“We should probably stop here if we want to make it back to the house safely” Asema sighed looking around. They’d come out the other side of the forest, an open flat plane dotted with tall grasses swaying under the gentle night winds, “I did try and get us here with extra time though”

“What for” Qispi whispered looking out over the plane with teary eyes, “it’s not like i..we can fly”

“Have you tried?”

“Tried?” Qispi laughed, “Tried? Do I look like I have wings? Are you trying to break me? is that it?”

“Why don’t we try” Finch mumbled rubbing his neck

“Try and what run around like a couple of headless chickens?”

“How bad do you want it?” Qispi paused contemplating the question and squeezing his eyes shut before looking up at the sky, “Then try”

“It’s not going to work”

“Then we know it doesn’t work. But we won’t know until we try. One jump, right?”

“On these scrawny legs? I don’t think we have the muscle to clear” but Qispi found himself starting to squat, barring down on his toes as his eyes fixed on the sky. They hadn’t worn a shirt since they’d been combined, the feathers sporadically coming in were far too itchy and sensitive to bear with fabric on top of them, but now it just served as a show of true tension as Asema watched him balance on his toes, his muscles were absolutely swimming under their skin

You’re not afraid of heights are you?

Not that I know of

Good because if this works, we are not coming down anytime soon Qispi sucked in a breath, bouncing on his calves once, twice before he sprung into the sky clamping his eyes shut as Finch waited for the sensation of dropping but instead all he felt was a rush of wind and cold as he felt himself suspended by…something. Throat vibrating with a sound he couldn’t quite identify

“It worked!” Finch’s vision blurred back into reality after he realized his eyes were open, looking around amazed, and there came that sound again

Are you…chirping?

…no Finch fought the urge to laugh as the noise immediately stopped Qispi driving them higher at an almost terrifying speed, surging towards the sliver of moon that was lighting the sky, creating a terrifying black silhouette of extended feathered wings cutting and blending into the backdrop of navy blue and spots of colored light like ink, turning on their back and freefalling

You’re doing this on purpose right…? Instead of an answer, Finch felt their wings extend out, wait when did we grow wings?! Putting an almost delicious amount of pressure on their joints as they were stretched taunt by the wind before their weight fully caught, soaring forward and turning back in spirals on cold downdrafts back towards where Asema stood waiting.

“Oh I am so glad they didn’t fall…” Asema hadn’t pointed out the obvious, that when he’d found the two of them, Finch had been sporting a pair of half-formed wings that dissipated as soon as he pulled them free of that seal he was sat in, he’d just worried they wouldn’t have the muscle mass needed to keep them airborne

You didn’t answer me earlier Qispi righted them, gliding on an updraft,

About what

Wanting to go home

I...I don’t know he sighed, gliding closer and closer to the ground

“Qispi, Finch! S’getting pretty close to sunrise” Asema called stepping back as they came in for a skidding landing

“Stopping. Not so easy with no tail” Qispi grunted hopping a few times to catch them

“You can practice more later. Off chance of you being sun-proof or not, I know I am most certainly not. And I’d like to at least be in a place where shade is an option” he laughed watching Finch take his first go at controlling the wings, ruffling the feathers and readjusting how they sat.

I dunno if I like having so many feathers… Finch grumbled internally, looking over his shoulders to see the new appendages

Well I don’t know if I like being so short Quispi teased, settling their wings for the walk home

Says the harpy

I’m…not a harpy Quispi said, the body freezing in surprise

“You two alright…?” Asema asked, turning where he stood

You’re a bird! If you’re not a harpy what are you?

Finch….I’m a Dark-kin