As David approached the observatory, wings aching from the long flight with his heavy load, the Observatory compound finally came into view. The barren mountaintop, dominated by rust-colored sandy soil and jagged rocks, stretched out below him. The massive radio telescope loomed against the night sky, its dish a silent sentinel overlooking the compound. Neat rows of now familiar abandoned vehicles and equipment dotted the area, and David couldn't help but feel a bit relieved he’d be able to finally stop hauling the food.

Descending carefully, he spotted Claire and Wally sitting proudly next to the remains of their own kill. As he touched down, the contrast between the once sterile, mechanical surroundings and the primal scene of the recent feast struck him as oddly funny. Where a bizarre six-legged creature had obviously been, there was now only a scattering of oddly-shaped bones and scraps of iridescent hide surrounding a large sturdy ribcage. With an unsurprised snort, David noted the large smashed section of bone and quickly pieced together what had happened to it.

Claire turned, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of David's cargo. "Well, well," she rumbled, amusement coloring her voice. "Looks like someone finally figured out how to bring home the bacon. Or whatever that is."

David huffed, dropping the Glimmerstag remains with a soft thud onto the sandy ground. "Very funny," he retorted good-naturedly. "I see you've been busy too."

Claire's gaze shifted to the Cuddlebugs nestled in David's fur. Her eyes narrowed as she began to count carefully in the moonlight, jaws moving silently. David stood still, the cool mountain breeze ruffling his fur.

"...eleven, twelve," Claire finished, visibly relaxing. "Good. They're all there. I hope you kept them safe, those little cuties need to be pampered."

David nodded, perching on a nearby crate and scratching an itch in his mane. "Of course. Though they might have helped themselves to a bit of dinner."

Claire's eyes widened. "No way! David, are you saying that they… "

"Like little piranha's," he chuckled. "They're fine, though. More than fine, actually. You wouldn't believe how much they can eat..."

Wally bounded over, kicking up small clouds of dust. "You should have seen it, David! Claire took that thing down like it was nothing. One minute it was sniffing a bush, the next - WHAM!" He mimed swinging his tail enthusiastically, the motion somewhat undermined by his tail wagging.

“Then she kicked the other one when it tried to run past! Swallowed it whole! It was awesome.” He finished with a playful bounce and spin, finishing the motion facing back the same way he'd started.

David couldn't help but grin happily at the energy Wally always seemed to have.

"I've seen it, makes a crazy sound when it hits something, eh?" David replied, stretching his sore wings. "Where's everyone else?"

As if on cue, Kozlov and Adam emerged from the observatory, their bulky forms silhouetted against the building's lights. Both looked comically stuffed, moving slowly across the compound. Kozlov clutched a familiar toolbox in one meaty paw, and held a small battery powered lantern loosely in his jaws. David blinked in surprise at the light, and turned to face them on his perch with a rustle of wings as the Cuddlebugs voiced their displeasure and hid from the illumination with outraged chirps.

"Ah, David," Kozlov rumbled, patting his distended belly. "You've missed quite the feast. I didn't know I could eat so much now."

Adam nodded, looking dazed. "I don't think I've ever been this full in my life. Or... whatever this is now."

David laughed, gesturing to his own kill. "Well, I hope you saved room for dessert."

Claire eyed the Glimmerstag remains with interest. "What is that, anyway? Looks like it's missing a few pieces."

David coughed awkwardly, the Cuddlebugs trying to look innocent on his shoulders. "Ah, well...There were some complications during the hunt. But it's still good!"

Gideon emerged from the observatory, munching on a large, colorful fungus and swinging a screwdriver idly in his free hand. "Oh, David! You're back. I see you've had some success too."

David raised an eyebrow. "Oh, uh…not a carnivore huh? I hope you're not feeling left out with all this meat around."

Gideon shook his head. "Not at all! I found a whole patch of these delightful mushrooms just behind the observatory. Quite good, actually, although I keep having a weird urge to dunk them in water before eating them."

As they gathered around David's contribution, the Cuddlebugs chirped happily. Claire reached out, gently sniffing at them before a single specimen hopped gleefully onto her armored nose and began to chatter contentedly.

"I still can't believe how adorable they are," she said softly. "Hard to imagine them helping with a hunt."

David grinned. "Trust me, they're full of surprises."

Watching Claire playfully snap at Kozlov for trying to sneak another bite of her kill, while balancing a Cuddlebug on her snout, David felt a sense of contentment. Suddenly, a chittering purr sounded from his chest, catching him off guard as he exhaled. He froze guiltily as Claire gave him a surprised, questioning glance, the sound echoing softly across the quiet mountaintop.

David's chittering purr continued, much to his embarrassment. He tried to stifle it, but the sound only seemed to grow louder, reverberating in his chest like a small engine. Claire noticed his discomfort and lumbered a few steps closer, her massive form blocking out the moonlight as she loomed over him.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Oh, you idiot," she said affectionately, gently booping his head with her snout. "You make that happy noise in your sleep sometimes, you know. When you're not stressed out or having nightmares."

David blinked in surprise, his ears twitching. "I do? Wait, how do you know I have nightmares?"

Claire snorted, a reptilian amusement spreading across her face. "Because you twitch and whimper like a puppy. It's actually kind of cute. For a flying rat, anyway."

Before David could muster a suitably snarky comeback, Gideon cleared his throat with a sound like velcro. "Excuse me, David," he said, his small form barely visible behind the toolbox he was rummaging through. "Could you point out which of the stars you'd like us to focus on? I'd like to start planning how we'll set up the telescope without, you know, falling off the mountain or dropping anything important."

