Saving Soul

Anja's eyes widened. "What's happening to him?"

"I have no idea," grumbled Voltaire from the ground. "This hasn't happened before."

The flares split into fiery threads, which weaved and unweaved. Suddenly the threads tightly bound together and became glossy golden wings.

"...Yeah, this is definitely new," Voltaire added, staring at the wings.

"Well what good are you then?" Anja snapped.

"I wasn't expecting him to grow freaking wings," Voltaire growled back.

"Fiery, how did you grow wings?" asked Ava.

Adair continued to sleep and sing, the wings flapping a couple times before folding around him and Anja protectively.

Anja blushed again, unsure of what to make of the gesture, or if it really ment what she was thinking. She shifted uncomfortably.

The wings remained in place for a few more minutes, before suddenly dissolving into flames. Adair's song ended, reverting to the usual snoring.

"At least he didn't try to fly off," commented Voltaire, who had climbed back aboard. "Probably would have flown into something, trying to fly asleep."

"probably." Anja mumbled in agreement. She gently shook him.

"Hunh?" Adair mumbled, coming to. "Anja, is there something - ow, my back."

"We've landed." Anja murmured "and you were singing in your sleep. You summoned wings of fire or something..."

Adair stared at her for a moment. "...What?"

"It's true. I saw it," added Voltaire. "You started spouting fire from your back, and then that fire turned into golden wings."

"...But how?"

"How am I supposed to know if you don't?"

"So no one knows how it happened??" Anja asked in frustration

Adair grimaced. "I don't remember any of it."

"Probably because you were asleep," Voltaire guessed. "Dammit, why can't we remember doing weird stuff in our sleep?"

"Because you're asleep?" Ava ventured to guess.

"Thank you for your infalable logic Ava." Anja sighed

"You're welcome," Ava chirped back.

"Don't bother with sarcasm. She doesn't get it," Adair replied, sliding off of Ava's back. "Let's just go in the cave before I end up flying off somewhere or something."

"Sounds like a plan to me," answered Voltaire, following.

Anja looked down. "Um... How do I...?"

"Oh, you just slide off," said Adair. "It's not as hard as climbing up."

Ava crouched herself down some to make it easier.

Anja slid off, slipped when she hit the ground, and fell on her ass.

"You okay?" Adair called.

Voltaire just snickered.

Anja threw a rock that smacked Voltaire up side the head. "Am now."

Voltaire grumbled and rubbed the side of head. Now it was Adair's turn to snicker. Voltaire glared at him.

Anja climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. "I"m okay."

"That's good," said Ava, as she and the others went into the cave. The phoenix barely fit. "I need to stop getting bigger."

"Why did you get bigger?" Anja asked

"Because I evolved," Ava replied. "When I get new hearts, I evolve some."

"She used to be this big," added Adair, separating his hands about a foot apart.

"Interesting." Anja replied. "So what happens if she looses a heart?"