Starflight really hated trees.
He really did.
Everywhere he walked there were trees blocking his way, branches poking him in uncomfortable places, and roots that twisted his ankles and making him fall. Not to mention the rocks, sticks, thorns, and stickers blooding his fragile skin.
It was so embarrassing.
But what was even more humiliating was having to be lead around like a wayward dragonet, talons clasped tightly around Clay's tail. The owner of the tail took Starflights' need with good will and n fanfare, helping Starflight avoid the worst of the harms.
Starflight had to admit Clay wasn't doing a very good job.
He grumbled as the person in front of him stopped suddenly, and he bumped his nose. Again.
"What is that?" he heard Sunny whisper.
"What?" Starflight asked, glancing vainly around. There was no response until Tsunami whispered excitedly.
"There's this big...well, I don't know what it is but it's just sitting there in the middle of this field. The other's voices faded to the background as Starflight pondered. Wherever they were, it was not Pyrrhia. Whatever this new land is, they needed to know more.
"I think we need to check it out," he said to the darkness. He waited, sure they were looking at him."We need to know more about our surroundings. If it doesn't seem dangerous, I think we should proceed with caution."
"I think Starflight's right," Tsunami said suddenly. "We need to know more."
Clay hated this idea.
It screamed at him, warning bells flashing in his mind. But the small, rational part of his brain knew that Starflight was right.
And, he didn't want to admit that he was a little curious.
Their little group had all agreed that perhaps only a couple of them should go scout and come back.
So here he was, walking through waist high grass with a still embarrassed Tsunami.
She hissed angrily and glared at Clay. "No one is to share with anyone what happened, got it?"
Clay sighed. They had been over this before. "Tsunami, no one is going to spill. Have a little faith in us, would you?"
Tsunami didn't respond.
He reached out a hand, shaking slightly, and touched the structure, It felt rough in texture, like the bark of a tree, and he could feel the splinters dug into his hand.
"I think we should go inside," said Tsunami, glaring at the door beside Clay. He removed his hand and spun around to look at her with wide eyes.
"Are you crazy?" he hissed. She grinned wickedly.
"Where is your sense of adventure? This is what we came here to do, remember?" And with the grin still on her face, she opened the door and walked into the unknown. With only a moment of hesitation, Clay followed.
If he had been in his normal body, he might have been able to penetrate the darkness. As it was he only say darkness, like the darkest night with no moon glinting of nearby rivers. The smell...wasn't one he had encountered before. Not bad, exactly, but discernable. A noise filled the darkness, a strange whistling that sounded like...breathing?
"Tsunami?" he whispered, advancing slowly into the darkness.
What happened next stunned Clay.
A loud clanging filled the building, echoing and reverberating in the darkened space. An animal of some sort spooked, adding more loud noises to the orchestra. "Tsunami!" He shouted, fighting to be heard above the noise.
A sudden light made him squeezed his eyes shut. The light burned his eyelids red, like the world outside was on fire. Slowly he inched his eyes open.
Tsunami lay eagle-spread on the ground, in the midst of a pile of ruined boxes and strange pieces of metal, groaning softly. Sticking its head out from a hole in the wall was a large creature, its long face and ears perked with interest. And farther down the hallway...stood another scavenger.
Her long hair reached to the middle of her back, cascading down her shoulders. Her skin was tan where is peeked out of the strange black skin that covered most of her body. Her eyes stared at them with horror, glancing between the creature, Tsunami, and Clay, who was frozen in mid-step. She opened her mouth.
And screamed.