Wings of Freedom

Chapter Thirteen

I stare unmovingly as the two Kymari chat idly on the couch in front of my cage. After greeting Fenir, the second Kymari, called Lonuk, had come over and made observations. He commented on my scales, and lack thereof, as well as all the things he was amazed to see up close. He stated how grateful he was to finally see a lizard so close so many times, I felt completely humiliated. Rage boiled up inside me and has yet to disperse. How dare they treat me like some kind of object to ogle at!

After I attempted for the eighth time to slice his skin with my claws, Lonuk finally backed off with a nervous chuckle and settled on the couch beside Fenrir. They've been talking ever since. I dig my claws into the cool sand under me and ruffle my injured wing, resisting the urge to scratch it. It's gotten itchy and since the sand can't get to it, I have no way to clean and itch it. It's impossible to get comfortable like this.

Swiping a bit of sand with my claw, I pile more sand on my back, covering my body. The Kymari have no way of knowing that dragonets can't survive without extreme heats, so I'm on my own trying to warm up. I'm hoping that the sand will work as an insulator with my body heat as the main furnace. Otherwise, I'm pretty much screwed. What kind of species lives in houses this cold?

I ignore Fenrir as he tries to inconspicuously glance at me from the corner of his eye. He's been doing it, as well as Lonuk, the whole time they've been on the stupid couch. I almost roll my eyes. Does he think I'm an idiot? No, no, of course not. He just thinks I'm a mindless animal. Which is basically the same thing. My grouchy attitude is my human mentality coming out of it's hiding spot for the past 7 years and is not at all helped by the cold or the Kymari gawking at me.

In all honesty, being a dragonet had mellowed me out. I was a part of a small community of good people, there was no war, fights, famine, poverty and no need for my temper to get out of hand, unlike when I was in my human body when anything and everything set me off. As a dragonet, I was able to be who I wanted, no one knew my past. So, I was happy and playful, friendly with everyone. But now, I was just ticked off.

So stuck in my thoughts, I don't realize that the Kymari have stopped talking. As soon as I notice, my head bolts up with a hiss, sensing their close proximity. Almost immediately, Fenrir retracts his hand and backs up with a curious expression. Lonuk glances at me for a split second before switching the weird look to Fenrir.

"What is wrong, Fenrir? You were very close to her before she hissed, perhaps she would have allowed you to touch her," Lonuk comments, an almost disappointed tone in his voice. Fenrir has a small frown on his face as he shakes his head at Lonuk. Lonuk just seems to be more puzzled.

"As you know, I spend more mornings observing the lizards. Over the past few weeks though, this one has especially caught my attention. You are aware of how cautious and easily unnerved they are, and this one is assumed to be the same. But, if you pay closer attention you'll see that she isn't actually like the others. Where the other lizards first inclination is to flee at the sight of potential interaction with another species, this one seems to prefer to stay and size her opponent up, no doubt wondering if she could win in a fight before taking flight. While others are eager to fly away, she seems almost reluctant.

"As soon as I moved the slightest bit, she should've noticed and been even the slightest bit more cautious, but it's like she didn't even realize. It wasn't until I opened the lid of her cage and tried to touch her that she noticed I had moved. This is quite unusual behaviour, especially for a lizard as cautious and aware as this one. I'm wondering what she could possibly be so focused on that she didn't sense my presence," Fenrir explains with a curious head tilt in my direction. I almost roll my eyes. And my friends used to say I turned simple things into hundred-word essays.

Just as Lonuk looks over at me, a tremor shakes my small form. It's probably from the cold. Does this Kymari always keep his house at negative six-hundred degrees or is it special treatment just for me?

"Did you see that?" Lonuk asks, peeking a worried look over at Fenrir. Fenrir nods slightly as his frown deepens.

"What caused it?" Lonuk questions nervously. Fenrir shakes his head as he stares intently down at me. I breathe out a sigh of cold air and pile more sand on my body, hoping to hide the small quaking of my form. The last thing I need is them thinking there's something wrong with me and running a bunch of tests. I hated needles before the lab, but after being kidnapped and tested, turned into a dragonet, now I'm honestly just scared of them.

"I'm not sure," Fenrir mutters more to himself than anyone. "Let me think. I tried to provide everything the lizard might need, even putting food and water in the corner of the cage," I glance up in surprise, looking over my shoulder and easily spotting the dishes. I can't believe I didn't notice them, "and yet she still misses something. But what could it be? All the lizards do are sing, drink, sleep, eat, and-" Fenrir's eyes widen as he cuts his own sentence short.

"Of course!" He exclaims loudly, rushing off to another room, hidden behind a door. After a few minutes of listening to him rustling through things, he comes out with an accomplished smile and a heat lamp in tow. He rushes over and sets up the lamp over the glass cage that's holding me captive, the hot rays soaking the sand in warmth. I trill happily and unbury myself from the sand, sprawling out on the sand and excitedly absorbing the heat.

Fenrir chuckles lightly. "All the lizards do is sing, drink, sleep, eat, and sunbathe." I'm too relaxed to get actually mad, but I still grumble to myself halfheartedly, knowing the Kymari can't understand me.

"If only you knew..."

****

Sorry, nothing too exciting this time! Trying to wind it down a little instead of just throwing a bunch of random craziness at you. Hope you enjoyed!