Upon Wings Of Change

Chapter 18

I blinked from where I was curled up on the windowsill. Taureen tapped the table in front of him gently as he coaxed me, "Come. Come on." My stomach growled, and the berry was far too tempting. With a resigned sigh, I stood up and jumped down before jumping up on the table to get the berry.

I approached him slowly; it had been five days since he had taken my cage away, and I wasn't scared of him at this point. He only put food in my bowl for breakfast and supper, and he resorted to treats and bribery throughout the day. Hunger was a powerful force in this body. He was taking advantage of my stomach by offering the berries just before my meals.

He had been working on getting me to come when called for the last five days. I was being stubborn a good chunk of the time. He seemed to think that I was just independent, although his friends called me an ornery evil lizard. Then again, every time I see them, they get hissed at.

On one occasion, one of them had tried to sit right beside the table, and I had snarled at him before jumping to the back of the couch that Taureen was sitting on. I had darted along the top of the couch until I got to the end and jumped down to the floor as I continued to head over to the window ledge.

Taureen had seemed surprised at my reaction, although I did notice that he didn't move when I ran behind his head in my escape. The one I had snarled at had kept his distance ever since. They simply couldn't figure out how Taureen still allowed me to run loose in his living room.

I simply refused to attempt any of the other commands he had tried. So far he had only attempted simple things like sit or go to your heat lamp. As if I were a dog... Come was bad enough, but I could pass that off as my desire for the treat he had. And nothing said that I had to listen once I was back in the forest.

I still wasn't entirely sure how far I could push Taureen, although I had gotten into some innocent mischief during a few boring occasions when he wasn't around. He had never punished me or even so much as raised his voice. He seemed more laid back than his friends. I still wouldn't mind leaving a few claw marks on his friends' hands though.

His friends gave me my space, so it had never come to that point. I didn't have the same reaction to Taureen as I did to any of the others that visited. He never tried to reach out and touch me, and he never really put me too far out of my comfort zone.

He seemed to sense the instant I was about to hiss or growl at his proximity and didn't go past that point. He stayed near that almost uncomfortable range though, and his numerous attempts were slowly desensitizing me. I really want my wing out of this cast so I can go back to the park. Life was never this complicated there.

I ate the berry in two bites without bothering to move away from Taureen first. The doorbell rang, and I swung my head around as my ear tufts flattened. I quickly moved to the end table and curled up under the heat lamp as I regarded the door with narrowed eyes.

Taureen sighed as my relaxed stance disappeared with the arrival of his friends. "Come in." Two of his friends entered, and I blinked in surprise as I saw a young child accompanying them. The two sat in their usual chairs while the girl sat on Soranto's lap.

Neither Soranto nor Tkael looked surprised to see me under the heat lamp in the corner; I was always in this spot when they came in. It had taken me days to learn their names. The third one who always smelt of animals was called Kisk. Taureen talked with them, including the girl in the conversation.

I relaxed slightly as none of them paid any attention to me and rested my head on my hands. I jerked my head up in alarm at the sound of a loud crash and bang outside. The three adults swiftly got up and went to the window to see what had happened. They murmured to each other about whatever they were watching.