So this story was a long one in the making to say the least, racking little over 18,000 words. It is a Birthday present for  a3skales portraying one of his OC's ruby fur cat/derg named Zaleka. She has some body shifting capabilities, but is limited in her world. That is until Birch explains about Earth's delectable delights. Which in turn introduces my OC, Duke Arminus. Things become... more complicated, to say the least. With a side of conniving cleverness from Zaleka, you can see what I mean in a bit.

Hope your 2024 is going well, I'm gonna keep chalking the days down in mine.


After Duke Arminus and Birch’s first encounter, they’ve been keeping in touch via written portal letters supplied by Birch’s home world, Pyrrhia. Basically, a paper is written by Birch in English for Duke to read. Once done, he speaks an incantation which stretches the letter magically thin until it FWING disappears and reappears in front of Duke Arminus instantly. After Duke reads it, he writes on the other side of the paper and attempts to pronounce an incantation Birch wrote down. Though it takes Duke a try or twelve to get it right to send back to Birch. And they’ve been messaging each other for 2 months straight now, no matter where they are on their worlds.

For instance, two cat-dragons are enjoying themselves along a beaten path between towns. An 8ft tall 20ft long red fluff Zaleka and a 4ft tall 10ft long brown bristly Birch. She is strolling nonchalantly while Birch is zooming around, under, or on top of her like a kitten after a laser pointer. His energy is peaking which grabs Zaleka’s attention. “Chasing your tail again, Birch?” Zaleka jests lightly. Birch pauses his rustling at Zaleka’s right foot. “No, I’ve already caught it anyways. I’m waiting for a message.” Birch chippers. “Wha mes-” suddenly a scroll appears right in front of him cutting off Zaleka’s sentence. “Oh, Duke responded!” Birch yips. “Duke Arminus? That pale character you had me see a while back?” Zaleka conjects, with a little smirk. And Birch responds, “Yeah, I’ve found some casting scrolls in a nearby library. I’ve been messaging him back and forth. Here’s what his says.”

Birch reads it aloud. “Hey Birch, I’m shooting ya an invite to a small cookout I’m having. Bring any food you can, I want to have a taste of Pyrrhia since you’ll be having a taste of Earth. Meet me at our usual park spot little afternoon. See ya soon.” Birch smiles from cheek to cheek as he rushes up Zaleka’s right arm. Trotting on her shoulders with major merriment in his words. “The food from Earth is delicious, and it has so much potential too.”

Zaleka is processing Birch’s hyperactivity and his last statement. “Wait, what potential?” She questions to Birch. “Oh, before I met Duke, I had this thing called a Pop-tart. Which thankfully didn’t pop in my mouth… anyways, after eating it, I worked on some spells from my grimoire. They did not take any effort, none at all! So I tested it again, with more difficult magic and managed to complete that with less trouble than usual. I’m looking further into it, but veggie lasagna, cheese puffs, carrots, grapes, and other food varieties just surges something inside me. I don’t know how, but Earth’s food gives my magic boost.” Birch continues to hop happily in circles along Zaleka’s back.

This deeply intrigues Zaleka. “Interesting.” Zaleka quietly remarks bringing her talon up to her chin. Birch isn’t a novice when performing magical acts from his book, clarifying to Zaleka of her own possibilities if she gets to this, Earth food. “If this, foodstuff, from Earth really does improve one’s…?” She ponders and wants to try this out for herself. Fangs start to reveal as she smiles, she had a precarious plan. “What are you going to give Duke when you arrive to Earth?” Zaleka asks Birch, who’s ceases his joyous jumps to answer. “I’m going to… to… oh. I haven’t gotten that far yet.” Zaleka takes this chance to suggest. “How about I bring over some items from my garden. You can use them if I can tag along.” Birch props his wings up and lifts his tail. “You- you’d do that?” He peps with excitement.

“Why yes, why wou-OHMPHH” The 4’10” bundle of brown jumps between her horns and lands belly first on her head in delight. Thankfully her horns are pointing backwards and not up. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Zaleka! How can I return the favor?” Birch intently insists, bringing the same smile to Zaleka’s face. “Oh, don’t worry, you already have.” FWUMM She expands her coral colored wings with a violet/blue nova hue in the under webbing. “To my place then, we don’t want to be late.” She explains and FWOOSH, she swiftly flies into the air. With Lil Birch hanging onto her head for the ride.

The two cat-dragons gather some produce from Zaleka’s garden into a wicker basket. Then inside her kitchen, Zaleka brings some outdated fruit on the table. “Oh Birch, bring your grimoire over here so we can make some wine.” She calls Birch, who hesitates. “Zaleka, no funny business. Duke invited us kindly as guests. Not as bar babblers.” Zaleka rolls her eyes and sighs. “Birch, you can reduce the alcohol content using you grimoire. That’s why I need your help.” Though there is something that urges Birch to refuse, he didn’t want any produce from the soil to go to waste. It tarnishes his good nature as a magical herbalist. “Ok, but we are doing it together.” He demands. “Of course.” Zaleka agrees mischievously.

They both meet at a table to crush the berries in a colander, and had the fruity fragrance pour into another bowl below it. As Birch is distracted by reading his spell tome and Zaleka is squeezing the berries under a pestle, she uses her tail to knock something a ways behind Birch. She sleekly retracts her tail as a few books THROMP THREMP TRHUMP fall behind him. “Whaaa! Your shelves are too small to hold all these books Zalaka.” Birch comments. “Just put your book down and pick them up please. I’m busy at the moment.” She gracefully implies, and Birch does so and leaves his book on the table.

As Birch gathers the fallen recipe books, Zaleka quickly brushes through the pages to find what she needs. “No… not this… oo I can save this for later… Ah ha. Here it is.” Zaleka faintly chuckles and continues to follow the grimoire’s instructions as Birch is flapping his wings to put away the books on the tallest shelf. “Crush this to powder, aaaannnnnnndddd… perfect.” She closes the book slyly and continues her berry crushing before Birch notices as he trots back over. “Are the berries done?” “Yes, now for your part Birch.” Zaleka replies to him. The grimoire lifts itself up as Birch reads a draconic dialect that summons sparkles within the fragrant wine bowl below. Small pits of smoke rise and retire as Birch continues his chant, SSHHHRRRIIIIIINNGGGG the bowl lights up the kitchen, then subtly dims itself until it disappears into the drink.

“There, try it out.” Birch implies to Zaleka. She dips her pearl talon into the bowl, bleps her tongue, tastes freshly squeezed fruit with little to no alcohol. “Nicely done Birch…” Zaleka compliments and pours the liquid from the bowl into a harden hollow gourd with a leather shoulder band. “…go grab the wicker basket, then we will be set to go.” Birch wages his tail and replies. “Sure thing.” As he grabs it with his teeth, it wobbles his center of balance to raise his hind legs as he lifts the basket. While funny walking with his front limbs to the door, Zaleka reveals some pink herb powder she hid in her right paw. She curls a smirk as she corks the gourd and pours the powder in a pouch. She wraps the gourd around her neck, hides the pouch in her hind anklet, and follows Birch to the front door.

