Looking at me Mariana, says, “If we use the owl's memories as a guidepost, we might be able to learn their nguage. Now to mention all the other information about the beastkin we get from this.”

  “If we are able to speak and uand their nguage, not to mention how they work as a group, lots of the different issues we fa esg would vanish or bee signifitly easier.”

  With eyes of hope, Mariana says, “This means we really could break out one day.”

  A moment of silence occurs as the idea of freedom rushes into our minds. Suddenly I remember the images of my father's face, causio calm down and say, “Wait, don’t you think yetting too hasty? There are a few things we o work out with this owl.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like why did it specifically show us memories we would want to see? It is like it knew showing us those memories would decrease our ces of killing it.”

  As me and Mariana stare at the wonderbeast, it starts to sweat and turn its head away. Then with her hand on her face, Mariana says, “You're probably right, if this thing is actually as smart as you say we may be in a few issues.”

  “Like the fact that all this might be a py until it heals and runs away to inform the beastkin.”

  “Hey, Nero.”

  “Yes, Mariana.”

  “We may o ground this bird.”

  “I agree.”

  “It’s wings would have to go.”

  “So would it’s legs.”

  As the two demonic children stare at the wonderbeast, tears fall from all three of it’s eyes as it shakes in fear of the retribution it is about to experience.

  Though it is saved as Charles hugs it pulling it closer in his arms, then staring at the two demonic children in front of himself, Charles says, “No.”

  “Charles this is a matter of safety.”

  “No.”

  “e on Charles, I promise I will let you hug me instead.”

  “No.”

  Looking down at the wonderbeast, which looks towards him, he says, “I won’t let them touch you.”

  These words cause the wonderbeast to le more, and more into his chest.

  Nero in that moment says, “Charles what if it runs away arays us?”

  Looking down at the wonderbeast, Charles asks, “Would you betray or leave us.”

  The owl shakes its head no. Looking at us with a rather merry expression(For Charles), he says, “See!”

  Both me and Mariana put our hands against our faces in annoyance. We ’t argue with this!

  WHY GOD, why did you have to make Charles start ag like a child right now!?

  Looking at the both of them, I see that Charles has a slight smile while staring at the wonderbeast, so I let out a sigh and say, “Ok then whatever.”

  “Nero!” Mariana says while staring at me.

  “It is fine if Charles says it ok, I will just trust in him, ohing I have learned over my time here is that Charles is rarely ever wrong.”

  Sighing, Mariana says, “Fine.”

  “Good job,” Charles says while looking at the owl.

  From behind us, I hear a familiar voice shout, “Charles where are you.”

  Getting up, Charles says, “It’s Dónal!”

  “Oh, he is finally here.”

  “I am going to show him, Blu here.”

  “You already!”

  Standing up, Mariana blocks Charles and says, “You ’t show him the wonderbeast, because without a shadow of a doubt, he would fiscate it.”

  “So what should I do?”

  “Leave it here we will hide it somewhere then go a, Dónal.”

  “Ok.”

  Finding a nearby bush, we pnt the omega owl within it, and then Charles says, “I will be right back.”

  And as Charles runs off, I quickly move over to the wonderbeast, and whisper, “If you inform the beastkin of anything that has happened here, know that whether it is in this life or the I will track you down and kill you.”

  Then I run off to catch Mariana and Charles. After a little bit, I see Charles and Mariana standing looking at Dónal, who is on the flo.

  “What’s going on?”

  Mariana hiding behind me, says, “After Charles introduced me, he fell to the floor and cried like this?”

  As she touches me, I say, “You really are soft.”

  “Now isn’t the time for this.”

  “R-Right.” Walking forward towards Dónal, I kneel down, and say, “Hey, what’s wrong buddy, you need some food? A nap?”

  He grabs my head and puts me in a headlock, bringing me closer to him, then says, “I thought we had the whole woman thing under trol?”

  “Of yeah, we're friends now so it isn’t an issue anymore.”

  “That’s exactly what I didn’t want to happen. What if she does something to Charles.”

  “Don’t worry, they already sleep together every night, and Charles is fihough with how much she likes him, I am surprised no babies have been made from them hugging.”

  Dónal stares at me with an incredibly disgusted face, and then moments ter he falls to the ground g.

  Looking at him with disdain, I hold myself back from insulting him.

  Moving over towards him, Charles kneels down and says, “Dónal has your day been good?”

  Instantly all of Dónal's sadness disappears as he hugs Charles, and says, “I missed you, Charles!”

  Rubbing his head, Charles says, “Tell me about it.”

  “Well a lot of things happened but, the biggest thing would be that now io am the head, of the pntation.”

  “Wait, Dónal does that mean-,”

  “Yes, I am in charge of everything around here from now on.”

  Suddenly a realization hits me and Mariana, which causes us to say, “Yeah please keep your fantasies for the bedroom.”

  “My dad told me that only scum lie to people they have just met to impress them.”

  “I AM NOT LYING!”

  In unison, both me and Mariana say, “Right.”

  “YOU DIRTY HUMANS!”

  Charles holding him, says, “I believe you Dónal.”

  Fag Mariana, I whisper, “Sorry for this, but I did tell you he was annoying.”

  “I expected nothing less from a beastkin.”

  Dónal with an even more dejected face, says, “I heard you!” Moments ter he curls his body into a ball and then lies on the ground.’

  As Dónal lies on the ground both, me and Mariana look at him with utter pt.

  Charles whispers something to him, which causes Charles to whisper something back. Turning his head to us, Charles says, “Dónal heart is hurt so we have to go back for now.”

