Myths

Chapter 9

Years ago

"N-No!" a small terrified voice spoke up in a dark vehicle, the only light being a bird of fire.

"Stop," the fire bird replied as it watched the other creature pull their leg from the chain that was wrapped around their ankle. The metal was covered in claw scratches and so was the cage that the creature sat in.

"Ah!" The animal screeched in pain as the chain slashed its ankle.

The fire bird then leaned towards the other creature and shined light on its body. It had claws for two front feet and lion legs for two back feet. It had a head of an eagle but a body of a lion with wings and a long smooth tail. The creature was tiny though, it seemed barely a teen.

"Why? Why do you try?" The fire bird had no hope. "Because I won't be stuck here forever, I know it!" The lion bird replied. "I can't!" It added as the the flamed bird sighed.

The lion bird screeched, trying to get help as the metal doors before the creatures opened. Two men revealed themselves as they blocked the sun.

"Come on gryph," the lion bird heard its nickname as hands reached for its cage. It screeched at the man. "You finally get outta here," one man with a small patch of brown hair on their head smiled.

The gryph's cage was picked up and hauled into the man's arms, leaving the fire bird behind.

The bird that was being brought into the town, screeched for help, any kind of help. This bird had spent years trying to find a way out, any way out. But no matter its hope, it still hasn't succeeded.

The truck with the fire bird drove away into the night, alone.

The man walked and walked till it came upon a blue and while house, a small, loud, house.

Its doors were opened by a large hand as another held the gryph. The doors revealed a man in a white science coat.

"Set the gryphon on my desk over there," his finger pointed to a wooden table covered in stacks of a paper. The bird screeched.

"Then you can leave and let me do my work," the man's voice was deep but light.

The one carrying the gryphon had set its cage down on the table. The bird's eyes searched the new area, a small boy ran up to it, his black hair flowing and covering one eye. He was the same age as the gryphon. Brown eyes like the gryphon's.

The scientist came towards the cage, having no resemble to his son.

"Son, lock the doors and windows," The man looked at the child. The boy nodded as he started running around the house. "We're gonna see what it can do," the man had added.

As the boy came back, the man opened the bird's cage. It immediately flew out and into the air, soaking in the newfound freedom.

Its eagle wings had spread and flapped, enjoying the newfound freedom.

The gryphon screeched happily. The boy smiled up at the gryphon and so did his father. "Looks like she likes the new space," the father spoke as the son nodded.

"But we should get to work so go get her," the man got serious again. "But father, she just got here," the son frowned. "I don't care, she's not a pet son," the man replied as his son sighed.

"Gryphon!" The boy called as it followed the bird. The gryphon replied by screeching at the boy for interrupting her time. "Come on! Gotta get go work!" The bird became hesitant. "It won't hurt! Dad promised!" The son called, he seemed real hesitant himself.

The bird slowed down the flapping of its wings and looked straight at the son and screeched. Loud as it could and flew as fast as it could. She was leaving

"Dang it son! Get em!" The man yelled in fury. "I got it!" The boy replied as it chased the bird. It managed to grab it by its long tail and the man helped out by wrapped a chain around its ankle. Like the one in the cage.

"You're not gonna hurt her, right?" The son asked. "Of course not, now go to your room, its late," the father replied as he stuck the chain to the wall by a hook.

The boy nodded as he ran upstairs and heard the bird screech in pain as a needle went into its neck.

The whole night consisted of gryphon screeches but once the man went to bed, the boy came back downstairs to the chained up gryphon.

"Uh hey," The boy smiled as he waved a little. "I'm sorry about the pain you've been through, I just never know how to stop something like that," he explained to the bird.

"Hey ya wanna know a trick?" The boy asked. "Well you can then into a person, a person like me, a real human, just focus on human qualities and features," the boy told the gryphon.

The gryphon wanted to know if it would work so she listened to the boy and did as he told.

Her beak turned into a small tan-ish nose as her feathered wings disappeared. Her feathered face turned into real light tan skin. Her lion forefeet turned into actual feet as her claws turned into small fingers as her lion body made a brown fur dress on her.

"Wow," she spoke. "I can speak!" She smiled at herself. "Shhhhh," the boy responded as his fingers went to his lips. "My dad is asleep so don't wake him up," the boy warned.

The girl stood up and moved her feet but the chain slung her back. "Ugh!" She groaned. "Help me," she knew how to talk from listening to others near her all her life. "Please," she looked at the boy.

"I-I-I'm sorry," he shook his head. "Please, I've been like this my whole life, help me out here," the girl frowned. "I can't, my dad wasted a ton of money on you, he needs you for research, for money, for food,"the boy frowned at his own life.

"And I need freedom," the gryphon girl responded. "I'm sorry, I can't hurt my dad,"the boy shook his head. "Hey, I know how it feels, to not have freedom, I've been in your place before," the boy told her. "No, your human," the gryphon replied. "No, I'm not," the boy replied as he backed up a little.

The boy's body became furry and a tail began to sprout. His nose became one of a lion's along with his ears. The rain turned into a scorpion's tail. He then sprouted the wings of a bat. He roared a lion roar.

"Woah, you're like me then help me out!" The girl smiled. "We can both finally be free," the boy shook his head. "But you know what I'm going through, we should stick together," the girl explained but the boy shook his head.