Do you know how long it takes to remove and replace crapped-on straw in three different chicken coops? Especially with angry chickens? The chore took the last couple of daylight hours to complete. The Dark Angle stood right beside me the entire time, the chick sleeping in his hands. I never told him to put it down. It was more then a few times that I thought about telling Six to do it. In a way, it just feels wrong. I would usually try to dump an unsavory chore like this on someone else. Six doesn't have that option. If I tell him to walk off a cliff, it scares me that he probably would do it. I don't like having that kind of power over anything, living or otherwise.

     Said Dark Angle moves to follow me after I put away the shovel. "Um, don't you think you're forgetting something?", I laugh a little. Six looks at me, almost asking, "And what is the problem?". "You have to leave the baby in the coop", I chide him. "I don't see any issues here", his silence seems to say. "Six....", I sigh, "Go put the chick back in the coop". My voice isn't as annoyed as I would have liked. The Dark Angle doesn't move for a moment. But then, it turns around and sets the chick gently down into the pen. He then walks back over to me without any reaction. "Happy now?", his look is accusing. "What? I'm sorry. Chicks don't belong away from their mammas. Sheesh", I mumble the last part.

     That's when I realize that I'm having a conversation based on imaginative replies in my head. Damnit, I'm going to go crazy at this rate. No wonder Rainya always tells me that I should socialize more. "Well, follow me, I guess.....", I mumble, snapping out of my thoughts. The Dark Angle follows me away from the coops, and back towards where I live.

My village is relatively small, with no fancy walls. There's actually some sort of system for the layout of the houses and streets. It may look messy, but the streets are designed a bit like a maze. You have to have this place memorized in order to get anywhere. Enemies will only find dead ends and narrow streets where we could ambush them. All the houses have roofs with slanted sides and flat edges. It's easy to climb up on the lower edges to the higher ones. That's how warriors like me patrol at night. Although, my night vision isn't as good as most Zemrlt. The chicken coops are kept on the same side as our cows, sheep, and horses. Some large crop fields are on the other side. The village is largely self sufficient. Most of the 'single hybrid' villages are. It's what makes the kingdom so divided. Only a few cities are truly diverse.

      Now the middle of my home, that's my favorite place to be after a long day. There's a large clearing set with fire pits. I could stay up for hours just chatting with everyone else who wants to stay up. Well, unless I have a patrol to do. I follow the familiar roads to the middle with Six following. I think I could tell him to wait in my house until bed, but that feels kinda rude. He'll just have to sit by me and behave himself. No more hissy fits.

Multiple fires are already lit by the time I get there. The sun is already setting, and I only woke up a couple of hours ago. Looks like another late night. I quickly spot Rainya across the clearing and head in her direction. I'm surprised to see her taking to Frenaris. They're both quickly using sign language as I walk up. Frenaris is a squad leader, one level away from his name being shortened. He must of had some sort of other hybrid in his family. His eyes are the Zemrlt gray, three sets of external ribs line his torso, and he's a master at the sign language. Then there's the hair. A bright, thin orange streak of color goes down the middle of his head. The orange streak looks slightly like feathers instead of hair. I've seen them poof up a bit when he's angry. The rest of his hair is a normal dark brown, but with dark orange tips. His simmering temper is canceled out by any good story of his. I have no idea where he gets them all from.

Rainya turns and smiles when she sees me, and Frenaris gets a flash of relief in his eyes. Right before it's replaced with annoyance. "I literally looked away for two seconds and you were gone!", he scolds me with his hands, "And now you picked up another dangerous pet!?". "That was me time, I swear! I didn't know the turtle had teeth!", I protest out loud. In sign language, I try to apologize for worrying him. Frenaris and Rainya are both cracking up before I even finish. "Why would you apologize for swimming a potato?", Frenaris laughs at me. Rainya snorts at that.

      "It's not funny! You know what I mean", I wine, crossing my arms. I can almost feel Six smirking at my back. "At least you can read it. I'd be a little awkward if you couldn't", Frenaris signs in reply. He sits down by the fire, Rainya and I plopping down soon after. I look up to see Six awkwardly standing above me. "You know that you can sit, right?", I ask him. The Dark Angel eventually sits down next to me, watching the other two. "So what's the deal with that thing?", Frenaris cocks his head.

