FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

«Hmmm... I guess I'll have to start a bit earlier than that; you do need some context, after all.

As I often did, I was resting on a low branch, feeding the pigeons with the bread the humans left behind.

I used to find comfort in that; I'm not sure if thanks to their calming coos, the funny round shape they make when they fluff up, or simply because handing food to someone weaker gave me a sense of accomplishment and power.

Still, I almost jumped off my perch when they all scattered in a flurry of wings.

«Oh, sorry. Were you trying to pounce on them?» the voice I hated the most mocked me.

Lance was an arrogant piece of shit, always going on about his supposed superiority.

Mind you, he was a strong, good-looking griffin, so it's not like he didn't have a leg to stand on.

It just so happened to make him an asshole as well.

«Why, was that your plan?» I retorted, spiteful.

He chuckled. «As if. You should know by now that all of my plans revolve around preventing our descendants from looking like you.»

«You should know by now that I don't give a shit.»

As usual, he was with a couple of his lapdogs, who looked at him, waiting for his command.

«Neither did your parents, obviously. But your brother does prove that there is still hope for us.»

«Didn't the humans go on about this kind of thing a few decades ago? It didn't end that well for them, you know.»

«It's not the same thing. I don't expect you to get it, since weakness is your whole reality.»

«Don't you have anything better to do?» I insisted, tired.

«Obviously. I should really stop wasting my time with lost causes, or I'll never get to it.» he brushed me off as he went on his way.

«You should also give up begging Acacia for crumbs of her pussy, while you're at it.»

The second he stopped, I saw his claws come out of his hind paws.

I would like to tell you that I was not afraid of him, but I was well aware of my odds against him: they were not good.

«So you are still seeing her.» he calmly observed. «The more I look at you, the less I understand her reasoning; you're so scrawny, I can almost see your heart beating under your feathers. What do you think YOU could accomplish? A lone chick that will not see the Spring melt the snow?»

«I guess she can see past my ego, for starters.» I replied, disregarding my fear.

He angrily breathed in as he approached my tree.

«You mean she can "ignore your insignificance".» he corrected me, studying the bark.

Suddenly, he circled the log with his hands and ripped a chunk clean off, making the whole thing fall with me on it.

When I was about to get up and bolt, he grabbed me by the neck and lifted me up.

«You may think you're clever; you are not. Luckily for you, though, you are not a complete idiot either.So listen closely, because I will not repeat myself again:» he whispered, with the eyes of a killer.

«Know your place. Acacia is mine. Only I can give her a good spawn. Now repeat what I just said; I want to make sure that was clear enough for you.»

«Eat a dick, Lance.»

He started squeezing, barely concealing his anger.

I clawed his forearms, kicked his chest, hit him with my wings, but it was useless.

My life was literally in his hands.

«If you were more like your brother, maybe you would stand a chance.» he commented, amused.

«Hey! HEY!!!»

It was Titan's voice.

I faintly remember the sound of logs loudly hitting the ground.

«Oh, speak of the devil.»

Lance let go of my neck, and his followers and he turned to face my brother, wary of him.

«What the hell are you doing?! Leave him alone!»

«And what if I don't, Titan?» the asshole challenged him.

Now, you know Titan: a gentle giant, strong, tough, and with a heart of gold; but the Great Mother help you if you get on his bad side.

If he really wanted to, he could have taught that piece of shit a good lesson, but back then he was much more... fragile, character-wise.

So, he faltered.

«You will regret it!» he tried to threaten him, but he was clearly not used to that kind of situation.

Lance gave him a look of sufficiency, and turned around.

«Perhaps you're right; if I got rid of him now, you would have no reason to entertain me with your empty threats in the future.» he commented, walking away.

«If you'll excuse me, I have important guests to speak with.»

«Yeah, piss off! Or I'll... I'll shove these logs up your ass!»

«Titan... shut the fuck up.» I croaked, still not sure whether I was still alive or not.

«Ulthane!» he exclaimed, crouching next to me.

«Are you okay?»

«...The hell do you think?» I grumbled.

«Right! That piece of shit..!»

«"You will regret it". Fucking hell, you're four times my size and you still would not be able to scare a sparrow.» I scolded him.

He went quiet, probably feeling guilty about it.

«Thanks for saving my ass, though. Why are you even here?»

«I saw the tree falling from the other side of the Meadow, and I thought it was one of my workmates making a mistake.»

«Telling your superiors that they messed up. Are you that good at your job already?»

«I mean, once you learn how to do it, it all depends on sheer muscle.»

«Good for you, then.» I commented, finally getting up.

«Uh, do you want me to walk you home? You know, between Lance and the Lost Ones...»

«I'm good. And you should get back to work anyway.»

«If you insist... By the way, while I was delivering a batch, I saw our humans and Horus speaking with outsiders.»

«Thrilling. Did they forget this is the day we don't have to deal with their bullshit?»

«I don't know; I was too far away... But they didn't look like your average visitors! And our humans looked upset...» he added.

«Eh, probably the entitled stubborn type. What can you do.» I tried to play it off.

«I don't know... why was Horus there?»

I sighed, annoyed by his insistence.

«I don't know, and I don't care, to be honest. He was probably trying to seduce them.»

He narrowed his eyebrows, confused.

«Uh?»

«You know how the old fuck always gets so damn close to humans, and how he takes every chance to touch or be touched by the little shits. I bet he jacks off behind his wife's back thinking about them.» I commented.

«Oh, be serious!»

«Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if she was in on it.» I added, smirking.

«Hope he doesn't hear you! Nor dad!» he exclaimed, disgusted.

I chuckled, walking away.

«Oh! I ran into Acacia earlier! She said she would be by the river until midday!»

I looked at the shadows, and I cursed.

«For fuck's sake, Titan! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!»

I ran as fast as my legs allowed me.

I guess being incredibly light was the only perk of my shitty body.

Unfortunately, the fastest route to our meeting spot passed right by my nest, where my mother was waiting for me.

«Not another step forward.»

Not even the humans' cars could have stopped like I did back then.

My paws did hurt from the friction, though.

«Hi, mum. Is there an issue?» I asked, hoping to get away with it.

No such luck.

«Where have you been?» she demanded an answer, sitting perfectly still.

«Uh... With Titan. If you don't mind, I kind of have to-»

«You are not going anywhere on your own.»

«But Aca- I mean, I have to...»

The words died in my beak when I looked into her eyes.

Let's just say I know who I got my "charm" from.

«Yes, mother.» I muttered, giving up.

Not.

Luckily, she gave me her back, probably expecting me to actually follow her.

«You know how things are; gryphons your age keep disappearing, and not a single one of them has been found yet.»

«Hm-mh...» I nodded, slowing down.

«I understand that standing still is hard at your age, but luckily there are plenty of things to do back home as well!»

«Marvelous!..» I commented, spotting a low branch with my name on it.

«You could gather grass to dry for the flooring, or remove the fallen leaves. Or you could hang the meat for storage!»

«Lovely! Anything else?» I replied, hoping she would go off on one of her tangents.

«Oh, certainly! There's moss to be scraped off the walls, mushrooms to be removed, berries to be picked...»

I hopped onto the branch and got away as fast as possible, trying not to shake the foliage.

Once I was far enough, I jumped down to catch my breath, as I used to get tired very easily.

«Whew. I think I got away with it...»

«Got away with what, boy?» a voice suddenly asked from behind the bushes, almost making me jump back onto the tree.

I had landed right next to Horus, the Alpha at the time.

«Nothing. Getting here without falling off.»

He got up to peek over the vegetation, and he gave me a skeptical look.

He might have been a human fucker, but he was far from stupid.

«Really. And what brings you in this remote corner of the forest?» he insisted, amused.

«I could ask you the same.» I grumbled.

«I'm just resting between a hunt and the other. I'm not that young anymore...» he calmly explained. «Oh, and pay no mind to my curiosity: your father will surely satisfy it once we regroup.»

He had me by the balls.

I barely suppressed a growl as I told him.

«A hen is waiting for me.»

«You're not cheating on Acacia, are you?» he inquired, studying his talons.

I gritted my beak.

My father had shared a bit too much information with his buddies.

«SHE is the hen. You just didn't need to know that.»

«I did, actually; I'm sure you know it's dangerous for chicks your age to wander alone in these dark times, so - as your Alpha -, the more I know about your position, the better.»

I was SO mad he had called me a chick, but I had to contain myself.

«I DO know that. Can I go now?!»

He chuckled.

«Alright; Since I'm in a good mood, I'll turn the other way this one time. My daughter's egg...»

«That's wonderful! See you around, Horus!» I exclaimed, interrupting him.

I was already running late without an old rooster's ramblings, after all.

He laughed, but I was already too far away to hear anything else.

In the silence of my mind, I yelled at him to go fuck a human, and continued.

When I finally got to our usual spot, I almost puked my heart out from the exertion.

I looked around, still panting like a dog in July, but Acacia was nowhere to be found.

«Was I too late..?» I wondered, thinking about the punishment that awaited me back home.

Did she get tired of waiting? Did Lance get there first?

Then I saw her pounce, but it was too late to do anything about it.

I think I even shrieked.

Acacia giggled, still on top of my abdomen.

«Did I actually scare you?» she asked, still laughing.

«...No.» I lied.

She gave me a skeptical look.

«Oh, give me a break! This last hour has been the longest in my entire life!» I protested.

She caressed my cheek, amused.

«Aw... Poor chick!»

«If I get called "chick" one more time today, I swear....» I grumbled.

«Someone's grumpy today! Even more than usual. What took you so long, anyway?»

I quickly told her about what happened, from Lance to Horus, and her expression went sour.

«That megalomaniac prick..! As if I'd help him reproduce!»

Her talons suddenly pricked my skin, startling me.

«Yeah! Fuck him! I mean, don't!» I agreed, staring at her fingers.

«Let me guess, he blabbered on about his "good spawn", hasn't he?!»

I nodded, still worried about her talons.

«Urgh! One of these days I will rip his face off!» she growled.

«Could you not practice that on me?» I finally asked, fearing she would find a reason to get angrier.

«Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?» she snapped out of it.

«Don't worry; I'm still alive. Which surprises me more than it should...»

