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User:Jetfire/A Fire in the Sky Book3

2025-12-31T19:22:49Z

Jetfire:

{{universe|Paradigm Shift}}
{{my stories
|name=Jetfire
|category=Jetfire
}}

{{title
|name= A Fire in the Sky: Book 3
|author=Jetfire
|user=Jetfire}}
{{XXX}}

'''Author's note'''
This story contains scenes with adult encounters and descriptions.

This is the second story following the griffon named Skyfire

==A Fire In the Sky: Book 3 (Formerly Big Sky Country)==

===Sunday, December 31===

Normally I consider myself to be an introvert; despite helping the local flock and other groups, I generally preferred my alone time. And after a week with the family, I felt I was ready for a long hermit period to recharge. But by New Years Eve, I found myself feeling antsy, yearning for a bit of company.

My initial plans for the new year had been an evening home alone, maybe with some chinese food and whatever movies caught my fancy. But as the sun set, I found myself too restless to stay home; I was surprised at how much I wanted company, ''feathered company''.

Finally, I gave in and geared up. Flying across the city on New Year's Eve after sunset was risky with a high chance of fireworks, but I had to get to the only place I knew there'd be more griffons. I tried to follow the highways and avenues for the most part, the skies pitch black around me. Shortly after 8, I dropped down to ''Griffith's Roadhouse''.

The place was already busy, its parking lot half full. I began to have doubts of my impromptu plans, since I certainly hadn't purchased a ticket, but before those doubts could crystalize, I made my way to the entrance.

"Sky! Welcome! Welcome! Happy New Year!" Gary, the owner of the place, greeted me at the entrance as I walked in. He was at the hostess stand talking to a human hostess. A quick glance around showed the restaurant and bar areas were packed, mostly with griffons and a number of human friends.

"Happy New Year. Thanks for hosting the party," I replied, shaking his offered hand. "Sorry, I know this is very impolite. I hadn't planned on coming out in the first place, and I'm afraid I didn't reserve a ticket. I can leave if you're full...."

"We are sold out, but for you, we can probably squeeze you in. Are you alone?" Gary smiled and glanced out the door behind me for confirmation.

I laughed and nodded, pulling out my debit card. "Yeah, it's just me. No Titans this time and my family's flown back east. Thank you. I really appreciate it. I was going to spend the evening home, but just felt the urge to be among feathered friends."

Gary started to refuse my offered card but I forced it on him. "That's fine, and perfectly understandable...." We were interrupted as the crowd started counting down. On the screens around the restaurant and the bar, fireworks were going off over a coastal city. 2024 had reached St John's and would soon be spreading across North America. Glasses clinked and some couples shared kisses, while most people resumed their activities.

"Enjoy your evening, and happy new year!" Gary said, handing back my card and receipt.

I skipped the restaurant and made my way to the bar and dance floor, chatting with familiar people along the way. I snagged a beer and stood near a table, listening to a live local band cover some 90's rock songs. The band was human and didn't seem to have any problems with a mostly griffon audience. They weren't as good as Alan, but they were better than any griffon I knew.

An hour later, I'd snagged a pool table and was practicing my shots and just enjoying the ambiance when I heard a familiar voice.

"Well, you're a beak I wasn't expecting to see," Cardi greeted me, tapping my tailed rump with a pool stick and making my shot go wide. "What are you doing here?"

I straightened up and stomped down the brief moment of frustration over the interruption. "Hi there. Yeah I hadn't planned on coming out, but decided to at the last minute. Thankfully Gary let me in." I left the cue on the table and gave her a hug, rubbing her beak with my own. "Sorry we didn't chat much; it's been a busy season. Thanks again for letting me use your nest."

"Any time at all. I take it the fam's gone now?" the cardinal griffon asked. She studied the pool table and started racking the balls back up.

"They left on Thursday, yeah. Been recharging home alone for the past few days, but decided I needed some proper feather time. Never realized how much I yearned for our weekend gatherings I guess." I moved to the head of the table and placed the cue ball, lining up my shot. I broke the balls, but none went into the pockets.

"Well you look good. Sounds like it was a good visit," she said, lining up her own shot and sinking the five.

"It was. Good to see them again, and without all the insanity and pressure I was under over Thanksgiving. Almost made me feel normal again." She missed her next shot, giving me a chance to go at the stripes. I went silent for a moment, knocking down two stripes before missing my third.

"How about you? How have you been?" I asked.

"Been well. Been busy. This is the end of the busy time of year for us, and Boxing Day is always insane. But things will start calming down now as we enter the dead season."

I nodded a moment, letting her take her shots. "Yeah, Bev says the same thing, though her store isn't as crazy as yours. She's at one in a small town in Ontario."

"Lucky her. Hope she does well through the lean months. We're still bouncing back from all the Covid madness and supply chain snarls. Not to mention the Changes."

"Yeah, she should be fine. Her store's really turned around this year from what I've heard." I took my shots but missed the last stripe. "She's getting ready to flip it to a new manager and is thinking of heading further east, to a town in New Brunswick of all places."

"Really? I hear it's beautiful out there, but way too small for me." Cardi went back to the table and started working through the last few solids, but whiffed on the eight ball.

"I don't mean to pry, but I noticed you didn't decorate for Christmas," I commented as I lined up my next shot.

"Yeah, I'm not really a holiday bird, at least not the Christmas season. I enjoy the lights and don't mind the decorations; but for my own roost, I'm fine leaving it as is." She laughed and continued. "I get enough decorations at work for a lot longer than most people endure."

I chuckled and nodded in agreement, "That's fair. Eight ball, side pocket," I said, indicating the easy shot. The ball clunked into the pocket and I glanced at the time. "We should have time for another round. I'll get the drinks if you rack them up?"

"Sure, rum and coke please."

We had time for two more rounds before the midnight hour. A few minutes before, we retreated to the dance floor and joined the crowd. We were packed tight in there, wing to wing. I instinctively kept my tail feathers tight together and did my best not to step on anyone else's tails. Screens around the room showed a clock ticking down while waiters and waitresses passed around flutes of champagne.

In the last few seconds, we joined the crowd in the countdown. At zero, "Happy New Year!" echoed across the building, followed by the clinking of glasses.

I downed my drink and looked hesitantly at the cardinal griffon next to me. She lowered her own glass and met my gaze.

"Well? What are you waiting for? An invitation?" she asked, setting her glass onto a table and pulling me in for a tight hug. We rubbed beaks as a kiss and turned the hug into a hesitant dance to ''Auld Lang Syne''. I could feel the tenseness in her body, even as I enjoyed her closeness. In the back of my mind, I mentally ran the dates based on what I knew of her, and almost stepped away.

"Today was your rut wasn't it? Are you okay?" I asked, stumbling a bit from the realization.

She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder, letting me take the lead. "I'm fine. It broke hours ago."

Now that I was aware of it, I could sense it in her body language, the worn out tenseness I knew well. "I'm surprised you came out. You saw me when mine broke; I wouldn't be in any shape to come to a party after that."

"Yeah, I was tempted to skip it, but I'm not letting these cycles rule my life. Plus, it doesn't seem to hit me as hard as it hits you. Your cycles seem stronger than others."

"Lucky me," I mumbled. I realized my own heat was only a few days away. I also realized that between the alcohol and being so close to a male-mode griffon, I was feeling very Titan-like thoughts. Thankfully the song ended and I could break away from her, looking around to calm my hormones and resettle my thoughts.

"Hey! You can see the fireworks outside!" someone shouted from the front, triggering a small stampede.

We gathered in the parking lot with the crowd. The humans tended to shiver, having left their jackets in the coat check, while the griffons shook their wings out and relished the cold air and wing room compared to the hot box inside. A few kilometers away, the sky lit up with colourful explosions as fireworks went off over some park, followed soon after by the explosive booms. It wasn't the WestEd display nor the city's downtown display, but it was a nice show. I figured it was probably on the other side of the Henday highway; the ring road that went around Edmonton. It was somewhere over Saint Albert, the community just north of the city.

The fireworks colours seemed a bit different from what I remembered, until I realized the UV vision let me see a bit more than I was used to, probably unintentionally.

"Glad I'm not flying in that mess," I said. I hesitated a moment, then stretched my wing behind Cardi and hugged her.

"Yeah. Should be settled down by the time we leave," she said. She glanced at me, then slipped her own arm under my wing to return the hug. "They look a bit different from what I remember."

"The UV range we see. Fireworks are tuned to the human visual range, but we see more, so they have some more colours we aren't used to seeing," I explained, going through the reasoning I had just made.

A few minutes later the show ended and people started drifting back into the building. Some took off right away, or gathered coats to leave. Most got a new round of drinks and continued dancing.

We ordered fresh drinks (non alcoholic this time) and found a few friends to chat with. An hour or so later, we decided it was time to head out.

"Well, that's it. Good riddance to '23. Hopefully '24 won't be as crazy," Cardi said as we caught our breath outside. We shook out our wings and got ready to take off.

"I hope so, but we haven't been lucky yet. The 20's are certainly one for the history books. At least if any more craziness happens, it hopefully won't be on us."

"Good point. I think I've had more than enough as is."

We took off and climbed into the dark sky. It was late enough that there were no more fireworks going off, but the city still glowed with its normal lighting. We flew side by side in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

Without warning, I breathed in and started coughing, a bad taste filling my beak. I dropped a few metres and heard Cardi start coughing as well. The bad air cleared up as fast as we ran into it, but the bad taste remained, one of the strongest tastes I'd had since changing.

"Ugh, what the hell was that?" I asked as we recovered. We looked around but it was too dark to see anything in the sky. The river valley was a ribbon of darkness below us. Spitting with a beak was hard, but I was doing my best to clear the strange awful taste.

" It smells familiar. I think it was firework smoke and we were smelling the sulfur," Cardi said. She coughed a bit and spat. "Figures, we can barely taste chocolate any more, but sulfur is as bad as ever."

"Lucky us. Remind me not to go flying after Canada Day."

She chuckled and we continued heading south. Soon enough, her apartment tower was below us.

"You're welcome to come in if you want. Wash out the ash taste," she offered, though her tone was mixed.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. I'm almost home anyways," I politely declined. We were both tired and despite not drinking much since midnight, we were both still a bit tipsy. Part of me yearned to join her, but the saner part of my mind figured it was best to just get home.

"Sure. Happy New Year. I'll see you later."

"Happy New Year, Cardi." I gave her a wave as she dived down to her balcony, and continued my own way home.

===Tuesday, Jan 2===

On New Year's Day, I slept in late and woke with the remnants of a hangover. I hadn't gotten drunk, but I'd had enough to give me a buzz. I stumbled downstairs to get a drink and an aspirin, and spent most of the day just recovering.

Tuesday was the first day back in the office. Even though we were technically closed for the holidays, a surprising amount of emails and other tasks had built up. Combined with the usual time spent chatting with coworkers to find how their holidays were, it made for a busy day. The fact that I was mentally preparing myself for the next day added to the workload, but I was happy to get back into my normal routine.

On the way home, I dropped down at ''Intimate Pleasures'', and was glad to see Amy working. I walked in with no hesitation nor hint of embarrassment.

"Happy New Years, Skyfire. How are you doing?" she greeted me. She was busy stocking some shelves.

"Same to you Amy. I'm doing fine, but I need to get some supplies for tomorrow. How have you been?"

"I've been good. Thanks for asking." As we chatted, I browsed the selection, grabbing a new vibrator to replace the one I'd broken last time, as well as a few tubes of lube. We were alone in the store."You left quite the impression on my sister and her wife over the holidays," I added.

"They are a beautiful couple. And I could tell the family resemblance. They were excellent listeners too, and very curious."

"Oh? Well I guess I did drop them into the deep end of griffon life. Bev helped me get through my rut among other things."

Amy nodded and eyed my selections briefly, wordlessly offering another tube of gel. I added it to my basket without questioning; I trusted her suggestions. "She mentioned that. I helped them out as best I could."

"You were probably better than I was at explaining all this. Thank you."

She leaned against the counter and looked me over. "So the fourth heat. How are you feeling?"

"Therapy time? But my session isn't until Thursday," I laughed, avoiding the question for a moment. "I'm anxious. The rut was rough, but I'm getting back into my routine which will help."

"Good good. From what I've been reading, you guys do seem to be getting a grip on your cycles. But you've always been one of the more extremes. Younger griffons seem to have less extremes than you've been experiencing."

"Yeah, I know. Lucky me." I set the basket on the counter and sighed. "It is good that others are getting the hang of it. Gives me a bit of hope."

"Hope is important. I do wonder if you have considered other options though."

I tilted my head curiously. "Other options?"

She hesitated, clearly not sure about what she was about to suggest. I tried to keep my expression neutral, curious. "Just say it, the worst I can say is no."

"Right, there is that. I'm just not sure if it is really my place to suggest it is all."

I reached over and took her hand. "Please. I know it's only been a few months, but you're one of the few people I'd trust on these matters. You may not be a doctor or a scientist, but you know as much as anyone down in Fort Parker, and you have enough distance to get some good perspective that I may not have. So whatever you want to suggest, I'll seriously consider it."

She seemed stunned for a moment at my admission. "Wow... uhm thanks, Sky. I'm honored. I didn't really think of it that way. I just want to help you guys... you gals... you."

"And help you have. From that first day before my first heat, you helped me in ways that I never thought I needed. There's a reason I've sent Cardi and others your way. So thank you. And please, spit it out."

She laughed a little, obviously stalling a little. "Well, this is a bit unconventional, but I want you to consider this option. I know you see yourself as an Ace, and you aren't that interested in sex with someone else, griffon or otherwise. But at the same time, I've seen some stories from other griffons that say their peaks have been more tolerable after they became sexually active."

I opened my beak to reply, then snapped it shut, thinking about what she was suggesting. "I... I hadn't really thought of that. I mean, the risks..." My hand drifted down to my belly with the thoughts. "I really don't want to become pregnant... or to get someone else pregnant. And no offense, but humans aren't doing anything for me any more."

She nodded and took my hand, lifting it away from my belly. "I know, and those risks are real. It's something women have lived with for generations, and something you're coming to terms with now. But unlike me, you have some advantages. Like you know for certain when you are absolutely safe. That period between your egg and the rut, they're almost positive you can't get pregnant. And despite appearances, condoms and other physical birth control methods do work for you guys as long as you are careful. Not all of you guys have been as celebate as you have been, and most of you are still not pregnant, so they do still work."

I squeezed her hand and nodded. "True, there is all that. Still, I'm not sure I want to take those risks."

"You have time. Your egg won't be until next week, so your safe week is coming. Think it over, talk it over with your friends, especially if there's someone who might be willing."

My mind jumped from my icy goddess to Michelle but I chased her away. Our friendship was too important for our small community for me to risk adding sex to the mix. Unbidden, Cardi came to mind and I had a harder time pushing her out.

"I'll think about it. It's a big step," I said. "And it may not even work."

"But it could work. You've shared your story with me, and one thing I noticed was how restrained you were through it all. I'm grasping at straws, but I do wonder if holding back so much is part of the reason why your cycle started so late, and why it swings to such extremes."

"And you think a good fuck will help balance me?" I asked.

She grinned, "It wouldn't hurt... Well, what you're packing down there looks like it should hurt, but the stories other griffons have said say it certainly doesn't. I look forward to hearing about it second hand when you're ready."

I nodded and started unloading my basket. "Sure, I'll think it over. Thanks.... Oh! On a somewhat related note, do you have any suggestions for breast pumps?"

"I wondered when you'd get around to that, given your issues." She started ringing up my purchases as she talked. "While we have some here in stock, you're probably better off going to a drug store and getting a more normal one. The stories I've heard seem to say most prefer a manual one. I'll get you a list once we're done."

I relaxed a bit and nodded, "Thanks. It's still a bit embarrassing to think of, but if it cuts down on the mess, I'll go for it."

She passed over the debit machine, while switching windows on the computer to do a search. "Yeah, your biology is curious. I'm eager to see what your kids are like. Seems like you guys can start lactating with very little stimulation, but you usually don't make as much as women do. For the lucky ones like you, the hormone swings at turnaround seem to put you into overdrive."

"Yeah, more than I really wanted to know. But thanks for the advice." I looked at the list she printed out and nodded to her. "Thanks for reals. I don't know where I'd be without your help."

"No problem. Try to have some fun, and I'll see you next time," she said cheerfully.

===Wednesday, Jan 3===

Wednesday, I woke up early, dreading the day. My fourth heat was due and I didn't want to handle it. I could feel a bit of the buzz building but something seemed different.

I made my breakfast and returned to bed, eyeing my aids, feeling a bit of an urge but not feeling the need like the heat usually brought on. By midmorning, I shifted to my home office and started working, mainly as a way to distract my mind from the worries and confusion I was feeling. Missing my heat was scarier than having it, since it implied the grenade pin had been pulled. Considering I'd never been with another griffon, I couldn't figure out how that could happen, and the worry that another aspect of our biology was showing itself distracted me through most of the day.

By the evening, I knew I had to get out and do something to better distract myself. I could feel some aspects of the heat building up in me, but I wasn't sure if it was real or wishful thinking. So just before six, I grabbed my gear and took off for the PoGo raid hour.

It was a windy, chilly day, with the sun just starting to set. Everyone outside was bundled up except me; my natural plumage had no problem with the wind, though I could feel the chill in my talons. My phone similarly wasn't really happy with the coldness; I could almost see the power indicator dropping, even with a heated case I'd picked up over Christmas and a link to my battery pack in my pocket.

I landed at the Pinecones statue, raising a flurry of fluffy snow. The rest of the raid crew waved to me, used to my appearance now, but surprised to see me.

"Hey Sky. Good to see you. We weren't expecting you this week," Ryan greeted me.

"I wasn't expecting to be here either, but I just had to get out of the house," I said.

He nodded and leaned in closer after a quick glance around. The kids were busy a short distance away, no longer as fascinated by the griffon in their midst. "Everything okay?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm late," I replied quietly. His eyes widened in surprise; we'd been hanging out enough that he had a decent idea of what I meant. I continued quickly. "I don't know how or why. It should be impossible."

Ryan nodded again, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I just need a distraction. I think... I'm hoping... it just slipped. It feels like maybe tomorrow might be when it happens. But I won't know until then, and until then, I need something to take my mind off of things."

"Good idea. Good to see you in any case, and I hope it works out." He gave me a quick hug and stepped away, glancing at his phone.

"All right everyone, we have a decent spawn this week, but it is chilly, so let's get going while the phones hold out," he announced to the group at large, getting us going as the event kicked off.

===Thursday, Jan 4===

The Icey God returned to bring back my heat, but he seemed less than pleased with how I had treated him a few weeks back. He stood back from me, arms crossed but with an obvious erection. I glared back at him, arms crossed as well, wings slightly spread. My own loins were moist and eager, but I wasn't going to yield to him.

"Well? You're already late. What the fuck are you waiting for?" I growled at him, matching his glare.

He didn't reply.

"Get over it. You're just a figment of my overactive libido. So let's get this started." I stepped towards him and he began to relax. He uncrossed his arms and opened them up to hug me. I pulled him in tight, feeling his shaft rub along my own. After a few moments of maneuvering, I felt him slide into me and I jolted awake, already feeling the heat gripping me hard.

As I recovered from my morning climax, I did a bit of a mental assessment. For a change, I was thankful to feel the heat grip me, mainly because it meant something else wasn't brewing somehow. I was a little concerned at the path my fantasy had taken, but pushed it to the side. Feeling satisfied for the moment, I slid out of bed and went down to get breakfast while my mind was somewhat clear. I loaded up with various supplies and retreated to my bedroom, already feeling the urges building again.

I didn't fight this round. Instead I knelt on my bed with a vibrator and started playing, doing a bit of teasing even as the yearning built up. When I couldn't resist much more, I pushed the toy in and clenched down on it, rocking as its vibrations shook my sensitive flesh. I fell forward onto my pillows, tender nipples rubbing the sheets and rode out the wave of pleasure.

I sighed softly and perched on the edge of my bed, wings slightly spread. I looked at myself in the mirror I'd gotten from Christmas, legs slightly spread in a view I was more used to. I pulled my eyes upward and noted my furry breasts were already bigger and felt heavier. Reluctantly I grabbed the box with my other recent purchase, the breast pump.

I had taken it out once and cleaned it thoroughly, but I hadn't tried it. I assembled it and hesitated, hating the idea but already feeling the need. I set it on the bed next to me and closed my eyes, beginning to rub my breasts, pinching my nipples and tugging them a bit between my fingers. I felt them harden quickly and felt a bit of wetness in my hands but a fresh need interrupted my plans. I shifted my focus to between my legs and started rubbing and pushing the vibrator in again.

"Fuuuuuckkk..." I groaned, falling onto my side on the bed as my shuddered, wings twitching weakly. I panted and rested, trying to recover. After the stress from the lack of heat yesterday, I didn't have much heart to fight it today.

When I recovered, I sat up and got ready to address my breasts again. I gave them another bit of a massage, then picked up the breast pump. I held it to my right breast and started pumping the lever. I felt the tugging on my nipple and winced a moment, but soon enough I felt a bit of relief, and heard liquid squirting through the tubes with the pumping. At first I was embarrassed by it, but after a bit, I found it relaxing. With the heat, I was still aroused, but focusing on it seemed to delay the urges. I had no real feel for how long to pump, but eventually the fluid seemed to slow down and it began to hurt, so I shifted to the other breast, and started on it.

By the time I finished, my chest felt significantly lighter, and my loins were tired of being ignored. I pulled the pump off and left it at the foot of my bed and started masturbating again, one hand squeezing my breast while the other rubbed between my legs. This time I didn't even need the dildo as a wave of pleasure shook my body, less intense then the other ones, but more thorough somehow. I moaned in pleasure and slumped down on the bed, dozing off without realizing it.

I woke up a few hours later, my stomach growling. I pushed myself out and did a bit of self assessment. I was still aroused with the heat, but the urge wasn't demanding attention. I squeezed my breasts and felt they were getting a bit bigger, but didn't need any more milking. So I decided the libido could wait but the stomach couldn't. I went downstairs and made a late lunch, making sure to drink a lot of fluids.

With a full stomach, I was surprised at how I felt. The yearning was still there; I was still deep in the heat, but I felt more in control. It would get me again, but I could choose when it fired. I decided I would hold off longer as I went back upstairs.

I picked up the milk container and tilted it, looking at the thick cream in it. I had no idea what was normal, but it felt like a lot even if it was only about a third full. I put it back on the bed, and turned on my phone, doing a bit of browsing while I felt in control.

I felt like I was getting near my limit, when a reminder popped up. I cursed and stared at my phone, remembering my appointment with Adam was that afternoon. There was no way I was going to be able to make it.

It shattered my focus and my libido broke through. I grabbed the vibrator and started using it again while trying not to think of the appointment I would be missing. I slumped back as I finished and fought to recompose myself; it was almost my appointment time and I knew I had to call Adam.

When I felt a little normal again, I placed the call. It was near my normal appointment time, so I figured he would be watching the phone and not with a client.

"Doctor Fullerton's office, Adam speaking," he answered.

"Hi Doc, it's Skyfire," I greeted him, using my new name.

"Hello Sky, how are you doing? Are you running late?" he asked. I could imagine him looking at the clock.

"You could say that. I'm sorry for the lack of notice, but I won't be able to make it today."

I could tell he could hear something in my voice. "I'm sorry for that. Is something wrong?"

"Something has changed. We... we're probably going to have to change my normal appointments.... You see, my cycle slipped."

He stayed silent for a moment, letting me explain. I could imagine his reaction easily. "So yeah, I've been fighting the heat all day, and it hasn't broken yet. Thursdays probably aren't going to work any more."

"Wow... I'm sorry," he said. "I must say, you sound good for someone dealing with that. From how you described your peaks, I expected you to be a lot more frazzled."

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, including my swollen nipples on my wet fur. "It's rough. Still rough. But I've tried a few new things this time and it seems to help. Not enough to go out in public, but enough to function a bit."

"Good, good. How about we talk about it next week? You won't be on a peak so we can keep your normal appointment for now."

I nodded and took a deep breath. I could feel the heat surging again, but I fought to keep it controlled. It felt like it would be the last surge this round. "That... That should be good."

"Good, I'll see you then.... " he paused and I could tell he was debating saying something else. "There is one thing. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to bring it up now, but I'd like to plant- err wrong terminology. I'd like you to try to give it some thought."

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"It's something I was looking into before the break, something to try and help your peaks maybe. And this slip actually may be a good thing.

I could almost hear the creak of his chair as he adjusted his position. "Well, one thing I've noticed about your peaks is that you always ride them out alone. And you don't seem to do anything but focus on the peak, whether it is the heat or the rut."

"I know. But it's hard not to focus on them. You don't know what it's like, how hard it hits your body and dictates what you need to do," I countered, getting defensive.

"I know, I know. But it's been seven times now, and your peaks are still crippling you. It's time to try some other things."

"Like what?" I asked.

"I really wish you were here..." he sighed, then continued. "I'd like you to try to plan to do something, something not focused on your heat or rut next time. Do a puzzle, play a game, do some baking, just do ''something ''other than focusing on your body and your libido."

I considered protesting, then reminded myself he was just trying to help. Listening to his suggestions and not dismissing them automatically was a tough lesson I'd learned in our earlier sessions.

"I could try that, but it's rough, and I'm not sure there's anything I could do to distract me enough. You have no idea how hard these make it to focus."

"I know, I know... " he paused again as he seemed to make a decision. "How about I help? This isn't something I would normally do, but in two weeks, when you're on the rut, why don't I do a house call for our appointment?"

I let out a sharp laugh, not quite believing what I heard. "That's probably not a good idea."

"We can talk about it next week, but I think it would be a good experiment."

"I'm not sure. It probably isn't a good idea. I tried something like that a couple of weeks ago. My family was here when the rut hit. I didn't even last the morning before I ran to Cardi's place."

"I see... That's fair. But it's not really the same situation. Going through that with a human family has extra stresses that make the experiment less valid. Especially since they aren't local, so they don't know what you've been going through."

I could feel the urges building again, and I started to rush to wrap up the call. "Sure, we can talk about it next week. It doesn't seem to be a good idea, but I'll think it over."

"Good, good. I must say, you do sound better than I expected you to."

"Thanks, but it's rough. I called right after I... I took care of things, so I had a bit of a respite. But it's nearly over, I can feel it building again. I don't know how much longer I can hold off to be honest."

"Well, I won't keep you any longer then. Take care of yourself, get some rest and make sure you eat and drink. See you next week."

"Thanks Adam. Sorry for not warning you earlier."

"I understand, don't worry about it. Bye Skyfire."

I hung up the phone and closed my eyes. My mind was spinning, both from his suggestion and from the rush of hormones I was fighting. One hand drifted down and started rubbing between my legs and soon enough I abandoned rational thought and was squeezing down on the dildo, seeking another release from the heat that gripped me.

===Saturday, Jan 6===

Our first official gathering of the year was held in a community centre on the east side of the city. I was running a bit late that day, so there were a number of people there when I arrived. I walked through the doors and paused, looking around at the familiar plumage and faces. A few turned and waved my way. All in all, we looked surprisingly good for a small group.

I spotted a familiar blue feathered griff and made my way towards her. Michelle was chatting with another couple, but her eyes lit up when she spotted me. The couple stepped away, letting her pull me into a hug.

"Happy New Year, Sky!" She greeted me.

"You too," I said, nuzzling her beak a moment before letting go. I unzipped my chest bag and pulled out a small gift. "And Merry Christmas as well. How was Elkwater?"

"You didn't have to get me.... Thank you Sky. Elkwater was... strange." She studied the small box for a moment before carefully slicing the paper with the tip of a talon. Inside the small box was an Amazon gift card. With how much we were ordering online, it was one of the safest gifts a griffon could get.

"The town's really changing, a lot less road traffic, but a lot more air traffic as you can guess. People aren't bothering to shovel their driveways much, and there's a lot more attention to the view above. It feels comfortable but strange if you get what I mean."

"I sort've do, I think, but I can only imagine it. My friends down in Parker have said similar things; that it's very much griffon focused now, which makes sense. How'd Brian handle it? Is he around?"

"He handled it like a champ, but it wasn't easy. He said it was really eye opening and he hopes to head back down to do some stories of a human in a griffon city sort of thing. He's around somewhere. I made him leave the camera at home today."

I chuckled and nodded, glancing around and spotting the reporter at the other end of the room. "Ah right, there he is. I'll catch him later."

"How about you? How were your holidays?" she asked, leading me towards the drink table. "I heard you caused a bit of a stir at Griffiths."

I chuckled and shook my head. "No, I only pointed them there, they came up on their own. But the holidays were good. Restful and stressful, but in a good way. Made me almost feel normal."

"That's good. Glad it went well for you." She paused and sighed. "My holidays were strange. It felt familiar but different. Maybe because I'm not surrounded by other griffs all the time gives me a different perspective, but the family back home felt different."

"Well, around here we're basically guests in human society, so we have to keep doing a lot of things we used to do. Down there, they're forging a new society with new norms. It puts us in an awkward place, but we'll work it out eventually I'm sure."

"Eventually yeah. It would be nice to find a spot to belong." She looked away then shook her head. "I hear you'll be leaving early today?"

"Yeah, my work's Old Christmas Party is tonight. Just a dinner at the Hilton downtown. I invited Cardi as my plus one, and she accepted. You would have been my second choice, but I figure she knows more of my coworkers and would be a bit more comfortable. And I wanted a second griffon around to spread the attention." My words started tumbling out faster than I could think as I tried to justify my choice. I hadn't realized how worried I had been about letting her know of my party choice.

She laughed and gave me a quick wing thump. "Relax. It's a perfectly good choice, and for good reasons. Goodness knows, I've been to enough staff parties that I don't mind missing one for a company I'm not involved with. Have a good time."

I relaxed and smiled back at her. "I'll try. Thanks. I should go find Brian and give him his gift. Talk to you later?"

"Of course. We've gotta plan the next few weeks after all. But that's for later. Enjoy your party."

After greeting Brian and a few other friends, I left the gathering and flew home. The staff party wasn't exactly a black tie affair, but I wanted to look a little better than I usually did for it.

I took a long shower and started preening, using towels and a low temperature hair dryer to dry off before brushing. The sun was setting when I felt my feathers and fur were presentable and I could get dressed.

My wardrobe was expanding, making my decision on what to wear a bit more challenging. I settled on a pair of black shorts, and a silky red blouse that seemed to work with my colouration. Jacques had sent the outfit to me as a Christmas present. While we didn't chat often, we did stay in touch and he said I was still a major inspiration for his designs. I dressed and started posing in the mirror. I had to admit I looked really nice, even if the blouse accentuated my breasts more than I was used to.

I strapped on my flight gear and tucked my ID card and a debit card in the holder. I didn't intend to bring a bag tonight as I intended to travel light. I adjusted the blouse, making sure my wings wouldn't bunch it up, and did a final bit of preening before heading out.

Cardi was working today, so we had arranged to meet at a park near the hotel where the party was going to be. I arrived a bit early and tried to relax, but found myself pacing in front of a bench.It was just a simple office party, a chance to have some fun with friends and coworkers and a bit of team building. But it was also my first real date in a long time, since before September. I was extra nervous considering what I was going to ask Cardi to do later on.

Both Amy and Adam's suggestions had been gnawing in the back of my mind. I would need to act on Amy's suggestion first, if I was to do it. Of the griffons I knew, Cardi was the only one I felt comfortable asking. So if tonight went well, I would be asking her for a second date that would go around the bases, and it made me extra nervous.

A rustle of feathers brought me back to the present, and I saw the familiar cardinal griffon land ahead of me. She had picked clothes that contrasted with her reds and orange colours; wearing a pair of navy shorts and a light purple blouse. In my eyes it made her quite handsome.

"You look great," she said, walking over to me. We hugged briefly, then separated. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not long at all," I said. "How was work?" I asked, shifting to a neutral topic.

"The usual. It's getting into the dead time of year, but the weather's good for the winter sports at least. It's giving me a chance to do a thorough cleaning before inventory at least."

"That's good. Bev's always loved and hated the winter months for just those reasons," I said. I held out my arm to her. "Shall we walk?"

She took it and we started walking towards the hotel a few blocks away. I nearly jumped out of my feathers when I felt her wing rub my own. I was still somewhat buzzing from the heat, and I knew her own heat would be coming soon. I stamped down the thoughts and sought safer topics.

"Thank you for coming with me," I said. "I normally just go alone, but I figured a second griffon would be useful to spread the attention."

"No problem. I've never been to an actual Office Christmas party. I hope it's as fun as the stories go."

I laughed and shook my head, "Nah, it's probably going to be a lot tamer than the movies and TV shows. It won't be much different from the griffon one we had before Christmas. Just more speeches about things that make no sense to you, and probably a higher price point for the gifts. And no trivia this time. I think it's just a dance planned."

She nodded and leaned against me. "Sounds like fun. And the meal of course. I'm starved."

My company had booked the Conrad room at the downtown hotel. It was a conference room located above the hotel's standard rooms, but below the guest suites. It gave a great view of the river and the downtown skyline from twenty stories up. We walked through the sliding doors and ignored the eyes that turned to us. I guided us to the elevators and waited for a group of guests to load up their luggage and leave before pressing the call button. It quickly became obvious that people were keeping their distance.

"Do you ever get used to it?" I asked quietly while we waited. "The staring and stuff?"

"Sometimes I do. Other times it bugs me. In the store, people are mostly used to me now so it doesn't happen as much unless someone new comes in. But here..."

"Yeah, I'm feeling it too."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened revealing a surprised man. He stared at us in shock as we separated to give him room to exit between us. It was clear he didn't want to at first. Before it got too uncomfortable, he stepped out and almost sprinted between us. We stepped into the empty car and I pushed the button for the conference room level.

"I wonder if they have roof access we could use to leave from?" Cardi asked as we waited for the doors to close. I shrugged my wings.

"Hold the doors!" a familiar voice shouted. Out of reflex I stabbed the Door Open button, hearing two people running across the lobby.

"Thanks Simon," Juanitta said as she and her husband slipped into the elevator. The four of us were filling the car without overfilling it.

"No problem," I said, happy to see some familiar faces. I pressed the door close button and it started going up.

"This is Cardi. She's been helping the GriffTech team with the GSL app, and other things. Cardi, this is Neets and Rob, two good friends of mine. They're the ones who hauled my tail back from Fort Parker."

"Good to meet you," Rob said, shaking her hand. "So you're the other griffon I've been seeing around the office."

"Yeah, I'm the one. But I haven't met many but the Griff team," Cardi said, giving me a side look.

I raised my hands. "Sorry, I never really thought to give you a tour."

She nudged me with a wing while shaking Juanita's hand. "It's okay."

I was saved by the ding as the doors opened. We stepped out into a small atrium with a coat check station and an entrance to the ballroom. I recognized a number of coworkers and their spouses already inside, mingling in the open area. My friends went to shed their coats, while Cardi and I went in.

I could feel eyes turn towards us and the room fell silent for a minute, but unlike most times I experienced this, the gazes were friendlier. I flicked my ears, hearing a lot of whispered conversations to spouses and other plus ones, explaining who I was.

Greg came over, grinning widely. I gripped his hand and gave him a back thump. "Hey Greg."

"Simon! Glad you made it. And you must be Cardi. I've heard great things about you. Welcome to our little shindig."

"Good to meet you. Sky's said a lot about you," she said. "Not all good, but always fun," she added with a wink.

Greg laughed and nodded, "Yeah, we've got a lot of stories. I'm sure by the end of the night I'll return the favour with some of Simon's stories."

"I look forward to it."

Greg excused himself for a moment and snagged a couple of treat bags from a table. "We'll talk later. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves. Here are some treats, and your drink tickets for the night. Have fun!"

"Thanks Greg," I said as my boss and friend was already wandering around to mingle more.

"Well, I'm going to go turn in one of these tickets. You want me to get you anything?" Cardi asked.

"I'm good. I'll get something later," I said. I watched her join the line at the bar, chatting with random people, and wandered over to the windows to look out. The view was gorgeous, showing the snowy city lighting up as the sun set.

"It's a great view," a voice said next to me. I recognized one of Rob's techs and her husband.

"It is. Admittedly I've gotten used to seeing something like it every day, but it's nice to see it without needing to work for it."

Her husband looked out the window, then leaned forward to look down at the ground. "You see this sort of thing regularly?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"Sure. I fly in to work every day, usually higher than this to get over the buildings."

He looked at me, then looked up at the skyline. "Wow. Isn't it tiring?"

"It's a good workout, but it's my only way to travel now. Can't fit in cars or buses easily, and I find it relaxing. We got some good muscles out of this mess, and we lost a lot of mass so it's easier to move I guess."

The tech nodded and I placed a name to her face; Mindy. "I never thought of that. Do you mind it?"

"Not yet. Give me a few more months or years and maybe."

"I can see why cars don't work for you, and it's not really the season for them, but have you thought about motorbikes?" her husband asked. I had no idea what his name was. His comment made me pause to think of it.

"I hadn't really thought of it, but I'm sure someone has," I said slowly. I wiggled my wings pensively, not noticing how they stared at me. "I don't see why it wouldn't work, aside from the weather and helmet laws and stuff. I'll have to look into that. I'm sure someone down in the griffon lands has been biking."

They nodded and drifted away while I did my own bar run. By the time my drink was ready, it was time to sit for the meal. We didn't have assigned seating, but I'd requested two stools for Cardi and I instead of the normal chairs. Rob and Juanita joined us, along with Greg's wife. Greg went to the front of the room to give a speech before dinner. While he wasn't the president of the company, he was one of the senior VPs, and the one most of us dealt with, so he tended to be the representative of the leadership at these events.

The room fell silent as eyes turned towards him. He took a sip from his glass and set it down on the podium.

"Good evening everyone, and welcome to our annual party. A chance to reflect on the year past and to highlight what's coming in the year to come. I know we're all hungry, so I'll try to make this somewhat quick since there are two people here that I'd hate to get between them and their food," he said, his eyes looking at Cardi and I. He winked and looked towards a different pair of people. "We all know how dangerous Tim and Jill were at the company BBQ after all," he said.

The room erupted in laughter and the poked pair grinned and waved. They were the smallest and gentlest people I'd ever known. Jill playfully started banging on the table and chanting "We want food!" with her tablemates.

When the room quieted down, he continued. "2023 was an excellent year for us. We finally closed the Brookside facility, completing our move into the Thompson Tower. We also expanded our customer base, with customers all across the province, and even a couple in BC now. With that, we were able to expand, adding a dozen new employees who have been an excellent addition to our teams.

"We also lost a number of people, through retirement, or from seeking greener pastures. Those losses are never easy, and we still feel them, but I wish the best for them."

"It's not all rosy news despite how I'd rather it was. We lost a few clients and had a few setbacks, but nothing we couldn't handle.

"Of course, last March, the world was rocked by the Titan's Step event down in Colorado. While it didn't affect us directly, it ''did ''shake us all. But life went on and we continued on business as usual.

"We should have realized that innocent time wouldn't last. It is a big world and the chances of another event happening near us should be remote. How wrong we were. This past September, the Fort Parker event happened, and we couldn't ignore that. It affected our customers directly. And to address the griffon in the room, it caught our Senior Tech, Simon Farrell." he nodded to me.

"That was a wrench in the works, to put it mildly. Our customers were directly impacted and we were affected. It meant a lot of adjustments, on Simon's part especially but for all of us. Speaking as a friend, I'm happy at how well Simon has handled this. I know it hasn't been easy, but I'm glad you're still part of our team. And if you need anything, just ask."

I felt my face warm from the attention, but I stood and waved a wing and a hand, turning to look around the room. It was nice to see and feel so much support heading my way.

"Thanks everyone. It has been challenging, but you've all helped me adjust, and I really appreciate it," I said, staying standing a moment longer before sitting back down.

"So yeah, the year was great for us, even if the end of the year was more chaotic than we're used to. But they say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And boy have we been putting out the lemonade.

"For this year, we have big plans, and the Fort Parker event doesn't really change them. It ''has ''given us some new opportunities. Opportunities that Simon has helped us identify and to take advantage of.

"First, there's our new marketing campaign, advertising our Phoenix backup and restoration services. If you've seen it, you will have noticed that Simon has allowed us to use his appearance as our mascot. Thank you for that. The campaign launched this week, and it's already exceeding our expectations. It's gone viral, with more views than we ever expected. And it's been generating inquiries from potential customers across the province and beyond.

"Which brings us to our next point, our growth potential. We reached all corners of the province last year. This year, we're setting our sights higher. We're hoping to expand into the territories up north, as well as across the prairies and deeper into BC. We've already had some inquiries from businesses in eastern BC and the Yukon, as well as western Saskatchewan. I'm not sure if we'll reach into Manitoba or the Northwest Territories this year, but we're aiming high."

He paused to let us give a happy cheer. It was an ambitious growth plan, but knowing our sales team and our tech team, I figured we had a decent chance of pulling it off.

"So, if anyone wants to visit the territories, speak to your managers. We'll have to be sending you guys up north sooner than you might expect," Greg continued when the cheers died down. He nodded towards a few people he knew had interest in northern visits.

"And finally, the unexpected, the lemonade if you will. We aren't normally a software company. But Simon, with his connections to the local griffon community, recognized some opportunities we were in a good position to act on. The Griff Tech team built the GriffRacer app on very short notice. It launched around Christmas and has been getting great reviews from the griffons, as well as earning us accolades from the science camp at Fort Parker for the data we've been able to share. I know Simon has more ideas for this team, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they bring out in the new year."

I resisted the urge to slouch down as all eyes turned my way again. Instead, I forced myself to sit up straighter and waved a wing again.

"So, we have exciting things coming this year. Thank you everyone, and enjoy the party!" Greg said, finishing his speech. He waved and soaked in the applause for a moment before coming back to our table. The wait staff started bringing out plates with dinner.

"Sorry to shine such a big light on you Simon, I know you've always preferred to stay in the background," Greg said, sipping his drink while we waited.

"It's fine. I'm getting used to being a center of attention. I don't like it, but I understand it."

He nodded and focused on Cardi, "And thank you for all the help you've been giving us."

"Sure, anything to help out the flock," Cardi said.

"It's good to finally see you again Simon," Greg's wife, Robin, said. "You seem to be doing well now. But I admit, hearing Greg call you a 'him' throws me off a little, considering how you look."

"It's not all good, but I'm doing better," I confirmed. "Still a lot to sort out. Like pronouns. Pronouns are something I'm still figuring out."

"Yeah, they certainly are, which does bring up another thing. How do you want to be addressed? My work's been stressing proper naming, and I don't want to be insulting. We've always known you as Simon, but I've heard you called Sky or Skyfire a lot too," she looked concerned and a bit confused.

I nodded, "Simon's fine, especially with you guys. That's how you know me, and that's who I am. But..." I paused for a moment and sipped my drink. "I suspect this is one of his last hurrahs. Skyfire is more and more who I am, and she's dominating my life. I'm coming around to her being me."

"Do you want us to call you Skyfire?" Rob asked.

I shook my head. "You guys especially, go with what you're comfortable with. For me at least, I'm finding it gives me a bit of continuity, a touch of the old me when I need it, when Skyfire's feeling like she's overwhelming me. Maybe later I'll want you to switch, but I'm not quite ready yet."

"When you are, let us know. I'm probably still going to mess up, but when you want to be known as Skyfire, I'll try to make the change," Greg said.

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate it." I sipped my drink and shrugged. "As for pronouns, I still haven't sorted those out to be honest. Simon's a guy, but as you probably noticed, I tend to call Sky 'her'. Most other griffons I tend to call 'her' as well, but I'm not sure if that's right." I looked to Cardi for help.

"I have no idea. I've always been her, and still think of myself that way. I've heard some griffons are trying other pronouns, like 'zey' or 'thim' or 'hir', but a proper pronoun for us hasn't really caught on yet. So don't stress too much, call me whatever you want, as long as it's friendly. Just don't call me late for dinner."

We chuckled and focused on our meals. The waiters wandered among the tables, topping off water glasses and swapping out empty plates for the next course. To their credit, they maneuvered around Cardi and I with surprising ease, stepping around our tail feathers and reaching past our wings.

At the end of each course, Darlene took the stage and gave out a round of anniversary gifts, starting with the five year anniversaries. By the time the deserts were passed out, she only had two more to give. Greg and I exchanged knowing looks and left our deserts untouched. I wiped my beak and shook my wings to get ready.

Darlene gave us a slight nod as she returned to the podium. She waited for the waiters to finish handing out the deserts before she started. "As we all know, ''Innovative Solutions ''is twenty seven years old. So reaching the 25 year milestone is a big deal for us, especially since so many of our founders have moved on. To have two people reach 25 at the same time is even more impressive. But when you know who these two are, you'll understand it. They've been a fixture of ''Innovative'' for a quarter of a century, guiding us through the tough years and the growth ones. We all know them, know their doors are always open, ready to help and ready to listen to new ideas. Without them, ''Innovative'' wouldn't be anything like the company it is today.

"So without further ado, I'd like to bring Greg and Simon to the front, our first Silver Anniversary employees."

Greg and I stood up and walked to the front of the room, taking in the applause. Darlene and another coworker greeted us, congratulating us, handing over plaques and an envelope with our gifts.

"Congratulations. And thank you," Darlene said to me as she handed over my awards. I nodded back to her and turned to stand next to Greg, while photos were taken.

"I've already talked a lot. So you go ahead," Greg whispered.

"Thank you, Thank all of you," I opened. "Twenty five years... Wow. I never would have expected it. Greg and I joined a young start up in the late nineties as a couple of techs, fresh out of college. We figured this would just be a stepping stone to bigger things. We never anticipated that this would become such a big part of our lives.

"I've never had aspirations for management; I'm happy to let others handle that sort of thing. So instead, I've found myself settling into more of a guru role, which I am happy to have." I tapped the side of my head, "It's taken twenty five years to fill this up with all the quirks of our systems, and becoming a griffon didn't change that. I've always believed that information is meant to be shared. So if anyone ever has any questions, or just wants to chat, feel free to come over."

I spread my wings a little. "Of course this past year has brought about more extreme changes. And I can't begin to say how grateful I am to have had you all to support me. You handled my change better than I did. So thank you for everything, and I'm looking forward to another twenty five with all of you."

I waited out the round of applause, then stepped back to let Greg speak.

"You've already heard me speak a lot tonight so I won't say much. Especially since Simon said the important parts. Twenty-five years is an amazing milestone, and I'm glad to be sharing it with you. We've accomplished a lot and have developed an excellent working relationship. There have been challenges, but there have been some great successes. I too am looking forward to the next quarter century with you."

He grinned at me and waved to the cheering room. We returned to our seats and had our deserts. After the tables were cleared, the music was turned up so people could dance. I knew there was something I wanted to talk to Cardi about, but I distracted myself by talking to others.

Eventually, she overrode my reluctance and pulled me out onto the dance floor. For a rock song, Billy Talent's "''Rusted By the Rain''" was a surprisingly good song to slow dance to.

"Come on, you managed to dodge the other dances we did. It's about time you started getting used to some closeness," she said, pulling me in closer. She slipped one hand under my wing, pressing through my flight feathers. The other rested on my hip. I was tense as hell at first, and held my hands awkwardly before putting one on her side and the other on her shoulder. She led me in swaying in time to the music and I gradually relaxed. I knew my own heat was just past, which meant that her own heat was a week away. So anything we felt wasn't as affected by hormones. We swayed in each other's arms in time to the music, wings twitching a bit, only slightly aware of the eyes watching us.

Towards the end of the song, I leaned closer to her ears and whispered "Can we talk privately?"

"Sure," she said, starting to guide us towards the edge of the dance floor.

The song ended and we separated, but still held hands. People around us applauded and I waved a wing, my face burning with embarrassment under my feathers. She led me to a quieter corner, away from the main groups.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

I gulped and licked the edge of my beak, building up my nerve, bolstered by the wine and other drinks I'd had. "I want... Would you... Would you like to come to my place for dinner next weekend sometime?" I asked quickly. "Just you... You and me," I added.

"I would love to. I've got an evening shift on Saturday, but my Friday evening is clear. Would that work?" she asked, watching me closely.

I nodded, not trusting myself to say any more. She tilted her head quizzically. "There's something more you want too, isn't there?"

"There is," I said. "I.. I do have an ulterior motive in mind. Something Amy suggested, something that might help my extremes." How bad the heats and ruts hit me was well known in our little community and especially among my friends.

"That would be wonderful. What's her idea?" she asked.

"Well, she and Adam both have some theories that might help me. I can't take action on Adam's until my rut, but Amy's idea I can act on almost any time," I said, stalling a bit. I suspected she knew what I was going to say but she was making me say it.

"And what's her theory?"

"She suggested that I... Suggested that.... That having sex might help balance my extremes a bit. So... Well.... If you... If you are willing.... Friday would be after my egg so.... Well it should be safe." my words jumbled as I rushed to explain. "If you don't, that's fine. We can still just have dinner," I finished.

"I see," she said thoughtfully. I could feel my heart pounding as she held me in suspense. "As a theory goes, it's not a bad idea. We still don't know much about how our hormonal cycles affect us, so it's as good a theory as any."

I nodded, still waiting for her answer. She leaned forward and rubbed her beak to mine. "I'd love to come over for dinner. And for after, I ''may ''be willing."

Her answer was like a weight off my mind. A fresh batch of worries was lurking, waiting to drop, but my immediate reaction was elation. I returned her beak kiss and hugged her. "I'd love to host you. Thank you."

She tugged me back into the room. "Come on, let's have another dance. You need a hell of a lot more practice." I chuckled and followed her lead, able to enjoy the rest of the evening now that my big question had been answered.

===Monday, Jan 8===

I stared at the weather forecast in disbelief, trying to will more reasonable numbers to appear, to no avail.

"Minus fucking thirty," I growled, shaking my head. Temperatures that cold were not unheard of for the city, but we seemed to develop a collective blind spot to them, forgetting just how cold they were until they suddenly hit us again. A polar vortex was pushing down from the arctic, bringing the bone chilling temperatures with it over most of the country. The meteorologists were commenting about how some village in Nunavut was warmer than Toronto somehow, which didn't seem right..

I gave up staring at the screen and continued my morning routine, sipping a hot coffee while munching on a bagel. It had been cooling down as winter took hold of the region, but it had still felt within my capabilities. Flying back from the Christmas party had been one of the first times I'd actually felt cold, but I had brushed it aside as a side effect of the alcohol.

Yesterday, the high had only reached -18C, with a bitter north wind. I'd tried to treat it as a normal day, and flown out to pick up some groceries for the week and quickly regretted it. My hands were icicles, my wings ached and my tongue and nares were numb by the time I got to the grocery store, after flying much lower than I normally did. On the way home, I'd seriously considered calling a taxi for myself, but managed to make it back home intact. I still ended up cranking the heat up in the house to almost human levels to fight the bone chilling cold.

Today, it was already colder and it wouldn't get much warmer through the day. It made me carefully consider my options. It was tempting to work from home, but I had a GriffTech team meeting that was too important to skip. I could just sprint to the LRT station and take the train in, but the idea of squeezing into there was almost as scary as flying in the cold. With both options considered, I reluctantly landed back on 'flight'. Thankfully, a pair of mittens I'd ordered had come in, so my hands and forearms wouldn't be quite as cold. Everything else I would just have to endure.

Once I was done with my morning routine, I got ready to leave. I locked up the house and turned off the lights, heading for the backdoor. I strapped my phone on my wrist, though I wouldn't be using it; the cold would kill the battery faster than a drop would after all. I then tugged the woollen mittens on. In some ways they were like thick fuzzy woolen oven mitts that almost went up to my elbows. They covered most of the parts of my arms and hands that didn't have the downy feathers. When I was ready, I braced myself and stepped out.

The cold didn't quite hit me, but I certainly felt it more than I usually did. I felt my nares tighten as the air tried to freeze my nostrils. My skin tightened automatically, making my feathers puff up more, trying to trap a layer of heat near my body. I let the door close behind me, made sure it was locked, and took off as fast as I safely could.

Muscle movement helped keep my body temperature up, but it felt like it was a losing battle. When I got above the rooflines, the winds increased, a bitter north wind roaring down from the Arctic. I clenched my inner eyelids closed, and even partly closed my outer ones. The leading edge of my wings cut into the dense air, lifting me up, but it felt like they were stabbed with icy needles where the air cut through the leading feathers. I held my arms and legs tight to my body for extra warmth and focused on the downtown towers.

I decided today would be an exception from my usual habit of landing in the parking garage. Instead, I came down on the street outside our building. The cold and the early hour made sure the street was mostly deserted, so I didn't cause much of a stir. I sprinted up the stairs and slammed into the building, panting in relief as the hot air surrounded me. I tapped my card and pushed into the main lobby.

"Damn, Sky, did your fire go out? I can feel the cold wafting off of you from here," Robbie said.

"It almost did. I think we finally found my cold limits," I said. I didn't have teeth to chatter any more and sort've wished I did. I walked over to a heat vent and spread my wings, trying to soak in a bit more heat. My insulative feathers and fur almost worked against me now. I tugged my mittens off and tucked them into my chest pack. "I'm probably going to be landing on the street for the next few days," I added as I felt the heat seep in. I started brushing through my feathers, trying to push them back down after they fluffed up for the cold.

"No problem, I don't think anyone would blame you. I'm surprised you were still flying in this."

"So am I. That wind is wicked, and I usually love the winds. But I've got a big GriffTech meeting today so I had to come in."

"Well, hopefully it won't be as bad flying home. Take care of yourself."

I started towards the elevator, nodding to a couple of others who had come in. They held the doors for me; the rest of the building's workers were well used to me now, and had no problem sharing the elevator. "Thanks Robbie. Have a good one."

In my office, I spent the first few hours catching up from the weekend. There were no emergencies I could see in my regular work email pile, and the GriffTech side was similarly quiet. For the Edmonton flock, I was happy to see Michelle was on top of the cold snap, making sure the homeless griffons had a warm place to wait out the vortex. Our cold tolerance had made the winter relatively easy for the homeless griffons, at least compared to homeless humans; but even we had our limits. Thankfully, she had matters well in hand so I didn't need to help there, at least not right away.

By ten, it was time for the team meeting. The meeting room was full when I walked in. The two boxes of donuts I'd ordered were already decimated, and everyone was milling about. I snagged the last one from a box; a sugared cake donut, and went to the head of the conference table, nibbling along the way. By the time I was sitting and finished my snack, everyone had found their spots and were waiting.

"Good morning everyone. Now that we've had some time to process what's come in over the holidays, it's time to look ahead," I said, addressing the GriffTech team. "I'm sure you heard Greg's speech from the party, and you know this team is a key component for growth this year, so yay us."

I looked around and took in the smiles on the team's faces. We knew we had big targets and expectations to satisfy, but the team seemed eager.

"First, GriffRacer is a big hit, and not just here in Edmonton. We've got griffons using it all over from here in Edmonton, to Calgary and Medicine Hat, and all across the griffon lands and even down in Helena and Billings. CS is making a list of various improvements and alternate modes to consider, so development will continue, but it won't be our primary focus. Still if anyone has any ideas, please chime in. I'm especially hoping we can find some links to the Skyball leagues that are forming up."

I looked around the table and saw a few knowing nods and a couple people were jotting down some notes.

"Second, our next major focus is on the GSL app. It's proving to be a bit more challenging than we expected, but there's some good stuff coming from it. I want to bring a few more onto that project, either from this team or from anyone else, but we need to better define our targets. I'll meet with Marcel and Joanne this afternoon to get a better status update and to identify what we need."

I paused and smiled. While I no longer had lips to smile like they were used to, the team was used to recognizing my mannerisms, sometimes better than I did. "One thing to note, we do need a name for this app, and ''Sign of the Griffon Queen'' is ''NOT'' a valid option."

I saw everyone grin, with some laughing quietly as I started tapping off my talons. "One. It's way too wordy for an app name. Two. I don't want to get in trouble with April Wine, though from what I've heard they'd probably get a kick out of it. And Three, our target audience is sixty percent American; they wouldn't get the reference in the first place."

I chuckled with the rest of the room and continued. "So if anyone has any other name ideas, send them in and we'll see what we can settle on."

I glanced around the room again before bringing up my third point. "Finally, I want to start work on our third app as soon as possible. Techwise it is going to be a lot simpler, so I suspect we'll have the beta out even before the GSL app. Subject wise... it's trickier."

"This is an app idea I've been struggling with since before we formed this team. The subject matter is rather sensitive, and I wasn't sure if it was needed or not. But in talking with other griffons, there is certainly a lot of interest in it. I want us to make a Griffon Health Tracker."

There were a lot of knowing nods around the table. I mentally wished there were a few more women on the team, but like many development teams it was mostly male. "We'll have to work out the details once the team is set up. But be aware, if you sign up on this group, you'll be learning a lot about griffon biology, maybe more than you wanted. So if that makes you uncomfortable you can work on the other apps; we'll certainly still have a lot of work in both. Not to mention the other projects we have going on in the company."

"What sort of things would this app need to track?" Jim asked.

I did a quick assessment of the room while trying to figure out how to tactfully answer him. Some of the guys were obviously uncomfortable with the potential subject, but most seemed eager just to jump into a new challenge.

"Cycle tracking is one of the big things people have asked me for, both recording when the peaks happen and when they are anticipated to happen. Egg tracking goes along with that. With spring coming, we'll probably want to consider tracking molting patterns too. And we'll want to tap into Apple and Google Health data from the appropriate smartwatches to gather general health stats like heart rates and breathing rates especially while flying. A link to GriffRacer is probably lurking in there somewhere.

"I've already talked some of the ideas over with Legal, to figure out how to do this while limiting our own exposure. Among other things we want to make sure we don't keep any data; it will all be saved on the device or the user's cloud. Otherwise it opens a whole new can of privacy issues that we don't want to get into as a company.

"We also want to provide a way for griffons to send data to the scientists in Fort Parker, so we can build a bigger repository on griffon health in general. It would be voluntary and we'll probably reach out to some of them to figure out a proper exchange format and stuff."

Jim nodded, jotting down a few notes. "Sounds straightforward enough, and useful I'm sure. Once we get going, can you arrange for us to talk with a few other griffs? We have you and Cardi, but multiple points of view will help cover blind spots."

"Of course. Are you volunteering for this project?" I asked, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice.

"Sure. One of my goals this year was to take on a leadership role, and this seems to fit the bill well. I've got a teenage daughter who's also pulled me into this field by proxy, learning about various women's health apps."

I relaxed and nodded. "Great. Thank you. After the meeting we can talk more about the details and start hashing out some basic workflows. As for talking to other griffons, the best thing to do might be to swing out to one of our weekend gatherings. Anyone is welcome to come hang with us. I'll share when and where the next few are, and you can decide when you want to come."

Jim nodded and made a few more notes.

"And now, we still have some work to do on GriffRacer, so let's start reviewing that."

I tapped the keyboard and brought up a few Jira charts to move the meeting along.

===Thursday, Jan 11===

I let myself sleep in a bit later than normal on Thursday, anticipating what I was about to do. It was time for my fourth egg and I wasn't looking forward to it. I laid on my side on my bed, already feeling the twitching in my gut as the egg finished forming.

With a reluctant sigh, I rolled off the bed and went downstairs to prepare breakfast, not bothering to clean up, knowing what was in store for me. The spasms in my gut were getting stronger but still bearable.

I was just putting my mug in the dishwasher when a particularly strong spasm hit me. I gasped and grabbed the edge of the counter. I could feel a bit of moistness between my legs and knew it was time yet again.

Without wasting another moment, I raced back upstairs, but I wasn't quite fast enough. Another contraction made me stumble midway up the stairs. My vision blurred a bit with tears from the pain, making me blink rapidly with both sets of eyelids.

I reached my bedroom and crouched at the end of my bed, panting. I grabbed some towels I'd placed there earlier. I hesitated a moment, still dreading what I was about to do, cursing my new biology. Another contraction went through my body, and I could feel the egg moving in me now. I reached between my legs and slipped a taloned finger into my lips, carefully feeling inside me. My vagina was wet and quivering from the contractions. I could feel my cervix dilated already, anticipating the orb it was about to pass. I felt another contraction building and pulled my hand free quickly, bearing down on the orb.

This egg took about a half hour, though I didn't verify it until later. While it was happening, my only focus was on getting the mass out of me. The contractions came steadily, each one pushing the grapefruit sized egg further through my insides. Eventually I felt it bump against my cervix and catch a moment, not quite open enough for it. I winced in anticipation and grunted, crouching down lower and pushing hard with the next contraction. I felt the strain of the opening stretching and had a brief moment of worry that it wouldn't come out before I felt a wave of relief. My vagina stretched around the orb but the tight spot was past. On the next one, I pushed again and the orb was pushing through my vulva and then slid out.

I slumped against the bed even as the egg thudded into the towels, my thighs wet from the fluid that lubricated its exit. My insides still spasmed every few moments, pushing against something that wasn't there any more. I looked between my legs, and saw the egg I'd pushed out, still glistening but drying quickly. Its shell matched my colouring, some parts deep black, the other parts fiery red and orange.

Once my guts stopped spasming, I pulled myself onto my feet and stumbled to the bathroom. I took my time cleaning up, preening and otherwise making myself presentable. By the time I was done, my guts almost felt normal. I got dressed, eyeing the egg on the towels. It was dry and looked similar to the previous ones.

My post-egg routine was well established by now. I measured it and recorded it both for my records and to send to the teams down in Fort Parker. When done, I cracked it into a bowl and flushed the liquid part. The shell I crushed and tossed in the garbage.

My monthly burden handled, I set off for work and tried to put it off my mind, aside from what Cardi and I had planned for later.

The cold snap was still in effect, making the flight to work a chilly affair. I wasn't looking forward to flying to Doctor Fullerton's office, but it would be something I would have to do. I went straight to my office and closed the door, needing some alone time to settle into a work mindset, and to warm up.

After lunch, I pulled on my gloves and headed out for my appointment. It had warmed up a little through the day, but temperatures were still hovering around minus twenty, and the winds were still bitter.

I dove out of the cold air and landed just outside Doctor Fullerton's office. I quickly raced inside and headed for a heater. It was one of the longest flights I'd done since the vortex had hit the city, and I was seriously considering alternative options for going home.

I stepped out of the elevator into his outer office, a little surprised to see the door open. I was a bit early, but I went to the doorway, hoping to start earlier than usual.

"Hi Skyfire, come on in. My earlier client cancelled due to the cold. We finally found your lower temperature limits it would seem." Adam was at his desk reading something on his screen. He turned it off and got up to take his usual seat.

"Yeah, we certainly did," I said, closing the door behind me. "If I were lactating, I'd be squeezing out soft serve ice cream."

He looked me over, and I could tell he was thinking over the joke I'd made. I'd come up with it a few days before, but hadn't really been among anyone I could crack it with until now. He finally let out a little chuckle as I sat down.

"I did consider cancelling, but after last week it didn't seem to be fair. Especially with what we want to talk about for next week. But if you don't mind, I probably won't stay as long as we usually do. I want to get home before the sun sets and it gets colder."

"That's fair. So why don't we start with that. I take it you've been thinking about my proposal?"

I nodded, settling on the couch and getting comfortable. "I have. And you're right. When the peaks hit, I get stuck in my head. I focus on how my body is betraying me, and it gives it more power over me. It's a vicious cycle and I'm not sure how to break it."

"That said, I think I saw some cracks in it, when my family was in town. I mean, the rut did chase me out of my house to spare them, but talking to my sister did help me focus on something else and seemed to help put it off. It's just hard to explain what it feels like; keeping my focus off of it won't be easy."

"I know, but we aren't looking to win the war, not yet. But if we can win some battles and start giving you some more tools to reign it in."

I nodded, "In that case, I'm willing to give it a shot. It's not the only thing I'm attempting. My other... therapist made a suggestion that makes some sense to me."

"I see," Adam said, keeping his voice neutral, but I caught a hint of disapprovement in it. "What did Amy suggest?"

"Her theory is that my celibacy may be part of the reason my swings are so extreme, along with how long I resisted it when I first changed. So, it probably wouldn't surprise you, but she suggested I get fucked."

He winced at my language, though I'm sure he has heard worse through the years. "It's... not a bad theory. I'm not sure it is something I would suggest or encourage, but if it works for you, then great. I hope it isn't your only coping mechanism."

I nodded, "Yeah, I don't want that to be my only coping method, but I'm looking for anything."

"So, judging from your body language, I take it you have made plans already. Who's the lucky griffon? Michelle?"

My icy god flew through my mind and I chased him away while shaking my head. "No. Our relationship is too important to risk bringing sex into the mix. We're adults and all that, but our current relationship is too important to risk adding intimate complications."

"Right, so it would be Cardi then. I assume you've made arrangements?"

"I'm that obvious?" I laughed nervously. "I asked her last weekend and she said yes. No strings attached, no pressure. She's coming over for dinner tomorrow and we'll decide from then, but we both know my intentions, my desires, and why I'm asking."

"Well, you seem to be approaching it from a good angle. And remember, you can always say no. It's a big step to take, and you may feel like you are pressuring yourself into taking it. So if you decide you're not ready for it, just say no. I'm sure Cardi would understand."

"Yeah, just a bit of time pressure. We're aiming for my safe week, between the egg and the rut. If I don't do it this week, I'll have to wait another month. At the same time though, it'll be my first time this way, and I'm nervous as hell."

"Sounds like you are taking precautions at least. Do you know if Cardi is active?"

I paused and thought about my friendship with her. I realized I knew surprisingly little about her. "I don't know. I assume so; she is quite confident in general and seems very knowledgeable. I assume she's experienced but I didn't ask."

"I'm sure you'll find out tomorrow. As for next week, I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want to tell me about it or not. I wouldn't mind if you want to keep that aspect private."

I laughed and shrugged my wings. "I've kept nothing else from you, I don't see why I'd keep that from you. But thank you for the consideration."

"Right. So we have a lot to look forward to next week. But we still have this week to get through, and a lot of time to catch up on. How was your Christmas break?"

"In a word. Wonderful," I said. "A few rough spots here and there, but it was great to see the fam again, and they were so supportive. I was glad to have them up. And I was glad to expose them to a small dose of my world too."

"I heard about the Titans. Why don't we start at the beginning and maybe go over those rough spots, figure out why they were rough and what you could do to do better."

Despite my intentions, it was after five and the sun was setting by the time I left his office. We had a very active month to catch up on, and we'd barely scratched the surface when he decided to call it a day. I suspected he wanted to leave some for next week for the home visit to give us topics to focus on.

I paused in his first floor lobby to pull on my mittens. I could already feel the cold seeping in through the doors and the idea of flying home in it was less appealing. I made a decision and checked the transit map. I didn't want to squeeze onto a bus, but a train should be doable, just not during rush hour. Deciding I should kill a bit more time to let the crush pass, I looked up a Mexican restaurant near the train station and went for dinner.

I landed on the sidewalk just outside the door and ducked inside as fast as I could. I discovered that on top of the usual post-work dinner rush, this place was having a "Taco Thursdays" deal. A dozen people looked my way as I barged into the restaurant, looking larger than normal due to the fluffed up feathers and fur.

Instead of an airlock door, it had a hot air vent blowing down as you entered. I stood in the airflow for a moment, feeling it blow the coldness off, and tried to ignore the stares. Before someone else had to use the door, I joined the line, pulling off my mittens.

"Can I... Can I help you?" the server asked when I got to the head of the line. I'd been studying the menu while I waited, but my choice was obvious.

"This is probably going to be a bit messy, but I'll keep it contained, I hope. I haven't had tacos since...." I shook my wings a bit. "But I'm hungry. I'll have the three taco deal," I said. "One chicken, one steak and one ground beef."

The rest of the order went easily enough as we went down the line. Remembering my changed tastes, I urged them to go heavy on the jalapenos and spicy taco sauces, and soon enough I had my meal. The restaurant had a few sit down tables for eating at, and a higher table set up along the windows with stools. The regular tables were half filled, while the window seats were deserted. I headed over there immediately and could tell why; the windows were radiating the cold from the outside. Now that I was warmed up, I appreciated the chill, though I knew I wouldn't like it when I went back outside.

I stood at the window table and prepared to eat. The noise level of the restaurant had dropped noticeably, and the reflection in the window showed more than a few people were watching me curiously. It was something I was getting used to when I ate out. Everyone was fascinated with how griffons ate.

The tacos were double shelled, with a hard shell and a soft tortilla. They were loaded with meat, veggies, sauces and cheese. I picked up the first one and leaned over the container to make sure any droppings stayed contained. The hard tortilla crunched as I bit into it, my tongue pulling the chunk deeper into my mouth while lettuce, onions, tomatoes, peppers and ground beef dropped down. The spicy sauce and hot peppers hit my tongue nicely.

The noise level gradually rose as the interest was satisfied. For me, I was happy with how the experiment had turned out. The beak had forced me to change how I ate a lot of things, and while I loved Mexican food and had a lot of nachos, I'd held off on other old favorites. I was pleased I could easily keep tacos on my list.

I took my time eating, scrolling through Facebook between bites. I was clearly visible in the restaurant's window, and drawing some extra attention. The noise ebbed and flowed as more diners showed up. About an hour later, I was done. I ditched my garbage and recycling, and put my mittens on, bracing myself for the cold.

It was as cold as I remembered when I stepped out. I took another quick hop through the frigid sky to the LRT station. The rush hour crowds had died down, so I was able to land right at the door and walk into the warmth. I felt eyes from commuters turn towards me as I examined the route map, figuring out how I'd get home. Before changing, I'd used the trains occasionally, but never from this end of the city.

I bought my ticket and joined the dozen people waiting on the platform for the train. The platform was outside and somewhat exposed but they had heat walls blowing to take the edge off the chill, bringing it back up to tolerable levels for me.

The train rumbled into the station five minutes later. I saw the engineer's surprised expression in the front of the train and waved my wing to her. I picked a car near the middle of the train and waited for everyone to get on and off before stepping on board, pulling my wings tighter than usual. The car was half full, leaving me lots of options to stand. I moved towards the front and looked at the grab straps hanging from the ceiling. I used to use the straps, but now found them uncomfortably high. Instead, I grabbed two of the poles and braced myself, trying to take as little space as I could. I had to travel across half the city after all, so I would be on this train and a transfer train for a long time. The standing area was tighter than I was used to, but I did have a lot more luggage in the back than I had the last time I rode the train.

A warning chime went off, the doors closed, the train started, and I realized my mistake. I was facing the back of the train, when I should have been facing forward. It was the first vehicle I had gotten on in months, and my habits were rusty to say the least. As the train accelerated, I stumbled a little and spread my wings instinctively, even as I fought my new instincts that tried to make sense of the strange acceleration. Thankfully I got things sorted out before the next station, and without accidentally hitting anyone.

"First time on the train?" a man commented from a nearby seat.

"First time like this," I confirmed, shifting my stance to better handle the movement. I was thankful the train was electric, so the noise level was bearable. "Usually I just fly, it's just as fast and doesn't rely on other schedules."

"That must be nice. Why the train today?" he asked.

"The cold mainly. Even griffons have their limits it seems. Not to mention fur, feathers, wings and tail make it tricky to dress up in layers and stay flightworthy."

"That makes sense. I guess I never thought of that. I've seen you guys flying around a lot otherwise."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's a good perk we got with all the rest of the baggage we were given."

We chatted the rest of the way into the city core, until the train got to my transfer station. I briefly considered flying the rest of the way home, but the blast of cold that greeted me as I stepped onto the platform made me decide to stick to my initial plans. The second train wasn't crowded, so I was able to claim a similar position, this time at the back of the car facing forward so the forces were a bit easier to handle.

The rest of my trip was thankfully uneventful. When I got to the station near my home, I took to the air again and did the quick and chilly hop home. I made a mental reminder to try to take the train at least once a month or so, just to stay somewhat used to that sort of travel.

===Friday, Jan 12===

I busied myself in the kitchen, preparing dinner and trying not to think of what the evening would bring. I'd invited Cardi out, and she had agreed to come in after she got off her shift. The salad was a store bought Caesar, but the pasta sauce was home made.

I set the table, opening a bottle of wine and just making sure everything was neat and ready. I paced around the ground floor of my place until I heard someone on the stairs outside. I opened the door and greeted the cardinal-tiger griffon.

"Welcome! Thank you for coming," I greeted her, stepping to one side to give her room to come in. "I hope you didn't have trouble finding the place."

"No problem at all. I'm surprised you still have your lights up."

I led her to the dining room. "Yeah I've always left them up until old Christmas. But since Covid, I've left them up most of January. It just brings some light to the darkness."

"It's a good idea, and looks nice. Especially for a dreary winter." She followed me into the dining area and looked at the set table. "You know, it's usually the guy who gets the girl the dinner on a date, right?"

"I know that, what do you-" I paused and caught what she was implying, considering our plans for later in the evening. "Oh... yeah. Force of habit I guess." I mentally forced myself to switch my thinking, at least for the evening.

He laughed and leaned close, rubbing his beak along mine. "Yeah, we've got a lot of new norms to work out still. Not that it matters. It looks great."

I felt my body warm, feeling a bit confused and nervous. I hid it by retreating to the kitchen to prepare the plates. Cardi watched me leave, then started pouring the wine. We settled down on our bench seats, and a silence descended on the room.

"Not spaghetti?" he said, breaking the silence before it became uncomfortable.

I chuckled and sprinkled some parmesan on my own dish. "It was tempting, but no lips for suction makes it less fun. I've switched more towards macaroni and penne."

"You just need to practice a bit more. Our tongues are quite flexible after all." He winked and licked the edge of his beak, making my pulse increase again. "This looks and smells great."

We kept to safe topics through dinner, talking about GriffTech, some of the longer term plans for the local flock, and just how we've been adapting in general. I had the feeling he was doing his best to help me relax, something I really appreciated.

After the meal, I took my time cleaning up the kitchen, knowing what would be soon but not quite ready yet. I was washing the pots when Cardi came up and purposely bumped into me while dropping off the empty salad bowl. I jumped in surprise, dropping the pot into the water.

"Relax. Are you okay Sky?" he asked, using his wing to rub my back.

I closed my eyes for a moment to compose myself, then nodded, turning off the water. "Yeah, I am. I'm just... I don't know."

"You're as nervous as a teenager about to get laid for the first time. Which makes sense, I guess. Come on, let's go talk." He tugged my hand, leading me back to the living room. He nudged me to the couch while fetching the wine glasses and the half full bottle.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked once I'd sipped.

"I'm sure. I'm just nervous I guess. The wine's helping a bit."

"Well, enjoy it and let's talk, give dinner time to settle. What's making you nervous?"

I set the wine glass down and shrugged my wings. We were facing each other, sitting sideways on the couch. The words started tumbling out before my thoughts fully formed. "Well, us for one thing. We barely know each other, but I feel we've had a good friendship building, both to help the flock and for the apps and just in general. I'm worried this will change things. But at the same time, as I mentioned before, there are only two griffons in our flock I'd really feel comfortable asking this of; and I'm more scared to ask Michelle than you. If things go wrong in bed for some reason, souring your friendship would be bad, but with Michelle it could be disastrous for all of us. At least that's how I feel,"

He put a talon to my beak to silence my flood. "I figured it might be something like that. And I'm honoured you think that way. A little jealous that I'm your second pick, but happy too. Still, this that we're going to do, it's just sex. We're both adults, a bit hormone addled but still adults. We're going into this with our eyes wide open and our expectations clear. Our friendship won't break over a romp in the sack. Or on the sack I guess."

Cardi set his glass down and looked me over. "You aren't a virgin right? I mean, you said you haven't done it since we changed, but before?"

"No! Of course not!" I felt a wave of embarrassment go through me. "But I wasn't really all that active. It's been a long time since I was with someone else; it was basically a romp with a friend in University. Since then, I just haven't been that interested I guess. I self-pleasured and fantasied a bit, but in general I've considered myself an Ace; I just wasn't that interested in all the baggage and pressure being with someone else could bring."

"And now?" he prodded carefully.

"Now, as you said, I'm a bundle of hormones." Now that I was talking about it, combined with the buzz from the wine, I found my tongue was loosened. "After the change, I resisted the urges, even though they were quite strong. It wasn't until I left Fort Parker that I first relaxed enough to let my wet dreams do anything, and then it was just myself and my imagination after that. And Amy's toys of course. I half wonder if resisting so long is part of the reason my cycle is so offset from everyone else's. And also why my swings are so much stronger."

He shrugged and waited for me to go on. "That's basically Amy's theory and why she suggested this. It makes sense to me, as much as anything makes sense, but I don't know. No one really knows."

"I'm no specialist, and neither are they really. But it's as good a theory as any, and certainly couldn't hurt," he said. "Who knows, if we can settle your cycles a bit it might give some insight on how all of us are working now."

I nodded and gulped down the last of my wine before refilling the glass. I poured the rest of the bottle into Cardi's glass. "That's just it, I'm worried it could hurt. Not really physically, but that is a factor. I'm worried it might hurt our friendship... and I'm worried it might have other side effects." I put one hand on my belly.

He let out a friendly laugh and tried to quell it with a sip of his wine glass. "Ah right, the baby bomb issue. A lot of you guys seem to always have that on your mind. I guess it's only fair, you've only had to worry about it for a few months now. I grew up with it, and you do get used to it eventually. It never fully leaves your mind, but it's just part of you, something you keep in mind, but don't worry about otherwise. Granted, we don't have the pill to make things safer yet, but other things do work. And we certainly know when we're safe, compared to human women."

"Well, we're still guessing that this period is safe. Biologically it makes sense that we can't get pregnant right after the egg, but it's just theory really."

"It's a solid enough theory so far. There's always a risk, something we always have to assess. But it feels a lot less risky than human sex. Thankfully, sperm storage seems to be a trait we didn't inherit from our feathered brethren."

We fell silent again, while I processed those thoughts a bit more. I finally stood up and grabbed the bottle. "I still have one more. I think I'll need it. You want more?"

"Sure, whatever makes you comfortable."

When I returned with the fresh bottle, I noticed the sound system was on and Cardi was tapping on the remote controls. I refilled our glasses and set the bottle down. "What are you?" I started to ask, only to be interrupted by an upraised talon.

A few moments later, a song started playing and I let out a quiet laugh.

''Let's talk about sex Baby,''

''Let's talk about you and me''

''Let's talk about all the good things''

''And the bad things that may be''

He grinned back at me and took a sip. "Well, you heard the song. We've got all night, and a fresh bottle. Let's talk about it. Since you're the most nervous, ask away."

I sat back down and left my glass alone. I looked him over, admiring his red feathers and white furred chest. "Well, I guess it's probably obvious, but you have done it before right?"

"Many times, both ways, and with a human too," he confirmed, ticking off the count on his talons. "Not as often since I got up here, but you're not my first."

A couple of followup questions tangled up all at once. I finally managed to squeak out "Human?" while trying to figure out what I wanted to know.

He sighed, his wings drooping slightly. "Yeah, Craig, my old boyfriend. I changed when he didn't. We tried to make things work after I got back to Hat, but things were too different. We tried our best though. After my first rut, I wanted to feel like a woman again, and we tried it. It was okay, but wasn't really satisfying for either of us. It was probably one of the reasons we broke up, and I put in for the opening up here."

"Oh... I'm sorry," I said softly, not wanting to open an old wound any further.

He perked up and shrugged. "It's all air under the wings now. We've both moved on. Frankly, I don't think we would have lasted much longer together even without the change. We were an okay fit, but the differences were starting to build up."

"But you've done it with other griffons too?" I asked, eager to shift the subject. "How was it?"

He smirked at me and winked. "That would be spoilers. But it was good. Both ways. Sex as a guy was quite the experience."

"It was good? Even with how we're equipped?" I motioned to my own groin. I'd read a few reports about griffon reproduction and the barbed penisis, but the look and the thought of feeling it still threw me off a bit.

"Especially with how we're equipped. Don't get hung up by the human norms; we're griffons now. We may look like a hodgepodge of creatures, but we do fit together properly. Our penisis may look scary with human eyes, but they feel great inside and the feedback..." he shuddered happily and shook his head.

I glanced away, feeling a stirring in my own loins at the thoughts and wet my beak before continuing. "And protection? Did you wait for the safe week or what?"

"Despite appearances and expectations, the usual methods do work. Condoms are fine, just pick the heavier duty ones just in case and be careful putting them on. Cups and diaphrams also work for when you want to be a catcher." He saw a brief flash of confusion on my face. "You didn't think of that yet? I'm surprised Amy didn't suggest them."

I shook my head and sighed. "I've got so many blind spots. I never thought about female protection methods. Sex has always been about the condom for me. Or the pill I guess, but that's not an option for us."

He reached out and touched my belly. "Well, as griffons we're still young, we're still learning a lot. But you need to realize, you have some powerful equipment in here, equipment that works different from what you're used to. You've been seeing Adam, but have you been to a doctor since you changed? A gynecologist even?"

"No. Adam suggested I should find one, but it's been so busy and finding a doctor in general is a challenge nowadays, let alone one that is willing to work with griffons. I haven't been seen medically since the initial checkups at Parker."

"You really should. I'll give you the number for Doctor Bella Chase. She's local and willing to look at griffons. I've visited her a few times and she's good, and friendly; she'll make sure you're properly taught how to care for all of your new equipment."

"Thanks. I guess it's something I haven't really thought much of."

"To be fair, you haven't really had a reason to think of it; still, seeing a doctor isn't a bad idea, especially while we're figuring out how we work." He set his glass on the table and looked away.

I finished my own glass and noticed the bottle was empty. I knew it was the last bottle. I was still a little tempted to look for another. I also knew I was just stalling. I stood up and grabbed the empty bottle and glasses. "Can I get you anything else?" I asked, leaving the 'before' unsaid.

He stood up as well and followed me into the kitchen. "I'm good. How are you feeling?"

"Still nervous, but ready I think," I said, setting the glasses on the counter. He came up behind me, and I felt him squeeze my shoulders. Even though I was expecting it, I still jumped a little. I reached back with my wings, hugging him while my tail twitched a bit. I felt warm and not just from the wine.

"Come on, this way," I encouraged her, stepping away and heading for the stairs, turning off the lights along the way.

"You have a beautiful house," he said, looking around as we went up. I went into my bedroom first, moving to the side of my bed.

"Thanks, it's a bit awkward in some ways, especially now, but I like it. Lucked out and got it before the market went supernova."

"Lucky. You're probably paying less than I am too." He paused at the doorway, watching me. "Got any plans for the new year?"

"Thinking of getting a bathroom renovation. Take out the tub and make a bigger shower, one that can give me a better soak." I stood beside the bed, not sure what to do next.

He looked over at the bathroom and nodded. "I could see that. That would be nice." He waited in the doorway, looking back at me expectantly.

I gulped nervously and finally made a move. I loosened my belt and turned sideways, wiggling my hips as I pulled my shorts down. I stepped out of them, and stood there, naked in his presence, the first time I'd been naked among another griffon since Fort Parker. I pulled my wing back and looked over my shoulder at the cardinal griffon, lifting my tail feathers up. I was getting mixed signals from my loins, my vagina moist and my sheath also a bit swollen in anticipation.

Cardi didn't say a word. He stepped into the bedroom and closed the door needlessly. He licked his pink beak while working on his own shorts, sliding them down his tiger striped legs. He faced me, arms to his side, wings twitching a bit, letting me take him in.

It was the first time I really looked at a naked griffon, at least in this way. While nudity had been the norm down in Fort Parker, I had been fighting to keep my libido in check and avoided looking at others in that way. Now, my libido was off its leash and I drank him in.

Cardi was a handsome and beautiful griffon, with a figure that appealed to me in ways that humans no longer did. Since we flew almost everywhere, we tended to be muscular, especially in our chests, even with our breasts. The shape of his beak, his perky breasts, strong wings and arms, were all appealing. My eyes drifted lower, taking in his red plumage and tail, and the white, orange and black tiger pattern of his fur. Finally, I focused on the one part I'd been trying to ignore. My eyes followed a scaled hand down as he stroked his sheath, already clearly partly aroused. The fleshy shaft with the barbs still scared me a bit, but also made my loins moist. I gulped a bit, feeling my pulse quicken.

"Why don't you lie down and get comfortable," he suggested, taking a few steps closer.

"Shu-sure," I stammered out, turning away and focused on my bed, feeling a little indecisive.

Griffons had been developing many positions, mostly similar to human positions. Laying down on my back wasn't comfortable with the wings and tail feathers, but for the first time, I wanted to see him. I pulled my tail tight against my legs and sat on my tail feathers on the bed. I leaned back, bracing myself with my wings. My entire body was quivering in anticipation.

Cardi was suddenly next to me and I was intensely aware of his presence. He sat on the edge of the bed next to me and stroked my wings. I met his gaze and nodded. "I'm ready," I said.

"Almost," he said, suddenly shifting his position until he was straddling me. I had a close view of his white furred breasts, and his erect member, as well as a peek at his vulva. It was obvious we were both feeling it both ways.

I pushed myself up with my wings, and nuzzled his breasts nibbling at his nipples and making him gasp. He stroked my ears making them twitch, then rubbed my wings. It felt like we spent an eternity playing with each other, running talons through fur and feathers, nibbling and doing tentative probing with our talons and even our tongues. I felt like I was in the middle of my heat again with the amount of arousal I was feeling, yearning for him to get it on, but not quite ready for it at the same time.

After an eternity, he shifted position over me and I knew he was getting ready. He braced himself on the bed just above my shoulders and spread his legs a bit, his tail feathers spreading along with his wings. I glanced down past his breasts and saw his shaft, looking larger than I expected. I'd been pushing eggs out of my opening for months now so I knew it would fit, but it still seemed too big. My own shaft was somewhat hard from our foreplay, glistening on my dark fur. He glanced down as well and wiggled a bit, pressing forward, and suddenly I felt something pressing into my hot vulva. I gasped as I felt it sliding in deeper and deeper.

I clenched the comforter under me, and dug my claws into it, fighting the orgasm I was on the edge of. Cardi seemed to sense my resistance a bit, and began to pull back, and I realized what the barbs on our shafts meant. I felt them slide in my moist tunnel, not painful but lighting up sensitive flesh. I couldn't hold it any longer and let out a screech, shuddering as the orgasm washed over me.

Cardi held his position for a long moment, half in me as I spasmed under him. He was breathing hard as well, somehow managing to hold back his own climax. When the crest of the orgasm had passed, he pushed in again and I felt myself tighten up on the hard shaft. He pushed in and out a few times, before pushing in deep, pressing hard against me, pinning my own hard member between our furry bellies.

"Better than the toys?" he gasped out, looking down into my eyes.

"Gods, yes," I gasped back, panting hard, feeling my pleasure building again in ways I hadn't experienced before.

He pulled back and thrust in hard again. This time he didn't hold back, and I felt his shaft throb and pulse a bit and he let out his own screech of pleasure. I echoed it, climaxing again. I even felt my own member twitch and wetness spread on my belly.

He twitched a bit more, then slumped down on top of me. I hugged him and nuzzled along his beak, both of us panting hard, nipples tingling. I clenched on the shaft still buried deep in me, getting used to the sensation. It still felt strange to me, but it felt nice in ways I hadn't expected.

"Fuck...." I moaned softly.

He nuzzled me again and slowly pulled back. I shuddered, feeling the barbs rubbing in me, not quite enough to tip over again, but still feeling surprisingly nice. He slid out and rolled over to one side.

I weakly sat up and pulled my wings together so I could roll over onto my side and face him. I looked at my belly and saw the wet spot on my fur, my own shaft slowly calming down. Below that, my vulva twitched a little, glistening with wetness that was spread over my thigh fur. A bit of thick white fluid, similar to what stuck to my belly fur, dribbled from the lips.

"We need new toys," I said, shifting my focus to the red griffon next to me.

Cardi laughed and played with my nipples as we faced each other on the bed. "We certainly do."

I reached over and pinched his own nipples and rubbed his breasts. "I wasn't expecting that... Damn... Wow..."

"I take it, you liked it?"

"It may be the hormones talking, but I probably wouldn't say no to going again... But not right now."

He giggled and shifted his hand to stroke my shaft. It twitched and began to harden. "Good, I'm too close to heat to go again right away. Maybe closer to the rut but not today. A shame you don't have protection yet, I'd love to show you both ways. Maybe next time."

"Next time. Fuck, I've got so much to learn. What do I do with all this?" I asked, looking down at my groin.

"Nothing for now, unless you really want to. Later, just wash. A cloth with soap and water is enough around your pussy. No need to wash inside; our bodies can handle that naturally."

I nodded a bit and closed my eyes, trying to stabilize my breathing. "Okay, that's not so bad." I reopened my eyes and flicked my ears, while sliding my hand down his side, tracing the fur-feather line. When I reached his loins, I rubbed his own labia, feeling the moist lips there. "And I'm not turning in my Ace card... but I could get used to this a bit."

He gasped a little and licked his beak before licking my beak. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you. I hope this helps."

"It certainly didn't hurt," I said, rubbing harder, slipping a talon in. He shivered and twitched his wings, squirming to give me a better angle.

With how aroused we both were, it didn't take much more for me to tip him over the edge. It wasn't as intense as our earlier activities, but I saw and felt him gasp and shudder from my stroking and probing.

Now that the action was done, I could feel fatigue setting in, along with a euphoric afterglow. We kept cuddling and petting. When I felt I had a little bit of energy back, I got up to turn off the lights. Cardi watched me from the bed as I assessed what we did. I ached in ways I'd never ached before. My loins were sticky and I didn't care for now. The comforter had tears where talons and claws had dug in. I was glad I had planned on it getting damaged; it was an older comforter that I was going to throw out if I needed to. I flicked off the lights and got back on the bed, looking at the shadowed griffon mass next to me.

"Thank you," I said, giving her another beak kiss.

"Rest well, Sky." she replied, nuzzling and stroking me in return.

===Saturday, January 13===

I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep and slept in late the next morning. When I finally started to wake up, I was confused. I could sense a presence next to me in the bed, hearing their steady breathing. Once my brain got into gear, I remembered what was going on and relaxed a bit. I opened my eyes and saw Cardi still in deep sleep, her tongue hanging out of her beak a bit. I glanced at the clock to see it was half past eight and decided to keep dozing.

A while later I heard her breathing change and opened my eyes. I saw her blinking and yawning. Her wings stretched out off the bed behind her. Her yellow eyes blinked a few times before she focused on me.

"Good morning," I said.

"Morning," she replied groggily. "How are you feeling?"

I took a moment to consider my answer and how I felt. "I'm feeling... good. A bit sticky I guess, but no regrets."

She smiled and nuzzled me. "Good good."

"How are you feeling?" I asked, stroking her side. I glanced down and saw we both had a strong case of morning wood.

"I'm feeling great." She stretched her wings again and sat up a bit, looking down and seeing what I was looking at. "Four months on and I'm still getting used to that of course."

I giggled and daringly reached down to rub it. "Care to do something about it? I'm still safe."

She chirred softly and nodded, flicking her ears. "I wouldn't say no, if you're ready for it."

Now that I was thinking of it, I could feel my loins warming up to the idea. This time I decided I wanted to be on top. I pressed against her and started to climb over her. She quickly realized what I had in mind, and after a brief tangle of wings, tails, arms and legs, she got herself laid out with me straddling her thighs.

"Feeling experimental?" she teased as she propped herself up with her wings. She wiggled to get comfortable on the mattress while I faced her, reaching down to help wake her morning wood.

"Something like that. I wrecked my feathers last night, figure it's only fair to make you mess yours up," I teased, stroking along her hardening member.

"Good thing I know you have a good grooming set I can borrow," she said, rubbing my breasts and making my pulse quicken. One advantage of our wings was that we could use them to prop ourselves up while leaving our hands free for other things.

We didn't do as much foreplay this time. When it felt like we were both ready, I braced myself on her shoulders and lifted up so I could slide closer. I looked down to make sure we were lined up and hesitated for a moment before lowering myself down. I let out a happy moan as I felt the thick shaft slide into me again. This time I was in a better position to look down and see it filling me. It stretched my opening, not quite as much as the eggs did, but more than I was used to.

I lifted myself up a bit and let out a louder moan as I had the sensation of the barbs rubbing inside me again. Cardi echoed my moan and twitched a bit as she tried to move with me. I hugged her and nuzzled as we rocked and before long, I felt her tense and then release. I let my own climax happen as well, and let myself slump against her.

Some time later, I felt her nuzzle me, helping me refocus. It had only been a few moments. I rubbed her shoulders and sighed happily.

"You okay?" she asked, rubbing my wings a bit.

"Yeah, just taking the moment." I finally lifted off of him and slid back. "But the moment is past, for now. I'm starved and I need to get cleaned up."

"Yeah we both do. It's your place, you go first."

I slipped off of her and stood up. I caught my movement in the mirror and turned to examine myself. My feathers and fur were a mess. The fur around my belly was matted down with dried cum and other fluids. The fur of my thighs and groin were similarly messy with dry and wet fluids. I cupped my breasts and shook my wings a bit. "Damn, I'm a mess."

"Yeah, we're messy when we go all out. But it's fun." Cardi sat up on the edge of the bed, watching me. She flicked her own wings and watched me and my reflection. I didn't think she realized she was rubbing herself, her fingers slipping into the opening between her legs. It was making my own shaft harder..

I decided it was best to get going before hormones got the most of us; I knew Cardi was only a day or two away from her heat, in the prime danger zone. I quickly went to the bathroom, grabbed some spare brushes from the cupboard and tossed them into the bedroom onto the bed.

"Here, you can do some preening while you wait," I suggested. "They're new ones, left over from the first session in October."

I closed the bathroom door and started running the water in the tub. I brushed my beak, while contemplating how much time I wanted to take cleaning up. While I wanted a bit of a soak, something my bathroom didn't really support, I decided a quick wipe was more in order.

I stepped into the bathtub, feeling the water pool a bit around my paws. I used a cloth to soak the fur on my belly, loins and thighs. I lathered in some shampoo and rinsed it out, feeling a bit of arousal, but not enough to feel the need to take action on. As I washed off my vulva, my mind briefly considered what was deeper in. I pushed those thoughts to the side before I started spiralling; there was nothing I could do about it now.

I finished up and towel dried as fast as I could. I wiped up the bathroom counter and set up a few fresh towels and cloths for Cardi, grabbed my brushes and stepped out.

"All done, feel free to go in if you want," I said. "There's fresh towels there for you. Just leave them in the tub and I'll get them later."

We swapped rooms and I started brushing out my fur and feathers. I felt clean and presentable before she was done. Without getting dressed, I went downstairs and started preparing breakfast.

"Mmmmm, breakfast with a view," Cardi said, coming down the stairs. She had pulled her shorts back on.

I flicked my tailfeathers to one side and wiggled my wings. "I needed a bit more drying time. I'll dress later. What do you feel like for breakfast? I've got bacon, toast, Eggos, yogurt and fruit. Oh and eggs I guess."

"Bacon without eggs sounds good enough for me. And some yogurt," she said. I stepped to one side to give her room to get to the coffee machine. "Your eggs are beautiful."

I looked at her, then at my first egg. "Thanks. So are yours," I said, remembering her egg in her condo. Having another griffon comment on the egg seemed less embarrassing then having humans comment on it.

"So how are you feeling?" she asked as I cooked. Naked bacon cooking was safer when you had a layer of fur and feathers to protect you; though I did my best to keep the splatters down, not wanting the grease to wreck my fur quality.

"I'm feeling good," I said. "No regrets, and it felt really nice. Some nagging worries that will probably keep going until my next heat, or my next egg, but nothing I can't handle."

"That's fair. I won't say it goes away but you get to know your body one way or another. We should get in the habit of using protection in any case. Practice using condoms and a diaphragm. Doctor Chase can fit you for one if you ask."

"Do condoms make it feel different?" I asked, loading up the plates. We moved to the dining room to eat. .

"A little, but not as much as you would expect."

We ate in silence before I brought up the next thing I was curious about. "You know why I asked you to do this. Amy thought it would help my peaks and you know I've complained about how bad my peaks are. But I don't think you've ever really described yours. How do you handle them?"

"The first few were rough; they caught all of us by surprise of course. But mine don't seem to be as bad as yours. I don't know if Amy's theory is right, because I was active, or if it's because of other reasons."

"The late November and December ones, I had to work through. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get through the day, but I found them easier to handle. I had to work so that gave me something else to focus on. There were some close calls, and my temper was shorter than usual, but I got through it."

"Sounds like Adam's theory might be stronger than Amy's," I said.

She nibbled on a crunchy piece of bacon and nodded. "Most likely. Both have merits, and I don't mind helping experiment."

I chuckled a bit and nodded in agreement. "Any more tips?"

"Tips? Oh yeah! Well, let's see.... First, take the edge off. Give in to the heat or the rut when it first surges, get it out of your system a bit. That will help with the rest of the day. After that, keep busy, keep your mind on other things and you'll have a stronger base to fight back against the hormones. And finally, invest in some maxipads. Both for the heat and the rut."

I tilted my head in confusion. "Maxipads?"

"Yeah, they're surprisingly useful. We don't have periods any more, but I had some left over, so I used one for my last rut and it was surprisingly useful. Just a bit of extra padding around the sensitive parts, and it helps hide what's going on down there. Give it a shot and you might be surprised."

"Thanks," I said, making a mental note. The Simon part of me had a typical male reaction to the idea, but he knew he was losing ground.

"So what are you doing today?" she asked, shifting topics.

"There's another round of tryouts for the skyball team at Commonwealth," I said. "I'm not trying out, but I'll be there for support."

"Nice. Wish I could go. Sounds like it will be fun."

"Yeah, it should be. Thankfully the polar vortex moved along. It's only in the teens."

"''Only,"'' we laughed at the idea of that temperature being comfortable.

We cleaned up the kitchen, bumping into each other more times than needed. Neither of us were looking for more action, but the contact was a nice tease. Once my place was back in order, she started putting on the rest of her gear.

"Thanks for everything," I said as she prepared.

"It was my pleasure. I'm looking forward to you repaying the favour in a week or so," she said, winking at me.

I felt my face warm, but the promise was very appealing. "I'm looking forward to it. Just let me know when."

"Oh I will. But don't expect a home cooked meal like you did. I'm a mediocre cook at the best of times."

I laughed, "Don't expect that too often from me either. This just felt like a special occasion."

She stepped up to me and nuzzled, beak to beak. She teasingly pinched my nipple. "Oh it was special."

I laughed and pulled my wings forward to hug her, then pushed her away. "Get going before we need to clean up again."

"Fine! Fine. Have fun Sky."

"Thanks, try to have fun as well, if you can."

I let her out the back door to my usual takeoff spot. I stood on the porch and waved as she took off. She circled overhead briefly then set off towards her condo.

Over the next hour or so, I stripped the bed and hauled the towels and sheets down to the basement to wash. I puttered around the house, cleaning up and just stewing in my thoughts and feelings over what I'd done. I had some worries and concerns, but I eventually decided I had no regrets.

===Monday, January 15===

Around 9:30 in the morning, I had a gap in my schedule. I'd caught up with all the reports and updates from the weekend, and my team meetings weren't until ten. With Cardi's advice still ringing in my ears, I decided to take action before I got cold paws. I made sure my office door was closed, set up a notepad to scrawl notes down, and dialed the number she'd left me.

"Riverside Medical Services, Doctor Chase's office, Mandy speaking. How can I help you today?" the receptionist answered after a few rings.

"Good morning," I said, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'm Simon Farrell. I'm looking to book an appointment. A friend of mine suggested Doctor Chase to me."

"I see. Are you already a patient with a Doctor here?" the receptionist asked.

I shook my head, "No, I'm afraid not. Until recently I hadn't seen a doctor in decades, and my old family doc is back east."

"Right, I'm sorry, but Doctor Chase isn't taking new patients at this time. But we can add you to her waiting list. Or I can suggest other physicians you could try."

I wasn't surprised to hear that; the strain that the health system was under was well known across the country, but the governments didn't seem to want to do much about it but pass the blame around.

"Sure, I would appreciate it," I said. "But I don't know if there are many doctors around here who could help me."

"Is there something wrong?" Mandy asked. I could hear the concern in her voice. "If you are ill or injured you should go to the hospital. Or check out a walk-in clinic in your area."

I let out a nervous laugh, "No, nothing's wrong with me. At least nothing that I need addressed right away."

"Okay, that's good," she said, clearly relieved. "What sort of medical services are you looking for? A family doctor? A diabetes specialist? Senior care? Pediatrician or something else?"

"I guess I'm looking for a family doctor, or a general practitioner or whatever it's called. But I need someone who's knowledgeable about griffons. That's why Cardi suggested your office to me."

"OH! You're a griffon? Just a second..." Through the connection, I heard a rustle of paperwork and some rapidfire typing on a keyboard. "You said you don't have a family doctor at the moment, right?"

"I don't. He's still seeing my parents back in Ontario, but I haven't seen him since I was in my teens. Haven't seen anyone really, other than the tests they did on me last September."

"Okay, well that makes it a bit trickier. Doctor Chase does have a full schedule, but she wants to help as many of you griffons as possible. Normally she'd do it as an advisor in conjunction with your family doctor, but since you don't have one...." Mandy fell silent as she continued typing rapidly. "Could you hold for a minute?"

"Sure, I can wait," I said. I leaned back on my ball-perch, stretching out my wings to brace against the wall as generic hold music took over. I tapped my mouse and skimmed Outlook for any fresh emails, but nothing urgent was waiting.

"Are you still there?" Mandy asked. "I have Doctor Chase here. What did you say your name was again, and how do you prefer to be addressed?"

"Simon Farrell," I said and paused. Somehow in the past few months, I'd never really thought about the honorifics I wanted to use. "Anything works, I guess. I'm sort've used to Mister of course, but it's not the most applicable any more. You can call me Simon, I don't mind." I stopped myself from suggesting Skyfire; I suspected her position in our community would have pushed me to the front of the list, but I didn't want to use her for favours.

"Certainly, Mister Farrell. Doctor Chase would like to speak to you. Please hold."

The hold music kicked in again, but only for a minute. A new woman's voice was on the line. "Good day, Mister Farrell. I'm Doctor Bella Chase. I understand you're looking to become a patient of mine?"

"Yes, or to at least get some checkups I guess, and some advice maybe."

"Okay. Please understand my patient load is already quite high; but I am becoming one of the few griffon specialists in the city, so I'm trying to help your kind where I can. Is there anything in particular you are looking for, or that you need right away? Are you pregnant?"

"Pregnant? No! No I'm not," I said, hoping the hint of worry didn't show in my voice. It had been an active weekend, but it should have been safe. "I don't need anything right away. I'm feeling fine, all things considered. I'm friends with Cardi, and she suggested you, mainly because we-I'm becoming a bit more active, and, well I don't really have the background to fully know what I'm doing, or should be doing."

She let out a pleasant laugh. "That is understandable, and I can see Cardi saying that. And don't feel bad, all of you griffons tend to need some lessons on how to properly care for your new bodies. I'll pass you back to Mandy to schedule an appointment. I think I have some openings next week, so she can see where we can fit you in."

"Thank you, Doctor Chase. I appreciate it."

"No problem. I'll see you soon."

After a brief moment on hold, Mandy was back on the line. "Okay, we have some openings next week, on Wednesday or Thursday. What times work best for you?"

"Wednesday afternoon if possible," I said quickly.

"That is doable. How does 3:30 sound? It would take about an hour for a first appointment."

"That's fine," I confirmed, then gave my contact information to make it official.

"Right, looking good. You said you don't have a current physician. Have you had any sort of checkup recently? Especially since you changed?"

"I was in Fort Parker, at the Flying J. So I was one of the volunteers in the early days. I'm sure they have my records there."

There was more tapping, and I heard some subvocalized mumbling. "Great, we can work with that. When you show up, we'll have a permission form for you to fill out to request their records. And if you'll allow it, we'll share our findings with them to add to the griffon health databases."

"That's fine, I've gotten used to sharing a lot with them. Anything that might give a clue about what happened to us, or at least make sure we stay healthy. Is there anything I need to do before I arrive?"

"Nothing special. You can eat and drink normally, no need to fast. We'll probably look to take various samples to help establish your baselines, and to compare with what was gathered last September. And clean between your legs; Doctor Chase will be doing a thorough checkup."

I felt my ears warm and pressed them back in embarrassment. It made sense but I still wasn't used to thinking like that. "Sure, thank you."

Mandy made a few more taps on the keyboard. "You're all set. You should be getting a text and email reminder shortly, and you'll get another the day before. See you then!"

"Thanks again... Got them," I said, seeing the notice pop up on my phone. "I'll see you then."

===Thursday, Jan 18===

My icy goddess was back and I welcomed her with open arms and wings. We floated in a cold dark starlit void. I could see her clearly despite the apparent darkness we were in. My nipples tingled and my shaft was already hard in anticipation. She flicked her tail feathers a bit and motioned towards me, her wings spread to show her plumage more clearly. I needed no further invitation.

The distance between us vanished and she was in my arms. I rubbed my paws along her legs, feeling my sensitive shaft against her fur. We rubbed beaks, breasts pressing together while I hugged her.

I shifted my talons down to her furry hips and squeezed them, pulling her in closer. I was all in this time, shifting my grip to stroke her sheath a moment even though it was dormant. One thing I'd learned over the past few months was that even during the peaks, when one sex demanded all the attention and focus, it could still feel nice to give the other some focus.

She chirred in agreement and rubbed my arms, her beak nuzzling at the base of my neck, her talons gripping my shoulders. I stroked lower, finding her opening already moist and quivering with arousal. I stroked her clit briefly before my own urges took over.

I shifted my grip to her hips and pulled her closer. I pushed into her hot, wet tunnel and felt it tighten around my shaft. I still had no real knowledge of what this felt like from the male griffon side, but I knew what she was feeling now and it seemed to intensify my imagination.

I pulled back a little and the barbs on my shaft flared, intensifying the sensations. The goddess shuddered in pleasure as well and squeezed harder. I gripped her harder and pushed in deeper, feeling her own sheath press against my belly fur. All too soon, I felt our bodies tense and my shaft throbbed, releasing in her hot depths.

I woke up suddenly, my body still tense and shaking with pleasure, panting hard. I was lying mostly on my side, and I could feel my morning wood was still hard. I couldn't see anything in the darkness, but I felt the other side of the bed and could tell there was a wet spot there. The rut was here and it had taken its first payment.

I groaned, my mind getting into gear. I pushed myself up slowly and slid off the side of the bed. I fumbled for the light and squinted at the sudden brightness. Able to see now, I could see a large wet spot on the side of the bed, and a similar spot on my belly. My shaft was still hard, but not yearning for attention.

"Okay, here we go again,' I grumbled to myself. It was early, but more sleep was impossible now. Instead, I started reviewing my plans for the day. Satisfying the initial urges was done. I would clean the sheets later but for now, I went to do my usual morning routine, washing up my fur and doing some basic preening.

By the time I was done, I could feel the urge building again, but I refused to give in to it. The throbbing of my shaft was hard to ignore, not to mention how swollen and hard my nipples were. I swore they were growing as I watched, but I knew it was just my imagination.

Instead of giving in, I forced myself to continue my routine. Starting with getting dressed. Cardi's advice echoed in my memory as I looked at what I'd set out the night before, a fresh change of clothes and a pack of pantyliners. I opened the packet and unwrapped one of them, fighting some leftover male squirminess; I wasn't even using it for the designed purpose, but many griffons had reported they did help.

The other new thing in the pile was something I had ordered but not used. Since the change, I had been going commando, wearing no underwear under my shorts. My old boxer-briefs certainly didn't fit any more, and the initial offerings from the designers just didn't seem right. The basic griffon underwear was designed as panties. Since our sheaths were only sexual and not used otherwise, it made some sense; but my formerly male mind had a hiccup over wearing panties. I'd finally broken down and ordered a set of cotton 'granny panties' in anticipation of my next rut and heat.

Griffon panties were a little different from regular human ones. They were basically the same, but they had more give in the front for the sheath, while still covering my ass and pussy. I pulled them on, the fabric squishing my fur a bit more than I was used to. I could feel the cotton rubbing my member, making the arousal harder to ignore but I still fought it. Instead I slipped the liner in and placed it in the front so it added a bit of protection. I pulled on my shorts and stood up, looking at myself in the mirror. Knowing what I was looking for, I could tell my shorts were tenting much more than usual, but for others, I doubted anything was particularly visible.

I shifted my attention upwards and rubbed my furry breasts. My nipples were swollen and visible on my larger orbs. I cupped them in both hands and pinched the nipples between my fingers. The feeling made me moan and nearly made me cum again. I let go quickly and grabbed my top, pulling it on over my head. I tucked a couple of absorbent pads over my nipples for the inevitable leakage, and inspected myself in the mirror. I looked fairly normal, especially considering how ruts usually made me feel. My body had a tenseness to it that I thought I could see, but overall I felt normal.

I forced the feelings my hormones were giving me back, and went downstairs to make breakfast. After eating, I felt better. The urges were a constant distraction in the back of my mind, and in my shirt and shorts, but I felt a bit better able to control them. Using Adam's advice, I went to my office and tackled some work. Technically I was 'off' for the day, but there was always stuff that had to be done, especially when you had been with a company as long as I had been.

By lunch time, I felt reasonably good. I'd been fighting the urges all morning and been mostly successful; the pad in my shorts was wet from the few times I had to give in and 'rubbed one out', but I'd resisted the urges to go full out. I knew I would have to review all my work later, when I was in a saner state of mind. I left my office and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. As if it could tell I was taking a break, my libido roared for attention. I did my best to keep it reigned in, forcing myself to prepare a proper lunch. It was just a bowl of canned stew, yogurt, an apple, some sweets and a glass of juice. I treated it like a six course meal, making sure to savour each bite and doing my best to ''not'' think about what was happening down below.

After lunch, my restraints were weakening.Most tellingly, the padding over my nipples was getting wet and heavy, on the verge of falling out of position. Knowing Adam would be coming over in a few hours, I figured it was a good enough attempt and retreated to my bedroom. I stripped off my clothes and checked the pads. They were wet and stained but holding up well enough, especially since this wasn't the type of flow the panty liners were designed to handle.

I gave in to the urges and retrieved some of my toys. I relaxed on the bed for a somewhat quick but intense play session. I tried to ignore my swollen cock and instead played with my nipples, getting my talons annoyingly wet. I also used a vibrator and played with my pussy. It didn't fully 'wake up', but the feelings were still strong and drove my arousal to higher levels. Finally I switched toys and slammed my swollen shaft into the lubricated toy. It only took a couple of thrusts before I came, feeling the pulsing through the toy. I slumped back on the bed, panting hard, sated for the moment.

After recovering, I sat up and set up the breast pump. My chest was feeling really heavy now, and I didn't want to be too swollen when Adam showed up. I took my time, pumping each breast and trying not to get too aroused from it. I was only partially successful. Like last time, the container was only about half full when I was done, and I was more than ready to fill something else. I grabbed the toy and unloaded into it yet again.

I sighed wearily and looked at the results. The rut was still gripping me hard, but I had some respite now. The toy meant I was less messy than the morning routine had been. I set the pump and toys to one side and got dressed, putting in a fresh pantyliner and breast pads to hopefully handle the rest of the day. It was tempting to leave everything as it was and go back to work. Instead, I took them to the bathroom, dumped the milk and gave everything a good scrubbing so it would be clean for later. I had no doubt there would be a later soon enough.

Getting back into a work mindset was difficult, especially with the rut demanding attention. Nonetheless, I buckled down and picked up where I had left off.

Like the morning, the focus certainly helped. I had to pause a few times again to relieve myself, but I managed to keep the worst urges in check. I'd just done another paw-off break, relying on the liner to hide my release, and was trying to pick up where I'd left off in the report, when the doorbell rang. I jumped in surprise, wings flaring out and feathers fluffing up in a protective manner. A glance at the clock showed it was just after three.

"Shit, already?" I growled, trying to calm myself. The doorbell rang again, and the nest doorbell app pinged for attention. I ignored it, knowing who was there.

Instead, I stood up and ducked into my bedroom to check my appearance. I was presentable, the padding keeping everything somewhat contained. I ran my talons through my head feathers and licked my beak briefly as the bell rang again.

"Coming!" I shouted, heading down the stairs. I opened the door and found Adam standing there. "Sorry, I lost track of time, in a good way. You surprised me," I greeted him.

My head doctor stood on the porch, bundled up in a heavy jacket, a toque and mittens. I realized that while the cold snap had broken, it was still in the negative teens with a wicked windchill. Very nice for a griffon, but still rather bitter for regular humans.

While I was studying him, Adam was studying me. He took in my appearance, but didn't comment on it. "No problem. I expected you to take some time. I half expected you to tell me to leave."

"I'd be lying if I said the thought didn't cross my mind. But overall, this one seems to be going better." I remembered my manners and stepped aside. "Please, come in. Take your jacket and boots off if you want. I think it's warm enough." I checked at the thermostat, having remembered to turn it up the day before. After Christmas, I'd added a 'human guests' setting to the program to bring the heat up to more tolerable levels.

Adam stepped in. While he shed his outerwear, I closed the door and opened the closet and offered a hanger to him. I motioned for him to have a seat in the living room while I settled on the padded bench I used as my main seat now. The urges were building again, as if sensing I was more distracted.

"So, how are things going?" he asked. He took out a small pad and a pen and set them on the arm of the chair he was in, but as usual, he wasn't writing anything down.

I tried to relax as best I could despite the tidal wave of hormones I was feeling. Despite my role in the local griffon community, I normally considered myself an introvert. Hosting company was difficult for me on a good day, and this wasn't a good day.

"I'm doing okay. The advice is helping," I started.

"Good. You are looking good," he encouraged me.

"Well, I did give in around lunch time, but mostly I've got a grip on things." I said. I continued from there, describing how the morning had gone and how the rut was hitting me. By the time I finished, I could feel the urges building again, and since I had company I didn't feel comfortable rubbing it out. I was squirming on the bench, trying my best to stay focused on him.

He noticed my discomfort and brought it up when I finished. "How are you feeling now? Do you need a moment?"

"It's... rough," I confirmed. "Things are building again, but I want to push it. It should be getting near the end now, maybe if I can push through it, it will fade naturally."

He looked doubtful, but nodded. "If you feel that way. If you need to do anything, please just go do it. I understand what you are fighting, even if I can't fully comprehend it."

"Thanks," I said, trying to hold as still as possible. Every little movement I made seemed to agitate my sensations, feeling the pad and my fur against my aroused cock, and my heavy breasts with their sensitive erect nipples. I preyed desperately that the pads would hold out.

He studied me for a long moment, then looked around the living room. "So, I know it's still early, but I can see some adaptations you've made here. How's the place working out? Got any plans for the spring?" he asked, segueing into safer topics.

I nodded thankfully and dove deeper into my house plans, both what I had done and what I was planning to do. Nothing was really baked in yet, but I'd been building up a list since getting home last September.

An hour or so later, I felt like I was so tense that I wouldn't need the bench to sit on any more. Even talking and breathing felt like it would set me off, my whole body yearning for a release I wasn't giving it. I figured the rut had to be almost over now, but I had no idea if it would fade with a whimper or demand a release. Adam was watching me carefully and seemed to sense how close I was to my limits.

"You've done a fantastic job today, considering it's only your fourth rut, and the first one you've tried to control," he said.

"Thanks, it's been rough," I said. If I still had teeth, I would probably have been clenching them. But if i still had teeth, I wouldn't be in this position in the first place.

"I know you've said you gave in to it a few times already today. Don't see that as a failure. You've made major steps today, even if it still feels like it controls you."

"Yeah, I know that up here," I said, tapping the side of my head. "But down here, it feels like it's fully in control." I carefully motioned around my chest, not touching anything.

"Right, but it's a start. You're basically in the throes of an intense adolescence. It takes time to sort those out, and you have the added wrinkle of a competing hormonal cycle.In any case, I think it's fair to give in now. You put up a good fight. The next one will go even better. For now, give in and let your body settle back into normal."

I wanted to resist, but decided he was right. I nodded my thanks and stood up, freezing for a moment while struggling to contain my reactions. The movement rubbed my hard cock against the padding and nearly set me off.

"Should I step out?" Adam suggested, seeing my discomfort.

I shook my head quickly, struggling to contain things. "Nuh-no. I'm good," I stammered out.

I limped to the stairs and almost pulled myself up with the railing, trying to use my legs as little as possible. I could feel Adam's gaze on my feathered back all the way up.

In my bedroom, I dropped my shorts and underwear as fast as I could. The pad was wet, but I didn't care. All I could focus on was the dark barbed shaft that was screaming for attention. Somehow I managed to keep my mind long enough to get a toy, and was quickly pumping into it for release. The release came quickly, but did little to calm the roar.

I slumped back on the bed, panting, yearning for relief. While my cock was recovering, I fondled my breasts through my shirt, feeling their heft and the dampness of the pads. All too soon I was ready to go again, shooting into the toy eagerly.

By the third round, I finally felt the roar fading away. Exhaustion washed over me as the rut finally released. I groaned weakly, letting the toy fall onto the bed. I ached all over, especially my cock. I knew I had more to do, but for the moment I just had to rest.

I didn't quite fall asleep, but I did zonk out for a few minutes. When I came back to my senses, I sat up and knew I had one more major chore to do. I pulled my top off and tossed it to the side, along with the pads. I started setting up the breast pump, when I heard noise downstairs. I remembered my guest.

"You still here, Adam?" I called out.

"Of course. Just taking care of some paperwork while I was waiting. How are you doing?" he called back.

"It's broken. All over but the cleanup," I confirmed.

"Good. How do you feel?"

"Exhausted. Holding it in that long was a challenge, and it took revenge."

"Understandable. Do you want to talk about it more now, or wait until next week, back in the office?"

I considered the offer. I mostly just wanted to finish up and go to bed. At the same time, I knew this was probably an opportunity that wouldn't come again, even if he came back for my heat session.

"Part of me wants you to leave.... But I think it would be better for us to have a little chat before then. Just to cover things while it's fresh, and to give you a better understanding of what we're going through," I said.

"Of course. I can wait until you're ready."

I looked around my room. It was an embarrassing mess. I looked at myself, naked now, my fur and feathers a mess, my breasts swollen and aching to be emptied, my cock softening and almost back in its sheath. Despite all that, I made a rash decision.

"Come on up. We can talk now," I said, deciding before I got cold paws.

I heard him move downstairs to the base of the stairs. "Are you sure?"

"Not really. But I'm willing to do it. Just to warn you, I'm not the most presentable right now."

"Of course. After what you went through, I can't imagine how anyone would be presentable."

I heard him move to the base of the stairs and could imagine him looking up. "Are you sure?" he asked again.

I sighed and nodded, wanting to get on with this. "Yes, I'm sure. Get up here before I change my mind."

I picked up the breast pump and pressed it to a nipple and started pumping. I sighed softly in relief, feeling the tug on my sensitive nipple and the pressure easing as the cream was pulled out. From downstairs, I heard Adam slowly coming up the stairs. He paused at the top, looking around, but not able to see in the bedroom yet.

"Come on in. First door on your left," I encouraged him.

"You sure you want to talk now? I could still wait downstairs," he replied, not moving from the landing.

I sighed and squeezed my breast, deciding it was too full to shift yet. "Yes, get in here. You should see this if you want to know everything that griffons are going through."

He finally appeared in my doorway. I saw his eyes hit me, and quickly look away.

"You've seen most of this before," I teased him lightly. "I just wasn't actually using these when you saw them," I added, hefting my breast.

"I suppose, but context matters a lot," he said. I saw his nose wrinkle, taking in a scent I couldn't really smell. He didn't comment on it, instead shifting the topic as fast as he could. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted. And full. But mainly exhausted," I confirmed, keeping him in my gaze.

"And you always feel like this afterwards?"

"More or less. I'm trying to muscle through this one."

He looked at me and forced himself to match my gaze. "And it's common for all of you?"

I sighed and switched the breast I was pumping. His eyes went down to follow my movement, and he visibly reddened.

"From what I can tell, I'm close to one of the extremes. I can't imagine anyone who has it worse, but most of us don't seem to get it this rough. The lactation, it hits a lot of us. Maybe a quarter of us get it on both male and female peaks. Many get it on the female peak, and apparently it can be triggered pretty easily even off peak. Everyone's eager to see what the chicks are like to see how this all fits together."

"You seem to be taking it well, considering."

I shrugged my wings and sighed. "It's the eighth time for me now. Fourth rut, but latest peak. I'm starting to realize this is me now, like it or not."

He nodded in agreement. "It's a good mindset to get into, as long as you are learning to bring it under control."

We chatted for a bit longer. I finished pumping and gathered up my stuff to clean up. He stepped to one side. "So do you just pour that down the drain?" he asked.

I nodded, doing just that. "I do. I hear there is some interest in griffon milk in general, but it's not something I even want to think of. We're people, not cows after all. Or chickens for that matter."

"Chickens? You mean people want your eggs?"

I shuddered and nodded. "Yeah, the eggs. There's another grey market for those too. I can't imagine how or why anyone would want to, but people will be people I guess. I'm just glad I'm not desperate enough to even need to consider those options."

"But there are some who are that desperate?" Adam asked

"Sadly, yes. Bills have to be paid, and too many of us lost our jobs for one reason or another. As far as I know, no one has officially admitted it, but it does happen. And Edmonton is an expensive city, even if you don't need as much heat as you used to."

I could see the gears turning in Adam's head. But he also left that topic alone and moved on. "So what is your normal routine at this point?"

"At this point? All I really want to do is sleep for a year. But I know I have other obligations. Cleaning up is important. The toys and pads help make it less messy, but there's still a lot to do. A good preening helps too. I often wish I had someone else around to help with that. Most importantly though, is to get something to eat and drink."

"I can only imagine. Is the heat similar?"

"Slightly less messy, but just as intense, if not more intense."

I looked at my brushes and decided that I could wait a bit longer. I made another abrupt decision and left the bathroom, still completely naked. Adam followed me downstairs after a moment of hesitation.

I took out a jug of juice and poured a big glass. I set it on the counter and grabbed an apple. I intentionally positioned myself next to the sink, the egg obvious on the windowsill beside it. Adam followed me and finally noticed it. I saw his eyes dart between the egg and me.

"So that's yours?" he finally asked.

I nodded. "My first. The rest I dispose of right away."

I could see him pondering the implications and mentally debating if it was something he had to address or not. I decided to shift the topic first.

"You're the first humans who've really seen me like this. I mean, my family saw a hint of it last month, but I spent most of it at Cardi's," I said. He nodded, waiting for me to continue.

"So if I'm going to be trying to go through this in public, is there anything you noticed about me?"

He tilted his head, obviously confused.

I tapped my beak near my nares. "The nose doesn't work so well any more. So is there any smells I should be aware of for example? I saw you wrinkle it upstairs, so something is noticeable."

"Oh! Right!" he exclaimed, getting what I was implying. "Smells? Well, you do have a scent about you in general. It's not unpleasant, but it is different. A bit hard to describe really and I've mostly gone nose blind to it."

I nodded and waited.

"As for today? Yeah there are a few new things. You smell more... masculine I guess. Like a teenaged boy who hasn't been showering as much as he should be. But not that strong."

"So you're saying I don't need to bathe in Axe Body Spray?"

"Gods no! That should be a war crime!" he laughed. "It's noticeable, but not bad. A bit exotic even. There's another smell I'm not sure how to describe. I think it's related to your cream maybe. But also nothing unpleasant or anything."

I relaxed a little and bit into the apple, tearing a chunk off with my beak and pulling it in with my tongue. Adam fell silent, watching me. It was probably the first time he'd seen me, or another griffon, actually eat.

"Good, that's good to know. I worried a little how this would seem to others."

"You're perfectly acceptable. Nothing socially bad as far as I'm concerned," he agreed.

We were silent for a few moments as I finished off the apple, core and all. The seeds weren't exactly healthy, but as long as we weren't eating an orchard's worth at once, they were fine.

"So how do you feel today went?" he asked.

"It went well," I affirmed quickly. "I made a lot of progress, at least from the rut end. How about you?"

"It was an eye opening experience. I'm glad we did this, though I don't really want to make a habit of it."

I chuckled and nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't want to make it habitual either. Though, the heat is different...."

"Of course. I'll come out here in two weeks, if you want me to."

"Please. It did seem to make a difference. And I'm curious how the opposite will work."

He nodded. "I'm curious as well. The rut, while it's not something humans experience, it feels similar to adolescence in many ways, close enough to draw some comparisons. The heat though, we know it in other animals, but it's an unknown for humans. Seeing how you handle it will be good."

He paused for a moment, "That is if you want me to be here. I am a guy. Would me being here make things more difficult?"

I started to object, then stopped and considered his question. In the end, I decided my first impression was right. "No, it shouldn't make any difference," I said.

"I mean, when the heat has me, I certainly want a male... but I want a ''griffon ''male. As I've mentioned to Amy, humans don't do anything for me any more; neither males nor females."

"I see. That's something I hadn't really considered, though it does make sense. Is that a common thought pattern in your experience?"

I shrugged my wings and sipped my juice. "I haven't looked deep into it. Amy would know better. But in my experience it seems to be the case. Sure there are a lot of mixed couples out there; but the divorce rate is high, even when they have kids involved. I'm an entirely different species now and my standards and expectations are just different now."

"So if I had been a woman when we first met, would it have made a difference?"

"That's a good question... and I don't know how to answer it. Now, I don't think it would make a difference. Back then? When I was trying to hold onto my masculinity and my humanness with everything I could, you being male may have helped."

"A lot of food for thought. But I could use some real food, as could you. Is there anything else you'd like to bring up for this week?" he asked.

I shook my head and we started walking to the door. "I'm good. Thank you for the house call."

"No problem. It was very worthwhile. We'll do it again in a couple of weeks for your heat. After that?"

"After that, we'll play it by ear. I might be ready to go out in public with it by then." I started to open the door before I remembered his cold weather gear. I quickly turned and opened the closet instead. He noticed my misstep but didn't comment on it.

"It's something we can talk about later. Have a good evening Skyfire. I'll see you next week."

Once he was ready to go out, I opened the door for him. It was dark now with just the hint of leftover daylight in the sky. The cold air that wafted in felt heavenly. I flicked on the porchlight and resisted the urge to follow him outside, remembering my state of dress at the last moment.

We shook hands and he darted out to his car. I stood in the doorway long enough for him to start up and pull out, waving good-bye as he left. Once he was gone, I closed the door, reset the thermostat and debated what to do next. To my surprise, while I could feel the fatigue from the rut, I wasn't as tired as I usually was. I knew I should finish my preening, but instead went back to the kitchen to start dinner. I figured after eating that a night flight would be nice to unwind before bed.

===Wednesday, Jan 24===

I left work just after three for my appointment. The clinic was on the eastern edge of downtown, near the river as its name indicated. It was a six story building located in the boundary zone where the denser centre of the city began to give way to suburbia. I landed in the parking lot near the entrance and headed in.

There was a Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy on the first floor, and a lobby with a parking kiosk and elevators to the upper floors. I was studying the building directory to figure out where I had to go, when the elevator dinged. I glanced over to the opening doors, and saw another griffon coming out. She looked surprised to see me as well.

"Skyfire! What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping out and coming over to hug me.

"Just a doctor's appointment, probably the same as you. But not ''exactly'' the same," I said, greeting her back. "Hi Adriane. How's the little one doing?"

She nodded and stepped back, a hand going to her belly. Three months in, she didn't really show yet, but she was a regular at our gatherings, so we all knew she was expecting. "She's doing well, as far as we can tell. I don't really feel all that different yet. So are you?"

I raised my wings in denial. "Oh no! No no! This is just a checkup, I'm not pregnant or anything," I said quickly, hoping to head off the rumour mill. "Cardi suggested it might be a good idea in general, and Doctor Chase managed to fit me in."

Adrian laughed and nodded. "That's fair. You've got a good one. She's one of the best in the city, in my opinion. Granted this is the only real griffon clinic in the city so far, but she's still the best."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I better get going, before I'm late."

"Fourth floor, hang a left. See you later." She waved her wing and headed out.

I waved as well and pressed the elevator call button to resummon the car. I looked around, seeing a few people looking away, but it seemed griffons weren't uncommon around here.

On the fourth floor there was a small lobby with short halls in either direction. I turned left and saw a double set of glass doors with the clinic's name on it, along with numerous doctor names including Doctor Bella Chase. I walked through the doors and waited for the receptionist to look up.

"Mx Farrel I assume?" she said, looking up. She seemed a little surprised, but gave me a knowing smile. "We've been expecting you." She set some papers on a clipboard and set it on the counter. "Could you please fill this in as best you can, and Doctor Chase will see you as soon as she is available."

"Skyfire is fine," I said, "But I get the feeling you already knew that." I added, taking the clipboard.

Mandy smiled and nodded. "I thought I recognized your name when you made the appointment, but you weren't making the connection. We try to keep track of the local griffons, and you are rather notable in our community."

"Yeah, I didn't really want to use that position to jump the line. Thank you for seeing me."

She smiled and went back to her computer. I noticed that the waiting area had a number of stools instead of the usual chairs. There was an older couple sitting in the regular chairs, but they paid me no attention and I left them in peace. I perched on one of the stools as far from them as I could get, and started filling in the paperwork. I had to haul out my card wallet to find my ID numbers. I left the clipboard on the counter and returned to my stool, killing time on my phone while waiting.

"Skyfire? Doctor Chase will see you now," Mandy said. She stood in the doorway leading to the rest of the clinic.

I followed her to an exam room that was big enough for me to fully spread my wings. It had all the standard doctor office devices, including a bed with a paper covering, and a stool suitable for griffons. I took a seat and waited.

A few minutes later, the doctor arrived. She was a brunette, in her mid thirties and that was about all I could tell at first glance. She had a thin folder that she set on the counter next to the sink.

"Good afternoon, Simon. Or would you prefer Skyfire?"

"Eith-" I started to say then stopped myself. This was more of a Skyfire situation than a Simon one. "Skyfire would be good."

"Is it?" she asked, taking a seat so we would be at eye level. "You seemed to hesitate."

"It's something I'm still getting used to, even after all these months. I didn't even pick the name, but it stuck. But I've got Adam to talk those issues out with."

"Adam?"

"Doctor Fullerton, my head doc. I've been seeing him since the fall."

She nodded and seemed a bit relieved. "Excellent, That's one piece of advice I don't need to give. I'll leave your head to him, and worry about your body." She picked up the folder and ruffled the papers, pulling out a page. "First, if you don't mind, could you sign this form? It is a request form to get your records from Fort Parker. I don't really need them, but it would help provide some continuity in your health records."

She offered it over, and pulled out a second page. "And this is a permission slip that would let me talk about you with the experts down there, and to share anything I find about you. If you don't sign it, I'll only report on your health records which would be limited to doctors directly dealing with you."

I shrugged my wings and scrawled my name on both pages. "If it might help us, I'll let you share anything."

"Thank you Skyfire. I do take this responsibility seriously. If I notice anything abnormal, that is, abnormal for griffons, I'll let you know first."

"I appreciate it. So uhm, as I mentioned, I haven't seen a doctor since my teens basically. What do I need to do?"

She switched to a simple notepad and scrawled down some notes. "For now, we'll just chat, go through your health history both before and after the event. After, we'll need to do a health checkup and we'll take some samples to run tests on. I'm sorry, but some will be uncomfortable, but they are necessary. Future appointments should be faster unless something happens."

"I understand. And I think I know what you're implying." I squirmed a little at the thought. "That was one test I passed on when I was down in Parker. It was one aspect of the change..., the event, that I was in denial about, until I couldn't deny it any longer."

"And now?" she asked, pausing her writing to watch me closer.

I took a nervous breath and met her gaze. "Now, I think I'm ready for it. I'm certainly not in denial about it any more, but there's a hell of a lot I don't know about it."

"Well, let's start with the easy stuff first, your pre-Event life and health. Where did you grow up? Any health issues?"

Thinking back to Simon's life was strange. It was so different from what I was now, I found it increasingly foreign to my new life. We spent a good half hour digging into his life, from the places he grew up, to the illnesses and other issues he had. While I hadn't seen a doctor in decades, I still had taken care of my eyes and teeth at least. So Simon had regular cleanings and checkups, and got too many fillings and a few root canals, along with glasses.

"So yeah, last September, I guess I was in okay health for a middle aged guy who mostly worked a desk job. I'd never been tested but I did have some diabetes signs that I was ignoring, in denial about. Beyond that, I was fine."

"Well, that's not something to be ignoring, but that's in the past," she said, adding a few notes. "As far as I've heard, you all got a health reset and diabetes and cancers and other issues were all cleared up. You should watch your diet regardless, so you don't fall back into that trap."

"That's fair, and my diet has changed. A lot more fruit and veggies than I used to have. I find they're often handier to eat than sweets, especially since I lost my sweet tooth... literally."

She chuckled and flipped to a clean page. "You joke, but some of you have quite the sweet beak too. So good that you're eating healthier. Since the change, how have you felt? Any problems that you've noticed?"

"I've felt... well fine I guess. Lots of problems, but not health ones, mostly adaptability problems."

"That's good, and common. So no aches or pains? Stiff muscles or aching joints?"

"None, well a few when I've gone on extra long flights sometimes, but that's just exercise exhaustion, not any body problems. I've felt stronger than I did before."

"How about the recent cold snap? Any problems from that?"

I laughed, "Once again, only adaptability problems. I picked up some big gloves, mittens actually, so my hands were more protected. And I ended up taking the train a few times when the cold seemed too much for even me to bear."

"Good, good. I've heard a few of you have had some issues with frostbite after that snap. I'm glad you stayed on top of it." She jotted down a few more notes before moving on to the next topic.

"I sense you're skirting around something, how about your cycles? How would you describe them?" she asked

"Hell," I said. She paused and looked up. "They're rough, almost crippling, lasting most of the day."

She looked pensive and made a few notes. "I see. I take it you mean both the rut and the heat?"

I nodded, "Oh yeah, it doesn't matter which way. When it hits, all I can think of is my loins all day. It's worse than puberty."

"I'm sorry it's so rough for you. Could you describe them to me? Have you noticed any changes since the first ones?"

"Sure. Is it any easier? A little maybe, but it's still rough." I took a moment to gather my thoughts, then started going through what my first heat was like and the first rut. I held nothing back, mentioning my mental partner, as well as the recent experiments I'd been trying based on Adam and Amy's advice.

"Okay, yeah, that is a lot to handle," the doctor said, looking at her notes. She seemed to be struggling to figure out where to start. "So your ice goddess, have you seen any griffon like them in real life?"

"Nope. I've looked a little, but she's unique. When I first saw Michelle I saw some similarities, but the differences were quickly apparent. My mental partner, she's more like an Articuno than any real bird I've seen."

"Arti- the pokemon?"

"Yeah. I've been playing it for years, so they were on my mind a bit. Guess my subconscious decided to give me a unique partner to match my somewhat unique appearance."

"Right, well I've got more questions, but I've got another thing to ask of you. The specialists have sent out the word that they want to learn more about griffon cycles. Especially griffs that exhibit more extreme cycles."

"Sure, what do you need?" I asked.

"They would like regular blood samples, to get an idea of how your hormones and your body change through the month. If they can find the key chemicals, they might be able to start developing some things to help you."

"Things like birth control? Or just heat control maybe?"

"Birth control is probably years away, if not decades away. But yeah, heat control and rut control might be something that could happen earlier. Still years probably, but more likely."

"That would be nice. What would you need? How regular would you want the samples?"

"We have a clinic downstairs where the nurses are used to dealing with griffons. Or if you would prefer somewhere closer to home or work, I could look for another spot that's closer. As for how often, probably once a week, ideally on the day of your peaks if you are up for it."

The idea of going out during a heat, or a rut, was terrifying. I nearly objected, but Adam's advice held my tongue. "I can try. It'll be rough, but I did leave once during the rut, so it's not impossible."

"Great. You mentioned you lactate too? We'll want to get samples of that too. We can give you containers to fill and bring with you."

"That won't be a problem. I've started pumping so I have a lot available. Simon doesn't like it of course, but I'm coming to terms with it. Book me at your clinic downstairs, it's not that far out of my way."

She jotted down a few more notes. "Thursdays right? I'll let them know to expect you and to expedite your visits. It shouldn't take long. If you can, call when you're coming in so they know to expect you."

"Any other samples you want?" I asked, mentally coming to terms with being a science experiment.

"Well, maybe a few more actually, but we'll give you containers to fill them the day off, and probably only for the first month, until we get a full cycle of samples. We'll want a urine sample and maybe semen samples if you can provide them."

I felt my face warm a little, but it seemed a reasonable request. "That should be doable most of the time. Maybe not during the heat but we'll see."

"Of course, whatever you are comfortable with. Now, let's go to a bit more comfortable subjects and take some basic stats." She motioned to a scale and started taking my measurements. I mentally converted the metric sizes to compare them with the ones taken when I first changed.

"Weight's almost the same, maybe a bit higher," I noted. "Glad I'm not any shorter at least. I lost too much height as it was."

"That matches what I've heard from other griffons. You're bulking out a little, but not too much."

She wrapped a blood pressure cuff around my upper arm and started pumping it up. I watched curiously, not sure how good the readings would be with my feathers and down, but she seemed to know what she was doing. After a lot of pumping, I felt it tighten around my arm and start squeezing through the plumage. She jotted down some readings and released the pressure.

While she was close to me, she started examining my head, peering into my ears, and shining a light into my eyes. She had me blink both ways, then had me open wide. When she was done, she filled another page with notes.

"So far, you're well within what I've noticed with other griffons, so I'm assuming you're healthy. I'd like to schedule both an eye test and a hearing test for you, but there's no rush for it. We just want to establish baselines for you."

"That's good to hear. In for a penny, in for a pound. I take it, you know some folk who can do those tests?"

"Certainly, this entire clinic is pivoting to specialize in griffon health. Mandy can help you book appointments on the way out when we're done."

She put the pad down and gave me another look. She retrieved a folded up robe from a shelf. "This is the part where things get a bit uncomfortable. I'll have to ask you to strip and put on this robe as best you can. It'll cover your front."

I chuckled and started opening my blouse. "The top I don't mind exposing. I think I sort've started the topless theme here in the city long ago. But I guess you'll need more?"

"Yes, you'll need to remove your shorts as well. This is the part of the visit you wouldn't be as familiar with."

"To be fair, all of this is unfamiliar with me," I said, standing up. I folded up my top and left it on the counter with my bag, then started to undo my shorts. I was still going commando, only using the granny panties when I needed to for the peaks. The doctor turned away to give me a little bit of modesty.

"When you're ready, get onto the exam bed. For now you can just sit up on it, and I'll ask you to lay down later when we need it. We're still trying to figure out what equipment works best for you guys."

I nodded in agreement, and decided to pass on the hospital gown. There was a light sheet on the exam bed, so I sat on the bed and put the blanket over my lap and hips.

"I think I'm ready." For the first time, I felt a little self conscious about my appearance, but I pushed past those feelings.

She turned back around and looked me over. "Right, I'll be doing a few more exams. Changed people got a health reset, but that doesn't mean you still aren't at risk for cancers and other diseases. So we'll check you early, get used to what is normal, and hopefully if anything abnormal develops, we'll catch it early."

"No problem. Do what you need to do," I said.

"First, we'll do a breast exam. I'll go through how you can check yourself regularly as well," Doctor Chase said, putting on a set of gloves.

I tried to relax as she approached me. She started on my left breast, squeezing and massaging it, and feeling all around it. I had a habit of zoning out during dentist appointments, and I was quickly able to slip into this zen-like state while she worked. I barely noticed when she shifted to the other side to examine the right one.

"All good," she proclaimed, going back to make some more notes. "Excellent shape I'd say, and good reactions. I'll include some pamphlets on self exams for you to take home. Basically, when you milk yourself, you should feel your breasts. If anything feels different, call me right away."

"Ugh, I still hate that that's a thing I do," I grumbled, looking down and smoothing the fur on my chest a bit. "It doesn't seem right."

"There is probably a reason for it, but we won't really be able to tell why until you have kids. The current theories are that it's a way for both parents, or any griffon, to nurse a young hatchling. Assuming you will lay an egg, you wouldn't necessarily have the normal body cues to tell you have a new mouth to feed. So instead you're basically always primed for milk to feed a hatchling. There may be other cues we don't know yet, but the hormone shifts of your cycles do seem to be a trigger."

"Lucky me." I sighed and shrugged my wings. "Not like I can do anything."

She nodded in commiseration and looked back to make sure the door was closed. She unwrapped a tray with some metal instruments on it. "Next, we'll need to do a pelvic exam. Both your penis and vagina. You can stay seated for the first part, but at some point I'll probably need you to lay down. Face down or face up, whichever you're comfortable with."

I nodded again, and lifted the sheet away. I leaned back a bit and found the bed was just far enough from the wall for me to comfortably use my wings to prop myself up. I spread my furry legs and flexed my claws, trying to relax and not think of what she was going to do.

She gave me another long look before stepping closer. "Your plumage and fur are in excellent shape. I'm glad to see you've got a good preening routine."

"Thanks. It's one of the lessons I learned quickly down in Parker. And one of the first ones I taught when I got home."

"Good, keep it up. And thank you for making that video. I've used it to teach more than a few griffons how to better care for themselves."

She finally stepped close to me, looking down at my groin. I tried to relax as I felt her touch my sheath, squeezing it and stroking it. I felt it reacting naturally, and soon found my penis swelling out of it in its dark barbed glory. It was obvious it wasn't the first one she'd examined. I couldn't help but shiver a little as she stroked against the barbs briefly.

"Good reactions, and nice and clean. You'd be surprised at how many griffons I've had to teach how to clean this," she said, letting go and letting me relax. "Even former guys have needed the reminder. You said your rut was last week?"

I gulped and nodded, trying to urge it back into its furry home. "Yeah, I'm almost exactly midway between them today."

"And any problems getting it up?" she asked as she turned to prepare her equipment.

"None, not normally. Other than during the heat. But even before or after, I don't seem to have any issues."

"Excellent. Okay, this will be new to you. Just lean back a bit and try to relax. Someday we'll figure out a proper chair with stirrups for you guys, but for now we'll make due. This is a speculum, a device to help me check inside of you. It may feel a bit cold."

I closed my eyes and tried to enter my zen state as she came in. I felt her latex covered fingers over my labia, and twitched as she pressed her fingers into me. It was quickly followed by the cool metal of the tool pressing in and spreading my vagina open. I focused on the ceiling and just tried to relax and not react as she did her checks.

"You're doing great," she encouraged me. "I'm just going to reach in for a bit and feel around."

I nodded but didn't look down. The tool was pulled away and I soon felt the fingers slide in. It felt strange as she felt and pushed deep into my vagina and felt my cervix. An eternity later, she pulled her hand out and I let out the breath I was holding. I heard the snap of latex gloves being pulled off.

"Excellent once again. You're in fine shape, Sky. Any problems with your eggs so far?" she asked, disposing of the gloves and picking up her pad to make more notes.

"Nuh-None yet," I said, taking a moment to recover my voice and calm my pulse. "Uncomfortable as hell, but not as bad as the peaks." She nodded, continuing her notes. "Do you want one of them?" I asked.

"That won't be necessary. Fort Parker's overflowing with griffon eggs as is, and honestly, that's probably not an aspect of your biology they want to mess with."

"Oh," I said, unable to hide my disappointment, even though I wasn't sure what I was expecting.

She put the pad down and took my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I know this is all new and strange for you; it's strange for all of us, but you griffons especially. We're doing all we can to help you out, but it takes time to figure out. It will probably be years before we'll even be able to start trials on things to try and adjust your biology. But it has to start somewhere, and the information you give us, well, the information you give them, will help."

"I know, I know. Hell, I gave a similar speech to my family over Christmas," I said. I tapped my head, "I know that up here, but that doesn't mean I don't wish there was something to help make things easier."

"Just be careful and watch for official notices about what is safe and not safe for you to take. Stay away from the internet witchdoctors, and only take officially prescribed drugs if you have to take anything, Advil, Aspirin and Ibuprofen seem safe for you guys at human doses, but avoid most over the counter stuff in general."

I laughed and nodded "No worries there. I wasn't in the habit of taking anything before all this, and I'm not eager to start now, but it is a bit tempting."

"Right, in that case we are almost done, aside for one thing. Sex, or rather, sexual protection. You said you are active?"

"Barely," I confirmed. "I wasn't all that interested in it before, and while the hormones said one thing, I didn't expand my social game in that direction, at least not until a few weeks ago."

"What changed for you?" she asked.

"A suggestion from another friend, who's been trying to help me handle the peaks. She thought 'getting fucked' might help."

"And did it?"

"The jury's still out. That's also when Adam suggested distraction therapy as well to manage the peaks, and the rut last week did seem a bit more tolerable, so I don't know."

"How active have you been? And in what ways? Did you use protection?"

I thought back briefly. "Just once. We timed it during my safe times, after an egg and before the rut. I was the female. Her own safe week is this week, so we're hoping to do it again soon, the other way. We didn't use protection, though I know we should. That's why I'm here. "

"Yes, you should. Aside from pregnancy, you should still keep in mind the risk of STDs. Those buggers may not have figured your biology out yet, but it's bound to happen eventually, and you don't want to be the first."

"That's part of the reason I called you for the appointment. Cardi encouraged me to get ''The Talk'' from an appropriate person."

Doctor Chase laughed. "Well, good on her. As for ''The Talk'', it sounds like you're pretty well informed, so I'll go over the basics and you can ask for more details as needed."

She went to a cupboard and pulled out a box of condoms. "We'll start with the simpler side, your male aspect. Condoms are your best protection. You're still basically human sized and your extra properties don't get in the way that much. Are you familiar with them?"

I nodded and took the offered box. "I got those lessons a long time ago, and the demos with the bananas. And I've used them before."

"Good, I'd suggest you practice alone a few times. Get used to taking it out of the wrapper without damaging it and putting it on just like you're used to. The sheath and shape are a bit different but not enough to prevent them from working. When you're shopping, check for the thicker ones, just to better handle your barbs."

"Gotcha," I said, my ears burning a bit. I set the box next to me and waited as she rummaged in the cupboard for a few more things.

"For your female side, things are trickier. As I implied earlier, we're years from the pill being feasible. Even IUDs are probably a long way away. We suspect they would work for you, but your egg cycle does complicate things. The last thing we want is for you to push the IUD out in an egg and thus lose your protection."

"I'll take your word on that. I don't think I even know what an IUD is."

"An IUD is an Intrauterine device; a small thing we keep in your uterus and it basically stops ovulation. But your eggs complicate matters in there so we aren't even thinking of trialing those yet. Maybe in a year or two when we know better."

"In any case, I'm sure you've got enough on your plate as is. So yeah, as far as female protection goes, chemical means are out, but physical ones are still feasible and relatively low risk. When used properly with condoms, your pregnancy risk is very minimal. It could still happen, but as long as you are careful, you shouldn't get pregnant."

She presented a latex cup-like device to me, but didn't let me take it. "This is a diaphragm. You apply some spermicide to it and insert it in yourself when you expect to have sex, and it should protect you. I'll have to fit you for one, to make sure you get one that fits properly, and then you'll be all set to go. Like condoms, you'll want to practice putting one in and taking it out. As you can imagine, it's a bit trickier to do right, especially with your talons, but it is possible. We've got a device, a plastic stick basically, that you can use to slip it in and out easier, or you can just use your hands."

I flicked my ears nervously, still feeling some embarrassment about the discussion, but listening intently. "Okay, what do you need to do?" I asked.

She set the diaphragm to the side and put on a fresh set of gloves. She rolled over a tray with more silicon rings on them. "I'll put these in, and check the fit on each one, to tell which covers your cervix the best and doesn't feel uncomfortable. You should barely be able to tell it's in there when it fits right."

"Right, do what you need," I said.

She smeared some lube on her fingers and the middle ring. I gulped nervously and looked up again, trying to relax and go back to my zen place. I spread my legs for her and leaned back. Soon enough I felt her push something in and start wiggling it around. I tried to relax but couldn't help but tighten up a little. It didn't feel like my toys but I could tell something was there.

"Just a bit big I'd say. I'm going to try another one," the doctor said, gently tugging on it.

I soon felt her pushing another one in and wiggling it into position. I peeked down and saw her looking closely between my legs, one hand actually ''inside'' of me. It was a bit disconcerting. She pulled her fingers free and felt around my loins, pressing down on my sheath and hips.

"That looks like a better fit. Can you get up and walk around the room a bit? Let me know if you feel anything strange about it."

I pushed myself off the exam table and took a few steps, focusing on the feelings in my vagina. If I focused really hard I could sense ''something'' in there, but I barely noticed it otherwise.

"Do some stretching, flex, crouch, do the splits. It shouldn't move in you," she encouraged me.

I followed her advice and started doing more movements, wiggling my tail and lifting my legs higher than I usually did. When I was done, I hopped back onto the table and spread my legs again.

She crouched before me and slipped a freshly lubed finger in again. I felt her press and wiggle in there. She finally hooked her finger and pulled the device out. "No movement. Excellent. This is your size. We'll want to check your fitting regularly. For humans we normally advise every year. For griffons, we're not sure yet. Since you're laying eggs, we'll probably want to check more often, at least until we learn more. Maybe we'll plan on a fitting check every season to start."

"If that's what it takes. Damn, my body is high maintenance."

She chuckled and nodded, "That it is, especially if you want to short circuit your biology. But it's not really much more than you've already been doing. As we learn more, we can probably stop doing as many tests and exams in the future."

"Thanks, Doctor. I hope that will be the case. So, what do I do with that exactly?"

Doctor Chase handed me the sheet to put over my groin and went to the door. "Give me a moment to get some supplies, and then I'll teach you. I won't be long."

While she was gone, I peeked at the top page of the notepad, but while her handwriting was surprisingly legible, the terms were unknown to me. I looked around the exam room and debated Facebook scrolling. Before I could get to my phone, she came back in. She had a tube of something, a plastic stick with hooks and notches on the end, and a plastic container. She set them on the table next to me, and opened the container, showing a latex device similar to what she'd shown me earlier.

"Right then, this is how to use them. Diaphragms, especially with spermicide, are effective forms of birth control. Not so great at STD protection but still better than nothing. You should still use condoms as well. You can put this in up to six hours or so before you think you might have sex, so you could set it up before the start of your date and be ready if things go well. If it's been awhile you might want to refresh the spermicide before the actual act, but otherwise it should be fine. Just make sure to take it out within twenty four hours."

I nodded slowly, listening intently. She tapped the pamphlet she'd brought in as well. "It's all explained here. Read it when you get a chance, and feel free to call if you have more questions.”

"As for sex itself, you don't need to do anything during the act. Afterwards, wait about six hours or so before you take it out. That will make sure the swimmers are taken care of. If you do multiple rounds, you should squirt in more spermicide before the next round. Just squirt it onto a finger or two and reach in to spread it over the device without taking it out.Any questions?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't think so. Not yet."

"Good. Now let's go over how to put it in. You might want to stand up now, and maybe lift your leg. That's what most griffons have told me is the easiest way. Pick up the stick and the diaphragm, this end up. Pinch it closed and hook it on the end like that."

As she spoke she motioned for me to follow the instructions. I picked up the plastic stick and the latex device, finding the nubs to squeeze, feeling the springiness of the rim of the device. After a few attempts, I managed to get it positioned.

"Now squirt some spermicide onto it. Not too much but enough to coat it thoroughly. Spread it over the diaphragm. Be careful with your talons."

I flipped the top of the tube open and squirted a bit in. I spread the clear gel over it, trying not to think of what I was about to do.

"Now to put it in. Prop a leg up and try to relax. Slide it into your vagina and press it towards your tail as far as it can go. Give it a little twist to remove it from the stick and try to nudge it into place just above your pubic bone. Then pull the stick out."

She watched me expectantly, as I lifted a leg onto a stool. Its purpose was obvious to me now, as it was just high enough to spread my legs without being too uncomfortable. I looked down and hesitated a moment, before reaching down and spreading the lips of my vagina a little. I lined the stick up and slid it in, until I felt it bump into something deep in me. I twisted the stick until the diaphragm was released and tried to nudge it into place.

"Now CAREFULLY, reach in with a finger and check the positioning. Make sure your cervix is covered. Your talons do make this trickier, but once you get used to what it feels like it should become easier."

I pulled the stick free and reached in carefully. I tried to use the back of my talon and finger to tell where it was positioned. I found the hard bony ridge and made sure it was in place, and that my cervix was covered."

"How does it feel?" Doctor Chase asked, putting on another glove.

"I think it feels okay," I said. I stayed still while she leaned close to look and feel inside.

"It looks good. Take a few steps around, get used to it, make sure it feels okay, then we'll practice taking it out."

I followed her advice, doing another lap around the room. I couldn't feel it at all within me. I returned to the stool and put my leg back up, waiting for the next instruction.

"Take the stick and turn it around. You'll want to slip the hook end in, and snag the front of the diaphragm and gently pull it out."

I slid it in and wiggled the stick until I found the device and got it hooked. "This seems like it could be messy," I said as I pulled it out, partly to distract myself.

"A little, but not as much as you'd expect. You shouldn't remove it until hours after the act, so most of the mess should be dried up or otherwise absorbed by then. Of course, if you're using condoms there shouldn't be any swimmers anyways, but multiple layers of defense certainly doesn't hurt."

I put my leg back down and held the items in my hands. She nodded to the sink. "Wash them both in warm soapy water, and dry them carefully. Use a mild soap and that's all you need. Store it in the case, and it should last you a long time."

I washed them carefully and dried them with some paper towels. She handed me the container for me to put it back in.

"Just make sure you inspect it before each use. Hold it up to the light and look for any openings or damage. If it is damaged, don't use it. You can pick up a new one at just about any pharmacy, just use the code on the container to get the right size."

"Thanks, Doctor. It... It's a lot to take in all at once, but I appreciate it. It certainly eases a lot of the worries I've been having."

"Good good. You can get dressed again. We're almost done I think, but I'll send a phlebotomist to get your blood samples, and give you containers for the rest. We can take a urine sample today too if you can supply one."

"That I think I can do. But I'm not sure I could do a semen one," I said, grabbing my shorts and pulling them on. I decided to leave my top off, folding it out and stuffing it into my chest bag. .

She laughed and started packing up my folder. "No worries, we'll wait until next week for that one. If you can."

She got a bag and started filling it with everything she was giving me, including various containers to fill for my next trip out. "So next Thursday should be your heat. When you think you can handle it, come out here and go to the clinic on the second floor. They'll be expecting you any time during the day, between nine to nine. If you can, fill the urine cup when you get out here, or just before you come out. The semen one just get the day of, when or if you can. If you can't, that will be fine.

"The diaphragm and the tool, you know about. The spermicide you can get at any pharmacy in the contraceptive aisle. Condoms you can also get there as well.

"Finally, here are all the pamphlets about everything I talked about, a guide for being a new griffon and your new sex. I know you're already well informed, but go through it anyway, and make sure you're familiar with it."

I took the bag when she offered it to me and started squeezing it into my chest pack. When I was zipped up, I shook her offered hand. "Thank you, Doctor Chase. When do you want to see me again?"

"Let's pencil you in a month from now, just to go over what you've been through, and to make sure everything is going well. Then we can probably schedule the follow up for April and every three months after that. I know you said you have no intention to get pregnant, but if you do think you are, call immediately and we can do some tests to confirm it, and give you advice on that."

"I ''really'' hope it doesn't come to that. I may be becoming more active, but that's a grenade pin I really don't want to pull."

"Right, understandable, but nothing is perfect. That said, even with protection, I would suggest not having sex with someone when you or they are on their peaks, just to be safe. Those tend to be when you guys are the most... unrestrained, and likely the most fertile, so it's best to err on the side of caution," she explained, choosing her words carefully.

"Yeah, good idea. I'm certainly not intending to do anything like that."

She handed me a cup. "There's a bathroom just outside, on the right if you can fill this. I know it can be tricky but it is doable. When you're done, come out, and go to the desk you passed on the way in. Joanne will be ready for you to take a blood sample."

"Thanks again, Doctor. I appreciate you taking me on, and teaching me so much."

"Happy to help. Future appointments won't be this long of course. Have a good evening, make sure you practice, and have fun. I'll see you next time."

We left the exam room, and I spotted the bathroom. The rest of my visit was uneventful, the blood draw happening surprisingly easily. The phlebotomist clearly had a lot of experience with griffons.

I stepped out of the elevator, my head spinning with all the information I'd been given, and my chest pack heavy with my new supplies. I paused in the lobby, glancing at the Shoppers, and decided I might as well finish the list while I was there. No one gave me a second look as I entered the store and found the 'family planning' aisle. I took my time looking it all over, both the male and female supplies, mainly familiarizing myself with what I might need to get. Doctor Chase had given me both the box of condoms and the diaphragm, but I still needed to find the spermicide. I picked a tube and scanned the shelves a final time, before deciding I'd reached my information limit for the day.

I grabbed a drink and snack as well, paid and stepped outside. It was late in the afternoon now, and traffic was picking up as the downtown core emptied out. I took off and landed on the roof of the medical building to have my snack and just watch the city end its day. The roof itself had a landing area for griffons marked out, but no building access. When I was done, I stowed my trash in my pack and headed home.

===Friday, January 26===

On Friday afternoon, Greg called me down to have a chat. We often had informal chats at the end of the week, just to unwind a bit, review what was going on, identify any rough spots and figure out what we needed to do. This time, I could tell there was something different, though I couldn't tell what.

Purely by coincidence with the layout of our floors, Greg's office was almost directly below my own. So the view from his windows was basically identical to the one I was used to from mine. If our windows could open, I could literally have jumped out and dropped down to see him. Instead, I had to take the stairs and weave my way through the C-suite halls to his office. His door was open, and I could see him looking out the windows, his back to me. Our usual pair of end of week beers from a random local brewery were on his desk.

"Hey Greg, how's it going?" I asked, flicking my tail feathers clear of the doorway before using my wing to tap the door shut.

"Afternoon, Simon. It's going good," he said, turning back to face me. He walked around his desk and sat down in a comfortable chair.

I grabbed the bottles and settled down on the padded bench he'd added to his office after I'd returned. I popped the tops off, and handed him a bottle while studying the beer.

"PickAxe brewery? I've heard good things about them," I said.

"Yeah, they're from up in Fort Mac. Jimmy brought back a case when he was up last week," Greg said.

We sipped the beers and talked about the flavours for a bit. Contrasting griffon tastes to human tastes had become one of our ice breakers.

By the time the beers were gone, we'd moved on to company business and had mostly wrapped up our weekly debriefings. I could tell Greg still had one topic on his mind.

"So, we're making plans for the spring and summer travel seasons, trying to figure out who to send where," Greg said, finally getting to his main point.

"How are things looking? Get many takers for the territories?" I asked. I suspected I knew what he was getting at.

"Too many it seems. We'll have our choice to send up north, and out east."

"But how about down south?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Calgary, Lethbridge, even Hat, we're good.... But, there's some reluctance for the other areas. Which is a challenge because our ad campaign is drawing more interest from there too. We've got a few potential customers making inquiries."

"Understandable. So far lightning hasn't struck twice but we just don't know. So you want to get me back on the road?"

Greg nodded and took a sip of his beer. "Not right away. But yes, we want to make you more mobile. Not just to cover the griffon territory, but to use you for other roles in the field."

I smirked a bit, flicking my tail. "There's a tradeshow you want me at?"

"Possibly. We're not sure yet. And we're not sure how mobile you are."

"And therein lies the rub," I said. I thought it over for a moment. "Well, gear isn't an issue; we can always FedEx it to wherever we need ahead of time. But for me personally, yeah. If the weather is decent and I have enough time, I can fly almost anywhere in the province within a day or three I think. But that would eat up a lot of time.

"They're working out some better ways to give us some griffon public transit. I think they're hoping to have a semi-regular schedule from Calgary to Hat and down to Parker and Billings. The Edmonton line is only running weekly, so I might as well fly."

"What if we hired someone to drive you? Get you in the general area quick and you could fly from there?" Greg suggested.

I shuddered and grimaced. "If we're really in a pinch, I guess we could do that. But I'd really rather not. Most vehicles are not made for griffons. Riding in a van to get back here last fall was one thing. To do it regularly, is not something I'd look forward to."

"Right, so what do you propose we do?" Greg asked.

"Try to schedule around the limitations," I said while an idea nagged at the back of my mind. "And maybe give me until the spring, once the weather warms up. There might be a few more options then."

"Other options? LIke what?" Greg asked.

I shrugged my wings. "I'm not sure. I've been hearing things, but I need to do some research. I don't want to get your hopes up yet. But one way or another, I'll figure out how to get down to our griffon customers."

Greg got up and retrieved another pair of bottles. "We can work with that. I'll make up the list and keep seeing if we can find any more volunteers to cover it. One of the issues of course, is since you're the beak of the company, we've actually seen a spike in interest down there, so we need more down there than we normally would."

"Enough to hire a local griffon?" I suggested. I'd been hinting at wanting another beak or two in the company almost since I got back.

"Possibly. We'll certainly consider it if the right resume shows up."

We chatted a bit longer about some work matters, before wrapping up the week. I grabbed my gear from my office and took off for home, a bit of leftover sunlight guiding me. Griffon transportation options were at the forefront of my mind. Flying was fine for moving around within the city, but for going somewhere more than a hundred kilometers away, it was less useful. While we were technically bipedal, fitting into human seats on buses, planes and trains wasn't feasible; our wings and especially our tails got in the way.. Some companies had started offering bus services for griffons, but they mainly went from Calgary to Medicine Hat and around the griffon towns. Edmonton had a run a couple times a week, but the timing wasn't really good for business purposes.

What I had in mind was something that had gained interest before the snow fell. There was one method of travel that we could handle with very few modifications. The main challenge was getting appropriate safety equipment, something that the early adopters were just ignoring.

When I got home, I started looking up motorcycle licenses. Most bikes you rode laid back, which wasn't good for us. But there were a lot of motorbikes that you rode leaning forward. It left plenty of room for our wings and tails.

I quickly discovered I wasn't the first to go down this path. There was a long list of "Griffon compatible" bikes and trikes on various griffon reddits, along with their pros and cons. The main holdup was a certified griffon-helmet, but a couple of manufacturers were supposedly in the final stages of designing one; they'd been working on Titan compatible helmets and had pivoted when griffons came out. I bookmarked a few threads and bike models to look into later, along with some notes on how to get a license and learn to ride a bike. Before last fall, the idea of riding a motorbike had been far from my mind. The closest I'd ever come was when I had ridden a friend's skidoo as a teen, and promptly ran it into a sapling. There had been no damage but I'd been content to restrict my driving to four wheeled vehicles. Now, riding a motor bike or a similar vehicle was certainly appealing.

===Saturday, Jan 27===

I should have realized sleeping in on this particular weekend would be a lost cause. Shortly after eight, my phone was buzzing for attention. I tried to ignore it, but as soon as the buzzing stopped, it started again. I grabbed it from the bedside table and answered.

"Good morning, sleepy head. Happy birthday!" Mom cheerfully greeted me.

I groaned and sighed. "Morning mom. Thanks. You forgot the timezones again."

"What? No I didn't. I waited to call. It's almost noon after all."

I double checked the time to verify it. "It's just after eight on a Saturday morning, mom," I corrected her. I didn't bother pointing out that her 'almost noon' was actually just after ten, her time. I slide off my bed and stretched out a bit, shaking out the sleepiness.

"Oh right. I'm sorry. Happy Birthday anyways. Do you have any plans for today?"

"I don't know. Nothing much," I said, lying a little. I did have one big thing planned, but it wasn't birthday related and certainly not something to be shared with a parent. "We've got a griffon gathering today. Just a hangout session out on the river, since the cold broke."

"I see. Well, you should do something for yourself at least. Especially after the year you've had. It's a new beginning after all."

"I know, I know. I'm basically turning thirty again I guess. Or whatever they guess our ages were reset to."

"Make sure you do something in any case," Mom said.

"Of course. Love you."

"Love you too."

I hung up and sighed. I was too awake now to go back to sleep so I headed to the washroom to get ready for the day. Through the rest of the morning, a few more birthday greetings trickled in. Most were automated birthday 'greetings' from business loyalty programs, usually combined with birthday coupons. Bev and a few cousins and friends gave me birthday greetings on Facebook, but Facebook itself was relatively quiet; I made sure most of my settings were private so it didn't trumpet my day to the world.

Shortly after lunch, I began to pack up my gear for the day. The griffon weekend events were slowing down, but we were trying to have one every other week at least. This week we were gathering at the Kinsmen Park on the other side of the river from the Legislature. It was just a picnic and hangout session, since the cold had mostly broken.

I hesitated in my bedroom, looking at the closed container on my dresser. As I'd hinted to mom, I had other plans for later in the evening. Cardi's egg had been earlier in the week, and we were both eager for the chance to 'return the favour' from a few weeks before. I wasn't sure if it actually helped control the heats and ruts, but it certainly didn't hurt.

Since it was Cardi's safe week, I probably didn't need to bring everything. On the other hand, I knew she'd been a little disappointed that we hadn't been fully prepared last time. It certainly wouldn't hurt to be properly prepared, just in case.

My heart pounding a bit with a mix of nervousness and embarrassment, I dropped my shorts and retrieved the diaphragm. I'd practiced it a few times since getting it, wearing it for a few hours in the evening, but this would be the first time I might actually need it. I applied the spermicide as instructed and tried to relax, propping a paw up on a stool to slip it in. The process was almost anticlimactic when it was done. I crouched and stretched a bit to make sure it was in position, and couldn't really feel it.

I added the tube of spermicide and a few packs of condoms into my go bag, and got dressed again. I was almost out the door when my phone chirped with a message from Cardi.

''Sky. Do you have a few moments to review some GSL videos with me? I'm at home.''

I stared at the message in confusion. The request in itself wasn't that strange. We'd been going cross-eyed reviewing GSL videos to get the ideal angles to pick signs for the app. But doing it now of all times felt strange. Especially since we'd be meeting up afterwards for dinner and more.

Realization dawned on me as I finished the train of thought and I beak palmed. After the gathering, our thoughts would be shifting to different subjects. We certainly would not be in a good headspace to be analysing videos. Doing it now would give us enough separation to hopefully do the job well.

I locked up and took off, heading right to her tower. A short time later, I landed on her balcony and tapped on the glass patio door.

"Hey Sky, come on in," she called from the kitchen.

I slid it open and made my way in. Her place was a bit messier than usual, but not unusually so. She was in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher. I admired her red plumage from the living room.

"Sorry for the short notice. The team found a few new vids and sent them to me last night to review. I was going to wait until later, but realized tomorrow might not be the best time to do that," she said. She seemed a bit distracted as she told her story.

"It did catch me a bit by surprise. Really I don't think the teams stuck on us. We could probably have held off until Monday or next week sometime," I said. I made my way to her dining room table where her tablet was set up.

"True. I just don't like putting things off, not when we can finish it now," she said. She tapped a quick message on her phone before turning the screen off. "As is, waiting almost a full week for tonight has been torture."

My wings and tail lowered a bit, and my ears pressed back, griffon signs of submission and embarrassment. "Sorry to make you wait. I've been as eager for this as I'm sure you've been. But I also wanted to be fully prepared with it, and I didn't see Doctor Chase until Wednesday...."

She came up behind me and nuzzled me, hands going over my shoulders and cupping my breasts. I felt a surge in my loins and a strong desire to skip the day's gathering. "I'm sure you have, and I'm glad you waited. Why don't we get started."

It took me a moment to remember what she wanted to do. She let go of me and sat on the bench next to me, a wing rubbing against my own. She retrieved the tablet and brought up a few of the videos.

Almost immediately I could tell something was off. There were a few new videos, but many were ones we'd already gone over and reviewed. And the few new ones that were available, didn't really add anything. The GSL app was a struggle as we tried to better define what it was going to do, but nothing we were going over now would change it much. At the same time, Cardi seemed extra distracted, often checking her phone when she thought I wasn't looking. I might have chalked it up to pre-rut nerves, but it felt different.

Before I could call her out on it, she got a new message and seemed to relax. She didn't say anything in particular, but when we finished the latest video, she turned the tablet off.

"That's enough for today," she announced. "We've got a - gathering to get to after all."

I noticed the curious hiccup, but couldn't call her on it. She all but shoved me out the patio door and followed me soon after. We flew north, using the legislature and the river as our guide.

The number of griffons in the sky made it easy to spot our gathering. Many were throwing balls back and forth and just doing some impromptu skyball practice. Excitement was high for the launch of the league. Down below, there seemed to be more humans around than I was used to. We had a lot of allies, but random folk had trailed off as the temperature dropped. There were a number of heat stations set up, along with a lot of cars and trucks in the parking lot. I recognized Michelle's blue feathers talking with her cousin near the middle of the crowd.

We waved to friends and came in directly, picking a clear spot near some concrete picnic tables that had been cleared. A suspicious feeling began to form in the back of my mind as I took in the crowd below but the pieces didn't quite click into place in time.

The moment my paws touched the icy concrete, Rob and Juanita popped up from behind a few griffons, rolling out a ''Happy Birthday'' banner. "SURPRISE! Happy Birthday Sky!" the crowd shouted.

I wordlessly waved my thanks, taking in the crowd more. I recognized Greg and a few coworkers now, as well as Ryan and some of my PoGo crew. "Thanks everyone, good to see you all," I called out, acknowledging the group. It was strange to see three aspects of my life colliding like this, but not too surprising.

Cardi followed me to the table, where someone had brought out a slab birthday cake. It had white icing with red and orange highlights, and a black and red ''Happy Birthday Skyfire!'' on it. A cartoon griffon was on it next to the lit candles. The crowd gathered around me and started singing while I stood in front of the cake, trying to ignore the pictures being taken, and Brian filming the event from the side.

"Make a wish," Cardi said when the singing thankfully ended.

I froze for a moment, trying to think of something and drawing a blank. Feeling all the people waiting on me, I ended up just wishing that the year to come would be calmer than the year past. I took a breath and blew, not sure how it would work with a beak instead of lips. Thankfully they were just using a "3" and "0" candle. It wasn't my real age, but no one was all that sure what our real ages were any more. The flames flickered and went out.

I made the first cuts into the cake and passed out a few slices before Michelle and Rob took over. I retreated a bit, getting more congratulations along the way. I caught Cardi's eye and flicked my wing in a ''come here'' motion. She guiltily came over.

"So who blabbed?" I asked. "And whose idea was it?"

"It was Michelle's," Cardi said quickly. "Though maybe it was Rob too. I'm not sure. They just needed me to stall you for a bit so they could get everyone together and set things up."

"I knew something was up. I should've realized it," I grumbled.

"Are you mad?" Cardi asked, looking worried, especially for her role in the deception. It made me realize how new our friendship was.

"No, not at all. I don't really publicize my birthday, but I don't mind the surprise. Most of the time I just leech a few free dinners around town and call it a day."

She relaxed and looked a bit relieved. "Oh good. I worried I'd messed up there for a moment."

I gave her a quick hug and nuzzle. "Not at all. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I hope you don't feel bad, but I didn't get you a gift."

I giggled softly. "You didn't? Did you forget our plans for tonight?"

She eeped and pushed me away gently. I chuckled and moved back to the crowd to mingle. Thankfully most of the guests didn't have gifts either. Only my closest friends slipped me cards when we had a private moment together. Everyone else, I assured them that all I wanted was their company. Thermoses of hot chocolate and coffee and tea were provided, along with hotdogs cooked on skewers over the propane heaters. It was obviously a party thrown together at the last minute, but no one minded. Everyone had fun and that was the important thing.

The cold chased most of the humans away within an hour, and the gathering shifted to a more normal griffon gathering, with us mainly hanging out, chatting and seeing how people were doing. I wasn't sure if I was just becoming more aware of it, but the number of pregnant griffons seemed to get higher every time we gathered. I hoped it wasn't a sign of things to come for all of us.

I was snagging a final piece of cake on the ground when Cardi found me. She glanced around to make sure we were alone, though it wasn't really needed. I was pretty sure most of our friends suspected something by now.

"I'm going to head out now. I've got a few more things to take care of today. Catch you later tonight? Say around six for dinner?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then."

"Right. Anything in particular you want for dinner? I'm not that great a cook, so it would be DoorDashed. And don't make me pick; it's your birthday."

I laughed a bit. "Fine, fine. Thai would be good. Beef with extra spice."

"Perfect. See you then."

I waved and watched her take off, circling over the group before heading southward.

I hung out for a bit longer before deciding to take my own leave. I accepted a few more birthday wishes and said my farewells before taking off. As I climbed up out of the valley, I tried to decide what to do next. Flying home and waiting didn't really feel right. I looked towards downtown and made my decision. I headed for the ICE district where the NHL arena was. They still weren't allowing griffons into the arena itself, but we were very welcomed in the side businesses, especially the casino. It wasn't my preferred spot, but it was one of the handiest.

Griffons weren't very common at the casinos, but we weren't exactly uncommon either. I'd visited most of the ones around Edmonton at least once since September, a few more than once. The one in Rogers Place was surprisingly busy for a Saturday afternoon; I realized later there was a game scheduled for the evening.

I withdrew some cash and headed for the tables, feeling all the eyes focused on me as I went. The Blackjack tables were busy, so I had to wait for a few hands before a spot opened up in the middle of the table. A pit boss saw me step up to the table and retrieved a stool for me while the dealer changed my cash into chips. The players around me seemed a bit nervous, visibly sliding further away from me. I kept my wings and tail in as tight as I could to stay out of the way.

The first few hands were uneventful, but helped relax the crowd, when it was clear I knew how to play about as well as they did. The pit boss came back with my playercard and a couple of slips of paper.

"Welcome back, Simon. And Happy Birthday," she greeted me, handing the card back. "Here are some match bets to celebrate."

Hearing my old name from a stranger made me pause. My old friends and family tended to call me Simon, but almost everyone else knew me as Skyfire. "Thanks. And you can call me Skyfire, or Sky. I haven't gotten around to updating my card yet," I corrected her. It gave me a strange feeling, but felt more correct now.

"I'm sorry. I can update your account if you want?" she offered.

"If it's not too much trouble." I handed back my card to her and refocused on the game.

I was used to drawing a crowd when I played; people were just fascinated by us. So the table was surrounded by spectators, curious with how I handled the chips or carefully tapped the felt to signal for cards. When I got a good hand, I tended to get excited and spread my wings or tail a bit without realizing it, which always caught my neighbours by surprise when they were bumped by limbs they weren't expecting. On the really good hands, I'd often let out a happy screech that would turn all eyes towards me. I generally didn't care.

By five thirty, I was up by a hundred and decided that was enough. It was tempting to stay longer, but the table was cooling off, and I had to get to Cardi's place. I cashed in the chips and headed out. I found a bank nearby to deposit the cash, then took off.

For the second time that day, I found myself landing on her balcony and knocking on the glass door. I slid it open in response to her greeting and walked in. She'd been busy in the afternoon. The apartment had been cleaned up and everything put away. The table was set with some lit candles, but no food yet. Soft music was playing on her music system. The occupant was nowhere in sight.

"Cardi?" I called out, looking towards her bedroom while closing the door behind me.

The bedroom door opened, revealing the cardinal-tiger griffon. All she wore were her dark shorts, and she'd obviously been preening almost as much as she had been cleaning. She leaned against the doorframe and took me in.

"Happy birthday. I hope your day has been going well so far," she said, flicking her ears.

I chirrred softly and nodded, "It's been very pleasant. And feels like it's about to get better."

She giggled and stepped into the room, walking slowly up to me. I took in the sway of her hips and her breasts, the slightly extended wings and flared tail, and felt my body reacting, my pulse quickening, my nipples hardening and my cock beginning to swell in my own shorts. I almost wished I wasn't going commando.

She stopped in front of me and stroked the side of my face. I returned the gesture and we just silently watched each other for a moment. Finally she broke the gaze and went to the kitchen. "DoorDash should be here any minute now with dinner."

"Good, I'm starving. Picnic hotdogs are an okay lunch but not all that filling."

"True, and we are planning for an energetic evening." She retrieved a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.

I blushed under my feathers and led the way to the bench-couch, where we sat, face to face. She popped the cork on the bottle and poured out a couple of glasses.

"So, you had an appointment with Doctor Chase?" she asked.

"A couple of days ago, yeah. She managed to fit me into her schedule. And to schedule me for a weekly vampire visit for the next little while."

"I thought she would. Your peaks are some of the hardest I've heard among us. Speaking of which, how was the rut? Did Amy's advice help?"

I sipped the wine a bit and nodded, "I think? Adam's advice might have been more useful. And your advice. The liners certainly made things less raw in the end."

"Good, good." She sipped her own wine before going on. "Did she go over anything else with you?"

I laughed, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spreading through me. "We went over ''everything''. And she got me all geared up and then some. I've also been practicing a bit, but, well, tonight will be the first test of course."

"Of course it will. I'm looking forward to it." She glanced down at me. "Did you bring everything?"

I reflexively tightened my groin, feeling a hint of the diaphragm in there. "Yeah, I brought it all. Put it in before I left home..." I suddenly remembered the instructions for the device and beak palmed. "Crap, I put it in way too early."

She giggled and squeezed my thigh. "That's okay. You can check it before we do anything, and add more spermicide.... If you want to do it that way. My rut is tomorrow after all, and you're probably just coming online, fertility wise."

I hadn't really thought about it fully like that. It might have been the wine affecting me, but I chased my doubts away. "We'll see how the night goes. But if we both use protection, I'm willing to risk it."

"Sure...." We were interrupted by the buzz from her building's door system. She got up to let the delivery driver in, and a few minutes later he was at her door. He did a double take, seeing the two griffons, but recovered quickly.

Over the next few minutes we unpacked the food and spread it out on actual plates. We set up the table and took our positions at opposite ends. I snapped apart the pair of disposable chopsticks while she made use of a fork.

"I'm still amazed you can actually use those," she said as we dug in.

I laughed and clicked the sticks together. "It's a bit trickier with the talons, but it isn't too bad."

"If you say so. I couldn't even use them without talons."

"Do you want to learn? I could try to teach you," I offered.

She flicked her ears and smirked. "Maybe next time."

We chit chatted through the dinner, staying on neutral topics for the most part, though she did pry a bit more into my usual birthday habits. All in all, it was a more relaxed session than last time. Admittedly, I was in a better headspace this time, now that I more or less knew what to expect.

After cleaning up the dinner plates, we retreated to her couch-bench with the wine. Part of me wanted to chase her right to bed, but I kept him in check, content to relax with a friend. Neither of us worked the next day, so we were in no rush. She turned on the TV and picked some disaster B-Movie on Netflix; something about black portals appearing all over the place and luring people to the other side.

"I hear Hollywood is trying to make a Change movie," she noted after a while.

"Only ''A'' movie?" I asked incredulously.

She laughed and cuddled against me, a hand rubbing my breast. "Ok, I'm sure there's more than one. They're just trying to figure out how best to show the results."

I nuzzled back and nodded. "Yeah, Titans and Griffons aren't exactly budget friendly. Maybe they should make dwarves or elves or orcs or something."

"I'd assume they'd hire actual Griffons and Titans, at least for the after scenes. Only CG they'd need would be for the change. And maybe for their main character. Unless they decided to do a custom race, then maybe they'd use those."

She paused and considered it a bit more. "Do you think those races might actually be possible?"

I rubbed her back a bit, rubbing at the base of her tail. "Who knows? Until last year, none of this was possible. So maybe we will get Elves or Aliens or something this year."

She chirred happily and pressed harder against me. "Yeah, I guess those could be possible. Wonder if they would be herms too?"

"Chances seem good for that. Seems to be a theme so far. I wonder when it would happen next?"

"In March of course, that's when the Titans happened. So I guess we have two more months to wait."

We gave up on the movie and switched to a different one, a post-AI war movie where they were chasing down the rogue AI using mechas that linked with their pilots. It was much more watchable than the first one. We cuddled while watching it, enjoying the cheesiness while finishing off the wine. By the time it was over, I was a quivering bundle of excited nerves, and I suspected Cardi was in a similar state. In hindsight we probably shouldn't have waited so close to her rut, but we were ready now.

I cleaned up the bottles and glasses while she turned off the tv and lights. I hung up the dish towel on a rack in front of the sink and watched her make a ''come hither'' motion from her bedroom. I retrieved my bag, and killed the kitchen lights and followed her in.

Her bedroom was fairly basic. A queen sized bed with some well worn blankets and pillows, suitable for nesting. It had two bedside tables with lamps, both on at the moment. The closet was closed. There was a padded bench at the foot of the bed, perfect for sitting on, pulled out just far enough to accommodate the tail. A six drawer dresser also had a large mirror. The top of the dresser was pretty clear, with her phone and flight gear, and a few other miscellaneous items. It lacked the array of perfumes, makeups and other items common for a woman. There was a small jewelry box that was closed. I couldn't remember her wearing any jewelry since I met her.

"So how are you feeling?" she asked as she unbuttoned her shorts. She wiggled her hips and fluttered her tail as she let them drop.

"Better than last time. A lot better prepared," I said. I unzipped my bag and took out a few condoms. "And yes, I've practiced a bit."

"Good, I hoped you were ready. I know it's my safe time, but I prefer to use protection anyway, just to be safe." She retrieved a familiar container from the side table. She propped a leg on the bench and started rubbing herself a little before slipping her own diaphragm in. It made my pulse quicken. I unbuttoned my own pants and dropped them, showing my own shaft already aroused.

"It's a good idea, especially to get used to. And in case we want to do more."

She licked her beak, looking down at me. After a moment, she tossed the tube of spermicide my way. "Speaking of which, you said you've been ready all day. You should probably refresh your protection, before we get too busy."

I blushed and pressed my ears back a bit, knowing she was right. She moved to the side on the bench and I joined her, smearing a fresh amount over my own protection while being well aware of her closeness. She watched me and I could see she was hardening as well.

When I was done, she reached over and stroked my own hard member, her talon going up against the barbs. I shuddered in pleasure.

"So are you ready?" she asked.

"More than ready," I confirmed.

She pinched one of my nipples and giggled, retreating to the bed. She turned off one of the lamps, and hopped into bed, rolling over onto her back while watching me. Her wings squirmed a bit, adjusting the pillows and blankets to support her.

I motioned to the other lamp and she shook her head. I took a couple of condoms and climbed onto the bed next to her. I rolled over on top of her, straddling her legs and looking up at her. She watched me, chirring softly in anticipation.

I started by rubbing her legs a bit, digging my talons into her thick striped fur. I could see she was as aroused as I was, her cock swollen, but also her vulva quivering. When I got closer, I stroked over her opening, eyes watching her as she quivered. I stroked over her shaft as well and paused, leaning back and grabbing the condom. Putting one on with talons was trickier, but not impossible thankfully.

Once I was 'dressed', I continued exploring Cardi. We'd explored each other the last time, so it was familiar territory. At the same time, there was something different I couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was because I was in the guy role this time and more in the driver's seat. Cardi did her own part as well. As I worked up her body, she started rubbing my head, scratching my ears and brushing my feathers. Her paws rubbed against my legs as well. I nipped at her breasts once I got up there, making her gasp happily.

Soon enough we were rubbing beaks. Her hands squeezed my own breasts, pinching my nipples and making them harder. I fluttered my wings a bit and adjusted a bit, my hard cock rubbing against hers with only the latex of the condom between us.

"You ready?" I gasped out, realizing I might not be able to hold back as long as she had. I hadn't had that much practice, even before becoming a griffon.

"Of course, as soon as you are," she replied, nuzzling back.

I slid back a little and double checked the condom and lined up between her legs. I held there for a moment, holding just at her entrance. It almost tipped me over without doing anything. I teased her nipples a bit more from that position before bracing myself over her. I pushed in hard, feeling her tunnel open for me. I felt her squeeze down tightly on my cock, but it was moist enough for me to slide in easily. I pulled back and had my first real experience of the barbs; even with the condom, they still caused a flare of pleasure with my movements. It nearly made me cum right away.

"Fuck!" I gasped out, clamping down hard to hold back, panting hard. I held my position, not sure I could hold back if I pushed back in.

Cardi giggled and reached up and stroked my own breast, pinching a nipple. "Incredible isn't it? It caught me by surprise my first time too."

"I've done this before... Hell! I've been doing this manually for months now. But this... fuck."

"Well, don't stop!"