"Kelini brought it home w-with her", Rainya jibes. "More like it followed me", I argue, "The Dark Angle listens to whoever has this red rock". I show Frenaris the necklace, and he thankfully doesn't ask to hold it. "I don't know what it is, but that's not a Dark Angel", he signs. "You've heard of them before?", Rainya asks. "I don't know very much, but they're not really supposed to exist. And they wouldn't look and act like that thing. Dark Angles have free will", Frenaris explains, eyeing Six. He's right to be a little cautious. I really should be more on guard with it sitting next to me. If it isn't a Dark Angel, what is Six?

The four of us sit in silence for a few minutes after that. The sun has set, and the campfires crackle with light. I look around to see a few other groups sitting around their own fires. It's a beautiful night. And Fenaris is stupid if he thinks I don't notice when he scoots a little closer to my sister. Rainya is a little oblivious to those kind of things. I wiggle my eyebrows at Frenaris when she looks away, and his face goes red. Aw, he's embarrassed. Rainya looks back with a smile, ending our silent conversation

"Kelini, how about a song?", she smirks. My smile melts into a frown. "No, I hate that stupid ukulele", I grumble, "The notes never sound right". Despite my protests, my sister jumps up and comes back with the small instrument. My face is distorted in disgust when she hands it to me. Music is not my thing. "You guys just want to laugh at me", I frown, handing the ukulele to Six, "Play a song or something, just keep it away from me". I wanted an excuse to not to play, and Six not letting anyone have it would be a good excuse. I did not expect for him to actually play it. The first few notes make the three of us turn and stare. Six sits with fingers on the right strings, plucking a few in a rhythm. "You all see it too, right?", Frenaris signs. "He can play better then you, Kelini!", Rainya signs back while giggling. I scowl at the pair, but I'm kinda impressed.

     Frenaris stands up, signing something about a dawn hunting patrol. Rainya gets up, too, and turns to me. "And it's about time you slept under a roof", she chides me. We share a small house on the edge of town. I haven't slept in my own bed the last two times, and the idea does sound pretty good. Six can chill in the living room all night. I push myself up onto my feet and move follow Rainya. The maybe-not-a-Dark Angel gets up after me, but trips over his own feet and crashes into me. His bulk almost makes me fall over! What's he doing? I've never seen Six act clumsy before. "What the hell!?", I gasp out, grabbing onto his arms when it's legs buckle. "What's happening?", Rainya frowns, concerned as she helps me set Six down on the ground. Frenaris hovers over us. "I-I don't know. Could he be sick?", I ask in confusion. Oh god, what if it's dying and I don't know how to take care of it? I should really think these things through better.

"I don't know w-what to do for a shadow, but we could check th-the basics", Rainya takes control. She's way better at medicine than I am. She takes Six's arm, touching him for the first time, and checks his pulse. I Remember feeling it on the beach. The fact that it doesn't react to being touched it concerning. Did I do something to hurt him? My growing guilt is like a noose. "It's pulse if fine, breathing good", Rainya mutters, "Kelini, poke him in the eye". "What?", I ask again. "Poke him the eye. I can't tell if its eyes are closed or not". I mean, the darkness all over him does make it impossible to see. But I would feel bad if I jabed his eyes. I guess it's for the greater good? I run my thumb on his face, a little weirded out by touching him. It's a relief to feel that his eyelids are closed.

"My guess would be he passed out from exhaustion. Have you seen it sleep?", Rainya finally says. "Sleep? I didn't even think about if he needs sleep....... he's been up for at least a day, but probably longer", I mumble. I didn't know. The Shadow saved my life and kept me from freezing, and I run him to complete exhaustion. I didn't know the King would make it so human like that. Frenaris helps us carry him back to our house. I almost step on his dragging wings and tail multiple times. Forget a noose. My guilt is now more like a hundred centipede bites. Six really is like child. And I have no idea what to do with him.