Their little television sat crooked on its stand on an entertainment set in the opposite corner of the room. The channel hadn’t been changed since he had left the morning and the local news was on. The weatherman was pointing at the screen and predicting colder weather the next few days. That was a relief to hear. He was tired of sleeping on top of the blankets at night.
Daniel turned off the water and took out a cedar oak plank from the drawer before placing it inside the sink to soak. He walked over to open the door to the back porch and left it open as he went outside, hoping some fresh air in the house would cool it down.
The grass was getting high in the backyard and was showing through the paver stones. He uncovered his stainless-steel grill and opened the lid. He turned the knob on the front, which clicked rapidly and ignited the fuel. After cleaning the plates with a grill brush, he stepped back inside and took off his blazer jacket, tossing it on the backside of the couch along with other articles of clothing.
Daniel withdrew a cutting board and a chef’s knife from a drawer, and reached into one of the bags to retrieve a small sack of sweet potatoes. He chopped them effortlessly with practiced precision, dicing them into small cubes.
A cool breeze brought fresh autumn air into the kitchen while he placed the potatoes on foil and added brown sugar to the mix. With that done, he opened up another grocery bag and began to put away the contents in the older-styled white refrigerator. The sound of a car door slamming shut took his attention away for a moment, but he continued on.
The garage door began to rumble as it shut before the kitchen door flew open. Daniel smiled as Kate ran in. He quickly turned to pick up his little girl. “Hey pumpkin! How was school today? Did you have fun?” he asked,, and kissed her on the forehead.
“Yeah! We painted dinosaurs!” Kate responded and looked back to her mother.
“And how about you, Kathy? How was work?” Daniel asked as his wife shut the door behind her, carrying a little backpack decorated with cartoon characters and her leather purse.
She was dressed in black leggings and a woman’s blazer with a T-shirt underneath. Her short dark brown hair was tied back behind her head with a hair tie. “Busy! But that’s good for tips.”
Daniel leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek as she rushed by to drop her things on the couch with a loud sigh. “Feels cooler in here. Did the AC repairman come today?” she asked curiously, looking with a furrowed brow at the dirty living room.
“No. Said they are booked till Friday,” he responded before putting Kate back down on the ground. She ran to the opposite side of the room, and sat beside her dollhouse to start playing with it.
“Well, it’s good the weather is getting cooler. These past few days have been miserable.” Kathy took off her blazer and threw it on the couch next to Daniel’s.
He grabbed the now soaked wooden plank from the sink and placed it on the counter. “I should’ve been an AC tech. Seems those guys make a lot of money during the season and there isn’t enough of them for the demand,” he said and began unwrapping the pink salmon from the wax paper.
“Don’t you have to go to school for that sort of thing? Too bad you don’t have the time and we don’t have the money for that.” Kathy walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine.
“It’s just six months, I think. Maybe a bit more. I’ll look into it,” Daniel said and placed the pieces fish down on the plank before throwing away the wax paper.
“You can do whatever you want, but I thought you liked being an advisor.” She twisted off the cap to the cheap wine and poured it into a wine glass.
Daniel shrugged his shoulders. “It’s got its ups and downs. Like this current client is an asshole. He’s some sort of religious zealot that’s in over his head and has his hands in too many places. I had to call in Cassie and Jack today.”
Kathy took a big swig of the red wine and placed the bottle down on the counter. “So you’re going to have to pay them out of your fees?” she asked as Daniel brought out some spices to sprinkle over the fish.
“Yeah. The client just wants too much from me. I can’t handle it all myself.” Daniel picked up the plank of fish and the potatoes before walking outside to the patio with Kathy following behind.
“But they’re still paying you enough to cover everything this month and the AC bill, right?” Kathy asked with a little worry in her voice.
Daniel opened the lid to his grill and placed the fish inside. “Oh yeah, no worries about that. I just meant I wanted to put a little in savings and maybe remodel the kitchen,” Daniel replied and closed the lid.
