the monsters turned out to be just trees

hope keeps us breathing, just to kill us in the end

"Oh." Remi mumbled with a bashful sort of awkwardness. He offered the Launceleyn an apologetic half smile before clearing his throat and glancing towards his feet.

As Astra leaped away, Remi lowered himself down to the ground like some sort of submissive cat. He stuck his neck out as far as it would go, whiskers all the way forward to let her sniff and hopefully connect his current scent with that of the man before. His articulated and barbed tail was well hidden from view by his wings, which fluttered softly from his flanks.

With a cursory glance towards Loren, the manticore merely raised a leonine brow and shifted a wing. Lowered down as he was, it wouldn't be too terribly difficult for Loren to mount him hop aboard.