(Picture- a Hinover)
Nearly a fortnight has passed.
She sat outside, like Lily instructed she should do for a short time every night. Today was the final day of her report. She was so glad that it was finally over, but now she didn’t know what she had to do. The occasional cold breeze sweeping in made her shiver, so she wrapped her wings tightly around, like a feathery blanket. She converged with White Lily, now she finally had the chance to talk to her privately.
Did you know anything about what Valin told us, about ourselves, before?
Actually... no. But it does explain why no-one liked the idea of me doing all this. I thought it was just because of whom I was, not what I was, she openly admitted.Isildilia shivered again.
It’s so cold out here. When can we go in? I’ll die from the cold.
Not much longer. Your eternal fires are only just developing now; it will be better later on. Soon the cold will no longer be of any bother. Isildilia just grunted in response. What is troubling you? You seem so distant to me today.
Nothing.
Its Valin isn’t it?
Yes. She didn’t bother to lie. He had been avoiding her ever since that incident. He never came to visit her, and if she saw him in the corridor he’d quickly disappear
Don't start to hold it against him; he didn’t know what he was doing. He can't control himself well around us anymore.
She shuffled uncomfortably. So what do you suggest that we do about him?
I think we should... Suddenly there came the clinking sound of metal, then a bang, as something collided near her foot.
“What in the name of…” she said out loud, jumping off from her spot. Around one of the small pillars of the railing was a metal hook, tied on with thick rope. Before she even had time to look over the edge, a hand suddenly reached up and grabbed the rail. She stepped far back and withdrew Lillarth, pointing it at the ascending person.
“A little help will be appreciated,” came Dakelo’s voice, before she even had chance to demand who it was. She dropped her sword and ran over. Grabbing him by the back of his collar, as well as wrapping her tail around his torso, she heaved him onto the balcony.
“What are you doing? How did you find me?” He stood up and brushed himself down. It surprised her when he replied in the beast’s tongue, although some pronunciation was slightly wrong.
“I heard you and Valin talking before and worked out where you were. I'm not far below you.”
“What if your guards find out? They won’t be happy, not one bit.”
Dakelo shrugged, “I’ll deal with it when it comes. I just wanted to know how you are. I heard everything from before, a couple of weeks ago. I had clambered up a few times before, but you weren’t out here.”
“Everything!” she exclaimed.
“Don't worry about it.” She sighed and sat on the floor, leaning against the railing.
“I think I've reached a point in my life, where I just don’t care anymore. I should understand by now that things were never destined to be normal, or easy.” Dakelo raised an eyebrow, and then sat down beside her. “How have things been down below?” she asked, changing the topic. He let his head thump against the rail.
“The dullest ever! I can't stay locked up like this much longer; I’ll start doing stupid things.”
“Like now,” she pointed out.
He laughed heartily. “Yes, I guess so.” They discussed the conversation Isildilia had with Valin, although he failed to bring about what happened at the end. It amused her as Dakelo wasn’t fully capable of speaking in beast’s tongue. When he didn’t know a certain word, he inserted it in human tongue.
“What a git,” Dakelo said. “He’s keeping you to himself. No wonder why he won’t let you wander about, he’s afraid you’ll meet someone much better looking than him.”
“Or someone worse.”
“Like that Biloth?”
She shuddered. “He was so beautiful it bordered eerie.” They both laughed.
“So...you’ll have to pick someone eventually,” he stated.
“Another burden on the already heavy shoulders,” she muttered. “I don’t even know how many of them there are.” She sighed, her shoulders dropping in defeat, “it makes me wonder though. Is Valin trying to be with me because he actually likes me, or is it just that he is just drawn to my smell? It just feels like a cheap, lying, method and I hate it.” Dakelo put a hand on her shoulder.
“I guess you won't know, unless you ask him.”
“Maybe that’s why he’s been acting much stranger recently. As my scent is coming through more and more, he’s finding it harder to resist it.” Dakelo made an odd noise but didn’t press on the matter. She knew he still thought he was infected.
“I've an interesting question,” said Dakelo.
“What is it?” He rubbed his nose apprehensively and even in the dark she could see the tips of his ears burning.
“Well if you and Valin...you know...- her face went crimson-would your offspring be humans or dragons? Also would you lay eggs or live young?” He flinched back, expecting to receive a hit from the suggestion. She blinked a few times as the question struck inside her head. It never occurred to her before.
