The Last Flame - Crystal Bow

Chapter 26

Peregrine's friends were quite open and welcoming to Bullseye. The two shifters-one, an excitable small wyvern named Skyline and the other a reserved Amarok named Callisto. The four spent a lot of time by the river, in case Bullseye's fire flared too much. Callisto and Skyline had both been very sympathetic, but Bullseye simply chalked his fate up to karma and moved on. The two were seeming to make their own sort of...strange, misshapen flock.

"And...I'm coming for you!" Bullseye buried himself further into the burrow he was in, hoping that the light from his fire wouldn't give him away. He heard Callisto's paws hitting the ground. As an amarok-a giant wolf that was known to kill hunters when they were alone-after shifting, Callisto could run for quite a while and he could probably smell the mint leaves around Bullseye burning. He'd shoved them into the burrow to hide his smokey scent. As a phoenix shifter, Bullseye wouldn't be able to shift until his first rebirth. He pushed himself back further as the steady thrum of Callisto running got closer and closer.

Eventually, the Amarok shifter poked his head into the burrow, wrinkling his nose. "Got you."

"Aww." Bullseye huffed; they always found him first! He stepped out of his former hiding spot and took to the air, spreading his fire-colored wings. The pain wasn't too bad...

He broke through the canopy of the forest, which was close to the human settlements and enchanted to never burn.

Bullseye yelped as he caught fire again and tried to wheel back towards the river, but he couldn't feel his wings. He let out a screech of shock and pain; he was soaring towards the human village!

Several humans turned and yelped as they saw him, and Bullseye crashed into the town's well, spiraling down with a squawk until he landed with a splash in the water. He eventually managed to clamber back up, and yelped as he saw that several of the humans had crowded around the well. They hopped back as they saw him.

"Woah!" One of the women said, her eyes wide. "It's some kind of bird. Its on fire!"

"It's a bad omen!" One of the men spat.

Everyone fell silent as several vibrations rumbled through the ground and they all began to jump back, screeching in horror. Bullseye turned to see Callisto standing there. Peregrine landed beside him and Skyline hovered above.

Bullseye screeched happily and dove at them, circling around them excitedly. "You came!"

"Of course we did." Skyline huffed from above. "We wouldn't leave you here! The humans look terrified."

"Let them be." Callisto turned and glared at them. "Now they know that we're here. They might try and take us captive."

"They can't be stupid enough to do that." Peregrine said. He let out a departing screech. "Let's go."

Bullseye felt especially warm on the way back and had to stop and lay in the river for a while. Peregrine was worried before Callisto told him that Bullseye was approaching a rebirth. Bullseye blinked.

"How do you know?"

"I once was friends with a Pheonix." Callisto said, almost sadly. "But he left eventually."

Bullseye closed his eyes and allowed himself to soak in the water for a bit longer.

"Thank you."