The last photo on the posterboard was a pair of giggling six year olds, the darker one proudly head standing against a wall. The other, all freckles and frizzle platinum hair grinned a gap toothed smile, holding up the others legs. Karen lingered on it. She had a different face now. But Maddie had been lying too, her mermaid self secret, and the memory was no less real for it.

The photo went into her box of keepsakes, overflowing with clothes, old ropes, shoes, batons, guitar and DVDs, random metal ball, medals and trophies. The pin and old board went in the rather slack bin bags. Mom would probably demand she sort her possessions more ruthlessly, but Mom thought she was a monster so who cared?

She shoved the thought aside and checked her phone, Maddie finally responded,

Karen considered it, then rattled off quickly,

Which was a lie, but some conversations didn’t belong in texts. And she was okay aside from losing her species, identity, being shot, and-

“KIDDO! COME DOWN, BRING YOUR VEIL!” Pa’s voice echoed on the stairs.

The potion flask was almost empty, but she grabbed it and skipped down the stairs, jumping the last six, “Yeah Pa, what’s- oh, hi!”

“Ah, there’s the gryphon, isn’t she?” A sporty woman was leaning on the windowsill, amusement in aloof grey eyes. Short spiky crimson hair topped her like a wildfire, matched by a bright ruby collar nestled on her collarbone. Her top was short, exposing tanned freckled skin as if to insist October was still summertime, and a dirty satchel hung by her hip.

“Yup- this is Karen,” Pa sat, sorting papers on his lap, “Miss Kingsley- uh, Diana- is here with Veil for you to try.”

“Uh-huh, you were at the conference.” Karen paced, then settled on the sofa’s arm beside him, “Did Pa mention the issues yesterday?”

“He’s direct, a good human,” Diana mumbled, and extended a slim hand festooned with rings, “May I examine your potion?”

“Sure,” She tossed it over, watching warily as the mage poured out a drop, sniffed it, and grimaced. “It tastes like shit, even worse than Logans’.”

“Oh, she’s tried Tohaken wares.” The redhead sighed and flicked the drop back into the bottle, “Poor fools.”

“Logan?”

“Yes. But not right now. Those incompetents at OAR.” Diana rubbed her temple, “You get what you pay for. Is that a complicated concept? They hire the cheapest two-bit warlocks, they get potions too foul for even sewage. Hence your ‘glitches’. Hmm, did you call them in a screaming panic?”

“Uh, no.” Karen winced. “Tried to be subtle.”

“Want to? Might be fun.” Diana smirked wickedly.

“No need for drama, no real harm done.” Urged Pa, “Right Karen?”

“I grew my tail in front of a load of bipeds,” She scowled before he glared at her, “Fiiiine. Is the cheapness why I look like this? Instead of me.”

“That’s her proper self in the photos.” Pa slipped a family picture over, the four of them bundled on the trampoline, Mom hugging Karen close. “We’re findin’ quite a lot of problems.”

“Yes, they are indeed.” Diana idly examined the photograph, “I’ll sell you human veil. But it may keep the same form- unless…”

She bent and unpacked her bag, setting out four flasks on the table, “Here. A present for helping out at camp. These three might be more to your preference?”

“Are you sure? That’s a lot...” Karen swallowed, “What about- I mean this isn’t about Veil, really, but do you think you can fix me? Verity said… that I’m...”

She faltered and Pa lay a hand on her shoulder, “That her problem’s permanent. Unless OAR discover something.”

“Tch. What are they like?” Diana rolled her eyes, “Well, I am curious. I’d like to see the real you and check on the wounds that awful man inflicted. Do you have a garden?”

“Yeah, just out back. I’ll go change- yeah, I’ll save my clothes, I knooow, Pa.” Karen added before he could lecture her, and hurried through to the bathroom. There was too much furniture and boxes being moved in the garage to try changing there, and it felt more… ordinary to change in a bathroom.

Of course, according to her phone, she had fifteen minutes left of the Veil. But she’d glitched through it twice last night. How hard could it be to break deliberately?

Her fingers scratched the sink as she glowered at the mirror, at meek blue eyes and pasty speckled skin. Too tall. Too gangly. Karen screwed her eyes shut, trying to focus her thoughts on the one night she’d been whole- loping over fences, flying over the lake, blood on her talons, thunder and fury, pain and chains. Terrifying, predatory, feral, hungry.

