Flying Free - Chapter 2
#1 of Flying Free
Chapter 2
It's already been a few nights since I've left my home. My supplies are starting to run a bit low as I make my way through the forests to the purple towns. I really need to learn how to make them last a bit longer if I was going to make it. Continuing on my way, I came across a stream and decided to take a bit of a break. I set my pack down and leaned over to take a few pawfulls of water from the stream. After about the third or fourth mouthful, my ears twitched as they picked up a sound in the distance.
I swallowed down what I had in my mouth before wiping my muzzle on my sleeve. I turned my head towards the sound, eyes and ears watching and listening for any hint of the sound that I heard.
There. I heard it again. Slowly, I moved towards the sound, my pack lay forgotten by the stream. As I got closer, I could hear the sound more clearly. It was a sound that I couldn't identify. But whatever it was, it was definitely a living creature, and it was in pain. Heart beating, I moved around the tree nearest to me and got a glimpse of what was happening. I could see four other creatures, two wolves, a fox, and a weasle, standing with weapons and laughing. Between my view and what they were laughing at was a bush, so I couldn't see what it was.
I got closer and seen a fifth sitting off to the side near a campfire. A ferrett. He was probably the weakest. I heard another pained cry and started to hurry a bit more. Nothing in this world should have to make such sounds of pain at the enjoyment of another. I reached for my pack, quickly realizing that I had left it back at the stream and cursed myself mentally. I looked around and found a few acorns laying around. I picked them up and moved as close as I dared to the ferrett. I tossed an acorn and quickly hid behind the tree before it hit him on the arm.
I waited a moment and slowly peeked around the tree. He was looking around the forest, trying to spot the culprit. I tossed another when he was looking somewhere besides where I was, ducking behind the tree again before this one hit him square on the muzzle. He stood up and began slowly making his way into the forest with a quarter-staff just as the creature made another pained screech. I felt my blood start to boil and heard his footsteps getting closer and closer to me.
Slowly, I circled around the tree as he passed by, coming up behind him. I drew my arm back, balled my paw into a fist, and hit him as hard as I could in the back of the head. Not the bravest method, but when outnumbered, one should think strategy instead of brute force. I heard a satisfying crack as he fell to the ground. I quickly rolled him over and felt for a pulse. He was still alive thankfully. I didn't come here to kill after all. I picked up his staff and turned back to the others in the clearing.
From my vantage point here, I could clearly see the creature being tortured. I gasped slightly before my breath got caught in my throat at such a rare creature. A gryphon. I couldn't believe it. A gryphon right there, and all they could do was poke and prod it with spears and swords.
I had no clue where the anger that started to build up inside me came from. I let out a light growl as I started to bare my fangs and my vision started turning red on the edges. A deep, guttural roar made it's way out of my throat as I started charging towards the four creatures that were torturing the gryphon. They turned at the sound and prepared themselves for my attack.
The first one that I came to was the fox. I brought the staff down towards his head and he brought his sword up to block it with ease. At this point, I realized that I was but a simple farmer. I had no experience with weapons. But I didn't care. I had to save the gryphon. Quickly, I pulled the staff back to block a blow from one of the two wolves, the one with brown fur. While I blocked his attack, the weasle punched me in the stomach. I lost my breath, but I didn't feel any pain.
I brought the staff around and hit him square in the head, knocking him unconscious. The other wolf, this one with black fur, moved his sword as to stab at me. I quickly knocked it to the side, but not fast enough as I felt it cut into my arm. I sensed something behind me, and quickly brought the staff up behind me. I hit the fox in the stomach and heard a resounding thud as he hit the ground. I quickly turned my attention back to the remaining two wolves. The black one equipped with a sword, and the brown with a spear.
I held the staff horizontally in front of me with both paws, my eyes flicking back and forth between the two. Watching, trying to figure out which one was going to move first. After a few more agonizing heartbeats, the black one growled and dashed towards me. He brought his sword around in a horizontal strike, and I brought the staff up to block his attack. As soon as I felt his sword connect with my staff, I brought up my foot and kicked him. I felt a satisfying crack when I connected with his ribs and watched as he dropped to the ground clutching his side.
All that was left was the brown wolf. I stood, waiting for him to attack as he took on a more guarded stance. He was waiting for me to make the first move. Fine, I would give it to him. But I wouldn't attack. Not yet.
"Why? Why would you torture such a magnificent creature?" I asked. I couldn't help myself. I had to see if there was some ungodly reason as to why they were attacking the gryphon. When I heard his answer, I wished I hadn't asked.
"Why? Hehehahaha!! We don't need a reason. We cause this creature pain, because we can." The smirk on his face, the tone of his laughter, his unjustified reason...All of these brought me to new heights of rage as my vision went completely red. This one would die. I charged. He must have seen the fury in my eyes, because he suddenly got a look of fear and took a step back. I brought my staff around at the same time that he brought his spear around. I ducked under his spear point and brought my staff up to catch him on the end of his muzzle.
He yelped in pain before coming back with a stab straight at me. I quickly sidestepped the point of the spear and dropped the staff. I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards me. Once he was close enough, I headbutted him. I threw him to the ground and lost myself for a few moments as I hit him. Over and over with a fist to his muzzle.
The next thing I remember is stopping with my fist drawn back for another punch, breathing heavily as I looked down at what remained of the wolf. The sight scared me. I had no idea that I was capable of doing what I seen before me, but there was no one else around that could have done such a thing. What had brought me out of it? I couldn't figure it out. Then my ears twitched as I heard a sound from the gryphon. The gryphon! I had forgotten about it for a moment. It must have done something to draw my attention.
I stood shakily, my paws covered in the wolf's blood and slowly walked to the grypon. It's wings were tied to it's back and it's legs were all tied together. The only thing it could do was move it's head and tail. I went to where it's head was and looked into it's eyes. Suddenly, I felt calm. My breathing returned to normal and my body stopped shaking. I looked to one of the nearby knocked out enemies and took a knife from it. I reached forward to cut the ropes quickly and the gryphon stood and stretched it's wings and legs before taking off at a run and flying in the air for a bit.
I stood in the clearing, watching the gryphon circle above, while unknown to me, a different set of eyes watched everything that had just happened.
A smile slowly creeped it's way across the muzzle of the hidden watcher.