In response I pushed back in again. Knowing what to expect, it was a little easier to hold back, but only just. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back for long, but I was determined to hold as long as I could. It was a battle of wills between us, and I'm pretty sure I lost first. I pushed in hard and felt my cock spasm. I let out a happy screech, a sound a human could never make. The cardinal griffon shuddered under me.

We held our positions for a long moment, just savouring the feelings. I nuzzled and licked her beak gently while feeling her squeezing on my hard cock. She stroked my sides and nuzzled back. "So was it worth it?" she asked.

"Fuck yes. Damn, I forgot, what about your neighbours?"

She giggled and kept rubbing. "Thankfully, we have really thick walls here. I mean, I've heard their activities, but only just. Human hearing won't hear a thing."

"I hope so." I reluctantly pulled out slowly, shivering a bit. I glanced and was relieved to see the condom was intact. I pulled it off and set it to the side.

"Of course, since you are properly prepared, you can find the real fun of being a griffon now," Cardi said. She was rubbing my sides, getting lower. Suddenly, her hands stroked over my shaft, then below it, finding my pussy and making me realize how wet I was.

"Now, it's my turn," she giggled. I lifted myself off of her enough to let her grab the other condom. It was obvious she was used to using them as she slipped it on her own member.

We wiggled a bit, adjusting our positions though I was still on top. I had a strange dual feeling of being tired, but also eager to get more. Soon enough she was positioned against me. I slid onto her, feeling her covered shaft enter me. It felt a little different from before, but just as much fun. I squeezed onto it and rocked. It didn't take long for us to tip over again, and she made sure I felt the pleasure of the female climax again. I was sure the screeches we made could be heard across the entire building.

Once I could, I pulled free and rolled onto my side, panting hard. My body was quivering with pleasure. "Fuck," I gasped out. "Just.... wow."

She cuddled me and nodded. "Yeah, it's something isn't it? And the Titans have even more. I can't imagine what they've got."

"They've got their pouch stuff too. I think this is plenty enough for me," I said. Weariness was starting to spread as I came down from the double high.

She took her own condom off and retrieved mine, leaving them on the table for later. "Nice thing with protection, it's a lot less messy.... Mostly."

I glanced down at my groin. My fur was wet and sticky in places. The last time had been a lot messier, but this wasn't entirely clean. "Yeah, I guess it can wait until morning."

"Since we used condoms, we could take the diaphragms out now. But it's good practice to wait until morning, just in case. Sex is messy after all. Best to get into good practices early."

I nodded and cuddled with her. My energy levels were dropping fast. Finally, I reached back and killed the other lamp, plunging the bedroom into darkness, lit only by the city glow coming in the shaded window.

"Night Sky. Thanks," Cardi whispered.

I leaned closer to her and nuzzled. "Night Cardi. And Thank you."

===Sunday , Jan 28===

Movement next to me woke me up. I opened my eyes in an unfamiliar bed, with the unusual sensation of someone next to me. My heart began to pound and I got nervous, until my mind clicked into gear and I remembered where I was. I blinked and got Cardi into focus. She was still fast asleep. The room was dark with a hint of dawn. I looked around but couldn't find a clock.

I tried to get back to sleep, but now that I was awake, sleep eluded me. My body was still tingling a bit with left over feelings from the night before, mainly a combination of memories and a bit of morning wood.

Next to me, the red griffon twitched a bit, still deep in sleep. I reached over and stroked her face a bit. She chired softly in her sleep and settled deeper into sleep. Looking her over, I realized her cock was fully erect again even while she was asleep; more than just morning wood. I stared at it in the dimly lit room, feeling my own loins begin to moisten. Something nagged at the back of my mind and I stayed still, trying to bring it back.

"Fuck, the rut," I mumbled under my breath. Today was her Rut. I stared at her, realizing this was the first time I'd seen another griffon during her peak. I found myself watching her closely as she subconsciously handled the rut. She twitched in her sleep and grunted softly. I yearned to stroke her shaft, to help her get a bit of relief, but it didn't feel right to do. If I was honest with myself, I wanted to climb onto that cock and ride it all morning.

She spasmed on the bed next to me and cum shot out, hitting my belly fur and breasts. Cardi sighed happily and settled back into a deeper sleep. I looked down at the mess and sighed softly as well. "I guess I deserved that," I mumbled.

I carefully slipped off the bed, trying not to disturb the other griffon. I yawned and stretched silently. Cardi slept on; and I felt a pang of jealousy. I padded out of the bedroom and started cleaning up. I also pulled out the diaphragm and washed it off. After four months I was finally getting somewhat comfortable with the idea of having things inside me.

When I left the bathroom, I saw a sleepy cardinal griffon standing in the bedroom doorway. She rubbed a breast with one hand, her cock still hard.

"Mornin'. Did I wake you?" I asked, trying not to look down. I knew she was in her rut and it seemed to be causing a reaction in me.

"No, not really. I think you know what woke me," she replied. She sighed softly and forced her hands to her sides. "Waking up is usually the worst. Takes me time to wrangle things under control."

I indicated the wet fur on my front, "I could tell. You've already gone off once."

"Oh?... Fuck. I'm sorry."

I giggled and waved my wing dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It was partly my fault. I saw it com- I saw what was going on and didn't get out of the way. Honestly I was sorely tempted to help it along. But that didn't feel right."

Her hands twitched, obviously yearning to do something, but being fought. She considered what I just said and nodded. "Thank you for the consideration. I'm not used to someone being around for this, especially not waking up with them."

"It's new for both of us. I do sort've hope we might have more opportunities."

She nodded and flicked her ears. "So do I. But that said, I give you permission to help me out in the future, at least manually."

I gulped and nodded, "Thank you. And if we find ourselves in the other direction, you have the same permission. And just to warn you, it was tempting to jump you in another way. Not quite a heat, but the urges were there."

I slipped past her and retreated to the kitchen. After a bit of searching, I got some coffee brewing and toast toasting. I munched on a banana while waiting for her to get out of the bathroom.

When she came out, she was obviously a bit more composed, her hardon partly relaxed. I offered a mug of coffee and otherwise kept away.

"How are you feeling?"

She shrugged her wings and sipped the cooled coffee. "A bit better. I'm still feeling it. Gods, I want to jump you and ravage you on the table. But I've got it contained."

I nodded in agreement. "Honestly, part of me wouldn't say no to that idea. And I'm not even on the heat. Should I leave?"

She took a deep breath and considered it. "No, not yet. Unless you want to, or need to."

"I'm good. I'll have to go home soon but not right away. But as tempting as it is, we should probably avoid a Round Two... or would it be Round three? Round four?"

She giggled and nodded in agreement. I decided that decreasing the temptation would help. I returned to the bedroom and pulled my shorts back on. She got dressed after I did, and we lingered over breakfast, talking about a variety of things. We even did some more video reviews, but it was obvious that Cardi's attention wasn't on topic. I was impressed that she seemed to be easily resisting the urges. I also noticed that while her breasts were swollen, she wasn't leaking. All in all, it made me a bit jealous.

By lunch time, I could tell the strain was getting to her. It was getting to me as well. It was one thing to have things to do and to be interacting with new people steadily, like her job entailed. Obviously when you were with another griffon most of the time, and didn't have as many distractions handy, it was harder, even for the easier peaks.

Around noon, I stopped the latest video and started gathering my stuff. "I'd love to stay longer, but I have a long list of chores I need to do back home today," I said as an excuse.

Cardi seemed more than a little relieved by my escape. "Of course. Thank you for the company," she said, starting to straighten up the room.

"Thank you for everything," I replied. I strapped on my gear and pack and got close to her. We hugged briefly and rubbed beaks. "I'm honestly looking forward to the next time."

She giggled and nodded. "So am I. And it's not just the rut talking."

We went to the patio door and I stepped out. It was chilly but sunny out, and the cold air was refreshing. I stretched my wings and climbed over the railing. We rubbed beaks a final time before I fell off backwards, flipping over in mid air and headed home.

===Wednesday, January 31===

Long range mobility had been high in my mind since Greg and I talked on Friday. I'd heard some griffons had picked up bikes and motorbikes before winter set in, to varying degrees of success. Helmets and other protective gear were our main problem; our heads just didn't fit the normal ones. Four months later, some companies were starting to offer some custom made helmets. Some of the work had been started for the Titans, but when the Griffons happened, they pivoted. Feeling ambitious, I placed an order for a griffon helmet and some other gear. With the backlog, it wouldn't be in for a few months, but at least I was on the list.

The next challenge to tackle was the legal one. I'd never been interested in a motorbike before, so I just had a Class 5 license for regular vehicles. Motorbikes needed a Class 6. Getting one wasn't too difficult, if you had a Class 5 to start from.... but I'd given mine up a few months ago for an identification card; a card that wasn't completely correct but at least had my griffon picture on it, and my sex listed as "X". Now I would have to convince them to give me back my old license even though I couldn't drive most Class 5 vehicles.

On Wednesday, I booked an appointment and flew to a registry office downtown. The office was moderately busy when I showed up. I got a number from the kiosk at the entrance and settled down to wait. I saw a lot of people watching me curiously, and a lot of whispering going on, and tried to ignore it. Finally my number was called out.

I went to another kiosk desk on one side of the room. There were some chairs in front of it, but not ones I could sit at. Since they had arms, I couldn't even flip them around to sit at. Instead I knelt on it to bring myself down to the worker's level.

"How... How can I help you?" the agent asked, obviously surprised to see a griffon in front of them.

I set out my new ID card, my passport and a few other items with my name on them. "Hi there. This is going to seem a bit strange, but I'd like to restore my driver's license."

He blinked for a moment, not looking at the cards I provided. He was clearly having trouble processing my request. "Your driver's license?"

I nodded and prepared to be patient. "Yes, my driver's license. I had it before, but after, this." I flicked my wings out and shook them a little. "I thought I wouldn't need it any more and voluntarily gave it up for a new ID card. In hindsight, it turns out I was a bit rash in my actions; I should have just updated it."

"But you can't drive!" the agent said. I saw a few of his coworkers glance over and watch us curiously. I wondered how long it would take before I would have to escalate my request.

"I know, technically I can't properly drive a regular car or truck. Hell, I can't even fit into the seats any more. But I ''can'' drive a motorcycle. Not all of them but a surprising number of them. In order to do that legally, I'll need a Class 6 license. And to get one of those easier, I'd like my Class 5 restored."

"Uhm right. I guess that makes sense...." He finally took my paperwork and started typing on his computer. I suspected he was mainly working automatically.

I waited quietly while he worked, doing a lot of typing and clicking. The screen was angled so I couldn't see anything, so all I could do was wait. In the end, he didn't look happy with what he found.

"Okay, Mr... Miss.... Mx Farrel. It does look like you're within the window to restore your old license. There will be a service charge and some more paperwork but...."

I tilted my head and waited for him to go on. Finally I prompted him. "But?"

"But... I'm not sure I should renew it for you."

"And why shouldn't you?" I asked, keeping my tone as neutral as possible. I knew I had to convince him to get anywhere, and getting frustrated would do me no good.

"You're a griffon! You can't fit in a car, let alone a driver's seat. Sure, technically you've shown you know how to drive, but it was all before. Now...."

"Now, I know I can't. Not a normal car at least. And I'm not looking to drive one. I'm just asking for my license to be restored so I can more easily get a license I can actually use. I've had a license for twenty some years now, I ''know'' how to drive, I just need a card to recognize that."

"RIght right..." the agent seemed unconvinced.

"Please, go check with someone else, if you want a second opinion. I don't mind," I gently urged him, giving him an escape route.

He was obviously tempted to ignore my suggestion, until he realized it was the perfect way to punt the problem. He excused himself and went to a cubicle to talk to someone. Had I strained, I could probably have listened in over the ambient noise. Instead I just relaxed and tried to look as harmless as possible. The person he was talking to stood up and looked over to me. I waved a hand to them and they went back to their intense discussion. The pair moved even deeper into the government space, visiting someone with an actual office at the back of the room. They were there for a long time, and I suspected that calls were being made.

Finally, the agent came back with another person. She was obviously someone who was in charge. I stood up to greet them, even though we were still separated by a plexiglass screen.

"Mx Farrel, I'm Assistant Director Vance, in charge of this office. I must say, you're giving us quite the dilemma."

"I'm sorry for any problems I'm causing. I'm just trying to make things easier for me later on. I'm probably not going for my Class 6 until the spring, but I figured restoring my old license would be easier now."

"It would be, in some ways. And it also shows we may have some problems in the future with regards to those licenses too. But that's a problem for tomorrow. As for the current concerns, well, I guess you could say it's mainly a logic problem. Or a moral problem. Technically speaking, there's nothing disallowing your kind from having a Class 5 license, or a Class 6 or any other type of license. And in fact, most of you still have your old licenses, even if you aren't using them. We haven't had it happen here yet, but I've heard many of you have also just updated your licenses for your new bodies. So, practically speaking, there isn't a reason we couldn't restore your old one. As far as the government is concerned, you proved you were allowed and capable of driving in the past. And your new bodies don't technically disqualify you from that."

"Right, so what's the problem?" I asked, a little bit of my growing impatience slipping into my voice.

"The problem is if we should allow this to happen. A license gives you the implicit permission to operate a motor vehicle out in public. Even though you physically can't operate one; not without extensive modifications that probably don't even exist yet."

"If it helps, I do promise I won't try to drive a regular vehicle any more. I'm just looking for a way to make sure I'll be able to legally drive a motorcycle as soon as reasonable, without needing to go through the graduated steps again."

She studied me while thinking, drumming her fingers on the top of the cubicle wall. Finally, she made her decision. "Go ahead and do it. As far as the rules go right now, there's no reason a griffon can't drive a car legally, as long as they passed all the tests. And Mx Farrel has certainly done that in the past. If the Minister has a problem with it, then the government can change the rules appropriately."

The agent nodded and sat back down and started typing. I relaxed and nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Keep in mind they may decide to change things in the future, but for now, we'll follow things as written. Good luck on your cycle tests."

I laughed, "I've barely started down that path. I ordered a helmet and went for my old license. I still need to get an actual bike and learn how to ride it, and I won't do that until the snow's gone."

"Good idea. Have a good day, Mx."

She retreated back to her office, and I knelt back on the chair to wait. Soon enough, my three month old ID card was going through the shredder, and I had a new temporary license. "We used your photo and signature on record since you updated it recently. This temporary license is good for 30 days. If you don't get your proper license in that time, contact us," the agent explained.

I packed up my wallet and flight bag again and nodded my thanks. "Great, thank you for all the help. Sorry to be a pain."

He chuckled and shrugged. "Just part of our duties. Have a good day."

===Thursday, February 1===

In the predawn light of my dreams he met me, floating in the dark skies in all his glory. My loins were moist and I was more than ready for him. He was equally prepared for me, his shaft already erect and glistening in the ambient light of the dreamscape. I had a moment of guilt, thinking of Cardi, but lust pushed those thoughts away.

We floated into each other's arms and began to cuddle, squeezing breasts, nibbling and nuzzling and drawing out the moment. I had my hands on his shoulders while his own hands slid down my sides, our wings slightly extended and pressing together. He gripped my hips and I tensed a moment in anticipation; I could feel his hard shaft against my own sheath. He wiggled a little more and he was between my legs, filling my moist opening.

I clenched down on him and he held his position for a moment while we cuddled a bit more. And then he pulled back a bit and pleasure flared from my loins as his barbs slide along my sensitive flesh. I gasped and panted, barely holding back my climax as he pushed back in and started thrusting. Having experienced the real thing had certainly enhanced my dream experiences. All too soon, I gave in, letting the waves of pleasure wash over me. As I gave in, he released as well, his shaft throbbing as he let go deep in me.

The climax jolted me awake, my entire body quivering from the pleasure. I laid in bed, panting hard, my loins quivering. My nipples rubbed the sheats, hard and tingling as well. Sleep was certainly out of the question now.

"Fuck," I groaned weakly, not moving much. I opened my eyes and in the dim light, I saw 7:42 on the radio alarm clock I used. Heat number five had arrived.

I laid there for a few moments, letting the pleasure fade. It didn't entirely disappear, but I began to feel somewhat normal. At the same time, my loins seemed to realize I was awake, and they wanted something other than the fantasy satisfaction.

I resisted the urges for the moment, reaching out to turn on the lamp and sitting up in bed, facing the mirror. I inspected myself briefly. My feathers were more frazzled than the usual 'bed head' appearance I had.My nipples were hard, visible from my dark fur, though my breasts didn't seem much bigger yet. My fur was also a mess, especially around my loins. While my sheath was almost invisible against my fur, my vulva was moist and my labia were engorged. I couldn't see it but my clit felt as hard as my shaft would normally be.

"Fuck," I groaned again. I ignored the urges and stood up, retreating to the bathroom to clean up a bit and hopefully cool the heat I was feeling. It was a struggle, but I tried to bring up the advice I'd been given and focus on other things.

I felt a little better when I returned to my bedroom, having washed and preened a little. I then did something I rarely did during my peaks... I got dressed. The granny panties came out again with a panty liner, and I had to admit it felt better against my vulva. I even pulled on a top, tucking in some pads to handle leakage.

Once I was dressed, I went downstairs and got breakfast and prepared for the day.

I technically had taken the day off, but I needed something to focus on. So after eating, I retreated to my office and logged in and started digging into some of my ongoing projects.

By noon, I was near my limits. I was mentally exhausted from focusing on work and trying to ignore my body. Through most of the morning, I found myself squirming in my seat with varying degrees of success.

Before going down for lunch, I retreated to my bedroom and stripped off my shorts. A few urgent minutes later and I collapsed on the bed panting, a wave of pleasure washing over me. I rested there for a time, savouring the moment of normality when the roar of the hormones had been silenced by the climax,

When I was ready, I redressed myself and went downstairs to make lunch. Over lunch, I considered what I had to do. Adam was scheduled to do a house call in the afternoon. But I also had to go out for the blood draw at the clinic as well. I'd gone out last week so I knew the process at least. With how I was feeling, I decided to tempt fate. I sent Adam a message to call me when he had a chance.

He called me back shortly after one, and seemed a bit concerned.

"Hey Adam," I greeted him, stretching my wings a bit and standing up from the computer. I'd gone back to try and work, but I could feel the urges building again.

"Hi Skyfire. I'm planning to leave shortly. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. I... I just wanted to suggest that we shift back to your office. I know you prefer to meet there."

He paused for a moment, obviously processing my request. "Are you sure? Is something wrong? Did your heat change?"

I let out a quick laugh. "I wish. Heat's hitting me as strong as ever.... But I think I've got a better grip on it. Leaving the house like this, it scares the shit out of me. But I think I've made progress, and I can do it. I have to "

"You have to?" he probed gently.

I sighed and nodded, though he couldn't see it. "Yeah. I need to get a grip on this damn roller coaster. I can't keep losing two days a month to my fucking body. And I have a medical appointment as well. Just the blood draw."

"Right, I remember you mentioning that last week. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Focus seems to help, but I've been doing computer work all day. It's all mental stuff. I think I need to do something more physical. A good flight would help."

He sounded a bit doubtful, but gave in. "Okay then. I'll wait for you in the office. See you later this afternoon."

"Thanks Adam. see you then."

I killed another hour or so on the computer. It wasn't really productive work. Finally, I gave up for the day and retreated to the bedroom. A quick session helped take the edge off the heat. I could tell it was near breaking, but it was still building; I had no idea how it would finally break if I was away from home. I briefly tried to get Little Simon to stir, but while I could get a little harder, ejaculating was impossible; the clinic wasn't going to be getting a semen sample from the heat. The milk sample, on the other talon, was trivial to provide. I pumped myself as dry as I could, and filled the container they provided. The rest I flushed.

I packed my bag, geared up, and left.

Like at Christmas, I found flying did help take some of the edge off. The flapping of my wings did cause my top to rub my sore nipples more than I would have liked; but the physical exertion helped offset the desires of the heat. Outside, the skies were clear and chilly, but not too cold; enough I could feel it in my nares and on my talons, but not so much that I was uncomfortable. I reached Adam's office just before our appointment, and headed right up. His door was open when I entered.

"Come on in Sky, we can start right away," he greeted me from the inner office.

I went right in and took my bag off, setting it down carefully next to the couch. I fluttered my wings and tail a bit before sitting down in my usual place.

"Sorry about the short notice about the change. I decided at the last moment. I hope it didn't cause you any problems."

He leaned back in his own seat, crossing his legs and clasping his hands over his lap. "Not at all. These appointments are for you. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible with them. So how are you feeling?"

I took a moment to consider the question.

"I'm okay I guess. The flight helped. The heat's still got me strong, but it should break soon."

"Well, you seem in surprisingly good shape considering. Though I'm a bit surprised you're wearing a top."

I glanced down self consciously, more concerned that I was leaking and the pads had slipped. The front was dry.

"I'm wearing it for practical purposes, but I probably should have left it off. The contact is... frustrating. I'm not sure if this was a good idea or not."

He nodded, "Well, go with whatever you're comfortable with. How is the heat today?"

I adjusted the top a little, reaching in to check the pads. I could tell there was a bit of moistness to them but they seemed to be holding well. I decided to leave it on.

"It's hard to describe, I guess. But trust me, it's almost as bad as earlier heats. The techniques we discussed do seem to be helping a lot. Still, now that I'm sitting down, I can feel it rebuilding."

We talked about it for the rest of the session. All through it, I forced myself to sit still, doing my best to ignore the feelings in my loins. Adam could clearly see my discomfort, but I did my best to not draw attention to it. Towards the end of the session, he tried to make me address it.

"How do you usually break your heat?" he asked.

I looked away nervously. "Well, as you probably suspect, I usually have to... well have to masturbate. Climaxing is how I can tell it's broken, at least the previous times."

"And if you don't do that?" he asked.

I shrugged my wings and crossed my legs again, squeezing nervously. "I'm not sure. I never tried not to."

"Well, you know where the washroom is, if you feel like you need to...."

"No no, I should be fine," I quickly said. "I should be able to make it home at least, even if I need to go the long way."

He seemed unhappy with my answer but let the subject drop. "So do you think you can keep coming with your heat and ruts?"

I nodded, trying to sound more certain than I felt. "I have to, if I want to get a grip on these. It's still exhausting, but practice will help."

"When's your appointment at the clinic?" he asked.

His office didn't have any visible clocks, so I checked the time on my phone. It was almost five. "I just need to call them before I head out. They can fit me in pretty much any time. I was planning to call them when I left. It's just a blood draw and dropping off a few samples."

"Well, it's pretty much the end of our session. Is there anything else you want to talk about this week?"

I shook my head and stood up, grabbing my bag. "No, I think it's a good point for this week. Thanks Adam. I appreciate your help."

We shook hands and I left the building. Before taking off I called the clinic to give them the heads up. A half hour later I landed in the parking lot. It was getting dark, but it was still busy, with people visiting the after hours clinic or visiting the drug store or other stores. I went up to the second floor and checked in.

I settled in to wait on a bench in the waiting room. A few humans and griffons were there, but I ignored them. The damn heat was at its peak and I was yearning for a release. I especially avoided looking at the other griffons in case it was enough to make me give in.

"Skyfire? We can see you now," the nurse announced.

I followed them into a small office, similar to the one Doctor Chase saw me in. I unpacked the container of milk and set it on a counter, and waited.

"Hi again, Skyfire. How are you doing?" Doctor Tompkins greeted me. He had seen me the previous week.

"I'm okay, considering. It's been a long day, and I'm eager to get home," I said.

"Right. I'll try not to keep you for long. You're on your heat, right? How's it going?" he sat across from me and opened my folder to take notes.

"As usual. But I'm handling it. I brought some milk in. But a semen sample isn't happening."

He looked up and took the milk sample. He jotted a few notes on the bottle before putting it down. "Thank you. We'll get this off to the lab, along with the rest as usual. Did you have any problem getting this?"

I laughed and shook my head. "I dumped more than that into the toilet after." I glanced down and sighed. My nipples were pressing harder against the pads in my top, making my breasts more prominent than I was used to. "And I'll probably have to milk out just as much when I get home."

He followed my gaze briefly before looking away. "Right, well then we won't keep you long. The phlebotomist will be in shortly and then you're free to go. Thank you again for doing this."

"Anything to help out. I just want to get this damn curse wrangled."

He grimaced a moment and finished a couple of notes in the folder. He then excused himself and the other technician came in. We didn't talk much as he felt among the feathers of my upper arm and found a spot. The blood draw happened quickly and I was free to go.

The heat wanted a release so it could finally rest, but I pushed on further. I stopped at a taco place for a burrito to go. By the time I got inside with my dinner, I could barely turn the house alarm off. The bag of food went on the counter while I stripped off my top. I stumbled upstairs and finally found the relief I'd been putting off for so long.

I fell onto the bed, one hand between my legs, pressing my moist vulva, stroking my swollen clit. Despite how on edge I was, I didn't come immediately. A few moments of rubbing finally tipped me over. Instead of pleasure, waves of relief spread over me. I laid on the bed for a long time, panting a bit and unable to do much else. Eventually I rolled over and got my dinner, finishing off my day.

===Wednesday, February 14===

As a long time Ace, Valentines Day just wasn't a thing for me. My new relationship with Cardi aside, I just never really ''got'' relationships. I had many friends of all sexes, but I'd never really had an interest in getting close to them. Even for my high school prom, I'd gone out with a girl friend from my clique of friends, just to have a partner. I can't even remember if we kissed.

Wednesday started like any other day. February to date, had been pretty normal, for my new normal at least. The egg had been uneventful, I'd seen Adam and visited the clinic. And since it was my safe week, Cardi and I had met for some fun over the weekend.

So I was caught by surprise when an office runner knocked on my office door just before lunch. They were carrying a fruit bouquet, and a box of chocolates. Confused, I had him leave them on my desk. I plucked a strawberry off the bouquet while opening the card. The front of the card read ''Happy Valentine's Day'' with a pair of cardinals on the front. It was all I needed to know who it was from. Inside, there was a hand drawn cardinal, and a short message. ''Call Me.''

I held the card for a long moment, unsure what to make of it. I certainly didn't feel like I wanted to get into an actual relationship; I felt we were firmly in ''Friends with Benefits'' territory, but a Valentine's gift seemed to imply something else. I was unsure if I wanted to encourage it, discourage it, or just brush it off.

Ultimately, I closed the door and made the call. Cardi answered after a few rings, obviously at work.

"Hey Sky. Happy Valentine's day. Did you get it?" She greeted me, sounding cheerful.

"Hi Cardi, Happy... Valentine's day," I replied, a little hesitant. "I did get it. Thank you. It's beautiful."

"Great. I know it's probably a bit unwieldy to fly with, so don't worry about saving any of it for me. Feel free to pass it around the office," she said, her exuberance coming through clearly.

"Thank you, I will," I said. "I certainly wasn't expecting it."

She finally seemed to pick up my uncertainty. "Right, I know you weren't. I wasn't planning it until yesterday myself. I know we aren't a ''couple'', but all things considered, I felt like I wanted to do something. And to be honest, I liked the idea of being the one to give the gift for a change."

My head was still spinning, trying to figure out a way through this forest I found myself in. "Thank you, I... I didn't get you anything."

"I wasn't expecting anything. Well, that's a lie. I'm hoping I can expect your company for dinner tonight. Say the Spaghetti Factory at West Ed for seven? Then we can go home for some fun if you get what I mean." I could almost see her wink through the phone. "I've got an evening shift tomorrow, and I know your rut is tomorrow."

"Sure," I accepted, caught up in the flood. "I'll meet you there?"

"Perfect! Looking forward to it. Bye Sky!"

I lowered my phone, not sure what exactly had happened. I munched on a couple of strawberries from the fruit bouquet, half tempted to call her back and cancel. Instead, I convinced myself that it was alright, and had to admit, I was looking forward to it. I didn't like the reminder that my rut was tomorrow, but it was what it was, and did mean our evening was a bit freer than a normal weekday evening might be.

I snacked on a few more berries, and went back to work, trying to focus as best as I could. As she suggested, I disassembled the bouquet and left much of it in the kitchen for the rest of the office. The chocolates I kept for myself.

{{separator|f}}

The office emptied out quickly by the end of the day. We were very flexible with our work hours, so most people took the opportunity to leave early to get ready for a special dinner and/or a special evening. Normally, I would be one of the last to leave on Valentine's Day, having nothing planned. But this was not a normal year for me.

I shut down for the day around four thirty, and claimed one of the bathrooms with a preening kit I kept in my office. I did a thorough brushing, and wished I had a change of clothes. Cardi had booked our dinner at West Ed, which was almost the opposite direction from home. While I could wing it home and get there in time, I didn't really like the idea.

So I made due and shortly before five, I was winging it across downtown, heading to the large mall. Below, traffic was thick, deep in a midweek rush hour. The skies were grey and overcast, but nice otherwise, and not crowded at all. I saw a half dozen griffons flying around, some heading to the mall like me.

I landed near the Asian market and weaved my way through the crowds to the mall itself. I still attracted attention when I was in crowds, but most people didn't give me a second glance now. Once I got to the mall itself, I stopped at a mall directory, trying to think of what I wanted to do next. I had about an hour to kill before she arrived, and I wanted to have something ready for her, but I was drawing a blank.

Ultimately, I decided you couldn't go wrong with chocolates. ''Purdy's'' was packed full of men and a few women getting last minute gifts like me, to the point they were limiting access to the store. I joined the line and debated seeing if ''Rocky Mountain'', ''Lindt'' or maybe one of the cupcake shops was any less busy. The line was moving steadily enough that I just waited it out.

By the time I got into the store, it was obvious it was well picked over. The workers had been run off their feet all day, barely able to keep products on the shelves. Empty brown boxes were stacked near the cash, waiting for a spare minute to be broken down. I considered my options, and picked up a box of mixed chocolates, and headed to the cash. The cashier didn't even react to my appearance; she just totaled up my purchase and offered the debit terminal to me. It wasn't until my scaly hand tapped the card to the machine that she actually looked at me, and jumped in surprise.

"Oh wow!" she said, fumbling the receipt.

I chuckled and plucked the receipt from her hands. "Cupid's arrows seem to work on griffons too. Have a good evening."

Wanting to do a bit more, I made my way down to the Lego store. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I had a rough idea. Well aware of the stares from the kids, I started checking over the minifig options on the customizer machine they had. I found a helmet with a beak, along with a pair of angel wings, and used them to make a couple of custom griffon minifigures.

I was all set when she sent me a text saying she was there, coming in from the market. I went to the second level and spotted her coming down the corridor. We met each other midway and hugged.

"Happy Valentine's day, Sky," she greeted me.

I offered the box of chocolates with the minifigs tied to it with a ribbon. "Happy Valentine's Day. Sorry, it isn't much, I wasn't expecting to do anything."

"Aww, how cute. You didn't have to do anything." She tucked the small box into her bag and hugged me again. "But thank you for the thought."

We hooked arms and turned around to head for the escalators, wings pressing together. "I'm sorry, I'm probably not the best date. I've never really done Valentine's Day before."

"Don't worry, it's just dinner with a friend. And maybe some benefits later if we're up for it. It doesn't have to be special."

I stopped next to a kiosk and looked at her. There was a hint of desperation in her voice that I wanted to clear up. "Are you sure? This doesn't really feel like it's ''just a dinner''."

She sighed and stepped around to face me. "I... I guess you're right. It's just, it's the first Valentine's Day in a long time when I haven't been in a relationship. Carl always wine and dined me, and Nick before that, and before that....The thought of being alone tonight, was bringing me down."

I nodded my head. I knew of her old boyfriend and how they'd been a couple for years before the Change. "You should have mentioned something. I admit, I'm sort've new to all this, but we could've made plans earlier. And not needed to do a last minute reservation at the mall."

She nodded and hugged me. "I know, and I'm sorry if this is making you uncomfortable... It's just... well, I had a bit of a revelation as I was thinking about this. It's usually the guy who gets the gifts for the girl. The guy who takes the girl out for dinner, and all that stuff. But I'm no longer just the gal. And you're certainly not just the guy any more. So I decided to shake things up a bit, see how it goes the other way."

I flicked my ears and pondered what she said. It certainly made sense. It also revealed some of Simon's ways of thinking that I hadn't even considered. "You're right.... I hadn't even thought of that, but it makes sense. I don't know if that makes griffon dating easier or trickier."

She giggled and cuddled against my side. "It's a thing. It'll probably be years before we shake off all the old human sex-habits too, if we ever do."

We held our position in the busy mall for a moment, enjoying the company while people moved around us. Finally she stepped back and looked at me. "So are you sure you're okay with this? I know we aren't ''really'' a couple, but I would certainly enjoy your company tonight."

I hooked my arm around hers again and gripped her hand. "And I would love to be your company for the evening." I motioned towards the escalator. "Shall we go claim our table?"

BRBN Street was completely packed, with lines outside of every restaurant and people being turned away. We waited in line, and finally sat down at a table by 7:30. At least all the restaurants knew how to properly handle griffons now.

"Pick whatever you want, this one's on me," Cardi encouraged me as we studied the menus.

"Are you sure? I don't mind going Dutch," I said. This place certainly wasn't a budget breaker; maybe half a step above ''East Side Marios''; but I wasn't used to having someone else pay for my meals. It wasn't a date thing; it was just the habit from being a bachelor for decades.

"I'm sure. I'm the one who invited you out after all. Guess that makes me the guy tonight," she confirmed.

My ears pressed back in embarrassment and I glanced around quickly, but the restaurant was way too loud for anyone to hear anything.As it was, I was doing my best to tune out as much of the noise as I could for my own sanity.

We placed our orders and soon had some wine and bread in front of us. I sliced the bread while she poured the wine out. We lifted the glasses and clinked them together.

"To a beautiful friendship," she toasted.

"May it last a long time," I finished, and sipped a bit of the wine. "Thanks for everything you've done. Not just with me, but for the flock here," I added, feeling the first bit of warmth spreading in me.

"I'm glad to be helping. We're all in this together, one way or another."

Dinner was nice, especially for a mall chain restaurant. It wasn't my preferred Italian place, but for a spur of the moment reservation on one of the busiest restaurant nights of the year, it was acceptable. We chatted on a variety of neutral topics while we ate. It felt strange letting her pay while I stood next to the table, so as we left, I pointed at the ice cream place.

"At least let me cover dessert. Something to settle the wine and the pasta," I suggested, twitching my wing to the ice cream place at the end of the hall. It was almost nine now and the main shopping areas were starting to wind down, but the restaurants were still doing booming business, including the ice creamery.

"I don't know, I'm pretty full, and it is chilly out there," she said slowly.

"And we've got a long flight home ahead of us," I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the line.

The line wasn't too long, so we got to the front pretty quickly. I got us a couple of chocolate cones and we stepped to the side. We ended up watching people watching us eat the treats as the Valentine's rush finally started to trail off. I tried to focus on the ice cream and not on my body. I was well aware the rut was coming fast, and the wine we'd had was also having an effect.

Eating an ice cream cone was something that wasn't all that different between griffons and humans. It was a lot of licking at first to get ahead of the melting dessert, and then nibbling the cone at the end. The main difference was the angles; griffon tongues didn't really extend far enough out the front of the beaks, so we tended to lick ice cream while holding it beside our beaks. That did tend to leave the sides of our beaks stained with icecream when we bring it in too close.

When we were done, Cardi plucked the paper napkin from my talons, and wiped my beak. I giggled and returned the favour. It turned into a brief nuzzle, beak rubbing beak, before she stepped back.

"Shall I escort you home now, my lady?" she asked, giggling and bowing slightly.

"Certainly. Lead on, my dear," I replied.

We left the mall at the ground level, coming out on the road between the mall and the parking garage. It was completely dark outside, with a fingernail sliver of the moon in the sky not providing much light. We took off, climbing out of the gap and into the night sky. It was refreshingly cold out, with a bitter wind I could feel in my nares.

I hated flying at night; the darkness made everything look different and it was nearly impossible to spot anything around you. Flying in the city helped a little, as the streetlights gave me a grid to follow, but it was still annoying. We set off southward, aligning ourselves with the Stantec tower and the rest of the downtown. I knew Cardi was flying near me, but she was almost invisible in the darkness.

A long flight later, we landed in my driveway. I took the lead, unlocking the door and motioning for her to enter ahead of me.

"Thank you for the dinner, and the evening," I said, heading for the kitchen. I filled a couple of glasses of water and offered her one.

"It was a nice one. Maybe next year I'll think about reserving a table earlier," she said, sipping the water. "It was a lovely evening."

I nodded in agreement and we were silent for a moment, sipping our drinks. She made the first move.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, obviously hinting.

"I'm buzzing," I admitted. "Between the wine and the coming rut, I'm wired."

"I see...." She put the empty glass on the counter next to the sink. "In that case, I should probably get going...."

I blocked her path to the back door. "It's late, and it's dark. Why don't you stay?" I suggested.

"Are you sure?"

I stepped closer and gave her a hug. "As you said earlier, I'm taking tomorrow off for the rut, and I believe you said you had an evening shift. So we have the night."

"If you want to..."

I nuzzled my beak into the side of her neck and up through her feathers. My body was quivering in anticipation. "I'm certainly willing. Meet you upstairs?"

She nodded and ran her talons down my folded wings. "Sure."

We separated and she headed up the stairs. I left the glasses by the sink and turned off the lights and made sure the doors were locked. My heart was pounding in anticipation.

In the bedroom, I found she had already stripped off her clothes, leaving them folded on my dresser. She had taken a plastic travel case from her bag and was preparing her diaphragm. I stood in the doorway and admired her, taking in her perky furry breasts, her strong wings and legs, and her semi erect penis. I knew she was only a few days past her heat, and I was about to hit my rut. It was probably the riskiest time I could be the male in our coupling, but I knew she liked to be prepared.

I moved deeper into the room and unbuttoned my top and pulled it off. My shorts came off soon after, and I could tell her eyes were on me.

"Oh my, Skyfire's wearing underwear now?" she teased me playfully.

My ears flicked and I glanced down, meeting her gaze. I was wearing a pair of cotton black griffon panties. They were practical, but not as bulky as the granny panties I'd started wearing for the peaks. They were cut like women's panties, but with extra space in the front for the sheath.

"Jacques sent me a few pairs to try and give feedback on," I explained, pulling them off. My own penis was half erect in anticipation.

"Well they look good. He does great work. Are they comfortable?"

"Very," I confirmed. I gathered my clothes and piled them on the dresser next to hers. "I actually sort've forgot I was wearing them to be honest."

"Nice. maybe I should have you order some for me."

I opened a drawer and found my own diaphragm case and took it out. My body yearned to just get it on, but I took my time preparing the device. Cardi moved to the end of the bed and propped her paw up, fingering herself a little before slipping it in. It made my own shaft swell harder.

"You know, we seem to be coming here more often to have fun," I said, stalling a bit while trying to keep my own arousal reigned in.

She finished inserting her device and stroked her own shaft briefly as she straightened up. "I know. Is it a problem?"

"Not at all. I don't mind. I... Well to be honest, I think I prefer it. No offense, but I worry about disturbing your neighbours when we're at your place."

"Understandable. But you shouldn't be worried. I've hinted around, and no one has heard anything. Or at least they aren't acknowledging it."

I nodded and moved to the bed, propping my own paw up. I stroked my labia a little, finding myself already quite excited. The diaphragm slipped in easily.

"That's good," I said when I was done. "And I certainly don't mind you hosting. I was just going to say, maybe we should consider doubling up our supplies."

She retrieved a few condoms from the bedside table and looked at me. "Doubling up?"

I flicked my wing to the dresser where the two containers were sitting. "So we don't need to carry them with us all the time. Diaphragms aren't that expensive. So if you wanted to get a second one, you could leave it here. You've already got a set of brushes here anyway."

We climbed onto the bed facing each other. She nodded, using a talon to circle my hard nipple. "That's a good idea. Next chance I get, I'll try to remember to pick up another one."

I began to chirrr happily, and returned the favour while wiggling closer to her. The time for conversation was over. It was now time for action. Encouraged by the wine-buzz, it didn't take long for happy screeches to echo through the house, multiple times.

===Thursday, February 15===

The icy goddess returned early in the morning. This time we were on a snow covered plateau, high in some random mountains. Some of the mountains were smoking, hinting at some barely hidden volcanism.

I barely looked around as I approached her; my arousal evident between my legs. She stopped me a few steps away, giving me a cold glare.

"What? Are you jealous?" I countered, glaring back at her. "You're just a figment of my imagination.

She glared back for a moment before relaxing. She stepped forward and we embraced. The fantasy continued as usual, but something seemed different. As I slipped into her, letting the rut proceed, I felt myself cum earlier than expected. The goddess's eyes widened in surprise before she faded away and reality came back into focus. I saw a red form in front of me, a different pair of eyes watching me. I twitched a few more times, feeling my hard shaft being squeezed by something else.

The pressure eased, replaced with a stroking along my member against the barbs. It sent more waves of pleasure that helped wake me up and get my mind into gear. I groaned softly and finally focused on Cardi.

"Morning. How yah doing?" she asked, still stroking.

I groaned again and sighed. I touched the wet spot on my chest and the sheets. "I think you can see. Fucking rut. What a mess."

"Want me to stop?"

I sighed and looked her over. I nuzzled her briefly, feeling the urges building again. Her own body was obviously receptive to what was going on. Every part of me wanted her to keep doing what she was doing.

"Please," I reluctantly said. "Please stop. I really should get up... get out of bed."

She stopped and rolled away enough to slide off the bed. I watched her stand up, taking in her furry form. It did nothing to soothe the heat in my loins. She started combing her feathers and fur a bit, cupping her breasts, obviously knowing what it was doing to me.

"Fuck," I growled and looked away. I rolled off the bed as well and stood up, picking a blank spot on the wall and trying to calm my body. I heard her leave the room, giving me space.

A half hour later, I was cleaned up and dressed. I made my way downstairs where Cardi was preparing breakfast.

"How are you doing?" she asked again, flipping some bacon in the frying pan.

"Better, I guess. Still a pain in the groin to handle."

"I noticed. I hope you didn't mind, after last time...."

I nodded and snagged an orange. "Yeah, we did agree we would let each other do that. It caught me by surprise is all. The goddess wasn't too happy about it either."

She smirked at me and started filling the plates. "Well, that cocky bitch will just have to learn how to share."

"That she will," I replied, grabbing some coffee and following her to the table.

After eating, she picked up the conversation. "I think this is the most I've ever seen you wear, at least around home."

I glanced down. I'd put on my shorts over the granny panties, with a liner. The liner was helping with the rawness from my swollen cock that just wouldn't go down. I was also wearing a top with pads over my nipple to handle any leakage there as well. My breasts were already swollen larger than normal, but not enough to need a pumping yet.

"Hopefully my new distraction routine will work. I normally didn't bother, but since I'm trying to focus on other things...."

"How's it working?"

I shrugged my wings. "Jury's still out. Seems to be good."

She started gathering the plates. "RIght then, so what are your plans for today? Do you want me to leave?"

I closed my eyes and considered the situation. "You don't have to yet. I was just going to try to do some work and just get through to the afternoon. Then it's off to see Adam.

"You could stay if you want. We can go over the GriffTech projects, brainstorm some ideas and stuff. Or figure out something else to do. Something unrelated to the rut of course."

She giggled, "Aww, but understandable. Sure, let's see what we can do."

We kept busy until noon. The rut was a constant presence at the back of my mind, and Cardi's presence was both a help and an awful temptation. By lunch time, I was a quivering mess of hormones, and my loins ached from being constantly hard.

While Cardi prepared a quick lunch for us, I escaped to the bathroom to freshen up. The pad I was using was wet and sticky from a few releases I'd made through the day, and my breasts were heavy with the milk. I took care of everything as quickly as I felt I could, and rejoined her downstairs for the meal.

"I know you probably don't feel like it, but you've been handling things excellently today," Cardi commented as we ate. "I know your signs, so I saw a few things.... Even so, you hid things well."

"Thanks," I said, not sure what else to add.

"Well, get out of your head with this, and you'll be fine. You're doing great. That said, I do have to head home and get ready for work."

"I know. Thanks for spending the morning with me. I have to get ready for the clinic and to visit Adam too, so it all works out."

She got up and hugged me from behind. My pulse quickened and I rubbed her arms, leaning back to rub back.

"Good luck today, and we'll talk later. See you later."

"Thanks again, Cardi. Have a good day."

I escorted her out the backdoor and watched her take off. The cool air felt nice and I took a moment to enjoy it while watching her flap away. Eventually I headed back in, mentally preparing myself for the rest of the day's battles. The fight was challenging, but it no longer felt so impossible.

{{separator|f|End Book 3}}

{{series bar

|series= Paradigm Shift: Griffons

|previous=[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book2|A Fire in the Sky: Book 2]]

|next=[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book4|A Fire in the Sky: Book 4]]}}

[[Category:Jetfire]] [[Category:Story]] [[Category:Paradigm Shift]] [[Category:Herm]] [[Category:Griffon]] [[Category:Adult]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: A Fire in the Sky: Book 3}}

User:Jetfire/A Fire in the Sky Book4

2025-12-31T19:22:17Z

Jetfire:

{{universe|Paradigm Shift}}
{{my stories
|name=Jetfire
|category=Jetfire
}}

{{title
|name= A Fire in the Sky: Book 4
|author=Jetfire
|user=Jetfire}}
{{XXX}}

'''Author's note'''
This story contains scenes with adult encounters and descriptions.

This is the continuing story following the griffon named Skyfire

==A Fire In the Sky: Book 4 (Formerly Big Sky Country)==

===Friday, February 16===

Recovering from those peaks was thankfully very quick; usually a good night's sleep was all I needed. So I was back in the office bright and early on Friday, eager to get back in action. The day itself went quickly and uneventfully, until the end.

As usual, I wrapped up my work around four, and grabbed a six pack of beer from the small fridge I kept. With my offerings in hand, I headed down for my weekly meeting with Greg. The door was open so I tapped on the doorframe.

"Hey Simon, come on in. How was your week?" he greeted me, closing his laptop and coming around his desk.

"It's been a good one. GSL is finally coming together and the other apps are doing well. On top of everything else. You?"

"Good good. Yeah, things are going well in the ivory towers. I hear you got a bouquet this week?"

I chuckled and popped the top off one of the bottles. "Yeah, it was from Cardi. It was her first Valentine's Day without being in a relationship, so she reached out to me. We went out for dinner after," I explained. "The Change led to her breaking up with her boyfriend."

"I see. Well good for her, and for you," Greg said. I could tell he suspected more, but I left the subject hanging. Instead, we talked about safer subjects, like ongoing projects. It didn't take long to finish the first beers.

"Now seems to be a good time to bring up the elephant in the room," Greg said as I popped the tops off the next beers and passed them out. "How's the Mitchell Account going?"

The "Mitchell Account" was slang for our contract with a company called ''Athabascan Geologics'', now based up in Fort McMurray. It was the oldest contract ''Innovative Solutions'' had, and a keystone to our business stability. It was also the contract that had basically cemented Greg and my positions in the company.

A lifetime ago, when Greg and I were just two guys taking computing courses in University of Alberta, we had made friends with a geology major named Tony Mitchell; we'd become roommates for our final year of courses. After graduating, we had gone our separate ways but stayed in touch.

Tony had joined a startup that would provide geologic services to the oil industry, and we expected we would eventually drift apart. To our surprise, the fall after we graduated, he reached out to us with a problem his company was having; they were making too much data and were struggling to manage it .

Between the three of us, we'd worked out a solution and pushed it through our respective companies. They became one of our first clients, and the relationship had flourished ever since. Tony's company was more than big enough to manage their data in house now, but they kept us on because we knew their needs so well.

Twenty five years later, we were getting ready for a major update to their infrastructure. We did it every few years, so it wasn't a surprise, but it was a nightmare to organize and manage and was my main job on top of managing the GriffTech group and my PR duties. Becoming a griffon hadn't changed that aspect of my job at all.

"The account is going well. I've scoped out their cloud requirements, as well as the hardware upgrade plans, and I haven't run into any surprises yet," I explained.

"Good, So you'll be ready for the big presentation on the 29th?" he asked. We'd booked this event months ago to go over the plans, finalize them and get them going. Mostly it was our board members getting together with their board members to do a lot of talking while a bored griffon watched from the side.

"Sure. I'm still polishing my notes, but we can go over it next week."

"Right. Time's going fast. We only have ''a couple ''of weeks before then," Greg noted, stressing the number. He was obviously hinting at something that I was missing.

"I've been working on this for months. I could run through it in my sleep," I said confidently. I tapped my phone and brought up my calendar. "When's a good time-" I froze, finally seeing what Greg was getting at.

Considering how my peaks affected me, you would think I was more aware of when they were coming, and generally that was true. But for longer term planning, I had set up recurring reminders in my calendar so I was more aware. It was part of the reason I'd pushed for the GriffHealth app after all. The big Mitchell Account meeting had been scheduled months ago, and even after I'd changed, there hadn't been a problem.... Until my peaks shifted. Now they were on Thursdays... The same Thursday when the big meeting was starting.

"Fuck." I said, staring at the calendar. Two days had been scheduled for the meeting, and the first one was the same day as my heat.

"Fuck indeed. I thought you had realized it," Greg said.

I groaned, letting my hands drop. My wings drooped a bit as well, while my mind raced. "I hadn't. I mean, we talked it over back when this started happening, but back then I was on Wednesdays. It wasn't a problem. Now... Fuck."

Greg's gears were obviously turning now too. "We can't change the dates; too much is locked in now. And we can't really move your presentation, it's too important and sets up everything we've planned for Friday."

"I know, I know." I took a deep breath to try and calm myself and consider my options. "We have two weeks. I could brief you beforehand, and let you run it maybe?" I suggested. Greg grimaced and I knew that wouldn't fly. "Or maybe I can get Rob to do it, or someone else?" I grasped at straws. We both knew that wasn't really an option; this project had too many moving parts to toss on someone else's shoulders with no warning. Our 'hit by a bus' factor wasn't exactly one

for this project, but it was damn close to it. After my Change, we'd stepped up our efforts to get that knowledge out of my head and spread around, but too much was still concentrated on me.

"Maybe we could do a remote presentation?" Greg suggested. HIs tone indicated he didn't like the idea, but it was an idea. We'd certainly done enough of those through the COVID years.

I sighed and nodded. "It's possible. I know you don't like it. Let's keep that in our pocket for now."

I snagged the beer bottle and gulped down a beakful without really tasting it. "I... I've been getting a better grip on those things. Adam and Cardi and others have been helping me out a lot. Hell, I've even been leaving the house while it was active. So maybe... ''maybe''... I could make it in. Hold things together long enough to get through the presentation."

"Are you sure?" Greg asked.

"Not at all. It's scary as hell. I hate for people to see me like that, and what I'm feeling on those days, isn't human. But other griffon's have been doing it for months now. Maybe it's time for me to pull up my big-griff panties and take control."

He blinked, taking a moment to parse my strange phrasing, then reddened a bit. He took a gulp of his own beer before going on. "Right, in that case, we'll keep the plans as they are and come back to this next week. If you feel you can't do it, we'll figure something else out."

"Right, thanks Greg. And I'm sorry to put you in this bind. I'll do my best to push through. I just may need a break or two throughout the day."

"I'm sure that can be arranged. Thank you Simon."

===Thursday, February 29===

I slept uneasily through the night, knowing how important the meeting was. It's hard to toss and turn in bed when you have wings and long tail feathers, but I managed it, flipping and flopping from side to side all night long.

My Icy God appeared early in the morning after I'd finally managed to fall into a deeper sleep. He still seemed a bit annoyed from last time, but I didn't care. I approached him in our dreamscape and hugged him tight. Part of me was annoyed he was here. Another part of me wanted him to take me away, to give me some relief and an escape from the day ahead. As if sensing my torn feelings, he relaxed and we began to cuddle. It went quickly from there and soon I felt him slide inside.

I woke with a happy screech, hugging a pillow tightly, my rump in the air, tail twisted to the side. I slumped back onto the bed, panting and wide awake, the pleasant feelings fading as reality set in. I laid still for a long moment, trying to hang onto them.

"Fuck," I groaned, finally pushing myself up. I slid off the bed and flicked on the lights. It was way too early in the morning, but it was a big day. I faced the mirror and inspected myself, rubbing a swollen breast and then down between my legs. I was thankful they were showing up during the heat and not the rut, at least I wouldn't have to worry as much about showing a bulge.

Without really intending to, I stroked myself to another climax. I closed my eyes and rode the wave of pleasure, before letting out a sigh. It was going to be a ''long'' day.

I spent a long time in the bathroom cleaning up and making sure I gave myself a thorough preening. My breasts weren't too big yet, but I did a self milking to try and keep them somewhat under control. I drained and cleaned up the pump and stared at it, debating on if I should take it with me to the office or not. Doing this stuff in the office was a mortifying thought, but it was also my new reality. Reluctantly, I packed it into a travel bag, deciding I'd rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

On most days, I just wore shorts and the griffon equivalent of a t-shirt to the office. They were comfortable, if not the most fashionable. Considering how important this meeting was, I knew I had to step up my wardrobe game. Luckily I had a few things that I'd picked up in recent months. Some options came from Jacques, the others I'd picked up under the advice of Cardi and Michelle and other friends. So I found myself standing in front of my closet considering my choices. I ultimately decided on a pair of short black slacks. The legs were longer than my normal shorts; they left most of my furry legs visible while clinging tighter than shorts would.

For a top, I picked one of Jacques's creations; a blue pullover. It had a short back to sit nicely above my wings, and sleeves just loose enough for my arms to slip in without ruffling my feathers too much. The sleeves went down to my elbows, where my feathers switched to scales. The front had a large neck, big enough for me to squeeze my head through. I tugged it over my breasts, and through some magic of sewing and fashion design, it hugged around my chest without bunching up. I liked the colours and the overall feel of it. What I didn't like was how girly it was. It was tight enough to hug and even lift my breasts a bit. Combined with the wide neck, it meant I was showing more cleavage than I was normally comfortable showing. A funny thing to say, considering I often went topless, but wearing a shirt seemed to accentuate them more than just having them in the open.

I inspected myself in the mirror, flexing my wings and tail to make sure everything fit well. I tugged on the shirt and looked closer at my chest. Jacques had sent me a number of these tops, made out of a variety of fabrics and colours. This one was made of cotton, the fabric thick enough that my nipples weren't visible. It did feel a bit rough against them, so I reached up from below and added some pads and checked again. Even to griffon eyes, nothing was visible.

I packed up my travel bag with the breast pump and a full set of preening brushes, and took off into the brightening skies. I was early enough that I decided to pick up breakfast along the way. It would also be a way to test my resolve on handling the heat in public.

I stopped at a Coras, a breakfast and lunch restaurant in the base of a tower near my office. This early in the morning, it wasn't busy yet, so the waitress seated me at a table quickly. I ordered some eggs benedict, a coffee and a smoothie, and started scrolling through the news while waiting. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw people do a double take when they saw the fiery griffon sitting in the restaurant. It made me feel extra self conscious, even though I was used to the doubletakes, especially when I went to places I didn't normally go to. Thankfully the exercise of the flight downtown helped take the edge off the heat for now.

The coffee was dropped off first, and I left it to cool after tossing in some milk and sugar. When the waitress left the smoothie, she started to put down a paper straw, before stopping herself.

"Thanks, but I don't need one," I assured her, waving the straw off.

"Okay?" she said doubtfully. "Your meal should be ready soon."

I picked up the glass when she was gone and considered the thick liquid. I kept a metal straw in my travel bag, but it was narrow, more suited for pops and juices. Instead of retrieving it, I held it to the side of my beak and tilted it just enough to bring the liquid to the edge. I began to lap it up, careful not to spill any; after five months, I'd long since gotten over any embarrassment for how I ate and drank.

By the time my food arrived, I realized one mistake I had made. A different sort of heat was getting to me. The restaurant had a mostly open kitchen, and all the grills and ovens and fryers, along with the regular heating system, made it hotter than I was used to. On top of that, my table was towards the back, so I had no fresh air relief from the opening door. When she put my plate down, I was panting a bit and fluttering my wings, trying to cool off in a different way. The smoothie was half gone.

"Are you okay?" the waitress asked, sensing my discomfort.

"I am. It's just a bit hotter than I'm used to. I'll be fine," I weakly assured her. "Maybe a glass of ice water when you get a chance please."

I finished the meal a bit faster than I intended to, but the duelling heats were pushing me along. I polished off the smoothie and two glasses of ice water while eating. The coffee on the other hand, I barely sipped from, even when it was cool enough.

I stepped out into the cold winter air and spread my wings wide, letting out a sigh of relief as the heat dissipated. A few early morning pedestrians looked at me strangely. I started walking to the office a block away, not bothering to take to the skies for such a short distance.

I reached my office soon after eight and immediately closed the door and drew the blinds. I took a few minutes to do some preening, putting my feathers back into place and making sure I looked presentable. The walk had helped cool off my physical heat, but the hormonal heat was still throbbing. While it was tempting to act on those feelings, I fought back; that was one thing I was determined to ''NOT'' do in the office. Instead, I brought up my presentation and started doing a final review.

Shortly after nine, there was a knock on the door.

"It's open, Come on in," I called out, while standing up from my desk. I glanced down to make sure I was presentable.I knew my body and I could tell my breasts were swollen. To anyone else, I doubted it was noticeable.

Greg came in and closed the door behind him. He studied me, worriedly. "Morning, Simon.You're looking good. How are you feeling?"

"Not my best, but I can handle today," I admitted. The heat was screaming for attention. I focused on other things and fought to keep it reigned in.

Greg stayed at the office door and nodded. "Good, good. Our guests are arriving at ten. Some of them are already downstairs. Like we did in September, I want to reveal you to them all at once. Some of them know who you are, but for most of them this will be a surprise."

"Okay, I understand. I'll head down at ten and wait for a cue."

"Great! And if you feel you need to tap out for any reason, just excuse yourself and leave. We'll sort things out later if we need to."

"Thanks Greg. I... I think I can handle it. I've had a bit of practice and I'm starting to get used to it. So hopefully I can endure."

He gave me a long look, then nodded again. "Right. See you soon.... OH! We haven't really talked much about this since the Christmas Party, but how do you want to be known for this?"

"Simon's fine. It's how they've always known me, and this is very much his project."

"Sounds good. See you then."

Before ten, I claimed one of our bathrooms and did a final self check. As far as I could tell, I looked perfectly normal. Inside, I was feeling frazzled and on edge. I did another brushing to settle my feathers and fur a bit, and checked my breasts. Despite how full they felt, they didn't warrant a milking yet. I packed up my brushes and did a final look in the mirror before leaving.

After leaving my kit in my office, I went downstairs and headed for our executive conference room. It was the room designed for the suits, with a huge wooden table, a nice view out over the city, and large comfortable chairs. The "IN USE" light was on outside, but the doors were open. I nodded to the receptionist and waited just out of sight. I could hear voices chatting inside, socializing before the meetings started. I recognized most of the voices, either from our company or from ''Athabascan Geologics''.

The receptionist left the desk briefly and went in to pass along a message. I knew she was letting Greg know I was there. As she came out, she held up a finger to me, indicating I was to wait for a moment longer. Inside, I heard Greg speaking louder.

"It looks like just about everyone is here, so why don't we take our seats and get ready," he addressed the group. The rest of the conversations died down, and there was the noise of chairs shuffling around as the group took their positions. I flicked my wings and shook my tail nervously, waiting for my cue. The itch and ache in my loins was an annoying distraction that was bearable so far.

"You may have noticed someone missing. Our Chief Technician, Simon Farrell, has been involved in this project from the very beginning. As most of you know, last September he was caught up in that mess down south. He looks very different now, but his skills are as sharp as ever, and we're happy he is still able to work with us," Greg was saying.

I took that as my cue and stepped up to the doorway. Greg was at the head of the table on the opposite end of the room, so no one was looking my way at first. He saw me come in and nodded. A few followed his gaze and gasped. I waited until everyone had turned towards me, before I waved a wing at them. I walked over to the padded bench that was my spot at the table.

"Good morning everyone," I greeted them, breaking the ice. My coworkers knew me so they weren't surprised. Most of the ''Geologics ''people were shocked.

I knew the man seated across the table from me well. He stood up, the shock clear on his face as he stared at me.

"Simon? Damn, you're Skyfire? I never realized that," Tony Mitchell exclaimed. He leaned across the table, offering his hand. "I mean, I knew you were caught in that mess, but I didn't know you were her... him... erm... I just figured you guys had hired her for your ad campaign."

I shook my old friend's hand. He was basically my counterpart in Geologics. We'd been emailing and even voice chatting often since the change, but I just realized this was the first time he was seeing the new me. While we were Facebook and LinkedIn friends, I didn't usually post selfies, so he had obviously never realized what the new me looked like.

"Yes, I'm Skyfire, and yes they 'hired' me for the ad campaign. I guess you could say they hired me for it twenty five years ago." I felt Tony twitch a bit in surprise at the texture of my hand, but his expression stayed warm.

"We've gotta find some time to catch up. We clearly drifted a bit far apart," he said. "So would you prefer Skyfire now?"

"Simon's fine. It's how you've always known me, and this is definitely his project. Shall we begin?" I looked around the room. There were sixteen of us there, eight from each company, and I knew almost everyone there. Most of the expressions were friendly. I saw a hint of pity in some of the looks I was receiving. The one person I didn't really recognize was a new senior manager on ''Geologics'' team. He'd been hired during Covid so we'd never met in person, nor interacted much. He gave me an uncertain look, but I figured we would win him over soon enough.

I stepped around the bench, flipped my tail over it and sat down, signalling everyone else to take their seats. While the room settled, I poured a glass of water and sipped it. I wasn't really thirsty, but I figured it would be a good way to get people used to me early on, so when I did actually feel thirsty, it wouldn't disrupt the presentation. More than a few people, and not just ''Geologics ''people, were staring as I carefully lapped and dribbled the water into my beak and swallowed.

"Right, we have a busy day ahead of us, so let's get started," Greg said, refocusing the room his way. He activated a powerpoint presentation. "First, a bit of history, to remind us all of where we're coming from."

The pictures he showed were almost unrecognizable, and not just because I was no longer human. Twenty five years was a long time, and all of us from those early days had certainly changed a lot, even if Greg and Tony didn't get the fur and feathers makeover like I did.

The rest of the morning turned into a slog. The history lesson was a nice trip down memory lane; what followed was less nice. Various people began to speak, introducing themselves and establishing their bonafides. Half of them didn't really need to be involved, but I recognized the office posturing when I saw it. For someone who avoided office politics like the plague, it was intolerable. It was made worse by the heat building in my loins and the aching itch of my nipples. I did my best to stay focused and to not think of it. I tried to keep myself as still as possible, despite wanting to squirm and try to get some sort of relief. Thankfully Greg had positioned our team near the wall of windows. It was a little thing but the little bit of cold radiating from the thick glass helped offset the heat of the room.

Shortly after noon, Greg took over again. "I don't know about anyone else, but it's after noon, and I'm starving. I'm sure we can all smell the pizza's waiting out at the reception desk. So why don't we take a break and pick things up at 1:30. Feel free to head out for a bathroom break or a smoke break or anything."

While I couldn't really smell the pizza, I could see everyone else reacting, with many people glancing to the door where the boxes were hidden. On Greg's signal, they were brought in, along with cans of pop, bottles of water, plates and napkins. While I was waiting to make an escape, Greg cornered me.

"How're you doing?" he asked, studying me carefully.

I fluttered my wings a bit and glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to us. "It's rough, but I'm handling it. It'll be better when I'll be more active."

"Yeah, I know you hate this sort of thing. You're doing great so far; I know the new you and I can barely tell anything different." He smiled at me encouragingly and it was reassuring. "The actual planning will kick off in the afternoon. Do you need me to cover for you?"

"Save me a slice or two maybe. I'm going to duck upstairs and freshen up. I'm getting a bit heavy, if you get what I mean."

He shook his head in confusion. "I don't know what you mean, but do what you need to do."

I excused myself from the group and retreated upstairs. I headed straight to my office, ignoring the few teammates that tried to ask me how things were going. I snagged my bag and retreated to one of the bathrooms, locking the door behind me.

I studied my reflection in the mirror. At first glance, I looked like just another griffon. Five months of looking at that feathered face daily let me easily see how frazzled I really was. I brushed my head feathers a bit, and then took off my top. I studied my breasts, hefting one in each hand. While they didn't look any bigger than normal, they certainly felt heavier, filled with my peak milk. My nipples were firm to the touch, visibly erect against my fur. I growled a little in frustration that I had to do this, and unpacked the pump. I turned away from the mirror and started pumping. Soon the pressure and the weight on my chest was eased.

I gave myself fifteen minutes and felt a bit better, even if it didn't do anything to ease the feelings in my loins. I dumped the milk in the sink and rinsed out the equipment. Looking in the mirror again, I didn't look any different but I felt a bit better. I grabbed some of my brushes and did some preening. I put my top back on and tucked in a couple new pads over my nipples. Finally, I took a piss and may have wiped a bit more thoroughly than I had intended to. Not enough to get relief; if anything, the tease made the feelings worse. But my attention had slipped while I was mentally distracted, and my actions got away from me. I replaced the pantyliner and was ready for the afternoon.

As I'd requested, Greg had saved some pizza for me. We still had over half an hour before the meeting restarted, and a number of folk were still out. I snagged one of the remaining slices and nibbled on it. I was well aware of the eyes on me.

Tony waited until I had finished one slice before wandering over. I put my plate with a second slice down and gulped a bit of water.

"I still can't believe that's you Simon," he said. "It's incredible. I'm sorry I didn't check on you earlier. I should've realized it."

"It's okay. You guys are up in Fort Mac. You aren't back down this way that often any more." Over a decade ago, we'd helped them move their core offices to Fort McMurray to be closer to their clients, while setting up some satellite offices in Edmonton and Calgary. And less than a decade ago, our disaster recovery plans had been exercised when the city had burned down with the wildfires.

"Well, I guess you won't be coming up in person for the upgrade. It just means I'll have to find time to come back down and we'll see what trouble we can get into again."

I chuckled and nodded, "Sounds like a plan. And you never know, I might figure out a way to get up to Fort Mac too."

"So, what was it like? What is it like?" he asked.

"That is a story best saved for just us over some wine, or maybe over some beers. In a nutshell, it was terrifying and traumatic. As for how it is now, it has its moments, both good and bad."

He studied me closely. "Right. We've gotta find time for that beer time for sure."

The room was filling up again. I nodded to my slice.

"Sorry, I'll let you finish your lunch. We'll chat later."

The afternoon wasn't quite as bad as the morning. My heat was rapidly reaching its peak which was a pain in the gut. But I actually had things to do for this phase of the meeting. With something to focus on, I was able to plow through.

Once everyone got back to the room and settled down, I took over the powerpoint. ''Athabascan Geologics'' wanted a complete overhaul and update of their systems, including more use of cloud services, so I was outlining how we would do it, all while letting them keep doing their day to day work. It was going to be one of ''Innovative Solutions ''biggest jobs for our biggest client, hopefully spread over the next few years.

After my presentation was done, the talking began. Greg thankfully took over the meeting, while I reclaimed my bench seat. I had to answer a lot of questions and pass on many more of them that were literally above my paygrade. Greg kept the discussion on topic, nipping derails in the bud and keeping everyone focused.

Just after five, Greg decided to wrap things up. I dearly wanted to fall back in my normal routines; to go to my session with Adam, to do my blood draw at the clinic, and most importantly, to have an intense masturbation session with my icy god. Sadly, that was not going to happen. Even though the meetings were done, my obligations were not. We had a company dinner planned after a break to freshen up. It was why I had cancelled my usual Thursday plans.

Greg followed me upstairs to my office while our guests packed up and got ready for dinner. I ''really ''didn't want the company.

"Well, that went well. Thank you Simon. Your presentation was great."

I picked up my pack and turned to face him. "Thanks Greg. It wasn't my best work, but the important parts were covered."

He nodded, not picking up my obvious hints. "How are you feeling? I know this isn't a good day for you."

Not able to escape, I flipped my tail up onto my desk and sat on it. "It's rough. The first time I've really done a heat without releasing it. And it hasn't broken yet."

"You're handling it well. Do you think you can finish off the day?"

I considered my options. Part of me just wanted to go home, get some ice cream and rub myself raw. Despite my desires, I knew I had to attend this business dinner.

As if reading my mind, Greg made an offer. "If you want to bail out, I can cover for you. We know you're reliable and you're good for the job at hand."

His offer was tempting. Very ''very ''tempting. Instead I let out a long sigh. "No, I'll be there. I just need a bit of me-time to settle my head."

Finally he seemed to get a clue. "Oh! Right, right. I'll let you be. See you at the restaurant?"

"Of course."

Once he was gone, I ran to the washroom again with my gear. Like before, I stripped off my top and pumped out my milk. I cleaned up and started preening again. I sorely wanted to do more to relieve the heat, but I firmly drew the line at doing things in the office, even if it was the end of the day and it was emptying out.

The office was almost deserted when I came out. I could hear a few people still tapping on keys and clicking their mice. The office usually didn't fully shut down until eight or nine with the hours some people ran. I left and caught the elevator down. The street was still busy with the tail end of rush hour. I walked to the end of the building and ducked into the alley leading to the parking garage. A few steps past the corner, I took off, quickly getting above the top of the garage.

Being active after a day of sitting was a huge relief. I barely resisted the urge to let out a happy screech as my wings lifted me higher into the crisp air. The pumping of my heart and flexing of my muscles seemed to help offset the heat. With nothing else to do, I just climbed higher and higher, until I was over Stantec Tower. I began a lazy circle over downtown, wings stretched out to catch the winds.

Flying that high was peaceful; most griffons didn't climb that much for every day flying. If you put in the effort, when you got up there, it was a peaceful height. The winds were strong enough to keep you up with minimal effort. The hustle and bustle of the city was lost among the buildings, hundreds of meters below. I closed my eyes, and simply flew aimlessly, enjoying the air blowing through my fur and feathers.

All too soon, it was time to rejoin the rat race. I was somewhere over the south eastern part of the city, almost to the Hendey; the highway that ringed the core of the city. The dinner was going to be at a teppanyaki place near Rogers Place so I had a ways to go. Luckily, I could go literally ''as the crow flies'', so it didn't take me long to get close, steadily dropping down as I went.

Being less familiar with the area, I found the restaurant and landed on a flat roof nearby to study the ground level. Traffic was relatively heavy, and the sidewalks were busy with people rushing to get to restaurants and do other errands. The street and sidewalks were too busy to land directly there. Instead, I shook my wings and tail a bit, feeling the nice burn from the flight, and looked around for quieter spots I could land. I found one a half block away, and took off, dropping below the roof line.

There was no one from our party outside the restaurant when I arrived, so I ducked inside. The restaurant was almost steamy hot, and filled with a cacophony of noises. The voices and clinking of dishes I was used to tuning out, but this place had a new noise, a somewhat regular clacking of steel on steel as the chefs put on their show. I hoped my discomfort didn't show much as the host came over to greet me.

"I'm here with the ''Athabascan Geologics'' group," I said, ears pressed down to try and muffle the noises. I fought the urge to pant in the heat.

The host seemed unperturbed to be hosting a griffon this evening. He checked the book and glanced deeper into the restaurant. "A group of 18? We have a private room for you, but it isn't quite ready yet. Would you care to wait for the rest of your party?" He indicated an area beside the door.

"Thanks, I'll just wait outside. Everyone should be here shortly."

I stepped back outside, and took up a position to wait near the door, standing outside the main traffic flow. The cold air felt divine.

Soon enough, I recognized two men coming from the direction of a nearby parking lot. They were bundled up against the cold, with heavier jackets, gloves and toques.

"Hey Simon! Aren't you forgetting something?" Tony called out when he spotted me.

Worriedly I looked down to double check myself. My top was on and nothing was showing that shouldn't be. I'd left my pack at the office, and only wore my phone in its wrist holder that also held my bank and ID cards. I tilted my head in confusion, looking back at my old roommate.

"Your jacket! It's freezing out here. Aren't you cold?"

Greg and I laughed in unison. "You clearly haven't met many griffons yet, have you?" Greg said. "This is practically tropical weather for them."

"Not quite," I corrected. I pointed my wing to the restaurant. "That place is a sauna for me. Out here, it's basically room temperature."

"Seriously? Damn! Makes me wish I'd been down there for my vacation. My blood's gotten way too thin for Fort Mac winters," Tony said.

"Well being a griffon does have a lot of negatives. But that isn't one of them," I admitted. "And yeah, I guess you wouldn't have run into many griffons yet. As far as I know, we don't have any that far north."

Tony looked a bit thoughtful as he nodded. "We've gotta find time to chat, and catch up. I'm not flying back up until Sunday, do you have any plans for Saturday? I've got stuff to do during the day, but maybe we could hook up for dinner and some drinks?"

"Sure, I'm free. What do you have in mind? O'Hallahans sadly didn't survive Covid," I said, naming our old watering hole.

"I heard that. Why don't you pick? Is there a place where I can get a bit of a griffon experience maybe?"

"Sure, there's Griffiths up north a bit. How about it, Greg?"

Greg nodded. "My schedule's clear. Why don't we work out the details tomorrow?" he said, noting that more of our party was arriving.

A few minutes later, our room was ready and the host led us through the restaurant. The private room had two flat top grills, with tables and seats set up around the outside. They had even found a short stool for me, ready to slide in wherever I decided to sit. I picked a spot at the far corner of the room, as far from the entrance as I could get so I would be out of the way of the waiters. Tony snagged the seat next to me, and the rest of the group mingled to fill the rest of the spots.

Drink orders were taken while we studied the menus. I was sorely tempted to order a hot sake, but with how I was feeling I decided it wasn't wise. I stuck with ginger ale.

"Just a pop?" Tony asked once the waiters were gone. "Are you trying to save money? You know you don't have to; my company's paying tonight. Or can griffons not handle alcohol?"

I chuckled and fluttered my wings to try and cool a bit. While the room wasn't too hot, it was warmer than I preferred. "No, we can handle it. I just don't want any tonight. For griffon reasons," I assured him."Don't worry, I'll make sure your trip budget gets a good workout from the food."

True to my word, I picked a steak and lobster option from the menu. While it wasn't the most expensive item, it was higher than I normally would have picked and easily offset the cheapness of my drink. I hadn't been to a teppanyaki place in a long time, so I was interested to see how my new body would handle it. The fact that the chef basically chopped everything up before it got to me was appealing.

After we had ordered and before the first round of appetizers, I excused myself and slipped around the room to the main restaurant and headed for the women's restroom. By an unspoken agreement, the griffon and human communities seemed to have decided we fell into the 'womens' category when it came to restrooms, even if it felt strange to go there instead of the men's room. It still embarrassed me to walk into a public room and find a woman already there, and they often didn't seem to know what to make of me either.

Thankfully, this restroom was empty when I entered. It had two normal sized stalls and an accessible stall. The room itself was decked out in a Japanese theme. I claimed the larger accessible stall, glad I had enough room to get my tail in and close the door. In a pinch I could, and sometimes had used regular stalls. In those cases, I either had to leave the door open, or I had to press my tail feathers down to the floor, and I didn't like doing either of those things.

While the restaurant was higher class, I realized their restroom supplies were bog standard. The toilet paper rolls were the big commercial grade single ply ones that tore if you looked at them wrong, or, in my case, grazed them with a talon. At least the toilet was set a bit further from the wall so I could actually reach back to the dispenser and get enough to clean up.

As I cleaned up, I had a revelation; My heat had finally broken. The urges were fading, even though I was still horny as hell and my breasts were heavy with milk. I took a few extra moments in the stall, doing a mental assessment. I concluded that I could certainly get through the rest of the evening now, even if I still yearned for ''something''.

"Fuck you. I beat you, you bastard," I mumbled as I flushed, taunting the hormonal beast that had crippled me for five months and counting.

The door opened and I froze and fell silent. Once again I suddenly felt like a guy caught in the gal's washroom. The newcomer didn't go to a stall, but went to the sinks, turning on the water; I was tempted to wait her out. Instead, I opened the door and walked out.

June, one of the Geologic's managers, was at the sink washing her hands. She looked up at me, obviously surprised.

"Hi Simon, I... I didn't think you would be in here."

I tried to seem unthreatening and went to the second sink to start washing. "Well, as the kid's book goes, ''Everyone poops''. Though I didn't need to this time."

"Right, but wouldn't the other bathroom be more appropriate?"

"It's a gray area," I admitted. "The consensus seems to be leaning towards us sharing with the women."

"But you're a guy?" she said, a hint of confusion in her voice. In the mirror I could see her eyes flicker, focusing on my chest, then down below.

I shrugged my wings, "It's a tricky subject. While we do have both down below, I'm now plumbed more like you. I think that's why consensus is going that way. I certainly can't use the urinals any more."

"I see," she said, awareness dawning on her.

I finished washing up and dried my talons. After a final glance in the mirror, I headed back to our tables with her following me.

A large selection of shareable appetizers had arrived while I was out. I sat down and snagged a couple of edamame from a bowl near me. I tossed one into my beak and held it there, breaking the shell and freeing the soybean with my tongue. I swallowed it, shell and all. I was well aware Tony and some of the other guests were watching me closely. I picked up some chopsticks and reached down the table to snag a tempura coated zucchini slice.

"How the hell can you do that?" Tony asked, still staring as the slice followed the edamame.

I clicked the chopsticks together and waved them in the air. "Lots and lots of practice," I said playfully. Now that the furnace in my loins was starting to cool down for another month, I was more willing to relax and have some fun. For the uninitiated, seeing birds, or in this case griffons, eating was often surprising.

He glared at me. "You know what I mean."

I licked the side of my beak and twitched my ears in amusement. I held up the second edamame. "Once more, lots of practice," I said, before tossing it down the hatch.

The soup course was the one part of the meal I hadn't been looking forward to. Liquid food, especially hot liquid food with chunks that was meant to be slurped, was the bane of griffons. Normally I avoided them. In this case, it was part of the meal and thus, unavoidable. Luckily, it was served with bigger ramen-style soup spoons, and it wasn't too hot. So I managed to lap it up and gulp it down without making too much of a mess.

Two Japanese chefs, accompanied with carts loaded with food and sauces, came in as we were working through our salads. The one that came to our side started lining up the raw meats on a cool part of the sheet grill. He lifted up a chicken breast and nodded to me. "Don't worry, it isn't anyone you know," he joked. His expression hinted he'd been waiting since September to make that joke.

The entertainment part of the meal went well. While they weren't the best comedians, they were very skilled chefs. They stacked vegetables, flipped shrimp tails into their caps and otherwise kept everything in motion.

At one point they started flipping samples into the mouths of customers. My chef clearly wanted to toss a chunk to me. Figuring I had an ace up my sleeve, I accepted his offer and partly opened his beak. He hesitated, now not sure what he was about to do.

"Go for it. I can catch it," I assured him, focusing on the sample.

Griffon 'super vision' was well known. We could zoom in and see fine details from a long distance away. What was less well known was how ''fast'' we could see. It wasn't as obvious in everyday use, but we could clearly see fast moving things that were just a blur for humans. Birds darting between trees, fast balls pitched in baseball, hockey pucks shot on net, and magician sleight of hand we could see and track easily.

So when he tapped the flipper and set the piece of steak flying, I could clearly follow its arc through the air. When it got close enough I snapped forward and felt my beak latch on the juicy sample. I caught it with my tongue and pulled it in deep enough to swallow. Around me, I heard people clapping. It seemed everyone had been watching my stunt. The chef seemed a little stunned at first.

"Have you been practicing that somehow?" Tony asked as the chef started plating up the main dishes.

"Nope. First time I tried it. Would've been really bad if I'd messed it up. I half expected it to bounce off the end of my beak."

"Seriously?" my old roommate shook his head in amazement, and focused on his meal.

We wrapped up the meal after nine, and I was finally able to head home, after a quick stop at the office for my pack. Flying helped the big meal settle in my stomach.

When I reached home, I was done for the day. While the heat had broken, the urges were still strong, they just weren't being refreshed with the hormonal furnace. I locked the door behind me and headed right upstairs, tossing my bag onto my bed.

I stripped out of my clothes and tossed them into my laundry basket. I flopped onto my bed, my breasts bouncing more with their extra weight. I was completely exhausted. Still, I knew I wouldn't get any rest unless I did something. I fumbled in the bedside drawer and found one of my favorite vibrators.

Without the drive pushing me on, I was able to take my time, slowly playing until the climax rolled through me. I dropped the toy and fumbled weakly to turn off the light before falling asleep.

===Friday, March 1===

I woke up the next morning, feeling normal again. I stretched out, and took my time cleaning up in the bathroom. I didn't have enough time for a full shower, let alone a bath. I did have enough time to wash off the important areas enough to feel clean. A hair dryer on low heat took care of damp fur.

I picked an outfit similar to the one I wore the day before, but lighter. The panties were thinner and covered a bit less. The slacks-shorts were the same. For the top, I picked a similar pullover that was less thick since I didn't need to worry about leakage today. It still accentuated my breasts a bit more than I liked.

The second day of meetings went a lot better than the first. Without the roaring furnace in my loins, I was better able to focus on the job at hand. It was still a lot of boring meetings and politicking, but when I had to step up to the plate, I was sure I knocked it out of the park.

''Innovative Solutions'' was hosting the group for the second day, and Greg's team had booked a box suite for the hockey game against the Senators that evening. While the CFL had embraced the Griffons and were letting us use their fields in Edmonton and Calgary for the nascent Skyball league, the NHL was still not letting us into their arenas. As such, as the day wrapped up, I was saying good-bye to the ''Geologics'' group, not expecting to see them again until the project was further along.

To my surprise, Tony and Greg stopped me, a ticket in hand.

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it, but Rogers Place isn't letting Griffons or Titans in yet," I declined. "I'll see you tomorrow..."

"They aren't? But why?" Tony asked.

I shrugged my wings. "No clue. Something about us not fitting in the seats and insurance and liability reasons I guess."

"Well, it's time to make them smarten up. Take the damn ticket, Simon. I'll walk you in personally if I have to," Greg insisted.

While I had my doubts, I reluctantly took the offered ticket. It was wrapped in a pamphlet with directions on what entrance to use and how to get to the suite level. I finished up my farewells and retreated upstairs to touch base with my other teams to make sure none of the other plates I was responsible for had fallen.

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It was very tempting to just ignore the ticket and head home. In the end, I knew I couldn't do that to Greg. At the very least, he would be blowing up my phone all night if I didn't at least show up. At most, it would be a blow against our friendship, and I didn't want to do that.

So an hour before game time, I flew out to ''Rogers Place''. The crowd was thick outside, waiting to get in. A game against the Ottawa Senators wasn't exactly a hot ticket, but it was a Friday, and the Oilers were still in the running for the cup, so it looked like it was going to be a pretty full house.

I landed near the Premium Ticket holder entrance, found a spot along the wall, out of foot traffic, and waited. I was feeling more self conscious than usual. Hundreds of fans were waiting to get in, and they all gave me a surprised look. Griffons at an NHL game just weren't a thing. The fact that I scanned the crowd every few minutes didn't help either; something about the eagle stare could be unnerving to humans. While the ticket attendants and security agents noticed me, they were too busy at their stations to ask me to leave.

"Hey Simon! Over here!" The ambient noise was almost too loud for me to pick up the shout, even with griffon hearing. I'd also been getting used to responding more to Skyfire than Simon, so I wasn't quite as attuned to my old name as I was before. Being ''Simon'' for the past two days did bring back old habits, so I didn't hesitate ''too'' much when I heard the shouts.

Tony and Greg and a couple others were walking up the street to the entrance. I raised my wing and waved to them. "Hey guys!"

We moved to join the lines waiting to get in. Greg stayed close to me, Tony on the other side. "I half expected you to bail on us," he said quietly. "Any trouble?"

"I admit, while it was tempting, I wouldn't do that to you. No trouble... yet," I said. Ahead, the ticket scanner had noticed a griffon in her line, and a couple of security officers were approaching.

"Well, I'll get you in," he assured me.

I still had my doubts, but I could tell he was fired up for a fight. I'd always been a very ''laissez-faire'' guy, and becoming a griffon hadn't changed that. My friend, on the other hand, was a fighter. Not a physical fighter, but when a cause got into his head, he would be leading the charge. Letting griffons attend NHL games seemed to be his current cause.

We let the rest of our group scan through first, until it was just the three of us. Tony nudged me to go first, and I presented the ticket.

"I'm sorry, but Griffons are not allowed into the arena yet," the attendant said, sounding uncertain. It was obviously a policy that had been drilled into them since the Change had happened, This was probably the first time she had to impose it. A pair of security agents stood a few steps behind her.

"Not allowed for general admission. But these are ''suite tickets''," Greg said, taking up the fight on my behalf. "Standing room only tickets at that. There's no reason he can't come in with us."

The agent was clearly in a tough spot. "I'm sorry. It's the league policy," she said.

"I know you can't bend policies by yourself. So place the call, get someone down here who ''can'' bend it. We'll wait," Greg said. I glanced around and noticed we were attracting more attention. People were taking their time approaching the gate so they could watch. More than a few cameras were recording.

The agent seemed to sense the gathering storm and was visibly relieved to be given an out. She pulled out her radio and called for someone to come to our gate. Greg pulled us slightly out of the way so more guests could use the gate, while being close enough that we couldn't be ignored.

A man dressed in a nice suit showed up surprisingly quickly; I suspected he had been anticipating this encounter. He ignored Greg and Tony and focused on me.

"Hello Mx Skyfire. Welcome to Rogers Place," he greeted me, holding out his hand.

"Skyfire is fine," I said, hesitantly shaking the offered hand. "These are my friends, Greg and Tony."

He acknowledged them, then returned his focus to me. "I'm honored you want to show your support for the team, but it is league policy to not allow non-humans in the arenas at this time. We are planning some improvements over the summer, and we expect to have seating suitable for Griffons and even Titans available next season. But it isn't available right now. We apologize for any confusion and we can refund your ticket."

"That's bullshit!" Greg exclaimed, stepping forward. "We have a standing room only ticket for a box suite. There's no reason he can't join us."

The manager's confidence faltered a moment as he looked at Greg. "That may be, but it is league policy. It's for the safety and enjoyment of all of the fans."

"Screw the policy. Name one legit reason why he can't join us to watch the game." Greg challenged the manager. He didn't raise his voice, but his tone was clear. Around us more cameras were coming out to record the encounter. I ''really ''wanted to just take off and put it behind me. Instead, I was the centre of a growing storm of attention.

"It's for the safety of fans. Griffons can't sit properly in our current seats-"

"Standing. Room. Only. Ticket. Box. Suite." Greg countered, enunciating every word clearly. He won't be sitting, and won't be blocking anyone any more than someone else standing in a box seat would block the view.

''"Let! Her! In! Let! Her! In!" ''Around us a chant was starting up from people watching from both sides of the gate. I could almost sense hundreds of video streams hitting the 'net. My ears pressed back and my wings drooped a bit as I tried to seem smaller, wanting to shrink away from the attention.

The manager hesitated again, sensing the mood of the crowd. We could all tell there was a powder keg brewing. The last thing I wanted was a riot to happen, but I had no way to escape or to deescalate the situation. Only the manager could do that. He was clearly struggling, weighing any trouble he might get in for letting a griffon in, against the public relations disaster that would happen if box suite ticket holders rioted. He reached his decision and pulled out a business card.

"Enjoy the game, Mx Skyfire. If you need anything special, please just ask."

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to it." I took the card and stepped through the gate, and suddenly I was on forbidden ground. The first griffon to be in Rogers Place. Around us, the crowd cheered and there were flashes as people recorded the event. I gulped nervously and waved my wing while Greg and Tony came through the gate after me.

We rejoined our group and headed for our suite. Unintentionally, I ended up surrounded by coworkers and our clients. Every step we took, I could sense I was being watched curiously. A few fans approached, but no one could get past the barrier we'd established.

Finally, we reached our suite and went inside. The suite was pretty standard, a serving area with hot food trays already prepared, along with a selection of water, pop, beers and wines. Screens on the wall would show the game for those inside. The back was open, leading to a balcony with a dozen seats looking down to the ice.

I beelined to the drinks and grabbed a cold beer. "You're insane," I told Greg as I popped the tab. "Absolutely insane."

He laughed and grabbed a can of his own, holding it up for me to tap as a toast. "Hey, it worked. You just have to know how to work with corporate inertia, and know when and where to push."

I gulped down a bit of beer, and began to relax. "I just hope it doesn't cause more problems later. Not for me, but for griffs in general."

"Relax, the crowd's on your side here. Sometimes you just need to give people a bit of a shove to realize something doesn't make sense and it's time to change."

I loaded up a plate with wings and other snacks, and began to mingle. Now that I was here, I felt I could relax a bit, the adrenaline rush from the encounter fading. I was glad we weren't doing this when I was fighting a peak.

Before the game started, I took a moment to check my phone. While it was on silent, it had been buzzing almost constantly since I got in. Mostly they were congratulation messages and jealous emojis. I was starting to mentally compose a message, when there was a knock on the suite door.

We looked over, and a stranger was there. He scanned the room and spotted me. "Mx Skyfire, may I speak with you for a moment?"

I spotted a press badge clipped to his pocket and relaxed and went over. "Just Skyfire is fine," I said. "What's up?"

"Well, you are, it seems. My name is Josh Davis, a producer for Sportsnet." Brian had trained me well enough to know what to expect. "The first Griffon at an NHL game. It caught us by surprise, but we would like to draw attention to it. Would you mind speaking on camera with us during an intermission?"

"What would we be speaking about? And what would I need to do?" I asked. I'd been doing these interviews way too often for my likes lately, so doing yet another wasn't something I was looking forward to. Still, this situation was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"I can send a team down here towards the end of the second period, and we can film just out here. They know how to handle the crowds. As for what we speak about, it's just a light interview. Your thoughts on the game, on the arena. Have you been here before? We'd like to know how different it feels now that you're a griffon."

"Spoiler alert, this isn't my first time here, though it is my first time as a griffon of course," I said, nodding. "Sure, I'll do it."

"Great. We'll be down near the end of the second period. It shouldn't take too long."

I watched the producer rush off, and waved to a few stragglers heading for their own suites. I closed the door and refilled my plate.

"Trouble?" Greg asked.

"Not for me. Maybe for you. Sportsnet wants to talk to me during intermission."

"Cool. You okay with that?"

I nodded, and dipped a popcorn chicken in some sauce. "Oh yeah, Brian's been training me well. I've gotten a surprising amount of experience dealing with cameras lately. Just don't let the Marketing team know."

Greg laughed, "You're secret's safe with me... wait, why would that be trouble for me?"

I nudged him with my wing as I headed for the balcony. "You dragged me in here. I'm going to make sure I spread the blame around. Don't worry, I doubt you'll have to say anything, but I '''am''' dragging you out there with me."

It was almost time for the teams to hit the ice. I stepped onto the balcony and took a position behind the last row of seats, leaving enough room for others to go by. The arena air was a lot cooler compared to the suite, which was a relief for me. I fluttered my wings and tail a bit to let some of the heat out. Music blared from the speakers as the DJ tried to amp up the crowd. I took in the ambiance, noting how the arena was almost packed.

I shifted my focus down to the ice surface. Our suite was about halfway between centre ice and the home team's net, so the visitor's net was a long ways away. With griffon vision, I could easily see the strands of the net and the wiring for the video equipment.

The noise in the arena changed, cheers coming up from the crowd. I looked expectedly towards the benches, but there was no sign of any players yet. Tony nudged me. "You're on the screen," he said.

I looked up and a startled phoenix was looking back at me from the big screens over centre ice. I stifled my first urge to run back into the suite. Instead, I did a quick look around and found the camera focused on me. I spread my wings wide and waved with a talon. I realized for the first time that my blue top and natural fiery red and orange plumage was pretty close to the Oiler's colours. The cameraman expanded the view to get my full wings in, and the crowd roared louder until he moved on to a new target.

Soon after, the players actually came out onto the ice for their warmups. The anthem was sung and the game was on.

Generally speaking, I'm not a big sports fan. I didn't closely follow any teams and just had a passing acquaintance with the rules. Since becoming a griffon, I hadn't watched a hockey game at all, aside from the demo games at WestEd. So the only thing I knew about who was playing was what I'd absorbed through osmosis mainly.

Still, watching a professional hockey team in person was an experience. The vibes from the crowd were almost physical, and the speed they moved around the ice was amazing. Griffon vision tricks let me track the puck easily, except when it was against the boards in front of me. The speeds involved were simply incredible. When the puck shot across the ice, even I had trouble following it; that the human players were able to somehow follow what had to be a blur for them just boggled my mind. I found myself focused on the play, visually zoomed in close to follow the action.

Midway through the first, the Sens scored the first goal of the night and the crowd let out a disappointed groan. Play was paused soon after for a commercial break, and I was able to relax and sip my beer. I noticed Tony looking at me curiously.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No... No. Nothing's wrong. It's just... You, I guess."

I tilted my head, waiting for him to go on.

"The way you're watching the game. You're staring at it, staring at it... well, staring at it like a hawk. And you aren't blinking. It's inhuman."

"Well, I'm not human any more after all. I'm just following the game. And I do blink, just not with my big lids." I demonstrated, clenching my eyes shut for a moment, then blinking like I usually did, the inner lid flicking across my eyes.

"Yeah, I realize that... and it's probably not the right term. Sorry, it's just a bit weird."

"Weird for me too; I've just had months to get used to it," I assured him.

Play started up again, and I tried to be more aware of what I was doing. I kept a more midrange focus, so I could see more of the ice. As the action picked up, I found myself focusing in again, locking on and tracking the puck. I occasionally was surprised by a player coming in out of nowhere for a check, or to interrupt the pass, but mostly it was just seeing where it went. There were a lot of close saves, rail clangers and goalie catches. In the end, neither team could score before the period was finished..

Once the buzzer sounded, I followed the mob heading to the washrooms and joined the line waiting to go into the women's. Even more than the time at the restaurant, I felt like I was a fake, invading foreign territory. More than a few people gave me a curious look. No one actually said anything that I could hear. The line to get in was long, but moved surprisingly quickly.

Before I knew it, I was in the restroom, and it felt strange. It wasn't really different from the men's room; just with more stalls and no urinals. Still, for all my life, it had been a forbidden zone, and now I was going in. I focused on some of the walls, noting advertising posters set up, and waited for an accessible stall to open up. While the regular stalls seemed a little bigger than normal they were not that much bigger; I figured I could hold it long enough for the larger stall to open.

"First time?"

I flicked my ears and realized someone was talking to me. I looked at a middle aged woman, dressed in orange and blue.

"You could say that," I said, fudging the truth.

She chuckled. "Well, I hope you're enjoying the game."

"It's been a blast," I said. Thankfully a stall opened up and she claimed it.

Soon after, I was able to claim my own toilet and took care of business. I washed up as quickly as I could, and forced myself to check my reflection. I brushed my talons through my feathers and washed my beak so I'd be ready for the next intermission. Despite how busy the washroom was, the sink next to me stayed empty. I got back to the suite with a few minutes to spare.

Second period, the OIlers came out hard and fast. They caught a breakaway within the first couple of minutes, and scored a goal, making the arena cheer. Caught up in the excitement, I raised my wings and hands in celebration, letting out my own happy screech that cut through the cheers. Some of the closer sections looked around, puzzled by the strange sound. I cut it short and lowered my limbs quickly, ears and tail dipping.

Greg nudged me and laughed. "Stop that. It was a good goal, it's fine to celebrate."

"I know, I know. It's just, it's embarrassing to see how I react to things now. Especially when you're the only one who does it."

"Don't think about it. Just be you. People will get used to it. And to be frank, it's rather cute."

I shook my head at him. "Not helping," I said, before ducking back into the suite to get another beer and some more chips.

The game stayed tied through the rest of the period. There were a number of close calls on both sides. Caught up in the game, it made me let out a few more screeches without intending to when the Oilers almost scored.

I was so caught up in the game, I nearly jumped off the balcony when Tony poked me. "What?" I snapped, taking a moment to refocus on the things around me.

Tony backed up quickly and pointed behind us. A cameraman and a reporter were at the door, looking in. "Sorry, you surprised me," I immediately apologized.

"It's okay. You were getting into it."

I snagged Greg and we went to see our guests.

"Hi Skyfire. I'm Stuart McLeary. We're here to record a quick segment for intermission. Is in here fine?"

"Sure," I said, looking around quickly and moving to a spot that would be mostly out of the way of anyone trying to leave the suite. Brian had trained me well over the past few months, so I had an idea of what these guys needed. I positioned Greg next to me and faced the camera man.

"Don't we have a few minutes before intermission?" Greg asked.

"We're basically recording this nearly live," Stuart said, checking our position and moving to my other side. His cameraman lifted up the camera and flicked on a flood light. "So we'll run through the interview now, acting as if we're talking to the guys in the studio, and then the editors will stitch it together into the show when they get the spot. It means you don't have to stand here waiting all break."

"Just relax and enjoy the spotlight. You're my prop for a change," I said to Greg. "I've done this sort of thing many times recently. Just tell me what you need."

They took a minute or two to do a quick sound and light check; making sure the microphone could pick me up clearly and that the lightning picked up my colouring right. Stuart made sure we were ready, then started counting us down, holding his microphone.

"Five, four, three, ..., .... Thanks guys. I'm here with local Edmonton celebrity griffon Skyfire, on what has become a bit of a historic day in local history. She is the first Griffon to attend an NHL game. Tell me, how did this happen?" Stuart opened up before turning the microphone to me.

"Hi there, it's good to be here. Honestly, it was completely unexpected, and all the fault of my boss and friend, Greg here." I spread my wing and hugged Greg, making him jump in surprise. "Our company is treating one of our clients tonight, so we rented a suite, and he refused to leave me behind."

Stuart shifted the mic to Greg, who still looked surprised but recovered quickly. "Si-Skyfire has been an important member of our team for years. It didn't seem right to leave hi-her behind."

"So what are your thoughts on the league's policy on Griffons and Titans?" Stuart asked.

"In general, it makes sense. I've met Titans, and neither of us will fit in regular seating. So in general, it makes sense. But it also needs to have a sanity check. While we can't sit in regular seats, we can certainly stand as well as anyone else. When there are standing room options for example, there's no reason to keep us out."

"Is this your first game?"

I shook my head. "I admit, I'm not the biggest sports fan, but before last fall, I usually caught a game or three each year. This is my first game this season of course."

"Of course. Watching it with literally new eyes, how would you describe it?"

"Incredible. It's hard to describe really. It's the same experience, but with a new take."

"And what are your hopes for the future?"

"Well, I've heard Rogers Place and other arenas are planning to establish areas suitable for Griffons and Titans in the off season, so hopefully more feathered and furry fans will be able to attend."

He waited a moment, holding still so the editor could do a cut if needed, then asked his last question.

"Finally, I'd be remiss to not ask you about the Skyball league. Are you looking forward to that?"

"I'm really looking forward to it. I know the griffons on the local teams and they're all pumped to establish a new pro league. And I'd like to give a shout out to the Elks and Stampeders and Roughriders, and the CFL in general for all the support they've given Griffons in putting it together so quickly. It'll be seven months since that event made us Griffons. To be able to create a brand new sport, reflective of our abilities in such a short time is incredible."

"That it is. For people who aren't aware, the inaugural Skyball League will start in mid May. The Calgary Griffons will be hosting the Edmonton Griffons at McMahon Stadium."

He turned back to me. "Thank you Skyfire, and Greg. Enjoy the rest of the game."

I waved a wing, and the light went off. I nudged Greg, pushing him away gently. "You can relax now, it's over."

Stuart chuckled and handed the mic back to the camera man who was packing up his gear. "Thanks for your time. You're a natural."

"Not really. I've just had more practice lately than I wanted. I wasn't expecting the Skyball plug."

"I'm not sure if they'll keep it in, but I figured what the hell. Always good to get people excited. Are you going to go down for it?"

"I'm hoping to. Michelle is trying to sort out transportation. If we go, it'll be one of the biggest trips most of us have taken since September. It would be good to get out."

"Well, in any case, we better get going. Thanks again. Enjoy the game."

I glanced at the screen and confirmed the intermission had started. This time I didn't have to go anywhere, so I just relaxed, watching the zamboni driver clean the ice. I waved to some fans in the seats nearby and chatted with a few people in neighbouring suites. I figured my interview aired when my phone started buzzing with a fresh batch of messages. It was something I was getting used to, figuring I could sort things out in the morning.

The third period was a nail biter, which was quite a trick for griffons, considering I neither had nails nor teeth to bite with any more. Both teams obviously wanted the win, and neither gave an inch. With five minutes to go, I figured we were going to get overtime, and then the Oilers caught a breakaway. The entire arena held their breath as the forward sprinted ahead of the Sens defensemen. I leaned forward against the back of the seat in front of me, squinting to follow the action as close as my eyes could get me. With a shower of ice shards, he skidded to a stop and swung back, firing the puck to the upper left corner of the net. The Senators goalie reached for it, but I could tell he was too slow. It clanged off the top bar and was in. I let out a joyous screech a split second before the buzzer sounded, registering the goal.

The arena roared loud enough to shake the rafters. A few people in the seats in front of me glanced back at the strange noise I made. I didn't care. It took a few moments for the place to settle and the game to continue.

The Sens put in a good effort after that, pulling their goalie for the man advantage in the last minute, but it was to no avail. The game ended 2-1 for the home team, and the arena cheered.

After the game, we lingered in the suite, snacking on the leftover food while waiting for the crowds to dissipate. I knew I could get clear fairly fast; I just had to wade through the crowd to the exit, and then I could take off. At the same time, I wanted to be polite and wait for my party to leave together, so I hung out with them.

"Normally, I'd go looking for a spot for a nightcap, but I think old age is catching up to me," Tony said, catching up to Greg and I. "So I think it's probably best to call it a night and head back to the hotel."

"Yeah, it's been a long day, I'm ready to throw in the towel too," Greg agreed. "How about you Simon?"

"Home sounds good." I turned my screen on and showed them the dozens of messages waiting. "I've gotta do some damage control with the flock before I hit the nest."

"How do you get home?" Tony asked.

I spread my wings and shook them. "Flying of course. In a pinch, I can take the train, but most of the time I just go around with my wings."

"Seriously? You hated walking. You drove everywhere you could. And now?"

"Now, I sadly don't have any other choice. Griffon transportation options are quite limited. It's not bad honestly, when the weather's nice."

"So what's this place you're taking us to tomorrow?" Tony asked.

"Griffiths. It's just north of the Yellowhead, almost at the Hendey. And it was named long before griffons happened," I said. "It's got a restaurant, a bar, a pool hall, and axe throwing."

"So we should plan on dinner and a show?"

"I suppose so. How about we meet there around seven? Greg knows where it is."

I glanced out and the arena was almost deserted now, workers starting to do a cleaning pass. The door to the suite was open and the crowd outside had shrunk to a trickle. I waved my wings, motioning for them to go first.

"That's fine. I'll be done with my stuff long before then," Tony said.

We followed the crowd through the building to the exits. Once we stepped outside, I stretched out and let out a long sigh, feeling the heat seeping away from me. It was glorious. I walked with them most of the way to the parking lot, until the crowd was almost gone.

"Thanks for the evening," I said. "This is as good a spot as any for me to take off. Bye now."

Tony and Greg turned to me and we shook hands briefly before I leaped up. I saw Tony shake his head in amazement and heard him speak to Greg. The words were lost in the wind. I circled over them a few meters up and waved, signing ''Good Night'' before setting off for home.

===Saturday, March 2===

As hard as it was to believe, a form of normality was starting to settle in with the griffons. Many of us were settling into our new lives and starting to feel normal again, even if it was a new form of normal. There were still a lot of unknowns on the horizon, but everyday life was settling into a routine.

One side effect of this was a change for our weekend gatherings. After the holidays, it quickly became obvious that, while the gatherings were good, we were running out of reasons to hold them. Michelle decided that we would drop down to monthly gatherings for now, and she was talking with griffon support leaders in other places about our future. I didn't know the details, but there was a lot of talk about setting up a Griffon-focused social club, similar to the Kin Club or the Lions Club.

For me, the main thing it meant for me, was that my weekends were mostly free again. This weekend, I celebrated my freedom by sleeping in late. The past few days had been exhausting, and I just wanted to sleep and mentally recharge. In the end, I didn't even stir until after nine, and finally got out of bed just before ten.

Most of the morning and afternoon, I spent continuing 'damage control' from the previous night. Griffons from all over were reaching out to me, asking how I had done it and what it was like. I wrote up a few public posts for reddit and other social media to explain and let that talk for me.

What surprised me was when some businesses reached out to me. Places that had suites or were about to rent suites, and wanted to offer some standing room only tickets to the local griffon community. I knew they were looking for social brownie points and I didn't care. I chatted with Michelle and the Calgary flock leaders and passed the buck to them to figure out how best to distribute the offered tickets.

By late afternoon, word was spreading through our community, outlining the ticket opportunities that were coming up for griffon hockey fans. I figured there would be no problem filling the spots.

I took off a little after five, and took my time flying, enjoying the late winter weather. It was cloudy and a little chilly, by human standards. The days were obviously getting longer and the temperature was warming up. All across the city, the snow was taking a beating, water running off into the storm drains. While the river was still frozen, the ice was showing more cracks every day.

Close to seven, I was in a holding pattern circling over the northern part of the city. I was close enough I could see ''Griffiths'', while being far enough away to not be too obvious. There was a steady stream of griffons heading to the bar, hinting it was going to be a busy Saturday there. In the parking lot, I could see a half dozen cars, making it seem less busy than it actually was.

Greg texted me, saying they were taking an Uber. I stopped my circling and dropped down, landing in the parking lot. I waved to a few friends while staying away from the entrance so I wouldn't get pulled into a conversation.

Soon enough an Uber pulled up and two men got out. They looked around, but didn't see me at first. Instead, they focused on a couple dropping down and landing on the cleared patio area. I wandered over while they were distracted.

"Hey guys. How was your day?" I asked.

"Hey Simoh-my-god!" Tony looked at me, then looked away quickly.

I tilted my head curiously, while Greg groaned. "I told you about this on the way over," he said. "It's a griffon thing."

I looked down and realized what he was reacting to. I only had my shorts on and my travel gear. "Yeah, shirt designs are a pain in the back. They haven't really figured out a design that can handle our wings, how our muscles move, cover our chests, and don't wreck our fur and feathers. So when we can, most of us just skip them . Not like we need it for protection. When it rains or snows, it's better to use just our fur than to have wet fabric."

I turned to the restaurant entrance and went in. It was a busy evening, with most of the tables full. Maybe three quarters of the people there were griffons. Tony openly gaped for a moment, obviously not sure where to look.

A human hostess greeted us just inside, grabbing the menus. "Evening, Skyfire. Your reservation is ready. Please, come this way."

She led us to a corner table that was already set up. I fell back from the group, having to greet various friends as we went. I finally reached our table and sat with my back to the room. Tony was facing the room and obviously amazed by what he saw.

"There are so many of you here," he said finally once the hostess left with our drink orders.

I twisted around and looked. I figured there were a couple dozen griffons eating, along with a griffon waitress. "I suppose. But it's not that many really. Edmonton's only got hundreds in total, not even a thousand yet. Down south, that's where most of us are."

"Wow...."

"Keep in mind there are only a hundred thousand of us so far. Most of them south of the border. Maybe about forty thousand Canadian griffons. Barely a small city's worth. Compared to forty ''million'' human Canadians. It's going to be a long time before there are ever 'a lot' of us."

Tony shook his head again and picked up the menu. "So what do you suggest?"

''Griffiths'' had a fairly standard bar menu. Burgers and sandwiches were pretty dominant. It also had a lot more bite-sized fare, suitable for beaks. Stir fries and skewers were very common.

"It's all good. Just pick something that appeals to you," I said. "But please pay attention to the pepper scale."

A griffon waitress came over with our drinks and took our orders. She left a bowl of nachos and some salsa for us to snack on while we waited. Tony tried to ask me more about last September, but I avoided the questions, telling him it was a subject better for after dinner. We chatted on safer topics, catching up in general over the meal.

A local band was going to play at the bar later that evening. To spare our ears, I spoke with our waitress as I settled the bill, and made sure it was okay for us to linger for a bit over our drinks. With her permission, I bought another round of drinks and prepared myself for a rough story.

Once we were comfortable, with fresh drinks and a fresh plate of nachos, I started into the story. I held almost nothing back, going into almost all the details. For the evening, we were not employer-employee-client; we were just old college roommates catching up on a major life event. As I went on, I watched their expressions, trying to tell if I'd gone too far. They listened intently, showing their horror, anger, wonder and confusion about the event. Technically Greg had heard it all before; hell he had lived through some of it and I made sure to point it out. But this was the first time he got it all in one dose, and it was obvious he'd never fully put all the pieces together.

I finished up the story and focused on my drink. A couple of refills had shown up during the tale, so the beer was pretty full. I didn't look at my friends and just gulped it down. I put the mug down and felt a hand take mine. By the end, it was feeling more like one of my sessions with Adam, and I was feeling a bit bad for shovelling everything on them.

"Damn, Simon. I never really realized that," Greg said, squeezing my hand comfortingly.

"You never had to. It's not your responsibility," I reassured him. "Sorry, I probably went a bit deep there. I missed my weekly with Adam, and I guess I needed an outlet."

"Adam?" Tony asked.

"His psychiatrist," Greg said.

"Yeah, he's been a huge help, for all of us. And I only started going because of Greg here. Well Greg and my parents." I looked longingly at my empty mug and glanced around the room. It was almost empty now as the restaurant part was winding down for the day. "The thing is, my story isn't unique at all. Everyone who's got feathers now, here in this building, in this city, and beyond, we've all got similar tales. And I'm not just talking about the one on my ass. We've probably made the careers of dozens of head docs in the past few months."

Tony finished his own mug of beer and shook his head again. "Well, they're doing good work. As are you. Until you told me all that, I had no idea. I'd heard about it, but never like that. You're holding things together surprisingly well."

"You have no idea," I said. "Many times it's just a matter of pushing through and taking it one day at a time. And some days are better than others." I hesitated a moment. "You have no idea how close Thursday was."

"What was Thursday?"

"Remember I went over those peaks we experience? Thursday was one of my peaks. Greg knows I've been hermitting up during them, but I had to come out for you guys. It was the first time I've been in the office during those events."

"Shit, you should've warned us. We could've figured something out...."

"It was my fault. I didn't realize the date until a couple weeks before. Hell when we first scheduled, my peaks were on Wednesdays so we figured we were fine. Our biology is just screwy it seems."

Tony took his turn to squeeze my hand. "Sorry man. I wish I'd known. Next time, let me know. We'll work around it one way or another."

I nodded my thanks to him. "Don't worry about it. In the end, I think it was a good thing. I've been working on some tactics to handle those better, and they do seem to be working. That just pushed me more than I expected."

I glanced around again and stood up. "I think we've spent enough time here. They need to finish closing up. Let's go into the bar area and listen to whomever's wailing over there tonight."

The bar area was busy when we got there, most people mingling and enjoying the live music. A local country-rock band was playing, mostly human with a griffon drummer. I scanned the room and noticed a pair of griffons waving for my attention.

"Hey Skyfire, you looking for a table?" one of them asked.

"We are, but you don't have to-" I said, seeing them already standing up. Both of them were obviously pregnant.

"It's no big deal. Time for us to head home anyway. The little ones get antsy if we're out too long," the other said, rubbing her belly bulge.

"Well then, thank you. Have a good flight home."

Greg went to the bar to get the next round, while Tony and I sat down.

"It was nice of them to give up their table. Do you know them? I guess they wanted a night away from their husbands?" Tony asked.

I laughed a little at his misunderstanding. "I know them a bit. They've come out to a few gatherings. And no, they aren't avoiding their husbands. They're a couple. Danny and June, husband and wife. And yes, they are the father to each other's babies."

I could see Tony's confusion as he tried to sort out the situation. He was only partially saved by Greg arriving with three mugs and a bowl of peanuts. I let him stew on that for a bit and focused on the band for a bit. While it wasn't really my type of music, they were pretty good.

A few songs later, I noticed Tony was looking around curiously, obviously puzzled by something new. I looked around as well, and didn't find anything amiss. There were about a hundred people in the bar watching the show and just having a good time. Most of them were griffons.

Finally, he leaned closer to me to ask his question. "I gotta ask. How can you tell the difference?"

"What difference?" I asked back.

He waved vaguely towards the bar area where the usual meat market for singles was happening. "Difference between the guys and the gals," he said. While we hadn't been drinking a lot, the alcohol was obviously loosening our tongues.

I suspected I knew what he was asking, and decided to toy with him for a moment. "What do you mean?"

His mouth opened and closed as he struggled to explain what he was asking about. Taking pity, I let him off the hook.

"Don't forget, we're herms now. We've got both things in our pants. The Guy/Gal distinction doesn't really matter, as you saw earlier with Dan and June. Sure, most of us hang onto our old pronouns and feelings somewhat, but it's fading. Biology's a bitch. With the heats and the ruts and the eggs, it's hard to hang on to those old distinctions."

He still looked confused. "So you're not interested in girls any more?"

I shook my head and looked around the room. "Nope, not really. Nor am I interested in guys either. I am interested in griffons though."

"In what ways?" Greg asked, joining into the conversation. "What do you look for in a griffon?"

I shrugged my wings. "Well, honestly, I'm not the best guy... best griff to ask, since I'm not in the market. But in general, I look at feather and fur quality, see how they're taking care of themselves. Strong wings are good too, clean talons and claws, a nice tail. Plumage patterns can catch my eye occasionally, but people can't change those so I don't think of that. Firm breasts, and good hips and musculature and so forth. A lot of the same things you look for I guess."

My friends looked around again, obviously trying to see through griffon eyes. I decided to give them a hand. I spread my wings slightly to hide the pointing I was doing and indicated a table where a lone griffon was sitting.

"Take that bald eagle griff over in the corner, by herself. She's here just for the show I'd say. Probably coming out for a break after coming off her peak. Her feathers are ruffled and her wings are slouching."

I pointed vaguely towards the bar. "The trio over there on the other hand, they're obviously out fishing. Wings held high, ears up, feathers and fur combed to the nines, a bit of gloss on their talons and beak and they're scanning the crowd trying to catch people's eyes."

We watched the trio on the hunt while trying not to be too obvious about it. Griffon ages were hard to tell as we'd all basically been reset to our mid-twenties biologically. Judging from their body language, I figured one was older, probably my age, while the other two were younger and less experienced. While the trio obviously knew each other, they were not a group.

One locked her eyes on someone across the room and started moving her hands. I recognized a standard GSL greeting, and turned to figure out who she was signalling.

"What's happening?" Tony asked.

I found her target, another well made up griffon. She signalled back and was working her way across the dance floor.

"Looks like she found someone she knows. Or at least someone who's interested," I narrated. "They're using GSL. Griffon Sign Language. Much easier than shouting across a noisy room."

The first griffon met the other a few steps away from the bar. They stopped signing and were obviously talking now. The pair returned to the bar and the newcomer signalled for a drink. Their wings rubbed lightly together while they chatted. I stopped watching and grabbed a handful of peanuts.

"Speaking of GSL, how's the app going?" Greg asked, grabbing on an obvious topic change before things grew too uncomfortable.

"Still awkward," I acknowledged. "We've got some ideas and stuff, but it's rough. Doesn't help that I've got a horrible head for languages. I can barely wrap my mind around it as is."

"Luckily it isn't just you. Cardi's been a huge help from what I've heard." Greg said.

I felt my face redden a bit, ears pressing down and I gulped down a bit of beer. "Yeah, she's great. The only reason I know as much as I do," I admitted. "Of course, part of the problem is that GSL's a moving target. We've already developed Canadian and American dialects as is, and now some people are incorporating wing signs too."

"Well, I'm sure you'll work something out," Greg said.

We shifted our focus to the band for a song and let the topics drop. Towards the end of the song, I happened to glance back at the trio. The first one and her new partner were close together now, wings rubbing more and bordering on some intense public displays of affection. The other two were still obviously on the hunt. I noticed a woman, a human in her late twenties I figured, approaching the pair.

"This should be interesting," I said softly. "Watch the cougar... that is the actual cougar griff."

The woman reached the younger of the two griffons and started talking. She was obviously nervous, while the cougar griffon seemed intrigued.

"You think she's a ... what are they called?.... A furry?" Tony asked.

"Possibly," I admitted. "But I doubt it. There's been a lot of interest and curiosity in general, not just from that community. Now that there are three intelligent species on Earth, it sort've blurs a lot of lines we didn't pay attention to before. Especially since there are a lot of mixed partners too."

"Would it be safe if they did hook up?" Greg asked. After the number of beers we'd had, this topic was flowing surprisingly easily.

"Sure. Griffons and humans are basically the same size, especially down below. If you're thinking about ''how'' we are equipped, well, it's mostly for looks and stimulation. I've heard it feels different but doesn't actually hurt. Which raises the curiosity aspect."

"Some griffons actually like to have a human partner, or partners. They say it helps take the edge off the peaks with minimal risk. As a species, we're STD free for now, and there's no pregnancy risk with human partners," I explained further. While I hadn't actively sought out that information, I'd heard a number of stories and read many articles in passing.

The pair chatted for a bit, but couldn't seem to reach an agreement. The woman wandered away, obviously disappointed. The griffon resumed scanning the room for other targets. I suspected the griffon was looking for a male partner, probably close to her heat.

"So, I've gotta ask. You've experienced it both ways right? Which is better?" Tony asked as we paused our griffon watching.

The question nearly sobered me up and I hesitated a moment, not sure what I wanted to say. I decided to answer honestly. "Honestly? It's different, but both ways are equally good. As a guy, it's rather intense and focused, while as a girl, it's more... I don't know, more spread out? Less focused? But still great."

Greg laughed, "Wow, I never thought I'd hear you talk about that. You really have changed, Simon."

I waved the mug and grinned, ears twitching happily. "Blame the beer. A few fewer bottles and I wouldn't have said a word."

We continued chatting through the rest of the evening, with a few more beers. Tony went to get refills, and came back with some extras; three small boxes labelled with various heat indicators.

"Look what I saw at the bar. Remember these one-chip challenges?"

"Yeah, I thought they were banned a few years ago. I hated those things," I replied, glancing at Greg. He smirked and winked back at me.

"You barely lasted five minutes if I recall correctly. So how about it? You want to give it a new shot?" Tony sipped his beer and pushed the boxes to the middle of the table.

"I'll pass," Greg quickly said. "My stomach couldn't handle them back then. It certainly couldn't handle it now."

"Those things taste like cardboard," I said, then sighed theatrically and took a deep drink from my beer. "Fine, we can do it."

"First to drink after eating loses," Tony said, opening the boxes.

I picked up the tortilla chip with the tips of my talon and examined it. It was heavily laden with the pepper spices. Even with my diminished sense of smell, I could pick up a hint of something.

"Ready?" Tony asked, holding out his chip.

I held my own near his, so we could see they were similar. We touched them lightly as a toast.

"Ready," I said and popped it into my beak.

I closed my beak and used my tongue to crush the chip up. The spices hit my tongue a bit stronger than I had expected; while I'd been ordering top level spices across the city since I'd changed, this was a level above that. I blinked a bit, eyes watering a little and kept breaking up the chip. My tongue burned a little, but not unbearably so; it was around the levels I used to consider 'very hot' and now regularly ordered at Thai places that knew how to serve griffons. I swallowed the mass and looked at my friend.

Tony was making a number of strange expressions as he struggled with the chip. His face was red and his eyes and nose were running. His jaw moved slowly as he struggled to break it up to the point he could get it down. Finally he did a big gulp and started panting.

"Done!" he gasped out, eyes still watering. He wiped his nose with a napkin and looked at me. "What the hell?"

"Done as well," I said, opening my beak and wiggling my tongue. "It was tasty, but the chip was quite stale. Tasted like spicy cardboard."

"But... But..." he paused and waved his hand in front of his mouth, struggling to find his words and to fight the chip. "You aren't reacting!"

I picked up a napkin and dabbed at the damp feathers around my eyes. "I am a little. They do have a nice kick."

Greg laughed and took pity on our friend. "And that's another aspect of griffons you just learned. Capsaicin just doesn't hit them as hard. They've developed a reputation for liking the spicy stuff."

"Yeah, you have to be a bit more prudent when you go to Thai and similar places around the city now. Make sure you stick with the human spice chart; the griffon one will blow you out of the restaurant," I said.

"That chip, I'll admit, was at the high end for even my preferences. It's just nowhere near our limits it seems. I could probably order a bowl of fresh nachos with similar seasoning and avoid the marketing surcharge."

Tony stared at me, still struggling with his insides. He was clearly debating whether to yield or to keep the challenge going. I just watched him, trying to look as nonchalant as I could; my gullet was churning through the spices, a little unhappy with the chemical load, but not protesting as much as Tony's stomach was.

While we were staring off, a griffon waiter showed up, setting down two big glasses of milk. "On the house, guys. You look like you could use them," she said, ears twitching in amusement.

I nodded my thanks, and slid one glass closer to Tony. Tony defiantly glared at us, doing his best to resist.

"Fuck!" he finally exclaimed and started gulping the milk down. The glass was drained in seconds and I offered the second one to him. The redness was immediately fading from his face.

"No, I'm good," he gasped out, wiping his face again, his breathing slowing back down to normal levels.

I sipped the milk and felt it soothing the burning of my tongue and beak. I didn't drain the glass and left it half filled in case Tony needed more.

"Thanks Clark, we're good now," I said to the waiter.

"No problem. Just wave me down if you need anything else."

The challenge done, we continued our catching up session. The topics we covered weren't exactly work friendly, but they were enlightening. We kept an eye on the bar, seeing a few more griffons on the hunt, some successful, some striking out.

"So, is she?... he? ... it? Uhm.... can you tell what they are after?" Tony asked. "What the hell do you call yourselves?"

I shrugged my wings, thankful the music was loud enough to make it hard for others to overhear. "I'm not sure. I've heard all the pronouns lately. And honorifics. He, She, It, They, Zim, Zir, Hir, Zie. At least Mx seems to be what people are picking for the honorifics. Everything else, your guess is as good as mine."

I peeked over at the bar to see who Tony was referring to. An eagle griffon was talking to a crow. "I can't tell," I said after a few moments. "I'm not active enough on the dating scene to be able to tell. I suspect they may be in a male mood."

Tony shook his head and refocused on his drink. "Damn, that's all too complicated for me. Not sure how they do it."

"Too complicated for me; but I've never really been in the dating scene to begin with," I agreed. "As for how they do it, they're still figuring it out too. And probably still tripping over what they used to be too. Once the natural griffons are old enough, I'm sure the dating scene will be completely different."

"Natural griffons?" Greg asked.

"The babies. None are born yet, but there are a lot of pregnant griffs out there as you may have noticed. We're going to have a baby boom when they start popping."

"So how about you? You thought of having a little griffon of your own yet?" Tony asked innocently.

"Hell no!" I exclaimed louder than I intended. A few of our neighbouring tables looked our way. I continued a bit quieter, wings drooping from embarrassment. "That sort of thinking might be one of the reasons I'm so screwed up in the first place. But I don't want any kids, either as a father or a mother."

"Sorry, didn't mean to touch a nerve," Tony noted.

"It's okay. It's a fair question. But don't worry Greg, I won't be taking any maternity leave any time soon."

We stayed until the band finished performing and the bar started playing prerecorded music. Greg called for an uber shortly before the last call, and we went outside to wait. The night air was cold and felt great after being inside all evening. I spread my wings and shook a bit, feeling better already.

Tony and Greg shivered, buttoning up their coats. Tony stared at me and shook his head. "Yeah, you guys will be popular up at For Mac I think. You make me cold just looking at you."

"Well, wait until we get through summer. We don't know what the heat will do, or the molt will be like," I said.

"In any case, I hope you can make your way up there soon. Good luck with your bike."

"Thanks. It should work out. Lots of other griffs have already gone that route. It is a bit scary to imagine being on the highways again with nothing around me."

"At least you'd be able to fly off if you had to," Greg pointed out.

"Not likely, not at highway speeds at least, even with griffon reflexes. We still obey some of the laws of physics."

Tony offered his hand to me. "We'll have to do this again next time I'm down. And it won't be as long as last time."

I took the hand, and impulsively pulled him into a hug. I felt him stiffen for a moment, then relax as I patted his back. He tentatively patted my sides, not able to get around my wings.

"I'm looking forward to it," I said, letting him go. He stared at me, a little stunned.

"Yeah, looking forward to it. Damn, your fur is soft... softer than I expected." He shook his head. "You okay to fly home?"

"Sure, I've done it before, in a lot colder temps than this. It's a good way to work off the beer too. Have a safe trip back to Fort Mac."

The uber arrived and Greg excused himself to flag the driver down.

"Thanks Simon. I'm sorry this happened to you, but I'm glad we still have you around. "

"Happy to be around."

I waited while they got into the uber. The driver looked at me, half expecting me to squeeze into the van. I suspected he was used to bringing tipsy griffons home. I shook my head and waved him off, while Greg and Tony waited. A few minutes later, they were on the road and I was in the air.

===Saturday, March 9===

Almost six months after the change, and things were becoming routine again. The egg came on time, and this time I cleaned it out and kept the shell intact. A griffon had asked us to save our emptied eggs for an Easter event she was running at her school. I wasn't sure if I was going to donate my egg, so I kept it whole so I could decide later.

Work was surprisingly normal despite my new look. I split my time between GriffTech and the Mitchell account, and somehow found time to keep an eye on our southern customers. Most of them could be handled remotely, and when we did need to send someone down, we did manage to find a tech we could send. Still, I was feeling pressure to go down in person and smooth out a few rough areas, and to finalize some deals our sales department was making in the Griffon lands.

So with that need gnawing at the back of my mind, I found myself circling over MacLean's Motor Sports on Saturday. They were located west of the city, on the outside of the Hendey, on the Yellowhead Highway heading towards Spruce Grove. It was a large paved lot, with a big building containing a warehouse-garage and a large showroom. Most of the lot was fenced off. It was obvious they were changing seasons, with only a few snowmobiles left in the lot, and a lot of four wheelers and towing trailers set up in the fenced in yard.

I landed in the parking lot near the entrance and brought up a few websites on my phone. In the showroom I could see dirtbikes, jetskis, four wheelers and other motorized toys on display. A salesperson did a double take, seeing me outside.

I fluttered my wings a bit and walked through the door. The showroom was large and crowded. Towards the back, I spotted what I was after, a dozen varieties of motorcycles and a motortrike. Before I could head that way, a salesperson came up to me.

"Good day, I'm Clark. Can I help you?" he asked, hesitating slightly.

"Yeah, I'm looking for wheels. Cars don't work for me any more, but you have some other options that might work."

"Sure, what sort of wheels are you looking for?"

"Something I can ride obviously. And something that is suitable for the highway. I want something I can use to go between cities."

He nodded and started towards the back of the showroom. "Right, so you must be looking for a motorbike? Do you have a license?"

"Not yet, I'll be getting one this spring. I'm not looking to pull the trigger yet, but I wanted to get a feel for it. I've been reading about what other Griffons have suggested and want to try some for myself."

"Of course, I'll help in any way I can. Do you have more ideas about what you are looking for?"

"Something stable. With some storage. I mainly want to use it to go from city to city, so I need luggage and gear. It would be useful for grocery runs in city too; to save delivery costs." I studied the bikes that were lined up along the back wall. "I'll admit, I do have one bike in mind, but I want to try a few before showing my hand."

"Sure. As you can probably tell, these ones are not really suitable. They are more for racing or off-roading. From this one on, are the cruisers and touring bikes and others suitable for long hauls."

I started checking out the bikes. A few I eliminated right away. "These are no good. I need one without much of a back, so my tail has room," I said, moving down the line. I stopped at a big bike and looked closer. "May I sit on this one?"

"Of course. Give it a try, see how it fits."

"Just to warn you, I've never ridden a bike before in my life. Well, pedal bikes but not a motor bike. I drove cars for years before."

Clark grinned, "And I've never fitted a bike to a griffon before, so we're both learning. Just straddle the bike and try to reach the controls and feel the balance. Don't worry, they're spaced far enough apart you shouldn't knock too many over if you tip over."

With that thought planted I approached the bike. There was about a meter space on either side; if I tipped, I would certainly hit the next bike but they wouldn't fall further. "Maybe you should show me how."

"Of course. Everyone tends to have their own style. This is my preferred style," Clark said. He went to the high side of the bike and stepped on the running board. He grabbed the handles and stood up on it. He swung his leg over the seat and sat down. He looked back at me, and then stood up and dismounted in a similar way. "See? Not too difficult right?"

"RIght," I said. He moved out of the way, letting me get into position. I could feel multiple pairs of eyes on me; there were a few more sales people in the store, and a couple of customers, and everyone was watching me. I reached for the handles, trying to be careful of the levers.

"Don't worry, the bike is off, so the levers won't do anything. Grab them if you feel it makes you more secure."

I adjusted my grip and put my paw onto the board. I swung up and over the saddle and got my paw on the other board. I lifted my tail a bit and sat down, trying to get into a good position.The bike tilted from side to side as my weight made it shift. It somehow stayed upright and stabilized once I stretched a paw down to the ground. It was a stretch and put a lot of strain on my claws and toe tips.

"How's it feel?" Clark asked, coming up to stand beside me. "Reach for the controls, see how it feels."

I studied the dashboard, recognizing the layout as one similar to a car's layout. A few things were in different places, but nothing was difficult to reach. Clark started pointing out the controls, especially some of the ones I would need to use with my paws. Those ones felt especially awkward, but I wasn't too worried. The griffon sites had suggestions for simple modifications that could be made to make them compatible with our physiology. He also helped me get into a better riding position, leaning forward in the saddle. I looked back over my shoulder and made sure my tail feathers were over the back of the seat and above the wheel, even if I pushed down.

Satisfied by what I felt, I swung off the bike and stood up. I looked the other bikes over and realized something I hadn't noticed in my online checks.

"Are these removable?" I asked, tapping the backrest on one of the bikes. I'd been dismissing some of the bikes because the back rest would be impossible to use with my tail.

Clark pulled one of them off, like lifting the headrest of a car seat in a car. "Some of them are. Others are fully built in."

"Good to know. Changes my expectations a bit." I got off the latest bike I was trying and started towards the end of the line. "I think I've seen enough. You see, I've been looking online and debating my options, and I've settled on a trike actually."

At the end of the line was a single motorized tricycle with two wheels on the front and a single wheel at the back. The front was reminiscent of a small car, while the back was pure motorcycle. I swung up onto it and started studying the controls and the riding position. Since it had three wheels, I was able to get a better sense of the balance.

"An excellent choice. Do you know much about these?" Clark asked.

I woke my phone up and brought up the website. "A little. Enough to know you are the main dealer in the city. I'm looking to order an electric version of it as well."

"Those are a bit more difficult to get in. It might take a month or two for us to get it," Clark said while looking at the stats of my choice.

"That's fine; my training doesn't start until April and I won't have my license until almost May. I'm going to be training on bikes too, so I'll be able to ride two wheelers as well."

"Excellent. I'm surprised you can get training here, given your condition."

"Yeah, I was lucky. There's already a few biker griffons in our flock here, and one has signed up to be a teacher with a local company. Once the snow's gone, we'll get going."

Clark motioned towards an office nearby. "In that case, let's get you started on your journey. Assuming you're ready to order your bike now?"

"Honestly I hadn't planned on it, but there's no time like the present. Especially if it'll take a few months to actually get it. Let's go."

In the office, Clark was able to match my wishlist bike to what he could order. I had decided early on I wanted an electronic version, which limited my choices somewhat. Soon enough, he had placed the order and we were chipping away at the mountain of paperwork needed to finance it and cover the down payment.

An hour later, we were done. Clark escorted me back out onto the sales floor. I was tucking a pile of paperwork into my travelbag, my savings account significantly lighter.

"We'll call you when it comes in. It should take about a month or so, maybe a bit longer. If you change your mind within a week, we can cancel it easily and refund your down payment. After that, if you cancel there will be some extra charges."

"Perfect. From what I'm reading, there are some simple customizations I'll want to have done. They make the pedals easier to use with paws and protect the tail a bit more. Once I find a spot to do that in town, I'll let you know and we can coordinate things. Hopefully I'll have the right license by then too."

We shook hands and I looked around the showroom one last time. Finally I waved a wing to the other sales people and left.

===Tuesday, March12===

Rob and I were standing at a whiteboard in his workspace, hashing out some ideas for a project, when I heard my name. My ears twitched towards the noise and I paused, whiteboard marker in hand. Rob looked puzzled as I turned and saw an office runner over near my office, asking where I was. A couple of people pointed him towards us.

"What is it?" Rob asked, turning to look where I was looking.

The runner was coming towards us, carrying a large box. I knew what it was, though I hadn't expected it to get in today. It was the next small step for me regaining my mobility.

"Skyfire?" the runner asked needlessly. "This was dropped off for you downstairs."

"Thanks Tim," I said, taking the box. It was a standard Amazon shipping box. I was tempted to put it to the side, but Rob was obviously curious about it.

"Do you mind if I open it now?" I asked Rob, setting the box on his bench. Thankfully our planning was at a percolation stage so it wasn't a major interruption.

"Not at all. What is it?"

I pierced the tape with a talon and tugged the box flaps open. Something shiny and reddish orange was nestled in the packing peanuts. Rob pulled out his garbage can while I scooped out the packing peanuts enough to pull it free.

At first glance, it was a custom painted motorcycle helmet, with a visor, built in camera and bluetooth speakers. The helmet had orange and red flames painted on it, to match my new name. I lifted my wing and compared it to the helmet colours and was pleased.

"Nice," Rob said, admiring it. A few heads popped over the cubicle walls, curious about what was going on. "Does it fit?"

"It better. These guys are supposed to be specializing in Titan and Griffon safety gear," I said. I checked the inside and cleared out a few stray peanuts. It looked small, but they assured me it would fit most griffons.

I flipped it over and took a deep breath before slipping it onto my head. I felt it press down on my feathers and squeeze my ears a bit. There were a few notches in the padding so the ears weren't pressed in too much. The front extended a bit further than usual so there was plenty of room for my beak. Straps brushed my neck, ready to hold it in position; I just left them loose for now. The world was muffled and the visor darkened things a little, but all in all it felt okay.

"How is it?" Rob asked, his voice sounding fainter. It was a bit disorienting as I couldn't twitch my ears around as much to focus on noises.

"Seems good," I confirmed, turning my head and looking around. I did my visual zoom to look out the windows and had no problems with it.

"I take it, you need this for your bike plans?"

"I don't ''need'' need this, but I prefer it," I confirmed. "Saskatchewan has already officially given Griffons a helmet exemption, and Alberta's working on the exemption now. Still, I wanted to have ''something'' if I was going to be out on the highways."

I took it off again and took a closer look. I noted the power and data ports, hidden in unobtrusive locations. The lens of the camera was barely noticeable.

"Is it legal?" Rob asked.

"They aren't certified yet, but they're working on it. They've passed the basic tests and assure us it's mainly paperwork and red tape holding things up," I said.

"Well, it looks great. So what's next?"

"Next is training. Learning to ride a motorcycle. I've booked some lessons in April with a local place. They say they can handle griffons too, so I'm looking forward to it."

Anticipating his next question, I tapped on my phone and brought up an image of a motortrike, a three wheeled electric beast I'd picked out. I showed it to him.

"This is what I've got ordered. Should be in next month. Since I'm planning to mainly use it for highway driving, I wanted something a bit beefier than just a bike. But I'm going for a full cycle license so I have more options."

"Sweet ride. Give me a call when it comes in, I'll want to check it out."

I started flipping through more pictures and brought up the specs. "Of course. You can come over any time. I won't be getting it right away anyways; there's a local customizer shop that has to make some griffon-adjustments to it first."

We chatted about my plans a bit more, before getting back to work.

At the end of the day, I decided there was no point in putting things off. I put the helmet on and adjusted the straps. We didn't really have much of a chin to hold it in place, so there was a more complicated neck strap setup to make sure it would stay put. I synced it up with my phone and made sure that connection worked, and headed out with the visor up. It made me feel a bit self conscious to wear it. Most people just admired and complemented it.

Before taking off, I fired up the camera, and started recording. I took off and climbed up above most of the downtown towers. The weight of the helmet and the muffling of my ears threw me off a little, until I got used to it.

I took my time flying home, doing a bit of an aerial tour of downtown and the southern part of the city. I tried to keep my movements steady so the video wouldn't be too jerky. Supposedly the camera had some steadicam magic built in to keep the image clear; I had no idea how it would work.

At home, I downloaded the video and checked it out. Even with the steadicam magic, the camera jerked around a bit more than I expected or remembered, but the views were incredible. It was obvious why Griff-cam videos had been popular since we took to the air. I saved the video locally, not intending to post it, and settled down for the evening.

===Tuesday, March 19===

The Titans anniversary was fast approaching, and no one knew what to expect. Theories were a dime a dozen, and we wouldn't know until the days passed.

Most people hoped for a quiet day, where nothing happened. That would mean it was a one and done event, and the travel restrictions into the territory could finally be lifted.

Some hoped it would revert, all the Titans would change back to humans. What it would mean for the pregnant Titans was left unsaid. Few actually believed it would happen.

A good portion hoped the event would fire again, turning a fresh wave of humans around the region into Titans.

And almost everyone expected it would happen again, just somewhere else.

Of course the added wrinkle to the equation was that no one knew when it would happen. The official anniversary was March 20th. But many pointed out that it actually happened on the Spring Solstice, and due to the leap year, the Solstice was landing on the 19th this year.

So as a precaution, authorities were closing down the area for the entire week. While humans weren't completely barred from going in, checkpoints were set up on all the roads to make sure they were aware of the risks, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday; the two days they figured were most likely to have ''something ''happen.

The stats on who was planning to stay through it were interesting. The biggest proportion by far were the locals; families that had been separated by the Change last year and were looking to get back together; wives who had been pregnant, spouses and other family members who had been out of the area the first time, along with teens who had aged into the range.

The next biggest group were the hopefuls; older folk who wanted the fountain of youth, or sickly folk looking for the cure. Volunteers for scientific study were also in this group; those willing to be monitored while the Change happened to try and figure out how it worked.

The last two groups were about the same size. One group was the denialists; the ones who refused to believe that it would happen again and were willing to put their money where their mouths were. The others were the hopefuls, those who wanted to become Titans and didn't have another reason to want it.

The hopefuls were the ones I had the hardest time wrapping my head around. I could somewhat understand why they might want to go through that. But giving up their humanity so easily for no real pressing reason, was something I just couldn't grok.

Monday passed by uneventfully on the Changed front. It was the first full day of the Titan lockdown, even though no one really expected anything to happen that day.

Tuesday was the first anticipated day. It was the day of the actual equinox, and the one everyone bet would be the trigger. All across the office, I could tell it was going to be a rough day to get any work done. Every hour, there was a quick glance at the news, to see if another Change Event had happened.

By 9:30, work was grinding to a halt. I didn't say a word, but just about every screen in the office had a tab open to a streamer down in Colorado. Most at least kept the tabs to the side so they at least pretended to still be working.

Rob swung by my office at ten to ten. He didn't even pretend to have official business.

"Hey Simon, how you doing?" he asked, nudging the door closed behind him.

"Doing fine," I responded cautiously, wondering what he needed.

"Big day today. You think anything is going to happen?" he asked, clearing up any confusion about why he was there.

I relaxed, and stretched my wings out a bit. "Hard to say. I hope nothing happens. But part of me hopes something will. The unknowing is the worst part I guess."

"True. If it repeats, then we have a better chance to learn what the hell is going on, right?"

"Exactly. There's gotta be some mechanism behind all this. It can't be magic."

He came around behind my desk and glanced at my screen. "So who are you watching?"

I resisted the urge to hide the windows, feeling a bit guilty, even though I knew every screen in the office likely had at least one stream running, and I was senior enough to do this if I wanted to. I expanded the two streams I was following to fill both of my screens. I'd picked the two basically at random from the dozens of streams I could find.

On the left showed a large open living room, obviously designed for the centaurs. The ceilings were taller, the windows placed higher than normal, and instead of a couch there was a rectangular pad suitable for kneeling on. The camera was following a man who was pacing nervously in front of the extra large patio doors, wearing just a pair of shorts. He looked to be in his forties or early fifties, in good shape. He was obviously someone who did a lot of physical work outside; he still had a tan despite it being the end of winter.

The other screen showed a woman in an apartment that obviously predated the Titans. Some of the walls had been knocked down to make more room for the larger occupants, but otherwise everything seemed human scale. The woman paced in front of a static camera, wearing a bathrobe she had tightly closed around herself. She was in her thirties, and seemed to be in good health.

"Clyde is a general contractor, from Titans Step," I explained. "He was in Pueblo last year, caught in the blizzard, and missed the Change then. His wife and the rest of his family didn't. He's been helping rebuild the town ever since, and hopes to join his wife if it happens again. She's running the camera."

I pointed to the other screen, "Sarah is a hopeful," I said, trying to keep my voice neutral. I had no idea why people would want to be transformed like the Titans and Griffons had gone through, but there were quite a few apparently. I half suspected Sarah was a furry, but I didn't look deeper into her background to verify.. "She moved to Titans Step last fall after the Griffons, picking up one of the unmodified apartments as you can see. I think she's alone."

As we watched, it was obvious both were talking but I had the sound turned off. Clyde seemed to be talking to his wife, obviously nervous about what might happen. Occasionally a third person, a Titan would appear, another relative there for support. Sarah was alone in her apartment, walking back and forth on the couch-pad. She was reading from a screen setup beside the camera and interacting with the people chatting.

"Clyde's certainly in the right business," I said to pass the time a bit. "I think I read somewhere that 80% of the Titans still don't have appropriate housing. They're still squished into human scale accommodations. Sure they've made some modifications, like you can see in Sarah's apartment. But most have ceilings that are too low, or corners and doorways that are too tight or narrow. They're ten foot giants in an eight foot ceiling world."

"Ouch, my head hurts just imagining that," Rob said. "Looks like Clyde's in a new place. Seems much roomier than even this office."

"Probably built it himself, since he has the connections, and a Titan wife," I noted. "I think it's almost time."

My computer showed 9:59. Both the Titan and the Griffon events had happened exactly at 10, so everyone figured if it was going to happen again, it would be then. If nothing happened, we'd close the streams and try to salvage the rest of the day.

On the screens, both humans looked nervous. They'd stopped pacing and were holding out their hands. The Titan change had started with the fingers, so that was what everyone was anticipating. Clyde's camera wiggled a bit and a new Titan came into view, towering over him. She briefly hugged him and said some words before returning behind the camera.

Sarah was the first to notice something. She was facing the camera with her hands up, palms towards the camera. She froze in that position long enough for me to wonder if the stream had hiccuped. And then I noticed the tips of her fingers. They were turning pink; not flesh tones but a light pink reminiscent of the Strawberry Shortcake dolls. On the side of her screen, her chat exploded, but she was speechless.

In the other window, Clyde was noticing a similar change. His fingertips were turning blue, a deep royal blue. The camera jiggled a bit as his wife set it down again and trotted back out to hug him. She seemed happy while Clyde was shocked. It was a feeling I remembered well.

"Fuck," I said after a long moment of silence. While my office door was closed, I could sense the office mood had shifted, going almost unnaturally quiet. We'd been expecting something like this to happen, but to see it actually starting again was different somehow.

"Fuck indeed," Rob said. He shook his head, looking away from my screens. Both of their hands were now strangely coloured and it was starting up their forearms. "So what does this mean?"

I shrugged my wings and sighed. "No clue. Nothing likely. We aren't in a change zone. It does mean the Griffon lands will be closed down for a few days in September I guess. At least we know now. We don't know how or what is causing this, but we know when it happens now. That's a plus right?"

Rob nodded and glanced back at the screen. "Gonna be a long day for them, isn't it?"

"It is. I didn't finish until around six. Titans took about the same time. I'm not sure if knowing what's coming makes it easier or not. Guess we'll know now."

I shrunk the windows down, even as the computer dinged, heralding the arrival of some new emails. Michelle and some of the other local leaders were probably wanting to talk about this. I ignored them for now; we had six months before we'd be affected again after all.

Instead, I stood up and motioned to the door. "No point in wasting the entire day. Let's go try and get the troops refocused."

It didn't take long to get most people back on task. While the change was fascinating for many people, actually watching it was less interesting; everything just happened so slowly that interest tended to drop off. I ignored the hushed conversations pointing out when various milestones were reached; pouches growing, faces changing, feet changing to hooves, fore-hooves growing out, sexes developing and so forth. I'd been through something similar to it myself and I wasn't all that interested in seeing it again.

Shortly after lunch, I did tune in for an update. The main Titan research camp was set up in a town called Byron's Gulch, located south of Titan's Step, just outside the Change region. It was covered in old snow that was melting fast with the sunny day they were experiencing; quite the difference from the blizzard that brought in the Titans last year.

The spokesperson kept things simple. He confirmed that the Change had happened again, encompassing the same region as before. With volunteers they had established the edge of the change and its centre point; a spot just outside the downtown of Titan's Step. The region was exactly 100 kilometers in radius, and had no apparent ceiling they could determine; Westjet 649 had partially confirmed that last fall.

Now that they knew where it was centred on, and that it repeated, they felt confident they could learn more about the change. They were already planning a number of experiments for next fall and next year to learn all they could about it. I wished them well, but doubted much would come from it. As far as I could tell, this was beyond our understanding.

By the end of the day, things were almost back to normal. The Change was almost done, and most of the streamers had ended to take care of their new bodies. I just had one final task to do, a gathering of griffons.

We were slowly changing our initial griffon groups over to a social club and a support group with branches in the towns and cities with significant griffon populations. I mostly left the details with Michelle and the other organizers as I tried to fade back into the background. Still, Michelle trusted my advice, so when the leaders wanted to talk about the latest events, she automatically invited me to the meeting.

I stayed later in my office and joined the zoom call around 5:30. There were a couple dozen connections in the meeting; maybe about thirty people in total when you counted people who were sharing connections. Calgary and Medicine Hat were represented the most in the group, followed closely by the Edmonton and Lethbridge groups. Red Deer had a couple showing up, and most of the rest were made up of people from the griffon towns like Elk Creek and Etzikom. The meeting organizer kept everyone muted to start, while the text chat was flying, talking about what had happened and what it might mean for us.

Finally Susan, the leader of the Calgary flock and of our meeting, asked for people to settle down.

"Good evening everyone, and thank you for coming on such short notice. I don't intend to keep you long," she greeted everyone once things had settled down somewhat. "As I'm sure we've all heard, the Change is recurring. I'm not sure if it is good news or bad news, but it is news."

She paused for a moment to check her notes. Many people were using their cameras, so I could see feathered heads nodding in agreement.

"This puts us on a six month clock. We figure the Griffon Change event will trigger again on the fall equinox, on Sunday, September 22, and we have a lot to do. This will be the first Event that people will know when and where it will occur. So we can anticipate there will be a lot of interest in it. We're going to need to figure out how we, as a griffon society, are going to handle it. There is also going to be a lot of curiosity about us, more than we've already experienced as people consider their options. And I'm sure the governments will be contacting us for suggestions and help in handling it.

At the moment, everything is up in the air. But I can confirm my own mailbox has already blown up, as I'm sure many of yours have. I don't want to decide anything today, I just want to make sure we're aware of what's coming. In the weeks and months to come we'll get better organized and ready.

"So that said, I'll open the floor for comments. If anyone has anything they wish to say, feel free to bring it up. Plant the seeds now and we'll see what grows."

I let everyone else talk and refocused on my own work. As far as I was concerned, what was coming didn't affect me in any way, other than maybe making scheduling a bit trickier. I would help Michelle and the rest of the flock however they wanted to use me, and I would let them decide on the "official" griffon response, whatever that would be.

It turned out I was in a bit of a minority for letting things be. A lot of griffons had opinions and ideas they wanted to put out now. Everyone had a lot of questions but no real answers. Some were wondering how many new griffons we'd get in September. Others were suggesting the government should lock down access to limit the number of griffons. I could only shake my head and let them talk.

Susan finally decided we'd been in the weeds long enough. She caught our attention and had to mute a few persistent talkers before she could get a word in again.

"Right, clearly we have a lot to figure out. Six months isn't a lot of time, but it is time. We have a lot of questions and no one here can really answer them. We'll give it a few days and get a sense for how the winds are blowing, and reconvene next week. Thank you for your time everyone."

The meeting emptied out quickly. I disconnected, and immediately a new call came in from Michelle. I answered it, biting down a moment of irritation.

"Hey Sky. Thanks for joining the meeting. I know you don't tend to like that sort of meeting," she said.

"I don't, but I don't mind either," I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"Right, I won't keep you too long; I'm sure you want to get home. I just wanted to get your initial thoughts on this."

"My thoughts? I don't think I've fully formed them yet, to be honest," I said.

"Yeah, I guess we suspected this might be possible, but to confirm it," she shook her head and shrugged. "Still, anything at all?"

I shrugged as well. "Not much, other than it probably isn't really a problem for us. They confirmed that Titans and Griffons didn't change further, so we're locked in. It's a problem more for humans. So we should be ready to advise them as best we can, and to welcome whoever changes in September, and beyond that, I don't know."

She nodded, "Right, and we're in Edmonton, so we're a bit far away. We are close to the Legislature though, so we'll probably get a bit of pressure in that direction. Okay, thanks for your thoughts, Sky. I appreciate them, and I'm sure we'll talk it over more. Have a good evening."

"You too. Bye Michelle."

The screen blanked out and I quickly closed the lid of my laptop before anyone else could call. I let out a long sigh and packed up slowly. I knew things had changed for all of us yet again today. How they had changed remained to be seen. Still, it was mainly somebody else's problem.

I grabbed the last bit of gear and killed the lights in my office. Despite the extra meetings, there was still a bit of natural sunlight coming in through the windows. I locked my office door and glanced around, hearing a few people still working. I headed out and caught the elevator down, getting ready for my flight home and a hopefully relaxing evening.

{{separatorseparator|f|End Book 4}}

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|series= Paradigm Shift: Griffons

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[[Category:Jetfire]] [[Category:Story]] [[Category:Paradigm Shift]] [[Category:Herm]] [[Category:Griffon]] [[Category:Adult]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: A Fire in the Sky: Book 4}}

User:Jetfire/A Fire in the Sky Book4

2025-12-31T19:21:22Z

Jetfire: Created page with "{{universe|Paradigm Shift}} {{my stories |name=Jetfire |category=Jetfire }} {{title |name= A Fire in the Sky: Book 4 |author=Jetfire |user=Jetfire}} {{XXX}} '''Author's note''' This story contains scenes with adult encounters and descriptions. This is the continuing story following the griffon named Skyfire ==A Fire In the Sky: Book 4 (Formerly Big Sky Country)== ===Friday, February 16=== Recovering from those peaks was thankfully very quick; usually a good nigh..."

{{universe|Paradigm Shift}}
{{my stories
|name=Jetfire
|category=Jetfire
}}

{{title
|name= A Fire in the Sky: Book 4
|author=Jetfire
|user=Jetfire}}
{{XXX}}

'''Author's note'''
This story contains scenes with adult encounters and descriptions.

This is the continuing story following the griffon named Skyfire

==A Fire In the Sky: Book 4 (Formerly Big Sky Country)==

===Friday, February 16===

Recovering from those peaks was thankfully very quick; usually a good night's sleep was all I needed. So I was back in the office bright and early on Friday, eager to get back in action. The day itself went quickly and uneventfully, until the end.

As usual, I wrapped up my work around four, and grabbed a six pack of beer from the small fridge I kept. With my offerings in hand, I headed down for my weekly meeting with Greg. The door was open so I tapped on the doorframe.

"Hey Simon, come on in. How was your week?" he greeted me, closing his laptop and coming around his desk.

"It's been a good one. GSL is finally coming together and the other apps are doing well. On top of everything else. You?"

"Good good. Yeah, things are going well in the ivory towers. I hear you got a bouquet this week?"

I chuckled and popped the top off one of the bottles. "Yeah, it was from Cardi. It was her first Valentine's Day without being in a relationship, so she reached out to me. We went out for dinner after," I explained. "The Change led to her breaking up with her boyfriend."

"I see. Well good for her, and for you," Greg said. I could tell he suspected more, but I left the subject hanging. Instead, we talked about safer subjects, like ongoing projects. It didn't take long to finish the first beers.

"Now seems to be a good time to bring up the elephant in the room," Greg said as I popped the tops off the next beers and passed them out. "How's the Mitchell Account going?"

The "Mitchell Account" was slang for our contract with a company called ''Athabascan Geologics'', now based up in Fort McMurray. It was the oldest contract ''Innovative Solutions'' had, and a keystone to our business stability. It was also the contract that had basically cemented Greg and my positions in the company.

A lifetime ago, when Greg and I were just two guys taking computing courses in University of Alberta, we had made friends with a geology major named Tony Mitchell; we'd become roommates for our final year of courses. After graduating, we had gone our separate ways but stayed in touch.

Tony had joined a startup that would provide geologic services to the oil industry, and we expected we would eventually drift apart. To our surprise, the fall after we graduated, he reached out to us with a problem his company was having; they were making too much data and were struggling to manage it .

Between the three of us, we'd worked out a solution and pushed it through our respective companies. They became one of our first clients, and the relationship had flourished ever since. Tony's company was more than big enough to manage their data in house now, but they kept us on because we knew their needs so well.

Twenty five years later, we were getting ready for a major update to their infrastructure. We did it every few years, so it wasn't a surprise, but it was a nightmare to organize and manage and was my main job on top of managing the GriffTech group and my PR duties. Becoming a griffon hadn't changed that aspect of my job at all.

"The account is going well. I've scoped out their cloud requirements, as well as the hardware upgrade plans, and I haven't run into any surprises yet," I explained.

"Good, So you'll be ready for the big presentation on the 29th?" he asked. We'd booked this event months ago to go over the plans, finalize them and get them going. Mostly it was our board members getting together with their board members to do a lot of talking while a bored griffon watched from the side.

"Sure. I'm still polishing my notes, but we can go over it next week."

"Right. Time's going fast. We only have ''a couple ''of weeks before then," Greg noted, stressing the number. He was obviously hinting at something that I was missing.

"I've been working on this for months. I could run through it in my sleep," I said confidently. I tapped my phone and brought up my calendar. "When's a good time-" I froze, finally seeing what Greg was getting at.

Considering how my peaks affected me, you would think I was more aware of when they were coming, and generally that was true. But for longer term planning, I had set up recurring reminders in my calendar so I was more aware. It was part of the reason I'd pushed for the GriffHealth app after all. The big Mitchell Account meeting had been scheduled months ago, and even after I'd changed, there hadn't been a problem.... Until my peaks shifted. Now they were on Thursdays... The same Thursday when the big meeting was starting.

"Fuck." I said, staring at the calendar. Two days had been scheduled for the meeting, and the first one was the same day as my heat.

"Fuck indeed. I thought you had realized it," Greg said.

I groaned, letting my hands drop. My wings drooped a bit as well, while my mind raced. "I hadn't. I mean, we talked it over back when this started happening, but back then I was on Wednesdays. It wasn't a problem. Now... Fuck."

Greg's gears were obviously turning now too. "We can't change the dates; too much is locked in now. And we can't really move your presentation, it's too important and sets up everything we've planned for Friday."

"I know, I know." I took a deep breath to try and calm myself and consider my options. "We have two weeks. I could brief you beforehand, and let you run it maybe?" I suggested. Greg grimaced and I knew that wouldn't fly. "Or maybe I can get Rob to do it, or someone else?" I grasped at straws. We both knew that wasn't really an option; this project had too many moving parts to toss on someone else's shoulders with no warning. Our 'hit by a bus' factor wasn't exactly one

for this project, but it was damn close to it. After my Change, we'd stepped up our efforts to get that knowledge out of my head and spread around, but too much was still concentrated on me.

"Maybe we could do a remote presentation?" Greg suggested. HIs tone indicated he didn't like the idea, but it was an idea. We'd certainly done enough of those through the COVID years.

I sighed and nodded. "It's possible. I know you don't like it. Let's keep that in our pocket for now."

I snagged the beer bottle and gulped down a beakful without really tasting it. "I... I've been getting a better grip on those things. Adam and Cardi and others have been helping me out a lot. Hell, I've even been leaving the house while it was active. So maybe... ''maybe''... I could make it in. Hold things together long enough to get through the presentation."

"Are you sure?" Greg asked.

"Not at all. It's scary as hell. I hate for people to see me like that, and what I'm feeling on those days, isn't human. But other griffon's have been doing it for months now. Maybe it's time for me to pull up my big-griff panties and take control."

He blinked, taking a moment to parse my strange phrasing, then reddened a bit. He took a gulp of his own beer before going on. "Right, in that case, we'll keep the plans as they are and come back to this next week. If you feel you can't do it, we'll figure something else out."

"Right, thanks Greg. And I'm sorry to put you in this bind. I'll do my best to push through. I just may need a break or two throughout the day."

"I'm sure that can be arranged. Thank you Simon."

===Thursday, February 29===

I slept uneasily through the night, knowing how important the meeting was. It's hard to toss and turn in bed when you have wings and long tail feathers, but I managed it, flipping and flopping from side to side all night long.

My Icy God appeared early in the morning after I'd finally managed to fall into a deeper sleep. He still seemed a bit annoyed from last time, but I didn't care. I approached him in our dreamscape and hugged him tight. Part of me was annoyed he was here. Another part of me wanted him to take me away, to give me some relief and an escape from the day ahead. As if sensing my torn feelings, he relaxed and we began to cuddle. It went quickly from there and soon I felt him slide inside.

I woke with a happy screech, hugging a pillow tightly, my rump in the air, tail twisted to the side. I slumped back onto the bed, panting and wide awake, the pleasant feelings fading as reality set in. I laid still for a long moment, trying to hang onto them.

"Fuck," I groaned, finally pushing myself up. I slid off the bed and flicked on the lights. It was way too early in the morning, but it was a big day. I faced the mirror and inspected myself, rubbing a swollen breast and then down between my legs. I was thankful they were showing up during the heat and not the rut, at least I wouldn't have to worry as much about showing a bulge.

Without really intending to, I stroked myself to another climax. I closed my eyes and rode the wave of pleasure, before letting out a sigh. It was going to be a ''long'' day.

I spent a long time in the bathroom cleaning up and making sure I gave myself a thorough preening. My breasts weren't too big yet, but I did a self milking to try and keep them somewhat under control. I drained and cleaned up the pump and stared at it, debating on if I should take it with me to the office or not. Doing this stuff in the office was a mortifying thought, but it was also my new reality. Reluctantly, I packed it into a travel bag, deciding I'd rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

On most days, I just wore shorts and the griffon equivalent of a t-shirt to the office. They were comfortable, if not the most fashionable. Considering how important this meeting was, I knew I had to step up my wardrobe game. Luckily I had a few things that I'd picked up in recent months. Some options came from Jacques, the others I'd picked up under the advice of Cardi and Michelle and other friends. So I found myself standing in front of my closet considering my choices. I ultimately decided on a pair of short black slacks. The legs were longer than my normal shorts; they left most of my furry legs visible while clinging tighter than shorts would.

For a top, I picked one of Jacques's creations; a blue pullover. It had a short back to sit nicely above my wings, and sleeves just loose enough for my arms to slip in without ruffling my feathers too much. The sleeves went down to my elbows, where my feathers switched to scales. The front had a large neck, big enough for me to squeeze my head through. I tugged it over my breasts, and through some magic of sewing and fashion design, it hugged around my chest without bunching up. I liked the colours and the overall feel of it. What I didn't like was how girly it was. It was tight enough to hug and even lift my breasts a bit. Combined with the wide neck, it meant I was showing more cleavage than I was normally comfortable showing. A funny thing to say, considering I often went topless, but wearing a shirt seemed to accentuate them more than just having them in the open.

I inspected myself in the mirror, flexing my wings and tail to make sure everything fit well. I tugged on the shirt and looked closer at my chest. Jacques had sent me a number of these tops, made out of a variety of fabrics and colours. This one was made of cotton, the fabric thick enough that my nipples weren't visible. It did feel a bit rough against them, so I reached up from below and added some pads and checked again. Even to griffon eyes, nothing was visible.

I packed up my travel bag with the breast pump and a full set of preening brushes, and took off into the brightening skies. I was early enough that I decided to pick up breakfast along the way. It would also be a way to test my resolve on handling the heat in public.

I stopped at a Coras, a breakfast and lunch restaurant in the base of a tower near my office. This early in the morning, it wasn't busy yet, so the waitress seated me at a table quickly. I ordered some eggs benedict, a coffee and a smoothie, and started scrolling through the news while waiting. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw people do a double take when they saw the fiery griffon sitting in the restaurant. It made me feel extra self conscious, even though I was used to the doubletakes, especially when I went to places I didn't normally go to. Thankfully the exercise of the flight downtown helped take the edge off the heat for now.

The coffee was dropped off first, and I left it to cool after tossing in some milk and sugar. When the waitress left the smoothie, she started to put down a paper straw, before stopping herself.

"Thanks, but I don't need one," I assured her, waving the straw off.

"Okay?" she said doubtfully. "Your meal should be ready soon."

I picked up the glass when she was gone and considered the thick liquid. I kept a metal straw in my travel bag, but it was narrow, more suited for pops and juices. Instead of retrieving it, I held it to the side of my beak and tilted it just enough to bring the liquid to the edge. I began to lap it up, careful not to spill any; after five months, I'd long since gotten over any embarrassment for how I ate and drank.

By the time my food arrived, I realized one mistake I had made. A different sort of heat was getting to me. The restaurant had a mostly open kitchen, and all the grills and ovens and fryers, along with the regular heating system, made it hotter than I was used to. On top of that, my table was towards the back, so I had no fresh air relief from the opening door. When she put my plate down, I was panting a bit and fluttering my wings, trying to cool off in a different way. The smoothie was half gone.

"Are you okay?" the waitress asked, sensing my discomfort.

"I am. It's just a bit hotter than I'm used to. I'll be fine," I weakly assured her. "Maybe a glass of ice water when you get a chance please."

I finished the meal a bit faster than I intended to, but the duelling heats were pushing me along. I polished off the smoothie and two glasses of ice water while eating. The coffee on the other hand, I barely sipped from, even when it was cool enough.

I stepped out into the cold winter air and spread my wings wide, letting out a sigh of relief as the heat dissipated. A few early morning pedestrians looked at me strangely. I started walking to the office a block away, not bothering to take to the skies for such a short distance.

I reached my office soon after eight and immediately closed the door and drew the blinds. I took a few minutes to do some preening, putting my feathers back into place and making sure I looked presentable. The walk had helped cool off my physical heat, but the hormonal heat was still throbbing. While it was tempting to act on those feelings, I fought back; that was one thing I was determined to ''NOT'' do in the office. Instead, I brought up my presentation and started doing a final review.

Shortly after nine, there was a knock on the door.

"It's open, Come on in," I called out, while standing up from my desk. I glanced down to make sure I was presentable.I knew my body and I could tell my breasts were swollen. To anyone else, I doubted it was noticeable.

Greg came in and closed the door behind him. He studied me, worriedly. "Morning, Simon.You're looking good. How are you feeling?"

"Not my best, but I can handle today," I admitted. The heat was screaming for attention. I focused on other things and fought to keep it reigned in.

Greg stayed at the office door and nodded. "Good, good. Our guests are arriving at ten. Some of them are already downstairs. Like we did in September, I want to reveal you to them all at once. Some of them know who you are, but for most of them this will be a surprise."

"Okay, I understand. I'll head down at ten and wait for a cue."

"Great! And if you feel you need to tap out for any reason, just excuse yourself and leave. We'll sort things out later if we need to."

"Thanks Greg. I... I think I can handle it. I've had a bit of practice and I'm starting to get used to it. So hopefully I can endure."

He gave me a long look, then nodded again. "Right. See you soon.... OH! We haven't really talked much about this since the Christmas Party, but how do you want to be known for this?"

"Simon's fine. It's how they've always known me, and this is very much his project."

"Sounds good. See you then."

Before ten, I claimed one of our bathrooms and did a final self check. As far as I could tell, I looked perfectly normal. Inside, I was feeling frazzled and on edge. I did another brushing to settle my feathers and fur a bit, and checked my breasts. Despite how full they felt, they didn't warrant a milking yet. I packed up my brushes and did a final look in the mirror before leaving.

After leaving my kit in my office, I went downstairs and headed for our executive conference room. It was the room designed for the suits, with a huge wooden table, a nice view out over the city, and large comfortable chairs. The "IN USE" light was on outside, but the doors were open. I nodded to the receptionist and waited just out of sight. I could hear voices chatting inside, socializing before the meetings started. I recognized most of the voices, either from our company or from ''Athabascan Geologics''.

The receptionist left the desk briefly and went in to pass along a message. I knew she was letting Greg know I was there. As she came out, she held up a finger to me, indicating I was to wait for a moment longer. Inside, I heard Greg speaking louder.

"It looks like just about everyone is here, so why don't we take our seats and get ready," he addressed the group. The rest of the conversations died down, and there was the noise of chairs shuffling around as the group took their positions. I flicked my wings and shook my tail nervously, waiting for my cue. The itch and ache in my loins was an annoying distraction that was bearable so far.

"You may have noticed someone missing. Our Chief Technician, Simon Farrell, has been involved in this project from the very beginning. As most of you know, last September he was caught up in that mess down south. He looks very different now, but his skills are as sharp as ever, and we're happy he is still able to work with us," Greg was saying.

I took that as my cue and stepped up to the doorway. Greg was at the head of the table on the opposite end of the room, so no one was looking my way at first. He saw me come in and nodded. A few followed his gaze and gasped. I waited until everyone had turned towards me, before I waved a wing at them. I walked over to the padded bench that was my spot at the table.

"Good morning everyone," I greeted them, breaking the ice. My coworkers knew me so they weren't surprised. Most of the ''Geologics ''people were shocked.

I knew the man seated across the table from me well. He stood up, the shock clear on his face as he stared at me.

"Simon? Damn, you're Skyfire? I never realized that," Tony Mitchell exclaimed. He leaned across the table, offering his hand. "I mean, I knew you were caught in that mess, but I didn't know you were her... him... erm... I just figured you guys had hired her for your ad campaign."

I shook my old friend's hand. He was basically my counterpart in Geologics. We'd been emailing and even voice chatting often since the change, but I just realized this was the first time he was seeing the new me. While we were Facebook and LinkedIn friends, I didn't usually post selfies, so he had obviously never realized what the new me looked like.

"Yes, I'm Skyfire, and yes they 'hired' me for the ad campaign. I guess you could say they hired me for it twenty five years ago." I felt Tony twitch a bit in surprise at the texture of my hand, but his expression stayed warm.

"We've gotta find some time to catch up. We clearly drifted a bit far apart," he said. "So would you prefer Skyfire now?"

"Simon's fine. It's how you've always known me, and this is definitely his project. Shall we begin?" I looked around the room. There were sixteen of us there, eight from each company, and I knew almost everyone there. Most of the expressions were friendly. I saw a hint of pity in some of the looks I was receiving. The one person I didn't really recognize was a new senior manager on ''Geologics'' team. He'd been hired during Covid so we'd never met in person, nor interacted much. He gave me an uncertain look, but I figured we would win him over soon enough.

I stepped around the bench, flipped my tail over it and sat down, signalling everyone else to take their seats. While the room settled, I poured a glass of water and sipped it. I wasn't really thirsty, but I figured it would be a good way to get people used to me early on, so when I did actually feel thirsty, it wouldn't disrupt the presentation. More than a few people, and not just ''Geologics ''people, were staring as I carefully lapped and dribbled the water into my beak and swallowed.

"Right, we have a busy day ahead of us, so let's get started," Greg said, refocusing the room his way. He activated a powerpoint presentation. "First, a bit of history, to remind us all of where we're coming from."

The pictures he showed were almost unrecognizable, and not just because I was no longer human. Twenty five years was a long time, and all of us from those early days had certainly changed a lot, even if Greg and Tony didn't get the fur and feathers makeover like I did.

The rest of the morning turned into a slog. The history lesson was a nice trip down memory lane; what followed was less nice. Various people began to speak, introducing themselves and establishing their bonafides. Half of them didn't really need to be involved, but I recognized the office posturing when I saw it. For someone who avoided office politics like the plague, it was intolerable. It was made worse by the heat building in my loins and the aching itch of my nipples. I did my best to stay focused and to not think of it. I tried to keep myself as still as possible, despite wanting to squirm and try to get some sort of relief. Thankfully Greg had positioned our team near the wall of windows. It was a little thing but the little bit of cold radiating from the thick glass helped offset the heat of the room.

Shortly after noon, Greg took over again. "I don't know about anyone else, but it's after noon, and I'm starving. I'm sure we can all smell the pizza's waiting out at the reception desk. So why don't we take a break and pick things up at 1:30. Feel free to head out for a bathroom break or a smoke break or anything."

While I couldn't really smell the pizza, I could see everyone else reacting, with many people glancing to the door where the boxes were hidden. On Greg's signal, they were brought in, along with cans of pop, bottles of water, plates and napkins. While I was waiting to make an escape, Greg cornered me.

"How're you doing?" he asked, studying me carefully.

I fluttered my wings a bit and glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to us. "It's rough, but I'm handling it. It'll be better when I'll be more active."

"Yeah, I know you hate this sort of thing. You're doing great so far; I know the new you and I can barely tell anything different." He smiled at me encouragingly and it was reassuring. "The actual planning will kick off in the afternoon. Do you need me to cover for you?"

"Save me a slice or two maybe. I'm going to duck upstairs and freshen up. I'm getting a bit heavy, if you get what I mean."

He shook his head in confusion. "I don't know what you mean, but do what you need to do."

I excused myself from the group and retreated upstairs. I headed straight to my office, ignoring the few teammates that tried to ask me how things were going. I snagged my bag and retreated to one of the bathrooms, locking the door behind me.

I studied my reflection in the mirror. At first glance, I looked like just another griffon. Five months of looking at that feathered face daily let me easily see how frazzled I really was. I brushed my head feathers a bit, and then took off my top. I studied my breasts, hefting one in each hand. While they didn't look any bigger than normal, they certainly felt heavier, filled with my peak milk. My nipples were firm to the touch, visibly erect against my fur. I growled a little in frustration that I had to do this, and unpacked the pump. I turned away from the mirror and started pumping. Soon the pressure and the weight on my chest was eased.

I gave myself fifteen minutes and felt a bit better, even if it didn't do anything to ease the feelings in my loins. I dumped the milk in the sink and rinsed out the equipment. Looking in the mirror again, I didn't look any different but I felt a bit better. I grabbed some of my brushes and did some preening. I put my top back on and tucked in a couple new pads over my nipples. Finally, I took a piss and may have wiped a bit more thoroughly than I had intended to. Not enough to get relief; if anything, the tease made the feelings worse. But my attention had slipped while I was mentally distracted, and my actions got away from me. I replaced the pantyliner and was ready for the afternoon.

As I'd requested, Greg had saved some pizza for me. We still had over half an hour before the meeting restarted, and a number of folk were still out. I snagged one of the remaining slices and nibbled on it. I was well aware of the eyes on me.

Tony waited until I had finished one slice before wandering over. I put my plate with a second slice down and gulped a bit of water.

"I still can't believe that's you Simon," he said. "It's incredible. I'm sorry I didn't check on you earlier. I should've realized it."

"It's okay. You guys are up in Fort Mac. You aren't back down this way that often any more." Over a decade ago, we'd helped them move their core offices to Fort McMurray to be closer to their clients, while setting up some satellite offices in Edmonton and Calgary. And less than a decade ago, our disaster recovery plans had been exercised when the city had burned down with the wildfires.

"Well, I guess you won't be coming up in person for the upgrade. It just means I'll have to find time to come back down and we'll see what trouble we can get into again."

I chuckled and nodded, "Sounds like a plan. And you never know, I might figure out a way to get up to Fort Mac too."

"So, what was it like? What is it like?" he asked.

"That is a story best saved for just us over some wine, or maybe over some beers. In a nutshell, it was terrifying and traumatic. As for how it is now, it has its moments, both good and bad."

He studied me closely. "Right. We've gotta find time for that beer time for sure."

The room was filling up again. I nodded to my slice.

"Sorry, I'll let you finish your lunch. We'll chat later."

The afternoon wasn't quite as bad as the morning. My heat was rapidly reaching its peak which was a pain in the gut. But I actually had things to do for this phase of the meeting. With something to focus on, I was able to plow through.

Once everyone got back to the room and settled down, I took over the powerpoint. ''Athabascan Geologics'' wanted a complete overhaul and update of their systems, including more use of cloud services, so I was outlining how we would do it, all while letting them keep doing their day to day work. It was going to be one of ''Innovative Solutions ''biggest jobs for our biggest client, hopefully spread over the next few years.

After my presentation was done, the talking began. Greg thankfully took over the meeting, while I reclaimed my bench seat. I had to answer a lot of questions and pass on many more of them that were literally above my paygrade. Greg kept the discussion on topic, nipping derails in the bud and keeping everyone focused.

Just after five, Greg decided to wrap things up. I dearly wanted to fall back in my normal routines; to go to my session with Adam, to do my blood draw at the clinic, and most importantly, to have an intense masturbation session with my icy god. Sadly, that was not going to happen. Even though the meetings were done, my obligations were not. We had a company dinner planned after a break to freshen up. It was why I had cancelled my usual Thursday plans.

Greg followed me upstairs to my office while our guests packed up and got ready for dinner. I ''really ''didn't want the company.

"Well, that went well. Thank you Simon. Your presentation was great."

I picked up my pack and turned to face him. "Thanks Greg. It wasn't my best work, but the important parts were covered."

He nodded, not picking up my obvious hints. "How are you feeling? I know this isn't a good day for you."

Not able to escape, I flipped my tail up onto my desk and sat on it. "It's rough. The first time I've really done a heat without releasing it. And it hasn't broken yet."

"You're handling it well. Do you think you can finish off the day?"

I considered my options. Part of me just wanted to go home, get some ice cream and rub myself raw. Despite my desires, I knew I had to attend this business dinner.

As if reading my mind, Greg made an offer. "If you want to bail out, I can cover for you. We know you're reliable and you're good for the job at hand."

His offer was tempting. Very ''very ''tempting. Instead I let out a long sigh. "No, I'll be there. I just need a bit of me-time to settle my head."

Finally he seemed to get a clue. "Oh! Right, right. I'll let you be. See you at the restaurant?"

"Of course."

Once he was gone, I ran to the washroom again with my gear. Like before, I stripped off my top and pumped out my milk. I cleaned up and started preening again. I sorely wanted to do more to relieve the heat, but I firmly drew the line at doing things in the office, even if it was the end of the day and it was emptying out.

The office was almost deserted when I came out. I could hear a few people still tapping on keys and clicking their mice. The office usually didn't fully shut down until eight or nine with the hours some people ran. I left and caught the elevator down. The street was still busy with the tail end of rush hour. I walked to the end of the building and ducked into the alley leading to the parking garage. A few steps past the corner, I took off, quickly getting above the top of the garage.

Being active after a day of sitting was a huge relief. I barely resisted the urge to let out a happy screech as my wings lifted me higher into the crisp air. The pumping of my heart and flexing of my muscles seemed to help offset the heat. With nothing else to do, I just climbed higher and higher, until I was over Stantec Tower. I began a lazy circle over downtown, wings stretched out to catch the winds.

Flying that high was peaceful; most griffons didn't climb that much for every day flying. If you put in the effort, when you got up there, it was a peaceful height. The winds were strong enough to keep you up with minimal effort. The hustle and bustle of the city was lost among the buildings, hundreds of meters below. I closed my eyes, and simply flew aimlessly, enjoying the air blowing through my fur and feathers.

All too soon, it was time to rejoin the rat race. I was somewhere over the south eastern part of the city, almost to the Hendey; the highway that ringed the core of the city. The dinner was going to be at a teppanyaki place near Rogers Place so I had a ways to go. Luckily, I could go literally ''as the crow flies'', so it didn't take me long to get close, steadily dropping down as I went.

Being less familiar with the area, I found the restaurant and landed on a flat roof nearby to study the ground level. Traffic was relatively heavy, and the sidewalks were busy with people rushing to get to restaurants and do other errands. The street and sidewalks were too busy to land directly there. Instead, I shook my wings and tail a bit, feeling the nice burn from the flight, and looked around for quieter spots I could land. I found one a half block away, and took off, dropping below the roof line.

There was no one from our party outside the restaurant when I arrived, so I ducked inside. The restaurant was almost steamy hot, and filled with a cacophony of noises. The voices and clinking of dishes I was used to tuning out, but this place had a new noise, a somewhat regular clacking of steel on steel as the chefs put on their show. I hoped my discomfort didn't show much as the host came over to greet me.

"I'm here with the ''Athabascan Geologics'' group," I said, ears pressed down to try and muffle the noises. I fought the urge to pant in the heat.

The host seemed unperturbed to be hosting a griffon this evening. He checked the book and glanced deeper into the restaurant. "A group of 18? We have a private room for you, but it isn't quite ready yet. Would you care to wait for the rest of your party?" He indicated an area beside the door.

"Thanks, I'll just wait outside. Everyone should be here shortly."

I stepped back outside, and took up a position to wait near the door, standing outside the main traffic flow. The cold air felt divine.

Soon enough, I recognized two men coming from the direction of a nearby parking lot. They were bundled up against the cold, with heavier jackets, gloves and toques.

"Hey Simon! Aren't you forgetting something?" Tony called out when he spotted me.

Worriedly I looked down to double check myself. My top was on and nothing was showing that shouldn't be. I'd left my pack at the office, and only wore my phone in its wrist holder that also held my bank and ID cards. I tilted my head in confusion, looking back at my old roommate.

"Your jacket! It's freezing out here. Aren't you cold?"

Greg and I laughed in unison. "You clearly haven't met many griffons yet, have you?" Greg said. "This is practically tropical weather for them."

"Not quite," I corrected. I pointed my wing to the restaurant. "That place is a sauna for me. Out here, it's basically room temperature."

"Seriously? Damn! Makes me wish I'd been down there for my vacation. My blood's gotten way too thin for Fort Mac winters," Tony said.

"Well being a griffon does have a lot of negatives. But that isn't one of them," I admitted. "And yeah, I guess you wouldn't have run into many griffons yet. As far as I know, we don't have any that far north."

Tony looked a bit thoughtful as he nodded. "We've gotta find time to chat, and catch up. I'm not flying back up until Sunday, do you have any plans for Saturday? I've got stuff to do during the day, but maybe we could hook up for dinner and some drinks?"

"Sure, I'm free. What do you have in mind? O'Hallahans sadly didn't survive Covid," I said, naming our old watering hole.

"I heard that. Why don't you pick? Is there a place where I can get a bit of a griffon experience maybe?"

"Sure, there's Griffiths up north a bit. How about it, Greg?"

Greg nodded. "My schedule's clear. Why don't we work out the details tomorrow?" he said, noting that more of our party was arriving.

A few minutes later, our room was ready and the host led us through the restaurant. The private room had two flat top grills, with tables and seats set up around the outside. They had even found a short stool for me, ready to slide in wherever I decided to sit. I picked a spot at the far corner of the room, as far from the entrance as I could get so I would be out of the way of the waiters. Tony snagged the seat next to me, and the rest of the group mingled to fill the rest of the spots.

Drink orders were taken while we studied the menus. I was sorely tempted to order a hot sake, but with how I was feeling I decided it wasn't wise. I stuck with ginger ale.

"Just a pop?" Tony asked once the waiters were gone. "Are you trying to save money? You know you don't have to; my company's paying tonight. Or can griffons not handle alcohol?"

I chuckled and fluttered my wings to try and cool a bit. While the room wasn't too hot, it was warmer than I preferred. "No, we can handle it. I just don't want any tonight. For griffon reasons," I assured him."Don't worry, I'll make sure your trip budget gets a good workout from the food."

True to my word, I picked a steak and lobster option from the menu. While it wasn't the most expensive item, it was higher than I normally would have picked and easily offset the cheapness of my drink. I hadn't been to a teppanyaki place in a long time, so I was interested to see how my new body would handle it. The fact that the chef basically chopped everything up before it got to me was appealing.

After we had ordered and before the first round of appetizers, I excused myself and slipped around the room to the main restaurant and headed for the women's restroom. By an unspoken agreement, the griffon and human communities seemed to have decided we fell into the 'womens' category when it came to restrooms, even if it felt strange to go there instead of the men's room. It still embarrassed me to walk into a public room and find a woman already there, and they often didn't seem to know what to make of me either.

Thankfully, this restroom was empty when I entered. It had two normal sized stalls and an accessible stall. The room itself was decked out in a Japanese theme. I claimed the larger accessible stall, glad I had enough room to get my tail in and close the door. In a pinch I could, and sometimes had used regular stalls. In those cases, I either had to leave the door open, or I had to press my tail feathers down to the floor, and I didn't like doing either of those things.

While the restaurant was higher class, I realized their restroom supplies were bog standard. The toilet paper rolls were the big commercial grade single ply ones that tore if you looked at them wrong, or, in my case, grazed them with a talon. At least the toilet was set a bit further from the wall so I could actually reach back to the dispenser and get enough to clean up.

As I cleaned up, I had a revelation; My heat had finally broken. The urges were fading, even though I was still horny as hell and my breasts were heavy with milk. I took a few extra moments in the stall, doing a mental assessment. I concluded that I could certainly get through the rest of the evening now, even if I still yearned for ''something''.

"Fuck you. I beat you, you bastard," I mumbled as I flushed, taunting the hormonal beast that had crippled me for five months and counting.

The door opened and I froze and fell silent. Once again I suddenly felt like a guy caught in the gal's washroom. The newcomer didn't go to a stall, but went to the sinks, turning on the water; I was tempted to wait her out. Instead, I opened the door and walked out.

June, one of the Geologic's managers, was at the sink washing her hands. She looked up at me, obviously surprised.

"Hi Simon, I... I didn't think you would be in here."

I tried to seem unthreatening and went to the second sink to start washing. "Well, as the kid's book goes, ''Everyone poops''. Though I didn't need to this time."

"Right, but wouldn't the other bathroom be more appropriate?"

"It's a gray area," I admitted. "The consensus seems to be leaning towards us sharing with the women."

"But you're a guy?" she said, a hint of confusion in her voice. In the mirror I could see her eyes flicker, focusing on my chest, then down below.

I shrugged my wings, "It's a tricky subject. While we do have both down below, I'm now plumbed more like you. I think that's why consensus is going that way. I certainly can't use the urinals any more."

"I see," she said, awareness dawning on her.

I finished washing up and dried my talons. After a final glance in the mirror, I headed back to our tables with her following me.

A large selection of shareable appetizers had arrived while I was out. I sat down and snagged a couple of edamame from a bowl near me. I tossed one into my beak and held it there, breaking the shell and freeing the soybean with my tongue. I swallowed it, shell and all. I was well aware Tony and some of the other guests were watching me closely. I picked up some chopsticks and reached down the table to snag a tempura coated zucchini slice.

"How the hell can you do that?" Tony asked, still staring as the slice followed the edamame.

I clicked the chopsticks together and waved them in the air. "Lots and lots of practice," I said playfully. Now that the furnace in my loins was starting to cool down for another month, I was more willing to relax and have some fun. For the uninitiated, seeing birds, or in this case griffons, eating was often surprising.

He glared at me. "You know what I mean."

I licked the side of my beak and twitched my ears in amusement. I held up the second edamame. "Once more, lots of practice," I said, before tossing it down the hatch.

The soup course was the one part of the meal I hadn't been looking forward to. Liquid food, especially hot liquid food with chunks that was meant to be slurped, was the bane of griffons. Normally I avoided them. In this case, it was part of the meal and thus, unavoidable. Luckily, it was served with bigger ramen-style soup spoons, and it wasn't too hot. So I managed to lap it up and gulp it down without making too much of a mess.

Two Japanese chefs, accompanied with carts loaded with food and sauces, came in as we were working through our salads. The one that came to our side started lining up the raw meats on a cool part of the sheet grill. He lifted up a chicken breast and nodded to me. "Don't worry, it isn't anyone you know," he joked. His expression hinted he'd been waiting since September to make that joke.

