He blinked several times, watching the world spin crazily. Flying had been quite an experience, but one that he did not intend to repeat soon. While in the sky, the totally weightless feeling had been intriguing for a few moments. Everything had looked so small. That is, when he had dared to look away from Feather’s comforting neck. Now, the ground seemed unsteady and pulsating under his feet. His head was beginning to ache.

Timidly, he stepped forward. More accurately, he attempted to step forward. However, the entire motion of forwardness was blurred by his complete lack of directional sense. His foot hung awkwardly in midair, unsure of where its destination was. As the ground suddenly lurched to the left, Connell realized that his balance was not enough to prevent his graceless toppling to meet the grass. He thrust his hands in the direction he hoped was below him to try and catch his fall. Predictably, he chose incorrectly.

The grass was worn down from travel in this area, and did not make for a comfortable crash landing. For several minutes, Connell lay on the ground in a heap, waiting for the dizziness to subside. Eventually, after watching the sky and forests collide and swirl, he closed his eyes, hoping to block out these strange visions.

Though the world was blackened to him, he still felt a sliding motion. What if he fell off the edge of the earth while his eyes were shut? He would never again see anyone he knew, only being able to look back in sorrow at the place he had once called home. Terrified, his eyelids snapped open, only to be greeted by the same maniacal spinning as before. This glance convinced him that the unknown was more frightening than the seemingly insane patterns the world was spinning. Not willing to take a chance sliding somewhere, he secured himself by entwining his slender fingers between the blades of grass. At least that would give him a chance, should the entire world suddenly topple.

Another worrisome thought entered Connell’s mind. Perhaps everything he was experiencing was merely the symptoms of a terrible disease that one could only catch by riding through the skies! After all, humans were not meant to fly. It was unnatural. Perhaps this was a warning, or a curse on those who dared to tempt the natural laws of the world. He imagined returning home, ashamed, never being able to see straight again, and not having been able to procure a cure for his father. That future was frightening and quickly banished to the realm of discarded thoughts.

While his mind had wandered, he had completely forgotten about his current situation. Much to his delight, the ground began to slow its movements. Eventually, the steady sliding sensation slowly dissipated. His fingers relaxed their deathly grip on the unfortunate grass. Connell had torn out much of the nearby plant life in his anxiety.

Slowly sitting up, eyes now open, Connell grinned at the comforting, still ground. It had stopped moving entirely! How wonderful. He was not really cursed by anyone.

Greenhill’s main gate lay only a few metres away from his current position. Behind the gates, multiple buildings could be viewed, along with a particularly large structure in the distance that must have been the academy. Inspired to motion by the prospect of finally seeing this wondrous place, Connell jumped to his feet and approached the entrance.

At the gate, he was greeted by a serious-looking guard. “What is your business here in Greenhill?” the man asked, as required by his station. Connell felt the man’s eyes giving him a cursory sweep. For some reason, the man relaxed once he had finished his inspection. “A new student for the academy, eh? Seems that this isn’t a popular time of the year for that sort of thing, though. Were you delayed somehow?”

Connell’s eyes lit up. Telling the tale of his exciting journey would surely bring some levity to this man’s monotonous life. He knew the man would enjoy his story and he was eager to tell about it. “Would you really like to hear about it, sir? I had an interesting trip.”

The man gave the boy a very strange look, narrowing one eye and raising both eyebrows. “Well, if you are so intent on telling, then by all means, tell me your story.”

“Do you know how I got here? Well, probably not, since I haven’t told you yet. I live in the forest village. It’s down this path. My father, an amazing phonologist, was recently attacked and wounded by some very nasty men.” The guard cleared his throat and offered his condolences once the term ‘phonologist’ was explained to him. Connell bowed his head. “There didn’t appear to be anything we could do, but I promised my dad I’d find a way to cure him. My mom was very upset that I was leaving, so I snuck out that night. I feel really bad that I left my sister at home, but she was just too young to come with me. I hope she’s okay.

“I never realized how far Greenhill was. Plus, I hadn’t slept at all that night, and my feet got sore very quickly. On my way here, I fell asleep. When I woke up, there was this huge griffin sleeping beside me.” Connell gestured to depict the griffin’s size and its proximity to himself. Snorting, the guard looked suspiciously at him.

