Lotus

She'd been captured in the Starfall Isles by "traders", and broke out into protestive hooting as she was shoved into a cage, after that she couldn't do anything, certain her fate was sealed. Would she be a fancy meal? An scientific oddity?

She didn't know that her luck would change when she was brought to the Crooked City.

A glimmering skydancer strode through the markets, her manticore companion by her side, and sighted a curious creature, caged and clearly despondent, flanked by a pair of shrieking mirrors attempting to drum up interest in their "wares". The skydancer approached and the mirrors approached her quickly "Interested in procuring some pelts? Some parts?" Hissed one, gesturing at a table of skins and paws and bones. "Or do you desire something more SPECIAL" hissed the other, pointing a claw at the cage containing the creature, which could only be described as a botanical owl. The skydancer eyed the creature curiously, and it let out a saddened hoot, and looked at her with the saddest of eyes. The skydancer thought for a moment and then spoke "It's illegal to sell sapient beings here, I'm freeing her"

The Mirrors protested and attempted to stop her from breaking the lock on the cage, but were stopped by the manticore. (To Be Continued)