I once more sat on Taureen’s shoulder as I looked around the building. My nose was the only reason I knew where I was; this was the veterinary clinic. I didn’t see any other animals, although I could smell them.

We were guided to a room with a bizarre machine in it, and the lady gestured towards the machine. Taureen walked closer to it and held his hand up to me; I nervously stepped onto it. He lowered me to a long table before twisting his hand, indicating that he wanted me to step off.

I stepped down and looked around nervously as he secured my leash to a knob on the table before backing up.

Noticing my unease, he said, “Relax.”

Right. I just got tied to a table in a building that smells like chemicals and animals, and you want me to relax. If I hadn’t already suspected that this machine was the same one that had scanned the break in my wing, I would have been much more nervous.

The lady turned the machine on, and I instinctively flattened myself to the table as it slowly passed over me. Technically, there was no need to duck since I couldn’t have reached the moving arm of the machine even if I had jumped. When it had finished its pass, Taureen came forward to collect me and put me on his arm.

The lady pulled up an odd 3D image on a screen and rotated it several times. “It looks like the wing has completely healed. I will take the cast off and wrap it with a piece of cloth for now. Try to keep her from using it during the next few days.”

Taureen nodded and held me still as she approached. I didn’t even have time to realize what was happening before she passed a small gadget over the edge of the cast and it separated.

She swiftly wrapped my wing up in a piece of cloth. It was a bit looser than the cast had been, but not by much. I could probably get it off tonight, although I would have to be careful the next few days to avoid straining it. Overworking the muscles or straining my wing would delay my release, and possibly hinder my escape if I managed to get the window open.

Once we got back to Taureen’s place, he sat on the couch and put me in his lap before he started to untie the knot on the cloth that was binding my wing. Huh. Well, if he takes it off, that makes my job much easier. I watched as he untied the bizarre knots and removed the cloth.

I blinked in dismay; I had never seen my scales that dirty. Ever. They were covered with such a film that they were hazy and cloudy. Taureen held me on his lap while he gently extended my wing, causing the stiff and weak muscles protested lightly. I narrowed my eyes but didn’t do anything.

He picked up an odd, bumpy, sponge-like object and gently ran it over my wing. The rough surface felt a lot like a sand bath. After a few passes, I relaxed slightly while watching him continue cleaning my wing. He slowly and gently scraped the film off of my scales. Once he finished that, he took a damp cloth and wiped away the last traces of anything that didn’t belong. My scales shone once again.

I sighed in relief, kind of glad that I didn’t have to be the one to try and get everything off. The amount of twisting and rubbing that would have been needed would have overworked the muscles which had been weakened by inactivity.

Taureen picked up the small bottle of oil, and my mood lifted. I had grown to love the oil and massage. It would be one of the few things I would miss once I got out of here. Taureen placed a small bowl of fruit where I could reach it before he started to gently work on my wing with the oil.

I get to feed myself? Awesome. I made short work of the tasty pieces in the bowl. Once I was done, I lowered my head to Taureen’s knee as he kept massaging my wing muscles. I occasionally twitched if he found a sore spot, and he would pass it by for a bit before returning with lighter pressure.

I was halfway asleep when the doorbell rang. These people have the worst timing ever. I raised my head as the door opened and was surprised to find that I could barely manage that movement. What in the world? It took me a moment to recognize the familiar haze in my mind. There was something in the fruit, and I only just got the memo. It looks like I have been drugged again.

The lack of discussion between Taureen and the vet was now apparent. They must have spoken previously, and he must have drugged the fruit that I had just eaten. Now I knew how they planned to keep me from overusing my weak wing. I wanted to growl in irritation but simply lacked the energy.

Soranto, Tkael, and Alec came in and took a seat while watching Taureen massage the oil in. It became too difficult to hold my head up, and I let it rest on Taureen’s knee once more.

Soranto was amused when I didn’t greet him with my usual hiss. “Tranquilizers, I assume?”

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“Yes. The vets don’t want her to actually use her wing yet, so she will be getting a decent dose of tranquilizers over the next few days while I keep stretching it. They seem to be taking affect already.”

Alec looked intrigued as he inquired, “Once you are done, what are the odds of me holding her?”

Taureen glanced at me before responding, “Let me finish oiling her wing, then you can try. The drugs haven’t taken full effect yet, and it may be wiser to wait until then. She doesn’t often try to scratch me, but she has no qualms about trying to slash others who get too close.”

