The Thunderbird tilted its head, watching Shalltear tug awkwardly at the blanket with her tiny claws. She definitely looked strange, skittish, nervous, and completely out of place.
The Thunderbird nodded to itself, recognizing her behavior. It stepped forward and gently reached out with its front claws, picking her up like a kitten. "This one's with us," it thought. "She's family. Let her stay on the nest."
Still frozen with shock, Shalltear let herself be carried away. The Thunderbird brought her back to the rocky alcove the wizards had prepared as a nesting area. It set her down gently in a corner piled high with bones, mostly old, gnawed remains that had been neatly stacked together to form a sort of bony pen.
At first, Shalltear stared blankly, her mind racing. 'What is this guy doing?' she wondered.
But when she realized the Thunderbird hadn't hurt her and seemed more curious than hostile, she began to suspect it had actually spoken with Alex, or at least received one of his messages. Still, sitting in a nest made of bones while being gently walled in felt a little too weird.
She blinked at her surroundings and muttered to herself, "Wait a second… is this supposed to be some kind of… snack cage?"
From the Thunderbird's point of view, everything made perfect sense. It thought,' A good friend is here, so of course I should share my treasure with her. Why does she look so upset?'
Feeling like it might've been too rough earlier, the Thunderbird stretched out one of its sharp claws and gently patted Shalltear a few times, trying to show it meant no harm. But to Shalltear, still trapped in a nest made of bones, those "gentle" pats looked more like deadly swipes.
She panicked, flailing around and slamming herself against the bone cage, desperately trying to escape. Unfortunately, the Thunderbird misunderstood her panic as excitement. Thinking she was eager to play, it chirped cheerfully and started pawing at her with even more enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, far from the scene, Fang was watching everything unfold through a monitor. His eyes were locked on the screen, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
Back inside the barn, Shalltear's wide-eyed stare remained fixed on the small camera embedded in the monitor attached to the Thunderbird's enclosure. Despite the panic she'd felt just moments ago, she suddenly burst into laughter.
Looking back, she realized how ridiculous she'd been. The little Thunderbird wasn't attacking her, it was just trying to play. Here she was, a proud vampire noble in disguise, scared out of her wits by a baby bird trying to be friendly.
The young Thunderbird, completely unaware of the misunderstanding, continued to nudge her with playful energy, clearly having the time of its life. It didn't speak or explain anything, but its joy was written all over its face.
Gradually, Shalltear calmed down and came to understand its intentions. It had never meant her harm. In fact, it had been trying to welcome her in its own, slightly clumsy way.
Once she got used to the idea, she realized that being with the Thunderbird actually worked out in her favor. The little creature was strong and protective, and its enclosure, 26, was one of the safest places in the entire base.
Nobody would suspect a bat was hiding in the Thunderbird's nest. Relieved, Shalltear finally let herself relax.
She fed on some of the small insects scattered around the enclosure and curled up in a cozy corner of the nest. With the warmth of the Thunderbird nearby, she slept soundly until the sun went down.
By the time evening arrived, she felt fully recharged. Her thoughts turned to what she'd overheard earlier that day, tonight might be their chance to track down the key figure behind the breeding base: Milan Claremont.
She stretched, glanced at the slumbering Thunderbird, and quietly whispered a goodbye. Then, without a sound, she slipped out of the barn and rose into the dark sky.
The base was still bustling, and with so many birds flying overhead, her bat form didn't attract any attention. For the next half hour, she silently glided above the rooftops, scanning the ground below.
Eventually, she spotted the same wizard leader she had seen in the morning. But now he looked completely different, his official robes were gone, replaced by rough work clothes stained with mud, grass, and even blood.
His usually neat appearance was replaced by a tired, worn-out look. His shirt clung to him in sweaty patches, and his arms were scratched and red, with dried blood on his sleeves.
Shalltear narrowed her eyes. 'What exactly happened to him today?' she wondered.
But there wasn't time to speculate, her mission came first. She needed to figure out where he was going and what he was planning.
Quiet as a shadow, she swooped down and landed on a rooftop ledge near the building he approached. From there, she watched as the wizard pushed open the door to a small bar tucked away in the residential area. He looked exhausted, dragging his feet as he entered.
Through the window, Shalltear watched him slump into a booth and order food. He looked like a man who'd spent the whole day fighting something, or maybe someone.
As he slowly ate his meal, she stayed hidden in the shadows, watching his every move. Whatever was going on, she had a feeling tonight would bring answers.
Throughout the entire meal, the man remained silent, keeping to himself and avoiding eye contact with everyone around him. Shalltear, still watching from her perch, noticed something odd, his teammates, who had been following him earlier, had completely vanished.
Her brow furrowed. 'Strange… wasn't Milan Claremont supposed to show up here tonight? And where did the rest of the team go?'
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. This sudden shift didn't sit well with her. If their plan had changed, was she just wasting her time trailing this wizard?
Just as she frowned and considered retreating, the man stood up and walked out of the bar. He paused at the entrance, his face drawn with tension.
From above, Shalltear could clearly see the way his expression shifted, conflicted at first, then slowly settling into something firmer. After a long moment of silence, he seemed to come to a decision. His back straightened, and with a determined look in his eyes, he began making his way toward the residential area.
Shalltear quietly followed from the rooftops, keeping close. They weaved through dimly lit streets until he finally stopped in front of a small, ordinary-looking house tucked away in the dormitory district. There was nothing special about it, just another worker's home, but the way he stared at the door made it clear this wasn't just a casual visit.
He took a deep breath, climbed the steps, and knocked.
"Who is it?" a voice called from inside.