~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Come in, you can come in," Kirby called to the small sparrow. Well, actually, the sparrow was probably more of the same size as he was. The bird followed Kirby into the den that the small Coatl shared with his adoptive parents, Viktor and Elowen.
"It's almost evening," Kirby continued. "Mom and Dad should be back soon, don't you think so?"
The sparrow cast a glance towards the den entrance. "Your parents don't fancy eating sparrows for dinner, do they?"
The Coatl giggled. "Of course not. They know I can talk to animals like you. They won't dare eat any of you."
The sparrow stood at Kirby's table as the Coatl poured some juice for himself from the flask. It wasn't too big for him to hold, but still quite large considering that he was a baby.
Kirby drank some, and put the cup down with a satisfied sigh. "Hey, you want some?" He offered his cup to his sparrow friend.
The sparrow dipped its head into the cup, then jerked its head out. "Kirby! What did you just drink?"
"Um... Juice?" Kirby answered.
"That's not juice!" The sparrow flapped its wings. "That's venom!"
Kirby's face went pale. "What?"
The sparrow looked around. "Stay here, Kirby. I'll go and get help somehow."
"Wait! Where are you---"
The sparrow turned, seeing Kirby convulsing on the floor painfully. It hoped that Kirby's parents would return soon, and chose to wait by its friend, offering the Coatl some company.
- - - - -
Kirby would be found dead in the den later, with a sparrow next to him. Further examination would show that his juice was tainted with venom.