Quadrant Feathers

Chapter 18 "Fly With Me For The Evening~"

Phandrin walked along the path quietly determined to get to the track so he could learn to use his wings.

It was only about an hour or so ago since he had left Kwared alone in his room. He hoped the boy would be alright, his wings even seemed brighter in color which was a good sign.

As he got to the track he noticed a boy who's hair seemed to float upwards, two antennae like lines coming from his cheeks.

He continued forward as the person turned to him with a wave. A large indent ran from their eye to their jaw as another person stepped out from behind them.

"Hii, I'm Quarts, are you the prey that had helped me and my friends get out of that facility?" The person asked as Phandrin smiled nodding.

"Yeah, I'm Phandrin, I'm a mountain goat,"

"Oh well I'm a shrimp, this is Sillis, a king cobra," Phandrin glanced at the other boy with a smile.

"I'm glad you guys seem alright, have you been recovering well?" Phandrin asked as Sillis shrugged.

"We're alright, the fox got it the worst since he was put in the containment, but we only have a few injuries and sessions to attend," the snake said. Phandrin noticed a slight lisp as he smiled.

"That's good that you guys only sustained minor injuries, I do hope Kwared is all right though," Phandrin paused as the shrimp nodded.

"He was in the facility as a child too if I remember right, he was on the news when he left, something about a teenager being found stranded out on in the middle of nowhere to die. It didn't mention anything about the facility, they said they didn't know anything. Word around the facility and us, apparently he got kicked out after falling a rape victim to one of the doctors," the shrimp said grinning as the snake elbowed him.

"Oh, sorry.. that's not my place to speak on," he huffed rubbing his neck as the snake nodded.

"Oh uh, I don't mind actually knowing whether would really help me," Phandrin mused as Quarts glanced at Sillis nervously.

"Well, he was in the facility and they did blood and body tests to him usually, just a scrapegoat.." Quarts said pausing as he thought.

"Blood tests are when they infuse your blood with toxins to see how your body reacts different than a normal humans, body tests are usually mutilation of the animal appendages or the normal human body to see again, how it reacts" Sillis cut in as Quarts nodded.

"Yeah, he had those and the white room tests. Everyone who went in the white room though usually left screaming being dragged by the doctors, Kwared ended up used to it being able to leave with only the dissociation and hallucinations," Quarts said spinning his hand beside his head in a "cookoo" manner.

Sillis slapped the boys hand down as Quarts laughed quietly apologising.

"Sorry if we don't seem too upset, people like us are desensitized to emotional vulnerability," the shrimp said tilting his head to the side.

"Most predators are, naturally," Sillis said as Phandrin cringed before nodding slowly.

"Anyways, after a while this one doctor came constantly for Kwared, the other doctors didn't really question it until Kwared came from the white room crying, he never did that," Quarts said tapping his chin.

"We found out later that the person had raped him multiple times, Kwared was then given 'special tesing', and I never saw him again till a few days ago. I was surprised to see your quadrant 4 master, he broke out of the facility a few years ago. Kwared almost made it too, but they managed to shock paralyze him and lock him in solitary confinement for a few weeks," Phandrins ears perked at the mention of Kertia, his gut shifting at the rest.

"Ah, well thank-you, I'll be sure to talk to him, and Kertia about this," Phandrin nodded as Quarts smiled.

"Why are you here?" Sillis asked bluntly as Quarts looked at him blankly.

"Sorry about him hehe, he can be rude," he said as Phandrin shrugged.

"You all must be wary, I'm just here to learn how to use my wings," Phandrin said as Quarts jumped up.

"So are we! We never got a chance to in that facility," he smiled brightly as Sillis placed a hand on his shoulder.

Phandrin nodded glancing down the track with a determined look.

"Alright, I might as well start practicing now then, wanna join?" Phandrin hummed as Quarts looked to Sillis before nodding.

"I have take off down, Sillis can fly since we have been here for a while but I can't stay in the air yet, we can show you how to take off," Quarts said waving his hands around.

"Alright, let's begin then,"

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Phandrin watched Sillis as he started the show on take-off.

"Just watch okay?" Sillis said as Phandrin nodded. Sillis ran a moment before opening his wingspan as wide as he could. It caused backlash for a second as he brought them both up and then down again quickly. He jumped up as the air caught in the wings boosting him.

Phandrin watched his wings flap quickly as he caught air before slowly to a subtle flap, he was now soaring around above the track.

He took notice of the boy's tail aiding him in steering as he watched the boy come to a landing. As Sillis landed Phandrin smiled ready to try for himself.

"It looks easy, I know it does but It comes much harder than it seems," Quarts smiled nervously.

"Ok, then I'll keep trying till I get it," he smiled at Quarts who nodded. He copied Sillis starting with a small jog before opening his wings as wide as possible. He felt the backlash as he brought his wings down.

Phandrin felt his wings flap off beat because of the wind as he braced for impact. He felt his body hit the cement as he groaned sitting up.

Quarts ran over to him as he heard a few other pairs of footsteps appear and a familiar cackle.

"Ohh heyyyy, it's the nice goat guy we met!" The hyena boy laughed as Quarts helped Phandrin up.

Phandrin glanced up seeing Sillis and Quarts as well as Azvameth, Icarius, Q'erda and a boy with black hair that almost went over his eyes before shooting to the side.

"Oh.. hey guys, what's up?" Phandrin smiled reddening from embarrassment brushing off the dust.

"We saw you try to take off and then you horribly failed hehehe-ouCH-" Icarius was cut off by one of Q'erda's legs hitting him over the head.

"We wanted to join you, our new friends here don't know how to fly either," Azvameth smiled stepping away from a couple people who stood behind them.

"This is Vadiran, a crow and Poisen, a leopard," Azvameth waved as Phandrin recognized then from the facility.

"Hii, I'm Phandrin, me and Kertia are the ones from the facility," Phandrin smiled as Vadiran smiled back. Posein stayed quiet not moving.

"Hii, sorry Posein is quiet, and yes I'm Vadiran, we wanna learn to fly as well," he said as Phandrin nodded glancing at the big group around him now.

He recalled Metis and Holly as a flash of a circle of people. He stood surrounded by kids laughing at him, name-calling and pulling at his horns as he tried to move from the crowd. He was shoved down as another kid kicked dirt into his face sticking to the tears that streamed down.

'orphan'

..

He tried to ignore the memory as he nodded, ready to try again.

"I'm sure we will all get it,".