David turned his attention to the night sky, scanning the familiar stars above, quickly locating the red imposter he'd originally mistaken for Mars. He pointed towards it with a grumpy jab of his wing spikes, almost wishing he could physically stab at it. "That one, I think. Was the first one I saw, and it gives me a bad feeling more than the others for some reason."

Gideon nodded distractedly, his fur bouncing with the motion. "Sure. And I've got some good news. The telescope wasn't completely disassembled when they moved it here. They only took it apart in sections, leaving the smaller parts and mechanisms attached. We won't have to meticulously reassemble every tiny piece, it's more a matter of putting the larger chunks back together without crushing anyone."

"Thank fuck for that," David sighed. "I was worried we'd be here for weeks trying to figure out which end of a screw goes where. You're the only one with thumbs, you know? Would have been pretty hard."

As they discussed the telescope, Kozlov lumbered over to the stacks of crates, placing the small battery-powered lantern on top with surprising delicacy for his massive paws. The soft glow illuminated the immediate area, casting long shadows across the rust-colored ground and making the whole scene look like some bizarre nativity play gone wrong.

With a grunt that sounded like a cement mixer in reverse, Kozlov flopped down next to Wally and Adam by the remains of the food. His shaggy form created a comical pile of fur as he leaned back against the observatory wall, looking for all the world like a sentient haybale.

"So, what's the plan, Gideon?" Kozlov asked, his voice slightly muffled by his own fur. "Other than not falling off the mountain, of course."

Gideon's eyes lit up with the kind of manic glee usually reserved for mad scientists or kids in a candy store. "Well, first we'll need to clear a space for the base. Then we'll start bringing out the main components. The mirror assembly is the trickiest part, but if we're careful and no one sneezes at the wrong moment, we should be able to get it all set up before dark tomorrow. We are exceptionally lucky they left the segments mostly intact, you see, the…"

As Gideon continued to explain the process with increasingly creative hand gestures, David found himself relaxing despite the absurdity of the situation. The Cuddlebugs, sensing his calmer state, began to chirp softly, their melodic sounds blending with Gideon's enthusiastic chatter in a weirdly soothing counterpoint.

Claire nudged David gently, nearly knocking him off his perch. "You did good today," she murmured. "Bringing back food, keeping the little ones safe. Getting these idiots out of their hole in the ground…eating some weird crystal thing…I'm happy for you, you deserved a few wins."

David felt a warmth spread through him at her words, along with a renewed urge to purr that he barely managed to suppress. "Thanks," he replied softly. "I'm trying. Weird shit keeps happening to me though, even considering the weirdness that's going on lately."

Claire nodded, her eyes reflecting a mix of understanding and amusement. "We all feel that way, but we're in this together. Even if that means listening to Gideon explain the finer points of telescope assembly for the next three hours." Claire rolled her eyes with a slight nod toward where the puffball of a man was demonstrating how they'd need to arrange the crates to form a base.

As the group continued to plan and chat, David felt the weight of the day's events settling heavily on him. He turned to Claire, suppressing a yawn. "Hey, do you mind if I catch a nap in the usual spot? I'm pretty wiped."

Claire's reptilian eyes glinted with amusement. "Sure thing, bat boy. But it'll cost you. I want some Cuddlebug company while you're out."

David chuckled, already feeling drowsy. "Deal. Just don't let them eat my ears or anything."

With a few tired flaps, David settled onto Claire's back, nestling into the familiar spot near her neck where her armor formed a perfect cradle. The Cuddlebugs chirped softly as they redistributed themselves, some staying with David while others scampered over to Claire.

As David curled into a ball and began to fall asleep, the edges of his vision shimmered with ethereal purple light, undercut by a subtle rainbow shimmer. The world dissolved as he drifted in and out of consciousness, reforming into a misty grove surrounded by ancient flowering trees.

At the center sat a figure that immediately captured his attention. Nine fluffy tails swayed behind the creature, each moving with a mind of its own. Its fur shimmered with an impossible array of colors, shot through with various hues of purple, constantly shifting like oil on water. Eyes that sparkled with mischief and wicked intellect fixed on David, a sly grin spreading across its vulpine features.

David noticed a strange symbol etched in iridescent fur on the creature's forehead, all three strokes of the symbol seemingly painted by exquisite strokes of a brush. It seemed familiar, yet he couldn't quite place it in his groggy state.

"The bat takes flight on borrowed wings, while shadows watch in crystal springs," the being spoke, its voice echoing from everywhere and nowhere. "Rules shatter like morning frost, when Tricksters pay the Tyrant's cost."

David blinked, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him. "I... do I know you?"

The fox-like being's grin widened to a hideous degree. "When the trickster winks, the hydra blinks. Rules bend and favors trade, in groves where ancient games are played."

Its tails flicked playfully as it continued, "Crimson stars in night's dark veil, whispering quests on cosmic scale. The eye of storms, the hydra's gaze, upon such sights, great favor lays."

"What does that mean?" David stammered, trying to make sense of the cryptic words.

Its tails flicked playfully. "Mirrors reflect what eyes can't see, while stars above hide mystery. The path you walk, both new and old, holds secrets that remain untold."

David opened his mouth to ask another question, but the creature continued, circling him as its form seemed to shimmer and change with each step.

When did it get so close? Why can't I move? What the fuck is going on?

"Where reason falters, jesters reign, their crown of truth both gift and bane. Seek not the answers given free, for easy truths may shackles be."

As David struggled to decipher the riddles, the dream began to fade. The creature's laughter echoed in his mind, a mix of bells and whispers, leaving him with a lingering sense of confusion and the faint scent of the tree blossoms.

The last thing David saw before the dream dissolved completely and his thoughts collapsed into a deep sleep was the strange symbol on the creature's forehead, pulsing with an otherworldly light.