinking at light as she pulled her intrigue back from the mage. Instead she focussed on her vision- the red-two and ochre skin, the hungry build and utter frown on the teens face, the way his hair flared out from the hairband, holding it ready as Logan¡¯s presence ebbed into her skull. It truly was gentle. His awareness felt like morning mist- weak perhaps, but wide spread and multifaceted, curiously sensing the new mental terrain he explored. She smiled as he imagined it as a sun lit jungle. Bright and bold, chaotic and proud. Clear arrogant streaks illuminated her skill, her love of her father, brother and Maddie, her prides and passions and joys. Behind them deep shadows were cast, hastily piled with all she ignored, fears and doubts an- She snapped as his presence flowed towards the shadowy depths of her mind, focussing her attention entirely on her vision. He chuckled. She explained patiently, tail twitching as the invasive presence spread further. The mage¡¯s mind said simply, felt her fear- how dare he! She shrugged his hand free and stood, though the curious intrusive fog continued to sift through her grey matter, and she arched her back, suddenly wishing for a shower. A chance to feel clean. Moving did help, a little, but the contact was still there, closer than close and padding around the clearing did nothing to change that. She irritably circled back on the spot she¡¯d started at, stomping grass flat before curling up, tail to beak, wing over legs. Logan prompted, presence warm and amused. He agreed, his focus congregating on some deep aspect, subconscious mechanics of how the brain affected the body. She did. Bounding really. Forelegs down, backlegs gather, bring them down, push off again. Not left-right left-right, but front-back front-back. Easy. More complicated, though the sensation was fresh in her mind. She showed him her afternoon, diving and swooping, angling and rising, her mastery of the thermals. She had less to work with there. Just a half dreamt memory. But the basics were simple. It came down to the first second. To swoop down in the prey¡¯s blindspot, break their back or neck, or at least drive her talons deep enough that they couldn¡¯t get free, could finish them off and enjoy the warm wet fresh meat in her beak. She rumbled impatiently. He didn¡¯t consciously respond, she felt him pulling on the shadowy strands of her mind, those of instinct, tracing them, as flashes of memory came. - - - - - Flying as a falcon. She¡¯d flown well. So well. She¡¯d ruled the skies. Her arrogance. Her pride. She¡¯d landed weirdly. She¡¯d gotten onto all fours. Instinctively? - - - - - The day they met. Him moving behind her, too close, into the blindspot. She¡¯d almost shoved him down the stairs in turn. She¡¯d stamped on Maddie¡¯s tail. She¡¯d clambered the climbing frame to feel safe. The highest point. - - - - - The day before her change. Eating lots? And feeling so hollow? Why? - - - - - The five winged monstrosity hovering in the trees. The blood pigeon on her fingers. In her mouth. The voice in her mind, tearing her down, asserting her insignificance. - - - - - He lingered on that, the Bad Egg, and like a kettle boiling, exasperated heat filled the misty presence. She mumbled, felt shame spread, shadows engulfing her mind entirely. She¡¯d felt worthless, but she didn¡¯t want to talk, didn¡¯t want to sit, didn¡¯t want to think about this. She pushed back, sweeping the feelings away, into the nooks and crannies of her soul, away from his invasive scrutiny. He faltered, presence swirling, Cleopatra. She stumbled, confused as his presence lingered around¡­. Nothing? How did her mind have a thought of nothing? Was that what she thought when she wasn¡¯t thinking? He pushed an impression to her of a geometric mental barrier. It was woven of her very mind, like thoughts tied into a knot, with only the dimmest echo of water murmuring from it.