Ripples cloud the rivers but they aren't disguising the depths forever.
~Yaris.
_______________________________

"Shakey shakey. It's not yet time to be wakey."

She nuzzled her pointed beaks on her shoulders, comforting the woman who lay dumb-packed at the table to sink deep.

"Saga, you chose the drink."

"It's just morning and we have ample time."

Her auburn slits narrowed as she probed.

"It's not that. Once the hangover clears the senses trails."

He rubbed his worries on her nerves making her plumages quiver.

"Hey, don't gear that on me. She should have known. She drank it after her demands of just coffee."

She peeked at her nose, breathing the fruity scent as her dusky nostrils flared.

"Oh, heavens! She is bombed. Puff!"

She plummeted her raven wings in anguish as her eyes shifted between the only two people around.

"What do we do? Ara, don't be quiet!"

"Bother me less. Let me-"

"We never had jars roll in with eldritch-ew. They have always come empty-handed. Always!"

Her wings fluttered faster than her heart. Without a command, her claws wiggled, making her jump back.

"Stop being a callow."

"Boohoo, this jar is menacing and you wish for peace!"

She had almost slapped his chin with her wings.

"Saga, breathe. It's strange but we got it. Let's get her off those elements."

His words calmed the pickle-tickled head. He then grabbed her jacket as gently as he could.

"I guess it's the wrong key!"

He placed his pointers on his lips to wade the noise as he bent to sneak into the pockets. His hurried palm crept to grab everything at once.

"Argh! Damn."

The sharp burn at his fingertips, made him drop everything.

"Are they too heavy?"

Her mock made his brows dance.

"Oh take aeons, you butterhead. Those sharpie steels are gonna shave my feathers as she mixes the spice paste to roast me. I'm not a god. Am I?"

Her furry head skated through the air in a swirl akin to the dancing snake waking from the ground.

"Oh common, it's just a prick. Relax."

He licked his skin, making the redness fade in a minute. Taking a few steps he picked up the jacket in its collar to shake it.

"Don't wake her until we are safe."

"I know!"

He slurped his anger in. Once again he shuffled the threaded folds in her cuff and collars. Slowly her hands rose making it easy for him to extend the flares. Cautiously he pulled the metals one by one.

A pocket knife. Some blades. And?

A thorny-tipped glistening gained his attention. Tugging his hands deeper he pulled the amber bottle out that had no label.

"Voodoo woman walking with poison!"

Those hasty shuffles rolled the metals to clatter as they dwindled. A soft moan of disturbance escaped her curving lips. Without a minute to spare, she fluttered her wings to caress her scalp as she nuzzled her hair.

"Keep it going for a while."

He ordered her as he moved to get the tissues from the countertop. He cleaned her pockets and checked the other side to find a few cheap vendor candies and gummies.

What is she?

His eyes wandered to her palms drooping at the fringe of the table. Turning them up, he gazed at the few lines that would hint him many things. As he read the wrinkles, his brows crinkled heavier.

"What is the worry now?"

Without heeding to her, he folded her mushy arms. A deep parabola raced longer through the gap between her thumb and pointers.

This couldn't be true.

He opened the thick wooden door at the right corner to reach a hexagon-shaped wooden table seated upon a rainbow swirl stand. The opened book-like gadget with two wide screens peeked at his troubled face. His fingers quickly wandered as he typed something.

"Hey, you can't leave me alone there!"

She picked up his ears only to get held on her throat in a firm grip.

"Ouch! Hrghrm. Argo hragm."

"Huh! I'm sorry. But Saga, don't ever do that again."

His deepening voice made her lower the head. He placed his arms on her tender furs as his worried eyes pondered over the dotting circles that were almost near to get him the information. A black-themed screen glowed with fierce letters, heightening his creases further to the top.

Error 404: Shareer not found?

⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫

"How do we get out of here?"

Her curious eyes looked at the slits of rays possible to find a way.

"Simple."

That word fortified an enormous joy that glittered on her hues.

"We can get out of here the way you came in. See it's easy!"

The answer ridiculed her for foreseeing a butterfly out of a bug.

"You can't do my ways. It's complicated."

She weaved a whirl above her jiggling head.

"You think I'm not capable?"