It surged out like a broken dam. Her muscles surged, middle digits vanishing in an instant as paws and talons swelled out. Her back split, grey and formless flesh lashing out into the two gigantic wings that smashed the lightbulb, and a third whirled around for her tail to scatter shampoo and soap. Her eyes stung, teeth slashed out into a beak, organs swelled, and then in an instant, it was done, and she was left standing in the dark.

The broken light rather undercut her success, when the lampshade fell on her wing. But, she was whole, still weird and monstrous, and not really designed with small locks in mind. It took a couple of minutes of blind fumbling to pull the peg, careen out the door and fold her wings tight to escape the houses’ confines.

Diana was waiting, sitting peacefully against the garden fence as if sunbathing, one hand with a coffee and the other on her clavicle.

“The gryphon's come out to see you.” She mumbled, “Ah, alright, just a moment please. I want to see you properly.”

Karen gave a quizzical chirp, then backed a step as sparks flared around the witches eyes. When they opened, the pale grey was gone, replaced by a brilliant fiery gold, pupils expanding with a soft gasp, “Ooooooooh!”

Magic. Karen studied her back coolly. The witch hadn’t even used a potion. Curious. Her eyes seemed avian too- enough to see the UV colours like her?

“You... are magnificent!” Diana cheered, hands clasped together exuberantly.

What?

“I mean- oh you’re practically perfect! Look at the little red two specks, and the mauzine- oooooh and your neck’s teavalin! Look how it catches the light, you’re beautiful!” She bounced off the fence, staying four metres away, “But of course- can we see your wings please? All of them?”

Karen blinked, nodded and stretched, letting the joints stretch to their limits, each longer than her whole body, muscles screaming with joy and pain alike at finally flexing. It felt so nice she arched her back and stretched from beak to tail, rolling muscles and shaking off fatigue she hadn’t realised she carried.

“AWESOME!” The mage whooped, clapped her hands, knelt and leaped ecstatically, “So well built- assuming her physical status translated, then… you worked truly hard to stay healthy, didn’t you? More griffins are a little skinny on the wings, but yours are a testament to the exercise and effort you’ve put in. You are glorious!”

She had to be mocking? Who said this to a griffin!? Karen watched. But Diana’s smile, her enthusiasm didn’t fade, she seemed utterly genuine. Something wet the griffin's eyes, and she shook her head, before flopping down on the grass, head reeling.

“Are you okay?” Diana gasped, still a wingspan away, and took a gentle step, “May I approach?”

She gave a cautious nod, and the mage stepped right to her head, sat cross legged and ran a hot hand soothingly down her neck. “I know this is a surprise. But you don’t need fixed. Know why?”

She blinked uncertainly.

“You’re not a problem.” She whispered, “You’re not a beast. Or a monster. You’re smart, and you’re great, and you’re fast and so strong! You’ve been blessed by the sky, Karen. You are a miracle, understand?”

Her heart felt fit to explode with a sudden surge of joy, and Karen suddenly trilled and couldn’t resist grabbing the woman, wrapping wings tight around this beacon of light and acceptance. The woman wriggled and broke into weird laugher, warm hands rubbing through her pelt, “Hehe- hey- haha- no, no I’m not her teddy bear! I’m a dignified wise d-he hehe he ahaha hehe!”

Karen kept her another moment, before releasing, wiping tears off her wings, bewildered with joy.

“There there. Someone should’ve told you that before now. Humans are blind and dear. Even their supposed experts, OAR, they’re too scared to see you properly. Lot’s of humans are blind and deaf though, OAR included. Too scared to see you properly. But you’re immaculate, and magnificent, never forget that, yes?” Diana ran a hand over her again, from head, down neck, over the great shoulders of her wings, down her spine, and traced to the tufted end of her tail, “Now, I do need to seriously check your injuries, so be gentle okay? I’m not as strong as you.”

Karen nodded and settled, stretching out for the warm hands to check her stitches and scars, words echoing in her head. They felt good. True. She was strong, faster than as a quick human, and as much as her size was inconvenient indoors, it felt liberating outside. As for intelligence, she could write, she was as sharp as ever!

