“Fo’ by Anu’s wequest ‘ou am to spwead his existence to dah wowwd, fo’ aww must entah his Pawadise.”
[An excerpt from an Anuian religious text, it being Nova speaking to the prophet Danial]
3 day’s had passed since we left from Nickel City, and to describe them as chaotic would be an… Understatement. Almost instantly we ran into problems, broken wagon wheels, whole crates of food so rotten they had to be sent back and replaced, and sometimes due to the long number of hours sitting in the uncomfortable wagon seats fight would break out. And finally most damaging of them all was the Chicago Carriage at the dead front, it seemed bi hourly that the oversized carriage got stuck in the mud, it’s painted walls scrapped badly by tree branches. Talon soldiers had to sometimes get out and dig the thing out, even once two dozen of them having to push it out. Now as I finish recollecting these events the sun begins to set and the wagons stop, giving us much needed time on the ground. As I got off I thought about spending some of my limited free time with my comrades Charles and Dar, but both looked to tired to do anything, lying down to go asleep as I looked at them. And otherwise if they were awake it wouldn’t feel right, with Ix being in the far, far back. So in the end I decide just to go for a walk, with the spring weather and beautiful forest and sky it was bound to be nice.
For the first few minutes of walking nothing that majorly happened. The soldiers in the other wagons seemed either asleep, talking, gambling, or doing “private” activities… I was about to turn around, feeling the tiredness beginning to creep in than I heard it, the sound of a campfire and talking. Curious I went over to check it out.
“C’mon Silver tell the story again!”
I heard the voice of a griffon as I turned to look at the fire, it’s light low but bright. There were around a dozen people by the fire, all of them different species and nationality. Some griffon, some Motor Royal Guard, some Bat Pony and a dragon. The Talon Knight who was sitting to the left of the other speaks, him sounding annoyed.
“Why the hell would I do that, told that story a thousand times and I’m sick of it!”
The griffon to the right speaks.
“Look at all these foreigners here, why not give em a treat of our Chicago culture. The night is still young y’know!”
Finding this interesting I go and sit down at the campfire and the annoyed griffon speaks, taking out a book from his sack.
“Aghhh fine than! but this is only shut you up…”
The griffon looks out at us as he opens the book and goes through the pages, speaking as he stops.
“This is a Griffon religious tale, so you know. One of our most well know.”
The crowd looking mildly interested nod and the griffon speaks, telling the story.
“In those distant times long ago when Chicago laid in ruins, and a monster of unimaginable horror still laid dormant, our land laid under siege by a society known as the Reborn. Not much is known about there society, and even less about there ruler, but one thing was for certain, they were brutal and efficient…”
The griffon gets up and get’s close to the fire, than continues.
“As the first day’s of the war began many lost faith, many not ever see anything like it before. One of those who lost faith was a knight name Alibar, young and stupid he shouted out to the One, saying he had lost faith in him, the ultimate blasphemy…”
The griffon gets so close to the fire it almost touched his face, he suddenly shouts out in fury.
“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THESE WORDS, YOU ACURSEDED! Said The One shouting from the heavens, Alibar was to late he had faced The One’s wrath! FOR YOU’RE INSOLENCE I SHALL SEND A HORROR TO RIVAL THAT OF THE BARBARIANS YOU FACE, THAN YOU SHALL SEE! And with that The One summoned all evils, putting it all in the body of a Griffon known as A’kkar unleashing hell upon this earth. A’kkar did not have loyalty nor any good, with white feathers and hair, and red eyes that put terror in Talon and Reborn soldiers, He slaughtered them like it was an afternoon children’s game, a monster to equal Chrysalis. It took the live burning of Alibar and a mass prayer led by the Grandmaster to calm The One’s tempter, him showing mercy to the loyal. A’kkar disappeared and the war continued. So readers listening to this tale, when things get rough and you want to shout to the heavens, don’t as you may get more than you bargain for…”
We all look at the griffon, in shock and confusion. A Royal Guard who was close to me speaks, him sounding unimpressed.
“'Ou caww that a stowy!? That has to be dah dumbest shit Tweb ebah heawd!”"
The griffon speaks, defensive.
“It’s a legend dumbass! It’s not like any of it ever happened, you’re supposed to learn from it! Bet you can’t do any better…”
The Guard get’s up and speaks, going near the fire.
“Actuawwy Tweb can shitbeak, dis was a stowy towd to me by my Gwanddad, an actuaw stowy.”
The guard clears his throat, than speaks.
“Wong ago duwin’ times of distant memowy, wibed an owd coupwe wiff a bakewy. Dey wewe quite content wiff theiw wibes, sewwin’ bwead an’ tweats, an’ awways goin’ to dah smaww tempwe at dah end of town. Den on a fatefuw day, things changed…”
The guard sits, taking another breath than speaks.
