More Than Human

Chapter 87: The Storm: Part 3

König carefully lowered Gaz and Roach down into the grass. Gaz shook himself off, he had burns on his hand, but nothing that couldn't be treated with more aloe and care. He hurried to crawl over to Roach's side. The moth was face down on the ground looking totally washed out. His wings were shriveled and a little bent from soaking up the water.

"Hold on, Bug." Gaz told him gently, "I'm gonna help you spread your wings out so they can dry, alright?"

Roach gave a weak and tired sounding buzz that he took as comprehension. Gaz carefully began to open and spread the wings out, hoping that the sun would dry them quickly. Gary groaned as Gaz fixed a few of the crimped sections, clearly they were sensitive at the moment. While he was at it he examined some of the fire damage to the wing. The edge was singed and blackened, and there were a couple of holes in the wing from where the flames had eaten through it.

"Good job, Gary. So good. Got them all spread and flattened. You'll dry out and be good as new, my love." Gaz spewed forth encouragement. It was for himself as much as it was for Roach. He had nearly had a heart attack when he saw Roach falling. Gary had promised to always catch him and Gaz had apparently wanted to return the favor. He was glad Price had made him take those flying lessons.

König and Gaz both whipped around at the sound of Horangi snarling and growling in his full griffin form. He was standing before them protectively, wings quivering, slightly spread. Almost like a rattlesnake's tail.

Standing before them was Makarov.

And he was poised with a weapon. A weapon connected to a tank on his back.

"The bastard brought a flamethrower." König rumbled, he and Gaz stepped forward to block vulnerable Roach, still laid out on the ground.

"Oh, good." Makarov was saying, "The moth and the tree, guess I picked the right tool." He hoisted the flamethrower as if they couldn't already see it.

Horangi took a snarling step forward and Makarov let off a warning burst of flames into the air making the griffin flinch and take a few stumbling steps backward. Gaz felt something rumbling in his chest, something he hadn't felt before. It felt like he was burning from the inside out. He stepped forward and in front of Horangi.

"Really?" Makarov chuckled, "The dryad wants to take on more flames? What will you do, little weed?"

Gaz didn't say anything, he felt himself breathing heavy, chest burning. A snarl was working its way up his throat. And when Makarov took aim at him with the flamethrower, he closed his eyes and blew right back. Gaz heard a shocked noise come out of König behind him, and he suddenly realized that the flames weren't hitting him. He could feel so much heat, not only on his skin, but also coming out of him. He peeked open an eye and nearly startled himself.

He was breathing fire!
The force of his breath was stronger than that of the flamethrower and pushed the fire away from the team. Eventually Makarov paused and Gaz ran out of air. He had smoke coming out of his nose and mouth and he choked on it a bit.

"Interesting trick, dryad." Makarov told him, sounding genuinely fascinated, "But can you do it again?"

Great question honestly.

Gaz tried to summon more of that heat in his chest from before, but all he managed to do was cough up more smoke. A wicked grin spread over Makarov's face.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted."

A little meow sounded from below Gaz's legs and he blinked and looked down.

"Precious? What the fuck?"

The little cat dragon circled and rubbed against his legs.

"Now really isn't a good time, sweetheart."