The entertainment part of the meal went well. While they weren't the best comedians, they were very skilled chefs. They stacked vegetables, flipped shrimp tails into their caps and otherwise kept everything in motion.

At one point they started flipping samples into the mouths of customers. My chef clearly wanted to toss a chunk to me. Figuring I had an ace up my sleeve, I accepted his offer and partly opened his beak. He hesitated, now not sure what he was about to do.

"Go for it. I can catch it," I assured him, focusing on the sample.

Griffon 'super vision' was well known. We could zoom in and see fine details from a long distance away. What was less well known was how ''fast'' we could see. It wasn't as obvious in everyday use, but we could clearly see fast moving things that were just a blur for humans. Birds darting between trees, fast balls pitched in baseball, hockey pucks shot on net, and magician sleight of hand we could see and track easily.

So when he tapped the flipper and set the piece of steak flying, I could clearly follow its arc through the air. When it got close enough I snapped forward and felt my beak latch on the juicy sample. I caught it with my tongue and pulled it in deep enough to swallow. Around me, I heard people clapping. It seemed everyone had been watching my stunt. The chef seemed a little stunned at first.

"Have you been practicing that somehow?" Tony asked as the chef started plating up the main dishes.

"Nope. First time I tried it. Would've been really bad if I'd messed it up. I half expected it to bounce off the end of my beak."

"Seriously?" my old roommate shook his head in amazement, and focused on his meal.

We wrapped up the meal after nine, and I was finally able to head home, after a quick stop at the office for my pack. Flying helped the big meal settle in my stomach.

When I reached home, I was done for the day. While the heat had broken, the urges were still strong, they just weren't being refreshed with the hormonal furnace. I locked the door behind me and headed right upstairs, tossing my bag onto my bed.

I stripped out of my clothes and tossed them into my laundry basket. I flopped onto my bed, my breasts bouncing more with their extra weight. I was completely exhausted. Still, I knew I wouldn't get any rest unless I did something. I fumbled in the bedside drawer and found one of my favorite vibrators.

Without the drive pushing me on, I was able to take my time, slowly playing until the climax rolled through me. I dropped the toy and fumbled weakly to turn off the light before falling asleep.

===Friday, March 1===

I woke up the next morning, feeling normal again. I stretched out, and took my time cleaning up in the bathroom. I didn't have enough time for a full shower, let alone a bath. I did have enough time to wash off the important areas enough to feel clean. A hair dryer on low heat took care of damp fur.

I picked an outfit similar to the one I wore the day before, but lighter. The panties were thinner and covered a bit less. The slacks-shorts were the same. For the top, I picked a similar pullover that was less thick since I didn't need to worry about leakage today. It still accentuated my breasts a bit more than I liked.

The second day of meetings went a lot better than the first. Without the roaring furnace in my loins, I was better able to focus on the job at hand. It was still a lot of boring meetings and politicking, but when I had to step up to the plate, I was sure I knocked it out of the park.

''Innovative Solutions'' was hosting the group for the second day, and Greg's team had booked a box suite for the hockey game against the Senators that evening. While the CFL had embraced the Griffons and were letting us use their fields in Edmonton and Calgary for the nascent Skyball league, the NHL was still not letting us into their arenas. As such, as the day wrapped up, I was saying good-bye to the ''Geologics'' group, not expecting to see them again until the project was further along.

To my surprise, Tony and Greg stopped me, a ticket in hand.

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it, but Rogers Place isn't letting Griffons or Titans in yet," I declined. "I'll see you tomorrow..."

"They aren't? But why?" Tony asked.

I shrugged my wings. "No clue. Something about us not fitting in the seats and insurance and liability reasons I guess."

"Well, it's time to make them smarten up. Take the damn ticket, Simon. I'll walk you in personally if I have to," Greg insisted.

While I had my doubts, I reluctantly took the offered ticket. It was wrapped in a pamphlet with directions on what entrance to use and how to get to the suite level. I finished up my farewells and retreated upstairs to touch base with my other teams to make sure none of the other plates I was responsible for had fallen.

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It was very tempting to just ignore the ticket and head home. In the end, I knew I couldn't do that to Greg. At the very least, he would be blowing up my phone all night if I didn't at least show up. At most, it would be a blow against our friendship, and I didn't want to do that.

So an hour before game time, I flew out to ''Rogers Place''. The crowd was thick outside, waiting to get in. A game against the Ottawa Senators wasn't exactly a hot ticket, but it was a Friday, and the Oilers were still in the running for the cup, so it looked like it was going to be a pretty full house.

I landed near the Premium Ticket holder entrance, found a spot along the wall, out of foot traffic, and waited. I was feeling more self conscious than usual. Hundreds of fans were waiting to get in, and they all gave me a surprised look. Griffons at an NHL game just weren't a thing. The fact that I scanned the crowd every few minutes didn't help either; something about the eagle stare could be unnerving to humans. While the ticket attendants and security agents noticed me, they were too busy at their stations to ask me to leave.

"Hey Simon! Over here!" The ambient noise was almost too loud for me to pick up the shout, even with griffon hearing. I'd also been getting used to responding more to Skyfire than Simon, so I wasn't quite as attuned to my old name as I was before. Being ''Simon'' for the past two days did bring back old habits, so I didn't hesitate ''too'' much when I heard the shouts.

Tony and Greg and a couple others were walking up the street to the entrance. I raised my wing and waved to them. "Hey guys!"

We moved to join the lines waiting to get in. Greg stayed close to me, Tony on the other side. "I half expected you to bail on us," he said quietly. "Any trouble?"

"I admit, while it was tempting, I wouldn't do that to you. No trouble... yet," I said. Ahead, the ticket scanner had noticed a griffon in her line, and a couple of security officers were approaching.

"Well, I'll get you in," he assured me.

I still had my doubts, but I could tell he was fired up for a fight. I'd always been a very ''laissez-faire'' guy, and becoming a griffon hadn't changed that. My friend, on the other hand, was a fighter. Not a physical fighter, but when a cause got into his head, he would be leading the charge. Letting griffons attend NHL games seemed to be his current cause.

We let the rest of our group scan through first, until it was just the three of us. Tony nudged me to go first, and I presented the ticket.

"I'm sorry, but Griffons are not allowed into the arena yet," the attendant said, sounding uncertain. It was obviously a policy that had been drilled into them since the Change had happened, This was probably the first time she had to impose it. A pair of security agents stood a few steps behind her.

"Not allowed for general admission. But these are ''suite tickets''," Greg said, taking up the fight on my behalf. "Standing room only tickets at that. There's no reason he can't come in with us."

The agent was clearly in a tough spot. "I'm sorry. It's the league policy," she said.

"I know you can't bend policies by yourself. So place the call, get someone down here who ''can'' bend it. We'll wait," Greg said. I glanced around and noticed we were attracting more attention. People were taking their time approaching the gate so they could watch. More than a few cameras were recording.

The agent seemed to sense the gathering storm and was visibly relieved to be given an out. She pulled out her radio and called for someone to come to our gate. Greg pulled us slightly out of the way so more guests could use the gate, while being close enough that we couldn't be ignored.

A man dressed in a nice suit showed up surprisingly quickly; I suspected he had been anticipating this encounter. He ignored Greg and Tony and focused on me.

"Hello Mx Skyfire. Welcome to Rogers Place," he greeted me, holding out his hand.

"Skyfire is fine," I said, hesitantly shaking the offered hand. "These are my friends, Greg and Tony."

He acknowledged them, then returned his focus to me. "I'm honored you want to show your support for the team, but it is league policy to not allow non-humans in the arenas at this time. We are planning some improvements over the summer, and we expect to have seating suitable for Griffons and even Titans available next season. But it isn't available right now. We apologize for any confusion and we can refund your ticket."

"That's bullshit!" Greg exclaimed, stepping forward. "We have a standing room only ticket for a box suite. There's no reason he can't join us."

The manager's confidence faltered a moment as he looked at Greg. "That may be, but it is league policy. It's for the safety and enjoyment of all of the fans."

"Screw the policy. Name one legit reason why he can't join us to watch the game." Greg challenged the manager. He didn't raise his voice, but his tone was clear. Around us more cameras were coming out to record the encounter. I ''really ''wanted to just take off and put it behind me. Instead, I was the centre of a growing storm of attention.

"It's for the safety of fans. Griffons can't sit properly in our current seats-"

"Standing. Room. Only. Ticket. Box. Suite." Greg countered, enunciating every word clearly. He won't be sitting, and won't be blocking anyone any more than someone else standing in a box seat would block the view.

''"Let! Her! In! Let! Her! In!" ''Around us a chant was starting up from people watching from both sides of the gate. I could almost sense hundreds of video streams hitting the 'net. My ears pressed back and my wings drooped a bit as I tried to seem smaller, wanting to shrink away from the attention.

The manager hesitated again, sensing the mood of the crowd. We could all tell there was a powder keg brewing. The last thing I wanted was a riot to happen, but I had no way to escape or to deescalate the situation. Only the manager could do that. He was clearly struggling, weighing any trouble he might get in for letting a griffon in, against the public relations disaster that would happen if box suite ticket holders rioted. He reached his decision and pulled out a business card.

"Enjoy the game, Mx Skyfire. If you need anything special, please just ask."

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to it." I took the card and stepped through the gate, and suddenly I was on forbidden ground. The first griffon to be in Rogers Place. Around us, the crowd cheered and there were flashes as people recorded the event. I gulped nervously and waved my wing while Greg and Tony came through the gate after me.

We rejoined our group and headed for our suite. Unintentionally, I ended up surrounded by coworkers and our clients. Every step we took, I could sense I was being watched curiously. A few fans approached, but no one could get past the barrier we'd established.

Finally, we reached our suite and went inside. The suite was pretty standard, a serving area with hot food trays already prepared, along with a selection of water, pop, beers and wines. Screens on the wall would show the game for those inside. The back was open, leading to a balcony with a dozen seats looking down to the ice.

I beelined to the drinks and grabbed a cold beer. "You're insane," I told Greg as I popped the tab. "Absolutely insane."

He laughed and grabbed a can of his own, holding it up for me to tap as a toast. "Hey, it worked. You just have to know how to work with corporate inertia, and know when and where to push."

I gulped down a bit of beer, and began to relax. "I just hope it doesn't cause more problems later. Not for me, but for griffs in general."

"Relax, the crowd's on your side here. Sometimes you just need to give people a bit of a shove to realize something doesn't make sense and it's time to change."

I loaded up a plate with wings and other snacks, and began to mingle. Now that I was here, I felt I could relax a bit, the adrenaline rush from the encounter fading. I was glad we weren't doing this when I was fighting a peak.

Before the game started, I took a moment to check my phone. While it was on silent, it had been buzzing almost constantly since I got in. Mostly they were congratulation messages and jealous emojis. I was starting to mentally compose a message, when there was a knock on the suite door.

We looked over, and a stranger was there. He scanned the room and spotted me. "Mx Skyfire, may I speak with you for a moment?"

I spotted a press badge clipped to his pocket and relaxed and went over. "Just Skyfire is fine," I said. "What's up?"

"Well, you are, it seems. My name is Josh Davis, a producer for Sportsnet." Brian had trained me well enough to know what to expect. "The first Griffon at an NHL game. It caught us by surprise, but we would like to draw attention to it. Would you mind speaking on camera with us during an intermission?"

"What would we be speaking about? And what would I need to do?" I asked. I'd been doing these interviews way too often for my likes lately, so doing yet another wasn't something I was looking forward to. Still, this situation was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"I can send a team down here towards the end of the second period, and we can film just out here. They know how to handle the crowds. As for what we speak about, it's just a light interview. Your thoughts on the game, on the arena. Have you been here before? We'd like to know how different it feels now that you're a griffon."

"Spoiler alert, this isn't my first time here, though it is my first time as a griffon of course," I said, nodding. "Sure, I'll do it."

"Great. We'll be down near the end of the second period. It shouldn't take too long."

I watched the producer rush off, and waved to a few stragglers heading for their own suites. I closed the door and refilled my plate.

"Trouble?" Greg asked.

"Not for me. Maybe for you. Sportsnet wants to talk to me during intermission."

"Cool. You okay with that?"

I nodded, and dipped a popcorn chicken in some sauce. "Oh yeah, Brian's been training me well. I've gotten a surprising amount of experience dealing with cameras lately. Just don't let the Marketing team know."

Greg laughed, "You're secret's safe with me... wait, why would that be trouble for me?"

I nudged him with my wing as I headed for the balcony. "You dragged me in here. I'm going to make sure I spread the blame around. Don't worry, I doubt you'll have to say anything, but I '''am''' dragging you out there with me."

It was almost time for the teams to hit the ice. I stepped onto the balcony and took a position behind the last row of seats, leaving enough room for others to go by. The arena air was a lot cooler compared to the suite, which was a relief for me. I fluttered my wings and tail a bit to let some of the heat out. Music blared from the speakers as the DJ tried to amp up the crowd. I took in the ambiance, noting how the arena was almost packed.

I shifted my focus down to the ice surface. Our suite was about halfway between centre ice and the home team's net, so the visitor's net was a long ways away. With griffon vision, I could easily see the strands of the net and the wiring for the video equipment.

The noise in the arena changed, cheers coming up from the crowd. I looked expectedly towards the benches, but there was no sign of any players yet. Tony nudged me. "You're on the screen," he said.

I looked up and a startled phoenix was looking back at me from the big screens over centre ice. I stifled my first urge to run back into the suite. Instead, I did a quick look around and found the camera focused on me. I spread my wings wide and waved with a talon. I realized for the first time that my blue top and natural fiery red and orange plumage was pretty close to the Oiler's colours. The cameraman expanded the view to get my full wings in, and the crowd roared louder until he moved on to a new target.

Soon after, the players actually came out onto the ice for their warmups. The anthem was sung and the game was on.

Generally speaking, I'm not a big sports fan. I didn't closely follow any teams and just had a passing acquaintance with the rules. Since becoming a griffon, I hadn't watched a hockey game at all, aside from the demo games at WestEd. So the only thing I knew about who was playing was what I'd absorbed through osmosis mainly.

Still, watching a professional hockey team in person was an experience. The vibes from the crowd were almost physical, and the speed they moved around the ice was amazing. Griffon vision tricks let me track the puck easily, except when it was against the boards in front of me. The speeds involved were simply incredible. When the puck shot across the ice, even I had trouble following it; that the human players were able to somehow follow what had to be a blur for them just boggled my mind. I found myself focused on the play, visually zoomed in close to follow the action.

Midway through the first, the Sens scored the first goal of the night and the crowd let out a disappointed groan. Play was paused soon after for a commercial break, and I was able to relax and sip my beer. I noticed Tony looking at me curiously.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No... No. Nothing's wrong. It's just... You, I guess."

I tilted my head, waiting for him to go on.

"The way you're watching the game. You're staring at it, staring at it... well, staring at it like a hawk. And you aren't blinking. It's inhuman."

"Well, I'm not human any more after all. I'm just following the game. And I do blink, just not with my big lids." I demonstrated, clenching my eyes shut for a moment, then blinking like I usually did, the inner lid flicking across my eyes.

"Yeah, I realize that... and it's probably not the right term. Sorry, it's just a bit weird."

"Weird for me too; I've just had months to get used to it," I assured him.

Play started up again, and I tried to be more aware of what I was doing. I kept a more midrange focus, so I could see more of the ice. As the action picked up, I found myself focusing in again, locking on and tracking the puck. I occasionally was surprised by a player coming in out of nowhere for a check, or to interrupt the pass, but mostly it was just seeing where it went. There were a lot of close saves, rail clangers and goalie catches. In the end, neither team could score before the period was finished..

Once the buzzer sounded, I followed the mob heading to the washrooms and joined the line waiting to go into the women's. Even more than the time at the restaurant, I felt like I was a fake, invading foreign territory. More than a few people gave me a curious look. No one actually said anything that I could hear. The line to get in was long, but moved surprisingly quickly.

Before I knew it, I was in the restroom, and it felt strange. It wasn't really different from the men's room; just with more stalls and no urinals. Still, for all my life, it had been a forbidden zone, and now I was going in. I focused on some of the walls, noting advertising posters set up, and waited for an accessible stall to open up. While the regular stalls seemed a little bigger than normal they were not that much bigger; I figured I could hold it long enough for the larger stall to open.

"First time?"

I flicked my ears and realized someone was talking to me. I looked at a middle aged woman, dressed in orange and blue.

"You could say that," I said, fudging the truth.

She chuckled. "Well, I hope you're enjoying the game."

"It's been a blast," I said. Thankfully a stall opened up and she claimed it.

Soon after, I was able to claim my own toilet and took care of business. I washed up as quickly as I could, and forced myself to check my reflection. I brushed my talons through my feathers and washed my beak so I'd be ready for the next intermission. Despite how busy the washroom was, the sink next to me stayed empty. I got back to the suite with a few minutes to spare.

Second period, the OIlers came out hard and fast. They caught a breakaway within the first couple of minutes, and scored a goal, making the arena cheer. Caught up in the excitement, I raised my wings and hands in celebration, letting out my own happy screech that cut through the cheers. Some of the closer sections looked around, puzzled by the strange sound. I cut it short and lowered my limbs quickly, ears and tail dipping.

Greg nudged me and laughed. "Stop that. It was a good goal, it's fine to celebrate."

"I know, I know. It's just, it's embarrassing to see how I react to things now. Especially when you're the only one who does it."

"Don't think about it. Just be you. People will get used to it. And to be frank, it's rather cute."

I shook my head at him. "Not helping," I said, before ducking back into the suite to get another beer and some more chips.

The game stayed tied through the rest of the period. There were a number of close calls on both sides. Caught up in the game, it made me let out a few more screeches without intending to when the Oilers almost scored.

I was so caught up in the game, I nearly jumped off the balcony when Tony poked me. "What?" I snapped, taking a moment to refocus on the things around me.

Tony backed up quickly and pointed behind us. A cameraman and a reporter were at the door, looking in. "Sorry, you surprised me," I immediately apologized.

"It's okay. You were getting into it."

I snagged Greg and we went to see our guests.

"Hi Skyfire. I'm Stuart McLeary. We're here to record a quick segment for intermission. Is in here fine?"

"Sure," I said, looking around quickly and moving to a spot that would be mostly out of the way of anyone trying to leave the suite. Brian had trained me well over the past few months, so I had an idea of what these guys needed. I positioned Greg next to me and faced the camera man.

"Don't we have a few minutes before intermission?" Greg asked.

"We're basically recording this nearly live," Stuart said, checking our position and moving to my other side. His cameraman lifted up the camera and flicked on a flood light. "So we'll run through the interview now, acting as if we're talking to the guys in the studio, and then the editors will stitch it together into the show when they get the spot. It means you don't have to stand here waiting all break."

"Just relax and enjoy the spotlight. You're my prop for a change," I said to Greg. "I've done this sort of thing many times recently. Just tell me what you need."

They took a minute or two to do a quick sound and light check; making sure the microphone could pick me up clearly and that the lightning picked up my colouring right. Stuart made sure we were ready, then started counting us down, holding his microphone.

"Five, four, three, ..., .... Thanks guys. I'm here with local Edmonton celebrity griffon Skyfire, on what has become a bit of a historic day in local history. She is the first Griffon to attend an NHL game. Tell me, how did this happen?" Stuart opened up before turning the microphone to me.

"Hi there, it's good to be here. Honestly, it was completely unexpected, and all the fault of my boss and friend, Greg here." I spread my wing and hugged Greg, making him jump in surprise. "Our company is treating one of our clients tonight, so we rented a suite, and he refused to leave me behind."

Stuart shifted the mic to Greg, who still looked surprised but recovered quickly. "Si-Skyfire has been an important member of our team for years. It didn't seem right to leave hi-her behind."

"So what are your thoughts on the league's policy on Griffons and Titans?" Stuart asked.

"In general, it makes sense. I've met Titans, and neither of us will fit in regular seating. So in general, it makes sense. But it also needs to have a sanity check. While we can't sit in regular seats, we can certainly stand as well as anyone else. When there are standing room options for example, there's no reason to keep us out."

"Is this your first game?"

I shook my head. "I admit, I'm not the biggest sports fan, but before last fall, I usually caught a game or three each year. This is my first game this season of course."

"Of course. Watching it with literally new eyes, how would you describe it?"

"Incredible. It's hard to describe really. It's the same experience, but with a new take."

"And what are your hopes for the future?"

"Well, I've heard Rogers Place and other arenas are planning to establish areas suitable for Griffons and Titans in the off season, so hopefully more feathered and furry fans will be able to attend."

He waited a moment, holding still so the editor could do a cut if needed, then asked his last question.

"Finally, I'd be remiss to not ask you about the Skyball league. Are you looking forward to that?"

"I'm really looking forward to it. I know the griffons on the local teams and they're all pumped to establish a new pro league. And I'd like to give a shout out to the Elks and Stampeders and Roughriders, and the CFL in general for all the support they've given Griffons in putting it together so quickly. It'll be seven months since that event made us Griffons. To be able to create a brand new sport, reflective of our abilities in such a short time is incredible."

"That it is. For people who aren't aware, the inaugural Skyball League will start in mid May. The Calgary Griffons will be hosting the Edmonton Griffons at McMahon Stadium."

He turned back to me. "Thank you Skyfire, and Greg. Enjoy the rest of the game."

I waved a wing, and the light went off. I nudged Greg, pushing him away gently. "You can relax now, it's over."

Stuart chuckled and handed the mic back to the camera man who was packing up his gear. "Thanks for your time. You're a natural."

"Not really. I've just had more practice lately than I wanted. I wasn't expecting the Skyball plug."

"I'm not sure if they'll keep it in, but I figured what the hell. Always good to get people excited. Are you going to go down for it?"

"I'm hoping to. Michelle is trying to sort out transportation. If we go, it'll be one of the biggest trips most of us have taken since September. It would be good to get out."

"Well, in any case, we better get going. Thanks again. Enjoy the game."

I glanced at the screen and confirmed the intermission had started. This time I didn't have to go anywhere, so I just relaxed, watching the zamboni driver clean the ice. I waved to some fans in the seats nearby and chatted with a few people in neighbouring suites. I figured my interview aired when my phone started buzzing with a fresh batch of messages. It was something I was getting used to, figuring I could sort things out in the morning.

The third period was a nail biter, which was quite a trick for griffons, considering I neither had nails nor teeth to bite with any more. Both teams obviously wanted the win, and neither gave an inch. With five minutes to go, I figured we were going to get overtime, and then the Oilers caught a breakaway. The entire arena held their breath as the forward sprinted ahead of the Sens defensemen. I leaned forward against the back of the seat in front of me, squinting to follow the action as close as my eyes could get me. With a shower of ice shards, he skidded to a stop and swung back, firing the puck to the upper left corner of the net. The Senators goalie reached for it, but I could tell he was too slow. It clanged off the top bar and was in. I let out a joyous screech a split second before the buzzer sounded, registering the goal.

The arena roared loud enough to shake the rafters. A few people in the seats in front of me glanced back at the strange noise I made. I didn't care. It took a few moments for the place to settle and the game to continue.

The Sens put in a good effort after that, pulling their goalie for the man advantage in the last minute, but it was to no avail. The game ended 2-1 for the home team, and the arena cheered.

After the game, we lingered in the suite, snacking on the leftover food while waiting for the crowds to dissipate. I knew I could get clear fairly fast; I just had to wade through the crowd to the exit, and then I could take off. At the same time, I wanted to be polite and wait for my party to leave together, so I hung out with them.

"Normally, I'd go looking for a spot for a nightcap, but I think old age is catching up to me," Tony said, catching up to Greg and I. "So I think it's probably best to call it a night and head back to the hotel."

"Yeah, it's been a long day, I'm ready to throw in the towel too," Greg agreed. "How about you Simon?"

"Home sounds good." I turned my screen on and showed them the dozens of messages waiting. "I've gotta do some damage control with the flock before I hit the nest."

"How do you get home?" Tony asked.

I spread my wings and shook them. "Flying of course. In a pinch, I can take the train, but most of the time I just go around with my wings."

"Seriously? You hated walking. You drove everywhere you could. And now?"

"Now, I sadly don't have any other choice. Griffon transportation options are quite limited. It's not bad honestly, when the weather's nice."

"So what's this place you're taking us to tomorrow?" Tony asked.

"Griffiths. It's just north of the Yellowhead, almost at the Hendey. And it was named long before griffons happened," I said. "It's got a restaurant, a bar, a pool hall, and axe throwing."

"So we should plan on dinner and a show?"

"I suppose so. How about we meet there around seven? Greg knows where it is."

I glanced out and the arena was almost deserted now, workers starting to do a cleaning pass. The door to the suite was open and the crowd outside had shrunk to a trickle. I waved my wings, motioning for them to go first.

"That's fine. I'll be done with my stuff long before then," Tony said.

We followed the crowd through the building to the exits. Once we stepped outside, I stretched out and let out a long sigh, feeling the heat seeping away from me. It was glorious. I walked with them most of the way to the parking lot, until the crowd was almost gone.

"Thanks for the evening," I said. "This is as good a spot as any for me to take off. Bye now."

Tony and Greg turned to me and we shook hands briefly before I leaped up. I saw Tony shake his head in amazement and heard him speak to Greg. The words were lost in the wind. I circled over them a few meters up and waved, signing ''Good Night'' before setting off for home.

===Saturday, March 2===

As hard as it was to believe, a form of normality was starting to settle in with the griffons. Many of us were settling into our new lives and starting to feel normal again, even if it was a new form of normal. There were still a lot of unknowns on the horizon, but everyday life was settling into a routine.

One side effect of this was a change for our weekend gatherings. After the holidays, it quickly became obvious that, while the gatherings were good, we were running out of reasons to hold them. Michelle decided that we would drop down to monthly gatherings for now, and she was talking with griffon support leaders in other places about our future. I didn't know the details, but there was a lot of talk about setting up a Griffon-focused social club, similar to the Kin Club or the Lions Club.

For me, the main thing it meant for me, was that my weekends were mostly free again. This weekend, I celebrated my freedom by sleeping in late. The past few days had been exhausting, and I just wanted to sleep and mentally recharge. In the end, I didn't even stir until after nine, and finally got out of bed just before ten.

Most of the morning and afternoon, I spent continuing 'damage control' from the previous night. Griffons from all over were reaching out to me, asking how I had done it and what it was like. I wrote up a few public posts for reddit and other social media to explain and let that talk for me.

What surprised me was when some businesses reached out to me. Places that had suites or were about to rent suites, and wanted to offer some standing room only tickets to the local griffon community. I knew they were looking for social brownie points and I didn't care. I chatted with Michelle and the Calgary flock leaders and passed the buck to them to figure out how best to distribute the offered tickets.

By late afternoon, word was spreading through our community, outlining the ticket opportunities that were coming up for griffon hockey fans. I figured there would be no problem filling the spots.

I took off a little after five, and took my time flying, enjoying the late winter weather. It was cloudy and a little chilly, by human standards. The days were obviously getting longer and the temperature was warming up. All across the city, the snow was taking a beating, water running off into the storm drains. While the river was still frozen, the ice was showing more cracks every day.

Close to seven, I was in a holding pattern circling over the northern part of the city. I was close enough I could see ''Griffiths'', while being far enough away to not be too obvious. There was a steady stream of griffons heading to the bar, hinting it was going to be a busy Saturday there. In the parking lot, I could see a half dozen cars, making it seem less busy than it actually was.

Greg texted me, saying they were taking an Uber. I stopped my circling and dropped down, landing in the parking lot. I waved to a few friends while staying away from the entrance so I wouldn't get pulled into a conversation.

Soon enough an Uber pulled up and two men got out. They looked around, but didn't see me at first. Instead, they focused on a couple dropping down and landing on the cleared patio area. I wandered over while they were distracted.

"Hey guys. How was your day?" I asked.

"Hey Simoh-my-god!" Tony looked at me, then looked away quickly.

I tilted my head curiously, while Greg groaned. "I told you about this on the way over," he said. "It's a griffon thing."

I looked down and realized what he was reacting to. I only had my shorts on and my travel gear. "Yeah, shirt designs are a pain in the back. They haven't really figured out a design that can handle our wings, how our muscles move, cover our chests, and don't wreck our fur and feathers. So when we can, most of us just skip them . Not like we need it for protection. When it rains or snows, it's better to use just our fur than to have wet fabric."

I turned to the restaurant entrance and went in. It was a busy evening, with most of the tables full. Maybe three quarters of the people there were griffons. Tony openly gaped for a moment, obviously not sure where to look.

A human hostess greeted us just inside, grabbing the menus. "Evening, Skyfire. Your reservation is ready. Please, come this way."

She led us to a corner table that was already set up. I fell back from the group, having to greet various friends as we went. I finally reached our table and sat with my back to the room. Tony was facing the room and obviously amazed by what he saw.

"There are so many of you here," he said finally once the hostess left with our drink orders.

I twisted around and looked. I figured there were a couple dozen griffons eating, along with a griffon waitress. "I suppose. But it's not that many really. Edmonton's only got hundreds in total, not even a thousand yet. Down south, that's where most of us are."

"Wow...."

"Keep in mind there are only a hundred thousand of us so far. Most of them south of the border. Maybe about forty thousand Canadian griffons. Barely a small city's worth. Compared to forty ''million'' human Canadians. It's going to be a long time before there are ever 'a lot' of us."

Tony shook his head again and picked up the menu. "So what do you suggest?"

''Griffiths'' had a fairly standard bar menu. Burgers and sandwiches were pretty dominant. It also had a lot more bite-sized fare, suitable for beaks. Stir fries and skewers were very common.

"It's all good. Just pick something that appeals to you," I said. "But please pay attention to the pepper scale."

A griffon waitress came over with our drinks and took our orders. She left a bowl of nachos and some salsa for us to snack on while we waited. Tony tried to ask me more about last September, but I avoided the questions, telling him it was a subject better for after dinner. We chatted on safer topics, catching up in general over the meal.

A local band was going to play at the bar later that evening. To spare our ears, I spoke with our waitress as I settled the bill, and made sure it was okay for us to linger for a bit over our drinks. With her permission, I bought another round of drinks and prepared myself for a rough story.

Once we were comfortable, with fresh drinks and a fresh plate of nachos, I started into the story. I held almost nothing back, going into almost all the details. For the evening, we were not employer-employee-client; we were just old college roommates catching up on a major life event. As I went on, I watched their expressions, trying to tell if I'd gone too far. They listened intently, showing their horror, anger, wonder and confusion about the event. Technically Greg had heard it all before; hell he had lived through some of it and I made sure to point it out. But this was the first time he got it all in one dose, and it was obvious he'd never fully put all the pieces together.

I finished up the story and focused on my drink. A couple of refills had shown up during the tale, so the beer was pretty full. I didn't look at my friends and just gulped it down. I put the mug down and felt a hand take mine. By the end, it was feeling more like one of my sessions with Adam, and I was feeling a bit bad for shovelling everything on them.

"Damn, Simon. I never really realized that," Greg said, squeezing my hand comfortingly.

"You never had to. It's not your responsibility," I reassured him. "Sorry, I probably went a bit deep there. I missed my weekly with Adam, and I guess I needed an outlet."

"Adam?" Tony asked.

"His psychiatrist," Greg said.

"Yeah, he's been a huge help, for all of us. And I only started going because of Greg here. Well Greg and my parents." I looked longingly at my empty mug and glanced around the room. It was almost empty now as the restaurant part was winding down for the day. "The thing is, my story isn't unique at all. Everyone who's got feathers now, here in this building, in this city, and beyond, we've all got similar tales. And I'm not just talking about the one on my ass. We've probably made the careers of dozens of head docs in the past few months."

Tony finished his own mug of beer and shook his head again. "Well, they're doing good work. As are you. Until you told me all that, I had no idea. I'd heard about it, but never like that. You're holding things together surprisingly well."

"You have no idea," I said. "Many times it's just a matter of pushing through and taking it one day at a time. And some days are better than others." I hesitated a moment. "You have no idea how close Thursday was."

"What was Thursday?"

"Remember I went over those peaks we experience? Thursday was one of my peaks. Greg knows I've been hermitting up during them, but I had to come out for you guys. It was the first time I've been in the office during those events."

"Shit, you should've warned us. We could've figured something out...."

"It was my fault. I didn't realize the date until a couple weeks before. Hell when we first scheduled, my peaks were on Wednesdays so we figured we were fine. Our biology is just screwy it seems."

Tony took his turn to squeeze my hand. "Sorry man. I wish I'd known. Next time, let me know. We'll work around it one way or another."

I nodded my thanks to him. "Don't worry about it. In the end, I think it was a good thing. I've been working on some tactics to handle those better, and they do seem to be working. That just pushed me more than I expected."

I glanced around again and stood up. "I think we've spent enough time here. They need to finish closing up. Let's go into the bar area and listen to whomever's wailing over there tonight."

The bar area was busy when we got there, most people mingling and enjoying the live music. A local country-rock band was playing, mostly human with a griffon drummer. I scanned the room and noticed a pair of griffons waving for my attention.

"Hey Skyfire, you looking for a table?" one of them asked.

"We are, but you don't have to-" I said, seeing them already standing up. Both of them were obviously pregnant.

"It's no big deal. Time for us to head home anyway. The little ones get antsy if we're out too long," the other said, rubbing her belly bulge.

"Well then, thank you. Have a good flight home."

Greg went to the bar to get the next round, while Tony and I sat down.

"It was nice of them to give up their table. Do you know them? I guess they wanted a night away from their husbands?" Tony asked.

I laughed a little at his misunderstanding. "I know them a bit. They've come out to a few gatherings. And no, they aren't avoiding their husbands. They're a couple. Danny and June, husband and wife. And yes, they are the father to each other's babies."

I could see Tony's confusion as he tried to sort out the situation. He was only partially saved by Greg arriving with three mugs and a bowl of peanuts. I let him stew on that for a bit and focused on the band for a bit. While it wasn't really my type of music, they were pretty good.

A few songs later, I noticed Tony was looking around curiously, obviously puzzled by something new. I looked around as well, and didn't find anything amiss. There were about a hundred people in the bar watching the show and just having a good time. Most of them were griffons.

Finally, he leaned closer to me to ask his question. "I gotta ask. How can you tell the difference?"

"What difference?" I asked back.

He waved vaguely towards the bar area where the usual meat market for singles was happening. "Difference between the guys and the gals," he said. While we hadn't been drinking a lot, the alcohol was obviously loosening our tongues.

I suspected I knew what he was asking, and decided to toy with him for a moment. "What do you mean?"

His mouth opened and closed as he struggled to explain what he was asking about. Taking pity, I let him off the hook.

"Don't forget, we're herms now. We've got both things in our pants. The Guy/Gal distinction doesn't really matter, as you saw earlier with Dan and June. Sure, most of us hang onto our old pronouns and feelings somewhat, but it's fading. Biology's a bitch. With the heats and the ruts and the eggs, it's hard to hang on to those old distinctions."

He still looked confused. "So you're not interested in girls any more?"

I shook my head and looked around the room. "Nope, not really. Nor am I interested in guys either. I am interested in griffons though."

"In what ways?" Greg asked, joining into the conversation. "What do you look for in a griffon?"

I shrugged my wings. "Well, honestly, I'm not the best guy... best griff to ask, since I'm not in the market. But in general, I look at feather and fur quality, see how they're taking care of themselves. Strong wings are good too, clean talons and claws, a nice tail. Plumage patterns can catch my eye occasionally, but people can't change those so I don't think of that. Firm breasts, and good hips and musculature and so forth. A lot of the same things you look for I guess."

My friends looked around again, obviously trying to see through griffon eyes. I decided to give them a hand. I spread my wings slightly to hide the pointing I was doing and indicated a table where a lone griffon was sitting.

"Take that bald eagle griff over in the corner, by herself. She's here just for the show I'd say. Probably coming out for a break after coming off her peak. Her feathers are ruffled and her wings are slouching."

I pointed vaguely towards the bar. "The trio over there on the other hand, they're obviously out fishing. Wings held high, ears up, feathers and fur combed to the nines, a bit of gloss on their talons and beak and they're scanning the crowd trying to catch people's eyes."

We watched the trio on the hunt while trying not to be too obvious about it. Griffon ages were hard to tell as we'd all basically been reset to our mid-twenties biologically. Judging from their body language, I figured one was older, probably my age, while the other two were younger and less experienced. While the trio obviously knew each other, they were not a group.

One locked her eyes on someone across the room and started moving her hands. I recognized a standard GSL greeting, and turned to figure out who she was signalling.

"What's happening?" Tony asked.

I found her target, another well made up griffon. She signalled back and was working her way across the dance floor.

"Looks like she found someone she knows. Or at least someone who's interested," I narrated. "They're using GSL. Griffon Sign Language. Much easier than shouting across a noisy room."

The first griffon met the other a few steps away from the bar. They stopped signing and were obviously talking now. The pair returned to the bar and the newcomer signalled for a drink. Their wings rubbed lightly together while they chatted. I stopped watching and grabbed a handful of peanuts.

"Speaking of GSL, how's the app going?" Greg asked, grabbing on an obvious topic change before things grew too uncomfortable.

"Still awkward," I acknowledged. "We've got some ideas and stuff, but it's rough. Doesn't help that I've got a horrible head for languages. I can barely wrap my mind around it as is."

"Luckily it isn't just you. Cardi's been a huge help from what I've heard." Greg said.

I felt my face redden a bit, ears pressing down and I gulped down a bit of beer. "Yeah, she's great. The only reason I know as much as I do," I admitted. "Of course, part of the problem is that GSL's a moving target. We've already developed Canadian and American dialects as is, and now some people are incorporating wing signs too."

"Well, I'm sure you'll work something out," Greg said.

We shifted our focus to the band for a song and let the topics drop. Towards the end of the song, I happened to glance back at the trio. The first one and her new partner were close together now, wings rubbing more and bordering on some intense public displays of affection. The other two were still obviously on the hunt. I noticed a woman, a human in her late twenties I figured, approaching the pair.

"This should be interesting," I said softly. "Watch the cougar... that is the actual cougar griff."

The woman reached the younger of the two griffons and started talking. She was obviously nervous, while the cougar griffon seemed intrigued.

"You think she's a ... what are they called?.... A furry?" Tony asked.

"Possibly," I admitted. "But I doubt it. There's been a lot of interest and curiosity in general, not just from that community. Now that there are three intelligent species on Earth, it sort've blurs a lot of lines we didn't pay attention to before. Especially since there are a lot of mixed partners too."

"Would it be safe if they did hook up?" Greg asked. After the number of beers we'd had, this topic was flowing surprisingly easily.

"Sure. Griffons and humans are basically the same size, especially down below. If you're thinking about ''how'' we are equipped, well, it's mostly for looks and stimulation. I've heard it feels different but doesn't actually hurt. Which raises the curiosity aspect."

"Some griffons actually like to have a human partner, or partners. They say it helps take the edge off the peaks with minimal risk. As a species, we're STD free for now, and there's no pregnancy risk with human partners," I explained further. While I hadn't actively sought out that information, I'd heard a number of stories and read many articles in passing.

The pair chatted for a bit, but couldn't seem to reach an agreement. The woman wandered away, obviously disappointed. The griffon resumed scanning the room for other targets. I suspected the griffon was looking for a male partner, probably close to her heat.

"So, I've gotta ask. You've experienced it both ways right? Which is better?" Tony asked as we paused our griffon watching.

The question nearly sobered me up and I hesitated a moment, not sure what I wanted to say. I decided to answer honestly. "Honestly? It's different, but both ways are equally good. As a guy, it's rather intense and focused, while as a girl, it's more... I don't know, more spread out? Less focused? But still great."

Greg laughed, "Wow, I never thought I'd hear you talk about that. You really have changed, Simon."

I waved the mug and grinned, ears twitching happily. "Blame the beer. A few fewer bottles and I wouldn't have said a word."

We continued chatting through the rest of the evening, with a few more beers. Tony went to get refills, and came back with some extras; three small boxes labelled with various heat indicators.

"Look what I saw at the bar. Remember these one-chip challenges?"

"Yeah, I thought they were banned a few years ago. I hated those things," I replied, glancing at Greg. He smirked and winked back at me.

"You barely lasted five minutes if I recall correctly. So how about it? You want to give it a new shot?" Tony sipped his beer and pushed the boxes to the middle of the table.

"I'll pass," Greg quickly said. "My stomach couldn't handle them back then. It certainly couldn't handle it now."

"Those things taste like cardboard," I said, then sighed theatrically and took a deep drink from my beer. "Fine, we can do it."

"First to drink after eating loses," Tony said, opening the boxes.

I picked up the tortilla chip with the tips of my talon and examined it. It was heavily laden with the pepper spices. Even with my diminished sense of smell, I could pick up a hint of something.

"Ready?" Tony asked, holding out his chip.

I held my own near his, so we could see they were similar. We touched them lightly as a toast.

"Ready," I said and popped it into my beak.

I closed my beak and used my tongue to crush the chip up. The spices hit my tongue a bit stronger than I had expected; while I'd been ordering top level spices across the city since I'd changed, this was a level above that. I blinked a bit, eyes watering a little and kept breaking up the chip. My tongue burned a little, but not unbearably so; it was around the levels I used to consider 'very hot' and now regularly ordered at Thai places that knew how to serve griffons. I swallowed the mass and looked at my friend.

Tony was making a number of strange expressions as he struggled with the chip. His face was red and his eyes and nose were running. His jaw moved slowly as he struggled to break it up to the point he could get it down. Finally he did a big gulp and started panting.

"Done!" he gasped out, eyes still watering. He wiped his nose with a napkin and looked at me. "What the hell?"

"Done as well," I said, opening my beak and wiggling my tongue. "It was tasty, but the chip was quite stale. Tasted like spicy cardboard."

"But... But..." he paused and waved his hand in front of his mouth, struggling to find his words and to fight the chip. "You aren't reacting!"

I picked up a napkin and dabbed at the damp feathers around my eyes. "I am a little. They do have a nice kick."

Greg laughed and took pity on our friend. "And that's another aspect of griffons you just learned. Capsaicin just doesn't hit them as hard. They've developed a reputation for liking the spicy stuff."

"Yeah, you have to be a bit more prudent when you go to Thai and similar places around the city now. Make sure you stick with the human spice chart; the griffon one will blow you out of the restaurant," I said.

"That chip, I'll admit, was at the high end for even my preferences. It's just nowhere near our limits it seems. I could probably order a bowl of fresh nachos with similar seasoning and avoid the marketing surcharge."

Tony stared at me, still struggling with his insides. He was clearly debating whether to yield or to keep the challenge going. I just watched him, trying to look as nonchalant as I could; my gullet was churning through the spices, a little unhappy with the chemical load, but not protesting as much as Tony's stomach was.

While we were staring off, a griffon waiter showed up, setting down two big glasses of milk. "On the house, guys. You look like you could use them," she said, ears twitching in amusement.

I nodded my thanks, and slid one glass closer to Tony. Tony defiantly glared at us, doing his best to resist.

"Fuck!" he finally exclaimed and started gulping the milk down. The glass was drained in seconds and I offered the second one to him. The redness was immediately fading from his face.

"No, I'm good," he gasped out, wiping his face again, his breathing slowing back down to normal levels.

I sipped the milk and felt it soothing the burning of my tongue and beak. I didn't drain the glass and left it half filled in case Tony needed more.

"Thanks Clark, we're good now," I said to the waiter.

"No problem. Just wave me down if you need anything else."

The challenge done, we continued our catching up session. The topics we covered weren't exactly work friendly, but they were enlightening. We kept an eye on the bar, seeing a few more griffons on the hunt, some successful, some striking out.

"So, is she?... he? ... it? Uhm.... can you tell what they are after?" Tony asked. "What the hell do you call yourselves?"

I shrugged my wings, thankful the music was loud enough to make it hard for others to overhear. "I'm not sure. I've heard all the pronouns lately. And honorifics. He, She, It, They, Zim, Zir, Hir, Zie. At least Mx seems to be what people are picking for the honorifics. Everything else, your guess is as good as mine."

I peeked over at the bar to see who Tony was referring to. An eagle griffon was talking to a crow. "I can't tell," I said after a few moments. "I'm not active enough on the dating scene to be able to tell. I suspect they may be in a male mood."

Tony shook his head and refocused on his drink. "Damn, that's all too complicated for me. Not sure how they do it."

"Too complicated for me; but I've never really been in the dating scene to begin with," I agreed. "As for how they do it, they're still figuring it out too. And probably still tripping over what they used to be too. Once the natural griffons are old enough, I'm sure the dating scene will be completely different."

"Natural griffons?" Greg asked.

"The babies. None are born yet, but there are a lot of pregnant griffs out there as you may have noticed. We're going to have a baby boom when they start popping."

"So how about you? You thought of having a little griffon of your own yet?" Tony asked innocently.

"Hell no!" I exclaimed louder than I intended. A few of our neighbouring tables looked our way. I continued a bit quieter, wings drooping from embarrassment. "That sort of thinking might be one of the reasons I'm so screwed up in the first place. But I don't want any kids, either as a father or a mother."

"Sorry, didn't mean to touch a nerve," Tony noted.

"It's okay. It's a fair question. But don't worry Greg, I won't be taking any maternity leave any time soon."

We stayed until the band finished performing and the bar started playing prerecorded music. Greg called for an uber shortly before the last call, and we went outside to wait. The night air was cold and felt great after being inside all evening. I spread my wings and shook a bit, feeling better already.

Tony and Greg shivered, buttoning up their coats. Tony stared at me and shook his head. "Yeah, you guys will be popular up at For Mac I think. You make me cold just looking at you."

"Well, wait until we get through summer. We don't know what the heat will do, or the molt will be like," I said.

"In any case, I hope you can make your way up there soon. Good luck with your bike."

"Thanks. It should work out. Lots of other griffs have already gone that route. It is a bit scary to imagine being on the highways again with nothing around me."

"At least you'd be able to fly off if you had to," Greg pointed out.

"Not likely, not at highway speeds at least, even with griffon reflexes. We still obey some of the laws of physics."

Tony offered his hand to me. "We'll have to do this again next time I'm down. And it won't be as long as last time."

I took the hand, and impulsively pulled him into a hug. I felt him stiffen for a moment, then relax as I patted his back. He tentatively patted my sides, not able to get around my wings.

"I'm looking forward to it," I said, letting him go. He stared at me, a little stunned.

"Yeah, looking forward to it. Damn, your fur is soft... softer than I expected." He shook his head. "You okay to fly home?"

"Sure, I've done it before, in a lot colder temps than this. It's a good way to work off the beer too. Have a safe trip back to Fort Mac."

The uber arrived and Greg excused himself to flag the driver down.

"Thanks Simon. I'm sorry this happened to you, but I'm glad we still have you around. "

"Happy to be around."

I waited while they got into the uber. The driver looked at me, half expecting me to squeeze into the van. I suspected he was used to bringing tipsy griffons home. I shook my head and waved him off, while Greg and Tony waited. A few minutes later, they were on the road and I was in the air.

===Saturday, March 9===

Almost six months after the change, and things were becoming routine again. The egg came on time, and this time I cleaned it out and kept the shell intact. A griffon had asked us to save our emptied eggs for an Easter event she was running at her school. I wasn't sure if I was going to donate my egg, so I kept it whole so I could decide later.

Work was surprisingly normal despite my new look. I split my time between GriffTech and the Mitchell account, and somehow found time to keep an eye on our southern customers. Most of them could be handled remotely, and when we did need to send someone down, we did manage to find a tech we could send. Still, I was feeling pressure to go down in person and smooth out a few rough areas, and to finalize some deals our sales department was making in the Griffon lands.

So with that need gnawing at the back of my mind, I found myself circling over MacLean's Motor Sports on Saturday. They were located west of the city, on the outside of the Hendey, on the Yellowhead Highway heading towards Spruce Grove. It was a large paved lot, with a big building containing a warehouse-garage and a large showroom. Most of the lot was fenced off. It was obvious they were changing seasons, with only a few snowmobiles left in the lot, and a lot of four wheelers and towing trailers set up in the fenced in yard.

I landed in the parking lot near the entrance and brought up a few websites on my phone. In the showroom I could see dirtbikes, jetskis, four wheelers and other motorized toys on display. A salesperson did a double take, seeing me outside.

I fluttered my wings a bit and walked through the door. The showroom was large and crowded. Towards the back, I spotted what I was after, a dozen varieties of motorcycles and a motortrike. Before I could head that way, a salesperson came up to me.

"Good day, I'm Clark. Can I help you?" he asked, hesitating slightly.

"Yeah, I'm looking for wheels. Cars don't work for me any more, but you have some other options that might work."

"Sure, what sort of wheels are you looking for?"

"Something I can ride obviously. And something that is suitable for the highway. I want something I can use to go between cities."

He nodded and started towards the back of the showroom. "Right, so you must be looking for a motorbike? Do you have a license?"

"Not yet, I'll be getting one this spring. I'm not looking to pull the trigger yet, but I wanted to get a feel for it. I've been reading about what other Griffons have suggested and want to try some for myself."

"Of course, I'll help in any way I can. Do you have more ideas about what you are looking for?"

"Something stable. With some storage. I mainly want to use it to go from city to city, so I need luggage and gear. It would be useful for grocery runs in city too; to save delivery costs." I studied the bikes that were lined up along the back wall. "I'll admit, I do have one bike in mind, but I want to try a few before showing my hand."

"Sure. As you can probably tell, these ones are not really suitable. They are more for racing or off-roading. From this one on, are the cruisers and touring bikes and others suitable for long hauls."

I started checking out the bikes. A few I eliminated right away. "These are no good. I need one without much of a back, so my tail has room," I said, moving down the line. I stopped at a big bike and looked closer. "May I sit on this one?"

"Of course. Give it a try, see how it fits."

"Just to warn you, I've never ridden a bike before in my life. Well, pedal bikes but not a motor bike. I drove cars for years before."

Clark grinned, "And I've never fitted a bike to a griffon before, so we're both learning. Just straddle the bike and try to reach the controls and feel the balance. Don't worry, they're spaced far enough apart you shouldn't knock too many over if you tip over."

With that thought planted I approached the bike. There was about a meter space on either side; if I tipped, I would certainly hit the next bike but they wouldn't fall further. "Maybe you should show me how."

"Of course. Everyone tends to have their own style. This is my preferred style," Clark said. He went to the high side of the bike and stepped on the running board. He grabbed the handles and stood up on it. He swung his leg over the seat and sat down. He looked back at me, and then stood up and dismounted in a similar way. "See? Not too difficult right?"

"RIght," I said. He moved out of the way, letting me get into position. I could feel multiple pairs of eyes on me; there were a few more sales people in the store, and a couple of customers, and everyone was watching me. I reached for the handles, trying to be careful of the levers.

"Don't worry, the bike is off, so the levers won't do anything. Grab them if you feel it makes you more secure."

I adjusted my grip and put my paw onto the board. I swung up and over the saddle and got my paw on the other board. I lifted my tail a bit and sat down, trying to get into a good position.The bike tilted from side to side as my weight made it shift. It somehow stayed upright and stabilized once I stretched a paw down to the ground. It was a stretch and put a lot of strain on my claws and toe tips.

"How's it feel?" Clark asked, coming up to stand beside me. "Reach for the controls, see how it feels."

I studied the dashboard, recognizing the layout as one similar to a car's layout. A few things were in different places, but nothing was difficult to reach. Clark started pointing out the controls, especially some of the ones I would need to use with my paws. Those ones felt especially awkward, but I wasn't too worried. The griffon sites had suggestions for simple modifications that could be made to make them compatible with our physiology. He also helped me get into a better riding position, leaning forward in the saddle. I looked back over my shoulder and made sure my tail feathers were over the back of the seat and above the wheel, even if I pushed down.

Satisfied by what I felt, I swung off the bike and stood up. I looked the other bikes over and realized something I hadn't noticed in my online checks.

"Are these removable?" I asked, tapping the backrest on one of the bikes. I'd been dismissing some of the bikes because the back rest would be impossible to use with my tail.

Clark pulled one of them off, like lifting the headrest of a car seat in a car. "Some of them are. Others are fully built in."

"Good to know. Changes my expectations a bit." I got off the latest bike I was trying and started towards the end of the line. "I think I've seen enough. You see, I've been looking online and debating my options, and I've settled on a trike actually."

At the end of the line was a single motorized tricycle with two wheels on the front and a single wheel at the back. The front was reminiscent of a small car, while the back was pure motorcycle. I swung up onto it and started studying the controls and the riding position. Since it had three wheels, I was able to get a better sense of the balance.

"An excellent choice. Do you know much about these?" Clark asked.

I woke my phone up and brought up the website. "A little. Enough to know you are the main dealer in the city. I'm looking to order an electric version of it as well."

"Those are a bit more difficult to get in. It might take a month or two for us to get it," Clark said while looking at the stats of my choice.

"That's fine; my training doesn't start until April and I won't have my license until almost May. I'm going to be training on bikes too, so I'll be able to ride two wheelers as well."

"Excellent. I'm surprised you can get training here, given your condition."

"Yeah, I was lucky. There's already a few biker griffons in our flock here, and one has signed up to be a teacher with a local company. Once the snow's gone, we'll get going."

Clark motioned towards an office nearby. "In that case, let's get you started on your journey. Assuming you're ready to order your bike now?"

"Honestly I hadn't planned on it, but there's no time like the present. Especially if it'll take a few months to actually get it. Let's go."

In the office, Clark was able to match my wishlist bike to what he could order. I had decided early on I wanted an electronic version, which limited my choices somewhat. Soon enough, he had placed the order and we were chipping away at the mountain of paperwork needed to finance it and cover the down payment.

An hour later, we were done. Clark escorted me back out onto the sales floor. I was tucking a pile of paperwork into my travelbag, my savings account significantly lighter.

"We'll call you when it comes in. It should take about a month or so, maybe a bit longer. If you change your mind within a week, we can cancel it easily and refund your down payment. After that, if you cancel there will be some extra charges."

"Perfect. From what I'm reading, there are some simple customizations I'll want to have done. They make the pedals easier to use with paws and protect the tail a bit more. Once I find a spot to do that in town, I'll let you know and we can coordinate things. Hopefully I'll have the right license by then too."

We shook hands and I looked around the showroom one last time. Finally I waved a wing to the other sales people and left.

===Tuesday, March12===

Rob and I were standing at a whiteboard in his workspace, hashing out some ideas for a project, when I heard my name. My ears twitched towards the noise and I paused, whiteboard marker in hand. Rob looked puzzled as I turned and saw an office runner over near my office, asking where I was. A couple of people pointed him towards us.

"What is it?" Rob asked, turning to look where I was looking.

The runner was coming towards us, carrying a large box. I knew what it was, though I hadn't expected it to get in today. It was the next small step for me regaining my mobility.

"Skyfire?" the runner asked needlessly. "This was dropped off for you downstairs."

"Thanks Tim," I said, taking the box. It was a standard Amazon shipping box. I was tempted to put it to the side, but Rob was obviously curious about it.

"Do you mind if I open it now?" I asked Rob, setting the box on his bench. Thankfully our planning was at a percolation stage so it wasn't a major interruption.

"Not at all. What is it?"

I pierced the tape with a talon and tugged the box flaps open. Something shiny and reddish orange was nestled in the packing peanuts. Rob pulled out his garbage can while I scooped out the packing peanuts enough to pull it free.

At first glance, it was a custom painted motorcycle helmet, with a visor, built in camera and bluetooth speakers. The helmet had orange and red flames painted on it, to match my new name. I lifted my wing and compared it to the helmet colours and was pleased.

"Nice," Rob said, admiring it. A few heads popped over the cubicle walls, curious about what was going on. "Does it fit?"

"It better. These guys are supposed to be specializing in Titan and Griffon safety gear," I said. I checked the inside and cleared out a few stray peanuts. It looked small, but they assured me it would fit most griffons.

I flipped it over and took a deep breath before slipping it onto my head. I felt it press down on my feathers and squeeze my ears a bit. There were a few notches in the padding so the ears weren't pressed in too much. The front extended a bit further than usual so there was plenty of room for my beak. Straps brushed my neck, ready to hold it in position; I just left them loose for now. The world was muffled and the visor darkened things a little, but all in all it felt okay.

"How is it?" Rob asked, his voice sounding fainter. It was a bit disorienting as I couldn't twitch my ears around as much to focus on noises.

"Seems good," I confirmed, turning my head and looking around. I did my visual zoom to look out the windows and had no problems with it.

"I take it, you need this for your bike plans?"

"I don't ''need'' need this, but I prefer it," I confirmed. "Saskatchewan has already officially given Griffons a helmet exemption, and Alberta's working on the exemption now. Still, I wanted to have ''something'' if I was going to be out on the highways."

I took it off again and took a closer look. I noted the power and data ports, hidden in unobtrusive locations. The lens of the camera was barely noticeable.

"Is it legal?" Rob asked.

"They aren't certified yet, but they're working on it. They've passed the basic tests and assure us it's mainly paperwork and red tape holding things up," I said.

"Well, it looks great. So what's next?"

"Next is training. Learning to ride a motorcycle. I've booked some lessons in April with a local place. They say they can handle griffons too, so I'm looking forward to it."

Anticipating his next question, I tapped on my phone and brought up an image of a motortrike, a three wheeled electric beast I'd picked out. I showed it to him.

"This is what I've got ordered. Should be in next month. Since I'm planning to mainly use it for highway driving, I wanted something a bit beefier than just a bike. But I'm going for a full cycle license so I have more options."

"Sweet ride. Give me a call when it comes in, I'll want to check it out."

I started flipping through more pictures and brought up the specs. "Of course. You can come over any time. I won't be getting it right away anyways; there's a local customizer shop that has to make some griffon-adjustments to it first."

We chatted about my plans a bit more, before getting back to work.

At the end of the day, I decided there was no point in putting things off. I put the helmet on and adjusted the straps. We didn't really have much of a chin to hold it in place, so there was a more complicated neck strap setup to make sure it would stay put. I synced it up with my phone and made sure that connection worked, and headed out with the visor up. It made me feel a bit self conscious to wear it. Most people just admired and complemented it.

Before taking off, I fired up the camera, and started recording. I took off and climbed up above most of the downtown towers. The weight of the helmet and the muffling of my ears threw me off a little, until I got used to it.

I took my time flying home, doing a bit of an aerial tour of downtown and the southern part of the city. I tried to keep my movements steady so the video wouldn't be too jerky. Supposedly the camera had some steadicam magic built in to keep the image clear; I had no idea how it would work.

At home, I downloaded the video and checked it out. Even with the steadicam magic, the camera jerked around a bit more than I expected or remembered, but the views were incredible. It was obvious why Griff-cam videos had been popular since we took to the air. I saved the video locally, not intending to post it, and settled down for the evening.

===Tuesday, March 19===

The Titans anniversary was fast approaching, and no one knew what to expect. Theories were a dime a dozen, and we wouldn't know until the days passed.

Most people hoped for a quiet day, where nothing happened. That would mean it was a one and done event, and the travel restrictions into the territory could finally be lifted.

Some hoped it would revert, all the Titans would change back to humans. What it would mean for the pregnant Titans was left unsaid. Few actually believed it would happen.

A good portion hoped the event would fire again, turning a fresh wave of humans around the region into Titans.

And almost everyone expected it would happen again, just somewhere else.

Of course the added wrinkle to the equation was that no one knew when it would happen. The official anniversary was March 20th. But many pointed out that it actually happened on the Spring Solstice, and due to the leap year, the Solstice was landing on the 19th this year.

So as a precaution, authorities were closing down the area for the entire week. While humans weren't completely barred from going in, checkpoints were set up on all the roads to make sure they were aware of the risks, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday; the two days they figured were most likely to have ''something ''happen.

The stats on who was planning to stay through it were interesting. The biggest proportion by far were the locals; families that had been separated by the Change last year and were looking to get back together; wives who had been pregnant, spouses and other family members who had been out of the area the first time, along with teens who had aged into the range.

The next biggest group were the hopefuls; older folk who wanted the fountain of youth, or sickly folk looking for the cure. Volunteers for scientific study were also in this group; those willing to be monitored while the Change happened to try and figure out how it worked.

The last two groups were about the same size. One group was the denialists; the ones who refused to believe that it would happen again and were willing to put their money where their mouths were. The others were the hopefuls, those who wanted to become Titans and didn't have another reason to want it.

The hopefuls were the ones I had the hardest time wrapping my head around. I could somewhat understand why they might want to go through that. But giving up their humanity so easily for no real pressing reason, was something I just couldn't grok.

Monday passed by uneventfully on the Changed front. It was the first full day of the Titan lockdown, even though no one really expected anything to happen that day.

Tuesday was the first anticipated day. It was the day of the actual equinox, and the one everyone bet would be the trigger. All across the office, I could tell it was going to be a rough day to get any work done. Every hour, there was a quick glance at the news, to see if another Change Event had happened.

By 9:30, work was grinding to a halt. I didn't say a word, but just about every screen in the office had a tab open to a streamer down in Colorado. Most at least kept the tabs to the side so they at least pretended to still be working.

Rob swung by my office at ten to ten. He didn't even pretend to have official business.

"Hey Simon, how you doing?" he asked, nudging the door closed behind him.

"Doing fine," I responded cautiously, wondering what he needed.

"Big day today. You think anything is going to happen?" he asked, clearing up any confusion about why he was there.

I relaxed, and stretched my wings out a bit. "Hard to say. I hope nothing happens. But part of me hopes something will. The unknowing is the worst part I guess."

"True. If it repeats, then we have a better chance to learn what the hell is going on, right?"

"Exactly. There's gotta be some mechanism behind all this. It can't be magic."

He came around behind my desk and glanced at my screen. "So who are you watching?"

I resisted the urge to hide the windows, feeling a bit guilty, even though I knew every screen in the office likely had at least one stream running, and I was senior enough to do this if I wanted to. I expanded the two streams I was following to fill both of my screens. I'd picked the two basically at random from the dozens of streams I could find.

On the left showed a large open living room, obviously designed for the centaurs. The ceilings were taller, the windows placed higher than normal, and instead of a couch there was a rectangular pad suitable for kneeling on. The camera was following a man who was pacing nervously in front of the extra large patio doors, wearing just a pair of shorts. He looked to be in his forties or early fifties, in good shape. He was obviously someone who did a lot of physical work outside; he still had a tan despite it being the end of winter.

The other screen showed a woman in an apartment that obviously predated the Titans. Some of the walls had been knocked down to make more room for the larger occupants, but otherwise everything seemed human scale. The woman paced in front of a static camera, wearing a bathrobe she had tightly closed around herself. She was in her thirties, and seemed to be in good health.

"Clyde is a general contractor, from Titans Step," I explained. "He was in Pueblo last year, caught in the blizzard, and missed the Change then. His wife and the rest of his family didn't. He's been helping rebuild the town ever since, and hopes to join his wife if it happens again. She's running the camera."

I pointed to the other screen, "Sarah is a hopeful," I said, trying to keep my voice neutral. I had no idea why people would want to be transformed like the Titans and Griffons had gone through, but there were quite a few apparently. I half suspected Sarah was a furry, but I didn't look deeper into her background to verify.. "She moved to Titans Step last fall after the Griffons, picking up one of the unmodified apartments as you can see. I think she's alone."

As we watched, it was obvious both were talking but I had the sound turned off. Clyde seemed to be talking to his wife, obviously nervous about what might happen. Occasionally a third person, a Titan would appear, another relative there for support. Sarah was alone in her apartment, walking back and forth on the couch-pad. She was reading from a screen setup beside the camera and interacting with the people chatting.

"Clyde's certainly in the right business," I said to pass the time a bit. "I think I read somewhere that 80% of the Titans still don't have appropriate housing. They're still squished into human scale accommodations. Sure they've made some modifications, like you can see in Sarah's apartment. But most have ceilings that are too low, or corners and doorways that are too tight or narrow. They're ten foot giants in an eight foot ceiling world."

"Ouch, my head hurts just imagining that," Rob said. "Looks like Clyde's in a new place. Seems much roomier than even this office."

"Probably built it himself, since he has the connections, and a Titan wife," I noted. "I think it's almost time."

My computer showed 9:59. Both the Titan and the Griffon events had happened exactly at 10, so everyone figured if it was going to happen again, it would be then. If nothing happened, we'd close the streams and try to salvage the rest of the day.

On the screens, both humans looked nervous. They'd stopped pacing and were holding out their hands. The Titan change had started with the fingers, so that was what everyone was anticipating. Clyde's camera wiggled a bit and a new Titan came into view, towering over him. She briefly hugged him and said some words before returning behind the camera.

Sarah was the first to notice something. She was facing the camera with her hands up, palms towards the camera. She froze in that position long enough for me to wonder if the stream had hiccuped. And then I noticed the tips of her fingers. They were turning pink; not flesh tones but a light pink reminiscent of the Strawberry Shortcake dolls. On the side of her screen, her chat exploded, but she was speechless.

In the other window, Clyde was noticing a similar change. His fingertips were turning blue, a deep royal blue. The camera jiggled a bit as his wife set it down again and trotted back out to hug him. She seemed happy while Clyde was shocked. It was a feeling I remembered well.

"Fuck," I said after a long moment of silence. While my office door was closed, I could sense the office mood had shifted, going almost unnaturally quiet. We'd been expecting something like this to happen, but to see it actually starting again was different somehow.

"Fuck indeed," Rob said. He shook his head, looking away from my screens. Both of their hands were now strangely coloured and it was starting up their forearms. "So what does this mean?"

I shrugged my wings and sighed. "No clue. Nothing likely. We aren't in a change zone. It does mean the Griffon lands will be closed down for a few days in September I guess. At least we know now. We don't know how or what is causing this, but we know when it happens now. That's a plus right?"

Rob nodded and glanced back at the screen. "Gonna be a long day for them, isn't it?"

"It is. I didn't finish until around six. Titans took about the same time. I'm not sure if knowing what's coming makes it easier or not. Guess we'll know now."

I shrunk the windows down, even as the computer dinged, heralding the arrival of some new emails. Michelle and some of the other local leaders were probably wanting to talk about this. I ignored them for now; we had six months before we'd be affected again after all.

Instead, I stood up and motioned to the door. "No point in wasting the entire day. Let's go try and get the troops refocused."

It didn't take long to get most people back on task. While the change was fascinating for many people, actually watching it was less interesting; everything just happened so slowly that interest tended to drop off. I ignored the hushed conversations pointing out when various milestones were reached; pouches growing, faces changing, feet changing to hooves, fore-hooves growing out, sexes developing and so forth. I'd been through something similar to it myself and I wasn't all that interested in seeing it again.

Shortly after lunch, I did tune in for an update. The main Titan research camp was set up in a town called Byron's Gulch, located south of Titan's Step, just outside the Change region. It was covered in old snow that was melting fast with the sunny day they were experiencing; quite the difference from the blizzard that brought in the Titans last year.

The spokesperson kept things simple. He confirmed that the Change had happened again, encompassing the same region as before. With volunteers they had established the edge of the change and its centre point; a spot just outside the downtown of Titan's Step. The region was exactly 100 kilometers in radius, and had no apparent ceiling they could determine; Westjet 649 had partially confirmed that last fall.

Now that they knew where it was centred on, and that it repeated, they felt confident they could learn more about the change. They were already planning a number of experiments for next fall and next year to learn all they could about it. I wished them well, but doubted much would come from it. As far as I could tell, this was beyond our understanding.

By the end of the day, things were almost back to normal. The Change was almost done, and most of the streamers had ended to take care of their new bodies. I just had one final task to do, a gathering of griffons.

We were slowly changing our initial griffon groups over to a social club and a support group with branches in the towns and cities with significant griffon populations. I mostly left the details with Michelle and the other organizers as I tried to fade back into the background. Still, Michelle trusted my advice, so when the leaders wanted to talk about the latest events, she automatically invited me to the meeting.

I stayed later in my office and joined the zoom call around 5:30. There were a couple dozen connections in the meeting; maybe about thirty people in total when you counted people who were sharing connections. Calgary and Medicine Hat were represented the most in the group, followed closely by the Edmonton and Lethbridge groups. Red Deer had a couple showing up, and most of the rest were made up of people from the griffon towns like Elk Creek and Etzikom. The meeting organizer kept everyone muted to start, while the text chat was flying, talking about what had happened and what it might mean for us.

Finally Susan, the leader of the Calgary flock and of our meeting, asked for people to settle down.

"Good evening everyone, and thank you for coming on such short notice. I don't intend to keep you long," she greeted everyone once things had settled down somewhat. "As I'm sure we've all heard, the Change is recurring. I'm not sure if it is good news or bad news, but it is news."

She paused for a moment to check her notes. Many people were using their cameras, so I could see feathered heads nodding in agreement.

"This puts us on a six month clock. We figure the Griffon Change event will trigger again on the fall equinox, on Sunday, September 22, and we have a lot to do. This will be the first Event that people will know when and where it will occur. So we can anticipate there will be a lot of interest in it. We're going to need to figure out how we, as a griffon society, are going to handle it. There is also going to be a lot of curiosity about us, more than we've already experienced as people consider their options. And I'm sure the governments will be contacting us for suggestions and help in handling it.

At the moment, everything is up in the air. But I can confirm my own mailbox has already blown up, as I'm sure many of yours have. I don't want to decide anything today, I just want to make sure we're aware of what's coming. In the weeks and months to come we'll get better organized and ready.

"So that said, I'll open the floor for comments. If anyone has anything they wish to say, feel free to bring it up. Plant the seeds now and we'll see what grows."

I let everyone else talk and refocused on my own work. As far as I was concerned, what was coming didn't affect me in any way, other than maybe making scheduling a bit trickier. I would help Michelle and the rest of the flock however they wanted to use me, and I would let them decide on the "official" griffon response, whatever that would be.

It turned out I was in a bit of a minority for letting things be. A lot of griffons had opinions and ideas they wanted to put out now. Everyone had a lot of questions but no real answers. Some were wondering how many new griffons we'd get in September. Others were suggesting the government should lock down access to limit the number of griffons. I could only shake my head and let them talk.

Susan finally decided we'd been in the weeds long enough. She caught our attention and had to mute a few persistent talkers before she could get a word in again.

"Right, clearly we have a lot to figure out. Six months isn't a lot of time, but it is time. We have a lot of questions and no one here can really answer them. We'll give it a few days and get a sense for how the winds are blowing, and reconvene next week. Thank you for your time everyone."

The meeting emptied out quickly. I disconnected, and immediately a new call came in from Michelle. I answered it, biting down a moment of irritation.

"Hey Sky. Thanks for joining the meeting. I know you don't tend to like that sort of meeting," she said.

"I don't, but I don't mind either," I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"Right, I won't keep you too long; I'm sure you want to get home. I just wanted to get your initial thoughts on this."

"My thoughts? I don't think I've fully formed them yet, to be honest," I said.

"Yeah, I guess we suspected this might be possible, but to confirm it," she shook her head and shrugged. "Still, anything at all?"

I shrugged as well. "Not much, other than it probably isn't really a problem for us. They confirmed that Titans and Griffons didn't change further, so we're locked in. It's a problem more for humans. So we should be ready to advise them as best we can, and to welcome whoever changes in September, and beyond that, I don't know."

She nodded, "Right, and we're in Edmonton, so we're a bit far away. We are close to the Legislature though, so we'll probably get a bit of pressure in that direction. Okay, thanks for your thoughts, Sky. I appreciate them, and I'm sure we'll talk it over more. Have a good evening."

"You too. Bye Michelle."

The screen blanked out and I quickly closed the lid of my laptop before anyone else could call. I let out a long sigh and packed up slowly. I knew things had changed for all of us yet again today. How they had changed remained to be seen. Still, it was mainly somebody else's problem.

I grabbed the last bit of gear and killed the lights in my office. Despite the extra meetings, there was still a bit of natural sunlight coming in through the windows. I locked my office door and glanced around, hearing a few people still working. I headed out and caught the elevator down, getting ready for my flight home and a hopefully relaxing evening.

{{separatorseparator|f|End Book 4}}

{{series bar

|series= Paradigm Shift: Griffons

|previous=[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book2|A Fire in the Sky: Book 3]]

|next=[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book3|A Fire in the Sky: Book 5]]}}

[[Category:Jetfire]] [[Category:Story]] [[Category:Paradigm Shift]] [[Category:Herm]] [[Category:Griffon]] [[Category:Adult]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: A Fire in the Sky: Book 4}}

User:Jetfire

2024-12-31T22:29:17Z

Jetfire: /* Paradigm Shift */

This is Jetfire, a common face on various IRC networks. (I even show up on the TF-Net IRC networks occasionally).

I posted years ago on the TSA, but have been silent for a long time.

Well, recently my muse struck me hard again, and (what I hope will be a short series), the Taylor Series was spawned.

Since then I've dusted off a few older stories, and poked into a couple new settings that caught my eye.

==Stories==
=== Paradigm Shift ===
* [[User:Jetfire/Paradigm_Shift_Overview|Paradigm Shift Overview]] A new setting that's I've been working on.
* Titan stories. The first wave of changes.
** [[User:Jetfire/Titans_Step|Titan's Step]]: The first wave of changes in the Paradigm Shift setting.
* Griffon stories. The second wave of changes.
** Skyfire's stories
*** [[User:Jetfire/Big_Sky_Country|Big Sky Country]]: Skyfire's stories Book 1.
*** [[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book2|A Fire in the Sky: Book 2]]
*** [[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book3|A Fire in the Sky: Book 3]]
** School Daze: A series of stories covering a different group experiencing the griffon changes.
*** [[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_1|School Daze: Day 1]]
*** [[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_2|School Daze: Day 2]]
*** [[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_3|School Daze: Day 3]]
** Miscellaneous Griffon stories
*** [[User:Jetfire/Stormy_Skies|Stormy Skies]]: A small adventure with a new griffon.

=== FreeRIDErs ===
* [[User:Jetfire/Aloha|Aloha]] No transformations, but the introduction of an area and a family I'm developing for the FreeRIDErs setting.
* [[User:Jetfire/Splashdown|Splashdown]]: About 20 years after Aloha, The family has grown, and adapted.
* [[User:Jetfire/Astra-naught|Astra-naught]]: A couple of years later.
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Lady_of_the_Tiger|The Lady of the Tiger]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Cave_of_Wonders|Cave of Wonders]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Sum_of_Their_Parts|Sum of Their Parts]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Walkabout|Walkabout]]
* [[User:Jetfire/All_Spark_Bulletin|All Spark Bulletin]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Spies_Among_Us|Spies Among Us]]

Related story, leading into Cat Scratch Fever (like All Spark Bulletin does)
* [[User:Jetfire/Spice_Girls|Spice Girls]]

* [[User:Jetfire/Cat_Scratch_Fever|Cat Scratch Fever]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Rescue_911|Rescue 911]]

Stand alone story, set after Rescue 911
* [[User:Jetfire/United_Way|United Way]]

Stand alone story, set in the Nextus-Sturmhaven war.
* [[User:Jetfire/Broken_Crown|Broken Crown]]

Stand alone story, set in the Zharus system.
* [[User:Jetfire/Spacer_Oddity|A Spacer Oddity]]
* [[User:Jetfire/In_Space|In Space...]] Co-written with [[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]]

* [[User:Jetfire/Slow_Boat|Slow Boat to Zharus]] Co-written with [[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]]

Spacer Stories.
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Touch|The Touch]]
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Power|The Power]]
* [[User:Jetfire/All_Hell_Breakin_Loose|All Hell's Breakin' Loose]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Riding_The_Eye_of_the_Storm|Riding the Eye of the Storm]]

Related Spacer Story
* [[User:Jetfire/DragonRIDEr_of_Pharos|DragonRIDEr of Pharos]]

Totalian Diplomacy (concurrent with the Spacer stories)
* [[User:Jetfire/iron_hand_in_a_velvet_glove|Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove]]

=== [[:Category:Colonies|Colonies]] ===

Colonies is a setting I'm starting and sorting out what I want to do with.
Generally speaking the idea is that people appear on a new world, rejuvenated to their mid-20's, in good health and basic skills intact, but fuzzy memories of cultural stuff.
Over a week, they change into the dominant species of the world with the intent they will colonize it as that species.

More details will come out when (if?) I get the mood to write more in this general setting.

* [[User:Jetfire/Centaurville|Centaurville]]

=== Metamor Keep ===
*[[Storm Watch]] Introduction of Saroth and Electra, the Weather Wardens.
*[[Sunny Skies]] Quickie story of a small event around the Keep
*[[Sea Breeze]] Saroth and Electra travel to Magdalain Island.
*[[Cloud Seeding]] Saroth reflects on the events that lead him to the Keep originally.

===Taylor Series ===
*[[Taylor Series Tom and Cat]]
*[[Taylor Series 2 Erin and Aaron]]
*[[Taylor Series 3 Minos]]

===[[:Category:The Veil|Paradise: The Veil Series]] ===
'''Before August, 2005'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Holes in the Veil|Holes in the Veil]]: First part, though it is complete in itself, of a story set in the [[:Category:Paradise|Paradise]] setting.

'''August, 2005-August 2006'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Lifting The Veil|Lifting The Veil]]: Joey's experiences continue.
*[[User:Jetfire/Poking the Veil|Poking the Veil]]: Joey tries to find more Changed in his region.
*[[User:Jetfire/Film at 2011|Film at 2011]]

'''August, 2006-August 2007'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Twisting the Veil|Twisting the Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Generations|Generations]]
*[[User:Jetfire/A Rolling Stone Gathers No Veil| A Rolling Stone Gathers No Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Auld Lang Syne|Auld Lang Syne]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Gaming Furs|Gaming Furs]]

'''August, 2007-August 2008'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Radio No Veil|Radio No Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Six Furries and a Wedding|Six Furries and a Wedding]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Clearing the Air|Clearing the Air]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Rising Waters|Rising Waters]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Election Fever|Election Fever]]

===[[:Category:Paradise|Paradise]]===
*[[User:Jetfire/GM'O'Fur|GM'O'Fur]]: A friend of Joe's changes. A side story from the main Veil storyline, but stand alone by itself.
*[[User:Jetfire/It Bears Investigation|It Bears Investigation]]: A quicky story with the characters from GM'O'Fur. Set in summer of '07.
*[[User:Jetfire/Silver Fox Tracks|Silver Fox Tracks (A Veil side story)]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Judge Judy: Deagle vs Anderson|Judge Judy: Deagle vs Anderson]]: A quickie idea that hit me one night about situations that would start happening as more and more people changed.
*[[User:Jetfire/Doing Hard Time|Doing Hard Time]]: Originally intended to be a Veil story, I twisted it around a lot and like the results. It's tangentially related to the Veil now.
*[[User:Jetfire/Gulf Ice|Gulf Ice]]: I started this intending it to go one way, and the characters decided to go in a different direction. Seems to happen a lot with me. :)
*[[User:Jetfire/Live At Five|Live At Five]]: A slice of life story of sorts, with a big (for my region) announcement, indirectly caused by the acts of ROB.
*[[User:Jetfire/The Bear Facts|The Bear Facts]]: A story inspired (and urged along by) Eirik, mixing some of my characters and his together.
*[[User:Jetfire/NorBAC|NorBAC]]: In this increasingly globalized world, sometimes you need a new organization to cut through the red tape of national labs. NorBAC is one such organization, intended to be a coordinator between North American bio-labs, to track down and isolate health threats. (Yes, it was blatantly taken from the Canadian show "[http://www.norbac.ca/ ReGeensis]")
*[[User:Jetfire/Special Care| Special Care]]: Some furs have special needs.

===[[:Category:IDIC|Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations]] ===

IDIC was a setting created on the list years ago, but never really took off beyond it's original author. Still, I'm a sucker for crossovers, and this setting seems ideal for it. It's a setting where you can 'borrow' existing settings (and unique settings and anything you feel comfortable adding) and doing things in them that wouldn't be canon in the original setting but are fine here.

I've had a few ideas kicking around for what I might be able to do with this sort of freedom, some inspired by what I am currently reading, others inspired by just thinking of the differences between Real Events and things I wrote. I do have a bit of an overall theme/general plot for this, but I don't know if I'll ever go anywhere with it, or ever even finish these/polish these.

In any case, enjoy these ramblings.

*[[User:Jetfire/Overlapping Fields|Overlapping Fields]]: What happens when similar universes collide and interlace with each other?
*[[User:Jetfire/Kernel Hacking|Kernel Hacking]]: Decades ago, a catastrophe struck a world, effectively knocking it back to the stone age for reasons unknown. The ripples from this catastrophe have been spreading slowly through multispace, drawing the attention of the Tangle. Can a team figure out what happened and fix it up before it is too late?

===Miscellaneous ===

Miscellaneous stories that are not in a particular setting yet.

*[[User:Jetfire/Earning the Stripes|Earning the Stripes]]: A story inspired by Posti's 2008 XMas Xchange story to Devin.

{{author page}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jetfire}}

Paradigm Shift (Setting)

2024-12-31T21:49:37Z

Jetfire:

{{Universe|Paradigm Shift}}

[[User:Jetfire/Big Sky Country|Original Story]]

=={{separator|f|Concept}}==

What happens when thousands of people are changed all at once with no warning and no explanation? How do they react? How does the rest of the world react?

This setting explores that concept.

=={{separator|f|Basics}}==

On March 20, 2023, 100,000 people in southern Colorado changed throughout the day into strange centaur creatures, eventually called 'Titans'.

No one had an explanation for how nor why this happened. It was thought/hoped to be a one-off event, until September 23, 2023, when 100,000 more people were changed into hermaphroditic griffons in an area centered around the Alberta/Montana/Saskatchewan border tripoint.

Now, the Changed are trying to figure out what they are and how to put their changed lives back together. And everyone else is worried when and where it might strike next.

The Change triggers at exactly 10AM local time on the day of an equinox. (or 10AM local time for the majority of the affected region, if it straddles time zones)

It affects a region forming a circle of about 100km (60miles) radius around a centre point.
It will usually affect about 100,000 people.

* Anyone within the region at the trigger will be affected.
* Leaving the region will not stop it.
* Entering after the trigger will not start it.

* Any post-adolescent human will be affected if they are within the area when triggered, unless they are pregnant.
* All injuries and disabilities (including lost limbs or other infirmities) are healed; as long as you are not brain dead, you will heal up.
* Age is generally reset to late 20's/early 30's equivalent for their new bodies.

=={{separator|f|Stories in Chronological Order}}==

Authors may add links to their stories as they happen in chronological order in story time.
For a complete listing of all Paradigm Shift stories, see [[:Category:Paradigm Shift|the Paradigm Shift Category]].

'''2023'''
*[[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_1|School Daze Day 1]] Leo Mayes High School Students and Teachers ''2023.09.22-2023.09.23'' ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
*[[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_2|School Daze Day 2]] Leo Mayes High School Students and Teachers ''2023.09.24'' ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
*[[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_3|School Daze Day 3]] Leo Mayes High School Students and Teachers ''2023.09.25'' ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''

*[[User:Jetfire/Big_Sky_Country|Big Sky Country]] Skyfire ''2023.09.23-2023.11.09'' ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
*[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book2|A Fire in the Sky Book2]] Skyfire ''2023.11.11-2023.12.28'' ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''

'''2024'''
*[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book3|A Fire in the Sky Book3]] Skyfire ''2024.01.01-2024.02.16'' ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''
*[[User:Jetfire/Stormy_Skies|Stormy Skies]] Danica ''2024.01'' ''([[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]])''

User:Jetfire/A Fire in the Sky Book3

2024-12-31T18:26:47Z

Jetfire:

{{universe|Paradigm Shift}}
{{my stories
|name=Jetfire
|category=Jetfire
}}

{{title
|name= A Fire in the Sky: Book 3
|author=Jetfire
|user=Jetfire}}
{{XXX}}

'''Author's note'''
This story contains scenes with adult encounters and descriptions.

This is the second story following the griffon named Skyfire

==A Fire In the Sky: Book 3 (Formerly Big Sky Country)==

===Sunday, December 31===

Normally I consider myself to be an introvert; despite helping the local flock and other groups, I generally preferred my alone time. And after a week with the family, I felt I was ready for a long hermit period to recharge. But by New Years Eve, I found myself feeling antsy, yearning for a bit of company.

My initial plans for the new year had been an evening home alone, maybe with some chinese food and whatever movies caught my fancy. But as the sun set, I found myself too restless to stay home; I was surprised at how much I wanted company, ''feathered company''.

Finally, I gave in and geared up. Flying across the city on New Year's Eve after sunset was risky with a high chance of fireworks, but I had to get to the only place I knew there'd be more griffons. I tried to follow the highways and avenues for the most part, the skies pitch black around me. Shortly after 8, I dropped down to ''Griffith's Roadhouse''.

The place was already busy, its parking lot half full. I began to have doubts of my impromptu plans, since I certainly hadn't purchased a ticket, but before those doubts could crystalize, I made my way to the entrance.

"Sky! Welcome! Welcome! Happy New Year!" Gary, the owner of the place, greeted me at the entrance as I walked in. He was at the hostess stand talking to a human hostess. A quick glance around showed the restaurant and bar areas were packed, mostly with griffons and a number of human friends.

"Happy New Year. Thanks for hosting the party," I replied, shaking his offered hand. "Sorry, I know this is very impolite. I hadn't planned on coming out in the first place, and I'm afraid I didn't reserve a ticket. I can leave if you're full...."

"We are sold out, but for you, we can probably squeeze you in. Are you alone?" Gary smiled and glanced out the door behind me for confirmation.

I laughed and nodded, pulling out my debit card. "Yeah, it's just me. No Titans this time and my family's flown back east. Thank you. I really appreciate it. I was going to spend the evening home, but just felt the urge to be among feathered friends."

Gary started to refuse my offered card but I forced it on him. "That's fine, and perfectly understandable...." We were interrupted as the crowd started counting down. On the screens around the restaurant and the bar, fireworks were going off over a coastal city. 2024 had reached St John's and would soon be spreading across North America. Glasses clinked and some couples shared kisses, while most people resumed their activities.

"Enjoy your evening, and happy new year!" Gary said, handing back my card and receipt.

I skipped the restaurant and made my way to the bar and dance floor, chatting with familiar people along the way. I snagged a beer and stood near a table, listening to a live local band cover some 90's rock songs. The band was human and didn't seem to have any problems with a mostly griffon audience. They weren't as good as Alan, but they were better than any griffon I knew.

An hour later, I'd snagged a pool table and was practicing my shots and just enjoying the ambiance when I heard a familiar voice.

"Well, you're a beak I wasn't expecting to see," Cardi greeted me, tapping my tailed rump with a pool stick and making my shot go wide. "What are you doing here?"

I straightened up and stomped down the brief moment of frustration over the interruption. "Hi there. Yeah I hadn't planned on coming out, but decided to at the last minute. Thankfully Gary let me in." I left the cue on the table and gave her a hug, rubbing her beak with my own. "Sorry we didn't chat much; it's been a busy season. Thanks again for letting me use your nest."

"Any time at all. I take it the fam's gone now?" the cardinal griffon asked. She studied the pool table and started racking the balls back up.

"They left on Thursday, yeah. Been recharging home alone for the past few days, but decided I needed some proper feather time. Never realized how much I yearned for our weekend gatherings I guess." I moved to the head of the table and placed the cue ball, lining up my shot. I broke the balls, but none went into the pockets.

"Well you look good. Sounds like it was a good visit," she said, lining up her own shot and sinking the five.

"It was. Good to see them again, and without all the insanity and pressure I was under over Thanksgiving. Almost made me feel normal again." She missed her next shot, giving me a chance to go at the stripes. I went silent for a moment, knocking down two stripes before missing my third.

"How about you? How have you been?" I asked.

"Been well. Been busy. This is the end of the busy time of year for us, and Boxing Day is always insane. But things will start calming down now as we enter the dead season."

I nodded a moment, letting her take her shots. "Yeah, Bev says the same thing, though her store isn't as crazy as yours. She's at one in a small town in Ontario."

"Lucky her. Hope she does well through the lean months. We're still bouncing back from all the Covid madness and supply chain snarls. Not to mention the Changes."

"Yeah, she should be fine. Her store's really turned around this year from what I've heard." I took my shots but missed the last stripe. "She's getting ready to flip it to a new manager and is thinking of heading further east, to a town in New Brunswick of all places."

"Really? I hear it's beautiful out there, but way too small for me." Cardi went back to the table and started working through the last few solids, but whiffed on the eight ball.

"I don't mean to pry, but I noticed you didn't decorate for Christmas," I commented as I lined up my next shot.

"Yeah, I'm not really a holiday bird, at least not the Christmas season. I enjoy the lights and don't mind the decorations; but for my own roost, I'm fine leaving it as is." She laughed and continued. "I get enough decorations at work for a lot longer than most people endure."

I chuckled and nodded in agreement, "That's fair. Eight ball, side pocket," I said, indicating the easy shot. The ball clunked into the pocket and I glanced at the time. "We should have time for another round. I'll get the drinks if you rack them up?"

"Sure, rum and coke please."

We had time for two more rounds before the midnight hour. A few minutes before, we retreated to the dance floor and joined the crowd. We were packed tight in there, wing to wing. I instinctively kept my tail feathers tight together and did my best not to step on anyone else's tails. Screens around the room showed a clock ticking down while waiters and waitresses passed around flutes of champagne.

In the last few seconds, we joined the crowd in the countdown. At zero, "Happy New Year!" echoed across the building, followed by the clinking of glasses.

I downed my drink and looked hesitantly at the cardinal griffon next to me. She lowered her own glass and met my gaze.

"Well? What are you waiting for? An invitation?" she asked, setting her glass onto a table and pulling me in for a tight hug. We rubbed beaks as a kiss and turned the hug into a hesitant dance to ''Auld Lang Syne''. I could feel the tenseness in her body, even as I enjoyed her closeness. In the back of my mind, I mentally ran the dates based on what I knew of her, and almost stepped away.

"Today was your rut wasn't it? Are you okay?" I asked, stumbling a bit from the realization.

She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder, letting me take the lead. "I'm fine. It broke hours ago."

Now that I was aware of it, I could sense it in her body language, the worn out tenseness I knew well. "I'm surprised you came out. You saw me when mine broke; I wouldn't be in any shape to come to a party after that."

"Yeah, I was tempted to skip it, but I'm not letting these cycles rule my life. Plus, it doesn't seem to hit me as hard as it hits you. Your cycles seem stronger than others."

"Lucky me," I mumbled. I realized my own heat was only a few days away. I also realized that between the alcohol and being so close to a male-mode griffon, I was feeling very Titan-like thoughts. Thankfully the song ended and I could break away from her, looking around to calm my hormones and resettle my thoughts.

"Hey! You can see the fireworks outside!" someone shouted from the front, triggering a small stampede.

We gathered in the parking lot with the crowd. The humans tended to shiver, having left their jackets in the coat check, while the griffons shook their wings out and relished the cold air and wing room compared to the hot box inside. A few kilometers away, the sky lit up with colourful explosions as fireworks went off over some park, followed soon after by the explosive booms. It wasn't the WestEd display nor the city's downtown display, but it was a nice show. I figured it was probably on the other side of the Henday highway; the ring road that went around Edmonton. It was somewhere over Saint Albert, the community just north of the city.

The fireworks colours seemed a bit different from what I remembered, until I realized the UV vision let me see a bit more than I was used to, probably unintentionally.

"Glad I'm not flying in that mess," I said. I hesitated a moment, then stretched my wing behind Cardi and hugged her.

"Yeah. Should be settled down by the time we leave," she said. She glanced at me, then slipped her own arm under my wing to return the hug. "They look a bit different from what I remember."

"The UV range we see. Fireworks are tuned to the human visual range, but we see more, so they have some more colours we aren't used to seeing," I explained, going through the reasoning I had just made.

A few minutes later the show ended and people started drifting back into the building. Some took off right away, or gathered coats to leave. Most got a new round of drinks and continued dancing.

We ordered fresh drinks (non alcoholic this time) and found a few friends to chat with. An hour or so later, we decided it was time to head out.

"Well, that's it. Good riddance to '23. Hopefully '24 won't be as crazy," Cardi said as we caught our breath outside. We shook out our wings and got ready to take off.

"I hope so, but we haven't been lucky yet. The 20's are certainly one for the history books. At least if any more craziness happens, it hopefully won't be on us."

"Good point. I think I've had more than enough as is."

We took off and climbed into the dark sky. It was late enough that there were no more fireworks going off, but the city still glowed with its normal lighting. We flew side by side in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

Without warning, I breathed in and started coughing, a bad taste filling my beak. I dropped a few metres and heard Cardi start coughing as well. The bad air cleared up as fast as we ran into it, but the bad taste remained, one of the strongest tastes I'd had since changing.

"Ugh, what the hell was that?" I asked as we recovered. We looked around but it was too dark to see anything in the sky. The river valley was a ribbon of darkness below us. Spitting with a beak was hard, but I was doing my best to clear the strange awful taste.

" It smells familiar. I think it was firework smoke and we were smelling the sulfur," Cardi said. She coughed a bit and spat. "Figures, we can barely taste chocolate any more, but sulfur is as bad as ever."

"Lucky us. Remind me not to go flying after Canada Day."

She chuckled and we continued heading south. Soon enough, her apartment tower was below us.

"You're welcome to come in if you want. Wash out the ash taste," she offered, though her tone was mixed.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. I'm almost home anyways," I politely declined. We were both tired and despite not drinking much since midnight, we were both still a bit tipsy. Part of me yearned to join her, but the saner part of my mind figured it was best to just get home.

"Sure. Happy New Year. I'll see you later."

"Happy New Year, Cardi." I gave her a wave as she dived down to her balcony, and continued my own way home.

===Tuesday, Jan 2===

On New Year's Day, I slept in late and woke with the remnants of a hangover. I hadn't gotten drunk, but I'd had enough to give me a buzz. I stumbled downstairs to get a drink and an aspirin, and spent most of the day just recovering.

Tuesday was the first day back in the office. Even though we were technically closed for the holidays, a surprising amount of emails and other tasks had built up. Combined with the usual time spent chatting with coworkers to find how their holidays were, it made for a busy day. The fact that I was mentally preparing myself for the next day added to the workload, but I was happy to get back into my normal routine.

On the way home, I dropped down at ''Intimate Pleasures'', and was glad to see Amy working. I walked in with no hesitation nor hint of embarrassment.

"Happy New Years, Skyfire. How are you doing?" she greeted me. She was busy stocking some shelves.

"Same to you Amy. I'm doing fine, but I need to get some supplies for tomorrow. How have you been?"

"I've been good. Thanks for asking." As we chatted, I browsed the selection, grabbing a new vibrator to replace the one I'd broken last time, as well as a few tubes of lube. We were alone in the store."You left quite the impression on my sister and her wife over the holidays," I added.

"They are a beautiful couple. And I could tell the family resemblance. They were excellent listeners too, and very curious."

"Oh? Well I guess I did drop them into the deep end of griffon life. Bev helped me get through my rut among other things."

Amy nodded and eyed my selections briefly, wordlessly offering another tube of gel. I added it to my basket without questioning; I trusted her suggestions. "She mentioned that. I helped them out as best I could."

"You were probably better than I was at explaining all this. Thank you."

She leaned against the counter and looked me over. "So the fourth heat. How are you feeling?"

"Therapy time? But my session isn't until Thursday," I laughed, avoiding the question for a moment. "I'm anxious. The rut was rough, but I'm getting back into my routine which will help."

"Good good. From what I've been reading, you guys do seem to be getting a grip on your cycles. But you've always been one of the more extremes. Younger griffons seem to have less extremes than you've been experiencing."

"Yeah, I know. Lucky me." I set the basket on the counter and sighed. "It is good that others are getting the hang of it. Gives me a bit of hope."

"Hope is important. I do wonder if you have considered other options though."

I tilted my head curiously. "Other options?"

She hesitated, clearly not sure about what she was about to suggest. I tried to keep my expression neutral, curious. "Just say it, the worst I can say is no."

"Right, there is that. I'm just not sure if it is really my place to suggest it is all."

I reached over and took her hand. "Please. I know it's only been a few months, but you're one of the few people I'd trust on these matters. You may not be a doctor or a scientist, but you know as much as anyone down in Fort Parker, and you have enough distance to get some good perspective that I may not have. So whatever you want to suggest, I'll seriously consider it."

She seemed stunned for a moment at my admission. "Wow... uhm thanks, Sky. I'm honored. I didn't really think of it that way. I just want to help you guys... you gals... you."

"And help you have. From that first day before my first heat, you helped me in ways that I never thought I needed. There's a reason I've sent Cardi and others your way. So thank you. And please, spit it out."

She laughed a little, obviously stalling a little. "Well, this is a bit unconventional, but I want you to consider this option. I know you see yourself as an Ace, and you aren't that interested in sex with someone else, griffon or otherwise. But at the same time, I've seen some stories from other griffons that say their peaks have been more tolerable after they became sexually active."

I opened my beak to reply, then snapped it shut, thinking about what she was suggesting. "I... I hadn't really thought of that. I mean, the risks..." My hand drifted down to my belly with the thoughts. "I really don't want to become pregnant... or to get someone else pregnant. And no offense, but humans aren't doing anything for me any more."

She nodded and took my hand, lifting it away from my belly. "I know, and those risks are real. It's something women have lived with for generations, and something you're coming to terms with now. But unlike me, you have some advantages. Like you know for certain when you are absolutely safe. That period between your egg and the rut, they're almost positive you can't get pregnant. And despite appearances, condoms and other physical birth control methods do work for you guys as long as you are careful. Not all of you guys have been as celebate as you have been, and most of you are still not pregnant, so they do still work."

I squeezed her hand and nodded. "True, there is all that. Still, I'm not sure I want to take those risks."

"You have time. Your egg won't be until next week, so your safe week is coming. Think it over, talk it over with your friends, especially if there's someone who might be willing."

My mind jumped from my icy goddess to Michelle but I chased her away. Our friendship was too important for our small community for me to risk adding sex to the mix. Unbidden, Cardi came to mind and I had a harder time pushing her out.

"I'll think about it. It's a big step," I said. "And it may not even work."

"But it could work. You've shared your story with me, and one thing I noticed was how restrained you were through it all. I'm grasping at straws, but I do wonder if holding back so much is part of the reason why your cycle started so late, and why it swings to such extremes."

"And you think a good fuck will help balance me?" I asked.

She grinned, "It wouldn't hurt... Well, what you're packing down there looks like it should hurt, but the stories other griffons have said say it certainly doesn't. I look forward to hearing about it second hand when you're ready."

I nodded and started unloading my basket. "Sure, I'll think it over. Thanks.... Oh! On a somewhat related note, do you have any suggestions for breast pumps?"

"I wondered when you'd get around to that, given your issues." She started ringing up my purchases as she talked. "While we have some here in stock, you're probably better off going to a drug store and getting a more normal one. The stories I've heard seem to say most prefer a manual one. I'll get you a list once we're done."

I relaxed a bit and nodded, "Thanks. It's still a bit embarrassing to think of, but if it cuts down on the mess, I'll go for it."

She passed over the debit machine, while switching windows on the computer to do a search. "Yeah, your biology is curious. I'm eager to see what your kids are like. Seems like you guys can start lactating with very little stimulation, but you usually don't make as much as women do. For the lucky ones like you, the hormone swings at turnaround seem to put you into overdrive."

"Yeah, more than I really wanted to know. But thanks for the advice." I looked at the list she printed out and nodded to her. "Thanks for reals. I don't know where I'd be without your help."

"No problem. Try to have some fun, and I'll see you next time," she said cheerfully.

===Wednesday, Jan 3===

Wednesday, I woke up early, dreading the day. My fourth heat was due and I didn't want to handle it. I could feel a bit of the buzz building but something seemed different.

I made my breakfast and returned to bed, eyeing my aids, feeling a bit of an urge but not feeling the need like the heat usually brought on. By midmorning, I shifted to my home office and started working, mainly as a way to distract my mind from the worries and confusion I was feeling. Missing my heat was scarier than having it, since it implied the grenade pin had been pulled. Considering I'd never been with another griffon, I couldn't figure out how that could happen, and the worry that another aspect of our biology was showing itself distracted me through most of the day.

By the evening, I knew I had to get out and do something to better distract myself. I could feel some aspects of the heat building up in me, but I wasn't sure if it was real or wishful thinking. So just before six, I grabbed my gear and took off for the PoGo raid hour.

It was a windy, chilly day, with the sun just starting to set. Everyone outside was bundled up except me; my natural plumage had no problem with the wind, though I could feel the chill in my talons. My phone similarly wasn't really happy with the coldness; I could almost see the power indicator dropping, even with a heated case I'd picked up over Christmas and a link to my battery pack in my pocket.

I landed at the Pinecones statue, raising a flurry of fluffy snow. The rest of the raid crew waved to me, used to my appearance now, but surprised to see me.

"Hey Sky. Good to see you. We weren't expecting you this week," Ryan greeted me.

"I wasn't expecting to be here either, but I just had to get out of the house," I said.

He nodded and leaned in closer after a quick glance around. The kids were busy a short distance away, no longer as fascinated by the griffon in their midst. "Everything okay?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm late," I replied quietly. His eyes widened in surprise; we'd been hanging out enough that he had a decent idea of what I meant. I continued quickly. "I don't know how or why. It should be impossible."

Ryan nodded again, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I just need a distraction. I think... I'm hoping... it just slipped. It feels like maybe tomorrow might be when it happens. But I won't know until then, and until then, I need something to take my mind off of things."

"Good idea. Good to see you in any case, and I hope it works out." He gave me a quick hug and stepped away, glancing at his phone.

"All right everyone, we have a decent spawn this week, but it is chilly, so let's get going while the phones hold out," he announced to the group at large, getting us going as the event kicked off.

===Thursday, Jan 4===

The Icey God returned to bring back my heat, but he seemed less than pleased with how I had treated him a few weeks back. He stood back from me, arms crossed but with an obvious erection. I glared back at him, arms crossed as well, wings slightly spread. My own loins were moist and eager, but I wasn't going to yield to him.

"Well? You're already late. What the fuck are you waiting for?" I growled at him, matching his glare.

He didn't reply.

"Get over it. You're just a figment of my overactive libido. So let's get this started." I stepped towards him and he began to relax. He uncrossed his arms and opened them up to hug me. I pulled him in tight, feeling his shaft rub along my own. After a few moments of maneuvering, I felt him slide into me and I jolted awake, already feeling the heat gripping me hard.

As I recovered from my morning climax, I did a bit of a mental assessment. For a change, I was thankful to feel the heat grip me, mainly because it meant something else wasn't brewing somehow. I was a little concerned at the path my fantasy had taken, but pushed it to the side. Feeling satisfied for the moment, I slid out of bed and went down to get breakfast while my mind was somewhat clear. I loaded up with various supplies and retreated to my bedroom, already feeling the urges building again.

I didn't fight this round. Instead I knelt on my bed with a vibrator and started playing, doing a bit of teasing even as the yearning built up. When I couldn't resist much more, I pushed the toy in and clenched down on it, rocking as its vibrations shook my sensitive flesh. I fell forward onto my pillows, tender nipples rubbing the sheets and rode out the wave of pleasure.

I sighed softly and perched on the edge of my bed, wings slightly spread. I looked at myself in the mirror I'd gotten from Christmas, legs slightly spread in a view I was more used to. I pulled my eyes upward and noted my furry breasts were already bigger and felt heavier. Reluctantly I grabbed the box with my other recent purchase, the breast pump.

I had taken it out once and cleaned it thoroughly, but I hadn't tried it. I assembled it and hesitated, hating the idea but already feeling the need. I set it on the bed next to me and closed my eyes, beginning to rub my breasts, pinching my nipples and tugging them a bit between my fingers. I felt them harden quickly and felt a bit of wetness in my hands but a fresh need interrupted my plans. I shifted my focus to between my legs and started rubbing and pushing the vibrator in again.

"Fuuuuuckkk..." I groaned, falling onto my side on the bed as my shuddered, wings twitching weakly. I panted and rested, trying to recover. After the stress from the lack of heat yesterday, I didn't have much heart to fight it today.

When I recovered, I sat up and got ready to address my breasts again. I gave them another bit of a massage, then picked up the breast pump. I held it to my right breast and started pumping the lever. I felt the tugging on my nipple and winced a moment, but soon enough I felt a bit of relief, and heard liquid squirting through the tubes with the pumping. At first I was embarrassed by it, but after a bit, I found it relaxing. With the heat, I was still aroused, but focusing on it seemed to delay the urges. I had no real feel for how long to pump, but eventually the fluid seemed to slow down and it began to hurt, so I shifted to the other breast, and started on it.

By the time I finished, my chest felt significantly lighter, and my loins were tired of being ignored. I pulled the pump off and left it at the foot of my bed and started masturbating again, one hand squeezing my breast while the other rubbed between my legs. This time I didn't even need the dildo as a wave of pleasure shook my body, less intense then the other ones, but more thorough somehow. I moaned in pleasure and slumped down on the bed, dozing off without realizing it.

I woke up a few hours later, my stomach growling. I pushed myself out and did a bit of self assessment. I was still aroused with the heat, but the urge wasn't demanding attention. I squeezed my breasts and felt they were getting a bit bigger, but didn't need any more milking. So I decided the libido could wait but the stomach couldn't. I went downstairs and made a late lunch, making sure to drink a lot of fluids.

With a full stomach, I was surprised at how I felt. The yearning was still there; I was still deep in the heat, but I felt more in control. It would get me again, but I could choose when it fired. I decided I would hold off longer as I went back upstairs.

I picked up the milk container and tilted it, looking at the thick cream in it. I had no idea what was normal, but it felt like a lot even if it was only about a third full. I put it back on the bed, and turned on my phone, doing a bit of browsing while I felt in control.

I felt like I was getting near my limit, when a reminder popped up. I cursed and stared at my phone, remembering my appointment with Adam was that afternoon. There was no way I was going to be able to make it.

It shattered my focus and my libido broke through. I grabbed the vibrator and started using it again while trying not to think of the appointment I would be missing. I slumped back as I finished and fought to recompose myself; it was almost my appointment time and I knew I had to call Adam.

When I felt a little normal again, I placed the call. It was near my normal appointment time, so I figured he would be watching the phone and not with a client.

"Doctor Fullerton's office, Adam speaking," he answered.

"Hi Doc, it's Skyfire," I greeted him, using my new name.

"Hello Sky, how are you doing? Are you running late?" he asked. I could imagine him looking at the clock.

"You could say that. I'm sorry for the lack of notice, but I won't be able to make it today."

I could tell he could hear something in my voice. "I'm sorry for that. Is something wrong?"

"Something has changed. We... we're probably going to have to change my normal appointments.... You see, my cycle slipped."

He stayed silent for a moment, letting me explain. I could imagine his reaction easily. "So yeah, I've been fighting the heat all day, and it hasn't broken yet. Thursdays probably aren't going to work any more."

"Wow... I'm sorry," he said. "I must say, you sound good for someone dealing with that. From how you described your peaks, I expected you to be a lot more frazzled."

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, including my swollen nipples on my wet fur. "It's rough. Still rough. But I've tried a few new things this time and it seems to help. Not enough to go out in public, but enough to function a bit."

"Good, good. How about we talk about it next week? You won't be on a peak so we can keep your normal appointment for now."

I nodded and took a deep breath. I could feel the heat surging again, but I fought to keep it controlled. It felt like it would be the last surge this round. "That... That should be good."

"Good, I'll see you then.... " he paused and I could tell he was debating saying something else. "There is one thing. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to bring it up now, but I'd like to plant- err wrong terminology. I'd like you to try to give it some thought."

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"It's something I was looking into before the break, something to try and help your peaks maybe. And this slip actually may be a good thing.

I could almost hear the creak of his chair as he adjusted his position. "Well, one thing I've noticed about your peaks is that you always ride them out alone. And you don't seem to do anything but focus on the peak, whether it is the heat or the rut."

"I know. But it's hard not to focus on them. You don't know what it's like, how hard it hits your body and dictates what you need to do," I countered, getting defensive.

"I know, I know. But it's been seven times now, and your peaks are still crippling you. It's time to try some other things."

"Like what?" I asked.

"I really wish you were here..." he sighed, then continued. "I'd like you to try to plan to do something, something not focused on your heat or rut next time. Do a puzzle, play a game, do some baking, just do ''something ''other than focusing on your body and your libido."

I considered protesting, then reminded myself he was just trying to help. Listening to his suggestions and not dismissing them automatically was a tough lesson I'd learned in our earlier sessions.

"I could try that, but it's rough, and I'm not sure there's anything I could do to distract me enough. You have no idea how hard these make it to focus."

"I know, I know... " he paused again as he seemed to make a decision. "How about I help? This isn't something I would normally do, but in two weeks, when you're on the rut, why don't I do a house call for our appointment?"

I let out a sharp laugh, not quite believing what I heard. "That's probably not a good idea."

"We can talk about it next week, but I think it would be a good experiment."

"I'm not sure. It probably isn't a good idea. I tried something like that a couple of weeks ago. My family was here when the rut hit. I didn't even last the morning before I ran to Cardi's place."

"I see... That's fair. But it's not really the same situation. Going through that with a human family has extra stresses that make the experiment less valid. Especially since they aren't local, so they don't know what you've been going through."

I could feel the urges building again, and I started to rush to wrap up the call. "Sure, we can talk about it next week. It doesn't seem to be a good idea, but I'll think it over."

"Good, good. I must say, you do sound better than I expected you to."

"Thanks, but it's rough. I called right after I... I took care of things, so I had a bit of a respite. But it's nearly over, I can feel it building again. I don't know how much longer I can hold off to be honest."

"Well, I won't keep you any longer then. Take care of yourself, get some rest and make sure you eat and drink. See you next week."

"Thanks Adam. Sorry for not warning you earlier."

"I understand, don't worry about it. Bye Skyfire."

I hung up the phone and closed my eyes. My mind was spinning, both from his suggestion and from the rush of hormones I was fighting. One hand drifted down and started rubbing between my legs and soon enough I abandoned rational thought and was squeezing down on the dildo, seeking another release from the heat that gripped me.

===Saturday, Jan 6===

Our first official gathering of the year was held in a community centre on the east side of the city. I was running a bit late that day, so there were a number of people there when I arrived. I walked through the doors and paused, looking around at the familiar plumage and faces. A few turned and waved my way. All in all, we looked surprisingly good for a small group.

I spotted a familiar blue feathered griff and made my way towards her. Michelle was chatting with another couple, but her eyes lit up when she spotted me. The couple stepped away, letting her pull me into a hug.

"Happy New Year, Sky!" She greeted me.

"You too," I said, nuzzling her beak a moment before letting go. I unzipped my chest bag and pulled out a small gift. "And Merry Christmas as well. How was Elkwater?"

"You didn't have to get me.... Thank you Sky. Elkwater was... strange." She studied the small box for a moment before carefully slicing the paper with the tip of a talon. Inside the small box was an Amazon gift card. With how much we were ordering online, it was one of the safest gifts a griffon could get.

"The town's really changing, a lot less road traffic, but a lot more air traffic as you can guess. People aren't bothering to shovel their driveways much, and there's a lot more attention to the view above. It feels comfortable but strange if you get what I mean."

"I sort've do, I think, but I can only imagine it. My friends down in Parker have said similar things; that it's very much griffon focused now, which makes sense. How'd Brian handle it? Is he around?"

"He handled it like a champ, but it wasn't easy. He said it was really eye opening and he hopes to head back down to do some stories of a human in a griffon city sort of thing. He's around somewhere. I made him leave the camera at home today."

I chuckled and nodded, glancing around and spotting the reporter at the other end of the room. "Ah right, there he is. I'll catch him later."

"How about you? How were your holidays?" she asked, leading me towards the drink table. "I heard you caused a bit of a stir at Griffiths."

I chuckled and shook my head. "No, I only pointed them there, they came up on their own. But the holidays were good. Restful and stressful, but in a good way. Made me almost feel normal."

"That's good. Glad it went well for you." She paused and sighed. "My holidays were strange. It felt familiar but different. Maybe because I'm not surrounded by other griffs all the time gives me a different perspective, but the family back home felt different."

"Well, around here we're basically guests in human society, so we have to keep doing a lot of things we used to do. Down there, they're forging a new society with new norms. It puts us in an awkward place, but we'll work it out eventually I'm sure."

"Eventually yeah. It would be nice to find a spot to belong." She looked away then shook her head. "I hear you'll be leaving early today?"

"Yeah, my work's Old Christmas Party is tonight. Just a dinner at the Hilton downtown. I invited Cardi as my plus one, and she accepted. You would have been my second choice, but I figure she knows more of my coworkers and would be a bit more comfortable. And I wanted a second griffon around to spread the attention." My words started tumbling out faster than I could think as I tried to justify my choice. I hadn't realized how worried I had been about letting her know of my party choice.

She laughed and gave me a quick wing thump. "Relax. It's a perfectly good choice, and for good reasons. Goodness knows, I've been to enough staff parties that I don't mind missing one for a company I'm not involved with. Have a good time."

I relaxed and smiled back at her. "I'll try. Thanks. I should go find Brian and give him his gift. Talk to you later?"

"Of course. We've gotta plan the next few weeks after all. But that's for later. Enjoy your party."

After greeting Brian and a few other friends, I left the gathering and flew home. The staff party wasn't exactly a black tie affair, but I wanted to look a little better than I usually did for it.

I took a long shower and started preening, using towels and a low temperature hair dryer to dry off before brushing. The sun was setting when I felt my feathers and fur were presentable and I could get dressed.

My wardrobe was expanding, making my decision on what to wear a bit more challenging. I settled on a pair of black shorts, and a silky red blouse that seemed to work with my colouration. Jacques had sent the outfit to me as a Christmas present. While we didn't chat often, we did stay in touch and he said I was still a major inspiration for his designs. I dressed and started posing in the mirror. I had to admit I looked really nice, even if the blouse accentuated my breasts more than I was used to.

I strapped on my flight gear and tucked my ID card and a debit card in the holder. I didn't intend to bring a bag tonight as I intended to travel light. I adjusted the blouse, making sure my wings wouldn't bunch it up, and did a final bit of preening before heading out.

Cardi was working today, so we had arranged to meet at a park near the hotel where the party was going to be. I arrived a bit early and tried to relax, but found myself pacing in front of a bench.It was just a simple office party, a chance to have some fun with friends and coworkers and a bit of team building. But it was also my first real date in a long time, since before September. I was extra nervous considering what I was going to ask Cardi to do later on.

Both Amy and Adam's suggestions had been gnawing in the back of my mind. I would need to act on Amy's suggestion first, if I was to do it. Of the griffons I knew, Cardi was the only one I felt comfortable asking. So if tonight went well, I would be asking her for a second date that would go around the bases, and it made me extra nervous.

A rustle of feathers brought me back to the present, and I saw the familiar cardinal griffon land ahead of me. She had picked clothes that contrasted with her reds and orange colours; wearing a pair of navy shorts and a light purple blouse. In my eyes it made her quite handsome.

"You look great," she said, walking over to me. We hugged briefly, then separated. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not long at all," I said. "How was work?" I asked, shifting to a neutral topic.

"The usual. It's getting into the dead time of year, but the weather's good for the winter sports at least. It's giving me a chance to do a thorough cleaning before inventory at least."

"That's good. Bev's always loved and hated the winter months for just those reasons," I said. I held out my arm to her. "Shall we walk?"

She took it and we started walking towards the hotel a few blocks away. I nearly jumped out of my feathers when I felt her wing rub my own. I was still somewhat buzzing from the heat, and I knew her own heat would be coming soon. I stamped down the thoughts and sought safer topics.

"Thank you for coming with me," I said. "I normally just go alone, but I figured a second griffon would be useful to spread the attention."

"No problem. I've never been to an actual Office Christmas party. I hope it's as fun as the stories go."

I laughed and shook my head, "Nah, it's probably going to be a lot tamer than the movies and TV shows. It won't be much different from the griffon one we had before Christmas. Just more speeches about things that make no sense to you, and probably a higher price point for the gifts. And no trivia this time. I think it's just a dance planned."

She nodded and leaned against me. "Sounds like fun. And the meal of course. I'm starved."

My company had booked the Conrad room at the downtown hotel. It was a conference room located above the hotel's standard rooms, but below the guest suites. It gave a great view of the river and the downtown skyline from twenty stories up. We walked through the sliding doors and ignored the eyes that turned to us. I guided us to the elevators and waited for a group of guests to load up their luggage and leave before pressing the call button. It quickly became obvious that people were keeping their distance.

"Do you ever get used to it?" I asked quietly while we waited. "The staring and stuff?"

"Sometimes I do. Other times it bugs me. In the store, people are mostly used to me now so it doesn't happen as much unless someone new comes in. But here..."

"Yeah, I'm feeling it too."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened revealing a surprised man. He stared at us in shock as we separated to give him room to exit between us. It was clear he didn't want to at first. Before it got too uncomfortable, he stepped out and almost sprinted between us. We stepped into the empty car and I pushed the button for the conference room level.

"I wonder if they have roof access we could use to leave from?" Cardi asked as we waited for the doors to close. I shrugged my wings.

"Hold the doors!" a familiar voice shouted. Out of reflex I stabbed the Door Open button, hearing two people running across the lobby.

"Thanks Simon," Juanitta said as she and her husband slipped into the elevator. The four of us were filling the car without overfilling it.

"No problem," I said, happy to see some familiar faces. I pressed the door close button and it started going up.

"This is Cardi. She's been helping the GriffTech team with the GSL app, and other things. Cardi, this is Neets and Rob, two good friends of mine. They're the ones who hauled my tail back from Fort Parker."

"Good to meet you," Rob said, shaking her hand. "So you're the other griffon I've been seeing around the office."

"Yeah, I'm the one. But I haven't met many but the Griff team," Cardi said, giving me a side look.

I raised my hands. "Sorry, I never really thought to give you a tour."

She nudged me with a wing while shaking Juanita's hand. "It's okay."

I was saved by the ding as the doors opened. We stepped out into a small atrium with a coat check station and an entrance to the ballroom. I recognized a number of coworkers and their spouses already inside, mingling in the open area. My friends went to shed their coats, while Cardi and I went in.

I could feel eyes turn towards us and the room fell silent for a minute, but unlike most times I experienced this, the gazes were friendlier. I flicked my ears, hearing a lot of whispered conversations to spouses and other plus ones, explaining who I was.

Greg came over, grinning widely. I gripped his hand and gave him a back thump. "Hey Greg."

"Simon! Glad you made it. And you must be Cardi. I've heard great things about you. Welcome to our little shindig."

"Good to meet you. Sky's said a lot about you," she said. "Not all good, but always fun," she added with a wink.

Greg laughed and nodded, "Yeah, we've got a lot of stories. I'm sure by the end of the night I'll return the favour with some of Simon's stories."

"I look forward to it."

Greg excused himself for a moment and snagged a couple of treat bags from a table. "We'll talk later. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves. Here are some treats, and your drink tickets for the night. Have fun!"

"Thanks Greg," I said as my boss and friend was already wandering around to mingle more.

"Well, I'm going to go turn in one of these tickets. You want me to get you anything?" Cardi asked.

"I'm good. I'll get something later," I said. I watched her join the line at the bar, chatting with random people, and wandered over to the windows to look out. The view was gorgeous, showing the snowy city lighting up as the sun set.

"It's a great view," a voice said next to me. I recognized one of Rob's techs and her husband.

"It is. Admittedly I've gotten used to seeing something like it every day, but it's nice to see it without needing to work for it."

Her husband looked out the window, then leaned forward to look down at the ground. "You see this sort of thing regularly?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"Sure. I fly in to work every day, usually higher than this to get over the buildings."

He looked at me, then looked up at the skyline. "Wow. Isn't it tiring?"

"It's a good workout, but it's my only way to travel now. Can't fit in cars or buses easily, and I find it relaxing. We got some good muscles out of this mess, and we lost a lot of mass so it's easier to move I guess."

The tech nodded and I placed a name to her face; Mindy. "I never thought of that. Do you mind it?"

"Not yet. Give me a few more months or years and maybe."

"I can see why cars don't work for you, and it's not really the season for them, but have you thought about motorbikes?" her husband asked. I had no idea what his name was. His comment made me pause to think of it.

"I hadn't really thought of it, but I'm sure someone has," I said slowly. I wiggled my wings pensively, not noticing how they stared at me. "I don't see why it wouldn't work, aside from the weather and helmet laws and stuff. I'll have to look into that. I'm sure someone down in the griffon lands has been biking."

They nodded and drifted away while I did my own bar run. By the time my drink was ready, it was time to sit for the meal. We didn't have assigned seating, but I'd requested two stools for Cardi and I instead of the normal chairs. Rob and Juanita joined us, along with Greg's wife. Greg went to the front of the room to give a speech before dinner. While he wasn't the president of the company, he was one of the senior VPs, and the one most of us dealt with, so he tended to be the representative of the leadership at these events.

The room fell silent as eyes turned towards him. He took a sip from his glass and set it down on the podium.

"Good evening everyone, and welcome to our annual party. A chance to reflect on the year past and to highlight what's coming in the year to come. I know we're all hungry, so I'll try to make this somewhat quick since there are two people here that I'd hate to get between them and their food," he said, his eyes looking at Cardi and I. He winked and looked towards a different pair of people. "We all know how dangerous Tim and Jill were at the company BBQ after all," he said.

The room erupted in laughter and the poked pair grinned and waved. They were the smallest and gentlest people I'd ever known. Jill playfully started banging on the table and chanting "We want food!" with her tablemates.

When the room quieted down, he continued. "2023 was an excellent year for us. We finally closed the Brookside facility, completing our move into the Thompson Tower. We also expanded our customer base, with customers all across the province, and even a couple in BC now. With that, we were able to expand, adding a dozen new employees who have been an excellent addition to our teams.

"We also lost a number of people, through retirement, or from seeking greener pastures. Those losses are never easy, and we still feel them, but I wish the best for them."

"It's not all rosy news despite how I'd rather it was. We lost a few clients and had a few setbacks, but nothing we couldn't handle.

"Of course, last March, the world was rocked by the Titan's Step event down in Colorado. While it didn't affect us directly, it ''did ''shake us all. But life went on and we continued on business as usual.

"We should have realized that innocent time wouldn't last. It is a big world and the chances of another event happening near us should be remote. How wrong we were. This past September, the Fort Parker event happened, and we couldn't ignore that. It affected our customers directly. And to address the griffon in the room, it caught our Senior Tech, Simon Farrell." he nodded to me.

"That was a wrench in the works, to put it mildly. Our customers were directly impacted and we were affected. It meant a lot of adjustments, on Simon's part especially but for all of us. Speaking as a friend, I'm happy at how well Simon has handled this. I know it hasn't been easy, but I'm glad you're still part of our team. And if you need anything, just ask."

I felt my face warm from the attention, but I stood and waved a wing and a hand, turning to look around the room. It was nice to see and feel so much support heading my way.

"Thanks everyone. It has been challenging, but you've all helped me adjust, and I really appreciate it," I said, staying standing a moment longer before sitting back down.

"So yeah, the year was great for us, even if the end of the year was more chaotic than we're used to. But they say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And boy have we been putting out the lemonade.

"For this year, we have big plans, and the Fort Parker event doesn't really change them. It ''has ''given us some new opportunities. Opportunities that Simon has helped us identify and to take advantage of.

"First, there's our new marketing campaign, advertising our Phoenix backup and restoration services. If you've seen it, you will have noticed that Simon has allowed us to use his appearance as our mascot. Thank you for that. The campaign launched this week, and it's already exceeding our expectations. It's gone viral, with more views than we ever expected. And it's been generating inquiries from potential customers across the province and beyond.

"Which brings us to our next point, our growth potential. We reached all corners of the province last year. This year, we're setting our sights higher. We're hoping to expand into the territories up north, as well as across the prairies and deeper into BC. We've already had some inquiries from businesses in eastern BC and the Yukon, as well as western Saskatchewan. I'm not sure if we'll reach into Manitoba or the Northwest Territories this year, but we're aiming high."

He paused to let us give a happy cheer. It was an ambitious growth plan, but knowing our sales team and our tech team, I figured we had a decent chance of pulling it off.

"So, if anyone wants to visit the territories, speak to your managers. We'll have to be sending you guys up north sooner than you might expect," Greg continued when the cheers died down. He nodded towards a few people he knew had interest in northern visits.

"And finally, the unexpected, the lemonade if you will. We aren't normally a software company. But Simon, with his connections to the local griffon community, recognized some opportunities we were in a good position to act on. The Griff Tech team built the GriffRacer app on very short notice. It launched around Christmas and has been getting great reviews from the griffons, as well as earning us accolades from the science camp at Fort Parker for the data we've been able to share. I know Simon has more ideas for this team, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they bring out in the new year."

I resisted the urge to slouch down as all eyes turned my way again. Instead, I forced myself to sit up straighter and waved a wing again.

"So, we have exciting things coming this year. Thank you everyone, and enjoy the party!" Greg said, finishing his speech. He waved and soaked in the applause for a moment before coming back to our table. The wait staff started bringing out plates with dinner.

"Sorry to shine such a big light on you Simon, I know you've always preferred to stay in the background," Greg said, sipping his drink while we waited.

"It's fine. I'm getting used to being a center of attention. I don't like it, but I understand it."

He nodded and focused on Cardi, "And thank you for all the help you've been giving us."

"Sure, anything to help out the flock," Cardi said.

"It's good to finally see you again Simon," Greg's wife, Robin, said. "You seem to be doing well now. But I admit, hearing Greg call you a 'him' throws me off a little, considering how you look."

"It's not all good, but I'm doing better," I confirmed. "Still a lot to sort out. Like pronouns. Pronouns are something I'm still figuring out."

"Yeah, they certainly are, which does bring up another thing. How do you want to be addressed? My work's been stressing proper naming, and I don't want to be insulting. We've always known you as Simon, but I've heard you called Sky or Skyfire a lot too," she looked concerned and a bit confused.

I nodded, "Simon's fine, especially with you guys. That's how you know me, and that's who I am. But..." I paused for a moment and sipped my drink. "I suspect this is one of his last hurrahs. Skyfire is more and more who I am, and she's dominating my life. I'm coming around to her being me."

"Do you want us to call you Skyfire?" Rob asked.

I shook my head. "You guys especially, go with what you're comfortable with. For me at least, I'm finding it gives me a bit of continuity, a touch of the old me when I need it, when Skyfire's feeling like she's overwhelming me. Maybe later I'll want you to switch, but I'm not quite ready yet."

"When you are, let us know. I'm probably still going to mess up, but when you want to be known as Skyfire, I'll try to make the change," Greg said.

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate it." I sipped my drink and shrugged. "As for pronouns, I still haven't sorted those out to be honest. Simon's a guy, but as you probably noticed, I tend to call Sky 'her'. Most other griffons I tend to call 'her' as well, but I'm not sure if that's right." I looked to Cardi for help.

"I have no idea. I've always been her, and still think of myself that way. I've heard some griffons are trying other pronouns, like 'zey' or 'thim' or 'hir', but a proper pronoun for us hasn't really caught on yet. So don't stress too much, call me whatever you want, as long as it's friendly. Just don't call me late for dinner."

We chuckled and focused on our meals. The waiters wandered among the tables, topping off water glasses and swapping out empty plates for the next course. To their credit, they maneuvered around Cardi and I with surprising ease, stepping around our tail feathers and reaching past our wings.

At the end of each course, Darlene took the stage and gave out a round of anniversary gifts, starting with the five year anniversaries. By the time the deserts were passed out, she only had two more to give. Greg and I exchanged knowing looks and left our deserts untouched. I wiped my beak and shook my wings to get ready.

Darlene gave us a slight nod as she returned to the podium. She waited for the waiters to finish handing out the deserts before she started. "As we all know, ''Innovative Solutions ''is twenty seven years old. So reaching the 25 year milestone is a big deal for us, especially since so many of our founders have moved on. To have two people reach 25 at the same time is even more impressive. But when you know who these two are, you'll understand it. They've been a fixture of ''Innovative'' for a quarter of a century, guiding us through the tough years and the growth ones. We all know them, know their doors are always open, ready to help and ready to listen to new ideas. Without them, ''Innovative'' wouldn't be anything like the company it is today.

"So without further ado, I'd like to bring Greg and Simon to the front, our first Silver Anniversary employees."

Greg and I stood up and walked to the front of the room, taking in the applause. Darlene and another coworker greeted us, congratulating us, handing over plaques and an envelope with our gifts.

"Congratulations. And thank you," Darlene said to me as she handed over my awards. I nodded back to her and turned to stand next to Greg, while photos were taken.

"I've already talked a lot. So you go ahead," Greg whispered.

"Thank you, Thank all of you," I opened. "Twenty five years... Wow. I never would have expected it. Greg and I joined a young start up in the late nineties as a couple of techs, fresh out of college. We figured this would just be a stepping stone to bigger things. We never anticipated that this would become such a big part of our lives.

"I've never had aspirations for management; I'm happy to let others handle that sort of thing. So instead, I've found myself settling into more of a guru role, which I am happy to have." I tapped the side of my head, "It's taken twenty five years to fill this up with all the quirks of our systems, and becoming a griffon didn't change that. I've always believed that information is meant to be shared. So if anyone ever has any questions, or just wants to chat, feel free to come over."

I spread my wings a little. "Of course this past year has brought about more extreme changes. And I can't begin to say how grateful I am to have had you all to support me. You handled my change better than I did. So thank you for everything, and I'm looking forward to another twenty five with all of you."

I waited out the round of applause, then stepped back to let Greg speak.

"You've already heard me speak a lot tonight so I won't say much. Especially since Simon said the important parts. Twenty-five years is an amazing milestone, and I'm glad to be sharing it with you. We've accomplished a lot and have developed an excellent working relationship. There have been challenges, but there have been some great successes. I too am looking forward to the next quarter century with you."

He grinned at me and waved to the cheering room. We returned to our seats and had our deserts. After the tables were cleared, the music was turned up so people could dance. I knew there was something I wanted to talk to Cardi about, but I distracted myself by talking to others.

Eventually, she overrode my reluctance and pulled me out onto the dance floor. For a rock song, Billy Talent's "''Rusted By the Rain''" was a surprisingly good song to slow dance to.

"Come on, you managed to dodge the other dances we did. It's about time you started getting used to some closeness," she said, pulling me in closer. She slipped one hand under my wing, pressing through my flight feathers. The other rested on my hip. I was tense as hell at first, and held my hands awkwardly before putting one on her side and the other on her shoulder. She led me in swaying in time to the music and I gradually relaxed. I knew my own heat was just past, which meant that her own heat was a week away. So anything we felt wasn't as affected by hormones. We swayed in each other's arms in time to the music, wings twitching a bit, only slightly aware of the eyes watching us.

Towards the end of the song, I leaned closer to her ears and whispered "Can we talk privately?"

"Sure," she said, starting to guide us towards the edge of the dance floor.

The song ended and we separated, but still held hands. People around us applauded and I waved a wing, my face burning with embarrassment under my feathers. She led me to a quieter corner, away from the main groups.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

I gulped and licked the edge of my beak, building up my nerve, bolstered by the wine and other drinks I'd had. "I want... Would you... Would you like to come to my place for dinner next weekend sometime?" I asked quickly. "Just you... You and me," I added.

"I would love to. I've got an evening shift on Saturday, but my Friday evening is clear. Would that work?" she asked, watching me closely.

I nodded, not trusting myself to say any more. She tilted her head quizzically. "There's something more you want too, isn't there?"

"There is," I said. "I.. I do have an ulterior motive in mind. Something Amy suggested, something that might help my extremes." How bad the heats and ruts hit me was well known in our little community and especially among my friends.

"That would be wonderful. What's her idea?" she asked.

"Well, she and Adam both have some theories that might help me. I can't take action on Adam's until my rut, but Amy's idea I can act on almost any time," I said, stalling a bit. I suspected she knew what I was going to say but she was making me say it.

"And what's her theory?"

"She suggested that I... Suggested that.... That having sex might help balance my extremes a bit. So... Well.... If you... If you are willing.... Friday would be after my egg so.... Well it should be safe." my words jumbled as I rushed to explain. "If you don't, that's fine. We can still just have dinner," I finished.

"I see," she said thoughtfully. I could feel my heart pounding as she held me in suspense. "As a theory goes, it's not a bad idea. We still don't know much about how our hormonal cycles affect us, so it's as good a theory as any."

I nodded, still waiting for her answer. She leaned forward and rubbed her beak to mine. "I'd love to come over for dinner. And for after, I ''may ''be willing."

Her answer was like a weight off my mind. A fresh batch of worries was lurking, waiting to drop, but my immediate reaction was elation. I returned her beak kiss and hugged her. "I'd love to host you. Thank you."

She tugged me back into the room. "Come on, let's have another dance. You need a hell of a lot more practice." I chuckled and followed her lead, able to enjoy the rest of the evening now that my big question had been answered.

===Monday, Jan 8===

I stared at the weather forecast in disbelief, trying to will more reasonable numbers to appear, to no avail.

"Minus fucking thirty," I growled, shaking my head. Temperatures that cold were not unheard of for the city, but we seemed to develop a collective blind spot to them, forgetting just how cold they were until they suddenly hit us again. A polar vortex was pushing down from the arctic, bringing the bone chilling temperatures with it over most of the country. The meteorologists were commenting about how some village in Nunavut was warmer than Toronto somehow, which didn't seem right..

I gave up staring at the screen and continued my morning routine, sipping a hot coffee while munching on a bagel. It had been cooling down as winter took hold of the region, but it had still felt within my capabilities. Flying back from the Christmas party had been one of the first times I'd actually felt cold, but I had brushed it aside as a side effect of the alcohol.

Yesterday, the high had only reached -18C, with a bitter north wind. I'd tried to treat it as a normal day, and flown out to pick up some groceries for the week and quickly regretted it. My hands were icicles, my wings ached and my tongue and nares were numb by the time I got to the grocery store, after flying much lower than I normally did. On the way home, I'd seriously considered calling a taxi for myself, but managed to make it back home intact. I still ended up cranking the heat up in the house to almost human levels to fight the bone chilling cold.

Today, it was already colder and it wouldn't get much warmer through the day. It made me carefully consider my options. It was tempting to work from home, but I had a GriffTech team meeting that was too important to skip. I could just sprint to the LRT station and take the train in, but the idea of squeezing into there was almost as scary as flying in the cold. With both options considered, I reluctantly landed back on 'flight'. Thankfully, a pair of mittens I'd ordered had come in, so my hands and forearms wouldn't be quite as cold. Everything else I would just have to endure.

Once I was done with my morning routine, I got ready to leave. I locked up the house and turned off the lights, heading for the backdoor. I strapped my phone on my wrist, though I wouldn't be using it; the cold would kill the battery faster than a drop would after all. I then tugged the woollen mittens on. In some ways they were like thick fuzzy woolen oven mitts that almost went up to my elbows. They covered most of the parts of my arms and hands that didn't have the downy feathers. When I was ready, I braced myself and stepped out.

The cold didn't quite hit me, but I certainly felt it more than I usually did. I felt my nares tighten as the air tried to freeze my nostrils. My skin tightened automatically, making my feathers puff up more, trying to trap a layer of heat near my body. I let the door close behind me, made sure it was locked, and took off as fast as I safely could.

Muscle movement helped keep my body temperature up, but it felt like it was a losing battle. When I got above the rooflines, the winds increased, a bitter north wind roaring down from the Arctic. I clenched my inner eyelids closed, and even partly closed my outer ones. The leading edge of my wings cut into the dense air, lifting me up, but it felt like they were stabbed with icy needles where the air cut through the leading feathers. I held my arms and legs tight to my body for extra warmth and focused on the downtown towers.

I decided today would be an exception from my usual habit of landing in the parking garage. Instead, I came down on the street outside our building. The cold and the early hour made sure the street was mostly deserted, so I didn't cause much of a stir. I sprinted up the stairs and slammed into the building, panting in relief as the hot air surrounded me. I tapped my card and pushed into the main lobby.

"Damn, Sky, did your fire go out? I can feel the cold wafting off of you from here," Robbie said.

"It almost did. I think we finally found my cold limits," I said. I didn't have teeth to chatter any more and sort've wished I did. I walked over to a heat vent and spread my wings, trying to soak in a bit more heat. My insulative feathers and fur almost worked against me now. I tugged my mittens off and tucked them into my chest pack. "I'm probably going to be landing on the street for the next few days," I added as I felt the heat seep in. I started brushing through my feathers, trying to push them back down after they fluffed up for the cold.

"No problem, I don't think anyone would blame you. I'm surprised you were still flying in this."

"So am I. That wind is wicked, and I usually love the winds. But I've got a big GriffTech meeting today so I had to come in."

"Well, hopefully it won't be as bad flying home. Take care of yourself."

I started towards the elevator, nodding to a couple of others who had come in. They held the doors for me; the rest of the building's workers were well used to me now, and had no problem sharing the elevator. "Thanks Robbie. Have a good one."

In my office, I spent the first few hours catching up from the weekend. There were no emergencies I could see in my regular work email pile, and the GriffTech side was similarly quiet. For the Edmonton flock, I was happy to see Michelle was on top of the cold snap, making sure the homeless griffons had a warm place to wait out the vortex. Our cold tolerance had made the winter relatively easy for the homeless griffons, at least compared to homeless humans; but even we had our limits. Thankfully, she had matters well in hand so I didn't need to help there, at least not right away.

By ten, it was time for the team meeting. The meeting room was full when I walked in. The two boxes of donuts I'd ordered were already decimated, and everyone was milling about. I snagged the last one from a box; a sugared cake donut, and went to the head of the conference table, nibbling along the way. By the time I was sitting and finished my snack, everyone had found their spots and were waiting.

"Good morning everyone. Now that we've had some time to process what's come in over the holidays, it's time to look ahead," I said, addressing the GriffTech team. "I'm sure you heard Greg's speech from the party, and you know this team is a key component for growth this year, so yay us."

I looked around and took in the smiles on the team's faces. We knew we had big targets and expectations to satisfy, but the team seemed eager.

"First, GriffRacer is a big hit, and not just here in Edmonton. We've got griffons using it all over from here in Edmonton, to Calgary and Medicine Hat, and all across the griffon lands and even down in Helena and Billings. CS is making a list of various improvements and alternate modes to consider, so development will continue, but it won't be our primary focus. Still if anyone has any ideas, please chime in. I'm especially hoping we can find some links to the Skyball leagues that are forming up."

I looked around the table and saw a few knowing nods and a couple people were jotting down some notes.

"Second, our next major focus is on the GSL app. It's proving to be a bit more challenging than we expected, but there's some good stuff coming from it. I want to bring a few more onto that project, either from this team or from anyone else, but we need to better define our targets. I'll meet with Marcel and Joanne this afternoon to get a better status update and to identify what we need."

I paused and smiled. While I no longer had lips to smile like they were used to, the team was used to recognizing my mannerisms, sometimes better than I did. "One thing to note, we do need a name for this app, and ''Sign of the Griffon Queen'' is ''NOT'' a valid option."

I saw everyone grin, with some laughing quietly as I started tapping off my talons. "One. It's way too wordy for an app name. Two. I don't want to get in trouble with April Wine, though from what I've heard they'd probably get a kick out of it. And Three, our target audience is sixty percent American; they wouldn't get the reference in the first place."

I chuckled with the rest of the room and continued. "So if anyone has any other name ideas, send them in and we'll see what we can settle on."

I glanced around the room again before bringing up my third point. "Finally, I want to start work on our third app as soon as possible. Techwise it is going to be a lot simpler, so I suspect we'll have the beta out even before the GSL app. Subject wise... it's trickier."

"This is an app idea I've been struggling with since before we formed this team. The subject matter is rather sensitive, and I wasn't sure if it was needed or not. But in talking with other griffons, there is certainly a lot of interest in it. I want us to make a Griffon Health Tracker."

There were a lot of knowing nods around the table. I mentally wished there were a few more women on the team, but like many development teams it was mostly male. "We'll have to work out the details once the team is set up. But be aware, if you sign up on this group, you'll be learning a lot about griffon biology, maybe more than you wanted. So if that makes you uncomfortable you can work on the other apps; we'll certainly still have a lot of work in both. Not to mention the other projects we have going on in the company."

"What sort of things would this app need to track?" Jim asked.

I did a quick assessment of the room while trying to figure out how to tactfully answer him. Some of the guys were obviously uncomfortable with the potential subject, but most seemed eager just to jump into a new challenge.

"Cycle tracking is one of the big things people have asked me for, both recording when the peaks happen and when they are anticipated to happen. Egg tracking goes along with that. With spring coming, we'll probably want to consider tracking molting patterns too. And we'll want to tap into Apple and Google Health data from the appropriate smartwatches to gather general health stats like heart rates and breathing rates especially while flying. A link to GriffRacer is probably lurking in there somewhere.

"I've already talked some of the ideas over with Legal, to figure out how to do this while limiting our own exposure. Among other things we want to make sure we don't keep any data; it will all be saved on the device or the user's cloud. Otherwise it opens a whole new can of privacy issues that we don't want to get into as a company.

"We also want to provide a way for griffons to send data to the scientists in Fort Parker, so we can build a bigger repository on griffon health in general. It would be voluntary and we'll probably reach out to some of them to figure out a proper exchange format and stuff."

Jim nodded, jotting down a few notes. "Sounds straightforward enough, and useful I'm sure. Once we get going, can you arrange for us to talk with a few other griffs? We have you and Cardi, but multiple points of view will help cover blind spots."

"Of course. Are you volunteering for this project?" I asked, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice.

"Sure. One of my goals this year was to take on a leadership role, and this seems to fit the bill well. I've got a teenage daughter who's also pulled me into this field by proxy, learning about various women's health apps."

I relaxed and nodded. "Great. Thank you. After the meeting we can talk more about the details and start hashing out some basic workflows. As for talking to other griffons, the best thing to do might be to swing out to one of our weekend gatherings. Anyone is welcome to come hang with us. I'll share when and where the next few are, and you can decide when you want to come."

Jim nodded and made a few more notes.

"And now, we still have some work to do on GriffRacer, so let's start reviewing that."

I tapped the keyboard and brought up a few Jira charts to move the meeting along.

===Thursday, Jan 11===

I let myself sleep in a bit later than normal on Thursday, anticipating what I was about to do. It was time for my fourth egg and I wasn't looking forward to it. I laid on my side on my bed, already feeling the twitching in my gut as the egg finished forming.

With a reluctant sigh, I rolled off the bed and went downstairs to prepare breakfast, not bothering to clean up, knowing what was in store for me. The spasms in my gut were getting stronger but still bearable.

I was just putting my mug in the dishwasher when a particularly strong spasm hit me. I gasped and grabbed the edge of the counter. I could feel a bit of moistness between my legs and knew it was time yet again.

Without wasting another moment, I raced back upstairs, but I wasn't quite fast enough. Another contraction made me stumble midway up the stairs. My vision blurred a bit with tears from the pain, making me blink rapidly with both sets of eyelids.

I reached my bedroom and crouched at the end of my bed, panting. I grabbed some towels I'd placed there earlier. I hesitated a moment, still dreading what I was about to do, cursing my new biology. Another contraction went through my body, and I could feel the egg moving in me now. I reached between my legs and slipped a taloned finger into my lips, carefully feeling inside me. My vagina was wet and quivering from the contractions. I could feel my cervix dilated already, anticipating the orb it was about to pass. I felt another contraction building and pulled my hand free quickly, bearing down on the orb.

This egg took about a half hour, though I didn't verify it until later. While it was happening, my only focus was on getting the mass out of me. The contractions came steadily, each one pushing the grapefruit sized egg further through my insides. Eventually I felt it bump against my cervix and catch a moment, not quite open enough for it. I winced in anticipation and grunted, crouching down lower and pushing hard with the next contraction. I felt the strain of the opening stretching and had a brief moment of worry that it wouldn't come out before I felt a wave of relief. My vagina stretched around the orb but the tight spot was past. On the next one, I pushed again and the orb was pushing through my vulva and then slid out.

I slumped against the bed even as the egg thudded into the towels, my thighs wet from the fluid that lubricated its exit. My insides still spasmed every few moments, pushing against something that wasn't there any more. I looked between my legs, and saw the egg I'd pushed out, still glistening but drying quickly. Its shell matched my colouring, some parts deep black, the other parts fiery red and orange.

Once my guts stopped spasming, I pulled myself onto my feet and stumbled to the bathroom. I took my time cleaning up, preening and otherwise making myself presentable. By the time I was done, my guts almost felt normal. I got dressed, eyeing the egg on the towels. It was dry and looked similar to the previous ones.

My post-egg routine was well established by now. I measured it and recorded it both for my records and to send to the teams down in Fort Parker. When done, I cracked it into a bowl and flushed the liquid part. The shell I crushed and tossed in the garbage.

My monthly burden handled, I set off for work and tried to put it off my mind, aside from what Cardi and I had planned for later.

The cold snap was still in effect, making the flight to work a chilly affair. I wasn't looking forward to flying to Doctor Fullerton's office, but it would be something I would have to do. I went straight to my office and closed the door, needing some alone time to settle into a work mindset, and to warm up.

After lunch, I pulled on my gloves and headed out for my appointment. It had warmed up a little through the day, but temperatures were still hovering around minus twenty, and the winds were still bitter.

I dove out of the cold air and landed just outside Doctor Fullerton's office. I quickly raced inside and headed for a heater. It was one of the longest flights I'd done since the vortex had hit the city, and I was seriously considering alternative options for going home.

I stepped out of the elevator into his outer office, a little surprised to see the door open. I was a bit early, but I went to the doorway, hoping to start earlier than usual.

"Hi Skyfire, come on in. My earlier client cancelled due to the cold. We finally found your lower temperature limits it would seem." Adam was at his desk reading something on his screen. He turned it off and got up to take his usual seat.

"Yeah, we certainly did," I said, closing the door behind me. "If I were lactating, I'd be squeezing out soft serve ice cream."

He looked me over, and I could tell he was thinking over the joke I'd made. I'd come up with it a few days before, but hadn't really been among anyone I could crack it with until now. He finally let out a little chuckle as I sat down.

"I did consider cancelling, but after last week it didn't seem to be fair. Especially with what we want to talk about for next week. But if you don't mind, I probably won't stay as long as we usually do. I want to get home before the sun sets and it gets colder."

"That's fair. So why don't we start with that. I take it you've been thinking about my proposal?"

I nodded, settling on the couch and getting comfortable. "I have. And you're right. When the peaks hit, I get stuck in my head. I focus on how my body is betraying me, and it gives it more power over me. It's a vicious cycle and I'm not sure how to break it."

"That said, I think I saw some cracks in it, when my family was in town. I mean, the rut did chase me out of my house to spare them, but talking to my sister did help me focus on something else and seemed to help put it off. It's just hard to explain what it feels like; keeping my focus off of it won't be easy."

"I know, but we aren't looking to win the war, not yet. But if we can win some battles and start giving you some more tools to reign it in."

I nodded, "In that case, I'm willing to give it a shot. It's not the only thing I'm attempting. My other... therapist made a suggestion that makes some sense to me."

"I see," Adam said, keeping his voice neutral, but I caught a hint of disapprovement in it. "What did Amy suggest?"

"Her theory is that my celibacy may be part of the reason my swings are so extreme, along with how long I resisted it when I first changed. So, it probably wouldn't surprise you, but she suggested I get fucked."

He winced at my language, though I'm sure he has heard worse through the years. "It's... not a bad theory. I'm not sure it is something I would suggest or encourage, but if it works for you, then great. I hope it isn't your only coping mechanism."

I nodded, "Yeah, I don't want that to be my only coping method, but I'm looking for anything."

"So, judging from your body language, I take it you have made plans already. Who's the lucky griffon? Michelle?"

My icy god flew through my mind and I chased him away while shaking my head. "No. Our relationship is too important to risk bringing sex into the mix. We're adults and all that, but our current relationship is too important to risk adding intimate complications."

"Right, so it would be Cardi then. I assume you've made arrangements?"

"I'm that obvious?" I laughed nervously. "I asked her last weekend and she said yes. No strings attached, no pressure. She's coming over for dinner tomorrow and we'll decide from then, but we both know my intentions, my desires, and why I'm asking."

"Well, you seem to be approaching it from a good angle. And remember, you can always say no. It's a big step to take, and you may feel like you are pressuring yourself into taking it. So if you decide you're not ready for it, just say no. I'm sure Cardi would understand."

"Yeah, just a bit of time pressure. We're aiming for my safe week, between the egg and the rut. If I don't do it this week, I'll have to wait another month. At the same time though, it'll be my first time this way, and I'm nervous as hell."

"Sounds like you are taking precautions at least. Do you know if Cardi is active?"

I paused and thought about my friendship with her. I realized I knew surprisingly little about her. "I don't know. I assume so; she is quite confident in general and seems very knowledgeable. I assume she's experienced but I didn't ask."

"I'm sure you'll find out tomorrow. As for next week, I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want to tell me about it or not. I wouldn't mind if you want to keep that aspect private."

I laughed and shrugged my wings. "I've kept nothing else from you, I don't see why I'd keep that from you. But thank you for the consideration."

"Right. So we have a lot to look forward to next week. But we still have this week to get through, and a lot of time to catch up on. How was your Christmas break?"

"In a word. Wonderful," I said. "A few rough spots here and there, but it was great to see the fam again, and they were so supportive. I was glad to have them up. And I was glad to expose them to a small dose of my world too."

"I heard about the Titans. Why don't we start at the beginning and maybe go over those rough spots, figure out why they were rough and what you could do to do better."

Despite my intentions, it was after five and the sun was setting by the time I left his office. We had a very active month to catch up on, and we'd barely scratched the surface when he decided to call it a day. I suspected he wanted to leave some for next week for the home visit to give us topics to focus on.

I paused in his first floor lobby to pull on my mittens. I could already feel the cold seeping in through the doors and the idea of flying home in it was less appealing. I made a decision and checked the transit map. I didn't want to squeeze onto a bus, but a train should be doable, just not during rush hour. Deciding I should kill a bit more time to let the crush pass, I looked up a Mexican restaurant near the train station and went for dinner.

I landed on the sidewalk just outside the door and ducked inside as fast as I could. I discovered that on top of the usual post-work dinner rush, this place was having a "Taco Thursdays" deal. A dozen people looked my way as I barged into the restaurant, looking larger than normal due to the fluffed up feathers and fur.

Instead of an airlock door, it had a hot air vent blowing down as you entered. I stood in the airflow for a moment, feeling it blow the coldness off, and tried to ignore the stares. Before someone else had to use the door, I joined the line, pulling off my mittens.

"Can I... Can I help you?" the server asked when I got to the head of the line. I'd been studying the menu while I waited, but my choice was obvious.

"This is probably going to be a bit messy, but I'll keep it contained, I hope. I haven't had tacos since...." I shook my wings a bit. "But I'm hungry. I'll have the three taco deal," I said. "One chicken, one steak and one ground beef."

The rest of the order went easily enough as we went down the line. Remembering my changed tastes, I urged them to go heavy on the jalapenos and spicy taco sauces, and soon enough I had my meal. The restaurant had a few sit down tables for eating at, and a higher table set up along the windows with stools. The regular tables were half filled, while the window seats were deserted. I headed over there immediately and could tell why; the windows were radiating the cold from the outside. Now that I was warmed up, I appreciated the chill, though I knew I wouldn't like it when I went back outside.

I stood at the window table and prepared to eat. The noise level of the restaurant had dropped noticeably, and the reflection in the window showed more than a few people were watching me curiously. It was something I was getting used to when I ate out. Everyone was fascinated with how griffons ate.

The tacos were double shelled, with a hard shell and a soft tortilla. They were loaded with meat, veggies, sauces and cheese. I picked up the first one and leaned over the container to make sure any droppings stayed contained. The hard tortilla crunched as I bit into it, my tongue pulling the chunk deeper into my mouth while lettuce, onions, tomatoes, peppers and ground beef dropped down. The spicy sauce and hot peppers hit my tongue nicely.

The noise level gradually rose as the interest was satisfied. For me, I was happy with how the experiment had turned out. The beak had forced me to change how I ate a lot of things, and while I loved Mexican food and had a lot of nachos, I'd held off on other old favorites. I was pleased I could easily keep tacos on my list.

I took my time eating, scrolling through Facebook between bites. I was clearly visible in the restaurant's window, and drawing some extra attention. The noise ebbed and flowed as more diners showed up. About an hour later, I was done. I ditched my garbage and recycling, and put my mittens on, bracing myself for the cold.

It was as cold as I remembered when I stepped out. I took another quick hop through the frigid sky to the LRT station. The rush hour crowds had died down, so I was able to land right at the door and walk into the warmth. I felt eyes from commuters turn towards me as I examined the route map, figuring out how I'd get home. Before changing, I'd used the trains occasionally, but never from this end of the city.

I bought my ticket and joined the dozen people waiting on the platform for the train. The platform was outside and somewhat exposed but they had heat walls blowing to take the edge off the chill, bringing it back up to tolerable levels for me.

The train rumbled into the station five minutes later. I saw the engineer's surprised expression in the front of the train and waved my wing to her. I picked a car near the middle of the train and waited for everyone to get on and off before stepping on board, pulling my wings tighter than usual. The car was half full, leaving me lots of options to stand. I moved towards the front and looked at the grab straps hanging from the ceiling. I used to use the straps, but now found them uncomfortably high. Instead, I grabbed two of the poles and braced myself, trying to take as little space as I could. I had to travel across half the city after all, so I would be on this train and a transfer train for a long time. The standing area was tighter than I was used to, but I did have a lot more luggage in the back than I had the last time I rode the train.

A warning chime went off, the doors closed, the train started, and I realized my mistake. I was facing the back of the train, when I should have been facing forward. It was the first vehicle I had gotten on in months, and my habits were rusty to say the least. As the train accelerated, I stumbled a little and spread my wings instinctively, even as I fought my new instincts that tried to make sense of the strange acceleration. Thankfully I got things sorted out before the next station, and without accidentally hitting anyone.

"First time on the train?" a man commented from a nearby seat.

"First time like this," I confirmed, shifting my stance to better handle the movement. I was thankful the train was electric, so the noise level was bearable. "Usually I just fly, it's just as fast and doesn't rely on other schedules."

"That must be nice. Why the train today?" he asked.

"The cold mainly. Even griffons have their limits it seems. Not to mention fur, feathers, wings and tail make it tricky to dress up in layers and stay flightworthy."

"That makes sense. I guess I never thought of that. I've seen you guys flying around a lot otherwise."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's a good perk we got with all the rest of the baggage we were given."

We chatted the rest of the way into the city core, until the train got to my transfer station. I briefly considered flying the rest of the way home, but the blast of cold that greeted me as I stepped onto the platform made me decide to stick to my initial plans. The second train wasn't crowded, so I was able to claim a similar position, this time at the back of the car facing forward so the forces were a bit easier to handle.

The rest of my trip was thankfully uneventful. When I got to the station near my home, I took to the air again and did the quick and chilly hop home. I made a mental reminder to try to take the train at least once a month or so, just to stay somewhat used to that sort of travel.

===Friday, Jan 12===

I busied myself in the kitchen, preparing dinner and trying not to think of what the evening would bring. I'd invited Cardi out, and she had agreed to come in after she got off her shift. The salad was a store bought Caesar, but the pasta sauce was home made.

I set the table, opening a bottle of wine and just making sure everything was neat and ready. I paced around the ground floor of my place until I heard someone on the stairs outside. I opened the door and greeted the cardinal-tiger griffon.

"Welcome! Thank you for coming," I greeted her, stepping to one side to give her room to come in. "I hope you didn't have trouble finding the place."

"No problem at all. I'm surprised you still have your lights up."

I led her to the dining room. "Yeah I've always left them up until old Christmas. But since Covid, I've left them up most of January. It just brings some light to the darkness."

"It's a good idea, and looks nice. Especially for a dreary winter." She followed me into the dining area and looked at the set table. "You know, it's usually the guy who gets the girl the dinner on a date, right?"

"I know that, what do you-" I paused and caught what she was implying, considering our plans for later in the evening. "Oh... yeah. Force of habit I guess." I mentally forced myself to switch my thinking, at least for the evening.

He laughed and leaned close, rubbing his beak along mine. "Yeah, we've got a lot of new norms to work out still. Not that it matters. It looks great."

I felt my body warm, feeling a bit confused and nervous. I hid it by retreating to the kitchen to prepare the plates. Cardi watched me leave, then started pouring the wine. We settled down on our bench seats, and a silence descended on the room.

"Not spaghetti?" he said, breaking the silence before it became uncomfortable.

I chuckled and sprinkled some parmesan on my own dish. "It was tempting, but no lips for suction makes it less fun. I've switched more towards macaroni and penne."

"You just need to practice a bit more. Our tongues are quite flexible after all." He winked and licked the edge of his beak, making my pulse increase again. "This looks and smells great."

We kept to safe topics through dinner, talking about GriffTech, some of the longer term plans for the local flock, and just how we've been adapting in general. I had the feeling he was doing his best to help me relax, something I really appreciated.

After the meal, I took my time cleaning up the kitchen, knowing what would be soon but not quite ready yet. I was washing the pots when Cardi came up and purposely bumped into me while dropping off the empty salad bowl. I jumped in surprise, dropping the pot into the water.

"Relax. Are you okay Sky?" he asked, using his wing to rub my back.

I closed my eyes for a moment to compose myself, then nodded, turning off the water. "Yeah, I am. I'm just... I don't know."

"You're as nervous as a teenager about to get laid for the first time. Which makes sense, I guess. Come on, let's go talk." He tugged my hand, leading me back to the living room. He nudged me to the couch while fetching the wine glasses and the half full bottle.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked once I'd sipped.

"I'm sure. I'm just nervous I guess. The wine's helping a bit."

"Well, enjoy it and let's talk, give dinner time to settle. What's making you nervous?"

I set the wine glass down and shrugged my wings. We were facing each other, sitting sideways on the couch. The words started tumbling out before my thoughts fully formed. "Well, us for one thing. We barely know each other, but I feel we've had a good friendship building, both to help the flock and for the apps and just in general. I'm worried this will change things. But at the same time, as I mentioned before, there are only two griffons in our flock I'd really feel comfortable asking this of; and I'm more scared to ask Michelle than you. If things go wrong in bed for some reason, souring your friendship would be bad, but with Michelle it could be disastrous for all of us. At least that's how I feel,"

He put a talon to my beak to silence my flood. "I figured it might be something like that. And I'm honoured you think that way. A little jealous that I'm your second pick, but happy too. Still, this that we're going to do, it's just sex. We're both adults, a bit hormone addled but still adults. We're going into this with our eyes wide open and our expectations clear. Our friendship won't break over a romp in the sack. Or on the sack I guess."

Cardi set his glass down and looked me over. "You aren't a virgin right? I mean, you said you haven't done it since we changed, but before?"

"No! Of course not!" I felt a wave of embarrassment go through me. "But I wasn't really all that active. It's been a long time since I was with someone else; it was basically a romp with a friend in University. Since then, I just haven't been that interested I guess. I self-pleasured and fantasied a bit, but in general I've considered myself an Ace; I just wasn't that interested in all the baggage and pressure being with someone else could bring."

"And now?" he prodded carefully.

"Now, as you said, I'm a bundle of hormones." Now that I was talking about it, combined with the buzz from the wine, I found my tongue was loosened. "After the change, I resisted the urges, even though they were quite strong. It wasn't until I left Fort Parker that I first relaxed enough to let my wet dreams do anything, and then it was just myself and my imagination after that. And Amy's toys of course. I half wonder if resisting so long is part of the reason my cycle is so offset from everyone else's. And also why my swings are so much stronger."

He shrugged and waited for me to go on. "That's basically Amy's theory and why she suggested this. It makes sense to me, as much as anything makes sense, but I don't know. No one really knows."

"I'm no specialist, and neither are they really. But it's as good a theory as any, and certainly couldn't hurt," he said. "Who knows, if we can settle your cycles a bit it might give some insight on how all of us are working now."

I nodded and gulped down the last of my wine before refilling the glass. I poured the rest of the bottle into Cardi's glass. "That's just it, I'm worried it could hurt. Not really physically, but that is a factor. I'm worried it might hurt our friendship... and I'm worried it might have other side effects." I put one hand on my belly.

He let out a friendly laugh and tried to quell it with a sip of his wine glass. "Ah right, the baby bomb issue. A lot of you guys seem to always have that on your mind. I guess it's only fair, you've only had to worry about it for a few months now. I grew up with it, and you do get used to it eventually. It never fully leaves your mind, but it's just part of you, something you keep in mind, but don't worry about otherwise. Granted, we don't have the pill to make things safer yet, but other things do work. And we certainly know when we're safe, compared to human women."

"Well, we're still guessing that this period is safe. Biologically it makes sense that we can't get pregnant right after the egg, but it's just theory really."

"It's a solid enough theory so far. There's always a risk, something we always have to assess. But it feels a lot less risky than human sex. Thankfully, sperm storage seems to be a trait we didn't inherit from our feathered brethren."

We fell silent again, while I processed those thoughts a bit more. I finally stood up and grabbed the bottle. "I still have one more. I think I'll need it. You want more?"

"Sure, whatever makes you comfortable."

When I returned with the fresh bottle, I noticed the sound system was on and Cardi was tapping on the remote controls. I refilled our glasses and set the bottle down. "What are you?" I started to ask, only to be interrupted by an upraised talon.

A few moments later, a song started playing and I let out a quiet laugh.

''Let's talk about sex Baby,''

''Let's talk about you and me''

''Let's talk about all the good things''

''And the bad things that may be''

He grinned back at me and took a sip. "Well, you heard the song. We've got all night, and a fresh bottle. Let's talk about it. Since you're the most nervous, ask away."

I sat back down and left my glass alone. I looked him over, admiring his red feathers and white furred chest. "Well, I guess it's probably obvious, but you have done it before right?"

"Many times, both ways, and with a human too," he confirmed, ticking off the count on his talons. "Not as often since I got up here, but you're not my first."

A couple of followup questions tangled up all at once. I finally managed to squeak out "Human?" while trying to figure out what I wanted to know.

He sighed, his wings drooping slightly. "Yeah, Craig, my old boyfriend. I changed when he didn't. We tried to make things work after I got back to Hat, but things were too different. We tried our best though. After my first rut, I wanted to feel like a woman again, and we tried it. It was okay, but wasn't really satisfying for either of us. It was probably one of the reasons we broke up, and I put in for the opening up here."

"Oh... I'm sorry," I said softly, not wanting to open an old wound any further.

He perked up and shrugged. "It's all air under the wings now. We've both moved on. Frankly, I don't think we would have lasted much longer together even without the change. We were an okay fit, but the differences were starting to build up."

"But you've done it with other griffons too?" I asked, eager to shift the subject. "How was it?"

He smirked at me and winked. "That would be spoilers. But it was good. Both ways. Sex as a guy was quite the experience."

"It was good? Even with how we're equipped?" I motioned to my own groin. I'd read a few reports about griffon reproduction and the barbed penisis, but the look and the thought of feeling it still threw me off a bit.

"Especially with how we're equipped. Don't get hung up by the human norms; we're griffons now. We may look like a hodgepodge of creatures, but we do fit together properly. Our penisis may look scary with human eyes, but they feel great inside and the feedback..." he shuddered happily and shook his head.

I glanced away, feeling a stirring in my own loins at the thoughts and wet my beak before continuing. "And protection? Did you wait for the safe week or what?"

"Despite appearances and expectations, the usual methods do work. Condoms are fine, just pick the heavier duty ones just in case and be careful putting them on. Cups and diaphrams also work for when you want to be a catcher." He saw a brief flash of confusion on my face. "You didn't think of that yet? I'm surprised Amy didn't suggest them."

I shook my head and sighed. "I've got so many blind spots. I never thought about female protection methods. Sex has always been about the condom for me. Or the pill I guess, but that's not an option for us."

He reached out and touched my belly. "Well, as griffons we're still young, we're still learning a lot. But you need to realize, you have some powerful equipment in here, equipment that works different from what you're used to. You've been seeing Adam, but have you been to a doctor since you changed? A gynecologist even?"

"No. Adam suggested I should find one, but it's been so busy and finding a doctor in general is a challenge nowadays, let alone one that is willing to work with griffons. I haven't been seen medically since the initial checkups at Parker."

"You really should. I'll give you the number for Doctor Bella Chase. She's local and willing to look at griffons. I've visited her a few times and she's good, and friendly; she'll make sure you're properly taught how to care for all of your new equipment."

"Thanks. I guess it's something I haven't really thought much of."

"To be fair, you haven't really had a reason to think of it; still, seeing a doctor isn't a bad idea, especially while we're figuring out how we work." He set his glass on the table and looked away.

I finished my own glass and noticed the bottle was empty. I knew it was the last bottle. I was still a little tempted to look for another. I also knew I was just stalling. I stood up and grabbed the empty bottle and glasses. "Can I get you anything else?" I asked, leaving the 'before' unsaid.

He stood up as well and followed me into the kitchen. "I'm good. How are you feeling?"

"Still nervous, but ready I think," I said, setting the glasses on the counter. He came up behind me, and I felt him squeeze my shoulders. Even though I was expecting it, I still jumped a little. I reached back with my wings, hugging him while my tail twitched a bit. I felt warm and not just from the wine.

"Come on, this way," I encouraged her, stepping away and heading for the stairs, turning off the lights along the way.

"You have a beautiful house," he said, looking around as we went up. I went into my bedroom first, moving to the side of my bed.

"Thanks, it's a bit awkward in some ways, especially now, but I like it. Lucked out and got it before the market went supernova."

"Lucky. You're probably paying less than I am too." He paused at the doorway, watching me. "Got any plans for the new year?"

"Thinking of getting a bathroom renovation. Take out the tub and make a bigger shower, one that can give me a better soak." I stood beside the bed, not sure what to do next.

He looked over at the bathroom and nodded. "I could see that. That would be nice." He waited in the doorway, looking back at me expectantly.

I gulped nervously and finally made a move. I loosened my belt and turned sideways, wiggling my hips as I pulled my shorts down. I stepped out of them, and stood there, naked in his presence, the first time I'd been naked among another griffon since Fort Parker. I pulled my wing back and looked over my shoulder at the cardinal griffon, lifting my tail feathers up. I was getting mixed signals from my loins, my vagina moist and my sheath also a bit swollen in anticipation.

Cardi didn't say a word. He stepped into the bedroom and closed the door needlessly. He licked his pink beak while working on his own shorts, sliding them down his tiger striped legs. He faced me, arms to his side, wings twitching a bit, letting me take him in.

It was the first time I really looked at a naked griffon, at least in this way. While nudity had been the norm down in Fort Parker, I had been fighting to keep my libido in check and avoided looking at others in that way. Now, my libido was off its leash and I drank him in.

Cardi was a handsome and beautiful griffon, with a figure that appealed to me in ways that humans no longer did. Since we flew almost everywhere, we tended to be muscular, especially in our chests, even with our breasts. The shape of his beak, his perky breasts, strong wings and arms, were all appealing. My eyes drifted lower, taking in his red plumage and tail, and the white, orange and black tiger pattern of his fur. Finally, I focused on the one part I'd been trying to ignore. My eyes followed a scaled hand down as he stroked his sheath, already clearly partly aroused. The fleshy shaft with the barbs still scared me a bit, but also made my loins moist. I gulped a bit, feeling my pulse quicken.

"Why don't you lie down and get comfortable," he suggested, taking a few steps closer.

"Shu-sure," I stammered out, turning away and focused on my bed, feeling a little indecisive.

Griffons had been developing many positions, mostly similar to human positions. Laying down on my back wasn't comfortable with the wings and tail feathers, but for the first time, I wanted to see him. I pulled my tail tight against my legs and sat on my tail feathers on the bed. I leaned back, bracing myself with my wings. My entire body was quivering in anticipation.

Cardi was suddenly next to me and I was intensely aware of his presence. He sat on the edge of the bed next to me and stroked my wings. I met his gaze and nodded. "I'm ready," I said.

"Almost," he said, suddenly shifting his position until he was straddling me. I had a close view of his white furred breasts, and his erect member, as well as a peek at his vulva. It was obvious we were both feeling it both ways.

I pushed myself up with my wings, and nuzzled his breasts nibbling at his nipples and making him gasp. He stroked my ears making them twitch, then rubbed my wings. It felt like we spent an eternity playing with each other, running talons through fur and feathers, nibbling and doing tentative probing with our talons and even our tongues. I felt like I was in the middle of my heat again with the amount of arousal I was feeling, yearning for him to get it on, but not quite ready for it at the same time.

After an eternity, he shifted position over me and I knew he was getting ready. He braced himself on the bed just above my shoulders and spread his legs a bit, his tail feathers spreading along with his wings. I glanced down past his breasts and saw his shaft, looking larger than I expected. I'd been pushing eggs out of my opening for months now so I knew it would fit, but it still seemed too big. My own shaft was somewhat hard from our foreplay, glistening on my dark fur. He glanced down as well and wiggled a bit, pressing forward, and suddenly I felt something pressing into my hot vulva. I gasped as I felt it sliding in deeper and deeper.

I clenched the comforter under me, and dug my claws into it, fighting the orgasm I was on the edge of. Cardi seemed to sense my resistance a bit, and began to pull back, and I realized what the barbs on our shafts meant. I felt them slide in my moist tunnel, not painful but lighting up sensitive flesh. I couldn't hold it any longer and let out a screech, shuddering as the orgasm washed over me.

Cardi held his position for a long moment, half in me as I spasmed under him. He was breathing hard as well, somehow managing to hold back his own climax. When the crest of the orgasm had passed, he pushed in again and I felt myself tighten up on the hard shaft. He pushed in and out a few times, before pushing in deep, pressing hard against me, pinning my own hard member between our furry bellies.

"Better than the toys?" he gasped out, looking down into my eyes.

"Gods, yes," I gasped back, panting hard, feeling my pleasure building again in ways I hadn't experienced before.

He pulled back and thrust in hard again. This time he didn't hold back, and I felt his shaft throb and pulse a bit and he let out his own screech of pleasure. I echoed it, climaxing again. I even felt my own member twitch and wetness spread on my belly.

He twitched a bit more, then slumped down on top of me. I hugged him and nuzzled along his beak, both of us panting hard, nipples tingling. I clenched on the shaft still buried deep in me, getting used to the sensation. It still felt strange to me, but it felt nice in ways I hadn't expected.

"Fuck...." I moaned softly.

He nuzzled me again and slowly pulled back. I shuddered, feeling the barbs rubbing in me, not quite enough to tip over again, but still feeling surprisingly nice. He slid out and rolled over to one side.

I weakly sat up and pulled my wings together so I could roll over onto my side and face him. I looked at my belly and saw the wet spot on my fur, my own shaft slowly calming down. Below that, my vulva twitched a little, glistening with wetness that was spread over my thigh fur. A bit of thick white fluid, similar to what stuck to my belly fur, dribbled from the lips.

"We need new toys," I said, shifting my focus to the red griffon next to me.

Cardi laughed and played with my nipples as we faced each other on the bed. "We certainly do."

I reached over and pinched his own nipples and rubbed his breasts. "I wasn't expecting that... Damn... Wow..."

"I take it, you liked it?"

"It may be the hormones talking, but I probably wouldn't say no to going again... But not right now."

He giggled and shifted his hand to stroke my shaft. It twitched and began to harden. "Good, I'm too close to heat to go again right away. Maybe closer to the rut but not today. A shame you don't have protection yet, I'd love to show you both ways. Maybe next time."

"Next time. Fuck, I've got so much to learn. What do I do with all this?" I asked, looking down at my groin.

"Nothing for now, unless you really want to. Later, just wash. A cloth with soap and water is enough around your pussy. No need to wash inside; our bodies can handle that naturally."

I nodded a bit and closed my eyes, trying to stabilize my breathing. "Okay, that's not so bad." I reopened my eyes and flicked my ears, while sliding my hand down his side, tracing the fur-feather line. When I reached his loins, I rubbed his own labia, feeling the moist lips there. "And I'm not turning in my Ace card... but I could get used to this a bit."

He gasped a little and licked his beak before licking my beak. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you. I hope this helps."

"It certainly didn't hurt," I said, rubbing harder, slipping a talon in. He shivered and twitched his wings, squirming to give me a better angle.

With how aroused we both were, it didn't take much more for me to tip him over the edge. It wasn't as intense as our earlier activities, but I saw and felt him gasp and shudder from my stroking and probing.

Now that the action was done, I could feel fatigue setting in, along with a euphoric afterglow. We kept cuddling and petting. When I felt I had a little bit of energy back, I got up to turn off the lights. Cardi watched me from the bed as I assessed what we did. I ached in ways I'd never ached before. My loins were sticky and I didn't care for now. The comforter had tears where talons and claws had dug in. I was glad I had planned on it getting damaged; it was an older comforter that I was going to throw out if I needed to. I flicked off the lights and got back on the bed, looking at the shadowed griffon mass next to me.

"Thank you," I said, giving her another beak kiss.

"Rest well, Sky." she replied, nuzzling and stroking me in return.

===Saturday, January 13===

I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep and slept in late the next morning. When I finally started to wake up, I was confused. I could sense a presence next to me in the bed, hearing their steady breathing. Once my brain got into gear, I remembered what was going on and relaxed a bit. I opened my eyes and saw Cardi still in deep sleep, her tongue hanging out of her beak a bit. I glanced at the clock to see it was half past eight and decided to keep dozing.

A while later I heard her breathing change and opened my eyes. I saw her blinking and yawning. Her wings stretched out off the bed behind her. Her yellow eyes blinked a few times before she focused on me.

"Good morning," I said.

"Morning," she replied groggily. "How are you feeling?"

I took a moment to consider my answer and how I felt. "I'm feeling... good. A bit sticky I guess, but no regrets."

She smiled and nuzzled me. "Good good."

"How are you feeling?" I asked, stroking her side. I glanced down and saw we both had a strong case of morning wood.

"I'm feeling great." She stretched her wings again and sat up a bit, looking down and seeing what I was looking at. "Four months on and I'm still getting used to that of course."

I giggled and daringly reached down to rub it. "Care to do something about it? I'm still safe."

She chirred softly and nodded, flicking her ears. "I wouldn't say no, if you're ready for it."

Now that I was thinking of it, I could feel my loins warming up to the idea. This time I decided I wanted to be on top. I pressed against her and started to climb over her. She quickly realized what I had in mind, and after a brief tangle of wings, tails, arms and legs, she got herself laid out with me straddling her thighs.

"Feeling experimental?" she teased as she propped herself up with her wings. She wiggled to get comfortable on the mattress while I faced her, reaching down to help wake her morning wood.

"Something like that. I wrecked my feathers last night, figure it's only fair to make you mess yours up," I teased, stroking along her hardening member.

"Good thing I know you have a good grooming set I can borrow," she said, rubbing my breasts and making my pulse quicken. One advantage of our wings was that we could use them to prop ourselves up while leaving our hands free for other things.

We didn't do as much foreplay this time. When it felt like we were both ready, I braced myself on her shoulders and lifted up so I could slide closer. I looked down to make sure we were lined up and hesitated for a moment before lowering myself down. I let out a happy moan as I felt the thick shaft slide into me again. This time I was in a better position to look down and see it filling me. It stretched my opening, not quite as much as the eggs did, but more than I was used to.

I lifted myself up a bit and let out a louder moan as I had the sensation of the barbs rubbing inside me again. Cardi echoed my moan and twitched a bit as she tried to move with me. I hugged her and nuzzled as we rocked and before long, I felt her tense and then release. I let my own climax happen as well, and let myself slump against her.

Some time later, I felt her nuzzle me, helping me refocus. It had only been a few moments. I rubbed her shoulders and sighed happily.

"You okay?" she asked, rubbing my wings a bit.

"Yeah, just taking the moment." I finally lifted off of him and slid back. "But the moment is past, for now. I'm starved and I need to get cleaned up."

"Yeah we both do. It's your place, you go first."

I slipped off of her and stood up. I caught my movement in the mirror and turned to examine myself. My feathers and fur were a mess. The fur around my belly was matted down with dried cum and other fluids. The fur of my thighs and groin were similarly messy with dry and wet fluids. I cupped my breasts and shook my wings a bit. "Damn, I'm a mess."

"Yeah, we're messy when we go all out. But it's fun." Cardi sat up on the edge of the bed, watching me. She flicked her own wings and watched me and my reflection. I didn't think she realized she was rubbing herself, her fingers slipping into the opening between her legs. It was making my own shaft harder..

I decided it was best to get going before hormones got the most of us; I knew Cardi was only a day or two away from her heat, in the prime danger zone. I quickly went to the bathroom, grabbed some spare brushes from the cupboard and tossed them into the bedroom onto the bed.

"Here, you can do some preening while you wait," I suggested. "They're new ones, left over from the first session in October."

I closed the bathroom door and started running the water in the tub. I brushed my beak, while contemplating how much time I wanted to take cleaning up. While I wanted a bit of a soak, something my bathroom didn't really support, I decided a quick wipe was more in order.

I stepped into the bathtub, feeling the water pool a bit around my paws. I used a cloth to soak the fur on my belly, loins and thighs. I lathered in some shampoo and rinsed it out, feeling a bit of arousal, but not enough to feel the need to take action on. As I washed off my vulva, my mind briefly considered what was deeper in. I pushed those thoughts to the side before I started spiralling; there was nothing I could do about it now.

I finished up and towel dried as fast as I could. I wiped up the bathroom counter and set up a few fresh towels and cloths for Cardi, grabbed my brushes and stepped out.

"All done, feel free to go in if you want," I said. "There's fresh towels there for you. Just leave them in the tub and I'll get them later."

We swapped rooms and I started brushing out my fur and feathers. I felt clean and presentable before she was done. Without getting dressed, I went downstairs and started preparing breakfast.

"Mmmmm, breakfast with a view," Cardi said, coming down the stairs. She had pulled her shorts back on.

I flicked my tailfeathers to one side and wiggled my wings. "I needed a bit more drying time. I'll dress later. What do you feel like for breakfast? I've got bacon, toast, Eggos, yogurt and fruit. Oh and eggs I guess."

"Bacon without eggs sounds good enough for me. And some yogurt," she said. I stepped to one side to give her room to get to the coffee machine. "Your eggs are beautiful."

I looked at her, then at my first egg. "Thanks. So are yours," I said, remembering her egg in her condo. Having another griffon comment on the egg seemed less embarrassing then having humans comment on it.

"So how are you feeling?" she asked as I cooked. Naked bacon cooking was safer when you had a layer of fur and feathers to protect you; though I did my best to keep the splatters down, not wanting the grease to wreck my fur quality.

"I'm feeling good," I said. "No regrets, and it felt really nice. Some nagging worries that will probably keep going until my next heat, or my next egg, but nothing I can't handle."

"That's fair. I won't say it goes away but you get to know your body one way or another. We should get in the habit of using protection in any case. Practice using condoms and a diaphragm. Doctor Chase can fit you for one if you ask."

"Do condoms make it feel different?" I asked, loading up the plates. We moved to the dining room to eat. .

"A little, but not as much as you would expect."

We ate in silence before I brought up the next thing I was curious about. "You know why I asked you to do this. Amy thought it would help my peaks and you know I've complained about how bad my peaks are. But I don't think you've ever really described yours. How do you handle them?"

"The first few were rough; they caught all of us by surprise of course. But mine don't seem to be as bad as yours. I don't know if Amy's theory is right, because I was active, or if it's because of other reasons."

"The late November and December ones, I had to work through. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get through the day, but I found them easier to handle. I had to work so that gave me something else to focus on. There were some close calls, and my temper was shorter than usual, but I got through it."

"Sounds like Adam's theory might be stronger than Amy's," I said.

She nibbled on a crunchy piece of bacon and nodded. "Most likely. Both have merits, and I don't mind helping experiment."

I chuckled a bit and nodded in agreement. "Any more tips?"

"Tips? Oh yeah! Well, let's see.... First, take the edge off. Give in to the heat or the rut when it first surges, get it out of your system a bit. That will help with the rest of the day. After that, keep busy, keep your mind on other things and you'll have a stronger base to fight back against the hormones. And finally, invest in some maxipads. Both for the heat and the rut."

I tilted my head in confusion. "Maxipads?"

"Yeah, they're surprisingly useful. We don't have periods any more, but I had some left over, so I used one for my last rut and it was surprisingly useful. Just a bit of extra padding around the sensitive parts, and it helps hide what's going on down there. Give it a shot and you might be surprised."

"Thanks," I said, making a mental note. The Simon part of me had a typical male reaction to the idea, but he knew he was losing ground.

"So what are you doing today?" she asked, shifting topics.

"There's another round of tryouts for the skyball team at Commonwealth," I said. "I'm not trying out, but I'll be there for support."

"Nice. Wish I could go. Sounds like it will be fun."

"Yeah, it should be. Thankfully the polar vortex moved along. It's only in the teens."

"''Only,"'' we laughed at the idea of that temperature being comfortable.

We cleaned up the kitchen, bumping into each other more times than needed. Neither of us were looking for more action, but the contact was a nice tease. Once my place was back in order, she started putting on the rest of her gear.

"Thanks for everything," I said as she prepared.

"It was my pleasure. I'm looking forward to you repaying the favour in a week or so," she said, winking at me.

I felt my face warm, but the promise was very appealing. "I'm looking forward to it. Just let me know when."

"Oh I will. But don't expect a home cooked meal like you did. I'm a mediocre cook at the best of times."

I laughed, "Don't expect that too often from me either. This just felt like a special occasion."

She stepped up to me and nuzzled, beak to beak. She teasingly pinched my nipple. "Oh it was special."

I laughed and pulled my wings forward to hug her, then pushed her away. "Get going before we need to clean up again."

"Fine! Fine. Have fun Sky."

"Thanks, try to have fun as well, if you can."

I let her out the back door to my usual takeoff spot. I stood on the porch and waved as she took off. She circled overhead briefly then set off towards her condo.

Over the next hour or so, I stripped the bed and hauled the towels and sheets down to the basement to wash. I puttered around the house, cleaning up and just stewing in my thoughts and feelings over what I'd done. I had some worries and concerns, but I eventually decided I had no regrets.

===Monday, January 15===

Around 9:30 in the morning, I had a gap in my schedule. I'd caught up with all the reports and updates from the weekend, and my team meetings weren't until ten. With Cardi's advice still ringing in my ears, I decided to take action before I got cold paws. I made sure my office door was closed, set up a notepad to scrawl notes down, and dialed the number she'd left me.

"Riverside Medical Services, Doctor Chase's office, Mandy speaking. How can I help you today?" the receptionist answered after a few rings.

"Good morning," I said, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'm Simon Farrell. I'm looking to book an appointment. A friend of mine suggested Doctor Chase to me."

"I see. Are you already a patient with a Doctor here?" the receptionist asked.

I shook my head, "No, I'm afraid not. Until recently I hadn't seen a doctor in decades, and my old family doc is back east."

"Right, I'm sorry, but Doctor Chase isn't taking new patients at this time. But we can add you to her waiting list. Or I can suggest other physicians you could try."

I wasn't surprised to hear that; the strain that the health system was under was well known across the country, but the governments didn't seem to want to do much about it but pass the blame around.

"Sure, I would appreciate it," I said. "But I don't know if there are many doctors around here who could help me."

"Is there something wrong?" Mandy asked. I could hear the concern in her voice. "If you are ill or injured you should go to the hospital. Or check out a walk-in clinic in your area."

I let out a nervous laugh, "No, nothing's wrong with me. At least nothing that I need addressed right away."

"Okay, that's good," she said, clearly relieved. "What sort of medical services are you looking for? A family doctor? A diabetes specialist? Senior care? Pediatrician or something else?"

"I guess I'm looking for a family doctor, or a general practitioner or whatever it's called. But I need someone who's knowledgeable about griffons. That's why Cardi suggested your office to me."

"OH! You're a griffon? Just a second..." Through the connection, I heard a rustle of paperwork and some rapidfire typing on a keyboard. "You said you don't have a family doctor at the moment, right?"

"I don't. He's still seeing my parents back in Ontario, but I haven't seen him since I was in my teens. Haven't seen anyone really, other than the tests they did on me last September."

"Okay, well that makes it a bit trickier. Doctor Chase does have a full schedule, but she wants to help as many of you griffons as possible. Normally she'd do it as an advisor in conjunction with your family doctor, but since you don't have one...." Mandy fell silent as she continued typing rapidly. "Could you hold for a minute?"

