Sammy heard little noises from Adam but did not think he was speaking, she blew it off and continued to follow Yazmina who was currently speaking English. They were nearing the part of the base where the newer recruits practice and train. It was quite busy, but it brought back memories for her because of her intense boot camp. She yawned and kept walking, Yasmina then said to Sammy “We can go over to the stables next, I have to feed Koda anyway”.
She nodded and felt Adam tense up, she had a worried expression on and asked Yazmina “Could you ask him why he’s tensing up? Is something wrong?”. She then watched as Yazmina asked him, she started thinking of endless possibilities that could explain it but waited for Yazmina to tell her.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDsBUHxnzW
Yazmina told her “he said nothing was wrong so I don’t know”.Sammy rolled her eyes and then started to hear him muttering to himself, she adjusted her grip on him and poked him giving him a look. He waved her off and continued to talk, she left him alone and focused on her surroundings.
The sun shined on her face making her wince at the purple sunlight. She looked out into the nearby forest with curiosity. The colorful Blues and reds in the leaves and the tall trees with shades of purple. She smiled and breathed in, she loved being near nature and it was quite calming. They neared the stables she could recognize the large building by its dark blue outline and could hear the roars of her Sorhebi who sensed she was coming near.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7W6k5bKKK
Yazmina opened the light gray door for Sammy and closed the door behind her, Sammy looked around and breathed in, she could tell what stall Yelana her sorhebi was in. The stables were pretty nice, the marble floor was white, and the stalls were filled with fluffy blankets and big pillows. The walls had dark blue linings, and light grey filled the main walls. Sammy approached Yelanas stall, yelana jumped up and started wagging her tail. Her pupils are large and her pleading roars to let her out, Sammy smiles and opens the door. Yelena was about to jump on her until she spotted Adam in her arms, Yelena gave Adam a sniff and looked at him weirdly.
Sammy could feel the buzz of excitement through the soles of her boots before she even turned the corner. It was subtle at first, like distant thunder, but it became clearer as she stepped into the stable—Yelena was doing her “tippy taps” again.
A grin curled on Sammy’s face.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerxZqQ2T7f
Sure enough, there was Yelena, her massive dark blue body bouncing lightly in place, claws tapping in anticipation. Swirls of turquoise caught the light along her belly and the underside of her wings, and the feathery frills of her cobra-like hood flared with happiness. Marble white spikes stood tall along the edge of that hood, and her long tail coiled like a serpent in the straw. But it was her eyes—vivid blue with round, intelligent pupils—that locked onto Sammy with a spark of pure affection.
Sammy’s chest ached just a bit with the joy of seeing her again. “There you are,” she whispered.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsF1DAB6Tte
Yelena let out a chirring rumble, head swaying like a curious bird’s, until she noticed the small bundle in Sammy’s arms.
Adam.He was pressed gently against Sammy’s chest, looking dazed, awkward, and very clearly overwhelmed. His breath caught as Yelena stepped forward, lowering her massive head to his level. Her snout hovered inches away from his face, nostrils flaring as she sniffed him
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡib4s9zcsOG
Sammy chuckled. “It’s alright, she’s just saying hello.” He had no idea what the words meant, but the tone was reassuring. He didn’t say anything, but Sammy could feel the way he tensed slightly in her arms. He clutched her coat instinctively, his eyes wide as he stared at the towering Sorhebi. He looked even smaller now—delicate, even—with his thin frame against her strength, and she had to admit, there was something adorably fragile about him.
Yelena let out a gentle trill, nudging her snout closer. Sammy paused to let Adam adjust, then tilted her head toward the Sorhebi. “Say hi, Yelena,” she murmured. Yelena huffed softly, warm breath brushing over them. Then, with a curious chuff, she gave a small nudge to Adam’s leg with the edge of her hood—like a cat scenting something new. Sammy’s arms tightened protectively around him, and Yelena backed off obediently, her wings fluttering slightly. “She likes you,” Sammy said with a smirk, even though she knew he couldn’t understand.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTG0e5eufq
That’s when she heard the crash. She turned just in time to see Yazmina, half-crushed beneath the massive, silver-scaled weight of Koda. The energetic Sorhebi was smothering her with affection, his long tongue dragging over her face as she swatted and laughed helplessly.Sammy burst into laughter. “Koda missed you, huh?” Yazmina groaned from under him, “I was gone for a couple of hours!”Still smiling, Sammy turned to yazmina and said softly, “I’m going to take her for a fly.