«Oh, c'mon now! It can't have hurt THAT much!»

I smiled at her.

«Maybe a kiss will help ease the pain...» I suggested.

She sighed, pretending to be annoyed.

«Alright, you big chick! Come here...»

Our beaks and fingers locked, our tongues intertwined.

Then I felt her closing in, the feathers of her groin stroking my nether regions, and I reminded her of our predicament; «Hey there..! You know we can't risk it until one of us earns the right to build a new nest!»

«We could live in an old one. Titan could help us repair it.» she suggested, cleaning the drool off her beak.

«Yeah, but... isn't it a bit too soon?» I commented.

«Hm. Fine, I guess I'll settle with cuddles...»

She grinned.

«...for now.»

We were about to get back to it, but we soon realized that we were no longer alone in the clearing.

«What are you doing, Ulthane?»

As Acacia rolled off me, she turned to growl at Lance.

That snake was accompanied by four of his ass-kissers, his haughty stare dead set on me.

«I warned you.»

«PISS OFF!!!» she screamed, spreading her wings.

«Stay out of this, Acacia. You are still usable.» he commented, stepping forward.

«"Usable"?! Get fucked, Lance! I'm not your cum bucket!»

He sighed.

«Look at him; don't tell me that you want your chicks to look like that!»

«I certainly don't want them to look like you!»

«Then you need to open your eyes, my dear; our kind is deteriorating with each passing generation. The humans have documented history of our ancestors to prove it, including their physical prowess and appearance. Gryphons like you and me are going to become a rarity in the future, if this trend keeps on going.»

«So what do you propose? Incest for breakfast and murder for dinner?» I argued.

«I don't care whether "your kind" lives or dies. We just need it to stop polluting our tomorrow.» he replied. «You, on the other end, were already warned. Leave, before I turn your brother into an only chick.»

Acacia turned to me.

«Ulthane, go. I'll fake interest to get him off our asses.» she whispered.

«And I already told you to go eat a dick, Lance.» I replied instead, not wanting to show my weakness in front of her.

His eyes lit up with hatred.

«Acacia, leave this place.» he coldly ordered.

«Lance, just ignore him!» she exclaimed, putting herself in the way.

«Do you think I don't know what you're trying to do? Let me get this over with, so I don't have to worry about you wasting your eggs.»

I tried to muster as much courage as I could, but I already knew I wouldn't have made it.

I cursed my pride as I watched him go past the hen, getting dangerously close to me.

Luckily though, the bushes started shaking, and we all froze in surprise when my father and Horus walked out of them.

«You're all too damn loud.» my father grumbled, looking at each of us, until he stopped on me and Lance, glaring. «You two: quit it. The rest of you: go home; it's not safe out here. And you:» he said, finally pointing at me. «you're coming with me. PERIOD.»

«Oh, don't be so harsh on them, Ajax; let them enjoy their youth while they can!» Horus cheerfully retorted, looking at both of us.

Other hunters showed up behind them, further convincing Lance to listen to my father.

«Very well. Horus. Ajax. Hunters...» he nodded at them before taking his leave.

Then he turned back to me, giving me the coldest stare yet.

«Ulthane...» he hissed my name, before walking away in the opposite direction.

«Let's go. We have more work to do.»

«Acacia, your nest is that way. Go with them.» my father told her.

I wanted to strangle him.

Reluctantly, after giving me one last sad look, she did as she was told.

«Horus, I'll be back soon enough.»

«Of course.» the Alpha agreed.

«Get a move on. I don't have all day.» he glared at me.

«You know you're not supposed to get so far from the nest. Especially if you do it alone.» he opened with, once we got far enough.

«Do you think I'm a dumbass or something?» I asked him, about to explode.

«Quite the opposite, so you act like one from time to time. You know, "a blind boar digs up a truffle from time to time", and all of that shit. In a bad way, in your case.» he replied. «In short, you're more of an asshole than a dumbass, which is worse, because it means you're arrogant too.»

«Get to the point already!» I exclaimed, maybe a bit too aggressively, because I vaguely remember him giving me the stink-eye.

«The point is: I believe you think the "Lost Ones" were just morons, and that we're giving the whole thing too much weight. Am I right?»

«Uh-uh.» I agreed, both because I was trying to make him shut his beak, and because those were pretty much my actual thoughts.

«Then you're fucking wrong.» he grumbled. «Not only there were clever little bastards like yourself among them, but we also have no fucking clue of what happened to them, or what to even look for; scents lead nowhere, as if the ground opened under their paws to swallow them whole. And like a piece of honeycomb to crown this whole shitshow, human hunters have come to try and get the right to prey on us; they were denied, but I doubt that's the end of it. Long story short, no one can protect you from what's lurking out there. Also, I'm sick of watching hope leave the face of their loved ones, mostly because it makes me dread seeing that on your mother.»

The faltering voice he said the last words with has stuck with me ever since.

I don't think I ever saw him show that much emotion before.

I guess he made ME shut up in the end.

Until I asked him about his last decision.

«Did you really have to make Acacia go with that cocksucker?»

He nodded.

«Yes, she's probably walking with Lance's own cocksuckers around her as we speak.»

«Thank you for the lovely picture, dad.»

«What, don't tell me that after what I've told you, you'd rather have her walk home alone?» he retorted.

The old fuck always made a good point, unfortunately.

I groaned.

«Relax already! If she really wants you, she will reject "that cocksucker" a million times.» he reassured me.

«Otherwise, plenty of leaves in the woods.» he then hastily added.

«Fucking shit, you're as comforting as a nettle in the ass!»

«And you're as tough as a man with a cold!»

I could tell he was holding in laughter, mostly because I was doing the same.

«But seriously: what if he doesn't take a "no" for an answer?»

«If he's half as smart as he thinks he is, he will take it; the area they have to go through is busier than ever, so he won't be able to try anything. Also, he looks even more prideful than you, so I don't think he would stoop that low.»

«I still don't want her with that piece of shit.» I insisted.

«That's another coat of feathers. If it makes you feel any better, chances are he would be among the first to be caught in case of an ambush due to his hubris, while she would have the time and wits to get to safety.»

«That just makes me wish for them to get attacked.» I grumbled.

«That's bad. If she's to become your hen, her wellbeing should be your priority.» he scolded me.

«I'm joking, dad.»

«Yeah, you'd better be. Either way, put your heart at rest and get ready to beg your mother for forgiveness. Knowing her, she's going to be PISSED.»

She was.

I remember walking into the nest and seeing her eyes glimmering in the shade.

Aside from her tail dancing in anger, she was sitting perfectly still, rivaling Lance's death stare.

«...Hi mum.» I finally broke the silence.

«I spoke with Titan's superiors. Tomorrow you will start working with him.» she said with a cold tone.

After a brief surprise, I argued «Wait, what?! You know I don't have the strength to do that much work!»

«QUIET!!!» she roared. «I don't care what you do there! All I want is for you and your brother to be safe!»

«So fucking what?! Do I have to spend my youth stuck between sleeping inside this hole and breaking my back in the Meadow?!» I replied, getting angry myself.

«Ulthane!» my father warned me. «We just talked about this!»

«Yeah, yeah! Lost ones clever, something fucks them over anyway, sadness ensues. I got that! But does that mean I have to live in fear for the rest of my life? Do I have to give up on Acacia, the only thing I've ever had going for me?»

My mother looked at me in disbelief.

«"I", "I", "I"... You really don't care about us, do you?»

«That's not what I said!» I exclaimed.

«But that's what you make me feel! You always act as if the world wronged you by letting you in!»

«Calliope...» my father went to calm her down.

She took a deep breath, and continued.

«I almost lost you once already, the day you hatched. I still haven't thanked the humans enough for saving your life.»

My father held her close, and they both looked at me.

«I beg you, Ulthane. Don't make me go through that again.» she pleaded, almost whispering.

Acacia was probably in a similar situation to mine, my parents were done with my shit, and walking around alone with Lance roaming freely didn't particularly entice me, so I decided to meet up with Titan.

Despite getting startled by every noise along the way, I made it to the Meadow, and I sighed in relief when I saw the humans wandering about; usually fights didn't happen when they were around, which is what I counted on in that instance.

After a bit of walking on the field, I spotted Titan and the other carpenters finishing their meal under the shade of a group of trees.

The second he saw me, he called out to me.

«Ulthane! We're here!»

«Kind of hard to miss you.» I quietly commented, observing their size.

Back then, Titan wasn't even the biggest among them.

I kept wondering how I would keep up with them as I got closer.

«Here, have a piece of mine!» he said, offering me a chunk of meat.

I was starving, so I gladly took it, eating it as he explained the situation.

«The chief thinks it's best you don't immediately stress yourself too much, so tomorrow you'll just help me carry wood to where it's needed!»

«Oh, joy. Can I start today, instead?»

His eyes shifted between me and everywhere else multiple times.

«Uhm...»

«Yes! I'm serious, Titan!» I finally exclaimed.

«Oh! Oh, I... I think so..? Hey, chief!»

The oldest among them turned his head.

«Can he start now?»

He shrugged, clearly not giving a fuck about the whole thing, and he went back to his meal.

«It's a "yes".» Titan clarified.

«I figured. How long until you go back to being useful?»

«Oh, sod off! Even human machines have to stop from time to time!» one of them replied.

«In a few minutes!» Titan answered instead.

In the end, Titan placed a pile of wood between my wings, took one five times as large for himself, and off we went.

«Why did you decide to come now? You usually try to delay this kind of thing as much as you can.» he asked.

«Got nowhere else to be.» I quickly answered.

«Did you get in trouble for going out with Acacia?»

An annoyed sigh was a good enough reply.

«And I guess you talked back to mum and dad?»

«Pretty much.» I tried to cut it short.

«Why?»

«Because I felt like it.»

«But why?»

«Because I'm fucking sick of it, Titan! Of being too weak to do shit!» I growled. «Look at you! They wouldn't have a problem sending you in wolf territory at night, alone! You could rip a bear's head off with your fucking fingers! But me?! I can't run for five minutes without vomiting my guts out, nor break open a walnut without cracking my talons! Is that fucking fair to you?!» I finally blew up.

His eyes lowered to his paws.

«Do you think I stole your strength while I was in our mother's womb? Some say that.»