Currently on Earth, Duke gets a picnic table set up in an outskirt park. “Spaghetti, marinara sauce, alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese, and toasted French bread.” He checks off his list of each item. “First time not grilling at a picnic, but Birch is not a meat loving guy. I just hope he can eat one of these things.” VEEEOOORRRMMMMM A white vertical oval portal with a hazy trim appears some yards away from Duke. He notices how the haze turns hazel colored and views a wicker basket of fresh fruits and vegies pass through, along with Birch’s head biting the handle. “Hey Birch, welcome back.” Duke waves to greet him.

Still passing through, the 4’10” Birch is still walking on his forelegs since the weight of the basket is lifting his hind legs in the air. A sight that Duke couldn’t help but laugh at. “Bhah ha ha ha, here let me help you with that. Everything here looks ripe too.” Duke responds and makes his way over. He grabs the basket to give Birch a break from carrying it, and to have his hind legs touch the ground again. “Blah puh puh, I think I got a splinter on my tongue…” Birch comments and directs to Duke. “…I sure hope they are. We picked them out together.” Duke replies to Birch. “Wait, we?”

The portal is turning from a hazel color to a cardinal color as two rose paws walk their way into sight. The 8ft Zaleka reveals herself to Earth once more, and spots the 5’10” Arminus wide eyeing her in a baffling surprise. “Do I have something in my eye Arminus? You’re staring every intently at them.” Zaleka tantalizes, causing Arminus to drop the basket in embarrassment on top of Birch’s head. “Ow!! What was that for?” Birch complains from the sudden action. Duke looks down at Birch, realizing the basket fell from his hands. “Oh crap. Sorry about that Birch.” Duke quickly picks up the basket again. Birch isn’t hurt at all, but some veggies did fall from the basket.

“Dah jeez!” Duke fumbles to keep himself together as he picks up the Pyrrhia produce. Zaleka just grins at the situation, knowing she still has her charm to baffle the blanched buffoon. She strolls over to grab the last fruit and places it in the basket but keeps her paw on it. “Arminus…” Duke meets with her eyes again as she continues to speak, “…These pretty fruits don’t bruise as easily. They’re from my garden after all.” Zaleka emphasizes, really viewing Duke’s face reddening. “Oh, what is this you have on the table?” Zaleka redirects her attention away from duke as she strolls smoothly to the picnic table.

Left tongue tied and stupefied, Duke leans down to Birch and whispers. “Zaleka! You invited her?” Birch can sense some overwhelming tone in him, but just snuffs it aside. “Yeah, she said you two already met and she enjoyed her time being with you. She even suggested eating from her garden so you can try out Pyrrhia food. Why, what’s the matter?” Duke has a sneaking suspicion about Zaleka. The last time they met, she used him as a pillow and then some more. “With Birch around, she seems more friendly and less mischievous. Right?” Duke assumes to himself.

Well, he’ll find out. Zaleka finds some plastic cups stacked on the table and she decides to set them up for the three of them. “What a weird and flexible material.” She remarks as she grabs the secret pouch in her anklet covertly and opens its drawstring to pour the pink powder in a cup for Duke. She tosses the bag away from the table and monitors the cup while inspecting the food he displayed on the table.

As Duke turns around, he finds Zaleka observing the food. He may be over exaggerating his thoughts on her impish. “Ne-nevermind Birch, I’m just overthinking from the food prep and having her as a surprise guest. Let’s get this basket to the table.” Duke tells Birch as he carries the basket and Birch trails behind. They both view Zaleka sniffing the noodles. “Don’t eat without us Zaleka. I want to see Duke try something from your garden first.” Birch insists earnestly. “Just a sniff Birchy, nothing more. And Duke? I thought his name is Arminus?” Zaleka questions Duke. “I-It’s my last name. Only a f-few know about my name being D-Duke.”

Zaleka begins to tease, flutter her eyes. “Awww, was our time together not enough for me to know your first name?” Duke begins to blush a bit; he is now trapped in a sentence that could insult Zaleka no matter what he says. Zaleka taps Duke’s head with her tail and lightly implies. “You can drop you shoulders Duke; you don’t have to explain anything to me.” She states, but it leaves Duke a little flushed in the face. “A little taste of Pyrrhia anyone?” Zaleka holds the hardened gourd with the juice inside it.

“Sure, I’ll give it a try.” Duke answers Zaleka while placing the basket on the table. Zaleka starts pouring in each cup. “Birch and I made this with some of the overly fermented fruit I had in the patch.” Zaleka explains as she pours and stirs each cup. “And I used my grimoire to remove most of the alcohol, so it’s just gonna be like drinking those ‘juice boxes’ you’ve told me about. Except with some more pulp in it.” Birch adds, making Duke feel comfortable from his statement. Zaleka brings Duke his ‘special’ cup and gives Birch his cup too. Duke eases his hand around it, unaware of Zaleka’s secret doing. “Well, I guess cheers…” Duke raises his cup, and the other two do as well. “…to worldly foods, and a bottomless appetite.” “Cheers!” The cat-dragons respond and all three CLUNK their plastic cups together and drink. And natures taste of the savory yet subtle liquid alures everyone’s tastebuds.

“Wow, that’s something else. I don’t think even juice boxes could outmatch this.” Duke praises. “Thank Zaza, she had the fruit.” Birch suggests. “Kind of you Birchy, but don’t forget you and your grimoire either.” Zaleka reminds him. The three captivate the liquid lusciousness from their cups, so much so that they finished it before eating. “Thanks for coming, both of you.” Duke states to them. “Well of course, I wouldn’t miss this.” Birch comments. “Then another round but save it for the Earth food this time.” Zaleka points out as she pours another glass for them all.

As she did so, Duke prepares a pasta plate for each of them. Birch tries the alfredo sauce with noodles and French bread, Zaleka chooses marinara sauce with noodles sprinkled in parmesan, and Duke prepares noodles and marinara with two pieces of French bread. They eat, drink, and talk with one another to catch up for a half hour or so. Mostly Zaleka and Birch explaining what Pyrrhia looks like and Duke trying to relate Earth Pyrrhia’s scenery.

“I’m grabbing seconds, pardon my reach.” Duke warns while reaching across for another French bread but misses the pan and touches Zaleka’s plate across the table. “Oh, so-sorry about that.” Duke apologizes. “Oh, your pardoned Arminus.” Zaleka replies, seeing him try to grab the bread. Duke picks it up but only to drop it on the table as he sits down. “Arminus?” Zaleka speaks, bringing Birch’s attention as well. “I th-think I just n-need something to dr-drink.” Duke mutters as he knocks his cup over. His head is dizzy, and eyes are heavy. Zeleka knows what’s happening, but Birch is clueless.

“Hey, you alright? Duke?” Birch queries but sees him slowly tilt his head forward and slaps face first onto the table, snoring. “Did, did he just pass out?” Birch worries aloud. “I guess humans have little tolerance to our type of wine.” Zaleka leans over to confirm that the pink sleep herb powder did its job. Which Birch does not know about still. “We may have to end this picnic early. He isn’t hurt, but I bet that bruise on his head is gonna swell.” Zaleka informs Birch and is relieved the powder worked. “Duke has been through worse situations before, I was there when I, uh… ‘pressed’ him on accident.” Birch guiltily admits. “Don’t I know it.” Zaleka smirks as she remembers her April Ass Adjudication fun with Duke. “Come again?” Birch replies half eared to her speech.

