It was a long way down from the rafters. There it was. I knew, if those glowing red beacons of fire turned their gaze upon me, that I would have folded in seconds; not minutes. My only salvation was in that he had yet to even notice I was there. I marveled at the target of its gaze. What was that thing?!
They seemed to be vaguely bipedal, with their arms and legs splayed out like a star. Its furry coat of tans and brown stripes looked so familiar, like it had stolen the very clothes off of Rilah's back.
Its limbs were outstretched, with digits spread wide like a ward against this apparent evil.
I didn't understand how it had stayed alive for so long.
If I didn't know better, I'd think that they *were Rilah; but that was impossible. Those leaves may appear solid, but it was truly just a thin veneer of fragile leaf coverage supported by twigs and stems. Even Rilah couldn't hope to float on the surface like that, no matter how clever she was.