“When dah owd mistah was wawkin’ home, just finishin’ some ebenin’ shoppin’. he saw dah bakewy had been waided by dah town guawd, an’ his wife was taken. “why, why!” said dah owd mistah, dwoppin’ his bewongings as he feww to dah fwoow. Dah guawd just said dah she was awwested 'cos she stowe dah mayow’s heiwwoom, wiff it found in dah bakewy. “no!” Said dah owd mistah, she wouwd nebah in miwwion yeaws!” Dah guawd had 0 sympathy an’ soon weft, weabin’ dah owd mistah in his own sewf pity."
I lean in slightly and had to admit to myself that this story was way better, the Guard continues.
“Fo’ weeks dah owd mistah wouwd twy ebewythin’ to twy to pwobe his wife’s innocence. Twyin’ to meet wiff dah mayow, pwotesting, eben gibin’ a speech on how it nu did make any sense. An’ aftah ebewy day he twied, he wouwd go to his wife’s side at dah jaiw, hew gettin’ weakah by dah day in dah howwibwe ceww. when dah thiwd week was comin’ to an end dah mistah weft an’ headed towawds dah jaiw, about to teww his wife dah things fwuffy did to twy an’ fwee hew. Buh when fwuffy got dewe an’ spoke hew name, she nu did speak back. It was to wate…”
The Guard rises again.
“Eben though dah owd mistah couwdn’t sabe his wife whiwe she was awibe, he knew wite den an’ dewe that he couwd nebah wet hew be dammed, dammed to etewnity in dah Undewwowwd. Su without second to wose fwuffy went off to dah bakewy an’ gwabbed ebewythin’ fwuffy couwd, depawtin’ dah town wess den an houw watew, headin’ towawds dah gwow, dah onwy known entwance to dah Undewwowwd. Once fwuffy got dewe fwuffy entewed wiff dah stowm not bad in dah beginning, buh soon gettin’ much wowse. 2 day’s of nonstop twabew watew, fwuffy had weached dah cwatah wiff much of his skin town off, his body husk of it’s fowmah sewf, buh mind stiww detewmined fo’ justice. Nu wongah cawin’ about things wike nummies an’ wawa, he entewed dah Undewwowwd, it’s dawkness awmost bwindin’.”
The Guard get’s low, his face at the same level as the fire.
“As he wawked dah Undewwowwd, fwuffy saw scenes to howwibwe to descwibe, souws of dah dammed wooked at him wiff a awmost cannibawistic wook. Cweatuwes of puwe nightmawes scouwed dah weawm, wookin’ fo’ souws to debouw. Finawwy fo’ who knows how wong, dah nao dyin’ owd mistah weached dah pawace of dah goddess of death an’ wuwah of dah Undewwowwd, Weebee. he spoke to hew as he bowed. Deaw gweat god, pwease spawe my wife fo’ a cwime she nu did commit, she does not bewong in am weawm.”
The guard after a moment of hesitation spoke, us all invested in what was about to happen.
“Weebee takin’ offense to dis spoke “You dawe take souw fwom fwuffy? dawe say someone doesn’t bewong in fwuffy’s domain?” dah owd mistah feewin’ despewate speaks, offewin’ dah onwy thin’ fwuffy has weft. “I wiww gib anythin’ fo’ hew passage into pawadise” weebee heawin’ dis had tewwibwe, wicked idea. She spoke, gwin appeawin’ acwoss hew cowd face. “fine den, wet’s make a deaw. 'ou hab 1 houw to find am wife in my awmy of dah dead, if 'ou do, 'ou boff weabe. Buh if 'ou don’t, ‘ou an’ am wife wiww stay wiff me fowebah. Deaw?” Dah owd mistah heawin’ dis, makes up his mind an’ speaks “Deaw.” Wiff that fwuffy went off an’ seawched.”
“Dah owd mistah seawched an’ seawched, findin’ souws that wooked nothin’ wike his wife. Dah undewwowwd was massibe, an’ it’s popuwation su wawge it wouwd hab taken yeaws to finish dis task. As it tuwned to dah 59th minute, hope seemed aww wost, Weebee was bictowious. Den just as dah mistah was about to tuwn an’ go tuwn himsewf in, he fewt somethin’ shine, somethin’ gowden… He couwd see hew, fwom onwy a bit ‘way dewe she was, hew souw shinin’ wike puwe gowd. When ebewyone ewse saw hew as guiwty, anu saw fwooh it an’ gabe his bwessin’ an’ stwengff. Dah owd mistah, embwacin’ his wife whoweheawtedwy won Weebee’s game, an’ boff passed into pawadise. An’ fo’ what came of dah actuaw thief, that fate to tewwibwe to speak of…”
As the guard bowed, there was clapping in the audience, me included. And the griffon who challenged the guard spoke, visibly annoyed.
“If that story got any more sweet, I would get sick! Ugh, I say all those Motor stories are the same…”
The guard laughs and begins telling another story, me listening to all of them as the night carried on. Fin
Thank you for reading my story! Thought about doing something a bit different and came up with this, thought it came out well. Of Course constructive criticism is appreciated, and may you have a good day!