I was woken from my deep sleep to the sound of drilling and sawing.
Bee was the first person I saw when I lifted my head to inspect the noise. The other was another young man who most certaintly was not Maitson.
His head was shaved short and had a long scar running through the skin on the right side. His long green jacket had fun wooden buttons dangling from it that I tried to grab with my lips. When that didn't work, I moved down his black longs to his laces to snag one in my teeth and tug it out of its loop.
"She's a curious one" Bee laughed at the man who groaned at the inconvenience "always has been."
"She's getting in the way" the man huffed, shoving my face away when I went for his other lace "we need to get this door done a-sap."
A door?
My old one was gone completely to be replaced with a new black one. This one had a fancy smaller door in the bottom of it that both men were busy screwing the hinges onto so it could flap upwards.
It was a big hatch, but not nearly big enough for me to climb through. Maybe the top of my snout would fit, but that would be pushing it.
"Food comes in, eggs come out" the man explained to me when I took in the scent of the metal screws and breaking wood around them "no need to come into the room after this. No-one else will be getting hurt."
Bee peered at my injury guiltily. I didn't try to approach him to comfort him since he was still armed. The gun glinted against his hip, as did the stranger's.
I sat down to watch the men continue thier work as quickly as they could. Each time the small door was lifted, I could see feet gathered around the other side to watch.
The scent of sweet cherries and sage was there. I couldn't pick up on copper amongst the three I was already so fond of.
"This is wrong and you know it" Mushroom scowled through the gap "you can't trap a creature in a room like that."
"She literally can't use this door!" the stranger snapped the door shut in his face "this is to keep you lot out! Last thing we need is more mess because of someone going where they shouldn't."
That caught my attention.
Had my babies wondering near my room this whole time? It sounded like a few had made attempts to get in.
It mustn't have been successful; I had never heard anything happening on the other side.
"She's getting too bold" Bee bent down to speak to Mushroom when he was revealed again "in all the years, she has never destroyed anything in this place or acted like she is."
"It's only because you attacked her" Mushroom pouted back and was snapped out of sight again "she's here to defend us and that's what she is doing! She shouldn't be punished for that!"
Punished?
I had to laugh. How could a replaced door be punishment for me? Sure, I couldn't fit out of it; as I hadn't for years now, but I still had my ledge and freedom of flight. I would have to sort out the bullet still in my body when I could so it didn't affect my movement. The thing would be a nuisance in trying to clear the ledge properly.
"All done" the stranger smiled at the door he banged on with satisfaction "out you go."
Bee slid through the hatch and collected the tools the stranger passed to him. He turned to me and snapped his fingers before pointing to the ground.
"Roll those eggs over here" he barked "and don't try anything stupid, Scala."
So demanding. I didn't like this new man already. At least Maitson had treated me with respect and kindness; and he was the one who drew a gun on me. This man obviously thought he was above me.
Maybe he thought he was the guardian here?
That thought had to dissappear quickly.
I shoved the eggs to him and saw him stagger back when they hit his legs. He grunted and groaned when he rolled them out the hatch and to Bee.
His struggle made me smile. There was no way someone as weak as him could protect anything. I would have to keep reminding him how pityful he was to put him back in his place.
"No wonder she's the way she is!" I heard Mushroom immediently protest "she's got her own children to protect, and you are just stealing them!"
"Relax, kid" Bee soothed "they're blanks. Scala's never had a mate to give her a reason to get this broody."
The silence from Mushroom spoke volumes. I could picture him now battling with his thoughts as he just watched the eggs roll past him.
There were seven now in total that passed through the hatch with ease. They were crowding my nest that I wanted back. The old eggs were nothing to me now; I wanted to replace them with beautiful new ones I could smother until the urge died off with them too.
It was a vicious cycle, but it was the closest I was going to get without risking another gunshot.
I wasn't going to drag any human into my nest when I could have my safe fantasies to curl up around.
The man slid through the hatch that I shoved my snout against as it snapped shut for the last time.
I could hear something snapping into place over the hatch before more banging echoed through the room.
The noise was everywhere. It drilled down my ears and flicked against my eardrums in painful waves.
It didn't sound like the man was trying to be gentle either. He was really slamming each stroke into his hammering without hesitation.