«Don't be ridiculous. The Great Mother just fucked me over, simple as that.» I replied.

After a few minutes of silence, we came across Serena, Horus's daughter, who was busy entertaining a little chick.

Don't tell Acacia I said this, but she could have given her some serious competition if she were a few years younger.

Serena was slightly smaller than her, but much fluffier, with a more orange coat.

She was a shy little thing, much like Titan, so it's no wonder they used to get along well.

«Oh, hi, Titan!» she greeted him with a warm smile.

«Serena! Good to see you! Who's this little storm?»

In the meantime, the gray gryphlet was running and climbing everywhere without a care in the world.

It looked one week old at best.

«This is Prometheus, my son. This is his third day since he left the nursery, and he's back from meeting the humans for the first time.»

«Oh, wow! Congratulations!» he replied, already in a better mood.

«Oh, hello! You're Ulthane, right? Your brother always tells me great things about you!» she greeted me, noticing my presence.

I guess that was the day everyone wanted to make me feel like shit.

Not that I didn't deserve it, but still.

«Uh, hi. Thanks, I guess? Congrats on the chick, by the way. No wonder your father was in such a good mood.»

She nodded, caressing the chick as he nibbled on her teat.

«He's been ecstatic, in fact! Seeing such a healthy nephew must have been quite the relief!»

Then her ears lowered.

«Uh, no offense.»

«None taken.» I sighed.

«It's been nice meeting you and your spawn, but unfortunately, we still have a lot of work to do.»

«Oh..! So today you won't be able to accompany me home? You know, with the Lost Ones...» she commented, worried.

«Yes, yes! Don't worry; I just forgot to tell him!» Titan reassured her.

«Is your mate okay with that?» I asked, surprised by their arrangement.

«Oh, we've met each other, it's fine. Not only he's a hunter, but he takes orders from dad, too!» Titan replied.

«Really? Small forest. Never mind then, come along.» I commented.

Once she got up, the gryphlet climbed on her back and made himself comfortable in her fluff, yawning.

They immediately started chatting like two old hens, phasing me out with the rest of the background.

I sighed, and I began looking at my surrounding to escape boredom, since it had been a while since I last visited that part of the woods.

Eventually, the gryphlet got bored as well, so he resumed his climbing, sometimes stopping to play with his mother's fur.

Every now and then, though, he would slip and hold with all his might onto Serena, who would visibly flinch because of his tiny talons, much to my silent amusement.

Suddenly, I noticed something was... off, with the forest.

Then she remembered I was still behind them.

«What about you, Ulthane?» she asked. «How are you?»

«Still alive, surprisingly. You?» I replied, studying my surroundings.

In the meantime, the little one had discovered the perfect hiding spot inside his mother's wing, where he proceeded to crawl.

«Same, I guess. Are you going to be working with your brother from now on?»

«Don't worry; you will barely notice my presence.»

I turned my ears around, trying to listen for discrepancies.

She giggled. «That's not why I asked, silly! I was wondering about your plans for the future, particularly regarding Acacia.»

«Some griffins talk way too much...» I grumbled.

Then it finally hit me: the silence.

The birds had stopped singing.

«We need to leave.» I warned them. «Right now!»

«Uh?»

They both stopped and turned back towards me.

The second Titan opened his beak to ask for an explanation, a thunder echoed through the woods, and blood sprayed from Serena's side.

The loudest shriek I ever heard followed as she fell on the ground, squirming.

Shocked and deafened, I barely managed to hear her calling for her chick.

Just when I started to get back to reality, Titan began pulling Serena to safety, calling me.

«ULTHANE!!! HE'S UP THERE!!!»

He had just managed to pull her into a small ditch dug by the rain that another shot blasted through the logs on his back.

«GET BEHIND THAT ROCK, YOU SHITHEAD!!!» he roared at me.

As I gave Serena one last look before dashing to safety... I saw a... a tiny blood-covered wing fall from her side, and a limp paw dangling from near her wound.

Barely resisting the urge to throw up, I slid behind a boulder.

«Titan..! The chick...»

«QUIET!!!» he silenced me.

«Where is my son..?» she panted with a sore throat.

«Serena, d-don't move! You are hurt... there is some blood... I can stop it..! Just... close your eyes and rest, okay?» my brother frantically tried to calm her down, making sure she wouldn't discover the fate of her chick.

Titan then shrieked, trying to call for help.

I was terrified, but eventually I regained awareness.

I took a quick peek from behind the rock, and saw a glimmer on top of the hill.

Back then I had no idea how humans hunted, so I had to work with assumptions.

I guessed that the hunter had to "rest" before striking again, or we would have all been dead already.

I also guessed he would have been able to shoot two more times if I rushed him.

And he wasn't very precise...

«Ulthane! He doesn't have a clear view of you! Run to get help!» Titan whispered to me.

By the time I would have been back, either the human would have run away, or he would have got them.

And I wasn't going to let it slide.

I grabbed a rock and tossed it in the opposite direction I sprinted towards, as a simple distraction.

«ULTHANE!»

A shot pierced a tree near me, but otherwise missed.

My heart was beating out of my chest.

When I saw him quickly reloading his weapon, I charged him, filled with fear and rage.

He was about to point it against me, but luckily Titan roared, distracting him long enough for me to move out of the way, and he finally jumped him.

One last shot traveled between us as the human screamed.

«GOT YOU!!!»

When I heard more footsteps up the hill followed by a car starting, I instantly went after the fugitives.

«Ulthane!» Titan called me. «Don't go!»

But I did not stop.

«Ulthane!!! ULTHANE!!!»

After getting to the top of the hill, I jumped over the fence - which had a large hole through it, as expected - and found myself on the road.

As I managed to see the back of the car disappear behind the curve, I went to cut them off through the forest.

Now; from here, things get fuzzy; you'll understand why.

I ran through the shrubbery without stopping, mostly thanks to adrenaline;

then I heard their engine roar, and I prepared myself to strike;

when I finally saw the road again, I leapt.

The car was one of those with an open back, where there was a human.

I was about to land right on them, when he saw me.

He was wielding a rifle.

It was incredibly loud, but it didn't hurt, not even when my body hit the car.

I vaguely remember falling and coming to a sudden stop, then... just nothing, not sure for how long.

Until someone called me, a hen's voice.

I woke up in a puddle of blood, with my senses numbed by the pain.

I could barely breathe; I remember that.

«Come forth.» she said.

Her words are still stuck in my mind.

You probably know what I'm talking about.

I barely remember the entrance to the cave, but once I got in, everything became much clearer, for some reason.

The inside of the cave was a sight to behold; it was like the stars of the sky were waiting in there for the night to come, with the only sounds being the wind blowing into the cave and the dripping of water all around.

A sweet, pleasant aroma was filling the air, covering the smell of my blood.

I slowly limped forward, and suddenly half of my forearm was inside this odd, shimmering liquid I had never seen before.

«Don't be afraid, Ulthane.»

I looked back up, and a few meters in front of me sat the most beautiful hen I had ever seen.

Her white plumage gave off a light not unlike the sun's, warm and gentle;

her body was fluffy yet sinuous, combining the appeal of both a mature hen and a young one;

her wings looked like they were made of the softest clouds, the ends of their feathers vanishing in a thin mist;

her neck was covered in a collar-shaped layer of fur, which ran down through her chest, shoulders, and between her arms, like a griffin from the north;

finally, her lineaments were well defined, but not enough to appear masculine, and her golden iridescent eyes gave off both motherly love and a hint of lust.

«Did... did I die..?» I managed to ask through my cracked beak.

Then the edges of her silver bill curved into a smile, and my pain suddenly faded.

«No, little one. But you will soon.» she answered, so kindly that she shocked me when she spoke those last words.

«Unless your wounds are treated, of course! I'm sorry I scared you!» she giggled.

«Are you... the Great Mother?» I asked.

She gave me a thoughtful look, rubbing her chin.

«Aren't we all?» she finally replied, winking.

My head started spinning.

«What... what does that... mean?» I weakly asked, my intact limbs getting weaker by the second as blood trickled into the fluid below.

«There is not much time left, Ulthane.» she warned me. «I can try to save you, but at some point, you will have to pay the price.»

«Wha...»

She sighed, and lied down on her side.

«Come to me, little griffin. Live another day.» she invited me, smiling.

«Do it for Acacia.»

At my limit, I dragged myself in front of her, where I finally collapsed.

I could hear the sound of bubbling water, like the one humans make to heat their food.

I wanted to ask her about it, but I had no voice left.

Suddenly, I felt cold, and with the corner of my eye, I saw her wing covering me as her beak moved closer to my open wounds.

Then she licked me; her tongue was as freezing as ice.

My cuts and bruises, on the other hand, were burning.

Her saliva was glistening, just like the liquid around us.

While she was working on my body, my consciousness faded, until I heard her say «Now it all rests in your talons. Be worthy, or be lost like the rest of them. A flower is the only inheritance they will leave.»

When I understood what she meant, my mind was flooded with fear: it was her; that was the fate of the Lost Ones.

«It is time.» she concluded, getting up.

Without her body supporting mine, I fell into a depression in the ground, which dropped right into a hole of bubbling fluid.

I wanted to scream, but my beak and throat were already full, and my lungs quickly followed.

The last thing I saw past the surface was her cold smile as she looked down on me.

The last thing I heard was «Good luck, Ulthane. I'm rooting for you.»

The last thought I had went to my family, who would have never found me.

I only managed to close my eyes as I felt my heart slow down to a halt.

This part felt like it was just a nightmare, but I still remember it clearly.

It was cold, dark, and lonely.

I couldn't tell how much time had passed, but I wasn't even bothered by it.

It was as if my whole being had accepted it.

I couldn't really think either.

My memories felt distant, almost like I could see their shadow, but nothing was actually there.

There were no emotions, no sadness, no grief, no anger, nor physical needs like hunger and thirst.

Just emptiness.

Until I came across someone, a griffin.

It was a male, not young, but not decrepit either.

His white and gold feathers looked oddly familiar.

He was sleeping, yet he had a very concentrated expression, as if he was searching for something within his own mind.

Standing around him, barely visible in the dark, there were the shadows of other griffins of different shapes and sizes.