“Oh, I believe you should take Arminus to Pyrrhia. I may have something to wake him up at home. I’ll catch up with both of you after I clean up here.” Zaleka proposes to Birch. “Sure…” though only 4’10”, Birch carries Arminus on his back. “…I may have something in my grimoire too, but I doubt Earth has the resources I need. Don’t take too long.” Birch reminds Zaleka. He calls out a portal and marches through it with corpse like Duke sprawling on his back and feet dragging on the ground next to Birch’s tail. After the two pass, the portal closes. Leaving Zaleka with the food, and no one else to pry. “Now then, let’s see what this ‘Earth food’ can do.”

She begins chowing down on her remaining plate, Birch’s, and Duke’s too. Splatters of sauces and crumbs of bread did not escape either, she is thorough and clean with the courses. With or without company, she delicately swallows each pasta platter down and licks her lips afterwards. The three different variants of pasta are now settling in her stomach. “Mmmm, now that is a nice meal.” She washes down the last of it with her juice and preaches in draconic.

“Shavick Numopwiz.” Zaleka’s body begins to expand itself, and at a faster rate than usual. Each strand of hair developed into a thicker broom bristle a yard long, but it did not hinder their tender texture. The greatest display for those fervent fibers are on her tail, expanding in luscious length and vast volume. Her shoulders and hips spread wider as her torso lengthens twice as long. Her previous picnic table sized torso grows into a small sized moving truck, with a slender curve from her ribcage to her stomach. And the wings follow suit as well, curving around her sides as they expand with her torso. The forelegs and hindlegs rise tall as they, and her paws, spread in circumference. She avoids stepping on their picnic table, but her sudden speed growth has brought fast unbalance for her to stumble a bit. Her attempt to gain composure halts as limbs and leaves blind her. Even tangling her wider wings in the tree too. All these changes happened to her, and it only lasted not even 3 seconds.

Her initial 8ft by 14ft size, has now doubled itself to 28ft tall to her head and 66ft long to tail. Her horns and wings catching in the tree branches, left paw crushing a different picnic bench, and her tail weaving through around the tree she is caught in. A surprising result for sure. “Nnrrggg, I can’t, OW, see with this tree, GAH, in my way… wait, I’m in a tree?” She bickers at first but ponders her situation in a curious manner.

After untangling her horns and wings out of the tree, did she realize her growth. “Oh, oh my. Birch was right. This…” She looks down at the picnic table between her forelegs and views behind her too. “…this is a boost, with energy to spare too. Are my wings and tail, larger?” She feels something under her left paw and lifts it up to see remnants of a different broken table a couple feet in the ground and stuck to her paw pad. “Amazing, and all because of the food on this planet.” Her ambitions are starting to race in her head. She could reach the height of trees. But to overshadow the trees? The picnic park? A town? Valley? City? Mountain range? Intriguing thoughts rush rapidly in her mind. But why let the imagination dictate her size, when she can do it herself.

Shear excitement from tapping toes and gleeful giggles reveal themselves on Zaleka. But she nearly forgot about her energy source beneath her. She stares down at the food intact, but slightly scattered across the table. “I need to finish this meal before I grow too big to even see it.” She pinches the table by the seats between her right digits. She tilts her head back, opens her massive maw, and lets everything slide down onto her tongue. Even for her giant size, she can still enjoy everything from her garden basket to Duke’s spaghetti dinner. A couple of chews and tongue twirls later she GULPS the entire meal.

“Good to know that even at this size my tastebuds can sense these earthly delights.” Zaleka remarks as she licks her lips. With her size being larger, naturally her tone has lowered, and volume has increased. “Alright, second try now. Shavick Numopwiz!”

OUTSKIRTS OF THE SAME PARK

A human family is enjoying themselves on a hill in the same park for a picnic. “Dad, I don’t want tomatoes in my sandwich.” “And who puts mayonnaise with ham Mom?” The toddler brother Nilo and older teen sister Britta complain about their meal while observing the park landscape and city in the distance. “Tomatoes are healthy; besides they’re mostly water.” “And mayonnaise is perfectly fine with ham Britta.” The father and mother tell the children as all four of them sit on their blanket. The mother and father have their back to the park and city further behind it. “If you don’t want to eat, then let’s play a game.” The mother suggests. “We can do ‘I SPY’, how about it kids?” The father incites, and the two youngsters nod in half appeasement.

“Ok Nilo, you go first.” Mom explains. With little enthusiasm, Nilos starts searching for something. The dad is prepping sandwiches, the mother is reading a book, and his sister Britta is sketching in her notebook. “I spy something…” Nilo witnesses a group of birds rushing out of trees in the distance as two pearl rods start to rise. “… something white?” Nilo says hesitantly. “Clouds?” “My pants?” “Your socks?” Britta, Dad, and Mom respond in that order. “No, it’s also…” Nilo observes again as the pearl rods protrude themselves from a red grassy hill. “… fuzzy.” “A spider’s web?” “Cotton flowers?” The father and mother reply, but Britta doesn’t reply as she glares at Nilo confused. She sees Nilo focusing on something then tracks where his eyes are staring, and drops her pencil.

The carmine hill keeps emerging from the treetops. Revealing a cherry red cat head with wings appearing behind it as well. “N-no, there’s also-” “Wings?” Britta disrupts Nilo’s next hint. She shows her sketch book to Nilo, both of their eyebrows rise at her drawing. “Britta, what did we talk about interrupting your brother?” Dad reminds her, still unaware of what’s behind him. “Oh, she just wants to join Nilo. Wings, right dear?” Mom redirects still focusing on her book, both children nod their heads. “Well, a bird?” “A moth?” The parents guess, but their children reply simultaneously. “No.”

With the head shown, the blue eyes open from the red beast. Revealing a top and bottom row of teeth as it yawns. “It has teeth.” The son adds, having the parents think a little more. “An albino flying squirrel?” “An albino bat?” They assume, “Nope.” The daughter answers, putting more intent in her notebook. Scraping it’s sides against the top of trees, the kids creep a smile at how big this creature is. “It is big. Like, BIG big.” Britta exaggerates, really putting the parents’ brains to the test. Dad stops bringing out sandwich ingredients and the mother pops her eyes out of her book for a moment. The couple look at each other and respond together. “A plane?” Little Nilo shakes his head, “No.”

The creature skims its under belly on the treetops as it stops growing and lifts its nose to sniff the air. Nilo brings a finger over his lips indicating to keep what they’re seeing a secret. “It has a…” Britta views a long, lovely, and luxurious tail pulling itself free from the trees as the beast continues to sniff the air. “…a really long tail.” The parents look at each other longer, the father scratching his head while the mother shrugging her shoulders. “A white owl?” says Dad. “No darling that’s not big enough.” Mom inputs.

The behemoth stops sniffing and stares in their direction. Nilo and Britta’s faces are blank, trying to figure out if this giant is looking at them or not. “Maybe it doesn’t see us.” Nilo whispers to Britta. It begins walking their way. “I think it does Nilo.” Britta retorts softly.