You have fun with koda.” Sammy adjusted Adam in her arms, and that’s when she noticed it.He was blushing.She glanced down, brow raised. His face was red up to his ears, and he was very intentionally not looking at her. It made her smirk widen just a little. She hadn’t missed how stiff he’d gone once her arms slid beneath his back and knees again. For someone with a sharp scientific mind, he was pretty easy to fluster.“You okay?” she asked teasingly.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADUG1nNqxS
He blinked at her, eyes flitting up for just a second before dropping again. His voice was so soft she barely heard the nervous chuckle he gave.
She pretended not to notice and carried him out toward the landing field with featherlight steps, Yelena padding behind her, wings furled neatly along her back. Adam’s gaze occasionally flicked toward the Sorhebi, but more often than not, it hovered somewhere near the crook of Sammy’s neck—perhaps out of bashfulness, or the sheer inability to figure out where else to look.He was clearly trying not to think about how easily she held him, or how her tail curled behind her like a banner in the wind, or how her lavender hair smelled faintly like starlilies. Sammy said nothing as they walked, just smirked to herself, enjoying the moment.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZePbgyO1e
Behind them, Yazmina shouted something about “getting Koda off her already,” and Sammy couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. Everything felt right for a moment. And yet… she didn’t miss the strange look that crept into Adam’s eyes after that. A mix of guilt, fear, and quiet calculation. She’d have to ask Yazmina later what that was about.But for now, it was just her, her Sorhebi, the wind, and a strangely delicate human in her arms.
Yazmina had gotten up and Koda stood up, still happy and ready to play, she said: “Alrighty, I’m gonna take Koda to his fishing spot”.Sammy nodded and took Yelna outside, she set Adam down for a moment and hugged Yelana saying “Yesss I know, I know I missed you too.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0ZC7897O6
We are gonna go on a fly with Adam” Her mind then started to link with Yelana’s and Yelena said, “He smells so weird, where did you get him? and can we meet up with Koda after, I wanna play”. Sammy reached out through the telepathic connection and said “He is from a different planet and I am showing him around, and yes we can meet up with Koda later”.
The cool wind rolled across the open platform, stirring the strands of Sammy’s lavender hair as she adjusted her grip on Adam. His body felt tense in her arms—understandably so. His wide eyes were locked onto the towering Sorhebi before them.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7nXcwa6ir
Yelena stood poised and still, her deep midnight-blue scales shimmering beneath the light. The turquoise along her underbelly and the insides of her wings gleamed as she extended them in a showy stretch, her cobra-like hood flaring with anticipation. The white marble-like spikes along her hood gleamed like starlight. “Alright, easy now,” Sammy said more to Adam than to Yelena, as she guided his trembling form toward the Sorhebi’s back.
“She won’t bite, I promise.” Yelena dipped her head in understanding, her round-pupiled blue eyes full of curiosity as she watched Adam attempt to process what was happening. Sammy helped him carefully onto the saddle nestled between the base of Yelena’s neck and shoulders, her strong arms steadying him as he tried not to fall apart. He was clearly overwhelmed—and again, adorably small.
Once he was situated, Sammy swung up in front of him with practiced ease. The leather straps and polished silver grips felt like second nature in her hands. She turned slightly, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, and shot Adam a look over her shoulder.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySGtQiLf6R
Her lavender ponytail bounced as she tilted her head. “Hang on tight,” she said, giving a small smirk.
Adam blinked, hesitated, then sheepishly slid his arms around her waist. His fingers barely made it around, and his touch was feather-light—like he was afraid to offend her. She didn’t say anything, but her tail flicked once in amusement behind them. “Yelena,” she called, eyes glittering with mischief, “wanna show Adam how fun you can be?” Yelena’s throat rumbled in answer—a sound like stone grinding against silk.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1Qreq5X5W
Her wings flared, catching the wind in a single, magnificent pulse, and then they were airborne. The launch was explosive. Adam yelped behind her, his grip tightening like a vice around her middle as the wind tore past them. Sammy laughed, not at him—but because of the joy that always came with flying. Her heart lifted as the world fell away below them: the base shrinking to a blotch, the clouds rising to meet them. Yelena was a creature of the sky, and she knew it.
