138 - Biological Anomaly

 

Anomaly. Volcanic area on Hinemon anomalous. Earthan bio programs check. Biological trace marker sensors indicate earthan biologicals present in quantity. Visuals indicate volcanic out-spewing. Anomaly.

 

**

 

*Mariush, Mariush... endarken it. Shashi! Answer!*

 

*Radiance, Shashi here.*

 

*Evacuate the city. Initiate closed mode.*

 

*Ev-- yes Radiance. Emergency evacuation code sent, confirmed. Has Prime found us?*

 

*I don't know. I'm not sure but I'd rather err on the side of caution. This is war. Ilax concurs.*

 

*Yes, Radiance.*

**

Dag sat on the cliff above the wadi, looking at the ranked flying brooms that had zoomed out of the sky just this morning. Everyone was packing, down below, but she was already packed and done. Yasna was still asleep, rolled in his robe. They should have left already, she thought, to escape the heat. But the flyers had said the air was cool up above, even though the sun did bite harder.

 

The cuddle flock wandered around, following their riders, nibbling on bags and harness and trailing veils, mostly getting in the way until they got shooed away again. They didn't need the heavy restraint because they wanted to be with their people, their flock, rather than scatter to a wild flock, like normal warbirds.

 

Silly was behind Dag, picking at the bugs he found, flipping over rocks, looking for lizards and scarlets. He flung his head back to swallow the discarded tail of a stink-tight and when he dropped his beak down, turned his head sideways to look at what looked like a snake.

 

The brooms... really couldn't be shut off and had to be tied down, or jammed tail up in the sand, their stabilizers on either side sticking out like rounded wings. Their roaring was muted but a constant low rumble.

 

The flyers had brought nets that could be slung below the sticks, which could carry a bird easily. The trick would be to get the flock to accept being netted and lifted. They could be flown back to Lainz in hours rather than run back under their own power which would take days.

 

**

 

Silly picked at the trailing snake, claws clamped on a doubled up wooden stalk and the whole plant under him shifted as if he were half-way up a raghnall tree. He flirted his tailfeathers up away from the fire behind him. He knew about fires.

This wasn't a snake. It pulled longer and longer as Silly yanked his head back and forth. There was a loop like the silk he was used to as a bit and he let go the snake and tugged on that instead and the stalk under his claws lurched so he clamped harder on it, stubby wings spread wide.