“Well, what’s the next hint?” The mother insists. Nilo jitters a bit as Britta tries to muster out some words. “It uhhh has, four legs.” The father closes the cooler and mother shuts her book. “A kite?” Mom guesses. “Kites don’t have legs dear.” Dad reminds her. The beast keeps trotting towards them, the sandwiches start to shake a bit with each step.

“Children, this must be something you can see.” The father reminds them. “And no imagination. Meaning, Nilo can’t look at your book Britta. This must be something that exists.” The mother explains with some grim. “But it does exist, it’s not from her book.” Nilo retorts, with toddler confidence. The father rubs his eyes as the mother places a hand on her forehead to reset her mind. “Just, start from the beginning again.” The mother commands with mild irritation.

Both parents are too mentally occupied in their kids’ I SPY hint, that they aren’t noticing the ground subtly tremor beneath them from said ‘hint’. But the children are slightly tilting their heads up, and up, and up as the pink cat-dragon roams to their location. With its indigo eyes focusing on them. Nilo reiterates all the hints again. “It is white, fuzzy, has wings, teeth, reeaaaallyyyy biiiiiiig, loooooongggg tail, has four legs, and has red hair with horns.” The parents are visually becoming upset in their faces. “Nilo what are yo-” thoom Thoom THOOM THHOOOM THHHOOOOMM. A shadow covers the family and the mother’s words. Britta covers her mouth in her notebook. The parents see Nilo grinning and staring up at something. And they follow as well.

An extremely large animal with a ruby coat, four pillaring limbs, hoary horns, and sky-blue eyes looks down at the family. The cat dragon licks its lips as it smells something delicious. “What do we have here?” Zaleka asks in a deeper feminine tone, brushing the grass under the family with her speech alone. Zaleka’s neck is evenly leveled with the family’s 70ft tall hill. Though Zaleka’s huge head hangs well over their heads. If the parents stand, they couldn’t even jump to reach her chin. Their’ eyes start to roll back and feint from the shear encounter of her. Leaving the Nilo and Britta with the oversized Zaleka.

“Awesome!! Britta, your art came to life.” Nilo jumps from his spot and side hugs his older sitting sister, who is still observing the standing blood furred beast. Zaleka views the two parents who seem to be sleeping. “Are those two alright?” Zaleka asks, seeing the kids cover their ears from her unknowingly loud question. Zaleka immediately covers her mouth with her right paw, realizing her repercussion of being a lot larger than before. She covers her paw then whispers, “My mistake. I didn’t realize I was that loud.” Nilo is the first one to respond, still hyped about the gigantic creature in front of him. “You can shake everything with your voice, that’s sooooo cooool.”

As Zaleka keeps receiving praise from the toddler, she notices how the teen is hiding behind her book not moving an inch. She sets her right paw down redirects her eyes to the toddler and softly says. “The youth are particularly vibrant here, what’s your name?” Nilo stops hugging Britta and points a thumb to himself. “I’m Nilo, and this is my sister Bri-owww…” Britta slaps her sketch book on Nilo’s back to stop him from talking. “…what was that for?” Nilo finishes his statement. “Didn’t Mom and Dad tell you about talking to strangers?” Britta explains with some fear in her voice. Nilo crosses his arms and retorts, “Yeah, so?”

The main reason Zaleka wandered over is for the sandwiches she smelled. She observes a plastic prism next to the dad that has some food on it. As the siblings are arguing, Zaleka brings her right paw to the cooler. Her single digit could pick up the cooler. While talking with her brother, Britta views the ponderous paw getting closer to her. “Hey, hold it!” Britta yells, with the paw stopping itself above the cooler. “What are you going to do to my parents?” She accuses the cat dragon. Britta’s defensive tone stops Zaleka. “Nothing, I smelled something nice in the cooler, so I wanted to have some.” Zaleka murmurs, not trying to be too loud at the kids. “Well, that’s stealing, and that’s wrong. Besides, we don’t give food to strangers either.” Britta proclaims, holding onto her book firmly to her chest.

“Hey, what’s your name?!” Nilo insists, and receives a disapproval look from his big sis. “I’m Zaleka, I’m new to these parts and am just enjoying myself with the scenery and food.” She whispers but doesn’t want to reveal too much of her origin. “There, now we’re not strangers.” Nilo states. “That’s not how this works Nilo, knowing someone’s name isn’t enough. There’s more to it that.” Britta rebuttals, trying to grasp the situation. “Oh, like what?” Nilo challenges crossing his arms again. Britta begins to wind her book again to swing. “I believe being polite is one thing to consider.” Zaleka kindly mutters to the two and proceeds to barely extend her right paw to them and place it on the ground. A single digit of hers can cover a parent’s torso. “A handshake is something I was taught to do when greeting someone.” Zaleka gracefully adds.

Britta doesn’t budge, but Nilo runs past her. “Nilo, get back here.” Britta commands, but he is already at the paw. “Wow, Britta this is better than our rug at home.” Nilo explains to her. His hand gently presses past the hair and touches Zaleka’s spongy bean. Zaleka creaks a smile from his touch as it tingles a bit. “Ohh hmm hmm, such a tiny touch.” Zaleka quietly states and reminds herself of her size. “Britta, come on. Don’t be rude.” The harmless happy little brother encourages her. Britta doesn’t want to look like the mean one in this situation. So, she walks over and places her hand on Zaleka’s humbling hair and doughy digit. “It’s not… that… oh wow.” “I know, I could use this like a pillow.” Britta and Nilo complement Zaleka’s paw and begin pushing on it, entranced by the texture.

Meanwhile, Zaleka is curling her cheeks as the two keep pressing her dynamic digit. “Hold it together.” Zaleka thinks to herself trying not to show anything. “Oh Britta, do this.” Nilo insist as he uses both hands this time to push more firmly on Zaleka’s bean. Britta doesn’t say anything, but copies Nilo to see for herself. And widens her eyes realizing her brother is right. “It’s so, cushiony.” Britta ponders to herself. Now Zaleka is biting her teeth while cracking a smile, these two kids are pushing her composure limit. “Don’t laugh Zaleka… don’t… you…” While Zaleka is holding fast, Britta proceeds to rub up and down. Realizing how evenly pulpous the surface is on Zaleka’s finger. And Zaleka couldn’t help it.

“HAA HAA HAA HAA HAA!! PLEASE, HA HA PLEASE STAHH AHH AHHPPP.” Zaleka’s tilts her head back and roars in hilarity with her normal voice booming out onto the landscape. Blowing the grass backwards, shaking some leaves off trees, and even putting holes in the clouds above her in the mesosphere. Even blowing the children backwards from her hearty voice. Thankfully pointing her head up, the kids weren’t hurt, nor did it affect their hearing. Nilo observes the leaves fall and Britta witnesses the holes in the clouds. “Holy… do it again!!!” Nilo endorses making two fists in the air. “Did you just put holes in the sky?” Britta questions Zaleka pointing her book in the air. “I’m, ha ha ha, I’m dreadfully sorry children, ha ha. Your tiny, ha ha ha, tiny hands just, ha ha, tickled me more than I thought.” Zaleka apologizes with slight embarrassment.

