It looked like a fruit bat had mated with an iguana. The flat face, bumpy skin and long barbed tail were only the background for the huge wings, pointy teeth, and large obsidion eyes.

“I think it’s cute!” Mallory gushed. She ran toward it, but stopped short when it unfurled its wings and growled a ferociously at her face, baring all its teeth.

“It’s a hungry baby gargoyle, Mallory! There’s nothing cute about it! And what do you think it wants to eat, huh? You!” She looked over her shoulder at me, finally seeing my side.

“Good thing it’s caged, huh Marcus? What should we call it?!”
“Gone. Let’s get rid of it!”
“No! I’m going to call it Fenris!”
“Aww, now I know what to carve in the side of the bullet!”
“Marcus!”
“What? It’s dangerous!”
“It’s just a baby!”
“You want it to grow up? It has to eat to grow! You want to be first? I think he likes you. He’d love it if you came over for dinner!”
“Stop it!”
“Oh I will. Right now!”
“Marcus, No!”
“You don’t have to watch.”
“You can’t!”
“You wanna bet?”