Alec nodded and watched Taureen, waiting patiently. Several minutes later, Taureen was satisfied that he had thoroughly oiled my wing. Okay, I can really feel these drugs now. I can’t even raise my head. I was like a rag doll; I had zero ambition and no strength. I could barely raise enough emotion to even care. These drugs are nasty…

Taureen carefully folded my wings up and lifted me, taking care to support my head. He chuckled lightly. “Well, she is definitely mellow at this point. This tranquilizer seems to be very effective on them. I will have to contact Senica and double check the dosage. Luckily, it’s nearly impossible to overdose with this particular one.”

He handed me to Alec, who gently cradled me against his chest while softly stroking my back. A small corner of my mind was screaming in fury and hurling insults at them. The rest of my drug-hazed mind simply couldn’t find the energy to move or even care. I guess I should be lucky that I am still awake and that it hasn’t knocked me out yet. It is a tranquilizer.

Alec seemed enthralled with my limp form; he gently spread a wing and traced the tendons and ligaments that supported the wing membrane. “This is very interesting. Look at the tendons and small muscles. No wonder they are so acrobatic; they can change the shape of any part of their wing. The scales on the wing are small enough that regardless of how the skin folds, no scales are lifted and nothing can get under the edge.”

Soranto moved to sit near him as he peered at me. “I think I want the chance to hold her as well,” he said. “I doubt that I’ll get the chance again since she seems to prefer to try and take a chunk out of me.”

Alec carefully passed me over to him. Soranto was just as gentle as he supported me against his chest. He gently lifted my head and rubbed his thumb across my cheek and down my neck. He grinned as he finally got to touch my scales without me attempting to claw him. “Well, I much prefer her like this. I didn’t realize that her scales feel like polished stone. I thought that they would have been softer or felt more like a snake.”

Oh! I cannot believe that you just compared me to a snake! If I could move, I would give you a slash to remember this by! He lifted my foot and spread my toes as he inspected my claws. He gently put some pressure on the back of my knuckles, causing my claws to extend.

He kept pushing until they were fully extended. Blinking at them in surprise, he said, “I didn’t realize how long her claws actually are. She must not have fully extended them when she tried to scratch us.”

Alec leaned over to inspect my long claws as he pulled something out of his pocket and gently ran it along the underside of my claw. He blinked as the razor-sharp edge cut through it like butter. “Wow. Her claws managed to cut through a piece of suspension cord with ease. The claw gets sharper near the base.”

With a thoughtful look, Tkael commented, “Sharp teeth, razor-sharp extendable claws, acrobatic flight, the ability to breathe fire… It was almost like they were designed for hunting large prey, yet they almost exclusively eat fruit.”

Alec turned to him in surprise. “You’re right. The bodies of most animals have adapted to their food source. Such teeth and claws aren’t found in any other fruit eater that I have ever heard of.”

Tkael regarded me while deep in thought. “It’s another puzzle piece that simply doesn’t fit. It is quite bizarre. We know that they will attack sicora, which almost no other animal would even consider. Yet, they are so skittish that we can’t get near them if they have any say in the matter. They can breathe fire – but rarely do so. Their day-to-day habits would lead one to think that they are peaceful fruit eaters, but their body adaptations lead to a completely different conclusion.” He glanced up at the others who were watching him and stated, “We are missing something.”

“Any idea what that might be?” Taureen inquired.

Tkael exhaled gustily before replying, “No. Things simply aren’t adding up, and it’s like a thorn in my side.”

“I know what you mean,” Alex sympathized. “Other than that glimpse we get of them first thing in the morning, we haven’t been able to even get within observation distance. It’s like they know we are following them and avoid us accordingly. Many people recall simply walking along the trails, even a month ago, and seeing one here or there, simply sunning themselves. They hadn’t avoided us back then as much as they are lately.”

Taureen suddenly sat up straighter. “They just started acting skittish during the last month, right?”

Alec turned to him in surprise. “Yes, what are you thinking?”

Taureen turned his gaze to me as he as he slowly replied, “They started avoiding us right around the time that I took her. I think a couple might have seen me and now consider us dangerous. Those ones are teaching the others to avoid us as well. We have seen how fast this one catches on, so we know they are smart.”

Alec nodded in reluctant agreement. “I think that may be the answer. It’s the only reasonable explanation, especially considering that cry she made when you picked her up. The others may have mistaken it for a death cry, and with you crouched over her like that…” He trailed off, leaving the obvious conclusion unsaid.

Tkael spoke, “That may explain their avoidance of us, but it doesn’t explain any of the other mysteries. Why are they only in that park? Why can we only get close during that singing dance they do every morning? Why do they only hold that dance when the sun is half-way risen?”

The others looked at each other, but none seemed to have a good explanation. Good, because even I don’t know the answer to why I am so well armed and armored, and yet eat mostly fruit.

They discussed possible theories while passing me around and examining my body while petting me. I was beginning to feel like a baby during a baby shower. I did not appreciate it.