For a time, being this creature didn’t feel so bad, though it still hurt when warm hands poked her wing shoulder, and Diana stroked her back, “Sorry, I think that scab’s the worst? But keep stretching it, use the muscles and you should be back to flying in a day or two. Heh, I can hardly wait! No offence, you’re majestic, but gryphons were born from the sky, blessed lions to be true apex predators.”

Karen watched her sceptically, but couldn’t resist rolling her wings and flexing her claws, feeling even her hind paws tear into the ground. Was there any animal a full grown griffin couldn’t hunt? She tried to imagine the chestnut mother griffin compared to an elephant, or a rhino, but even they seemed feasible with flight and speed. What would they taste like? Only ridiculous freaks like Scevola or the Bad Egg were truly more dangerous, and she scrubbed those thoughts aside. She wasn’t weak.

“Heh, heh, she’s lovely,” Diana petted her again, then knelt eye to eye, “Do you want to try my Veil? Or I can cover and tell the old human you need a day laying around without magic?”

Napping under the sun sounded excellent, but she did want a comfortable nest tonight, and the garage still had a lot of sorting to do. So Karen stood, straightened a couple of feathers, and squirmed back indoors. Pa was still tidying up the bathroom when she caught, but caught on and poured out a lidful of lime green potion, before leaving her with a new lightbulb.

Diana’s potion was more like a spicy soup than anything foul. It burned on the way down, kindled in her stomach, and then blazed outwards through her nerves. She winced as she felt herself dwindling, but the sensation of feathers burrowing away into her form, the pain of bones contracting and muscles clenching, wasn’t quite so keen.

It was almost as if her whole body had fallen asleep- not pleasant, but the mild burning pain quenched her tail shortening, wings wrenching into her back, the softening of her beak and formation of teeth. She sat blearily, floating in a molten sea as her talons sprouted an extra digit, paws clenched and were overran by black blocky nails, and only a headache was truly disturbing. Then her shoulders jerked into place, limbs realigned, and hair tickled her shoulders and back, showering down from her scalp.

It felt cold as the burning faded, Karen breathed, taking in a full half the bathroom with her vision, and stared at the two furry legs she retained, now ending in split cloven hooves.

“What?!”

Her ears flicked at the unfamiliar voice, and she grabbed at them only to bump hands off weird hard things that jutted from her skull!? Karen cursed and grabbed the sink, hauling herself upright, stumbling onto new hooves as a useless short tail twitched behind her. What was the point of a tail if not to balance?!

Yet another strange girl stared at her from the mirror through inhuman green eyes with horrid rectangular pupils. Her skin was caramel, covered in faint hair down to the waist where tangled dark brown fur sprawled down two hooved legs. It grew thick on her big oval ears too, twitching cups overshadowed by the ridged horns that curled from her skull. Why!?

Karen cursed and stumbled, pulling on a top that draped over her and slammed the door open, calling, “Diana! What is this? Why are mystics such trolls?”

“I’m not a troll, I’m a phoenix.” The mage leaned into the hall curiously, “And that’s a faun.”

“Faun? Like Gina?” Her Pa came through another door, took in the situation and then stomped beside her, looming bigger than ever as he rumbled “Miss Kingsley. Care to explain what’s going on here?”

“She took faun Veil.” She sighed.

“Really? And why exactly did you give us Faun Veil? Why even make Mystic Veil?” He breathed, cold and furious.

“Why should humans be the default?” Diana shrugged, “Veil’s are for speech and tools. She has hands and can speak. Besides, that one was free.”

“Yes- but why? You understand that she wants to look like her old self?”

“Yes. If the human form doesn’t resemble her, the other three humanoid veils might be closer. Her hair’s closer, yes?”

“It’s hip length!” Karen flailed the ridiculous locks around her arms, “Wait, if I cut it, will my fur get shorter?”

“No. That’s not an injury.” The mage rubbed her ruby necklace, “I know- I didn’t think this needed explained either. They’re all labelled, they all last two hours.”

“Ah.”

“Pa- you’ve got to read the labels,” Karen scoffed, leaning in to softly headbutt him. Her horns jabbed him instead. “Oop, sorry.”

“Right. Apologies. This was just unexpected.” He admitted, setting a hand on her head, and gave a slight nod, “Thankyou for your business, Miss Kingsley. Any other advice?”