She didn’t just fly—she danced with the wind. They climbed in wide, elegant arcs, piercing through clouds, twisting on wind currents, her feathers catching glints of sunlight like sapphire fire.Then Yelena tucked her wings and dropped into a sharp dive.Adam screamed.Sammy whooped with delight, her ears perked up and her tail whipped by the wind. The force of the fall pushed them into weightlessness for a moment, and Sammy could feel Adam trembling behind her. She reached back and patted Yelena’s side twice in signal.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutzRU96kV2
The Sorhebi responded instantly, flaring her wings out just in time. The fall slowed, then turned into an effortless glide. Sammy glanced back—Adam looked pale, his hair wind-swept and eyes huge. Still conscious, but barely.She couldn’t help but laugh. “You alive back there?”He gave a tiny, helpless nod.
“Good.” “Barrel rolls?” she asked Yelena. Yelena's answering rumble was a resounding “yes,” if Sammy ever heard one. With a few powerful flaps, Yelena ascended again, slicing through the cold upper air like a dagger. The wind sang around them. Adam didn’t say anything this time. He just held on for dear life.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBf37TM4Zr
Then—without warning—Yelena dipped one wing and rolled. The world flipped. Sky became ground, ground became sky, and Sammy whooped with joy, her arms spread for balance. Adam, behind her, let out a small squeak before falling entirely silent. His grip was still tight, but his body had gone limp.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgz4XRfQDnH
She turned her head.
“Adam?”
No response.
“Adam—?”
He was out cold. Eyes closed, face blank, head tilted against her shoulder.
Sammy barely had time to process before she felt the shift in balance—his weight slid off the saddle. Her heart leapt into her throat.
“Yelena, GO!”
Yelena dove.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4g07VIVUr
The Sorhebi twisted her body into a lightning-fast descent, her eyes locked on the tiny figure tumbling through the air below. Sammy didn’t hesitate. She stood in the saddle, one hand gripping the reins, the other outstretched.Wind screamed past her ears. Her heart pounded.Closer. Closer.Adam jolted awake mid-fall, flailing wildly and letting out a panicked scream.“ADAM!”
His eyes locked onto hers just as Yelena leveled out beneath him. Sammy lunged.She caught him with both arms—his weight slamming into her chest as her feet staggered back onto the saddle. Yelena held steady beneath them, gliding smoothly through the air. Sammy dropped to one knee, pulling Adam close against her to keep him from slipping again.“You alright?” she asked over the wind, her voice breathless but amused. Adam was trembling, face redder than ever, and clearly unsure if he should speak or cry. Sammy just laughed again and squeezed him gently. “Next time,” she said with a grin, “we’ll skip the barrel rolls.”Yelena chirped in agreement beneath them, wings gleaming as they glided smoothly across the sky.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqvsWbv9rb
Adam was shaking violently with some pre tears threatening to fall, Sammy gave him a sympathizing face and said “Sorry”, she felt bad for him and soon started to head towards the fishing pond where most sorhebi’s go to at this time. She sat down and Adam who was smaller than her remained in front of her, he was clinging onto her and she couldn’t help but chuckle. She looked down and enjoyed the view of the purple canopy below them, the adrenaline that was pumped into her as Adam fell, started to disappear and she started to calm down. Suddenly Yelena started sniffing downward, and said “Danger”.
Sammy gave a concerned look and before she said anything a creature she knew all too well jumped up at them, it knocked Yelana off of her balance and they started to descend quite fast. Sammy who started to feel angry, pulled up on the saddle helping the weight shift back so Yelana could find balance. Yelena opened her wings and caught some air, they slowed down but still hit the ground. Yelena landed on her feet but slid a little before stopping. Sammy started to hear the rustling and cries and growls, Yelena started to growl and Sammy who wanted to protect Adam and Yelena got off, adam still clung to her and she released his hands and picked him up
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAHSigU6JQ
She put him on Yelena and told her “ Take care of Adam and get him far from here, I will take care of the fugato, meet you at the fishing pond”. Adam was shaking and was talking but she couldn’t understand him. She stopped him and pointed away from her in the direction of the fish pond. Yelena took off and she could hear Adam cry out before Yelana flew away. She angled her ears in the direction of the beast, it was feet away and she could hear it circling around her. She then saw two red eyes glowing out of the bushes, she spat “Come and get me”.