"Sure, I can wait," I said. I leaned back on my ball-perch, stretching out my wings to brace against the wall as generic hold music took over. I tapped my mouse and skimmed Outlook for any fresh emails, but nothing urgent was waiting.

"Are you still there?" Mandy asked. "I have Doctor Chase here. What did you say your name was again, and how do you prefer to be addressed?"

"Simon Farrell," I said and paused. Somehow in the past few months, I'd never really thought about the honorifics I wanted to use. "Anything works, I guess. I'm sort've used to Mister of course, but it's not the most applicable any more. You can call me Simon, I don't mind." I stopped myself from suggesting Skyfire; I suspected her position in our community would have pushed me to the front of the list, but I didn't want to use her for favours.

"Certainly, Mister Farrell. Doctor Chase would like to speak to you. Please hold."

The hold music kicked in again, but only for a minute. A new woman's voice was on the line. "Good day, Mister Farrell. I'm Doctor Bella Chase. I understand you're looking to become a patient of mine?"

"Yes, or to at least get some checkups I guess, and some advice maybe."

"Okay. Please understand my patient load is already quite high; but I am becoming one of the few griffon specialists in the city, so I'm trying to help your kind where I can. Is there anything in particular you are looking for, or that you need right away? Are you pregnant?"

"Pregnant? No! No I'm not," I said, hoping the hint of worry didn't show in my voice. It had been an active weekend, but it should have been safe. "I don't need anything right away. I'm feeling fine, all things considered. I'm friends with Cardi, and she suggested you, mainly because we-I'm becoming a bit more active, and, well I don't really have the background to fully know what I'm doing, or should be doing."

She let out a pleasant laugh. "That is understandable, and I can see Cardi saying that. And don't feel bad, all of you griffons tend to need some lessons on how to properly care for your new bodies. I'll pass you back to Mandy to schedule an appointment. I think I have some openings next week, so she can see where we can fit you in."

"Thank you, Doctor Chase. I appreciate it."

"No problem. I'll see you soon."

After a brief moment on hold, Mandy was back on the line. "Okay, we have some openings next week, on Wednesday or Thursday. What times work best for you?"

"Wednesday afternoon if possible," I said quickly.

"That is doable. How does 3:30 sound? It would take about an hour for a first appointment."

"That's fine," I confirmed, then gave my contact information to make it official.

"Right, looking good. You said you don't have a current physician. Have you had any sort of checkup recently? Especially since you changed?"

"I was in Fort Parker, at the Flying J. So I was one of the volunteers in the early days. I'm sure they have my records there."

There was more tapping, and I heard some subvocalized mumbling. "Great, we can work with that. When you show up, we'll have a permission form for you to fill out to request their records. And if you'll allow it, we'll share our findings with them to add to the griffon health databases."

"That's fine, I've gotten used to sharing a lot with them. Anything that might give a clue about what happened to us, or at least make sure we stay healthy. Is there anything I need to do before I arrive?"

"Nothing special. You can eat and drink normally, no need to fast. We'll probably look to take various samples to help establish your baselines, and to compare with what was gathered last September. And clean between your legs; Doctor Chase will be doing a thorough checkup."

I felt my ears warm and pressed them back in embarrassment. It made sense but I still wasn't used to thinking like that. "Sure, thank you."

Mandy made a few more taps on the keyboard. "You're all set. You should be getting a text and email reminder shortly, and you'll get another the day before. See you then!"

"Thanks again... Got them," I said, seeing the notice pop up on my phone. "I'll see you then."

===Thursday, Jan 18===

My icy goddess was back and I welcomed her with open arms and wings. We floated in a cold dark starlit void. I could see her clearly despite the apparent darkness we were in. My nipples tingled and my shaft was already hard in anticipation. She flicked her tail feathers a bit and motioned towards me, her wings spread to show her plumage more clearly. I needed no further invitation.

The distance between us vanished and she was in my arms. I rubbed my paws along her legs, feeling my sensitive shaft against her fur. We rubbed beaks, breasts pressing together while I hugged her.

I shifted my talons down to her furry hips and squeezed them, pulling her in closer. I was all in this time, shifting my grip to stroke her sheath a moment even though it was dormant. One thing I'd learned over the past few months was that even during the peaks, when one sex demanded all the attention and focus, it could still feel nice to give the other some focus.

She chirred in agreement and rubbed my arms, her beak nuzzling at the base of my neck, her talons gripping my shoulders. I stroked lower, finding her opening already moist and quivering with arousal. I stroked her clit briefly before my own urges took over.

I shifted my grip to her hips and pulled her closer. I pushed into her hot, wet tunnel and felt it tighten around my shaft. I still had no real knowledge of what this felt like from the male griffon side, but I knew what she was feeling now and it seemed to intensify my imagination.

I pulled back a little and the barbs on my shaft flared, intensifying the sensations. The goddess shuddered in pleasure as well and squeezed harder. I gripped her harder and pushed in deeper, feeling her own sheath press against my belly fur. All too soon, I felt our bodies tense and my shaft throbbed, releasing in her hot depths.

I woke up suddenly, my body still tense and shaking with pleasure, panting hard. I was lying mostly on my side, and I could feel my morning wood was still hard. I couldn't see anything in the darkness, but I felt the other side of the bed and could tell there was a wet spot there. The rut was here and it had taken its first payment.

I groaned, my mind getting into gear. I pushed myself up slowly and slid off the side of the bed. I fumbled for the light and squinted at the sudden brightness. Able to see now, I could see a large wet spot on the side of the bed, and a similar spot on my belly. My shaft was still hard, but not yearning for attention.

"Okay, here we go again,' I grumbled to myself. It was early, but more sleep was impossible now. Instead, I started reviewing my plans for the day. Satisfying the initial urges was done. I would clean the sheets later but for now, I went to do my usual morning routine, washing up my fur and doing some basic preening.

By the time I was done, I could feel the urge building again, but I refused to give in to it. The throbbing of my shaft was hard to ignore, not to mention how swollen and hard my nipples were. I swore they were growing as I watched, but I knew it was just my imagination.

Instead of giving in, I forced myself to continue my routine. Starting with getting dressed. Cardi's advice echoed in my memory as I looked at what I'd set out the night before, a fresh change of clothes and a pack of pantyliners. I opened the packet and unwrapped one of them, fighting some leftover male squirminess; I wasn't even using it for the designed purpose, but many griffons had reported they did help.

The other new thing in the pile was something I had ordered but not used. Since the change, I had been going commando, wearing no underwear under my shorts. My old boxer-briefs certainly didn't fit any more, and the initial offerings from the designers just didn't seem right. The basic griffon underwear was designed as panties. Since our sheaths were only sexual and not used otherwise, it made some sense; but my formerly male mind had a hiccup over wearing panties. I'd finally broken down and ordered a set of cotton 'granny panties' in anticipation of my next rut and heat.

Griffon panties were a little different from regular human ones. They were basically the same, but they had more give in the front for the sheath, while still covering my ass and pussy. I pulled them on, the fabric squishing my fur a bit more than I was used to. I could feel the cotton rubbing my member, making the arousal harder to ignore but I still fought it. Instead I slipped the liner in and placed it in the front so it added a bit of protection. I pulled on my shorts and stood up, looking at myself in the mirror. Knowing what I was looking for, I could tell my shorts were tenting much more than usual, but for others, I doubted anything was particularly visible.

I shifted my attention upwards and rubbed my furry breasts. My nipples were swollen and visible on my larger orbs. I cupped them in both hands and pinched the nipples between my fingers. The feeling made me moan and nearly made me cum again. I let go quickly and grabbed my top, pulling it on over my head. I tucked a couple of absorbent pads over my nipples for the inevitable leakage, and inspected myself in the mirror. I looked fairly normal, especially considering how ruts usually made me feel. My body had a tenseness to it that I thought I could see, but overall I felt normal.

I forced the feelings my hormones were giving me back, and went downstairs to make breakfast. After eating, I felt better. The urges were a constant distraction in the back of my mind, and in my shirt and shorts, but I felt a bit better able to control them. Using Adam's advice, I went to my office and tackled some work. Technically I was 'off' for the day, but there was always stuff that had to be done, especially when you had been with a company as long as I had been.

By lunch time, I felt reasonably good. I'd been fighting the urges all morning and been mostly successful; the pad in my shorts was wet from the few times I had to give in and 'rubbed one out', but I'd resisted the urges to go full out. I knew I would have to review all my work later, when I was in a saner state of mind. I left my office and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. As if it could tell I was taking a break, my libido roared for attention. I did my best to keep it reigned in, forcing myself to prepare a proper lunch. It was just a bowl of canned stew, yogurt, an apple, some sweets and a glass of juice. I treated it like a six course meal, making sure to savour each bite and doing my best to ''not'' think about what was happening down below.

After lunch, my restraints were weakening.Most tellingly, the padding over my nipples was getting wet and heavy, on the verge of falling out of position. Knowing Adam would be coming over in a few hours, I figured it was a good enough attempt and retreated to my bedroom. I stripped off my clothes and checked the pads. They were wet and stained but holding up well enough, especially since this wasn't the type of flow the panty liners were designed to handle.

I gave in to the urges and retrieved some of my toys. I relaxed on the bed for a somewhat quick but intense play session. I tried to ignore my swollen cock and instead played with my nipples, getting my talons annoyingly wet. I also used a vibrator and played with my pussy. It didn't fully 'wake up', but the feelings were still strong and drove my arousal to higher levels. Finally I switched toys and slammed my swollen shaft into the lubricated toy. It only took a couple of thrusts before I came, feeling the pulsing through the toy. I slumped back on the bed, panting hard, sated for the moment.

After recovering, I sat up and set up the breast pump. My chest was feeling really heavy now, and I didn't want to be too swollen when Adam showed up. I took my time, pumping each breast and trying not to get too aroused from it. I was only partially successful. Like last time, the container was only about half full when I was done, and I was more than ready to fill something else. I grabbed the toy and unloaded into it yet again.

I sighed wearily and looked at the results. The rut was still gripping me hard, but I had some respite now. The toy meant I was less messy than the morning routine had been. I set the pump and toys to one side and got dressed, putting in a fresh pantyliner and breast pads to hopefully handle the rest of the day. It was tempting to leave everything as it was and go back to work. Instead, I took them to the bathroom, dumped the milk and gave everything a good scrubbing so it would be clean for later. I had no doubt there would be a later soon enough.

Getting back into a work mindset was difficult, especially with the rut demanding attention. Nonetheless, I buckled down and picked up where I had left off.

Like the morning, the focus certainly helped. I had to pause a few times again to relieve myself, but I managed to keep the worst urges in check. I'd just done another paw-off break, relying on the liner to hide my release, and was trying to pick up where I'd left off in the report, when the doorbell rang. I jumped in surprise, wings flaring out and feathers fluffing up in a protective manner. A glance at the clock showed it was just after three.

"Shit, already?" I growled, trying to calm myself. The doorbell rang again, and the nest doorbell app pinged for attention. I ignored it, knowing who was there.

Instead, I stood up and ducked into my bedroom to check my appearance. I was presentable, the padding keeping everything somewhat contained. I ran my talons through my head feathers and licked my beak briefly as the bell rang again.

"Coming!" I shouted, heading down the stairs. I opened the door and found Adam standing there. "Sorry, I lost track of time, in a good way. You surprised me," I greeted him.

My head doctor stood on the porch, bundled up in a heavy jacket, a toque and mittens. I realized that while the cold snap had broken, it was still in the negative teens with a wicked windchill. Very nice for a griffon, but still rather bitter for regular humans.

While I was studying him, Adam was studying me. He took in my appearance, but didn't comment on it. "No problem. I expected you to take some time. I half expected you to tell me to leave."

"I'd be lying if I said the thought didn't cross my mind. But overall, this one seems to be going better." I remembered my manners and stepped aside. "Please, come in. Take your jacket and boots off if you want. I think it's warm enough." I checked at the thermostat, having remembered to turn it up the day before. After Christmas, I'd added a 'human guests' setting to the program to bring the heat up to more tolerable levels.

Adam stepped in. While he shed his outerwear, I closed the door and opened the closet and offered a hanger to him. I motioned for him to have a seat in the living room while I settled on the padded bench I used as my main seat now. The urges were building again, as if sensing I was more distracted.

"So, how are things going?" he asked. He took out a small pad and a pen and set them on the arm of the chair he was in, but as usual, he wasn't writing anything down.

I tried to relax as best I could despite the tidal wave of hormones I was feeling. Despite my role in the local griffon community, I normally considered myself an introvert. Hosting company was difficult for me on a good day, and this wasn't a good day.

"I'm doing okay. The advice is helping," I started.

"Good. You are looking good," he encouraged me.

"Well, I did give in around lunch time, but mostly I've got a grip on things." I said. I continued from there, describing how the morning had gone and how the rut was hitting me. By the time I finished, I could feel the urges building again, and since I had company I didn't feel comfortable rubbing it out. I was squirming on the bench, trying my best to stay focused on him.

He noticed my discomfort and brought it up when I finished. "How are you feeling now? Do you need a moment?"

"It's... rough," I confirmed. "Things are building again, but I want to push it. It should be getting near the end now, maybe if I can push through it, it will fade naturally."

He looked doubtful, but nodded. "If you feel that way. If you need to do anything, please just go do it. I understand what you are fighting, even if I can't fully comprehend it."

"Thanks," I said, trying to hold as still as possible. Every little movement I made seemed to agitate my sensations, feeling the pad and my fur against my aroused cock, and my heavy breasts with their sensitive erect nipples. I preyed desperately that the pads would hold out.

He studied me for a long moment, then looked around the living room. "So, I know it's still early, but I can see some adaptations you've made here. How's the place working out? Got any plans for the spring?" he asked, segueing into safer topics.

I nodded thankfully and dove deeper into my house plans, both what I had done and what I was planning to do. Nothing was really baked in yet, but I'd been building up a list since getting home last September.

An hour or so later, I felt like I was so tense that I wouldn't need the bench to sit on any more. Even talking and breathing felt like it would set me off, my whole body yearning for a release I wasn't giving it. I figured the rut had to be almost over now, but I had no idea if it would fade with a whimper or demand a release. Adam was watching me carefully and seemed to sense how close I was to my limits.

"You've done a fantastic job today, considering it's only your fourth rut, and the first one you've tried to control," he said.

"Thanks, it's been rough," I said. If I still had teeth, I would probably have been clenching them. But if i still had teeth, I wouldn't be in this position in the first place.

"I know you've said you gave in to it a few times already today. Don't see that as a failure. You've made major steps today, even if it still feels like it controls you."

"Yeah, I know that up here," I said, tapping the side of my head. "But down here, it feels like it's fully in control." I carefully motioned around my chest, not touching anything.

"Right, but it's a start. You're basically in the throes of an intense adolescence. It takes time to sort those out, and you have the added wrinkle of a competing hormonal cycle.In any case, I think it's fair to give in now. You put up a good fight. The next one will go even better. For now, give in and let your body settle back into normal."

I wanted to resist, but decided he was right. I nodded my thanks and stood up, freezing for a moment while struggling to contain my reactions. The movement rubbed my hard cock against the padding and nearly set me off.

"Should I step out?" Adam suggested, seeing my discomfort.

I shook my head quickly, struggling to contain things. "Nuh-no. I'm good," I stammered out.

I limped to the stairs and almost pulled myself up with the railing, trying to use my legs as little as possible. I could feel Adam's gaze on my feathered back all the way up.

In my bedroom, I dropped my shorts and underwear as fast as I could. The pad was wet, but I didn't care. All I could focus on was the dark barbed shaft that was screaming for attention. Somehow I managed to keep my mind long enough to get a toy, and was quickly pumping into it for release. The release came quickly, but did little to calm the roar.

I slumped back on the bed, panting, yearning for relief. While my cock was recovering, I fondled my breasts through my shirt, feeling their heft and the dampness of the pads. All too soon I was ready to go again, shooting into the toy eagerly.

By the third round, I finally felt the roar fading away. Exhaustion washed over me as the rut finally released. I groaned weakly, letting the toy fall onto the bed. I ached all over, especially my cock. I knew I had more to do, but for the moment I just had to rest.

I didn't quite fall asleep, but I did zonk out for a few minutes. When I came back to my senses, I sat up and knew I had one more major chore to do. I pulled my top off and tossed it to the side, along with the pads. I started setting up the breast pump, when I heard noise downstairs. I remembered my guest.

"You still here, Adam?" I called out.

"Of course. Just taking care of some paperwork while I was waiting. How are you doing?" he called back.

"It's broken. All over but the cleanup," I confirmed.

"Good. How do you feel?"

"Exhausted. Holding it in that long was a challenge, and it took revenge."

"Understandable. Do you want to talk about it more now, or wait until next week, back in the office?"

I considered the offer. I mostly just wanted to finish up and go to bed. At the same time, I knew this was probably an opportunity that wouldn't come again, even if he came back for my heat session.

"Part of me wants you to leave.... But I think it would be better for us to have a little chat before then. Just to cover things while it's fresh, and to give you a better understanding of what we're going through," I said.

"Of course. I can wait until you're ready."

I looked around my room. It was an embarrassing mess. I looked at myself, naked now, my fur and feathers a mess, my breasts swollen and aching to be emptied, my cock softening and almost back in its sheath. Despite all that, I made a rash decision.

"Come on up. We can talk now," I said, deciding before I got cold paws.

I heard him move downstairs to the base of the stairs. "Are you sure?"

"Not really. But I'm willing to do it. Just to warn you, I'm not the most presentable right now."

"Of course. After what you went through, I can't imagine how anyone would be presentable."

I heard him move to the base of the stairs and could imagine him looking up. "Are you sure?" he asked again.

I sighed and nodded, wanting to get on with this. "Yes, I'm sure. Get up here before I change my mind."

I picked up the breast pump and pressed it to a nipple and started pumping. I sighed softly in relief, feeling the tug on my sensitive nipple and the pressure easing as the cream was pulled out. From downstairs, I heard Adam slowly coming up the stairs. He paused at the top, looking around, but not able to see in the bedroom yet.

"Come on in. First door on your left," I encouraged him.

"You sure you want to talk now? I could still wait downstairs," he replied, not moving from the landing.

I sighed and squeezed my breast, deciding it was too full to shift yet. "Yes, get in here. You should see this if you want to know everything that griffons are going through."

He finally appeared in my doorway. I saw his eyes hit me, and quickly look away.

"You've seen most of this before," I teased him lightly. "I just wasn't actually using these when you saw them," I added, hefting my breast.

"I suppose, but context matters a lot," he said. I saw his nose wrinkle, taking in a scent I couldn't really smell. He didn't comment on it, instead shifting the topic as fast as he could. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted. And full. But mainly exhausted," I confirmed, keeping him in my gaze.

"And you always feel like this afterwards?"

"More or less. I'm trying to muscle through this one."

He looked at me and forced himself to match my gaze. "And it's common for all of you?"

I sighed and switched the breast I was pumping. His eyes went down to follow my movement, and he visibly reddened.

"From what I can tell, I'm close to one of the extremes. I can't imagine anyone who has it worse, but most of us don't seem to get it this rough. The lactation, it hits a lot of us. Maybe a quarter of us get it on both male and female peaks. Many get it on the female peak, and apparently it can be triggered pretty easily even off peak. Everyone's eager to see what the chicks are like to see how this all fits together."

"You seem to be taking it well, considering."

I shrugged my wings and sighed. "It's the eighth time for me now. Fourth rut, but latest peak. I'm starting to realize this is me now, like it or not."

He nodded in agreement. "It's a good mindset to get into, as long as you are learning to bring it under control."

We chatted for a bit longer. I finished pumping and gathered up my stuff to clean up. He stepped to one side. "So do you just pour that down the drain?" he asked.

I nodded, doing just that. "I do. I hear there is some interest in griffon milk in general, but it's not something I even want to think of. We're people, not cows after all. Or chickens for that matter."

"Chickens? You mean people want your eggs?"

I shuddered and nodded. "Yeah, the eggs. There's another grey market for those too. I can't imagine how or why anyone would want to, but people will be people I guess. I'm just glad I'm not desperate enough to even need to consider those options."

"But there are some who are that desperate?" Adam asked

"Sadly, yes. Bills have to be paid, and too many of us lost our jobs for one reason or another. As far as I know, no one has officially admitted it, but it does happen. And Edmonton is an expensive city, even if you don't need as much heat as you used to."

I could see the gears turning in Adam's head. But he also left that topic alone and moved on. "So what is your normal routine at this point?"

"At this point? All I really want to do is sleep for a year. But I know I have other obligations. Cleaning up is important. The toys and pads help make it less messy, but there's still a lot to do. A good preening helps too. I often wish I had someone else around to help with that. Most importantly though, is to get something to eat and drink."

"I can only imagine. Is the heat similar?"

"Slightly less messy, but just as intense, if not more intense."

I looked at my brushes and decided that I could wait a bit longer. I made another abrupt decision and left the bathroom, still completely naked. Adam followed me downstairs after a moment of hesitation.

I took out a jug of juice and poured a big glass. I set it on the counter and grabbed an apple. I intentionally positioned myself next to the sink, the egg obvious on the windowsill beside it. Adam followed me and finally noticed it. I saw his eyes dart between the egg and me.

"So that's yours?" he finally asked.

I nodded. "My first. The rest I dispose of right away."

I could see him pondering the implications and mentally debating if it was something he had to address or not. I decided to shift the topic first.

"You're the first humans who've really seen me like this. I mean, my family saw a hint of it last month, but I spent most of it at Cardi's," I said. He nodded, waiting for me to continue.

"So if I'm going to be trying to go through this in public, is there anything you noticed about me?"

He tilted his head, obviously confused.

I tapped my beak near my nares. "The nose doesn't work so well any more. So is there any smells I should be aware of for example? I saw you wrinkle it upstairs, so something is noticeable."

"Oh! Right!" he exclaimed, getting what I was implying. "Smells? Well, you do have a scent about you in general. It's not unpleasant, but it is different. A bit hard to describe really and I've mostly gone nose blind to it."

I nodded and waited.

"As for today? Yeah there are a few new things. You smell more... masculine I guess. Like a teenaged boy who hasn't been showering as much as he should be. But not that strong."

"So you're saying I don't need to bathe in Axe Body Spray?"

"Gods no! That should be a war crime!" he laughed. "It's noticeable, but not bad. A bit exotic even. There's another smell I'm not sure how to describe. I think it's related to your cream maybe. But also nothing unpleasant or anything."

I relaxed a little and bit into the apple, tearing a chunk off with my beak and pulling it in with my tongue. Adam fell silent, watching me. It was probably the first time he'd seen me, or another griffon, actually eat.

"Good, that's good to know. I worried a little how this would seem to others."

"You're perfectly acceptable. Nothing socially bad as far as I'm concerned," he agreed.

We were silent for a few moments as I finished off the apple, core and all. The seeds weren't exactly healthy, but as long as we weren't eating an orchard's worth at once, they were fine.

"So how do you feel today went?" he asked.

"It went well," I affirmed quickly. "I made a lot of progress, at least from the rut end. How about you?"

"It was an eye opening experience. I'm glad we did this, though I don't really want to make a habit of it."

I chuckled and nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't want to make it habitual either. Though, the heat is different...."

"Of course. I'll come out here in two weeks, if you want me to."

"Please. It did seem to make a difference. And I'm curious how the opposite will work."

He nodded. "I'm curious as well. The rut, while it's not something humans experience, it feels similar to adolescence in many ways, close enough to draw some comparisons. The heat though, we know it in other animals, but it's an unknown for humans. Seeing how you handle it will be good."

He paused for a moment, "That is if you want me to be here. I am a guy. Would me being here make things more difficult?"

I started to object, then stopped and considered his question. In the end, I decided my first impression was right. "No, it shouldn't make any difference," I said.

"I mean, when the heat has me, I certainly want a male... but I want a ''griffon ''male. As I've mentioned to Amy, humans don't do anything for me any more; neither males nor females."

"I see. That's something I hadn't really considered, though it does make sense. Is that a common thought pattern in your experience?"

I shrugged my wings and sipped my juice. "I haven't looked deep into it. Amy would know better. But in my experience it seems to be the case. Sure there are a lot of mixed couples out there; but the divorce rate is high, even when they have kids involved. I'm an entirely different species now and my standards and expectations are just different now."

"So if I had been a woman when we first met, would it have made a difference?"

"That's a good question... and I don't know how to answer it. Now, I don't think it would make a difference. Back then? When I was trying to hold onto my masculinity and my humanness with everything I could, you being male may have helped."

"A lot of food for thought. But I could use some real food, as could you. Is there anything else you'd like to bring up for this week?" he asked.

I shook my head and we started walking to the door. "I'm good. Thank you for the house call."

"No problem. It was very worthwhile. We'll do it again in a couple of weeks for your heat. After that?"

"After that, we'll play it by ear. I might be ready to go out in public with it by then." I started to open the door before I remembered his cold weather gear. I quickly turned and opened the closet instead. He noticed my misstep but didn't comment on it.

"It's something we can talk about later. Have a good evening Skyfire. I'll see you next week."

Once he was ready to go out, I opened the door for him. It was dark now with just the hint of leftover daylight in the sky. The cold air that wafted in felt heavenly. I flicked on the porchlight and resisted the urge to follow him outside, remembering my state of dress at the last moment.

We shook hands and he darted out to his car. I stood in the doorway long enough for him to start up and pull out, waving good-bye as he left. Once he was gone, I closed the door, reset the thermostat and debated what to do next. To my surprise, while I could feel the fatigue from the rut, I wasn't as tired as I usually was. I knew I should finish my preening, but instead went back to the kitchen to start dinner. I figured after eating that a night flight would be nice to unwind before bed.

===Wednesday, Jan 24===

I left work just after three for my appointment. The clinic was on the eastern edge of downtown, near the river as its name indicated. It was a six story building located in the boundary zone where the denser centre of the city began to give way to suburbia. I landed in the parking lot near the entrance and headed in.

There was a Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy on the first floor, and a lobby with a parking kiosk and elevators to the upper floors. I was studying the building directory to figure out where I had to go, when the elevator dinged. I glanced over to the opening doors, and saw another griffon coming out. She looked surprised to see me as well.

"Skyfire! What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping out and coming over to hug me.

"Just a doctor's appointment, probably the same as you. But not ''exactly'' the same," I said, greeting her back. "Hi Adriane. How's the little one doing?"

She nodded and stepped back, a hand going to her belly. Three months in, she didn't really show yet, but she was a regular at our gatherings, so we all knew she was expecting. "She's doing well, as far as we can tell. I don't really feel all that different yet. So are you?"

I raised my wings in denial. "Oh no! No no! This is just a checkup, I'm not pregnant or anything," I said quickly, hoping to head off the rumour mill. "Cardi suggested it might be a good idea in general, and Doctor Chase managed to fit me in."

Adrian laughed and nodded. "That's fair. You've got a good one. She's one of the best in the city, in my opinion. Granted this is the only real griffon clinic in the city so far, but she's still the best."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I better get going, before I'm late."

"Fourth floor, hang a left. See you later." She waved her wing and headed out.

I waved as well and pressed the elevator call button to resummon the car. I looked around, seeing a few people looking away, but it seemed griffons weren't uncommon around here.

On the fourth floor there was a small lobby with short halls in either direction. I turned left and saw a double set of glass doors with the clinic's name on it, along with numerous doctor names including Doctor Bella Chase. I walked through the doors and waited for the receptionist to look up.

"Mx Farrel I assume?" she said, looking up. She seemed a little surprised, but gave me a knowing smile. "We've been expecting you." She set some papers on a clipboard and set it on the counter. "Could you please fill this in as best you can, and Doctor Chase will see you as soon as she is available."

"Skyfire is fine," I said, "But I get the feeling you already knew that." I added, taking the clipboard.

Mandy smiled and nodded. "I thought I recognized your name when you made the appointment, but you weren't making the connection. We try to keep track of the local griffons, and you are rather notable in our community."

"Yeah, I didn't really want to use that position to jump the line. Thank you for seeing me."

She smiled and went back to her computer. I noticed that the waiting area had a number of stools instead of the usual chairs. There was an older couple sitting in the regular chairs, but they paid me no attention and I left them in peace. I perched on one of the stools as far from them as I could get, and started filling in the paperwork. I had to haul out my card wallet to find my ID numbers. I left the clipboard on the counter and returned to my stool, killing time on my phone while waiting.

"Skyfire? Doctor Chase will see you now," Mandy said. She stood in the doorway leading to the rest of the clinic.

I followed her to an exam room that was big enough for me to fully spread my wings. It had all the standard doctor office devices, including a bed with a paper covering, and a stool suitable for griffons. I took a seat and waited.

A few minutes later, the doctor arrived. She was a brunette, in her mid thirties and that was about all I could tell at first glance. She had a thin folder that she set on the counter next to the sink.

"Good afternoon, Simon. Or would you prefer Skyfire?"

"Eith-" I started to say then stopped myself. This was more of a Skyfire situation than a Simon one. "Skyfire would be good."

"Is it?" she asked, taking a seat so we would be at eye level. "You seemed to hesitate."

"It's something I'm still getting used to, even after all these months. I didn't even pick the name, but it stuck. But I've got Adam to talk those issues out with."

"Adam?"

"Doctor Fullerton, my head doc. I've been seeing him since the fall."

She nodded and seemed a bit relieved. "Excellent, That's one piece of advice I don't need to give. I'll leave your head to him, and worry about your body." She picked up the folder and ruffled the papers, pulling out a page. "First, if you don't mind, could you sign this form? It is a request form to get your records from Fort Parker. I don't really need them, but it would help provide some continuity in your health records."

She offered it over, and pulled out a second page. "And this is a permission slip that would let me talk about you with the experts down there, and to share anything I find about you. If you don't sign it, I'll only report on your health records which would be limited to doctors directly dealing with you."

I shrugged my wings and scrawled my name on both pages. "If it might help us, I'll let you share anything."

"Thank you Skyfire. I do take this responsibility seriously. If I notice anything abnormal, that is, abnormal for griffons, I'll let you know first."

"I appreciate it. So uhm, as I mentioned, I haven't seen a doctor since my teens basically. What do I need to do?"

She switched to a simple notepad and scrawled down some notes. "For now, we'll just chat, go through your health history both before and after the event. After, we'll need to do a health checkup and we'll take some samples to run tests on. I'm sorry, but some will be uncomfortable, but they are necessary. Future appointments should be faster unless something happens."

"I understand. And I think I know what you're implying." I squirmed a little at the thought. "That was one test I passed on when I was down in Parker. It was one aspect of the change..., the event, that I was in denial about, until I couldn't deny it any longer."

"And now?" she asked, pausing her writing to watch me closer.

I took a nervous breath and met her gaze. "Now, I think I'm ready for it. I'm certainly not in denial about it any more, but there's a hell of a lot I don't know about it."

"Well, let's start with the easy stuff first, your pre-Event life and health. Where did you grow up? Any health issues?"

Thinking back to Simon's life was strange. It was so different from what I was now, I found it increasingly foreign to my new life. We spent a good half hour digging into his life, from the places he grew up, to the illnesses and other issues he had. While I hadn't seen a doctor in decades, I still had taken care of my eyes and teeth at least. So Simon had regular cleanings and checkups, and got too many fillings and a few root canals, along with glasses.

"So yeah, last September, I guess I was in okay health for a middle aged guy who mostly worked a desk job. I'd never been tested but I did have some diabetes signs that I was ignoring, in denial about. Beyond that, I was fine."

"Well, that's not something to be ignoring, but that's in the past," she said, adding a few notes. "As far as I've heard, you all got a health reset and diabetes and cancers and other issues were all cleared up. You should watch your diet regardless, so you don't fall back into that trap."

"That's fair, and my diet has changed. A lot more fruit and veggies than I used to have. I find they're often handier to eat than sweets, especially since I lost my sweet tooth... literally."

She chuckled and flipped to a clean page. "You joke, but some of you have quite the sweet beak too. So good that you're eating healthier. Since the change, how have you felt? Any problems that you've noticed?"

"I've felt... well fine I guess. Lots of problems, but not health ones, mostly adaptability problems."

"That's good, and common. So no aches or pains? Stiff muscles or aching joints?"

"None, well a few when I've gone on extra long flights sometimes, but that's just exercise exhaustion, not any body problems. I've felt stronger than I did before."

"How about the recent cold snap? Any problems from that?"

I laughed, "Once again, only adaptability problems. I picked up some big gloves, mittens actually, so my hands were more protected. And I ended up taking the train a few times when the cold seemed too much for even me to bear."

"Good, good. I've heard a few of you have had some issues with frostbite after that snap. I'm glad you stayed on top of it." She jotted down a few more notes before moving on to the next topic.

"I sense you're skirting around something, how about your cycles? How would you describe them?" she asked

"Hell," I said. She paused and looked up. "They're rough, almost crippling, lasting most of the day."

She looked pensive and made a few notes. "I see. I take it you mean both the rut and the heat?"

I nodded, "Oh yeah, it doesn't matter which way. When it hits, all I can think of is my loins all day. It's worse than puberty."

"I'm sorry it's so rough for you. Could you describe them to me? Have you noticed any changes since the first ones?"

"Sure. Is it any easier? A little maybe, but it's still rough." I took a moment to gather my thoughts, then started going through what my first heat was like and the first rut. I held nothing back, mentioning my mental partner, as well as the recent experiments I'd been trying based on Adam and Amy's advice.

"Okay, yeah, that is a lot to handle," the doctor said, looking at her notes. She seemed to be struggling to figure out where to start. "So your ice goddess, have you seen any griffon like them in real life?"

"Nope. I've looked a little, but she's unique. When I first saw Michelle I saw some similarities, but the differences were quickly apparent. My mental partner, she's more like an Articuno than any real bird I've seen."

"Arti- the pokemon?"

"Yeah. I've been playing it for years, so they were on my mind a bit. Guess my subconscious decided to give me a unique partner to match my somewhat unique appearance."

"Right, well I've got more questions, but I've got another thing to ask of you. The specialists have sent out the word that they want to learn more about griffon cycles. Especially griffs that exhibit more extreme cycles."

"Sure, what do you need?" I asked.

"They would like regular blood samples, to get an idea of how your hormones and your body change through the month. If they can find the key chemicals, they might be able to start developing some things to help you."

"Things like birth control? Or just heat control maybe?"

"Birth control is probably years away, if not decades away. But yeah, heat control and rut control might be something that could happen earlier. Still years probably, but more likely."

"That would be nice. What would you need? How regular would you want the samples?"

"We have a clinic downstairs where the nurses are used to dealing with griffons. Or if you would prefer somewhere closer to home or work, I could look for another spot that's closer. As for how often, probably once a week, ideally on the day of your peaks if you are up for it."

The idea of going out during a heat, or a rut, was terrifying. I nearly objected, but Adam's advice held my tongue. "I can try. It'll be rough, but I did leave once during the rut, so it's not impossible."

"Great. You mentioned you lactate too? We'll want to get samples of that too. We can give you containers to fill and bring with you."

"That won't be a problem. I've started pumping so I have a lot available. Simon doesn't like it of course, but I'm coming to terms with it. Book me at your clinic downstairs, it's not that far out of my way."

She jotted down a few more notes. "Thursdays right? I'll let them know to expect you and to expedite your visits. It shouldn't take long. If you can, call when you're coming in so they know to expect you."

"Any other samples you want?" I asked, mentally coming to terms with being a science experiment.

"Well, maybe a few more actually, but we'll give you containers to fill them the day off, and probably only for the first month, until we get a full cycle of samples. We'll want a urine sample and maybe semen samples if you can provide them."

I felt my face warm a little, but it seemed a reasonable request. "That should be doable most of the time. Maybe not during the heat but we'll see."

"Of course, whatever you are comfortable with. Now, let's go to a bit more comfortable subjects and take some basic stats." She motioned to a scale and started taking my measurements. I mentally converted the metric sizes to compare them with the ones taken when I first changed.

"Weight's almost the same, maybe a bit higher," I noted. "Glad I'm not any shorter at least. I lost too much height as it was."

"That matches what I've heard from other griffons. You're bulking out a little, but not too much."

She wrapped a blood pressure cuff around my upper arm and started pumping it up. I watched curiously, not sure how good the readings would be with my feathers and down, but she seemed to know what she was doing. After a lot of pumping, I felt it tighten around my arm and start squeezing through the plumage. She jotted down some readings and released the pressure.

While she was close to me, she started examining my head, peering into my ears, and shining a light into my eyes. She had me blink both ways, then had me open wide. When she was done, she filled another page with notes.

"So far, you're well within what I've noticed with other griffons, so I'm assuming you're healthy. I'd like to schedule both an eye test and a hearing test for you, but there's no rush for it. We just want to establish baselines for you."

"That's good to hear. In for a penny, in for a pound. I take it, you know some folk who can do those tests?"

"Certainly, this entire clinic is pivoting to specialize in griffon health. Mandy can help you book appointments on the way out when we're done."

She put the pad down and gave me another look. She retrieved a folded up robe from a shelf. "This is the part where things get a bit uncomfortable. I'll have to ask you to strip and put on this robe as best you can. It'll cover your front."

I chuckled and started opening my blouse. "The top I don't mind exposing. I think I sort've started the topless theme here in the city long ago. But I guess you'll need more?"

"Yes, you'll need to remove your shorts as well. This is the part of the visit you wouldn't be as familiar with."

"To be fair, all of this is unfamiliar with me," I said, standing up. I folded up my top and left it on the counter with my bag, then started to undo my shorts. I was still going commando, only using the granny panties when I needed to for the peaks. The doctor turned away to give me a little bit of modesty.

"When you're ready, get onto the exam bed. For now you can just sit up on it, and I'll ask you to lay down later when we need it. We're still trying to figure out what equipment works best for you guys."

I nodded in agreement, and decided to pass on the hospital gown. There was a light sheet on the exam bed, so I sat on the bed and put the blanket over my lap and hips.

"I think I'm ready." For the first time, I felt a little self conscious about my appearance, but I pushed past those feelings.

She turned back around and looked me over. "Right, I'll be doing a few more exams. Changed people got a health reset, but that doesn't mean you still aren't at risk for cancers and other diseases. So we'll check you early, get used to what is normal, and hopefully if anything abnormal develops, we'll catch it early."

"No problem. Do what you need to do," I said.

"First, we'll do a breast exam. I'll go through how you can check yourself regularly as well," Doctor Chase said, putting on a set of gloves.

I tried to relax as she approached me. She started on my left breast, squeezing and massaging it, and feeling all around it. I had a habit of zoning out during dentist appointments, and I was quickly able to slip into this zen-like state while she worked. I barely noticed when she shifted to the other side to examine the right one.

"All good," she proclaimed, going back to make some more notes. "Excellent shape I'd say, and good reactions. I'll include some pamphlets on self exams for you to take home. Basically, when you milk yourself, you should feel your breasts. If anything feels different, call me right away."

"Ugh, I still hate that that's a thing I do," I grumbled, looking down and smoothing the fur on my chest a bit. "It doesn't seem right."

"There is probably a reason for it, but we won't really be able to tell why until you have kids. The current theories are that it's a way for both parents, or any griffon, to nurse a young hatchling. Assuming you will lay an egg, you wouldn't necessarily have the normal body cues to tell you have a new mouth to feed. So instead you're basically always primed for milk to feed a hatchling. There may be other cues we don't know yet, but the hormone shifts of your cycles do seem to be a trigger."

"Lucky me." I sighed and shrugged my wings. "Not like I can do anything."

She nodded in commiseration and looked back to make sure the door was closed. She unwrapped a tray with some metal instruments on it. "Next, we'll need to do a pelvic exam. Both your penis and vagina. You can stay seated for the first part, but at some point I'll probably need you to lay down. Face down or face up, whichever you're comfortable with."

I nodded again, and lifted the sheet away. I leaned back a bit and found the bed was just far enough from the wall for me to comfortably use my wings to prop myself up. I spread my furry legs and flexed my claws, trying to relax and not think of what she was going to do.

She gave me another long look before stepping closer. "Your plumage and fur are in excellent shape. I'm glad to see you've got a good preening routine."

"Thanks. It's one of the lessons I learned quickly down in Parker. And one of the first ones I taught when I got home."

"Good, keep it up. And thank you for making that video. I've used it to teach more than a few griffons how to better care for themselves."

She finally stepped close to me, looking down at my groin. I tried to relax as I felt her touch my sheath, squeezing it and stroking it. I felt it reacting naturally, and soon found my penis swelling out of it in its dark barbed glory. It was obvious it wasn't the first one she'd examined. I couldn't help but shiver a little as she stroked against the barbs briefly.

"Good reactions, and nice and clean. You'd be surprised at how many griffons I've had to teach how to clean this," she said, letting go and letting me relax. "Even former guys have needed the reminder. You said your rut was last week?"

I gulped and nodded, trying to urge it back into its furry home. "Yeah, I'm almost exactly midway between them today."

"And any problems getting it up?" she asked as she turned to prepare her equipment.

"None, not normally. Other than during the heat. But even before or after, I don't seem to have any issues."

"Excellent. Okay, this will be new to you. Just lean back a bit and try to relax. Someday we'll figure out a proper chair with stirrups for you guys, but for now we'll make due. This is a speculum, a device to help me check inside of you. It may feel a bit cold."

I closed my eyes and tried to enter my zen state as she came in. I felt her latex covered fingers over my labia, and twitched as she pressed her fingers into me. It was quickly followed by the cool metal of the tool pressing in and spreading my vagina open. I focused on the ceiling and just tried to relax and not react as she did her checks.

"You're doing great," she encouraged me. "I'm just going to reach in for a bit and feel around."

I nodded but didn't look down. The tool was pulled away and I soon felt the fingers slide in. It felt strange as she felt and pushed deep into my vagina and felt my cervix. An eternity later, she pulled her hand out and I let out the breath I was holding. I heard the snap of latex gloves being pulled off.

"Excellent once again. You're in fine shape, Sky. Any problems with your eggs so far?" she asked, disposing of the gloves and picking up her pad to make more notes.

"Nuh-None yet," I said, taking a moment to recover my voice and calm my pulse. "Uncomfortable as hell, but not as bad as the peaks." She nodded, continuing her notes. "Do you want one of them?" I asked.

"That won't be necessary. Fort Parker's overflowing with griffon eggs as is, and honestly, that's probably not an aspect of your biology they want to mess with."

"Oh," I said, unable to hide my disappointment, even though I wasn't sure what I was expecting.

She put the pad down and took my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I know this is all new and strange for you; it's strange for all of us, but you griffons especially. We're doing all we can to help you out, but it takes time to figure out. It will probably be years before we'll even be able to start trials on things to try and adjust your biology. But it has to start somewhere, and the information you give us, well, the information you give them, will help."

"I know, I know. Hell, I gave a similar speech to my family over Christmas," I said. I tapped my head, "I know that up here, but that doesn't mean I don't wish there was something to help make things easier."

"Just be careful and watch for official notices about what is safe and not safe for you to take. Stay away from the internet witchdoctors, and only take officially prescribed drugs if you have to take anything, Advil, Aspirin and Ibuprofen seem safe for you guys at human doses, but avoid most over the counter stuff in general."

I laughed and nodded "No worries there. I wasn't in the habit of taking anything before all this, and I'm not eager to start now, but it is a bit tempting."

"Right, in that case we are almost done, aside for one thing. Sex, or rather, sexual protection. You said you are active?"

"Barely," I confirmed. "I wasn't all that interested in it before, and while the hormones said one thing, I didn't expand my social game in that direction, at least not until a few weeks ago."

"What changed for you?" she asked.

"A suggestion from another friend, who's been trying to help me handle the peaks. She thought 'getting fucked' might help."

"And did it?"

"The jury's still out. That's also when Adam suggested distraction therapy as well to manage the peaks, and the rut last week did seem a bit more tolerable, so I don't know."

"How active have you been? And in what ways? Did you use protection?"

I thought back briefly. "Just once. We timed it during my safe times, after an egg and before the rut. I was the female. Her own safe week is this week, so we're hoping to do it again soon, the other way. We didn't use protection, though I know we should. That's why I'm here. "

"Yes, you should. Aside from pregnancy, you should still keep in mind the risk of STDs. Those buggers may not have figured your biology out yet, but it's bound to happen eventually, and you don't want to be the first."

"That's part of the reason I called you for the appointment. Cardi encouraged me to get ''The Talk'' from an appropriate person."

Doctor Chase laughed. "Well, good on her. As for ''The Talk'', it sounds like you're pretty well informed, so I'll go over the basics and you can ask for more details as needed."

She went to a cupboard and pulled out a box of condoms. "We'll start with the simpler side, your male aspect. Condoms are your best protection. You're still basically human sized and your extra properties don't get in the way that much. Are you familiar with them?"

I nodded and took the offered box. "I got those lessons a long time ago, and the demos with the bananas. And I've used them before."

"Good, I'd suggest you practice alone a few times. Get used to taking it out of the wrapper without damaging it and putting it on just like you're used to. The sheath and shape are a bit different but not enough to prevent them from working. When you're shopping, check for the thicker ones, just to better handle your barbs."

"Gotcha," I said, my ears burning a bit. I set the box next to me and waited as she rummaged in the cupboard for a few more things.

"For your female side, things are trickier. As I implied earlier, we're years from the pill being feasible. Even IUDs are probably a long way away. We suspect they would work for you, but your egg cycle does complicate things. The last thing we want is for you to push the IUD out in an egg and thus lose your protection."

"I'll take your word on that. I don't think I even know what an IUD is."

"An IUD is an Intrauterine device; a small thing we keep in your uterus and it basically stops ovulation. But your eggs complicate matters in there so we aren't even thinking of trialing those yet. Maybe in a year or two when we know better."

"In any case, I'm sure you've got enough on your plate as is. So yeah, as far as female protection goes, chemical means are out, but physical ones are still feasible and relatively low risk. When used properly with condoms, your pregnancy risk is very minimal. It could still happen, but as long as you are careful, you shouldn't get pregnant."

She presented a latex cup-like device to me, but didn't let me take it. "This is a diaphragm. You apply some spermicide to it and insert it in yourself when you expect to have sex, and it should protect you. I'll have to fit you for one, to make sure you get one that fits properly, and then you'll be all set to go. Like condoms, you'll want to practice putting one in and taking it out. As you can imagine, it's a bit trickier to do right, especially with your talons, but it is possible. We've got a device, a plastic stick basically, that you can use to slip it in and out easier, or you can just use your hands."

I flicked my ears nervously, still feeling some embarrassment about the discussion, but listening intently. "Okay, what do you need to do?" I asked.

She set the diaphragm to the side and put on a fresh set of gloves. She rolled over a tray with more silicon rings on them. "I'll put these in, and check the fit on each one, to tell which covers your cervix the best and doesn't feel uncomfortable. You should barely be able to tell it's in there when it fits right."

"Right, do what you need," I said.

She smeared some lube on her fingers and the middle ring. I gulped nervously and looked up again, trying to relax and go back to my zen place. I spread my legs for her and leaned back. Soon enough I felt her push something in and start wiggling it around. I tried to relax but couldn't help but tighten up a little. It didn't feel like my toys but I could tell something was there.

"Just a bit big I'd say. I'm going to try another one," the doctor said, gently tugging on it.

I soon felt her pushing another one in and wiggling it into position. I peeked down and saw her looking closely between my legs, one hand actually ''inside'' of me. It was a bit disconcerting. She pulled her fingers free and felt around my loins, pressing down on my sheath and hips.

"That looks like a better fit. Can you get up and walk around the room a bit? Let me know if you feel anything strange about it."

I pushed myself off the exam table and took a few steps, focusing on the feelings in my vagina. If I focused really hard I could sense ''something'' in there, but I barely noticed it otherwise.

"Do some stretching, flex, crouch, do the splits. It shouldn't move in you," she encouraged me.

I followed her advice and started doing more movements, wiggling my tail and lifting my legs higher than I usually did. When I was done, I hopped back onto the table and spread my legs again.

She crouched before me and slipped a freshly lubed finger in again. I felt her press and wiggle in there. She finally hooked her finger and pulled the device out. "No movement. Excellent. This is your size. We'll want to check your fitting regularly. For humans we normally advise every year. For griffons, we're not sure yet. Since you're laying eggs, we'll probably want to check more often, at least until we learn more. Maybe we'll plan on a fitting check every season to start."

"If that's what it takes. Damn, my body is high maintenance."

She chuckled and nodded, "That it is, especially if you want to short circuit your biology. But it's not really much more than you've already been doing. As we learn more, we can probably stop doing as many tests and exams in the future."

"Thanks, Doctor. I hope that will be the case. So, what do I do with that exactly?"

Doctor Chase handed me the sheet to put over my groin and went to the door. "Give me a moment to get some supplies, and then I'll teach you. I won't be long."

While she was gone, I peeked at the top page of the notepad, but while her handwriting was surprisingly legible, the terms were unknown to me. I looked around the exam room and debated Facebook scrolling. Before I could get to my phone, she came back in. She had a tube of something, a plastic stick with hooks and notches on the end, and a plastic container. She set them on the table next to me, and opened the container, showing a latex device similar to what she'd shown me earlier.

"Right then, this is how to use them. Diaphragms, especially with spermicide, are effective forms of birth control. Not so great at STD protection but still better than nothing. You should still use condoms as well. You can put this in up to six hours or so before you think you might have sex, so you could set it up before the start of your date and be ready if things go well. If it's been awhile you might want to refresh the spermicide before the actual act, but otherwise it should be fine. Just make sure to take it out within twenty four hours."

I nodded slowly, listening intently. She tapped the pamphlet she'd brought in as well. "It's all explained here. Read it when you get a chance, and feel free to call if you have more questions.”

"As for sex itself, you don't need to do anything during the act. Afterwards, wait about six hours or so before you take it out. That will make sure the swimmers are taken care of. If you do multiple rounds, you should squirt in more spermicide before the next round. Just squirt it onto a finger or two and reach in to spread it over the device without taking it out.Any questions?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't think so. Not yet."

"Good. Now let's go over how to put it in. You might want to stand up now, and maybe lift your leg. That's what most griffons have told me is the easiest way. Pick up the stick and the diaphragm, this end up. Pinch it closed and hook it on the end like that."

As she spoke she motioned for me to follow the instructions. I picked up the plastic stick and the latex device, finding the nubs to squeeze, feeling the springiness of the rim of the device. After a few attempts, I managed to get it positioned.

"Now squirt some spermicide onto it. Not too much but enough to coat it thoroughly. Spread it over the diaphragm. Be careful with your talons."

I flipped the top of the tube open and squirted a bit in. I spread the clear gel over it, trying not to think of what I was about to do.

"Now to put it in. Prop a leg up and try to relax. Slide it into your vagina and press it towards your tail as far as it can go. Give it a little twist to remove it from the stick and try to nudge it into place just above your pubic bone. Then pull the stick out."

She watched me expectantly, as I lifted a leg onto a stool. Its purpose was obvious to me now, as it was just high enough to spread my legs without being too uncomfortable. I looked down and hesitated a moment, before reaching down and spreading the lips of my vagina a little. I lined the stick up and slid it in, until I felt it bump into something deep in me. I twisted the stick until the diaphragm was released and tried to nudge it into place.

"Now CAREFULLY, reach in with a finger and check the positioning. Make sure your cervix is covered. Your talons do make this trickier, but once you get used to what it feels like it should become easier."

I pulled the stick free and reached in carefully. I tried to use the back of my talon and finger to tell where it was positioned. I found the hard bony ridge and made sure it was in place, and that my cervix was covered."

"How does it feel?" Doctor Chase asked, putting on another glove.

"I think it feels okay," I said. I stayed still while she leaned close to look and feel inside.

"It looks good. Take a few steps around, get used to it, make sure it feels okay, then we'll practice taking it out."

I followed her advice, doing another lap around the room. I couldn't feel it at all within me. I returned to the stool and put my leg back up, waiting for the next instruction.

"Take the stick and turn it around. You'll want to slip the hook end in, and snag the front of the diaphragm and gently pull it out."

I slid it in and wiggled the stick until I found the device and got it hooked. "This seems like it could be messy," I said as I pulled it out, partly to distract myself.

"A little, but not as much as you'd expect. You shouldn't remove it until hours after the act, so most of the mess should be dried up or otherwise absorbed by then. Of course, if you're using condoms there shouldn't be any swimmers anyways, but multiple layers of defense certainly doesn't hurt."

I put my leg back down and held the items in my hands. She nodded to the sink. "Wash them both in warm soapy water, and dry them carefully. Use a mild soap and that's all you need. Store it in the case, and it should last you a long time."

I washed them carefully and dried them with some paper towels. She handed me the container for me to put it back in.

"Just make sure you inspect it before each use. Hold it up to the light and look for any openings or damage. If it is damaged, don't use it. You can pick up a new one at just about any pharmacy, just use the code on the container to get the right size."

"Thanks, Doctor. It... It's a lot to take in all at once, but I appreciate it. It certainly eases a lot of the worries I've been having."

"Good good. You can get dressed again. We're almost done I think, but I'll send a phlebotomist to get your blood samples, and give you containers for the rest. We can take a urine sample today too if you can supply one."

"That I think I can do. But I'm not sure I could do a semen one," I said, grabbing my shorts and pulling them on. I decided to leave my top off, folding it out and stuffing it into my chest bag. .

She laughed and started packing up my folder. "No worries, we'll wait until next week for that one. If you can."

She got a bag and started filling it with everything she was giving me, including various containers to fill for my next trip out. "So next Thursday should be your heat. When you think you can handle it, come out here and go to the clinic on the second floor. They'll be expecting you any time during the day, between nine to nine. If you can, fill the urine cup when you get out here, or just before you come out. The semen one just get the day of, when or if you can. If you can't, that will be fine.

"The diaphragm and the tool, you know about. The spermicide you can get at any pharmacy in the contraceptive aisle. Condoms you can also get there as well.

"Finally, here are all the pamphlets about everything I talked about, a guide for being a new griffon and your new sex. I know you're already well informed, but go through it anyway, and make sure you're familiar with it."

I took the bag when she offered it to me and started squeezing it into my chest pack. When I was zipped up, I shook her offered hand. "Thank you, Doctor Chase. When do you want to see me again?"

"Let's pencil you in a month from now, just to go over what you've been through, and to make sure everything is going well. Then we can probably schedule the follow up for April and every three months after that. I know you said you have no intention to get pregnant, but if you do think you are, call immediately and we can do some tests to confirm it, and give you advice on that."

"I ''really'' hope it doesn't come to that. I may be becoming more active, but that's a grenade pin I really don't want to pull."

"Right, understandable, but nothing is perfect. That said, even with protection, I would suggest not having sex with someone when you or they are on their peaks, just to be safe. Those tend to be when you guys are the most... unrestrained, and likely the most fertile, so it's best to err on the side of caution," she explained, choosing her words carefully.

"Yeah, good idea. I'm certainly not intending to do anything like that."

She handed me a cup. "There's a bathroom just outside, on the right if you can fill this. I know it can be tricky but it is doable. When you're done, come out, and go to the desk you passed on the way in. Joanne will be ready for you to take a blood sample."

"Thanks again, Doctor. I appreciate you taking me on, and teaching me so much."

"Happy to help. Future appointments won't be this long of course. Have a good evening, make sure you practice, and have fun. I'll see you next time."

We left the exam room, and I spotted the bathroom. The rest of my visit was uneventful, the blood draw happening surprisingly easily. The phlebotomist clearly had a lot of experience with griffons.

I stepped out of the elevator, my head spinning with all the information I'd been given, and my chest pack heavy with my new supplies. I paused in the lobby, glancing at the Shoppers, and decided I might as well finish the list while I was there. No one gave me a second look as I entered the store and found the 'family planning' aisle. I took my time looking it all over, both the male and female supplies, mainly familiarizing myself with what I might need to get. Doctor Chase had given me both the box of condoms and the diaphragm, but I still needed to find the spermicide. I picked a tube and scanned the shelves a final time, before deciding I'd reached my information limit for the day.

I grabbed a drink and snack as well, paid and stepped outside. It was late in the afternoon now, and traffic was picking up as the downtown core emptied out. I took off and landed on the roof of the medical building to have my snack and just watch the city end its day. The roof itself had a landing area for griffons marked out, but no building access. When I was done, I stowed my trash in my pack and headed home.

===Friday, January 26===

On Friday afternoon, Greg called me down to have a chat. We often had informal chats at the end of the week, just to unwind a bit, review what was going on, identify any rough spots and figure out what we needed to do. This time, I could tell there was something different, though I couldn't tell what.

Purely by coincidence with the layout of our floors, Greg's office was almost directly below my own. So the view from his windows was basically identical to the one I was used to from mine. If our windows could open, I could literally have jumped out and dropped down to see him. Instead, I had to take the stairs and weave my way through the C-suite halls to his office. His door was open, and I could see him looking out the windows, his back to me. Our usual pair of end of week beers from a random local brewery were on his desk.

"Hey Greg, how's it going?" I asked, flicking my tail feathers clear of the doorway before using my wing to tap the door shut.

"Afternoon, Simon. It's going good," he said, turning back to face me. He walked around his desk and sat down in a comfortable chair.

I grabbed the bottles and settled down on the padded bench he'd added to his office after I'd returned. I popped the tops off, and handed him a bottle while studying the beer.

"PickAxe brewery? I've heard good things about them," I said.

"Yeah, they're from up in Fort Mac. Jimmy brought back a case when he was up last week," Greg said.

We sipped the beers and talked about the flavours for a bit. Contrasting griffon tastes to human tastes had become one of our ice breakers.

By the time the beers were gone, we'd moved on to company business and had mostly wrapped up our weekly debriefings. I could tell Greg still had one topic on his mind.

"So, we're making plans for the spring and summer travel seasons, trying to figure out who to send where," Greg said, finally getting to his main point.

"How are things looking? Get many takers for the territories?" I asked. I suspected I knew what he was getting at.

"Too many it seems. We'll have our choice to send up north, and out east."

"But how about down south?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Calgary, Lethbridge, even Hat, we're good.... But, there's some reluctance for the other areas. Which is a challenge because our ad campaign is drawing more interest from there too. We've got a few potential customers making inquiries."

"Understandable. So far lightning hasn't struck twice but we just don't know. So you want to get me back on the road?"

Greg nodded and took a sip of his beer. "Not right away. But yes, we want to make you more mobile. Not just to cover the griffon territory, but to use you for other roles in the field."

I smirked a bit, flicking my tail. "There's a tradeshow you want me at?"

"Possibly. We're not sure yet. And we're not sure how mobile you are."

"And therein lies the rub," I said. I thought it over for a moment. "Well, gear isn't an issue; we can always FedEx it to wherever we need ahead of time. But for me personally, yeah. If the weather is decent and I have enough time, I can fly almost anywhere in the province within a day or three I think. But that would eat up a lot of time.

"They're working out some better ways to give us some griffon public transit. I think they're hoping to have a semi-regular schedule from Calgary to Hat and down to Parker and Billings. The Edmonton line is only running weekly, so I might as well fly."

"What if we hired someone to drive you? Get you in the general area quick and you could fly from there?" Greg suggested.

I shuddered and grimaced. "If we're really in a pinch, I guess we could do that. But I'd really rather not. Most vehicles are not made for griffons. Riding in a van to get back here last fall was one thing. To do it regularly, is not something I'd look forward to."

"Right, so what do you propose we do?" Greg asked.

"Try to schedule around the limitations," I said while an idea nagged at the back of my mind. "And maybe give me until the spring, once the weather warms up. There might be a few more options then."

"Other options? LIke what?" Greg asked.

I shrugged my wings. "I'm not sure. I've been hearing things, but I need to do some research. I don't want to get your hopes up yet. But one way or another, I'll figure out how to get down to our griffon customers."

Greg got up and retrieved another pair of bottles. "We can work with that. I'll make up the list and keep seeing if we can find any more volunteers to cover it. One of the issues of course, is since you're the beak of the company, we've actually seen a spike in interest down there, so we need more down there than we normally would."

"Enough to hire a local griffon?" I suggested. I'd been hinting at wanting another beak or two in the company almost since I got back.

"Possibly. We'll certainly consider it if the right resume shows up."

We chatted a bit longer about some work matters, before wrapping up the week. I grabbed my gear from my office and took off for home, a bit of leftover sunlight guiding me. Griffon transportation options were at the forefront of my mind. Flying was fine for moving around within the city, but for going somewhere more than a hundred kilometers away, it was less useful. While we were technically bipedal, fitting into human seats on buses, planes and trains wasn't feasible; our wings and especially our tails got in the way.. Some companies had started offering bus services for griffons, but they mainly went from Calgary to Medicine Hat and around the griffon towns. Edmonton had a run a couple times a week, but the timing wasn't really good for business purposes.

What I had in mind was something that had gained interest before the snow fell. There was one method of travel that we could handle with very few modifications. The main challenge was getting appropriate safety equipment, something that the early adopters were just ignoring.

When I got home, I started looking up motorcycle licenses. Most bikes you rode laid back, which wasn't good for us. But there were a lot of motorbikes that you rode leaning forward. It left plenty of room for our wings and tails.

I quickly discovered I wasn't the first to go down this path. There was a long list of "Griffon compatible" bikes and trikes on various griffon reddits, along with their pros and cons. The main holdup was a certified griffon-helmet, but a couple of manufacturers were supposedly in the final stages of designing one; they'd been working on Titan compatible helmets and had pivoted when griffons came out. I bookmarked a few threads and bike models to look into later, along with some notes on how to get a license and learn to ride a bike. Before last fall, the idea of riding a motorbike had been far from my mind. The closest I'd ever come was when I had ridden a friend's skidoo as a teen, and promptly ran it into a sapling. There had been no damage but I'd been content to restrict my driving to four wheeled vehicles. Now, riding a motor bike or a similar vehicle was certainly appealing.

===Saturday, Jan 27===

I should have realized sleeping in on this particular weekend would be a lost cause. Shortly after eight, my phone was buzzing for attention. I tried to ignore it, but as soon as the buzzing stopped, it started again. I grabbed it from the bedside table and answered.

"Good morning, sleepy head. Happy birthday!" Mom cheerfully greeted me.

I groaned and sighed. "Morning mom. Thanks. You forgot the timezones again."

"What? No I didn't. I waited to call. It's almost noon after all."

I double checked the time to verify it. "It's just after eight on a Saturday morning, mom," I corrected her. I didn't bother pointing out that her 'almost noon' was actually just after ten, her time. I slide off my bed and stretched out a bit, shaking out the sleepiness.

"Oh right. I'm sorry. Happy Birthday anyways. Do you have any plans for today?"

"I don't know. Nothing much," I said, lying a little. I did have one big thing planned, but it wasn't birthday related and certainly not something to be shared with a parent. "We've got a griffon gathering today. Just a hangout session out on the river, since the cold broke."

"I see. Well, you should do something for yourself at least. Especially after the year you've had. It's a new beginning after all."

"I know, I know. I'm basically turning thirty again I guess. Or whatever they guess our ages were reset to."

"Make sure you do something in any case," Mom said.

"Of course. Love you."

"Love you too."

I hung up and sighed. I was too awake now to go back to sleep so I headed to the washroom to get ready for the day. Through the rest of the morning, a few more birthday greetings trickled in. Most were automated birthday 'greetings' from business loyalty programs, usually combined with birthday coupons. Bev and a few cousins and friends gave me birthday greetings on Facebook, but Facebook itself was relatively quiet; I made sure most of my settings were private so it didn't trumpet my day to the world.

Shortly after lunch, I began to pack up my gear for the day. The griffon weekend events were slowing down, but we were trying to have one every other week at least. This week we were gathering at the Kinsmen Park on the other side of the river from the Legislature. It was just a picnic and hangout session, since the cold had mostly broken.

I hesitated in my bedroom, looking at the closed container on my dresser. As I'd hinted to mom, I had other plans for later in the evening. Cardi's egg had been earlier in the week, and we were both eager for the chance to 'return the favour' from a few weeks before. I wasn't sure if it actually helped control the heats and ruts, but it certainly didn't hurt.

Since it was Cardi's safe week, I probably didn't need to bring everything. On the other hand, I knew she'd been a little disappointed that we hadn't been fully prepared last time. It certainly wouldn't hurt to be properly prepared, just in case.

My heart pounding a bit with a mix of nervousness and embarrassment, I dropped my shorts and retrieved the diaphragm. I'd practiced it a few times since getting it, wearing it for a few hours in the evening, but this would be the first time I might actually need it. I applied the spermicide as instructed and tried to relax, propping a paw up on a stool to slip it in. The process was almost anticlimactic when it was done. I crouched and stretched a bit to make sure it was in position, and couldn't really feel it.

I added the tube of spermicide and a few packs of condoms into my go bag, and got dressed again. I was almost out the door when my phone chirped with a message from Cardi.

''Sky. Do you have a few moments to review some GSL videos with me? I'm at home.''

I stared at the message in confusion. The request in itself wasn't that strange. We'd been going cross-eyed reviewing GSL videos to get the ideal angles to pick signs for the app. But doing it now of all times felt strange. Especially since we'd be meeting up afterwards for dinner and more.

Realization dawned on me as I finished the train of thought and I beak palmed. After the gathering, our thoughts would be shifting to different subjects. We certainly would not be in a good headspace to be analysing videos. Doing it now would give us enough separation to hopefully do the job well.

I locked up and took off, heading right to her tower. A short time later, I landed on her balcony and tapped on the glass patio door.

"Hey Sky, come on in," she called from the kitchen.

I slid it open and made my way in. Her place was a bit messier than usual, but not unusually so. She was in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher. I admired her red plumage from the living room.

"Sorry for the short notice. The team found a few new vids and sent them to me last night to review. I was going to wait until later, but realized tomorrow might not be the best time to do that," she said. She seemed a bit distracted as she told her story.

"It did catch me a bit by surprise. Really I don't think the teams stuck on us. We could probably have held off until Monday or next week sometime," I said. I made my way to her dining room table where her tablet was set up.

"True. I just don't like putting things off, not when we can finish it now," she said. She tapped a quick message on her phone before turning the screen off. "As is, waiting almost a full week for tonight has been torture."

My wings and tail lowered a bit, and my ears pressed back, griffon signs of submission and embarrassment. "Sorry to make you wait. I've been as eager for this as I'm sure you've been. But I also wanted to be fully prepared with it, and I didn't see Doctor Chase until Wednesday...."

She came up behind me and nuzzled me, hands going over my shoulders and cupping my breasts. I felt a surge in my loins and a strong desire to skip the day's gathering. "I'm sure you have, and I'm glad you waited. Why don't we get started."

It took me a moment to remember what she wanted to do. She let go of me and sat on the bench next to me, a wing rubbing against my own. She retrieved the tablet and brought up a few of the videos.

Almost immediately I could tell something was off. There were a few new videos, but many were ones we'd already gone over and reviewed. And the few new ones that were available, didn't really add anything. The GSL app was a struggle as we tried to better define what it was going to do, but nothing we were going over now would change it much. At the same time, Cardi seemed extra distracted, often checking her phone when she thought I wasn't looking. I might have chalked it up to pre-rut nerves, but it felt different.

Before I could call her out on it, she got a new message and seemed to relax. She didn't say anything in particular, but when we finished the latest video, she turned the tablet off.

"That's enough for today," she announced. "We've got a - gathering to get to after all."

I noticed the curious hiccup, but couldn't call her on it. She all but shoved me out the patio door and followed me soon after. We flew north, using the legislature and the river as our guide.

The number of griffons in the sky made it easy to spot our gathering. Many were throwing balls back and forth and just doing some impromptu skyball practice. Excitement was high for the launch of the league. Down below, there seemed to be more humans around than I was used to. We had a lot of allies, but random folk had trailed off as the temperature dropped. There were a number of heat stations set up, along with a lot of cars and trucks in the parking lot. I recognized Michelle's blue feathers talking with her cousin near the middle of the crowd.

We waved to friends and came in directly, picking a clear spot near some concrete picnic tables that had been cleared. A suspicious feeling began to form in the back of my mind as I took in the crowd below but the pieces didn't quite click into place in time.

The moment my paws touched the icy concrete, Rob and Juanita popped up from behind a few griffons, rolling out a ''Happy Birthday'' banner. "SURPRISE! Happy Birthday Sky!" the crowd shouted.

I wordlessly waved my thanks, taking in the crowd more. I recognized Greg and a few coworkers now, as well as Ryan and some of my PoGo crew. "Thanks everyone, good to see you all," I called out, acknowledging the group. It was strange to see three aspects of my life colliding like this, but not too surprising.

Cardi followed me to the table, where someone had brought out a slab birthday cake. It had white icing with red and orange highlights, and a black and red ''Happy Birthday Skyfire!'' on it. A cartoon griffon was on it next to the lit candles. The crowd gathered around me and started singing while I stood in front of the cake, trying to ignore the pictures being taken, and Brian filming the event from the side.

"Make a wish," Cardi said when the singing thankfully ended.

I froze for a moment, trying to think of something and drawing a blank. Feeling all the people waiting on me, I ended up just wishing that the year to come would be calmer than the year past. I took a breath and blew, not sure how it would work with a beak instead of lips. Thankfully they were just using a "3" and "0" candle. It wasn't my real age, but no one was all that sure what our real ages were any more. The flames flickered and went out.

I made the first cuts into the cake and passed out a few slices before Michelle and Rob took over. I retreated a bit, getting more congratulations along the way. I caught Cardi's eye and flicked my wing in a ''come here'' motion. She guiltily came over.

"So who blabbed?" I asked. "And whose idea was it?"

"It was Michelle's," Cardi said quickly. "Though maybe it was Rob too. I'm not sure. They just needed me to stall you for a bit so they could get everyone together and set things up."

"I knew something was up. I should've realized it," I grumbled.

"Are you mad?" Cardi asked, looking worried, especially for her role in the deception. It made me realize how new our friendship was.

"No, not at all. I don't really publicize my birthday, but I don't mind the surprise. Most of the time I just leech a few free dinners around town and call it a day."

She relaxed and looked a bit relieved. "Oh good. I worried I'd messed up there for a moment."

I gave her a quick hug and nuzzle. "Not at all. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I hope you don't feel bad, but I didn't get you a gift."

I giggled softly. "You didn't? Did you forget our plans for tonight?"

She eeped and pushed me away gently. I chuckled and moved back to the crowd to mingle. Thankfully most of the guests didn't have gifts either. Only my closest friends slipped me cards when we had a private moment together. Everyone else, I assured them that all I wanted was their company. Thermoses of hot chocolate and coffee and tea were provided, along with hotdogs cooked on skewers over the propane heaters. It was obviously a party thrown together at the last minute, but no one minded. Everyone had fun and that was the important thing.

The cold chased most of the humans away within an hour, and the gathering shifted to a more normal griffon gathering, with us mainly hanging out, chatting and seeing how people were doing. I wasn't sure if I was just becoming more aware of it, but the number of pregnant griffons seemed to get higher every time we gathered. I hoped it wasn't a sign of things to come for all of us.

I was snagging a final piece of cake on the ground when Cardi found me. She glanced around to make sure we were alone, though it wasn't really needed. I was pretty sure most of our friends suspected something by now.

"I'm going to head out now. I've got a few more things to take care of today. Catch you later tonight? Say around six for dinner?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then."

"Right. Anything in particular you want for dinner? I'm not that great a cook, so it would be DoorDashed. And don't make me pick; it's your birthday."

I laughed a bit. "Fine, fine. Thai would be good. Beef with extra spice."

"Perfect. See you then."

I waved and watched her take off, circling over the group before heading southward.

I hung out for a bit longer before deciding to take my own leave. I accepted a few more birthday wishes and said my farewells before taking off. As I climbed up out of the valley, I tried to decide what to do next. Flying home and waiting didn't really feel right. I looked towards downtown and made my decision. I headed for the ICE district where the NHL arena was. They still weren't allowing griffons into the arena itself, but we were very welcomed in the side businesses, especially the casino. It wasn't my preferred spot, but it was one of the handiest.

Griffons weren't very common at the casinos, but we weren't exactly uncommon either. I'd visited most of the ones around Edmonton at least once since September, a few more than once. The one in Rogers Place was surprisingly busy for a Saturday afternoon; I realized later there was a game scheduled for the evening.

I withdrew some cash and headed for the tables, feeling all the eyes focused on me as I went. The Blackjack tables were busy, so I had to wait for a few hands before a spot opened up in the middle of the table. A pit boss saw me step up to the table and retrieved a stool for me while the dealer changed my cash into chips. The players around me seemed a bit nervous, visibly sliding further away from me. I kept my wings and tail in as tight as I could to stay out of the way.

The first few hands were uneventful, but helped relax the crowd, when it was clear I knew how to play about as well as they did. The pit boss came back with my playercard and a couple of slips of paper.

"Welcome back, Simon. And Happy Birthday," she greeted me, handing the card back. "Here are some match bets to celebrate."

Hearing my old name from a stranger made me pause. My old friends and family tended to call me Simon, but almost everyone else knew me as Skyfire. "Thanks. And you can call me Skyfire, or Sky. I haven't gotten around to updating my card yet," I corrected her. It gave me a strange feeling, but felt more correct now.

"I'm sorry. I can update your account if you want?" she offered.

"If it's not too much trouble." I handed back my card to her and refocused on the game.

I was used to drawing a crowd when I played; people were just fascinated by us. So the table was surrounded by spectators, curious with how I handled the chips or carefully tapped the felt to signal for cards. When I got a good hand, I tended to get excited and spread my wings or tail a bit without realizing it, which always caught my neighbours by surprise when they were bumped by limbs they weren't expecting. On the really good hands, I'd often let out a happy screech that would turn all eyes towards me. I generally didn't care.

By five thirty, I was up by a hundred and decided that was enough. It was tempting to stay longer, but the table was cooling off, and I had to get to Cardi's place. I cashed in the chips and headed out. I found a bank nearby to deposit the cash, then took off.

For the second time that day, I found myself landing on her balcony and knocking on the glass door. I slid it open in response to her greeting and walked in. She'd been busy in the afternoon. The apartment had been cleaned up and everything put away. The table was set with some lit candles, but no food yet. Soft music was playing on her music system. The occupant was nowhere in sight.

"Cardi?" I called out, looking towards her bedroom while closing the door behind me.

The bedroom door opened, revealing the cardinal-tiger griffon. All she wore were her dark shorts, and she'd obviously been preening almost as much as she had been cleaning. She leaned against the doorframe and took me in.

"Happy birthday. I hope your day has been going well so far," she said, flicking her ears.

I chirrred softly and nodded, "It's been very pleasant. And feels like it's about to get better."

She giggled and stepped into the room, walking slowly up to me. I took in the sway of her hips and her breasts, the slightly extended wings and flared tail, and felt my body reacting, my pulse quickening, my nipples hardening and my cock beginning to swell in my own shorts. I almost wished I wasn't going commando.

She stopped in front of me and stroked the side of my face. I returned the gesture and we just silently watched each other for a moment. Finally she broke the gaze and went to the kitchen. "DoorDash should be here any minute now with dinner."

"Good, I'm starving. Picnic hotdogs are an okay lunch but not all that filling."

"True, and we are planning for an energetic evening." She retrieved a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.

I blushed under my feathers and led the way to the bench-couch, where we sat, face to face. She popped the cork on the bottle and poured out a couple of glasses.

"So, you had an appointment with Doctor Chase?" she asked.

"A couple of days ago, yeah. She managed to fit me into her schedule. And to schedule me for a weekly vampire visit for the next little while."

"I thought she would. Your peaks are some of the hardest I've heard among us. Speaking of which, how was the rut? Did Amy's advice help?"

I sipped the wine a bit and nodded, "I think? Adam's advice might have been more useful. And your advice. The liners certainly made things less raw in the end."

"Good, good." She sipped her own wine before going on. "Did she go over anything else with you?"

I laughed, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spreading through me. "We went over ''everything''. And she got me all geared up and then some. I've also been practicing a bit, but, well, tonight will be the first test of course."

"Of course it will. I'm looking forward to it." She glanced down at me. "Did you bring everything?"

I reflexively tightened my groin, feeling a hint of the diaphragm in there. "Yeah, I brought it all. Put it in before I left home..." I suddenly remembered the instructions for the device and beak palmed. "Crap, I put it in way too early."

She giggled and squeezed my thigh. "That's okay. You can check it before we do anything, and add more spermicide.... If you want to do it that way. My rut is tomorrow after all, and you're probably just coming online, fertility wise."

I hadn't really thought about it fully like that. It might have been the wine affecting me, but I chased my doubts away. "We'll see how the night goes. But if we both use protection, I'm willing to risk it."

"Sure...." We were interrupted by the buzz from her building's door system. She got up to let the delivery driver in, and a few minutes later he was at her door. He did a double take, seeing the two griffons, but recovered quickly.

Over the next few minutes we unpacked the food and spread it out on actual plates. We set up the table and took our positions at opposite ends. I snapped apart the pair of disposable chopsticks while she made use of a fork.

"I'm still amazed you can actually use those," she said as we dug in.

I laughed and clicked the sticks together. "It's a bit trickier with the talons, but it isn't too bad."

"If you say so. I couldn't even use them without talons."

"Do you want to learn? I could try to teach you," I offered.

She flicked her ears and smirked. "Maybe next time."

We chit chatted through the dinner, staying on neutral topics for the most part, though she did pry a bit more into my usual birthday habits. All in all, it was a more relaxed session than last time. Admittedly, I was in a better headspace this time, now that I more or less knew what to expect.

After cleaning up the dinner plates, we retreated to her couch-bench with the wine. Part of me wanted to chase her right to bed, but I kept him in check, content to relax with a friend. Neither of us worked the next day, so we were in no rush. She turned on the TV and picked some disaster B-Movie on Netflix; something about black portals appearing all over the place and luring people to the other side.

"I hear Hollywood is trying to make a Change movie," she noted after a while.

"Only ''A'' movie?" I asked incredulously.

She laughed and cuddled against me, a hand rubbing my breast. "Ok, I'm sure there's more than one. They're just trying to figure out how best to show the results."

I nuzzled back and nodded. "Yeah, Titans and Griffons aren't exactly budget friendly. Maybe they should make dwarves or elves or orcs or something."

"I'd assume they'd hire actual Griffons and Titans, at least for the after scenes. Only CG they'd need would be for the change. And maybe for their main character. Unless they decided to do a custom race, then maybe they'd use those."

She paused and considered it a bit more. "Do you think those races might actually be possible?"

I rubbed her back a bit, rubbing at the base of her tail. "Who knows? Until last year, none of this was possible. So maybe we will get Elves or Aliens or something this year."

She chirred happily and pressed harder against me. "Yeah, I guess those could be possible. Wonder if they would be herms too?"

"Chances seem good for that. Seems to be a theme so far. I wonder when it would happen next?"

"In March of course, that's when the Titans happened. So I guess we have two more months to wait."

We gave up on the movie and switched to a different one, a post-AI war movie where they were chasing down the rogue AI using mechas that linked with their pilots. It was much more watchable than the first one. We cuddled while watching it, enjoying the cheesiness while finishing off the wine. By the time it was over, I was a quivering bundle of excited nerves, and I suspected Cardi was in a similar state. In hindsight we probably shouldn't have waited so close to her rut, but we were ready now.

I cleaned up the bottles and glasses while she turned off the tv and lights. I hung up the dish towel on a rack in front of the sink and watched her make a ''come hither'' motion from her bedroom. I retrieved my bag, and killed the kitchen lights and followed her in.

Her bedroom was fairly basic. A queen sized bed with some well worn blankets and pillows, suitable for nesting. It had two bedside tables with lamps, both on at the moment. The closet was closed. There was a padded bench at the foot of the bed, perfect for sitting on, pulled out just far enough to accommodate the tail. A six drawer dresser also had a large mirror. The top of the dresser was pretty clear, with her phone and flight gear, and a few other miscellaneous items. It lacked the array of perfumes, makeups and other items common for a woman. There was a small jewelry box that was closed. I couldn't remember her wearing any jewelry since I met her.

"So how are you feeling?" she asked as she unbuttoned her shorts. She wiggled her hips and fluttered her tail as she let them drop.

"Better than last time. A lot better prepared," I said. I unzipped my bag and took out a few condoms. "And yes, I've practiced a bit."

"Good, I hoped you were ready. I know it's my safe time, but I prefer to use protection anyway, just to be safe." She retrieved a familiar container from the side table. She propped a leg on the bench and started rubbing herself a little before slipping her own diaphragm in. It made my pulse quicken. I unbuttoned my own pants and dropped them, showing my own shaft already aroused.

"It's a good idea, especially to get used to. And in case we want to do more."

She licked her beak, looking down at me. After a moment, she tossed the tube of spermicide my way. "Speaking of which, you said you've been ready all day. You should probably refresh your protection, before we get too busy."

I blushed and pressed my ears back a bit, knowing she was right. She moved to the side on the bench and I joined her, smearing a fresh amount over my own protection while being well aware of her closeness. She watched me and I could see she was hardening as well.

When I was done, she reached over and stroked my own hard member, her talon going up against the barbs. I shuddered in pleasure.

"So are you ready?" she asked.

"More than ready," I confirmed.

She pinched one of my nipples and giggled, retreating to the bed. She turned off one of the lamps, and hopped into bed, rolling over onto her back while watching me. Her wings squirmed a bit, adjusting the pillows and blankets to support her.

I motioned to the other lamp and she shook her head. I took a couple of condoms and climbed onto the bed next to her. I rolled over on top of her, straddling her legs and looking up at her. She watched me, chirring softly in anticipation.

I started by rubbing her legs a bit, digging my talons into her thick striped fur. I could see she was as aroused as I was, her cock swollen, but also her vulva quivering. When I got closer, I stroked over her opening, eyes watching her as she quivered. I stroked over her shaft as well and paused, leaning back and grabbing the condom. Putting one on with talons was trickier, but not impossible thankfully.

Once I was 'dressed', I continued exploring Cardi. We'd explored each other the last time, so it was familiar territory. At the same time, there was something different I couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was because I was in the guy role this time and more in the driver's seat. Cardi did her own part as well. As I worked up her body, she started rubbing my head, scratching my ears and brushing my feathers. Her paws rubbed against my legs as well. I nipped at her breasts once I got up there, making her gasp happily.

Soon enough we were rubbing beaks. Her hands squeezed my own breasts, pinching my nipples and making them harder. I fluttered my wings a bit and adjusted a bit, my hard cock rubbing against hers with only the latex of the condom between us.

"You ready?" I gasped out, realizing I might not be able to hold back as long as she had. I hadn't had that much practice, even before becoming a griffon.

"Of course, as soon as you are," she replied, nuzzling back.

I slid back a little and double checked the condom and lined up between her legs. I held there for a moment, holding just at her entrance. It almost tipped me over without doing anything. I teased her nipples a bit more from that position before bracing myself over her. I pushed in hard, feeling her tunnel open for me. I felt her squeeze down tightly on my cock, but it was moist enough for me to slide in easily. I pulled back and had my first real experience of the barbs; even with the condom, they still caused a flare of pleasure with my movements. It nearly made me cum right away.

"Fuck!" I gasped out, clamping down hard to hold back, panting hard. I held my position, not sure I could hold back if I pushed back in.

Cardi giggled and reached up and stroked my own breast, pinching a nipple. "Incredible isn't it? It caught me by surprise my first time too."

"I've done this before... Hell! I've been doing this manually for months now. But this... fuck."

"Well, don't stop!"

In response I pushed back in again. Knowing what to expect, it was a little easier to hold back, but only just. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back for long, but I was determined to hold as long as I could. It was a battle of wills between us, and I'm pretty sure I lost first. I pushed in hard and felt my cock spasm. I let out a happy screech, a sound a human could never make. The cardinal griffon shuddered under me.

We held our positions for a long moment, just savouring the feelings. I nuzzled and licked her beak gently while feeling her squeezing on my hard cock. She stroked my sides and nuzzled back. "So was it worth it?" she asked.

"Fuck yes. Damn, I forgot, what about your neighbours?"

She giggled and kept rubbing. "Thankfully, we have really thick walls here. I mean, I've heard their activities, but only just. Human hearing won't hear a thing."

"I hope so." I reluctantly pulled out slowly, shivering a bit. I glanced and was relieved to see the condom was intact. I pulled it off and set it to the side.

"Of course, since you are properly prepared, you can find the real fun of being a griffon now," Cardi said. She was rubbing my sides, getting lower. Suddenly, her hands stroked over my shaft, then below it, finding my pussy and making me realize how wet I was.

"Now, it's my turn," she giggled. I lifted myself off of her enough to let her grab the other condom. It was obvious she was used to using them as she slipped it on her own member.

We wiggled a bit, adjusting our positions though I was still on top. I had a strange dual feeling of being tired, but also eager to get more. Soon enough she was positioned against me. I slid onto her, feeling her covered shaft enter me. It felt a little different from before, but just as much fun. I squeezed onto it and rocked. It didn't take long for us to tip over again, and she made sure I felt the pleasure of the female climax again. I was sure the screeches we made could be heard across the entire building.

Once I could, I pulled free and rolled onto my side, panting hard. My body was quivering with pleasure. "Fuck," I gasped out. "Just.... wow."

She cuddled me and nodded. "Yeah, it's something isn't it? And the Titans have even more. I can't imagine what they've got."

"They've got their pouch stuff too. I think this is plenty enough for me," I said. Weariness was starting to spread as I came down from the double high.

She took her own condom off and retrieved mine, leaving them on the table for later. "Nice thing with protection, it's a lot less messy.... Mostly."

I glanced down at my groin. My fur was wet and sticky in places. The last time had been a lot messier, but this wasn't entirely clean. "Yeah, I guess it can wait until morning."

"Since we used condoms, we could take the diaphragms out now. But it's good practice to wait until morning, just in case. Sex is messy after all. Best to get into good practices early."

I nodded and cuddled with her. My energy levels were dropping fast. Finally, I reached back and killed the other lamp, plunging the bedroom into darkness, lit only by the city glow coming in the shaded window.

"Night Sky. Thanks," Cardi whispered.

I leaned closer to her and nuzzled. "Night Cardi. And Thank you."

===Sunday , Jan 28===

Movement next to me woke me up. I opened my eyes in an unfamiliar bed, with the unusual sensation of someone next to me. My heart began to pound and I got nervous, until my mind clicked into gear and I remembered where I was. I blinked and got Cardi into focus. She was still fast asleep. The room was dark with a hint of dawn. I looked around but couldn't find a clock.

I tried to get back to sleep, but now that I was awake, sleep eluded me. My body was still tingling a bit with left over feelings from the night before, mainly a combination of memories and a bit of morning wood.

Next to me, the red griffon twitched a bit, still deep in sleep. I reached over and stroked her face a bit. She chired softly in her sleep and settled deeper into sleep. Looking her over, I realized her cock was fully erect again even while she was asleep; more than just morning wood. I stared at it in the dimly lit room, feeling my own loins begin to moisten. Something nagged at the back of my mind and I stayed still, trying to bring it back.

"Fuck, the rut," I mumbled under my breath. Today was her Rut. I stared at her, realizing this was the first time I'd seen another griffon during her peak. I found myself watching her closely as she subconsciously handled the rut. She twitched in her sleep and grunted softly. I yearned to stroke her shaft, to help her get a bit of relief, but it didn't feel right to do. If I was honest with myself, I wanted to climb onto that cock and ride it all morning.

She spasmed on the bed next to me and cum shot out, hitting my belly fur and breasts. Cardi sighed happily and settled back into a deeper sleep. I looked down at the mess and sighed softly as well. "I guess I deserved that," I mumbled.

I carefully slipped off the bed, trying not to disturb the other griffon. I yawned and stretched silently. Cardi slept on; and I felt a pang of jealousy. I padded out of the bedroom and started cleaning up. I also pulled out the diaphragm and washed it off. After four months I was finally getting somewhat comfortable with the idea of having things inside me.

When I left the bathroom, I saw a sleepy cardinal griffon standing in the bedroom doorway. She rubbed a breast with one hand, her cock still hard.

"Mornin'. Did I wake you?" I asked, trying not to look down. I knew she was in her rut and it seemed to be causing a reaction in me.

"No, not really. I think you know what woke me," she replied. She sighed softly and forced her hands to her sides. "Waking up is usually the worst. Takes me time to wrangle things under control."

I indicated the wet fur on my front, "I could tell. You've already gone off once."

"Oh?... Fuck. I'm sorry."

I giggled and waved my wing dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It was partly my fault. I saw it com- I saw what was going on and didn't get out of the way. Honestly I was sorely tempted to help it along. But that didn't feel right."

Her hands twitched, obviously yearning to do something, but being fought. She considered what I just said and nodded. "Thank you for the consideration. I'm not used to someone being around for this, especially not waking up with them."

"It's new for both of us. I do sort've hope we might have more opportunities."

She nodded and flicked her ears. "So do I. But that said, I give you permission to help me out in the future, at least manually."

I gulped and nodded, "Thank you. And if we find ourselves in the other direction, you have the same permission. And just to warn you, it was tempting to jump you in another way. Not quite a heat, but the urges were there."

I slipped past her and retreated to the kitchen. After a bit of searching, I got some coffee brewing and toast toasting. I munched on a banana while waiting for her to get out of the bathroom.

When she came out, she was obviously a bit more composed, her hardon partly relaxed. I offered a mug of coffee and otherwise kept away.

"How are you feeling?"

She shrugged her wings and sipped the cooled coffee. "A bit better. I'm still feeling it. Gods, I want to jump you and ravage you on the table. But I've got it contained."

I nodded in agreement. "Honestly, part of me wouldn't say no to that idea. And I'm not even on the heat. Should I leave?"

She took a deep breath and considered it. "No, not yet. Unless you want to, or need to."

"I'm good. I'll have to go home soon but not right away. But as tempting as it is, we should probably avoid a Round Two... or would it be Round three? Round four?"

She giggled and nodded in agreement. I decided that decreasing the temptation would help. I returned to the bedroom and pulled my shorts back on. She got dressed after I did, and we lingered over breakfast, talking about a variety of things. We even did some more video reviews, but it was obvious that Cardi's attention wasn't on topic. I was impressed that she seemed to be easily resisting the urges. I also noticed that while her breasts were swollen, she wasn't leaking. All in all, it made me a bit jealous.

By lunch time, I could tell the strain was getting to her. It was getting to me as well. It was one thing to have things to do and to be interacting with new people steadily, like her job entailed. Obviously when you were with another griffon most of the time, and didn't have as many distractions handy, it was harder, even for the easier peaks.

Around noon, I stopped the latest video and started gathering my stuff. "I'd love to stay longer, but I have a long list of chores I need to do back home today," I said as an excuse.

Cardi seemed more than a little relieved by my escape. "Of course. Thank you for the company," she said, starting to straighten up the room.

"Thank you for everything," I replied. I strapped on my gear and pack and got close to her. We hugged briefly and rubbed beaks. "I'm honestly looking forward to the next time."

She giggled and nodded. "So am I. And it's not just the rut talking."

We went to the patio door and I stepped out. It was chilly but sunny out, and the cold air was refreshing. I stretched my wings and climbed over the railing. We rubbed beaks a final time before I fell off backwards, flipping over in mid air and headed home.

===Wednesday, January 31===

Long range mobility had been high in my mind since Greg and I talked on Friday. I'd heard some griffons had picked up bikes and motorbikes before winter set in, to varying degrees of success. Helmets and other protective gear were our main problem; our heads just didn't fit the normal ones. Four months later, some companies were starting to offer some custom made helmets. Some of the work had been started for the Titans, but when the Griffons happened, they pivoted. Feeling ambitious, I placed an order for a griffon helmet and some other gear. With the backlog, it wouldn't be in for a few months, but at least I was on the list.

The next challenge to tackle was the legal one. I'd never been interested in a motorbike before, so I just had a Class 5 license for regular vehicles. Motorbikes needed a Class 6. Getting one wasn't too difficult, if you had a Class 5 to start from.... but I'd given mine up a few months ago for an identification card; a card that wasn't completely correct but at least had my griffon picture on it, and my sex listed as "X". Now I would have to convince them to give me back my old license even though I couldn't drive most Class 5 vehicles.

On Wednesday, I booked an appointment and flew to a registry office downtown. The office was moderately busy when I showed up. I got a number from the kiosk at the entrance and settled down to wait. I saw a lot of people watching me curiously, and a lot of whispering going on, and tried to ignore it. Finally my number was called out.

I went to another kiosk desk on one side of the room. There were some chairs in front of it, but not ones I could sit at. Since they had arms, I couldn't even flip them around to sit at. Instead I knelt on it to bring myself down to the worker's level.

"How... How can I help you?" the agent asked, obviously surprised to see a griffon in front of them.

I set out my new ID card, my passport and a few other items with my name on them. "Hi there. This is going to seem a bit strange, but I'd like to restore my driver's license."

He blinked for a moment, not looking at the cards I provided. He was clearly having trouble processing my request. "Your driver's license?"

I nodded and prepared to be patient. "Yes, my driver's license. I had it before, but after, this." I flicked my wings out and shook them a little. "I thought I wouldn't need it any more and voluntarily gave it up for a new ID card. In hindsight, it turns out I was a bit rash in my actions; I should have just updated it."

"But you can't drive!" the agent said. I saw a few of his coworkers glance over and watch us curiously. I wondered how long it would take before I would have to escalate my request.

"I know, technically I can't properly drive a regular car or truck. Hell, I can't even fit into the seats any more. But I ''can'' drive a motorcycle. Not all of them but a surprising number of them. In order to do that legally, I'll need a Class 6 license. And to get one of those easier, I'd like my Class 5 restored."

"Uhm right. I guess that makes sense...." He finally took my paperwork and started typing on his computer. I suspected he was mainly working automatically.

I waited quietly while he worked, doing a lot of typing and clicking. The screen was angled so I couldn't see anything, so all I could do was wait. In the end, he didn't look happy with what he found.

"Okay, Mr... Miss.... Mx Farrel. It does look like you're within the window to restore your old license. There will be a service charge and some more paperwork but...."

I tilted my head and waited for him to go on. Finally I prompted him. "But?"

"But... I'm not sure I should renew it for you."

"And why shouldn't you?" I asked, keeping my tone as neutral as possible. I knew I had to convince him to get anywhere, and getting frustrated would do me no good.

"You're a griffon! You can't fit in a car, let alone a driver's seat. Sure, technically you've shown you know how to drive, but it was all before. Now...."

"Now, I know I can't. Not a normal car at least. And I'm not looking to drive one. I'm just asking for my license to be restored so I can more easily get a license I can actually use. I've had a license for twenty some years now, I ''know'' how to drive, I just need a card to recognize that."

"RIght right..." the agent seemed unconvinced.

"Please, go check with someone else, if you want a second opinion. I don't mind," I gently urged him, giving him an escape route.

He was obviously tempted to ignore my suggestion, until he realized it was the perfect way to punt the problem. He excused himself and went to a cubicle to talk to someone. Had I strained, I could probably have listened in over the ambient noise. Instead I just relaxed and tried to look as harmless as possible. The person he was talking to stood up and looked over to me. I waved a hand to them and they went back to their intense discussion. The pair moved even deeper into the government space, visiting someone with an actual office at the back of the room. They were there for a long time, and I suspected that calls were being made.

Finally, the agent came back with another person. She was obviously someone who was in charge. I stood up to greet them, even though we were still separated by a plexiglass screen.

"Mx Farrel, I'm Assistant Director Vance, in charge of this office. I must say, you're giving us quite the dilemma."

"I'm sorry for any problems I'm causing. I'm just trying to make things easier for me later on. I'm probably not going for my Class 6 until the spring, but I figured restoring my old license would be easier now."

"It would be, in some ways. And it also shows we may have some problems in the future with regards to those licenses too. But that's a problem for tomorrow. As for the current concerns, well, I guess you could say it's mainly a logic problem. Or a moral problem. Technically speaking, there's nothing disallowing your kind from having a Class 5 license, or a Class 6 or any other type of license. And in fact, most of you still have your old licenses, even if you aren't using them. We haven't had it happen here yet, but I've heard many of you have also just updated your licenses for your new bodies. So, practically speaking, there isn't a reason we couldn't restore your old one. As far as the government is concerned, you proved you were allowed and capable of driving in the past. And your new bodies don't technically disqualify you from that."

"Right, so what's the problem?" I asked, a little bit of my growing impatience slipping into my voice.

"The problem is if we should allow this to happen. A license gives you the implicit permission to operate a motor vehicle out in public. Even though you physically can't operate one; not without extensive modifications that probably don't even exist yet."

"If it helps, I do promise I won't try to drive a regular vehicle any more. I'm just looking for a way to make sure I'll be able to legally drive a motorcycle as soon as reasonable, without needing to go through the graduated steps again."

She studied me while thinking, drumming her fingers on the top of the cubicle wall. Finally, she made her decision. "Go ahead and do it. As far as the rules go right now, there's no reason a griffon can't drive a car legally, as long as they passed all the tests. And Mx Farrel has certainly done that in the past. If the Minister has a problem with it, then the government can change the rules appropriately."

The agent nodded and sat back down and started typing. I relaxed and nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Keep in mind they may decide to change things in the future, but for now, we'll follow things as written. Good luck on your cycle tests."

I laughed, "I've barely started down that path. I ordered a helmet and went for my old license. I still need to get an actual bike and learn how to ride it, and I won't do that until the snow's gone."

"Good idea. Have a good day, Mx."

She retreated back to her office, and I knelt back on the chair to wait. Soon enough, my three month old ID card was going through the shredder, and I had a new temporary license. "We used your photo and signature on record since you updated it recently. This temporary license is good for 30 days. If you don't get your proper license in that time, contact us," the agent explained.

I packed up my wallet and flight bag again and nodded my thanks. "Great, thank you for all the help. Sorry to be a pain."

He chuckled and shrugged. "Just part of our duties. Have a good day."

===Thursday, February 1===

In the predawn light of my dreams he met me, floating in the dark skies in all his glory. My loins were moist and I was more than ready for him. He was equally prepared for me, his shaft already erect and glistening in the ambient light of the dreamscape. I had a moment of guilt, thinking of Cardi, but lust pushed those thoughts away.

We floated into each other's arms and began to cuddle, squeezing breasts, nibbling and nuzzling and drawing out the moment. I had my hands on his shoulders while his own hands slid down my sides, our wings slightly extended and pressing together. He gripped my hips and I tensed a moment in anticipation; I could feel his hard shaft against my own sheath. He wiggled a little more and he was between my legs, filling my moist opening.

I clenched down on him and he held his position for a moment while we cuddled a bit more. And then he pulled back a bit and pleasure flared from my loins as his barbs slide along my sensitive flesh. I gasped and panted, barely holding back my climax as he pushed back in and started thrusting. Having experienced the real thing had certainly enhanced my dream experiences. All too soon, I gave in, letting the waves of pleasure wash over me. As I gave in, he released as well, his shaft throbbing as he let go deep in me.

The climax jolted me awake, my entire body quivering from the pleasure. I laid in bed, panting hard, my loins quivering. My nipples rubbed the sheats, hard and tingling as well. Sleep was certainly out of the question now.

"Fuck," I groaned weakly, not moving much. I opened my eyes and in the dim light, I saw 7:42 on the radio alarm clock I used. Heat number five had arrived.

I laid there for a few moments, letting the pleasure fade. It didn't entirely disappear, but I began to feel somewhat normal. At the same time, my loins seemed to realize I was awake, and they wanted something other than the fantasy satisfaction.

I resisted the urges for the moment, reaching out to turn on the lamp and sitting up in bed, facing the mirror. I inspected myself briefly. My feathers were more frazzled than the usual 'bed head' appearance I had.My nipples were hard, visible from my dark fur, though my breasts didn't seem much bigger yet. My fur was also a mess, especially around my loins. While my sheath was almost invisible against my fur, my vulva was moist and my labia were engorged. I couldn't see it but my clit felt as hard as my shaft would normally be.

"Fuck," I groaned again. I ignored the urges and stood up, retreating to the bathroom to clean up a bit and hopefully cool the heat I was feeling. It was a struggle, but I tried to bring up the advice I'd been given and focus on other things.

I felt a little better when I returned to my bedroom, having washed and preened a little. I then did something I rarely did during my peaks... I got dressed. The granny panties came out again with a panty liner, and I had to admit it felt better against my vulva. I even pulled on a top, tucking in some pads to handle leakage.

Once I was dressed, I went downstairs and got breakfast and prepared for the day.

I technically had taken the day off, but I needed something to focus on. So after eating, I retreated to my office and logged in and started digging into some of my ongoing projects.

By noon, I was near my limits. I was mentally exhausted from focusing on work and trying to ignore my body. Through most of the morning, I found myself squirming in my seat with varying degrees of success.

Before going down for lunch, I retreated to my bedroom and stripped off my shorts. A few urgent minutes later and I collapsed on the bed panting, a wave of pleasure washing over me. I rested there for a time, savouring the moment of normality when the roar of the hormones had been silenced by the climax,

When I was ready, I redressed myself and went downstairs to make lunch. Over lunch, I considered what I had to do. Adam was scheduled to do a house call in the afternoon. But I also had to go out for the blood draw at the clinic as well. I'd gone out last week so I knew the process at least. With how I was feeling, I decided to tempt fate. I sent Adam a message to call me when he had a chance.

He called me back shortly after one, and seemed a bit concerned.

"Hey Adam," I greeted him, stretching my wings a bit and standing up from the computer. I'd gone back to try and work, but I could feel the urges building again.

"Hi Skyfire. I'm planning to leave shortly. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. I... I just wanted to suggest that we shift back to your office. I know you prefer to meet there."

He paused for a moment, obviously processing my request. "Are you sure? Is something wrong? Did your heat change?"

I let out a quick laugh. "I wish. Heat's hitting me as strong as ever.... But I think I've got a better grip on it. Leaving the house like this, it scares the shit out of me. But I think I've made progress, and I can do it. I have to "

"You have to?" he probed gently.

I sighed and nodded, though he couldn't see it. "Yeah. I need to get a grip on this damn roller coaster. I can't keep losing two days a month to my fucking body. And I have a medical appointment as well. Just the blood draw."

"Right, I remember you mentioning that last week. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Focus seems to help, but I've been doing computer work all day. It's all mental stuff. I think I need to do something more physical. A good flight would help."

He sounded a bit doubtful, but gave in. "Okay then. I'll wait for you in the office. See you later this afternoon."

"Thanks Adam. see you then."

I killed another hour or so on the computer. It wasn't really productive work. Finally, I gave up for the day and retreated to the bedroom. A quick session helped take the edge off the heat. I could tell it was near breaking, but it was still building; I had no idea how it would finally break if I was away from home. I briefly tried to get Little Simon to stir, but while I could get a little harder, ejaculating was impossible; the clinic wasn't going to be getting a semen sample from the heat. The milk sample, on the other talon, was trivial to provide. I pumped myself as dry as I could, and filled the container they provided. The rest I flushed.

I packed my bag, geared up, and left.

Like at Christmas, I found flying did help take some of the edge off. The flapping of my wings did cause my top to rub my sore nipples more than I would have liked; but the physical exertion helped offset the desires of the heat. Outside, the skies were clear and chilly, but not too cold; enough I could feel it in my nares and on my talons, but not so much that I was uncomfortable. I reached Adam's office just before our appointment, and headed right up. His door was open when I entered.

"Come on in Sky, we can start right away," he greeted me from the inner office.

I went right in and took my bag off, setting it down carefully next to the couch. I fluttered my wings and tail a bit before sitting down in my usual place.

"Sorry about the short notice about the change. I decided at the last moment. I hope it didn't cause you any problems."

He leaned back in his own seat, crossing his legs and clasping his hands over his lap. "Not at all. These appointments are for you. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible with them. So how are you feeling?"

I took a moment to consider the question.

"I'm okay I guess. The flight helped. The heat's still got me strong, but it should break soon."

"Well, you seem in surprisingly good shape considering. Though I'm a bit surprised you're wearing a top."

I glanced down self consciously, more concerned that I was leaking and the pads had slipped. The front was dry.

"I'm wearing it for practical purposes, but I probably should have left it off. The contact is... frustrating. I'm not sure if this was a good idea or not."

He nodded, "Well, go with whatever you're comfortable with. How is the heat today?"

I adjusted the top a little, reaching in to check the pads. I could tell there was a bit of moistness to them but they seemed to be holding well. I decided to leave it on.

"It's hard to describe, I guess. But trust me, it's almost as bad as earlier heats. The techniques we discussed do seem to be helping a lot. Still, now that I'm sitting down, I can feel it rebuilding."

We talked about it for the rest of the session. All through it, I forced myself to sit still, doing my best to ignore the feelings in my loins. Adam could clearly see my discomfort, but I did my best to not draw attention to it. Towards the end of the session, he tried to make me address it.

"How do you usually break your heat?" he asked.

I looked away nervously. "Well, as you probably suspect, I usually have to... well have to masturbate. Climaxing is how I can tell it's broken, at least the previous times."

"And if you don't do that?" he asked.

I shrugged my wings and crossed my legs again, squeezing nervously. "I'm not sure. I never tried not to."

"Well, you know where the washroom is, if you feel like you need to...."

"No no, I should be fine," I quickly said. "I should be able to make it home at least, even if I need to go the long way."

He seemed unhappy with my answer but let the subject drop. "So do you think you can keep coming with your heat and ruts?"

I nodded, trying to sound more certain than I felt. "I have to, if I want to get a grip on these. It's still exhausting, but practice will help."

"When's your appointment at the clinic?" he asked.

His office didn't have any visible clocks, so I checked the time on my phone. It was almost five. "I just need to call them before I head out. They can fit me in pretty much any time. I was planning to call them when I left. It's just a blood draw and dropping off a few samples."

"Well, it's pretty much the end of our session. Is there anything else you want to talk about this week?"

I shook my head and stood up, grabbing my bag. "No, I think it's a good point for this week. Thanks Adam. I appreciate your help."

We shook hands and I left the building. Before taking off I called the clinic to give them the heads up. A half hour later I landed in the parking lot. It was getting dark, but it was still busy, with people visiting the after hours clinic or visiting the drug store or other stores. I went up to the second floor and checked in.

I settled in to wait on a bench in the waiting room. A few humans and griffons were there, but I ignored them. The damn heat was at its peak and I was yearning for a release. I especially avoided looking at the other griffons in case it was enough to make me give in.

"Skyfire? We can see you now," the nurse announced.

I followed them into a small office, similar to the one Doctor Chase saw me in. I unpacked the container of milk and set it on a counter, and waited.

"Hi again, Skyfire. How are you doing?" Doctor Tompkins greeted me. He had seen me the previous week.

"I'm okay, considering. It's been a long day, and I'm eager to get home," I said.

"Right. I'll try not to keep you for long. You're on your heat, right? How's it going?" he sat across from me and opened my folder to take notes.

"As usual. But I'm handling it. I brought some milk in. But a semen sample isn't happening."

He looked up and took the milk sample. He jotted a few notes on the bottle before putting it down. "Thank you. We'll get this off to the lab, along with the rest as usual. Did you have any problem getting this?"

I laughed and shook my head. "I dumped more than that into the toilet after." I glanced down and sighed. My nipples were pressing harder against the pads in my top, making my breasts more prominent than I was used to. "And I'll probably have to milk out just as much when I get home."

He followed my gaze briefly before looking away. "Right, well then we won't keep you long. The phlebotomist will be in shortly and then you're free to go. Thank you again for doing this."

"Anything to help out. I just want to get this damn curse wrangled."

He grimaced a moment and finished a couple of notes in the folder. He then excused himself and the other technician came in. We didn't talk much as he felt among the feathers of my upper arm and found a spot. The blood draw happened quickly and I was free to go.

The heat wanted a release so it could finally rest, but I pushed on further. I stopped at a taco place for a burrito to go. By the time I got inside with my dinner, I could barely turn the house alarm off. The bag of food went on the counter while I stripped off my top. I stumbled upstairs and finally found the relief I'd been putting off for so long.

I fell onto the bed, one hand between my legs, pressing my moist vulva, stroking my swollen clit. Despite how on edge I was, I didn't come immediately. A few moments of rubbing finally tipped me over. Instead of pleasure, waves of relief spread over me. I laid on the bed for a long time, panting a bit and unable to do much else. Eventually I rolled over and got my dinner, finishing off my day.

===Wednesday, February 14===

As a long time Ace, Valentines Day just wasn't a thing for me. My new relationship with Cardi aside, I just never really ''got'' relationships. I had many friends of all sexes, but I'd never really had an interest in getting close to them. Even for my high school prom, I'd gone out with a girl friend from my clique of friends, just to have a partner. I can't even remember if we kissed.

Wednesday started like any other day. February to date, had been pretty normal, for my new normal at least. The egg had been uneventful, I'd seen Adam and visited the clinic. And since it was my safe week, Cardi and I had met for some fun over the weekend.

So I was caught by surprise when an office runner knocked on my office door just before lunch. They were carrying a fruit bouquet, and a box of chocolates. Confused, I had him leave them on my desk. I plucked a strawberry off the bouquet while opening the card. The front of the card read ''Happy Valentine's Day'' with a pair of cardinals on the front. It was all I needed to know who it was from. Inside, there was a hand drawn cardinal, and a short message. ''Call Me.''

I held the card for a long moment, unsure what to make of it. I certainly didn't feel like I wanted to get into an actual relationship; I felt we were firmly in ''Friends with Benefits'' territory, but a Valentine's gift seemed to imply something else. I was unsure if I wanted to encourage it, discourage it, or just brush it off.

Ultimately, I closed the door and made the call. Cardi answered after a few rings, obviously at work.

"Hey Sky. Happy Valentine's day. Did you get it?" She greeted me, sounding cheerful.

"Hi Cardi, Happy... Valentine's day," I replied, a little hesitant. "I did get it. Thank you. It's beautiful."

"Great. I know it's probably a bit unwieldy to fly with, so don't worry about saving any of it for me. Feel free to pass it around the office," she said, her exuberance coming through clearly.

"Thank you, I will," I said. "I certainly wasn't expecting it."

She finally seemed to pick up my uncertainty. "Right, I know you weren't. I wasn't planning it until yesterday myself. I know we aren't a ''couple'', but all things considered, I felt like I wanted to do something. And to be honest, I liked the idea of being the one to give the gift for a change."

My head was still spinning, trying to figure out a way through this forest I found myself in. "Thank you, I... I didn't get you anything."

"I wasn't expecting anything. Well, that's a lie. I'm hoping I can expect your company for dinner tonight. Say the Spaghetti Factory at West Ed for seven? Then we can go home for some fun if you get what I mean." I could almost see her wink through the phone. "I've got an evening shift tomorrow, and I know your rut is tomorrow."

"Sure," I accepted, caught up in the flood. "I'll meet you there?"

"Perfect! Looking forward to it. Bye Sky!"

I lowered my phone, not sure what exactly had happened. I munched on a couple of strawberries from the fruit bouquet, half tempted to call her back and cancel. Instead, I convinced myself that it was alright, and had to admit, I was looking forward to it. I didn't like the reminder that my rut was tomorrow, but it was what it was, and did mean our evening was a bit freer than a normal weekday evening might be.

I snacked on a few more berries, and went back to work, trying to focus as best as I could. As she suggested, I disassembled the bouquet and left much of it in the kitchen for the rest of the office. The chocolates I kept for myself.

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The office emptied out quickly by the end of the day. We were very flexible with our work hours, so most people took the opportunity to leave early to get ready for a special dinner and/or a special evening. Normally, I would be one of the last to leave on Valentine's Day, having nothing planned. But this was not a normal year for me.

I shut down for the day around four thirty, and claimed one of the bathrooms with a preening kit I kept in my office. I did a thorough brushing, and wished I had a change of clothes. Cardi had booked our dinner at West Ed, which was almost the opposite direction from home. While I could wing it home and get there in time, I didn't really like the idea.

So I made due and shortly before five, I was winging it across downtown, heading to the large mall. Below, traffic was thick, deep in a midweek rush hour. The skies were grey and overcast, but nice otherwise, and not crowded at all. I saw a half dozen griffons flying around, some heading to the mall like me.

I landed near the Asian market and weaved my way through the crowds to the mall itself. I still attracted attention when I was in crowds, but most people didn't give me a second glance now. Once I got to the mall itself, I stopped at a mall directory, trying to think of what I wanted to do next. I had about an hour to kill before she arrived, and I wanted to have something ready for her, but I was drawing a blank.

Ultimately, I decided you couldn't go wrong with chocolates. ''Purdy's'' was packed full of men and a few women getting last minute gifts like me, to the point they were limiting access to the store. I joined the line and debated seeing if ''Rocky Mountain'', ''Lindt'' or maybe one of the cupcake shops was any less busy. The line was moving steadily enough that I just waited it out.

By the time I got into the store, it was obvious it was well picked over. The workers had been run off their feet all day, barely able to keep products on the shelves. Empty brown boxes were stacked near the cash, waiting for a spare minute to be broken down. I considered my options, and picked up a box of mixed chocolates, and headed to the cash. The cashier didn't even react to my appearance; she just totaled up my purchase and offered the debit terminal to me. It wasn't until my scaly hand tapped the card to the machine that she actually looked at me, and jumped in surprise.

"Oh wow!" she said, fumbling the receipt.

I chuckled and plucked the receipt from her hands. "Cupid's arrows seem to work on griffons too. Have a good evening."

Wanting to do a bit more, I made my way down to the Lego store. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I had a rough idea. Well aware of the stares from the kids, I started checking over the minifig options on the customizer machine they had. I found a helmet with a beak, along with a pair of angel wings, and used them to make a couple of custom griffon minifigures.

I was all set when she sent me a text saying she was there, coming in from the market. I went to the second level and spotted her coming down the corridor. We met each other midway and hugged.

"Happy Valentine's day, Sky," she greeted me.

I offered the box of chocolates with the minifigs tied to it with a ribbon. "Happy Valentine's Day. Sorry, it isn't much, I wasn't expecting to do anything."

"Aww, how cute. You didn't have to do anything." She tucked the small box into her bag and hugged me again. "But thank you for the thought."

We hooked arms and turned around to head for the escalators, wings pressing together. "I'm sorry, I'm probably not the best date. I've never really done Valentine's Day before."

"Don't worry, it's just dinner with a friend. And maybe some benefits later if we're up for it. It doesn't have to be special."

I stopped next to a kiosk and looked at her. There was a hint of desperation in her voice that I wanted to clear up. "Are you sure? This doesn't really feel like it's ''just a dinner''."

She sighed and stepped around to face me. "I... I guess you're right. It's just, it's the first Valentine's Day in a long time when I haven't been in a relationship. Carl always wine and dined me, and Nick before that, and before that....The thought of being alone tonight, was bringing me down."

I nodded my head. I knew of her old boyfriend and how they'd been a couple for years before the Change. "You should have mentioned something. I admit, I'm sort've new to all this, but we could've made plans earlier. And not needed to do a last minute reservation at the mall."

She nodded and hugged me. "I know, and I'm sorry if this is making you uncomfortable... It's just... well, I had a bit of a revelation as I was thinking about this. It's usually the guy who gets the gifts for the girl. The guy who takes the girl out for dinner, and all that stuff. But I'm no longer just the gal. And you're certainly not just the guy any more. So I decided to shake things up a bit, see how it goes the other way."

I flicked my ears and pondered what she said. It certainly made sense. It also revealed some of Simon's ways of thinking that I hadn't even considered. "You're right.... I hadn't even thought of that, but it makes sense. I don't know if that makes griffon dating easier or trickier."

She giggled and cuddled against my side. "It's a thing. It'll probably be years before we shake off all the old human sex-habits too, if we ever do."

We held our position in the busy mall for a moment, enjoying the company while people moved around us. Finally she stepped back and looked at me. "So are you sure you're okay with this? I know we aren't ''really'' a couple, but I would certainly enjoy your company tonight."

I hooked my arm around hers again and gripped her hand. "And I would love to be your company for the evening." I motioned towards the escalator. "Shall we go claim our table?"

BRBN Street was completely packed, with lines outside of every restaurant and people being turned away. We waited in line, and finally sat down at a table by 7:30. At least all the restaurants knew how to properly handle griffons now.

"Pick whatever you want, this one's on me," Cardi encouraged me as we studied the menus.

"Are you sure? I don't mind going Dutch," I said. This place certainly wasn't a budget breaker; maybe half a step above ''East Side Marios''; but I wasn't used to having someone else pay for my meals. It wasn't a date thing; it was just the habit from being a bachelor for decades.

"I'm sure. I'm the one who invited you out after all. Guess that makes me the guy tonight," she confirmed.

My ears pressed back in embarrassment and I glanced around quickly, but the restaurant was way too loud for anyone to hear anything.As it was, I was doing my best to tune out as much of the noise as I could for my own sanity.

We placed our orders and soon had some wine and bread in front of us. I sliced the bread while she poured the wine out. We lifted the glasses and clinked them together.

"To a beautiful friendship," she toasted.

"May it last a long time," I finished, and sipped a bit of the wine. "Thanks for everything you've done. Not just with me, but for the flock here," I added, feeling the first bit of warmth spreading in me.

"I'm glad to be helping. We're all in this together, one way or another."

Dinner was nice, especially for a mall chain restaurant. It wasn't my preferred Italian place, but for a spur of the moment reservation on one of the busiest restaurant nights of the year, it was acceptable. We chatted on a variety of neutral topics while we ate. It felt strange letting her pay while I stood next to the table, so as we left, I pointed at the ice cream place.

"At least let me cover dessert. Something to settle the wine and the pasta," I suggested, twitching my wing to the ice cream place at the end of the hall. It was almost nine now and the main shopping areas were starting to wind down, but the restaurants were still doing booming business, including the ice creamery.

"I don't know, I'm pretty full, and it is chilly out there," she said slowly.

"And we've got a long flight home ahead of us," I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the line.

The line wasn't too long, so we got to the front pretty quickly. I got us a couple of chocolate cones and we stepped to the side. We ended up watching people watching us eat the treats as the Valentine's rush finally started to trail off. I tried to focus on the ice cream and not on my body. I was well aware the rut was coming fast, and the wine we'd had was also having an effect.

Eating an ice cream cone was something that wasn't all that different between griffons and humans. It was a lot of licking at first to get ahead of the melting dessert, and then nibbling the cone at the end. The main difference was the angles; griffon tongues didn't really extend far enough out the front of the beaks, so we tended to lick ice cream while holding it beside our beaks. That did tend to leave the sides of our beaks stained with icecream when we bring it in too close.

When we were done, Cardi plucked the paper napkin from my talons, and wiped my beak. I giggled and returned the favour. It turned into a brief nuzzle, beak rubbing beak, before she stepped back.

"Shall I escort you home now, my lady?" she asked, giggling and bowing slightly.

"Certainly. Lead on, my dear," I replied.

We left the mall at the ground level, coming out on the road between the mall and the parking garage. It was completely dark outside, with a fingernail sliver of the moon in the sky not providing much light. We took off, climbing out of the gap and into the night sky. It was refreshingly cold out, with a bitter wind I could feel in my nares.

I hated flying at night; the darkness made everything look different and it was nearly impossible to spot anything around you. Flying in the city helped a little, as the streetlights gave me a grid to follow, but it was still annoying. We set off southward, aligning ourselves with the Stantec tower and the rest of the downtown. I knew Cardi was flying near me, but she was almost invisible in the darkness.

A long flight later, we landed in my driveway. I took the lead, unlocking the door and motioning for her to enter ahead of me.

"Thank you for the dinner, and the evening," I said, heading for the kitchen. I filled a couple of glasses of water and offered her one.

"It was a nice one. Maybe next year I'll think about reserving a table earlier," she said, sipping the water. "It was a lovely evening."

I nodded in agreement and we were silent for a moment, sipping our drinks. She made the first move.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, obviously hinting.

"I'm buzzing," I admitted. "Between the wine and the coming rut, I'm wired."

"I see...." She put the empty glass on the counter next to the sink. "In that case, I should probably get going...."

I blocked her path to the back door. "It's late, and it's dark. Why don't you stay?" I suggested.

"Are you sure?"

I stepped closer and gave her a hug. "As you said earlier, I'm taking tomorrow off for the rut, and I believe you said you had an evening shift. So we have the night."

"If you want to..."

I nuzzled my beak into the side of her neck and up through her feathers. My body was quivering in anticipation. "I'm certainly willing. Meet you upstairs?"

She nodded and ran her talons down my folded wings. "Sure."

We separated and she headed up the stairs. I left the glasses by the sink and turned off the lights and made sure the doors were locked. My heart was pounding in anticipation.

In the bedroom, I found she had already stripped off her clothes, leaving them folded on my dresser. She had taken a plastic travel case from her bag and was preparing her diaphragm. I stood in the doorway and admired her, taking in her perky furry breasts, her strong wings and legs, and her semi erect penis. I knew she was only a few days past her heat, and I was about to hit my rut. It was probably the riskiest time I could be the male in our coupling, but I knew she liked to be prepared.

I moved deeper into the room and unbuttoned my top and pulled it off. My shorts came off soon after, and I could tell her eyes were on me.

"Oh my, Skyfire's wearing underwear now?" she teased me playfully.

My ears flicked and I glanced down, meeting her gaze. I was wearing a pair of cotton black griffon panties. They were practical, but not as bulky as the granny panties I'd started wearing for the peaks. They were cut like women's panties, but with extra space in the front for the sheath.

"Jacques sent me a few pairs to try and give feedback on," I explained, pulling them off. My own penis was half erect in anticipation.

"Well they look good. He does great work. Are they comfortable?"

"Very," I confirmed. I gathered my clothes and piled them on the dresser next to hers. "I actually sort've forgot I was wearing them to be honest."

"Nice. maybe I should have you order some for me."

I opened a drawer and found my own diaphragm case and took it out. My body yearned to just get it on, but I took my time preparing the device. Cardi moved to the end of the bed and propped her paw up, fingering herself a little before slipping it in. It made my own shaft swell harder.

"You know, we seem to be coming here more often to have fun," I said, stalling a bit while trying to keep my own arousal reigned in.

She finished inserting her device and stroked her own shaft briefly as she straightened up. "I know. Is it a problem?"

"Not at all. I don't mind. I... Well to be honest, I think I prefer it. No offense, but I worry about disturbing your neighbours when we're at your place."

"Understandable. But you shouldn't be worried. I've hinted around, and no one has heard anything. Or at least they aren't acknowledging it."

I nodded and moved to the bed, propping my own paw up. I stroked my labia a little, finding myself already quite excited. The diaphragm slipped in easily.

"That's good," I said when I was done. "And I certainly don't mind you hosting. I was just going to say, maybe we should consider doubling up our supplies."

She retrieved a few condoms from the bedside table and looked at me. "Doubling up?"

I flicked my wing to the dresser where the two containers were sitting. "So we don't need to carry them with us all the time. Diaphragms aren't that expensive. So if you wanted to get a second one, you could leave it here. You've already got a set of brushes here anyway."

We climbed onto the bed facing each other. She nodded, using a talon to circle my hard nipple. "That's a good idea. Next chance I get, I'll try to remember to pick up another one."

I began to chirrr happily, and returned the favour while wiggling closer to her. The time for conversation was over. It was now time for action. Encouraged by the wine-buzz, it didn't take long for happy screeches to echo through the house, multiple times.

===Thursday, February 15===

The icy goddess returned early in the morning. This time we were on a snow covered plateau, high in some random mountains. Some of the mountains were smoking, hinting at some barely hidden volcanism.

I barely looked around as I approached her; my arousal evident between my legs. She stopped me a few steps away, giving me a cold glare.

"What? Are you jealous?" I countered, glaring back at her. "You're just a figment of my imagination.

She glared back for a moment before relaxing. She stepped forward and we embraced. The fantasy continued as usual, but something seemed different. As I slipped into her, letting the rut proceed, I felt myself cum earlier than expected. The goddess's eyes widened in surprise before she faded away and reality came back into focus. I saw a red form in front of me, a different pair of eyes watching me. I twitched a few more times, feeling my hard shaft being squeezed by something else.

The pressure eased, replaced with a stroking along my member against the barbs. It sent more waves of pleasure that helped wake me up and get my mind into gear. I groaned softly and finally focused on Cardi.

"Morning. How yah doing?" she asked, still stroking.

I groaned again and sighed. I touched the wet spot on my chest and the sheets. "I think you can see. Fucking rut. What a mess."

"Want me to stop?"

I sighed and looked her over. I nuzzled her briefly, feeling the urges building again. Her own body was obviously receptive to what was going on. Every part of me wanted her to keep doing what she was doing.

"Please," I reluctantly said. "Please stop. I really should get up... get out of bed."

She stopped and rolled away enough to slide off the bed. I watched her stand up, taking in her furry form. It did nothing to soothe the heat in my loins. She started combing her feathers and fur a bit, cupping her breasts, obviously knowing what it was doing to me.

"Fuck," I growled and looked away. I rolled off the bed as well and stood up, picking a blank spot on the wall and trying to calm my body. I heard her leave the room, giving me space.

A half hour later, I was cleaned up and dressed. I made my way downstairs where Cardi was preparing breakfast.

"How are you doing?" she asked again, flipping some bacon in the frying pan.

"Better, I guess. Still a pain in the groin to handle."

"I noticed. I hope you didn't mind, after last time...."

I nodded and snagged an orange. "Yeah, we did agree we would let each other do that. It caught me by surprise is all. The goddess wasn't too happy about it either."

She smirked at me and started filling the plates. "Well, that cocky bitch will just have to learn how to share."

"That she will," I replied, grabbing some coffee and following her to the table.

After eating, she picked up the conversation. "I think this is the most I've ever seen you wear, at least around home."

I glanced down. I'd put on my shorts over the granny panties, with a liner. The liner was helping with the rawness from my swollen cock that just wouldn't go down. I was also wearing a top with pads over my nipple to handle any leakage there as well. My breasts were already swollen larger than normal, but not enough to need a pumping yet.

"Hopefully my new distraction routine will work. I normally didn't bother, but since I'm trying to focus on other things...."

"How's it working?"

I shrugged my wings. "Jury's still out. Seems to be good."

She started gathering the plates. "RIght then, so what are your plans for today? Do you want me to leave?"

I closed my eyes and considered the situation. "You don't have to yet. I was just going to try to do some work and just get through to the afternoon. Then it's off to see Adam.

"You could stay if you want. We can go over the GriffTech projects, brainstorm some ideas and stuff. Or figure out something else to do. Something unrelated to the rut of course."

She giggled, "Aww, but understandable. Sure, let's see what we can do."

We kept busy until noon. The rut was a constant presence at the back of my mind, and Cardi's presence was both a help and an awful temptation. By lunch time, I was a quivering mess of hormones, and my loins ached from being constantly hard.

While Cardi prepared a quick lunch for us, I escaped to the bathroom to freshen up. The pad I was using was wet and sticky from a few releases I'd made through the day, and my breasts were heavy with the milk. I took care of everything as quickly as I felt I could, and rejoined her downstairs for the meal.

"I know you probably don't feel like it, but you've been handling things excellently today," Cardi commented as we ate. "I know your signs, so I saw a few things.... Even so, you hid things well."

"Thanks," I said, not sure what else to add.

"Well, get out of your head with this, and you'll be fine. You're doing great. That said, I do have to head home and get ready for work."

"I know. Thanks for spending the morning with me. I have to get ready for the clinic and to visit Adam too, so it all works out."

She got up and hugged me from behind. My pulse quickened and I rubbed her arms, leaning back to rub back.

"Good luck today, and we'll talk later. See you later."

"Thanks again, Cardi. Have a good day."

I escorted her out the backdoor and watched her take off. The cool air felt nice and I took a moment to enjoy it while watching her flap away. Eventually I headed back in, mentally preparing myself for the rest of the day's battles. The fight was challenging, but it no longer felt so impossible.

{{separator|f|End Book 3}}

{{series bar

|series= Paradigm Shift: Griffons

|previous=[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book2|A Fire in the Sky: Book 2]]

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[[Category:Jetfire]] [[Category:Story]] [[Category:Paradigm Shift]] [[Category:Herm]] [[Category:Griffon]] [[Category:Adult]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: A Fire in the Sky: Book 3}}

User:Jetfire/A Fire in the Sky Book3

2024-12-31T18:25:45Z

Jetfire: Created page with "{{universe|Paradigm Shift}} {{my stories |name=Jetfire |category=Jetfire }} {{title |name= A Fire in the Sky: Book 3 |author=Jetfire |user=Jetfire}} {{XXX}} '''Author's note..."

{{universe|Paradigm Shift}}
{{my stories
|name=Jetfire
|category=Jetfire
}}

{{title
|name= A Fire in the Sky: Book 3
|author=Jetfire
|user=Jetfire}}
{{XXX}}

'''Author's note'''
This story contains scenes with adult encounters and descriptions.

This is the second story following the griffon named Skyfire

==A Fire In the Sky: Book 3 (Formerly Big Sky Country)==

===Sunday, December 31===

Normally I consider myself to be an introvert; despite helping the local flock and other groups, I generally preferred my alone time. And after a week with the family, I felt I was ready for a long hermit period to recharge. But by New Years Eve, I found myself feeling antsy, yearning for a bit of company.

My initial plans for the new year had been an evening home alone, maybe with some chinese food and whatever movies caught my fancy. But as the sun set, I found myself too restless to stay home; I was surprised at how much I wanted company, ''feathered company''.

Finally, I gave in and geared up. Flying across the city on New Year's Eve after sunset was risky with a high chance of fireworks, but I had to get to the only place I knew there'd be more griffons. I tried to follow the highways and avenues for the most part, the skies pitch black around me. Shortly after 8, I dropped down to ''Griffith's Roadhouse''.

The place was already busy, its parking lot half full. I began to have doubts of my impromptu plans, since I certainly hadn't purchased a ticket, but before those doubts could crystalize, I made my way to the entrance.

"Sky! Welcome! Welcome! Happy New Year!" Gary, the owner of the place, greeted me at the entrance as I walked in. He was at the hostess stand talking to a human hostess. A quick glance around showed the restaurant and bar areas were packed, mostly with griffons and a number of human friends.

"Happy New Year. Thanks for hosting the party," I replied, shaking his offered hand. "Sorry, I know this is very impolite. I hadn't planned on coming out in the first place, and I'm afraid I didn't reserve a ticket. I can leave if you're full...."

"We are sold out, but for you, we can probably squeeze you in. Are you alone?" Gary smiled and glanced out the door behind me for confirmation.

I laughed and nodded, pulling out my debit card. "Yeah, it's just me. No Titans this time and my family's flown back east. Thank you. I really appreciate it. I was going to spend the evening home, but just felt the urge to be among feathered friends."

Gary started to refuse my offered card but I forced it on him. "That's fine, and perfectly understandable...." We were interrupted as the crowd started counting down. On the screens around the restaurant and the bar, fireworks were going off over a coastal city. 2024 had reached St John's and would soon be spreading across North America. Glasses clinked and some couples shared kisses, while most people resumed their activities.

"Enjoy your evening, and happy new year!" Gary said, handing back my card and receipt.

I skipped the restaurant and made my way to the bar and dance floor, chatting with familiar people along the way. I snagged a beer and stood near a table, listening to a live local band cover some 90's rock songs. The band was human and didn't seem to have any problems with a mostly griffon audience. They weren't as good as Alan, but they were better than any griffon I knew.

An hour later, I'd snagged a pool table and was practicing my shots and just enjoying the ambiance when I heard a familiar voice.

"Well, you're a beak I wasn't expecting to see," Cardi greeted me, tapping my tailed rump with a pool stick and making my shot go wide. "What are you doing here?"

I straightened up and stomped down the brief moment of frustration over the interruption. "Hi there. Yeah I hadn't planned on coming out, but decided to at the last minute. Thankfully Gary let me in." I left the cue on the table and gave her a hug, rubbing her beak with my own. "Sorry we didn't chat much; it's been a busy season. Thanks again for letting me use your nest."

"Any time at all. I take it the fam's gone now?" the cardinal griffon asked. She studied the pool table and started racking the balls back up.

"They left on Thursday, yeah. Been recharging home alone for the past few days, but decided I needed some proper feather time. Never realized how much I yearned for our weekend gatherings I guess." I moved to the head of the table and placed the cue ball, lining up my shot. I broke the balls, but none went into the pockets.

"Well you look good. Sounds like it was a good visit," she said, lining up her own shot and sinking the five.

"It was. Good to see them again, and without all the insanity and pressure I was under over Thanksgiving. Almost made me feel normal again." She missed her next shot, giving me a chance to go at the stripes. I went silent for a moment, knocking down two stripes before missing my third.

"How about you? How have you been?" I asked.

"Been well. Been busy. This is the end of the busy time of year for us, and Boxing Day is always insane. But things will start calming down now as we enter the dead season."

I nodded a moment, letting her take her shots. "Yeah, Bev says the same thing, though her store isn't as crazy as yours. She's at one in a small town in Ontario."

"Lucky her. Hope she does well through the lean months. We're still bouncing back from all the Covid madness and supply chain snarls. Not to mention the Changes."

"Yeah, she should be fine. Her store's really turned around this year from what I've heard." I took my shots but missed the last stripe. "She's getting ready to flip it to a new manager and is thinking of heading further east, to a town in New Brunswick of all places."

"Really? I hear it's beautiful out there, but way too small for me." Cardi went back to the table and started working through the last few solids, but whiffed on the eight ball.

"I don't mean to pry, but I noticed you didn't decorate for Christmas," I commented as I lined up my next shot.

"Yeah, I'm not really a holiday bird, at least not the Christmas season. I enjoy the lights and don't mind the decorations; but for my own roost, I'm fine leaving it as is." She laughed and continued. "I get enough decorations at work for a lot longer than most people endure."

I chuckled and nodded in agreement, "That's fair. Eight ball, side pocket," I said, indicating the easy shot. The ball clunked into the pocket and I glanced at the time. "We should have time for another round. I'll get the drinks if you rack them up?"

"Sure, rum and coke please."

We had time for two more rounds before the midnight hour. A few minutes before, we retreated to the dance floor and joined the crowd. We were packed tight in there, wing to wing. I instinctively kept my tail feathers tight together and did my best not to step on anyone else's tails. Screens around the room showed a clock ticking down while waiters and waitresses passed around flutes of champagne.

In the last few seconds, we joined the crowd in the countdown. At zero, "Happy New Year!" echoed across the building, followed by the clinking of glasses.

I downed my drink and looked hesitantly at the cardinal griffon next to me. She lowered her own glass and met my gaze.

"Well? What are you waiting for? An invitation?" she asked, setting her glass onto a table and pulling me in for a tight hug. We rubbed beaks as a kiss and turned the hug into a hesitant dance to ''Auld Lang Syne''. I could feel the tenseness in her body, even as I enjoyed her closeness. In the back of my mind, I mentally ran the dates based on what I knew of her, and almost stepped away.

"Today was your rut wasn't it? Are you okay?" I asked, stumbling a bit from the realization.

She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder, letting me take the lead. "I'm fine. It broke hours ago."

Now that I was aware of it, I could sense it in her body language, the worn out tenseness I knew well. "I'm surprised you came out. You saw me when mine broke; I wouldn't be in any shape to come to a party after that."

"Yeah, I was tempted to skip it, but I'm not letting these cycles rule my life. Plus, it doesn't seem to hit me as hard as it hits you. Your cycles seem stronger than others."

"Lucky me," I mumbled. I realized my own heat was only a few days away. I also realized that between the alcohol and being so close to a male-mode griffon, I was feeling very Titan-like thoughts. Thankfully the song ended and I could break away from her, looking around to calm my hormones and resettle my thoughts.

"Hey! You can see the fireworks outside!" someone shouted from the front, triggering a small stampede.

We gathered in the parking lot with the crowd. The humans tended to shiver, having left their jackets in the coat check, while the griffons shook their wings out and relished the cold air and wing room compared to the hot box inside. A few kilometers away, the sky lit up with colourful explosions as fireworks went off over some park, followed soon after by the explosive booms. It wasn't the WestEd display nor the city's downtown display, but it was a nice show. I figured it was probably on the other side of the Henday highway; the ring road that went around Edmonton. It was somewhere over Saint Albert, the community just north of the city.

The fireworks colours seemed a bit different from what I remembered, until I realized the UV vision let me see a bit more than I was used to, probably unintentionally.

"Glad I'm not flying in that mess," I said. I hesitated a moment, then stretched my wing behind Cardi and hugged her.

"Yeah. Should be settled down by the time we leave," she said. She glanced at me, then slipped her own arm under my wing to return the hug. "They look a bit different from what I remember."

"The UV range we see. Fireworks are tuned to the human visual range, but we see more, so they have some more colours we aren't used to seeing," I explained, going through the reasoning I had just made.

A few minutes later the show ended and people started drifting back into the building. Some took off right away, or gathered coats to leave. Most got a new round of drinks and continued dancing.

We ordered fresh drinks (non alcoholic this time) and found a few friends to chat with. An hour or so later, we decided it was time to head out.

"Well, that's it. Good riddance to '23. Hopefully '24 won't be as crazy," Cardi said as we caught our breath outside. We shook out our wings and got ready to take off.

"I hope so, but we haven't been lucky yet. The 20's are certainly one for the history books. At least if any more craziness happens, it hopefully won't be on us."

"Good point. I think I've had more than enough as is."

We took off and climbed into the dark sky. It was late enough that there were no more fireworks going off, but the city still glowed with its normal lighting. We flew side by side in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

Without warning, I breathed in and started coughing, a bad taste filling my beak. I dropped a few metres and heard Cardi start coughing as well. The bad air cleared up as fast as we ran into it, but the bad taste remained, one of the strongest tastes I'd had since changing.

"Ugh, what the hell was that?" I asked as we recovered. We looked around but it was too dark to see anything in the sky. The river valley was a ribbon of darkness below us. Spitting with a beak was hard, but I was doing my best to clear the strange awful taste.

" It smells familiar. I think it was firework smoke and we were smelling the sulfur," Cardi said. She coughed a bit and spat. "Figures, we can barely taste chocolate any more, but sulfur is as bad as ever."

"Lucky us. Remind me not to go flying after Canada Day."

She chuckled and we continued heading south. Soon enough, her apartment tower was below us.

"You're welcome to come in if you want. Wash out the ash taste," she offered, though her tone was mixed.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. I'm almost home anyways," I politely declined. We were both tired and despite not drinking much since midnight, we were both still a bit tipsy. Part of me yearned to join her, but the saner part of my mind figured it was best to just get home.

"Sure. Happy New Year. I'll see you later."

"Happy New Year, Cardi." I gave her a wave as she dived down to her balcony, and continued my own way home.

===Tuesday, Jan 2===

On New Year's Day, I slept in late and woke with the remnants of a hangover. I hadn't gotten drunk, but I'd had enough to give me a buzz. I stumbled downstairs to get a drink and an aspirin, and spent most of the day just recovering.

Tuesday was the first day back in the office. Even though we were technically closed for the holidays, a surprising amount of emails and other tasks had built up. Combined with the usual time spent chatting with coworkers to find how their holidays were, it made for a busy day. The fact that I was mentally preparing myself for the next day added to the workload, but I was happy to get back into my normal routine.

On the way home, I dropped down at ''Intimate Pleasures'', and was glad to see Amy working. I walked in with no hesitation nor hint of embarrassment.

"Happy New Years, Skyfire. How are you doing?" she greeted me. She was busy stocking some shelves.

"Same to you Amy. I'm doing fine, but I need to get some supplies for tomorrow. How have you been?"

"I've been good. Thanks for asking." As we chatted, I browsed the selection, grabbing a new vibrator to replace the one I'd broken last time, as well as a few tubes of lube. We were alone in the store."You left quite the impression on my sister and her wife over the holidays," I added.

"They are a beautiful couple. And I could tell the family resemblance. They were excellent listeners too, and very curious."

"Oh? Well I guess I did drop them into the deep end of griffon life. Bev helped me get through my rut among other things."

Amy nodded and eyed my selections briefly, wordlessly offering another tube of gel. I added it to my basket without questioning; I trusted her suggestions. "She mentioned that. I helped them out as best I could."

"You were probably better than I was at explaining all this. Thank you."

She leaned against the counter and looked me over. "So the fourth heat. How are you feeling?"

"Therapy time? But my session isn't until Thursday," I laughed, avoiding the question for a moment. "I'm anxious. The rut was rough, but I'm getting back into my routine which will help."

"Good good. From what I've been reading, you guys do seem to be getting a grip on your cycles. But you've always been one of the more extremes. Younger griffons seem to have less extremes than you've been experiencing."

"Yeah, I know. Lucky me." I set the basket on the counter and sighed. "It is good that others are getting the hang of it. Gives me a bit of hope."

"Hope is important. I do wonder if you have considered other options though."

I tilted my head curiously. "Other options?"

She hesitated, clearly not sure about what she was about to suggest. I tried to keep my expression neutral, curious. "Just say it, the worst I can say is no."

"Right, there is that. I'm just not sure if it is really my place to suggest it is all."

I reached over and took her hand. "Please. I know it's only been a few months, but you're one of the few people I'd trust on these matters. You may not be a doctor or a scientist, but you know as much as anyone down in Fort Parker, and you have enough distance to get some good perspective that I may not have. So whatever you want to suggest, I'll seriously consider it."

She seemed stunned for a moment at my admission. "Wow... uhm thanks, Sky. I'm honored. I didn't really think of it that way. I just want to help you guys... you gals... you."

"And help you have. From that first day before my first heat, you helped me in ways that I never thought I needed. There's a reason I've sent Cardi and others your way. So thank you. And please, spit it out."

She laughed a little, obviously stalling a little. "Well, this is a bit unconventional, but I want you to consider this option. I know you see yourself as an Ace, and you aren't that interested in sex with someone else, griffon or otherwise. But at the same time, I've seen some stories from other griffons that say their peaks have been more tolerable after they became sexually active."

I opened my beak to reply, then snapped it shut, thinking about what she was suggesting. "I... I hadn't really thought of that. I mean, the risks..." My hand drifted down to my belly with the thoughts. "I really don't want to become pregnant... or to get someone else pregnant. And no offense, but humans aren't doing anything for me any more."

She nodded and took my hand, lifting it away from my belly. "I know, and those risks are real. It's something women have lived with for generations, and something you're coming to terms with now. But unlike me, you have some advantages. Like you know for certain when you are absolutely safe. That period between your egg and the rut, they're almost positive you can't get pregnant. And despite appearances, condoms and other physical birth control methods do work for you guys as long as you are careful. Not all of you guys have been as celebate as you have been, and most of you are still not pregnant, so they do still work."

I squeezed her hand and nodded. "True, there is all that. Still, I'm not sure I want to take those risks."

"You have time. Your egg won't be until next week, so your safe week is coming. Think it over, talk it over with your friends, especially if there's someone who might be willing."

My mind jumped from my icy goddess to Michelle but I chased her away. Our friendship was too important for our small community for me to risk adding sex to the mix. Unbidden, Cardi came to mind and I had a harder time pushing her out.

"I'll think about it. It's a big step," I said. "And it may not even work."

"But it could work. You've shared your story with me, and one thing I noticed was how restrained you were through it all. I'm grasping at straws, but I do wonder if holding back so much is part of the reason why your cycle started so late, and why it swings to such extremes."

"And you think a good fuck will help balance me?" I asked.

She grinned, "It wouldn't hurt... Well, what you're packing down there looks like it should hurt, but the stories other griffons have said say it certainly doesn't. I look forward to hearing about it second hand when you're ready."

I nodded and started unloading my basket. "Sure, I'll think it over. Thanks.... Oh! On a somewhat related note, do you have any suggestions for breast pumps?"

"I wondered when you'd get around to that, given your issues." She started ringing up my purchases as she talked. "While we have some here in stock, you're probably better off going to a drug store and getting a more normal one. The stories I've heard seem to say most prefer a manual one. I'll get you a list once we're done."

I relaxed a bit and nodded, "Thanks. It's still a bit embarrassing to think of, but if it cuts down on the mess, I'll go for it."

She passed over the debit machine, while switching windows on the computer to do a search. "Yeah, your biology is curious. I'm eager to see what your kids are like. Seems like you guys can start lactating with very little stimulation, but you usually don't make as much as women do. For the lucky ones like you, the hormone swings at turnaround seem to put you into overdrive."

"Yeah, more than I really wanted to know. But thanks for the advice." I looked at the list she printed out and nodded to her. "Thanks for reals. I don't know where I'd be without your help."

"No problem. Try to have some fun, and I'll see you next time," she said cheerfully.

===Wednesday, Jan 3===

Wednesday, I woke up early, dreading the day. My fourth heat was due and I didn't want to handle it. I could feel a bit of the buzz building but something seemed different.

I made my breakfast and returned to bed, eyeing my aids, feeling a bit of an urge but not feeling the need like the heat usually brought on. By midmorning, I shifted to my home office and started working, mainly as a way to distract my mind from the worries and confusion I was feeling. Missing my heat was scarier than having it, since it implied the grenade pin had been pulled. Considering I'd never been with another griffon, I couldn't figure out how that could happen, and the worry that another aspect of our biology was showing itself distracted me through most of the day.

By the evening, I knew I had to get out and do something to better distract myself. I could feel some aspects of the heat building up in me, but I wasn't sure if it was real or wishful thinking. So just before six, I grabbed my gear and took off for the PoGo raid hour.

It was a windy, chilly day, with the sun just starting to set. Everyone outside was bundled up except me; my natural plumage had no problem with the wind, though I could feel the chill in my talons. My phone similarly wasn't really happy with the coldness; I could almost see the power indicator dropping, even with a heated case I'd picked up over Christmas and a link to my battery pack in my pocket.

I landed at the Pinecones statue, raising a flurry of fluffy snow. The rest of the raid crew waved to me, used to my appearance now, but surprised to see me.

"Hey Sky. Good to see you. We weren't expecting you this week," Ryan greeted me.

"I wasn't expecting to be here either, but I just had to get out of the house," I said.

He nodded and leaned in closer after a quick glance around. The kids were busy a short distance away, no longer as fascinated by the griffon in their midst. "Everything okay?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm late," I replied quietly. His eyes widened in surprise; we'd been hanging out enough that he had a decent idea of what I meant. I continued quickly. "I don't know how or why. It should be impossible."

Ryan nodded again, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I just need a distraction. I think... I'm hoping... it just slipped. It feels like maybe tomorrow might be when it happens. But I won't know until then, and until then, I need something to take my mind off of things."

"Good idea. Good to see you in any case, and I hope it works out." He gave me a quick hug and stepped away, glancing at his phone.

"All right everyone, we have a decent spawn this week, but it is chilly, so let's get going while the phones hold out," he announced to the group at large, getting us going as the event kicked off.

===Thursday, Jan 4===

The Icey God returned to bring back my heat, but he seemed less than pleased with how I had treated him a few weeks back. He stood back from me, arms crossed but with an obvious erection. I glared back at him, arms crossed as well, wings slightly spread. My own loins were moist and eager, but I wasn't going to yield to him.

"Well? You're already late. What the fuck are you waiting for?" I growled at him, matching his glare.

He didn't reply.

"Get over it. You're just a figment of my overactive libido. So let's get this started." I stepped towards him and he began to relax. He uncrossed his arms and opened them up to hug me. I pulled him in tight, feeling his shaft rub along my own. After a few moments of maneuvering, I felt him slide into me and I jolted awake, already feeling the heat gripping me hard.

As I recovered from my morning climax, I did a bit of a mental assessment. For a change, I was thankful to feel the heat grip me, mainly because it meant something else wasn't brewing somehow. I was a little concerned at the path my fantasy had taken, but pushed it to the side. Feeling satisfied for the moment, I slid out of bed and went down to get breakfast while my mind was somewhat clear. I loaded up with various supplies and retreated to my bedroom, already feeling the urges building again.

I didn't fight this round. Instead I knelt on my bed with a vibrator and started playing, doing a bit of teasing even as the yearning built up. When I couldn't resist much more, I pushed the toy in and clenched down on it, rocking as its vibrations shook my sensitive flesh. I fell forward onto my pillows, tender nipples rubbing the sheets and rode out the wave of pleasure.

I sighed softly and perched on the edge of my bed, wings slightly spread. I looked at myself in the mirror I'd gotten from Christmas, legs slightly spread in a view I was more used to. I pulled my eyes upward and noted my furry breasts were already bigger and felt heavier. Reluctantly I grabbed the box with my other recent purchase, the breast pump.

I had taken it out once and cleaned it thoroughly, but I hadn't tried it. I assembled it and hesitated, hating the idea but already feeling the need. I set it on the bed next to me and closed my eyes, beginning to rub my breasts, pinching my nipples and tugging them a bit between my fingers. I felt them harden quickly and felt a bit of wetness in my hands but a fresh need interrupted my plans. I shifted my focus to between my legs and started rubbing and pushing the vibrator in again.

"Fuuuuuckkk..." I groaned, falling onto my side on the bed as my shuddered, wings twitching weakly. I panted and rested, trying to recover. After the stress from the lack of heat yesterday, I didn't have much heart to fight it today.

When I recovered, I sat up and got ready to address my breasts again. I gave them another bit of a massage, then picked up the breast pump. I held it to my right breast and started pumping the lever. I felt the tugging on my nipple and winced a moment, but soon enough I felt a bit of relief, and heard liquid squirting through the tubes with the pumping. At first I was embarrassed by it, but after a bit, I found it relaxing. With the heat, I was still aroused, but focusing on it seemed to delay the urges. I had no real feel for how long to pump, but eventually the fluid seemed to slow down and it began to hurt, so I shifted to the other breast, and started on it.

By the time I finished, my chest felt significantly lighter, and my loins were tired of being ignored. I pulled the pump off and left it at the foot of my bed and started masturbating again, one hand squeezing my breast while the other rubbed between my legs. This time I didn't even need the dildo as a wave of pleasure shook my body, less intense then the other ones, but more thorough somehow. I moaned in pleasure and slumped down on the bed, dozing off without realizing it.

I woke up a few hours later, my stomach growling. I pushed myself out and did a bit of self assessment. I was still aroused with the heat, but the urge wasn't demanding attention. I squeezed my breasts and felt they were getting a bit bigger, but didn't need any more milking. So I decided the libido could wait but the stomach couldn't. I went downstairs and made a late lunch, making sure to drink a lot of fluids.

With a full stomach, I was surprised at how I felt. The yearning was still there; I was still deep in the heat, but I felt more in control. It would get me again, but I could choose when it fired. I decided I would hold off longer as I went back upstairs.

I picked up the milk container and tilted it, looking at the thick cream in it. I had no idea what was normal, but it felt like a lot even if it was only about a third full. I put it back on the bed, and turned on my phone, doing a bit of browsing while I felt in control.

I felt like I was getting near my limit, when a reminder popped up. I cursed and stared at my phone, remembering my appointment with Adam was that afternoon. There was no way I was going to be able to make it.

It shattered my focus and my libido broke through. I grabbed the vibrator and started using it again while trying not to think of the appointment I would be missing. I slumped back as I finished and fought to recompose myself; it was almost my appointment time and I knew I had to call Adam.

When I felt a little normal again, I placed the call. It was near my normal appointment time, so I figured he would be watching the phone and not with a client.

"Doctor Fullerton's office, Adam speaking," he answered.

"Hi Doc, it's Skyfire," I greeted him, using my new name.

"Hello Sky, how are you doing? Are you running late?" he asked. I could imagine him looking at the clock.

"You could say that. I'm sorry for the lack of notice, but I won't be able to make it today."

I could tell he could hear something in my voice. "I'm sorry for that. Is something wrong?"

"Something has changed. We... we're probably going to have to change my normal appointments.... You see, my cycle slipped."

He stayed silent for a moment, letting me explain. I could imagine his reaction easily. "So yeah, I've been fighting the heat all day, and it hasn't broken yet. Thursdays probably aren't going to work any more."

"Wow... I'm sorry," he said. "I must say, you sound good for someone dealing with that. From how you described your peaks, I expected you to be a lot more frazzled."

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, including my swollen nipples on my wet fur. "It's rough. Still rough. But I've tried a few new things this time and it seems to help. Not enough to go out in public, but enough to function a bit."

"Good, good. How about we talk about it next week? You won't be on a peak so we can keep your normal appointment for now."

I nodded and took a deep breath. I could feel the heat surging again, but I fought to keep it controlled. It felt like it would be the last surge this round. "That... That should be good."

"Good, I'll see you then.... " he paused and I could tell he was debating saying something else. "There is one thing. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to bring it up now, but I'd like to plant- err wrong terminology. I'd like you to try to give it some thought."

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"It's something I was looking into before the break, something to try and help your peaks maybe. And this slip actually may be a good thing.

I could almost hear the creak of his chair as he adjusted his position. "Well, one thing I've noticed about your peaks is that you always ride them out alone. And you don't seem to do anything but focus on the peak, whether it is the heat or the rut."

"I know. But it's hard not to focus on them. You don't know what it's like, how hard it hits your body and dictates what you need to do," I countered, getting defensive.

"I know, I know. But it's been seven times now, and your peaks are still crippling you. It's time to try some other things."

"Like what?" I asked.

"I really wish you were here..." he sighed, then continued. "I'd like you to try to plan to do something, something not focused on your heat or rut next time. Do a puzzle, play a game, do some baking, just do ''something ''other than focusing on your body and your libido."

I considered protesting, then reminded myself he was just trying to help. Listening to his suggestions and not dismissing them automatically was a tough lesson I'd learned in our earlier sessions.

"I could try that, but it's rough, and I'm not sure there's anything I could do to distract me enough. You have no idea how hard these make it to focus."

"I know, I know... " he paused again as he seemed to make a decision. "How about I help? This isn't something I would normally do, but in two weeks, when you're on the rut, why don't I do a house call for our appointment?"

I let out a sharp laugh, not quite believing what I heard. "That's probably not a good idea."

"We can talk about it next week, but I think it would be a good experiment."

"I'm not sure. It probably isn't a good idea. I tried something like that a couple of weeks ago. My family was here when the rut hit. I didn't even last the morning before I ran to Cardi's place."

"I see... That's fair. But it's not really the same situation. Going through that with a human family has extra stresses that make the experiment less valid. Especially since they aren't local, so they don't know what you've been going through."

I could feel the urges building again, and I started to rush to wrap up the call. "Sure, we can talk about it next week. It doesn't seem to be a good idea, but I'll think it over."

"Good, good. I must say, you do sound better than I expected you to."

"Thanks, but it's rough. I called right after I... I took care of things, so I had a bit of a respite. But it's nearly over, I can feel it building again. I don't know how much longer I can hold off to be honest."

"Well, I won't keep you any longer then. Take care of yourself, get some rest and make sure you eat and drink. See you next week."

"Thanks Adam. Sorry for not warning you earlier."

"I understand, don't worry about it. Bye Skyfire."

I hung up the phone and closed my eyes. My mind was spinning, both from his suggestion and from the rush of hormones I was fighting. One hand drifted down and started rubbing between my legs and soon enough I abandoned rational thought and was squeezing down on the dildo, seeking another release from the heat that gripped me.

===Saturday, Jan 6===

Our first official gathering of the year was held in a community centre on the east side of the city. I was running a bit late that day, so there were a number of people there when I arrived. I walked through the doors and paused, looking around at the familiar plumage and faces. A few turned and waved my way. All in all, we looked surprisingly good for a small group.

I spotted a familiar blue feathered griff and made my way towards her. Michelle was chatting with another couple, but her eyes lit up when she spotted me. The couple stepped away, letting her pull me into a hug.

"Happy New Year, Sky!" She greeted me.

"You too," I said, nuzzling her beak a moment before letting go. I unzipped my chest bag and pulled out a small gift. "And Merry Christmas as well. How was Elkwater?"

"You didn't have to get me.... Thank you Sky. Elkwater was... strange." She studied the small box for a moment before carefully slicing the paper with the tip of a talon. Inside the small box was an Amazon gift card. With how much we were ordering online, it was one of the safest gifts a griffon could get.

"The town's really changing, a lot less road traffic, but a lot more air traffic as you can guess. People aren't bothering to shovel their driveways much, and there's a lot more attention to the view above. It feels comfortable but strange if you get what I mean."

"I sort've do, I think, but I can only imagine it. My friends down in Parker have said similar things; that it's very much griffon focused now, which makes sense. How'd Brian handle it? Is he around?"

"He handled it like a champ, but it wasn't easy. He said it was really eye opening and he hopes to head back down to do some stories of a human in a griffon city sort of thing. He's around somewhere. I made him leave the camera at home today."

I chuckled and nodded, glancing around and spotting the reporter at the other end of the room. "Ah right, there he is. I'll catch him later."

"How about you? How were your holidays?" she asked, leading me towards the drink table. "I heard you caused a bit of a stir at Griffiths."

I chuckled and shook my head. "No, I only pointed them there, they came up on their own. But the holidays were good. Restful and stressful, but in a good way. Made me almost feel normal."

"That's good. Glad it went well for you." She paused and sighed. "My holidays were strange. It felt familiar but different. Maybe because I'm not surrounded by other griffs all the time gives me a different perspective, but the family back home felt different."

"Well, around here we're basically guests in human society, so we have to keep doing a lot of things we used to do. Down there, they're forging a new society with new norms. It puts us in an awkward place, but we'll work it out eventually I'm sure."

"Eventually yeah. It would be nice to find a spot to belong." She looked away then shook her head. "I hear you'll be leaving early today?"

"Yeah, my work's Old Christmas Party is tonight. Just a dinner at the Hilton downtown. I invited Cardi as my plus one, and she accepted. You would have been my second choice, but I figure she knows more of my coworkers and would be a bit more comfortable. And I wanted a second griffon around to spread the attention." My words started tumbling out faster than I could think as I tried to justify my choice. I hadn't realized how worried I had been about letting her know of my party choice.

She laughed and gave me a quick wing thump. "Relax. It's a perfectly good choice, and for good reasons. Goodness knows, I've been to enough staff parties that I don't mind missing one for a company I'm not involved with. Have a good time."

I relaxed and smiled back at her. "I'll try. Thanks. I should go find Brian and give him his gift. Talk to you later?"

"Of course. We've gotta plan the next few weeks after all. But that's for later. Enjoy your party."

After greeting Brian and a few other friends, I left the gathering and flew home. The staff party wasn't exactly a black tie affair, but I wanted to look a little better than I usually did for it.

I took a long shower and started preening, using towels and a low temperature hair dryer to dry off before brushing. The sun was setting when I felt my feathers and fur were presentable and I could get dressed.

My wardrobe was expanding, making my decision on what to wear a bit more challenging. I settled on a pair of black shorts, and a silky red blouse that seemed to work with my colouration. Jacques had sent the outfit to me as a Christmas present. While we didn't chat often, we did stay in touch and he said I was still a major inspiration for his designs. I dressed and started posing in the mirror. I had to admit I looked really nice, even if the blouse accentuated my breasts more than I was used to.

I strapped on my flight gear and tucked my ID card and a debit card in the holder. I didn't intend to bring a bag tonight as I intended to travel light. I adjusted the blouse, making sure my wings wouldn't bunch it up, and did a final bit of preening before heading out.

Cardi was working today, so we had arranged to meet at a park near the hotel where the party was going to be. I arrived a bit early and tried to relax, but found myself pacing in front of a bench.It was just a simple office party, a chance to have some fun with friends and coworkers and a bit of team building. But it was also my first real date in a long time, since before September. I was extra nervous considering what I was going to ask Cardi to do later on.

Both Amy and Adam's suggestions had been gnawing in the back of my mind. I would need to act on Amy's suggestion first, if I was to do it. Of the griffons I knew, Cardi was the only one I felt comfortable asking. So if tonight went well, I would be asking her for a second date that would go around the bases, and it made me extra nervous.

A rustle of feathers brought me back to the present, and I saw the familiar cardinal griffon land ahead of me. She had picked clothes that contrasted with her reds and orange colours; wearing a pair of navy shorts and a light purple blouse. In my eyes it made her quite handsome.

"You look great," she said, walking over to me. We hugged briefly, then separated. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not long at all," I said. "How was work?" I asked, shifting to a neutral topic.

"The usual. It's getting into the dead time of year, but the weather's good for the winter sports at least. It's giving me a chance to do a thorough cleaning before inventory at least."

"That's good. Bev's always loved and hated the winter months for just those reasons," I said. I held out my arm to her. "Shall we walk?"

She took it and we started walking towards the hotel a few blocks away. I nearly jumped out of my feathers when I felt her wing rub my own. I was still somewhat buzzing from the heat, and I knew her own heat would be coming soon. I stamped down the thoughts and sought safer topics.

"Thank you for coming with me," I said. "I normally just go alone, but I figured a second griffon would be useful to spread the attention."

"No problem. I've never been to an actual Office Christmas party. I hope it's as fun as the stories go."

I laughed and shook my head, "Nah, it's probably going to be a lot tamer than the movies and TV shows. It won't be much different from the griffon one we had before Christmas. Just more speeches about things that make no sense to you, and probably a higher price point for the gifts. And no trivia this time. I think it's just a dance planned."

She nodded and leaned against me. "Sounds like fun. And the meal of course. I'm starved."

My company had booked the Conrad room at the downtown hotel. It was a conference room located above the hotel's standard rooms, but below the guest suites. It gave a great view of the river and the downtown skyline from twenty stories up. We walked through the sliding doors and ignored the eyes that turned to us. I guided us to the elevators and waited for a group of guests to load up their luggage and leave before pressing the call button. It quickly became obvious that people were keeping their distance.

"Do you ever get used to it?" I asked quietly while we waited. "The staring and stuff?"

"Sometimes I do. Other times it bugs me. In the store, people are mostly used to me now so it doesn't happen as much unless someone new comes in. But here..."

"Yeah, I'm feeling it too."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened revealing a surprised man. He stared at us in shock as we separated to give him room to exit between us. It was clear he didn't want to at first. Before it got too uncomfortable, he stepped out and almost sprinted between us. We stepped into the empty car and I pushed the button for the conference room level.

"I wonder if they have roof access we could use to leave from?" Cardi asked as we waited for the doors to close. I shrugged my wings.

"Hold the doors!" a familiar voice shouted. Out of reflex I stabbed the Door Open button, hearing two people running across the lobby.

"Thanks Simon," Juanitta said as she and her husband slipped into the elevator. The four of us were filling the car without overfilling it.

"No problem," I said, happy to see some familiar faces. I pressed the door close button and it started going up.

"This is Cardi. She's been helping the GriffTech team with the GSL app, and other things. Cardi, this is Neets and Rob, two good friends of mine. They're the ones who hauled my tail back from Fort Parker."

"Good to meet you," Rob said, shaking her hand. "So you're the other griffon I've been seeing around the office."

"Yeah, I'm the one. But I haven't met many but the Griff team," Cardi said, giving me a side look.

I raised my hands. "Sorry, I never really thought to give you a tour."

She nudged me with a wing while shaking Juanita's hand. "It's okay."

I was saved by the ding as the doors opened. We stepped out into a small atrium with a coat check station and an entrance to the ballroom. I recognized a number of coworkers and their spouses already inside, mingling in the open area. My friends went to shed their coats, while Cardi and I went in.

I could feel eyes turn towards us and the room fell silent for a minute, but unlike most times I experienced this, the gazes were friendlier. I flicked my ears, hearing a lot of whispered conversations to spouses and other plus ones, explaining who I was.

Greg came over, grinning widely. I gripped his hand and gave him a back thump. "Hey Greg."

"Simon! Glad you made it. And you must be Cardi. I've heard great things about you. Welcome to our little shindig."

"Good to meet you. Sky's said a lot about you," she said. "Not all good, but always fun," she added with a wink.

Greg laughed and nodded, "Yeah, we've got a lot of stories. I'm sure by the end of the night I'll return the favour with some of Simon's stories."

"I look forward to it."

Greg excused himself for a moment and snagged a couple of treat bags from a table. "We'll talk later. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves. Here are some treats, and your drink tickets for the night. Have fun!"

"Thanks Greg," I said as my boss and friend was already wandering around to mingle more.

"Well, I'm going to go turn in one of these tickets. You want me to get you anything?" Cardi asked.

"I'm good. I'll get something later," I said. I watched her join the line at the bar, chatting with random people, and wandered over to the windows to look out. The view was gorgeous, showing the snowy city lighting up as the sun set.

"It's a great view," a voice said next to me. I recognized one of Rob's techs and her husband.

"It is. Admittedly I've gotten used to seeing something like it every day, but it's nice to see it without needing to work for it."

Her husband looked out the window, then leaned forward to look down at the ground. "You see this sort of thing regularly?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"Sure. I fly in to work every day, usually higher than this to get over the buildings."

He looked at me, then looked up at the skyline. "Wow. Isn't it tiring?"

"It's a good workout, but it's my only way to travel now. Can't fit in cars or buses easily, and I find it relaxing. We got some good muscles out of this mess, and we lost a lot of mass so it's easier to move I guess."

The tech nodded and I placed a name to her face; Mindy. "I never thought of that. Do you mind it?"

"Not yet. Give me a few more months or years and maybe."

"I can see why cars don't work for you, and it's not really the season for them, but have you thought about motorbikes?" her husband asked. I had no idea what his name was. His comment made me pause to think of it.

"I hadn't really thought of it, but I'm sure someone has," I said slowly. I wiggled my wings pensively, not noticing how they stared at me. "I don't see why it wouldn't work, aside from the weather and helmet laws and stuff. I'll have to look into that. I'm sure someone down in the griffon lands has been biking."

They nodded and drifted away while I did my own bar run. By the time my drink was ready, it was time to sit for the meal. We didn't have assigned seating, but I'd requested two stools for Cardi and I instead of the normal chairs. Rob and Juanita joined us, along with Greg's wife. Greg went to the front of the room to give a speech before dinner. While he wasn't the president of the company, he was one of the senior VPs, and the one most of us dealt with, so he tended to be the representative of the leadership at these events.

The room fell silent as eyes turned towards him. He took a sip from his glass and set it down on the podium.

"Good evening everyone, and welcome to our annual party. A chance to reflect on the year past and to highlight what's coming in the year to come. I know we're all hungry, so I'll try to make this somewhat quick since there are two people here that I'd hate to get between them and their food," he said, his eyes looking at Cardi and I. He winked and looked towards a different pair of people. "We all know how dangerous Tim and Jill were at the company BBQ after all," he said.

The room erupted in laughter and the poked pair grinned and waved. They were the smallest and gentlest people I'd ever known. Jill playfully started banging on the table and chanting "We want food!" with her tablemates.

When the room quieted down, he continued. "2023 was an excellent year for us. We finally closed the Brookside facility, completing our move into the Thompson Tower. We also expanded our customer base, with customers all across the province, and even a couple in BC now. With that, we were able to expand, adding a dozen new employees who have been an excellent addition to our teams.

"We also lost a number of people, through retirement, or from seeking greener pastures. Those losses are never easy, and we still feel them, but I wish the best for them."

"It's not all rosy news despite how I'd rather it was. We lost a few clients and had a few setbacks, but nothing we couldn't handle.

"Of course, last March, the world was rocked by the Titan's Step event down in Colorado. While it didn't affect us directly, it ''did ''shake us all. But life went on and we continued on business as usual.

"We should have realized that innocent time wouldn't last. It is a big world and the chances of another event happening near us should be remote. How wrong we were. This past September, the Fort Parker event happened, and we couldn't ignore that. It affected our customers directly. And to address the griffon in the room, it caught our Senior Tech, Simon Farrell." he nodded to me.

"That was a wrench in the works, to put it mildly. Our customers were directly impacted and we were affected. It meant a lot of adjustments, on Simon's part especially but for all of us. Speaking as a friend, I'm happy at how well Simon has handled this. I know it hasn't been easy, but I'm glad you're still part of our team. And if you need anything, just ask."

I felt my face warm from the attention, but I stood and waved a wing and a hand, turning to look around the room. It was nice to see and feel so much support heading my way.

"Thanks everyone. It has been challenging, but you've all helped me adjust, and I really appreciate it," I said, staying standing a moment longer before sitting back down.

"So yeah, the year was great for us, even if the end of the year was more chaotic than we're used to. But they say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And boy have we been putting out the lemonade.

"For this year, we have big plans, and the Fort Parker event doesn't really change them. It ''has ''given us some new opportunities. Opportunities that Simon has helped us identify and to take advantage of.

"First, there's our new marketing campaign, advertising our Phoenix backup and restoration services. If you've seen it, you will have noticed that Simon has allowed us to use his appearance as our mascot. Thank you for that. The campaign launched this week, and it's already exceeding our expectations. It's gone viral, with more views than we ever expected. And it's been generating inquiries from potential customers across the province and beyond.

"Which brings us to our next point, our growth potential. We reached all corners of the province last year. This year, we're setting our sights higher. We're hoping to expand into the territories up north, as well as across the prairies and deeper into BC. We've already had some inquiries from businesses in eastern BC and the Yukon, as well as western Saskatchewan. I'm not sure if we'll reach into Manitoba or the Northwest Territories this year, but we're aiming high."

He paused to let us give a happy cheer. It was an ambitious growth plan, but knowing our sales team and our tech team, I figured we had a decent chance of pulling it off.

"So, if anyone wants to visit the territories, speak to your managers. We'll have to be sending you guys up north sooner than you might expect," Greg continued when the cheers died down. He nodded towards a few people he knew had interest in northern visits.

"And finally, the unexpected, the lemonade if you will. We aren't normally a software company. But Simon, with his connections to the local griffon community, recognized some opportunities we were in a good position to act on. The Griff Tech team built the GriffRacer app on very short notice. It launched around Christmas and has been getting great reviews from the griffons, as well as earning us accolades from the science camp at Fort Parker for the data we've been able to share. I know Simon has more ideas for this team, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they bring out in the new year."

I resisted the urge to slouch down as all eyes turned my way again. Instead, I forced myself to sit up straighter and waved a wing again.

"So, we have exciting things coming this year. Thank you everyone, and enjoy the party!" Greg said, finishing his speech. He waved and soaked in the applause for a moment before coming back to our table. The wait staff started bringing out plates with dinner.

"Sorry to shine such a big light on you Simon, I know you've always preferred to stay in the background," Greg said, sipping his drink while we waited.

"It's fine. I'm getting used to being a center of attention. I don't like it, but I understand it."

He nodded and focused on Cardi, "And thank you for all the help you've been giving us."

"Sure, anything to help out the flock," Cardi said.

"It's good to finally see you again Simon," Greg's wife, Robin, said. "You seem to be doing well now. But I admit, hearing Greg call you a 'him' throws me off a little, considering how you look."

"It's not all good, but I'm doing better," I confirmed. "Still a lot to sort out. Like pronouns. Pronouns are something I'm still figuring out."

"Yeah, they certainly are, which does bring up another thing. How do you want to be addressed? My work's been stressing proper naming, and I don't want to be insulting. We've always known you as Simon, but I've heard you called Sky or Skyfire a lot too," she looked concerned and a bit confused.

I nodded, "Simon's fine, especially with you guys. That's how you know me, and that's who I am. But..." I paused for a moment and sipped my drink. "I suspect this is one of his last hurrahs. Skyfire is more and more who I am, and she's dominating my life. I'm coming around to her being me."

"Do you want us to call you Skyfire?" Rob asked.

I shook my head. "You guys especially, go with what you're comfortable with. For me at least, I'm finding it gives me a bit of continuity, a touch of the old me when I need it, when Skyfire's feeling like she's overwhelming me. Maybe later I'll want you to switch, but I'm not quite ready yet."

"When you are, let us know. I'm probably still going to mess up, but when you want to be known as Skyfire, I'll try to make the change," Greg said.

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate it." I sipped my drink and shrugged. "As for pronouns, I still haven't sorted those out to be honest. Simon's a guy, but as you probably noticed, I tend to call Sky 'her'. Most other griffons I tend to call 'her' as well, but I'm not sure if that's right." I looked to Cardi for help.

"I have no idea. I've always been her, and still think of myself that way. I've heard some griffons are trying other pronouns, like 'zey' or 'thim' or 'hir', but a proper pronoun for us hasn't really caught on yet. So don't stress too much, call me whatever you want, as long as it's friendly. Just don't call me late for dinner."

We chuckled and focused on our meals. The waiters wandered among the tables, topping off water glasses and swapping out empty plates for the next course. To their credit, they maneuvered around Cardi and I with surprising ease, stepping around our tail feathers and reaching past our wings.

At the end of each course, Darlene took the stage and gave out a round of anniversary gifts, starting with the five year anniversaries. By the time the deserts were passed out, she only had two more to give. Greg and I exchanged knowing looks and left our deserts untouched. I wiped my beak and shook my wings to get ready.

Darlene gave us a slight nod as she returned to the podium. She waited for the waiters to finish handing out the deserts before she started. "As we all know, ''Innovative Solutions ''is twenty seven years old. So reaching the 25 year milestone is a big deal for us, especially since so many of our founders have moved on. To have two people reach 25 at the same time is even more impressive. But when you know who these two are, you'll understand it. They've been a fixture of ''Innovative'' for a quarter of a century, guiding us through the tough years and the growth ones. We all know them, know their doors are always open, ready to help and ready to listen to new ideas. Without them, ''Innovative'' wouldn't be anything like the company it is today.

"So without further ado, I'd like to bring Greg and Simon to the front, our first Silver Anniversary employees."

Greg and I stood up and walked to the front of the room, taking in the applause. Darlene and another coworker greeted us, congratulating us, handing over plaques and an envelope with our gifts.

"Congratulations. And thank you," Darlene said to me as she handed over my awards. I nodded back to her and turned to stand next to Greg, while photos were taken.

"I've already talked a lot. So you go ahead," Greg whispered.

"Thank you, Thank all of you," I opened. "Twenty five years... Wow. I never would have expected it. Greg and I joined a young start up in the late nineties as a couple of techs, fresh out of college. We figured this would just be a stepping stone to bigger things. We never anticipated that this would become such a big part of our lives.

"I've never had aspirations for management; I'm happy to let others handle that sort of thing. So instead, I've found myself settling into more of a guru role, which I am happy to have." I tapped the side of my head, "It's taken twenty five years to fill this up with all the quirks of our systems, and becoming a griffon didn't change that. I've always believed that information is meant to be shared. So if anyone ever has any questions, or just wants to chat, feel free to come over."

I spread my wings a little. "Of course this past year has brought about more extreme changes. And I can't begin to say how grateful I am to have had you all to support me. You handled my change better than I did. So thank you for everything, and I'm looking forward to another twenty five with all of you."

I waited out the round of applause, then stepped back to let Greg speak.

"You've already heard me speak a lot tonight so I won't say much. Especially since Simon said the important parts. Twenty-five years is an amazing milestone, and I'm glad to be sharing it with you. We've accomplished a lot and have developed an excellent working relationship. There have been challenges, but there have been some great successes. I too am looking forward to the next quarter century with you."

He grinned at me and waved to the cheering room. We returned to our seats and had our deserts. After the tables were cleared, the music was turned up so people could dance. I knew there was something I wanted to talk to Cardi about, but I distracted myself by talking to others.

Eventually, she overrode my reluctance and pulled me out onto the dance floor. For a rock song, Billy Talent's "''Rusted By the Rain''" was a surprisingly good song to slow dance to.

"Come on, you managed to dodge the other dances we did. It's about time you started getting used to some closeness," she said, pulling me in closer. She slipped one hand under my wing, pressing through my flight feathers. The other rested on my hip. I was tense as hell at first, and held my hands awkwardly before putting one on her side and the other on her shoulder. She led me in swaying in time to the music and I gradually relaxed. I knew my own heat was just past, which meant that her own heat was a week away. So anything we felt wasn't as affected by hormones. We swayed in each other's arms in time to the music, wings twitching a bit, only slightly aware of the eyes watching us.

Towards the end of the song, I leaned closer to her ears and whispered "Can we talk privately?"

"Sure," she said, starting to guide us towards the edge of the dance floor.

The song ended and we separated, but still held hands. People around us applauded and I waved a wing, my face burning with embarrassment under my feathers. She led me to a quieter corner, away from the main groups.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

I gulped and licked the edge of my beak, building up my nerve, bolstered by the wine and other drinks I'd had. "I want... Would you... Would you like to come to my place for dinner next weekend sometime?" I asked quickly. "Just you... You and me," I added.

"I would love to. I've got an evening shift on Saturday, but my Friday evening is clear. Would that work?" she asked, watching me closely.

I nodded, not trusting myself to say any more. She tilted her head quizzically. "There's something more you want too, isn't there?"

"There is," I said. "I.. I do have an ulterior motive in mind. Something Amy suggested, something that might help my extremes." How bad the heats and ruts hit me was well known in our little community and especially among my friends.

"That would be wonderful. What's her idea?" she asked.

"Well, she and Adam both have some theories that might help me. I can't take action on Adam's until my rut, but Amy's idea I can act on almost any time," I said, stalling a bit. I suspected she knew what I was going to say but she was making me say it.

"And what's her theory?"

"She suggested that I... Suggested that.... That having sex might help balance my extremes a bit. So... Well.... If you... If you are willing.... Friday would be after my egg so.... Well it should be safe." my words jumbled as I rushed to explain. "If you don't, that's fine. We can still just have dinner," I finished.

"I see," she said thoughtfully. I could feel my heart pounding as she held me in suspense. "As a theory goes, it's not a bad idea. We still don't know much about how our hormonal cycles affect us, so it's as good a theory as any."

I nodded, still waiting for her answer. She leaned forward and rubbed her beak to mine. "I'd love to come over for dinner. And for after, I ''may ''be willing."

Her answer was like a weight off my mind. A fresh batch of worries was lurking, waiting to drop, but my immediate reaction was elation. I returned her beak kiss and hugged her. "I'd love to host you. Thank you."

She tugged me back into the room. "Come on, let's have another dance. You need a hell of a lot more practice." I chuckled and followed her lead, able to enjoy the rest of the evening now that my big question had been answered.

===Monday, Jan 8===

I stared at the weather forecast in disbelief, trying to will more reasonable numbers to appear, to no avail.

"Minus fucking thirty," I growled, shaking my head. Temperatures that cold were not unheard of for the city, but we seemed to develop a collective blind spot to them, forgetting just how cold they were until they suddenly hit us again. A polar vortex was pushing down from the arctic, bringing the bone chilling temperatures with it over most of the country. The meteorologists were commenting about how some village in Nunavut was warmer than Toronto somehow, which didn't seem right..

I gave up staring at the screen and continued my morning routine, sipping a hot coffee while munching on a bagel. It had been cooling down as winter took hold of the region, but it had still felt within my capabilities. Flying back from the Christmas party had been one of the first times I'd actually felt cold, but I had brushed it aside as a side effect of the alcohol.

Yesterday, the high had only reached -18C, with a bitter north wind. I'd tried to treat it as a normal day, and flown out to pick up some groceries for the week and quickly regretted it. My hands were icicles, my wings ached and my tongue and nares were numb by the time I got to the grocery store, after flying much lower than I normally did. On the way home, I'd seriously considered calling a taxi for myself, but managed to make it back home intact. I still ended up cranking the heat up in the house to almost human levels to fight the bone chilling cold.

Today, it was already colder and it wouldn't get much warmer through the day. It made me carefully consider my options. It was tempting to work from home, but I had a GriffTech team meeting that was too important to skip. I could just sprint to the LRT station and take the train in, but the idea of squeezing into there was almost as scary as flying in the cold. With both options considered, I reluctantly landed back on 'flight'. Thankfully, a pair of mittens I'd ordered had come in, so my hands and forearms wouldn't be quite as cold. Everything else I would just have to endure.

Once I was done with my morning routine, I got ready to leave. I locked up the house and turned off the lights, heading for the backdoor. I strapped my phone on my wrist, though I wouldn't be using it; the cold would kill the battery faster than a drop would after all. I then tugged the woollen mittens on. In some ways they were like thick fuzzy woolen oven mitts that almost went up to my elbows. They covered most of the parts of my arms and hands that didn't have the downy feathers. When I was ready, I braced myself and stepped out.

The cold didn't quite hit me, but I certainly felt it more than I usually did. I felt my nares tighten as the air tried to freeze my nostrils. My skin tightened automatically, making my feathers puff up more, trying to trap a layer of heat near my body. I let the door close behind me, made sure it was locked, and took off as fast as I safely could.

Muscle movement helped keep my body temperature up, but it felt like it was a losing battle. When I got above the rooflines, the winds increased, a bitter north wind roaring down from the Arctic. I clenched my inner eyelids closed, and even partly closed my outer ones. The leading edge of my wings cut into the dense air, lifting me up, but it felt like they were stabbed with icy needles where the air cut through the leading feathers. I held my arms and legs tight to my body for extra warmth and focused on the downtown towers.

I decided today would be an exception from my usual habit of landing in the parking garage. Instead, I came down on the street outside our building. The cold and the early hour made sure the street was mostly deserted, so I didn't cause much of a stir. I sprinted up the stairs and slammed into the building, panting in relief as the hot air surrounded me. I tapped my card and pushed into the main lobby.

"Damn, Sky, did your fire go out? I can feel the cold wafting off of you from here," Robbie said.

"It almost did. I think we finally found my cold limits," I said. I didn't have teeth to chatter any more and sort've wished I did. I walked over to a heat vent and spread my wings, trying to soak in a bit more heat. My insulative feathers and fur almost worked against me now. I tugged my mittens off and tucked them into my chest pack. "I'm probably going to be landing on the street for the next few days," I added as I felt the heat seep in. I started brushing through my feathers, trying to push them back down after they fluffed up for the cold.

"No problem, I don't think anyone would blame you. I'm surprised you were still flying in this."

"So am I. That wind is wicked, and I usually love the winds. But I've got a big GriffTech meeting today so I had to come in."

"Well, hopefully it won't be as bad flying home. Take care of yourself."

I started towards the elevator, nodding to a couple of others who had come in. They held the doors for me; the rest of the building's workers were well used to me now, and had no problem sharing the elevator. "Thanks Robbie. Have a good one."

In my office, I spent the first few hours catching up from the weekend. There were no emergencies I could see in my regular work email pile, and the GriffTech side was similarly quiet. For the Edmonton flock, I was happy to see Michelle was on top of the cold snap, making sure the homeless griffons had a warm place to wait out the vortex. Our cold tolerance had made the winter relatively easy for the homeless griffons, at least compared to homeless humans; but even we had our limits. Thankfully, she had matters well in hand so I didn't need to help there, at least not right away.

By ten, it was time for the team meeting. The meeting room was full when I walked in. The two boxes of donuts I'd ordered were already decimated, and everyone was milling about. I snagged the last one from a box; a sugared cake donut, and went to the head of the conference table, nibbling along the way. By the time I was sitting and finished my snack, everyone had found their spots and were waiting.

"Good morning everyone. Now that we've had some time to process what's come in over the holidays, it's time to look ahead," I said, addressing the GriffTech team. "I'm sure you heard Greg's speech from the party, and you know this team is a key component for growth this year, so yay us."

I looked around and took in the smiles on the team's faces. We knew we had big targets and expectations to satisfy, but the team seemed eager.

"First, GriffRacer is a big hit, and not just here in Edmonton. We've got griffons using it all over from here in Edmonton, to Calgary and Medicine Hat, and all across the griffon lands and even down in Helena and Billings. CS is making a list of various improvements and alternate modes to consider, so development will continue, but it won't be our primary focus. Still if anyone has any ideas, please chime in. I'm especially hoping we can find some links to the Skyball leagues that are forming up."

I looked around the table and saw a few knowing nods and a couple people were jotting down some notes.

"Second, our next major focus is on the GSL app. It's proving to be a bit more challenging than we expected, but there's some good stuff coming from it. I want to bring a few more onto that project, either from this team or from anyone else, but we need to better define our targets. I'll meet with Marcel and Joanne this afternoon to get a better status update and to identify what we need."

I paused and smiled. While I no longer had lips to smile like they were used to, the team was used to recognizing my mannerisms, sometimes better than I did. "One thing to note, we do need a name for this app, and ''Sign of the Griffon Queen'' is ''NOT'' a valid option."

I saw everyone grin, with some laughing quietly as I started tapping off my talons. "One. It's way too wordy for an app name. Two. I don't want to get in trouble with April Wine, though from what I've heard they'd probably get a kick out of it. And Three, our target audience is sixty percent American; they wouldn't get the reference in the first place."

I chuckled with the rest of the room and continued. "So if anyone has any other name ideas, send them in and we'll see what we can settle on."