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“Don’t mix them. One veil at a time.” She muttered, “Hmm, I think that was a dismissal? Well, good afternoon.”

“Wait,” Karen stumbled forward on her new hooves, one hand clinging to the wall, “Uh, thankyou Diana. For outside. And do you think… could you teach me the colours sometime? At least what colours I am?”

“Oh, she’s lovely,” She glanced back at the door, and a sliver of that earnest joy crossed her face, “Of course, I’d be happy to. Try the others okay? It’s always good to try new things, and… try not to hang onto the past too much. Everyone changes.”

And then she was out, slinging her big backpack over her shoulder, the house seeming to cool.

Pa sagged slightly, and hugged her, taking in her new face with a slight smile. “No panic. Well done, kiddo. What do you make of her?”

“”Weirder than Logan- but she’s part bird or something too, she can fly and see UV and everything.” Karen grinned, pushing hair out of her face, “Leagues ahead of OAR. Best Veil so far- even if I’m stupid prey right now.”

“Alright. That’s a good sign- except for the prey bit.”

“Fine- but look at these stupid teeth- they’re all squares! I’m like a horse.” She grimaced, “Can you carry my stuff downstairs? I’m gonna break a leg on these hooves.”

“Sure. Reckon you’re fine like that? I still need to hit the shops and a couple errands.”

“And leave me here?” Karen stared up at him, feeling years younger, “Uh, yeah, I can watch the house and unpack stuff.”

“Great. Deal.” He marched up, and she cautiously trotted through to the garage searching for a skirt.

It was still quite a mess, the shutter door was up, outdoor accessories shoved onto the drive, and Ollie amidst it all shoving shelves against a wall, though he startled at her appearance, “Uh… Karen?”

“Got it in one, squirt.” She clopped across, feeling her hair tickle her tail, “Diana gave me some mystic veil. Whatcha think?”

“Oooooh, are you a demon? Can you breathe fire?”

“No, but my senses are insane and I can move my ears.” She grabbed up a fancy scarf and wound it around her hips, “And I’d probably die from eating meat.”

“At least you’ve got hair again? And the horns are cool.” He pulled back a hairband and shot it at her.

“Too much.” She caught it, and tied the waterfall of auburn into a ludicrous ponytail, “Which is cooler, this or the griffin?”

“Griffin, duh.”

“For once, squirt, I agree with you.”

“Yeah, I mean you can’t talk back, and you’re super soft!” He paced up to poke her horn, barely shorter, “Aw, you’re teeny- can’t call me squirt like this.”

“I can too, my griffin form’s like… ten times your size. This is just temporary.”

“Five maybe.”

“Ten, you’ve not seen how big my wings are.”

“Oi, enough fightin’, back to work you two!” Pa broke them up with boxes of her belongings, and directed them to business once more. He and Ollie got her shelves and a set of drawers down, while she sorted things out, and they soon drove off on errands. As nostalgic as packing had been, unpacking was rather dull, and she tried to arrange everything to stay clear of her griffin form, stowing a few random photos, scarves, metal ball, purse and nicknacks into the nest of blankets she had constructed.

After a couple of hours, a growing heat warned of the end of her veil, with enough time to close the shutter and undress before the burning heat engulfed her nerves. The change was much as the first had been, there was no instant release, but again the static hot pain masked the more visceral sensations, and she found herself winged and familiar once more. She couldn’t sort much more with talons, so she settled for shoving everything against walls before napping in the garden, wings spread as wide as they could go.

They left her alone for most of the evening. Karen supposed she was no good for conversation, and when Pa did show up with someone bossy asking questions, she feigned sleep to avoid dealing with it.

When dinner came, it was another ridiculous variety intended to ascertain her new preferences on a scale of one to four talons. To his credit, Pa sat with her throughout, as if it was normal to see his daughter as a several hundred pound monster tearing a raw chicken apart with feral relish, and was only amused when she outright rejected eggs and tuna. It didn’t feel dignified, but it did end with her feeling full, and she stretched and napped outside more while her family got a more conventional meal.

* * * * *

Then there was another one, someone else with Pa as he warned, “Just here- heads up, she’s still a bit antsy, prefers people to stay a few metres back.”

“Is she really tha-” The sweet voice of Maddie dropped, “Oh.”

