FINTAIL

𝐓𝐄𝐍

Lick.

Lick.

BEFORE DUSK, an old longsnout drank quietly at the silver stream of the night. With her haunches secured to the earth, her pink tongue was free to waver and coil along the surface, lapping every droplet and reveling in its taste despite what little flavor it gave. She barely made a stir; gentle waves splashed against her deep blue scales, petting her as if she was its own — which she accepted graciously. And with the added silence (aside from a few nearby crickets chirping in play) she couldn't help letting out a guttural purr.

Lick.

...

Lick.

It was pleasing to be rewarded by nature. Food, water, shelter, a family; nothing in the world could equal a Mother's love for her child. And she didn't have to worry — Auliza felt safe in her embrace. The world would nurture her soul with its pleasing lullaby, sharing its secrets and whispers of the old world as the moon and stars watched over her from above. But she couldn't stay to enjoy it. Once filled, the humbled longsnout rumbled her thanks, stood up, and walked away, leaving a footprint in the mud and a tremor in the earth.

And I, Death, would follow. To study, my friends, not to take.

Every full moon, Auliza would wander from her cavern, crossing the meddled swamps and cycad forests toward the western regions of the valley. She'd go alone, using only the glowing white circle in the sky for safe passage, and bringing only herself — the body of a worn, sleepless parent seeking refuge beneath the summer heat, and the spirit of a spineless hatchling running back to her first love. Occasionally, she'd cough and sneeze; the week-long sickness had yet to leave her system, but she didn't mind. It wouldn't stop her from reaching her destination. Nothing would.

Auliza's stuffy nostrils twitched to sample the air, struggling to follow a scent I thought lost in time. Her tail would lift and fall as she advanced, pupils widening and eyes narrowing as the darkness welcomed their newest predator. The wind helped sporadically; little drafts pushed the sweet perfume back to the longsnout's nares to focus on if ever it grew dim. Above, the thickened trees and grizzly shadows helped conceal her scales from my wandering eye, though a hunt was the last thing Auliza hoped to accomplish tonight. She didn't care if her sail tore through the forest balcony above her, or how many leaves rained down on her when it did; that was none of her concern.

This was not the same for myself — she executed several bugs in the span of two minutes. That's too many souls for me to deal with!

But then, just beyond the second cut of a woodland creek, Auliza found it: a little bulge of dirt sitting beside the overhang of a wilted weeping willow. A strange sight, if I ever say. To an outsider, this meager alteration of the earth looked suspicious; perhaps a hidden patch of food or a secret she hoped none would find. 'Maybe a pit of ancient treasure!' — of course, for a human, this is always your first assumption. But in an age of life and death, the fragility of happiness isn't what bears us luck, or wealth, but what gives us great sorrow. This was no pleasant find.

And, for our dear longsnout, this was far from joyous promise.

Her stomach quaked. It struck so suddenly; she only managed to suck in a quick, painful breath before it fully robbed her ability to speak.

B-Breathe...

Both eyes squeezed shut and she let out a little whine. Despite how many times she's taken the trek, this panic, this fear, it would always win her over. Poor Auliza expected that by now she'd have some level of control over her emotions...