Burning it Down

YOU SAID THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON IT ROSE TOO SOON AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD Amalia, too, swoops down to catch a beetle, angling for the smallest of the trio she can find. Though larger than the jays, she is smaller than he, and even a light beetle is a struggle for her, difficult cargo for her hollow bones. At least she is strong, muscular and lean- it makes things slightly easier, and she manages to keep up with Jigano despite her slight size. We should stop it before it gets out of hand, she answers simply, for once unconcerned in one way or another. I do not think Rae will mind. Fires are part of the cycle of life, Rae's way of rebuilding, her grandmother would say. But Rae does not mind if their creatures intervene: humans are part of the cycle, too. Shrugging mentally if not physically (a challenge, with wings and a beetle in her claws), Amalia turns her head to look at Jigano, thoughtful curiosity ripe in her thoughts. Do the forests not burn where you come from? she asks, flapping her wings to take advantage of hot breezes, returning with her bundle to the scene of the crime. Perhaps this is another curse of the barrier, another challenge and flaw for them alone. It would not surprise her, to hear that their world is once again broken. The more she learns of the outside world, the more decrepit the Hollowed Grounds becomes in her mind. a m a l i a You said it's life that moves too much We're losing touch But I'm not losing you