Back to earth
Aura trotted back to her home. It was late night, the moon hung fat in the sky. She had her staff clamped in her jaws, and a pink card in her mouth. She had changed Big that night. After just a few days off the job, she was getting weaker. Or so it seemed to her. She arrived at the tall building tiredly and hopped up the tree and up to her room. Lock let her in gladly. She walked to her book and slipped Big in, on top of Time.
Kero lifted his head. She turned to him and twitched her tailtip.
They said nothing. Kero couldn't persuade her to stop changing a card every night, and she couldn't persuade him she had to. And besides, no need to argue and wake Yue.
Aura curled up and dozed restlessly that night. Every night since she had gotten back, she had been dreaming of staving cards, losing their magic and dying. So many were still asleep, it made her fur prickle even dreaming it.
----
Kero woke up blearily with the sun in his eyes. Summer break was nice. He didn't have to get up early in the morning to haul his master out of bed before she 'accidentally' missed the bus. She was still fast asleep, so obviously if he wanted breakfast he would have to get it himself. Ah well.
He stretched out and yawned. Yue looked over at him. Kero waved cheerily and hopped up to the windowsill. Lock, for once, let the lion out. Kero set off to the river warren to hunt.
--
Aura stirred awake rather reluctantly. Sunlight glittered from the window over the room. She got up and slunk to the window. Her belly growled in agreement to a hunt, so she took to the skies over the pines.
Soon she came upon the warren full of grass and wind. Of course. All the rabbits were asleep by this time of day. She growled and circled.
A gale of wind rushed past her, carrying the same smell. She was knocked through the air, and floundered in the sky. Her tired wings beat the air. She growled and whipped out her staff. It was a small stream of steam. Her skin steamed where droplets landed on it. It lunged at her. She dove and flapped. Her wings fumbled and spilled the air.
She crashed through the prickly branches and thudded on the forest floor. Getting to her feet and shaking her head she clamped onto her blades. Her wings trailed on the ground. Flying was too hard to manage on a tired mind, but she needed to get it from the air to catch all the steam. She dragged a pink card from her back and tapped her nose to it.
Float carried her up into the air. She snarled and conjured Freeze. The giant fish dived at the steam and froze it.
Vapors escaped, only to be caught on dives afterwards. The monster shriveled and disappeared. Freeze greeted her quickly, before sliding back to his lake. She watched after him. Maybe she could fish for breakfast today. She hated fish, but still…
She turned to ask for some of the frozen prey from the lake.