“You’re telling me that you actually saw a griffin? That close to you?”

“That’s right. And he was very nice, and he told me his name was Feather.”

The man could barely control his laughter. “Are you trying to say that you spoke with a griffin?”

Connell nodded. “Sort of. We didn’t really use words, since Feather couldn’t speak, but we managed to figure something out.”

Smiling amusedly, the man listened as Connell described Feather in great detail. He mentioned the frightening, predator-like glint in the griffin’s eyes, along with the kind gestures that the bird had made towards him. Feather, although not human, and certainly not a creature he knew very well, had become one of his friends.

“So, after the flight, he dropped me off just over there.”

“And what do you intend to do now, little boy?”

Connell grinned. “I’m going to look at the academy and see what it has to offer. I have to find information about the Doremi elves. After all, that’s what my father said to do.”

The guard patted the boy lightly on the shoulder. “You’re a good kid. I’d be proud if my son grows up to be like you. Perhaps a little more down-to-earth, though. Your passion for your art and your family is remarkable. Is there anything I can do to help you out?”

Connell bit his lip, suddenly remembering something. “Oh wait. I have a question I wanted to ask. Do you know if a powerful magic called Economics is taught here?” He received another peculiar stare.

“Economics, surely. Powerful magic, though? Though economists tend to fancy themselves among the gods, they certainly do not wield any type of magic above the rest of us.”

“Oh,” Connell replied, confused. His father had told him all about the powerful Economist, and his father never lied. But Connell didn’t blame this man for not understanding. The guard was just a guard, after all. He probably didn’t know all the secrets of Greenhill’s teachings. Connell was determined to find an Economist and learn the truth about Economics.

But that wasn’t important at the moment.

What was that unusual squawk Feather had made?

Connell couldn’t remember, and it really bothered him. He’d never heard anything quite like it. It was an intriguing sound that captured the very essence of the griffin. Strong, eloquent, yet inquisitive. There must be some way to reproduce it. A shame Feather had already vanished.

As if sensing the boy’s sudden mood shift, the guard asked, “Is something the matter?”

“Well,” answered Connell, “I can’t seem to remember the sound that Feather made.”

“Why is that so important?”

“Because I’m following in my father’s footsteps to become a great phonologist! For that, I have to collect sounds.”

“Ahh…” the guard nodded, very slowly. He obviously did not understand.

Connell wrung his hands. “What am I going to do?” He received a sympathetic look from the man. “I had the opportunity to harness the incredible sound of the majestic griffin, and I missed my chance! Ceely would be so disappointed. She’d look at me, wave her finger, and say, ‘You shouldn’t be so clumsy and careless!’ I guess I am as forgetful as she says!” He pouted, then looked apologetically at his audience. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say all of that. I was just caught up in the moment.”

Wide-eyed, the man just smiled. “That’s all right, I understand,” he soothed, still not understanding at all. He looked up at the sky, which, by now, was beginning to darken, signifying the arrival of dusk. “Listen, kid, my replacement should be here soon. You’re free to enter the city if you’d like.”

Another man approached, just as foretold. The two guards saluted each other and exchanged a few words.

Slowly, Connell began to meander through the gates. However, the guard’s familiar voice stopped him. “It’s too late in the afternoon for the academy to be accepting any new transfers. You should wait until tomorrow. Do you have a place to stay for the night?” Connell shook his head glumly, remembering that he had brought very little money, not nearly enough to afford an inn. “Well then, you’d be welcomed at my home, if you’d like. I’m sure my son would be fascinated by your wild tales. My wife wouldn’t mind an extra child in the home. She loves children, you see.”

Connell was delighted. An invitation to stay in a home, filled with people that might be interested in his adventure. He accepted enthusiastically, without hesitation.

“All right then, I’ll give you a brief tour of the city as we pass through it.” The man smiled warmly and passed through the gate, with a very eager Connell close behind him. As the two progressed into the distance, the other guard silently resumed his post as the gate closed.

“I wonder what got into Bill? He usually hates kids. Must be something special about that one,” he muttered to himself, waiting for the next traveler to pass by.

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"Connell" and "Suikoden 2" are (C) Konami. This chapter was posted on February 17, 2000 This author no longer writes for Connell