Ashan 97, 717
He was running dreadfully late. Feathers rushed forward, catching upon grasping twigs and yanking loosened leaves along with them as the hybrid spirited onwards towards his destination. In some social settings, it was acceptable and even preferred to be fashionably late so as to showcase one’s supposed importance in the collective hierarchy, but this was simply not one of those occasions. In fact, the very idea of not arriving exactly on time as he had always done was a vile anathema to the twilight hybrid, and he forcibly pressed his feet forward with increased energy and vigor, attempting to make up for lost time as he rushed out of the forest.
Noth exploded out of the vegetation, carrying a fair number of leaves and bristles to himself which caused only mild irritation next to the idea of being late for his meeting. He was terribly close, he realized with a start, and the picky bird begun to clean his feathers with increasing intensity as he finally neared the rendezvous location. There! Crimson eyes settled upon the person he was meant to meet, and he crept forward with an eagerness resembling that of a child when it is told it may purchase any piece of candy that it desires.
The tradition had carried on for some time now, and Noth recognized that it would likely continue in the Arcs to come. He spoke his greetings to his dearest friend, nodding his head towards him as a smile crept along his face.
“It is wonderful to see you again! I see time has done little to erode your features!” It hadn’t been terribly long since he had last visited, but it was good nonetheless to make notice of the evident lack of change. There was little response, though that wasn’t entirely unexpected. His friend had suffered a terrible accident which had stolen his ability to speak, and even his movements were now incredibly restricted. Nonetheless, despite that disability, he had managed to show up for their meeting, and Noth could not be more grateful for the effort that must have been put forward to arrive.
The pair went back many Arcs, and Noth recounted the childhood escapades that they had engaged in when he was younger. He smiled once again, patting down the nearest patch of grass and taking a seat upon it once he deduced it was not moist from the morning dew.
“I can’t help but to feel that we’re getting too old for this world. I still miss the old days when we would laze about, or scheme our little incessant schemes.” His lips curled and then burst with a warm chuckle. “I still remember rushing to get my scholastic work done as quickly as possible just so that we could go on our adventures. It brought no end of frustration to my tutors who caught on quite quickly that I was just guessing in order to see you, but I think I turned out well enough.” Another laugh rattled his throat as he looked down upon himself. Yes, he could have become far greater than he had, but at the very least he was still alive and kicking and that was more than could be said for some in the world.
“So, it’s been another Arc. I’d imagine that you’re curious as to what I’ve been up to? Well, I’m still living up in that cave in the woods with Vern. I think you’ve met her, haven’t you? I brought her with me once on these trips, but honestly I’m a lot happier leaving her home for these meetings, she always causes such a ruckus.” He shook his head as affectionate thoughts of the bird flooded his mind. “She reminds me a bit of that old sheep who always wanted to follow me around everywhere. Guess that’s just the way animals think. Anyways, I’m doing pretty well financially, though admittedly I still don’t really have a job. I make due though, don’t worry about me.” Technically, most of his money was made through less than legal endeavors, but he would hardly mention that to someone he had known since he was a child. At least someone in the world had to think of him well.
“Ah yes, something else of… minor importance.” He grinned a boyish grin underneath his feathered face, eliciting a quiet giggle as he spoke, “Finally got a first kiss. Now now, don’t act all surprised. You and I both know we’re getting older, and it’s probably about time I started looking around for someone like that. Cute young lady, but I don’t think she knows what’s cut out for her. Curse it all, I actually tried to drive her away… and admittedly I probably haven’t treated as well as you would have imagined, but I’ll try to put some effort into it. I can’t lie though, it felt good, really good.” There was a closeness there that couldn’t be replicated by any of the allies he held within the Al’Angyryl, and he recognized for the hundredth time that these conversations would never be repeated to that faction’s members.
“Anyhow, I know for a fact that you haven’t been up to much. I’ve been keeping a close eye on you though, so don’t ever worry about having to look over your shoulder. I’m always here to keep you safe, and if only you’d find a way of calling, I would come running.” It was a reassuring statement, but it was entirely true. Noth could count the people he would risk his life for on one hand, and the most prominent finger of that hand was the person with whom he now conversed.
“Sometimes… sometimes I don’t know if what I do is right anymore. I remember you used to help me a lot with that when we still associated with one another on a regular basis. Oh well, let’s not spoil a celebration with a somber spirit, shall we?”
He reached behind his back, revealing an item that he had brought along with him for exactly this situation. The book of legends and stories was easily his most prized possession, especially given its sentimental value, and thus it had been chosen as the chief item of his inventory as he traveled. Within it were tales of valiant heroes and dastardly villains, and another warm smile crept to his face as he showcased it to his friend.
“It never ceased to amaze me how many times you would read this junky old thing to me. Mind you, when you’re only a few Arcs old and aren’t capable of understanding words, it is the only option for learning about the heroes of the world, but still, I must have been such a brat with my constant pestering. So, here it is… let me make it all up for you.”
“Once there was a man named Hershel who owned a great big hound named Spirit. Hershel and Spirit were the best of friends, and they would always go on adventures together. Hershel was the cleverest man in the world, and his plans would allow him to thwart even the meanest villain. Spirit on the other hand was the strongest dog to have ever been bred, and he could tackle a full-grown knight to the ground if it suited him. One day, the city where Hershel and Spirit lived was attacked by a cruel and wicked man who was intent on burning it to the ground. His army numbered many hundreds, and there wasn’t a chance in the world that Hershel and Spirit would be able to stop him once he reached the walls. The foe had camped outside to prepare for his siege, and under the cover of night, Hershel and Spirit snuck towards his tents, and specifically towards his equipment. Hershel had a wonderful plan, and after subduing a lone guard, he began to tinker and mis-shape the shoes of the great army’s horses. Once they had tinkered with all of the shoes, the pair retreated to their city. “
“When day broke, Hershel and Spirit were the only two prepared to defend it, and they stood against wave after wave of cavalry. The horses snorted and pounded the dirt with a ferocity that is still to this trial unmatched. They charged, and Spirit ran forth to meet them. He let out a great howling noise which frightened the foremost horse, which naturally tried to rear upwards. The beast’s feet were unable to hold its weight, however, with the shoes having been badly positioned, and it tumbled backwards, landing upon its rider. Other riders also reared their mounts back, attempting to stop from crashing into their allies, and suffered the same fate. Soon, the entire army were held captive by their own mounts, and despite their squirming, they were unable to escape. The city rejoiced, thanking its valiant heroes, and the evil assailants were thrown into prison where they could rethink their wicked ways.”
“The End.”
It had been Noth’s favorite story as a boy, and he could recall fondly running about with his friend pretending to be Hershel and Spirit. Admittedly, his appearance allowed him to the take the role of a great hound more readily than it did a valiant hero, but it was the role he wanted anyways.
The hybrid sighed a sad and destitute sound, and gradually began to pick himself upwards, the smile remaining weakly attached to his face as though it had been nailed there and would soon be removed by a stiff breeze. His hand reached outwards to his friend, feeling the cold and brutish smoothness of his skin, and the rough stony stillness that it encompassed. Grieving fingers reached downwards, tracing out a series of letters that had been engrained in his mind ever since childhood.
“I miss these talks, though sometimes I imagine what they would be like if things had worked differently. If the Immortals hadn’t cursed us all. If the world had never turned cruel. Such things are for the birds though, aren’t they?
A slight drop of precipitation tore itself from his eyes, dripping easily onto the grass below.
“I miss you, dad.”
He gave the tombstone a final pat, and retreated back towards the woods.
