S I X

For a while, 'Fulsamee drifted between states of near-coherence, and deliriousness, seeing fragments of his past float by, or hearing bits of conversation. Eventually, the fragments slowly began to resolve into a familiar figure, though who 'Fulsamee was not sure. The figure was different, somehow, but his mind could not reason why. Then, it was if a lens had been snapped into place, and the bits and pieces of his existence were reanimated and reorganized. The figure became clear, and it was suddenly plain to 'Fulsamee that this individual was none other than the hatchling he had carried back to the nests twelve years ago. Dena 'Ornamee stood over his recovering form, looking relieved.

"There you are. I was beginning to really worry, 'Sonamir patched you up, but it's been many cycles, and you haven't changed."

"I... 'Neramee... what... happened?"

"Well, you ordered me to stay back, and I did. Until I heard someone scream, and I came closer to see what was going on. When I found you, you were down and being torn apart by that big one. The others were all busy, so I ran up and slammed him off your back. I must have hit something important, because there was this loud cracking sound. He wasn't dead though, but 'Firnomee rushed over and finished him. You lost a lot of blood, so much that we only returned with your body so you could be buried. But 'Sonamir checked some things and told us to put you here. She fixed up your wounds, but no one was sure you would survive."

He continued, "Anyway, you are alive, and that's what's important."

"Understood. Thank you.", he said, "and.. have I stopped bleeding?"

"Yes, 'Sonamir took the bandages off last cycle. It has been a long time, as I said."

'Ornamee watched in astonishment as the tall raptor slowly got back to his feet. Ten cycles in a coma, lost large amounts of blood, and 'Fulsamee still managed to pick himself up like he'd just been knocked down, not sliced closer to death than anything 'Ornamee had ever seen. The pain he must have been feeling... it didn't bear imagining. Amazing.

Fulsamee looked at him and said, "Well? There is much to be done. Let's go!"

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That's it for now, unless someone has a fix for me to make. If you haven't read CH 1 recently, do so again, I've added in a Foreword for you.