Ka'Lula crashes onto the misty mountaintop with a thunderous whump, her wings flapping wildly before folding neatly against her back. Dust and clouds swirl around her as she lands with Pip clinging to her neck, eyes wide and systems whirring in panicked glee.
With a gentle hop, she shifts back into her human form, dropping to her knees and catching her breath. Her bronze skin glistening with sweat, and steam curling from her horns and shoulders like breath off molten stone. Pip rolled onto the ground beside her, landing with a thud, dazed but intact.
They lay in silence for a few long seconds, the wind whistling around them, carrying the scent of pine, stone, and fire.
Then, Ka'Lula giggles.
"Sorry about that," she breathlessly, her voice tinged with embarrassment and wonder. "I... I turned into a dragon again." She looks at Pip, her amber eyes wide and shimmering. "But this time felt... different."
