Wonderer's Wish World: An Empty Land

The Edge of the World

"Well," Kipo said, depressed. "The world is flat."

She quickly corrected herself. "This world is flat."

Bipo kicked at the ground with their claws. "This is probably what your friends was talking about," they noted. "A way off this world."

Kipo thought back to the map Tulip left with their coats. If she remembered it right... this was exactly where the map ended. Dammit. Of COURSE this is what Arlen meant. Because nothing could ever be easy for them, could it? It always had to end like this: in complete despair.

At least this was an end where this world couldn't get at their flowers, but... no, Kipo refused to think about it.

Kipo sighed, pulling herself up from where she was on the ground. The snow underneath her was soaking into her clothes, and she shivered.

Bipo awkwardly shuffled around, opening their wings like they were preparing to leave, but at the last second, they paused.

"I assume you need a ride back," they grumbled. "Well? Ready to go?"

Kipo opened her mouth, then closed it, looking over to the night sky opening up above her. She shook her head, and Bipo closed their wings, grumbling to themself. But they didn't argue.

Kipo tore her attention away from the bone dragon, instead turning it up to the night sky above them, moonless, as always. She had done this a lot in the town, when she was waiting for Bipo, Adam and Wirt to come back. She would have gone herself, but the logic that she might get in the way of Adam's plan and the possibly they might miss each other out there kept her in that town. Now, she wondered what might have happened if she meant and tried to help... would it have been different? Could they have-?

Kipo shook her head, abandoning that train of thought. Instead, she continued her thought process about the moon.

So many times, Kipo had gazed up into the night sky she loved and knew a lot about, but never once had she questioned the absence of the moon. It wasn't like her, Kipo knew, and it didn't make any sense. None of them, not any of them in the town ever thought to wonder? Weird... It just didn't seem possible.

Suddenly, Kipo heard Bipo shift behind her, straightening up in alarm.

"Kipo," Bipo said warningly, but Kipo was already turning around. She spotted it immediately, probably sooner than Bipo had.

"Hurricane..." she breathed, and this time, she knew she was right.

A dark shape flew down out of the clouds that had moved behind them. It was moving quickly, and though the first time Kipo saw it, it was miles away, it crossed that distance in seconds, and Kipo stumbled back as it descended in her, throwing up her arms as they nearly crashed.

The wicked talons Kipo and glimpse before hooked into her arms, tearing into them and catching, making Kipo cry out, and even Hurricane let out a cry of alarm as he was suddenly jolted to a stop before he managed to tear his claws out.

Kipo grabbed at her forearms, feeling the horrible pain shoot up through them, the deep cut leaking way too much blood to be good. Meanwhile, Hurricane was rising up to the sky once again, and Kipo stared at him, confused for a second. At first, she wondered if he was leaving, and then quickly realized how wrong she was when Hurricane turned back down towards them, strong wings beating furiously and claws up and ready for another strike.

The next attack was faster than the last, but Kipo was prepared now, ducking out of the way. Bipo, now up in the air, flew towards Hurricane and trying to knock him out of the air, but Hurricane was faster, snarling as he evaded Bipo's attacked, twisting around them to knock his hard beak against one of their wing bones.