B27C18 - Sperm Whale Tobias

Tobias landed on Cassie's back, demorphed to hawk, then waited for me to catch up, riding Cassie's back with his talons dug sharply into her rubbery gray flesh.

<Whale time,> Tobias said to me.

"Yeah," I yelled, treading water and spitting brine. "Let's do it."

<I had a premonition she'd say that,> Marco teased.

Okay, here goes nothing, I thought, as Cassie and Marco swam up alongside me and I summoned a mental picture of the whale.

Saltwater splashed my face. Again and again. I swallowed it. Gagged.

My bones stretched and grew heavy, my feathered arms flapped frantically until fingers sprouted and I could tread water.

I was tired. Eyes burning, I glanced over at Tobias.

His red-tailed hawk form was already shifting. He slipped from Cassie's back into the water.

I closed my eyes and visualized the sperm whale.

And felt the changes begin.