“Well, I can pick up an extra shift or two at the restaurant. We just had another waitress quit yesterday,” Kathy said.
“You work enough as it is. Plus, we need you available. I never know when I can leave work and Kate needs to be picked up,” Daniel said, reaching for the wine glass.
Kathy handed it over and let Daniel down the rest of the glass. Daniel’s face soured slightly and he smacked his lips. The dry and flavorless taste of cheap wine was not ideal, but it was what they had.
“Well I was just being nice. I really don’t want to be there longer than I have to.” She smiled and walked back inside. “I’m refilling this glass. You want one too, hun?” Kathy called out from the kitchen.
“Naturally!” Daniel answered back and adjusted the heat on the grill. She came back out with two glasses this time and handed one to Daniel. They toasted to each other and sipped.
He grimaced again. “Maybe you could put on the charm a bit more and get some better tips so we can buy some better wine.” He was quickly met with a playful slap on his shoulder.
“You’re lucky I’m working and not just a housewife like the Stevenson’s next door,” Kathy said and grinned, sitting in one of the camper chairs next to the grill.
He chuckled and sat down next to her. “So, is Kate enjoying her new school? She seems happy.” Daniel glanced inside, watching the little girl playing with her dolls.
“So far so good. The teacher is really nice. She says Kate has been getting along with all the other children too,” Kathy responded, sipping from her wine glass again.
“That’s good. I always moved around as a kid, so I know it’s hard to adjust.” Daniel put down his wine glass and stood up to open the grill, checking on the fish. “But I think it was for the better. City life in Atlanta didn’t really fit us, I think.”
“I like it here. It’s quiet.” Kathy agreed. “I just hope your client has work for you for a long time.”
Daniel shrugged. “We’ll see. But even after this dries up, there’s other places around here that probably need me.” He walked to the door and called inside. “You hungry Kate?”
The little blond girl looked up and smiled. “Yeah! What are we eating?”
“Fish,” Daniel said and grinned as Kate frowned.
“I don’t like fish though!”
Daniel laughed. “I think you will like this one.”
Kate stood up and folded her arms with a huff, throwing a little fit. “I wont!”
“If you at least try it, I’ll get you an ice cream. Sound good?” Daniel responded.
Kate’s fake frown turned upside down. “Ok, Daddy!”
Kate ran off into the bathroom to go wash up as Daniel walked inside and grabbed a couple paper plates. “I hope she likes it because the only other thing we have is mac and cheese. She’s eaten that two times this week already,” he said as he walked back outside.
“She’s a kid. What do you expect?” Kathy responded and watched as Daniel opened the lid back up.
“I know. I’m just trying to get her to eat different things, and something more nutritious than processed cheese.” Daniel sighed and flipped the salmon over. The aroma of spices and the sizzling of the fish wafted into the air, creating a pleasant smell over the grill. “Go ahead and get the table set, Kathy. These will be ready in just a couple minutes.”
Chapter 6 Story Telling
Thyra and the band sat silently next to the other gryphons on the field’s sideline, intently watching Victor walk before them. The massive gryphon’s cold black eyes looked over the multitude of colors before him as he sat down, readjusting his wings.
“A great effort from everybody today, as usual. I applaud you, but there is much progress to be made before tomorrow’s game.” The cool wind rushed through his tall gray crest feathers as the sun began to set over the stadium.
“Thankfully, the first game is against the Jacksonville Parrots and they have not played well the past couple of years,” he continued and the gryphons began to relax a bit, letting their posture slump slightly. “Although, do not take this lightly. Just because the team did not perform great in the past, does not mean they have not improved.” Victor warned.
The coach looked over to Thyra and her band of friends. “Again, I am confident with these new additions that we will defeat everyone in our way. Others may underestimate us, and it will be their downfall.”
