Celia flew. Wings carrying her with the ease of a natural. As if she was made for this. Different from when she made her own wings and soared through the air on them. Less forced and rigid, easier by several degrees, and barely requiring any conscious thought on her part. Which was an especially good thing right now, as her thoughts were very preoccupied at that moment.
Mostly with questions dripping with existential dread. Oh, and trying very hard not to black out from the pain threading it’s way through her entire body. It was a fight. But it was one she was determined to win. If only for - the still unconscious - Dreg’s sake.
And to that end, she started flying back towards the camp. The very empty and now abandoned camp. Well, almost abandoned.
The giant and immense form of Sel’ci, the dragon corpse that carried Haet and his crew around, was still there. It’s form inert as it lay on the ground at the far back of the camp. Where it, just a day prior, had served as a sort of command center. One full of a multitude of minor benefits. Like a ready supply of food that she planned to raid in order to speed up her healing.
And that was exactly why she crashed next to the great behemoth. It was an unintentional crash, of course. But a crash nonetheless. One that thankfully brought her closer to her destination without having her land on top of Dreg in the process. Which would’ve been both bad and mortifying. As she was, well, a lot bigger now than she’d ever been. Both vertically and horizontally. Tall enough to be considered for one of the many local Glomeball teams. Wide enough that she could fill a chair and a half all on her lonesome.
And with a butt that went on wobbling behind her as she rose up to her feet. Dreg cradled in her arms as she did so. Who looked so much smaller to her now, mostly on account of how she had changed over the course of the last hour. Now, that wasn’t to say that Dreg hadn’t changed. Because he had.
He was more slight than even before now. His breaths exceptionally shallow. And his body radiating only the smallest embers of warmth. Or in other words, he looked like someone very soon to depart from this world. Something she partially - mostly - blamed herself for. Mostly thanks to the conscious her father had lovingly gifted to her as she grew up.
“We’re all responsible for each other Ce’ each and every one of us has gotta do our part…”
The words came to her once again as she stared at Dreg’s corpse like form. Words that reignited her will to do right by the kind-of-a-jerk-but-not-all-that-bad Beyondling. Honestly she almost wished he was a complete and utter piece of refuse that just so happened to possess the ability to talk, as they would make her feel a lot less bad about her performance which ultimately led up to his current condition.
A thought she only entertained for a moment before remembering why she was here. A reminded brought to her by her uncaring stomach. Which, evolution or no, just wanted something put inside of it. And speaking of her evolution, she felt very different now.
Less restricted in a way that was distinctly not human. Like she had advanced beyond her old self, almost like a butterfly born from a caterpillar. Or maybe even a moth.
She wasn’t sure which comparison was more apt. Only that her transformation felt good on the physical level, and felt like another thing to deal with later on the philosophical. A list that always seemed to be growing and never shrinking to her dismay.
Again, another thing to deal with later.
For now she refocused on her current task. Getting some grub in her growing gut. A solid slab of “very womanly” fat that she desperately pretended to ignore. Which she failed at. As it was pretty hard to ignore it with how much it was growling now that an abundant source of food was close at hand.
And just as she was on her way to said food, stepping past the threshold to Sel’ci’s inner chambers and leaving Dreg by the door, she was caught off guard by an enormous shadow befalling her. Instantly, her body reacted. Mind shifting to another her. Discipline arresting the very essence of her being. Posture straightening out as her dress turned into a coat of scales that surrounded her, thickest where she was most vulnerable. The sharpness that had slowly wormed itself into her being crawling out of her transforming into a giant blade that resembled a carpet of wavering flames.
She almost struck first. But found herself too slow. And caught off guard by her would be attacker positioning themself behind her. She retaliated by using her mass, attempting to bash them with her butt with a maneuver that she just knew she would never live down. And still she was found wanting.
Unseen adversary backing out of the way and placing a large clamping claw upon her shoulder. Red and black and filled with teeth. Teeth that had holes, were serrated, and a bit familiar.
Celia shifted back to her normal self in an instant upon realizing who it was. Promising to herself that she would properly address the very concerning prospect of possibly not being one person anymore later.
Or maybe whenever she found this worlds equivalent to alcohol. And a lot of it, she was pretty sure her tolerance had likely skyrocketed along with her size.
But first she greeted Haet with a wave. Only to immediately realize he probably had no idea what that was.
“Hi. You scared me, by the way. Also I have Dreg."
“Haet saw. Keep safe, did good.”
She nodded. “I’m not so sure safe is how I’d describe what I’ve just been through.” She said, sighing as the weight of it all threatened to breach what few mental barriers she had constructed.
And Haet nodded. “Grew fast? Danger follow?”
“I’m not entirely sure I get what you’re saying, but yeah. Danger seems to just love me.”
“Hm. You good crew. Haet glad recruited you. Make rest strong.”
Celia did her best to ignore that. “Yeah, so I’m gonna go get something to eat real quick. Seeing as I took quite the beating today. Bad enough that my bruises have bruises, y’know?”
Haet didn’t respond, and instead stared at her. Studied her. And wisely looked away when she finally turned around. Eyes missing her behind as it waggled behind her like a dogs tail on the way to the “food court”. If it could even be called that. Seeing as it was mostly just a giant stomach packed with food and had a few tables made of bone sitting around it.
Which, the more she thought about, the more she realized it kinda was like a food court. Only she didn’t have to pay for it, and the food kinda magically lowered itself for her. The great organ above her releasing its stored bounty with a stream of blue fire that carried some of the food within down to the table she chose to sit at. Piling enough up on said table to feed four to five fully grown men.
Or an appetizer for her.
And as she started on eating her little appetizer, she felt another consciousness emerge beside her own.
“Hahaha! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this?” Her other, and far less reserved her, announced within the confines of their mind. And she did so rather loudly.
Celia tried to ignore her.
“Ooh, sorry little kitty cat.”
Emphasis on tried.
“I don’t think you can do that seeing as we’re one and the same. Well, almost the same. Seeing as I at least know how to take care of myself.”
Celia gave up. “What do you want, I’m kinda busy.”
“That you are.” Her vice unchecked answered. And Celia felt one of her new arms slip down to her middle and give it an indulgent squeeze. “That you are. But what I want is to be ‘busy’ with you. Taste what you taste. Smell what you smell. And, maybe a bit more, eh?”
Celia turned to give her not doppelgänger a look. Only to realize that she wasn’t actually behind her. And receive a near scornful laugh from herself in response. Which was more than a bit embarrassing.
“So you just wanna watch, right?” She asked, finally relenting.
“Oh poor baby me, I wanna do more than just watch. But for now, yeah. I’ll watch you get seconds.”
Celia did her best to ignore her.