“You know what? I never thought of that before. Laying an egg, that would be...difficult,” she cringed. “Maybe it’s a good thing I won’t remain human.”
Suddenly the whole mountain shook. A horn blowing so loud it startled birds in the forest below.
“What was that?” Dakelo exclaimed. Isildilia could hear footstep echoing down some of the open tunnels and the yelling voices coming from some of the openings.
“I think they have realised your missing.” She looked over the railing. On the balcony below them, stood the hinover guard. It looked around, trying to discover where Dakelo went. It noticed the rope leading up to Isildilia’s room, and its jaws rattled as it shrieked in frustration. It turned around and started to climb up the mountain side.
She grabbed Dakelo’s arm, “let’s move.” She was about to open the doors when they suddenly opened on their own. Her guards rushed forwards with spears and swords pointed at the ready. There came a hiss from behind as the hinover clambered up behind them, hanging its huge bulk off the railing as it clung on with all eight of its legs. It opened its jaws and shrieked at Dakelo, all of its black eyes were glinting in anger at the escape. It rammed its spear near Dakelo’s foot, forcing him to leap back.
“Your Highness, step away from the human,” Fire tongue demanded. Isildilia shook her head. She could see Froyza standing behind them all, ears slick back, not knowing what to do.
The hinover reach down and plucked Dakelo off the ground from behind her. He tucked Dakelo under one of his arms like a sack of wheat. Dakelo tried to free himself but to no avail.
“Let him go!” she demanded. The hinover let out another chilling shriek then scrabbled up the mountain side, and down one of the gaping tunnels. She could hear Dakelo’s curses echoing as he got further away. Then nothing.
“Tell him to bring Dakelo back,” she told them.
“I'm afraid we can't do that,” replied Xnifo. “It was an order from your father; that if he ever tried to escape, further action will be taken. He was warned.”
“But he wasn’t escaping. He was paying me a visit.”
“He left his room, therefore it counts as escaping!” she bellowed. “It’s his fault. And he must deal with the consequences.” Isildilia shoved past her guards and out of the house. By now she already knew her way around the tunnels within the immediate area, including the ones to her parent’s chambers. When she approached she threw her entire weight against the door, forcing them open. Both her parents were there, but Dakelo wasn’t. She knew he had been here, because the second she looked at them Dillith turned her head away in shame.
“Where is he?” she demanded, running across to them.
“That is none of your concern,” said Fivikthq. He snorted, letting a thick black cloud drift from his nostrils. It drifted over her, forcing her to cough and wave the smothering cloud away.
“Of course it’s my concern! You had no right...” Fivikthq released a sudden roar, shaking the ground itself. Isildilia tried hard not to react to the terrifying display. His upper lip curled up, exposing his fangs.
“No hatchling speaks to their parents in such a manner, so hold your tongue!”
“Where did you take him?” She looked towards Dillith for the answer, but she still avoided her gaze.
“That is something we will not tell you. You need to separate yourself from these humans, drill some of their useless skills out of your head.” Isildilia was shaking, not from fear, but from rage and anger. She thought back to her family in Aliera. They were not useless!
Clenching her fists so hard, she bit on her lip to stop herself from shouting back. The rocks next to her, without warning, cracked and splintered. Both Fivikthq’s and Dillith’s eyes narrowed. Their scales lifted slightly and their claws dug into the ground, like they were suddenly prepared to pounce on an enemy. Isildilia could feel the excess energy crackling through her, building up. It was just like that time she was angry at Valin entering the hot spring.
Small cracks started to appear in the floor near her feet, forcing their way through like a complex web. Fivikthq stood up and ran over; he sat with Isildilia between his front legs.
“Calm yourself,” he told her, “try to contain the energy inside. Picture it like a large glass orb, contain it within the orb.” But she couldn’t. She couldn’t force it back, not matter how hard she tried to push it down. She might as well be trying to push back an incoming tide.
“I...I can't.” She felt like her head was about to explode. She crouched over and clutched at her head. One of the kilo orbs next to her shattered, making Fivikthq jump up. “It hurts,” she whimpered.
Leaning down, he placed his snout against her back. Automatically the energy was draining out of her body, passing into Fivikthq, like someone had pulled a plug out of a full barrel.
She felt like he drained a little too much, as her knees buckled underneath her, she even felt the heat draining from her, leaving her shivering with the cold. The impact of hitting the ground jolted her jaw painfully too. Dillith marched to Fivikthq and nuzzled him under the chin to make him stop. She quickly left the room and returned minutes later with Valin. He immediately rushed over and scooped her up. She briefly felt his conscious touch hers to see she was alright.
