Hen had grown quite a bit under the protective guidance of her Raptor Mom. Soft, fluffy, semi-yellow fuzz was replaced now with red, smooth, flat feathers. Her wings were no longer stubby, useless things, but instead, now they were layered with thick, red feathers. She felt good about that. They were nicer than Raptor Mom's stringy plumage, and brighter. Her head now sported a strikingly red crown, and she'd very recently begun eating bigger things, even pieces of the meat that Raptor Mom dropped during feedings. It had helped her grow bigger, but she was still tiny compared to her raptor siblings and even tinier compared to Mom.

"Ra'Ma! Ra'Ma!" She called, bouncing down the length of the cave towards her dear, sleeping protector. "Ra'Ma, I caught a crawler today and ate it!" She boasted proudly, the scales from the tiny snake still littering her tiny claws and facial feathers. "I's a great hunter like you! Mighty Ra'Hen!"

She was proud, but disappointed quickly to find her Ra'Ma sleeping. Not wanting to disturb the big lady's slumber, she instead opted to find something else to do. Surely she could find another Crawler and bring it as a gift to her Ra'Ma! Yes, this would be her proof of adulthood! She turned to take up the hunt again, head bobbing back and forth as she sauntered back towards the walls of the tunnel they called home...

...and after a few minutes of searching, she found another Crawler amidst the rocks and crystal chunks. She peeped excitedly and soon, the chase was on! She ran after the slithering creature as it made for escape, unable to find a hole to slip into along the base of the wall. Hen chased with flapping wings and a dipping head, trying to peck the little scaled thing as it evaded her.

"Ra'Hen! Ra'Hen! Mighty Ra'Hen huntin' Crawly things!" Hen chirped cheerily as she chased and pecked at the snake. It curled and writhed to try to be rid of her pestering presence, but every bite it lashed out with served only to be insubstantial, barely plucking feathers as she pecked and scratched at it between quick steps and turns. She chased and chased and chased, and...

...suddenly, she felt purchase under her talons and chirped excitedly. It writhed around her leg but she ducked and pecked at it's head before it could bite or get away. It twitched twice, then went limp, spine broken by the blow. Thrilled, Hen whirled around with the snake hanging from her beak, ready to run back to Ra'Ma and show her how good a huntress her tiny daughter could be! As she turned, though, she saw movement across the tunnel's length, deep gray scales far bigger than the little crawlers she'd been catching. Hen froze, that prey instinct causing a flutter in her chest. Something is hunting me!

The big, nasty Crawler had spotted her, too. It stared at her for just a second, the two locked in a stare-down of predator and prey... then, she did the only thing she could think of. With a great, loud SQUAWK, she turned to flee, wings flared in an effort to pick up the pace. The chicken could run, but with plump body, not nearly fast enough to escape...

...and as she ran, she left behind smoldering foot prints in her wake. Her feet felt hot, the scales gleaming with tiny sparks and embers. As she ran, she make a racket, loud squawks to try and awaken her deeply sleeping Ra'Ma.

Pain was a new sensation for the chick. As the giant Crawler caught up with her, he lunged at her, and in her final act of avoidance, she'd mistimed her steps and felt those sharp, toothy jaws clamp shut around her backside. The sound that escaped her beak in that moment shocked even her, a strangled screech that echoed trough the entire tunnel. She flailed her useless wings and felt her body lift, but not from her own attempts. Suddenly, she was away again, but only for the briefest of seconds before those teeth clamped down on her chest and back, half-swallowing her whole. At that point, Hen was many a racket the likes of which no mother could ignore...

Hen felt a numb relief flood through her at Ra'ma's vigilant approach, then dull comfort when she heard her protective matron's mighty roar of violent protest. She dropped like a brick as the crawler let her go, running for his life and rightly so. Ra'ma had never seemed so enraged. Hen felt safe with her as her guardian. She only hoped... Ra'ma felt proud of her... that she'd done well... as her tiny misfit daughter...

...oh, her vision was fading. The floor, cold and smooth beneath her, felt foreign and far away. Not cold, though. Something felt tight on her, between her eyes. Her head throbbed, but no pain came. Blurry-eyed, she shifted her head with a quiver and looked up at her Ra'ma standing above her.

Then, with a sigh and the crackle of protective magic, Hen fell into a slumber the likes of which she'd never known. Red gemstone would slowly form a protective shell around her damaged and broken body, but for now, only the slightest glow of orange light gave any sign that she would live through this dire experience...