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14

14

  I fall to the ground, heaving. My body heaves and my wings flail around. My vision flickers and I feel a rough scream exit my system. I grip the earth, heart beating my heart in twenteith time, then stopping completely, repeating every five minutes or so. The former lastes longer than the latter, causing my body to go into a form of shock. I start to shake, my arms a pale white. I hear a small voice crying, “VIENNA! VIEENNNAAAA!” My heart shatters into a million pieces. My body convulses, and goes numb on the forest floor. I feel nothing, but I know it would hurt if I could feel it. I lay there, prone and paralyzed, for unmeasured eternities before I feel my body again. It’s much bigger now, and I notice my perspective is skewed a bit. I tip my head and feel my jaw against the ground. I push myself up,and sway like a drunk. I shake myself off and stretch. I then notice how I’m on my hands and knees. I push myself up and use my wings for balance. I wander around the woods, following my internal compass. I soon find myself in front of a strange, colourful, wall of watery shit. I rush to it and trip on something. I feel myself step on it and my spine ignites. I roar in pain and roll forward. I plow through the water thing and a brand new world is before me. I gape at what I see now. I’m standing in a cave, but it feels oddly homey in here. I could live here. I go to a  rock and go to move it. I move my arms out and scream in alarm. Clawed, scaley paws extend out and push the cool stone. I need to find a lake to look into, and see what that queer thing did to me. I storm out of the cave and notice that I’m not tripping anymore, but I have four paws on the stone floor now. It’s oddly comfortable, so I go with it. I guess I have to, because I can’t fix this without some magical assistance. I then notice something dragging behind me. I realize I can control it, and wave it around. I draw it into sight, and examine it with my paw. I pat it and realize what this odd thing is. This is a tail. I have a fucking tail. What did that do to me? Why can’t I have a normal life? I go to the edge of the cliff and look out over the horizon. My claws dig into the cliff edge and my wings expand out. The coldness bristles over me and I shake my body out. A million windchimes call in perfect harmony, and I feel something shifting on my skin. I coil my back legs, the tension like a spring. I put my weight on the spring and my front claws burrow into the rocks. I bear my teeth, and run my tounge over them. Sharp canines appear under my tounge and my mind begins to put together what I might be. Scales, wings, tail, four legs, sharp teeth, all I need is an image of my head and I’ll know for sure what I turned into. I wiggle my rump and release all that tension. My wings go up, the muscles flexing in such a wonderous fashion. My tail lashes a bit, and my legs all tuck into my body. I flap confidently, andd decide to survey this area. Maybe there’s a House Keeper who can help me! The thought pushes me North. I’ll either reach mountains or civilization. Suddenly, my brain stops listening to my thoughts and swoops my to the East. I fly fast and true, my body out of my control. FIND HER. FIND HER. FIND HER. I struggle my mind back into my control after that disturbing episode, and fly to the East. I land on a castle folly, and roar into the sky. I feel something stick my neck and I paw it away. I flare my wings and roar again. A man rushes out, the aura of a mortal around him. He stares at me with horror, mouth like a trout. I flap my wings and roar with fury. He calls, “ALEX! COME HERE! YOUR CALL WORKED!”  A snotty brat trots out and I feel something dribble down my jaw. I bare my teeth and arch my back. She seems offended, but pleased with herself. I could just slap the smile off her face with my tail. I look for any weaponry on my tail. Just a pair cresent shapes end my tail, the end looking like a gaint +. I lash it forward, realizing how sharp the ends are. My wings flap too, and I hear the man whisper, “What breed does that call say its’ for?”

      The snotty brat quakes, “Th...the…. The rarest br...breed…” The man seems even more frightened now by me. I sneer and lean forwards on the roof. I hear bricks creaking and smile cruelly. This is fun. The father turns to her.