  “What a baby,” Mariana says.

  Charles says, “You guys are being mean.”

  “Charles, that g thing just said he is in charge of all the beastkin here, you really ’t believe that?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  Turning his head to Dónal, he says, “Dónal please make sure less beastkihering everyone.”

  “Ok.”

  “Charles you really shouldn’t buy into his lies.”

  Turning his head with puffed-up cheeks, Charles says, “Then just watch.”

  He really has beeing more resistant tely.

  -Break-

  Location: Campsite

  Φ That night as Mariana y o Charles, she couldn’t sleep as her head was going wild with thoughts; That dumb demon bird better be there wheurn, if it isn’t and has reported us our st hope will disappear. We should have tied it down, why didn’t I think of it sooner? Wait if someone es upon it we could be found out instantly, and if so when we awake tomorrow we might be executed!

  Φ While across the room, Charles was having a simir meltdown. I know I scared that bird, but maybe I did it too much? What if it runs away? We would truly be in a horrible situation then. We should have ripped off its legs and wings. I acted cool and trusted Charles in the moments but now I am freaking out. Wait if someone es upon it we would be found out instantly, and if so when we wake up tomorrow we might be executed!

  In the campsite both of them were so scared that a sihought wouldn’t leave their heads; I ’T SLEEP!

  -Break-

  The day

  Location: írassnd

  Looking around, I say to Mariana, “Hey is it me or is the number of beastkin around, like drastically smaller?”

  “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

  “You don’t think.”

  “Probably a ce.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  -Break-

  The day

  Location: Oh towards, Fíodóirí house

  Mariana looks at me and says, “There are usually a bunch of beastkin on this path, because of fieldwork that is done over there. But today there is none.”

  “Yht.”

  “You don’t think.”

  “Probably a ce.”

  “You’re probably right.

  -Break-

  The day

  Location: Campsite

  Eating my daily meal with Charles and Mariana sitting beside me, I look into the distand say, “Hey Charles do the beastkin have some sort of festival they do around this time of year?”

  “No, and you were here st year so you would know?”

  “I was just making sure st year wasn’t some sort of exception.”

  Turning her head towards, me Mariana says, “Charles I think.”

  “I know Mariana I know.”

  -Break-

  The day

  Location: Far east of the River Lúide, inside a nearby forest

  Looking at Dónal, I say, “It looks like you weren’t lying.”

  “I told you!” Dónal says as he hugs Charles.

  Mariana walking up to me barely hold back her smile, and then with that same cheerful expression she nudges me. Right now, I kly what she is thinking.

  The fact that we now have the head of the eation here with us is a sed trump card that has been pced in our hands. But right now we o find some way to use him to our advantage?

  Charles suddenly asks, “Since you’re the new leader Dónal you let us e here whenever we want.”

  YOU BRILLIANT BASTARD!

  Dónal says, “Charles I don’t know about that if I do it too often people will find out, and I won’t even be able to see you all the time.”

  No, he is pushing back!

  Charles with the softest voice he has ever used says, “This would make me very happy please!”

  With a face of utter etion, Dónal says, “Yes absolutely whatever you need.”

  Getting up, Dónal says, “I have many duties to attend to so I will be going a bit early, use this time to rest, and you two over there trip and fall off a cliff or something I don’t care.”

  As Dónal leaves ht, me and Mariana start to run towards the bush where we kept the omega owl.

  When we reach there we see that the wonderbeast is exactly where we left it. Holding it, I give it an evil gre and say, “Good job for listening.”

  Mariana says, “Because if you had run away, your life would have quickly e to an end.”

  Struggling it wiggles its way out of my arms, and then moments ter it flies directly over to Charles's head. “o see you Blu.”

  “Now let’s get started, with this whole learning thing.”

  Holding Blu in his arms, Charles asks, “Blu you please show us the csses.”

  From its eye, the light appears on the ground and as it does, all three of us sit down and look at it.

  -Break-

  On the ground, as we look at the image, I say, “I am bored, this really is such a repetitive task.”

  “Of course it is, did you think this was somethiing? It takes lots of dedication and effort to learn a nguage.”

  “Well, you are the kind of girl who it took, 9 years to learn how to swim.”

  “Hey, I told you that in fidehat it wouldn’t be used against me!”

  “No, you told me that because you couldn’t shut up.” Letting out a sigh, I say, “How long is this whole nguage thing going to take.”

  “From previous experience, I would say, about five to seven years of stant study, maybe longer.”

  “WHAT, that’s ridiculous. How did you evehat number.”

  “turies ago, my people used to speak a rather altered version of the saviour's song, and during that time the sage came and taught them the proper version, and it took us about three years to learn it, and that is only due to the fact that they where simir. For we know this new nguage might be pletely different.

  Not to mention that this css is about transting whatever they are speaking into the saviour's song, and the only reason we uand anything they are saying is due to the owl transting their nguage for us. We are not in optimal learning ditions, so five to seven years is the best estimate I make.”

  “That’s ridiculous, we will all be adults by the time we even speak it. Who knows if they wouldn’t have pletely taken over all the surrounding nd by then? This is hopeless.”

  Charles says, “But it’s fun.”

  “Charles?”

  “I find learning this with the two of you to be very fun, so five to seven years of this sounds nice.”

  Me and Mariana look at Charles then smile, “Ok then Charles, let’s get to it.”

  “Just so you know I happen to be a great academic, so you trust me to uand this.”

  “The story of how you had to repeat that test seventy times, disagrees with that.”

  “NERO!”