While the three of them work away they also take the chance to look over all three of their forms. Slightly more shapely and slightly taller in all 3 forms than one would expect from a 12 year old. As well as being a hermaphrodite in all 3 forms. Their dragonkin is the tallest at about 5'6" and looks mostly androgynous until they retract the scales that protect their breasts, which currently aren't that big anyway. But the dragonkin also has dark purple wings that stretch out a total of 12 feet from wingtip to wingtip, a 4ft long thinish spade tipped scaled dragon tail with purple scales and spikes on top and light blue scales on the bottom. Also all of the retractable scales on the front of the torso and on the groin are all the same light blue. Also the dragon p***s is the biggest but thats a topic for another day 6 years in the future. There are also 4 about 5 inch long slightly wavy white horns on top of a dragon squeeze head that is breathes in a sort of wild mullet wolf Cut of light purple and light blue hair like flames.
The teifling, on the other hand has the biggest breasts, and ass which accentuates their dark purple devils tail also spade tipped and about 3 ft long on their 5'3" frame with 2 about 4 inch lightly wavy white horns. Which go up from their forehead and over the short but silky light purple and light blue wolf Cut mullet with shaved sides that show off the teiflings light but not too light purple skin, not that help was needed when hiper was naked and now is only wearing a grass skirt and fake coconut bra.
And the human was the smallest and most androgynous. Standing at 5 ft nothing, with a slender oval face almost identical to the teifling, only no horns but skin almost as pale white as them anyway. And small in the other areas too.
After the makeshift fake coconut, real vine bra and real green grass skirt have been completed Hiper does a twirl in their purple teifling form. The only light little bits of forest light leaking from the foliage coverd entrance, As well as purple and blue light from takos hair near the center of the dirt and root covered hollow inside of the tree. Then the three of them gather and tako says.
" Ok by my estimate its been about 8 hours and it was probably a couple hours after sunrise when we first got here. Meaning it should be sunset soon. At least probably the start of sunset because full sunset will probably take a couple hours. Now since we are taking different forms I suggest we let ourselves feel like individuals, even though we all think everything together. I also suggest that Justine take the storage bag and knife and pan leaving the rest here and go find water while gathering literally every easily grabbable and pickable item along the way since our human form is the shortest"
" Meanwhile, I can fly up the tree from the inside and use the dragon claws and dragon fire to carve out smoke vents, so we can have a fire. And hiper can terapart and reshape the tent into a proper door that we can have on this side of the opening and seal opening with as well as spare bedding because while we can cuddle there are 3 of us. Does that sound good to you two?"
"Agreed," Justine said her pale, slender figure took the storage bag from Tako's belt, emptied it in the center and slung it over her shoulder. She picked up the large knife the size and shape similar to the trusty knife tako once got from some mail order preparedness agency, and felt familiarin their human hand."I'll follow the slope downward. Water usually gathers in low places. And I'll grab anything that looks edible or useful."
"Be careful," Hiper said, their teifling tail giving a slight, thoughtful flick that brushed against the dirt floor. "We don't know what's out there."
"We 'do' know," Tako corrected with a grin, their dragon wings giving an experimental flap. "We ate a bunch of it. But yeah, careful. If you see anything moving that's bigger than a rabbit, run. Our speed stat isn't great. Plus the notifications said everything here is 'common,' but 'common' in a place called the Forest Sea might still bite."
Justine nodded. "Back before full dark." She squeezed through the foliage-covered crack, the green golden light from outside briefly silhouetting her before she covered the crack again and then was gone. The temporary cool evening breeze adding a nice touch to the hollow for just a moment.
The hollow felt quieter, the purple and blue glow from Tako's fiery hair casting long, dancing shadows on the rough inner bark.
"Alright," Tako said, cracking their knuckles, the sound sharp in the confined space. "Up I go." They looked at the dark shaft above, where the hollow stretched into gloom. With a powerful beat of their wings, Tako lifted off the ground, the downdraft stirring up dust and dried leaves. The air inside was cool and carried the scent of damp earth and old wood.
Claws scraped against the inner wall as Tako ascended, finding purchase. They could feel the texture of the bark—deep grooves, ridges, the occasional soft spot of rot. About at the top, they stopped, hovering. "This should do," they muttered. "Need a vent here... and maybe one or two on the other sides for the smoke to draw properly. Actually how about 5 total, plus a matching set at the base. "
Tako took a deep breath, focusing. A low warmth built in their chest, then traveled up their throat. They opened their maw and exhaled a thin, controlled stream of purple-tinged dragonfire. It wasn't a roaring blaze, but a precise, hot jet. The fire bit into the wood with a hiss and a crackle, filling the air with the smell of burning oak and a faint, sweet sap. Chunks of charred wood fell, pattering down to the floor far below.
