Miriam stumbled to her feet… and immediately pitched over with the weight of her antlers. The front most protrusions stabbed into the dirt, propping her up, and she struggled for a moment like a turtle on its back, arms too short to push her back up. Eventually she managed to stand again, and shook her head to get the dirt off the antlers’ prongs. She dusted the rest of herself off before slowly making her way to the dining hall with the rest of the trainees.
The girl sat down at the table quietly, a little unsure. She felt kind of awkward, trying to keep her head perfectly still so her antlers didn’t hit the heads of the people sitting to her left and right. Miriam slowly reached for a bowl of potatoes, trying not to accidentally hit anyone. Still, she clipped the shoulder of the boy to her left and muttered a quiet apology, not completely sure whether he heard or not.
Looking around, Miriam didn’t see many people fused with spirits. Many of the others had small creatures following them around like pets in a video game, or had larger ones just behind them, knocking them around as a tease. Some looked like they didn’t have a spirit bond, but there were only a few that had inhuman attributes from their spirit bond. There was a girl with what looked like octopus tentacles, and a boy with a third eye in the middle of his forehead, and more eyes on his hands. Miriam again felt acutely disoriented with the new surroundings and… other humans. At least I have Growl to keep me company…
I will always keep you company, the Wendigo rumbled in her mind, a faint air of amusement palpable from his disembodied voice.
Thanks, buddy, Miriam thought wryly. Any advice on how to initiate a conversation with a member of my species?