Creature

Initiation

I smile, feeling the wind in my hair as Kit carries me through the night sky.

I look over to my right, where I see Stephen fighting for his life.

Lunar was a bit different than Kit. Not only were his wings white, but he had claws for both hands and feet.

Like talons of a giant eagle. And Stephen was dangling from one of those large talons.

"Let's switch fairies!"he shouts over to me.

I chuckle, clinging to Kits neck as he was holding me bridal style.

.....

We had been flying for a while, maybe an hour, and we come to a tall tree. So tall it was in the clouds.

Kit chirps excitedly as if he recognized the tree. I smile as I we go in close for a landing.

......

I marvel as we land on a limb of the tree. At the top of the tree, at the very top, beneath the canopy, was a large opening. The tree was hollow.

"Wow."I say.

Kit and Lunar begin communicating, and then Lunar nods to Stephen and I.

Kit lets out an offended sounding wail and balls his fist towards Lunar.

"What are they saying?"I ask.

"Lunar says that no human has ever entered this place. He's unsure how the elders will react. Kit's arguing that were basically his kin. And that if Lunar doesn't let us in he'll take us and leave."Stephen says quietly.

"And Lunar, really doesn't want kit to leave. For some reason."

Kit looks at me, makes a noise and then looks back at Lunar. He then flutters his wings like Lunar did the first time he met me.

Lunar rolls his eyes and then signals for us to follow him.

Then he jumps down into the hollow tree. Kit follow, screeching with excitement.

I look at Stephen with a bit of fear in my heart.

He chuckles as he offers me his hand.

"It's alright love. Not like you've never carelessly jumped down a thousand foot shaft before, right?"he smiles, flirting.

"You have?"I ask as he leads me towards the entrance.

"Deep breath."he says.

I begin to take the deep breath, and right smack in the middle, he yanks me along with him into the tree.

I shriek, hugging him tightly as the wind rushing past us.

But then I notice. Stephen hugging me tightly, and my face against his muscular chest.

I smile slightly, nuzzling against him. Suddenly we come to an abrupt, and feathery stop.

We landed on a monstrous pile of feathers. I cough as I sit up, brushing some of the white dust off of me and then looking down at Stephen who was beneath me.

I chuckle as I look down at him. He was covered in white feathers, all in his hair and stuck to his face.

"Tell me now if I look stupid. Do I look stupid?"he asks as I begin plucking the feathers out of his hair.

"No, no, of course not. You look dashing as always."I chuckle.

"Love birds."We both jump, hearing a thick accented voice and looking up to see lunar standing before us.

"He can talk?"Stephen says.

"We go."Lunar says, pointing down the lengthy tunnel behind him.

"Yeah. Yeah, were coming."I say, carefully getting off of Stephen.

....

We follow lunar down into the tunnel, till we finally reach a large, tree looking room. This room was filled with hundreds, maybe thousands of fairies, just like Kit and Lunar.

"I remember this place."Stephen says quietly.

Suddenly, a shadow passes over top of us and we look up, seeing kit flying around with a large smile on his face, squaking excitedly as he does.

"Wow, he's so happy."I say.

Suddenly, Lunar lets out a loud call.

He begins a chant as walks through the crowd. The rest of the fairies begin to chant as well as he makes his way towards a podium like item.

He raises his claws and all of them silence.

Lunar begins speaking in there language.

"What's happening?"I ask quietly.

"He's introducing us as the featherless. He's saying they should thank us for bringing Kit back."Stephen says.

I smile slightly as they all turn towards us. All of their wings flutter as they see us.

Lunar points towards us and begins to speak.

"Oh boy."Stephen says, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"What?"I ask.

"W-well, Lunar says I've already been initiated into the flock. A-and it's now time for you to be initiated."Stephen says.

"Initiated?"I ask.

Stephen huffs, his fingers coming to the scar behind his ear.

"Th-they're going to cut you, Katherine. J-just don't struggle, or they'll think you're a traitor and..um..eat you."Stephen says.

Two of the male fairies grip my arms and I gasp.

"W-what?"I say as they drag me towards Lunar.