“Take her back to her room. She’ll move out tomorrow,” Fivikthq told him.
“I understand, Your Majesty,” said Valin
“Leave me alone,” she muttered from under the sheets. Valin sat opposite her on the chair, while she hid in her bed.
“No,” was all he said, rather sternly.
“You didn’t even try. Just like last time.”
“What do you think I could do? It’s your parent’s decision. I have no say in the matter.”
“Where is he?”
“I do not know and that’s the truth.” Isildilia’s teeth started to chatter, despite being wrapped up, her body started to feel like ice. She curled up into a tight ball.
“Is something wrong?” Valin asked, lifting himself out of the chair a little.
“It’s just so cold.” She pulled the sheets tighter. “I’ve been cold ever since father did that to me.” She detected a worrying tone in Valin’s voice.
“Cold?” He stood up and pulled back the covers, exposing her face. His hand felt like it was burning when he placed it on her forehead, she wanted to snatch it and keep it there to help. His eyes widened. “Your starting to get a fever!” he declared.
“What nonsense, if I had a fever I wouldn’t be freezing.” He ran around to the other side and removed his shirt, much to her horror.
“No, no. For us, since we naturally have a high body temperature, it becomes reversed; a fever for us is ice cold. I guess you had yet to develop a fever recently to tell the change. His Majesty must have accidently dimmed your fire when he was lowering your energy levels.”
“What are you doing?” she demanded, with a tone of hostility, as he grabbed the corner of the sheet.
“If I don’t warm you up, your internal fire will be extinguished. It can be potentially fatal. If that happens your parents will have my head.”
“If you are going to do, what I think you are going to do, then I will hit you.” He pulled back the sheets. He knew it was an empty threat.
“You’ll thank me for this,” he explained. She looked back and rolled her eyes.
“Did you have to remove you shirt?” He snorted then moved in against her.
“My stomach is warmer than my shirt.” When he pressed himself against her, he pulled away when he felt how cold she was. Although hesitant at first, Isildilia huddled close to him, to gain his warmth
“Ouch, can you turn over,” he winced.
“Why?”
“Your tail spines are digging into my groin.” She flipped over and rested her head on his chest, the warmth comforting against her cheek.
“Is that better?” she asked. He didn’t say anything, but she could feel his heart racing under his skin. He slowly ran his fingers through her hair, letting the tendrils fall onto her face. She could slowly feel the heat returning to her body. He was so warm.
Isildilia’s nose twitched as she caught a whiff of Valin’s scent. Her head whirled. She hadn’t noticed before but, it smelt so...nice. Yes, she thought, this is the one I want. Something strange stirred inside her. Before she knew it, she put her hand on his chest, then slowly lent in and kissed his smooth skin. She started to move further upwards until Valin flinched and pulled away. She could feel his heart beat uncontrollably. Then without thinking, she reached for his face and planted her lips upon his. His whole body jolted and he let out a muffle of surprise, but seconds later he returned her gesture. Heat rushed through her body and she reckless pushed him further, but then he pulled away.
What are you doing? White Lily demanded, forcing her to yank backwards.
She put her head against his chest again, wondering what brought that stupid behaviour about. She had never acted that way around Valin before. The sudden rush of heat had vanished, leaving her shivering again.
“I'm sorry,” she told him, through chattering teeth. He cleared his throat before speaking.
“You should get some sleep; you are going to have a very busy day tomorrow. The fever should be gone by then.”
Isildilia bustled about, getting things ready to leave. She wore a pair of trousers, stitched from fine, black leather. She had a new shirt, which had no back material to it, holding up by the material around her neck. She had an arrangement of small pouches tied to her waist, containing any small essential item she may need. She had her sword strapped to her waist and her quiver tied on top of her cloak. She was leaning over to tie up her boots when Valin stepped up beside her. She didn’t even sense him come into the room.
“What is it?” she grumbled, she didn’t like being woken up so early. He remained silent. She stood upright, and the moment she did, he put his arms around her.
“Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I'm always careful,” she huffed. Valin laughed, the first time she had heard him laugh in a long time. “What’s so funny? Of course I’ll be careful.” He gave a slight squeeze.
“I know.” Valin didn’t see her outside the house, but said he’d remain behind to tidy up and see the house removed.
