Feather landed a little outside the town and got an idea. Maybe if he walked along the path away from the town, some local monsters might attack him, then Feather could eat them! Yeah! That would be great!

        Feather's spirits perked up some, and he eagerly looked around for a path that he might get ambushed on. There was a little dirt track that went off near the forest, so he followed that. At first Feather bounded along, then realized he had to go more slowly, so as to invite an attack.

        He looked around as he walked. This forest was nice. Very pretty. Why, it almost looked just like the forests from home. Feather smiled to himself. How nice. Of course, it couldn't be his home. It simply...couldn't be. Feather blinked and looked closer.

        Feather was tempted to get exasperated. He really really wanted to blow his top and go nuclear. All these days, wasted. All because he had been going in circles. This WAS his home! NO! Feather gave in to his inclination and spent the next half hour screeching in frustration and ripping up some turf. That felt better. Much better.

        Now Feather was composed enough to resume his journey. He made his leisurely way along, until he saw a discarded miniature axe, with the handle broken, left on the ground. An axe? Maybe it was some axe-wielding bunnies! Food! Yeah!

        Feather bounded down the trail until he came upon a clawful of axe rabbits around a sleeping young human boy. The boy looked like he was in trouble. He had on a really silly looking hat, and the rest of his clothing all screamed 'helpless in combat!' Feather looked at the rabbits. They still
looked delicious.

        He attacked them with a will, and in short order had himself a whole meal for relatively little trouble. These bunnies were getting easy. Still tasty, though! Feather got quite carried away in devouring the carcasses. He was acquiring quite a taste for the little rabbits. Finally satiated,
Feather fastidiously cleaned himself of all the little bits of rabbit flesh, blood and bone fragments.

        The child had slept soundly through all of this, and Feather was quite full by now, so he decided to sleep right here. He lay down near the child, closed his eyes and slipped into the light slumber of a satiated predator.

        Warm sunlight fell across Connell's face. His cheeks burned beneath the heat, but he felt refreshed, both mentally and physically. A brief moment of panic ensued as he worried that perhaps something bad had happened while he was asleep. The reassuring bags still propped beneath his head as makeshift pillows quickly dispelled all his fears. Certainly, if something had happened, it would have woken him.

        He sighed, wondering how long he'd been asleep. Considering he didn't know how far it was to Greenhill, he hoped that there were still many hours of sunlight remaining for his trip. Time to get up and start walking.

        But in a minute. Such a relaxing nap needed to be rewarded with a few last lingering moments. And his hat had apparently slipped down over his eyes. Not wanting to move the hat and open his eyes just yet, Connell lay peacefully, thinking about his plans.

        Greenhill couldn't be much farther. Merchants and other travelers journeyed with great frequency from the Forest Village to its considerably larger neighbor. Several had mentioned that it was possible to traverse the distance in a single day by pushing horses to the limit. Or exchanging
horses at points along the way. By foot, it obviously took considerably longer. Connell wasn't used to walking long distances, so he'd probably have to rest often.

        Regardless, the trip would be well worth it. Greenhill sounded like an amazing place. Hundreds of intellectuals populated the city's academy. It drew scholars from all reaches of the continent, perhaps even farther. These people possessed an intimidating amount of information. Perhaps they would share some of it with Connell. He wondered about musical studies there. Hopefully, the academy would sport an extensive assortment of musical instructors. There were so many questions he wanted to ask them.

        Of course, Harmonia was a better center for knowledge. The infamous Crystal Valley existed only in the northern country. A visit there several years ago had provided golden memories which were fading now. Connell feared that he had been too young to fully appreciate it. Some day, he would return. Or maybe he'd try to enroll in Greenhill's academy. Crossing the border between the City-States and the adjoining kingdom would probably be difficult. Last time had been so long ago that Connell could not remember how he had managed to get to Harmonia and back.

        Wait a moment. He was digressing and letting his mind wander off in any direction it pleased. Right now, his priority was his father. Not his future. Sadly, he placed his aspirations aside.

        Now it really was time to get going. Enough dawdling.

        Something tickled his arm. It was probably the leaves of a nearby plant. Except he was in the middle of the path. No vegetation grew on the trail; presumably, countless wagons, horses, and people had worn it down into its flat and barren state.

        So what was it? Now that he thought about it, it felt too soft to be something like a leaf. It was a fuzzy, feathery feeling. Suddenly concerned, he pulled his arm closer to his body, away from the unknown object.

