The sparrow was up early again. Blinking sleepily, Snatcher propped himself up by one arm and looked at the bird that was staring through the bars of the cage. The bird looked back, cocking its head. “Good morning again,” he murmured, walking over to the bird. It twittered brightly, cheerful and full of song. Snatcher reached out slowly and patted the beak through the bars, smiling. “Good morning to you as well.”

  With a sudden squawk, the bird took off, fluttering wildly. Snatcher’s breath hitched and he watched it grow smaller, disappearing into the golden sunrise. He looked through the bars long after it had gone, watching the world awaken.

  And so began another morning in captivity. Breaking out of his trance, Snatcher tidied up the bundle of furs he’d been sleeping on and relieved himself at the litter tray, and then there was nothing to do but drink a little water and wait. To pass the time, he made laps around the inside of his cage, and he was just finishing his ninth when Missy arrived.

  “Good morning!” he called cheerfully. Missy smiled and thundered out a greeting of her own before heading to the hanging cage. He held the bars to steady himself while she fumbled with the latch. “Come on, you slept in again? Can I have breakfast before the day’s half over for once?” he teased. The gigantic angel couldn’t understand him any more than he could understand her, but she picked up on his impatience and placed him on the floor. A few minutes later a meal was set up for him and a considerably larger one was being prepared for her, and finally breakfast could commence.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Missy was still happily devouring her scrambled dragon eggs by the time that Snatcher finished. He looked down at his bowl. It had been a rather filling breakfast, especially considering that it had been dry kibble from a bag labeled with overly bright pictures of smiling adults. It wasn’t a terribly delicious brand, but Snatcher was pretty sure that Missy’s friend Lady had recommended it, since Saffron had been eating some of it the last time they’d visited. Lady was much more experienced with animals and had been caring for them for years, judging by the pictures displayed around her house. In fact, Snatcher’s own cage had been given to Missy by her friend and had surely belonged to a previous pet of hers. If Lady claimed something was good, it probably was.

  They were going to visit Lady and Saffron again soon, Snatcher figured, watching Missy get ready. That would be nice.

  By the time Missy had cleaned up, the morning was almost over. Leaning against the clear glass of the window, Snatcher stretched out in the diminishing patch of sunlight. “Time to head out?” he asked. Missy leaned down and patted his head, seeming to agree.