Outside the door her guards saluted her, in a human-like manner.
“We will be waiting for your return,” said Grey Paw. She climbed onto Dillith’s back, who was also sat waiting for her. She turned around and took her away without haste.
“So how will I be getting to this place?” she asked. “You’ve still yet to explain what it is I'm doing.”
“I will take you there and explain once we arrive,” Dillith told her. She increased her speed suddenly, making Isildilia yelp in surprise. Each bound covered a distance faster than any horse could run, but made her jolt violently from her perch. She feared that she would accidently land on one of her mother’s spikes. The tunnel she ran down was straight, and widened out until she could see the glow of natural light. They were outside within two minutes. She didn’t give time for Isildilia to react to the sudden daylight of an early morning, which made her vision burn and flash with red spots.
Then, without warning, and without stopping, she unfurled her wings like great sails and leapt into the air. The shock almost knocked Isildilia off her mother’s back, squealing in both terror and delight. Each wing beat took her higher and higher, as well as increasing the pressure on her chest and head. Once at a stable height, she levelled off and drifted away from the mountain. Isildilia clasped onto the spike in front of her for dear life. The scales rubbed against her trousers as her body moved up and down, threatening to tear the material. She was glad she didn’t eat anything this morning, as her stomach felt like it was left behind. She didn’t mind flying on her own, but this was the first time flying like this and it made her feel very insecure. Each flap of Dillith’s wings rocked all the muscles in her shoulders, shifting beneath Isildilia hips. It was like trying to sit on a rolling wave.
“Where are we going?” she wheezed, hoping the Dillith could hear above the wind.
“We are going to the Black Forest, near the eastern mountain ring. We shall meet the others there.”
“Is that the ‘Sacred Forest’? I thought you mentioned taking me there.”
“No, that is the forest to the north. We decided to start here first, it’s not as wild.” She tried to hold her wildly flapping cloak close, to help keep her warm and to stop it tugging back on her neck. She looked behind to see the mountain disappearing behind a masking blanket of clouds. It didn’t feel right, leaving everyone else behind. Valin, she believed could cope, but Froyza would be very upset, and Dakelo... She sighed deeply. Things just never turn out right.
Dillith flew for an hour, covering a distance that would have taken her days to ride. Luckily the skies remained calm, without any disturbing current to overthrow them. Dillith dove out of the clouds to reveal another forest below. Isildilia shook her head to relieve herself of the droplets that collected over her then looked down.
She had never seen a forest from this view before, as she always flew at night. It reminded her of moss on a rock. A mixture of greens and browns, no two trees next to each other were the same shade of colour. There were black patches occasional, which were the gaps in the canopy. Dillith descended at such a speed Isildilia started to lift off her perch. She squealed as they dropped and she detected a flicker of joy from Dillith in response. A clearing was just visible below them, opening up to the dark blanket below.
Dillith unfurled her wings to the safest width and tilted her front up, to land with her back legs first. Isildilia wasn’t sure whether or not she landed much harder than she intended, as the land shook and the trees rippled when she slammed down on the floor. Whole colonies of birds took off in shock, their shrieks echoed through the air in an orchestra of piercing sounds. Isildilia looked around.
Out of all the forests she has been through, this was the murkiest. The giant trees here all hung with long vines and moss; each one had its branches, roots and, in some cases, their trunks wrapped around another. It all formed a long complex path system. Very little light filter through the incredible dense canopy. The enclosing atmosphere had the hairs on her neck prickling.
“And I'm to remain here...how long?” she asked.
“Until we see fit.”
“So, what do I do?”
“Anything you need to survive.” Her nose twitched and she looked around. “Here they are.” Isildilia wasn’t surprised to see who it was. It was the children she met from before, the newest volunteers. All five of them came running when they heard them arrive. Each child carried a small knife strapped to their waist, and she could see Snoli carried a miniature bow. They were all dressed in the same manner of clothes as she was.
“The maximum amount of time we will leave you here is four full moons. Unless something happens, you will have no contact from us.” They all nodded. Isildilia descended from her mother’s back and stepped far away, to allow her to take off. “Please be careful,” Dillith told her. Unfurling her wings, she took one final glance at Isildilia, before letting out a ground-shaking roar and leaping into the sky.
It wasn’t what she would call a ‘tidy take-off’, as branches and leaves rained down upon them when she passed the canopy. She looked around her small troop. They all stared up at her, waiting for her to decide what to do, although Snoli was busy picking leaves out of his hair. She could see it in their eyes, they were scared. She realised the responsibility handed to her. Not only did she have to prove she can survive on her own, but she was left with the protection of the children.