Zaleka instinctually covers her face to hide her remaining chuckles, which also slightly reveals her inner wings too. As Nilo is busy empathy giggling with Zaleka, Britta notices small flickers of color within Zaleka’s wings. Zaleka reduces her chuckles after sniffing the aroma of the food near the cooler again. “Hey, you. Cat, dragon, thing… what’s inside your wings?” Britta stipulates, while trying not to seem desperate. Zaleka eyes her wings for a moment without opening them to the awkward teenager. “Why do you ask, human?” Zaleka questions respectfully. “It’s that… there’s something… Gahh! Are you gonna open them or not?” Britta persists while crossing her arms and turning her head away, yet her eyes peer towards Zaleka. This area of youthful curiosity and defiance is something Zaleka is more than accustomed too, with Birch and other younglings back on Pyrrhia. With Britta’s curiosity and her own hunger, Zaleka conjures an idea.

“I’m sorry but can’t do so. It’s dangerous talking to strangers.” Zaleka chortles a bit, causing Britta to revolt from hearing her own words against her. “What, hey that’s not… You can’t just…” Britta rebuttals in a rude manner but can’t finish a sentence. “Britta, you’re getting angry again.” Nilo points out honestly. “Zip it Nilo.” Britta bickers at him, but Nilo just rolls his eyes. Zaleka interjects before the two start to fuss, “Where I’m from, helping others through favors is how you can get to know someone better…” Zaleka stares down at the cooler of sandwich assortments, which Nilo notices. “…and I wouldn’t mind a-” “A sandwich?” Nilo interrupts, causing both Britta and Zaleka to stare at him. Britta mentally puts the pieces together. “You won’t show me your wings unless I make you a sandwich?” Britta bitterly states. “Well, some manners too would be appreciated too?” Zaleka adds.

Britta faces Zaleka and refuses, “Forget it, I didn’t want to see your, your… stupid wings anyways.” “I’ll make you something.” Nilo proclaims, snapping Britta’s attention to him. “Oh, did you want to see my wings in exchange Nilo?” Zelaka proposes still standing while shaking her closed wings, grabbing Britta’s curiosity again. “No, I just wanna go down your tail like a slide, but you gotta reset me every round. I don’t know if I can climb up every time.” Zaleka and Britta both blink twice at his request. For a toddler, he seemed to have this planned out ahead of time. “When did you think of that?” Britta asks confused. “Since I saw her tail fluff on top of the trees in the distance. It looks like cotton candy and soft like cotton, I just hope it tastes like it too.” Nilos’s eyes flicker as he explains himself.

“You can do that, but no tail biting. I guarantee it isn’t going to taste like this, cotton candy, you talk about.” Zaleka agrees, having Nilo jump with jippies. “Deal!” Nilo concurs and proceeds to the cooler to grab his sandwich of ham, lettuce, and mayonnaise. “Isn’t that yours?” Britta remarks. “Shhhh! Here you go Zaleka.” Nilo states. Zaleka uproots any trees under her belly by brushing her forepaws outwards. And her hindlegs would bend or crush anything behind her tail. Loud CRACKS and SNAPS of thunder muffle through her torso fur. She lowers her body and pulls her hindlegs in and curls her forelegs under her chest, brushing it against the hill the children are on. The two siblings brace themselves as the ground shakes beneath them from her, settling. And finally, Zaleka is lying down. She closes her eyes and rests her head on the ground.

“Ohhhh, it smells scrumptious.” Zaleka comments with her chin pushing into the dirt. “Please, bring it here.” Zaleka requests, while slowly opening her maw. Saliva drizzles from her pink inner lip layers both above and below. Sunlight reveals white well-being carnivorous teeth first, with the instinctive incisors, and followed by the powerful premolars. Pink prime gums and raised tongue are the final qualities in view within Zaleka’s mouth. And with no fear, or complete absence of fear, Nilo starts walking towards it. “ARE YOU CRAZY!?!?” Britta shouts, drops her book, and grabs his arm. “Her head is the size a small bedroom, and you were just gonna walk towards her?!?!” Britta criticizes Nilo, “I was gonna place it in front of her, I’m not that dumb.” Nilo retorts. “She can lung her head at you idiot and snag you. We’re 20ft from her and she can probably reach up to 10ft, max.”

“30ft actually, that’s my reach if I extend my neck. And your conversation leaves you both wide open too…” Zaleka disrupts them, giving Britta some chills. “…and my only intention is for the sandwich, and sandwich alone. As we agreed upon, correct Nilo?” Zaleka concurs. “Right, but could you just stick out your tongue? I don’t wanna step in your mouth.” Nilo states earnestly. “Of course.” Zaleka BLEPS out her tongue and Nilos hopples forward with the sandwich. Her tongue texture is to be expected, wet and rough with layers of papillae catching any loose hairs or food. “Do those little hooks on your tongue hurt?” Nilo asks, concerned if Zaleka is receiving pain from them. “Not at all little one. Think of is as a comb, it helps me groom and taste food.” Zaleka answers Nilo quietly.

The moment Nilo places his sandwich on her tongue, Zaleka slips it back to her maw and lifts her head off the ground. She enjoys the flavors of salty ham, savoring mayonnaise, fluffy white bread, and watering lettuce. No matter how small, Zaleka can taste every little detail of it as she slowly chews her extremely small snack. She has her eyes shut, so she may further appreciate every amount of detail. “Haaah, Shavick Numopwiz.” Zaleka unknowingly murmurs happily. Giving the kids a sight to behold.

Zaleka’s chin begins to dig into the hilltop’s ground as her facial features expand. While laying down she stretches her limbs out from under her loaf position, wrapping her forearms around the hill and nearly touching the paws to one another. Her neck reaches a newer height as the rest of her torso widens and flourishes more in length. Nilo gasps in place as he feels Britta carry him backwards as Zaleka’s chin nearly plows him over. “Zaleka!!” Britta screams, breaking Zaleka’s fantasy taste dream and wakes up to a new growing reality. “Gahhh!” Zaleka lifts her head up surprised at her growth. She huffs air in and out smoothly to concentrate on her control. Slowly but surely, she ceases her enlargement.

Zaleka’s chest is now taller and wider than the 70ft tall 50ft wide hill, with her forearms reaching around and crossing her paws over one another. Her small bedroom head is not the size of a living room, for a mansion. Zaleka tilts her head down to spot if the children are safe, and exhales seeing how they are fine. But Britta is holding her little brother tight. Zaleka scrambles an apology.

“Please forgive me, I… I didn’t mean to… it was an…” “DO IT AGAIN!!!!” Zaleka’s apology gets disrupted by Nilo jumping out of Britta’s hug. “What?” Britta retorts. “With her being bigger, that means her tail is longer. Can you imagine how awesome this slide is going to be?” Nilo tells her excitedly while grabbing her arm and shakes it and her body too. Zaleka is relieved that no one is hurt, and thankful for the little boy’s endless energy too. “Oh, well… I’m glad you like it.” Zaleka notifies him, while receiving a negative glare for Britta. “So what, you grow when you eat?” Britta bickers at Zaleka, who replies. “Yes, but your earthly food has a ‘specialty’ to it that it makes me become even larger.”

“So, that means my sandwich was good, right?” Nilo questions, still peppy from what he witnessed. “Hmm hmm hmm, no doubt delicous. Thank you Nilo, now as for our deal…” Zaleka leans on her left side and trails her right paw down her tail. It glides through her tail creating a rut of sorts from beginning to end. The tail curls out and ends at her torso. “…I believe you wanted a slide?” Nilo’s eyes grow two sizes as he hops in the air. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yeeeeesss!” He answers with joy unimaginable.