        Something moved loudly beside him, making a sound not unlike the scraping of sharp objects across a rough surface.

        Frightened, Connell sat up quickly and brought both hands up to adjust his hat. Lifting the hat so that it no longer obscured his vision, Connell froze.

        Returning his wide-eyed stare were two very large inhuman eyes. The owner of these cocked its head and made a peculiar sound. While not overly intimidating, the noise was loud enough to make Connell jump involuntarily. Judging by the animal's stance and inquisitive tone, it appeared to be asking a question.

        "Uh…" Connell tried speaking. He was a bit too nervous to move even an inch. His terrified eyes surveyed the behemoth sitting in front of him. It was a griffin! That was right; they inhabited the forests surrounding the village. Usually they didn't attack humans, but this thought did little to
console him.

        Feather blinked and wondered why the child was so nervous. He had saved the kid from those bunnies, hadn't he? That meant he obviously wasn't going to eat him! Oh, wait. The kid was asleep when that all happened. Damn.

        Feather really hated it when people screamed, especially small children. Their voices were even higher, which really did a job on his hearing. So Feather relaxed on the ground and tried to look non dangerous - no easy prospect in the first place.

        Everything was going great. He was relaxing, and the kid seemed to lose a bit of his tension. Then some dust got up Feather's nose and he sneezed. He sneezed loud, hard and suddenly. The sudden movement pushed the kid over the edge.

        Despite all his efforts, the kid screamed. Right in his ear. Owwwwwwwww, damnit! Feather whimpered and tried to cover his ears from the sound.

        Luckily for Feather, the whimper had a bit of a calming effect on the kid. Connell let the scream die in his throat, wishing he hadn't let loose such a noise. It simply disturbed everything around him, which was of course, the whole point, but he didn't like doing it. He calmed down a bit and whispered, "Y....y-you're not going to hurt me?"

        Feather blinked at the communication. Hurt him? Why would he do something stupid like that? Everyone knew that you only eat immature ones when you're starving, and Feather was hardly that! But, Feather had to give the kid the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't like he was trained the same way
he was, after all. And he was awfully young. Feather shook his head in an emphatic negative.

        Connell was surprised. The griffin understood him, and wasn't going to hurt him! Wow! What a releif! Connell stood up, picked up his things and dusted himself off. He put forward a hand, saying, "I'm Connell, who are you?"

        Feather nodded at Connell and thought for a few seconds of the best way to convey his name. His real name was a very complicated thing. It wasn't a word at all, but rather a complex scene. That's the way it was with all intelligent animals. Feather's own name was something similar to, if one
put it into human speech, "Soft wing-feather floating down to earth on a strong Autumn breeze, with the trees all turned golden from the season, the sky a crystal clear blue and the nearby lake an invitingly cool green-blue" And that was cutting it awfully bare. Feather settled for plucking out one
of his own feathers off his body with his beak and placing it softly in the child's outreached hand.

        Connell blinked and smiled. "A feather? Is that your name?" Feather nodded. "Feather." Connell tucked the feather into a pocket.

        "What are you doing out here, Feather?"

        Feather only cocked his head to one side. Connell guessed that the griffin, while able to understand human tongue, was unable to produce it himself. It was fascinating. Connell found that he liked the idea of meeting someone who didn't disturb the music of the forest. In fact, Feather was
practically part of that music. Unbidden, a short tune formed in his mind that seemed to personify the huge griffin exactly. Wishing to study the griffin more, but eager to continue on his journey, Connell said, "Well Feather, I'm going to Greenhill, so I'd better be off now."

        Feather's eyes grew wide and he stood up suddenly. He reached forward with a talon and gently caught  part of Connell's clothing as he started to turn away. Connell turned back, a questioning expression on his face.

        Feather squawked softly and tried to signal that he wanted to go with the child, but his mind came up blank. How the heck could he communicate this? It was almost enough to make him want to tear up more turf in frustration!

        Connell blinked at the griffin. Its strange squawking was confusing. Although he never really had much experience with animals, he found that trying to converse with the large creature was extraordinarily difficult. The intonation of its voice followed no set pattern. Almost as confusing as
a human tongue would be to someone hearing it for the first time. It was a terrifying beast, but it seemed harmless. As harmless as something with eyes the size of men's fists, a beak that could easily decapitate people, and a stature that dwarfed most carriages could be. At least it didn't want to eat
him. It seemed friendly.

