2Michael gasped, stumbling forward, clutching his chest.
"Michael?" Mina turned to him, worry written on her face.
Michael wheezed out "M-my heart. . . it's stopped! F-feel my heart!"
Mina reached up and placed her hand on his chest. She gasped, there was no beating. Michael swayed before his knees buckled and he collapsed to the dust ground of the old attic. The owls in the corner hooted, alarmed, before flying out the open window.
"Someone! Help, please!" Mina cried out the window from the abandoned house. "Help!"
"Is he ok?"
Michael heard a soft voice through the misty fog of his thoughts.
"He should be. . ."
Skellig? He came back? Michael groaned as he opened his eyes, vision clearing.
"Michael!" Mina cried out as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"Ow. . ."
Mina drew back, "Sorry"
Michael smiled. He turned his head to see Skellig. His face showed his worry, wings moving slowly in anxiety.
"Skellig, you-you came back." Skellig smiled slightly before fear covered his face.
"I had to Michael, I couldn't let you die. You two are my only friends." He spoke slowly and his eyes had a sad shine to them.
"Skellig, is. . . is something wrong?" Skellig looked up at the two young children.
"Michael, you have to understand. You were dieing, I had to do something. . ." Skellig spoke quietly, guilt in his eyes. Mina stood suddenly, clicking her tongue.
"Skellig, what do you mean," her voice echoed throughout the attic.
Skellig looked down again. Michael felt a throbbing pain across his shoulder blades. He winced as the pain started to burn. Mina turned towards Michael, noticing his pained expression.
"Michael? Is something wrong? Is it your heart?"
"N-No, my shoulder- AHHHHHHHHH" Michael screamed, before gritting his teeth.
Skellig quickly moved forward and caught him before falling back. He laid Michael on his stomach, placing a pillow under his cheek.
"Michael. . . the only way to save you was to. . . I-I'm so sorry." Tears streamed down Skellig's pale face.
"Skellig, what do you mean?" Mina brushed back Michael's bangs from his sweaty forehead.
"M-maybe I should start from the beginning" Skellig looked away from Michael's limp form.
"I am. . . er, I was a human before the experiment. About three years ago, a-a man found me on the street after I had run away from home. I was only seventeen so. . . anyways he took me to his home, an old mansion. I thought I was lucky, being taken in by some kind old rich man, but I was wrong. So very wrong."
Skellig fought back a sob, and Michael lifted his hand weakly before placing it on Skellig's slim hand. Tears were already streaming down Mina's face. Skellig continues
"He didn't take me in to care for me, he wanted me for his next experiment. He. . .he was an alchemist and he created chimeras. He took a baby owl and fused us together. The owl died in the process, giving me the DNA. I'm a owl chimera. Just some experiment. I was able to escape last year, just as he was preparing to. . . he wanted more then just an owl chimera in me. He thought it would be more efficient if I was more then an owl-human chimera. He wanted to fuse me with a. . ."
Michael hummed softly, urging Skellig to continue.
"He wanted me to be a owl-human-wolf chimera." Mina gasped softly.
"The man had taught me how to do alchemy, and once I tried to split my human DNA from the owl DNA. What I didn't know was that a chimera is fused together down to the atoms. There is not way to split one once together. When I did that, I ruined most of my bones and cartilage, resulting in arthritis."
Michael closed his eyes tightly as another wave of pain over took him. Mina clicked her tongue.
"What does that have to do with what's wrong with Michael, I don't understand."
Skellig backed away slowly from the two children, Michael's hand falling from his gently.
"I'm so sorry, there-there was no other way." Skellig sobbed into his hands, his shoulders and wings shaking.
"I-I had to do it, I had to turn you into a chimera! If I hadn't, you would have died." Mina eyes widened
"You did what? You turned Michael into a chimera?" Skellig drew back from the girls anger.
"I-I'm sorry, ok! I fused him together with a young crow. The DNA from the crow attached itself to Michael's DNA, so his heart could work properly. . . I'm so sorry!"
Michael gasped softly before his body seemed to go into a spasm.
"Michael? Michael?" Mina cried out as she grabbed Michael's limp hand.
"Skellig, please. Skellig." Michael whispered softly as his shaking subsided. Skellig scooted closer towards the boy.
"I'm sorry Michael, please forgive me!"
Michael smile softly. "I will a-always forgive you Skellig, you are my friend."
He gritted his teeth as pain racked his body again. Then an ear splitting scream broke the silence of the night as two large black wings burst from his back.