One of them approached him, gaining definition as it did so, revealing herself to be a tall slender hen with a green coat reminiscent of moss and sharp brown eyes.

She rested her beak on his forehead for a short time and retreated, turning back into a shadow and leaving the circle for the surrounding darkness.

The golden griffin seemed to relax a little, but he did not lose his focus.

I knew him; I was sure of it!

The next shadow came closer, taking the shape of an older rooster with a large beak that extended past his eyes, protecting his head, and thick scale-like feathers all over his crimson body.

He did the same as the hen, and retreated.

The sleeping one smirked.

I hated that face.

I desperately struggled to remember where I had seen it before.

As the next shadow moved forth, it came back to me.

«Horus..!» I finally exclaimed.

The shadows stopped and looked at me.

Horus narrowed his eyebrows in his sleep.

«Horus!» I repeated, that time with more strength.

The others began to leave, one after the other, abandoning the confused Alpha.

«HORUS!!!» I screamed at him. «It's me..!»

I could not remember my name, but thankfully he whispered it immediately after, surprised.

«Ulthane..?»

«Yes, I'm Ulthane! You have to help me!!!»

Then he opened his eyes and turned towards me with a horrified expression.

Suddenly, he vanished in a flash, and I felt myself falling as a devastating pain grew within my whole body.

I shrieked, squirming as I fell faster and faster, until I couldn't breathe anymore.

Then I opened my eyes and gagged as I felt the horrible taste of rotten in my throat.

I was completely submerged in a murky, disgusting liquid, which had filled my lungs.

I had no idea how I got in there, but back then I was more concerned about not drowning, so I just instinctively clawed my way out, managing to climb on the walls of that hole.

It was probably just a few meters deep, but back then it felt like I was climbing a mountain.

When I finally saw the light filter through the filth, I kicked into high gear, gagging violently as my lungs tried to free themselves.

Once I pierced the surface, I violently pulled myself out and ended falling on my stomach, puking all the liquid I had ingested.

I screamed harder than I ever did in my entire life, desperate and confused.

Once exhausted, I just lied there and trembled, trying to breathe despite the burning sensation inside my throat.

As I gradually calmed down, my eyes adjusted to the darkness.

The cave was covered in withered roots, leaves, and flowers, all belonging to a plant I had never seen before, leading into the "water" hole I came out of.

Not a sparkle of the beauty it possessed before.

And that hen... I was already questioning her existence.

I tried to recall more, and eventually Titan and Serena came to mind.

"Did she make it?" I wondered.

"Did Titan know what happened to me?"

I had to get out of there.

The tunnel in front of me seemed faintly brighter than the rest of the cave, and since it was the only way I could really go, I tried to follow it.

One minute later, I encountered a dead end, but the sunlight filtering through the tiny holes in the root-covered wall told me that freedom was just a few steps ahead.

I scratched the surface, and it looked like it was just dried dirt, probably brought down by the rain.

"When did it even rain last?"

I put that thought aside and scratched the roots, hoping the wall would collapse without their support.

While it did bring down a considerable amount of dust, I still had a lot of work to do.

I began digging as fast as I could, quickly piling up dirt between my legs, until the exit eventually cracked open, letting the sunlight come in and blind me.

I instinctively covered my eyes, hissing, and I stepped out, fighting against the last remains of the plant as they got stuck in my fur.

Once my eyes had adjusted to the environment, my jaw dropped: several shades of red and yellow colored the forest as a cold breeze carried away the fallen leaves.

The smell of rain was still hanging in the air.

It was Fall.

"How could it have been Fall already?! I couldn't possibly have been there more than a few minutes, or I would have drowned!"

While I stood in shock, my stomach growled, taking me back to reality.

I suddenly felt like I was both starving and dying of thirst at the same time, as if I really had spent months in that cave.

I had to find food and water.

I ran up the hill and towards the river, making use of a newfound stamina.

During that time of the year, our people are busy making the last repairs to their nests and hunting the last venison before the frost sets in, so I didn't expect to meet anyone along the way.

Yet I heard the sound of a scuffle not far from there.

I carefully approached, and I froze when I recognized my brother.

Horus and two hunters were trying their best to restrain him as he pushed forward.

«Titan! TITAN!!! For fuck's sake, think of your father! THINK OF YOUR MOTHER!!!» one of the latter pleaded.

«I'm doing it for them, too! LET ME GO!!!» he roared, lifting them both off the ground.

«What if they lose you as well?! Do you think they'll survive that?!» Horus exclaimed, managing to trip him by pushing a log between his legs.

«I still have to find his remains. At least bury him, put him to rest where we can remember him...» he retorted as his voice began to break.

I slowly approached them, trying not to cry myself.

They all turned to me, surprised.

«Who...» one of the hunters went to ask, but Titan stepped forward with increasing disbelief in his eyes.

«Ulthane..?» he finally asked, staring straight into my eyes.

«Is that really you?»

«Titan...» I only managed to whisper, at my limit.

Then he lunged forward, and he wrapped his arms around me.

I used to hate when he did that, - mostly because it hurt like hell when he squeezed, - but realizing that the last time I spoke to him could have been me throwing a tantrum, I let it slide.

And to my surprise, I resisted the impact pretty well.

«I can't believe it..! Oh, praise the Great Mother!» he cried, joyful.

«I'm glad you're safe. After the human hunters' attack...» I said, but he interrupted me.

«Come with me!!! Mum and dad are going to be over the moon! No, wait! I have to warn them first, or their hearts will burst! Stay right here!!!» he blabbered, sprinting away.

«Excuse me, Ulthane?»

A hunter approached me.

«I can tell you've been through a lot, but... did you happen to see my brother out there? About this tall, shoulders slightly wider than mine, gray fuzzy mane...» he asked, hopeful.

«I... I didn't see anyone else. I'm sorry...» I replied, deciding not to tell him about the cave and crush his hopes.

He nodded, disappointed.

«He's been gone for months, now. Maybe one day he'll reappear like you did. Well, thanks anyway.»

«I'll handle him now. You two go and rest now.» Horus spoke with his usual kindness, placing his hand on the hunter's shoulder.

They nod, and they leave us alone.

I could see the grief in Horus's eyes as he followed them with his gaze.

He must have still been suffering for his nephew's death, and the pressure from the families of the Lost Ones surely was not helping.

I wondered if Serena had made it.

«Ulthane.»

He turned to me, giving me a commanding glare.

«What do you remember?» he asked, suddenly as cold as winter.

«I... I chased the humans, but they hit me with their weapons. Then I woke up in pain, and I entered a cave...»

Horus sighed.

«As if there was even a reason to doubt it.» he grumbled. «Look at you.»

At that point, I remembered the dream where I saw him sleeping, and I realized that he must have been hiding something.

«What are you talking about?» I probed him, growing wary of him by the second.

«You must be starving. Sleeping for half the summer does that to you. Come, let's move to the river, there is still plenty of fish there.» he avoided the question.

Reluctantly, I followed him, but I was still determined to get some answers.

«You can stop glaring at me, now.» he suddenly commented. «Tell me more of what you saw in that cave.»

I hesitated.

I knew that I had gotten myself into something much bigger than me, and that my fate was once again in a stronger griffin's talons.

Instead of fear, though, in me only grew more wariness and... annoyance.

«You know something about it, don't you?» I dared.

«I asked you first.» he insisted, firm.

«Nothing. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, it was fall outside.» I lied, trying to get a reaction.

He sighed again, clearly trying to contain himself.

«There was a pond, or something similar, wasn't there? I'm not talking about just your regular watering hole; this one shimmered, as if there were stars swimming in it.»

My heart skipped a beat.

«And a hen.»

I softly gasped, surprised.

«I could smell the stench of rot from a mile away, Ulthane. Literally.»

Then he pointed at the running water.

«Try catching a fish, then bathe. I'll tell you more later.» he commented, sitting down.

«I'll rest here for a bit; wake me up when you're done.»

I didn't want to give him my back, but he was right about my hunger.

The first thing I did was quench my thirst; water had never tasted so good.

Then I got my head up and began to look for fish, at least until I noticed the reflection on the water.

I jumped as my eyes fell into the ones of an unknown griffin, and I looked around, confused;

Horus was still there with his eyes closed, alone;

there was nobody on the trees that could have pulled this prank on me;

there were no prints aside my own, proving that no creature had walked on that side of the river for a long time.

Hesitantly, I looked again into the water, and the new face came back.

«What the hell..?»

That new face turned out to be my own.

It wasn't even that much different, looking at it more carefully; the eyes and the markings around them were the same as before, but my face was much larger and more masculine around them.

However, my feathers had grown with my head, extending further out, and new ones crowned a dark crest running all the way to the back of my neck.

There were also two new long feathers on my forehead, extending from just above my eyes all the way past my head, almost like a king-of-saxony's.

I then paid attention to my body, and my eyes widened when I saw how well built it was, better than most, even.

I was not as big as Titan, but I could see why I resisted his hug.

I studied my talons, thick, sharp, and perfectly shaped, like night and day compared to my old ones.

No matter how much I looked for them, my wounds were fully healed, and not a single scar was left on my skin.

Then a lonely salmon caught my attention, so I swiftly fished it out of the water, inadvertently squeezing its insides out.

Uncaring of the mess I made, I swallowed it whole.

While it wasn't nearly enough, it had to do for the time being.

Not seeing any more fish, I entered the river and bathed, trying to remove the smell of rot, chewing on pine twigs to clean my breath.

While I cleaned myself, I noticed a withered flower slowly floating away with the current.

"Just what was that pond?" I asked myself.

«All done?»

I flinched, then instantly glared at the Alpha, who was calmly sitting on the riverside, staring at me.

«That'll do. Now tell me what you know.» I replied, trying to sound assertive.

He took a deep breath and pointed at his side.

«Sit here, in the sunlight. By the time I'm done, you should be dry.»

I did as he said while he stared into the distance, thoughtful, maybe looking for the right words.

«Where do I even begin...»

«Before you do, I have to know: did Serena make it?»

He slowly nods, keeping his gaze on the horizon.

«Thanks to you and your brother, yes. But...» he paused, reluctant to say anything else.

«I don't think she will ever forgive the humans for what they did.»

