My sides heaved, sucking in all the oxygen I can consume in one breath. Birds chirp in the distance, even one landed close enough to me I could make out the exact feather lines on its little body. Yellow, yellow, black, white. As I drifted off into my mind, something rustled off to the side. It’s nothing. I thought at first. Then sound was made; a voice sound. I jump a little, sliding on the ground an inch or two, and turn to see to whom is speaking. At first I see a big striped cat beside some feather horse feet. I look up at the horse. She’s a draft horse just like me; but with no wings, and not red. More of a brownish color. She looks at me; her eyes searching my body. She says something else. I snap out of my daze and recall what she said. Oh! I stand up with shaky legs and respond to the first sign of civilization I have seen in a long time.
I speak quickly, “I am lost. I am from a place not known by many animals, Ickatang.” I eye the large cat beside me, and try to slow down, “Romani, My name is Iphiclus. I was blown further into these woods last night during the storm. My body has not recovered. I got struck by lightning last night, it caused a buzz to go throughout my entire body and I can’t seem to make it stop. It doesn’t help that I have this irritating heat cursed on my body too.”
Muddy water slipped off my sides and down my legs, covering my gold on my legs. I shuffled my weight from foot to foot. My legs itch to move, but I force myself to stand still and appear as presentable as possible. I stretch my feathered wings out, just a little, to help dry out.