"Watch the debris!" Hiper called up, already busy at the entrance. They had pulled the small tent from the pile Justine left behind and were examining the canvas and poles.
"Sorry!" Tako called back, their voice echoing slightly. They continued carving, the heat from their own fire warming their face and scales. After a few minutes, a rough, fist-sized hole was punched through to the outside. A sliver of golden-orange sunset light stabbed through, illuminating swirling motes of dust and smoke. Cool, fresh evening air rushed in, carrying the distant scent of pine and damp soil.
"Perfect," Tako said, satisfaction warming their belly as much as the fire had. They began moving around the outside to repeat the process.
Down below, Hiper was humming tunelessly, their teifling fingers surprisingly deft. They used their teifling claw like nails to cut the tent canvas into broad strips. The sound of tearing fabric was loud in the hollow. Their hands much steadier than in their previous life. Maybe the three and future more of them will pick up sewing and crochet and knitting again.
"Thinking of a roll-up style," Hiper explained, though Tako was too high up to converse easily. "Use the poles as a frame, lash it with vines from the bra and skirt-making... then we can prop it in the opening from the inside. Should block most of the light and wind. Except for what we want flowing in from the base."
They worked in comfortable silence for a time, the only sounds being the scrape of Tako's claws, the hiss of fire, the rip of canvas, and the soft rustle of Hiper arranging materials.
Tako finished the last upper vent just as the light from the first one began to deepen from gold to a rich crimson. They descended, wings slowing their fall, and landed softly beside the pile of bedding—the original bedroll and the newly cut canvas.
"Top vents are done, about to get started on the lower ones" Tako reported, lining up with one of the vents not above the door and getting in a comfortable crouching position. The cool air from the new vents felt good on their skin. "How's the door coming? Justine should be gathering rocks for these bottom vents. Its nice we can still communicatewith thought."
"Almost there," Hiper said. They had woven the spare vines into a crude net, which they were now stitching to a rectangular frame made from the tent poles, using thin strips of canvas as ties. "It's ugly, but it'll work. We can pile dirt and moss around the edges once it's in place. And agreed definitely nice" A third agreement enters their minds.
They both looked at the entrance, now a dark rectangle faintly outlined by the dying light outside. The forest sounds were changing—the daytime birdcalls were fading, replaced by the first tentative chirps of crickets and the low hoot of a distant owl.
"I hope Justine's okay," Hiper said quietly, their tail curling around their leg.
"We'd know if she wasn't," Tako replied, though the words didn't fully chase away the shared thread of anxiety that was always there, humming in the back of their three minds. "We're all the same. If something happens, we'll feel it."
Before Hiper could respond, there was a rustle at the entrance. The foliage was pushed aside, and Justine slipped back in, her human form slightly flushed. The storage bag looked fuller, and she was carrying the cast iron pan, now filled with clear water that sloshed gently.
"Found a spring," she said, her voice breathless. "Not far, maybe ten minutes walk. Water's cold and tastes clean." She set the pan down carefully. "And look." She opened the bag and began pulling out her haul: several more varieties of mushrooms, some dark berries, a handful of nuts still in their shells, and quite a few long, straight sticks that could serve as firewood. Along with grasses, rocks, mosses, whole shrubs and saplings, flowers, even an old sword hilt and remnants of the one who welded it bones and other metal scraps. Before long the inside is nearly full with food and useful items neatly organized by the three of them. "Nothing tried to eat me. Saw some deer tracks, but no deer. However i found bits of a long forgotten person. Do we want yo eat them? See if we cant get some long forgotten skill?"
"Excellent work, Justine," Tako said, a genuine smile spreading across their dragonkin face. The shared relief and excitement was palpable. "Especially since if we gain anything from bones at all means we can avoid live sentient prey unless we want to eat someone and still reap the benefits."
"Now," Hiper said, holding up their completed makeshift door. It was indeed ugly—a lopsided frame with a patchwork of canvas and vine covering it. "Let's get this in place, start a fire, and have our first proper meal in this new world. And for desert we break the taboos of earth. It shouldn't be taboo to eat sentient species in this world and 2/3 of us isnt human so whatever this person is we should be fine. Plus it will be a quick swallow."
The three of them moved to the entrance, working together to fit the door into the crack, packing the gaps with damp moss and handfuls of soft soil from the hollow floor. As the last sliver of sunset light was blocked out, the interior was plunged into near-darkness, save for the soft, bioluminescent glow of Tako's hair. And lit bits of fading light from the vents.
"Right," Tako said, rubbing their hands together. Claws clacking together. "Fire time."