«But our humans have never...»

«I know. She's doesn't want to listen, either. She locked herself in the nursery, where she said she would spend the rest of her life.»

«I see. I'm sorry it ended this way.»

«Hm. Now, to things that are ACTUALLY important..!» he changed the subject, with a hint of hysteria in his voice.

I was taken aback by that statement.

"Was the fate of his family not important to him?" I wondered.

«Let's start with that cave: it's not a magical place, or bullshit like that; our predecessors named it "The Well"; and by "it", I mean its structure, not that cave itself. It can appear anywhere on this land, and you were lucky to stumble upon it. And even luckier to survive it, to tell the whole tale.»

«What is it, exactly?»

«Be quiet; I'm getting there.» he shushed me.

«Actually: no, I'm not; none of us knows what it really is, aside from a gift from the Great Mother herself.»

Then he turned to me.

«You know that it's the Great Mother that chooses the Alpha, right?»

I nodded in shock, understanding where he was going with that.

«Good. She does that through The Well.» he concluded.

«Now, you're already familiar with how it works, since you won, just like me and all the other Alphas before us; put simply, a griffin enters The Well, and the Great Mother evaluates him -or her-. Worthy? The winner gets a prize, and The Well "perishes". Unworthy? The Well patiently waits for the next one to come.»

I did not reply, already overwhelmed, so he continued.

«As I said, the new Alpha receives a small prize, a gift that will help the "champion" to rule and guide the colony. In my case, it was curiosity. Before winning, I was the biggest idiot you could find, only interested in a full belly and pretty chicks. Then I became hungry for knowledge. I grew smarter and wiser by the day, helping our people until they all accepted me as their guide. Which leads us to the true power of The Well.»

He gave me a fascinated smile, and what he said next blew my mind.

«All of the knowledge of the past Alphas.»

«WHAT?! WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?! THIS WHOLE THING IS FUCKING INSANE!!!»

«Calm down, Ulthane. There is plenty of time for you to learn.» he stopped me.

«You must have noticed that I'm often "resting". In reality, I'm actually tapping into their memories, what they learned, to solve current problems. Where prey gathers in a specific time of the year? Yara, my Alpha, was the best hunter this land has ever seen. How to cure a sick gryphlet? Aerell discovered that a thousand years ago, even before the humans did. Speaking of which, did you know that it was Sharpeck who met them first? I'm not sure how much time has passed since then, but in his memories there were preys that have gone extinct long ago. Probably tens of thousands of years, maybe more.»

«Wait, wait! So what you're telling me is... that I'm the next Alpha..?»

«I would have slowed down if you had told me.» he grumbled. «But yes, that's the core of the whole thing.»

«But why me..?» I whispered, confused.

«The Great Mother seems to have a thing for griffins with... peculiarities. Despite your weakness, you managed to reach adulthood and to find The Well. I suppose that makes you her type.» he suggested. «She also likes new blood, apparently; I'm pretty sure at least one Alpha of the past was the spawn of a human male.»

«That was probably just a wet dream, you nasty old cock!» I retorted, disgusted.

«And about the "unworthy": you're talking about the Lost Ones, aren't you?!»

«Yes. There have been "Lost Ones" every time The Well appeared to find a new Alpha.»

I just looked at him, horrified.

«So you really knew the whole time?»

«Not only that; I felt every single one of them die while I slept.» he replied, giving me a grim look.

I felt sick and angry when I heard that.

«You... you lied to their families! You gave them the false hope that their loved ones could come back!»

«I know how you feel; I had the same thoughts when I was in your place, sitting right next to Yara.»

«Oh, I see that didn't bother you, though, you fucking bastard!!!» I growled, standing up.

«Calm down, Ulthane. It was beyond my power.»

«BULLSHIT!!! You could have warned us!!!»

«It's inevitable, I tell you. You have seen it yourself, how her voice clouds your mind when she calls you. No one knows where The Well will appear either, so preventing someone from finding it is nearly impossible.»

«You didn't even try to do shit about it! What if it was Serena?! Would it have been "inevitable" then?!»

His expression went sour when I mentioned his daughter, and he got up as well.

As we locked eyes, he warned me.

«If you think that killing me will change the millions of years of our history, go ahead. But know that you won't be up against just your Alpha, but those of all the griffins that came before you, as well. This is the power of our kind.»

«You are not my Alpha. YOU ARE JUST A FILTHY MURDERER!!!»

I jumped him, but he was clearly expecting me, since he swiftly dodged and struck me with the back of his talons, stunning me.

«Say you manage to slay me: what then? You take my place and guide the colony, sure, but at some point you will die too: who will succeed you?»

«I will not let anyone die under my command!!!» I replied, kicking him.

He parried the hit, but my claws cut through his forearm.

He inspected the wound for a few seconds, then placed his arm back down.

«That's just the naive promise of a young griffin. You can't save everyone, no matter how hard you try.»

«How would you know?! You just accepted it and bent to the will of a glorified puddle!!!»

I attempted to strike him again, but he intercepted my arm and used it as a lever to flip me over.

I hit the ground pretty hard, but I could not feel any pain whatsoever.

I just got angrier.

«We had no choice! There needs to be an Alpha, Ulthane! That inheritance is well worth its cost in lives!»

I feinted with my wings, then I kicked him in the face, leaving large scratches on it.

He stumbled backwards, feeling the blow.

«Shit!..» he cursed as blood droplets streamed down his beak.

I rolled back on my paws, and I charged him against a tree, knocking the latter down as if it was just a sapling.

While he groaned in pain, he managed to roll and use my own strength against me, ending up on top, where he started to choke me.

«I hope your gift isn't just an ordinary body, or you will not last a year.» he commented, panting.

I roared, taking him by surprise, and I clenched his forearms.

He screeched in pain, trying to pull his arms back, but I felt like I could have shattered a stone between my fingers, let alone his bones.

«Stop! STOP!!! LET GO!!!»

The second his talons left my neck, I used all the muscles in my body to throw him away with an enraged roar.

He landed in the river, sending pebbles and splashes of water all the way to the other side.

It took him a short while to get up, that time.

«COME BACK HERE, I DARE YOU!!!»

He slowly walked towards me, with a bleak expression.

«I'll KILL YOU!!!»

«Ulthane!» my brother called me.

He was standing behind me, shocked.

My parents crossed the bushes in that exact instant, and their expressions immediately matched his when they saw me.

«What are you doing?!» Titan asked, distressed.

In the meantime, Horus reached dry land, drenched and tired, with his golden mane flattened against his body.

«He knew about the Lost Ones!!! He let them walk to their deaths!!!» I exclaimed.

«Ulthane... what happened to you..?» my father whispered in disbelief.

«HE LIED TO ALL OF US!!! HE NEEDS TO PAY!!!»

Titan tackled me, and he managed to pin me to the ground.

«Horus, what is he talking about..?»

«I'm afraid he was captured by the same human hunters he went after. They must have used some concoction that causes muscle and aggressivity to grow on him, possibly to make him fight for their greed and amusement.» Horus lied, staring at me.

«YOU BASTARD!!!» I struggled, but Titan managed to hold me.

«Ulthane, stop! This is not you!!!» he begged, trying to keep me down.

My mother finally ended her silence.

«Ulthane.» she called me, remaining composed.

«Do you recognize us?»

I stared at her for a few seconds, stunned by the question.

«He's lying!!! There was a... a glowing pond... in a cave, right next to where I fell! It kills those that fall into it, except for...» I slowly fell silent, realizing how absurd that must have sounded.

My mother wrapped her arms around my neck, holding my head close to her chest.

«Don't worry, my son. Your mum is here. It will be alright...»

I was desperate, frustrated, and desperate.

«Mum, please..! I know it sounds insane, but it's the truth!»

«Take care of him; He needs you now more than ever. I will go tell the humans about him.» Horus commented, leaving.

«Thank you, Horus. Do you need help with your injuries?» my father asked.

My blood was boiling.

«Titan... let me go.» I hissed.

«No.» he firmly denied. «We will both regret it if I do.»

«Like Lance regretted attacking me?» my beak commented sarcastically.

Then Acacia came back to my mind, and my anger suddenly left me.

«Shhh... Let's go home; you need to rest.» my mother suggested, caressing my head.

«Where is Acacia?» I asked.

«Probably by the river, alone. Every now and then she comes to ask about you, but she doesn't stay further.»

«And that sack of shit?»

«Language.» my mother whispered, as if she was talking to a chick.

«Still around. He's gotten a few more friends, but Horus doesn't seem concerned. Nor Acacia, if that makes you happy.»

«Mum, I'm good. You can let me go now. You too, Titan.»

«Are you going to go after Horus?»

«Right now I have other priorities! Just let me go already, you big oaf!» I protested, managing to squeeze out.

«No, Ulthane!!!»

He tried to grab me back, but I was too fast for him.

«Ulthane! Come back here right now!!!»

«I'll come home after I've seen her, I promise!»

«Ulthane!» my father's voice thundered.

He glared at me.

«Don't do stupid shit.»

I ran like the wind, following the river.

Many questions filled my mind:

"Was he with her in that moment?"

"Did he manage to convince her once I was gone?"

"Could I have taken down his allies and him if it was going to come to that?"

My heart clenched when I saw them both at our meeting spot; he was walking in a circle, speaking, while she was lying down on her usual rock.

Barely suppressing the impulse of charging him straight away, I crawled into the shrubbery and slowly approached them that way.

I could see him getting frustrated, but I had to crawl a bit further before I could hear him properly.

«Why are you still so obsessed with him?! He was weak! You could literally see the bones through his feathers!» he exclaimed.

Judging by the odd outburst for a cold calculator like him, I guessed that Acacia must have been rejecting him the whole time.

One more reason why I'll never stop loving that hen.

«Oh, should I be obsessed with you, instead? A wannabe dictator with a small-dick complex? No, thank you.»

«Why don't you care about your people?! Are you content with our kind going extinct?!»

«YES, I AM!!!» she screamed back. «We rule over every other creature with fairness and pride! Your "selection" would only leave disgusting monsters like you!»

«THAT IS NOT MY GOAL!!!» he roared.

«For the last. Damn. TIME!!! We will let only those with desirable traits mate, so we can try and slow down the decay! I wish this wasn't necessary, but Horus isn't doing anything about it!»