Zaleka places her paw pad down as Nilo gets on top of her toes. Those downy digits are a treat for any seat. She carefully moves her right paw to her right hip and drops Nilo off and observes as the munchkin makes his way to her tail. The silky slide not only satisfies the little heart of the boy but has some speed behind its smooth texture too. Her fervent fibers flex and force the boy for a fast gravity ride. Seeming as if nothing would slow him down as he curves within the tail and reaches the end with a PWUFFF impact into Zaleka’s tummy fluff. Nilo pulls himself out of the furry forest to tell Zaleka, “Again, I wanna go faster.” Zakeka titters and lowers her paw again, fulfilling Nilo’s wish.

As Nilo tries to speedrun the tail slide, Britta watches from the top of the hill for his safety, but to also peek at Zaleka’s inner wings if possible. Still hiding their beauty, Zaleka keeps her wings closed as she repeatedly uses her right paw as an elevator to lift Nilo up after every tail slide. “I see you still looking at my wings Britta.” Zaleka taunts. “N-No you’re not… wait? No I’m not!” Britta defends herself still. Zaleka implies politely. “It’s alright to be curious, and I’d be happy to show you my wings as well.” Britta doesn’t move for a moment but eases her hate glare on Zaleka to respond. “You just want to eat something, right?”

Zaleka answers her softly. “Yes please. Nothing more.” With some internal quarrels simmering down, Britta goes into the travel cooler. As Zaleka continues to aid Nilo and wait for Britta, she remembers the parents and finds them on top of the hill near the cooler still out cold. “Your parents seemed to have been asleep for quite a while, are you sure they’re, ok?” Zaleka points out to Britta, who assembles Zaleka’s meal. “They should be, they get overwhelmed at times when something is REALLY out of place. Like when Nilo painted his body purple with house paint.” Britta remarks making Zaleka raise a brow. “Nilo painted himself purple?” Zaleka repeats, having Nilo respond on top of her hip. “I just wanted to body stamp myself on the walls, like a purple shadow.” He concurs and slides down Zaleka’s tail slide again. “Mom and dad fainted for 20 minutes then took a 3 days to remove all the paint from him.” Britta chuckles a bit.

Zaleka begins to chuckle too, Britta’s laugh is slightly contagious when relaxing her character around others. Though Zaleka doesn’t point it out, worried Britta would become defensive. “Alright, here you go.” Britta announces and closes the cooler to reveal a smorgasbord sandwich. Turkey, spinach, cheddar cheese, mustard, beef, onions, lettuce, ham, mayonnaise, pickles, and parmesan, all between a foot long pretzel bun. Zaleka’s eyes grew at the sight and lays her head on the hill to take in the pure aroma of her next meal, she drools a bit from the sight. Britta notices how large Zaleka’s eyes become. Each eye is larger than Britta’s body, and those beryl beauties beckon at that sandwich she is holding.

“Uhhh, Zaleka. You’re drooling.” Britta remarks, a little grossed out by the dripping saliva. “Gracious, my manners…” Zaleka licks her lips to clean up a bit. She only focuses on Britta double handing the footlong hoagie. Not even Nilo pulling on Zaleka’s tail tip distracted her, she is focused solely on the divine delight within Britta’s palms. “Britta, please place that on the grass in front of me.” Zaleka requests, Britta does so but is confused too why. “Shavick Kylish!” Zaleka whispers as she lightly touches the sandwich with her tongue. In two seconds, the footlong sandwich becomes a 6ft long sandwich. Britta backs up, amazed again at the size difference. As she attempts to assess it, Zaleka NOMPFFS the sandwich in one bite, even digging up part of the ground too.

But that didn’t matter to Zaleka, she is enriching herself with sensations that are running rapid in her mouth. The pretzel bread’s puffy texture, mustard’s zing, the cheese’s age, and meats variety, everything overwhelms Zaleka’s senses of taste. She munches more and more giving her teeth, gums, saliva, and tongue the most zeal passion a maw could ask for. “Mmthismm ismm… sommmmmm… Mmmmmmhhhhhhhh!” Zaleka tries to compliment but doesn’t want the flavor to disappear. She continues savoring to herself, purring so strong with every chew, that Britta and Nilo can feel the ground shake beneath them. “Britta, what did you do!?!?” Nilo yells up to her. “She’s eating, and is enjoying it…” Britta shouts back noticing Zaleka drool again. “…maybe a little too much!”

GULPS Zaleka finishes it and sighs out in relief plants her head with a loud BWOMFF on the hill’s peak again with Britta on her right side. “Ohhh myyyyy, that was exceptional.” Zaleka compliments Britta but feels something jabbing her belly. Zaleka turns her head to the right to find Nilo kicking it, though his output is little to no harm. “Heeeeyyyyy, why did you stop giving me rides?!?!” He shouts at Zaleka, who pinches him delicately between her digits and brings him over to his sister on the hill. A smile grows on Zaleka as she lifts her head above the two children. “Because I think you both might like this.” Zaleka insists.

FWOOMMM She gently uncurls her wings, bending or uprooting any remaining trees that are around her and gradually shadowing over the children and the hill. The wings’ lub stems near her shoulders and leading edge are crimson. But slowly blends front-to-back to a shade from magenta to purple and finally blue near the trailing edge of her wings. Golf ball sized natural specs barely sparkle in her webbing, even when her inner wings are facing away from the sun. And the more she opens, the more small specs scatter across her span. A single red inner-bone can be detailed within her wings, but that didn’t hinder their beauty in the slightest.

Nilo is speechless from the visual overload, giving Britta a chance to praise. “It’s so, so pretty.” Zaleka bows her head towards Britta. “I’m happy you like them.” Nilo finally gets his words out. “I wanna get a closer look. Please please please pleeeeeaaaase?” He can’t contain his eagerness. Zaleka opens to respond and pauses a moment. An idea comes to her head, rather it being good or bad… guess she will find out. “You both can be on my head if you want a, bigger view?” “YES!!” The siblings respond instantly to Zaleka, quailing her a bit.

“Alright then…” Zaleka lowers her face, so her nose touches the ground as the kids use it as a ramp to walk up. “… jump on.” She responds and watches the two approach. Nilo is just sprinting rigorously climbing up Zaleka face, while Britta walks and hops on with more care towards Zaleka’s skin and hair. The children note the ears the size of family tents with more coarse hair blocking Zaleka’s canal cave. And the horns are at least 20ft long and thick as timber, the siblings can’t touch hands if they even try to hug the ivory horns pointing out horizontally behind Zaleka’s head.

The kids settle on top of her hairy halcyon head. “This is better than my blanket.” Nilo gratifies. “So, so gentle.” Britta adds afterwards. Zaleka giggles a bit as she feels the two doll sized kids settle on her head. The two siblings continue to associate between Zaleka’s ears, as she quietly whispers, “Shavick Numopwiz.”