The great harpy’s gray beak almost curved into a grin, and everyone began to trill in acknowledgement. Victors voice began to grow louder, like a rolling thunder approaching as he stood now to address his team. “We will not make it easy for them! We will train harder and better than any other team in the second league. And I will mold each one of you into superior athletes!” The whole team chirped in agreement, becoming riled up as their moods lifted. “Go. Rest now and prepare for tomorrow. You have a long day ahead of you. I want fresh claws and wings here at eight am. Clear?”
“Yes sir!” Came the voices of over a dozen gryphons.
Victor nodded to them all and responded. “Then go.” At once, every bird stood and started to collect their things. Small groups of gryphons acquainted with one another began to gather, talking about what they would be doing after practice.
Thyra looked to the group of gryphons chatting amongst themselves and spotted a pair of gryphonesses talking to each other; an osprey and a peregrine. She had not seen them before, and watched as they chuckled and walked wing to wing.
Thyra turned to Antonio, Rachel, and Aadhya. “Who are those gryphonesses? I haven’t seen them before.” Thyra asked curiously. Antonio turned to look at the couple and saw he recognized them immediately.
“That is Priscilla and Viola. They are new comers from the third league. They have not practiced with us yet because they were finishing their league first. Their performance has been admirable, and Victor hand-picked them to be on the team,” Antonio explained. Together, they began to walk towards the locker room along the field’s edge, following the mass of gryphons.
“Do you all want to grab dinner together? I’m starving.” Thyra asked. “But, somewhere nearby. My wing shoulders feel like a woodpecker has destroyed them.”
Aadhya hung her head low to speak to them, black beard blowing in the gentle breeze. “There is one particular restaurant I favor in town. They have nice accommodations for gryphons, especially ones of my size.”
Rachel darted in front of the three gryphons that towered over her and walked backwards as she spoke. “What kind of food is it? I mean I like all kinds of food to be honest but sometimes I don’t have the right appetite for it. Like, there’s times I can down a whole fried chicken and then there’s other times I can’t. Something like pasta sounds pretty good right now actually!”
“It is an Asian themed restaurant. Whole grain rice, sautéed vegetables, and meat selections,” Aadhya responded as they walked into the corridor that lead into the locker room.
“I could go for some of that right now, actually!” Thyra responded gratefully. The thought of a nice hearty meal right now made her crop rumble.
“I second that,” Antonio said, trailing slightly behind the rest of the band.
“Then it is settled. We can walk if Thyra is too tired to fly. It should not be but twenty minutes,” Aadhya said and opened the door that led into the busy locker room. Everybody was chirping amongst each other and gathering their things. There were sounds of singing and water splattering across the floor in the shower as a couple gryphons washed themselves from the day’s activities.
The band split up to their lockers and Thyra opened up her own to retrieve her satchel. She threw it over her neck and reached inside to retrieve her cellphone. It chimed to life as she turned it on, and immediately dinged with a new message from Johnathen.
*Isabell is doing well. Says to tell you hi and says you need to bring her cigarettes, lol. Also I ran into Jimmie at the stand. Says he misses you and to see him soon. Hope you have a good night tonight and text me back when you get the chance. Love you.*
She smiled and sat down on her haunches, opening the phone to the full keyboard and started to click away with her talons.
*That’s good to hear! I will visit her this weekend and Jimmie too. Today was good except it feels like my wings and arms have been torn off. I’m exhausted but it was a fun day overall. We’re all going out to eat tonight. I’ll let you know when I’m back in Addy’s apartment.*
By the time Thyra had finished the message, most of the gryphons had left the locker room. Aadhya and Rachel were carrying on a conversation, now wearing casual T-shirts and pants instead of their uniform. Antonio walked over, also wearing his casual clothes as well. He wore a brightly colored button up and a jean like material for his pants.
“You haven’t changed, Thyra. Do you plan on wearing your uniform to the restaurant?”