I glanced around the room again before bringing up my third point. "Finally, I want to start work on our third app as soon as possible. Techwise it is going to be a lot simpler, so I suspect we'll have the beta out even before the GSL app. Subject wise... it's trickier."

"This is an app idea I've been struggling with since before we formed this team. The subject matter is rather sensitive, and I wasn't sure if it was needed or not. But in talking with other griffons, there is certainly a lot of interest in it. I want us to make a Griffon Health Tracker."

There were a lot of knowing nods around the table. I mentally wished there were a few more women on the team, but like many development teams it was mostly male. "We'll have to work out the details once the team is set up. But be aware, if you sign up on this group, you'll be learning a lot about griffon biology, maybe more than you wanted. So if that makes you uncomfortable you can work on the other apps; we'll certainly still have a lot of work in both. Not to mention the other projects we have going on in the company."

"What sort of things would this app need to track?" Jim asked.

I did a quick assessment of the room while trying to figure out how to tactfully answer him. Some of the guys were obviously uncomfortable with the potential subject, but most seemed eager just to jump into a new challenge.

"Cycle tracking is one of the big things people have asked me for, both recording when the peaks happen and when they are anticipated to happen. Egg tracking goes along with that. With spring coming, we'll probably want to consider tracking molting patterns too. And we'll want to tap into Apple and Google Health data from the appropriate smartwatches to gather general health stats like heart rates and breathing rates especially while flying. A link to GriffRacer is probably lurking in there somewhere.

"I've already talked some of the ideas over with Legal, to figure out how to do this while limiting our own exposure. Among other things we want to make sure we don't keep any data; it will all be saved on the device or the user's cloud. Otherwise it opens a whole new can of privacy issues that we don't want to get into as a company.

"We also want to provide a way for griffons to send data to the scientists in Fort Parker, so we can build a bigger repository on griffon health in general. It would be voluntary and we'll probably reach out to some of them to figure out a proper exchange format and stuff."

Jim nodded, jotting down a few notes. "Sounds straightforward enough, and useful I'm sure. Once we get going, can you arrange for us to talk with a few other griffs? We have you and Cardi, but multiple points of view will help cover blind spots."

"Of course. Are you volunteering for this project?" I asked, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice.

"Sure. One of my goals this year was to take on a leadership role, and this seems to fit the bill well. I've got a teenage daughter who's also pulled me into this field by proxy, learning about various women's health apps."

I relaxed and nodded. "Great. Thank you. After the meeting we can talk more about the details and start hashing out some basic workflows. As for talking to other griffons, the best thing to do might be to swing out to one of our weekend gatherings. Anyone is welcome to come hang with us. I'll share when and where the next few are, and you can decide when you want to come."

Jim nodded and made a few more notes.

"And now, we still have some work to do on GriffRacer, so let's start reviewing that."

I tapped the keyboard and brought up a few Jira charts to move the meeting along.

===Thursday, Jan 11===

I let myself sleep in a bit later than normal on Thursday, anticipating what I was about to do. It was time for my fourth egg and I wasn't looking forward to it. I laid on my side on my bed, already feeling the twitching in my gut as the egg finished forming.

With a reluctant sigh, I rolled off the bed and went downstairs to prepare breakfast, not bothering to clean up, knowing what was in store for me. The spasms in my gut were getting stronger but still bearable.

I was just putting my mug in the dishwasher when a particularly strong spasm hit me. I gasped and grabbed the edge of the counter. I could feel a bit of moistness between my legs and knew it was time yet again.

Without wasting another moment, I raced back upstairs, but I wasn't quite fast enough. Another contraction made me stumble midway up the stairs. My vision blurred a bit with tears from the pain, making me blink rapidly with both sets of eyelids.

I reached my bedroom and crouched at the end of my bed, panting. I grabbed some towels I'd placed there earlier. I hesitated a moment, still dreading what I was about to do, cursing my new biology. Another contraction went through my body, and I could feel the egg moving in me now. I reached between my legs and slipped a taloned finger into my lips, carefully feeling inside me. My vagina was wet and quivering from the contractions. I could feel my cervix dilated already, anticipating the orb it was about to pass. I felt another contraction building and pulled my hand free quickly, bearing down on the orb.

This egg took about a half hour, though I didn't verify it until later. While it was happening, my only focus was on getting the mass out of me. The contractions came steadily, each one pushing the grapefruit sized egg further through my insides. Eventually I felt it bump against my cervix and catch a moment, not quite open enough for it. I winced in anticipation and grunted, crouching down lower and pushing hard with the next contraction. I felt the strain of the opening stretching and had a brief moment of worry that it wouldn't come out before I felt a wave of relief. My vagina stretched around the orb but the tight spot was past. On the next one, I pushed again and the orb was pushing through my vulva and then slid out.

I slumped against the bed even as the egg thudded into the towels, my thighs wet from the fluid that lubricated its exit. My insides still spasmed every few moments, pushing against something that wasn't there any more. I looked between my legs, and saw the egg I'd pushed out, still glistening but drying quickly. Its shell matched my colouring, some parts deep black, the other parts fiery red and orange.

Once my guts stopped spasming, I pulled myself onto my feet and stumbled to the bathroom. I took my time cleaning up, preening and otherwise making myself presentable. By the time I was done, my guts almost felt normal. I got dressed, eyeing the egg on the towels. It was dry and looked similar to the previous ones.

My post-egg routine was well established by now. I measured it and recorded it both for my records and to send to the teams down in Fort Parker. When done, I cracked it into a bowl and flushed the liquid part. The shell I crushed and tossed in the garbage.

My monthly burden handled, I set off for work and tried to put it off my mind, aside from what Cardi and I had planned for later.

The cold snap was still in effect, making the flight to work a chilly affair. I wasn't looking forward to flying to Doctor Fullerton's office, but it would be something I would have to do. I went straight to my office and closed the door, needing some alone time to settle into a work mindset, and to warm up.

After lunch, I pulled on my gloves and headed out for my appointment. It had warmed up a little through the day, but temperatures were still hovering around minus twenty, and the winds were still bitter.

I dove out of the cold air and landed just outside Doctor Fullerton's office. I quickly raced inside and headed for a heater. It was one of the longest flights I'd done since the vortex had hit the city, and I was seriously considering alternative options for going home.

I stepped out of the elevator into his outer office, a little surprised to see the door open. I was a bit early, but I went to the doorway, hoping to start earlier than usual.

"Hi Skyfire, come on in. My earlier client cancelled due to the cold. We finally found your lower temperature limits it would seem." Adam was at his desk reading something on his screen. He turned it off and got up to take his usual seat.

"Yeah, we certainly did," I said, closing the door behind me. "If I were lactating, I'd be squeezing out soft serve ice cream."

He looked me over, and I could tell he was thinking over the joke I'd made. I'd come up with it a few days before, but hadn't really been among anyone I could crack it with until now. He finally let out a little chuckle as I sat down.

"I did consider cancelling, but after last week it didn't seem to be fair. Especially with what we want to talk about for next week. But if you don't mind, I probably won't stay as long as we usually do. I want to get home before the sun sets and it gets colder."

"That's fair. So why don't we start with that. I take it you've been thinking about my proposal?"

I nodded, settling on the couch and getting comfortable. "I have. And you're right. When the peaks hit, I get stuck in my head. I focus on how my body is betraying me, and it gives it more power over me. It's a vicious cycle and I'm not sure how to break it."

"That said, I think I saw some cracks in it, when my family was in town. I mean, the rut did chase me out of my house to spare them, but talking to my sister did help me focus on something else and seemed to help put it off. It's just hard to explain what it feels like; keeping my focus off of it won't be easy."

"I know, but we aren't looking to win the war, not yet. But if we can win some battles and start giving you some more tools to reign it in."

I nodded, "In that case, I'm willing to give it a shot. It's not the only thing I'm attempting. My other... therapist made a suggestion that makes some sense to me."

"I see," Adam said, keeping his voice neutral, but I caught a hint of disapprovement in it. "What did Amy suggest?"

"Her theory is that my celibacy may be part of the reason my swings are so extreme, along with how long I resisted it when I first changed. So, it probably wouldn't surprise you, but she suggested I get fucked."

He winced at my language, though I'm sure he has heard worse through the years. "It's... not a bad theory. I'm not sure it is something I would suggest or encourage, but if it works for you, then great. I hope it isn't your only coping mechanism."

I nodded, "Yeah, I don't want that to be my only coping method, but I'm looking for anything."

"So, judging from your body language, I take it you have made plans already. Who's the lucky griffon? Michelle?"

My icy god flew through my mind and I chased him away while shaking my head. "No. Our relationship is too important to risk bringing sex into the mix. We're adults and all that, but our current relationship is too important to risk adding intimate complications."

"Right, so it would be Cardi then. I assume you've made arrangements?"

"I'm that obvious?" I laughed nervously. "I asked her last weekend and she said yes. No strings attached, no pressure. She's coming over for dinner tomorrow and we'll decide from then, but we both know my intentions, my desires, and why I'm asking."

"Well, you seem to be approaching it from a good angle. And remember, you can always say no. It's a big step to take, and you may feel like you are pressuring yourself into taking it. So if you decide you're not ready for it, just say no. I'm sure Cardi would understand."

"Yeah, just a bit of time pressure. We're aiming for my safe week, between the egg and the rut. If I don't do it this week, I'll have to wait another month. At the same time though, it'll be my first time this way, and I'm nervous as hell."

"Sounds like you are taking precautions at least. Do you know if Cardi is active?"

I paused and thought about my friendship with her. I realized I knew surprisingly little about her. "I don't know. I assume so; she is quite confident in general and seems very knowledgeable. I assume she's experienced but I didn't ask."

"I'm sure you'll find out tomorrow. As for next week, I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want to tell me about it or not. I wouldn't mind if you want to keep that aspect private."

I laughed and shrugged my wings. "I've kept nothing else from you, I don't see why I'd keep that from you. But thank you for the consideration."

"Right. So we have a lot to look forward to next week. But we still have this week to get through, and a lot of time to catch up on. How was your Christmas break?"

"In a word. Wonderful," I said. "A few rough spots here and there, but it was great to see the fam again, and they were so supportive. I was glad to have them up. And I was glad to expose them to a small dose of my world too."

"I heard about the Titans. Why don't we start at the beginning and maybe go over those rough spots, figure out why they were rough and what you could do to do better."

Despite my intentions, it was after five and the sun was setting by the time I left his office. We had a very active month to catch up on, and we'd barely scratched the surface when he decided to call it a day. I suspected he wanted to leave some for next week for the home visit to give us topics to focus on.

I paused in his first floor lobby to pull on my mittens. I could already feel the cold seeping in through the doors and the idea of flying home in it was less appealing. I made a decision and checked the transit map. I didn't want to squeeze onto a bus, but a train should be doable, just not during rush hour. Deciding I should kill a bit more time to let the crush pass, I looked up a Mexican restaurant near the train station and went for dinner.

I landed on the sidewalk just outside the door and ducked inside as fast as I could. I discovered that on top of the usual post-work dinner rush, this place was having a "Taco Thursdays" deal. A dozen people looked my way as I barged into the restaurant, looking larger than normal due to the fluffed up feathers and fur.

Instead of an airlock door, it had a hot air vent blowing down as you entered. I stood in the airflow for a moment, feeling it blow the coldness off, and tried to ignore the stares. Before someone else had to use the door, I joined the line, pulling off my mittens.

"Can I... Can I help you?" the server asked when I got to the head of the line. I'd been studying the menu while I waited, but my choice was obvious.

"This is probably going to be a bit messy, but I'll keep it contained, I hope. I haven't had tacos since...." I shook my wings a bit. "But I'm hungry. I'll have the three taco deal," I said. "One chicken, one steak and one ground beef."

The rest of the order went easily enough as we went down the line. Remembering my changed tastes, I urged them to go heavy on the jalapenos and spicy taco sauces, and soon enough I had my meal. The restaurant had a few sit down tables for eating at, and a higher table set up along the windows with stools. The regular tables were half filled, while the window seats were deserted. I headed over there immediately and could tell why; the windows were radiating the cold from the outside. Now that I was warmed up, I appreciated the chill, though I knew I wouldn't like it when I went back outside.

I stood at the window table and prepared to eat. The noise level of the restaurant had dropped noticeably, and the reflection in the window showed more than a few people were watching me curiously. It was something I was getting used to when I ate out. Everyone was fascinated with how griffons ate.

The tacos were double shelled, with a hard shell and a soft tortilla. They were loaded with meat, veggies, sauces and cheese. I picked up the first one and leaned over the container to make sure any droppings stayed contained. The hard tortilla crunched as I bit into it, my tongue pulling the chunk deeper into my mouth while lettuce, onions, tomatoes, peppers and ground beef dropped down. The spicy sauce and hot peppers hit my tongue nicely.

The noise level gradually rose as the interest was satisfied. For me, I was happy with how the experiment had turned out. The beak had forced me to change how I ate a lot of things, and while I loved Mexican food and had a lot of nachos, I'd held off on other old favorites. I was pleased I could easily keep tacos on my list.

I took my time eating, scrolling through Facebook between bites. I was clearly visible in the restaurant's window, and drawing some extra attention. The noise ebbed and flowed as more diners showed up. About an hour later, I was done. I ditched my garbage and recycling, and put my mittens on, bracing myself for the cold.

It was as cold as I remembered when I stepped out. I took another quick hop through the frigid sky to the LRT station. The rush hour crowds had died down, so I was able to land right at the door and walk into the warmth. I felt eyes from commuters turn towards me as I examined the route map, figuring out how I'd get home. Before changing, I'd used the trains occasionally, but never from this end of the city.

I bought my ticket and joined the dozen people waiting on the platform for the train. The platform was outside and somewhat exposed but they had heat walls blowing to take the edge off the chill, bringing it back up to tolerable levels for me.

The train rumbled into the station five minutes later. I saw the engineer's surprised expression in the front of the train and waved my wing to her. I picked a car near the middle of the train and waited for everyone to get on and off before stepping on board, pulling my wings tighter than usual. The car was half full, leaving me lots of options to stand. I moved towards the front and looked at the grab straps hanging from the ceiling. I used to use the straps, but now found them uncomfortably high. Instead, I grabbed two of the poles and braced myself, trying to take as little space as I could. I had to travel across half the city after all, so I would be on this train and a transfer train for a long time. The standing area was tighter than I was used to, but I did have a lot more luggage in the back than I had the last time I rode the train.

A warning chime went off, the doors closed, the train started, and I realized my mistake. I was facing the back of the train, when I should have been facing forward. It was the first vehicle I had gotten on in months, and my habits were rusty to say the least. As the train accelerated, I stumbled a little and spread my wings instinctively, even as I fought my new instincts that tried to make sense of the strange acceleration. Thankfully I got things sorted out before the next station, and without accidentally hitting anyone.

"First time on the train?" a man commented from a nearby seat.

"First time like this," I confirmed, shifting my stance to better handle the movement. I was thankful the train was electric, so the noise level was bearable. "Usually I just fly, it's just as fast and doesn't rely on other schedules."

"That must be nice. Why the train today?" he asked.

"The cold mainly. Even griffons have their limits it seems. Not to mention fur, feathers, wings and tail make it tricky to dress up in layers and stay flightworthy."

"That makes sense. I guess I never thought of that. I've seen you guys flying around a lot otherwise."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's a good perk we got with all the rest of the baggage we were given."

We chatted the rest of the way into the city core, until the train got to my transfer station. I briefly considered flying the rest of the way home, but the blast of cold that greeted me as I stepped onto the platform made me decide to stick to my initial plans. The second train wasn't crowded, so I was able to claim a similar position, this time at the back of the car facing forward so the forces were a bit easier to handle.

The rest of my trip was thankfully uneventful. When I got to the station near my home, I took to the air again and did the quick and chilly hop home. I made a mental reminder to try to take the train at least once a month or so, just to stay somewhat used to that sort of travel.

===Friday, Jan 12===

I busied myself in the kitchen, preparing dinner and trying not to think of what the evening would bring. I'd invited Cardi out, and she had agreed to come in after she got off her shift. The salad was a store bought Caesar, but the pasta sauce was home made.

I set the table, opening a bottle of wine and just making sure everything was neat and ready. I paced around the ground floor of my place until I heard someone on the stairs outside. I opened the door and greeted the cardinal-tiger griffon.

"Welcome! Thank you for coming," I greeted her, stepping to one side to give her room to come in. "I hope you didn't have trouble finding the place."

"No problem at all. I'm surprised you still have your lights up."

I led her to the dining room. "Yeah I've always left them up until old Christmas. But since Covid, I've left them up most of January. It just brings some light to the darkness."

"It's a good idea, and looks nice. Especially for a dreary winter." She followed me into the dining area and looked at the set table. "You know, it's usually the guy who gets the girl the dinner on a date, right?"

"I know that, what do you-" I paused and caught what she was implying, considering our plans for later in the evening. "Oh... yeah. Force of habit I guess." I mentally forced myself to switch my thinking, at least for the evening.

He laughed and leaned close, rubbing his beak along mine. "Yeah, we've got a lot of new norms to work out still. Not that it matters. It looks great."

I felt my body warm, feeling a bit confused and nervous. I hid it by retreating to the kitchen to prepare the plates. Cardi watched me leave, then started pouring the wine. We settled down on our bench seats, and a silence descended on the room.

"Not spaghetti?" he said, breaking the silence before it became uncomfortable.

I chuckled and sprinkled some parmesan on my own dish. "It was tempting, but no lips for suction makes it less fun. I've switched more towards macaroni and penne."

"You just need to practice a bit more. Our tongues are quite flexible after all." He winked and licked the edge of his beak, making my pulse increase again. "This looks and smells great."

We kept to safe topics through dinner, talking about GriffTech, some of the longer term plans for the local flock, and just how we've been adapting in general. I had the feeling he was doing his best to help me relax, something I really appreciated.

After the meal, I took my time cleaning up the kitchen, knowing what would be soon but not quite ready yet. I was washing the pots when Cardi came up and purposely bumped into me while dropping off the empty salad bowl. I jumped in surprise, dropping the pot into the water.

"Relax. Are you okay Sky?" he asked, using his wing to rub my back.

I closed my eyes for a moment to compose myself, then nodded, turning off the water. "Yeah, I am. I'm just... I don't know."

"You're as nervous as a teenager about to get laid for the first time. Which makes sense, I guess. Come on, let's go talk." He tugged my hand, leading me back to the living room. He nudged me to the couch while fetching the wine glasses and the half full bottle.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked once I'd sipped.

"I'm sure. I'm just nervous I guess. The wine's helping a bit."

"Well, enjoy it and let's talk, give dinner time to settle. What's making you nervous?"

I set the wine glass down and shrugged my wings. We were facing each other, sitting sideways on the couch. The words started tumbling out before my thoughts fully formed. "Well, us for one thing. We barely know each other, but I feel we've had a good friendship building, both to help the flock and for the apps and just in general. I'm worried this will change things. But at the same time, as I mentioned before, there are only two griffons in our flock I'd really feel comfortable asking this of; and I'm more scared to ask Michelle than you. If things go wrong in bed for some reason, souring your friendship would be bad, but with Michelle it could be disastrous for all of us. At least that's how I feel,"

He put a talon to my beak to silence my flood. "I figured it might be something like that. And I'm honoured you think that way. A little jealous that I'm your second pick, but happy too. Still, this that we're going to do, it's just sex. We're both adults, a bit hormone addled but still adults. We're going into this with our eyes wide open and our expectations clear. Our friendship won't break over a romp in the sack. Or on the sack I guess."

Cardi set his glass down and looked me over. "You aren't a virgin right? I mean, you said you haven't done it since we changed, but before?"

"No! Of course not!" I felt a wave of embarrassment go through me. "But I wasn't really all that active. It's been a long time since I was with someone else; it was basically a romp with a friend in University. Since then, I just haven't been that interested I guess. I self-pleasured and fantasied a bit, but in general I've considered myself an Ace; I just wasn't that interested in all the baggage and pressure being with someone else could bring."

"And now?" he prodded carefully.

"Now, as you said, I'm a bundle of hormones." Now that I was talking about it, combined with the buzz from the wine, I found my tongue was loosened. "After the change, I resisted the urges, even though they were quite strong. It wasn't until I left Fort Parker that I first relaxed enough to let my wet dreams do anything, and then it was just myself and my imagination after that. And Amy's toys of course. I half wonder if resisting so long is part of the reason my cycle is so offset from everyone else's. And also why my swings are so much stronger."

He shrugged and waited for me to go on. "That's basically Amy's theory and why she suggested this. It makes sense to me, as much as anything makes sense, but I don't know. No one really knows."

"I'm no specialist, and neither are they really. But it's as good a theory as any, and certainly couldn't hurt," he said. "Who knows, if we can settle your cycles a bit it might give some insight on how all of us are working now."

I nodded and gulped down the last of my wine before refilling the glass. I poured the rest of the bottle into Cardi's glass. "That's just it, I'm worried it could hurt. Not really physically, but that is a factor. I'm worried it might hurt our friendship... and I'm worried it might have other side effects." I put one hand on my belly.

He let out a friendly laugh and tried to quell it with a sip of his wine glass. "Ah right, the baby bomb issue. A lot of you guys seem to always have that on your mind. I guess it's only fair, you've only had to worry about it for a few months now. I grew up with it, and you do get used to it eventually. It never fully leaves your mind, but it's just part of you, something you keep in mind, but don't worry about otherwise. Granted, we don't have the pill to make things safer yet, but other things do work. And we certainly know when we're safe, compared to human women."

"Well, we're still guessing that this period is safe. Biologically it makes sense that we can't get pregnant right after the egg, but it's just theory really."

"It's a solid enough theory so far. There's always a risk, something we always have to assess. But it feels a lot less risky than human sex. Thankfully, sperm storage seems to be a trait we didn't inherit from our feathered brethren."

We fell silent again, while I processed those thoughts a bit more. I finally stood up and grabbed the bottle. "I still have one more. I think I'll need it. You want more?"

"Sure, whatever makes you comfortable."

When I returned with the fresh bottle, I noticed the sound system was on and Cardi was tapping on the remote controls. I refilled our glasses and set the bottle down. "What are you?" I started to ask, only to be interrupted by an upraised talon.

A few moments later, a song started playing and I let out a quiet laugh.

''Let's talk about sex Baby,''

''Let's talk about you and me''

''Let's talk about all the good things''

''And the bad things that may be''

He grinned back at me and took a sip. "Well, you heard the song. We've got all night, and a fresh bottle. Let's talk about it. Since you're the most nervous, ask away."

I sat back down and left my glass alone. I looked him over, admiring his red feathers and white furred chest. "Well, I guess it's probably obvious, but you have done it before right?"

"Many times, both ways, and with a human too," he confirmed, ticking off the count on his talons. "Not as often since I got up here, but you're not my first."

A couple of followup questions tangled up all at once. I finally managed to squeak out "Human?" while trying to figure out what I wanted to know.

He sighed, his wings drooping slightly. "Yeah, Craig, my old boyfriend. I changed when he didn't. We tried to make things work after I got back to Hat, but things were too different. We tried our best though. After my first rut, I wanted to feel like a woman again, and we tried it. It was okay, but wasn't really satisfying for either of us. It was probably one of the reasons we broke up, and I put in for the opening up here."

"Oh... I'm sorry," I said softly, not wanting to open an old wound any further.

He perked up and shrugged. "It's all air under the wings now. We've both moved on. Frankly, I don't think we would have lasted much longer together even without the change. We were an okay fit, but the differences were starting to build up."

"But you've done it with other griffons too?" I asked, eager to shift the subject. "How was it?"

He smirked at me and winked. "That would be spoilers. But it was good. Both ways. Sex as a guy was quite the experience."

"It was good? Even with how we're equipped?" I motioned to my own groin. I'd read a few reports about griffon reproduction and the barbed penisis, but the look and the thought of feeling it still threw me off a bit.

"Especially with how we're equipped. Don't get hung up by the human norms; we're griffons now. We may look like a hodgepodge of creatures, but we do fit together properly. Our penisis may look scary with human eyes, but they feel great inside and the feedback..." he shuddered happily and shook his head.

I glanced away, feeling a stirring in my own loins at the thoughts and wet my beak before continuing. "And protection? Did you wait for the safe week or what?"

"Despite appearances and expectations, the usual methods do work. Condoms are fine, just pick the heavier duty ones just in case and be careful putting them on. Cups and diaphrams also work for when you want to be a catcher." He saw a brief flash of confusion on my face. "You didn't think of that yet? I'm surprised Amy didn't suggest them."

I shook my head and sighed. "I've got so many blind spots. I never thought about female protection methods. Sex has always been about the condom for me. Or the pill I guess, but that's not an option for us."

He reached out and touched my belly. "Well, as griffons we're still young, we're still learning a lot. But you need to realize, you have some powerful equipment in here, equipment that works different from what you're used to. You've been seeing Adam, but have you been to a doctor since you changed? A gynecologist even?"

"No. Adam suggested I should find one, but it's been so busy and finding a doctor in general is a challenge nowadays, let alone one that is willing to work with griffons. I haven't been seen medically since the initial checkups at Parker."

"You really should. I'll give you the number for Doctor Bella Chase. She's local and willing to look at griffons. I've visited her a few times and she's good, and friendly; she'll make sure you're properly taught how to care for all of your new equipment."

"Thanks. I guess it's something I haven't really thought much of."

"To be fair, you haven't really had a reason to think of it; still, seeing a doctor isn't a bad idea, especially while we're figuring out how we work." He set his glass on the table and looked away.

I finished my own glass and noticed the bottle was empty. I knew it was the last bottle. I was still a little tempted to look for another. I also knew I was just stalling. I stood up and grabbed the empty bottle and glasses. "Can I get you anything else?" I asked, leaving the 'before' unsaid.

He stood up as well and followed me into the kitchen. "I'm good. How are you feeling?"

"Still nervous, but ready I think," I said, setting the glasses on the counter. He came up behind me, and I felt him squeeze my shoulders. Even though I was expecting it, I still jumped a little. I reached back with my wings, hugging him while my tail twitched a bit. I felt warm and not just from the wine.

"Come on, this way," I encouraged her, stepping away and heading for the stairs, turning off the lights along the way.

"You have a beautiful house," he said, looking around as we went up. I went into my bedroom first, moving to the side of my bed.

"Thanks, it's a bit awkward in some ways, especially now, but I like it. Lucked out and got it before the market went supernova."

"Lucky. You're probably paying less than I am too." He paused at the doorway, watching me. "Got any plans for the new year?"

"Thinking of getting a bathroom renovation. Take out the tub and make a bigger shower, one that can give me a better soak." I stood beside the bed, not sure what to do next.

He looked over at the bathroom and nodded. "I could see that. That would be nice." He waited in the doorway, looking back at me expectantly.

I gulped nervously and finally made a move. I loosened my belt and turned sideways, wiggling my hips as I pulled my shorts down. I stepped out of them, and stood there, naked in his presence, the first time I'd been naked among another griffon since Fort Parker. I pulled my wing back and looked over my shoulder at the cardinal griffon, lifting my tail feathers up. I was getting mixed signals from my loins, my vagina moist and my sheath also a bit swollen in anticipation.

Cardi didn't say a word. He stepped into the bedroom and closed the door needlessly. He licked his pink beak while working on his own shorts, sliding them down his tiger striped legs. He faced me, arms to his side, wings twitching a bit, letting me take him in.

It was the first time I really looked at a naked griffon, at least in this way. While nudity had been the norm down in Fort Parker, I had been fighting to keep my libido in check and avoided looking at others in that way. Now, my libido was off its leash and I drank him in.

Cardi was a handsome and beautiful griffon, with a figure that appealed to me in ways that humans no longer did. Since we flew almost everywhere, we tended to be muscular, especially in our chests, even with our breasts. The shape of his beak, his perky breasts, strong wings and arms, were all appealing. My eyes drifted lower, taking in his red plumage and tail, and the white, orange and black tiger pattern of his fur. Finally, I focused on the one part I'd been trying to ignore. My eyes followed a scaled hand down as he stroked his sheath, already clearly partly aroused. The fleshy shaft with the barbs still scared me a bit, but also made my loins moist. I gulped a bit, feeling my pulse quicken.

"Why don't you lie down and get comfortable," he suggested, taking a few steps closer.

"Shu-sure," I stammered out, turning away and focused on my bed, feeling a little indecisive.

Griffons had been developing many positions, mostly similar to human positions. Laying down on my back wasn't comfortable with the wings and tail feathers, but for the first time, I wanted to see him. I pulled my tail tight against my legs and sat on my tail feathers on the bed. I leaned back, bracing myself with my wings. My entire body was quivering in anticipation.

Cardi was suddenly next to me and I was intensely aware of his presence. He sat on the edge of the bed next to me and stroked my wings. I met his gaze and nodded. "I'm ready," I said.

"Almost," he said, suddenly shifting his position until he was straddling me. I had a close view of his white furred breasts, and his erect member, as well as a peek at his vulva. It was obvious we were both feeling it both ways.

I pushed myself up with my wings, and nuzzled his breasts nibbling at his nipples and making him gasp. He stroked my ears making them twitch, then rubbed my wings. It felt like we spent an eternity playing with each other, running talons through fur and feathers, nibbling and doing tentative probing with our talons and even our tongues. I felt like I was in the middle of my heat again with the amount of arousal I was feeling, yearning for him to get it on, but not quite ready for it at the same time.

After an eternity, he shifted position over me and I knew he was getting ready. He braced himself on the bed just above my shoulders and spread his legs a bit, his tail feathers spreading along with his wings. I glanced down past his breasts and saw his shaft, looking larger than I expected. I'd been pushing eggs out of my opening for months now so I knew it would fit, but it still seemed too big. My own shaft was somewhat hard from our foreplay, glistening on my dark fur. He glanced down as well and wiggled a bit, pressing forward, and suddenly I felt something pressing into my hot vulva. I gasped as I felt it sliding in deeper and deeper.

I clenched the comforter under me, and dug my claws into it, fighting the orgasm I was on the edge of. Cardi seemed to sense my resistance a bit, and began to pull back, and I realized what the barbs on our shafts meant. I felt them slide in my moist tunnel, not painful but lighting up sensitive flesh. I couldn't hold it any longer and let out a screech, shuddering as the orgasm washed over me.

Cardi held his position for a long moment, half in me as I spasmed under him. He was breathing hard as well, somehow managing to hold back his own climax. When the crest of the orgasm had passed, he pushed in again and I felt myself tighten up on the hard shaft. He pushed in and out a few times, before pushing in deep, pressing hard against me, pinning my own hard member between our furry bellies.

"Better than the toys?" he gasped out, looking down into my eyes.

"Gods, yes," I gasped back, panting hard, feeling my pleasure building again in ways I hadn't experienced before.

He pulled back and thrust in hard again. This time he didn't hold back, and I felt his shaft throb and pulse a bit and he let out his own screech of pleasure. I echoed it, climaxing again. I even felt my own member twitch and wetness spread on my belly.

He twitched a bit more, then slumped down on top of me. I hugged him and nuzzled along his beak, both of us panting hard, nipples tingling. I clenched on the shaft still buried deep in me, getting used to the sensation. It still felt strange to me, but it felt nice in ways I hadn't expected.

"Fuck...." I moaned softly.

He nuzzled me again and slowly pulled back. I shuddered, feeling the barbs rubbing in me, not quite enough to tip over again, but still feeling surprisingly nice. He slid out and rolled over to one side.

I weakly sat up and pulled my wings together so I could roll over onto my side and face him. I looked at my belly and saw the wet spot on my fur, my own shaft slowly calming down. Below that, my vulva twitched a little, glistening with wetness that was spread over my thigh fur. A bit of thick white fluid, similar to what stuck to my belly fur, dribbled from the lips.

"We need new toys," I said, shifting my focus to the red griffon next to me.

Cardi laughed and played with my nipples as we faced each other on the bed. "We certainly do."

I reached over and pinched his own nipples and rubbed his breasts. "I wasn't expecting that... Damn... Wow..."

"I take it, you liked it?"

"It may be the hormones talking, but I probably wouldn't say no to going again... But not right now."

He giggled and shifted his hand to stroke my shaft. It twitched and began to harden. "Good, I'm too close to heat to go again right away. Maybe closer to the rut but not today. A shame you don't have protection yet, I'd love to show you both ways. Maybe next time."

"Next time. Fuck, I've got so much to learn. What do I do with all this?" I asked, looking down at my groin.

"Nothing for now, unless you really want to. Later, just wash. A cloth with soap and water is enough around your pussy. No need to wash inside; our bodies can handle that naturally."

I nodded a bit and closed my eyes, trying to stabilize my breathing. "Okay, that's not so bad." I reopened my eyes and flicked my ears, while sliding my hand down his side, tracing the fur-feather line. When I reached his loins, I rubbed his own labia, feeling the moist lips there. "And I'm not turning in my Ace card... but I could get used to this a bit."

He gasped a little and licked his beak before licking my beak. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you. I hope this helps."

"It certainly didn't hurt," I said, rubbing harder, slipping a talon in. He shivered and twitched his wings, squirming to give me a better angle.

With how aroused we both were, it didn't take much more for me to tip him over the edge. It wasn't as intense as our earlier activities, but I saw and felt him gasp and shudder from my stroking and probing.

Now that the action was done, I could feel fatigue setting in, along with a euphoric afterglow. We kept cuddling and petting. When I felt I had a little bit of energy back, I got up to turn off the lights. Cardi watched me from the bed as I assessed what we did. I ached in ways I'd never ached before. My loins were sticky and I didn't care for now. The comforter had tears where talons and claws had dug in. I was glad I had planned on it getting damaged; it was an older comforter that I was going to throw out if I needed to. I flicked off the lights and got back on the bed, looking at the shadowed griffon mass next to me.

"Thank you," I said, giving her another beak kiss.

"Rest well, Sky." she replied, nuzzling and stroking me in return.

===Saturday, January 13===

I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep and slept in late the next morning. When I finally started to wake up, I was confused. I could sense a presence next to me in the bed, hearing their steady breathing. Once my brain got into gear, I remembered what was going on and relaxed a bit. I opened my eyes and saw Cardi still in deep sleep, her tongue hanging out of her beak a bit. I glanced at the clock to see it was half past eight and decided to keep dozing.

A while later I heard her breathing change and opened my eyes. I saw her blinking and yawning. Her wings stretched out off the bed behind her. Her yellow eyes blinked a few times before she focused on me.

"Good morning," I said.

"Morning," she replied groggily. "How are you feeling?"

I took a moment to consider my answer and how I felt. "I'm feeling... good. A bit sticky I guess, but no regrets."

She smiled and nuzzled me. "Good good."

"How are you feeling?" I asked, stroking her side. I glanced down and saw we both had a strong case of morning wood.

"I'm feeling great." She stretched her wings again and sat up a bit, looking down and seeing what I was looking at. "Four months on and I'm still getting used to that of course."

I giggled and daringly reached down to rub it. "Care to do something about it? I'm still safe."

She chirred softly and nodded, flicking her ears. "I wouldn't say no, if you're ready for it."

Now that I was thinking of it, I could feel my loins warming up to the idea. This time I decided I wanted to be on top. I pressed against her and started to climb over her. She quickly realized what I had in mind, and after a brief tangle of wings, tails, arms and legs, she got herself laid out with me straddling her thighs.

"Feeling experimental?" she teased as she propped herself up with her wings. She wiggled to get comfortable on the mattress while I faced her, reaching down to help wake her morning wood.

"Something like that. I wrecked my feathers last night, figure it's only fair to make you mess yours up," I teased, stroking along her hardening member.

"Good thing I know you have a good grooming set I can borrow," she said, rubbing my breasts and making my pulse quicken. One advantage of our wings was that we could use them to prop ourselves up while leaving our hands free for other things.

We didn't do as much foreplay this time. When it felt like we were both ready, I braced myself on her shoulders and lifted up so I could slide closer. I looked down to make sure we were lined up and hesitated for a moment before lowering myself down. I let out a happy moan as I felt the thick shaft slide into me again. This time I was in a better position to look down and see it filling me. It stretched my opening, not quite as much as the eggs did, but more than I was used to.

I lifted myself up a bit and let out a louder moan as I had the sensation of the barbs rubbing inside me again. Cardi echoed my moan and twitched a bit as she tried to move with me. I hugged her and nuzzled as we rocked and before long, I felt her tense and then release. I let my own climax happen as well, and let myself slump against her.

Some time later, I felt her nuzzle me, helping me refocus. It had only been a few moments. I rubbed her shoulders and sighed happily.

"You okay?" she asked, rubbing my wings a bit.

"Yeah, just taking the moment." I finally lifted off of him and slid back. "But the moment is past, for now. I'm starved and I need to get cleaned up."

"Yeah we both do. It's your place, you go first."

I slipped off of her and stood up. I caught my movement in the mirror and turned to examine myself. My feathers and fur were a mess. The fur around my belly was matted down with dried cum and other fluids. The fur of my thighs and groin were similarly messy with dry and wet fluids. I cupped my breasts and shook my wings a bit. "Damn, I'm a mess."

"Yeah, we're messy when we go all out. But it's fun." Cardi sat up on the edge of the bed, watching me. She flicked her own wings and watched me and my reflection. I didn't think she realized she was rubbing herself, her fingers slipping into the opening between her legs. It was making my own shaft harder..

I decided it was best to get going before hormones got the most of us; I knew Cardi was only a day or two away from her heat, in the prime danger zone. I quickly went to the bathroom, grabbed some spare brushes from the cupboard and tossed them into the bedroom onto the bed.

"Here, you can do some preening while you wait," I suggested. "They're new ones, left over from the first session in October."

I closed the bathroom door and started running the water in the tub. I brushed my beak, while contemplating how much time I wanted to take cleaning up. While I wanted a bit of a soak, something my bathroom didn't really support, I decided a quick wipe was more in order.

I stepped into the bathtub, feeling the water pool a bit around my paws. I used a cloth to soak the fur on my belly, loins and thighs. I lathered in some shampoo and rinsed it out, feeling a bit of arousal, but not enough to feel the need to take action on. As I washed off my vulva, my mind briefly considered what was deeper in. I pushed those thoughts to the side before I started spiralling; there was nothing I could do about it now.

I finished up and towel dried as fast as I could. I wiped up the bathroom counter and set up a few fresh towels and cloths for Cardi, grabbed my brushes and stepped out.

"All done, feel free to go in if you want," I said. "There's fresh towels there for you. Just leave them in the tub and I'll get them later."

We swapped rooms and I started brushing out my fur and feathers. I felt clean and presentable before she was done. Without getting dressed, I went downstairs and started preparing breakfast.

"Mmmmm, breakfast with a view," Cardi said, coming down the stairs. She had pulled her shorts back on.

I flicked my tailfeathers to one side and wiggled my wings. "I needed a bit more drying time. I'll dress later. What do you feel like for breakfast? I've got bacon, toast, Eggos, yogurt and fruit. Oh and eggs I guess."

"Bacon without eggs sounds good enough for me. And some yogurt," she said. I stepped to one side to give her room to get to the coffee machine. "Your eggs are beautiful."

I looked at her, then at my first egg. "Thanks. So are yours," I said, remembering her egg in her condo. Having another griffon comment on the egg seemed less embarrassing then having humans comment on it.

"So how are you feeling?" she asked as I cooked. Naked bacon cooking was safer when you had a layer of fur and feathers to protect you; though I did my best to keep the splatters down, not wanting the grease to wreck my fur quality.

"I'm feeling good," I said. "No regrets, and it felt really nice. Some nagging worries that will probably keep going until my next heat, or my next egg, but nothing I can't handle."

"That's fair. I won't say it goes away but you get to know your body one way or another. We should get in the habit of using protection in any case. Practice using condoms and a diaphragm. Doctor Chase can fit you for one if you ask."

"Do condoms make it feel different?" I asked, loading up the plates. We moved to the dining room to eat. .

"A little, but not as much as you would expect."

We ate in silence before I brought up the next thing I was curious about. "You know why I asked you to do this. Amy thought it would help my peaks and you know I've complained about how bad my peaks are. But I don't think you've ever really described yours. How do you handle them?"

"The first few were rough; they caught all of us by surprise of course. But mine don't seem to be as bad as yours. I don't know if Amy's theory is right, because I was active, or if it's because of other reasons."

"The late November and December ones, I had to work through. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get through the day, but I found them easier to handle. I had to work so that gave me something else to focus on. There were some close calls, and my temper was shorter than usual, but I got through it."

"Sounds like Adam's theory might be stronger than Amy's," I said.

She nibbled on a crunchy piece of bacon and nodded. "Most likely. Both have merits, and I don't mind helping experiment."

I chuckled a bit and nodded in agreement. "Any more tips?"

"Tips? Oh yeah! Well, let's see.... First, take the edge off. Give in to the heat or the rut when it first surges, get it out of your system a bit. That will help with the rest of the day. After that, keep busy, keep your mind on other things and you'll have a stronger base to fight back against the hormones. And finally, invest in some maxipads. Both for the heat and the rut."

I tilted my head in confusion. "Maxipads?"

"Yeah, they're surprisingly useful. We don't have periods any more, but I had some left over, so I used one for my last rut and it was surprisingly useful. Just a bit of extra padding around the sensitive parts, and it helps hide what's going on down there. Give it a shot and you might be surprised."

"Thanks," I said, making a mental note. The Simon part of me had a typical male reaction to the idea, but he knew he was losing ground.

"So what are you doing today?" she asked, shifting topics.

"There's another round of tryouts for the skyball team at Commonwealth," I said. "I'm not trying out, but I'll be there for support."

"Nice. Wish I could go. Sounds like it will be fun."

"Yeah, it should be. Thankfully the polar vortex moved along. It's only in the teens."

"''Only,"'' we laughed at the idea of that temperature being comfortable.

We cleaned up the kitchen, bumping into each other more times than needed. Neither of us were looking for more action, but the contact was a nice tease. Once my place was back in order, she started putting on the rest of her gear.

"Thanks for everything," I said as she prepared.

"It was my pleasure. I'm looking forward to you repaying the favour in a week or so," she said, winking at me.

I felt my face warm, but the promise was very appealing. "I'm looking forward to it. Just let me know when."

"Oh I will. But don't expect a home cooked meal like you did. I'm a mediocre cook at the best of times."

I laughed, "Don't expect that too often from me either. This just felt like a special occasion."

She stepped up to me and nuzzled, beak to beak. She teasingly pinched my nipple. "Oh it was special."

I laughed and pulled my wings forward to hug her, then pushed her away. "Get going before we need to clean up again."

"Fine! Fine. Have fun Sky."

"Thanks, try to have fun as well, if you can."

I let her out the back door to my usual takeoff spot. I stood on the porch and waved as she took off. She circled overhead briefly then set off towards her condo.

Over the next hour or so, I stripped the bed and hauled the towels and sheets down to the basement to wash. I puttered around the house, cleaning up and just stewing in my thoughts and feelings over what I'd done. I had some worries and concerns, but I eventually decided I had no regrets.

===Monday, January 15===

Around 9:30 in the morning, I had a gap in my schedule. I'd caught up with all the reports and updates from the weekend, and my team meetings weren't until ten. With Cardi's advice still ringing in my ears, I decided to take action before I got cold paws. I made sure my office door was closed, set up a notepad to scrawl notes down, and dialed the number she'd left me.

"Riverside Medical Services, Doctor Chase's office, Mandy speaking. How can I help you today?" the receptionist answered after a few rings.

"Good morning," I said, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'm Simon Farrell. I'm looking to book an appointment. A friend of mine suggested Doctor Chase to me."

"I see. Are you already a patient with a Doctor here?" the receptionist asked.

I shook my head, "No, I'm afraid not. Until recently I hadn't seen a doctor in decades, and my old family doc is back east."

"Right, I'm sorry, but Doctor Chase isn't taking new patients at this time. But we can add you to her waiting list. Or I can suggest other physicians you could try."

I wasn't surprised to hear that; the strain that the health system was under was well known across the country, but the governments didn't seem to want to do much about it but pass the blame around.

"Sure, I would appreciate it," I said. "But I don't know if there are many doctors around here who could help me."

"Is there something wrong?" Mandy asked. I could hear the concern in her voice. "If you are ill or injured you should go to the hospital. Or check out a walk-in clinic in your area."

I let out a nervous laugh, "No, nothing's wrong with me. At least nothing that I need addressed right away."

"Okay, that's good," she said, clearly relieved. "What sort of medical services are you looking for? A family doctor? A diabetes specialist? Senior care? Pediatrician or something else?"

"I guess I'm looking for a family doctor, or a general practitioner or whatever it's called. But I need someone who's knowledgeable about griffons. That's why Cardi suggested your office to me."

"OH! You're a griffon? Just a second..." Through the connection, I heard a rustle of paperwork and some rapidfire typing on a keyboard. "You said you don't have a family doctor at the moment, right?"

"I don't. He's still seeing my parents back in Ontario, but I haven't seen him since I was in my teens. Haven't seen anyone really, other than the tests they did on me last September."

"Okay, well that makes it a bit trickier. Doctor Chase does have a full schedule, but she wants to help as many of you griffons as possible. Normally she'd do it as an advisor in conjunction with your family doctor, but since you don't have one...." Mandy fell silent as she continued typing rapidly. "Could you hold for a minute?"

"Sure, I can wait," I said. I leaned back on my ball-perch, stretching out my wings to brace against the wall as generic hold music took over. I tapped my mouse and skimmed Outlook for any fresh emails, but nothing urgent was waiting.

"Are you still there?" Mandy asked. "I have Doctor Chase here. What did you say your name was again, and how do you prefer to be addressed?"

"Simon Farrell," I said and paused. Somehow in the past few months, I'd never really thought about the honorifics I wanted to use. "Anything works, I guess. I'm sort've used to Mister of course, but it's not the most applicable any more. You can call me Simon, I don't mind." I stopped myself from suggesting Skyfire; I suspected her position in our community would have pushed me to the front of the list, but I didn't want to use her for favours.

"Certainly, Mister Farrell. Doctor Chase would like to speak to you. Please hold."

The hold music kicked in again, but only for a minute. A new woman's voice was on the line. "Good day, Mister Farrell. I'm Doctor Bella Chase. I understand you're looking to become a patient of mine?"

"Yes, or to at least get some checkups I guess, and some advice maybe."

"Okay. Please understand my patient load is already quite high; but I am becoming one of the few griffon specialists in the city, so I'm trying to help your kind where I can. Is there anything in particular you are looking for, or that you need right away? Are you pregnant?"

"Pregnant? No! No I'm not," I said, hoping the hint of worry didn't show in my voice. It had been an active weekend, but it should have been safe. "I don't need anything right away. I'm feeling fine, all things considered. I'm friends with Cardi, and she suggested you, mainly because we-I'm becoming a bit more active, and, well I don't really have the background to fully know what I'm doing, or should be doing."

She let out a pleasant laugh. "That is understandable, and I can see Cardi saying that. And don't feel bad, all of you griffons tend to need some lessons on how to properly care for your new bodies. I'll pass you back to Mandy to schedule an appointment. I think I have some openings next week, so she can see where we can fit you in."

"Thank you, Doctor Chase. I appreciate it."

"No problem. I'll see you soon."

After a brief moment on hold, Mandy was back on the line. "Okay, we have some openings next week, on Wednesday or Thursday. What times work best for you?"

"Wednesday afternoon if possible," I said quickly.

"That is doable. How does 3:30 sound? It would take about an hour for a first appointment."

"That's fine," I confirmed, then gave my contact information to make it official.

"Right, looking good. You said you don't have a current physician. Have you had any sort of checkup recently? Especially since you changed?"

"I was in Fort Parker, at the Flying J. So I was one of the volunteers in the early days. I'm sure they have my records there."

There was more tapping, and I heard some subvocalized mumbling. "Great, we can work with that. When you show up, we'll have a permission form for you to fill out to request their records. And if you'll allow it, we'll share our findings with them to add to the griffon health databases."

"That's fine, I've gotten used to sharing a lot with them. Anything that might give a clue about what happened to us, or at least make sure we stay healthy. Is there anything I need to do before I arrive?"

"Nothing special. You can eat and drink normally, no need to fast. We'll probably look to take various samples to help establish your baselines, and to compare with what was gathered last September. And clean between your legs; Doctor Chase will be doing a thorough checkup."

I felt my ears warm and pressed them back in embarrassment. It made sense but I still wasn't used to thinking like that. "Sure, thank you."

Mandy made a few more taps on the keyboard. "You're all set. You should be getting a text and email reminder shortly, and you'll get another the day before. See you then!"

"Thanks again... Got them," I said, seeing the notice pop up on my phone. "I'll see you then."

===Thursday, Jan 18===

My icy goddess was back and I welcomed her with open arms and wings. We floated in a cold dark starlit void. I could see her clearly despite the apparent darkness we were in. My nipples tingled and my shaft was already hard in anticipation. She flicked her tail feathers a bit and motioned towards me, her wings spread to show her plumage more clearly. I needed no further invitation.

The distance between us vanished and she was in my arms. I rubbed my paws along her legs, feeling my sensitive shaft against her fur. We rubbed beaks, breasts pressing together while I hugged her.

I shifted my talons down to her furry hips and squeezed them, pulling her in closer. I was all in this time, shifting my grip to stroke her sheath a moment even though it was dormant. One thing I'd learned over the past few months was that even during the peaks, when one sex demanded all the attention and focus, it could still feel nice to give the other some focus.

She chirred in agreement and rubbed my arms, her beak nuzzling at the base of my neck, her talons gripping my shoulders. I stroked lower, finding her opening already moist and quivering with arousal. I stroked her clit briefly before my own urges took over.

I shifted my grip to her hips and pulled her closer. I pushed into her hot, wet tunnel and felt it tighten around my shaft. I still had no real knowledge of what this felt like from the male griffon side, but I knew what she was feeling now and it seemed to intensify my imagination.

I pulled back a little and the barbs on my shaft flared, intensifying the sensations. The goddess shuddered in pleasure as well and squeezed harder. I gripped her harder and pushed in deeper, feeling her own sheath press against my belly fur. All too soon, I felt our bodies tense and my shaft throbbed, releasing in her hot depths.

I woke up suddenly, my body still tense and shaking with pleasure, panting hard. I was lying mostly on my side, and I could feel my morning wood was still hard. I couldn't see anything in the darkness, but I felt the other side of the bed and could tell there was a wet spot there. The rut was here and it had taken its first payment.

I groaned, my mind getting into gear. I pushed myself up slowly and slid off the side of the bed. I fumbled for the light and squinted at the sudden brightness. Able to see now, I could see a large wet spot on the side of the bed, and a similar spot on my belly. My shaft was still hard, but not yearning for attention.

"Okay, here we go again,' I grumbled to myself. It was early, but more sleep was impossible now. Instead, I started reviewing my plans for the day. Satisfying the initial urges was done. I would clean the sheets later but for now, I went to do my usual morning routine, washing up my fur and doing some basic preening.

By the time I was done, I could feel the urge building again, but I refused to give in to it. The throbbing of my shaft was hard to ignore, not to mention how swollen and hard my nipples were. I swore they were growing as I watched, but I knew it was just my imagination.

Instead of giving in, I forced myself to continue my routine. Starting with getting dressed. Cardi's advice echoed in my memory as I looked at what I'd set out the night before, a fresh change of clothes and a pack of pantyliners. I opened the packet and unwrapped one of them, fighting some leftover male squirminess; I wasn't even using it for the designed purpose, but many griffons had reported they did help.

The other new thing in the pile was something I had ordered but not used. Since the change, I had been going commando, wearing no underwear under my shorts. My old boxer-briefs certainly didn't fit any more, and the initial offerings from the designers just didn't seem right. The basic griffon underwear was designed as panties. Since our sheaths were only sexual and not used otherwise, it made some sense; but my formerly male mind had a hiccup over wearing panties. I'd finally broken down and ordered a set of cotton 'granny panties' in anticipation of my next rut and heat.

Griffon panties were a little different from regular human ones. They were basically the same, but they had more give in the front for the sheath, while still covering my ass and pussy. I pulled them on, the fabric squishing my fur a bit more than I was used to. I could feel the cotton rubbing my member, making the arousal harder to ignore but I still fought it. Instead I slipped the liner in and placed it in the front so it added a bit of protection. I pulled on my shorts and stood up, looking at myself in the mirror. Knowing what I was looking for, I could tell my shorts were tenting much more than usual, but for others, I doubted anything was particularly visible.

I shifted my attention upwards and rubbed my furry breasts. My nipples were swollen and visible on my larger orbs. I cupped them in both hands and pinched the nipples between my fingers. The feeling made me moan and nearly made me cum again. I let go quickly and grabbed my top, pulling it on over my head. I tucked a couple of absorbent pads over my nipples for the inevitable leakage, and inspected myself in the mirror. I looked fairly normal, especially considering how ruts usually made me feel. My body had a tenseness to it that I thought I could see, but overall I felt normal.

I forced the feelings my hormones were giving me back, and went downstairs to make breakfast. After eating, I felt better. The urges were a constant distraction in the back of my mind, and in my shirt and shorts, but I felt a bit better able to control them. Using Adam's advice, I went to my office and tackled some work. Technically I was 'off' for the day, but there was always stuff that had to be done, especially when you had been with a company as long as I had been.

By lunch time, I felt reasonably good. I'd been fighting the urges all morning and been mostly successful; the pad in my shorts was wet from the few times I had to give in and 'rubbed one out', but I'd resisted the urges to go full out. I knew I would have to review all my work later, when I was in a saner state of mind. I left my office and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. As if it could tell I was taking a break, my libido roared for attention. I did my best to keep it reigned in, forcing myself to prepare a proper lunch. It was just a bowl of canned stew, yogurt, an apple, some sweets and a glass of juice. I treated it like a six course meal, making sure to savour each bite and doing my best to ''not'' think about what was happening down below.

After lunch, my restraints were weakening.Most tellingly, the padding over my nipples was getting wet and heavy, on the verge of falling out of position. Knowing Adam would be coming over in a few hours, I figured it was a good enough attempt and retreated to my bedroom. I stripped off my clothes and checked the pads. They were wet and stained but holding up well enough, especially since this wasn't the type of flow the panty liners were designed to handle.

I gave in to the urges and retrieved some of my toys. I relaxed on the bed for a somewhat quick but intense play session. I tried to ignore my swollen cock and instead played with my nipples, getting my talons annoyingly wet. I also used a vibrator and played with my pussy. It didn't fully 'wake up', but the feelings were still strong and drove my arousal to higher levels. Finally I switched toys and slammed my swollen shaft into the lubricated toy. It only took a couple of thrusts before I came, feeling the pulsing through the toy. I slumped back on the bed, panting hard, sated for the moment.

After recovering, I sat up and set up the breast pump. My chest was feeling really heavy now, and I didn't want to be too swollen when Adam showed up. I took my time, pumping each breast and trying not to get too aroused from it. I was only partially successful. Like last time, the container was only about half full when I was done, and I was more than ready to fill something else. I grabbed the toy and unloaded into it yet again.

I sighed wearily and looked at the results. The rut was still gripping me hard, but I had some respite now. The toy meant I was less messy than the morning routine had been. I set the pump and toys to one side and got dressed, putting in a fresh pantyliner and breast pads to hopefully handle the rest of the day. It was tempting to leave everything as it was and go back to work. Instead, I took them to the bathroom, dumped the milk and gave everything a good scrubbing so it would be clean for later. I had no doubt there would be a later soon enough.

Getting back into a work mindset was difficult, especially with the rut demanding attention. Nonetheless, I buckled down and picked up where I had left off.

Like the morning, the focus certainly helped. I had to pause a few times again to relieve myself, but I managed to keep the worst urges in check. I'd just done another paw-off break, relying on the liner to hide my release, and was trying to pick up where I'd left off in the report, when the doorbell rang. I jumped in surprise, wings flaring out and feathers fluffing up in a protective manner. A glance at the clock showed it was just after three.

"Shit, already?" I growled, trying to calm myself. The doorbell rang again, and the nest doorbell app pinged for attention. I ignored it, knowing who was there.

Instead, I stood up and ducked into my bedroom to check my appearance. I was presentable, the padding keeping everything somewhat contained. I ran my talons through my head feathers and licked my beak briefly as the bell rang again.

"Coming!" I shouted, heading down the stairs. I opened the door and found Adam standing there. "Sorry, I lost track of time, in a good way. You surprised me," I greeted him.

My head doctor stood on the porch, bundled up in a heavy jacket, a toque and mittens. I realized that while the cold snap had broken, it was still in the negative teens with a wicked windchill. Very nice for a griffon, but still rather bitter for regular humans.

While I was studying him, Adam was studying me. He took in my appearance, but didn't comment on it. "No problem. I expected you to take some time. I half expected you to tell me to leave."

"I'd be lying if I said the thought didn't cross my mind. But overall, this one seems to be going better." I remembered my manners and stepped aside. "Please, come in. Take your jacket and boots off if you want. I think it's warm enough." I checked at the thermostat, having remembered to turn it up the day before. After Christmas, I'd added a 'human guests' setting to the program to bring the heat up to more tolerable levels.

Adam stepped in. While he shed his outerwear, I closed the door and opened the closet and offered a hanger to him. I motioned for him to have a seat in the living room while I settled on the padded bench I used as my main seat now. The urges were building again, as if sensing I was more distracted.

"So, how are things going?" he asked. He took out a small pad and a pen and set them on the arm of the chair he was in, but as usual, he wasn't writing anything down.

I tried to relax as best I could despite the tidal wave of hormones I was feeling. Despite my role in the local griffon community, I normally considered myself an introvert. Hosting company was difficult for me on a good day, and this wasn't a good day.

"I'm doing okay. The advice is helping," I started.

"Good. You are looking good," he encouraged me.

"Well, I did give in around lunch time, but mostly I've got a grip on things." I said. I continued from there, describing how the morning had gone and how the rut was hitting me. By the time I finished, I could feel the urges building again, and since I had company I didn't feel comfortable rubbing it out. I was squirming on the bench, trying my best to stay focused on him.

He noticed my discomfort and brought it up when I finished. "How are you feeling now? Do you need a moment?"

"It's... rough," I confirmed. "Things are building again, but I want to push it. It should be getting near the end now, maybe if I can push through it, it will fade naturally."

He looked doubtful, but nodded. "If you feel that way. If you need to do anything, please just go do it. I understand what you are fighting, even if I can't fully comprehend it."

"Thanks," I said, trying to hold as still as possible. Every little movement I made seemed to agitate my sensations, feeling the pad and my fur against my aroused cock, and my heavy breasts with their sensitive erect nipples. I preyed desperately that the pads would hold out.

He studied me for a long moment, then looked around the living room. "So, I know it's still early, but I can see some adaptations you've made here. How's the place working out? Got any plans for the spring?" he asked, segueing into safer topics.

I nodded thankfully and dove deeper into my house plans, both what I had done and what I was planning to do. Nothing was really baked in yet, but I'd been building up a list since getting home last September.

An hour or so later, I felt like I was so tense that I wouldn't need the bench to sit on any more. Even talking and breathing felt like it would set me off, my whole body yearning for a release I wasn't giving it. I figured the rut had to be almost over now, but I had no idea if it would fade with a whimper or demand a release. Adam was watching me carefully and seemed to sense how close I was to my limits.

"You've done a fantastic job today, considering it's only your fourth rut, and the first one you've tried to control," he said.

"Thanks, it's been rough," I said. If I still had teeth, I would probably have been clenching them. But if i still had teeth, I wouldn't be in this position in the first place.

"I know you've said you gave in to it a few times already today. Don't see that as a failure. You've made major steps today, even if it still feels like it controls you."

"Yeah, I know that up here," I said, tapping the side of my head. "But down here, it feels like it's fully in control." I carefully motioned around my chest, not touching anything.

"Right, but it's a start. You're basically in the throes of an intense adolescence. It takes time to sort those out, and you have the added wrinkle of a competing hormonal cycle.In any case, I think it's fair to give in now. You put up a good fight. The next one will go even better. For now, give in and let your body settle back into normal."

I wanted to resist, but decided he was right. I nodded my thanks and stood up, freezing for a moment while struggling to contain my reactions. The movement rubbed my hard cock against the padding and nearly set me off.

"Should I step out?" Adam suggested, seeing my discomfort.

I shook my head quickly, struggling to contain things. "Nuh-no. I'm good," I stammered out.

I limped to the stairs and almost pulled myself up with the railing, trying to use my legs as little as possible. I could feel Adam's gaze on my feathered back all the way up.

In my bedroom, I dropped my shorts and underwear as fast as I could. The pad was wet, but I didn't care. All I could focus on was the dark barbed shaft that was screaming for attention. Somehow I managed to keep my mind long enough to get a toy, and was quickly pumping into it for release. The release came quickly, but did little to calm the roar.

I slumped back on the bed, panting, yearning for relief. While my cock was recovering, I fondled my breasts through my shirt, feeling their heft and the dampness of the pads. All too soon I was ready to go again, shooting into the toy eagerly.

By the third round, I finally felt the roar fading away. Exhaustion washed over me as the rut finally released. I groaned weakly, letting the toy fall onto the bed. I ached all over, especially my cock. I knew I had more to do, but for the moment I just had to rest.

I didn't quite fall asleep, but I did zonk out for a few minutes. When I came back to my senses, I sat up and knew I had one more major chore to do. I pulled my top off and tossed it to the side, along with the pads. I started setting up the breast pump, when I heard noise downstairs. I remembered my guest.

"You still here, Adam?" I called out.

"Of course. Just taking care of some paperwork while I was waiting. How are you doing?" he called back.

"It's broken. All over but the cleanup," I confirmed.

"Good. How do you feel?"

"Exhausted. Holding it in that long was a challenge, and it took revenge."

"Understandable. Do you want to talk about it more now, or wait until next week, back in the office?"

I considered the offer. I mostly just wanted to finish up and go to bed. At the same time, I knew this was probably an opportunity that wouldn't come again, even if he came back for my heat session.

"Part of me wants you to leave.... But I think it would be better for us to have a little chat before then. Just to cover things while it's fresh, and to give you a better understanding of what we're going through," I said.

"Of course. I can wait until you're ready."

I looked around my room. It was an embarrassing mess. I looked at myself, naked now, my fur and feathers a mess, my breasts swollen and aching to be emptied, my cock softening and almost back in its sheath. Despite all that, I made a rash decision.

"Come on up. We can talk now," I said, deciding before I got cold paws.

I heard him move downstairs to the base of the stairs. "Are you sure?"

"Not really. But I'm willing to do it. Just to warn you, I'm not the most presentable right now."

"Of course. After what you went through, I can't imagine how anyone would be presentable."

I heard him move to the base of the stairs and could imagine him looking up. "Are you sure?" he asked again.

I sighed and nodded, wanting to get on with this. "Yes, I'm sure. Get up here before I change my mind."

I picked up the breast pump and pressed it to a nipple and started pumping. I sighed softly in relief, feeling the tug on my sensitive nipple and the pressure easing as the cream was pulled out. From downstairs, I heard Adam slowly coming up the stairs. He paused at the top, looking around, but not able to see in the bedroom yet.

"Come on in. First door on your left," I encouraged him.

"You sure you want to talk now? I could still wait downstairs," he replied, not moving from the landing.

I sighed and squeezed my breast, deciding it was too full to shift yet. "Yes, get in here. You should see this if you want to know everything that griffons are going through."

He finally appeared in my doorway. I saw his eyes hit me, and quickly look away.

"You've seen most of this before," I teased him lightly. "I just wasn't actually using these when you saw them," I added, hefting my breast.

"I suppose, but context matters a lot," he said. I saw his nose wrinkle, taking in a scent I couldn't really smell. He didn't comment on it, instead shifting the topic as fast as he could. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted. And full. But mainly exhausted," I confirmed, keeping him in my gaze.

"And you always feel like this afterwards?"

"More or less. I'm trying to muscle through this one."

He looked at me and forced himself to match my gaze. "And it's common for all of you?"

I sighed and switched the breast I was pumping. His eyes went down to follow my movement, and he visibly reddened.

"From what I can tell, I'm close to one of the extremes. I can't imagine anyone who has it worse, but most of us don't seem to get it this rough. The lactation, it hits a lot of us. Maybe a quarter of us get it on both male and female peaks. Many get it on the female peak, and apparently it can be triggered pretty easily even off peak. Everyone's eager to see what the chicks are like to see how this all fits together."

"You seem to be taking it well, considering."

I shrugged my wings and sighed. "It's the eighth time for me now. Fourth rut, but latest peak. I'm starting to realize this is me now, like it or not."

He nodded in agreement. "It's a good mindset to get into, as long as you are learning to bring it under control."

We chatted for a bit longer. I finished pumping and gathered up my stuff to clean up. He stepped to one side. "So do you just pour that down the drain?" he asked.

I nodded, doing just that. "I do. I hear there is some interest in griffon milk in general, but it's not something I even want to think of. We're people, not cows after all. Or chickens for that matter."

"Chickens? You mean people want your eggs?"

I shuddered and nodded. "Yeah, the eggs. There's another grey market for those too. I can't imagine how or why anyone would want to, but people will be people I guess. I'm just glad I'm not desperate enough to even need to consider those options."

"But there are some who are that desperate?" Adam asked

"Sadly, yes. Bills have to be paid, and too many of us lost our jobs for one reason or another. As far as I know, no one has officially admitted it, but it does happen. And Edmonton is an expensive city, even if you don't need as much heat as you used to."

I could see the gears turning in Adam's head. But he also left that topic alone and moved on. "So what is your normal routine at this point?"

"At this point? All I really want to do is sleep for a year. But I know I have other obligations. Cleaning up is important. The toys and pads help make it less messy, but there's still a lot to do. A good preening helps too. I often wish I had someone else around to help with that. Most importantly though, is to get something to eat and drink."

"I can only imagine. Is the heat similar?"

"Slightly less messy, but just as intense, if not more intense."

I looked at my brushes and decided that I could wait a bit longer. I made another abrupt decision and left the bathroom, still completely naked. Adam followed me downstairs after a moment of hesitation.

I took out a jug of juice and poured a big glass. I set it on the counter and grabbed an apple. I intentionally positioned myself next to the sink, the egg obvious on the windowsill beside it. Adam followed me and finally noticed it. I saw his eyes dart between the egg and me.

"So that's yours?" he finally asked.

I nodded. "My first. The rest I dispose of right away."

I could see him pondering the implications and mentally debating if it was something he had to address or not. I decided to shift the topic first.

"You're the first humans who've really seen me like this. I mean, my family saw a hint of it last month, but I spent most of it at Cardi's," I said. He nodded, waiting for me to continue.

"So if I'm going to be trying to go through this in public, is there anything you noticed about me?"

He tilted his head, obviously confused.

I tapped my beak near my nares. "The nose doesn't work so well any more. So is there any smells I should be aware of for example? I saw you wrinkle it upstairs, so something is noticeable."

"Oh! Right!" he exclaimed, getting what I was implying. "Smells? Well, you do have a scent about you in general. It's not unpleasant, but it is different. A bit hard to describe really and I've mostly gone nose blind to it."

I nodded and waited.

"As for today? Yeah there are a few new things. You smell more... masculine I guess. Like a teenaged boy who hasn't been showering as much as he should be. But not that strong."

"So you're saying I don't need to bathe in Axe Body Spray?"

"Gods no! That should be a war crime!" he laughed. "It's noticeable, but not bad. A bit exotic even. There's another smell I'm not sure how to describe. I think it's related to your cream maybe. But also nothing unpleasant or anything."

I relaxed a little and bit into the apple, tearing a chunk off with my beak and pulling it in with my tongue. Adam fell silent, watching me. It was probably the first time he'd seen me, or another griffon, actually eat.

"Good, that's good to know. I worried a little how this would seem to others."

"You're perfectly acceptable. Nothing socially bad as far as I'm concerned," he agreed.

We were silent for a few moments as I finished off the apple, core and all. The seeds weren't exactly healthy, but as long as we weren't eating an orchard's worth at once, they were fine.

"So how do you feel today went?" he asked.

"It went well," I affirmed quickly. "I made a lot of progress, at least from the rut end. How about you?"

"It was an eye opening experience. I'm glad we did this, though I don't really want to make a habit of it."

I chuckled and nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't want to make it habitual either. Though, the heat is different...."

"Of course. I'll come out here in two weeks, if you want me to."

"Please. It did seem to make a difference. And I'm curious how the opposite will work."

He nodded. "I'm curious as well. The rut, while it's not something humans experience, it feels similar to adolescence in many ways, close enough to draw some comparisons. The heat though, we know it in other animals, but it's an unknown for humans. Seeing how you handle it will be good."

He paused for a moment, "That is if you want me to be here. I am a guy. Would me being here make things more difficult?"

I started to object, then stopped and considered his question. In the end, I decided my first impression was right. "No, it shouldn't make any difference," I said.

"I mean, when the heat has me, I certainly want a male... but I want a ''griffon ''male. As I've mentioned to Amy, humans don't do anything for me any more; neither males nor females."

"I see. That's something I hadn't really considered, though it does make sense. Is that a common thought pattern in your experience?"

I shrugged my wings and sipped my juice. "I haven't looked deep into it. Amy would know better. But in my experience it seems to be the case. Sure there are a lot of mixed couples out there; but the divorce rate is high, even when they have kids involved. I'm an entirely different species now and my standards and expectations are just different now."

"So if I had been a woman when we first met, would it have made a difference?"

"That's a good question... and I don't know how to answer it. Now, I don't think it would make a difference. Back then? When I was trying to hold onto my masculinity and my humanness with everything I could, you being male may have helped."

"A lot of food for thought. But I could use some real food, as could you. Is there anything else you'd like to bring up for this week?" he asked.

I shook my head and we started walking to the door. "I'm good. Thank you for the house call."

"No problem. It was very worthwhile. We'll do it again in a couple of weeks for your heat. After that?"

"After that, we'll play it by ear. I might be ready to go out in public with it by then." I started to open the door before I remembered his cold weather gear. I quickly turned and opened the closet instead. He noticed my misstep but didn't comment on it.

"It's something we can talk about later. Have a good evening Skyfire. I'll see you next week."

Once he was ready to go out, I opened the door for him. It was dark now with just the hint of leftover daylight in the sky. The cold air that wafted in felt heavenly. I flicked on the porchlight and resisted the urge to follow him outside, remembering my state of dress at the last moment.

We shook hands and he darted out to his car. I stood in the doorway long enough for him to start up and pull out, waving good-bye as he left. Once he was gone, I closed the door, reset the thermostat and debated what to do next. To my surprise, while I could feel the fatigue from the rut, I wasn't as tired as I usually was. I knew I should finish my preening, but instead went back to the kitchen to start dinner. I figured after eating that a night flight would be nice to unwind before bed.

===Wednesday, Jan 24===

I left work just after three for my appointment. The clinic was on the eastern edge of downtown, near the river as its name indicated. It was a six story building located in the boundary zone where the denser centre of the city began to give way to suburbia. I landed in the parking lot near the entrance and headed in.

There was a Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy on the first floor, and a lobby with a parking kiosk and elevators to the upper floors. I was studying the building directory to figure out where I had to go, when the elevator dinged. I glanced over to the opening doors, and saw another griffon coming out. She looked surprised to see me as well.

"Skyfire! What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping out and coming over to hug me.

"Just a doctor's appointment, probably the same as you. But not ''exactly'' the same," I said, greeting her back. "Hi Adriane. How's the little one doing?"

She nodded and stepped back, a hand going to her belly. Three months in, she didn't really show yet, but she was a regular at our gatherings, so we all knew she was expecting. "She's doing well, as far as we can tell. I don't really feel all that different yet. So are you?"

I raised my wings in denial. "Oh no! No no! This is just a checkup, I'm not pregnant or anything," I said quickly, hoping to head off the rumour mill. "Cardi suggested it might be a good idea in general, and Doctor Chase managed to fit me in."

Adrian laughed and nodded. "That's fair. You've got a good one. She's one of the best in the city, in my opinion. Granted this is the only real griffon clinic in the city so far, but she's still the best."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I better get going, before I'm late."

"Fourth floor, hang a left. See you later." She waved her wing and headed out.

I waved as well and pressed the elevator call button to resummon the car. I looked around, seeing a few people looking away, but it seemed griffons weren't uncommon around here.

On the fourth floor there was a small lobby with short halls in either direction. I turned left and saw a double set of glass doors with the clinic's name on it, along with numerous doctor names including Doctor Bella Chase. I walked through the doors and waited for the receptionist to look up.

"Mx Farrel I assume?" she said, looking up. She seemed a little surprised, but gave me a knowing smile. "We've been expecting you." She set some papers on a clipboard and set it on the counter. "Could you please fill this in as best you can, and Doctor Chase will see you as soon as she is available."

"Skyfire is fine," I said, "But I get the feeling you already knew that." I added, taking the clipboard.

Mandy smiled and nodded. "I thought I recognized your name when you made the appointment, but you weren't making the connection. We try to keep track of the local griffons, and you are rather notable in our community."

"Yeah, I didn't really want to use that position to jump the line. Thank you for seeing me."

She smiled and went back to her computer. I noticed that the waiting area had a number of stools instead of the usual chairs. There was an older couple sitting in the regular chairs, but they paid me no attention and I left them in peace. I perched on one of the stools as far from them as I could get, and started filling in the paperwork. I had to haul out my card wallet to find my ID numbers. I left the clipboard on the counter and returned to my stool, killing time on my phone while waiting.

"Skyfire? Doctor Chase will see you now," Mandy said. She stood in the doorway leading to the rest of the clinic.

I followed her to an exam room that was big enough for me to fully spread my wings. It had all the standard doctor office devices, including a bed with a paper covering, and a stool suitable for griffons. I took a seat and waited.

A few minutes later, the doctor arrived. She was a brunette, in her mid thirties and that was about all I could tell at first glance. She had a thin folder that she set on the counter next to the sink.

"Good afternoon, Simon. Or would you prefer Skyfire?"

"Eith-" I started to say then stopped myself. This was more of a Skyfire situation than a Simon one. "Skyfire would be good."

"Is it?" she asked, taking a seat so we would be at eye level. "You seemed to hesitate."

"It's something I'm still getting used to, even after all these months. I didn't even pick the name, but it stuck. But I've got Adam to talk those issues out with."

"Adam?"

"Doctor Fullerton, my head doc. I've been seeing him since the fall."

She nodded and seemed a bit relieved. "Excellent, That's one piece of advice I don't need to give. I'll leave your head to him, and worry about your body." She picked up the folder and ruffled the papers, pulling out a page. "First, if you don't mind, could you sign this form? It is a request form to get your records from Fort Parker. I don't really need them, but it would help provide some continuity in your health records."

She offered it over, and pulled out a second page. "And this is a permission slip that would let me talk about you with the experts down there, and to share anything I find about you. If you don't sign it, I'll only report on your health records which would be limited to doctors directly dealing with you."

I shrugged my wings and scrawled my name on both pages. "If it might help us, I'll let you share anything."

"Thank you Skyfire. I do take this responsibility seriously. If I notice anything abnormal, that is, abnormal for griffons, I'll let you know first."

"I appreciate it. So uhm, as I mentioned, I haven't seen a doctor since my teens basically. What do I need to do?"

She switched to a simple notepad and scrawled down some notes. "For now, we'll just chat, go through your health history both before and after the event. After, we'll need to do a health checkup and we'll take some samples to run tests on. I'm sorry, but some will be uncomfortable, but they are necessary. Future appointments should be faster unless something happens."

"I understand. And I think I know what you're implying." I squirmed a little at the thought. "That was one test I passed on when I was down in Parker. It was one aspect of the change..., the event, that I was in denial about, until I couldn't deny it any longer."

"And now?" she asked, pausing her writing to watch me closer.

I took a nervous breath and met her gaze. "Now, I think I'm ready for it. I'm certainly not in denial about it any more, but there's a hell of a lot I don't know about it."

"Well, let's start with the easy stuff first, your pre-Event life and health. Where did you grow up? Any health issues?"

Thinking back to Simon's life was strange. It was so different from what I was now, I found it increasingly foreign to my new life. We spent a good half hour digging into his life, from the places he grew up, to the illnesses and other issues he had. While I hadn't seen a doctor in decades, I still had taken care of my eyes and teeth at least. So Simon had regular cleanings and checkups, and got too many fillings and a few root canals, along with glasses.

"So yeah, last September, I guess I was in okay health for a middle aged guy who mostly worked a desk job. I'd never been tested but I did have some diabetes signs that I was ignoring, in denial about. Beyond that, I was fine."

"Well, that's not something to be ignoring, but that's in the past," she said, adding a few notes. "As far as I've heard, you all got a health reset and diabetes and cancers and other issues were all cleared up. You should watch your diet regardless, so you don't fall back into that trap."

"That's fair, and my diet has changed. A lot more fruit and veggies than I used to have. I find they're often handier to eat than sweets, especially since I lost my sweet tooth... literally."

She chuckled and flipped to a clean page. "You joke, but some of you have quite the sweet beak too. So good that you're eating healthier. Since the change, how have you felt? Any problems that you've noticed?"

"I've felt... well fine I guess. Lots of problems, but not health ones, mostly adaptability problems."

"That's good, and common. So no aches or pains? Stiff muscles or aching joints?"

"None, well a few when I've gone on extra long flights sometimes, but that's just exercise exhaustion, not any body problems. I've felt stronger than I did before."

"How about the recent cold snap? Any problems from that?"

I laughed, "Once again, only adaptability problems. I picked up some big gloves, mittens actually, so my hands were more protected. And I ended up taking the train a few times when the cold seemed too much for even me to bear."

"Good, good. I've heard a few of you have had some issues with frostbite after that snap. I'm glad you stayed on top of it." She jotted down a few more notes before moving on to the next topic.

"I sense you're skirting around something, how about your cycles? How would you describe them?" she asked

"Hell," I said. She paused and looked up. "They're rough, almost crippling, lasting most of the day."

She looked pensive and made a few notes. "I see. I take it you mean both the rut and the heat?"

I nodded, "Oh yeah, it doesn't matter which way. When it hits, all I can think of is my loins all day. It's worse than puberty."

"I'm sorry it's so rough for you. Could you describe them to me? Have you noticed any changes since the first ones?"

"Sure. Is it any easier? A little maybe, but it's still rough." I took a moment to gather my thoughts, then started going through what my first heat was like and the first rut. I held nothing back, mentioning my mental partner, as well as the recent experiments I'd been trying based on Adam and Amy's advice.

"Okay, yeah, that is a lot to handle," the doctor said, looking at her notes. She seemed to be struggling to figure out where to start. "So your ice goddess, have you seen any griffon like them in real life?"

"Nope. I've looked a little, but she's unique. When I first saw Michelle I saw some similarities, but the differences were quickly apparent. My mental partner, she's more like an Articuno than any real bird I've seen."

"Arti- the pokemon?"

"Yeah. I've been playing it for years, so they were on my mind a bit. Guess my subconscious decided to give me a unique partner to match my somewhat unique appearance."

"Right, well I've got more questions, but I've got another thing to ask of you. The specialists have sent out the word that they want to learn more about griffon cycles. Especially griffs that exhibit more extreme cycles."

"Sure, what do you need?" I asked.

"They would like regular blood samples, to get an idea of how your hormones and your body change through the month. If they can find the key chemicals, they might be able to start developing some things to help you."

"Things like birth control? Or just heat control maybe?"

"Birth control is probably years away, if not decades away. But yeah, heat control and rut control might be something that could happen earlier. Still years probably, but more likely."

"That would be nice. What would you need? How regular would you want the samples?"

"We have a clinic downstairs where the nurses are used to dealing with griffons. Or if you would prefer somewhere closer to home or work, I could look for another spot that's closer. As for how often, probably once a week, ideally on the day of your peaks if you are up for it."

The idea of going out during a heat, or a rut, was terrifying. I nearly objected, but Adam's advice held my tongue. "I can try. It'll be rough, but I did leave once during the rut, so it's not impossible."

"Great. You mentioned you lactate too? We'll want to get samples of that too. We can give you containers to fill and bring with you."

"That won't be a problem. I've started pumping so I have a lot available. Simon doesn't like it of course, but I'm coming to terms with it. Book me at your clinic downstairs, it's not that far out of my way."

She jotted down a few more notes. "Thursdays right? I'll let them know to expect you and to expedite your visits. It shouldn't take long. If you can, call when you're coming in so they know to expect you."

"Any other samples you want?" I asked, mentally coming to terms with being a science experiment.

"Well, maybe a few more actually, but we'll give you containers to fill them the day off, and probably only for the first month, until we get a full cycle of samples. We'll want a urine sample and maybe semen samples if you can provide them."

I felt my face warm a little, but it seemed a reasonable request. "That should be doable most of the time. Maybe not during the heat but we'll see."

"Of course, whatever you are comfortable with. Now, let's go to a bit more comfortable subjects and take some basic stats." She motioned to a scale and started taking my measurements. I mentally converted the metric sizes to compare them with the ones taken when I first changed.

"Weight's almost the same, maybe a bit higher," I noted. "Glad I'm not any shorter at least. I lost too much height as it was."

"That matches what I've heard from other griffons. You're bulking out a little, but not too much."

She wrapped a blood pressure cuff around my upper arm and started pumping it up. I watched curiously, not sure how good the readings would be with my feathers and down, but she seemed to know what she was doing. After a lot of pumping, I felt it tighten around my arm and start squeezing through the plumage. She jotted down some readings and released the pressure.

While she was close to me, she started examining my head, peering into my ears, and shining a light into my eyes. She had me blink both ways, then had me open wide. When she was done, she filled another page with notes.

"So far, you're well within what I've noticed with other griffons, so I'm assuming you're healthy. I'd like to schedule both an eye test and a hearing test for you, but there's no rush for it. We just want to establish baselines for you."

"That's good to hear. In for a penny, in for a pound. I take it, you know some folk who can do those tests?"

"Certainly, this entire clinic is pivoting to specialize in griffon health. Mandy can help you book appointments on the way out when we're done."

She put the pad down and gave me another look. She retrieved a folded up robe from a shelf. "This is the part where things get a bit uncomfortable. I'll have to ask you to strip and put on this robe as best you can. It'll cover your front."

I chuckled and started opening my blouse. "The top I don't mind exposing. I think I sort've started the topless theme here in the city long ago. But I guess you'll need more?"

"Yes, you'll need to remove your shorts as well. This is the part of the visit you wouldn't be as familiar with."

"To be fair, all of this is unfamiliar with me," I said, standing up. I folded up my top and left it on the counter with my bag, then started to undo my shorts. I was still going commando, only using the granny panties when I needed to for the peaks. The doctor turned away to give me a little bit of modesty.

"When you're ready, get onto the exam bed. For now you can just sit up on it, and I'll ask you to lay down later when we need it. We're still trying to figure out what equipment works best for you guys."

I nodded in agreement, and decided to pass on the hospital gown. There was a light sheet on the exam bed, so I sat on the bed and put the blanket over my lap and hips.

"I think I'm ready." For the first time, I felt a little self conscious about my appearance, but I pushed past those feelings.

She turned back around and looked me over. "Right, I'll be doing a few more exams. Changed people got a health reset, but that doesn't mean you still aren't at risk for cancers and other diseases. So we'll check you early, get used to what is normal, and hopefully if anything abnormal develops, we'll catch it early."

"No problem. Do what you need to do," I said.

"First, we'll do a breast exam. I'll go through how you can check yourself regularly as well," Doctor Chase said, putting on a set of gloves.

I tried to relax as she approached me. She started on my left breast, squeezing and massaging it, and feeling all around it. I had a habit of zoning out during dentist appointments, and I was quickly able to slip into this zen-like state while she worked. I barely noticed when she shifted to the other side to examine the right one.

"All good," she proclaimed, going back to make some more notes. "Excellent shape I'd say, and good reactions. I'll include some pamphlets on self exams for you to take home. Basically, when you milk yourself, you should feel your breasts. If anything feels different, call me right away."

"Ugh, I still hate that that's a thing I do," I grumbled, looking down and smoothing the fur on my chest a bit. "It doesn't seem right."

"There is probably a reason for it, but we won't really be able to tell why until you have kids. The current theories are that it's a way for both parents, or any griffon, to nurse a young hatchling. Assuming you will lay an egg, you wouldn't necessarily have the normal body cues to tell you have a new mouth to feed. So instead you're basically always primed for milk to feed a hatchling. There may be other cues we don't know yet, but the hormone shifts of your cycles do seem to be a trigger."

"Lucky me." I sighed and shrugged my wings. "Not like I can do anything."

She nodded in commiseration and looked back to make sure the door was closed. She unwrapped a tray with some metal instruments on it. "Next, we'll need to do a pelvic exam. Both your penis and vagina. You can stay seated for the first part, but at some point I'll probably need you to lay down. Face down or face up, whichever you're comfortable with."

I nodded again, and lifted the sheet away. I leaned back a bit and found the bed was just far enough from the wall for me to comfortably use my wings to prop myself up. I spread my furry legs and flexed my claws, trying to relax and not think of what she was going to do.

She gave me another long look before stepping closer. "Your plumage and fur are in excellent shape. I'm glad to see you've got a good preening routine."

"Thanks. It's one of the lessons I learned quickly down in Parker. And one of the first ones I taught when I got home."

"Good, keep it up. And thank you for making that video. I've used it to teach more than a few griffons how to better care for themselves."

She finally stepped close to me, looking down at my groin. I tried to relax as I felt her touch my sheath, squeezing it and stroking it. I felt it reacting naturally, and soon found my penis swelling out of it in its dark barbed glory. It was obvious it wasn't the first one she'd examined. I couldn't help but shiver a little as she stroked against the barbs briefly.

"Good reactions, and nice and clean. You'd be surprised at how many griffons I've had to teach how to clean this," she said, letting go and letting me relax. "Even former guys have needed the reminder. You said your rut was last week?"

I gulped and nodded, trying to urge it back into its furry home. "Yeah, I'm almost exactly midway between them today."

"And any problems getting it up?" she asked as she turned to prepare her equipment.

"None, not normally. Other than during the heat. But even before or after, I don't seem to have any issues."

"Excellent. Okay, this will be new to you. Just lean back a bit and try to relax. Someday we'll figure out a proper chair with stirrups for you guys, but for now we'll make due. This is a speculum, a device to help me check inside of you. It may feel a bit cold."

I closed my eyes and tried to enter my zen state as she came in. I felt her latex covered fingers over my labia, and twitched as she pressed her fingers into me. It was quickly followed by the cool metal of the tool pressing in and spreading my vagina open. I focused on the ceiling and just tried to relax and not react as she did her checks.

"You're doing great," she encouraged me. "I'm just going to reach in for a bit and feel around."

I nodded but didn't look down. The tool was pulled away and I soon felt the fingers slide in. It felt strange as she felt and pushed deep into my vagina and felt my cervix. An eternity later, she pulled her hand out and I let out the breath I was holding. I heard the snap of latex gloves being pulled off.

"Excellent once again. You're in fine shape, Sky. Any problems with your eggs so far?" she asked, disposing of the gloves and picking up her pad to make more notes.

"Nuh-None yet," I said, taking a moment to recover my voice and calm my pulse. "Uncomfortable as hell, but not as bad as the peaks." She nodded, continuing her notes. "Do you want one of them?" I asked.

"That won't be necessary. Fort Parker's overflowing with griffon eggs as is, and honestly, that's probably not an aspect of your biology they want to mess with."

"Oh," I said, unable to hide my disappointment, even though I wasn't sure what I was expecting.

She put the pad down and took my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I know this is all new and strange for you; it's strange for all of us, but you griffons especially. We're doing all we can to help you out, but it takes time to figure out. It will probably be years before we'll even be able to start trials on things to try and adjust your biology. But it has to start somewhere, and the information you give us, well, the information you give them, will help."

"I know, I know. Hell, I gave a similar speech to my family over Christmas," I said. I tapped my head, "I know that up here, but that doesn't mean I don't wish there was something to help make things easier."

"Just be careful and watch for official notices about what is safe and not safe for you to take. Stay away from the internet witchdoctors, and only take officially prescribed drugs if you have to take anything, Advil, Aspirin and Ibuprofen seem safe for you guys at human doses, but avoid most over the counter stuff in general."

I laughed and nodded "No worries there. I wasn't in the habit of taking anything before all this, and I'm not eager to start now, but it is a bit tempting."

"Right, in that case we are almost done, aside for one thing. Sex, or rather, sexual protection. You said you are active?"

"Barely," I confirmed. "I wasn't all that interested in it before, and while the hormones said one thing, I didn't expand my social game in that direction, at least not until a few weeks ago."

"What changed for you?" she asked.

"A suggestion from another friend, who's been trying to help me handle the peaks. She thought 'getting fucked' might help."

"And did it?"

"The jury's still out. That's also when Adam suggested distraction therapy as well to manage the peaks, and the rut last week did seem a bit more tolerable, so I don't know."

"How active have you been? And in what ways? Did you use protection?"

I thought back briefly. "Just once. We timed it during my safe times, after an egg and before the rut. I was the female. Her own safe week is this week, so we're hoping to do it again soon, the other way. We didn't use protection, though I know we should. That's why I'm here. "

"Yes, you should. Aside from pregnancy, you should still keep in mind the risk of STDs. Those buggers may not have figured your biology out yet, but it's bound to happen eventually, and you don't want to be the first."

"That's part of the reason I called you for the appointment. Cardi encouraged me to get ''The Talk'' from an appropriate person."

Doctor Chase laughed. "Well, good on her. As for ''The Talk'', it sounds like you're pretty well informed, so I'll go over the basics and you can ask for more details as needed."

She went to a cupboard and pulled out a box of condoms. "We'll start with the simpler side, your male aspect. Condoms are your best protection. You're still basically human sized and your extra properties don't get in the way that much. Are you familiar with them?"

I nodded and took the offered box. "I got those lessons a long time ago, and the demos with the bananas. And I've used them before."

"Good, I'd suggest you practice alone a few times. Get used to taking it out of the wrapper without damaging it and putting it on just like you're used to. The sheath and shape are a bit different but not enough to prevent them from working. When you're shopping, check for the thicker ones, just to better handle your barbs."

"Gotcha," I said, my ears burning a bit. I set the box next to me and waited as she rummaged in the cupboard for a few more things.

"For your female side, things are trickier. As I implied earlier, we're years from the pill being feasible. Even IUDs are probably a long way away. We suspect they would work for you, but your egg cycle does complicate things. The last thing we want is for you to push the IUD out in an egg and thus lose your protection."

"I'll take your word on that. I don't think I even know what an IUD is."

"An IUD is an Intrauterine device; a small thing we keep in your uterus and it basically stops ovulation. But your eggs complicate matters in there so we aren't even thinking of trialing those yet. Maybe in a year or two when we know better."

"In any case, I'm sure you've got enough on your plate as is. So yeah, as far as female protection goes, chemical means are out, but physical ones are still feasible and relatively low risk. When used properly with condoms, your pregnancy risk is very minimal. It could still happen, but as long as you are careful, you shouldn't get pregnant."

She presented a latex cup-like device to me, but didn't let me take it. "This is a diaphragm. You apply some spermicide to it and insert it in yourself when you expect to have sex, and it should protect you. I'll have to fit you for one, to make sure you get one that fits properly, and then you'll be all set to go. Like condoms, you'll want to practice putting one in and taking it out. As you can imagine, it's a bit trickier to do right, especially with your talons, but it is possible. We've got a device, a plastic stick basically, that you can use to slip it in and out easier, or you can just use your hands."

I flicked my ears nervously, still feeling some embarrassment about the discussion, but listening intently. "Okay, what do you need to do?" I asked.

She set the diaphragm to the side and put on a fresh set of gloves. She rolled over a tray with more silicon rings on them. "I'll put these in, and check the fit on each one, to tell which covers your cervix the best and doesn't feel uncomfortable. You should barely be able to tell it's in there when it fits right."

"Right, do what you need," I said.

She smeared some lube on her fingers and the middle ring. I gulped nervously and looked up again, trying to relax and go back to my zen place. I spread my legs for her and leaned back. Soon enough I felt her push something in and start wiggling it around. I tried to relax but couldn't help but tighten up a little. It didn't feel like my toys but I could tell something was there.

"Just a bit big I'd say. I'm going to try another one," the doctor said, gently tugging on it.

I soon felt her pushing another one in and wiggling it into position. I peeked down and saw her looking closely between my legs, one hand actually ''inside'' of me. It was a bit disconcerting. She pulled her fingers free and felt around my loins, pressing down on my sheath and hips.

"That looks like a better fit. Can you get up and walk around the room a bit? Let me know if you feel anything strange about it."

I pushed myself off the exam table and took a few steps, focusing on the feelings in my vagina. If I focused really hard I could sense ''something'' in there, but I barely noticed it otherwise.

"Do some stretching, flex, crouch, do the splits. It shouldn't move in you," she encouraged me.

I followed her advice and started doing more movements, wiggling my tail and lifting my legs higher than I usually did. When I was done, I hopped back onto the table and spread my legs again.

She crouched before me and slipped a freshly lubed finger in again. I felt her press and wiggle in there. She finally hooked her finger and pulled the device out. "No movement. Excellent. This is your size. We'll want to check your fitting regularly. For humans we normally advise every year. For griffons, we're not sure yet. Since you're laying eggs, we'll probably want to check more often, at least until we learn more. Maybe we'll plan on a fitting check every season to start."

"If that's what it takes. Damn, my body is high maintenance."

She chuckled and nodded, "That it is, especially if you want to short circuit your biology. But it's not really much more than you've already been doing. As we learn more, we can probably stop doing as many tests and exams in the future."

"Thanks, Doctor. I hope that will be the case. So, what do I do with that exactly?"

Doctor Chase handed me the sheet to put over my groin and went to the door. "Give me a moment to get some supplies, and then I'll teach you. I won't be long."

While she was gone, I peeked at the top page of the notepad, but while her handwriting was surprisingly legible, the terms were unknown to me. I looked around the exam room and debated Facebook scrolling. Before I could get to my phone, she came back in. She had a tube of something, a plastic stick with hooks and notches on the end, and a plastic container. She set them on the table next to me, and opened the container, showing a latex device similar to what she'd shown me earlier.

"Right then, this is how to use them. Diaphragms, especially with spermicide, are effective forms of birth control. Not so great at STD protection but still better than nothing. You should still use condoms as well. You can put this in up to six hours or so before you think you might have sex, so you could set it up before the start of your date and be ready if things go well. If it's been awhile you might want to refresh the spermicide before the actual act, but otherwise it should be fine. Just make sure to take it out within twenty four hours."

I nodded slowly, listening intently. She tapped the pamphlet she'd brought in as well. "It's all explained here. Read it when you get a chance, and feel free to call if you have more questions.”

"As for sex itself, you don't need to do anything during the act. Afterwards, wait about six hours or so before you take it out. That will make sure the swimmers are taken care of. If you do multiple rounds, you should squirt in more spermicide before the next round. Just squirt it onto a finger or two and reach in to spread it over the device without taking it out.Any questions?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't think so. Not yet."

"Good. Now let's go over how to put it in. You might want to stand up now, and maybe lift your leg. That's what most griffons have told me is the easiest way. Pick up the stick and the diaphragm, this end up. Pinch it closed and hook it on the end like that."

As she spoke she motioned for me to follow the instructions. I picked up the plastic stick and the latex device, finding the nubs to squeeze, feeling the springiness of the rim of the device. After a few attempts, I managed to get it positioned.

"Now squirt some spermicide onto it. Not too much but enough to coat it thoroughly. Spread it over the diaphragm. Be careful with your talons."

I flipped the top of the tube open and squirted a bit in. I spread the clear gel over it, trying not to think of what I was about to do.

"Now to put it in. Prop a leg up and try to relax. Slide it into your vagina and press it towards your tail as far as it can go. Give it a little twist to remove it from the stick and try to nudge it into place just above your pubic bone. Then pull the stick out."

She watched me expectantly, as I lifted a leg onto a stool. Its purpose was obvious to me now, as it was just high enough to spread my legs without being too uncomfortable. I looked down and hesitated a moment, before reaching down and spreading the lips of my vagina a little. I lined the stick up and slid it in, until I felt it bump into something deep in me. I twisted the stick until the diaphragm was released and tried to nudge it into place.

"Now CAREFULLY, reach in with a finger and check the positioning. Make sure your cervix is covered. Your talons do make this trickier, but once you get used to what it feels like it should become easier."

I pulled the stick free and reached in carefully. I tried to use the back of my talon and finger to tell where it was positioned. I found the hard bony ridge and made sure it was in place, and that my cervix was covered."

"How does it feel?" Doctor Chase asked, putting on another glove.

"I think it feels okay," I said. I stayed still while she leaned close to look and feel inside.

"It looks good. Take a few steps around, get used to it, make sure it feels okay, then we'll practice taking it out."

I followed her advice, doing another lap around the room. I couldn't feel it at all within me. I returned to the stool and put my leg back up, waiting for the next instruction.

"Take the stick and turn it around. You'll want to slip the hook end in, and snag the front of the diaphragm and gently pull it out."

I slid it in and wiggled the stick until I found the device and got it hooked. "This seems like it could be messy," I said as I pulled it out, partly to distract myself.

"A little, but not as much as you'd expect. You shouldn't remove it until hours after the act, so most of the mess should be dried up or otherwise absorbed by then. Of course, if you're using condoms there shouldn't be any swimmers anyways, but multiple layers of defense certainly doesn't hurt."

I put my leg back down and held the items in my hands. She nodded to the sink. "Wash them both in warm soapy water, and dry them carefully. Use a mild soap and that's all you need. Store it in the case, and it should last you a long time."

I washed them carefully and dried them with some paper towels. She handed me the container for me to put it back in.

"Just make sure you inspect it before each use. Hold it up to the light and look for any openings or damage. If it is damaged, don't use it. You can pick up a new one at just about any pharmacy, just use the code on the container to get the right size."

"Thanks, Doctor. It... It's a lot to take in all at once, but I appreciate it. It certainly eases a lot of the worries I've been having."

"Good good. You can get dressed again. We're almost done I think, but I'll send a phlebotomist to get your blood samples, and give you containers for the rest. We can take a urine sample today too if you can supply one."

"That I think I can do. But I'm not sure I could do a semen one," I said, grabbing my shorts and pulling them on. I decided to leave my top off, folding it out and stuffing it into my chest bag. .

She laughed and started packing up my folder. "No worries, we'll wait until next week for that one. If you can."

She got a bag and started filling it with everything she was giving me, including various containers to fill for my next trip out. "So next Thursday should be your heat. When you think you can handle it, come out here and go to the clinic on the second floor. They'll be expecting you any time during the day, between nine to nine. If you can, fill the urine cup when you get out here, or just before you come out. The semen one just get the day of, when or if you can. If you can't, that will be fine.

"The diaphragm and the tool, you know about. The spermicide you can get at any pharmacy in the contraceptive aisle. Condoms you can also get there as well.

"Finally, here are all the pamphlets about everything I talked about, a guide for being a new griffon and your new sex. I know you're already well informed, but go through it anyway, and make sure you're familiar with it."

I took the bag when she offered it to me and started squeezing it into my chest pack. When I was zipped up, I shook her offered hand. "Thank you, Doctor Chase. When do you want to see me again?"

"Let's pencil you in a month from now, just to go over what you've been through, and to make sure everything is going well. Then we can probably schedule the follow up for April and every three months after that. I know you said you have no intention to get pregnant, but if you do think you are, call immediately and we can do some tests to confirm it, and give you advice on that."

"I ''really'' hope it doesn't come to that. I may be becoming more active, but that's a grenade pin I really don't want to pull."

"Right, understandable, but nothing is perfect. That said, even with protection, I would suggest not having sex with someone when you or they are on their peaks, just to be safe. Those tend to be when you guys are the most... unrestrained, and likely the most fertile, so it's best to err on the side of caution," she explained, choosing her words carefully.

"Yeah, good idea. I'm certainly not intending to do anything like that."

She handed me a cup. "There's a bathroom just outside, on the right if you can fill this. I know it can be tricky but it is doable. When you're done, come out, and go to the desk you passed on the way in. Joanne will be ready for you to take a blood sample."

"Thanks again, Doctor. I appreciate you taking me on, and teaching me so much."

"Happy to help. Future appointments won't be this long of course. Have a good evening, make sure you practice, and have fun. I'll see you next time."

We left the exam room, and I spotted the bathroom. The rest of my visit was uneventful, the blood draw happening surprisingly easily. The phlebotomist clearly had a lot of experience with griffons.

I stepped out of the elevator, my head spinning with all the information I'd been given, and my chest pack heavy with my new supplies. I paused in the lobby, glancing at the Shoppers, and decided I might as well finish the list while I was there. No one gave me a second look as I entered the store and found the 'family planning' aisle. I took my time looking it all over, both the male and female supplies, mainly familiarizing myself with what I might need to get. Doctor Chase had given me both the box of condoms and the diaphragm, but I still needed to find the spermicide. I picked a tube and scanned the shelves a final time, before deciding I'd reached my information limit for the day.

I grabbed a drink and snack as well, paid and stepped outside. It was late in the afternoon now, and traffic was picking up as the downtown core emptied out. I took off and landed on the roof of the medical building to have my snack and just watch the city end its day. The roof itself had a landing area for griffons marked out, but no building access. When I was done, I stowed my trash in my pack and headed home.

===Friday, January 26===

On Friday afternoon, Greg called me down to have a chat. We often had informal chats at the end of the week, just to unwind a bit, review what was going on, identify any rough spots and figure out what we needed to do. This time, I could tell there was something different, though I couldn't tell what.

Purely by coincidence with the layout of our floors, Greg's office was almost directly below my own. So the view from his windows was basically identical to the one I was used to from mine. If our windows could open, I could literally have jumped out and dropped down to see him. Instead, I had to take the stairs and weave my way through the C-suite halls to his office. His door was open, and I could see him looking out the windows, his back to me. Our usual pair of end of week beers from a random local brewery were on his desk.

"Hey Greg, how's it going?" I asked, flicking my tail feathers clear of the doorway before using my wing to tap the door shut.

"Afternoon, Simon. It's going good," he said, turning back to face me. He walked around his desk and sat down in a comfortable chair.

I grabbed the bottles and settled down on the padded bench he'd added to his office after I'd returned. I popped the tops off, and handed him a bottle while studying the beer.

"PickAxe brewery? I've heard good things about them," I said.

"Yeah, they're from up in Fort Mac. Jimmy brought back a case when he was up last week," Greg said.

We sipped the beers and talked about the flavours for a bit. Contrasting griffon tastes to human tastes had become one of our ice breakers.

By the time the beers were gone, we'd moved on to company business and had mostly wrapped up our weekly debriefings. I could tell Greg still had one topic on his mind.

"So, we're making plans for the spring and summer travel seasons, trying to figure out who to send where," Greg said, finally getting to his main point.

"How are things looking? Get many takers for the territories?" I asked. I suspected I knew what he was getting at.

"Too many it seems. We'll have our choice to send up north, and out east."

"But how about down south?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Calgary, Lethbridge, even Hat, we're good.... But, there's some reluctance for the other areas. Which is a challenge because our ad campaign is drawing more interest from there too. We've got a few potential customers making inquiries."

"Understandable. So far lightning hasn't struck twice but we just don't know. So you want to get me back on the road?"

Greg nodded and took a sip of his beer. "Not right away. But yes, we want to make you more mobile. Not just to cover the griffon territory, but to use you for other roles in the field."

I smirked a bit, flicking my tail. "There's a tradeshow you want me at?"

"Possibly. We're not sure yet. And we're not sure how mobile you are."

"And therein lies the rub," I said. I thought it over for a moment. "Well, gear isn't an issue; we can always FedEx it to wherever we need ahead of time. But for me personally, yeah. If the weather is decent and I have enough time, I can fly almost anywhere in the province within a day or three I think. But that would eat up a lot of time.

"They're working out some better ways to give us some griffon public transit. I think they're hoping to have a semi-regular schedule from Calgary to Hat and down to Parker and Billings. The Edmonton line is only running weekly, so I might as well fly."

"What if we hired someone to drive you? Get you in the general area quick and you could fly from there?" Greg suggested.

I shuddered and grimaced. "If we're really in a pinch, I guess we could do that. But I'd really rather not. Most vehicles are not made for griffons. Riding in a van to get back here last fall was one thing. To do it regularly, is not something I'd look forward to."

"Right, so what do you propose we do?" Greg asked.

"Try to schedule around the limitations," I said while an idea nagged at the back of my mind. "And maybe give me until the spring, once the weather warms up. There might be a few more options then."

"Other options? LIke what?" Greg asked.

I shrugged my wings. "I'm not sure. I've been hearing things, but I need to do some research. I don't want to get your hopes up yet. But one way or another, I'll figure out how to get down to our griffon customers."

Greg got up and retrieved another pair of bottles. "We can work with that. I'll make up the list and keep seeing if we can find any more volunteers to cover it. One of the issues of course, is since you're the beak of the company, we've actually seen a spike in interest down there, so we need more down there than we normally would."

"Enough to hire a local griffon?" I suggested. I'd been hinting at wanting another beak or two in the company almost since I got back.

"Possibly. We'll certainly consider it if the right resume shows up."

We chatted a bit longer about some work matters, before wrapping up the week. I grabbed my gear from my office and took off for home, a bit of leftover sunlight guiding me. Griffon transportation options were at the forefront of my mind. Flying was fine for moving around within the city, but for going somewhere more than a hundred kilometers away, it was less useful. While we were technically bipedal, fitting into human seats on buses, planes and trains wasn't feasible; our wings and especially our tails got in the way.. Some companies had started offering bus services for griffons, but they mainly went from Calgary to Medicine Hat and around the griffon towns. Edmonton had a run a couple times a week, but the timing wasn't really good for business purposes.

What I had in mind was something that had gained interest before the snow fell. There was one method of travel that we could handle with very few modifications. The main challenge was getting appropriate safety equipment, something that the early adopters were just ignoring.

When I got home, I started looking up motorcycle licenses. Most bikes you rode laid back, which wasn't good for us. But there were a lot of motorbikes that you rode leaning forward. It left plenty of room for our wings and tails.

I quickly discovered I wasn't the first to go down this path. There was a long list of "Griffon compatible" bikes and trikes on various griffon reddits, along with their pros and cons. The main holdup was a certified griffon-helmet, but a couple of manufacturers were supposedly in the final stages of designing one; they'd been working on Titan compatible helmets and had pivoted when griffons came out. I bookmarked a few threads and bike models to look into later, along with some notes on how to get a license and learn to ride a bike. Before last fall, the idea of riding a motorbike had been far from my mind. The closest I'd ever come was when I had ridden a friend's skidoo as a teen, and promptly ran it into a sapling. There had been no damage but I'd been content to restrict my driving to four wheeled vehicles. Now, riding a motor bike or a similar vehicle was certainly appealing.

===Saturday, Jan 27===

I should have realized sleeping in on this particular weekend would be a lost cause. Shortly after eight, my phone was buzzing for attention. I tried to ignore it, but as soon as the buzzing stopped, it started again. I grabbed it from the bedside table and answered.

"Good morning, sleepy head. Happy birthday!" Mom cheerfully greeted me.

I groaned and sighed. "Morning mom. Thanks. You forgot the timezones again."

"What? No I didn't. I waited to call. It's almost noon after all."

I double checked the time to verify it. "It's just after eight on a Saturday morning, mom," I corrected her. I didn't bother pointing out that her 'almost noon' was actually just after ten, her time. I slide off my bed and stretched out a bit, shaking out the sleepiness.

"Oh right. I'm sorry. Happy Birthday anyways. Do you have any plans for today?"

"I don't know. Nothing much," I said, lying a little. I did have one big thing planned, but it wasn't birthday related and certainly not something to be shared with a parent. "We've got a griffon gathering today. Just a hangout session out on the river, since the cold broke."

"I see. Well, you should do something for yourself at least. Especially after the year you've had. It's a new beginning after all."

"I know, I know. I'm basically turning thirty again I guess. Or whatever they guess our ages were reset to."

"Make sure you do something in any case," Mom said.

"Of course. Love you."

"Love you too."

I hung up and sighed. I was too awake now to go back to sleep so I headed to the washroom to get ready for the day. Through the rest of the morning, a few more birthday greetings trickled in. Most were automated birthday 'greetings' from business loyalty programs, usually combined with birthday coupons. Bev and a few cousins and friends gave me birthday greetings on Facebook, but Facebook itself was relatively quiet; I made sure most of my settings were private so it didn't trumpet my day to the world.

Shortly after lunch, I began to pack up my gear for the day. The griffon weekend events were slowing down, but we were trying to have one every other week at least. This week we were gathering at the Kinsmen Park on the other side of the river from the Legislature. It was just a picnic and hangout session, since the cold had mostly broken.

I hesitated in my bedroom, looking at the closed container on my dresser. As I'd hinted to mom, I had other plans for later in the evening. Cardi's egg had been earlier in the week, and we were both eager for the chance to 'return the favour' from a few weeks before. I wasn't sure if it actually helped control the heats and ruts, but it certainly didn't hurt.

Since it was Cardi's safe week, I probably didn't need to bring everything. On the other hand, I knew she'd been a little disappointed that we hadn't been fully prepared last time. It certainly wouldn't hurt to be properly prepared, just in case.

My heart pounding a bit with a mix of nervousness and embarrassment, I dropped my shorts and retrieved the diaphragm. I'd practiced it a few times since getting it, wearing it for a few hours in the evening, but this would be the first time I might actually need it. I applied the spermicide as instructed and tried to relax, propping a paw up on a stool to slip it in. The process was almost anticlimactic when it was done. I crouched and stretched a bit to make sure it was in position, and couldn't really feel it.

I added the tube of spermicide and a few packs of condoms into my go bag, and got dressed again. I was almost out the door when my phone chirped with a message from Cardi.

''Sky. Do you have a few moments to review some GSL videos with me? I'm at home.''

I stared at the message in confusion. The request in itself wasn't that strange. We'd been going cross-eyed reviewing GSL videos to get the ideal angles to pick signs for the app. But doing it now of all times felt strange. Especially since we'd be meeting up afterwards for dinner and more.

Realization dawned on me as I finished the train of thought and I beak palmed. After the gathering, our thoughts would be shifting to different subjects. We certainly would not be in a good headspace to be analysing videos. Doing it now would give us enough separation to hopefully do the job well.

I locked up and took off, heading right to her tower. A short time later, I landed on her balcony and tapped on the glass patio door.

"Hey Sky, come on in," she called from the kitchen.

I slid it open and made my way in. Her place was a bit messier than usual, but not unusually so. She was in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher. I admired her red plumage from the living room.

"Sorry for the short notice. The team found a few new vids and sent them to me last night to review. I was going to wait until later, but realized tomorrow might not be the best time to do that," she said. She seemed a bit distracted as she told her story.

"It did catch me a bit by surprise. Really I don't think the teams stuck on us. We could probably have held off until Monday or next week sometime," I said. I made my way to her dining room table where her tablet was set up.

"True. I just don't like putting things off, not when we can finish it now," she said. She tapped a quick message on her phone before turning the screen off. "As is, waiting almost a full week for tonight has been torture."

My wings and tail lowered a bit, and my ears pressed back, griffon signs of submission and embarrassment. "Sorry to make you wait. I've been as eager for this as I'm sure you've been. But I also wanted to be fully prepared with it, and I didn't see Doctor Chase until Wednesday...."

She came up behind me and nuzzled me, hands going over my shoulders and cupping my breasts. I felt a surge in my loins and a strong desire to skip the day's gathering. "I'm sure you have, and I'm glad you waited. Why don't we get started."

It took me a moment to remember what she wanted to do. She let go of me and sat on the bench next to me, a wing rubbing against my own. She retrieved the tablet and brought up a few of the videos.

Almost immediately I could tell something was off. There were a few new videos, but many were ones we'd already gone over and reviewed. And the few new ones that were available, didn't really add anything. The GSL app was a struggle as we tried to better define what it was going to do, but nothing we were going over now would change it much. At the same time, Cardi seemed extra distracted, often checking her phone when she thought I wasn't looking. I might have chalked it up to pre-rut nerves, but it felt different.

Before I could call her out on it, she got a new message and seemed to relax. She didn't say anything in particular, but when we finished the latest video, she turned the tablet off.

"That's enough for today," she announced. "We've got a - gathering to get to after all."

I noticed the curious hiccup, but couldn't call her on it. She all but shoved me out the patio door and followed me soon after. We flew north, using the legislature and the river as our guide.

The number of griffons in the sky made it easy to spot our gathering. Many were throwing balls back and forth and just doing some impromptu skyball practice. Excitement was high for the launch of the league. Down below, there seemed to be more humans around than I was used to. We had a lot of allies, but random folk had trailed off as the temperature dropped. There were a number of heat stations set up, along with a lot of cars and trucks in the parking lot. I recognized Michelle's blue feathers talking with her cousin near the middle of the crowd.

We waved to friends and came in directly, picking a clear spot near some concrete picnic tables that had been cleared. A suspicious feeling began to form in the back of my mind as I took in the crowd below but the pieces didn't quite click into place in time.

The moment my paws touched the icy concrete, Rob and Juanita popped up from behind a few griffons, rolling out a ''Happy Birthday'' banner. "SURPRISE! Happy Birthday Sky!" the crowd shouted.

I wordlessly waved my thanks, taking in the crowd more. I recognized Greg and a few coworkers now, as well as Ryan and some of my PoGo crew. "Thanks everyone, good to see you all," I called out, acknowledging the group. It was strange to see three aspects of my life colliding like this, but not too surprising.

Cardi followed me to the table, where someone had brought out a slab birthday cake. It had white icing with red and orange highlights, and a black and red ''Happy Birthday Skyfire!'' on it. A cartoon griffon was on it next to the lit candles. The crowd gathered around me and started singing while I stood in front of the cake, trying to ignore the pictures being taken, and Brian filming the event from the side.

"Make a wish," Cardi said when the singing thankfully ended.

I froze for a moment, trying to think of something and drawing a blank. Feeling all the people waiting on me, I ended up just wishing that the year to come would be calmer than the year past. I took a breath and blew, not sure how it would work with a beak instead of lips. Thankfully they were just using a "3" and "0" candle. It wasn't my real age, but no one was all that sure what our real ages were any more. The flames flickered and went out.

I made the first cuts into the cake and passed out a few slices before Michelle and Rob took over. I retreated a bit, getting more congratulations along the way. I caught Cardi's eye and flicked my wing in a ''come here'' motion. She guiltily came over.

"So who blabbed?" I asked. "And whose idea was it?"

"It was Michelle's," Cardi said quickly. "Though maybe it was Rob too. I'm not sure. They just needed me to stall you for a bit so they could get everyone together and set things up."

"I knew something was up. I should've realized it," I grumbled.

"Are you mad?" Cardi asked, looking worried, especially for her role in the deception. It made me realize how new our friendship was.

"No, not at all. I don't really publicize my birthday, but I don't mind the surprise. Most of the time I just leech a few free dinners around town and call it a day."

She relaxed and looked a bit relieved. "Oh good. I worried I'd messed up there for a moment."

I gave her a quick hug and nuzzle. "Not at all. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I hope you don't feel bad, but I didn't get you a gift."

I giggled softly. "You didn't? Did you forget our plans for tonight?"

She eeped and pushed me away gently. I chuckled and moved back to the crowd to mingle. Thankfully most of the guests didn't have gifts either. Only my closest friends slipped me cards when we had a private moment together. Everyone else, I assured them that all I wanted was their company. Thermoses of hot chocolate and coffee and tea were provided, along with hotdogs cooked on skewers over the propane heaters. It was obviously a party thrown together at the last minute, but no one minded. Everyone had fun and that was the important thing.

The cold chased most of the humans away within an hour, and the gathering shifted to a more normal griffon gathering, with us mainly hanging out, chatting and seeing how people were doing. I wasn't sure if I was just becoming more aware of it, but the number of pregnant griffons seemed to get higher every time we gathered. I hoped it wasn't a sign of things to come for all of us.

I was snagging a final piece of cake on the ground when Cardi found me. She glanced around to make sure we were alone, though it wasn't really needed. I was pretty sure most of our friends suspected something by now.

"I'm going to head out now. I've got a few more things to take care of today. Catch you later tonight? Say around six for dinner?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then."

"Right. Anything in particular you want for dinner? I'm not that great a cook, so it would be DoorDashed. And don't make me pick; it's your birthday."

I laughed a bit. "Fine, fine. Thai would be good. Beef with extra spice."

"Perfect. See you then."

I waved and watched her take off, circling over the group before heading southward.

I hung out for a bit longer before deciding to take my own leave. I accepted a few more birthday wishes and said my farewells before taking off. As I climbed up out of the valley, I tried to decide what to do next. Flying home and waiting didn't really feel right. I looked towards downtown and made my decision. I headed for the ICE district where the NHL arena was. They still weren't allowing griffons into the arena itself, but we were very welcomed in the side businesses, especially the casino. It wasn't my preferred spot, but it was one of the handiest.

Griffons weren't very common at the casinos, but we weren't exactly uncommon either. I'd visited most of the ones around Edmonton at least once since September, a few more than once. The one in Rogers Place was surprisingly busy for a Saturday afternoon; I realized later there was a game scheduled for the evening.

I withdrew some cash and headed for the tables, feeling all the eyes focused on me as I went. The Blackjack tables were busy, so I had to wait for a few hands before a spot opened up in the middle of the table. A pit boss saw me step up to the table and retrieved a stool for me while the dealer changed my cash into chips. The players around me seemed a bit nervous, visibly sliding further away from me. I kept my wings and tail in as tight as I could to stay out of the way.

The first few hands were uneventful, but helped relax the crowd, when it was clear I knew how to play about as well as they did. The pit boss came back with my playercard and a couple of slips of paper.

"Welcome back, Simon. And Happy Birthday," she greeted me, handing the card back. "Here are some match bets to celebrate."

Hearing my old name from a stranger made me pause. My old friends and family tended to call me Simon, but almost everyone else knew me as Skyfire. "Thanks. And you can call me Skyfire, or Sky. I haven't gotten around to updating my card yet," I corrected her. It gave me a strange feeling, but felt more correct now.

"I'm sorry. I can update your account if you want?" she offered.

"If it's not too much trouble." I handed back my card to her and refocused on the game.

I was used to drawing a crowd when I played; people were just fascinated by us. So the table was surrounded by spectators, curious with how I handled the chips or carefully tapped the felt to signal for cards. When I got a good hand, I tended to get excited and spread my wings or tail a bit without realizing it, which always caught my neighbours by surprise when they were bumped by limbs they weren't expecting. On the really good hands, I'd often let out a happy screech that would turn all eyes towards me. I generally didn't care.

By five thirty, I was up by a hundred and decided that was enough. It was tempting to stay longer, but the table was cooling off, and I had to get to Cardi's place. I cashed in the chips and headed out. I found a bank nearby to deposit the cash, then took off.

For the second time that day, I found myself landing on her balcony and knocking on the glass door. I slid it open in response to her greeting and walked in. She'd been busy in the afternoon. The apartment had been cleaned up and everything put away. The table was set with some lit candles, but no food yet. Soft music was playing on her music system. The occupant was nowhere in sight.

"Cardi?" I called out, looking towards her bedroom while closing the door behind me.

The bedroom door opened, revealing the cardinal-tiger griffon. All she wore were her dark shorts, and she'd obviously been preening almost as much as she had been cleaning. She leaned against the doorframe and took me in.

"Happy birthday. I hope your day has been going well so far," she said, flicking her ears.

I chirrred softly and nodded, "It's been very pleasant. And feels like it's about to get better."

She giggled and stepped into the room, walking slowly up to me. I took in the sway of her hips and her breasts, the slightly extended wings and flared tail, and felt my body reacting, my pulse quickening, my nipples hardening and my cock beginning to swell in my own shorts. I almost wished I wasn't going commando.

She stopped in front of me and stroked the side of my face. I returned the gesture and we just silently watched each other for a moment. Finally she broke the gaze and went to the kitchen. "DoorDash should be here any minute now with dinner."

"Good, I'm starving. Picnic hotdogs are an okay lunch but not all that filling."

"True, and we are planning for an energetic evening." She retrieved a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.

I blushed under my feathers and led the way to the bench-couch, where we sat, face to face. She popped the cork on the bottle and poured out a couple of glasses.

"So, you had an appointment with Doctor Chase?" she asked.

"A couple of days ago, yeah. She managed to fit me into her schedule. And to schedule me for a weekly vampire visit for the next little while."

"I thought she would. Your peaks are some of the hardest I've heard among us. Speaking of which, how was the rut? Did Amy's advice help?"

I sipped the wine a bit and nodded, "I think? Adam's advice might have been more useful. And your advice. The liners certainly made things less raw in the end."

"Good, good." She sipped her own wine before going on. "Did she go over anything else with you?"

I laughed, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spreading through me. "We went over ''everything''. And she got me all geared up and then some. I've also been practicing a bit, but, well, tonight will be the first test of course."

"Of course it will. I'm looking forward to it." She glanced down at me. "Did you bring everything?"

I reflexively tightened my groin, feeling a hint of the diaphragm in there. "Yeah, I brought it all. Put it in before I left home..." I suddenly remembered the instructions for the device and beak palmed. "Crap, I put it in way too early."

She giggled and squeezed my thigh. "That's okay. You can check it before we do anything, and add more spermicide.... If you want to do it that way. My rut is tomorrow after all, and you're probably just coming online, fertility wise."

I hadn't really thought about it fully like that. It might have been the wine affecting me, but I chased my doubts away. "We'll see how the night goes. But if we both use protection, I'm willing to risk it."

"Sure...." We were interrupted by the buzz from her building's door system. She got up to let the delivery driver in, and a few minutes later he was at her door. He did a double take, seeing the two griffons, but recovered quickly.

Over the next few minutes we unpacked the food and spread it out on actual plates. We set up the table and took our positions at opposite ends. I snapped apart the pair of disposable chopsticks while she made use of a fork.

"I'm still amazed you can actually use those," she said as we dug in.

I laughed and clicked the sticks together. "It's a bit trickier with the talons, but it isn't too bad."

"If you say so. I couldn't even use them without talons."

"Do you want to learn? I could try to teach you," I offered.

She flicked her ears and smirked. "Maybe next time."

We chit chatted through the dinner, staying on neutral topics for the most part, though she did pry a bit more into my usual birthday habits. All in all, it was a more relaxed session than last time. Admittedly, I was in a better headspace this time, now that I more or less knew what to expect.

After cleaning up the dinner plates, we retreated to her couch-bench with the wine. Part of me wanted to chase her right to bed, but I kept him in check, content to relax with a friend. Neither of us worked the next day, so we were in no rush. She turned on the TV and picked some disaster B-Movie on Netflix; something about black portals appearing all over the place and luring people to the other side.

"I hear Hollywood is trying to make a Change movie," she noted after a while.

"Only ''A'' movie?" I asked incredulously.

She laughed and cuddled against me, a hand rubbing my breast. "Ok, I'm sure there's more than one. They're just trying to figure out how best to show the results."

I nuzzled back and nodded. "Yeah, Titans and Griffons aren't exactly budget friendly. Maybe they should make dwarves or elves or orcs or something."

"I'd assume they'd hire actual Griffons and Titans, at least for the after scenes. Only CG they'd need would be for the change. And maybe for their main character. Unless they decided to do a custom race, then maybe they'd use those."

She paused and considered it a bit more. "Do you think those races might actually be possible?"

I rubbed her back a bit, rubbing at the base of her tail. "Who knows? Until last year, none of this was possible. So maybe we will get Elves or Aliens or something this year."

She chirred happily and pressed harder against me. "Yeah, I guess those could be possible. Wonder if they would be herms too?"

"Chances seem good for that. Seems to be a theme so far. I wonder when it would happen next?"

"In March of course, that's when the Titans happened. So I guess we have two more months to wait."

We gave up on the movie and switched to a different one, a post-AI war movie where they were chasing down the rogue AI using mechas that linked with their pilots. It was much more watchable than the first one. We cuddled while watching it, enjoying the cheesiness while finishing off the wine. By the time it was over, I was a quivering bundle of excited nerves, and I suspected Cardi was in a similar state. In hindsight we probably shouldn't have waited so close to her rut, but we were ready now.

I cleaned up the bottles and glasses while she turned off the tv and lights. I hung up the dish towel on a rack in front of the sink and watched her make a ''come hither'' motion from her bedroom. I retrieved my bag, and killed the kitchen lights and followed her in.

Her bedroom was fairly basic. A queen sized bed with some well worn blankets and pillows, suitable for nesting. It had two bedside tables with lamps, both on at the moment. The closet was closed. There was a padded bench at the foot of the bed, perfect for sitting on, pulled out just far enough to accommodate the tail. A six drawer dresser also had a large mirror. The top of the dresser was pretty clear, with her phone and flight gear, and a few other miscellaneous items. It lacked the array of perfumes, makeups and other items common for a woman. There was a small jewelry box that was closed. I couldn't remember her wearing any jewelry since I met her.

"So how are you feeling?" she asked as she unbuttoned her shorts. She wiggled her hips and fluttered her tail as she let them drop.

"Better than last time. A lot better prepared," I said. I unzipped my bag and took out a few condoms. "And yes, I've practiced a bit."

"Good, I hoped you were ready. I know it's my safe time, but I prefer to use protection anyway, just to be safe." She retrieved a familiar container from the side table. She propped a leg on the bench and started rubbing herself a little before slipping her own diaphragm in. It made my pulse quicken. I unbuttoned my own pants and dropped them, showing my own shaft already aroused.

"It's a good idea, especially to get used to. And in case we want to do more."

She licked her beak, looking down at me. After a moment, she tossed the tube of spermicide my way. "Speaking of which, you said you've been ready all day. You should probably refresh your protection, before we get too busy."

I blushed and pressed my ears back a bit, knowing she was right. She moved to the side on the bench and I joined her, smearing a fresh amount over my own protection while being well aware of her closeness. She watched me and I could see she was hardening as well.

When I was done, she reached over and stroked my own hard member, her talon going up against the barbs. I shuddered in pleasure.

"So are you ready?" she asked.

"More than ready," I confirmed.

She pinched one of my nipples and giggled, retreating to the bed. She turned off one of the lamps, and hopped into bed, rolling over onto her back while watching me. Her wings squirmed a bit, adjusting the pillows and blankets to support her.

I motioned to the other lamp and she shook her head. I took a couple of condoms and climbed onto the bed next to her. I rolled over on top of her, straddling her legs and looking up at her. She watched me, chirring softly in anticipation.

I started by rubbing her legs a bit, digging my talons into her thick striped fur. I could see she was as aroused as I was, her cock swollen, but also her vulva quivering. When I got closer, I stroked over her opening, eyes watching her as she quivered. I stroked over her shaft as well and paused, leaning back and grabbing the condom. Putting one on with talons was trickier, but not impossible thankfully.

Once I was 'dressed', I continued exploring Cardi. We'd explored each other the last time, so it was familiar territory. At the same time, there was something different I couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was because I was in the guy role this time and more in the driver's seat. Cardi did her own part as well. As I worked up her body, she started rubbing my head, scratching my ears and brushing my feathers. Her paws rubbed against my legs as well. I nipped at her breasts once I got up there, making her gasp happily.

Soon enough we were rubbing beaks. Her hands squeezed my own breasts, pinching my nipples and making them harder. I fluttered my wings a bit and adjusted a bit, my hard cock rubbing against hers with only the latex of the condom between us.

"You ready?" I gasped out, realizing I might not be able to hold back as long as she had. I hadn't had that much practice, even before becoming a griffon.

"Of course, as soon as you are," she replied, nuzzling back.

I slid back a little and double checked the condom and lined up between her legs. I held there for a moment, holding just at her entrance. It almost tipped me over without doing anything. I teased her nipples a bit more from that position before bracing myself over her. I pushed in hard, feeling her tunnel open for me. I felt her squeeze down tightly on my cock, but it was moist enough for me to slide in easily. I pulled back and had my first real experience of the barbs; even with the condom, they still caused a flare of pleasure with my movements. It nearly made me cum right away.

"Fuck!" I gasped out, clamping down hard to hold back, panting hard. I held my position, not sure I could hold back if I pushed back in.

Cardi giggled and reached up and stroked my own breast, pinching a nipple. "Incredible isn't it? It caught me by surprise my first time too."

"I've done this before... Hell! I've been doing this manually for months now. But this... fuck."

"Well, don't stop!"

In response I pushed back in again. Knowing what to expect, it was a little easier to hold back, but only just. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back for long, but I was determined to hold as long as I could. It was a battle of wills between us, and I'm pretty sure I lost first. I pushed in hard and felt my cock spasm. I let out a happy screech, a sound a human could never make. The cardinal griffon shuddered under me.

We held our positions for a long moment, just savouring the feelings. I nuzzled and licked her beak gently while feeling her squeezing on my hard cock. She stroked my sides and nuzzled back. "So was it worth it?" she asked.

"Fuck yes. Damn, I forgot, what about your neighbours?"

She giggled and kept rubbing. "Thankfully, we have really thick walls here. I mean, I've heard their activities, but only just. Human hearing won't hear a thing."

"I hope so." I reluctantly pulled out slowly, shivering a bit. I glanced and was relieved to see the condom was intact. I pulled it off and set it to the side.

"Of course, since you are properly prepared, you can find the real fun of being a griffon now," Cardi said. She was rubbing my sides, getting lower. Suddenly, her hands stroked over my shaft, then below it, finding my pussy and making me realize how wet I was.

"Now, it's my turn," she giggled. I lifted myself off of her enough to let her grab the other condom. It was obvious she was used to using them as she slipped it on her own member.

We wiggled a bit, adjusting our positions though I was still on top. I had a strange dual feeling of being tired, but also eager to get more. Soon enough she was positioned against me. I slid onto her, feeling her covered shaft enter me. It felt a little different from before, but just as much fun. I squeezed onto it and rocked. It didn't take long for us to tip over again, and she made sure I felt the pleasure of the female climax again. I was sure the screeches we made could be heard across the entire building.

Once I could, I pulled free and rolled onto my side, panting hard. My body was quivering with pleasure. "Fuck," I gasped out. "Just.... wow."

She cuddled me and nodded. "Yeah, it's something isn't it? And the Titans have even more. I can't imagine what they've got."

"They've got their pouch stuff too. I think this is plenty enough for me," I said. Weariness was starting to spread as I came down from the double high.

She took her own condom off and retrieved mine, leaving them on the table for later. "Nice thing with protection, it's a lot less messy.... Mostly."

I glanced down at my groin. My fur was wet and sticky in places. The last time had been a lot messier, but this wasn't entirely clean. "Yeah, I guess it can wait until morning."

"Since we used condoms, we could take the diaphragms out now. But it's good practice to wait until morning, just in case. Sex is messy after all. Best to get into good practices early."

I nodded and cuddled with her. My energy levels were dropping fast. Finally, I reached back and killed the other lamp, plunging the bedroom into darkness, lit only by the city glow coming in the shaded window.

"Night Sky. Thanks," Cardi whispered.

I leaned closer to her and nuzzled. "Night Cardi. And Thank you."

===Sunday , Jan 28===

Movement next to me woke me up. I opened my eyes in an unfamiliar bed, with the unusual sensation of someone next to me. My heart began to pound and I got nervous, until my mind clicked into gear and I remembered where I was. I blinked and got Cardi into focus. She was still fast asleep. The room was dark with a hint of dawn. I looked around but couldn't find a clock.

I tried to get back to sleep, but now that I was awake, sleep eluded me. My body was still tingling a bit with left over feelings from the night before, mainly a combination of memories and a bit of morning wood.

Next to me, the red griffon twitched a bit, still deep in sleep. I reached over and stroked her face a bit. She chired softly in her sleep and settled deeper into sleep. Looking her over, I realized her cock was fully erect again even while she was asleep; more than just morning wood. I stared at it in the dimly lit room, feeling my own loins begin to moisten. Something nagged at the back of my mind and I stayed still, trying to bring it back.

"Fuck, the rut," I mumbled under my breath. Today was her Rut. I stared at her, realizing this was the first time I'd seen another griffon during her peak. I found myself watching her closely as she subconsciously handled the rut. She twitched in her sleep and grunted softly. I yearned to stroke her shaft, to help her get a bit of relief, but it didn't feel right to do. If I was honest with myself, I wanted to climb onto that cock and ride it all morning.

She spasmed on the bed next to me and cum shot out, hitting my belly fur and breasts. Cardi sighed happily and settled back into a deeper sleep. I looked down at the mess and sighed softly as well. "I guess I deserved that," I mumbled.

I carefully slipped off the bed, trying not to disturb the other griffon. I yawned and stretched silently. Cardi slept on; and I felt a pang of jealousy. I padded out of the bedroom and started cleaning up. I also pulled out the diaphragm and washed it off. After four months I was finally getting somewhat comfortable with the idea of having things inside me.

When I left the bathroom, I saw a sleepy cardinal griffon standing in the bedroom doorway. She rubbed a breast with one hand, her cock still hard.

"Mornin'. Did I wake you?" I asked, trying not to look down. I knew she was in her rut and it seemed to be causing a reaction in me.

"No, not really. I think you know what woke me," she replied. She sighed softly and forced her hands to her sides. "Waking up is usually the worst. Takes me time to wrangle things under control."

I indicated the wet fur on my front, "I could tell. You've already gone off once."

"Oh?... Fuck. I'm sorry."

I giggled and waved my wing dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It was partly my fault. I saw it com- I saw what was going on and didn't get out of the way. Honestly I was sorely tempted to help it along. But that didn't feel right."

Her hands twitched, obviously yearning to do something, but being fought. She considered what I just said and nodded. "Thank you for the consideration. I'm not used to someone being around for this, especially not waking up with them."

"It's new for both of us. I do sort've hope we might have more opportunities."

She nodded and flicked her ears. "So do I. But that said, I give you permission to help me out in the future, at least manually."

I gulped and nodded, "Thank you. And if we find ourselves in the other direction, you have the same permission. And just to warn you, it was tempting to jump you in another way. Not quite a heat, but the urges were there."

I slipped past her and retreated to the kitchen. After a bit of searching, I got some coffee brewing and toast toasting. I munched on a banana while waiting for her to get out of the bathroom.

When she came out, she was obviously a bit more composed, her hardon partly relaxed. I offered a mug of coffee and otherwise kept away.

"How are you feeling?"

She shrugged her wings and sipped the cooled coffee. "A bit better. I'm still feeling it. Gods, I want to jump you and ravage you on the table. But I've got it contained."

I nodded in agreement. "Honestly, part of me wouldn't say no to that idea. And I'm not even on the heat. Should I leave?"

She took a deep breath and considered it. "No, not yet. Unless you want to, or need to."

"I'm good. I'll have to go home soon but not right away. But as tempting as it is, we should probably avoid a Round Two... or would it be Round three? Round four?"

She giggled and nodded in agreement. I decided that decreasing the temptation would help. I returned to the bedroom and pulled my shorts back on. She got dressed after I did, and we lingered over breakfast, talking about a variety of things. We even did some more video reviews, but it was obvious that Cardi's attention wasn't on topic. I was impressed that she seemed to be easily resisting the urges. I also noticed that while her breasts were swollen, she wasn't leaking. All in all, it made me a bit jealous.

By lunch time, I could tell the strain was getting to her. It was getting to me as well. It was one thing to have things to do and to be interacting with new people steadily, like her job entailed. Obviously when you were with another griffon most of the time, and didn't have as many distractions handy, it was harder, even for the easier peaks.

Around noon, I stopped the latest video and started gathering my stuff. "I'd love to stay longer, but I have a long list of chores I need to do back home today," I said as an excuse.

Cardi seemed more than a little relieved by my escape. "Of course. Thank you for the company," she said, starting to straighten up the room.

"Thank you for everything," I replied. I strapped on my gear and pack and got close to her. We hugged briefly and rubbed beaks. "I'm honestly looking forward to the next time."

She giggled and nodded. "So am I. And it's not just the rut talking."

We went to the patio door and I stepped out. It was chilly but sunny out, and the cold air was refreshing. I stretched my wings and climbed over the railing. We rubbed beaks a final time before I fell off backwards, flipping over in mid air and headed home.

===Wednesday, January 31===

Long range mobility had been high in my mind since Greg and I talked on Friday. I'd heard some griffons had picked up bikes and motorbikes before winter set in, to varying degrees of success. Helmets and other protective gear were our main problem; our heads just didn't fit the normal ones. Four months later, some companies were starting to offer some custom made helmets. Some of the work had been started for the Titans, but when the Griffons happened, they pivoted. Feeling ambitious, I placed an order for a griffon helmet and some other gear. With the backlog, it wouldn't be in for a few months, but at least I was on the list.

The next challenge to tackle was the legal one. I'd never been interested in a motorbike before, so I just had a Class 5 license for regular vehicles. Motorbikes needed a Class 6. Getting one wasn't too difficult, if you had a Class 5 to start from.... but I'd given mine up a few months ago for an identification card; a card that wasn't completely correct but at least had my griffon picture on it, and my sex listed as "X". Now I would have to convince them to give me back my old license even though I couldn't drive most Class 5 vehicles.

On Wednesday, I booked an appointment and flew to a registry office downtown. The office was moderately busy when I showed up. I got a number from the kiosk at the entrance and settled down to wait. I saw a lot of people watching me curiously, and a lot of whispering going on, and tried to ignore it. Finally my number was called out.

I went to another kiosk desk on one side of the room. There were some chairs in front of it, but not ones I could sit at. Since they had arms, I couldn't even flip them around to sit at. Instead I knelt on it to bring myself down to the worker's level.

"How... How can I help you?" the agent asked, obviously surprised to see a griffon in front of them.

I set out my new ID card, my passport and a few other items with my name on them. "Hi there. This is going to seem a bit strange, but I'd like to restore my driver's license."

He blinked for a moment, not looking at the cards I provided. He was clearly having trouble processing my request. "Your driver's license?"

I nodded and prepared to be patient. "Yes, my driver's license. I had it before, but after, this." I flicked my wings out and shook them a little. "I thought I wouldn't need it any more and voluntarily gave it up for a new ID card. In hindsight, it turns out I was a bit rash in my actions; I should have just updated it."

"But you can't drive!" the agent said. I saw a few of his coworkers glance over and watch us curiously. I wondered how long it would take before I would have to escalate my request.

"I know, technically I can't properly drive a regular car or truck. Hell, I can't even fit into the seats any more. But I ''can'' drive a motorcycle. Not all of them but a surprising number of them. In order to do that legally, I'll need a Class 6 license. And to get one of those easier, I'd like my Class 5 restored."

"Uhm right. I guess that makes sense...." He finally took my paperwork and started typing on his computer. I suspected he was mainly working automatically.

I waited quietly while he worked, doing a lot of typing and clicking. The screen was angled so I couldn't see anything, so all I could do was wait. In the end, he didn't look happy with what he found.

"Okay, Mr... Miss.... Mx Farrel. It does look like you're within the window to restore your old license. There will be a service charge and some more paperwork but...."

I tilted my head and waited for him to go on. Finally I prompted him. "But?"

"But... I'm not sure I should renew it for you."

"And why shouldn't you?" I asked, keeping my tone as neutral as possible. I knew I had to convince him to get anywhere, and getting frustrated would do me no good.

"You're a griffon! You can't fit in a car, let alone a driver's seat. Sure, technically you've shown you know how to drive, but it was all before. Now...."

"Now, I know I can't. Not a normal car at least. And I'm not looking to drive one. I'm just asking for my license to be restored so I can more easily get a license I can actually use. I've had a license for twenty some years now, I ''know'' how to drive, I just need a card to recognize that."

"RIght right..." the agent seemed unconvinced.

"Please, go check with someone else, if you want a second opinion. I don't mind," I gently urged him, giving him an escape route.

He was obviously tempted to ignore my suggestion, until he realized it was the perfect way to punt the problem. He excused himself and went to a cubicle to talk to someone. Had I strained, I could probably have listened in over the ambient noise. Instead I just relaxed and tried to look as harmless as possible. The person he was talking to stood up and looked over to me. I waved a hand to them and they went back to their intense discussion. The pair moved even deeper into the government space, visiting someone with an actual office at the back of the room. They were there for a long time, and I suspected that calls were being made.

Finally, the agent came back with another person. She was obviously someone who was in charge. I stood up to greet them, even though we were still separated by a plexiglass screen.

"Mx Farrel, I'm Assistant Director Vance, in charge of this office. I must say, you're giving us quite the dilemma."

"I'm sorry for any problems I'm causing. I'm just trying to make things easier for me later on. I'm probably not going for my Class 6 until the spring, but I figured restoring my old license would be easier now."

"It would be, in some ways. And it also shows we may have some problems in the future with regards to those licenses too. But that's a problem for tomorrow. As for the current concerns, well, I guess you could say it's mainly a logic problem. Or a moral problem. Technically speaking, there's nothing disallowing your kind from having a Class 5 license, or a Class 6 or any other type of license. And in fact, most of you still have your old licenses, even if you aren't using them. We haven't had it happen here yet, but I've heard many of you have also just updated your licenses for your new bodies. So, practically speaking, there isn't a reason we couldn't restore your old one. As far as the government is concerned, you proved you were allowed and capable of driving in the past. And your new bodies don't technically disqualify you from that."

"Right, so what's the problem?" I asked, a little bit of my growing impatience slipping into my voice.

"The problem is if we should allow this to happen. A license gives you the implicit permission to operate a motor vehicle out in public. Even though you physically can't operate one; not without extensive modifications that probably don't even exist yet."

"If it helps, I do promise I won't try to drive a regular vehicle any more. I'm just looking for a way to make sure I'll be able to legally drive a motorcycle as soon as reasonable, without needing to go through the graduated steps again."

She studied me while thinking, drumming her fingers on the top of the cubicle wall. Finally, she made her decision. "Go ahead and do it. As far as the rules go right now, there's no reason a griffon can't drive a car legally, as long as they passed all the tests. And Mx Farrel has certainly done that in the past. If the Minister has a problem with it, then the government can change the rules appropriately."

The agent nodded and sat back down and started typing. I relaxed and nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Keep in mind they may decide to change things in the future, but for now, we'll follow things as written. Good luck on your cycle tests."

I laughed, "I've barely started down that path. I ordered a helmet and went for my old license. I still need to get an actual bike and learn how to ride it, and I won't do that until the snow's gone."

"Good idea. Have a good day, Mx."

She retreated back to her office, and I knelt back on the chair to wait. Soon enough, my three month old ID card was going through the shredder, and I had a new temporary license. "We used your photo and signature on record since you updated it recently. This temporary license is good for 30 days. If you don't get your proper license in that time, contact us," the agent explained.

I packed up my wallet and flight bag again and nodded my thanks. "Great, thank you for all the help. Sorry to be a pain."

He chuckled and shrugged. "Just part of our duties. Have a good day."

===Thursday, February 1===

In the predawn light of my dreams he met me, floating in the dark skies in all his glory. My loins were moist and I was more than ready for him. He was equally prepared for me, his shaft already erect and glistening in the ambient light of the dreamscape. I had a moment of guilt, thinking of Cardi, but lust pushed those thoughts away.

We floated into each other's arms and began to cuddle, squeezing breasts, nibbling and nuzzling and drawing out the moment. I had my hands on his shoulders while his own hands slid down my sides, our wings slightly extended and pressing together. He gripped my hips and I tensed a moment in anticipation; I could feel his hard shaft against my own sheath. He wiggled a little more and he was between my legs, filling my moist opening.

I clenched down on him and he held his position for a moment while we cuddled a bit more. And then he pulled back a bit and pleasure flared from my loins as his barbs slide along my sensitive flesh. I gasped and panted, barely holding back my climax as he pushed back in and started thrusting. Having experienced the real thing had certainly enhanced my dream experiences. All too soon, I gave in, letting the waves of pleasure wash over me. As I gave in, he released as well, his shaft throbbing as he let go deep in me.

The climax jolted me awake, my entire body quivering from the pleasure. I laid in bed, panting hard, my loins quivering. My nipples rubbed the sheats, hard and tingling as well. Sleep was certainly out of the question now.

"Fuck," I groaned weakly, not moving much. I opened my eyes and in the dim light, I saw 7:42 on the radio alarm clock I used. Heat number five had arrived.

I laid there for a few moments, letting the pleasure fade. It didn't entirely disappear, but I began to feel somewhat normal. At the same time, my loins seemed to realize I was awake, and they wanted something other than the fantasy satisfaction.

I resisted the urges for the moment, reaching out to turn on the lamp and sitting up in bed, facing the mirror. I inspected myself briefly. My feathers were more frazzled than the usual 'bed head' appearance I had.My nipples were hard, visible from my dark fur, though my breasts didn't seem much bigger yet. My fur was also a mess, especially around my loins. While my sheath was almost invisible against my fur, my vulva was moist and my labia were engorged. I couldn't see it but my clit felt as hard as my shaft would normally be.

"Fuck," I groaned again. I ignored the urges and stood up, retreating to the bathroom to clean up a bit and hopefully cool the heat I was feeling. It was a struggle, but I tried to bring up the advice I'd been given and focus on other things.

I felt a little better when I returned to my bedroom, having washed and preened a little. I then did something I rarely did during my peaks... I got dressed. The granny panties came out again with a panty liner, and I had to admit it felt better against my vulva. I even pulled on a top, tucking in some pads to handle leakage.

Once I was dressed, I went downstairs and got breakfast and prepared for the day.

I technically had taken the day off, but I needed something to focus on. So after eating, I retreated to my office and logged in and started digging into some of my ongoing projects.

By noon, I was near my limits. I was mentally exhausted from focusing on work and trying to ignore my body. Through most of the morning, I found myself squirming in my seat with varying degrees of success.

Before going down for lunch, I retreated to my bedroom and stripped off my shorts. A few urgent minutes later and I collapsed on the bed panting, a wave of pleasure washing over me. I rested there for a time, savouring the moment of normality when the roar of the hormones had been silenced by the climax,

When I was ready, I redressed myself and went downstairs to make lunch. Over lunch, I considered what I had to do. Adam was scheduled to do a house call in the afternoon. But I also had to go out for the blood draw at the clinic as well. I'd gone out last week so I knew the process at least. With how I was feeling, I decided to tempt fate. I sent Adam a message to call me when he had a chance.

He called me back shortly after one, and seemed a bit concerned.

"Hey Adam," I greeted him, stretching my wings a bit and standing up from the computer. I'd gone back to try and work, but I could feel the urges building again.

"Hi Skyfire. I'm planning to leave shortly. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. I... I just wanted to suggest that we shift back to your office. I know you prefer to meet there."

He paused for a moment, obviously processing my request. "Are you sure? Is something wrong? Did your heat change?"

I let out a quick laugh. "I wish. Heat's hitting me as strong as ever.... But I think I've got a better grip on it. Leaving the house like this, it scares the shit out of me. But I think I've made progress, and I can do it. I have to "

"You have to?" he probed gently.

I sighed and nodded, though he couldn't see it. "Yeah. I need to get a grip on this damn roller coaster. I can't keep losing two days a month to my fucking body. And I have a medical appointment as well. Just the blood draw."

"Right, I remember you mentioning that last week. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Focus seems to help, but I've been doing computer work all day. It's all mental stuff. I think I need to do something more physical. A good flight would help."

He sounded a bit doubtful, but gave in. "Okay then. I'll wait for you in the office. See you later this afternoon."

"Thanks Adam. see you then."

I killed another hour or so on the computer. It wasn't really productive work. Finally, I gave up for the day and retreated to the bedroom. A quick session helped take the edge off the heat. I could tell it was near breaking, but it was still building; I had no idea how it would finally break if I was away from home. I briefly tried to get Little Simon to stir, but while I could get a little harder, ejaculating was impossible; the clinic wasn't going to be getting a semen sample from the heat. The milk sample, on the other talon, was trivial to provide. I pumped myself as dry as I could, and filled the container they provided. The rest I flushed.

I packed my bag, geared up, and left.

Like at Christmas, I found flying did help take some of the edge off. The flapping of my wings did cause my top to rub my sore nipples more than I would have liked; but the physical exertion helped offset the desires of the heat. Outside, the skies were clear and chilly, but not too cold; enough I could feel it in my nares and on my talons, but not so much that I was uncomfortable. I reached Adam's office just before our appointment, and headed right up. His door was open when I entered.

"Come on in Sky, we can start right away," he greeted me from the inner office.

I went right in and took my bag off, setting it down carefully next to the couch. I fluttered my wings and tail a bit before sitting down in my usual place.

"Sorry about the short notice about the change. I decided at the last moment. I hope it didn't cause you any problems."

He leaned back in his own seat, crossing his legs and clasping his hands over his lap. "Not at all. These appointments are for you. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible with them. So how are you feeling?"

I took a moment to consider the question.

"I'm okay I guess. The flight helped. The heat's still got me strong, but it should break soon."

"Well, you seem in surprisingly good shape considering. Though I'm a bit surprised you're wearing a top."

I glanced down self consciously, more concerned that I was leaking and the pads had slipped. The front was dry.

"I'm wearing it for practical purposes, but I probably should have left it off. The contact is... frustrating. I'm not sure if this was a good idea or not."

He nodded, "Well, go with whatever you're comfortable with. How is the heat today?"

I adjusted the top a little, reaching in to check the pads. I could tell there was a bit of moistness to them but they seemed to be holding well. I decided to leave it on.

"It's hard to describe, I guess. But trust me, it's almost as bad as earlier heats. The techniques we discussed do seem to be helping a lot. Still, now that I'm sitting down, I can feel it rebuilding."

We talked about it for the rest of the session. All through it, I forced myself to sit still, doing my best to ignore the feelings in my loins. Adam could clearly see my discomfort, but I did my best to not draw attention to it. Towards the end of the session, he tried to make me address it.

"How do you usually break your heat?" he asked.

I looked away nervously. "Well, as you probably suspect, I usually have to... well have to masturbate. Climaxing is how I can tell it's broken, at least the previous times."

"And if you don't do that?" he asked.

I shrugged my wings and crossed my legs again, squeezing nervously. "I'm not sure. I never tried not to."

"Well, you know where the washroom is, if you feel like you need to...."

"No no, I should be fine," I quickly said. "I should be able to make it home at least, even if I need to go the long way."

He seemed unhappy with my answer but let the subject drop. "So do you think you can keep coming with your heat and ruts?"

I nodded, trying to sound more certain than I felt. "I have to, if I want to get a grip on these. It's still exhausting, but practice will help."

"When's your appointment at the clinic?" he asked.

His office didn't have any visible clocks, so I checked the time on my phone. It was almost five. "I just need to call them before I head out. They can fit me in pretty much any time. I was planning to call them when I left. It's just a blood draw and dropping off a few samples."

"Well, it's pretty much the end of our session. Is there anything else you want to talk about this week?"

I shook my head and stood up, grabbing my bag. "No, I think it's a good point for this week. Thanks Adam. I appreciate your help."

We shook hands and I left the building. Before taking off I called the clinic to give them the heads up. A half hour later I landed in the parking lot. It was getting dark, but it was still busy, with people visiting the after hours clinic or visiting the drug store or other stores. I went up to the second floor and checked in.

I settled in to wait on a bench in the waiting room. A few humans and griffons were there, but I ignored them. The damn heat was at its peak and I was yearning for a release. I especially avoided looking at the other griffons in case it was enough to make me give in.

"Skyfire? We can see you now," the nurse announced.

I followed them into a small office, similar to the one Doctor Chase saw me in. I unpacked the container of milk and set it on a counter, and waited.

"Hi again, Skyfire. How are you doing?" Doctor Tompkins greeted me. He had seen me the previous week.

"I'm okay, considering. It's been a long day, and I'm eager to get home," I said.

"Right. I'll try not to keep you for long. You're on your heat, right? How's it going?" he sat across from me and opened my folder to take notes.

"As usual. But I'm handling it. I brought some milk in. But a semen sample isn't happening."

He looked up and took the milk sample. He jotted a few notes on the bottle before putting it down. "Thank you. We'll get this off to the lab, along with the rest as usual. Did you have any problem getting this?"

I laughed and shook my head. "I dumped more than that into the toilet after." I glanced down and sighed. My nipples were pressing harder against the pads in my top, making my breasts more prominent than I was used to. "And I'll probably have to milk out just as much when I get home."

He followed my gaze briefly before looking away. "Right, well then we won't keep you long. The phlebotomist will be in shortly and then you're free to go. Thank you again for doing this."

"Anything to help out. I just want to get this damn curse wrangled."

He grimaced a moment and finished a couple of notes in the folder. He then excused himself and the other technician came in. We didn't talk much as he felt among the feathers of my upper arm and found a spot. The blood draw happened quickly and I was free to go.

The heat wanted a release so it could finally rest, but I pushed on further. I stopped at a taco place for a burrito to go. By the time I got inside with my dinner, I could barely turn the house alarm off. The bag of food went on the counter while I stripped off my top. I stumbled upstairs and finally found the relief I'd been putting off for so long.

I fell onto the bed, one hand between my legs, pressing my moist vulva, stroking my swollen clit. Despite how on edge I was, I didn't come immediately. A few moments of rubbing finally tipped me over. Instead of pleasure, waves of relief spread over me. I laid on the bed for a long time, panting a bit and unable to do much else. Eventually I rolled over and got my dinner, finishing off my day.

===Wednesday, February 14===

As a long time Ace, Valentines Day just wasn't a thing for me. My new relationship with Cardi aside, I just never really ''got'' relationships. I had many friends of all sexes, but I'd never really had an interest in getting close to them. Even for my high school prom, I'd gone out with a girl friend from my clique of friends, just to have a partner. I can't even remember if we kissed.

Wednesday started like any other day. February to date, had been pretty normal, for my new normal at least. The egg had been uneventful, I'd seen Adam and visited the clinic. And since it was my safe week, Cardi and I had met for some fun over the weekend.

So I was caught by surprise when an office runner knocked on my office door just before lunch. They were carrying a fruit bouquet, and a box of chocolates. Confused, I had him leave them on my desk. I plucked a strawberry off the bouquet while opening the card. The front of the card read ''Happy Valentine's Day'' with a pair of cardinals on the front. It was all I needed to know who it was from. Inside, there was a hand drawn cardinal, and a short message. ''Call Me.''

I held the card for a long moment, unsure what to make of it. I certainly didn't feel like I wanted to get into an actual relationship; I felt we were firmly in ''Friends with Benefits'' territory, but a Valentine's gift seemed to imply something else. I was unsure if I wanted to encourage it, discourage it, or just brush it off.

Ultimately, I closed the door and made the call. Cardi answered after a few rings, obviously at work.

"Hey Sky. Happy Valentine's day. Did you get it?" She greeted me, sounding cheerful.

"Hi Cardi, Happy... Valentine's day," I replied, a little hesitant. "I did get it. Thank you. It's beautiful."

"Great. I know it's probably a bit unwieldy to fly with, so don't worry about saving any of it for me. Feel free to pass it around the office," she said, her exuberance coming through clearly.

"Thank you, I will," I said. "I certainly wasn't expecting it."

She finally seemed to pick up my uncertainty. "Right, I know you weren't. I wasn't planning it until yesterday myself. I know we aren't a ''couple'', but all things considered, I felt like I wanted to do something. And to be honest, I liked the idea of being the one to give the gift for a change."

My head was still spinning, trying to figure out a way through this forest I found myself in. "Thank you, I... I didn't get you anything."

"I wasn't expecting anything. Well, that's a lie. I'm hoping I can expect your company for dinner tonight. Say the Spaghetti Factory at West Ed for seven? Then we can go home for some fun if you get what I mean." I could almost see her wink through the phone. "I've got an evening shift tomorrow, and I know your rut is tomorrow."

"Sure," I accepted, caught up in the flood. "I'll meet you there?"

"Perfect! Looking forward to it. Bye Sky!"

I lowered my phone, not sure what exactly had happened. I munched on a couple of strawberries from the fruit bouquet, half tempted to call her back and cancel. Instead, I convinced myself that it was alright, and had to admit, I was looking forward to it. I didn't like the reminder that my rut was tomorrow, but it was what it was, and did mean our evening was a bit freer than a normal weekday evening might be.

I snacked on a few more berries, and went back to work, trying to focus as best as I could. As she suggested, I disassembled the bouquet and left much of it in the kitchen for the rest of the office. The chocolates I kept for myself.

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The office emptied out quickly by the end of the day. We were very flexible with our work hours, so most people took the opportunity to leave early to get ready for a special dinner and/or a special evening. Normally, I would be one of the last to leave on Valentine's Day, having nothing planned. But this was not a normal year for me.

I shut down for the day around four thirty, and claimed one of the bathrooms with a preening kit I kept in my office. I did a thorough brushing, and wished I had a change of clothes. Cardi had booked our dinner at West Ed, which was almost the opposite direction from home. While I could wing it home and get there in time, I didn't really like the idea.

So I made due and shortly before five, I was winging it across downtown, heading to the large mall. Below, traffic was thick, deep in a midweek rush hour. The skies were grey and overcast, but nice otherwise, and not crowded at all. I saw a half dozen griffons flying around, some heading to the mall like me.

I landed near the Asian market and weaved my way through the crowds to the mall itself. I still attracted attention when I was in crowds, but most people didn't give me a second glance now. Once I got to the mall itself, I stopped at a mall directory, trying to think of what I wanted to do next. I had about an hour to kill before she arrived, and I wanted to have something ready for her, but I was drawing a blank.

Ultimately, I decided you couldn't go wrong with chocolates. ''Purdy's'' was packed full of men and a few women getting last minute gifts like me, to the point they were limiting access to the store. I joined the line and debated seeing if ''Rocky Mountain'', ''Lindt'' or maybe one of the cupcake shops was any less busy. The line was moving steadily enough that I just waited it out.

By the time I got into the store, it was obvious it was well picked over. The workers had been run off their feet all day, barely able to keep products on the shelves. Empty brown boxes were stacked near the cash, waiting for a spare minute to be broken down. I considered my options, and picked up a box of mixed chocolates, and headed to the cash. The cashier didn't even react to my appearance; she just totaled up my purchase and offered the debit terminal to me. It wasn't until my scaly hand tapped the card to the machine that she actually looked at me, and jumped in surprise.

"Oh wow!" she said, fumbling the receipt.

I chuckled and plucked the receipt from her hands. "Cupid's arrows seem to work on griffons too. Have a good evening."

Wanting to do a bit more, I made my way down to the Lego store. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I had a rough idea. Well aware of the stares from the kids, I started checking over the minifig options on the customizer machine they had. I found a helmet with a beak, along with a pair of angel wings, and used them to make a couple of custom griffon minifigures.

I was all set when she sent me a text saying she was there, coming in from the market. I went to the second level and spotted her coming down the corridor. We met each other midway and hugged.

"Happy Valentine's day, Sky," she greeted me.

I offered the box of chocolates with the minifigs tied to it with a ribbon. "Happy Valentine's Day. Sorry, it isn't much, I wasn't expecting to do anything."

"Aww, how cute. You didn't have to do anything." She tucked the small box into her bag and hugged me again. "But thank you for the thought."

We hooked arms and turned around to head for the escalators, wings pressing together. "I'm sorry, I'm probably not the best date. I've never really done Valentine's Day before."

"Don't worry, it's just dinner with a friend. And maybe some benefits later if we're up for it. It doesn't have to be special."

I stopped next to a kiosk and looked at her. There was a hint of desperation in her voice that I wanted to clear up. "Are you sure? This doesn't really feel like it's ''just a dinner''."

She sighed and stepped around to face me. "I... I guess you're right. It's just, it's the first Valentine's Day in a long time when I haven't been in a relationship. Carl always wine and dined me, and Nick before that, and before that....The thought of being alone tonight, was bringing me down."

I nodded my head. I knew of her old boyfriend and how they'd been a couple for years before the Change. "You should have mentioned something. I admit, I'm sort've new to all this, but we could've made plans earlier. And not needed to do a last minute reservation at the mall."

She nodded and hugged me. "I know, and I'm sorry if this is making you uncomfortable... It's just... well, I had a bit of a revelation as I was thinking about this. It's usually the guy who gets the gifts for the girl. The guy who takes the girl out for dinner, and all that stuff. But I'm no longer just the gal. And you're certainly not just the guy any more. So I decided to shake things up a bit, see how it goes the other way."

I flicked my ears and pondered what she said. It certainly made sense. It also revealed some of Simon's ways of thinking that I hadn't even considered. "You're right.... I hadn't even thought of that, but it makes sense. I don't know if that makes griffon dating easier or trickier."

She giggled and cuddled against my side. "It's a thing. It'll probably be years before we shake off all the old human sex-habits too, if we ever do."

We held our position in the busy mall for a moment, enjoying the company while people moved around us. Finally she stepped back and looked at me. "So are you sure you're okay with this? I know we aren't ''really'' a couple, but I would certainly enjoy your company tonight."

I hooked my arm around hers again and gripped her hand. "And I would love to be your company for the evening." I motioned towards the escalator. "Shall we go claim our table?"

BRBN Street was completely packed, with lines outside of every restaurant and people being turned away. We waited in line, and finally sat down at a table by 7:30. At least all the restaurants knew how to properly handle griffons now.

"Pick whatever you want, this one's on me," Cardi encouraged me as we studied the menus.

"Are you sure? I don't mind going Dutch," I said. This place certainly wasn't a budget breaker; maybe half a step above ''East Side Marios''; but I wasn't used to having someone else pay for my meals. It wasn't a date thing; it was just the habit from being a bachelor for decades.

"I'm sure. I'm the one who invited you out after all. Guess that makes me the guy tonight," she confirmed.

My ears pressed back in embarrassment and I glanced around quickly, but the restaurant was way too loud for anyone to hear anything.As it was, I was doing my best to tune out as much of the noise as I could for my own sanity.

We placed our orders and soon had some wine and bread in front of us. I sliced the bread while she poured the wine out. We lifted the glasses and clinked them together.

"To a beautiful friendship," she toasted.

"May it last a long time," I finished, and sipped a bit of the wine. "Thanks for everything you've done. Not just with me, but for the flock here," I added, feeling the first bit of warmth spreading in me.

"I'm glad to be helping. We're all in this together, one way or another."

Dinner was nice, especially for a mall chain restaurant. It wasn't my preferred Italian place, but for a spur of the moment reservation on one of the busiest restaurant nights of the year, it was acceptable. We chatted on a variety of neutral topics while we ate. It felt strange letting her pay while I stood next to the table, so as we left, I pointed at the ice cream place.

"At least let me cover dessert. Something to settle the wine and the pasta," I suggested, twitching my wing to the ice cream place at the end of the hall. It was almost nine now and the main shopping areas were starting to wind down, but the restaurants were still doing booming business, including the ice creamery.

"I don't know, I'm pretty full, and it is chilly out there," she said slowly.

"And we've got a long flight home ahead of us," I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the line.

The line wasn't too long, so we got to the front pretty quickly. I got us a couple of chocolate cones and we stepped to the side. We ended up watching people watching us eat the treats as the Valentine's rush finally started to trail off. I tried to focus on the ice cream and not on my body. I was well aware the rut was coming fast, and the wine we'd had was also having an effect.

Eating an ice cream cone was something that wasn't all that different between griffons and humans. It was a lot of licking at first to get ahead of the melting dessert, and then nibbling the cone at the end. The main difference was the angles; griffon tongues didn't really extend far enough out the front of the beaks, so we tended to lick ice cream while holding it beside our beaks. That did tend to leave the sides of our beaks stained with icecream when we bring it in too close.

When we were done, Cardi plucked the paper napkin from my talons, and wiped my beak. I giggled and returned the favour. It turned into a brief nuzzle, beak rubbing beak, before she stepped back.

"Shall I escort you home now, my lady?" she asked, giggling and bowing slightly.

"Certainly. Lead on, my dear," I replied.

We left the mall at the ground level, coming out on the road between the mall and the parking garage. It was completely dark outside, with a fingernail sliver of the moon in the sky not providing much light. We took off, climbing out of the gap and into the night sky. It was refreshingly cold out, with a bitter wind I could feel in my nares.

I hated flying at night; the darkness made everything look different and it was nearly impossible to spot anything around you. Flying in the city helped a little, as the streetlights gave me a grid to follow, but it was still annoying. We set off southward, aligning ourselves with the Stantec tower and the rest of the downtown. I knew Cardi was flying near me, but she was almost invisible in the darkness.

A long flight later, we landed in my driveway. I took the lead, unlocking the door and motioning for her to enter ahead of me.

"Thank you for the dinner, and the evening," I said, heading for the kitchen. I filled a couple of glasses of water and offered her one.

"It was a nice one. Maybe next year I'll think about reserving a table earlier," she said, sipping the water. "It was a lovely evening."

I nodded in agreement and we were silent for a moment, sipping our drinks. She made the first move.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, obviously hinting.

"I'm buzzing," I admitted. "Between the wine and the coming rut, I'm wired."

"I see...." She put the empty glass on the counter next to the sink. "In that case, I should probably get going...."

I blocked her path to the back door. "It's late, and it's dark. Why don't you stay?" I suggested.

"Are you sure?"

I stepped closer and gave her a hug. "As you said earlier, I'm taking tomorrow off for the rut, and I believe you said you had an evening shift. So we have the night."

"If you want to..."

I nuzzled my beak into the side of her neck and up through her feathers. My body was quivering in anticipation. "I'm certainly willing. Meet you upstairs?"

She nodded and ran her talons down my folded wings. "Sure."

We separated and she headed up the stairs. I left the glasses by the sink and turned off the lights and made sure the doors were locked. My heart was pounding in anticipation.

In the bedroom, I found she had already stripped off her clothes, leaving them folded on my dresser. She had taken a plastic travel case from her bag and was preparing her diaphragm. I stood in the doorway and admired her, taking in her perky furry breasts, her strong wings and legs, and her semi erect penis. I knew she was only a few days past her heat, and I was about to hit my rut. It was probably the riskiest time I could be the male in our coupling, but I knew she liked to be prepared.

I moved deeper into the room and unbuttoned my top and pulled it off. My shorts came off soon after, and I could tell her eyes were on me.

"Oh my, Skyfire's wearing underwear now?" she teased me playfully.

My ears flicked and I glanced down, meeting her gaze. I was wearing a pair of cotton black griffon panties. They were practical, but not as bulky as the granny panties I'd started wearing for the peaks. They were cut like women's panties, but with extra space in the front for the sheath.

"Jacques sent me a few pairs to try and give feedback on," I explained, pulling them off. My own penis was half erect in anticipation.

"Well they look good. He does great work. Are they comfortable?"

"Very," I confirmed. I gathered my clothes and piled them on the dresser next to hers. "I actually sort've forgot I was wearing them to be honest."

"Nice. maybe I should have you order some for me."

I opened a drawer and found my own diaphragm case and took it out. My body yearned to just get it on, but I took my time preparing the device. Cardi moved to the end of the bed and propped her paw up, fingering herself a little before slipping it in. It made my own shaft swell harder.

"You know, we seem to be coming here more often to have fun," I said, stalling a bit while trying to keep my own arousal reigned in.

She finished inserting her device and stroked her own shaft briefly as she straightened up. "I know. Is it a problem?"

"Not at all. I don't mind. I... Well to be honest, I think I prefer it. No offense, but I worry about disturbing your neighbours when we're at your place."

"Understandable. But you shouldn't be worried. I've hinted around, and no one has heard anything. Or at least they aren't acknowledging it."

I nodded and moved to the bed, propping my own paw up. I stroked my labia a little, finding myself already quite excited. The diaphragm slipped in easily.

"That's good," I said when I was done. "And I certainly don't mind you hosting. I was just going to say, maybe we should consider doubling up our supplies."

She retrieved a few condoms from the bedside table and looked at me. "Doubling up?"

I flicked my wing to the dresser where the two containers were sitting. "So we don't need to carry them with us all the time. Diaphragms aren't that expensive. So if you wanted to get a second one, you could leave it here. You've already got a set of brushes here anyway."

We climbed onto the bed facing each other. She nodded, using a talon to circle my hard nipple. "That's a good idea. Next chance I get, I'll try to remember to pick up another one."

I began to chirrr happily, and returned the favour while wiggling closer to her. The time for conversation was over. It was now time for action. Encouraged by the wine-buzz, it didn't take long for happy screeches to echo through the house, multiple times.

===Thursday, February 15===

The icy goddess returned early in the morning. This time we were on a snow covered plateau, high in some random mountains. Some of the mountains were smoking, hinting at some barely hidden volcanism.

I barely looked around as I approached her; my arousal evident between my legs. She stopped me a few steps away, giving me a cold glare.

"What? Are you jealous?" I countered, glaring back at her. "You're just a figment of my imagination.

She glared back for a moment before relaxing. She stepped forward and we embraced. The fantasy continued as usual, but something seemed different. As I slipped into her, letting the rut proceed, I felt myself cum earlier than expected. The goddess's eyes widened in surprise before she faded away and reality came back into focus. I saw a red form in front of me, a different pair of eyes watching me. I twitched a few more times, feeling my hard shaft being squeezed by something else.

The pressure eased, replaced with a stroking along my member against the barbs. It sent more waves of pleasure that helped wake me up and get my mind into gear. I groaned softly and finally focused on Cardi.

"Morning. How yah doing?" she asked, still stroking.

I groaned again and sighed. I touched the wet spot on my chest and the sheets. "I think you can see. Fucking rut. What a mess."

"Want me to stop?"

I sighed and looked her over. I nuzzled her briefly, feeling the urges building again. Her own body was obviously receptive to what was going on. Every part of me wanted her to keep doing what she was doing.

"Please," I reluctantly said. "Please stop. I really should get up... get out of bed."

She stopped and rolled away enough to slide off the bed. I watched her stand up, taking in her furry form. It did nothing to soothe the heat in my loins. She started combing her feathers and fur a bit, cupping her breasts, obviously knowing what it was doing to me.

"Fuck," I growled and looked away. I rolled off the bed as well and stood up, picking a blank spot on the wall and trying to calm my body. I heard her leave the room, giving me space.

A half hour later, I was cleaned up and dressed. I made my way downstairs where Cardi was preparing breakfast.

"How are you doing?" she asked again, flipping some bacon in the frying pan.

"Better, I guess. Still a pain in the groin to handle."

"I noticed. I hope you didn't mind, after last time...."

I nodded and snagged an orange. "Yeah, we did agree we would let each other do that. It caught me by surprise is all. The goddess wasn't too happy about it either."

She smirked at me and started filling the plates. "Well, that cocky bitch will just have to learn how to share."

"That she will," I replied, grabbing some coffee and following her to the table.

After eating, she picked up the conversation. "I think this is the most I've ever seen you wear, at least around home."

I glanced down. I'd put on my shorts over the granny panties, with a liner. The liner was helping with the rawness from my swollen cock that just wouldn't go down. I was also wearing a top with pads over my nipple to handle any leakage there as well. My breasts were already swollen larger than normal, but not enough to need a pumping yet.

"Hopefully my new distraction routine will work. I normally didn't bother, but since I'm trying to focus on other things...."

"How's it working?"

I shrugged my wings. "Jury's still out. Seems to be good."

She started gathering the plates. "RIght then, so what are your plans for today? Do you want me to leave?"

I closed my eyes and considered the situation. "You don't have to yet. I was just going to try to do some work and just get through to the afternoon. Then it's off to see Adam.

"You could stay if you want. We can go over the GriffTech projects, brainstorm some ideas and stuff. Or figure out something else to do. Something unrelated to the rut of course."

She giggled, "Aww, but understandable. Sure, let's see what we can do."

We kept busy until noon. The rut was a constant presence at the back of my mind, and Cardi's presence was both a help and an awful temptation. By lunch time, I was a quivering mess of hormones, and my loins ached from being constantly hard.

While Cardi prepared a quick lunch for us, I escaped to the bathroom to freshen up. The pad I was using was wet and sticky from a few releases I'd made through the day, and my breasts were heavy with the milk. I took care of everything as quickly as I felt I could, and rejoined her downstairs for the meal.

"I know you probably don't feel like it, but you've been handling things excellently today," Cardi commented as we ate. "I know your signs, so I saw a few things.... Even so, you hid things well."

"Thanks," I said, not sure what else to add.

"Well, get out of your head with this, and you'll be fine. You're doing great. That said, I do have to head home and get ready for work."

"I know. Thanks for spending the morning with me. I have to get ready for the clinic and to visit Adam too, so it all works out."

She got up and hugged me from behind. My pulse quickened and I rubbed her arms, leaning back to rub back.

"Good luck today, and we'll talk later. See you later."

"Thanks again, Cardi. Have a good day."

I escorted her out the backdoor and watched her take off. The cool air felt nice and I took a moment to enjoy it while watching her flap away. Eventually I headed back in, mentally preparing myself for the rest of the day's battles. The fight was challenging, but it no longer felt so impossible.

{{separatorseparator|f|End Book 3}}

{{series bar

|series= Paradigm Shift: Griffons

|previous=[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book2|A Fire in the Sky: Book 2]]

|next=[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book3|A Fire in the Sky: Book 4]]}}

[[Category:Jetfire]] [[Category:Story]] [[Category:Paradigm Shift]] [[Category:Herm]] [[Category:Griffon]] [[Category:Adult]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: A Fire in the Sky: Book 3}}

User:Jetfire/School Daze Day 3

2024-09-08T16:18:32Z

Jetfire: Created page with " {{universe|Paradigm Shift}} {{my stories |name=Jetfire |category=Jetfire }} {{title |name= School Daze Day 1 |author=Jetfire |user=Jetfire}} {{XXX}} '''Author's note''' Thi..."

User:Jetfire/School Daze Day 2

2024-09-08T16:13:14Z

{{universe|Paradigm Shift}}
{{my stories
|name=Jetfire
|category=Jetfire
}}

{{title
|name= School Daze Day 1
|author=Jetfire
|user=Jetfire}}
{{XXX}}

'''Author's note'''
This story is basically R rated, but future chapters may have adult scenes for sexuality between adults. Reader descretion is advised

=Sunday September 24=

== Spruce Coulee Camp==

Nicole clawed her way back to consciousness, trying ineffectively to cling to the dreams she had been having. Still in the grips of sleep paralysis, she realized there was one aspect of her dreams that weren't fading away; the tingling arousal in her loins. An arousal she couldn't take advantage of.

Her consciousness finally broke through her sleep haze and took control of her body. She could sense the room was fairly bright, lit by the rising sun coming through the thin curtains. She opened her eyes, and the world crashed in on her.

She squinted against the brightness, blinking and bringing the world back into focus. A strange bird-like face was facing her, the figure still deep in sleep. She twitched before her mind kicked into gear and reminded her of the previous day.

"Fuck," she groaned, realizing it wasn't a nightmare. Now that she remembered the previous day, she recognized the presence of her own beak, the weight of her wings and tail, and the strange way she was blinking now, flicking a translucent membrane across her eyes instead of closing them.

She laid in bed, mourning that brief moment in waking where she'd felt normal and not like a monster creature from mythology. She refocused on her sleeping husband, studying his sleeping form. His eyes were still fully closed, barely visible slits on his feathered face. His furry breasts lifted and fell slightly with each breath, his wings twitching slightly from dream reactions. She pressed her lower wing down to help pull herself back without shaking the bed too much.

The distance let her look lower at Andrew, and she noticed she wasn't the only one having arousal problems. He was clearly having a major case of morning wood, a piece of wood she wasn't fully expecting. It was still somewhat normal sized from what she could tell, but it wasn't really human looking. Instead of a glans flaring at the end, it came to a more pointed tip. And it had backward facing nubs down its length on all sides. She stared at it, trying to sort out her feelings. One part of it was scared by the appearance of his shaft; the barbs looked dangerous and unnatural. The more animalistic part of her mind was feeding her own arousal and finding it alluring in a strange way.

Instead of acting on those feelings, she began to wiggle back. She felt for the edge of the bed, and dropped her foot to catch herself before she fell off. She stood up quietly and looked down at herself. She could feel she was aroused, the moistness in her vagina, but her own sheath was quiet, its package still hidden. She wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Fuck," she muttered again. Andrew's ears twitched, but he stayed asleep. She turned away from the bed, shaking her wings and tail to resettle her feathers and get them into a more comfortable position. She faced the window and took some deep breaths, slowly getting her body back under control. Her ears twitched back, hearing Andrew's breathing change.

She looked over her shoulder and saw his eyes open, but they didn't focus on anything. The inner lid flicked rapidly a few times and he let out a little groan. His head turned and focused on her.

"Damn, it's real," he growled softly.

"Very real," she confirmed.

She watched quietly as he finished waking up. He pushed himself up with one arm and was surprised as his breasts shifted with his movements. He looked down further, and noticed his morning glory. One hand twitched towards it, but he resisted the urge.

"Fuck," he muttered, echoing her earlier reaction. "I didn't realize it looked like that."

"Yeah. I don't know what to make of it," she confirmed.

He finished pushing himself up and twisted a little so he was partly sitting on the bed, his tail twisted to one side so it could hang off of it. He patted the bed next to him. "Here. Let's talk a bit, in private. Just talk. How are you feeling?"

She sat on the bed where he indicated, lifting and twisting her tail to the side automatically. He faced her, staying silent while she gathered her thoughts.

"I'm feeling... better," she decided. "Still confused, still scared, but the sleep helped. The first shock is starting to wear off a bit, but now the deeper fears are starting to bubble."

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. What's going to happen next? Today, Tomorrow, Next week? How are we going to work like this? What does all this mean?" As he spoke, he brushed at the fur and feathers on his side where they'd been pressed against the bed.

"Exactly! I mean, what's going to happen to us?"

"Do you mean us-us, or us in general?" he asked, ears flicking in amusement. "For us in general, we're probably fine. The Titans are doing okay enough after all. And there are way too many of us to ignore. At the very least we don't need to worry about going into hiding or dodging sketchy government science labs or anything like that"

"And for us-us?" Nicole asked, glancing away.

He stopped his absentminded combing and reached over to take her hands. "Us us will be fine. I still love you, no matter what you look like. And you look gorgeous in my new eyes."

She didn't respond but stared back at him. A few moments later they heard noises outside as the others began to wake up. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Right. You're right. Thanks. And you look gorgeous too."

He gave her hands another squeeze and let her go. "Sounds like people are waking up. Once more unto the breach?"

She stood up and sighed, looking at the pile of clothes she'd left on the floor. "Aye aye Captain. Damn, what I wouldn't give for something that fits properly."

"Gonna be a while for that, but we can make due." He stood up as well and rummaged in his bag, pulling out a hunting knife. He picked up his jeans and flipped them around. "Here, hold these like this," he instructed. With her help, he sliced the legs off, turning them into jean-shorts. Nicole's jeans quickly got the same treatment.

"They're going to fray like mad, but they should do for a few days," she said approvingly.

She pulled them on and tugged the zipper up, foregoing her panties. After a few minutes she managed to get the button hooked. Not having the legs did make them a little more comfortable. They had more than enough give for her hips, but they were tight across her front, pressing down on her sheath.

Now that she was fully awake, a new urge raised an alarm. "They still don't fit right but it's a start.... Damn, I shouldn't have done that button up."

Andrew was studying their shirts, holding them up to his chest and figuring out a suitable length that would cover but not bunch up much. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I've gotta pee now, and it took forever to button it in the first place." She started fumbling with the button and managed to get it unhooked.

"You want your shirt?" he asked, offering it to her.

"I should... but it would take too long. It's just across the hall, and I don't hear any of the kids. I'll risk it."

She went to the door and listened. She could hear someone running water in the kitchen, but no one was right outside. She opened the door and made sure the hall was deserted before she sprinted to the bathroom. Once inside she closed the door, panting a bit, giddy from the thrill it gave her.

"Who was that?" Judy called from the kitchen.

"Just us. We'll be out soon," Andrew called back.

Nicole flicked on the light and unzipped her jeans, letting them drop to the floor. She approached the toilet and hesitated. It was a standard household toilet with a tank on the back. Sitting down was going to be impossible, and she had no idea where it would come out. She looked down at herself, and saw her shaft hadn't responded to any unconscious cues; it was still hidden in its furry sheath.

With the need still building, she straddled the toilet with the seat up and made sure she was over the opening as best as possible. She mentally crossed her fingers and relaxed. That feeling felt surprisingly normal as the pressure eased.

When she was done, she looked at the roll of toilet paper. It was a cheap single ply roll, but it was all she had on hand. She unrolled a length of it carefully and balled it up before reaching down to wipe up. There was still a bit of lingering tingling from her morning arousal, but she finished up quickly and dropped the paper into the bowl. While her positioning was strange, the actions were familiar enough.

She washed her hands and inspected herself in the mirror. The bird-cat face looking back didn't seem quite as strange as it had the night before. She ran her talon through the feathers on the side of her head, feeling a bit better after fluffing them a bit, then turned away. She pulled her shorts back on and listened at the door, deciding it was safe to sprint back to the room.

Andrew was waiting for her, with the shirts spread face down on the bed,

"Any surprises?" he asked.

"Not for me. Might be for you. You probably won't be writing your name in the snow any more," she confirmed.

"Ugh really? Well, no time like the present. I've got an idea for the shirts, we can go over when I get back." He slipped past her into the hall.

She left their bedroom door cracked open while she looked at the shirts. The bottom of the shirts was folded, clearly indicating a cut point, but she suspected he had something else in mind beyond a trim. Working the shirt around the wing shoulders was the main challenge. She glanced at the old alarm clock on the bedside table, and saw it was around 7:30. She could hear the rest of the lodge waking up.

A few minutes later, he rushed back into the room. Beaks weren't very expressive, but she could tell he was more than a little perturbed.

"Was I right?"

He nodded, closing the door behind him. "Yeah, that was a new experience. But I guess it's what I am now."

He approached the bed and picked up the knife. He paused and looked at her. "We'll have to talk it over with the adults, but I think we should plan on having ''The Talk'' with the kids. Go over basic hygiene, and probably a safe sex talk too."

"You're right. Considering what I was feeling this morning, and what you were showing this morning, we're probably going to have a lot of confused kids. Hell we're just a bunch of confused adults as is. Giving them a proper talk is a good idea. After all, I grew up with all this and learned long ago, but we've got twenty- sorry eighteen boys who've never seen this stuff before."

He chuckled and motioned for her to hold the shirt so he could cut the bottom off. "Well, the Internet exists, I'm sure most of them have seen it before. But never this intimately."

"So, what was it like? When that part happened?" she asked, holding the shirt up to her chest to get a sense of the length. It seemed long enough, but the back was going to be an obvious problem."

"Which part?" She pointed to his belly. "Oh ''THAT ''part."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I was trying to give the kids as much privacy as I could. The boys seemed extra uncomfortable at that point, but I couldn't really tell."

He nodded and spread the shirt out on the bed again, studying it. "It did hurt. In someways it was a literal kick to the balls, without an actual kick. I guess it wasn't quite as bad as the head, but it was up there. It started with cramps in my belly. Well more like below my belly. I don't know if you noticed, but the sheaths had grown in near the start, I guess when the fur got up there. Everything else, well that surprise was left for the end.

"Anyways, after that initial bit of internal cramping began to fade, there were the pins and needles feelings as the muscles grew in and woke up. More cramps and twitches there, and I could ''feel'' something in there. Especially once my scrotum pulled in with my balls. The clit was almost an afterthought after all that."

"Wow, yeah you guys had a bit more it seems." She saw him tilt his head questioningly and continued. "For me it wasn't so bad, but the clit was more the focus. My heart started pounding a bit, and I could feel it swelling, and then splitting a bit. Then it kept swelling bigger and bigger. I could feel it rubbing against my panties but I didn't dare look. Thankfully the sheath grew in soon after, giving me some protection before anything too bad happened."

He nodded and snickered. "Yeah, Change stories are going to be awkward to tell our kids. Something unique to our generation I suspect."

She gave him a sharp look. "Kids? ''Our ''kids? Do you think it's even possible?"

"Possible? Seems very likely. Whatever made us into this seemed to put extra effort in making sure everything works. We seem to be a hell of a lot simpler than the Titans, and there are already lots of pregnant centaurs down there."

"We'll see. I don't think I'm ready to consider the thought of carrying a kid, or kitten, or chick, or whatever we have."

"That's fair. But look at us, it doesn't necessarily have to be you doing the carrying. After all, they put a lot of effort in putting a baby factory in me too."

She froze, the thought having never occurred to her. "What?... would you?..." she stammered out.

He shrugged his wings and leaned forward to hug her. "Maybe. I never thought of it before, but now that it might be possible... we can talk about it in the future, when things are more settled."