I took to the skies to relieve myself from the noise still pounding through the air.
The balcony was my only escape other than the roof of the mansion itself. I didn't trust the strength of it though; it's old age was sure to have weathered away at the supports up there.
The balcony however was very sturdy. It had gigantic concrete pillars below it to help support its sheer size and create a protective roof over the front doors of the mansion itself.
It was exactly where I wanted to be as I waited for the men to leave.
Sure enough, I heard them chattering away to the carers only moments later. Five more followed behind with a single massive egg nestled in thier arms.
Bee left first to head towards the black car parked further down the pebble driveway. The stranger followed after, with the escorting carers lined behind him.
I watched the stranger intently. He was so focused on his march to the car with his prize that he almost didn't hear Bee calling for him to turn around.
He did as he was instructed, and I saw his eyes immediently dart up to me nervously. Bee was unfazed as he smiled and waved hugely to me.
I spread my wings out to thier extent and snapped my neck forward as I screamed out at the stranger.
I saw his body jolt in fear at the splitting noise before his grip faltered on the egg to drop it.
The scales around it protected the fragile interior, but the blow onto the pebbles had created a fracture in it that oozed along the ground.
Bee laughed at the man rushing past him. The carers were also giggling at his panicked antics that had him shoving the egg into the car and screaming at the others to do the same.
"CURSE YOU, YOU DAMN BEAST!" the man jabbed a finger up at me furiously.
"She's only having fun, Monty" Bee chuckled back "she likes you."
Like hell I did.
I waited for the eggs to be loaded and for the man to have his head dipped within the car while he wrapped them up to scream out again.
I laughed when he jolted upwards and hit his head on the metal. I heard more laughter and looked beside me to find Mushroom standing there.
"That was a good one" he wiped his eyes.
"I'm glad you think so" I smiled at him.
He tapped my side and gestured for me to lower my head to him.
"You know what will really be funny?" he whispered into my ear.
I looked at him with curiosity. He had a sly grin on his face when he got me to lower for him again.
"Start saying some random words to him."
I pulled from him and tilted my head.
Random words?
"Go on" he nudged me and raised his hands high to press his palms to each other.
"What are they doing?" I heard the stranger huff, pointing at us "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Do it" Mushroom urged with his eyes closed.
How on earth was this going to achieve anything? What exactly was it going to achieve?
"PEBBLES!" I shouted out, glancing to Mushroom who nodded "Clouds, aprons, car!"
"Looks like she's cursing you, Monty" Bee laughed now "she really does like you!"
I liked the way Monty ran like a fool around the car, slipping and skidding in the pebbles while I chanted my random words to him.
He was very good at being stupid. I would have to keep him around for entertainment.
"Cat, sky, horse!" I snapped to him "lumps, people, birds!"
Bee threw a thumbs up to us when Monty threw himself into the driver's side and tried to get the car started. Bee's face was wide with amusement when he watched us from the inside of his window that quickly turned out of view when Monty sped away.
"We did it!" Mushroom peeked at the car in its plume of dusty smoke "good job, Scala!"
"That was fun" I admitted to his smiling face "even though I can't do anything like that."
"Scala" he tapped my side again lightly "I can't understand you."
I felt my bubble of happiness burst when I remembered. In the moment, I really thought I had been having a bonding moment with Mushroom; that somehow he understood me and was smiling because of it.
But, no. I was just making noises to him. His smile was of what he thought he had achieved in the situation we had shared.
It really made me feel so lonely, despite being right beside him and seeing him babbling to more branded children who swarmed him.
I leapt from the balcony to hover away from it to take in the scene of them gathered around him.
"Scala!" Mushroom called out and waved his hand "come here!"
What was the point? Just to be put on show and marveled at like a dumb animal? To have everyone stare at me, even though none of them would understand how much I loved them?
No.
I sailed off to leave them behind. The wind whipping around me when I dived and darted through the sky aimlessly, tears pickling in my eyes.
Years ago, all of the land I sailed over would have thrilled me immensely. But I knew all of it now. I knew the bends in the river and where it branched off at the third turn. I knew the five paddocks of animals peeling from it, and the mismatched colours of property nestled around it.
