Wonderer's Wish World: An Empty Land

Coming 'Home Again'

It didn't occur to Wirt to count the days when he first got captured, so he didn't. But eventually, when he started wondering how any days had past, he almost wished he could have. It seemed like years since he was scooped up by the bone dragons, since he didn't take Kipo's hand, since the bone dragons started carrying him around.

At first, of course, Wirt was terrified, pleading with bone dragons with every mortal possession he owned for them to let him go. But he wasn't sure they really got what he was saying, because even if they could understand English, could they sort out Wirt's words from his various stutters and screams of terror every time a brush of wind bust past him? Probably not.

But who could blame him? He was crouched on the palm of a dragon the seize of a skyscraper millions of miles above solid ground, and Wirt doubted they would catch him if he were to suddenly fall. Technically, Wirt wasn't even completely sure how he was breathing up here, and it was ice cold, almost like middle of winter cold. Wirt shivered and pulled his jacket more around him. It wasn't as cold as it had been in the clearing, but it was pretty close. His teeth clattered together as he spoke, making his already existing stammer much worse.

However, eventually Wirt had to take a break from his yammering. He didn't really choose to, but when the moon was high in the sky, and closer than Wirt had ever seen it before, he passed out. The next morning, he'd woken up terrified, and nearly disentangled himself from the dragon's claws. It wasn't HIS fault, it was the dragons, because it wasn't holding him tight enough, it apparently hadn't gotten the memo that Wirt was up.

Thankfully, it reacted rather quickly, catching Wirt quickly. Wirt was almost thankful before he looked up at saw the other bone dragons (eighteen in total, he'd gotten bored one day and counted them) looking at him. They almost looked amused, and Wirt's face burned before the bone dragon finally enclosed him in it's claws again.

Wirt sighed. So, the bone dragons weren't going to kill him, and they weren't going to let him die by gravity... so what was their plan, exactly? Was he their prisoner, or something? Wirt stared up at the bone dragon above them. They're prisoner... Wirt didn't know what to think about that, but there was a small drum of anxiety in the back of his mind. That didn't sound good.

Suddenly, Wirt's stomach rumbled, and he clutched at his stomach. If they weren't going to kill him by gravity, implement, or crushing him, then they were definitely going to kill him with hunger. It's only been two days, and yet Wirt's stomach already seemed like it was going to rip itself up from the inside.

"A ravenous beast inside the shell of man... clawing itself out... I can feel it's claws, ready to rip, and its teeth, ready to tear... I can feel it's desperation matching my own..." Wirt muttered. What? This was the ideal time for a really good (or so he thought) poem. "Ugh... it'll kill me by evening, and final setting stage..."

Well... that's what Wirt thought anyway, as his eyes closed. When he opened them again, he was surprised to find odd fruits in front of him, carried by his captor.

Wirt frowned at them. The bone dragons must have stopped and gotten them while he was sleeping, which meant that Wirt had missed a prime opportunity to escape. He sighed at himself. 'Nice going, me.'

Unfortunately, the bone dragons didn't give Wirt another chance, because they never touched down again (it made Wirt grateful for his decision to save some of the fruit), just continuing to fly, for days and days and days. Even when Wirt slept (and on one occasion, pretended to sleep), they didn't stop. Wirt had no clue how they did it. It was like they didn't even sleep. Was Bipo really the same species as these things?

'A tiny little ship in a harbour has more importance than me,' Wirt lamented. 'A singular bird in a flock; a strand of thread in a blanket... why do hey all surpass me in the ways of... importance? Betterness? Uh...'