Nilo and Britta start shaking as tremors course beneath their feet. Nilo falls on his butt as Britta catches herself crouching with hands on her knees. “Britta, why is Zaleka shaking?” Nilo pleas unable to sit up. “I don’t know. She might be scratching her head or something?” Britta guesses as she reaches for Nilo’s arm. As they grasp each other’s hand, the garnet grass around them starts to get taller. Each red thread is thickening from a broom bristle into a thicker construction bristle, while somehow enhancing its delicacy to the touch too. The knee-high hair is now reaching its way up to Britta’s waist and slowly envelops Nilo. She quickly yanks her younger brother on his feet before it engulfs him.

Both siblings continue holding each other’s arms as gravity continues to fight them. “Why is everything so heavy?” Britta banters, trying to fit the missing pieces. “I don’t know, maybe we’re fat?” Nilo comments, hoping to aid her answer. “Nilo, neither of us ate anything for lunch.” Britta bickers while facing him and views the fur slowly creeping up on him and her. “Gahhh! This stuff is swallowing us.” Britta cries out in fear. This frightens Nilo, causing him to hug his big sis. “Why is the hair eating us? Why is the sky moving?” Nilo pleas and points forward to show clouds sinking beneath the two. “I don’t… wait what?” Britta’s fear turns into curiosity when looking in the same general direction.

Facing behind Zaleka’s head, Britta inspects Zaleka’s ears that are the each the size of a single bedroom. And how far apart they are from each other. Along with the beige horns are now the size of museum columns pointing backwards. Out of nowhere the gravity holding the two down reverses itself as the siblings idle, in the air, 10ft off Zaleka’s head. “Yeeeeeaaaaahahahhhah!” “Stop laughing, this isn’t funny!” Britta yelps at Nilo as they both fall below. As the young lad keeps happy cackling, Britta just hugs him tight for the inevitable. They descend rapidly to intimate FWUMPFFF, death? Britta lands on the heavenly hair back first, protecting Nilo with her body. She yelps from the impact as Nilo continues to laugh.

“He he he he he, that was fun.” Nilo chuckles with glee. “For you, but I’m on the bottom in…” Britta sits up and turns Nilo around to speak face to face, “…in, in no pain?” Britta notes aloud realizing she isn’t hurt, but moreover of how comfy it is. “Then, let me go.” Nilo begs while pushing against Britta’s torso. She lets him go so they both can stand. Dragging their hands through the fluff on top of Zaleka’s head. While standing, Nilo’s shoulders and Britta’s chest poke out and shove through the russet jungle on Zaleka’s dome.

“Ok, this is even softer than my bed…” Nilo hops and lands on his back crossing his arms, “…I want this to be my bed now.” He settles in and embraces the hair in a homey fashion. Britta can’t complain, she is speechless at the tantalizing texture. But regards Nilo’s vertical as he hopped. Was it, taller? She begins to bounce nonchalantly and finds out her curiosity is correct. Zaleka’s skin under her hair rebounds a little to every step. “It’s kind of spongy, a warm sponge.” Britta remarks and bounces a little bit more too. Even being some feet away from her napping brother, it didn’t shake him at all. “How are you two doing?” A lower yet familiar voice comes to say.

Nilo answers first, “Zaleka!” Britta stops jumping and speaks out for answers. “What happened? Everything started to get heavy, we flew in the air, and thankfully landed without getting hurt.” Zaleka replies to her, “Just come to my eyebrows and you’ll see.” Nilo is the first to do as Zaleka says. “Nilo, hold up.” Britta commands and starts chasing him. She starts trailing behind her spritely younger brother. They both reach the cliffs of Zaleka’s brow to witness something that pictures could only entail.

Zaleka tilts her head a little down and to the side, so the kids can view her two forepaws are now slightly smaller red copies of the hill they were on. Except her fruitful fuzz is longer and more pleasant than any blade of grass on that hill. The same fuzz lengthens all over her grown torso as it shadows the entirety of the park. The birds begin fleeing from the dark shade, if not that, fleeing from the being casting the shadow. Zaleka brings on weight that causes her four paws to dig into the earth and bury anything 10ft under those pudgy pads. While her tail has a more lenient factor of resting or tilting anything beneath its long leisurely locks. Her wings are closed, but can no doubt engulf more land in darkness if they open.

Britta falls to her knees in speechless shock while Nilo responds, “This, is, awesome.” For the first time, Nilo is calm with his response about Zaleka actions. “Why thank you Nilo. But is Britta, ok?” Zaleka asks, wondering how Britta is taking this all in. Nilo doesn’t respond as he continues his eyes embrace the world he is now on top of. Britta is mentally processing everything as her kneeling posture has her chin at the same level as Zaleka’s hair. “Wow.” She finally whispers out.

“Wow?” Nilo responds enthralled yet baffled at her response. “We are on top of an oversized cat that came out of your sketch book and all you can say is wow?” Nilo remarks to Britta, and Zaleka hears this too. “Sketch book? Britta, you’re an artist?” Zaleka booming voice asks impertinently. Britta starts to blush a little. “Uh, it’s… it’s only sketches. Art has colors to it.” She responds sheepishly. “My dear, any creation you bring out from your mind and into your book is art. You may be young, but those are qualities of an artist. Where is your book?” Zaleka inspires and flatters Britta.

Hearing this, Britta slowly releases her anxiety and answers. “It’s down at on the hill with, Oh no! Are our parents ok?!” Britta realizes as she remembers, leaving her book next to her mother. “Oh, I forgot about them.” Nilo admits to some guilt. “Don’t worry, they are still on the hill sleeping. But I think I see the book?” Zaleka tells the two and uses her two left digits to pinch the book. Her paw though is too big to grab anything smaller than a human. Let alone a paper sized sketchbook. “Hhmmm, I may need to levitate it. JOSHRI NACKSEH.” A light red hue forms around the small book and pencil connected to it. And with a talon twitch, Zaleka shoots the book up above her head at tremendous speed zooming past the kids.

“Oops…” Zaleka yips and stops her talon and ceasing the book well above her head. “…nice and easy.” She murmurs to herself. Due to her huge current size and the book’s size, Zaleka must be more careful and slower with how she levitates objects as she descends the book onto Britta. “Sorry about that. Are you two alright?” Zaleka states concerningly. “Yeah.” Nilo muffles out. Britta is defensive from the experience though. “Wh-why did you bring me my drawings?” She questions while grabbing her levitating sketches.

“Well as a ‘creation’ in your book, can you please detail my wings? If you haven’t already that is.” Britta is nervous with her response. “I, I guess.” “Great. But you will need better lighting.” Zaleka implies. The siblings feels her moving and adjust to her momentum, though Nilo just falls over on her hair in a lazy fashion. Zaleka lifts her tail, leaving some hair strands behind on trees or floating in the air for the wind to take them somewhere else. Round-About sized paw prints can be seen in the grass with debris of soil, trees, and rocks falling off her paws or crushed under them. Each one is about 50ft tall and 70ft wide and each one puts a stamp in the earth as Zaleka rotates her body to face the sun. With her wings open at her new size of about 1,300ft tall and 4,000ft long to her tail.