«If he needed to, he would have probably found a better solution. He probably already knows about your shitty little plan anyway, so...»

«... he's gonna send everyone against me. You think I didn't consider that?! I just need to give the order, and the next time the old Alpha takes his usual nap, he'll be slaughtered like the worthless animal he is.»

Acacia looked at him in disbelief.

«...what?!»

«Horus has "guided" the colony during a long peace; he clearly doesn't know how to deal with the current adversities. Just look at the Lost Ones, to name one. He will not give up his title, and one wrong move and the hunters will wipe us out. There is no other solution!» he explains.

«You're insane!!! You wouldn't even be able to replace him! The Alpha is chosen by the Great Mother herself!» she exclaimed.

«Oh, please; don't tell me you believe in that fable for half-witted hatchlings. The Alpha is just a griffin strong enough to take the lead. And before you mention his "wisdom": I've already started working with the humans.»

She slowly backs off, getting ready to make her escape.

«Let's be real: they're the actual rulers of the world. They can be a bit... deceitful, but Horus' knowledge is no match for theirs. And they have no problem dealing with a griffin without even getting their hands dirty, judging by what happened to Serena. I guess Ulthane really wasn't worth their energy. Good thing he went after them; the bottom of that cliff really needed some color.»

My eyes widened, and my blood began boiling once again.

But I had to know everything.

«You... you let them in..?» she whimpered.

«He was the only one I held a grudge against. A perfect gift for the humans, a step towards a better future for us. And a better end than what I would have given him if I had to do it myself, to be honest.» he admitted.

«Don't run away, now; the area is patrolled by my allies, so you wouldn't get very far.»

"Just you wait..." I thought.

Acacia instantly turned around, but Lance was faster, so he grabbed her hind leg.

She shrieked, trying to cover her own body.

«LET ME GO!!!»

«You are so adorable when you're helpless. Don't worry; no one else will lay a talon on you.»

As he leaned closer, she swiftly scratched his face, making him screech in pain, but he did not let go.

Instead, he growled.

«Now, now. That's not how you treat your rooster.»

I walked out of the bushes, ready to kill.

«For the first time ever, he's right, Acacia. Let me show you how to treat him properly.»

They both turned around, taken aback.

«Ulthane..!» Acacia whispered as hope reappeared in her eyes.

«Let her go, Lance.»

«How..?» he muttered, incredulous.

«Are you deaf?! Let her go, before I rip your arms off!» I growled.

Overcoming his surprise, he studied my body, until he glared at me.

«Yes, it's definitely you.» he finally commented. «How come you're not-»

Acacia suddenly kicked him in the eye, getting him to release her, and she rushed behind me.

He growled again, reopening his eyelid, but continued.

«How come you're not suffering the repercussions of that fall? You must have broken quite a few bones...»

«Shut up.» I growled. «Like Horus, you are just a murderer. Do you realize it's your fault Prometheus was killed?»

«Serena's chick? That was an accident. As you've heard, the hunters were there for you.»

«AS IF THAT MADE IT ANY BETTER!!!» I roared.

«Acacia, find my father. Tell him to get here.»

Lance stepped forward, ignoring me.

«Don't. My allies might hurt you...»

Once close enough, I pushed him with just my arm, sending him several meters back.

«Run along the river. The idiots forgot to cover that area.» I told her.

«Be careful, my love.» she whispered, giving me a quick lick on the cheek.

«Well then.» he commented once she left, visibly irritated by the gesture.

«So there's actual flesh under those feathers, this time. Interesting...»

«Enough bullshit, Lance! We are ending this here and now!»

«So be it.» he hissed, and he abruptly assaulted me.

I rose on my hind legs and intercepted him, trying to hold my ground as he pushed.

«Last time I checked, your wings were bent in opposites directions, and you were bathing in your own blood. Tell me, Ulthane: what happened down there?» he asked, struggling.

«I survived.»

I imitated Horus's roll, launching him against the rocks.

He stood up with a heavy breath, growing angrier.

«If you were the same as before the fall, your insides would be already dangling out. But now? You're actually annoying me.»

«Perhaps you're not as "superior" as you thought.» I retorted, getting ready to charge him.

He nervously chuckled.

«Oh, don't jest! You've never won a fight in your pitiful life...»

He unexpectedly threw a barrage of stones, making me cover my eyes as they hit me.

I barely heard the sound of the branches cracking under his weight.

«...AND YOU NEVER WILL!!!»

He jumped me, taking us both down to the ground, where he tried to tear my throat open.

I pulled against his forearms as his talons pierced my skin.

«Whatever happened might help cure others like you! This is your last chance to actually help our kind, Ulthane!»

«That would kill... more than it would save..!»

I head-butted him, and I took the chance to roll out of his talons.

«Yet you lived!» he countered, wiping the blood off his nostrils.

«Stop talking and fight! It will not happen again!»

«You're right on THAT!!!»

We traded blows, clawing and biting each other in a fast-paced brawl, but looking at him, I guessed I was slowly but steadily winning.

For the first time, I saw a glimmer of fear in his killer eyes.

I intensified my attacks, impervious to fatigue, pain, and hesitation; more and more blood stained his fur as my hands spilled it, until he loudly shrieked after the umpteenth strike.

«What's the matter, Lance?! Can't keep up with the weakest griffin in the colony?!»

He backtracked, trying to dodge my relentless barrage.

It was my chance.

I leapt forward and clenched my fingers around his neck, ready to take his life.

The terror in his gaze made me think I had finally won.

Then I abruptly got pulled back, and someone pinned me down to the ground.

As I looked behind me, I realized that the shriek he let out was a signal for his allies to come and save his ass.

Lance panted, staring at his wounds.

«This time... Titan will not save you...»

I counted five of them, all slightly smaller than both of us, but still fairly well built.

He took a deep breath and grinned.

«You're quite resilient; I'll give you that. But you will not escape death twice.»

Then he approached me, and he lowered his head to match my own.

«And with you gone, I can take my rightful place as the Alpha. Thank you for asking your father to come, by the way; Ajax never moves without Horus, so he will bring him right to me. It was nice of you to save us the time and effort.»

I struggled, trying to free myself, but the others pressed harder on my body.

«It's pointless: you've lost, Ulthane. But don't worry: Acacia will not miss you; she will be too busy tending to all the chicks I will give her.»

The sheer thought disgusted me.

I dug my talons into the soil, feeling a fury like no other brewing inside me.

«Let's see... who else could you care about..? Oh, your family, of course. I have nothing against them. However, Titan will not be as amusing without a weaker brother to protect.» he commented, thoughtful.

«While Acacia is brooding over a batch of our eggs, I guess I can find the time to give him a new one.» he smirked. «Ajax can watch and learn; I don't mind.»

«We can do the same with Serena. She will receive more than that just one little chick, putting to shame the "work" of that eunuch of her rooster.»

The sound of his voice was hurting my ears.

My beak split to let out a deep growl.

«I'm sorry, did that hurt you?» he commented, pretending to apologize.

Then he raised his arm.

«Allow me to ease your pain.» he hissed.

I slammed my palms on the ground and immediately stood up, freeing myself from the gryphons' hold with one explosive movement.

...

Now, get ready; because you might get nightmares tonight.

I know I did, so many times, that now I can tell the story like I'm explaining a chick how to gut a fish.»

«Because so far it wasn't fucked enough. Go on, I can take it.»

«Hrm. Well... Before Lance even had the time to curse, I had already struck his face.

Blood sprayed in a semicircle as he fell, shrieking in agony.

«KILL HIM!!!» he screeched, holding what was left of his eye.

I turned around and faced them.

They were in disarray, intimidated by the state of their leader.

«THERE'S FIVE OF YOU!!! KILL HIIIIIIIM!!!»

«I will slaughter you all..!» I warned them, making the earth tremble with my voice alone.

After a few seconds of hesitation, one of them yelled: «HE'S RIGHT! HE'S ALONE! GET HIM FROM EVERY SIDE!!!»

In the second that followed, my senses heightened as my enemies moved all at the same time.

I dashed against the middle one and struck him with my fist, roaring; the sound of his beak shattering echoed through the clearing, but before anyone could realize what had happened, I had already bit into his neck.

I barely felt his talons digging into my back as he tried to free himself, but he quickly moved his attention to the torrent of blood pouring out of his neck and onto my face.

Luckily it didn't cover my eyes, so I could dodge the worst of two of the remaining four and slice a third one's flank open, causing him to fall.

The fourth one tried to attack me, but my wing proved to be a good enough barrier to keep him away as I dug further into the other one, letting his insides spill as he shrieked over my snarls, begging for someone to help him.

«YOU MONSTER!!!» I remember hearing, and then the survivors attacked me from behind, trying to shred my muscles.

One of them even tried to jump on top of me, but I leapt forward and then back, grabbing his beak, and I began pecking his skull as he desperately attempted to free himself from my deadly grip.

The other two frantically worked to stop me, trying to rip and break off the wings that were separating us, pulling me, biting me, and all else they could think of.

But in the end, a red spring trickled along the lineaments of my enemy, circling his empty stare as it cried crimson tears, and he fell, weakly spasming.

«No... NO!!!» one of them cried.

When I turned towards them, they recoiled in horror, but before they could run, I swiftly grabbed the closest one by the ears.

«NOOOOO!!! I BEG YOU!!! DON'T DO IT!!!»

His friend cut them to try and free him in a desperate attempt, but I instantly moved to his wings.

I instantly snapped the bone like a twig, and tearing the flesh off was even easier.

They both tried to run away, but the healthy one's legs were shorter than mine, to his misfortune.

I quickly caught up to him, and a blood-curling scream echoed through the forest as I jammed the broken bone through his lung.

I glanced at the remaining one, now wobbling and shaking due to the blood loss.

He was staring blankly at me, almost as if he was already dead.

«Mother...» I read on his beak as he fell to the ground, lifeless.

I walked back to Lance, who was trembling with his tail between his legs, like a terrified gryphlet.

I could see the death in his eye as he stepped backwards.

«How... how are you still standing... after all that..?»

«What did you say you were going to do to my mother?» my beak asked on its own with a gravelly voice.