The raucous stench of anger rippled in her words.

"I can climb ladders, fly in the swing so yes can do the same with the cloth. I know I can be a lot!"

Her pride in the eyes knew no bounds.

"Oh yes, that you are!"

Her fatigued senses looked around to merrily land on the stacked boxes. She shied at the ounce of distance between the top crate and the vent window.

"I can leap and get out of that height. Kung Fu runs in every Chan fan's blood."

A bright ripple weaved her being as they both got to the stacked crates.

"You sure can do it?"

She asked to ensure. Without a word, her shaky legs began to climb the craters to land at the top in two breaths time. As her realization kicked in, she could see her look down at her.

"See I did it. Help?"

Lightning muscle power.

Her thoughts concluded as she crept up through the shadows of the crates and ended up near the rim of the vent.

"Maybe you need it."

She lent her hands only to see her chew her quivering lips.

"What now?"

"Would the sun not hurt? I'm scared."

Her narrowed eyes looked at the rays pouring through the minuscule openings of the closed window.

"Radhi, give me your hands."

Her appalled face shrunk smaller than it was.

"Trust me. I will show you how."

As her worries lightened, she extended her arms only to see it poke through them as her skin ebbed. Before she could comprehend, she opened the vent to let the beam fall on them.

"Devil are you-"

Her hysteria fell short when she felt someone hold her palms with no unease of burn, or pain.

"When we both are together they wouldn't hurt."

Stating that, she pulled her up and they landed on the carts that were lined up for daily business. Spilling their apologies, they walked the streets, tasting their newfound freedom.

"Where are we going?"

"Didn't I promise you to get you the right thing?"

She yelled amidst their run on the land. Taking a few turns on the narrow mud walkway, they stood in front of a butcher shop.

"You be here. Beware not to move. Hop in the same way once I wave at you."

She stationed her in the shades careful to not let her skin be waved by the light.

"Why do I feel we are going to do a terrible thing?"

She tapped her fingers as her terrible thoughts kicked in.

"Is trust tough even now?"

"No, but my father-"

She hushed as she pretended to zip her lips as she tiptoed through the small clearing that had the beaded shadow near the inner portion of the shop.

"You must be that Shadie. The one who roams alone."

A wheezy voice greeted her sneaky footsteps.

"Am I that recognized already?"

"Shadows are everywhere. Networking is nothing new in our Coventry."

She pushed out a sheepy smile as she shifted her pods glancing at the buckets that were lined above the speaking shade.

"Ms?"

"Ms Tablia who crossed a century, and I can sense what's on your mind. That's not happening."

She pranced as she pushed the foreign pods away from invading her.

"Why can't you let me help the one in need?"

"Over my loyalty?"

Her words echoed in every little silhouette that she housed.

"Then tell me how can I pay for it when my owner is in a state of theft and every miserable hope possible?"

She slowly touched her pods as she knelt near her.

"But you will need it every day and I can't let you take it just like that. Our man is suffering a lot in this human world."

She sniffed her worries as her words cracked at their edges.

"Help us now. I promise I will repay."

Trickles of laughter made her succumb to vague silence.

"Shadows keep the pledge. When we tend to the ones we belong to, we lose our leverages."

Sensing her concerns, she hinted at her pockets, ending up as she pulled out a silver streak that widened her rims.

What is this wavy line? How did it get in here?

Before she could conclude she could hear the shaky breaths of the woman.

"You! That thunder? Shadie. Oh my-"

"What's wrong?"

Her pods leaned in to hold her rims pulling her closer.

"Please forgive me, child. Compared to your worries, this is nothing. I'm in every free will to protect you till I can."

Her sudden change of morality troubled her but she pushed her thoughts for some time away. She immediately turned to wave at the hungry eyes.

"Grab the red liquid packets."

"Oh great we steal blood?"

She poked her nose with her words.

"Just take it. We must leave before we are caught."

As her weak arms grabbed the two parcels, she held them to steer her to the other side of the crowd. She tossed her back to not only to see the table creak its pride to their fellow mates.

Terms:

Shareer: A Sanskrit word for body.

Elemental:

Ms Tablia: The shadow of the table.

With riddles,
🧩..Yaris..🧩