"Right, later," she said, the moment of panic fading. She realized under the panic there was also a flash of excitement that stirred strange feelings in her. Feelings that were focused in her groin. She was glad she was wearing her jeans. "What are you thinking of?... For the shirts that is."

"The shirts? Oh! Right. Well, we want something to cover our chests, our breasts right? But the wings make having anything on our back difficult. The sleeves don't really help much either and the neck holes are rough too, but those are workable."

He let her go and traced a pattern on the back. "So I figured the best thing we can do is to eliminate the back. Chop this out, leave just enough up top to hold things together, and leave the sleeves so we have something to hold it in place. Then we can pull it on and it would hang over our chests, covering things up, while not bunching on our wings."

She thought his proposal over and nodded. "That could work. That could work really well. We wouldn't have any support though."

He cupped his breasts and hefted them a little. "Do we really need any? These are big, but they aren't really all that bouncy. We just want some modesty. Maybe if we get fancy we could sew a strap on the sides that could pull them in and hold these if we need to."

She chuckled a little. "Well, well, where did this fashion designer come from?"

He laughed as well and shrugged his wings. "It certainly won't win any awards, but I'm just looking for practicalities."

They set to work chopping up the t-shirts. Since they had no scissors nor a cutting surface, Nicole held the fabric taunt while Andrew sliced with the knife. When they were done, they helped the other pull it on. The fit was still a bit tight, but with the back cut away, the front of the shirt covered their chests, hanging just below their breasts.

"All these raw cuts. We'll be lucky if it doesn't all unravel by the end of the day," Nicole laughed, feeling a bit better being somewhat properly dressed now.

"Well, it's a start. And t-shirts are cheap. Maybe we can find some sewing kits or something."

The pair left the bedroom and went out to the main lodge area. The other adults were already awake, gathered in the dining area. Judy was just pouring mugs of coffee. All were dressed. Some had hacked their pant legs off, but no one had thought to cut off the backs of their shirts. The radio played quietly on the counter, tuned to the CBC out of Medicine Hat. The announcer was going over the news about the Event, but there didn't seem to be any new details.

"There you are. We were wondering what you two were up to," Caleb greeted them, snagging one of the coffee mugs.

"We were just brainstorming some ideas before things got chaotic," Nicole said. "Any of the kids up yet?"

"Probably, but they're still in the cabins. Figured we'd leave them out there until we're ready to deal with the flock," Judy said.

"A sound plan. Is that safe?" Andrew asked, nodding to the steaming mugs.

"No idea. But I'm about to find out." Sam picked up a second mug and blew on the steaming liquid. He studied the mug hesitantly, not quite sure how to approach it. Finally he tilted his head down and dipped his tongue into it. He winced a little and panted. "Hot-hot-hot-hot-hot!" he exclaimed, panting. "But good. Just let it cool a bit."

Emily and Judy went back into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast, while the rest waited for their coffees to cool. Caleb took a cautious lap at his mug and winced but got more down.

"So what's the plan for today?" he asked.

"We'll play it a bit by ear. But there are some things we have to do. We're going to be stuck here for the rest of the week, so we're going to need supplies. And we'll need to get back in cell range so we can let the families know we're okay and what we are now. So some of us are going to have a long walk ahead of us."

"Gravel roads and bare feet. That'll be fun," Danielle said.

"It'll have to be done. We barely have enough food left for lunch, and that's only because we skipped lunch yesterday. The other option is we try fishing and hunting with our new equipment, and frankly, that's a path I don't want to go down," Sam said.

"Aside from that, we'll need to make a roster. Take everyone's picture so we can send them back to Paul to spread around. So we can confirm we're all good, and to give him an idea of what we are now," Nicole said.

"We'll have to figure out how to keep them busy. A week's a long time, but let's figure out what to do today. Any ideas?" Danielle asked.

"Craft time would be a good start. Get them to hack up their shirts so we get some proper coverage," Nicole said. The others nodded, some tugging at their bunched up shirts.

"We figured it might be a good idea to have a hygiene talk with them too," Andrew suggested. "Especially with the guys, considering how we're plumbed now. Keep them split, boys and girls for now, and go over the basics."

"Is there much to go over?" Jim asked. "And what do you mean ''how we're plumbed now''?"

"I take it you haven't gone to the bathroom yet? As Nicole put it, the guys won't be writing their names in the snow any more."

The other three male adults looked surprised as it dawned on them. Danielle laughed and nudged her husband with her wing. "Oh relax. Girls can do it too. We just need to practice a bit more."

"But is there really that much we can go over? We don't really know how our bodies work now," Judy said.

"Approach it logically. We're familiar with the pieces, even if we don't know how they all work. So just make sure they know to keep things clean down there, and to not be putting things in the holes that shouldn't go in the holes," Andrew said. "And for the sake of this camp, ''nothing'' should be going into ''any ''holes."

Emily and Judy came out with toast, bacon and scrambled eggs, along with a fruit bowl. The adults dug in hungrily, conversation dying while they ate. Sam was the first to grab an apple and crunch into it with his beak, nibbling off chunks that felt right as he went.

"Tricky, but doable," he proclaimed after a moment. The actual bite from the fruit looked strange, but he was able to easily carve out small chunks with his beak as he went. A few others experimented, but most just focused on their meals.

"Okay, that was good. Thank you," Andrew said, wiping his beak and pushing his plate back. "We should get the kids up and ready."

"The kitchen's a bit tight, but we should be able to fit four of us in there to get breakfast ready for the kids. Whoever wants to help stay here," Judy said, gathering the dirty dishes. The adults split up their duties, and separated to get their charges ready for the day.

==Etzikom==

The cots were not comfortable to sleep on for humans. For griffons, they were worse. Sleeping on the back was impossible with the wings and tails. Most ended up on their sides, but as they fell asleep, their wings would relax and fall into the walking space left between rows of cots. Others chose to sleep on their belly and that worked best for the most part, but their relaxed wings tended to fall on both sides of the cot doubling the problems.

Scott O'Brian slept in late, exhausted not just from the change, but from literally growing a new arm and a leg on top of the wings. He was a belly sleeper, head tilted back, beak facing forward.His long tail feathers covered the back of his legs, reaching down to his feet. He finally woke with a jolt when he felt someone lifting his wing out of the way. His eyes snapped open, his mind spinning in confusion. He remembered the hint of strong dreams but the details fled quickly. He blinked a few times, noticing the dimly lit gym and the rows of occupied cots, forgetting where and what he was.

"Sorry," a familiar voice said quietly beside him. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Out of habit, he pressed down with his left hand, ready to lever himself up. He was thrown off balance, not just by his wings and tail, but by his right arm and leg. He stumbled and fell off the cot with a crash, the events of the day before snapping back into focus at the same time.

"Dad! Are you okay?" another voice asked from his other side.

He untangled his limbs and pushed himself up. Among the rest of the feelings he was sorting out, he realized his chest ached a bit from sleeping on his breasts. "I'm okay. I'm okay," he assured them. He pulled himself to his feet, amazed to actually be standing again, and focused on the people around him. Around the gym, many griffons and a few humans were looking his way. The griffon expressions were hard to decipher, but the humans looked worried, but he waved his hand in a hopefully reassuring way. Right beside him, two strange griffons were watching him anxiously. He remembered they were his wife and his son.

"Are you sure?" Beth asked, offering a scaly hand to him.

"I'm sure, I just forgot for a moment. Never expected to have my arm and leg back," he assured her. He took her hand and squeezed it. He held his other hand out to Chris and squeezed it as well.

It was late enough in the morning that the gym was half empty. They had tried to get as many into the gym as they could, but it had quickly become obvious not everyone would fit. So, many of the classrooms had been drafted as well, usually reserved for families with unchanged children.

"What time is it?" he asked, finally feeling awake. He shook his wings and wiggled his tailfeather, feeling the feathers rustle and fluff up. He pulled his wings back into a position that felt comfortable. He'd slept in his clothes. The shorts and underwear were tight across his hips, and the shirt had bunched up through the night. He tugged it down, back over his breasts as best he could.

"A little after 8," Chris confirmed; he held up his phone, the screen showing 08:06. "I've been up for about fifteen."

"After eight? Wow, I really slept in." Scott wasn't sure how he looked but he felt like he was grinning. He looked around the gym again, seeing some of the occupied cots nearest them were stirring. "Come on, let's let them keep sleeping."

They set off towards the entrance of the gym, carefully stepping around outspread wings and tails. The halls outside the gym were busy with griffons and humans. They made their way through the crowd to the cafeteria and joined the lineup for breakfast.

"So how was your sleep?" Scott asked as they waited. The line was moving steadily, but it was long.

"Surprisingly well. Those cots suck, but I was out like a light," Beth said.

Chris nodded in agreement. "Strange dreams though. I can't remember anything in particular but I remember they were very vivid."

"Yeah, same with me. I can't remember what they were about but I remember they were detailed," Scott said, twitching his tail to pull the feathers in tighter and lift it out of the way as a human volunteer pushed a cart of drinks past.

"How about you? How are you feeling?" Beth asked again, touching his arm to hint at what she was really asking about.

"I'm feeling whole again. Really whole. I never thought I'd be this way again but here I am," Scott said. "If they can figure out how this works, it will revolutionise medicine."

"Well that's something good that came from this," Chris noted. "But what are we going to do now? They say we can't go home yet, and even if we could, what are we going to do?"

Scott reached his wing out to hug his son. "They won't keep us here forever. It'll just be a week or so, and then we can go home. After that, we'll sort things out. For now, we just need to figure out what we are now, starting with how we eat."

The night before they'd eaten, but it was mostly just small stuff; snacks and soft foods that were easy to get into their beaks without much thought. It was fine for an emergency food rush, but Scott realized they would have to figure out how to eat more normal food, starting with the breakfast they were about to be served.

They reached the serving area, where volunteers, mostly human, were providing a basic breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, sausages and a variety of cereals and instant oatmeals were available, as well as a selection of fruit, juices, milk, coffees, teas and hot chocolate. A hastily written sign on the hot drinks warned people to let the drinks cool before drinking.

The family loaded up their trays and walked past the unmanned cash register into the dining hall. It was packed full of griffons, along with a smattering of humans. Most of the chairs were flipped around to give the griffons a better way to sit, but their tails and wings still partly blocked the paths between tables. There were a lot of mumbled 'excuse me's' as people weaved their way among the tables, the new griffons somewhat automatically pulling their wings or tails to the side to make enough room.

"Over there. Against the wall," Chris said. His hands were full, balancing a tray, so he swung his wing forward to indicate the table where another group was just standing up to leave. They managed to reach the emptied table first and set their trays down to claim it.

Scott sat down with his back to the room and studied his meal. He was still starving, but he wasn't sure how best to eat what he'd picked up. Finally he picked up a piece of toast slathered in peanut butter, and bit into it.

Eating with a beak, he discovered, was like eating with just your teeth and tongue. He could easily snip off a piece of food and snag the morsel with his tongue, pulling it back far enough to swallow. Chewing was basically impossible. With a bit of work, he could break bigger chunks up within his mouth, using his tongue to move it around. When he forgot and tried to chew more normally, it tended to send chunks of food out of his beak and onto the plate.

Not having lips any more made drinking particularly difficult. He soon settled into methods that felt somewhat natural. He picked up his coffee cup and blew on the liquid before dipping the tip of his beak into it and lapping a bit of the liquid up with his tongue. The coffee was hot on his tongue but bearable, and the familiar caffeine hit was nice. When the cup was down to the last drips, he tilted his head back and poured it directly into his mouth.

"I think I know what some of the dreams were about," Chris noted midway through the meal. The tip of his beak was a bit stained with jam and ketchup.

His mother tilted her head inquisitively, encouraging him to continue.

"I'm remembering a bit more now... Not the dreams, but more the lessons Mrs Karnes taught us about the Titans," Chris continued. He licked the edges of his beak a moment. "The Titans mentioned their first nights had a lot of dreams too, and things just felt easier after a good night's sleep. I think the dreams are basically a way to teach us how to griffon."

His mother nodded slowly. "That... that makes sense. It feels easier to move than it did last night. Even eating, it's not as hard as I feared it would be."

They finished their meals and lingered, sipping on their drinks. Scott twisted around in his seat and looked around the room. There was a steady stream of people coming in and out as they wrapped up their meals and he knew they should leave soon. Seeing the mixed group of griffons made him notice something.

"Can you pick out the kids?" he asked as he studied the crowd. "I mean the teens? The ones that changed?"

His wife and son looked puzzled but started looking around. Chris nodded after a moment and pointed out a few groups. "Yeah, I think I can tell a few of them. Not that I'm recognizing many, but there's something about us maybe?"

Scott nodded. "Right, I can't put my finger on it, but there's a subtle difference between the kids and the adults. Like the kids still have a bit of growing to do or something. Just like human teens I guess. But look at the adults, there's no difference. There were grandparents at the match yesterday, and a wide range of ages in general, but we all look the same. Well different but the same. Where are the grey hairs? The balding spots? Or whatever the age cues are for us now?"

"Mrs Karnes touched on that with the Titans I think," Chris confirmed. "Something about an age reset. As best as they can figure, all the Titans maxed out to be in their late twenties maybe, unless they were younger to start. Not sure how they figured that out, but there aren't any old Titans. Nor are there any old Griffons now."

Beth squeezed Scott's hand and seemed to smile. "Lucky us. We get to enjoy the prime of our new lives."

Scott squeezed her hand back and nodded, not sure what to make of that. He was still a bot overwhelmed by everything and just trying to put up appearances to support his family.

"In any case, it's a busy spot. We should probably get out of the way," he said, changing the subject. Before he could act on his suggestion, they noticed a somewhat familiar griffon wandering the room, pausing at random tables to talk to the people there. She spotted the family and started heading their way, obviously recognizing the group. Scott racked his mind, trying to figure out who she was.

"Good morning guys, I hope you slept well," she greeted them.

"Hi Coach, we did, all things considered," Chris replied.

Scott did a double take and finally recognized Coach Boyd. He shook his head in confusion. "Hi Brian, sorry, I forgot what you looked like."

The coach laughed and nodded, "We're all getting used to new standards. Jacob and I have been looking for all our students. I figure we've only found half of them so far, and most of them found us. Anyway, I'm glad I found you. We want all Leo Mayes students, and family of course, to meet out on the soccer field at 10AM. We'll go over what we expect of everyone for the next little bit."

Scott glanced over the coach's shoulder to an analog clock on the wall on the other side of the dining room. It jumped into focus automatically. "So an hour from now? We'll be there."

Brian nodded to them. "Right then. I've gotta keep looking. See you then."

==Spruce Coulee Camp==

Andrew walked to the first boys cabin, feeling the gravel of the path under his paws. He had to admit it wasn't as bad a feeling as he had feared; the walk to town might be more bearable than he was worried about. As he got closer, he could hear voices in the cabin and figured they were probably awake. He knocked on the door and walked in.

Six feathered heads turned towards him. They seemed to be as dressed as possible. Two had cut the legs off their pants and two more were wearing shorts. They had a third pair of pants in their claws and a pocket knife halfway through the fabric. The cutting griffon looked guilty.

"Good idea guys. As you can see, I had a similar one," he greeted them, nodding encouragingly to the cutter. "Good morning guys. Breakfast will be served shortly. When you're ready, head to the lodge and we'll get this day started."

He left the cabin and repeated the message at the next two, before retreating to the lodge to help the other adults. The teens trickled in in pairs or alone, grabbing a plate for breakfast before seeking a spot to eat, usually with friends. The idea of the cutoffs had spread fast, and everyone was in shorts now, either regular shorts or cut off pants. Most of them had also jammed a shirt on, but the idea of cutting that hadn't spread in time.

"Mr Karnes," he heard a quiet voice near him.

He looked over and took a moment to place the beak to a name. "Yes Cindy?"

"What's going to happen to us? Are we going home today?"

He sighed and shook his head. "We'll go over the plans shortly. But no, we probably aren't going home today. We may not know until next weekend."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry the news isn't better. But we're doing all we can to sort things out."

She walked back to join her group, wings dropping a little. Andrew sighed, and scanned the group again. He saw Sam also watching the crowd and wandered over.

"It's going to be a rough day," he said. "I think things are starting to sink in."

"Yeah, I heard you talking to Cindy. We'll get through it. It's interesting though, have you noticed it?" Sam said.

Andrew looked around, "Noticed what?"

"Noticed us. Think back to last night, when we wandered back from the woods and how we were around the lodge."

Andrew looked around again, but he wasn't really sure what he was looking at. He saw Nicole heading their way and waved his wing to catch her attention. "I don't see it."

"Their behaviour. Our behaviour. Watch them. See how they use their hands, handle their wings, move their tails, eat with their beaks. They seem more confident about it. Hell! ''We ''seem more confident about it."

"The Titans reported something like that. After the first sleep, they said they were a lot more coordinated than they were right after changing. Some called it a 'dream download' or something like that," Nicole explained, getting in conversation range.

She did her own scan of the dining hall and nodded. "Yeah, I can see the difference now. Yesterday, it was like we were learning to crawl, we didn't know how to handle our new limbs. Now, it looks like we're getting the knack of it."

Andrew nodded, seeing the obvious now. "That reminds me of something else I should clear up. In any case, it looks like everyone is here. It's squawking time."

Nicole groaned and slapped him with her wing. He grinned and headed to the front of the lodge, waving his wings to get attention. The noise level dropped a little but not much. He tried to clear his throat, but couldn't quite project enough to overcome the clatter of dishes and the chatter. Finally he cleared his throat and tried to shout louder. To his surprise, instead of a shout, it came out as a high pitched chirp-screech that silenced the room. He cut the screech off as suddenly as he let it out, beak clicking shut as all eyes turned towards him.

"Wow... I didn't know I had that in me," he said. "Good morning everyone. As you can tell, it wasn't a dream. We can still hope that it might reverse itself or they might figure out a way to change us back or something... but we have to be practical. We have to start planning for the long term.

"I know we were planning to go home today, but that's not going to happen. We heard on the radio that a quarantine is in place now, for at least a week. So we're stuck here. The good news is, technically we aren't cut off. Unlike the Titans, the world knows what happened to us in general. The bad news is, the phone line is down, so we can't call home."

The noise level rose for a moment as the teens took in the news. Most just grumbled unhappily, some shouted questions he ignored. Andrew waited a few beats then raised his wings again and glared at some of the noisier griffons until the room quieted down again.

"So, one of the first things we're going to do is send some people to Elkwater. They'll have a long walk ahead of them, but they should get into cell tower range fairly quickly and they'll contact Principal Clendenning and let him know what happened and we can start figuring out what to do next. Once they get to Elkwater, they'll look to get supplies we'll need to last the week.

"For the rest of us, we're staying here. We'll have a few things to do with you. We want to take a picture of each of you, one at a time, so we can let Principal Clendenning know what we've all become and he can then brief your parents. We also need to do some crafting time for our shirts and shorts. And finally, we'll have some lessons, to make sure everyone is clear what to do with your new bodies, as best as we know. There will be some obvious things, but we want to make sure we stay as healthy as we are now.

"Beyond that, you'll have free time. Get used to your bodies, within reason. Just stay out of the forest, stay out of the water, no climbing on anything, and especially do NOT try to fly. We can't call for help if you break a limb, so we're erring on the side of caution."

Andrew looked around the room and sensed a few were disappointed with the rules he was laying down. He hoped he wouldn't have to deal with a mutiny later. "For now, finish up your breakfast and relax. We'll call you in for photos when we're ready. Any questions?"

He saw a strange hand lift up from the far side of the room. It took him a moment to realize it was a human hand. Ricky and Emir were sitting at a table with Varujan and a few friends. The humans looked really out of place among the feathered folk. He pointed to Ricky and nodded.

"You said you had to walk to town. Why can't you take the truck?" he asked.

The room erupted in chuckles, and Andrew had to fight to keep his tone friendly. He spread his wings to make them more obvious. "We'd love to take the truck or the van. It's ten klicks to town after all. But we can't exactly fit in the driver's seat now."

"I can see that, but, why didn't you ask me? I'm sixteen now. I only have my learners permit, but I've driven on my uncle's farm all summer. I could drive for you."

Andrew froze and resisted the urge to face palm. He mentally kicked himself for missing the obvious. The room, sensing the shift in power, let out some random Ooos.

"You're right. I'm sorry, we never even thought of you. That would be perfect, and makes things a lot easier. Among other things, it means we can get supplies back easier. See me after breakfast and we'll figure out when you go and who will go with you."

There were a few more random questions, before Andrew dismissed them, letting the students finish their breakfast in peace. He collected a bin of dishes to take back to the kitchen and made his escape.

"Ugh, that was embarrassing. Why didn't we think of that?" he said once he was at the sink.

Nicole laughed, busy scrubbing some pans in the sink next to him. "Don't be too hard on yourself. None of us thought of it. It's a good solution."

"We're adults, we're used to being the ones in charge and running things. Having to depend on one of the kids goes against all our instincts," Sam pointed out. "It does make things a hell of a lot easier at least."

"Even if some of us will have to ride in the back of the truck. Better than walking at least," Nicole said.

As breakfast wrapped up, some of the students were recruited to help with the cleanup. The adults did a quick huddle to discuss the change in plans, and decided Nicole and Jim would ride in the truck with Ricky.

Nicole left to get her phone to start taking pictures to send when she got back online.

Andrew summoned Ricky to talk with the student. He was surprised Emir showed up as well, but ignored the exchange student for the moment. They walked out to the driveway to stand next to the vehicles. They looked so ''normal'' considering everything that had happened. He pushed the thoughts out of the way and focused on the teen.

"You said you know how to drive?" he asked.

Ricky nodded. "I do. I only have my permit, but I did drive over the summer."

"I think we can overlook your license status for the most part. Would you mind driving the truck? You'll have to be careful. Mrs Karnes and Mr Anderson will be riding in the back with you."

"It's not a bad drive. I can do it. Do it safely."

"Right, then you're hired. As soon as they've finished the photos, you will head in." Andrew shifted his attention to Emir. The exchange student seemed a bit nervous. "Do you want to go with them?"

"I would like to see cat-bird town," Emir said, nodding his head.

"Well, there probably isn't that much to see. Until yesterday it was just like any other town. But sure, you can go along. We'll be focusing on cat-bird things out here anyways, so a trip into town can keep you two busy. Go make sure your phones are charged and get anything you want to take with you. Mrs Karnes or someone will fetch you when they're ready."

"Thank you, Mr Karnes," the pair said, making their escape.

Andrew sighed and leaned back against the truckl, propped up by his wings. It was only mid morning and he was already exhausted, with a to-do list longer than his new wings. He was seriously considering having beer added to the shopping list Emily and the Stevens were building up.

An hour later, Nicole had a pad of paper with a numbered list of names on to help her remember who was who, and a folder on her phone with a set of photos. Judy and the rest of the parents organized the students, helping them adjust their shirts to be easier to wear. Jim, Andrew and Nicole gathered at the driveway with Ricky and Emir.

Nicole stood by the driver's door, looking in the cabin yearningly. It was obvious there was no way she would be able to squeeze into it. "I guess we'll have to sell it," she said to Andrew.

"Yeah. Not sure what we'll get to replace it though. Taking the buses will be tricky."

"We'll have to figure it out later." She turned to Ricky and lobbed the keys to him. "Hop on in and get things adjusted. It's automatic so it should be simple enough."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, catching the keys. He climbed in and began to adjust the seat and mirrors under the intense gaze of two griffons. Emir climbed into the passenger seat and clicked on his belt. Ricky turned the engine on and rolled down the windows.The griffons winced at how loud the engine roared when it started.

"Do you drive Emir?" Jim asked once the initial roar settled down to a throaty rumble.

"I do not. I want to learn, but lots of buses back home. No need there."

"Well, if Ricky does well, maybe he can give you some lessons while we're stuck here."

Jim saw the two teachers glare at him and shrugged. "What? Not as if they have anything else to do. And someone's going to have to drive the school van back."

"We'll see," Andrew said. He moved to the door and checked on Ricky. "You figure it all out?"

"I think so. Just like my uncle's truck," he said, checking the turn signals and the wipers.

Beside him, Nicole eyed the back of the truck curiously. Her wings twitched and she took a few steps back. Andrew realized what she was about to do when she fast stepped forward and jumped. Her wings flapped down, lifting her higher than any of them expected, easily lifting her above the bed of the truck. She landed in the truck bed and stumbled, letting out a grunt.

"What were you thinking?" Andrew shouted, louder than he intended. He quickly lowered his voice. "We're supposed to set a good example for the kids."

"I know I know. I... I don't know, I just wanted to try. It didn't seem that high up."

"Not that high up? You cleared the side by a good few feet," Jim said, shaking his head in amazement."We might not be able to fly, but apparently griffons can jump."

Before Andrew could object, Jim followed Nicole's example. He jumped but didn't get as much height, his downflap failing to lift him much higher. He still cleared the side of the bed, but only just. Nicole caught him before he fell off the other side.

Andrew groaned in frustration and gave up. "Just be careful. We don't want anyone getting hurt." He refocused on Ricky. "Where's your cell? Give it to Emir. You should get cell service by the time you get back on the paved roads. When you do, your phones are probably going to go nuts catching up on your messages. Just leave it alone, don't even look at it. When you get to Elkwater, you should hopefully be caught up and then you can park and look at the messages, or just ignore them."

"Yes, sir. I'll do that."

"How's the gas?"

"Half a tank. Should be more than enough for a trip to town and back,"

"Right, right. Maybe fill it up if you can find a station that's open. Gods, I hope something is open....." he shook his head and refocused. "Now remember, be careful. You're driving my truck and you're carrying my wife." He nodded his head to the student, then moved to the back.

For the first time he realized how short he had become. He used to be able to easily look into the back of the truck from the sides. Now, his head was barely level with the top of the bed railings. He straightened up more so his tail feathers dragged on the ground and reached up to Nicole. She took his hands and squeezed them.

"You be careful as well. We've heard the reports on the radio, but we don't know what's really out there."

She leaned forward and nuzzled him, beak to beak. "I will. I'm sure it's fine. We're still people even if we look different."

They separated and the griffons in the back of the truck settled down as comfortably as they could behind the cab. They grabbed the railings, and Nicole tapped on the back window. "Go ahead Ricky, we're ready."

The student, visibly nervous, checked the mirror and windows one last time. He put the truck in gear and pulled out slowly, being extra careful as he eased around the van in front. Jim and Nicole waved from the back as the truck slowly went down the driveway out of sight.

==Pakowki==

Mike made his way to the office. He was surprised, but grateful to see it was manned, or griffoned at least. A number of griffons were in there, doing various tasks. He stopped at the entrance and waited for someone to notice him.

"Can I help you?" a griffon at one of the front desks asked. He assumed she was a receptionist.

"Hi, I'm Mike Griffith, a teacher and coach from Leo Mayes."

"Good morning Mike. What can we do for you?"

"Paul, my principal, wants to talk to his teachers caught in this mess. Is there a room available we could use? There are four of us."

"Sure, we can probably figure something out. What do you need?"

"A quiet room somewhere, preferably one with a LAN connection maybe. Cell service is still a bit spotty. We need it for 10 this morning."

"That should be doable. Give me a sec." She turned away and flagged another griffon down. They chatted for a moment and checked some details on the computer.

She returned to her desk and tapped carefully on her computer, using two fingers and the tips of her talons. A printer whirred into life beside her. "Right, I've got you booked for an hour in room 110. It's a classroom."

"Thanks," Mike said, taking the paperwork with the network information.

He tracked down the rest of the teachers, and by ten they gathered in the classroom. The team officially only had two coaches, but the school had four teachers on the trip. Stephanie Jones had a daughter on the team, while John Dyer had joined as a fan and chaperone. The other three teachers moved desks around while Mike set up a tablet in a spot that would catch all of them. Shortly after ten, they lined up a few meters from the tablet and Mike activated the meeting.

The meeting was already active, their principal and vice principals joining from their homes. When the four griffons appeared in the virtual room, the gasps were audible.

"Oh wow," Erica said. The vice principal was the first to refind her voice.

"Hi guys. We're here," Tammy greeted the room.

"Morning.... Mike?.... Glad you guys could make it," Paul said, still shocked but trying to move along.

"That's actually Tammy," Mike corrected him. "I'm Mike. That's Johnny and Stephanie."

"Wow, yeah, this is going to take a bit to get used to. Glad to see you seem to be doing okay. We'll just wait a bit longer for Brian's group," Paul said.

"Have you heard from them yet?" Johnny asked.

"Briefly last night, and he acknowledged the meeting request this morning," Paul confirmed. "How about you?"

"Only through Ryan, last night. But my phone was dying and I was scrambling to find a charger. Don't worry, this one is plugged in."

The meeting fell silent for a few minutes with everyone quietly watching the screens. Paul obviously checked other windows for messages to no avail. Finally, he shrugged. "We'll catch-" he started to say when the room chimed with new arrivals.

Three more windows popped up, showing three more griffons, obviously joining through their phones. They were all outside, the cameras showing mostly their beaks and a hint of the sky and a school roofline. The views stuttered a lot. Like the Pakowki group, the boys team had four teachers on the trip; two coaches and two additional chaperones who were along for support. In this case, two griffons were sharing the same phone.

"So- -'er late. Had a m-m-m-meeting conflict," the first griffon said.

"The Etzikom team I assume? Your connection seems a bit rough. Maybe you should turn off your cameras," Paul suggested.

The other three stuttered, and then their images disappeared one at a time. "How's this?" the first speaker asked.

"Much better. I assume you can hear us fine?"

"A little bit of stuttering but it's workable," a second griffon said.

"As I was saying, sorry we're late. I had already told the team we'd be meeting at ten. I've got the parents watching the team until we get done here," the first speaker said. His ID said it was ''Brian Boyd.''

"Well, I'll try not to keep you for long," Paul said, taking charge of the meeting. "I just wanted to touch base with you guys, get an update, see how you are, and make sure we're all on the same page."

"Sounds good, Paul. This is Brian. The Etzikom team is fine. We have a number of parents, friends and family around, and four unchanged boys on the team itself. We're sorting ourselves out and trying to figure out what to do."

Paul wrote down some information as Brian spoke, nodding his head a bit. "Good good. Keep track of everyone out your way, especially the students who are in the quarantine, changed or not. The unchanged might be released early if they want."

"Mike here with the Pakowki group. We're in a similar state. Three unchanged girls, all younger ones thank goodness. We're giving everyone the morning to do what they want for now, but I'll be gathering them at one for a proper headcount and update."

"All younger? That's a strange modifier," Helen noted. The two vice principals were taking their own notes.

"An important one," Mike said. "Word spread quickly. There were three older girls who didn't change. It's one hell of a way to find out you're pregnant."

The principals winced in sympathy, obviously thankful they dodged that bullet. "That's good to hear," Paul said. "Are you all good where you are? Ready for the long haul?"

"Not really ready, but we're working on it. It's probably too soon to tell really," Brian said. "But we don't really have a choice." Mike nodded in agreement.

"Well, if you need anything, reach out to us and we'll do what we can. In the meantime, we're contacting the parents of all the students we know in the affected region, and setting up some mailing lists and groups. As soon as you can, send us a list of everyone with you, including any students and families that came down to watch the games. We want to know who to contact and who we can skip."

The coaches nodded. "Will do. We should have our list by early afternoon," Mike said.

"Same," Brian confirmed. "You might have trouble reaching some of the parents. I know a few of them raced down here before the lockdown started. I'm not sure where they are now."

"We had a few as well, but not as many. Pakowki's a bit further away," Mike confirmed.

Paul nodded and sighed. "We'll do what we can. For now, all we can do is gather the information and figure out what the situation is. Thanks guys for doing all this. It's a huge mess. I know you probably don't want to be stuck down there, but to be blunt, I'm a bit glad you'll be away for a week. It'll give us time to get ready up here for your return."

He paused and looked at his notes, "This is a mess to say the least," he repeated. "The initial numbers affected are scary, both for the students and staff."

"If you don't mind me asking, do those numbers include the Karnes group? I'm surprised they aren't here," Lisa Stairs said. She was the third Etzikom teacher.

"The Campers are still MIA," Erica said. "We knew they don't have cell service, so getting them online was a futile hope. But the landline is dead too, so we have no idea what happened out there. Elkwater is deeper in the zone than you guys, so we're assuming they all changed and we're contacting those families too, but it's just guesswork so far."

This time it was the griffon's time to wince. "That's rough," Tammy said. "Is there anything we could do to help?"

Erica smiled, "We appreciate the thought, but no, just focus on your groups. We've contacted the red cross and military, and let them know of the missing group. They'll send someone out to the camp as soon as they can spare a few people. It's not the best of news, but it's all we can do for now."

"Hopefully we hear about them soon then," Mike said.

"We all are hoping for that," Paul confirmed. He took a deep breath and focused on the screen. "Right, I know you have a lot to do, so I won't keep you any longer. If you need anything at all, please reach out to us, any time of the day. That goes for your students and anyone else down there that feels like they may need another channel to work through."

The griffons nodded in understanding.

"Good luck guys. I can't begin to imagine what you're going through, but we'll do our best to make your return as smooth as possible."

"Thanks. We'll do our best to get things sorted out down here. Oh! Brian! Could you ask Ryan to call me as soon as he has a minute? We talked briefly last night but our phones were dying. I just want to touch base with him; hear with my own ears that he's okay."

"Will do, Mike. Glad to see all of you at least. Wish it wasn't under these circumstances, but that's the world we're in now." Brian said.

Paul wrapped up the meeting. "Good, good. Seems like you're getting organized down there. I don't want to encumber you too much, but let's plan another call later tonight, maybe after dinner, around 7? And I want a staff meeting tomorrow with you guys and the Karnes group if they're online by then. Good luck guys."

Farewells were exchanged and the link died. Mike packed up the tablet and sighed, looking at his fellow teachers. "Well that went well."

"About what I expected," Stephanie said. "At least we only have to worry about ourselves and the teams. I can't imagine what Paul and them are going through."

"Nothing easy, that's for sure," Tammy said.

"Right. Go try to relax a bit, keep an eye on things. We'll meet everyone at lunch and make the lists for Paul, and go from there."

==Spruce Coulee Camp==

Andrew went back inside, heading for the kitchen where Danielle and Caleb were preparing lunch. He had mixed feelings about what he had just done. He knew they were too isolated, so getting someone out there to get more information and supplies was important. But at the same time, they knew so little about what was beyond the walls of their camp. They had the radio lifeline, but the information on the CBC station from Hat, or the stations from the States was woefully inadequate.

"I heard the truck. Are they gone?" Danielle asked.

"They're off. Into the great unknown," Andrew confirmed.

Caleb laughed, "It's only Elkwater, it's not that unknown. I hope the grocery store is open. This is all we've got left,"

Andrew looked over the supplies. It looked like a lot, but they had almost fifty beaks to feed. And teenagers still had hollow legs that had to be filled, whether they were human or griffon. "I'm sure there's something going on. They can't keep us bottled up without accounting for supplies."

As the kids decimated the last of the supplies, Andrew motioned for the rest of the adults to join them in the kitchen.

"Hopefully they'll leave something for us. But I'd like to plan the afternoon a bit. We need to do some talks with the kids. Go over basic hygiene and other things they should be aware of," he started with.

"Sure, what are you thinking of?" Sam asked.

"Divide and conquer. Girls with one group, boys with the other. At least one teacher and one parent with each group. Damn, I wish Mike was here."

"Mike?" Emily asked.

"Mike Griffith. He's the bio teacher. He's been following the Titans since the news broke, even more than Nicole did," Sam explained.

"He's also the girl's soccer coach. So he's probably an actual griffon now, over in Pakowki," Judy noted.

"In any case, he's not here, so we'll have to figure it out on our own. Just cover the basics. We've got both now; we have to assume it all works. So make sure the boys learn the basics to clean, as well as any sex talk you feel is appropriate to warn them about. Judy, I want you to basically take the lead on that. Sam and I will cover the girls group. We don't have as much to go over but best to go over the basics. Emily or Danielle could you stay with us? Caleb, I'd suggest you stay with Judy."

"Emily, why don't you go with the girls. It might be a bit less awkward if the parents are not with their children," Danielle suggested.

"Sure, that makes sense."

Their ears perked up in unison as they heard the rumble of an engine approaching.

"They can't be back already, can they?" Danielle asked.

"Maybe something's wrong?" Caleb asked.

Andrew got up and shook his head. "I don't know. But that's not my truck. Let's go see."

==Road to Elkwater==

Nicole gripped the bedrail for support, watching Ricky through the back window of the truck. The boy put the truck into gear and pulled out carefully, clearly nervous with the responsibility he was shouldering. He started down the gravel driveway, going slower than Nicole would have, but clearly being careful.

"You're doing fine," she called out, encouraging him.

He glanced at her via the rearview mirror and nodded before his eyes focused on the road. The road itself was in good shape, a few potholes but nothing that was dangerous, especially at the speed he was crawling at.

A few minutes later, they passed the gate and signpost. Ricky stopped and signaled, taking a long time to look in both directions. Nicole looked back at the gate, shaking her head. So much had happened in just a couple of days, she could barely remember what she'd been thinking when she saw it a few days ago.

Ricky pulled onto the pavement and started heading south west, the road taking a long curve behind the ski hill on the eastern edge of the town. With a smoother ride, Nicole took her phone out of her purse and turned it on. Using it with talons in a moving vehicle was difficult, but she managed to tap in her passcode after two attempts. She kept glancing at the signal indicator, willing the bars to light up. One bar lit up and she held her breath. Seconds later her phone began to vibrate as the first messages came in. She flicked her ears, hearing more buzzing coming from the other phones. Ricky glanced down quickly but just as quickly he looked back up.

"Yes, we're back online," she called out. "Damn... Wow..." The trickle of messages was growing quickly, missed call notifications, facebook and email alerts, texts and more. Technically parents weren't supposed to have her number, but Medicine Hat was a small city and her contact had gone around. She lowered her phone and waited for the flood to settle.

"These are strange places to park," Ricky noted, almost shouting to be heard. They had just passed their third car parked on the side of the road with nothing around.

"They probably belong to people who were caught on the road," Nicole explained. "The Titans had that problem, but it was tempered because of the blizzard."

"But where are they?" Emir asked, twisting around to try and see in the car.

"Hopefully they walked back to town or something," Jim said. He didn't say it aloud, but the abandoned cars reminded him of ''The Walking Dead''. He had to keep reminding himself they weren't about to be swarmed by zombies.

Being on paved roads that were fairly empty gave Ricky the extra confidence to speed up a bit, though he was still going well under the speed limit. He suddenly tensed up, looking ahead. "Guys, someone's coming."

The griffons leaned out and looked ahead. The road was arrow straight with a clear line of sight all the way to the intersection with the road to Elkwater. A jeep was just turning onto it.

"Watch for a safe spot to pull over, and we'll greet them," Nicole said. She focused on the oncoming jeep and it popped into clearer view, It was a dusty green, with military markings on it. She could tell there were two people in it, but the glare from the sun kept her from seeing them cleanly.

Ricky slowed the truck, signalled, and pulled off onto the shoulder before putting it into park. Nicole gripped the rail and hopped over, feeling her paws hit the gravel. Jim jumped down from his side.

"Stay inside," she ordered. She didn't know why she ordered it, but it felt right for some reason. With how much their world had gone topsy-turvy, she was feeling a bit of ''Strange Danger'' fear.

The jeep stopped a few car lengths away from them and a man and woman got out. They were dressed in fatigues and seemed friendly. The woman looked familiar, but Nicole couldn't place her.

"Ahoy there! Where yah from?" the man called out, having a bit of an east coast accent.

"Medicine Hat normally, but we're staying out at the Spruce Coulee Scout camp," Nicole replied.

The woman gasped in recognition. "Andrew? Is that you?"

Nicole tilted her head. "No, I'm Nicole, his wife."

The woman almost ran to get closer. "Oh thank goodness. We've been worried sick about you guys. We haven't heard from you since it happened, and no one knew how you were."

"The land line to the camp isn't working, and we don't get cell service," Nicole explained, still confused. "But we're doing fine, considering. I'm sorry, who are you?"

The woman stopped a few steps away and looked at the two griffons. "Sorry, I'm Nikki Gibson, Vicki's mother."

Nicole and Jim relaxed. "Oh, great! Sorry, we weren't expecting to bump into anyone out here," Nicole said.

"Yeah, things are more than a bit chaotic. If he wasn't already bald, Mr Clendenning would be pulling his hair out, between you guys and the soccer teams.... The parents haven't been easy on him, but he's been doing his best," Nikki said.

"When the forces were mobilized to move in and offer help, I jumped at the chance. I pulled some strings with my superiors to get permission to check on you guys, and here we are," she explained. "What are you doing out here? Is everything okay at the camp?"

"Everything is fine," Nicole confirmed. "Honestly, everyone's doing great considering. We're keeping the kids busy. But, we had planned to leave today, so we only brought enough food for a few days. Since we aren't leaving any time soon, we're doing a food run. Thank goodness Ricky and Emir didn't make the cut."

The boys waved shyly from the cab. "You boys can come out if you want," Jim said. "I'm Jim Anderson, Clive's father." He offered his hand.

Nikki's partner hesitated then took the offered talons. "Shaun Brodie. Pleased to meet you. You know about the quarantine?"

"We couldn't reach out, but we have power and water, and a radio. We've gotten the basics from the CBC Radio and some of the Fort Parker radio stations. It gave us a heads up about the affected areas and the quarantine plans. How bad are things in Pakowki and Etzikom?"

Nikki shook Jim's hand as well and nodded to the boys as they got out. "Confusing. Not bad, but it's a big impact. Pakowki and Etzikom were hosting the annual tournament. Teams from eight schools were there, both boys and girls teams. Half the schools aren't even in the change area. On top of the teams, there's the families and friends that went out to cheer them on too. I don't think we'll have a clear picture of how many were changed until everyone gets home."

"What a mess," Jim said, shaking his head.

"My Vicki. You said the kids are fine. Are they really?"

"They are fine. A bit subdued from shock on the first night, but we were all feeling that... are all still feeling that. But we did feel a bit better this morning, so we're just trying to figure out what to do next. Andrew and the rest of the adults are doing their best to keep them busy so they don't think to start experimenting too much."

"Good, good. Thank you. Thank you for doing this. What does she look like now?"

"Give me a sec, I can show you," Nicole said, going back to the truck to get her phone. The flood of messages was still trickling in, but she was able to ignore them to bring up her gallery. "What I wouldn't give for a good set of nail files right about now," she said as she carefully swiped through the pictures, working around her talons. She finally stopped at a picture of a griffon with head markings similar to a Kildeer; mostly brown on her head with a white band going back from her eyes, and another white band around her neck. Her ears were grey-furred with black spots, similar to a bobcat. She held a whiteboard with the number 18 written on it.

"She's beautiful," Nikki responded, peering at the screen. She held out her hand for the phone. "May I?"

Nicole handed her phone over, and the two humans huddled to examine the shots. "Once we got online and I could call Paul, we wanted to let him know what was going on out here, and who was who. So we took shots of everyone, and I've got a list to match beaks to names. Andrew is number 3. Judy Davidson is 2 and Sam Arnold is 4. His picture doesn't do him justice, he's got a lot more purple in him that the phone didn't seem to pick up.

"Would you mind if we copied these pictures? And your list?" Shaun asked after a moment.

"You can try, but I don't know how well it would work. We barely have 2 bars out here."

Shaun pulled out his own phone and started flicking through screens. "No worries, I can pair locally."

"So, you've come from town. What's it like? Can we get some food in there?" Jim asked, shifting the subject.

"It's crazy, but you should be able to. Between the number of people caught stranded, and people not expecting to have to be stocked up, we can't leave you starving. Our first priority was getting the IGA opened, and the Home Hardware and a few of the gas stations."

"Should we think about moving? Get the kids closer to town?"

"Done!" Shaun interrupted them. He handed Nicole her phone back while checking through the pictures.

"You're probably best off staying at the camp. It doesn't have cell access, but it has water and power and shelter. There were a lot of people caught on the roads who don't have a place to stay here. We're basically looking for every camp and cottage and spare room we can find to house everyone as is."

"I can get on the radio later. There are portable cell towers they use for disaster coverage. We can probably get one sent out to your camp by the end of the day so you'll have some connection again," Shaun suggested.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you," Nicole said. "I take it you are going to keep going to the camp?"

"Yeah. I've gotta see Vicki with my own eyes. I'd like to stay out there, if you don't mind. I want to help you guys as much as I can," Nikki replied.

"We have the room, we won't say no to another adult or two. Especially adults with proper hands." Nicole wiggled her talons. "These are awkward to use, in case you haven't noticed. We can't even really use scissors."

"So what's the town like?" Jim asked.

"Surreal. Most everyone still seems a bit shocked. But people are trying to sort things out," Shaun explained. "We're setting up a base outside of town, near the grocery store. I'm not sure what we're doing exactly, but we're trying to help where we can, even if it's just manning the stores while you figure things out."

"Is that all?" Jim asked. "It sounds like the Americans are doing a lot more."

"They were a lot better prepared," Nikki said. "They were caught flat footed with the Titans, but they've been planning for this ever since. For us... I don't think we expected to do anything, so we're following their lead I guess and doing what we can. Ottawa and Edmonton are arguing as usual, which isn't helping."

The adults winced in sympathy. "Thanks for the news. And thank you for offering to help," Jim said.

Shaun offered a few business cards. "You probably won't be able to reach us once we're at the camp, but that's our commanding officer. You're going to need a lot of food to feed fifty mouths, so if anyone gives you any hassle, call him. Say you met us, and he'll get you sorted out. He knows why we're out here."

"Thanks for the advice, and the news. We'll catch up more later, but for now, we'd best get going. There are going to be a bunch of hungry folk tonight if we don't get there and back."

"Of course. Of course," Nikki said. "And thank you for taking care of them. Knowing you and your husband were out here in charge did ease some of our fears."

==Spruce Coulee Camp==

Andrew and Sam stepped out just as the jeep pulled up behind the van. They stood at the door of the lodge, watching curiously as the two climbed out. He squinted slightly and the humans jumped into focus. The man he didn't recognize, but the woman seemed familiar. He racked his brain to try and place her face, relaxing the focus so they jumped back away. The woman spotted them and waved cheerfully towards them.

"Hi Andrew, I hope you don't mind us dropping in," she called out.

"Nikki? Nikki Gibson?" he said, finally putting a name to a face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She reached the pair of griffons at the door, and hugged him, slipping her arms around the strong feathers of his wings. "It's a safety check. You guys are off the grid, so someone had to check on the kids, make sure you're okay."

He hugged her back carefully, his mind racing. "Thank you.... How did you know it was me?"

They separated and she smiled. "We met your wife, Jim and the boys on the way. She briefed us on how things were here, and we briefed them on where to get supplies."

"That explains a lot," Sam said. He held his talon out to her partner. "I'm Sam Arnold, music teacher... maybe former music teacher. We'll see."

"Corporal Shaun Brodie. Good to meet you," Shaun said. He tilted his head. "Funny, I don't see what Nicole was talking about. You are impressive, I'll give you that; but you look just like the picture on her phone."

"That picture? You'd have to be blind to think he looks like that. It washed all his deep purples out," Andrew said. "Anyways, come on in, I'm sure you want to see Vicki, and she'll want to see you.

In the kitchen, introductions were made, and the military pair did a really quick update on what the rest of the area was like. Nikki kept looking towards the dining room, so Judy stopped Shaun in mid explanation.

"Let's tell everyone all at once. Give me a second to get the kids ready."

Lunch was finished and the dishes stacked, waiting to be brought back. Some of the teens had gone back outside, but most were still in the dining hall. They'd heard the jeep's arrival and knew something was up, and were eager to find out what. Judy scanned the room quickly, and noted where Vicki was.

"Hi everyone. As you probably heard, we have some visitors. They have some updates on what's going on, and are here to help us." Judy said, her wing extended to hide the doorway. She glanced back and saw the humans were waiting, and lowered her wing, revealing them.

"MOM!" The air was split by an excited screech of joy, followed by the clatter of a bench getting knocked over. Vicki leaped to her feet in excitement and then onto the table. Her wings spread wide and she leaped forward, not quite flying but certainly gliding as she covered the distance to the kitchen door.

Nikki only had time to take a few steps forward before she was tackled. She oofed and hugged her daughter while struggling to keep her balance. Vicki's wings surrounded the human, hiding her and muffling their words.

"Wow, that was impressive," Shaun said.

Andrew nodded as well. "That it was. I did not think we could do that."

The rest of the kids were starting to recover, picking up the bench, and mopping up a few glasses of water that got spilled from her takeoff and flight.

"Makes you wonder if we might actually be able to fly," Sam said, shaking his own wings.

"Impossible! the physics are all wrong," Judy said, but she had to admit to herself that the possibilities were lurking.

Andrew moved deeper into the room, glancing at the mother and daughter still embracing and mumbling. "As you can see, we have some guests here, people here to help us out. Let's give Vicki and her mom some peace while we clean up. We'll gather around the fire pit outside and get an update on what's going on outside."

==Elkwater==

Elkwater was a town of about ten thousand people, built on the shore of its namesake lake. Its economy was largely tourism based, servicing the camps and resorts in the Cypress Hills provincial park. It was also a transportation service hub, on the main route between Medicine Hat and Fort Parker, one of the key links between the TransCanada Highway and I-98. The eastern end of the town was its original core, built in the early 20th century. The west end of the town was the modern commercial district, with the highway links and other modern amenities, along with the suburban area where most of the town's population lived.

Ricky crested a hill, and the forests abruptly gave way to a view of Lake Elkwater, and the sleepy wood framed buildings of the original town mostly hidden by the forest that surrounded the lake.

"Pull into a parking lot when you get a chance. This is as good a time as any to take care of the phones," Nicole said.

Ricky nodded and pulled into the first business he found, a gas station that was closed. There were a half dozen cars in the parking lot, including two at the pumps, but a hand written sign said it was closed, with an emergency contact number.

"They must have been pumping gas when the Change happened," Jim noted.

"At least they hung up the nozzles. Take your time, guys, and call home. Let your families know you're safe and unchanged."

"Is there anything we should say or not say?" Emir asked.

"Nope. Be honest. I'm sure your family in Turkey will be happy to hear you got through this unchanged at least. Feel free to wander around a bit if you want some privacy. Just stay in ear shot."

"Ear shot?" Emir asked, puzzled by the term.

"Close enough to hear if we shout for you," Ricky said. "Come on, Let's get in the shade over there."

Nicole hopped off the truck onto the parking lot pavement. She could feel the heat and the roughness on the pads of her feet but it wasn't too uncomfortable. While it was late September, it was still a beautiful sunny day in the mid-twenties. She wandered over to the pumps so she would be shaded by the canopy, and unlocked her phone. She pressed Paul's contact and waited.

''This is Paul Clendenning. I can't take your call right now, but if you leave your name and number and a message, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.''

She stared at her phone in surprise, hanging up the call before the voicemail would start recording. She'd been dreading the call all morning, but she hadn't anticipated it going to voicemail. She flicked her ears, listening to her companions. They had all reached someone and were talking up a storm.

"Well, something's going right at least," she mumbled. She started looking up the school's phone number, hoping he might be in his office to handle this mess. She was saved by her phone buzzing with an incoming call. Caller id showed it was Paul.

"Hey Paul. We're okay. We're all safe," she greeted her principal, getting the important information out first.

"Thank god. What happened? Where the hell have you been? Where are you now?" he babbled out. His voice was a mix of stress and relief.

"You know what happened. The landline was down at the camp, so we had to head into town. We're at the Scholton's Gas station outside Elkwater right now. It's closed, but it's in cell range."

"Scholtons? How'd you get there? Did you walk?"

"No, we drove. Well, Jim and I rode in the truck with Ricky driving. Ricky and Emir escaped the Change."

"That's a small boon. None of your girls escaped?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nope, Rick and Emir were the only ones.... Why do you ask?"

"How much have you heard in general?" he replied, partly dodging the question.

"We have a radio. We know the size of the zone, and we know the soccer tournament was this weekend."

"Yeah. It's a mess. Needless to say, you won't be alone when you get home. I've been working with Principal Jones at MHHS and the other schools to figure out how best to handle all this. That's why I missed your call."

"Right. So why were you asking about our girls?"

"Three Grade 12 girls dodged the Change. One from MHHS, another from Coutts and the third from Elkwater."

"Lucky them. Were they young?" .

"No, they were seventeen. And they weren't late bloomers."

Nicole flicked her ears, puzzling over the mystery Paul was presenting. "But how could.... Oh!"

"Yeah. Oh indeed. They didn't even know they were pregnant. One is only a few weeks along."

"Damn.... Just... Damn..."

"Luckily, that's not one of my headaches, especially now that you've checked in. Last I heard, they were trying to get those girls out, but the Elkwater girl doesn't have an out to go to, and she's the only human left in her family."

"Sounds like you're having a fun time," Nicole said. She switched her phone to speaker mode and brought up her email program. "I'll try not to add much to your workload. We bumped into Nikki Gibson on the way in, and she gave us a bit of an update."

"Excellent. I've been blowing up the phone, trying to get someone out your way, to no avail, until she got ahold of me. She pointed out she was mobilizing to go in, and suggested she could head your way."

"Thanks for doing it. Having some human adults will certainly help. We're making due, like all of us are I'm sure. But someone who has proper hands is quite a boon. She already suggested her and her partner could stay at the camp and coordinate."

"Partner? Her husband is with her?"

"Military partner; her coworker. A guy named Shaun. Nice enough fellow. Didn't seem too unnerved by us," Nicole corrected him.

"Ah right. Well that's good. Good you're back in touch with us. It's been quite the challenge sorting things out."

She composed a quick email with a link to her photo album. The phone finally had enough bars to sync to the cloud so the pictures were available to anyone. "Well, sorry to add a bit of workload, but this will hopefully satisfy some of the parents. I'm sending you a link with some pictures we took this morning to show who everyone is now."

"Thank you, I appreciate it. It will be useful. So what are you doing now? You know about the quarantine right?"

"We know about it, and we're getting ready for it. The big reason we came into town, aside from touching base, is to get food. We were supposed to be home today after all... hell we would've been almost home by now."

"Good luck then. I'll let you go now since you clearly have stuff to do.Call me if you need anything... maybe call me before you go back to camp even if you don't need anything."

"Will do. Thanks Paul. It sounds like Nikki and her partner intend to join us to help us out. They said something about getting a cell booster sent out our way, so we might get back online at the camp too."

She hung up and sighed. Looking around the gas station, she saw the others were still talking, so she tapped her phone, sending a few quick messages to her family and friends, outlining her situation.

Duties done, she lowered her phone and stretched, spreading her wings wide. She wiggled them, feeling the big feathers catch the air and tug her body. She experimentally moved different parts of her wing, getting used to how they moved. Flying didn't seem quite as impossible as it seemed yesterday, but she had no idea how it would happen.

She walked back to the truck with her wings extended. It was a different feeling compared to how she normally held them. They caught the air, so she felt a little like she was treading water in the air. They did have a weight to them, but she didn't really notice it any more; She no more noticed the weight of her wings than she noticed the weight of her arms or legs.

Back at the truck, she gave her wings a shake and brought one forward. She ran her talons through the feathers, not quite sure what she was doing, but finding it felt nice and relaxing.

Jim was the next to return to the truck. He was pensive, tucking the phone back into his pocket.

"Did you reach Cindy?" she asked him.

He nodded. "I did. We had a good talk. She's glad we're okay. We talked a bit, and she'll spread the word to the other families for us."

"Good. Paul's got a lot on his mind as is. He's got the link to my photo album. But you seem bothered."

"Yeah, I'm bothered by what's going to happen next. What will happen when we get home? She's my wife, but we're not the same species any more."

Nicole shook her head. She knew the stats coming out from the Titans, and his future was't the best; the divorce rate of Titan-Human couples was sky high. Instead of telling him that, she tried to be encouraging without lying. "You'll have to work that out once you're together. For now, take it a day at a time, and figure out what you and Clive are now. We're all in this together at least, so you aren't alone."

"Yeah, but it's still scary. So, are we ready to go shopping?"

"First we gotta guide Ricky through town." Nicole looked to the side of the parking lot where the boys were resting under some trees. "Boys! Are you almost done? We should get going."

Ricky made a ''just a minute'' gesture and kept talking. Nicole flicked her ears and tried to listen in a bit. She couldn't make out the other person, but Ricky was clearly trying to wrap up the conversation. She could also hear Emir next to him, speaking in his own language. They quickly wrapped up their calls and soon the group was back on the road.

==Spruce Coulee Camp==

Once the mess from dinner was cleaned up, the griffons gathered outside around the firepit. Everyone was looking expectantly towards the adults and the two human guests, eager for news. Andrew assessed the situation and decided to start.

"Right, in case it isn't obvious, we aren't going home today. We probably won't be going home until next weekend. But don't worry, we'll look after you all. Mrs Karnes and Mr Anderson, along with Ricky and Emir, are out getting supplies we need, and everything else we'll figure out as we go.

"In the meantime, we do have some guests who will be joining us. In a moment, they'll let us know what they know about what's going on. After that, we'll break into two groups. All the boys will go with Miss Davidson into the dining hall. The girls will go with Mr Arnold...." He paused and looked around. He finally waved vaguely towards the cabins. "Over there maybe. Somewhere not near the lodge. We'll cover some basics that we've figured out, or can logically assume, to make sure we don't break our new bodies.

"After that, it'll be free time until supper time, or until Mrs Karnes and the others return. When they come back, we'll want some volunteers to help unload the truck and prepare dinner of course. Same rules as usual apply. You can hang out in the dining hall, the cabins or the fields. Stay away from the water, and stay out of the woods. And under no circumstances are you to climb or otherwise try to fly. Any questions?"

Patricia raised her hand and he nodded to her. "Would you reconsider the water? I would like to try to swim."

He bit back his initial urge to reject the request and decided a more diplomatic answer was in order. "We'll see later today. But regardless, only approach the water with an adult. We have a lot to figure out about our new bodies, and we don't want anyone to have any accidents, especially when we're so immobile. The hospitals are a long ways away when you can't drive."

She nodded and seemed satisfied with the response. He glanced around and there didn't seem to be any other questions pending. "Lieutenant Gibson, the log is yours," he said, offering a hand to help her step up.

"Thank you, Mr Karnes." She scanned the crowd and smiled at her daughter. "Hi everyone. As you may have realized, I am Lieutenant Nikki Gibson, Vicki's mom. This is Corporal Shaun Brodie. We're part of the initial response team responding to the Griffon Event that happened here. Information is still very sparse, but there are a lot of people converging on this area to try and figure things out. Here's what we know so far.

"The centre of the event seems to be the tripoint, where Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana meet. Like the Titan event, it seems to be about a 100 kilometer radius from that centre, which means it's a fifty-fifty split between Canada and the US. Since the American's have a bit more experience in these events, we're letting them take the lead in studying it, while we focus on helping you guys adjust.

"Our first priority is safety and shelter. We're canvasing the region, looking for anyone who was stranded by the Change, and helping them get somewhere safe, whether it is back to their homes or to a temporary shelter. The area is quarantined as you've heard; no one will be allowed to leave it for a week. This is mainly for your health and safety while we work out what you are now. Since you all seem to have a good set up here, we're probably going to keep you here for the week. By next week, we should have figured out how to get you home to your families.

"I realize the lack of phone services is frustrating. I've only been here a half hour and I'm feeling cut off. Repairing the phone line probably isn't really feasible, and wouldn't be near capable of handling the online needs of forty teens. So soon after this meeting, I'll be sending Corporal Brodie back to Elkwater to request a portable tower for the camp or maybe a Starlink. I don't know what we've got but one way or another we will get you back online.With any luck, you'll be back in touch with your families by tonight. Tomorrow at the latest.

"I'm sorry I don't have much more information. It's only been a few hours, not even a day yet, and people are still moving into position. Hopefully we'll know more tomorrow. Are there any questions?"

"How did this happen? Why did this happen?" Varujan called out quickly.

Nikki shrugged. "No one knows. It's a mystery people have been studying since last March and no one has any idea."

"Will it happen again?" one of the girls asked.

"Once again, no one knows. It's been six months now, and only Titan's Step and now this region have been affected. It just hasn't happened enough yet for us to establish any patterns."

"Can't we be changed back to normal?" someone else called out.

"If anyone knows how, they haven't shared it. The Titans have had six months to deal with this so far, and none of them have changed back. As far as we can tell, this is permanent. You are griffons now."

That was a sobering thought that hit the students hard. The rest of the questions had a similar theme, but the only answer to most of them was a variation of ''I don't know.'' It was a frustrating session. Andrew stepped back up to break the cycle.

"I think that's enough for now. As noted, we haven't even been like this for a full day yet. Answers are going to be thin until we figure out more, and a lot of that figuring will be on our own.

"That said, there are some obvious things that probably haven't changed much between humans and griffons. Or at least some things we can infer based on our collective experiences. So we're going to break into two groups and go over those basics to try and get everyone on a similar page. Boys, I'd like you to head into the dining hall, and Miss Davidson will join you shortly. Girls, I'd like you to head over to Cabin 1 and Mr Arnold will join you. Parents, you can go with whatever group you wish to go."

He watched the group split apart before turning to the humans. "I know you're about to head out, but you're welcome to listen in on either group. Frankly, the subject matter we have to cover is a bit sketchy, so I wouldn't mind a few more adult witnesses to cover my tail. But we do feel it is something important to cover, to make sure everyone starts off on the right paw."

"I might duck into one of them after Shaun leaves, but you seem to have things well in hand," Nikki said. "I want to record a message for Shaun to take back, to send to Paul and the other parents to confirm that everyone's good here."

"Sure. Do you need me for anything?"

"If you don't mind, and if the others don't need you, I wouldn't mind recording you a bit."

Andrew nodded and motioned towards the lodge. "I'm sure Sam and Judy have things under control. Let's head to the driveway."

==Elkwater==

Ricky drove slowly through the town, almost at a walking space. It was obvious that most of his practice was in wider open spaces and he wasn't used to urban driving. The streets were lined with parked cars, but there wasn't much actual vehicle traffic. They saw a lot of griffons, most of whom turned to watch them curiously.

"Straight through this intersection, and then it's a clear shot to the shopping area," Nicole reassured Ricky, pointing ahead. The road after the intersection had fewer parked cars and the signs for the IGA and a few fast food restaurants could be seen ahead. There was also more vehicle traffic in the area.

Ricky gulped and nodded, triple checking in both directions before pulling forward. He kept crawling until the entrance to the grocery store came up and he could pull in.

"A lot of cars in here," Jim noted.

"The change started at 10 on a Saturday. I'll bet you most of these cars are abandoned now," Nicole said. She leaned forward to speak to Ricky. "Just find a spot near the end, we can walk from there."

The boy nodded and looked around to pick his target. He pulled into one of the first available slots and killed the truck, slumping back in relief.

"You did good. Thank you, Ricky," she assured him.

She and Jim hopped off the back of the truck and stretched. Looking towards the grocery store, they could see some people, human and griffon, at the entrance. Looking across the street, the Home Hardware store was less busy but was apparently open. One end of its parking lot abutted an empty lot, and it was obvious that's where the military was setting up their camp. There was a steady stream of trucks, jeeps and buses bringing in or sending out people and equipment.

"Let's get going. You guys grab some carts, while I find a manager. Hopefully he doesn't mind us decimating his stock," Nicole said, taking the lead. At the entrance, there were a number of fresh signs up, explaining what would be covered for those in need and that amounts may be limited. She entered the building and looked around.

There was a soldier set up at the entrance, and more manning the registers. A few griffons were working with them, but seemed to be more advising than doing much work. There were a fair number of customer griffons there as well, some with younger children who hadn't changed. She approached the soldier.

"Can I help you?" he asked. He was leaning against the gates, watching the entrance.

"My name is Nicole Karnes. I'm a teacher at Leon Mayes High in Medicine Hat," she introduced herself. "I was on a school trip to the Spruce Coulee Scout Camp with students when this happened. Since we can't leave, we're going to need food."

"Right, how many are you shopping for?" he asked, sounding a bit bored.

"Just under fifty. Thirty-eight teens and eight or ten adults."

The soldier froze and looked a bit surprised. "That... That's a lot of people. Let me call the manager."

"Sure, we're not in too much of a rush."

The soldier turned away and started speaking over the radio. While Nicole could hear what they were saying, she politely tuned them out, looking past him into the store. The grocery store seemed to be well stocked at first glance, as she looked closer at the produce section nearest them, she could see it was more sparsely filled than it first appeared.

"They'll be right out," he said, turning back to her. She nodded again and soon spotted a griffon and a human officer

"Good day, I'm Sam, general manager here. I understand you are looking to do a big order?" she introduced herself. Nicole started to mentally correct her thinking, then realized the manager's name could be male or female.

"Yes, I've got a camp full of hungry teens, and no food left. We were to go home today, but that obviously isn't happening."

"Sure, we should be able to handle that. Let me call a couple helpers to give you a hand. Where are you staying?"

"We're out at the Scout camp, at Spruce Coulee," she explained.

"Beautiful area. There are certainly worse places where you could have been caught in this sort of mess." As they spoke, the manager opened the gate and waved the group to enter. They started walking through the produce section.

"It is. We've been bringing a group out there for years now. The only problem is, it's rather isolated. We haven't really heard much so far. I mean, is there anything we need to eat? Or shouldn't eat?"

"From what I've heard, we can handle anything we want. Seems like allergies were cured along with everything else. But some things are better than others. Soups are tough, but chilis and canned pasta aren't too bad. Vegetables, steaks, chops, chicken are all good. Generally pick things you don't need to chew much."

"Good to know, though I might have been hoping for some restrictions to make our choices easier."

She laughed and nodded, "Understandable. I'd suggest you go for the basics. We can get you a good selection of fruit and veggies to start; those are always good for general snacking, then I'd suggest some chops, chicken and steaks. Stuff that's easy to cook. I've heard some have tried eating raw meat, but it's probably not wise."

"We certainly won't take a chance with that," Jim said. "We'll probably want to go lighter on the pork too; we've got a few that may have religious concerns."

Sam led them to a side counter. Normally it would be filled with premade salads and sandwiches, but it was almost empty. There were a large number of fruit boxes and other containers stacked around it, waiting to be unpacked. A few soldiers were sorting among the boxes.

"Normally, we'd be chopping and repacking all this up for our lunch rush, but that's not happening any day soon. So let's load you up here," she said, grabbing an empty fruit box. She dumped in a half box of apples, followed by various citrus fruits and bananas.

"Uhm, shouldn't you be counting or weighing that or something?" Nicole asked.

Sam dropped the first box into their cart and pointed to another box, motioning for the soldiers to start filling it. She ducked behind the counter and set up a few big containers of premade salads; pasta, potato, coleslaws and similar. "No need. Our main goal is to keep everyone fed, no matter the costs. Most of this stuff would probably go bad before we could move it or prepare it otherwise, so we're literally giving it away, within reason."

By the third box of fruit, she paused, a thought occurring to her. "You do have a way to get things back to the camp right? Since you have some humans, I figured you have a vehicle, but what sort is it?"

"We've got a pickup truck. Jim and I rode in the back. But we should have plenty of room to take whatever you think you can give us; we'll appreciate it all."

"Good good. Here, try these peppers. Our taste seems to be running a bit blander than we're used to, but the spicy ones still give a nice kick."

Jim and Nicole took the offered peppers and hesitated. They were tiny, coming from a tray in the cooler with a sign five chilis as a spiciness warning. Jim nibbled on it first, crushing it in his beak.

"Mmm, yeah, it's got a nice kick. Not as strong as I expected," he said, crushing the rest and then swallowing it.

Nicole did similar, nibbling the thin pepper to crush it. She felt the spicy juice spread over her tongue, bringing a kick she hadn't realized she had been missing. She finished it off quickly, while savouring the taste.

"Wow, yeah that is better than I expected."

Sam continued to guide them through the store, loading up their carts with supplies, while sending soldiers and a few other workers to get more boxes and other things. One cart was filled with just loaves of bread, hotdog and hamburger rolls. In the butcher section, she loaded them up with various steaks and chicken, along with packages of hotdogs.

She snagged a few packs of bamboo skewers. "I'd suggest you make some kabobs. Chunks of meat, onions, peppers, and anything else you might want to try, tossed on the grill. Fairly fast to cook, and everything's a good beak-sized chunk. At least that's what I've heard. Haven't really tried it myself."

"It's a good idea. I never thought of that, but it makes sense," Nicole said. She was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the generosity they were being given.

An hour later they were on the other side of the checkouts with four full carts and a flatbed equally loaded. Nicole stared at the supplies, shaking her head. Sam had left them to go load up another group of griffons that had arrived.

"This is way too much. This would feed a hundred for two weeks," she lamented.

"Yeah, there's no way we're getting all this on the truck, not if we want to ride too," Jim said.

A griffon worker laughed, coming up to rescue them. "Yeah, Sam is way too generous for his own good sometimes. Don't worry, sort through and figure out what you want to keep. Set any cold stuff on the cash there and I'll run it right back, the rest you can leave in a cart and we'll return later. Or just give to someone else."

"Are you sure? We don't want to be impolite. At least we could run the stuff we don't need back," Nicole said, starting to sort through the pile of food.

"You're not the first, and you won't be the last. And it keeps us busy at least. Not many folk can get out yet, and I don't think many have realized we're still doing DoorDash, with the military running orders. It'll probably change tomorrow when people start running out," the clerk explained, helping Nicole unpack some of the boxes.

"Thanks again.... Let's see. Kabobs, burgers, hotdogs, sausages, let's keep those for dinner. The premade salads are good to have too. Buns and bread....."

==Spruce Coulee Camp==

Sam approached the cabin, feeling the eyes of 18 griffons on him. Emily accompanied him, the only parent he would have as back up. He, Andrew and Judy had gone over the basics they wanted to cover with each group, but now that he was about to go through it, he felt nervous as hell. The girls separated, giving him a clear path to the porch.

He stood at the top of the steps and took a glance at his notes. He took a deep breath and shook his wings nervously, before scanning the crowd again.

"Hello everyone. As you know, I'm not a science teacher, and this is not a subject I'm comfortable talking about. But it's something we felt was important to go over with you. Admittedly, we're guessing at a lot of this, so some may be wrong, but we're all learning."

He paused again. "RIght. So the basics. We want to give you a basic hygiene talk, and a... a sex talk."

He heard snickers from the crowd but mostly they were listening curiously.

"As you've noticed, you've got something new down below. From what I understand, it probably isn't doing much yet. Why we don't know, but that will probably change in time. For now, we have to assume we all are basically the same; we've got both male and female sexes, something called a hermaphrodite. How it all works is unknown, but seems pretty obvious. You've probably heard the term used with respect to the Titans, but our situation seems to be a lot simpler. Still, it does mean one important thing. Not only can you become pregnant, you can also impregnate someone else."

By the end of his speech, he was rushing, trying to get the points out before he could dwell on them too much. The last point did hit home. He saw many of the girls exchange glances with friends. Some were nervous, most of them were squirming.

"Now I'll remind you, this is still a school trip. A trip that was unexpectedly extended, but one nonetheless. We expect you all to be on your best behaviour here, and to NOT be doing any experimenting, even with the subject matter we're discussing with you today." He gave them a long look to make sure the point was clear.

"So you all have a penis now. It isn't doing much, but it's there. As far as we can tell, it is probably only there for sex; we don't use it for urination like boys used to. But that doesn't mean you can ignore it. It's still a body opening, so you'll need to make sure you clean it regularly. You shouldn't need to haul it out or anything like that. But wipe it down as part of your bathing routine should be good. You want to make sure nothing builds up in there. That way leads to potential infection and illness, and none of us want that. So get used to doing it now, and you'll be fine later on."

He paused and saw most of them seemed more pensive. Many were glancing down, contemplating what he had pointed out.

"Now, you girls were lucky. You didn't have as much to be told. The guys have a lot more to learn since they've grown a new set of rather high maintenance equipment that they aren't used to using. Speaking as a former guy, there really isn't really much more for me to say. You should be able to figure out how it works on your own, when we can leave the camp.. So I'm opening things up. Ask Emily and I anything you want, and we'll answer as best we can. These are our bodies now. We need to figure out how they work, and how to take care of them. Developing good habits now is imperative. So... ask away."

A half dozen hands shot up, surprising him. He glanced at Emily who just shrugged. He picked one at random and pointed.

"What about periods?" the first girl asked.

Sam froze and glanced at Emily again, trying to get across the hopelessness he was feeling.

"What about them?" Emily asked.

The griffon squirmed nervously. "I should have started today, but nothing happened. Did this reset things?"

"We don't know for sure, but that is probably a safe assumption. So much of our bodies have been reset, it makes sense that that has changed too. Give it a few weeks for your new body to sort itself out."

"So will we have them again?" another piped up.

Emily shrugged, "No one knows yet." She glanced at Sam, "We ''ALL ''probably will have something like periods but what they'll be like is unknown."

Sam nodded uncomfortably, feeling muscles in his loins tightening up at the thought. He pointed to the next girl. "Next question?"

----

Across the camp, in the dining hall, the boys were milling about between the tables, not sure what the adults wanted to talk about. Judy went to the head of the room and stood next to the Stevens. She waited a few moments for them to start noticing her, before resorting to Andrew's trick and letting out a short, piercing screech. The room fell silent as everyone faced her.

"Hi everyone. We wanted to talk to you about your new bodies a bit. So let's get the giggling out of the way early. Penis. Vagina. Cock. Clitoris. Breasts. Boobies. Labia. Pussy. Balls. Scrotum."

She paused and heard many of the boys giggling, while some squirmed uneasily. "You heard them. Now realize you've got all of them now. Well, maybe not the balls and scrotum any more, but the rest apply."

That sobered them up quickly. She could see their gazes flicking away, unable to look at their friends with the realities forced upon them.

"Right, now that I have your attention, it's time for a talk. You got a lot of new equipment yesterday. Powerful equipment that can create life. We don't know how it works yet, but we'll figure it out soon. You ''DON'T'' want to be one of the first ones to figure it out. So here are some basics.

"First of all, perhaps one of the most important things to keep in mind. Don't be sticking anything up there, whether you think it can go in there or not. Not only is it the best way to avoid becoming pregnant, but it will reduce the risk you'll get something worse, like an infection."

She scanned the room and was glad that her words seemed to be sinking in. Just how much their lives had changed was starting to hit them.

"Along the same idea, is proper hygiene. How to clean up down there. I think you've all gone pee since yesterday, so you all realize it doesn't come out where you're used to. You can't shake it off any more. So try to get in the habit of doing a quick wipe when you're done. Just a little bit of toilet paper and a quick wipe will help keep yourself clean down there.

"Now, there is the matter of cleaning in general. Whether you take a shower or a bath, you should make sure you regularly clean yourself. Handling wings, feathers and fur are things we'll have to learn, but the basics should be the same. In general, soap and water should do. Lather up and rinse off like you used to; maybe using more shampoo. For your breasts, they don't really need any special attention. For down below, you should scrub it all, both your penis and your vagina. Remember what I said about putting stuff in; you don't need to scrub deep. But wash your openings, make sure nothing builds up, rinse thoroughly, dry off, and you're done."

She saw Andrew and Nikki watching from the back of the room and nodded to them. "That's the basics of what I wanted to tell you. We have a lot to learn. So as we figure it out, we'll share it and hope you'll share as well. Are there any questions?"

The boys squirmed nervously, some giggling softly, but most silent. FInally one raised his wing. "What about periods?"

"Good question. And one we don't really have an answer to yet. But you are women now, as well as men. So the monthly visiter is to be expected. But we should have a few weeks to get ready hopefully. It's going to catch us by surprise, but expect something to happen soon."

"And pregnancy?" another asked.

"It's possible. We don't know the details yet, but we have to assume it is possible. You've got all the equipment needed to make a baby now. So be careful and take care of it. Remember too, you've got both sides of the equation now too. You don't need the girls over there to make a new life; any two of you might trigger that if you aren't careful. So no experimenting here."

Andrew stepped forward. "And to make it clear, we will NOT be tolerating any of that sort of behaviour. If we hear of any trouble in that respect, we WILL remove you from the camp. There is a quarantine in place, but we can certainly take you somewhere else."

There were a lot of knowing nods as Andrew scanned the room. He didn't anticipate any trouble from this crew, but it was good to set the rules firmly while they were thinking of it. He joined Judy at the front of the group while she fielded more questions.

==Etzikom==

Crystal paced nervously along the side of the school, her phone ringing in her hands. She had sent a message the night before saying she was okay; but a dead phone had kept her from making this call until now.

On the third ring, the line was picked up and a man answered.

"Hi dad, it's me," she said.

"What? Who?" the man asked, not recognizing her voice. Before she could answer, he realized who she was. "Crystal? Oh my god, just a second."

She stood, twitching her wings nervously, hearing her dad shouting for someone to pick up the phone.

"Crystal? Is that really you?" a woman asked.

"It's me. Hi mom, dad. It's good to hear you," she said, her voice catching a little, choking with emotion and nervousness.

"You sound different.... You sound good," her mom quickly amended. "How are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm.... I'm not sure." She had intended to say she was fine, but the words caught in her throat. "I'm not sure of anything right now."

Oh dear... I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I wish we were there. Say the word, we'll come down to you. We'll get there somehow," her mom said.

"No, no... It's okay. I'm... I'm okay I guess. I'm alive. We're figuring things out. I don't want you to get in any trouble."

"You're our kid. The trouble would be worth it."

"I know, I know you want to help, but... but we have a lot of help here already. I think we just need a bit of time to get things sorted out. Just be ready for us when we get home."

Her mother sighed softly. "Are you sure? If you insist. But if you need us, we'll be there in a flash."

"I know, I know, I appreciate it."

They were silent for a moment. Crystal closed her eyes and leaned back against the building, feeling her wings hold her up a bit.

"So how are you feeling?" her mom asked.

"I'm... I'm terrified. Absolutely terrified. I'm not even sure what I am any more. But there are a lot of others like me at least."

"I can't imagine what you're going through. I'm amazed you seem so composed."

She shrugged her wings. "Not as if I have any choice. It's exhausting. I can feel it, it's still eating away at me, but it doesn't overwhelm me somehow. It's like it's capped or something. Everyone says they feel similar so I dunno."

"You're not making it any easier for us to be staying home," her father pointed out.

"I know, I know. But really, it feels like we can't really handle any more people here. It might be easier now that they sent some of the teams home, those that could go at least. But really, we have a lot of helpers here, both griffons and humans who have come home. The best thing you can do is check with Principal Clendenning and see what you can do to help when we can go home."

"We've been in touch, and we've been helping organize the other parents," her mom said. She sighed, "It's just so hard not knowing. I'm just glad you're not there alone."

"Yeah, Ryan's here.. Well not ''here'' here, but he's here. That's a huge help. And the coaches are doing their best too. Don't worry, we'll get ourselves sorted out one way or another."

"Speaking of the coaches, I should ask in case anyone thinks to ask us... Is the costume okay?"

She laughed at her father's question. "It's fine. I got out of it almost right away. It might be a little dusty but it's intact. You can tell Mr Karnes it's fine if he asks."

"Mr Karnes? Oh, you hadn't heard? This is the weekend he took a group out to the camp in Elkwater," her mom said. "I don't think they've heard from the group yet, but they would have been changed too."

"Damn, really?... Wow... just wow."

There was another moment of silence as the news sunk in. Finally her mother spoke again, "Since you won't let us go to you, is there anything we could send your way? A change of clothes or something?"

She tugged at her t-shirt as the subject was brought up. It barely covered her torso and was bunched up at the bottom, held up by her wings. "I wish you could, but nothing really fits any more. Fur and feathers really feel strange when you squish them under a shirt or shorts, and the wings and tail just cause more problems. Give it a day or two for us to figure things out and maybe you can send something then."

"Right... right... you are wearing something right? There are a lot of boys around...."

"I am mom. They're making all of us stay dressed while on school grounds. And remember, technically I'm one of 'the boys' now too... and they're all 'the girls' now too. I have no idea how that's gonna work."

That quieted her parents down again while they struggled to understand all that had happened. "Yeah, that hasn't really sunk in for me... or most of us yet. Things are really strange."

Her father decided to dodge and change the subject. "What about eating? Are you hungry? They are feeding you right?"

"Of course they are, Dad. The cafeteria is open. I'm not sure if they know what we ''need'' to eat yet, but we've got lots to practice with. And we need a lot of practice. Eating with a beak is really strange. It's hard to describe really, but we're figuring it out."

There was another pause as they struggled to think of something else to say. Crystal saw someone come around the far corner, and focused on them. Ryan waved his wing to her, and motioned for her to come over before he noticed the phone. She held up her finger to him.

"Ryan's here now, really here now, and he seems to want me for something. I should get going and see what's up."

"Right, do what you need to do, and call us later tonight, no matter the time."

"Of course mom. Love you both."

"Love you too, no matter what you are. Be careful," her father said.

She disconnected the call and carefully slipped the phone back into her pocket. She waved to Ryan and set off to see what he wanted.

==Elkwater==

The shoppers managed to shrink their supplies down to two carts and a number of cooler bags to help keep the frozen food cold. They loaded as much as they could in the rear passenger seats of the truck, and the rest got piled up at the back. Jim and Emir pushed the carts to a corral while Ricky and Nicole waited by the truck. She noted him looking across the street and realized he was looking at the restaurants.

"You hungry? I just realized we skipped lunch," she asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, I could use a bite. But I don't know if anything is open."

She peered across the street. Her view was occasionally blocked by a passing car, but she could tell that the Tim Hortens, McDonalds, Subway and Popeyes restaurants were all apparently open. "They're all open I think. Any preferences?"

"I'm not sure. Hey Emir, where would you like to go for lunch?" he called out to his classmate. He waved across the street in the directions of the restaurants.

"I do not know. I think I would like chicken," the Turkish student replied.

"Popeyes it is. Do you want to drive it or walk it?"

"I'll drive. I could use more practice."

The humans climbed into the truck and started it. Nicole eyed the side of the truck and gave a mental shrug. Instead of climbing over the tailgate, she jumped from the side. Her wings twitched out reflexively, and she felt them catch the air, not really affecting her jump but it felt right. She easily cleared the railing with space to spare and landed in the truck bed with a slight thump. She pulled her wings back in and looked at Jim.

"That still seems impossible," he said, shaking his head.

"Really? It feels surprisingly natural. Give it a try."

He seemed doubtful, but he took a step back. He crouched and leaped upward. Like Nicole, his wings spread reflexively, spreading and catching the air, seemingly lifting him higher while not quite letting him fly. This time, he easily cleared the rails, the top of his jump nearly lifting him over the roof of the cab. The outspread wings caught enough of the air to slow his descent, and he flared his tail feathers a bit and seemed to try to use them to guide his jump. He landed in the bed with a thump and fell forward. Nicole reached out and helped steady him.

"Wow, that was fun," he said, pulling his wings back to their resting position and squeezing his tail feathers together into their usual bunch.

"I know, I know," Nicole confirmed. "We're going to have a hard time keeping the kids on the ground."

"Only if they realize it." Jim tapped on the side of the truck. "We're ready. Go ahead Ricky."

The restaurant parking lot was half full, but they had no idea how many were actual customers and how many were abandoned. The Change had started just early enough that the restaurant may have had some customers or workers, but it probably hadn't been too busy, unlike the other three restaurants. The restaurant had the standard double door airlock that was just big enough to hold a griffon. Ricky and Emir held the doors open so Nicole and Jim could walk right in.

Inside, the restaurant was surprisingly busy. Half the tables were occupied, mostly by military folk. There was a pair of griffons with a couple of unchanged kids at a table near the soda fountain. A griffon stood at the counter with a nametag hanging around her neck. The staff in the kitchen were all human, and all had proper store uniforms on.

"Welcome! What can we get for you? For you two, I would suggest some of our spicier selections. Others have said the normal dishes tend to be a bit bland," the cashier greeted them.

"I don't know. I've never been that big a fan of spiciness. But those peppers we tried earlier weren't bad," Nicole mused.

The griffon manager grabbed a tray from the counter and offered it to them. "Here, try some nuggets. On the left are the ghost pepper sauced ones. Then garlic, then the two types of honey sauces."

They sampled the offered nuggets, the griffons picking up with the tips of their talons. Nicole pondered the flavours, not getting quite as much as she was used to. The heat of the ghost pepper was nice, but she ultimately decided she liked the honey garlic one better.

They placed their orders and claimed a table in the dining room. Someone had already cut the backs off of the chairs so there was room for wings and tails. Ricky and Emir volunteered to fill the drink cups while the griffons settled down.

"I'm surprised you took the fried chicken instead of nuggets," Jim noted while they waited.

"I figure I have to figure it out eventually. But maybe I'm pushing it. We'll see. Worse comes to worst, I'll steal some of your nuggets, even if you did take the ghost pepper."

The boys brought the filled cups back and sat down opposite the griffons. Jim picked up his cup and studied it carefully. He tilted his head back and tried to dribble a bit into his beak. It looked like it worked at first, but it quickly overfilled and started dribbling down his neck feathers without him realizing it. When he set the drink down, he noticed the wetness on his chest fur and shirt. He scrambled for some napkins and started drying up.

"Nearly had it. That's trickier than it looks." he said.

"Well we were drinking bottled water last night, though we did have coffee this morning. Granted that was in mugs, not paper cups." Nicole picked her own cup up and tried it, managing to get a gulp of liquid without spilling too much.

A few minutes later, a human worker brought out a tray with their food. "Enjoy your meal," she said cheerfully.

"Thank you. Are you from around here? Or are you with the army?" Nicole asked while the boys sorted out the orders.

"Neither actually. We're all actual Popeyes workers, from stores in Medicine Hat. I think most of the restaurants are being staffed with volunteers, looking to help out."

"Wow, but isn't there a quarantine?" Jim asked.

"It is, but it mainly applies to you guys. They want to keep you all contained until they figure you out more I think. But regular folk like me can come and go somewhat easily."

"I see. You hear that boys? You could go home if you want," Nicole said. "Home's in Hat, well Emir's home is in Turkey, but he's staying in Hat. We're part of a group from Leo Mayes."

"Really? That's near where my store is. How many of you are there?" the worker asked.

"Forty four in our group... but there's apparently another big group affected as well."

"Well, I'm sorry this happened to you. Hopefully you can sort things out fast. And I look forward to seeing you back home when you can go there."

"Thanks. We're a bit eager to be able to go home too."

The worker left, letting them dig into their meals. Nicole looked at the two big pieces of chicken in front of her, coated in crispy fried breading. She nibbled on a fry while she figured out how she would approach the meal. Beside her, Jim nibbled on a nugget, a bit of sauce dripping onto his talons.

Finally, she picked up the leg, figuring it was the safest piece to start with. She brought it up to her beak and bit into it. The skin crumbled, dropping flakes into the box. The meat was juicy and hot but not unbearably hot. She couldn't sense much heat with her beak, but her tongue could sense it. She tugged a chunk of meat off with her beak, using her tongue to pull it in. It still felt strange not to chew, and to just swallow directly, but it was what she had to do.

She tore a second piece off and held it a bit, getting a hint of the fried chicken flavour through. It didn't take long for her to get the easy meat torn off. The trickier parts she had to nibble and tear at, pulling the smaller bones and gristle parts out. She realized she swallowed more than a few chunks of gristle without intending to.

"See? It's not so bad," she said, dropping the bone into the box. She wiped the grease off her beak with a napkin and took another careful gulp from her drink.

"Still looks strange to me," Jim said. '”But I'll get used to it I'm sure."

She nibbled on the biscuit and looked at the boys. "So I didn't give you a chance to answer. Do you want to go home now?"

Emir and Ricky paused and exchanged glances. Ricky nodded to the other boy. "I want to stay," Emir said, picking his words carefully. "Want to help you as long as you need it."

"Thanks guys, we appreciate it. But if it gets to be too much, we can get you home. No one will think any less of you."

"Thank you, Mrs Karnes. But my... our friends are here. We want to keep helping them," Ricky said.

She nodded and picked up the second piece. It was a bigger breast piece, with more meat, but she felt she was getting the hang of eating with her beak. She thought she swallowed a few more pieces of gristle and at least one small bone, but by the end she felt she'd managed to strip the meat off in decent time.

They finished up their meal and saw the rest of her group were done. She stood up and started reloading the tray. "Right, we should probably head back. I don't think there's anything else we need in town for now," Nicole said. "I've got to give Paul another quick call. If you guys want to check in again before we get out of range, feel free."

The group headed outside and scattered a bit, taking out their phones again. She retrieved her phone from her purse, checking for new messages. There were a number of them, but none she felt the need to answer right away. She tapped her principal's contact. This time, she got through right away.

"Hey Paul, we're about to leave town," she greeted him.

"How did your trip go?" he asked, still sounding frazzled.

"It went well. The IGA was open and the manager literally gave us enough food to feed an army. We left most of it behind, but we're in good shape for the week."

"Good good. Glad some things are working out."

"Is something wrong? How are the families handling the news?"

"They're supportive for the most part. Some have gone dark though. I'm hearing some... concerning rumours, but nothing you guys should worry about yet."

She glanced around, but the boys were out of earshot. "Dark in what way?"

He sighed reluctantly. "There are a few families that aren't answering my attempts to contact them. And when I check online, they seem to be acting like they are in mourning."

"Mourning? You mean they're acting like their kids are dead?" Nicole's anger surged. Her ears pressed back and the feathers on the back of her neck lifted a bit.

"It seems that way. I've reached out to CPS so we can sort things out before you guys can come home. Hopefully it'll be sorted out."

"Good idea. But you may not have that much time. Nikki Gibson said she was going to try and get us connected as soon as she could."

"We'll handle it when it happens. I'm still identifying the families that might be ghosting their changed kids, so I'm not sure who to warn you about yet."

"We'll do our best to keep them busy. And to stall if needed."

"Thanks Nicole. I can't wait until you guys are home."

"We can't wait to get home. It won't be much easier, but at least we'll be home."

"Take care. Touch base when you can, and if you need anything, just ask."

"Will do. Bye Paul."

"Bye Nicole."

==Spruce Coulee Camp==

The adults retreated to the kitchen to recover after the talk with the teens.The teens had free reign on the rest of the camp, gathering in groups to sort out their own thoughts and feelings, or to distract themselves with the balls and other toys available..

Sam rested against the counter while gulping down a bottle of water. "Thank god that's over. I don't ever want to do that again," he grumbled.

"You did well," Emily reassured him. "Especially handling the questions. They were surprisingly insightful."

"Kids... teens often are," Andrew said. "I don't think the boys fully realized it until we pointed out the details. I just wish we had more answers to give them."

"Yeah you just need to get past the roar of hormones somehow. Frankly, I'm always impressed you guys can teach them anything," Danielle said.

"It can be challenging sometimes," Andrew said, laughing. "Speaking of hormones though, I don't want to begin to think of what's going on in our systems right now."

"Best not to dwell on that. Leave it to the experts down in the States," Nikki said. "For now, just get used to your new yous."

There was a quiet knock at the doorway of the kitchen. Six pairs of ears swivelled to the noise, followed by head turnings. Patricia stood in the doorway, looking nervous.

"Hi Patricia. What can we do for you?" Judy asked.

She flicked her wings, then focused on Judy. "I know you said to stay away from the lake, but I was wondering, could we please be allowed to go swimming? Or... how do you say it? Walking in the water?"

"Wading," Judy said. She looked back to Andrew. "I don't have a problem with it. I could be a lifeguard for them."

"I don't know. We don't know how we are in the water yet," Andrew said doubtfully. "Or how we would handle any emergencies."

"I promise, we will be very careful. I just want to try the water." Patricia said.

"If you want someone normal down there, I have water safety training too. I could go watch them," Nikki offered.

"I don't really like it, but we can't be overprotective," Andrew said reluctantly. "Nikki and Judy, you're on lifeguard duty. Anyone who wants to go swimming has until Mrs Karnes returns. No jumping or diving, stay close to shore. So go get into your bathing suits, or bathing trunks, and have fun."

Patricia bowed slightly, spreading her wings. "Thank you, Mr Karnes. Thank you." She backed out of the kitchen and ran for the exit.

Nikki retrieved her bag from near the door. "Well, I guess I better get changed too." She paused, "Except, I don't have anything to change into. Didn't think I'd need a swim suit."

Judy chuckled, "Well if you don't mind, you can try mine on. I think we're about the same size, or were before. Not like I can wear mine any more anyways."

"Sure, lead the way."

----

Sam went to his room and retrieved his guitar. He sat on one of the logs around the firepit and started practicing, a bit frustrated at first while he sorted out how to use his talons. Some of the teens hung out near him, listening and watching as he worked on his skills. As he figured out the new fingering, he turned it into a lesson for anyone who would listen; covering the basics of playing a guitar. It helped calm him, and remind him of the basic chords and movements.

For those who weren't interested in music, many of them jumped at the chance to go swimming. Word spread quickly around the camp and many raced to the cabins to get changed.

Soon enough, Judy and Nikki were ready, joined by Danielle and Caleb Stevens. They carried some towels with them and went to the dock. A dozen students joined them; the boys had proper swimming trunks, while the few girls, aside from Patricia, just went with the shorts or cut pants they'd been using.

"So no ones been in the water yet?" Nikki asked. She kicked off her borrowed flip flops and sat on the end of the dock.

Judy shook her head and crouched down, dipping her hand into the water. It was cool, but still nice. "Not yet. We've been busy. And cautious. Maybe too cautious."

She straightened up and looked at the mob coming her way. "Remember to empty your pockets! We don't want any waterlogged phones!" she shouted.

A few paused and checked their pockets. A couple looked surprised and retreated back to the cabins.

Judy chuckled and turned back, looking out over the water. She twisted her tail to the side so she could sit next to Nikki. She dipped her paws into the water and looked down, wiggling her toes, flexing her claws in and out, feeling the water soak into her fur.

Behind them, there was a lot of splashing as the teens ran into the water. There were some squawks of surprise and a lot of laughing as they waded in deeper. Caleb and Danielle stayed on the shore, watching the swimmers.

"Be careful!" Danielle shouted. "Watch your step. Look out for sharp rocks. And leave your tops on! Guys too!"

The adults watched the swimmers in silence for a moment. Patricia was one of the strongest ones, moving deeper into the water and starting to experiment. She did some breast strokes to start, trying to keep her wings lifted from the water. Soon, she shifted, dipping the wings into the water and trying to swim with them. It didn't seem to be very effective, partly because of how high her body floated in the water.

"I admit, I'm getting impressed by you guys," Nikki said once they were sure everyone was safe.

"Impressed by what?"

"By how well you're taking all this. You've got those huge wings, and actual tails now, with metre long feathers hanging off of them. But you're walking around like they aren't there. If I had a tail like that, I'd be tripping over it every other time I turned."

"We were last night. Not quite tripping over them, but they felt like they were in the way a lot while we were moving around." Judy shrugged her wings. "Today, it doesn't seem as bad. They still get in the way and are awkward, but working around them just feels more natural."

"Better than figuring it out on your own I guess."

She nodded back and scanned the water. Most of them were staying near the shore, belly deep in the water. Some were using their wings to splash and otherwise have fun.

"Another thing that impresses me is how you can tell them apart. The guys from the girls. No offense, but you all sort've look the same to me."

"It's memory mainly. I know who's who and call them that way. Technically speaking, we don't really have a boy-girl split any more, but it's handy for now."

"Ah, so there isn't some subtle aspect of you guys that I just haven't noticed yet," Nikki said.

Judy laughed and shook her head. "Nope, not that I've noticed at least. When we regrouped yesterday, I had no idea who was who, let alone who was a guy or a girl."

"So when you start meeting more griffons?"

"I have no idea. I'll probably call them girls mostly I think. It's one of those things I'm not thinking of."

"In any case, seems like you guys can handle the water just fine. That's good."

Judy nodded, "Yeah, that's good."

==Elkwater==

Ricky drove slowly through the town, both due to inexperience, and also due to traffic. Not only were there more people around, but there were more vehicles on the road. Nicole watched him carefully at the start, but relaxed after a few blocks.

"A lot of people outside," she noted, looking around.

"It's a beautiful day. I don't blame them," Jim said.

"Maybe. But that may not be the only reason. The Titans tended to do the same thing in the days after their change. Their homes were just too claustrophobic."

"Yeah, but Titans are huge. We're still mostly human sized."

"But not human proportioned. We're a lot longer, and our wings reach higher. We don't need to rebuild as much as they do, thank goodness; but I think we'll settle on something different eventually."

Jim sighed. "Great. Now you've got me thinking of what we'll need to do back home for Clive and me."

"It's only day one. Focus on yourself first."

They passed the still closed gas station and got onto the roads east of town. The roads weren't very busy as they just serviced the camps in the region; the main routes to the States and to the other towns were to the north and east of the town. Ricky picked up speed as they reached the empty roads.

"We're being followed," Jim noted after a bit. They were both facing backwards, so they clearly saw the jeep at the far end of the road, passing the gas station they'd passed minutes before. They zoomed in on it.

"Too much glare, I can't see who's driving, but they're alone," Jim said.

"I think the driver's male. It might be Shaun. Maybe he had to leave the camp for something? I can't remember the numbers of their jeep but they look familiar."

"You want me to stop?" Ricky called back.

"Keep going. We'll tell you if he wants us to stop," Nicole said. She raised her wing to wave to the distant jeep. It caught the wind and felt nice as the wind pulled on the feathers. She refocused on her new limb and twisted it a little, getting a sense of how the air flowed over it. Jim watched her curiously, but kept his wings in.

A few minutes and a few turns later, they reached the camp entrance. Ricky slowed and turned onto the gravel road, once again slowing to a crawl. The jeep was still following them, slowly gaining on them but seemingly not rushing to catch up to them. So they had a clear view of the jeep turning into the driveway after them.

"Yeah, it's Shaun," Nicole confirmed. The sun glare was down enough that they could finally see the driver clearly. Now that he was close enough, Nicole waved again, with her hand. She saw Shaun wave back.

Rick parked the truck behind the van and killed the engine. He slumped back in the seat, clearly exhausted.

"Thanks Rick, you did great," Nicole reassured him. She hopped off the back of the truck, wings fluttering as she landed. She shook her tail to resettle her feathers. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Mrs Karnes. It was just more stressful than I expected."

"No problem. Take a few moments to recover. We'll handle things from here."

She waved to Shaun who was parking behind them, leaving enough room so the truck could be unloaded. Jim hopped off the other side and waited while Emir opened the door. Andrew and Emily came out.

"Hi guys. How was your trip?" Andrew called out.

Nicole grabbed a few bags and lifted them up. "Very successful. And all on the house. Come give us a hand, we've gotta get this stuff in the fridge and freezers."

"Aye aye, Ma'am," Shaun said, grabbing a few bags as well.

With seven people, it didn't take long to get the truck unloaded. As they unpacked the bags, Nicole flicked her ears, listening. She could hear someone strumming a guitar and a few others chatting and shouting, but there didn't seem to be too many around the actual lodge.

"Where is everyone?" she asked.

"Down by the coulee. Either on the beach or in the water. Judy, the Stevens and Nikki are watching over them."

Nicole paused and glanced at Andrew. His back was to them so he didn't notice it. "Is that safe?"

"We were worried too, but it seems we take to water like a duck to water. Though they may have regrets when they come out and have to figure out how to dry all that fur and feathers."

"Rick, Emir, could you guys give me a hand please? I've got a bunch of boxes and equipment in the jeep to bring out. We need a spot with a clear view of the sky near a power outlet. Preferably a south facing area."

"The coulee is south of the camp so if you face the water you'll have your south face. Anywhere outside the lodge should give you the clear skies, and a few handy outlets," Andrew said. "What have you got?"

"It'll probably be a day or two before we can string out some cell phone boosters out this way, but my superior managed to free up a Starlink for us, along with a simple wifi hub. So we should have you back online by dinner time," Shaun explained.

"Excellent. Just ask if you need any help."

==Etzikom==

The Etzikom high school had an outdoor basketball court near the bus drop off area. It was separated from the vehicle traffic by concrete barriers. Crystal, Ryan and some of their classmates claimed this area to pass the afternoon.

The school was much emptier now. A steady stream of trucks and other vehicles had been taking people home. Anyone who lived in a changed area was sent home, including the teams from Elkwater and Pakowki and other affected teams.

That left the Leo Mayes and Coutts students, coaches, and anyone else tied to those schools to figure out what they would do for the quarantine time. Some of the unchanged had a chance to leave as well, but most were staying with their friends and families.

Ryan and Crystal were sitting side by side on a concrete barrier next to the basketball court. Their tails hung over the back and they occasionally surprised each other when their wings would twitch and bump.

On the court, a couple of the soccer players had a basketball. They were practicing dribbling and handling the ball. They discovered that their talons often got in the way, but with practice, they could still dribble and pass the ball and even shoot at baskets.

"It's gotta be aliens right? How else can you explain it?" Andy asked. The other soccer player was standing with the group, watching the ball players. Talking about the change was the obvious topic of the day.

"But why would aliens do this to us?" Crystal asked.

The soccer player shrugged. "Who knows? They're aliens. Maybe they want us to be used to different species before showing themselves and inviting us into their Federation?"

"Or maybe they're alien nerds, looking to set up a fantasy world," Chris suggested.

"A fantasy world?" Ryan tilted his head.

"We've got centaurs and griffons now. I wonder what will be next? Mermaids? Minotaurs? Satyrs? Cyclops?"

"That's rather scary. You really think there will be another?" Crystal asked.

"It's happened twice now. I'd say it's a good chance it will again."

"That's scary," Crystal agreed. "Surely there's some other explanation?"

"Dad's read a lot about the Titans, and he says we've got a whole lotta nothing. What happened to us is impossible. How we changed, how they changed, is a mystery. Hell, how they work, how ''we ''work even, is a mystery. There are a lot of theories out there, and no evidence for anything," Ryan said.

"What other ideas are there?" Chris asked.

"Aliens is one of the biggest ideas. Blaming God or the Devil are also common theories. Some think we are in a simulation, not even real people, and for some reason the simulation's being manipulated."

"Weird. I think I'd rather the aliens."

"Heads up!" one of the ball players shouted.

Everyone looked up and realized a ball had escaped someone's control and it was flying towards Chris. The soccer player turned slightly and flicked his wing out. The ball bounced off the edge of the wing at a strange angle, sending the player running to retrieve it.

Chris looked surprised, his wing still extended. He reached up to rub the feathered appendage curiously. "Well, guess these are good for something."

"Are you okay? Did it hurt?" Crystal asked.

"Not really. I felt it, but it was just like it hit my arm."

The ball player had the basketball, but he was taking his time returning. He stared across the field towards the elementary school. "Hey guys, something's going on over there."

All heads turned towards the other school and they did the visual zoom they were getting used to doing. Dozens of griffons were gathered outside the school, carrying their bags and other gear. They didn't recognize anyone, but there were a few obvious leaders organizing the crowd. Soon after, they were on the move, heading for the high school.

"They're coming this way. I wonder why?" Ryan mused, relaxing his zoom. He blinked a few times to refocus at a more normal distance.

"It's the other schools," Coach Boyd explained. He had snuck up on the group while they were looking away. The coach glanced at the coming group again, then at his students. "They've decided to consolidate the teams that can't go home here at the high school. So Hat High and Bow Island are joining Coutts and us here. If needed, the elementary school will be used for random stranded folk instead."

"That makes sense. Is there anything we need to do?" Ryan asked.

"Not really. We'll be mingling together all week, so be friendly. If you know anyone on the other teams, maybe seek them out."

"Is there any new news, Coach Boyd?" Crystal asked. "Are we really still stuck for the week?"

"Sorry, no nothing new, or at least nothing important. We've been in touch with Principal Clendenning, and we're contacting your parents. After dinner, we'll bring all the Leo Mayes folk together to go through what happened today and what's going on tomorrow and beyond. Until then, keep doing what you've been doing."

==Spruce Coulee Camp==

Down at the coulee, the adults had joined the teens in the water. Judy floated on her chest, feeling the water soak into her fur and feathers. She'd tried to duck under the water and didn't like it; she was too buoyant, and she'd never liked the feel of water in her nostrils. Now that her nostrils were part of a hard beak, plugging her nose was no longer possible, so she avoided going under. Somehow, the water didn't seem as cold to them as it had the previous day. It was beautiful to swim in, even as she figured out which limbs to swim with.

She lost track of how long she was in the water, but she was thoroughly soaked by the time she returned to the shore. She swam to the shallow area and stood up, feeling the weight of the water held in her fur and feathers.

Nikkii looked at her and clasped her hand over her mouth. She let out a snort. "Sorry. You look like my pet cat when we have to bathe her. Only slightly less pissed off."

Judy chuckled and spread her wings, trying to figure out how to wring herself out. "Only slightly less. The swimming is great, but I have no idea how to dry off. I feel like I've got half the lake caught in my fur and feathers."

She started with her head and just started pressing and combing through the feathers. She hadn't paid them much attention since growing them, but now they had her full attention. The outer feathers seemed to dry fairly quickly, but there was a layer of feathers below them that had soaked in the water. She ran her talons through them, trying to go with the pattern while squeezing the water from the down.

The soaked t-shirt was heavy on her shoulders and breasts. She wanted to take it off, but she knew she had to set a good example. Instead she squeezed out as much water as she could, and also worked on her fur. She discovered it had a similar underlayer, not quite down but it was a thick layer that held water like a sponge and was just as hard to wring out.

"Damn, this is a lot of work," she grumbled. She was rubbing her legs now, getting a bit more water out. She still felt heavy and damp, but she could move somewhat normally again. She felt the urge to shake, but aside from wiggling her tail and wings she resisted it.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted just watching you," Nikki said. She'd gone for a dip as well, but she'd climbed out and resumed her watch on the end of the dock.

"Part of it is just not being used to what I'm doing. And part of it is trying to maintain some degree of modesty in front of the kids. What time is it?" Judy glanced up at the sky and found the sun. It was further west than she expected. She looked up at the lodge and noticed Shaun had returned and was setting up a device near the door. Emir and Ricky hovered near him, watching.

"It's just after five," Nikki said. "Think it's time to throw in the towel?"

"With how long it takes to dry, that's probably a good idea. Especially since everyone's back."

"They are?" Nikki stood up and shaded her eyes as she looked back to the lodge. "Oh, you're right, I think I see Shaun. He must have a Starlink."

"He's setting up some antenna or something." Judy focused on the device and it became clearer as more of the world faded out. "Yeah, I can read the brand name on it."

"You can do that? Damn...." Nikki shook her head and turned back to the coulee.. "All right everyone! Time to get out of the water!"

Some of the teens had already gotten out. The rest grumbled and made their way to the shore. As they discovered how much their fur and feathers held, their grumbling changed in tone. Some removed their tops to wring out the fabric and their upper body fur. Judy resisted the urge to call them out on it for now, as long as they were dressed by the time they left the shore.

Back up in the lodge, Nicole oversaw some volunteers who were carefully cutting up the vegetables and meat into chunks suitable for kabobs. The meat chunks were tossed into a bowl with sauce to marinate while the onions and pepper chunks were left to the side. Emily was at the stove, standing watch over multiple pots for the rice.

Andrew showed up in the door to the dining hall and looked around. The kitchen felt too crowded for any more griffons to help out. "The swimmers are coming back. They look rather waterlogged."

"Thanks Andrew. Can you turn the grills on? We'll start building the kabobs shortly."

An hour later, the cooking was done and a table was filled with trays of kabobs, bowls of rice, salad bowls and rolls, ready for people to take their pick from. The dining hall filled with the campers, many of them still looking damp. Hungry eyes took in the prepared mill and there was a sense the hungry mob was barely restrained..

Andrew went to the front of the hall, and waited to get everyone's attention. He didn't need to screech this time.

"It's now just after six. We've been griffons for over a day now. The first day of the rest of our lives. Despite the impossible situation we find ourselves in, we seem to be adapting, which is good. I'm sure we're all starving, so we'll get to the food in a minute, but first a few words."

There were a few groans from the crowd. He waited them out before continuing.

"Quarantine has been confirmed. We can't leave until next weekend. So get comfortable here. It's only a week, and we'll probably need most of that time just to figure things out.

"That said, we are not cut off. Between Mrs Karnes and Lieutenant Gibson, your families do know what has happened. They know you are alive and well, just different, and we'll get you back in contact with them as soon as we reasonably can.

"You may have seen Corporal Brodie working on a device this afternoon. It's a Starlink Internet device. We should have it working soon. For tonight, we'll limit its use to the adults, but we'll give you the connection information tomorrow after breakfast.

"Food and supplies shouldn't be a problem. We did a run into Elkwater today and loaded up, so we have plenty of food and some other basics available. And if we need more, we have some mobility. So if there's anything you think you need, within reason, let us know.

"Finally, for tonight, we will have a bonfire. If anything, it'll help some of you finish drying off."

The crowd chuckled a bit and a few shook their wings again, sending a mist of water into the air.

"We've got supplies for s'mores and hotdogs, and Mr Arnold has been practicing his guitar playing all afternoon. Be very careful around the fire; we don't want anyone to burn their feathers. Bed time will be at 10, with lights out and devices off by 11. You must stay in the cabins you've been in so far. Sleep as late as you want to or feel you need to; we have plenty for breakfast when you wake up.

"Any questions?" Andrew looked around the room, but no one spoke up. He pointed to the first table. "Okay then, that table can go first. Two kabobs each at most. Bon appetit!"

==Pakowki==

Coach Griffith stepped into the dining hall, carefully balancing a tray with his dinner while scanning the room. Over lunch, the dining room had felt deserted as the local teams that could leave were sent home. Now that the other teams that couldn't leave the area had moved over, it made the school feel packed again.

He spotted a few distinctive griffon plumages in one corner of the dining room and figured out it was where the Leo Mayes group had staked a claim. He found Tammy's table and started carefully weaving his way between the tables, dodging wings and tail feathers. He made it to the table with only a few stumbles and almost spills.

"Hey guys," he greeted the other adults. He set his tray down at an empty spot on the table and pulled his wings in tighter so he could squeeze in next to Tammy.

"Hey Mike, how's your day been?" John asked.

"Busy," he replied. He picked up the bottle of water and cracked the top off. He gulped down a quarter of the bottle before continuing. "Talked with Paul earlier; he wants another conference call with us after dinner, probably around seven."

The other teachers nodded in agreement, and Mike continued. "Talked to Ryan, Crystal and Susan. Sue's stressing out and on the verge of trying to break in to join us, but I think we convinced her she was better off at home. Ryan and Crystal are doing well up at Etzikom with the boys teams." Mike paused and studied his plate of food. The cafeteria was serving beef stew with side salad and rolls today. While they were hearing the griffon diet was as flexible as humans, no one seemed to want to serve difficult food yet. He stabbed a chunk of potatoes out of the gravy and put it in his beak, using his tongue to get some of the tastes he remembered.

"How about the Camp group? Is it true we heard from them?" Tammy asked.

Mike nodded and gulped down a chunk of beef. "Yeah, Nicole reached Paul this afternoon and gave him an update. They were affected just like us, but they're off line. Supposedly they are just getting back on tonight, hence why Paul wants to talk to all of us at once."

"Sounds like a plan. What do we tell the kids?" John asked.

Mike shrugged his wings, "We'll play it by ear I guess. See if Paul has any suggestions. But mainly we'll leave them to their own devices for now and tomorrow we'll figure out what to do next."

John stood up with his tray. "I'll spread the word then. Where are we going to do the call?"

"I'll find a classroom we can claim and let you know. Thanks," Mike said.

By seven, the four teachers were gathered outside a small classroom. A fifth griffon was awkwardly flipping through the keys on a keyring until she found the right key. She opened the door and the lights turned on automatically.

"Here you go. Just pull the door closed when you're done, it will lock automatically and the lights will go off by themselves," the janitor said as she stepped back.

"Thank you," Mike said. "We appreciate the space."

"No problem, anything to help you guys," the janitor replied, waving as she walked away.

A few minutes later, the quartet had a tablet set up and had joined the scheduled Zoom call. They were the first ones in the room. A few minutes later, a few more windows opened up, showing the principal and a couple of the vice principals.

"You look like hell, Paul," Stephanie noted. She was the fourth teacher with the Pakowki group.

"It's been one hell of a day. One hell of a weekend," he confirmed. "And tomorrow's not looking much better. Good to see the four of you at least."

Before anyone could say more, another window opened up, showing a couple more griffons, with a hint of two more just off camera. "Etzikom group, checking in," Brian said. "Hi guys."

"Hey whoever you are," Tammy said.

Brian blinked and looked surprised. "Oh right, it's Brian."

"Let's save introductions for a few more moments, to see if the Campers can get on," Paul said, trying to keep some control over the meeting.

As if on cue, a final window opened, showing two griffons in a kitchen. Their images stuttered a few times before stabilizing. "-an.... -ear us?"

"Sort've, can you hear us?" Paul asked.

"We can... a little rough but doable," the new griffons said.

"Good, glad you could make it, Andrew?" Paul asked, leaning forward to study the view closer.

"It's Nicole, and Judy. Sam and Andrew are entertaining the kids," Nicole said.

"Right, glad to see you online," Paul said, leaning back. "Let's get the introductions over with first. I don't want to keep you long; I mainly wanted to talk to all of you, get a feel for how this day went, get some ideas for what you plan to do for the week, and maybe schedule a staff meeting tomorrow."

After a quick round of introductions, Paul focused on the griffons. "Right, so we have to figure out what to do in the coming week. You guys are stuck in three places with a good chunk of our senior class. So we need to figure out what you are going to do, and what we'll be doing. We'll also need to take the time to figure out what to do when you return."

He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Tomorrow is going to be a strange day. For the earlier grades we'll try to keep things going as usual, and get subs in for you guys. For our seniors, we'll consolidate the classes and just focus on the basics. We'll have counselors available for everyone. We may need you to make some lesson plans for your subs for the week.

"What I don't really know is what to tell you to do for the week. Have you thought of that yet? Do you need any help with anything?"

"We've been talking about it a little, once we realized we were stuck at camp. I think we're a bit more desperate than the others since we have fewer resources. But we have a few ideas. We can't really run classes, but we'll try to keep the kids busy somehow. We'll have to get back to you tomorrow I think," Nicole said.

"We've got a fair number of parents to share the load down here, and I assume Brian's in a similar situation," Mike said. "So technically a bunch of our kids are out of our hands now. But I've still got about a dozen girls who are technically under our supervision now and Brian probably has a similar number of boys."

"If that distinction still matters, yeah. I do have a few unchanged too," Brian noted.

"Right. In any case, we need to keep them busy. Classes are on hold here for quarantine, so we can't throw them in with the locals, so, well I guess we haven't really figured out what we're going to do." Mike glanced around him to the other teachers, who mostly just shrugged their arms or wings.

"Right, we'll take it a day at a time," Paul said. "While you don't have local classes, you are at the school. We can probably cook up some lessons for them for the week; some projects or something for busy work. I'll check with the teachers we have left here tomorrow and we'll get back to you."

"Tomorrow is only Day Two. I think we can keep busy through then at least," Brian said. "It's still sinking in and all that. After tomorrow, well, then things might get a bit antsy."

"Right, we'll figure something out. Maybe we can try to consolidate groups a bit, so you aren't as spread out, and are closer to home. Etzikom might be where to go, for all of you," Paul suggested.

Mike and Tammy visibly winced, "We'll wait and see. You didn't see how they got the locals home. Crammed in the back of pickups and in U-Hauls basically. It's doable, but I'd rather stay here and maybe there will be better options at the end of the week."

"That's what Nikki advised when we met up. We've got a good setup at the camp, especially now that we're online; we'll probably stay here for the duration," Nicole said. "It's private enough for us to figure things out, while close enough to town we can get supplies and news."

"Have you discovered anything useful yet?" Jacob asked.

"Apparently we can still swim quite well. We're quite buoyant, though the wings make the strokes awkward. And drying off after is a pain."

"You went swimming?" Mike asked incredulously. "Is that safe?"

"Some of the kids wanted to, and they wore Andrew down. We figured with Nikki here, it would be safe enough and something worth figuring out," Judy explained.

"Right, in any case, if you need anything at all, let me know and I'll see what can be done," Paul confirmed."For tomorrow, do whatever you want or need to do. I'll set up a staff meeting for four to get everyone here up to speed and to work out the rest of the week a bit."

They chatted for a bit longer, sharing their experiences so far. The camp group disconnected first, wanting to rejoin their campers.

The rest of the evening was basically spent trying to keep everyone occupied. Every TV in the school was found and set up in various classrooms and other public areas. Some were tuned to various TV channels. Others had Playstations, XBoxs and Switches hooked up so people could play games. Game playing had the added advantage of helping the griffons figure out how to use their changed hands without damaging the controllers too much.

Those who weren't interested in the screens tended to hang out outside, in small groups of friends, both old and new. Some tossed various sports balls around. Most just chatted or kept to their own thoughts.

Around nine, Mike gathered all the Leo Mayes students together. Their group had grown from the initial team as affected family members and spectators hung out with them. All told there were around fifty griffons and humans.

"You all look as tired and exhausted as I'm feeling, so I won't take long," Mike opened, looking the strange group over. He was getting used to seeing griffons and could recognize many now, but he was still figuring out who was who in general. Beside him, Tammy was doing a headcount to figure out how many cots they would need. "We're camping out in the gym again, unless you've made other arrangements. We're going to try and keep our group as intact as we can, so we're claiming the back corner of the gym, near the girl's changing rooms."

He glanced at Tammy who nodded, her count finished. "I know many of you are wondering what we're going to do. A week is a long time to sit around doing nothing. And frankly, I don't have an answer for you yet. I've talked to Principal Clendenning, and we're going to try to figure out some things to do. That means you ''will'' have some homework and remote learning exercises to do this week."

Many of the kids groaned and booed. He smirked and shrugged his wings. "Learning has to go on as best we can. But our first priority right now is figuring out what we are and how we work, within reason. Today was a good start, tomorrow will be better I'm sure. So tomorrow will mostly be like today and we'll go from there."

He scanned the group again. "In any case, that's all I have for tonight. Lights out in the gym will be at 10. If you want to stay up later, they will have escorts available to get you to your cots, but I'd suggest most of you should get ready to bed down. I know I'm feeling dead on my feet as is.

"Thanks everyone, and have a good night," he wrapped up.

He stood with Tammy and the other teachers at the front of the group for a few more moments, to wait and see if anyone had any questions or concerns to bring up. Most of the group just wandered away. Tammy left first to get their area of the gym prepared.

When he was sure no one was looking for him, Mike decided it was time to get ready for bed himself. He went to the men's bathroom and found an unoccupied stall. Pissing still felt strange and awkward, but it was doable. He wiped up carefully and backed out of the stall.

At the sink, he washed his scaled hands and splashed some water up onto his beak and feathered face, ignoring the reflection in the mirror as much as he could. When he realized what he was doing, he stopped and forced himself to look in the mirror. The face looking back was still foreign but becoming more familiar. His feathers were mostly brown, like a falcon or hawk with some white and black patterns along their lengths. His ears were grey, reminding him of a cat he'd had when he was a teen. Looking a bit lower, he was wearing a cut up t-shirt that covered his shoulders and breasts, hiding them somewhat, but he knew what was under the fabric. He shook his head and turned away to dry up.

He claimed a cot in the middle of the gym, at one corner of the Leo Mayes territory. The gym itself was quickly filling up as griffons and a few humans found their beds for the night. He sat on the cot, his tail hanging off the far side, and pulled out his phone.

Ryan answered first, voice only. There was a lot of extra noise coming through his connection.

"Hey Dad, we're just getting ready for bed," the younger griffon greeted him. "Crystal's next to me, and the rest of the team's around here."

"Yeah we're-" Mike started to say when the third line was answered. "Hello? Mike? Ryan?" Susan answered, her voice sounding stressed.

"Hey dear, it's us," Mike said. "I'm fine, I just wanted to give a quick call before we go to bed."

"We're fine too," Ryan confirmed. "Still feels like a dream, but I think it's starting to sink in a bit. We'll see what tomorrow's like."

Susan sighed, relaxing a bit. "Thank goodness. I wish I could be there to help. But I'm glad you seem to be doing okay."

"I wish you were here too; but we have a lot of help already. You're better off getting things ready for our return," Mike said.

"I wouldn't exactly say we're 'okay', but we're getting by," Crystal chimed in. "Hi Mrs Griffith."

They chatted for a bit longer while the gyms filled up around them.

"Attention everyone, Attention please," a man called out. He was standing midway up the bleachers near the front of the gym. "It's now just before ten. We'll be turning off the main lights shortly, so please find your beds for the night and get settled. We have night lights turned on so it won't be completely dark, but if you need to move around, please watch yourselves. We've got volunteers who will be keeping watch through the night and available to help if anyone needs anything."

"I guess that's my cue to go," Mike said reluctantly.

"Yeah, they just made a similar announcement here," Ryan said.

"Okay, good night you two. I love you. Call me in the morning," Susan said.

"Night mom. Night dad," Ryan said.

"Night. Sleep well," Mike said. The line was silent for a moment, no one really wanting to disconnect, but nothing more needed to be said. Finally, Ryan's link died as he hung up. Mike waited a moment longer, but nothing more needed to be said. He disconnected and stood up to pocket the phone.

He looked around, doing another headcount and figuring out if anyone was missing. Midway through his check, he saw John coming his way.

"Alison and Sarah are the only ones missing," John confirmed.

"There they are now," Tammy interrupted, pointing her wing towards the entrance as she joined the other coaches. Stephanie was already heading to the arriving pair to guide them to available cots. "I think we're all ready for a good night's sleep, even on these things," she said, lightly kicking the nearest cot.

"Right, thanks guys, for all your help," Mike said.

"We're all in this together, one way or another. What a team building exercise," John said, chuckling.

The teachers spread out among their charges, helping them get settled on the cots. Most were going face down, pulling their tail feathers in tight over the back of their legs, their wings held somewhat upright. A few were trying to sleep on their sides, their wings tending to hang more into the lanes between cots, but there was enough space to get around mostly.

Mike retreated to his cot and stood next to it while doing a final check. He gave a thumbs up towards the man who had made the announcement earlier. Like most of the griffons, he left the blanket on the floor next to the cot and climbed onto it. It tilted and creaked ominously while he positioned himself as best he could.

He chose the face down sleeping position like most others, his head hanging a little over the top of the cot with the pillow tucked under his beak and chin for support. He had expected his neck to feel a bit strained with his head tilted that way, but their new posture made that angle surprisingly comfortable. He lifted his wings and shook them a bit before pulling them back in, feeling the feathers rustle into position. He did a similar shake of his tail feathers before laying them flat over the back of his furry legs. He tried not to think much of the strange padding on his chest and the unusual pressure of the cot on his breasts.

"All right everyone, have a good night," the man announced again, and the main lights went out. Dimmer lights were set up around the edge of the gym to provide enough light for people to move around if they were careful.

Mike laid on the cot, ears twitching as he listened to the full room. Some were having whispered conversations with their neighbours or on their phones, the glare lighting up their strange faces. Most seemed to be falling asleep fairly quickly. He wiggled on the cot to try to get more comfortable, fluffed the pillow as best he could and fully closed his eyes.

{{series bar
|series= Paradigm Shift: Griffons
|previous=[[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_1|School Daze: Day 1]]
|next=[[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_3|School Daze: Day 3]]}}

[[Category:Jetfire]] [[Category:Story]] [[Category:Paradigm Shift]] [[Category:Herm]] [[Category:Griffon]] [[Category:Adult]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: School Daze: Day 2}}

User:Jetfire

2024-09-08T16:00:33Z

Jetfire:

This is Jetfire, a common face on various IRC networks. (I even show up on the TF-Net IRC networks occasionally).

I posted years ago on the TSA, but have been silent for a long time.

Well, recently my muse struck me hard again, and (what I hope will be a short series), the Taylor Series was spawned.

Since then I've dusted off a few older stories, and poked into a couple new settings that caught my eye.

==Stories==
=== Paradigm Shift ===
* [[User:Jetfire/Paradigm_Shift_Overview|Paradigm Shift Overview]] A new setting that's I've been working on.
* Titan stories. The first wave of changes.
** [[User:Jetfire/Titans_Step|Titan's Step]]: The first wave of changes in the Paradigm Shift setting.
* Griffon stories. The second wave of changes.
** Skyfire's stories
*** [[User:Jetfire/Big_Sky_Country|Big Sky Country]]: Skyfire's stories Book 1.
*** [[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book2|A Fire in the Sky: Book 2]]
** School Daze: A series of stories covering a different group experiencing the griffon changes.
*** [[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_1|School Daze: Day 1]]
*** [[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_2|School Daze: Day 2]]
*** [[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_3|School Daze: Day 3]]
** Miscellaneous Griffon stories
*** [[User:Jetfire/Stormy_Skies|Stormy Skies]]: A small adventure with a new griffon.

=== FreeRIDErs ===
* [[User:Jetfire/Aloha|Aloha]] No transformations, but the introduction of an area and a family I'm developing for the FreeRIDErs setting.
* [[User:Jetfire/Splashdown|Splashdown]]: About 20 years after Aloha, The family has grown, and adapted.
* [[User:Jetfire/Astra-naught|Astra-naught]]: A couple of years later.
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Lady_of_the_Tiger|The Lady of the Tiger]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Cave_of_Wonders|Cave of Wonders]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Sum_of_Their_Parts|Sum of Their Parts]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Walkabout|Walkabout]]
* [[User:Jetfire/All_Spark_Bulletin|All Spark Bulletin]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Spies_Among_Us|Spies Among Us]]

Related story, leading into Cat Scratch Fever (like All Spark Bulletin does)
* [[User:Jetfire/Spice_Girls|Spice Girls]]

* [[User:Jetfire/Cat_Scratch_Fever|Cat Scratch Fever]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Rescue_911|Rescue 911]]

Stand alone story, set after Rescue 911
* [[User:Jetfire/United_Way|United Way]]

Stand alone story, set in the Nextus-Sturmhaven war.
* [[User:Jetfire/Broken_Crown|Broken Crown]]

Stand alone story, set in the Zharus system.
* [[User:Jetfire/Spacer_Oddity|A Spacer Oddity]]
* [[User:Jetfire/In_Space|In Space...]] Co-written with [[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]]

* [[User:Jetfire/Slow_Boat|Slow Boat to Zharus]] Co-written with [[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]]

Spacer Stories.
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Touch|The Touch]]
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Power|The Power]]
* [[User:Jetfire/All_Hell_Breakin_Loose|All Hell's Breakin' Loose]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Riding_The_Eye_of_the_Storm|Riding the Eye of the Storm]]

Related Spacer Story
* [[User:Jetfire/DragonRIDEr_of_Pharos|DragonRIDEr of Pharos]]

Totalian Diplomacy (concurrent with the Spacer stories)
* [[User:Jetfire/iron_hand_in_a_velvet_glove|Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove]]

=== [[:Category:Colonies|Colonies]] ===

Colonies is a setting I'm starting and sorting out what I want to do with.
Generally speaking the idea is that people appear on a new world, rejuvenated to their mid-20's, in good health and basic skills intact, but fuzzy memories of cultural stuff.
Over a week, they change into the dominant species of the world with the intent they will colonize it as that species.

More details will come out when (if?) I get the mood to write more in this general setting.

* [[User:Jetfire/Centaurville|Centaurville]]

=== Metamor Keep ===
*[[Storm Watch]] Introduction of Saroth and Electra, the Weather Wardens.
*[[Sunny Skies]] Quickie story of a small event around the Keep
*[[Sea Breeze]] Saroth and Electra travel to Magdalain Island.
*[[Cloud Seeding]] Saroth reflects on the events that lead him to the Keep originally.

===Taylor Series ===
*[[Taylor Series Tom and Cat]]
*[[Taylor Series 2 Erin and Aaron]]
*[[Taylor Series 3 Minos]]

===[[:Category:The Veil|Paradise: The Veil Series]] ===
'''Before August, 2005'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Holes in the Veil|Holes in the Veil]]: First part, though it is complete in itself, of a story set in the [[:Category:Paradise|Paradise]] setting.

'''August, 2005-August 2006'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Lifting The Veil|Lifting The Veil]]: Joey's experiences continue.
*[[User:Jetfire/Poking the Veil|Poking the Veil]]: Joey tries to find more Changed in his region.
*[[User:Jetfire/Film at 2011|Film at 2011]]

'''August, 2006-August 2007'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Twisting the Veil|Twisting the Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Generations|Generations]]
*[[User:Jetfire/A Rolling Stone Gathers No Veil| A Rolling Stone Gathers No Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Auld Lang Syne|Auld Lang Syne]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Gaming Furs|Gaming Furs]]

'''August, 2007-August 2008'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Radio No Veil|Radio No Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Six Furries and a Wedding|Six Furries and a Wedding]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Clearing the Air|Clearing the Air]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Rising Waters|Rising Waters]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Election Fever|Election Fever]]

===[[:Category:Paradise|Paradise]]===
*[[User:Jetfire/GM'O'Fur|GM'O'Fur]]: A friend of Joe's changes. A side story from the main Veil storyline, but stand alone by itself.
*[[User:Jetfire/It Bears Investigation|It Bears Investigation]]: A quicky story with the characters from GM'O'Fur. Set in summer of '07.
*[[User:Jetfire/Silver Fox Tracks|Silver Fox Tracks (A Veil side story)]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Judge Judy: Deagle vs Anderson|Judge Judy: Deagle vs Anderson]]: A quickie idea that hit me one night about situations that would start happening as more and more people changed.
*[[User:Jetfire/Doing Hard Time|Doing Hard Time]]: Originally intended to be a Veil story, I twisted it around a lot and like the results. It's tangentially related to the Veil now.
*[[User:Jetfire/Gulf Ice|Gulf Ice]]: I started this intending it to go one way, and the characters decided to go in a different direction. Seems to happen a lot with me. :)
*[[User:Jetfire/Live At Five|Live At Five]]: A slice of life story of sorts, with a big (for my region) announcement, indirectly caused by the acts of ROB.
*[[User:Jetfire/The Bear Facts|The Bear Facts]]: A story inspired (and urged along by) Eirik, mixing some of my characters and his together.
*[[User:Jetfire/NorBAC|NorBAC]]: In this increasingly globalized world, sometimes you need a new organization to cut through the red tape of national labs. NorBAC is one such organization, intended to be a coordinator between North American bio-labs, to track down and isolate health threats. (Yes, it was blatantly taken from the Canadian show "[http://www.norbac.ca/ ReGeensis]")
*[[User:Jetfire/Special Care| Special Care]]: Some furs have special needs.

===[[:Category:IDIC|Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations]] ===

IDIC was a setting created on the list years ago, but never really took off beyond it's original author. Still, I'm a sucker for crossovers, and this setting seems ideal for it. It's a setting where you can 'borrow' existing settings (and unique settings and anything you feel comfortable adding) and doing things in them that wouldn't be canon in the original setting but are fine here.

I've had a few ideas kicking around for what I might be able to do with this sort of freedom, some inspired by what I am currently reading, others inspired by just thinking of the differences between Real Events and things I wrote. I do have a bit of an overall theme/general plot for this, but I don't know if I'll ever go anywhere with it, or ever even finish these/polish these.

In any case, enjoy these ramblings.

*[[User:Jetfire/Overlapping Fields|Overlapping Fields]]: What happens when similar universes collide and interlace with each other?
*[[User:Jetfire/Kernel Hacking|Kernel Hacking]]: Decades ago, a catastrophe struck a world, effectively knocking it back to the stone age for reasons unknown. The ripples from this catastrophe have been spreading slowly through multispace, drawing the attention of the Tangle. Can a team figure out what happened and fix it up before it is too late?

===Miscellaneous ===

Miscellaneous stories that are not in a particular setting yet.

*[[User:Jetfire/Earning the Stripes|Earning the Stripes]]: A story inspired by Posti's 2008 XMas Xchange story to Devin.

{{author page}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jetfire}}

User:Jetfire/School Daze Day 1

2024-09-03T23:50:47Z

{{universe|Paradigm Shift}}
{{my stories
|name=Jetfire
|category=Jetfire
}}

{{title
|name= School Daze Day 1
|author=Jetfire
|user=Jetfire}}
{{XXX}}

'''Author's note'''
This story is basically R rated, but future chapters may have adult scenes for sexuality between adults. Reader descretion is advised

= Friday September 22 =

== Leo Mayes High School, Medicine Hat, Alberta ==

A school bus idled in the public parking lot of Leo Mayes High School. Around it, a bunch of students milled about, talking to friends or parents, or checking their bags as they were loaded in a van. It was organized chaos as the annual senior camping trip got ready to set off.

Nicole Karnes watched the chaos from her own pickup truck, loaded down with the extra supplies they would need for the weekend. She'd long given up trying to keep track of her students, and left the job to her husband, Andrew, who was trying to herd them towards the bus doors.

"Having second thoughts?" she asked Emily, one of the parents of the students, as well as one of the trip's chaperones.

"A few, but I said I would do it. Tim's been waiting for this since last year," the mother said. "Thanks for letting me ride in the truck with you."

"No problem. I hate riding in the school buses, so any excuse to not ride a bus is good for me."

"Excuse me... excuse me... Attention Please!" Andrew's voice cut through the chatter, echoing around the parking lot a little. "Everyone going to Spruce Coulee Camp, please line up at the bus here. Make sure your gear is IN the van or it will be left behind. Everyone else, please step back."

It still took a few minutes for the crowd to separate but soon he was standing between the campers and the parents and friends who had shown up to say goodbye (some of which should have been in class, but the teachers were turning a blind eye to that).

"Welcome everyone to the annual senior camp. We'll be going to the Spruce Coulee Camp, just east of Elkwater. While the camp does have some basic amenities, it does not have cell service, so don't expect to use your phones much. The camp does have a landline. If you need to reach us, contact Principal Clendenning and he will reach out to us." Andrew nodded to the principal who waved to the group.

"For those going on the trip, remember, this is a school trip. While you are among friends, you are expected to be on your best behaviour. But we also expect you to have fun. Now let's get this bus rolling!"

The teens let out a cheer and piled onto the bus. Two more parents and another teacher climbed onto the bus as well. The remaining adults, including the principal, converged for a final chat.

"Looks like we're all ready to go," Andrew said. He looked at the fourth teacher. "You know the way, Sam?"

Sam Arnold shook his head and nodded to Nicole. "I know the area, but I figured I'd just follow your wife."

"Good idea, she certainly knows the way," Andrew laughed. He stepped closer to give her a kiss, which elicited various cat calls from the bus.

"Oh cut it out. You can still be taken off the trip," Nicole called out, her big grin showing she wasn't serious. More boos came out of the bus.

Andrew laughed and addressed the adults in front of him. "Right. So you four will get there first and can start unloading. We'll take the bus to the dropoff point at the far end of the coulee, and we'll hike our way in. We should get there late in the afternoon."

"As usual." Nicole confirmed. She tapped the walkie talkie clipped to her belt. "Give us a shout if you get lost and I'll release the hounds."

"Come on, that only happened once," Andrew laughed. The three teachers turned towards the principal for the final words.

"Have fun guys. Wish I could join you, but someone has to be the mature one," he said, shaking hands. "Keep them safe and have a good time."

"We always do." Andrew waved and motioned to the bus. "Let's go!"

The bus cheered as he hopped on board, taking a saved seat just behind the driver. The driver did another quick check before closing the doors and setting off.

Nicole and Emily, the mother of one of the kids, climbed into the truck and waited while Sam and another parent named John got into the van. They followed the school bus through the streets of Medicine Hat, heading for the highway.

An hour or so later, they were driving along some featureless backroads through a spruce forest. They were the only vehicles on the gravel road, and the only ones they had seen for the past ten minutes. Nicole picked up the walkie and pressed the button.

"Chuckwagon to Partybus. This is our turnoff. Good luck guys. Over." she said.

"Roger that Chuckwagon. See you in a few hours. Over," Andrew replied.

Nicole slowed the truck and flicked the signal on. A rustic sign made of logs advertised "''Spruce Coulee Camp''" with the Scouts emblem on one side. The power line they had been following turned down the gravel driveway, having nowhere else to serve but the camp.

The driveway soon opened up to the actual camp. A large lodge house made of logs was the centre of the campsite, containing the kitchen, a dining room that also served as a large indoor gathering space for the campers. It also contained the bedrooms and bathrooms for the counselors and chaperones.

Behind the lodge were six cabins, three on either side of a large open area centered on the lodge. These were the camper's bunks, with a half dozen bunk beds per cabin. Each cabin also had a small bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower.

The buildings formed a semicircle around a large open space with various rings for fire pits and long log benches to sit on. Depending on how many campers were around, everyone could gather around a central bonfire, or each cabin could have their own campfire. Firewood for the campfires was stacked near the main lodge.

Further away the ground sloped down to the coulee, the small lake that partly gave the camp its name. A small gravel beach provided water access for swimming, along with a short dock with a couple of canoes stacked on a rack nearby.

The two vehicles parked at the rear entrance of the lodge and the adults got out.

"It's a beautiful spot," Emily noted, while stretching out the travel stiffness.

"That it is. We get a great deal on it, and we're usually the last group of the season. The caretakers will close it up for the season next weekend after we're gone." Nicole said.

She grabbed some bags of groceries from the back of the truck and headed for the door. She set them down on the porch and fumbled with a key ring until she found the right one. "Come on, let's get everything put away before it warms up too much."

"How about the phone?" Emily asked, bringing in another few bags of grocery.

Nicole picked up the handset in the kitchen and listened. "Dead as a doornail. Damn, and it was fine last year. We'll be fine. We're not that far from Elkwater; we can get a signal five minutes down the road."

"If you say so," Emily said doubtfully, starting to unpack the bags. Nicole went back out for another load.

An hour later, the vehicles were unloaded and the teens' bags were piled up in the dining hall, waiting to be claimed. Sam and Emily were in the kitchen preparing dinner for the mob that was about to descend upon them. Nicole and Jim had inspected the cabins, and they were now starting the bonfire.

Nicole rested on a sitting log near the main bonfire while Jim coached the flames to life. She leaned back and looked up at the clear skies, the sun taking its leisurely time descending to the west.

"I love it out here. Especially this time of year. Warm enough to do things, but just enough of a chill in the evening to make sleeping nice," she said.

Jim simply grunted, puffing on the kindling as it emitted a lot of smoke but no flames.

"Need a hand?" Nicole offered.

"Nah, I got this. My kid can do this, wouldn't be right if I couldn't," Jim grunted, adjusting the kindling and getting ready to light another match.

She smirked and leaned back, looking up at the sky. "Looks like someone's looking for dinner," she noted. "Multiple someones," she corrected herself, seeing another bird in the sky. "Damn, I left my binocs in the lodge. But that's definitely a hawk of some sort, and the other's an osprey.... There he goes!"

As she watched, the osprey dived out of the sky and splashed into the water of the coulee. The two adults watched as the bird surfaced and took off, a shiny fish gripped in his claws. The osprey took off to the far side of the water, disappearing among the trees, while the hawk continued lazily circling much higher up.

"You're smothering it," Nicole suggested, looking back at Jim's fire attempts. "Stack the kindling more like a teepee, and add a bit more paper and leaves."

She saw him hesitate a moment, before taking her advice. A few minutes later, the nascent bonfire had caught, and he was carefully feeding it bigger pieces of wood.

"Looks like we're all set. They should be getting close, so we should get some snacks ready," she said, heading back to the lodge. She got there just in time to hold the door as Sam hauled a bundle of water bottles out. Emily followed with some fruit trays.

They were just setting up the last of the snacks when the walkie talkie crackled on her belt. Before she could answer, she heard her husband's voice come from the speaker. "On your left. Over."

The adults looked out over the coulee, scanning the eastern shore. Sam spotted the movement first, pointing to a spot just as a gaggle of teens burst out of the treeline. The kids hooted and hollered as they saw the camp and started running along the shore. The multi kilometer hike had done nothing to tame their energy or excitement. The adults trailed them, only slightly less energetic.

"Welcome everyone, welcome," Nicole called out. "Help yourself to snacks and drinks, then go find your gear and claim your bunks. Boys in the cabins on the right, girls in the first two cabins on the left. The last cabin is not being used.

"You'll have the rest of the afternoon to do what you want. The canoes are off limits, as is the forest, but there are balls and other things in the shed over there. If you want to go swimming, get into your swimsuits and head to the lake, but don't go in the water without me or Mr Karnes or Miss Davidson on duty. Be warned, it is probably colder than you expect, but it should be fine."

She got out of the way as the hoard descended on the table and decimated the offered food. She found her husband and gave him a quick hug. "Any problems?"

"None at all. We've got a good bunch this year."

"Good. I've gotta go put my own swimming suit on so I can go on lifeguard duty. You ready to brief the parents?"

"Yup, see you later."

Andrew grabbed an apple and a bottle of water and caught the parents' attention. He motioned to the lodge and headed inside. He found Nicole had already set up what they needed on a dining room table.

"Welcome all of you. And once again, thank you for volunteering to help. We couldn't do this camp year after year without your help," he started once the four parents were present.

"First, your rooms. This lodge has two side wings with rooms for the counselors. There are two bedrooms with a double bed in each off the west wing. Nicole and I will take one, Caleb and Danielle Stevens, you can take the other." The couple nodded, noting the hall he pointed to. They were a married couple with a daughter and niece on the trip.

"The east wing has four smaller rooms, with a pair of twin beds in each. Normally we'd pair people up, but since there are four rooms and four of you, you each get a room. Take your pick. Each wing has a bathroom, so feel free to spread out your toiletries a bit if you need to.

"For the rest of the day, just relax and have fun with the kids. We'll have dinner around six, so if you want to help prepare that it would be welcomed. Some time after it gets dark, I'll break out the telescope and we'll do some stargazing, find the constellations and the planets. Supposedly the sun's a bit extra active tonight so we might get a good view of the aurora too.

"Tomorrow, the fun stuff begins. You'll all be leading a team of six or seven kids. There are a number of stations set up in the woods that the kids know they'll need to navigate to, other than the canoe station at the docks of course. At each station, there will be some lessons and skills to practice and learn. Knot tying, fire making, plant and animal identification, all that sort of thing. Let the kids do most of the work, but if you get lost or anything happens, give a shout on the walkies and Nicole or I will come running. We both know this area like the back of our hand. Nicole will be leading a group, but I'll be in charge of the canoe station, so we should be available and relatively close to anyone who needs help. Any questions?"

The rest of the adults shook their heads. Andrew passed out the walkie talkies, so they could get used to them, and dismissed them.

----

A while later, Nicole walked out of the lodge, wearing a robe over her one-piece swimming suit, a set of sneakers loosely tied, and a towel draped over her shoulder. The initial snack table frenzy had dissipated as the kids found their gear and spread out to the cabins. Now they were starting to come back out, and half of them were in their swimming suits.

"Okay guys! Beach is open!" Nicole shouted out, earning a cheer from the kids. There was a minor stampede as almost twenty kids headed for the water. She shook her head and followed them, alert for trouble.

On the dock, she removed her shoes and left them behind. She walked out to the end of the dock, sat down and dipped her feet into the water and relaxed a bit, alert for any change in the shouting around her. All too soon, she picked up a change and she looked around to see what was wrong. There were no shouts or any sounds of panic, just a sudden quiet.

The group had four exchange students from around the world visiting for a term or a year in Canada; two boys and two girls. The two girls had left their cabin and were heading for the water. Mai, from Vietnam, was a shy one, wearing a blue one piece swimsuit that matched her dark hair. Patricia was from Brazil, and was wearing a two piece bikini that was borderline too small. It was obvious the teenager had worn that suit before and was used to the reactions it was causing.

"Did you bring that from home?" Nicole asked once the pair got in range. The quieter Mai seemed a bit embarrassed by the looks the rest of the boys were sending her way.

"I did. I've worn it to the beach many times," Patricia confirmed. Both of them spoke English very well. "Though at my beaches, I usually feel overdressed. Here... not so much."

"It is a little small for our normal expectations," Nicole confirmed. She sighed and shook her head, realizing it wasn't a battle worth fighting for now. "Enjoy your swim, ladies."

They tested the water on the shore and exchanged words Nicole couldn't hear. Then they took off their own shoes and made their way out to the end of the dock where Nicole was stationed.

"May I dive?" Mai asked quietly, eyeing the water at the end of the dock. The glare of the sun made it difficult to tell how deep it was.

"Carefully. It is about three metres deep out here so you should miss the bottom," Nicole confirmed. "It might be a bit cooler than you expect, so brace yourself."

Mai smiled happily and crouched again to test the water. Satisfied, she stood up and backed up a few steps. She ran and leaped at the water in a shallow dive. She surfaced meters away and shook her head to clear the water, her long dark hair fanning out behind her.

"Water is good!" she shouted. "Come on in!"

Not needing any more encouragement, Patricia jumped in. Her dive wasn't as nice as Mai's, but she still covered most of the distance before surfacing. She seemed a bit surprised and struggled a little, but not enough that Nicole felt she had to help.

"Are you okay?" she shouted to the students.

"Water's different. No salt," Patricia called back.

"Yeah, you aren't as buoyant in fresh water as you are in salt."

"It's a ''little ''cooler too," Patricia said.

Nicole laughed and tested the water again. This late in the summer, it was as warm as it was going to get, but it was fed from mountain runoff which was generally cold to start with. She figured it was in the high teens, fine for Canadian swimmers but a bit of a shock for people used to warmer ocean temperatures.

Out in the coulee, Patricia quickly got her bearings and the pair started swimming deeper towards a platform set up in the coulee where a number of other students were climbing and diving from.

Nicole stood and watched the pair join their classmates. The boys had mostly gotten over Patricia's appearance and had gone back to their own water games along the shore. On the platform, the newcomers were welcomed warmly and soon they joined in the games the group was playing.

A while later, Nicole blew her whistle to catch everyone's attention. Many had already left the coulee to do other things, but there were still over a dozen swimmers in and around the water. "All right everyone! Time to come in! Dinner's in an hour and you need to clean up!" she shouted.

With a lot of grumbling, the water emptied out and the teens reluctantly started back towards the cabins. It was clear their energy levels were finally running out. Nicole did another check for stragglers, and snagged some leftover towels before following them up to the lodge and cabins.

----

After dinner, they gathered around the bonfire a bit to chat and tell stories. The outside lights were left off so eyes could adjust to the darkness somewhat. Andrew excused himself to head down to the dock to set up the telescope and to get sights on Jupiter and Saturn. Once he was ready, the group went down to the shore and he started his astronomy lesson, pointing to various constellations and stars, and to the visible planets. As people's eyes adapted to the darkness, he brought small groups out to the telescope for closer looks at the planets.

As Andrew had hinted at, the aurora was glowing bright that night, amazing everyone. The blue and green sheets of light in the sky partly obscured the stars, while providing a gorgeous backdrop for skygazing in general.

Nicole chuckled softly as Caleb and Danielle took their own turns. "Never fails. The parents are more excited about the astronomy lesson than the kids are," she said to Sam as they watched from the back of the group.

"I don't blame them. Not often you can see these views. Not in the city," Sam replied. He was laying on the grass, looking up at the Milky Way and the Aurora Borealis.

When everyone had had their chance at the scope, and all the questions were answered, Andrew declared the lesson over. He radioed up to Judy to turn the lodge lights on to help guide them back.

The teachers let the kids have another half hour of campfire time before herding them to bed. "Lights out in fifteen. You don't have to be asleep but you do have to be in bed. Wake up call is at 7." Nicole called out, herding the girls towards their cabin.

A half hour later, the campfire was extinguished, the cabin lights were out and the adults were in the kitchen, cleaning up the last of the dishes.

"Phew, I'm exhausted. Didn't think your camps were this... intense," Caleb said, dropping into a kitchen chair.

"That they are. Nicole and Andrew run a tight ship. But they've got lots of experience," Judy confirmed. "It's only my second trip with them myself. Sam's third I think?"

Sam nodded and finished stacking the pots. "Just wait for tomorrow. You probably want to get a good rest yourselves."

"Are you sure you don't need any more help tonight?" Danielle asked.

Nicole shook her head. "We'll do a final cabin check, then hit the sack ourselves. Sleep well everyone."

While the parents got ready for bed, the teachers took flashlights and went out to do a final cabin check.There was the usual hushed whispering going on, that grew silent as the flashlights lit up the doorway. In each cabin, the teachers flashed the lights over the occupied beds, making sure everyone was at least pretending to sleep, not acknowledging the obvious fakery. When they were satisfied, they returned to the lodge and prepared for bed as well.

= Saturday, September 23 =

== Spruce Coulee Camp ==

'''BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP'''

A hand reached out from the pile of blankets and fumbled at the noise maker before managing to silence the alarm clock. The male on the other side of the bed groaned softly.

"The one part I hate about camp weekend," Andrew mumbled.

Nicole nudged him and laughed, "Come on, we have to set a good example to everyone else."

She slid out of the bed and stretched a bit before turning on the light. Andrew hissed and buried his head deeper into the blankets. She let him doze a few more minutes while she got dressed and brushed her hair. Before going to the shared bathroom, she yanked the blankets off the bed, showing him in his underwear.

He yelped and reached for the nonexistent sheets. "I'm up! I'm up!"

Nicole laughed and bent down to kiss him. "Good, now get dressed. We've got to get breakfast going for forty hungry mouths."

"Not to mention waking up a bunch of surly groggy teens," Andrew noted, finally sitting up. He scratched himself and yawned again. "I'll be out in a minute."

Nicole stepped out of their bedroom and saw Danielle in the doorway of her own room, dressed in PJs. She looked barely awake. "Wha time isit?" she asked, her words slurring from sleepiness.

"Just after six. You want first dibs?" Nicole asked, pointing to the bathroom on their side of the lodge.

The parent yawned again and seemed to start waking up more. "No, 'sokay. I'll wait," she said. "Gotta get Caleb up."

An hour later, the adults were all up and coffeed. Loads of toast, bacon and eggs were being prepared as groggy teenagers started to wander in. When the first round of breakfast was nearly done, Nicole and Sam visited the cabins to wake the remaining students.Andrew and Judy excused themselves and disappeared into the woods to set up the stations for the day's activities.

By nine, everyone was awake, and breakfast was finished and cleaned up. The kids milled around outside while Andrew organized things. He made sure each adult had a walkie talkie with a full charge, as well as a map of the area. Finally he placed each parent, along with Nicole and Sam, in a line.

"Attention everyone!" he called out. "Attention please!"

Once the noise died down, he continued. "We're going to start today's activities. When I say go, break yourselves up into six groups, one for each adult here. When your groups are done, pick a leader to come get a map pack. That will have the instructions for the route you are to follow. Each group has their own route, so don't just follow someone else.

"We'll leave right at 9:30 to head to your first task, whichever it is. You'll have one hour to get to the task, do it, and clean up after yourselves before heading to the next. The adults will make sure you stay on time, so don't be late. You'll do three tasks in the morning, then we'll come back here for lunch. After lunch, you'll continue on to the last three tasks, and then come back here at the end of the day. Any questions?"

"What if we get lost?" Varujan asked. He was the exchange student from Romania.

"First of all, always stay in your group. If you get lost, your chaperones all have radios and they can call for us. Mrs Karnes, Miss Davidson, Mr Arnold and I all know the area and we should be able to figure out where you are and get to you. If you see something notable near you, like the shore of the coulee, move to that, but otherwise, stop moving.

"If you DO get separated from your group for some reason, stop right away and wait. Either your group will be coming back for you, or another group will be looking for you. Or your chaperone will be calling for us to start searching. But the important thing is to stay in one place."

"What if we see a bear?" Mai asked timidly.

"Hopefully you won't, but it is a wild forest out there. If you see any big animals, be it bears, moose or anything else, keep your distance and try to back away from it. Do not approach them. Your chaperones should call it in as well to warn the rest of us, and depending on where it is, we might need to call you in."

"Remember, you don't need to be fast. You just need to be faster than the person next to you," Johnny, one of the students, joked.

"That's not really a good joke out here," Andrew admonished the teen. "No running, just back away and hope they don't notice you. Being in a big group is actually to your advantage. We're too big and noisy for most animals to want to take us on. So stay together."

There were a few more questions, and then the teens split up into the groups. Nicole found herself leading a group of six, two girls and four boys. She was surprised the girls had joined her; they were Caleb and Danielle's daughter and niece. She peeked at the other groups and noticed Emily's son and Jim's son were with Sam's group of seven.

"All right, who wants to be a leader?" Nicole asked, scanning her team.

Angela quickly stepped forward, as Nicole had half expected. She handed the girl the map.

"Our first task will be the fire lighting challenge. It's the area marked 'F' on the map. You can start figuring out how to get there now."

The teacher stepped back as the teens huddled over the map. Heads popped up to look for landmarks, comparing them to the map. Nicole knew the fire making site was a clearing on a stream that fed into the far end of the coulee. She took a moment to check out the rest of the groups. All but the canoe group were studying maps; the canoeing group just had to go to the dock so they didn't have to navigate anything yet.

Andrew checked his watch and caught the attention of the adults. He raised an airhorn and started a silent countdown from 5. He blared it, making the kids jump in surprise. "That's your cue! Time to get going. You have one hour to get to your task and finish it," he shouted.

The groups scattered in six directions, four of the groups heading to the woods right away. Danielle's group raced down to the docks, while Danielle and Andrew took their time to follow them. Nicole followed Angela and the rest of her group down to the shore. She was proud the teen had realized the easiest route would be along the shore to the point the brook reached the coulee.

Fifteen minutes later, they were following the brook to a small clearing. Andrew and Sam had gone out the afternoon before to do most of the setup, followed by the supply run Andrew and Judy had done that morning. It meant that the equipment they needed was all in place. Six spots had been staked out, each with sealed bags containing firemaking supplies. A pile of tinder and dry wood was stacked to one side of the area. The brook gurgled through the clearing, with a couple of buckets handy to extinguish the fire after the challenge.

"Claim a square and read the instructions. Your goal is to light a fire just with what is supplied. You get bonus points if you can light it without the matches," Nicole explained.

The group picked their spot and grabbed the plastic covered sheet of instructions, guiding them in how to prepare the fire. Some spread out to start gathering supplies.

== Pakowki, Alberta ==

The school bus pulled into the parking lot of the regional high school, stopping in the line with a half dozen other buses from schools across south eastern Alberta. Up a small hill was the soccer field, already surrounded by a small crowd, mainly the players and spectators for the tournament continuing that day.

Mike Griffith stood up at the front of the bus and scanned the students waiting to get off. They seemed in good spirits despite the tough loss the day before. Still, it was a coach's job to give them a boost, and this was as good a time to lift them as any.

"Okay girls, I know yesterday was a rough loss, but let's put that behind us. We have two more games today, and an excellent chance to get into the finals tomorrow. So let's go out there and kick butt!"

The twenty girls let out a cheer. He smiled at them and turned around, leaving the bus. The rest of the soccer team climbed down after him and headed for the field. They had the first match of the day so they only had a short time to get settled and ready.

The Etzikom-Pakowki tournament was one of the bigger ones held in their corner of the province. It was a chance for the eight high schools in the area to face off over a weekend to figure out the best of the best. The biggest tournament would be held in November when the district finals would be decided. But this tournament was always an important milestone, as it gave the teams a chance to get a good feel for how they ranked against their opponents for the year.

This year, Etzikom was hosting the boys teams while Pakowki, on the southern shore of its namesake lake, hosted the girls teams. For the Leo Mayes girls team, the first match on Friday had been a tough loss against Coutts, a school on the border with Montana. They had two more matches today that Mike was sure they would dominate in.

A half hour later, they were sitting on their bench on the side of the field. Their first opponents would be Aden Regional; a smaller school that had a lot of younger students. Mike didn't expect them to be much of a challenge, but he tried to keep his expectations hidden.

Across the field, technically across two fields, another pair of teams were setting up. The elementary and high school each had a soccer field, but the two fields were side by side, sandwiched between the two schools. This let them share resources when needed, like for this tournament.

The sun was shining bright in a clear sky. The temperature was just in the low twenties, but everyone could tell it was going to be a scorcher before too long. Thankfully there wasn't much humidity in the air, but it would make for a long, hot day.

The time keeper caught Mike's eye and held up his hand, indicating a five minute warning. Mike nodded and refocused on his team. "Okay girls, it's time to get started. Play a good game, play a nice game. Play a ''clean'' game. We're all here to have fun, and we have a lot of games left to play both in this tournament and for the season. I don't want anyone having to go home early due to stupid mistakes, got it?" He let his gaze linger on a couple of the more aggressive players just long enough to see they got the message. "Now huddle up and then hit the field."

The teens gathered around him and put their hands in the center. With a loud, "''GO LIONS!" ''a bunch of them jogged out onto the field.

Further down the field, the other team let out their own cheer and joined them. Along the sidelines, spectators started shouting and cheering as well. Most of them were members of the other teams, due to play the next matches. There were also a lot of family and friends present as well, ready to cheer their own teams.

Mike walked behind the bench where the rest of the team was settling down, nodding to his co-coach, Tammy Stairs. He snagged a bottle of water and watched as the referee brought the captains to the centre and did the coin toss. Aden won the toss and picked to shoot first.

Cindy, the team captain gave him a thumbs up signal and waved for her teammates to join in on a final huddle. They chatted for a few moments, occasionally glancing over to the other team or to the sidelines. Finally they let out another cheer and broke apart, taking their positions for the kickoff. The other team broke their huddle about the same time and soon they were facing off across the centre line.

The referee nodded to the teams and glanced over to the sidelines to verify everyone was ready. The time keeper gave a thumbs up. The referee nudged the ball a final time and backed a few steps away. He raised his hand and the field grew silent. The whistle blew, his hand lowered, and the crowd roared as the Aden team raced for the ball. The match was on.

== Spruce Coulee Camp ==

Ten minutes after arriving at the fire making challenge site, the kids were gathered around a small pile of dried grasses and sticks talking about what they wanted to do. Nicole was glad they had ignored the 'trap' of the bow and string, and they were instead using the provided flint and scraper. They were focused on Russel who was scraping the flint, making sparks that landed on the pile and almost ignited it.

"Mrs Karnes, something's wrong with my fingers," Catherine called out. She was holding her hands up, the tips of her fingers were dark black. As she watched, the black spots began to grow longer, becoming pointed.

A chill went down Nicole's spine and she looked down at her own hands. The tips of her fingers and thumbs were changing, the nails thickening and growing out while darkening. She froze and stared, partly in denial.

"Mrs Karnes?" Angela spoke up this time, noticing the distress in her cousin's voice. She was now looking at her own hands. "What's happening?"

"Shit," Nicole muttered before forcing her professional filters back into place. She had a good idea what was happening, the current events portion of her social studies classes had covered the event extensively last spring. She had never conceived of the notion it would affect her.

"It's a Titan event," she said softly. She took a deep breath and looked at her hands again. Her nails had disappeared, covered over with orange pebbly skin. At her fingertips black talons were growing out. "It's a Titan event," she said, louder. Her six charges were looking at her now. "Douse the fire!" she shouted, while reaching for the walkie talkie. One of the boys grabbed the filled bucket and dumped it over the smoldering embers.

Before she could press the talk button, the radio crackled to life, multiple people speaking.

"What's going on?" Danielle asked.

"Appening?" Caleb asked.

"You seeing?" Sam called out.

Nicole pressed the send button, and shouted, "QUIET!.Quiet please! Remember radio etiquette!. Quiet!" Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do. At the last moment she remembered the etiquette she was reminding the others to use, and said "Over," before releasing the button. Her fingers were covered in that strange orange skin now, and tipped with increasingly sharp looking talons.

The radio was quiet for a few moments before Andrew came on. "Something is happening. Everyone, make sure your station is safe and stowed away as best you can, then sound off and confirm your status. Alpha squad? Over."

"Alpha squad here. We're changing, but we're safe. Over," Sam said.

"Beta squad?"

The rest of the groups sounded off one at a time. It was clear they were all being affected. By the time he reached Nicole's group, Zeta Squad, her entire hand was covered in that strange orange skin. She flexed her fingers and pressed the strange talons on the ends of her fingers against the back of her other hand. She could feel the sharp point on the strange skin.

"Oh, Zeta squad here. We're affected. Fire's out and we're safe... As safe as we can be, Over."

"Thanks Nicole. This is a Titan change right?... Over."

"I think so. But I'm not experiencing what they did. I've... we've got talons now. They have regular hands and hooves.... Over."

"Yeah, we're getting some nasty looking fingernails here too. But assuming it's similar, what should we expect? Over."

She took a deep breath, and gathered her thoughts. When news of the strange centaurs at Titan's Step broke last March, she had cooked up a full lesson plan on the event on the fly as news came in. She'd never expected her to be living a similar event.

"We should expect strangeness. We're not becoming centaurs, but we are becoming something. The Titans took a full day to change, so we should expect something similar. Get comfortable, and stay safe. It sounded like everyone was at their stations, so stay put. Don't try to get back to the camp. It's better to be at a known location than to be wandering through the woods while our bodies are changing."

She paused and sighed. The strange skin was halfway up her forearms now. "Try to stay calm. Many Titans claimed they couldn't be anything but calm anyway, but really there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is wait it out and pick up the pieces on the other side." She stopped, then remembered again and clicked the button. "Over."

"Thanks dear. You heard Mrs Karnes. Everyone, try to stay calm, to relax, and stay put. We'll try to check in periodically as best we can. We'll help each other through this mess and figure out what to do after. Over."

It reached her elbows and seemed to stop. She flexed her hands, finding them mostly felt like she was used to, but they looked very strange, very... birdlike?

"This isn't it, is it?" Ryan asked.

"I doubt it. But I don't know what's next," Nicole said, trying to think of what would be a good thing to do.

The radio crackled, making most of her group jump in surprise. "Uhm guys, Emir isn't changing. Maybe it's only affecting locals?" Caleb asked. "Over."

Nicole picked up her walkie and clicked it. "I doubt that's the case. Titan had a lot of non-local people changing. A dozen Canadians, almost a hundred Mexicans, and maybe a couple hundred random non-North Americans. Over."

"Yeah, it's a nice theory, Dear, but I've got Mia and Patricia in my group and they're both changing. Over," Danielle countered.

"Varujan is in my group and he's changing. On the other hand, Ricky's here too and he's not changing," Sam pointed out. "Over."

Nicole pieced things together and remembered another aspect of the Titan change she should have remembered before. Ricky and Emir were the youngest and smallest of the kids they'd brought. "Puberty," she said over the radio. "Ricky and Emir just aren't mature enough for whatever this uses. So you two should be fine. Lucky you.... Over."

Out of habit, she went to clip the walkie talkie to her belt, and had a sudden realization. She almost tripped, trying to do multiple things at once. The kids looked at her in surprise while she stopped and forced herself to calm down. "Everyone, get your shoes and belts off. Anything tight that might be constricting. Jewelry and watches too if you can get them off. And jackets if you wore one. Do it now while you still can. You don't want to have them on if you're getting bigger. Over."

She dropped the radio, not waiting for a response while she fumbled at her belt, trying to loosen it with her taloned fingers. She looked around and made sure her charges were doing similar. Once the belt was down, she knelt down and tugged at the laces of her boots. They were much easier to loosen and get off. She looked at her hand, seeing the wedding band, it was tight on her new fingers, but not constricting at least, so she decided it was a lost cause for now. She was able to get her watch off and let it drop on her boots.

"Mrs Karnes, should we remove our socks too?" one of the boys asked. They were all bent over, fumbling with shoe laces to get their footwear off.

"If you want. I know we're outside, but we might not have a choice. But socks would be easier to get off if we need to later. Shoes and belts, once they start tightening it would be harder to get them off."

"Mrs Karnes, what about our... you know," Catherine asked, pointing to her chest with a taloned finger.

Nicole suddenly realized another thing she was wearing that could become constricting. "Shit," she mumbled, her mind whirling. "Get them off girls. Boys, turn around please," she ordered. Asking students to take their bras off was highly inappropriate, but these were clearly extraordinary circumstances.

She waited long enough to make sure the boys were all turned away, before turning to one side as well. Angela and Catherine were helping each other, also facing away from the group. The teacher pulled her shirt out of her pants and reached back. While she was used to unhooking the undergarment normally, the talons got in the way, forcing her to tug and squirm more than normal. Finally, she felt the garment release and she was able to wiggle it off her shoulders and pull it free.

"Are you okay?" she asked the other girls once she was done. Catherine's bra was on the ground and she had Angela's shirt up to help her cousin get it off. Once the women had tugged their shirts back down, Nicole was able to relax a bit.

"It's safe guys, you can turn around again," she announced. The four boys faced them again, and didn't react to the undergarments on the ground. Nicole could see the barely constrained fear in their eyes. "It's okay. We're in this together. We'll get through it," she tried to reassure them. She could feel her own fears and terrors lurking in the back of her mind, present but constrained somehow.

== Etzikom Regional High School ==

"How's it going?" a man asked next to the coach.

Brian looked over, a little annoyed at the distraction at first, but he squished it when he realized who was asking. A man in a motorized wheelchair had just arrived at the end of the player's bench. His wife stood next to him, looking out on the field, focusing on one of the players. The man had obviously been through a lot a long time ago; his right leg was gone and his right arm had a prosthetic on his elbow. His face showed extensive scarring, including an eye patch.

"Morning, Scott, Beth. It's going great so far. Both teams are firing on all cylinders," Brian responded, greeting them warmly. The couple were parents to one of the players, and major supporters of the team in general. Scott O'Brian was retired military, injured in an IED blast in Afghanistan.

"That's good to hear. Sorry we missed the first half. The van's having some motor problems," Beth explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Nothing too bad I hope?" Brian said, glancing back on the field to make sure nothing urgent needed his attention. The teams were taking a bit of a breather, jogging into position while the ball carrier stalled for time. His team had the ball and was just kicking it between two of the forwards.

"Nah, nothing bad. The lift motor just slips more than it should. We've had it looked at and the parts will be in next week," Scott said. He raised his good hand and gave a thumbs up towards the Leo Mayes Lions mascot who had stopped near the parents and was waving to them. The cartoonish lion mascot waved again and started raising his hands to encourage the crowd to cheer.

As if they were waiting for that cue, one of the forwards passed the ball towards Ryan Griffith, the son of the girl's coach. The young man smoothly caught the pass and kicked it forward, sprinting towards the goal, easily showing why he was one of the team's stronger players.

The Etzikom defenders converged on him, but before they could intercept, he glanced to one side to get his target, and sent the ball flying to his left. Chris O'Brian caught it and continued the push forward. One of the defenders started sprinting towards him, while Ryan dodged around to get in position if needed. It was obvious where this play was going.

The crowd roared in anticipation, many rising to their feet. Scott and Beth cheered their son along, their previous discussion forgotten.

Chris and the goalie were facing off, the rest of the players chasing after the fast forward. The goalie stepped forward a bit, focused on the attack. The crowd grew silent in anticipation. Chris glanced around quickly and focused over the goalie's left shoulder. The goalie shifted a little in anticipation, only for Chris to suddenly kick the ball sideways.

Ryan just managed to catch it and booted it into the empty side of the goal.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the two boys met and high-fived each other. The goalie looked a bit dejected as he backed up to retrieve the ball. The Lion mascot leaped and ran along the side of the field joyfully. The boys jogged back to their side of the field, catching up with teammates along the way and catching their breath. They didn't notice at first how the crowd was quieting down faster than usual; an uneasy mumble replacing the cheering. Behind them, the goalkeeper had taken his gloves off and was rubbing his fingers, seeing his nails growing longer.

On the field, Ryan finally noticed the change in the crowd noise. He looked around in confusion as he jogged back towards the center field. More and more people were focusing elsewhere, looking at their hands or looking at the people next to them. In the distance, on the other field, he could hear loud whistles being blown. He glanced at his own hands and stumbled, seeing his skin was darkening, his nails growing longer and pointier on the ends of his finger tips, the skin at the base of the nails swelling around so the nails seemed to come more from the ends of his fingertips instead of the tops of them.

"Shit! What's happening?" Chris asked next to him.

"I... I don't know," Ryan replied. It was obvious now that the hands of most of the players were changing now.

The referee finally snapped out of his own daze and gave a loud blast from his whistle. Everyone looked up at him, panic and confusion showing on their faces. "Everyone to your benches. Gather up with your friends and family if you can," the referee shouted, pointing towards the side of the field. "Game's on hold obviously."

The players abandoned the field and regrouped around their benches, looking to their coaches for advice and support. By the time the goalkeepers reached the benches, almost everyone had changed hands. The skin of their hands and forearms had taken on a scaly texture, with colours ranging from black to greys to oranges. Their fingers and thumbs had also grown large talons with sharp tips, more reminiscent of birds of prey than humans.

"Mom! Dad!" Chris called out, rushing to his parents. He hugged his mom tightly but carefully. "What's going on?"

"We don't know," his mom said. "But we're together, that's the main thing."

"It might be a Titan event maybe?" his father suggested. He squirmed uneasily in his chair, rubbing the prosthetic arm with his changed hand. It was obviously fitting less well. Finally he pulled it off and his eyes widened, seeing new, scaly flesh growing out at an unnatural rate. He wiggled the stub, uncertainty obvious on his face.

"Are you okay, Dad?" Chris asked.

"I think so. It... It tingles."

Meanwhile, Ryan had cornered his coach. "Mr Boyd, are the phones working? How far is this going? Can you reach my dad and the other team?"

"The other team? Oh right!" Brian snapped out of his stupor and reached for his phone. He winced as his talons jabbed into his thigh. It took him a few tries to extricate the device from his pocket.

Ryan leaned closer to the teacher and watched as the coach struggled with the phone. The talons obviously made using the device harder, but it still recognized the touch of their fingertips, despite their changed skin. Brian managed to get his contacts up and placed a call. Everyone who noticed what the coach was doing watched silently, listening to the phone ring, the signal sputtering occasionally.

An eternity later, the call connected. Ryan held his breath, half expecting the voice mail message to come on. Instead, there was a burst of static and the noise of people talking in the distance.

"Brian? Are you guys okay?" Mike's familiar voice came out clearly.

"We're here. We're... okay I guess. Are you affected too?" Brian asked, feeling both relieved and scared.

"Bird talons for our hands? Yeah we're affected too. It's a Titan event, but different." Mike was a biology teacher when he wasn't coaching, so he'd already done a lot of research on the Titan event the previous spring.

"What should we do? How far is it going?" Ryan asked, shouting a bit louder than he probably had to.

"That you Ry? Good to hear your voice," Mike replied. "It's too soon to tell. Hopefully it didn't reach home, but we won't know for a bit yet. Best thing we can do is just relax and ride it out."

"Can't we stop this? I don't want to be a monster!" a girl on the other end of the line asked, loud enough to be heard.

"I'm sorry, we can't stop it. We don't even know what ''it'' is. But we won't be monsters. We'll be different, but we're still people," Mike assured her.

Brian glanced down the bench and saw Scott stretching his arms out. Both arms were nearly the same size now, with the strange scaled hands on both limbs. He wiggled his new fingers, an expression of joy on his face despite the situation they were going through.

"Look, there's nothing we can do but endure this. Try to keep everyone together and comfortable as best you can. It's probably going to take most of the day. Once it's done, we'll get in touch and figure out what to do next," Mike said.

"Right, good call. Good luck guys. We'll talk later," Brian said.

"Bye Dad. Love you," Ryan called out.

"Love you too. Be careful," Mike said before the line went dead.

Almost immediately the phone began to ring, but it cut out just as fast. A strange error message appeared complaining about network congestion. Behind the error, notices trickled in; Clearly people were trying to reach the coach. Brian eyed the device and then his fingers. "I don't know what to do..." he said.

"Just put it away for now. We're in no condition to handle it right now. We have to look after the people here," Jacob McMillon said. He was the other coach of the team.

"Could someone ''please'' help me get out of this?" a frustrated girl asked. The lion mascot had taken the head of the costume off, revealing a young woman. She was struggling to figure out how to get the rest of the costume off. She'd taken off the gloves, showing her own changed hands, but she couldn't manage to get a good enough grip on the top to pull it off.

"Here Crystal, let me help," Ryan said, rushing over to help. Together with another teammate, they managed to get the bulky top of the costume off.

Once she was clear, she visibly relaxed a bit more. She managed to hook her new talons around the suspenders of the lower half of the costume and tugged them off her shoulders so she could step out of the rest. She kicked the costume to one side. Under the suit, she wore a simple t-shirt, shorts and socks.

"Thanks guys. I was really beginning to panic there. I had to get out of that."

Ryan gave her a careful hug to comfort her. The pair had been friends since elementary school and a couple for years. "Sorry, I should have thought of you first."

They winced as they heard some feedback from a megaphone. One of the organizers had moved out onto the field.

"Obviously something is going on. We don't know how long it will take but if it's like the Titans it'll probably take most of the day. We don't know how mobile we'll be through the day, so we're opening the school up now, and you can try to get inside if you think you can. For people who aren't affected, please try to help where you can, both in looking after the young kids and babies, and helping the affected people. I'd advise getting any young folk inside, since it looks like it's going to be a hot day." the organizer hesitated, struggling to think of anything else to say while trying not to look at his own scaled hands. He ultimately shrugged and lowered the megaphone.

Almost immediately there was a small flood of people heading for the school building. Most of them were obviously families, herding toddlers or carrying babies to the building. The older kids and teens who weren't changing wandered around; some helping friends and family get inside, others just hanging out or seeking other unchanged people.

"Should we try to go inside?" Chris asked while looking around. His teammates didn't seem eager to move. He noted a couple didn't have the changed hands, but most of them did. He moved over to stand near his parents who were as lost as the kids were. His father was still a bit distracted by his regenerated hand. His other hand was squeezing his legs a bit, as they began to tingle with healing nerves. He also realized everyone seemed to be going bald, their hair thinning as it disappeared, not falling out, but leaving a lot of bare scalps all around.

"I don't know, Coach Boyd? What should we do?" Beth asked.

Brian seemed to be at a loss, then shrugged. "We should probably try to stay close together. But if you want to go inside, go ahead. We'll probably want space more than anything. And try to keep water nearby if you can. I'm not sure if we'll be in any shape to drink but if it gets hot, we'll probably want it."

By then everyone was obviously bald, but the hair hadn't fallen out. Some who were standing began to shift uneasily from foot to foot. It was obvious the next part of the event was starting.

"Right, try to get comfortable everyone! It's going to be a long day," Jacob called out. The other coach rubbed his now bald head carefully as he surveyed the area. He rubbed one foot against the other and looked down at his sneakers.

"Crap, right, we should get those off. Get your shoes off everyone before they cause problems!" he called out. He sat down on the grass and started pulling at the laces. It was obvious he was just in time; the ends of his feet were already swelling, no longer looking human.

Ryan and Crystal sat down next to each other, partly leaning against the mascot costume. Ryan pulled off his sneakers while Crystal looked at her own sock-covered feet. The end of her foot was growing larger and the rest of the foot was stretching out and swelling. The heel was engulfed in flesh, looking more like a strange reversed knee instead of a heel.

"What the hell is going on?" Crystal asked. "What are we becoming?"

Ryan could only shrug, unable to answer her question. "I have no idea. Damn, I wish dad was here... Or Mrs Karnes. They might have some better ideas."

Crystal rested her changed hand on his thigh, not quite squeezing it, but the touch made him jump a bit. "I know, but they aren't here. We'll get through it I guess. The Titans did after all."

He nodded and put his own changed hand over hers for the little comfort it gave them. They both looked down at their feet, wiggling their toes and seeing the sharp claws extend that had replaced their toenails. It was a scary sight to see.

== Spruce Coulee Camp ==

Silence fell over the group as they waited, trying to figure out what would be next. The first obvious sign of someone noticing something was Ryan raising a hand to touch his head. No one said anything, but it was quickly obvious their hair was thinning out somehow. It wasn't falling out, and it wasn't itchy, but every moment that passed, it was obvious they had less hair. It was most obvious with Catherine; she had had shoulder length blond hair, but by the time people realized what was happening, her hair had shortened significantly.

Nicole raised her hand to her head and felt her own locks. Her brown hair had been kept somewhat short for the summer, and now it felt like she had a buzzcut. Looking around at her charges and thinking about what was about to happen, she made a decision.

"This is going to get a lot stranger soon. If you want a bit of privacy to try and handle this, you can move into the woods. Don't go far, make sure I know where you are and that you can still see me."

Angela and Catherine whispered quickly and made their choice, moving behind a clump of bushes near the tree line. Nicole wasn't surprised to see them go that way, and was privately glad they had moved off, but were still supporting each other. Tony also moved away after thinking a bit. He was one of the shiest boys on the trip. She was surprised he was changing, since he didn't seem any further through puberty than Emir or Ricky were, but he clearly was. The other three boys stayed put, but spread out a bit.

"If you need any help or anything, please call out. I'm here to help as best I can," Nicole called out, making sure she knew exactly where the other three students were. By then, their heads were completely bald. She rubbed her smooth head, a bit sad by the loss, and moved over to a fallen log to sit down.

While most of the kids settled down on spots they could get comfortable at, Russel stayed standing. He paced a bit, clearly trying to work off nervous energy. Nicole kept a wary eye on him, but he seemed fine otherwise. His pacing brought him over to the ruins of their firemaking attempt, and he suddenly stopped and started hoping, shaking his foot, his sock clearly soaked in mud. "Dude, your foot," Jeremy pointed out suddenly. All eyes turned to him as the standing student froze and looked down.

The end of his sock was stretched wider than normal. Ryan hopped a few steps away and dropped onto a dry spot of grass and started pulling his sock off. The revealed foot was inhuman; the end of the foot was swollen and wider. The big toe had shrunk significantly, making the middle toes a bit more dominant. The nails were being engulfed in flesh, while beginning to grow longer and pointier.

Nicole shook her head and focused on her own body. She realized her feet were similarly beginning to swell, and leaned forward to strip off her socks. Her new claws were already catching on the cotton. Once her feet were revealed, she wiggled her toes and saw the claws extend and pull back a bit. She squeezed her toes a few times and realized she had a lot of control over those large claws. The big toe had disappeared entirely, leaving four large toes left on her foot.

She rubbed the end of her feet carefully, testing the claw with the back of her talon and could feel the tugging. She discovered the bottom of her feet were developing thick rough grey pads on the bottom of each toe and the base of her foot. She couldn't easily tell but the rest of her foot seemed to be rounding out a bit, her heel lifting up, the skin smoothing out. She put her foot back on the ground and could tell she couldn't place it flat any more, her heel and ankle were angled the wrong way. She would have to learn to walk on her toes.

"Okay... Okay... It's not so bad so far," she mumbled to herself, glancing around at her charges. They had stripped off their socks and were rubbing their feet. Some seemed fascinated by their claws, others were just rubbing. As she watched, she realized most of them had a fuzz growing over their feet as fur started sprouting.

She looked at her own feet, and saw a similar pelt was starting to grow out. She rubbed it and felt the fur growing rapidly, covering her toes and the top of her feet, and starting up the rest of her foot. Her fur had a tawny colour to it, but it was obvious other colours were possible. Around her she saw black, browns and orange fur growing, often with patterns. The colouring and patterns all seemed to be feline based, without any of the extremes that the Titans had.

"Thank goodness," she mumbled again. She'd shown many pictures of Titans when covering their change in class, and the variety and extreme patterns and colours were a lot to take in. She was glad whatever they were becoming seemed closer to normal.

"Everyone still good?" she called out, figuring now was a good time for a quick status check. She wiggled her legs and stretched a bit. It was clear their leg structure was changing a lot, even as the fur disappeared up her pants legs.

"We're good. I... I don't think I can walk just yet," Angela called out.

"That's fine. We're safe here. Just wait it out and it should sort itself out," Nicole shouted back.

"I'm fine," Tony replied from the other end of the clearing, hidden behind some bushes there. The rest of the boys nodded slowly.

A couple of the boys were wearing shorts, so she could see the changing legs more clearly on them. Their thighs seemed to be shrinking a bit, pulling their knees up. But the leg length stayed mostly the same as the back part of the foot and heel stretched longer to make up the difference. She wiggled her own legs a bit, her pants fitting strangely with the new joint locations.

The boys were squirming uncomfortably where they were sitting, some rubbing at their groins. She made sure to look away and focused on herself. Reluctantly, she unbuttoned her jeans, her talons making it more difficult. She didn't want to take her pants off, but she realized she needed a bit more slack just in case. She tugged her t-shirt up a bit and noticed the tawny fur had come up her legs and over her groin and hips and was coming up her belly now. Strangely, it didn't seem to be coming up her sides as far as she could tell. The thick fur pressed down by her underwear and jeans was very uncomfortable.

Another subtle glimpse at the boys gave a hint of the next change. They'd all loosened their pants and Jeremy had taken his jeans off, but was still in boxers. His fur was primarily orange with some white streaks, similar to orange cats. He tugged his t-shirt off and tossed it on the ground next to him. When he noticed Nicole looking at him, he just shrugged. With just his underwear on, it was obvious the fur stopped around his hips, other than the spot that ran up his belly and chest. His hands had turned dark black, and now the rest of his skin was darkening.

Nicole checked her own arms and sides, and found her own skin seemed somewhat unchanged, or maybe a bit paler; she couldn't really tell. The fur had grown up to her chest now and was spreading over her breasts, making her shirt itchy. She tugged her shirt a bit to try and get more comfortable, trying not to think of what was going on under it.

While she was checking her sides, she realized there was a bump forming on her rump. It was like an extension of her spine that grew out over her furred butt. It swelled to be about the size of her hand as best as she could guess. As it grew, it began to tingle almost painfully, pins and needles feelings emanating from it like when she'd been sitting on her foot for too long. She grunted a bit and tried to will the tingling away. She reached back and rubbed it a bit to help wake it up, and to her surprise it twitched in her grip. She tried to focus on it, and soon realized she could control it; it felt like she was squeezing her butt but different somehow.

She experimented a little, realizing it was surprisingly mobile. She could pull it down until it was flat against her butt, or lift it up. She could even swing it from side to side or in a full circle. Most strangely, she sensed she could 'squeeze' it. Nothing much seemed to happen, but it felt like that was an important skill.

The teacher looked around and saw her charges were similarly puzzled by their stubby tails. Most had figured out how to move them and were showing off as best they could.

The radio crackled as Andrew came on. "Just checking in. How's everyone doing? We... We've got bird hands here, and cat feet and legs or something like that. And some sort of tail. Everyone else experiencing similar? Over..... Sound off in team order. Over."

"Alpha team here. We're in similar shape. Everyone's good considering. Over," Sam replied.

"Beta team. All I can say is ditto. This isn't like the Titans. Over," Danielle said. "Are Catherine and Angela okay?"

Nicole decided to jump the line and clicked on quickly. "Zeta team here. Angela and Catherine are fine. Or as good as the rest of us," she confirmed, glancing towards the bushes where the girls were hiding. Catherine peeked around and nodded silently. "Over."

"Jim, your kid is doing good too. Along with the rest of my crew. We backed up to the lodge before things got too strange, Over." Andrew confirmed.

"Thank you. We're good here, besides being stuck in the woods. Over," Jim reported.

"Same out here. Anyone know what we might be becoming?" Caleb asked. "Over."

Nicole shook her head out of habit. The radio crackled a bit. "I think I know. Our hands look like birds, and our feet, they're cat-like. Part bird, part cat, that implies a griffon," Sam said. "Over."

"Griffons? But those don't exist!" Danielle protested.

"Neither did centaurs, but there are thousands of them existing fine down in Colorado now. Over." Nicole snapped back, a little more forcefully than she intended. Sam's theory did make sense. She kicked herself for not thinking of it. History was one of her domains, but she tended to teach more modern history, not mythological subjects. Sam was the music teacher, but he also taught English and some art classes, so it made sense for him to recognize their theme.

"We're still baking, but it's a good theory. You might want to prepare for it. Which implies some sort of wings probably," Andrew said, diplomatically, trying to keep the peace.

She dropped the radio and tried to relax. Her shoulders and back were aching and felt strange. The talk of wings worried her as she wiggled her shoulders, trying to work the strange ache out. There were times her chest tightened, making it harder to breath, but it released as quickly as it tightened. She looked at the boys who were waiting with her and saw they'd all ditched their shorts and pants now, along with their shirts. Two had boxers on, but Ryan had briefs. She looked away before she could look closely, knowing nothing about this situation was really appropriate.