«I... I...» he muttered in a broken tone.

«What did you say you were going to do to my hen?»

«Stay away..! STAY AWAY!!! YOU DEMON!!!» he screamed as he tried to run away, but his injuries had already started to take their toll, making him fall ruinously on the pebbles along the shore.

«How can you save your kind if you can't even save yourself?!»

He sobbed and whined, struggling to get back on his feet.

«Pathetic. Weak. Unworthy!» I continued, ruthless.

«Just let me go, I beg you!» he cried. «I will leave this land! Acacia will be yours!»

«This isn't about her. YOU are the problem. You have killed a chick and destroyed his mother's life. You betrayed your kin. You stained their honor through your greed and selfishness, masking it as a wish to save them.»

«That is not true! I truly wanted to save them!»

«Your plan is flawed. It will fail.»

«Who are you to tell?!» he cried.

«Your Alpha.»

I lifted him by the back of the neck, and before he could scream, I grabbed his beak and pulled it towards me.

A loud snap, a meek exhale, and his body collapsed in the torrent, coloring the water through his open wounds.

I made eye contact with him as he passed, until I let his head fall to the ground, near the rest of his body.

Suddenly, my strength left me.

My legs crumbled under my own weight, and pain finally set in.

When I looked at my arms and saw the extent of my wounds, reality hit me, and I understood Lance's question: there wasn't a portion of my skin that was free of cuts and bite marks, all of them considerably deep and wide.

My muscles were burning, my joints ached, and my head was spinning.

I couldn't believe what I had done.

I wished for it all to have been a nightmare.

«Damn it! I was too late.»

With the corner of my eye, I saw Horus studying the scene, until he eventually looked at me.

«Are you done taking your revenge against the world, now?» he asked.

I lacked the strength to reply.

He got close to one of the corpses, but I couldn't see what he did next.

When he approached me, I realized he had covered his beak and talons with its blood.

«I know what Lance did, from start to finish. I guess he had it coming.»

He gazed at the red current trailing off from the body, thoughtful.

«"Nobody will die under my command". Eh. You're off to a terrible start.» he commented.

I whimpered, devastated.

«Don't cry; you don't have a right to it.» he judged me. «Right now, your position is barely better than his.»

He chuckled and sat down.

«Oh, but what can you do. There is no going back from this. For neither of us.»

His eyes carried the same emotion Lance did when I was about to finish him.

But he was smiling.

Then I heard distant voices rapidly approaching.

«They are coming for you, Ulthane. I guess it's your turn to be a lying, filthy murderer.»

Then he lifted me by the beak, and he raised his arm, looking furious.

Behind him, I recognized my father and Acacia, followed by several other griffins.

Horus let me go, and he turned around to face them.

«Horus..? Did you do this..?» my father asked, looking around. «ALL of this?!»

Acacia was horrified, and when her eyes met mine, she finally screamed.

«ULTHANE!!! NOOOOO!!!»

She tried running towards me, but someone held her back.

When my father saw me too, he froze.

«No... not again...»

Before he could react, Horus ran away without uttering a word.

«COME BACK HERE!!!» he roared while a few hunters gave chase.

Instead of following them, he ran to me.

«Dad...» I muttered, tasting iron.

«Don't give up on me, son! We can still save you!» he encouraged me, picking me up and placing me on his back, between his wings.

«Bring him to the humans, quick!» someone told him, and he started running.

I lost consciousness soon after, with Acacia coming after us being the last thing I saw.

The darkness came back, but this time it was neither cold, nor lonely.

Eventually, indistinct shapes appeared in front of my eyes, which soon revealed themselves to be the roots of a dead plant.

I was squeezing through a vaguely familiar stone corridor, panting as if I had just run for my life.

«Ulthane... Hopefully these words will reach you.» Horus spoke.

«If you can actually hear me, know that I'm already gone.» he grimly stated as we reached the center of the cave.

Through his eyes, I could tell he was focused on the remains of The Well, still filled with the same rotten liquid I crawled out of.

«There are several reasons why I acted the way I did; some personal, some for the good of our kind. Yours in particular.»

We stepped forward, uncaring of the foul smell.

«You are officially the new Alpha. I'm dead, so yes, just like that. If it makes you feel better, you are currently accessing the inheritance of those that played that role before you, mine included.»

He nervously chuckled.

«I wish I could see the face you will make once you wake up.» he commented, almost amused.

«"Back to business", as the humans like to say. Speaking of which: I suggest you keep them as close as you can.» he continued, stopping in front of the pool.

I didn't remember the stench being this awful.

«Ugh. It's even worse from up close. But you see, through my exploration of their memories, I can tell you that Lance was partly right. Emphasis on "partly".»

We dipped a finger in the liquid, giving me a chill.

«The quality and the quantity of gryphlets has plummeted through time. This has not stopped, and it will be our downfall if we don't do anything about it. If YOU don't do anything about it.» he explained.

«I tried looking for a solution through the memories, but I kept receiving the same type of memories: the mother of the Alpha revealing that the father is a human.»

He went quiet for a few seconds, probably to let those words sink in.

«Humans and griffins can mate and have a spawn; there is no doubt about it. They are weak, but extremely adaptable. It's no wonder they've conquered the world, really. Maybe they are the key to our survival. New blood for our kind to inherit.»

Our fingers drummed on the edge of the pool as he spoke.

«You might be thinking I'm just a crazy old degenerate. You're free to do so, but you would overlook one, simple, truth: in the end, the humans and we are the favorite children of the Great Mother, the best part of her.»

We leaned forward, and we looked at his reflection for a short while.

Then he took a deep breath.

«Ulthane. This is your mission: save our kind, no matter what. Be ready to cast aside your pride, your ideals, and everything else you hold dear for this cause; this is your duty as the Alpha, until you will pass your knowledge on as I am about to do.»

He clenched his beak and crouched, ready to jump.

«Gladia, Serena... I just wish I could see you one last time. But such are the ways of the Great Mother. I'll wait for you with little Prometheus, if there really is something on the other side.» he then whispered, with a broken voice.

«Good luck, Ulthane. Remember your predecessors!»

And with that, he jumped into The Well.

I felt the liquid fill my lungs as if I was going to drown with him, so I panicked, trying to desperately move towards the walls like the first time.

Then I woke up, screaming and flailing my limbs around like I was being attacked by hornets.

«Ulthane!» Acacia called my name, scared.

I stopped and looked around, trying to understand if I was back to reality.

She hugged me, taking me by surprise, and I gasped.

«Acacia..!»

«I thought I had lost you! Again!»

«Glad you found me, then..!»

She laughed softly, almost as if she was sobbing from joy.

«I'm so happy... and I have so many questions..!»

«I'll try to answer them, but I don't remember much myself.» I lied to the love of my life.

Then, my father came in, followed by my mother and by Titan; they were so overjoyed from seeing me alive and well...

I distinctly remember the veterinary screaming about there being too many griffins in the room as he desperately attempted to squeeze between them.

None of them could have ever imagined what I had done to those griffins.

«Ulthane, what do you remember since Titan saw you this summer? Horus clearly lied about the humans capturing you.»

Judging by his tone, Horus's sudden "betrayal" was still an open wound.

I tried telling them about The Well again, but they still didn't believe me, assuming it was just a hallucination caused by the concussion.

They had no explanation about the changes in my body, either, but they decided to let the veterinary work that out.

«Maybe you actually saw Horus disposing of the Lost Ones, and that dream was how you interpreted it in your broken state.» my father suggested.

«...yeah. That's probably it.» I ultimately agreed, with a heavy heart.

«And... Lance and the others? If you're willing to tell me now, that is.»

I told the truth all the way to the point when Lance called the others, then I changed up the story.

«Then Horus finally came. Lance spouted his usual high-and-mighty bullshit, and he sent the other two against him, sure that would be enough to take him down.»

«Mistake. Horus may be old and weaker than he used to be, but he's still a genius strategist when it comes to fighting.»

«And a butcher. They were powerless against him, and they all died horribly, one after the other. It didn't matter to him when they attempted to run away.» I continued, feeling like I was about to gag from how disgusted I was by myself.

«Lance and I were staring in horror at the carnage, until he turned around and charged us.

We hopelessly tried to repel him together, but we were no match for him.

In comparison, he was just toying with me in our first fight.

After reducing us like you saw, Horus ripped Lance's head off right in front of my eyes.

Then he looked at me, putting all the killer stares Lance has ever given me to shame.

He told me that he couldn't risk leaving witnesses alive, and that he was sorry. It's a miracle you all appeared the following second.» I whimpered.

They just stared in horror as I spoke, with their beaks open.

«That's enough. Thank you, my son. You should rest, now.» my father finally took the word, suppressing a growl.

«Now we know who to thank for all this suffering..! We will search the entire land until we find him, if needed! He WILL pay!!!» he said, leaving the room.

My family looked at me, concerned.

«I'm sorry. For everything.» I meekly apologized, thinking of our last real conversations.

«Shhh!» my mum hushed me.

«All that matters is that you're here, alive and well.» she whispered.

«Just... try to keep it that way, okay?» my brother added.

«Can't promise you anything. Be safe on the way home.»

In the end, I was alone with Acacia.

She rested her head on my bed and sighed.

«Are you alright?» I asked.

«Today has been... a lot.»

«You can say that again...»

«To be honest, I'm afraid, and confused; why did Horus... why did he kill all of those griffins? Is he still out for blood? And... what will we do without an Alpha to guide us?»

I sighed.

«I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough.»

»

Loki's eyes focus on the horizon as he gathers his thoughts.

«Speechless?» I ask, trying to read him.

«I just didn't think you could be such a rambler.» he replies.

I grumble, shaking the tree he's sitting on.

«You could have also kept a few more details to yourself; I didn't really need to know where your tongue was when you and Acacia kissed. Good thing you didn't come to talk of Umbra's "making process"!» he comments as he tries to keep himself balanced.

«Oh, be quiet! You and Jasmine are so much worse!»

«That's debatable...»

«Silence!» I then order. «Be serious, Loki! Do you understand what I'm trying to say, or are you still stuck on Acacia kissing me?»

«Oh, sorry! I'll get to the murder part right away!» he retorts, cold.