Maddie! Karen jolted upright with a surge of excitement, spinning round to see her friend, platinum blonde hair tied into a braid, sapphire eyes wide. She flared wings to embrace her, but Maddie yelped and stumbled back, terror in her eyes.

“Steady kiddo, self control, ‘member?” Pa cautioned, shielding the girl. “Nice and slow. She likes headbutting people like this, Madonna, just hold your hand up.”

Karen dunted him as proof, then slowly stepped close and butted her friend's palm, then crawled under it, letting it trace over her back and tail as she circled demurely. Maddie trembled, nervous still but a smile cracked on her lips, a disbelieving giggle, “Wow, it’s super fluffy… are you seriously Karen? This is caraaazy, you know that?”

Karen nodded and scoffed, before backing a step to show her magnificent wings- she was so much more than fluffy!

“Daaaaaaamn that’s huge- can you talk?”

She shook her head, tapping the knuckles of one talon to her beak. It would be irritating to Veil again, but… it was Maddie. So she nodded, loped inside, hurriedly drawing her wings close. Ollie was still messing with her garage, going through a box of old photos, so she grabbed him and stamped pointedly at her new Veil flasks.

“Urgh, fine, maybe it’s easier when you can talk.” He pulled his hood out her beak and knelt, “So what? Do I just pour it on you?”

She snorted and opened her beak, thankfully enough of a hint for him to pour the spicy lime potion in. It was no less bitter the second time, it made Karen cough as she shoved him out and slammed the door.

She had barely a moment before the burning heat filled her veins again, drowning out the crunching of bones and tearing of muscles. It was already strangely familiar and yet alien, the static heat was exactly as it had been, the magic was consistent. Karen dimly felt her middle fingers grow in, her wings and legs retract and fold into her shrinking body, and tail elongate. That was weird, it stretched as it lost fur, growing ribs and vertebrae, and a tougher skin than even her hide.

Others bits were familiar though. The softening of her beak to nose and lips, and sprouting of sharp teeth, the sudden fade as her eyes lost cones and colours faded and blurred together, and tickle of hair on her shoulders. She was already sighing before the burning pain faded, mind piecing the fragments together, and lay on the floor for a long moment as if she would change further.

It didn’t come and she cursed, “SHIT! AGAIN!? REALLY!?”

“You alright?” Maddie chapped the door, “Karen?”

“Bloody ridiculous magic.” Karen tugged on a jumper, “Yeah, you can come in- just don’t laugh.”

Maddie peered in and broke into giggles.

“Screw you!”

“Ooooooh my god. Karen!” She managed to gasp, heavy with sarcasm “You were a snake person this whole time? And you never told me? Your best friend?!”

Karen glowered at her upside down, arms crossed, long mermaid tail lashing across the garage floor. “Can you stop mocking and help before I suffocate? Why are all mystics such trolls?”

“You can’t suffocate, we’re amphibious,” Maddie giggled and pulled on her armpits, righting her, “At least you look like your old self- that’s good right?”

“I’d find a way to drown, knowing my lu- What?” She wriggled and turned, finding the mirror and reptilian yellow eyes staring back. Yet her features were familiar- sharp nose, angled face, almost eyes and shoulder length hazel hair over tan skin. Admittedly she had fins and webbed hands, but it was her old face, her old smile, “Yes! FINALLY! Third time lucky.”

“Third- you’ve had three veils?”

“Today,” She admitted, “Is that bad?”

“It’s soooore. Thankyou for talking though. The… griffin you is kinda scary,” Maddie knelt down, “Was it you that hurt Logan?”

“Pa didn’t go over it? Yeah, it was an accident. I panicked, poked him, and...”

“Punctured his lung.”

“Really?” She winced, “Have you seen him?”

“He got out of hospital yesterday. He’s… he’s Logan, he’s annoyed he can’t Veil much, wounds are-”

“Consistent, yeah, I got shot.” Karen tugged her collar enough to show some scabs and scars across the shoulder.

“What? By Matt?”

“Basically.” wasn’t sufficient to satisfy Maddie’s curiosity so she hurriedly summarised her weekend, “Then Pa got me yesterday, and Diana gave me different Veils today, and you came.”

“Wow,” Maddie gasped, reached over and hugged her, keeping voice low, “Welcome aboard I guess? To magic and stuff. When are you going to see Logan?”