Zaleka faces the sun with her wings still open. And continues to stand in place as she asks the children. “Do they look better in the light now?” The siblings turn around to witness a pure spectacle. Those airfoils begin to reflect and refract everything the sun touches. The colors of red, magenta, purple, violet, and blue appear crisper when separated, and magnificent when mixed. And the golf ball sized specs are now soft ball sized. And being big isn’t their only change, they bounce the sun’s rays with extreme captivation. From her lub to leech end and shoulder to forestay tip, Zaleka’s inner wings glimmer in every direction with the color combinations to complement it further. It’ll be hard NOT to notice those fabulous fans, even if Zaleka was at normal size.

“You have a rainbow in your wings.” Nilo praises, and yawns afterwards. “It’s like a completely new universe of stars and colorful milky ways. They look fantastic!” Birtta adds, as she begins to sketch the wings’ beauty. Zaleka chuckles a response. “Hhhmm hhhmm hhhmm hhhmm. Your words are enriching to hear children. I’ve never had the chance to open these glorious gliders.” Zaleka twitches her wings slightly to stretch, but they also brought a gush of wind to her head, and the siblings. Knocking the kids off balance a bit.

“Oh gracious, did you both fall?” Zaleka worries as she felt the two topple on her humongous head. “I’m fine.” Britta responds. “Same, but I don’t know (yawn) if I can get up.” Nilo comments vaguely. “Wait, what?” Zaleka questions. “Nilo, why not?” Britta raises her voice in concern. “Because I found a snug spot against Zaleka’s ear to rest up on. What did you think I meant?” Nilo states plainly while yawning at the end. His hyperactive nature seems to be winding down. Britta is at a loss for words at how many times her little brother nearly gives her a heart attack, but just swallows her anger for a moment. “I.. you… guuhhh, never mind.” With that, Nilo leans against the back of Zaleka’s ear for a nap while Britta makes her way between Zaleka’s brows to get a better sketching angle.

“I won’t move much Nilo.” Zaleka states, holding her wings open while standing still, but didn’t hear a response as Nilo is already sleeping. Using her ear as a backrest and pillow, while using her head fur as a bed and blanket. “That was fast.” Zalaka implies surprised and softly. “I’m surprised he stood awake this long. Nearly evening and he was energized about our picnic since noon. He’s weird like that.” Britta explains nonchalantly as she is still detailing the wings in her book. “Weird? He’s a bright bundle of joy to be around. You shouldn’t be discourteous of him.” Zaleka affirms her gently.

“No, I’m not being rude. He’s happy but is also unaware and naïve, it can be a little dangerous.” Britta says, with a kinder tone to her voice. Zaleka knows she isn’t wrong, but she isn’t fully right either. “We are nowhere near your brother’s amateur exploring nature. But that nature is needed for curiosity to expand. Even for me, this size or smaller, I took a chance to arrive here. And I’m happy I did.” Zaleka responds to Britta, who pauses her sketch.

She slides between Zaleka’s eyes and onto her nose bridge. She is the size of a AA battery on Zaleka’s dog nozzle. “Weren’t you, scared at all?” Britta rebukes and points to Zaleka’s eyes, who wields back and raises her brows at Britta’s action. “I see it as a fun opportunity, I’ve had my minor share of fear. But I digress any distasteful imagination that hinders my curiosity...” Zaleka can see the child’s worry waver slightly, so she also adds, “… I guess you could say that my mindset is, weird.” Zaleka adds, changing to a funny tone on the last word. Britta begins to giggle, seeing how Zaleka played her words well. “Oh, laughter. From someone so mature?” Zaleka continues to joke and chuckles with Britta as she continues walking.

Though Zaleka’s hollering is as loud as a foghorn, it didn’t hinder Britta’s laughter at all. If anything, it just made her laugh more. Zaleka continues her speech “And who said being weird is, bad, anyways? Nilo’s weird energy brought us both laughs. Me, well… there’s too much to count. And you Britta, an artist never follows the rules. They must be weird and try new things all the time. That is creation at its peak, something you have.” That singular moment brings Britta to a new perspective to being weird. It’s not fully clear to her, but she knows that it’s not a negative attribute to have.

Britta’s nature of playful happiness changes to solemn stature, and Zaleka notices this too. “So, I didn’t create you at all, did I?” Britta asks with self dismay, hoping she actually did bring a creation of hers to life. Zaleka is in a touchy situation, but answers honestly. “I’m sorry Britta, but you did not create me. I came from another world.” Britta lowers her head in sadness, really hoping one of her drawings did come to life.

Zaleka realizes her words made Britta unhappy, so she tries to reroute the subject. “However, I am in need of some friends on this new world. I do get terribly lonely. I wanted to ask sooner, but I didn’t know if you would accept me.” Britta tilts her head up a little to view Zaleka’s eye lids lower in worry and uncertainty. Zaleka did seem scared she would be alone, or played it out at least. “Of course, Zaleka I’d be grateful to be your friend. And I’m pretty sure you got Nilo’s vote too. Even though he is sleeping behind your ear.” Britta answers enthusiastically. “Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm, thank you Britta. I appreciate that. And I’ll thank Nilo too, once he wakes up that is.” Zaleka answers, seeing how Britta is sparking with a smile.

“Well, I don’t have colors, but would you like to see yourself in my book?” Britta teases as she shakes her sketch book in her left hand. “Darling, I’m dying to see what you have done.” Zaleka eagerly implies. Britta opens it to show her near life-feral sketch of Zaleka. Small erase rubs aside, her quality with only a pencil is slick. Fluff trills in the tail, cat anatomy is lined up nicely, details of fur from head to toe, and the wings are by far the best work. Shading took place of the colors and somehow Britta detailed the sparkles in Zaleka’s wings to make them appear flashy.

“Oh my! And this took you only a few hours?” Zaleka inquires astoundingly as she doesn’t leave her eyes off the page. “A little less, I’ve had some distractions on the way. But they were worth seeing…” Britta smiles as she sweeps her leg atop of Zaleka’s snout hairs, “…and being on top of too.” Zaleka couldn’t help but grin at her, this shy girl is now smiling due to flattery towards her art. “Welp it’s official, I’m your fan. Actually, I digress.” Britta witnesses a rush of gravity again, but this one isn’t as fierce.

Britta slowly gazes at the red fur growing yet again. Zalake’s eyes begin to expand under her brow. Actually, her face is widening with her eyes. Britta views Zaleka’s large TV sized eyes turn into IMAX screens for movies, and her bombastic blue eyes grew in larger depth. Britta feels herself being tugged backwards, but that is just Zaleka’s nose stretching itself longer. What used to be the size of a small moving truck, is now a semi-trailer sized nozzle, with puffy fur on it of course. Each ear upgrades from a single garage to a construction garage. Nilo is buried under the hairline, but it’s more of a puffy bed experience that outmatches the finest King-sized beds.

Near the end of it, Britta is now a Lego sized human looking up at two monstrous sapphire star eyes. “I’m your BIGGEST fan, he he he he.” Zaleka adds after stopping her growth. Britta just smiles wider than before, she didn’t expect Zaleka to be so interested in her drawing. Britta trudges to the near tip of her nose to examine the new height. The landscape below looks like a mini exhibit you find in a museum. Detailing the light green park below, minus the ferocious footprints. The finer green landscape of the countryside. And a city now seeming closer than before.

Britta is careful not to lean too far over Zaleka’s nose while her eyes take everything in. “I feel kinda bad for Nilo, missing out on this sightseeing.” Britta says, assu...