«I am not proud of it. I know it doesn't make it any better, but the past cannot be changed.»

«Okay, Horus.»

I glare at him, but when I realize this is really getting way too similar to that conversation, I look away in silence.

«On one hand, they were just idiots following a bigger, crazier idiot. On the other, they could have killed more griffins than you did, aside from ruining the lives of many more, including my mother's.» he observed, looking at each of his front paws.

Then he lets them fall.

«You also saved me and Jasmine, among all the others. Fucking hell, it's not easy to judge you.»

«Then why do you even try? No matter what anyone says, I will only forgive myself if and when I will save us from extinction. Until then, I'm no different than Horus.» I comment.

We remain quiet for a short while.

«So that's what's in that big head of yours? No wonder you're such a killjoy 24/7...»

«Yes. Now that you know, do you still want to become my successor?»

«I...»

«Sorry, let me correct myself: do you still want TO TRY to become my successor?»

He looks down, sad.

«I don't want you to die.»

I did not expect that answer.

The little shit actually warmed my black, icy heart.

«How moving. Sadly - for you -, that's not how it works: Horus had his reasons to die. I, instead, don't plan on jumping into that shithole for a looong time.

«Oh. Well, then I think I will, yes.»

«Can I remind you that your he- your "wife" is carrying your chi- "child" inside her belly as we speak? If The Well rejects you, you WILL die. She will become a widow, and the little one will become an orphan.»

«I listened to the story, grouchy grandpa.»

I angrily breathe in.

«Then why?! Why do you want to bring this upon yourself?!»

«Because I want to save them too.» he firmly replies. «I owe them all so much, I wouldn't even know where to begin to pay my debt, if I didn't do it. And I want to bring humans and griffins together, like Jasmine and me.»

I stare at him in silence.

«And I want to save you too. You've been alone in this shitshow for way too long! If needed, I too will become a liar and a murderer for them!»

After that, I laugh, taking him by surprise.

«Eh... You're a naive little shit, Loki. Just like I was. At least you've got the balls to do it.»

«Are you afraid I will take over?» he suggests, giving one of his smirks.

«Oh, please! I have laughed enough for the whole year! Any more and my beak will crack!» I comment, getting up.

«But seriously: stay away from that thing. At least until we figure out what the deal will be with that "child". You said it looks like a regular human?»

«Yes, I saw it myself, but...»

I turn to look at him.

«...boy, that's horrible! Why can't humans lay eggs too?!»

«The Great Mother is a whore; you should know that by now.

And don't let Jasmine hear you.»

«Right... Can I ask you a few questions?»

I sigh, but I decide to stop.

«Make it quick; I've got places to be.»

«What happened to the human hunters?»

«The one that Titan caught was torn to shreds and disemboweled alive. Then his insides were displayed on the outer edge of the forest as a warning for the others. The other two had the luck of being caught by the humans and ended up serving a hefty sentence. At least that's what I was told.»

«OH!..»

«Yeah, Horus got pretty mad. Is that all?» I ask, pressing him on.

«If you were so against humans mating with us, why did you let Umbra and Tyler...?»

«I was, yes. Umbra didn't even try to hide her attraction for him, but he was a dumbass, so it took him half a day to figure it out. By the time I stumbled upon them, they had already had their fun. It's incredible how... "little" does it take to "please" a hen.»

I grin, unable to help myself.

«I thought that was that, but Umbra proved herself to be quite determined in her pursuit, and she managed to escape. Needless to say, I was scared shitless by the thought of The Well reappearing, so I looked for her the whole night. The morning after, I was resting with the other hunters by the path to the human feeding grounds when Tyler passed by carrying her smell.»

I chuckle. «Oh, I was so pissed. But I was too relieved to hurt him, so I let him go. And what does that dicklet do? He comes straight for me, with a stride so forced, I thought he was drunk!»

«No fucking way! He never told me that!» he laughs.

«Then he goes about how much he loves Umbra, that he's fucked her, and shit like that! He finally challenged me to do something about it, so I picked him up. Even the others feared for him!»

«What happened then?»

«Umbra came out of the woods and took him back. Then she threatened me, furious. In a few months, you'll know how happy I was to see her alive and well. Then the eggs came up, and I shat bricks.»

«Oh, that was amazing..! But what made you change your mind?»

«Ah, right. I got carried away. He looked stupid as fuck when he came forth, but I'll be damned if he wasn't determined to have her. He definitely had more balls than any rooster that had ever set his eyes on Umbra. As for her... pretty much the same; she stood against me twice and defied all of the rules I gave her, disregarding any punishment.»

Loki nods, thoughtful.

«What else do you want?»

«I take it I have to keep your story for myself?»

I shift my weight between my limbs.

«One day I will tell them all the truth. But not today.»

«Do you feel a little better, now?»

«Barely. I'm more scared of you snitching on me, to be honest.» I admit. «But someone needed to know, in case I die.»

He looks away, staring into the distance.

«I see. I promise I won't snitch on you. Acacia will never know about that comment on Serena.»

«You'd better. Now evaporate, and don't "cuddle" too hard with Jasmine.»

I conclude, taking my leave.

«And I still don't know how you put it in without killing her.» I grumble, almost between myself.

«Well, I-»

«And I don't WANT to know either. Piss off.»

Recalling those events has reminded me that I need to visit the nursery.

Hopefully, Serena will let me in.

While I'm crossing the Meadow, I study the younger ones as they mess around with each other;

they are clueless of the danger they were in before we blocked THAT side of the forest.

Good for them.

I stand in front of the nursery, hesitant.

It's not a particularly large building, but knowing what it holds inside makes it imposing to every griffin, even to me.

After I take a deep breath, I pass through the two sets of doors, making sure to only leave one open at a time.

Once inside, I feel the dozens of eyes watching me from the shadows, barely hidden from view.

The nurses silently follow me with their gaze, mistrusting even their Alpha around the treasures they protect.

A wooden beam softly creaks above me, warning me of one of the many guards traversing it to get a better angle of sight and attack on me.

«What do you want, Ulthane?» her voice almost startles me.

I see her shadow leave her nest as one of her subordinates immediately takes her place.

The Elder Nurse comes forward, entering the same cone of light I'm in.

«I was just checking in.» I try to reassure her.

«You will be the first one to know if anything goes wrong.» she dismisses me, turning back around.

Four guards are monitoring the situation around us, ready to intervene.

«Serena, wait...»

«I still have not forgiven you for lying about Umbra's eggs. We have nothing to say to each other.»

«You've seen them; they are just like every other chick their age.»

«Their father is a human.» she dryly replies.

«A GOOD human. Just like the ones that saved you back then, or the vast majority of those we see every day.»

Her expression goes sour.

«I distinctly remember hearing rumors of you calling my father a "human fucker" behind his back. Is that how you refer to your own daughter?»

«Don't change the subject.» I bluntly call her out. «I'll make it quick: do you know Loki?»

«Red mane, emerald eyes, squeaky one. I hatched him about twenty years ago.»

«Good. He will need as much help as possible with his chick, especially now that he intends to follow the path of becoming an Alpha.»

She raised an eyebrow.

«Can you...»

«No.» she interrupted me.«I am not going to help them raise a human.»

«Serena, this is just stupid and ignorant, especially for someone of your caliber!» I exclaim, about to lose my temper.

«Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't know how to do it. And don't you dare call me "ignorant" ever again.»

«You speak of humans like our kind is spotless.»

«Lance was deranged. The nurse that watched over his egg must have failed to notice that, or it would have never been allowed to hatch.»

Then she gives me a cold stare.

«Those humans were perfectly sane when they killed my chick for their amusement. That means their kind considers committing similar atrocities natural. They cannot be trusted.»

We maintain eye contact for a few seconds, weighing each other.

«What would you have done if you had discovered about my nephews in that brief period they spent in your nest?» I then ask, afraid of the answer.

She doesn't reply immediately.

«I guess there are things that are best kept for one's self. I have the feeling you understand that particularly well, Ulthane.»

«Answer to your Alpha, Serena.» I insist, pressing my talons against the wooden floor.

«Only if you tell me what truly happened in that clearing, that day. My "Alpha".» she retorts.

My eyes widen.

«Do not give me that look. I know for a fact that my father was not a murderer.»

«There are so many things you don't know about your father; you would be terrified.»

«Care to tell?»

I stand in silence, feeling the weight of the gryphons' gazes as they wait for an answer.

«There is nothing more to say. Horus killed many griffins, I survived. Do you want me to follow your logic and crucify every griffin in the land for his sins?» I commented, walking back towards the entrance.

«Leave. Do not come back.»

«Shit...» I angrily whisper to myself, trying to vent my anger.

I take a deep breath, blinking rapidly as I get used to the sunlight again.

«Horus, you'd better tell me how to knock some sense into your daughter, or I'll go piss in that damn well..!»

The sound of familiar laughs in the distance grabs my attention; on the other side of the Meadow, I see Titan carry a fully grown tree on his back, on whose branches Apollo and Artemis are happily dangling while their mother can only stare at them with worry.

"Uncle Titan, are you sure this is safe?" she's probably asking.

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear! Given the fight this thing put up, I bet your father could join them without trouble!"

Punctually, they hop on the same branch, which breaks under their weight, and they fall down to the ground.

I chuckle as Umbra glares at my brother, who is doing his best to look anywhere else while her two chicks fight over whose fault it was.

Oh, my sweet little hen... thinking it could have been you down there, alone, makes me shiver.

I sigh, and I march towards them to break the fight.

While I don't want Loki to risk his life either, someone has to satisfy The Well.

I narrow my eyebrows, feeling determined.

But if anyone has what it takes to win, it's him.

And it will be the last time the Great Mother plays with our lives.

«Dad!» my daughter cheerfully greets me.

«Brother...» Titan follows, relieved that she got distracted.

«Grandpa Ulthane!» the two twins stop murdering each other and come to stand on my front paws.

I attempt to maintain my stoic expression, but with these many loved ones around, it's immediately a losing battle.

A half smile escapes my beak as I grumble «Hello, you little bastards!», lifting them up.

They laugh, Titan is surprised, Umbra calls me with worry.

I look into my nephews' eyes, and I see the joy of being alive in them.

I will save you all, no matter what it takes.

#