It’s all a big test, she realised.
“What shall we do first?” Snoli asked when she still hadn’t made a move. Isildilia looked around; the whole place seemed very insecure. Anything could be hiding in the tall, dense undergrowth or in the hidden branches above them.
“Well the best idea, I think, is to find somewhere to act as our shelter. Somewhere suitable since we will be here for months, I suggest off the ground, in the tree tops.” Walking up to the nearest one, Isildilia placed her hand against the bark. She was surprised to see that the trees here were slightly sticky. She removed her hand from it, which glistened in a clear substance for a few seconds, before disappearing. It was like a pale tree sap. She removed her boots and socks and stuffed them in her pack and jumped against it. She stuck onto the side of the tree; it was strong enough to hold her weight. However, she found she could easily remove her hands and feet and place them elsewhere. She laughed and started to climb. The children followed her lead. Climbing the tree reminded her of ants, scrabbling up the side of their nest. The trunk’s sticky substance allowed them to climb inhumanly up into the complex structure.
Once there were high enough they started to walk along the long, branching pathways. They couldn’t tell where one branch finished and another began, their feet remaining firmly on the wood without fear of falling. They walked for miles, losing all idea of direction and time. Eventually they had to sit down, especially as the children were tiring. Isildilia searched through the higher branches for fruits that she knew were safe from her studies, cutting them open, she passed pieces around.
“So-she said through a muffled mouth-I know that you, Jundi, are a jungle-tiger. But what are the rest of you?”
“I'm a phoenix,” said Snoli
“I'm a skydiver,” said the black haired boy called Plireth.
“I'm a Laqutinh,” said Ferica, a timid blond-haired girl.
“And I'm a franuthi,” finished Grillio. Isildilia had no idea what they even were, but she pretended to understand.
“Grόliesa, why did you choose to become human?” Jundi asked. She looked at all of their gazing faces.
“To help end the war,” she said simply. “What about you, what reasons do you have?”
“Some of us had nothing to lose. And it was easier to care for all our needs if we were all able to turn into the same species. For example; a Laqutinh cannot survive out of the water. Now she can like this.” Ferica nodded in agreement.
“Grόliesa, are humans…scary?” Ferica whispered. Isildilia looked at her and Ferica flinched back from her stare.
“Scary?” her question surprised her.
“We hear stories of humans all the time, that they are scary monsters who would kill us without question.” She glanced down and a smile of amusement crossed her lips.
“I guess that can be said, but it’s because the humans are afraid of things that are different. Some humans are scary, but not all of them. One even came back with me and is currently living in the Crystal Mountain. Hell, even for a while, I thought I was a human.” They suddenly dove into questions on what humans were like, knowing she wasn’t afraid to answer. It went on for so long she didn’t realise how dark it was getting. Suddenly she realised they could hardly see a few metres ahead. No more than an hour could have passed, but in the already dark world of under the trees, light didn’t last long. Isildilia blinked heavily, but even she couldn’t see all too well.
“What do we do now?” worried Jundi.
“I think we should...” Without a sound, the whole forest lit up before their eyes in bright gold. Every branch was dotted with hundreds of fireflies. Jundi silently padded towards one and batted it with her he hand. As one took off, so did the rest, forming a huge golden wave of light, before landing almost instantly.
“So pretty,” she said. Isildilia had to agree.
I've got an idea, said White Lily, let me take control. She handed over control without asking, shivering as White Lily’s presence slipped into hers.
Isildilia cleared her throat. Then she started to shrill a small song, keeping it very simple for the insects. One by one, they peeled away from their resting places and formed a long chain of golden light.
“What did you ask them?” Grillio asked. White Lily remained in control for a few seconds as she explained to both the children and to Isildilia.
She smiled. “I asked whether or not they knew somewhere to stay- She picked up her pack- better keep up.” They ran through the trees, ignoring their tiring muscles as they followed the glowing ribbon of light. It illuminated the forest around them in a comforting glow. Creatures that got caught in it, watched them go by with curiosity. The impression the vast swarm gave reminded her of the entrails left by the spirits.