Thyra looked up from her cellphone and flattened her ears in embarrassment. “I was such in a rush this morning that I forgot to pack anything else,” she admitted. She put her cellphone away in its pouch before shutting the locker.
Antonio seemed lost in thought for a minute. He looked her over. “You seem to be relatively the same size as I, perhaps I could loan you some clothing?”
Thyra chirped in amusement at the thought of it. She had never worn another gryphon’s clothing, and especially a male’s before, but it was better than wearing her dirty uniform out in public.
She smiled at the kind gesture and seemed to grow a bit red in the nares. “Ah, sure thing. I mean it would be better than what I’m wearing.”
Antonio noticed her blush and ruffled his feathers in response. “It is, as you say, no big deal.” He turned to head to his locker and shuffled around for a moment before retrieving another brightly colored button down and pants. “I hope these will work,” Antonio said and handed them over to Thyra.
She gratefully took them and observed the various patterns and designs printed on the shirt. “Yeah they seem about right. I’ll be right back.” Thyra threw the clothes over her shoulder and ventured into the shower room.
She placed the cloths on a bench and sat on her haunches to undo the zipper at her front. The spandex like uniform conformed to her body tightly, and was difficult to peal off. She rummaged for a minute, working it off in little steps and pulling her wings through the slots. She pulled the last bit off where it connected to her lower half, pulling her thin feline tail through the hole and stepped her hind feet out of it.
Finally free, she turned to look at the mirror and her eyes widened in shock just how much a ruffled mess her plumage was. She immediately walked to the shower nozzle and turned it on, feeling the lukewarm water splash across her feathers. The water beaded up, running quickly off her wings and back until it began to soak into her down. She ruffled up many times, sending water across the massive shower area, and preened vigorously at the stubborn feathers that would not lay down flat.
“You almost done in there? I’m getting hungry!” came Rachel’s high-pitched voice from the locker room.
“Yeah-yeah! Just one minute!” Thyra responded and shut the water off. There were modified hair dryers on the opposite side of the room, made to air dry a gryphon in a minute. They had massive cones on the end to direct the airflow and get to the down quickly. She walked over and pressed a switch on the wall, causing them to kick on. It started slowly at
first. Then the torrent of hot air caused Thyra’s eyes to squint as it began to blow into her body. It felt as if she were flying head first into a hurricane. Feather plumes dusted the wet ground and the smell of drying down feathers filled the air.
Feeling mostly dry, she threw on the borrowed clothes. Thyra worked each wing into the slits and around her chest to button up with her agile foreclaws. She stepped into the pants and pulled them over her tail, finding the opening a bit large for her tail, but everything fit.
She looked in the mirror and chuckled at her appearance. She felt like a macaw in these things. Never would she consider buying brightly colored clothing like this, but it did look fine on her. If anything, the clothing made her average neutral coloration look that much more eye catching.
“Thyra!” Rachel called out again in a jesting manor.
Thyra grabbed her uniform and rushed out of the shower room to stare down the little gryphoness drumming her talons against the tile floor of the locker room. “I’m hurrying.” Thyra said and threw her uniform in the laundry hamper next to the door before grabbing her satchel.
“You finally ready?” Rachel stated, huffing through her nares.
“Yeah! Lets go.” Thyra said and Aadhya turned to open the locker door for them.
“Well good!” said Rachel. “I was getting so hungry I was thinking about having a chunk out of Antonio’s side!”
Antonio turned to look at the petite gryphoness with curiosity. “You were planning on eating me?”
Rachel laughed as they walked down another hallway. “Naw. I bet you taste awful. And really chewy too. Maybe if you were smoked and drenched in BBQ sauce.” Rachel said and bounded ahead of the other three.
Antonio opened his beak to say something, but clearly could not find anything to respond back with. Aadhya opened the door to the outside and the cool breeze blew against their feathers. They walked out into the parking lot and down one of the paved walking paths that led into the street.
The Gryphon Generation Book 2: A New Era Page 6