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The Gift

Richard's FA Intro, Part 3

copyright comidacomida 2018

It felt a little uncomfortable having two strangers fighting over who'd get to help me-- or, more accurately, a Gryphon who was a complete stranger to me but who had apparently known me my whole life, and a Jackal who had shown up to take the life essence from my dying body but who had suddenly and inexplicably decided that he wanted to be my... friend? Guardian? Bosom-buddy? I honestly didn't know... but what I did know was that I would rather have someone who knew me (even if I didn't know him) by my side than a stranger. "Jack... you can stay with me. Anapa... that's called a 'sofa'."

The Jackal glanced back to where I'd pointed at the couch against the wall. He stared at it for a moment and then looked back at m e. I honestly didn't know whether he was going to object, or complain, or perhaps try to attack Jack again, but he did none of those things. Instead, the black-furred canine gave a simple, succinct nod, and raised a small red strip of cloth to his face and carefully, meticulously began wiping the golden pigment away from his eyes. "Yes, Hem-netjer. I stay."

There was something almost disarming about the way the Jackal had complied. He repeated the cleaning of his face on the other side, and then looked back up at me, ears slightly lilted, the faintest hint of an embarrassed smile on his muzzle. Without the golden paint around them his eerie black-eyes-with-violet-ring-irises peered straight at me and they made me even more uncomfortable. Clearing my throat, I nodded in return. "Good. Yeah. We'll figure this out in the morning."

Hearing a 'thump' behind me my heart rate increased immediately and I spun around, ready for trouble. What I found instead was Jack leaning heavily against the wall; he appeared as a foggy apparition and I could see the wall through him. The Gryphon had a talon up, flexing and clenching it with an obviously disapproving look in his eyes. The moment he saw me watching him he lowered it, feather tufts on his head rising up as he looked immediately away, golden eyes downcast. "I apologize to thee, Richard... given time I shall be restored to a more seemly whole-- I am merely fatigued."

Moving to his side, I reached out tentatively for his shoulder. "That's fine, Jack. You saved my life then got into a sword fight. You're allowed to be tired."

The Gryphon's 'ear' feathers lowered then raised as he chuckled wearily, shying away from my touch. "Not to be contrary, but thy assessment is off. Anapa had a staff, and only I wielded a sword, thus it would be classified as a melee, not a sword fight. The techniques used when combatting a foe with a quarter staff are far different than--"

I actively reached out to grab hold of his arm so he couldn't withdraw again and I pulled him off the wall. "Just like I said with Anapa, we can figure this out in the morning. Right now we both need rest."

Although his crest feathers puffed out the ones resembling ears fell all the way down; it almost looked as though he were embarrassed. "Aye. Thou art still recovering, lad. Let us get thee to bed."

Only once we started moving and the adrenaline began to fade did I realize just how drained I was. At that point I wasn't completely sure whether he was the one keeping me on my feet or the other way around. The one thing that clung to my brain was a question, and it took its time getting to my lips. We were stumbling into my room by the time I asked it. "So... if you're a spirit-- uh... why can I... feel you? You're... solid."

Jack shook his head, moving a talon as if to close the bedroom door but all it did was pass through. "Nay, Richard... I am but spirit. Thou art connected to me, as I am to you, thus we may interact, but not as completely as thou mayest believe."

Even as he spoke I felt his substance slowly give way and I was surprised when my hand slid through his shoulder as if his body were made of extra firm pudding. Suddenly off-balance, my arms wind-milled in the air as I tried to stay on my feet, but at the point of completely losing my balance he shot a talon out and grabbed hold of my arm, slowly lowering me onto the bed instead. I had trouble coming to grips with what I'd just experienced. "What happened?"

He slowly turned and sat down on the bed beside me; although I could tell he was there I heard no creak from the mattress and it didn't sink beneath his weight. "Richard, as humans are beings of flesh and blood and bone, spirits are beings of emotion, intent, and purpose. Those humans most in tune with us are able to see and hear us-- thou hath the capacity to interact with spirits in the way very few humans can. Still, there are limits, and much of that interaction requires clear thought and focus."

His golden eyes were locked straight on mine as he raised a talon, palm toward me, digits open. The meaning was unmistakable, so I raised my own hand and touched it to his talon, palm to palm. It was warm, and didn't yield like his shoulder had. "You're solid again."

Although the feathery 'ears' on his head raised his beak hardly moved, but together they gave the impression of a patient smile. "And so art thou, lad... tis a matter of perception as much as anything, as thou art immaterial to me as much as I am to thee."

He shimmered faintly just then and my hand passed right through his talon; I jumped back in surprise as he let out a wince. I reached for him again but he pulled away; his expression obviously suggested he was disgusted with himself. Regardless, I pressed for answers. "What's wrong?"

Shaking his head, Jack slowly stood up again and I was surprised when I thought I felt the mattress shift without him there. His feathers all smoothed back out as he worked his beak a few times before speaking. "Nothing, lad... I am drained tis all. As thou spokest of earlier this eve, tis been a tiring night."

I felt the fatigue again myself and I raised my hand to my chest, placing my palm against where my heart was as I felt it beat; when my palm touched bare skin I was once again reminded that I was only wearing a towel, and I felt a full body blush. "Oh man..."

Jack, who was situated in the middle of the room looked up at my declaration of embarrassment. "What? What is wrong, Richard?"

I had no idea if spirits believed in modesty or had any understanding of it, but, as I stood up and started straightening out my bedspread, I tried to explain. "I'm... uh... I'm almost naked, Jack. It's kind of embarrassing to be naked in front of-- uh... I guess I should call you a... 'guest'?"

The feathers on the Gryphon's head fluffed up just a little and his beak parted in what I thought was a grin as the frilly feathers at the end of his tail stretched like a fan before contracting again. "Richard, I have been with thee for nearly two decades. I have seen thee in every possible condition of dress and undress possible. Tis nothing I have not seen many times over, my lad."

Despite his casual disregard for my modesty or, perhaps because of it, I carefully slid myself into bed beneath the covers before taking the towel off. My face tingled so much I could only assume that it had moved beyond beet read and had transcended the color completely. It got even worse when I considered just what being watched all the time could mean. "So... you've been watching me non-stop since I was born?"

Jack moved to my side and he began picking at the blanket, smoothing it out and adjusting how it lay across me and the bed. "Aye, Richard... I have been watching over thee since thy birth, though, in truth, it has not been not non-stop. My focus on thee is to keep thee safe and my task is the same for thy family. At certain times I have been away from thee, but never for any great length. Does my presence give thee concern?"

Something about having the big Gryphon doting all over me and 'tucking me in' was almost sweet, but it only raised more questions. "How can you do that to the bed if you can't touch anything?"

He looked down at the blanket then turned his head aside, looking at me out of just one eye. "Tis an investment of energy for a spirit to affect anything in the physical world, Richard... but something as simple as the ruffle of a blanket or the lay of a sheet requires little, and I gain far more as a result of adhering to my Duty of minding thy well-being."

I was beyond tired at that point and really my mind was focused on the prior portion of our discussion. "So... if you've been watching me a lot of the time, what about when I'm alone... and... uh..."

There are certain things that aren't discussed in polite public, and some of those are what a teenage male does when he thinks he's not being watched. In response, Jack simply rotated his head until he faced me once again. It was almost embarrassingly painful when he responded with a matter-of-fact. "Yes. That as well."

Groaning, I covered my face with my blanket. Despite how earth-shattering my self-conscious self-reflection had become it still barely held a candle to how exhausted I must have been because I don't remember a thing after that; once my body was surrounded by darkness I was asleep. When I next awoke, however, I--