Soon the swarm slowed down, and looped around. They dropped to ground level and waited. Once they had all descended, the swarm continued to move on. They tried to keep up the best they could, scrambling over the entanglement of roots. Some were curved up out of the ground, in loops so high they could easily walk underneath, like there was a lack of room in the ground to contain it all. Isildilia leapt over one and suddenly found her foot plunged into water. She leapt back and so did the children.
“What is it?” asked Plireth
“It’s a lake or a swamp. I can't see clearly.” The swarm moved on and formed a huge halo of gold and lowered to about eye level.
It was a small lake and situated in the centre, on a platform of earth, was one large tree. It could easily be a guardian tree due to its abnormal size. The branches curled upward like a bowl, forming a nice secure nest.
“It’s perfect. But how will we reach it?”
“I'm not much of a swimmer,” said Jundi. White Lily jumped forwards and whistled another note to the group, asking for a suggestion. The swarm hovered closer to the water, illuminating the surface. Dotted around were a series of small mossy mounds, each on within leaping distance of another. In addition, the tree’s huge roots occasionally snaked above the water, to provide somewhere else to stand. Isildilia went first testing out each mound and root for security. The rest followed.
Once they leapt across the lake, and stood on the small island where the tree resided, the swarm dispersed. They returned back into the tree tops, flickering like miniature stars. They climbed the enormous trunk and squeezed between the branches. Where the branches reached the trunk they levelled out, forming a relatively flat platform. They all removed their packs and stashed them in a high, empty hollow. Luckily the platform was covered in a thick bed of moss. Grillio jumped up and down on the established bed. Satisfied, he sat down and curled up, drifting off almost instantly. The others did the same, but Isildilia didn’t feel like sleeping just yet. She had to check this was a safe location.
She decided to climb higher; she forced her way through the dense canopy until she broke through. She stood balanced on the top branches for a moment to catch her breath. The cool nightly current passed over her. Crouching down low, she leapt up and soared into the night. It wouldn’t be hard to find her way back. The tree was the only one in a clearing. The lake formed an open ring around the tree, in which no other branches from nearby trees could reach or touch it. Should be safe from some predators, she thought.
She did a couple of acrobatics in the air, twisting and turning like a ghost. But the whole time she wished that Valin was there with her.
No point dwelling on him now. He’s got his purpose and you’ve got yours, said a mournful White Lily.
You’ll miss him too? She could tell that White Lily didn’t want to admit it herself. She didn’t stay adrift for long before turning around and returning. She remained nestled amongst the tree tops, crouched with just her head exposed. She wanted to see what inhabits the skies here at night. She remained motionless for many minutes, waiting, deadly still.
It wasn’t long until she spotted something. At first she almost missed spotting it. It was a nightstalker. It was completely camouflaged into the sky; even its movements didn’t portray its existence. What gave it away was the full moon, illuminating its thick muscles along its back. She could only just see its wings; which were paper thin and transparent, like a ghost. It opened its huge, flat beak and released a haunting shriek as it flew close to her head. She knew it was just a warning, and it had no intention of having a fight. Isildilia ducked back in and slid down the branches. When she reached the platform, all the children were awake, staring wide-eyed in fear. They must have heard the shriek.
“What was that?” Jundi squeaked.
“It’s just a lonely nightstalker. Nothing to worry about.”
“We were scared. We woke up and you were gone.” Isildilia settled down in the centre and they crowded around her.
“Let’s just try to get some sleep. I'm not going anywhere.”
Next morning, she asked for them show her what their real forms looked like.
Snoli’s form was that of a magnificent orange bird; his very wings were on fire as well as the elongated, decorative feathers on his tail. Standing on the floor, the top of his head reached Isildilia’s shoulder. Grillio was a reptile, which stood tall on his hind legs. He was pale brown in colour and had two sets of arms nestled close to each other, but his back legs were thick and muscular. His tail was thick and heavy to keep him balanced, to composite for the size of his beak-like jaw.
Ferica was a water type. She had blue segmented scales leading down to her tail, which didn’t fan out at the end like Lord Yui. Instead she had two long, strange fin-like appendages which extended from half way down. She also had two more rounded ones on the top of her head, which she originally thought were ears. Her top half had smooth blue scales, almost like skin. Her eyes were yellow and had slits similar to a frog’s. The whole design of her body made her appear very streamline for swimming.
Plireth has a long snake-like body, with no back legs; he had a face and front legs much like a bird and ears like a goblin. The lower part of his body was lined with fan-like appendages to help him glide was well as a paddle-like tail.
Interesting, she thought, at least one from each nature.