I knew where the nearest town was, where they held thier markets in the square, where a massive orchard of apples grew, and where the mountains hid thier caves.
There was nothing left there anymore. It was just all the same surroundings. Sometimes a part of it would change every so often, but that was rare.
Humans liked thier routines and habits too much to change.
And then there was the mansion. They changed too much. They didn't have routines or habits like the ones out here did. The children were left to thier own until it was ready to feed or find them.
The scents were always changing. I never used to care for them when the thrill of adventure was coursing through my veins. It had been easier then too. I didn't care what they thought about me since they never saw me.
But now that I was older and had been forced out of what was familiar, I was becoming doubtful of myself. It was much harder when I saw the children and formed my own connections with them. Having an actual scent and voice to the things I had only been shown before in photos had made me greedy.
I had done this to myself. I was only upset now because I kept seeking them out. Of course nobody was going to understand me; they didn't need to.
They just needed a guardian and nothing more.
I couldn't do that though. They were the closest things I had to a family of my own. It was already starting to cost me; first was the barricaded door and next could be my ledge.
If that was taken from me, I truly would have no hope or purpose left.
Mushroom was still waiting for me when I returned. I went to head to my ledge until I saw him standing on the balcony, waving up to me enthusiastically.
It was already night too. Darkness blanketed everything that wasn't bathed in the soft glow of moonlight from the large, full moon.
Mushroom held a glowing jar close when I dropped down beside him. He gestured for me to follow him into the room where he was arranging his own circle.
Was he nesting as well? It didn't look very comfortable and was far too large of someone his size.
"You need to shrink this" I offered and pushed one of the pillars of crystal he had placed on the ground with my nose "you aren't going to keep anything warm like that."
"Scala" he giggled, grabbing the pillar to replace it "don't move anything, please."
I huffed at his nest and stood there, watching him fix it.
Multiple pillars of crystal were spread in the circle he built. Glowing jars were speckled amongst them with empty crystal bowls. There was a black bowl burning in the middle with a thick white stick twined with string. The strong, smokey smell it gave off was exactly like that on Mushroom's skin.
So that's what actual sage looked like. I had only seen the ground herb a few times in food I had been given as a baby. Once I got old enough to fly though, the food and the sage stopped.
"You need to move out of the moonlight" he spoke quietly while placing multiple branches of herbs amongst the circle.
I slid over to his side and saw him pouring pink salt into delicate patterns linking the crystals and jars with halos around them. He finished by pouring some into his hands and making a mark down his forehead with it before stripping off his shirt and taking his place in the middle halo.
Was he trying to hatch crystals with his body warmth? The jars didn't even have anything inside them to develop life. How could he do it without being close to them?
"Will you offer me one of your scales?" he held out a hand "I could really get some power from armour of a skyward beast."
"You watch your tone" I scowled back to him when I held out my tail "beast; I'm more than that, Mushroom."
"Bless you" he smiled with his scale held up to the moonlight casting over his circle "and thank you."
"You are just lucky I like you."
He smirked at me then closed his eyes and began to chant quietly. Unlike our ridiculous nonsense words before, these sounded like they had meaning to Mushroom, despite being in a foreign language.
The crystals and salt around him began to glow when he placed the scale down to touch the salt before him. Some of it even shook from the power coursing through it that slowly turned it light blue. The dragon-shaped circular brand was even glowing blue on his back.
Mushroom reached over to grab a bowl from its circle and then a glowing jar. He poured the water from it into the bowl then dipped a thumb in it to run it down his forehead.
It sure was going to be clean after all this.
"Scala, join me in a cleansing."
"I can just take a bath in the river if y..."
I saw his blank expression and lowered my pointing finger to carefully step over the salt circle and patterns to head to the middle.
I crushed most of it below me when Mushroom moved aside for me.
Mushroom smiled up at the moonlight with his eyes closed. It looked like he was feeding from the light itself the way he had his head tilted up to bask in it.
Such an odd creature.
I closed my eyes and did the same.
Physically, I felt no different, but it made Mushroom happy for me just being there in his charged salt.
It was quite relaxing though to just sit in silence together. If anything, it made me tired.
Nothing else mattered in the moment. It was just me, him, and our salted bodies charged by the moonlight.
It was wonderful.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