“Uh, preferably never? I nearly killed him!”

“Yeeeah.”

“So he’s going to hate me.”

“Noooooo.” Maddie raised a finger, “He’s a mage through and through. He thinks he’s in the wrong. Thinks he insulted a wild griffin. It’d be nicer to know it was an accident.”

“Urgh, I’ll think about it. Can we do something not magic-y? I’ve had nothing but magic magic magic all weekend,” Karen groaned, stomach riling at the thought of such a conversation.

“Yeah, Veil’s kinda exhausting. Did you ever watch my ‘Princess Bride’?” Maddie stood, “Really? Inconceivable, what were you doing all last week?”

“It’s in the lounge, can you give me a hand?” She wrapped her arms around her neck, and half-dragged, half-slinkied herself along behind Maddie. It was easiest to think of her long scaly tail as a single leg, rather than a Proper Tail intended for balance and grace. It was certainly enough to make her brother and father stare when she was dragged in, eyes almost popping out.

“Oh. Hello daughter. Found one that worked?” Pa recovered quicker, a smile breaching his moustache.

“Yup, halfway at least,” She flopped onto the sofa, “But you guys have got to learn to read labels.”

“Or maybe you should read them, birdbrain.” Ollie argued, “You pointed at it.”

“I pointed at the whole row.”

“He has a point, Karen. It is your veil, you should read them too.” Pa ordered, “Thanks for helpin’ her, Madonna. Thought you knew how ta snake though, kiddo?”

“I know how to swim. These don’t have any instruction manuals. Hmm, maybe I’m like this cos I was a mermaid once before?” She wiggled her tail, then managed to roughly coil it close, “Can we watch a film in here? Please?”

“Fine by me, I’m turning in early.”

Oliver took a little more convincing, but once Maddie promised the film was all about true love and princesses, he decided there was more interesting games to play elsewhere. They got a little lemonade, and Maddie lowered the TV brightness, “There- the night vision can be a pain sometimes.”

“Thanks, but won’t you struggle to see?” Karen considered, and dropped her voice, “Oh, we could say you tried my Veil if you want to…”

“Stretch? Hmm. Nah, your Dad would tell my Daddy and I’d get grounded. Anyway, I know this off by heart.” Maddie bounced on the couch beside her, “Just tell me if this is too close.”

“You’re not everyone, you’re fine. Just… everyone else in general. Instincts are weird.” She wriggled, curling her tail around herself, surprisingly comfy. “But I’ll get to fly and Diana’s going to teach me colours. Silver lining.”

“Silver lining. Maybe I’ll try griffin-hood sometime, since you’ve tried my perspective,” Maddie mused, “Anyway, better finish this before you change back, you’ll like it- it’s not all romance, that was just to scare him off.”

It started off very romantic for that disclaimer, though a kidnapping and pirates swiftly salvaged a real story from that. Maddie practically whispered along to it, and glanced eagerly over a few seconds before the most dramatic moments, so Karen elected to gasp at random mundaneness instead.

It turned to a real gasp when she glanced over her shoulder, and spotted a figure in the kitchen doorway. Her mother hovered there, sharp featured and short, brow furrowed, “Hi Mom?”

“Oh. Hello.” Sylvia froze like a deer in headlights, dark eyes wide, expression controlled and neutral, “Would you two like a refill?”

“Uh sure, anything, thanks Sylvia!” Maddie murmured, riveted to the screen.

“I’m meant to stick to water, and ham or something...” Karen mumbled, hesitating before, “I can’t really do greens.”

“Ah.” Her mother pursed her lips, and disappeared. Ought she follow? Karen squirmed, she didn’t understand slithering, would that look worse? No, she’d try to be like Pa. Look strong. Confident.

She came back a moment later, setting a mug and a glass and a bowl of little cocktail sausages before them with a quiet, “Enjoy, girls.”

“Thanks Mom.” Karen murmured, holding her tail tight to resist springing on the woman, “Love you.”

Then she was gone, talking with Pa somewhere else, and the movie kept playing.

Dead came back, sword fights were had with glorious blood and violence and a powerful opponent fell to a downright stupid bluff. Karen watched it all eagerly, it was far from the fantasy she’d expected- even the fantasy that filled her life now- but it was fun nonetheless, and she giggled as it came to an end.

