The Phases: After Dark

Deada's heart was beating hard as she stepped into the room, but it wasn't just that there quest might be over that made her nervous: she dreaded what she'd see inside. Visions of raptors in tiny cages, seriously maimed, terrified out of their wits kept tumbling through her mind. 'Deada, you're doing it again.' Tom muttered, elbowing her in the ribs, and Deada blinked. When she 'did that' she apparently looked as if she was about to kill someone, which wasn't helpful at the moment.
'So, Delia.' Deada wanted to hit Tom for the ridiculous name he'd given to her, but looked up trying to look friendly. By the expression on the guides face, she'd failed epically.
'Yes?' Tom broke the awkward silence.
'Uh, yes,' the guide hastily continued 'What did you say the bird looked like?'
God, this guy's dumb. We've been telling him through the whole journey. 'Green eyes, marsh harrier, female, juvenile.' she said with as much patience as she could muster.
'Ah yes, this one.' The guide said with infuriating slowness, and opened up a cage door. It wasn't nearly as bad as Deada had expected. The cages were all about 2 meters tall and 1 meter wide, with a wooden perch for the birds to sit on. But now Deada had a new concern: did Emarai remember she was a Phase? Deada had heard terrible story's about Phases who'd been in their animal forms too long and didn't know that they could change back. She needn't have worried though. As soon as their guide lifted Emarai out she gave a cry of recognition and struggled to fly over to them. Deada caught her and looked at her wing. Four half-healed puncture wounds, each one going straight through her wing. Emarai nipped Deada on the ear in a disgruntled way and turned her attention to Tom. She hopped across to him and gave a squawk that sounded very much like 'Tom!!' and attempted to hug him with her wings. The guide looked on in a rather bemused way. 'Well, she certainly knows you,' he said slowly 'but I'm afraid I can't just let you take her like that. We need paper work and your licenses and...' He trailed off at the murderous looks all three were giving him. 'Well I can't just let you take her!' he protested 'I'd loose my job!'
'No one has a license for another person.' Deada said, and then looked at Emarai. Emarai looked at Deada carefully for a few seconds, and then Tom's arm began to sag as the bird he was holding got bigger and bigger and soon he had to drop her as the feathers retracted, the claws melted away and a young girl stood upon the floor. The guides face was priceless.
'I... you... she...' he stuttered as he backed away. 'W-what are you people?!'
'Long story. Little time.' Said Emarai. 'Oh, and you might consider feeding your patience more than rat and field mouse.' she said, wrinkling her nose.
'Come on, Emarai, we've missed you!!' Tom said making to take her arm, but Emarai grimaced and looked at Tom apologetically: it was the one that's been shot.
'You didn't see this.' Deada said solemnly to the guide, and pushed 2 £50 notes into his breast pocket. The guide swallowed and nodded, still staring at Emarai.
'Well, let's go.' Emarai smiled, her old cheerfulness back again. 'I want something decent to eat.' Deada grinned a huge grin. At that moment she didn't care that she was in a building swarming with humans, didn't care that the other Phases were going to kill her if she ever got back. Thei'r mission had been accomplished, and she was the happiest person under the Sun.
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Ta da!! Hm, I'm not sure you should've Phased in front of that man, Emarai, it could lead to trouble. You'll find out in a future Phase story...