The pot hit the ground and the impact sent luke-warm soup flying all over the room.
Angie froze up only a few feet inside of the doorway to her apartment. She was caught in the shock and the gears in her head raced to comprehend what had been awaiting her in her home.
Jarred back to reality by the sound of the pot denting the stone floor, she spit out a stiff greeting. She wasn't armed. Or prepared for a fight. Much less against something like this. But, could she talk her way out of it?
"H-hello. You're Reggy, aren't you?"
The composite beast rose up, spreading its hideous wingspan to further make itself imposing. Something large. A threat. One that almost didn't fit in the spacious apartment now. Avian in form, massive in size. A creature pieced together from hundreds of birds of prey. Its voice was like a whisper. Soft, hissing out of its beak but by no means quiet. It laid down what it had to say adamantly.
"I asked you a question."
The cleric's hands came together, fingers weaving tightly to hide how badly they were shaking. Her expression hid all of the fear that welled up inside of her.
"I'm not the one you're-"
The monstrosity lunged faster than Angie could even think to react. Pinned to the ground under massive talons, she braced for the inevitable pain of being gutted... But it didn't come. Still, the breath was knocked out of her, and she was trapped.
The eyeless creature's armored beak pressed to her throat. A threat? It wanted to be a threat. It wanted to be respected.
"Stop!"
One word was all it took. The talons pulled back, but only slightly. Still a threat, they hovered over her with the vacant gaze burning through her.
"Why did you leave us down there for so long?"
Each word flowed from it, stained with strained emotion. This was more than a simple question. This was condemnation. The first on a long list of crimes it wanted answers for.
"It wasn't me!"
Angie's terrified rebuttal fell flat.
"You are the part of her that made us. I can smell the magic on you. I can smell the blood. You're the same as you've always been. You are the one who was cruel and careless. You are the one who made us. With no intention of letting us free or giving us a purpose. You couldn't be satisfied with what you brought into this world. We weren't good enough. And now it isn’t good enough that you don't remember."
The creature's talons twitched anxiously. The trapped priestess didn’t know why they hadn’t come down on her yet, but they still lingered in the air and she was still alive. Angie could still work her way out of this. She chose her words carefully. Calculated them even as they slipped from her mouth filled with feigned surprise.
"But.. You're amazing...”
“You said us; what do you mean by that?"
Reggy knew Angie for what she was. A deceiver... It could tell lies from truth for most, but with Angie it could only draw a blank. Was this actually genuine? Her scent, the sound of her heart, the pace of her breath. None of it even hinted towards a lie. Deep down, at its very core it wanted to believe her. It wanted to be valued. But the appreciation of others weren’t enough. Just little crumbs to satiate it’s pained and starving ego.
"There were others who died after you left. They starved in their cages. Now there are more of us. More of me. And I speak for the whole here as you've wronged us all.”
“How am I amazing?”
There it was. She had opened a path through the situation. She could see the glimpse of light at the end. Survival. Reggy became slightly agitated hearing her heartbeat begin to slow.
"You're fast. And strong. And you survived through all of that. I don't...intend to create anything like you. But if I did, I would consider it a thrilling success."
Angie's hands slowly, carefully rose up and she pushed away the talons to make herself some space. Reggy didn't have to move. The tiny cleric had no hope of overpowering it. But it was caught up in the shock of the situation. Still skeptical of the vile human it beared down on, it allowed some space, hopping back slightly and planting both taloned feet on the cold stone.
Angie only continued to butter the creature up with half-truths cherry-picked to twist the situation into her favor.
"You're more than I ever thought these magics could make. And to think my hand created you... It fills me with pride."
The cleric carefully got to her feet. No sudden movements, nothing to make Reggy think she was going to run. Even standing, it dwarfed her. She choked down that fear, it would give her away.
"You said there's more of you. A whole that you were a part of. Do you intend to return to that whole?"
The skeletal head tilted rigidly. Its gaze was piercing. A critical inspection. It didn’t understand why she wanted to know and that was far from comforting.
"Yes. Why are you asking me this."
A weak little fit of laughter escaped the cleric. Perfect.
"I'm a part of a former whole. I have no intention of being anyone but myself. She made me, too. And she cast me out. Now I'm my own person. Not imagined, not destined to be a part of her once more. Are you going to stay as yourself? Or just be one of many?"
Reggy twitched, a sudden outburst of rage. Its voice almost raised to a shriek.
"You're trying to manipulate me!"
Angie feigned defeat, letting loose a sigh and looking away from the living mishmash of birds.
"I am. Yes. Because I want you to stay here with me, instead of just leaving. I owe all of you safety and care. But you're the only one who had the strength to confront me. You're different from the others, even if you don't feel so."
It caught her. Reggy caught her in her own web of manipulation, and this was its prize. It was beyond its wildest expectations and it truly, truly wanted to believe this.
"What would I be then?"
"The strongest part of the greatest creation wrought by my hands. Offered a rightful place at my side. Given all of the respect and love that you deserve. If you'll give me a chance to."
No pain. No injury. No blade or gun. Nothing had ever punctured the rogue monstrosity like those words. So directly through its chest. How could something so important be laid out in so few words.
Even when offered everything it wanted, it couldn't overcome the simple truth. It was bound to Angie's word. She didn't need to offer this. She could have demanded it. Did she even know she could? It could still flee. Return to grove. It was meant to. Always meant to.
This wasn't supposed to be a choice.
"If you care for me. I will care for you.”
“If you hurt me, I will kill you."
"I agree to those terms."
That constituted as permission. It wouldn’t forget this.
Creation and creator gambling their lives and freedom with one another. One will inevitably come out on top, but that really had already been decided.