“Well, I understand a third more of your references now.”

“It’s a classic, my sister Bonnie showed me it when I was tiny, glad you fiiiinally saw it!” Maddie shrugged, stood and stretched, “Reckon you’ll make school tomorrow?”

“I got shot, I can be off for longer- are there lessons or is it still purgatory?”

“Teaching, and some mystic kids showed up.” She cocked her head, “You wouldn’t be the only one… thoooooough I guess you get to choose, huh?”

Karen stretched her arms behind her, and lashed the long serpentine tail out, clicking vertebrae and rattling frills, “Guess so. Stupid hoofed herbivore, super long tail I dunno how to use, or human girl noone recognizes.”

“Or giant bird lioness.”

“Truly I am spoiled for choice!” She laughed bitterly, “Boring answer, I can climb stairs as a human, so that’s that.”

“As good a deciding factor as any.”

“I guess. None of them are real good….” She bit her lip contemplatively, “No matter what, gonna get questions- what do I even tell people? I don’t know what’s going on, what’s happening with me. I don’t even know how mystics managed to tell people, expose themselves, it’s terrifying!”

“Yeah, I know- I’m the worst person to ask about this!” Maddie sat down heavily, eyes distant, “I mean- at least you’re brand new. With you, it’s news, but… I… I’ve been lying to people for years.”

“Yeah, but… your Dad’s on it right?” She frowned, “He’ll sort things out for you.”

“Oh yeeeeeah, sure. On the macro scale. Politics, and towns and camps, groups, sure.” Maddie huffed, “Like… I’m with it. He’s doing good. Helping people. But… the small scale stuff, my relationships? That’s on me. “

Her eyes glistened wet, Maddie scrunched her hands up on her thighs, “Karen, you’re the only friend I’ve ever told. Since I was born! It’s just been lies, lies lies, not even connecting with other mystics- and then we get this golden opportunity, Emergence, chance to come clean, and…”

“You’re scared you’ll miss it?” She took her hand, quiet and gentle.

“Yeeees, exactly- I can’t come clean, I’m freakin’ sitting it out, my one chance. If I told them now, people’d be mad, but if I delay? If I keep quiet l-longer?” Maddie sobbed, “Everyone’s going to h-hate me, I know it!”

“No. I won’t. And Logan won’t. You’ve got people that know everything- well, he’s a weirdo, but as a completely normal friend, I’ll stick with you!” Karen forced a grin.

The girl’s eyes shimmered, blood shot and puffy and she swallowed, opened her mouth and hesitated. Words failed. She gasped, then threw herself into a hug, burying her face in Karen’s shoulder, sobbing, “Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry….”

Karen startled at the turn, but returned the embrace, tightly winding her tail around her friend and stroking her hair, “Hey. It’s okay, it’s okay Maddie. You won’t be hated- what have you hid? A snake tail? You’re awesome Maddie, unless you’ve been bribing people for friends and grades this whole time?”

“N- no, no?” She sniffed amidst tears.

“Then you’re magnificent! And it’s fine to talk- honestly it’s nice not to be the main problem for a change!” that drew out a tearful giggle, “You’re super smart, and for someone without legs you’re a massive goody two shoes! Apart from breaking my horse.”

“I w-was six. Are you ever going to let that go?” She rubbed her eyes and struggled to pull back against the coils.

“Hmmm, no.” Karen loosened a little, “And you’re right. As usual. I don’t really have any stakes, the longer I delay people knowing about the gryphon, the worse it’ll be. And if some dumb bipeds find this too confusing, well then it’s not worth paying them any attention.”

“Bipeds?”

“Two legs. People, the bird brain likes counting legs.” She shrugged and gestured to her tail, “This is really confusing.”

“Ah. Monopod is one leg. Apod is no legs.” Maddie wiped her eyes and extracted herself.

“Now you’re just proving my point, genius. If you ever want to try a night swim again, I’m a much better apod in water than on land.”

“I’ll see if I convince Daddy. That’d be cool. Can you swim as… you?”

“Uuuuh, no idea. I can fly…. I’ll have to figure out swimming.” She cautiously pushed her tail onto the floor, and struggled into a standing position, arms flailing for balance until Maddie grabbed her, “There’s a lot to figure out.”

But it felt less daunting for that.