The turkey pecked away beneath the tree. It had been difficult finding food, but at long last, it appeared she’d found a source of nourishment.

Padding her way over to an acorn, the turkey scratched at it with her foot to get it loose from the dirt. She bent to pick up the nut, only to have it snatched away at the last second by a ground squirrel almost a third of her size, the thief chittering with laughter as it ran into its burrow.

The turkey watched in silence, then resumed her search for acorns. She managed to find another one, but again it was snatched from her grasp by a squirrel. The turkey jumped up and down, flapping her wings indignantly, but her display was met with yet another chorus of squirrel laughter.

The turkey’s head swivelled around. She was surrounded. The rodents were enjoying a game of “snatch the acorn,” and she was the butt of the joke.

Resigned to her fate, the turkey resumed looking for acorns. She scratched one from beneath the leaves and pulled it towards her, but the moment she saw a flash of gray to her right, she shifted her foot and stomped down on the head of the squirrel instead. Bringing the other foot across, the turkey wrapped the head of the squirrel in both of her feet and began pecking at it viciously, rolling around on the ground as the squirrel tried to get free of the turkey’s vicelike grip.

Over and over, the turkey plunged her beak at the squirrel’s head. None of the other squirrels made a move to stop the attack, their only reaction coming when there was a small cracking noise as the hard keratin of the turkey’s beak fractured the would-be thief’s skull, plunging its way into the squirrel’s brain and killing it instantly.

The turkey fluttered her feathers and righted herself, warbling righteously at the squirrel’s corpse. She took a step toward the abandoned acorn, then looked back at the dead ground squirrel. Then at the acorn. Then at the squirrel.

Hopping over to the corpse, the turkey grabbed the squirrel by the head and tossed her neck back, shaking and bobbing to get it oriented correctly. Once the squirrel’s body was positioned, she swallowed the large animal whole, jerking her head up and down to get it into her stomach before it choked her to death.

A piece of worn newsprint appeared, text rapidly squiggling into existence on its surface.

Animal growth process… not permitted. Edge-case scenario remains unresolved. Escalating to management.

Admin (Carl): No, no, no! I’m here! Don’t contact management! Blast it, how do I turn off this microphone?

Microphone = Off

Microphone = On

Admin (Carl): There we go. Quite the sticky button, I’d say.

Edge-case scenario unresolved. Contacting management in 10… 9…

Admin (Carl): Oh dear, this is not good. Damn, why couldn’t they have used a rune-based system instead of this confounded interface? "Every button is a complex magical ritual!" they said. Ugh…

Advancement qualification reached

Tome present

Enact tome progression…

…

…

Failed. Non-Sentient species.

Enact Animal growth progression…

…

…

Failed. Tome present.

Target is Legend. Advancement mandatory. Conflict must be resolved.

Contacting management in 8… 7…

Admin (Carl): How am I possibly supposed to fix that? Let’s see…

Species alteration failed: Base identity cannot be modified.

Target is Legend. Advancement mandatory.

Contacting management in 6… 5…

Admin (Carl): If I can’t change the species or the Tome, how in the blazes is this damn turkey supposed to advance? The only thing both animals and Legends can do is…

Oh dear. That’s probably not a good idea.

Contacting management in 4… 3…

Admin (Carl): I mean, maybe it would be okay…

Contacting management in 2… 1…

Admin (Carl): Aaaaah!

Operator input received.

Tome progression = Evolution progression

Animal growth progression = Evolution progression

CAUTION: EVOLUTION PATH UNDEFINED. MAY PRODUCE UNUSUAL RESULTS

PROCEED? YES/NO

Tome: Evolution path permitted!

Animal: Evolution path permitted!

Conflict resolved.

Admin (Carl): There. What a headache. Blasted thing will most likely be dead in a couple of hours anyway.

The paper disappeared. An instant later, the turkey began jerking spasmodically, her feathers ruffling as she tried to get her body under control. It was no mean task, but when she did manage to calm herself, a rippling shimmer passed over her body, leaving behind a smoother, more compact appearance.

Cool and collected once more, the turkey surveyed the clearing and noted that the squirrel colony was now staring at her warily. She walked towards one, but it darted underground, the sight of her now triggering the animal’s predator reflex. The turkey nodded to herself. She’d have to come up with a strategy if she was going to catch more of these.

Kicking the acorn aside, Turkaletta took three steps and leapt off the ground, the power of her wings lifting her into the trees for the first time in her life.