Reluctantly, she turned away from them and lifted her shirt up. The talk of wings made her realize that wearing a shirt would soon be a bad idea, whether the wings came from her arms or from new limbs. Her talons tore a few holes in it, but she managed to get it off and set it on the log next to her. For the first time she could look down and see how the fur had covered her breasts, making them look bigger than they were before. Her nipples were mostly hidden among the tawny fur, darker than she remembered but otherwise the same.

"I don't know what's next, but Sam made a good point about wings. If you haven't yet, you should take your shirts off," she called out. She looked over her shoulder at the boys, but they were too focused on themselves to have noticed her own nakedness.

"We already did," Angela confirmed.

"So did I," Tony answered.

"Keep them handy. We'll have to clean up around here when we're done," she said. She shook her arms, the pins and needles feeling beginning to spread through her limbs. Her arms dropped to her side as they went numb.

"Mrs Karnes!" the boys called out in unison. It was obvious they'd all experienced the same numbness almost at the same time.

"I know, I know. I can't feel my arms. Just relax and wait it out," she tried to reassure them. That they were depending on her helped keep her own panic and terror in check, even if the artificial barrier she could sense wasn't leeching those feelings away before they could overwhelm her. "It'll be over soon. I'm sure it will."

''Something ''was obviously happening, even though she couldn't directly feel it. A strange weight was forming on her back, pulling her backwards a little. She looked over her shoulder and saw bulges at her shoulders, beginning to grow out. They looked like arms, muscular with some sort of inner bone structure she couldn't figure out. They grew slowly, extending out behind her, and she realized they had joints as well, an elbow and wrist that divided it like her natural arm. The new limbs hung from her back, as limp as her natural arms, eventually reaching the ground.

Since she was already partly turned, she twisted a bit further and checked on the boys. They were focused on themselves. Craig and Jeremy were close enough that their new limbs were touching, and the pair were squirming to try and pull away. With limp arms and awkward feet, their movements were not really effective. Russel watched, far enough from them to not be touching, but one of his limbs was growing into the stream now and he was trying to tilt and twist enough to keep it out of the water. All told, these new limbs were long, each one longer than they were tall. It was obvious, these wings were going to be huge.

Nicole winced as her headache returned. It was soon followed by the intense pins and needles feeling of wakening muscles. It was a confusing sensation, as she felt it not just from her arms, but also from the new limbs. It was strange to sense the ground those bare wings were laying on.

The tingling intensified, and she reflexively tried to shake her arms to wake them up. Her limbs didn't react. She closed her eyes and focused on the feelings, feeling her mind somehow manage to separate the sensations from each limb. She could feel the new wings hanging off her back, part of them touching the ground. She could also feel her regular arms at her sides, hands resting on her jean covered lap. With a bit more forced concentration, she felt her muscles start to recover, her fingers tingling and twitching as her hands woke up.

She opened her eyes and raised her hands, looking at her taloned fingers again. The tingling sensation faded slowly as she wiggled and shook her arms out. She lifted the wings off the ground, becoming aware of the three main parts of the limbs and how they could move. The range of movement was somewhat similar to her hand and arm, but different; that she could control the limbs at all amazed her.

There was a thump near her, and Russel let out a yelp of pain. Nicole twisted around, her wings lifting up and pulling back without her really thinking of them. She saw the boy wincing in pain, his own wing shaking a bit, the end of it near a tree. It was obvious he had hit the tree with the wing.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded and sighed. "Yeah. It stings. Still tingles."

He shook the new limb a bit and looked back at it, obviously amazed. The other two boys had untangled their own wings and were trying to figure out how to position them comfortably.

Nicole shook her own wings a bit and tried various positions. No position felt quite 'right', but she eventually managed to get her wings into a position that didn't feel too bad. She had them pressed down almost to her sides before she bent the wing elbow up, sort've like she was pretending to be a T-Rex. Both of those segments were about the same length; a bit longer than her torso. The 'elbow' in this position was actually around her hips. At the end of the middle section of the wings was another joint and a long appendage almost as long as her regular regular arm. She found it to be very flexible; she could twist and move it around like her hand. In the end, she let the new appendages in that position, with the end of the wing hanging down, like a big N shape. It was a strange feeling, but it wasn't too uncomfortable. The extra weight of the wings and the muscles to support them in her chest did throw off her balance. She found herself leaning forward more just to try and balance it.

She peeked at the bushes and could see fleshy limbs above the bush, where Angela and Catherine were hiding. "You girls okay back there?"

"Yeah..." Catherine confirmed after a minute. "These feel so strange. My head hurts."

"Try not to think too much about them, let your subconscious sort things out. That's what the Titans suggested."

"I'm trying," Angela said. "But this is so ''weird''!"

Nicole eyed the radio next to her, wondering if Andrew would do another status check. She wiggled her fingers and shook her hands, shaking out the last of the tingling feeling. Without realizing it, she began to wiggle her jaw, a subtle ache developing there. She licked her lips and paused, realizing something was off. She licked her lips again and probed the inside of her mouth with her tongue. She discovered what was wrong; her teeth were disappearing. Like her hair, they seemed to be getting smaller, pulling back into her gums.

The headaches returned, this time more in the form of a pressure, the worst sinus headache she'd ever felt in her life. She grunted a bit in pain, her jaw aching as it began to swell larger, pushing forward. Her nose and sinuses throbbed in pain more as her skull was reshaped by strange forces. She could just see her nose pushing forward, her lips stretching around the growing bones. She went crosseyed and could see the skin of her lips changing colour, darkening towards a dusty black. The skin was obviously hardening, developing a shine as it looked more like a beak.

Her ears seemed to clog up a bit, making the noises around her a bit muffled. Worriedly, she looked around, and caught sight of the boys. Like her face, they had beaks growing from their mouths, reshaping their nose and lips and jaws. She could more clearly see what was probably happening to her own face. While their beaks had different colours, they were all similarly shaped, resembling the beak of a bird of prey, complete with a hook on the end.

She could also more clearly see what was going on with the rest of their heads. Their foreheads were shrinking a bit, but their skulls still seemed big enough for their minds. Their ears were growing larger, perking up like triangles, resembling cat ears more oriented near the top of their heads. From the far end of the clearing, Tony let out a grunt, and three pairs of ears twitched towards the noise. Nicole felt her own ears twitch reflexively towards the noise as well.

She carefully explored her growing beak with her tongue, feeling the edges of her new mouth opening. Her vision began to blur a bit, making her clench her eyes shut, worried about what would happen next. She could feel the strange pressure on her eyeballs as something was happening, invisible to her. The muscles of her face seemed to twitch randomly as they did something around her orbs.

When the feelings seemed to settle down and stop, she tentatively opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred and not focused, still looking at the other three boys with their bird-like heads. She blinked a few times and they started to come into focus, but something still seemed off. Even though her eyes were already open, she mentally opened her eyes again and felt a twitch of muscles pulling something else back. Her vision cleared up a little more.

In the direction she was facing, the three boys were also blinking rapidly, looking around and trying to clear their vision. She squinted a bit and focused on Jeremy, and was surprised to see him 'jump' in clarity, the rest of her peripheral vision getting fuzzy. His eyes seemed larger than she remembered, with very large pupils and an orange ring that filled the rest of the eye, leaving little room for any whiteness. As she watched, he blinked, a thin lid flickering across the eye from front to back. She relaxed her gaze and the wider world snapped back into focus.

She looked away from the three boys, taking in the forest. It looked mostly like it did before, but the colours seemed a bit off. She noticed more blues and purples that she hadn't noticed before, with random shiny spots that she knew hadn't been there before. She caught a bit of movement and focused on it, a squirrel jumping into view as if it was right in front of her.

"Wow," she tried to say, but it only came out as a squawk. Her panic levels rose as she realized how hard speaking would be now. Only the artificial limits the change was keeping in her mind kept it from being crippling.

She relaxed her focus on the squirrel and grunted again. "Ewwo? Can you hear me? Can you understand me?" she tried to say, the words sounding somewhat normal to her, but still strange, like it was harder to enunciate than she was used to.

"Iss Karres? I can't smeak," Tony called out.

Nicole looked that way, zooming in and seeing his golden beaked face looking through the bushes. It was like she was right next to him.

"We can speak." she said slowly. "We need to practice. Everyone, repeat after me.... ''In Flanders fields the poppies blow.''" The Remembrance Day poem was the first thing that came to mind.

Around her the other kids perked up and looked at her. She could almost feel their gazes locking on her. Slowly they began to speak, obviously nervous about how they were speaking.

''"In Flanders fields, the poppies blow."''

Her ears flicked and she turned her head, easily able to pick up each voice and tell where it came from, when it started and when it stopped. "Between the crosses, row on row."

''"Between the crosses, row on row."'' She nodded encouragingly. Some of the sounds were harder to make, but forcing them into a familiar rhythm seemed to help her and the kids to make them without thinking too hard on how to make the sounds.

She went through the rest of the poem and relaxed by the time she got to the end. Speaking was still possible. She didn't know how her voice sounded, but everyone else's voices seemed off, the girls pitched a little lower, the boys pitched a bit higher, making them sound somewhat similar.

== Pakowki ==

Mike looked around the field slowly, zooming in occasionally as he got used to his new eyes. The people around the field looked strange now, partly furred bodies with bare birdlike heads. His ears twitched as he half listened to people practicing speaking. The day so far had been rough, and he had no idea how much longer they had. It felt like the worst might be done, but no one knew anything.

"Coach Griffith? How much more will there be?" someone asked from the bench.

He looked over and didn't recognize the player at first. Finally he remembered Cynthia had been sitting there and hoped she hadn't moved.

"I don't know, Cynthia. I hope the worst is over, but there is still more to go," he said. He was careful to look above her head as much as possible. Out of necessity, everyone had taken off their shirts early on. He had no idea what would happen later, but he wanted to make sure he could say he acted as best as he could.

He looked over the rest of the team. Some had family they had joined but most just had their teammates. He tried to place names to the new faces. "How's everyone doing? I know it's strange but is anyone having any problems?" he asked.

There was a chorus of 'no's' from the students and a few of the others who were in earshot. A few unchanged teens were wandering the crowd, looking shell shocked but trying to help where they could, but mostly everyone had to handle it themselves. It was hot day, and he knew they should be dehydrated and overheating, but he felt well enough as it was. Which was good; he had no idea how they would drink now.

News was slowly trickling in. Phones regularly rang but no one could really answer them. The unchanged did take messages and shared news as it was discovered. The extent of the change was taking shape. For the teams from Medicine Hat, they were happy their city had escaped the event, but it added an extra worry about how they would adjust when they could get home.

Ears and then heads turned towards the parking lot as people picked up the roar of a car engine. Since the change had started, the roads had mostly been silent, but not entirely. News of a quarantine had spread quickly, but the authorities were moving slowly. Not to mention there were enough backroads in the region that anyone vaguely familiar could slip through. So every hour or so since the change started, there tended to be a few new arrivals, usually bringing parents or family from outside the change region to check up on people.

The tires screeched as a car took the corner faster than it should. The driver skidded to a stop beside the field, and a woman jumped out.

"Judy? Where are you Judy?" she shouted, looking around frantically. She paused as she finally saw what the changed looked like. "Oh my god...."

The driver got out and hugged the woman. "It's okay. It's going to be okay," he said softly. With their new ears, it was surprisingly easy to hear him.

"Mom! Dad! I'm over here!" one of his students called out. Mike finally placed the parents, and who Judy was. The player raised her new wing to get attention.

The new arrivals finally noticed her and gasped again. The mother hesitated a moment, and Judy's ears drooped a bit, fear showing on her face.

"I'm here," Judy repeated. "It's me." She crossed her arms over her chest self consciously after a moment.

The parents stared a moment longer then started climbing the little hill up to the field. "Are you okay Judy? Can you move?" the father asked.

"Barely. I feel really strange. My balance is way off," she said.

They reached her and paused a few steps away. "Well, don't worry, we're here now. We can get you home, figure out how to stop this," the mother said. "Let's get you down to the car...."

"That's not a good idea," Mike called out, not wanting to interrupt but it felt like a good thing. "Taking her home won't stop the change and may cause harm if she's crammed in that little car."

"Stay out of this, it's our daughter!" the man countered.

"It's Coach Griffith. If anyone knows anything about this type of thing it's him," Judy countered.

"I don't care who he is. We have to get you home, then we can work on getting you better," the mother said.

"That's not a good idea. Some Titans left their area right after it triggered, and they still changed fully. Taking her home now won't stop anything, and will be really rough," Mike said.

The father reached out and ended up touching her new wing. He let go in surprise, as Judy twitched it away instinctively. She glared at him, her feline ears flattening.

"I'm staying, at least until this is done," Judy said.

"But..." her mother started to say.

Mike squirmed a bit and could see others were twitching uncomfortably as well. He could see goose bumps forming on his upper arms and realized their respite was coming to an end. "But nothing. It's still going on. Best thing you can do is try to help. There are other unchanged folk in the school who are getting things ready, see if you can lend a hand while we're incapacitated,"

The parents hesitated, about to argue more. Judy touched her mom with her new wing. The mother twitched away as if she was burned. Judy winced as well at the reaction and pulled her new wing back. "Go mom. I know you want to help. The best thing you can do is help get things ready for when we're done. We haven't really eaten all day; I'm sure we'll be starved when it's done."

By now everyone was showing a fuzz as their downy feathers started growing in. Mike found it surprisingly relaxing to finally be covered.

"Please mom, dad. Just wait this out. We'll figure things out when its done," Judy begged again.

"Fine, we'll go see where we can help," her father said. "But as soon as we can, we're heading home."

They hesitated, clearly wanting to hug her but not wanting to touch her yet. Judy also hesitated, but was distracted at the fuzz of light feathers growing. Finally the pair turned and headed for the school where a couple of other unchanged were waiting to recruit them for help.

== Spruce Coulee Camp ==

The radio cackled and Andrew came over the air. "That was rough. Can you hear me? Everyone still there? Over." he asked. He sounded different but recognizable, though he sounded a little stuffed up and higher pitched.

"Alpha here. We got through it," Sam said.

One by one, the chaperones chimed in. Nicole listened, waiting for her chance. It was clear that they all sounded a little different but were still recognizable. She picked up the radio and held it near her beak. "Zeta team. We're all good. Freaked out but good. Over."

She lowered the device, and went a bit cross eyed, paying more attention to her changed face. She reached up and touched the beak with her finger tips, being careful of her talons. It was strange to have such a big thing coming from her face, and to have it be a part of her. She licked the edges of her beak carefully, not quite sure what to make of it. She found her tongue seemed a bit longer and more flexible than she was used to. In part of her mind, she realized she would have to learn to eat and drink with it, but she pushed it to the side.

Nicole realized she'd been sitting for hours and her body was stiff. She cautiously stood up, bracing herself on the log that had been her seat for so long, her back to the boys. It was strange standing now, part of her mind wanting to try and get her heels down, but her body proving that to be impossible. Her jeans fit awkwardly, barely hanging onto her hips, the bare tail pushing down on the waistband from behind. She tried to straighten up, and while she found it possible, she discovered she was most comfortable with a slight forward lean that put her wings over her centre of mass. It also made her breasts hang a little, not uncomfortably, but just differently.

"I... I think... I hope the worst is over," she said. She looked around to take in all the kids. "It's not done yet, but... but I don't know." She gave up, at a loss for what to say. She idly scratched at the skin of her upper arm, then abruptly stopped when she realized what she was doing.

Instead, she looked closer and noticed the skin was covered in goosebumps. As she watched, thick waxy hair began to grow out. The waxy substance dried and flaked off, letting the hair split apart into downy feathers. She ran her talons through the thick down, feeling the soft texture and investigating the whitish feathers against her tawny fur. She twisted around a bit and confirmed that the down had spread over the unfurred parts of her body.

Before she could really come to terms with it, she noticed more hairs growing up through the down. They were thicker than the feathers, and as the waxy covering broke apart, the hairs split open into flat feathers, more similar to what she was used to seeing on birds. These ones seemed to have a bit more colour to them, with a lot of brown and black shades in them. They grew out steadily covering the down in a protective layer.

She slipped her talon under one of them and could feel the slight tug of the feather on her skin. It was a strange feeling, like all the other sensations she was feeling now. She quickly pulled her talon clear, not sure what to do with the feathers exactly, and tried to smooth it back in place.

While she was examining the feathers on her sides and arms, she unconsciously spread her wings. The largest feathers started growing out on the wings, the vanes flaring from the shaft even as they grew out. When Nicole finally noticed them, her wings were no longer naked, but covered in dark brown and black feathers like her back. She spread her wings, not thinking about how she did it, and shook them a bit, seeing the feathers twitch and settle into place. The wing feathers were larger and stiffer, providing a bit of resistance as she moved her wings. They mainly grew out from the bottom of her wing-arms. At the very end of her wings they seemed to spread out a bit, though as she flexed that part, she could see them clump and spread. With a wing partly extended, she reached out and touched them, feeling the surface they formed, soft, but surprisingly solid. She pulled her wings back in, shaking them a bit to get the feathers to lay comfortably against her side, the wing itself in the folded position she'd discovered earlier. With her wings in place she stretched and rotated her arms, discovering her arm mobility was mostly intact.

Finally, the last set of feathers began to grow, long vanes growing from the stubby tail she'd almost forgotten about. The feathers themselves were quite long and stiff, reaching the ground if she tried to stand fully upright, but hovering just above the ground when she was standing in what felt like a natural position. The weight of them was noticeable but not too bad. She lowered one wing and looked behind her to better examine the tail. She wiggled the tail, lifting it up and squeezing it, seeing the feathers bunch together, then spread apart, as well as lift up and down and move from side to side. She had no idea what it all meant, but it felt useful. The motions she'd made earlier made a bit more sense now.

"Miss Karnes... Do you think it's over?" Tony called out from the bushes.

She shrugged her wings and did a quick self inspection. "I don't know... I think it is," she said. "Take a few minutes, relax. Maybe try walking so you get used to what you are now. It's been a long day, and we still have to get back to the camp."

She took a few more steps, careful to keep facing away from the boys. The feathered wings and tail were heavy and awkward, but her body seemed to balance them well enough when she didn't think about it. She experimentally spread her wings and shook them a bit, careful not to swing them too hard. Even with the little shakes, she could feel them catching the air, trying to pull her forward, or upwards.

"Maybe start picking up your stuff. We'll have to carry it back with us," she called out, glancing back to the trio that had stayed in the open with her. "Angela, Catherine, we should figure out how to put our tops back-"

The words died in her beak as she noticed Jeremy rubbing at his chest. He'd grown dark black feathers all over, looking similar to a raven or a crow, but his chest was furred like an orange cat. The fur and the rubbing did little to hide the dark swollen nipples on his chest. Nipples that were growing mounds under them. She tilted her head and noticed Ryan and Craig had similar issues.

"Shit... How did I forget that?" she mumbled. The strangeness of Titan sexuality was well known, but she had figured that wouldn't be a factor for them when it became obvious they weren't becoming Titans. Clearly the force changing them had other things in mind.

"Stay calm boys... It... It's not quite done yet," she said. It was hard to read their bird faces, but they were clearly confused and worried.

She did a subtle check at her own body, and figured her breasts hadn't changed much; they were furry now, maybe a little smaller, but they were still there. The boys' attention had shifted to their bellies now. They were clearly experiencing some discomfort as something happened out of sight. At the same time, Nicole felt a new feeling of her own.

Her pulse quickened a bit and a wave of arousal washed over her, focusing on her loins. She gasped a bit and closed her eyes, trying to control it. It concentrated on her clitoris, and she felt it swell with excitement despite not touching it. The feelings kept getting stronger despite her attempts to resist, and she began to realize something was rubbing in her panties. She also realized there was a bit of a dualness to the feelings, her more familiar aroused clitoris and something new that was growing. Reluctantly she looked down and through her unzipped jeans, she could tell there was something in the front of her panties.

She had a suspicious idea of what it was, but she had to see to be sure. She glanced around quickly to make sure no one was in front of her, and she pulled at her panties, letting her jeans slide down a little. She froze in shock, part of her knowing what she was seeing, but most of her not believing it was part of her. She had a penis.

It was semi erect, swelling out of a furred sheath just above her vagina. There was no sign of a scrotum or balls, but its purpose was obvious. It was red, with a pointier head than she was used to, and strange bumps down its length. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, not wanting to deal with it just yet. She tugged her panties back up and winced at the feelings of the cotton cloth on her sensitive shaft.

"Hands up!" she called out, glancing around. It was obvious the boys had noticed something else about their bodies, but she didn't want to be dealing with that aspect just yet. "I know you've all got something new. Just leave it alone.We've got more important things to do."

The trio near her guiltily raised their hands in the air, their wings lifting a bit as well. She heard sudden movement in the bushes where the others were hiding, and saw more talons lifting up.

"Okay. That was unexpected... but not surprising. I really hope that's the last surprise. I know it all feels really strange and in some ways quite nice, but we don't have time for any exploration right now. So pull your pants back on and get your tops on as best you can. We'll give it a few more minutes to settle down and to make sure nothing else happens, and then we'll head home."

Now that things really seemed to be done, Nicole felt the pressure seemed to be easing, and exhaustion was beginning to set in. The terror and anger may have been capped, but the effect they had on her body still seemed to apply, even if it wasn't the same one she'd started the day with.

She let the teens start sorting themselves out while she tended to herself. She looked down at her jeans and pulled them back up so they were tight under her tail. It was uncomfortable but it covered her. She stared at her talons and decided buttoning them again would be a lost cause. Instead she fumbled at the zipper and managed to pull it up, hopefully high enough to keep them up. The pressure on her new sheath was a necessary discomfort.

She then grabbed her t-shirt and held it up. The neck looked too small, and she had no idea how it would fit with her wings, but she needed something over her chest. Reluctantly, she pulled it on, tilting her head up so her beak could get through the neckhole. She got her arms through and found the fit was somewhat close. The only problem was the back of the shirt. It hung up on her wings and kept the front from fully covering her chest. She tugged it down and gave up. Her breasts were covered, even if the shirt hugged them tighter than she was used to. It would have to do..

The walkie talkie crackled and Andrew gave an update. He sounded exhausted. "I think we're done... God, I hope we're done. Please be done. In any case, come on back, guys. We have to get dinner and figure out the next step."

The other groups spoke one by one, verifying they were done as far as they could tell, and they would be returning as soon as possible. They sounded as exhausted as Nicole felt. "Zeta group. We're at the fire station. Got a little bit more clean up to do but we'll be in as soon as possible. Over."

"Thanks everyone. Remember, take only pictures, leave only tracks. We don't know when we can head back out, so bring back our equipment. Over."

She picked up her shoes after tucking the socks into them and grabbed her belt. She checked on her charges. Tony had dressed and come out from his hiding spot, showing his fur and feathers off, some sort of hawk and spotted cat mix. The other three boys had put their pants back on but seemed reluctant to pull on their shirts Their breasts were obvious on their chests, even as she tried to avoid looking their way. Catherine and Angela joined them soon after; they'd pulled their shirts on. Catherine was self consciously tugging on her t-shirt trying to get it lower. They paused and stared at the trio of boys.

For the first time, Nicole could tell what sort of griffons they had become. The cat and bird parts seemed to be randomly mixed as far as breeds went. Jeremy's orange cat/raven appearance was the most distinctive. The rest of them seemed to be various hawks and eagles, but mixes of striped, solid and spotted cats.

"Boys, pull on your shirts. I know they don't fit well, but it's only proper and fair. We heard what Mr Karnes said. Let's gather up the fire kits and head back to the camp."

Nicole ended up doing most of the packing, stacking the buckets and filling them with the fire kits that had been prepared for the interrupted lessons. Angela helped as well, but the rest of the kids milled about, getting used to moving on their toes.

Nicole checked the time as she tossed her watch into the bucket she was using to carry most of the stuff. It was just after five in the evening. She clicked the radio. "Zeta team here. We're heading back to camp now. Should be there in ten or so. Over."

"Thanks dear. See you soon. Over," Andrew replied.

She tossed the walkie talkie into the bucket and waved her wing roughly in the direction of the coulee. "Come on, let's get going. It's been a hell of a long day. I'm exhausted, I'm hungry, and I'm not even sure how we can eat. Sooner we get back, the sooner we can figure it out. Not to mention the sooner you can figure out how to walk."

== Etzikom ==

With their feathers grown in, people were feeling complete. For the first time in hours, they could get up and move around slowly, getting used to walking on their changed feet with the weight of their new wings and tails.

Brian surveyed his students, trying to match new looks to old names. The feathers were impressive. Most seemed to have earthy colours; black, brown, white and grey colours. But a significant number of griffons had other colours; reds, greens, blues and yellows, reminiscent of non-birds of prey like cardinals, parrots, blue jays and others.

Scott especially was enjoying his new form. Early on in the change he'd willingly pushed himself out of his chair and endured the change on the ground. Now that he was done, he had stood up for the first time in years. He had a mottled jaguar pattern and deep blue feathers.

"How are you doing?" Brian called over to the family.

"All things considered, I'm feeling great! I can walk... Look at me, I'm walking again!" Scott exclaimed, his giddiness proving to be infectious. Reading griffon expressions was difficult, but the ones around him seemed to hold their wings higher or otherwise had a happier stance.

Brian nodded and refocused on the team. He rubbed his furry chest with the back of his arm, feeling a deep itch there. As he looked around he noticed more and more were similarly rubbing their chests. It quickly became obvious that they weren't done yet.

He looked down past his beak and noticed his nipples were larger, perking out of the light fur on his chest. The flesh under them swelled slowly as he watched. His ears twitched as he heard others react to the change. He stayed quiet himself, confused at what it meant.

He cupped his new breasts carefully, feeling the scales on his palms rubbing the nipples. He shivered a little, finding them noticeably big, but not huge at least. He hoped they wouldn't get much bigger.

Suddenly, he felt his insides cramp up below his belly. He grunted and grabbed at his belly. Around him most of the guys seemed to be having similar pains.The feeling spread quickly downwards, new organs and muscles growing unseen in his guts. While he couldn't see what was going on, he had a sensation of his scrotum tightening up until the sensation changed. The spasms and cramps eased up, and he could sense new muscles he could somewhat control below, capable of squeezing. He dropped his hand down to the front of his pants and could tell his penis was still there.

He felt the urge to explore more, and quickly stamped down on it. Looking around, he noticed a lot of hands drifting downward hesitantly and decided to jump ahead of things. "Remember where you are!" he called out, jolting most of the new griffons back to reality. "I... I think it's done now. I hope it is. Let's gather our stuff up and get it down to the bus. I don't think we can ride the bus any more, but at least we can lock our gear up in there. Get dressed as best you can, and we'll figure out what to do from there."

Nearby, Crystal and Ryan were recovering. Crystal had rested against her mascot costume through most of the change. She now had a hawk upper half and a lion lower half.

"You think Mr Boyd is right? Is it over now?" she asked. She tugged at her shorts awkwardly, the new bulge obvious in them.

"I really hope so. Are you okay?" Ryan asked. He stood up and took a few cautious steps, getting used to his new paws, flaring his tail feathers.

Crystal rolled onto her side and pushed herself up carefully. "Yeah, that was just strange at the end. And these shorts don't really have room for all this. Are you okay? That last bit didn't look nice."

"It was rough. I've never had a cramp like that before."

"You've never had a rack like that before either." Crystal giggled a bit and looked at the mascot costume. "Guess I won't be wearing that any more. Can you give me a hand with this?"

"Sure, just a second." Ryan gathered up his own shoes and shirt. He looked at his chest and back at the shirt. He was tempted to leave it off, but finally decided to tug it on. It was way too tight around his chest and didn't really cover anything, but at least it was something.

She looked at him and her ears twitched. "Yeah, you look good, considering."

Ryan squirmed a bit, tail feathers twitching. "So do you, I guess. It's a lot to get used to."

He helped her gather the costume and joined the rest of the team heading towards the bus. In the end they recruited one of the remaining humans to actually load the bus as the griffons found their wings were too much to squeeze in.

They passed the mascot costume onto the bus, along with their shoes and other things they couldn't wear any more. Then they hung around the bus with their teammates, not sure what to do next. Their wings and tails always seemed to get in the way no matter how they held them.

"Maybe we should go-" Crystal started to say, only to be interrupted by Ryan's phone.

He reached for it and yelped as he stabbed his thigh with his new talons. The phone stopped ringing by the time he got it out of his pocket.

"It was mom... again," he said, seeing the notice on the screen. There were dozens of missed calls, along with hundreds of texts and Facebook messages showing on the screen. He tapped at the screen cautiously, and discovered he still had finger pads that worked on the screen at the ends of his fingers, just before his talons. It took him a couple of attempts to remember his passcode and get into the phone.

The couple moved around to the far side of the bus as he placed the call. It was answered almost immediately.

"Ryan? Is it you? Are you okay?" the panicked mother answered.

"Hi mom, it's me. I'm... I'm okay. Crystal's here too and she's fine too," Ryan said once she paused for a breath.

"Hi Mrs Griffith," Crystal called out.

"Thank god. I've been worried sick all day. They said we shouldn't try to call while it was happening, but I couldn't help myself. Have you heard from your father?"

"I did, very early on. Mr Boyd called him just after it started, when only our hands had changed," Ryan explained. "I haven't heard from him since, but he was changing too."

"I know. They worked out the limits pretty quickly. You two are deep in it."

They fell silent as they tried to cope with what happened. Ryan looked at the vehicles around him, and shook his wings. "I don't know how we're going to get home. We don't exactly fit in cars now. We couldn't even squeeze into the school bus to reload it."

"Don't worry about that yet. They're saying they're keeping you all in place for now. Probably for a week or so,"

"A week!" Crystal exclaimed. "What are we going to do for a week?"

"Learn our new bodies for one thing," Ryan pointed out. "Hopefully we can hook up with dad's group at least."

"Have you called your parents yet, Crystal?" Susan Griffith asked.

"No ma'am. I used up most of my charge on the way down and didn't think to try and get it charged while it was happening."

"I can give them a call, let them know you're okay. Can... can you send me some pictures? Let me know what you look like now?"

"Sure, just a second," Ryan said. He tapped on the phone and pointed it to Crystal who posed, spreading her wings a little. When he had her picture, he passed the phone to her and she took a few of him.

Finally they leaned close together, wings and shoulders pressing together for a selfie of them together. It was the first time they'd touched another griffon and the contact surprised them at first; fur and feathers just felt different from plain skin.

Ryan reclaimed his phone and sent the pictures. "Here you go.... Slowly"

"I assume every griffon in the area is probably on their phone now, or at least everyone with a relative," his mom said. "Oh wow. You're.... You're beautiful."

"You don't have to say that," Crystal said.

"Why not? It's the truth. You're different, but you aren't ugly or monstrous or anything. I can't wait to see you in person, or even on video."

"Maybe tomorrow, when the 'net's a bit more stable," Ryan said. "As is, I should find a charger for my phone too."

"I'll let you get going then. I'll call your parents, Crystal and let them know you're okay. And I'll try to call your father."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Crystal said.

"Oh! One question, who's who? I think Ryan's the one with the darker fur? I think I recognize his shirt."

"Yeah, that's me now," Ryan confirmed.

"Quite the handsome cat-bird. Take care, you two; we'll be in touch. Love you."

"Love you mom. Bye."

Ryan hung up and carefully pocketed the phone. "That went well. It was good to hear from her."

"Yeah, something normal at least." Crystal stepped forward and carefully hugged him, arms slipping under his wings. She stepped back quickly. "Come on, I'm starved. Hopefully they've figured out something we can eat."

== Spruce Coulee Camp ==

Nicole led the group along the stream towards the coulee. They stepped carefully, not used to walking in bare feet. The pads on their feet seemed more than durable enough to handle the gravel stream bed they were following, though the muddy sections were annoying as it soaked their foot fur.

"Watch your step. Try to avoid any sharp stuff," Nicole warned them as they walked. She glanced back constantly to make sure no one lagged behind. Despite the long day with no food, everyone was able to keep up. They were a subdued group of griffons, walking quietly for the most part.

By the time they reached the coulee, everyone was somewhat comfortable walking and had sorted out their wings. They paused once they got out of the woods to wash their feet and clear the mud off. It felt good.

While the teens cleaned up, Nicole looked to the far end of the lake. Her vision zoomed in, letting her see a couple dozen griffons milling about outside. She realized she had no idea who was who. A couple looked towards her and waved so she waved her wing back. Emir and Ricky were the only obvious people, the only humans left in their group. They seemed a bit shell shocked and lost among the furry-feathered people.

"It won't be long now. Let's go figure out who's who and get something to eat."

A short walk along the shore later, and they were back at the camp. Their approach had been spotted practically from the moment they got out of the woods. One osprey-lynx griffon rushed to greet them. She scanned the group, and locked onto Nicole, recognizing her clothing. Nicole watched it approach, not sure if it was male or female, or if that mattered for what they were now.

"Nicole!" Andrew called out, reaching her. She relaxed, recognizing her husband's voice. They embraced on the shore squeezing wings and feathers alike.

"I'm so scared," she whispered. "What the hell is going on?"

"So am I. But we're together now. That's a good thing."

They stood there for a long moment while the rest of her group made their way back to the camp. When they finally separated, she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt, showing his grey furred breasts to the world.

"You should have a shirt on now. You're as big as me now," she said, poking his breast with a talon. She blinked in surprise at what she did and looked around, thankful no one was paying them attention.

"I know I am. We all are now. But as you're clearly feeling, it's not exactly easy to cover up. Come on, we have some news."

They started walking up to the lodge. Nicole studied the group now that she could see them easier. About half of them seemed to be normal birds of prey. The other half were other types of birds. While everyone had the hooked bird of prey beak, there was one with the red and blue markings similar to a macaw. Another had the emerald head feathering of a mallard duck. And someone else had dark purple feathers of a species she couldn't recognize.

"How do you have news? The phone line is down and there's no service," she asked.

"I know, and that's true. But the radio works. There's one in the kitchen that can pick up stations from Parker and Hat."

"Is Hat?"

"Hat is safe. They were outside. Fort Parker on the other hand, was nearly dead center," he confirmed.

She winced and fell silent. She stood next to him as he hopped up on one of the benches to get people's attention.

Once the group quieted down and eyes turned his way he started. "Welcome back everyone. We made it. We're here, and we're in one piece. We also have some news. First to reassure you, Hat is safe. Hat was outside the area. But Elkwater was within as you might expect."

There was a rumble as people processed the news, a palpable sense of relief, but also a fresh sense of worry as the implications set in.

"I'll explain more in a moment. But since we all... sorry almost all of us, have new faces, I think fresh introductions are in order. I'm Mr Karnes, and this is Mrs Karnes obviously. Mr Arnold and Miss Davidson, please step over here."

Two more griffons stepped up to the front of the group. The purplish one turned out to be Sam Arnold, while Judy was some sort of eagle.

"Caleb and Danielle are there. Jim and Emily are there." The parents waved to identify themselves. Caleb and Danielle were clustered around their daughter and niece. Once Nicole realized who Jim and Emily were now, it was obvious who their kids were too.

"We'll have to do more introductions in a moment, but here's what we've heard. There's a radio in the lodge, and we can pick up stations from Hat and Fort Parker, so that's where I've learned what we know."

He paused to collect his thoughts. "Right, so this was a Titan event. Sounds like it was anchored on the border, between Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana. It reached about a hundred klicks out from there, just like with the Titans.

"Estimates are, there are about a hundred thousand of us. Big places hit were Fort Parker and Havre Montana, Elkwater here and some smaller towns and villages. Over in Saskatchewan, Battle Creek was hit, along with Gavenlock, Loomis, Robsart, and part of Maple Creek." He paused and let out a nervous breath. "Here in Alberta, Elkwater was the biggest place hit, but Aden and Manyberries were hit.... As were Etzikom and Pakowki."

Nicole felt a chill go down her spine as the implications hit her. She didn't wish this on anyone else, but it did mean when they did get home, they wouldn't be alone.

"Why do those last two sound so familiar?" Jim asked.

"There's a big Southeastern High School soccer tourney going on this weekend, in Etzikom and Pakowki. That's why our group is a bit smaller than usual this year; the timing conflicted," Sam explained.

"We sent our senior boys and girls teams out. So did MHHS. There are probably fans and family out there too," Andrew added. "Paul's probably not sleeping a wink tonight."

He sighed and shook his head. "In any case, they're scrambling to figure out what to do about us. We're on our own tonight. Tomorrow... is tomorrow. We'll figure out what to do then. There seems to be talk about a quarantine, so chances are good we won't be going home tomorrow."

"So, for tonight, and for the rest of the camp, I remind you this is still a school trip, even if we are quarantined here. We expect you to be on your best behaviour. Dinner will be ready soon, and we'll probably have an early night. We're not sure if bunk beds are appropriate for our new forms, so we're opening up the other cabin for the girls. The guys already had 18 lower bunks, and Rick and Emir can go up top."

"Are we still technically girls and boys?" someone asked from the crowd.

"For the sake of our sanity, you are. This is still too new, too unknown, for us to do otherwise.

"Now, we're going to get dinner going shortly. Bottles of water are available on the table back there. Feel free to grab one. We'll eat, and we'll probably have an early bed time after that. It's been an exhausting day, and I think we just need some time to process this. Lights out will be at 10. If you want to go to bed before then, feel free. There will not be a wakeup call. Sleep as late as you feel you need." Andrew studied the crowd, thinking of what else to say.

"I know many of you have gotten your phones back. We don't have cell service of course, but don't think I haven't noticed the cameras clicking. We can't really control that too much, but please, keep your pictures tasteful."

"He's your teacher, so he has to be tactful about it," Jim chimed in. "Me, I'm a parent. I can be as tactless as I want. So if you have trouble reading between the lines, he means ''No Sexting''. Keep everything in your pants and for God's sake don't take pictures of it, no matter what ''it'' is."

There was some embarrassed laughter and a few of the teens squirmed uncomfortably.

Andrew nodded to Jim. "Thank you Mr Anderson. I trust everything is perfectly clear?"

He looked around the crowd to make sure the point was clear.

"That's all I have for now. We'll just do a quick roll call and then you can go from there."

The roll call finally let Nicole reconnect names to new faces. She wasn't really surprised to discover that the macaw coloured griffon was the Brazilian exchange student, Patricia. Fittingly, she also had a jaguar rosetta patterned lower half. The remaining students seemed to have no pattern to what they became. She was a bit concerned by how many were going topless; about a third of the students were only in their pants, and it wasn't just the former boys. No one seemed to make an issue of it so she left it alone for now.

Nicole grabbed a bottle of water from the table, and followed Emily into the lodge to offer help with dinner. They gathered around the central island. Nicole twisted the top off the bottle and looked at it, not sure how to use it.

"Tilt your head back and dump it in basically, that's the easiest way. Aim near your cheeks if it helps," Emily suggested.

Nicole followed the advice. Some of the water dribbled into the feathers of her face, but most of it went into her mouth. She gulped it down and quickly drained the bottle, feeling a little better. She hadn't realized just how dehydrated she had become.

"Right. That's water dealt with. How about food? What the hell do we eat?"

"The radio said we seem to be able to eat anything we could before. Just be careful about it. I figured it would be best to keep it simple. Offer fruit mainly, along with the cold cuts and bread we were going to use for sandwiches for lunch. If anyone wants to make sandwiches they can try."

Nicole nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea. I don't think I could make a bigger meal even if I wanted to."

The kitchen felt smaller than they were used to. The wings and tails kept getting in the way. They often found themselves reaching with a wing instead of a hand when their attention slipped. They loaded trays with the cold cuts, cheese slices, bread and basically all the snack food. While setting up the trays, she tried her own eating experiments. Grapes were interesting, able to be placed in her beak and then popped by pressing them to the roof of her mouth with her tongue. The sliced meat and cheeses, she found she could tear with her beak and pull in with her mouth. The biggest challenge was trying not to chew and to make sure the pieces were small enough to swallow directly. It made the food somewhat less flavourful. It helped that her tongue seemed a bit more flexible than she remembered, able to help pull food in and move it around in her mouth. All in all, it was a strange experience.

"Yeah, I think this was a good plan. Even sandwiches are probably beyond us at the moment," Nicole commented after trying to bite a slice of cheddar. Her beak had no problem cutting through the cheese, but she'd misjudged the size and it was too big to swallow forcing her to try and break it up more with her tongue.

"That's why I'm not putting out the apples. Oranges, bananas, grapes, those are all soft or small enough for us to eat in a bite. But the apples, we'd need to actually break chunks off and I don't think we want to deal with that yet," Emily explained.

"How are we looking for tomorrow?"

"Well, we were planning to leave tomorrow, so we have enough for breakfast. And since we missed lunch today, we should have something for lunch tomorrow. After that, I don't know."

"We'll talk it over with the others, and figure something out."

Dinner was a subdued affair. The trays were set out and people snacked from them as they wanted to. Mostly people mingled around the unlit fire pit, coming to terms with the situation in their own way. There were a lot of topics to consider, but no one really wanted to address them.

== Pakowki ==

People were converging on the schools. During the change, it was mostly parents and families of changed students, rushing in as the news spread before barricades went up. By mid afternoon, the arrivals dwindled to a trickle. Once the change was done, a fresh wave of people arrived, These were representatives from the Red Cross, the military and other emergency responders.

Big trucks were pulling up outside the schools, beginning to unload cots, blankets, pillows and other supplies. It was obvious they were preparing for the new griffons to be staying put for a while.

Mike and Tammy were keeping busy. With the change complete, they were doing a headcount, making sure they knew who their students were now. A couple hadn't changed but most were different now. Tammy was tracking down the parents and friends who were there now, building up a cluster of folk from Medicine Hat.

Mike stood on the bench, taking a moment to compose himself. He looked across the field and across the next field, seeing the crowd sorting itself out there as well. He knew the other Medicine Hat team was playing over there at the Elementary School's field with three other teams. Without thinking much of it, he could 'squint' and the far off crowd jumped into focus, as if they were just a few meters away.

He faintly heard a crackle of a loudspeaker, and the far off group looked towards the elementary school. He twitched his ears to listen closer, hearing someone start speaking. He was almost deafened by a closer squawk, the PA system of the high school activating behind him.

''We would like everyone to please report to the gym for an update and a briefing of what will happen next. ''

He winced and blinked, refocusing on the people around him. The team was looking expectantly towards him. "You heard them. Let's go inside and figure out what's next."

He glanced back across the field and realized the other group had probably received a similar message; they were heading into the school. He refocused locally and made sure his students were all moving. As they headed for the school, he looked around. There were probably a couple hundred griffons, and dozens of unchanged, mostly babies, kids and young teens. He figured half of them hadn't bothered trying to put shirts back on.

A few griffons and humans held the doors open to let the mob enter.Watching the griffons, Mike realized that they were shorter than normal, but seemed a bit wider due to their wings. Their stance seemed to be more horizontal than normal humans; they had a natural lean forward to keep their tail feathers lifted off the ground, and to put their wings more horizontal to their body.

He followed the crowd through the hall and into the gym. At the front was a group of humans and a few griffons that seemed to be in charge. A microphone had been set up.

"Everyone stay together. Head over there towards that corner," Mike called out, pointing towards the far corner of the gym. It was filling up fast, but groups did seem to be trying to stay together. There wasn't much chatter; everyone seemed to still be in shock from the event.

Soon after they claimed their corner, the last stragglers wandered in. The people at the front wrapped up their conversation and a woman stepped forward.

"Good evening everyone. I know you've been through a lot and you're wondering what will happen next. It's a good question, and one we're still figuring out. But we're here to help as best we can.

"My name is Alice McKay, from the Red Cross. We're here to help you through tonight and the days ahead."

She paused and looked over the room, not reacting to the strange people she saw in it. "As you obviously know, another Titan event has happened. It was centered at the border of Alberta, Montana and Saskatchewan, and extends about a hundred klicks. Around us, it's affecting the towns of Elkwater, Etzikom, Aden and Pakowki. Medicine Hat and Coutts were out of range."

The room erupted in mumbled conversations as the news sunk in. Mike knew some of that news already, but hearing it from an official source made it all the more real.

"What does that mean for us?" Tracy asked. "We're these things now, but our families aren't?"

Mike looked at his student. "I don't know. It'll be difficult, but we'll figure out something. For now, we just need to learn what we are now."

On the stage, Alice waited until the noise began to settle down. "I'm sure you all have many questions and we'll be available to answer them after. For now, I want to outline what's happening.

"First of all, I want you to know a quarantine is being set up around the region. We don't know how long it will be, but we want to keep all the affected people in the region for now. So you won't be able to go home right away.

"For locals, we'll help you get home as best we can. Getting in cars isn't really feasible, but we'll figure out something.

"For people from Elkwater, Etzikom, Aden and other areas within the Quarantine zone, we'll also try and get you home, but it probably won't be until tomorrow. For tonight, you should plan to stay here.

"For everyone else, I'm sorry, you probably won't go home until the quarantine lifts. At least by then we should have figured out a way to transport you."

The gym grew loud again as people shouted out questions. Alice held her hands up. "Please! Please! Please quiet down! We'll answer questions later."

It took a few minutes for the room to get quiet again.

"Thank you. So yeah, for tonight, we're setting up the school as an emergency shelter. Cots, blankets and pillows will be provided. We've also fired up the cafeteria, and dinner will be provided shortly. We're not sure what you can eat yet, but we'll get something in your bellies.

"You might remember that the Titans were taken offline during their change. You don't have to worry about that. The Net is staying up, the phone lines open and everything. Which also means the Press can reach you. Use your discretion when talking with them.

"The major phone companies like Bell and Rogers have already announced they're waiving long distance charges and data limits for this region. Check with your local carriers for details.

"If your phones are out of juice, charging stations will be set up somewhere, we'll let you know where when we figure it out. If you don't have charging cables, we have some available too for a variety of phones.

"The school's wifi information will be shared shortly as well, and a computer lab will be opened up so you can use the internet that way. We'll also set up some TV rooms in some of the classrooms so you can watch local news, or some kids programming for the young ones."

She paused for a moment and looked at her companions. "I know it's rough for all of you, and we're doing our best to help you out as best we can. Please be patient; we're all figuring things out at the same time. Now, any questions?"

An hour later, questions were done, but not really answered. Most headed for the cafeteria. Mike kept his team together while the gym emptied out. Some of the volunteers were already wheeling in cots, but gave them space.

"Right, you heard the news. We're going to be here for a while, probably a few days at least. I know we're all starving so I'll let you go get some food in a moment," Mike said addressing the team. "I'm going to try and get a section just for us, so we can stay together.

"Miss Stairs and I will be contacting the school to give them an update. The school will reach out to your parents. That said, if you have your own phones, you should call home and talk to your parents directly. If you don't have phones but want to call home, see me or Miss Stairs or one of the other adults, and we'll let you use our phones when we can. And if you just want someone to talk to, we're here for you as well."

He gave his team one last look. "Okay, go get something to eat everyone. Be sure to be back here before lights out, otherwise you can do what you want, within school grounds.”

Soon the two coaches were left by themselves in their corner of the gym. Mike sighed, finally relaxing for a moment. The weight of everything he had to do still rested heavily on his shoulders, but he finally had a moment to himself and his thoughts. Thoughts that immediately went to his family. He knew Ryan was affected but had no idea what was going on in the other town.

He jumped in surprise, feeling a hand on his arm. Tammy looked at him with a strange, unreadable face. Her body language was universal, she was obviously worried about him.

"We should call Paul, give him an update on the team, let him know the kids are fine," Mike said, feeling his responsibilities surging again.

"He can wait a little longer," Tammy suggested. "We need to look after ourselves first. That means getting something to eat, and calling home. You'll be in a better headspace then."

He nodded and carefully tugged his phone out of his pocket. The screen showed hundreds of missed messages and calls. "Not much juice left, but enough to call home. I'll have to charge it over dinner and then we'll call Paul."

Tammy nodded and patted his arm again. "Sounds like a plan. Come on, let's give them room to set up our beds for tonight."

== Spruce Coulee Camp ==

The sun settled to the west, and it became apparent that night vision was not one of the perks of their new forms. They could still see as good as humans, but not being able to see better was a slight disappointment. Andrew decided that lighting a fire would be too dangerous given how unused to their new forms they were, so they made due by turning on all the lights they could.

"Mrs Karnes, could we speak?" Patricia found the teacher after dinner.

Nicole looked up at the Brazilian student, and then looked around. They were somewhat isolated. "What's on your mind?" she asked the parrot-jaguar.

"Home is. I'm worried. What will happen to me? I'm supposed to leave around Christmas."

Nicole sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. Not yet. That might be something you'll have to decide later. For now, just get used to all this. And one way or another, we'll look after you, and the other exchange students."

"Will I have to leave? I don't think I could fit on a plane now." She shook her wings a bit. They were predominantly blue, but they had a band of yellow near her shoulder, and her main body feathers were red.Her feline part had orange and black rosettes on it, in a random pattern.

"I don't know. It's too soon to tell. The Americans are still sorting it out with the foreign Titans, and now Canada will have to figure it out with you guys. Once we get home and can contact your parents we'll start looking at your options."

Her body language showed she wasn't satisfied with the answer, but they both knew it was the only one they had available. "Thank you, Mrs Karnes."

"It's getting late and we're all exhausted. You should get ready for bed and figure out how to sleep. You're moving to the third cabin right?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I've already moved my stuff over."

"Well, try to have a good night then. I'm sure things will be better in the morning."

She nodded and left to rejoin Mai and some of the other girls. Nicole waved to them and looked around. Some of the teens had already retired to the cabins and everyone else looked exhausted. She caught Andrew's attention and pointed to the cabins. He did his own assessment and reached a similar conclusion.

"All right everyone. I know it's still early, but it's obvious we're all exhausted. So let's wrap things up out here and get back to your cabins. We'll have lights out at 10, so you have a little over an hour to get ready for bed and to sort out anything you want to sort out."

There was surprisingly little grumbling as the teenaged griffons retired to their cabins. The teachers did a quick bed check to make sure everyone was in the right spot. Most were sitting on the lower bunks, chatting. Some were already laying down either face down or on their sides, facing the wall so their wings and tail feathers hung off the side of the bed.

When the teachers returned to the lodge, they found the parents relaxing in the main area, looking as exhausted as the kids were. They were sitting on the floor around the unlit fireplace. Caleb and Danielle were leaning against each other, wings pressed together. Emily and Jim were seated separately near the couple. Andrew went to get some water bottles while the teachers joined them, completing the circle on the floor.

"The kids are all settling down. Surprisingly, they seem too tired to be curious. No one was in the bathroom, or even changing their clothes as far as we could tell. We'll do another check soon and kill the lights," Andrew said. "How are you all holding up?"

"Holding on by a thin thread. I'm scared about the future," Danielle acknowledged. "But we need to stay strong for the kids."

The others nodded. "Can you still feel ''THEM'' in your head?" Emily asked.

Nicole tilted her head. Now that they had a chance to breathe and relax, the differences were more apparent. That no one blinked any more was disconcerting. She could catch a glimpse of the inner lids flicking across the eyes of the others, but none of the full eye closure that she'd never really noticed before until it was gone.

"What do you mean by ''Them''?" Judy asked.

"You know, the ones who did this to us. The ones that kept our fear and anger contained. I... I can still feel it. Not as strong but when things start getting too much, when I start thinking.... Well it loses some of its impact."

The group fell silent for a moment, understanding what Emily was getting at, but not really wanting to acknowledge it.

"We should... we should make some plans for tomorrow. We only have enough food for breakfast and lunch really. So we'll have to go to Elkwater, and hope the stores are open." Nicole said.

Sam nodded, "Elkwater's about 10 klicks from here. Half of it on gravel roads. Since we can't drive we'll have to walk it. Walking it barefoot... bare pawed?... isn't that appealing, but some of us will have to do it to get some supplies."

They winced but nodded. "We'll figure it out tomorrow, once we have a better idea of what we need. Our new feet seem quite durable at least so far," Andrew noted.

"At the very least, we'll want to walk close enough to get a cell signal. Just getting to the paved road might be far enough," Nicole said. "Then we can call Paul and start getting word out that we're okay. I'm sure they're worried sick about us."

They fell silent a little before Caleb spoke up. He shook his wings. "It would be a hell of a lot easier if these worked. Think we should try it?"

"I doubt they would," Sam said. "The physics are all wrong for it."

"But why give them to us if not to fly with?" Danielle said.

"Let's shelve that for now. Our minds and bodies are literally too screwed up now to think straight. Get some rest and maybe things will be clearer in the morning," Andrew said to diffuse the situation. "Let's go turn off the lights. Most of them were already out when we were by earlier, I suspect the rest will be asleep now."

Everyone got up and went their separate ways. The parents went to their bedrooms, while the teachers grabbed the flashlights and went to do another cabin check. Sam and Andrew went to the first boys cabin and paused outside the door. Their ears twitched as they listened carefully.

"I'm not used to hearing so much. But I think they're all asleep," Sam whispered.

Andrew nodded in agreement and opened the cabin door. Peeking inside, they saw six figures motionless on the lower bunks. Most were on their sides, facing the wall with their wings hanging off the side of the bed. Two were laying on their fronts, one wing resting against the wall, the other hanging out like their cabinmates. Andrew flashed his light over them and there wasn't even a twitch; they were all deeply asleep, their eyes covered with their outer eyelids. The eyelids twitched like someone deep in dreamland. He flicked the switch to turn off the cabin lights, leaving just the nightlight near the door, and shut it quietly.

The next cabin they paused on its porch and listened again. This time they could hear a slightly different breathing pattern from within. When Sam opened the door, Ricky and Imir were laying on their top bunks, still awake. The changed boys were all asleep on the bunks below them.

"How are you two doing?" Sam whispered.

"We're okay," Ricky said, putting his phone down. He'd been playing a game on it. Across the aisle from him, Emir set his journal down and sat up, legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

"Are you sure? It's been a rough day, and we probably didn't check on you two as much as we should have," Sam said.

"We are good," Emir said. "You deal with a lot more."

"It doesn't mean we should have ignored you. You weren't directly affected, but witnessing this had to have been traumatizing. If you need to talk it out a bit, we're here for you," Andrew said.

"I good. Maybe tomorrow." Emir said.

Ricky nodded as well. "Yeah, seeing you guys change like that. It was scary, terrifying even. But it never seemed quite so bad. Well, not like that. I mean the terror, it was there, but I felt blocked off from it somehow, even though I wasn't changing. It's hard to explain."

"No, we especially know just what you mean. We all experienced that. Maybe we're still experiencing it. Probably a sign that this affected you as much as the rest of us, even if you weren't changed," Sam said.

"Fuck, aint that a fun thought." Ricky froze and lowered his head. "Sorry."

"It's okay. We're all thinking the same even if we didn't say as much. Let's hope a good night's sleep will help clear our minds a bit and settle us down. Do you two need more time? Technically it's not lights out yet, but...."

"I'm good," Emir said, closing his journal and stuffing it in the bag hanging off the bed post.

"Yeah, I'm good too," Ricky said, laying back down and pulling up his blanket. He tucked his phone under his pillow.

Sam glanced around the room one last time, making sure the bathroom lights were off. The rest of the boys were deep in sleep; they'd never even twitched a wing at the conversation going on around them. He realized most hadn't bothered with sheets, but they'd at least kept their underwear on.

"Night guys. Sleep well," Sam said, flicking the switch.

"Night Mr Arnold," the human boys replied from the darkness.

The third cabin was as quiet as the first one. They did a quick check and turned off the lights before heading back to the Lodge. Judy and Nicole were waiting for them.

"Girls are all asleep. I doubt a train rolling by would wake them," Nicole said.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. I'm half dead on my paws as is," Sam said. "Boys are all asleep too. Well Rick and Emir were still up, but they were fine to go to sleep now. We should try to pay more attention to them tomorrow; I think they were affected by this too, even if they weren't changed."

"There's a lot we should do. It's been a rough day, we probably forgot a lot of things we should have done, and done a lot of things we shouldn't have. So let's hit the sack and hope our heads are clearer in the morning," Judy said. She led the group into the lodge and turned to the hallway with the single rooms. "Night guys."

Nicole paused at the bathroom while Andrew finished turning off the lights and checking the lodge. She didn't need to use the toilet, but she wanted to do something she'd been avoiding all day. She focused on the sink, turning on the water and running it over her changed hands. They were covered in thick dark scales that gave them a pebbly texture. She cranked the water temperature up as high as it would go, and found she could barely tell much difference; the water didn't seem particularly cold nor hot. She washed her hands and splashed the water on her beak. She could vaguely sense the wetness, but could only tell it was hot water when some drops landed on her tongue, or soaked into the feathers on her face.

Finally, she looked up, and an inhuman face with yellow-orange eyes that didn't blink looked back at her. The bird-head was largely covered in dark black feathers with white and brownish highlights. Its hooked beak was dark, black, but turned white at the base. Unlike a normal hawk's head, two furry rounded ears were set on her head, a bit higher on the head than normal human ears. They were lighter coloured from the front, and dark black on the back. She heard someone coming down the hall, and the ears twitched to focus on the noise.

Behind her, another griffon slipped into the bathroom, visible in the mirror behind the stranger. This one's head was almost white with a black band starting at the base of the beak and going over the eyes and down the back of the head. His ears were greyer and more triangular, with tufts of fur on their tips.

"I'm a freak. We're freaks," she said softly, the bird's beak moving slightly with her words.

"We are what we are. I still think you are beautiful whatever you look like."

She sighed and turned off the water. She felt Andrew squeeze her shoulders in a familiar way, though the hands doing the squeezing were alien. When he shifted a little lower to squeeze at the base of her wings she twitched in surprise.

"Come on, let's get to bed," Andrew said, tugging her gently by the wings. He let her go and backed out of the tight bathroom.

The bedroom didn't feel much bigger with most of the space taken up by the double bed. It had been a close fit for two before, now Nicole wondered how it would work. She slipped past Andrew to her normal side of the bed, while he closed the door behind him. "Caleb and Danielle are out like a light."

"Yeah, I'm almost asleep on my feet too. And you look just as tired." He started tugging at the shirt, grunting and squirming as he tried to get it off. She stood there, seeing his grey furred breasts swaying with his struggles. She shook her head and went around to help him.

"Here, let me, Then you can help me." she said.

"Thanks. I'm really not used to these things. They look better on you." He smirked, his ears twitching. He reached over and helped her out of her own shirt. It was a relief to have her feathers freed, though the fabric pulled on them the wrong way as she took it off.

"I don't know. Maybe I could get used to them... in time."

She turned away and unzipped her jeans, pulling them down for the first time all day. It was a relief to get them off, along with her panties. She stared at her crotch, seeing ''it ''for the first time. Her feline part was tawny coloured, like a cougar. Between her legs in front of her pussy, was something else, a furry tube with an opening at the end. She could just see a pinkish thing within it, seemingly asleep at the moment, but waiting for its time.

"That... That's another thing to get used to," Andrew said.

She turned back and saw he'd similarly stripped off his pants and underwear. She was familiar with his old equipment, but it was gone now; his penis in a grey furred sheath similar to the one she now had. His balls and scrotum had disappeared, pulled into a new opening she could just see a hint of below the sheath; an opening mostly hidden by the fur. She realized that unless you were looking closely, you probably wouldn't really notice either in passing.

"This is us now?" she asked, her feelings confused.

"Seems that way. Come on, let's go to bed." He tugged her towards the mattress.

"What about the PJs?" she asked.

"I think we can skip for a night this time. It's nice to be somewhat free now, and it's just us."

They moved to their usual sides of the bed. She laid down on her side, as close to the edge as she could get, letting her wings and tail hang off the side. Andrew turned off the lamp next to him and the room fell into darkness, lit only by a faint glow of the quarter moon through the window. She sensed more then saw him lay down facing her. They wiggled closer together in the darkness, until they were close enough to touch. It wasn't their usual sleeping position, but Nicole suspected it would be one they would have to get used to. She could feel a light touch of his breasts on hers, moving with his breathing.

"Good night my love," he whispered.

"Good night dear," she replied.

{{series bar

|series= Paradigm Shift: Griffons: School Daze

|next=[[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_2|School Daze: Day 2]]}}

[[Category:Jetfire]] [[Category:Story]] [[Category:Paradigm Shift]] [[Category:Herm]] [[Category:Griffon]] [[Category:Adult]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: School Daze: Day 1}}

User:Jetfire

2024-09-03T23:28:51Z

Jetfire: Added a link for a new story.

This is Jetfire, a common face on various IRC networks. (I even show up on the TF-Net IRC networks occasionally).

I posted years ago on the TSA, but have been silent for a long time.

Well, recently my muse struck me hard again, and (what I hope will be a short series), the Taylor Series was spawned.

Since then I've dusted off a few older stories, and poked into a couple new settings that caught my eye.

==Stories==
=== Paradigm Shift ===
* [[User:Jetfire/Paradigm_Shift_Overview|Paradigm Shift Overview]] A new setting that's I've been working on.
* Titan stories. The first wave of changes.
** [[User:Jetfire/Titans_Step|Titan's Step]]: The first wave of changes in the Paradigm Shift setting.
* Griffon stories. The second wave of changes.
** Skyfire's stories
*** [[User:Jetfire/Big_Sky_Country|Big Sky Country]]: Skyfire's stories Book 1.
*** [[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book2|A Fire in the Sky: Book 2]]
** School Daze: A series of stories covering a different group experiencing the griffon changes.
*** [[User:Jetfire/School_Daze_Day_1|School Daze: Day 1]]
** Miscellaneous Griffon stories
*** [[User:Jetfire/Stormy_Skies|Stormy Skies]]: A small adventure with a new griffon.

=== FreeRIDErs ===
* [[User:Jetfire/Aloha|Aloha]] No transformations, but the introduction of an area and a family I'm developing for the FreeRIDErs setting.
* [[User:Jetfire/Splashdown|Splashdown]]: About 20 years after Aloha, The family has grown, and adapted.
* [[User:Jetfire/Astra-naught|Astra-naught]]: A couple of years later.
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Lady_of_the_Tiger|The Lady of the Tiger]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Cave_of_Wonders|Cave of Wonders]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Sum_of_Their_Parts|Sum of Their Parts]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Walkabout|Walkabout]]
* [[User:Jetfire/All_Spark_Bulletin|All Spark Bulletin]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Spies_Among_Us|Spies Among Us]]

Related story, leading into Cat Scratch Fever (like All Spark Bulletin does)
* [[User:Jetfire/Spice_Girls|Spice Girls]]

* [[User:Jetfire/Cat_Scratch_Fever|Cat Scratch Fever]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Rescue_911|Rescue 911]]

Stand alone story, set after Rescue 911
* [[User:Jetfire/United_Way|United Way]]

Stand alone story, set in the Nextus-Sturmhaven war.
* [[User:Jetfire/Broken_Crown|Broken Crown]]

Stand alone story, set in the Zharus system.
* [[User:Jetfire/Spacer_Oddity|A Spacer Oddity]]
* [[User:Jetfire/In_Space|In Space...]] Co-written with [[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]]

* [[User:Jetfire/Slow_Boat|Slow Boat to Zharus]] Co-written with [[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]]

Spacer Stories.
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Touch|The Touch]]
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Power|The Power]]
* [[User:Jetfire/All_Hell_Breakin_Loose|All Hell's Breakin' Loose]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Riding_The_Eye_of_the_Storm|Riding the Eye of the Storm]]

Related Spacer Story
* [[User:Jetfire/DragonRIDEr_of_Pharos|DragonRIDEr of Pharos]]

Totalian Diplomacy (concurrent with the Spacer stories)
* [[User:Jetfire/iron_hand_in_a_velvet_glove|Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove]]

=== [[:Category:Colonies|Colonies]] ===

Colonies is a setting I'm starting and sorting out what I want to do with.
Generally speaking the idea is that people appear on a new world, rejuvenated to their mid-20's, in good health and basic skills intact, but fuzzy memories of cultural stuff.
Over a week, they change into the dominant species of the world with the intent they will colonize it as that species.

More details will come out when (if?) I get the mood to write more in this general setting.

* [[User:Jetfire/Centaurville|Centaurville]]

=== Metamor Keep ===
*[[Storm Watch]] Introduction of Saroth and Electra, the Weather Wardens.
*[[Sunny Skies]] Quickie story of a small event around the Keep
*[[Sea Breeze]] Saroth and Electra travel to Magdalain Island.
*[[Cloud Seeding]] Saroth reflects on the events that lead him to the Keep originally.

===Taylor Series ===
*[[Taylor Series Tom and Cat]]
*[[Taylor Series 2 Erin and Aaron]]
*[[Taylor Series 3 Minos]]

===[[:Category:The Veil|Paradise: The Veil Series]] ===
'''Before August, 2005'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Holes in the Veil|Holes in the Veil]]: First part, though it is complete in itself, of a story set in the [[:Category:Paradise|Paradise]] setting.

'''August, 2005-August 2006'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Lifting The Veil|Lifting The Veil]]: Joey's experiences continue.
*[[User:Jetfire/Poking the Veil|Poking the Veil]]: Joey tries to find more Changed in his region.
*[[User:Jetfire/Film at 2011|Film at 2011]]

'''August, 2006-August 2007'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Twisting the Veil|Twisting the Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Generations|Generations]]
*[[User:Jetfire/A Rolling Stone Gathers No Veil| A Rolling Stone Gathers No Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Auld Lang Syne|Auld Lang Syne]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Gaming Furs|Gaming Furs]]

'''August, 2007-August 2008'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Radio No Veil|Radio No Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Six Furries and a Wedding|Six Furries and a Wedding]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Clearing the Air|Clearing the Air]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Rising Waters|Rising Waters]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Election Fever|Election Fever]]

===[[:Category:Paradise|Paradise]]===
*[[User:Jetfire/GM'O'Fur|GM'O'Fur]]: A friend of Joe's changes. A side story from the main Veil storyline, but stand alone by itself.
*[[User:Jetfire/It Bears Investigation|It Bears Investigation]]: A quicky story with the characters from GM'O'Fur. Set in summer of '07.
*[[User:Jetfire/Silver Fox Tracks|Silver Fox Tracks (A Veil side story)]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Judge Judy: Deagle vs Anderson|Judge Judy: Deagle vs Anderson]]: A quickie idea that hit me one night about situations that would start happening as more and more people changed.
*[[User:Jetfire/Doing Hard Time|Doing Hard Time]]: Originally intended to be a Veil story, I twisted it around a lot and like the results. It's tangentially related to the Veil now.
*[[User:Jetfire/Gulf Ice|Gulf Ice]]: I started this intending it to go one way, and the characters decided to go in a different direction. Seems to happen a lot with me. :)
*[[User:Jetfire/Live At Five|Live At Five]]: A slice of life story of sorts, with a big (for my region) announcement, indirectly caused by the acts of ROB.
*[[User:Jetfire/The Bear Facts|The Bear Facts]]: A story inspired (and urged along by) Eirik, mixing some of my characters and his together.
*[[User:Jetfire/NorBAC|NorBAC]]: In this increasingly globalized world, sometimes you need a new organization to cut through the red tape of national labs. NorBAC is one such organization, intended to be a coordinator between North American bio-labs, to track down and isolate health threats. (Yes, it was blatantly taken from the Canadian show "[http://www.norbac.ca/ ReGeensis]")
*[[User:Jetfire/Special Care| Special Care]]: Some furs have special needs.

===[[:Category:IDIC|Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations]] ===

IDIC was a setting created on the list years ago, but never really took off beyond it's original author. Still, I'm a sucker for crossovers, and this setting seems ideal for it. It's a setting where you can 'borrow' existing settings (and unique settings and anything you feel comfortable adding) and doing things in them that wouldn't be canon in the original setting but are fine here.

I've had a few ideas kicking around for what I might be able to do with this sort of freedom, some inspired by what I am currently reading, others inspired by just thinking of the differences between Real Events and things I wrote. I do have a bit of an overall theme/general plot for this, but I don't know if I'll ever go anywhere with it, or ever even finish these/polish these.

In any case, enjoy these ramblings.

*[[User:Jetfire/Overlapping Fields|Overlapping Fields]]: What happens when similar universes collide and interlace with each other?
*[[User:Jetfire/Kernel Hacking|Kernel Hacking]]: Decades ago, a catastrophe struck a world, effectively knocking it back to the stone age for reasons unknown. The ripples from this catastrophe have been spreading slowly through multispace, drawing the attention of the Tangle. Can a team figure out what happened and fix it up before it is too late?

===Miscellaneous ===

Miscellaneous stories that are not in a particular setting yet.

*[[User:Jetfire/Earning the Stripes|Earning the Stripes]]: A story inspired by Posti's 2008 XMas Xchange story to Devin.

{{author page}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jetfire}}

User:Jetfire/Stormy Skies

2024-08-13T00:32:33Z

Jetfire: Created page with " {{universe|Paradigm Shift}} {{my stories |name=Jetfire |category=Jetfire }} {{title |name= Stormy Skies |author=Jetfire |user=Jetfire}} '''Author's note''' An independent..."

{{universe|Paradigm Shift}}
{{my stories
|name=Jetfire
|category=Jetfire
}}

{{title
|name= Stormy Skies
|author=Jetfire
|user=Jetfire}}

'''Author's note'''
An independent story based in my Paradigm Shift setting, following another griffon as they adjust to their new form.

== January 2024, Calgary ==

Danica sat on the edge of The Bow's roof, looking out over the frozen river from 225 metres up. The skies were clear, with a cool wind blowing from the west. Down below, people rushed about their business, most sprinting from cars or buses to lobbies and stores, trying to hold on to their warmth in between. Her phone said the temperature was in the mid teens; around -15C, and she found it nice.

Danica was a griffon, and had been one for about four months now. She had a hawklike head with cat ears. Her wings were blue-grey, and her tail feathers were darker, almost black. Her legs were covered in tawny fur, like a lioness. Her hands were yellow, covered in thicker scaled skin, while her beak was grey with a black tip. In this weather, her feathers and fur had fluffed up a bit, giving her a little extra insulation. It was enough for her to be comfortable in the below zero temperatures without needing hats, jackets and other heavy gear. She wore a simple cotton blouse that covered her chest, but left her back and midriff mostly bare. She also wore a pair of shorts that went part way down her thighs, and had a custom waist that could accommodate her tail. All her clothes had been custom designed and made for griffons; buying 'off the rack' was not an option any more.

She munched on the last of her lunch and just enjoyed the view and the peacefulness. She cursed many things about that fateful day last September, but being able to enjoy a view of her city like this one was not one of those things. It almost made everything else worth it. When she was done nibbling on the apple core, she wrapped it in a napkin and put it back in her lunch bag. She knew the owners of most of the towers in Calgary didn't particularly like griffons perching on their roofs; mostly for liability reasons that hadn't caught up to reality. Generally speaking, building security turned a blind eye to the occasional flying visitor, as long as the griffons kept things tidy, didn't cause damage or otherwise give them a reason to go up there.

She gulped down the last of her juice from a bottle and started repacking her lunch bag, getting ready to head back to work. She was a government worker, a desk worker in the city's Parks and Rec department.

Her ears twitched as a new noise caught her attention. Sirens in a city were not uncommon, but every time she heard them, she was curious about what was going on. The sirens were faint, and the echoes from the skyscrapers of the downtown core made it hard to figure out where they were. She left her lunch bag behind and did a leap-glide to the opposite end of the building, so she could look across downtown. Thankfully the winds at this height tended to keep the roof mostly snow free, though there were a few icy spots.

She scanned the downtown core, ears twitching as she tried to isolate the direction. It was obvious there were multiple sirens in motion now, hinting that something bigger was going on. A thick plume of smoke rising from the west end of the core gave her a clue of what might be going on.

The Bow was one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city, but there were a lot of slightly smaller buildings between her and the source of the smoke. Still, she was high enough to get a feel for where it was. She figured the smoke was coming from a big apartment tower, probably about two kilometers away. The tower was relatively new, built in the mid-teens. It was a pretty standard apartment tower, a thirty story concrete monolith clad in metal and glass, with balconies for each unit.

Danica glanced at the phone in a holder strapped to her forearm, and decided she had some time to satisfy her feline curiosity. She snapped her wings out and tested the air. She took a couple of steps to get off an icy spot, and then jumped over the edge of the roof. Her wings snapped down and lifted her up and she started a slow glide westward.

The apartment building was south of 6th Avenue, and she could already see the traffic snarl that it was causing. She climbed a bit higher to be above all the towers, and stayed north of the street, so she could see better. Thankfully, the winds were blowing the smoke southward.

Not in a rush, she squinted to get a closer look on what was happening. On the ground level, she saw police were already closing off the block, redirecting traffic and keeping onlookers away. A mass of people were streaming out of the building exits, as well as out of the adjacent buildings. Most of the mob were being directed down the block to a side street where a number of city buses were already parked, waiting to provide shelter. Four fire trucks, including a ladder truck, were on site, and the firefighters were busily organizing themselves. Many pushed through the wave of humanity to get into the building.

She shifted her focus onto the building itself and realized why the ladder truck wasn't extending. The smoke was billowing out of broken windows about two thirds of the way up; somewhere around the twentieth floor. It was way too high for the ladder to reach. It was hard to tell how far the fire had spread so far, but she guessed at least three or four apartments were involved, all on the same floor. The griffon's gaze flicked across the balconies around the inferno, not looking for anything, but just trying to see through the smoke.

She spotted movement on the balcony that seemed central to the blaze, and her first thought was that it was a pet.

"Aww, poor fellow. I hope-" she started to say to herself. A gust of wind momentarily cleared the smoke, and her blood froze, the words dying in her throat.

Crouched on the balcony were two figures, a man and a teenage girl. She was so surprised to see them, she dropped a few meters and almost lost sight of them.

Danica frantically climbed higher and reoriented herself in the sky. She was maybe half a kilometer away by now; about five blocks out. She swung a bit further north so she could get a better angle on them. The girl seemed to be in her pajamas, and she was shivering in the cold despite the inferno blazing right next to her. She had a light blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The man, probably her father, was dressed, but not wearing a jacket. Both did have cloths they were holding over their mouths and noses.

They were crouched in a corner of the balcony, as far from the patio door as they could get. A couple of stacked plastic chairs were the only other thing there with them. The patio door was closed, but a broken window near them was billowing smoke, indicating why they were sheltering where they were.

"Crap, that ain't good," Danica muttered to herself. She relaxed her focus and scanned the skies. She saw a few other griffons in the air, but none seemed interested in the fire. Calgary was about 300 km away from the griffon lands. There were maybe around a thousand griffons in the city, but that was a drop in the bucket for a city of millions. In this case, she was the only one heading that way. She shifted her focus down below and saw the first responders at work, but she had no idea if they knew the people needed rescuing. A quick scan showed all the other balconies near the fire were empty.

Danica's mind spun in circles as she tried to figure out what she should do. She was rapidly getting close. The right thing to do, she knew, would be to land and let the firefighters know there were people trapped up there. They were the experts after all.

She checked on the pair again, and despaired. The father was shielding his daughter as best he could, their backs to the building. The balconies were concrete platforms with glass panel railings, so she could easily see the terror on their faces through the gusting smoke.

"I'm up here already. I'll just reassure them help is on the way," she told herself, struggling to justify what she was about to do. She was half a block away and already dropping down.

She lined herself up with the balcony as best she could. The air currents between the buildings downtown were challenging on a good day. The extra turbulence from the fire made it even worse. The griffon came in on the far side of the street, staying near the neighbouring tower. When it felt right, she dipped her wing and turned, aiming for the pair. She could feel the air changing around her, suddenly heating up and cooling as the currents churned. Almost too fast, the balcony railing was ''right there'' and she grabbed for it while fluttering her wings rapidly. She slammed into the glass panel harder than she intended, and her paws scrambled a moment before her claws caught the edge of the balcony.

The pair jumped in surprise at her sudden appearance. The girl let out a startled scream and the man was obviously confused about what was happening.

Danica clung to the railing without a word, doing her best to recover from the difficult landing. The heat was high but not unbearable yet. The smoke, on the other hand, was challenging. The wind randomly would blow it over the balcony and into her beak and nares. It was hot enough that she could feel it burning in her sinuses and throat. She could feel it irritating her eyes even with her inner lids clenched tightly shut. The patio door glowed from the fire roaring inside the apartment, seeming to be a lot bigger than it should have been.

The griffon adjusted her position to be more stable on the balcony and to face the pair. She kept her wings partly extended, just in case she had to drop suddenly.

"Hi-" she started to say, only for a gust of smoke to blow over them. She had to cough to clear her throat. "Sorry, Hi there. I'm Danica. I'm here to help you. Who are you?"

"I'm ... I'm Steve. Steve Bear. This is my daughter, Joanne," the father coughed out. He hugged Joanne to reassure her while staring at the griffon that had appeared out of nowhere. They held damp cloths over their mouths and noses.

"Hi guys. Nice to meet you. I want to help you, but I've never done this before, so give me a moment," she said, trying to reassure them.

The griffon looked at what she had to work with. The balcony was clear, other than a couple of chairs stacked up near the pair. She climbed over the railing to join them, and looked down to the ground.

A few people had noticed her arrival. She saw a lot of people looking up, mostly the onlookers, but some of the firefighters were too. It looked like there were some intense conversations going on. She knew she should just drop off the side and let them know what was happening here, but she wanted to do ''more.''

"Can you get us out of here?" Joanne asked, as if sensing her thoughts.

"I'm going to try," Danica said, realising her decision was made. At the very least she was going to get the girl to safety. She refocused on the pair, trying to judge their weights. She figured the daughter was only slightly heavier than what she was used to, but carrying Steve would be a challenge. She chased the doubts away and shook her wings. "Are you willing to trust me?"

Steve studied the griffon, then looked through the patio doors. The smoke hid the interior, but there was an undeniable orange glow coming from it. The heat radiating from the glass was becoming unbearable. "We have to try. Take her first," he said.

Danica nodded and looked at the railing. She wished she had something to punch out one of the glass panels, but there was nothing. She climbed back over the railing and hung off the side of the balcony, using a paw and a hand to stay in place.

"Okay Joanne. I need you to come to me and climb over. Don't look down, just look at me. We're going to glide down to the ground, but I'll need you to hold on tight," Danica said. She flicked her wings and tried not to think of what she was doing. For the first time since last September, she realized just how high they were.

Joanne was clearly terrified, but she stood up with her father's support. He helped her climb over the railing, never letting go of her. Danica swung around, briefly pinning the young woman against the railing. Joanne hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the griffon's arms. Her legs went around Danica's waist and suddenly the griffon had the full weight of the girl on her.

"I'll be right back," Danica assured Steve. She hugged Joanne with her free hand, helping hold the girl in place. "Hold on tight and don't look down. I've got you," she said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

Without any more warning, the griffon let go of the railing and kicked off the building. Joanne let out a scream and squeezed harder. Danica hugged Joanne tight with both arms as they fell. Her wings snapped out and caught the turbulent air, twisting them around to a more normal flight orientation. With Joanne's weight hanging from her arms and waist, Danica realized she should probably have had the girl on her back. As it was, Joanne was doing most of the hanging on, and she had the griffon in a death grip.

Danica focused on the ground, trying to drop as fast as she safely could. She held Joanne tight, her arms burning from the effort. They were dropping a lot faster than she was used to, but it was still a controlled fall. She flapped hard a few times to adjust her descent so she was following the avenue.

The street was closed off, but she wasn't sure if that would be enough space to safely get to the ground. Below, she could see dozens of people staring and pointing up at her. Some of the first responders were running, trying to anticipate where she would land.

Halfway down she realized she had to make a tough choice. She was rapidly running out of closed road. Her choices were to keep going straight and try to land on an active road or even the frozen river, or to turn and backtrack. Reluctantly she decided turning was her best option.

"Gotta do a turn. It's okay," she said, not sure if Joanne could hear her. The teen was still terrified, but had stopped screaming for the moment. Danica dipped her wing and twisted her tail. The pair began to drop faster while the world spun and the teen let out another ear splitting scream of terror. A few heart pounding moments later, they were going in the opposite direction and the ground was coming up fast.

"Almost there, almost there!" Danica shouted. She knew they were coming in fast, but there was nothing more she could do about it. Her arms were burning from the weight she was carrying, and her wings were similarly aching. She picked a spot behind a fire truck as close to the ambulance as she dared and did her final approach. At the last minute, she back winged and tried to kill as much momentum as she could. Her feet went down and touched the cold pavement. She stumbled, still going too fast, and fell forward. Midfall, she tried to twist around to put her body between the ground and Joanne. They hit the ground and she let out a loud oof, the wind knocked out of her. They slid a little further and then they were still.

Danica laid there for a moment, her heart pounding and her chest heaving. Joanne was still squeezing her in a death grip, but the screaming had stopped. Danica could feel her body aching, but nothing seemed to be hurt.

"It's okay... It's okay," Danica said, letting go of her charge. "We're on the ground now. We're safe now."

Her ears twitched, hearing people running towards them. A couple of paramedics reached them first, one of them carefully pulling Joanne free from the griffon. The other offered a hand to help Danica get to her feet.

"Wow, I didn't know you guys could do that," the second paramedic said.

"I didn't know we could either," Danica replied. She rubbed her side and shook her wings, doing a second mental assessment before getting ready to go up again. "Is she all right?"

The first paramedic was wrapping a blanket around Joanne and leading her to the ambulance.

"She looks fine. We'll check her out, give her some oxygen. We should do the same to you too, but I'm not sure we have a mask that fits...."

Danica nodded and looked around. An angry fireman was heading their way. "I should. But I'm not done yet. Her father is still up there, trapped on the balcony."

The paramedic looked worried, clearly torn between the griffon's health and helping a trapped person. "You sure you can handle it?"

"Do you see anyone else who can? Their unit is fully engulfed. I don't think you guys can get there in time. I'll be right back."

She crouched and leapt into the air, hearing the angry shouts from below. She hated to do it, but she took her time climbing back up, breathing in the cooler, cleaner air and letting her body recover as much as it could.

The fire was obviously intensifying when she got back up to the Bear balcony. The patio door was still intact, but there were some ominous cracks, and the heat was even more intense. There was no sign of any attempts to fight the blaze, but she was sure someone was trying to do something. Her nares and throat tightened from the smoke and the turbulence made it even harder to land at the railing. She didn't even bother hopping over it this time.

Steve was obviously worse off. He was sweating profusely, eyes red and half closed. He somehow was managing to keep his nose and mouth covered, but it didn't seem to be doing much. She worried if he'd be able to hold on to her; she knew there was no way she could carry him.

"How... how is Joanne?" Steve coughed out, recognizing the griffon's presence.

"She's safe. She's on the ground. The paramedics are looking after her. Now let's get you out of here," Danica said, trying to be more confident than she felt.

"How?"

Danica wished she had something to help, but all she had was what she was wearing. There was a loud crack, and a spiderweb appeared on the glass of the patio door. It was obvious it wouldn't hold much longer. She looked around, hoping for a firefighter to appear on a nearby balcony to give them more options, but there was no one.

"I'm going to need you on my back. Let gravity work for us," Danica said. She turned a little so her back was to the man. She looked over her shoulder, holding on to the balcony with one hand and one paw. "Climb over and grab my shoulders. My arm shoulders. Or hug around my neck, just don't squeeze too tight."

"I don't-"

Steve was interrupted by another loud crack and the sound of shattering glass. A blast of heat blew through the now open doorway, sending smoke and embers over the pair. Danica grabbed the railing with both hands, clenched her eyes closed and held her breath. She could feel the heat but couldn't tell if her feathers were being damaged.

The initial blast eased off. She turned her head and cracked her eyes carefully, not really believing they were still alive. Smoke obscured everything but the patio and the man she was trying to save. She became aware of a stinging pain from her arm. Glancing down, she saw a red line against the yellow scales of her right forearm. She touched it carefully and decided it wasn't deep; probably a grazing blow from a chunk of glass. She did a quick check and noticed her blouse had a few slashes, but there was no glass caught on her.

"We don't have time. We have to do this now!" she shouted, her attention going back to the man. His skin was red and his hair was smoldering a bit, but he didn't seem to be cut.

Steve still hesitated. She wanted to reach over and pull at him, but that wouldn’t have done them any good. Finally, he built up the nerve and started climbing over. She supported him as best she could and made sure he was safely balanced on the wrong side of the railing before she turned her back to him.

"I need you to grab on to me and hold on tight!" she shouted. This time she kept her wings tight to her body, to give him the best access to her back and shoulders.

She felt a few tentative touches as Steve tried to reach her, but he almost immediately gave up. "I can't do it. I don't want to hurt you!"

"Waiting is going to hurt more! Just grab whatever you can!"

She felt a hand on her shoulder and this time it gripped harder. She resisted the urge to tell him not to look down, and just let him do what he needed to. She held still as Steve transitioned from the balcony to her back. He was heavier than she expected, and her doubts began to grow.

"Hold tight. Once I extend my wings, wrap your legs around my waist," she said, turning to face the fire. The only thing keeping Steve from falling was his own arm strength. Danica carefully spread her wings out, trying not to disturb his grip. Before they were fully out, she felt his legs around her waist, pushing past her innermost flight feathers.

The fire was crackling even louder now, and was clearly visible through the open patio. Some of the flames were licking around the door frame, searching for more fuel. She let go with one hand and lightly touched Steve's hand.

"We're good now. Hang tight, and close your eyes. I'm letting go," she said.

She didn't wait for a response. She let go of the railing, doing the smallest kickoff she dared to do, not wanting to dislodge the man. They fell fast, dropping past a couple of floors before her wings caught the air. She didn't try to get any distance and focused mainly on slowing their descent. Having the weight on her back made it easier in a lot of ways, but it was still challenging.

In the clearer air below the fire, she took a few deep breaths to clear the smoke and blinked rapidly. They were dropping faster than she wanted to, but in a controlled manner. She looked down and saw dozens of upturned faces and cameras watching her. A large area near the ambulances was still clear and a paramedic was pointing to it.

The ground came up to them ''fast''. She flapped a few times, trying to slow them down, but it was a futile effort. She landed hard, her paws hitting the ground first. She fell forward, reaching out to catch herself, even as a stab of pain shot up from her left ankle. She slid forward on the asphalt road, almost reaching the parked ambulance before they stopped.

She laid still on the ground, chest pounding while she did another self assessment. Her ankle was sending sharp stabs of pain up her leg anytime she even thought of moving it. Her toes ached from trying to dig her claws into the pavement to stop them; it felt like someone had tried to pull her nails off. The gash on her arm stung, and the stinging was echoed by similar feelings on her palms. Her wings ached, but seemed intact.

Steve was still on her back and for a moment she worried something had happened. All she could think of was the man she had hopefully saved. She petted the arm still wrapped around her neck, hoping to sense some sign of movement from him. To her relief, she felt him stir, his death grip finally loosening as he let out a weak groan.

The paramedics swarmed over her. Two lifted Steve off and transferred him to a waiting stretcher. A third, the one that had helped her before, offered her a hand again.

"Are you done now?" he asked.

She groaned and slowly stood up. "Gods, I hope so-OW!" she winced and nearly collapsed again when she tried to put weight on her foot.

The paramedic reacted instantly, moving to her side to help support her. He guided her to another stretcher and helped her sit down on it, her tail feathers hanging off the far side. Her wings ached too much to pull back against her body in their normal resting position.

"Just sit tight. We'll take things from here," he ordered.

She didn't resist, sitting on the stretcher, coughing a bit and just recovering. She could tell she was exhausted and her wings were killing her; but not as bad as her ankle was. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she was able to open her inner lids and the world cleared up. Annoyingly, blinking with either set of eyelids still felt like she was rubbing sandpaper over her eyes.

Behind her, at the ambulance, she heard someone shouting to get the griffon health book.

The paramedic returned with a bottle of water and a few other supplies. He started to offer the water, only to stop suddenly when he saw the shape of her hands and arm. Their appearance gave her pause as well. The gash on her right forearm was still bleeding, and her palms were bloody. Despite the tougher scales that had replaced her skin, they had taken a beating from sliding on the pavement.

"I'm sure it looks worse than it actually is," she said.

"Let me be the judge of that," he said. He uncapped the bottle and handed it to her reluctantly. "Here, rinse your... rinse the smoke out of your beak? And drink the rest. You probably don't realize how dehydrated you are. Where are you hurting?"

She didn't answer at first. She dumped a quarter of the bottle into her beak and carefully shook her head. The griffon sense of taste wasn't the best, but what little she did have did ''not'' like the acrid smoke that filled her beak. She turned her head and spat the dirty water onto the pavement, a little surprised she could actually spit without lips. The rest of the bottle she gulped down almost all at once, surprised at how thirsty she suddenly was.

"Where are you hurting?" the paramedic asked again. He magically made another water bottle appear, but held it back.

"Everywhere," Danica finally said. "But mainly my ankle. Arm and hands are stinging too, obviously." She flexed her toes carefully, trying not to move her foot, while testing her claws. "Toes and claws are aching but good. Wings and tail ache as well, but seem intact. Nothing seems broken."

"Well, that was a hard landing. I'm impressed you aren't hurt worse. Just relax now and we'll take care of you. I'm Rob."

"Danica," she replied.

Rob nodded and handed her the second bottle while he got to work. He wrapped a clear tube around her head and positioned it near her nares, and soon she was breathing in clean oxygen. He used some tape to hold it in position. He ignored her hands and arm for the moment and knelt down at her paws. She felt his hands rubbing them, and gasped as a jolt of pain shot up from her limb.

"Good news, it doesn't seem broken, but it's a bad sprain. You'll want to take it easy," he diagnosed.

"That's good," she said.

Another paramedic showed up with a bottle of pills. "The book says to do basic first aid on griffons. Regular painkillers are fine for them too," she said to Rob.

"Thanks Sue. I think Danica here's going to need the latter," Rob said. He took the bottle and shook out a quartet of pills. He offered them to the injured griffon.

Danica took them and gulped them down with the last of the water. Rob somehow managed to make a third bottle appear.

"Sue, can you get some bandages and cleaning supplies for her hands and arm? Danica, how are you feeling? Anything else hurting? How are your eyes?"

The other medic took in her bloody injuries and studied them for a moment before disappearing to get more supplies.

"I'm fine. Eyes are stinging a bit but not too bad. How's the family?"

Rob glanced past the griffon. "Sue! Get the eye wash bottle too!" he called out. "The family is fine. Smoke and heat issues of course, but they're alive. That's the main thing."

"Good, good," Danica said, finally letting herself relax.

"Speaking of heat, how are you doing? Are you cold? Hot?" As he spoke he leaned closer to study her eyes. She tried to hold still, and could tell he was a little frustrated.

"A little warm actually, but not too much. Certainly not cold. Do you see something?"

"Not really, and that's the hard part. Your eyes are so different from what I'm used to. I think I can see the smoke irritation, but the signs are different. We'll rinse them out at least and you should use some eyedrops for the next few days.

"As for the cold, you guys are lucky there. Wish I could say the same. Winter fire emergencies are the worst. Freezing cold temperatures and lots of water to turn to ice," Rob said. He motioned for her to lift her arm and finally took a closer look at the gash. She winced as he probed it carefully with his gloved fingers.

"It's superficial for the most part, but it did get through your scales, just not much deeper. You're lucky. For humans, it would probably need stitches, but for you guys, I'm not sure. We'll slap some bandages on it, and let Foothills sort it out."

Sue returned with the supplies and a third paramedic. After a quick debate, they made Danica lay face down on the stretcher, with her head hanging off the end a little and her arms held out. Sue and Rob started washing the ash, soot and blood from her wounds, while the third handled her head.

"Okay, I've never done this before, but it should be simple. Just keep your eyes open," he said.

Danica tried to relax and follow his instructions. She stared forward, trying not to focus on the bottle that he held near her face. The splash of water made her blink reflexively, and she felt the water soaking her face feathers. She made sure she blinked both ways, just in case. When he was done, she closed her eyes while he dried her feathers.

She blinked a few times once he was done, and was glad her eyes didn't feel quite as sandpapery.

"You should probably get some eye drops and use them for the next few days, just to help clear the irritation out," the paramedic suggested.

"Sure, that's no problem."

Danica looked to see what the others were doing on her hands. There was a surprising amount of red on the towels they had used to clean the wounds, but neither of them seemed too concerned. Her forearm was wrapped in a white bandage over some gauze padding. The palms of her hands were being wrapped similarly.

Rob taped one bandage in place and inspected his work. "Right, this part is done. They look worse than they are, but your skin is quite thick and durable. Those scales, I'm not sure what to make of them to be honest. I'd suggest you get them looked at, but I'm confident you don't need any stitches. You probably should get a tetanus shot at least... if you guys can have them. Can you make a fist?"

"Not since September, but I can close my hands," Danica noted. She did so, feeling the padding of the bandages, but not having any problems. She opened her hand again and wiggled her fingers.

"Good. Last thing then is that ankle. Then we'll need to get you inside somewhere. You may not feel the cold, but you're way too wet to be out in this weather."

She didn't ''feel'' wet, and she certainly hadn't been in the splashback from the firefighting. She glanced at her damp hands, feeling a bit of chill now and realized what they meant. She could almost see the ice forming on the feathers around her eyes from the eyewash.

They let her carefully slide back a little so her head was resting on the stretcher now. All three paramedics converged on her foot and started discussing how best to handle it. She could hear them clearly, even though they were talking quietly, but the terminology left her in the dark.

"Brace yourself. This may hurt a bit, but hopefully not for long," Rob warned her. He came forward and took her hand for support, while the other two paramedics started their work.

They moved her foot slightly and started wrapping it in a tight bandage. The movements sent fresh stabs of pain up her leg, only slightly dulled by the painkillers. Her eyes teared up and her beak clenched shut while she forced herself to endure it.

"All done. You did great," Rob reassured her, patting her hand. "How do you feel?"

"Worn out, but better. It all still hurts, but not as bad," she admitted.

"Okay. Just relax. We have to clean up a bit, but I'll check back on you in a few minutes, and we'll figure out what to do next."

She nodded and took a few deep breaths, partly to clear the lingering smoke, and mostly to calm herself. She looked around to see what was going on now.

The ambulances were parked at one end of the closed off block, about as far from the building's entrance as they could get. It took her a moment to realize one ambulance had left without her noticing. Its replacement was just arriving. A crowd was gathered at the police barricade, watching what was going on. To her embarrassment, she realized much of the crowd was focused on her. Quite a few cameras were pointing her way, mostly camera phones but a few actual cameras too. Some of the crowd she realized had to be reporters.

She tried to ignore them and looked down the block. The firemen were still battling the blaze and slowly getting it under control. Looking up, she could tell the texture of the smoke was changing, the black smoke turning grey. She didn't notice a fireman coming her way while she was watching the smoke rise. The clearing of a throat surprised her. A few feet away, a serious looking man angrily stared at her. It was obvious that he was ''Someone In Charge''.

"What the ''hell'' do you think you were doing?" the man asked when he had her attention, his anger barely contained.

"I wasn't thinking. I just had to help," she admitted, taking the blame he was laying on her, but also feeling a surge of defiance against the accusations he was levelling. "I know I shouldn't have done it, but... I don't know."

"Damn right you shouldn't have. You could've gotten yourself killed. Or killed them. What ''were ''you thinking?"

Rob rushed over and seemed about to intervene, but she waved him off while focusing on the fire chief with her best eagle glare. She carefully sat up on the stretcher to better match him eye to eye, suppressing a wince of pain.

"I was ''thinking'' that I saw a couple of people in trouble, and it didn't look like anyone could help them in time. Since I can fly, I felt I could at least reassure them, maybe help you get to them... but when I got there," Danica sighed and shrugged her wings, breaking her glare and looking away. "I just had to do something. I couldn't leave them."

The man glared back a moment longer, and then his expression softened. "Just, don't make a habit of that sort of thing. Leave it to the trained professionals."

"I don't intend to. I'm not really sure what came over me."

"Good, in that case, thank you for what you did." Out of habit, the supervisor looked around to make sure no one was in ear shot. His voice dropped down, almost to a whisper. "I doubt we would have been able to get to them in time. Especially since we hadn't even realized they were there. So thank you. You did wrong, but you did good."

He turned away and fast-walked back to the squad, to refocus on the fire. Danica stared after him, struck speechless for the moment. Rob shook his head and offered yet another bottle of water to her. She took it gratefully.

"Wow, I’ve never heard the Chief act like that. He's strict but firm, and he hates civilians putting themselves at risk. But you did legit save their lives, and he knows it."

"I'm just glad I was able to do something. So what's going to happen now?"

Rob shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's chaotic, but I think things are settling down here, officially at least. I'm going to have a lot of paperwork to do one way or another. You're the first griffon I've treated, possibly the first any of us have treated. I'm going to need your full name and a few more details too."

"Danica. Danica Storm," she said

He looked her over and nodded. "It's an appropriate name. Thank you Danica. We've already taken the Bears to the hospital for a more thorough checkup. I'd advise you to go too; griffons are just too big of an unknown to take a risk. But we can't force you to go. Technically you're fine to leave when you want; I'd just seriously advise against it."

She took a moment to think it over. She looked down and realized her clothes were ruined. Her blouse had many holes from sparks and the glass shards. Her shorts were slightly better; scorched but not holed, mainly due to the thicker fabric. Her feathers and fur were a mess as well, darkened from the smoke and just feeling icky. She could almost smell the smoke that saturated her clothes, fur and feathers. All she wanted to do was to go home and get cleaned up, but she knew Rob was right. As if to confirm her decision, her ankle gave a twinge of pain that shot right through the painkillers.

"Sure, I'll go in for the check out. But can I make a call first?"

"Of course, take all the time you need."

Rob walked away while she checked her phone. Like many griffons, she wore it on a wrist bracer, so she was a little worried it had been damaged. Luckily she wore it on the arm that didn't get slashed by the glass. The leather holder was intact, but a little scorched, and the plastic over the screen was yellowed and obviously partly melted. She took the bracer off and pulled the phone free, having to gingerly peel the plastic off. She was relieved when the screen lit up, showing no sign of heat damage.

"Oh right, I left it on silent over lunch," she mumbled to herself, seeing the dozens of messages wanting her attention. She ignored them all and placed a phone call back to her office.

"Tim Cole speaking. How can I help you?" her supervisor answered after a few rings.

"Hey Tim, it's Danica. I... I'm sorry for the short notice, but I'm going to need to take the rest of the day off."

"Of course, I understand. Take all the time you need."

"You understand?" she asked, surprised. Her bosses were usually understanding about special circumstances, but they usually asked for a reason first.

"Of course I do. You wouldn't ask Clark Kent to return to work right after Superman saved the world now, would you? Granted, he ''is'' Superman, so he'd be back at work writing up the story before the dust settles; but you're only human... or griffon."

She blinked silently for a moment, trying to understand what he was talking about. "You... heard?" she stammered out after a moment.

"I think the whole city has heard by now, probably the whole province. That was an incredible thing you did. Are you okay? That last landing looked really rough." The concern was clear in his voice.

"They say it was just a sprain, but they want me to go to the hospital for an X-ray just to be sure. And I'm really thankful that Tylenol still works on me."

"Well, don't let me keep you. Go get checked out and rest up. Don't worry about tomorrow either. Just stay home, rest up and recover."

"Thanks Tim. I'll check in tomorrow, and I appreciate it. Bye now."

She disconnected the call and took a quick glance at the notices screaming for her attention. Most of them were from friends asking what happened or if she was alright. A surprising number were from complete strangers. Griffons were rare enough in the city and had distinctive plumage and fur patterns, so she wasn't surprised people had figured out who she was from the numerous support groups and other databases. She decided to tackle them later and turned off the screen. She eyed her wrecked bracer, and moved the phone to her pocket.

Before she called for Rob, she looked around the area again. The fire was obviously contained and the fire department was shifting to recovery and cleanup mode. The police barricades had been pulled back mostly, but they were still in place around the ambulances and the building entrance. A thick crowd of onlookers were behind the police lines, most watching her. As she looked up at them, many started cheering and waving.

To one side a half dozen reporters were also being held back. Their cameras shifted from her to the crowd and back. When her eyes went over them, they burst into action.

"Mx Storm! Mx Storm! Can you answer some questions?" they shouted over each other, their actual questions being lost in the noise.

"Rob, I think I'm good to go now," she called back, turning to the paramedic. "How do we do this?"

He walked over with Sue. "We would prefer you stay on the stretcher, and we'll handle everything," he said."Just lay back down on your belly and keep your wings in, and we'll do the rest."

She followed their instructions. Sue placed a pillow for her head, and checked to make sure she was properly positioned. Danica made sure to keep her wings tighter to her sides, and kept her tail feathers together and partly lifted above her legs. Rob added another pillow under her hurt leg so her paw would be elevated. The paramedics rolled her to the waiting ambulance and with practiced ease, slid it in.

"You're lighter than I expected," Sue said once they had her inside.

Danica nodded, sensing the sides of the bus surrounding her. It felt a lot more confining than she expected. "Yeah, September was quite the weight loss program."

Rob climbed in and squeezed past her to sit near her head. The doors clunked shut and Sue went to the driver's seat. Danica closed her eyes a moment and took a few deep breaths, trying not to think of how tight the space was. There was absolutely no room to extend her wings or to really move.

"Are you okay?" he asked, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently.

"Yeah... I'm good. There's just less room in here than I expected." She opened her eyes and tried to reassure him.

"These buses can be cramped. And you do fill it in differently than humans do. Not sure what we could do about it," he said pensively.

She nodded and shifted a little, trying to get more comfortable. She heard the engine rumble into life and her wings spread reflexively as they started to move. They banged into the cabinets on the sides and she quickly pulled them back in. She was glad they weren't running the siren.

Rob petted her hand and watched her closely. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure. Been awhile since I've been in a car. First time actually."

"First time?"

She nodded and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. The ambulance was feeling ''really'' small. "We were visiting friends in Etzikom when it happened. When we could leave, we decided to fly back to Calgary. Took us all day, but we weren't in that much of a rush. Since then we just walk and fly everywhere."

"I guess that makes sense." He squeezed her hand again. "It won't be long, we're taking you to Foothills. They're relatively close and they've been preparing to handle griffon cases.

"You said 'we'? Is there someone we should call for you?"

Danica nodded. "I was with my husband, Scott.... Damn! I should have called him too. He's still at work."

"You've got some time to spare, if you want to now." Rob said. He turned away from her as best he could and focused on his paperwork.

Getting her phone from her pocket was trickier than usual. The moving ambulance, her position on the narrow stretcher and her injured hands all combined to make it hard to pull the device free.

"He's probably worried sick, especially if he hears I left in an ambulance. We've all been a bit more nervous since we realized we're pregnant."

Rob tensed up. "You're pregnant? You should have mentioned that."

She laughed and pressed the call button. "No, not me. ''He's ''pregnant. Since early December."

Before Rob could process that, the call was answered.

"Hey Babe, I'm fine. They're just taking me to the hospital for a checkup," Danica said quickly.

"Oh thank goodness. I've been worried sick. Are you sure you're okay? They said you were limping. Where are you going?" her husband asked.

"Yeah, I sprained my ankle and got some road rash on my palms and a nasty cut on my arm. But I'm fine. Seriously. They're taking good care of me. They're taking us to Foothills."

"I'm leaving the office now, and I'll meet you there."

"Of course. I'll wait for you. Love you."

She hung up and set the phone down.

"He sounds nice," Rob noted.

"Scott's the best. Are we almost there?"

Rob looked back, peeking out the window. "Just about there. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"And he is the one who is pregnant? You're the father?" Rob asked, swinging back to his initial confusion.

"That's right. It wasn't exactly planned. Hormones got the best of us, combined with some holiday cheer. But we're rolling with it. We're debating if we should start on her sister before she comes out, but we'll probably wait until after we see what the chicks are like first."

Rob looked puzzled for a long moment, until he figured out what that meant. "Oh! Well, good luck with whatever you do. I'm sure you'll make a fine father... and mother.... Man, you guys can be confusing."

Danica laughed. "You got that right. Try living it."

The ambulance tilted as it made a turn, and slowed to a stop. The doors slammed as the driver got out, and soon the backdoor was opened. Danica relaxed, feeling the fresh, cold air blow in.

The ambulance was parked in a sheltered bay. They wheeled her through an entrance and into a waiting area. Sue went to fetch a nurse while Rob stayed with her. With room now, she sat up on the stretcher and shook out her wings and tail.

The waiting area was relatively busy with dozens of people waiting, most tending to their own issues. There was a sense of urgency in the air, but no panicked rushing about like an emergency would entail. Many people stared openly at her, and she heard many whispered questions.

"This is where I'll be handing you off. I'm sure you'll hear this often, but thank you for what you did. It was amazing," Rob said.

"Thanks. It was incredibly stupid too. But I'm glad I could help." Danica tried to ignore the attention she was getting.

Sue joined them, with a nurse. "Hey Danica, this is Kate. She'll look after you here."

"Hi Danica. I hear you were quite the hero. We've called for a specialist to check you out, and we'll be getting you in for an x-ray as soon as we can. In the meantime, we've got some paperwork for you to fill out, and we'll get you out of the open as soon as we can. Now let's get you moved over to a bed so these guys can get their stretcher back."

Before she could be instructed otherwise, the griffon eased herself off of the stretcher. Rob was beside her in a flash, supporting her before her paw could hit the ground. He grunted softly as he took her weight.

"I'm not too heavy for you, am I?" she asked.

He led her a couple of steps to another bed. "Not at all. You're lighter than I expected actually."

"As I said before, September was one hell of a weight loss program."

He helped her onto the bed, carefully pulling her tail feathers over the side.

"In any case, this is where we take our leave of you," Rob said. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Good luck, and I hope I don't meet you again, at least not while I'm at work."

Danica laughed and nodded, "You got that right. I went all my life without needing an ambulance. I don't intend to make it a habit."

The paramedics wheeled their gear out, leaving the griffon on the bed against the wall. The nurse checked if she needed anything before disappearing to take care of her duties. Alone at last, Danica took her time filling out the paperwork.

Kate returned a half hour later, with an orderly. Danica put her phone down and looked up expectedly.

"Sorry to leave you like that. We're still waiting for the specialist to get in, but he has made some requests. He wants to get an x-ray of your ankle, to make sure there aren't any breaks or cracks lurking in there. We'll need you to lay down and Rick will get you there."

She laid back down on her belly, a pillow partly propping up her head. Rick raised the railings on the side of the bed and rolled her through the hallways of the hospital. She was sorely tempted to make race car noises as they went.

There were more people in the x-ray room than she expected. A half dozen technicians were eagerly awaiting her arrival, and their excitement was palpable. Rick lowered the bed rails so she could sit up.

"Do you normally need this many people for a simple x-ray?" she asked.

A woman stepped forward, obviously in charge. "No, not normally. But it's also not normal to be imaging a griffon, and Foothills is a teaching hospital. I could clear the room if you want me to."

"I don't mind. What do I need to do?" She looked around the room. The actual x-ray machine dominated the room, with a platform for the patient to lay on. Glass windows showed the side room where the controls were located. Half the specialists retreated to that side room to observe while the team organized the scan.

"Normally, we would have you lie on your back on the table there, but I'm not sure. Can you lie in that position?" the technician asked.

"It's possible. It's not the most comfortable position, but I can handle it for a few minutes."

Rick rolled her bed to the table, and helped Danica transfer over. She laid back as flat as she could, and found herself looking at the back wall; the natural angle of the griffon head meant they didn't look up like humans did in a similar position. The table was plastic with no padding, so it had no give. It made her painfully aware of her tail and wing shoulders. She hoped they wouldn't take long.

"All right now. We need to move your leg ever so slightly to get a better angle on it. We're not used to the ankle being so high up." The technician paused, studying how her body laid on the table. "Do you mind if I touch your tail?"

"Touch whatever you feel you need to, within reason," Danica assured her.

Another technician helped carefully position her foot and leg to one side, while gently pushing the tail feathers out of the way. The third tech brought over a lead blanket.

"Just to be absolutely sure, is there any chance you might be pregnant? When was your last period?" the lead tech asked. She froze, realizing her mistake.

Danica laughed, "I'm sure I'm clear. I had my egg just a couple of days ago. So I'm definitely not pregnant. Unlike my poor husband."

"Good, and I apologize for the faux pas. It's easy to just read the standard script and not realize what exactly you are asking." The technician addressed the last statement to the crowd in the other room more than to Danica. "Also be careful about making assumptions, especially with griffons. Just because they may have a male name, doesn't mean they can't be pregnant or have other complications. For that matter, that can also apply to human patients too."

They placed the protective blanket over her chest and double checked the position of her injured foot to the machine. Finally they retreated to the control room. There was a loud hum and a beep and it was done.

They took multiple images, slightly repositioning her each time. She was glad when she was able to roll onto her side for most of them. By the time they were done, she was worn out. The lead blanket hadn't seemed too heavy at first, but by the end, it felt like it weighed a tonne.

"Thank you for your cooperation," the first technician said, picking up the protective blanket and hanging it up on the wall.

Danika sat up and ran her talons through her feathers a bit, shaking her wings carefully. Her aches were getting worse as the painkillers were wearing off. "No problem. Did you see anything?"

"I'm afraid I can't say. But I'll send them to the doctor and they'll let you know," she said. "But I will say what I saw was fascinating. Very different from what I'm used to seeing. In a general way."

"So what happens now?" Danika asked.

"For now, we'll have you get back in the bed and roll you outside. We've already called for an orderly who'll take you...." The technician paused and double checked her notes. "Oh good, you've been assigned a room. You'll be taken up there."

They helped her transfer back onto the bed where she laid out on her front again. She was rolled out into the hall and left beside the wall to wait. A young man was in a bed with another orderly waiting to get in. His eyes widened when he spotted the feathered person come out. Danika gave him a friendly wave and settled in to wait.

She didn't have to wait long. The man's orderly came out a few minutes later and checked Danika's chart.

"All right, we'll get you upstairs to your room now," he said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Please," she said.

Her room turned out to be in a ward on the fourth floor. Her room had two spots for beds, but was empty. The orderly helped her move over to the bed, while a health care aide stood by.

"Can we get you anything?" the nurse asked as Danika settled in the bed.

"I could use some juice please, and maybe some fruit or toast maybe? I'm starving."

"Of course. I'll be right back."

The bed itself was a standard hospital bed, which meant it didn't fit a griffon well at all. She tried adjusting the controls, and ultimately left it as flat as it would go. She laid on her side, attempting to keep her injured foot still and tried to relax.

The aide brought in a tray with the food. "Do you need a hand with anything?" she asked.

"I think I can manage it. Thank you," Danika said. She pulled her phone from her pocket and left it on the tray next to the food. The aide waited just long enough for the griffon to nibble on the orange slices, before leaving.

Danika finished the snack quickly. She squirmed on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position, before giving up. The ward itself was loud, full of beeps and chirps and other machine noises, along with the noise of things being rolled around. She sighed and tried to tune them out. She fluffed the pillow as best she could and closed her eyes.

Her ears twitched back towards the door, hearing a soft knock on the door frame.

"Mx Storm?" a soft voice spoke, obviously trying not to disturb her too much.

Danika lifted her head and looked at the door. Her eyes were itchy and dryer than she was used to. Blinking with either set of lids didn't help much.

"Sorry to disturb you, Mx Storm, but there's someone here to see you. Another griffon, with jaguar spots. Zey say zey are your husband?"

She yawned hugely and her mind finally clicked into gear. She rolled over to better face the door, and almost yelped from the pain in her foot.

"Scott's here? Please, send him in," she said, fighting to hide the pain. She winced and carefully shifted position.

The health aide obviously didn't miss the reaction. "Of course. Before I go though, how are you feeling? What would you say your pain level is?" She indicated a chart on the wall Danika hadn't noticed before.

"I'm fine," Danika said."Maybe a solid four or five I guess. It's tolerable, but I'm aching all over, especially my foot and my arm is stinging."

"Have you taken anything for it yet?"

"At the fire, before I got in the ambulance. Four pills."

"Alright then. Give me a minute; I'll check with the nurse to see if we can get you something for it," she said before she disappeared from the doorway.

She sat up in the bed and smoothed her feathers. A glance at her phone showed she'd dozed off for an hour; it was now mid afternoon and the sun was dropping fast. A peregrine-jaguar griffon appeared in the doorway and stared wordlessly at her. He dropped the bag he was carrying and rushed to the bed. His arms surrounded her and squeezed her gently.

"What the ''hell ''did you think you were doing?" he asked after a long hug.

"I wasn't thinking. But I ''had'' to do ''something''. It's done now. I'm sorry... but I'm not sorry."

He nuzzled her beak and let her go. "I know. How bad is the damage?"

She lifted her foot and winced. "Just a sprain they think.They took the x-rays but I haven't seen anyone yet."

"Well, sorry I'm late. I stopped off at home and picked up a change of clothes," he said. He retrieved the bag and offered it to her.

"Thank you!" She grabbed the bag and pulled out a clean top, and saw a few brushes in there as well. She striped off her charred, smokey top and started brushing her fur. He retrieved a second one and started working on her back, making her chirr softly in relief.

"I'm sorry, I can come back later if this isn't a good time." The man in the doctor's coat stood in the doorway, looking embarrassed.

Danica waved her wing, not pausing her brushing. "No bother. Come on in. I'm just trying to brush out some of the soot."

He looked doubtful, but stepped into the room and closed the door. He set a cup of water and another cup with some pills on the table."Well, I'm Doctor Ruby Clark. They called me in for your case. I understand you haven't had any painkillers recently, so I brought a fresh dose."

"Thank you!" Danika said. She put her brush down long enough to gulp the pills and water down.

"Are you a griffon specialist?" Scott asked. He stopped brushing as well, and stood protectively next to his wife, one hand on his furry belly.

"Not... exactly. I'm actually a vet, but I've been in contact with specialists down south and I'm experienced with fur and feathers and animal anatomy in general. It's a grey area when it comes to you guys."

Danica laughed, "I guess that's fair. I'm not sure I'm that comfortable being looked at by a vet, but I'll take what I can get. You don't seem overly concerned; I assume the news is good?"

He nodded and turned on a light box. He pulled a couple of sheets from a folder and lit them up. Seeing her paw's bone structure still looked strange. "The news is good indeed. No breaks, not even a crack."

"Right, so what should we do?"

"Rest is the main thing I'd suggest. Elevate it if you can. Ice it up for a quarter hour every so often, and keep it bound. Try to stay off it as much as you can. If it doesn't seem to be improving, call us right away."

She nodded. "I think I can do some of that. Staying off of it may be tricky."

He put the x-rays away and turned back to her. "That's fair. Do what you can."

"Anything else? She's still on oxygen," Scott pointed out.

Danica reached up and found the plastic tube over her beak. She'd forgotten it was there.

The doctor flipped through a few pages. "That was just a precaution for the smoke, but her oxygen levels seem to be well within the norm, so we can take that off now. In fact, you're free to go when you are ready. Though if you don't mind, I would like to rewrap that ankle for you."

She lifted her paw and offered it to him. "Sure, go ahead. You wouldn't happen to know how the Bears are doing? They're the people I saved. Rob said they were coming here too."

Doctor Clark unwrapped her paw and studied it carefully. He bent it and watched her reaction. "Amazing. It doesn't seem too bad. As for the Bears, I can ask around. Just wait here a second."

Danica finished her grooming, letting Scott brush her back and wings while she relaxed. With his help, she took the opportunity to change her shorts as well, and felt a lot better, even if her ankle was still throbbing and her hands stung.

"I'm going to need a new phone case," she said, sitting back down on the bed. "Luckily, I don't need a new phone."

Scott laughed, "Well, that's a small price to pay."

"Speaking of small things, how's the little one?" she asked, putting her hand on his belly.

"Still very little. No movement yet. But if she comes out with grey fur, I'm blaming you."

There was a knock on the door frame, and the doctor returned with a nurse and a cart of supplies. "Movement? Are you pregnant? There was no mention of it in your chart."

"No, my husband's pregnant," Danica explained again.

The vet paused, then shook his head. "Right, sorry, I forgot that about griffons. Congratulations! We'll get your ankle rebound and change the bandages on your hands and arm, and then we can take you to see the Bears. They’re eager to speak with you."

"I'd love to speak with them." She held her hands out, palms up. "They are all right aren't they?"

"They're fine. They'll spend the night here on bed rest, just to be sure. They took a lot more smoke and heat than you did."

He took her hands and studied them, peeling off the bandages the paramedics had applied. She winced as he cleaned the scratches, seeing the bloody marks. He carefully probed the gash on her arm, looking a little concerned.

"It looks bad, but it should heal fine. A little deeper and I'd be figuring out how to stitch scales. But bandages should do. Your hands are fine too, just some road rash basically. Change the bandages twice a day, and I'll prescribe you a salve that should help with the healing. If things start changing colour, hurting bad or otherwise don't look like they are healing, come right back here."

He slathered a salve on her forearm and wrapped it in a clean bandage. When he was done he focused closer on her hands.

"Can you close your talons? And excuse me if I'm too rough, I'm not used to my patients being able to tell me how I'm doing."

She followed his instructions and soon she had fresh coverings on her palms and a fresh bandage around her ankle. She had the feeling he was using her to learn more about griffons in general, and not just studying her wounds. Finally, the doctor removed the oxygen tube and stepped back to admire his work.

"So how did I do? Everything feel alright? Nothing is tugging your fur the wrong way or anything is it? "

She flexed her fingers and twisted her arm experimentally. She similarly moved her foot, watching the bandages flex. "I feel fine now. Thank you."

The nurse was busy cleaning up the cart while he watched her. He was clearly puzzled as he thought about the next steps. "I ''really'' want you to stay off that foot; but I'm not sure how we can do that. We don't have a wheelchair you can use... and I'm sure you won't be driving home so I'm at a loss for what to do."

"Well, could you get me a pair of crutches? I could manage those... I might even be able to fly with them."

"We can do that. I'll scare up a pair for you and take you to the Bears before you leave."

A short time later, the crutches were dropped off. Scott helped Danica stand up and try them out. Annoyingly, she discovered that her body tilt made the crutches harder to use; her shoulders were naturally a foot or so ahead of her hips and legs, so the crutches were ahead of where they needed. With a bit of practice, she made it work enough so she could leave the room.

A nurse led them through the wide corridors to another ward on another floor. The room had two beds, occupied by a girl and a man. The privacy curtain between the two beds had been pulled back. A woman stood up as the griffons knocked on the door frame.

"It's her!" the girl exclaimed excitedly, sitting up in her bed. She had an oxygen tube under her nose and her eyes were still red from smoke irritation.

"Hey there. I've been released, but I wanted to check on you before I left, to make sure you were going to be fine."

"They're more than fine, thanks to you. I don't know how we could ever thank you," the woman said, giving Danica a hug. She stayed standing, letting Danica kneel on the chair to keep the weight off her foot.

"I was just in the right place at the right time. Are you her mother?"

"Lucy. Yeah, I'm Joanne's mother. Were you hurt badly?"

"This is my husband, Scott. And no, I wasn't hurt badly. Nothing was broken. I can walk somewhat, and I can fly. Landings and takeoffs will be tricky, but I'll manage, and I should be fine soon. How about you two?"

"We're alive, that's the main thing. They don't like my oxygen levels, and I was really baked. Joanne didn't get as much smoke, but she was already fighting a cold. That's why we were home in the first place," Steve said, sounding a bit hoarse.

"Any idea what caused it?" Scott asked.

Steve shrugged. "It started in the laundry closet. I was doing a few loads since I was home with Jo. Maybe a circuit overloaded, or the vent was clogged? I know the lint trap was clean; I always clean it."

"I'm sure it will be figured out. I'm sorry for your apartment. Do you have a place to stay?"

Lucy nodded. "The Red Cross is mobilizing to help us and our neighbours. And I have a brother we can crash with for now, until we get back on our feet."

Steve looked around and found a crossword book he'd been working on earlier. He grabbed it and opened it to a page that had some empty space. "If you don't mind, could you leave your phone number? I know we just met, but once we're all healed up, I'd love to get in touch with you. Maybe we can treat you to dinner or a game or something."

Danica jotted down her number, "Sure, we would love to do that sometime. Just don't feel like you have to do it right away. Get yourselves back on your feet first before you worry about hosting guests."

"How did you know we were up there?" Joanne interrupted. "I mean, dad woke me up and the door was already blocked. We ran to the balcony and realized we forgot our phones. We had no idea how to let anyone know where we were."

Steve chuckled, "I was getting ready to throw one of the chairs off the balcony and hope someone realized what it meant."

Danica put the book and pen down and nodded. "It was luck. I was finishing my lunch when I heard the sirens. Then I spotted the smoke. I admit I was a bit curious, so I took off and decided to have a closer look... Which reminds me..." she interrupted herself and made a snapping motion with her fingers. Remembering her talons, she was distracted from her distraction. "Damn, old habits die hard," she mumbled.

Scott squeezed her arm reassuringly. "That reminds you?" he prompted.

"Right, I left my lunch bag behind. It's still on the roof of the Bow."

"Once we get you home, I'll go get it."

She nuzzled him. "Thanks dear. They'll appreciate it."

"Wait, you were on the Bow? On top of it? In this weather?" Joanne asked.

"Yeah. I usually have my lunches up there. It's peaceful and gives great views of the city. They aren't really thrilled that we do it; but as long as we keep things neat up there, they don't raise a fuss," Danica explained.

"So yeah, I took off and was curious. Luckily, I had a clear line of sight to your balcony, and I spotted you on it. I flew over, and I should have just landed and told them you were there... but I decided to try and reassure you first, and, well, you know the rest."

"And thank you for it. I can't imagine what would have happened if you hadn't been there," Lucy said.

They chatted for a while longer, until they were interrupted by another knock on the door. The fire chief stood there, still dirty from the scene. Danica reflexively tried to hide behind her husband, but it was ineffective.

"Can I help you?" Steve asked.

"Hi there. I'm Captain Andrew Brooks. I was in charge of the fire at your apartment," he said, entering the room.

"Hi Captain. Are you here to ask us about the fire? I'm afraid we don't know what happened. I think it started in the laundry closet but I’m not sure," Steve said.

"Thanks for letting me know. But no, I'm not here to ask questions." His gaze landed on Danica. "Nor to make accusations. After the situation is under control, I always try to visit the victims, just to see how they are doing."

"Well, thank you for what you did. I'm Lucy, Steve's wife and Joanne's mother," Lucy said.

"Nice to meet you. I wish it was under better circumstances," the captain said. "We’ve put the fire out and my team's doing their final inspections and cleanup now. Sadly, your apartment, and your neighbours' apartments are likely to be total losses. You'll have a chance to recover what you can, but I doubt it will be much."

The pain was obvious on the family's faces. Steve tried to smile and reached over to squeeze Joanne's hand. "It's only stuff. Stuff can be replaced. The important thing is that we’re alive. Mainly thanks to her."

"Yes, her." Andrew focused on the griffon, levelling her with a steely gaze. "I hope you understand that what you did was extremely reckless and put all three of you in extreme danger. You should have landed and let us know where they were, and let the experts handle it."

Danica's wings quivered, but she tried to return his gaze. "I'm well aware of that sir. In hindsight, I should have done just that. What I did was extremely stupid, and while the cost could have been a lot worse, I am paying something for it." She lifted a crutch and shook it to draw his attention to it.

Andrew's expression relaxed, and he nodded. "Right. Well you seem to have learned a lesson at least. I trust you won't make a habit of this?"

"Goodness no! I don't know what came over me. Maybe it's just some fathering instincts kicking in or something." She patted her husband's arm. "Got a kid of my own coming after all."

The adults exchanged looks, figuring out what she was talking about but not quite understanding it at first. To Danica's relief, she didn't have to clarify yet again.

"Right, in any case, I'm glad to see you are doing so well. As I said, an inspector will be by later to ask some questions about what you remember. Just answer as best you can. We aren't looking to assign blame, we're just trying to figure out what happened."

"Thank you Captain. We'll answer as best we can," Steve said.

"Mx Storm, may I speak with you outside for a moment? Your ... mate can come with you. You aren't in trouble, but I may be about to throw you to the lions."

"Then maybe it's a good thing I'm part lion," Danika said. Their curiosity piqued, the griffons got up and followed the fireman out of the room. He closed the door behind them and faced them.

"It's just after four, and I've got a swarm of reporters waiting for me downstairs in the media room. They're looking for an update on the fire, and they especially want any information on you, Mx Storm."

"Me? Really?"

"Yes, really. The paramedics snuck you off the scene before they could talk to you, and they want to know all about you.

"Now, I'm not saying you have to come down with me. But I would seriously suggest you do so. You're the hero of this story, and they want their pound of flesh from you. If you come with me, and let me run interference, you can pay them now and get a bit of peace while you recover. Or you can just go home, and be hounded day and night until they get their way or some other shiny thing distracts them."

"But what should I say?" Danica asked, knowing he was right but trying to convince herself.

"Whatever you want. It's your story. Understand we'll want to talk to you later as part of our investigation; but to the press, you're your own person."

"Okay, I'll do it," Danica said.

He led them through the hospital, moving slowly as Danica got used to limping with the crutches. Their path took the elevators back down to the ground floor, after which the griffons were completely lost. Andrew obviously knew where he was going, taking them on a route that went through more than a few ''Authorized Personnel Only'' doors.

He stopped outside a door with a ''Media Room'' sign. "There's probably going to be a dozen people in there, and they'll obviously react to your appearance. Just try to relax and go with the flow. Don't look at the cameras, but focus on whoever is speaking, whether it’s me or a reporter asking you a question. Be yourselves, and don't worry about what you're saying. They can always bleep out anything they need to later. I'm going to give them my update, and then open the floor to questions. They'll obviously have a lot for you. If you feel like it's gotten too much, feel free to say that's enough and maybe even leave if you want to. This isn't an interrogation, but it will feel like it."

Andrew stood at the door with his hand on the handle as he watched the griffons' reactions. Danica took a few deep breaths and shook her wings out, nervously readjusting them on her back. She squeezed Scott's hand briefly, then nodded. "I'm ready."

The fireman nodded and opened the door. Over his shoulder, Danica could see the room was filled with people and cameras, all facing the doorway. There was an open area at the door's end of the room, delimited by a podium and a couple of flag poles with the maple leaf and the Albertan flag on it. Andrew's body hid the presence of the griffons at first, but there were a lot of flashes from cameras going off.

"Relax, you'll be fine," he encouraged them before stepping into the room. The noise level in the room rose significantly as they spotted the griffons, with the number of flashes somehow increasing.

She squeezed Scott's hand once more, and stepped into the room, picking a spot slightly behind the firefighter and to his right. Her inner eyelids closed to cut down the glare from the lights until she got used to them.

Andrew held his hands up, and the room quickly quieted down.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and others," he said, briefly nodding to the griffons. "My name is Captain Andrew Brooks of Fire Station 1.. I'm here to give you an update on today's fire at the Bow Trail Tower. This is probably going to be the last update I'll have.

"As you can see, I have some guests with me. You probably recognize one of them as the griffon who saved the residents who were trapped on their balcony. I'd like to officially introduce you to Mx Danica Storm, and their partner, Mx Scott Storm."

The griffons stepped forward as there was another flurry of picture taking. A few reporters shouted out questions, but Andrew quickly silenced them with a glare.

"They have agreed to speak to you and answer your questions in a moment. But first, I need to get through my boring parts," he said with a friendly grin.

The griffons stepped back and the room quieted down. Andrew launched into his briefing with practiced ease, outlining what happened and how it was handled.

"That still sounds strange to me," Danica mumbled, trying to keep her beak still. "Being called Mx and calling you my partner and stuff."

Scott's ears twitched. Some of the closer reporters seemed to notice their conversation but were mostly focused on the firefighter. "Yeah, I know what you mean, but it’s more appropriate considering. I mean, we were married as husband and wife, but the husband doesn't normally carry the kids. At least not until after birth."

She fought to contain a chuckle. "You're right. Doesn't make it any less strange though. Just another thing that catches you off guard I guess."

Andrew was wrapping up his briefing, and glanced over to see if she was ready. Danica nodded and stepped forward a little.

"All right now, I'll open up the floor to questions to either of us, but I know where most of your questions are going. Just remember, Mx Storm is just a regular person who has volunteered to share her side of this story. When I point to you, you may ask your question."

The room rumbled with a hint of discontent. A few reporters shouted out questions that were ignored. Andrew instead studied the crowd, and finally picked someone.

"Mx Storm, could you briefly go over how you got involved in this?" the reporter asked.

"Sure. I was finishing my lunch and getting ready to head back to work when I heard the sirens. I was curious about what was going on so I looked around, spotted the smoke, and I decided to check it out. I certainly didn't intend to interfere, but I wanted to take a closer look."

"How close were you when you saw it?" the same reporter asked.

"I was at the Bow." She saw many of them pause, mentally calculating the distances, and then recalculating the distances.

"How close were you when you noticed the victims?"

She tilted her head and half closed her outer lids, thinking back. "Fairly close, I was following 6th more or less. I guess I was maybe five or six blocks away."

The reporter obviously wanted to ask another question, but Andrew pointed to someone else.

"What made you decide to go right to the Bears? Shouldn't you have told the authorities that you had seen them?"

"That's ''exactly'' what I should have done," Danica said. She saw the fire captain nod his head approvingly. "I honestly don't know what came over me, or why I decided to go to them. I guess I noticed how scared Joanne was and wanted to reassure them first; to see if there was anything I could do to help."

Andrew nodded and interrupted her before anyone could ask a follow up. "To expand on that slightly, I want to make it clear, especially for any other griffons watching, that you should make sure to leave this sort of thing to the experts. If you see people in trouble, please let us know right away. But don't take matters into your own hands. Leave it to the trained professionals who have the right gear.

"I can't begin to count the number of things that could have gone wrong with what Mx Storm did. They are very lucky it worked out in the end with only a few minor injuries."

Andrew pointed to the next reporter.

"Have you ever done anything like that before? Did you know you could carry someone?"

Danica shook her head. "I had no clue, and in hindsight I really shouldn't have done it. Joanne alone weighs more than I do now, and her father is significantly bigger than that. Carrying Joanne down like I did almost killed my arms. Her father was on my back which made things a bit easier, but it was still hard. It was more like a controlled fall than a flight." She paused and shuddered, shaking her wings a little. "It was probably the first time I actually felt scared of heights since September."

The next one spoke up. "A question for Mx Storm... err the other Storm. How did you find out what your partner did? How did it make you feel?"

Scott took a step forward, surprised to be in their sights now. "I found out almost immediately, before she took off to save Steve. Griffons are a very connected group after all, and there were a lot of eyes watching her.

"As for how it made me feel, it made me feel a lot of things. Scared for what she did. Proud as well. Relief when she was on the ground again. And a hint of anger at the risk she was putting herself in. Especially since it might mean our little one might have lost a parent."

The room lit up with excitement as the reporters quickly jotted down various ideas. They didn't need griffon eyesight to realize what they were writing. '''Pregnant Griffon Saves Family From Highrise Fire!''' and similar exciting headlines.

"You are pregnant?" one of the reporters shouted from the back. She didn't indicate to whom she was questioning, but it was obvious she was one of the few double checking the facts.

Danica shook her head and stepped closer to Scott. "I'm not. My husband is," she said, putting a hand on his belly.

Scott nodded and squeezed the hand. "About a month along, give or take a week," he confirmed.

The record scratch the news caused was almost audible. Most of the reporters froze for a moment, puzzling out pronouns and names and trying to make it fit with the news they had just been given. A few seemed more on the ball, and were smirking, obviously proud to be ‘in’ on the joke that had been set up. The one who had asked the pregnancy question was one of the smirkers; Danica recognized her as someone who had covered a number of griffon stories in the Calgary area.

"If you could go back and do anything differently, would you?" someone asked after recovering from the revelation.

"I would probably do what I should have done, and dropped down to let the Captain here know there were people trapped up there," Danica said, watching Andrew nod in agreement. "And then I would probably have gone right back up to get a closer look at them and make sure they were all right." The Captain's nodding stopped and he gave her an unhappy look.

"But knowing his team was on the way, I would not have risked trying to fly them down. I would just have given them some reassurance that help was coming."

"Please don't do that. Leave that to the experts. Under no circumstances should you place yourself in a dangerous situation; and once you are out of it you should absolutely ''never'' go back into it," Andrew said, staring at the griffon hero to make sure she got the message.

"A question for the Captain. In light of what you've seen griffons can do, are there any plans to train up any griffon experts and add them to the force?"

"Ever since news about the griffons broke... hell since news about the Titans broke, I think every first responder has been pondering ways to use them effectively in the emergencies we handle. The possibilities are endless, from the strength Titans possess, to the literal eagle-eye view of the scene griffons can get, they will revolutionize emergency response where they are available.

"For Calgary, and Edmonton as well, I know we've been talking with the local flocks, brainstorming ways we can safely test their abilities and integrate them into our responses. I believe we already have a number of volunteers who will be doing some testing at our training facility in the coming weeks and months. By spring, we will have official griffon support available."

"Will those griffons be trained to carry people?"

"We don't know. We'll certainly try it, to find what their limits are and to find ways to make carrying people easier. But for now, it's still an unknown."

"We can see you are using crutches. Can you describe your injuries? Will they affect your day to day life?"

Danica wiggled a crutch and nodded. "Yeah, I'm on crutches, probably for a few days. I'm sure you've seen the videos; I took quite the tumble from the sky there. My wings are fine, but my palms took a beating. And I gave my... well it's more my foot than my ankle but it's the same thing. I gave it a good wrench.

"Thankfully, nothing was broken. I should be back on my paws within a day or two hopefully."

"What are you going to do next?"

"Go home and get some rest. They want me to keep my paw up as much as possible. And I'm exhausted, and starving. So go home, get a bite to eat, clean the smoke out of my feathers and fur, and go to bed."

There were a few more questions, but it was obvious the main points had been made. A few reporters slipped out, eager to get a head start on editing their stories for the evening news. Finally Andrew wrapped things up and announced the interviews were over. He followed the Storms out the door they came in, and away from the reporters. He started guiding them through the halls, towards a more isolated exit.

"How are you getting home?" he asked as they walked. Patients and workers often did a double take noticing them but no one interfered with them.

"We'll be flying back. I should be able to manage it, especially if we can get back before the Tylonol wears off," Danica said.

"Will the crutches be a problem?"

"Nah, griffons have flown with more awkward things. And I'm not talking about the Bears. The tricky part will be landing, but I'll tough it out."

"And I intend to catch her so she doesn't have to tough it out too much," Scott added.

She nuzzled him and giggled, "You are an excellent catcher."

"Right then, in that case, here we are," he said. They were at a side entrance that clearly wasn't used much. Not quite a fire exit, but also not a normal exit. Through the windows, they could see the lights of cars along the avenue nearby.

"We've got your contact information. Expect a call, probably tomorrow, from an investigator. They'll want to question you about the fire, go over what you saw and what you experienced."

Danica nodded in agreement.

"Also, as I hinted at back there, we do have a group figuring out how best to use griffons in our normal operations. We don't like what you did, but you have invaluable experience that we'll want to take advantage of. So expect us to contact you about that later."

"Of course, anything I can do that will help."

He tapped the button to trigger the automatic door. "In that case, have a good evening. And don't you dare pull a stunt like that again!"

Chuckling, the griffons left the hospital. The early evening air was cool and crisp, a thankful relief from the heat of the building. The path was clear and well salted, with the snow piled on either side. Once they had enough room, Danica paused and stretched out her wings and shook them out.

"How do they look?" she asked, twisting to try and do her own inspection. "There were a lot of sparks up there and I haven't had a chance to give them a good look since it happened."

Scott helped her check them out, running his talons along the stiff feathers and checking her tail out.

"They're good. A few new scorch marks, but everything's intact," he confirmed. "A lot of soot on them though. Can you feel it?"

She waved them in the air a bit and shook them more. "Maybe... not really. I feel a little heavier, but it's probably just in my mind. I can't wait to get home and get a proper cleaning and preening. I must absolutely stink of smoke."

He chuckled and hugged his wife. "Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but now that you mention it, I could pick up a whiff of something from you."

She lightly hit him with a crutch. "Ugh! That's horrible! If you could smell me, then I must absolutely ''stink''. Come on, let's go."

"Want me to take those? Let you focus on flying?" Scott offered, pointing to the crutches.

Danica considered it for a moment, and turned slightly to set up her take off direction, careful to make sure they wouldn't be going directly out over traffic. She passed the crutches over to her husband and crouched into a take off position, while keeping as much weight off her injured foot as possible. She braced herself, knowing this was going to hurt. Taking off from ground level needed a good jump to get enough height and momentum to stay airborne long enough for the wings to take over. A running takeoff was out of the question, and a one legged launch was going to be difficult.

"Maybe we should go back inside and find the parking garage. Or roof access," Scott suggested, realizing their problem.

"We'll see, I'm going to give it one try," she replied, holding her beak tightly closed. If she still had teeth, she knew she'd be gritting them.

She winced, putting more weight on her hurt paw and spread her toes a little. Her wings lifted up into a ready position as she got a sense of the air. Before her nerve could give out, she leaped upwards.

A stab of pure agony shot up her leg from her paw and ankle as the strained muscles objected to the load. It was almost enough for her to forget her wings. Thankfully, months of regular use kicked in past the pain, and her wings snapped down. She automatically climbed higher in the sky until she was above the hospital, the pain finally beginning to ease. She settled into a wide circle, and blinked the tears away, trying to hold her foot as still as possible.

Scott joined her shortly after. He held the crutches close to his chest and watched her worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped back, obviously lying. "Let's get home. The sooner I'm back on the ground the better."

The sun was a faint memory on the western horizon by the time they got to their neighbourhood. Their home was a two bedroom apartment on the second story of a four story walkup building. They didn't have any handy balconies to land on, so they would have to come down in the main parking lot. Danica circled, already wincing at the thought of the pain a landing would cause. Part of her just wanted to stay in the sky forever. The exhaustion she was feeling told her that one way or another, she was going down.

"Let me go down first," Scott said. "Then come right at me, and let me catch you."

She nodded in agreement and watched him descend. He came down fast, fluttering his wings at the last minute to kill his momentum and control his fall. He tossed the crutches to one side and touched down on the cleared pavement. Once he recovered, he turned and crouched slightly ready to catch her.

Not wanting to put the chore off any longer, she lined up and did her own descent. Her hurt paw stayed slightly higher than normal in anticipation. Her nerve almost gave out at the last minute, but soon enough her wings were fluttering and Scott was growing rapidly in front of her. He took a couple of steps forward and they collided. He wrapped his arms around her as best he could and fell backwards, absorbing the last of her fall from the sky and mostly keeping the pressure off her foot. It gave one stab of pain when it lightly hit the ground, but otherwise seemed fine.

"Thanks dear," she said, nuzzling him tiredly.

"You okay?" he asked, not moving from under her.

She nodded and he finally let her go. He squirmed free and stood up before offering a hand to her. "In that case, let's get inside and get some dinner."

Scott retrieved the crutches, and the pair made their way into the building. As usual, the heat hit them like a wall. Danica tried to use the crutches to climb the stairs, but quickly found them too awkward. She passed them to Scott and used the railings to limp-pull herself up.

Their apartment let out a blast of cool air when they opened the door. They had to keep it a little warmer than they might have preferred, to make sure pipes wouldn't freeze; but they did tend to have some of the windows cracked through the winter to bring in fresh, cooler air.

Danica took the crutches and limped over to the couch and dropped onto it. She let out a long sigh of relief, her injured foot lifted in the air. Scott retrieved some pillows to help prop it up.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked, checking her bandages to make sure they were still clean. They were a little damp and stained from the landing, but he decided they were fine.

"I'd kill for a burger right now," she said after a thought. "But I'll make due with a snack. Oh! We should fill those prescriptions the doc gave me."

"Right, I'll go get it after you're settled." Scott passed over the TV remote and retreated to the kitchen. He filled a small container with carrots and peppers, and took it out with a bottle of water.

"Thanks love," Danica said.

"Need anything else?"

She shook her head, already flipping through the guide on the screen. Scott leaned forward and nuzzled her briefly. "I'll be back soon, with the burger and the pills."

It was a short flight over to the shopping plaza near their apartment. London Drugs was its main anchor, and the pharmacy they had used before the change. Since the change, they hadn't really had a need to talk to the pharmacist, until now.

He strode to the back of the store and waited at the pharmacy counter. The store was quiet, with only a few customers and no one waiting for drugs. The pharmacist looked up and did a double take. He forced himself to restart his count and finished his task before coming up. "We don't see many of you around here. How can I help you?"

"Yeah, I guess they're still sorting out what drugs we need. But we can still get hurt. I've got some scripts for my wife," Scott said, handing over the papers. He dug out his wallet and retrieved a couple of ID cards. "We should be in your system. I used to get my diabetes supplies here and Danica used to get her birth control here." He paused and chuckled a little, touching his belly. "Guess I'm the one that really needed birth control."

The pharmacist missed his comment as he tried to sort out how to process the request. He started looking up the patient records on automatic. "Right, you're the first griffons I've served; I'm not all that sure how to handle this. I think we've got some guides around...."

"Of course, take your time," Scott said patiently.

"First, I'll update your records, and...." the pharmacist trailed off, taking a closer look at the scripts. "This is from Doctor Clark, I'm not familiar with him.... He's a veterinarian?"

"Yeah, apparently griffon care is drawing from a wide variety of specialties. Is that a problem?"

"It's very unconventional. I mean, it's not the first vet script I've filled, but it's usually for a dog or a cat, not a… person." The pharmacist was clearly getting a bit flustered. "Please excuse me, I'll be right back."

Scott stepped to the side while the pharmacist switched to another computer and began to type frantically, looking up information. Another worker joined him and they had a long hushed discussion that eventually led to some phone calls.

Scott let them work and started browsing the aisles for the other supplies they needed. The other technician joined him after a few minutes.

"Right, we need to double check a few things, but it looks like we can handle it. Griffon care is still being sorted out, so we're making sure we do everything right. The good news is, the prescriptions have been cleared for griffon use, and it should fall under your health plan. The pharmacist is filling them now. Can I help you with anything else?"

"Sure, Danica got banged up today, so we need some supplies," Scott said, offering the list Doctor Clark had scrawled out for them.

The technician studied the list, translating the doctor scrawl. "These are simple enough. Follow me.... Oh! Is this for the griffon that saved those people from the fire today?"

Scott followed the tech down the aisle. "Yes, that was my Danica."

"Wow, how is she doing?"

They walked back to the counter as they talked. "She's fine. Hurting, but she'll heal."

"I'm glad to hear that. I saw the videos on Facebook; that was absolutely ''insane''! I didn't know you guys could do that."

"I didn't know either, and neither did she."

The pharmacist was waiting at the counter when they got there. He had a bottle of pills and a tube of cream waiting for him.

"I checked around and everything seems good," he confirmed. "Have her take two pills before she goes to sleep tonight, then another in the morning. No more than one every few hours after that and only if she's still feeling pain. If the pain persists past tomorrow, she should contact a doctor.

"As for the cream, apply it to her wounds every time she changes the bandages. I understand her palms and forearm are injured?" Scott nodded. "Then you should probably change them two or three times a day at least, for the first few days. Watch for infection, and go to the hospital immediately if anything seems wrong."

While talking, the order was rung up. Scott tapped his card and started packing everything into his flight bag. "Thanks. And thanks for looking out for us. It's part of the reason we've always come back here."

"Well, it was good to see you again. I'm glad we could help. If you need anything else, or have any questions, we're here for you."

Once again, he tapped his belly. It had only been a month since he missed his egg, and ever since the fact that he had a new life growing in him was high in his mind. "I'm sure we'll be back, for pregnancy and baby supplies if nothing else."

The clerk perked up but missed the details. "Congratulations! Be sure to bring the little one over for a visit when you can."

Scott left the pharmacy and crossed the parking lot to a Wendys. It was a place they regularly visited, so his arrival didn't cause a reaction. He picked up dinner to go and took off.

The figure on the couch didn't move as he walked in the door. He set the bags on the table and unpacked them as quietly as he could, while debating waking her up. He was saved when he saw her ears twitch. The injured griffon slowly sat up, yawning and stretching her wings.

"How're you feeling?" he asked.

"Aching. Feels like I was hit by a truck," Danica replied. She grabbed one of the crutches and carefully hobbled over to the table.

Scott tapped out a couple of pills and passed them over with a bottle of water. "Well, this should help. The pharmacist said to take two tonight, and then one in the morning as needed."

She gulped them down, then sat at the bench at the table. "Thanks. I really appreciate it. Thanks for getting dinner too." She snagged a fry and dipped it into a Frosty. She closed her eyes and pressed her ears back as she savoured it.

"Anything for my super hero," Scott replied, unwrapping his own burger and chowing down.

== Epilogue ==

It was a beautiful late spring weekend in the city. The first weekend in June, and a perfect excuse to get out and enjoy it. The Bears snagged a picnic table with a view of the river, still running high from the last of the snow melt but the flood risk was long gone. Lucy and Joanne began unpacking the bags they brought, setting out the fried chicken and salads and plates.

Steve stood to one side and scanned the skies, shading his eyes from the spring sun. There were a dozen griffons flying around that he could see, but not the ones he was looking for. They'd been chatting with the Storms quite often since the fire, and this would be the first time they would meet in person.

A short screech made them look up. A pair of familiar looking griffons were coming in from the river. The smokey grey one waved as they dropped down onto the gravel trail near the picnic benches. Their landing turned into a jog that brought them to the family.

"Hi guys, good to finally see you again," Danica greeted them.

"Good to see you walking normally. How's the foot?" Steve asked, shaking the offered hand.

Danica spun around on her toes, obviously happy. "All healed up. Took a bit longer than I had hoped but it's fine now."

"You're looking good," Joanne said. "Though you look different. You seem thinner than I remember somehow."

"The molt happened. We shed our winter fur and feathers a few weeks ago. Not the nicest of experiences but it was refreshing," Scott explained.

"It was a relief really. Got rid of my scorched feathers from the fire. And it means we won't be cooking as much in the summer," Danica said.

"Interesting. Please, there's lots of food, help yourself," Lucy said, indicating the table. Joanne was setting out cups and bottles of pop and juice. They gathered around the table and passed around the plates to load them up.

Steve realized a problem right away; the picnic tables had attached bench seating that couldn't be moved. "Oh shoot; I didn't think this through," he said, realizing the griffons couldn't sit down easily.

"It's fine, we're used to it. Gives us a reason to exercise our legs a bit more," Danica said. They set themselves at opposite ends of the table.

"Please, have a seat, we're fine," Scott assured them.

They dug into the food hungrily. The griffons could tell the Bears were watching them while trying not to seem to be watching them. It was something they were used to every time they ate out.

"So, how are you doing now? You've got a new place right?" Danica asked, once the first round of food was done.

"We do. A new townhouse on the north side of the river. A bit longer commute but plenty of room for all of us," Steve said.

"Good, good. Send us the address and we'll get you a house warming gift. Maybe a fire extinguisher or a smoke detector," Scott said.

Danica glared at him from across the table, while the Bears laughed.

"Don't worry, our new place is fully equipped. We'll be ready just in case. And yes, we'll send you the address soon," Steve said.

"Did they ever figure out what caused the fire?" Scott asked, changing topics slightly.

"Faulty wiring. The washer may have triggered it, but it was just a matter of time they said," Lucy explained.

"Damn, that sucks. But lucky it happened during the week. If it was the weekend, it could have affected a lot more people," Danica said.

"Yeah, we were lucky in a lot of ways." Steve acknowledged. "So what about you two? How have you been?"

"We've been good. Danica's got the cape bug. She volunteered with the local fire departments, helping work out griffon tactics," Scott said.

"Wow! How's it going?" Joanne asked.

"It's hard work. We're still figuring out our limits and how best to carry people. But it's going well; we're figuring out our strengths and weaknesses in general. It's very interesting."

"Cool. Will you be doing any demonstrations?" Joanne asked.

"Nothing official yet, but we might have something come Canada Day or the Stampede."

"We'll be sure to come out and see it," Steve said.

Lucy shifted her attention to Scott. "And you? How are you doing with your bundle?"

He twitched his wings and one hand went to his belly. It was obviously bulging a little now. "It's a strange feeling, but she's doing well."

"Can you feel him... her.. .uhm? Can you feel them moving yet?"

"We're saying 'her' for now. And yes, she's starting to move. A few more months before she comes out."

Danica went around the table and squeezed her husband. "Considering what's coming, I'm glad it's you and not me."

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that. At least I know somewhat what to expect. Those poor parents, they never had any eggs before their kids." Scott shuddered in sympathy. News of the first fertile griffon eggs being laid had broken just a few days before. He was still coming to terms with what he would be going through in August.

"It's such a strange thing to think about. I'm amazed you're taking it so easily," Lucy said. "May I?"

"Sure, go ahead," Scott said, turning to her. Lucy put her hand on the furry bulge gently. "I'm getting used to it myself, but it probably won't really click with me until it's time."

Lucy left her hand on the offered belly for a long moment. "How often does she move?"

"Often enough, usually in the evenings. She might be resting. I'm half thinking we're making an owl griffon."

"Well, please keep us in mind for the baby shower. We'll certainly chip in something for her," Steve said.

"You don't have to do that. But thank you. We're not setting anything up until the first hatchlings come out, so we have a better idea of what we need," Danica said.

"Sounds good. Let us know when."

Danica's phone chirped and she glanced down. "Now I know you said not to bring anything, but we didn't want to come here empty taloned. So technically we didn't bring this," she said, looking around. She spotted someone in the parking lot and waved her wing.

A delivery driver waved back. He jogged over to their table, carefully balancing a cake box.

"Oh! Really, you didn't have to do anything," Steve said.

Danica claimed the box and thanked the driver. She set it on the middle of the table and took the cover off. It was a simple birthday cake with red icing. It was decorated with a simple image of a burning house and a firefighter putting out the flames.

"As I said, we didn't want to come empty handed, so we ordered dessert. I hope this is okay," Danica said.

"It's fine, a good reminder of what brought us together," Steve replied. He hugged the griffon in thanks. "Now, before we cut this up, let's get a proper group photo to celebrate."

'''END'''

[[Category:Jetfire]] [[Category:Story]] [[Category:Paradigm Shift]] [[Category:Herm]] [[Category:Griffon]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: Stormy Skies}}

User:Jetfire

2024-08-13T00:27:21Z

Jetfire: /* Paradigm Shift */

This is Jetfire, a common face on various IRC networks. (I even show up on the TF-Net IRC networks occasionally).

I posted years ago on the TSA, but have been silent for a long time.

Well, recently my muse struck me hard again, and (what I hope will be a short series), the Taylor Series was spawned.

Since then I've dusted off a few older stories, and poked into a couple new settings that caught my eye.

==Stories==
=== Paradigm Shift ===
* [[User:Jetfire/Paradigm_Shift_Overview|Paradigm Shift Overview]] A new setting that's I've been working on.
* Titan stories. The first wave of changes.
** [[User:Jetfire/Titans_Step|Titan's Step]]: The first wave of changes in the Paradigm Shift setting.
* Griffon stories. The second wave of changes.
** Skyfire's stories
*** [[User:Jetfire/Big_Sky_Country|Big Sky Country]]: Skyfire's stories Book 1.
*** [[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book2|A Fire in the Sky: Book 2]]
** Miscellaneous Griffon stories
*** [[User:Jetfire/Stormy_Skies|Stormy Skies]]: A small adventure with a new griffon.

=== FreeRIDErs ===
* [[User:Jetfire/Aloha|Aloha]] No transformations, but the introduction of an area and a family I'm developing for the FreeRIDErs setting.
* [[User:Jetfire/Splashdown|Splashdown]]: About 20 years after Aloha, The family has grown, and adapted.
* [[User:Jetfire/Astra-naught|Astra-naught]]: A couple of years later.
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Lady_of_the_Tiger|The Lady of the Tiger]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Cave_of_Wonders|Cave of Wonders]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Sum_of_Their_Parts|Sum of Their Parts]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Walkabout|Walkabout]]
* [[User:Jetfire/All_Spark_Bulletin|All Spark Bulletin]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Spies_Among_Us|Spies Among Us]]

Related story, leading into Cat Scratch Fever (like All Spark Bulletin does)
* [[User:Jetfire/Spice_Girls|Spice Girls]]

* [[User:Jetfire/Cat_Scratch_Fever|Cat Scratch Fever]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Rescue_911|Rescue 911]]

Stand alone story, set after Rescue 911
* [[User:Jetfire/United_Way|United Way]]

Stand alone story, set in the Nextus-Sturmhaven war.
* [[User:Jetfire/Broken_Crown|Broken Crown]]

Stand alone story, set in the Zharus system.
* [[User:Jetfire/Spacer_Oddity|A Spacer Oddity]]
* [[User:Jetfire/In_Space|In Space...]] Co-written with [[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]]

* [[User:Jetfire/Slow_Boat|Slow Boat to Zharus]] Co-written with [[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]]

Spacer Stories.
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Touch|The Touch]]
* [[User:Jetfire/The_Power|The Power]]
* [[User:Jetfire/All_Hell_Breakin_Loose|All Hell's Breakin' Loose]]
* [[User:Jetfire/Riding_The_Eye_of_the_Storm|Riding the Eye of the Storm]]

Related Spacer Story
* [[User:Jetfire/DragonRIDEr_of_Pharos|DragonRIDEr of Pharos]]

Totalian Diplomacy (concurrent with the Spacer stories)
* [[User:Jetfire/iron_hand_in_a_velvet_glove|Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove]]

=== [[:Category:Colonies|Colonies]] ===

Colonies is a setting I'm starting and sorting out what I want to do with.
Generally speaking the idea is that people appear on a new world, rejuvenated to their mid-20's, in good health and basic skills intact, but fuzzy memories of cultural stuff.
Over a week, they change into the dominant species of the world with the intent they will colonize it as that species.

More details will come out when (if?) I get the mood to write more in this general setting.

* [[User:Jetfire/Centaurville|Centaurville]]

=== Metamor Keep ===
*[[Storm Watch]] Introduction of Saroth and Electra, the Weather Wardens.
*[[Sunny Skies]] Quickie story of a small event around the Keep
*[[Sea Breeze]] Saroth and Electra travel to Magdalain Island.
*[[Cloud Seeding]] Saroth reflects on the events that lead him to the Keep originally.

===Taylor Series ===
*[[Taylor Series Tom and Cat]]
*[[Taylor Series 2 Erin and Aaron]]
*[[Taylor Series 3 Minos]]

===[[:Category:The Veil|Paradise: The Veil Series]] ===
'''Before August, 2005'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Holes in the Veil|Holes in the Veil]]: First part, though it is complete in itself, of a story set in the [[:Category:Paradise|Paradise]] setting.

'''August, 2005-August 2006'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Lifting The Veil|Lifting The Veil]]: Joey's experiences continue.
*[[User:Jetfire/Poking the Veil|Poking the Veil]]: Joey tries to find more Changed in his region.
*[[User:Jetfire/Film at 2011|Film at 2011]]

'''August, 2006-August 2007'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Twisting the Veil|Twisting the Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Generations|Generations]]
*[[User:Jetfire/A Rolling Stone Gathers No Veil| A Rolling Stone Gathers No Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Auld Lang Syne|Auld Lang Syne]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Gaming Furs|Gaming Furs]]

'''August, 2007-August 2008'''
*[[User:Jetfire/Radio No Veil|Radio No Veil]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Six Furries and a Wedding|Six Furries and a Wedding]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Clearing the Air|Clearing the Air]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Rising Waters|Rising Waters]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Election Fever|Election Fever]]

===[[:Category:Paradise|Paradise]]===
*[[User:Jetfire/GM'O'Fur|GM'O'Fur]]: A friend of Joe's changes. A side story from the main Veil storyline, but stand alone by itself.
*[[User:Jetfire/It Bears Investigation|It Bears Investigation]]: A quicky story with the characters from GM'O'Fur. Set in summer of '07.
*[[User:Jetfire/Silver Fox Tracks|Silver Fox Tracks (A Veil side story)]]
*[[User:Jetfire/Judge Judy: Deagle vs Anderson|Judge Judy: Deagle vs Anderson]]: A quickie idea that hit me one night about situations that would start happening as more and more people changed.
*[[User:Jetfire/Doing Hard Time|Doing Hard Time]]: Originally intended to be a Veil story, I twisted it around a lot and like the results. It's tangentially related to the Veil now.
*[[User:Jetfire/Gulf Ice|Gulf Ice]]: I started this intending it to go one way, and the characters decided to go in a different direction. Seems to happen a lot with me. :)
*[[User:Jetfire/Live At Five|Live At Five]]: A slice of life story of sorts, with a big (for my region) announcement, indirectly caused by the acts of ROB.
*[[User:Jetfire/The Bear Facts|The Bear Facts]]: A story inspired (and urged along by) Eirik, mixing some of my characters and his together.
*[[User:Jetfire/NorBAC|NorBAC]]: In this increasingly globalized world, sometimes you need a new organization to cut through the red tape of national labs. NorBAC is one such organization, intended to be a coordinator between North American bio-labs, to track down and isolate health threats. (Yes, it was blatantly taken from the Canadian show "[http://www.norbac.ca/ ReGeensis]")
*[[User:Jetfire/Special Care| Special Care]]: Some furs have special needs.

===[[:Category:IDIC|Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations]] ===

IDIC was a setting created on the list years ago, but never really took off beyond it's original author. Still, I'm a sucker for crossovers, and this setting seems ideal for it. It's a setting where you can 'borrow' existing settings (and unique settings and anything you feel comfortable adding) and doing things in them that wouldn't be canon in the original setting but are fine here.

I've had a few ideas kicking around for what I might be able to do with this sort of freedom, some inspired by what I am currently reading, others inspired by just thinking of the differences between Real Events and things I wrote. I do have a bit of an overall theme/general plot for this, but I don't know if I'll ever go anywhere with it, or ever even finish these/polish these.

In any case, enjoy these ramblings.

*[[User:Jetfire/Overlapping Fields|Overlapping Fields]]: What happens when similar universes collide and interlace with each other?
*[[User:Jetfire/Kernel Hacking|Kernel Hacking]]: Decades ago, a catastrophe struck a world, effectively knocking it back to the stone age for reasons unknown. The ripples from this catastrophe have been spreading slowly through multispace, drawing the attention of the Tangle. Can a team figure out what happened and fix it up before it is too late?

===Miscellaneous ===

Miscellaneous stories that are not in a particular setting yet.

*[[User:Jetfire/Earning the Stripes|Earning the Stripes]]: A story inspired by Posti's 2008 XMas Xchange story to Devin.

{{author page}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jetfire}}

User:Jetfire/A Fire in the Sky Book2

2024-01-23T04:26:39Z

Jetfire: Second Griffon story.

{{universe|Paradigm Shift}}
{{my stories
|name=Jetfire
|category=Jetfire
}}

{{title
|name= A Fire in the Sky: Book 2
|author=Jetfire
|user=Jetfire}}
{{XXX}}

'''Author's note'''
This story contains scenes with adult encounters and descriptions.

This is the second story following the griffon named Skyfire

==A Fire In the Sky: Book 2 (Formerly Big Sky Country)==

===Saturday, November 11===

Remembrance Day was always an important day in my family. While none of us were directly involved in the military, respecting those who paid the ultimate price was always important. So I found myself up a bit early on Saturday to make sure I gave myself an extra attentive preening, and dressed in the nicest clothes I had now.

By 8:00, I left for downtown. There was a few centimetres of snow on the ground now, but the day itself was clear with a cold northerly wind I found invigorating. I scanned the skies over the city for other griffons, but I didn't see any. Michelle and I had stressed to our group that there would NOT be a griffon focused event for the morning; we wanted to keep the focus on the ceremonies. Instead, we encouraged the other griffons to do what they would normally do, and to otherwise stay in the background. Going to the ceremonies at the cenotaph outside city hall wasn't really my normal routine, but it was what I felt I wanted to do.

I landed on the roof of a downtown shopping mall a few blocks from city hall. The mall had set up a landing area for griffons on the roof to give us an area we could land on without causing a disturbance. Access into the mall wasn't available yet, but it would be done by spring. In the meantime, the roof gave us a spot we could pause at before dropping down to ground level.

For me, I took advantage of the landing spot to pull out my slippers and tug them on, and to adjust my clothes. Footwear for paws was still being worked out, especially with how important traction was for us. But having some covering to keep the slush and snow off was appreciated, and it felt more polite for the ceremony.

I looked over the edge of the roof to figure out how I would get down. There was a broad sidewalk on this side of the mall, with signs warning people to watch for incoming griffons, but it was more crowded than I expected. I figured I might need to make a couple of passes before enough sidewalk space was cleared.

I swung off the roof and spread my wings, catching the gusts and stabilizing my flight level. I dropped down and flew over the crowd roughly level with the second and third floors, letting out a short sharp screech to catch people's attention. I didn't like going the animal noise route, but the screeches tended to be easier on my throat and could catch attention better than any number of "Make ways!" I could shout.

At the end of the block, I came up short and twisted around in midair, dropping to just above head level. I heard some impressed gasps and smiled inwardly. I spotted an opening forming on the sidewalk. I backwinged again and dropped down. At the last moment, I realized the opening was due to an icy puddle, but I managed to scoot a bit forward and just miss it without too much of a stumble.

I pulled my wings back in tight and waved to the crowd, hearing a smattering of applause. I carefully cut my way across the walkers to the mall entrance, and joined the flow heading to the food court, intending to get a snack before the ceremony.

Shortly before ten, I left the mall and walked with the crowd to the cenotaph outside of city hall. There was a decent sized crowd there, already larger than the post-COVID ceremonies held last year. I picked a spot at the back of the crowd, and out of line of sight of most of the cameras, and waited. On the other side of the crowd, I saw a familiar flash of blue feathers. Michelle caught my eye and lifted her wing, but stayed where she was.

The Ceremony went off without a hitch. I was surprised to recognize an osprey-cheetah griffon marching in with one of the military groups. I knew Stephen, but had no idea she was military. Her uniform was obviously still a work in progress, but matched the rest of her squad close enough to work. The group had obviously been practicing the march with her, giving her just enough extra room for her wings, and keeping perfect step.

At the end of the ceremonies, there was a chance for the general public to place poppies and have their own moments. I joined the line and waited, feeling eyes on me but stayed focused on my own goals. When I got to the front of the line, I placed a poppy among the others on the cenotaph, and stepped back. I clasped my talons in front of me, and relaxed my wings a little. I lowered my head and closed my eyes, taking a personal moment of silence. I could hear the clicking of cameras around me, and ignored it.

"Thank you," I said quietly when my moment was done. I turned away and walked back along the line until it dissolved into a crowd. I found Michelle again and pushed my way through to her.

"It was a great ceremony," I said, "Good to see the crowds again after so long. I hope I wasn't too disruptive. I could tell there were more cameras snapping my way."

"There were, but I don't think anyone would say you were a disruption. You were clearly there to have a personal moment like everyone else had," Michelle reassured me.

We started to walk away, having no particular destination in mind, other than maybe to get far enough away to take off without being disrespectful.

"What about Stephen? I never realized she was in the military," I said. "She looked great in the uniform."

"Yeah, she's been stuck on medical leave since September, but she wanted to participate today. She's been working with her squad since Thanksgiving to make sure the march would work."

"Well it showed, and I'm sure it's giving people ideas. I hope she comes out tonight."

After our big turnout at WestEd, we'd almost been tempted to cancel the weekly gathering this week. But with the second heats just past for many of us, the cold weather coming in, the offered therapy sessions and a lot of other things coming to a head, we decided to hold it anyway. It would be a good chance to touch base with a lot of people, and to make sure they had what they needed for the coming season.

We reached the far end of the square, with the public library and LRT station ahead. It was as good a spot as any to take off. Practically in unison, we claimed a bench to take our slippers off and pack them away, and stretched our wings out.

"See you tonight!" Michelle called out, taking off ahead of me. I waved and watched her for a few moments, before taking off as well and heading home.

Later that evening, we gathered at a hall in the north east corner of the city, not too far from Michelle's apartment. With the holidays fast approaching, finding weekend gathering spaces was getting more and more difficult, something Michelle and I were planning on addressing in the coming week. For now, a hundred local cat-birds showed up, along with a gaggle of human supporters.

Once everyone had a chance to attack the snack trays, Michelle went to the front of the room and waited a moment to catch everyone's attention.

"Good evening everyone, and welcome. We don't have anything in particular planned for tonight, so feel free to hang out, chat, and do whatever you want. It certainly won't be as exciting as last week's visit to the mall, but I think we've earned a moment of calmness."

She paused a moment for some chuckles and nodded to me. "Skyfire does have an announcement she'd like to make, so I'll pass it over to her."

I set my drink down and nodded back to her. "Thanks Michelle. First, to touch on last weekend, I do want to thank West Ed for the warm welcome they gave us. And to make it clear that we're welcome there any time, within normal business hours of course. Visits like that help make everyone realize we're just like everyone else, and hopefully will help open more doors for us in the future."

I paused for a moment to sort out my thoughts before going on. "The past few months haven't been easy on us; some are having a rougher time than others, and it probably isn't going to get easier in the months to come. I know I can come across as someone who has it together, but trust me, in private I've gone to some very dark places, and courted some dark thoughts. So what you may not realize, is that I've been seeking help for that. I've been seeing a therapist for a few weeks now. And it has helped me, helped me a lot with coming to terms with all this.

"One subject we've talked about is how to help us, to help you. The help is available, but it hasn't really been tapped, at least not yet. At my session last week, I got some news; the doctors are going to be a bit more proactive for us."

I scanned the room, recognizing some confused looks but also some thankful and knowing looks. "In the days and weeks to come, everyone we have on record will be reached out to. You'll have a chance to schedule a session. I urge all of you to go to at least one. It really does help, and it is completely private, or as private as you wish to make it. We've been through a very traumatic experience. No one expects any of us to come out of it unscathed. These therapists want to help us, and it really does help. So please, take advantage of it when you are contacted. If you might be worried about costs, it is all covered by our provincial health plans, so we're good there. So please, go and talk. And even if the one you talk to isn't a good fit, let them try to find someone else who might be better. We all need help, we should be using what's available."

I gave the room another look, catching the eyes of a few people I hoped would take up these offers. I nodded mostly to myself and stepped away from the podium and the room dissolved into chaos.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. A number of griffons approached me to ask about my experiences, and I was as honest as I felt I could be. I doubted all of them would take up the offered help, but I was satisfied that most of the ones who attended tonight would have at least one session.

During a lull, I managed to track down Stephen. She was alone and out of uniform, but she was practically glowing with pride. Her march at the ceremony had caught a lot of attention, and she was obviously milking it.

"Great presentation today," I greeted her. "You clearly put a lot of work into it."

"Thanks Sky. We did our best. Not like we didn't have a lot of time to practice since I've been cooling my wings."

"I'm sure you're giving lots of people ''ideas''," I noted. "Are you the only military up here?"

"As far as I know. There's a few dozen of us in the Forces, but most are in Hat and Calgary of course."

"Good to know. We are quite the diverse bunch. Feel free to reach out if you need anything."

"Of course, thanks Sky."

===Sunday, November 12===

Sunday morning I almost literally fluttered around my house getting ready to receive guests. Rob and Neets knew me enough that I didn't care much about my home's appearance when they came by; but this was the first time Michelle (and Brian) would visit. So I found myself cleaning up, while also establishing a certain degree of mid-decorating chaos.

By noon, the decoration containers had been brought up from the basement, two trays of shortbread cookies were cooling with the third in the oven, and TransSiberian Orchestra was playing through the house. I was starting to distribute candles and silhouettes to each upstairs window when I heard a car pull into the driveway. I glanced at the map on my phone nervously; Michelle's icon showed her on the way but still a few minutes out. I started walking to one of the front windows, getting there just as the doorbell rang. I saw Rob and Juanita's van outside.

"It's open! Come in guys!" I shouted through the open window.

I closed the door to my bedroom, intending to finish those windows myself later, and listened as my friends came in, stamping their feet on the mat outside.

"Don't worry about your shoes, we'll be in and out all day anyways. Thanks for coming guys. I appreciate your help, especially this year. As I discovered over Halloween, monkey fingers are better than bird talons for stringing up lights."

"Any time Simon, we're happy to help. Make sure you keep your schedule clear for our place in a few weekends," Rob said, heading to the kitchen to load a pack of beer into the fridge.

"Michelle should be here soon, and Brian will be with her I'm sure. There are fresh cookies in the kitchen, including a batch that should be coming out of the oven about.... .... now," I paused, hearing the oven start beeping.

"I've got it!" Rob shouted, killing the alarm.

"Just put the tray on the racks and toss the last sheet in. Set the alarm for 10 and it should be good," I shouted back. I saw Juanita staring at me, and looked down, brushing my furred front. "Did I get flour on me? I wore an apron when I was making the cookies."

"No, no flour that I can see. And I can see a lot," she said, turning away to hide her reddening cheeks.

I looked down again and realized what she meant. I'd been puttering about just in shorts. I hesitated, reaching back to the stair rail to swing back upstairs. "I hadn't really thought about it. It's just habit now...."

"It's okay. It's you, and your house. Go with what feels right." She started pulling the cover off one of the containers, revealing bundles of lights. "So where do we start?"

"There's a power bar next to you, spot check the sets as you unpack them, make sure none rotted away since last year. Then we'll start untangling them and figuring out what goes where."

Rob wandered back, carrying a plate with cookies and a half eaten one in hand. "Excellent as always Simon. Glad your change didn't affect your baking skills," he proclaimed, putting the plate on the coffee table. "Smart move turning the heat down too. No sense in heating the neighbourhood since we'll be in and out so much."

"But I didn't.... Damn, I'm doing it again, aren't I? With the oven going, I'm finding it a bit toasty here to be honest. Christmas with the family's going to be fun."

He gave me a strange look, then shook his head. We tackled the light sets with gusto. This wasn't the first time they'd helped me set up, so we knew what would go where eventually.

We were partway into the second bin when I heard another vehicle in the driveway. From the front windows, I saw a sedan park and Brian climbed out. He waved to something in the sky, and a blue griffon dropped down next to him.

I grabbed a couple of sets we'd checked and headed to the door. I opened it before they got to the stairs. "Welcome! Welcome! Thanks for coming to the Great Decorating!" I greeted them, stepping out and to the side. I dropped the lights on the edge of the porch to be strung up later. "I hope you didn't have too much trouble finding the place."

"Not too much trouble, until Google tried to send me down a bike trail," Brian said.

"Yeah, we've bugged that many times but the AI just won't learn. How are you Michelle?" I noticed she'd come griffon style as well, with just her flying shorts on.

She gave me a hug and rubbed beaks. "Good, but you weren't kidding about this place being tricky to find from the air."

"Well, after today for the next two months, it will be easy to spot. With roads on three sides, I make sure all four sides have something to see. Come on in, there are fresh cookies, milk, beer and other drinks. No eggnog yet."

"Ugh, good. Never cared for the stuff. But I'll take some cookies," Brian said.

An hour later the bins were unpacked and sorted, and lights taken out to various staging areas around the yard. The five of us gathered in the driveway as I prepared the marching orders.

"Neets, you and Brian can start on the front deck railings with the garland and lights. Neets knows how I like it, so go at it. There's lots of zip ties and clips, and the stapler is on top of the stairs.

"Rob, you can start on the garage eaves, and work around from there. And be ready to give Michelle and I a hand if we need it."

I paused and looked up at the roofline. "Michelle, you and I will cover the roof eaves. There are permanent clips to hold the lights up all around there." I laughed eagerly at the thought. "That second floor roof was always a nightmare to do. All the ladder climbing and being worried we'd hit an icy patch and go flying. Somehow, it doesn't seem that bad this year."

Rob tugged my wing. "I can't imagine why it would be different," he said sarcastically.

I grinned at him and lifted my wing away, while tapping my phone to start the next song. "More seriously, be careful up there Michelle. It is icy and snowy up there. Land at the peak and work your way down, and jump off if you feel yourself losing your balance."

She nodded and reached for one of the light sets. Juanita stopped her, watching me. I had one hand up while the other directed a phantom orchestra. The introduction to ''Christmas Eve Sarejevo'' was coming from the speakers. As the first booms of the main chorus came out, I lowered my hand and pointed forward. Juanita and Rob jumped into action.

"It's tradition," Neets called out to the puzzled cousins that were left behind.

I took a few more moments to enjoy the music, before grabbing a couple of sets of lights. "Come on, Michelle. Let's get up top and I'll show you where we start."

The afternoon passed quickly, the many hands and talons making light work. My Christmas playlist, founded off of the records and CDs I'd grown up with, kept us entertained, rolling from TSO to Bonny M, to Dolly and Ken, to the Beach Boys, to Elvis, to the Muppets and beyond.

Michelle and I only slid off the roof a few times as we placed the lights. We quickly realized that laying flat on our fronts was the easiest way to work with minimal risk of sliding off. We developed a rhythm with one person pulling the lights taunt and hooking them in place while the other moved ahead to pick up the slack and start on the next section.

As I waited for Michelle to move to the next position, I looked out over the neighbourhood, thinking back to previous years. Standing on the top of the ladder, reaching to place the lights used to be one of the most terrifying parts of the decorating. I'd always been scared to death that the ladder would slip and I'd be sent falling to the ground. A few years had had heavy early snowfalls and I'd reluctantly had to go without the upper level lights. Now, I was spread out on an icy, slanted roof, hanging over the edge of it, and instead of worrying about falling, I was trying not to think of jumping off on purpose..

By five, we were finished. We packed up the tools, and Juanita took the van to pick up dinner from Swiss Chalet on my dime. We'd been spot checking the lights as we went, but for now they were all off, waiting for the big reveal after dinner when it was darker.

"I'm surprised you don't have any inflatables. I saw pics of your Halloween set up," Brian said.

"It's the snow. They'd be buried with the amounts we tend to get, and the wiring would be frozen to the ground, so I don't bother. Just the lights and window decorations," I explained, leading everyone back inside.

Brian started to unzip his coat and quickly zipped it back up. He looked at me, then at Michelle and back at me. "Damn, you two really are birds of a feather."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"He means the african apes are cold in here," I said. "Despite the fact that we were the ones laying topless out in the snow on a frozen windy roof all afternoon." I tapped on the thermostat controls and raised the temperature of the first floor.

"You two volunteered for the job. I would've had no problem climbing up the ladder like we used to," Rob said, heading back to get some beers.

"If you'd done that we'd still be outside, and only have half the roof done," I countered.

"True, but I would have done it willingly."

After dinner, I was cleaning up in the kitchen; sorting the garbage and loading the dishwasher. Brian brought a load of plates in and set them on the counter next to the sink.

"I see you kept it," he said, nodding to the other side of the sink.

I followed his gaze and froze, seeing the fiery egg shell. I'd left it there after washing it, and it had slipped into a blindspot until he pointed it out to me. It made me extra aware that its mate was cooking in my gut as we spoke.

"Oh... right. I forgot about that," I said weakly. "I'm not sure what I want to do with it."

"Well, in this '''African ape''''s eyes, it is pretty. But to you it probably means something else. Still, most griff's I've spoken with have kept their first one so far." He nodded towards the dining room where everyone else was chatting around the table. "She's kept hers, in a similar spot in her kitchen."

"I really shouldn't have called you that. I'm trying to avoid that sort of thinking, but sometimes it is so easy to slip into it." I picked it up, finding the shell had dried and it felt lighter, more fragile, but the colours were still vibrant. "In any case, I only have one of these so far. So it is unique, and will always be unique. After next week when the second one comes, I dunno. Do we want to celebrate this type of first? Or will it be so common we should just dispose and move on?"

"Well, that's something for you guys to sort out. You're establishing your own culture now, for you and your children and all your future children. It'll be interesting to see what way you jump."

"I suppose," I studied the shell. A griffon's first egg would be a big moment, the sign that a kid had reached adulthood, with all that entailed. It scared me a little to imagine a kid experiencing their first heat and everything else that would come. We were years away from that mattering, but it was coming towards us, as unavoidable as the male-female track I was on now.

"I'm surprised Rob and Neets didn't notice it," I said, trying to shake my thoughts to a different subject.

"They probably did but didn't realize what it was," Brian noted. "I've spent a lot of time among you guys, so I tend to notice things other humans are likely to skip over. They probably figured you picked that up at Michaels or some other craft store."

I carefully put the empty shell back on the dish towel.

"That does bring up an interesting thought. You have spent a lot of time with us. You have a lot of griffon relatives. So knowing all you know of us now, with the heats and the flight and everything.... If you could go back to last September, would you be in Elkwater?"

He gave it a serious thought, then shrugged. "It's hard to say. Part of me would say I'd be there in a heartbeat. And part of me would say I'd be trying to get Michelle and the others out of town beforehand.

"How about you? If you could go back, would you spend an extra day in Hat? Would you have cut over to the other highway and avoided the Fort Parker area entirely?"

"Knowing what I know now.... Simon would probably have never left Edmonton until well after the Change happened, customers be damned. Skyfire on the other talon, would probably want to be more proactive in helping people out, especially in the early days when no one knew what was going on. So I don't know what I would do. Thank you for giving me another suitcase for Doctor Fullerton to unpack."

Brian chuckled, "Sorry, it seemed like an innocent enough question. If you don't mind me asking, how are your sessions going?"

"They're going well. Only two so far, but I'm feeling better, more settled. Simon and Sky are starting to make their peace."

"I noticed, today especially. This is probably the ultimate mixing of the two. Michelle and me on Sky's side and your old friends on Simon's side. You're doing a very Simon thing, but you're doing it with Sky's flare. I haven't noticed any conflicts; you seem to be balancing them both quite naturally."

I suddenly felt exposed and self conscious of how I'd been acting all day. I finished loading the dishwasher and closed it up to give my thoughts a moment to settle. "Thanks... I think. If I didn't know better, I'd think Adam had asked you to keep an eye on me."

"Nah, I'm just a new friend who's happy to see you getting things sorted out. Especially since you're such a good example for Michelle. Her first appointment is next week."

"So are we going to light these things or what?" Rob called out from the dining room.

"Hold your horses. I let everyone know it'd be happening around seven." I looked at the microwave clock. "Crap! We're late! Everyone outside. Kill the lights as you go."

I shooed everyone outside to the end of the driveway, where a dozen of my neighbours were already gathered. My house lighting was a neighbourhood tradition, so I tried to warn when I was about to light up for the first time each year. Many of them gave Michelle a double take, and looked curiously at me, but I tried not to react. For most, she would be the second griffon they'd ever seen.

I unwrapped a box of mini candy canes and started passing them around.

"Thanks for coming, everyone. Welcome to the annual Farrell House Lighting. Sorry for the delay. I'd like to thank my friends for helping me get everything set up this year. It's always a bit of a challenge to do the whole house. This year, as you may have noticed, would have been easier and trickier than usual. So thank you Rob and Juanita, as well as my new friends Michelle and Brian."

There was a round of polite applause, and I turned back to look at my darkened house. It wouldn't be this dark again until the end of January.

"Druh-" I started to say, only to be interrupted by the staccato beat of a drumroll. Juanita held her phone up as it played. "Drum roll please, thank you," I finished my thought. She winked at me.

I preferred my lights to turn on and stay on through the evening, so the smart system I had everything plugged into was overkill for my needs. But I did have one program I used each year, one I activated now. "Five!... Four!... Three!.. Two!... One!"

At one, Neets triggered a cymbal crash and we all looked forward expectantly. I had my annual brief panic attack that something was wired wrong, until the candles in the windows flickered to life. A few seconds later, the silhouettes in the windows lit up. Santa, Elves, a snowflake, a star, a tree and other lit shapes glowing in the darkness.

There was a thirty second pause built in there, and then the main lights started clicking on. The porch railings first, lights twisted around green garland. More lights turned on around the first floor windows and doors. Icicle lights lit up hanging off the porch roof, the lights 'trickling' down each icicle. More icicle strands, without motion this time, dangled from the eaves of the garage. After another pause, the upper roof lit up in its multicoloured glory, complete with even more icicle strands hanging from the straight sections.

Finally, the star lit up. Dad had built the star decades ago, where it had lit up our family home until they retired and moved to a smaller place. Not wanting the star to be thrown out, I had them ship it out to me, where it now lit up the space between the two windows of my upper floor every year. The scale was a bit big for my place, but I didn't care.

The crowd oohed and awed softly and clapped once it was all lit up. I turned and bowed, spreading my wings a little. "Thank you everyone. Enjoy your evening, and Happy Holidays!"

I chatted with my neighbours a bit more as the crowd dissipated. Finally, just the five of us were left. "Thanks guys, it looks fantastic. I'd never have gotten it done without your help."

"Any time. But you do owe us. We'll let you know when to come out," Rob said.

I chuckled and studied the house. I walked along the lawn, feeling the snow crunch under my paws.

"Simon?" Juanita asked. "Damn, I recognize that look. He wants to do more."

"What? No! It's perfect.... Well almost perfect... Don't you think the second floor windows are a bit plain? The star lights up the front but the back and sides could use something...."

"Every year... Every damn year," Juanita groaned, shaking her head.

Brian and Michelle watched, amused at my friends' reactions.

"To be fair, he's wanted to do something on the second floor for years. Usually after messing with the ladder all day, he's too laddered out to want to go on, but this year...," Rob explained.

"Don't worry, it's too late to do any more tonight. I need to get some more light sets and clips anyways, and a few extension cords...." I started to wander around to the side of the house, mentally planning where the cord would extend from and how many sets I would need to light the windows. I felt something tug on my wing, pulling me back.

"Welcome back," Rob said, letting my wing go. "Figure you might want to say goodbye before your head went into the clouds again. Figuratively and literally."

I laughed and followed them back to the driveway. "Right, sorry about that. Thanks again for all the help. If you need me for anything, just ask."

The humans loaded up into the cars and took off, leaving Michelle and I alone in the driveway, lit by the mutlicoloured glow of the house.

"So were you listening to Brian and I earlier?" I asked.

"Just a little. He's right though, you are improving."

"Thanks, Adam would be pleased." I motioned for her to follow me as I started to walk around the house. "He also said your session is this week. What are your thoughts on it?"

"I'm fine with it. It certainly wouldn't hurt. I didn't break as much as you did, but I'm recognizing that I cracked. In fact, you're the one that made me see the cracks I had; seeing some of your rougher times made me realize that there are two Michelles in here. So getting some help to pull things together wouldn't hurt."

"What about Brian's other question? Knowing what you know now, if you could go back to September and stop yourself from going to Elkwater, would you? Would you try to get everyone out of there?"

"Yeah, that question made me realize just how much I've cracked. On the surface, hell yeah I'd stop myself. I'd stay in the city and avoid all of this crap, and try to get everyone out of the change zone on top of that.

"But then I thought more about it. Wondering what if I didn't change. I would still have lost my job. They'd drum up some other bullshit excuse, but I was leaving that office one way or another. And in that case, I wouldn't have the feathers to lift me up. I'd be alone, with Brian and a few other friends, but basically alone. And I wouldn't have had you guys to focus me over the past few months. I'm a bit scared to think of where I'd be if I wasn't feathered. So from that point of view, I'd probably still get changed."

"Deep thoughts," I said. "I'm still not convinced Brian isn't working for our head docs now."

"Well, when you think of it, his job and their jobs are similar. They ask the tough questions and pick the gems out of the pieces. He's on our side, so he's thinking of our health too, like the docs. So I'm not surprised he's hitting similar beats."

We reached the front of the house again, and I had an idea of what I wanted and needed both for now and for later. When dad came up in December, I planned to put him to work, making a new star for the back of the house to balance the front. Until then, I'd be wrapping the windows in lights.

"Race you to 500?" I asked, tapping on my phone.

"Why? You planning on getting something now?" she asked.

"Nah, just being polite mainly, but I do want to scout the place from the air before heading inside."

"In that case, you're on."

My company was more hardware focused than software, but we had a solid group of programmers, most of them on my team. I didn't think to tap into that resource at first, until after the first few meetings with the local flock. I realized that we were a competitive bunch, eager to challenge other griffons on just about anything, and the seeds of an app idea were planted. I ran it past Greg, and used it to start forming a Griff-tech team inside the company. We weren't sure where it would go in the end, but the Griffon Racing app idea was catching on like wildfire. The data we were gathering would make the scientists down in Fort Parker drool, but we hadn't figured how best to share it; a bone that Legal was gnawing on.