        Suddenly, Connell realized how rude he was being. This griffin was not an 'it'. Somehow, the griffin had communicated its name. He needed to stop thinking of it as an 'it'. Unfortunately, that was a rather frustrating concept to master. Connell vowed to move beyond his initial prejudices against the creature.

        'It', otherwise known as Feather, squawked again. His beak pointed down at the path, towards what he hoped was the distant city of Greenhill, and at Connell. He sat expectantly, hoping the boy could deduce his meaning.

        Biting his lip, Connell pondered this cryptic message. Path, Greenhill, and himself. Right now, being able to communicate fluently with the griffin would be infinitely useful. Feather clearly wanted Connell to do something. That must be why the beak had pointed at him.

        Path. Greenhill.

        Of course! The path led directly to Greenhill. And Feather must know that. So Feather must be going to Greenhill also. Perhaps they could travel together. Connell could use the company, and more importantly, the protection, in case something nasty chose to attack.

        Proud of his interpreting skills, Connell decided to verify his thoughts.  "Feather, are you going to Greenhill too?" Connell asked. This question prompted an emphatic nod from the griffin. "Would you like to travel together, then?" Another nod. Connell smiled, wishing he could ask the griffin why he was also traveling to Greenhill.

        Relieved, Feather allowed himself a moment to preen himself. So the little human did possess the intelligence to decipher Feather's request. It was embarrassing to admit that he, a native of the forest, was lost. And had potentially been circling the area, ending up right back near his home. He
hadn't even needed to resort to tearing up the turf.

        This would be a mutually beneficial situation. The kid could guide him to his destination, and he could prevent more attacking rabbits from doing anything besides becoming his next meal.

        Feather crouched to the ground and spread his wings, hoping to make it painfully obvious to the child that they would be flying for the duration of their journey together. Connell saw the griffin's intent and backed away, looking much like frightened prey. Feather didn't understand this reaction.

        "You want to fly there," Connell said. It wasn't even a question. It was a statement filled with fear. What did flying feel like? For all twelve years of his life, Connell had remained with both feet planted happily on the ground. The concept of being high in the air was intimidating.

        Feather grumbled impatiently. What was the kid's problem?

        As if understanding the griffin's anxiety, Connell dismissed his own reservations. He crept closer and touched the white feathers. They were soft and the skin beneath them was warm. Wrapping his bags around him and adjusting his hat, he readied himself for what he knew was about to be a
life-changing experience. Carefully, he climbed onto Feather's back, sitting awkwardly, unsure of what to do next.

        Unaccustomed to having a rider, Feather adjusted his wings for takeoff. The child didn't weigh much of anything, but his presence necessitated a different manner of flight. He stood higher on his feet, took a few trial beats of his wings, and rose into the air. His passenger shrieked into his ear. Feather flinched and half-considered dumping the boy off at that moment.

        Terrified of his imminent death, Connell clutched the griffin's neck with all his strength, pulling himself close to the feathers and burying his face in them, eyes squeezed shut. The sensation of suddenly being aloft, with a vast distance between himself and the comforting ground worried him.
The breeze nearly blowing his hat off did nothing to ease his nerves.

        He knew he was going to fall. He just knew it.

        After a few hours, Connell relaxed finally enough to crack open his eyes. Feather noticed the minute relaxing of the child's arms around his neck and twisted his head, trying to look at the small human. He squawked inquisitively and mimed looking around him, then squawked again, plainly
trying to ask Connell which way. Connell quickly pointed the way to Greenhill, barely even stopping to think why the griffin....no, Feather, would need directions.

        They continued in this fashion for a good long while. For Connell it felt like an eternity. Once or twice, he peeked away from where he head was pressed into Feather's feathers to look around and try to enjoy the view, but it was too scary. Finally, Feather squawked excitedly and started circling down.

        Feather managed the landing easily and softly; when Connell looked, they were on the ground at the edge of a forest. Connell slid off Feather, trying to get some feeling back in his cramped limbs. He had had them clamped tight to Feather's back and neck the whole way.

        Connell had just gotten his limbs uncramped when Feather swept him up in a great hug that nearly squeezed the breath out of him. Finally Feather put him down and nuzzled him with his head in what just might be a thank-you.

        Feather found a warm place in the fading sun of the day nearby, and curled his bulk up for a nice nap. That little human, Connell, was certaintly fun. And helpful, too. He would really miss that kid. Feather closed his eyes and fell asleep.

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"Connell" and "Feather" are (C) Konami. This chapter was posted on January 17, 2000 Connell's author is no longer active Feather's author is no longer active