Sammy’s boots skidded against the earth, loose gravel scattering as she braced herself. The Fugato’s red eyes blazed from the underbrush, the low rumble of its growl vibrating through the soles of her feet.She had no gun. No knife. Only her bare hands, her instincts — and the savage determination roaring in her chest.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pQwdbDWXF
The Fugato sprang with a shriek that split the quiet forest. Sammy twisted just in time, narrowly avoiding the first swipe of its wicked claws. She felt the air tear past her cheek, and then the sting — shallow cuts burning across her face where the tips grazed her skin.She didn’t have time to cry out.The beast spun, faster than its size should have allowed, and lashed out with its tail. The heavy, ridged appendage cracked against her thigh, and Sammy’s knee buckled.
She stumbled, falling hard against the rocky ground. Pain exploded in her leg — hot, sharp — and when she looked, she saw blood already soaking through the torn fabric of her brightly colored uniform. A deep gash ran across her thigh, pulsing blood with every frantic heartbeat.She gritted her teeth and dragged herself upright. Her uniform — once a vibrant collage of purples, teals, and orange — was now splattered with blood, hers and the Fugato’s. It clung wetly to her skin, sticky and heavy.The Fugato prowled closer, its body rippling, its nostrils flaring at the scent of fresh blood.Sammy staggered back, desperate for anything — any weapon.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbiDA9hqTX
Her eyes landed on a thick, broken branch half-buried near the tree roots. Ignoring the screaming pain in her leg, she limped forward and snatched it up, holding it like a spear.The beast lunged again. Sammy yelled, meeting it head-on. She swung the branch with both hands, smashing it across the creature’s muzzle. The impact cracked the wood and sent a shower of splinters into the air. The Fugato reeled, dazed but not defeated.
Before it could recover, Sammy stabbed the broken end into its side, burying it deep into the gap between two ribs. The Fugato howled, flailing wildly, and one of its claws raked across her arm, slicing through the thin fabric of her sleeve and leaving shallow, burning cuts.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY6MQAmZrC
The branch snapped from the force of the struggle, and Sammy was thrown backwards, crashing against a tree trunk. Her breath left her in a gasp. Spots danced across her vision.
She blinked them away. She couldn’t stop now.Adam was counting on her. Yelena was counting on her.Dragging herself upright, she limped toward a jagged rock half-buried in the dirt. She barely managed to grasp it as the Fugato, blood gushing from its wound, stumbled toward her once more.Sammy didn’t hesitate. As it leapt, she pivoted and smashed the rock into its face, feeling the sickening crunch of bone and flesh.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOndoyfWKaY
The creature shrieked in pain, and she struck again, this time aiming directly for its eye. The Fugato collapsed with a guttural wail, thrashing in the dirt. Sammy dropped the rock and staggered forward, slipping on the blood-soaked ground. She clambered onto the beast’s heaving back, gripped the broken branch still lodged in its side, and with a guttural roar, drove it in deeper, twisting until she felt the resistance break.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHP7pbasPML
The Fugato gave a final convulsion — then went still.
Silence fell over the battered clearing, broken only by Sammy’s ragged breathing. Blood dripped from her leg, her face stung from her scratches, and every muscle in her body screamed in protest. She wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her ruined, vibrant jacket, smearing blood and dirt across the colorful patterns.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaG2jvI0qB
The bright colors seemed almost mocking now against the grimness of the fight. Sammy stumbled back a step, then turned and found a rock to sit on. She didn't have anything on her so she improvised and toor off a piece of clothing to wrap around her wound. Her leg was screaming with pain, she tried to ignore it. Knowing she needed medical attention she started to limp in the direction of Base Mudashi, knowing Yazmina she would have search parties out looking for her. She needed to make it easy for them so she started slowly treking through the forest.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDx8xUH8ehd