On my version of the app, the race criteria was set. Ground to five hundred feet, two racers participating. The invite to the second racer was still pending. Michelle's avatar popped in as the second racer and we were set to go.

"Good luck," I called out. We separated a few steps apart and I began to check my footing. I'd already lost a few takeoff races because I hadn't realized there was ice under my paws.

"Same to you," Michelle called out, getting into her own takeoff position.

I triggered the race, and the app asked if we were ready. Once we both acknowledged it, the screen began to flash. A countdown started, and I felt my pulse increase. At GO! we both leaped into the air, wings coming down in unison.

We flew and trained together often, so our skills and flight styles had become very similar. Once we cleared the roofline, we began to circle as we climbed, staying level to the other. We didn't speak, focusing on our breathing and our flapping, trying to eek out a bit more height from each wing flap.

A few moments later, our phones chimed, letting us know we'd reached the goal. I stretched out into a circular glide and looked, but from Michelle's screech of joy, I knew the results. She'd beaten me by half a second.

"Next time, Gadget! Next Tiiiiiiimmme!" I shouted, shaking my talon at her.

She laughed, parallelling me in the circle. "Sure, keep telling yourself that, Turtle. Someday it might even be true."

We did a few more loops to catch our breaths and recover from the sprint. I studied my house from above, liking what I saw. There would be no problem finding it in the evening now.

"Have a good week, Sky. We'll talk later," Michelle called out, waving as she broke out of the circle we were in. I waved back and watched her until she disappeared in the darkness.

===Monday, November 13===

Work was getting busy. Between the Griff-tech team, the advertising campaign and my normal tasks, I was juggling a lot of balls, and I was having a blast. The Griff-tech team also gave me an excuse to keep an eye on griffon news on the clock, to brainstorm ideas for other apps. I was toying with the idea of a cycle tracker, but I wasn't sure how useful that would be, nor how comfortable I was bringing it up with a bunch of mostly male human developers. I planted the seed in Greg's mind to recruit another griffon or two if we could find some, even if they worked remotely.

After work, I stopped off at Canadian Tire to start looking for supplies for my next phase of decorating. The store was huge, one of the biggest in Canada. It was two stories, and big enough for me to fly in, where the signs and decorations weren't cluttering the airspace. I'd been in a few times since changing, enough that I wasn't drawing as many looks any more.

I walked in confidently and grabbed a basket. I waved to the greeter and the workers at the customer service desk and headed directly to the seasonal section. A worker was straightening up the shelves when I got there. He did a double take as I walked past him.

"Evenin' Skyfire. Is there anything I can help you find?" the worker asked.

"Not yet, I know what I'm looking for," I confirmed, starting to check over the light displays.

He nodded and let me be, walking to the other end of the aisle. I twitched my ears, listening curiously as he called a manager to seasonal. The timing seemed suspicious, but I put my thoughts to the side and continued shopping; The mysteries of commercial retail were something I left to my sister.

"Hello there, Stranger. I wondered when we would meet."

I looked up, and the basket slipped from my fingers. A cardinal red griffon stood at the end of an aisle. Red feathered with a black 'beard' of feathers around her beak and eyes.Her beak and talons were pinkish red. Her feline half was the classic tiger pattern. She wore black shorts, a white blouse and a red vest. The name badge on the vest identified her as "Cardi (manager)".

"Hello.... Uhm... Wow, sorry. I didn't expect to see another griffon around here," I stammered out, picking up my basket.

"We do seem sparse in this end of the city. Too expensive and too close to the airport I guess," She came forward and held out her hand. "I'm Cardi. Just transferred here from The Hat."

I shook the offered hand. "Skyfire, though I suspect you knew that. When did you get here?"

"This is my first week. Moved up over the weekend. I'm settled in the Central Tower apartments. Only place I could find with balconies high up."

"About the only apartments nearby with any height at all," I added. "Have you hooked up with the group yet?"

"I have. Michelle gave me the warm welcome. And invited me to the park this Saturday."

"Yeah, the weather's supposed to be good, so we're just going to have a hangout session outside. Snack, chat, meet others, maybe do some racing, that sort of thing. Nothing serious."

She nodded and smiled, "Well I look forward to seeing you there. And in meeting the rest of you. I've gotta get back to work. Enjoy your evening, I'm sure I'll see you around."

I left the store weighed down with boxes of Christmas lights and other supplies, and weighed down with my thoughts. As I took off, I thought back to her. She was in my area, in my territory. Part of me bristled a little at the invasion, but mainly I was happy; I was no longer alone around here. When people spotted a griffon, even a red griffon now, it wouldn't always be me. As I dropped down to my house, another thought hit me; Cardi had obviously picked a new name post change. I had no idea if she was male or female before the change.... And I was fine with that. It didn't matter now.

===Wednesday, November 15===

Tuesday passed by in a blur of work and expectation. I knew what was coming, and I was better prepared to handle the urges. I filled up on cheese and yogurt and killed a few jugs of milk over the day.

Wednesday morning, I woke as usual, but I lingered in bed, waiting for a sign. When my radio clicked off with no change, I began to worry I'd misjudged. My worries were unfounded; the moment I rolled out of bed onto my feet, I felt the first cramp in my gut, hard enough to make me double over. It held for a long moment before letting go, letting me straighten up. My eyes were watering from the pain.

I felt a wetness at my loins and looked down, seeing the fur of my inner thighs wet.I stood next to my bed, waiting, unsure about what to do next. Before I could reach a decision, my gut clenched again and I gasped, leaning against the wall at the head of my bed for balance. When the muscles relaxed, I looked down and rubbed my belly; I thought I could feel the egg my gut was finalizing and pushing out.

I straightened up and rushed to the bathroom in the moment of respite I had. I grabbed some towels and paused to figure out what to do next. The next contraction hit me there before I decided. I gripped the edge of the sink and panted, pushing down with the contraction. I was sure I could feel something moving now.

I stayed in the bathroom and dropped the towels to the floor. Once I'd set up a bit of padding, I knelt down, legs spread a bit. I reached between my legs, feeling my damp nether lips. They twitched at my touch and I hesitated, feeling the next contraction building. I braced myself and pushed with it, definitely feeling something moving this time. The contraction faded, and I could feel pressure in my loins, not quite painful but an ache of something bigger than the tube it was going through trying to get out.

I felt down below again, slipping my taloned finger into my moist opening. Deep inside, I found my cervix, something I'd been getting more familiar with but not quite in this way. I could tell it was open, but I couldn't tell if it was open enough. I pulled my finger out and braced myself, taking some deep breaths and anticipating the next contraction.

It came soon enough and I was able to push down with it. The mass reached my cervix and started spreading it wider. I let out a squawk of pain and stopped pushing. The contraction faded and I could feel the egg pressed hard against my cervix, muscles straining and stretched around it. I whimpered and tried to push but without the help of the contraction, I couldn't will it out. I stayed crouched there, panting and waiting, begging my body to get it out.

The next contraction came and I pushed as hard as I could, just wanting it to be over. I felt like I was being split in half, but the egg didn't move. I worried something was wrong, until finally it shifted and the pressure vanished. The egg was through my cervix, but still in me, filling and stretching my vagina.

I lowered my hand to my groin again and could feel the shell of the egg against my labia. I was still panting and tried pushing a bit, feeling the egg shift and stretch me a bit, but it wasn't as bad as before. The wet egg came out a bit further and soon enough it plopped onto the towels with a heavy thump.

I groaned and slumped against the counter, wings twitching behind me. The grapefruit sized egg lay between my furry legs on the wet towels, its shell drying quickly. Like before, it was primarily red and black, matching my colours, but swirled together. My insides were still spasming a bit, but the contractions weren't as strong and were further apart.

I weakly pulled myself to my feet and stood there, checking my balance and looking at the soaked fur on my legs. I lifted my tail feathers and shook them a bit, making sure they were still clean.

Once I felt I was stable on my feet again, I got a face cloth and started running the water. I scrubbed my furry legs and my genitals, eliciting a shiver of pleasure despite the work they had just done. One hand drifted to my chest to squeeze my breast. I found my nipples were a bit swollen but to my relief they weren't leaking.

I dried and brushed myself and made myself presentable. I went back to the bedroom and got dressed before retrieving the now dry egg. It was still warm to the touch and felt heavy, but otherwise seemed like a normal egg. I carried it downstairs and left it on the counter near its first one, trying to decide what to do with it while I made breakfast.

By the end of my meal, I made my decision. I got a bowl out and used the back of a big knife to crack the shell. Aside from the colour of the shell, it looked like a regular egg, but with a much thicker shell. The inside was also a normal egg, just much bigger, with a huge yolk. An egg that had come out of me.

I shuddered a little and took the bowl to the bathroom and flushed the egg down the toilet. Back in the kitchen I rinsed out the bowl and looked at the shell. Before my hoarding instincts got the better of me, I smashed the shell into smaller pieces, and dumped it into the garbage can. I felt better after that.

A few hours later than I usually was, I took off for work, feeling normal despite my morning exertion. I tried not to dwell on the thought of that becoming a monthly thing for most of the rest of my life.

===Saturday, November 18===

Just after ten, I set off for Hawrelak Park for our weekly gathering. Previously, I flew to our meetings on automatic, my mind often pondering what we wanted to do that day. Today was different. I found myself watching the skies and especially the apartment tower, looking for Cardi. I knew she was in the area, but our flight paths hadn't crossed since Monday.

I began to think I had missed her, when I heard a screech cut through the air behind and beside me. Looking over, I saw the red griffon climbing up from the Canadian Tire store, heading my way. I saw her hands moving and zoomed in. She was signing something at me, but I had no idea what she was saying. I turned and faced her, and made an exaggerated shrugging motion, and circled until she got closer.

"Morning!" I shouted to her once we were in easy ear shot. "Almost thought you weren't coming."

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything. But I had to take care of something at work. We're all good now," she called back. "You don't sign?"

I stopped circling and started northward, flying next to her practically wingtip to wingtip. It made me a little nervous, but she seemed comfortable with it.

"Nope, I recognize it, but never learned it."

"That's funny. You're the one with all the Fort Parker connections; I would have figured you'd be all over that trend. They're developing GSL so we can talk in the air without using our minutes or screaming ourselves hoarse. We've got hands and super vision, it's a natural combo."

I chuckled a bit. "I guess I'm losing touch. I think I saw some chatter about sign language, but I never looked into it. It does make sense. Is it just normal ASL or what?"

"It started that way, but some of the letters and signs don't work so well at all angles, so they're still defining things. I'm not that great at it yet, but I can cover the basics if you guys want."

"Beware of griffs bearing gifts," I said, smirking. "No seriously, that sounds like a great idea."

She nodded and looked ahead. I followed her gaze and saw a dozen griffons over the park already. It was still quite early, but they seemed to be having fun racing through the air.

"So what's your thoughts on Edmonton so far?" I asked.

"Bigger than the Hat of course. But it feels so empty, at least the skies do. There are so few of us here; that was something I hadn't really thought of when I put in for the transfer."

"Yeah, we're rather sparse in the air up here, especially compared to Hat. You've practically got a full village of griffs down there. We barely have a tower worth." I pointed down and led her to a cluster of concrete picnic tables we had claimed. The snow had been cleared off, and some snacks set up. I saw Brian manning a camera, following some of the flyers. I let out a squawk of my own to catch his attention. Once he had turned our way, I finished dropping down, doing a jogging landing in sync with Cardi.

"Nice, very nice. Did you practice that?" he asked. He was wearing a heavier jacket and gloves and a Global TV tuque. A travel mug of coffee was in a holder on the tripod.

"Nope, completely improvised. Good morning Brian, this is Cardi, a griff who just moved up from The Hat. Cardi, this is Brian, Michelle's cousin and one of my new best friends."

"Good morning, welcome to the city," Brian greeted her, shaking her hand. "Michelle's upstairs somewhere. I lost track of her in the crowd, but I'm sure you'll find her soon enough."

"Thanks. Nice to meet you too. I've really enjoyed your stories."

"Well stick around long enough and I'm sure you'll be featured in one soon enough.Have a good day guys."

I led Cardi to a table where some snacks were set up. This week's semi-official sponsor was Tims, so there were donuts, muffins, TimBits, coffee and hot chocolate; pretty much a Canadian gathering standard.

Cardi chomped into a donut and looked around, taking in the gathered griffons, both in the air and on the ground. "You haven't done any close contact events, have you?" she noted.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Look around. Look at your spacing. It's not so bad on the ground, but in the air, you've got way too much space. You guys make Covid spacing look crowded. You could be flying a lot closer together. Have you tried any trust falls yet? Done any wrestling? Dancing even?"

I blinked at her silently. I knew the words but I wasn't sure what she was getting at. She laughed and stepped closer to me, well inside my personal space. It made me uncomfortable, but with the picnic table behind me, I had no escape. I could see others looking our way, both on the ground and from above.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean..." I stammered out, eyes darting from side to side, looking for an escape route. We were almost beak to beak now.

"Just what I said. Incidental close contact. Being close to strange griffons and humans, bumping into them, flying near them. Not to mention actual contact. Like preCOVID crowds. Have you done anything like that?"

"No... Not really, not intentionally," I said. Three years of engrained social distancing had carried over after we changed, and no one seemed eager to get closer with strangers. "It didn't seem needed I guess."

She stepped back and I relaxed. "Maybe not needed, but not something to ignore. It's been two months now, eight months for the Titans. We need to be moving on, accepting this is who we are now, and start learning what we can do." She spread her wings. "We have different strengths and weaknesses than humans and Titans have, so we should start learning them. There are a hundred thousand of us, and seven billion of everyone else. We're just a bit outnumbered, and not everyone will be friendly to us."

I nodded in agreement. Luckily, the Canadian griffons hadn't had any major incidents yet, but down in Montana there had already been a dozen deaths, half of them due to human-griffon 'encounters'. It was something I tried not to think too much about.

"So what are you thinking of?" I asked. I saw a flash of blue land nearby.

Michelle strode towards us, her body language very clearly reading ''mother hen''. Cardi turned so she could address both of us.

"I'm the newbie here, but I'm coming from a bigger flock. I've seen, experienced some of the growing pains we're having down south as the shock wears off and people start testing the limits more. Human Griffon fights, Griffon Griffon fights, mid air accidents, on ground collisions. It's all starting to happen, and it will happen up here eventually too."

"So what are you proposing?" Michelle asked, glancing at me while trying to get a read on the situation.

"As I tried to demonstrate with Sky here, I'd suggest some close contact events. Get you guys used to bumping into others, so you don't flinch when a stranger bumps you in the street."

She sighed and looked around again. "You guys are a few weeks behind the Hat I'd say. When the Change happened, we were all the same way, we had no idea what we were, what our limits were. That tends to make us treat ourselves as fragile crystals, something that may break if you look at it wrong.

"But we're not. We're living, breathing, healing beings. We can take the hits and we can dish them out too. We just need to get used to doing that."

"Please, spit it out Cardi. It's not getting any warmer around here," I said.

The cardinal's confidence seemed to start failing under our gazes. "Look, I know I'm new here, but I'm just calling it how I see it. You guys need to start doing some more close quarters things. Arrange a dance, maybe some wrestling training. And more close formation flying and trust falls. Learn how to catch someone who's falling. Maybe start a Quidditch league."

The last one caught me by surprise. "A ''what'' league?"

"Quidditch. It's the only flying ball sport out there, so it was a natural one to start with. You left FP before the first teams really formed but it's really catching on."

I groaned and shook my head. "I thought I was doing so well, being the local expert and everything. Now I'm finding out I really dropped the ball, or the snitch or whatever it is. Feels like I've missed so much."

Michelle put her hand on my wing. "It's okay. We all have our strengths and our blind spots. That's why it's good to shake things up occasionally, to reveal those blind spots." She looked back at Cardi with an expression I knew well. Cardi flinched back a little. "As for you, you have some great ideas and I'd love to subscribe to your newsletter. Wrestling, Dancing, Quidditch, Sign Language, and Flying Formations.... Where do you want to start?"

"Wh-What? Me?" Cardi stammered.

I smirked, feeling my own confidence coming back. "We generally work on a '''You smelt it, you dealt it' ''rule here. And you just dropped a stinker. We'll help you as much as we can, but you're our new expert."

"Bu-Bu-...." Cardi blinked, struck wordless.

"It doesn't have to happen all at once, and it isn't ''all'' on you, just mostly on you," I said. "It's a busy time of year so most of this will probably have to wait until after the holidays anyways. But the dancing... well we were planning a Griffon Christmas party in a couple of weeks, so that could work there."

"And a self defense course would be good. Both to know how to protect ourselves and to know how to pull in our claws and talons too. Reach out to Stephen; she's military and working with her squad, they might be willing to work with us and to offer some bodies and some safe training tips," Michelle suggested.

"Trust falls will probably be a next-year thing. We'll want to get some dummies, real dummies, to train with, and we'll have to figure out how to get them high enough for us to catch. It'll be good to build up our carrying strength too. Maybe reach out to the Red Cross and the SAR groups? See if they'll help us train and suggest what would be good to know," I said. I tapped on my phone to add a bunch of reminders and notes.

"I've gotten a lot of feelers already from them. They're clearly thinking of how we can help them in emergencies, so I'm sure they'd be willing to help with training, and they'll surely have their own suggestions." Michelle said.

"Uhm, wow. You threw me into the deep end, and then you pulled me right out," Cardi said.

"Nah, we just threw you a bunch of life preservers. You'll still be the one doing most of the lifting. We'll just give you the right contacts," I said. "Now, there's still the matter of GSL. What do you want to do for that?"

"I honestly have no idea. I could start teaching here, but I'm not sure how useful that would be."

"It is short notice. But next weekend we don't have any firm plans. We could make that an official GSL class for anyone who's interested and it'll spread from there? It'll get people into the right mindset for learning too," Michelle said. "So brush off your powerpoint skills."

I could feel the seed of an idea sprouting and added some additional notes to look into later. I turned off my phone and stretched. "Right, then I think that's enough new business for today. Let's head upstairs and I'll introduce you to the rest of the flock," I said.

===Monday, November 20===

I walked into the meeting room and looked at the GriffTech team. Four men and three women made it up, six developers and a QA person. Every Monday we met to go over the past week and to plot out the next week.

"Morning everyone," I greeted them, taking a seat on a bench near the head of the table.

"Morning Sky," they replied. Being Skyfire in the office still made me feel weird, but for this team in particular it made sense. Adam and I had talked about it in depth, and I had mostly come to terms with it, letting Simon yield a bit of ground to the griffon.

"Well, to get straight to business, GriffRacer is a hit. We had a gathering at the park on Saturday, and the app got a lot of use. There are still a few glitches and usability quirks to iron out, but no big show stoppers. I've punted it up to Legal and Marketing to start formalizing the app. We're aiming for an early December public Beta, and a full release in January when everyone's back. Congratulations everyone, thanks for all the fast work."

I paused to let the team cheer, clapping with them.

"Now, we still have a lot of work to do to polish it up, stomp out the last bugs and so forth. I want us to basically be release ready when we open the Beta doors, so we can all enjoy the holidays in peace. But beside that, there is something else I want to start working on. Our next GriffTech app."

I noticed interest perk up and smiled. We'd been brainstorming ideas for our second app for a couple of weeks, but no ideas had really clicked yet.

"The idea for this fell into my hands this weekend. Apparently it's an idea that's taking off down south, but it flew under my radar, until Saturday." As I spoke, I carefully signed the three letters I'd practiced all morning. ''G. S. L.''

"G... S... L..," Marcel said slowly, eyes on my hands. "Griffon Sign Language?"

I pointed to him. "Bingo. Congratulations, you're on the new app."

"Thanks... I think? What is it?" he asked.

"That's for us to work out. Seeing as how that was about the limits of my own sign knowledge, I want an app to help me, and other griffons, learn it. Maybe a translator app, type in what you say and it shows what to sign. Or type in the signs you see and it tells you what's being said."

Marcel nodded and jotted down a few notes. I was glad he had basically self volunteered by recognizing sign language right off the bat.

"Anyone else interested in helping Marcel to start? Our main focus is still GriffRacer, but I want two of you to be on this GSL app now, so it's ready to take off as soon as we can."

I sat back, wings bracing against the wall and let the team chatter. I had my preferences for who I wanted to stay on the active app and who I wanted on the language one, but I preferred to let the team hash it out themselves. Happily, they broke up the way I wanted them to.

"Right. Marcel and Joanne, start some preliminary brainstorming this afternoon. I'll send you some links to the sites the flocks down south are setting up. Come to me if you have any questions and I'll try to answer as best I can. Tomorrow afternoon, I've invited a new friend of mine who can go over the basics and help us get some designs done."

The pair nodded and I shifted my focus to the entire team. "Just a reminder, I'll be out on Wednesday, and late Thursday afternoon, but I'll be around the rest of the time if you have any questions or ideas.

"Now, let's start reviewing what we need to do with GriffRacer."

===Tuesday, November 21===

Cardi was reading some of the framed magazine articles about my company as I walked into the reception area. Our receptionist was completely unphased, talking on the phone while indicating where I was to sign her in. I scrawled my initials on the line and got the guest badge.

"Welcome to ''Innovative Solutions''," I greeted her. "Thanks for coming. You planted a seed for an idea, and I'm hoping you can help nurture it a bit."

"Thanks, I'm happy to help. But I'm not sure how I can help," Cardi said, following me to a meeting room. "I looked up your company and got completely lost."

I chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. At our core, we're the IT department for small businesses; too small to run their own systems, but too big to not have one. So in that respect, we don't need you.

"Still, we're always looking for new angles to grow. And when I got back, I saw a new angle we could tackle. It's a bit out of our wheelhouse, but we had the spare resources, and even if it eventually fizzles out, it will have helped us, the griffons that is."

"So you're behind that racer app that everyone was talking about on Saturday?" she asked.

I nodded and offered her a bottle of water. "Guilty as charged. It started as a pet project, but we'll probably go live to all the griffons in a few weeks."

She sipped the water and smiled. "Good, the rest of us will need the holidays just to catch up to you guys. I don't know if it's because of that app or what, but you guys are ''fast''. You can't fly in formation worth a damn, but you guys sprint like the devil's on your tail."

I felt a moment of pride at that. After hearing on Saturday about how much the bigger flocks were doing, I'd felt a bit down. Now, there was something we had an edge on the others on. "You're not just saying that to cheer me up are you?"

"Not at all. Back in the Hat, I was one of the faster flyers in town. But on Saturday, you guys left me in their dust. Take offs, dives, landings, sprints..." she shook her head. "I had a big helping of humble pie by the end of the day. Especially considering what I heaped on you and Michelle."

"Don't feel too bad. You were right too. There's so much going on, we lost track of some of the balls. Which brings me to why I asked you to come out today." I saw Marcel and Joanne outside and waved them in. "Cardi, this is Marcel and Joanne. They're going to be building the GSL app you're about to help us design," I said.

She shook their hands, then looked at me. "GSL App?"

"Something simple, to help us learn how to sign at first. I figure we can enter what we want to sign, and it will show us what to sign. But first, maybe a basic lesson would be good to start? Consider it a dry run for Saturday."

She nodded and relaxed. "That makes sense. Sure, I'll help."

"Mind if we record this?" Marcel asked. "Given how visual this will be, being able to refer to the video could be useful."

"Go right ahead."

A few minutes later, Cardi stood at the head of the table, the camera pointed her way. Marcel kept an eye on the video feed on a laptop screen, while Joanne and I sat on either side as the audience. When Marcel indicated he was ready, Cardi started.

"Griffon Sign Language is the solution for a problem we realized soon after we took flight. How can you talk to someone who's halfway across the sky from you? While most of us have phones, we don't have phone numbers. And screeching is hard on the throat and impolite to everyone around you. You could always fly closer together, and that's what we normally did, but it tends to be a lot of work just for a simple question.

"A week or so after we took to the air, some griffs realized the obvious solution. Sign language. With our eyesight, watching someone sign is almost trivial, even from far away, all you need to do is make sure they're looking at you.

"They started with ASL, since that's what most of the early signers knew, and discovered two problems fairly quickly."

Cardi wiggled her fingers, showing off her talons. "One, these things make some of the symbols ambiguous or hard to make. And two, angles are important. You have to make sure you sign towards who you are talking to, whether they are above, below, in front or behind you.

"So they got together down there, and worked out some better symbols. It's mostly similar to ASL, but different, to be clear from a wider angle, and to work with our talons."

She paused a moment and took a sip. "Do any of you know ASL?" she asked.

Joanne and I shook our heads.

"I do," Marcel said. "But I'm rusty."

"Well hopefully this won't be too confusing for you. Let's start with some of the basics so you know what to look for, and then we'll talk about this app you want to make."

By the end of the afternoon, my head was spinning, trying to hold onto the new language. I left Joanne and Marcel to clean up the meeting room and do some of their own coder talk, and escorted Cardi out. We paused in the elevator lobby to chat before summoning the car.

"Thank you for your help. I've already forgotten most of what you taught, but it was a huge help," I said.

"No problem. Your app idea sounds like it will help spread the word." As she spoke she signed, though I still missed all but the most obvious letters.

I reached out and stilled her hands. "I'm sorry, my head can't take any more right now."

She laughed and lowered her hands. "Sorry, I thought it would be good practice. Are you okay? You seem extra tense."

"I'm fine," I said, trying to sound fine. My male peak was looming in the back of my mind, and felt like it was trying to wake early in her presence.

She gave me a long look, before her eyes widened. "You're close to your peak, aren't you? Male?"

I nodded. "Tomorrow. Shit, sorry, I didn't even think of that. You should be close to yours too."

"I was on Sunday. Probably why I was a bit more wired than I usually am on Saturday. But we're opposite cycles. No wonder you're so tense."

My feelings were beginning to make more sense. I couldn't tell if a griffon was on the male curve or female curve, but my subconscious seemed to pick up some cues. "I'll be okay. The male peak wasn't so bad, and I'm better prepared for it this time. Just need to get home."

She shook my hand and pressed the elevator button. "Well, I won't keep you any more. Try to have some fun."

"Thanks," I said as the doors closed on her.

===Wednesday, November 22===

The icy goddess returned, floating among the clouds. I hadn't seen her since Thanksgiving, but I welcomed her return. She flicked her wings and lifted her tail feathers, her back turned towards me in a way I found particularly seductive. She turned her head towards me and winked and I felt a surge in my groin, my member swelling to full mast.

I growled happily, feeling a primal urge building in me. The goddess lifted her tail feathers again, pulling them to one side, showing her furry rump and her aroused vulva. My own body heated up in excitement, my pulse pounding.

I let out another growl and lept at her, my hands on her wing shoulders. She shuddered under me as I wiggled, feeling her feathered back against my furry chest, my nipples rubbing her back. I bucked a bit pressing towards her rump, my penis seeking her opening. I pushed into her and began to buck.

I jolted awake, panting hard, laying face down on my bed. I was hugging a pillow, and could feel my swollen member rubbing my bedsheets. I groaned, the dream still vivid and rolled to one side. I could see a wet spot on my belly fur and the sheets where I'd cum, heralding the arrival of my rut. Despite my release, I still felt horny as hell.

I sat up and tried to calm my hardon, looking down at the fully erect dark barbed penis. It was a sight I still wasn't used to seeing, since I usually used it under the cover of darkness. I finally gave in and started stroking myself again, feeling my pulse quicken and the shaft twitched in my scaly grasp. I let out a few grunts and felt it spasm, releasing more seed onto my belly.

I slumped back against my headboard, propped up by a wing. I still felt horny, but spent for the moment. Before I recovered too much, I got onto my feet and stumbled to the bathroom. I washed up a bit, trying to cool the rut's heat. It only aroused me further and I found myself pumping myself off once more.

I washed up again and filled a cup with water. I downed three glasses before I felt somewhat normal, even as my loins called for attention. I looked at myself in the mirror, seeing a frazzled griffon looking back. I flicked my ears and looked at my chest. My breasts felt heavy, nipples already hard. Reluctantly I cupped the orbs, feeling their weight. I squeezed one of the nipples and shivered. Nothing came out at first, but soon I felt the thick white cream on my talons.

"Fuck. Not again," I groaned, my mind blue screening for a moment.The hormonal roller coaster was still hard to ride, and lactating on top of that was still hard to handle.

I forced myself to lower my hands and wash them off. I did another mental check and decided that while the rut wanted attention, I had some time before answering the call yet again. I scooted downstairs and made a quick breakfast.

After eating, I could feel the urge building again. I rushed back upstairs. In my bedroom, I grabbed one of the toys from the bedside table and squirted some lube into the tube. I pushed into it and fell onto the bed, squeezing the toy and beginning to thrust into it. I bucked and let out a squawk of pleasure, feeling another release before I slumped onto the bed, in a sex crazed daze.

The rest of the day passed in a daze, moments of intense release, followed by a longer period of exhaustion. Some times I would go and clean up a bit, or sate my thirst from the bathroom. My body ached, my shaft sore from the attention, and my nipples aching from the lack of attention. Despite my attempts to stay clean, my chest fur and belly, along with my bed sheets were soaked with my cream and my seed.

By mid afternoon, I released again and collapsed on the bed, the toy slipping free from my shaft. I dozed off again, feeling completely drained and exhausted.

Hours later, I half woke up. The sheets were sticky from the drying seed and cream. Like a zombie, I stumbled to the bathroom and gulped down water, feeling parched despite how large and full my breasts still were. I could tell the rut had passed for another month.I washed my belly and groin, but left my breasts alone, despite how swollen my nipples were. I ran my brushes through my fur and feathers a bit, feeling a bit more presentable.

Stomach growling, I went downstairs and grabbed a banana while nuking some leftovers.I took my plate to the living room and turned on the TV. Feeling exhausted, I ate and watched some television without really seeing anything.

At the end of the evening, I turned off the TV and the lights and went back upstairs. I looked at the mess of my bedroom, and decided I didn't want to deal with it yet. I closed the door and went to my spare bedroom and collapsed on the bed there, wincing at the pressure on my chest. I quickly fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

===Saturday, November 25===

When we suggested self defense training to Stephen, she was all for it, and took charge right away. She suggested keeping the group small for the first session, so for the first time, we had a sign up page for one of our Saturday gatherings. Everyone else was invited to hang out with Cardi and learn sign language, or just hang out in general.

Stephen rented a gym in the northern part of the city, within spitting distance of the military base. Only twelve of us were signed up for this session. Michelle declined, leaving me to be semi officially in charge. I showed up early, partly at Stephen's request, and partly because there was a light snow storm happening which made it trickier to find the place.

Inside, I found Stephen and her squadmates had been busy. The gym floor was covered in old padding. In the middle of the gym a mannequin was set up, dressed in thick leather padding. Dog bite suits were on a rack near one wall, and the soldiers were relaxing on some bleachers. Stephen waved me over and introduced me.

"Thanks for showing up early. I want you to be part of the demo at the start," she said once we were settling.

"Sure. What do you want me to do?"

She flicked her wing at the mannequin. "When I give the signal, I want you to dive down and attack that. Do what feels right, but take it down."

I tilted my head, puzzled, then looked up. The roof was high enough to fly in, if I was careful. "I guess I can do that. But I'm not really a fighter. Maybe you should do it?"

She shook her head. "I'm doing the talking. And there's a method to my madness. Just channel your frustrations into the mannequin and do what feels natural."

I shrugged, not sure what she had in mind. While we waited, I did some test flights, jumping up and making sure I didn't crash into basketball nets or the ceiling or otherwise have problems.

An hour later, the other eleven griffons had shown up. Stephen lined us up in two rows along the wall, while her squaddies put on the bite suits.

"Thanks for coming, everyone. This sort of training is good for all of us, but best done in small groups. We should have been doing this before, but life's life." Stephen opened. "First things first, I want to make something clear. This is NOT about learning how to fight. We might cover that later, but it's not the goal here. What this session IS about is learning what we are. What we can do. And most importantly, how to control what we can do. Because we are ''very'' dangerous creatures. Sky? Care to demonstrate please?"

I was a bit surprised at my cue, but nodded and stepped back. I jumped into the air, having just enough room for a circle around the gym. I focused on the mannequin, channeling my annoyances and frustrations into it. At first it was just simple things, bad fitting clothes, awkward work schedules, a faulty circuit at home. But as I opened up, I felt a dam release and more frustrations started coming out. I flexed my talons and toes, feeling my claws extend, making the mannequin the personification of the Change, the force that had turned me into this beast, the one that cursed me with the heat and the peaks. My vision turned red and I let out a primal screech.

I dove out of the air and tackled the mannequin, talons digging into its shoulders. My legs landed on its thighs and I dug my toes in and began to kick, claws tearing into the leather. I began to tear with my hands as well, talons digging into the chest. For good measure, I lowered my head and bit into the padded neck, jerking my head and feeling the leather tear in my beak.

I vaguely heard someone speaking, but couldn't make out the words, too focused on destroying my target. Someone touched my wing and I lashed out, the wing hitting a padded chest and sending the body flying. After that, everyone else kept their distance as I bit down and tore off a few more strips of padded leather.

Finally, my rush faded and I collapsed, chest heaving, wings limp on the floor beside me. I had a taste of old leather in my mouth, and my toes ached from the pressure I'd put on my claws.

"It's always the quiet ones," one of the squaddies said from one side. I glanced and saw them gathered around one who was sitting on the floor, recovering from getting the wind knocked out of him. Without moving my head, I flicked my eyes around the room. Stephen's stance was neutral, but the other griffons were a mix of surprise and shock and a good amount of fright.

"You good Sky?" Stephen asked once she was sure I was done.

I nodded and lifted my wings. I rolled to one side and stared, shocked at what was left of the mannequin. The leather padding was gone, stripped away, and the framework had snapped in multiple places. The padding over the gym floor also had large strips torn from it.

"That is why I want to do this in small groups. We are dangerous creatures, and most of us have no clue what we can do. Much of the self defense we need to learn is mental defense. We need to make sure we stay in control even in the most dire circumstances."

"Fuck... What the hell did I do?" I asked, mostly to myself. I sat up and brushed the flecks off.

Stephen smiled, "Maybe I shouldn't have encouraged you to focus so much rage. You might want to talk to your therapist about some destructive therapy; blow up against some inanimate things before you risk hurting someone."

I nodded and backed up to my spot in the line. The closest griffons looked at me and shuffled a half step away. I didn't blame them; I had no idea that was in me.

Stephen continued. "As you just saw, all parts of us are dangerous. Feet, hands, beak, even wings." The man I'd wing punched waved from the floor. My own wing was aching a bit from the unusual strain I'd put it on. "They can all be deadly if you aren't careful. The trick is to make sure you control them."

She pointed to a griffon at the far end of the line. "Dan, you first. Come on up please if you don't mind, and we'll start with some basics."

Dan stepped forward, a cougar-eagle type. She eyed the humans in the padded suits warily. "So what do you want me to do?"

Stephen dropped into a ready stance, arms spread, wings slightly spread as well. "Come at me. Not as hard as Sky did, but try to knock me down. No scratching, no biting, no feather pulling, but anything goes."

Dan nodded and dropped into a similar stance, though she clearly wasn't thinking of her wings. She started to circle Stephen, looking for an opening. I couldn't tell if Stephen picked Dan on purpose, or just lucked out, but Dan obviously had some experience.

The pair circled slowly for a minute, until Stephen paused for a moment. Even I could tell it was intentional, giving Dan the opening she was looking for. The eagle darted in, leading with her left talon curled in a fist. There was a rush of feathers, and the osprey's wing came down out of nowhere, sending Dan spinning.

She stood up and made sure Dan was okay before looking at the rest of us. "First rule, we have wings. Very strong wings. Protect them, but use them too. I've got these grunts too well trained to pull off a trick like that. But against most everyone else, they won't expect it. Or they'll over expect it. Be ready to figure out which your opponent is and use that to your advantage."

She then flexed her hands and showed her talons. "Second rule, we have talons. We're slashers and grapplers, not punchers. Throwing a closed fist punch is probably going to do more damage to your palms than to the other guy. While we won't encourage slashing here tonight, if you need to defend yourself, you want to be swinging with your talons out. Use your wings to batter, and your talons and claws to slash, and most people will probably back away really quick. Or you'll have an opening to escape yourself."

By the end of the day, we were exhausted and banged up, but otherwise in good spirits. Stephen and her squadmates showed a lot of patience with us, teaching us the basics, while making sure we didn't go too far. We even got some impromptu first aid lessons, learning how to deal with scratches among feathers.

I stayed back at the end to help with the cleanup. I took a closer look at the wreckage that was the training dummy, and shook my head.

"Sorry about that. I don't know what came over me," I said to Mark, one of the squaddies.

"No problem. This is all donated gear. We expected it to get wrecked. But I'll admit, we didn't expect Bob to get ''that'' wrecked."

I blushed a bit and helped pick up the pieces of Bob to dump in a bin. "I'm not a fighter, honest to god. I'm not a pacifist per se, but long ago, when I was a kid, I got put in timeout for hitting another kid, and decided not to fight from then on."

"I think Stephen noticed. It was probably one of the reasons she picked you. Just like she picked Dan to start with. Dan's facebook page shows her highschool wrestling and football teams, so she was a good pick to start the demonstration with."

I nodded towards the osprey. She was facing away from us, but one ear was turned suspiciously towards us. "She certainly seems to have things worked out. Glad to have her around. I'm sure you guys are too."

Mark closed the lid on the bin and nodded. "Yeah, she's made things interesting. Officially, Stephen's on medical leave until the new year at least. Unofficially, we've been working out how to integrate you birds into our systems. This sort of training we're giving you helps us just as much as it helps you."

"Glad to help, and hopefully we won't be too hard on your equipment, donated or not."

He chuckled and wheeled the bin to the door. I wandered over to Stephen while adjusting my gear, getting ready to head out. I stretched out my right wing and shook it, feeling an ache there where I'd overextended. I felt I could fly home, but I'd probably be paying for it in the morning.

"I'm heading out. I'm sure you can handle the rest," I said. "Thanks for doing this. I'm looking forward to the next one."

She shook my hand. "Thanks for coming out. And giving such a good demonstration. I hope it didn't spook you too much."

"It did spook me a bit. You managed to tap into something that predates my griffoness. But I'll talk it over with Adam and be fine."

"Good, good...." We paused and watched as the pads were loaded on a cart to be taken out to their van.

"This was a really good session. Even, or maybe especially, for a non-fighter like me. But small groups are the way to go. We'll have to figure out how best to spread the word and handle the demand next year."

"Yeah, we're learning so much as we go, I don't want to teach the wrong things to a lot of us, just to have to undo it next time," Stephen said.

"We'll figure out something. And if you get any ideas, let us know. Angela's pretty generous with our funding for now, as long as it's reasonable. So if you want to bring up some guests, I'm sure it could be arranged."

She chuckled, "Well, there is one big wish list item I have, but I doubt it would fly. I'd love to get a few Titans up to spar with. We can teach Griffon v Griffon and Griffon v Human fighting here, but the Titans are an unknown for us. They outmass, outmuscle and are more durable and flexible than us."

I smiled and shrugged. "Start looking around. It's too late in the year to do much, but if you have someone in mind, we might be able to get them up. Remember, I got the Calgary herd up a few weeks ago."

"Sure, I'll reach out and see what I can find. Have a good one, Sky. Thanks for coming."

I gave a final wave to the squad, and left. The sky was cloudy, lit from below by the city. Thick flakes were coming down, adding to the piles already on the ground. I took off and circled a bit to make sure nothing hurt too much, then headed home.

===Saturday, December 2===

I was only in my third month of being a griffon, but I was beginning to look forward to the two week stretch between the rut and the heat. It was the period of time when I felt the most normal, and didn't have to worry as much about the quirks of my new biology.

These two weeks were proving to be a very busy time, as everyone rushed to get their projects done before the end of the year. We rolled the beta of ''GriffRacer'' out to the community and it was proving to be as popular as expected. Work was otherwise busy, checking in with clients and making sure they were set up for their own end of year needs and planning for the new year. Some clients would need personal attention during the slow time, but that was off my plate. I had more than a few sessions in front of the camera, helping create some promotional shots for marketing. I had no idea what they did, but they seemed pleased with what they were getting.

On the griffon side of things, we scheduled our flock's Christmas Party for the middle of the month. I left most of the planning for that to Michelle and a few of the other volunteers, but I was looking forward to it. My own work's holiday party wouldn't be until January, a tradition we had started years ago partly by accident when our social committee realized they had waited way too long to book a location.

By Saturday, I was looking forward to our gathering. The threat of my Heat was looming for the week ahead, but on Saturday, it was a chance to relax, shed a lot of the work and other obligations and just have fun. We were falling in an inside/outside gathering pattern, so this gathering was outside, at a forested park on the western edge of the city. Once again Cardi was going to be leading a session, this time teaching us some of the basics of Quidditch.

I took off just before noon and circled the neighbourhood a bit, stretching out my wings and assessing the weather. The skies were clear, but cold, with an arctic breeze coming from the north. I figured it was at best low double digits below freezing, enough for me to notice it, but not to be uncomfortable. A layer of snow covered the city now and the rivers were freezing. The snow reflected the sunlight, looking especially bright to my eyes. The extra visual range we had into the ultraviolet apparently would make us better adapted to the winter climates, though I didn't know how exactly. But the experts said we wouldn't need snow glasses like humans.

I saw another red figure take off from a nearby apartment tower and waved to her. I pointed northward and we set off, gradually getting closer as we went.

''"Good morning, Sky,"'' Cardi signed, going slowly and exaggerating her hand movements as she went.

''"Morning,"'' I signed back, close to the limits of my own knowledge. Going to Stephen's lesson last week had been good, but it did mean I had missed her lesson to the rest of the flock. I was picking up more from the GriffTech team, but it was slow going.

"Ready for today?" I asked once we were in earshot.

"I hope so. As long as Brian could get what I needed."

"Nervous?"

She shook her head, her beak twitching in a griffon smirk. "Not really, not now that I know you all better. Last weekend I was scared eggless, but now it's just a friendly session."

By the time we crossed the Yellowhead highway, we'd picked up a couple more griffons. Our target today was a Provincial park just outside of the city. It had a number of lakes and ponds and marshes, popular with birds and birdwatchers. This time of year it was pretty frozen, and its trails were taken over by cross country skiers and similar winter sports enthusiasts. Michelle and Brian were already on site when we arrived, set up in a small parking lot at a trailhead that wrapped around a larger lake.

I recognized Brian's car in the sparsely populated parking lot. Brian was talking to Michelle, sipping from a steaming thermos. There were a few other cars there, most belonging to friends and allies of griffons. Humans and griffons alike were playing in the snow around the parking lot, or watching the griffons in the air. There were a couple of metal barrels set up with small fires burning to help people warm up when needed.

"Morning guys!" I greeted them, doing a superhero landing in the snow on the edge of the parking lot. My wing beats lifted a flurry of lighter snow, while my paws crunched through the older layer of snow under it. "Is it warm enough for you?" I said to Brian, smirking.

"No where close. I'm envious of you guys," he said. He was dressed in a heavy jacket, toque and heavy mittens. While his camera was set up, he didn't seem particularly eager to get much footage.

"If you think this is cold, you should feel the winds a few hundred feet up," Cardi countered. She'd landed a few meters behind me.

"Yeah, I'm starting to feel it in my claws. Might need to order some gloves for Christmas," I said.

Brian shook his head and sipped his coffee. "Next time, I'm confiscating the hot drinks for those who really need it," he grumbled.

"You sure you want to get between a griff and her coffee? You heard what Sky did to poor Bob last week right?" Michelle taunted. I bristled a bit from embarrassment; the stories from the training session had spread before we'd finished packing. I was glad Brian hadn't been there to record it; we would do a proper video when we had a better grip on how we wanted to show off griffon fighting styles.

I snagged a bagel from the bag on the hood of Brian's car, and tore a chunk out of it. Tim's wasn't 'sponsoring' this weekend, so we had snacks from a local shop instead, a better choice in my private opinion. "So what's the plan for today?" I asked once I gulped down the first chunk.

Michelle nodded to Cardi. "Quidditch training. Or at least some practice in close flying and other things to do in the air."

"Did you bring the things I asked for?" Cardi asked, looking from Michelle to Brian.

He nodded and reached into his pocket, popping the trunk of his car. A number of balls were there in a net bag, most brand new.

"Help yourself to some snacks. We'll give people a few minutes more to show up and then you can start."

"Sounds good. Do you know, is the pond safe to walk on?"

"It is. I checked before coming out," Brian confirmed. "And I checked with the park rangers too." he nodded across the parking lot where a jeep with ''Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park'' on the side was parked. A couple of park rangers were watching us.

"Great. That will make things easier."

A short time later, there were about fifty griffons at the park. Cardi grabbed the bag ball and led us out onto the frozen pond. There was enough snow on it that it wasn't slippery, not that we would have noticed with our paws.

"Hi everyone. It's me again. I promise this weekend will be more interesting than last weekend," Cardi started, addressing the crowd. She sounded a bit nervous at first, but warmed up as she relaxed into her role.

"How many of you have been following the Quidditch league down south?" she opened with. Many of the griffons raised a wing, and some of the humans raised a hand.

"Well as a quick overview for those who don't know, Quidditch, Griffon Quidditch that is, is an aerial ball sport, the first of its kind, based off of the one from Harry Potter. We'll leave any issues with the sports creator on the message boards and just focus on the sport we've developed."

There were a few nervous chuckles at that comment while Cardi moved on quickly, picking up the rubber coated foam ball the size of a volleyball. She squished it a bit in her talons..

"For us, this sport is all about keeping the balls in the air. If a ball hits the ground, the other team gets one attempt to claim it, then it's free for all. There are seven players per side, three chasers, a keeper, two bludgers and a seeker.

"The chasers are the forwards. They have the quaffle; this green ball;, and will be trying to score points by throwing it through their opponent's hoops. Similar to basketball, they have a carry clock. They can only hold this for five seconds before they must either shoot at the hoop or pass to someone else."

"The keepers are the goalies. They can't be knocked out while at their team's hoops, and if they bounce a quaffle to the ground, their team can immediately claim it. Once official goal hoops are set up, they will be allowed to perch on them but for now they must stay in the air like everyone else.

"The beaters control the bludgers." She picked up a bright red dodgeball, also made out of rubber covered foam. "If you are hit by one, you must go back to your side of the field before you can continue. If you have the quaffle, you must drop it or pass it to the other team depending on how charitable you're feeling. Beaters can catch these bludgers in midair and not be out. If a bludger hits someone then drops to the ground, it can be reclaimed by the team that threw it.".

She picked up a tennis ball in a long yellow tube sock. "And finally there's the snitch. Catching this is worth a lot of points, but only the seeker can catch it. Seekers go out on the field after twenty minutes. The snitch will be carried by a neutral griffon, or by a drone piloted by a neutral person. The goal of the people controlling the snitch is to keep it from the seekers for as long as possible.

She looked around the crowd and dropped the snitch. "In any case, for today, we're not going to worry about the rules or even be playing a real game.... Mainly because we don't have anything we can use for goals. But what we can do is start practicing flying. Throwing and catching the balls in mid air, turning on a dime, snagging things off the ground, even recovering from midair contacts.

"So if you want to practice with us, feel free. We're going to leave the balls on the ground for now, and work on mid air maneuvering. Thanks to GriffRacer, you guys are speed demons, but you turn like aircraft carriers. A Hat or Parker griff could fly figure eights in the space you need to do one loop. So first thing we're going to do is go upstairs and practice our turns, get you used to turning on the tip of a wing. Then we'll throw the balls into the mix."

For now, watch me. Most of you can turn tighter with ease. To get really tight turns, you need to lose some height, but that can be useful as well, once you get used to it."

She took off, and flew a short distance away. She approached the mass of us head on, then pulled in a wing and turned in midair. I could see how she did her tighter turns, her wings twisting in ways that didn't look right. As promised, her tightest turns cost altitude, but made it seem like she reversed direction almost instantly.

She landed after her demonstration and looked at the crowd. "Now you guys try. Get in line and fly directly towards me from the south. I'll indicate which way I want you to go, and your goal is to turn as fast as you can in that direction. And then I'll give you some tips if I see any areas to improve.

The first few griffons took to the air and circled back to the parking lot to set up their approach to the cardinal griffon. I stayed on the ground, watching from the side to see what happened. She started easy, lifting her wing to indicate if she wanted them to go left or right. She shouted various tips and kudos as they flew past her and circled back for another attempt. When the first few griffons had done a few laps, she started getting fancier, indicating they should turn around tighter, or dive lower or higher, or not indicating where to turn until the last moment. The first few attempts were awkward, but we were quick learners. More and more climbed into the air, forming a steady stream of flyers heading towards Cardi. I joined by the third round, slipping into the line.

When I got to the head of the line, Cardi motioned for me to turn left. I tried to follow the tips she'd been giving and pulled in my left wing while pushing down harder on the right. I twisted my tail as well to move the tail feathers, and the world seemed to spin a bit as I twisted in midair. I lost more height than I expected, but I was suddenly going west just before I reached Cardi.

"Good job Sky. You're a natural. Just tighten up your tail feathers a bit so you don't spin as much, and keep your arms in tighter." Cardi shouted from below.

After a few more rounds, most of us were turning on a quarter. Cardi got some helpers to set some balls out on the frozen pond and we shifted our practice, trying to snag things off the ground without landing. It proved to be harder than we thought. Almost everyone missed, or beak planted into the snow.

For my first attempt, I chickened out. A few metres above the ice, I pulled up and away; too scared of hitting the ground. I cursed myself and circled around for another attempt. On my second try I managed to fight my instinct and get down to ground level, but I misjudged where the ball was and my claws grabbed at it too late. The third time, I slowed down a lot more and snagged the ball, but kicked off the ground to start climbing back up.

"Not bad Sky, but that would be a foul in an official game. Ball carriers can't touch the ground, even when snagging them from the ground." Cardi called out.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Habits are hard to break," I responded, dropping the ball back down for the next griffon.

For the fourth try, I missed again. And my fifth was my most embarrassing. I managed to snag the ball, but I misjudged my momentum, and my wings hit the ground when I tried to climb back up. The ground grabbed me hard, sending me tumbling through the snow. I ended up on my belly, panting hard, more than a little rattled.

"I'm okay!" I called out, lifting a wing. "Just had the wind knocked out of me." I picked myself up and tossed the ball back to the others. I looked down and started brushing the snow off my furry chest.

I retreated to the sidelines to recover and get a drink, and to make doubly sure I was fine. Nothing was wounded but my pride. I was pleased to see we gradually got the hang of snagging things from the ground. Some of the griffons shifted gears and started practicing throwing and catching the balls in midair, whether thrown by other griffons or thrown up from people on the ground.

Before the last ball went into the air, I got back in the line and did another attempt to grab from the ground. This time I managed to judge the distance right and plucked the ball off the ground before going into a steep climb. I let out a happy screech and dropped it back to the ground for the next griffon's attempt.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur, as we all practiced mid air throwing and diving and other maneuvering. It was exhilarating, but exhausting at the same time. Twisting in the air like that was a lot harder than the simple gliding and flying we were used to, even with the sprinting we did. I was surprised at just how maneuverable we were. I couldn't throw worth a damn, and could catch only slightly better; but other griffons were able to practically stand on their tails and fire the balls right into the talons or paws of another griffon.

When the shadows grew long and the sun kissed the horizon to the west, we called it a day. We were all exhausted, most of us just laying in the snow to catch our breath while our human friends collected the balls and cleaned up the site. Even though the balls had been partly deflated, half of them had ended up popped from various claws or talon catches; it would be a problem the league was working on, but the foam ball alternatives we would need were still being worked on.

"Great session today," Michelle called out, sitting on a concrete picnic table. She somehow sounded more energized than she looked. "We'll probably do a few more practice sessions in the future, and if anyone wants to organize a team or two, we'll see about both a local league and maybe a league with the other cities too. But that probably won't be until the new year."

There were a few weary cheers from the crowd, and we started to disperse. I pushed myself up with my wings and staggered to my feet. Brian, Michelle and Cardi were talking near Brian's car.

"Get some good shots?" I asked Brian.

"Lots of them. Both from the ground and air. I ran out of disk space for them all," he said, tapping his camera. "Should be a good show once I edit it together."

"Good, glad to put on a good one," Cardi said. "Is there anywhere good we could stop for dinner? I'm starved and not sure I can make it back down to South Ed."

"Good point. I'm starved too," I said. "Is the Roadhouse open yet?" The ''Roadhouse'' was a restaurant and bar I knew was nearby. There was a lot of buzz about it in the flock because its owner was renovating and expanding it to make it griffon friendly and open to everyone, no matter how they were changed.

"Not yet. Last I heard they might be open next week. They just ran into a few issues wrapping up the renovations," Michelle said.

"Damn, then what else is around? Cardi asked.

"All sorts of things, even if you ignore West Ed," Brian said. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Spice," I said confidently. "Lots of spice." Michelle nodded in agreement. We'd discovered we both had gotten the pepper taste after our changes. Cardi tended to prefer more tart flavours, but still handled our spice levels well.

"There's a Thai place I've heard good things about. Care to give them a shot?" Brian asked. "Just on the other side of the highway."

"Sounds like a plan. Do they have room for us?" Michelle asked.

He nodded, already taking out his phone. "Yeah they have a decent sized dining room. I'll call and make a reservation. How many of us will there be?" He looked around to see who was left. Most of the flock had already flown the coop, but a half dozen were still hanging out, some tossing the last ball around or just chatting with friends.

"Sure, we'll come along. If you don't mind," Ike said. She was one of the better throwers, and was hanging out with her sister.

"There won't be a dress code issue, will there?" I asked, realizing most of us were going griffon style.

Brian finished counting heads and shrugged, placing the call. "I'll check. Six griffons and four humans.They might bend the rules in this case just for the big group, if they have a problem with it."

We busied ourselves with the rest of the cleanup while he chatted on the phone. When he hung up, he gave a thumbs up. "We're good. Reservation is at 5:30. That should give us enough time to get there."

"Sounds good. We should take off now. Everyone know where we're going?" Michelle asked.

Most of us shook our heads. "I figured I'd just follow you," I said.

She laughed and looked around one last time. "Right then, I guess we should get going. See you over there, Bri."

She leapt into the air, and was quickly joined by five more griffons. It was telling how tired we were that no one even thought of setting up a race; after all the practice we'd been doing all day, it was all we could do to fly in a straight line.

Michelle led the flock across the city, with the sun disappearing below the horizon behind us. The city lit up below us, roads and building signs providing the guidance an urban griffon needed to find their way around in the darkness. Our destination was a commercial district a few klicks east of West Ed. A Safeway grocery store anchored it, along with a Rexall pharmacy. The rest of the area was filled with smaller stores and restaurants.

The parking lot was a quarter full as we circled over it, mostly focused on the anchors. We circled a couple of times over the parking lot before dropping down, landing in a few empty spots. Michelle pointed to our goal, a place called ''Thai Manao''. There were a couple of cars parked in front of it, and we could see a few tables were filled, but it didn't seem too busy.

"Should we wait for the others?" Ike asked, glancing around the parking lot.

"Nah, let's head in. Help them get the tables ready for us at least," her sister, Nadia, said.

Michelle nodded and started towards the door. "Good point. They probably only think they know what they're getting," she said, chuckling. She went inside while the rest of us waited outside.

Inside, I could see an Asian waitress rush up to the entrance. Her body indicated surprise, but she seemed to handle the situation well. She talked to Michelle for a moment, then grabbed a pile of menus and indicated for Michelle to follow her. The jay griffon glanced back and waved a wing, urging us to come on in.

The restaurant was silent as a half dozen cat-birds walked in and weaved their way between the tables. I waved to some of the other customers, while following the flock to a back room. A half dozen tables had been pushed together and pulled back from the wall, leaving enough room for us to slide in, and not leave wings or tails hanging out in the way of the waiters. We had to flip the chairs around so we could sit somewhat comfortably. I found myself in the middle, with Cardi on one side, and a hawk-snow leopard Griffon named Scott.

The waitress seemed a bit uncomfortable taking our drink orders, despite reassurances that we could handle the glasses. After a few minutes, we had our drinks and were perusing the menus while waiting for Brian and the rest of our human friends. I tried not to notice the furtive looks we got from the workers and other customers.

About ten minutes later, the rest of our party showed up. They came right back to our table and took their seats, providing a bit of a shield from the glances we were getting. The waitresses got their drinks and gave us a bit more time to make our choices.

I decided what I wanted fairly quickly, so while the others were choosing, I picked up the chopsticks and started practicing. Before changing, I could handle them decently enough. Now I had to work around my talons to figure out a good position to hold them. A few others watched me curiously before picking up their own chopsticks.

"Damn, now you're just showing off," Brian commented from the other end of the table.

I smirked and shrugged my wings. "It's not too bad, once you figure out how to get the talons out of the way." I plucked a packet of sugar from the bowl in the centre of the table and waved it around.

"If you say so. I can't even do it without talons," Brian said, shaking his head.

The waitress returned and started taking our orders. She seemed a bit doubtful over the numerous requests for extra extra spiciness, but made the appropriate notes.

"So what do we need to do for this Quidditch league?" Scott asked once the orders were taken.

"Enough interest, and maybe someone to help organize it," Michelle said. "Unless Cardi wants to volunteer." Cardi shook her head quickly. "I've got enough on my plate as is, but we'll certainly help out where we can. Regardless, we probably won't do much until the new year."

"Don't look at me either. I've got enough going on too, and frankly, it doesn't interest me that much. But I appreciated the training we did today. It helps shake us out of our comfort zones and learn what we are really capable of," I said quickly.

Ike nodded and looked at his sister, "Well, it was fun so far, and sounds like fun. We've got some experience helping her kid's soccer league; we could probably grab the snitch and see what we can do."

"You have a kid? I didn't realize it," Cardi said then clamped her beak shut. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay. He's off in college. I was an empty nester before I had to make a nest," Nadia explained. "His father and I divorced a long time ago too."

"How'd he handle this?" I asked, curiosity trumping the social norms a bit since the conversation had been broached. "If you don't mind me asking."

Nadia sipped her water before responding. "It's okay. He's taking it really well, and he's been a huge help for me and Ike so far."

We were interrupted by the arrival of our food. A big plate of steamy rice, vegetables and beef was put in front of me. I inhaled deeply, taking in the smells and getting a bit of a hint of the spiciness to come.

"Damn, that's making my eyes water from here. Are you sure you guys can handle that?" Susan asked. She was one of Ike and Nadia's friends who had accompanied us.

"I'm having my doubts, but I'm willing to try," Scott said, using his fork to stab a shrimp piece on his own plate of noodles.

I grabbed my chopsticks and moved the food around a bit to mix things up before scooping up my first taste. The food was hot and spicy. Even with my diminished taste and sense of smell, it still hit like a hot brick wall. I had to pant around it for a moment before swallowing. "Woo-ee, that's a spicy meatball." I gasped out before chasing it down with some pop. The pop did little for the spice but helped cool the heat. I dug in for another bite.

The waitress returned with a jug of water to top off the glasses. She looked around the table, trying to assess how we were handling the food. "Is everything all right?" she asked as she poured the water. "It's not too spicy is it?"

"Everything's great," Michelle assured her, while the rest of the table nodded or gave thumbs up.

"Most spice I've tasted since the fall," I assured her. "And that's a good thing."

Scott waved a piece of shrimp in the air, "This is great. Perfect spiciness, maybe a bit more. You might want to note some griffon spice tiers for the menu because this could become popular."

She seemed relieved and backed away to let us finish our meal.

Once we'd made a dent in our plates, Nadia picked up the conversation again. "So a league, what are we going to need for that?" she asked.

"For a city league, we'll want four teams at least, but we can field as many as we have interest. Start recruiting now, and we'll see about starting in the New Year," Cardi said. "If Michelle's fine with it, we'll commission the goal rings and figure out where we can rent field space for practicing and for games."

"Not really my call, but it can probably be done easily. If you are serious about this, reach out to Calgary, Hat and Parker, see what they're doing; they can probably guide you on the details," Michelle said.

Cardi nodded again. "That too. If we want to do an intercity league, you'll need to figure out who the team will be. From what I've heard, the groups in Hat and Parker want to get something semi-official going by February, so if you want to be involved you should move quickly."

Nadia nodded slowly, seeming to become doubtful about what she'd volunteered for. Ike nudged her with a wing and smiled. "Sounds like fun. I'll start reaching out when I get home. Anyone in particular I should contact?"

"Sarah McLellan in Hat is one of the big organizers down there. Bruce Tobias in Elkwater too," Cardi said. "I don't know who's running things in Parker or Calgary, but they could get you in the loop. I'll send you their contacts when I get home."

"Perfect. So who's in?" Ike asked, glancing around the table.

"Not me," I said quickly. "You saw me this afternoon. I can't throw worth a damn, and I catch even worse. But I'll certainly come out to watch the games."

"I'll try out," Scott said. "Today was fun and it seems like it will be an interesting sport once we work out the details."

"I'll pass," Cardi said. "But when you're looking for sponsors, I can put in a good word at my store."

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, getting some sponsors is probably a good idea. We've been leaning heavily on the GoFundme pool, and while it isn't close to being empty yet, we should make sure we're using it for those who really need it. Funding your initial setup shouldn't be difficult but once you get going, having other incomes will probably be wise."

"That's fair. Once you get things sorted out, you can count on my company as a sponsor. I can get you that much at least," I said.

"Phew, that's a lot to think about. I'm having second thoughts," Nadia said, chuckling nervously.

Michelle nodded and smiled back. "It is a lot, especially when you want to do it right. Don't worry, we've got a lot of contacts who can help make sure you do it right so it won't all be on you. And it certainly doesn't have to be done by tonight. I'll hook you up with some people I know who should be good for some tips, if not outright willing to help."

"Good, something to look forward to after tomorrow," Ike said. Most of the griffons winced a bit in sympathy, the implicit reminder of the coming peaks not welcomed. My own heat was still days away but many of my tablemates would be riding it tomorrow.

"Anyone want dessert?" I asked, changing the subject. I passed my empty plate to the waitress while looking around the table.

"Yeah, that cheesecake looks delish," Michelle said.

===Wednesday, Dec 6===

We floated among the clouds, a white skyscape lit from above with no land in sight. The icy blue god smiled at me, wings spread wide behind him. I looked at his muscular body, from the strong wings to the perky breasts to his furry hips and sparkling wings, and felt my loins get moist. I wiggled my tailfeather and spread my wings in response, eager for him. In response, I saw his sheath swell, his penis swelling quickly, even as he slipped around behind me. I spread my legs and twitched my tailfeathers to one side, feeling him grip my wings from behind.

He nuzzled my neck and pulled on my wings as his weight settled on my back. Before I knew it, I felt something slip between my legs and suddenly he was in me. I clenched down on him and spasmed. I bounced on the bed, gasping and shuddering as the dream faded away to reality.

I laid on my bed, panting hard, my loins still quivering from the intense wet dream. My room was dark with the barest hint of dawn. I had felt the heat coming so I hadn't bothered to set my alarm, hoping to sleep through the start of it. My body had other ideas.

I mentally took stock of my situation and decided the first wave was done. My loins still yearned for attention, but the wet dream orgasm had satisfied things for the moment. I rolled off the bed and stood up, taking my moments of peace to rush downstairs and grab a quick snack and some juice. It was the start of my third time around the track, and it was becoming frustratingly familiar.

During my meal, I almost fooled myself into believing this heat was easier to handle. I could feel it building again, but it didn't seem as urgent. I took my time eating a solid meal, and even began to clean up, before the surge hit me again.

I dropped a pan into the running water and gripped the edge of the counter, feeling the waves of arousal pulse through me with the increasing beat of my heart, shattering my concentration. All I could focus on was my loins, yearning to feel something, anything in me. I clenched my eyes closed and reached down, rubbing between my legs. Very quickly I felt a surge of pleasure come from my loins and I moaned, the arousal easing a bit but not completely fading; I still yearned to feel something within me.

Growling a bit in frustration over my new body, I finished washing the pan and set it to the side to dry. I went back upstairs, forcing myself not to rush. Back in my bedroom, I pulled out some of the toys and laid back on the bed, partly propped up by my wings, sitting on my tailfeathers. I lubed up the vibrator and flicked it on. I ran it along my sheath a bit; in the midst of my heat I didn't harden, but it still felt really nice. When I got lower, I ran it over my labia. And nearly came again The griffon was fully in control at the moment. I pressed the toy deep in me and felt my loins clench tight around it. Very quickly the waves of pleasure rolled over me again, pushing the heat down for a moment. I closed my eyes and rode the waves, growling happily in pleasure.

When the peak passed, I pulled the toy out, and rested, chest heaving. It was tempting to just keep playing until the heat passed, but I knew I had to start getting control of this. Instead, I tried to force the thoughts and feelings to the side and tried to think of anything else, various work projects, upcoming Christmas plans, and generally any unsexy thoughts. It worked for a bit at first, but biology reared its ugly head again.

Even with the urges rising, I kept trying to fight them, but soon enough I had the toy rubbing between my legs again. This time I also added a hand rubbing my breasts, squeezing them again. Soon enough that hand was wet with my cream even as I clenched on the vibrating toy and rode to another climax.

That cycle continued for most of the day. After the first few times, I gave up trying to resist and instead used the downtime to try and rest a bit. The rest didn't seem to help much, only bringing the icy god back to pull me back for the next round.

By the time the heat finally broke, I was exhausted and worn out. One of the toys had broken and the second was in bad need of recharging, but the urges were finally fading. I was tempted to just roll over and go to sleep, but I felt too gross. The front of my chest was wet and sticky from the cream I'd milked out, and the bed sheets were in desperate need of changing.

Drawing off the last dredges of my own energy reserves, I rolled off the bed. I could tell my feathers were a mess, especially my tail feathers as I'd been sitting on them. I stumbled to the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the hot water roll over me and start cleaning me off. My body tingled with arousal but the need had faded, even if my nipples were still swollen. When I felt a bit cleaner, I dried off a bit and did a quick brush, but left my feathers mostly alone.

Like a zombie, I stumbled downstairs and rummaged in the fridge, downing a few slices of lunch meats and some apples and bananas. I grabbed a roll and a glass of juice and tried to relax. I could feel my body returning to normal, the hormonal rush spent. Getting food in my gullet and cleaning up had helped. I grabbed my phone and caught up on the day's events and my game dailies while I had a bit of normal energy left. I knew this little surge would fade fast so I was making the best of it while it lasted.

The last thing I did was to change my bed. I tossed the bedding into a basket to take to the washer later and added fresh sheets. I was surprised they survived my exertions, but I was getting better at controlling my claws and talons. I made my bed and plugged the toys in to charge, tossing the broken one in the garbage. With the last of my energy fading fast, I set the alarm and crashed face first into bed. I barely had enough energy to kill the lights before I fell into a dreamless sleep.

===Thursday, December 7===

It was a cold, sunny day out, great for flying. I landed on the roof of Doctor Fullerton's building and took in the scenery; I had a bit of time before my appointment.On the roof I could see more paw marks from myself and other griffons. Adam had gotten permission for us to land on the building once he started seeing more griffons. We still had to enter from the ground floor, but we appreciated friendly roofs to land on.

When my appointed time came, I dropped down to the sidewalk and headed in. The outer office was empty when I got up there, with the door closed, so I sat down on a padded bench to wait. A few minutes later, the door opened and Adam came out.

"Hi Simon, sorry to keep you waiting. My last appointment ran a bit long and I had to finish the paperwork." He motioned for me to enter the inner office.

"No problem. I wasn't waiting for too long." I sat down on the couch and leaned back a bit, getting comfortable. "I know you can't say much, but I hope it's going well."

"You're right I can't say much, but it's going very well. The extra perspective from other griffons is very enlightening." He took his usual seat and looked me over. "How about you? How are you doing?" he asked. His voice hinted that he could tell something was on my mind.

"I'm doing... okay," I said, not quite wanting to get into the details that easily.

"Just okay? Yesterday was your third heat right? How'd it go?"

"Still as rough as the previous ones. I tried to wrangle it, but didn't have much luck."

"I'm sorry. Some are saying it is getting easier, but it may be wishful thinking. It does seem to hit you harder than others."

I sighed and couldn't meet his eyes. "Lucky me."

"Not lucky, just biology. Still, I've been hearing a few theories about the griffon roller coaster. I don't really want to offer any suggestions yet until I do some more checks of my own, but maybe in the new year we can try a few things. Do you think you can handle it until then?"

"Not as if I have any choice. My body has its own rules after all."

He nodded and glanced at his desk. "The next peak will be a rut, on the 20th right? Your family will be here then. Are you worried about it?"

"Terrified. But I'm trying not to dwell on it and hoping it will just work itself out. It will happen no matter what I do."

He frowned a little and shook his head. "Not the best approach to take, but I'm at a loss for any other suggestions."

"Well if you have any ideas, I'll consider them. It's going to come no matter what, so I'll just have to endure it. At least it won't be a heat."

"We can come back to that later. Aside from the Heat, how are you doing? Simon and Skyfire?"

"We're doing well. Still clashing a lot, but I think things are settling. That said, this might be Simon's last hurrah coming up. He's lost the home, and he's losing the worklife. The family's all he has left."

"And how does that make you feel?"

I shrugged my wings and looked away then back at him. "I'm not sure. I should probably feel angry about it. Or scared about it. But it's the way I'm going I think. Skyfire has the body, Sky's doing things now. Simon's just an older phase of who I was and it's something I'll have to get used to... eventually."

"Eventually. You will be you, whether it is Simon or Skyfire. Do you think you will have any problems with your family?"

I shook my head. "I hope not. They're coming around to Skyfire, and I am still Simon as well. We've been talking through all this, and they're helping from afar for a few months now, so having them local should be good. They really helped me with Thanksgiving after all."

"Excellent. Everyone should have a good support network. I'm glad yours has survived this change."

"So am I. I've heard so many other griffs have lost their family connections... If mine had turned me away, I'm not sure what I would have done."

"Best not to dwell on it. It didn't happen and it sounds like it won't happen. Instead, keep doing what you have been doing. Use their support to keep yourself up and lend that support to others who need it."

"I'll try. But you know my imagination can be active, especially when dwelling on What Ifs."

"As long as you are aware of it, and try not to dwell too much, it should be fine. Let me know if you feel like it is getting too much."

I nodded again and relaxed a bit. "I know. And I appreciate it. Thanks. Thanks for everything."

===Saturday, December 9===

I slept in late on Saturday. When I finally opened my eyes, the clock said just before 9, but my room was still dark. I flicked my ears and listened, hearing the howling of the wind outside. The first serious winter storm of the season was hitting the city. I yawned and spread my wings, pushing myself up a bit. Looking out the window, all I could see was gray skies and the swirling of snowflakes. I stood up and went through my morning routine.

I wasn't surprised to see a post from Michelle to our group, cancelling today's gathering. The storm wasn't quite severe enough to ground us, but travel in general was trickier and it was safest just to keep everyone near home.

I puttered around the house, doing a deep cleaning to get ready for the arrival of my family in a few weeks. By mid afternoon, the worst of the storm had passed, so I grabbed the snow shovels from the garage and started clearing.

Thankfully, the snow was a dry, light snow, so it wasn't too hard to move around. Just flapping my wings tended to cause a mini blizzard if I wasn't careful. I quickly cleared the back deck and my landing spot, then went to the front. It was tempting to skip the driveway since I wasn't driving; but I knew I had to clear it, both for deliveries and for my family. All around the neighbourhood I could see and hear others doing similar storm cleanup chores. So with a somewhat reluctant grunt, I started at the garage door and began pushing the snow to the sides.

An hour later, I set the shovel against the garage door and looked at my work. There were still flurries coming down, but the driveway and walkways were more than clear enough. I was panting a bit, and felt warm from the exertions, but it felt like it had taken less time than usual; a side effect of how active I was now I figured. Despite my activity, I still had a dusting of snow on my feathers and fur.

Not wanting to go inside yet, I put the shovel away and walked down to the street, shaking my wings to knock off some of the snow. One of my neighbours was near the end of his driveway, pausing to take a break. He was drenched in sweat, with his coat open to cool off.

"Hey Ron. How's it going?" I asked.

"Hey Simon. Going good, or as good as a storm dump usually goes," he replied, not even looking surprised to see me. My appearance was an accepted feature of the neighbourhood now. "Surprised to see you out shovelling."

"Gotta stay ahead of the mess. After all, I've got family coming up in a few weeks, and regular deliveries that need a clear driveway and path."

"Good point. Well, I best wrap up here and go inside to warm up. Have a Merry Christmas."

I waved and spread my wings, getting ready to take off. "You too. Happy Holidays."

I jumped up into the air, my wings raising a small blizzard in my wake. I waved to Ron, and climbed higher into the sky.

With the storm, the cloud cover was well below my ceiling. The world quickly disappeared from view, leaving me flying in a fog. I stretched my wings out to better glide and just get a better feel for this type of flying. Aside from up and down, I quickly lost my sense of direction. The winds were rougher than I was used to, but nothing that was difficult to handle.

The sounds of the city disappeared, leaving just the noise from the wind. Even the glow from the winter sun was more diffuse, I could vaguely tell where south was by it but that was about it.

In many ways it reminded me of my fantasies. The skies were greyer than my dreams, but if my icy goddess appeared from a cloudbank, I would not have been surprised. The thoughts stirred some feelings in my loins, making me aroused. I chased them away and focused on my surroundings, not that there was anything to really see.

Feeling a bit lost, I began to carefully drop down, until the cloud layer thinned enough for me to see street lights and buildings. I recognized a minimall at the far end of my neighbourhood and knew where I was. The lot was almost empty, but the lights were on in many of the businesses. I decided it was a good time for a bite to eat, and landed outside the steakhouse at the far end of the lot.

I opened the door and walked in and started brushing off the snow. One side effect of being so insulated from the cold was that snow didn't melt on me, but it did tend to stick.

"Be right with you," a waitress called from around a corner. I could hear the clinking of silverware that she was putting away. "Welcome to ''Goodfellow's''..." her voice trailed off as she caught sight of me.

I gave my wings and tail feathers a final shake and looked over to her. I realized I wasn't exactly dressed properly for eating out. "Hi there. Just one hungry griff, looking for a bite to eat. Sorry, I'm not really dressed properly."

The waitress shook her head and got over her surprise. "It's okay. Not as if we've got a lot of people at the moment," she said, snagging a menu. "Uhm, well, take your pick."

I looked around the dining room. It was deserted as she implied. For my seat, I immediately passed on the booths; while I could sit on my tail feathers in a pinch, it wasn't all that comfortable and I didn't want to risk their durability. There were a number of tables in the middle which would be acceptable, even if I ended up blocking the traffic flow. Towards the back, I noticed a table against the wall, the perfect spot for me to set up and not have my wings or tail in the worker's way. I pointed my choice out and followed her.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked as she set the table and placed the menu.

"A glass of water is fine to start," I said. I studied the chair to figure out how best to sit. Its back was too tall to just flip around, but turning it sideways would give me enough room. I took my seat and stretched my wings a bit to a more relaxed position.

A short time later, I had a big rare steak in front of me with all the trimmings, and a similarly loaded baked potato. A craft beer had joined my glass of water. I took my time cutting the meat up before the first bite. From near the kitchen, I could see the waitress waiting, watching both out of duty and out of curiousity.

"Is everything okay?" she asked after my first few bites. She had a water jug that she used to top off my glass.

"It's great, thanks. I haven't been out here in months," I assured her.

"You've been here before?" she asked, sounding surprised.

I nodded, and mashed the potato a bit before answering. "Yeah, it's been a favorite of mine for years, basically since I moved out here long ago. But I haven't been here since..." I vaguely motioned at my changed body.

"Oh! Of course. That makes sense. Well, I hope this is suitable for the new you and that we'll see more of you."

"It's great," I assured her again. "I'm sure you will see me more often. I might even try to send Cardi this way sometime. She's not too far away."

"Well, she'll be welcomed here as well, along with any other griffons. Enjoy your meal."

She retreated into the kitchen to do more restaurant work, leaving me to focus on my meal. I pulled my phone free and began skimming Facebook while eating, honestly enjoying the food.

The place was still empty by the time I finished; the storm and the early afternoon time keeping people away it seemed. I gulped down the rest of my beer while the waitress set up the debit terminal for me. I tapped my card and added the tip. The waitress tried to not stare, but I caught her sneaking a glance at my card's name. She twitched a bit in recognition. This steakhouse was one of my regular haunts before, and I knew most of the staff and they knew the old me.

I nodded to her, the edge of my beak twitching up in a griffon smile. "Thanks for the great meal. Hope things pick up a bit later. And have a safe trip home."

"Thuh-Thank you," she said, catching herself. "And you have a safe trip home as well. See you next time."

Outside, the storm was winding down. It was still cloudy with some snowflakes coming down, but visibility was much better. I stretched out my wings and wiggled my tail feathers before jumping into the sky. Below, I could see traffic picking up as the plows cleared the snow. Not having anything else to do, I flew home.

===Wednesday, Dec 13===

Knowing what was coming, I left my alarm off and tried to sleep in. It seemed to help a little, though my dreams were stranger. The goddess was back, but we just cuddled. He hugged me from behind and rubbed my belly which felt larger than usual. There were many pregnant griffons in the city now, but none were really showing yet. Before I could dwell on the dream's implications, I felt an intense spasm in my loins and jolted awake with the first contraction.

My eyes snapped open, wet from tears. My talons had torn into a pillow and were tangled in the polyfill it contained. The sheets were already wet between my legs. Before the next contraction could hit, I untangled my hands and rolled out of bed.

"Fuck," I grumbled, glaring at the remains of the pillow. I tossed it towards the garbage can and limped to the bathroom. I didn't have time to drop any towels before the next one hit. I grabbed the counter and pressed down, feeling the orb moving in my gut.

Being the third egg, I was reluctantly getting used to this feeling. Between contractions I tried to relax, kneeling over a nest of towels while waiting. I felt it reach my cervix and hesitated, bracing myself for the next phase. With the next contraction, I pressed hard and felt it move through the tight opening. A few hard pushes later and it dropped out and I slumped against the counter, panting hard.

Between my furry legs, the fiery orb dried. I was tempted to crack it over the toilet and flush it right away, but the science types demanded data. They wanted more stats on griffon eggs to help better establish our baselines. Once I felt I was recovered enough, I picked up the heavy egg and went downstairs.

There, I weighed the egg on a cheap kitchen scale I'd picked up, and measured how big it was. FInally I snapped a picture of it and could get the next bit of data they wanted. I cracked the egg into a bowl and poured it into a measuring cup. It was the most attention I'd ever given to my egg. I noted the amount in the egg and guestimated the size of the yolk. It looked like any other egg I'd seen, just a hell of a lot more of it.

I submitted the stats to the Parker databases, and flushed the egg away. The shell I crushed and tossed into the garbage, not even tempted to keep it again. My first egg shell was still on the window ledge in the kitchen, but I had no desire to keep the rest of the eggs.

===Saturday, December 16===

The first ever Griffon Christmas Party was being held where it all began, at the Castle Inn. While I wasn't involved in most of the planning, I still showed up early to lend a paw where I could. There were a dozen of us, griffon and human alike who were there early, helping decorate the ballroom we had rented and trying not to get in the way of the hotel staff who were preparing the buffet. Soon enough it was all done but for the waiting, so I found myself with a beer, mingling with the other early arrivers.

I was contemplating stealing some cheese from a tray near the buffet when I saw Michelle heading my way, accompanied by a woman I didn't recognize. I put my hunt to the side and waved to them, waiting for them to get in conversation distance.

"Merry Christmas, Skyfire. This is Angela, our accountant," Michelle greeted me.

I tilted my head in surprise and took her offered hand. "Hello, Merry Christmas. And good to finally meet you, to put a face to the voice that's controlling the purse strings."

"Good to meet you too, and to meet the griffon that's been trying to spend like Santa, while I've been trying to save like Scrooge," Angela said, smiling warmly at me.

"Hey now, that's my sister's company's motto. Don't want to get dinged for improper usage," I teased back. "Seriously, thanks for all you've done and helped arrange. And sorry for the buses I've thrown you under when you weren't around."

She laughed in response. "No problem. I'm sorry I haven't been able to make it out to more of these gatherings to see how the money's going. But I'm glad to help. Michelle is an old friend, and you guys are a good group. I'm happy to help in any way you can."

"Thank you for it. Hopefully we won't be as stressful for you in the new year," I said.

"I doubt it, not with that Quidditch... sorry Skyball league starting up. And the training sessions Stephan's working on." The sport had decided to change its name to get some distance from any copyright or other conflicts that might arise.

"Well, we'll work it out regardless. Now I've seen you eyeing the same cheese tray I've been eyeing. So let's go claim it before anyone else does."

We decimated the cheese tray and went our separate ways and I wandered the room, eavesdropping on random groups.

"Do you think it's true?" I heard one griffon ask, the question catching my attention. I twitched my ears to listen closer but stayed back. "Is there really a market for griffon eggs and milk?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. I mean, we're going to be giving the milk to our kids anyways right? And the eggs look like eggs; not like the Titan eggs."

"Yeah but using those...." the first griffon said. I spotted the speakers and saw the griffon grimace.

"I know, it turns my stomach too, but considering what other things people eat, does it surprise you? Especially with how desperate some of us are probably."

"True. Still, if I ever see griffon eggs in a ''Chopped ''basket, I'm turning off the TV for good."

The first speaker laughed. "Well I don't think the FDA would clear it, at least not any time soon. But turning off the TV for good isn't a bad idea either."

I flicked my ears and looked away. I'd heard stories of griffons selling their eggs and their milk, but most of us found it distasteful. Having experience with both substances though, I could see either becoming an exotic ingredient eventually; but I hoped it would stay in the black and gray markets at least.

I moved on quickly to other groups chatting about sports. I knew nothing about sports but it was still a safer subject than the last one, and helped get my mind back into a festive mood.

An hour later the appointed time had arrived. We claimed seats at tables around the room, while Diana, a falcon-leopard griffon, served as the hostess. She waited at the front of the room for everyone to settle down.

"Good evening everyone, and welcome to our first Griffon Christmas Party. I hope everyone is having a good time so far."

There was a cheer from around the room. I was more than impressed by the turnout; it was one of the biggest local gatherings I'd seen yet, with a couple of hundred griffons and another hundred human friends and family.

"I know we're all eager for the food, so I'll get through this part as fast as I can," Diane said. "First, I wanted to thank our sponsors for this evening. The Kings Inn for hosting us and providing the food, along with countless people who have contributed to the GoFundme and similar pools to help all of us get back on our changed feet.These past few months would have been a hell of a lot harder without your help and support."

She paused as the room filled with applause and cheers."I'll highlight some of our other major sponsors later as the night goes on, but just as a quick overview here's what you can expect for tonight.

"First, we'll eat dinner. I'll direct tables to the buffet one or two at a time to load up. Please wait until all the tables have had a chance before going back for seconds.

"Towards the end of the meal, Michelle will come up to say a few words as well and to outline what we have in mind for next year. Just because the year is changing doesn't mean we're leaving you all out to dry.

"Finally, we'll have an evening of trivia games hosted by Unplugged. We'll go by tables and winning tables will get some drink tickets. We'll also have some random draws for griffons to pick gifts from the table behind me through the night, starting now."

I was seated at a table with Brian, Michelle and Angela. As the first names were called out, Angela leaned forward to better address us. "We should have something for every griffon that registered to show up," she said. "And they are all donated gifts, nothing from the pools. We had a lot of people doing wing work out to local businesses to gather them up."

"Impressive," I said. "Looks like a lot of gift cards, but really, that's what we all need the most I think."

"Yeah, and that helped us make some bundles so everything is at a similar price point while not needing to pressure any business to give more. And as you said, that helps all of you to go for what you really need."

"We probably won't be able to do that again next year, but I hope we won't need to do it again next year; at least not this way," Michelle said. "Some will always need help, but I hope most of us will be back to some sort of normal life, whatever is normal for us by then."

I nodded and sat back to watch the first few griffons make their picks from the gift table. The hotel had accommodated us by providing benches for us to sit at for dinner, instead of the usual chairs. Once the first set of gifts had been picked, Diane started sending tables to the buffet line. Our own table was going to be one of the last ones.

While we waited, I got up and wandered around to some of the other tables to mingle. I wasn't surprised to see Judy and Steve at a table. The Fort Saskatchewan couple didn't make it to most of our gatherings, but they had said they'd be here.

"Merry Christmas," I greeted the table. "How are you all doing?" As I took in the others at the table, I realized this was the Expecting table. Of the Eight griffons around it, I knew at least four of them were pregnant.

"Great, good to get out and do something festive," Judy said. "Even if it has to be a dry night."

"Right, how is the little one doing?" I asked, looking at Steve.

She leaned back a bit and put a hand on her furry belly. "Fine enough. Still a strange thought to think she's growing in me."

"Can you... can you feel anything yet?" I asked, hesitating before asking, not sure if it was tactful or not.

"Not yet, she's still too small. It's only been three months so far. But the next few months should be an exciting time," Stephen said.

"For both of us," Judy added, rubbing her own belly. "Her sister is coming along well too."

I tilted my head, eyes widening in surprise. "Congrats!"

Steve hugged her wife with her wing. "Thanks. And yes, it was planned. Since we're the only griffons out at the Fort, we were a bit worried about our kid being alone out there. So giving her a sister that's the same age seems like a good idea."

"Yeah, though we may come to regret that choice when the terrible twos hit," Judy laughed.

"She still has an advantage over me at least. She had an egg already, while I'm still waiting on my first," Steve said. The rest of the table winced a bit. "Yeah, I'm not looking forward to it, but that's the way it works out."

I saw Diane pointing to the next table. "Well, congratulations to all of you. We're going to have a bit of a griffon baby boom next year. But no offense, I'm glad it's you guys and not me. That's one aspect I'm not eager to experience."

The others laughed and nodded. "Most of us weren't I think, but it happened anyway. I think we're starting to get the hang of things though," Jim noted. Like Steve, she'd caught before her first egg.

I waved to them and moved out of their way so they could head to the buffet. My own table was called out soon after and I was finally able to get my meal.

As the meal wrapped up, Michelle joined Diane at the front of the room, waiting to get people's attention. She waved to a few people as Diane introduced her.

"Thank you everyone, I hope you are enjoying the meal," she started. "Three months ago, our world changed. Most of us were strangers, people who probably never would have encountered each other. But then our lives changed in ways we never thought possible a year ago. And that has brought us together out of necessity.

"These past few months have been trying on all of us. Thousands of us have had to rebuild their lives, sometimes from scratch. We've come a long way, and we still have a long way to go. We still have a lot to learn, including welcoming the new griffons into the world." She paused and nodded towards Judy and Steve's table.

"The new year brings new starts. But we won't abandon you. As long as a griffon needs help, we'll try to watch out for you. Our new community is too small to do otherwise.

"I would like to take a moment to highlight those among us who have been especially helpful. From my cousin Brian who has helped publicize our situation, to Angela who's made sure our finances have stayed steady and legit, to Diane and Jim and Syam and Rocky and many more who have helped out. And especially to my right wing griffon, Skyfire who's been an invaluable addition to our community. Thank you all of you.

"And now, let us celebrate the season and enjoy our company. Have fun everyone, and I'll see you next year."

The room erupted in applause again, while Michelle made her way back to the table, pausing to chat with a few along the way. Diane called out a few more griffons to pick out gifts.

The rest of the evening went well. A quizmaster from a local board game cafe took over and started a trivia contest for bragging rights mainly. The rest of the gifts were given out as well, and everyone seemed to have fun. My own name was drawn near the end, so I snagged a Second Cup coffee gift card from the remaining gifts.

Some of the attendees had booked rooms at the hotel so they could enjoy the full evening without needing to worry about flying home in the dark. For me, I took my leave a while after the games ended and the music was playing. I'd had a few drinks through the evening and felt heavy from eating too much at the buffet, but made it home without incident.

===Tuesday, Dec 19===

I checked the bedrooms for the third time in the hour, making sure everything was ready. The rooms were dusted, the beds made and everything ready for my family. I peeked in my room, triple checking that everything was neat and tidy, and that I hadn't left out anything that shouldn't be out. The fact that my male peak was tomorrow, and the hormone engine was at full throttle certainly didn't help my state of mind. I had no idea what I would do tomorrow, with a full house, though I was thankful they were avoiding the Heat.

I triple checked thermostats as well, verifying they were all set at human levels, albeit a bit cooler than normal room temperature. I still found the house almost unbearably hot.

I made my way downstairs and did a similar check, and paced. I opened the door to the garage and checked the car. The repairs made it look brand new. Last week, Rob had taken it out for a spin and to top off the tank. Keeping it insured while I didn't have a license was a bit of a nightmare, but after this visit I planned to finally sell it and get rid of that particular albatross.

I checked the map, and saw they were still around the airport. Bev let me know they'd landed half an hour ago on a very full plane. So I had no doubt they'd be awhile escaping. This time, I didn't argue with mom about them renting a car. With four drivers, having two vehicles available made sense.

Wanting to work off some of the nervous energy, I stepped outside and took off, my wings raising a cloud of fluffy snow along the way. I climbed up to the 1k level, and did a lazy glide around the neighbourhood. With one week until Christmas, the stores were packed, even for a Tuesday afternoon. Schools were winding down and many offices, like my own, were already on Christmas break. I paralleled Highway 2, and was glad I wasn't driving any more; traffic was bumper to bumper with no signs of letting up. I glided through the air, letting my mind drift as well, enjoying the crisp coolness over my feathers.

My phone chirped with a new message from my sister. ''We're here. Where you?''

I squawked in surprise and lost a few hundred feet figuring out where I was. I sprinted home as fast as my wings could propel me. There was a strange SUV in my driveway, but there was no one outside. My parents had the keys and alarm codes to my place so I wasn't surprised they let themselves in. I dropped down into my landing spot in the backyard, and jumped onto the back deck. I'd left that door unlocked when I left so I was able to barge right in. The heat hit me like a wall, making me pant even harder.

There was a strange woman with dirty blond hair in my kitchen. She had just put down a glass of water and was looking curiously at something next to the kitchen sink. When I burst in, she yelped in surprise and jumped back.

"Hi.... Tracy...." I gasped out, trying to catch my breath. "Sorry.... Lost track... of time."

"Simon?.... Hi..." she stammered back, eyes wide. We'd spoken often on video calls, but this was the first time we met in person since I changed. The meeting being me charging in certainly didn't make it any friendlier.

"Sorry," I said, snagging her glass of water. I tilted my head back and downed it in a couple of gulps, feeling the ice cubs slide down as well. My breathing finally started slowing to a normal rate. I could hear footsteps racing down the stairs.

Mom came around the corner, and barely gave me time to put the glass down before hugging me. I hugged back, nuzzling a bit. "Hey mom, dad," I said, looking up as dad came around as well.

I gently pushed mom away and gave dad a hug, then looked at the fourth person. Bev had shoulder length black hair, and a tomboy build. "Hey Sis. Sorry I'm late," I said.

She looked me over, hesitating as she processed who I was. "Damn, it's one thing to see this on the screen, but in person...." She finally moved in and we hugged; I could feel her hesitation, not sure what to make of hugging a human sized bird-ca and how to work around the wing feathers. "Where were you? It's not like you to miss us."

"I was going a bit stir crazy waiting, so I decided to duck out for a quick flight. Work off some energy and cool off," I said. I turned back to Tracy and approached her, offering my hand. "Sorry to burst in like that. I was over the LRT station when I got your message, and sprinted back."

She took my hand, and I pulled her in for a quick hug before letting her go.

"You were out like that?" Bev asked incredulously.

I looked down and shrugged. I was in full Skyfire mode. I had intended to put on a top and get into Simon mode before they arrived, but it was too late for that.

"You're ''still'' not cold out there?" mom asked, unphased by my appearance. Even dad didn't seem as uncomfortable about it as he had last time.

"It is getting a mite chilly," I admitted. "I'm starting to think of looking for mittens or gloves maybe. But there's a long waiting list last I checked."

"Minus ten and he's '''thinking of gloves'''" Bev shook her head and I smirked.

"At least he remembered to turn on the heat this time," Dad said.

"It's not too cold for you is it? I feel like I'm roasting in here myself. Can I get you anything?"

Drinks were readied, and bowls of chips filled. We spread out in the living and dining room, with me perched on a stool, and chatted.

During a lull in the conversation, mom addressed the griffon in the room. "You're looking good, Simon. How are you doing? How are you really doing?"

"I'm fine," I said. "Not good yet, but I'm getting closer. Adam's been a huge help for me. It's all a matter of taking it a day at a time, and accepting the way things are now."

"And Skyfire?" Dad asked.

I hid a wince by taking a gulp of juice. It was the topic Adam and I often came back around to, and we were approaching a solution. A solution I knew wouldn't make my family happy.

"She's me. I'm Skyfire," I said carefully. "I'm Simon too, but... " I paused, picking my words carefully. ".. but as time goes on, she's more and more dominant and there's no avoiding that. She's got biology on her side after all."

An awkward silence fell over us. I took another gulp and glanced around, seeing the struggle I was having in the faces of my family.

"So who are you? What's your name?" Bev asked.

"Simon. Skyfire. Sky. Son. Bro. Sis. Call me whatever you want. You've known me literally for all my life; you've certainly earned that right. Go with whatever you're comfortable with, and we'll work it out in time."

Another silence settled over us, this one with a confused undertone. I glanced at the clock and stood up. "It's been a long day, and I'm sure you all are starved. What are you thinking of for dinner?"

"Swiss-" mom started to say.

"No! No chicken! We've got a turkey dinner coming up, and I didn't fly halfway across the country for something I can get home," Bev interrupted. "How about some place with steaks?"

I chuckled. "Sure, there's a sports bar nearby that's got some decent steaks for good prices. They have good burgers and stir fry too if you want something else. Look for ''Goodfellow's Pub'' while I clean up."

I collected some of the glasses and took them to the kitchen. Tracy followed me with the rest and hung out by the sink as I loaded the dishwasher.

"That's beautiful," she said while waiting. "Where did you get that?"

I looked up and realized my blindspot had hit me again. She was looking at my first egg, still in its towel nest, though I'd moved it up onto the window ledge.

"I.... I made it," I said, trying to be tactful while trying to think of a way to get her away before she realized what it was..

"Wow, I never knew you were that skilled. The colours are so pretty. Is that some sort of pottery glaze?" She reached for it, only to be nudged away by my wing.

"Please don't touch it. It's not pottery. It's shell," I said.

"Shell?..." Her eyes widened and she stepped back as she realized what I meant.

I nodded and closed the dishwasher. "It was my first. I'm not sure why I'm keeping it, but a lot of us have so far. I should find somewhere else to put it."

"Well, I think it looks good where it is. A nice little splash of colour, especially against your snowy backyard."

"Thanks, I guess. Just... Don't draw too much attention to it."

"Did your parents see it?" she asked curiously.

I shook my head. "Nah. They came up before my... well before that."

I swiveled my ears back, hearing dad coughing in the other room. "You okay dad? Need some water?"

"I'm good," he gasped out after a moment. "Just clearing the airplane air."

I looked at Tracy who just shrugged. I filled a glass and brought it out for him. "Did you find it, Bev?"

"Yeah, looks like it'll be good. I'm booking a table for us. Uhm, how do I book for you?"

"Book a table for five and In the note section, clarify that it is four humans plus one griffon. I've gone there a few times so they know my needs."

She tapped a bit more on her phone then nodded. "Okay, we're booked for half an hour. Should we go now?"

"Yeah, you guys head out. I'll meet you there once I get dressed."

"We can wait for you. We got the van so you could fit," mom said.

"Not with four of you in the van. Don't worry, I'll still get there before you. They just have a pesky no shirt, no shoes policy so I can't quite go like this." I smirked and swung around the railing to head upstairs. "GO! I'll see you there."

I purposefully wasted time doing some preening while I waited for the van to leave. Alone again for the moment, I could feel the buzz of the approaching male peak, and had some doubts about tomorrow. I shoved them to the side and finished getting dressed, tightening up my top and clipping my slippers to my belt. I locked up the house and took off.

''Goodfellow's'' was in a minimall on the other end of my subdivision. It had a gas station with a carwash, a gym and a couple other restaurants accompanying it. Unlike the last time I'd been there, the parking lot was three quarters full when I dropped down to the sidewalk. I leaned against the fence around their outside eating area and pulled on my slippers. By the time I straightened up, the SUV was pulling in.

"Sky! We wondered if that was your reservation!" the hostess greeted me as I walked in.

"Hey Julie. Yeah, it was me. I don't think Cardi's come this way yet."

"But plus four? Are you finally making new friends?"

I laughed and stepped to the side as my family came in. "Nope, just really old friends. These are my parents, my sister and her wife."

Julie smiled at them and finished grabbing the menus. "Well, good to meet you all. Come this way please."

My spot was a table with a bench pulled away from the wall, so I could sit with my wings and tail feathers out of the traffic paths. A couple more tables had been pushed together, to give us enough room. After studying the menus, we placed our orders and soon had our drinks.

"So, what's the plan for the next little bit?" mom asked. "Do you have anything special you need to do?"

I shook my head. "Work's on our holiday break. Barring an emergency CS can't handle, I'm clear there. Adam's also on holidays, so my head shrinkage is on hold until the new year. And Michelle and I are both taking a break from griffon stuff. She and Brian are heading down to Elkwater to visit family once the Solstice lockdown lifts."

"Lockdown? What lockdown?" Bev asked.

"It's just a precaution. We don't expect anything to happen. But the Titans happened on the Spring Equinox, and we happened on the Fall equinox. So they're worried there might be a pattern and that something could happen again on the Equinoxes too. As a precaution, the Griffon and Titan areas are being closed off for those days. It's an improvement from what they used to do. Until we happened, the Titans were locked down every monthiversary."

"Should we be worried?" mom asked.

"Nah. They're worried about the territory, not the people. And I'm pretty sure it won't strike twice in any-"

Dad started coughing again, and tried to hide it with a sip of water. I saw worried expressions on the others, but dad waved us away.

"In any case..." I finished. "So yeah, you've got me for the next few weeks all to yourselves."

"We'll be sure to make the most of it then," mom said.

Our food arrived and we dug in hungrily. I could feel Bev and Tracy watching me as we ate and tried to ignore it. Mom and dad had gotten used to my new needs a month ago, but this was their first time with the full griffon experience. I'd ordered a steak, which I carefully cut into small chunks and swallowed. I made it halfway through before they asked and I had to give them the gizzard talk.

Jetlag caught up with them by the end of the meal. I settled the bill while they loaded up the SUV and left. To their surprise, I still beat them home, but only just.

We chatted on some safe topics for an hour or so, before mom and dad retired to bed. The rest of us stayed quiet, catching up on our virtual lives while we had a few moments of peace. When I was sure mom and dad were asleep, I focused my best eagle-gaze on Bev. "What's wrong with dad?"

She met it without flinching, but I could see the worry gnawing away at her. "I don't know. They haven't breathed a word. It may just be the canned air on the plane, but I don't know."

I looked away and nodded. "Maybe.... Hopefully. You sure you haven't heard anything?"

"Nothing at all."

We fell silent again, both worried about what we weren't being told. Tracy stood up and yawned. "Well, it's been a really long day. We should hit the sack."

"Sure, night girls. You should have everything you need in the room. Just shout if you need anything," I said.

I gave them time to settle down by tidying up downstairs. I killed the lights and went upstairs. The doors to the other bedrooms were closed and the lights were out, but I could still hear whispers from Bev and Tracy's room. I tuned them out and freshened up in the bathroom before retiring myself.

I could feel the male peak rushing at me. I was a little tempted to try and resist it, but figured it was better to head it off at the pass. Feeling like I was a teenager again, I carefully slid open my bedside drawer and pulled out one of my ''health aids''.

Being as quiet and motionless as possible, I pumped myself to a release. I still grunted and spasmed in the bed. I panted and listened, expecting to have woken the others, but the house was silent. I pulled the toy free and wiped up, leaving everything on the side of the bed for the morning. The guilty pleasure I was feeling didn't keep me from dropping off to sleep.

===Wednesday, Dec 20===

The problem with being a mountain zone griffon in a house of eastern zone humans, is they always had the morning edge on you. In my dreams, the icy goddess showed up, but before she could do anything, the outside world intruded. I woke up to the sounds of a house already busy with people going through their morning routines. Not used to my home being noisy, I laid in bed my shaft hard from the interrupted wet dream and the oncoming rut. I flicked my ears, picking apart the noises. Mom snored in the spare bedroom, still fast asleep as usual; her natural time zone seemed to be somewhere west of the pacific zone. Dad, Bev and Tracy were in the kitchen, talking and making breakfast.

I shifted my focus to myself, doing a mental assessment. I could tell I was wired, my body already quivering in anticipation of something I couldn't really give it. I groaned softly, realizing it was going to be a long day; one I wasn't sure how I was going to handle. Trying to stay quiet, I reached down and began to rub my shaft, shivering when I stroked against the barbs on it. Very quickly I felt my pulse quicken and I bucked, releasing onto the sheets.

Filled with adolescent guilt, I braced myself in bed to stay out of the wet spot I'd made and listened for any changes. The cadence of the waking household hadn't changed. I rolled off the bed and sighed, thankful my rut was eased for the moment.

I grabbed some clean clothes, top and bottom and hesitated at my bedroom door. Considering my previous peaks had come with lactation, I wasn't sure a clean top was wise, but it felt better than the swollen nipples I was showing now. I looked at the wet spot on the sheets and decided to leave that problem for later, along with the toy I'd used before. With a bit of guilt, I flipped the sheets back over the wet spot to hide it and the toy, and returned to the door. I listened carefully and decided the coast was clear before bolting to the bathroom.

It wasn't until I had the shower running and scrubbed my fur that I realized I'd rushed in stark naked. The embarrassment drained away with the water as I cleaned up. I spent an extra long time cleaning up and preening for the day. Towards the end, I could tell my respite period was ending. I briefly toyed with the idea of trying to fight it, but decided this wasn't the time. I turned on the shower and the bathroom fan and looked at myself in the steamy mirror. My dark shaft was swollen to full mast again, yearning to be used. Reluctantly, I switched back to the tub and closed my eyes, summoning the goddess to mind as I reached down to my shaft. She wasn't as seductive as she normally was as my attention was too shattered to build up a proper scenario. But I quickly pumped myself to a fresh release, thugh she was clearly not pleased.

With more time bought, I finished cleaning the tub and myself. I gave the bathroom a final look around after I dressed, and declared it safe. I checked myself in the mirror and wasn't happy with what I saw; my nipples pressed hard against the fabric of my top, not visible but more noticeable than usual. In my shorts, the bulge was similarly noticeable to my eyes, not at full mast, but not hidden in its sheath either. It was going to be a long day.

Deciding I'd stalled long enough, I killed the lights and stepped out. Mom was still snoring in her room, while downstairs I could hear the chatter of everyone else over breakfast. I closed my bedroom door and went downstairs, feeling more exposed than normal even as I tried to act normally.

"Morning, Simon. You leave any water for the rest of us?" dad asked, munching on a bagel.

"What? Yeah, there should be water left," I said, my focus too shattered to recognize the teasing.

"It's to be expected, dad. You're in a house with four women and a guy. Bathroom time is nonexistent," Tracy taunted.

"Two guys. Very much two guys," I mumbled a correction while grabbing some juice.

"What was that?" Bev asked.

I ignored the question, chugging down half the juice container in one go.

"Whoa, easy there. Save some for the rest of us!" Bev added. "Are you okay Simon? You seem more frazzled than you usually are in the mornings."

"I'm fine!" I snapped. I grabbed a banana and orange and headed for the door. "I just need some air. It's too damn hot."

The chill outside did help more than I expected. It was cloudy outside with a light snow falling; enough that we would have to shovel by the end of the day. I bit into the banana, peel and all, and tried to calm myself. I heard someone step out behind me. She shivered and came up beside me.

"You okay Simon? What's wrong?" Bev asked.

I glanced over to her. She'd pulled on her boots, untied, but had left her jacket inside. She shivered, just in her pjs. I extended my wing and pulled her close to me. Part of me was a bit worried about being that close to a woman in my current condition. The bigger part of me kept the rut in tight control, the family connection keeping those thoughts at bay.

"Sorry. It's just bad timing. Not horrible timing, since there is a worse case scenario. But it's not nice," I said.

"What is it?" she asked again. I could feel her shaking against me, trying to warm up.

I wanted to be quick, so she could get back inside, but I wasn't sure how to say it. "Have you been reading up on me? On griffons?"

She nodded.

"So you've heard of our roller coaster right? Our cycles? Well, I just hit the male peak today. I thought I could handle it, but I don't think I can."

"Oh.... Oh!.... What can we do to help? Should we leave for the day?"

I took a breath and tried to keep control over my body. Biology still had the advantage and was gaining ground. "No, that might not be necessary. But I'll probably be away most of the day." I glanced back at the house, and saw three pairs of eyes looking out at us. Mom had woken up and joined the rest of the family.

"I need my phone, and its holder. Could you get it for me please? And get your jacket, you're freezing."

She gave me a light punch, "I still can't believe you aren't. I'll be right back."

While I waited, I waved to everyone. The urges were building again, but I hoped if I had something to do it would help me fight them. I turned away and bit into the orange, rind and all, letting the juice dribble into my beak. By the time I swallowed the last chunk, Bev was coming back out, tugging on her jacket. My phone and flight gear dangled from one hand. I snagged it from her hand and slid it on, feeling more comfortable with it in place on my forearm. I woke the phone up and placed a call, voice only.

"Hey Sky, what's up?" Cardi asked. In the background I could hear the news, so I figured she was home.

"My testosterone levels," I replied, trying not to sound too stressed. "I've got a huge fav to ask."

"Sure, go for it."

"My fam is up for Christmas, and I'm at male peak. I don't want to kick them out, so would you mind if I crashed at your nest? I promise I'll clean up."

"Of course! Come right on over. I'm about to head out the door for work, but I'll leave it open for you. You know which one to land on."

"Thanks. I owe you. I owe you a bunch."

"Shut up and get your tail over here." She killed the connection and I smiled.

"She sounds friendly," Bev said.

"She is. Just moved up here a few weeks ago. She works at Crappy Tire too, a manager at the big store."

"Oh? Maybe I should plan to do a surprise inspection." Bev smirked. While technically she was ''just'' a general manager, for years now she had worked closely with some of the store owners as their fixer; someone brought into a struggling store with the goal to get it back on track. It meant she moved every year or so, but she loved it.

"You're on vacation," I countered, laughing a bit. I almost felt normal.

I looked at her and saw her staring at me. I followed her gaze down and saw my top was showing two wet spots. "Ah fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck," I cursed, not sure what to do.

Bev looked up incredulously. "Since when did you start swearing like a sailor?"

"Since I started leaking like a damn cow every two weeks. And I wish I had a sailor's vocabulary. Fuck!"

"Okay. It's okay. I'll run interference with everyone else. Do you need anything inside before you go?"

It was really tempting just to take off and head out, but without my health aids, it would make a horrible day even more miserable.

"Yeah, I need to get some things. Cardi's a friend, but we're not at the 'beak brushes at each other's homes' stage."

"No but you're clearly at the 'offer your home as a masturbation nest' stage.... Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It's a lot to take in."

"It's okay. I'd have said the same if I wasn't so muddled up."

She gave me a quick side hug, careful to avoid any pressure on my chest. "We can talk more later. Give me a minute to get them distracted, then make your move."

I faced away from the house, but turned my head enough to watch the windows. Bev walked in and shooed everyone deeper into the house. I waited for what felt like an eternity, and walked in.

The wall of heat hit me hard, making me stumble. I gasped a bit and pushed forward. I ran for the stairs, ignoring mom calling my name. I crashed into my bedroom and slammed the door behind me much harder than I'd intended. The actual heat was getting to me as bad as the sexual heat.

I tore my top off, feeling a bit of relief from the rubbing on my nipples. I scanned the room, trying to decide what to take. The toys were already on the bed; I added a full lube tube, a set of brushes and a change of clothes for when I was done. The only thing I was missing was something to carry it all in. My bags were all downstairs. I cursed and tried to figure out what to do. It took me too long to realize I had someone who could bring one of them up. I sent Bev a text and minutes later, I heard her leave the bag outside the door and walk away. I cracked the door and hauled it in.

The bag was one I'd recently gotten. It was on the smaller size, meant to snug up under the breasts instead of squeezing against them like most packs did. It was basically our purse. I filled it up and strapped it on. It had shoulder straps and belt clips to make sure it wouldn't flap as we flew. After it was in place, I cursed, realizing I should've put on a fresh top first. From what I was feeling in my loins, my time was quickly running out. It was very tempting to go out the window, but I wasn't quite that desperate yet.

I put my hand on the doorknob and mentally braced myself. After a few breaths, I opened it and started running. My paws barely touched the stairs on the way down, and I barely kept myself from smashing into the exterior door. I didn't say a word to anyone on the way out. At the top of the steps, I leaped forward, wings snapping open and lifting me up just before my toes brushed the snow.

Doing something physical seemed to buy me some more time. I climbed up to my usual flying altitudes and headed towards Cardi's tower. When I felt I was stable enough to speak, I called Bev.

"Hey there. You're on speaker," she answered.

"Hi guys. Sorry for all that. I thought I could handle it... but I couldn't. I'm sorry," I said.

"What is it? What's wrong Simon?" mom asked.

"Nothing's wrong exactly. And it's nothing on you guys. Just bad timing. If you really want to know, Bev can explain."

"Oh no she can't. Check Wiki if you really want to know," Bev countered. "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough."

"Right. I just need some alone time for today. I'm crashing at a friend's place, so you guys have free reign of my house. Just stay out of my bedroom. This should break by the evening, and I'll be home then."

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do for you?" mom asked.

"Positive. This is the third time. I know what I have to do myself. I just need some peace to do it in. If you really want to help, haul the tree and decorations up from the basement. But don't start decorating until I get back."

"Of course. We'll see you tonight."

"Bye guys," I said, breaking the connection.

Cardi's apartment was in a somewhat isolated twenty story complex near her work. Her 15th floor apartment had a balcony with a griffon sign and a welcome mat. Actually landing on the balcony was tricky with the winds, the walls and the railings, but I managed it without too big of a crash. The door opened before I recovered, showing the cardinal griffon. She was dressed in her uniform and had her chest pack strapped on with her vest and shoes and other work gear.

"You're a mess. Get in here," she said, stepping to one side.

"Thanks. You should be at work," I grunted back, getting inside. The apartment temperature was warmer than outside, but still comfortably cool.

"They can wait. I figured it was only polite to greet you. The spare bedroom is set up, just down that hall, second door on the left. There's milk and juice and coke in the fridge, and a fruit bowl on the counter. Help yourself to whatever you want."

I began to wiggle out of my own chest pack and nodded. "Thanks. I really appreciate it. I was sure I could handle it this time, but..." I sighed in embarrassment.

Cardi took my bag and set it to one side. She faced me and rubbed my shoulders. "It's okay. We're all going through this. It's only the third time. We'll master it eventually."

I groaned and felt the next wave stirring. "Damnit, I was leaking in front of my sister. A big brother shouldn't be doing that."

"But you're not her big brother any more. You're her big griffon now. And we're wired and plumbed differently. I'm sure she'll understand. Just do what you can to cool those hormones and you'll feel better on the other side."

I nodded and weakly stumbled towards the spare bedroom. "Thanks," I said, blinking and staring at her. This was the first time I'd been around another griffon during a peak, and something felt different. I felt hyper aware of her, including the fact that she was very much on the female side of her ride. It gave the primal side of the peak a surge that I barely held back. "You... You should get going. You're just past heat and I can tell."

She gave me another look, then nodded, heading for the balcony door. "Call if you need anything. Good luck."

I waved a wing, not looking. I stumbled into the smaller bedroom and tossed my bag on the bed. It was sparsely decorated, a queen bed with a bed table and lamp, a dresser, a closed closet door with a full length mirror. I caught my reflection in it and could tell I looked horrible.

Still struggling to stay in control, I pulled the comforter off the bed and tossed it into a corner so I wouldn't have to clean it later. The bed sheets I pulled off but used to make a bit of padding next to the bed. I stripped off my shorts, getting some relief from the rubbing against my hard shaft. I got one of my toys out and slammed into it, my back to the mirrors. Very quickly I bucked forward and let out a cry of relief. I leaned against the bare mattress, panting and recovering. The next surge was already starting to build but my mental defenses were ready to buy me a bit more time.

Weakly, I pulled the toy off and wiped my groin. I was still fully erect but not quite ready to fire again. I stood up, turned and froze, seeing my reflection in the mirror. I had mirrors at home, but I didn't have any full length mirrors that I could use to see myself in my full phoenix glory.

My reflection showed a frazzled griffon. Her wings drooped from the normal at rest state, her tail feathers spread. My dark nipples were swollen hard on the round, furry breasts. My shaft, still wet and fully erect, should have been out of place on a body with breasts, but it seemed natural to me now. It was me now, whether I wanted it or not. I turned away from the mirror and sighed, cleaning up a bit and mentally setting myself up for the rest of the day.

Alone with my thoughts, all I could think of was the rut. I tried to distract myself a little, turning on the TV for extra noise and doing some net surfing on my phone, but all too often, the rut surged and all I could think of was the yearning from my loins. Sometimes I tried to summon the icy goddess; most of the time it was purely primal, pumping into the toy to get a release that my body demanded.

As the day wore on, I grew more exhausted. I made sure to stay hydrated and to decimate Cardi's fruit bowl during the quiet times. I noticed her first egg in the kitchen window similar to mine. Hers was more reds and oranges, matching her general colouring. In the middle of the afternoon, I pumped a fresh release, and slumped against the bed, dozing off.

A few hours later, I woke up, still exhausted, but the hormonal buzz was fading; the rut had broken. The urges were still there, but they didn't have as much force behind them. I pulled myself to my feet and looked at myself in the mirror. My fur was a matted mess, my nipples still glistening with the pent up cream. My groin was similarly matted, though my shaft had finally retreated back into its sheath. I turned away from the mirror and gathered the sheets and started cleaning up. I tossed the sheets into the washer and scrubbed the bedroom floor. The toys helped keep the mess mostly contained, but there was some spillage.

Once the bedroom was somewhat presentable again, I turned my attention to myself. I went to the spare bathroom and started working on myself. There was soon a pile of towels waiting for their turn in the washer, but I felt a little better, even if my breasts were still heavy. I retreated back to the bedroom to start preening, forcing myself to watch myself in the mirror. As I got my feathers and fur back into place, I felt better. I posed in the mirror, feeling that the fiery griffon in the reflection looked quite handsome, though exhausted. Little Simon was tucked away, content for a rest.

The only problem was my breasts. They hadn't gotten the memo that the peak was over. They still felt heavier than normal, the nipples still swollen. I gave them a squeeze and felt a little tingle and wetness in my palms. I cursed under my breath and tried to figure out what to do. Over the last peaks, I'd just let them be and they'd done whatever they did overnight, feeling back to normal by the morning. But the last few peaks, I spent alone. This time, I had company around; I couldn't go home like this.

I reluctantly returned to the bathroom and tried to center myself over the sink. I closed my eyes and tried not to think of what I was doing as I squeezed my left breast, massaging it and pinching the nipple. The thick cream coated my fingers and dripped into the sink. It felt like it took forever, switching from one to the other every few minutes, but eventually the leakage stopped and I almost felt like they were normal again. As normal as tits on a bird could be.

I turned the water on and started rinsing the thick liquid down the drain. I soaked a washcloth and washed my hands and my chest and wiped down the counter. I dried up and started brushing my chest, my nipples aching from all the rubbing and squeezing.

Feeling closer to normal, I went to the washer and moved the laundry around. I heard some thumps on the patio, and Cardi came in.

"Hey Sky, How are you doing?" she called out. "I've got ice cream."

"Thanks, I'm doing better," I called back. I turned the machines on and went out to the living room. "Sorry, I didn't get to the kitchen yet. But the bedroom and bathrooms are clean."

"Don't worry, it's not that bad. Mrrow, you certainly are a handsome griff," she flicked her tail and smiled, looking me over with a hungry look.

I glanced down, and realized I hadn't dressed yet. And that I was too exhausted to care. "It's probably just the leftover heat talking. I'm a mess and I'm exhausted, and I still have to figure out how I'll handle the family."

I slumped onto a stool at the breakfast bar. Cardi pulled the top off the tub of ice cream and slid it over to me, along with a spoon.

"Here, you're drained. You'll feel better once you start filling up again."

"Maybe. But if you saw what I was just doing, maybe ice cream isn't the best of ideas." I picked up the spoon and stabbed it into the frozen desert and started digging in regardless.

"Oh, you're a milker to? Damn, you mentioned that this morning. I'm sorry, it didn't click for me."

Lactation was a random quirk for griffons. Some didn't lactate at all. Others only did it during their heat. And about twenty percent were like me, going off both male and female peaks. There was no obvious correlation on what a griffon's breasts did compared to who they were before.

"It's okay. I cleaned it up. I just hope it doesn't make my body think I'm actually nursing. It was the first time I... That I actually milked myself. I hope it doesn't make them think I'm actually nursing."

"From what I've heard, it hasn't for anyone else yet. So you're probably safe. Have you thought about investing in a breast pump?"

"Amy suggested it last time I was at Intimate, but I didn't think I needed it then. Now I'm having second thoughts. It just feels so wrong though."

"Don't worry about wrong or right. It's your body now, and it's got its own demands. That feeling is probably a leftover Simon feeling, your old male mind rebelling against dealing with women stuff. Just remember, for us, there isn't women or man stuff, there's just griffon stuff."

I felt the spoon scrape the bottom of the container, and realized the ice cream was gone. I also realized that little Simon wasn't quite done, though he was hidden behind the breakfast bar.

"I should get dressed and get going. It's going to be a rough evening."

"Well, if you feel you need a break, you know where I am. My patio door's always open."

"Thanks." I didn't trust myself to get close to her in my current condition. I swung around and scooted to the bedroom to get my clean clothes on and to pack up. My top felt like it fitted like it usually did.

I stepped out with everything strapped on, intending to finish the kitchen before I left, only to find Cardi had done it. She finished wiping the counter and came around to hug me. "I'm serious, if you need anything, I'm here."

"I know. And thanks for being there." I stepped away and glanced out the window, my eye drawn to the Christmas decorations on the houses below. It reminded me of something I'd meant to ask before the peak interrupted me. "Do you have any plans for Christmas? You just moved up here, and you're obviously not going back to the Hat, so I wasn't sure if you were doing anything...."

"I'm good," she said. "Thank you for thinking of me, but I have plans."

"Right then, I guess I'm off." I stepped out onto her deck and climbed onto the railing. The metal was already well scuffed from multiple takeoffs and landings. "Happy Holidays! Thanks again."

"No problem Sky. Happy Holidays."

I took my time heading home, putting off facing them for as long as I could. I needn't have worried about it. When I finally thought to check the map, I saw they were stuck on the highway coming back from somewhere. So I had plenty of time to change my bed, put my things away and otherwise stew in my thoughts. I flopped on the padded bench I used for a couch and did some Netflix binging without really watching anything. I didn't even stir when the SUV pulled in, and the family returned, loaded down with bags.

"Hey Simon. How yah doing?" Bev asked, setting her bags down and coming around to face me. She had been the first through the door.

"Been better. Been worse. But it's past. Hey guys," I said, pushing myself up. "Did you have a good day?"

"It was good. We got a lot done as you can see. How are you doing?" Mom put her own bags in the pile and sat next to me, giving me the ''Mom Look''. It was still effective.

"Better as I said. The worst is over, and I'll be back to normal in the morning. Today's just a rough day. I thought I had a better grip on things, but these hormone swings are just too much."

"Do you want to talk about it?" mom asked, taking my hand. The rest of the family busied themselves sorting the bags, putting some things away while carrying other bags up to the bedrooms to wrap for later.

"Not really. It's a griffon thing. I'm living it and I don't really understand it. I don't know how you could...."

"Stop that! Just because I'm not a griffon doesn't mean I can't understand it. We've been doing our best to learn about you since you changed, and trying to figure out the best ways we can support you."

I sighed and looked out the window, trying to piece together my thoughts. This was the sort of thing I'd spill out to Adam, but he wasn't available. He did leave his number so I could call in an emergency, but this didn't feel like the right situation.

"It's just so rough," I said. I was so mentally exhausted, my normal filters were failing. "To have my body warped this way to start was one thing. But then, the biology kicks in. For ten-twelve days, I feel almost normal, that things are going good, and I can get through this. But every two weeks, this kicks in, reminding me that this isn't my body, or at least my original one, and it has its own requirements. This damn cycle is exhausting and it's only been three months now."

"It's only been three months. That's almost no time really. Is it getting better?" she asked, still rubbing my hand.

"I don't know! I think it is... maybe it is... but it still knocks me out. I can't do anything without planning around these biweekly ''gifts''. Two days a month wasted due to my fucking biology," I growled and squeezed my hands into fists, feeling the tips of my talons press against my palms.

"This is where you make some comparison to women's periods or something right?" I asked.

Mom shook her head. "No, not really. It's tempting, but it's not a good comparison. You're not a woman, and you're going through things I can't begin to understand. But know this, we're here for you. Whether you need privacy, or someone to run errands, or just someone to hold your hand, we're all here for you."

"Thanks. I know that, and I love you for that, even if I don't always show it well."

She stayed quiet and just held my hand. I leaned against her and sighed. Finally I squeezed her hand carefully and let her go. "I'm exhausted, but I'm starving. What do we want for pizza?" I asked, already bringing up the site of a local pizzeria on my phone.

===Thursday, Dec 21===

I finished my preening and checked myself once more in the mirror. I hadn't really paid much attention to my appearance beyond the needs of preening, but after yesterday, I had some second thoughts. I made a note to mention a proper mirror as a Christmas gift as I went downstairs. Mom was still dozing, but everyone else was up.

"Morning, Simon. You're looking good," Bev greeted me.

"Thanks, I'm feeling better. The roller coaster ride isn't too bad, but the turnaround kicks are the worst."

"Do you think it will always be that bad?" Tracy asked.

"No one knows. We're hoping it will be more manageable, but it's too soon to tell. There's just so many unknowns right now." I took a sip of juice. "Think of it this way. I had forty five years as a human, forty five years to learn what it means to be a guy, backed by seven billion people living right now at all stages of life, and thousands of years of history to define and redefine what it means to be human.

"Now, I've had three months to learn what it means to be a griffon, with a hundred thousand other griffons all at basically the same stage of life now, and with three months of history to build from. Sure we can crib notes from bird, cat and human behaviour. But I'm a griffon now, not those things, and assuming one thing could blind us to something else. Like the Heat."

"Well, glad to see some things didn't change about you, Simon," Bev said. "So what do we want to do today?"

I moved around to the sink and cracked the window open. The cool air against my back was divine, even if it would blow up my heating bill. "Well the tree is up, so we'll need to get it decorated. Dad, I want to build a second star for outside too. We'll need to get the wood, but everything else is here. Beyond that, I don't know."

"I'm sure we'll figure out something. If we go out, we'll take your car so you can use the SUV to get the wood," Bev said.

"Yeah, we need to move it anyways, so we can use the garage for construction."

After noon, the girls left to roam the city, leaving the decorating project to 'The Boys'. It felt good to do a project with dad again, something we could work on together, unlike the work we'd done over Thanksgiving. He only had a small heart attack when I jumped off the top of the ladder after verifying where I wanted it to hang and how big we wanted to make it.

Home Depot was as busy as any store this close to Christmas. Unlike normal times though, the customers tended to be mothers and children looking for 'Last Minute Dad Gifts'. My presence still caused reactions, but people were starting to get used to it. That we were getting lumber helped too; dads generally didn't usually get sheets of plywood and two by fours for Christmas.

Through the rest of the afternoon, we bickered over the implementation details and had a good time figuring out the angles and how to fit it together. I had to fly out for supplies twice and dad had to drive to get another piece of lumber before we worked everything out. We attached the lights to the frame and tested it, and declared it done.

As the sun was setting, it was ready to be put up. The hooks were already in place, so we were just waiting for the audience. Dad did have one coughing fit, but he blamed it on the sawdust we were kicking up. Considering the same dust was turning my black fur white, it was a justified excuse; I was sure I brushed more saw dust out of my fur and feathers than we swept off the floor afterwards.

We were relaxing with beers when the girls returned. "We're back! How'd you guys do?" mom called out, coming in like a lioness.

"All done, just waiting on you guys. No hospital visits," I said. "Come on, let's go out back."

I stopped next to the ladder we were going to use, while everyone else moved to my usual take off spot.

"It looks good," Bev said. "Very pretty."

"How are you going to put it up? Are you going to fly it up?" Mom asked. Bev and I face palmed in unison.

"I'm a glider. I can't hover.... " I sighed and shook my head. "Let's get this done."

I climbed partway up the ladder and dad passed the star up to me. There was no trace of the fear I used to have climbing the tall ladders, now that I knew I could safely get down by myself if it started to slide. It took a few tries to get it settled on the hooks, but soon it was done but for the power. I went down a few steps and leaned far to one side to reach the extension cord.

"Careful!" mom called out. I ignored her, even as I felt the ladder slide a little.

I plugged it in and was blinded as the lights lit up. I froze for a moment, closing my inner lids and glancing away. When I was adjusted to the glare, I double checked the connection and the position. Then I turned around and jumped, flying off the ladder. There were gasps from below as I climbed a bit higher and curved around to look. I was happy with our project and the house felt complete, at least for this year.

I dropped down and landed behind them. My paws crunched through the snow and I stumbled a little, but it wasn't a bad landing. I was a bit surprised at the expressions on Bev and Tracy's faces.

"You realize that was the first time we saw you fly?" Bev said. "Fly for reals that is."

"What? No. It can't be," I said, thinking back.

"She's right. You always left after we did and got wherever before we did," Tracy said. "Other than yesterday, but we were all inside then and didn't really see you take off."

"Dang, you're right. Sorry. Well, you'll see it more often I'm sure. Let's get back inside; you guys are probably frozen. We'll have dinner and start on that tree."

===Friday, Dec 22===

I turned my phone off and sighed softly, too soft for the others to pick up. We were all up, trying to figure out what we wanted to do for the day. The messages I'd just gotten gave me an idea, but it went against everything I held sane.

"I've got an idea," I said, loud enough to get everyone's attention. "Let's go to West Ed."

Mom and dad stared at me like I'd grown another head, while Bev laughed. "Are you feeling alright, Simon? You've hated going there since you moved out here."

"I know, I know. But I've got things to do there, and putting it off won't make them any easier," I said, lying a bit. I wanted to surprise them if I could. "So, let's go today. We can take both cars so you can leave early or go somewhere else if you want to."

"That seems reasonable," dad said. "Are you going to drive with us?"

"Cramped up in a tin can in this traffic? Hell no!" I checked the maps and let Google kick out some estimates. "Should only take you half an hour or so to get there. Park at the Bay end, it's usually quieter, even at this time of year. I'll meet you on the second floor outside the Bay. They've got Santa camped out there on the first floor, so watch for the ankle biters."

"Bro, that tends to be more your problem now, not ours," Bev noted.

I sighed and nodded, "True, true. Anyways, I'm going to get ready and head out shortly. If you guys decide on something else, just let me know. But trust me, today's probably the sanest day to go there before Christmas."

"Sure, we can go check it out at least," Mom said. "As you said, take both cars, so we can go elsewhere later, if you kids want to just hang out or something."

I waved and went back upstairs to dress for the mall. This time, I left before them, taking my time to head north.

The mall was as busy as I expected. Even the normally empty parts of the parking lots were filling up. Still, the upper deck of the Bay/Winners section was fairly empty. I texted to let them know where to go and landed on the pedestrian bridge linking the mall to the parking.

"Morning Claire," I greeted the guard. She was on break, vaping on the far end of the bridge. She had been on duty when we swarmed the mall a few weeks ago.

She jumped and nearly dropped her vaporizer. "Damn! Wear a bell or something!" she said, giving me a quick glare before smiling. "I should've known you'd probably be out today. You seem to show up when things go insane."

I held up my hands in surrender. "It wasn't intentional this time. I had no clue they'd be coming up. Do you happen to know where they are?"

"Last I heard, second level at the skating rink. There's a charity skate with the Oilers going on, so it's a popular spot."

I checked the map and saw my family had made excellent time, even with the traffic. They were about to turn off the highway and would only be a few blocks away from the mall. "Well I'll go see what they're up to, once my family gets here. They're just a few blocks away."

Claire nodded and took a few more puffs before pocketing the vaper. "No problem. They really aren't causing that much trouble, and everyone is welcome here. Enjoy your visit, and happy holidays."

"Happy holidays. I'll see you around."

She wandered back inside while I leaned against the bridge railing, enjoying the crisp winter air. I waved a wing at families coming in and out of the mall. Many of them drifted to the far side of the bridge while staring at me. Most smiled and waved back. I lost track of how many holiday greetings I gave out. It wasn't long before I saw a familiar group heading my way.

"Hey guys, how was the traffic?" I asked.

"Not too bad, but we nearly missed the exit to the mall," Tracy said. "We may have cut off a few people getting onto it."

"Who puts exits on the left lanes?" Bev grumbled.

I laughed and headed for the entrance. "I don't miss that. Come on. I figure I'll give you a quick tour, and then we can scatter to do our own things for a bit. Then find lunch somewhere and decide from there."

I braced myself and walked through the doors. The heat hit me first, not quite as warm as I anticipated, but still stuffily warm. The noise was the next wallop I endured. Thousands of people in a building doing their own thing generated a lot of ambient noise; nothing particularly loud, but for griffon hearing it was a lot to try and tune out. I pressed my ears back for a few minutes while I got used to it.

The second level wasn't quite as busy as the ground floor, especially at this end of the mall. But there were still a lot of people about, people who were usually surprised to see me. Most of the time they automatically moved to the side, making a path for us. More than a few times, I had to reach out and lightly nudge someone to make room. It usually gave them a small jump scare when they realized a wing or a scaly talon had touched them.

I paused outside the Bay, looking down on the central stage we had used just a few weeks past. Santa had thoroughly taken it over, with his throne for photographs. Families lined up around the stage and down one of the side corridors, waiting for the last minute pictures with the jolly elf. I stood at the railing and waved, seeing kids and parents alike looking up at me.

"Does this usually happen with you?" Bev asked, watching the wide eyed reactions.

"It's getting better, but there are so few griffs around, anywhere we go tends to surprise people. We're out of sight, out of mind, until we're in sight and they have to acknowledge us again," I said. "Still, the kids' reactions are the best. The natural surprise they tend to have, and the looks of wonderment and curiosity."

Most of the eyes were looking up at me now, and even Santa seemed more interested in me than the kids. "Spread out a bit, give me some room," I said quietly, glancing around to make sure I had space. My family moved away, giving me room to spread my wings wide and wave to the crowd below. The gasps of surprise and wonderment made it all worth it. I held the pose for a few moments, long enough for the cameras to get a good view.

"Happy Holidays everyone!" I shouted, giving a wave from a wing and a hand before pulling my wings back in and stepping back from the railing. I motioned for them to keep following as I headed down the central corridor.

"There's a charity skate going on right now, with the Oilers," I explained as we went. "So the rink is going to be busy too. Since I was surrounded by family, I squinted ahead, zooming in to examine the crowd around the ice rink. I didn't like to do that while walking because it killed my peripheral vision, but I had to know how to handle what was coming. On the closer side, the crowd seemed to be focused on the ice surface, or looking straight across. Zooming in on the far side of the rink, they seemed less interested on the ice surface and more curious about something further back. I spotted a distinctive flash of red among the people, as well as a grey blue flash and knew where to go.

I relaxed my eyes and realized I was half a step from tripping over a bench. I barely managed to turn the tripping hazard into a slightly more dignified hop.

I let my family move to the railing to look down on the ice surface, while I hung back, hoping to be unnoticed. The hockey players were doing slow laps around the rink while surrounded by a mob of kids and teens. I tried to pretend I didn't see the raven griffon frantically waving at me from the back of a red Titan.

"Uhm Simon? I think someone wants your attention. Is that normal?" Tracy asked, spotting the movement.

"Not normal at all. Come on, I'll introduce you before Mike's waving breaks the no fly zone," I said, finally waving back and pointing to one side so we'd be less distracting.

Now that we were close, the two Titans were impossible to ignore. Mike rode on Rick's back, while a human I didn't recognize was on Alan's.

"What the hell are you guys doing up here this time of year?" I asked once introductions were done. The human was David, another of Rick's students and their driver. Rick had texted me earlier to arrange a meetup, but had been sparse on details otherwise.

"We're just borrowing some lab time from NAIT while things are quiet over the break," Rick said. "We've got some downtime until the next round, so we decided to hit the mall, and see if any of you guys were around."

I nodded, "Well a few of us are around, but most of us are smart enough to stay away from here. Michelle and Brian should be in Hat by now, waiting for the lockdown to lift."

"A shame, but I can see what you mean about staying away from here," Alan said.

"So this was your 'things to do'?" Mom asked. The family was still a bit stunned by the presence of the Titans, and even by Mike; they just hadn't met enough Changed yet to be used to casual encounters yet.

"Yup, sorry for the subterfuge. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well colour us surprised," dad said. "You've been developing quite an eclectic group of friends it seems."

"It comes with the territory. There are so few of us, especially in Edmonton and Calgary, that we tend to clump together. Birds and Horses of a feather and all that. Why don't we go grab lunch so we can talk easier? I know you two are always hungry, and I could use a bite."

"Not ''always'' hungry... but I won't say no. Same place as before?" Rick suggested.

"Yeah, they know how to handle us." I pointed ahead and started walking. Mike hopped down and walked next to me as we blazed the trail through the crowd.

It was that afternoon lull period after the lunch rush but before the dinner crush. So the hostess had no problem setting us up on the patio area. The Titans, Mike and I settled in on one side of the table, our backs to the knee wall that separated the restaurant from the rest of the mall. The humans lined up on the other side, David at Alan's end and my parents in the middle.

I studied my family a bit as we browsed the menus. Bev and Tracy seemed to be handling the strangeness easily enough, with a healthy amount of curiosity. Mom and dad were having a harder time with it, clearly uncomfortable, but trying to make the most of it.

"So how did you get up here from... Calgary was it? That's a bit far to fly or gallop or whatever right?" mom asked, trying to act like it was normal to have a meal with a couple of griffons and centaurs.

"Yeah, it's a bit far," Rick said. "We crammed ourselves into a horse trailer and David drove us up. Not comfortable at all, but you do what you have to do."

"Crammed indeed," Mike said. "I was worried my tail feathers would be permanently kinked by the time we got here."

"Surely there's a better way to move around?" dad asked.

"There are, but we don't have access to them," Alan said. "They've been rebuilding transport containers as basic Titan buses. Not as comfortable as regular buses, but better than squeezing into a horse trailer," Rick said while the rest of us snickered.

"I saw some of them at the J last fall," I said. "No windows, but they seemed nice enough."

"The newer ones have windows now, but we're having a hard time getting even an old one up here. The Titans down there are getting the travel itch. All our buses are on routes to Houston, LA, Vegas, Denver and so forth... not to mention the regular run to Parker and back. We've been pushing for government help up here to get our own trailer available, something to do a Hat-Calgary-Edmonton loop at least, but there's only 8 Titans so there isn't much pressure. Still if we're lucky, we might be able to get one by spring, especially since they'll be useful for the griffons too."

"Ouch, that is rough," Tracy noted. "I never thought about how difficult that would be for you guys."

"That's fair," Alan said. He pointed to Mike and me. "You see the birds here, and they flit around the city going from one end to the opposite end without a second thought. Even for Rick and I, we can get just about anywhere in Calgary we could want, almost as fast as a car. So that makes it look like we're as free to travel as you guys.

"But it's a lie. Going much further than the city limits, and we're stuck. We don't have the speed nor endurance to even make it to Red Deer in a reasonable time. We need wheels to be able to travel again, and the tech isn't there yet."

"To be fair, it hasn't been a year yet. It's rather impressive to see what's been done so far," dad noted.

Alan and Rick nodded. "That's true," Rick said. "And it's promising. But it's still frustrating to be so limited. Even when we do get wheels again, that just opens up the west to us. Going east, or going overseas, that's going to be damn near impossible. The airports are effectively closed for us. It'll probably be decades before we'll be able to think of just buying a ticket for a flight to London or Tokyo or even Toronto."

We fell into an uneasy silence for a moment as the thoughts sunk in. "I'm sorry. Clearly that hit some sore points," mom said. "Do you have someone out east? Or overseas?"

Rick shook her head. "Not me. My family's been around here for generations. My sister literally inherited the farm south of Calgary, leaving me free to follow my dreams of being a rock hound. She's been a huge help for us." She looked at Mike and Alan.

"My family is all in Montreal," Alan confirmed. "And... And they haven't spoken to me since March. No calls, no messages, they blocked me on Facebook...." she sighed and Mike took her hand, squeezing it.

"I'm from Peterborough and everyone's still there, and we do speak. But we aren't rich. It took all we had and a number of scholarships to get me out here. And with all the griffon costs since then, there's no way I could afford to go back, nor can they afford to come out here."

I inwardly winced a bit; I hadn't fully realized how tough they had it, though I wasn't entirely surprised by it.

Rick reached past me to squeeze their hands. "Don't worry about us. It's rough, but we're making the best of it. One way or another, I'm hauling pretty much the entire herd and as much of the flock down to my sister's farm for Christmas dinner. You're welcome to come, but I understand about the distance, and whatever plans you already have."

"That's fair. I'll take a raincheck and maybe we can work something out next year," I said.

We were finally saved by the arrival of the food. Dinner talk stayed on safer subjects like politics and sports. Towards the end of the meal I could tell my parents were nearing their limits. The generation gap and the Change gap were too much for them to handle.

"I know you two have a lot you want to get done, why don't you head out? You've got the rental. I'll handle your bill," I said.

"You sure? We don't mind staying," mom said, her eyes saying otherwise.

"GO! We'll be fine," Bev said, giving dad a nudge.

They stood up a hair too fast, and reached across the table to shake hands. "Fine, you kids have fun. It was good meeting all of you," mom said.

"It was good to meet you too," Rick said. "You raised a fine son. She's done wonders for the flock up here, even if she sometimes drives Michelle nuts."

"Thanks, it's good to hear," mom said. I could tell her English teaching background was having a fit trying to process that sentence.

I hopped over the railing and came around to give them a hug. "I don't know when I'll be home, but I'll try not to be too late."

"Take all the time you want with your friends," dad said. "We've got lots of time this trip."

Once they left, I took their place at the table and we got another round of drinks. "You two don't have to stay. You've got the car after all," I said to Bev and Tracy. They still seemed to be at the curious stage, but I didn't want them to feel pressured.

"We're good. As you said, we have the car so we can go any time. We don't mind pumping humanity's numbers up a bit for the day," Bev said.

I smiled at her and looked at the others. "So what are the plans?"

"Well, we had hoped to get a game, but that isn't until tomorrow, and they won't let our kind into their shiny new arena up here," Rick said.

"To be fair, the Flames won't let us in their junky old arena either," Alan said.

I chuckled, "Yeah, it's a league wide thing. They won't let griffons in yet either. It's on our list of things to address in the new year. How about the comedy club?"

"I checked, it's dark tonight. A movie?" Alan asked.

"If you want. There isn't really anything playing I want to see," Bev said. David and Mike nodded in agreement.

"Well the water park and Galaxyland are still blocked off to Mike and I. And not really pleasant for us to visit anyway," I said, thinking over the options. For the world's largest mall, we were quickly running out of things to do. I wanted to suggest the casino, but with the stories Mike and Alan told, it didn't feel appropriate.

"We don't have to stay at the mall, you know," David suggested. "I've got the truck and GPS so I can get them anywhere, you've got a car if you want to stay with us, and I'm sure Sky can lead Mike wherever she wants to take her."

I never knew griffons could snort water through their nares, but apparently it is possible. Mike let out a squawk of protest. David smirked while the rest of the table laughed.

"Well, in that case, there's a place on the other side of the Yellowhead. They just expanded and they are trying to be very griffon friendly since so many of us are up here. I haven't been yet, but everyone's been raving about it. Pool tables, axe throwing, a dance floor...." I looked at Alan, "karaoke."

Rick laughed and nodded. "Sounds like a good place to have fun. Should we warn them?"

"Mike and I will get there well ahead of you, and we can call you off if it's too bad, but I think it'll be fine. I'll send you the address. Maybe meet up around six to head out? The girls and I still have some Christmas shopping to do, but we'll be done by then."

We settled our bills and said our farewells, even though we were walking in the same direction. At the Lego store, we finally separated, Bev, Tracy and I heading inside to browse the sets.

"You've really changed," Bev said as I examined the latest architecture sets.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what just happened. At home, hell all through this visit, you've been acting like my big brother. Sure you acted strangely, and I don't just mean what happened the other day. But I could close my eyes and pretend he was talking and not tell the difference.

"Today though. That set up, and how you acted around them, you were Skyfire weren't you? I barely recognized you, the way you acted around them."

I nodded and set the box down. Tracy was nearby, listening and being supportive, but letting us work it out. "Yeah, that was a Skyfire thing. I probably shouldn't have thrown you into the deep end like that, but I didn't want to leave my friends hanging either."

"That's fine. We appreciated meeting them, and I'm looking forward to this evening. The Changed are just images on screens for those of us back east. I never even thought I'd ever meet a Titan, and yet I met two today. It's good to know you're not going hermit on us. I'm sure even mom and dad were glad, even if it freaked them out.

"But what I'm saying is that it was also interesting seeing this other side of you. One you've never really shown us. You were so calm, and at ease among them, like there was nothing strange about it at all."

"It is a coping mechanism. But it is also who I am, so for me it isn't strange," I pointed out.

"True, and maybe it's because I haven't seen you around your friends as much, even before last fall. But still, you're different. Not my big brother any more.... I guess you're my big griffon."

I pulled her into a hug. "Well, whatever I am, you're always my little sister."

The rest of the afternoon went well. I basically became their bag-griffon as they picked out gifts for mom and dad and for each other. For the most part, the gifts had to be plane-transportable, which meant a number of clothes and similar knick-knacks. I'd never been very fashion aware before, and getting eagle eyes and an expanded visual range didn't help, so I found myself nodding and agreeing with whatever was suggested.

They eventually sent me back to the car to drop the bags off. It was obvious they were also looking for private time to shop for me. So I took my time, dropping the bags off and enjoying the cool air outside. There was no sign of the rental, so I checked the map, seeing mom was on the highway, heading home. Feeling cooled off enough, I went back inside and did some of my own personal shopping until the meeting time.

''Griffith's Roadhouse'' was in an industrial area on the northside of the Yellowhead Highway. It had started as a simple restaurant, but when the spots opened up next to it, it had started an extensive expansion plan, taking up the entire building. When the owner discovered two of his waitresses were griffons, as well as how many griffons were flocking to the northern part of the city, he decided to do his best to make the place griffon-friendly.

Mike and I landed on a cleared patio built on one end of the building. In the summer it was extra seating for the restaurant, but now it was a handy landing area for incoming griffons. There were a half dozen cars parked in the big lot, making it look emptier than it actually was.

We walked in and looked around. The restaurant area was half full, with an even mix of humans and griffons. Open doorways led deeper into the complex where the bar, dance floor, pool tables and axe throwing sections were. A griffon hostess swooped over to us.

"Skyfire! Good to see you again! Welcome to ''Griffiths''!"

"Happy Holidays Marissa. Good to see you again. This is Mike, up from Calgary."

She waved to Mike and nodded. "So table for two then?"

"Seven actually. We've got more coming. And probably not a table yet, we're just looking for a place to hang, maybe shoot some pool or throw some axes or something. Us, three humans, and two Titans."

Her eyes widened and I saw her glance around. The ceilings were more than high enough for the Titans, but the doorways would be a bit low. "Well, we welcome everyone here. If King Kong showed up, we'd do our best to make sure he was happy."

Mike chuckled, "Well, we don't have any kaiju, but the big centaurs will be happy to hear that."

"Feel free to find a spot in the bar area, or at the pool tables, and I'll send your friends along when they show up."

I glanced at my map and saw Bev was still stuck in traffic, not far from the mall. Holiday rush hour traffic was a nightmare I was glad to have escaped. "Well, they're still stuck in WestEd's orbit, but they should get here eventually. Thanks Marissa."

I led Mike through the restaurant, pausing to briefly talk to friends that waved me down along the way. The next two units were a combination of the bar and the dance floor. The stage was empty with no sign of anyone setting up for the night. Soft holiday music played, and a quarter of the tables were filled. The next unit had the pool room. A dozen pool tables were available, spaced out enough for griffons to move around comfortably. I booked two tables for an hour, and got a couple of beers.

I handed Mike her beer and racked up the balls. I saw her eyeing the table warily.

"I should've asked. Have you played?"

"I've played. Just... not since the fall."

I nodded and went to one end of the table and set the cue down. "Well, it's pretty similar. The talons even help a bit. Just don't put them point down on the felt." I demonstrated, making sure my talons wouldn't tear the felt. The balls scattered on the break, but none went in.

I stepped out of the way and watched her set up. I tapped her hand with my cue stick and corrected her position so the felt wouldn't tear. She took her shot, sunk a ball but missed on the next one. By the time we finished our game, I spotted through the windows, a truck pulling a trailer pulling in, followed shortly by my car.

We went out to meet them. The Titans almost seemed to be headless horses as they stepped out of the trailer,their tops laying on their lower backs. They straightened up as soon as they were on the slushy pavement.

"I know they sleep that way, but that just looks weird," I said. "Things just shouldn't bend that way."

"I know, but they don't mind it. Doesn't mean it doesn't freak me out a bit. I'm seriously considering filing a flight plan and winging it back to Calgary tomorrow," Mike said.

"Hey guys, I've got a couple of tables booked for us for the next hour or so," I called out, waving to Bev and Tracy. "There should be enough room but the tables might be low.."

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out. We're used to adapting," Alan said.

I led the group to the restaurant entrance and went in. The place fell absolutely silent as the Titans ducked through the door. I was well used to being on the receiving end of these surprised silences, but to see a flock of griffons be surprised into silence was somewhat new. Some of the people here had been at West Ed last month, but most seemed to be seeing Titans for the first time.

"Hey everyone, Merry Christmas," Rick said, waving. I pointed to the doorway to the rest of the complex. The room slowly came back to life, but we could all hear the confused whispering going on. I brought up the rear of the group so I could keep an eye on my sister and her wife. I was worried how they would take a larger group of griffons, and I was happy to see them handling it well.

The evening was fun, a nice relaxing time among friends old and new. After pool, we had dinner, and threw some axes. Titan strength was a sight to see. Griffon and human strength was similar, but the centaurs tended to start at our peaks and kept going. Rick picked their heaviest axe and, with the encouragement of the attendant, threw it at full strength down the lane. The impact shattered the target and shook the building. After that, they made sure to dial things back.

To close out the night, we retreated to the bar to chat and hang out. Christmas music played quietly in the background. It felt like every griffon around made an excuse to stop by and say hi. Some had met Rick and Alan before and were greeting old friends. Most used me as an excuse to get a closer look at the Titans.

Alan went to the bar to get another round of drinks, and I realized she seemed to be talking to the bartender for a long time. When she came back, I noticed the employees were moving things on the stage.

"You aren't... You don't have to do this," I said.

"I want to. It's the holidays, we should be caroling, or at least enjoying better music than the canned stuff." Alan had her phone out and was setting up a playlist.

I shook my head and saw my sister's confused look. "What's that all about?" she asked.

"You'll see."

A few minutes later, one of the waiters waved to Alan. She stepped up onto the stage and turned to face the small crowd. She made sure the mic was off and took a sip from a pitcher of water on a stool.

"Hello everyone. Merry Christmas! My name is Alan, from Calgary. And I want to share my gift with you. Feel free to sing along if you want," she said, her voice easily filling the room. She waited a moment, until the first bars of ''Blue Christmas'' started. Her voice dropped deep, sounding just like Elvis as she belted it out. From our table, Rick helped fill in the background vocals when needed. The dance floor and bar area filled as people heard the song and came to check it out.

Applause broke out as the last few notes played out. Alan held it until the last moment, until the next song started. Her voice jumped from the bottom of the range to the top as she rolled right into ''Hippopotamus for Christmas.'' There were a lot of surprised gasps, including from Tracy and Bev.

"How can she do that?" Tracy asked.

"Perfect pitch and a lot of practice. They got me last month at West Ed; I didn't realize she was a music major along with being a rock hound."

Mike chuckled. "Granted, perfect pitch only takes you so far. If you want to mimic, you need to master the accents and the tempo and stuff. That's what separates the likes of Galaxie and Aquamarine from a regular Titan."

Rick nodded. "We're trying to convince Alan to try a music career; You think she's good now, you should hear her in French. But we haven't been able to build up her confidence yet."

"A shame. I mean, Canadian Idol's been dead for years, but CGT is going again, and if she tried, I'm sure there are a bunch of American shows that would bring her in," Tracy said.

"Transportation is a problem. I'd hate to drive to Toronto in that," I said, pointing out the window to the trailer. "But really, if the studio wanted her, they'd arrange something one way or another."

Alan serenaded us for most of the rest of the night. The rest of the building fell silent and closed down as everyone converged on the bar and dance floor to listen. Her playlist was varied, a bit heavier on the fun songs, but with a nice mix of slower, soulful songs to break things up. She carefully avoided ''Last Christmas'' for anyone who hadn't been Whamageddon'ed yet. She wrapped up with ''Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer'', and was mobbed as she came off the stage. She slowly got back to our table, and drained a pitcher of water.

"Great job as always," Rick said.

"That was amazing, especially hearing it in person," Bev said.

"Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Much better than canned music, amiright?" Alan sipped from a second water pitcher and smiled at us, trying to somewhat ignore the crowd trying to get closer.

Last call was made soon after that, making us aware of how late it was. We finished our drinks off, and started saying goodbye. The bar manager pulled Alan to the side, but the crowd was too loud to listen in. She tucked something into her pouch and rejoined us, looking stunned. We escorted her outside, the cold air providing a nice shock to wake us up.

"So how much did you get this time?" Mike asked as we headed to the trailer.

"A few hundred... and tips. I didn't count it all," Alan said, still a bit stunned.

Rick gave her a quick hug. "Nice, very nice. We keep telling you, you need to start doing this more professionally. Strike while the iron's hot."

"I don't know, I'm not a singer...."

"Hell yes you are. I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but you filled that place with just your voice and kept them mesmerized with Christmas carols. You've got the touch, you just need to use it," I said.

Alan shook her head and pulled the back of the trailer down. "Maybe next year, after I finish the school year. I don't want to waste my tuition."

"See what I mean?" Rick said, shaking her head. "In any case, Merry Christmas everyone." She focused on Bev and Tracy. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Have a good holiday, and a safe trip home."

"Thanks, it was a pleasure to meet you as well. All of you," Bev said, doing the rounds.

"It's been an eye opening experience for sure," Tracy added. "Out east, we just see the pictures and videos; what you guys are actually going through hasn't really sunk in much."

"It's rough at times, especially when there are so few of us around. But it's slowly getting better, one day at a time," Alan said.

"It does make you wonder what's next. Next year is going to be interesting," Bev said.

"Hopefully not ''too'' interesting. I wouldn't mind having a nice boring year again, like the mid teens. Way too much has happened over the past few years," Mike said.

We all raised phantom glasses to her implied toast, and broke up with a final wave of farewells. The girls got in the car and left first. David finished checking the trailer and on the Titans and left soon after. Mike and I left last, heading right to her hotel. With a final signed ''Merry Christmas'', I flew home across the night-bright city.

The girls got home first for a change; light traffic and the slight detour to the hotel gave them enough of a lead to beat me home. They were unloading the trunk when I dropped out of the sky behind them. Tracy jumped in surprise and whisper-cursed me out. We gathered our bags, doing a quick sort and snuck into the house.

Only a few lamps were on inside, left on just for us. Judging by the steady breathing I could hear upstairs, mom and dad had retired long ago. I waited in the doorway while the girls shed their jackets and boots as quietly as they could.

"I'll get the lights. You two get to bed," I whispered once I could squeeze past them. "Night girls."

"Night Skyfire," Bev whispered back.I glanced at her, not sure if she had intentionally used my new name or not, but she was already going up the stairs.

===Saturday, Dec 23===

After dinner, it was time for ''The Wrappening''. Everyone gathered up their gifts and a few rolls of tape and wrapping paper and retired to various rooms, wherever a relatively flat spot could be found. Mom, having the most to wrap, claimed the dining room, forcing the rest of us upstairs to the bedrooms.

I was slicing a strip of paper off with my talons, getting ready to wrap a bundle of puzzle books for mom, when Bev tapped on my door. "You decent?" she asked softly.

"Haven't been decent for years, but I'm dressed," I replied. I glanced around, making sure her stuff was still hidden in various bags.

She opened the door and stepped in, shivering a little. I'd turned the heat down and opened the window since it was just me. "I just wanted to see if you had another pair of scissors? I think mom's claimed three downstairs, and Tracy snagged the set in the office."

"I'm not sure. That might be it. I haven't really needed to use them much since I got these," I said, wiggling my fingers. "Maybe the bedside table, I think there might be a pair there, or a utility knife."

She nodded and headed for the closest table. At the last moment, my mind kicked into gear, but it was too late. "The Oth-!" I started to say as she opened the drawer.

"Oh!"

I sighed, fighting the urge to dive onto the bed and slamming the drawer shut. The damage was done.

"Are you opening a store or something?" I was glad she wasn't reaching in, but she did open the drawer more to better see my ''health aids''.

"Not exactly, but I'm pretty sure Cardi and I have made the local store's year."

"Wow, and you use all of that?"

"I do. Very enthusiastically. I've already had to replace half of those since October."

She gave me a strange look, concern and worry mixed with curiosity.

"Comes with the plumbing. And the hormone cycle is a bitch. You saw me on the male side of it, but that's a candle compared to the furnace that is the Heat."

"Damn, I never really thought of that. I've read about it, but I guess it didn't sink in."

I finally went over and nudged the drawer closed. "Words and reports and wiki pages don't do it justice. It's not something I'd wish on anyone else."

"Is it getting any easier at least? Are you getting used to it or something?"

I shrugged my wings and sat on the edge of the bed. "Maybe? I keep telling myself this time was easier to handle than last time. But it still knocks me out for the day. It's only been three times now, so maybe next year I'll manage to get control of it."

She sat on the edge of the bed, facing me and put a hand on my lap. "I... I honestly have no idea what to say. Well, I have some ideas, but I don't know if they would help or be wrong or what."

"It's okay. I'm used to it. When I talk to Adam we often hit points like that, where the griffon experience is just too foreign for his human background. It happens when I talk with Amy too for that matter. Just knowing they're trying to understand often helps me." I squeezed her hand. "And you trying to understand helps a lot. Thank you."

"I know who Adam is, but who's Amy? You've mentioned her a few times."

I smiled and nodded towards the drawer. "Well, in some ways, she's my dealer. She owns the local sex shop and helped kit me out. But in many ways, she's my sexual therapist. I swear there can't be anyone who knows more about Griffon, Human and even Titan sexuality than her. Every few weeks, I swing by to replenish my supplies, and just to chat about a lot of the things I can't quite get out to Adam, and it really helps."

"What does Adam think of that?"

"Same thing he'd think about the prying you're doing now. He doesn't like amateurs playing in his field, but if it is helping, he's fine with it."

Bev laughed, "Fine fine, I'll try not to pry so much. But Amy, she sounds interesting."

"Yeah, she's great. I'm pretty sure I've identified some of her online identities on some of the griffon sites, but I'm not telling. She claims her interests are just to keep her finger on the pulse of her industry, but between us, I'm pretty sure that's her kink. She's just fascinated with sex in all its forms, and she's found a good niche to use that fascination."

"Lucky her." Bev hesitated, debating on her next question. I rubbed her hand and waited, flicking an ear to listen to the rest of the house. Everything seemed normal. "You don't have to answer this, but I'm just curious, especially after what I saw.... Are you still Ace?"

I let out a laugh and quickly cut it off. "Sorry, I was worried you were going to ask something hard. Am I Ace? It's something we've touched on from various angles, and as far as I can tell, I am.

"I mean, the toys are one thing. I'm using them a lot even when I'm not at the peaks, and it does feel nice. But as far as doing it with someone else? I'm curious about it, but only in a practical sense. I want to know what it feels like, but I don't really want to get bogged down with the baggage."

I rubbed my belly. "And of course, there's this. This is a grenade I do NOT want to pull the pin on, and we're nowhere close to having any sort of protection against that yet."

She squeezed my hand again and let go. "Right, I think I'm on the edge of going too far. But thanks for telling me. Seems every time I turn around, I'm surprised by something else."

"Living it isn't much better, but life goes on. But speaking of surprises, did you notice what was on the window ledge over the kitchen sink?" I asked, figuring it was best to get another item out of the way while she was in the right mindset.

"That red and black egg?" she asked after thinking. "What about.... OH!"

I nodded. "It was my first. The rest I've thrown out but...." I shrugged. "Tracy knows about it. She noticed it right away."

"It's beautiful, but I'm glad you aren't hoarding them." She stood up and looked around. "What was I looking for?"

"Scissors. Definitely not in that drawer," I said. I leaned across the bed and pulled out the other drawer. It was half filled with safe random stuff. I didn't see any scissors, but I did see a utility knife that I snagged. "Maybe this will help?"

"It would, but I'll pass. I'll head down and swipe a pair from mom. Thanks for the chat."

"No, thank you. I can tell Adam I still had my weekly therapy session now," I grinned and decided to keep the knife; The talons weren't quite as good at slicing paper as I initially had thought.

===Christmas Eve===

I leaned against the wall, munching on a mincemeat tart and taking in the setting. Most of the lights were off, the only light coming from the windows, the tree, the TV, and a lamp. The presents were stacked under the tree, a surprising number of them considering four of the receivers had to fly home. The stockings were filled and lined up along the wall. Behind me, the ''mise en place'' for tomorrow's dinner was done and set up on the stove and counter.

Dad and Tracy were watching some black and white Christmas movie on TV. Mom was beside the lamp, doing a crossword puzzle. Bev was busy on her phone, but as I watched she put it away and slipped past me to get something from the kitchen. I stood still, just soaking in the familiar situation.

"Something on your mind?" Bev asked on her way back. She had a glass of milk and a couple of shortbread cookies.

"For once, nothing at all. Just enjoying how normal this is. It could be any Christmas we've had over the past few years," I said.

"Normal, aside from the five foot tall cat-bird in the room," Bev noted.

I winced and nodded reluctantly. "I guess there is that. It's easy to see everything as normal when you're the abnormality." I glanced around at the others. Tracy and dad were focused on the movie. Mom glanced our way, but the TV was too loud for her to hear us.

"It's okay. You're right, this could be any Christmas we've had before. I just get a bit of a mental hiccup when I think of that and then see you. I have to ask though, how are you feeling? Especially considering Thanksgiving?"

"I'm feeling good. Much better than I was back then. I'm not completely at peace with myself yet, but I'm pretty sure I won't break down. I realize now, back then, I was trying too hard. Trying too much to be Simon and to do Simon-normal things. Now, I know better. I want to be doing normal things, but I know I need to settle on my new normal."

"A Skyfire normal?"

I nodded. "More or less." I looked around again and saw mom watching us. She smiled a bit as I focused on her and looked back down at her puzzle. I suspected she had heard more than I thought she had.

"Right, it's late enough. Let's open our Christmas Eve present," I said, straightening up and heading for the tree. "Who wants which ones?"

===Christmas Day===

I was the last to wake up on Christmas morning. As my mind slipped into gear, I listened to the noises of the house. Mom and Bev were getting the turkey ready for the oven while Christmas music played. I could hear someone in the bathroom and couldn't decide if it was Tracy or dad. In any case, it was obviously time to get going.

I pushed myself up and stretched, shaking a little to settle my feathers. I did a quick preen to sort out the bed feathers and got dressed. I hesitated, looking at my tops before deciding to pull one on. This was still going to be a Skyfire day; her first Christmas even; but it felt more appropriate to be more fully dressed.

"Mornin' Tracy," I called out as I left my room. She was brushing her teeth in the bathroom with the door open. I saw her wave as I went downstairs.

Dad was watching another movie on TV while everyone else was busy in the kitchen.

"Mornin' sleepy head. It's about time you got up," mom taunted.

I snagged the chocolate milk from the fridge and filled my cup. "It's not even nine yet. Still plenty early. When are you guys going to get over your jet lag?"

"Maybe next week wence we're home. You're lucky you got up. Mom's designated me as the griffon wrangler and she was about to send me up," Bev said.

I waved a wing dismissively, taking up a position near the back door so I could crack it open and get some cooler air. "So how are things going? Need a hand with anything?" I asked.

"We're good. Just gotta get the bird in the oven and we're done but for the cooking." Mom stepped aside so Bev could load the oven. "And don't say a word about the bird already being in the oven. We can tell you're overheating already."

I made a zipper motion along the side of my beak. "I didn't say a thing."

I let the door close behind me and we converged on the living room to pass out the stockings. They were filled with little appetizer gifts, candies, lotto tickets, toiletries and other small things that would get lost among the bigger gifts usually.

After the stockings were cleared, I could see eyes glancing over to the tree. No one was saying anything yet, but they were waiting. My own position was on the floor by the tree, as the main distributor. Instead of passing out however, I stood up and headed for the kitchen.

"Anyone need a coffee top off?" I asked, getting my own mug ready. I could feel the glares from Bev and mom bouncing off my wings.

"Sure, I could use one," dad said, getting up and bringing his own mug out. I flicked my ears, listening to his heavy breathing but he didn't seem to be having any other problems. Tracy joined us, and we drew out the anticipation for a good half hour by brewing a fresh pot and just taking our time.

"Don't make us come out there and drag you back!" Bev called as the last drips filled the pot.

"Oh would you? It would save us carrying out your mugs," I called back innocently. I smirked and filled the cups as my sister let out a wordless grunt of frustration.

We passed around the dark elixir, and I sipped my own, standing next to the tree and studying it. It was surprisingly full of gifts this year. The big gifts were all for me, being the only local receiver. But there were a lot of smaller gifts for the four travellers; enough that I wondered how they would get it all back east.

I set the mug down and sat next to the tree to sort through the bigger pile at the front. "Trace, Bev, Mom, Mom, Dad, Me...." I said, starting to rapid fire slide the gifts across the floor to their recipients. Once everyone had a couple, I slid back to start on some of my own.

An hour later, it was all done but for the cleanup. There were still a dozen gifts and gift bags under the tree, mostly for my friends who would be by later in the season. I started arranging some of the bigger gifts around the tree.

"Thanks everyone," I said as I adjusted the box with a full length mirror. "I really appreciate all of this. You did so much more than I expected."

"You needed it," mom said, getting up to help organize things. "You need so much new stuff now, you were due for a big Christmas."

My voice caught for a moment and I focused on the boxes. They'd really focused on household needs for me. I'd been building up a list of annoyances since getting home, and used that to build my Christmas Wish List. And the family had come through in spades.

"Just remember that for next year. You're going to owe Trace and I big time when you come out," Bev said.

"IF I can make it out. It would probably have to be a really long train trip," I said. "But that's next year."

A while later, I retreated to the back deck to cool off.With the amount of cooking going on, I'd turned off the heat downstairs and opened the kitchen windows, but the building was still warming up more than I could handle. I stood at the edge of the deck and spread my wings, letting the cold winter air sink in while I took care of my daily gaming activity.

I heard the door open and glanced back, seeing Bev and Tracy come out. They'd slipped their boots on without tying them, and put on their jackets, but they were obviously cooling off fast. I pulled my wings in so they could get on either side of me.

"Damn, seeing you like that just makes me colder," Bev said. I smirked and spread my wings behind them, and used them to pull the girls closer. "Have you thought about summer though? It does get hot up here."

I pressed a talon into my feathery shoulder, lifting the feathers a bit to show my down. "Yeah, this won't be so good when we're looking at plus thirty temperatures, even if we're flying high.

"We don't know for sure what will happen, but we're pretty sure that in the spring we'll be having a molt. And man, won't that be fun."

I felt Bev wince in sympathy, while Tracy was confused. "What would that be?"

"You missed our husky years," Bev said. "When mom and dad had Triton. Beautiful Samoyed husky, loved the outdoors, especially in the winter.... But in the spring, when he poofed, oie, what a mess. Simon's saying he's expecting to do a similar poof in the spring too."

"At least I won't be struggling against the brushing too much," I said, nodding in agreement. "But yeah, all this down and underfur is probably going to come out at once and slowly regrow over the summer. I'll probably lose a bunch of the regular feathers too. I hope I'll still be able to fly."

"Ugh, that sounds like a mess," Tracy said.

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to it now. But by then, maybe I'll be ready for it. The down is difficult to keep clean, even with proper preening. So by then I'll probably be ready to be out with the old and in with the new."

"And you're good with that?" Bev asked, watching me closely.

I shrugged my wings and looked out. "Not as if I have a choice. It's what I am now. Denying it doesn't do me any good. It's going to happen whether I want it to or not."

"I suppose so...." Bev trailed off for a moment, looking across the snow filled yard. Regular boot prints were obvious where the family had come out for various reasons. But the dominant markings on the snow were my big paw prints, along with the strange swirls on the snow kicked up from my takeoffs and landings.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black box. "Trace and I have one more thing for you. It wasn't really appropriate to give it to you in front of mom and dad, but from what you told me, I think you'll really use this."

I had a suspicion what it was as she dropped it into my hand. I wiggled the top off, and saw a gift card nestled on some crumpled pink tissue paper. The business wasn't on the front of the card, just the image of a beautiful woman holding a present and giving a seductive wink.

"Amy says Merry Christmas," Tracy said. "And man, is she a good salesperson."

I chuckled and tucked the card into a slot under my phone. "Just don't use anything she talked you into buying until you get home. The walls here aren't that thick, especially for griffon hearing."

Tracy blushed while Bev laughed. I hugged them both, wings and arms. "Thanks, you're right, this will be very useful."

"I figured a gift card is more appropriate for a sibling gift than actual toys... sorry ''health aids''," Bev said. "But Amy did make some very good suggestions."

"She's been helping me out for months now. She's got my number down pat," I confirmed. I could feel a bit of tenseness in my sister, like she was having an internal fight. I waited for her to sort out her thoughts.

"I'm a little curious," she started cautiously. "After all we've talked about and what I saw last night and stuff...."

"Careful, I'm part cat. Curiosity could kill me," I joked. She rewarded me with an awkward belly punch.

"Well, I'm still curious," she said. "About how it all works now... what it's like with both down there," she quickly followed up. I could almost cook a turkey in the heat of embarrassment she was making.

I gave her a comforting squeeze and tried to figure out how to answer it. The subject matter wasn't really a good Christmas topic, nor really family friendly. But after everything I'd put her through so far, it was a fair question. I could tell Tracy was listening closely, curious to hear the story first hand for a change.

"The simple answer is that it just works. But I know that's not what you mean." I sighed and tried again.

"Last September, I was in denial about it. I was a guy, and I didn't have things like that, so I mentally rejected it for as long as I could. And then the Heat came. That fucking heat." I growled and barely kept myself from clenching my fists. "Thankfully I had a bit of warning about what to expect, and Amy gave me a crash course to get through it. After that, it was hard to deny it. Probably my first big breakthrough."

"But how does it work?" Tracy asked. "I mean, how do you decide?"

"Could be a mental coin flip, or just whatever my mood is. If I'm closer to heat or closer to the rut that affects things a little. But sometimes, I might want to go the other way, even when near a peak. I'm still sorting it out; but other than the peak day and maybe the day around it, I can go either way. Or both ways if I want to put in some work."

"Uhm wow... yeah, maybe we should've just stuck to Wiki," Bev said.

"And deny me the opportunity to see you two squirm under a TMI barrage? I don't think I went too far, but if I did, I'm sorry. I know it's probably not the best time to explain it, but I felt I owed it to you at least."

"I'm the one who asked, so I brought it on myself. It just seems so strange, and you talk about it so matter of factly," Bev said.

"It is a matter of fact for me. It's what I am now, and I admit, the novelty is still fun, when I'm not riding those damn peaks. These transition stages, when I'm halfway feel the most fun, even if I have to deal with the damn egg half the time. It's probably the time I come closest to wanting someone else around to have fun with. But I'm not ready to make those commitments, and certainly don't want to risk setting off any grenades, either in me or in someone else."

"Okay, I'm freezing, but there's one more thing I want to know," Tracy said. "Any gay griffons? Or lesbian or... well you know what I mean."

I laughed and hugged her. "I don't think they even know what to go by, but there certainly are. I wish you had time to meet John and Daryl, but they're out of the city for the holidays. Probably one of the strongest couples I've met yet, and gayer than a pair of rainbows. But what and how they do it, I have no clue, so don't even ask."

Bev hugged me as well, "Maybe next time. They sound like a blast. And I'm happy for you. It's rough but you're getting through it, and if I were honest, you're coming out stronger because of it. You certainly seem to be making more friends out here than all the years you were here before."

"Maybe. Though it may be that my new friends are more obvious. Or I've got a smaller pool to draw from so I'm making the best of them." I shrugged and smiled.

"Just remember, if you ever feel the darkness again, if you ever need any help and support, we're a call and a flight away."

I squeezed them both a final time and nodded, clenching my eyes closed to hide the wetness. "Thanks.... We better get back inside. Even I'm feeling a bit of a chill now, you two must be ice cubes."

I pulled my wings in and saw them shiver as they were fully exposed again. We turned and walked into the house.

"It's about time. Dinner's ready. Girls, start setting the table please," Mom greeted us. "Simon, get the bird and mash the taters please. What were you talking about for so long?"

"Kid things. Internet, TV, video games, that sort of thing," Bev said, kicking off her boots and carrying them to the front. "Nothing you'd be interested in."

Tracy and I nodded in agreement. Mom's expression showed she didn't believe a word, but let it go.

Dinner was a quiet affair, filled with good food, fun conversation, and most importantly without an emotional breakdown. The trauma from last Thanksgiving still lurked in the back of my mind, but all it did was lurk. This time, Simon and Skyfire seemed to have made their peace, at least for today. Whoever I was, I was able to enjoy the time with my family, revelling in the familiarity, with just a twist of my new exoticness.

===Wednesday, December 27===

For the third time in less than two months, I found myself landing outside West Edmonton Mall, but this time didn't count. I wasn't here to shop after all. I waited outside a side entrance nodding to people heading in. Soon enough Bev, Tracy and mom showed up.

"You ready for a night of fun?" Tracy asked as the trio walked up.

"Hopefully. I haven't been since my trip was interrupted. I hope they won't be too picky about me," I replied, holding the outer door open for them. I followed them into the mall and pointed them towards the casino entrance.

The casino was on the smaller side, and not all that busy for the post-Christmas week. I stopped in the entrance and pressed my ears down and closed my inner lids, waiting to get used to the noises and lights. It wasn't as bad as GalaxyLand was, but it was louder than I remembered, and the flashing lights was more than I thought I could handle at first.

"You okay?" Bev asked.

I nodded and noticed a worker making his way towards me. "Yeah, just gotta get used to the noise level. And the light level. Good evening," I greeted the concierge.

"Good evening, Skyfire. Welcome to the Starlight Casino," he greeted me. "Have you been here before?"

I slid my player card from the holder behind my phone. "Many times, but not since September. Do I need to update anything? Is there a problem?"

He quickly shook his head, "No no, not at all. Your money is as good here as anyone else's. All we ask is that you be careful tapping the tables and the screens."

I chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I've been getting used to being extra careful with these." I said, wiggling my talons in the air. "I'm mainly a blackjack player so it shouldn't be too bad once I get used to handling the chips."

He looked visibly relieved, "No problem at all. Is there anything we can do to make your visit more comfortable?"

"A stool at the table would be nice. Or I can just stand. But your regular seats with backs don't really fit me any more," I said, wiggling my wings.

"I'll ask around and see what we can arrange. Enjoy your stay."

"Thanks.... Oh! Is my old card still fine or do you want to update anything?"

"Your card should be fine, unless you want to change anything on your record. Your given name perhaps?"

I hesitated a moment, Simon and Skyfire waging a quick battle in my mind. Simon grudgingly relented after a moment. "Yeah, it might be better to update it; while my real name isn't exactly a secret, I tend to be more recognizable as Skyfire."

I saw mom give a slight twitch from the corner of my eye, but I tried to ignore it and followed him over to the customer service desk. Tracy and Bev joined me to get their own cards. A short time later, we had freshly printed pieces of plastic, mine with Skyfire Farrel on it, and we entered the casino proper.

I was a little surprised by the lack of attention I got as I walked in. A few people looked my way and did double takes, but most stayed focused on the slot machines. We wandered over to the table games areas and I started doing a loop, checking out what games were open and how busy they were. These players were slightly less entranced, so I saw more reactions as I scoped the scene out.

I picked a table near the far end of the tables, somewhat out of the main travel paths. The limits were in my range and there were only a couple of players there already, and the shoe was almost done. The dealer hesitated as I approached, making the players look up and tense a little. I indicated the seat at the end of the table, "Mind if I join the next shoe?" I asked.

There was a man and woman already playing, though they didn't seem to be together. "Not at all, please join us," the woman said as the man shook his head.

I motioned for the dealer to continue while I moved the seat out of the way from my position. I put a couple hundred on the table to change into chips along with my card. Beside me, Bev and Tracy took up their own positions; mom was a slots player and didn't care for table games so she just watched. When the hand finished, we changed our money for chips and I started practicing stacking and restacking them. It was a bit more awkward than I was used to, but I soon got used to it.

"You look like you've done this before," the man said between hands.

I nodded, keeping an eye on the cards and another on my chips as I stacked and restacked them. "Yeah, I usually came out once a month or so. Things have been a bit too hectic for me recently though."

"I can imagine it was. So this is the first time you've been out since...?" the woman asked.

"First time yeah," I confirmed. "Ironically, I was on my way to Vegas when this happened. Didn't make it there obviously."

"That had to be rough," the man said.

"Last hand," the dealer announced as he dealt the cards, sliding the spacer to the side. I noticed a couple more guys were hovering near the table waiting to join the new shoe, but they seemed to be hesitating.

"Grab a seat guys. Not sure if I'll be lucky or unlucky but we can find out together." They paused a moment longer then shrugged and pulled out the seats, filling the table..

The players finished their hands and the dealer started switching the decks. He squared up the freshly shuffled stack of cards and offered the table the spacer to cut with.

"Let's see your luck," the lady said, motioning towards me. The others nodded, so I took the offered divider and ran it along the stack of cards, slipping it in randomly.

"So have any other griffons come here yet?" I asked the dealer while he finished setting up the shoe. I moved my bet onto the table.

"You're the first I've heard of," he confirmed. "But we have been anticipating your arrival. Well not you, Ms Fire, but we've been waiting for any of your kind to show up."

"Well congrats on being the first to deal to a griffon. And Skyfire's fine. I'm still not used to the Ms label to be honest."

From the corner of my eye, I saw the others twitch as they figured out what I was implying, but no one asked for details. I held on a seventeen and watched the dealer.

"Seven... Eleven... Sixteen... Too Many," he said, busting out after giving the table a worry.

"You are lucky!" the woman said as we cheered our luck and the dealer paid out.

"It's only the first hand. Let's see how the night goes," I cautioned her, but was happy with the opening luck.

Things fell into a familiar pattern after the first few hands. I wasn't having great luck, but I was holding my own. The novelty of my appearance still caught people's attention, but those playing with me quickly got used to my presence. A waitress brought over a stool for me to perch on by the fifth hand, along with a bottle of water. Mom left to have her own fun first, and Bev and Tracy left a while later to try their luck on other games.

The only real incident I had was when I won a good hand after a bunch of splits and doubles. I let out a screech of joy and raised my arms and wings at the same time, almost knocking over an unlucky waitress who was scooting behind me. It certainly amused my tablemates and even the dealer grinned as she paid out my winnings.

The rest of the evening went well. I chatted with my tablemates and dealers, touching lightly on what it was like to be a griffon, and some of the things I'd been up to since the change. There was a bit of pity, but mostly it was curiosity; they wanted to know what had happened and what I was doing. My tablemates changed often as their own luck ebbed and flowed, but the table stayed full with a few people lurking, even if there were open spots elsewhere. Clearly they wanted a chance to play alongside the griffon.

By the time we were ready to leave, I was up a little and I'd had fun. At the end of the shoe, I coloured up my chips and left a tip.

"Thanks for the great evening, everyone. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year," I said as I left the table. "Good luck to all of you."

I gave a bit of a show by spreading my wings to stretch them out. After being perched for so long, I knew I'd need a good stretch before I took off. I cashed in my chips and found my family.

"Well, you sounded like you had a good time," mom noted, smiling at me as we left the gaming hall.

"I did; not quite the Vegas experience, but it was good. How'd you do?"

"I'm down a bit, but that's expected. Tracy did well."

"I did well indeed but Bev took much of it back. But as you said, we had fun, and we can afford it so that's the main thing," Tracy noted.

"You good for the drive home?" I asked, spreading my wings and stretching my arms to warm up my chest and back muscles. I wiggled my tail feathers as well and prepared for flying. I didn't usually need to do this routine in public, but this was one of the longest times I'd been sitting at a table in public in a long time. Usually I just had to do my warmup at home or in my office.

Bev and Tracy watched my routine, fascinated. Bev finally shook her head and nodded, "Yeah, we're good. Sure you don't want us to give you a lift? It's quite chilly out."

I laughed. "Maybe tomorrow I'll squeeze into the van to show you how bad an idea that is. I'm better off flying. Plus, I need the cool air to cool off; I was roasting in there."

"Sure sure, rub it in. See you home, Simon," Bev said, heading for the exit. I followed them out and made sure they got to the car. I wasn't worried for them, not around West Ed; but it felt like the polite thing. Bev honked the horn a couple of times as they started out, and I took off into the dark sky. I circled my neighbourhood until they got in, dropping down outside the garage as they got out, and we headed in to go to bed.

===Thursday, December 28 ===

The visit ended as it began, with a meal at ''Goodfellow's Pub.'' They had a late flight back east so there was no rush, but no one wanted to cook or even look at a turkey. In the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the fake week between Christmas and New Years, the restaurant wasn't very busy, so we had no problem lingering and chatting.

"Thank you all for everything," I said late in the meal as we lingered over our drinks. "I hope I didn't freak you out too much at times."

"No, no you didn't," mom said. "It was surprising I'll admit, but it's what you have to deal with."

"It was good to get a taste of what you are going through," Bev said. "Thanks for introducing us around. We barely get a hint of this strangeness back east."

"And you're going through it so well," dad said. "We were really worried for you after Thanksgiving, but you seem to be getting good help."

"Thanks guys, and yeah, Thanksgiving was rough. Not even a month in, I had no idea what I was or what was coming.... Now, well there are still some mysteries, but I think the day to day stuff is starting to settle."

"We feel a lot better about leaving you this time," mom said, taking my hand and squeezing it.

"Which is a good thing. We need to get home and save the Browns from Teddy," dad said.

We chuckled at that. "I'm sure it's too late by now. The little cutie has to have them wrapped around his little paw by now," I said.

"Yeah, no doubt. But we'll have to make the rescue attempt. They have New Year's Plans after all," mom laughed.

"So, Bev, I hear you're moving out of Ontario?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah the Nippising store is all set but the new GM. I'll be recruiting them once I get home and let them get their legs under them. But I have to tell Troy where I'm going by the end of January."

"What are the options?" Dad asked.

"Miramichi, New Brunswick or Winkler Manitoba."

"You really get the fun ones, don't you?" Mom laughed.

I half listened while checking the locations on my phone. Population density ring maps had become very popular since the second change, going off the hundred klick radius and the hundred thousand population limits.

"Both look fairly safe," I said, sliding back into the conversation. "Not perfect, but both are in the 70% plus safe range as far as anyone can guess."

Bev nodded, "Yeah, I checked. Those population rings are becoming part of the problem since people are starting to empty out of the villages and smaller towns. But in these cases, either town is close enough to other towns and cities that they are pretty safe and stable."

"Miramichi looks like it's in the french area. Wouldn't that be a problem?" I asked.

"Nah, it's supposed to be very english, and if it isn't, well I'll work it out."

"Sounds like you've made your choice," dad noted.

Bev nodded and squeezed Tracy's hand. "I think we have. Winkler is close to where we are now, it would feel too same. And neither of us have been past Quebec. It feels like a good opportunity."

"A good opportunity to expand your reign of terror from coast to coast," Tracy said, making us all laugh.

"Winter travel sucks, but Troy and I are going to head out at the end of January and do a quick tour of the region, just to get the lay of the land. I'm holding Winkler in my pocket, but I think he knows where I'm leaning."

"Well, good luck out there. And now you're ''really'' making me hope they sort out griffon travel options soon. I'd love to head out and check it out sometime."

"You'll probably have lots of time. Troy's hinted that there are a number of stores out there he wants me to look at. So we'll probably be out there a few years."

"We'll certainly plan a trip out once you get settled," dad said. "That said, I think it's time we got going."

We all checked the time and started to finish up. "You guys go ahead, I'll settle the bill and meet you home," I said.

As I dropped down to the driveway, I saw the rental was half packed. Dad and Bev were coming out with another armload of bags. I waited for them to drop it off and shook my head. "You have thought about how to get all that on the plane, right?"

"We have actually. This is almost everything. We might need to condense a bit more but it should all work," Bev said confidently.

I eyed the trunk space and shook my head. "Well, that's between you and Air Canada."

We went back inside to meet the others. Mom was upstairs doing a last check, while Tracy waited. The tree had been decimated, but everything left was my stuff and for my friends.

"Sure you don't want to come see us off?" Bev asked. "I'm sure we can still squeeze you in the SUV."

I laughed. "You don't want to try. And the airport wouldn't like it. Best for me to stay here."

Mom came down with a small bag, and we knew it was time. I could feel my chest tightening in anticipation. I started with Tracy, figuring she'd be the easiest to say goodbye to.

"Thanks for coming out, and for everything," I said, hugging her. "Take care of Bev, and good luck with the move."

"Thanks," she said simply, holding me for a moment. It was a simple word, loaded with emotion.

I shifted over to Bev and gave her a full hug. "And for you, I'm sorry for everything I put on you. You handled it like a champ, but you shouldn't have had to handle it in the first place."

She hugged me back just as tight. "Anytime, for any reason, big griff. Thanks for trusting me to handle it."

I held her for a long moment, my eyes getting wet and blurry. I blinked quickly and let her go, letting them move to the door as I turned to mom and dad.

"Thanks for everything, from Thanksgiving and now, I don't know what I would've done," I said, hugging dad first.

"We're always here for you, whenever you need us," dad said.

I shifted to mom and hugged her tight. "I know you guys are, and I really appreciate it. Thanks for not trying to stay longer too,"

Mom sniffed and smiled, "You don't seem to need us this time. And we do have to go rescue Teddy. We'll be back out in the spring maybe. Or summer. I don't know when, but we'll be back out."

"I know you will. Thank you."

I reluctantly let mom go, and followed her out. I held the car door for her, trying to ignore the redness of her cheeks and the wetness of her eyes.

"We'll be in touch, and we'll call as soon as we get home, even though I know you're tracking us," Dad said.

"I know, I know. Have a good flight. Try to get some rest on the way," I said.

We stammered out a few more rounds of goodbyes before I finally stepped away. The rental shifted into gear and backed out. I waved until they disappeared around the corner. Wiping my eyes as best I could, I looked back at the house, realizing how empty it was, and at a loss for what to do next. I went back inside and started cleaning for lack of anything else to do, slowly switching back to my bachelor mode. The end of the year was fast approaching and I was glad to see it end. I really hoped next year would be calmer, but I had my doubts.

{{separator|f|End Book 2}}

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|series= Paradigm Shift: Griffons

|previous=[[User:Jetfire/Big_Sky_Country|Big Sky Country]]

|next=[[User:Jetfire/A_Fire_in_the_Sky_Book3|A Fire in the Sky: Book 3]]}}

[[Category:Jetfire]] [[Category:Story]] [[Category:Paradigm Shift]] [[Category:Herm]] [[Category:Griffon]] [[Category:Adult]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: A Fire in the Sky: Book 2}}