Ouroboros Spine You won't know your worth now, son, until you take a hit

kuktuux watched nuak carefully. he would walk, and she would come after, shale crumbling beneath their paws.

the sun beat upon their backs. the lake shone ahead, a curled and shining pearl among the snake-clutch of the spine. the duck drew a breath, then another, each cooler than that before it.

finally they came to the shallows. she looked up as if to gesture his bearish form into the shallows, but collapsed to her knees on the softmud shoreline, retching horribly as a strangled whine of surprise rose from her throat.