The ShapeShifters Book Two

Lessons Begin

 "Normally I would have you morph and then I would carry you, but it doesn't seem like you can do that, so I'll have to do with this combination of morphs." Chris looked over at the ocean. "It isn't too far away-"

"Chris," Ryan interrupted from Christopher's shoulder. "Have you seen your muscles recently? You can easily carry anyone."

Chris laughed at that and looked at the bat upon his shoulder. "I didn't always look like this. I was the runt in my family."

Ollie wondered how Chris was going to carry him as Nick left in the boat, paddling with gusto. Poor Nick, it must be so hard that he couldn't fly when everyone else could.

"I'll try to gain time by running through the wooded stretch." Nick called out as he started to become smaller and smaller, at a surprisingly fast rate.

"You ready?" Chris picked Ollie up easily and launched into the air. Using two arms, Chris made sure he was balancing Ollie's weight evenly.

"Do you do this a lot?" Ollie asked from his position. He was kind of curled up, Chris's hand beneath his wings, and the other one on the underside of his knees.

"No, why?" Chris easily flapped high above the fluffy clouds. The balls of cotton were spruced about, tufts of them spreading like cotton candy the mid-day sun illuminating the water vapor. The clouds might look fluffy, but Ollie knew from personal experience that they were moist and clung to one's skin.

"Because you're holding a human, a bat, and yourself on wings you didn't know you could use while in human form." Ollie turned his head to see the gorgeous view below him.

"Can you go slower X?" Ryan shouted as he frantically held onto the fabric of Chris's shirt. Chris paused in the air, flapping his wings rapidly to stay in place. Taking advantage of the still air, Ryan flew into Ollie's hands. "This will sound weird, but can you hold me so I don't go flying away?"

Ollie simply nodded and carefully gripped the tiny bat that was Ryan. Once Chris saw that Ryan was safe, he angled himself again and glided.

"Nick will meet us in an hour probably," Chris told Ollie. "He can only go so fast in morph."

"So what am I doing?" Ollie asked as they flew straight through a cloud.

"You're going to be trained by Thomas and myself." Chris dove towards the ground, aiming for a quaint lodge.

Chris hovered again, letting his wings vaporize with such grace. When Ollie thought about it, Chris wasn't his age, twenty six. If it wasn't evident of the crinkles around his eyes, Chris looked to be in his mid-forties. He carried himself in a way of someone with confidence and wisdom. Ollie found himself wanting to be like Chris, especially since he was more graceful in his shapeshifting.

Ryan transformed back accidentally while still in Ollie's hands. He ended up slightly crushing Ollie, who let out a gasp of shock. Smiling, Chris helped both of them up, teasing Ryan a little in the process.

"Maybe wait till the person who is carrying you lets you go?"

Ryan took the teasing and laughed hard. It was easy to see that all the people Ollie had met so far had close bonds. Must have to do with nearly getting killed by the same person.

Whoosh.

"What was that?" Ollie tilted his head towards the lodge. "Sounded like fire."

"Probably Thomas," Ryan shrugged as he walked up the wooden steps to the door.

"Wait, two things. Does Thomas live here, and does he normally play with fire?" Ollie was less inclined to enter the building.

"Yes and yes." Chris gestured for Ollie to walk up to the front. "We all live here, but everyone else is off in the different areas right now. They will be back by dark."